Denver SEO Blog: Web Development, SEO & Marketing

If you haven’t setup profiles for your organization on the larger social media websites, you might be missing out on an important opportunity for branding and online reputation management.

1. Branding URLs exist on many social media websites
Major companies are increasingly spreading URLs like http://myspace.com/microsoft in their marketing campaigns, and these destinations have become important virtual real estate. Losing control of such a visible page location could damage a company’s online reputation and negatively influence branding campaigns.

2. Social Media destinations may be difficult to reclaim
Myspace urges users to choose their profile destination wisely, saying it can NEVER be changed. That’s right - NEVER. I think it’s more of a function of customer service than technology, but expect it to be a lengthy process possibly involving lawyers. It’s much better now to spend an hour creating profiles on social media websites. And while you’re there, take a look around. Did your competitors think to create their profiles?

3. Think carefully about your brand before adding content
As important as it is to claim your profiles, be careful of the message your profile may send. A local telecommunications company had “Does not want children” in their myspace profile. Not only is this harmful to the brand, but also detracts from the main message. And remember: archive.org makes anything posted on the internet live FOREVER.

With new social media websites popping up everyday, where should you focus? Make a list of social media websites where your branding is most important. What sites would your potential customers and partners visit? What sites have the most visibility? Now that you have your list, spend that Friday afternoon staking your claims - your online reputation will thank you!

Tags: denver web design, website design, denver web development, website development, seo, search engine optimization

Mobile Search Optimization has been a bit of a buzzword this last twelve months. Web sites have long ignored the cellphone-based web surfer, but lately there has been much interest. There may be huge opportunities for websites optimized for cellphones, PDAs, toasters, and all of the other crazy devices visitors might be using to surf the web. More and more consumers are requiring email and even web access on their cellphones. Initiatives are merging local search, coupons, and even GPS. Mobile search optimization surely is the next huge possibility for traffic. Is your website ready?

It may not matter. With Apple’s impending introduction of the iPhone, everything may change. Again. Consider:

1. There will be a whole new set of expectations for how a phone should browse. With the iPod, Apple defined the niche. Competitors were weighed against Apple’s offering. With the introduction of full-featured browsing via the iPhone, consumers are about to demand more from their phones. They won’t demand a better mobile experience. They are demanding the full desktop experience in a mobile phone.

2. Who would visit a .mobi site, when the full featured experience of a .com is available? In most cases, I would be too lazy to attempt a .mobi surf - since I KNOW the .com is available. We all just want to get our data and get on our way. Only hobbyist surfers would want to go check out the .mobi sites. Who wants to look at a dumbed-down webpage?

Was mobile search optimization a waste of time? Having a few major companies optimize their websites for cellphones probably didn’t make much of a blip on the radar. It’s hard to say what the ROI was for their efforts, but it was likely more of a bet for the future. What do you think - Is mobile search optimization worthwhile for your company or clients?

Tags: search engine optimization, denver web design, seo, website development, denver web development, website design

We’ve developed a free contribution for OS Commerce, allowing the easy integration of LinkConnector’s affiliate code. OS Commerce is a popular free eCommerce system with excellent features. Get Setup:

Signup for a LinkConnector Merchant Account

Download the OS Commerce LinkConnector Contribution

Tags: website design, seo, denver web design, search engine optimization, website development, denver web development

We just developed a free contribution for Zen Cart, allowing the easy integration of LinkConnector’s affiliate code. Zen Cart and LinkConnector are an excellent match:
1. Both help eCommerce store owners avoid the sizable fees associated with opening and operating a store.

2. LinkConnector offers a two month grace period for setup and recruiting affiliates before they charge their low ($50/mo for self managed) fee.

3. Their “Naked Link” technology helps INCREASE your search engine rankings.

Get Setup:
Signup for a LinkConnector Merchant Account

Download the Zen Cart LinkConnector Contribution

11-21-2007 UPDATE:  Changed Link Connector Fees

Tags: denver web development, denver web design, seo, search engine optimization, website design, website development