With Google’s latest update, Penguin, many webmasters find themselves scrambling to find a safe link building method.  It’s not easy to get free quality backlinks from other sites, especially from within your niche.  Fortunately, action-oriented microsite design can help create a quality backlink structure.

What is a microsite?

A microsite is a mini website that deals with one specific aspect of your business.  It is usually an offshoot of a larger business website but has its own URL and stands as its own site.  An example would be a building contractor website where the contractor has a number of different house plans and has a separate website for each design that it sells.

How do microsites work?

When you have identified a niche market, a microsite can be built to target the specific niche with a specific message or offer.  A business’ main website will give a general overview of all products, services, or information.  Microsites break that information into targeted leads by promoting one specific thing to a specific audience.

Tips to develop a microsite:

Using an extra domain and copying content from your main website to create a page isn’t going to give you a successful website.  Your microsite needs to be unique.  It should be a complete website of its own accord.  It should be built with a target audience in mind and enough unique, quality, updated content to generate sales or leads focused on the specific niche.  This means that your microsite will likely have numerous pages, navigation, sub categories, etc.  All normal SEO rules apply to the microsite, including creating inbound links and having a marketing strategy.  The site needs to look professional and be an expert.

Many webmasters have a number of domain names registered but they don’t use them to their full potential.  Instead of using these as parking sites they could be set up as microsites to be used for backlinking.

Benefits to microsites:

One of the best strategies to deploy content on the internet is through the use of microsites.  Many microsites are geared towards sale promotion so you have to offer great content that has value for the targeted audience.  The content needs to be relevant and it will help attract leads.  When a microsite targets a small niche it reaches out to a specific group of potential customers.  When you are able to direct interested customers to a specific messaging and content about the product or service instead of dumping them on the main page of your website, where they might get lost, you will see a higher conversion rate.

A site with a specific aim will focus on that topic and all the links to it are coming from sites with an interest in that topic.  This causes the site to become an expert, or authority.  Google loves authority sites and so do other search engines so they promote them to a higher page rank.  This is a great benefit to having a microsite, they frequently reach search rankings quickly because of their targeted nature.

The importance of a microsite that has been optimized for search engines is that it can drive traffic from search engines into your site.  These visitors come organically and naturally so it doesn’t cost you every time someone clicks through.

Other benefits of microsites include:

• Help in branding a product or service
• Contains important details about a product or service
• Dedicated messaging and high relevance for visitors
• Increased keyword visibility and rankings due to the targeted nature
• Increased page rank for main website due to links from microsite
• Can be created quickly which makes them great for events or seasonal promotions
• Helps grab the audiences’ attention more than a more generic business website

Have a Plan & Goal

Have a plan and goal for what you want from your website.  When meeting with potential designers you should have a list of specific desires for your website design.  These desires or characteristics should include items such as the size of the site, the target audience, the type of content you’d like, updateability, database needs, sales transaction needs, as well as the search engine optimization needs and design features that you like.

Designers will not know what you expect or want if you don’t tell them so be prepared to discuss your vision and goals with them.  It is also helpful if you can outline a specific timeframe and budget for the task.  Another tip, this one’s a freebie, don’t select the website designer based solely on the price of the project, frequently you get what you pay for.

Visit Other Sites

Look at other sites from the same industry to gather ideas about what you like and dislike about websites.  Visiting other sites will allow you to discover what seems to work and what doesn’t.

Create a List of Designers

Create a list of potential designers.  It can be easy to find website designers in the phonebook or with simple internet searches but this isn’t always going to get you the best website designers.  You need to find a designer that will suit your project needs.  Get names through referrals from friends, family, other businesses or even your competitors.  When you visit your competitors’ websites you can typically discover who designed the site by searching for a link to the designer’s website in the footer.  Be sure you create a list of several website designers so you have a number of good options to choose from.  Compare these designers against each other.

