Finally, I’m starting to grasp the depth of SEO and how websites are ranked on Search Engines. Who knew there was so much to it? I knew I had a good grasp and understanding when I came to Beacon but I’ve learned a much deeper side to it that I wasn’t so sure of. There is a ton of information out there and its easy to learn once you dig into it and become familiar with it all.

My knowledge of SEO when I started was on an Intermediate level and now after much research and application with good results, I’m confident to say I’ve stepped up to a Competent/Proficient level. I know not everyone has a deep understanding of SEO and I thought I would take it upon myself to give you a short lesson on Ranking Factors for SEO. I’m going to try and make it as easy as possible to understand but if you have questions, please feel free to leave comments. I love knowing I’ve helped someone learn something new because learning is the key to success. So here we go!

Ranking Factors for SEO:

1. Keywords that you use in title tags – This it thought of as the #1 ranking factor for websites. It needs to say in a few short words what the page is about. The most important keywords should be listed first. For Example: Take Staub Leadership, Here you can tell by looking at the homepage this is company that teaches leadership to people. The Title Tag is what is seen at the top of the tab in firefox.
2. Anchor Text of inbound links – This is the text use to link to a site or in other words it’s the word that is hyperlinked. Example: Look at 1 and Staub Leadership is in blue and underlined. So Staub Leadership is the Anchor text.
3. Global link Authority of a site – this represents the quality and quantity of a site’s links. This just means you want to have links on sites that are relevant and that have good page rank because that page rank is carried on to your site.
4. Link Popularity within a site – This means that pages that have links on all the internal pages of a site show that the page being linked is very popular and important. Having the links on many internal pages of site shows search engines that this page is very important.
5. Topic relevance of inbound links – All this means is that you want to put links on pages that are relevant to the pages you are linking to. For Example: Beacon is creating a link to post on another site for our SEO Management page. In order for the link to be beneficial it needs to be posted on a site that is about SEO management. You wouldn’t want to put the link on a site for Health care because there is no relevance between the two.
6. Link Popularity in linking neighborhood – The more links you have coming to your site from websites that are similar to you show search engines that your site has authority and is reputable as long as they are links from other reputable sites. Links from spamming sites will hurt your website in ranking.
7. Keywords in the Body – Search Engines look at keywords in the body of your website as well as the title tags. The title tag keyword should be repeated in the body as well as synonyms for the keywords used. This helps to show the page is relevant to the topic.

The 7 ways I listed are not the only ways to affect ranking but they are the most common and best practices to start with. So that’s my short lesson for you in SEO Ranking Basics. Hope that helps some and like I said feel free to comment!

Lots of <3,

Ashley

Nulls are funny animals that require special handling.  They are not even like empty strings that have a zero length and nothing for a value.  Nulls have no value, undefined.

When you access data from a DB table and return it to your application code you try to keep the DB nulls from returning to the code.  If you don’t it is a sure error waiting to blow up your page.  A Common method for preventing  that is to replace the DB null with an empty string in the SELECT statement. 

I have used the following technique often.
 Let’s assume we have DB column named ‘flag’ that we are concerned with.
The select statement may look like this: 

                SELECT ID,
                                FirstName,
                                LastName,
                                .
                                .
                                .
                                isnull(Flag, ‘’)  as Flag
                FROM …                              

In the example above, if the flag was null, an empty string would be returned  and   I would check in my code something like this:  If flag <> “” then …  to see if there was any data in the field. 
However I found out the hard way that the DB column has to be defined so that it can pass an empty string.  Varchar allows this to happen since it can have a length of 0.
 I ran into a situation where my application code check for an empty string was false but when I checked the DB field it was null.  So why wasn’t it passing and empty string?  Obviously there was a bug or some type of corruption in the DB because I use this technique all the time. 

After quite some effort in debugging, I discovered that the column of flag was  defined as a char(1).
No problem, because I indicated in the select statement to pass me an empty string if the field was null.  I may have indicated to pass me an empty string but that is not what happens when the column has a defined length.  I got passed back a 1 character field of a space because the column was defined to be 1 character and it got space padding.   

