Category: Web Design

Updated SEO Tips

Updated SEO Tips

Search Engine OptimizationThe web is constantly evolving so your SEO (search engine optimization) plan needs to be revisited occasionally to make sure that your content marketing strategy as well as your traditional marketing actions remain relevant.  Here are some updated SEO tips to help in this regard.

Social Media Content

The line between the ‘web’ and social media content is fast becoming blurred.  Statics indicate that over 75% of the marketers now use social media as a promotional tool.  The thrust is on to make every tweet or Facebook post get higher ranking on SERP (search engine results page).  Currently, a brand name search is more likely to find the company’s Facebook or Twitter page before you find the website.  The social media effect on SEO is still well regarded so it is important that the relevant links are incorporated and managed as part of your SEM (Search engine Marketing) strategy.

Optimizing Mobile traffic

Having a mobile friendly site is vital and research has indicated that one in five persons possess a smartphone or tablet. Where your site does not support mobile you would be severely restricting your marketing reach.  Your website should be accessible and readable on any multi-media platform and device and should be SEO optimized as well.  With all the new technologies and process integrations now available, it has become obvious that mobile traffic has far exceeded desktop traffic.

Keywords and Phrase

Make your keywords and phrases more conversational. This means that the focus is on a set of words sometimes described as a long-tail or conversation.  This allows the SERP results to be more meaningful and accurate when matching consumer actions.  The focus is no longer on keywords but on important elements of what the browser is searching for.

Links and Brand mentions

Brand mentions are words on another site, not hyperlinks, that mentions or refers to your webpage.  These implied links and band mentions, inbound links, are highly considered when analyzing page ranking.   Marketing and establishing your brand is therefore crucial. A simple link would be creating a mixed URL structure (www.yoursite.com vs.www.yoursite.com) and adding the appropriate keywords.

Content

This is still the most important aspect of SEO optimizing.  The search engines need to make sense of your content so that it can deliver the most appropriate response to browsers.  This also includes the content on the related social media pages.  The new technique of content aggregation will now have the desired effect. *iMedia Connection describes Content aggregation as a practical way of finding, collating, amassing, consolidating, presenting, sharing, and displaying content around pre-specified set of criteria to appeal target audience”.

Voice search and video SEO are two other methods of SEO optimization that are now trending and it would be wise to engage in the research to have these incorporated in your SEO campaign.

*http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/33784.asp#singleview

Tips to consider when planning to design your own Web Site

Before you rush into the one-click options for designing your own website, you need to lay some foundation for the site that you want to build. A bit of guidance is provided below and while not in any particular order, the steps will help in establishing some measurable goals.

Web Plan
Planning your Website

Set a budget:

While hosting of your website may be free (usually promotional) you will still need to pay for things like a domain name and security, so do some research into the usual cost.  Remember, there may also be Pro and Deluxe packages available and you need to know how much you are likely to spend and what you will get for it.

Decide what your website is about:

This probably should come first, since it may influence how much you should be willing to spend.
However, you need to determine what your site is about: educational, interactive, eCommerce, blogs… to name a few. You are building a website around this idea, so you need to recognize this in order to plan properly.

Develop goals and milestones:

You need to set targets for your website. For example, the number of downloads per month of a trial version e-book available on your site.  Your website must accomplish something for you or it’s really not worth having.

Website Sitemap / Table of Contents:

It’s important to establish the Web Pages needed for your Website. This step will help determine what type of content should be displayed on your Website.

Site Content:

Now that you have decided on what your website is about, you need figure out and acquire content (or body) for your website.  A blog will need articles related to your websites purpose. You could decide to make money from your website, so you will need to subscribe to the appropriate affiliate programs.  You may need to have an ordering form to accept orders. You may need to add products; whatever your website’s focus, you need content.

Set up a time table:

Don’t just leave the task of building your website to when you are in the mood.  Slot in the times that you want each activity to be done.  This will help to keep you focused. Use project management tools like Trello.com to help you create tasks and stay on track.

Back-office Support:

Maintaining and updating your website is important.  You need to keep it fresh and current so that it will always be recognized by the search engines.  The decision as to how often and who will make changes and add data to your website should be determined well before hand, so that if it will incur cost or extra time, it can be factored in your budget.

Overarching all this info is the need for research.  Search the web for any other site that may be offering the product or service you have in mind. Do your research on your competition’s Websites. Also, you may need technical help and Nuts and Bolts Web Design may just work for you.

Do-It-Yourself Web Design Options

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Web Design Options

Web design embraces a range of specialties and competences to create and sustain or maintain websites. It involves things like search engine optimization, copy-righted software, special industry codes and interface design. The ordinary person would be completely lost in trying to design a website on their own and so the web industry has created some solutions in what we call Do-It-Yourself (DIY) web design templates.

