NetSecrets Blog : Web Design and SEO

JoeAnt Web Directory

Most people now understand the importance of being listed in high quality web directories. The Open Directory and Yahoo! are the two best known but there are many others worth considering.

A directory I particularly like is JoeAnt - www.joeant.com. I'm an editor there so have a good idea how it works and have added hundreds of sites over the past year or so.

You can request a review which costs a few dollars or you can become an editor and add sites for free. But in either case they have strict rules and high standards so poor sites will be refused and there are stringent guidelines dictating how to write meaningful titles and descriptions that avoid "keyword stuffing" and marketing hyperbole.

It won't necessarily send you huge numbers of visitors but the links are picked up by the search engines so probably do you some good that way. It's also quite enlightening to review your own sites using their rules. It really helps to see the essence of what you have created and where you have fallen short.

Search Engine Optimisation - What Does It Do?

People often say to me, "So you supply search engine optimisation then?" or "Can you quote me for search engine optimisation".

I have to explain that SEO to NetSecrets is like an engine is to Ford. A car without an engine will get you nowhere but if you go into a car room and ask to buy just an engine they'll think you are mad. Just the same a successful web site needs SEO but SEO alone will achieve little.

My measure of success for a website is whether it makes money for the site owner and to achieve that the site needs to receive increasing numbers of visitors who could buy and then it needs to convince them to take at least the first step to becoming a customer. You HAVE TO tick both boxes.

A poor website that fails to convert its few visitors will do no better with lots of visitors. A brilliant site that stuns its visitors can't stun anyone if they don't come visiting.

So when people say they want SEO, what the really want is whatever it takes to make them feel they are making good money out of their website.

Contracts For 2012 Olympics

My good friend Lorraine Hart of Primrose Hospice in Bromsgrove sent me an email regarding business opportunities associated with the 2012 London Olympics.

Apparently 50% of the goods and services are supposed to be sourced outside London and there is a scheme called CompeteFor you can register for which matches potential bidders and opportunities to sell their services.

I've been through the process and being Public Sector it's a bit of a pain but I got through it in about 20 minutes. you'll need to have handy things like VAT number, Company Reg. number, and details of any insurances such as Public Liability, Employer's Liability and Professional Indemnity. to get started go to:

http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/index.php

You end up at a regional site based on your post code. In my case it was Advantage West Midlands and there was another 20 minutes form filling there.

I've no idea if it will do any good but you never know. If anyone has any further input please respond with a comment.

Corporate Blog For ProjExc Project Management

John Williams of Birmingham based Project Management Consultancy, ProjExc, is a highly experienced project manager who has handled successfully major construction and development projects for a variety of multi-national corporations.

He now helps smaller businesses overcome the difficulties in completing projects on time and to budget. Most UK projects fail in one way or another and John's service is based on avoiding such failures. He does this either by being his client's interim project manager or by coaching the client's existing project team in better methods and systems.

He has helped NetSecrets considerably in developing ways of completing small and large website projects more efficiently, on time and within budget.

His new corporate blog will make it easier for him to share his insights, tips and advice with the outside world. He also has a detailed "general" website and a project management portal that offers useful background information, including project management templates.

Click on the links below to visit ProjExc's sites:

ProjExc PM Consultants : Main Website

ProjExc Portal : Project Management Templates and Background Information

ProjExc Blog : New and Views for Project Managers

We at NetSecrets rate John very highly and would strongly recommend his services for anyone wanting to be more efficient and automated in the handling of complex projects.

New Corporate Blog For Aardvark Consulting

NetSecrets have just set live a new corporate blog for Worcester based marketing consultant Chris Hutchinson of Aardvark Consulting. Chris helps small to medium sized businesses "sell more stuff, to more people, for more money" by applying many of the marketing strategies normally only reserved for big blue chip companies to the activities of SME's.

To view the main website and the new blog click on the links below:

Aardvark Consulting : Marketing Services : Main Website

Aardvark Consulting : Marketing Blog

The blog will contain news both of Aardvark and of the marketing sector. It will also offer tips and advice on growing your business using modern marketing techniques.

Chris is more than just a website client to us. He has done a great deal of valuable work in developing our FastSMS business, which provides online text messaging services. He is now helping us move forward with our SMS marketing site, FastMMS and we can highly recommend his services.

BlogCatalog Listing

Just discovered what seems a really handy blog directory, BlogCatalog. I've submitted most of our corporate (and not so corporate) blogs to it and will report back when I get a feeling of its usefulness.

Take a look at:

http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/internet

If anyone can suggest other similar places to register blogs please put the details in a comment.

New Appointments At NetSecrets

Netsecrets has successfully expanded its team with two new major appointments.

 

The Worcestershire based company has appointed Micki Hill and Matthew Pygram as part of their 2008 expansion and growth development within the Internet Services sector.

 

Micki, joins the Internet specialists head office as an additional Customer Services Representative. The 38-year-old, who previously worked within the Construction sector, has made a move into the Internet Services sector. Micki is set to bring over xx-years experience in customer and client services to the Customer Service Team.

 

Matthew joins the Web Design and Development Team as Project Manager. The 33-year-old has over 10-years experience within IT, Web Design and Hosting. His recent appointment will see him working with a wide range of UK clients.

 

Tony Burt, Director of Netsecrets, commented: “We are delighted to be starting the year with two major new appointments to the team.  Micki and Matthew are both a part of our 2008 expansion as a leading Internet Service provider.

 

“We are very pleased to welcome them to the team and I am certain they will both bring a huge amount to their role and our growing team and business.” 

   

Micki Hill, Customers Services Representative at Netsecrets, said: “I am really looking forward to being a part of such a fast paced and exciting team of experts as I develop in my new sector.

 

“I hope to bring as much client experience as I can to the company and work with its dedicated team of Customer Service Representatives.” 

 

Matthew Pygram, Project Manager at Netsecrets, said: “It is definitely an exciting time to for me to be joining Netsecrets as the company is expanding. 

   

“I will be working with our UK wide clients to manage the projects we undertake for them. I will be providing a one to one service to clients and working with them and their web projects from initial design to final deployment.” 

   

Netsecrets specialises in providing state of the art Internet technology and support for a wide range of SME’s across the West Midlands. 

   

Formed in 1998 by Managing Director Tony Burt and incorporated in 2002 Netsecrets Ltd has organically grown from satisfied and repeat clients to become one of the UK’s leading independent providers delivering a full spectrum of internet services. 

   

Additional information may be found at www.netsecrets.co.uk