A great website is an invaluable resource for any business. It is a representative of you and your company. And it should look the part. With a great website, traffic and customers will be increased, brand image will be reinforced, and customer service will be made easier. It is therefore crucial to have a website that you and your business can be proud of. Here are some important factors to keep in mind to ensure that your website will be as good as it can possibly be.
It can’t be said enough, content is king. Make sure that you have material on your website that is worth looking at and visiting. While this seems obvious at first glance, really take the time to think about what your website will provide to the customer and how it will fill their needs. With good content any design problem can eventually be overcome. With bad content, it does not matter how well your site functions or how well it is designed, it will fail.
Content is King
A great website is an invaluable resource for any business. It is a representative of you and your company. And it should look the part. With a great website, traffic and customers will be increased, brand image will be reinforced, and customer service will be made easier. It is therefore crucial to have a website [...]
Balancing SEO with Design
Web Design is a competitive field. A business should have plenty of choice when it comes to determining what designer to use. A good designer will be able to balance the aesthetics of the site, the so called ‘look and feel’, with the needs for good search engine optimization. Search engine spider bots do [...]
Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!
Take advantage of what’s out there! The Internet is a marketing garden for the creative individual willing to take advantage of its opportunities. Sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube are natural marketing avenues. Create a profile, upload videos of your product, and send out bulletins of specials and website features are all things that [...]
For God’s Sake…No!!
The most common mistake when designing a website with SEO in mind are problems with the way keywords are dealt with. How many times have we all seen websites where the keywords are dropped in every other phrase it seems? Don’t make this error. Search engine algorithems are not impressed with an unbelievably high keyword [...]
Tables in Web Design
Use tables sparingly. Like graphics and flash, tables can add hundreds of lines of script to a source code. Anything that can be used as CSS in an external file instead of html should be. A good thing to remember is that the more on-page code you have that deals with content the better. Always [...]
Making an SEO proposal
You have convinced that growing company the importance of a search engine optimization. They are interested in the growing importance of online marketing campaigns and the role that Google and Yahoo will play in their overall marketing strategy. But now you must seal the deal and get the final go ahead before you get to [...]
More on Backlinks
Backlinks form a very important part of any search engine optimization. Share with your client the number of links you have generated. Explain to them that this will not only increase traffic from your target audience but will also help on the search engine’s page ranking. Relevant backlinks are a valuable tool for both the [...]
Seo Writing
A writer with experience in online marketing will also be invaluable in search engine optimization. With the overwhelming importance of organic search results from Google or Yahoo to a company’s profits, finding a writer that can help with this aspect is critical. A good copywriter can help with identifying and choosing key words. They will [...]
Marketing
The first step is changing the way you think about your content itself. Including a discussion group forum or a company blog is an excellent way to get potential customers involved. Including sections for product reviews and customer testimonials will not only provide quality content but will give relevant sites something interesting to link back [...]
Web Design Tips
You must avoid the error of designing your site in a way that is inaccessible to search engine spider bots. An overreliance on graphics is the most common way of rendering your site invisible to Google or Yahoo. These company’s bots can’t read text that is implanted in graphics, including Flash graphics. Remember how [...]
Content is King
A great website is an invaluable resource for any business. It is a representative of you and your company. And it should look the part. With a great website, traffic and customers will be increased, brand image will be reinforced, and customer service will be made easier. It is therefore crucial to have a website [...]
Knowing What You Want in Web Design
The single most important advice to keep in mind when choosing a web developer is that the more you know what you want in your website the more you can search for the developer who can deliver it. Having specific features, style options, and a general idea on the size and page number you want, [...]
Joining a Community
As is usually the case, research will help you out. By taking the time to find other sites, blogs, and communities that are related to your site’s field of interest, you have unearthed a potential cache of people who might be interested in your content and willing to link back to you. Contacting the [...]
Headlines in Press Releases
1) It starts with a headline. In today’s world of constant information overload, a Press Release’s headline will make the difference between an interested reader or a quick death in the junk folder. Let the reader know exactly what you are promoting. You can be creative, but the information must be conveyed.
Customer Service
A website should be a twenty four hour customer service center. By including a help menu to commonly encountered problems, a frequently asked questions section, and/or instructions on ordering or using products, your website will always be there to help your customers. Customer service is frequently the most important aspect in getting return clients. By [...]
Sales in Your Website
First and foremost, any business website must contribute to a growing sales figure. The ability to purchase a product online is not only an easy resource for the customer but for the business owner as well. By expanding your potential customer base to literally the entire world, your business can reach those that are not [...]
