tanyabeaudoin.com

Has Your Site Traffic Been Squashed by a Google Penguin?

Tanya — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:25:01 +0000

On April 24^th, 2012 Google introduced a new search algorithm (nicked named Penguin) that seems to specifically target over-optimization and link spam. Sites that were ranking high and generating lots of traffic, due to having lots of backlinks to their site, were suddenly not performing near as well. In fact, some sites lost 50% or more of their web traffic.

Most of the sites affected seem to have participated in link building campaigns or use link building services. I think Google is always trying to keep search results natural so the best, most influential sites make their way to the top. So obviously back links would be a good measure of of a sites popularity and was part of Google’s algorithm.

Once the SEO specialists realized backlinks were a factor they started generating lots of keyword friendly backlinks so that they could manipulate search engine results and catapult sites to the top of the rankings. I am not saying that all the linking that was going on was bad, but obviously Google recognized that the search results were being skewed by link spamming.

When A Penguin Attacks…

One of my clients was impacted by the Penguin update and saw their site traffic drop by about 50% and their search engine rankings have been all over the map. Sometimes showing up in the top 3 and sometimes not showing at all.

We have narrowed down the issue to a link campaign a previous SEO firm did for them a few years ago. The client had fired the firm back before I started working with them but the damage was done and is still hurting them today. It just goes to show the decisions you make today can have far reaching impact tomorrow.

So How Do You Recover From a Penguin Attack?

From my reading, Google has indicated that sites will naturally recover from the Penguin penalty as they resolve some of the issues that got them penalized. Matt Cutts, head of Google’s Web Spam team has released a couple videos that might help.

When Are Penalties Lifted?

Does Google take manual action on webspam?

It has always been my position that natural organic SEO is the best policy. Well written, useful sites tend to perform very well. The same goes for backlinks and even for social media links – let your good content get you backlinks and social media links. I am not a big fan of services that provide mass link exchanges, or retweets etc. These may temporarily boost rankings but as we have seen with Penguin, it is not long before Google sees the behavior as manipulating and devalues it.

Need organic help with your search engine rankings? Contact me today for a no-obligation quote.

Elements of an Effective Web Design

Tanya — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:35:45 +0000

In my last blog post I pointed out that web professionals know the elements of good web design and will use this knowledge and experience to build you an a truly effective website. I promised to outline the elements that I think make an effective web design, so here they are:

Purposeful Design – What is the ultimate purpose of the web site? Is it to generate leads? Is it to sell products online? Is it to build a mailing list? Is it all of these things and more? A professional web designer will know how to position elements on your web page to create effective calls to action to help you accomplish your goals. An effective website is also well written – consider hiring a copywriter too!

Intuitive Design – Usability is critical to every website. Your site should be easy to navigate and the navigation should be intuitive. In my opinion, it is better to stick to web conventions in terms of layout, navigation and functionality. Visitors have expectations on how they should move around your site and if you are throwing up design road blocks you are only hurting yourself. Design Road blocks – those unique and creative elements some business owners want. Their site is going to be different, unique and creative because all the navigation will be black text on a black background so users will have to guess where the navigation is – won’t that be fun and interactive for the site visitor!

Visible Design– People need to be able to find your site and that means you need effective search engine optimization. You need a professional that knows how to optimize your site using white hat seo methods so that your site achieves great rankings naturally.

Functional Design– Your website needs to work for everyone visiting your site. That means it should work across browser platforms and devices. Also your forms, sign ups, carts and other scripts should work!

Inviting Design – The design of your site needs to be aesthetically appealing. A professional web design will make sure your site is attractive without compromising any of the other design elements.

As you can see, I website design shouldn’t just be about the look of the site. Too often I find clients obsessing over the tiniest details that have very little impact on the effectiveness of the site. My challenge becomes making sure that the client gets what they need versus what they think they want. There are so many more factors that should be considered when designing a website, so if you want a truly effective website leave it to the professionals.

Ready to get started with your website? Send me a message for a no-obligation quote.

DIY Web Site Nightmares – Why You Need a Professional.

Tanya — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:41:05 +0000

Consider this…

… You are starting a new business and decide that instead of renting an office you are going to build one yourself. It can’t be too hard, new houses and buildings pop up seemingly overnight. You think, “If they can do it, surely I can do it too.”

Make sense? Of course not! Not only are you going to be focusing your time, energy and money on something you are not an expert in but seriously do you really think that you can build an office that is safe and functional?

While building an office, and building a website, are not exactly the same thing. They do have one very important thing in common – both turn out better when left to the professionals!

Then why in the world do so many business owners try to scrimp and save money on their websites by having their neighbor’s son build it or trying to do it themselves. Your website represents your business 24/7 365 days a year and often it is the first and only impression potential customers have of your business.

