Mobile Websites 101

There are over 2.5 billion mobile phone users in the world and the numbers are quickly increasing.  Additionally, many of them are applying internet access to their phones, making it easy for them to browse online while on the go.  For this reason, website owners are reconfiguring their settings to fit the standards of mobile devices.  Some phones, such as iPhones, have the capacity to upload any site, whether it is reconfigured or not. But most every other phone, particularly older versions, do not support the capacity of a regular website. Small screens require smaller space.  By decreasing the size of your site to fit 20MB, you will become accessible and viewable to any mobile website user.

To further understand what is needed to make your website mobile-accessible, you may want to first access your website from a cell phone and analyze what you see. Does it even load? Can you view important information on your website? What can be accessed on the site and what is missing? Many websites have flash features that do not work on phones at all.  In order to make the site mobile ready, you may have to remove this feature completely and replace it with something else. The main thing to keep in mind is the user and what is most important that they view on your site.

Here are 5 essential steps to keep in mind when altering your website:

1. 1. Trim Down Content- Mobile phones do not have the same capacity as regular computers when it comes to uploading content. Therefore, it is important to trim down unnecessary content. Depending on what your company is selling or promoting, you need to decide what the most important features are and alter your site around these features. If you own a restaurant, for example, you may want to stick with the most essential information such as contact information, a map and directions to the restaurant, a menu and maybe any special promotions you are having. By doing this, you are not only making your site mobile ready but are also developing the key selling features of your site. Your clients will have an easier time accessing the important information from your site and will not waste time searching through useless pages.
2. Immerse Content into Single Columns- Because phone screens are smaller than monitors, having multiple columns can often confuse and frustrate a user.  Having a single column that the user can scroll up and down on is much more practical.  They will find all the information they need easily and won’t find themselves spending minutes just to scroll through a page.
3. Prioritize Your Content- While a regular website can easily spread their content all over a web page, mobile phones are harder to sift through. It’s important to prioritize your content, offering the most important features at the top or bottom of the page so that they are easily found by users.  For example, if you are selling brand apparel, it may be best to add a search browser or a drop down menu at the top or bottom of the page. That way users can just type in or search through categories to find what they are looking for. All information such as text and photos will then be placed in the middle of the page. The main idea is to make the site as user-friendly as possible.
4. Customize Text Entry For Mobile Users- Typing on a mobile phone can be a lot trickier than typing on a standard keyboard.  Often times, users will make grammatical mistakes and take up lots of time typing in information.  This is why adding features that will require less typing are best.  Program “My Account” settings on your mobile site that will enable clients to simply type in their information one time and access it whenever they want.  This is especially handy when they are purchasing from your site! Also, instead of requiring a password to be entered to access a site, maybe install a pin feature that only requires numbers. Another big feature that is offered on mobile phones are inbuilt functionalities that will enable the user to access addresses and maps, make calls by simply clicking on a number and find the nearest restaurant, hospital, etc. of their choice.
5. Design For Touch screen & Non-Touch screen- While it is key to fit as much important information as possible into your mobile site, it is also important to bear in mind the accessibility of certain features on the site.  Because touch screen users browse a site with their fingers, clicking on things can be a clumsy challenge.  If you make crucial links too small, it can be a challenge for them to access the link.  Make sure to make links a bit larger and easier to read and access.

5 Common SEO Myths

Let’s face is, the world is filled with myths and the internet is no different! Most of these myths are relatively harmless, but problems arise when people actually believe and act upon them.  The Search Engine Optimization industry has a bountiful amount of myths that often get many people in trouble because they take them to be true.  Not only are they seen all over the web, but businesses actually feed these myths to innocent bystanders in hopes of making some extra money.  The key is to be knowledgeable about what the industry is really about and what realistic expectations you should have. This is especially important if you are planning on signing up with an SEO company. By doing your homework, you can save yourself lots of time and ultimately, lots of money.  To get you started, here are 5 very common SEO myths you should avoid at all costs!

