Tracking social media success has been an elusive path. There are tools out there that you can pay hundreds of dollars for, but they often require a steep learning curve as well as a monthly financial commitment.

You can actually track social media results using free analysis tools. The key is to know what to look for and how to bring it all together so it can help you make social media decisions.

Salesforce has compiled the Social Media Analytics: The Small Business Guide to Metrics & Tools. They gathered some of the best experts in the industry and asked them how to monitor social media success. Their answers are simple and straightforward. They tell you:

Why measure website traffic alone is not enough.

How to determine engagement of your connections.

How to gauge social media success in major networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read the guide on the Salesforce website and gain some great tools for keeping your social media on track!

No one is happy when the day begins with a customer calling to say they get an error message when visiting your website.  A visitor may see a message indicating that the website is not found, the domain is available for purchase, a database cannot be accessed or that the website is offline. Here are the most common reasons websites don’t display and how to avoid it.

• The hosting or domain fees have not been paid
  If you catch either of these issues quickly, you may be able to remedy them by simply paying the bill.  Many web hosts and domain registrars set you account to renew automatically.  If that is the case, your credit card information may not up to date.
• The host server is down
  The easy solution is to contact your hosting company or by checking with your IT group for internally hosted sites.  A professionally hosted site should have redundant servers and be able to get your site live quickly.  If you continue to experience downtime and if the downtime is over an hour, look for another hosting solution.  Sometimes shared hosting environment are prone to downtime so consider upgrading your hosting plan to a VPS or dedicated account.  Sometimes a new hosting company is appropriate.  Look at our hosting recommendations  if you need to consider that option.

• Your visitor is inside a restricted network
  It is not unusual for visitors who are inside a firewall to loose access to your site because the security settings or workstation settings have changes.  Sometimes public wifi networks have similar issues.  So ask your visitor if that may be the case.I attempted to access the internet in talking to a potential client from their office and could not access many public websites because of this.  (Needless to say, I didn’t gain that client.  It is hard to tell a client that their IT is poorly configured.)

• Something in the basic website code failed
  This may be because of an incorrect edit to these files.  Occasionally files become corrupted because of many unknown reasons.  These reasons include corruption on the host servers and read/write errors from accessing files.  These types of issues are unpredictable.  If your host does not provide a good backup, plan look for another host.  Regardless of your host, you should have a backup process that stores backups apart from the host server.  Akeeba provides a good backup option within Joomla.  Check with your developer to see what options are available for your site.
• Someone “hacked” or maliciously interrupted your website
  Just as viruses can find their way onto your local computer, websites can be compromised too.  Public and internally websites should be protected in a variety of ways.  If you have a Joomla site, check our recommendation.  Many of the principles also apply to websites overall.

How you recover from a hack or virus depends in part on your host’s security measures.  Some hosts quarantine websites they detect as compromised.  Your first steps are to check the date of your locally stored backup and then seek assistance if you are unsure what to do.

If you don’t sleep late from over-consumption of turkey, you have to check out these incredible Black Friday deals on website hosting! These companies have gone all-out to make you their next new client. So log onto your computer and steal yourself some great deals!

FatCow Holiday Hosting Special!

• Begins: after Thanksgiving
  
• Ends: 11/27/11
  
• Deals: The promotion is for 65% OFF their Basic Hosting plan. No promo code required.

FatCow is 100% wind generated electricity, so a 100% green choice for hosting! They are considered one of the best hosting options for Joomla. Sign up for FatCow hosting >

Hostgator Black Friday 2011 Deals!

• Begins: 12 am CST on Friday, November 25, 2011
• Ends: 11:59 pm CST on Friday, November, 2011
• Deal: 50% off EVERYTHING the entire day!

This includes ALL accounts. You could get hosting for $.99 per month! We’re very happy with Hostgator for our Joomla accounts, and we’re certain you will be too! Buy hosting with Hostgator >

Interactive Online Black Friday Special!

• Begins: 11/25/11
  
• Ends: 11/27/10
  
• Deals: The promotion is for 1 year of hosting for $9.95 on our Shared Hosting Service.

If you’re wondering which host to choose for Joomla, read our blog post What is the Best Hosting for Joomla to make your choice.

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States. The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday is often an indicator of how the Christmas shopping season will fare. Retailers often offer deep discounts to entice shoppers into their stores.

Joomla developers are jumping on the bandwagon and offering some amazing deals on Joomla Extensions, Templates and Hosting.

