Well, first find out if your site is optimized. You may have spent a lot of money on a great looking site with nice widgets and Web 2.0 interactivity, but did anyone truly explain SEO and keywording to you? Do you have content that supports search ranking? Is your site a package design that only consisted of the design for sale, or did you have a custom build performed? If it was custom built, did the developer share his or her strategies for optimizing your site? These are just a few questions you can ask.

Some very simple search exercises can help you get an idea of your own rank in search engines, like Google, Bing, Yahoo or others. Just think of a few words your customers might use to try to find your business (if they did not know your name). Put those words into your search bar and see which websites come up in your search. Although there are complicated programs and search results analyzers out there, even a few simple searches in various browsers can provide some perspective.

Ultimately, when websites are missing back-side coding, effective keywords or other critical elements allowing them to be crawled by web bots, and be found by people using internet search, the website is typically less productive than it could be. And, sadly, these website owners may have wasted money on the web.

But there’s good news – SEO strategies can usually be built  into an existing website. But yes, there is an additional cost, especially for a good SEO strategist.

What to do next:

OK, so lets say you find that your site is not optimized. Here’s what you do. Seek out a few people knowledgeable in CSS code, basic HTML, keyword research and Search Engine Optimization. It’s best to collect three (3) quotes from reputable web firms. Once you’ve reviewed the quotes, interview or at least talk to each firm. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to determine which SEO or web development firm will best help you achieve setting the appropriate digital footprint to match your business goals.

Search Engine Optimization and keywording is an art. It is also a science, with formulas regularly adjusted to meet the ever expanding breadth of the net. Website Optimization takes a pro and is well worth the investment since behind-the-scenes coding plays such a vital role in your overall web presence.

Quick Tip: Take a minute to familiarize yourself with some of the language a good developer is going to use. It pays to be an educated consumer! A good place to start is with Google’s SEO Starter Guide.