What a Landing Page Actually Is

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Let's dish a little bit about landing pages.  I've mentioned them here and there in previous posts, but darn it, it's time to give them the spotlight for once.  After all, they're pretty super.

The idea behind a landing page is to elicit a specific action from your client.  It might as well have a big red flashing button on it that screams CLICK HERE NOW!  YES, WE MEAN YOU!  (And some of them actually do, although most others are subtler.)  Your home page and many other pages on your site are what we might call "open ended", very choose-your-own-adventure-esque.  On a landing page, conversely, your visitor is encouraged to do one specific thing.

Like What?

For instance, maybe you're trying to collect contact info for your mailing list.  A landing page can include a form for your visitors to fill out and a large enticing button for them to click when they have finished.  You'd make the button enticing by having the copy on it read something like "Click here for your discount code!" or "Click here for a free trip to the zoo!"

Or, depending on how you set things up, perhaps you already have a separate page where the customer can fill in his contact info, and you could set up a landing page where the customer will end up (or y'know...land) after entering the information.  If on the first page, you promised the visitor a coupon code, this would be the page where they get it.  So now that they've arrived here, your goal is to get them to use it, pronto.  On this landing page, then, you would set up a large button encouraging the visitor to "Shop Now," and clicking it would send the customer into your online catalog.

Basically, the reason for these pages is to get your customer away from other distractions and choices so you can just come right out and ask them for something.  And if your writing on the page is compelling enough, they just might do it.

Integrating Your Website With Other Marketing

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
It might be an obvious point, but it's one worth making - you want people to visit your website.

Other marketing efforts you may be running - e-mail campaigns, social media efforts, direct mail - are great and help to promote your company.  But don't forget that in addition to promoting your company in general, they should also be promoting your website, specifically.

Here's why - your website (should) have the most updated information about what's going on with your business.  (It does, right?  Good.  Give yourself a pat on the back.)  It's the place that you can advertise things like current promotions, new merchandise, up-to-date prices.  You want traffic at the website because you want people to have the most accurate information about your company.

Not to mention that getting your clients in the habit of visiting your website is never a bad idea because it brings your company name into your clients' minds.  Once that site has been visited, it's going in their internet history, or maybe even getting bookmarked, so it's possible they could be seeing your company's name every once in a while when they are clicking around on the web for other reasons.  And that's totally free marketing for you.

So if you are planning to send out some type of printed mailer about your company, instead of including a coupon on that piece of paper, mention that there are coupons available on your website.  Or when you send out an e-mail blast, make reference to some "online only" promotions that can be accessed at your website.  Even on your social networking sites, the ultimate goal is to get people to click over to your actual website.  It's great to have Facebook fans, but what you really want is for those people to visit your page where they can get tons more information (and maybe even make a purchase!).

The business that gets the most traffic on its website wins!

Don't Leave Your Website Lonely

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
If you have an awesome website, you may think that you have taken care of a huge piece of your company's marketing picture.  And you are correct.  Except for one thing.  Once you have an awesome website, you need to get people to visit your awesome website.

Let's think back to years ago before you were a successful business owner.  At one time, you were probably a nine-year-old kid with a lemonade stand.  And, if you were a really motivated young entrepreneur, you may have decided to market your lemonade stand by printing up fliers on your dad's Apple IIe.  After you had taken the time to design these fliers, would the nine-year-old you most likely A) leave the fliers on your back porch hoping that the wind would blow them around the neighborhood or B) take a spin around the neighborhood on your bike, passing fliers out to everyone you meet?  Chances are, if you really wanted to save up for that Atari, you got those fliers into people's hot little hands. And on telephone poles, and on windshields, and in mailboxes...

You need to bring some of that youthful energy into promoting your website. You've worked hard to design a great website for your business, and you need people to see it so it can do its job and get you some work.  Luckily, bike riding around the neighborhood with fliers is not one of the recommended methods of advertising your site.

But here are a few things that might work.

Send out an e-mail blast. Remind your loyal customers that you have a website and that it's worth checking out by e-mailing them a link.  That's especially recommended if you've recently made changes to your page, or even better, added new features such as a blog or a link to a social networking page you've set up for your company.

Do some search engine optimization. The main way new customers will find your website is through their favorite search engine, and if you're not one of the first ones that pops up, you're in trouble.

Set up a pay-per-click campaign. This will get your site noticed on search engines, pronto.  For more info on how to do this, click here.

Send out a mailer. Here's a throwback to your lemonade fliers -- you can also remind your customers that you have a website by sending a message on actual paper through snail mail!  And for those of you who are still nine years old at heart -- we didn't mean to discourage you before -- if your trusty Huffy is still kicking and you're up for the challenge, no one's going to stop you from hopping on and distributing them yourself.

Should You Redesign? Part 3: You're Not Paranoid, They Are Talking About You

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
It's sad but true...humans are lazy buggers.  Most of us look for the path of least resistance in any given situation.  When given the choice between two options, we usually go with the choice that is easier.

I mean, really, when's the last time you took the stairs to the 83^rd floor, used an abacus, or churned your own butter?

Exactly.

Even though using the web never takes as much energy as, say, a transatlantic swim, we're still inclined to seek out the websites that are easiest to use, and we tend to complain about sites that slow us down or make things difficult for us.

If your clients are people like you, they are probably going to have the same types of complaints about your website that you have about sites that annoy you.  C'mon, you know that there are websites that push your buttons.  Maybe it's your cell phone company's site and it takes (gasp!) thirty seconds to load.  Or maybe it's the site for a retailer whose online ordering process is drawn out and confusing.  Or it's possible you went on a company's website just looking for some information about its services, but the info you sought just wasn't easily accessible.

Chances are, if you found yourself on a website with one of those symptoms or another exasperating issue, you gave up and found a competitor's site that is easier to use.  And, in another living room across town, some other fellow who is surfing the web in his boxers might be giving up on your site because of the arduous challenges it presents.  Even if your issues are subtle, chances are, someone is going to turn away from your website in favor of one that saves him twelve seconds or an ounce of frustration.

The good news about criticism is that it can be constructive.  If your clients are moaning and groaning about aspects of your website, listen to what they have to say.  They can give you an outsider's perspective on your site and help you understand the challenges a visitor will face.  This information will help you out big time when you start your redesign.

Remember, the customer is always right, even if he happens to be a complainer who likes to search the internet in his underwear.

What Your Colors Mean

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
The colors you choose for your web site say a lot. If your colors weren't chosen by a professional designer, you might be surprised what they're talking about.

I've touched on color in a previous entry, but it's worth revisiting. With this article, I'd like to delve a little deeper into some common associations we have with certain colors.

The Emotional Spectrum

1. True Blue Most people have some kind of affinity towards blue. It's used to imply things like cleanliness and harmony with nature. It's also used to communicate trustworthiness, which is why insurance companies and investment firms like New York Life, Met Life, and Goldman Sachs use blue in their collateral. Your trust is essential to their success, and they know it.

There's a downside to blue, though. We've all had "the blues" at one time or another, and we don't want to use any "blue language" (i.e. curse words) when we talk to our customers. When choosing blue for a web site design, it's important to frame it correctly.

2. Raising the Red Flag That phrase means to raise an objection or a warning about something. And red, being the hottest of the colors, can cause alarm. It's used for stop signs because to miss one is often to put lives at risk. So unless you want your visitors to feel on-edge, you've got to be careful using red.

