When the Internet was young, search engine traffic came at a premium price. Websites could buy their way into search engine listings, but there was no guarantee that the purchase would result in a significant amount of traffic.

Today, the rules are much different. In some ways it is much easier to get great traffic from search engines, but in other ways it is even harder. A website has to have a lot of clout before Google or Yahoo will list it in their top returns, but there are many ways to make your site more attractive to the search engines.

If you’re trying to build traffic for a blog, the best thing you can do for increased traffic is to blog and ping. This slightly humorous-sounding term simply means that you let blog directories know each time you make a new blog post.

By cluing in the blog directories whenever you add a new blog post, you’re building traffic in two ways. You might get an initial rush of traffic from the blog directory as readers click through to see your new entry. The real magic happens when the search engines follow the link from the blog directory back to your blog.

The search engine then finds other material to index. As you keep getting more links to your blog, the search engine has more pages to index. Eventually you will find your blog turning up in searches. You will not be in the top couple of pages right away, but you will see your search engine traffic rise.

Blog and ping might sound a little complicated, but it is actually very easy. Most major blog platforms ping the major blog directories automatically. If you want to ping a blog directory that is not listed in their default list, you can usually add it manually.

What if you don’t actually have a blog yet? Well, it is time to hop on the bandwagon. Blogs are useful for conveying your personal thoughts to anyone and everyone, about whatever subjects you choose. You can keep in touch with far-away relatives or just give yourself a creative outlet.

Lately, though… blogs are used quite often as marketing tools for businesses. The business blog can take many forms, from an informal journal kept by a CEO to a formal, frequently-updated record of new products.

Setting up a new blog is not difficult at all, and you have several options to do it. Most often, new bloggers set up a blog with one of the popular blogging platforms. These platforms offer standard templates, or you can create your own to match your company’s color scheme or your personal preferences.

Once your blog is set up and ready to go, don’t forget to make sure that it pings every blog directory possible. Blogging without pinging the blog directories is like spinning your wheels: you are doing something, but you are not making any progress.

If your blogging platform does not support pinging or does not submit to the directories you want, you can use software to accomplish the same thing. It is available under many different titles, but the basic function is to take your most recent blog post and send it to several blog directories. Your links start building up, your search engine traffic increases, and you are one happy blogger.

About the Author
This article was written by Jay Gaulard on behalf of http://www.blogleeg.com, a popular blog directory.
Source: ArticleTrader.com

Develop an RFQ
First, as the owner of your business, you need to have a clear idea in your mind of what you’re looking for from your website. Perhaps you just want an internet presence for your business, or maybe you want something more dynamic. If you’re not sure what you want, then take the time to do some research. Take a look at what other similar businesses are doing and write down what you like (and what you don’t like!). Start to make a list of what features you feel your site must have (request form, forum, etc.). You should also start to list out the individual pages you want to see developed (about us, services, etc.). You are now creating an official RFQ (request for quote) document that you can present to a potential web designer for review. Once you’ve developed an outline for your site, you should also make some notes about your preferences when it comes to the site design and layout. If you want a flash intro or background music or some other design element, you need to note that. Put all your notes into a Word document and save it for later.

Next, you’ll need to solicit bids from interested web designers. Include a brief description of what you want your site to be, and invite interested designers to contact you with their information.

At this point, you should not expect full-blown estimates or proposals. No professional is going to be prepared to give you a quote on a project without having talked to you or seen your RFQ. Instead, you should concentrate on weeding out the designers who don’t meet your expectations.

So, what should you expect?

Good Communication
Right off the bat, any communication from a potential designer should be professional, clear, and friendly. It’s extremely important that the designer you choose is a good communicator. First, you have to work with this individual and if they can’t communicate well with you, the project will prove more difficult to complete. Second, you will be depending on him or her to independently create certain aspects of your website. You cannot write everything for them. If they aren’t able to communicate well, it will be reflected in their work and therefore make your site, and you, look unprofessional.

Previous Work
Next, your interested designer should be able to present some examples of their work, preferably in the form of a portfolio page within their own website. Assuming they have their own website, look at that first. Do you like it? Does it look professional? Would you consider them based solely on their website? A website should be a reflection of that business. If a web designer’s own website is poor, then they do not understand the purpose of a business website and you can move on.

Assuming their own website is up to snuff, then you should check out their portfolio. Take a look at the sites they’ve done for other businesses, particularly if there are some sites similar to your own model, and see what you think. If, on the whole, you’re not impressed with their work, move on to a different designer.

Personality & Knowledge
If you’re comfortable with the quality of work from a particular designer, it’s time to talk to them on the phone. They should be comfortable talking about themselves and what they can do for you, and pleasant to deal with. Remember, this is someone that’s going to become an integral part of your business, at least for a while. You need to feel confident that they can do the job and that you’ll be able to work with them.

