CD WebMaker Web Design Blog

On Incoming Links

2008-04-25T08:54:00.000-06:00

SiteProNews: How to Optimize for Google: Part 2 of 3

This is a superb article clearly outlining the various ways you should be getting incoming links to your website, and those to avoid.

Required reading for SEO 101 folks!

Aproaching Web Site Architecture Like Building a House

2008-04-04T08:52:00.002-06:00

Most people don't understand that they need to approach their website architecture like they would if building a custom house. This article makes this user-friendly analogy.

I've found many of my clients don't even think of their site architecture, or structure. They throw me a company brochure and expect it to "auto-magically" be a million-dollar website. The best sites I've developed come from good participation from the client.

If you're thinking about having a website developed, the first step is to look around the Internet at sites you like, take notes on what it is you like, then organize your information before meeting with a web developer. Remember that your developer will have some insights you may not have and your blueprint will more than likely be modified before building begins (just like a house!), but with SOME idea of what you want your site to do and how, you'll be pages ahead of your competition!

How Much Does A Website Cost?

2008-02-26T13:51:00.003-07:00

I get asked this ALL the time...and it's very frustrating to me as a developer.

Someone calls me up and the first thing out of their mouth is: "I need a website. How much does it cost?" It's like someone asking "How much does a machine cost?"

Big price difference between a hand-held calculator and a car - both machines!!

Before price shopping, decide what you want or need a website to do. Look around the internet at other websites. Look at websites that are in your industry first, then don't hesitate to look at any and all websites you like.

Maybe it will be the color palette, maybe the layout (design). Perhaps you like a certain feature on a site totally unrelated to what you do. That's OK! Good web developers understand that other than design, websites can be made to do nearly anything you'd like.

The second most important thing to know going in is how much do you want to spend? Let's be real here! Look around and find out what real websites cost, as opposed to a "GoDaddy" Web Site Express.

My final thought on this is "what does it cost you to NOT have a website?"...

20 Simple Ways To Get Massive Traffic To Your Web Site

2008-01-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

I just love these articles that can tell a person how to drive traffic to their website, fairly simply and inexpensively. With great tips like these, anyone can increase their web site traffic. No, really they can!

Although many SEO/Marketing firms want you to believe that it's a bit of magic, really, it's just a matter of keeping current on the technologies and how to use them to your advantage.

Even if you don't want to, or have time to, do the work yourself, these methods won't cost you an arm and a leg to outsource them to your webmaster.

If you're not using at least 10 of the items on this list, get busy or pick up the phone and ask your webmaster about implementing them.

Here's the list (read the article for details):

1) Write articles
2) Social bookmark *everything*
3) List yourself in the best directories
4) Get yourself listed at: DMOZ dot org
5) Review
6) Offer a freebie on Craig's List
7) Create a "recommended by" list on your Delicious page
8) And speaking of your email signature line...
9) Lend a helping hand
10) Set up a social networking site
11) Make sure your blog has an RSS feed
12) Join relevant groups at Yahoo groups
13) Podcasting
14) Start a blog
15) Inbound links
16) Start an email newsletter
17) And speaking of offline efforts
18) If you have products to sell, why not get a store on eBay?
19) Load a video on YouTube
20) Make sure your site is converting this traffic into something

Another Successful Launch!

2008-01-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Last week I launched a redesigned web site for the Orchard of Hope Foundation. They came to me through a couple generous referrals from current clients.

What they had was a FrontPage design attempted by a board member. Now I'm a fan of DIY, in fact I usually try to do things myself too, but have learned it's best to leave some things to a professional. That's where I came in.

I set them up with a graphically pleasing site to inform the community about their mission, which is to offer financial and emotional support to cancer patients and their families. They had a wonderfully moving video produced by Chris Selders of Gradient Blue Creative Media, and with Chris' help, we got that on their site as well.

I added a calendar they can update themselves and are in the process of adding PayPal donation buttons so the community can contribute to this most worthy of causes.

Here's a bit of feedback on the project:

Wow! Your work is really impressive! Just beautiful, really. I am
not easily moved by this kind of thing, with my background in graphics.

I will be sure to let anyone looking to have a website created to call
you first. Top notch stuff there, Cindy!

