Contact Form 7

Contact Form 7 is an easy to use AJAX contact form. It has a variety of options, but begineers will have no problem setting up a contact form on whatever page they choose. There are advanced options that include redirecting to a thank you page, and more. This plugin is ideal for inserting a contact form into a page or post. It used to be possible to integrate the Contact Form into the sidebar, using actual PHP code, but ever since they moved to AJAX, I haven’t attempted this.

Similar Posts

If you are using WordPress as a CMS for your website, and you don’t have much, or any, dynamic content, you can skip this plugin. If you have dynamic content in the way of posts, articles, etc, then this plugin makes it pretty easy to integrate ‘similiar posts’ anywhere on your post page. I recommend adding it to the bottom of the post page, that’s where people expect it.

Warning: This plugin requires you to edit your template. It’s not a major edit, but if you switch templates you will need to reintegrate the plugin. You’ll need a bit more understanding of WordPress / HTML to properlly integrate this plugin.

Google Sitemap Generator

Ah, this plugin is great. Updating a sitemap everytime you create a new page or post is a huge hassle and no one wants to do it daily. This plugin stops you having to. Once installed you start by generating your first sitemap. (Warning: You have to already have a sitemap.xml and sitemap.xml.gz file on your server. If you dont, connect via FTP and upload two text files with those names).

The sitemap will contain all your posts and pages (unless you tell it to ignore some). A huge time saver and it will automatically regenerate your Sitemap when you add new posts and pages.

W3 Total Cache

Everyone debates what the better plugin for caching is. WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache. They have similiar functionality, but W3 is newer and more advanced. W3 does a lot of things well, such as Minfying Javascript, CSS and HTML. It gives you a good deal of control over browser-side caching, and it’s easy to setup and use if you aren’t an expert.

Depending on your Hosting enviroment, you may need to use FTP to change the permissions on some files, or manually edit them, but the plugin gives easy to follow instructions on how to do that and there are tons of tutorials out there if you get stuck.

All in One SEO

The best all around SEO plugin. Install this on every WordPress site you have, it only takes a few seconds and adds a good deal of functionality and immediate SEO benefit to your website.

You can customize page titles, post titles and more. It’s a must have for every website. Seriously.

Apache GZIP Compression

Using Apache and HTACCESS is the best way to compress your website pages. You can use mod_deflate or mod_gzip to compress your web pages. Deflate is a newer technology and may not be available on all servers.

It’s not only important to Gzip your web page, but also your JavaScript and CSS. That’s why using Apache is the prefered method as opposed to PHP.

Example of HTACCESS GZIP Compression

Add the following code to your .htaccess file in your main website directory. If you do not have an .htaccess file then you can create one. Not all web hosting providers allow their clients to utilize .htaccess, especially on shared hosting servers, but you may be able to contact your hosting provider and ask them to enable this functionality for you. A common location of .htaccess file is /home/accountname/public_html/.htaccess

###################################
# GZIP Setting #
###################################
#This will use the mod_deflate #
#Apache Module to compress your #
#Website pages including HTML, XML#
#CSS, and Javascript #
###################################

AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/text text/html text/plain text/xml text/css application/x-javascript application/javascript

PHP GZIP Compression

PHP can be used to compress your PHP website pages. PHP is not as fast as using Apache and you don’t have the ability to GZIP javascript or CSS files, unless you run them through a PHP script first.

Example of PHP GZip

ob_start("ob_gzhandler");
?>

Example of PHP GZip for Javascript and CSS

//File gzipcss.php
ob_start("ob_gzhandler");
$file = '/css/style.css';

$content = file_get_contents( $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . $file );
echo $content;
?>

And then instead of linking to your CSS file in your HTML files, link to the gzipcss.php file.

Expected Page Speed Increase

Not only will compressing your webpages, CSS and Javascript make your website load significantly faster, it is considered a High Priority Page Speed Rule by Google. I’ve seen it increase Google Page Speed rankings as much as 35 points.

Testing

If you aren’t sure if your website currently has a GZIP compression installed you can test it very simply with an HTTP Compression Test. You can test to see if your javascript and CSS are being GZIP’ed using RedBot

Search engines look for the header tags to figure out the content of the page. There is also a benefit to the human reader as good H1 usage provides proper layout and makes the material easier to read and follow. This benefit goes beyond the average person visiting a website, using header tags also improves the accessibility of your webpage by providing valuable information to the screen readers used by the vision impaired.

Proper search engine optimization takes time to implement, but is very rewarding if done correctly. The fruits of this labor will result in high search engine rankings which equates to more traffic. Many website owners prefer SEO to Pay Per Click advertising, because the traffic is free.

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising can definitely be rewarding, but with the drawback of being an on-going cost, where as building a strong SEO foundation can result in higher search engine rankings at no reoccurring cost.
Making use of the the h1, h2, and h3 tags is one of the easiest way to get higher ranking on search engines. Below is an example of how to implement all three header tags properly.

