THE BLOG |
follow along for tips and tricks for creative web gurus like yourself! |
1. Decide on a domain name
If you have read "Your Website, Your Purpose" linked here, then perhaps you are ready to get to work and get the website started. Your decisions outlined in that post have been written down on paper or typed up in a document. So now you wish to get the website up and running instead of being just an idea in your mind. I understand. You are ready so let's get proactive. Your domain name is your choice. It should be easy to remember, easy to "spell" for the sake of those trying to type it in a browser window, and easy to say out loud. It may be the name of your business, the product you provide, or a name you have derived that is catchy and happens to be available as a URL for purchase. With some ideas on paper, now it is time to see if indeed they are available for purchase. You can choose any of the domain purchase websites to do your search, from godaddy.com to Bluehost.com or possibly google domains. Run your list of names through that site of your choice and get prices available for each domain name, if they haven't already been purchased. You don't have to purchase from that site, you are simply wanting to know if your choice of a domain name - is even available to purchase. Make your final choice, and purchase your domain name or contact me and let me purchase it on your behalf and get it setup as a secure website account. 2. Choose an outline/layout leading to your final action step. With a domain name chosen or some options being considered, now it's time to map out what you wish to say on your website. Your homepage can be drawn out on paper to decide where items will be placed. These will include your purpose statement, the most important thing you need to convey, which should be prominent "above the fold" and then a means to push your viewers to an action. This action could be signing up for a newsletter or filling out a contact form to get more info on a service. But how are you going to lead them to this next step? How can you convince them they need to "sign up" for what you have to offer? Convince them you are the expert. Share your "story" your "brand" your "purpose" with confidence. Convey the fact they need "this" (whatever "this" is) with confidence. You are in control here. This is where you let your imagination and your passion lead you. Share what you have to say and keep it simple and easy to follow through with your action step. 3. Put together a list of content pages you would like to include. With your outline completed and the layout of your homepage "mapped" out in front of you, what other pages do you need to include as a part of this homepage network to keep the information clearly visible? Put yourself in the shoes of your readers. Consider the best way to navigate through the site so they can find the content they need quickly and easily. What questions will they be asking when they find your website? How will they be answered with your information/services you have to offer them? Are their answers easy to find? Answer these questions as you set up how the "Index" of your menu system for all the pages of your website. Start with a draft and continue to tweak it as you go. You can continue to make changes as you derive better ways for the design of your website to work. Show your readers where they need to go next. Is your website about a step-by-step process? Show the steps in easy to follow images and buttons or text leading them from step to the next. This "step-by-step" setup may be so important, that you have it highlighted on your homepage. You decide what is most important based on the action step you have chosen as the primary goal. 4. Go Live and Show the World what you know. You have your purpose in hand, the outline drawn, your content written for each page. Now it is time to look at it all together as one theme, one presentation. Double check all your work. Make sure you have used plenty of keywords in your content of those pages to beef up your SEO. This will help people to find you and your website. It all looks great! So it is now time to take the leap, go live and let the world see what you have to offer them. You have found a "Need" and it is your time to show them how you (the expert) can "Fill" it. Now that you have your website live on the world wide web, you can also promote your website on social media sites. Get out there and show it off!
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Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the phrase alone sounds complicated. It reeks of techno jargon and complex concepts. So let’s break it down in simple terms. You want a potential customer or client to be able to find you when they are looking for that “widget” or service you have to offer. You want them to see your website URL first or at least on the first page of options. What is the most important thing your website needs to be successful in online search engines? Below I have put together five (5) things that are important to consider to ensure the website that you have created or developed is easily reachable in search engines. If you are reading this, you have probably already created a concept for a website or you have begun the process of creating your website. If not, consider starting at “this blog about creating a website.” FIVE BASIC THINGS FOR SUCCESSFUL SEO Content As you consider search engine optimization (SEO), you must come up with words or terms that would naturally bring someone to your product or service. What is a list of words that people would be searching if they were trying to find your service? That list is important. That list we will call your “keywords.” Here is an example: If Jane Doe was providing a service where you could purchase templates for web designs, she may have a list of keywords that include: design, webpage, layout, template, landing page, and so on. Once you have this list of power words in hand, you will want to incorporate them throughout the content of your website. This allows for the search engines, like Google to consider your page as “important” when it comes to these terms when you are repeatedly using them. Connection to Credible Links What are credible links? Once you have established your content throughout your site, be bold and reach out to others in a similar field as your service or product. Develop a network of like-minded websites or other services that would complement what you have to offer your clients. Adding a list of links to your site will enhance their page-ranking over time, and if they return the favor by linking to your URL on their website, the reward is reciprocated on yours. The more “credible” the website that links to your web address, the better the reward when it comes to the bottom line of your SEO ranking. How do you determine credible? Well if they are established websites or high ranking websites with merit, they are great options. Government or education sites, for example would be a great choice. But other websites that have established a following on their own merit already (this comes with time among other factors) are also good choices to ask to link to your site. But you need to provide them with a good reason to link to your information. Think of ways you can make your content stand out above your competitors. Confirm SSL Security Depending on who you have hosting your website this can be fairly simple to check. If you have developed your own webpage and you use a domain service to host your purchased domain / URL you can check the SSL setting with that service. However, here is a quick way to check: When your domain name is entered in the browser address bar and your site comes up on the screen, do you see: https:// in front of your URL? If so, then your site is secure. You should also see the “lock” symbol on the browser’s address line. Another test you can try is using a free online “checker” for SSL like this link: https://www.sslshopper.com/ssl-checker.html. Keywords in Blogs You will want to continue to use your "power words" that we established in our first concept above. Doing this by regularly posting blogs daily or weekly about your product or service on your website will enhance your search-ability and your ranking in search engines. Share tips or insights that may encourage users to come to your page by posting concepts in sets of 3, 5, etc. An example would be "Three Steps to Enhance Your SEO." Keep it Fresh, Keep it Active You have come this far, don't give up; keep going. Each week or on a regular basis, add to your content, add blog posts, add to your social media linked to the website. Keeping your material fresh and with regular "changes or updates" will make the search engines acknowledge that your site is active and you are doing your part to keep the content that viewers and users want to see with ongoing valid material. Don't stop now! You are on a roll, maybe even a blog roll. |
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