5 Steps to Improve Conversion Rates

July 23, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

Whether you’re redesigning your website or starting from scratch, you need to make sure that whatever you have online is converting users.

Some sites sell products while others measure success by how many users contact them; either way, you have to be able to determine what’s working.

There are many ways to test your website, but the most important step is to just get started. You can debate with colleagues about color and style for weeks, but in the end you have to let the users determine what works and what doesn’t.
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Looking for a Cure

July 23, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

Blogging can be a challenge - it takes a lot of time to create decent content that people are actually going to want to read. The last three months I have been very active over at the Cure for Common Marketing blog.

The Cure is a blog that I started at my 9-5 job, Jackson Dawson, to try and bring them up to speed in the blogosphere. I am very proud of JD because, while a lot of companies say they want to get involved, for some reason or another they never do. It took JD a while to get on board, but they’re finally coming around.

The blog is one of many upcoming projects for JD, and I’m glad to see it getting underway. It’s very exciting to be behind the scenes in a corporate environment, making changes and shaking things up.
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Google Now Indexing and Crawling Flash

July 2, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

Judging by the buzz around the web today you would think that Google can now index all flash files. While this is partially true, I’m still a bit hesitant.

Adobe announced the news today, while Google explained things a bit, here and here and Vanessa Fox from Search Engine Land wrote up a very informative post explaining more clearly what Adobe and Google were trying to say.

One part that really puzzled me was the wording that Google used when explaining their new process for indexing flash files.
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SEO & Web Design - Are They on the Same Page?

June 30, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

When constructing a website, SEO design and web design don’t have to be two different functions. Sadly though, these two sets of features often come from different sides of the building.

Very few graphic people understand SEO or even what it entails and marketing people are focused on results and may feel that the design is secondary. But can combining SEO and web design be that hard?

If you breakdown the functions of both SEO and web design, they’re not really that different and can be easily and effectively integrated if thought through.
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Giving Back to Local Designers & Developers

June 15, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

Just over a year ago, I moved back from the west coast. I originally moved out west to “spread my wings,” finish school and figure out what I was doing with my life. Seven years later, I had all my problems solved.

While I was there I got very accustomed to the Southern California lifestyle. There was always a hot new designer right around the corner and if you wanted to be competitive you needed to step up your game every day. SEO was a big deal too; everybody knew how to sell and market it.

As soon as I moved back to the east coast I immediately became aware that this wasn’t anything like Southern California. Weather, traffic and even the commercials were different. I moved for a new job and while I was surrounded at work with talented individuals, as soon as I left, I didn’t know where to turn. It was then that I realized that I needed to get back into the design culture.

I wanted to figure out a way to try and give back to local designers and developers by giving them a little link juice and some recognition.

I decided to start a Local Flavor section and I would like to invite YOU (designer or developer in the southeastern United States) to be a part of it. This is a way for local designers and developers to keep track of each other while still staying in the public eye for their next big break.

If you’d like to be a part of the Local Flavor or know someone who would make the cut, please send me an email and a link.

Technorati Tags: website design, website development, designers, developers, southeast

Bloggers Unite For Human Rights

May 15, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

Throughout the hustle and bustle of everyday life we constantly get bombarded with outside noise and it’s important to remember to respect each other.

No matter what happens in life we always need to treat each other with the same compassion that we would like to be treated with.

Check out any of these sites for more information about how you can help your fellow man or go over here if you’d like to learn more about Bloggers Unite.

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. They work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity.

Human Right Watch is dedicated to protecting human rights of people around the world. They stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, uphold political freedom, protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice.

Youth For Human Rights is an independent non-profit that educates people about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so they become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace.

Technorati Tags: bloggers unite

How to Get Ideas (for Blog Posts)

May 6, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

Over the last few years I’ve designed, built, and maintained quite a few blogs. Naturally, spending any amount of time writing you’re bound to hit a wall sooner or later, especially when you’re trying to create unique content on a regular basis. I get writer’s block just like everyone else.

Being a blogger, designer, and developer both for my full time job and freelance jobs, I stay pretty immersed in my industry for most of the day. Often, the questions that I get asked give me plenty of ideas for new content, but what if you’re not eating and sleeping your blog topics? I often get asked for blogging advice, so I thought I’d pass on this great tip.
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Wordpress Theme Development Presents: Elements of SEO

April 22, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

Wordpress themes are an easy way to change the entire look of your website. Free wordpress themes are even better. Every time I develop a new theme for public use I end up using it myself. What can I say, I get too attached.

But as the saying goes, “If you love something, set it free.” So, I’ve decided to release my Elements of SEO theme.
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Keeping Clients Happy

April 14, 2008 // Drew Stauffer

It seems like there is a lot of negative feedback when it comes to website development and SEO companies. Every other client we speak to has something bad to say about the last company. We get very excited when we get one of these clients because it gives us the chance to blow them away.

We know we are going to do a great job and we know the client is going to be excited about their new website. Here is a prime example:

You know the story of the Goldilocks? One bowl of porridge was too hot, one was too cold, and then one was just right. This analogy mirrors the experiences I had with website building companies until I was met by the team from Wildfire Productions. In this industry you often deal with way overpriced work, and on the other hand, lack of experienced work which will drag a project on forever. I dealt with both and was finally referred to Wildfire Productions who had fair, competitive pricing and more importantly, excellent work that was carried out in a timely manner. Here is my webpage to prove it: Popoyo House Rental.
- Chuck Jamison

Technorati Tags: happy clients, website development