Google Panda, first released in February 2011, is an update “aimed to lower the rank of ‘low-quality sites’, and return higher-quality sites near the top of the search results.”

This has influenced the way web developers and publishers think of website building because Panda sifts through and penalizes sites with mediocre content. Since its first rollout, the filter has affected 12% of the internet’s content farm that are poorly written or irrelevant. Now on its second year, Panda has gone through major changes and upgrades to ensure quality search engine results to the Google market.

Related Searches

A bigger coverage is developed for the section on related searches. In effect, this provides more websites and correlated content depending on a user’s query. This section also features advanced settings, which allows the user to filter the search results.

Duplication

Aside from excluding irrelevant content from the search results, Panda has also extinguished duplicated content and snippets. This action is made possible by the algorithm’s analysis on the web content rather than on the query.
Consistent Thumbnail Sizes
Google has improved its website preview by resizing thumbnails into standard dimensions. Aside from local consistency, this change is also beneficial to tablet and smart phone users.

Accurate Official Pages

Official pages, especially for government and agency sites, are now provided on top of the search ranks. Cases of previously misidentified official sites have been reviewed and avoided.

Local Results

This allows local businesses to rank high on place-specific queries. It is beneficial to small and start-up companies because Google Panda has given them equal or even better footing when pitted against the bigger companies.

Spam Protection

Spamming Google is now harder than ever as Panda launched better security. Aside from your site getting penalized, posting irrelevant comments on threads and plagiarized content can put your site at the bottom of the list.

Link Evaluation

Google has changed their techniques in categorizing linked pages. This means that all the link building techniques done by SEO experts in the past year is not as effective as before.

Spiking Topics

A new system has been developed to consolidate signals whenever a new topic becomes popular or trending. With the online detection, tallies are kept real time, thus eliminating inconsistencies in the analyses.

English Corrections

Auto-complete and auto-correct options are now better as upgrades in spelling have been made.

Okay…So What Should You Be Doing Now?

Create quality content and share it.

On your website, add blog posts, videos, whitepapers or case studies, resource pages, webinars, infographics, and other high quality content to leverage for link building and attract natural, organic links. Not only can use your content to build links and traffic, but you can use it to generate comments and leads by providing content of value to your target market.

Although there are many factors that contribute to how and what people buy online, Color remains one of the strongest and most persuasive visual cues.

Web and graphic designers depend on a set color scheme for each of their designs. Color is laid out not only to set out an overall mood for your site, but also to influence your site visitors to do certain actions like view, read, click or purchase. Here are some quick tips before deciding what color scheme to go with for your business website or online store:

1. Know your target market.

• Identify your target market. What age bracket are they in? Who are your products for? Do you want to convey a feeling of luxury  in your homepage?

2. Keep it simple.

• Don’t overwhelm your web visitors with too many colors on one page. Use two or 3 colors and work around their different shades or values.

3. Make your your website navigable and easy to use.

• Consider page load time and also allow convenience with shopping carts, shipping options and payment gateways.

Finally, check out these 3 awesome Infographics about color and the way it is used in bringing customers to stay your business website.

How Do Colors Affect Purchases?

Color affects the overall appearance of a website and increases brand recognition. Color can also  attract specific types of shoppers and influence shopping behavior.

Source: Kissmetrics

Color Choices and What They Mean

Your colors may look visually pleasing but is it psychologically pleasing?

Source: TechKing

Learn From the Top Brands

To round it off, here’s an Infographic about The Colors of the Top 100 Web Brands.

Source: COLOURlovers

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1. Got a website? Then know the language.

2. Maximize your social media marketing.

While most businesses now have online stores or business websites, there are many who still haven’t embraced social media to the fullest. If you already have a Facebook fan page for your small business, why not add your Google+ page next.

Like Facebook, Google+ allows you to post and share photos, videos, messages, and other information of value to your customers and circle of virtual friends.

Create a Page

• To setup your own Google+ page, you must have a Google Account so register one if you don’t. Once logged in you can now create your Google+ page.

Showcase Yourself

• Sign in with your Google account, a “Create a page” section will be available and you will be asked to select the best category that fits your business — Local Business or Place; Product or Brand; Company, Institution, or Organization; Arts, Entertainment or Sports.

• Add your business name, tagline, logo or profile photo, address, store hours, contact info and a descriptive information about your company on the about link.

• Aside from the main icon or photo, you should also upload five photos that can work as a page banner or photo strip under your page name.

• You can also post several links to your business website, marketing blog and other social profiles.

Build Your Network

• Add existing contacts or invite people to your Circles. With circles, you can easily interact with your customers online and receive feedback about your products or service.

• Add your colleagues, employees, business suppliers, vendors, resellers and partners. Ask them to spread the word about your new page.

Maintain Visibility and Share

• Share your business blog posts publicly on your Google+ page. It’s a fast and easy way to post new information to your circles. Also, by connecting and following thought leaders in your industry, you can easily share articles written by them on your Google+ page that would in turn, be of value to your customers.

