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: , ,

If A Website Gets No Visitors, Does It Really Exist?

March 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If a website is launched in the internets but no one ever finds it, does it really exist?

The sub-title for this article is “You can build a business owner a website, but you can’t make them use it“.

I get so damn frustrated watching business owners spending 1,000s of dollars for websites that will never get them any new customers. There is a formula for what works to get people to your website. Once they find your site, getting them to engage you is a different article. Today we’re looking at getting them to find you via your website.

The Top 3 Ways to get people to find your website:

  1. Your email newsletter.
  2. Targeted blogging.
  3. Advertising & Promotions

eMail Newsletters

Most business owners hate the idea of send out newsletters. Here’s what they tell me: I’m too busy. I hate getting all those newsletters. The fact is a weekly newsletter is your best bet at getting people to visit your website and more importantly do business with you.

Targeted Blogging

In my opinion a website without a self hosted blog is destined to be a deserted island. Your blog is a one way conversation with the world. When properly targeted and regularly published it will attract potential clients, fans and like minded individuals. Done properly, your blog posts and articles are the content for your email newsletter. Pretty smart, ey!

Advertising & Promotions

Advertising can be online of offline. Either way you can pay to bring people to your site and as long as you have a very specific and completely clear action you want them to take can work very well. Promotions can be via business networking, social media networking, forum posting and article marketing. Promotions like your newsletter are driven by your blog posts.

Your business website is an integral part of your business marketing strategy. It’s a shame to buy it then have it sit there all lonely and isolated. This is especially true if you’re not getting enough business. Take the advice of this San Diego Web Design Guy and start blogging 100-200 words everyday. Take your blog posts and publish a weekly newsletter (need help contact MailChimp Expert Amy Hall). Then pimp, I mean promote your blog posts throughout your social media network.

Doing this will get people to your website. The next step is getting them to call or email you about your services. Until then start blogging everyday!

BTW if your website doesn’t have a self-hosted blog contact me via my contact form so we can fix that today. Otherwise you’ll never get people to your site.

Filed Under: Business Blogging, SEO & SEM Tagged With: , ,

In Business Today You Either Adapt or Die

March 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Stubborn attachments to ignorant beliefs kill your business.

3 things you gotta educate yourself and change today because it’s costing you sales and money.

#1 Use WordPress

  • About 1 in 4 new websites today are being built using WordPress simply because WordPress works.
  • If a web professional offers you a static html website, run away quickly.
  • If your website is an html site, change it to WordPress this year.
  • WordPress & other CMS systems empower you to change and manage your website’s content yourself.
  • WordPress is Free, Open Source and actively being developed.

#2 Start a regular email newsletter

  • Email works.
  • Weekly email newsletters work better (generate more business leads & clients).
  • Add your email contacts to MailChimp and invite them to receive your newsletter.
  • The source of your Newsletter content and articles is your Business Blog.

#3 Start using a CRM System

  • A CRM is a Client Relationship Management System
  • A CRM is an automated Sales Assistant / Secretary.
  • A CRM system helps you systematically deliver a consistent customer experience.
  • BTW (by the way) Outlook is not a CRM.
  • We recommend and support vTiger which is another Free, Open Source Software.

Okay. Let’s get’r done. Need Help? I offer a 2 hour technology strategy session where we talk through and create a technology plan for your business. This is a paid consultation and we apply the fee to any project you hire us to complete. Contact me Using the Contact Form to schedule a call.

Filed Under: Technology Consultations Tagged With: , , , ,

To Blog or Not To Blog. Are You Kidding? Blog – Damnit – BLOG!

February 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Google confirmed it’s Panda 3.3 update making one thing crystal clear to me… Your Self Hosted Business Blog is more important than ever.

Here’s why:

  • First: You own it. You manage it. You control it. Which means by using good SEO content standards and practices you’re defending against the ever changing internets because good content will always trump any other strategy for Getting Found in the Search Engines.
  • Second: Your strategically planned and published blog postings increase the “foot print” of your website informing the world about you and your business. AKA establishing your authority.
  • Third: Your blog articles are the best anchor for your social media marketing and promotion campaigns further positioning you as an expert for your potential clients and marketing partners.
  • Forth: As local search is refined and Google Places dominates the local search results, your business blog is the active voice which positions you within your community as a leader.