Profile of a Consultant
As more and more businesses are discovering the value in search engine optimization, their demand is being met by a steady influx of SEO consultants. These range from multi-member teams able to process the largest of ecommerce websites to charlatans who will end up doing more harm than good with blackhat techniques. A growing number [...]
Make Your SEO Campaign a Success
It is a good idea to spell out exactly what ‘success’ means to you and your client. Different sites will have different needs. Some sites will judge success based simply on more internet traffic. Some will judge success on greater direct sales. Every site and business owner will have a different set of criteria for [...]
Customers Expectations
Your proposal must also include what ongoing features and service you intend to provide them and for how long. This should include things such as quality control, availability for assistance, continual marketing strategies, and constant updates for links, keywords, ppc, etc.
Last, and most obviously, no SOE proposal should be submitted without a pricing guidline or [...]
Proposals
The first component of any SEO proposal is a detailed analysis of the existing website and how well it is set up to handle the changes that must be made. This includes an analysis of the content, structure of the source code, page title tags, good keyword density, the pages search engine spider-link accessibility, and [...]
Don’t have to stay Local
Web development is one the fastest growing fields. There are a lot of people making a lot of promises. Finding the web developer that can deliver, however, can be a daunting process. The good news is that a web developer need not be in your location to be able to do the work. While this [...]
Do it Right From the Beginning
One of the worst things a business owner can do is ignore SEO principles when designing their website. Too often large amounts of time and money are spent on a website that will not deliver the kind of desired results simply because the site is invisible to the search engines. To further compound the problem, [...]
Google Page Rank
If judging strictly by the Google toolbar PR meter, this would a very difficult criteria to adequately measure. It is much easier to see the actual results by measuring the improvement in your page placement on a search. Everyone knows that web users rarely go past the third page of search results. Getting a higher [...]
Navigation on Your Website
Your site must be easy to use. Navigation menus must be easily understood and accessible. Why would you require a double click on your navigation menu when you could only require one? The load times must be kept to an absolute minimum. Making your potential customers wait is detrimental to your sales conversion rate.
Intro to finding an SEO Consultant
As more and more businesses are discovering the value in search engine optimization, their demand is being met by a steady influx of SEO consultants. These range from multi-member teams able to process the largest of ecommerce websites to charlatans who will end up doing more harm than good with blackhat techniques. A growing number [...]
Headers
Another important aspect to web design using SEO principles is to take advantage of your H1 through H5 tags. These are very important to the search engine bots. So don’t use flash or graphics for these important headings. Make sure to use HTML in combination with CSS.
If you have a PHP site make sure to [...]
Discussion Groups
Including a discussion group forum or a company blog is an excellent way to get potential customers involved. Including sections for product reviews and customer testimonials will not only provide quality content but will give relevant sites something interesting to link back to. The more your site functions as a community and the more it [...]
Pleasing to the Eye
Make sure that the site is pleasing to the eye. Overuse of graphics and flash is distracting. Large blocks of text are intimidating to the average reader. Remember, attention spans are short. The easier you can make it for your potential customer to digest the content on your site the better. A good rule of [...]
Arms Race for Backlinks
Ever since Google decided to include the number of links to a page in its calculations of its rankings, there has been an arms race of sorts to obtain these prized connections. Black hat techniques such as forming dummy sites and hidden text links are more trouble than they are worth and the penalties can [...]
Speed in Design
A professional web development team will get you your results faster. A familiarity with the necessary software, web design concepts, and the steps needed to execute them will have a professional getting your website up and running much faster than any in-house staff ever could. A professional team will have no other priorities or distractions [...]
Keywords 2
Once you have selected the right keywords, utilizing them in the text of your site is the next step. Achieving the perfect density in your content is crucial. Too much, and the search engine spiders will downgrade you. Too few and you are not accomplishing anything. Some recommend an average of 3-5 keyword phrases for [...]
Changing Keywords
An important point to remember about keywords is that they are in a constant state of flux. People’s search habits change, as do the algorithms that the search engines use. It is a good idea to keep up on current trends and conditions. You should be running the data on your keywords every few months [...]
Defining Success
It is a good idea to spell out exactly what ‘success’ means to you and your client. Different sites will have different needs. Some sites will judge success based simply on more internet traffic. Some will judge success on greater direct sales. Every site and business owner will have a different set of criteria for [...]
SEO Consultants
As more and more businesses are discovering the value in search engine optimization, their demand is being met by a steady influx of SEO consultants. These range from multi-member teams able to process the largest of ecommerce websites to charlatans who will end up doing more harm than good with blackhat techniques. A growing number [...]