View the Designers’ Portfolios

Look for samples of the designer’s work.  Viewing a designer’s portfolio of websites is the best way to know how talented the designer is.  When looking at the websites consider:

• range of design styles
• do all the sites fit a specific niche or is there a wide range of industries represented?
• ease of navigation and finding necessary information
• page accessibility
• working links
• how links open (same page or new window)
• design consistency between pages
• accessibility of the sitemap and contact information
• relevance, quality, and timeliness of content
• page alignment
• readability of text
• page loading speed

Talk to References

Check References

Ask for references and pick up the phone and use them.  Make sure you speak to other customers of the website designer.  It is important to understand the designer’s work ethic and other businesses that use the designer will be able to speak to that.  When talking with other businesses and references find out which designers are easy to work with and which are challenging.  Designers that listen well and have good follow-through are going to be the ones with the happiest customers.

You will want to check with these other businesses to see if the designer has represented their business properly through the website design.  You not only want an attractive and useful website but you want one that will speak accurately of your business’ culture, philosophy, products, services, and branding.

Conclusion

A good website design can mean the difference between your business’ success or failure.  When it comes to internet marketing for your business website design is essential.  Using the above tips will increase your chances of finding the best website designers for your projects.  You will be investing a lot of time and money into your website so be sure to do your research and only hire the best.

So what do we do about this?  The best website designers always offer website testing services to make sure sites work in all of the main browsers.  It is important to test your website on different browsers, operating systems and with different configurations so you can be sure site visitors are always viewing your site how it is intended to be viewed.

Cross browser testing is important for a number of reasons.

1. Cross browser testing helps to identify problems with your website.  Browsers and operating systems behave differently with different websites.  Some browsers are able to adjust to bad coding but other browsers don’t.  Depending on the browser or operating system being used, a website that looks terrific on one browser can look bad, or even broken, on another browser.  Cross-testing allows you to find out if there are problems with the site in other browsers.

2. Cross-browser testing assures you that your visitors will have the best user experience you can provide for them.

3. It can help you increase your overall conversion rating so you can make more money.  When your website isn’t working right in different browsers you are very possibly losing money.  When you have the ability to test your site and correct any issues or problems you can make sure your conversion spots and website is working properly.

A tool such as Google Analytics will show you which browsers people are using to access your site.  With this information you will know which browsers to run tests for.  Now the problem arises that people typically don’t have access to computers with numerous browsers or operating systems on them.

Just a couple of years ago there were not many good options for testing cross-browser compatibility for websites.  The tools available had drawbacks such as a fee, limited capabilities, or inconvenient time requirements.  Today however, there are several browser testing tools that make it fairly easy, and not only that but they are free.

The following is a list of cross browser tools to consider:

• Adobe Browser Lab
• BrowserShots.org
• DebugBar IETester
• iPad Peek
• Lunascape Browser
• Spoon Browsers
• VMware Fusion
• Browsrcamp.com

Testing throughout the development process will lead to fewer headaches in the end.  What are your favorite cross-browser testing tools?

Contact The Net Impact today to learn more about how your business can benefit from cross browser testing!

Obviously mobile internet use is on the rise; over 1.7 billion people are already connected to the internet on their phones.  It would be a mistake for any business or industry to think they won’t have visitors on a mobile site.  Even businesses who work solely in the B2B realm need to go mobile.

As designers are figuring out how to best accommodate mobile devices, the world of mobile website development and design continues to evolve.  To improve mobile website usability consider the following:

Device Width

Consider the maximum width that all of the elements on the page need to have and format the entire HTML document for a variety of screen sizes.  We already know this for desktop screen sizes now we need to consider it for handheld devices as well.  Some sites are formatted for a variety of device widths but the elements are forgotten.  This makes the elements far too small on the screen.

RSS

Your website and blog feed should be available for mobile devices so the mobile traffic can have access to your basic content.

Simple Forms

No one likes to fill out forms, especially long forms, and filling out forms on a mobile device can be even more frustrating.  Take the time to design mobile forms to be short and simple for the user.  On the form set each field’s input type to what is being requested of the user so the keyboard will have the necessary elements for the user to fill in the field.  For example, setting the phone number field’s input type as ‘number’ will set the keyboard to default to display numbers instead of letters.

