Design and branding tips to help grow your business.

Archive for the ‘Web Marketing’ Category

Getting in the Map Section of Google

Monday, March 29th, 2010

How is your business faring when it comes to Google’s local map-based listings? Don’t know?

Start by entering your business name and zip-code into the search engine and see what you find. Chances are, your business already shows up on Google Maps, but is it accurate? Could it be better? Does it really represent your business and brand? Fortunately, you can utilize features on Google to make your local map listing really pop, and best yet, it’s all free.

The steps below will show you how to set up your Google listing, as well as some tips to make it search optimization friendly. (Hat tip to Mike Blumenthal for this great information.)

Start by signing up for Google Local Business Center.

  1. Go to www.google.com/localbusinesscenter and sign into your Google Account.
  2. Click on “Add New Business” and fill in basic business information. Add the key phrases for your business, and make sure they are reflected in your business title.
  3. Google Maps will begin to pinpoint your location on the map per the address you type in. Adjust the marker as necessary for accuracy. If your business is already in the database, select “Claim Listing” to edit it. Otherwise, click “Add Listing” to create a new one. Make sure your key phrases are also reinforced here.
  4. Add details to help users learn everything they need to know about your business.
    Indicate hours of operation and add photos, logos, and videos. (Adding these can really make one business stand out over another.) Use web references that also point back to your main key phrases and location, and make sure your own site has references to the same. (E.g. make sure your address in the footer of every page of your own site).
  5. Verify your listing by phone or postcard. (Google will send you a PIN to enter.)

Blumenthal also recommends that local businesses join the organizations that Google uses to obtain information, such as the Better Business Bureau, Mobile Trave Guide, Talking Phone Book, etc.

At the end of the day, in order to rank well in local searches, you need to simply “think local” in search optimization terms. Give as much local information as you can – directions (include landmarks, too!) and links pointing to you from other local websites and directories. While no one knows the exact formula for always getting your business to the top of the search list, applying the tips above will undoubtedly increase the views to your local Google business listing.

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Posted in Branding Tips, Internet Marketing, Local Search Optimization, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Web Marketing | No Comments »

6 Website Redesign SEO Secrets Your Developer May Not Know

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Thinking about a website redesign? Jumping into such a task can often be daunting, not only from an aesthetic standpoint, but also from a search engine optimization one. The world of SEO is an ever-changing beast, and it’s imperative that your web developer values a search engine crawler-friendly website as much as you do.

We work extensively with our web marketing clients to make sure their websites are fully optimized, both for search engines as well as their social media marketing efforts. So I was excited to see an article that confirmed all of the work we’ve been doing.

Last December, Jill over at High Rankings.com wrote an excellent piece called, “6 Website Redesign SEO Secrets Your Developer May Not Know, and I’d like to reiterate her main points. They’ll prove to be great touchstones for the next meeting with your web developer.

1. Creating Your SEO’d Site Architecture

Are the pages that focus on the more competitive keyword phrases high up in the website’s hirearchy? Is category-specific content cross-linked? To the common search engine, pages that are linked to every other page are weighed heavier than pages that are linked to just a couple other pages.

2. Categorization and Avoiding Duplicate Content

Do the top-level pages answer the user’s questions in a clear and concise manner? Are there any duplicate content issues that need to be corrected? When people utilize search engines, they come with a specific question or problem. Those top-level pages must immediately address how your product or service will take care of whatever need brought them there. Furthermore, the landing page URL must be consistent to avoid PageRank splitting on the analytics end.

3. New Content Management System and Changing URLs

If the redesign brings URL changes, have the old URLs been re-directed? Oftentimes a redesign comes with a new content management system. While this is exciting, it often comes with headaches in the way of a site index lag for the new URLs, which need to be re-directed to pass on link popularity. It also prevents those pesky 404-not-found errors.

4. Coding of Navigation Menus

Are the navigational menus coded with CSS that is crawlable? Keep in mind that drop-down box links, DHTML, and Flash menus are not visible to search engines. Thus, the internal link popularity of the pages linked within them is inaccurate.