Very cool!
Chris

AND:

CINDY! IT'S GORGEOUSLY LOVELY AND WONDERFUL. YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB
Sandi

Makes me feel warm all over!

Not the First Time, Not the Last Time....

2008-01-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! The first post to my blog in 2008 is (again!) about the new direction of marketing on the web. You've heard this before, but many, many of you aren't getting it, so here it is again, and it won't be the last time you hear it from me.

Social networking and "Web 2.0" are here to stay for a while. Successful marketers are using new methods on new technology to further themselves and their businesses online. But like the article proclaims:

... it takes work and discipline (and change)
to make relationships and participate in meaningful
conversations.

so many just won't do it. Internet marketing is NOT just displaying a web site and some ads and expecting people to buy from you. They are looking for more from you. If they don't get it, they'll look elsewhere at people who engage in online conversations with them and establish themselves as an authority.

Don't want to spend all that time and energy conversing with people in forums and blogs? Fine, just don't be surprised when your online presence doesn't perform to your expectations.

From the Soapbox: Management Style and Morale Improvement

2007-12-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

I read this article this morning, and because it is so closely describes the situation for someone close to me, I just had to put out this "gentle nudge". If you're a business owner/supervisor, I urge you to take a good look at how you manage people and how it affects productivity.

Can you do better in 2008?

Management Style and Morale Improvement

Thu, 12/20/2007 - 14:26 — Wayne Hurlbert

You have probably heard the old office threat, "The beatings will continue until morale improves". Many people smile a bit when they hear it.

At the same time, there is an urge to cringe, as all too often, that destructive management practice is a bit too familiar for comfort. Is this archaic threat part of your company's management style?

Fear is not a good motivator over the long term. While many managers will point to a time when a good scare moved a lackluster employee into action, the effect was usually short lived. If fear becomes the over riding emotion in the company's culture, morale will fall to very low levels. Instead of innovation and creativity, employees will turn their attention to holding onto their jobs.

Happy Holidays to My Fellow Web Geeks

2007-12-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

This past year I purchased a little, but powerful program called RSS2HTML from PHPJabbers.com. The program allows you to display RSS feeds on your site with very little effort. Oh, yeah, and the code it produces is SE friendly too.

This week I got an email from PHPJabbers.com announcing a Holiday Sale on it's software: BOGO (Buy one, get one free). Let me tell you I was all over that like stink on a monkey!

These scripts are awesome, easy to use, inexpensive and you can use them on as many sites as you like. Support from PHPJabbers.com is top-notch too, I found out from personal experience.

So, happy holidays, fellow geeks: go cash in on the offer. Enjoy!

12 Simple Steps to Explode Your Site Traffic Using Online Social Media

2007-12-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

This article is a good one especially for the end of the year. Web site owners really need to get into the social media marketing mode for 2008. It's what web visitors expect.

Just two REALLY SIMPLE ways that are my favorites:

Set up a profile at Flickr and add photos of products, events, staff whatever you take pictures of for your business. People LOVE photos and if you take good ones, they'll follow your links back to your web site.
Add interactivity to your web site: let visitors vote on their favorite (whatever) on your web site. I just yesterday added a rating system to my web design portfolio. Allow visitors to write reviews of your products and services-and publish them on your site for all to see.

What these social things allow your visitors to do is feel like they are participating. Not everyone using the Internet wants to be isolated. We, as humans need to connect to each other and any site that shares of itself and allows its visitors to participate will come out ahead in 2008. The static site will soon be dead.

Key Marketing Methods For 2008

2007-12-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a good article outlining the differences between "Old World" marketing methods and the new. Here is an excerpt:

Isn't online marketing by definition, expensive? Not
necessarily. Online businesses are coming to the realization
that in an organic environment like the Internet, organic
marketing is required; paying for traditional or static
marketing only gets you so far before it becomes ineffective.
The consumer now controls your marketing.

This is an important read if you're looking at being more aggressive in your online marketing for the new year. What you're not going to like about it is the fact that the web site owner must participate to make this work. There is no "auto-magic" way for a webmaster to achieve results without your participation. The last sentence in the above paragraph is absolutely crucial to understand: "The consumer now controls your marketing."

Hmmm.