Nuts and Bolts Web Design have taken this concept a bit further and will make the best combination of options to design a custom website that works for your Business or Non-Profit. Often times, it is ideal to work with a Web Design company to make the most out of your time and energy. Web Design companies like ours have various Programmers, Graphic Designers, Content Writers, PR pros & Videographers that can help bring your project to reality, on your terms. We are mainly a custom WordPress Development & maintenance/support shop.

When first starting your business or non-profit, it is important to create a Web presence. Budgeting will be tight when you’re starting off, so going with  D-I-Y Website builder software makes practical sense. Here are some of the web design templates and services that are available on the market that work beautifully with small businesses and non-profits.

Industrial worker with laptop.
DIY Web Design

Weebly’s:

Starting Weebly website is as easy as filling out a form on the home page, adding domain, whether a free Weebly,com domain or another, then go in to the editor page to build out your site. This website designer is easier to use than say, Moonfruits and many of the themes are the same as those found on WordPress. Weebly can also enable your site to work on mobile devices. You get unlimited pages, storage, bandwidth and two websites on the free version. The Pro version, which has monthly fees, has more offerings but you will need to decide based on your business requirements

 

WordPress:

Started in 2003 this WordPress has grown from a handful of users to the being the largest self-hosted blogging tool on the market. What began as a blogging system has developed into a complete content management system with the use of widgets, plugins and themes. Online resources such as mailing lists and forums and information on free or low-cost events is consistently shared with the entire WordPress community. Set up is simple whether you have your own domain name or not and you can choose the free option or one of the Pro (paid) choices available. Again, the plan you choose will depend on what your business is about and your personal goals.

Moonfruit:

This is a free editing and website host that offers a myriad of exciting and very detailed designs and editing tools. The website designed by Moonfruit are available in mobile HTML5, Flash or HTML, depending the device of the user. The likely challenge you will face is navigating the site editor, but getting started is fast and simple.

Weird and Wacky Anchor Text is Appealing

Weird and Wacky Anchor Text is Appealing

Your website content linking doesn’t always have to be straightforward and straight laced. Often, using humor, turning a witty or funny phrase goes a long way toward gaining you higher search engine ranking. Website designers are even known to use misspelled phrases on purpose acting as anchor text, which is the links you see occurring in content copy the middle of a sentence, or perhaps as a header or sub-header.

Supply a Snippet

A good recommendation whenever you ask other websites to link to yours is supply a snippet of HTML code they can easily place on their page as well as request the same from them. This allows you to decide what the exact phrasing is providing the anchor text that links back to your site. Always vary your choice of anchor text phrasing when exchanging site links so you do not confine your choice to only one phrase.

Get Those Anchors Away

Use anchor text for linking internally on your site as well as for all external purposes. Always include an ample amount of anchor text links on your landing page, or main page, since this is the predominant page visited and will get the most hits. The appearance of “in-line” links in your text copy will compel visitors to click-through to your other pages. Do this because you will be providing visitors with additional useful information and will make their “stopping by “enjoyable. This will also help enhance your sear engine likability which improves your ranking. Using anchor text links is a great website design with a wink at SEO tactics, but when providing searchers with links to quality, useful information, you should receive “word-of-mouth” referrals. This will create additional site visitors based upon their associates having a productive experience at your site.

Make sure your anchor text links always make sense since they will be read by human beings. Also, search engines will read then just like people do.

Go Organic SEO or Pay For It?

Do you believe there are still a handful of online entrepreneurs who still believe their old marketing techniques will help them surpass the competition? There is a great need for some type of SEO-based intervention for these people who believe the inclusion of a “Click Here” link will provide the needed attraction compelling net surfers to visit your site. If you have been involved with a site that is in desperate need of changes, you may want to brush up on current SEO practices, you know, ones that are being presently used in the 21st century like organic search engine optimization or possibly pay-per-click.

Sounds Familiar, Huh?
Most commercial website owners have, indeed, heard about both organic and paid-for marketing techniques but, for some reason or another, fail to incorporate these into marketing any existing business. Want success? Follow a couple of tips using organic methods before shelling out any hard-earned dollars for Pay-Per-Click.

Organic is Long-term Commitment
Unlike methods used paying to get site traffic, organic SEO techniques depend upon building, and maintaining, momentum which will involve a long-term commitment. SEO tactics will bring you to accumulating link-building campaign information, creating relationships with other webmasters as well as getting noticed by certain respectable publications. You need to be in control and meet certain milestones that will return a realistic assessment about your present image and how effective your current optimization efforts are paying off.

Let the Pros Do What You Don’t
An experienced SEO expert will determine the best keywords to use. It’s best to consult with an SEO expert who is better suited to make changes in your marketing plan since it will be necessary to overcome all the adverse impact heaped upon you from either previous activity or conducting none at all. A professional will determine the best SEO practices suitable to meet your needs and goals – once these are established.

Nuts and Bolts Web Design can help with your SEO needs.  Call us at 302-533-7631 to discuss.