Category: web design

SEO Web Design Secrets: Search Engine Optimization Tips For Beginners – Web Design Tips – Web Development

Posted by admin – 28/02/2010

web design SEO Web Design Secrets: Search Engine Optimization Tips For Beginners

SEO web design is a skill that can be learned, though most search engine optimization for beginners courses dwell too much on linking strategy as opposed to web site design per se. There are many ways for most normal people to get an improved search engine ranking, and secure a high search engine listing, and while linking is important, good on-site SEO is also necessary.

Although it might not seem like it, getting a good listing on Google or any of the other search engines is not as difficult as many like to claim. There are rules to follow, and if you play the game properly then the outcome should be in your favour. The tips provided in this article are not really secrets as such; although many people offer to divulge marvelous secrets to you, all they are giving you is stuff that people have been using for years.

So you won't get any secrets here. I have nothing hidden away that I don't want anybody to know, and if I had I wouldn't tell you about it! Would you? If you had some secrets that were so valuable that they were making you money, would you give them away free in an article like this one? Of course you wouldn't!

So here are my not-so-secret tips on getting a good listing in Google and improving your search engine ranking. You likely know a fair bit about meta tags, and have been informed that most are not used by search engines. Well let me tell you something. If you Google' Article Services you will finds my website right at the top in the #1 position for that keyword. Check the description that Google provides right under the title: that is exactly as it is in the Description' tag that I have on the site. So don't let anybody tell you that Google don't use the Description tag, because they do. So do Ask and MSN (now Live Search), and Yahoo also uses it, but not the whole thing exactly as written.

The Keyword tag is another matter. Google aren't interested in what you tell them the keywords are: they decide the relevance of the page themselves from the text and Alt tags on the page. Google no longer need keyword repetition to understand what you are writing about: they have the LSI algorithm now, that will determine the meaning of your page from the character strings it contains. The algorithm is programmed to calculate a relevance factor from the vocabulary you use in relation to the rest of the vocabulary on the page. However, back to SEO web design, and some search engine optimization tips for beginners.

In addition to the Description meta tag, the HTML tags you should use are:

1. The Keywords meta tag. Although little used it only takes a second to put in, and does no harm. There is evidence that some search engines might use it. The rest of the meta tags are pointless.

2. The TITLE tag. This is the title of your web page, and should contain the primary keyword for the page. Each page should be written round one primary keyword that relates to the subject of your website or niche.

For example, if your niche is costume jewelry, the primary keyword for your home page would be costume jewelry'. You could then have a number of 'silos' with a main page title each. The title of one main silo page could be 'simulated diamonds' and the first page title of that silo could be garnets'. All of these are the primary keywords for their respective pages. Another silo could be colored gem stones', with that as the primary keyword for the main silo page, and that for your first sub-page in that silo could be citrine'. And so on.

Each page must have one primary keyword, and it should be included in the Title tag for that page. The Title tag does not appear in the body of the article, but in the HTML between the two HEAD tags in your html.

3. The H tag. These are heading tags, with H1 being the most important. The heading for each main section in your page should be contained within H1 tags, and many pages have only the one set of such tags. Subheadings, containing secondary keywords, should be contained within H2 tags, and so on. Thus, in the example above, the heading or your garnets silo could be could be Garnets in Costume Jewelry' in H1 tags.

After an introduction to garnets, you could then have an H2 heading containing The Source of Garnets: Where Garnets Come From', then another passage of text headed How Garnets are Cut for Costume Jewelry', again held in H2 tags.
4. The ALT attribute. Use Alt = within the Img tags of your images and graphics. This lets the search engines know what the graphic is about: search engines do not read graphics, and the Alt attribute offers you the chance to use your graphics meaningfully with respect to SEO web design.

TEXT FORMATTING

That's all you have to worry about regarding the HTML tags. You text formatting can be used to emphasize to search engines what the important text on your page is. Thus, if you use bold text, underscoring or italics, they indicate the important words and phrases. Thus, use the STRONG and U html tags in your heading.

WRITE NATURALLY

Don't worry too much about your keyword density (KD), other than having to much. Too high a KD could harm you if Google thinks you are making unnecessary use of them. Write naturally for human readers, and not robots. If your text reads well and makes it clear what the subject of the passage is about, then you will be fine. In my writing I ignore the concept of KD altogether. I use my keywords as indicated above, and also in the first and last 100 characters on the page (or at least in the last paragraph somewhere).

Good SEO web design is not keyword fixated, but contains good contextually related vocabulary that the LSI algorithm can use to target the relevance of the page to the search term being used by somebody using the search engine to find information. That's all a keyword is: a term used by somebody looking for information. If you cannot work without a target KD, then I would go for a max of 1% with plenty associated vocabulary, synonyms. Related terms, etc.

