RSS Feed Our latest blog posts http://www.livingwebsites.com Part 8 of 8 - Webarena Podcast  Part 8 of 8 - 08 Happy Clients ]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/23 Thu, 06 May 2010 19:56:43 +0800 Part 7 of 8 - Webarena Podcast  Part 7 of 8 - More for Less and Quicker ]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/22 Thu, 06 May 2010 19:52:48 +0800 Part 6 of 8 - Webarena Podcast  Part 6 of 8 - The Webarena Difference - Evolving Systems and Websites

]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/21 Thu, 06 May 2010 19:40:48 +0800 Part 5 of 8 - Webarena Podcast  Part 5 of 8 - The Webarena Difference - Customer Service ]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/20 Thu, 06 May 2010 19:18:59 +0800 Part 4 of 8 - Webarena Podcast  Part 4 of 8 - The Webarena Difference - Systems and Processes ]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/19 Thu, 06 May 2010 19:06:12 +0800 Part 3 of 8 - Webarena Podcast  Part 3 of 8 - Website Development Horror Stories ]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/18 Wed, 05 May 2010 20:03:23 +0800 Part 2 of 8 - Webarena Podcast Part 2 of 8 - Typical Pitfalls in Developing a Website  ]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/17 Wed, 05 May 2010 20:01:42 +0800 Part 1 of 8 - Webarena Podcast Part 1 of 8 - Problems with Conventional Website Development

 

]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/16 Wed, 05 May 2010 19:59:23 +0800 A new decade...A new approach to business. I have been in this industry since 1994 (or there abouts) and I distinctly remember the turn of the last decade. At that time IPO's of Dot Com's were all the rage, that was until March 10 2000 when everything came down in a heap. Everyone wondered "now what?" could the old paradigms of business succeed online? Fundamentally in those days we lost sight of solid business rules, we thought of the Internet as a new business landscape when in fact it should have been an enabler of business.

Over the last decade many Internet businesses have come and gone but the one constant has been the use of the Internet to allow business to work more effectively, with greater speed and to erode geographic barriers. Customers are much more accessible, however they are also spoilt for choice. This means as business owners we need to be smarter and better in order to compete.

I believe there is not a business that cannot benefit by using the Internet. It is not always in the ways you think. Many prospects have said to me over the years, I don't need a website, my customers don't use it. I can categorically tell you that is not the case.

Even if you feel they don't use it with you, you can bet they do with others. Maybe not your competitors at this time but they will if it is offered. Why not? They do everything else online, research buying decisions, send emails, do their banking, pay bills. So the choice is do you want to provide these services as an adjunct to your existing business? Streamline your customers experience or wait for the phone to ring? Do you want to spend thousands on traditional advertising like the yellow pages or direct mail that has a small percentage of the reach of the Internet or do you want to create a strategy that works for your business.

Sure just having a website in cyberspace isn't going to do it. The content needs to be relevant, the design professional and most importantly you need to have the technological tools in the back end to allow you the control of your website to accomplish this.

I know I'm biased, but it pains me to see companies spend tens of thousands of dollars on a website that is effectively a prototype. It gets old and decays from the day it is put live. The technology is superseded almost immediately. Ultimately you will go through the same process and expense on average almost every 2-3 years, some even quicker. It doesn't need to be this way. With Webarena we have already created the system to run your website. We have the modules you need now and we constantly upgrade the technology behind all our sites which means your site never gets old. It is in effect, a Living Website.

It's a new decade, and time for new decisions, it's time to make 2010 the decade for REALLY using the Internet to it's true potential. 

]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/13 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:26:09 +0800 Search Engine Optimisation FAQs Below are some frequently asked questions in relation to SEO:

 
What is SEO?
 
At its core, SEO is simply the practice of designing web pages in a search-engine-friendly manner so search engines can easily navigate and comprehend them.  The architecture, design and the information on the site should clearly define the service that is being offered. It may sound obvious but it is amazing how often businesses fall into the trap of not clearly defining their business. Making search-engine-friendly websites has a lot in common with making people-friendly websites. Research shows that visitors to a website decide in a few seconds whether a site is useful and hit the back button. So, a well defined and designed site is good for both humans and search engines. 
 
What can I do to increase my rankings?
 
By far the most important thing you can do is to offer lots of quality information about your niche.  First and foremost, website pages are ranked based on the relevant information that they contain. Good SEO can make the difference between appearing on the first page versus the thirty-first page (virtual oblivion). However, if you only have a few lines of content, it is difficult to compete with content-rich sites.
 
In competitive niches, incoming links (links pointing to your website from third party sites) are also very important. But in order to convince other site owners to link to your site, you need to offer something worthwhile. So again, it is all about great content.  Aim to be the most comprehensive source of relevant information in your niche. The better you achieve this aim, the higher you will rank.  If you don’t feel that you can write good content, you can hire a professional writer to do it for you.
 
How long will it take for my rankings to improve?
 
It depends on how competitive your niche is. In competitive niches, it can take several months for new sites to rank prominently, even if you have worthwhile content.  Don’t be discouraged by this as every new website is in the same boat. The faster you get started, the better.
 
Why are my competitors ranking higher than me?
 
Look at your competitor’s sites and try to offer more than they have.  If your competitor has 10 times more relevant content than yours, then it is unrealistic to expect search engines to rank your site higher. Try to be the most comprehensive and quality source of information on your particular niche. If you can achieve this, you can rank higher than your competitors.  If you feel your site has more to offer than your competitors' sites but is still ranking lower, then it maybe the age factor. New sites take several months to achieve optimum rankings (as mentioned above).
 
Can you guarantee that my site will be number one in Google?
 
No. Ultimately, it is Google that determines rankings on its search engine.  Google uses a number of factors to determine rankings and those factors are constantly evolving.  Also, it is impossible to predict circumstances such as how many websites will enter your niche and the extent of their efforts and promotional budget.
 
Why is Google still displaying old info about my site in the search results?
 
Google’s robots may not have had a chance to visit your site and update their database. Depending on how often you update your website, this process can take a few days to a few weeks. If you update your website often, Google will visit your site more often.
]]> http://www.livingwebsites.com/blog/post/14 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:02:26 +0800