What are the Characteristics of Good Web Site Design?
Author: Mona Moore
There are many different and often contradictory views and perceptions of the qualities that make for good Web site design. One also has to take into account current trends and popular styles in modern design, which can differ according to personal preferences. Despite these variables there are some central characteristics of good site design that have emerged in the last few years, and which are generally perceived by pundits as being core features of good design. While design and creative layout remains an area dictated by personal taste and perception it is important to be aware of generally accepted characteristics in order to assess the comparative visual creativity of one’s own Web site. A feature that is emphasized repeatedly by many designers is the tendency towards simplicity of design and structure of a Web site. Achieving simplicity of design however is not as easy as it might sound. The modern trend is towards a more minimalist interface and page layout, which facilitates ease of access to the site and usability features. One of the reasons for this trend is that as the number of Web sites proliferates at an even increasing rate, there is a need to create sites that have a clear and obvious message and aim. Simplicity of layout is therefore a characteristic that is evident in some of the best Web sites around. Very often this refers to a simple one or two column structure. Pages are also read from top to bottom. The days of the complex and involved site structure that requires time to figure out in order to navigate are definitely outdated. A good example of the modern stylistic approach is a site like Protolize (Protolize.org). One of the main design principles that many Webmasters have lived by in recent years was that it was wise to reduce the amount of scrolling necessary to view a page. However, the modern tendency is for a centered orientation in Web design, rather than the previous left aligned, fixed-width layouts. Many top modern sites have the content centered on the page, which often requires some scrolling. While excessive scrolling is certainly not a good design characteristic, the modern view is that some scrolling is acceptable when it is offset against the better use of white space and content that is situated around a central axis. In line with the above, there is also a relatively new tendency to focus on the design of the content and not the page itself. In other words, there is less focus on designing a page background for instance and rather paying more attention given to the way that the content is presented on a Web page. This follows from the view that effective communication and not mere decoration should be the main focus of a good Web site. As designer Phil Brisk states, designers often become focused on detail rather than on paying attention to the way that the content is presented, “With your ‘design’ head on, concentrating on crafting and perfecting style elements, it’s easy to forget to step back and see things through the eyes of your users.(http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/dont_decorate_communicate.cfm) He also makes the important point reflected in many modern successful Web sites that, while it is important to make use of eye-catching design elements to create flair and excitement on a site, “…these elements must always be relevant and appropriate, and not distract from a clear, coherent whole effect.” (http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/dont_decorate_communicate.cfm) This statement encapsulates a central aspect of the modern trend in site design. In more practical terms this refers to aspects such as more open and less boxed-in page layouts as well as the use of color and visual effects to draw attention to the content rather than the aesthetics of the page. As another pundit states, “the focus is on making the site’s subject look good, rather than making the web designer look good”. (http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/current-style.cfm). In the light of these views, aspects such central content alignment become important as it focuses attention on the content, as well as providing a sense of balance and simplistic creative design. A good example of a site that takes this view to the point of minimalism is that of Garrett Dimon’s blog (GarrettDimon.com). This site is designed for maximum access to content. There are many other design aspects that conform to the modern perception of a ‘good’ website that are worth mentioning. Navigation is conventionally situated on the left side of the page or on the topbar. The latest trend is to rather place navigational elements on the right side of the page. This may be a trend that is linked to the way that navigation in most Blogs function. Similarly, right side navigation also has the advantage of making the content more visible and prominent. There are many other aspects such as color usage, which have tended to become more low key and less garish. In terms of font size, the general trend has been to move away from very small illegible font sizes to larger fonts to make online reading more user-friendly. All of these trends point towards the central factor in contemporary Web design; namely that content, and access to instant information are key factors in modern Web design. Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-design-articles/what-are-the-characteristics-of-good-web-site-design-419450.html
About the Author

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Spider Choice
A web Marketing and SEO Company in Toronto, Canada
info@spiderchoice.com
(416)-450-9595

