So You've Discovered You Need a Website...

You look around on the internet and you see a lot of different options. It’s seriously confusing! Who to choose? Should you do it yourself? Do you go for someone that is inexpensive? Or do you pay top dollar figuring that you’ll get the best work that way? How do you avoid getting scammed?

There are many questions to ask yourself in this situation. We’ll start at the beginning…doing it yourself.

Much of the time we know someone who has put together a website. It seems like everyone has done it these days. There are a lot of opportunities out there to edit or create a site out there. You may have even dabbled in it by creating a Myspace page or something similar. Doesn’t seem that hard. Perhaps you can even have a student you know create it. Why hire a professional design company when you can do it yourself? There are many reasons this may not be the wisest course…

If you choose to do it yourself, are you prepared to spend the time creating and maintaining the site? It can be incredibly time consuming to keep a site fresh. Also, do you have the knowledge of search engine optimization that will get your site ranked where you need it? Can you create a custom design or will you have to use a template that who knows how many other company’s have used as well? These are just some of the questions you have to ask yourself before taking on the task of creating a website that is going to represent yourself and your company.

Many of the same questions apply to giving the project to an amateur designer. There is no doubt there are some very talented amateur designers out there, but do they have the experience to tell you exactly what you actually need for your site? How to design it to optimize it for the viewers you are after? Do they have the time to maintain it for the long run? Do they know how to do search engine optimization?

A professional design company knows all these things and more. They can optimize your site for search engines as well as optimize the graphics for fast download times. They know from first hand knowledge what kind of things your site will need for your business and how to design it for the optimum viewing experience for your viewers. You know your business, so more than likely it is to your advantage to let the expert use their time to build your site while you concentrate on building your business. Creating a website takes a lot of time; everything from writing your content to figuring out what will work for your site on the different kinds of browsers. So there are many things to consider when deciding who is going to help you with your web presence.

Tomorrow we will go into price; what is reasonable and what do you actually need to spend to make sure you have a website that will not only be functional but easy to use for your clients and viewers.

For more information, please visit http://www.hitwebdesign.com or call 1-866-211-0743.

Off Site; Read and Stay Ahead

The internet provides ample opportunity for communicating about numerous subjects. You can learn about everything from the eating and sleeping habits of a leopard tortoise to the best place to skydive in North Dakota. As a small business owner, you should be part of the online conversation. More specifically, you should lead the conversation that is taking place in and about your industry. If you aren’t part of the conversation, start today. All you need to get started is a website with a blog that contains informative articles.

Blogs are great because you can post information while you give your potential customer a chance to interact with you. Once you’ve got a blog of your own, find out who is leading the conversation in your industry. Do this by searching out keywords and key phrases that are appropriate to your industry. Do this using at least a dozen key words or phrases. What sites are showing up in the results?

Your site will have to do more than show up in the first few search engine results for someone to consider you an industry expert. Look at the sites and see who is interacting with your potential customers. When you find reliable information and interaction, you’ve found an expert.

What is the expert writing about? What are they getting the most response from? What isn’t working for them? You don’t want to repeat articles that have been written on other blogs, but you can write about similar topics. In short, you want to find out where and what your intended audience is reading, and then give them what they want.

For more information, please visit http://www.heritagewebdesign.com or call 1-866-211-0743.

What is Web 2.0?

Since the term was first coined in 2004, “Web 2.0” has gained notoriety, but many are still confused as to what it is.

1. Services and the “Perpetual Beta”
One of the main thrusts behind Web 2.0 seems to be breaking away from the desktop application model, with packaged product releases, moving toward a system where you are providing a service that you constantly improve upon, hence the term “perpetual beta.”

Examples of this can be found within some of the most successful web services, such as Google’s Gmail, which employed a “Beta” designation long after it was entered into broad consumer use, and still receives regular feature updates.

2. Allow Users to Work for You
Another main principle of Web 2.0 is providing the opportunity for users to not just use your service, but to participate in it, and to add to it, often referred to as the “architecture of participation.” An excellent example of this is Wikipedia. The online encyclopedia still receives large amounts of criticism, but no one can really criticize their success. Another example is the concept and practice of “Folksonomy,” or user tagging, allowing bookmarks to be organized by content as reported by users.

