Ronin Studios Client Forum

Ronin Studios Client Forum » Recent Posts http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Ronin Studios Client Forum en-US Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:28:41 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://roninstudios.com/forum/search.php keiooz on "How Good is Duplicate Content for SEO?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=39#post-127 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:28:10 +0000 keiooz 127@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ A bit of duplication on different blogs you may want to put an article won't actually help too much. As Scott said, you just have to be cautious. Scott Sakamoto on "Wordpress for Dummies" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=52#post-116 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:14:14 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 116@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Kyle. Thank you for visiting the Ronin Studios Forum. As you might have heard me say before, "Google is your friend". By doing a quick Google search for "Wordpress, installations and Wordpress for financial services", I found a couple of helpful links for you. First, are you using the Free Wordpress option ( <a href="http://www.Wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.Wordpress.com</a> ) or Two, going to host your Wordpress Website on your own server? <ol> <li>Wordpress.com (the FREE one) Here's a helpful video that (painfully) walks you through setting up your Wordpress.com Website/Blog. There are several available if this one doesn't resonate with you. <a href="http://bit.ly/WordpressComTutorial"><a href="http://bit.ly/WordpressComTutorial" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/WordpressComTutorial</a> </a>I'm not sure if the FREE Wordpress option allows you to add additional functionality (calculators) with what they call "Plugins". You can do this if your host your Site on your own server (Two). </li> <li>Wordpress.org (hosting on your own server) Here's a link from Wordpress.org that walks you through installing Wordpress Site on your own server: <a href="http://bit.ly/WordpressOrgInstall"><a href="http://bit.ly/WordpressOrgInstall" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/WordpressOrgInstall</a> </a>Plugins: Adding extra features or functionality to your Wordpress Website. I did a Google search for "wordpress plugins for savings calculator" and found several options that might be helpful for you = take a look. You can also search on Wordpress.org's Site and search for "investment" <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins">http://www.Wordpress.org</a> > Extend > Plugins </li> </ol> I hope this was helpful to get you going in the correct direction. Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios 503-788-5570 KylePDX on "Wordpress for Dummies" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=52#post-115 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:24:34 +0000 KylePDX 115@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Scott and the forum community, I'm in the process of putting together the first pieces of my WordPress site. Does anyone have advice for the newbie and what I should push forward with (or avoid)? I'm in the financial services industry and I would be looking at some tools to bring to my site visitors. There are so many tools out there...right now I'm looking at a retirement savings calculator, life insurance needs calculator and long term care calculator. What would you do OR what would you want to see if you visited a website and you wanted to learn more about various financial services that pertained to your personal situation? Scott Sakamoto on "Opinion of services such as web greeter?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=51#post-114 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:24:33 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 114@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Thank you for the additional details Sara. Knowing what you've shared, the following are some things you might consider for guidance: <ol> <li>Live Chat: Do you want your clients and prospects to have access to you 27/7? In my opinion this raises the expectation level and requires you be available at all posted times. This can be better fulfilled when you have dedicated Staff to handle incoming inquiries to meet expectations. </li> <li>Forums: Like this one where I respond within a reasonable time (24 hours) is in my opinion, easier to manage. </li> <li>LinkedIn Groups: Another option you might consider. You can establish your own "Private" LinkedIn Group only available to those you choose to engage with. As this is not public like the above two options, provides some degree of privacy.</li> </ol> These are all readily available at No Cost or Little Cost. I hope this provides some guidance for you Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios sara on "Opinion of services such as web greeter?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=51#post-113 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:59:55 +0000 sara 113@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Ah, well, what I want to accomplish is the $1,000,000 question, isn't it... I hadn't really considered it initially, since I just heard of this type of service a few days ago. But what I'm wanting to accomplish on in general is making better connections with current clients and potential clients. I wasn't sure if a "live" person on a website would be seen as a positive or a negative. -Sara Scott Sakamoto on "Opinion of services such as web greeter?