Getting More From Your Web site

This morning Giant Impact Metro Atlanta Council for Entrepreneurship (MACE) Strategic Partner, Network Solutions, conducted an interactive and informative presentation on the best practices for your Web site. The discussion provided many insights that small businesses can use in order to address the ever changing world of the Internet. There were five key categories to enhancing Web site, so start taking notes…

Domain Name- This is the first identifying mark of any company. The domain name creates the branding for your company so you want to make sure it gives the right message. Two helpful tips…register multiple domain names and extensions, this way you can stop the competition from encroaching on your territory. Tip two; register your domain name for multiple years because it makes you more credible to search engines like Google.

Hosting- This is when you need to be prepared to answer questions like where is your file server going to be located? How much space will you need? How graphically intense will your Web site be? How many visitors will the site be able to handle? Helpful tip, try a hosting company for a month to make sure that they have incredible customer service, support and reliability. If your Web site ever crashes you will be glad to have them on your side.

Web site Design- Of course, great website design is the most important aspect of any Web site. Four seconds…that is all the time you have to sell somebody to continue looking at your website. Better make it good! How do you keep people’s attention then?

Don’t try to entertain. People do not want to be bombarded with sounds, flashing lights, videos and graphics flying over the screen. Keep it simple. Show that you are credible and trustworthy. Provide clear and organized information in a pleasing easy to read format.

People do not want to hunt down information. Make sure that any information is only four to five clicks away from the home page. Also, make sure there is an easy way to get to the home screen and other important screens at all times. The most important tip is to keep it easy, simple and engage the public.

Purpose- The purpose of the Web site should be decided on long before the Web site is live. Make sure that the “Call to Action” is front and center. This is what the entire Web site is for, so do not make it hard to find.

Marketing- There are two primary methods to marketing your Web site. The first method is search engine optimization and the second is pay-per click advertising. Search engine optimization is the most effective method because you can control the process and it is free. However, you will need to do successful work in encoding keywords throughout your Web site.

The key is consistency and repetition. Uniformity in the title tag, description tag, keyword tag, headline, alt text, body copy and even in links will increase your search engine results. A helpful tip in keywords is to make sure they all target the end of the buying cycle. This means make the keywords as specific as possible.

Links are extremely important. Seven out of 10 reasons for rankings on search engine result sites are because of how many links a Web site had. Links that are rich in keyword anchoring are the most effective.

Remember that you are not against the search engines, but against your competitors. So keep a watchful eye on their Web sites and make sure to stay one step ahead of them. If you have any additional questions you can ask them at events@networksolutions.com. Now take all these tips and make your Web sites stronger and more effective.

Sorry you missed this incredible event! To learn more about MACE, so that you don't miss out again, visit http://www.atlantaentrepreneurship.com/.