Simple Site Option

Consider offering the user the opportunity to load a simple site.  Instead of always taking your visitor to your standard site, create a site that leaves out some of the extra effects this will be helpful when mobile speed is limited and when downloading is a problem.

Content

When transferring content from a standard website to a mobile website some designers opt not to include all of the content.  Instead they generate new content or try to only include what they believe is necessary.  This brings up the question, if content isn’t necessary, why is it on any site at all?  Content that isn’t necessary should be removed.  Doing this from all sites can help alleviate not only space issues for mobile sites but other standard site problems as well.  Content should be reviewed to determine which adds value and fulfills the user’s needs versus content which is just taking up space.

Finger Limitations

Unlike a desktop where a user has a mouse that can easily click on an icon or link, a mobile user has the disadvantage of having to rely on a finger to press the correct link.  Apple has implemented a standard 44 x 30 pixel image as the standard size for all of their mobile controls.  However, the amount of space between those elements is frequently overlooked.  It can be very difficult for users to click on the intended button when they are placed close together.  Some recommend that the standard space between elements should be a minimum of 8 pixels.

Images

Some images, such as your logo or your products, may be necessary for your mobile website however, you should avoid unnecessary images.  Images increase the time it takes for a site to load especially a mobile site, depending on the internet connection, and can drag a site down if they are heavy images.  It is best to limit the number and size of images and videos to only those that are necessary.  With HTML5 and CSS3 many images can be avoided altogether.

Home Screen Icon

Shortcuts to mobile apps can look really boring if a distinctive icon is not created.  When an icon isn’t there the user has to read the titles which typically look something like, “The…..ernet” which make them especially difficult to identify.  Creating a home screen icon is not difficult and can make a big difference in someone clicking on your site.

Zoomability

Even if a site has been mobile optimized it can be difficult for people to read on the small screen, especially older individuals with weakening eyes.  Frequently if they can pinch to zoom they have no trouble reading the site.  This is an important feature with will allow your site to be easy to use and read on a smartphone.

Do you have any other suggestions for mobile website design?  If so, please leave a comment below.

The way a QR code works is pretty simple.  A potential customer sees a QR code located on a piece of marketing material for your company, perhaps a business card, a brochure, a magazine, or even a sign or poster, the customer uses their smart phone to scan the code, with a scanner app, and they are taken to the location the QR code points them to.  Frequently it’s to a mobile friendly version of your website.

Many companies have optimized their websites for mobile viewing on an iPhone or Blackberry.  The problem is that users frequently have to type in a long URL and remember to start with m., or end with .mobi or /mobile.  This makes QR codes handy.  They eliminate the problem of having to type in the URL.  The user simply scans the code and can be taken directly to the mobile site.

The mobile site should then allow the consumer to “like” your Facebook page when they click on it, it posts on their wall and they can leave a comment on your wall.  Or your site should have a link to “follow” you on Twitter so you can have instant marketing access to them.  You could also include a link to subscribe to your email list so you can send them personalized emails with great graphics and layouts.  Or they can scan your QR code and be taken to an optimized site with all of the above options and a few more including a coupon code.  QR codes allow for some great marketing opportunities for your business.

A QR code can tell a smart phone to do almost anything including launch a website, go to your Facebook page, view a YouTube video, view a Google Maps location, send an email, dial a phone number, send a text message or even download your business contact information.

Some companies unfortunately use the QR code to link directly to their normal website instead of to a mobile optimized site.  This makes viewing content on the website extremely difficult and frustrating.  If your website is important to your business then you need to have a mobile version.  Not only will a mobile website allow consumers to find information about your business when they are out and about around town it will allow you to use QR code marketing to promote your business and your website.

QR codes can be added to just about anything so be creative, add them to mailers, event displays, print ads, business cads, buttons, clothing.  QR codes offer a great balance between being informative and curiosity marketing.  They are a mystery until they are scanned so people love scanning them.