But it can be used to create good feelings too. Countless restaurants use red in their logos to make you feel hungry. Think McDonald's, Chili's, Applebee's, KFC (both before and after their recent rebrand) Burger King, Friday's, and just about every other American chain. Used well, red is powerful in all the right ways. Used poorly, too much could put your site's traffic 'in the red'.

3. Give 'Em the Green Light Green is the most soothing color in our palette. It's inviting, calming, and encourages slowing down and smelling the flowers. The right green on your website could help it act as a magnet, giving your visitors a resting place on the visually noisy Internet.

Of course, that's only good if you want people to rest on your site. If you're building a landing page, maybe you want visitors to click through to another site. Too much green on a landing page could hamper your larger goal. So while green is a very pleasant color, it's effects need to be weighed in the context of your goals.

4. They'll Call You Mellow Yellow Actually, they probably won't. I'm not sure what Donovan was thinking when he wrote his famous song - yellow is active, lively.

Used to convey positivity or caution, yellow has complex symbolism. One the one hand, the yellow ribbon is widely accepted as a symbol of hope. On the other hand, many warning signs and emergency vehicles make use of bright yellows. More recently, it's meanings have come together to symbolize a third thing: cutting edge technology.

If you want to use yellow in your design, be especially careful with it's intensity. The feel you are looking for is likely to be found in a careful choice of shade.

Too Much Info?

(by the way - if this all seems a tad overwhelming, we can help out. Web design is kind of our thing.)

Are Your Customers Cheating on You?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
That darn economy.  With everyone cutting back on everything, how will your business ever survive?  MUAH HA HA HA HA!

It's easy to blame a downturn in business on the economic climate, but, really, there are companies that are doing okay.  So, if you run one of the businesses facing tough times, it could be due to the economy, which you can't really control, but let's focus on something you can control: your website.  When business isn't good, it's a red flag that it might be time to do something about that website of yours.

Let's imagine that a few years ago, you put together a website that was, at the time, state of the art.  It's likely that your site brought in some clients when it was brand spankin' new.  However, there's about a 100% chance that some of your clients have become more web savvy since then.  And there's about a 108% chance that one of your competitors has either developed a new website or gone through a redesign since then.

So if you've noticed that your site is bringing in less business, your clients could be cheating on you with a company whose website is hotter and younger looking.

It's time to have some work done.

The first order of business is at least making sure your website is updated.  If you've gotten lax about keeping your website up to date, you are likely to turn off a lot of your customers.  Revise your contact info, making sure it's complete and up to date.  Make sure all products and services you're currently offering are highlighted.  Verify that the promos you have going on are mentioned, and any sales that are over are removed.

Once you've done that your loyal clients will have a better online experience.  But in order to draw in new clients or win back ones who have strayed, you really should consider a redesign.

A redesign can bring you a fresh layout, better graphics, a more modern feel, and better search engine rankings - in short, a more effective website, regardless of what that loopy economy decides to do next.

Ken Jennings Thinks it's Time to Redesign

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Ahhh, 2004.  The year of the Athens Summer Olympics, Meet the Fockers, and a world-famous wardrobe malfunction.  It doesn't seem all that long ago, but a whole lot has changed in the world wide web in the past few years.  If your website was constructed before you first heard the song, "Drop It Like It's Hot," then it might be time to redesign.

Why?  Well, a new look can be exciting for your clients.  But more importantly, you want your website to take advantage of all the new technology and trends that have come around in the world of web design since the days of Ken Jennings' Jeopardy winning streak.  Let's look at a couple of these new tricks.

The Sparknotes Version of Your Content

We hate to be the ones to break it to you, but your website visitors are probably not devoting 100% of their attention to your site when they visit.  While your loyal client is on your page, he's probably also updating his status on Facebook, losing a bidding war on eBay, and writing an e-mail to his Aunt Maude.  (And you thought we didn't know that you were clicking back and forth between us and your fantasy baseball team right now!  It's okay - we forgive you - and we've got a couple of windows open too.)

Since web designers have now acknowledged that multitasking is a part of life on the web, they are more careful to keep the content on your site simple and easy to read.  Newly designed websites break up content by using shorter paragraphs and more bulleted lists.  If your page was designed a couple of years back, you may be losing your multitasking prospects altogether because of the text layout.

Make Your Invisible Boxes Disappear

Freshly designed web pages take advantage of looser interpretations of the "box model".  Back in the day, overlapping wasn't really possible on websites, so web designers had to essentially put each little piece of your page in its own little invisible box (think excel spreadsheets).  New technology has overcome that obstacle and made it easier to allow for elements of your page to layer over each other.  This means a lot cooler graphics and more layout options are now possible.  Translation: your website can look more cutting edge.

But...I Don't WANT a Flashy, Gimmicky, Annoying Website!

Relax.  Updating your website's design doesn't necessarily mean you have to add strobe lights and techno beats.  (In fact, please don't do that.)  An updated design can make use of new design elements and technology but still be tasteful and professional.  Think of it as making a classic recipe with fresh ingredients.  Making a classic recipe with ingredients from 2004 would result in a product that's...stale.

So if your website is past its expiration date, maybe it's time to think about an overhaul.

Are You Too Hip?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
When you are coming up with a design for your company’s website, there can be a temptation to put together something flashy and trendy. After all, websites like that can be amusing to play around with.

But before you bust out all the bells and whistles, take a minute to think about exactly what you want your clients to see when they open up your page.

Your Site Should Look Like You…

There are some people in your life who just wouldn’t look quite right if they rolled up to a meeting sporting 28 piercings, a tattoo-covered torso, and a pink mohawk. Your surgeon, for one. Your accountant. Since you need to trust these individuals with very specific and important life situations, a biker jacket might not be their best wardrobe choice.

The same is true for your website. If you want your company to seem legit, you might want to skip the crazy animations and other funky extras and focus on making sure that your website sends a clear message about your products and services. You’ve worked hard to become an expert in your particular field, and you want your site to appropriately showcase the awesome business you’ve developed.

There might be brilliant attorneys out there who enjoy wearing their hair in multicolored mullets, but a lawyer who looks the part is more likely to earn the confidence of his clients.

…And It Should Look Like Your Clients

As always, you have to consider your audience. You might be able to get away with a lot of wild sights and sounds on your website if your clients are, say, eleven-year olds on a sugar high. If your client base is mostly regular, everyday adults, then a conservatively designed website is probably best for you. If there’s even a chance that your clients might get annoyed or turned off by a fancy schmancy website, you should stick to something simple and user-friendly.

The moral - Whether you like it or not, people judge books by their covers, professionals by their attire, and companies by their websites. Make sure yours is getting the right information across and making your business look good. Let YouTube handle the entertainment.

Have You Assembled your A-Team?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Lost in The Web Jungle

There are bo-jillions of great e-marketing tools out there. Company web sites, social networking sites, forums, blogs, youtube, email, etc.

All are powerful by themselves. But they’re most powerful when integrated into a complete marketing strategy.

Assemble Your A-Team

Would the A-Team have worked so well without the individual personalities of each member? No way. and I pity the foo’ who thinks his marketing can survive with a website alone (sorry - I couldn't resist).

Your goals will require a few different tools, each with it’s own role to play. Before jumping into the world of e-marketing, you need to know your Howlin’ Mad Murdock from your B.A. Baracus.