One more aspect of this principle is allowing users to upload product/service reviews to a website. If a user feels like their thoughts actually mean something on a website, they will be much more likely to return to that site. The more ways that you allow users to add value, the better.

3. The Wisdom of Crowds
The rise of blogs is often cited as one of the largest components of Web 2.0. The aspect of blogging that makes it so successful is RSS technology, which allows “subscribing” to blogs and other updating content, as well as allowing users to post links to very specific content on someone’s site, fostering discussion and, subsequently, friendships and rivalries.

4. “Some Rights Reserved”
Another divergence that Web 2.0 makes from convention is the idea of not only allowing systems to be re-used, but making it easy to do so. Some of the most successful web services are those that have been the easiest for “hackers” to take in new directions unimagined by the original creators. The phrase “some rights reserved” was coined by Creative Commons, and has become an excellent basis for many Web 2.0 applications.

5. Multiple Device Support
As technology has continued to evolve, the number of ways that the web is accessed and utilized seems to be increasing exponentially. Because of this, another mainstay of Web 2.0 is creating services that not only allow use over differing devices, but that excel at it. Perhaps the best example of this principle is iTunes, reaching from a massive online service, through the user PC/Mac, and onto the iPod handheld device.

By no means are these principles an extensive encompassment of what Web 2.0 is, and truly encompassing what Web 2.0 is may not even be possible, but this should give some insight into the basics of what it means. If you have questions, Heritage Web Solutions has answers.

For more information, please visit http://www.heritagewebdesign.com or call 1-866-211-0743.

Owning Your Own Future in a Down Economy

Owning Your Own Future

Economic challenges have spread across the nation. With stories of foreclosures, debt, and suffering businesses, there is a flip side to this coin of the economy that demonstrates business is not all bad. At Heritage Web Solutions, we have witnessed and aided the drive of many small businesses that are flourishing and are becoming even more successful than before the drastic changes that rocked our nation.

What is the key to this success?
Some may argue it is simply the type of services and products you offer. Others claim it depends on the region your business serves. While each of these can affect a business’s success, a combination of many factors can lead to owning your own future in today’s changed economy.

Customer Focus
Pinpoint the specific types of customers you are looking to attract and then reach out to them based on research of what they need. Surveys and third-party perspectives can help determine customer needs. Even more important, be loyal to the customers you already have. Studies have shown that attracting a new customer can be up to 8 times as expensive as maintaining a current one. Communicate consistently with past, current, and new customers so that they know what is occurring in your business and can take advantage of your services. Newsletters, e-mail ads, and phone calls all serve as reminders and help show that you value your customers. Heritage has many products that can help you stay in touch with your customers.

Updated, Modernized, Integrated Business
With new technology and a move toward a global economy, you must use the modern tools available and update your services and marketing strategies. Because of the expansive reach of the Internet, establishing a web presence has become a vital tool in today’s society. Integrate your business into today’s business world by establishing yourself online and including the programs, technology, and tools competitors offer their customers.

Taking the Lead
Do even more than keep pace with competitors by taking the lead in the business race through innovation and creativity. Be different and know how to communicate it, whether it be through the products you provide, exceptional customer service, or unique advertising techniques. Set yourself apart from your competitors and continually change and add to what you offer or how you offer your services to keep your business fresh and thriving.

With these and other tactics and an overall opportunistic mindset small business owners can drive their business to success even amidst the rise and fall of the changing economic waves. Some of our nation's greatest businesses have arisen from the challenge of hard times. Whatever tools and strategies you use, the face of opportunity is looking your business straight in the eye and there may never be a better time take charge of your success and begin owning your own future.

Small Business in the New Economy

The New Economy:
How can small businesses help the current financial crisis?

You may be aware of the significant differences between small businesses and commercial chains. At HIT Web Design, we support small businesses by providing web hosting and building custom websites for entrepreneurs.