Lessons learned.  If I indicate in the select statement to pass a null value back as an empty string, I make sure the column does not have a defined length but rather a varchar designation so it can have a 0 length to reflect the empty string.

Nulls are funny animals.

I have been in the information technology world since 1981 when I wrote my first programs as a student at Wake Forest, then later as an intern at the NC Dept of Agriculture and throughout my career with RJ Reynolds, AT&T, as a student at Kansas State and now with Beacon.  In 1998 when we started Beacon, there were a few web development companies out there, but now they are EVERYWHERE!  All of them claim to be the best.  I know, I know.  That’s just business.  I have talked with hundreds of business leaders with respect to web initiatives over the years.  To no one’s surprise, the four main factors that drive the decision to select a web development/consulting firm are (1) Price, (2) Experience/Capability, (3) Delivery Time, and (4) Relationship / Support.  I believe we are very good at what we do, but by no means are we perfect as there is always room for improvement.  But having been in this profession for over half my life, I thought it might be worthwhile to share some of my experience-based thoughts on what good web development entails.  Of course, this isn’t all inclusive, but a solid foundation.

Website Development Facts:

1. For business purposes, it is NOT so simple that “a caveman can do it”.
2. Every website is a custom website.  Cost increases with the level of customization and volume of content/products.
3. You get what you pay for.  Cutting corners, having your nephew build the site, trying to build it yourself when you have time usually produces poor results.  Take the time to do it right.  Prioritize all your requirements and desired features.  Establish a realistic budget and share it with your vendor.  Ask them to provide as much as they can with that budget without sacrificing quality.  Push lower priority requirements to a future release.
4. Every website has a “Blueprint” Phase and a “Construction” Phase (most expensive of the two).  A good blueprint keeps the construction costs down and prevents re-work, so take the time to do it right.  Breaking these two phases into separate projects (contracts) works best.
5. Web development, hosting and marketing depend on each other.  It is a BIG advantage to have a single vendor that is strong in all 3 areas with good customer support.  One number to call for any web-related issues.

 Website Types:

1. Marketing (Informational, lead-generation)
2. Storefront (Ecommerce, online revenue generation)
3. Activity-Based (Custom Applications, Blogs)
4. Mix of the above

 Website Development Differentiators:  Good firms will not only discuss your specific needs, but will also share current trends, brainstorm new ideas and proactively cover the following (at a minimum), while constantly providing ideas and consultation.  If your web development company is sitting there waiting for you to tell them what to do, find another firm.

1. Cross Browser Compatibility:  Will your website operate in ALL the most current popular browser versions?
2. Updates to the website:  I’ve NEVER seen a website that didn’t need updates from time to time.  How will updates be handled and priced?
3. Content Management:  There are many, many content management systems on the market.  Of course, they vary in price based on features and functionality.  One size doesn’t fit all.  No reason to put a monster engine in a VW bug, nor a 4-cylinder into a Corvette. 
4. Coding for search engine visibility (SEO):  It’s one thing to create content for a web page, but a whole different thing to make the site search engine friendly, using meta tags effectively, the right keyword density, SEO landing pages, internal linking and much more.  You can’t just build a website and expect the world to find it.  You have to know how to construct it so the search engines “like” it…and I’m not talking about a Facebook “Like”!
5. Professional/Creative Web Design:  The old saying is quite true… You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.  Your website represents your business.  People don’t read content as much anymore.  This is why using the right imagery with easy navigation is important.
6. Calls to Action:  Ask yourself, “What do I want people to do when they come to my website?”  Is there a strong call to action that facilitates this?  And how will it be tracked?
7. Analytics:  I frequently say, “you can’t manage what can’t measure”.  MAKE SURE you have some sort of analytics tool (preferably Google Analytics) to track visitors, conversions and much more.  Your website is another Sales Rep – make sure it is performing well.
8. Site Search:  Is a site search tool included and is it appropriate for your site?  It is vitally important.
9. Hosting & support:  If your vendor also hosts your website, can they also host your email and provide spam filtering?  Are redirects being used appropriately?  What happens if a page isn’t found?  Do they check for broken links regularly?
10. Local web marketing:  Will your vendor help with optimizing your listings in Google Local, Places, Maps…and other standard local venues?
11. Integration:  Does your website need to integrate with 3^rd party or back office software?  Accounting?  Shipping?  Order Management?  CRM?  Will experienced engineers be available to discuss critical requirements.

