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Posted 7/27/2010 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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You've likely noticed by now that there isn't a bunch of activity on this blog. That's because we've moved. To access the latest Web Design Industry News, check out our redesigned blog at www.352media.com/blog. While you're there, subscribe to the RSS feed and enjoy the posts in your inbox or where ever you'd like!
Thanks for your loyalty, and keep the great comments coming!
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Posted 7/24/2009 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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I wrote this article a little over a year ago about a scam attempt on www.craigslist.com that was pretty creative. It was an interesting scam that took me awhile to figure out. I'm happy to say there were several comments from people who saw the post and avoided a similar scam.
Well I've posted something else to sell on craigslist.com, and I've got to say, the spammers and scammers just aren't trying as hard. As an example, take a look at the email I got this morning:
Hey, I saw your email at http://gainesville.craigslist.org/tix/1285280003.html on 7/23/2009
I just wanted to let you know how my brother-in-law became un-employed recently because of the the economic slowdown not long ago. However, he learned of a a way to make money online from home and even wrote a blog about it.
He is making 6,500 dollars each month now working online with Google.
You should take a look at his online journal: [Link Removed to Protect the Stupid]
Many people have changed their lives after reading, and I am sure you can benefit from it.
Good Luck!
micheline searles [estherw.boganzr387@gmail.com]
If I'm going to join your multi-level marketing scheme, at least get a better segway. I mean, how does this relate to my product? Tell me a good story about how my item reminded you of your brother, or how you're interested to see my product and show me how I can get in on the ground floor of your great opportunity. This is not how you get people on the bottom of your pyramid schemes!
So please, go big or go home. Surfers are more aware of scams than ever, so you've got to bring your A game if you want to take people's savings.
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Posted 7/22/2009 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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We had a great turnout for our Webinar yesterday on usability. The presentation featured our Development Director Kelli Kimpton giving us an overview of basic usability principles related to Web design. Next we took sites from the audience to review. Hopefully you were able to get some actionable ideas out of it!
Thanks to Kelli and Geoff for their work on the Webinar!
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Posted 7/16/2009 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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We've just launched a major upgrade to our Web Design Company "Rated & Ranked" Directory which should help companies as they research different vendors.
The site lists companies by city and state and lists them in order of rank based on user ratings. With so many companies out there, this is a great way for people to wade through the choices.
The latest upgrade to the site gives companies the ability to become "featured," simply by putting a badge like the one below on their site. Once they register to be included, they recieve instructions to help them get even more exposure on the site.
Want to know if it works? Just do a search for "
web design company california," where the directory comes up first. The site is ranked in the top ten for many cities and states.
If your company isn't on the directory yet, submit them on the form at
http://www.352media.com/web-design-company-directory/Default.aspx.
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Posted 7/13/2009 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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Now I know what presidential candidates must feel like, out on the road giving stump speeches, shaking hands, kissing babies. OK, maybe things aren't that busy around here, but we do have some great events happening this week and next!
First off, I will be leading an Instant Impact webinar with Reed Seminars this Tuesday at 1:00 EST on "What CEOs Need to Know About Twitter." If you are interested in attending, you can use the discount code authorspecial to receive 20% off registration. If you cannot call-in from your office or mobile phone to attend the seminar and view the presentation, Reed Seminars will email you the PowerPoint and audio files later that day for viewing on your computer at your convenience (you simply need to register before the seminar occurs). To register, please call 415-331-1122 or visit http://reedseminars.com/details.asp?id=377.
Next up, 352 Media Group’s President and CEO, Geoff Wilson, is speaking as part of a panel discussion at the Georgia CxO Forum in Atlanta this Wednesday, July 15, at 7am. The Georgia CxO group, which consists of top executives at many Atlanta-area companies, meets every quarter to discuss important business topics. Geoff is speaking on “Establishing Corporate Best Practices Around Social Media”.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Geoff is also speaking on Friday, July 17, at 7:30am at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Council meeting. The meeting will take place at the Aetna building in downtown Jacksonville. Geoff’s topic is “Why Web 2.0 and Social Media are Important to your Business."
This will mark the first time Geoff has been up before 7am twice in one week.
And to cap it all off, we're hosting a Webinar on "Web Site Usability - How Great Design Can Turn Visitors Into Customers." In this Webinar, which takes place on the 21st at 2pm EST, we’ll discuss the science of usability as it relates to Web design. But don’t expect a lecture; We want to talk about the usability of your site!
When you register for the Webinar, you’ll have a choice to give us your site’s URL to review. We’ll select some examples of both sites with great usability and ones that missed the mark. Either way, you’ll leave this session with actionable tips you can put to use on your site immediately!
