What is the proper use of grey fonts?

Designers will often use grey fonts, rather then black, as a design element on a Web page. While this can help add contrast to content and improve the look and feel, it can also make the content hard to read on the monitor or screen. This can also become more difficult for the user if the content is on a grey or off-white background.

It is best to use solid black fonts on a white background so it is easy for the user to read. The ability to read content is more important then the design elements of the content.

Good design should be appropriate for the target market and compliment the Website’s usability.

What are the objectives of Google search updates?

Google frequently adjusts their search algorithms, or the process used to index Websites and rank them in search results. Attempting to follow each of these changes and modify your Website code can be an exercise in frustration. It is better to ask the question, “what is the motivation for Google making these changes?”

There are two key reasons why Google makes these updates:

1. Display relevent search results.
2. Not display spam or irrelevant searches.

A focus on the fundamentals of Website SEO and content is best to meet Google’s needs. Put in place a plan and strategy for adding Website content on a regular basis to your site. Also, show Google you are not a spammer by setting up Google Webmaster Tools and monitoring results. Don’t try to match Google’s technology updates, rather keep in mind the reasoning behind those updates and adjust accordingly.

Glenn and Tom talk about getting inside the head of Website users to establish rules for developing and designing a Website that gets results through better usability for the target market.

How are Website design and development rules established?

• It all starts by understanding the target market.
• Get inside the head of your users and really understand them.
• Not all Web users are alike.

How are these rules made practical?

• Survey your target market and spend some time living their issues.
• Conduct user testing with the target market and compare those findings to Web stats.
• Hire team members that are part of your target market and listen to them.

What areas should rules cover?

• All areas of Web marketing should be covered in these rules.
• Content is a key area for site-wide consideration.
• Navigation and conversion points.
• Use of design and photography.
• Other areas that matter to your key demographics.

Aren’t most usability rules the same for all Websites?

• Many fundamental usability rules apply to all sites.
• All Websites should be easy to use for their specific target.
• How they Website is used is the key difference.
• These rules go further then the basics and focus on the target market.
• The rules help avoid the online brochure problem.

What are a few examples of rules for specific target markets? Consider the differences between the following market segments.

• Engineers and non-technical salespeople
• Teenagers and the elderly
• Construction workers and IT professionals
• Mobile versus office workers
• Real estate professionals versus accountants

What are the key action items for the listener?

• Conduct research and take the time to get inside the head of your Website users.
• Make a short list of universal standards for your Website.
• Distribute those standards or rules to all team members.
• Have someone make sure the rules are followed as your Website is updated.

Glenn and Tom talk about 10 things to do before large investments in social media and SEO. This podcast is a review of Web marketing fundamentals that come before social media and driving Website traffic. Many Web marketers focus too much of their attention on social media and SEO and forget the basics.

1. Develop a clear and sustainable strategy for your Website.

2. Make sure the Website has clear and measurable conversion points.

3. The Website should be very easy to use and valuable for the target market.

4. 100% of site visitors should understand what the Website is about, especially on your home page and key landing pages.

5. The Website should be designed appropriately for the target market.

6. Set-up Google Analytics, test it and set data goals.

7. Develop a strong content strategy for the Website for all products and services.

8. Write a monthly email newsletter and blog daily or weekly.

9. Establish a strategy for social media content marketing prior to launch.

10. Research comprehensive, measurable SEO and PPC programs with strong ROI prior to launch.

 Do these ten things and then you are ready to launch a comprehensive SEO and social media strategy.

What are the key action items for the listener?

• Take these ten steps and write an action plan or strategy for each one.
• A brief plan is better than no plan!
• Always remember that social media and SEO are parts of the whole and do not stand alone in Web marketing.

Google’s Analytics and “Not Provided”

Those of you that use Google Analytics regularly will recognize the growth in the phrase “not provided” when reviewing the keyword phrases used to find your Website. This is happening becuase Google is blocking the search data from users that are logged into their Google account when searching on the Google search engine. This makes sense and I can understand why Google wants to protect that information. However, what do we do with the data? The best thing to do is recognize there should be an even spread of search terms among the “not provided” queries. Your most popular terms will show consistently throughout those missing search terms.

Contact us directly if you have questions and want to learn more about why “not provided” is showing up as one of your site’s most popular search terms as seen in your Google stats.

How to Select Blog Topics

We can all agree updating your blog is very important. Every blog writer, inlcuding me, is often challenged with finding ideas and creating topics to blog about. Here are three guidelines to help you develop blog postings and get creative with relevant topics that are important to your Website visitors.

1. Content Must be Relevant to the Target Market

Blog content must be about what is happing in very specifc market niches. Users want to read content that is clrearly relvent to them and appropriate to your Website. That is why people visit your site to begin with! Do not write about current events, news or personal interest stories, unless they have a direct connection to your business and the marketplace to which you are marketing. Don’t force content to fit, it must be a natural connection.

2. Blog About Your Market Segment and Business

Every day things happen in your company that are of interest to a wider market group. Those are the best things to blog about. A new process or product, success stories, insights from mistakes, brainstorming, a great idea from a team member, etc… The best place to look for blog postings will come out of the conversions and things done on a daily basis at work.

3. Understand Blog Expectations

Hopefully, you can develop enough new topics to blog about. We recommend that you post content to social media once a week and blog several times a week. Keep the postings brief and set-up a feed so subscribers can get your content. Talk to your target market and ask them what they would like to know more about. If you still get stuck, contact us for a free consultation and we’ll help you brainstorm blog postings for your industry and Website.

The Internet Makes Competition Invisible and Hard To Track

Before Internet marketing, competition was easy to monitor because you could see the competition’s ads in print, actually visit their office or store, look in the yellow pages and most business conversions happend in-person, or on the telephone, making competition much more transparent. In today’s world of Web-based marketing that is not so easy. It’s hard to know the people behind the Website. Are they a mom and pop company or do they have 50 employees?

Also, Website users are now in the driver’s seat browsing the Web to find their products and services and only reaching out if they see value.

These changes have made Website marketing a company’s most important brand statements. Make sure you don’t let invisible competitor, or customer, result in a lack of Web marketing efforts. The exact opposite is true, as Web marketing becomes more important every day. Even if you can’t see or don’t hear from your competitors and potential customers.

Two subtle Web stats that are often missed.

Most Web marketers focus on the major Web stats such as total visits, conversions, bounce rate, page views and search engine data. However, there are two less talked about Web stats that are critical to a Website’s success, page load time and average time on page. Make sure you include them in a review of your Website stats because poor performance in these areas can hurt overall performance in ways not visible in most key metrics.

Set Web Usability Rules that Match Target Market Needs

A fundamental of good marketing is getting inside the head of your target market and understanding their needs. This is especially true when it comes to Website usabilty. Your challenge is to develop a set of Website development and design rules that everyone on the Web marketing team must follow to insure the Website is usable and gets results. This is the best way to make sure the site is meeting user needs.

Those rules can be developed for content, titles, navigation, graphics, photos and every other element of the Website. It will make users happy and works great for targeted SEO.

What are the Website usability rules the govern your Website?