Dealing With Negative Reviews Online

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
It's inevitable. Someone is going to have a problem with the way you do things. It really may not be your fault. After all, not even the best customer service team in the world can make everyone happy.

But what do you do if this grumpy customer decides to post a negative review of your business online?

Here are two strategies for damage control.

1. Reply...tactfully.  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT write what you actually think of the complainer's comments. Before you sit down to draft your response, feel free to punch a punching bag, strangle a bobble-head doll, or invent and shout numerous clever nicknames for this customer. Once that's out of your system, put your own spin on something simple like this: “Our business strives to provide superior quality products. Please call our office to discuss this situation.” You'll sound professional, you're not admitting or denying anything, and you've offered to discuss the matter with the complainer in a more appropriate forum. Bada-bing.
2. Encourage happy customers to post positive reviews. This isn't something you want to approach every client with. But if you have some loyal clients that you're close to, ask them to decorate the web with some positive feedback about your company. You can find relevant review sites and point your happy customers in the right direction.  (If you've got really great customers, you could even mention the idea of including a link to your website in these positive reviews for a mini SEO-boost.)  It's not a bad idea to do this before that unfortunate day when you find that someone has posted a less than thrilling review. Having plenty of positive reviews out there will make a negative one seem like less of a big deal.

By the way, don't forget that a negative review can be a learning experience if the customer has made a valid point. The reason the comment was posted was to communicate something about that client's experience with your company. Sure, it would have been cooler if the communication took place in less of a public way, but moving forward, you may be able to make some improvements that will lead to clients who have nothing but awesome things to say about you.

Using YouTube for Business

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Did you know that YouTube is the world's second largest search engine? That's right, more searches go through YouTube than through any site in the world besides Google. Getting your brand on YouTube can be a powerful strategy, if you do it right. Here are three ways to make it work for your business.

1. Video Testimonials – See if some of your customers will agree to give you 30-second testimonial. Get yourself one of those little flip cameras and just shoot right on the fly. Then run it through free video editing software to make it look professional, upload, make sure the video is optimized, and away you go. Let your past customers convince your future customers that your company is the right choice.
2. Tips and Tricks – Use YouTube to share some of your expertise with the world. If you're an accountant, chat about some money-saving tidbits. If you own a coffee shop, demonstrate how your customers can best brew your premium coffee at home. Showing off your knowledge is a great way to establish credibility with potential clients.
3. Saturate Search – Google likes to mix up its search results by showing popular websites, blogs, videos, and more. Using properly optimized YouTube videos is a great way to 'own' search results for your company. If your company has a YouTube channel or plenty of videos, you have an SEO edge over your competitors who don't.  Adding any content to the web helps you SEO-wise, but YouTube videos are an especially sweet way to stand out from the crowd.

Why Web Design Templates Are Usually A Bad Idea

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Buying a stock web design template can seem like a time and money saving move. Instead of paying for a custom site design, why not pay a little less for something that already exists, right?

But those templates can be trouble. Here are a few reasons to avoid the slice-and-bake cookies of the web design world: 

1. You don't know who built the template. And thus, you don't know if it was built well, or what kinds of problems it might have. Chances are, it's not search engine friendly, and maybe it won't work on certain computers. In short, you have no way of knowing if you are buying a lemon.
2. It may be very complicated to update. Depending on the way it was built, you may have an updating nightmare on your hands. And since the point of a website is to display your company's most up-to-date information, it wouldn't be cool if you had to go through a process and a half every time you needed to make a change. With stock templates like these, there's usually no support included, so there's no one to ask if you need help. You buy one of those babies, and you're on your own to keep it going – for better, or, more likely, for worse.
3. It may not meet your goals. There are a million approaches to building a website. Some designers focus on things that simply look good, so there are some templates out there that seem appealing because they look flashy and fun. But if you're just picking out a template on face value, you're likely to miss out on the functionality that your website could offer. When you work with web designers like us, you'll see that we focus on designs that help you meet your business' goals. Unless you can talk to a designer about your goals for the site, how will you ever meet them?

It's true, sometimes people use prepackaged dough and survive...but there's nothing like homemade.

5 Benefits of Using Custom WordPress Designs

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Today I'd like to take a second to give some love to WordPress. For those of you who haven't been introduced to this powerhouse, it's a free content management system that can do just about everything but rake the leaves. We've recently started recommending WordPress to all of our clients.

Here's why: 

1. Designs can be completely custom. Unlike many other content management systems, WordPress allows the designer to do just about anything he wants. That means you can have your website the way you want it – no compromises.
2. It's SEO-friendly. Everything's built on DIVs as opposed to old-school tables, and this gives your website points with the search engines. And while some content management systems negate your SEO efforts by burying your keyword-optimized content under layers of code, WordPress makes your content easy for search engines to find. It even offers lots of options for adding meta-info like tags and keywords to earn even more SEO points.
3. It's easy to learn. Using a CMS like WordPress makes it possible for business owners to work on their own website updates, but no one wants to spend hours learning confusing new software. With WordPress, you'll be able to work on your site painlessly without having to conquer the ins and outs of programming language. If you can handle Microsoft Word, you should be good to go with WordPress too.
4. It's stable. People all over the world have volunteered their time to work out the kinks in WordPress, so it has become a very stable platform. So no need to worry about it crashing any time soon.
5. It's customizable. If you need WordPress to make your website do something special, there's often a 'plugin' (basically the "app" of the WordPress world) that can make it happen. No need to invent the wheel if the application's already out there...and in most cases, it is.

 

All this from user-friendly open source software. Rock on, WordPress.

How Much do Websites Really Cost?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
A website is a must for every business, but how much should you actually spend?

There is no set monetary figure for creating a website. It depends on your budget and the functionality of the site. Think about how you use your website and then divide your web budget accordingly.

If your website is an “online brochure,” consider investing more money in content writing and design, so visitors can quickly glean information. If it involves more complicated features, place your money in custom programming. Do some research and see if there is a readily-available option for your use, as it might save you money in the long run.

Think about incorporating Search Engine Marketing (SEM) into your website, as well as other social media and internet marketing tools. Be sure you have measurement tools built into your site, as you’ll be able to track the value on your investment.

Allocate your dollars to the most important functions on your site. Don’t forget the additional costs for domain names, hosting and maintenance. Find a company that can provide all services in-house to help keep costs down.

Death of the Phone Book

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
The end is nigh for those hefty phone books cluttering up your home (or taking up space in the recycling bin.) According to a recent article from the Associated Press, Verizon is doing away with the white pages. There are plenty of statistics showing the decline in phone book usage that definitely justify Verizon's decision to no longer produce the mostly useless, costly, and wasteful residential phone book. And it's no surprise. When was the last time you didn't call someone directly from the stored number in your cell phone? Yeah, I can't remember either.

Beyond Verizon

This trend is national, and it doesn't look good for the future of the phone book. Check out this article about how the Yellow Pages Association is suing Seattle, Washington over their city ordinance that charges fees for phone book distribution and penalties for unwanted delivery. There's even an entire organization dedicated to banning the phone book. No surprise they're sponsored by an online directory.