Hiring a professional web designer ensures that your site will not only look good, but it will work for you too!

I am not saying that you need to hire a big agency and mortgage the farm to get a great website. Many freelance designers (like myself – yes, that is a shameless plug) or small size web firms can provide excellent web and internet marketing services at affordable prices.

So how does a professional website differ from a DIY website? When you hire a web professional you are getting design and marketing expertise. A professional web designer knows the elements of good web design and will use this knowledge and experience to build you an a truly effective website.

Stay tuned next week for part two of this article on understanding the elements of a good web design.

Ready to hire a professional? Contact me for a free estimate on your web design project.

Create an Awesome Email Signature for your Gmail/Yahoo/MSN Email.

Tanya — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:31:58 +0000

I often have clients asking me how to create a better, more effective html email signature for their gmail/yahoo/aol/msn email. Specifically, they want to know how to add images or social media links to their signature. The signature capabilities in these online email providers can be a little limiting, so I recommend a nifty browser add-on – WiseStamp.

WiseStamp makes it easy to customize your signature by changing fonts, sizes, colors, and adding images like your photo or a logo. It is also super easy to add your social media profiles or instant messaging profiles to your signature.

One of the really cool features WiseStamp offers is their apps. These apps allow you to add neat functionality to your email signature. For example:

Add an RSS feed sharing your latest blog posts
Share random quotes
Share your latest tweets or ebay items
Add a disclaimer or green message
And lots more

WiseStamp is free but I do recommend upgrading to the inexpensive pro version. What I particularly like about the pro-version is the ability to specify different signatures for different email addresses or for replies/forwards. This is very helpful when you have multiple email addresses like I do.

The one complaint I have about WiseStamp is if I save an email as a draft and return to it, WiseStamp adds another signature. Sometimes I end up with 3 or 4 signatures in one email. I usually try to delete the extras, but I am sure I miss a few. I guess this is more of an annoyance than it is a complaint. The pros still outweigh the cons.

I know this is starting to sound a little like a commercial and I just want to clarify that this is an unsolicited review of the product and I am not receiving any benefit (financial or otherwise) for doing so. This is a service I use every day in my business and it makes managing my email signatures much easier.

If you are looking for a more robust email signature for your online email accounts, I highly recommend WiseStamp. If you need help with your email signature or setting up WiseStamp, feel free to contact me.

How to Find Out Who Likes Your Facebook Page

Tanya — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:28:07 +0000

Facebook is a like a living organism constantly changing and adapting. The company philosophy on change is evident in one of their internal slogans, “Move Fast and Break Things.” Nothing stands in the way of progress… but what does that mean for users like us? It means we have to constantly relearn how to do things in Facebook.

After the launch of Timeline for Facebook Pages, one of the new things I had to relearn was how to find was a list of people who like my business page.

There is a nice little icon that shows how many people like the page but when you click on it, it just provides a summary and some demographics. It doesn’t show you who actually likes your page.

If you want to see a list of who likes your Facebook page follow these instructions.

1. Navigate to your Fan Page.

2. Open your admin panel if it is not already open.

3. Click on Manage and select Use Facebook as [your page name]

4. In the upper navigation bar, click the “People/Fans” icon. (two heads beside Facebook logo)

5. At the bottom of the menu that appears, click the “See All Fans” link.

There you have it box with a scrolling list of all your fans! Just remember to go to manage and revert back to using Facebook as personal profile when you are done.

If you need help with or have questions about setting up your Timeline for Facebook Page feel to contact me.

Is it Time for a Website Redesign?

Tanya — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:55:51 +0000

If you are reading this you are probably aware that it is time to make changes to your website. So how do you determine if you should just make updates to your site or if you are in need of a complete redesign? I have outlined three main factors that can indicate that Band-Aid fixes won’t work and it is time for a complete redesign.

How to recognize when it is time for a web site redesign:

Website Not Performing –Is your site just not generating the leads you want and more importantly need to make your business more profitable? Either you are not getting the Search Engine results you want or your website is not converting website visitors into customers.

Website performance is the number one factor in determining if it is time for a website redesign. If you are not getting the results you want, it is time to change what you are doing! Many of my clients come to me looking for a redesign of their site and often think that this just means a new look with the same old content, but for a truly effective redesign your website content should be updated as well.

New products/services or company focus. Has your company introduced new products or services since your site was launched? Has the focus of your company shifted? It is important to make sure your website accurately promotes the services and products you want to sell. Remember truly effective websites focus on the problem(s) their products or services solve for their clients and appeal to the client’s personal or emotional needs. If you have introduced new products or services are you still solving the same problems for your client? Does your website reflect this change?