By publishing 100 – 150 words a day to your blog, you’re building your website’s Search Engine Immune System and ensuring you have the best change to consistently rank well be the author of your own business destiny.

We’re here to assist you in setting up your business blog, SEO content practices and Google Places Optimization Strategy. Use our contact form to get the help you need to start Getting Found in an ever changing world.

Check out the summary of Google’s Panda 3.3 update.

Filed Under: SEO & SEM Tagged With: , ,

Which is better being Top of Mind or Top of Google?

February 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Hmmmm. How about both?

For a small business or solopreneur practice Top of Mind typically means refer-ability within your network of sphere of influence. An example of this is a referral from your Chiropractor to a patient who mentioned they were in need of your product or service. If you are Top of the Chiropractor’s mind you will get the referral. And everyone knows that business owners, especially Chiropractors ♥ referrals.

However if you’re like most businesses you also need a steady stream of fresh leads and prospects entering your sales funnel. This is where being Top of Google is necessary. Google is the new Yellow Pages for 65% of the people in the US which includes people searching for your product of service. It’s estimated the first 3 organic results on page one of Google get over 50% of the phone calls and traffic to their website.

Getting to Page 1 of Google and then to the Top of Google is essential for most businesses. The cool part is unlike beach front real estate, virtually anyone has the resources (either time or money) to get this prime real estate on page 1 of Google. To get there you have 2 choices: 1) DIY 2) Hire someone like us. The choice is yours but whatever you decide start today!

Filed Under: Google Places & Local SEO Tagged With: , ,

Getting to the Top 3 on Google Page 1 is all that matters

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The critical inch in web design success is the plan and methods to get your website found in the Top 3 Organic positions on Page 1 of Google for your “money” keywords. It’s estimated the businesses in the first 3 positions on Google Page 1 receive at least 50% of the phone calls and web traffic from potential clients. Getting to page 1 of Google for the right keyword is the only web marketing Goal that Matters!

If your telephone is not ringing then you’re no where to be found on page 1 of Google or you’re on Page 1 for the wrong keywords. There is no quick cure for a lack of phone calls, but with a proper SEO Plan and execution of the plan you can move your site to the top of Google’s first page.

Google Page 1 Formula:

  • A list of the right (best) keywords your potential clients type into Google when they are ready to buy.
  • A properly configured, designed and complete website using your right keywords (not expensive but detailed).
  • A congruent web presence. Google is mostly automated computer programs which take information quite literally. Everything about you, your business and your website must be consistent and congruent.
  • Social Media exposure & promotion.

With all the pieces in place your journey to the top of Google is a slow steady trek that will payoff in contacts from potential clients.

If you’re curious how your business is doing, get an instant report at www.localsearchplacement.com – just enter your business phone number.

Filed Under: Google Places & Local SEO Tagged With: , ,

Affordable Small Business Websites

October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you need a business website you have many choices. In fact there are so many choices most business people delay and avoid the decision for fear of making a really bad choice.

To get a business website your choices are:

  • Hire a geek
    • Geeks are great in their ability to know the latest and greatest cool things to put on a website. Their websites are very slick with all types of bells and whistles that work well together. Think about when you are looking at websites to solve a problem for yourself… Do you want slick or accurate information effectively communicated? What do your customers want?
  • Hire a graphic artist
    • Good graphic artists make websites into a pieces of internet art. Striking colors, excellent use of space & perspective that look great. However, scientific eye tracking studies show most people ignore virtually all images on a website and treat graphically intense websites as obstacle course they have to negotiate to find the information they want.
  • Get a free site or use generic templates
    • Free hosting & template options are about as effective as handing out a free “Vista Print” business card or a home printed business card with perforated edges. The message communicated is “broke”. Would you hire a broke business person?
  • Hire a friend or family member
    • Accountability & Rejection are the biggest problems when working with a person whom you have a personal relationship. Holding anyone accountable is difficult but more so for a close relation and hate the work produced can you easily convey negative feed back? Bottom line: Can you really fire a niece, nephew or close friend?
  • Find time to Do It Yourself (DIY)
    • What is the most profitable use of your time? Acquiring new customers and taking care of your existing client base OR learning to build effective business websites? There are hundreds of basic decisions in the design. An additional hundreds of technical decisions to be made as well. Lastly there is the matter of skills and practice required to make things work. The bottom line for most business people is if they spend the same amount of time getting new clients as designing, building and launching a new website the website would be paid for many times over.
  • Hire a business website developer
    • I am a business website developer. I understand business and hire the geeks and artists as need and direct them to get you a business website that works.

