About Those Phone Calls

Businesses are bombarded with phones calls with urgent messages your Google map is in “danger”.

1-The message varies from you’ll never show up to it desperately needs help.  These calls have become cloned.  We’re led to believe Google is calling, but as often as not it is a third party company with a sales pitch.  You can claim your Google + business listing and fill out your content.  (If you have ever used a company like Yext you might be locked out.)

What About Those Phone Calls

2-“I’m from Windows calling regarding your computer…” Hang up.  If you stayed on you would hear your computer has been infected and they can fix it.  Microsoft doesn’t call people to fix their computers.

3-The recorded messages, “Hi, I’m Sharon from Google…”  Unless you are ready for Pay per Click/Google AdWords, hang up.  Should you be interested in Google AdWords initiate the phone call yourself. Call 855-245-0843 (9am–9pm ET, Mon–Fri).

And those emails:
Emails warning your business listings have/may have incorrect information. These come from different sources; many who have partnered with Yext “in one shot” to resolve the issue. Things to know:

  • The best success is a human touch for all these directories. Contact information is not where you want to end leveraging your directory listings. Each can be filled out according to the platform specifics – optimize each with keywords and categories specific to your business.  Automation is not your friend here.  It equals duplication which you are trying to avoid when maximizing online.
  • The shotgun method doesn’t always work – I had a client who tried this to find out the company was unable to take care of their business change and subsequently cannot get back into their accounts to change the information without an involved process.
  • A lot of these business directories have no relevance. Important to keep on top of which ones matter.

Having a public email address (on your website) means you’re on a list which is sold to email marketers. Spam has increased, for me personally, the past year to hundreds per day – this using filters and flagging emails to be blocked. It’s part of business online.

The day you get an email from your email address selling “meds” is a rude welcome to address spoofing. There is nothing you can do. Despite the “Name/Address” field you are seeing it is generated from another address.

SEO emails abound. “I’ve visited your website and while it is lovely it is lacking in SEO…” Most ANY website has something which CAN be improved upon in SEO. The promise is we’ll fix it. SEO isn’t a “fix it” method. It can’t be analyzed once and “you’re good to go”. SEO is not simple.

#1 on Google promise calls and emails.  #1 on Google goes to the deepest pockets. The best you can get is #1 at some time, somewhere for one keyword. That one keyword may be “animal hospital puppy package in Walnut”. It doesn’t mean you can’t define an AdWord campaign to work, especially if your website is organically sound, this can be effective. Just be informed. Most companies want to include your business name as one of the paid keywords. If someone is searching for your business by name there is little chance you won’t come up.

What can you do to help your online presence? Freshen your website content (add a page, rewrite dated copy). Search engines are looking for fresh content, new original photos. Stock photography is analyzed by Google unfavorably. While Google is more tight-lipped than in past years how they can make this deduction doesn’t matter, it’s enough to point us in the right direction. Besides: logically – your own photos make a better web presence for your business.

Add to your website, create a mobile site (if you haven’t already), take advantage of directory listings, gets links to your website, consider a blog for the purpose of writing about your industry. The blog can attract back links and comments, which all aid in your online strength, but use it primarily to give out information which adds weight to your website.

Your website is your marketing cornerstone. Devise a plan to keep it fresh.

How to Get More Organic Traffic to Your Website

Looking for More Organic Traffic?

There has been so much about social media for years.  You don’t need it all — be selective in the platforms you devote time and resources toward.  Most of the major players are image oriented.  Facebook favors image and video posts/shares. Instagram, Pinterest, etc. are all about photos.  Google+ absorbed Google Maps a few years back.  When your Google Map appears next to your website in a search result get your photos in front of potential clients.

Local directories often appear at the top of a search result.  Make sure your listings are filled out and the information is accurate.  It doesn’t matter how people find your website – directories are a great connection to your site.

Ready for a video?  Use YouTube – it has become its own search engine.  Vimeo and others are great, but if you’re stretched for time YouTube is “the one”.  Your YouTube channel has lots of opportunities for SEO – make use of it – get out ahead of your competitors.How To Get More Organic Traffic

Guest blogging, forum commenting and press releases are great opportunities, but not simple activities.  These require the most time.
http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingfaqs/f/GuestBlogFAQ.htm

Get reviews.  Online reviews help drive your website.  When people are talking about your business search engines are taking note.