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=51#post-112 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:02:31 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 112@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ HI Sara. Good to hear from you. Yes, you're not alone with your impression of WebGreeter.com. From a Google search it seems there are several folks who have had similar experiences. As there are many providers of this type of Service, it would be helpful to understand what you're desired outcomes are = What do you want to accomplish with "Live Chat" capabilities? I'm guessing typically it would some sort of Customer Support or.....? - Is this to be integrated into your Website? - Independent of your Website? For a Free Chat solution you might want to check out Google Chat that I use exclusively for my Client's Website Training. It's readily available, doesn't require anything but a Google or GMail Account and it's FREE. It can also be easily incorporated into the Websites I build. I hope this was helpful. If you need more specific information, it would be helpful to understand what you want to accomplish with a "Live Chat" function. Thank you for Posting your question. Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios sara on "Opinion of services such as web greeter?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=51#post-111 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 05:51:46 +0000 sara 111@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Scott- I was wondering about your opinion of services such as webgreeter.com? I've not been impressed in my interactions with that particular company. But I'm guessing there are others out there, and I find the idea interesting. At the same time, I'm one of the people that gets very annoyed at popups or anything intrusive, so I'm not really sure about it. Any thoughts? Thanks. Sara Carmen on "How Good is Duplicate Content for SEO?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=39#post-99 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:47:27 +0000 Carmen 99@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Scott, Thank you for the response to my question. I have begun looking for websites that are related to mindfulness, psychotherapy, and mental/emotional health to either submit information to or respond to blogs on. It's nice to have a little more direction. Also, I am now tracking the amount of website visitors we get, so I have something to measure. Thanks again, and take care, -Carmen Carmen Richard Marketing Intern Portland Mindfulness Therapy <a href="http://www.portlandmindful.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.portlandmindful.com</a> Scott Sakamoto on "How Good is Duplicate Content for SEO?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=39#post-98 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:37:31 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 98@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Carmen, Thank you for staying in touch. First, nice Website. You currently rank pretty well because of your execution of Meta Descriptions and Meta Keywords. That said, the glaring omission is the lack of any way to track your Website Visitors (Google Analytics). Before you employ any techniques to improve your Search Engine Ranking I would strongly recommend that you establish a Baseline of your Website Traffic. This will allow you to measure future efforts of improvement. To answer your question, yes participation in Blogs, Forums etc. will overtime improve your SEO as long as you at least provide a link back to your Website. A word of caution; your participation in other Blogs should be focused on providing relevant content to the particular "Conversation" and Blog "Topics". Overt advertising of your Website could backfire on you. Last, if you remember, keywords such as "Portland therapist" and Portland Therapy" are going to have a lot of competition. I would rather see you build traffic based on less competitive keywords such as: "anxiety therapy, Portland, Oregon" for example. So, again, yes, your participation will have an affect on your SEO ranking in the long run - You should provide a way to measure your efforts. I hope this helps. Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios 503-788-5570 Carmen on "How Good is Duplicate Content for SEO?" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=39#post-97 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:54:26 +0000 Carmen 97@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hello Scott, My name is Carmen Richard. I was in your internet marketing class on the morning of November 3rd. You probably remember, I was the young woman working as a marketing intern for Portland Mindfulness Therapy. I have a question that I hope you could help me with. My employer wants to increase the company search engine ranking on a couple of key words, namely "Portland therapy" and "Portland therapist". To do this, he wants me to post duplicate content (blog entries/articles) on numerous different websites for SEO. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by this. There are a lot of different websites I could do this on, but is it really worth my time and energy? Will it make much of a difference? Do you have a better suggestion? I would really appreciate your input on this. There isn't anyone in the office with any true internet expertise. Thank you, -Carmen <a href="http://www.portlandmindful.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.portlandmindful.com</a> Scott Sakamoto on "Welcome to the Ronin Studios Forum: Please read this first!" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=38#post-96 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:27:08 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 96@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Welcome to the Ronin Studios Client Forum. This purpose of this forum is to offer a free resource for our Clients and Attendees of our Internet Marketing Workshop to interact, network, seek solutions, and to share successful approaches to challenges. As a member of this forum we believe you will get a return proportional to the effort you participate. This is also an opportunity to use the best practices for online forums we discussed in our Internet Marketing Workshop. Contribute remarkable content and give a way for others to find you via your signature (include your business name, website, etc). On your first post, you may introduce yourself and tell us something about you and or your business. Here are the general rules: <ul> <li>Please respect and accept others, their views, and their choices. No personal attacks as we want to foster a safe environment for members especially those that are not used to online forums.</li> <li>Please treat information discussed on this forum as a private conversation with a trusted friend that you will not discuss outside of this forum as it relates to a specific business.</li> <li>Please stay on topic as this helps the search function to find information more easily</li> <li>When asking questions, you may receive a better answer if you first describe the situation and the specific advise you are looking for.</li> <li>If you feel uncomfortable with a post made by another, please notify the Ronin Studios webmaster via email and we will review and possibly remove the post.</li> <li>Above all make the journey fun as we all create success for each other. This is YOUR forum, contribute, participate, and let’s all prosper in doing so.</li> </ul> Thank You, The Ronin Studios Team Robert Lilly Web Developer on "SEO" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=37#post-95 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:26:15 +0000 Robert Lilly Web Developer 95@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hello Russ, I think your idea about identifying a niche and focusing on that is the number one most important thing you can do. I say this for several reasons. The first is that by clarifying a niche, and focusing on that, you harness your energies more specifically. Think of going from a shotgun approach to a rifle, and maybe even to a laser. The results you get will be much more productive. Second, once you've identified a niche it's easier to determine where the potential customers for that niche are. What do they read? Where do they hang out? What search terms are they most likely to use? Etc. Then do what you need to do to get in front of them. In answer to your question about paid advertising, I can't give you a definitive answer. I think there are times when paid advertising makes sense and many times where it does not. Ask yourself, what is the competition for the keyword(s) my ad will be associated with and will I fair any better than I currently do in the organic results? Does my target audience, associated with my niche, read and respond to paid ads? Fortunately there is a lot of data available from Google, Yahoo, and Bing about their ad programs. You just have to know the right questions to ask from it, and be willing to spend the time doing the research. As I mentioned before, I think your particular business can really benefit from traditional marketing efforts as well as Internet marketing. Once you've identified and clarified your niche it shouldn't be too hard to determine where those potential customers are and what you need to do to get in front of them. Do the things that are free or obviously have a high return-on-investment (ROI) first. russrenner on "SEO" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=37#post-94 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:30:09 +0000 russrenner 94@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Thanks for looking at my site. That sounds like good advice Robert. I had the same problem myself after putting together an ad with google and yahoo. I am looking into a niche currently that may bring me closer to getting better contact as, a landscaper, I am a bit generic. Would paying get me on the first three pages, and is it really worth it? I don't really have a big budget but might be able to pay some if it really worked? Russ Robert Lilly Web Developer on "SEO" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=37#post-93 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:36:36 +0000 Robert Lilly Web Developer 93@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Russ, I finally got a chance to look at your site. This one's a challenge. Although Google has your site indexed, your competition is fierce. When I typed in "landscape design portland" it came up with 6 million hits. I looked through the first 600 listings and yours was nowhere to be found. I wouldn't even try to rank for those, or similar terms. So, the short answer is, you need to come up with something in your business that makes you unique, that sets you apart from everyone else in town. Then you need to refocus your website around that. Try to get good rankings for that. Also, make each page a unique aspect of that core and target search queries for that as well. What you come up with may not be as common a term but it needs to at least be something people will search for. Then you can be at the top of the listings, and the people who click through to your site will be more likely to act. One other suggestion, get a Gmail address (so you can get an account with them) then sign up for Google analytics and webmaster tools. Concentrate on Google first and foremost, then concern yourself with Yahoo!. This is true even though your site is built using Yahoo!'s tools. Also, I think that you would benefit from traditional marketing channels as well as using the Internet. Once you've redefined your niche then think of where people that would use your service are at and figure out how to get your name in front of them. When marketing your services think rifle, not shotgun. The clearer your focus the better the return on your time and money are likely to be. Good luck and keep us posted here in the forum with your progress. Robert -- Robert Lilly Robert Lilly Web Developer <a href="mailto:robert@robertlillywebdeveloper.com">robert@robertlillywebdeveloper.com</a> <a href="http://www.robertlillywebdeveloper.