Watch video clips from the 2010 Social Media Discussion Panel. Honest transparency with Value!

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3
• Question 4
• Question 5
• Question 6
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• Question 10
• Question 11
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I am liking Picasa more and more these days. There are so many integrated really cool features that Picasa and Google have combined. I can easily upload my images of Nevada through Picasa’s desktop interface or through my Google account login. I can then add a title and description, place a marker for the location and share to multiple social networks. How cool is that.

My 2010 goal is to upload all of my Nevada photos to all places we travel and see if I can’t cover the entire state of Nevada!

Download Picasa for your Desktop Today!
Download the Facebook Picasa Widget Today!

Think about what type of company you are comfortable working with before you meet with them. If they give an answer outside of your comfort level tell them immediately. Some businesses don’t mind working with startups or individuals with lesser experience if the price is right. Everyone has to start somewhere, but if this is a risk you are not willing to take just tell the developer.

2 ) Can I see current online examples of your work? Website Designs, Email Marketing Campaigns, Social Media Marketing Setup and Management…etc

This is a must have for any developer. Make sure they have actual websites you can review on your own computer at any time you want. Avoid designers that only show you their work in other formats besides online such as printed collateral. Most developers will be happy to meet with you and review their current and past client work.  

3 ) What other services can you provide?

You never know what other services they may be able to provide unless you ask. It is often easier on you and can build a stronger brand identity if one company or designer can handle multiple aspects of your marketing. Ask them about direct marketing, email marketing, and natural search optimization services.

4 ) Do you have testimonials from other clients?

Reputable designers and developers will happily provide a list of satisfied clients, both past and present. Ask for a list of references to contact direct for a follow up.

5 ) I have a budget. Can I see examples of your work that fall within specific price ranges?

The developer should be able to supply a range of web design examples and online campaigns that where developed within general price ranges or tiers. This will also give you a perspective of the value of the end product being developed for you and your business. You can also request quotes from multiple developers to see a general average in pricing, but beware that the cheapest price might not be your best solution – reason why you ask for examples, testimonials…etc.

6 ) Do you register domain names and provide hosting?

Ask very specific questions about where the site will be hosted. In my professional opinion, host with a third party and keep all information in your name or your businesses name. Do not let a developer register your domain name or hosting in their name. All of that information is the property of you and your business and should always remain that way. Reputable third party hosts include: GoDaddy, Dreamhost, Bluehost, Rackspace…etc.

7 ) What is your process for designing and developing a website?

A well outlined plan or process ensures you and your vendor know each other’s respective roles in the design and development of your website. It also will help you gauge their level of experience. Beware of developers who do not deliver a timeline for milestones during the development phase. Ask your developer to sit down and review the proposed process and ask any questions that are unclear.

8 ) What programming languages and development tools do you use?

Even though you may not care about the answer to this question, it is important information for you to know. At the very least they should be able to hand code html. Other acceptable languages are PHP, ASP, XHTML, CSS, AJAX and javascript.

9 ) What is the change process after the website is finished?

At some point your website, no matter how great it is, will need some changes or updates made. Find out what the process is for having these changes made. One way to avoid having to work with your vendor for content updates is to see if they will implement a content management system on your website.

10 ) Who owns the finished product at the end of the contract?

There is only one acceptable answer here. No matter what, the client owns the website including all graphics and content. The only exception is if your website uses a content management system. Often the CMS is outlined in your contract with the vendor as belonging to the vendor as their intellectual property.

1. Express who you are: A new backdrop can really help people understand who you are as a business and an individual. I use my background to display my business but I also ‘sprinkle’ in a few things about me personally… for example, my love for cooking, my passion for outdoor photography and how all of those things tie back into who I am as a business and a business owner.

2. Additional contact: It’s an easy way to add additional information that you might not be able to plug into your 160 character bio.

3. What’s your brand: Having your contact information, your face, or additional bio information within your background is a common practice. It helps potential followers understand what you do, why you are someone people should follow and how to contact you direct.

4. Why not… it’s fun: It’s really another platform to show off your creativity and style. I use Twitter to showcase more I Love Nevada photography. I change the background images out once every couple of weeks to keep it fresh and entertaining. Follow me on Twitter.

To learn more about how to design and setup a custom Twitter background, give me a call at 626-8330.

The following 12 step optimization checklist will bring you one step closer to maximizing your revenues with smart web design.

1.) Choose a domain name, that is a URL, that is descriptive of what your website will represent:

• Your business name (ex. WestwardStrategy.com)
• Your first and last name (ex. KristyCrabtree.com) or
• Keyword specific phrase (ex. WestwardDesignGroup.com)

2.) Decide what keywords and/or phrase targets the visitors you are looking for, and that best describes what your business offers.

3.) Sub directory names using keywords or phrases should use hyphens in the url: http://url.com/descriptive-keyword/

4.) Title tags are the words that appear on site visitor’s browser tabs as they navigate through your site. Clearly define your title tags for each individual web page making sure that it is accurate and descriptive of the page’s content. Keep it 70 characters or less.

• (Example 1) Primary Keyword – Secondary Keyword | Brand Name
• (Example 2) Brand Name | Primary Keyword and Secondary Keyword

5.) The meta description is the primary source of information search engines review, and this is also the information that appears along with your site name in the search engine results. Clearly define your meta descriptions for each individual web page making sure that it too is accurate and descriptive of the page’s content. Keep it 155 characters or less

EXAMPLE: Keyword/Phrase Search Results

6.) Develop keyword rich content on all pages including the keyword and/or phrase within the content

7.) Use descriptive words for your navigation when it makes sense

8.) Name all images on website with descriptive image names:

• (Example) chocolate-lab-running.jpg vs. img0893.jpg

9.) The title tags are the words that visitor’s click to reach the hyperlinks behind them. Add descriptive title tags to anchor links

• (Example) title=” Descriptive Title Tag” vs. title=”Click Here”

10.) Setup Google Analytics and see who’s visiting your website and who’s giving you referral’s: http://www.google.com/analytics

11.) Create a sitemap and submit to Google Webmaster Tools and other search engines. The free tools give you a look under the hood at your website performance: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools

12.) Add new website to local free business listings and other free directory sites

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Contributed by Kristy Crabtree
Westward Strategy & Design Group

Even if you are a CSS and html rockstar (like yours truly!), it doesn’t hurt to have a few resources up your sleeve. Luckily for the purpose of this post, this Mega CSS Resource Roundup was just published this weekend. I can vouch for the quality of several of the CSS cheat sheets, the html entities resources and the layouts from Layout Gala. Also, if you haven’t been over to CSS Play you are missing out on an exceptional resource for all things CSS. You can also use the W3 Schools website as a quick reference for properties and all of their values – like the font-style property.

See you next week for another tidbit!

This is not an end solution and you will need to modify it to add your classes and ID’s, but it is a big boost over starting from scratch. When you’ve completed your print stylesheet simply link it like your other stylesheets.

<link rel="stylesheet" href="print.css" type="text/css" media="print">

Just make sure to set your media to print!

See you next week for another tidbit!

See you next week for another tidbit!