I’m a business guy who speaks geek.

Business websites have one function… to get business. There are several proven methods that allow potential clients to find you. Once you are found we your potential clients to get to know you over time while you build your credibility, expertise and trust. We assist you in customizing and tweaking this process for your specific business.

I love business. I obsess over business problems and their solutions. In my opinion, business results take precedence over pretty design. Your customers have problems and want to know if YOU are the best person to solve them.

My Philosophy: An online presence is essential for a viable economic engine powering Your Business. Your website is a living, breathing document connecting YOU with the world market place.

I help YOUR business by integrating web technologies with your business processes. I use a unique combination of “intuitive knowing“, business experience, results oriented strategies and simple online methods that work.

Bottom Line: Geeks & Designers work well when you provide them clear pictures and technical specs, but they cost YOU a fortune when not properly directed. If you’re like most business people YOU have no clue what’s essential for an online presence. By working with someone who understands business and knows what works online will make YOU money.

I translate Your Business Objectives into Geekese & Designese. I’ve been getting technical since the early 1980s. I have BS Degree in Engineering Technology and my first business computer was an IBM PC with a single 5-14 inch floppy drive and 180 column dot matrix printer (My first personal computer was a Commodore 64).

The Result: You get a Built To Last web site that works for your business.

Schedule a free business website consultation with Terry Hall.

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SEO & SEM Services

October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Each of our website projects includes full SEO & SEM research, design and implementation.

Nothing is more confusing or more hyped up than SEO (Search Engine Optimization) & SEM (Search Engine Marketing). Using specific tools and techniques we can determine exactly what people are typing into Google that are related to your business website.

When used in your website’s design and content we can get your website place well on the first page of Google.

There are 3 types of searches people preform when looking for information online.

  1. Specific Searches: These searches happen when people specifically looking for you or your business. ie When you or your business is referred or a past client is looking for you they will typically search the first 3 pages of Google to find you.
  2. Services Searches: These searches are the real opportunity for your business to get new clients. We find and recommend the best 30 keywords & keyword phrases people actually search for your business. This is your opportunity to inform and educate people about you or your business and invite them to consider you for business.
  3. Price Searches: When people are in the final planning and budgeting before buying your product of services they look for prices.

It’s best to consider you website as virtual real estate. Just like all real estate it’s all about Location, Location, Location. Unlike real estate your website has an opportunity for a AAA location on Page 1 of Google. That is the opportunity of SEO & SEM.

Get a free consultation.

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Website Content Management Services

October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Content is King

The right website content is the key to getting your business website placed well in the Search Engines.

Here’s how it works:

  • New websites need 2 to 3 new articles and posts every week to quickly get your website indexed and ranked well in the Search Engines.
  • Once your website places well in the Search Engines, bi-weekly articles will serve to keep your Search Engine Placement.

Most business owners do not have the time or inclination to write the 2 or 3 articles a week required to get your website to page one of Google.

Our website content services provide your website with keyword rich articles that Google and the other Search Engines love. The benefit is your website rapidly gets to page one of Google so your potential clients can find you.

Get your free consultation:

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Business & Technology Consultations

October 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Gotta a business or technology problem? Consider a quick, short term consultation with a 25 year business veteran and entrepreneur. During the consultation we will generate several ideas, strategies and actions to resolve your business problem. Terry Hall’s uncanny ability to solve problems have been liken to that of a Business Intuitive.

Schedule a Consultation

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