1. 1. SEO Guarantees a #1 Spot- If a company is guaranteeing a #1 spot on Google or any search engine for a key phrase or website name, run in the other direction!  SEO fluctuates constantly and is such a competitive industry that there is no way anyone can guarantee a #1 placement.  Period.
2. 2. SEO Works Instantly- SEO does not work instantly. Again, if any company is dishing this myth out to you, be wary.  SEO is a very involved and time-consuming process.  Not only does it take time for webmasters to develop the code and optimize your website, but you must allow the search engines time to index your site and decide where your website will rank on their SERPS (Search Engine Result Pages.)
3. 3. SEO Is a One Time Deal- This is a very common notion that many website owners seem to have.  Once they have applied SEO to their website, they think they are set for life.  This is simply not true.  SEO is one of those tactics that needs constant updating and supervision.  This may seem like a hassle, but honestly, it is worth it if you want your website to rank.
4. 4. SEO Can Be Done By yourself- Sure, anything can be self-taught!  However, SEO is not something you can learn overnight… or even in a month.  The tactics are so in depth and they are in constant transformation and fluctuation.  In other words, what is pertinent one day, may not be important the next.  Therefore, it will probably be far more time efficient to hire a professional SEO to do the work for you.  It may seem costly, but you must realize that you are paying for quality! If you want something done right the first time, it’s best to hire an expert.
5. 5. Search Engine Submissions Work- Nope! Don’t waste your money or time trying to submit your website to search engines because SEO doesn’t work this way. Search Engines want you to put in the hard work it takes to get ranked, so trying to pay them off isn’t going to buy you much. If a company is trying to sell you this tactic, tell them no thanks!

How To Handle Angry Clients

Whether you are in the SEO industry or any other industry, there will always be frustrated or angry clients to deal with.  Some are reasonable and others are irrational, but either way, you must deal with them in a professional and courteous manner.  This is important not only because it is part of owning a business, but because your clients are pretty much the essential aspect of that business.  Without them, your business will most definitely fall apart. Therefore, keeping them nice and happy should be your top priority! If you do encounter an angry client, here are five essential steps to resolving the issue and establishing peace.

1. Keep Cool- Sure, it is human nature to get angry when someone is hostile toward you. But when it comes to customers, you must always remember that they are always right- even when they aren’t.  Therefore, no matter what the client says to you, you must always keep your composure.  Do not fight back but instead, respond in a confident and composed demeanor.  Express no hostility!
2. Listen & Acknowledge- Again, the client wants to always feel as if they are in the right.  After all, they are the ones spending money on your business.  It is important to let the client express their concerns and comments- so let them vent! Listen to what they have to say and acknowledge where you are at fault.  This makes the client feel as if they have valid points and more importantly, that you are on their side.
3. Ask Questions- After you have heard the client out, ask questions that are relevant to their concerns.  How can you better help them? What moves should you make to adjust to their needs? In essence; what will make them happy?
4. Agree on a Solution- This is important! Here you will establish what you promise to do for them.  Come to an agreement on what changes are necessary to keep them as a client.  Remember, make sure that they are happy with the solutions you are offering.
5. Go Above and Beyond- Once a solution is agreed upon by you and the client, you are not only going to meet that goal, but go above and beyond that.  This tells the customer that you are willing to go the extra mile for them and that they are a true priority.  Honestly, this tactic should be used with all clients you encounter, whether they are angry or not!

How a Sitemap Can Save Your Website

When it comes to promoting your business, your clients are the main people you need to worry about impressing.  However, this also means that in order to get to your client, you must first learn effective advertisement mediums. On the internet, your biggest hurdle will be with the search engines.  So many people use search engines to look for products and services they need, that advertising yourself on a search engine is now almost a necessity.  Therefore, truly understanding the best way to get noticed on a search engine is imperative to your business.  Almost every day, new developments are popping up in the search engine optimization world and sitemaps are only one of them.  A sitemap is now becoming a fantastic way for search engines to crawl your site without missing any of the pages within your site.  This results in better rankings for your website!

