web development

You’re a business owner who has spent thousands of dollars on a new website. You can’t wait for all of the response and customers you’ll receive from said website. Months pass and …. nothing happens. Your website can’t be found on the internet; customers aren’t flooding your in box with inquiries; and the only people who have commented on your website so far are your employees, and your relatives.

Why does this happen? Most times it’s either A. your website is not optimized so it’s virtually invisible on the internet; or, B. there are no calls-to-action on the site. We’ll talk about SEO another time, today, let’s explore the almighty “call-to-action”.

What is a Call-to-Action?

Simply put, a call-to-action is the end result you want from your visitor. Many business owners don’t clearly define their website goals before the design process begins. This is a huge mistake that can cost even more of your already stretched budget to fix after the fact.

Before jumping into the design, ask yourself “what do I want my visitors to do when they land on my website?”

Some examples of a call-to-action are:

• Fill out a contact form
• Subscribe to a newsletter
• Register for an event
• Download a white paper
• Subscribe to your blog

Whatever the action is, the steps leading to that action also need to be very clear. Wording and color of a call-to-action are just as important as the placement. Make the action clear, visible, and enticing. Avoid phrases like: “click here”, “read more”, and “more”. Think about how many websites you have visited that have such lame action phrases. Do you ever click on them? Probably not.

Messaging Your Call-to-Action

The message in the call-to-action needs to be clear and simple, but not boring. Some examples of this include:

• Buy Now, Save 50%
• Receive SEO Tips Weekly
• Read Our Gardening Articles
• Download Software Whitepapers
• Get Started Now
• Free Instant Quote

Grab your audiences attention. Make the action appealing. The visitor has landed on your site for a  reason, make it easy for them to make the desired action.

Conclusion

A website needs to be more than just a pretty picture. Think about what you want your visitors to do on your webiste. Then, make it easy for them to do so. You’ll be happy you did.

Earlier this month Adobe Systems, Inc., the makers of the Flash video development software, gave Google and Yahoo the ability to search and index Flash websites. Google took it one step further by developing  an algorithm that “explores Flash files in the same way that a person would, by clicking buttons, entering input, and so on. Our algorithm remembers all of the text that it encounters along the way, and that content is then available to be indexed”.

What does this mean for the website owner? This latest development gives Flash websites a chance to compete online with their non-Flash counterparts.

Exactly what will Google index? Here is the lowdown according to Google’s Official Webmaster Central Blog:

• Google can index textual content in SWF files of all kinds. This includes Flash “gadgets” such as buttons or menus, self-contained Flash websites, and everything in between.
• If your website contains Flash, the textual content in your Flash files can be used when Google generates a snippet for your website. Also, the words that appear in your Flash files can be used to match query terms in Google searches.

However, there are still limitations to the kinds of Flash files Google will index. For example:

• If the Flash files include only images, Google still will not be able to see or index any text within the image.
• Google can’t index FLV files (videos that appear on YouTube) since these files do not contain text.
• If the Flash file loads through JavaScript, Google still may not be aware of the Flash file.
• If a Flash file loads an HTML, XML, or another SWF file, Google will separately index that resource, but it will not consider it to be a part of the content within the Flash file.

So there you have it. Flash websites will no longer be lost in the depths of search results.

Small business owners approach me every day regarding their website performance. They have a website, which they feel is great, and are confused as to why the general the public aren’t swarming the site. There may be many reasons why websites doesn’t receive visitors. Small businesses can increase the amount of website traffic by avoiding these five most common website mistakes.

1. Search Engine “Unfriendly” Design

When a small business makes the decision to get a website, they must be aware of the different ways a website can be designed. There are web designs that are search engine friendly and a whole lot that are “unfriendly” to search engines. Flash websites may be pretty, but they have a very tough time getting indexed by search engines. Websites designed using Frames may be inexpensive, but your site will virtually be invisible.

2. No Website Plan

Every website must have a plan and goals. The largest mistake small businesses can make with their website is not defining their website goals. Ask yourself “what do we want the visitor to do when they land on our site?” If you’re not sure, then your website goals are not clear. Clear goals help convert visitors into customers.

3. Lack of Calls to Action

There is nothing worse than landing on a webpage and having to search for the information that you’re looking for. By placing clear calls to action on your website, your visitors will be more likely to make an action instead of hitting the back button.

4. Poorly Written Copy

Small business website owners typically work within a tight budget when launching their website. Hence, they tend to write the website copy themselves. If you do write your own website copy, make sure you have other business professionals proof your website before it goes live. Grammatical errors or typos will cause the website visitor to immediately leave your website.

5. Ignoring Search Engine Optimization

Websites do not attract visitors by themselves. Your website needs to be positioned high on search engines in order to reach your target visitor. Search engine optimization is the process of improving a website’s online visibility by researching keywords your target visitor uses to search, implementing these keywords in specific areas of the content and code, and building links to the website. This process takes time and energy. When in doubt, it’s best to consult with an SEO professional.

Websites, like cars, need periodic maintenance. Maybe not after every 100,000 miles (or visitors), but definitely regular updates are required. Like your car, when cared for properly, your website will run smoothly and without a glitch. If neglected, the repairs needed may cost far more than it’s worth.

Unlike cars, there is no handbook to refer to that tells us what to do when. The type of maintenance needed and the time frame it should be completed within is all up to us. However, there are certain things to look for (and maintenance to perform) on your website to keep search engines indexing your site and to keep the “search engine” light from coming on.

How to tell if your site’s “search engine” light is on?

• Your Site Has Not Been Updated Since It Was Created
• Your Site Does Not Have a Search Engine Friendly Design
• The site is not easily navigated
• New Products/Services Are Not on the Website
• No Keyphrases in the Title & Description Tags
• Missing Keyword Phrases in Body Copy
• Lack of Calls to Action on the Website
• Website is not ranking on search engines
• Lack of Website traffic

How to turn the “search engine” light off.

• Redesign your website for visitors

o If your site has not been updated since it was created, the easiest way to solve this problem is to redesign the website. Yes, redesigns are time consuming and costly, however, with Web 2.0 technologies in place, you may not have any other choice.

• Add regular content to the website

o Whether you have new products or services or not, regular content additions are needed on your website to keep search engines coming back. Adding new pages with quality content or revising current pages are an easy fix. Also consider adding an FAQ section, press releases or news items, a blog, podcasts, .pdf files.

• Conduct keyword research and add relevant keyphrases to the Title and Description tag on each page. Also be sure that your body copy includes keyphrases as well.

• Add “Calls to Action” on your website

o First you must determine what you want visitors to do on your site, and then make it easy for them to do so. Whether you want your visitors to download a newsletter, fill out a form, buy a product, or contact the sales department – each call to action should be easy to find and prominent within the site design.

Still not sure if your website’s “search engine light” is on? Contact CreativeMind Search Marketing for a FREE website evaluation.