Your e-marketing tools are like employees. Your salespeople make sales, your project managers get things done, your customer service people make your customers happy. The cooks cook, the servers serve, the bartender makes drinks, and the busboys clean up. Switch things up and you’ll have cold food, weak drinks, and pretty soon no customers.

Who’s Driving This Thing?

The moral: know the strengths of your media. Your blog positions you, rallies community and helps with SEO. Don’t ask it to make sales calls - It won’t succeed, and you’ll lose a lot of your community. Your email campaigns are good for direct marketing and communicating messages. Don’t use them as chat forums. Too many email blasts will decimate your mailing list as people get annoyed and unsubscribe.

And don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal. Without something to strive for, your marketing efforts will quickly dilute.

Update Your Site, Increase Your Sales

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Your website needs to be regularly updated. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again now, and I’ll say it as often as I darn-well need to get you to believe me.

A common reason for an update is a new offer from your business. If you’re doing some kind of crazy midnight sale for the first 100 people that show up with their pants on backwards, it should obviously go on your website.

To make the most out of your update, put together a few different techniques:

1. A Landing Page A landing page is a page on your website where you might send someone first. When you’ve got a great offer to talk about, you should have a landing page about it. It contains all the relevant details and some copy that compels people to take action.

2. A Home Page Button Right on your homepage there should be a button that leads to your offer’s landing page. This way the casual visitor to your site immediately discovers your offer, and only has to click once to learn about it.

3. An Email Campaign A couple weeks before your event, run an email campaign that builds interest in your event. Work with our eMarketing team to create an attractive frame and engaging copy, and include links directly to your landing page.

Update like this, and see your web site go from online billboard to interactive marketing mega-tool.

5 Ways to Avoid Getting Duped on Review Sites

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Last week we told you about a company that forced it’s employees to write glowing reviews of it’s services on independent rating sites. The company was eventually sued, but not before some unsuspecting people got duped.

When you read reviews on rating sites, take each one with a grain of salt. Here are five grains to help you evaluate the independence of a reviewer:

Is it all positive? Good reviewers know that their opinion is valuable only if it’s honest. Reviews that don’t touch on negatives or downsides to a service may not be in touch with the same reality that we normal people live in. Be skeptical of the all positive review.

Is it hyperbole? Does the review use a lot of extreme phrases like “Amazing” or “will change your life”? Chances are good that you won’t have the same experience. Call me a cynic, but I think we’re pretty well-educated consumers, and it’s rare that a product or service can truly amaze us.

Does the reviewer have a profile? If a review smacks of insincerity, read the writer’s profile. If possible, read other reviews they’ve written and compare the writing style. Do they always write the same way? Have they written reviews that bash competitors? Both are indicators of where a writer is coming from.

Does the reviewer rate other things? A good way to measure the value of a review is to see what else a reviewer has rated. If they’ve only written reviews of this one service, there’s probably a reason (e.g. maybe the place is owned by a friend). If they’ve written many reviews and come to different, realistic conclusions, you’re probably getting more honest answers.

Does the review apply to you? When I lived in Brooklyn, I used to get my hair cut at a barber shop that served alcohol. Actually, more like a barber shop that let you serve yourself some of their alcohol. They had this little bar in the back, and you could just grab a glass of whatever you wanted. It was the craziest thing.

It was a pretty cool little spot, but let me tell you something - it was not kid friendly. It was raw, smoky, and ... well let’s just say “Not P.C.”

I would have written a good review of the place, but I bet any mom who brought her kid in for a haircut would have given it a horrible review. Fair enough. It’s up to the reader to determine which of our reviews applies to him or her.



Hope this helps.

-Dave

The Top 3 Benefits of E-Commerce Sites

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
I haven't given you a list in a long time, huh? Well why didn't you say something!

How's this for a useful one:

The Top 3 Hard-and-Fast, Rock-Bottom Business Benefits of e-Commerce:

1. More Revenue Customer service is all about individual attention. No kidding. But guess what - your e-commerce site can give individual assistance to a bucket load of customers all at the same time. That's more sales, and more dough to feed the bottom line. Blammo.

2. Less Time Know what else? Your e-commerce site does 90 percent of the sales work for you. If someone can find your site, they can buy your stuff. That means the average time you spend on a sale drops dramatically. Write that down, junior.

3. Easy Marketing With an e-commerce site, all you need to market your product is a link. Email it to your list, and they're a click away from buying. So easy, a caveman could do it.

Check your pulse, Ladies and Gents.  If those aren't the kind of benefits that get you all hot-and-bothered, I don't know what will.

An Intro to e-Commerce

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Actually, you probably don’t need an intro. I bet you’ve used e-commerce sites many times before. If you’ve ever bought something from amazon.com, you’ve been a part of e-commerce. Even if you’ve just done some product research before buying something at a store, you’ve been a part of e-commerce.

What it is

e-Commerce is a name that covers a wide range of internet services. In it’s broadest sense, e-commerce is any of a number of web applications that allow people to research and buy products online. Examples being amazon.com, eBay, overstock.com, woot.com, and on and on. Essentially, any web site that gives visitors the ability to buy something online is a part of the e-commerce landscape.

Benefits to your Business

The benefits of e-commerce to businesses are obvious. By allowing your customers to buy your products at their convenience, you take advantage of sales opportunities previously unavailable to you. It’s like having a store that’s open 24 / 7. If someone want’s to buy your widget at 3am they can.

It also takes advantage of sales space you didn’t have before. Now your buyer doesn’t have to leave their house to purchase your products. Your store comes to them. They can browse as long as they like, add items to their shopping cart, and check themselves out. Your storefront is now in my living room.

Benefits to your Customer

The benefits to your customers are the same in some ways. Being able to purchase necessities quickly and easily leaves more time to accomplish other tasks. Being able to do so without driving someplace also saves fuel, and the frustration of standing in line. It makes shopping a less intrusive experience.

It also helps customers easily find what they’re looking for. With a searchable database of products, visitors simply type what they need, and your website brings it to them. No more wandering through a store, wondering if toasters would be with appliances or kitchen goods.

The research potential is not to be overlooked, either. e-Commerce sites allow people to browse prices and offers at different stores without having to actually visit them. By comparison shopping on the web, often stores find that customers need less guidance and have fewer questions.

e-Commerce is a win for both sides of the sales process.

Your Web Site's Personality

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Salespeople know a few things about authenticity. The best ones know how to bring their unique personality to bear in such a way as to create success.
Guess what else is like that.

Give up? It’s the thing I talk about every week…

Come on...nothin’?

Your WEB SITE, fa’ crying out loud!

Because Business is Personal

You can imagine that I’ve seen some doozy web sites in my time. Especially in the early days, web sites didn’t have much personality at all. Sure sometimes there’d be a funky background or a wacky image, but real personality had a hard time coming through on the web.

Well it comes through now. And in the business world, it’s expected.

Who You Are = Who Your Web Site Should Be

This is sort of a hard topic to talk about. Every business, like every person, has a unique personality that they bring to the table. Often, the most salient traits of an individual are what cause him or her to go into a specific business. You can’t always draw a box around those traits, but you can feel them. You know they’re there.

And those traits, when properly leveraged, can be exactly the ones that lead a person to success.

It’s the same on the web. The unique character of your web site, expressed in the colors, the copy, the imagery, the logos, the staff photos (or illustrations, in our case) all come together to give your web site a unique personality.
And that’s what sells

It’s a low-trust world we’re living in. That’s so true, that if someone hasn’t already used that line in a blues song, I’ll hang up my guitar and build web sites for a living (ok, I already do).

