Posted by Web design south Yorkshire
Ok, so here's the situation. You have a well designed site and you just realized the importance of online marketing. But you just realized you have nowhere to put new content, and worst your site hasn't been indexed. What's the solution? Convert your site to WordPress. This CMS platform has been around for some time now and recently webmasters are beginning to use it for search engine optimization purposes. I'm going to show you the benefit of having a Content Management System (CMS) platform for your site, why WordPress would be the best immediate solution and what you have to consider when working with the WordPress platform.
You may be thinking: "Hey, how does a CMS even matter for search engine optimization?" Well a CMS doesn't automatically mean you'll rank better. What it really means is that you'll have more tools to help you rank better. The real benefit of a CMS is that it allows you to add content to your site really quickly, and the most basic search engine optimization principal is the more content you have, the more authority you have in your topic. A CMS will help you insert and organize content into your site so you wouldn't need to keep a web developer on standby when you're updating your site. There are many CMS platforms available such as Joomla, Blogger and Drupal. In my history of web development, I believe the fastest way to ramp up a site is to use a WordPress platform.
WordPress is an open source blogging platform that users either can take the code and install it onto their site or they can create a WordPress account at WordPress.com and set up their site there. This platform is the best CMS structure I've used for three reasons: ease to install, gives great search engine optimization rankings and has the ability to add in plug-ins that everyone can use. The installation process for WordPress last no longer than 2 minutes. All you have to do is upload the files they give you and then run the installation files through your browser. Search engines seem to give the WordPress platform more authority than standard coded sites because I guess they believe it will be content heavy on its topic. Plug-ins is probably the greatest thing about this platform because it allows you to attach code to your CMS easily. Great code attachments include search engine plug-ins and functionality plug-ins.
Finally you may be wondering: "Hey, if this is so great why isn't everyone doing it?" Well there are two unfortunate limitations to WordPress that doesn't make it easy for everyone to do it. The first limitation is working with the theme of WordPress. Unfortunately you can't just design up something in Photoshop and assume it'll work easily with WordPress. You have to consider the area the navigation is going to be and the area the footer is going to be. These things must be created properly in order for it to function properly in WordPress. The other reason WordPress is hard to work with is because it focuses more on blog updates as opposed to page creation. If you don't plan to update your site frequently, it may be inconvenient to work with.
Overall, WordPress is a great platform to use to ramp up your site. There are some benefits and advantages but if you have the right developer, you can do anything with your site.
Monday, 25 January 2010
Friday, 22 January 2010
SEO and Link Building
Search engine optimisation is a process of optimizing your website to attain better positions in search engines and to acquire high volume of monthly traffic. SEO is the only and last choice that will send insane traffic to your website if you are optimized properly. One of the most known search engine is known as Google, boosting every ones business now a days.
Some of the most crucial steps that are to be implemented to gain high positions in search engines for better traffic volumes are many but here we will be discussing the most effective step for SEO namely link building. Link building is like a vote for your website in view of search engines and a vote means better rankings and repute. So how can you build back links? Some of the following ways are widely proved to gain quality back links.
Article marketing:
Article marketing is very important for link building and requires a very little effort to gain links back to your site. Just write quality articles and submit them to high ranked article directories like EzineArticles.com and goarticles. Before submitting them,in the resource box give URL of your site to gain a link. If article marketing is implemented correctly, it will provide you with results which you can't even consider.
Forum posting:
Forum posting is another way to gain one way back links. Just visit high PR forums and post replies in threads related to your niche with a back link to your site. This way to gain back links is very easy and will provide you awesome results.
Video marketing:
Video marketing is considered as the most modern way to gain back links and is getting proved very effective. Just make a short minute video on a topic relevant to your niche and upload it to maker video hosting sites like Youtube.com. It will provide you with the most effective results you are willing to see.
Some of the most crucial steps that are to be implemented to gain high positions in search engines for better traffic volumes are many but here we will be discussing the most effective step for SEO namely link building. Link building is like a vote for your website in view of search engines and a vote means better rankings and repute. So how can you build back links? Some of the following ways are widely proved to gain quality back links.
Article marketing:
Article marketing is very important for link building and requires a very little effort to gain links back to your site. Just write quality articles and submit them to high ranked article directories like EzineArticles.com and goarticles. Before submitting them,in the resource box give URL of your site to gain a link. If article marketing is implemented correctly, it will provide you with results which you can't even consider.