While that Ma and Pa craft store on the corner may not have as big a parking lot (or massive database website) as the retail chain across the street, could there be an advantage to investing in members of our own community?

Some of the reasons the American economy is in its current state are connected to the disconnect between small businesses and large commercial enterprises. Consider the differences between Wall Street and Main Street, or in other words, big businesses and small businesses. It could be compared to shopping at your local Farmers Market versus a large grocery chain. Instead of funneling all our capital into overseas markets, foreign oil production, and imports, we can circulate the resources in our own communities, thus bolstering our local economies. Is it really that simple?

In many ways, it is. While small businesses may feel overshadowed by large commercial monopolies, there is no reason to give up on Uncle Ted's Diner or Frank's Auto Service. Consider some of the real advantages of small businesses:
• Small businesses can respond more quickly to needs in the community.
• Owners of small businesses can be their own bosses, supporting their own personal values.
• Small businesses can specialize in unique products that can't be found in retail markets.
• Small businesses, through more focused means of production, can produce higher quality, environmental products that aren't mass produced or made with low-quality materials.
• Small businesses are very well-suited for online marketing, which is a main focus of HIT Web Design.

Not only do the reasons listed above give small businesses a leg up in our communities, but buying and producing locally stimulates the national economy as a whole. So while owning or supporting a small business may initially require more risks, planning, or even work hours, it may be well worth the investment in the long run.

The staff at HIT Web Design can help your business flourish by building a custom website that will help you reach communities that matter to all of us. If you need help getting your small business on its feet, don't hesitate to contact HIT Web Design for your online marketing needs.

How Much Time Should I Spend On Social Networking?

Back to Basics: Quality and Word-of-Mouth Advertising

As a business owner, you can benefit by harnessing the power of networking sites, but you must employ extremely subtle strategies. According to David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist and author, “The online community at social networking sites hates overt commercial messages.” (See The New Rules of Marketing and PR, p. 229.)

Before diving into the details of actively using social networking for marketing purposes, however, considerable time must be spent focusing on your business itself.

• First, you must make sure your have good quality products and excellent customer service, not just lip service, empty promises, and hype.
• Second, you must make sure your website is artistic, professional, and effective—meaning it contains well-written, substantive content that is presented in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Why? People talk.

There are over 200 million members on Facebook, while MySpace has about 100 million. Many of these are asking each other for product recommendations, directly or indirectly. If your product or service measures up, they will speak highly of you. If they go to your website and like what they see, the will bookmark you. Either way, you benefit.

A recent study shows that women are turning to social networking for fun, entertainment, and to connect with friends at a higher rate than ever before, and they are twice as likely to turn to blogs verses social networking to get product recommendations. (See Social Media Optimization.)

If your products or services don't cut the mustard, look out, because, according to Mike Grehan, online marketing guru, the algorithms that drive search engine results are changing to include, with much more added weight—

1.) product recommendations on social networking sites and blogs for your products or services, and
2.) bookmarks placed by unique visitors to your website.

Thus, the days of key word manipulation to get to the top of the list of search results are going by the wayside. Soon, it will be your good products and services that get you there, not just your good use of key words. (See Mike's Is There a Link Between Search and Social? article, pp. 12-13.)


Time Well Spent

Knowing this, you can see that your efforts to use social networking as an avenue to promote your brand and your business is crucial to long-term growth. The key to success is to experiment! Try placing videos on YouTube, inserting interesting articles into your Blog, creating profiles on MySpace, and establishing Groups on Facebook—and see what happens. You might find the next internet spokesperson star is sitting inside the walls of your own company!

You can track your hits easily by employing the technology at www.bit.ly, where you can enter web addresses (say, your YouTube video, for instance) and see how many people are stopping by to see it. Spending time to measure and analyze results is the only way to see if your efforts are paying off. It will take some time to find the right niche or angle for your business, so dedicate enough time and resources to see the effort through. Don't cut things off prematurely.

Also, it's important to update your material frequently, even daily. Since web users want the latest information available on the subject they are searching for, search engines in turn look for the freshest material online. By changing your content, you can insure optimal results in search engine rankings. (See Content Optimization.) This of course will require a committed and dedicated staff to manage, and the unflinching support of the organization behind them.