CD WebMaker Makes Elves of Themselves

2007-12-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Just for FUN...my family made elves of ourselves....

Happy, happy holidays everyone!

Font Basics for Branding Your Small Business

2007-11-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Practical Font Usage Guidelines

Fonts can require special consideration when you send
materials to a professional printer for reproduction, use
them on your website, or send Word documents to others.
Here are some basics on using fonts and preserving their
appearance in these cases.

- In printed materials, it's easier to read long blocks of
copy that is set in a serif font. Sans-serif fonts are
usually used in print for short blocks of information, like
headlines, pull quotes, or bulleted lists.

- When sending your materials to be professionally printed,
make sure to address your desires regarding the use of
fonts. You can either include the fonts with the files you
send to the printer (which might be considered a copyright
license infringement), rasterize your artwork (convert it
to pixels, so the font data is no longer needed), or
outline your fonts (creating shapes out of the fonts, an
option that's available in most vector art programs such as
Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand), so that they
can be printed accurately. Outlining the fonts is the best
way to guarantee that your fonts will remain accurate and
sharp.

- Online, in websites, emails, and HTML newsletters,
sans-serif fonts look the best: they're clean, clear, and
easy to read. There is one other trick to online font use:
you have to make sure that you use fonts that will be
installed on the computers of people reading your site.
Otherwise, your text will appear in the default font
selected by their browser, which is often Courier, a very
plain font. That limitation does leave you with several
fonts to choose from, though, including Verdana, Arial,
Tahoma, and Trebuchet MS.

- Serif fonts could also be used on websites; however, it's
best to use them in limited quantities, such as for
headlines and subheads. Some fonts that are available to
use on the web include Times, Times New Roman, and Georgia.

- Another issue that commonly arises with online fonts is
the difficulty in controlling the size and appearance of
those fonts. Standard font tags in HTML don't offer precise
sizing control and need to be used several times throughout
each HTML document, so making changes can be
time-consuming. You can use Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS,
to precisely control the exact size of your fonts and to
make site-wide font, size, or color changes with one simple
alteration.

- In Word Documents, you also want to make sure that the
fonts that you use for the text will be available on the
recipient's computer. Good fonts to use are the standard
fonts that come installed on PCs, which include Arial,
Verdana, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Georgia, Palatino,
Courier, and Trebuchet MS.

- In order to insert a small amount of customized text - such
as your logo, tagline, or address information - create an
image of that information and place it in the header and
footer of the page.

- Another way to preserve the appearance of text is to
export your document as a PDF file and send it to the
recipient; PDF files embed the fonts into each document so
that they can be viewed on any computer and still look
right.

Social Media: Experience and Article

2007-11-01T10:05:00.000-06:00

I've been discussing Social Marketing with my clients for a while now, and have been using it on my Article-DirectorySite.com. I get a lot of blank stares (from clients) when I start trying to explain Social Media Marketing (SMM), but then I'm not that articulate when it comes to tech stuff. To cut myself a break, what geek is able to speak Greek to clients and get them to understand?

This article draws it out for you...literally, with pictures, I mean. If you have any interest and plenty of confusion about SMM, READ THIS ARTICLE on building your brand through Social Media!

I have been successful at implementing SMM though: The Article-DirectorySite.com shows up today with a Google Page Rank of 4. I'm so excited! I quit my AdWords ads two months ago, but have been adding the really excellent articles to my Profiles at StumbleUpon, Digg, del.ico.us and some others. I'm not saying it happened over night, but it's working, and when I see results like that, I'm planning on riding it all the way to the bank.

Some days are better than others....

2007-10-26T16:02:00.000-06:00

This afternoon was a peach. I got the following from a client I've worked with for a couple years. He's a local real estate agent.

Hey I wanted to share something with you that is pretty sweet. Kurt and I went to the Realtor convention in Colorado Springs last week and went to some great seminars. There was this one that was all about websites by a company that has a great nationwide rep. They were giving free evaluations on realtor site through this week. Kurt took them up on it to see if there was anything he should add or not.

The evaluation was really good. Compliments for you - they said our website is much better than many Realtor sites they have reviewed, both from a presentation and content quality standpoint.

