Knowledge & Articles
What is SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of enhancing a website to achieve a high rank within search engine result pages for specific keywords and widely used in the field of "Web Marketing".
For example, having developed a new website for your company or business, you must be in the illusion that a website by itself will give you enhanced market visibility and lead to business growth, when actually you are operating in the same marketing environment as you previously were.
The reason behind this phenomenon is: when a surfer Googles for a specific service, he/she will enter the most relevant keyword related to that product/service and scan through for their desired content, generally just in the top 10-15 results. If your website hasn't made it to this list, and that too, for the most relevant tags, its likely that your website will be ignored. It doesn't matter how unique you have made it.
According to Google's survey, If you are not in the first page results, you loose your 63% of potential business.
The bottom line is if you are interested in driving high quality traffic, which can in turn drive revenue, then SEO, is one of the primary ways to accomplish the task.
Google Rank
PageRank is a numeric value that represents how important a page is on the web. Google figures that when one page links to another page, it is effectively casting a vote for the other page. The more votes that are cast for a page, the more important the page must be. Also the importance of the page that is casting the vote determines how important the vote itself is. Google calculates a page's importance from the votes cast for it, based on a scale of 1 to 10.
PageRank is Google's way of deciding a page's importance. It matters because it is one of the factors that determines a page's ranking in search results. It isn't the only factor that Google uses to rank pages, but it is and important one.
What is HTML
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a type of computer language devised to allow website creation. These websites can then be viewed by anyone else connected to the Internet. It is relatively easy to learn, with the basics being accessible to most people in one sitting; and quite powerful in what it allows you to create.
Since the development of HTML in the early 1990s by Tim Berners-Lee, there have been a number of changes and versions. These versions have been maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the organisation charged with designing and maintaining the language.
-
HyperText is the method by which you move around on the web — by clicking on special text called "hyperlinks" which bring you to the next page.
-
Markup is what HTML tags do to the text inside them. They mark it as a certain type of text (italicised text, for example).
-
HTML is a Language, as it has code-words and syntax like any other language.
What is E-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the buying, selling, and exchanging of goods and services over the internet through which transactions or terms of sale are performed electronically.
The most common aspects of e-commerce include:
- Virtual storefronts on websites with online catalogs.
- Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to perform financial transactions electronically such as online banking, paypal.
- Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the business-to-business exchange of data.
- The gathering and use of demographic data through web contacts.
- Email, instant messaging and social networking as media to reach customers.
- Business-to-business (B2B) such as commodity exchange.
- Business-to-consumer (B2C) such as Amazon.com.
- Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) such as E-Bay
What is web hosting
Web Hosting is a type of internet service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website in order to be accessible online. The web host stores all the pages of your website and makes them available to computers connected to the internet.
When user enters your domain name into their browser's address field, the IP address is located and website is loaded from your web host.
If you want to publish your own website, you'll need to sign up for a Web hosting service. Finding a good Web host shouldn't be too hard, since their are thousands available. Just make sure the Web host you choose offers good technical support and ensures little or no downtime. You'll usually have to pay a monthly fee that varies depending on how much disk space and bandwidth your site will use. So it's a good idea to estimate how big your site will be and how much traffic you expect before signing up for a Web hosting service.
What is domain name
Domain name uses to identify one or more IP addresses.It is created for better recognition and easy to use and remember. Because the internet is based on IP addresses which identify as code of numbers, every web server requires a DNS (Domain Name System) server to translate domain name into IP address. For example, the domain name webmasterbangkok.com represents IP address 58.9.108.82. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular web pages. For example, in the URL http://www.webmasterbangkok.com/knowledge-centre.php, the domain name is webmasterbangkok.com.
Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level domain it belongs to. There are only a limited number of such domains below:
gov - Government agencies (US only)
-
edu - Educational institutions (US only)
org - Organizations (non profit)
com - Commercial business
net - Network organizations
info - Information
biz - Business
th - Thailand
What is IP address
IP address, stands for Internet Protocol, is a code made up of numbers separated by three dots that identifies a particular computer on the Internet. Every computer, whether it be a Web server or the computer you're using right now, requires an IP address to connect to the Internet.
IP addresses consist of four sets of numbers from 0 to 255, separated by three dots. For example "66.72.98.236" or "216.239.115.148". Your Internet Service Provider (ISP), will assign you either a static IP address (which is always the same) or a dynamic IP address, (which changes everytime you log on).
ISPs typically assign dial-up users a dynamic IP address each time they sign on because it reduces the number of IP addresses they must register. However, if you connect to the Internet through a network or broadband connection, it is more likely that you have a static IP address.
You can check your IP Address here
Why is SEO important for your website?
If you want to be found on the web, then SEO is the must-have tool for your web marketing strategies. Although SEO is not important for some business (like Nike or Sony because they are already known and people will know to just type in the website address), for many businesses use search engines as a key method to generate new leads and it is basically free advertising.
It is the process wherein the probable customers online are able to see the products and services you are offering based on Search Engine Result Pages. It increases the probability of reaching out on your target market. Lastly, it is your weapon amidst the millions of competitors online who also caters similar products and services.
Here is the facts:
- 91% of Internet users use search engines to navigate the web.
- 9 out of 10 searches are done from the top 20 search engines.
- 8 of 10 searches are done from Google, Yahoo, MSN Search and their affiliates.