Author: Gary Davies
Every web design project should start with content gathering, either by the designer or by the client. Many people who pay to have websites designed for them fail to think about content gathering and the information which may be required to create an informative and appealing website.
Designers and clients should discuss where the raw information for the site is going to come from. Some designers like to do content gathering through their own research, some prefer clients to provide content in various stages of completeness. As not all clients understand the needs of web content and some designers do not always understand the needs of their clients before the design process gets underway there should be a discussion about the following content questions:
Is the site going to be personal or for business? Personal websites can be to promote a ‘personality’ such as a celebrity or for artists, writers, or actors to display their work or it could just be to display pictures and stories for extended family. Personal websites often need to address the topic of privacy and how much information needs or should be shared.
Is the website an artist or professional portfolio? Depending on the type of artist or professional different methods will be needed to showcase work. A photography website will be designed differently than a musicians website. A conflict or documentary photographer will want a different look than a fashion photographer. An actor will need a completely different approach all together.  The content will shape other design decisions.
Is the site going to sell anything? There will need to be product information and descriptions, prices, returns information and policies and shipping details gathered. How many products are you selling?  Will the payments for products be taken via the site? Sites that take payments need to be secure in order to handle sensitive information.
Does your company have a privacy policy? Websites need a privacy policy, particularly if you will be gathering information from users. How u gather information (signup form, checkout payments etc) will influence the content of the privacy policy.
Is the website going to contain bio information? Nearly every website has an about section. People like to know the stories behind the companies and what a company stands for. Do you already have a standard bio or will one need to be prepared? Personal websites may not need this section, as the audience will already know what you are ‘about’. Companies need to decide if details about employees and the company structure will be outlined on the site.  Employees need to be consulted. Listing employee information can put an expiry date on websites, they will need to be updated every time staff changes.
Is the website going to contain specific technical information? Websites which provide technical information about specialised topics will need heavy content input from clients. A web designer can not be expected to write the content for a specialist astrophysics website. Information on specialised content will need to be provided.Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-design-articles/gathering-content-for-a-complete-website-5158100.html
About the Author
Do you want take advantage of the worlds biggest store – The Internet? Get your company online today – http://AustralianWebMarketers.com.au. Professional, Great Looking and High Rankings Websites – For Great and affordable Web Design Australia.

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Spider Choice
A web Marketing and SEO Company in Toronto, Canada
info@spiderchoice.com
(416)-450-9595

Author: Get Leads Fast
Are you planning to make a new website for your online company? Well if that’s the case then here are few dos and don’ts that you will have to keep in your mind at the time of picking custom website design for your web pages.
Dos

Don’ts

These are the few dos and don’ts of the custom website design that you will have to keep in your mind.Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-design-articles/3-essential-dos-and-donts-of-custom-website-design-5155048.html
About the Author
Get Leads Fast is a pioneer is custom website design, also providing extensive customer service and creative marketing solutions like affordable SEO St Louis services.

If you have questions about the content of this post pls. feel free to contact the author or us directly:
Spider Choice
A web Marketing and SEO Company in Toronto, Canada
info@spiderchoice.com
(416)-450-9595

How to Plan a Website – 6 Crucial Areas to Consider

By Marcus J Miller

Planning a website is no easy matter. It may have become easier over the years to go from having nothing to a fully functioning website complete with all the bells and whistles due to developments in platforms such as WordPress. However, there is still a lot involved in the process. In fact, it is now even more important that you know how to plan a website carefully because of the amount of competition you will be up against.Here are the six major areas to look at when learning how to plan a website which should help you to create something that will really pull in the traffic.1. Domain NameChoosing the right domain name is not always simple. If you have a short company name that has not been taken yet then it’s easy enough, but if you have a particularly long name then you might want to consider using an abbreviation. You should also think carefully about the type of domain you want -.com,.co.uk,.biz, etc – as this is important depending on the location of your target customers.You will also need to find out where and how to register your domain and consider factors such as whether you want a private registration and the amount you will have to pay. These are all things that you should consider before you choose a domain to help you get off to a good start.2. Web HostingWeb hosting is where a company ‘hosts’ your website on its servers, as if you are renting your space on the web, and you will need this before setting up a website.There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a web hosting service, including whether you pay for just one year or a number of years, how much traffic you expect to receive, whether you want to host multiple domains, how much down-time you can expect, whether email is provided and more.Choosing a good hosting service is something you want to get right so spend time researching the best package for your needs, not just in terms of price but in terms of service.3. StructureThis is where it starts to get really serious. Planning the structure of your website doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, you can do it yourself with a pen and paper. However, you may want a professional web designer to help you here.The website itself needs to have a good structure to lead to a positive user experience, because this will affect how long people stay on your site and how often they return. Your structure should be based on a few main categories such as ‘Services’ along with a number of sub categories. It needs to be logical, simple andeasy to follow. This is not the stage to start trying to get too creative.4. ContentThe content of your site is crucial, and when learning how to plan a website it is something you want to organise early on. You need to create content for each page of your website, and you should make it as informative and interesting as possible. Content doesn’t only mean the main pages: you might also want to set up a section on information articles, or a regular blog, which will be good for SEO purposes and help to attract more customers.5. To Build or Buy?Once you have planned the above, it’s time to bring the website to life. You have a number a number of choices here and you should decide which one is best for you. You could opt to hire a web designer to do everything for you, or you could do it yourself by using a free platform such as WordPress. If the website is for your business then some professional input is highly recommended, but you could choose the best of both worlds by hiring a designer who uses WordPress to create professional websites.6. MarketingYou should really start planning your marketing tactics before you even launch the website. There are so many types of marketing, including social media marketing, email marketing, SEO and more, and for each of these you can plan ahead before you have put the actual website together, so don’t leave it too late and remember to ask your designer for advice before they start work on your website.Start Planning Your Website TodayWorking out how to plan a website is so important to its success, so make sure you take the time to plan the above steps rather than just jumping straight in. The internet is a competitive environment and you need to do everything you can to stand a chance of success. Follow the stages above when you plan your site and you’ll be able to hit the ground running.— Marcus Miller is a UK SEO Consultant and can help you win online so if you are looking for SEO Services in BirminghamThe web offers a huge opportunity to market your business, but only a tiny percentage of businesses tap into it effectively – get in touch with Marcus to find out how to start winning online: marcus@bowlerhatsolutions.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_J_Miller

