Blog
April 8, 2009
Join the Revolution
Are you left cold by the social networking revolution? Too much work you say? Let me suggest that you and your website are missing out on a golden opportunity.
Dozens of opportunities exist for free, effective and targeted promotion simply by spending a few minutes a day connecting directly with the people that should be your customers/clients/site visitors.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be writing articles to help get you started. I'll cover the basics and profile successful businesses that have used tools such as Twitter.com and Facebook to drive traffic and increase business.
I know that there are eyes rolling and gagging sounds from the gallery here.
- "I don't have time."
- "I don't know anything about blogging."
- "I'm not a writer."
- "It's too much work."
Every excuse you have is just that - an excuse. You can spend a fortune on Search Engine Optimization and still have to wait for results. You will spend money on AdWords that are - when all is said and done - just advertising. Or, you can get online, charm the masses offer the best sales pitch of all - your enthusiasm.
July 14, 2008
Text Content is the Key to Search Engine Optimization
Consider this information from Google's Webmaster Guidelines:"Give visitors the information they're looking for
Provide high-quality content on your pages, especially your homepage. This is the single most important thing to do. If your pages contain useful information, their content will attract many visitors and entice webmasters to link to your site. In creating a helpful, information-rich site, write pages that clearly and accurately describe your topic. Think about the words users would type to find your pages and include those words on your site."
No search engine can read your images. Most Flash movies, video or other tool can be understood by the search engines. You have to SAY it for them to INDEX it. If the search engines can't INDEX the text, your visitors can't FIND it and can't READ it.
- Build each page around a short list of search terms that are what the text is about.
- Text content for your page should be readable, understandable and about one topic.
- Write your text for your visitors, not for the search engines.
- Spell Check, Spell Check, Spell Check!
It's not rocket science to have a successful website - it's persistent effort.
July 1, 2008
Search Engine Expectations Part I
Every webmaster wants their site to be in the top 3 positions for their favorite search term. At JoMarie's Dot Com we look at things a little differently. We want to show up on the top page for the search terms our clients and visitors really use to look for our websites.The first thing I have to do is to throw my ego out the window. How I search is not necessarily how my clients and customers will try to find me. I have to know who my client is and how they think.
Traditional marketing theory is made up of the 5 P's: Product, Positioning, Place, Price and Promotion. To be successful, I've found, requires an extra P: People.
By putting my customers - the people - at the top of my marketing plan, I can maximize all my efforts. In terms of search engine optimization I need to understand who my potential customer is and the words/phrases they would use to find me.
There are a bunch of online tools to help you find search terms that you want to promote.
One of my biggest revelations came early in my SEO career. I was delighted to find myself in the number one position for "alaskan web design" and "alaskan web hosting". Guess what - NO ONE actually used those terms to find my services. "Alaska web design" and "alaska web hosting" were the actual search terms used.
Once you know who your customers are, and how they think, Search Engine Optimize your website for the search terms your people really use.
June 6, 2008
Website Layout 101
There are four elements to a successful website: content, layout, function and search engine optimization. All four are equally important.
A good website has to focus on the visitor's experience. No matter how pretty, no matter how cool, if the visitor can't find the information they are looking for the site is a failure.
When placing content on a page the designer has to understand how a visitor uses a webpage. User studies have consistently shown that website users prefer certain content to be in specific areas of the page. Navigation in the left sidebar, primary content in the middle and special info on the right. Visitors expect contact info and a text navigation bar at the bottom of the page. Links are the only text that should be underlined. The most important text needs to be above the scroll. The list goes on.
To create a "unique design" and ignore visitor expectations is hubris. Try to redesign a book - say, put the index in the middle or have the pages go back to front - and you'd have the same revolt. Imagine redesigning a gas station so the pumps are behind the store - how many potential customers would just drive on by? When you invite someone to your webpage you must consider their needs if you expect them to take the time to find out what you have to say or to sell.
While I want all visitors to see the same content and a similar layout, I know that unless we go with a PDF format (not a good idea) there will be differences. I try to make sure that the majority of visitors have the site optimized for them. That means if you use an antique browser or obscure monitor setting I am less concerned that the looks different.
To make things more fun, we have to think of trends. So Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 7.0 and Screen resolutions over 1024 x 768 are growing. Firefox is holding steady and everything else is losing ground.
When you start by putting your visitor first, your site has a real chance of success.
November 2, 2005
Writing Text Content for Web Pages
Every page of your website has the chance to be an effective sales and marketing tool for your business or organization. It can also show your ignorance, your carelessness or your sloppy inattention to detail.Like any written document, you should start by understanding what your web page is going to be about. Write your page description before committing another word to your page. Good web page descriptions are a simple summary of the content. Once you can summarize your page to a single sentence, you are ready to write.
Internet users expect web page content to be concise. Get to the point and mention your core ideas, then fill in the details in later paragraphs. The first and second sentence should allow people to decide if they want to continue reading.
The ideal page length is 250 to 500 words. Exceptions may include article reprints, biographies and technical information. If your website wants to promotes products or services, you should be careful to keep the main body of your text above the scroll on a full-sized monitor set at 1024 x 768.
Some specific tips for successful web writing:
- Avoid flowery phrases. Your visitor is more likely to scan than to read your text. Let their brains have easy access to the phrases and ideas that brought them to your page.
- Use bulleted text in short bursts. A list should be easy to scan and make your point. More than 5 bullet points are usually too many.
- Be selective of text links. Use them when necessary, but make sure that it doesn't interrupt the flow of your material.
- Your promotional text should lead clearly to an action by the visitor. Make it easy for them to "contact you" or "buy now". Subtlety is for poetry.
- Spell check, spell check, spell check!
July 25, 2005
Design by Purpose
If your website is falling through the cracks, the chances are that the site has no message, no central core to build traffic or a core readership. Websites that try to do everything usually fail.We begin every web site evaluation by helping you define your web site goals. You can do this yourself.Knowing what your site is supposed to accomplish should be the first step in your design process. Your website success starts with understanding your site's purpose and goals.
Start by grabbing a notepad and pencil and begin brainstorming your website's purpose. Write down everything that comes to mind. Some common goals include:
- direct sales
- customer support
- branding
- lead generation
- information/community service
- solicit donations
- indirect sales
- expanded brochure
- establish credibility with online presence
- online advertising
- ???
Now ask yourself what is most important? Prioritize your web site goals so you can prioritize your web site's needs. Sometimes your list will not be linear, it may look more like a bubble chart or be structured more clearly. Your priorities should be reflected in the site organization. Do you lead with you top priorities or are they shyly hidden within your site map?
It's time to get real. Once you understand your goals go to your site and see how close you are to achieving them.
- If you expect to make online sales you need to offer online ordering. Printable forms just aren't enough.
- If your site's purpose is to provide information and your site has no content, you can't meet your goals.
- If you need to get potential customers to contact you ? is it easy or do they have to click a link to find a phone number or email link?
- Does your text content effectively communicate your site's purpose?· Do the images on your site reflect your purpose and your site text
- Do you link to websites your visitors would actually be interested in or are your links only reciprocal link building schemes
Your website content should reflect your site's purpose and nothing else. Start a blog if you want to offer your poetry, opinions or family photos. Don't try to sell widgets and cats on the same site. Focus your attention and you'll grab the attention of the search engines and your target audiencealike. A web site evaluation that doesn't begin with these basic questions is doomed to be useless. A website designed by purpose will be found, viewed, used and returned to as a valuable internet location.
Don't waste your time fixing anything on your site until you know what it is supposed to do!
