Website success involves focusing on three key elements: getting found, keeping visitors once they find your site and converting them to action.

Getting found utilizes search engine optimization tactics to enable prospects to find your site through organic search (free) and/or using paid marketing, such as PPC campaigns like AdWords.

Keeping visitors requires designing an interesting, well-maintained website with relevant, informative content that is easy to find and easy to use.

Converting prospects involves mapping website flow and content from arrival to conversion in order to facilitate the desired behavior.

While all three areas are complex topics, over the next series of posts, we will provide high-level information that will provide a starter tool kit for those do-it-yourselfers that want to roll up their sleeves and learn the basics for website success.

Getting found through SEO

To begin, pull up your website.

♦ Look at the top blue bar – the title bar. Does it have a descriptive title using your keywords?  Does each page have a unique title? If not, unique titles should be added to each page.

♦ On your browser, go to View – Source (for Firefox, View-Page Source, for Safari it’s View,-View Source). Look down the source code for- <META NAME=”Description” CONTENT=. Is there a description following the =? If not, a well-written, relevant meta description for each page should be added.

♦ Again looking at the source code, look for <META NAME=”keywords” CONTENT=. Are there keywords associated with the page’s content? If not, relevant keywords need to be added, but don’t overdo it.

♦ Using the find function, look for <h1>. Header tags H1 through H6 can be used to emphasize the main sections of the page.

Website content

♦ Optimize multiple pages on the site, each with different key phrases – not just your home page

♦ Keep content updated and fresh – try to add 1 or 2 pages each week

♦ Use anchor text – text that contains hyperlinks within the body text

♦ Use graphic & image alt tags

♦ Use <strong> instead of bold and <emphasis> instead of italics

Website optimization tools

♦ Use Google’s Webmaster Tools, Google AdWords Tools for identifying keywords and Google Analytics to track site statistics. They are free.

♦ Post an XML sitemap in your root directory and notify Google via Google Webmaster Tools.  Be sure to keep your XML sitemap updated.

♦ Make sure you have an accurate robots.txt file

Domains

♦ Display site permanence by extending the expiration date of your domain/URL.

♦ Use redirects correctly

Inbound link building

♦ Links are very important for Google rankings. Create a link building strategy and set aside a few hours every week to work on building links.

♦ Apply to get listed in DMOZ and perhaps become an editor of a category

♦ Get links from PR4-PR7 sites. Try Directory Critic for ideas.

♦ Never buy a link.

♦ Don’t participate in reciprocal links with sites you don’t know.

♦ Don’t use automated link building services

♦ Get listed in local directories like Merchant Circle

♦ Put an Add This button on your site to promote social networking

External ideas

♦ Consider buying descriptive URLs that people may type that are relevant to your keywords.  The URLs can be redirected to your main site (be sure & set them up as 301 redirects without masking)

♦ Consider starting a blog and occasionally link back to your site to drive traffic. Get free blog hosting in less than 5 minutes at WordPress.com or from Blogger.

The NEVER DO THESE THINGS list

♦ Never use hidden or tiny text

♦ Never use punctuation links

♦ Never participate in link farms

♦ Don’t overstuff pages with keywords

♦ Never use doorway pages

♦ Never use duplicate content