In the life of a webmaster

I'm from Missouri

Well, I am not REALLY from Missouri, (The "Show Me" state), but I do share their attitude.
If you are promoting something to me, do it by example and not by hype.
This is especially true if you are selling something with a logical system behind it.

The reason behind this post is that I got an email this morning promoting a "new" idea in search engine promotion.

Being fairly good at SEO, (Search Engine Optimization), I was interested so I clicked through to the site.

Now comes the "Show Me" part.
If you are promoting a SEO technique, I would expect your page to at least show up on page 1 for your primary keyword phrase.

This site didn't.
This site did not show up at all in the first 10 pages.
Not only that, but the source code showed a lack of understanding in how to code the 3 primary tags, title, keywords, and description. The site's meta tag keywords were not used in the body of the page, which is the only reason for putting them in the keyword tag.

I think that if you are going to call yourself an "Internet Marketing Personal Trainer", and push how you "created tons of search engine traffic", you would at least have a understanding of SEO basics.

Perhaps the system works.
The lead-in page did not convince me.

Reg
DotCom-Productions NEW Blog "In the life of a webmaster". My Commercial Web Design and Webmaster's Resource
MetaCryL - Business Promotion - FREE - 38 Days of eBooks.
0Grief - Zero Grief Hosting.
The Nothing Page - As it says, a place to do nothing.

Down the garden path, web developer style.

(The unhighlighted text won. I'm glad. Much easier to write without it.)

With over 10 years web development under my belt, I have had occasion to interact with many website owners.

Way too many times I have seen where a web owner has been "sold" into believing that (insert recommended method here) is the ONLY way to go. It is extremely hard, (for them), to admit that the site is not performing because of this design, as if one does, they are in fact admitting that they have been suckered.

While I do not profess to be the end all in my field, I do have a excellent grasp of my trade.
This I attribute to experience and constant research into the technical aspects of the systems I support, the usability for visitors, and online marketing.
Working at it, day in day out, usually for more than 12 hours a day, I continue to explore my universe as a developer and internet "hermit".
(No, I don't have a "life", other than a virtual one, but this suits me fine, given my circumstances.)

Productive web design is the sum of its parts, working in harmony.
It is NOT the type of code used. HTML, PHP, XML, whatever.
It is the design. It is how the website serves its viewers. Period!

Too many times I have seen where an owner has bought into the design for its graphics, or features, without considering what they want to achieve. .
"I like it because it looks good and/or has great code" is the WORST mistake one can make. To hold on to those values after x months or even years of non production further compounds the error. I've seen it happen.

However, web developers are wont to selling what they do best, be it pretty graphics and layout, or custom XML code.
Way too many times no consideration is given to how the client's site will do with the search engines. Or how the client will maintain the site if this is necessary.
Very few individual developers give consideration to the site's basic premise, which is to make money. Rather, their focus is on how THEY can make money selling THEIR features.

If your site is not productive, it is WRONG.

Productive, (read "money making"), sites come in all shapes and formats but they share certain common features to make them so.
These are, in order of importance for the visitor:

• Relevancy.
  The content matches the search term used by the visitor.
• Presentation.
  The way the content is presented. Where the elements, (text and graphics), are positioned.
• Ease of use.
  The natural flow of the site's navigation.
• Call to action.
  The way the site interacts with a visitor in regards to converting same to a purchaser.
  
  and finally,
• The way the site looks.

For the owner, the list is different.

• Administration - Content Management.
  A site is not a static entity. It needs continual updating and additions.
• Order Management.
  Especially important for hard good vendors but equally so for service providers and software/information vendors.
• Customer Management.
  Handling customer information, questions, requests and even complaints.
• Marketing
  Tracking campaigns, ads, affiliate programs, Search Engine Optimization, (SEO), Search Engine Marketing, (SEM), inbound and outbound links, viral marketing, and what I call "Authoritative" Marketing, (AM), such as writing articles, all play a part.

Lets look at the points I made in more detail.

Relevancy is achieved by applying research into search terms and keyword phrases in the design of the content.
Relevancy is NOT repeating your keyword phrases umpteen times in your page.
Learn what people are searching for, fill the need with relevant content, and you fill two criteria.

1. Your visitors find the information for which they are looking.
2. The search engines will love you.

Presentation in conjunction with relevancy will assure both conversions and SE positioning.
People read a webpage differently than they would printed matter. Search engines have their own agenda.
As a researcher I regularly do searches and the content that impresses me the most is presented in a logical manner.