Forum posting:
Forum posting is another way to gain one way back links. Just visit high PR forums and post replies in threads related to your niche with a back link to your site. This way to gain back links is very easy and will provide you awesome results.
Video marketing:
Video marketing is considered as the most modern way to gain back links and is getting proved very effective. Just make a short minute video on a topic relevant to your niche and upload it to maker video hosting sites like Youtube.com. It will provide you with the most effective results you are willing to see.
Choose the Right SEO Consultant to Improve Trade
Marketing through Internet has become the order of the day. Almost all types of products and traders, however small or big the volume of his trade is, look to Internet as a means to advertise and trade. But, trading or advertising on the Internet involves creating a website, a blog and this work is totally different from advertising through print or any other media. Creating a web requires the help of a web designer, who is technically qualified in the field. After creating the web and before it is loaded, it should be scrutinized by a professional SEO consultant.
What is the job of an SEO consultant?
Considering the number of websites now on the Internet, however much attractive the web is, it is not certain that it will be visited by any surfer. In this situation, it is possible that the surfer may not even be aware of the existence of the particular web or blog. Now, the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultant comes into picture and he builds the links so that the website gets the due identification. Apart from choosing the right keywords, he also builds a perfect and strong link so that the website comes to the forefront.
How to choose the SEO Consultant?
Experience: Before choosing an SEO, assess his portfolio. It will be much better if he is experienced in SEO of similar products. By this, he will understand the market much more easily.
The SEO consultant must be confident: Some of the SEO consultants assure quick improvement in the rate of clicking. This can be misleading because no website however much artistically crafted, can become popular in a very short period of time. In other words, such assurances on the part of the SEO consultant cannot be relied upon and will not be the right selection.
Type of support: Some SEOs offer support till such time that the web is loaded. There are instances that after it is loaded some errors may appear. Some links may get disconnected. In such a situation, the web will not serve any purpose. Therefore, even though some SEOs assure that the web will be self-operational, they must be ready and willing to be on the job even after it is loaded.
Improvements: Here also the involvement of SEO will be necessary even after the web is loaded. Many times, the website may need changes. It could be a change of keywords or description, introduction of new video, graphs, design etc. A new product may be introduced or design of the existing product may change. In all these circumstances, the web content will undergo changes. Here again the SEO consultant comes into the picture. He has to ensure that in such a situation he would take to re-optimize the web after effecting necessary changes.
Effective PPC: The purpose of web is achieved with the best PPC. Many SEO companies also provide enough support to regulate the PPC and advise the trader in this regard. The consultants also advise the trader on copyright. He monitors the positive clicks and advises the trader on ways to improve his business.
What is the job of an SEO consultant?
Considering the number of websites now on the Internet, however much attractive the web is, it is not certain that it will be visited by any surfer. In this situation, it is possible that the surfer may not even be aware of the existence of the particular web or blog. Now, the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultant comes into picture and he builds the links so that the website gets the due identification. Apart from choosing the right keywords, he also builds a perfect and strong link so that the website comes to the forefront.
How to choose the SEO Consultant?
Experience: Before choosing an SEO, assess his portfolio. It will be much better if he is experienced in SEO of similar products. By this, he will understand the market much more easily.
The SEO consultant must be confident: Some of the SEO consultants assure quick improvement in the rate of clicking. This can be misleading because no website however much artistically crafted, can become popular in a very short period of time. In other words, such assurances on the part of the SEO consultant cannot be relied upon and will not be the right selection.
Type of support: Some SEOs offer support till such time that the web is loaded. There are instances that after it is loaded some errors may appear. Some links may get disconnected. In such a situation, the web will not serve any purpose. Therefore, even though some SEOs assure that the web will be self-operational, they must be ready and willing to be on the job even after it is loaded.
Improvements: Here also the involvement of SEO will be necessary even after the web is loaded. Many times, the website may need changes. It could be a change of keywords or description, introduction of new video, graphs, design etc. A new product may be introduced or design of the existing product may change. In all these circumstances, the web content will undergo changes. Here again the SEO consultant comes into the picture. He has to ensure that in such a situation he would take to re-optimize the web after effecting necessary changes.
