• 5 Easy Ways to Make Website Content Easier to Manage

    Let’s get stright to it, here’s what we are going to cover:

    1. Integrations and Automation
    2. Specific Fields, Templates
    3. Post Types and Categories
    4. Content Usage
    5. Footers and URL’s

    One major pain point for users…duplicate entry. Usually, this relates to folks managing social media and a website. You have multiple calendars for instance and each time an event is added or needs to be updated, you have to update it…EVERYWHERE.

    Integration / Automation

    This is just one example, but we help so many clients by integrating outside platforms with their website. We live in a connected world, why not take advantage? Most major platforms support API keys or feeds to integrate with any number of resources. Click, copy, paste, connect, and done.

    Sounds easy, right? Each circumstance is different and well it’s a big world out there with plenty of sketchiness. Here are a few tips for picking integration platforms:

    • Reputation – If you can stick with publishers who created the original platform. If not, is the add-on provided by a reputable company with other well-rated add-ons?
    • Reviews – Check the reviews, are there more than a 50? Are there any recent ones? Are the recent ones bad? Yeah, it’s not boding well.
    • Support – If it doesn’t work this is who you talk to, so make sure they are easy to find. Even better, is there full documentation available? A developer loves good documentation.
    • Release Dates – We look at how long ago something was released and how long ago it was updated. An add-on one-year out of date is getting questionable. A plugin only released two months ago may have some bugs.

    As always if you have a question, we’re here to help!

    Specified Content Fields, Templates

    If you can’t automate content, the best way to streamline content management is through consistency. We use custom fields to gather the necessary information in our website templates and display that info on the page. All you do is type in the label, we handle the rest.

    An overwhelming number of display options and unformatted text leads to consistency problems. Any website with a lack of styling consistency looks messy and makes it difficult for users to easily identify information in patterns.

    Post Types and Categories

    We refer to posts, which are blog posts. Date sensitive material posted as news or updates. The latest post usually appears first in a list and these can be organized by categories. Creating an effective structure for categories means you can organize content across your site that is automatically populated based on a simple checkbox.

    A good example for this is job openings. Current, important, but temporary information that may need to appear in multiple places on your site. What if it’s filled? You are back on the hunt again searching for bits of outdated info. But create a post, and the latest posts in the same category would have populated, pushing the job post in question away from a featured position.

    Need help with getting your content under control? Ask us about website devleopment.

    But what if people still need to find it? Searches are great for giving access to posts that may have been moved further down the blogroll.

    Content Usage

    It happens all of the time, one pit of information needs to be updated and you hunt down every link and then find more weeks later. Info is important, but consolidating sources is key to limiting hidden outdated information.

    Pages Should Be for Persistant Information

    A page on a website should contain relevant and persistent information. It’s what we call “cornerstone content.” Vital information your site provides visitors. Unless you have a blog site, in which case your sheer volume of blog data is your resource. But you too will still have important pages, like Affiliate Information, User Account Access, About, and Advertising.

    We work with clients on this all of the time. It’s important to understand what a user will visit your site for and to address their interests with your content. (See our post on how SEO works for more!) A page, like services, for most businesses, has vital content and should be maintained, but never dated or too brief. These types of pages should be managed and reviewed frequently to ensure accuracy.

    Dates

    Content with dates for annual events or weekly events needs to be continuously updated. Use a calendar or post for temporary date-relevant data. Finding pages with outdated, dates is a sure sign of a website in need of maintenance, not to mention super frustrating for users looking for current information.

    For other dates, like years in business, avoid saying 35-years (for example) and go with the year you were founded. People are smart, they don’t need the exact number. And before you get too antsy, if it’s an anniversary year, make a blog post, add a banner to your home page. Easy items that should be updated often anyways.

    Footers and URLs

    Footers

    This usually appears on every page of a website. Bits of info like phone numbers, customer service links, legal disclaimers and addresses need to be easily accessible to users and easily updated by managers.

    URLs

    URLs are the phone numbers of web pages, miss a single character and you’re lost in 404 land, “Page Not Found”. Content managers need to be ever-vigilant with a site’s URL structure.

