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The ABC’s of SEO: Part Two

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

In part one of this series on SEO, we discussed Keywords and how they influence your search engine ranking.  And though keywords have a hand in SEO, the most effective way to optimize your search rankings is to get more inbound links.

Inbound links are links from pages on external sites that link back to your website.  The number of inbound links your website is an important signal to Google of your website’s popularity, so the more inbound links you have, the more popular you appear and the higher your ranking is.

So how do you get inbound links?

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The ABC’s of SEO: Part One

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is an important conversation every business owner should have with their web developer.  It’s not enough anymore to have a pretty site that functions well; websites have to be written and coded in a way that will make them findable by search engines.  Because once a search engine can find your website, your audience can and will find your website.

In the first part of this series on the basics of SEO, we’ll focus on Keywords.

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Are You Giving Your Web Customers What They Need?

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

If you’re loyal to them, they’ll return the favor.
By Jennifer Shaheen, July 2, 2010 | As featured in Entrepreneur

How do your customers use the web? It’s a simple question, but a question many small-business owners forget to discuss when working on their website. Frequently, small businesses get focused on their own technology and not the tools of their customers. From iPads and smartphones to oversized monitors and laptops, how do you deliver your message to your customer online today?

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Death of the 5-Page Website

Friday, June 11th, 2010

An effective website should work and grow with your business.
By Jennifer Shaheen, June 10, 2010 | As featured in Entrepreneur

Are you considering building a website for your small business–or having one built for you? Before you dive in and create one, it’s crucial that you consider your website an investment in your business and act accordingly. This means looking down the road and making sure that the way you build your site allows you flexibility and a cost-effective way to grow the site–and, in turn, your business.

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Beyond Social: Social Media for SMB Marketing

Friday, May 21st, 2010

By Jennifer Shaheen, May 20, 2010 | As seen in Marketing Coach

Today’s small businesses are just as active using social media as consumers; however, the way they approach social media is very different. Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are learning to use social media to communicate with their customers, discover new trends and generate ideas. They are finding social media platforms to be an effective and efficient way to get their message to the right people.

The best way to connect with small businesses is to start with what they need most:
research and information.

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The Online Store for the New Decade

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Before you can make sales, you’ll need to make connections.
By Jennifer Shaheen, May 5, 2010 | As featured in Entrepreneur

From jewelry designers to musicians, from shop owners to authors, everyone is looking for a way to sell products or services online. How do you begin, and what do you need to know about setting up and managing an online store for your business? Whether you do it yourself or hire a firm, you are the expert at what you sell, and your involvement is crucial to the success of your web store.

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Three Steps to Consider When Developing Your Website

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

By Jennifer Shaheen, April 4, 2010 | As featured in Women & Biz

Wouldn’t it be neat if you could buy a studio apartment in New York City with the ability to expand it at any time to a one bedroom and then a two bedroom? You could start with what you could afford and then expand your living space as you were ready financially. What a great idea, it’s too bad we can’t do this in a physical world, but in a virtual world this is completely possible. It is a great way to start thinking about your company’s website.

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Do-It-Yourself Social Media

Monday, April 12th, 2010

Not getting what you need from the mainstream sites? Build your own.
By Jennifer Shaheen, April 14, 2010 | As featured in Entrepreneur

Building a social website isn’t the same as adding social elements to a website. You’re not just plugging in a widget to your website to show the streaming newsfeed from your blog. If your business model is focused on building a social website, what does this mean from a development point of view?

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Which Features Should Your Website Have?

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

By Jennifer Shaheen, February 5, 2010 | As featured in | As featured in Entreprenuer

Understanding website functionality can get a little confusing, and deciding what bells and whistles to include on your site isn’t always easy. Here, we discuss three tools used on many of today’s websites..

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Is Your Website Lame?

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Turn your website from an electric brochure to a customer experience.
By Jennifer Shaheen, January 22, 2010 | As featured in The New York Enterprise Report

If you have not updated your company’s website in a couple years, you are in danger of having a lame site, and it might be turning customers and prospects off. It can also keep customers from finding you and spreading your message.

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