Online Marketing Articles

Helpful Internet Strategies

  Many businesses have the Field of Dreams mentality for their website. " If I build it they will come". Sadly, many sites sit on the internet not being visited because they are poorly designed and marketed. It takes more that having your Brother-In-Law create a weekend website for you and hanging your shingle on the world wide web. Here are some helpful hints to getting your site seen.

• Create a website that is professional and distinctive.  Your website may be the first time your potential client experiences your business. Make sure it has the same professional feel as your storefront or office. Check for bad or broken links they make your website look thrown together and frustrate your viewer. JavaScript errors must be eliminated. The company's profile should be clear and concise. If you allow clients to order from your site it must be secure, no one will put in their personal information unless they see https in the address bar.
  
  
• Design with the user in mind. Never use heavy images they slow down your site. Potential clients will not wait to see slow loading images. Use graphics that enhance content and match the design of your site.  Avoid images that change color or blink. Use standard layouts that are reader friendly, the page should feel spacious and font size must be comfortable. Limit the number of advertisements, banners, and links on a page. Be sure to test your website using multiple browsers (Internet Explorer, Safari, & Firefox).
  
  
• Increase traffic by submitting the site to web directories. Choose to submit to major ones as well as minor ones, even a few relevant niche sites will boost your popularity and traffic.
  
  
• Link your site to others. Search engines give higher positions to sites linked from others. Link your website to major sites as well as minor ones. Contact high traffic sites and request a mention or link. This will boost your engine placement and direct traffic from the pages that are linked. Large sites will only link to sites that look as professional as their own.
  
  
• Create a site map and link every page to it. These invite spiders sent out by search engines to know where to look for information on your site. These have become more complex , but are a must on Yahoo and Google. Adopt an easy-to-use navigational structure. Check for errors regularly. Include a site search tool. Be search engine friendly and avoid frames or code that will trip up a spider or engine.  
  

The internet maybe the perfect location for YOUR NEXT LOCATION. Think of your website as another office or storefront. Include it in budgets, advertising, and staffing. You can now be "OPEN" 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Make sure you Online location is seen.