Helping businesses manage their website for more than 10 years

You on the web - Website Design Blog

At what stage is your Website?

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

A website is an organic process, growing and developing as your business grows and develops.

I have written a short story to illustrate this.

Once upon a time there was a small business owner called Mary. Mary had created a range of cookware products. She decided she needed a website, but as her business was only starting up she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted for a website.

4 Simple Ways to Leverage your Business Web Presence

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

If you have been in business for a while there is a strong possibility that your business has an existing web presence, even if you aren't aware of it.

You need to take ownership and leverage this web presence to increase your business's web profile.

Just Google your business name, and see what comes up. If you have a website, then hopefully it will come up first. But what else?

Is your Blog written for easy reading?

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Writing for the web – Readability statistics

We have heard it all before. We are encouraged to blog, blog and blog some more. How easy is your blog to read?

But have you thought about the readability of your content. A simple tool to use to measure the readability of your content is available through Microsoft Word.

Own Your Domain Registration

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Your Domain is like the deeds to the land your house is built on.

All to often I get unhappy people coming to me for assistance with their website and they have no knowledge of where or with whom their domain is registered. Often it is registered under the account of the original web development company that created their initial website.  Does a builder register the land under their own name.

NAP Citations for Increased Local Search Rankings

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

NAP is defined as Name, Address, Phone. It is the most common way to represent a business citation online.

Today your business NAP is essential to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo for good local search rankings. Your name, address and phone number citations have great importance for building domain authority by search engines for local search; they want to ensure that these are valid because a lot of people rely upon quality search results.

Why a Ecommerce web solution?

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

What constitutes as Ecommerce?

All commerce or trade performed electronically/online is classed as ecommerce. Why not build this into your web design solution? It's easier than you think.

Be wary of Properiety Content Management Systems

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Using a Content Management Systems for your website design will allow you to easily edit your website, giving you ownership to manage your website content yourself. 

But do all Website Content Management Systems really give you that ownership you require?

Why use Joomla?

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

So, what is Joomla you ask?

Joomla is an Open Source Content Management System (CMS) that allows for a solid foundation of a website that will grow with your business. Until you actually use a Joomla site that has been developed professionally, you can't really appreciate the advantages of using Joomla over Wordpress, or other CMS applications.

Being an Open Source project, Joomla is freely available to everyone, with perhaps the strongest Open Source CMS community.

How do you measure up?

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

A website is essential to any business operating within the current marketplace. The most basic function of a website should serve to boost your profitability through increased sales and decreased operating costs.

Search in YouTube

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

YouTube is an untapped business promotion tool within the online search industry.

Not many people realise that YouTube is the second most used search engine tool on the Internet behind Google.

Statistics show that a YouTube video on the home page of a website increases the Google ranking. But what about searches through YouTube itself.

All search engines use the same rules for search results, only the algorithms are different.

Rich Snippets

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Rich Snippets - making your content REAL

There are literally millions of websites indexed with Google, with billions of possible pages that can come up in search results. If you put in a search for bread, you will get results on making bread, buying bread, the history of bread, photos of bread, even making money. So how can you as a website owner show the user what you are promoting on your website.

Website Visual Design Tips

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

The home page of a website is likened to the front cover of a book or a magazine.

The title should give you an indication of the general topic, and the look of the front page should entice the reader to delve further into the site.

Recent research shows that users spend no more than 15 – 20 seconds on a website before choosing to stay and look around or bounce off. If your bounce rate is high then you need to consider the first impressions from your potential customers.

Find out who's talking about your business.

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Ever wondered what people are saying about you on the web? Why not set a Google Alert.

Google Alerts are emails that are sent to you when someone publishes a specific term that you set in the alert.

What is UEO?

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Traditionally Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)  has been focused on making websites look good for search engines but is that the ultimate aim of your website?

To CMS or not to CMS

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

What type of website would suit your business better, a Content Management System (CMS) or a Static website?

What is your website doing for you?

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Think of your website as your telephone number.

In the technological and social environment of this decade, a website of some kind is as important as a telephone number. Would you consider running a business without a telephone number? Can you imagine how much business you would loose if your telephone number was disconnected for just one week? Can you really afford to run a business without a website?

Using the Internet to Market your business

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Internet Marketing is the catch phrase of the decade.

What is Internet Marketing?

Internet Marketing is simply using various Internet tools to promote your business.

Internet Savvy

Written by Margaret Shakibaie

Is your business Internet Savvy?

An Internet Savvy Business uses the Power of the internet to increase their business. Are you using this power to drive your business?

One local business owner is doing just this, applying a holistic approach to their Internet marketing strategy.