The programs for do-it-yourself web design are out there. With so many “WYSIWYG” (what you see is what you get) programs available, creating pages is just—easy. Oops, there’s a catch. Isn’t there always?

Template Troubles

Ah the easy peasy template. Most web design programs come with them. In fact, you’ll find if you’re looking for a program to build websites, or other publishing efforts, that one of the main selling points is how many ‘designs’ or ‘templates’ each program comes with. Well, that’s not a bad thing right? Nope, not if you’re just playing around or making a personal site. The trouble with templates for a business, professional or serious opinion site is that they look like templates.

There is another drawback to templates as well. It is a partner problem with the entire WYSIWYG programming system. They are built on text boxes that you can move around and place where you want them—why is that bad? Next issue:

Big Ole World

It’s a big ole world out there, and the internet splashes your page out there for everyone to view. Great for anyone who wants to reach the maximum number of viewers for any reason, but horrible when it comes to compatibility. The extraordinary development of technology, and the sheer number of available browsers out there make it a nightmare when it comes to compatibility. WYSIWYG programs, and anything using text boxes to contain information just cannot meet the demands of widespread compatibility.

That means it may look good for you, on your screen, and maybe you have even tested it on every computer (different operating systems and browsers) in your possession. Chances are pretty darned good, however, that you don’t own hundreds of computers, all with different operating systems (and that includes different operating systems on the same platform i.e.: windows 95, 98, XP, 2000, Vista, 7). You can’t test them all, even on the same platform you use.

You could argue that nobody uses the oldest operating systems anymore… but that’s not completely true. Even so, if they use any version, even one of the newer ones, with a rare or obscure browser, you’re probably sunk, and there are thousands of them.

It doesn’t have to be an obscure browser either. Just “IE,” one of the three most commonly used browsers has many versions, and they do not match compatibility. So, if you test your site on IE 8, and IE 7, but your viewer is looking at in on IE 6, your site probably looks crunched together, is missing elements, and probably looks horrible. A web designer will create your pages from scratch, building it with the right codes so that everything appears exactly where it should, and how it should. They will test it repeatedly on a wide variety of browsers and operating systems, and it will perform properly—everywhere.

Free-based Templates

But what about those “super special wondrous templates” you see every now and then, posted online that proclaim to be the perfect setup for your landing page/web site/store front? They’re out there for a few bucks, and promise fast set up, easy operation and guarantee you’ll get conversions, whether it be in the form of clickthroughs or sales.

These templates are not attached to programs, and that, in a nutshell is the biggest problem with them (not the only problem, however). These templates are so tempting, and lots of people grab at the promise of instant success. They download this fast and easy template and find themselves looking at what they get like it is printed in Greek.

If you’re not a programmer, it may very well look like it’s written in a foreign language. The bare bones of it look like the template you saw online, all bright and shiny, but with no ‘guts.’ You still have to put in the words, the links, etc to make it work, and if you don’t know how… well there’s not program to help you either.

Another problem is, if you bought it, chances are pretty good a thousand other hopeful entrepreneurs did too. That’s how those “cheap” templates make any money. How original is that site going to look for some visitor who has searched a few options for the same product, and seen the same template over, and over?

Okay, No Templates: Build it From Scratch

How good are you at speaking “geekese?” That’s not a new language, but it’s one that is hard to perfect. Even the most simple website is built on hundreds of lines of code. In every line of code there are dozens of symbols that absolutely must be placed perfectly, or the entire thing crumbles like a house of cards when you yank the bottom corner. Be prepared to spend hours, days or weeks to find a missing piece of code, and then still end up with a site that looks rough, or doesn’t function at its best. A professional website developer will know where to look for faulty codes, and if they have to go through the hours and hours of hair-pulling frustration—hey, at least it isn’t you. You’ll have a beautiful, functioning website, and all your hair.

Form Follows Function

Finally, maybe after weeks or months of fiddling with your “easy” template, or your fancy site builder, you have a website, and it looks pretty good. You’re satisfied, that if not everyone, most people will see it for the way you post it. That means it is every bit as good as those professionally built websites, right? Sorry, but—wrong.

