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Establishing Your Identity Online

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Uncategorized on April 10, 2010
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These days it’s very important to present a good image online. A lot of business is generated on the Internet and most people head to the web first to find information. That’s why it is important to establish your identity online.

This is true for individuals as well as businesses. You want to make sure that your brand (whether that be your company name, your full name or anything else) is consistently represented on the Internet. The last thing you want is a potential client confusing you with someone else that makes you look bad.

You want your company represented well online. Having a strong brand identity on the Internet can definitely strengthen your business’ image and make you appear more professional and knowledgeable online.

There are a few things you can to to establish your identity on the Internet and grow your business.

Brand your website design

◦ This is probably the most important tip on this list. Whether you are having your site developed by a website designer or if you are creating your own website design, it is important that your site represents your business well.

◦ All pages should be consistent. This isn’t just important for branding, but also for usability purposes. You should also come up with a colour scheme for your company and have that represented on your website. Any logos you use should be consistent as well.

◦ It’s also important to have a website design that suits your business. A company aimed at young people will want a more youthful look while a professional organization may want something more traditional.

Brand yourself using social networks

◦ Sign up for LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any other social networks you find relevant. Apply the same sort of consistent branding to these pages. Use images and logos that represent your brand and, if possible, register the same user name on each site. This will keep your company’s look uniform across all platforms.

Promote your brand online

◦ Once you have the image crafted on the Internet, your next job is to make it stand out. Search engine optimization and pay per click advertising campaigns can greatly help you in this respect.

First2Search can work with you to develop your identity online. Our team of website designers and developers will create the perfect site that showcases your brand as you want it to be represented. We will then use pay per click advertising and search engine optimization to promote your website and strengthen your brand.

5 Google AdWords Tips for Newcomers

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Pay Per Click on March 8, 2010
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Google AdWords can be an excellent way to increase the number of visitors to your site. A Google pay-per-click campaign has many advantages. You only pay when users click your ads and the traffic that you draw in will be targeted towards your topic. You won’t pay for irrelevant traffic and you won’t pay for people that ignore your ads.

For newcomers, AdWords can be intimidating. While it’s very easy to sign up for the program, it’s tough to jump in and immediately be successful. At First2Search, we are experienced with Google AdWords and can help you with your AdWords campaign. Here are a few tips for those who are just getting started:

Optimize Your Landing Pages

The page your users end up on when they click your ad is called your landing page. This page is incredibly important as it is usually the first experience a visitor has with your company. Make it easy to use and make sure there is a call to action on the page.

If the goal of your ad campaign is to make visitors fill out a quote form, that form should be highly visible and easy to reach from your landing page. If your goal is to get potential clients to contact you, your contact information should be clearly displayed on the page.

Try and reduce the clutter on your landing page in order to make the most important features stand out.

Think Hard About Content Network Ads

When you post an AdWords ad you have the option of having it only show up on Google itself or on any relevant pages that display Google ads. Choosing to display ads on the content network will get you more exposure and possibly more clicks, but there is also a downside.

These visitors may not be as targeted as those that are searching for information on Google. The fact that you can’t control the content on the page where the ad is displayed is also a downside.

Sometimes displaying ads on the content network can be a good idea, but not always. It pays off to think about this decision carefully.

Use negative keywords

You can use negative keywords to ensure that you ads are not displayed when certain words are included in the search. For example, if you run a web design company you will likely want your ads to come up when someone searches for “web design” on Google, but you may not want your ads displayed when someone looks for “web design jobs.” Those searching for employment are not the same people who are looking to hire a website designer.

Using negative keywords can definitely target your campaign to a more useful audience.

Choose relevant keywords

The keywords you choose to bid on are very important. Don’t just bid on every keyword that is somehow connected to your business. Yes, that might bring more people to your site but it might not bring you any additional clients. Choose only relevant keywords and focus on those. Monitor the success of your campaign and modify, expand or contract your list of keywords as necessary.

Google AdWords is not a “set it and forget it” system. Truly successful campaigns and monitored and adjusted regularly.

