Xuanwusea Web Design

The Importance Of Seo For Small Business

Many people wonder why SEO (Search Engine Optimization) matters, especially in small business where resources are limited. While it may be true that some people overrate SEO to the point of magic (make millions in a year, etc.), its hard to argue that SEO is one of the best ways to advertise in the modern Internet age.

Usually, the ones who criticize SEO advertising or have disappointing experiences with an SEO company dont entirely understand how the process works. SEO is a form of advertising, and a form of targeted advertising, in that you only sell to the people who look up your chosen keywords. Who in their right minds would say that advertising is overrated or that targeted advertising is a passing fad?

Technology comes and goes but advertising and marketing are as old as human history. The facts show that SEO advertising is one of the best ways to attract attention online, and no one denies that everyone is on the Internet in 2011, whether they are shopping, surfing, or wasting time playing farm simulator games.

The truth is that SEO doesnt single-handedly make or break a businessyou do. With your efforts, you can strategise and bring your company to new heights or let it stall out by taking a misguided turn. However, SEO must always be a part of your campaign, because search engines are a major part of Internet life.

There are only four major ways to attract attention online: SEO (that is, the articles and texts that make websites), PPC (pay-per-click advertising), banner advertising and news articles/press releases. SEO is not only the most affordable way to advertise, its also the best way to target advertise. Instead of selling your business to random surfers or Googlers, you are selling your services to people who are already interested in your productpeople who have taken the time to type out what they want to buy.

Did you know that an estimated 60% of the market do not invest in SEO? Furthermore, upwards of an estimated 20% dont even know what the term means. This means that once you start a complete SEO 9 campaign, you can expect to reach more of the market than over half of your competitors are reaching.

The fact that SEO is affordable and targeted makes it exceptionally important for small businesses, who cant afford to put off advertising or run an expensive ad to random Internet surfers. Your investment in Search Engine Optimization will help your small business grow!

How Smart Web Designers Screw Up Your SEO

Many sites on the web are amazing – a real tribute to their designers. Many of these are attractive, functional and compelling for visitors. But look a little deeper and we see a consistent problem with search engine ranking possibilities across many sites. The snazzy site’s creators are good at their job. Their job is site creation. They also generally think they understand site prioritisation but screw up their clients SEO such that the search engine optimisation effort is multiplied through re-work and necessary architectural changes. The main issues are URL manipulation, duplicate content and a serious downside of popular shopping cart software products. Related issues are potentially endless, particularly with future site changes/overhauls and their abandoned URL’s that have desirable search engine clout. The Cause Leading to the Effect. Since people in business generally have a skill base that doesn’t include web site design, they dip into the sizable pool of inexpensive web creator talent around. They’ve heard of SEO, but their chosen web design company who produce dazzling samples of work along with shopping carts say they will create the site in line with SEO principles. Great! Once producing a great looking site that works superbly, works with the shopping cart, demonstrably has customers going through the shopping cart and parting with their funds, has products easy to add and subtract through an external interface with the database – the customer is pleased and pays the bill after agreeing the ongoing fee structure with amendments and changes. And start a PPC campaign. And realise that the cost of the PPC campaign is about the same as their premises rental at their high street but with a huge cost increase at Christmas time. And realise that now they have two landlords – their High St premises owner and Google (and/or Yahoo, MSN, etc-). Or, they realise that whilst they thought that with their new online company the web would be free, they, like their real estate counterparts, have an expensive landlord of the search masters, led by the -benevolent’ Google. But no matter – just have to wait a while until the organic results show their site highly through the efforts of those clever people that created this great site – just wait a few weeks- months- years. Here’s why it’s going to be years- decades… never. And here’s how to make it, realistically, a few months.

Unfriendly URL. The URL problem is not limited to the use of shopping cart software like OS Commerce and others that make use of session ID’s, although they are default offenders. Some web design companies compound the problem with the use of session ID’s apart from their shopping cart software, or use -cart created’ session ID’s throughout their design. Session ID’s are a handy means of keeping state and identity across several pages for a particular user’s sequence of pages within the domain per session. The main fully featured shopping cart – OS Commerce – which is free and hence attractive – appends a session ID to every page. The ID is unique to every user session (so if the user closes the browser and re-starts a session on a site the ID will be different). See an example of this with naturalfigures(dot)co(dot)uk. Go to any category and see the session ID appended. Now close the browser and open the same URL again – note that the session ID has changed for the same pages selected. What’s the problem with this? When the Google bot or any other SE’s bot comes along to examine the page – it sees the page with appended session ID and indexes the page. Then the next time it visits the page it lands on the same page and sees the same content, but this time for a different apparent URL – which is the same URL with a different session ID appended. What’s this? Duplicate content! Most web designers have little understanding of why this would ever be a problem.

