Web Works SEO Boost Packages

Web Works is excited to announce the addition of some new packages this month which focus on getting you more exposure in the search engines.

We have developed an excellent formula over the years which produces consistent results in the search engines. However, in order to retain our success we need to stay on top of the industry trends and continually work to improve our product.

Below you’ll find details on the new packages we have developed and their benefits.

- Basic – optimization of title tags, meta tags, on page content, keyword research and creation. (Comes with the standard package)

- Local SEO Boost (one time investment of $200) – Includes local link building package. Business profile setup and links from Google Maps, Yahoo Local, Bing Local, The Online Yellow Pages, Yelp and more. You get 15-20 of the best links for local and small businesses. Our network of business profile pages will give you more real estate in the search engine results page.

Links help drive traffic to your site and also give you credibility online so the search engines are more apt to trust your company and place you higher in their rankings. It’s like looking at a road map…you will see the bigger cities have more roads leading into them. Similarly, search engines will rank websites higher that have more links going to their website.

- Business Pro (one time investment of $400) – Social Media setup for Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus & More. 15 high quality links from authority websites. 30 Social Bookmarks. Your choice of video marketing or article creation and submission to over 100 directories. Google analytics setup. This will help you become more interactive with your audience, allow you to connect with them more efficiently as well as be able to track your results.

- Business Pro Plus (one time investment of $400 and an additional $50 a month) – 150 directory submission a month, 50 Social Bookmarks a month, 30 blog comments a month plus Google Analytics setup with monthly reports. This is the type of optimization that companies use who compete in markets across the country. It will give you a major advantage over almost any other local companies.

- Google Adwords Management (25% of your total budget) – We can either assist you in setting up a Google Adwords account or manage the account for you. We charge 25% of your total budget to manage it, with a minimum total of $200 a month. This is the best way to control if your website is on the first page for your search terms. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee clicks or conversions though. Your ads still need to be written well enough so that you stand out from the competition, and your website has to be optimized to convert clicks into calls.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment for one of our brief online demos. I would be more than happy to walk you through our process and do some searches with you online to see where there may be opportunities for you to get more exposure online.

Sincerely,

Dave Seidl
Web Works
Web Consultant
630-406-1684
dave.seidl@webworkscorp.com
www.webworkscorp.com
Affordable Small Business Websites

How To Get Started On Your New Website

Many companies ask us how to get started on a new website or what we need from them. I believe many people think it’s much harder than it actually is.

The nice thing about dealing with a full service web design company like Web Works is that we take care of all the hard work. All you have to do is let us know what you do, where you work and other any other specifics you would like to include on your new website. Web Works will take care of the rest.

The “how it works” page on our website is a good reference point which describes our process step by step. See my explanation below for more information.

The first step is your content call. This is where we get to know your company better and go over all the specifics for your new site. For example, we will ask you about how long you have been in business, what kind of affiliations you have, what pages you would like to have on your website, if there are any sites you would like us to reference and more.

Once the content call is completed we start working on your home page. We create a basic layout based on the conversation that we think you will like. In about 5-7 business days after your content call you will receive artwork. You can let us know what you think. If you’d like make any tweaks or changes we will do so. We want to get this down before starting to build out the rest of your site.

After the artwork phase is done, we will complete your project by writing the rest of your content, creating the keywords and making sure your site is properly optimized for the local areas you would like to target. Then we register your domain name, set up your hosting and any business email accounts needed as well.

After that your website will be ready to launch. But the process doesn’t stop there with us. We are also available for any updates or questions you have going forward as well.

For the astute small business owner, if you would really like to be prepared, you can keep a file with your logo and any pictures you would like us to use on your website. You will be able to upload them to your site manager so our team can easily access them. You can also do some research on your competitors to see what has been working for them in the search engines. If you would like to get a head start on your website project, you can take advantage of our online questionnaire provided here. It will help you create an outline for your new website.

So you see it’s really not that bad. The content call usually takes about half an hour. Everything else involved may take another half an hour or so, if that. In approxiamately 2-3 weeks you’re new website will be finished. You will have something you can be proud of and use for years to come.

Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays from everybody on the Web Works staff!

The Advantage Of Website Longevity

In previous newsletters we have discussed how establishing your search engine ranking is not something that happens over night. It takes time to build up your online credibility, therefore the sooner you build a quality website the better.

Let’s take a look at how some of our clients are benefiting from their website longevity.

1. Classic Kitchens is a company that has been with Web Works for a long time now. They have had a website online for even longer, about 10 years or so. Here is a screen shot for a Google search of “kitchen remodeling Oklahoma City”.