It's always gratifying to know your work is regarded well by your peers, and I so appreciate hearing about it from the client. What a great way to wrap up a long week of coding an design!

Recent launch

2007-10-18T08:34:00.000-06:00

Whawhawhat? Two posts in one day?

Yep! This is a shameless promotion of a new site launched this week. The Family Carer Network was formed to serve thousands of people with a developmental disability and their caregivers in the Pikes Peak Region.

These folks, due to a severe lack of funding, do not receive services to help with their care. They struggle with the simplest day-to-day things you and I take for granted.

The generous people at E.A.S.E. Medical sponsor this website so that these families could have a voice and a place to bring them together, commiserate and offer support to each other.

Some projects make me very happy and proud to work on, and this is a list topper. Check out the Family Carer Network.

Adding More Content To Your Site

2007-10-18T08:27:00.000-06:00

Ok, so you know you need to add more content to your web site, because content is King on the web. But you still have questions and mainly concerns. You don't like to write, you can't think of anything you can write about even if you did.

Here's the simplest, and happily, most effective ways to get good fresh content on your website. Best of all, some of it requires very little work from you.

I've probably mentioned all these to you before in previous posts, but I like this article because it's a nice, concise list that explains what each method is and how it works. Take a look and seriously consider using some of these methods to increase your content.

8 Methods of Adding Content to Your Website

Small Biz Has An Attitude About Search

2007-09-27T11:30:00.000-06:00

Today's post was prompted by this article on small and medium businesses (SMB) and how their online efforts are effected by online marketing (or lack thereof!)

12 Sites for Promoting Your Business Locally

2007-09-19T07:29:00.001-06:00

Whew! CD WebMaker is gonna finish the year on a very strong note. I feel as if I've been swept up in a tidal wave of design projects. There goes my time for Spanish lessons...ah well. That's my excuse for not being so religious in my postings lately, and for the rest of the year for that matter. I'll try harder, I really will.

Today's post I felt was important because so many of my local clients don't understand that they can market a world wide web site to the local market as well. This article lists 12 web sites that are great for promoting locally online. People down the street are just as important as the people across the country, and if you have a brick and mortar store, it's even more valuable. If they find you online and you're in driving distance, they'll more likely visit you in person and then you get to put that salesmanship to work on them.

New Fall Projects

2007-09-04T11:19:00.000-06:00

I've been busy the last couple weeks with visiting family and a long holiday weekend. Those two things included the SkyCoaster at the Royal Gorge (whoo-hoo!!!) and some time camping in the mountains. It's hard to believe the summer season is over.

Fall brings a rejuvenation mind-set to many and this year is consistent. I've got 3 projects going in varying stages of development. One is for an excellent portrait artist, Pamela Helms. We'll be launched in a couple weeks and I've done some neat things to display her portfolio.

Projects just in their infancy include MyFCN.org, a site dedicated to providing resources and a voice for the families of people with developmental disabilities who live in the Pikes Peak region. This site will have a forum where those who are somewhat isolated by geography and the care-giving role can come together and find help and support and become a voice for the needs of the family members in their care.

And now for something completely different, Higher Limits of Canon City has commissioned a site to include their entire product line available in a state-of-the-art shopping cart. They carry some neat stuff for hiking, whitewater sports, camping and trail running and just couldn't be more "colorado".

I'll keep you posted on the projects as we go along. If you see something you like, let the site owners know, and give me a shout if you'd like CD WebMaker to help with your site design or redesign.

10 Truths About Obtaining Better Google Rankings

2007-08-20T10:50:00.000-06:00

Here's yet another article about gaining good Google rankings. Sound familiar?

With that, dear friends, I'm on vacation. I'll be back at it this weekend!

What the heck is Social Media Optimization (SMO)?

2007-08-10T08:10:00.000-06:00

I've been aware of the changes coming in search engine marketing for a while now. I've also been preaching the value of marketing to your market instead of the Search Engines. I've run it up the flagpole and well, it hasn't flown.

I'm guessing the reason is that your run-of-the-mill small business owner is unfamiliar with the whole social media thingy. The common web site owner only hears that MySpace is a breeding ground for perverts and predators. One guy I know thinks that blogs are only about negative rants. And, hey, it's new and unfamiliar (read frightening), therefore it must be killed.