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.robertlillywebdeveloper.com</a> russrenner on "SEO" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=37#post-92 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 04:04:19 +0000 russrenner 92@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Great, Thank you Robert. I will give it a try. Here is my web address <a href="http://www.thegardenretreatllc.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thegardenretreatllc.com/</a> Russ Robert Lilly Web Developer on "SEO" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=37#post-91 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:45:41 +0000 Robert Lilly Web Developer 91@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ More links: To get your site listed on Bing go to: <a href="http://www.bing.com/webmaster/SubmitSitePage.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.bing.com/webmaster/SubmitSitePage.aspx</a>. For Yahoo! it's <a href="http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit" rel="nofollow">http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit</a>. For Google the procedure's a bit more complicated. The instructions can be found at <a href="http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=34397" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=34397</a>. Before you submit a site it's very important to verify whether the site's already in the index or not. To find that out for all 3 major search engines type the following into the search box: site:siteurl.com. Replace siteurl with your URL. Do not include the WWW. Do include the .com, or whatever it is. If the site is listed you see the pages it has indexed. If it's not then you can follow through with the steps appropriate to that site. Other important URLs for SEO and other webmaster duties: Goggle Webmaster Tools - <a href="http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/</a>. Bing™ webmaster tools - <a href="http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmasters/" rel="nofollow">http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmasters/</a>. Yahoo! Site Explorer - <a href="http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/" rel="nofollow">http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/</a>. Robert Lilly Robert Lilly Web Developer <a href="http://www.robertlillywebdeveloper.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.robertlillywebdeveloper.com</a> <a href="mailto:robert@robertlillywebdeveloper.com">robert@robertlillywebdeveloper.com</a> Robert Lilly Web Developer on "SEO" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=37#post-90 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:18:17 +0000 Robert Lilly Web Developer 90@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Russ, This is Robert Lilly from the workshop. If you'll post the URL to your Web site here I'll take a look at it and give you suggestions. For each of the major search engines you'll have to sign up for a free account, which basically means you get an email address from them. You don't have to use that address for anything other than interacting with them if you don't want to. Once you're able to sign in you can make use of all the services Scott recommended. To get you business listed in the local directories for Google go to <a href="http://www.google.com/places" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/places</a>. For Yahoo! go to <a href="http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php" rel="nofollow">http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php</a>. For Bing the URL is <a href="https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx" rel="nofollow">https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx</a>. Once again, please post the URL for your site here so we can be more specific in our recommendations. Robert Lilly Robert Lilly Web Developer <a href="http://www.robertlillywebdeveloper.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.robertlillywebdeveloper.com</a> <a href="mailto:robert@robertlillywebdeveloper.com">robert@robertlillywebdeveloper.com</a> russrenner on "SEO" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=37#post-89 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:29:09 +0000 russrenner 89@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Scott, Very enlightening talk the other day at the SCORE seminar. I wished I had gone before setting up my web site. I am the landscaper looking to get recognized in the universe of other Portland Metro landscapers. I have a couple of questions: 1: My yahoo account does have analytics and they show that "Your site hasn't been indexed" with both Yahoo and Google. Does that process take a long time. Yahoo noted that my site has be sent to Google and Yahoo search engines? Did I miss something? 2. I was told by Mr. Lily (Forgot first name, maybe got last name wrong? Sorrrrry), he mentioned going to Google and Yahoo maps and finding the "Add your business here" section to get into the directory? I may not have understood that correctly? I looked on both sites but did not see anything like that? Could you explain how to get on those directories again? Thank you. Russ Renner Scott Sakamoto on "Website Hosting Service" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=36#post-88 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:47:32 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 88@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Guys, I've been asked several times over the past few weeks about who we'd recommend for Website Hosting. The answer is: <a href="https://secure1.inmotionhosting.com/cgi-bin/gby/clickthru.cgi?id=scottsakamoto&campaign=featured_link">Business Class Hosting by InMotion Hosting.