For more tips on optimizing your web presence and harnessing the power of social networking sites, contact the professionals at HIT Web Design.

What Social Networks Should I Join?

Networking Sites Exploding in Popularity

People talk. If you have a product or service on the market, chances are people are talking about you, whether you want them to or not. It doesn't matter if you care to participate in the conversation or not—they still talk.

There are many places, or “social networking sites,” where people talk online. Some major ones include Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube, and LinkedIn. There are other specialized social networking sites, too, such as Squidoo, ChaCha, and Mechanical Zoo's Aardvark, where avenues to experts and hard-to-find information can be found.

To give you an idea of the potential marketing power of these networks, let's consider the growth of Facebook and Twitter. As of Feb. 2009, Compete.com ranked Facebook number one in visits and length of stay per visit, with MySpace second, and Twitter skyrocketing from number 22 to number three! (See Top 25 Networking Sites.) Facebook has added over 100 million (yes, million) users in less than a year.

Online marketing expert Erik Qualman put Facebook's growth in perspective by saying, “If Facebook were a country, it would overtake Indonesia as the fourth largest country in the world by September at this pace.” (See “15 Maxims for Marketers, p. 15.) That's a ton of customers just waiting to be engaged by your products or services.


Get Into the Social Scene

To maximize your social networking strategy, the first thing you need to do is delineate your own target market, and then determine if each social networking site's demographic makeup matches yours. Surprisingly, the biggest users of social networking sites are the Baby Boomers, that is, those in their mid 40s to 60s, not those in their 20s and 30s. In fact, the younger folks are slowing down when it comes to using social networking, perhaps due to information and technology overload. (See Gen X and Gen Y.)

Listed below are some important social networking sites that you can use (with creativity) to promote yourself, your products, or your services. Don't be afraid to experiment.


www.squidoo.com
Appeals to anyone seeking high-level expertise.

Mr. David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist and author, recommends using Squidoo to drive traffic to your site. (See The New Rules of Marketing and PR, pp. 236-37.) Squidoo allows you to create what is called a “lens,” which is basically a single page catalog of your expertise. Searchers can search for your expertise on Squidoo, and when they find your lens, you can direct them from there to your website.


www.facebook.com
Originally only for students, now open to anyone. Women seeking to reunite with old friends are a big part of the membership.

Mr. Scott also describes how to make good use of Facebook. (See The New Rules of Marketing and PR, pp. 231-35.) This strategy is threefold: 1.) use the “post a message” feature to let people know what you are doing (new product release, new book published, attending a tradeshow, etc.); 2. Create a Facebook Group to gather people together with a common interest (i.e., users of your product or service); and finally, 3.) Use Facebook's ability to make customized applications to access as wide a market as possible from the Facebook users.


www.myspace.com
Not just for teenagers anymore, entertainers and musicians, for instance, employ MySpace effectively to build a large fan base and stay in touch with enthusiasts.

Myspace profiles are a good way to connect with a lot of people. Mr. Scott warns, however, that “authenticity and transparency” are critical. (See The New Rules of Marketing and PR, pp. 229-31.) Ad agencies have been known to create false profiles for selfish benefit, only to see a huge backlash when their scheme is discovered. Mr. Scott suggests that one way around needless trickery is to emulate Volkswagen's idea of creating a fictional character that everyone knows is made up who can then humorously and shamelessly promote your product.


www.twitter.com
Appeals to young and middle-aged professionals alike.

Twitter is easy to use, and focuses on the ability to get quick answers to questions. While Baby Boomer individuals aged 45-54 are the largest segment of Twitter, the second highest segment is individuals aged 25-34, indicating that both aspiring young executives as well as seasoned business veterans benefit from, and consistently use, this social networking site. (See Social Media Optimization.)


www.yourwebsite.com

Remember, the quality of your website and its content is critical because the whole point of harnessing the power of social networking is to drive people to your site. When they come, you want them to stay! For more tips on making your website the best it can be, contact HIT Web Design.