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Plan-a-Website—6-Crucial-Areas-to-Consider&id=6313788

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Spider Choice
A web Marketing Company in Toronto, Canada
info@spiderchoice.com

This is sad but true, please read and make sure your Website doesn’t adhere to these trends…because they are most annoying and don’t convert to sales.

You Can’t Have My Money!
By: WebDevelopmentQuote.comIf you are a business and expect to be taken seriously on the Internet, you need to shape up and project a professional image.Please don’t think this is a request. This is a demand from the Ritalin-popping-immediate gratification-generation surfing the net (aka 95% of your potential customers).I want to give you my money… I want your products… I want to trust you… but, I’m afraid that is impossible now that I have seen your website.Flashing sunshine and rainbows are pretty. As a matter of fact some of my most pleasant childhood memories involve sunshine and rainbows. Also, multi-colored colored text exclaiming “Welcome to my HoMe PaGe on the world-wide internetz!” makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.Will you be my friend?No, scratch that, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit, but somehow I’ll get through this. “GULP”I have put the sunshine and rainbows behind me and just as I am about to send my payment to you at “LetsGetItOn6969@example.com”, I think… Can I trust someone who uses an email address like that for their business transactions? Sure, my email address may be “EatinBaconNaked@whatever” but I am the customer, I can do that. Please for the love of all that is holy, just get an email address appropriate for business that is separate from your personal email.And those animated icons that you send in your email, you know, the ones that make Outlook crash like it’s coming down off a Pop-tart induced sugar high? Yeah those, keep em’ coming.Oh, and since I am your customer now, you have my permission to include me on your CC list of “friends” because I want to be in your life. OMG PONIES!!! ARE SOOOOOOOOO CUTE!!! ROFL.While I’m on the subject, please learn the English language. I can’t seem to find a “Childish – to – English” translator on the web. So, for the remainder of our business transaction I am going to have to ask you to speak and write a language with actual words. Sure, I “LOL” all the time but really, when is the last time you seen anyone “ROFL” or “ROFLMAO”. Certainly, I would never “LMAO” when talking to one of my customers, but maybe I am just getting old… BRB, I have to TMGARTF (Take my Geritol and read the funnies).By the way, I enjoyed listening to the midi background music while I was browsing your website. Nothing gives me more confidence in you as a respectable business than an endlessly looping midi version of Metallica’s Enter Sandman.FYI: Midis were cool for about three days in early 1994, and you missed the boat.You should also know, some of the pages on your website won’t load in my browser. Is it possible that those pages don’t exist? Wait, what does that little sign say… “Please Excuse The Mess, This Website is Under Construction”. Don’t worry, I won’t mind the mess while your website is eternally under construction, I live in Michigan, I’m used to construction. I am also used to reading “Comic Sans” font in 48 pt type on an endlessly repeating 220 KB JPG background of clouds. That’s just what we do for fun here in Michigan in the two weeks every year when there are no beer tents to be found. We throw a little “Dom Casual” on some animated shooting stars when we want to mix it up a bit.I remember how proud I was in explaining to girls how Netscape 3 was the first to support frames and how it was clearly superior to Internet Explorer. I died a little bit on the inside today when I somehow managed to find your website …and yes I was a lonely nerd, shut up.Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeez… FYI: Frames are generally considered a bad idea for more than a few reasons.Accessibility – Frames are a nightmare for screen readers used by the visually impaired; however I suspect in the case of your website, they are the fortunate ones.Search Engine Indexing – Search engines will want to index your pages that actually have text content, however, because of the frameset, your content pages probably don’t have any navigation links, thereby leading unlucky visitors in to sub-pages with no navigation.Ah, but I forgot… you’re the “professional”. Let’s just make a flash intro page with a huge animation with little or no relevancy to your industry and a big link that says “CLICK HERE TO ENTER”. I guess that just fixes everything now doesn’t it? Better yet, why don’t you skip the enter link so we have to sit through your entire flash intro, that’s how to really impress your customers. Now, tell me, why doesn’t your website show up in the search engines? Must be some kind of conspiracy, yeah… Is something following my cursor or is it my inner ninja just anticipating it’s every move? Scary.I know there is a ninja/pirate joke in there somewhere but I’m too distracted by all the pretty colors.Yes! I would like to set your website as my home page, thanks for reminding me! And, I would “Send this page to a Friend”, but all my friends are IRL (in real life).Now, what was it you were selling?Oh, I see, you’re a web developer. Well, isn’t everyone?No, it’s all right, I’m not crying. I’m just allergic to Geocities.

