helpful Archives | Kristi Dement

Tag Archives: helpful

How To Ask for a Link Request

Posted on July 8, 2014 by kdement Leave a comment

Do you wonder how to ask for a link request? I am going to sum up the main points in the awesome book published by Entrepreneur Press called Ultimate Guide to Link Building: Build Backlinks, Earn a Higher Search Engine Rank, Increase the Authority and Popularity of Your Site by Eric Ward and Garrett French.

Steps:

Look over the website you want to have your link on to make sure it is relevant
Do not put the words “link request” in the email subject line
Start the e-mail off addressing the website owner by name
Introduce yourself, your website, and why you would like to the link
Identify the exact URL on their site where you think the link is a fit
List the exact URL from your site that you want them to link to
Give a valid email address and respond to any email requests they send
Provide your phone number–something a spammer would not do
Follow any link request instructions they give
If a reciprocal link, confirm that you have linked to their site and provide the URL
Be attentive, professional, courteous, and to the point

This book also lists Link Building Strategies written by Jon Cooper of Point Blank SEO:

Start blogging on your website
Have internal links to other content on your website
List resources and outside links
Build relationships with others
Find niche-specific directories
Write guest posts or have guests write posts for your blog
Provide educational content
Write compelling testimonials
Provide useful lists–there is power in making lists!
Be interviewed or interview someone in your industry
Offer timely/seasonal content
Use humor
Provide printable resources
Host contests
Cover news first
Give helpful infographics
Host online webinars
Promote National Days and Events
Survey people and post results
Debunk popular myths
Comment on relevant blogs
Do question and answer blog post
Ask customers what they want to see more of
Connect with industry associations and organizations
Attend relevant conferences
Call people
Host local group meetings
Retweet Twitter tweets
Provide email signature listing website & ways to connect with you via social media
and much more!

There are always things you can do to draw bigger audiences to your website. By taking the steps to ask for link requests and implementing the link building strategies, you will be well on your way to developing more a popular website.

Readers, I welcome your responses to this post as well as other ideas related to the topic of link requests and link building. I read every comment and respond when appropriate. Thanks! Kristi

Posted in Associations and Ratings, Blog and Social Media, Conferences, Events, Promotion

5 Ways to Attract More Attention Online

Posted on June 13, 2014 by kdement 2 comments

What can we do to grab the attention of the online world and become more visible to our internet audience?

1) Words–The words we use really help determine our online visibility. In the online world, fresh content is everything. We need to make a list of keywords we want associated with us and our brand. We should consistently use those keywords in our content.

2) Actions–Ever hear the phrase, “What we do speaks louder than what we say“? People observe others. Whether we want them to or not, people see actions as well as lack of taking action. For example, if we consistently receive the same negative comments online, then we know we need to take action. This is not the time for us to ignore it and hope it goes away! We should appreciate comments and respond to both positive and negative feedback.

3) Formatting–People like easy to read content. Most people don’t read word for word online. They like to scan the page.

Use bullet points
Add numbers
Offer descriptive subheadings
Make important text bold
etc.

4) Links–We should provide links to other places in our website/blog as well as outside resources. This goes a long way in showing others that we like to be helpful and provide useful information. We are more likely to be seen as leaders on our subjects.

5) Get visual–Images and videos attract eyeballs. People notice meaningful pictures. Pinterest is a great visual social media platform that literally has billions of pins.

We should ask ourselves, “What does my target audience like to see online?” When we see things from their perspective, we can be more creative. Are we using the right keywords? Are we taking appropriate action? Does our formatting make our content easy to read? Have we provided great links? Have we featured attention-getting images or video? When we can say yes to all five questions, we will attract more attention online!

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Promotion, Success

Your Breakfast Menu

Posted on December 14, 2013 by kdement

Do your bed and breakfast guests give you feedback on your cooking? It is important to pay attention to a comment if you have heard it many times. If ten guests rave that you have awesome blueberry pancakes, then you must have awesome blueberry pancakes. If there is something you make that does not normally get finished on people’s plates, that may mean that you are not preparing it in a way that most people like.

Variety is the key to “spicing” up life. If you make the same breakfast menu over and over, you are bound to not enjoy cooking as much. Try implementing some new recipes as well as adjusting recipes with great guest feedback. For example, maybe you can offer strawberry pancakes next time you make pancakes.

If you would like feedback on your cooking, but do not want to make it awkward for you or your guests, then offer them an opportunity to provide you feedback on their stay by answering a short survey. Some of the questions can focus on the food they had at your B&B.

What breakfast items were on your plate?
Which ones were your favorite?
Were there any items you disliked?
Do you have any suggestions for us?

This way guests have an opportunity to say something without feeling like they are judging you and your cooking. Most people like to give helpful feedback. For any unkind comments, take them with a grain of salt! You will likely receive some very useful advice for planning future breakfasts.

Posted in Food

Creative and Fun Decorating Ideas

Posted on December 3, 2013 by kdement

You want your bed and breakfast to stand out to your guests and make a great impression. The following is a list of decorating tips:

Keep in mind the geographical location of your bed and breakfast when you choose your color theme. So if it is near water, you can use a them based on light brown sand, pink seashells and corals, ocean blues, and sunny yellows. If you are in the mountains or a forested area, you can use colors found in the woods, such as deep greens and cranberry reds.

There are many different approaches to decorating your inns’ bedrooms. For a traditional bed-and-breakfast look, use Victorian-style furniture. For a cottage-style B&B, put handmade quilts on the bed with matching shams.

In order for your decor to flow, keep a consistent period or style decor throughout, varying in color themes only from room to room.

Put natural-finish or painted wicker chairs near the bedroom windows. Put floral fabric cushions in the chairs and add a matching ottoman. If your B&B has wicker furniture, it is best to use the same style of wicker seating in the main living area as on the front porch.

Decorate the main living area according to its size. For an extra large living room, arrange several small groups of chairs. For a smaller room, place a large couch in front of a fireplace, with a chair on each side. For a relaxed cottage-style look, put loose-fitting canvas slipcovers on the furniture.

Accessorize with wall art that reflects nature in the area or local artists and artisans. Fill a large empty vase with rocks or shells that you or your guests have collected from the beach, woods or a neighboring lake.

You can get even more helpful ideas for home decorating from Better Homes and Gardens and at Pinterest.

Posted in Decorating