Thus, if you are writing a 400 word article on the keyword losing weight', use these words four times, not twelve (1% not 3%)

None of these are web design secrets, and I doubt if there are any such secrets left any more. I suppose the only thing even approaching a secret here is that my description meta tag is copied exactly by Google in the listing for my #1 placed website. That allows you to determine how Google users see the description of your site in the listing.

I have several more SEO web design tips to offer, but these will be the subject of another article. In the meantime if you implement these search engine optimization tips for beginners, then you should soon see an improvement in your website's search engine ranking.

If you want more SEO web design tips, you will find Part 2 of this article with more search engine optimization tips for beginners on Seocious Tips 2 along with a free gift for everybody from me, Pete Nisbet of SEOcious.

SEO and Web Design Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire

Posted by admin – 20/02/2010

Webmojo are opening  in a new location. we have expanded into welwyn garden city in hertfordshire

Web Design Welwyn Garden City

SEO Welwyn Garden City

Web Design Tips For SEO

Posted by admin – 31/01/2010

It really wasn't all that long ago that SEO or search engine optimisation was one big giant mystery. Back then it was a rare person who even understood its basic principles let alone effective techniques.

Now how times have changed and it seems that today almost everyone with a website is aware of its basic functions. However; what still remains pretty much exclusive knowledge is the finite workings of SEO.

So just what can you do to better familiarize yourself with SEO and its inner workings, prior to having your website designed. Understand them in such a way that you won't be stuck like you were the last time you had to talk to a mechanic about your car when it comes time to communicate with your Web Designer.

You can start by typing in what ever you're selling or providing into your computers search engine. Check out the sites on the first page brought up by the most popular keyword entries. The ones at the top are doing something right, so study their sites carefully.

One thing you're going to notice is that at least one of them and probably more will have the keyword in their name. For instance if your business in wedding cakes and the most popular keyword is of course wedding cakes, you're going to see sites with names like weddingcakes-4U etc.

Now check out all the pages of their site and you'll see that they have their name, which includes this keyword plastered all over each page. They won't be penalized for “keyword abuse” either because it's in their name and it's only normal that a company would put their name at the top of each page and in their text.

So the gist of all of this is to consider including a popular keyword in your domain name, so it can be used liberally in your site. It's really not worth changing or adapting your name for less popular keywords though but its really all up to you.

OK so whats next? How about a selection of topic related keyword articles in your site. Perhaps a box on the right or left of your opening page with around 15 well written articles that contain 15 good keywords. Now bear in mind that the top keywords can be very competitive, so you may want to consider passing some up.

Consider wedding cakes as an example again. Type in (wedding cakes) and you may find that 2,000,000 entities are competing under that keyword. However; if you live in, say Kalamazoo Michigan, you may be better served by focusing on less popular and far less competitive “regional oriented” keywords in your articles like (Kalamazoo Wedding Cakes) or (Michigan Wedding Planners), etc.

Do yourself a big favor by taking some time to study up on article writing and keywords before you put your pen to paper, so to speak. Once again, another great idea is to check out what some of the better article directories have to offer under your selected keywords.

Do the same thing there. That is, check out the top articles on page one and consider duplicating or even copying what they're doing. Of course direct copies will never pass copyscape, so you'll have to rewrite them in your own words but there is nothing wrong with writing “similar adaptations”.

Pau Harris writes for Studio-40 a web development company based in the United Kingdom. Learn more about them here: Web design Leicestershire.

Practical Advice on How to Find and Hire Your Web Designer

Posted by admin – 31/01/2010

Selecting a web designer for your business is a lot like choosing a contractor to work on your home. Get ready to…

  • Ask lots of questions
  • Seek recommendations
  • Check out the work they’ve done for others

If you use these common-sense tips when choosing a design studio for your web site, you are likely to get the results you want.

1. Be specific about what you want to accomplish. Write it down!!

Most web projects that get off to a troubled start do so because site owners do not know what they really want or need. When they look for the right company to do their project, site owners often don’t know the qualifications of the design studio. Is it a company that designs web sites that also does marketing, or a marketing firm that also makes web sites? All these things make a difference. Most companies usually have one core competency.

A good idea is to prepare a document that describes the purpose of your site. Be as specific as you can. If you’re not sure about something, say so. Have a list that includes “must have” and “nice to have” items.

The more a designer understands the scope of the work, the easier it will be to do your project. You’re likely to get price breaks if you can really pin down what you need to have designed. When I go looking for a designer suitable for my clients’ projects, I use a Request For Proposal (RFP) as part of my method. It’s a way to ensure that studios are competing on a level playing field. It gives you a better chance to compare proposals on an “apples to apples” basis. My RFP is as specific as possible. Even small projects should have something like an RFP.

