InSites // Dream Seed Multimedia, Lancaster, PA

InSites: July 2010

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Choosing the right web host. Save 15% on a new web design package!

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
July 2010

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

We spend a lot of time talking about how to make the best websites for our small businesses and nonprofits, but we don’t often address one important issue: web hosting. Hosts come with all sorts of options, services, and prices. If you know what you’re looking for and what questions to ask, you can find the best one to suit your needs.

If you’re in the Lancaster, PA, area, I’ll be presenting the SCORE workshop on search engine optimization and improving a website’s effectiveness again on June 23. It’s not too late to register!

Remember, if you like this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to someone who could use it. You can also follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Website Hosting How to choose the right web host

Whether you already have a website or are just getting started, you want to make sure that you have the best possible web host for your needs. After all, your host is where your website will live, so do some comparative shopping since not all hosts are created equal…

Learn how to find the perfect web host…

July special: 15% off new web design package

If you’re thinking about a new website, sign up with Dream Seed, and save 15% off the base price of a full web design package! This offer expires July 31, 2010, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer or applied to existing contracts.

Insightful Tip How to change web hosts

Above, we took a look at some important consideration in choosing a web host. It’s easy to take this advice when you’re building a new website. But what happens when you already have a website with a web host? Is it possible to move? Absolutely!

Moving an existing website does require some planning, but it’s something that’s done every day. If you’re considering making a move, check out my article, “Changing Web Hosts in Five Steps,” written for an earlier newsletter. It will guide you in making all the right decisions. Good luck!

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July special: 15% off new web design package
Choosing a web host
Moving web hosts

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InSites is published by Dream Seed Multimedia. Each month, we’ll bring you some useful information on getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to your website, all geared toward the empowerment of your small business or nonprofit!

InSites: June 2010

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
What’s better for your SEO: Do it yourself, or hire an expert?

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
June 2010

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

Search engine optimization is an overwhelming, complex, and sometimes even frustrating activity. However, you can also reap some wonderful rewards as well! SEO can be quite time consuming, so do you do it yourself or hire an expert to help? We’ll explore your options so that you can make an informed decision.

If you like this newsletter, please forward it on to a friend. You can also follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Website MarketingSearch engine optimization: Do it yourself, or hire an expert?

Getting to the top of search engine results seems to be something most every website owner wants. However, doing so is a difficult challenge that rarely happens overnight. There are many factors to consider, and search engine algorithms (the top-secret formulas that determine how to rank websites in a search results page) are changing all the time. And a few missteps can penalize or drop your website altogether.

So what does a website owner do?…

Find out how to plan your SEO strategy……

June special: Free titles and headings

If your website needs better titles and headings to emphasize your keywords and phrases, let Dream Seed update up to five page titles and fifteen headings for free! This special expires June 30, 2010, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Insightful TipWhere can you find reliable SEO advice?

In my article above, I discuss being an educated website owner so that you are aware of whether or not certain SEO strategies or services are going to help—or hurt—your website. However, you may be asking yourself, “How will I know what’s reliable and what’s not?

Here are some reliable websites to check out, and all offer some sort of free advice, resources, or articles:

You also should check out one of the best books on the subject (mentioned in my article above), Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day, 2nd ed. by Jennifer Grappone and Gradiva Couzin. It’s well worth the investment.

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June special: Free titles and headings
Hiring SEO services
Reliable SEO sources

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InSites: May 2010

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Does your marketing turn your prospects off?

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
May 2010

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

Frequent readers of this newsletter will know that I usually include tips and advice for making the most of your website, particularly on how to attract new business. If you’re interested in a great program that will walk you through the major steps needed to make your website work hard for you—on your own time AND for free—pay attention to future issues of the newsletter. You’ll have a chance sometime this summer to win a valuable giveaway. Stay tuned…

It’s been a few months since I featured a guest writer in my newsletter, and it’s also been a little while since I brought you a general marketing topic as well, so this month’s issue does both. The guest article tackles a problem that’s all too common in small business marketing: not directly addressing a customer’s needs. I see it often in websites as well.

If you like this newsletter, please forward it on to a friend. You can also follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

MarketingIs your marketing tool narcissistic?

You know this type: completely self-absorbed, and talks only about himself that every topic of conversation leads back to him. A narcissist.

Guess what? The same characteristics can be found in many marketing tools whether it’s door hangers or print flyers and brochures. These tools are egocentric and are only interested in talking about their business and the products and services they offer.…

How can you assess your website visitors’ experience?…

May special: Free proofreading

Communicate a strong message with a great web page. Dream Seed will proofread one web page on your site for grammar and spelling errors at no cost. This special expires May 31, 2010, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Insightful TipDoes your website meet visitors’ needs?