In a climate where trust is low, the really powerful people are authentic. And that’s what we’re building here at IntelliSites. Authentic web sites that reflect the real, core values of a business. Sites that engender trust, that water the seeds of business relationships. Sites that help you spread your message genuinely.

And you know what? It feels pretty good.

Managing Your Contacts on the Web

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
There’s a context-setting scene in the movie The American President (I know it’s cheesy, get over it) in which Michael Douglas walks through the halls of The White House on the way to The Oval Office on a typical morning. As he walks, his secretary Jane shuffles hurriedly behind him, whispering the name of the next person he’s going to see.

The gardener, the guy washing the windows - it doesn’t matter. Jane knows their names, their birthdays, how many kids they have and what kind of ice cream they like.

I don’t know about you, but I’d love that kind of help. Except without the following-me-around-and-whispering-in-my-ear-all-day part. That could get annoying quick.

At Your Fingertips

Having deep information on your clients is an invaluable tool for personalizing their experience of your business. If you’re the guy who remembers to ask how Susie is doing in her advanced basket weaving class, you’re building the kind of rapport that gets you beyond service provider and into caring business partner land.

The Web App that Cares

You could get that kind of detailed service from a custom web app. I’ve said before that we build web apps that do just about anything. One of the things they are great at is contact management.

We’ll build you an application that tracks more than the basic name, email and phone number stuff. We’ll build you one that has a place for meeting notes, email conversations, client files, payment history, relationship rating, how that client came to you, what projects you’ve done for them...I could go on and on.

Or you could go on and on. Because the greatest part about custom applications is that they are tailored to fit your business. Maybe you don’t need a list of projects, but you do need a place to keep track of relevant touchpoints with each client. Great! We can do that.

Not Just Cool for Nerds

I’ll be honest - I’ve got a thing for organized data. I’ve been known to salivate a bit over clever organizational systems.

But all that org-geekery aside, the benefits of a tight system are innumerable. As I mentioned earlier, having detailed notes on clients allows you to really personalize your interactions. The benefit of having up-to-the-second client info available to your whole team allows you to eliminate client update meetings. If anyone can post client notes a central database, then everyone stays in the loop, all the time.

And that’s about as close to magic as you’re likely to come.

Stop Guessing about your Financials

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Those of us involved in businesses of a certain size are familiar with quickbooks. Likely, we’re familiar enough to know that it can be a big, mean, grizzly bear of an application. Without some kind of accounting training, it can be hard to know which of the approximately 11 bajillion reports to use to get some relevant information.

Nothing against the quickbooks guys. They’re the leader in accounting software for a reason. But for the business owner who just needs to be able to get some simple snapshots of his or her financials, using quickbooks is like taking a space shuttle to work. It’s fast and flashy, but there’s more than a little overkill going on.

Monitoring your Benjamins with a Web Application

There’s a simpler way to get a good overview of your business’ financial state. We can build you a web application that keeps track of only the items that you need to see. One that lets you create invoices, track incoming and outgoing bills, and see the value of potential deals. Something you can print simple reports from that give you a high-level understanding of how business is going.

And since it’s a web-based application we’re talking about, you can allow your sales staff access to it anywhere they can get a connection. So when they close the big sale out on the road, you’ll see it in your report before they even call with the good news.

Now Don’t Get Me Wrong

We’re (obviously) not accountants here at IntelliSites. And we’d be fools to say that we can build you a web application that eliminates the need for your accountant.

But what we can do is give you easy access to basic company financials so you don’t need to call your accountant just to see how things are going. With a higher level of company financials available to you at the click of a button, you’ll see trends faster, see results of promotions faster, and be able to make much faster adaptations to company strategy.

And that’s just one more way for you to get ahead of the next guy.

Your Website As Helper Robot

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Now that so many of us are carrying web-enabled cellphones, people have a lot of options for staying organized. There’s a personal address book, calendar and email client on your phone, and on every computer you own.

But what if you need more than just personal organization? What if you need to integrate personal records and business records into a seamless, easy-to-use whole?

We’d suggest using a web application. But hey, that's just how we roll.

Inte-Great

Let’s imagine that you’re a dentist. You run a successful private practice with hundreds of patients and a team that includes receptionists, hygienists, and dental assistants. As a dentist, your job is to provide top-notch care to your patients. But as a business owner, your job is to make sure your team works efficiently so bills can get paid.

Wouldn’t it make your team run smoother if there was a master appointment calendar that was easy to update and could be accessed from any computer?

Duh. That would be awesome. But it would be even better if, right from within the calendar, you could click on a patient’s name and view a summary of their records. Suddenly, you can prep for your next appointment without leaving the room!

What’s that? Your hygienist is out to lunch, and you’ve just booked an emergency bicuspid soak for her the minute she gets back to the office? I see.  And you want to let her know so she can come back a couple minutes early, but you can’t call her because you’re elbow-deep in plaster.

Wouldn’t it be cool if the system could send her a text message with that info?

Like Robots. But Without the World Domination Complex.

We know how to make that stuff happen.

We’re kinda like robot builders that way. We build powerful robots that live in your computer and get really excited about tackling repetitive tasks. Robots that would rather scoot around your office and deliver messages than take over the world like in the Terminator movies. Robots whose prime directives are things like “Help Doctor Susan” or “Make Office Productive.”

You know, friendly helper robots. Robots that free up your time to work on the important stuff. Like the guy down the hall who tried to make his own fillings from sawdust and rubber cement. That guy needs your help. And maybe also the kind of help a dentist can't give.

Your Event Planner's Event Planner

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Last week I told you a bit about web applications and how they can save you money, time, and manpower. I want to give you a little more detail over the next few weeks about the way web applications work, and how they can work for you.

Managing the Details

Web applications are great at automating repetitive tasks. Events like conferences and trade shows run much smoother when supported by client facing systems.

For instance, say your non-profit organization is holding a golf classic. You’ll need a way  for golf foursomes to reserve tee times, a way to collect payments and logos from sponsors, and a way to take lunch or cocktail hour reservations, etc. Here’s how a web application can do all of that for you.

Taking Foursome Reservations
Scheduling a golf outing can take a lot of time and effort. Someone needs to call golfers,  ask for details, find out when they’d like to tee off, and cross fingers that a suitable time is available.

But it can be done much more simply with a web application. We can build an application that works like a day planner. Golfers could look at the schedule for themselves, find out what times are available, and book one right from their desk. They could even find out who’s teeing off at which slots. Maybe they want to talk about a business deal with another foursome. A web application would make it easy for them to tee off right before the people they want to run into.

And all this happens while your staff does other work.

Collecting From Sponsors

Dealing with event sponsors is a lot of work too. You’ve got to figure out who’s sponsoring at what level, collect checks, collect logos from companies, and make sure you come through on your promises to your sponsors. For big enough events, this kind of thing can take up every moment of a person’s day. Doesn’t it make more sense to automate it?

A web application can do all this for you. We can build functionality right into your website that guides sponsors through every step of the process. We can even work with outside services like paypal so that you can accept credit card payments. Sponsors can go to your website, pick a sponsorship level, send you a payment and upload their logo. Heck, you can even allow them to print their tickets!

All that saves you time. But just as importantly, it saves time for your sponsors. And that makes you look good. Next year, when they’re inundated with sponsorship requests, they’ll remember that yours wasn’t just a great event, it was easy to participate in.

Taking Reservations for a meal or cocktail hour

There’s a reason why golf is the unofficial sport of businesspeople. It’s the only sport that leaves lots of time for conversation. When businessmen go out on the course, it’s not just for the sport of it. It’s to make deals.

Why not help them facilitate those deals? In the same way you can use a web application to let golfers choose who they want to golf near, you can use another one to let them choose tables at the luncheon. Show them the floor plan, along with who’s booked which tables, and let them browse around the room before they even get there. It’s just one more way you can make your event memorable. And all while saving you time.

Your Project Management Toolkit

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Ever tried to change your own oil? Unless you're a contortionist, you've probably discovered that getting your oil filter off is damn near impossible. You need to squeeze your hand into a tiny little area, grab a hold of that greasy round sonofagun, and twist with enough force to break a three month old seal.

It's kind of like trying to pry that piece of food out from between your rear molar and the space left when you had your wisdom teeth pulled. Your tongue can't grab it, and it's too slippery to snag with your fingers. Plus, you look nuts trying to stick your whole hand way back there to grab it.

The solution to each of these situations is a specialized tool. Yanking your oil filter out becomes a lot simpler when you use one of these. And you can fish that hunk of barbecued ribs out of your teeth much easier using one of these jobbies. In each case, the specialized tool makes the job quick and easy.

Project Management - Only for the Organized

Today's web application focus is on Project Management. A complex job involving all kinds of measurables that need to be weighed, managed and communicated to the right people at the right time. A job that gets much easier if you have a few specialized tools.

And a web application can provide those tools. Tools that help you increase client satisfaction and save time.

Marsha the Marketer

Meet Marsha. She's a project manager at fictional company Big Idea Marketing and relies on all kinds of people to make her projects run smoothly. She needs writers, designers, printers and web developers to get her projects delivered. She also needs to keep her clients informed of steps along the way, and gather input from them.

It's a lot to keep on her plate. She leaves work late every day, feeling exhausted. She used to enjoy her job, but keeping all the pieces straight have burned her out, and she's thinking of finding a job with fewer moving pieces to keep track of.

The Web App That Saved My Life

Thankfully, the brass at Big Idea Marketing has taken note of how stressed Marsha is, and have hired IntelliSites to build them a custom Web Application. We've asked Marsha all kinds of questions, and have figured out ways to solve many of her problems. We're building an application that does all kinds of things for her. Her new web application will:

1. Track all the pieces of her projects We've built it so she can assign tasks and deadlines to each of her team members individually, view current drafts of documents, and leave comments. Her designers can upload new designs, her writers can add new drafts of copy, and her developers and printers have access to files so they can work on implementations and samples. Having all of this flexibility in one place makes Marsha more efficient, freeing her to manage more projects and still have time for a much needed coffee break.

2. Get Clients Involved The beautiful thing about a web application is that anyone with Internet access can use it at any time. We've built a special portal into the Big Idea Application that clients can use at their convenience. When Marsha sees something she'd like to show to the client, she simply marks it as "shared" and her clients get an email asking for their input. Clients leave feedback directly in the application, and Marsha's team can review it as soon as they have a moment. The team is more efficient, and Marsha's clients are happier knowing where the project stands.

3. No Learning Curve Marsha was skeptical about a web application at first. She'd used project management programs before, but found them so hard to learn and use that keeping them up to date actually cost her time. But when we built their custom application, we only added the things that Marsha needed. We didn't build any extraneous pieces, or force her to jump through any unnecessary hoops just to get things done. We built exactly what she needed in exactly the way she needed it. Now she just hops in, finds the info she needs, and moves on to something else. Instead of wasting time working on the software, she lets the software do the work for her.

Saving Time and Increasing Customer Satisfaction

That's the name of the game for the Big Idea web application. It frees up Marsha to get more done with less effort. And it gives clients a window into the process, helping to calm their nerves and avoiding big surprises along the path.

Next week, I'll show you how you can use a web application as a kind of personal assistant, keeping your dates, contacts and messages organized.

Using Web Applications to Solve Business Problems

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
This week I’m starting a mini-series of blog entries about web applications. I want to start things off by telling you the difference between a web site and a web application.

We all know what web sites are. As an obvious example, you’re on a website right now. It’s our website, and it’s a collection of information about us: what we do, who we help, and how we could help someone like you. It’s largely static, meaning that it doesn’t change based on who’s looking at it.

A web application is different. Much more like a piece of software you might buy for your computer, a web application helps you do something. A good example of a web application is Google Maps. Instead of presenting you with a static set of information, Google Maps takes information from you and helps you figure out how to get somewhere.

The Tip of the Iceberg

Google maps is just one of a huge number of web applications. Others you may be familiar with are Basecamp, Salesforce, and eBay. Each one of these uses your input to help you accomplish something (or things).

Guess What. We Build Web Applications

Yep, we know how to do that stuff. We’ve got a super talented team of developers that know how to build custom web applications.

Who cares? You do. Wanna know why?

Because having your own custom web applications can save you time, money and manpower.

One of our clients, The New York Rural Water Association, puts on an annual conference. Their staff used to work countless hours taking reservations, answering questions, and putting together the layout of the conference floor.

But then we built them a custom application that allowed conference participants to do all that work themselves. They can see which booths are open, which have been reserved, and who is in which booth.

Once they find a booth they like, they can register for it, pay for it, and even print their conference name tags from it. All without picking up the phone. All without help from the NYRWA staff.

All told, the new system saves The NYRWA time, money and effort. This year alone, the new system:

• Saved the yearly work time of 1/2 of a person
• Created a 25% increase in vendor registration
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Helped to sell out the conference for the first time

See what I mean?

The Slightly Larger Tip of the Iceberg

And that’s just one example of how web applications can help increase your productivity, your participation, or your profits.

Pretty appealing, eh?

Where are the Socks?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Know what I like most about specialized clothing stores like J. Crew? They're focused.

They know what their customers are looking for, so they don't need to worry about having every conceivable style of shirt.

With what you might call "retail whitespace" built in, it makes it very easy for your first time visitor to scan the store, find the section they want, and get there quickly.

Does your website provide that kind of experience? (I bet you can tell what I'm going to say next. Ready? Here it comes...)

IT SHOULD.

I've compared websites to retail stores before. In talking about brand and page design, I've mentioned that your site needs to be consistent, clean and well presented.

But it needs to be scannable too.

For the purposes of this discussion, we can divide your site's visitors into two categories: First-time visitors, and return visitors.

Your first-time visitors may need a bit of guidance. And the layout of your site is just the way to give it to them. There are loads of different ways to do it. Ways like making your home page copy engaging and entertaining, or offering first time visitors something for free. These ensure that you're delighting your visitors right from the get-go, thus making yourself memorable and encouraging return visits.

Your repeat visitors need some guidance to. Just not to the same places. If they've already taken advantage of your freebie offer, it's time to pull them in a little deeper.  Make sure there's something on your homepage that their eye will naturally fall on. Maybe a 'get a free quote' button. Maybe a "get to know us better" button that leads into a gallery of your work. There are loads of different options, but you need to make sure you're giving these visitors an easy path to engage with you.

In the same way that nice retail clothing stores make it easy to find what you need, so should you make it easy for your visitors.

The Effects of Site Layout on User Experience

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Ever seen one of these?

That's an eye tracking study by The Eyetrack III group. It shows all the points at which a person's eye rested while they were reading a website.