2. Know what deliverables you will need beyond the web site.

Too many businesses just don’t know what they are going to get once the site is launched. Maybe it’s because it is the first time that they’ve contracted to have a site produced for them. It could also be that they just don’t know what they want and/or what to expect from a design company.

If you’ve done a good job writing down and describing the specifics of what you want done, you’ll know what deliverables to expect from your vendor. In addition to the web site files, the following items should be included in your deal:

Artwork masters

Make sure it is clear that all artwork created for your project is handed over to you and that it is understood how the material can be used apart from your web site.

Documentation

The documentation can be done in several ways all of which needs to be discussed BEFORE the project begins. The vendor must document matters pertaining to design and programming, paying particular attention to workarounds which resolved issues. This is very important if you need to hire someone else to work on the site down the road.

Content Management System (CMS)

Most web sites are built with a CMS which enables a site owner to make changes to the site once the site is launched without having to be a web designer. While a CMS can be easy to use (that’s the beauty of it), some training is usually required to learn how to use it. Make sure you will be trained to use the CMS and that you understand the support commitment made by the design company.

3. Have a contract.

A contract is more than just a sign that a studio is professional and knows what they are doing. It’s the key to understanding the scope of the project and, hopefully, how it will be done.

Make sure you understand the contract. If you’re not sharp with the legal language, you might want to run the contract by an attorney. If you’re not familiar with the terminology of web development, design, and production, seek out the advice of someone who is.

Typically you’ll get a list of services that are included in the deal. Pay particular attention to the following:

A) Who owns the materials created for the project?

Do you have the rights to use anything created for the project in any manner for any media? That’s known as a “Work For Hire” contract which is most favorable to you. Designers can be reluctant to grant such terms but you’re likely to find flexibility through negotiation.

B) What design approval process does the studio use?

Typically, you’ll get two or three “back and forths” as the studio attempts to obtain your final design approval. Determine how many “back and forths” you get before any additional charges are incurred and what those fees will be.

C) What happens if the project is not completed on time?

Something you might need to have in the contract is a missed deadline penalty. If you have a time sensitive project which is not completed on time, you’re likely to miss sales opportunities. Designers don’t like this idea because delays are often caused by factors beyond their control.

4. Know how changes will be made to the site following its launch.

There are two ways to handle changes after the site is launched – pay the design company to do the changes or make them yourself. Most businesses today don’t like to be beholden to the studio to make updates. If your web site is rarely changed (which is not a good idea) then you might like to leave it to the designer to do the updates. If so, know the terms of this arrangement. Usually it’s a monthly fee or hourly rate. The biggest problem is that the updates do not take place on a timely basis, so get that all worked out in advance.

The “do-it-yourself” approach involves using a Content Management System as mentioned. The CMS provides pre-made templates for your site so you can add and edit content. This way you won’t have to rely on a vendor to do the work for you. If you are growing your business online, this is the preferred way to go.

Takeaway

When looking for a web designer remember the adage – Buyer Beware!! Learn all you can about the web development, design and production process or work with someone who already knows the ropes.

Ecommerce Pricing How to Price For Maximum Profits Online

Posted by admin – 28/01/2010

SEO shopping cart white backgroundPricing strategies are an extremely important part of running a successful business. In a competitive market, it is important to have a pricing policy that is able to attract the right customers at the right time and attract customers from other competing products. Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding on Ecommerce pricing:

When you are starting off your business, consider giving away samples for free. Ecommerce specialists the world over know that when customers search for products online, the phrase they are most likely to search for is “free”. You don’t have to give away your product forever, just for enough time to attract customers and drive away the competition.

You can also provide different versions of the same product at different prices. This differentiation is very easy as all you have to do is have a “free” version with multiple advertisements, and a “paid for” version which has no advertisements. You can also have a sampler which is free and valid for a certain amount of time or containing a certain amount of information and features with prompts to purchase a full version with the works.

Another popular Ecommerce pricing policy is to bundle two or more products together and have customers pay a lower price than they would pay for the two separately. This is useful as you don’t have additional costs from bundling the products but you are still increasing sales and building a customer base. These three pricing policies can really help you increase your online sales and build a customer base fast without much delay.

website design prices

Posted by admin – 23/12/2009

Getting a good price on a website design may be a concern to many small bushiness wanting to reach out to customers on the net. To get a good price you need to know what your paying for.  The prices of websites is not hard and fast they can very greatly even for similar sites.

Define your website design price range before talking to a designer

having a price in mind before you speak to your designer is a good idea. ball park figures are starter websites will cost between £350 and £1200 depending on which company you use.

