Business Websites that Get Business

San Diego Web Design: 3 Ways to Google Proof Your Business

March 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As a San Diego Web Design Company and small business owner, we have easy access to the San Diego Zoo and their 100-acre Panda research station. When we can’t go in person (which happens quite often these days) we can always get a Panda fix from the Panda Cam (opens new window).

But these days, my “Pandattention” has been directed to Google’s Panda Updates to their search algorithms. The updates were needed, but it still adds stress to my life when my websites and my client websites loose there position on the SERPs (search engine results pages). As a web designer and developer, I design websites that work for your paying customers and your main business promoter – Google.

Terry Hall a San Diego Web Design Consultant

says “we will never be free of Google“

san diego web design company on google panda update

Cute & Cudley Pandas vs Google's Panda

While we will never be free of Google there are several things you can / must do to Google Proof your business:

  1. Publish a weekly Newsletter: By regularly publishing an email newsletter you speak directly to your clients, prospects and vendors. These relationships are essential to long term business success and “Google Proofing” your business.
  2. Publish Great Content: Your clients, prospects and potential clients want education. The better you educate the more likely your website will be “Google Proof”.
  3. Use Smart Promotion: In addition to your newsletter promoting your website’s articles to your Social Media Networks with a smart back linking strategy put you in direct contact with the people who visit your website.

Following and implementing these 3 suggestions will put you on tract to Google Proof your business. If you need help putting together the plan contact my using the contact form. To add your newsletter contact MailChimp Expert Amy Hall who also assists people with their WordPress websites.

Topics: San Diego Web Design | Google Panda Update | SEO best practices | Newsletters

Filed Under: SEO & SEM, Websites Tagged With: , ,

You Gotta be 80% Farmer & 20% Hunter

March 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I build websites for businesses that get them web generated business leads and sales. Building a self-generating web strategy gets business in the long term, it’s not right now business. If you need business today, you need to add some additional strategies that yield a quicker payoff.

Hunting activities and Farming activities are separate skill sets and both are needed for business success. Hunters go for “today business” and Formers cultivate “long term tomorrow business”. Your website is integral to both strategies because most potential clients go to your website to see if you’re legitimate.

Each of these strategies get potential clients into your sales funnel or pipeline. It is essential to have a “sales process” in place to convert prospects to clients.

Hunting Activities:

  • Cold Calling: Approaching potential clients without an appointment and inviting them to buy your product or service. Cold calls are made in person, by phone or by email. The cost is your time. The payoff is about 2 – 5%.
  • Flyers, Door Hangers or Direct Mail: Putting your marketing message in the direct path of potential clients with an irresistible offer and selling potential clients when they call you. Daily Deals are the latest variation of this strategy. The cost are a few hundred to several thousand dollars. The payoff is .5 – 2%.
  •  Advertising: Placing your marketing message and offer in a mass media channel which reaches your target market and selling them when they contact you. Advertising includes performance based internet advertising, the Penny Saver, Commercials on Cable TV, Radio, News Paper and/or Network TV. The cost is several hundred dollars to many 10s of thousands of dollars. The payoff is less that 1/4% to about 3%. With advertising the numbers can be huge. GoDaddy launched on a Super Bowl commercial and recently sold for $2.25 Billion.
  • Active Referrals Solicitation: Approaching your existing client and vendor base and asking them to endorse and refer you to their network. The cost is your time. The payoff is 3 to 10%. (I have a good script of this approach. Use my contact form to send me a message and I will happily share it with you).

Farming Activities:

  • Networking: Connecting with and building relationships which over time will yield referrals to potential clients. The payoff is zero to infinity. The cost is typically both your time and money.
  • Organic SEO: Building your online web presence in a manner which have the search engines recommend your website to potential clients searching for your product or service. The cost is your time and/or your money.
  • Newsletters: Consistently and reliably staying in touch with your clients, prospects and network to help you stay top of mind.
  • Customer Service: Delivering a consistent product or service which creates a consistent user experience. This may include a client rewards program.
  • CRM System: A Client Relationship Management System is a way to keep information on your clients, prospect and network in a structured and retrievable way allowing you to better serve their needs with your product or service.

Both Hunting and Farming are needed for long term success in your business. If you need business today, start Hunting. For business tomorrow keep on Farming.  All the while refine your sales process to close more sales.

To develop a web presence that self-generates web leads, send me a message via my contact form and we’ll start the process.

Filed Under: Websites Tagged With: , , , , ,

Bubba Builds a Website – Part 1

March 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you’re in business, you need a website. If you disagree, don’t read this Article Series and keep standing by your fax machine waiting for orders to come in. In this series, we will look at what you need to do to build a website that makes a profit for your business.

Introducing Bubba

Bubba is a term of love and affection that honors my Southern Roots and is my alter ego.

  • Bubba will try anything.
  • Bubba is curious as hell.
  • Bubba doesn’t trust anyone. Especially carpet baggers trying to sell him something.
  • Bubba is quite simple when it comes to people. He likes you or he doesn’t.
  • Bubba is quite complex when it comes to what works in business. The proof is in the pudding.
  • Bubba hates politicians and relying on anyone.
  • Bubba is a straight shooter and tells you like it is from his point of view and understanding.

Let’s get started.

Part 1: Bubba Builds a Website

What is a website? Technically a website is a set of files people can view using a web browser stored on a computer connected to the internet.

Why have a website? You can have a website for pretty near any dang reason at all. Business, Personal, Inter-Business, Blogging, Video Blogging, etc. (Imagine Bubba in the Forrest Gump movie telling Forrest how many ways you can fix yourself some shrimp). There’s at least that many types of websites. For this article we’re talking about Business Websites.

What is a Business Website? A website that fulfills a specific business objective(s).

Business Website Considerations:

  • Decide the business objective you want your website to fulfill. Your objective determines the design and functionality.
    • Lead Generation.
    • Revenue generation (online store, membership site).
    • Customer service.
  • Marketing, Promotion, Traffic & Conversion
    • Once you know the type of website you need you’ve gotta get people to find it.
    • When people find your site, you have to get them to take the desired action (call you, join you email list, buy a product)
    • This is the Realm of SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • Testing, Measuring, Maintenance & Upkeep
    • Testing offers and measuring results is business 101 and essential to meeting your business objectives.
    • SEO Friendly CMS (content management system) websites is the current state of the art for website development.
  • Content Publishing & Promotion Plan
    • Interwoven into your Marketing Plan should be a content publication plan for your website.
    • Once your content is published is should be promoted throughout your social media network and to your clients/prospects.
    • Effective SEO & SEM friendly content that attracts prospects in your target niche.
  • Internet based communications plan
    • Email, Social media & CRM based strategy to move your prospects and clients to the next step in your sales process.

This a very high level overview of a business website plan.

Terry Hall aka Bubba is a business guy who integrates online technology into a dynamic web presence helping businesses make a profit. Terry is available to help your business start profiting via a dynamic web presence that gets potential clients to call/email you.

Filed Under: Business Tools, Websites Tagged With: , , , , ,