 Choosing a Website Development Partner:  When you select a website development firm, there is always somewhat of a leap of faith.  Like any profession, there are good firms and bad firms. Minimize this leap by considering the following:

1. How many years have they been in business?  Demonstrates financial stability, success and peace of mind that they have not only been providing these services, but will be around when you need them in the future.
2. Look at their portfolio.  There are so many firms out there that showcase relatively unknown clients.  There’s a reason for this – especially if they have been around for a long time.
3. Read their blog and Facebook page.  It will tell you a lot about their breadth and depth of skills, their people and their personality.
4. Do they outsource or do everything in house?  Nothing against outsourcing, but I’m a big believer in minimizing the number of costly middle-men.
5. Ask about who’s doing the work.  Does one person handle project management, creative design, development, testing, SEO and implementation?  I have yet to meet a person who is an expert in all of these areas.
6. Ask for example deliverables.  Can they provide examples of a project plan and any other deliverables that are created prior to development?  The website is NOT the only deliverable.  Houses aren’t built without a blueprint, neither should your website.
7. Ask about communication.  Will your primary point of contact be a Project Manager or a Developer?  Can you meet this person?
8. Ask about the creative design process.  How many design-and-review iterations do they provide with respect to the website design – so that you can see the creative design(s) and request modifications?
9. Ask about the CMS and eCommerce software options.  Are they locked into only one of each or do they have more breadth of experience and alternative options to meet your price and functional requirements?
10. Ask how they test the website before it is launched.  Do they have a formal “User Acceptance Testing” process – so you can check everything out before it gets launched?
11. Is the firm a good fit for your business culture?  Does the relationship “feel” good & honest like the firm cares about the success of your website?  Or do you feel like you are just part of an assembly line.
12. Ask about post-launch support.  Who to call?  Pricing?  Expected response time?  After hours?  Ticketing system to insure your request is logged and monitored to completion?
13. Do they really provide their own hosting services or do they use a 3^rd party?  Ask this 3-part question:  Where is the web server located that houses my website?  How often is server maintenance performed and who performs it?  I’ve seen a lot of finger pointing between hosting firms and development firms over the years.

 Website Development Budget:  For us, every project is quoted separately  There’s always exceptions, but here’s a “Rule of Thumb” table that I have put together based on several hundred projects we’ve performed over the years.  I hope this helps to some degree with your approach to web development firms.

*Small:  option to pay monthly
**X-Large: businesses w/ large product catalogs, universities, etc (thousands of pages) that require careful planning and coordination with internal decision-making groups. Many times these projects require integration with existing legacy systems and/or 3^rd party software.
***Duration is dependent on the availability of resources, number of resources working concurrently and the client’s availability & delivery of content.

Since 1998, Beacon Technologies has specialized in helping companies with high-end, custom, full-service web solutions. We act as consultants to our clients and we support the design, development, hosting, maintenance, and marketing of websites and web applications.

Now, in effort to reach out to a larger client base and support smaller companies, individuals, and entrepreneurs Beacon is offering its services in a packaged solution that will be more affordable to smaller businesses. We are proud to introduce you to Beacon Express.  With our Beacon Express division, all businesses can take full advantage of the internet and the experience that has made Beacon Technologies a recognized leader in web services.

Beacon Express provides:

• Custom Design
• Home Page plus up to 5 content pages
• Hosting
• Email up to 5 accounts
• Spam and Virus Protection with Barracuda
• Domain Registration and/or Transfer
• Google Analytics – monthly report
• Google Local & Yahoo Local Submission
• Unlimited updates to your website content
• SEO Friendly Design for visibility in major search engines
• No long-term commitment…cancel anytime

The best part might be the price.

Visit Beacon Express to learn more, www.beaconexpress.com.

You need a new website and you need Top 10 rankings in Google. Your most fierce competitor ranks #4 in Google for your industries most important phrase! Plenty of web development companies are offering their expertise. How do you know which web development company to hire?

I have a simple solution that will help you decide!!