E-commerce websites start at the £750-£1000 and rise depending on the size and complexity of the project.

Content managed web designs start at around £500 and again rise depending on size and complexity

At this point you may be thinking you have a friend who dabbles in computers that may be able to do it cheaper. My advice to you is don’t, paying small now will lead to paying more later on. A website needs to be an asset and earn it’s keep. A website earns by performing an action normaly to prompt a telephone call, leave an email or to buy something.

The best value option is to find a SEO web design company. SEO is the art of making a website friendly to the search engines and this will lead to more visitors enabling more people to see your products and services

Know what you want the website to do

Knowing what you want your new website to do will also help you with getting a good price. By having firm plans before hand you will help your designer.

Five Things Needed for Great Web Design

Posted by admin – 06/06/2009

Web Design examples set out three deepProfessional website developers know the importance of web design and the role it plays in making a website successful. Designing a successful website is no easy task, especially for someone who is new to the world of web development. With the help of web development applications many people can and do create decent websites. But decent in most cases is not good enough to make a site successful from a traffic or financial standpoint.

There are five crucial components of web design that you must focus on in order to make a site valuable to its visitors and successful for you.

- SEO – Getting free traffic to your site.

- Usability – Ease of navigating around the site and finding desired information quickly.

- Aesthetics – Visual appeal.

- Content – Valid, up to date, relevant information

- Graphics – Eye candy that relays relevant visual information to the visitor.

SEO

Before you ever lay down a byte of HTML code for a site you have to know and understand at least the basics of SEO and how it fits into the design. SEO is the art of designing a site in a fashion that gives the site an advantage for obtaining free and abundant traffic.

The number one aspect of SEO is selecting keywords relevant to your site. The keywords you select should be based on high usage, low competition and relevancy to your topic. Once you select keywords you can then begin the development of your site. Keep in mind keywords are a critical aspect of the design. The keywords you choose will be applied within the design in strategic fashion to benefit the flow of traffic to your site. To understand more on how to implement SEO you should read and learn more about this important subject. If you don’t, your website success will be difficult to achieve.

Usability

Your website must be easy to navigate and designed in a way that makes it easy to find information. Visitors will not stay long if it takes more than one or two clicks to get the information they want or if it takes brain power to figure out how to get the information they want. One of the goals of your site design is to keep usability easy, and simple. To do this, apply the following three fundamentals of usability.

* Provide a site search tool. A visitor in a hurry can quickly find the info they desire then move on to the action they desire.

* Provide simple, intuitive and consistent site navigation.  This provides visitors the tool they need to leisurely explore their way through your site.

* Provide logical and simple to follow content. The message of a site should start off in a simple and basic fashion with well defined links pointing the way to more detailed information or explanation as needed.

In the cases above the goal is to make it easy for your visitor to find the information they want without frustration or difficulty. Doing this well will have a positive effect on increasing the return of your visitors.

Aesthetics

A website has to look clean, uncomplicated and strike a balance in layout that is pleasant to the visitor. Pleasing aesthetics come about when the colors of a site complement each other, the graphics blend and lend continuation of the theme and the layout brings unity and openness to the page.

Often overlooked by novice designers is the color palette of the site. While you can select color in a willy-nilly fashion and still provide a visually appealing site, a better idea for color selection should be based on an understanding of the color wheel and proven color strategies.

Many web designers often view a web page as an opportunity to blast a visitor with lots of information in hopes this will convince the visitor to take action. Usually this results in a quick exit due to the overwhelming visual effect and complicated look. A better approach is to provide less content and open space (referred to as white space) to allow visitors eyes to scan and explore with ease.

Content

An important feature of any website is the quality of the text content. Visitors come to a site expecting to find answers to their questions, solutions to their problems or for entertainment value. The content offered at your site must be well-written, without grammatical or spelling errors. It also has to be relevant to the theme of your site, with valid, up to date information for your visitors. Content is King!

Graphics

You can have a functional and usable website without graphic elements. However, if there are similar sites to yours that employ graphics, guess which site will get the most traffic. The necessary companions to any well-designed site are the images and illustrations that grace its pages. The images can’t be any willy-nilly graphic that you might think is cool. Graphic imagery has to support your branding, and communicate the message you are trying to convey. Before you incorporate graphic elements into your site, take some time to look around the web. Notice what looks good and how elements are laid out. These same layouts techniques can be used as models for your site.

The Internet is a highly competitive business arena. To be successful with a commercial website, you have to keep these five crucial web design elements in mind. Contrary to what many will tell you, it is rarely possible to have commercial success without the benefit of a professional website. This is not to say that you must hire a professional, however you must implement professional design elements to improve your chances for success.

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


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