Not just another pretty face/space. You need a website, or you need to "spruce up" your existing one. What should YOU do first to ensure that your website will portray the web image you want?
1. Research your competition.
Sit at your computer and type in the key words and phrases that you personally would use to find a product or service similar to your own. Study the results on the first 1 or 2 pages. This IS your competition that you will be trying to beat with search engine ranking. Click the "view source" tab from the View menu at the top of your browser. Notice the TITLE, DESCRIPTION and KEYWORDS these websites have in place. Take note of which sites you like and dislike, the style, the tone and the content.
This research is the foundation of your website presence, and must be considered prior to thinking about design.
2. Now it's time to get 'physical."
What type of designs please you? Simplistic, complex, straight forward? Modern, retro, technical? What colors best suits your image. It is best to stay with no more than 3 or 4 main colors. Do you like horizontal or vertical menu navigation. Do you like a lot of white space?
3. Words, words & more words.
In most cases you will be responsible for writing the content of your website.. it is your business after all, and you should know it best!
Do you prefer the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person? Do you want to be more conversational or informative in your tone. What writing style best suits your image? When writing good web content, remember to answer the users question of "so what?" Remember the rules of "who, what, where and why." Involve the user.. don't go on and on yourself. The "me-me" approach is most always a turn off. What can you do for THEM? Remember those keywords and phrases noted earlier.. use them, but only in the correct context.
4. Every picture tells a story.
Photographs, graphics and images give your website "personality." Do you have good quality images? Is your logo and branding material up to date and appropriate? You can purchase affordable and quality images for your website. Be very selective in your images. I personally like Stock Exchange or DreamsTime
5. Now you've got it!
After this careful consideration defining your website marketing and presence goals, you are now ready to select a web designer that will listen and respond to YOU. I take my clients vision very seriously and then through communication we come up with a smashing result!
Give me a shout so we can talk about it!
2/6/07
VISTA
I just purchased a new computer (long over due) and am getting acquainted with "her" and the new VISTA os. So far, I like VISTA... it is sleek, more convenient, even friendlier and snazzier to look at! As for my new computer? Well, the online world is a prettier place with a 19" wide screen, and FAST is always a good thing!
This will allow me to do twice the research, studying, and web productivity in half the time!
LULU on steroids... *smiles*
How did the human race function pre-computer technology? Isn't it wonderful that that will never be a concern again.
On live technology!
This will allow me to do twice the research, studying, and web productivity in half the time!
LULU on steroids... *smiles*
How did the human race function pre-computer technology? Isn't it wonderful that that will never be a concern again.
On live technology!
1/31/07
New Web site Launch!
Just launched a very nice and informative web site today for a local (manatee/sarasota) arts council. The design elements are based upon our local artist Herbie Rose. The site was a re-design project that needed a whole new look and feel to better convey the Art Council of Manatee County's vision.
Another enjoyable web site to create - great people to work with! Gathering and collaberating ideas for their new look was easy and straight forward. I feel this design will be very benificial for their web audience.
Have a look!
www.manateearts.org
Another enjoyable web site to create - great people to work with! Gathering and collaberating ideas for their new look was easy and straight forward. I feel this design will be very benificial for their web audience.
Have a look!
www.manateearts.org
1/14/07
Finished Web Design!
I finally finished a long - but completely joyous web design. This is a lovely site for a very nice and intelligent man! The web site is a weight loss hypnosis program primarily marketed to women with rich images, CSS and eccomerce. I am very happy with the results!
This web design was wonderful to do because my client did his homework! He new exactly what he wanted to portray, his target market - women - and had all the materials needed for me to work with. We had excellent communication skills the entire time! I can not emphasis enough how important planning, communication and being prepared is when designing your web marketing presence.
I built the site to be search engine optimization ready... now, I am BUSY doing the ongoing & continual SEO project!!
Check out then new web design!
The Weight Loss Mindest
This web design was wonderful to do because my client did his homework! He new exactly what he wanted to portray, his target market - women - and had all the materials needed for me to work with. We had excellent communication skills the entire time! I can not emphasis enough how important planning, communication and being prepared is when designing your web marketing presence.
I built the site to be search engine optimization ready... now, I am BUSY doing the ongoing & continual SEO project!!
Check out then new web design!
The Weight Loss Mindest
Web Design Ethics
I have had the pleasure of designing websites for some awesome clients. I feel a bond with every client I design a website for.. or should I say with? You see, as they say, it takes two to tango. Great ideas and communication go along way. When I design a website I think of the whole picture and the broad spectrum. I want to really get inside your head and capture your vision of what you want to portray. From the very beginning, I have the after effects of the web design in mind... I truly want it to be as visible as possible to the intended audience. I want the website to succeed! A beautiful and functional design that adheres to web standards is only the beginning. The next mission is to make sure that the search engine optimization is excellent. Then the search engine marketing comes into play. I want your web visitors to love your website, linger and like being there. That involves giving the web guest a reason to want to stay, and a reason to come back! Ultimately, our goal is to create a reaction.
LuLu
LuLu
Search Engine Optimization
I am working on 2 new SEO clients, both Sarasota FL REALTORS. It is an interesting challenge as they both have the same target market, and both have very similar, almost the same web designs, that were designed by a rather shady web design firm here in Sarasota. It upsets me when web design firms sell a website to a client as a "custom website," then turn around and sell it out as a template. Bad web design business ethics and very unfair to clients.
This makes my search engine optimization job more difficult, but an interesting challenge. I am in the process of re-designing both websites to eliminate duplicate content, which destroys SEO efforts. Adding a real estate blog to one for fresh content, and going through word by word and optimizing. The websites also had a bunch of un-needed tables..yuck..tables, so I converted to CSS coding, which will also boost my SEO.
Keep it clean
Keep it fresh
Keep it relevant
3 SEO rules!
LuLu
This makes my search engine optimization job more difficult, but an interesting challenge. I am in the process of re-designing both websites to eliminate duplicate content, which destroys SEO efforts. Adding a real estate blog to one for fresh content, and going through word by word and optimizing. The websites also had a bunch of un-needed tables..yuck..tables, so I converted to CSS coding, which will also boost my SEO.
Keep it clean
Keep it fresh
Keep it relevant
3 SEO rules!
LuLu
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