Go to Google and submit searches and see which web companies have Top 10 Organic Rankings for the following phrases:

• web development – Google Search
• website development – Google Search
• ecommerce development – Google Search
• custom website development – Google Search
• ecommerce software development – Google Search
• google analytics consulting – Google Search

As you can see, Beacon has Top 3 rankings for many of it’s most important phrases. The value of these rankings is very significant.

We know how to do it.

Call Beacon today if you are serious about online marketing!!
Patrick Flanagan, 336-232-5668

The Setup:
Two people are sitting at the airport waiting to catch a flight. They do not know one another.

Person #1 is a Business Owner. Person #2 is Beacon Sales Guy.

Business Owner (Person #1) looks to Beacon Sales Guy (Person #2) and sighs: “What a day! I just lost my 3rd major account this year. Apparently they had grown tired of telephoning and faxing in orders and receiving shipments the following week. They found another supplier that could actually take orders online and process and ship next day. Whatever happened to the telephone and fax machine? Whatever happened to personal relationships? What’s the world coming to?”

Beacon Sales Guy (shaking his head slowly): “Hmmm. That is tough news to hear. Sounds like a very bad year for your business. My timing may be off here perhaps but my company, Beacon Technologies, actually helps companies automate outdated processes by developing custom integrated ecommerce and ordering websites. We build ecommerce and ordering websites that integrate real-time to our customers accounting and inventory systems. Your clients would actually be able to purchase products, review order history, check inventory levels, receive customer specific pricing and much more if we were your web partner. Sales would quadruple. I promise!!!” (okay, i actually would not say the last two sentences but you get the idea)

Business Owner: ” Sounds like a lot of fancy fast talk to me. Whatever happened to simply picking up the phone and calling in an order? Geez!!!”

Beacon Sales Guy: “Well, actually it’s not really that fancy. Automating your ordering process to an automated web system can be a bit complex but we do it everyday. It is EXACTLY what we do!!”

Business Owner: “Well you seem rather confident. Do you think you can help little ‘ole me?”

Beacon Sales Guy: We are experts with all things ‘web’. Call me Monday and we’ll talk. (okay, i would actually ask for his phone number at this time)

Like the Business Owner above, are you struggling to find a reliable web partner?
Have you had several web partners over the past 5 years and they are simply not meeting your expectations?

Beacon will succeed!

About Beacon:
Sure, Beacon Technologies has been in business for over 10 years.
Sure, Beacon has 30 employees and can offer you vast expertise and experience with web strategy and implementation.
Sure, Beacon has a proven process and methodology to deliver high quality websites and web application, from start-to-finish, on-time and on-budget.
Sure, Beacon’s Graphical Design Team is excellent. Just ask them!!!
Sure, Beacon’s Content Management Software is flexible, robust, reliable, SEO-friendly, and fully licensed and supported technology.
Sure, Beacon’s CSS, UI, Web Designers are exceptional.
Sure, Beacon’s application developers, database administrators, system integration experts will develop a self-service system that will scale for you for years to come.
Sure, Beacon’s Managed Hosting services at TW Telecom Co-location Data Center is world class.
Sure, Beacon’s Project Management Team will truly please you with their personalities, energy, and attention-to-detail.
Sure, Beacon’s PCS Maintenance Team is well organized to facilitate ongoing minor maintenance request with a ticketing system to manage the workload.
Sure, Beacon’s Search Engine Marketing services are highly capable to deliver measurable results and positive ROI.
Sure, Beacon’s SEM Team has been recognized by Google as experts with both tools: Google Analytics and Google Website Optimizer

But how can this help you?

If this sounds interesting or familiar (even just slightly)…call Beacon and let’s talk!

Full-Service Web Development Firm

• Website Design and Develop
• Content Management Software – with Cascade Server
• Custom Software Application Development
• Integrated eCommerce (frontend to backoffice)
• Search Engine Marketing
• Google Analytics Authorized Consultants, Google Analytics Partner List
• Site/Application Maintenance
• Hosting – Website/Server/Email
• Logo/Branding Design

Patrick Flanagan
336-232-5668
pflanagan@beacontec.com

…or are they just another vendor trying to get as much of your IT and Marketing budget as possible?

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