Simple Websites Fast Blog: Web Design & SEO

Key Components for a Nonprofit Website

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 13:32:46 GMT

How To Create an Effective Nonprofit Website for Your Organization

Nonprofits often have limited budgets to work with when it comes to marketing. Despite this, it is crucial that the proper investment is made in your website. Reaching supporters and donors online often begins and ends with your website. Taking it on as a DIY project probably is not the best idea. It can cost you donations and support if your website looks unprofessional or untrustworthy.

Five Key Components Your Nonprofit Site Should Have:

State Your Purpose Clearly & Concisely: It is important that you state the purpose of your nonprofit clearly and concisely on your website. A website visitor should know your organization's purpose within 5-10 seconds of being on your website. Don't expect visitors to dig through your website for this information (because it is likely they won't). Avoid losing supporters by placing your purpose prominently on your site.
Connect With Social Media: Your website should be connected to social media. Popular platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok can help you gain attention, donations, and support for your cause. You can even create groups on Facebook that deal with specific areas of your nonprofit. Include your social media links in a prominent position on your website as well.
Make It Easy To Donate: Include donation buttons in your header, footer, and in numerous places throughout the pages on your website. Make it simple to donate for visitors and offer various donation methods. Also offer the option for one-time donations and recurring donations.
Promote Your Events: Be sure to promote your fundraising events on your website. Include specific details about the event, what your volunteer needs are for the event, related images, and testimonials from previous events. Also promote your events on social media.
Tell People How To Get Involved: Make it easy for supporters to get involved. Tell them your specific volunteer needs and include a sign-up form on your website. Follow-up promptly with any volunteer inquires. Let them know how important their involvement is to your organization's success. Also include a newsletter sign up form on your website so that you can continually reach out to potential supporters who may want to get involved in the future.

Professional Nonprofit Web Design

Choosing a professional web designer with experience designing nonprofit sites is imperative. You want to ensure that your site is designed to engage visitors, inspire support, and is optimized properly for search engines. Contact Simple Websites Fast to discuss your nonprofit website needs.

Why Your Start-Up Needs A Strong Website

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 17:44:05 GMT

Starting a new business is very exciting but it is also takes a tremendous amount of work, planning, and financial investment. Most every start-up will invest in a website. Websites are critical for business success in this day and age. Many start-ups try to minimize start-up costs by minimizing the investment they make in their website. This can be a costly mistake.

Here Are Four Reasons Why Start-Ups Need A Strong Website:

1. Credibility

Start-ups are unknown and lack the solid reputation, strong branding, and long-term client relationships many of their competitors benefit from. This is why having a strong website is so important. A professional, robust website that focuses on your businesses competitive advantages can lend much needed credibility to a start-up.

2. Search Rankings

Your website is the foundation for your online marketing. A start-up website should be fully optimized to help with search engine ranking for important keywords. Visibility online is crucial of a start-up. Both on-site and off-site SEO is imperative. Ongoing SEO and online marketing is essential as well. Start-ups need every marketing advantage possible to stay competitive in their industry.

3. Professionalism

A business website is a direct reflection of business credibility. A website with a "home-made" appearance reflects poorly to potential clients. If a potential customer does not feel you can represent your own business properly, they may question your ability to adequately take care of their needs as well. Every where you present your business online should be professional with consistent branding.

4. Increase Conversion

Getting traffic to a new website is challenging. Once you finally start seeing increased traffic, your site needs to be impressive enough to convert visitors into customers. Traffic is meaningless without conversion. Yes, there is a cost to having a professional, optimized site designed, but there is usually a much higher cost to not having one. The revenue lost due to an unprofessional site can be enormous and on-going.

Save On Your Start-Up Website

Simple Websites Fast offers discounted start-up website packages to fit most any budget. Contact us for a free web design and SEO consultation. It is imperative that your business start off strong in order to see long-term success.

