When it Comes to Websites, Presentation is Just as Important as Content

Posted on June 18, 2012 by dzineit

There is no denying that quality, original, must-read content is essential to a successful online presence. However the visual presentation of that content is a visitor’s first impression and what makes the visitor decide whether or not to consume the content.

If your content looks boring, too lengthy or unprofessional, visitors will leave before reading the first paragraph, because everyone judges a book by its cover. We also judge online content, which is why website owners have only a few seconds to grab the reader’s attention.

Internet users are no longer satisfied with a mere blog post or status update. He says that the use of infographics and video has skyrocketed and that website design has gone from function to art form.

Think about it, Pinterest, which is an image-based website, is currently the third most popular social networking site in the United States and nearly 60 percent of users have said that they have purchased something they first saw on Pinterest. That should speak volumes to marketers.

It is no surprise that Facebook transformed their text-laden Wall into a more image-friendly Timeline and that brands are no longer expected to merely tweet or post status updates. Instead, they are expected to maintain pinboards on Pinterest, post pictures on Instagram and blog images on Tumblr.

Creating more visual content makes sense because it is always better to show a customer than to tell them. When you focus on the visual aspects of your site, you will ensure that, while visitors are reading your content, they are taking in the images, the typography, the styling and the overall design of your site.

This way, visitors will leave your site with a strong impression of you and your business.

Copyright 2012 dzine it, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Interesting Articles; News; Web Design Info

How to Build a Personal Brand

Posted on June 11, 2012 by dzineit

Building a strong personal brand takes more than just getting fancy business cards or creating a great logo.

When it comes to branding, it’s all about the factors that affect your online persona and how the combined details create a sense of exactly who you are. Instead of letting impressions form on their own, professional branding seeks to affect how those impressions are formed.

One of the most important branding tools available to entrepreneurs is a website.

As a budding business owner, you need to use your website to establish a personal brand that is unique and compelling, but can instill confidence in visitors.

He offers the following tips for building a solid personal brand:

Establish Your Brand

When establishing your brand, you need to think about who you are and how you want potential clients and customers to see you. This means sitting down and brainstorming to come up with a vision for your brand.

Become Consistent

The business owner’s key brand message should be consistent across all online profiles, from the business website to its Facebook page, its Twitter profile and everything in between.

You need to visualize the takeaway you want someone to have when looking at one of your pages and ensure that they will get the message you are trying to communicate.

Design Wisely

Regardless of the type of business, when it comes to successful branding, website design matters.

The design of your website needs to capture the emotion of your customers. Like any other marketing material, your website fonts should be clear and readable and the design should be well-organized.

Blog

The best way to amplify a brand is through blogging.

Adding a blog to your website gives you a way to provide meaningful content, industry-related resources and other tools that will establish you as an authority in your field.

Network

While online networking can take time, it is a very effective way to build a brand.

Identify specific strategies for building connections, including leveraging offline relationships or regularly interacting with others online. The more prevalent your brand becomes online, the stronger your reputation will become.

Copyright 2012 dzine it, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Interesting Articles; News

Why PHP is Necessary for Dynamic Website Development

Posted on June 7, 2012 by dzineit

PHP revolutionized the World Wide Web with its amazing features and capabilities. Today, almost all businesses and organizations implement web solutions that were built on PHP language.

PHP is a technology that can fulfill the various needs of businesses through dynamic web solutions and it has emerged as a highly effective tool for keeping businesses competitive online.

PHP is basically a server-side scripting language used in the development of dynamic and highly functional web applications.

There are five major benefits of using PHP for developing dynamic web solutions.

1) PHP is open-source technology available to developers without any license.

Most of the tools and software required for developing solutions using PHP are available online for free. This provides a significant reduction in the cost of software development.

2) PHP is versatile and executes smoothly on all the major operating systems and web servers.

PHP will perform flawlessly whether on a Mac, Linux or Windows operating system. Very few web technologies provide such cross-platform compatibility.

3) PHP is easy to learn and use.

PHP allows developers to use their own creativity and imagination while developing solutions that are self-motivated and highly dynamic. It is usually the first language that developers learn when they enter the field.

4) PHP is versatile.

PHP allows for the easy integration of various other web technologies and performs smoothly in conjunction with those technologies. Thus, there are many features that can be easily infused into a PHP solution.

5) Most professional website developers are experts in PHP.

Because of the success of PHP as a server-side scripting language, most professional developers and programmers are experts in PHP.

It is easy to find skilled and experienced PHP developers who can deliver solutions to suit many unique needs.

 Copyright 2012 dzine it, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Interesting Articles; Web Programming

SEO Spring Cleaning Tips

Posted on May 4, 2012 by dzineit

Spring has sprung and we all know what that means; it’s time for spring cleaning.

While most people are focused on cleaning out garages, closets and preparing for the warm weather, businesses should be cleaning up their search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns.