Our panel of experts will cover:
- The basic rules of Web site Usability
- The relationship between Usability and SEO
- Real sites from attendees that are doing it right
- Viewers’ sites with Usability concerns
Presenters will include:
Kelli Kimpton, 352 Media Group Director of Development - Design Lincoln Anderson, 352 Media Group Senior Designer
Geoff Wilson, 352 Media Group President & CEO
Peter VanRysdam, 352 Media Group Vice President of Marketing
You can register for free at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/932907218.
Looking forward to a nice vacation after these couple of weeks are over!
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Posted 7/13/2009 by Geoff, Pres/CEO
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Here are some interesting articles that our interactive media team came across this past week:
“Google Finally Drops the Beta Tag” >> Read Article
“Using Wikis to Document UI Specifications” >> Read Article
“Hands On: Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview” >> Read Article
Enjoy!
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Posted 7/12/2009 by Geoff, Pres/CEO
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If you have followed our blog for a while or watched any of our Webinars, you know that I talk often about the incredible impact that well forumulated TITLE tags can have on your Web site's search engine rankings. TITLE tags are one of the most critical components to getting good rankings.
I subscribe to a free E-Newsletter called Axandra Search Engine Facts, and in this week's issue they gave some great tips for what good and bad TITLE tags look like that I wanted to share here:
( source - http://news.axandra.com )
Depending on which kind of traffic you want to attract, you should use different title formats on your web pages:
1. News titles (not so good for SEO) This kind of title is often used by bloggers and news websites. Here are some examples:
Beat the 'overqualified' tag
Parking fees spark meter madness
Nominate your hero
Karl Malden died
The problem with these titles is that they are not good for search engine optimization. These titles usually don't contain relevant keywords and they don't look very attractive in the search results. There won't be many people who will type "Parking fees spark meter madness" in Google's search box so it's not likely that the page will get many visitors through search engines.
2. Shopping titles (good for SEO) Shopping titles usually contain a product name that is used by web surfers. If they also contain a call to action, you can get targeted visitors with these titles. Here are some examples:
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Black Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life
ASUS Eee PC 1000 - Buy it now for only $249.95
Buy an ASUS Eee PC 1000 with extended guarantee
Free shipping: ASUS Eee PC 1000 - $249.95
The first shopping title is rather descriptive because it only lists the features. The other titles contain a call to action (buy now), prices and additional benefits (free shipping). People who want to buy an ASUS Eee PC probably will click on the title with the call to action while people who are looking for product information might choose the first title.
3. Information seeker titles (good for SEO) Information seeker titles won't attract buyers but people who are looking for information about a special topic. Here are some examples:
How to lose weight as fast as possible
How to repair a broken chair
12 mistakes most parents make when choosing a school
How to find the perfect golf club
5 ways to find the perfect partner
These web page titles are good because they will attract visitors over a long time period. People are always looking for "how to" articles and solutions to their problems and you will get long term, constant traffic with these pages.
Action plan: how to change your current web page titles
Good web page titles can make a huge difference in the number of visitors that your website gets. For that reason, you should check the titles of all web pages of your website now: Make sure that the titles of your web pages are descriptive. It should be clear what to expect on the pages. If possible, add a call to action and benefits in your web page title. Put the most important information at the beginning of the title. Search engines might shorten the title in the search result pages and people might not see the complete text. If you're not a major brand name, avoid your company name in your web page titles. Do not use the same title for all of your web pages. This is a mistake that many beginners make.
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Posted 7/11/2009 by TomB, Acct Mgr
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According to a report in March of 2009, Inside Facebook noted that there were more Facebook users 26-44 than 18-25 today. And in a separate report, they also noted that Facebook is seeing massive increases in adoption among users 35-65. In fact, the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is still women over 55.
Fast forward to today - looking at the 70 million-plus users from the U.S. on Facebook - and you've got a remarkable statistic: over one-third of Facebook's users are over the age of 35. And about half of that group is in the 45+ age range.
To read more on the article you can visit the full link here: http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/03/25/number-of-us-facebook-users-over-35-nearly-doubles-in-last-60-days/
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Posted 7/10/2009 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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Site Launches:
:32 - CruiseNow.com, http://www.cruisenow.com
1:20 - Ware County, Georgia, http://www.warecounty.com/
1:52 - Microsoft Expression, http://microsoft.com/expression
2:36 - Southeastern Mills, http://www.semills.com/
Blog Posts:
3:18 - Twitter
4:00 - When to Email to Get the Best Open Rates for Newsletters
5:06 - Rooster Video
5:31 - Competing Speeches from 352 Media Group (Geoff's versus Peter's)
6:40 - Archived Webinars (Web 2.0 and Search Engine Friendly Design)
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Posted 7/8/2009 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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Especially if you're in your company's wrapped vehicle! Gives you the best exposure that way.
Thanks to Pete Bernardo for the find!
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