Some Design Principles
A great website is an invaluable resource for any business. It is a representative of you and your company. And it should look the part. With a great website, traffic and customers will be increased, brand image will be reinforced, and customer service will be made easier. It is therefore crucial to have a website [...]
Linking in Your Press Release
1) Use your press release to generate direct traffic. Link to your company’s website. The easier you can make it on the reader to become a customer the better. If you are selling a product include a link to the page where they can purchase it. If you are announcing new content, link to the appropriate [...]
Teams vs. Individual Designers
Find out if the developer works as a team or as a single individual. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. A large team will have more people to draw upon, but you run the chance that you will get lost in the shuffle of beaurocratic hassles and overall lack of accountability. A single person [...]
Unproffesional
Obviously things that reflect negatively on your business should be avoided at all costs. This includes words misspelled and incorrect grammar. Nothing gives an unprofessional impression like simple errors such as these. In addition, broken links and graphics, under construction pages, and no contact information expose flaws in your website design that will turn off [...]
Starting Off on the Right Foot
One of the worst things a business owner can do is ignore SEO principles when designing their website. Too often large amounts of time and money are spent on a website that will not deliver the kind of desired results simply because the site is invisible to the search engines. To further compound the problem, [...]
Seo Success Part 2
1. Page ranking. If judging strictly by the Google toolbar PR meter, this would be a very difficult criterion to adequately measure. It is much easier to see the actual results by measuring the improvement in your page placement on a search. Everyone knows that web users rarely go past the third page of search results. [...]
Seo Success Part 1
Backlinks form a very important part of any search engine optimization. Share with your client the number of links you have generated. Explain to them that this will not only increase traffic from your target audience but will also help on the search engine’s page ranking. Relevant backlinks are a valuable tool for both the [...]
SEO Principles #2
Don’t fill up your source code with hundreds of lines of script that could be placed in external folders. CSS and JavaScript, in particular, should not be taking up valuable space in the source code. Search engines judge a site based on the amount of code that is relevant to the corresponding search. By filling [...]
SEO Principles #1
Use your graphics and images in a judicious manner. Search engine spider bots can’t read text within these features. You can add ALT text to the image tags but this is an inefficient solution. Ideally all wording should be removed from the images and the text should be reintroduced as CSS. If done correctly, the [...]
Know What You Want
The single most important advice to keep in mind when choosing a web developer is that the more you know what you want in your website the more you can search for the developer who can deliver it. Having specific features, style options, and a general idea on the size and page number you want, [...]
Market Research
An extremely valuable role of the website is to serve as a market research tool. By creating a profile to purchase items, a customer is letting you know what demographic they are in. By compiling all the data of the profiles, your company can assess who is buying your product and who is not. [...]
Customer Service
A website should be a twenty four hour customer service center. By including a help menu to commonly encountered problems, a frequently asked questions section, and/or instructions on ordering or using products, your website will always be there to help your customers.
Customer service is frequently the most important aspect in getting return clients. By [...]
Page Rank
If judging strictly by the Google toolbar PR meter, this would be a very difficult criterion to adequately measure. It is much easier to see the actual results by measuring the improvement in your page placement on a search. Everyone knows that web users rarely go past the third page of search results. Getting a [...]
Copywriting in SEO
A writer with experience in online marketing will also be invaluable in search engine optimization. With the overwhelming importance of organic search results from Google or Yahoo to a company’s profits, finding a writer that can help with this aspect is critical. A good copywriter can help with identifying and choosing key words.
They will [...]
Keeping Peoples Attention
People have short attention spans. That is a fact. So try to at least provide some content that can be digested in a short amount of time. Relevant funny photos, puzzles, and top ten lists are items that people seem to be willing to link back to rather than long text. Top ten lists are [...]
Getting your press release out there
Get your press release into the right hands. A little research will go a long ways in this regards. Find out what sites and outlets will be interested in your product. Community sites and blogs are great for this. Press releases aren’t just for journalists anymore. You’ll have a greater chance of an active blogger [...]
SEO Friendly
You must avoid the error of designing your site in a way that is inaccessible to search engine spider bots. An overreliance on graphics is the most common way of rendering your site invisible to Google or Yahoo. These company’s bots can’t read text that is implanted in graphics, including Flash graphics. Remember how [...]
Copywriters and Keywords
A writer with experience in online marketing will also be invaluable in search engine optimization. With the overwhelming importance of organic search results from Google or Yahoo to a company’s profits, finding a writer that can help with this aspect is critical. A good copywriter can help with identifying and choosing key words.
They will [...]