If I am researching something I want to know up front what it is and what it will do for me.
I want to know this before the features are presented. I don't want to have to dig around on the site just to find out what the service does, or what the product is.
If you are selling ANYTHING, state your prices upfront. Don't waste my time making me contact you or add the item to a shopping cart.

Ease of use means do not put me more than three clicks away from my destination, which should be a sale.
Ideally this can be done in two.

The first is to a synopsis of the product information, the second is to the sale.
In some instances where supplemental information is needed, the synopsis can lead to elaboration on the product. In both cases, the purchase routine should be available.
If I want to find out more information on you, your company, or its policies, the standard navigation across the top of the page should lead into the desired result.

If you have more than one product, put them on the left side in their own navigation structure.
As with the main navigation at the top, the left side navigation should be simple and straightforward.
Forget the dhtml, java script cascading menus, or even graphical navigation. Plain text links work best for visitors, (and with the search engines). It is extremely annoying to click on something that drops down into a bunch more choices, which disappear if you move your mouse too far.
If you need an expanding menu to limit initial category choices, have one that stays open once clicked upon.

Keep your visitor in one browser window. Don't open new windows to present information that is on your site.
The only exception to this is a link to an outside site. When this is done add "Link opens in a new window, close to return" near the link.

Your call to action is your routine that enables a user to purchase.
Have an "Add to cart" or "Buy now" link or button in an oblivious place on each product page.
Don't make the visitor search for a way to purchase.

For the business owner, administration is of utmost importance.
If a Content Management System, (CMS), is used then things are standardized for the all administrators, and the owner is not dependent upon the designer to make updates or additions.

CMS systems come in all forms.
One such is MS Front Page which works on a theme system for layout and has it's own navigation controls/admin.
Once the site is setup, making new pages which conform to the format of the site is as simple as clicking on an icon.
Navigation is displayed in a flow chart outline To add new content into the navigation structure one just drags the new page to the desired location in the flow chart. Front Page makes all the links.
If you are a small business owner with limited content or just a few products, FP will give you a high Return On Investment, (ROI.

If you have a larger amount of information or products then you should look at other forms of CMS.
This also applies if you need to offer features outside the scope of FP. Affiliate Management, Customer/Sales Management, Link Management all fall into this category.

CRELoaded is a good choice.
CRE is PHP/MySQL driven. Is this too technical? To put this in layman's terms CRE is database driven.
The system uses PHP coded web pages which directs the browser to pages that are built "on the fly" from the content in the database.
Once the site is built, the owner uses a browser based administration to add and modify content.
Adding content is through text based forms. There is a WYSIWYG, What You See Is What You Get, editor built in, but I recommend using something that allows you to work in a full sized window and copying the code over.

Order management is how you handle the orders.
Customer management is handling questions and complaints.
To do this properly you need both a server side management system, (on your hosted website), and routines in place on your computer to handle the email. CRELoaded has built in customer management which keeps a record in the customer's account of correspondence and ordering.

If you are selling hard products from an established brick and mortar store, you will need to have your email client, (the program you use to receive email), to copy both shipping and accounting as well as management when an order is received. If your product is digital, you will need to have someone that can handle questions and problems. Again, copies of orders should be automatically routed to the appropriate departments.

Think of the whole order/support process as a system, and automate as much as possible. Your time will be better spent elsewhere.

Marketing is a wide open subject which covers many different aspects of the site and how you promote it.
Start with three basic, (free), ways to get traffic.

• Word of mouth.
• Referral links.
• Search engine standings.

Word of mouth is the first. Tell EVERYONE you know about your site. Hand out business cards with your website address. Include your website address in all your emails.
If your site is interesting enough, then people you tell will tell others.

If you have a website promoting something, then you should be an expert in your field.
Join forums and discussion groups that allow a signature file with a link to your site and participate in discussions.
Try to help others in your efforts. What goes around comes around is really valid in these cases.

Search engine standings will come naturally if your site is designed properly.
If they do not, then again, you are doing something wrong.

Well its bedtime for Bonzo, will continue this another time.

Hey and a Canadian Welcome EH?

After reading about, visiting, and thinking about blogs, it is time for my
own.

I am a full time web developer, an all encompassing title. Some call it
Webmaster. More on this in a bit.

Will be turning 65 this year, varied careers have taken me around the block a
few times. Had interesting times. Still do.

Constant learning curve keeps the mind healthy.

As an experiment, I am doing a second copy of this entry with
important words highlighted, which they say makes reading easier.

Tell me which you prefer.

