Social networking is an essential element to positioning your business via the Intenet.

A social networking strategy is very individual to what your business has to offer.  It is about two things the first is “authority” and the second is “engagement”

Authority

Maybe authority it too strong a word.  It should read “authoritative” in your business sector.  This is mainly gained via your own website content and blog.  A practical authoritative measure may be the number of people that link to your content.  This has long been established as Page Rank via back links.  This is a dying requirement in relation  to search search result placement and is giving way to relevancy.  Bing for example places far more emphasis on relevancy than the number links you have.  Google has recognised this and is, due to the grey industry built up around back links, moving toward relevancy and performance.

Engagement

However, there is authority to be gained via other methods.  Participation and even hosting an industry forum.  This connects directly to your potential customers.  We have seen this work very successfully at money saving expert where people go to find answers and ask advice on all kinds of financial matters.  Personal referrals really work.  For the younger market this is a given they ask for advice from their online friends and the popular votes wins.  This has not escaped the eyes of the search engines who are all involved / own leading social networking websites.

As a business you will be an expert in your chosen field.  So spread the word, demonstrate your expertise and although you cannot be too blatant about it sell your company.  Your participation and profile authority will not be missed by search engine’s.  Remember that “no follow” or link redirects can still be followed by search engines.

Creating your own forum is clearly a good thing to do.  It increases relevant traffic to your domain which builds trust and loyalty.  Within our business SEOmoz, they provide free and premium SEO tools, have a very active forum.  Members can post questions and receive answers from SEOmoz SEO’s and other SEO’s like Winning Inch.  Of course this not a great model as you need to pay to ask a question but never the less it is an effective marketing platform.

Google too has a very active webmaster forum.  This helps webmaster’s with problems to ask questions and receive answers.  Questions are primarily answered by more experienced SEO’s /Webmasters who give their time voluntarily.  Winning Inch SEO’s must participate in this forum and required to maintain a level 7 plus authority ranking.  This is the forum we use to build our own authority, is a great source of new business and maintains our knowledge base as changes in Google’s search algorithms can be identified early.

Hosting your own blog is another way to engage / extend your keyword base / exposure to a larger audience.  Winning Inch provides a blog customisation service so that your blog matches your website.  We recommend WordPress as it is very well supported, is mature and is packed with relevant helpful features such as pro-actively “pinging” search engines and social networking website every time you create a new post.

We add a Twitter feed, much like the “ping” service, your blog is tightly integrated with Twitter.  We also recommend adding a Twitter widget to your website home page.  This creates maximum exposure of blog both at a Twitter level and website.

The Winning Inch social networking service is available to identify the right social networking sites for your business.  Call us for more details on 01286 711699.

The other option is to engage one of our Digital marketing managers to manage the entire process, and much more, for you.

Filed under: SEO by Kev
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SEO Server optimisation is relatively quick and simple but can have a profound effect on your website performance in search placements.

The first consideration is the removal of any duplicate content risk. If you can access your website using http://yourwebsite.com as well as http://www.yourwebsite.com. The chances are that your website is not performing. The reason is search engines view the two possible variants as two entirely different websites. This is referred to as Canonical or canonicalisation. If you are familiar with your server’s .htaccess file you will find how to fix the problem in a couple of lines of code which you will find here..

However, those not familiar with your server environment Winning Inch will do it for you.  But there is more that needs to be done.

File compression.  Your server can be set to send compressed data to your local browser.  This significantly reduces the transaction time between the server and the local machine browser.  Since the introduction of Google Caffeine, December 2009, load speed is now an issue that will effect your search positions.  This is mainly due to the move away from PC’s and Lap top’s to more and more people using mobile devices.  Again as above this can be fixed using the .htaccess file.

Browser caching can also play a big role in performance.  By default it is unlikely that your server tells a local web browser to keep a cache of large files i.e. images.  So each time your website is loaded in a browser the server needs to send each image.  If browser caching is switched on, setting to cache the images for a month or more, the images are already available to repeat visitors.  The result is a super fast load time.

Google collects load speed from browsers using the Google bar so all aspect covered above are important now but more so in the next 12 months.

