Archive for September, 2009

Add a Google Map to your small business website when you want your website visitors to be able to easily locate your business. Adding a Google map can have great benefits to your customers for your small business website because you will be easliy found when one of your website visitors wants to visit for your products or services. Not only can Google Maps give your potential customer a map of your business location, but you can show what the outside of your business looks like, aiding your customer in what to look for when they arrive in your area.

Besides adding contact information such as email, phone number and address, sometimes adding a Google Map to your website may be to the advantage to your small business website if your business depends on physical contact with your customers.

Adding a Google Map is easy to do. Simply find a map that pinpoints your business location and surrounding roads, then click on “link” for that specific Google Map. Then copy and paste it into your website to show your customer how to physically arrive at your business. Google Maps can make it easy for your customers to find your small business.

Let your users search your website with Google Site Search
Add a Google Map to your business
Learn how to Add a Google Searchbox to your website
More about Adding a Google Searchbox to Your Website

Also read my blog post on Site Maps for Your Website and
Add a Google Search Function to Your Website

Some ideas for creating a sticky website can be useful to turn visitors into customers. In order to get people to stay on your website longer, I’ve compiled this list of tips to make your website hold the interest of your visitors.

Add a Message Board
A message board for customers to share ideas, questions and experiences on your products and services.

Audio and Video
Audio and video make your website interesting and interactive. Use a common plug-in, standard on most computers, so your visitor doesn’t have to download an additional one to view your audio and video.

Change your site frequently
Update your website with new and unique content to hold the interest of your audience. Making bi-weekly or weekly updates gives your visitors a reason to return for new information.

Checking Online Inventory
In order for customers to check if products are in stock, adding a database could be a good idea.

Don’t Clutter
It’s important to give your website an uncluttered and unique design. Keep your website looking clean and organized so your visitors feel that your business follows the same standards.

Don’t Spam
Sending unrequested mass emails to those that do not know the sender is spamming. Only send solicited emails that were requested from filling out a form on your website.

Interactive Websites
Add interesting pages to keep the visitor engaged to your website and keep them coming back. Color choosing pages for products and other interactive pages make the visit more interesting.

Keep it Simple
Don’t use useless graphics that will just lengthen loading time for your visitor. Animated graphics and personal pictures don’t usually present a professional first impression. Also, keep content suitably categorized into smaller paragraphs rather than huge chunks of written material.

META Tags
META tags are a list of keywords visitors might type in a search engine to look for information. Using proper META Tags is important for your website to be found by people on the internet.

Online forms
For ordering products and services, give visitors the option to fill out a form and order online. Payment options such as credit card or paypal could also be an option by setting up a secured website.

Provide a Newsletter
Allow your visitors to sign up for a newsletter to inform them about upcoming event, special sales and changes to your website.

Small Image Sizes
Smaller graphics will load faster and keep your website visitors from leaving. Potential customers won’t always have the patience to wait for images to load.

Target Your Audience
Realize who your customers are and who you are trying to reach. Are they kids, teenagers, young adults, new parents, baby boomers or seniors?

User Feedback
Listening to the likes and dislikes of your visitors can be useful to learn good ways to improve your website. Adding an option for your visitors to leave comments and remarks could prove to be helpful.

Write Interesting Headlines
Make sure your headlines are interesting enough to attract the attention of your visitors. View other websites and view headlines that interest you to get some ideas.

Related Posts:
Stickiness for Effective Websites
The 7 Best Website Optimization Techniques
10 Ways to Come Up With Blog Post Ideas

Spyware is a type of malware installed on computers which collects information about the user completely without their knowledge. Typically the presence of spyware is hidden from the user, secretly installed on the computer. However, sometimes spywares such as keyloggers may be installed by corporate, shared or public computers on purpose to monitor any activities online.

The functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring of a computer by collecting personal information such as sites visited and surfing habits. Spyware is known to change computer settings and cause slow connection speeds, change in home pages and loss of internet or program functionality.

Running anti-spyware software has become increasingly popular practice for computer security users with Microsoft Windows. Many jurisdictions have passed anti-spyware laws to protect internet users to lower the risk of infection.

Understand what spyware is to give you insight on how it can be dangerous to your computer. If you download a file and your computer suspects it to be spyware, the best choice is always to refuse the file. Understand what spyware is and compare to other downloadable software such as adware, freeware, shareware and malware.

Shareware refers to software online that is provided to users on a trial basis without payment and limited on availability, functionality or convenience. Shareware is often offered by download on the internet or as a CD included with a magazine or newspaper. The aim of shareware is to offer a program to potential buyers and judge how useful it is before purchase of the full version.

Shareware usually is offered as a trial version with limited features, or as the full version for a trial period. The program may stop running after the trial period until the full program or the license is purchased. Shareware usually is offered without updates, support or help menus, and the terms “trial version” or “free trial” are an indication you have shareware.