Effective PPC: The purpose of web is achieved with the best PPC. Many SEO companies also provide enough support to regulate the PPC and advise the trader in this regard. The consultants also advise the trader on copyright. He monitors the positive clicks and advises the trader on ways to improve his business.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Essentials of Web Site Designing
The purpose of creating any website is to encourage browsers to visit the site and make frequent clicks. This frequent clicking makes it a popular website. In so far as a trader is concerned, the sales figures depend on the popularity of the web. The popularity of the web depends on many factors like the content, compatibility, colors and designs used. Some of the major issues which make the web popular are briefly discussed in this article.
Content:
A person visits a website with the intention of getting some information. Therefore, it is necessary that the content or the details provided in the web must be explicitly clear and unambiguous. It should be free from grammatical and spelling mistakes. The FAQs and the answers must be carefully crafted.
Compatibility:
The web designer must know that the site is visited by many persons. Each of them uses different software and program. If the website should work on different software, then it is necessary that the software used for writing the website must be compatible with those used by the visitor.
Normally the software used in the website must be compatible to Firefox, Netscape, Safari, MS explorer and Opera browsers. This may even require validation of the HTML. Similarly, when colors other than white are used in the graphics, then proper link colors should be provided so that the surfer's computer will use the same color or an appropriate alternative. Without link color, the browser may not get clear color combinations.
Graphics and videos:
Many of the website creators use graphics, photos, and videos so that the contents become more effective. Many times, these graphics are downloaded online before the surfer can view them. Studies have shown that surfers will wait for about 10 seconds for the graphics to download and anytime beyond that he may move out of the site. For quick downloading, it is suggested to have small-sized graphics so that downloading is fast. It is advisable to use streaming media so that download time is reduced to a great extent. The multimedia used in the web should have provision for fast forward of the video or audio so that the surfer can skip what is not required by him. By this method, the web site becomes user-friendly and the surfer will navigate happily.
The Three click rule: Studies have shown that a visitor may skip the site if he is unable to navigate within three clicks. Therefore, ensure that the navigation is smooth. For smooth navigation, the links must be perfectly established. Therefore, the web designer should periodically check that the links are perfectly in order and that there are no broken links. At the same time, do not use frames because it may be difficult to book mark pages.
Lots of imagination and forethought goes into framing the website. The success of the website depends on how ingeniously it is planned and executed. The effectiveness of the website is determined by the positive clicks it receives from the surfers.
Content:
A person visits a website with the intention of getting some information. Therefore, it is necessary that the content or the details provided in the web must be explicitly clear and unambiguous. It should be free from grammatical and spelling mistakes. The FAQs and the answers must be carefully crafted.
Compatibility:
The web designer must know that the site is visited by many persons. Each of them uses different software and program. If the website should work on different software, then it is necessary that the software used for writing the website must be compatible with those used by the visitor.
Normally the software used in the website must be compatible to Firefox, Netscape, Safari, MS explorer and Opera browsers. This may even require validation of the HTML. Similarly, when colors other than white are used in the graphics, then proper link colors should be provided so that the surfer's computer will use the same color or an appropriate alternative. Without link color, the browser may not get clear color combinations.
Graphics and videos:
Many of the website creators use graphics, photos, and videos so that the contents become more effective. Many times, these graphics are downloaded online before the surfer can view them. Studies have shown that surfers will wait for about 10 seconds for the graphics to download and anytime beyond that he may move out of the site. For quick downloading, it is suggested to have small-sized graphics so that downloading is fast. It is advisable to use streaming media so that download time is reduced to a great extent. The multimedia used in the web should have provision for fast forward of the video or audio so that the surfer can skip what is not required by him. By this method, the web site becomes user-friendly and the surfer will navigate happily.
The Three click rule: Studies have shown that a visitor may skip the site if he is unable to navigate within three clicks. Therefore, ensure that the navigation is smooth. For smooth navigation, the links must be perfectly established. Therefore, the web designer should periodically check that the links are perfectly in order and that there are no broken links. At the same time, do not use frames because it may be difficult to book mark pages.
Lots of imagination and forethought goes into framing the website. The success of the website depends on how ingeniously it is planned and executed. The effectiveness of the website is determined by the positive clicks it receives from the surfers.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
6 Reasons to Choose a Local Web Designer
These days, you can probably pay someone in a Third World country peanuts to produce a half decent website for you. The trouble is that there are so many reasons why this could turn out to be the worse decision you've made all year.