</a> We normally recommend the "Power" category. For the extra $2 per month you'll have plenty of resources for your Business' future growth. It's simple to get started: 1 - <a href="https://secure1.inmotionhosting.com/cgi-bin/gby/clickthru.cgi?id=scottsakamoto&campaign=featured_link">Click on the link above (or this link to InMotion Hosting)</a> 2 - Navigate to Business Class Hosting 3 - Click on the "Order Now" button 4 - Select which level of service you'll need (again we recommend "Power") 5 - If you need to register your Domain Name, Great! They include one Domain Name registration for FREE! 6 - You're done I've found their Service and Tech Support are second to none - 24/7 with either Voice Support, Chat, or eMail. I can always count of talking to someone within a couple of minutes once I call them for support. More importantly, my clients are always pleased with the helpful instructions they receive when they have questions. i.e. How to set up their IMAP email accounts etc. There you have it! Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios 503-788-5570 Scott Sakamoto on "Linked In" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=35#post-87 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:11:34 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 87@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Sharon, Thank you for using the Ronin Studios Forum for your question regarding Creating Hope Counseling ( <a href="http://creatinghopenow.com/" rel="nofollow">http://creatinghopenow.com/</a> ). Yes, I advised that one should never leave a plain Text (naked) eMail address on their Websites. Never, never, never! LInkedIn is a totally different situation. Your contact information is safe on LinkedIn's platform; which is where you ultimately want to broadcast from so your clients are able to Find You and Contact You. So, sign-up Today! Talk soon, Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios 503-788-5570 Sharon on "Linked In" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=35#post-86 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:56:17 +0000 Sharon 86@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Scott, I have one quick question regarding linked in. I did sign up for it but remembered you telling me not to put my email address on it. In signing in it forces you to put your email on there. Is there a different way to do it that I can get it off there? Sharon Richards Scott Sakamoto on "Sharon@creatinghopecounseling" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=34#post-85 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:02:23 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 85@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Sharon, Thank you for visiting the Ronin Studios Forum. I always advocate that you don't have to spend money for services that I cover in the Internet Marketing Workshop when there are so many resources on the Internet that are of No Cost or vary Little Cost. As far as your Keywords for your Website <a href="http://www.CreatingHopeNow.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.CreatingHopeNow.com</a>, do the obvious to start with. For instance, when I copied the Meta Keywords from your Website: "Vancouver Counseling, Vancouver Therapy, Vancouver Therapist, Vancouver Counselor, Counselors in Vancouver, Therapists in Vancouver, Marriage Therapy, Family Therapy", you didn't show up at all on my search results (I don't look further than the second page EVER). What's obviously missing from your Meta Keywords? The name of your business. The same is true with your Meta Description. My recommendation is you start with this simple solution and adjust on a regular basis (schedule). Once you have Google Analytics (Free) installed and activated, you'll be able to track Keywords that your visitors are using to find your site which will enable you to insert them either in your Content or your Meta Data. And don't forget to get listed on Local Business Directories. I hope that gets you on your way. Best, Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios 503-788-5570 Sharon on "Sharon@creatinghopecounseling" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=34#post-84 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:13:37 +0000 Sharon 84@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Scott, I am writing with a couple of questions. When I got home and tried to access Google Keyword and Google Analytic it seemed that I had to have a Google ad word account because it said to sign in through that account. Is there another way to access these products without signing up for an ad word account? Secondly, is an ad word account something I should consider as a worthwhile investment? Thank you for your assistance and thanks again for the workshop. I found it very informative and hopefully I will be able to put it to use. Robert Lilly on "Great workshop! And request for feedback on web site." http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=32#post-82 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:42:31 +0000 Robert Lilly 82@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Thank you Scott for the feedback. I will go over your suggestions with my wife and get back to you with the revisions. Robert Lilly RCLilly WebDevPro <a href="mailto:rclillywebdevpro@gmail.com">rclillywebdevpro@gmail.com</a> 503.895.5974 Scott Sakamoto on "Great workshop! And request for feedback on web site." http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=32#post-80 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:11:11 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 80@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Robert, Thank you very much for the positive feedback on the Internet Marketing Workshop. With your background and knowledge of programming, I'm glad to hear you were able to take away some useful