Tips For Writing Strong Content For A Website

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 15:23:36 GMT

Website content is an essential part of any website. There are professional content writers who are typically very capable of writing strong content for a website, but many business owners choose to write their own content. It may be reducing costs or just a preference for a hands-on approach, but most business owners that we work with write the content for their websites. For some, this process is simple, but others really struggle with website content.

Here are a few tips to help you write strong content for your website:

Check Out The Competition

You should NEVER copy another website's content. Still, reviewing the content on your competitors' websites may help spur your creative process and give you ideas that you can build upon. Look at both local and distant competitors' sites, especially those that are ranking well on search engines.

Answer Common Questions

Think about what your customers want to know about your business. Use your content as a way to answer common customer questions. Also, be sure your home page content readily answers the who, what, where, how, and why questions. Who are you? What do you offer? Where are you located, and what area(s) do you serve? How can you be contacted? Why should I choose you?

Showcase Your Competitive Advantages

Talk both broadly (on your home page) and specifically (on your service/product pages) about your core products and/or services, with a focus on why a customer should choose you over a competitor. Your website content should tell visitors what is different and better about your business. Your content should highlight your strengths, including experience, positive reviews, examples of your work, industry associations, and awards or special recognition.

We Now Offer FREE Website & SEO Audits

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:12:25 GMT

Simple Websites Fast is so happy to offer our client's free website & SEO audits along with their website consultation. Your online ranking depends on a wide variety of factors. Our audit will highlight many of these so that you can take the necessary steps to improve your website and its effectiveness.

Comprehensive Website & SEO Evaluation Of:

On-Site SEO

Page Speed

Content Topics

Internal & External Links

Indexability

Social Engagement

Keyword Rankings

Site Security

Spelling Errors

Request Your Free Website Audit

We invite you to request your free website audit today. Improve your website performance and optimization. Your website should be a tool to grow your business. Our audit can be a 1st step in the process.

How To Get The Most From Your Small Business Website

Tue, 07 May 2019 16:34:21 GMT

5 Tips For A Successful Small Business Website

Wondering how you can get the most out of your small business website ? If you are, you are not alone. Many small business owners are wondering the same thing. Most business owners are busy and often do not make their website a priority. This can be a pricey oversight. Your website can be a significant tool for generating new business and boosting profits, but it can also cost you business too if you don't handle it correctly.

Here are 5 Tips For A Successful Small Business Website:

1. Hire a Qualified Web Designer

Though you may be tempted, this is not a DIY project. Unless you have a background in web design & SEO, it is best to leave your web design to a professional. Do your homework first. You want to be sure your web designer is experienced with SEO, responsive designs, has a strong portfolio and understands your business goals. You should also check your web designer's online reviews. Also, make sure that it is their full time profession and not just a hobby or side business. Your website is far too important to leave to an amateur.

2. Focus On SEO & Optimize Your Website

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial to your website visibility. This is especially important for small businesses that serve the local market. It is likely that potential clients conduct online searches every day for your services and/or products. You want the best position possible in the search results. Be sure your site is properly optimized for all your core products and/or services as well as your target cities and communities. Your web designer should be able to assist you with your keyword analysis and research.

3. Your Website Should Be Responsive

Mobile searches are on the rise. Having a website that is not mobile friendly is a big problem. You want to create the best possible experience for every person that visits your site whether they visit it from a desktop, tablet or smartphone. Whether your site is mobile friendly can also impact your ranking on Google.

4. Be Sure Your Website Reflects Your Brand

Your website should be a direct reflection of your brand. As a small business, you want to be recognizable in the local community. Your logo, company colors, slogan, and competitive advantages should all be represented on your website. Your online presence and branding should always be consistent across the board.

5. Connect Your Social Media To Your Website

Be sure to connect your social media to your website. Your small business should take advantage of the exposure that social media can offer. Creating a business page on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest may help you grow your online presence by leaps and bounds. If you frequently post great content on your social media, you may also want to include a social media feed(s) on your site from your best profile(s).