Price
Once you’ve articulated exactly what you’re looking for, the designer should be able to give you a quote on the project. Certainly, the price needs to be an important consideration, but don’t let it make your decision for you. If someone gives you a particularly high price on a project, you need to consider the quality of their work and decide if it is marginally better than everyone else, and if they’re worth it. Similarly, if someone gives you a particularly low price, you need to consider their motivation as well. Do they simply produce cheap work, or are they trying to establish themselves and therefore charging below market rates. If you’re lucky enough to find someone in that situation who meets your other requirements, hire them immediately!

Local vs. Remote
Because of the nature of websites, most projects can be easily completed without ever having any face-to-face meetings between designer and client. Business owners should not feel any hesitation in hiring a remote designer, at least one within the U.S.

Certainly, there are specific projects which may require face time, but in general, those clients that insist on dealing with local designers are only limiting themselves to local talent and rates.

Business Experience
In your emails and conversations with your designer, you should also gauge their business experience. You’re going to be depending on him or her to give you suggestions on how to build your site to better your business. If, for instance, the designer has no sales experience, how can they ensure your website fits into your sales process? Additionally, a good designer will question every aspect of the site from a good business perspective and offer you advice to that end. For instance, the flash intro you wanted for your site may look outstanding, but a good designer might suggest that, while attractive, it does not actually benefit your business, and could potentially do more harm than good by deterring visitors who cannot view flash, or preventing search engines from searching your website. If your designer gives you a suggestion to improve your site, but one that will end up reducing their fees, then you know that this designer truly has your best interests at heart.

Search Engine Understanding
Finally, your new designer must understand how to build a site so that it is search engine friendly. This is typically where inexperienced designers fall short, so don’t skip this step! Ask them how they plan to make your site optimized for search engines. Going back to their ability to communicate; they should be able to explain what they’re going to do in a way that you can understand without any previous knowledge of SEO.

About the Author
Michael is the lead web designer and owner at Stadia Studio (http://www.stadiastudio.com/), a web design firm in St. Louis, and has been helping businesses get online since the 1990’s.
Source: ArticleTrader.com

If the essential purpose of a website is to generate money, then the prime step should be to turn site visitors into customers! When internet users land on your website, what do they do with it? The answer is simple - Whatever you want them to! To make this a reality, you need to lead them by hand. Define a clear Action Path for your visitors, which includes precise visual clues to lead them through your information to the prize shopping cart, or subscription plan.

Here is how to define an appropriate action plan for your website.
Space is a powerful element in website design and can be an influential factor in how visitors use your website. The appropriate placement of elements can play a vital role in defining user behavior on your site.

The prime rule in defining Action Paths is not to make visitors scroll to find actions. Keep all the call-to-action tabs like ‘Click Here’ or ‘Subscribe Here’ above the fold. The majority of the world population reads from left-to-right and top-to-bottom. So, keep all the vital elements within these areas. Also remember that elements of design supersede text elements, that is to say that images are more important and prominent than words. In a split second that users take to scan through your text, they take in scattered bits of data such as the headings, pictures, search boxes, links etc.

Balance is not the same as regularity. While regularity ensures a clean layout and consistency in the web page, balance is essential for users to concentrate on certain elements. It’s better to create an asymmetrical space when you are trying to draw attention to specific actions on the web page. And the best way to do this is by creating a balance between images and white space. And an obvious consequence of making visitors at ease with their pathways, is retaining them on the site and generating further business.

White space is the space between columns, the space around images, and the space between text blocks. Leaving certain sections of your website empty makes visitors concentrate on other areas of the page. Lending space to the design gives a flow and allows for a comfortable user experience. A comfortable user-experience promotes your credibility and prompts them to invest their faith and money in your company. Thus, your visitors will convert to be your customers.

The colors that you use on your website play a vital role in its online success. It not only sets the tone of the web page but also calls attention to specific sections. And colors influence the psychology of people too. Different colors trigger different emotional responses in people. So a wise choice of colors can help you make the users do what you intend them to do. For example, setting your call to action in red, or a color that contrasts the general scheme of the page, stands apart and focuses visitors.

Create a noticeable pattern through your website. This way you create a sense of expectation in the users and they become more comfortable. Patterns can be of several types like ‘title-content-title-content’ format, lists or tabular data, etc. Blue underlined links are perhaps the most powerful pattern type in recent times. A major advantage of adhering to web standards is that visitors know what they are meant to do immediately.  This is not to say that you cannot break the rules.  But only after understanding the rules… can you then know when it is advantageous to break them.

Whether you want a new website designed for your company or are looking to re-design your website, finding the right web design company for your needs is the first and most crucial step to ultimately decide its success or failure. Unless your are an established business with an in-house web design team, the chances are that you will need to either hire a professional web designer, or contract a web design company to do this for you.

