Adobe Flash is a “multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages.” – Wikipedia.

It’s been very useful to developers for many years. At Wood Street, we’ve used it to develop all sorts of things… animations, video, eCommerce apps, presentations, Interactive CD Roms, etc.

Flash was an effective tool and we used it a great deal. But, it did come with its own set of issues…

1. It requires an additional skill set and therefore is more expensive to develop properly
2. It can be a barrier to effective SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
3. It is much more expensive to update and maintain
4. And more recently, it is not supported on Apple products like the iPhone or iPad

This last point has been fodder for a very public battle between Adobe and Apple. Apple has flat out refused to support Adobe Flash and Adobe has been anything but quiet about their disappointment in this. Don’t cry for Adobe though. They will be just fine. If you’ve ever purchased their Creative Suite, you know that they make money. And pretty much every web design and graphic design professional has a version of it.

Flash has served its purpose but I am to the point where I rarely see the need for it because of  emerging technologies like html5 and JavaScript like HTML5 or JavaScript. Don’t get me wrong, I think Flash can be very powerful. But you really need to convince me that Flash is going to do what these other platforms simply cannot before I am on board with it.

One strategy I will very rarely get behind is building an entire web site or any of the navigational elements in Flash. This is bad form and just plain unnecessary. You can do so much now with CSS, HTML5 and JavaScript, that there simply isn’t a reason to use Flash in the construction of any of the user driven elements of your site other than longer animation sequences.

So the next time someone in your organization starts leaning toward developing any part of your website in Flash, ask them these questions…

1. Is it necessary? What purpose does Flash serve the user? If none, don’t use it.
2. How will the use of Flash impact accessibility? If you are concerned about users with disabilities, Flash could be a hindrance. Readers for the blind cannot read Flash files for example.
3. Can you accomplish the project goals with another technology? Can you use CSS, HTML5, JavaScript or something else to achieve the desired outcome? Even if you can do 75% of what you want with something else, strongly consider it.
4. Is SEO important? It used to be that Flash was not indexable by Search Engines. Nowadays you can develop Flash so that keywords are visible but it takes time and therefore will be more expensive. Of course, if the developer does not know how to do this or simply does not do it, then your Flash piece will be invisible to search engines.
5. Are your users going to be viewing your site on an iPhone or iPad? If even a portion of them are, consider something else. You can do some neat things with animation and HTML5 and it will be supported by these devices.

Flash still has its place. It is currently the most widely used plugin for service video. YouTube, Vimeo and Hulu are good examples of this.

Remember to consider the user and your desired outcome before you use Flash. You can have the most amazingly animated site with all kinds of swooshes and sound effects and video, but if no one sees it, no one sees it.

Unless you have millions to spend on promotion, you need your site to attract visitors on its own. Flash will hinder this way more than it helps.

Am I missing something? Is Flash more useful than I give it credit? Let me know in the comments below…

Does this mean that WordPress is going to solve all of your web marketing woes? Nope. Does this mean you will never need help from a designer, developer or SEO professional? That depends, but generally the answer here is no. Let’s dig a bit deeper into this last idea…

Isn’t Content King?  Does Design Even Matter?

There are lots of popular blogs and web sites that were built using a pre-designed template on the WordPress Blog platform. Some folks have been able to use their basic knowledge of coding to enhance this presence with plugins, upgraded design elements, pictures, etc.

The problem with templates is that you start looking and feeling like every other out-of-the-box WordPress site out there. Sure, some of these templates are decent, but you really need to tweak them quite a bit to achieve any sort of unique look and feel.

Other companies will hire a web designer to modify a template for them. This is definitely a step in the right direction. But if you want to really stand out, a completely custom look is the way to go.

Recently, Google has rolled out a new feature called Google Instant Preview. When you do a search in Google, you will notice a small magnifying glass icon next to the search results. This basically lets searchers preview the site in the listing before they even click on the results link.

So, yes, design matters. User experience matters. Perceived level of trust and experience matters. It is very difficult to be successful in these areas if your site looks like a free WordPress template. (see our previous post on the importance of web design)

And What about Content Management?

Ever since WordPress 3.0 came out, it has been a viable and popular Content Management System (CMS) solution. A CMS is a tool enabling content managers at companies with the ability to edit the content on a web site using a WYSWYG editor – similar to what you would see in most desktop publishing apps like Word.

This has been great for our clients. They love the control they have over their content and the fact that they don’t need us for every single update and edit. We love it because our clients stay engaged with their content strategies and their web sites enjoy greater success. This means happy clients and happy clients give referrals.

Unfortunately, there is a common misperception about CMS solutions. Clients will assume that, because they can edit the content themselves, it’s an easy solution with no training or advanced knowledge needed. Sure, simple edits are generally simple, but not all effectively published content is displayed simply.

