Basis of Search Engine Optimization

This is in continuation to our previous article in which we discussed what a web site owner should know about search engine optimization and told in detail what are the main steps in search engine optimization. Now we would like to discuss why a web master need search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is simply an effort to replace normal marketing and sales efforts. It’s like you are hiring some one to do your on line sales.

Main objective of Search engine optimization is to have more sales on site. However search engine optimization results can be divided in phases like:

1. Indexing on Search engines

2. Page rank

3. Ranking of keywords

4. Increase in unique visitors visiting site

5. Increase in search on most relevant keywords

6. Increase in Sales

We can further divide Search engine optimization in phases as per results and working procedure.

There are several steps in Search engine optimization but these can be group together in

1. Analysis and reporting

2. Network Building

3. Link Building

4. Research

Here we can use Network building for Increase in unique visitors visiting site, Increase in search on most relevant keywords and finally Increase in Sales. Similarly link building is important for Page rank ranking of keywords.

Search engine optimization procedures are not difficult but need very close and regular analysis and timely decisions to avoid wastage of efforts and to get required results in shortest possible time.

Search engines keep changing their algorithm to rank sites so research is one of the most important aspect of Search engine optimization and any organization or individual involved in search engine optimization can not bring required results if they are out of touch from recent trends in search engine optimization.

There are lots of resources available to keep yourself equipped with latest trends and information related to Search Engine optimization. However brain storming is must to have right decision.

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What you know before going for Search Engine Optimization

If you are owner of a web site, you should think for Search Engine Optimization. It is time consuming job and need patience but in the long run Search Engine Optimization is the most beneficial thing for your web site. It gives life to your web site on cyber net and keeps your web site working for you.

Search Engine Optimization is a name of few simple processes that brings your web site on top of search engines for desired keywords but these simple processes need a deep thought and continuous planning. Unplanned efforts without having corrected thinking will lead your web site to no where.

At least following aspects are must to think about before starting Search Engine Optimization and even during Search Engine Optimization process.

1. Target Market

It is important to be specific about your target market, instead of trying to spread your web site globally, if you can not provide services globally.

2. Target Audience

You should know about the audience of your web site, their age limits, gender, demography etc

3. Target sales

It is important to set your objective. This is easy. First set your expected monthly sales in some given time, say after six monthly. Based on that you can decide how many inquiries you need per month and that will give you idea for visitor per month for the site and searches per month

4. Relevant Keywords

Points mentioned above will help in deciding your correct keywords. This is not necessary that these are the most popular keywords on the net but should be relevant to your web site and your business.

5. Web site design

Design must reflect your business and personality of the organization. So that once a visitor comes to site, he/she should get interest in your web site.

6. Site content

Content is king. Make sure that visitor must get required information from your web site

7. Community awareness

Relevant messages, comments, articles are very important part of Search Engine Optimization. Its viral marketing sort of thing, spread your web site very quickly on cyber space.

8. Analysis

Without proper analysis, Search Engine Optimization may result in vain. It is very important to analyze results monthly if not possible weekly. Analysis should include visits, searches, sales and comments from community.

Website Development

How to promote your Blog

1. Write Well and Write Often

Frequently updating your blog with useful content is the first step to building your blog's audience. The content you write is what will keep readers coming back for more. Make sure you have something meaningful to say to them and say it often to maintain their interest and keep them loyal.

2. Submit Your Blog to Search Engines

Get on the radar screen for the popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo! by submitting your blog's URL to them. Most search engines provide a 'Submit' link (or something similar) to notify the search engine of your new blog, so those search engines will crawl it and include your pages in their results.

3. Use and Update Your Blogroll

By adding links to sites you like in your blogroll, the owners of those blogs will find your blog and will be likely to add a reciprocal link in their blogrolls. It's an easy way to get the link to your blog in front of many readers on other blogs.

4. Harness the Power of Comments

Commenting is a simple and essential tool to increase your blog's traffic. First, respond to comments left on your blog to show your readers that you value their opinions and draw them into a two-way conversation. This will increase reader loyalty.

5. Syndicate Your Blog's Content with an RSS Feed

Setting up an RSS feed button on your blog makes it easy for your loyal readers to not just read your blog but also know when you publish new content.

6. Use Links and Trackbacks

Links are one of the most powerful parts of your blog. Not only are links noticed by search engines, but they also act as a tap on the shoulder to other bloggers who can easily identify who is linking to their sites. Linking helps to get you noticed by other bloggers who are likely to investigate the sites that are linking to them.

7. Tag Your Posts

It takes a few extra seconds to add tags to each of your blog posts, but it's worth the time in terms of the additional traffic tags can drive to your blog. Tags (like links) are easily noticed by search engines.

8. Submit Your Posts to Social Bookmarking Sites

Taking the time to submit your best posts to social bookmarking sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit and more can be a simple way to quickly boost traffic to your blog.