Visit the Joomla 2011 Black Friday Deals page for a list of all the deals! They include specials from:

• iPage
• RSJoomla
• JoomlaShack
• Joomla-Monster
• Template Plaza
• TechJoomla
• CorePHP
• DTH Development
• Joomplace

A QR code is a specialized type of bar code that allows you to encode information that can be read by a mobile device. The QR stands for “quick response” because they allow the end user to quickly capture information you want to share. Much like a product bar code, the QR code is unique and the pattern is created depending upon the information it contains.

To read the QR code you need to download a QR code reader to your smart phone or other mobile device. To read the code you simply activate your QR code app, and point it as the QR code square. Your device will read the code and transmit the information it contains.

What can a QR code used for?

Any information that can be typed out can be shared in a QR code. This could include:

• URL to a specific web page. Particularly useful if the URL is complex, such as a YouTube video.
• Your contact information on your business card.
• Link to auto-follow you on Twitter or other social network.
• Link to auto-like your Facebook fan page.
• Link to auto-like your business on Google Places.

Where can QR codes be published?

This is what makes the codes so unique. Anywhere you display information you can put a QR code. This can include:

• Billboards – yes, these big billboards can contain giant QR codes that mobile users can point and capture.
• Print advertising or brochures – a great way to bring somebody to a specific page on the web. A great way for entrepreneurs to ensure their contact information is easily uploaded into a person’s phone book.
• Send Out Cards – these unique greeting cards allow you to put in QR codes. So send a personalized note and so much more by embedding information into the QR code. Ideal for realtors who want the recipient to visit the online tour of a house for sale.
• Websites – users can hold their mobile device up to the computer monitor and read the device here. This is particularly helpful if they need to download information since it can insert the information directly into their mobile device.
• T-shirts – a unique way to share your information and create an unusual design for a custom t-shirt.

Social media marketing has become so common place that “social media coordinator” is the newest title on the job market. Businesses today who are not using social media are seen as behind the times. At Landau Design we frequently get asked, “So how do I start using social media to grow my business?”

Here are 4 simple steps you can follow to get yourself on the social media bandwagon.

1) Commit to a schedule

Like any change in business, the first step is figure out how much time you are willing to commit to make it happen. Social media can be a huge time drain, which is why most companies avoid it. But it doesn’t have to be. Be honest about how much time you have to invest, and base your social media plan on the resources you have available. Even 20 minutes a week is better than nothing.

If you really believe you have no time, read Finding Time to Engage in Social Media to discover some untapped time slots.

2) Define your goals

Why are you engaging in social media? Some common goals are:

• You just want to see what everybody is talking about.
• It is part of your SEO strategy.
• You want to generate new business leads.
• You are trying to create more buzz around your company.
• You want to learn more about how your competitors use social media.

Before you can determine what outlets are best for your company, you first have to decide what you want in return for your participation. The following articles may assist you in determining your social media objectives:

• Are People Really Using Social Media?
• Why Do Corporations Want their Executives to Use Social Media?

3) Choose your outlets

Choosing your social media outlets can be a tricky business. You want to consider the time you have and your objectives. You should not just do what others are doing because it’s “in”. For example, many people jump on the Twitter bandwagon, but it is time consuming to develop a quality Twitter following. Would your time better be spent on a blog, which really demonstrates your knowledge?

You might want to take a social media class or hire a social media coach in order to help narrow down your choices. The following articles might help you choose the right outlets for you:

• Study: Inc 500 CEOs Aggressively Use Social Media for Business
• 10 LinkedIN Tips to Grow Your Business
• Should You Use Twitter to Promote Your Business?
• 32 Ways to Use Facebook for Business
• Should Your Small Business Have a Blog?

4) Follow through on your commitment

Just like any other marketing plan, if you don’t follow through, you won’t get results. Implement your social media plan for at least 3 months, and then gauge if it is right for you. It takes some time to see results, but if you put in the time, you will definitely see them.

Landau Design teaches social media classes to help you establish your online presence. Let Landau Design review your social media strategy to help come up with the optimum approach to grow your business.

I’ve lost count of how many Landau Design customers have asked me this question in the past month. Facebook has done a fabulous job of confusing everybody, and nobody has a clear idea of the distinction between the parts of Facebook. I will attempt to explain the differences.

There are 4 ways to create a Facebook presence:

• Personal Account
• Business Account
• Fan Page
• Group

In a nutshell, Facebook Personal accounts are for individuals, while Business Accounts, Fan Pages and Groups are for businesses  or interest groups.