Site looks dated (two narrow, old graphics) Don’t let a dated or unprofessional looking website site hurt your reputation. People do judge a book by its cover and if your website looks dated or unprofessional than that is the opinion potential clients will have of your business. Gone are the narrow 600px wide websites. Increased monitor size and screen resolution means that websites can be wider than ever before. Take advantage of this new screen real estate when you redesign and remember, just like fashion, graphic styles change year to year. What looked cool and cutting edge 3 years ago now looks old and dated.

Convinced a website redesign is what you need to boost online sales and profits? Contact me today get started.

How Much Will a Website Cost?

Tanya — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:08:11 +0000

This week I received an inquiry about a website design and the customer indicated that they wanted a 5 page website and they had a budget of $50-100. I take pride in trying to find the best solution for every budget but some people obviously have unreasonable expectations. I felt like telling her that I would like to engage in her services (life coaching) but I only had a budget of $5. Would that be a reasonable expectation on my part? No and neither is expecting to have a custom website for $50-$100.

So how much will a website cost?

Answering that question, is sort of like saying how much does a car cost? There are so many variables that determine the price of a car – brand, options, make, model, year, etc. . . And the same holds true for a website.

What Factors determine the price of a website?

Size of site – I like to reference the size of a website by how many content pages it will be. This helps me determine how long it will take to input and format your content. Remember sometimes there are hidden pages that are not part of the main navigation (form thank you pages, store pages etc.). Also I like to think of a web page as a typical 8.5×11 inch paper and your content should fit on there to be considered 1 page. If you have ecommerce requirements, how many products will need to be set up?
Functionality – Does your site require special functionality such as a blog, shopping cart, web forms, and event calendars? Special functionality is going to increase the price. Of course, if you choose to use out of the box solutions, as opposed creating a custom solution you can keep costs down.
Media – Will your site include videos, audio or an image gallery? Again this will increase the price of your website. How many photos will I need to manage? Do I need to resize, crop, touch up the photos? To I need to compress or convert videos or audio.
Expertise /Consulting – Are you hiring me to use my 20+ years of business management and customer loyalty experience to consult and advise on marketing strategies for your website? Or am I just building the site to your direction.

As you can see, there are many factors that influence the cost of a website. Of course I like to say that a website should cost between $500 for a small static style site to $5000+ for a larger e-commerce style site.

If you would like an estimate on your website project contact me with the details.

How To Get People To Like Your Facebook Page

Tanya — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:58:35 +0000

Believing that “If you build it, they will come” might have worked in Field of Dreams and Wayne’s World 2, but as a small business owner you are probably finding that is not the case with your Facebook page. Does this sound familiar — you have a Facebook page and a few fans, but you really don’t seem to be growing your fan base; now you are wondering what you can do to get more fans.

Building a loyal fan base takes work but you can use these tips to start getting more likes on your Facebook page:

Make it Easy – Be sure that you have a Facebook icon on your website so that your site visitors can find your Facebook page.

Add a Facebook like box to your website and/or blog — Facebook offers a neat utility that allows you to create and customize a like box for your site. If you use your Facebook page as the URL when you are configuring the like box, it will allow site visitors to like your Facebook page without leaving your website.

Suggest your page to your friends – When you are logged in to your page as an admin you can use the Build Audience Feature to suggest the page to your e-mail contacts, Facebook friends, or you can share the page. (To access the Build Audience button – turn on your admin panel and you will see the button at the top of the panel.)

Join a Like Exchange — If you belong to LinkedIn you can join groups in which you can exchange likes. Basically you like another small business page and they like your page in return. Usually, I don’t recommend this method as it is not really building your ideal audience, but this method can be desirable if you are just starting a page and need to reach the 25 fan threshold to set up your customized username.

Engage your existing fans so your interaction appears on their time line. When your fans are interacting with your page, their activity will be added to their personal timeline for their friends to see. This can help generate new traffic for your Facebook page.

How to be more engaging on Facebook:

Start a new Facebook photo album with pictures of your clients and your products or services and then TAG the client in the picture.
Ask questions so you can get a response. It is great to share information but try to make a commentary too. Don’t be afraid to get a little personal sometimes, this is social networking!
Invite fans to share their photos or stories. If you are a landscaper or interior designer or offer home décor, ask fans to send you pictures of their dilemmas and weekly pick one to review and offer pointers. Post all the pictures and have your fans offer suggestions too!
Create a poll question. Use Facebook’s built in question tool to ask questions related to your business. Make these poll questions fun – that way people will want to answer the question when they see their friends have.
Create a contest – People love to win things! Every person who likes your Facebook page will be entered to win… a gift certificate, movie tickets, an iPad. Whatever you think will attract followers to your page.