9. Remember Search Engine Optimization

When you write your blog posts and pages, remember to optimize your pages for search engines to find them. Include relevant keywords and links but don't overload your posts with too many relevant keywords or completely irrelevant keywords. Doing so can be considered spamming and could have negative results such as your blog being removed from Google's search entirely.

10. Don't Forget Images

Images don't just make your blog look pretty, they also help people find you in search engine listings. People often use the image search options offered by Google, Yahoo! and other search engines, and naming your images with search engine optimization in mind can easily boost your traffic.

11. Consider Guest Blogging

Guest blogging can be done when you write a guest post on another blogger's blog or when another blogger writes a guest post on your blog. Both methods are likely to increase traffic as your blog will be exposed to the other blogger's audience. Many of the other blogger's readers will visit your blog to see what you have to say.

12. Join Forums, Web Rings or Online Groups

Find online forums, web rings, groups or social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn where you can share ideas and ask questions of like-minded individuals. Add a link to your blog in your signature line or profile, so each time you post on a forum or participate in another online network, you're indirectly promoting your blog. Chances are many people will click on that link to learn more about you.

13. Promote Outside Your Blog

Promoting your blog shouldn't stop when you step outside the blogosphere. Add your blog's URL to your email signature and business cards. Talk about it in offline conversations. It's important to get your name and your blog's URL noticed offline, too.

14. Nominate Yourself and Other Blogs for Blog Awards

There are a number of blog awards given out throughout the year. Nominating yourself and other blogs and bloggers can draw attention to your blog and drive traffic to it.

15. Don't Be Shy

The most important part of the blogosphere is its community and much of your success as a blogger will be tied to your willingness to network with that community. Don't be afraid to ask questions, join conversations or just say hi and introduce yourself. Don't sit back and hope the online world will find you. Speak out and get yourself noticed

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Reference: About.com

Web Design and Development

Web design and development is somewhat old topic now. People are well aware about these. However the importance of these topics is still there as there are advances in both web design and development very frequently. Those who are involved in web design and development should aware of what are the latest trends in both web design development.

In order to keep abreast with the latest trends most beneficial is to have registered on few good related forums.

Then study of related blogs is also worth and should be given some time daily.

Reading magazines containing web design and development related article is the most important thing to keep learning new trends in Web Design and Development

If we go through the history of web design and development:

· The first page uploaded on a web server was just a simple document with black text.

· In late 1990s, websites were designed using colors and text effects.

· Then came the trend of making interactive sites means making visitors to give their inputs to site directly

· Use of HTML, DHTML and Flash was started to create website designs.

· Then came CSS as the table based design was good but it had some limitations; lots of codes to write and implement style on each and every object on the web pages. Solution was introduced in shape of CSS (Cascading Style Sheet). CSS is the latest trend in web design. There are no tables to draw. You can use the div tag to assign styles to any object or component on the web pages

Still new trends are coming up to make websites more efficient and user friendly.

Source:

Shahid H. Qadri is internet consultant and affiliated with www.pntglobal.com which is web site designing and development company.

Ecommerce solution for under developed countries

Internet today is filled with million of web sites and mainly ecommerce based web sites for single product sales to thousands of products on a single site. Then there are different kinds of services available for sale on web sites using similar ecommerce solution.
It is assumed wrongly that ecommerce solutions are best suited for business in developed countries only due to their economy and more buying power.
In fact we see ecommerce solution, its cost and benefits, we will find that ecommerce solutions are more beneficial for under developed countries.
Mostly in underdeveloped businesses find it difficult to get access to bigger markets and web site is the easiest, cost effective and efficient way to reach global markets and introduce your products on comparatively much lower prices than in developed countries.
Also as developed countries has more buying power, it is more likely that they will come to your site and purchase your products as compared to local clients visiting your shop.
Also in developed countries almost every one has credit card so it’s more likely that person visiting from other country make online shopping.
Developed country entrepreneurs may reach business in under developed countries and may have tie with them by helping them ecommerce solutions for their existing offline businesses.
Good web design and development company with proven track record for ecommerce development and ecommerce solution is required for ecommerce development but above all sound business skills is required to plan your ecommerce based web site development.

Ecommerce based web sites should have at following features:

1. Aesthetically good looking site

2. Easy to navigate

3. Good products display

4. Easy to buy

5. Easy to process payment

6. Reliable for payment processing

Source:

Shahid H. Qadri is internet consultant and affiliated with www.pntglobal.com which is web site designing and development company.

Web Site Development

A system development process can follow a number of standard or company definite frameworks, methodologies, modeling tools and languages. Let us see the steps involve in any web site development.

1. Analysis:
Once a client is started discussing his requirements, the team gets into it, towards the preliminary requirement analysis. As the web site is going to be a part of a system, it needs a complete analysis as, how the web site or the web based application is going to help the present system and how the site is going to help the business. Moreover the analysis should cover all the aspects. The first important thing is finding the targeted audience. Then, all the present hardware, software, people and data should be considered during the time of analysis. The analysis should be done in the way, that it may not be too time consuming or with very less informative. The team should be able to come up with the complete cost-benefit analysis and as the plan for the project will be an output of analysis, it should be realistic. To achieve this analyst should consult the designers, developers and testers to come up with a realistic plan.