Facebook Personal Account

• Personal Profile: When you create a Facebook personal account, this is your individual account. You put your photo, your life history, all the things that are about you. It is against the Facebook terms of service to create a personal account with a business name. If you have done this, change the name on your account to a name. If they catch you with a business name instead of a personal name, they will shut the account down.
• Friend Requests: With a Facebook Account, you can connect to people by becoming friends. They send a friend request, you accept, or vice versa.
• Privacy Settings: With a Facebook account you can set privacy settings so only your friends on Facebook can see your information. You can also set it so some or all of your information is seen by non-friends. It’s your choice. The one thing that you cannot set to private is your profile photo. Also, the fact that you have a Facebook account will be available to anybody who searches for you.
• Newsfeed: Your newsfeed page shows posts from everybody that you are friends with as well as pages you have liked. It will also show posts from groups if you have it set to show. By default groups do not show up on your newsfeed. Your newsfeed or ordered with newest posts first.
• Wall: Your all shows all the posts you have made, whether as a status update, on a page or some other person’s wall. It will show posts to groups if the group is public. If the group is private, no mention of your posts show up on your wall.
• Admins: There are no admins on your personal Facebook account. Somebody else has to have your login to edit your account.
• Customization: While you can put up photos or videos, you cannot add functionality to your personal account.

Facebook Business Account

You can actually create a Facebook account for a business. But the Facebook terms of service are clear: “A business account is meant for a company that is not a sole-proprietorship OR a sole-proprietorship whose owner does NOT want to use Facebook to interact with friends.  If you set-up a business account you will not be allowed to set-up a personal account.”

So if you set up a Business Account, you may be prevented from ever having a personal account. The business account offers similar features to a Personal account. If you are sole proprietorship, or small company, for greatest flexibility it is best to set up a personal account, then use Fan pages or Groups to promote your business. If you are a corporation, then creating a business account for your company makes sense.

Facebook Fan Page

These are the pages people create to establish a Facebook presence for people, businesses, products, etc.

• Attached to a Facebook Account: You must already have a Facebook account in order to create a fan page. That means every fan page is attached to a specific person’s personal or business Facebook account. This is non-transferable, so if you own a company, be sure your fan page is attached to a Facebook account that is the President or other employee who isn’t likely to leave the company. One Facebook account can create multiple fan pages.
• Fans, not friends: When people click the “like” button on your page, they become a Fan of your page. They are not your friend (no offense!). Once they like your page, posts you make will show up on their newsfeed. Although they can choose to hide your posts on their newsfeed (you have no control over that).
• Privacy Settings: Unlike an account, you do not have options to show portions of your information. You either make the entire page private (admin only) or entire page public. The default is public.
• Newsfeed: The newsfeed shows the most recent posts that have been made on your page. If nothing has been posted recently, this page may be blank. The order of items on the newsfeed are those that have had the most activity, which usually means not chronological order.
• Wall: The wall shows the history of all activity on your page. It’s similar to a wall on a Facebook account.
• Admins: Unlike an account, a Facebook Fan Page can have administrators who are different than the person who created the account. In this way you can allow employees of your company to manage the page, but they will not own the page itself.
• Customization: One of the best features of a Facebook page is the ability to customize it with various tabs. Once you have 25 or more people like your page, you can also create a personal Facebook URL. For example, the Landau Design Facebook URL is http://www.facebook.com/LandauDesign.

Facebook Groups

• Attached to a Facebook account: All groups are created by somebody that has an account on Facebook. One difference from a fan page though is ownership of a group can be transferred to another person’s account.
• Members, not fans: Similar to friend requests, individuals who come upon your group can submit member requests which you can choose to grant or ignore. Group members can also send out group invitations to people they know.
• Privacy Settings: Groups can be open (anybody can join in), closed (only members can join in) or private (nobody can see anything until they are a member).
• Newsfeed or Wall: Groups only have one place that posts show up. They do not have a distinction between a newsfeed or wall, it’s one and the same. Posts are organized by those that have the most comments, instead of chronologically.
• Admins: You can have multiple admins for groups.
• Customization: There is no ability to add features to a group, but groups come with features that fan pages do not have. They have group chat as well as a group email where you can send an email to all members of the group using one email address. Groups also provide the opportunity to share documents within a group.

For a complete list of the differences between these items, visit this note created by Facebook: Difference between, Profile, Page and Group in FaceBook

Looking for help with your Facebook page? Let Landau Design review your Facebook page to show you how to make it work to grow your business.

