The Importance of Learning Web Standards

Most anyone can learn to create a basic web page using HTML. However, a lot of people who learn how to create webpages only know the basics or the old ways of doing things; they don't know about the latest web standards. Although writing code using old techniques does still work, there are many good reasons why web standards should be followed, and that goes beyond being prepared for old techniques to stop working in newer browsers. In addition to being future proof, you are doing yourself a lot of favors by learning and keeping up with the latest developments in web standards. For example:


It allows you to write more efficient code. Not only are you able to reuse code you've already written, but you are also doing your visitors a favor. By separating structure from style by placing all stylistic CSS elements in an external style sheet, you are able to make your pages load more quickly. Putting the same style elements on every single HTML file means that the browser has to read it every time it loads a new page. On the other hand, using an external style sheet allows browsers to cache the file and save users' bandwidth. The less time it takes to load a page, the more likely your visitors will want to stick around and browse.


Changes and updates are easy when you keep your pages written in plain XHTML and use an external style sheet. Instead of taking hours trying to find all the style elements in every single page - even with copying and pasting - you can make a change in one place and have it rendered throughout the entire site. Structural changes are easier to make too without all those style elements cluttering the document.


Universal usability is ensured. This means that alternate content is provided for people without sight or hearing, as well as people with different input devices. For example, the blind can access information on a web site using a screen reader, but cannot see any images accompanying the text. In this case, alternate text is provided that describes the image. Elements on the page should be properly marked up too. For instance, by placing more than two items, such as navigation links, into a list, then it will make it easier for people with disabilities to navigate.


Crossplatform and device compatibility should also be kept in mind. When following web standards, you make sure that all your bases are covered; your web site can be accessed from any browser and any device. This is where using an external style sheet also comes into play. When accessing sites from mobile browsers, the critical information (the structure and content) is rendered while the stylistic information can be adjusted to fit the screen size and browser. Being compatible with many platforms and devices will also get you higher rankings and visibility on search engines like Google; this is called search engine optimization (SEO).


With all these benefits, it's hard to see why anyone wouldn't want to learn and follow the latest web standards. It may take some time to get in the habit of using them, but it'll be well worth it in the future.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Tips for Better Web Usability

A well-designed web site should be intuitive and easy to use. Some people may think that having a flashy looking site is best; however, it's what you do with your content and how you structure it that makes a difference. Designing a site for web usability may take a little more work, but it's worth your time to look into following the rules for good design; the subtle mistakes throw visitors off more than most people are aware.


Usually, people using the Internet are in a hurry to find the information they're looking for; therefore, one of the most important things to do is to make your pages easy to scan. People don't tend to read online; they tend to skim over the material. What's more, they don't usually skim through the entire page before deciding whether it's worthy of a more thorough read. Studies have shown that people scan pages in an F shape, so the most important information should be placed at the top of the page - particularly in the first two paragraphs. You should also chunk your material into logical sections, using lists, headings and subheadings, and strong or emphasized text for important keywords. Making your content easy to follow will benefit both you and your visitors.


Many of us know the frustration of looking for a specific topic or page and being unable to find it from the main menu. Sometimes it takes a lot of digging to get to the right page. Because of this, designers have started to include sitemaps. Sitemaps are hierarchical representations of the site structure; they help visitors see what pages are available and where they can go. They are especially helpful for large websites with many pages and subpages. Not only do they make the site more friendly to users who are browsing, but they also improve your site's search engine optimization. Web crawlers can use the sitemap instead of the main navigation to index pages of your site, thus giving you more links in search results and more exposure.


Another thing that will make your site easier to use is to keep your design and structure consistent. This can be achieved by using CSS and external style sheets, so that the whole site's design is derived from the same file. Navigation should be in the same place throughout your site - and it should be simple as well. Though more complex or representative designs can be aesthetically appealing, it's best to stick to a simple, straightforward design, something that people are expecting and used to.


Finally, you should do your best to structure your forms so users will know what sort of information to enter. Similar terms should be properly labeled and chunked into groups. People need to know what's expected of them to enter, so it's good to have an example of the information you want. If not all the information is correctly entered, the site should offer feedback telling the user what section was wrong and what needs to be done to correct it. You should do everything you can to make it easy for the user.