One of the most common reasons viewers leave a website is poor function. A professional will test every link, every page, every tab, every little piece of code to make sure your site flows seamlessly. A professional designer can also make sure your images and videos load quickly. They can also make sure those images and videos are professionally made if you need them.

Security

If you are not up on the current methods of web site security, visitors will RUN AWAY, if they are asked to purchase anything. Whether you run an affiliate site, a landing page for a single product or a multi-product store, you won’t see many sales from a site that isn’t instantly recognizable as secure. A professional web designer will be able to provide you with the most up-to-date methods of security for your site. That is important for your stored information, and for your customer’s vital information as well.

Great Expectations

This isn’t the 90s anymore. People are accustomed to buying things online. As a general rule now, the first place people look for a product, service or information is the internet. You should be there, but if you are, you better meet the heightened expectations of the modern internet consumer. They are sophisticated, and they know what looks good, and what looks shoddy.

Professional Freelance Vs Design Company

If you have recognized the benefits of hiring a professional web developer, you aren’t finished yet. You can still save money, and get your perfect website. There are two types of web designers available: freelance and company. They are both excellent choices for your website, but freelance web developers will cost you a whole lot less than a company based designer. You are paying for a designer to create your site in either case, but when you hire a company designer, a portion of the fee goes to support the operation of many designers, operation space, and general costs, where when you hire a freelance designer, you just have to pay for him and his expenses. In many cases you can save 3 to 5 times the cost of a company designer when you go with a freelance web developer.

Bottom Line

When visitors come to your site, do you want them to get the impression you are a professional? Do you need them to feel comfortable with the security of your site if you have a store front? Do you want them to take your opinions seriously? Then you need a website that looks like it was built by a company/business/or personality that took their work seriously. You need a professional web designer.

After years of helping small businesses in rural Maryland plan marketing strategies, I’m amazed at how many do not have websites. Here are the ten of the most common questions and concerns small business owners posed about getting a website.

QUESTION 1: Does my company really need a web site?

The answer to this question could be “yes” or could be “no.” Only the business owner can answer it.

Recently I went to a popular restaurant in a tiny Virginia town to try and sell the owners a website. The restaurant was located right on the waterfront overlooking Chincoteague Bay. I went just before lunchtime in the dead of winter on a weekday. I figured business would be slow and I could chat briefly with the owner.

The owner was gracious and allowed me to run through the basic benefits giving me her full attention – even taking a few notes. I figured I had a good chance of closing this deal. I finally said, “Do you think a website is something you’d be interested in hearing more about?”

This was her reply: “We opened this place as a bait and tackle shop. Then people wanted coffee so we provided that. Then some asked for sandwiches, so we provided that. Later they wanted a few tables where they could sit and chat while they ate their sandwiches, so we got tables and chairs and began doing lunches. That led to dinners. Then we didn’t have enough room so we added the screened in porch for the summer. People loved the porch so much that we winterized for the colder months. Now that it’s January, we thought we might be able to close one day a week and get some time off. But we can’t. We’re too busy. We’ve never advertised and we’re tired. If a website is going to bring more people in here – no thanks!”

This business does not need a website.

Only you can determine if your company needs a web site. While making the determination, you want to consider that a web site is multi-functional, and is a communication tool – not an advertisement. If your business is organized, all of your clientele is local, and you have a back-log of customers waiting to be serviced -and you can handle that service effectively – you may not need a website.

If you often wish you could communicate effectively with a broader range of clients / customers, publicly post answers to frequently asked questions, attract new customers, break in to new markets and take the market share from your competitors – then a website is a MUST!

A web site is like your giant public bulletin board where people can get information on how to find you, where you are located, what you have to offer, why your service is unique, and what’s new in your company. It also is easily updated and changed frequently, and is a communication forum through which your customers can communicate back to you with questions, concerns and feedback on their needs.

QUESTION 2: What is the cost involved?

Having a website involves three basic costs: The development of the site itself, hosting the site, and registering the domain name.