Most businesses small or large do not have in-house expertise to design websites themselves and have to contract the work out to an external web design company. The importance of a professionally designed website is essential. A poorly designed, or an outdated website, can have a negative impact on your company’s brand and drive customers away to your competitors. A company’s website is a window to its products and services and often the first point of contact with customers. It is vital for your website to present the right image and brand for your business.

Should you work with a Web design company or a Freelance Web designer?
Whether your website is designed by an independent contractor or a web design company, you will need to consider certain issues before you make the decision. Both working with an independent web designer or a web design company have their advantages. Working with an independent web designer can be cost effective and flexible. Working with web design companies on the other hand may cost more but offers significant advantages. They are represented by a team of web designers who often possess wider skills and experience. Each member of the team will often specialise in a distinct area of website design and development, and will often be able to solve complex business issues with ease. Working with a web design company will provide your business with easy access to support when required, or when something goes wrong.

Factors to consider when selecting a Web Design Company to design your website.

Experience and Skills
Analyse their experience and technical skills. Review the information on their website and marketing materials. Better still speak to them personally, as often a direct conversation about your project will give you a much clear idea of their knowledge and expertise.

Portfolio and case studies
Review and analyse their portfolio or case studies. This is usually available via their website. Reviewing other software or websites designed by the web design company can provide useful information and determine their suitability for your project.

A streamlined process with a fast turn around time
Understand the web design company’s process to see how it fits within your requirements.

Ask for a detailed proposal outlining costs, timescales and proposed solution.
A professional web design company will always submit a detailed proposal outlining theses issues.

One stop shop
Think forward. Determine what other products and services the web design company can offer. If you require web design now, chances are you will need additional services in the future such as web hosting, search engine marketing, content management systems, and so on. It can be daunting and an administrative nightmare to deal with many different companies for different services.

Long term relationship
Focus on building a long term relationship with the web design company. It is better to go for a company that offers excellent and timely support as required. Analysing the company and communicating with them will give you an idea of whether the company focus on long term relationship, or just a one off sale.

Taking the time to communicate with the prospective web design company beforehand… will enable you to select the right web design company to partner with that will meet your expectations. Finding the right web design company and forming a relationship can be a valuable asset for your business for many years to come.

For more information on this and other free tips and articles on web design and search engine marketing, please visit http://www.kronikmedia.co.uk/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-web-design-company-for-your-website/27/

No matter which services or products your business is marketing using the Internet, others are doing the same. Luckily, there are lots of clicks to go around and the internet provides opportunities for many similar businesses. You don’t necessarily have to be the first nor the best to be successful. Besides professional web design, you need to be found and you need stand out. Once a potential client arrives at your website you only have their attention for a short time. At a glance, potential clients need to quickly find what they are looking for.

Make your content easy to read. Although this is obvious, it is surprising how many websites have illegible text and graphics - content which feels compressed or stretched apart. Keep in mind that most people don’t read words one letter at a time, but rather as a complete unit. If the wording is not easily read it will most likely not be read at all. Have coworkers, friends and family proof the website’s readability, and then collect their feedback. If it’s within your budget, hire a copywriter to review your website and make changes where appropriate. Your web developer should include this as part of their services.

Graphics are great, but only when they assist in understanding the message. All pictures should be clear and obvious. Too often pictures are not crisp and sharp, and not understandable. When using pictures to display your products or services, they should be the focus of the image, to not confuse your visitors. While commonly used stock photos are sometimes valuable, when displaying your products it is best to use custom photography or graphic design.

There is no room on a website for spelling or grammatical errors. Some common typographic errors include incorrect or inconsistent line or character spacing, incorrect, missing, or extra punctuation. Grammatical errors are equally as unimpressive. At the least, run your website content through a spelling and grammar check before posting it online for the world to read. The quality of a website’s content is a reflection of the business as a whole. As your website is an extension of your business, sloppiness and carelessness leave a bad impression on your visitors. If high quality is not represented through your website, poor quality is demonstrated towards your business’ products and services.

Occasional errors may slip through the system. When this happens and when later pointed out, they must be dealt with immediately.

There are additional benefits to proofing and re-proofing your website. Product, price, and service changes can sometimes be forgotten, especially for businesses that are new to the Internet. Far too often websites are the last thing to be updated when processing a change throughout a business, if they are remembered at all.

Customers do not trust businesses with websites that are hard to read, hard to understand, and which are out of date. Careless mistakes and sloppy, confusing, or out-of-date information are a reflection of your business in general.

About the Author
Crocus Plains Software Ltd. is a leading software development services and enterprise solutions agency. Crocus Plains offers business services for web design and development, Internet marketing and search engine optimization, and customized enterprise software development. For more information, visit http://www.crocusplains.com
Source: ArticleTrader.com