2. Specification Building:
Preliminary specifications are drawn up by covering up each and every element of the requirement. For example if the product is a web site then the modules of the site including general layout, site navigation and dynamic parts of the site should be included in the spec. Larger projects will require further levels of consultation to assess additional business and technical requirements. After reviewing and approving the preliminary document, a written proposal is prepared, outlining the scope of the project including responsibilities, timelines and costs.

3. Design and development:
After building the specification, work on the web site is scheduled upon receipt of the signed proposal, a deposit, and any written content materials and graphics you wish to include. Here normally the layouts and navigation will be designed as a sample.

There can be a lot of suggestions and changes from the client side, and all the changes should be freezed before moving into the next phase. The revisions could be redisplayed via the web for the customer to view.

Throughout the design phase the team should develop test plans and procedures for quality assurance. It is necessary to obtain client approval on design and project plans.
In parallel the Database team will sit and understand the requirements and develop the database with all the data structures and sample data will also be prepared.

4. Content writing:
This phase is necessary mainly for the web sites. There are professional content developers who can write industry specific and relevant content for the site. Content writers to add their text can utilize the design templates. The grammatical and spelling check should be over in this phase.

5. Coding:
Now its programmers turn to add his code without disturbing the design. Unlike traditional design the developer must know the interface and the code should not disturb the look and feel of the site or application. So the developer should understand the design and navigation. If the site is dynamic then the code should utilize the template. The developer may need to interact with the designer, in order to understand the design. The designer may need to develop some graphic buttons when ever the developer is in need, especially while using some form buttons. If a team of developers is working they should use a CVS to control their sources. Coding team should generate necessary testing plans as well as technical documentation. For example Java users can use JavaDoc to develop their documents to understand their code flow. The end-user documentation can also be prepared by the coding team, which can be used by a technical writer who can understand them, writes helps and manuals later.

6. Testing:
Unlike software, web based applications need intensive testing, as the applications will always function as a multi-user system with bandwidth limitations. Some of the testing which should be done are, Integration testing, Stress testing, Scalablity testing, load testing, resolution testing and cross-browser compatibility testing. Both automated testing and manual testing should be done without fail. There are certain testing tools as well as some online testing tools which can help the testers to test their applications. For example ASP developers can use Microsoft's Web Application Test Tool to test the ASP applications, which is a free tool available from the Microsoft site to download.

7. Maintenance and Updating:
Web sites will need quite frequent updations to keep them very fresh. In that case we need to do analysis again, and all the other life cycle steps will repeat. Bug fixes can be done during the time of maintenance. Once your web site is operational, ongoing promotion, technical maintenance, content management & updating, site visit activity reports, staff training and mentoring is needed on a regular basis depend on the complexity of your web site and the needs within your organization.

The above-mentioned steps alone are not strict to web application or web site development. Some steps may not applicable for certain tasks. Its depend on the cost and time involved and the necessity But even if you are a small development firm, if you adopt certain planning along with this web engineering steps in mind, it will definitely reflects in the Quality of the outcome.

Our team can design, build and deploy web systems that meet the customer's specific business needs from the ground up. Web applications designed by PNT Global help our clients to solve business issues in the most efficient manner, e.g. to reduce operational costs, improve workflow, or to find cost-effective ways of carrying out business.

Web Site Development

Is Sitemaps Important?

A sitemap is a representation of the architecture of a web site. It can be either a document in any form used as a planning tool for web design, or a web page that lists the pages on a web site, typically organized in hierarchical fashion. This helps visitors and search engine bots find pages on the site.

While some developers argue that site index is a more appropriately used term to relay page function, web visitors are used to seeing each term and generally associate both as one and the same. However, a site index is often used to mean an A-Z index that provides access to particular content, while a site map provides a general top-down view of the overall site contents.

Benefits of sitemaps

Site maps can improve search engine optimization of a site by making sure that all the pages can be found. This is especially important if a site uses Adobe Flash or JavaScript menus that do not include HTML links.

Most search engines will only follow a finite number of links from a page, so if a site is very large, the site map may be required so that search engines and visitors can access all content on the site.

Google Sitemaps are most popular to use, so web developers can publish lists of links from across their sites. The basic premise is that some sites have a large number of dynamic pages that are only available through the use of forms and user entries. The sitemap files can then be used to indicate to a web crawler how such pages can be found.
Since MSN, Yahoo, Ask, and Google use the same protocol, having a sitemap lets the four biggest search engines have the updated page information. Sitemaps do not guarantee all links will be crawled, and being crawled does not guarantee indexing. However, a sitemap is still the best insurance for getting a search engine to learn about your entire site.

XML sitemaps have replaced the older method of "submitting to search engines" by filing out a form on the search engines submission page. Now web developers submit a sitemap directly, or wait for search engines to find it.

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Reference: Wikipedia