5. Custom HTML Elements

Does the website’s content management system have unlimited fields for custom title tages, meta descriptions, heading tags, etc? Automated titles and metas are always helpful, but the flexibility of creating your own descriptions is critical. In otherwords, keywords are key.

6. Session IDs and Other Tracking Links

Are only the “clean” URLs being fed to the search engine spiders? If session IDs are being used to track visitors, the same content might get indexed with multiple URLs.

Bring up these points with your web developer before he or she starts the major overhaul of your website, and you will be well ahead of the curve of search engine optimization.

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Posted in Branding Tips, Internet Marketing, Local Search Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, Web Marketing, Web Site Design, Website Designer | No Comments »

Creating a custom landing page for Facebook

Monday, March 8th, 2010

So you’ve just created a Facebook fan page for your business, brand, or idea. (You haven’t? Check out our article on creating a Facebook fan page.) Are you looking to take your page to the next level? Try creating a custom landing page next.

A Facebook custom landing page is a built-in first impression of sorts, and the kind of thing that takes your social media marketing to the next level. It will act as the first page that non-fans will land on, rather than initially seeing your Facebook wall. You don’t have to be a web genius to create a landing page, as Facebook has already created an application to do the dirty work for you! Just follow these steps:

Step One: Add the Application

  1. Log into your Facebook account.
  2. Click on the Applications link. (This will be on the bottom left of your browser, or in the left-hand margin on the new Facebook layout.)
  3. Click on Browse More Applications. (On the new Facebook layout, skip to the next step.)
  4. Type “FBML” into the search box and click on the result, Static FBML. (FBML stands for “Facebook Markup Language.”)
  5. Click Add to My Page

Step Two: Create the Landing Page

  • Go back to your fan page and click Edit Page (under the user pic).
  • Scroll to the FBML application and click Edit.
  • Customize the FBML tab. This is where you can create the magic. Type in your page title and HTML codes for whatever you wish. Here are some ideas:
  • Ensure this application will be added to your fan page’s tabs by going back to the “edit applications” screen and changing the status of FBML from “Available” to “Added.”

    • Step Three: Make the Landing Page the Default for Non-Fans

  • Click on the Wall tab and click Settings.
  • In the drop-down menu for “Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else,” select the tab you just created.
  • Check the functionality of the landing page by logging out of Facebook and then entering the URL for your fan page. You should arrive at the landing page you just made.

    • With just a little bit of time and know-how, you can have a great welcome page for new fans that will showcase what your business is all about.

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    Posted in Branding Tips, Internet Marketing, Marketing Tips, Social Media for Marketing, Web Marketing | 1 Comment »

    Avoid Client Problems with a Design Questionnaire

    Friday, March 5th, 2010

    When a web developer and client meet for the first time, it’s not uncommon for one question to be front and center: How much is this going to cost me? It’s not surprising, given these tough economic times and ever-dwindling budgets — we’re seeing it a lot here in Houston. Still, the relationship between any web designer and or social media marketing consultant and client must be a close one. They must share the same vision, and the consultant must act as another arm of the business, another player in the client’s goals. So how can an Internet marketing consultant move past a fixation on cost and get to the heart of the matter?

    Martha Retallick at Freelance Switch provided a great tool that she frequently implements into her initial client meetings: a web design client questionnaire. Retallick has a list of about 25 thought-provoking questions that drill down to the desired aesthetic and purpose for the website.

    Here are a handful that go beyond, “Tell me about your business,” and help define realistic boundaries and expectations of a project.

    • How can your particular work background help prospects, compared to others in your industry? What’s special about your work experience?
    • Please describe your potential customers. Pay special attention to their income, interests, gender, age, even type of computer they use, e.g., old with dialup account or newer with broadband. If your website is a business-to-business site, what sort of companies are you hoping to attract?
    • What staff will be involved? What are their roles? Is there a webmaster on your staff?
    • Please list the names of five other sites that you like. Why are they attractive to you?
    • How much time will you be able to spend online, responding to inquiries that come in via your website? Once a day? Several hours a day?
    • If you were using a search engine, what words or phrases would you use to find your site? Which of these words or phrases is most important? Second? Third?

