Articles and Web Tips


Do I really need to pay attention to my keywords and SEO?  Explaining why a website needs keywords is like explaining why a bird needs wings.  Although some designers will tell you that keywords are ‘not that important anymore’, a quick check of Google’s help section will tell you that they are still very important.  Google is a great source of information on it’s own search engine.  I suggest you read the Google documents regarding search engines.  While there are other engines out there, Google is the most used and is a benchmark for search engine optimization.

After you have a domain name, the next pruchase for your website is hosting. Your web designer may suggest a host they have an affiliation with already. This is a good idea because the designer will be familiar with the layout of the control panel and the resources available from that host.

If you are trying to decide on a host, here are some things to consider:

  • Reliability – check to be sure that your host has a nearly perfect up time record.
  • Name Servers – there should be several name servers available to service your account.  At least 2 on the hosting site and at least 1 off site.

Deciding on a designer and manager for your website can determine if you are happy with the result and your web experience or if it seems like a never-ending disaster.  Here are a few things you can consider:

  1. How experienced is the designer?  Ask to see some of their work.
  2. What is their reputation?  Ask to talk to some current clients.
  3. Does the designer agree with your needs for the site?
  4. Has the designer created designs for a business like your before?
  5. Discuss a time frame for the construction. What are your expectations?
In the last article, we talked a little bit about why you might want a website.  Let’s explore that a little more and then discuss domain names. 
 
Have you decided on your objective?  It’s a good time to get that clear and sharp in your mind.  If you will be paying someone to develop your website, this is important information to have available.  It will be hard to create a website for you without this decision! 
Domain name selection is very important to your success with search engines.  While it is obvious that you will probably want to use your business name, there are other considerations.  First, does your domain name use keywords that describe your business?  Second, does it describe your business in some other way?
 
Chances are that if you are just starting a website, your  name is not quite as well known as the products already on the web.  Take for instance a new restaurant called Green Pines Cafe.  Although it’s not a bad name, it hardly says it’s a restaurant specializing in southern comfort food in downtown New York.  While I suggest purchasing the actual name of the business if possible, I would also suggest adding a couple more to maximize your chances of success.  How about southerncomfortfoodnyc.com?  Maybe newyorksouthernfood.com?  The idea is to add domains that use the keywords visitors are likely to use in their search for your services.  A displaced southerner, staying in New York is dying for a plate of bacon, eggs, grits and biscuits covered in gravy.  He might type in those ingredients, he might use ‘country breakfast’ and ‘New York’.  A website with the domain newyorkcountrybreakfast.com might just be the best trail to find the restaurant.   
 
Do a little research on your own:  type in your keywords.  What sites come up?  Are the sites that come up your competition? Makes some notes for next time and we will talk about what you need to look for in keywords.  Also notice the pros and cons about some of those websites.
Lastly, where do you buy a domain?  At The Elegant Esuestrian, we use and recommend GoDaddy.com for all our clients.  It is easy to use, secure and have great customer support. 
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