Included in my regular business activities are the design of websites, managing
co-located hosting servers, managing my own and client's sites, internet marketing, affiliate program management, software modification and development, network/computer management, customer management, and interaction with scores of folks that are looking for peers or mentors.

Since I am at this screen about 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, I guess you could call me a total nerd. Others might say "Internet Evangelist"
I prefer "Internet hermit" EH?

If I am not designing, I am reading/researching. My main purpose here is to give the folks who want to break into this business some tips and pointers, or discuss related topics on just about any level.

If I am not designing, or reading/researching I am participating in forums,
answering questions when I can, asking when looking for the solution to a
problem when I need help, or just interacting. A good part of my time is spent
teaching.

For hobbies I race online. I competed on a semi-professional level in years
past. Online Sim racing is a continuation of my competitive nature. I was a blue
water cruiser for 5 years. Still like to chat about sailboats.

I like a challenge, I love putting together a system of components to work harmoniously as a whole. Database systems are a blast.

I don't want my business to grow too big.
I don't want to manage employees on a daily basis.
I want to continue doing as I am doing now, building a loyal core of clients and associates and networking.
People Before Profits. What goes around comes around EH?

Webmastering encompasses several disciplines. (See I said I would get to it eh?)

If you are a web designer you owe it to yourself and to your clients to learn how to master not only the graphic aspects, but the marketing.

In the case of a website, marketing is foremost. Foremost is the presentation of the material, and its interaction with visitors and search engine "robots".

How users read websites, where to place the text and graphics for maximum effect, how users interact with a website, good navigation, keyword use and placement, "behind the scenes" or source code structure, all play a part in the development of a successful site.

Form follows function, not vice versa. In other words, design your site to present its information first, (function), then be concerned about how "pretty it is", (form).

All too many times I have heard complaints about sites not performing.

All too many times these sites are really great looking. At first glance.

Upon closer inspection it is usually easy to determine why the business is not earning from its online efforts.

Usually it is due to the content's placement, sometimes due to lack of content.

Often it is due to a poor "call to action", namely "buy my product".

A webmaster should know that you should never put a visitor more than 3 clicks away from their intended destination. That cascading, drop down, slide out, popup, menus usually serve to frustrate and not all are read as anchor links in the search engines.

If a search engine can't read the links, your site may not be fully indexed.

There is a lot more a webmaster should know and I will be covering them in later posts.

Until then, if there is something you need done or just want to chat, my
instant messenger details will be
found here.

Reg

Links:

Webmaster's resource and my
professional web design, management site, DotCom-Productions.

Our Internet Marketing Site MetaCryL and introduction to my partner and our team. "38 days of FREE e-Books" and"Developing Your Web Presence autoresponder seminars.Hosting, Domain Registration at ZeroGrief. Personal service and support. Budget prices for top line features. CPaneladmin - PHP/MySQL - FREE shopping systems.

For the security minded, Computer Security product (and other security resources) to let you know if you have a virus or a "spam bot".

Virus Snitch protects your email account. Don't get cut off by your ISP because some hacker is using your computer to send out thousands of email spam messages.

For the real world, Morrison Equipment offers the onlyforty foot wide security gage to get Top
DOD K12 L3 Anti-Ram Vehicle Barrier Certification. Take a look at the movie of a 5 ton truck, loaded to 15 thousand pounds hitting the gate at 50 MPH. (The truck loses big time).

Top Level Domain icons or "Tildicons" replace the ugly text domain extensions in your domain name. Register your domain with us and we will give you a deal on one.

Fantastic Machines, graphic filter plugins for the major image editing programs. E.G. PhotoShop Corel Photo-Paint, more. FREE demo never "times out" and our Paint Engine, is loved around the world. Links to tutorials, graphic design sites and more.In need of a grin, or just a safe place to park your browser where NOTHING ever happens? Try the Nothing Page

If you are in a shopping mood, take a look at Sundance Crystals. Pre-strung, ready to hang, Swarovski crystals. There is nothing like having rainbows dance around your walls for a pleasing ambiance.

Or check out Barbara's online doll craft site. Hand crafted dolls and other similar items. Barbara does the crafts and manages her own site.

If you are into building your own musical instruments, take a look at Oyster River's selection of Luthier Woods. Bruce has been supplying quality wood for years.

Elsa Zarduz is based in Miami Florida and her site has examples of her paintings and links to her exhibitions.