These tips just scratch the surface of web usability. For the best results, you should consult with an experienced web design company, like Codank Web Design, and find out what you can do to give your site the extra boost it needs.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Templates vs. Custom Web Design

When it comes to launching a website for you company, a template might seem like the best way to go. After all, many templates are free, and others seem ready-to-go with little cost and little hassle compared to making the site yourself or hiring someone to make it. Quick, easy, functional. That's what you might think at first, but there are some things to consider before you decide to use a template for your company's web site.


The first thing you should realize is that you have limited customization options with templates. Although you can make some changes, it can be difficult to do, especially if you have little or no experience with HTML and CSS. Some templates have so many strangely named files that you'd be lucky to even find the correct one, much less make a lot of major aesthetic changes.


That brings us to the next point - originality. With limited customization options, and with so many businesses out there looking for a "cheap and easy" solution, you will end up having the same design as another company. Your company will blend in with the crowd instead of standing out. Your website speaks for you and your company; visitors will draw conclusions based on your web presence. Remember, you want to be as memorable and professional on the Web as you would be in person. You want to make a good impression.


The final, and most important point, is that you will have to go in and make changes to the coding. Templates do not contain meta data about your company so making sure your site is optimized for search engines is your responsibility. Not to mention templates do not always conform to web standards, such as universal usability. This means that you will have to have the knowledge, skill, and tools to know where to look and how to change the coding. It can end up taking more time than necessary for a less than stellar result.


Although templates may seem like a quick and easy solution, they can end up taking more time, money, and effort. Hiring a web designer or developer, like Codank Web Design, to create your site is beneficial to you in the end. It will be done right the first time. So if you want your site to be accessible, visible to search engines, and uniquely attractive, a custom web design is the way to go.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Web Design as a Business Investment

Having an online presence is important for businesses to succeed in today's competitive environment. Many people use the Internet to shop, to compare companies and prices, and to search for products and information. The good news is that having a web presence costs less than having a physical presence, and it allows you to reach a wider range of customers. However, if poorly built and maintained, a web site will frustrate users and result in the loss of visitors and sales.


At this point, you might be tempted to look into free or cheap templates. You might wonder why it matters how the web site is created as long as it looks nice and seems to work. However, considering how many free templates are not up to snuff with web standards, you might find yourself spending much more money and time fixing the faulty coding. Web standards are in place to ensure sites work the same across browsers and operating systems and are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This will prevent you from alienating a group of users - and quite possibly a good percentage of customers. A well designed web site is also easier to maintain and change, saving you time and money. Above all, remember that your web site speaks about you and your company; you want to make a good impression.


Now that you see how important proper web design is, you might be wondering when you will have the time to set a proper site up. The good news is that you don't have to - Codank web design can do it for you. You provide the business information, the concept, and the content, and we work to make your dream site a reality. Our team consists of highly trained and experienced individuals who will work with you and listen to your desires and concerns. Codank will provide you with a site that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but accessible and highly visible to search engines (SEO). In addition, maintaining your new site is a snap using our content management system. You can put up new information just like that. So contact Codank, Charlotte NC website Design Company, today for a consultation , and you can relax knowing your web site is in good hands.


About CODANK Web Design


CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

How Important is Site Tagging?

Search engine optimization professionals believe that the most effective ways to guarantee that a web site will appear on result pages of search engines is by using proper site tags. Pay-Per-Click campaigns and top keywords are just as important, but a web site’s HTML tags help search engine crawlers retrieve the most information.

A proper SEO plan involves well-written content. All content is very important for the user interface portion, as well as the HTML regarding the crawler-facing aspect. A web sites ranking depends greatly on the “behind the scenes” tagging that manages the page. No online visitor is able to see the HTML, but without it, users wouldn’t be able to view the site!

Site tagging is only successful when the correct HTML commands are place in the appropriate areas. Your hardest task will be deciding on what types of tags to use and what needs to be included.