Another consideration, for dynamic website’s, i.e. e-commerce, is to make the server deliver search engine URL’s.  For example if you sell a range of clothes your product pages URL’s may look like:

http://www.yourwebsite.com/product/category.php?CategoryId=414367&ProductHead=24

When it should read:

http://www.yourwebsite.com/designer-name/mans/jumpers/blue/size34

The former is useless to a search engine whereas the latter will be highly effective in placing that item in search results.  This too can be corrected via the .htaccess file, however, it will depend on your existing architecture.

Winning Inch provides a full server side SEO package from just £99.00 which is a time exercise.  Call us on 01285 711699 for more details.

Our server side SEO package is also available from our complete SEO package.  You can save £295 on a complete SEO solution over buying individual items.

Filed under: SEO by Kev
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Pay Per Click (PPC) is not in itself a sustainable strategy and should therefore be used tactically.

Wining Inch SEO’s view PPC as a means to an end. It is a tool used to gauge the value of a set of keywords. Keyword research can only go so far in indicating traffic volumes and competition difficulty. Reality is very different. For example a given keyword i.e. “design” is very broad and although traffic stats may look good it will include a mass of benign visits. where as “designer” may have less volume but is far more likely to convert.

Obviously this is a simplified example to emphasise the point that someone searching for a “designer” is more likely to have a more immediate need over someone searching “design”. The moral being do not waste money on benign keywords and learn from the practical experience.

Using PPC to weed out unproductive keywords, those that do not convert, leaves productive keywords. Winning Inch SEO’s adopt the, proven, productive keywords into the client’s website and/or social media strategy.

We recommend using PPC tactically to optimise your website organically. Projects typically range from 1-3 months and spend is based on your budget. Call us on 01285 711699 for more information.

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Christmas comes but once a year. Not true for the Christmas shop! They are open 7 days a week every day of the year.

Winning Inch was called in August 2009. The existing website was not performing at all with just 200 visits per month.

The bounce rate, the measure of content meeting expectations by visitors, was really bad at 92%. Meaning visitors opened the website and left again quickly.

Winning Inch redesigned the website, added a new e-commerce system and provided a Digital Marketing Manager on a three month contract.

The results speak for themselves. The bounce rate is now 30%, site visits peaked at 13,000 and even now, March 2010, is still at 8,000.

Main features of the new website:

• Search engine friendly e-commerce
• Optimised structure
• E-mail sign up and CRM
• Social networking integration
• Keyword targeted

Search for:

“Christmas shop” page 1 position 1-2 on Google competing with 124million other websites.

“German Christmas decorations” page 1 position 1 on Google competing with 591,000 other websites.

The new website can accommodate new requirements such as “Easter” products easily and with a full CMS system content updates can be done by the client at any time.

Visit site

Filed under: Case study, SEO, website design by Kev
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Personal wedding websites offers both a free wedding website with a customisation option.

The concept follows the growing popularity of sharing wedding plans with guests and family in the United States.

Building memories. Using the blog friends and family can add to the experience both before and after the wedding. Add photographs and videos both “official” and those uploaded by others.

Cost savings. With everything available on-line there is no need to create expensive stationary. Just provide your guests with the web address and they have all information about venues, maps, places to stay, wedding list etc all in one place.

The Wedding is just the start. As time goes by the website can reflect key events in your life together.

Secure or not. Your choice it can be completely open to tell the world or hidden from everyone, including search engines, and give your guests password access.

There are 5 ready to go free wedding templates to chose from all hosted at no costs and no annoying adverts either!

Alternatively a fully customised website design option exists. There are no limits so creating a truly unique website can be yours. You start straight away using a free template and the custom design is added as soon as it is ready. Your existing content is unaffected by the new design.

The client is so pleased with our work that we have an ongoing relationship building the custom websites for those who want this option.

Filed under: Case study, website design by Kev
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Cirencester Civil Engineering are well known for their civil engineering projects including the prestigious memorial for Princes Diana.

Lesser known is their domestic driveway service providing everything from gravel to their hall mark resin bonded surfacing.

Having researched the market our advice was to create a new website specifically targeted at the domestic market.