Kenny Shaw's website shows his comedy performance schedule, offers a few cuts from his CD albums. Once you stop laughing you can order a CD or two. Club owners or event organizers will appreciate the media kits.

www.keyboardwiz.com and www.misterideaproductions.com are 2 more music based websites.

Need to keep your youngsters entertained for hours and help them learn to read? The Grovehill Gang series is all about the lives of the Canadian author Jacqueline Ward's animals. Jackie also
runs a lost and found horse section and runs The Sayward Compass, a local B.C. newspaper.

For youngsters, or folks of any age there are juggling stiks. Gail's cottage industry's products are in high demand by amateur and professional jugglers or drummers.

Bill Hatfield of Schertz Texas, runs a Ham Radio Site, K5KCR which sports an active forum, the "Bad Hat Forums". Bill also has his personal site, BillHatfield.name, webmasters for his local Knights of Columbus website, and runsanother site for his wife's baking business

Love4Cakes. Keep your head back from over your keyboard when you visit.
Drool makes the keys all sticky. Se Habla Espanol.

If you are looking for a fishing vacation in British Columbia and want to bring your own boat, the Come Back Inn is the place to go.

Shirley caters to fishermen, hunters, and just plain vacationers that want to get away from it all in the wild beauty of Jansen Bay in Kyuquot Sound on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Another BC west coast attraction is Six Gill Adventures Ltd.
Sixgill offers exciting zodiac adventure tours to the spectacular west coast marine eco-systems around Vancouver Island. Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands of Pacific Rim National Park serve as marine wildlife habitats for Pacific Gray Whales, with close-up views of Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, Black Bears and other marine wildlife.

If exploring further north is your desire, Foster Landing's beautifully built, beautifully furnished cabins are the first step in making that dream Alaskan fishing vacation trip come true. Foster's is located in Kenai, Alaska. Home of the WORLD famous Kenai River and home to the world record 97 lbs King Salmon!

My hobby sites are rFactor-News, information and links for the racing Sim of the same name.
Virtual Racers Edge, is geared more towards racing games in general. VRELNR.com leads to club news on the same site, but is shorter to type.

----------

(Back to top)

Hey and a Canadian Welcome EH?

After reading about, visiting, and thinking about blogs, it is time for my own.

I am a full time web developer, an all encompassing title. Some call it Webmaster. More on this in a bit.

Will be turning 65 this year, been around the block a few times. Had interesting times. Still do.

Constant learning curve keeps the mind healthy.

As an experiment, I am doing a second copy of this entry with important words highlighted, which they say makes reading easier.

Tell me which you prefer.

Included in my regular business activities are the design of websites, managing co-located hosting servers, managing my own and client's sites, internet marketing, SEO/SEM, affiliate program management, software modification and development,
network/computer management, customer management, and interaction with scores of folks that are looking for peers or mentors.

Since I am at this screen about 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, I guess you could call me a total nerd. Others might say "Internet Evangelist"
I prefer "Internet hermit" EH?
If I am not designing, I am reading/researching. My main purpose here is to give the folks who want to break into this business some tips and pointers, or discuss related topics on just about any level.

If I am not designing, or reading/researching I am participating in forums, answering questions when I can, asking when looking for the solution to a problem when I need help, or just interacting. A good part of my time is spent teaching.

For hobbies I race online. I competed on a semi-professional level in years past. Online Sim racing is a continuation of my competitive nature. I was a blue water cruiser for 5 years. Still like to chat about sailboats.

I like a challenge. I love putting together a system of components to work harmoniously as a whole. Database systems are a blast.

I don't want my business to grow too big.
I don't want to manage employees on a daily basis.

I want to continue doing as I am doing now, building a loyal
core of clients and associates and networking.

People Before Profits. What goes around comes around EH?

Webmastering encompasses several disciplines. (See I said I would get
to it eh?)

If you are a web designer you owe it to yourself and to your clients to learn how to master not only the graphic aspects, but the marketing.
In the case of a website, marketing is foremost. Due consideration should be given to the presentation of the material, and its interaction with visitors and search engine "robots".

How users read websites, where to place the text and graphics for maximum effect, how users interact with a website, good navigation, keyword use and placement, "behind the scenes" or source code structure, all play a part in the development of a successful site.

Form follows function, not vice versa. In other words, design your site to present its information first, (function), then be concerned about how "pretty it is", (form).

All too many times I have heard complaints about sites not performing.
All too many times these sites are really great looking. At first glance.
Upon closer inspection it is usually easy to determine why the business is not earning from its online efforts.

Usually it is due to the content's placement, sometimes due to lack of content.
Often it is due to a poor "call to action", namely "buy my product".