information. INTUITIVE HYPNOSIS Home Page: In a word, "Simplify". For my eye there are too many visual cues to focus on. Instead, maybe find one image at the top that communicates the Benefit(s) of hypnosis and follow that prominently with a statement of what Intuitive Hypnosis does. From a marketing perspective, I'd like to see something that answers the question for your visitor of "What's in it For Me". Main Pages: Again, "Simplify". There is quit a bit of good information in your Content but I feel it needs to be organized better. Creating Child Pages for each of the Main Pages will help. As it is now, I'm doubtful that your visitor will read your Content. i.e. the navigation for Benefits of Hypnotherapy could look like this: Benefits of Hypnotherapy <ul> <li>What Hypnosis Does for You </li> <li>Stop Smoking </li> <li>Weight Control </li> <li>Relaxation </li> <li>Creative Visualization</li> <li> Increase Your Motivation </li> <li>Stress Management </li> <li>Anxiety </li> <li>Pain Control </li> <li>Skin Improvements </li> <li>Self Confidence </li> <li>Sleep </li> <li>Child Birthing </li> <li>Improved Sports Performance</li> </ul> Note that I've used Plain English to identify Topics; not industry or splashy language like "Guided Imagery" or "Healthy Breathing". This will work toward diminishing any intimidation your visitor might have. Content I would like to see a dedicated section (About) for Debbie with a photograph much like her LinkedIn Profile. This is an important opportunity to establish her credibility especially with new or potential clients. Meta Data Your Meta Description and Keywords are very good although: <ol> <li>I couldn't find the text of your Meta Description on your Home Page </li> <li>Remember that your Keywords will possibly have to be modified on a regular maintenance schedule to help drive traffic to your site </li> </ol> Wordpress to CMS (WP) With your knowledge of programming I think you'll enjoy what you can do with Wordpress. Two immediate things I know WP will help simplify for you are: helping your clients find you (your location) via an insertion of Google Maps and your Contact Information via a Contact Form. Here's an example of how I've used a Google Map insertion: <a href="http://www.JapaneseAncestralSociety.org/ikoi-no-kai/" rel="nofollow">http://www.JapaneseAncestralSociety.org/ikoi-no-kai/</a> Having an exposed (text) eMail address is something I'm sure you know are what Spambots love. I always advocate my clients use a Contact Form instead. I hope this information will help you fine-tune your informative Website. Best Regards Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios 503-788-5570 Robert Lilly on "Great workshop! And request for feedback on web site." http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=32#post-79 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:37:36 +0000 Robert Lilly 79@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Scott, That was a great workshop you did this morning through SCORE. I am a programmer by profession and I found your overview of the various aspects of Internet marketing both informative and helpful; just the right amount of detail. I didn't get a chance to give you the URL to my wife's site so that you could give me your feedback. It's: <a href="http://www.intuitivehypnosisportland.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.intuitivehypnosisportland.com/</a>. She made the site using the Website Tonight tools on GoDaddy.com. I've since moved the site to shared hosting and want to re-code it. I'm not afraid to start from scratch if that's warranted. I will be looking at WordPress and see if there are any templates (themes) we can make use of. I haven't done any SEO or anything yet. So, feedback as far as design, logo, usability, keywords, etc., is all very much appreciated. I would like to get feedback from you other participants in this forum as well. Thanks, Robert Lilly RCLilly WebDevPro <a href="mailto:rclillywebdevpro@gmail.com">rclillywebdevpro@gmail.com</a> 503.895.5974 Scott Sakamoto on "Thank you Scott! Check out what we did with your advice." http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=31#post-78 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:42:26 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 78@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Kevin, YOU ROCK!! You made me PROUD = Great Job! Comments: - Don't forget to include your Meta Description and Keywords - Additionally important - include your Google Analytics code from your soon retiring site Keep up the Great Work! Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios Kevin Young on "Thank you Scott! Check out what we did with your advice." http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=31#post-77 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:55:00 +0000 Kevin Young 77@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Scott, It’s been a few months since I attended a SCORE workshop that you co-hosted. It was so beneficial to me and my employer. I wanted you to see the before and after. Before: <a href="http://www.quayvancouver.