Even the Business Listings?

Business listings are holding out for now, but probably not for much longer. Typically the internet (which is accessible on most cell phones) is the first place someone looks for a business's phone number or address. And since most businesses have a website, have posted their address and phone number on all the major search engines' map features, and have submitted listings to all the major online directories, then there's no trouble in finding them. You can totally bypass flipping through the phone book and getting your fingers all smudgy from the ink on those tissue thin pages. Sometimes a phone call isn't even required since savvy businesses post their hours of operation, maps, directions, products, services, and coupons all on the internet anyway.

So if you're a business owner and haven't done all that already, then you better do it fast (we can help you with that by the way), because the internet, and Seattle, are killing phone books.

Is It Web Design or Web Development?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Web design/web development...po-ta-to/po-tah-to, right? Not so much.

A lot of people mix up the terms “web design” and “web development” or think they mean the same thing. But although they have common ground, they're not really synonymous.  I surfed my way to an article by Warren Baker the other day about web design vs. web development and decided that it'd be a good idea to clarify the difference between the two for you. 

So...Which One's Which?

When we talk about “web design,” we really are talking about (surprise!) design. Web design includes jobs like developing eye-catching layout, writing killer content, and selecting the right colors for your site. These elements come together to create your website's overall vibe. And the aspects of your website that result from web design are the things your visitors will see right off the bat when they visit your site.

“Web development,” on the other hand, refers more to working out the behind-the-scenes elements of a website. If we're working on web development, we're doing things like enhancing your website's usability and functionality. We're writing code that makes it possible for your website to do cool things, like collect visitors' e-mail addresses or let them order online. We're giving your website a purpose and bringing it to life.

Both web design and web development are key to the creation of a new website. Web design without development would be a non-functioning work of art, and web development without web design would be an ugly machine.

Luckily, at IntelliSites, we're experts in both web design and web development, so our clients walk away with beautiful websites that can do really super stuff. Welcome to the best of both worlds.

6 Mistakes Tech Businesses Make on the Web

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Check out this article about mistakes small technology companies make when marketing on the web. These folks came up with some bang-up examples of things to avoid in the web design process.

The post addresses commonplace web marketing no-nos such as

• overusing the term “quality” on the home page
• emphasizing what equipment you have rather than what it can do
• claiming that you can take care of your customers' every conceivable need
• promising that you can serve every type of client
• being wishy-washy about the precise services you provide, especially in your first sentence of your home page

I think this is a really solid list of blunders to avoid, but there's one mistake I see a lot that is actually the root cause of a lot of these others.

The Sixth Mistake...Or Maybe the First

And this sixth web marketing mistake that small tech businesses often make is...doing a DIY job on their websites. It's something I see all the time – technology-related companies generally have people on staff who have the know-how to put together a website, so they go for it.

The trouble is...there's more to designing a website than being able to put one together. In addition to the technical magic, it requires some marketing IQ. Web design companies generally have someone on their team with the marketing background to put your content together the right way. A marketing wizard can do things like identify your true niche, play up your company's best qualities, and promote the ways that your company's technology benefit your clients. In other words, a web design company will hook you up with someone who will help you to avoid all the mistakes the article advises against.

Putting your website together in-house may seem easier and cheaper, but it's not a corner you should cut.  (Office birthday parties, on the other hand, could probably be phased out if you're looking to save a few bucks.)  Web design companies like IntelliSites can help you avoid these five and other common mistakes, and avoiding mistakes will generate more business and bring more clients knockin' at your door.

Make More Money on Your Website; Own the Most Targeted Search Phrases

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
When it comes to SEO, there's no crystal ball that predicts exactly which keywords will work best for everyone. But our experience in the world of SEO has taught us about a few strategies that help businesses develop the right keywords to attract buyers.

Many of our SEO clients want to place for phrases that are a combination of relevant and highly trafficked. And that makes a lot of sense if you play your marketing like a simple numbers game. Drive lots of traffic, and hope to turn a small percentage into a sale. And for some companies, in some circumstances, it works out.

But if you get a little deeper into search marketing, you realize that some search phrases are more likely to send more buyers to your site instead of browsers. And everyone would rather have one buyer than ten browsers any day.

Bring Me the Buyers

So let's talk about these magic phrases that lure more buyers than browsers. Let's say you own an Italian deli. Many people would consider targeting search phrases like 'sandwich shop' or 'deli.' And if your site is optimized for those phrases, you'll probably end up with a bunch of visitors to your site. And in all likelihood, you'll make some money from doing business with a few of them.

But, instead, let's say you optimize your site for phrases like “Italian deli,” “Italian sandwich shop” or even “fresh sausage.” Those phrases are more specific, so clearly the guy who is typing them in knows exactly what he's looking for and is most likely actively shopping. If your site pops up when those phrases are googled, the googler is much more likely to choose your business because it's exactly what he was searching for. Sure, less people are looking for “Italian deli” than “deli,” but people seeking an Italian deli are the ones you want to reach anyway, right?

Hit the Bullseye

So at the end of the day, broad keywords can yield lots of hits, but narrower keywords can get the right hits. And IntelliSites can work with you to find a winning combination that will bring the right kind of traffic straight to your site.

Experts vs. Order-Takers

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Discrepancies between web designers and their clients regarding the look and feel of a website are not unusual. Rarely does a website get made that the client and designer can completely agree on without a few compromises being made along the way. Unfortunately, there are times when the client and designer seem to disagree on almost everything. The designer will create a stylish design that he or she thinks is in-line with the requirements for the project, only to have the design turned down by the client. Sometimes these disapprovals from the client will happen multiple times. This can create a cyclical pattern of redesigns that eat up time and patience from both the designer and the client. Avoiding this cycle is ideal, but requires a strong level of communication and mutual understanding. There are essentially two forms of compromise that can occur between the designer and the client, and both stem from defining the designer’s role.

A designer can either take the role of an Expert or an Order-Taker. These roles are at opposite ends of the spectrum and deliver different results, which result the client prefers should be established early in the client-designer relationship.

The Role of an Order-Taker

An Order-Taker does as the name suggests, and takes orders. This role places a large portion of the creative control of a website’s design in the hands of the client, who will give the orders that the designer fulfills. The advantage for the client is that they will eventually get what they ask for and likely feel as though the finished product is due in large part to their influence. This requires a large investment of time on the part of the client however, since they are required to check in on the progress of the project and weigh in and give more orders. Ultimately, the designer’s creativity will be stifled and the client’s demands will inhibit the experience the designer has in the field from coming through in the final website. A website that lacks a professional appearance is surely not what a business owner wants as the face of the company’s web presence, and isn’t something the designer will be proud of either.

The Role of an Expert

Conversely, an Expert is a professional with a depth of experience in the field that is exhibited in the quality of the final product. An expert will take information from the client, consider recommendations and requests, and while following the guidelines for the project, will put together a website or page that is aesthetically appealing, functional, and in compliance with the most current web standards. If the project guidelines aren’t specific enough, then the designer is more likely to create something that doesn’t coincide with the client’s vision, and revisions will then be necessary to satisfy the client. By clearly defining both the role of the designer and the project guidelines early on, costly delays and discrepancies can be minimized. When the designer takes the role of an expert, then the client needs to trust that the designer will act as one, and work without need for frequent check-ins, reviews, and approvals, and ultimately deliver a web product that lives up to the quality standards of an expert in the field.