Even though the article above discusses offline, or print, marketing materials, the same advice definitely applies to your website. Just as too many brochures are all about the company or its services, websites suffer from narcissism as well.

If someone hits the internet to try to find a solution to a problem, a meaningful gift, or a way to make a life improvement, that’s exactly what they’re seeking. Your website needs to showcase just how you have the perfect solution, the perfect gift, or the perfect improvement. That message can get hidden behind stories of your business’s history or explanations of your different services. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not that these have no place on your website, but first and foremost, your website needs to show how your goods or services will meet a need or satisfy a desire. When potential customers know how your product or service meets their needs, potential customers become paying customers.

Take some time to review your website through the eyes of a potential customer. How well does it perform?

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May special: Free web page proofreading
Marketing narcissism
Website visitor needs

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InSites: April 2010

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Learn how easy (or difficult) your website is to use.

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
April 2010

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

When we think about our websites, we often think in terms of how many sales we make from it, if it’s updated with the latest content, and how it’s performing in the search engines. These are all important to consider, but sometimes we forget to look at our websites through our visitors’ eyes. That’s why you’ll see advice below on how you can assess the user experience on your website.

Don’t forget: I’ll be presenting the SCORE workshop on search engine optimization and improving a website’s effectiveness April 1. If you’re in the Lancaster, PA, area, it’s not too late to register!

If you like this newsletter, please forward it on to a friend. You can also follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Website DesignHow usability tests improve your website

One often overlooked part of the web design process isn’t technological at all. It doesn’t involve fancy coding or difficult concepts. It involves the most important part of your business or organization: people!…

How can you assess your website visitors’ experience?…

April special: Free Google Analytics set up

Newsletter subscribers can get Google Analytics set up for FREE on their websites! If you host and/or maintain your website with Dream Seed, contact us today to get Google Analytics set up with you at no cost. This special expires April 30, 2010, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Insightful TipWhat do your errors say about you?

While we’re discussing the user experience on a website, we must not forget about error pages and messages. Do people repeatedly try to go to the same page on your website, only to be greeted by a “Page Not Found” error message? You should monitor your error logs to see if these error messages are one-time occurrences (probably user error) or if there are patterns (a page was moved, or an incorrect link is somewhere).

If you notice patterns in your error logs, then it’s time to call your web designer and ask for something called “URL redirection” or “301 redirection” on those bad web addresses. This will allow someone to be taken to the right page (if they use a bad address that was redirected), rather than see the error and be frustrated.

If you don’t know how to check your error logs, talk to your web designer or web host. You can also set up something to check error pages in your Google Analytics account. Checking your errors is one more way to improve the user experience.

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April special: Free Google Analytics set up
Website user experience
Tracking error pages

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InSites: March 2010

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Call your website visitors to action!

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
March 2010

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

In case you missed it last year, I’ll be presenting the SCORE workshop on search engine optimization and improving a website’s effectiveness three more times in 2010. The first opportunity is April 1. If you’re in the Lancaster, PA, area and are interested in attending the workshop, you can see the details and sign up here.

SCORE is a terrific organization that offers great advice and support for small businesses; in fact, they really helped me get started. Visit SCORE’s website for more information about what they offer and to find a chapter near you. For local Lancaster folks, you can also visit the SCORE Lancaster website as well for their other offerings.

If you find this newsletter useful, please forward it on to a friend. You can also follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Website MarketingDoes your website “call to action”?

Your website has (or should have) one or more goals to convert your website visitors into leads or paying customers. All your visitors need to do is take a specific action. But can your visitors easily figure out how they can take action? Let’s take a look at how to strengthen these “calls to action” so that you will turn more potential customers into paying customers…

Learn what makes a good call to action…

March special: Call to action credit

Add or improve the call to action elements on your website. Dream Seed is offering a $20 credit for call to action additions or revisions to your website. This special expires March 31, 2010, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Insightful TipLearn by example

A picture is worth a thousand words. In the article above, you’ve read about the importance of having a call to action and how to make it strong and compelling. So now, how about some examples? See how white space, size, and color really help a call to action button “pop.”

Here are two sources of excellent examples to get your creative juices flowing. Design Shack features some real-world examples of terrific call-to-action buttons for your consideration. Also, Smashing Magazine includes a gallery of fine call to action examples, along with some discussion of what makes them so good.

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March special: Call to action credit
Calls to action
Button examples

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InSites: February 2010

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Make your website more enticing, and welcome more visitors!

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
February 2010

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

I hope that the first part of your 2010 has been off to a successful start! I know that I’ve found myself busier than usual, all with good stuff, so I wish the same for you.