• According to comScore, Google continues to be the top search engine with 65.4% of overall internet use, with Microsoft Bing and Yahoo in the coveted second place. While things may not exactly remain when it comes to the web, at least for now, Google still reigns supreme.

• Are you already using Google+ pages for your business? Then share your thoughts and comments.

• For more tech tools and tips on how to effectively promote your business website, subscribe to this blog and follow us on Facebook. Of course, we’re on Google+ too.

In a social world where just about anything has become shareable, people love to talk about great deals and services both online and offline —from excellent restaurants to the hottest product or the latest online exclusive.

In an October 2011 study by Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), survey shows that the typical American drops specific brand names about 60 times in a conversation, may it be online or offline. This is one of the principles behind word of mouth marketing—a common strategy of start-ups, local entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

The Association defines word of mouth marketing as any business strategy that warrants customer recommendation and subsequent purchasing of a product or service.

Happy Customers have Power

• Preference. Consumers are highly-critical when it comes to major purchases, and friend recommendation is a highly influential factor during decision-making.

• Purchase. Great reviews establish trust and credibility for your business, getting you more sales.

• Sharing. A satisfied customer will always share to a friend who will later on share to another friend. Word of mouth marketing is a viral cycle. Many a success story has been achieved just because a star blogger raved about a certain product online, and next thing you know, audiences and readers are lining up to see what the rave is all about.

5 Principles of WOMMA and how we could all learn from it

1. Credible. False advertising, fake reviews, no matter how profitable, is deemed as unethical. Statements about a product between sellers and buyers or between peers should be authentic.

2. Respectful. Transparency begets trust which, in turn, produces strong relationships. A customer who feels secure about his/her business transactions with a company can easily recommend the said services to a friend.

3. Social. Word of mouth marketing is focused on spreading and sharing conversations.Through these stories, a friend of the buyer will remember these recommendations even if they’re not looking to buy for now.

4. Measurable. Monitoring and evaluation is important for endeavors that are on beta or testing stage. This is true for marketing since the success of advertising is always dependent on the reception of people.

5. Repeatable. Marketing strategies should easily be replicated to establish a “talkable” brand. In the age of Retweets, Share, and Reblogs, it is important to release eye-catching statements that will become the talk of the town, virtually or not.

So How to Earn Customer Recommendations?

• Aim to be the best product or service in a specific category. Target local customers or a specific niche market first and they will be the first to rave about you if you’re looking to expand in the future.

• Provide a quality customer experience — as any business man would know, every customer counts.

• Solidify buyer-seller relationship by giving incentives to loyal clients and followers.

• Showcase customer testimonials and reviews by posting them on your business website and share them on Facebook or Twitter.

And if you’re thinking of  giving your business the online exposure it needs on social and beyond, take a look at our business website designs and small business marketing packages at thedesignpeople.com/business.

With more people using smart phones, iPads and other tablet devices, many business websites have moved from the old computer screen to the mobile interface—fusing mcommerce or mobile commerce and online shopping.

People with busy lifestyles turn to the convenience of browsing and ordering items through their phones while going about their daily tasks. And business transactions can now be done through the mobile version of websites or mobile apps provided by establishments such as banks, restaurants, retail stores and cinema houses.

Let’s take a preview at how top retail companies are leveraging mobile apps, mobile websites and ecommerce web design to reach their customers:

Amazon is one of the major players the industry of online shopping and they have developed their mobile app wherein you can access your account in a streamlined dashboard and easily shop from your wishlist, deals and recommendations lists.

Pottery Barn on the other hand has an elegant catalog app where shoppers can view, flip, search and shop from their latest issue. You can zoom in on any product, read about it, view related videos and click to buy, all right on your iPhone or iPad.

Tesco, a global retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom, also expanded its business through mobile commerce. Tesco’s iPhone app has a store finder, a barcode scanning feature on their groceries app and also integrates an iPad recipes app.

Walmart’s mobile apps allows you to search and buy online, locate the nearest store, check holiday specials, view rollbacks and local ads and more.

Toys-R-Us has also ventured into mobile marketing. This toy store has occupied 35 countries through more than 600 physical stores. Customers can choose to receive special deals and alerts on their mobile devices and they also developed several game apps and a store finder app for the iPad and iPhone.

The advancement of mobile technology helped retailers reach more people and build a more solid clientele. Interested in getting your own mobile-compatible website or mobile app for your business? Visit us at The Design People or at info@thedesignpeople.

Best practice tip: Write for humans, not solely for search engines.

Site readability is a must when you have a website. Studies have shown that web readers don’t read everything on a page and that we consume content by skimming through chunks of text. As you would have on a physical store, customer experience is key to good business, and your business website should be user-friendly as you can make it.

Aside from having search engine-optimized content, you also need to have readable typography, concise text and supporting images on your page.  Some tips:

• Text contrast. If you have a light background, it’s common sense not to put white text on top of it. No matter how good their eyesight are, people won’t be able to read it.

• Brevity. Keep your paragraphs short so that your visitors can absorb as much important information as possible. Use the inverted pyramid method when writing. Prioritize important information at the beginning then follow it up with supporting details. End with relevant, but not as important data. You can include a  “read more” or “see details” that they can click for more info.