There are a number of QR code generators available.  Depending what you want to do with your QR code you will want to try several code generators to find the one that works the best for you.  The code generators vary in the types of codes they produce as well as in the extra services they offer.  Many code generators are free and some offer tracking and analytics so you can monitor your QR code marketing to see if it is effective.

Google Fresh

We’ve all known that fresh content was important but back in November of 2011, Google rolled out a new algorithm intended to make search results fresher.  The fresher results were intended to make the results more relevant for the searches performed.  The types of searches that were most effected by this change were recent events, hot topics, recurring events, and topics with frequently updated information such as the top movie reviews, or the top digital video cameras, for example.  The idea behind this Google change was basically that when people perform a search they are looking for current results.

So what does this mean for you, well, the impact of this change on your search engine optimization is dependant on how often you already create fresh content for your website.

Your Search Engine Optimization Plan

We all know creating fresh content for your website is valuable the problem is that it can be difficult.  Unless you have a writer on staff the content writing task usually falls to someone who finds it somewhat out of their comfort zone.  Nevertheless, you need updated site content if you want to attract organic traffic and engage your visitors.

With the Google update in mind, the importance of new content as an element of your SEO plan is greater than ever.

The thing is, the Google update is intended to target searches that will benefit from fresh content, searches that have freshness needs.  Different searches have different freshness needs so you need to determine what aspects of the products or services on your website would trigger the freshness need for Google.

Since we know that there are three main areas that Google has identified as having a freshness need it would be wise to incorporate those into your search engine optimization plan and site content.  Include in your plan:

Recent events or hot topics:

Are there recent events or hot topics that relate to your business or industry that are experiencing trends on the internet?  Some examples might include a release of a new product, or a merger of two companies.

Regularly recurring events:

What recurring events might be of interest to your site visitors?  Any annual events, in store or online sales, trade shows, earnings updates, and visits from Santa are all examples.

Frequent updates:

This category impacts anyone involved in retail.  If I perform a search for “smart phone reviews” the chances are high that I want to know about the most recent versions of smart phones not the ones from a couple of years ago.  This is true not only of smart phones but of any consumer product on the market.

When considering how much fresh content to include in your search engine optimization plan think about how much content you’re capable of producing.  How much fresh content does your competition produce? (Are you watching their site?  It would be a good idea to keep an eye on what they’re doing.) When you perform a search for your keywords how often is fresh content included in the results?

Considering these questions and doing a little research will help you determine how much content and how often you need to add fresh content to your website.  Even if you don’t think the content on your website fits into the three areas of freshness needs it is still important to produce and publish fresh content for your website on a regular, probably monthly, basis.  This will help to grow your site as well as your product and service visibility assisting your other search engine optimization efforts.

So what should be taken into consideration when designing for the iPad?

*HTML 5- The iPad offers no support for browser plugins like Flash. If you are hoping to include video, animation or graphics on your site, it is imperative the site be designed using HTML5. HTML has long been the foundation for web development. Their latest version incorporates much of the elements previously only available via Adobe Flash. Luckily, websites designed with HTML5 are easily viewed on the iPad.

*Orientation:  The iPad has no correct way of viewing websites. That means you can view it either in landscape or in the portrait mode. But for the designer that means two completely different layouts for which to design. It is for this specific reason that the iPad highlights the need for smart fluid width design. Using a smart combination of CSS and Javascript the User Experience can be made to improve drastically.

*Contrast:  Because the iPad is a touch screen, it is important to build in a lot of white space and contrast to make the pad easy for visitors to use. After all, if they can’t click deeper into your site, you are never going to convert them.

*Test, test, test: while testing is an important component of any new web design, it has never been truer than when attempting an iPad friendly web design. There are already several sites out there that offer you the ability to take a ‘peek’ at how your new design will look on an iPad, a great tool is www.ipadpeek.com.

*Touch Screen: Primary method of user interaction with the iPad is and will be the fingers. The users will interact with our websites using fingers. So all those brilliant hover effects that were favorable for pointer-based devices, will be a hurdle in user experience on the iPad. Also the links can no longer be concealed in a text and left for the user to dexterously click upon it. We might want to resize the links so that the user experience does not suffer.