Another reason, and it's a big one, is that it takes effort and resources far beyond that of handing your web designer a company brochure and telling them you want listed in the top ten SERPs on Google, Yahoo and MSN. It takes 1) Knowing your business inside, out and all around and KNOWING IT FROM YOUR CUSTOMER'S PERSPECTIVE; 2) More effort, and ongoing effort at that, from the business owner; 3) Marketing dollars that are wasted on mediums like print that are familiar and comfortable.

It's time to move beyond optimization of web sites for the search engines. It's time to get "out there" and get your profile set up on the social web sites and it's time to get a blog up and running and post to it consistently. It's time to start marketing to your market online. Let's not forget that it's people who buy from you, not the search engines.

Cañon City Kayak Park

2007-08-08T11:08:00.000-06:00

Join us at the Royal Gorge Bridge on August 11 at 8PM for a fundraiser for the Canon City Whitewater and Kayak Park. Print the poster and display it and pass it around.

This is a project that needs our support behind it. Cañon City is the only town from Buena Vista to Pueblo to NOT have a water park. It's about time, and something we can all enjoy in one form or another.

Your Website Should Engage Your Visitor

2007-08-06T07:58:00.001-06:00

Here's an article that came across my desk today, and believe me, from a web developer's viewpoint, it tells it like it is:

10 Rules To Keep Your Website Visitors Engaged
By Deepak Dutta (c) 2007

Do you know that most visitors leave a website within 10
seconds of landing on the home page? And they may never return
to the same site. To keep your website visitors stay longer, you
need to engage them. Follow these 10 simple rules to build a set
of core loyal visitors who will return to your site frequently.

1. If you have a brick-and-mortar business and you want an
online presence, don't just hand over your printed brochure to
the web developer for your site's content.

2. Get good text, picture, and video content related to your
products or services and organize them into categories for your
website publication. How do you get content? You can ask your
kids to write content for you. Today's kids are information
savvy and know how to do research on right topics. They can help
take pictures and videos of your products and provide
narrations. If you cannot leverage your kids talents and you
don't have time to develop content, buy them from online
sources, like distributors of private label rights to articles
and stock photographs. You need a small content set to launch
your web site.

3. Ask your developer for some sample websites he has developed
in the past and review them. If you find clutter, music,
unprofessional graphics, etc. in those sites, run away from the
developer. Tell your web developer to use basic search engine
optimization techniques for your web site. Use a developer who
uses content management systems (CMS) to develop websites. You
or your kids and spouse will be able to maintain and add
content regularly to a CMS without much effort.

4. You must have an About US page in your website that explains
the expertise of your company and your unique selling
proposition. Also, you should provide a phone number and an
e-mail address for contact.

5. Publish a weekly tips section in your website. If you are in
a business for a long time, you have a wealth of knowledge about
your business, market, and technologies related to your
business. Make it a habit of jotting down one tip every day. You
will have plenty of tips for your weekly publication.

6. Don't use guest books, testimonials etc. These are so Web
1.0 concepts. Use a forum. Let your customers interact among
themselves. Develop a value network. You get into the insights
of your customers' minds by reading their posts and your
visitors know your products and services by talking to each
other. As a result, you will be able to provide improved
products and services and ask for a premium price.

7. Promptly answer all your visitors' e-mail. This is one thing
you should never delay. Use your visitors comments, e-mail, and
other form of communications to generate ideas for new articles
and tips.

8. Tell your web developer to include an RSS feed on your site
and publish filtered news related to the market you serve and
emerging technologies in that market. Don't use a weather
report. Nobody comes to your site to check the weather.

9. Publish a frequently asked questions page related to your
products and services. It helps save your visitors' time and
effort when they are looking for information on a particular
topic related to your website.

10. Did you know that the average person must be exposed to an
offer around seven times before they will make a purchase? Make
your website an advertising platform for your most popular
items. Advertise them throughout your site but don't use any
'in-your face advertising' techniques. You can use side bars for
this type of advertising with interesting anecdotes, pictures,
etc. Be creative and use your imagination.