Write Persuasive Ads

The content and the quality of your ad matters. Depending on your topic, you could be competing with thousands of other companies online. When you write your ad copy you want to write something that will attract visitors. You’ll also want to write content that is relevant to the terms the user is searching for.

Often this means making different ads for different keywords and adjusting them as necessary. The more relevant and clear an ad is, the more likely it will get clicked.

Google AdWords can be overwhelming at first, but it is also incredibly powerful. First2Search specializes in Google AdWords campaigns and other pay-per-click advertising campaigns. If you need help with your AdWords campaign or if you’re looking for an expert to handle your campaign for you, give us a call or contact us online!

5 Tips for Choosing a Domain Name

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Internet Marketing, SEO, Search Engine Optimization on March 8, 2010
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One of the first decisions you make when setting up a website is what domain name you will purchase. For some people this may seem like an easy decision, but it is one that you should put some thought into. Choosing the right domain name can help with your online marketing plans, your search engine optimization and the popularity of your website.

Here are a few tips that will help you choose your domain name:

Include keywords

◦ Sometimes it helps to include some of your keywords in your domain name. This can help your search engine ranking and make it more obvious what your company does at first glance.

Make it short and memorable

◦ If possible, a short domain is usually better than a very long one. However, that’s not always the case. For example, VeryGoodDomainNameChoice.com might be a better name than VGDNC.com. A series of initials isn’t very easy to remember. Then again, neither is IThinkThisIsAReallyReallyGoodChoiceForADomainName.com, so you’ll have to put some thought into your choice. Unfortunately, you’ll likely find that many short, memorable domain names are taken, so you’ll have to be clever.

Notice how it looks and sounds

◦ A domain name could look great on paper, but it can be difficult to say. The opposite can be true as well. You should practice saying your name out loud to other people. It should be easy to pronounce and straightforward.

A dot-com if possible

◦ Most people still assume that commercial websites end in .com and most major websites do. If you choose a .net or a .ca address, you’ll have to make a point to specify your address to people. This is especially true if a competitor owns the .com. You could risk sending people to your competition if you’re not clear.

Check out similarities

◦ For example, if you want to buy domain.com you should also look at domain.net, domain.ca, domains.com and any other similarities of mistypings. If they’re available you may want to buy them. If they’re own by the competition, you have to be careful that you’re not infringing on copyrights and that you don’t accidentally send your customers to a competitor’s website.

Once you’ve thought of a name, make sure you pick a reputable domain name registrar to purchase it from and you’re on your way!

Your Website Needs A Hook

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Search Engine Optimization on February 23, 2010
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In any given niche, on any given topic, there are hundreds of thousands of web pages. Even if you have the best search engine optimization and your site ranks number one for every important keyword in your industry, your site could still be doing better. You need a hook.

Today’s web surfers move quickly. They may click on your page if it is ranked highly, but if they don’t find what they are looking for, they will click away and head to the next search result. You need to have something that keeps people on your page and turns them into customers.

A good place to start is with your website design. Your design should be attractive but not overwhelming. It should also be easy to navigate. You want your visitors to understand the site structure immediately and not be confused. This will increase the likelihood that they remain on your page.

Another hook is the site’s written content. You don’t want to overwhelm your visitors in this area either. There are few things online that are more intimidating than a giant block of text. Very few people will read several long paragraphs online. You should structure your text so that it is easy to read. This includes breaking up the content into smaller sections, separating sections with relevant headings and using lists whenever possible to display important points.

You also need informative content.

People visit web pages with a purpose. They usually want some sort of information and it’s important that you give them what they want. If you write clearly and in a way that people can understand, they are more likely to stay on your page.

The best way to hook someone into your page is to give them something they can’t find anywhere else. Maybe your page has an in depth comparison of your product against the major competitors. Maybe it explains the benefits of your service in greater detail than others do. Maybe your page makes it easier to communicate with your staff or share ideas. All of these unique features are hooks that will make you stand out from the competition and turn your visitors into customers.