Which Would You Prefer?

Clearly the role that a professional web designer should take is that of an expert. This requires a clear understanding of that role before the work is started, and requires that the client trust the expert’s abilities. If the client prefers that the web designer merely be an order-taker, then they should realize that the project will be a lengthy and likely frustrating process that results in a substandard product.

Make More Money on Your Website; Be the Most Usable

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

Whether we're talking about straightforward electronic gadgets, simple recipes, or usable websites, the less time and thought involved these days, the better.

But not everyone on the web is completely on board with “easy” just yet. Who hasn't ditched an online shopping experience at one point or another because the checkout process of a particular site was too time consuming? Who hasn't been annoyed by a poorly laid out website and tabbed over to another company's site out of frustration?

Rise Above The Rest...With Usability

Since there are clearly some sites out there that need an “easy” makeover, having a usable site can set you apart from the crowd. If online shoppers are happy with the usability of your website, they're likely to return for more business.

One example of this is my cell phone carrier's website. As far as ease of use, it's top notch. If I want to pay my cell phone bill in full with the same credit card I used last month, I can log in and get the job done in two clicks. That's Click. Click. Done until next month. Whenever I think about getting a new cell phone provider, one of the things that stops me is fear of the unknown with a new company's website. What if I have to click four times? Or, even worse, type something in? After having it so easy with my current company, I just don't know if I could live with that.

If you're not sure whether your company's website is user-friendly enough, why not get some friends to test it out against the websites of your competitors? If your site isn't the simplest to use in town, working out the hassles can be a great way to win clients by making their lives easier.

Social Media – How to Maximize Your Efforts

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


Social media is an incredibly valuable tool that should be integrated when crafting your website. Here are three easy ideas on incorporating social media:

1. Consider your website a branding hub for your company. This is where all your online activities should be found. Be sure your messages are clear and consistent, and don’t lose focus of what social media is supposed to do.
2. Use easy to read widgets that post your social media feeds right onto your website. Place them in an area that the reader’s eye naturally travels to. Generally speaking, the upper right hand margin is a good location. Check out websites with lots of advertising (such as online newspapers). Ads are typically placed in areas that will receive many glances while reading content. Follow a similar style for your site.
3. Allow people to share information from your site on various platforms. Include badges for tools like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Del.icio.us, and StumbleUpon. This is especially true for any blog you might maintain on your website. You will increase your chances of reaching new customers that way, and will also drive visitors to your website and social networking feeds.

Make More Money on Your Website; Reduce Friction

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Have you ever been to one of those direct sales parties?

There are a lot of different themes out there for these shindigs, many of which are geared toward women – makeup parties, jewelry parties, cookware parties, and the like. If you've never experienced one of these functions, it's a regular party with a very large elephant in the room – a sales person, peddling a line of products to the attendees.

For the hosts of these get-togethers, the goal (besides enjoying their friends' company, of course) is to get their guests to buy things. The more things the partygoers buy, the more freebies the host or hostess receives. So at a direct sales party, the deliciousness of the food and the excitement of the conversation may not be the host's primary concerns – she's often paying more attention to how much money her friends are dishing out.

Party Time on Your Site

Since you are most likely selling goods or services through your website, you're in a position similar to that of a typical sales party host. You want people to show up to your party, you want them to have a good time while they're there, but you don't want them to leave without buying something. Having a lot of people party down on your site is a good thing, but what you're really looking for are conversions.

So what can you do to point your party people in the right direction?

The Proper Balance of Business and Fun

There's enough fun at a typical direct sales party to attract a decent crowd. Some snacks, some drinks, maybe some tunes on the stereo. But it's not a rave. And keg stands, bouncy houses, and ice luges usually aren't in the picture. There's entertainment, but not so much craziness that people forget to check in with the salesperson.

Your website should be designed the same way. You want to attract visitors, but not distract them. By designing with selling in mind, you can have a website with enough going on to entice visitors to look around, but not so much clutter that they lose sight of the reason they came. Conversions will happen naturally if your site is well-designed with minimal distractions and plenty of positive suggestions that encourage your visitors to get shopping.

And like the host of a gourmet chocolate direct sales party, if you set everything up right, you can end up with plenty of sweet rewards.

5 Ways to Make Your Website Project More Productive

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
If you've recently chosen IntelliSites to put together your website, we're confident that you'll be thrilled with your website when we're done. But websites do take some time to put together, so a lot of our clients ask us if there is anything they can do to help speed up the process.

Here's what we tell them.

 1. Appoint an internal point person. It's up to you whether you refer to him or her as the point person, the IntelliSites Guru, the Website Ninja, or “Dr. Website,” but at the end of the day you just need a person who is in charge of interfacing with us regularly. This is the person who gathers up questions, comments, and feedback from your end and delivers it to us.

 2. Familiarize yourself with our milestones sheet. Our clients receive a handy little sheet that breaks down the time-line for their website projects. If you're wondering when something needs to be returned to us or when you can expect something on our end, our milestones sheet puts it all there in black and white for you. (Not to mention yellow, blue, and green. We tend to make them quite colorful.)

3. Understand what each deliverable is for. During the web design process, we're going to show you our progress a few times along the way. Two important things we'll show you are the wire-frame and templates. We'll show you the wire-frame when we've got a plan for how the website will be laid out. When you view it, remember that you're JUST looking for layout - don't worry about colors or fonts yet. When we show you the templates later on, that's the time to tell us if you're not feeling the colors or the graphics.

 4. Make a list of what you hope to get out of this website, and share it with us. Have your Website Ninja shoot us an e-mail about your major expectations and hopes for this website. These thoughts have certainly come up a number of times along the way in our discussions with you, but it doesn't hurt anyone to develop a succinct list of the most important big picture stuff.  We'll change the font to Monotype Corsiva, print it, frame it, and use it as our inspiration as we work. 

5. Remember that a website can be updated, changed, and optimized. In fact, it should be! So there's never a now-or-never decision when it comes to building your site. Don't sweat the small stuff too much as you try to make decisions about your site. We can put together an amazing site for you now, and then keep building on the awesomeness in the years to come.

What's a Website Conversion?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
For a change of pace, let's talk about real estate open houses today.

When a home is for sale, realtors hold open houses to get it sold. There are tours and balloons and snacks and it makes for a super little Saturday.

While a seller's agent would certainly enjoy seeing a house full of open house visitors, the ultimate goal of the open house is to sell the house, not to throw a great party. So while a full house is great, the real estate agent is likely to gauge the effectiveness of the open house by figuring out how many attendees actually took a step toward buying the house as a result of their visit. How many took home brochures? How many scheduled another viewing? How many made offers?

As You Probably Guessed, I'm Really Talking About Websites

Think of your website as that real estate open house. If your SEO is going well, chances are, you've got an open house full of people visiting your site. But what you really want is for those people to take steps toward giving you business.

