Is advertising the best way to monetise your web presence?

Barry Lee Cummings talks online monetisation with Siobhan Live on Dubai Eye 103.8FM

A couple of Wednesdays ago I was asked to go on Siobhan Live at Dubai Eye 103.8FM for the technology hour – #unwiredfm – the subject matter was monetising your online presence, whether that is a blog, a corporate website (which can actually be a blog). I was joined in the studio by Bébhinn Kelly who is a Director at D.A Media and also set up one of the first fashion blogs in the region – www.hellwafashion.com – it’s a great success story for the online, especially blogging and is testament to Bébhinn starting out with a plan in mind that this blog would be a business, fuelled by passion for sure, but it was to be a business.

I actually posted about blogging for business not too long ago, so it was apt for Dubai Eye to call up and ask me to be on the show. One of the misconceptions about blogs is that people separate them, by name, from websites. The truth of the matter is that there are many super successful businesses out there whose main website is a blog. It’s the perfect platform to produce regular, relevant, interesting content – which we should all know by now is really the secret to online success and will be even more important moving forwards – You can now customise your website so that you would never know that it was actually based on a blogging platform like WordPress. I am not sure why there is a negative connotation within big businesses to have a site built on something like WordPress. It’s search engine friendly, easy to use and allows you to take back control from a web master when it comes to changing your content. There is still some snobbery in the market place though, which is actually great news for the SME – the internet has levelled the playing field and with a well structured online campaign, from setup and configuration through to execution, the SME can outrank the big boys and eat into their market share – As always, it’s about understanding what you are trying to achieve online and then engaging the appropriate tools to get you there.

You can have listen to the chat here – it’s broken into 4 pieces to account for the advert breaks, so you can either head over to Dubai Eye Unwired and listen to the whole 2 hours, or my bits are marked 1230, 12.45, 1300 an 13.15 Or check them out as individual podcasts on Audio Boo below –

Part 1 –

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Testimonials

Barry has been a key figure in several projects of ours over the last 12 months, and the results that have been produced are nothing short of fantastic. His product knowledge and attention to detail are unmatched which is one of the key contributors to his success. Please contact me if you would like a reference for his work & professionalism.

Barry is a master! He set up a lead generation source for my company which resulted in well over 100 quality leads, in turn generating over $10,000 in revenue within 3 months. He did so with a well explained and efficient process, which made my life much easier. Barry has also consulted with me on numerous occasions about different websites and business opportunities. I view Barry as an invaluable resource for my company.

Barry came to NYU Abu Dhabi to run a course on Social Media for Non Profits. He was an engaging and interesting speaker with a wealth of information on best practices for using social media platforms to benefit non-profits.

Barry is an online digital media maven. He has helped me fine tune my marketing strategies across a variety of online platforms. A true professional and asset to any business.

Barry went far beyond the call of duty to answer all of our many questions about setting up an e-commerce and social website internationally. His advice was practical rather than just theoretical, demonstrating that he really knows his stuff and lives it rather than just reading about it. I'd happily recommend him.

Barry Lee Cummings | About Me

Barry Lee Cummings

Digital Marketing Consultant and Lecturer helping companies generate more from their online presence

Digital Marketing Consultant, Trainer and Lecturer based out of Dubai. Providing digital marketing strategy and consultancy services to companies to help them generate more business through effective digital marketing strategy creation. This provides foundation, direction and focus for deliverables such as; Website optimisation, Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Social Media Marketing, Direct Response and Email Marketing

Passionate about Digital Marketing, travelling, scuba diving, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.

Also the creator of the highly sought after Barry’s Burgers – found at select BBQ’s in Dubai :-)