The development of the site is the actual “building” or putting the graphics, text, links and codes all together so you have web pages that look good and are informative when you see the site on the computer. This is the largest of the three costs and can ranch in price from $500 to $2000 typically. However, the cost of getting a functioning website is generally the same as putting a color ad insert into your local paper once or twice a year. That ad is seen and then gone. The cost of your website is a one-time investment for a tool you own and can continue to use for communication and marketing indefinitely. It is always up – and always accessible.

Hosting the site means the website files are put on a large server so the general public can access your site by clicking through the Internet. Hosting costs vary but average around $20 to $50 per month, based on the website functionality and the hosting provider. Service varies widely as well. The ideal host will offer several services bundled together for one affordable price. Look for these services in a hosting package:

I tell clients that getting a website is like getting a telephone. They both have similar cost structures. The website cost is like the cost of the phone and installation. You pay one time and the equipment is yours. The hosting cost is similar to your monthly phone bill – you own the equipment but you pay for the service of being able to use it. The domain name registry is like the phone number – a unique way to get in touch with only YOU. Additional Costs – can include:

QUESTION 3: I already have a web page on someone else’s website. Why do I need two?

If you have a web page with your Chamber of Commerce or with a listing service in your industry or parent company, that is a GOOD thing! However, that is not a web site. It more than likely only offers contact information and a brief description of what your offer. It lumps you into a wide category that generally includes your competitors, and in many cases, it doesn’t offer the interaction with the public that your own website would offer. Finally – you don’t own the site or have control over it.

Your web site brands you as unique and reveals your identity. The good news is that having that page with the Chamber or other listing service will enhance and empower your new website. It will drive more traffic to your site and put you one step ahead of the marketing game.

Think about it. If a visitor is looking for a florist on Teleflora and finds five listings close to home – and one of the listings has a link to its own website – that visitor is going to go “one click further” and click on that florist’s website. When scanning a list, people always want to know more. Your link gives them that opportunity.

QUESTION 4: I don’t sell merchandise on-line. Why would I need a web site?

You may not sell merchandise on-line, but do you sell something special that people are looking for? Do you ever have a customer say “I came here because you sell ________.” For example, a store that sells a line of products or brands that are highly sought after by a faithful following, (e.g. Dept. 56, Boyd’s Bears, Hallmark Cards, Red Wing Shoes, certain lines of animal products, clothing and accessories, tools) is going to have potential customers that search the Internet to find out who sells those brands in their local area. Will you be on the search results? Will your competitor be?

The same applies to restaurants and lodging. People are visiting a certain area. Over 70% of travelers in the United States and Europe use the Internet to set travel itineraries – and those itineraries include restaurants, accommodations, and shopping. Will you be among the choices found when they search the Internet?

If you offer something that people are looking for, a large portion of people (perhaps a market unknown to you thus far) will search the Internet, because it’s fast, it’s easy, it’s global and it’s private. A web site will put you in the running with others on the Internet.

QUESTION 5: I don’t even use a computer. I can’t maintain a web site.

Using the computer is like playing the piano. You can play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or a Sonata by Chopin. Either way, you’re getting a tune out. To maintain a web site you should have a computer, and you – or someone in your company – should be able to send and receive email. Your web developer can help you with maintenance, changes and updates, which is generally simple and affordable.

QUESTION 6: Our customers like the personal touch and most aren’t computer users.

Your current customers may not use the computer much – that is possible.

A worthy concern should be about the potential customers that do use the computer and CAN’T FIND YOU. Statistics prove that 65% of the population in rural areas uses a computer at least once per week, and 85% in metropolitan areas use a computer. These percentages have NEVER decreased. It is likely that they will continue to increase. A website keeps you in sync with this trend.

Another interesting statistic:

The fastest growing sector of the American population getting computer literate is between the ages of 50 and 75. This sector also includes those with the highest percentage of disposable income. A website helps you target that using population.

Another thing to think about …. 75 years ago, the American population felt that the telephone was an expensive luxury and not crucial to business growth. That sentiment continued for 30 years. As social communication trends changed, and expenses decreased – businesses changed to insure profitability. Use of the Internet will only increase in the next ten years.