Your website is your publishing medium. It is not your online
catalog. You want repeat visitors who spend their time at your
site for valuable information. The possibility of visitors
turning into a paying customers improves when they stick around
your site longer.
===============================================
Dr. Deepak Dutta is the creator of http://www.semanticbay.com -
an interactive social network website based on user shared text
and picture contents on any topics. His other website
http://www.classifiedsforfree.com - is one of the oldest online
classifieds sites.

Your Website Should Engage Your Visitor

2007-08-06T07:58:00.000-06:00

Here's an article that came across my desk today, and believe me, from a web developer's viewpoint, it tells it like it is:

10 Rules To Keep Your Website Visitors Engaged
By Deepak Dutta (c) 2007

Do you know that most visitors leave a website within 10
seconds of landing on the home page? And they may never return
to the same site. To keep your website visitors stay longer, you
need to engage them. Follow these 10 simple rules to build a set
of core loyal visitors who will return to your site frequently.

1. If you have a brick-and-mortar business and you want an
online presence, don't just hand over your printed brochure to
the web developer for your site's content.

2. Get good text, picture, and video content related to your
products or services and organize them into categories for your
website publication. How do you get content? You can ask your
kids to write content for you. Today's kids are information
savvy and know how to do research on right topics. They can help
take pictures and videos of your products and provide
narrations. If you cannot leverage your kids talents and you
don't have time to develop content, buy them from online
sources, like distributors of private label rights to articles
and stock photographs. You need a small content set to launch
your web site.

3. Ask your developer for some sample websites he has developed
in the past and review them. If you find clutter, music,
unprofessional graphics, etc. in those sites, run away from the
developer. Tell your web developer to use basic search engine
optimization techniques for your web site. Use a developer who
uses content management systems (CMS) to develop websites. You
or your kids and spouse will be able to maintain and add
content regularly to a CMS without much effort.

4. You must have an About US page in your website that explains
the expertise of your company and your unique selling
proposition. Also, you should provide a phone number and an
e-mail address for contact.

5. Publish a weekly tips section in your website. If you are in
a business for a long time, you have a wealth of knowledge about
your business, market, and technologies related to your
business. Make it a habit of jotting down one tip every day. You
will have plenty of tips for your weekly publication.

6. Don't use guest books, testimonials etc. These are so Web
1.0 concepts. Use a forum. Let your customers interact among
themselves. Develop a value network. You get into the insights
of your customers' minds by reading their posts and your
visitors know your products and services by talking to each
other. As a result, you will be able to provide improved
products and services and ask for a premium price.

7. Promptly answer all your visitors' e-mail. This is one thing
you should never delay. Use your visitors comments, e-mail, and
other form of communications to generate ideas for new articles
and tips.

8. Tell your web developer to include an RSS feed on your site
and publish filtered news related to the market you serve and
emerging technologies in that market. Don't use a weather
report. Nobody comes to your site to check the weather.

9. Publish a frequently asked questions page related to your
products and services. It helps save your visitors' time and
effort when they are looking for information on a particular
topic related to your website.

10. Did you know that the average person must be exposed to an
offer around seven times before they will make a purchase? Make
your website an advertising platform for your most popular
items. Advertise them throughout your site but don't use any
'in-your face advertising' techniques. You can use side bars for
this type of advertising with interesting anecdotes, pictures,
etc. Be creative and use your imagination.

Your website is your publishing medium. It is not your online
catalog. You want repeat visitors who spend their time at your
site for valuable information. The possibility of visitors
turning into a paying customers improves when they stick around
your site longer.
===============================================
Dr. Deepak Dutta is the creator of http://www.semanticbay.com -
an interactive social network website based on user shared text
and picture contents on any topics. His other website
http://www.classifiedsforfree.com - is one of the oldest online
classifieds sites.

Tips to Easily Choose Good Secure PINs and Passwords

2007-07-23T10:52:00.000-06:00

This is a great article I read today that may help some of you with choosing good secure passwords that are (really!) easy to remember.

Back in June, a client of mine had the "dictionary" form of attack on his email password. The sp@mmer sent out 100,000 emails using the client's email address and mail server and got his site shut down by the hosting company until we could get it straightened out.

That prompted a newsletter from me with some suggestions for password security, and this article is another tool in the arsenal to keep the lazy scammers from taking advantage of us.