These steps are called “conversions.”

Let's say your website sells water guns. When someone clicks from your homepage to the page about your new model, that's a conversion. When that person adds the new gun to his shopping cart, that's another conversion. And when he completes the process and actually buys the water gun, that's also a conversion.

Real estate agents want lots of visitors to their open houses, and business owners want lots of visitors to their sites. But just as realtors need visitors to do more than just chat and chow down on the open house food, business owners need visitors to do more than take in the beauty of their sites. Real estate agents want to give out pamphlets and collect bids, and business owners want website conversions.

Businesses That Blog Get 55% More Traffic

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
I see you've made it back to the IntelliSites blog today. Welcome! At IntelliSites, we love visitors to our blog...a lot. After all, visitors to our blog are visitors to our site. And everyone loves company at their website.

If you're looking for more friendly folks to drop in at your site, then blogging could be a great option for you, too.

How Blogging Helps

I've said it before, and I'll say it again – blogging's awesome for your site. Do you want a better relationship with your clients? Blog. Want to showcase your expertise? Blog. Want to improve your search engine rankings? Blog.

It really is an easy way to make your site a lot better. To get a lot more visitors, a lot more links, and ultimately a lot more business.

How Much Is “A Lot”?

If you're interested in exactly how much blogging can help, check out this sweet article by Rick Burnes I came across the other day. This guy did some research and discovered that small business websites with blogs get 55% more visitors than websites that don't. I knew blogging was worthwhile, but even I was impressed to see just how much oomph it can bring to a website.

Aside from giving away free diamonds or bags of benjamins, there's really nothing else you can do on your website that can give it that much of an edge.

So blog. If you don't have one yet, start one. If you have one that you've been neglecting, show it some love. But there's no good reason to let your website get 55% less hits than it should.

What is Hosting?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
If you have a website but no one is there to visit it, does it really exist?

This one's a lot easier than that “tree falling in the woods” question.

The answer is, definitely, “Yes.” Thanks to its host.

Hosts 101

A host is a computer that stays on 24/7 and holds all the files that make up your website. It waits patiently for a web surfer to type your website's URL into his browser and then sends him your page. Whether it's morning, noon, or night, the host is in charge of serving up your website to anyone who wants to see it.

Every website needs one of these babies. So if you have a website, it already has a host.

Of course, if you don't have a website yet, then you A) need to get one, ASAP and B) will need a host to make it work. Don't worry, though, you don't have to go out and buy a special computer to leave on day in and day out. If we design your website for you, we can make sure it gets hooked up with a host.

Always Working For Your Website

Yes, hosts are pretty neat. When you're relaxing on the beach, enjoying a round of golf, or catching some Zs, the host is making it possible for the world to visit your website. You may never get to see your website's host, but whether day or night...whether rain or shine...whether you think the tree falling in the woods makes a sound or doesn't make a sound...that host is working for you.

Learning About Websites from Walmart

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
In terms of selection and price, it's hard to dispute that Walmart has a good thing going. Walmarts, and Super Walmarts in particular, have such a wide selection of merchandise that they carry pretty much everything you might need.

But it's not enough to have everything. Walmart continues to be successful not only because of its prices and products, but also because of its careful organization. In most Walmarts I've visited, I don't have to walk around the whole store to find what I'm looking for. (Well, except that time I was sent on a search for a fondant roller. Long story.)

Thanks to careful store layout planning and plenty of labeling, customers can find what they need without making a day trip of it – which is important to busy shoppers.

Organizing Your Website

If you've got a complicated website with lots of pages and content, congrats. You've got an impressive gold mine that's likely to draw in lots of customers – just like Walmart does. And for those customers who are bored/procrastinating/internet obsessed, it offers plenty to explore.

But for those customers who are busy/multitasking/shopping around, time's at a premium. So making sure that your pages are logically organized makes your website accessible and user friendly for them, too.

When an internet user arrives at your website, he should have no trouble finding what he's looking for because of careful organization and clear labels. Navigation buttons to important pages should be highlighted and drop-down menus should organize the remaining pages.

The Best of Both Worlds

When you have a website rich in content and functionality that is also well-organized, you've got a site that will appeal to everyone. Customers who need to quickly check a price or get a quote can get in and out, while customers who like to browse will have plenty to look at.

It's just like when you go to Walmart. Walmart caters to both types of customers – the Express Line crew and the bargain hunters who stroll through the whole store and collect a cart full of goodies.

And by having both the selection and the organization that appeal to so many, both Walmart and your website can continue to impress both types of customers and bring them what they need.

How to Really Test the Effectiveness of Your Website

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Your friends probably all have the link to your website. And I'm sure you've probably asked them at one time or another, “So...what do you think of my site?” And chances are, depending on the types of characters you associate with, the response was something along the lines of “It's great!” or maybe “It's sweet!” or maybe even “Have mercy!” (if you happen to be friends with Uncle Jesse).

And yeah, that probably gave you a 10-second ego boost, but it didn't give you a whole lot of information about the strengths and weaknesses of your site's usability.

Next time the topic of your website comes up with your friends, here's how you can make it a little more productive.

That's What Friends Are For

Friends make great guinea pigs when it comes to testing out your site. Let's say the primary goal of your website is to collect contact information so you can add visitors to your mailing list. If the form for that is located on your “Contact Us” page, you need to make sure that a visitor to your site can get there quickly and easily.

So enlist a friend to pretend to be a customer. Set him up at the computer, tell him his goal is to get to the “Contact Us” page, and set him loose. And then just watch. Watch his face for signs of confusion or frustration, take note of where his cursor is and where he eventually clicks, and measure how long it takes him to accomplish the task. And if he's a really good friend, ask him to navigate to the form from various different parts of your website, and take note of how that goes.

This basically gives you the chance to see how a real person interacts with your site. Was it a quick and painless experience? Or was it a challenge?

Your Friends Might Be Too Nice

The truth is, if you ask your friends for their opinions about your website (or your clothes, or your haircut, or your significant other, for that matter), they're probably going to tell you what you want to hear. But if you ask them to use the site and watch them in action, you're more likely to find out the truth about your site.

Keep Your Customers Coming Back

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Everyone seeks ways to increase website traffic. From SEO to advertising, there are myriad ways to drive people to your website and get your name “out there.” But what about your current customer base? What motivation do they have to continue to visit your website?

Sending reminders to check back in on the website is a good first step to increase return traffic. Try including an offer for a “customers only” download. It creates a feeling of “exclusivity” and adds value to the customer’s account with you. Everyone wants to feel special, like they’ve got something no one else has. If you make this download something incredibly useful to your customer, they will jump at the chance to download a new tool their competition doesn’t have.

Consider incorporating Smartphone apps into your website, or other downloadable tools. If the download is something that will help customers find your products, utilize your services, or make payments easily, customers will keep returning to see what new, useful downloads you are offering. “Customer only” downloads show that you care about your clients’ time and resources and work to develop innovative ways to increase their productivity.

The Most Popular Search Engine, Google, and How it Got That Way

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Google is, hands down, the world's most popular search engine. And we're here today for no reason other than to give it a shout out.