Successful web sites that convert visitors to clients use things like call outs, dynamically posted content, social media integration, forms, etc. There are nice widgets and plug-ins for these, but they are a little tricky to manage. With a little testing and some trial and error though, our clients become pros in no time.

With SEO Plug-ins, Optimization is a Snap!  Right?

Sure. With plug-ins like Yoast, wpSEO and others you can now manage your Meta descriptions, page titles, etc. You can even do a quick review of your content for keyword density. These tools are fantastic and really allow the client to be able to manage their SEO on an ongoing basis to achieve maximum results.

But this doesn’t paint the entire picture of SEO. Any SEO expert will tell you that it isn’t just about the keywords. It is about testing, analysis, retesting, more analysis, and more testing.  Get the picture?

Plugging a bunch of keywords into your code and content without some data to back it up is just a bad idea. If you are going to take the reins of your SEO efforts, you need to do some research first and acquaint yourself with the practices of proper SEO.

We recommend the following SEO resources if this is a path you want to take:

1. Search Engine Journal
2. Search Engine Roundtable
3. SEOMoz

So, Is WordPress a Bad Idea or a Good Idea?

It’s a great idea. WordPress is a viable CMS and Blogging solution for many businesses and organizations. However, WordPress implementation is by no means a plug and play affair. With any successful marketing and communications endeavor, it takes planning, the right tools, strategic implementation and lots of testing/trial and error.

The greatest thing about the internet is the wealth of information available at our fingertips. Use it to do some research on WordPress, and I think you will find that it could just be an option for you.

What do you think about WordPress? Let us know in the comments below.

It is a question we hear all the time.  While there is no easy answer to this question, there are some helpful guidelines you can follow.

We invite you to take this 3 question quiz to see if you are managing your site properly…

Question One

Has it been more than 3 years since your site was designed or overhauled?

A lot has changed in terms of usability, HTML/CSS and SEO since as recently as 3 years ago.  If your last major site design or overhaul was more than 3 years ago, chances are your site is out of date.  Some of the major changes are as follows…

• Screen resolution norms

  According to most recent reports, the majority of users have a minimum resolution of 1026×768 but a lot of older sites were designed for an 800×600 resolution.  This means that these older sites are not making full use of the space available and on most of today’s monitors the site can appear to be small.  See our article on screen resolution.

• SEO Standards

  In the last couple of years Search Engine Optimization standards have changed.  No longer are Meta Tags enough.  See our previous article on SEO for more on this.

• Cascading Style Sheets

  These act as the electronic style guide that browsers use to display your site correctly.  Advances in CSS in the last couple of years have increased the speed in which a site loads, the usability of a site for people with disabilities as well as the overall look of the site.

Question Two

Have you updated your site’s content in the last week, month, year?

The overall “age” and effectiveness of your content is what most determines the success or failure of your web site.  If your site has not been updated for months or even years, you are not using this medium to its fullest potential.

With all of the tools at your disposal you should be able to make at least basic text updates to your site in house.  Here are some regular updates you could be making…

• Press Releases

  Any updates regarding service offerings, hiring’s/promotions, awards, etc should be included in your site’s PR/News area.  These can include lots of great keywords and geo-terms which help with SEO.  They also are a way to keep people informed and engaged.  Check out ours.

• Newsletters/Articles

  Do you publish a print newsletter or better yet an email newsletter?  If so, are you posting versions of these to your web site?  Like the press releases, these are also great ways to increase your keyword count while also offering yourself to your target audience as an online resource.

• Blogs

  Beyond newsletters, blogs are quick and relatively inexpensive ways to easily post useful information on your web site.  The great thing about blogs is that they only really need to be about 250 – 500 words to be effective.  You can also set your blog up where people can subscribe and leave comments.  See the MANY blog posts we have written, all containing lots of tips AND keywords.

Question Three

Are you managing and tracking the effectiveness of your web site?

OK, so now you have determined whether or not your web site’s design is out of date and whether or not you are making enough updates to your site.  How do you know if these efforts are working for you?

There are techniques and tools that allow you to track the success of very specific elements of your site…

• Landing Pages

  More and more we use “landing pages” for targeting and tracking activity for specific areas of a web site.  Think of a landing page as a home page for a specific topic, service, etc.  By creating landing pages you can more effectively drive qualified traffic to perform the action you most want them to take.

• Google Analytics

  We implement Google Analytics in the code of most of the sites we build.  It is a free analysis tool that helps you track visitors, referring sites, search engines, keywords used, and much more.  See our article on Web Analytics for more information.

• Call Tracking

  Sure you might be tracking your contact form inquiries, but what about the calls that come from people visiting your web site?  Some companies will use either dedicated phone lines or extensions and then track the calls versus the page views tracked in Google Analytics or their stats package.  Companies that rely on their web site as a lead generator should really consider doing something like this to evaluate the overall effectiveness of their web site.