The study shows that the top-left corner of your website is viewed first and most frequently.  Then, most people just read headlines, and that people read about five headlines per page regardless of how many headlines there are.  You'd better make them count!

Tell me how this thing lays out

Web site layout can be one of the hardest things to talk about when discussing a web design. Everything is based on everything else, you have to take context into account, and decide what elements of a site you're going to feature.

Honestly, it's enough to lay you out!

We're of the opinion that layout, like particle physics and cutting your hair, is best left in the hands of professionals.

If you're not convinced, that's ok. If you want to take a whack at designing your own layout, make sure you keep these 4 thorny concepts in mind:

1: Content Hierarchy

Make sure you pick the correct point sizes for the body copy, header and all subheaders. Establishing a clear hierarchy of content is crucial to getting results from your site.

2: Correct Dimensions

Ever notice how most novels are about the same size? Newspapers, too, all seem to be about the same size. Magazines, picture books, coloring books...they all seem to be about the same dimensions as each other.

Web sites are the same way. For the most part, they all fall within a certain height and width range. It gets tricky when you start trying to place elements within your web site. You've got to figure out which elements are the most important, which ones will lead into which other ones, which ones will be clickable and where those clicks will go, etc. etc. etc... It's brain-tangling work, and without the right knowledge and tools, you'll find yourself with a sloppy, unprofessional, and possibly not even functional layout.

3: "Scannability" (yeah, that's a word)

If someone comes to your web site looking for a specific piece of information, how quickly can they find it? Ultimately, you've got to plan for all different kinds of visitors to your site.

Some will be the kind who just stumbled onto your site, and need you to approach them with some written copy and say "Hi! My name is Dimitri and this is my web site where I sell Chinchilla food. You'll find wet food, dry food, food in a bag, food in a can, even food in a collectors edition glow-in-the-dark margarita glass (salt optional)! If you have any questions, just click 'contact me.'"

(If you know any Dimitris who sell Chincilla food, please apologize to them for me).

But you'll also get those visitors who come to your site knowing exactly what they want to feed their chinchilla. They are not interested in your introduction - they just want to find a bag of Chinchilla Biscuits and move on. You've got to make it easy for these people to scan your site, make a quick purchase and go. It's easy business to get, but only if you've laid things out right.

4: Whitespace

Here's one you've probably heard all about: Strategic use of white space creates rest opportunities for your visitors eyes, along the path you intend for them to follow.  And it calls attention to those important items.

To prove it:  try looking at a billboard filled with small words.   Next, look at one that just says "This Billboard for Rent".  Which one stands out?

The bottom line is that it's crucial to provide your visitors with space on your website. You want to lead them gracefully through the elements of your site. You don't want to club them into oblivion with "buy now" button after blinking "buy now" button.

Are you convinced yet? Hopefully by the time your do-it-yourself flowbee haircut grows out, we can sit down for a chat.

Working with Color

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
When building a web site, there are about 450 billion things to take into account.

Ok...there are about 100 things (Don't sue me for overstating things.  Our web design business in is Albany, NY - the capital city of New York State.  In any political town, it's hard to stay truthful when politicians are all around you).

But 100 things to look at is still a lot of details to keep straight! And it only gets more complicated when you start talking about color schemes.

Color Me Blind?

The color scheme of a web site is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Get the scheme right, and everyone wins. Clients, visitors, and designers are happy as clams.

But get the scheme wrong, and everyone loses. Sales drop, visitors feel uncomfortable, and designers lose sleep at night, wondering where it all went wrong.

Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding on a web color scheme:

1. Cultural Perceptions:

Did you know that in India, white is associated with unhappiness? That's a good piece of knowledge to have if you will be marketing to people from India. The Internet is worldwide, so if you have a global audience, you need to be careful what your design choices symbolize to people coming from different cultural backgrounds. 

2. The Urge to Buy:

When making purchases, people often put some kind of reason into their consideration process. But more often than not, the real decision to purchase is made emotionally. If someone feels good on your web site, they're much more likely to buy from you. The colors you choose for your web site set the emotional tone, so make sure you choose them well.

3. Please the Eye: 

Well-harmonized color schemes have a pleasing effect on a person. Conversely, poorly harmonized schemes repel people. If your web site's colors clash, you'll find visitors that come to your site quickly move on to another one. They won't be sticking around to read your content or buy your stuff.   Red and Green?  Try again.

4. Your Audience:

A 25 year old guy with a penchant for snowboarding and other mountain activities will probably love a site like this one. But that wintery scheme isn't going to work for a 40 year old mom looking for something fun to do with her kids in the summer. She'll be looking for something more along these lines. My point? Know your audience. Don't use colors you like, use colors your customers like.

And by the way, if you don't have any current branding, working with your web design team is a great opportunity to come up with some. When you get settled on some great colors for your site, you can start to use those in your other collateral as well (business cards, letterhead, etc.)

Three Great Ways to Update your Site

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
In a previous post, we explained why updating your web site regularly is important – it’s an easy and inexpensive way to retain your customers’ attention and loyalty.
But is there anything else on your web site you can update besides content? Absolutely! Below are three great tools to add to your web site to keep it relevant, current and to keep your audience coming back for more!

1. Add a blog – like this one! A blog is a great way to share news, information and stories with your customers. It keeps them informed, which is the first step to building a successful long-term relationship. Your blog should have a title that clearly explains its role on your site and a list of categories for easy browsing. Also, the information you share on your blog should be relevant to your business or industry. Your customers don’t care what you ate for lunch! (Unless you are a food critic.)
   
2. Include a calendar of important dates, like customer events, milestones and appropriate local happenings. A calendar is another great way to update your site, while communicating with your audience. They will thank you for helping them stay on top of the latest goings-on.
   
3. A message board is another great tool to keep your web site fresh and inviting. It allows people to post their comments or questions and also encourages discussions amongst your audience. Message boards can also increase your traffic, as posters will check back often to view new messages and replies to their own posts.

These three tools are fast and easy ways to keep your web site relevant not only to your customers, but also to the search engines. By keeping your audience informed, entertained and up-to-date, you show them that you care about their needs and want their loyalty.
Your web site doesn’t have to be a bore! So, update it with the above tools and remember to keep it fresh and interesting, but above all – keep it relevant!

Cross-Browser Headaches

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
A few months ago I was talking to a local business owner who needed a website. Despite my warnings, he decided his best bet was to buy a consumer-level web design product and build his own site.

I saw him the other day and he's nearly bald from all the hair he's been pulling out. I resisted the urge to say "I told you so." (It was hard.)

"My web site looks ok on my computer at home, but it looks COMPLETELY DIFFERENT on my computer at work!" he yelled. "How is that even possible?!" he wanted to know.

The thing he hadn't counted on, and that so-called "web design software" can't seem to handle, is cross-browser compatibility.

Cross What What?

Every internet browser (for example: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera) is different. Many of the differences aren't noticeable to your casual user, but a few of these differences can create undesired effects. In fact, even between different versions of a particular browser, there are often some major quirks. Depending on what version of what browser you use to view a website, colors might look different, objects may be in different locations, and interactive elements might behave wildly differently.

There are ways to fix these odd behaviors, but you're not going to find them in the manual for your software. There's no "fix my problems" button in design software, and without the knowledge to tweak the code yourself, you're stuck.

The best choice is to work with an experienced designer from the start. Trust me, it will save you money in the long run. Web sites created with consumer-level programs are often so convoluted that having them fixed by a professional is more expensive than having a pro build one from scratch.

