Posts Tagged ‘content’

Las Vegas… what is a content management system?

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Traditionally web pages had to be managed by hand. Managing web pages by hand meant constantly updating the code to change the content. Everything from main display content to sub-pages had to be updated constantly to add new content or remove existing content. Eventually an easier method was devised in which content could be managed without manually changing the code on the page, this system was deemed Content Management.

Content Management Systems are an easy and efficient way to design, deploy and continue to run and manage a webpage or an entire webpage. A content management system is versatile and often enables for different elements to be added to the system, these are typically referred to as “add-ons” or “modules”. Increasing the functionality with these “add-ons” and “modules” enables a user to add new features to a website without modifying a single line of code. Content management systems are a great solution for websites which have a lot of changing content such as news websites or large communities. Small websites benefit from a content management system because of ability to quickly add content and deploy a website without modifying tedious code.

Many different types of content management systems exist and some are even free and open source. Using a content management system typically involves download and installing the content manage system onto a web server. Some hosting companies offer automatic installation of popular content management systems. Once the content management system is installed on the web server, simply login to the content management system and begin modifying the layout and content as desired. Layouts are often point and click to modify with results displayed in real-time. Different themes can be applied to a content management system to change the design in a snap.

Many website authors and management teams find that the advantages outweigh the cons to a content management system. Typically content management systems are considered to be less useful because of the lack of the ability to customize advanced features of the web page. While this was true in the past, newer content management systems allow for advanced features to be managed as well and themes enable for full customization should a website management team want to modify the code for a more unique look. Utilizing a content management system has many pros. One example of how a content management system could be useful is the ability to allow multiple users access to modify content, permissions can be set so that certain users can only manage certain content. Changing content and themes for specific occasions and themes can be done with nothing more than a click. Content management systems take the work out of managing a website and allow for things traditional HTML management could not.

For more information on Las Vegas content management systems solutions, contact Perkolate at 702.341.0085.

Are Directory Links Still Effective for your Website?

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Lots of Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing Professionals are voicing their opinions and stating than directories and directory links are dead. Remember, these are the people that also say that Page Rank is dead, SEO is dead, and the latest this is dead theory.  So, is website directory link building no longer worthy for your business?

I believe the real issue with website directory links is that only some of them are good, while some others are junk, and being able to tell this difference is the key between loosing your time and having a fruitful link building campaign.  How can you tell if a directory is good enough for your website or that you should pass it?  Here are the 3 main criteria of identifying a good directory from a bad one:

  1. You can find the directory in the most popular search engines, Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask. Also the category pages of the directory are cached on the search engines, if the directory offers detail pages, these should be as well.
  2. Check the source code of the pages of the directory. Look to see if the links are plain a href’s, without the rel=”nofollow” attribute, and no sneaky redirects are present. By validating all these you guarantee that these links are seeing and counted by Search Engines.
  3. The directory doesn’t link to questionable websites, specially topics like gambling, casino adult, and illegal content websites. Be very wary about directory that offers sitewide likes to these type of sites.

Las Vegas Catalog Design - 8 Tips and Tricks

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

If you’re preparing to design a catalog for your company here in Las Vegas, sometimes approaching the task can seem overwhelming at times, however, we here at Perkolate have taken time to put a list of catalog design tips and tricks that will help you plan and think about your new catalog design.

  1. Plan out what information you’re trying to convey with the catalog and write everything out into a Word document so you can go back and edit.
  2. Try to imagine how many pages your catalog will be (more pages will be more expensive for both the design and printing) and specify in the content you’re writing what will roughly go on each page.
  3. Write for your target audience, at their level and tell them how your products and services will help make their jobs easier and help them to be more successful business people and companies.
  4. Assemble any master graphics and photos including logos, product shots, examples of your work, staff photos, building shots, etc.
  5. Set a timeline to do your due diligence before contacting a professional design company (like Perkolate) and think about what a realistic schedule is that you want the printed catalog completed.
  6. Don’t have too much text on the pages, make sure you leave enough room for exciting and dynamic graphical images.
  7. Cross sell any other marketing materials you have as well including your website.
  8. Make sure the new design matches your current marketing materials (website, brochures, business cards, etc.) to help reenforce your company’s branding and identity efforts.

Promoting Your Las Vegas Website for Free

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

When you first start your Las Vegas website, promoting it is an essential way of getting visitors to your website. If you don’t promote it, then chances are very few people are going to find it, and receiving a lot of traffic to your website can be absolutely critical, especially if you are running a business and need to generate revenue from visitors clicking on ads or buying your products. There are plenty of websites that claim to promote your website for a price, but there are plenty of methods you can use to promote your Las Vegas for free.

The first method is one that you’ve probably already thought of, and one that any website owner can and should do. That is promoting your website through word of mouth. Tell everyone you know, and tell them to tell people they know. This can actually be very effective if the chain is kept going. Also, if someone is asking about a service you offer on a forum, you can make a post there telling them about it. Also, speaking of forums, put your website in your signature.