Free Website Hosting

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 17:50:31 GMT

Get Free Website Hosting With Your New Website

Have you been spending a fortune on website hosting? If you are sick and tired of the extra expense, we have a great solution for you. Simple Websites Fast offers a FREE HOSTING option for our clients. Our Free Hosting Website Packages include:

Responsive Web Design Platform
Full Client Website Management
Free Stock Images
Built-in SEO Tools
Fully Integrated CMS Platform

Don't miss out on your opportunity to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars throughout the life of your website. Contact us today to learn more or for a free consultation.

$100 Off On Select Small Business Website Packages

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 14:25:57 GMT

Halloween Special Discount Offer!

Save Up To An Additional $100 On Select Small Business Website Packages

This Offer Ends Oct. 31st - Contact Us Today
678.656.2526
www.SimpleWebsitesFast.com

This UNBELIEVABLE offer is the ideal package for small businesses who want a strong online presence. Our small business website packages include custom designs, SEO and more. Take advantage of this discount offer. Contact us for a free consultation.

Is Your Website SEO Friendly?

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 16:48:38 GMT

9 Questions To Ask Yourself About Your SEO

If you are a business owner with a website, you should have asked yourself by now "Is my website SEO friendly?". If you haven't ever examined these questions, you are overlooking a critical component of your online presence. Ranking for important keywords in your target markets can make quite a significant impact to your bottom line.

Here Are 9 Questions You Should Ask Yourself About Your SEO?

What are my most important keywords terms?
What areas/cities is my website targeting?
Am I properly listed on Google My Business and Bing Places?
Are my page titles and page names optimized?
Are there optimized heading tags on every page of my website?
Do I have an on-site blog that gets updated regularly?
What is my website's speed?
Is my website secure?
Is my mobile-friendly and responsive?

If you don't know the answers to many or most of the questions that is a problem. If the answer are not the right ones, then that is an even bigger problem. Professional SEO assistance is a very good idea in most cases. Designing a fully optimized website is important. Face your SEO issues head on and start growing your business.

Your Website Checklist

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 15:29:37 GMT

5 Point Checklist For Building Your New Website

Getting a new website can be very exciting. It is very tempting to just jump in, but don't overlook the importance of planning. There are key components that can make the difference between your website being great or getting grounded. The checklist below offers helpful tips to get your started with your new website. You can save yourself a great deal of time and money by doing your website right the 1st time around. Create a website that will help your business succeed.

Here is a 5 point checklist for building your new website:

Research your industry: You need to have a solid understanding of your target market as well as your competition. Take some time to gather helpful information on both. Make sure your website can stack up against your primary competitors.
Create an outline: Create an outline of the content you want to include on your website. This process should help you determine what pages you need to have on your website.
Obtain graphics for your site: Do not do a Google search and just start saving images you like. You have no idea whether or not the images are protected by a copyright. Purchase the images you want to use on your website so that you do not run into legal issues later.
Take time on your content: Writing great content for your site is important. You don't want to fill your website with fluff or content you copied from a competitor's site. Your content should be engaging, unique, thoughtful and SEO friendly. Your content should also highlight your company's competitive advantages.
Find a trusted web designer: Choosing a well reviewed, highly recommended web designer is important. Look for a professional, full-time designer who has years of experience and is well versed in SEO. Remember, the cheapest does not equal the best and in general you get what you pay for.

10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Building Your Website

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 12:39:59 GMT

Tips for Building a Functional & Effective Website

Here are 10 questions you should ask yourself before building your website. These tips for building a functional and effective website should help you increase the value of your new website. Your website is a critical marketing tool for your business. It is imperative that it be done right.

How many pages you want your site to have?
If you want to be able to self-maintain your site?
How will you drive traffic to and market your new website?
Do you have a logo you can use on your website?
Will you need to sell anything on your site?
Do you want your site optimized for search engines?
Who are you targeting?
What are your competitive advantages?
What geographic areas are you targeting?
Who are your top competitors? What do their sites look like and how to do they rank?