The term shareware is used in contrast to retail software and freeware. Retail software refers to commercial software available by purchase of a license and may not be copied for others, public domain software, referring to software not copyright protected. Freeware refers to copyrighted software that the author solicits no payment for, although donations may be requested. Understand what shareware is to give you insight on what the term refers to. Other downloadable software terms you may want to be aware of include adware, spyware, malware, freeware.

Malware, short for “Malicious Software” is designed to infiltrate the user’s computer without getting the owner’s informed consent. Malware includes a variety of intrusive, hostile or annoying software or program code. The common term “computer virus” is used as a phrase to include all types of malware, also including actual viruses. Malware is different from defective software which has an actual legitimate purpose but just contains bugs.

Software is considered malware because of the malicious intent of the creator, not just particular features. Malware, sometimes known as a computer contaminant, can contain worms, spyware, trojan horses, computer viruses, rootkits, crimeware, dishonest adware and other unwanted malicious software.

Understand what malware is to give you insight on how it can be dangerous to your computer. If you download a file and your computer suspects it to be malware, the best choice is always to refuse the file. Understand what malware is and compare to other downloadable software such as adware, freeware, shareware and spyware.

Freeware is computer software that is available online at no cost for unlimited time. The author usually restricts the rights to copy or distribute such freeware for “personal, non-commercial use”.

Freeware is a bit different from shareware which obliges users to pay after a trial period or perhaps to gain additional functionality. Freeware is not the same as “free software” in the way that free software can be studied, used and modified without any restrictions. The software license for freeware could impose restrictions on the type of use including individual, personal, non-profit, academic, non-commercial and commercial, or any combination of these.

By understanding just what freeware is will give you insight on how it can be used and compare to other downloadable software such as adware, malware, shareware and spyware.

Adware, otherwise known as advertising-supported software includes any software package that automatically plays, downloads or displays advertisements on a computer while the application is used or once the software is installed.

These advertising functions integrated and bundled into the software notes what internet sites the user visits then presents ads pertinent to goods and services that are featured there. Developers of adware see this as a way to recover money from development costs, therefore allowing the software to be provided for a reduced price or free of charge. These advertisements could be seen by the user as annoyances, interruptions or distractions from the task at hand.

Adware is primarily advertising supported and by being downloaded on your computer, can also install spyware. spyware is a type of malware installed on computers that collects information about users without their knowledge. Understand what adware is to give you insight on how it can be dangerous to your computer and compare to other downloadable software such as freeware, malware, shareware and spyware.

Analyze website registration information with Who-Is to find out who owns the site and which domain servers are being used. When potential customers have an existing website created by another company, I like to see whether the website was created with the customer’s registration information or if it’s being withheld by the company they had make the site for them.

Whois.com can be used to find out:

• The Registrant-the person owning the website
• The company the website is registered through
• Domain Servers in listed order

Many companies who create websites don’t give control to the owner for the website, so then the customer becomes obligated to pay the monthly fee that the company charges. This doesn’t let the so-called “owner” have control of the website, and they end up having to pay for changes each time.

The difference with my system is that when I make a website for you, the registration becomes yours, so you own it. And even better, with a CMS (Content Management System) you can add and change content without paying a web designer each time you want edits done. Investing time instead of money is a great advantage of Content Management.

Useful Resources:

Find the Value of a Website With Website Outlook
Analyze a Website With Website Grader

Other Website Evaluation sites:

Sootle Directory for checking a website’s value

Written Posts:

Review of Website Grader
Find the Value of Your Website
Custom CMS Website Design Advantages

When you advertise your website, you’ll find more people will find you, giving you more potential customers for your small business. Sometimes small business owners will launch a site and forget that putting the web address on their printed material and company vehicle is necessary to attract business.

When you get a new website, the address needs to be added to business cards, printed material and perhaps even on company vehicles. If you have a new website for your small business and don’t advertise it’s address, it’s almost like having no website at all. Chances are your website traffic will not be very high until you add it’s address to your business cards and pass them out as often as possible.

When you add a new website for your small business, adding the address to printed material is necessary to attract business. Soon you could soon have more visitors, potential customers, and income by advertising your small business website as many ways as possible.

Another post about promoting your small business website:

Networking to Boost Business

Find the value of your website or any others with Website Outlook. Website outlook is good to evaluate the value for a website whether you’re buying or selling a website. It’s free and gives you unlimited access for finding the monetary value of any website you would like to research.

Knowing the value of your website with Website Outlook gives you an idea of what it’s worth really is. Website outlook is the perfect tool to evaluate any website. When choosing to buy or sell an existing website, obtain the proper information about your investment could be crucial to your success.

Information offered by Website Outlook isn’t guaranteed to be 100% accurate and offered as a reference only. Further research and confirmation of claims are advised before a substantial investment is made.

Also find the value of your website with Sootle Directory

Find out some more information for researching websites with these pages on CodeRepair:

Find the Value of a Website With Website Outlook
Analyze a Website With Who-Is From GoDaddy.com
Analyze a Website With Website Grader