QUESTION 7: I have a cousin who can make web sites. I’ve already promised him that he can do ours.

Is your cousin a qualified web developer? If so, you’re the lucky one. Be sure to impart a sense of urgency in getting the site completed. If he or she makes websites as a hobby, you’ll want to consider the following:

QUESTION 8: Our upcoming advertising commitments will use all our marketing money.

It is important to recognize that a website is NOT an advertising investment. It compliments and empowers your advertising efforts. Ads are the property of the advertising vendor, and are a revolving cost to a company. You buy an ad for a specific amount of time – and then the ad is gone.

A website is a marketing and communication tool that belongs to you. You control it and you can use it continually. It is a company asset similar to a telephone or fax machine. You buy it one time and only pay for the service to use it. Websites reach a growing customer base that up until now has remained hidden to you. It also services your current customer base, giving them more options to communicate with you.

Once you have a website, you can include your web address on all of your advertising, offering potential customers and clients an opportunity to find out more. A website in today’s world is also a stamp of credibility to the public that hasn’t yet met you.

The following quote is an excerpt from Small Business Magazine – October Issue 2003.

“Customers and other people who come in contact with your business expect to find a reputable businesses on the Web, so don’t risk your credibility by not being present.”

QUESTION 9: A website seems so sterile and impersonal. It won’t add to “our kind” of customer base that was built on personal relationship.

This statement is commonly made by specialty shop owners and real estate agents. Real estate agents will add “I already invest high dollars in space advertising.” This is probably one of the most frustrating objections for me because the business owners that say this are some of the nicest people I’ve met – and are usually sound business people. They know how to treat a customer or client with special care.

However, they don’t understand that all kinds of people use the internet to access information. The internet, unlike advertising mediums does not target a set demographic. Magazines, Newspapers, Television, Radio – are all demographically based. Family Circle will always target women between the ages of 25 and 35 that have young children. Country music radio stations target a specific audience as do Cable news programs or shows like Sesame Street.

The Internet gives everyone access, targeting no one in particular. The Internet user chooses where to look, just as they choose what newspaper to buy or what television program to watch. If your business is not there, it won’t be found.

There are over 8 billion web pages indexed in the Google search engine. The top three commercial markets on the web are Technology, Real Estate and Travel. Technology businesses know they need a website. If you’re in real estate (even an individual agent) YOU NEED A WEBSITE. If your business markets to travelers accommodations, restaurant, specialty shopping, tickets, travel wear, recreational products, travel gear, animal care, children’s activities) YOU NEED A WEBSITE. Statistics show that 7 out of 10 people will go to the internet for information before they purchase real estate or set a travel itinerary.

A website usually is rather impersonal – and that’s a good thing. When people use the internet they want information not a personal relationship. The information will bring them to you. You create the relationship.

A website gives you a higher number of potential customers to create a relationship with. If internet users don’t find you on the web, they’ll seek out your competitors who have websites.

QUESTION 10: I wouldn’t know what to do with a web site if I had one.

In addition to the information above, understand that Internet users find you – you don’t find them. They will either search for you because they’ve heard your name, or search for a product you’re selling. If your business is not listed, it doesn’t exist to Internet user.

Your web developer is a trained professional that will assist with maintaining and handling the website.

SUMMARY

A website is a marketing tool that costs you ONE TIME and continues to pay you back. It expands your customer base, enhances your advertising and marketing efforts and gives your business a mark of credibility.

A website at its basic level tells millions of Internet users:

When you consider the continual growth in numbers of Internet users and the growth of companies that are on the Internet, some of which may be your competitors, it could cost you NOT to have a web site.

ARTICLE CREDITS

Mindie Burgoyne is a freelance writer living in rural Maryland. She works full time for the State of Maryland as an Economic Development Representative serving the rural regions. She has written scores of published articles on Business, Travel and Family which have been translated in over 15 languages. She is the author of the book “Snow Hill” published by Arcadia Publishing as part of their Images of America series.

www.writingthevision

marylandwriter@gmail.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Disadvantages to Designing your Own Website

There are a host of reasons why some small businesses and entrepreneurs choose to design a business website independently. Website design tools like GoDaddy entice all kinds of people to try their hand at designing his or her own site for free. Of course, a no-cost website sounds attractive when you’re trying to balance your business budget, but when you weigh this advantage against the potential disadvantages, the savings get lost in the long run. There are several disadvantages to designing your own website, and as a business owner, you will want to keep them in mind when considering what the goal of your website is.