Basic Tags

• Title
• Heading
• Meta Tags
• Body

A page should always include these particular tags. This is how a search engine finds a web site.

Title tags are by far the most important SEO tag for any web site. Placing the right keywords in a title tag can increase its efficiency. Search engine spiders and crawlers use title tags for determining the web page topic.

With the proper HTML tags, a company can inform a search engine a lot more about a site than the written content can tell it. There are many aspects to tagging a web site. The right strategy should be used to ensure that tags are as helpful as possible.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Social Media 101

By definition, social marketing is a systematic method of marketing along with additional concepts and techniques used to achieve behavioral goals.

As social media begins to become more and more popular, search engine optimization and marketing professionals are encouraging business owners to take advantage of these social web sites as channels for promotion.

Popular Social Media websites include:

• YouTube
• Twitter
• Flickr
• Facebook
• MySpace
• Digg

Businesses have been using MySpace for years to create custom pages for their own promotion. MySpace and other sites give you the opportunity to reach current and potential customers in and around their target demographic.

Online marketers are learning the ins and outs of building a social media profile, growing their network and strategically updating their content. But, it is now time to start advertising. Below are a few aspects of social media advertising that a company should know about.

Advertisements should contain the present state of your business – Always keep your advertisements updated with what is currently going on with your business. You never want to mislead your potential or current customers.

Target the correct consumers with your message – It is vital to place ads of relevance on web sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Because majority of their users are young adults, products and services geared toward them would be fit for advertisement on those types of sites.

Understand your targeted social media channel – As stated above, by knowing who is using social media sites is very important to advertisers.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com.

Video Optimization

All of the content that is posted on your web site needs to be found by potential visitors. There is no way that they’re going to find you if your content is not optimized. Similar to written content (or text), the video files you decide to use should be optimized as well to get traffic to your web site.

More and more users are getting broadband access, which means that video usage is continuing to grow. Even though video optimization is in the early stages, it is still very important. Search engine crawlers cannot look inside a video to tell what the content is. As a result, they depend on other page factors to determine what the video is about. These factors include:

•Meta data
•Filenames
•Inbound links
•Anchor text

There are three different types of video optimization scenarios:

•Hosting the video on your own site
•Submitting an RSS or MRSS feed to a third party site
•Uploading a video to another site

Below are some video optimization tips for businesses that are in the early stage. Be sure to read over all of the information to ensure proper optimization of your videos.

•Create videos that present a clear message about your brand.
•Choose a preferred format, such as .mov, .avi, or .wmv.
•Use keywords in the filename, URL, and the link text of the file.
•Allowing visitors to rate and comment on your video will help draw in attention from search engine crawlers.
•Take advantage of thumbnails – visitors like to watch snippets so they can decide if they want to watch the full clip.
•Keep the length of the video to 5 minutes or less.

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company located in Charlotte, NC. The company is dedicated to providing a broad range of web design services. CODANK specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphic Design, Online Marketing, and Web Design and Development.

For more information, visit CODANK Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company at www.codank.com

Write Content for Your Visitors, Not for Search Engines

When structuring a web site, it is best to write content geared to your visitors and just not for search engines. Google and Yahoo award high rankings to web sites that provide the most relevant and valuable information to their users. High ranking can be achieved by placing keywords and phrases into original, well-written content.

A web site owner’s search engine optimization (SEO) campaign goal should be to achieve top, organic rankings with the Internet’s most popular search engines. Content is not the only factor that search engines, such as Yahoo and Google, take into account when ranking a web site, but it is the most important.

Strive to obtain organic rankings for your web site by writing original content that has quality and also contains the keywords and phrases in which you want to rank for.

Tips on Writing Content (Provided by Search Engine Optimization by Kristopher B. Jones)

Write useful and informative content – make sure that your content is informative, to the point, and easy to read.
Keep content original, persuasive, and natural – search engines typically rank these types of sites the highest.
Structure your content with your reader in mind – it is important to outline and structure your content to as helpful as possible.
Avoid poor grammar – search engines tend to devalue sites with awkward sentences and many errors.
Using bold-type headings – provide bold headings to point out important parts of your content
Using call-to-action statements – provide readily accessible options.
Write with an original voice – write your content with a powerful voice
Write interesting content in a friendly tone – use the tone of your writing to capture your readers’ attention.

