Archive for May, 2008

Back to making you an online marketing guru…

We are continuing down the topic path of how to make your website shine. Today's post is short and sweet and but EXTREMELY important. So please, if you are doing 5 other things at once (yes, I know I do the very same thing ALL the time), cease and desist right now.

URL Rewriting:

Your URL and the links within your web site are very important. It’s the primary way spiders track and manage web site content. URLs that are dynamic are treated as less valuable by the search engines. URL rewriting makes the URL look “real” (nice and clean and spiffy) and gives your web site more credibility in the search engines. 

Good URL
http://www.bestecostuff.com/Product/b-happy-bags.aspx

Bad URL - Dynamic URL that Should be Rewritten
http://www.bestecostuff.com/Product/ProductInfo.aspx?id=26

So that's the marketing guru tip of the day. Here are some resources where you can find more information about URL rewriting. Or heck, just meander on over to google and do a search yourself and see what comes up.

From Wikipedia: "Using a URL rewrite engine, the website software can be presented with URLs in one form, while actual requests (and URLs seen by the user) are in another form. So rewrite engines allow URLs to be tidied up and made more user friendly, by configuring rewrite rules, rather than modifying the webserver software."

URL Rewriting from SEO tools  - Info on Apache server rewrite rules.

URL Rewriting using ASP.net framework - Yes, there's a lot of geek speak here but it's good information if you are familiar with ASP.net.

From Scott Guthrie (one of those techy guys…) - This is an excellent article on explaining the how's and why's of URL rewriting. 

Need some help with URL rewriting? Well, that's NOT our area of expertise. BUT we know people who know people who know people…kidding. We can point you in the right direction and give you some information on techy guys who do this type of thing so drop a line or head over to our sweet new form on the "Grow My Business" page and give it a tryout. If you need a contact or two, we are happy to oblige. 

To grow you have to move out of your comfort zone.

It’s a simple truth. But who wants to move away from what is familiar and comfortable? After all, comfort represents safety and love and well, it’s within the realm of what we know. Moving outside of our comfort level shoots us right into the realm of …gasp…the unknown.

But "look-a-here" (as my granny would say)…as business OWNERS you are Entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs, really successful entrepreneurs, are fearless and know when it’s time to grow, it’s time to move outside of what is comfortable and get into the stream of business where coincidences come together and a chain of events link together to move you into the next level of your business.

This is the place where no fear is allowed to reside. It’s necessary in the evolutionary growth of any business.

Today, in order to stay current and stay abreast of technology and how to use it to your advantage, there’s no room to be stagnant or stuck. You HAVE to move and if you don’t go forward the only place to go is back to where you started.I’ve seen first hand what happens at both ends of the spectrum. And, I have to say when a business owner makes the choice to move into those uncharted waters it is a sight to behold.

Make your choice and stick to your plan. When the universe beckons, heed the call. Be fearless and jump.

Yes, this is a soapbox moment and intended to add a little pep to your step. We are all in this together. Now get out there, be fearless and get in the stream of growth. Your business will thank you for it.

Wiktionary:

Guru: A leader or expert in a field.

This is first in a series of articles is designed to help you overcome any informational obstacles that are standing in the way of your complete and total marketing success.

In effect, you will become transformed into a guru. As you apply the strategies and utilize the tips, tools and resources, you’ll learn some of the most important marketing channels that will help drive action and convert web browsers into buyers.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's get to it! 

Here are the top ten best practices when creating your web site pages: 

1. Research phrases people are looking for and using when looking for your product. Wordtracker offers a valuable, easy to use service.
2. Page content should be between 300-500 words
3. Pick up search phrases and keywords associated with the product or service you are selling on that page. Use search phrase in a way that makes sense and flows naturally in the copy. 
4. Product Descriptions - Make the product descriptions neat and clean with unique keywords for that product.
5. Use Title Tags - Keep title tags unique while reinforcing the topic of the page. Google displays 60 characters with the ability to index 100 characters but the importance is placed within the first 60 characters. Title Tags are THE Most Important On Page Element and you can and should include promotional copy (your call to action) in them.
6. Keyword Meta Tags - Add in keywords to help assist in Yahoo rankings Keep between 7 – 48 words. Separate keywords by commas ex. <meta name=“keyword" content=“phrase 1, phrase 2, etc,”>. Avoid keyword spamming. Use keywords to reinforce the topic of individual pages
7. Description Meta Tags - Use this tag to reinforce the topic of the page and double as the description listed in the search results rather than content pulled from the page copy. Keep between 12 – 24 words. Use short descriptive sentences. Avoid using more than 2 commas. Incorporate targeted keywords. Do not use an exact sentence from the page content
8. Internal Links & Navigation - Reinforce the main targeted phrase with absolute links to the root level domain throughout the site. ex. http://www.yoursitename.com”> Your Site Name Avoid Dynamic URLs, multiple URL’s (please see URL Rewriting below.
9. When creating new page names use hyphens (-) while avoiding underscores (_) spaces ( %20 ) and dynamic variables.
10.  Image Optimization - Use ALT Tags - Your Images should have keywords embedded in the ALT Tags. Keep files sizes lo. Use descriptive image names (motorola_razor.gif vs. img_02_ab_sm.gif)

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It's the source of all true art and science."

 - Albert Einstein