Designers guide

This is a continuation of a series of website marketing checklists. Check out all Web Marketing Checklists in this series. What this is about: This checklist covers multiple elements concerning the visual aspects of the website development. Some of the information here can be dismissed, depending on the type of site, but overall these are good points to consider during the design process. Why this is important: The site design is essentially the first impression that someone gets when they land on your site. You may have all your usability and SEO elements in place, but if the design is lacking then your visitor's impression of you will be lacking as well. A visually appealing site can not only bolster trust and credibility, but it can make you stand out among other less-appealing sites in your industry. What to look for: Instant site identification: As soon as landing on any page the visitor must be able to tell what website they are on. Crisp, clean image quality: Don't use old … [Read more...] about The Best Damn Web Marketing Checklist for Website Design Considerations

I'm old, so I have seen many different battlegrounds come and go in search marketing. Keywords, Links, Content. Multi-media is the one raging now. But which one is next? It could be personalization. It could be mobile. It could also be design. I hope you were paying attention to this space earlier this week when Jackie Baker expanded on the need for excellent Web design to drive conversions. She's right. If you missed Jackie's article, go read it now. (I'll wait right here for you.) You might now be convinced of the importance of Web design for your conversions, but I want to talk to you about something else that Web design might help you with—your search traffic. "Traffic?" you might ask. "How can site design help with getting people to my site if they have to come to my site to see my design?" (OK, you probably didn't ask that, but just play along.) Good question. We're starting to see search engines with features that preview a screen shot of your Web page on the actual … [Read more...] about Is Web Design the Next Search Marketing Battleground?

This is part 12 of a 12 part series on keyword research. This series will guide you through four distinct phase of the keyword research process, providing you step by step guidelines to help you gather, sort and organize your keywords into an effective marketing campaign. Yesterday, as we begun the fourth and final stage of the keyword research process, we looked at several ways to analyze your website and segment keywords into groups based on user intent. Today we'll wrap up the entire research process, and this series, by outlining the final act of keyword grouping. Often times even your segmented keyword lists can be quite extensive and it'll be important to group these phrases even further in order to be properly optimized into the website. This ensures that each page optimized maintains a tight focus but still able to be optimized for a significant group of keywords. Grouping phrases together for on-page targeting The process of organizing your keywords is similar to the … [Read more...] about Comprehensive Guide to Keyword Research, Selection & Organization, Part XII

Ok, so she's not "our" Diane Aull as much as she's Acroprint and Nine Yards' Diane Aull, but she is a regular writer and forum moderator here. Liana Evans has an entertaining (and information packed) interview with Diane over at Search Marketing Gurus this week as part of her Women of Internet Marketing Wednesday series. One of the most interesting segments was Diane's perspective on working as both an in-house search marketer and as a SEM consultant. Q: You are in a very unique position, in that you are an in-house SEM but you also consult, could you enlighten us on what the major differences are for you? A: The in-house work is totally hands-on -- everything from server administration to web design to content development to search marketing. Whether I do the work myself or I direct the work of a contractor, I'm very much responsible for everything that happens with all our web properties. While I also manage the websites for some subsidiary and "sister" companies in other lines … [Read more...] about Interview with Search Engine Guide’s Diane Aull

In the last five years, I've attended dozens of marketing conferences, events and seminars. During each of those shows, I've spent time talking to the small business owners who've come to try and learn a little more about how to market their business online. Time and time again, the message I hear is the same. "The information is incredible, but I have no idea where to start!" It was that line that caused Robert and I to sit down several months ago and brainstorm all the things we'd do if we were planning a marketing conference for small business owners. It was Stoney deGeyter who said "so why don't you do it?" It was a good question and we didn't have a good answer. So I've spent the last three months busting tail and wracking my brain to come up with a small business marketing conference designed to address all those comments and concerns I've listened to over the years. One that focuses on depth of information rather than breadth. One that not only tells you the "what", but walks … [Read more...] about Designing the Perfect Small Business Marketing Conference (Houston, Texas 2008)