One of the most popular websites around has been in existence for 5 years now, and Digg has burrowed its place into the daily life of many web users. Some use Digg as an instant news source, similar to twitter. Others use it to vent and create and propagate. I highly recommend giving it a try. I am going to celebrate their anniversary by posting this blog, then digging it.
Hilarious Re-Post: How a Web Design Goes Straight To Hell
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Please read this, everyone. It really conveys a day in the life of a web designer.
Free SEO Services > First 3 to Comment
Winding Wheel is offering free SEO Services to the first 3 to comment on this post. This is a $220 value! These services include:
- Google Analytics set-up – We will install and implement a basic set-up of Google Analytics for your website. You will be able to keep track of all the vital web statistics. How do visitors behave on your website? Where are they from? How long are they on your site? How many visitors click the back button right away? And most importantly, how many unique visitors come to your website? All these questions, and more, are answered by establishing your Google Analytics Account.
- Usability and Search Engine Evaluation – First, We will take a deep look at your website to surface usability and conversion problems. Then we will evaluate your website and report on barriers that are preventing your site from appearing on natural search results in Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Your SEO Report will cover keyword selection, coding (meta tags), content and link popularity.
How to Participate:
Just leave a comment on this post with your company name and website. Then email me your name, phone number, and website. The first three to complete this win the Prize!
Is a Company Blog worth the Effort?
Is a Company Blog worth the Effort?
There is only one way to answer this question (and the answer will be different for each company), a pro/con list:
PROs
- Exposure – You will get your company information before more eyes.
- Internet Marketing – Blogs appear on search engines because they regularly offer fresh content.
- Trust – Your visitors are more likely to see your company as an industry leader.
- Followship – The group of regular visitors are very likely to become customers at some point.
- Message – You will be able to get your sales message out embedded in every blog post.
CONs
- Time – devoting 4 hours a week is difficult for the ultra-busy world we live in.
- Effort – It takes creativity and discipline to keep your blog relevant and fresh.
- Technical Skills – There is a small learning curve in learning to blog.
This list is not complete, some companies will have more pros or cons, depending on their situation. However, I believe that there are very few situations where a corporate blog is in the winner column. This is American, and we are all chasing after customers no matter what the method. Besides, I think blogging is fun.
What is Google Analytics?
Lets Start at the Beginning
Google Analytics is an ingenious website measurement software package, and it is free. Google Analytics shows you a number of valuable website statistics such as how people found your site, what pages they visited, how much time they spent on your site, and much more.
What is the point of having all this information?
Knowing your website visitors statistics, you can enhance their visitor experience. You should care, because an Analytics Consultant can improve your website return on investment by increasing the conversion rate of your visitors. This means that you can make more visitors into customers, and this is what being in business is about.
A Look at Google Analytics, Functionally
Google Analytics can be used by a novice or a web tech expert. The basic statistics that are gathered once Analytics is installed are very helpful: Number Visitors, Number Pages, Bounce Rate (% visitors that left immediately), Time on Site, Traffic Sources, Geographic Locations, Browser Information, and much more. As you can gather, it is very complete out of the box. The more advanced Analytics users can apply filters to make important modifications to how data is gathered or organized. They can also create goals, and funnel tests to take a deep look into how visitors are using your website. The possibilities are endless.
A Look at Google Analytics, Practically
You can gather the data for a year, but if you don’t translate it into money, then what good is Analytics doing you? Learning your websites usability issues can lead to an extremely functional, and profitable, website. It really pays to research and learn some of the advanced features, or hire a consultant. Every website has visitor barriers that prevent conversions, and Google Analytics can bring these barriers to your attention. Once these issues are eliminated, you will find that your website turns into a Conversion Machine, often times with over 300% more leads generated.
Content Optimization – Get What You Want With Words
I have neglected a very important part of website usability: Content. Usability and interface design are, or course, very important. Nothing sends a visitor away faster than an incoherent design. However, there is a great argument that content is equally as important.
It is all about the second impression
I believe that after the first impression (site usability) is established, the user also develops a second impression that is equally important, based on the helpfulness of the content. There are endless possibilities in copy-writing, or writing content. The tone and style of writing can have an impact on the user, and ultimately lead them to conversion or away.
Write around the users goals, not engagment
Everyone says to write “engaging,” then leaves it at that. But a user does not want to meet with an engaging writing style when they are simply looking for a quick answer. So, the writing style must match the anticipated user goals.
Influencing the visitor behavior
For every business website, leading the user towards conversion is the end goal. But the balance between informative and influential writing can easily be weighed too much in one direction. Always remember that the best sales pitch doesn’t sound like a sales pitch at all.
Measure your success
Google Optimizer and Analytics can both be used to measure how successful different arrangements or copy work with your audience. The difficult part is finding the time to write the same home page twice, and keeping the discipline to write in two different styles, but the rewards will be great.
Testing Content Concepts – Article