So why should you choose a local web designer? Here are our top SIX reasons that you should:
ONE: Face-to-Face
This is the primary reason for choosing a local web designer. It's difficult to really discuss your needs in depth when you can't sit down with the designer for a discussion. If you're based in Manchester, it makes sense that your web designer's Manchester based. This way you can keep in constant personal contact and of course, this keeps the company-client relationship healthy and on track.
TWO: Competitive
When you choose a local Manchester web designer, you're selecting someone that fully comprehends the local market. They will be able to create a web design that not only suits your purposes but also stays competitive against whatever other local firms, companies and organizations are doing. They'll also have a good idea of how to communicate to your local customers and other potential users.
THREE: Local Testimonials
Of course the overseas designers will be canny enough to have positive testimonials as part of the advertising but they won't be local to your own area. So if you want to check up on a testimonial and ask someone directly about the service that they received, it's a lot easier with a local Manchester web design company.
FOUR: No Time Delays
When you're dealing with a designer somewhere in the Indian Subcontinent, it can be a real pain to ensure that they're available to speak with you during working hours. If you always have to stay late in the office, or get to work early or work from home each time you need to speak to your web designer - it's going to be drag.
FIVE: If it All Goes Wrong
When your website design hits a snag, your Manchester web designer will give you a call, invite you in for a chat and find a solution with and for you. When your overseas web designer hits a snag, they wake up you up in the middle of the night, or stop working completely until they can contact you, further delaying the launch of your new website.
If it goes wrong, you want someone accountable that you can speak with immediately. That's why so many people choose Manchester designers, rather than just getting a cheapo deal.
SIX: From Bad to Worse
We're not suggesting that every business deal goes sour, but what if you fell out with your web designer based in India? You have no legal recourse unless you choose to go through the Indian courts to sue them. Let's face it, that's not going to happen, but you do want the security of knowing that you're covered by British law - just in case.
So why should you choose a local web designer? Here are our top SIX reasons that you should:
ONE: Face-to-Face
This is the primary reason for choosing a local web designer. It's difficult to really discuss your needs in depth when you can't sit down with the designer for a discussion. If you're based in Manchester, it makes sense that your web designer's Manchester based. This way you can keep in constant personal contact and of course, this keeps the company-client relationship healthy and on track.
TWO: Competitive
When you choose a local Manchester web designer, you're selecting someone that fully comprehends the local market. They will be able to create a web design that not only suits your purposes but also stays competitive against whatever other local firms, companies and organizations are doing. They'll also have a good idea of how to communicate to your local customers and other potential users.
THREE: Local Testimonials
Of course the overseas designers will be canny enough to have positive testimonials as part of the advertising but they won't be local to your own area. So if you want to check up on a testimonial and ask someone directly about the service that they received, it's a lot easier with a local Manchester web design company.
FOUR: No Time Delays
When you're dealing with a designer somewhere in the Indian Subcontinent, it can be a real pain to ensure that they're available to speak with you during working hours. If you always have to stay late in the office, or get to work early or work from home each time you need to speak to your web designer - it's going to be drag.
FIVE: If it All Goes Wrong
When your website design hits a snag, your Manchester web designer will give you a call, invite you in for a chat and find a solution with and for you. When your overseas web designer hits a snag, they wake up you up in the middle of the night, or stop working completely until they can contact you, further delaying the launch of your new website.
If it goes wrong, you want someone accountable that you can speak with immediately. That's why so many people choose Manchester designers, rather than just getting a cheapo deal.
SIX: From Bad to Worse
We're not suggesting that every business deal goes sour, but what if you fell out with your web designer based in India? You have no legal recourse unless you choose to go through the Indian courts to sue them. Let's face it, that's not going to happen, but you do want the security of knowing that you're covered by British law - just in case.
Do Colors Really Matter in Website Designing
So you have set up a good combination of graphics and content on your website, but have you thought about the colors that you use on it? No. then you must because colors are as important part of your website as the graphics or content. Believe me the colors you select for your website design makes a lot of difference.
