Category Archives: Small Business Website

Help for small business websites.

Google Instant

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It’s been a year of changes to the web. Google has rolled out new ways to search, intuitive ways it thinks we’re searching, local search, Google Maps becoming Google Places with the “tag” available for $25.00/month and Google Instant.

Probably the biggest change has been what happens when you begin to type in Google’s search bar. Instantly you are seeing possibilities.  Once you hover over a website listing you’ll see preview of the website. You don’t even have to click the link.

As a web owner this has significant meaning. The sooner the user can see your web page – the more chance they will click through to your website. If you are using Flash (entire website, or slide shows, moving graphics) – you now have a lag time for the page loading, and risking it not previewing accurately.  Cluttered web pages and small tiny graphics become a blur. Keep your website design simple and bold. It will be readable on a small scale, for this preview. A simple website also will view on mobile phones will less issues. My oldest client’s website is extremely lean and trim – as browsers have evolved we have had virtually no compatibility issues and the site continues to display with speed. 

Simple web design has another plus. 2010 was the year Google owned up to what was guessed for years: how quickly your website downloads (speed) DOES matter for its index/ranking. Once again the simple website will have an advantage.

Ever notice that Amazon’s design remains old school – basic web design? It will display on phones, quickly on desktops, iPads – no conflict and speed is never an issue.

It’s a win-win design!

Tiny URLs

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Are you noticing shortened links? Tiny URLs? You can’t immediately see where you’ll go if you click through.

This is great for those of us who put links (URLs) within an email. But for security minded users – do you want to click through? As an email creator the choice is convenience versus: chance losing a client.

Unfortunately malicious websites are now disguising themselves using shortened URLs. The click through threat is real.

Here’s the solution. These shortened links are created by multiple companies (TinyURL, bit.ly, is.gd), but here are solutions for 2 common ones.

If you see this:

http://bit.ly/11Sty

Copy and paste into your browser – ADD a + sign to the end

http://bt.ly/11Sty+

This will take you to a bit.ly page showing information about the link, with a fully expanded URL. You can decide if it is safe or not.

TinyURL has a solution – prepend the word preview.

http://tinyurl.com/82u5b

Copy  and paste into address bar and ADD – preview:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/82u5b

A little time, but far less than undoing a virus.

E-Trust

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Online business websites need to create a trust factor. Many factors contribute to converting a visitor into a client.

When someone visits your site they have a goal. Information; service or product purchase, some are comparison shoppers. However they land on your site if you have what they are looking for – you want to deliver the information. Typically they will evaluate your site on appearance – “a picture speaks a thousand words” in motion! The tone of your website needs to be clear.

Site navigation is critical. We’ve all been on websites which are confusing: too many graphics – too much clutter, and the information is not easily accessible. Make it user friendly.

As a business you already have standards in practice. You have customer satisfaction guidelines established. All these need to be reflected in the content on your page. People like doing business with people they like. If they feel valued and respected they take a step closer. All this needs to be reflected on your website – much like a personal conversation.

As a visitor digs deeper into your site they should have a well rounded sense of you as  a business owner. Now, you have someone who will pick up the phone, or take the “add to cart” action. That is the “conversion” you are seeking from your website. Success!

Google Tags

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Google Maps offer a way of enhancing your listing with Google Tags.

While Google maintains this does NOT effect placing on Google maps, it certainly will make your listing, when it appears, pop. The easier you can make it for someone to click through to your website the better. You want to stand out among the Google Map listings and this will help.

The advertising fee is a flat $25.00/month. Nice to avoid the pay per click campaigns and the time spent analyzing the keywords for your website.

Read more here: http://www.google.com/help/tags/

Seems like one of the simpler advertising choices online.

MyFax

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Faxing is crucial to your business.  Fax machines get spammed and the cost of toner can hurt when budgets are tight. Online fax services to the rescue.

Rid yourself of yet one more office machine.

I have always used fax services. eFax was my entry, and for the free price it worked for my faxing needs. After years the  fax phone number was pulled, without notification. Of course the only way to know this is when you have incoming faxes you don’t receive.

I upgraded to eFax paid service, but their monthly fees weren’t justified by my few faxes. I tried Packetel.com and have been happy – $11.85 quarterly for incoming faxes. I have software to send faxes.

Packetel was sold recently to MyFax and it has been an okay transition and no interruption in Fax service.

MyFax is currently running a special – 30 day free trial. If you have been debating to use online fax this could be a good time.

The beauty is: the faxes come in your email client. You can choose the format PDF, tiff and others…very user friendly.  If you find yourself traveling – you still receive your faxes.

This is why the Internet is wonderful!

Local Search

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Local Searching has become the focus of search engines.  They’ve learned people expect to get results in their geographical area and Google is accommodating.  It happens without you realizing it. Until you try and force the issue you may not have noticed this change.  You would need to clear the browser cache to wipe the slate clean.

Google is learning what you want as you search. It’s goal is filling the user end of search – giving you what it THINKS you want. For businesses it means SEO is more complicated as you try to target the visitors you are seeking, and work within the user search.

Businesses are trying to compete in this change  in a number of ways. In an effort to expand a business’s service area they might set up phone numbers with specific area codes. Have you noticed a local search returns a company 75  miles from your area, or a national company?

Another solution is multiple websites. If your target is teens – the site reflects their interests through content and design. If the target is a specific location – likewise. This is a bit aggressive for the average small business, but you get the idea of this strategy for search engines.

Still “content is king” and posting fresh relevant content is a huge factor for your website.  Search engines love to see daily changes.