    These questions do a great job of highlighting issues like brand benefits, target demographics, internal communication, and the client’s web savvy.

    In the time I’ve worked as a web designer in Houston, I’ve found a system like this to be a great way to find out client expectations and requirements. It has really helped me on numerous occasions.

    One thing I didn’t see on this list that I think would be helpful to ask: What would you deem a “success” in terms of offline results? This moves the client’s focus off of hits/average monthly visitors to give the developer an idea of their true business goals. What other questions should a web developer bring to the table before starting a project?

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    Posted in Branding, Branding Tips, Graphic Design, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Social Media for Marketing, Web Marketing, Website Designer | No Comments »

    Small Business Leaders Prefer ‘Passive’ Social Media, But Are Looking to Future

    Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

    Once “Social Media” became the phrase-du-jour, small business owners have been quick to incorporate it as a daily source for information-gathering. However, many immediately realized that navigating the social media landscape often requires two things the average small business owner simply does not have: ample time and extra resources.

    As a result, says a recent Business.com study, owners are leaning more towards “passive” methods of using social media. Last month, Ben Hanna of MediaPost delved a little deeper to explore which strategies were favored. Of over 1,700 small business owners currently applying social media efforts on a daily basis, here were the top five resources:

    1) Webinars/Podcasts

    Webinars and podcasts can inform small business leaders of industry trends, new products and services. They can also act as a source of continuing education by providing additional training — all without incurring the cost of time and travel to do so.

    2) Ratings & Reviews

    When it comes to the buying process, small business owners often read what others recommend, and factor those reviews into their purchasing decisions. This is why social media marketing has become such a big deal in the last few years.

    3) Company/Brand Pages on Social Networking Websites

    Vendors are flooding social networking sites like Facebook to give updated, timely information about their products, and small business owners are taking notice.

    4) Company Blogs

    Small business leaders love blogs to gain relevant insight into a company, assuming the entries are well-written, topical, and offer a glimpse into the character of the business.

    5) Social Media Search

    Because not all information can be found on typical search engines, small business owners are searching directly through Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. As the owner of a Houston Internet marketing company, I see this quite a bit among my friends and partners around town.

    As you can see, these methods are performed through “passive” social media outlets — the company puts the information onto the web for others to discover. At the end of the day, I think it’s pretty evident that small business leaders aren’t all about the “social” aspect of social media, and rightfully so. They want information, and they want it fast. The number of Twitter followers a company has means nothing if they can’t find the exact piece of information they are seeking.

    However, it must be noted that the more “active” methods of using social media were not far behind the preferences above, according to MediaPost. Online forums and Q&A sites fell right after the top five. As instantly gratifying as the internet can be, it can’t provide everything to everyone. Small business owners may find it more time-effective to go the “active” route, submitting questions to a company or forum and getting a personalized response in return. If companies begin to devote more social marketing resources toward actual interaction with their customer base, we may see the small business owner shift to a more “active” stance on social media.

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    Posted in Blogging, Branding Tips, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Micro-Blogging, Social Media for Marketing, Social Networking, Twitter, Web Marketing | No Comments »

    Is It Time to Redesign Your Website?

    Saturday, January 30th, 2010

    The number one job of a business Web site is to generate leads. But to generate leads, you have to first attract prospects.

    Your site’s content functions like a fishing pole.

    Think of Google and other search engines as the ocean and you’re trying to catch a fish. The more fishing poles you use, the better your chances of catching fish. One pole in the ocean isn’t enough. You need plenty of content to attract prospects.

    Use the right bait.

    Your content needs to be optimized for SEO. You need the right kind of bait to attract to the right kind of fish.

    Don’t rely on out-of-date bait.

    Prospects and search engines like content that’s updated and changing. Generate fresh content through social media and blogs. Once you’ve attracted the fish, it’s time to get them hooked.

    Get the fish to take the bait.

    To convert those prospects into leads and customers, use landing pages and include a good call to action on each. Finally, review your catch.

    Check your net or stringer.

    Analyze your site to make  sure  it’s producing the measurable results you want. If your site is spending a lot of time fishing and you’re still going hungry at dinner, it could be time to redesign.

    Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Web Marketing, Web Site Design, Website Designer | No Comments »

    Yahoo! Embeds Video to Search Results Page

    Thursday, March 19th, 2009

    Get Ready to Post Your Videos

    Yahoo! now allows video to be embedded within the search results page. So, what does that mean? Simply put it allows searchers to view a video or embedded content without leaving the search results page. This is a pretty cool feature that changes the whole search experience.

    Let me illustrate it for you. Below are the results for the search “hulu american dad” on both Yahoo and Google.

    houston video marketing

    Notice that Google displays an image within the search results, but when the image is clicked, it opens to the Hulu site for viewing.

    The same search on Yahoo! delivers a similar result with a different experience:

    houston video marketing

    Yahoo! has a similar result except that when the video image is clicked, it opens the video right on the search results page. This is an awesome feature which helps the user quickly determine if the video or content found was what they wanted. If not, they can simply continue to scroll down through the remaining search results.

    Try it yourself by searching “hulu american dad” on Yahoo. Then do the same search on Google and compare the results.

    What Does This Mean For My Business?

    A better search experience gives business owners the opportunity to drive more traffic to their web site. Online video is becoming a great marketing tool for every size business. Imagine if you designed a video for your target market and then it appeared on the first page of Google or Yahoo. Incorporating video onto your web site and within your internet marketing strategy will increase sales and improve your search engine rankings.

    Start creating your videos today!

    Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Web Marketing | No Comments »

    SIX Completely Free Ways to Promote Your Business

    Friday, February 20th, 2009

    We hear it all the time: nothing in life is free…there’s no such thing as a free ride…free doesn’t come cheap. Well, that may be true in some cases, but when it comes to advertising on the Web, there are SIX completely free ways to promote your business online without having to spend a thing. That’s right, you read correctly. There are six free ways to get your business into the hands of your customers, all at the click of a mouse. From showing up more often in web site searches to literally putting your name on the map, the following six advertising directories will put you head and shoulders above your competition, making you easily accessible and readily available to all of your future customers who have been waiting to find you.

    Google Maps

    Everyone uses Google Maps these days, whether it be from a PC or an iPhone, so what better way to advertise than to have your business show up in a Google Maps search? You only need four things to get started:

    • A short description of your business
    • Your telephone number, business address and any other contact info you want to advertise
    • Your company logo
    • A coupon or special offer you want to advertise

    http://www.google.com/local

    Yahoo!local

    Yahoo’s local listings are a great way to promote your business in Yahoo!local’s search engine. A free listing can include all of the following:

    • Address, phone number and fax number
    • Web site and email
    • Business category
    • Store hours
    • Accepted payment methods
    • Products and services you offer

    http://local.yahoo.com/

    Local.com

    Another search engine to take advantage of is Local.com. Like Yahoo!local, you can tailor your listing to include information pertinent to your current and future customers.

    http://www.local.com/

    Yellowpages.com

    Yellowpages.com specializes in bringing your business together with an audience of local consumers in your area. Your local business must possess a physical location or provide on-site services in or near one of the local yellow pages coverage areas.

    http://listings.yellowpages.com/

    Insiderpages.com

    People love to know what other customers think about a particular business or service, and that’s why Insider Pages has been so successful. You can capitalize on that success by adding and updating your business profile to their directory. By adding more information to your business profile, search engines will find you faster, and at Insider Pages, you can also post responses to your customers’ reviews and thus manage your online reputation.

    http://www.insiderpages.com/

    Yelp.com

    Like Insider Pages, Yelp.com connects customers with local businesses through reviews where customers share their experiences. Claiming your business on Yelp allows you to track how many customers view your business, update your business profile, and utilize private customer messaging. You can also enhance your page on Yelp with a slide-show, a personalized message, or a featured favorite review.

    https://biz.yelp.com/

    If you need any help with setting up these ads, Raxa Design will be happy to assist you. Please contact Brian Waraksa at 832-755-6911 or brian@raxadesign.com.

    Posted in Internet Marketing, Local Search Optimization, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Web Marketing | Comments Off