Web Nation Group Blog

As many of our friends on twitter may know, we here at Web Nation Group are big golfers. A common phrase in the golf world is “drive for show, putt for doe.” This got us thinking about how this saying can relate to web design.

A web designer’s main goal should be to make their clients happy. Unfortunately this usually means a “cool” web design that fits into their budget. The optimization of the site is an afterthought, even though this is probably the biggest factor in determining the effectiveness of their web presence.

That’s why we thought the golfing phrase was a good analogy for how people think about web design. For the recreational golfers, they may be happy if they can go to the range and hit a couple good drives. As time goes on and they start playing more frequently, their desire to shoot better scores increases. As they learn more about the game and analyze their strengths and weaknesses, it becomes apparent the best way to shave strokes off their game is to improve their short game (chipping and putting).

A similar scenario plays out all too often when developing websites. Many times a business owner will have a graphic designer create their website. They will be happy with it at first, but after six months to a year, they start to realize that they are not receiving the response they thought they would. That’s when they start looking into search engine optimization.

The best way to go about the process is to address your search engine optimization during the initial development. I heard a comparison to seo before that stated seo is similar to the electrical wiring in your home because it needs to be accounted for during the building process and is integral to how the home works. Most people think it is like an addition to their home, similar to a deck.

Of course there are many ways to combat this error if this is the case. It is more difficult and takes more time though. Search engine optimization done organically takes time to develop correctly. There are no short cuts. So if you don’t do it right the first time, you are looking at another 3-6 months to get you back on track probably. You can always pay for sponsored links, which can provide value, but also cost more money. Link building and social media are two other ways to combat poor initial search engine optimization as well.

It all depends on what you want, but the point is, more emphasis should be placed on your optimization from the beginning. We’re not knocking the importance of high quality web design, because nowadays you need both good seo and professional image once people visit your site. At the same time, you can have the best-looking site in the world, but if nobody can find it, it doesn’t do you much good.
All we’re saying is make sure that you develop a strategy and work that into the initial development of your site. Don’t be like the novice golfer who only concentrates on the part of their game that makes them look good. We encourage you to have a well-rounded site to ensure its effectiveness. If you’re web designer is not talking to you about keywords and link building, I would highly recommend looking around some more.

Most people know they should have a website nowadays, and many people do. The question then becomes; how do you get the most out of your website?

Here are three easy ways to help you do that:

1) Keep Your Website Updated

This may seem like an easy one, but the more frequently you update your website, the more reason people have to come visit. It’s similar to when you make changes to your home. You don’t necessarily have to go through a whole remodeling process to have a desire to show something off. Every new project, new photos, new staff members, etc. are great opportunities to keep your community involved and updated on what’s going on with you. A blog linked to your website is a great way to do this.

2) Claim Your Online Listings

This is the one of the best ways to get more exposure online, and it is very easy. All you have to do is know where to look and claim your listing in various popular directories throughout the internet like the online yellow pages, Merchant Circle, the Super Pages and more. For a list of great resources online to claim their business listings at click here.

It does not take very long, and could easily be some of the best time you have invested in your company in a while. Simply fill in some basic information like your business address, phone number and website and you’re done. People won’t always find you through ordinary searches online for your keywords, so by claiming your listings you are diversifying your online presence and giving yourself more of a chance to be found.

3) Utilize Social Media

Many small business owners would be amazed at the amount of traffic they could drive to their website if they utilized social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogs. A few minutes is usually all it takes to add some basic information about your company and create a profile. About five minutes or so for every new post and you have the potential to increase your exposure exponentially. A couple simples sentences with a link to your website or blog can go a very long way towards expanding your business and developing relationships with your clients.

When you get involved like this, you are going where the conversation is, instead of relying on the people to come to you. You don’t really have to spend a lot of time here, at least once a week would be ideal, but even if it’s once a month, just having a presence helps your company immensely.

If you feel like spending some extra time, list yourself in some twitter directories like wefollow.com and twellow.com. You can also do twitter searches at search.twitter.com, which are similar to google searches and will provide results with the keywords you are searching for. For example, if you are a landscaper, you may do a search for “landscaping services” and find some potential clients who are in the market for what you offer and made a posting with your keywords in it.

I would also highly recommend creating posts on Craiglist to your appropriate categories with a link to your website. Again, very easy to do and you will be placing yourself in front of many eyeballs who are already there and open to looking at what you have to offer.

Ideally you would like to sync all of your online marketing together. For example; make a new blog post that is linked to your website. Then post a link on your twitter and facebook accounts, and you will be getting maximum exposure for the time you spent on your new blog post.

The best thing about all of these resources is that they are free. Every business owner has access to them, all it takes is a little time. These are great tasks for office managers or assistants to handle if you are fortunate enough to have their services available to you. If you don’t have the time but do see the value, you can always pay somebody to do this for you, like us over at Web Nation Group.

We would be more than happy to give you a free consultation and show you how some of these online marketing tips could help your business. Feel free to contact us anytime with questions or to request a quote.