I thought I’d talk about more ways to make sure your website is as enticing and captivating as possible, so I have an article on good and bad advice about “the fold” as well as a reminder about ensuring that your web images are accessible.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to a friend if you’d like to share what you’ve read. Also, follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Website MarketingWhere does your website fold?

First impressions are key to any relationship. They are perhaps even more crucial in cyberspace than they are in real life. Think about how many times you’ve gone to a website, only to click on to the next one in a mere few seconds. The harsh truth is that people are doing that to your website if they feel that it doesn’t offer what they need. So how does your website stack up?

February special: Accessible images check

If you need help making sure that your website images are accessible, let Dream Seed help. We’ll make up to seven images on your site accessible…free! This special expires February 28, 2010, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Insightful TipAccessible images are essential

In the article above, I made a brief reference to using accessible images. If you use images on your website (and who doesn’t?), make sure that they are accessible. But what is an accessible image?

Responsible website owners, designers, and developers realize that not everyone who visits their websites has updated technology, perfect vision, perfect hearing, or perfect motor skills. Simply put, how your website works for you is not how it will work for everyone else…period. When we talk about images, realize that not all of your website visitors will be able to see them, whether because of vision challenges or older technology. So without the images on your website, does it still make sense?

Two simple things you can do for your images are to optimize them for faster download (to assist users with older internet connections) and to use what’s called “alt text” for images. This is text that shows up in place of images if the images don’t appear. It’s also read aloud to users with screen reader technology, usually those with vision challenges. So take a few extra steps to ensure that your website welcomes as many people as possible.

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February special: Free image accessibility
The website “fold”
Accessible images

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InSites: January 2010

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Make new year’s marketing resolutions, and save money updating your website!

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
January 2010

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

Happy 2010! I hope that you found your holiday season to be peaceful, relaxing, and filled with joy.

I’ve focused this first newsletter in the new year on getting started on the right foot. Included is a guest article on setting marketing resolutions for your business or organization, something we could probably all use! There’s also a tip on keeping your website current in the new year.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to a friend if you’d like to share what you’ve read. Also, follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best in 2010,

Adam J. Barkafski

Insightful TipSimple website changes for the new year

Now that 2010 is officially here, it’s a good time to make the changes and updates to your website that so many people often forget. Make sure that your website is still fresh and current so that your potential customers see that you care.

If your site uses a copyright date, make sure that you update it to 2010. Visitors will see that your website is current. Also, if you use time references in your text, such as “three years ago” or “last year,” you’ll need to update those, too. And here’s a hint: Why not change that language to include the specific year or to say “more than twenty years” so that you don’t have to worry about hunting for and changing them every year.

Simple changes such as these can keep your website fresh and up-to-date. Potential customers will notice it too!

January special: Update for 2010

Let Dream Seed help you make those website changes for 2010. We’re offering free text updates for time references in websites up to 30 minutes. This special expires January 31, 2010, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

General MarketingMarketing resolutions for the new year

Everyone knows that with the New Year comes the big New Year’s resolutions. Many of us make personal goals, such as losing weight, being nice to our mother-in-law, not eating out so much, etc., etc. Oddly enough, many of us do not set New Year’s resolutions for our business. This is very important to do. The beginning of the year is a great time to look over the past year and look at our successes, and yes, our failures. What went well last year? What needs changed from last year? This information will help us set our resolutions. On top of this, we need to look at how to help our business grow…

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January special: Free 2010 update
Update your website for 2010
Marketing resolutions

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InSites: December 2009

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Keep your website healthy with a checkup, and save more money!

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
December 2009

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

As usual at this time of year, I can’t believe it’s almost over. Where does the time go?

As we look forward to the excitement of the new year, which can mean a renewed dedication to our businesses and organizations, we must prepare for it. Below is an article about how to give your website a regular checkup to keep it in excellent shape as well as to prepare it for new changes.

I also want to take a moment to stop from the “busy-ness” that surrounds us to wish you and yours a very happy and peaceful holiday season. I’ll see you in the new year!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Website Best PracticesGive your website an annual checkup

Your website is vital to the success of your business or organization. It can mean lots of new customers…or many disappointed (and lost) prospects. Given its importance, do you give your website regular checkups to keep it in optimal health? Or do you wait for problems to develop before giving it some attention?…

Learn how you can perform a website checkup yourself…

December special: Free web page check

As you’re giving your website a checkup, have Dream Seed review web page content for spelling, grammar, and other convention errors for free. This special expires December 23, 2009, is limited to three pages (or 2400 words), is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Insightful TipKnow what’s important to you

As the holidays approach, many of us are fortunate to be given a little time to apply the brakes on our work and spend more time with people and activities we love. For me, it’s often a reminder of what my most important priorities are and a time to reflect on how I can keep them front-and-center in the new year.