Covering the UK the research indicated that most Internet searches are done on a local basis i.e. “driveways gloucestershire”. From an SEO point of view this is not great as the traffic volumes are low individually but added together is significant.

The answer was to integrate a blog that would allow CCE to add references for the work they have done nationally.

Once indexed by search engines they will appear in local searches based on the blog content.

We automated Twitter so that every new blog past is sent to Twitter and we then integrated Twitter into the CCE Driveways website.

A simple SEO solution to a complex issue. The new website is monitored and tweaked by a Winning Inch Digital Marketing Manage on a fixed hours per month basis.

The website is fully editable by the client using the Winning Inch CMS system and the blog architecture is open source WordPress blogging platform fully customised to match the main website.

The Blog pro-actively “pings” search engines and other social networking sites automatically to maximise exposure.

Filed under: Case study, SEO, website design by Kev
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Filed under: SEO, website design by Kev
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Developing a new or redesigning an existing website is a purposeful task to achieve the required results for each client. There are many considerations and standards that must be met to be successful. Some of these standards are clear cut i.e. creating valid code that will pass W3C testing for both XHTML and CSS. Others are not quite so simple but probably more important for example search engines.

To have a website is one thing. We all know that it is relatively simple to get something online and indeed many hobbyist develop a passion for doing so and become, overnight, another website designer. But having a little knowledge is dangerous. The internet offers massive opportunity but for most it results in disappointment.

With over three web pages for every living person on the planet competition is fierce.

Website development standards begins with cross platform compatibility. Every Internet browser is different Internet Explorer is dominant for Windows users whilst Safari is dominant for Mac users. However, there approximately 20 others such as Firefox, AOL and Opera to name but a few.

The Worldwide Web Consortium (w3c) was conceived to create standards for both Internet browser vendors and website designers. The idea is simple if both browser vendors and website designers conformed to a single standard the the end user experience would be consistent. The standards also accommodate the end users underlying technology i.e. personal computers running Windows, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 for example.

Importantly validation also means that the end user can modify their browser settings i.e. to use a larger font size to make the text easier to read etc.

The w3c created two validation tools. The mark up validator (html website code) and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) checker. To demonstrate this you can check the validator for this page:

Whilst there you can check any website, including your own, by replacing this web pages URL with another.

Urban myth – Validation means that Google and other search engines rank valid pages higher than those who do not. Not true! Search engine attention is only focused on content.

So why bother with validation?

Whilst search engines do not directly check for validation it can still impact your website page rank and visibility in search results indirectly. If your website does not validate browsers may not be able to interpret your design accurately. As previously stated the w3c set the standards so that there is consistency across all platforms.

Importantly mobile Internet access is now common and is a growth market. The website development standards ensures that this platform is no different to any other. Even Google admits that XHTML (Div controlled) and CSS websites are going to look better on mobile devices than those that are created using tables. Watch the Q & A with Adam Lasnik video.The reference is about 40 minutes in but the entire video is worth watching.

The consequence of not rendering correctly may result in the end user “bouncing” away from your page to go find another one. This “bounce” rate is measured. A high a bounce rate inductees poor quality content that did not meet the expectations of the end user. As a consequence the page / website will lose good post ions in searches over time.

Therefore if you are looking for a new or to update an existing website it is advisable to ensure that it validates to current standards.

On a final note the question ay crop up why have XHTML and CSS is it not double the work? No not really but it is an extra dimension and as per the video CSS can be awkward. But the XHTML is pretty much the same as HTML in that all the data and structural elements are created within the file. CSS is an external file which controls how it looks. Traditionally such things were managed in a table which dictated this table will be nn wide by nn high. This is replaced by divisions <div> and the CSS file dictates the divisions styling. The advantage in CSS is flexibility, for example, everything can be relative to the available space of the viewers screen and is pretty much changeable by the viewer themselves.

Filed under: website design by Kev
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Website design costs.  There is an old adage that says “you get what you pay for”.

For website design and services competition for your business is fierce.  You only need to Google search “web design” and you will find 323,000,000 pages.  It is probably one of the highest number of results for any search.

