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Does Your Business Need Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Search Engine Optimization

Now more than ever, business owners trying to find ways to make money to stay in business. A website that is built with the search engines in mind can definitely help in a business trying to build their bottom line. So, when we hear the question, “Does my business need search engine optimization?”, then we like to ask the question, “What is your website trying to accomplish for your business?”.

If the business owner says, “Our website is just to portray an image.”, then search engine optimization is usually not a big concern to them. However, if you are the business owner that says, “I would like to use our website to generate business.”, we would highly recommend search engine optimization for your website.

What are the benefits of search engine optimization?

There are many benefits to search engine optimization.

  • Higher rankings in the search engines
  • Website easier to navigate for users
  • Easy to scan and read text
  • Website images optimized for faster web page load times

Obviously higher rankings in the search engines is one benefit, but also websites built with search engine optimization in mind are usually easier to navigate because of a more structured website navigation hierarchy. Text on each page of a website with search engine optimization is structured in a way that is easier to read, with headlines and html “H” tags (H1, H2, H3 etc.). Images on the website are optimized for faster viewing and enhanced with html “alt tags” that help with ranking in some regards and image searches that online users may use.

Ultimately, search engines and your online visitors make a decision about your website and where to rank your website or whether or not to do business with you.

When should I start with search engine optimization?

As soon as possible. Of course we are going to say that, right? We are in the business! We all know that it will require a decision to spend some money. We recommend that you talk search engine optimization over with your business partners or decision makers and come up with some questions that you may have. As we all know, it is better to make an educated decision than to jump right on the bandwagon.

However, finding out information as soon as possible so you can make a decision is highly recommended. The faster a business makes a decision to implement search engine optimization the better. It can have a drastic effect on generating leads and ultimately more business.

So if your business has been hearing more and more about:

  • online advertising and being found out on the search engines
  • increasing conversions from online visitors to customers
  • having your website being more effective for your business

Get in touch with us today!



Local Web Design Hints & Tips

Local Web Design

If you own a business in a specific geographical area, we have some tips for your website. These hints and tips are focused to help your website in the search engines and make it easier for online visitors to find out more about the products or services you have to offer.

Place a Google Map on your website

It is a well known fact how helpful Google can be. Their Google Map program isn’t any different. It can help online visitors get directions to your business and show them where you are located. Just a word of caution, make sure that when you type in your address, that it is in the correct location. We have had instances of the map data not being up to date!

List the names of the cities where you conduct business

This can be good information if you drive as part of your service and drive only to certain areas within a 30 mile radius. Naming the cities you conduct business in is also good information that Google likes to see. You may rank high in the search engines by just naming a small city you can do work in!

Link to other local businesses that compliment your specific business

This is a great way to build some trust with online visitors. Listing other businesses that compliment your business gives the user a little more information about other services you work with. When that user contacts you, they know they are dealing with a company that is experienced in the industry.

Write an article about how you helped a local business or consumer

This is great information to show your online visitors and it looks good to the search engines. Not to mention, customers that are featured somewhere like to brag that they are featured and it may drive traffic to your website.

List testimonials of your work on your website

This is great information for online visitors to see. Consumers like to see that the company they are dealing with has a good reputation to work with.

List your business address on each page of your website

Having your website address on each page is great information for online visitors and for the search engines. When your contact information is listed on each page, an online visitor has instant information. This can be a critical component for your website. It is also a great way to help your website appear in local search engine results.

Place pictures of your work online or of local businesses or consumers that you’ve completed work for

As stated before, online search engines like to see instances of city names somewhere in your web page. Having a picture and a description not only shows online visitors where you’ve conducted work, but also is another instance of a local city name where you conduct business.

Now get out there are let your customers know where you are so they can do business with with you!



Getting a Poor Return on Your Website? Try SEO or Internet marketing!

Website ROI

We hear it all the time. Companies contact us and say, “My website is not working, can you do something about it?” We then go out to their website and it is a horrid mix of broken links, missing images, misspellings and multi-colored font sizes and colors all over the website.

“Yes, we can help.”

We usually end up starting from scratch and discussing with the client what the goal of the website is. Then we explain the process of SEO and internet marketing and what kind of effects it can have on a customer’s business. Almost immediately, the client’s eyes open wide and they say, “Yes, we should go that route.”

SEO and Internet Marketing Effects

The effect that SEO and internet marketing can have on your website also is dependent upon your budget. These campaigns are time intensive, but can have a significant impact on your bottom line. We have seen clients rank #1 after just an initial clean up on their websites. We have also worked to get high rankings a little farther down the road. Either way, it is invaluable to start building your website base as soon as possible.

Climbing the Search Result Ladder

As an SEO and internet marketing campaign is being executed, you should be able to see your listings climb up for the targeted keywords. This will allow more people to come across your website and learn about what you have to offer. In our experience, we have seen many sites climb the rankings and then fall, but usually they end up closer to the top in the long run. This is in part to Google sifting through what you are offering them in accordance with relevant information for the particular search query. I believe it also has been termed the “Google Dance”.