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company located in Charlotte, NC. The company is dedicated to providing a broad range of web design services. CODANK specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphic Design, Online Marketing, and Web Design and Development.

For more information, visit CODANK Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company at www.codank.com

The Most Common Search Engine Optimization Mistakes

Search Engine Optimization can be very tricky when not done the correct way. One of the biggest challenges in SEO is the fact that people don’t realize its importance when drawing in traffic to a web site. Uninformed marketing specialists can easily make decisions that can harm the entire purpose behind Search Engine Optimization.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is defined as the process of improving the quality or volume of traffic to a web site from search engines. Unlike Search Engine Marketing (SEM), SEO does not deal with paid inclusion. The earlier a site appears in search result listings, typically the more visitors will receive them from the search engine.

CODANK Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company has put together a list of the most common mistakes made during Search Engine Optimization. The list includes:

Thin Content Pages – little to no content is present on the page
Use of Crawler Unfriendly Methods – search engines deal better with HTML text rather than Flash files
Ignoring Title Tags – a title tag is important because it shows in the search results as your page title
Poor Content Management System – a CMS should be crawler-friendly in order to be beneficial
Poor Site Promotion – marketing goes beyond just launching a site; try inbound links
Wrong Keywords – be sure to select keywords and phrases which have relevance to your web site.
Images instead of Headings – search engines need to read actual content; refrain from posting nothing but images
Backlink Spamming – quality backlinks are much better than just having numerous backlinks
Ignoring URLs – place keywords in an URL; helps with SEO
JavaScript Menus – crawlers cannot read JavaScript menus; try using a sitemap instead.

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company located in Charlotte, NC. The company is dedicated to providing a broad range of web design services. CODANK specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphic Design, Online Marketing, and Web Design and Development.

For more information, visit CODANK Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company at www.codank.com

CODANK's 6 Recession Proof Job Ideas

After a severe recession, it has been proving that America is still the strongest economy in the world. Many other economies depend or interlock with our economy. CODANK Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company is here to offer some recession proof businesses that you can consider pursuing.

Offer tutoring, education and training you have skills in:
With people out of work, sometimes from industries that won’t rebound due to shifts in technology, you can offer paid classes that help retrain an obsolete workforce.

Try barter trade and inventory exchange:
You can act as a middleman by offering products others may need in exchange with those products you may need. Build a network where you can sell huge inventory to people who have a need for it.

Redesign existing products:
If you’re already in business selling products, try bundling them in a new, unique way. Make working with you more convenient and a lot easier than working with other businesses.

Start an online business:
Now is the perfect time to start an innovative online business. Find your niche and work on making it grow, as there are many ways you can make money online.

Begin freelancing:
Start by signing up with any of the many freelance websites available on the web. There are many people who are looking for good content writer so you can start your own today. Be sure to touch up on your writing skills prior to visiting these websites.

Work as a consultant:
Many people who get laid off can choose to go back to work as independent contractors for their old employers. It saves the employer costs and the consultant can often charge even more per hour than what they were used to be getting paid before.

Take another look at the suggestions above. Think among the different ideas and consider starting your own business today. Research is key!

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Charlotte Web Design, Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. We specialize in web design and development, branding and identity, internet marketing, and content management systems.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Which Is Better: A Paid or Free Directory?

Internet gurus have been debating over the free versus paid directory issue for some time now. There was worry about free website hosting versus paid web hosting, and fuss over free e-mail versus paid. In both cases, whether free or paid is better for you, it all depends on what your specific needs are.

The same is true in regards to paid versus free directory listings. Many Search Engine Optimization experts believe that free directory listings having nothing of value listed in them. This is far from the truth. Several directories that do not require you to pay are actually very strict about the listings that are included in their results. On the other hand, majority of users think that paid directories automatically equate to better quality sites. Again, not true. Paid directories can be just as negligent about the review process as any other directory.