Referrals
The easiest way to find a good web developer is through referrals. Every service industry relies strongly on word of mouth marketing. If someone you trust recommends a company, that company has obviously done good work in the past and chances are will do so again in the future. Take a look at the person’s [...]
Keeping their Attention
People have short attention spans. That is a fact. So try to at least provide some content that can be digested in a short amount of time. Relevant funny photos, puzzles, and top ten lists are items that people seem to be willing to link back to rather than long text. Top ten lists are [...]
Quality of Work
When paying a professional design team, you are assuring yourself of receiving the highest quality of work. These teams do this for a living. The online marketplace is a competitive place. You are going to need every advantage you can get. Your website needs to be as good as it can possibly be. Making an [...]
Finding Content Writers
Writers can be found nearly anywhere. Choosing one that is experienced in writing online marketing copy should not be difficult if you know where to look, and no, we are not talking about hanging out at Starbucks, looking for people with laptops. Instead, try local freelancing online community groups. There is a usually a large [...]
Interview with a Designer Part 2
Bo Lais from Brazen Web Design has been building custom web sites for seven years. His company is one of the leading web development firms in the Midwest. Here he gives his tips and advice on how a web design team can be an asset to any company.
What should clients look for when deciding on [...]
Interview with a Web Design Part 1
Bo Lais from Brazen Web Design has been building custom web sites for seven years. His company is one of the leading web development firms in the Midwest. Here he gives his tips and advice on how a web design team can be an asset to any company.
Q. How did you get into web design?
I’ve [...]
Bad SEO
Under no circumstances will a quality consultant be willing to take shortcuts to achieve the desired results. The point before that optimization takes time is always true. Research is important. One must be willing to put in the effort it takes to truly cater to a specific website. This includes going over content, finding relevant [...]
Keywords
In the rapidly growing game of SEO, no factor is as important as using the correct keywords in the correct manner. The success or failure of your entire online marketing campaign often depends on the skill one has in making keywords work for you. Balancing the needs of making the site friendly and interesting to [...]
Design Firm vrs. In-House
More often than not, outsourcing your web design will end up saving you a great deal of money in the end. Obviously paying a worker salary and benefits is a drain on available resources. Count in overtime and the cost rises dramatically. But there are other hidden costs as well. Expensive web design software and [...]
Why Use a Design Firm
When paying a professional design team, you are assuring yourself of receiving the highest quality of work. These teams do this for a living. The online marketplace is a competitive place. You are going to need every advantage you can get. Your website needs to be as good as it can possibly be. Making an [...]
Keywords
The first step to a quality SEO is choosing the right keywords. Never do this step without doing research first. Why waste time choosing keywords that no one is searching for in the first place? Tools are widely available that can help with this. The easiest one is probably from Google itself. Just google “Google [...]
Getting Links
Ever since Google decided to include the number of links to a page in its calculations of its rankings, there has been an arms race of sorts to obtain these prized connections. Black hat techniques such as forming dummy sites and hidden text links are more trouble than they are worth and the penalties can [...]
Websites and Sales
First and foremost, any business website must contribute to a growing sales figure. The ability to purchase a product online is not only an easy resource for the customer but for the business owner as well. By expanding your potential customer base to literally the entire world, your business can reach those that are not [...]
Finding a Developer
In today’s competitive business environment it is crucial to secure any advantage you can get. A great website will be a valuable resource that will generate leads, customers, and brand awareness. This will add significantly to your bottom line.
The single most important advice to keep in mind when choosing a web developer is that [...]
Good Copywriting in Web Design
There are many factors that go into making a great website. One of the most important, but often overlooked, features is the making sure the quality of your copywriting is outstanding. While things like easy navigation, interesting layout, and a good product are key to a great website, the copywriting will be what the customers [...]
Great Web Design
A great website is an invaluable resource for any business. It is a representative of you and your company. And it should look the part. With a great website, traffic and customers will be increased, brand image will be reinforced, and customer service will be made easier. It [...]
SEO in Web Design
One of the worst things a business owner can do is ignore SEO principles when designing their website. Too often large amounts of time and money are spent on a website that will not deliver the kind of desired results simply because the site is invisible to the search engines. To further compound the problem, [...]
Price vs Quality
One of the most common mistakes a business makes when investing in a new website is basing their designer soley on price. Just as in any other business, in website design the old adage “you pay for what you get” holds true. What seems like a great deal at the time, more often then not, [...]
The Benefits of Custom Design
The Benefits of Custom Design
After deciding to get a new website, one of the first steps is to figure out whether a customer wants to use a 3rd party template or a completely custom design. From content management systems, to e-commerce functionality, to member registrations, although a a variety of third party scripts are available, [...]