That’s all great, but can I really see results?

Yes. Will it make you a millionaire immediately? Probably not, but it can definitely help with increasing sales from the internet. The more places your website comes up in front of searchers, the more likely they are to learn more about your business and do business with you. More often than not, it is important to rank highly to get in front of the searcher so they can quickly solve a problem that they have.



Increase ROI with a pay per click (PPC) website campaign

Increase Website ROI

Many companies today are currently using PPC campaigns to bring in jobs from the search engines. It is a great way to immediately get in front of potential customers and see if there is a demand for your product or service. It is also possible to closer track where those visitors came from and make a decision to continue with the campaign or to move dollars to other forms of advertising.

It’s working for others…and it can work for you

Many businesses have already taken the plunge and are grabbing clients that could have been yours. There is a reason that it is almost impossible to pick up any publication and not see some article talking about the search engines and how your business should be in the listings. It is a valuable tool to get in front of prospective buyers and let them know what you can do for them.

Immediately get in front of searchers

With a PPC campaign, it is possible to run a campaign with your ad at the top of the search results for a couple of months and see what type of conversions you get through the website. This is a great way to see if it is worth it to get into the top spots in the “organic” search results that appear when an online visitor searches the search engines. It is also possible to switch text in the ad and test different variations to see if one ad has a higher conversion rate. It is these characteristics of a PPC campaign that keep companies coming back to the search engines for sales increases.

Tracking Sales

Tracking sales from a PPC campaign is one of the reasons why so many companies are switching to online advertising with the search engines. It is possible to see what the user clicked on, how long they were viewing your website and the pages they went to on your website. Another great part of a PPC campaign is that if it isn’t working, you can stop after the initial campaign and use those dollars for something else. Tracking all of these factors can give the owner a better understanding of where their website stands in the buying process and what to improve to turn visitors into customers.

So, if you have a marketing budget and are willing to give internet marketing a try in the search engine realm, take the plunge and see if your business has what it takes to increase ROI with the help from the search engines.



5 Ways to Make More Money With Your Web Site

5 Ways to Make More Money With Your Web Site

We all want to make more money with our web sites. There are ways you can invest to get quicker
results. These 5 tips are ways we have seen that are critical in order for your web site to draw
in more clients, which means more ka-ching, ka-ching for your business:

1) Get your web site built by a professional organization.

Some professional web design companies (like Midwest Web Design) have been studying the way
of the internet for years and have watched it grow into the useful tool it is today for
information and business. Getting your web site built by a professional web design company
takes advantage of this knowledge. A business can save huge amounts of time and energy
that they can spend on building other parts of their business, such as advertising,
infrastructure, future contacts, etc.

2) Invest in search engine optimization for your site.

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO as they call it in the business, can have a huge effect on the profitability of your web site. SEO helps a web site to be found easier in the search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN. With approximately 92% of people online using search engines to find information online, it is obvious why companies would like to rank higher up in the search engines. SEO deals with keywords, descriptions, densities, articles and other bits of information that are picked up by professional web design companies.

“Having a web site built by a professional organization does have its benefits”

Don’t be fooled by internet marketers that promise “Number 1 Spots on Google,” this is not the sign of a professional. Prorofessional web design companies that know Google won’t promise a “Number 1 Spot” and they also won’t run away with your money once you paid. We have seen clients who went with these internet marketers because of what they “offered” and have came back to us feeling taken advantage of and left with an empty wallet. Once again, having your web site built by a professional organization does have its benefits!

3) Make your site useful and easy to navigate and read for your visitors.

You should be making your site valuable to customers by showing:

  • Business Hours
  • Services/Products
  • Offers or Coupons
  • Company History
  • Email Address
  • Having the Site Easy to Navigate

Each of these are key ingredients for customers to find your web site useful. We highly recommend our clients to have all of the above.

A web site also needs to be easy to navigate. Less clutter and making your site easy to navigate can make a difference sometimes overnight. Don’t be fooled by thinking you have to have a graphically-heavy web site in order to have customers order from you. In our experience, the more simple the better, both from a user standpoint and from a search engine standpoint.

4) Add your web site to your other forms of advertising.

We are amazed at the number of businesses that do not have their web site listed on all their forms of advertising. It is one of the most valuable forms of advertising in business today. Period. The more information you have on your web site, the better. Customer make decisions while they are on a web site. Think about it, without a web site they are unable to make any decisions and you won’t get the sale.

5) Invest in internet marketing for the search engines.

Companies such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and others offer services that allow a business to be placed in certain positions that will drive targeted customers to your site. Don’t be fooled by internet marketing services that promise 800 clicks a month. You want targeted traffic to your site. Targeted traffic offers the best conversion rate from visitor to customer.

These are some of the easiest ways to make more money with your web site. Keep in mind that having a professional web design company build your web site will maximize your time and stretch your advertising dollars. They know all the little tricks and shortcuts that will help you use your web site as a tool to make more money the most effective way possible.