I recently helped my mom to launch a website (www.mom2me.com) to publish some of her recipes and it was probably the best wake up call I have had this year. It dawned on me that I actually do not know nearly as much as I thought I did. In fact it was evident that some things are best left to the experts.
However, what I did do was keep a record of what went wrong and believe me when I say it was quite a record!
Herewith then, a couple of things that you might want to remember or pay attention to, should you ever launch a new site. Some of these items may seem trivial, but I think this should be a basic check list for all new sites.
All of the items below turned out very important in creating a site that is Search Engine friendly and will hopefully get you good placement!
1. Define the purpose of your web site. It could be something as simple as "I want to sell my 5 products through my web site" or "I want to create a site where my organization members can get a schedule of events and view our employee handbook through a password protected area." You can and will most likely refine your definition as you go but make sure you have some clear direction. This was exactly what happened with Mom2me.com!
2. Define your keywords. This is probably the most important aspect of starting any site and you should really spent some time on this. I made use of two great sites to help this. Have a look at OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Wordtracker!
3. The new sites' URL. You have to ask yourself the following questions:
? Does it contain your Keywords? (in the case of http://www.mom2me.com not! ? Oops)
? Is the URL to long? (In this case no, I don't think so)
4. Check the page title. Does the page title contain your keywords? This is very important for good Search engine placement. Also make sure that it is not to long.
5. Check the Description tag. Does this contain your keywords and is it too long? As you may notice there is a bit of a trend here.
6. Check the Keywords Tag. Once again, does it contain all your keywords and in order of importance and relevance? Always try to place the most relevant keywords first and never, ever place any irrelevant keywords. This does actually negatively affect your rankings!
7. Make use of ALT Text. Always try to make use of your keywords in the ALT text of images on your site. Not only does it help people that can't display pictures, but it also increases the occurrence of your keywords on the site and we all know what that means!
8. Check your body text. You guessed it! Does it contain enough instances of your keywords? You should also consider the following:
? Does your body text contain enough content?
? Is your body text human-readable?
? Does the page have excess HTML markup which could be removed?
9. Linking pages. Do all pages in your site link to each other? It has been said that you should be able to access every single page within the site with no more than two clicks. I don't know if this is strictly correct, but the principle is definitely sound!
10. Promoting your site. The old adage "We have built it, so they will come" does not hold true in this scenario. We really have to promote our site and make sure that we will get the visitors. Here are a couple of things that you should ask yourself:
? Does the site have a site map? (Something I still need to do for mom2me.com)
? Is it possible to issue a press release about this new web site?
? Can you submit this new site to web directories?
? Could you mention your new site on relevant web forums?
? Could you trade reciprocal links with similar web pages?
Lastly, you might also want to look at the following site I stumbled across. If you have a brand new site and want to attract attention to it, have a look at www.Trafficswarm.com! I don't know if the traffic generated through it is really any good, but it does get you a couple of clicks!
I really wish you all the best in your efforts in getting that new site up and generating traffic. If you have any questions, I will gladly help where I can, but as I recently discovered, I am by no means an authority! Sometimes it is worthwhile to call in the cavalry! (Professionals)
Werner Coetzee
mom2me.com - Recipe Resource
mom2me.com
What do you mean, you don't have a website for... Read More
The "robots" meta tag, when used properly, will tell the... Read More
Are you aware that 90% of the websites on the... Read More
You know exactly what your organisation does and what your... Read More
After having decided to start a business, the next thing... Read More
"I am a writer, not a business-person. I don't want... Read More
Every online entrepreneur I talk to is asking the same... Read More
If you are living in a country that its native... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me how many people set-up... Read More
Dan Kennedy once said that if you can't make money... Read More
Mini Websites are the most powerful and cost effective solution... Read More
When building a relationship, listening is more important than talking.A... Read More
August 8 2005, Macromedia announced a release of Studio 8.... Read More
What to put your the website if you are an... Read More
The Internet car buyer is an elusive animal. Trying to... Read More
The Disability Discrimination Act states that service providers must not... Read More
A lot of people these days are interested in getting... Read More
Designing and creating your own website does not have to... Read More
80% of your Web site is Maintenance!Once your Web site... Read More
Your website conversion rate should concern you. This simply refers... Read More
If you are developing your website on a host that... Read More
Through the explosive growth of the Web, companies have realized... Read More
1. Be clear on your purpose.Building a website can be... Read More
When people think about the Internet, they think about technology.... Read More
So what do you do if need to get a... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..The Internet is a remarkable publishing medium. With just a... Read More
There are millions and millions of websites on the Internet.... Read More
You've decided to create a website to market your products... Read More
Do you make your website just to entertain yourself or... Read More
Thousands of people are now making a living online and... Read More
Most web sites are more like stage sets than real... Read More
Does My Web Site Require A Web Database?If your web... Read More
We are clearly well past the innocent "golden age" of... Read More
What is CSS?CSS is a simple file which controls the... Read More
After deciding what kind of internet business you want to... Read More
My life's greatest passion is a safari hobby. And what... Read More
Customer service questionnaires can help your clients better understand their... Read More
Let's begin by setting some limits. If you're like me,... Read More
1. Address your targeted audience on your business site. Example:... Read More
So you want to take a look at a real... Read More
An additional benefit of website accessibility is an improved performance... Read More
Can you imagine the hypocrisy of spending thousands of dollars,... Read More
80% of your Web site is Maintenance!Once your Web site... Read More
With the New Year upon us yet again, it's time... Read More
"'Page Not Found' on this Server. Check the URL and... Read More
Dan Kennedy once said that if you can't make money... Read More
Building a new website can be a lengthy task. From... Read More
If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More
D.zigns dzignerwebs The Basics Before starting on... Read More
If you have some experience in web site design and... Read More
Web Development |