Once you’ve found your hook, you will usually see an increase in business. Your web page can be a very powerful persuasion tool and it can definitely boost your sales. Don’t overlook this valuable resource.

How Website Design Can Help SEO

Posted By Nathan Hughes in SEO, Website Design on February 22, 2010
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Many people consider website design and search engine optimization to be two separate, independent things. Web design is performed by web designers and SEO is done by SEO people. Both things are necessary, but for different reasons and they do not cross paths. This is not true.

The truth is that nothing exists in a vacuum. Your website design can go a long way to helping out your SEO efforts. Sometimes a few minor tweaks to your design will be enough to help you out a great deal. Other times an entirely new design is necessary. Here are a few reasons why website design helps SEO.

Better website design makes your website more straightforward

◦ Over time, many sites become convoluted. You add pages here and there. You create whole new sections out of no where. You unlink pages you no longer find necessary. This makes your website structure hard for search engines to follow. Having a brand new design will definitely help this. You can start out by taking a look at what you already have on your site, come up with a plan, and create a whole new structure. This is a great way to use your website’s design to your advantage.

Better Positioning of Keywords and Headings

◦ If you’re changing your website design, it’s also a great time to reevaluate your SEO plan. Maybe you’ve decided to target different keywords than the ones you chose when you first set up your site. Your new design can start with these in mind. Structure your page in a way that allows you to place your keywords and headings in areas where search engines will recognize them.

A Good Design Attracts People

◦ If your website looks good and is easy to navigate, people will spend more time on it. The longer someone stays on your site, the more likely that person is to read the content. The more content someone reads, the more likely they are to share or link to your page. When more people share or link to your page, your traffic increases.

Some people may link to you just for the design

◦ There are many websites that have sections on “featured website designs.” These pages give exposure to websites they feel are well designed. If you can get your page featured on one of these sites, you’ll help out your SEO efforts.

Finally, and this isn’t SEO specific, but well designed websites have lower bounce rates. People like to visit pages that look nice and are easy to navigate. Having a good website design is a great way to make visitors stay on your web page longer.

Why Google Analytics is Important

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Google Analytics on February 13, 2010
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If you spend any time at all working on a website, you’ve heard of Google Analytics. You may have even signed up for an account and looked around. At first the Analytics page looks confusing and even a little overwhelming, but it’s something that’s worth spending some time on.

There is definitely a learning curve to Google Analytics but, once you’ve figured out how the service works, you’ll soon find the information it provides you with invaluable. If you do not have the time needed to fully understand and learn how to use Analytics, you may wish to hire someone with experience to monitor and report on your page’s data for you. The information provided by Google Analytics is excellent and every website should have someone responsible for handling it.

What Google Analytics does is give you detailed, relevant data about your website traffic. The information you get is far superior to a basic hit counter. You’ll be able to find out so much more than simply how many people visit your website.

Google Analytics can tell you the number of visitors your site gets during any given period. It can break those visitors down into returning visitors and unique visitors. You can find out which pages those people are viewing, how long they are staying on your site and how they ended up on your website in the first place.

You can even break your visitors down further. Google Analytics will help you determine what country your visitors live in, which web browsers they are using, what their Internet connection speed is, what operating system and screen resolution they have and much, more more.

Depending on the goal of your site, some of this information can be more important than the rest but, no matter what type of website you are operating, Google Analytics can give you crucial information that will improve your web page.

How?

There are many ways to use Google Analytics to improve your website.

First of all, Analytics can tell you which pages your visitors are clicking on and how long they are staying on those pages. This information can help you structure your site. For instance, if you want people to click on the “CONTACT US” link on your site but you’re finding that no one is doing so, you may need to move that link to a more noticeable area of the page. If you find out that people are visiting your site but then leaving almost immediately, you will probably want to improve your site’s layout or content. This stat is called the “bounce rate” for your site. It tells you how many people only read one page of your site before leaving.

Another way that Google Analytics can help you is by telling you where your traffic is coming from. You can use this information to track the success of your online and offline marketing campaigns as well as to determine which terms your visitors are searching for to end up on your site.