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.quayvancouver.com</a> After: <a href="http://03150e6.netsolhost.com/" rel="nofollow">http://03150e6.netsolhost.com/</a> The “before” will go away any time now, as we have a domain transfer pending. Thanks for your help! I look forward to attending another seminar that you host. Kevin Young Director of Sales and Marketing <a href="mailto:kevin.young@redlion.com">kevin.young@redlion.com</a> 360-750-4901 direct 360-750-4903 fax --- 100 Columbia Street Vancouver , WA 98660 Scott Sakamoto on "Internet Marketing Class and WP" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=30#post-75 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:12:30 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 75@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Curt, I'm so glad to hear that you found the Internet Marketing Workshop helpful. I'm even happier that you were motivated to start improving your Internet presence so quickly - Good for you! If I remember correctly, you're using iWeb (Apple) for your current Website Hosting which is Good because it enabled you to get your Website up and running fairly easily and quickly; but Bad because after a quick Google search I couldn't find a way to incorporate a WordPress Website using Apple's proprietary system. I recommend you use a reputable Internet Service Provider (ISP) to host your new and improved Website. I highly recommend InMotionHosting.com (there are several available) that I mentioned in the Workshop. Here is a link that provides instructions on how to sign-up with them: (<a href="http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=3)" rel="nofollow">http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=3)</a>. Once you do that, you can install the WordPress application (WordPress 3.0 or 2.9) from your server's Control Panel (cPanel). Here's an easy to follow YouTube video for you: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaQl2yvKNCc" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaQl2yvKNCc</a> If InMotionHosting.com doesn't offer WordPress 3.0, don't worry, you'll be able to upgrade via your WordPress Admin/Dashboard on your new WordPress Website. Once you upload the WordPress application, you'll be able to login to your new Website via the Admin function (www.You'reDomain.com/wp-admin) and you'll be able to start building your new site. You're Free WordPress (2.9) installation comes with two Free WordPress Themes (Templates) and WordPress 3.0 comes with a new Free Theme; 2010. It's pretty cool; check it out. With your skills, you should have no problem getting going. Hopefully, you'll find it more robust and easier to use than iWeb. Of course if you have further questions, please come back to the Ronin Studios Forum and I'll do my best to help you. Thank you for your kind endorsements. Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios Curtis Piantes on "Internet Marketing Class and WP" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=30#post-74 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:31:38 +0000 Curtis Piantes 74@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ I attended Scott's Internet Marketing class on Tuesday and found it to be very useful. There is a ton of great information and I have a list of action items a mile long. Thank you very much for the great class, Scott. Hitting the high impact, low effort items first; I reviewed my web site's meta keywords and changed them to be more relevant to my business, listed with Google Places, and looked over my LinkedIn profile, which isn't complete. My web site (www.myteamsportsonline.com) needs a serious make-over so I researched and downloaded Wordpress Version 3.0. I feel I am somewhat familiar with computer systems and programs but Wordpress seems difficult to set up even with the "famous 5 minute setup". Any suggestions on how to make the installation easier or am I even using the correct version? I am using an Apple Mac that is less than 6 months old. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any suggestions. Great job again, Scott Curt Piantes My Team Sports 503-453-5011 <a href="http://www.myteamsportsonline.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.myteamsportsonline.com</a> Scott Sakamoto on "New eMail Accounts, Facebook and Twitter" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=29#post-73 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:04:56 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 73@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi Sharon, I'll answer your questions in the order you presented them. 1. Add new eMail accounts You can easily add new eMail accounts by logging in to your Control Panel (www.YourDomain.com/cpanel) using your login information sent to you on 02.05.2010 when you set up your Web Hosting account. Once you're logged in to your Control Panel (www.YourDomain.com/cpanel) <ol> <li>Find "Mail"</li> <li>Click on Email Accounts</li> <li>Add new accounts to your hearts content</li> </ol> Note: InMotion Hosting provides a Video Tutorial for you 2. FaceBook integration An illustration of good FaceBook integration can be found on Wendy Swanson's site <a href="http://www.TheGlobalKitchen.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.TheGlobalKitchen.org</a>. (Note: Wendy is also a past attendee of the Internet Marketing Workshop) <ol> <li>Is this what you're seeking to do? or, </li> <li>Simply providing a link back to your Website from your FaceBook page as Wendy has done ( <a href="http://www.facebook.com/theglobalkitchen" rel="nofollow">http://www.facebook.com/theglobalkitchen</a> ) ?</li> </ol> Here is a link to an article about "How to Intergrate Facebookk With Wordpress" - <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/14/how-to-integrate-facebook-with-wordpress/" rel="nofollow">http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/14/how-to-integrate-facebook-with-wordpress/</a>. The author discusses and presents several options for you. Once you decide which option you favor then it should be easy to Google for the Plugin or technique that will fit your needs. Also, don't forget to use the #2 ranked Search Engine; "www.YouTube.com". Do a search on YouTube.com for "facebook on wordpress" and you'll see several options for you as well. 3. Allow People to follow you on Twitter The nature of what Twitter is, allows people to follow you, so I'm guessing you want to integrate your Twitter feed into your Website. Correct? Here's an example of how Wendy utilizes Twitter - <a href="http://twitter.com/GlobalKitchen" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/GlobalKitchen</a> Wendy has her FaceBook account provide the feeds to her Twitter account. There are a number of Plugins that will do this for you. "Twitter Tools" (<a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/twitter-tools/" rel="nofollow">http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/twitter-tools/</a>) is a popular Plugin with over 500,000 downloads. You might want to check this one out. Again, you can search either Google or YouTube for examples of how this Plugin works. I hope this was helpfull to get you started. Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios Scott Sakamoto on "New eMail Accounts, Facebook and Twitter" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=29#post-72 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:45:06 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 72@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi! How do I: -- Add addresses to my website (e.g., <a href="mailto:sharon@portlandsewing.com">sharon@portlandsewing.com</a>)? -- Link my website to my Facebook page)? -- Allow people to follow me on Twitter? I'll be going to Paris soon and many of my students would like to follow my blog. So I guess that means setting up an RSS, whatever that is. What do you think? Any advice/help is much appreciated! <a href="mailto:Sharon@portlandsewing.com">Sharon@portlandsewing.com</a> S Blair on "Website critique" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=19#post-71 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:29:22 +0000 S Blair 71@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi! How do I: -- Add addresses to my website (e.g., <a href="mailto:sharon@portlandsewing.com">sharon@portlandsewing.com</a>)? -- Link my website to my Facebook page)? -- Allow people to follow me on Twitter? I'll be going to Paris soon and many of my students would like to follow my blog. So I guess that means setting up an RSS, whatever that is. What do you think? Any advice/help is much appreciated! <a href="mailto:Sharon@portlandsewing.com">Sharon@portlandsewing.com</a> Jdrentlaw on "Service product website review" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=28#post-70 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:16:24 +0000 Jdrentlaw 70@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Thank you Scott, your follow through is outstanding and your points are greatly appreciated. John Drentlaw JLD Construction Management htttp://JLDllc.com (503) 777-2519 Scott Sakamoto on "Service product website review" http://roninstudios.com/forum/topic.php?id=28#post-69 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:19:47 +0000 Scott Sakamoto 69@http://roninstudios.com/forum/ Hi John, I'm glad you enjoyed the Internet Marketing Workshop. Well, it appears that you are grasping the basics of "How" to construct your Website, not bad. And, you've organized your content very well. Content I appreciate that you have a statement that says what you do at the top of your page. You'd be surprised at the number of Websites I review that fail to let the visitor know exactly what the Service, Product or Information the site is promoting. The challenge I have with your statement is that it doesn't stand out. It gets lost in the clutter of other content you have on the Home Page. So, in other words, your visitor is spending precious time trying to figure out what you do and might be likely to "Bounce" off the page and on to another site; possibly your competitor's. I would suggest that you assign the statement a "Heading Tag" (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, or h6). Search engines love those. Recommendations: <ul> <li>Edit your content (text) </li> <li>No one is going to read the volume of text you have</li> <li>Think bullet points or</li> <li>Elevator pitch - say it in ten seconds or less</li> </ul> The "Polished Apple" (Look and Feel) Overall, I think you could use some help in organizing your Content (information/text). You might want to consider some nice images of your projects or images that represent the types of project you do toward engaging your visitor and to help provide the visual clues (I spoke of this in the Workshop) to support your Content. You started to do this in your "Services" section and then...what happened? If you accomplish engaging your visitor, you will more likely than not compel them to want to stay on your site longer as well as provide them "Rapid" credibility of your business. Recommendations: <ul> <li>Use engaging images that will resonate with your visitor and compel them to stay and not "Bounce" off your site</li> <li>Use images that will support your Content and provide visual cues. </li> </ul> Meta and More From what I could gather (under the hood), you have incomplete Meta Data. I don't know it's a limitation of the web-building tool you're using, but I would revisit this. i.e. I would include your name in the Title (Tag) and use Meta Keywords that are important in your industry. I also see that you have Google Analytics on your Home Page, but it is missing on the other pages I viewed. Make sure your Google Analytics Code is on all of your pages so you can collect data that will help you. Recommendations: <ul> <li>Work on your Meta Data throughout your site</li> <li>Include your Google Analytics Code on all your pages</li> </ul> Bottom-Line Consider migrating your site to a "Wordpress to CMS" site. You appear to have an understanding of how to construct a Website, but could use the built-in functionality of Wordpress to help you accomplish the "Best Practices" that we covered in the Internet Marketing Workshop. Last, compare the points I make on the handouts with what you have. Start with the first Topic on “Design and Development”; make sure you have accomplished those points. If you would like to enlist my help to get you started or take it to the next step, I could make myself available to you. Thanks for posting and Stay in touch. Scott Sakamoto Ronin Studios