One way that the major search engines locate a website is based on algorithms that test the legitimacy of a business or organization.  How do they do this?  The search engines look to see if, and how many, directories your website is listed in and if these directories are related to your business or organization.

These directories include online phone directories (e.g., AnyWho, dexknows, yellowpages) and business-related directories (e.g., “All the Food” and “Local Restaurant Direct” for restaurants).

The first step, though, is to ensure that your business is listed in these two major directories:  The business directories of the Google and Yahoo search engines.  They are called Google Places and Yahoo! Local and can be accessed at the following links (click on the highlighted words below):

Google Places
Yahoo! Local

Check to see if you are listed. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact me.

If a client had found a template, it would have needed customization.  Most templates and website builders are limited in the amount of changes that are allowed.   In most cases, a web developer is needed to make any desired changes or additions.

Some considerations needed to develop a website are not always included in a template.   For example, search engine optimization tags are not always included in templates and website builders, and even if they are, guidelines need to be followed so that the tags are effective.

Templates and website builders often include code that is not search-engine friendly.  Often, there is extra code included in the web pages that could possibly cause a website to loose ranking in a search engine’s resulting list.

Your website can be unique!

Yet another new thing has been learned and done. Check out the “Portfolio” tab HERE on the PML Web Creations Facebook page. It is a box that was created using Facebook’s FBML code.

If you need something like this done on your Facebook page, please feel free to contact me.

Here’s the link to this very special site:
http://www.guimp.com/

Enjoy.

There are many reasons to get a Facebook page for the benefit of your business. Here’s just one: The major search engines (Google, Yahoo, and MSN) index and list your Facebook business’ page in their search results.

This increases the chances of your business showing up when Internet users do searches pertaining to your business.

If you need assistance setting this up, or need help with your current business Facebook page, please contact me.

Maybe you will have time this weekend to sit at your computer to login to Facebook and do a post, go on LinkedIn to tell your contacts the same thing, and there’s the Tweet to do in Twitter. Oh, and can’t forget the email and the changes that need to be done to your website.

You do not need to do all of this.

Below is the Cafe Zalute & Retro Bar website that is shown here as an example of how to use a Blog as your “central point” of contact. Here is how it works:

1. Enter information in the Blog
2. Information is automatically posted to Facebook, LinkedIn, and emailed to a contact list. It can also be set up to automatically update Twitter.

This means that with one entry all of your contacts in Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and email receive your communication. If you have a Facebook page or profile, your Wall is updated, your post appears in the News/Live Feed, and your ‘Notes’ now contain this new information.

All of this, except for Tweeting, is now being done for the Cafe Zalute & Retro Bar.

Easy? Yes… after the initial setup. Interested? Feel free to contact me.

Sample Site
(click on the image to see
the blog)

To see the Facebook
update, go to the
Cafe Zalute Facebook

The LinkedIn update is not shown, because a login to a profile is needed.

Website Development

• Use the Services of a Web Developer. You may have heard about the many website development tools endorsing the possibility that “anyone can create a website” with their software. Relatives, friends, volunteers, and current employees might be able to do this for your business.  However, t here are many other tasks that are done by professional web developers and designers to make your website truly effective in terms of design and your connection on the Internet.  These tasks are briefly explained below.
• Use Standards Compliant Code. My clients’ websites are coded using “hard-coded” HTML.  What this means is that I do all the coding without using website building software (e.g., FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Microsoft Office).  This gives your website a greater chance of working in all the web browsers even when they change their code.  These browsers include Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Chrome.
• Keep Your Layout Simple. In most cases, your website has only seconds to keep the attention of an Internet user.  It needs to represent your business identity, be attractive, contain simple content, and be easy to navigate.