Sell your Product or Service

The goal of your business website should be to sell your product or service. If your current website has a rudimentary design, it’s time to seriously consider the repercussions. Sure, you’ve saved a buck or two by designing it yourself, but think of all the web traffic your website design is pushing away. One of the biggest problems of homemade websites is that they are not designed with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. In fact, almost no homemade design uses SEO. A professional web designer can help turn this problem around and start rerouting traffic to your site.

A website design that looks like it was built by a child may be enough to turn a potential customer away before he or she has had a chance to see the wonderful products you are offering. Signs of a site design that may turn customers off are a cluttered and unstructured home page, a site that was designed using a hokey or juvenile design template and the lack of meta tags.

As a Professional Website Designer

We can take the basic information you have poured into your website and transform it into a professional, seamless and structured tool to help achieve your online goals. I can help you target your market audience, corral a potential customer base to your site and help you retain that customer base because the website will be easy to navigate and properly promote your product. The money you spend in using a professional web designer can be returned tenfold with the traffic that will flow to your business site. Web design and web redesign are viable options to consider. With a unique site for every customer, you will not be disappointed. Contact us today and see how you can get your affordable website under construction.

So what is SEO anyway? SEO is the algorithm that webmasters use to improve the way the search engines see the website. The purpose is to improve a websites rankings and ring in more traffic. But SEO is changing and now its no longer just about using the right words to get a site in the right rank, now its about getting quality content too, something that readers may actually be interested in and interested in learning about.

The objective is to find the right kind of reader, the one that is interested in what you have to say and what your product is. This is called SEO targeted marketing. So you need to get relevant, interesting, and fresh information on your site. You want readers that are interested in your product and not in something that doesn’t have to do with what you are selling because you won’t be able to keep that type of reader.

So essentially, SEO target marketing “kills two birds with one stone”. You give the reader the information he needs, and the search engines rank you for having relevant information to the keywords you are using.

This way the traffic you get to your site will be because you have established yourself as an expert in your field and people come to you looking for useful information. You get people interested in the information on your site, and they keep returning.

When you interest your readers in your site then those visitors are more likely to convert into buyers. You will be happier with the relevant traffic you are getting, and they will be happier because they are getting what they actually look for.

When you own an internet company or an offline company that you want to market online you always want to keep SEO in mind, but SEO for the particular reader that could be interested in the product you market.

Balancing out SEO and content is the key to practicing good SEO target marketing, and getting the right people to your site. People that are more willing to buy your product and your content will keep people coming back for good information.

Article by Rajeev Negi

About the Author

For more useful tips & hints, please go to www.the20seotools.com & www.seo.infozabout.com

Are you content with this numbers?

There is a way of achieving higher ranking of your site and achieving increased traffic to your site. It’s called keyword optimization.

This is the process of drafting articles so that they are keyword optimized, and then when your articles appear on the search engine results, they will rank higher than others who do not employ search engine optimization.

So, how can you achieve this?

1. The first thing you should do is ensure that the title of your articles are keyword optimized. Include a keyword in your title at least once.
2. It is important to ensure that the content of your article is relevant to the title or heading. So if you are writing an article about sports cars, then the title of your article should include the word “sports cars”. Then, when you continue with the content of your article, it is imperative that you write about sports cars and not about lorries or motorbikes.
3. It is important that you do not repeat your keyword willy-nilly. If you do, you will find that your article becomes clumsy to read and your reader will not continue to the end of the article. Do not forget to include a couple of mentions of your keyword in the top half of the article.
4. Forget about keyword density. There are those that believe that in order to achieve success with search engine rankings, it is important that your article is between three and 10 percent keyword dense. But I would forget about it. You will automatically mention your keyword several times in your article without making it uncomfortable to read.
5. Never use the same keyword twice in the same sentence.
6. Include variations of spellings of your keyword, including the use of plurals. You could use the English and the American spellings as well as other similar words.

