It took me two more years of books, courses and investigation as well as a fight with the designers for my domain name and files to finally realize that my site, though beautiful to behold and very much there on the Internet, was a write-off in terms of function. I began again, by myself.
This time I had the expertise and assistance of thousands of individual designers creating open source (free) software and authors offering in-depth marketing insights. There was a backlash to those who would take advantage. This is the distillation of that education.
A simple shift in perspective of how the internet works will put you nose to nose with your web designer or internet marketing team to confidently pose the questions to get the answers you want and a website that is not only cost effective and scaleable but your most trusted 24 hour employee.
The Internet ≠ WWW
This is one of the most critical distinctions to understand before proceeding. The World Wide Web is a database of information. It contains every bit of text, image and video from bombs to porn to scientific discoveries that has ever been input. It is a filing cabinet, a reference repository. It is pure content. It is the brain.
The Internet on the other hand is the mind. It is the way we retrieve, use and disseminate that vast amount of information. It is the context. The function of your website has to interface with the way the Internet functions. I make this distinction because many web designers know how to build a website to hold and display your information, but that does not necessarily mean they know how to put your website into play to its best advantage on the Internet. The question becomes: “Can the same guy who changes the oil in your car fix your GPS system?” Ask.
You might be dazzled by a beautiful site with a flash intro and all kinds of bells and whistles only to find after you have a hefty development bill that the whole site is invisible to the search engines. You see the site. It is there on the Internet, but only the people who are sent there can get there. The Google algorithm reads text only and unless your site is backed up by text behind the video or images or captured in a site map (see SEO - Search Engine Optimization), you are invisible.
Article comments
1 - Sean D
Please take a look at the very top left of Marilyn Harding's website and see her google analytics code sitting right there: UA-10119037-2. Marilyn you need to check your website in multiple browsers. I bet you won't be able to fix it though since you are not a website designer! This is exactly why the wordpress theme route doesn't work. You actually need to know what you are doing.. It's like doing surgery yourself... It may seem really easy... but if there are complications and if you have no idea about css, you cannot fix it when you have a problem. Then you call up a professional!
GL
2 - Colin Dawson
I completely condone point number 4.
Creating a website is just the starting point, it is no use having a website if you are not going to use some techniques to generate traffic towards the site and once you receive that traffic, to be compelling to the viewer. (As I learnt the hard way in the past)!
Not many people know of the wide range of techniques that you can use to generate traffic to your site and in turn achieve a higher search engine ranking and secure leads.
Coincidentally, I have just received a mailing from a company called Intellimon, which specialize in website design software and traffic generation services. And in this mailing, they are offering a module from their Complete Guide To Traffic training course completely free for Thanksgiving. I redeemed my free module last night from a choice of 30, and have learnt so much, and am already applying these techniques to my site. The link they provided was to their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/CompleteGuideTo , I totally recommend you check it out, as you can never have too much knowledge on this subject area.
3 - Marilyn Harding
Hi Sean,
I'm not hiring out as a web designer - good thing! My frustrations and limitations with aspects of templates and plugins make me very respectful of code writers. My ultimate goal is not to be a website developer or to trash website designers.
I do know that many people looking to hook up with a good designer can save themselves money and frustration by asking some relevant questions of those they might hire. This was my intent based on my own experience and the experience of many I know. Personally I think a more informed consumer makes a better client.
And Colin,
Thanks for your comment. There are constantly changing options for traffic generation - organic and purchased. Judging from the majority of websites - if you just glimpse the source code - you will see that many do not comply with the basic Google criteria. Just doing that will set your website above the rest.
When I discovered this on my own professionally designed site written in ColdFusion and costing over $30,000.00 my question to my design company was "Pick your poison - you know this and you did not include it in the source code of my site or you do not know this and you charge me as expert web designers - which is it?". ~ mh
4 - Marilyn Harding
Just a follow up for Sean,
That error with the Google analytics number showing bothered me but I hadn't taken the time to figure it out. After it was pointed out, I contacted the designer of the WordPress "Adaptive" template and within five minutes had the code for the correction.
Tip of the hat to WordPress template designer Jeff Raines
5 - Marilyn Harding
Forgive me - Jeff Rainey - of ThemeSpectrum
6 - Magda
Link exchange is nothing else except it is only placing the other person's webpage link on your page at proper place and other person will also do similar in favor of you.