Another way of promoting your website is becoming an affiliate of other websites. If you offer to put a small banner of their website on your website, they might allow you to put a banner of your own on their website. This can be a great way to promote your website, since, unlike the paid ads you see on many websites, people will actually end up clicking on these with genuine interest, especially if the website caters to a similar group that yours does.

You’ve probably heard of websites such as Stumbleupon and Digg. Millions of people use these social bookmarking sites. You can generate massive traffic to your website by adding your website to as many social bookmarking sites as you can. It’s a guaranteed way of getting your website noticed.

Of course, the most common way people find websites is through search engines such as Google. Most search engines actually will add your site to their database automatically, so you don’t have to do a thing. However, if you look around you find less well known search engines that may not. Most of these will have some way of submitting your website to them free of charge. Make sure you do so.

Perhaps the most important way is by creating content that visitors will find interesting. After all, if people come to your website and then leave, not liking what they see, then they won’t buy from you or tell other people about your website. Less visitors also means a lower spot in search engines.

Professional Las Vegas Blog Design and Content Essentials

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Successful marketing techniques are crucial to any Las Vegas business. This is especially true when it comes to internet marketing. Hiring a Las Vegas company like Perkolate to handle marketing concerns can prove to be very beneficial, this is why it is so important to make sure that you have hired the right company. Marketing can not only be hard work but can be quite strategic, not all internet marketing companies may be proficient.

When marketing on the internet, blogs and articles can be very effective in getting the word out. However, utilizing the proper tags and maintaining the appropriate content can be quite perplexing to the most business savvy individual. Some companies may simply make use of “filler” content, which provides no real substance. This makes marketing strategies ineffective and wasteful. Not only should the company provide relevant content, but it should not read as a paid ad.

In addition, content should always be professional. Grammatical and spelling errors should not be present. A reliable company will ensure that the grammar and spelling is always accurate. Information should be factual and geared toward the appropriate audience. These mistakes may seem minor but may prove detrimental when it comes to marketing techniques that involve blogging, aritcle writing, or otherwise posting information on the internet.

Making use of the proper tags is also another frequent error. If the information isn’t searchable, your business is not getting out there. Search tags should be frequently assesed for popularity, age group, and several other criteria. Many other companies may simply attach a few tags and assume their work is done. Maintaining and updating tags assists in extending the life of the material and can make a significant difference.

Blogging and article writing is an excellent marketing strategy, it’s a proven way to get maximum returns on your investment. However, it does require a lot of time and know how. If and when deciding to hire someone to do this for you, make sure the services offer professional quality content. Blog design and content is an expertise and should not be left to just anyone. The future of your business may depend on it.

Las Vegas Web Design: How to Plan Your Website

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

So you’re starting a website for your Las Vegas company or business. What do you need to do in order to contact a Las Vegas web designer to get an accurate estimate to build your website? We’ve come up with a checklist that you may want to follow so that you can give a website design company the proper information.

Tips to Planning Your Las Vegas Web Design Project:

  • Do you have a URL or domian name (i.e. www.companyname.com)?
  • Do you have a hosting company?
  • Do you have have the content written for your website?
  • Do you have a list of the pages you’d like included in your website?
  • Do you need a database or e-Commerce developed for your Web site?
  • If e-Commerce is needed, do you have a spreadsheet inventory of all of the products you’re planning on selling?
  • Do you have a merchant account and gateway?
  • Do you want/need photographic elements on your Web site?
  • What are your marketing goals for this site?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • Are you planning on optimizing your site for search engines?
  • When do you want to launch the Web site?
  • What is your budget for the Web site?
  • How often do you anticipate making updates to your Web site?
  • Do you need to be able to make updates to your website yourself?
With these questions answered, you’ll be prepared to speak to a local website design and development company, like Perkolate. Any questions, give us a call, 702.341.0085 or email us as fullsteam@perkolate.com.

How to Write Effective Content for Your Company’s Brochure

Monday, March 16th, 2009

When you actually sit down in front of your computer and you are thinking about how to write a brochure for your company or business, it can sometimes seem overwhelming.  You want it to look and sound professional.  We’ve put together a handy list of major points to consider when writing the content for your brochure:

  • Write effective copy that persuades people to want your products and services. It’s not enough to just include the major information, you must influence people with your copy writing. This includes titles and paragraph headers as well.
  • Write with your target customer in mind. Your copy should relate to them and should communicate things that are important to them and how you can help.
  • Always tell the who, what, when, where, why and how of your company and its products and services.
  • Include your website, physical address, telephone number at least twice.
  • Write about the benefits of your products and services.
  • Maintain a consistent voice and tone.
  • Check spelling and grammar.
  • Don’t include pricing in your brochure. Prices can change.
  • Write a clear and persuasive call-to-action. After reading your brochure, you want that person to contact you!
  • Make your copy personal. We are people doing business with people, and writing personal copy will increase your response rate.