<h1>Website SEO Basics</h1>
<p>Here is some text for paragraph one</p>
<h2>Achieving Better SEO</h2>
<p>Here is some text for paragraph two</p>
<h3>Rank Higher on Google</h3>
<p>Here is some text for paragraph three</p>

I is a good idea to insert your main keyword(s) in the h1 tag. The h1 tag should be used only once (though lesser header tags can be used on multiple occasions). Your secondary keywords can be inserted in the other header tags (h2,h3,etc) and your related keywords should be mentioned throughout the content.

Google will display the first 66 characters of a title tag and no more.  If your title tag is longer then 66 characters, Google will end your title on the last word before the 66 character limit is reached.  It will not cut-off in the middle of a word.

Yahoo will display up to exactly 120 characters and will cut off in the middle of a word.

Most people write a 66 character or less title tag and call it a day, however, there is another option.  Write a title tag that works at 66 characters and 120 characters (or less).  That way, when your page gets indexed by Google, your title tag will make sense and when it gets indexed by Yahoo, it will also make sense.  Best of both worlds.

Don’t forget that your title tag should be keyword rich and make sense to the person viewing your website, and not just the search engines that crawl it.  Search Engines are smart, and there is a good chance they can figure out when content has been written specifically for them, and when content is keyword rich but still human readable.

You should also take into consideration how your title tag will look when displayed in the browser.  Each browser is different, and with the advent of tabbed browsing, how much of the title tag is shown can be dependent on how many tabs the user has open.  Experiment with the different browsers and make sure that users can tell that it’s your website at a glance, no matter what browser they are using or how many tabs they have open.

If you are interested in a free consultation, please use the Get a Quote form on the right side of the page, or e-mail us directly at support@stormcode.net

Many web development and design companies rely on image-heavy and/or tabular designs, which can confuse search engines and make your site utterly illegible for potential customers who rely on special accessibility software such as screen readers.  One must remember from the very beginning that a website needs to be designed not just to look good, but also be well-organized and accessible by screen readers and web crawlers (like Googlebot, Bingbot, or Yahoo! Slurp).

Tabular designs are a throwback from when web browsers were not designed in a way that allowed websites to be both accessible and aesthetically-pleasing.  These employ table elements to arrange images and various blocks of text in a way that makes sense to the average viewer, but in a way in which search engines are unable to assign levels of importance to various keywords or terms.  This is because tables and images have very specific functions that in this case are not being used properly.

So what then is the purpose of table and image elements?  Tables are meant to store data, so when a web crawler sees them, that’s what it assumes is being displayed.  Images are meant to be minimally-important aesthetics or to depict a product or service visually, not as navigation elements or as a descriptive header (this can be achieved using CSS in a much more accessible way).  Though alt tags help with improving the accessibility of images, they are not meant as a replacement for keyword-rich headers or textual content.  It is perfectly fine to use both of these elements on your site, however, as long as it is as intended and not as a replacement for actual content.

Search engines can tell the difference between header text (h1 or h2 tags, for example) and normal paragraphs or lists (p or ol/ul tags respectively).  They can even tell that an h1 tag is more important than a h2 tag, and so on.  They can not, however, tell what the text on an image might say, which is potentially the biggest problem with this kind of a design.  It is best to use divider (div) elements, and arrange your content in a logical HTML structure, using proper header, paragraph, and list tags where required.  HTML is not a design language; it is meant specifically for organization and structure.  The actual design should be done using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), which is a language specifically made for that purpose which all modern browsers recognize.

What’s an easy way to tell if your site’s HTML structure makes sense?  View your site with CSS (and even images) disabled, and see how easy it is to follow the content.  Think of this as how web crawling bots and users with screen readers will view your site.

Setting up your site in this way will allow for further SEO to be achieved much more easily, as you can figure out the best key words and terms and use them in the appropriate places, with the appropriate HTML tags, within your site’s content.  Upon initial development of a new site, Storm Code employs these fundamental tactics so that the more advanced SEO options we offer are more easily implemented, and even if not desired, the client still has a well-organized site that search engines and screen readers will understand.

If you do not already have a Facebook account and you do not wish to spend money, you can check with your employees, and ask them to suggest your new Facebook page to their friends.  If you have an advertisement budget, Facebook offers pay per click advertisement options that can help you generate more fans.

It is important to include as much information on your Facebook page as possible.  This includes the phone number for your business, your operating hours, your location, and much more.

Uploading pictures of your employees, your offices and your products is also a good way to build a sense of familiarity with your clients or potential clients.

At Storm Code we offer Facebook Fan page creation for as little as $49.  This includes creation of the page, adding pertinent business information and pictures,  a blog post on the new page,  a ‘Find us on Facebook’ icon added to your existing website and suggesting the page to the friends of up to 3 Facebook accounts.   If you would like more information or to get a page set up, please contact us.

A website can help you grow you business in ways that you may not even be aware of. A website is a giant business card that search engines hand out for you. That is why search engine optimization is so very important for a small business.

It’s great to be able to point existing or potential clients to your website. It’s even better to put your website on your business card. However, it’s not enough to just have a web designed, informative website. You need people to be able to find it on their own.

