Search Engine Optimization Free PDF

The latest episode of the Small Business Website Mailbag podcast was released earlier today, and includes the transcript of today's program: Web Design SEO Audio Ebook. The subtitle of the free to download PDF is "Search Engine Optimization Step by Step Guide", and this SEO tutorial provides detailed methods for optimizing keywords in a small business web design. You may download the ebook without obligation because you do not have to register or reveal your email address.

Download the PDF ebook to read as you listen along to the podcast episode as I read the transcript of the program. In addition, the PDF SEO tutorial has bonus information with added search engine optimization tips that are not included in the audio podcast. Here is one excerpt not in the podcast with another definition of the term SEO:

SEO has more than one meaning and stands for "Search Engine Optimizer", also, which means a consultant offering search engine optimization services. The true experts get anywhere from $5000 to $20,000 for optimizing a single website.

In addition, there are unscrupulous people who know the buzz words contained in this report, and they razzle dazzle clients into paying thousands in recurring monthly or annual fees with zero results. New clients have contacted me and reported ongoing SEO service payments for years without results, yet they accept lame excuses and just keep paying. Here’s one way they are deceived.

Search engines do not reveal their algorithms for serving up search results, so this secrecy is one weapon the unscrupulous SEO snake oil salespersons use to explain away poor results. Be very wary of anyone who promises page one. It is a lie.

Listen to the "Web Design SEO Audio Ebook" podcast episode, and then download or read the PDF tutorial "Search Engine Optimization Step by Step Guide" here (454kb, pdf). Learning do-it-yourself web design and keyword optimization can save small business owners thousands in annual fees. Your only investment is your time.



TAGS: advice pdf tutorial podcast seo search engine optimization small business advice web design

Just When You Thought You Heard Everything

Staying on top of technology is part of my job in custom web design and development, and just when you thought you heard everything something new comes along. Designing sites for accessibility means making it easier for disabled persons to access your content. To my surprise, one site goes beyond simple text, and does it very well.

Here's what happened just recently. For one of my personal blogs I use FeedBlitz for readers to subscribe to posts, and I get emailed copies of their broadcasts announcing new posts, also. I file the announcements without much thought, but decided to read the latest. WOW! As expected, a story posted on my personal childhood storytelling blog was linked in the announcement email, but it included an icon for a pc speaker. Curious, I followed the link to find that my personal blog posts are being digitized from text to audio as an RSS feed, and available for listeners to hear!

Visit Growin' Up in Maine with the story of a photo postcard my Grandmother showed me when I was 6. Next, open up another tab in your browser and follow this link to hear the digitized audio of the story told with a female voice and matching the blog post perfectly word for word.

One aspect of web design that deserves more attention is website accessibility making the internet as equal as possible for persons with disabilities. For example, my web designs in xhtml with css are easier for screen readers to extract and present content spoken aloud digitally to blind persons. A very small percentage of web developers design websites for accessibility, and others may not care.

The voice tempo of the digitized version of my post was nearly human, and it was perfectly clear with fewer odd pauses than I would have expected. If you know a blind or vision impaired person who goes online, you may want to introduce them to this audio feed service from talkr.com that will allow them to listen to audio versions of written blog posts.



TAGS: advice accessibility audio blog text to audio web design

Prompt! Teleprompter Software Review

Quite often professional voice talent creating video or audio production use a teleprompter. For small business website multimedia production, there's a low cost alternative to expensive dedicated teleprompter solutions when adding video or audio to your web design or podcast.

After considerable research of teleprompter software reviews, the Prompt! software from DataWay Multimedia Canada, Inc for $44 USD is my recommended choice. A free lite version may be downloaded, also. Here's the list of features from their website, MovieClip.biz:

• Text can be imported and exported
• Simple text editing is available
• Native files can be saved
• User customizable controls
• Macintosh or Windows playback
• Control over font size
• Mirrors text display on screen
• Mouse or keyboard control
• Lite version available
• Multiple resolutions
• Works with most remotes (not included)
• Cheap!

Prompt! version7.0 is a standalone application that allows keeping multiple windows open during recording. My advice is preparing your audio script in NotePad and then load it into Prompt! with copy and paste. The scrolling text may be adjusted by size, color and background, and scroll speed. The Lite version is limited to 2500 characters, so you may want to do a test drive with Lite before making a purchase.

Using a teleprompter for short clips or full presentations allows readers to focus on content to eliminate gasps, oohs, or aahs during recording. Speaking extemporaneously is very difficult for most small business owners, and a prepared message is more likely to enhance the multimedia production. Reading from an audio script will be faster and more professional when adding audio or video to your website, blog, or podcast. Download Prompt! here.



TAGS: advice audio small business services software review video

Advice for New Small Business Websites

For owners looking for advice for a new small business website, the first 10 podcast episodes of the Small Business Website Mailbag may be the perfect starting point. The audio programs were intentionally presented in a logical order for business owners getting online for the first time.

Each show averages just over 10 minutes, so listening to each provides valuable audio advice for saving time and money with your first website. Listen online or download episodes to hear the expert tips at your leisure.

