Focusing Too Much on On-Site Search Engine Optimization

It is true there are many tactics one can work with to optimize site pages for on-page SEO which may result in a higher rank for each of your site’s web pages. There are meta keywords, descriptions, robots tags, title tags, body text, h1 and h2 text for images, and more. However, just concentrating on these techniques can lead to poor results. Along with on-site SEO it is equally important to build and spread incoming links. Building incoming links is another way to help your organic SEO ranking. By writing informative or entertaining content others will want to link to your website or blog. When people want to link to your website search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and others will recognize it and rank you accordingly.

Focusing Too Much Over Competitive Keywords

Ok, you have finished your keyword, industry, and competition analysis and found ten or more popular keyword/phrases with the biggest search volumes. It’s only natural to want to focus on those to capture some of the search volume market share. However, from our experience every successful SEO campaign we’ve worked on receives the majority of its organic traffic and sales from unique keyword/phrases. Don’t just rely on a keyword analysis to provide you all of the answers.

Ignoring Conversion and Analytics

In my mind, a good SEO won’t just be satisfied with measuring rankings to gauge success – they will regularly refer back to the site’s analytics to see what is actually happening in terms of traffic. Are those positions actually bringing traffic to the site as you predicted? If this is the case; is there any unusually high bounce rates suggesting you might be going after irrelevant or too broad terms? This may all seem obvious, but unless you develop a routine of checking analytics as part of the campaign you can easily miss some pretty important insights that should be feeding back into your SEO efforts. Often, blindness to this data is borne out of not wanting to be proven wrong or face challenging questions about results achieved so far.

Obsessing Over Analytics

As with anything, you can take analytics too far though. The sheer volume of data, reports and levels you can drill down into can very easily suck you into spending hours and days analyzing traffic, trends, year on year comparisons, and much more.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many reasons why understanding the full spectrum of search engine optimization is important. If you’re a company looking to grow their knowledge or just want a company to handle their internet marketing and SEO, then call TheeDesign Studio at 919-341-8901 for a free consultation, or fill out our inquiry form, and one of our marketing specialists will be in contact with you soon.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a combination of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol with the SSL/TLS protocol to provide encryption and secure identification of the server.

So… in other words, that means when you go to a bank website or online store, you are in a secure session and that it’s safe to proceed. Many times you will see the “S” when you are submitting a payment online.

If your goal is to open an internet store, you need to familiarize yourself with HTTPS and how to go about getting one. There are three simple steps to follow to get your website secured.

First, you need a web server that supports SSL (which means Secure Sockets Layer a protocol that provides secure communications on the internet) encryption … I would recommend a server like Apache that comes with ‘mod_ssl’ which provides SSL support. Next, you need a unique IP address for each domain that will have HTTPS.  Finally, you need an SSL certificate from a certified provider … I would suggest Verisign. Once you have that you are ready to start creating secured pages, and utilizing the web to generate revenue.

If you have questions about HTTPS – or anything else web related – just give TheeDesign Studio a call at 919-341-8901 or fill out the inquiry form on our website.

Business networking is the process of establishing and developing rapport between businesses that eventually should lead to benefits for either party down the road.  Networking is helpful skill for most business people, but it’s essential for new business entrepreneurs.

In Raleigh, NC one of the most effective ways to establish you’re new company is to attend business network meetings.  There are many local events that are held every day that encourage business people to connect in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. For example, mixers or educational events sponsored by the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce are ideal for meeting people who may need your service or meeting people who can refer your services to others.  The mission of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce like all city chambers is to sustain and further develop their city’s economy, while enhancing their community’s quality of life.  You would have to be nuts to not take advantage of these service your community offers you every day.

The Raleigh area also has many local online social business networks that make it possible for established companies and entrepreneurs to communicate while discovering ways to help each other grow.  Networking forums and websites such as InSide919.com and LinkingRaleighNC.com are great local online communities. These online networks not only connect local businesses together, but they also educate and inform people about up-coming social events.  However, the most obvious advantage of these resources is they are available around the clock, giving you the flexibility to network without always having to attend a physical meeting.

If you would like more information on how to build your business network then pick up the phone and call TheeDesign Studio at 919-341-8901 or visit our website at TheeDesign.com.

So is commerce all that Magento is good at? Not so much. Going through the demo product on their website taught me that much. The CMS is easy to understand and code from very basic to more advanced coding options (and watching the programming guys work with it, it made me appreciate how complicated of a programming script it can understand). But this is even good at SEO. No more do you have to set up a tool or a plug-in, just hit the Meta Data tab and put in your description and keywords and save it.

The other nice thing about Magento that I’ve found is its willingness to work with PHP. This is a programming script near and dear to my heart as after an annoying year in college trying to make C++ functions work, my first PHP function ran without a stutter. Sure, I was guided through creating it by our senior programmer, but the point is that we can communicate. Magento and Zend are working together to try to make it more friendly to the equally friendly PHP.

Now, we need to look at the downfalls before you go out, download it to your machine, and proceed to sell your own possessions. First off, it can be very slow. In fact, speed is the most common complaint about Magento. This may possibly be resolved by some optimized PHP coding, but I have yet to set it in front of aforementioned senior programmer to see if he could coax a little more speed from it. The second issue is that as it’s written to work with programming scripts more easily, it can be a bit more complicated to use than WordPress. It comes with default settings, which can be easily used, but if you want something a little more flashy, those default settings will need someone with a firm understanding of programming to adjust your site.

But with any program, it has its strengths and weaknesses that can make it better or worse for your site based on what you want your CMS to do. If a pretty, non-sales centered website is what you want for your blog, Magento likely isn’t for you. If a high-speed eCommerce site is more down your alley, Magento’s definitely on the rise, and it seems to be only a matter of time before it’s friendly enough to make up for any current shortcomings it has.

Have questions about what CMS is right for you? Call the web design experts at TheeDesign Studio at 919-341-8901 or visit our website at www.TheeDesign.com.

The informative and entertaining group is headed up by Ashley Berman Hale – owner of SEO consulting firm SixTurnSeven – who offers her time and knowledge to help others understand the basics of SEO.

On Tuesday night we gathered for our July meeting. However, there were no handouts or note taking, instead it was a good, old fashioned networking event. It was a great opportunity for individuals who enjoy the intricacies of SEO to talk shop and to learn more about the people we hang out with once a month. But it was more than that, it was a chance to say thank you.

You see, Ashley is pregnant and will be out of the loop for a while, so it was an opportunity for the group to show our gratitude. As a token of appreciation, she was presented with a Kids-R-Us gift card to help cover some of the many expenses that are associated with a newborn baby.

Our fearless leader will be missed, but we’re in good hands as her knowledgeable assistant Phil Buckley will take the reigns in her absence. As the owner of 1918 – a Raleigh-based internet marketing company – he provides valuable insight combined with a little bit of humor when discussing the finer points of SEO.

Tuesday was a great night. It was a chance to mingle with folks that have similar interests, but better yet, it was an opportunity to say thank you to an individual who offers so much, and asks for nothing in return.

As part of TheeDesign Studio’s website development process, we will accomplish all of the following to make sure your website is a success:

Find Its Purpose

The reason your company is in business is to make sales and create revenue. So, why build something without establishing its purpose? As part of our process, we will lead you through a series of questions that will help you understand the true purpose or goal for your website. Is it the primary goal of your website to provide information about who you are or are you looking for more? These days, chances are good that simply looking for information may not be the real reason people are coming to your site.

Creative Strategy

Now that we have determined the goal of your website, it is time to develop a creative strategy to help it achieve its purpose and engage your target customers.

What colors are going to best portray your business? How should your website be structured? What pages of content must we integrate? What will be your call to action to generate leads?

TheeDesign will provide their marketing expertise to help you determine the best approach in getting the most ROI, or Return on Investment, for your website.

Website Development

Once your website concept has been created, it’s time for our website builders to begin developing your site according to your new creative strategy. TheeDesign Studio will create a new, professional-looking layout, involving basic site structure, including, header, footer, color attributes, and creative layout.

From the designed prototype, we will then create a unique website with search-engine friendly cascading style sheets (or CSS) and table-less codes. The end result will be a professional, versatile, and visually appealing website that reflects your company’s ongoing mission, stellar reputation, and desired image.

Content Integration

The next step in this process is creating search engine friendly content.

The copywriters and internet marketing professionals at TheeDesign Studio can make sure your website content accurately portrays your vision and attitude.

While we write for potential customers, we also make sure the content is keyword-rich to increase your Google or Bing ranking. There is a fine line between appealing to human readers and search engine “spiders”, but we take pride in doing both! We will work with you to ensure your site is sending its intended message.

Internet Marketing

Okay, so what is next? You have great looking website, but nobody knows you. They just simply can’t find your website. At TheeDesign Studio we will help market your website by developing, implementing and managing a comprehensive internet marketing plan for your business. We can formulate a successful internet marketing strategy that is both unique and cost-effective, which is sure to deliver results and have a positive impact on your bottom line.

Measurement & Tracking

Now that we have finished planning, building, and marketing your website, it’s time to review the impact we have created. By strategically utilizing the proper resources, the team at TheeDesign Studio can empower you with detailed knowledge on how well your web site is fulfilling its purpose, how effectively you are generating leads, conversion rates and which promotions are producing the most revenue. Two of the many measurement tools we use to help you improve your return on investment are:

• Monthly ROI Review Meetings
• Google Analytics Setup & Analysis

So, let’s work together. Call 919-341-8901 for a free consultation or fill out our inquiry form and one of our web design specialists will be in contact with you soon.