Whether you use paid or free directory listings should not depend on cost alone. What matters the most is how relevant the directory is to your website. The next consideration should be the quality of the sites that are listed in the directory. If the chosen directory is full of outdated sites, spam sites, or mis-categorized sites, it’s probably not the best choice of places to list your website.

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Charlotte Web Design, Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. We specialize in web design and development, branding and identity, internet marketing, and content management systems.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Promote With a Video: Video Marketing

Recently, video has exploded all over the Internet, made largely possible through the adoption of broadband Internet access. People just cannot seem to get enough of it. In fact, entire websites dedicated just to the sharing o video have popped up becoming some of the most popular hot spots on the web.

Many businesses are exploring different avenues of marketing. While some may prefer email marketing others are looking to try new ideas. The new crave is promoting a web site and products through the usage of video – video marketing. If a company has experience in editing and creating videos, then they can take great advantage of this new communication medium and use it as a driver for increasing their own online traffic.

One of the best places to post videos and receive attention is on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/). YouTube is a video sharing website where visitors can view video clips uploaded by anyone who is a member of YouTube. YouTube is open to any and everyone.

Video marketing is far more cost effective than other forms of marketing. Using video to create a buzz can be a little difficult and does require some creativity. Attracting a target audience is where video marketing does extremely well. It is known to generate a high, fast response rate because the message is passed to others through the customers who enjoyed the videos.

Strategies to help with Video Marketing
· Seek to convey a message with emotion – surprise, humor, or an educational aspect
· Allow people to use your videos on their web sites
· Create a blog on a website and add videos/images on a regular basis

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Charlotte Web Design, Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. We specialize in web design and development, branding and identity, internet marketing, and content management systems.For more information, visit us at http://www.codank.com/

Are You Linked In: Basic Rules About Links

You know that links are valuable and can help boost your position in the search engines. But, what sorts of link? Let’s go over a quick summary:

· Links from sites related to yours are often more valuable than links from unrelated sites. (Because the relevancy software is almost certainly imprecise, this isn’t always the case.)
· Links from pages with a high PageRank are much more valuable than pages with a low PageRank.
· Virtually all incoming links to your site have some kind of value, even if the pages have a very low PageRank or are not contextual. It may not be much of a value, but it is there.
· The more outgoing links on a page that has a link pointing to your site, the lower the value o the link to your site. This is because the vote is being shared. Thus, in some cases, a link from a low-PageRank page with no other links may actually be more valuable than a link from a high-PageRank page with many links.
· Links are even more valuable when they include keywords because they tell search engines what the referenced site is about.
· A link strategy that positions your site as an authority, or a hub, in a web community or neighborhood can be a powerful way to get the attention of the search engines.
· Even internal links – links from page to page within your site – are valuable because the keywords in the links tell the search engine what the referenced page is about.

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Charlotte Web Design, Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. We specialize in web design and development, branding and identity, internet marketing, and content management systems. For more information, visit us at http://www.codank.com/

Usability Considerations

Web designers and their clients will find it almost impossible to please both site users and the search engine crawlers that determine page rankings. But, it is possible to work around problems. Of course, the needs and wants of viewers come first because you want them to keep visiting your site. It is very easy for users to fall away from a site and never look back.

When it seems that users’ preferences are dissimilar to crawlers’ preferences, there is a solution – a site map. There are two types of site maps which you should be aware of: basic site map and XML site map.

A basic site map is an overview of the navigational structure of your website. It is nothing more than just text and links to all of the pages in a site. Crawlers are very keen of site maps. It allows you to outline the makeup of your site down to the second or third level of depth, using text-based links that should include anchors and keywords.

A search engine crawler is able to locate the site map of a page and then crawl all of the pages that are linked from it. Those pages will be included in the search engine index and will appear on search engine results pages. Where they appear is all up to how well the SEO is done for each individual page.

The second type of site map, XML site map, is a file that lists all of the URLs for a website. This file is normally not seen by a site’s viewers, only by site crawlers that index the site.