As you can see having a Facebook page is not enough, you need to actively work at building a fan base. Of course, once you have fans you need to keep them, but that is a topic for another day.

Improve Search Engine Rankings by Tweaking Your Title Tags

Tanya — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:30:39 +0000

Title tags are one of the most important elements of your web page’s SEO. Title tags are the words you see at the top of the browser window and they are the words that are clickable on a search engine result page (SERP). This means that the title you chose can directly influence your click-throughs as well.

When choosing your title tag you should focus on keyword phrases and localize your site by including your location or the market you are trying to reach. For example if your business is Bubbles Dog Grooming and you are located in Lindsay, Ontario, you may want to use a title like:

Bubbles Dog Grooming | Pet Groomers | Lindsay ON

It is also important that you make the titles relevant to the content on your page. So you don’t want to use the same title on all your pages. You may have:

Contact Page - Contact Bubbles Dog Grooming | 555-555-5555 | Lindsay, ON
Blog – Dog Groomer’s Blog | Dog Grooming Advice |

It is important to note that you should limit the characters of your title tag to 65 characters. Google does allow more characters but the results will be truncated.

How to choose keywords

When choosing keywords, I like to look at what direct competitors are using. What keyword phrases are they using and where do they appear in the SERP? I also like to use the Google keyword tool to see how many searches there are for any given keyword phrase. Once I take a look at all that I use common sense – if I were searching for this product or service what would I type into the search engine?

Title tags and WordPress

If you are using WordPress I suggest you install the All In One SEO plug-in or WordPress SEO by Yoast plug-in. Both of these are excellent SEO tools and allow you to specify individual title tags for every page and post on your site. I particularly like the Yoast plugin as it actually gives you a preview of what your page will look like on the SERP.

How do you choose your keywords? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you need help fine-tuning your keywords, or installing an SEO plug-in, contact me.

How To Choose Images For Your Website

Tanya — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:36:48 +0000

A picture is worth a thousand words or so the saying goes, so how much thought should you put into the pictures you use on your website, blog or e-mail newsletter? Pictures can be great assets to your website, but the wrong picture can create confusion and a poor quality photo can give the impression that your business is less than professional. So how should you choose the images you use?

Eye Catching but Relevant

Choose photos that are stunning. The photos should attract attention and make your readers curious about the story. The pictures should relate to the content and can even help tell your story, but try to avoid images that are too cliché. Extreme close ups or unusual camera angles can make your images stand out, but don’t get so abstract that the reader can’t figure out the relationship of the picture to your story.

Use People

People like looking at smiling faces, so when possible include images with people in them. Lifestyle photos are very appealing and can be very effective in soliciting emotion. For example, if you are a home builder or even a realtor some images on your site should be lifestyle photos. You are not just selling a house – you are selling a lifestyle. Use images that relate to your target demographic (race, age, sex) so that your visitors can identify with the images they see.

Have Permission

It is essential that you have permission to use the photos. It is not okay to simply do a Google search and download images. Make sure you are using copyright free photos or that you have obtained proper licensing. For stock photos, I like to use istockphoto.com or vectorstock.com, but there are lots of other stock photo sites. On the web you can usually manage with the smallest version of a photo so you are typically looking at a couple dollars per photo.

Good Quality

Good quality pictures can be the difference between having a mediocre site and a professional-looking site. Don’t use images that are blurry, grainy, or poorly lit, unfortunately this often means don’t use the pictures you took yourself. When possible use stock photos or hire a professional to take your photos. If you are using your own photos always pick the best ones. Just because you took 75 pictures doesn’t mean you need them all on your site!

I always recommend using at least one picture in your blog posts and several throughout your website as it will boost readership and interest. So take the time to find the right photos.

tanyabeaudoin.com

Has Your Site Traffic Been Squashed by a Google Penguin?

You might also be interested in:

Elements of an Effective Web Design

You might also be interested in:

DIY Web Site Nightmares – Why You Need a Professional.

You might also be interested in:

Create an Awesome Email Signature for your Gmail/Yahoo/MSN Email.

You might also be interested in:

How to Find Out Who Likes Your Facebook Page

If you want to see a list of who likes your Facebook page follow these instructions.

You might also be interested in:

Is it Time for a Website Redesign?

You might also be interested in:

How Much Will a Website Cost?

You might also be interested in:

How To Get People To Like Your Facebook Page

You might also be interested in:

Improve Search Engine Rankings by Tweaking Your Title Tags

You might also be interested in:

How To Choose Images For Your Website

Eye Catching but Relevant

Use People

Have Permission

Good Quality

You might also be interested in: