Frequently Asked Web Site Questions (part 1)

Can I integrate a specialized search tool on my site (e.g. a specialized MLS search)?

There are a few options for integrating an external search tool on your site.

• Send them off site to the tool. There’s no control in that, and visitors are leaving your site. They might get confused and not make it back.
• Frame the tool in either a regular frame (shows your header, their page) or iframe (shows your header, sidebar, and footer, their page). That keeps visitors on your site, but the frames can be feel a bit awkward. Also, results might take them off site – and there’s not much you can do about that – if the tool is programmed that way.
• Integration of the tool into your site. This requires the tool provider to provide you with embeddable code, and requires your site platform to provide that. Alternately, some site platforms have add-ons that permit integration of popular tools. It will depend on your platform. This is the best for a truly integrated feel and for keeping visitors on your site, but obviously the provider of the tool may impose fees or limitations on use. You’d want to check w. them, before starting the process of integration.

Should I rearrange my navigation or links/buttons in a specific way?

I don’t think any single button or link’s placement is critical, other than core content like HOME, CONTACT, and the BLOG – those are pretty critical. If you sell a product or service involving online ordering, the ORDER page is also critical. However, overall, a rationally ordered navigation that meets visitor expectations is a good idea. Navigation organization is crucial to making your site accessible and attractive to visitors, satisfying their need for well-arranged information and, more importantly these days, for making interaction with you straightforward.

Should I put my specializations and niche info on the site?

Yes, any particular area or activity that you specialize in should be on your site. If there are just a few, each one could be a page. The page should be linked to the front via a text link, indicated in a blurb about your specializations – for maximum SEO, page rank, and accessibility. Also consider a niche site. Niche sites are inexpensive secondary web sites that exist to maximize traffic in one particular area. They’re usually 1-3 pages, and focus on one particular demographic, locale, or service, and are designed to funnel traffic back to your site. The most effective kinds of niche sites are dynamic sites – i.e. blogs. There are other marketing options for niches, too, utilizing social media. But content is king. Any opportunity for you to put content on your site that’s 100% original, highly relevant, and frequently added to, is one you should take.

Should I update my existing core content pages?

If you have more or updated material, sure. The focus however, should be mainly on keeping the dynamic content portions of your site updated. Updating the core content pages all the time isn’t really necessary. Maybe occasionally take another stab at them or tweak them. But look, the focus on core content pages is old-fashioned. Web 2.0 doesn’t work that way. Instead of wasting energy on your lowest value pages (the static core pages that never change) – spend it on your high value pages (your blog – the part of the site that has the potential – if you do it right – to drive the most traffic and retain and create the most interest – and your home page). You either have the web 1.0 type of site in which case, it’s kind of a sleeper: you update it once in a while, but basically it doesn’t change much, and you accept the limited marketing potential of that. Or you have a web 2.0 site – which lives – it’s being continuously updated – and those updates also are being carried over to social media like Facebook and Twitter. In that situation, your core secondary pages should be solid, adequate to contact you, and provide all the information needed for a business decision, and your home page should offer your core marketing presentation, but it’s actually not your main ongoing focus. The focus is the part of the site that’s alive, dynamic, and growing – the ‘blog’ portion. It’s a hard mentality to change, and not everyone is willing or interested in doing that. But it’s the right answer for maximum success in a web 2.0 world. The short answer any time someone says “should I add something to or update (one of my core static pages)” is always “sure, why not? If you have something to say, say it”.

Should my blog be my home page, or should I have a static home page?

There’s not one right answer – it depends on your goals. Besides the old fashioned web 1.0 site format, which just doesn’t have a lot of sustainable SEO value or generate a lot of sustained traffice, you see three main formats for web 2.0 business sites:

• The dynamic front end, with core pages secondary. Primary marketing content is in the header and sidebar, and continues on an “ABOUT” page. Maximum SEO and highest potential for visitors and marketing.
• The static front end, with dynamic content secondary. Blog content falls on it’s own secondary page, with core marketing material on the home page. Seemingly the older web 1.0 style site, but with a blog added on. Maximum input to the buyer’s decision.
• The hybrid front end, with both static and dynamic areas of the home page – e.g. core content and blog excerpts in different sections of the home page. This is a mix – you’re getting some increased SEO value and some increased marketing input, but not the maximum of either.

When I started my business, I emphasized the purely dynamic front end. I wanted maximum throughput to get it off the ground. Besides, as you’re growing, your business will take on more definition than it usually has at the beginning. I think it’s more important to talk to your prospects than anything – no matter where you are in your business cycle – but especially at the beginning or when you’re launching a new marketing direction. As time went by, I realized I had three core directions I wanted to emphasize to my prospects and clients. However, I wanted the intense marketing benefits of a dynamic front end, and I didn’t want to overwhelm that with too much static content like a lot of the hybrid front ends I see. So I made a hybrid, but really kept the static content minimal. It positions my services prominently at the sacrifice of some SEO value – but then not all my internet marketing efforts are in the web site basket, either. I actually utilized a ‘trick’ though, making the static home page content capable of dynamic updates. In other words – it’s just a set of “sticky” blog posts in specific categories, rather than “hard-coded” content. This lets me freshen and update even my static content instantly. The rest of the front end is the blog itself.

SEO is Serious Business

A lot of effort is spent advising you to use key words, to have great page titles, and to use internal links, etc. These are great techniques, used properly.

• Tons of bad internal links can substitute SEO for effective marketing. Don’t make that trade. Think before you link.
• Page titles should be bookmarkable, not just keyword-packed. Remember: be human! Titles should read like book spines.
• Keywords themselves are much more effective when they’re part of a natural, marketing style in your writing.
• Keywords, likewise, are not an excuse for static content. Dynamic content, if relevant and unique, is likely to be chock full of good keywords, anyway. The secret to keywords is words, in the first place.

The same goes for indirect search engine marketing – such as directories, social networking venues, and inbound links. These are important, when used effectively.

• Directories need to have good pagerank and, if you’re paying for a listing, consider spending that same money on real ad placement like Google adwords. What’s better – being part of a directory of your competitors, or outclassing competitors with better placement?
• Inbound links, likewise, are most effective when they’re relevant, and when they link to landing pages that are effectively marketed on web sites with significant page rank.
• Social networking is the wave of the future, but just making sure you appear as a blip in a few social networks can cost you real traffic. If you go in, like the first people AOL let out onto the open web, and dump your own spam into the network, people will make a point of ignoring you.
• Social networking also depends on social web sites – in other words, dynamic web sites. We’ve said a lot about that elsewhere at Market Moose, so we won’t preach it here. But you’ve heard us say it – if your site is an unchanging paperweight, it’s dead to the social networking world, all the more so if you flood it with spam links.

Search engine optimization, and internet marketing don’t consist of the lowest fruit, the shortest path, or the way of least effort and most return. They’re a process that involves integrity and real commitment, like all marketing. Just because it involves the internet, doesn’t make it cheap, simple, or consisting of obvious gimmicks. Marketing is a professional endeavour. Above all else, keep that in mind, and you’ll think twice about jumping at tricks and you’ll be more effective over a longer time than your competitors who deal in short term spikes.

Proceed according to a professional internet marketing plan. If you don’t have one, consult with a professional. Before you shell out money for a “keyword bonanza” or “seo secrets” or “internet marketing power house techniques”, take the time and invest the though in building a solid, realistic, long-term approach. This market – the internet – is THE market, going forward. You wouldn’t put your real estate logo on the butts of cheerleaders, would you? Actually, for a one-time stunt, it could be useful, but you’d want to weigh the risk of market loss with the glory of publicity. In the same way, take your internet marketing very seriously. Your image on the net will last longer and go farther than anything you put on a flyer or a postcard. Treat it right, and it’ll stay with you throughout the life of your company, and pay serious dividends.

Again, a little advice:

• Be professional about your internet marketing.
• Consult a professional internet marketing consultant.
• Build a professional internet marketing plan.
• Make marketing decisions with thought and intelligence.

Happy marketing, from Market Moose – the Internet Marketing Consultants. Loose the Moose!