A similar issue of duplicate content exists with the way that most web designers have internal links to some start file like index.htm. Back to the home page? Go to thedomain/index.htm. But this is the same content as thedomain.com. But there-s more. Not only are these pages the same, but also http://thedomain and http://www.thedomain are also the same content. To demonstrate the SE’s viewing this as different, try it with xe(dot)com and note the different PageRank scores. It’s easy to fix these problems, it’s just that web designers are generally oblivious to the problem.

Site Redesigns, Wasted Pages. Occasionally, like your living room, the site needs an overhaul. Or it could be that some web designer believes that the way to higher ranking for their client is to redesign the site because they’ve heard that page names should have hyphens, not underscores, or that page names shouldn’t have hyphens but should have underscores (it doesn’t matter a hoot). In the redesign – many web designers destroy any search engine clout currently enjoyed and end up with a negative affect for the site. Oh well. At least it looks much nicer after the redesign.

What are web designers missing? As SE’s traverse a page they analyse it and index it assuming it doesn’t offend them in some way (cloaking, dup content, redirects defined in the wrong way, etc.). It’s indexed. Got that? Indexed. That is, the page – referred to by its URL – now exists in some database patrolled by Google’s armed guards. When web designers change a site design and invent new page names without properly redirecting from the old page, Google see another shiny new page – note that it has exactly the same content as another on the same domain they already have indexed – and index the new page too. Only now the site is devalued in the eyes of the search engine because it clearly duplicates content. This is not anywhere near as serious as duplicate content across distinct domains, but is still a red flag when seen within a domain. But wait – it’s not duplicate content! The old page has been changed – sure – it still exists because there may be external links to it – but there are no internal links to the page – it’s been replaced by the new page. But did anyone tell Google about that? What?! How do you tell Google about anything? By a properly defined 301 redirect in the htaccess file. Hmmm. Try that on your web designer – if there’s the slightest questioning lift of eyebrows – run. But the problem doesn’t end there; since this is now a new page, it doesn’t have the establishment of the old page. The SE doesn’t know it’s a replacement, it just thinks it’s a new page, something that has to earn it’s place through time and new internal and external links. The htaccess 301 redirect resolves all this.

The Solution. A popular web presence is no longer the breeze it used to be. Everyone flocks to the web – but how do the SE’s sort out the wheat from the chaff? The solution to this and much more is the design of pages from the start with SEO principles in mind. But this has become a buzz-phrase. The web designers need to understand how search engines see pages as well as how humans see pages. Let’s face it – if SEO’s designed all the web sites it wouldn’t be pretty. Both skills are needed. For proof of this see the site cited in the bio box for this article – as site which to prove an SEO point is distinctively un-pretty. But the SEO’s have the upper hand. They know they aren’t designers and they know they need clever artistic designers to build something that is not just functional but also attractive. The converse is not generally true. Web designers in general don’t really understand search engine optimisation – despite their sales people’s sale oriented claims. They think they know the SEO science.

We’ve yet to find a web designer who does.

Bio. By Baron Turner of TurnerDow Search Engine Optimisation. There’s Only One High St Now! Be on it with TurnerDow SEO

Article writing SEO Service – Revealed – 3 Secrets to cool more money

This article is for those individuals and companies that currently offer SEO article writing. Due to the increasing competition in the online realm, I’m pretty sure that you are now finding it harder to increase their rate of enrollment. Well, let me help you get the kind of attention and response you need from your prospects. This is what you do:

1. Taking care of your customers. Before thinking about attracting new customers, we suggest you consider pamper your customers first. You see, retaining an old customer is much easier to compare to attract new business. Give these people what they deserve. Make sure the items we deliver are of high quality, or simply the best. Then let them know that you are willing to go far to impress. If you do this, not only be able to get these people back, but also be able to convince them to recommend people they know who might need what you offer.

2. Promote awareness of the product. Planning an Internet marketing campaign very specific in order to educate potential customers about the services you offer. I recommend article marketing, social media marketing, blogging, forum posting, search engine marketing, PPC advertising, etc. It also helps if you start free teleseminars or offer free e-books to interested parties. Doing these will certainly help you to capture your prospects by the throat.

3. Raise your rates. Do not be afraid to raise fares as it does not necessarily mean losing your customer base. You see, most people online know they will get what you pay for. As long as you offer excellent service, high quality, I do not mind paying more.

By the way, want to know more about using articles like this to drive traffic to your website and increase online conversions?

Article Writing Service knows good Content Writing Service and offers some of the best Article Writing Service and Article Writing at the best prices out today. Article Writing Services is now taking new SEO clients for their SEO plan.

Seo Strengths, Limitations And When To Use It

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be defined as the process of increasing the rank of a web site for search engine results while a specific key word is being searched, therefore to increase the volume of traffic to the web site. The higher the website gets ranked the greater the probability of the site being visited.