Article by Janet Simpson

About the Author

To download Janet Simpson’s new free ebook click here: Up & Running In 14 Days

The traffic statistics of the vast majority of websites will show that that most visitors leave within 30 seconds. What that means is that most websites are failing to attract the interest of the visitor, and if yours is an ecommerce site, than that is another lost customer. Web design is the major critical element of any web site, and includes aspects of the site such as aesthetic appeal, giving visitors what they are looking for, ease of use, and so on.

Let’s look at each of these in turn:

Artistry and Aesthetics
Would you walk into a dingy dark store that looked as if no care or attention had been paid to it in years? Of course not! I’m not saying you must use bright colors, because many niches and product types don’t need bright colors, but it should have an appeal that doesn’t turn people away.

Web design should reflect the product or service being offered, and the experience of webmasters over the years has been that conservative colors and designs are better received by visitors to certain types of online store than bling. OK for a jewelery shop, but not for selling golf balls. If you want to retain a child’s interest, on the other hand, then you will do so with bright jazzy colors and a bit of movement on your website.

Having designed your home page, leave it for a day or so and then open it online and look at it. Would you stay on that site, or go ‘Uurghh’ and click away? Ask your friends to check it out and get their reactions.

Consistency

Be careful when designing your home page, because that will be the template for your entire website. Visitors do not like to see each page designed differently, and the successful sites have a continuity of web design throughout the website. The search engines also like that continuity.

Give Them What They Expect

If you advertise golf balls, don’t send them to a page offering golf shoes. Give your visitors what they expect to see and make it obvious. If you are selling Microscopes, don’t make them need one to see them! Web design involves more than just the colors and shapes you use, but also how visible your products are to your visitors.

Ease of Use

This can be a massive topic: how often have you visited a website and wondered what you are meant to do next or how to order or pay for something? It is very common, especially where functionality has been sacrificed for looks. A website can look really good and well designed while being very difficult for prospective customers to use.

Again, put yourself in the place of your visitor. Can she get to the page she wants within two clicks or does she have to travel through a maze to purchase that fabulous watch she has her eyes set on for her boyfriend. After two clicks most people tend to get fed up and click that white cross on the red square. Lost forever!
Good web design technique is to get the mechanics of the site right. Make it simple for customers to find and purchase multiple products and then work on making it look nice. A good looking site with fabulous web design, artistry and antithetical appeal will fail if your customers find it difficult to use.

Here is what good web design is and how to achieve it:

1. Each page should be based on a template containing the same elements in the same places, and consisting of the same colors. A visitor does not want the main navigation on the left side on one page, at the top on the next and the switching to the right. Colors should be consistent throughout the site.
2. The page should look good, and the colors and design be suitable for the theme of the website. It should be designed artistically, and although that is a subjective concept, it is possible for web design to be aesthetically appealing to most people so that they will remain on the page over that vital first half minute or so.
3. The navigation should lead visitors to the main catalog pages within a maximum of two clicks. Any products not available within two clicks will not sell.
4. Any shopping cart should be able to be filled without going to checkout until the customer clicks on ‘Checkout’.
5. Think of a shopping mall store, and then replicate that on your website. Replicate the ease of travel between departments, the ease of filling your shopping cart and the ease of paying for everything at one checkout using one payment method.

All of that adds up to good web design: not just the colors and design of the page, but of the overall look, feel and functionality of the entire website. If you find that difficult to achieve, then there are ecommerce platforms available that can help to do it for you: some, such as CS-Cart, are even free online to download. Using that you will have no excuses for losing potential customers through poor web design.

