Internet

There has been a lot of talk about Google and MSN's new algorithms and Yahoo's search engine changes. When these changes finally do occur, it is always important to remember the number one rule in SEO: Don't Panic!

If there is one guaranteed constant in this business it is that there will always be changes in the search engines' rankings. Our job, as search engine marketers, is to stay on top of the changes and to monitor how the change affects our clients' site's traffic.

Read through the hundreds of forums and bulletin boards on the internet and you will find dozens of threads centering on the lack of web site traffic. All the other remaining threads bemoan the difficulty of getting visitors to return long enough to buy something. Then there are the threads about the complexity of getting listed and ranked well in important search engines.

Ever since the first commercial web pages appeared on the internet there has been a demand for moving graphics and multimedia presentations. The now famous HTML (the stuff web pages are made of) just wasn’t up to the job. Macromedia Inc., having had plenty of experience in Multimedia presentations, developed their "Director" program. They then gave away free a flash plugin to enable web browsers to view these presentations.

Writing effective web copy begins with an understanding of what the goals of your web site are. Are you trying to get your visitors to purchase something or have them sign up for your newsletter? Remember you are trying to get someone you can't see and have never met take a step towards building a relationship with you or your company.

1. Create a customer profile - try to find out what are the needs and desires of your visitors. Below are some examples of questïons you could ask:

Possunt quia posse videntur ~ (Latin: They can because they think they can.)

One of the most misunderstood issues online has to do with copyright. Both with e-mail and Web site copyright issues. For some reason, as with many things online, there is this incorrect perception that anything goes. However, many are finding out the hard way that when it comes to protecting creative collateral, copyright is law. And, copyright laws can and are being enforced online.

Browse any webmaster forum or read web tutorials and you will find that nearly all the experts these days recommend that you have lots of good content on your site. Sounds like good advice, doesn't it? But what does it mean?

Simply put, content is the stuff on your site. Good content is useful information or tools that your visitors will find helpful. It means different things to different businesses and the bottom line is that what constitutes "good content" depends on the goal of Below, I've attempted to categorize the different types of content:

So, you've heard enough horror stories about viruses, Trojan-horses, spyware and their cousins that can really make your Internet surfing a dismal experience. Confucius said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," but the road to computer network security begins with two steps. Below are the two most important things you can do to keep from getting buried in this online garbage:

A professional website is, above all else, professional. What constitutes professional though? This question has been asked by many, and the answers are as varied as those asking the question. There are at least a hundred or more possible aspects to consider, some consisting of parts of others, such as demographics and content. Each factor has its own affect on how customers perceive a website.

General web statistics give pertinent information about website visitors. Webmasters analyzing these statistics have a better understanding of who their website visitors are and how they perceive the website. A lot can be learned by evaluating navigation patterns, most-viewed pages and exit pages. Deciphering web logs could easily become a full-time job. The information that can be gleaned from close log scrutiny is extremely valuable.

Unlike submitting to search engines, submitting your site to directories and niche portals usually involves a lot more than simply typing in your URL. You often have to start by researching the various topic categories to find the most appropriate area to submit to. Then you generally have to provide some detailed information about your site, its' content, your company and your contact details.