Email marketing is on the rise effectively.  If you haven’t already – build a mailing list.  Keep your business in front of your existing clients and engage with them via a newsletter, or a coupon/discount periodic email.  People are opening more of their emails on their phones and tablets.

Promote your website offline at networking events, on print materials, and giving presentations is a good way to increase branded searches.

About links – it doesn’t matter how much this has been spammed year after year – links to your website, from your website and within your website remain a solid organic strategy which plays into your organic website strength.

Add to your website – keep it fresh looking, adding new content and updating photos.  Avoid bounce rates – which means someone landed on your site and quickly left–this is one more thing“Google is watching” when determining which site to deliver in a search.

https://www.brendasimon.com/blog/why-should-i-redesign-my-website-2/

Building a Stronger Online Presence

Your website is the cornerstone of your marketing.  Keep presenting the fresh face of your business by updating photos. List new products or services; add new staff members photos and bios. Consider adding information pages or a “What’s New” page to show off your latest projects or products. If you’re ready to move beyond your cell phone camera or point and shoot camera give us a call for professional photography.  Time for a major website overhaul?  Redesign your website.

Email continues to shine as a marketing tool.  97% of cell phone users read email on their phone.  Let your website help you collect email addresses, if you’re using an email client (MailChimp, iContact, etc.) add their website widget to your desktop website, mobile site and blog.  Otherwise collect email addresses as you invoice, or have a signup sheet available.  When you’re ready to announce a special you’ll be ready.  I manage email newsletter campaigns as a service.

Social media is the choice many potential clients use to engage with businesses.  Every business needs a Facebook page and Google Business  page. Photographers and artists make use of Pinterest, Flickr; home construction or remodeling try Houzz and Pinterest; auto lovers frequent Instagram.   When you’re ready move into video and make use of YouTube, Vimeo and more.  For help read about my Webmaster Services.

97% of cell phone users go online with their phones.  The single biggest impact for your internet presence is a mobile website.  Make it easy for mobile users to receive your message.

Reach people on the platform they choose.

Read more    http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/

Why should I redesign my website?

Thinking about making a change to your website? Your website is your best marketing tool. Its success relies on the amount of attention you put into it.  Search engines look at how often you update your website.

Websites need to evolve continually. The days of create-it-and-leave-it have passed.  Websites which are stagnant year after year fall behind.  With so many businesses actively attending their websites you don’t want to make the mistake of ignoring yours.

So much has changed in the past 2 years online.  As you surf the net you’ve seen wider websites, interactive slide shows and design changes. Consider a fresh redesign and updating your content.  If you like your current design it can be reworked using newer visual layouts and code.  The client below liked his color theme and banner-it now looks fresh.

Add a slide show, add a blog and write short articles, or update the photos on your website. Now we can use much bigger images.  Don’t ignore the value of your FAQs page-update the questions. Offer the information people need to know when they are ready to hire you. The current thinking is to make changes to your website at least every 2 months.

The internet is so visual don’t take a chance on your website looking out of date and losing business to a competitor. Keeping your website fresh and current sends the message your business is thriving.

Original design.

Original design.

Continue reading

Custom Website vs Template

Too many clients come to me after trying a template website, or do-it-yourself company. They are completely frustrated and often have spent too much money either not completing the site, or letting it go month after month and paying a sizable monthly fee.

Template sites from  major telecommunication companies (Yellow Book, AT & T, Supermedia) sound simple for a busy business owner, and do-it-yourself/create-your-own-website companies sound promising to ge you up and running in hours.

There are times when these might be ideal for business owners who are aggressive in learning basic code, SEO and photo editing, or needing something up quickly while developing a custom site.  Here is a side by side comparison to help you find clarity in what to choose.
custom website vs template

 
 

http://www.brendasimon.com/custom-website-vs-template-website.html

Veterinarian Website

Had fun with this website. The blue works nicely for the pet medical field. Payne Ranch is a small clinic, but has a long history in Chino Hills. A simple ten page layout worked well for their content.

Veterinarian Custom Website

Veterinarian Custom Website

Photos by Douglas Simon Photography

Does Website Design Matter?

There is a constant stream of advertisements for “create your own website” for free, after 30 days pay only $7.99/month or simple sounding ads like “Design your website in minutes.”