The 10 podcast programs are like a two hour audio course with advice for new small business websites. Besides paid web design services, I'm more than willing to provide free advice to small business owners without obligation, as well. You are welcome to contact me about problems or questions concerning a new or existing site.



TAGS: advice podcast small business advice website design

New Podcast Episode on Market Branding

The latest podcast episode of the Small Business Website Mailbag was released eariler with advice for small business websites and market branding. Here's an excerpt from the actual audio show:

The word consistent is one to remember. If your promotional materials begin with a business card, other print material with a similar logo and varied color scheme, and then a website that's still more varied, you lose the value of a consistent corporate image. Market branding will be more effective if you have a consistent image wherever your company name or logo is encountered by customers or prospects.

My advice is always develop your logo first, and then maintain the same look and color scheme on your website and printed materials.

Whether you name it market branding, corporate image, or corporate identity, a consistent look that will stand the test of time may depend on your logo which is the foundation of your small business image. A memorable and lasting positive first impression should be your priority.



TAGS: advice corporate image news podcast market branding small business advice

Keyword Advice for SEO in Web Design

The latest podcast episode of the Small Business Website Mailbag features free resources for keyword advice for seo in web design. Tools for small business owners linked in the podcast include the websites of Key Word Discovery and DupeFree Pro.

Listen to Optimize Your Website Keywords here to learn about free methods for search engine optimization of key words and phrases on your small business website, and then consider this software review of DupeFree Pro.

The features in this quick review of DupeFree Pro software were not covered in the podcast episode. Besides the value of being able to easily calculate keyword density, DupeFree Pro may be used to test for duplicate content, also. Imagine doing copy and paste to insert content from your website, and then quickly finding out if any other site owner is using your content without permission.

Perhaps you write advice articles published online, and just want to check if others are giving proper credit when they choose to republish your articles. Maybe you have several articles on one topic and want to check the percentage of duplicate content between two versions. DupeFree Pro allows you to do this easily, also.

Duplicate content is a major problem trying to achieve positive seo results, so you may want to test for duplicate content within your site, also.



TAGS: advice keywords podcast review search engine optimization small business advice web design

Custom Audio Produced for Storytelling Blog

From a chance encounter with a reader of my personal blog, Growin' Up in Maine, I recently completed and uploaded a custom audio production to allow readers to listen to this guest storyteller. The narration is by Larry Hall, 91 years old, and he agreed to having me record his story rather than just post it as text.

Visit the blog to hear this humorous tale Roping the Grammar School Bell in 1928, and a bonus story about the local sheriff's brand new Model T Ford. This is a unique piece about growing up in a small town nearly 80 years ago. Listeners are welcome to inquire about custom audio or video production for their small business blog or website, as well.



TAGS: audio custom audio blog audio production small business services

Website Design PayPal Payment Options

My commercial site now has the option for new small business clients for custom website design to pay for services online. The PayPal verified logo is included in the top banner on each page of the main website. Unlike some online shopping websites that have products at fixed pricing, customers for my services need an agreement for projects before proceeding.

A single payment button on the price list page is set in increments of $50 USD, and payments may be made through PayPal or using major credit cards from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. You do not need a PayPal account when using your credit card even though PayPal is the secure payment processor. No additional fees are incurred by the client for this method, so the amount for design services is all that is charged.

Besides custom small business website design, you may now pay for other design services including custom blogger design, custom graphic artwork, plus custom video and audio production, also.



TAGS: advice payment options PayPal Verified small business services website design

$1000 Saved on Website Promo Mailing

The next episode of the Small Business Website Mailbag podcast entitled Mass Mailing Website Promotion was released today. The program presents small business mailing campaign advice that earlier this week saved a client over $1000 on just one post card mailing.

The show breaks down the mailing campaign cost analysis in detail, and to save listeners from taking notes, I included each dollar figure in writing in the show notes. Comparing a 4 x 6 to 5 x 7 and 1/2 page post cards, the total cost of one mailing ranged from $1700 to $2750. The client was thinking bigger is better.

In discussing the half page size post card flyer, I asked if their budget was closer to $1700 or $2700. The decision was easy once I explained that a professionally designed 4 x 6 could be just as effective.

When considering the value of my advice, and the $1000 savings, this client saved more than the price of artwork and printing! Listen to this latest podcast episode about mass mailing to learn how you could save on your next small business advertising campaign.



TAGS: advice mail campaign postcards podcast small business advice website promotion

Custom Audio Player Color Schemes

For clients interested in adding audio to their small business website, custom audio player color schemes can be designed to match your site. The graphic below shows 6 players slightly smaller than actual size, and the code used to generate these meets xhtml 1.1 standards per W3C to easily integrate into your website design.

Colors shown are two tone versions with light and dark each of silver, green, and blue. The choices for custom color schemes to match your site are practically unlimited with up to 16 million colors. The top view of each audio player is how it displays closed and ready to play on your site, and each bottom view shows the view during play.