All site maps should be thoroughly crafted in order to produce great ranking results. Search engine crawlers take in much consideration when evaluating a site’s map. Make sure that your SEO plan is well done before putting up a website.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Give In Carefully: Submission Tools

Small businesses and entrepreneurs should know that getting their web sites included in search engines and directories is not as easy as they may think. It takes a lot of time and patience, and if you do not follow all of the directions and guidelines, you run the chance of being rejected from being listed. To help alleviate the process, a set of software tools – submission tools – has become known in the Search Engine Optimization market.

Submission tools are automated software programs and applications that remember the repetitive information that is required to get a website listed in a directory or search engine.
One of the major issues when dealing with submission tools is that they may try to scam website designers. They do this by agreeing to submit a site to thousands of search engines and directories for one low fee. The problem with that statement is that most of those search engines are either nonexistent or worthless to a company’s website.

It is best to look carefully at the claims the website submission tools are making. Then apply the golden rule, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Try to ask for a list of the directories and search engines which the tool will submit your site to. Once you have received the list, be sure to do a thorough research of each site before you actually invest in the program.

There are two types of submission tools: deep submission tools and multi-submission tools. Deep submission tools are those pages that are several levels down in the structure of a website. Frequently, these types of sites are missed by search engine crawlers. They are sometimes not even considered important, but isn’t always the case. Multi-submission tools submit a website to multiple search engines and directories. They help to ease the problem of getting a site listed. Rather than repeatedly going through the same process, multi-submission tools do the work for you.

Unluckily, it is impossible to know which submission tool is best to use. A small business or entrepreneur should consult with other program users before utilizing it. Because there are so many submission tools available, a company is bound to find the perfect one for their website.

Reasons to invest in a submission tool:
· Improve your ranking
· Save time
· More traffic to website
· Creates more backlinks

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

CMS vs.SEO

How a content management system will affect Search Engine Optimization efforts is a big concern of many web site designers. Previously, content managements system applications often published content with lengthy, complicated URLs or created numerous copies. As a result, search engines often rejected the URLs and ranked them lower than normal. Today, CMS applications are a lot more SEO friendly.

Search Engine Optimization has grown into a large part of owning any kind of web page. Even entrepreneurs and everyday individuals are now considering how they are going to get their web sites to receive high rankings within search engines. These persons are seeking more and more technological assistance, which includes SEO help.

In the present day, majority of content management system applications are intended to improve a company or individual’s Search Engine Optimization rather than to deter it. It is still an aspect anyone should think about when looking for a CMS. You should ask specific questions such as, “How does the software or application help with my SEO?” and “What specific parts of the application or software will help to advance my SEO efforts?”

When looking into a CMS application, you should always take into account the structure with which it will help you develop your content. This is important because a CMS is designed to uphold your content in an orderly manner. It can also help to set your content strategy and your web site structure.

There are six main categories of CMS, with their respective domains of use:
Enterprise CMS (ECMS)
Web CMS (WCMS)
Document management system (DMS)
Mobile CMS
Component CMS
Media content management system

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com.

Don't Fall Into The Trap: SEO Spam

When strategizing your Search Engine Optimization plan, there are many techniques and rules you should follow. A major aspect that every marketer should be aware of is SEO Spam. This type of spam works the same as the telemarketers who call you during dinner and won’t take no for an answer, except SEO spam fills up search engine results pages. If you are ever detected as a possible spammer, your search rankings will be penalized and will more than likely be removed from search engines all together.

How do you know whether what you are doing is right or wrong? You may not always know, but if you’re using guidelines provided by various search engines you should not to worry about being labeled as a spammer.

SEO spam is also known as spamdexing – spamming indexes. While some techniques are obviously spam, others aren’t that easy to detect but should be avoided anyway. It is best not to do anything that makes you believe is wrong. Try not to make your site appear to be something it really is not. This is misleading and will lower your ranking.

Below is a list of spamming techniques commonly used:

Keyword Stuffing – Repeatedly placing keywords on a web site
Gateway Pages – Designed specifically to attract search crawlers but are useless to the visitors. Normally, a gateway page will have only the visible text, “click here to enter”.
Hidden Text – Text is usually the same color as the background of the page so that visitors cannot see it. The text is normally a collection of keywords and phrases.
Link-Only Pages – These pages consist of nothing but links. This should be avoided by any means necessary.
Transparent Links – Links included on a page but are the same color as the background.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to provide the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com.