Women's Resource Center To End Domestic Violence Annual Silent Auction

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 17:11:24 GMT

Please Donate To The Champions for Change Silent Auction

Women's Resource Center To End Domestic Violence (WRCDV)
Champions for Change
Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom
May 10, 2018

Auction 11am * Program noon

The Champions for Change Luncheon is our agency’s signature fundraising event held each spring, during which we honor individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to ending violence against women. Our luncheon hosts approximately 550 guests from Atlanta’s corporate and philanthropic communities and we use this as an opportunity to showcase our services and seek out new partners to ensure the future of our work. For 2018, we are proud to honor DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston as our Champion for Change.

To Donate To The Silent Auction you can contact:
Cynthia Mitchell (WRCDV Silent Auction Committee Volunteer)
678.656.2526
Click Here To Donate

LEARN MORE AT THE WRCDV WEBSITE

4 Ways To Improve Your Google Adwords Campaign

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 18:44:28 GMT

How To Get Better PPC Results

The landscape of online marketing is always changing and evolving. One factor that remains consistent is the effectiveness of Google Adwords. If done correctly, this type of directional advertising can garner great results. Taking the time to set up a campaign well or hiring a professional to do so is important. PPC advertising can be a sizable investment so it is critical that you are getting the absolute best return on your investment.

Here are 4 ways to improve your Google Adwords campaign and get BETTER RESULTS:

Properly Set Up Your Campaign: Sloppy, rushed or ineffective campaign set up can kill your results. Be sure your campaigns are organized by geographic area and service/product. Your landing pages need to directly correlate to your ad and keywords. Make sure your budgets and bid strategy are both properly set up as well.
Utilize Negative Keywords: What you don't come up for can be just as important as what you do come up for. Negative keywords can prevent costly waste. You don't want to come of for irrelevant search results and pay for unwanted clicks.
Set Up Extensions: Sitelink, Callout & Call extentions can all improve your campaign engagement and results. Don't ignore these add-on features that have significant value.
Connect Your Campaign With Google Analytics: You can gather more in-depth data on traffic, conversion, clicks and more by connecting your Google Adwords and Analytics. The more key data you have to analyze the better you can improve and grow your results.

3 Things To Include In Your Online Marketing Campaign

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:04:54 GMT

Tips for Strong Internet Marketing Strategy

What's Your Online Marketing Strategy?

Your answer to this question is IMPORTANT! If you don't have an answer at all, that's a big problem. Internet search is growing by leaps and bounds, now with voice search and virtual assistants like Alexa, your visibility online is more important than ever.

Here are 3 tips you can use to help you strengthen your online marketing campaign:

1. SEO - SEO ( search engine optimization ) should be the backbone of your online marketing strategy. Having your website and online profiles optimized is extremely important. All the other marketing you do for your website will work much better if your site is properly optimized. Your social media marketing, pay per click campaigns and email marketing all will be improved by a fully optimized website.

2. Social Media Marketing - Social media can be a great online marketing tool if it is used correctly. You want to pick the right platforms for your industry and target market. You also want to be sure that you keep it regularly updated with fresh, helpful content. You should also include links, important keywords and images in your posts. You may also want to consider doing paid social media advertising. This can be especially effective when promoting special offers, coupons, new services and events.

3. Online Reputation - Having a positive, robust online reputation is important. Google your business name and see what comes up? If it's nothing or negative information, this can devastate your business. You also have to move beyond the mindset of just avoiding negative reviews. You need strong visibility online that highlights just how great your business is. Engage your customers and encourage them to post reviews for you online. Be sure to follow up your services with satisfaction surveys to ensure your customers are happy. This also allows you to remedy any concerns they may have before it ends up in a negative review online.

Major Changes To Google Adwords

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 15:48:17 GMT

Daily Budgets Can Overspend By Double

Effective 10/4/17 campaigns will be able to spend up to double the average daily budget that you set. Google says they made the change to help you reach your advertising goals, like clicks and conversions. Still, many advertisers are not even aware of this change and many who are, are not happy about it. They did also state that you won’t ever be charged more than your monthly charging limit.