Audio can be used for introductions, customer testimonials, a small business blog, or even regular shows similar to my Small Business Website Mailbag podcast. The latest podcast episode comparing dynamic and static websites was released earlier today if you want to listen and view a tan version of this player.



TAGS: advice audio audio player blog podcast small business advice website design

How to Analyze Competitor Websites

You may now listen to advice about how to analyze competitor websites in episode 003 of the Small Business Website Mailbag podcast. The tips for website analysis are appropriate for established small business websites as well as helping you plan a new website design.

Topics covered in this audio production and listed in the show notes include:

• Key factors for top search engine results
• Making a list of your search keywords and key phrases
• Doing a search in Google and Yahoo
• Details for analyzing competitor websites
  

Knowing how your competition stacks up for 7 key factors of search engine optimization may help you in your small business website design strategy. Listeners are encouraged to post comments or ask questions about this and other topics covered in previous shows on the small business website advice podcast.

If this website advice helps you, please consider forwarding the podcast link to other small business owners, and then bookmark the show and return often. Thanks.



TAGS: advice design news podcast search engine optimization seo small business websites

Small Business Podcast Listener Reviews

With the release of episode 002 of the Small Business Website Mailbag podcast, feedback and customer reviews from listeners has been positive and encouraging. USA and international email comments were received from two professional web designers and existing clients which included the following:

Just listened to your podcast. I found it to be excellent, clear and informative; your voice inflection is awesome. I'll be tuning in regularly.

Excellent job, precise, direct to the point and informative. Who could ask for more?

Enjoyed the podcast very much. Actually I think it’s a much better idea than video in a way because it can be totally scripted and read. You just can’t do that with video.

Looks like a home run Jim!! I would like to set up something for people that have questions, too.

The podcast show topics cover websites for small business owners and each episode features a tip of the day, plus a catchy opening and closing theme song. One reply included a tutorial request for a new custom video production as featured on this blog, also.

Feedback is certainly appreciated, and I'll be sure to give serious consideration to listener requests taken from the website mailbag. Thanks.



TAGS: small business podcast podcast launch news podcast customer reviews

New Custom Website Video Production

Here's another example custom video production to demo combining still photos, narration, and background music for small business website designs. This uses a set of original photographs that I took in 1989 when my wife and I had the pleasure of a ride on the Goodyear blimp Columbia that I won in a drawing.

The video may be viewed as entitled Goodyear Blimp Photo Slideshow on YouTube also.



The background music is my theme for videos as well as audio productions used on my small business advice podcast. Note the transition between slides and the effect used for the sequential appearance of titles in the intro and exit credits. If you are interested in a custom audio or video for your small business website, contact me with what you have in mind.



TAGS: audio small business services video video production website design

Small Business Podcast Feature Added

Today's announcement is the launch of the Small Business Website Mailbag podcast, a new feature with an audio version of small business advice so you can hear me rather than reading it. The first podcast Episode 001 is entitled Small Business Podcast Intro and includes the following outline in the show notes:

• My reason for starting this show
• The podcast content and outline
• Options for listener interaction
• My qualifications for offering advice
• Website quick tip of the day

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Small Business Podcast Introduction
0:09:38 Tip of the Day - Writing for Blogs versus Websites
0:11:01 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:11:32 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 001

For those who have viewed my custom website video productions, the podcast includes the same theme song which reinforces my market branding.

All podcast shows focus on websites for small business owners with expert advice that you may now hear online instead of tolerating my (sometimes) long-winded phone calls. Please visit this new advice podcast for small business and post a comment or email me with feedback or suggested topics.



TAGS: advice blog design launch news podcast promotion reviews seo small business websites

Audio Player Demo and Christmas Poem

After experimenting with several audio players, I recorded Twas the Night Before Christmas in mp3 for my personal blog, Growin' Up in Maine. Adding audio to your website or blog can be a nightmare if you care about aesthetics and presentation. Here is the Christmas poem for the custom audio player demo.

Audio Notes (Press Right Button to Play)

Title: Twas the Night Before Christmas
Narration: Jim Degerstrom
Play Time: 00:04:18

Most blog services do not host audio files, so your recordings must be hosted elsewhere and linked from the external source. This blog is hosted on my server, so this post demonstrates a custom streaming audio player to test the function here. This simple player only uses MP3 format sound files which is my standard, so it's perfect for websites or blogs.

Having a player that is cross browser compatible requires overcoming the quirks of Internet Explorer which is the only browser still using the <embed> tag. As a result most designers code two players in the HTML or XHTML to display properly in all browsers. The preferred method to add audio or other multimedia and meet current standards in XHTML with a player that is cross browser compatible is to use the <object> tag.

This was fun to record and only required one take. If time permits, I may add a podcast to this commercial site answering small business custom website design questions featuring comments or emails from readers. Stay tuned for an announcement, or send in your questions now if you feel you might prefer listening more than reading my small business advice. That may prompt me to begin sooner.

In addition, small business website owners may want to consider adding an audio intro or testimonials for their site. I can help on the technical end including designing a player to match your website's color scheme, so call or email me with any questions.



TAGS: advice audio podcast website audio website design