Articles of Interest
Whether you are working with me to build your site, or you're building it on your own, you might be interested in what I feel are some important issues involved with website development. Many subjects, such as organization and accessibility, don't get as much play as the more enjoyable aspects such as networking and site lay-out. The truth is that website marketing starts with the basic nuts and bolts fundamentals of good website design.
You've probably heard the saying, "There's never time to do it right the first time, but there's always time to do it over".
Good organization from the start will go a long way towards creating an effective, visible site that is ranked high in the Google search engine results. We don't want to go through all of the work to build a site, only to have it virtually invisible to those you are trying to target. The golden rule is this: Make sure that your text, images and keywords match exactly what it is you are trying to "sell" with your website. Be relevant, in other words, to what you are.
Set up your free Google Analytics account for invaluable information about traffic to your site, keyword utilization, and conversion tips! Click here to learn more about Google Analytics.
Hosting Sites:
Click here to see the latest top 10 list, which changes daily but the main ones that I have used are always in the top 10.
I prefer Bluehost right now, due to ease in setting up database and shopping cart functions
Search Engine Optimization
S.E.O. covers a wide range of subjects, from the basic common-sense of having good writing on your page, to the more technical such as key-word research. I think of S.E.O. as a mind-set: to get the people who want what you have to FIND what you have.Click here for a great in-depth article on Google Knol about the basics of search engine optimization. Google Knol is a great place to learn about all things technical.
Search engine tips from the horse's mouth
Help of all kinds from Mashable
There are tons of tech sites out there; I've found Mashable to have a good blend of helpful information while also being interesting. They seem to be specializing in Facebook applications these days. (who isn't??)
Keyword help!
Get keyword ideas and help to find the popularity of your keywords with Google Adwords and Wordtracker. Wordtracker costs money but does include some free tools and has a 30-day trial that you can use to get started. When we talk about key-words, we're more often speaking of "key phrases", as most users enter phrases into the search box than single words. (ex. "gifts" vs. "unique mother's day gifts").
Shopping Carts
Many of us want to be able to compete with the big players when it comes to selling on-line. More features are available than ever. Currently, I am exploring BigCommerce, and have signed up to be a re-seller of that application. Contact me for more information.
The problem with banners and text-as-images  With the number of web-safe fonts being somewhat limited, we often use our own text in the form of an image, writing words on to an image as for a banner, and then inserting it. Remember to label this image with the words you have inserted. Search engines cannot read text on images. This is also an accessibility issue, where readers who have images turned off will obviously miss the point. |
Trendy? Check out the latest color trends from Pantone
2012: Tangerine Tango
Password Protect a single web page
This article pertains to Bluehost, but the general procedure would be similar with other good hosting companies.
Add a Favicon to your website address bar!
(Every little bit helps)
Refresh your web page!
Create small changes on your site and upload it once a month to maintain good positioning. Search robots pay attention to web sites that are well-maintained. It's an easy and effective habit to develop.
Learn how to run your own advertising campaign on Facebook. It's fairly simple, and very fun. Click for my Facebook advertising tip-sheet.I'll be adding sections for advertising with Google Ad Words, as well as some tips for how to get started with Google Analytics, if you are not familiar with that amazing free service.
Much of the information that I use comes from an organization called World Wide Web Consortium (WC3).
"The World Wide Web Consortium is an international community where member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. Led by Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee and CEO Jeffrey Jaffe, W3C's mission is to lead the Web to its full potential. Contact W3C for more information."
The articles on this site are somewhat dry, but at the very least, it's a good place to go to check out the latest standards from the folks who know more about the web than just about anyone.
Following is a link to their accessibility standards list, an important component of web site development that often gets over-looked but is just as important as having working hyperlinks on your page.
WC3 Consortium Accessibility Standards
click here for quick-question contact form
Click here for website development information and a quote, or advice