Google Font API  is a new and innovative concept from Google that aims at providing a helping hand to all web design and development pros. Google Font API  helps you add web fonts to any web page.

If you use Google’s Open Font’s API, you have many advantages like:

1. Huge collection of Font Typefaces to choose from Google’s Fonts library.

2. All the bandwidth load is on Google as you are only using their resources in the API.

3. The speed is blazing fast as Google’s CDNs are faster than your site.

4. You can hotlink the font file so that there is a less file and bandwidth request.

 The world of web typography is quickly evolving but this evolution means that your web developement team and end users now have more choices than ever before.

Do you use any web font services in your websites?

1.  Make your purpose clear.

Your blog banner should have a title and subtitle that make it clear who you are and what your blog is all about. First-time visitors will quickly click away if they can not discover at a glance what you are trying to accomplish through blogging.

2.  Keep it simple.

There are so many different options you can integrate into your company blog, from colors to widgets, that it is often tempting to pile on too many. The result is a cluttered blog that is frustrating to navigate and visually chaotic. Review your blog every few months to determine whether any of the elements have become outdated or no longer relevant, and remove them.

3.  Take advantage of whitespace.

 Space out the graphic elements on your blog on your banner, in your posts, in your sidebar and readers will enjoy a heightened sense of readability and lightness as they browse your blog.

4.  Use complimentary colors.

Be judicious in choosing your color scheme; too many colors, or colors that are too bright, can turn off readers and cause them to click away sooner than they might otherwise.

5.  Place key information “above the fold.”

Place important information such as your call to action, at  the top half of your blog page, where readers will be able to see it as soon as the page loads into their browser window.

6.  Choose a readable font.

Is your copy too large? Too small? Copy that is too large can immediately turn viewers off, while copy that is too small will discourage older viewers from reading your content. Choose a copy size that is easy to read.

7.  Add visual interest with photos.

Humans are visually stimulated, and let’s face it: reading is much more fun when supplemented with pretty pictures. Even if you don’t fancy yourself a photographer, it is a good idea to include images now and then in your blog posts to help up the “good-looking” factor.

8.  Do a usability check.

User testing allows you to see how real people navigate your site, while hearing their comments at the same time.  This provides insight into how to improve your site by identifying positive and negative aspects of your site, including features on your site that may be confusing to visitors. You might be surprised what valuable information you receive when you ask for it.

9.  Do cross-browser testing.

Every browser has quirks that display pages slightly differently, so it is always a good idea to look at your blog in different browsers to make sure that it looks the way you want it to.

In conclusion, an eye-catching blog design that compliments your content and showcases your company’s expertise will give your visitors a reason to come back and visit.

Storzeye is an online store for ophthalmic instruments. Their target audience is ophthalmologists who require the highest quality surgical equipment. Users can search for instruments, set-up a wish list and add products to a shopping cart. Bausch + Lomb’s passion for eye health needed to be reflected in their online presence including both design and user experience. The Storzeye brand was no exception. The Storzeye brand conveys exceptional quality and a unique set of attributes that distinguish them from their competitors.  Every element on the site, from icons to the grid and baseline, reflect the unmatched quality of the Bausch + Lomb brand. The relationship between website design and product creates an engaging experience for the user while reinforcing Bausch + Lomb as a credible industry leader in the ophthalmic community.

“The rebranded websites reflect the unsurpassed quality of the Bausch + Lomb brand. The visually appealing and easy to navigate websites are consistent with the company’s long-standing professional image,” said Mandy Christanell, Project Manager, The Net Impact. “We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with such a well respected company in the medical industry.”

The new websites’ features include enhancements to the ways in which products are displayed and indexed on the sites. Unlike their competitors, Bausch + Lomb’s websites pioneer user-interaction. The websites include improved product detail with “click to enlarge” functionality on all product images as well as high-quality product videos. In addition, website visitors can now search for instruments, set-up a wish list and add products to an online shopping cart. The website also displays related product offerings for selected products and the on-site search tool was expanded to incorporate search results from both sites.