7. Is my site currently ranked in the search engines?
In this seventh question in the 10 questions to take your web site to the next level, we look at how to determine whether your site is ranked or not. A simple search can show you if your site is ranked in the top 10 or not. But you have to know what people are […]
6. What words do I expect people to have searched for when they click through to my site?
Now the conversation turns very clearly to Search Engine Marketing (SEM). There are many facets to SEM. Two of the biggest are Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC). So first you must determine what key words your customers search for. Notice how I worded that. Not what you think they search for […]
Question 3: What do I want people to do when they get to my site?
OK, once you’ve got a plan (the goals for your web site) and you have a marketing plan (what will drive people to your site?) its time to figure out what you want people to do when they get to your site. This is a pretty basic concept and yet one that is often overlooked. […]
Question 2: How do I expect people to find my site?
As we continue to examine the top 10 questions each business owner needs to consider when taking their site to the next level, we look at question 2: How do I expect people to find my site? The Kevin Costner approach in Field of Dreams does not work. I can’t tell you the number of […]
Wiki What?
If you are on the web at all (and you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't), you've probably come across some kind of wiki. Know what a wiki is? Almost sounds like it has something to do with witchcraft but it doesn't. A wiki is a web site that allows lots of different people […]
The Three Requirements for a Great Site
There are three requirements for a web site to really shine: Usable. A good web site is usable. This means that a visitor to your site can easily and intuitively do what you want them to do. If they have to really think about what your intention is, you will lose them. Say, for example […]
3 Technologies for Small Businesses
Technologies that every Small Business Should Know About: 1.      Blogs. Having a blog or using other blogs correctly can help you increase targeted traffic to your web site. Writing your own blog can help create the kind of community that every web site owner covets. 2.      Pay Per Click. Just about every business can benefit […]
Three Tips to Improve Your Ranking
Getting your web site ranked high in the search engines should be the goal of every site owner. And if you have carefully defined the niche that your business and web site serve, then it is that much easier to get that high ranking. First you need to make sure the key words you want […]
Local Search Takes Off
Do you ever search for local things – a restaurant or other business – online? A lot of folks are. A whole lotta folks. In fact, you might be missing out on local searches if you haven’t prepared for it. How big is it? Well, simply by the fact that every major search engine has […]
Losing at Search
I’ve spoken with several clients and colleagues about Search Engine Optimization lately. I am amazed at the wild misunderstandings at how to go about getting ranked well in the search engines. One business owner I spoke with was quite excited about the concept of cross-linking (having two different web sites link to each other to […]