There are a lot of factors that make it the favorite. For starters, it's fun to say. (Go ahead, yell it. Goooooogle!) And it's easy to use. And it allows you to limit your search results to images or videos or maps or shopping results. And it's tied to a really great e-mail system, Gmail.  And it's got other fun features like Google Analytics, Google Earth, and Google Docs.

But beyond all those perks, the number one thing that makes it stand out is its effectiveness as a search engine. When Google delivers results to a web surfer, he's usually satisfied with their relevance. Through continuous testing and improvement of its ability to sift through results, Googlers are finding what they seek on the Internet. And thanks to frequent changes to the algorithms that allow Google to deliver results, Google remains awesome even as new content is added to the web.

Learning from Drake

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Here's an important rule of thumb: If the marketing theme you use on your website would fit in on the “Headlines” segment of the Jay Leno show...rethink it.

Iowa's Drake University has developed a new “D+” logo that graces the cover of its viewbook and was formerly displayed on its website. According to a screenshot from the university's website displayed in this article by Brett Michael Dyke, the university used the “D+” as part of the slogan, “D+ The Drake Advantage: your Potential + our Opportunities.”

But with the obvious connotations of a D+ in the world of education, many have questioned the school's choice to display a D+ so prominently, and an article by the Associated Press stated that some faculty, alumni, and students are among those showing their disapproval.

Good thing it's not called Frake University.

Of course, some will point out that people are talking about Drake University more now than they ever have. But I'm not sure about that “any press is good press” argument when it comes to an educational institution...or many other types of businesses.

Bottom line – if you're thinking about rebranding, look at all the implications of your new marketing theme before you commit.

The Ups and Downs of Focus Groups

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Since websites are built to be used by all types of people, it makes sense that a variety of folks should give a new website a try during the development process. One way to do this effectively is to call together a focus group and gather feedback about how your website runs.

When focus groups are called into service, a few different things can happen.

And Some of Those Things Are Good...

A lot of positive things can come out of a focus group. When the group comes to a consensus about an element of your website that needs to be reworked, you've struck focus group gold. If each member of the group independently has the same hang-up, you know it's time to patch up that part of the site and that doing so will make your site more user-friendly.

And focus groups are especially good at coming up with constructive criticism about names of pages and names and locations of navigation buttons. If you can get some advice from your group about these elements, your group has done its job.

...But Some of the Things Aren't So Good

Sometimes focus group participants get a little carried away. If you've got a really outspoken crew with a variety of opinions, you can end up with conflicting information that just confuses things. It's quite possible that five focus group members could have five different opinions about what should be highlighted on the homepage of a site, and following all the advice would result in a page with too much clutter. Nothing kills a design faster than “Design by Committee,” and a focus group could generate a bunch of ideas that you'll need to wade through.

So does it make sense to run a new website past a focus group? Sure. I just don't recommend taking all of the advice given and running with it. It's cool to listen to and consider a variety of ideas as long as you just go forward with the best ones.

And who should you invite to participate in the focus group? I like this crew (although Binky's going to need to watch his mouth.)

Web Design Usability; What It Means to Be Usable

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
You probably have a lot of tough stuff to learn and think about at work on a daily basis. Petty cash, cash flow, flow charts, annual reports, TPS reports, imports, exports, inventory, outventory... it's chaos out there in the business world. So today I'm going to talk about something deliciously unambiguous. No curve balls here. What I'm going to talk about is exactly what it sounds like it is.

And our topic is...usability.

Which deals with...you guessed it...how usable a website is. In other words, is it easy to use? Or is it hard to use?

Who Cares About Usability?

Well, for starters, your website visitors (a.k.a. your potential customers). They actually care about it A LOT. When web surfers visit your website, their expectations are probably all similar – they all want the website to be easy to navigate. As they click around, they are going to find out that either A) it is easy to use or B) it is not easy to use. If it's choice “B,” the wussy visitors will click the “X” immediately and travel to one of your competitors' websites. Meanwhile, the brighter, more adventurous, and more determined visitors may stick around for awhile, but as their frustration levels increase, they too may opt to leave the site.

The middle of a shopping spree on your website is no time for natural selection to take its course. You want ALL the customers, including the lazy, tired, and easily confused, to make it to the checkout without quitting.

Okay, So Apparently It's Important...But How Do I Increase Usability?

Since this post is just an Intro to Usability, I'll just say this – the simplest websites to use are simple. Too many choices and unnecessary bells and whistles can distract and confuse visitors to a site. Now, that's not to say a website with lots of functionality can't be usable, too, if it's been designed correctly. But I'll save that for another entry.

For now, the takeaway is this – Usable websites are easy to use and navigate, customers prefer usable websites, usable websites are simple and straightforward, and IntelliSites loves to design websites that are simple and straightforward.

It's that simple.

Refresh Browsers; This and Four Other Must-Know Browsing Tips

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Have you heard that statistic that says humans only use 10 percent of their brains? Well, use of the internet is no different. There's so much possibility built into modern internet browsers that people (even us nerds at IntelliSites) sometimes can't keep up. But here's the inside info on five basic features everyone should know how to use.

1. Refreshing your browser. Websites are constantly changing. New content is uploaded, graphics are changed out, and news is posted. But sometimes your browser doesn't notice these changes right away. You'll often need to refresh your browser to get the updated version. You do that by clicking on the swirly little arrow up on your toolbar. They look a little different from browser to browser, but if you want to make sure you've got the right button, rest your cursor on it for a second and “Reload this page” or “Refresh” should pop up. If it does, that's the button to click to see the most up-to-date version of the web page you're viewing.

2. Smart addresses. In many modern browsers, if you know the website you want to visit, you can usually skip the "http://" and the "www" when you're typing it in. In most cases, it's enough to start with the name of the site (e.g. just type intellisites.com, not www.intellisites.com). Over time, all those extra seconds you'll save will add up. (Incidentally, you should be typing those addresses into the address line of your browser, not into Google...)

3. Tabbed browsing. Instead of having multiple windows on top of each other, all modern browsers offer tabs, a way to see every window you have open as if you had a pile of clearly labeled folders in front of you. It's multi-tasking made easier.

4. Code view. Looking at code view can be a confusing and disorienting experience for the non-programmer, but it can help you find some of the hidden things behind the scenes of a website. This isn't something you'd do on an everyday web surf, but you might want to do it when you visit your competitors' websites so you can take a peek at the keywords and title tags they're using.  To get there, usually you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+u or Shift+Ctrl+u, or just right click anywhere on the page and choose “View Source” or “View Page Source.”

5. Find on page. Ever clicked on a Google result and been confronted with an extremely long page page of text? Don't waste your time and your eyes trying to scan the whole thing for the part you need. Use the find feature to locate exactly what you need. Press Ctrl+f (or Command+f on a mac) and type in the word or phrase you're looking for. Voila! Your browser will find it and highlight it for you!

I hope these tips help to make your web experience just a little more super.

Pick Your Surfboard

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Mozilla's Firefox is among the most popular web browsers in the States. This is a pretty incredible feat since Firefox is entirely open source. That means it's not a business product, but a product that's been built by a team of volunteers all over the world.