But what is a sitemap? Simply put, a sitemap is a map used to guide your visitors on what is available to them on your website. But more importantly than that, the sitemap is an XML file specifically designed by webmasters to inform search engines which pages on their website are available for them to crawl.  The crawlers simply pick up all the URLs listed on the sitemap and are able to easily extract information about each webpage with the information linked within the sitemap. Typically, search engines will crawl a website and are guided from page to page by links. This is effective but often times, they can miss pages and links may lead them away from your site. However, search engines that accept sitemaps are able to crawl websites with much more ease and in being directed by the sitemap, do not miss any pages within the site.

How does this help you? Well, the more pages that are crawled and indexed by search engines, the higher visibility you have online.  This means that all pages on your website will be picked up and become viewable to people browsing online.  By optimizing each of the pages on your website to the greatest capacity, your site will rank highly on search engines.  The ultimate goal is to be on the first page on Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.  Of course, a sitemap is only one of the many steps necessary to optimize yourself effectively online.  By combining this with all other SEO factors, you will be on the way to developing a profitable online marketing campaign.

Improving Customer Service On Your Website

While building and optimizing your site are important factors that contribute to the development of your business, they will mean nothing if you do not have a loyal and satisfied customer base.  This goes beyond simply attracting potential clients- it’s about keeping your current clients happy! This may seem obvious to the average business owner, but outstanding customer service can be one of those factors that seems to fall through the cracks because you are too busy focusing on other aspects of the business. Honestly, dissatisfied clients can be far more harmful than you think, especially online. The internet gives them the uncanny power to make your mistakes public and believe me, people research and read negative reviews! So, to avoid these sort of disasters altogether, simply follow the guidelines listed below. Not only will they appreciate your attention to their needs, but they will be far more willing to continue to be your clients for many years to come.

• Provide Contact Information- This is probably the most important aspect of customer service. How will clients be able to bring problems and concerns to your attention if they can’t get a hold of you? Always provide a contact page on your website.  You can either have a number, email and address listed or you may provide a contact request where clients can fill in their information along with their comments and concerns.
• FAQs Page- This is very helpful to your clients and especially to visitors.  With a “Facts & Questions” page, you are able to tackle the most frequently asked questions about your products and services.  To find out what these questions are, create an email specifically designed for this.  You will be able to easily track what customers are most concerned with and save them and yourself lots of time.
• Email Updates- This is a fantastic way to promote your business. All you need from the client is an email address!  With email updates you can easily spread the word about special promotions, new products and/or services and ways for them to save.  Your customer will be reminded of what you have to offer to them and will also always appreciate a good deal.
• Take the Initiative- It is up to you to give clients the best service they deserve.  However, you don’t have to read their minds to figure it out.  Sending out a survey for them to take can easily give you an idea of what is working and isn’t working with your business. This also makes the client feel appreciated and listened to. They want to know that their opinion matters!

Expanding Your Website Internationally

Nowadays, it is almost crucial that you be able to expand your business internationally.  Technology has allowed the world to become more interconnected and therefore, this has made it much more possible for businesses to spread their wings to worldwide territories.  There are many factors you should take into consideration before you launch an international site.  Changes will have to be made on your existing website so that it better suits the needs of your international clientele.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  However, the results will be surprisingly profitable and worth your time and money.

• Who is Your Target Audience?- First, you must figure out who your target audience is going to be.  Will you be dealing with a specific country or continent?  What languages will you have to take into consideration? If you cannot afford to have your website translated manually, you can look into features like Google Translate Tool. After all, communicating with that target audience is such a crucial part of any business plan.  Know your audience first and build a campaign around their needs.

• Localize the Website- Once you have figured out who you are targeting, you can now figure out what changes will most effectively benefit your audience.  Aside from language, you must also adjust your content and delivery accordingly.  Take the culture into consideration while doing this! Every client or potential client wants to feel as if they are understood, so presenting a website that caters to their cultural inclinations will be highly beneficial.

• What Search Engine?- Google may seem like it rules the world but the truth is that some countries deal with their own search engines.  Russia, for example, uses Yandex and in China Baidu is most widely used.   This is important to know because when it comes to website marketing, search engines are an imperative part of the process.

