August 08: Using External Links to Boost Your Search Ranking

The phrase "external link" simply describes any link that points to your website. This is the opposite of "internal links", links that point from one page on your site to another.

External links are important because they are one of the factors that increase your search ranking in google. Google thinks that if many other sites are linking to yours, your site must be important or useful.

External linking can seem like a tricky part of a search engine optimization (SEO) campaign because it relates to what other people put on their websites. How can you control what someone else puts on their site? In reality, there are many ways to ethically and easily create more external links pointing to your website.

Here are four simple methods for generating external links for your website:

• Comment on blogs. Usually when commenting on blogs, you have the option of including your website address (URL). Why not add a few links to your site while catching up on your favorite blogs?
  
• Create profiles on business and social networking sites, such as Linkedin.com. In these profiles, you are asked to include your URL, and, by doing so, you create another external link.
  
• Add your website to directories for your industry (an example of one of these sites for our industry is Designfirms.org). This not only has the potential to generate new business, but also results in another external link.
  
• Make good use of your membership to professional organizations by asking if your URL could be added to their website. If the organizations have member listings double check that your URL is part of your listing.

A Word of Caution

You will come across many websites that offer "link exchanges" or accept payment for adding your link to their directory. Generally, both of these practices are bad ideas. You can actually be penalized in your search ranking by having your website associated with too many "scammy" websites.

 

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July 08: Is It Time For a Redesign?

While deep in the process of revamping our own website, I've been reflecting on how to know when it is time for a website to change. We work with many clients who have sat on old websites for far too long. These businesses have been losing clients for years due to outdated, unprofessional sites.

Redesign your site too often and your clients will get confused, but redesign too infrequently and your site will look stale. Here at Roeder Studios we always strive to create designs that are "built to last". What I mean by that is that our designs don't employ so many trendy themes that they will look silly and outdated in 6 months. (Basically, we don't want your website to be the next lava lamp!) However in the rapidly changing world of the web, every site will visually date itself sooner or later.

So how do you know if your site still looks good, or if it has run its course? Here are a few ideas:

• Are you excited to show your website off, or do you pray that no one will visit? This is a gut check question; if you don't love your site don't expect that anyone else will.
  
• Does your site use frames, flashing animated pictures, scrolling text, flashing text, or have a counter at the bottom? These are all web trends from yesteryear. If your site uses any of these elements, it looks outdated.
  
• Does your site reflect the current purpose, size, and scope of your business? Most businesses evolve over the years. Does your website represent your business as it was back then, or as it stands today?
  
• If all else fails, put your site up on the aptly named Should I Redesign? and let the crowd decide!

 

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June 08: Is Your Website Performing or Just Sitting There?

It can be difficult for service professionals to evaluate the success of our websites. After all, there is no "buy it now" button. Generally, websites for those in service businesses serve as information gateways that educate (and hopefully sell) new and existing prospects.

Is your website part of your sales funnel? Websites are the simplest, lowest-cost way to spread information quickly and effectively but many companies don't utilize their site because they are embarressed about its outdatedness or simply aren't sure how.

Roeder Studios not only creates new websites from the ground up but offers concrete strategies on improving the effectiveness of existing sites. This can run the gamut from adding interactive features, reorganzing content, or making design improvements.

Here are five areas that you can take immediate action on to improve your website:

• Evaluate your contact form: do you have one? Is your form so long and detailed that it might be scaring prospects away?
  
• Is your site's navigation consistent across every page? Does every page fit in the navigation in some way? (Hint: the answers SHOULD be yes and yes!)
  
• Is your contact information displayed prominently and frequently or do users have to dig?
• Is it clear what your company does from the homepage of your site?
• Is all of the information on your website correct and up-to-date?