So, if it's so popular, should you make the switch to Firefox?  Maybe.  But more importantly, what's the deal with choosing a browser?

Web Browsers 101

Let's begin at the beginning. In order to surf the web, you need a web browser, which is the software application that makes it possible for you to do all the things you do on the internet. Now, when you first bought your computer, chances are, the folks who set up your computer included Internet Explorer for you and set it as your default.

While it was nice of them to get you started, now that you're going, you do have the option to shop around. Since browsers are generally free, what you're shopping for is the browser with the right features. Different browsers have different takes on security and options for customization. Browsers also vary on how fast they run and how they display certain web pages.

Be More European

Thanks to antitrust laws in Europe, European internet users have recently been given a new way to select the best browser for them. Europeans who use Internet Explorer now actually have a screen that pops up and prompts them to learn more about other browser options. (Yes, that's right, Microsoft's Internet Explorer is now required to help internet users learn more about and even download other browsers.)

While IE doesn't offer this browser choice screen for Americans, it doesn't mean you can't do a little good old-fashioned Googling on your own to find out more information about the browsers that are out there and which one's right for you.

And Firefox Can Help

And to get you started, the makers of Firefox have put together a website explaining the importance of choosing a browser (and here's another site with the same goal). Check out these sites, talk to your friends, and see what's out there in terms of browsers. Maybe you should join the crowd and make the switch to Firefox. Maybe IE 8 is the one for you. Maybe you're destined to be an Opera guy. 

I have just one request. Please. Don't. Use. IE 6.

But I'm cool with the other browsers.  Pick the best one for you, and enjoy the ride.

IE 6 Issues -- Why You Should Upgrade

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
At IntelliSites, we don't generally go around saying that anything “should die.”

Today will be an exception.

Internet Explorer 6 should die.

This early version of the Internet Explorer web browser has a lot of bugs that can cause websites to display incorrectly. For us web design types, that means a lot of extra work to get the websites we create to look good on IE6 users' computers. It's not that we would mind doing the extra work, of course, if IE6 was doing a bang up job browsing the web for its users.

But it's not. In fact, it's a very limited browser, with fewer features and capabilities than other browsers or even newer versions of IE.

Banding Together to Say Goodbye

Luckily, we aren't the only ones battling against this old beast. We have some comrades on social networking sites that have banded together to express their desire for people to stop using the browser. And in Denver, a mock funeral was held in March in an attempt to get web users to get over IE6. Even Microsoft itself acknowledges the advantages of upgrading to a newer version of Internet Explorer.

To our delight, as each month goes by, fewer and fewer web surfers use IE6. But this slow changeover is taking too long. The time has come to put the poor old browser out of its misery once and for all.

If you are one of the holdouts who is still using IE6, just go for it and upgrade. Why use an old browser when there is a snappy new one just waiting for you?

Avoid Spyware - How To Keep Your Computer Clean

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Is your computer slowing down? Do you click on your internet icon, run to the kitchen to get some macaroni and cheese, and come back to find that your computer is still not connected to the internet?

You can thank spyware for that.

Spyware, malware, viruses...you hear a lot about these sneaky predators these days. They get into your computer to reconfigure things, steal information, track your activity, or at the very least, slow things down.

If you're in the market for a better browsing experience, here are some tips you can use to avoid these pests and keep your computer moving along.


Don't Just Click It. Links are fun to click – but they can be dangerous. Whether they are links from webpage to webpage, links on social networking sites, or links in an e-mail, be very careful about which ones you click on. Evaluate the situation and use caution. Is the link in a strange-sounding e-mail from a long-lost acquaintance? Did the link randomly pop up in a little box on your screen? Was the link found on a website that seems a bit shady? If so, hold back.

Don't Trust Every Website. When you Google a topic, there is no guarantee that every site that comes up is 100% trustworthy. Search engines look for relevant sites, but they don't always screen out sites that were set up with malicious intentions. Before you click, check out the web address – is it extremely long and complicated? Does it end with an unusual domain name? Also, read the description and see if it makes sense. If it's just a jumble of nonsense phrases, chances are it's a site that's out to poison people with spyware or other malware. Choose another site from the list that seems more legit.

Sometimes the Best Defense is Offense. Avoiding suspicious links and websites will decrease the amount of spyware your computer is exposed to, but it's really difficult to be vigilant enough to avoid it all. In addition to being careful as you surf, be sure to install antivirus software on your computer and keep your subscription up to date. Freeware programs like Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware can also be downloaded to help attack the spyware programs that have already made their way into your computer.

With these tips and a little luck, you'll end up with less mac and cheese in your belly before your computer connects to the internet.

Maybe You Don't Need Social Media

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
We recommend social media to many of our clients. It's a great way to discover what your customers want, to interact with them in a place where they are comfortable, to generate search engine rankings, and so much more. But it's not right for everyone. If you're not prepared to do it right, it might not be the right strategy for you. Ask yourself these four questions to see if you're ready for it:

1. Could my business benefit from hearing what people are saying about us? If you already know exactly how people talk about your business, you might not need social media. On the other hand, if you're not tracking your word of mouth reputation, you may not be able to afford not to participate in social media.
2. Could we benefit from learning more about our target customers? If you think you know exactly what it is that makes your customer tick, maybe you don't need social media. Maybe your sales are great, and finding more effective or efficient ways to serve your customer just isn't a priority. 'Nuff said. Social media might not be in the cards for you.
3. Would it be useful to meet and talk to industry influencers? If you're the kind of business who leads the pack (y'know, like google), then maybe you don't need to worry about social media. You influence the influencers, and your business leadership is regarded as the gold standard. That's great! The connections you can make on social media probably won't turn into any valuable insight or influence.
4. Are we willing to commit to using social media?  Having a half-hearted social media presence is like having a lousy TV commercial – it can annoy people and do more harm than good. If you set up Facebook and Twitter accounts but don't have the time to follow up when people ask you questions, you're going to have some disappointed customers. Should you decide to enter the social media scene, make sure you are prepared to update your pages regularly and interact with customers punctually so your followers and fans feel the love.

Who Doesn't Like Free Stuff?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Some people actually spend a lot of time scoping the internet for free stuff.  And there's plenty of it out there. With its coupons and free samples and freeware, the internet can provide hours of entertainment for people looking for complimentary goodies.

Everybody Else is Doing It...

One way to increase traffic to your site and make your email list grow is to join the crowd and offer something for free. If it's something super cool, the freebie alone might be enough to lure people to your site. A really cool screensaver or some wallpaper, for instance, can attract a party if it's unique enough.

If you can't come up with something earth-shattering, there's nothing wrong with something tried and true. Good content packaged in a list or an e-book might not cause a mad rush to your website, but it may help you to collect the email addresses of people who do visit. If you have information and visitors to your site need it, volunteering their email addresses is usually no big deal. (Just make sure not to collect that email address as part of a complicated 28-question form...you want them to get what they want without feeling hassled.)

Look at it this way...people go to the trouble of taking cars and cabs and buses to go places that offer free stuff or even discounts...and they can visit websites that do the same without even leaving the comfort of their homes.  If you were doing some online browsing, wouldn't you appreciate getting something for free?