• How Do You Want to Optimize?- Once you have established which search engine dominates the country or region you are dealing with, you must figure out which form of optimization will better serve you and your audience.  This requires research! After all, keywords and link building are only two of the factors pertaining to PPC and SEO optimization.

• International Currency & Regulations- This may seem obvious but often, businesses do not take this into consideration when they are expanding internationally.  Currency translation as well as tax regulations are highly important.  This is especially important if your site offers shipping services.  Similarly, be aware of laws and regulations each country has as far as doing international business goes.  You do not want to end up in unnecessary trouble because of this!

Manual SEO vs. Automated SEO

Obviously, everything is easier when it is done automatically, but does it make it better? Software has made it easy for people to sit back and relax while the work is being done.  Manual SEO has been around for a good while and any expert will let you know that it is time consuming and takes quite a bit of dedication and effort.  So, like any good plight to the future, online marketing has now moved into an automated format as well! This is both good and bad because while you are able to implement the SEO without any effort of your own (save for downloading the software and clicking a few buttons), you may not be getting the same quality performance.  In essence, automation strives for quantity over quality.  Manual, on the other hand delivers substantial quality, but at a slow rate.  So which method is better?  Truth be told, manual methods will always be the better choice when it comes to SEO.  Although SEO relies heavily on beating out the competition, it really comes down to how much real effort you have put into your SEO.  Especially since the launch of Google Panda, search engines are dissecting the campaigns of all websites, ensuring that they produce quality backlinks, content and keywords.

• Quality Backlinks- You cannot produce a quality SEO campaign without backlinks.  Furthermore, backlinks can be hard to come by.  This is why it is crucial to make this a manual process.  Automated SEO can bring you backlinks, but most of the time, these aren’t quality backlinks at all.  In other words, all those automated results can be a waste of time and money.  When you do these manually, you are guaranteeing quality because you are able to track and pick these yourself.




• Content- Content is also a component of SEO that cannot be done through automation.  Algorithms are constantly searching for fresh content and this can only be done by hand.  Content has to be relevant to your website as well as be able to captivate and hold your audience’s attention.

• Keyword Optimization- Knowing what keywords will be most effective for your marketing campaign requires you to not only understand your business to the fullest, but also do some research online.  You will have to view which keywords are the most searched for, which are most highly used by your competition and which will benefit your business the most.  Don’t leave it up to automated optimization to determine these things!

User Friendly Website

User friendly means a website that is for your clients to use and delivers essential information about your website. Too often, website owners do not build their websites with the user in mind.  This is vital because websites are meant to attract potential clients! If you want to build and maintain a successful marketing campaign, be smart about the way you set up your website. Below are 5 key features you want to stress on your website to make it top-notch!

• Information & Content- This is probably the most important feature because it is what is going to attract an audience to your site.  Stock your website with information and content that is relevant and interesting.  However, don’t go over the top! No one wants to have to read an essay to understand what your website is about.  Keep it simple and informative. Break up your content so it is not overwhelming to the eye.
• Navigation- Make sure it is easy to navigate around your website.  Include a menu that enables the user to easily go from page to page.  If possible, put the menu on the top of the page and include drop down menus if necessary.  About and Contact buttons are extremely important.  Users want to know what your site is about and how to contact you with questions or concerns.
• Accessibility- You want current and potential customers to be able to find you easily, right? Most users will use search engines and directories to find you online.  Because of this, you want to market yourself accordingly.  Apply SEO or PPC tactics to your website so that you can be more readily visible online.
• Website Speed- This may seem like a thing of the past, but a lot of users still have dial-up service and if your website is crammed with unnecessary junk, it may slow down the website and the user may leave the page in frustration before it even loads. Factors that may affect loading speed include image size, page size, flash features and excessive code installation.
• Smart Links- Links are important not only to make your users experience more favorable, but for your website’s benefit as well.  Links will connect to other pages within your site and to the outside world as well.  Make sure your links are functioning! The last thing you want is for a user to come across a broken link! This not only makes it impossible for the user to access the link, but makes your website look unprofessional.

