“140-character status updates to a network of followers.” That makes Twitter sound simple. But in fact, the social information platform has grown to be much more complex than its 140 character-limit suggests. The site not only connects people, but has also become an intricate information resource for everything from news to shopping deals.

Yet in many ways, the site’s actual functionality hasn’t exactly kept up with user interactions. Twitter’s interface has remained simple, which is why a lot of tweets take place through third-party sites and applications that make the experience more useful.

We’ve compiled a list of the top 20 third-party websites for making your Twitter experience more useful and easier to manage. Although this does not include the many desktop or mobile applications that are available for Twitter, we hope that it will make your browsing experience more enjoyable as you dive into the Twittersphere. Also, as a one-stop shop for Twitter apps, check out OneForty. We’d love to hear what’s missing from this list, including sites that you find useful in the comments.

You’ve probably heard people talking about Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, and wondered if it would help your business. The answer, in short, is absolutely!

Search Engine Optimization is the process of fine-tuning your website code and content to rank well in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. The basics of the SEO process are to:

- Choose keywords and keyword phrases that describe what you do and that your target market will use to search for your services.

- Use those keywords throughout the code and text for your website.

- Place links back to your site, containing those keyword phrases, on other websites. The search engines look at incoming links from other sites-not at outgoing links from your site-to improve your rankings

There’s a whole field of consulting built up around Search Engine Optimization, mainly because the search engines are constantly changing how they work, to discourage unethical or unfair Search Engine Optimization processes, such as loading a page with invisible keywords or using code in the page that specifies words that have nothing to do with your business.

Given the rate of search engine changes, you might wonder if SEO is cost-effective for your small business, or if your limited marketing budget would be better spent elsewhere. The benefits of SEO are:

- You’ll get more visitors to your website. It naturally follows that if more people visit your site and learn about your fabulous products and services, then more people will buy from you.

- You’ll get more inquiries. You get the thrill of getting calls and emails from clients you otherwise might never have met. Imagine, the phone rings, and it’s a new potential client on the other end! You ask them how they found out about your services, and they say “Oh, I found you on Google.” High search engine rankings will make finding new prospects easier.

- Your leads will pre-qualify themselves. Before the phone call or email even comes through to you, it’s likely that the new prospect will read through your site and determine whether your services or products are a good match for their needs. This saves you time and effort in the sales cycle.

- SEO opens the doors to doing business internationally. There is no “Global Edition” of the Yellow Pages, but the Internet makes your business information available to everyone around the world… if they can find you. Being ranked well in your business category in the search engines is the first step towards a building a global business.

- Higher rankings give you more credibility. Google is a particularly respected search engine. Many buyers have consumer confidence in the companies that Google returns at the top of its results.

- Ranking well increases your visibility. Coming up in the search engine rankings is one more way to get noticed by your target market.

A caution on getting your site optimized for the Search Engines

Beware of SEO companies that offer optimization that sounds too good to be true-it probably is. If they offer to get you top-ranked search engine positioning in a short amount of time or for a small sum of money, then they are probably not going to use effective or ethical methods, and you won’t get the positioning you want. Some of these companies even use methods that will result in your site being banned from Google, which will take you out of its index entirely, and it’s very difficult to be allowed back in.

But don’t let this scare you; using a little discretion, you will be able to find the perfect SEO company for your small business. And with its help-increasing your website’s traffic and credibility-you just might take your small business to the level of big business!

Online customers are like any other customers, They are the same people we see your magazines ads, walk by your display windows, find you in the Yellow Pages.  So if you want your website to work for your business, make it part of your business.

Integrate its look, content, and offerings with the rest of your marketing programme, right down to the style of type you use, the kinds of messages you present and they way you display your business  name and logo.

·         Your website can make an impression for your business. Make sure it is fast to load, easy to navigate then your visitors will definitely return.

·         Managing email impressions

Unify all company emails by use of a common signature, with name, website address, street address and contact details together a tagline that tells what your business does.

·         How to write a enewsletter that get read

Keep your message quick and to the point.

Use a short subject line

Create a subject line that alerts recipients that the message is aimed specifically at them. For example, Calling All Sausalito Mac Users is far more targeted than Closeout Computer Prices.

Link the consumer to your webpage instead of making a comprehensive sales presentation in your email message.

·         Online users range from early teens to those 65 and above.

Most users are sending emails but they are also logging on to shop or to research products. They study options online before making purchases. Whether they buy online or make purchase from a bricks and mortar establishment, if your business isn’t one they can access via the web, you may not make it onto their list for consideration.

They expect website to delivery customer support and information with a high level of service. They want  an easy and obvious way to contact your business and expect prompt inquiry responses.

·         Blogs short for web logs are online chronicles of news, ideas, facts and opinions. They are part editorial, part journal and part dialogue. Although mostly used by individuals, there is a growing number of businesses who use them to share expertise and information with colleagues, suppliers, customers and employees.

1.1 Email enables you to send messages to any other user connected to the Internet. Email is essential for almost every business, as your customers will expect to use email to communicate with you. It offers several benefits. (See Email.)

• Sending documents such as letters, spreadsheets and pictures by email is usually fast and straightforward.
• You can send email to multiple recipients. This is cost-effective for marketing campaigns, technical updates, product launches and price-change announcements.
• Email is less intrusive than the telephone, as the person receiving an email does not have to read the message immediately.
• Email messages can easily be kept for future reference.
• Email is cheap. Your main expense is the cost of connection to the Internet. You will probably have to pay an Internet service provider to provide this connection.

1.2 You can find useful information on the Internet.

• You can discreetly research your customers and competitors by looking at their websites.
• Many detailed market reports are available online although you may have to pay for these.
• You can find new suppliers and compare them with existing ones by checking their websites.
• Online credit-checking services can provide instant results when assessing credit limits for new customers.
• You can find details of grants and loans.
• You can keep up with the latest developments in your sector through specialist websites and news services.

1.3 You can improve your internal communication, particularly if you have people working in more than one location.

• Simple issues can be communicated to employees via email or an internal website.
• Employees who work at home or out of the office can access your systems. For example, they can use your customer database or save their work on your server.

1.4 External communication can be streamlined.

Connecting to the Internet can vastly improve your business’s communication with the outside world. Every firm, however small, should consider using email at the very least. And there is a mass of invaluable business information freely available through the Internet.