Here’s how:

Revisit Your Keywords

There is a common misconception that keyword research can be done once and then it never has to be addressed again. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Businesses need to conduct fresh keyword research on a regular basis, especially if certain keywords have not been performing as expected. Spring is the perfect time to ask the following questions once again:

  • What keywords are visitors using to find your website that you haven’t already targeted?
  • Is there new industry jargon out there that needs to be worked into your existing content?
  • What emerging trends have you noticed in user behavior?

If you can respond to these changes now, your site will be in a much better position to gain a higher rank.

Run a Link Audit

While not a whole lot of fun, link audits are necessary to keep an SEO campaign on track. Once a year, businesses should do a complete link audit on their site and visit each and every link.

Website owners must ask themselves the following questions:

  • What kind of links does your site feature?
  • Is there an opportunity to bring in more diversified links?
  • Are there any inbound links that can be damaging to your site’s reputation?
  • How many links are natural?

It is also a good idea to run a link audit on your competition and see if there are any link building opportunities that your business could take advantage of. You don’t want to copy the competition link for link, but you may find some good niche links in your search.

Eliminate Broken Links

The key to a good website is offering a great customer experience.

That is why it is important to go through your website with a fine tooth comb and look for any broken links, missing pages, 302 redirects and other internal linking issues that could be affecting the performance of your site.

Not only do broken links turn off potential customers, they also prevent the search engine spiders from properly reading and indexing your website, which can hurt your SEO efforts in the long run. Internal SEO spring cleaning will help get your site in order for the next year.

Freshen Up Your Content

Every business should consider doing a complete website overhaul every few years because site’s can quickly start to look outdated.

While a complete content overhaul may not be a necessary part of your spring cleaning project, you should consider revamping some of your content.

Consider combining two smaller pages into one great page full of information. Also, break up any unfocused pages that try to discuss multiple subjects into separate distinct pages. Don’t forget to add new calls to action where necessary.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Digital Marketing; Interesting Articles; News

Mistakes That Can Ruin A Website Marketing Campaign

Posted on April 23, 2012 by dzineit

A businesses website is its worldwide hub and, without it, a company is virtually non-existent in the online world. This is why it is so important that business website owners ensure that their web presence is in tip-top shape.

Consider the following common web site mistakes that must be avoided to ensure that a web site is meeting its maximizing online potential:

Domain Name Mismatches

Having a URL that does not match your actual business name or product will confuse people and make it harder for them to remember your business. It can also become a serious challenge for anyone looking for your website, especially if the URL for your business name is taken by another company.

Even if you can’t get your desired URL name, come up with something that reflects your business, industry or location and do your best to make finding your website as simple as possible.

Template Designs

Website templates, particularly those that are free or cheap, will offer limited design options and functionality. It is important to use a website design that truly reflects your brand, company image and the quality of the product or service you offer.

The first impression made by a web site says a lot about the business it represents.

Poor Web Copy

What your website says and how it says it is very important when it comes to online marketing. Website copy should be written in a way that speaks directly to your target audience.  Therefore, it should be written in a way that is approachable and comfortable while embracing your brand.

Missing (Or Poor) Calls to Action

Whatever action it is that you need visitors to take when on your website, you need to design your interface and write your copy in such a way that it will easily lead visitors to take those actions.

For example, if calling your business is important, be sure that your company phone number is in a prominent location on every single page of the website. Similarly, if making a purchase is the most important action, make sure that shopping cart links are easy to find and that the checkout process is seamless and secure.

Copyright 2012 dzine it, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Interesting Articles; News

Preparing for Future Google Algorithm Changes

Posted on April 20, 2012 by dzineit

It seems that Google’s algorithm is change quite frequently these days, but the truth is that algorithm changes are a good thing, not only for Internet users, but for website owners who expect a level playing field.

It is the job of the search engines to provide users with the most relevant content possible. Unfortunately, after 14 years in business and countless algorithm changes, search queries are still far from but perfect and Google is constantly tweaking its algorithms in an effort to achieve perfection.

So how does a business website owner deal with seemingly endless algorithm changes?

Here are five things you can do to help your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts both now and in the future.

Avoid Spam

Search engines hate spam and so should you.

Avoid cluttering your meta tags with keywords. If you use meta tags, keep your keyword count to below eight and don’t list words that are irrelevant. In addition, avoid going overboard with the use of keywords within your website content.

Strategize

It is important that website owners conduct proper keyword research before they build their content. This will help to ensure that you content is natural.

The better the content you offer, the more likely it will be shared.

Socialize Correctly

A great way to get search engines to recognize your content as relevant is to use social media. However, you need to use social channels wisely.

For maximum results, make sure that the title of your article is relevant to the content. If your content is good and helpful, people will share it.

Offer Fresh Content

Content becomes less relevant as it gets older, which is why search engines give more weight to newly published content. This is why it is important to keep writing articles and creating new content on a regular basis.

Stay Relevant

If you are going to target a particular keyword or phrase, be sure that the content represents it. Your title, URL, and content should be relevant to the keywords you are targeting.

By adhering to these core principles, you can improve your SEO efforts now and in the future, even when Google rolls out new search engine algorithms.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Digital Marketing; Interesting Articles; News
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