    Here are a few things to be aware of:

    • Duplicate URLs – /contact-2 – Numbering is never what you want to see. It’s sloppy and publishing multiple copies of the same page is always a bad practice. If you need a test area, use a test page. Avoid creating “sandbox” pages that use cornerstone URLs.
    • Redirects – If a page ever moves or needs to be removed from your site, you need to tell search engines and users, where to look. Deleting a page without providing the proper 301 redirects, is a major no-no and should be done with discretion.
    • Dates in URLs – /summer-fest-2016 – oh look that festival we wanted to go to this year, oof, maybe they don’t update their page. Side note, I have seen URLs like this on posters for recent year’s events. It’s not a good look. It needs to be changed to /summer-fest (with a 301 redirect, so you don’t lose your SEO street cred).

    Thanks for reading, we hope you found this helpful!

    sbeaver

  • How SEO Really Works

    The Basic Idea – Give the people what they want.

    All search engines have the same goal: just give people what they are looking for. It sounds simple enough, but when the competition is tight quick decisions need to be made on the part of the search algorithm.

    Our Advice:
    Search Engines can change their algorithms on the fly, so what works today may not work tomorrow. They are constantly hunting down sketchy SEO tactics and cutting out the worst offenders.

    Here are the 5 main areas we focus on when trying to build a quality site’s reputation and improve search result ranking.

    Total Traffic

    A sites’ overall traffic is a great indicator of quality. Facebook, for instance, has billions of regular users. Same with many major national brands.

    Our Advice:
    Trying to directly compete for an audience using the same exact keywords as a national brand is a stretch. In this case, find your niche and provide the best results. Your rank will grow from there.

    From the viewpoint of search engines Traffic = Quality. So even though the traffic may not all visit the same page, getting traffic to your site either by sharing on social media, adding links to email adverts, or using an on-site client portal can help improve your reputation compared to others.

    Time on Page

    This parameter refers to how long a user stays on a page. What a search engine cares about is: how long a user stays on a page after using a specific set of keywords.

    This provides feedback as to the quality of the content on the page. Better content, a more engaged user and a better answer to the search. This adds up and several variations of search keywords and user types helps to paint a clear picture of the quality answer your site provides.

    Bounce Rate

    Bounce rate is the frequency that users visit and quickly leave a site. This comes back to time on page, if you spend more than 30 seconds on a page, there is a good chance the user found something they were looking for. If it’s only a matter of a few seconds, then the page probably didn’t match the search terms or it was too difficult to navigate. This looks like a giant NOPE for search engines when it comes to particular set of search terms.

    Our Advice:
    Lose as many annoying pop ups, oppressive ads or padding content that can destract from a particular topic. Quickly tell the reader what they are looking at. Then give details to keep them reading.

    Keywords

    Keywords are pretty straight forward, of course, a search engine is also saying, “humm, here’s what I think this individual means by this,” not just based on one search, but search and browsing history.

    It’s really not just words either it’s actually keyphrases in today’s terms. This is especially influenced by voice-activated searches such as using Siri or Google Home. It is far more common to actually type questions such as “what is the best” or “how do I” versus just “hamburger restaurant” or “change a tire.”

    There are also suggested searches, those little tips that show up as soon as you start typing that influence what a user actually selects.

    Any way you look at it, the final keywords come down to knowing your audience. You may have the answers, but if you are not using the same terms as your audience they will have a hard time finding you and maybe understanding your answer. Research, ask questions and learn to speak their language.

    Site Quality

    The last element we are going to discuss has several points involved all affecting a user’s experience and interaction with your site. Search engines want to help users stay safe and enjoy their service so these add up and can totally break a 5/5 rating.

    • Site Speed
    • Reference Links
    • User Experience
    • Secure Connection (SSL)
    • Device Optimization

    In Brief:

    Site Speed – When do we want it? Now! If it’s slow to load, a user will have a poorer experience, especially on slow connections.

    Reference Links – Do other quality websites also refer to this one? Yes..perfect! If no, please refer to poor quality site.