SEO (Overview)

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
You may be hearing the term SEO a lot lately. With the economic downturn in full effect, businesses are shifting marketing dollars away from costly strategies like TV ads, and toward more cost-effective approaches like SEO.

So what is it?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. In short, search engine optimization is a process (or series of processes) applied to a website that helps it to place highly on search results pages for specific keywords.

Here's a little exercise to help you understand what I mean:

Go to www.google.com and search for the word 'chocolate'. The top results include an article from Wikipedia, the Hershey's web site, the Godiva web site, Ghirardelli, and the website www.chocolate.com. All of these pages are clearly about chocolate, three of them are from world-renowned chocolate makers, and all five of them are extremely relevant to the term you searched for. These pages have been built in such a way as to convince the Google search engine that they are, in fact, the most relevant results for someone searching the keyword 'chocolate'.

These sites are optimized. And as a result of their high placement, they are going to get more traffic than any of the other 116,000,000 (seriously, look in the top-left of the results page) websites that Google found about chocolate.

Why SEO Is So Important

It's widely accepted that the power positions on a Google search results page are the top three spots. Once you drop to #4, the chances that someone will click through to your site are quite a bit smaller. The numbers drop even more drastically once you go past position #10 (that is, onto results page #2).  Optimizing your web site is one of the only ways to get into those top few positions.

The other reason that SEO is such a strong marketing strategy is that it creates qualified connections.  Someone using a search engine to find a product or service has already identified their own need and is actively searching for a solution. If you're one of the first options they come across, you've got a much better chance of getting the sale.

Learn more about our search engine optimization and other search marketing services.

Compete.com - Not So Competitive?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)

Just recently, I've had at least three people come to me about a web site that tracks your web site visits, called compete.com.  They called because of what is being reported by Compete.com's analysis of their web site - either in a panic because it looked like they were getting no traffic, or crowing because it said they had a bajillion visitors.

Compete.com - what do they claim?

Compete.com claims to show "competitive metrics on every site on the web, powered by the largest pool of online consumer behavior data in the industry".  Essentially:  "show me my competitor's traffic!"

They even have a funny tagline:  "Track your rivals.  Then eat their lunch."

(That's funny:  I thought it was "eat them FOR lunch."  Why would I want to eat their lunch?  Gross!)

Anyway, they get their data from numerous sources.  Their biggest source is apparently the two million people who have downloaded their search toolbar.  They take the data from each person's history, and use that to guess how much traffic any web site gets.   On the surface, it's a really cool tool.  And it does work...kinda.

Should you be concerned?

One of those who seemed concerned initially was WNYT.com - Albany's local NBC TV affiliate.  They said that another local TV outlet was going around town with printouts of the compete.com web site statistics.  Of course, those statistics in hand indicated that the "other guy" was getting much more traffic to their web site recently.*  They came in saying: "Quick! Please buy from me today while we're ahead!!" 

It sounded funny.. in both ways.

Funny Ha-Ha

Funny because the 'other guys' (in this case the local CBS outlet) get spanked regularly in regular TV news ratings by WNYT.  I mean, every Neilsen rating, without fail, in almost every age group and demographic.  It's been going on for so long that the other news outlets have a fixation on who can just be number 2 .  One such CBS guy was heard to say:  "Hey, sure they beat us in the 35-50 demo... but we kill in the 90+ demo between 11-12 a.m. during early bird lunch specials at the diner!"

(OK, not really.  They don't 'kill' there either.  But trust me, that's very close to what they say.)

Smell Test Funny

It also seemed funny because the web site traffic comparisons seemed off.

It doesn't make sense that the web site of the TV market's "first place leader" would rank behind the web site of the TV market's  "first place loser" .  If you watch news on one TV station regularly, it seems that you'd follow that one on the web, too.  Think about that:  If you buy at Wal-Mart, do you think of Target.com first on the web?

So I asked WNYT to supply their monthly traffic from LiveStats, their highly regarded on-site statistics program.

Our own little Fact Checking

I took a look at what WNYT provided from their actual web site statistics.  Wow.   For February 09:

Actual Statistics show:  168,717 unique visitors.
Compete.com statistics indicated:  59,569 unique visitors.

That's pretty bad.  But I gave compete.com the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe they just didn't get one month right.  So I kept checking, going backwards.

January:  Actual 261,683; Compete claimed 300,000
December:  Actual 272,602; Compete claimed 250,000
November: Actual 272,602; Compete claimed 90,000
October:  Actual 148,335; Compete claimed 100,000

Holy cow.  Those are some big differences.  Don't trust compete.com alone with your daughter.

Keep Looking.

And, being one of the area's largest web design firms with 500+ web sites, I took a look at some of our own actual Google Analytics statistics from a bunch of the web sites we manage.  Google Analytics is installed right there on the site - and it tracks completely accurately, and privately.

Here's a graph of what Compete.com said:

[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="547" caption="Wild and Crazy Swings!"][/caption]

 According to Compete.com - their best month was under 10,000 visitors.  their worst month was 1,800.

Will the real statistics please stand up?

That's right...their worst month ever was just under 10,000.  Who is running compete.com..are they working for an Albany politician, too?

Nothing to see here.  Move along.

So you see, both fact checks seem to bear witness:  Compete.com is cool for water cooler talk.  That's it.

And if you use it for water cooler talk, you need to find a better hobby.  Really.

* Oh - one more thing.  What were the results of the Pepsi Challenge?

You may not have noticed the asterisk above in the first few paragraphs.  Those other guys from CBS, showing the "great" results vs. WNYT?  Did they get too much of Liz Bishop's hairspray in their eyes? Here's what compete.com said:

[caption id="attachment_77" align="aligncenter" width="544" caption="WRGB - we're #2!"][/caption]

Check it out for yourself. 

It shows that WRGB.com has about 1/2 of the traffic that WNYT.com does.    But we know compete.com is way off... maybe CBS' web site does get a lot of traffic.  The question is:  how off are they?

I invite CBS to send me their data, and let's settle this the real way - with real statistics from your actual web site statistics.   I'll post your results too and then you can have a news team rumble.

Otherwise, I've got to assume that WNYT remains the true leader.

Playing by Google's Rules

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
According to a recent figure, 81.57% of all searches conducted over the internet go through Google. Next in line is Yahoo!, holding a meager 10.07% of the remaining search traffic.

That staggering number means that in the SEO game, Google gets to make the rules. And if you want to get a high page ranking on the worlds most popular search engine, you better play by them.

What are these rules?

It's impossible to come up with an exhaustive list of what Google likes to see. Their preferences are deployed through search algorithms; mathematical formulas that give different weight to various characteristics of a web site, and then sort the results based on how well they match the terms entered by the searcher. The mathematical nature of these preferences makes them hard to fully describe with words.

But there are some things we know for sure.

1. Google has a heavy bias towards informational resources. Search for just about any broad topic (like "money" or "France") and you'll get a Wikipedia reference near the top of the page. That's because Wikipedia is absolutely loaded with well-researched, well-written information. Google can tell, and rewards Wikipedia handsomely.

2. Google likes to see high-quality incoming and outgoing links. This means that if something on your page links to, say, a related article on CNN.com, Google gives you a thumbs up. If you have a link that goes to a web page that has no relevant content and no sensible reason to be attached to your page, you get the Google thumbs down.

