March 2010

In this issue:

Need better Google rankings?

How old is your site ? A redesign is not needed just because it needs to look better. It needs to have the latest web coding too! Search engines don't like sites with outdated programming. If it's been a while since your site was built it may be time for a re-design!

From the Editor:

Social Networking is all the rage. But for a small business owner it's more than just "social", it's a way to drive traffic to your website, therefore your business. This months article is about the power of Facebook Fan Pages.

Check out the News article on IE 6. It's officially DEAD! All web designers are rejoicing around the world as this buggy browser is put to rest. So make sure you UPDATE your browser software!

As always, remember to Surf Safely - use your anti-virus and firewall's!

- Michelle

"The most overlooked advantage of owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against whacking them around a bit." Eric Porterfield.

"The Force of Facebook Fan Pages"

Do you have a Facebook Page for your business? They're not just for celebrities -- any business can start a page on Facebook, and once you have a few fans you can score your own custom username. Facebook pages are an excellent way to keep in touch with customers, even more so on a local level.

With over than 350 million users, it's guaranteed that many of your (or your clients') customers are on Facebook. Facebook pages give you a great way to stay in touch with them, and help build brand awareness and loyalty.

Fan pages also provide a good source of incoming links to your website. Indexed by Google, fan pages often show up in the top ten results for brands.

Here are some of the ways you can make the most of your Facebook Page:

• Offer an incentive to become a fan, such as a discount or coupon, or have a draw for a gift certificate. This is a terrific way to build your number of fans quickly.
• Communicate, don't advertise. Ask for feedback and have a conversation. Avoid relaying a message that's merely saying "buy my stuff." No one wants to see that in their Facebook feed.
• Add local events and share them with fans; encourage them to share these with their friends.

Go create a Facebook page for your business now. Be sure to include at least the following information:

• Info section with description of your business
• Photo or logo

Once you have your page set up, send a message to all your friends and let them know. When you've garnered 25 fans, you can get your own username here.

On a side note, you can also use Facebook Advertising to promote your fan page, focusing it specifically on your local area and target demographic.

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News on the Net

Funeral Held for Internet Explorer version 6.0

Microsoft finally discontinued support for this buggy browser! Web designers every where rejoiced. There was even a funeral held in Denver! See the story here.

This browser is very difficult to design for so most web designers will not design for it unless requested and at extra expense.

Point of this story? UPDATE YOUR BROWSER SOFTWARE!

Tips and Tricks

Get Found with Google Local

Have you ever searched Google on your mobile phone and found that some local results showed up almost magically? Perhaps you've searched for a local shop on Google.com and ended up with an embedded Google Map listing local businesses? That's Google Local, a nifty way to increase your local visibility (or that of your clients).[KS: is that what it's called here too? Not Google Maps beta?]

Google Local listings can contain the following information about a business:

• Company name and description
• Address and phone number
• Hours of operation
• Email and web address
• Coupons
• Photos
• Updates (similar to a blog post)

Listings on Google Local are free, and easy to set up. Just click the link above and fill out some simple information like your address and phone number. You'll have to verify that you're the owner of the business, either by phone or mail. Then you're provided with a verification code that you simply type into the appropriate field on your listing form, and it's instantly activated.

Since Google Local search often shows up above organic search engine results in Google in addition to mobile searches, it's a no brainier for extra exposure and traffic. As an added bonus, through your Google Local dashboard you can see how many visitors and actions (clicks) you've had from your local listing.

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