Be sure to read the whole policy change so that you can make informed decision. Click the link below for additional information.

https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/1704443

Drive Traffic To Your Website

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 16:53:43 GMT

5 Ways To Help Increase Your Website Traffic

Getting traffic to your website can seem like an overwhelming task. There is so much competition online and getting in front of your target market can be challenging. Still, it is important to monitor your website traffic and actively work on increasing it.

HERE ARE 5 TIPS FOR DRIVING TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE:

IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE: It probably is not a good investment of your time or money to try and increase traffic to a poorly designed site. If you know your site is not up to par, have your site redesigned and optimized immediately. Your site needs to be inviting, user-friendly and full of rich content. This step by itself will naturally help with your traffic and online ranking.
TAKE OUT ONLINE ADS: Pay Per Click ads on Google & Bing can quickly increase your traffic. Being poised at the top of the page for your important keyword terms can help you instantly reach your target market. Social media ads on sites like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest can also boost your website traffic as well.
ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE: Run contests, have promos, offer giveaways, utilize email marketing and blog your heart out. You can require that individuals visit your website for access to blog posts, promo offers and contest entries.
UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA: Most, if not all, your social media posts should link back to your website. Interesting, funny, informative, unique and promotional posts are all great ways to help generate additional website traffic.
INTEGRATE YOUR WEBSITE ADDRESS WITH YOUR BRANDING: Your website address should never be hard to find. It should be on your business cards, brochures, email signature, promo products and your online listings (e.g. Kudzu, Google Maps, YP.com, etc). You should also have a version of your logo that includes your website address on it as well.

4 Simple Tips To Help Secure Your Website & Computer

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Thu, 18 May 2017 13:26:14 GMT

Cyber Security: Protect Your Website & Visitors

Cyber security and the growing threats online seem to be mounting by the minute. Protecting your website, computers, data, business and clients is becoming more and more challenging. Still, you can't ignore the issue and leave your business at risk. Here are 4 tips to help you secure your website and computers:

1. ADD AN SSL CERTIFICATE: This will enable https protocol and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser. Data becomes encrypted and the information becomes unreadable to everyone except for the server you are sending the information to. This will help visitors feel safer and reduce your risk and liability. It will also help your SEO.

2. BACK UP YOUR WEBSITE: Hackers are everywhere. Even well secured sites may fall victim to hacking. Keep a full back up of your website both on your computer and on an external drive. Complete full website backups regularly.

3. KEEP PASSWORDS PROTECTED & UPDATED: How often are you changing your passwords? Are you sharing sensitive passwords with staff? Are your passwords written down in your office? You need to have complex passwords that are changed regularly for you website, hosting, email, social media, etc. Don't ever share this information unless absolutely necessary.

4. KEEP YOUR SOFTWARE UP TO DATE: Outdated software on your computer can leave you vulnerable. New security patches and fixes are often included in software updates. Be sure all the programs running on your computer are always up to date.

Want A Free Website?

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Fri, 05 May 2017 17:19:22 GMT

We Are Giving Away a Free Website for Mother's Day!

WE ARE GIVING AWAY A FREE WEBSITE FOR MOTHER'S DAY & EVERY PARTICIPANT WILL RECEIVE A $50 CREDIT TOWARD SERVICES

So How Does This Work?

To Qualify To Win A Website & Receive A $50 Credit Follow These Steps:

1. Forward this link to at least 5 people.

2. CC (carbon copy) us on the emails you forward (address the carbon copy to cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com).

3. Look for an email from us with your $50 credit and confirmation that you have been entered to win.

4. Look for the announcement of the winner on Mother's Day (it will be announced via email and it will be posted on our website).

IT'S THAT SIMPLE!!!

Here's The Details...

The winner will receive a 7 Page CMS Website (valued at $900). This website will be fully responsive and allows for easy self-maintenance after we complete your new site. Take a look at our Website Portfolio.

3 Website Musts for 2017

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 16:22:48 GMT

Make sure your website is up to date for the New Year!