That’s why Search Engine Optimization is such a buzz word these days. You want your website to appear on every search engine, and that in and of itself is easy. It’s getting your website to appear on the first page that is going to really start to generate leads.

Search Engine Optimization is a complex and time consuming process, and it can end up being very expensive if you do not choose the right company. At Storm Code, we pride ourselves on being able to boost your search engine rankings, regardless of what your budget is.

With selective choices for keywords, and targeted location based SEO, you can rank higher on search engines in the specific areas of the country that you do business.

If you are interested in Search Engine Optimization, packages start at $199. Contact us for more details.

Craigslist is a classified website divided in sections, as well as communities. Craiglist presently supports more than 450 cities worldwide. Except for job listings in certain areas, posting on the site is free. Though many areas and sections required that you register for an account before posting, no account is required and no fee charged to view ads. The ad sections contain everything from dating and puppy sales and business services and job offers. Craigslist is moderated by its users, who have the ability to flag a listing as spam, miscategorized, or over posted.

How to do it?

The first thing you need to post your ad is a good title. A good title catches the eye and gives the reader a clear idea of what you are looking for or what you are selling. A good title is well-worded, punctuated, and professional. It should not contain all capital lettering.

The second thing to remember when posting an ad is to pick the right section. Picking the right section is not always the easiest of tasks. Many of the sections overlap in their coverage of certain topics and services. The best thing that can be done is to search through the various sections until you find the one with the highest amount of similarly purposed posts. Craigslist only allows its users to included links in their ads in specific sections such as Services.

The last thing to consider when posting an ad is to avoid spamming. Spamming an ad across many different sections or posting similar ads in the same section may increase the leads generated temporary but it can have a devastating effect on your company’s reputation and respectability within the online community.

What’s the downside?

Every good website has its drawbacks and Craigslist is no exception. Indeed, competitors seeking to gain an unfair advantage may flag your posts, causing them to be deleted.

Craigslist is also known to be a site where people come when they are looking for a bargain. This being said, it’s best to offer competitive prices through trial and error.

The third disadvantage of Craigslist, and the biggest, is the lack of moderation, which leads to spam, junk postings, and less opportunities for serious companies to use the site for business. The upside of this is most seasoned Craigslist users can spot spam posts with ease and avoid them entirely.

How to get ahead

Craigslist has some stiff competition in most sections. Depending upon the area and the section, this can included hundreds of posts an hour. The more populated the section, the more important it becomes to stand out from the rest of the pack. A good title and competitive prices are important but what is equally as important is the presentation of the information in your ad.

Craigslist supports a good deal of HTML and CSS, but it does disallow some. It can be a lenghtly process trying to create a professional looking template for your ads when you are unsure what aspects of HTML and CSS Craigslist will allow. It can be difficult for someone who is not an experienced web designer to craft a professional looking ad that will stand out at a glance. Every Craigslist ad you post should reflect the professionalism of your company. Badly crafted or poorly worded Craigslist ads can result in missed leads and reflect badly on your company, product, or service.

Twitter is a social website that is growing in popularity among people of all ages. It allows you to post 140 characters at a time to let your followers know what you are doing. Followers are people who added you to their page and who can see all your updates. Twitter also lets you post pictures and links, as well as communicate with other users. Also, there are a lot of interesting applications for Twitter, such as TweetGift (virtual gifts), and TweetWhatYouEat (a food diary).

Why is Twitter good for your business?

Twitter is a good way to promote your business as it lets you post information about your company and also about current/upcoming products and services you offer. Also, you can follow
people in your area, most of whom are likely to follow you back, allowing your ‘tweets’ (your 140 character messages) to reach more people, which gives you a greater chance of building buzz as well as generating leads. Twitter can also help with networking in many ways, one of which would be finding and vetting new employees.

Most people these days are on at least a few social networking sites. It’s become a common practice to vet potential employees by visiting their pages on these sites.

Twitter Limits

One probably wonders if Twitter users have limitations on following and being followed. The answer is that there are limits, mainly to prevent spam.

• 1,000 updates per day
• 1,000 direct messages per day
• 100 API requests per hour
• Follow limit (Per day)
• Unlimited amount of people who can follow you

Also, everyone is allowed to follow 2000 people, and this number can go up according to the number of people who are follwing you.
Those limits were imposed last year, due to the enormous amount of spam the site was encountering.

Tips on how to use Twitter for your business

Even though you are using Twitter to boost your business, each tweet should not be business related. People are people, and they want to feel like you are a person, not a computer promoting a product. This being said, here are a few things you can do to move away from the typical advertising:

• Post a joke or a funny picture
• Ask questions that can be answered by people following you
• Give advice
• Post a useful or just interesting link

Twitter can boost your business, build buzz, and find new prospective employees. But it can be time-consuming, especially at first when trying to follow as many people as possible and post useful and informative tweets. Here at Storm Code, we can help you build a network, and manage it for you. We always find new ideas to promote your business as well as looking at what your competitors are doing. This helps to ensure that you get the most exposure as you can. For more information about our Social Marketing services or if you have any questions please contact us at support@stormcode.net