Author Bio
The author is a full time Web Developer for WebDevelopmentQuote.com. For a free no obligation Web Development Quote, visit Web Development Quote – This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

Spider Choice
“a Web Marketing company in Toronto, Canada.”

These are some of the basics you should know before you design and launch your new website. Although this is common knowledge to most experienced Webmasters I think it is a good read for many of our viewers.

Four Critical Web Design Rules
By: Nicholas LaPolla
“Content is King! If you want a website to generate back-links and have quality content the search engines love, be sure to make it readable by both people and search engines. Search engines are working to give people quality results. Thus, they are looking for sites with quality content. So – by building site content for people, not only are you getting back to basics (information dissemination to people via the Internet), you are creating a site search engines will love. So, build sites for people – and the search engines will come.
When creating a new website or redesigning an existing site, there are four critical rules which should be followed to make the site effective, functional, loved by search engines – and successful.
1. Easy to Read
When building a website, the first thing you need to be sure of is that your website is easy to read. When you write content, remember that most web site visitors don’t read every word of a page – in fact, they only scan pages to find what they want.
Break up Your Content
Break up your pages and use headers between major ideas so people scanning your site can find what they want quickly. Use meaningful headers between each paragraph or major idea – this helps with SEO. Headers should be created with the H1 through H4 tags for SEO. Always use good writing structure. Additionally, avoid long paragraphs that run on. You should break up any long paragraphs.
Color and Fonts
To help readability, use high contrast colors between font and background. Black text against a white background may seem stark, but it is very readable. To make a website easy on the eyes, try an off-white background and a dark gray (almost black) text color.
Things to avoid with content color:

• Avoid vibrant background colors like purple or yellow. Such back colors make text difficult to read.
• Avoid using an image behind your text.
• Avoid using bright text colors on bright backgrounds.

Fonts Matter
One simple statement covers the font issue:
Simple fonts are the best; the more fancy the font, the harder it is to read.
Since many browsers only have the standard font set, use standard fonts. In reality, there is no “standard”, but there are certain fonts that are installed on most browsers. These include Arial, Verdana, Tahoma and Times New Roman. Your readers will see something different than you see if you use other fonts.
Standard Compliant Browser for Development
When developing and testing your site, use a Standards compliant browser like FireFox. If you develop your site to be standards compliant, it will work in most browsers, including MS Internet Explorer (IE). It is recommended that you test your site using the latest and last browser versions of IE (IE6 and IE7). To run multiple versions of IE on the same machine, TredoSoft.com has a free installer that will install multiple versions of IE. It works great!
Keywords in Content
Of course, when writing content, not only should it be formatted to be readable, but it must also be consumable by not only people, but by search engines. One way to make the subject of the content known to search engines is to use the keywords that people use to search for your site in your content. Be sure to use keywords in your header tags, your first paragraph and throughout your text. The keyword density should be between 4% and 7% – but any more than that could 1) be hard to read and still make sense and 2) be considered spam by search engines and banned. Keywords should also be used in your TITLE tags and your Meta description.
2. Simplify Navigation
The menus and links make up the navigation that the visitor uses to get from page to page in a site. Always plan a site around how people will get from page to page. A visitor to your site should be able to get to what they want within three clicks of their mouse.
Multiple navigation points makes it easy to find things. Repeat the top menu and at the bottom. Also create a left or right menu.
Using links within your text to other areas on your site. You can create links so that they are good for search engine optimization (SEO). There are generally two ways to create links within your text:

Using link text (anchor text) that describes what the link is about is the best way. Search engine web crawlers (programs that automatically index the contents of websites) visit your site, they “read” links. Spiders can index descriptive links into a subject or keyword category. Spiders have nothing to work with when reading a “click here” until it reaches the linked page.
This is Cross Linking – use it as much as possible when it makes sense to do so when writing your content.
3. Consistent Design
At most, one or two layouts should be used in your site design. As a reader browses your site, they should be able to get used to looking in the same place for your navigation, for your sub-navigation and for your content. That’s all there is to say about that.
4. Lower Page Weight is Better
Page weight is the total size of a page on your site in bytes – code, text and images. Your site’s page weight makes a big difference to your viewers. Lighter page weight is better for your readers because the page will download faster. The faster a page downloads, the faster they will get to the content.
What is Means to be Light

• No large images.
• Fewer images are better.
• Optimize images for the web at no more than 72 dpi
• Use as small an image dimension as possible for the given design.
• Use a table td bgcolor attribute or a background-color style attribute for solid color backgrounds.
• Make gradients horizontal or vertical (not diagonal) so that you can use a small image “strip” and repeat it.