As you can see, they rank very well. Oklahoma City is pretty large too, so that is an impressive result in a competitive market.

2. Your site doesn’t necessarily have to be online for 10 years to rank well either, Above And Beyond Complete Grounds Maintenance is a company we launched a website for in March of 2010. It has consistently ranked on the first page for “landscape services Omaha” for a while now.

3. And of course our website doesn’t do too bad either. Do a search for “affordable small business web design” and we should be right up there in the top few. We launched our website in 2006.

If you try searching for anything in Google, Yahoo or Bing, chances are the companies at the top have had their website for quite a while.

As the fall and winter seasons approach, the tendency for most companies is to wait until the beginning of next year to address their website situation. However, I would recommend starting this year if you can, so that when the busy season comes next year, you will have already established yourself online and will have a much better opportunity to rank well in the search engines. Plus, you can use it as a tax write off in this year’s taxes.

Thanks for reading. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Dave Seidl
Web Works
Web Consultant
630-406-1684
dave.seidl@webworkscorp.com
www.webworkscorp.com
Affordable Small Business Websites

6 Ways Improve Your Site Traffic and SEO with Social Media

Creating a site with Web Works is a great start. However, the more you do for your company online, the better. The best way to improve your business’s online brand and increase traffic to your site is creating a social media presence. Having social media profiles for your business that link back to your site can be the deciding factor in the online race against competitors. Here are some of the best things you can do:

1. Quantity – The more links you have, the better. By creating a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Places and Yahoo Local Pages you create many links into your new site that you never had before. Also check out the Business Pro Package and other great ideas from the Web Works team for more help.
2. Quality – Optimize your profiles for SEO just like your website is. Make sure that your pages list your company/site name many times as well as the keywords that you are hoping to rank for. Your about section in each profile is usually the best place to put terms you hope to rank for.
3. Activity – Search engines love updated social profiles as much as they love updated blogs and websites. So make sure you keep your pages up to date.
4.  Engage – Creating discussion and answering your followers, friends and fans is helpful in more ways than just SEO. Your audience will appreciate your effort and tell others.
5. URL Choice – Choosing the correct domain name and URL tag for your sites and pages is very important. Pages will always rank better for terms in their URL.
6. Optimize Photo Filenames – This doesn’t apply to everything, but most sites and pages will let you name your photo files for image searches. Image searches bring traffic to your site as well so do not overlook this important task.

Thanks,

Scott Malewig

Web Coordinator

scott.malewig@webworkscorp.com

How To Have Control Over Your Website

In speaking with small business owners over the years I have found that many are interested in being able to have control over their websites. This is understandable and a reasonable request, however it can be an expensive feature as well.

Web Works is excited to announce our new and improved content management system (CMS). This will allow our clients to make changes to their website content and pictures themselves. It comes free with our Business Pro package and can be added to any other website package for only $9.95 a month. You can see how it works on our demo version here:

You can access a demo version here: http://webworks.clienteditor.com

Username: demo@webworkscorp.com

Password: webworks123

You can view any changes you make to the test website here:

http://www.webworksproject.com

As you can see, it is pretty straight forward and easy to use. In the past, we have been able to implement a similar feature, however the changes would still have to go through our web designers. In this new version you make all the changes yourself, then simply click the “publish” button and all the updates are made within a matter of minutes.

Another benefit of the new CMS is that it will give you peace of mind in case you decide to host your website elsewhere down the road. Since the CMS is hosted on a third party server it does not cause any complications if the site is transferred to another hosting provider. So you will still be able to use it to update your website even if you are not hosting with Web Works.

We understand that many of our clients will not have the time to do their updates or prefer to have us continue maintaining the site for them. So, we are still offering an hour’s worth of maintenance each month as part of our standard package.

Web Works is always looking for ways to improve our product and customer satisfaction. Hopefully, the new and improved CMS will come in handy for more than a few you. We are always open to suggestions and feedback so feel free to call or email anytime. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Dave Seidl

Web Works

Web Consultant

630-406-1684

dave.seidl@webworkscorp.com www.webworkscorp.com

Affordable Small Business Websites

How To Find A Web Designer

We have recently had to turn away some opportunities for work due to high volume and project specifications. Rather then leave people in the dark, I tried to assist them in finding someone available.

This helped me realize how hard it is to find not only a good web designer, but one that fits your needs. Here is a guide I came up with that will hopefully help you in choosing a web designer in the future.

- Three types of Designers-

• · Freelance- this is the riskiest option, but may be the cheapest. Make sure you get a couple references and clear details for the project. Try to get a flat rate as opposed to an hourly rate. If you are a startup company, or really on a tight budget, this may be a good place to start.