- 41% of online buyers use Search Engine Results for shopping.
- More than 93% of searchers don't look second page in any search engine.
- 77% of Internet users employ search engines more frequently than any other online media as the leading vehicle for discovering web sites, surpassing banner ads, web links, e-mail links, etc.
- Search volume presently exceeds 400 million a day worldwide.
- The results from organic search engine optimization is FREE!
Tips to promote your website
Here are some tips on how to promote your website.
- Think of a domain name for your website that's easy to remember. It should be related to what your business does, sells or provides.
- Position your website at the top of pay-per-click search engines. You will only pay your set amount for each click-through you get to your web site but make sure your profits will pay for your advertising cost.
- Allow your visitors or customers to increase your traffic or sales. Ask them how you can improve your business and give you feedback on what else can be done to improve your website.
- Include a signature file on all the e-mails you send out. Provide your business name, phone number, e-mail and web address, etc. Also include a brief blurb for your business or the product you're selling.
- Use pictures or graphics on your Web site that support the product you're selling. They could give your visitors a clearer vision of your product or sell.
- Create strategic alliances with other Web sites (Link Exchange). You could exchange banner ads, sell each other's products as back-end products, cross-promote, etc with relevant partners that will send you traffic.
- Save time and money by using free ad submitters. You will reach a larger part of your target audience far more quickly than by manually submitting your ad. You should manually submit your ad to the most popular web sites and directories like DMOZ so you have a better chance of being listed or placed in a good position.
- Create a good first impression. You will not be able to sell very many products if your visitors think your web site looks unprofessional. Try to use grahpics, attractive colour combinations, a readable text size, etc.
- Make your content easy to understand. So many people can understand and spread your message. (It's an accessibility thing.)
- Put some effort in to minimize grammatical or spelling errors. Especially if you need authoritative people like librarians to link to your site.
- Submit an article to blog sites. The great thing about good blog sites is that their blog pages actually rank highly and send highly qualified traffic. Not just for the sake of having one. Post regularly and post great content. Good execution is what gets the links.
- Get business links. See if your manufacturers or retailers or other business partners might be willing to link to your site.
- Launch an affiliate program. Essentially, a retailer's affiliate program pays a commission to other sites whose links to the retailer result in an actual sale. The goal is to build a network of affiliates who have a financial stake in promoting your site.
- Develop a relationship with all your visitors and customer. Practice good customer service and follow-up with them on a regular basis such as geeting cards, free things, special offers, reminder, etc.
- Be part of social networking hub. If you have a website that is selling a product or a services, you may find it a little easier to use social networking sites to your advantage. Social media marketing isn't just about back links to your website. It can instantly boost website traffic at your site. Social media like Facebook or twitter is an online social community where like-minded people find their own fields of interest and take their fellow users 'recommendation more seriously.
- Be Patient. Traffic increases over time and don't expect miracles to happen overnight. Promotion is a continuous process. You need to continue to update your site, add new articles and resubmit to search engines. Over time you will see your site coming up in search engines, getting better placement and sending you more visitors.
Website design tips
Here are some essential web design tips that will enhance your website look and give first impression of your site.
Fast loading website designs You might design a web site that looks fantastic but few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load. Your designs should be optimized for the web and should not take more than 10 seconds to load.
Select a colour scheme and stick to it If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that's a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them – don't change colours on every page. If you're not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like.
Provide an easy to use navigation system This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it's best to stick with it.
It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top. Try to link to as many pages of your site. Let your information be accessible from all parts of the site. You never know what a visitor may be interested in.
Don't go overboard on special effects Flashy graphics and multimedia controls may look nice, but they're bad when they make it hard for visitors to get the information they want from your site. Those spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading.
Backgrounds Ensure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light.
Readable and professional looking fonts Don't use Comic Sans and other fancy fonts that may not be available on most computers. If the font you use is not available in a visitors computer the web site will use the default font of your computer which is much worse. So try to keep to common and professional web fonts. The fonts that I always stick to are Arial and Verdana.
Browser Compatibility Make sure your site is browser compatible. Your web site should look good in Firefox and Google Chrome as well as in Internet Explorer. Don't stop designing your site as soon as you find that it looks great on IE.
Minimize the use of images Sometimes simple designs are the most effective for the web. Keep your site simple but neat. Don't clutter your page with big, bulky images that take ages to load. Instead use tables creatively and design eye - catching icons that will draw a visitor's attention to a particular section of your site because visitors are usually more interested in content than in design.
External Links It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link
Use of white space Try not to clutter up your page with too many images, backgrounds and colorful fonts. Again use the Keep It Simple principle by minimizing the use of graphics and using a lot of white space. White space gives a sense of spaciousness and overall neatness to a site. Notice the white space in our site.
Site Map & Search Feature If your website is more than 15 pages, it is useful to have a site map or a "Search" feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they're looking for.
Check for broken links We constantly find sites from web design companies in Thailand whose images and internal links don't work right. Always check for broken links within a site before uploading it to your web server and make sure all the images appear correctly.
Content is King!Although it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you put your effort on the content and promotion.
There are things to avoid if you want a professional website:
- Flash intros.
- Pop up or pop under boxes.
- Autoplay music, only allow your customer to play music if they choose.
- Hit counters of the freebies.
- Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly.
- Messy backgrounds.