    Our Advice:
    Monitor your site links, if a poor quality site links to your page. Disapprove the connection.

    User Experience – Easy to navigate and ADA friendly. No intrusive pop-ups demanding you sign up, share the content, buy the product…yea I lost you a while ago. Just don’t.

    Secure Connection – PCI compliance requires an encrypted connection when passing credit card information to a processor. But it also shows any information you enter in contact forms is protected and browsers do prefer sites using a secure or https:// connection. Makes the search engines feel a little better.

    Device Optimization – Does it respond on different screen sizes? If the answer is no, about 60% of internet traffic will pass by a site, because it matters in SEO.

    sbeaver

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  • What is the biggest threat to your website’s security?

    Hackers.

    Yup, we said it. And by hackers, we mean relentless, unsleeping, unyielding bots. They probe for sites and servers for a long list of known weaknesses and when they find one, they strike.

    Your website is only as strong as your server.

    So if a shared server is hacked, the websites on it are all going to fall victim. This is one reason we are extremely critical and decerning when it comes to hosting companies. All too often, a cut-rate hosting company will maintain poor security, then offer to sell you a service to remove malware or malicious files from your website when their server has a problem.

    Passwords. Passwords. Passwords.

    Please for the sake of your innocent website, take the time to take passwords seriously. It’s a key and if you were going to pick a key for your house, you wouldn’t choose the one everybody else uses for their house would you?

    The hackers know the most common ones and the most common usernames with administrative access and they use brute force attacks to try every possible option until they find a key that works in your site’s lock

    Keep it up to date.

    Even though past versions of Content Management Systems, programming languages, server software may be secure, it gives attackers more time to find issues and this means an easier target. The latest published (non-beta) version of any platform is generally best for security.

    And yes, sometimes there are exceptions, but that’s what updates are for. Responsible software companies will quickly release patches for any updates with known vulnerablities.

    Happy websiting, let’s keep those hackers at bay!

    sbeaver

  • 5 Things You Should Get from A Reputable Logo Designer

    We have worked with many businesses who come to us with a logo already in place. After years of working with designs from others, here are a few tips for you to use next time you are looking for a reputable designer to develop your logo.

    A Vector File

    You may not be familiar with all of the jargon used by a professional graphic designer, but that is okay. A good designer will take the time to explain what a vector file is and why it is different from other file types. You should always have a copy of your logo in a vector format, typically an EPS or SVG.

    Why is a vector important? A vector file does not use pixel units to comprise an image but uses equations to create an exact line structure. A vector image will never be pixelated. A vector file is vital to making quality printed materials to promote your business.

    Typeface Names

    Your logo is the keystone of your business’ brand and your marketing materials should match. Even if your designer creates a custom or customized typeface for your logo, they should provide recommended font choices for your additional branding materials. Countless times have we seen the visual impact of a design muddled under misused (and overused) fonts.  Your logo designer should provide you with the names of the fonts (and the font files) used in your design. This is important in ensuring your brand is consistent.

    A Branding and Color Guide

    Even a basic logo package from a reputable designer should include colors and fonts used with your logo. Colors are just as important as the typefaces used in your design. Designers should provide at least the hexadecimal or HEX color codes (#ffffff for instance) for each of the colors in your logo. Hex codes are used most often online to designate a color. Even better, are Pantone color swatches. These are standardized color mixes used in production to ensure an exact match to your logo color.

    Keep in mind even black has multiple variants. In order to create a consistent brand, you need consistent coloring. 

    Logo Use Options

    If you plan to use your logo and hopefully you do, you will need multiple versions. Not every use is created equal. Always be sure you have a one color version of your logo and a reverse color version (dark background versus light background). Dont’ forget about one-color print logos as well. These should be provided to you as part of your logo development.

    Ownership of the Artwork

    A logo is the identity of your business. Don’t use a stock image or graphic and watch out for license agreements that limit your use of the logo. If your logo is not yours, go ahead and change it. It may cost more now to develop a custom unique logo, but finding out later you never owned the rights to your logo is far worse. We believe it’s worth doing right the first time, so always make sure you own the designs you will be building your business on.

