Top 10 Websites

Alexa.com has released the latest Top 10 Websites by Traffic. Google has taken over the #1 dethroning longtime holder Yahoo! Even more interesting is that Facebook has surpassed Yahoo!, as well. Google has three properties in the Top 10 with Google, YouTube and Blogger - do not underestimate the power of Google! Can't think the folks over at Yahoo! are to happy about the slide.

Also interesting is who no longer on the Top 10 - MySpace so two years ago - bye,bye. AOL? Who? What? Distant memory. Seriously, when was the last time you checked your Myspace account? Actually, MySpace is #11 and AOL is #35. Twitter is #13 - expect Twitter to surpass MySpace in no time.

Microsoft Live is #5 - I'll be talking about some of their cool tools in upcoming posts - I never rule out Microsoft.

What does this all mean? Google is still King and social networking is taking over. Making Google happy should be the goal of your SEO efforts. And if you haven't gotten on the fFcebook bandwagon, what are you waiting for? Facebook allows you to integrate with your own blog and your Twitter account - post once - send it across all your networks - Interactivity is tbuzz behind Web 2.0!

1. Google
   

   google.com

   Enables users to search the Web, Usenet, and images. Features include PageRank, caching and translation of results, and an option to find similar pages. The company's focus is developing search technology.
   

   
   
2. Facebook
   

   facebook.com

   A social utility that connects people, to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos.
   

   
   
3. Yahoo!
   

   yahoo.com

   Personalized content and search options. Chatrooms, free e-mail, clubs, and pager.
   

   
   
4. YouTube
   

   youtube.com

   YouTube is a way to get your videos to the people who matter to you. Upload, tag and share your videos worldwide!
   

   
   
5. Windows Live
   

   live.com

   Search engine from Microsoft.
   

   
   
6. Wikipedia
   

   wikipedia.org

   An online collaborative encyclopedia.
   

   
   
7. Blogger.com
   

   blogger.com

   Free, automated weblog publishing tool that sends updates to a site via FTP.
   

   
   
8. Microsoft Network (MSN)
   

   msn.com

   Dialup access and content provider.
   

   
   
9. Baidu.com
   

   baidu.com

   The leading Chinese language search engine, provides "simple and reliable" search experience, strong in Chinese language and multi-media content including MP3 music and movies, the first to offer WAP and PDA-based mobile search in China.
   

   
   
10. Yahoo!カテゴリ
    

    yahoo.co.jp

    有料審査制のディレクトリ。ウェブサービスの形でAPIを公開。

And they told two friends . . .

Understanding the concept on social networking -

When I was a kid, you know back in the stone ages - there used to be commercial for Breck Shampoo - "and you told two friends, and they told two friends, and they told two friends . . . The idea was that happy customers would share their experiences with friends, who in turn would pass it on. Ultimately, this became known as viral marketing.

Fast forward to the 21st Century, and this is the premise behind using social networks for marketing. You post something, your friends read it and pass it on to their friends. Great! Marketing all done! Well, not exactly.

The problem is not every thing you post is compelling enough to repeat. Trust me, it's not.

In order for social networking to work as a marketing medium for you - what you post must be interesting, have value and be compelling to pass on. Let's go back to the ladies of Breck. If Becky simply told Jan and Sue "I went shopping for shampoo, today," then Jan and Sue would have nodded approvingly (actually Sue would have rolled her eyes) and the subject would have quickly moved on to Jan's new Dorothy Hammill do. But instead, Becky told the girls that this new product left her hair soft, shiny and cured split ends and they should try it. Now this was different - the value? soft, shiny hair and a call to action - you should try it!

While your fan base may put up with your posts about what you had for breakfast - they really want to know what is in it for them. Soft, shiny hair? Sign me up! Emerging technology that solves all of my business problems? Where do I invest?

The next time you post to Facebook or Tweet on Twitter or what ever it is that you do - makes sure it's worth sharing. Oh, and seriously stop sending me Mafia Wars, already!

Social networking sites - what works for you?

We asked, here’s what you told us –

• LinkedIn is my preferred professional networking site, followed by xing.com and then by Twitter and Plaxo. Facebook is only used for private networking to stay in touch with family and friends. Oliver Schmid
• I don't like Twitter at all! LinkedIn works for me - just have to sift through the spam which can be frustrating and time consuming. Laura Beken
• I use Facebook, Linkedin, Plaxo and Twitter. I use ping.fm to post to all of them at the same time. I find Linkedin and Twitter very useful for biz and Facebook so far has been a great social network for me. Diane Helbig
• Obviously, I use LinkedIn given we're all here and I think it works well for business and I'm starting to use Facebook for business too as there's often related groups that I can contact regarding campaigns we're working on.
  
  
  
  The last show I produced for SmallBusinessAdvice.tv just before Christmas was on this exact topic - have a look at http://www.smallbusinessadvice.tv/chat/using_social_networking_for_small_businesses
  
  
  Be good to get your comments on the show too - Russell Goldsmith