Search Engines

• No One Really Knows How They Work. Yes, it is a secret and they change the algorithms that are used to find websites based on keyword searches.  The major search engines are Google, Yahoo, and MSN.  If someone tells you they can get you ranked on the first page of a major search engine, they are lying.  Maybe they can do this in the short-term by using some kind of “coding trick,” but the search engines will eventually “catch it” and your website could get eliminated from their rankings, possibly indefinitely.
• Use Proper Coding. In addition to the above mentioned standards compliance and simple layout information, there are certain tags in your code that need to be set up correctly.  These include your website’s Title, META Tags, and HTML coding in your content.  The Title is the most important, but all the other tags and coding need to be related.  It is easier for the search engines to find your information if your website is properly coded.
• Submit to Search Engines. My clients’ websites, if not already ranked by the search engines,  get submitted to the major engines.  They only need to be submitted once and can be resubmitted when major changes occur.
• Be Patient. It can take weeks or even months for your website to show up in the major search engines.  Also, I periodically review my clients’ websites to see how they’re doing in the engine rankings;  I then do the things mentioned in this note.

Online Advertising

• Hire an Internet Marketer. Or, I can do this for you at my current hourly fee.  This could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars with a major marketing consultant.  At this time, I do not have a referral for a reputable consultant and hesitate to make any recommendations to my clients.  If you were a large company or organization I would not offer my services to you.
• Business-Related Directories. Get listed in current website directories pertaining to your business.  For example, if you are a restaurant, you might want to get listed in www.restaurant.com.
• Online Phone Directories. Ensure that you are properly listed in the online phone directories.  That is, if someone does a search on your business type in your area, your business will appear in their listing.
• Have Other Websites Link to Yours. Find other websites that will link to your website.  Offer to link to their website.  This is one of the top methods that can be used to drive traffic to your website.
• Use Google AdWords and/or the Yahoo Sponsored Search. With Google AdWords your business would be listed next to the search results based on keywords that you define.  Yahoo Sponsored Search also lists your business above and next to search results based on predefined keywords.  Both of these can be costly, with the Yahoo service being more expensive.
• Social Networking. Create your business presence in the “social networking” arena.  This includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (major networking blogs/websites/forums).  Yes, they are essentially gigantic weblogs (blogs).  Also, it is very important to link your business between these networks.

I hope the above is helpful to you and therefore to your business.  If I can be of assistance, please contact me.

I hope all is well with you, your family, and businesses. The purpose of this note is to briefly explain some things you might want to consider when setting up your business presence on Facebook.

There are three different ways to get identified on Facebook:

1. Profile (friends)
2. Group (subject)
3. Page (business, artist, public figure)

I am going to refrain from explaining ‘Profiles’ and ‘Groups’ in this message in order to keep confusion to a minimum.

As a business you need to use option 3 (Page). There are several reasons for this as follows:

• When someone searches for your business on the Internet (e.g., google.com), they will find your business on Facebook as they can find your “regular” business website.
• Your business can be promoted via Facebook Ads.
• Statistics can be collected regarding visitors to your ‘Page.’
• More applications are available to use in a ‘Page’ (e.g., video).
• It is against Facebook’s terms of service to set up a Facebook Profile on behalf of a group (business): “An organization cannot set up a Facebook account / personal profile page. Facebook’s terms of service are clear on this point. By using Facebook, you are required to “agree not to use the Service or the Site to … register for more than one User account, register for a User account on behalf of an individual other than yourself, or register for a User account on behalf of any group or entity” among other conditions of use.”

In order to do the above, you might want to consider doing the following:

• Contract/hire a web developer, or someone who is familiar with “social networking development,” to set up your business’ presence on Facebook. This person needs to be familiar with search engine optimization, multi-media, other social networks besides Facebook, web site development (coding) and the various ways to connect Facebook with your “regular” website.’
• Refrain from using a ‘Profile’ to identify your business and communicate business events and activities.’
• Use a Facebook ‘Page’ for business only; use a Facebook ‘Profile’ to communicate with friends.’
• Keep in mind that Facebook cannot replace your “regular” website, but can certainly enhance your connection with individuals and other businesses.’
• Remember to note and mention your “regular” website within your Facebook ‘Page.”
• Move all your friends from your Facebook ‘Profiles’, and possibly any of your ‘Groups,’ to your Facebook ‘Page.’

I hope the above is helpful to you and therefore to your business. If I can be of assistance, please contact me.