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

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.

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

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!

Once you have created a Facebook fan page for your company, the next step is featuring it on your website. If you don’t know how to create a Facebook fan page you can learn how here. Below are some ways to help convert website traffic into Facebook fans.

1. Positioning- This is pretty obvious, but make sure the button or link is prominently displayed. I would recommend putting your Facebook link in the top right-hand corner of your header on your home page (i.e. www.webworkscorp.com). You can put a link in the footer of your web pages as well, but try to have something that is very easy for your web visitors to find.

2. Calls To Action- Some websites simply have the Facebook or Twitter logo on them. Which probably works fine, but a call to action usually works best. For example, “follow us on” or “become a fan a facebook”, followed by the link to your facebook page. This is what we mean by making your site user friendly. Don’t just assume that you visitors know what you mean, be very literal and guide them every step of the way.

3. Offer an incentive- it’s worth it. Especially if you have the type of business that lends itself to repeat customers. Facebook fans are worth more than website visitors because you can stay connected with them much more easily now. You can be more proactive in your communications, as opposed to waiting for them to come to you.

4. Use the “Like” Box- this is an extended version of the like button which displays the number of people that like your Facebook page, recent posts, pictures of profile photos and more. It does take up a little more real estate on the web page, but for active sites with more users and good content the like box can be a good showcase for the usefulness and popularity of your page. See www.coloradoallroofs.com (right hand column) for an example of one of our clients utilizing this feature. We can easily embed this into your site by simply copying and pasting a piece of html code into your website.

Please let us know if you have any questions about how to incorporate your Facebook page into your website.

It’s been said not advertising your business is like winking at somebody in the dark…you know what you are doing, but nobody else does.

No question small businesses need every competitive advantage they can get right now. So why are many businesses reluctant to change?

For one, they are not convinced that something else could work better. Two, it’s too much of a hassle to change. That’s why companies offer free trial periods. So why not take advantage of them?

Here are three places you may not have thought of, that are either free or offer free trial periods.

1. Email Marketing- it’s almost like direct mailers, except much less expensive and more effective. Offering an opt in email newsletter is not spam and helps you stay top of mind.

If you are not gathering emails currently you should. A potential customer email list is very valuable. You can grow your list by giving visitors to your website easy ways to sign up on your site. Also, a giveaway can be very powerful as well (you’d be surprised what people will do for a free tshirt). Just make sure to offer good advice and not just pitch your product or service.

You can sign up for a free trial here.
Use Promo Code: 2VKBC8

2. Social Media- Go where the conversation is. Word of mouth is the best the way to advertise your business, and social media helps you spread that word and connect you with referrals much easier. You are much more likely to earn business through people you already know and have relationships with. By letting others get to you know you a little more it will help them trust you.

We have a twitter marketing program now. Please reply to this email for more details if you are interested.

3. Forums- Search for forums related to your industry and you may be amazed at what you will find. These are the best places to learn industry secrets and get free advice. Many of our clients are contractors, so I would recommend www.contractortalk.com. Be sure to put a link to your website in your signature if you do sign up (it helps your search engine rankings).

There are many other free ways to advertise your business. Feel free to call or email anytime if you’d like to learn more. Thanks for stopping by!

1) Proven Results-

Does the company have any proven results? With so many web design companies out there nowadays, the competition is very tough which can lead to some companies exaggerating or overselling their product.

Be sure to not only look at examples of the companies work, but also what kind of search engine optimization results they have been able to produce. Do they have any clients on the first page in Google for their target keywords? This will cut to the chase quickly and efficiently.

2) Updates/Customer Support

It’s great if you have a friend or family member that will help you design a website…but what happens if you need it updated? What happens if your website goes down? Will you be able to reach them? Can you count on them if you have an urgent matter regarding your web design? What happens if it’s not urgent, but it’s still something you would like done? Will you feel comfortable contacting them, or will you feel like you are bugging them?

These are all questions you should think about before decided on a web designer. As part of our standard package you get an hour’s worth of maintenance every month….so you can bug us any time you want .

3) Value

Of course you want to make sure you are getting a good value as well. Can you get what you have for much less money? Will you really get what you want from your friend/family member who does web design?

Here at Web Works we have had a lot of success positioning ourselves right around the middle of the two extremes. We pride ourselves on providing an excellent product at an affordable price. We are not priced like some of the high end boutiques and larger companies that our design is comparable to, yet we provide a much more professional product than any of the generic type websites you will find out there.

If you settle for the most convenient option, or just because they are a local company….you are probably missing out on a lot of value you could have otherwise.

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

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Minty-Fresh™.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,400 times in 2010. That’s about 3 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 9 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 17 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 2mb. That’s about a picture per month.

The busiest day of the year was May 11th with 29 views. The most popular post that day was Don’t Scratch My Back. I’ll Leave Yours Alone, Too. .

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were webworkscorp.com, digg.com, bigextracash.com, facebook.com, and slashingtongue.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for social media logos, green man charlie, charlie green man, car search man, and web works marketing.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Don’t Scratch My Back. I’ll Leave Yours Alone, Too. May 2010

And Web Works Takes the Stage. April 2010

Online Reputation Management May 2010

Caught Speeding June 2010

We Do What? April 2010

Web Works had the opportunity to completely redesign Tim’s website and in return, we scored some prime real estate on Tim’s car. Our logo has never had so much fun. Check out our photos and then check out Tim Brown 83 Dot Com.

Tim Brown's Ride