As a small business owner the choice is how much time and where to put it. You can blog, tweet or use Facebook. Don’t feel compelled to take on everything. You don’t need to be a slave to your website and online presence. There is a happy balance.

Number 1 on Google

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Will I be #1 on Google?

That’s everyone’s goal. Once your website goes live you will be inundated by solicitations guaranteeing your number presence on Google search.

Organic Search. This is what I do with SEO when creating a website. From page titles to keywords and content, all are components of optimizing a website for an organic web search to return your site where relevant and in your locale, if you are not nation wide.

A lot can be accomplished to achieve organic search results, and you want to utilize all tools.

People will tell you they can get your website #1 on Google maps. The fine print, which takes digging into is this:

You will appear #1 somewhere, sometime for some keyword search. Most often in their guarantee if your business category is highly competitive – that keyword will turn into long tail keywords:

auto transmission repair in Pomona, Ca

If you’re an auto repair shop that leaves a huge number of services you either, now buy more keywords for, or…don’t.  This can add up to a staggering advertising campaign.

Another point which is told later in the sales pitch is: “If after 3 months you aren’t in the top 5…”. That is the  length of time organic searches can take, and you aren’t paying for those. If you are paying $150.00/month plus $600.00 set up fee to test the waters for appearing in the top 5 places on Google maps and you don’t appear at all…that is a lot of money. Plus you already have a chance of appearing organically in your locale for free. You’re better off setting up an AdWords campaign.

No easy answers, but remember: there are no guarantees to be placed Number One on Google without paying for it – and if you want every search…that price will be quite high in most markets.

To blog or not to Blog

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Blogging is a great way to drive your website. The biggest reason is this provides new content to your website regularly which is something Google is fond of.

Not all blogs are equal: a blog residing on your website gives more weight to your website, than an offsite/free website. Give thought to this before creating your first blog.

Free is easy and simple to get up and running, but won’t give you the greatest value. You can post links back to your site for some help in driving your website. Keep in mind it isn’t easy to move your blog files, and with some services you won’t be able to do this. If you have an existing blog there is a lot of value in the followers you have gained and all your postings. It is something to consider before moving to your website.

In deciding whether to take up blogging you will want to weigh the time factor. It can take 15-30 minutes easily, depending upon the depth of your articles. Do not consider copying and pasting from other blogs or web pages, not only is this copyright infringement, but duplicate content works against you with Google, and you’ll defeat the purpose of blogging.

Your blog can serve to educate your web visitors, or connect with others in a community of blogs. Your contributions to other blogs serve the online community at large. We all benefit. That is really the point of blogging.

My own blog makes it easy for me to pass on new information as the Internet changes without updating my web pages. Trends come and go and it is information I want to get into my clients hands so they can drive their websites.

You can keep it simple and effective!

Email Marketing

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Email marketing isn’t going away. Our Inboxes are full of them and for good reason: they work.

There are things to know before you begin. There ARE laws governing email.

Each marketing email needs to include how to unsubscribe instructions. Simply put: “reply to this email with unsubscribe in the subject line”. You must remove any and all requests from your email list. The risk is getting your email flagged as “spam”, which means you won’t reach your recipient. Getting blacklisted is to be avoided.

The pretty image emails (HTML) you receive can be created with the help of your web designer. These are actually hosted. All the files for the email layout reside on your server. The email file is so small and downloads quickly as it refers to your website folder to grab the images for the layout. Quick and custom layouts.

You can design your email – but you can’t guarantee how it will be viewed. Each person defines their email. I personally block all images. Outlook then asks if I want to “view the images”. While amazon.com sends me a lovely layout – I receive a clunky email with boxes for pictures…which are blank. The web designer has inserted text, so I can decide if I need to see the picture.

Just as with a website you can code the font to be used, but if the user does not have that font on their computer it will substitute another and the layout will change to accommodate it.  Macs have fonts PCs don’t and vice-versa. There are universal fonts – which is what you see on most websites.

Another option: You can create your email design in Publisher and save to send as email. Using Publisher means you must optimize the photos. If your email is laden with graphics the file size will be large and clog Inboxes, that alone will get you blocked or flagged as spam. One of my clients sends me the images for the newsletter email and I re-size and optimize. The finished file is larger than an HTML hosted email would be, but small enough to be acceptable to send as an email. This is a great way to begin –  and budget minded. Also note – the above user email rules apply – and your design may not show up as you intended. It can be frustrating, but if you keep it simple – it is do-able. Test, test, test is the key.

If you are doing it yourself – you need to check with your web hosting regarding email lists. If you are starting out and have less than 300 emails on your list you are probably within their limits. But most web host companies limit how many emails you can send within a day – if their maximum is 300 – you won’t be able to send any other business emails in that day.

There is a good reason behind this limitation. When so much email is being sent through a server (where your web site resides) it is using up resources better left to keeping your website downloading fast.

Next up is the spamming factor. If web hosting doesn’t limit the email activity spammers run rampant. Most websites are hosted on shared servers. Once spammers get ahold of a server they will drag down all the sites on that server. Once the spamming activity is tagged by Yahoo, Google – webmail – it will begin to blacklist that IP address as spam – which now compromises all the sites. Be thankful to your web hosting for being watchful!

Now, what to do with a large email list? Move into the email marketing companies. There are tons to choose from. Many have templates you can use to fill in and compose your layout. These are fee based and you upload your email list. They also have the software in place to help out with being blocked and never reaching your recipient, controlling who opts out and so on. They know what they are doing and it saves you some headaches.