How “Heavy” Should a Web Page be?
Certain studies show that 64K is a good maximum webpage size. 64K is a maximum, however it is still, in my opinion, really big! The smaller the page, the better. 25K is good, 15K is even better. There is a balance between design and function. It is a good idea to focus more on function.
Try putting pages on your web host server as you build your site so you can test it as you go. For pages online, you can test the page weight at www.quasarcr.com/pageweight/ to be sure you are on track.
Ways to make pages lighter:

• Use linked style sheets
• Use DIVs instead of TABLEs where possible
• Use simple repeating backgrounds for effect

Summary
Visitors to your website should be able to find what they are looking for within about three clicks. Search engines should be able to navigate easily through your site. Making a site easy to read with consistent page design, and easy to navigate will make it easy to find information. When people can find information, they are more likely to refer your site or link to it – which is exactly what you want to encourage. You will be on the way to building a readable and hopefully successful website that is loved by search engines if you follow these principals.

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Author Bio
Nicholas LaPolla has been a web applications developer for 11 years. He created AcmeWebResources.com to help others build or improve, market, and monitize their websites with a focus on web design, website seo / internet marketing, and working to make money online.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

Spider Choice
“a Web Marketing Company in Toronto”

I recently had a new client ask me to do Internet Marketing for their new website including SEO, Google Adwords(PPC) and branding of their name.
This was a new site that they had put a lot of time (6 mths.) and of course cost to develop. Now when you first look at the site it is visually appealing and seems to be easy enough to navigate thru. and thus it should be ready to launch which they did.
Ok so you say why is he posting this article if everything is so great about the new site, after all the owners wouldn’t have given the go ahead if there were any problems right?
Many owners of new sites put a lot of pressure on the designers to get the new site up and running and do not check to make sure even the basic operation of the website is functioning the way they thought it would.
We ended up having to redo the entire site to catch all the little details that were wrong or missing. Here are just a couple of problems we found.
1. Can you imagine having a “Online Request Form” that defaults all the emails to the original designer of the request software? Yes they hadn’t received one request! Oops!
2. The template design for all pages had to be redone as they wanted to add more content on each page and because there was no floating Footer you could only work between the existing graphics.
3. When the designer realized this mistake he added all the great content as PDF files for you to “click to download” which wasn’t a great move for SEO purposes and very annoying to navigate.
I could go on about this one but I think you get the point, remember it’s your site and ultimately your responsibility to make sure everything is working.
Check that your emails are working properly.
Check that your pages link properly both internally and externally.

Spider Choice Inc.
“Web Marketing Solutions”
SEO – Internet Marketing – Pay Per Click
info@spiderchoice.com

Many online marketing consulting firms look at SEO and search engine advertising in a vacuum. They don’t consider the big picture. The idea behind all search engine marketing is increased revenue. That requires conversions, not just more traffic. And certain website design problems can kill your conversions!

Don’t Destroy Your Online Marketing Results with Bad Website Design
Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Paul Marshall

So, you’ve embarked on a search engine advertising program, maybe even SEO. Whether you’re doing this on your own or using an online marketing consulting firm, there are key points to become aware of.

If you miss these, you won’t increase conversions.

What good is a Number 1 organic search engine ranking or AdWords ad listing, if you don’t have increased sales or if you don’t generate more sales leads?

Too often, we get all focused about the Internet marketing — the ads, the offer — that we don’t think the whole process through step-by-step and consider the experience our website visitors will be having.

If we did, we’d be thinking “big picture” and we would head off some of these potential problems before they occur.

Overcoming Your Website Visitors Anxiety

When people come to our website it’s natural for them to feel anxiety. After all, look at all the cr*p on the Internet today, all the too-good-to-be-true products and services.

But when you and I offer REAL products or services, we have to overcome that concern, even if we’re treating our site visitors fairly and not making outrageous claims.

So, how can you overcome these anxieties?

1. Offer more than a 1-page website. Credible companies have multi-page websites, including Privacy Policy, Terms of Use | Service and About Us pages.

They also have more than 1 page about their products or services.

I’m surprised by the number of 1-page websites I see from companies using infomercials to advertise their products. Often, they have the purchase form right on their home page, their only page (and often their page isn’t secured for credit card ordering).

Websites that are only 1-page don’t seem credible. And having the purchase form right on the home page comes across as very pushy!

Doesn’t this type of site seem all about the company and NOT about their customers? Why would we want to buy from that type of company?

What kind of online marketing consulting firm did these companies use…or did they use any??

2. Next to any sign up or contact form buttons clearly state that you don’t sell your customers’ private information and link to your Privacy Policy page.

3. Effectively communicate what your Value Proposition is, also called your Unique Selling Proposition. If you don’t know why someone should buy your product or service versus your competitors’, now is the time to figure it out. (And by the way, based on my experience, if you don’t know this, you’re not alone, by any means.)