• · Professional Agency- most will have the ability to both design and code your website, which allows them to custom make the site for you, as opposed to using a cookie cutter template. Also, some will have the manpower to save you time and make your site more effective by developing the content for you. We are one of those companies by the way .

• · Hiring for in house staff- this is a big expense and usually only an option for medium to large size companies.

- How much should I pay?

Generally speaking if you’re paying less than $40 an hour, you shouldn’t expect high quality work. Usually $60-$90 is a good range. If you feel you will be in business for a while longer, then investing more in your online image and search engine optimization makes sense for a number of reasons.

- How do I pick the right person?

This may seem obvious but look at their work and imagine if your site looked like that. Also, getting references and asking for some proven results wouldn’t hurt either.

- The right skills for the job

Too many people end up working with a big name company, because they already do other advertising with them. Make sure they will optimize your website properly, without charging an arm and leg. Ask how they will be able to maintain the site for you, how the ownership of the site and your domain name works and any other factors that are important to you before you make your decision.

- What now?

Let’s assume you found the perfect designer. How do you get started? They should get to know your company and what’s important to you first. Go through a content call, have the designer send you a one page mockup of the design to start with. You shouldn’t have to put all of the money down up front. Make sure to find out the process before you get started. What if you’re not happy with the design, will they change it?

- Conclusion

I realize how hard it is to find a web designer. I hope this makes it easier. If you still feel a bit lost or need some suggestions, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email anytime. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Dave Seidl
Web Works
Web Consultant
630-406-1684
dave.seidl@webworkscorp.com
Affordable Small Business Websites

Straight Talk About Local SEO

When it comes to advertising on the web and search engine optimization (SEO) many people have grown accustomed to companies promising them the world. That leads to many disappointed customers and a very skeptical market going forward.

One of my favorite lines regarding business is from Donald Trump; “Always under promise and over deliver.” Web Works has kept this is mind when developing our business model and approach. Setting realistic expectations and then being able to exceed them is an ideal that we not only strive for, but are able to accomplish more often than not.

So what is realistic when it comes to local seo? I will attempt to answer some of the most commonly asked questions below:

1) Will I be on the first page?

It depends. I know this is not the answer you are looking for, but it is the truth. There are several factors that go into search engine algorithm’s, so every local market is different. Some are very tough to rank for, while others are easier.

Before we can have any idea where you will rank, first we have to take a look at your competition. Usually I will do a couple searches with my clients in Google. Combine the primary service you offer with the city your business is listed in and do a search for that in Google. For example, “roofing contractor Batavia, IL”. See what you find.

Typically you will find many directories like superpages, dexknows, etc. If these are the top results, then that is a good sign because the search engines would prefer to return an actual website as opposed to a directory. So, if your site is optimized properly for that particular search then I would say you have a good chance to rank well over time.

However, if you find many of your competitors already listed in the organic results, then it will be much tougher. The reason is because they already have built up online equity. If two sites are very similar, then the edge goes to the one that has been online longer. If this is the case, it doesn’t mean it is impossible to outrank them, it will just take longer, involve more work, and need to target longer tail keywords.

For example, instead of optimizing for “roofing, Batavia Il”, you may specialize in a certain type of roofing like metal roofing. Then optimize your site for “metal roofing Batavia, IL” and you will have a much better opportunity to rank on the first page.

2) How long will it take?

Usually it takes about 6-8 weeks for your site to get indexed by the search engines. Once you are indexed, you will start to show up in the search engine rankings. The algorithm’s are updating frequently though, so once you achieve a certain position, it does not necessarily mean you will stay there forever.

3) What can I do to ensure I have the best chance to rank well and stay there?

We recommend updating your website regularly to keep it current, along with encouraging user reviews from your customers, claiming all your online listings and building in-bound links from directory listings, article marketing, linking with other industry contacts, social media and more. This will help you maintain and build upon your current ranking.

Here are some of our clients on the first page in Google:

1. Do a search for “kitchen remodeling Oklahoma City, OK” or “kitchen renovations Oklahoma City, OK” or “kitchen cabinets Oklahoma City, OK” and you will find our client www.classickitchensinc.com on the first page in the organic listings.

2. Do a search for “air conditioning repair Firestone CO” and you will find our client www.carbonvalleyheatingandair.com first in the organic listings and letter B in the Google Map listings.

3. Do a search for “landscape design Kent, WA” and you will find our client www.artisticgardenconcepts.com is the first listing in the organic results.

You can read more about our proven SEO results and how we were able to provide real solutions for our customers here: http://www.webworkscorp.com/results-organic-seo.php.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for reading!