Strengths & Limitations of SEO:

Cost effective:
No per click charge. So for highly popular keywords, it may be cost effective. Only SEO company will charge their fees.

Credibility:
Most of the visitors arrive at a website after finding it through search engines. So if your site is listed on top of search results, online users place a higher amount of trust in your site. Therefore it is easier to convert those visitors into customers.

Click through rate:
Nearly 70 percent of Internet users click on natural listings, versus 30 percent on paid listings. Organic links are perceived as unbiased, therefore more credible than paid links. Moreover, organic search results gather up to six times more clicks than paid advertising.

Visibility:
Natural listings are more visible than the paid listings on right side of a page, when results showed while a specific search was made.

Limitations:

Limited targeted keywords:
There is a limit to the number of search terms a website may target in accordance to the number of pages involved. We cannot focus on more number of keywords as in PPC.

Time consuming:
Time to get your site listed on top of the natural listings depends on competitiveness of your targeted keywords, age of your website, quality of the content etc. therefore takes time to gain good rankings in the natural search listings and bring traffic to your web site.

Geographic targets:
Its difficult to place your site on top position only for particular geographic location where your targeted customers are located, as the results displayed for a specific keyword will be same all over the world.

Flexibility:
SEO does not give flexibility as with PPC such as landing page, speed, multiple ads and geographical targets by IP location.

When to use SEO:

SEO is suitable for

Those websites whose business requires global promotion, not confined to any particular geographic location.
Those who require long term visibility and can wait a bit of time to see their website listed on top of the natural search results for specific targeted keywords.
A well designed website with a good content will get more profit out of SEO compared to PPC.

Pay-per-click – An Alternative Choice To Seo

Most individuals who have a professional website are aware that SEO is necessary for any website to remain successful. SEO, or search engine optimization, can be used to help a website’s search engine rankings and enable customers to find their website more readily. SEO is really the most fundamental method of Web advertising and is provided by most online marketing agencies. These agencies typically also provide pay-per-click services. PPC is another crucial step in advertising websites online, and it is something that needs to be done along with SEO.

Some site owners make the error relying on SEO exclusively. SEO gives you the ability to bring increased traffic to any website, but the frequent steps needed to keep up with it are time intensive and need to be handled by someone who knows all the current ways to be in compliance with search engine rules. People who do not possess much experience with SEO make mistakes that keep them from getting their website ranked high enough for customers to find them easily.

Unless you are a SEO whiz, it is highly recommended that you hire an online marketing agency to do the work for your site. These people will implement a mixed strategy that uses email marketing, SEO and PPC. With PPC, the agency will get your site to appear in the advertising column of top search engines. They will also get your site to appear as ad banners on other Internet sites.

PPC management is a challenging process that is best accomplished by a professional agency. You have the opportunity to designate your own cost per click; this is definitely where most people make their mistake. Most inexperienced people assume that they should try to save money and choose the least expensive price for each click through to their website. When the cost is this low, other sites that have set their cost-per-click at a higher rate will be given more consideration and appear more often. Experts know which keywords will bring success and the correct price to select for each click through to your website.

A mix of SEO and PPC is the perfect way to generate the maximum amount of traffic. An effective email marketing plan should be used as well. You can have a sign up box integrated on your landing page and have site visitors submit their name and email. This makes them subscribers who will receive notices, updates and newsletters that you send out. Studies have verified that subscribers are a lot more likely to make purchases or sign up for paid services; they are also more likely to become regular customers rather than a one-time visitor. Increasing conversion rates is a necessity if you are using your site for commerce, and email marketing is the ideal way to increase revenue.

Of the scores of sites on the Internet, an amazing number of them are inactive and are practically abandoned by their owners. People frequently give up on their site because they can’t get enough visitors. Web marketing techniques like SEO and PPC require time for it to take full effect. People often give up within the first few weeks when they do not see any results. Just as you are recommended to hire a plumber for a leaky faucet, you are recommended to hire an Internet marketing firm rather than try to advertise your site on your own.

Tips on Finding the Best Local SEO Company Jacksonville

SEO or Search engine optimization is becoming more relevant to the growth and success of online businesses today.SEO is not just simply about getting on top of the search results for your keywords. Search marketing is more about reaching as many people as possible to help spread the word about your company and products. Businesses who want to succeed on their online marketing campaigns should seriously consider hiring a local SEO company Jacksonville.

A number of companies and businesses that bring their marketing campaigns on the internet have grown in numbers over the past years. The level of competition in several niches can be so tough that only huge companies dominate the search rankings for their keywords. Very rarely can we find niches that are not targeted by other online marketers. Businesses that don’t invest in a good SEO company would definitely have a hard time going up in the search rankings.