But our websites have to be about more than just us. They have to be about our visitors. What’s in it for THEM, to do business with us? What unique voids in the marketplace can we fill?

As a Small Business Owner, Personally Relate to Your Site Visitors and Communicate Directly with Them

People don’t buy from websites, they buy from people! So, how can you apply this to your own website?

1. For many small businesses and solo proprietorships, their website text should speak to your visitors directly in first person.

This should be written from the voice of the Owner or President. They shouldn’t use third person, institutional-sounding language, getting rid of “we” and “our”, using “I” instead, speaking first person, in an actual conversation. Don’t try to sound like you’re Microsoft!

And while your at it, be careful about overuse of words about you…whether “I”, or those words, “we”, “our” or “us”.

Check out the WeWe calculator (Google: wewe calculator). Make sure to focus on customer-focused words and NOT on words about you or your company.

2. Include your picture on your Web pages.

For a larger small business trying to make that personal connection with their website visitors, try the idea used by the nutritional supplement company Lumina. (Google: Lumina Health Contact Us)

In this execution, notice how Lumina gets you to relate to their customer service department. I still remember it was John I spoke with and that’s been over 1 year ago that I called them!

Again, people buy from other people, not from websites.

For us as small businesses, why should we sound large, pretending to be something we aren’t? And why should we run from our advantage of being small: low overhead, friendly, personal service and accountability, among other advantages.

Make Each Step in Your Marketing a Smooth Handoff from One Step to Another

Whether you’re using AdWords, SEO, or both, make sure your title and description matches the experience your website visitor will have when they come to your landing page.

Quite often when I’m Coaching my small business owner clients or performing online marketing consulting, I find the wording for their organic listing or AdWords ad says one thing and their landing page says something that doesn’t sound the same.

This causes confusion is the best case scenario. In the worst case, it causes a lack of trust. Dangerous!

We should understand our products or services. And we know what we want our visitors to do on our site.

Our potential customers may not understand either. We need to think like them, when we explain what we have to offer them and how to use our website to take advantage of what we have to offer.

And when “shifting” from one page to another, we need to hand-off from one page to another naturally and smoothly, like a car with a smooth automatic transmission.

Don’t advertise one offer in AdWords or organic search, only to have your landing page sound like it was written for another advertising offer. I see this problem a lot!

Often times, having an affordable online marketing consulting firm reviewing what you’re doing can offer easy, inexpensive fixes that can yield big improvements in your search engine advertising and SEO conversions.

Your Action Plan

Let’s review what we’ve talked about.

First, overcome visitors anxieties by offering a multi-page website which answers questions about your company and your services or products, while inspiring confidence in your company. Effectively communicate your Value Proposition.

Second, personally relate to your site visitors. Avoid using the wrong words that may put off your site visitors. Use your picture on your Web pages.

Third, hand-off from one page on your website and one step in your selling process to another smoothly and naturally. We should understand what we want our site visitors to do, but they won’t unless we make the process really clear.

Whether your using an online marketing consulting firm or doing the work yourself, if you take these steps, your search engine optimization | advertising plan will convert at a MUCH higher rate, when you take these steps.

About The Author:
Marketing online since 2004, Paul Marshall can help you market on a budget. He’s an Online Marketing Consulting expert offering marketing services (and d-i-y Coaching). You can learn more about Paul on his Internet Marketing LinkedIn profile and at Strategic Web Marketing.net.

Read more articles written by: Paul Marshall

If you have any other questions about website design, search engine optimization or Internet Marketing pls. feel free to contact the Spider Choice Team
info@spiderchoice.com

I was recently asked by someone who is just starting to think about their first website if selecting the Domain name is really important and what should they be looking for.
I only wanted to provide them with enough basics to start their thinking process at this time, and I think that the following article posted by Rand Fishkin (CEO, SEOmoz) does a great job even if it was posted in 2007.
I would like to thank Rand for giving me permission to post it on my Blog