What to Look for In an SEO Company

Let’s face it, when it comes to SEO Companies, you have TONS of options.   Not only that, but they all claim to be able to work magic on your website, or in other words, jump start your business and get you the traffic and profit you are looking for.  However, it is smart to be wary of what is out there.  Not every SEO company has your best interest in mind and will tell you anything and everything to dig into your pockets.  That’s why you have to be proactive in your search and know the essentials of finding an SEO company.  Here are 5 vital things you should look for in an SEO company.

• Make Sure They are Ranked on Search Engines- An SEO Company is supposed to get you ranked on search engines, right? If you can’t find them on the first page of any search engine for vital keywords like SEO Marketing then they probably don’t know what they are doing.  Why would you want to do business with a company that can’t even do for itself what it promises to do for you?
• Look For Client Feedback & Testimonials- True, testimonials on a company website can be written up by anyone.  However, people leave feedback all over the internet! Be a detective and hunt online for information on the company. Type in the company’s name on a search engine and see what you can pull up. The results may surprise you!
• Do They Practice White Hat SEO?- White Hat SEO are any and all legitimate SEO techniques used to get a website ranked online.  There are many layers to this technique and trying understanding it all may be overwhelming.  In general, you are looking for a company that promises quality traffic and inbound links, increased profit and a method of attracting potential prospects to your website.  For a more descriptive outline of what White Hat SEO consists of, search online.
• Are They Making False Promises?- Be wary of any company that guarantees a #1 spot on a search engine or instant SEO results.  No one can guarantee #1 placement on any search engine and SEO NEVER works instantly.
• Ask For Proof of Their Work- Why not ask for some examples of the work they are proclaiming they can do for you? Maybe they can show you a website they have successfully worked on in the past or a portfolio of their products and offers.

SEO Myths Revealed

The internet marketing world is filled with information- some of it is accurate but let’s face it, most of it is a bunch of boloney.  SEO is one of those marketing methods that continuously changes and transforms.  What is pertinent one day, can be completely disregarded the next.  This is partially due to search engine algorithms that no one truly understands.  Search engines, especially Google, give vague ideas of what their algorithms are comprised of and webmasters are left to decipher it to the best of their abilities.  This is also why there is so much mixed information online; what one webmaster may find true about SEO, another webmaster may say is false information.  Thus, SEO myths are born.  The problem lies in that innocent bystanders get affected by these myths because they believe them to be true and can often be fooled by a shady SEO company who promises them the world.  The important thing to remember is to always do some research before jumping into bed with any SEO company.  To make your research a bit easier, we have comprised a list of 10 SEO myths that most, if not all, webmasters agree on.

• SEO Can Be Self-Taught- While SEO isn’t exactly rocket science, it isn’t easy either. There are so many components of SEO that trying to learn it all on your own and apply it would be extremely time-consuming and difficult.  Not to say that it is impossible, but if you want it done right the first time, free of mistakes, you may want to hire an SEO company with years of experience to help you out.
• SEO Works Instantly- This is a common myth that scam artist SEO companies claim to provide to their clients.  Effective, profitable and long-lasting SEO takes lots of time to provide results, but if done correctly, can be extremely worth it.  Be patient!
• Number of Visitors Affects SEO Rankings- Many believe that if you don’t have a plethora of people streaming into your site daily, you won’t be ranked at all on search engines.  This is not true! Google and all other search engines have no way of judging how many visitors you get on  a daily basis and do not use this as a determining factor as far as ranking goes.
• Meta Tags Make a Difference- Meta Tags used to be a big deal but now search engines don’t give them a second look. Don’t bother trying to optimize them, in other words.
• SEO Is a One-Time Application- Many believe that SEO is a one-time application deal and you’re set for life.  This is not the case! SEO algorithms are continuously changing and therefore, your website has to keep up or you will be left behind for sure.
• It’s All About Rankings, Not Users- A lot of times, website owners will be so obsessed with getting their site ranked, they forget about their current and potential clients.  While ranking is important, if your site lacks appeal to visitors, they won’t be coming back to your website anyway.
• Guaranteed #1 Placement- Bottom line, if an SEO company is guaranteeing a #1 spot on Google or any other search engine, they’re lying.  No one can guarantee this, not even the top SEO companies out there!