Meet Your Audience's Expectations

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
I'm hungry. Let's talk about restaurants.

Everyone likes going out to eat. And when we go to restaurants, we tend to have certain expectations about how the experience will play out. We assume, for instance, that there will be a menu. And that there will be an opportunity to place an order. And that after we've ordered, someone will cook the food for us and serve us. It's not lack of creativity that makes most restaurants follow these norms; they are rules that work, and restaurant patrons are most comfortable when this pattern is followed.

If you entered an unfamiliar restaurant and discovered that it did not have a menu, for instance, chances are good that you'd feel a little uneasy. All legitimate restaurants you've been to before have had menus, so you'd be likely to question what type of establishment you had entered. And even if you got to order whatever you wanted and the food was delicious and you enjoyed your experience, you'd probably leave there thinking, Well, that was kind of weird.

Following the Unwritten Rules

This idea applies just as well to web design.  When we enter a new website, there are certain patterns we expect it to follow. For example, we expect that the elements that will help us navigate from page to page will be located on the top or side of the screen. There's no reason why a web designer couldn't make a diagonal row of navigation buttons that extends from one corner of the page to the other. But instead, web designers stick to the unwritten rules of web design because they want to follow their audience's expectations and help them stay comfortable as they browse.

So while IntelliSites is on the cutting edge of creativity when it comes to web design, don't worry, we do believe in keeping some things conventional. We realize that meeting your audience's expectations helps you to earn their trust, and we want people to leave your website thinking happy thoughts about your company rather than thinking, Huh?

All right. It's really time to eat.  I'm off to a regular, restaurantly restaurant with a menu, a cook, plenty of food, and no surprises.

Fewer Choices for More Usability

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
I overheard some people talking about “Hick's Law” at a party the other day. (I really must stop attending such WILD social functions.) Anyway, sounds like the gist of Hick's Law is the idea that it takes people more time to make a decision when there are many options to pick from. In other words, it takes much longer to decide between three options than it does to decide between two, and it takes significantly longer to decide between four options than it does to decide between three. And so on and so forth, until apparently it levels off. (At that point in the conversation, people started talking about logarithms, so I made a beeline for the buffet.)

Using This Idea for Web Design

Although they may not know that this idea is called Hick's Law, good web designers take this concept into consideration every time they design a website. As a business owner, you don't want people to come to your page and stare at it blankly while they try to decide where to click.  You want those visitors to explore, interact with your page, and stay interested. In order to make this happen, good web designers don't crowd your page with a boat load of options; they keep it simple and easy to navigate.

Even complex websites that do involve lots of options tend to make the decision process easier by organizing the choices. It's rare to visit a website and see fifty links right on the front page.  Instead, a website that has fifty pages to offer tends to organize these choices into categories and present them in drop-down menus. This breaks the decision making into smaller chunks and avoids wasting the website visitors' time.

So Keep It Simple, Got It?

So there you go. I've been a fan of dynamic yet straightforward websites for years, and now I've got a law backing me up.  Get rid of clutter and unnecessary choices, and your customers will find your website easy to use and fun to visit. (Much more fun than, say, that party.)

You Can Trust Your Design Team

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
It has been said that "the proper limit of trust is prudence, not fear."  And we agree.  You see, we're experts in web design, and we rely on our clients' trust to deliver great products.  But sometimes, clients get a little bit nervous because they feel that their end product will be out of their control.

We know where they're coming from.  It's their business after all, and websites are important.

If you are one of those people who gets anxious about letting your web design team work its magic, take a deep breath.  We know what you're going through, and we know how to help you get through.

It's Just Like Getting a Haircut

Whether you are having your website designed or getting your hair done, an element of trust is absolutely necessary.

When you first sit down in the chair at the hairdresser or the barbershop, you get to talk to your hair stylist about your vision for the haircut.  But once the stylist gets started, you just sit back and trust that it will all come out right in the end.

And, if you've picked the right hairdresser, it will.

Now, during the process, there may be a few times when you get a little antsy in that hairdresser's chair.  The haircut might start looking a little different than you initially anticipated, and you might be tempted to grab those scissors and try to finish up the hairdo yourself.  But, truthfully, as long as a competent hair stylist is in charge, you are probably better off to let him or her complete the job.  And chances are, you'll be satisfied with the results -- and much more so than you would have been if you had grabbed the razor yourself in the middle of the haircutting session.

In the same way, once we have a feel for what a client wants and needs from his or her website, sometimes it's best to let us take it from there.  We don't mind a little feedback here and there, just like your barber probably doesn't mind a request like, "How about a little more off the top?"  But just like you wouldn't grab your hairdresser's hands and guide them to each strand of hair that needs to be cut, sometimes it's a good idea to just let us do our thing.

After all, we have built over 600 websites for clients from all industries, and we haven't built a dud yet!

Trusting a web design team, or a hairdresser, can be a little tough, but in both cases, it's in your best interest to do so.  You want your website and your hair to be gorgeous, and both web designers and hairdressers have been trained to make their respective projects look great in the end.

The Four Unwritten Rules of Social Media

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
You could hire anyone to help your business with Social Media Marketing. And yeah, you could pay someone to get you eleventy-billion Twitter followers in three days. But that kind of sugary, substance free stuff is garbage. If you don't know how to talk to those followers, what good are they?

What you need to know first are the unwritten rules of social media…rules that separate businesses who have a bunch of Facebook fans from businesses who actually reach a bunch of fans.

1.  Be Transparent. Social Media is built on trust, and there's no quicker way to lose someone's trust than to keep secrets. Be open about your business (within limits, of course), and watch as the power of transparency works its magic.  Your fans and followers will feel more connected to your company if they feel like you’re giving them the inside info.
2. Be Passionate.  What do the most world leaders all have in common? They were all passionate about their causes. So if you're only going to work because it pays the bills, you're not the person who should be heading your company's social media initiatives.  If you don’t love your business, how are you going to get your Twitter followers pumped up about it?
3.  Be Enthusiastic. Would you believe me if I told you that the world is full of negative people? They're so common, most people who are trying to be happy learn to tune them out. But the enthusiastic people are like magnets.  And that's who you want running your social media.
4.  BE SOCIAL. This is the ultimate "No Duh" piece of advice. It ain't called 'social' media for nothing. You gotta get in there and mix it up, talk to some people, answer some questions, ask some of your own, and get to know the world.

Make That E-mail List Grow

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
We've talked before about how e-marketing campaigns can help drive traffic to your site.  But the reverse is true, too.  Your website can also include a short form that collects email addresses, which can build up your email list.  And when you have a strong list of email contacts, you have the potential for a lot of repeat visitors to your site - not to mention repeat business.

Of course, having a form on your website isn't going to do much unless you can get people to enter info into the form.  And, truthfully, there just aren't a lot of people out there who spend time browsing the web and generously inserting their contact information into forms out of the goodness of their hearts.  So if you want the form on your website to collect a lot of information, you have to give it a little incentive power.

People Will Do Anything for a Reward

Since people aren't likely to volunteer their e-mail address for no reason, it helps if you give them a little reward for providing their contact information. 