A webmaster should know that you should never put a visitor more than 3 clicks away from their intended destination. That cascading, drop down, slide out, popup, menus usually serve to frustrate and not all are read as anchor links by the search engines.

If a search engine can't read the links, your site may not be fully indexed.

There is a lot more a webmaster should know and I will be covering them in later posts.



Until then, if there is something you need done or just want to chat, my instant messenger details will be found here.

Reg

Links:

Webmaster's resource and my professional web design, management site, DotCom-Productions.

Our Internet Marketing Site MetaCryL and introduction to my partner and our team. "38 days of FREE e-Books" and "Developing Your Web Presence autoresponder series.

Hosting, Domain Registration at Zero Grief. Personal service and support. Budget prices for top line features. CPanel admin - PHP/MySQL - FREE shopping systems.

For the security minded, ComputerSecurity product (and other security resources) to let you know if you have a virus or a "spam bot".

Virus Snitch protects your email account. Don't get cut off by your ISP because some hacker is using your computer to send out thousands of email spam messages..

For the real world, Morrison Equipment offers the only forty foot wide security gate to
get Top DOD K12 L3 Anti-Ram Vehicle Barrier Certification. Take a look at the movie of a 5 ton truck, loaded to 15 thousand pounds hitting the gate at 50 MPH. (The truck loses big time).

Top Level Domain icons or "Tildicons"replace the ugly text domain extensions in your domain name. Register your domain with us and we will give you a deal on one.

Fantastic Machines, graphic filter plugins for the major image editing programs. E.G. PhotoShop Corel Photo-Paint, more. FREE demo never "times out" and our Paint Engine, is loved around the world. Links to tutorials, graphic design sites and more.

In need of a grin, or just a safe place to park your browser where NOTHING ever happens? Try the Nothing Page

If you are in a shopping mood, take a look at Sundance Crystals. Pre-strung, ready to hang, Swarovski crystals. There is nothing like having rainbows dance around your walls for a pleasing ambiance.

Or check out Barbara's online doll craft site. Hand crafted dolls and other similar items.
Barbara does the crafts and manages her own site.

If you are into building your own musical instruments, take a look at Oyster River's selection of Luthier Woods. Bruce has been supplying quality wood kits for years.

Elsa Zarduz is based in Miami Florida and her site has examples of her paintings and links to her exhibitions.

Kenny Shaw's website shows his comedy performance schedule, offers a few cuts from his CD albums. Once you stop laughing you can order a CD or two. Club owners or event organizers will appreciate the media kits.

www.keyboardwiz.com and www.misterideaproductions.com are two more music based websites.

Need to keep your youngsters entertained for hours and help them learn to read? The
Grovehill Gang series is all about the lives of the Canadian author Jacqueline Ward's animals. Jackie also runs a lost and found horse section and runs The Sayward Compass, a local B.C. newspaper.

For youngsters, or folks of any age there are juggling stiks. Gail's cottage industry's
products are in high demand by amateur and professional jugglers or drummers.

Bill Hatfield of Schertz Texas, runs a Ham Radio Site, K5KCR which sports an active forum, the "BadHat Forums". Bill also has his personal site,BillHatfield.name, webmasters for his local Knights of Columbus website, and runs another site for his wife's baking business Love4Cakes. Keep your head back from over your keyboard when you visit. Drool makes the keys all sticky. Se Habla Espanol.

If you are looking for a fishing vacation in British Columbia and want to bring your own boat, the Come Back Inn is the place to go.

Shirley caters to fishermen, hunters, and just plain vacationers that want to get away from it all in the wild beauty of Jansen Bay in Kyuquot Sound on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Another BC West Coast attraction is Six Gill Adventures Ltd.

Sixgill offers exciting zodiac adventure tours to the spectacular west coast marine eco-systems around Vancouver Island. Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands of Pacific Rim National Park serve as marine wildlife habitats for Pacific Gray Whales, with close-up views of Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, Black Bears and other marine wildlife.

If exploring further north is your desire, Foster Landing's beautifully built, beautifully furnished log cabins are the first step in makingthat dream Alaskan fishing vacation trip come true. Foster's is located in Kenai, Alaska. Home of the WORLD famous Kenai River and home tothe world record 97 lbs King Salmon!

My hobby sites are rFactor-News, information and links for the racing Sim of the same name.
Virtual Racers Edge, is geared more towards racing games in general. VRELNR.com leads to
club news on the same site, but is shorter to type.

(Back to top)