• Tone. Decide what your goal in writing is. Whether you’re describing a new listing or discussing how your service differs from other agents, go for a tone which potential clients will find more appealing.

• Headings to divide text. A Nielsen study¹ has shown that readers are more likely to read web text that has been split into categories. Information in chunks is much easier to understand and you can do this by using headlines and subheadings. Bullet points also work. As do putting text in boxes or beside a graphic icon.

• Keywords. Catch readers’ attention by using key terms in your titles and section headings.

• Clean layout. Allot enough margin space on your page and space between paragraphs, too. Your web designer knows best so trust his suggestions on layout and color palette.

Finally, remember that good grammar and structure always make your content easier to read. Make as many drafts as you need to before publishing your text. With all these tips in check, you’re sure to give a whole new meaning to reader experience.

¹ Jakob Nielsen

With the Internet becoming a more and more competitive arena for businesses, new channels are constantly being explored to build brand recognition. One effective strategy is the rapid rise of online video marketing, which is used to promote both products and services.

• Using video to help sell your product or service is a highly effective way of increasing traffic to your business website. With popular video hosting sites such as YouTube and Vimeo, online videos are also effectively used in viral marketing.

There are several key benefits to creating a business marketing video. Primarily, video is a powerful format when making a sales pitch. Aside from being engaging, video adds a personable approach to selling rather than reading a product’s marketing text. With video, you can tug at your customers’ heartstrings and use your charm to win over people’s trust – something not as easy to achieve in print.

• Also, with the number of online scams and fraudulent transactions on the rise, consumers are rightfully wary of doing business on the web, unless you can convince them of your company’s credibility. With most people always in a rush while browsing, video is a powerful tool to attract their attention before they navigate away from your page.

• Of course, it goes without saying that the quality of your video has to be up to par. One that is poorly made will have a negative impact on the image of your company. You can create an effective marketing video by following a few tips:

Know your product by heart – Layout the essentials of what you are selling before your shoot. Your delivery will appear more convincing if you speak in a relaxed, casual manner rather than adhering to a stiff script. Be natural, smile and don’t overwhelm people with too much detail.

Use the best lighting – It’s amazing how proper lighting makes a world of difference, so you use it in your favor. If you’re selling a product, make sure to showcase them using the best angles. A professional videographer will certainly make this an easy task.

Call to action – Promote your brand and let people remember it. Always end your video with a next step so your viewer can act on it immediately. If you want people to call for more information, give out your contact number and end it with a statement like “call us now to learn more”. You may also promote your business website or invite people to your company fan page.

If you need help on adding product videos on your business website, contact our marketing specialists at 800.850.7707 or sign-up for a Free Consultation.

Social media has now become an integral part of internet marketing. No longer limited to business branding and promotion, it is now also a well-utilized  channel  for customer service. The great thing about using social sites to reach your customers is that you don’t need to be a corporate giant to gain exposure.

Marsha Collier, author of The Ultimate Online Customer Service Guide, believes that small businesses are better equipped to gain more from social media. Given their size, it’s easier for them to focus on their customers and communicate with them.  To stay in the lead, every kind of business has to be present where the consumers are, so social platforms are a great way to be up-to-date on customer demands and market trends.

Here are some great ways on how you can maximize social media for customer service:

• Post your social links on your business website. First off, let people find you. Make sure that your business website has icon links to your official company fan pages or social profiles. Great examples are icon links on the homepages of   Michael Collins and Karen Parker.

• Keep track of client reviews. When posted on popular channels, feedbacks about your product or services can spread like wildfire on the internet. To keep a close watch on your online reputation or customer feedback, check out Tweetbeep or HootSuite, social management platform that  give you constant updates on converstions that mention your brand, product or company. You can also use Socialmention, a real time social media search and analysis platform that gives you a comprehensive stream of user-generated content.

• Make quick response. Once you’ve provided an answer to a negative feedback, make a follow up post that the issue is resolved and make sure that the client is happy. Your goal is to turnaround negative situations with quick solutions that will impress both your existing and future clients.

• Keep your fans informed. Customers won’t need to call in for more information on a product when you utilize social media with informative posts and product updates. Upload instructional videos on YouTube and/or Facebook and post how-to articles on your blog.

• Offer convenience. People are always looking for the easiest way to do things. Make things convenient for your client by adding a Store feature or free consultation form on your page. Here is one example.

• Create an outlet for discussion. Encourage customers to talk about your products through interactive commenting.

• Showcase happy clients. Leave a lasting impression on your fans by showing them your gratitude. Use social media to share videos, photos, and stories of your customers enjoying your product or service.

Being relatively new, using social media as an avenue for customer service still has its own snags. However, when utilized correctly, the advantages to your business are valuable. Being “socially active” lends a more approachable and personal touch to your business. Your transparency leads to the trust of your customers, thus setting you apart from the thousands of impersonal businesses with similar services.

For more social media marketing tips and advice on how to have the best business website, visit us at The Design People or get a Free Consultation.