Search engine optimisation (SEO) ensures your website is understood by Google so it can match up to searches that are relevant to your business. For a more detail description of what’s involved visit this page on search engine optimisation.
What does search engine friendly mean?
Search Engine Friendly Design
Search engine friendly design ensures that all the important parts of your site are easily accessible by search engines. When a search engine visits your site for inclusion in a search index, it doesn’t actually ‘see’ the site. Search engines automatically read the code that is behind the visual interface and use this information to log what your site is about. This code can be easy to get to or difficult and in some cases impossible. If your site code doesn’t contain information that is relevant to what your site is about then your site won’t be very effective in search engines.
An example of this would be with a navigation menu. In general, search engines find it much easier to figure out plain old html text vs. graphical images of text.You may have noticed that many sites these days are using plain text for navigation rather than the fancy ‘roll-over’ button images of the past. This is happening as web designers begin to understand the importance of search engine marketing. If the graphics used as text are named appropriately (in the code) then a search engine will still be able to understand what the button is for but it’s likely to place more emphasis on a text link over the graphical link. If you absolutely must have an image based navigation bar then it’s wise to also include text links at the bottom of your page. This is just one example of how design can influence your search engine accessibility and position.
Is Your Website Search Engine Friendly?
If your site isn’t search engine friendly and optimised for relevant keywords, chances are your search engine position won’t be too good and your target audience might not be able to easily find your site. Do a quick test right now:
1) Think of a phrase that describes the main product or service your business provides. If you service a particular geographic area, include the name of that area, eg. brisbane suit hire.
2) Visit the Google Australia website, type your phrase into the search box and click the ‘Google Search’ button.
3) Next, try a Google Search using your exact business name.
Note that it should be easy for you to rank number one for your business name (unless it’s something very generic no one else should be more relevant to those words than you!).
Did You Get Good Search Results?
Was your site included in the Google Search results? Were you on the first page? While you were there, did you see your competitor’s website listed?
Google is still the current KING of search engines and a listing is absolutely essential for any serious commercial website.
You can submit your site for free however as long as there is a link to your website from another website that is already in the search index, your site will be picked up by Google pretty quickly and search engine submission won’t be required. Search engine optimised web sites with search engine friendly design achieve a better search engine position.
Now read about Search Engine & Directory Submissions…
Email Marketing Walk Through
Sending an email campaign using Create.Send is an easy task for anyone who can follow prompts and type. Some preparation is helpful (but not essential) and each time you create a campaign it gets easier as you re-use your email templates and creative assets.
There are no monthly fee’s (and in fact no fee’s at all to have a go and run test campaigns for less than five email addresses). When you are ready to send your actual campaign you will be asked to make payment using your credit card via a secure processing service. Continue reading
Don’t forget the copy
In the early days of the Internet images were few and far in between. Your typical website was just page after page of text (or worse, a single page of text about a mile long).
Now it would be hard to find a website that doesn’t have an image.
That’s not a bad thing. Images catch people’s attention, and a good image can often explain a concept better than words ever could (e.g. infographics).
And thanks to digital cameras and smartphones we have access to more photos of people, places and events than ever before.
But this doesn’t mean you can ignore your copy. Your words are still important. In fact, if you use images your words are more important than ever. Here’s why.
Good copy can make your image clearer
Remember the drawing where you can see either two faces or a wine glass? Neither one is wrong—it’s just the way you look at it.
Now the meaning behind your image probably isn’t so… well, black and white. And while you might think it couldn’t be interpreted any other way, there’s always a chance. And the last thing you want to do is confuse (or even annoy) your readers.
Complementing your image with good copy takes away the confusion. Your image still draws them in, but the copy makes it clear what you’re trying to say with it. And using the two together can make your message much more powerful.
Good copy can motivate your customers
If you want to see a great example of how words can motivate people, check out this Apple keynote presentation by the late Steve Jobs.
He certainly uses images—lots of them. And most of them don’t include any text whatsoever. So, is this an example of images making copy redundant?
No.
The copy comes from Steve when he speaks. And while the images may be enough to pique people’s interest, it’s his words that make them want (if not need) to buy that iPad.
And his words aren’t just a bland sales pitch, either. He’s passionate about the iPad, and pretty soon his audience shares that passion. And by the end of his presentation half the audience are willing to trade a kidney to get their hands on one.
Good copy can bring your images to life
You may have a great product, and a great picture that shows it off in all its glory. But adding good copy can really make it come to life.
Got a photo showing the incredible view of the beach from the balcony of your seaside resort rooms? Great. Now tell everyone about falling asleep to the sound of waves lapping the shore, and feeling the ocean breeze on their face as they open the balcony doors.
Even the best images invoke only one of our senses. Combine them with good copy, and you can stimulate all five.
As I said, using images can be a good thing. But no matter how great they are, you still need good copy to complete the picture.