The New Year brings so much change, excitement and reflection. It's a great time to review and evaluate your online marketing and website as well. Sometimes even small changes can make a BIG IMPACT. Here are 3 website musts for 2017:

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES: Stay up to day with social media trends. New social media sites present themselves all the time. It's important to take advantage of them when there is an opportunity to reach your target market. Expand beyond the standard Facebook & Twitter. You may want to consider Pinterest, Instagram, Periscope, Snapchat and local social sites as additions to your social media marketing strategy.

RESPONSIVE & MOBILE-FRIENDLY: If your site is not responsive and does not create a mobile friendly user experience, it can cost you clients and ranking. Google does often penalize websites that are not mobile friendly and visitors may have a difficult time navigating your website.

SECURITY FEATURES: Be sure your site is secure for both you and your visitors. If you collect any sensitive information on your website, be sure that you add a secure connection to your website. Also, be sure to add CAPTCHA to your online forms to help protect you from spam and bots. If your direct email address is on your website, you may want to consider removing that as well to help prevent spam and email spoofing.

3 Reasons You Should Use Email Marketing

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 15:34:11 GMT

Why Is Email Marketing So Important?

Email marketing should be a strategic part of your overall marketing plan. This does not mean putting an email sign up link on your website is all you need to do and your work is done. If you are not actively collecting, updating and utilizing your email marketing list(s), then you are missing out on a huge marketing opportunity. Most email marketing platforms allow for easy uploading, customization, integration and reporting. Here are 3 reasons why you should use email marketing to help your business grow...

1. STAY TOP OF MIND: This is a great way to remind both past and potential clients what is so great about your business. Staying top of mind is key when it comes to marketing and growing your business. Don't let customers forget about you and why they should do patronize your business.

2. EASILY TARGET MARKET SEGMENTS: With email marketing, you can create specific lists to target different market segments. For example you can target certain industries, past customers, age groups or gender groups with email marketing by creating specific lists for them. Breaking up your email marketing into segments can help you increase your open and conversion rates.

3. AFFORDABLE PRICING: Compared to many other types of marketing, email marketing is very affordable. You can e-blast special offers, news or new services and products without spending a fortune. You will increase the value of email marketing even more by utilizing all the features that your email marketing provider offers. Even if you have to pay a firm to help you with your e-blasts, this is still an incredibly affordable and effective way to market your business.

We Are Now Offering WIX Sites

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 16:23:06 GMT

Let SWF Design Your Wix CMS Website

We are expanding our current services by offering web design for WIX sites. These sites are very affordable and offer customization, optimization and easy self-management after your site is completed. It is important to us to offer our clients various options to meet the variety of needs they have. We will design your site to be user friendly and marketing focused. E-commerce options are also available.

Our WIX website packages start at just $400. The websites are fully responsive as well. Feel free to contact us to to learn more about our WIX website packages or to get a free quote.

The Benefits Of A CMS Website

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 18:40:39 GMT

Why You Should Consider A Content Management System Website

You have probably heard the term CMS website before, but may not know what it means or why it matters. CMS stands for content management system. If well designed, this system can offer business owners a lot of value. In most cases, CMS sites allow relatively easy website maintenance. Breaking the dependency on ALWAYS needing a web designer for every update or change can be quite liberating. Here are few distinct advantages that come along with a quality CMS website:

SAVINGS ON WEBSITE MAINTENANCE: If you frequently need updates to your website, that can add up over time if you have to pay a web designer for each update. Having the ability to update text and pictures yourself, can save you a lot of money long term.

ALLOWS FOR TIME SENSITIVE UPDATES: If something happens or changes in your business that requires an immediate update, you can often do it yourself. A new address, out of stock product, or urgent announcement are just a few things that may not be able to wait until your web designer is able to update it for you.

KEEP YOUR CONTENT FRESH: Professional web designers and SEO consultants are definitely worth their weight in gold, but they are not present as an integral part of your business day to day. So you or a designated employee are the perfect person to keep your website up to date with fresh, relevant content.

Having a CMS site doesn't mean you will or should do it all when it comes to your website. More complex updates, adding new pages and SEO, probably should be handled by a professional web designer. Still, being able to have the option to do a bit of self-maintenance is valuable and should be something to carefully consider when you have your website developed. Be sure to ask your designer specifics about the CMS ease of use, capabilities and training.

Is SEO A DIY Project?

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:49:47 GMT

You Can Try To Manage Your Own SEO... But We Don't Recommend It!

So you know how to sew, but do you give yourself stitches? Probably not, right? In many cases, there are some things you can do on your own depending on your knowledge base and skillset, but if you are serious about optimizing your site and continuously ranking well then using professional SEO services is your best option. Actively working with a professional and staying engaged in the efforts will mostly likely give you optimal results. Your time is usually much better utilized by managing your business and not your SEO. Here are a few things you want to keep in my when it comes to doing SEO right:

1. Make sure you are using an SEO consultant that uses “white hat” methods. Ask your SEO consultant specifics on techniques, current client results and transparency of services rendered. If you are penalized by a search engine for them using less than acceptable techniques, that can be difficult to come back from.

2. Staying up-to-date with industry standards is crucial. Google constantly updates it’s SEO algorithms so they should also be keeping up with those type of industry changes as well.

3. Stay focused on long-term success. Never compromise when it comes to doing things the right way, even if it is the hard way or the long way. You want to always keep Google’s ultimate goal in mind: to stay the number one search engine by serving up the best search engine results. So make sure your website is accurate, content rich, user friendly, up to date and mobile friendly and modernized. Having a truly “quality” website is your best SEO ally!

Helpful SEO Tips

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 18:51:57 GMT

Does SEO Begin & End With Your Website?

So once you have your website optimized properly, you’re done right? Wrong! You’re just getting started. SEO is an ongoing and comprehensive effort that expands beyond one time site optimization. Of course, this part of the process is critical and necessary, but using the proper keywords, content, links and images across all important media platforms is crucial too. Your Facebook Page, Tweets, Blog posts, online listings, etc should all be optimized. Here are some SEO factors you should be considering across the board, whenever they can be applied:

Unique, Keyword Relevant Content
Consistent Branding
Appropriate Links/Link Building (white hat only)
Hashtags
Frequent Updates

SEO is not one dimensional or passive. Stay in front of the game and be sure you are optimized all over the web, not just on your main website. If you have more questions on how SEO can help your business, call us. We can help. We offer affordable SEO services that actually work!

3 Small Business Website Do's and Don'ts

cynthia@simplewebsitesfast.com (Cynthia Mitchell) — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 18:51:57 GMT

Small businesses need a quality website. But what does "quality" really mean?

Every small business is different so their website and visitors will require different things. Still, there are a few generally universal do's and don'ts that you can use as a guide for getting started with your small business website:

Do Have Some Idea of What You Want | Don't Tell The Designer I'm Leaving It All To You: You don't have to know it all or have every detail completely thought through, but have some idea of what you are looking for as far as budget, features, number of pages and general style. Do some research and check out competitor sites as well (local and non-local). This will help stimulate your thought process and give you ideas of what you do and don't want your website to look and feel like.

Do Listen To The Professionals | Don't Let Them Steamroll You: Once you do a little homework, share you ideas with a few potential designers. Get their professional feedback and quotes on your project. They should be able to give you explanations for all of their suggestions so that you can determine if you agree with them or not. Do not take their experience for granted. Many of their ideas may be very helpful and valuable to you, but make sure your ideas are being heard too. The final decision should always be yours.

Do Set A Reasonable Budget | Don't Be Completely Inflexible With Your Budget: Of course most small business owners do not have unlimited budgets. So setting a budget or price range for your web design is a good idea. It's important to keep in mind though that you may have to adjust your budget based on the complexity of what you want or adding important features like SEO to your website. Paying a bit more and getting a site that is much more attractive and effective is well worth it in the long run.

If you need a free web design or SEO consultation, call us today. We work with small businesses everyday to help them grow their businesses. Our small business websites are affordable, fast and marketing focused. We also offer comprehensive SEO services to ensure that your new website is visible online for the right keywords.