Colors have a deep impact on the moods of people. There are few colors that have certain effect on a person and invoke particular emotions in them and as we know, emotions can be dangerous when it comes to business! It is scientifically proven that colors have different effect on people's mind and can evoke feelings such as happy, sad, relaxed, excited, angry, or scared. Therefore, its obvious that anything that can have such deep impact on people is an important factor to take into account while creating website design. Frankly, an unprofessional color may also ruin your company's brand image too.
Let's just look at the kinds of colors and their qualities. The colors can be distinguished in three kinds according to their quality:
Neutral colors-
* Black is one of the neutral and it signifies power, elegance, and sophistication.
* White is a standard for denoting purity, cleanliness, hope and much more. It is a neutral color that is very popular.
* Gray shows reliability and is most preferable for business attires.
* Brown represents natural simplicity just like earth.
Warm Colors-
* Red is associated with two very opposite emotions. It is a symbol for anger and violence as well as color of attention and love. It signifies lust, passion, and enthusiasm as well at times.
* Orange represented as a sacred color in some cultures and is considered as an energizing and harvesting color.
* Yellow again symbolizes varied emotions. It can represent dullness at times whereas warmth as well.
* Pink usually denoting feminine but it also symbolizes innocence and romance.
Cool Colors
* Blue is a cool color that is widely used professionally as it is very soothing to the eyes. It also represents trust and intelligence.
* Green is again a color with wide denotation like it symbolizes greed and jealousy but at the same time it also represents wealth, growth, and money.
* Purple is considered to represent royalty from a long time. It also stands for creativity and the lighter shades of this color also represent romance.
Web designer needs to select the colors for the website keeping the business and the qualities associated with colors both. The websites generally follow the three main color schemes such as single color scheme, complementary color scheme, and contrasting color scheme. All these color schemes can create different impact on the viewers and hence, it must be chosen wisely for website designing. There are in total 216 colors that are known as web safe colors but the web designer must use only the colors that look good and also should be eye soothing and comforting so that the viewers stick on to it for a longer time. The colors used on the website also have an impact on the legibility of the content of the website. Therefore, make sure that appropriate colors are used on the site.
Colors have a deep impact on the moods of people. There are few colors that have certain effect on a person and invoke particular emotions in them and as we know, emotions can be dangerous when it comes to business! It is scientifically proven that colors have different effect on people's mind and can evoke feelings such as happy, sad, relaxed, excited, angry, or scared. Therefore, its obvious that anything that can have such deep impact on people is an important factor to take into account while creating website design. Frankly, an unprofessional color may also ruin your company's brand image too.
Let's just look at the kinds of colors and their qualities. The colors can be distinguished in three kinds according to their quality:
Neutral colors-
* Black is one of the neutral and it signifies power, elegance, and sophistication.
* White is a standard for denoting purity, cleanliness, hope and much more. It is a neutral color that is very popular.
* Gray shows reliability and is most preferable for business attires.
* Brown represents natural simplicity just like earth.
Warm Colors-
* Red is associated with two very opposite emotions. It is a symbol for anger and violence as well as color of attention and love. It signifies lust, passion, and enthusiasm as well at times.
* Orange represented as a sacred color in some cultures and is considered as an energizing and harvesting color.
* Yellow again symbolizes varied emotions. It can represent dullness at times whereas warmth as well.
* Pink usually denoting feminine but it also symbolizes innocence and romance.
Cool Colors
* Blue is a cool color that is widely used professionally as it is very soothing to the eyes. It also represents trust and intelligence.
* Green is again a color with wide denotation like it symbolizes greed and jealousy but at the same time it also represents wealth, growth, and money.
* Purple is considered to represent royalty from a long time. It also stands for creativity and the lighter shades of this color also represent romance.
Web designer needs to select the colors for the website keeping the business and the qualities associated with colors both. The websites generally follow the three main color schemes such as single color scheme, complementary color scheme, and contrasting color scheme. All these color schemes can create different impact on the viewers and hence, it must be chosen wisely for website designing. There are in total 216 colors that are known as web safe colors but the web designer must use only the colors that look good and also should be eye soothing and comforting so that the viewers stick on to it for a longer time. The colors used on the website also have an impact on the legibility of the content of the website. Therefore, make sure that appropriate colors are used on the site.
Friday, 8 January 2010
SEO Best Practices
SEO Best Practices
Wil Reynolds teaches which SEO practices are no longer used before explaining best SEO practices.
Wil Reynolds teaches which SEO practices are no longer used before explaining best SEO practices.
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