Installing Google Analytics, monitoring it regularly and making website changes based on the information it give you can greatly improve your website. There are a number of companies out there that can assist you with this vital task. First2Search are experts in Google Analytics and we can help.

Tips For Launching A New Website

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Pay Per Click, Website Promotion on February 10, 2010
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Launching a new website is a difficult and stressful thing to do. There are so many factors, so many little nuances and so many challenges that the task can sometimes seem overwhelming. Today we have a few tips for people that have decided to launch a new website.
First of all, there are a two different definitions of “a new website.” The first is the most literal: a brand new website from scratch. The second is a newly designed website. The tips below will help you when launching a brand new site and many of them will help when you want to launch an updated site as well.

Launching A Brand New Site

A ridiculous amount of work goes into a new website launch, far more than most people assume. There are many, many aspects that must be taken into consideration. Here is a helpful list that should make the process run a bit smoother.

Do your keyword research.

◦ This step is vital. The keywords you choose will affect your domain name, the URLs and names of the pages of your site, your title tags and descriptions as well as the direction that your written content goes. Keyword research is a crucial step.

Come up with an easy-to-navigate, scalable site structure

◦ Your web page shouldn’t be convoluted or difficult to use. Make sure all pages are easily accessible and it’s a good idea to think ahead at this point. What pages might you add later on? Where will they fit into your structure? This will help avoid problems in the future.

Create unique, relevant page titles and descriptions for each page

◦ Don’t use the same page title and description for each page and it’s a good idea to incorporate your keywords into your titles and descriptions.

Test, test, test

◦ Before you announce the site to the world, make sure it works. Check all of your links to make sure they work. Proofread all of your written content and eliminate typos or anything that is difficult to understand. If possible, have someone else go through the site and let you know if they have any issues.

Promote the page

◦ Once the site is launched, you’ll need to let people know it’s there. There are several ways to do this. You could start a blog and share your posts with others. You could create a profile on Facebook or Twitter and use that to promote your website. You could issue a press release about your company. Do whatever you think will get the word out.

Consider a PPC campaign

◦ Pay-per-click campaigns are very valuable for new websites. Since the site it is new, it will likely not rank very highly on the major search engines for a while. Instead, you can use PPC ads in order to bring visitors to your site.

Custom Website Design Advantages

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Web Development, Website Design on February 1, 2010
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There are many advantages to using a custom website design on for your web page. The first is that it will help your website stand out. If you are using a free template found online, there is a good chance that at least one other website has the same template. If that other site also has similar content, most visitors won’t remember which site they liked, and they likely won’t remember very much else about your site either. Your website will blend into the background.

Having a unique web page design created by a skilled web developer will definitely make it easier for your visitors to remember you.

You want your website to be memorable and there is no better way to do that than by having a custom web page design.

If your site is visually appealing and unique visitors will be impressed when they first arrive. This will keep them on your site longer. If your website also has good quality content, you’ve got a winning combination. A great looking, unique website definitely draws in visitors and keeps them there.

A well-designed, custom website design represents your company well. It gives you a professional look and allows your visitors to see your creativity through the design of your site. In short, a custom website design give your web page personality.

A website developer can create a website that will perfectly match the branding of your company. If you’re looking for a youthful image, a professional image or a knowledgeable image a custom website can be designed to give you exactly what you are looking for. That flexibility and the fact that your website will be designed with only you in mind is are the main advantages of having a custom website design created specifically for you by a website developer.

Your website will be exactly what you want it to be. The colours will be perfect. The spacing will be exact. Everything about the web page will be to your exact specifications. And it will work exactly how you want it to as well. With a custom website, you won’t have to struggle to adapt third party tools to your own web page. If you want a custom search tool on your page, your web designer will be able to make one for you. If you are looking for a specific content management system, you will get exactly what you need. You won’t have to cut corners or settle for less.

A custom website allows you to get the exact website you have been looking for. You will even be able to add custom features to your website that your competitors do not have. This will definitely give you an advantage over the competition.