President and Owner of TheeDesign Studio, Richard Horvath, had this to say:

“Since 2004 our business has steadily grown, and it was time to upgrade to a better facility and location. I want my employees to have a comfortable working environment, and we owed it to our customers and potential clients to have a modern meeting space at a location that’s easy to find. Our new home accomplishes both of these.”

Our roomy 3,000 square foot office has two conference rooms and great working environment for the in-house designers, internet marketing specialists, programmers, videographers and sales staff . In addition, clients may now rent our state-of-the-art green screen and blue screen studios at reasonable rates. We provide professional lighting and sound equipment to anyone who rents the either of the studios.

Call 919-341-8901 for a more information about our studio rental or schedule a free consultation and a member of our team will be in contact with you soon.

The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button on the Google search page was designed to save people time. It does this by taking you directly to the first web page that returns for your query. If you were to type in a keyword or keyword phrase in Google and press the search button, Google returns a results page that shows multiple websites matching your search phrase.

However, if you type the same keyword phrase in Google and then select the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, the search engine skips the search results page and goes directly to the first ranked page for that search phrase. For example, if you enter the keyword “baseball” and click the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, Google will send you to the home page of Major League Baseball.

So the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button is handy if you’re fairly confident that the first result in the search engine is going to be exactly the page you want to find. It saves you time and energy by taking you directly to what they hope you’re looking for.

If you want to learn more about this subject or search engine optimization (SEO), just give us a call at 919-341-8901 for a free consultation or fill out our inquiry form and one of our internet marketing specialists will be in contact with you soon.

So, what did we do on our Fourth of July weekend? Sure, we all had the cookouts and fireworks that everyone hopes for on the Fourth. Interestingly enough, my fiance proved that fabrics made in the 70’s were most definitely not flame-retardant, and he built a huge bonfire with cushion covers made of polyester and cotton as fire-starters. It brought back memories of fire safety classes where I was taught about non-retardant cottons being dubbed “nitro cotton”. Boy, they weren’t kidding on the “nitro” part! Thankfully, the only thing we ended up “cooking” over this fire were a little bit of our eyebrows as I’m sure those cushion covers probably had some toxic chemicals in them.

But what happened to the TheeDesign Studio while its diligent staff was out playing with fire and explosives? Well, we were working to open our brand new office! Our fearless leader, Richard Horvath, spent countless precious Fourth of July beach hours painting, building, refitting and supervising the construction of our new office on Glenwood Avenue. With a brand new, state of the art, green screen studio, an open team-fostering floor plan for our developers, and plenty of space to keep growing with our ever-expanding clientele, we are looking forward to moving to our new site by the end of the month.

We look forward with excitement to the move and the things in store for us at our new location. So, as you see, instead of the sad ending of those school papers you remember writing as a kid, this one has a happy ending. Stay tuned for more updates on our move and any other excitement that is sure to come our way!

Have you ever noticed your local fast food restaurants? Burger King, Mc Donald’s, Hardee’s, Jack N’ the Box, and the list goes on and on all have one thing in common, color scheme. Red and yellow are big factors in each company’s logo. Both red and yellow are attention getters, yellow being the hardest color for the eye to draw itself away from and denotes positivity. Red also signifies vitality and strength, important factors in determining what foods you wish to eat to become each of those traits. The combination of those colors appeals to your survival instincts. No wonder these restaurants are so popular with children, who are more instinct than knowledge driven when making choices.

Let’s look at banks now. Blue and green are popular choices for these businesses. Green is simple for us to understand. Money is green, and therefore, a bank who uses a lot of green in their logo and décor is focused on our money, right? But what about blue? Blue, especially paired with gray, conveys importance and confidence without being somber and also may suggest elegance. Looking at that, it’s no small wonder that there are some banks who use blue with green. Not only are they focused on your money, but you can have confidence in them.

So it’s no surprise that when you design your logo, color is just as important as the black and white line art that goes into it. What are you trying to suggest with your company’s design? Are you a nursery that wants to remind people of spring when they’re thinking of buying plants? Purple and green is the way to go! How about a chic new hair salon looking to share your vision of professional, cutting edge and stylish hair designs? Try black and white with a splash of bright color, like yellow or orange. What about a simple earth-friendly grocery? Beige and green would be ideal.

Stuck on what would look right for you? Your friends at TheeDesign Studio can help. Established in 2004 – with a team of talented web and graphic designers – we can help you swim through the color palette to decide what would be catchy and recognizable and convey the message you wish to present to potential customers. Call 919-341-8901 for a free consultation or fill out our inquiry form and one of our graphic design experts will be in contact with you soon