All articles in Blogging

SEO Best Practices should involve Happy Trails

Black Hat Marketing: Make sure your website isn’t using unethical SEO tactics

Search Engine Optimization; if you have a website you should know this phrase well. Everyone wants to get found. In fact, that’s one of the main reason’s that we are online. Before we can start relationships, build clientele and market our product or service we need to be found. If you are in business and you have a website, you more than likely are taking part in some type of SEO.  But would your site fall under the category of  Soul Man and the Blues Brothers, or Roy Rogers and Happy Trails? Perhaps the lines aren’t so black and white and your website falls in the Johnny Depp category below.

The following seven user generated definitions are compliments of Wikipedia. All the hyperlinks connect to further Wikipedia definitions.
Continue reading SEO Best Practices should involve Happy Trails

Why Simple Websites Work

i_heart_swI love simple websites. While in the middle of a making a website transition a couple years ago, a friend recommended Don’t Make Me Think – A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug. I found it incredibly useful. Steve gets straight to the point, and even throws in a bit of humor while telling you what you really need to know. It’s a must read for web designers and anyone who has a website. Don’t Make Me Think goes beyond web design and explains web usability, something many designers forget to consider. You want your website to look good, but more importantly, you want people to easily find their way around, i.e. don’t make them think!

In his book Steve says, “In the past five years I’ve spent a lot of time watching people use the Web, and the thing that has struck me most is the difference between how we think people use Web sites and how they actually use them.”

Continue reading Why Simple Websites Work

A free WordPress blog can really cost you

Wordpress Dog“I’m just going to get a free blog from WordPress.com. I mean, why pay for something when you can get it for free?” I’ve heard this more than once, and it makes me crazy. I’m sure that sometimes people think I’m trying to get them to hire me when I explain why a free WordPress blog doesn’t always make sense. I’m not. I just like to share information, especially when I think it can keep them from major headaches later on. (I know. I ‘ve had this headache.)

When someone says they have a free blog at WordPress.com, what they mean is, they have free web hosting. WordPress.com is hosting the site for them at no charge. They are supplying both the application, (WordPress is built into the site), and the web server. Web hosting is a service that companies provide to help you keep track of and store all the files for your website. Everything on the internet needs to have a home on some computer somewhere. When you hear people talk about their web server, they are talking about the physical computer or computers that their web host uses to store all the files that make up their website.

When you sign up with a web hosting company, like Bluehost.com, then you have access to all the files that make up your blog. The guts of your website, you know, the html, css, php, and all those other crazy coded files that don’t make much sense until you need them.

Continue reading A free WordPress blog can really cost you

I need a website! Where do I start?

wordleNeed a website? Well it’s never been easier! One option is to hire someone to set up a site for you, have them spend a couple hours teaching you the basics, and then you are well on your way. Below are some beginning steps to ensure a great start. Continue reading I need a website! Where do I start?

I feel lucky, but still need The Scrupski Rules

susan-scrupski

I feel lucky. My husband always says that it’s not luck, it’s that we make smart choices. But sometimes it just feels like luck. Lately I feel lucky to be healthy, to have a vegetable garden, and to live in Austin, which often feels like the Social Media capital of the world.

When I first met Susan Scrupski, Ms. ITSinsider, at a holiday party over a year ago, I had no idea of how connected she was in the 2.0 community. I quickly came to realize that she is very smart and on the cutting edge of just about everything. I was intrigued and impressed by the story of how she began her Enterprise 2.0 career. She is one of those people that you hear about, but rarely meet. She started writing about what she was interested in, and her blog launched her into an exciting new position. Continue reading I feel lucky, but still need The Scrupski Rules