RSS: Rich Site Summary

What is RSS?
Rich Site Summary, commonly known as RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format. An RSS document is also referred to as a feed, web feed, or channel. It includes full or condensed text, publishing dates, and authorship.

Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them automatically syndicate content. This is beneficial to readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from preferred websites or to combine feeds from many sites into one place.

Benefits and Reasons for using RSS
RSS is the simple resolution for people who use the web on the regular. It allows these users to easily stay informed by recovering the latest content from the sites which they are most interested in. People who use RSS save time by not having to visit each site separately. Because you don’t have to commit to any newsletter nor provide personal information, your privacy is ensured. Sites such as Yahoo News and Google News offer RSS feeds. RSS is shaping up to be a very popular and useful means for communicating. Many sites display a small icon with the acronyms RSS, XML, or RDF to let you know a feed is available.

Other uses
Besides notifying you about changes to websites and news headlines, RSS is often used for many other purposes. A web page is not always necessary to be associated with the items listed. Sometimes the information you may desire will be located in the titles and descriptions themselves.

There does not even have to be a web page associated with the items listed -- sometimes all the information you need may be in the titles and descriptions themselves.

Commonly Mentioned Uses
Notification of the arrival of new products in a store
Listing and notifying you of newsletter issues, including email newsletters
Weather and other alerts of changing conditions
Notification of additions of new items to a database, or new members to a group

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to provide the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com.

Optimizing Your Multi-Lingual Sites

Once you have achieved much success in your home country, marketing to other countries is something that you should consider. The Internet contains millions of sites that are all in English, but there are billions of people around the world that speak a different language. Developing online content for a multilingual web site presents a whole new challenge for any business looking to expand globally.

Needing a multilingual site usually means you have to double or even triple your Search Engine Optimization efforts. Optimizing your foreign language web site is pretty much the same as optimizing your English one; you just do it in a different language.

The biggest concern when translating your site to another language is the actual translation. Search Engine Optimization is usually the same as it is in English. Not translating content correctly can cost you as much as not having a foreign language site at all.

Below are some guidelines that should be considered when planning the SEO process:

Translate existing web content – It is best to hire someone who is an expert in the chosen language.
Apply all of the same SEO Rules – Just because the language has changed does not mean search engines or crawlers are any different.
Translate keywords – You may not be able to translate some words, so you’ll need to choose new keywords.
Include proper link – Links both to and from your English site to your foreign language site should be included.
Make language options available – Be sure to make language options clear so your foreign visitors will not miss it.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to provide the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com.

Successful Link Building

With thousands of new sites created every day, the Internet is quickly becoming a crowded marketplace. Many of these sites desire to provide their viewers with the best design. But, what few fail to realize is the importance of perfecting the online content and also providing links on their pages.

Links on a business’s website is just as important as the sites content. Links can either be incoming, outgoing, or internal. Where those specific links lead to or come from is also critical.
If you have studied Search Engine Optimization lately, you should know that in order to receive high ranking you must fine-tune your design strategy to produce better results. That is where internal and external links come into play.

An internal link is a navigational link that leads viewers from one page to another on the website. The opposite of that is an external link. An external link leads a visitor to other sites outside of the current one.

Links should be relevant to the content of the page. They must also lead to other websites which contain related subject. For example, a pet sitting business has external links that lead to an art gallery. Because pet care and art have no relevance to one another, little significance is gained from this connection.

After you have taken the time into creating a link strategy and a link structure in hopes of increasing traffic flow to your site, you should also take some sort of action to ensure that you have the most effective links possible. Try to monitor your links for proficient linking. When your content changes, be sure to modify links. Also, delete broken links that may occur. Because monitoring can be very time consuming, it is best to use link analysis software. This software can help with every aspect of linking ranging from placing new links to monitoring the links you may already have available.

Linking Tips

· Don’t create pages that contain only links
· Be careful whom you link to
· Use keyword anchor text as much as possible
· Keep your links relevant

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to provide the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com.