Hiring the services of a local SEO company Jacksonville can be the most worthwhile investment that you can do for your business. There are several companies and freelance individuals that offer services for SEO Jacksonville. However, since you will be spending some cash for these services, then why not choose the best local company that can do a better SEO job for your online marketing campaigns.

Finding an SEO company in Jacksonville can be very easy. But choosing the best one for your business can be a tough decision to make. Businesses that had a success in their online marketing campaigns can provide you some information about the SEO Company that they hired. Asking from recommendations from people in your industry can help you find the best local SEO Company Jacksonville.

The internet is also filled with information regarding local SEO Company Jacksonville that can assist you in your search marketing campaigns. You can check blogs, reviews, forums and social networking sites for any SEO companies that operate in Jacksonville. There are several factors that you need to consider when choosing a local SEO company Jacksonville. These include the experience, budget and track record of the company.

It is important to note that SEO companies that bug business owners with phone calls every day about their SEO services may not be the best local SEO Company that your business need. Most of these companies are just offering paid ad placements to ad networks or PPC advertising. Although these methods can help you in getting audiences and traffic to your website, these can be additional expenses that your business will have to pay for. SEO can be free and cost effective.Experienced SEO companies know what to do and can give you better results within a short period of time. You can also ask for quotations from these companies and compare their prices.

Choose the local SEO Company Jacksonville that can provide your business the best value for your money. For more details stay connected with Calvin Bryant.

Ways that Website Analytics Can Save Your Online Business

Website analytics is probably the last thing an online business owner wants to worry about. With 15 things to do every day before 10 am and another 50 to do before you can call it a day, sitting down in front of a bunch of web traffic stats seems like a waste of time. While I agree with the sentiment, it’s completely wrong. In fact, website analytics should be the first and last thing you review every day and I’ll give you three reasons why:

1. Web Analytics Help You Detect Fraud and Incompetence

Have you hired an SEO expert? PPC marketer? Social media guru? If you have people on staff or retain contractors to help you with your site, website analytics are your best friend.

Forget about the reports these experts create because all stats and data can be manipulated or ommitted. What you need is raw, reliable data to calculate the ROI of the services you are paying for.

Specifically, programs like Google Analytics can help you quickly isolate specific traffic streams and provide a host of useful data to calculate ROI, including:

Conversion Rate of Specific Traffic Channels
Conversion Rate for Specific Targeted Keywords
Average Time on Site for Specific Traffic Streams
Bounce Rate for Specific Traffic Streams

Of course, the conversion rate data for specific traffic streams (or Internet marketing experts) will help you calculate the ROI. But the average time on site will also help provide a rough gauge of overall traffic strength. If a specific traffic channel can’t keep visitors on site for more than 2 minutes, the traffic is either weak or you have significant issues on your landing pages.

2. Web Analytics Help Assess Site Health

To put that another way, web analytics essentially help show you where you need to invest your money most to boost online profits. Specifically, website traffic analytics will help you assess:

A. Traffic Strength
B. Sales Funnel Effectiveness
C. Shopping Cart Function and Conversion Rate
D. Website Conversion Rate and Rates for Specific Services/Products

For instance, high bounce rates and low average time on site typically indicate weak traffic or exceptionally poor landing pages. You can confirm which by looking at the data for specific traffic streams to see if there are significant variations in performance. If there are, then the issue is likely a weak traffic stream but if all channels are doing poorly, it’s more likely to be landing page.

The point is, the data tell you what’s wrong with your site so you can best channel your investment dollars to the most critical areas.

3. Web Analytics Eliminates Needless Split Testing

In most cases, optimization of landing pages and product descriptions is completed via split testing. That is, decide what sales tool you want to test (like a headline or CTA) and then create a new one to split test against. If your new sales tool performs better, conversions will increase and your hard work rewarded. However, this is rarely how it works.

You see, the thing people always forget about split testing is it’s sheer expense. To statistically verify even a lead gen site with a non-monetized CTA, you need at least 1,000 visitors or more to each version.

So if you think a landing page or product description might have problems with the headline, value proposition, and credibility tools, that’s at least 3 tests you need to run at 2,000 visitors per test. At even $1 a click, you can see how that would get very expensive, very quickly.

And the worst part: You have no idea if the headline, value prop, or credibility tools are even suppressing conversions. You are just split testing one sales tool versus a new one and hoping for the best, seriously.

But with web analytics, you can pinpoint the issues and eliminate the guesswork saving loads in unnecessary testing costs and content creation.

In conclusion, web analytics really are vital to your online success because they provide you with an accurate assessment of site health and your investments in traffic generating services. If you don’t know the true health of your site, then how can you possibly know what it needs to grow and be more profitable?

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