Evaluate and Adjust – all the updates, redesigns and tracking in the world is incomplete without a solid plan to implement the necessary adjustments along the way.  A web site is never complete; it is a living breathing thing that needs constant attention and adjustment.

Based on your analysis and tracking, you should be able to judge what pages/areas are effective and which are not.  You can also track what keywords people are using and more importantly, not using, and then adjust your content based on that.  If you make the time to manage your web site effectively, you will see it grow as a powerful piece of your ongoing marketing efforts.

If you’re interested in learning more about the marketing efforts mentioned above please contact us to setup a meeting and we will figure out the best approach for your business

Long Tail of Search

The term The Long Tail was first coined by Chris Anderson in the October 2004 issue of Wired Magazine.  A definition from SearchEngineLand.com sums it up nicely…

“The Long Tail of search defines the non-competitive, usually 3-5 word, keyphrases that site visitors use to find web sites.”

You can think of it this way… you are looking for a nice French restaurant in Washington, DC.  If you type in the words French Restaurant, you will most likely not get the results you want because you are searching all French Restaurants EVERYWHERE.

However, if you type in the words upscale French Restaurant Washington, DC, chances are much better that your search will yield useful results.

The Long Tail in this example are the words upscale and Washington, DC.  By themselves they don’t have much to do with French dining but when added to the words French Restaurant they act as a filter to weed out the broad search results.

In the first search you can see results for restaurants in Monte Carlo, LA, etc…

http://www.google.com/search?q=french+restaurant&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_en___US215&aq=t

In the second, more descriptive or Long Tail search, you can see much better results…

http://www.google.com/search?q=upscale+French+Restaurant+Washington%2C+DC&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_en___US215

In other words, the Long Tail is the fringe, the things that set you apart from the masses.

How do you use the Long Tail approach in your Search Engine Optimization methods?

Beyond standard search engine optimization, Long Tail strategies take more time and research.  What are the differentiators that set you apart?  Is it location? Price? A niche market of some sort?  These are the differentiators or modifiers that make up your Long Tail.

One of the best ways to determine what these terms are is to analyze your log files.  You can actually see what are the most popular search phrases used to find your site. (Generally your hosting company will offer this information. Wood Street can also help you.)

As you look through your log files you may notice terms that otherwise you would not have considered using in your site optimization.  These terms are what make up your Long Tail.  Let’s use us as an example:

• Company Name: Wood Street, Inc.
• General Keyphrases: web design
• The Long Tail: web design, Washington, dc, associations

You can see how much the descriptors can dramatically change the search parameters.  We work with lots of large associations on various web design projects, many in the Washington, DC area.

By simply typing in web design, this would not satisfy the search needs of a Marketing Director at an Association looking for a web design firm specializing in associations in the Washington, DC area.

In any web outreach effort, the key is to set yourself apart from your competition by learning and capitalizing on what makes you different and ultimately a better fit for your target clients.  Unlike the past, we live in an age where differences can help you succeed.  The Long Tail is just another way to make that happen.

If you have any questions on this topic or any other web related issues, please feel free to contact us at any time, or… Contact us today and let us help you with your web and marketing services.

It’s the “address” of your Web site.   For example WoodStreet.com.

A more important question is… Who controls it???

You might be surprised to know how many businesses and organizations do not know the answer to this question.  You may also be surprised to know that many don’t realize its importance… until they lose their domain name, and then they become very aware of its importance.

So, how do you find out who controls your etc… and how to safeguard it for the future?  Here are some simple steps you can take to make sure your domain name is secure…

Find out who controls it:

Network Solutions has a free service called a WHOIS lookup.  Simply go to www.netsol.com and click on the WHOIS link:

Once on that page you can enter your domain name, e.g. woodst.com:

You should see results that look something like this (I’ve removed some technical info):

Domain name: WOODST.COM

Registrant/Billing Contact:

   Wood Street

   Jamie Stup (jbailey@woodst.com)

   +1.3016685006

Administrative Contact:

   Wood Street

   Jamie Stup (jstup@woodst.com)

   +1.3016685006

Technical Contact:

   Wood Street

   Jamie Stup (jstup@woodst.com)

   +1.3016685006

Pay special attention to who’s listed in the Registrant/Billing section.  For example, for our domain name, we are listed as the contact for all three.  For any names that we manage for our clients it’s listed this way as well.  We also set them to “auto-renew”, something you should ask your domain name caretaker to do for you.

You may not always want to be the caretaker for your domain name.  We have had some clients who are listed as the contact for their domain name.  Unfortunately, when they receive notification to renew their domain, they either don’t notice the email or they don’t know what it means and disregard it. This can be a scary situation since the consequence is losing your domain name.

We suggest that you set up your domain name with a solid organization you trust that will set it to “auto-renew”.  Don’t lose your domain name.

If you have any questions on this or any other web related issues, please feel free to contact us at any time, or… Contact us today and let us help you with your web and marketing services.