3. Google is smart. It's able to look at the content on a web page and determine if you're actually writing an informational piece of text, or if it's simply a long list of the same keywords over and over again. Tactics like this worked for a while, but Google caught on, and has a tendency of punishing pages that employ them.

So how do you make Google happy? It's  relatively simple, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

To get a good ranking with Google, you should focus on two things: adding valuable content, and getting involved with good people.

On the Internet, you add valuable content by writing informational articles and putting them on your web site. Often. The more you update your site with good content, the better you look to Google. Over time, they begin to see your site as an information repository, not just an online sales floor.

The way you get involved with good people is through high quality links. If you're a realtor, you want to make sure you've got links on your page to resources that help homebuyers. If your company makes cookies, have links to things like the FDA's web page, or a well-respected nutrition web site.

With Google, the emphasis is on quality over quantity, so with every update you make to your site, make sure you're giving your visitors something valuable.

If you need a bit more guidance, don't be afraid to drop us a line.

-Dave Borland

(Relevant) Content is King

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
We've developed over 500 web sites in the last eight years, for all kinds of businesses and organizations.  Big companies, little companies, florists, lawyers, politicians, tattoo parlors, retailers... you name it - a real eclectic mix.  There's a real common thread between them - they all think they can write.

Some of them are right - they really CAN write.

And some of them really CANNOT.

They also have another thing in common - each client has spent a lot of time with us on the design.   We'll go over usability, navigation, colors, pictures, 'calls to action' buttons, you name it.  They get that.

But when it comes to adding content to the design, a typical response is:  "My friend, I've been writing since elementary school.   I'll write it."  Or, "we'll just throw in a few bullet points and be done with it.  Or my favorite:  "we'll just 'borrow ideas' from another site"  (you guessed it - that was a politician.  Not an original bone in their creative minds).

Get this - relevant content on your site is king.  Don't relegate it to court jester status.

What exactly is relevant content?

Your web site’s content is basically all the “stuff” on the site. All the words,  images and audio.  Everything that your viewers see, read, hear and experience is content and it’s extremely important to your site.

Good content rules.

The whole idea of the web is to make lots of information easily accessible to the world. The best way to make it work for you, is to fill your website with great content. The more relevant and interesting your web site’s content is to your target audience, the more it will resonate with them as potential customers.

To Google... and Beyond!

The better and original the content is, the better it will do with search engines, too. Search engines use special formulas called algorithms to comb through a web site's content, looking for pages that match the search criteria. The more clear and relevant a pages’ content is to that search phrase, the higher up in the search engines’ results it should appear. And that’s money in the bank for you.  As your web site climbs higher on a search results page, the chances of it being clicked increase exponentially.

Here are a few guidelines to use when creating content for your site:

1. The information you post on your site needs to be useful, educational, informative, valuable or just plain entertaining.
2. Update your content regularly to gain an edge on your competition.
3. Know your target audience and what they want to read, hear, see or know.
4. If content is king, spelling and grammar are his crown and robe (ooh, that's a good one!).
5. Paragraphs and sentences need to be brief. Blocks of text are intimidating to the reader.
6. Use lists, bullets and numbers (like these!) to better outline text; just don't use it exclusively!
7. Make sure all of the content is relevant to your company’s identity.

This list should help you weed out the useless and inappropriate info that is clogging your site and holding it back from reaching its full potential. Because with too much of the wrong information, search engines will never find your site and customers will never want to visit it.

Just remember, when it comes to your web site – lots of content is great, but relevant always rules.  With an iron fist.

Until next week,

-Dave Borland

So You Have a Web Site. Now What?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)

Last week we laid out 12 questions you can use to gauge your web site’s effectiveness. Question #9 talked about making regular updates to your site, and I wanted to talk about that in a bit more detail.

Often a new web site owner thinks, “Okay, I took the plunge and got a web site for my business. Now I can get back to my daily routine and let my website sit out there on the web and do its thing.” You can do that if you like, but it’s not going to bring you much value.

Your web site must be dynamic.

We’ve said previously that your web site has to be like a well-designed retail store: user friendly and inviting. And like all successful stores, to keep customers interested and coming back for more you have to give them more.

You have to update your web site with interesting and relevant information often. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to hold your customers attention.

A great way to do this is by creating a blog for your site, like this one, that offers regular viewers helpful hints and industry updates. Another way is to include a calendar of upcoming events or sales. Anything that will give you the opportunity to have an ongoing conversation with your customers can work double duty as a web site update.

If your customers become bored or disinterested in your site, they will find one that piques their interest more. Don’t let that happen to your web site. Update it frequently and your customers will find it worthy of repeat trips.

Until next week.

-Dave Borland

12 Questions You Can Use To Evaluate Your Website

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Last week I promised to help you self-discover how well your web site is serving your needs. Answer these 12 questions as a way to concretely analyze how well a web site does it's job.

1. Is the first impression "Wow!" or "Whoa..." ?
We all know how important first impressions are, and your web site has to make a good one. When someone visits your site for the first time, are they immediately impressed? You want a site that looks professional, fits your other branded materials, and communicates powerful reasons to buy from you.

2. Is your web site usable and easy to navigate?
The web is built on information. How easily can someone find it on your web site? If there isn't an easy way to access every page of your web site within two or three clicks (your browser's 'back' button doesn't count), you're testing your visitors' patience.

3. Does it load fast?
By some estimates, you've only got five seconds to load your web site before your visitors get annoyed. Does your web site make the cut?

4. Do all the parts work?
I see this happen all the time - a business has a decent looking web site, but when you click the links they go to pages that don't exist or are 'under construction'. If you've been saying "I'll get that fixed eventually" consider this - every person that clicks those broken links has a disappointing experience on your web site.

5. Does your web site quickly communicate a reason to buy from you?
The core question that your visitors want an answer to is "Why should I buy from you?" Your web site needs to answer that question quickly. The more time you let that question simmer in your visitors' mind, the more likely they are to look for an answer somewhere else.

6. Does your web site ask for the sale?
Your web site needs to have calls-to-action in the right spots. You need buttons that say "Buy Now!" or "Get a Free Quote!", and you need to put them in the right spots.

7. Does it read well?
The way your web site is written will have a significant effect on your visitors' experience. The text on your site should strategically guide your guest from casual visitor to engaged buyer. The writing should target your audience, have an inviting tone, and highlight important talking points about your business.

8. Does it encourage visitors to come back?
Some visitors won't be ready to buy from you on the first visit to your site. You need to give these people reasons to come back. Updated content, free services and discounts on overstocked inventory are good ways to encourage a return visit.

9. Is your web site updated?
Your web site needs to be updated regularly to make sure that it stays relevant to your visitors and your business. The web is constantly changing, and if you're not updating your web site at least once a month, it can quickly become obsolete.

10. Is it ranked on search engines?
Statistically, most visitors come to a web site via search engines - so this could be the most important question. If no one can find your web site through generic keyword phrases, it doesn't matter how good the site is.

11. Does the site reflect the current state of your business?
Has your business gone through changes since your web site was designed? If so, it's time to update. Part of what makes the web so powerful is that it is up-to-the-minute. You web site needs to be, too.

12. Does it help you accomplish your goals?
Your web site should have some concrete goals. Is the goal to sell, either directly or through contact inquiries?  Is the goal to cut support hours? Or maybe to generate positive PR? Ask yourself how well it meets these goals.

Your web site is a complex tool.  Are you using it to its full potential?