12 Rules for Choosing the Right Domain Name
Posted by randfish on February 5th, 2007 at 12:01 am Webdev

A long time ago, I wrote a post on domain name selection that’s sorely in need of an update. Time to deliver…
For 99% of the projects we take on, a domain is already part of the equation. However, in some circumstances, we’ve been called on to provice advice for naming a domain, either for a new blog, a company launch or even just a friend’s website. Below, I’ve listed 12 tips I find indispensable when helping people select a great domain name.
1. Brainstorm 5 Top Keywords?
When you first begin your domain name search, it helps to have 5 terms or phrases in mind that best describe the domain you’re seeking. Once you have this list, you can start to pair them or add prefixes & suffixes to create good domain ideas. For example, if you’re launching a mortgage related domain, you might start with words like “mortage, finance, home equity, interest rate, house payment” then play around until you can find a good match.
2. Make the Domain Unique?
Having your website confused with a popular site already owned by someone else is a recipe for disaster. Thus, I never choose domains that are simply the plural, hyphenated or misspelled version of an already established domain. I still believe that Flickr desperately needs to buy Flicker.com – I hear kids in their 20′s tell parents in their 40′s and 50′s to see photos on Flickr and always envision that traffic going straight to the wrong domain.
3. Only Choose Dot-Com Available Domains?
If you’re not concerned with type-in traffic, branding or name recognition, you don’t need to worry about this one. However, if you’re at all serious about building a successful website over the long-term, you should be worried about all of these elements, and while directing traffic to a .net or .org (as SEOmoz does) is fine, owning and 301′ing the .com is critical. With the exception of the very tech-savvy, most people who use the web still make the automatic assumption that .com is all that’s out there – don’t make the mistake of locking out or losing traffic to these folks.
4. Make it Easy to Type?
If a domain name requires considerable attention to type correctly, due to spelling, length or the use of un-memorable words or sounds, you’ve lost a good portion of your branding and marketing value. I’ve even heard usability folks toute the value of having the letters include easy-to-type letters (which I interpret as avoiding “q,” “z,” “x,” “c,” and “p”).
5. Make it Easy to Remember?
Remember that word-of-mouth and SERPs dominance marketing (where your domain consistently comes up for industry-related searches) both rely on the ease with which the domain can be called to mind. You don’t want to be the company with the terrific website that no one can ever remember to tell their friends about because they can’t remember the domain name.
6. Keep the Name as Short as Possible?
Short names are easy to type and easy to remember (the previous two rules). They also allow for more characters in the URL in the SERPs and a better fit on business cards and other offline media.
7. Create and Fulfill Expectations?
When someone hears about your domain name for the first time, they should be able to instantly and accurately guess at the type of content that might be found there. That’s why I love domain names like Hotmail.com, CareerBuilder.com, AutoTrader.com and WebMD.com. Domains like Monster.com, Amazon.com and Zillow.com (whom I usually praise) required far more branding because of their un-intuitive names.
8. Avoid Copyright Infringement?
This is a mistake that isn’t made too often, but can kill a great domain and a great company when it does. To be sure you’re not infringing on anyone’s copyright with your site’s name, visit copyright.gov and search before you buy.
9. Set Yourself Apart with a Brand?
Using a unique moniker is a great way to build additional value with your domain name. A “brand” is more than just a combination of words, which is why names like mortgageforyourhome.com or shoesandboots.com aren’t as compelling as branded names like bankrate.com or lendingtree.com. SEOmoz itself is a good example – “SEO” does a good job of explaining the industry we’re in and creating expectations, while “moz” gives a web association, and an association with being free, open, and community-driven.
10. Reject Hyphens and Numbers?
Both hyphens and numbers make it hard to give your domain name verbally and falls down on being easy to remember or type. I’d suggest not using spelled-out or roman numerals in domains, as both can be confusing and mistaken for the other.
11. Don’t Follow the Latest Trends?
Website names that rely on odd mis-spellings (like many Web 2.0 style sites), multiple hyphens (like the SEO-optimized domains of the early 2000′s), or uninspiring short adjectives (like “top…x,” “best…x,” “hot…x”) aren’t always the best choice. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but in the world of naming conventions in general, if everyone else is doing it, that doesn’t mean it’s a surefire strategy. Just look at all the people who named their businesses “AAA… x” over the last 50 years to be first in the phone book; how many Fortune 2000′s are named “AAA company?”
12. Use an Ajax Domain Selection Tool?
Websites like AJAXWhois and Domjax make it exceptionally easy to determine availability of a domain name – just remember that you don’t have to buy through these services. You can find a name you like that’s available, then go to your registrar of choice.

If you would like more information about how selecting the right Domain Name can affect the Internet Marketing of your website feel free to contact us direct at info@spiderchoice.com

Spider Choice Inc.
Web Marketing Solutions
SEO – PPC – Internet Marketing
Toronto, Port Dover – Canada

Many online marketing consulting firms look at SEO and search engine advertising in a vacuum. They don’t consider the big picture. The idea behind all search engine marketing is increased revenue. That requires conversions, not just more traffic. And certain website design problems can kill your conversions!

Don’t Destroy Your Online Marketing Results with Bad Website Design

Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Paul Marshall

So, you’ve embarked on a search engine advertising program, maybe even SEO. Whether you’re doing this on your own or using an online marketing consulting firm, there are key points to become aware of.

If you miss these, you won’t increase conversions.
What good is a Number 1 organic search engine ranking or AdWords ad listing, if you don’t have increased sales or if you don’t generate more sales leads?

Too often, we get all focused about the Internet marketing — the ads, the offer — that we don’t think the whole process through step-by-step and consider the experience our website visitors will be having.

If we did, we’d be thinking “big picture” and we would head off some of these potential problems before they occur.

Overcoming Your Website Visitors Anxiety

When people come to our website it’s natural for them to feel anxiety. After all, look at all the cr*p on the Internet today, all the too-good-to-be-true products and services.

