Archive for April, 2008
Want to Move from HTML To WordPress?
Many website owners are seeing the long term advantages of working with a database driven website. Being able to edit your site from any computer with an internet connection is attractive. Being able to post content and photos from a smart phone is also pretty darn cool.
If you have built your existing site in HTML you are probably considering making a move to a full WordPress site (or some other database driven script) but feel intimidated by the process.
This is the perfect opportunity to outsource and Freshnets is both experienced and available to take on your project.
We’ll take a look at your existing site and chat with you about your desires for a new layout and site structure. Once we have a clear view of your wishes we’ll make a bid on the project. Smaller sites (as far as number of existing web pages) start at $250, larger sites start at around $500.
Our goal at Freshnets is always to put as much power into the hands of the website owner as possible so we will take the time to explain everything we’ve done to organize and optimize your site.
You can have us do as little or as much as you wish as far as moving your content into the new site and setting up web redirects. We are currently billing this sort of ancillary time at $15 an hour. You may prefer to outsource this work to a Virtual Assistant or tackle it yourself.
If you’re interested in learning more, contact us for a free 20 minutes consult. (designer@freshnets.com)
What Can Your Small Business Blog About?
Having a static website is tantamount to posting a brochure on the web for people to read. It’s better than nothing but it falls far short of utilizing the internet to it’s full potential.
A good business website will be fresh, not stagnate. It will offer up the basic information that potential customers need which may not change all that often, but it will also offer up content that says ‘This website was not built and left to gather dust in 2002.’
How can a small business keep it’s website fresh by blogging?
Here are just a few quick ideas:
- Post seasonal tips that relate to your products or services.
- Post consumer news that relates to what you have to offer.
- Post advance notice about sales and new products.
- Post announcements about new staff members, promotions, awards and special recognition, etc. (This will be appreciated by staff members as it sends a message about their value to the business and it will draw local traffic as they share the post with friends and family.)
Do you worry about having time to post to a company blog? Any staff member with personable writing skills can serve as a company blogger within a minimal weekly time investment.
Want to start or refresh a small business website with a blog? Contact Freshnets (designer@freshnets.com) for a free 20 minute consultation.
Lets Take Business Blogs Local
Most business bloggers I know are blogging for a national or international audience, or at least they’re aiming in that direction. A blog gives you a voice that can reach the world, so why not write for the world, right?
On a local level, you see few blogs with the exception of a those offered by local television, radio and print media and I for one think this needs to change. The sooner the better!
Local businesses crave their piece of the world wide web but small businesses struggle to compete for search traffic, even when using geographically controlled pay per click advertising they have to bid against big search marketing companies working for national brands.
Blogs can provide local business owners with a web presence that gets ‘found’ by local users – if you approach it with local search in mind.
As a local business owners you can post to a blog on a regular basis about:
- Local business issues
- Local community concerns that relate to my business
- Local services I offer
- Local products I sell
- Local specials I run
- Local events I am involved in
Remember to include appropriate location terms within blog posts, such as the name of your town, county and state.
If you live in a large city, mention your street or neighborhood too.
Think about other regional references that local searchers might use, such as ‘mid-Michigan’ or ‘central New York’ and pepper these terms in as well.
As you blog you are adding content to your website, giving search engines more to add to their index and increasing your chance of having your site show up for a result when someone searches for your products or services, especially on a local level.
To learn more about setting up and promoting a blog, contact FreshNets for a free consultation.