Web content writing is set apart from all other writing genres by the influence of search engines. If you’ve been at this Internet marketing game for more than a day or so, you’re probably already familiar with search engine optimization (SEO) and why it’s important–but just in case here’s a quick SEO review.

SEO writing is all about the keywords

Whenever you are writing for SEO you need to make keyword research a priority. In order to attract readers you have to know what words they are using when searching for the information you provide.

One of the best tools for conducting keyword research is Google AdWords Keyword Tool. You can use this free tool to generate a list of keywords and keyphrases based on Google’s vast accumulation of search data.

Knowing which keywords to choose

With over a 130 million sites on the web, webmasters, like you, suffer intense competition for desirable keywords. To have a chance at ranking on the first page of search results you have to choose your keywords carefully.

Fortunately, Google’s Keyword Tool provides a gauge of how competitive each keyword is. Use this insight to find keywords that have high search volumes paired with low competition ratings. Generally, the more specific the keyword (so-called “long-tail” keywords) the less competitive it is (e.g. “freelance copywriter in Knoxville, Tennessee” compared to “copywriter”).

Using keywords in SEO writing

When writing web content remember you are ultimately writing for human beings. Yes, search engines need keywords to determine what your content is about, but humans need clarity and smooth reading. For this reason you’ll want to include keywords in your writing only as often as they make sense–and no more.

To keep things natural-sounding limit yourself to three keywords or fewer per item of content (webpage, blog post, article, etc). Strategically place these keywords in your headline, subheadings, and sprinkled throughout your text (I cannot over-stress this point: only use SEO keywords where they make sense and flow nicely with surrounding text).

Also, search engines can identify multiple forms of the same word so try varying your verbiage. For example, one might use “how to write for SEO” and “SEO writing” in an article about writing for SEO.

Finally, when appropriate, highlight your SEO keywords in bold. This will draw both readers’ and search engines’ attention and can emphasize important points.

The secret sauce of writing for SEO

On a final note, SEO writing on its own will not get your website ranked by the search engines. For that you need to attract the attention of other websites.

Search engines treat hyperlinks between websites like votes. The more links (or votes) you have, the higher you are likely to rank. Therefore, my number one SEO writing tip (the secret sauce, so to speak) is this: create link-worthy content. Make your content something people care about, can relate to, are interested in, and will share with others.

If you still don’t feel comfortable writing SEO content consider hiring a professional SEO copywriter. I would be happy to offer you a free content evaluation and consultation. You can contact me via www.thewebsitewordsmith.com.

Guest author Alexa Steele is The Website Wordsmith. She focuses on producing high quality web writing that informs and persuades.

Many people wait patiently for their website to get indexed, and sometimes this can take up to 2 months. You can make this happen faster by actually asking them to crawl your site. You do this by submitting your URL to the major search engines.

Here are direct links to the submission pages for the biggest search engines:

• Add your site to Google
• Add your site to Yahoo
• Add your site to Bing

Is once enough?

Every time you make some major changes to your site, it doesn’t hurt to resubmit the URL to the search engines. This may encourage them to crawl your site more often. And of course the more they index your content, the better it is for your SEO.

At Landau Design we can show you how to get indexed more by search engines. Let Landau Design review your SEO status and develop a plan for increasing your ranking.

At Landau Design we work with small business website clients who often do not have budgets for outside SEO teams. We knew they could do SEO on their own if only they had a road map. So we created a series of classes to them them Do-it-Yourself SEO.

SEO does not have to be hard or complex!
There are many aspects to SEO, but if you approach it methodically, adding steps as you go along, you can create a very success SEO effort that will bring results – more traffic to your website!

What we teach in Do-it-Yourself SEO:
Our SEO classes are comprised of two 5-week classes – Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 is not a prerequisite for Part 2, but obviously the more you learn the better.

Do-it-Yourself SEO Part 1:

• Why You Need an SEO Internet Strategy
• Keywords and How to Use Them
• Optimizing Your Website for SEO
• Get Fast SEO Results!
• Using Social Media for SEO Points

Do-it-Yourself SEO Part 2:

• Local Search for Optimum Results
• Blog Writing for SEO Points
• How Your Competitors Can Help Your SEO
• Why you need Google Analytics to help your SEO strategy
• Aggregate Information Sites Can Enhance Your Web Presence & SEO

Register today for Do-it-Yourself SEO. The cost is $239 for Part 1 OR Part 2. Save 25% when you register for both classes at the same time! The classes are held via GoToMeeting, so you do not have to travel anywhere. You can tune in from the comfort of your office!