It’s sounds so easy and the price sounds unbeatable.  In the early days of the internet this might have been just the tool for many businesses.  As a web designer who codes these templates are cumbersome to use. For the novice they require a lot of time and frustration to learn the software.  You will still need your content: photos and page copy.  Your photos need to be optimized to download  quickly, so you need some photo editing skills and learn how to choose what compression is best.  You need to spend time learning at least some basic search engine optimization (SEO) and learn about meta data to compete for organic results.  All of the above are the nuts and bolts of using a template website.

Websites need “call-to-actions” which are eye appealing and well placed.  Navigation needs to be simple – easy to figure out so customers can quickly find what they are looking for.  Frustrated visitors won’t become your client.

Beyond all the code and functionality, yes, design matters.  A welcoming website sets a tone for your business, the same as a showroom displays your products.  The layout and design bring all the elements together.  The bottom line is people will judge your business based on the looks of your website.  Statistics reveal over 90% of people said they trusted or mistrusted a website based on design alone, less than 10% said it was content.

It’s much like packaging of food.  Yes the generic brand is cheaper, but the jar/box isn’t nearly as creative as the name brands, who give great thought and expense to their brand.

While it doesn’t have to be award winning you want your design to send a message of trust, professionalism and quality.  You know your business, hiring a professional to create your website is a good investment.

Webmaster Services

As a response to many recent inquiries, I am now offering a new monthly program for Webmaster Services. 

Every second, over 4,500 searches are performed across the Internet.  With that in mind, it’s critical that you are able to be found by those customers seeking your expertise. 

This is not a lock-you-in 12 month program as many large companies are offering.  It does not include a new website, to which these large companies direct these organic services and any new traffic (and not your existing “true” website) – which means once you cancel – it all goes away.  My program directs everything to your website.  If you decide to cancel – what you have paid for stays in place supporting your website.  This is a critical difference.  For large companies it is about their control over your product.  My offer is to support and drive your website – keeping YOU in control of your online presence.

I’ve priced my package at a competitive rate and I will continue to give you the same personal service I offered when we created your website.

I’ve outlined some of the components of Webmaster Services on my website to help you understand their relevance.  Please call me with any questions.  I look forward to working with you to build a stronger online presence.

Victory Baptist Church, NH

Local Search

Local Searching has become the focus of search engines.  They’ve learned people expect to get results in their geographical area and Google is accommodating.  It happens without you realizing it. Until you try and force the issue you may not have noticed this change.  You would need to clear the browser cache to wipe the slate clean.

Google is learning what you want as you search. It’s goal is filling the user end of search – giving you what it THINKS you want. For businesses it means SEO is more complicated as you try to target the visitors you are seeking, and work within the user search.

Businesses are trying to compete in this change  in a number of ways. In an effort to expand a business’s service area they might set up phone numbers with specific area codes. Have you noticed a local search returns a company 75  miles from your area, or a national company?

Another solution is multiple websites. If your target is teens – the site reflects their interests through content and design. If the target is a specific location – likewise. This is a bit aggressive for the average small business, but you get the idea of this strategy for search engines.

Still “content is king” and posting fresh relevant content is a huge factor for your website.  Search engines love to see daily changes.

As a small business owner the choice is how much time and where to put it. You can blog, tweet or use Facebook. Don’t feel compelled to take on everything. You don’t need to be a slave to your website and online presence. There is a happy balance.

The New Google

Visit Google today.
You’ll find a handy left bar giving you more options to refine your search.

This has been in the works for almost a year. Since web designers optimize sites for search engines (SEO) we have been wondering what they were up to. This puts the results more in the hands of the user. If I know what I want I can tell Google how to refine my searches, without my changing my keyword search.

This can be a good thing for businesses. Google is now pulling from “everything” – social networking, paid, organic, images, Google Maps, videos (which can be a small slide show) from YouTube (and beyond) and discussion groups, etc..

What is helpful to “real time” searches is this handy way of NOT having to page through 10 pages of results to find what you want, or worse: give up before they find you. You can drill past the paid ads. (Though they continue to be prominent on Google.) That is the help to the organic websites (non-paying). You know who is searching for you, and while they might not get the exact keyword, this allows them to search within the search results without having to view 10 pages of results, which is tiresome.

It does mean social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) is more important to drive your website. Being on Google Maps is now more helpful – you’ll notice the “nearby” button – which will allow you to find more businesses in the location you are searching. Business owners: it puts you closer to your competitors. NOT pages behind them.

This change can be good news if you are driving your website.