Most however are one man bands and hobbyists who aspire to be a web designer one day.  However, you can pay very little for a website and, as per the adage, you will get what you pay for.  In a few months you will be asking questions like “why can’t I find my website on Google” or “why don’t I get any hits / visitors”.  It is an all to often trodden path for many.

So what is a fair price for a website?  well let us first of look at some marketing / advertising alternatives.

What is common amongst all the above is that they are all “push” based.  The adverts either create need i.e. “aspirational” like cosmetic advertising “buy this product to look” as good as the air brushed model we are paying.  Or  value “You can buy cheaper on everyday products”.

There is no doubt that advertising works or no one would do it.  But the smart money is now moving to the Internet.  There is now more money spent on website and search engine optimisation than there is in TV advertising.

So why the shift?  Well let me ask you to think abut how you use the Internet.  95% of websites are accessed via a search engine and 87% of those searching are using Google to do so.  When you are searching the Internet you are pro-actively looking for something.  Sometimes it will be for advice.  But more often than not is to find something to satisfy a need.

So when looking to book a holiday, buy car insurance, buy gifts, gadgets..  The list is endless!  You are looking to buy something.  So compare this to watching TV, listening to the radio or reading the paper.  Yes something may catch your attention but you are not pro-actively looking for something.

Hence businesses large and small are catching on to the reality that if someone is in a “proactive state”, to find goods and services, the Internet is the number one choice.

The Internet is not a level playing field.  It was meant to be but with over 3 web pages for every living person on the planet competition has become fierce.

So back to the question “How much should you spend on your website?” Answer – as much as you can.  Website design, to make an impact, is less about design but more about optimising your product and / or services to be found by “proactive” people searching for your specific product or service.

Services Web Design has entry level websites for self employed people / small companies, starting at £199.00.  This provides a basic, but never the less strong foundation for growth, brochure / business card website.

But on average a minimum spend of £1,500 to £15,000 should be allowed per year.  Which is small beer compared to the alternatives.

If you would like more information, set up a meeting or to discuss your specific needs use the contact us form or call us on 01285 711699.

Filed under: website design by Kev
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Mobile ready website.  Is yours?

The mobile device is poised to overtake the web browsing market.  The reason is simple and comes down to pure convenience i.e. when travelling it is far easier to use a mobile device rather than a lap top.  Every person , over the age of 10, has a mobile whereas only a small percentage have a dedicated PC or laptop available to them.

So what does this mean for business who rely on the Internet for business growth and revenues?  The answer is clear if your website does not render well (look good) on a mobile device then your website / business is going to suffer.

Most websites that conform to World wide We Consortium (W3C) standards are already “mobile ready”.  The W3c lays out the standards for web browsers and web designers.  If your website validates then it will look the same regardless of the technology or browser version.  This is true of older windows based machines use Internet 6 or earlier through to state the Apple I-Phone.

The current standards are based on a 2 tier architecture og HTML for structure and CSS for visual rendering.  HTML creates the architecture creating areas for pictures, text and everything else you see on screen.  CSS defines those areas for size and styling.  For example he HTML will define an area known as a division and CSS defines the size, colour, styling etc of that division.

Typically this means that a browser can interpret both the HTML and the CSS to make the website look the same regardless of say “screen size” as screen size is defined by the hardware and the browser will propotion the web page according to the available space.

Unfortunately for website’s built 3 or more years ago, and is still the case for some web designers, website were built using tables.  This means that the website dimensions are fixed by the table sizes.  For eaxmple the overall table would have been set to accommodate the smallest possible screen, typically 800 pixels wide, hence a table size of circa 780 pixels would be the standard website size.

The consequence of fixing the size of a table is that it remains fixed so on a mobile device it is not possible to be proportionally adjusted.  To the mobile user it will be like seeing a picture of an elephant 4 inches at a time.  The result of course is obvious the user will simply move to the next website that renders well on the device being used.

How do you know if your website if your website validates to W3C standards?  It is simple visit the W3C HTML validator and enter your website address.  You will get an immediate result.

What do you do if your website does not validate.  Call us and we will advise you further.  Telephone 01285 711699

Filed under: News, SEO, website design by Kev
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