Google is the leading Search Engine

At the forefront of the SEO check and balance system is the leading search engine—Google. They have pretty much set the standard for technology in search engine algorithms that can track the relevancy of a website to its content and SEO efforts. Their ranking system remains one of the most popular methods of determining a web site’s quality because of their diligent efforts of weeding out the bad apples that have little to offer a consumer other than skilled manipulation and the ability to ‘play the system’ to their advantage. Of course taking advantage of the system makes perfect sense from a business standpoint but from the search engine outlook of wanting to provide the best quality sites on their results for the viewer it can become difficult to differentiate the site that is good quality wise from the site that is good because it has a very manipulative operator at the helm.

Keyword Density is Not Enough

Because the rules for SEO evolve and change rapidly the mystique of search engine optimization continues to confuse website owners. Many people build their websites thinking the only SEO tool they need is key word density. While key words are an important aspect in SEO they are not the only means to an end, they are simply a part of the puzzle. There is another tried and true method of SEO that is as relevant today as it was at the start of the concept of web 2.0 marketing and that is back linking. While back linking remains one of the most successful ways to get your site to rank high on the search engines it also has undergone some changes making the types of links important so that search engines do not penalize a site for bad incoming links.

Back Links

The term “back link” refers to an outside link on another site that points to yours. In the past any link from another site would have a positive impact on your site by the search engines. Because there were so many gimmicks developed in the last few years to garner massive back links to websites such as link farms, and irrelevant reciprocal linking Google began to develop a way to weed out links that were purchased, or had little meaning or relevancy.

Even though back linking is used to manipulate search engine popularity there are many very legitimate reasons for using the system of back linking. Finding web sites that have a common interest to your own who are willing to place your link on their site can get you extra exposure. When their visitors come to their site they will see your link and likely visit your site as well. The fact that onsite links like that have such a perceived relevance to the visitor makes them a valuable marketing tool, but that perception of quality is also why Google works so hard to be sure they are real quality links. You will get higher ranking on a search engine for a number of truly appropriate back linking partnerships however if the sites linking to you do not share any common information or products Google will penalize you for the link. There are new programs in the works with Google where your site could even be devalued if the site that links to you is determined to be bad quality so it is important who you choose to link to, and also who links to you.

Link Bombing is Bad for Business

In the past many web site owners would open up multiple websites with the sole purpose of promoting one principle site. They would use the extra websites as a means of placing back links to the main site. Google now watches for sites that are created with the same IP address. Creating a large number of websites on the same IP address and putting back links on them to quickly develop a number of links is known as link bombing. That is not to say that you cannot ever link to your own website from a site you own. If there is a reason to show your visitors some additional information a few well placed back links are fine. It is when there are many links from each site all pointing to a single ‘main’ site that the search engines look at them suspiciously.

Bad Back Links

The system Google is working hard to put in place to discount a link from a bad site is why it is very important to know who is linking to you and if their site stacks up to your standards. It is no longer true that all inbound links to your site are good links. There are very good tools available online for free that can show you who is linking to you. If you find a site that is linking to you that you feel is questionable in terms of how they relate to your website either in information or product you should contact the webmaster of the site and demand that they remove the link to your website to avoid being penalized by the search engines.

Relevancy is a Must

Probably the best way to obtain a back link to your site is through anchor text. That is when you have another website with content that is relevant to your own (relevancy is ALWAYS important) including your site in the actual content of their site with a hyperlink inside the text. These back links are valued much higher than a simple sidebar link as long as they appear in the text in a way that has a fluid and meaningful association with the content of the article. There are several ways to get such back links. Providing articles to content sites with your link built into the article is one method. If you write very compelling information on your website is another as someone else with a similar site may wish to point it out on their own. You may not even realize they are doing it unless they tell you about it. This is one of the main reasons it is important to keep an eye on who is back linking to you. While the majority of those types of links are wonderful and you should thank the site owner for their inclusion, if you feel the site that is linking to you does not meet your standards, have similar information, or the content is not relevant to your site you should definitely ask them to remove your link.

Keep Your Website in Good Standing with the Search Engines!

Back linking is an extremely important aspect of SEO development and it is something you need to understand well in order to implement and control it properly. There are many secrets and mysteries in the SEO world that diligent study can clear up. Keeping your website in good standing with the search engines and popular with your visitors is the best way to ensure a vital and profitable future for your business online.