There’s an excellent article that sums up the process of identifying and then making time for what’s most important to you by Sid Savara on Zen Habits. It’s certainly worth a read.

Here’s hoping that each of us finds time to spend with who and what is most important to us this holiday season…and through the new year, too!

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December special: Free web page check
Give your website a checkup
Know what’s important

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InSites: November 2009

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Get inspired about marketing this holiday season, and get free help!

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
November 2009

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

The holidays are upon us! It’s an excellent time to get creative with your marketing…to thank your loyal customers and referral network, and to gather new customers. If you want to use some special holiday activities but haven’t yet decided on a plan, I’ve included a guest article on just that topic to help get the creative juices flowing.

Don’t forget that I’ll be presenting a SCORE workshop in Lancaster this Thursday (November 5)! It’s on search engine optimization and improving a website’s effectiveness. View the details, and sign up here.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to a friend if you’d like to share what you’ve read. Also, follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Marketing IdeasFestive and effective holiday marketing ideas

In addition to being the “Season of Sweets,” the period of time between Halloween and New Year’s Day presents a wonderful opportunity for your company to thank your customers. It also is a time that you can drive new business to you. Here is a list of easy and effective marketing ideas to help you promote your business for the holidays…

Catch the marketing bug with these terrific holiday ideas…

November special: Free holiday website update

Contact Dream Seed today for 30 minutes free toward setting up one holiday marketing idea on your website! This special expires November 30, 2009, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer. Work required beyond 30 minutes shall be billed at the normal hourly rate.

Insightful TipHoliday marketing on your website

So how can you apply holiday marketing to your website? The possibilities are limitless! Here are just a few suggestions, and if you have any creative ideas, I invite you to share it with all of us!

One of the simplest things you can do to get in the holiday spirit is to dress up your website! Perhaps a few graphics of snowflakes, candy canes, or holly will do the trick. It shows that you keep your website fresh and up-to-date.

If you’re considering a holiday gift or special offer for your customers, why not have it accessible from your website? This is particularly useful if it is a report, piece of software, or any kind of coupon offer to print. By directing your customers (or anyone you give the gift to) to your website, that translates to more web traffic!

You could also encourage your current customers and referral network to help refer more customers to you by sending holiday greetings with a gift provided by you. You can have an ecard mechanism set up on your website, and when your customers send these ecard greetings to others, your special offer or discount is automatically included.

Of course, these are just the beginning of holiday website marketing suggestions. What are yours?

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November special: Free holiday website update
Holiday marketing ideas
Your holiday website

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InSites: October 2009

webspinner@dreamseedmultimedia.com (Adam Barkafski) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

In this issue:
Learn more about reading your website’s statistics, and get complimentary web coding!

Dream Seed Multimedia newsletter
October 2009

About Dream Seed:

From the Editor

I’m excited to report that I’ll be presenting a SCORE workshop in Lancaster on November 5! It’s on search engine optimization and improving a website’s effectiveness. If you’re in the Lancaster, PA, area and are interested in attending the workshop, you can see the details and sign up here.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to a friend if you’d like to share what you’ve read. Also, follow Dream Seed on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, tools, and special offers!

All the best,

Adam J. Barkafski

Do you have standards?

Of course you do. Rather, the question should be, “Does your website have standards?” Believe it or not, most websites on the web today don’t! So what is standards compliance for websites?

Standards compliance simply means that the code that makes the website work follows standard, agreed-upon rules. In web design terms, if a website isn’t standards compliant, it’s usually called “Quirks Mode.” While we admire the free spirited and the quirky, these are not necessarily good qualities for your technology!

Learn how having a standards-compliant website benefits you!

October special: Free standards-compliant coding

If your website needs a little standards-compliant love, contact Dream Seed today for free 30 minutes of standards-compliant coding! This special expires October 31, 2009, is exclusively for newsletter subscribers, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Insightful TipAnalytics: Bounce rate

Whether or not you’re using Google Analytics or another application to measure the performance of your website, you may see “bounce rate” reported. (And if you’re not using Google Analytics, why didn’t you take advantage of our free installation offer last month?)

Bounce rate simply reports the percentage of visits that only last for one page. In other words, these are the visits in which people come to your site and then “bounce” off without going to any other page on your website. This usually happens for two reasons: 1. The visitor came to your site and found exactly what she was looking for; or 2. The visitor came to your site and judged it irrelevant for his needs.

Bounce rate can tell you if your website is meeting your visitors’ needs. If you have a high bounce rate, you may want to look at your landing pages and see how you can make each one more appealing and compelling, encouraging your visitors to stay and make the conversion you wish for them to make. Tailor each landing page for a specific key phrase, and make it easy and irresistable for your visitors to take that next step (buying an item, making contact, signing up for a newsletter).