Website Basics

"We are crossing a technology threshold that will forever change the way we learn, work, socialize and shop. It will affect all of us, and businesses of every type, in ways far more pervasive that most people realize."-- Bill Gates, Comdex 1994

The Internet is the birthplace of fortunes, even for the common man and woman. If you have a business there are probably many ways to use the World Wide Web to leverage profits. The only question is, "How?"

Unfortunately there isn't a single or simple answer. There are hundreds and Codex they are complicated, ever changing and time consuming to understand . For the most part they are not for the "technologically challenged". Don't give up hope though, there is lots of help out there--even if the business of computers makes you want to run head-long in the other direction.

Let's assume you have a business web site or you soon will. Your No .1 goal should be to drive traffic to that site. After all, what fun would it be if you threw a 60-yard touchdown pass and there was no one in the stands to witness it. To gather a crowd, it is mandatory that you pay maximum attention to the following:

• Site design/keyword placement
• Search Engine algorithms
• Create doorway pages
• Design an affiliate program
• Promoting through op-in e-mail
• Management of your mailing list
• Developing a links-in and links-out program
• Designing and advertising campaign
• Keeping 'em coming back

Each of these topics and many more like them is the subject of hundreds of books and thousands of websites. So, I will only focus on the first two in this column. I have to take them together because they are married in every sense of the word.

Your website must be designed with the search engines in mind. Yes, it has to be pretty, easy to navigate and user-friendly. What does that mean?

According to most experts, there are 10 major Search Engines and directories out there. They are Alta Vista, HotBot/Lycos, I nfoSeek/Exicte, Yahoo, Open Directory, MSN, Snap, Northern Lights and GoTo.

With the exception of Yahoo and Open Directory, all of them use very intelligent robotic 'spiders' to crawl about the Web and catalog the content of its pages. The only two things these arachnids really care about are the words and the code. They could give a hang about color, photos, drawings or composition.

The spiders throw each page's words into a huge master brain. That inhuman brain is programed to analyze the words via very complex algorithms (top secret computer programs. It might include such things as the number of outside sites link to your site and the number of hits the page receives in a day. Each spider and algorithm is a bit different, but they all rank sites by word frequency, weight and proximity.

What all that means is when Suzie Surfer types the words "Tub Buddies" in MSN's search box, it is the algorithm's scorecard that decides which sites will be pulled up and in what order. Since Search Engines are the number one way (86 percent or more) most folks find websites, it is critically important you pay them great heed. That is done by choosing your 'keywords' very, very carefully.

Keywords are words or phrases you think people will type into the search box when they are looking of companies that offer your type of goods or services. So, if the major purpose of your site is to sell bird feeders, you might include 'bird feeders' 'bird seed,' 'birders,' 'garden projects,' 'suet cakes,' ornithology,' 'chickadee,' 'bluebirds,' 'gardening,' 'squirrel proof' and 'nature lovers' in your list of keywords.

Before you even think of hiring a website designer, come up with your list of keywords. Solicit help from your friends and relations. Have them brain-storm with you. Come up with as long a list as possible. Include single words, and then combine them into phrases.

The reason it is important to do this first is because any web designer worth his weight in HTML code will use these words for the backbone of your site. Not only will that person include them in your META tags and ALT tags, the designer will also know to put them in the TITLE tag, the comment tags, in the body copy and in your URL itself. It is critical that the designer knows each Search Engine's spamming (too many keywords, too close together) policies so the word placement doesn't get you thrown off the Search Engine entirely.

That brings me to my final point. Be very careful to choose the right web design firm. Get a list of its clients. Call these contacts to find out how pleased they are with their site. Ask them if it has increased their customer base. Promoting your goods or services on the iNternet is like all other marketing efforts; it costs time and money. Don't go into it blind.