But when you and I offer REAL products or services, we have to overcome that concern, even if we’re treating our site visitors fairly and not making outrageous claims.

So, how can you overcome these anxieties?

1. Offer more than a 1-page website. Credible companies have multi-page websites, including Privacy Policy, Terms of Use | Service and About Us pages.

They also have more than 1 page about their products or services.

I’m surprised by the number of 1-page websites I see from companies using infomercials to advertise their products. Often, they have the purchase form right on their home page, their only page (and often their page isn’t secured for credit card ordering).

Websites that are only 1-page don’t seem credible. And having the purchase form right on the home page comes across as very pushy!

Doesn’t this type of site seem all about the company and NOT about their customers? Why would we want to buy from that type of company?

What kind of online marketing consulting firm did these companies use…or did they use any??

2. Next to any sign up or contact form buttons clearly state that you don’t sell your customers’ private information and link to your Privacy Policy page.

3. Effectively communicate what your Value Proposition is, also called your Unique Selling Proposition. If you don’t know why someone should buy your product or service versus your competitors’, now is the time to figure it out. (And by the way, based on my experience, if you don’t know this, you’re not alone, by any means.)

But our websites have to be about more than just us. They have to be about our visitors. What’s in it for THEM, to do business with us? What unique voids in the marketplace can we fill?

As a Small Business Owner, Personally Relate to Your Site Visitors and Communicate Directly with Them

People don’t buy from websites, they buy from people! So, how can you apply this to your own website?

1. For many small businesses and solo proprietorships, their website text should speak to your visitors directly in first person.

This should be written from the voice of the Owner or President. They shouldn’t use third person, institutional-sounding language, getting rid of “we” and “our”, using “I” instead, speaking first person, in an actual conversation. Don’t try to sound like you’re Microsoft!

And while your at it, be careful about overuse of words about you…whether “I”, or those words, “we”, “our” or “us”.

Check out the WeWe calculator (Google: wewe calculator). Make sure to focus on customer-focused words and NOT on words about you or your company.

2. Include your picture on your Web pages.

For a larger small business trying to make that personal connection with their website visitors, try the idea used by the nutritional supplement company Lumina. (Google: Lumina Health Contact Us)

In this execution, notice how Lumina gets you to relate to their customer service department. I still remember it was John I spoke with and that’s been over 1 year ago that I called them!

Again, people buy from other people, not from websites.

For us as small businesses, why should we sound large, pretending to be something we aren’t? And why should we run from our advantage of being small: low overhead, friendly, personal service and accountability, among other advantages.

Make Each Step in Your Marketing a Smooth Handoff from One Step to Another

Whether you’re using AdWords, SEO, or both, make sure your title and description matches the experience your website visitor will have when they come to your landing page.

Quite often when I’m Coaching my small business owner clients or performing online marketing consulting, I find the wording for their organic listing or AdWords ad says one thing and their landing page says something that doesn’t sound the same.

This causes confusion is the best case scenario. In the worst case, it causes a lack of trust. Dangerous!

We should understand our products or services. And we know what we want our visitors to do on our site.

Our potential customers may not understand either. We need to think like them, when we explain what we have to offer them and how to use our website to take advantage of what we have to offer.

And when “shifting” from one page to another, we need to hand-off from one page to another naturally and smoothly, like a car with a smooth automatic transmission.

Don’t advertise one offer in AdWords or organic search, only to have your landing page sound like it was written for another advertising offer. I see this problem a lot!

Often times, having an affordable online marketing consulting firm reviewing what you’re doing can offer easy, inexpensive fixes that can yield big improvements in your search engine advertising and SEO conversions.

Your Action Plan

Let’s review what we’ve talked about.

First, overcome visitors anxieties by offering a multi-page website which answers questions about your company and your services or products, while inspiring confidence in your company. Effectively communicate your Value Proposition.

Second, personally relate to your site visitors. Avoid using the wrong words that may put off your site visitors. Use your picture on your Web pages.

Third, hand-off from one page on your website and one step in your selling process to another smoothly and naturally. We should understand what we want our site visitors to do, but they won’t unless we make the process really clear.

Whether your using an online marketing consulting firm or doing the work yourself, if you take these steps, your search engine optimization | advertising plan will convert at a MUCH higher rate, when you take these steps.

About The Author:
Marketing online since 2004, Paul Marshall can help you market on a budget. He’s an Online Marketing Consulting expert offering marketing services (and d-i-y Coaching). You can learn more about Paul on his Internet Marketing LinkedIn profile and at Strategic Web Marketing.net.

Read more articles written by: Paul Marshall

For more information about Website Design and how it can affect your Internet Marketing campaign contact us at  info@spiderchoice.com

Spider Choice Inc.
Web Marketing Solutions
SEO – PPC – Internet Marketing
Toronto & Port Dover, Canada