Search Engine Optimization and the Bing/Yahoo! Merger

Posted By Nathan Hughes in SEO on January 30, 2010
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Most search engine optimization professionals spend most of their time focusing their efforts on Google. And that makes sense most of the time. Google is by far the most popular search engine. No one “Yahoos” or “Bings” anything, but people everywhere “Google” terms.

However, Bing and Yahoo! have recently announced that that they will be working together for search. Yahoo! search results will be powered by Bing and that means more people will be seeing Bing’s results than ever before.

How does this affect SEO? In many ways it doesn’t. Google still controls a large portion of the market it doesn’t look as though that will change drastically in the near future. However, it does mean that Bing will have more pull in the future, so it’s probably a good idea to focus at least some of your SEO efforts on Bing.

It’s entirely possible that the Bing search algorithm will change once they start working with Yahoo!, but right now there are a few things you can do to increase your Bing search position.

First of all, make sure you submit your website to Bing. While their web crawler will likely find your site on its own, it helps to submit it anyway.

It also helps to sign up for Bing Webmaster Tools. This will help you see how Bing sees your site and allow you to troubleshoot any issues it finds. You can also submit your sitemap and view your website statistics here. You will need a Windows Live ID to do this.

There is also some evidence that Bing puts more stake into meta tags than Google does. Of course, you do not want to spam your keyword field with every term under the sun, but adding in a few targeted, relevant keywords could be helpful. Google has said that it does not use the keyword tag any longer due to spam, but it looks like Bing gives it some stake.

Bing also focuses on multimedia more than Google does. Images and video are given priority for some search terms. Bing also places the “related searches” along the left side of the page, inside of at the bottom like Google does. That makes these terms more visible for searchers. You may want to focus your SEO efforts on some related terms if you want Bing searchers to notice you.

Overall, Bing search seems mostly similar to Google. You do not want to abandon your Google efforts to focus on Bing as a site that ranks highly on Google will probably do quite well on Bing as well.

Choosing a Website Design Company

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Web Development, Website Design on January 29, 2010
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High quality, functional website design is very important when conducting business online. Professional website development is a key to success and can make or break your web business. Having a well-designed website will draw visitors to your website and keep them there longer.

First impressions mean a great deal. If your website design is unattractive, difficult to use or slow-loading, many people will click away without giving your site much of a chance. This is why it is so important to choose the right web design company.

Here are a few tips that will help you select a website developer:

1. Know what you need

A good company will design a website that meets your unique needs. Before talking with any web developers, figure out what you want from your website. Come up with an idea of what you would like it to look like and how you would like it to function. Then present those ideas to your website designer. They should be able to create a custom website that meets your needs. There is no point in finding a designer that is skilled in Flash programming or other advanced techniques if you don’t want these aspects on your website. Conversely, if you need these services, you’ll definitely want to find a website development company that is able to offer them.

2. Look at their web design portfolio

See what the web development company has done in the past. Do you like their designs? Are the pages they show you clean and easy-to-use? You can usually tell a web design company’s skill level based on past work. If you like what they’ve done in the past, they might be the right fit for you.

3. Meet with them

Talk to the web designer either in person or on the phone. Get to know their personally a bit. You will likely be working with this person for at least a few weeks, so it is helpful if you can get along. Also, you want a website design company that listens to your ideas and works with you rather than one that ignores your wishes.

4. Use proper search engine optimization techniques

A good website design company will understand search engine optimization. They may not be SEO experts, but they should have a basic understanding, especially when it comes to web design principles. A web page developer that understands how URL structure and page layout help SEO efforts is someone you want to work with.

5. Where are they located?

This is sometimes a matter of personal preference. Some people may want to hire someone local. For example, someone located in Toronto may be exclusively interested in Toronto website design companies. It is possible to work with someone that lives halfway across the country or on the other side of the world, but sometimes that makes communication difficult. Decide if you want someone local when choosing a web development company.

Following these tips should help you choose a website designer that suits your needs. Remember to, above all, go with your gut. You’ll know when you’ve found the right website development company if you follow these tips and trust your instincts.

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