There's a huge difference between asking for someone's email address and asking for someone's email address so that you can send him a coupon.  Restaurants and department stores already use this technique to entice their patrons to fork over their email addresses, so go ahead and jump on the bandwagon.  And if your form-filler-outer uses the coupon, you not only have his email address, but you've also actually made a sale.

Besides a discount or coupon, another "reward" is good content, packaged in the form of an e-book or secret members-only article archives.  If someone has come to your site in search of information, the person might be willing to give out his or her email address as long as it opens the vault of information.  Of course, there are benefits to providing free information, too, so you might not want to hide away all of your factoids under lock and key.  But for businesses in some industries, reserving some information for members will get you new entries in your contact list.

Keep the Circle Spinning

Both your email list and your website are awesome tools that help the internet bring business to you.  So use your website to collect email addresses.  And use your email contacts to bring visitors to your site.  And as this cycle continues, you'll find your business spinning its way to more clients - and higher profits.

Pages vs. Profiles

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Now that Facebook has swept the nation (and the world, for that matter), many folks have Facebook profiles.  They use these personal profiles to share everything from their political views to photos of bad decisions they made over the weekend.  And tons of people are having a grand old time reuniting with buddies from years past.

You may have heard that in addition to being a social media site where friends can connect, Facebook is also a website that’s great for businesses.  And that’s totally true.  So let’s talk a little bit about how business owners like you can best get started with Facebook.

Friends or Fans?

Facebook newbies who want to use the site for both business and pleasure sometimes confuse “profiles” with “pages.”  The truth is – you need both.  In order to become a member of the Facebook community, you have to register yourself as an individual – which will establish a “profile” for you.  That “profile” is going to allow you to post personal photos and messages as well as to connect with your acquaintances and relatives, who will be known in the Facebook world as your “friends.”

But once you have a Facebook profile, you’ll need to set up a “page” for your business.  “Pages” look a lot like profiles, but they are made especially for businesses, nonprofits, and the like.  By setting up a Facebook page, you are setting your business up as an entity separate from yourself.  Once your business has its own page, you can encourage your customers and employees to become “fans” of this page.  “Fans” of pages are the ones who will have access to all the content you post to your company’s page.

Secrets Facebook Can Tell You

As your business starts to develop a loyal group of Facebook page fans (likely existing or potential customers), Facebook will actually collect a lot of valuable information for you.  It can tell you, for instance, the male/female split in your group of fans, the distribution of fans in different age groups, and whether your fans have actively interacted with your page recently.  Data about your customer base is always awesome, so take advantage of Facebook’s detective work and use it to your advantage.

We hope to see your company’s face around the Facebook scene soon!

Are You LinkedIn?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - search engines love links.  If you want your website to have a good ranking on the major search engines, then you want other websites out there to link back to your site.

But one thing we haven't talked about too much is the quality of the links.  The search engines take into consideration not only the number of links to your page that exist out there, but they also care which sites are doing the linking and how popular those sites are.

So the goal is not only to get a lot of other sites to link to yours, but to get popular sites to link to yours.

And thanks to sites like LinkedIn, this is easier than you might think.

Linking from LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals.  When you join, you get to set up a little profile page about yourself.  The difference between LinkedIn and some of the other social networking sites is that LinkedIn profiles are usually very business-oriented, listing people's educational background and work history rather than their favorite movies and photos of their pet chimpanzees.  Once you have your profile page set up, you can get in touch with other users (e.g. your colleagues and business associates), which results in a list of "connections."

LinkedIn is a cool site for you as an individual, but you can also use your membership in LinkedIn to boost your rankings for your business website.  If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can include a link to your company's website on that profile and encourage your "connections" to do the same.  Because LinkedIn is such a popular website, the links on profiles there are going to impress Google and Yahoo a lot more than many other links would, therefore helping out those search engine rankings.

Meet Alexa

Alexa.com is a website that makes a list of all the websites in the whole wide world in order of popularity.  A website's Alexa ranking tells you a lot about how popular it is and, therefore, how strong a link from that site would be.

If you check out the Alexa ranking for LinkedIn, you'll see that it's a really high quality site in terms of popularity.  As I'm writing this, it's ranked #29 in the world, and although the exact number changes often, LinkedIn is always on the short list of very popular sites.

Why Not Do Your Website a Favor?

So by signing up for LinkedIn and adding a link from your profile to your website, you are going to make your website look more favorable in the eyes of the search engines -- in a quick, painless, and FREE way.

Five Questions to Ask Your Web Designer

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
If I had a nickel for every time a potential client said to me, "Thanks for the proposal, but I've decided to let my 17-year-old grandson build my website", I'd be able to throw a pretty sweet pizza party for all of my employees.  Sure, the guy's grandson could buy Front Page and put together a site, but the kid could also buy a set of wrenches and a copy of Fixing Cars for Dummies and have at Grandpa's transmission.

Your company deserves a strong website.  And how the website looks and functions reflects on your company big time.  So when someone offers to build you a site, you need to be able to ask the right questions to make sure he or she has what it takes to not only build a website, but build the right website for your business.

For starters, you are always going to want to ask the following questions.

1. Will you be using tables to build my site?  Remember tables?  They have those pesky invisible boxes that we've talked about before.  A web designer who uses tables to build a website is kind of like a wedding photographer who uses a 1986 edition Polaroid camera to take wedding portraits.  Using tables or an outdated camera will sort of get the job done, but in both cases, there is new technology out there that can create a much better product.  You want to choose a web designer who can use DIVs to put your site together.

 2. How many websites have you built before?  No one really wants to be the first patient a surgeon operates on or the first defendant a lawyer represents.  And in those situations, the newbie professional has had years of training and practicing.  If your web designer hasn't built many websites, chances are there is a lot he or she has to learn.  Are you sure you want that person to do that learning while building the website for your business?

3. Can you build me a functional website?  I'm sure most people who offer to build websites have enough knowledge to put together a site that looks halfway decent.  But it takes a lot of skill to set up a website that can actually do stuff.  If you are just looking for a site that showcases a few pictures and tells visitors your phone number, some amateur web designers might be able to come up with something that sort of meets your needs.  But websites constructed by professionals have the potential to be much more functional.  At IntelliSites, we set up websites with forms to collect visitor data, sites that allow for online shopping, and so much more.

4. Are you available when I need updates or have problems?  Websites aren't meant to be built and remain the same forever.  So you need to make sure your web designer is planning on being in this with you for the long haul.  I'm sure family functions can get a little tense when Grandpa has been nagging for a few months and his grandson still hasn't found time between band rehearsal and track practice to update Grandpa's website.

5. Can you make sure my site looks good on every major web browser? Something amateur web designers might not know is that you can't just code a website once these days.  Web surfers use many different internet browsers and versions of internet browsers, and your website could potentially look different to people using each one.  Professional web designers like those at Intellisites take the time to look at our finished product on all major browsers and make any necessary corrections to make it look great on all of them.

Best of luck as you search for a web designer!  (Did I mention that the crew at IntelliSites can give the right answers to all of those questions?)