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    If you have any questions about this post or would like to contact us to discuss the development of a fully custom logo for your business, event, or non-profit. Please send us a message and let us know about your project!

    sbeaver

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  • Website Security Certificates

    What is a Website Security Certificate?

    Also, called an SSL, this works to encrypt data which is transferred from your website to another location. For example, credit card payments must be processed over a secure connection, to ensure no one can intercept confidential information.

    How do you know if you have an SSL?

    There are a few ways to tell. The easiest is in your url, just look for an https:// at the beginning (See the Image Below). If you don’t see this, it is possible your site is not secure.

    sample secure url

    If you have an e-commerce platform, such as BigCommerce, the platform will usually provide a shared SSL to allow your customers to have a secure checkout, however, it is still beneficial to purchase your own certificate. Shoppers often look for the https://, shared SSL’s are only there to secure critical checkout pages. This means your site may appear insecure.

    When is an SSL required?

    If you accept information on your website, which is confidential beyond a standard contact form, adding an SSL is suggested. This means employment applications, credit card payments, donation forms, background checks, etc. The SSL will protect your customer’s information from attackers, who may intercept the information as it is transmitted.

    SSL’s and SEO

    Security Certificates are also recognized by search engines. This means adding an SSL to your website can improve your search ranking.

    A Few Last Notes

    If you process payments through a third party provider, such as Paypal, customers are redirected off of your site to send credit card information, which means their information will be secured. However, it will still protect any information accepted through your contact form.

    Stay safe out there!

    We are currently offering SSL certificate and installation for $150, this is a 1-year certificate. Contact us to schedule an update for your website!

    sbeaver

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  • To Manage or Not to Manage Your Website

    We work with a wide range of clients. These include non-profit, e-commerce and small business. One of the main issues our clients face is choosing whether they will manage their own website, we will manage the site for them or a combination of both.

    Let’s Be Honest

    If you are a small business owner you are busy! Time is one of the main deciding factors in whether you will be able to dedicate yourself to generating new and interesting content to go on your website. Prepare to dedicate several hours of time to maintaining your website and internet marketing weekly.

    Quality is another issue. You want to represent the quality of your product through the quality of your marketing materials, this includes your website. You can take the image, post it and share it as many times as you like, but if the advertising doesn’t match the product or branding, you are going to get nowhere.

    We, at App Studios, have been working on website design and development for years. This is nothing we can teach in one or two training sessions. If you choose to manage your website, our goal is to help make that as easy as possible. This includes setting up page templates, training you to break up content, add images and blogging. But you need to ask yourself, how well can I manage this information on my own? Because we build with open source CMS (content management systems) there are many existing resources to help the self managing business owner and you can find great success doing so. And don’t forget, we don’t developed and abandon, we are here to answer your questions!

    What We Have Found

    The Self Manager

    If you can quickly generate content, have a familiarity with social media and the skills and independence to do research, understand quality layouts and how to market to your customer, then we encourage to take on management of your own website.

    The Hands Off Manager

    What we see is that business owners often plan to manage their website, without understanding what is involved and can be quickly overwhelmed. You can successfully manage your own website, but know it is a commitment. However, if technology does not come easily to you and you barely have time pick up lunch, then it is probably best someone manages your website and social media or you. Often times we will conference with our clients weekly about their needs and manage their marketing accordingly. They never need to touch it.

    The Minimal Support Manager

    If you can create and manage content, but need peripheral support with adding page layouts or managing information from your website a limited support budget may be in order. This can also include SEO consulting and new marketing ideas. Even secondary services such as email marketing and graphics for social media.

    But what about the expense?

    Yes, there will be an additional expense, but a website is a tool to build your business. It needs to bring the customers to you and a well managed website can do just that. Giving you more customers and more profit with less work. It is our goal to make you as successful as possible and any combination of management options may be right for you. Sometimes you have to get started to find out. Just remember your commitment = your success.

    Have questions? Contact us for more information on our website development packages and maintenance options.

    sbeaver

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