Websites and Market Branding

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Show Notes
Today's podcast Episode 015 entitled Websites and Market Branding presents small business owners practical advice for creating a consistent corporate image in print and online. The purpose of branding is to create a familiar identity that becomes linked indelibly to your small business through repetition. Here's the outline for this podcast show:

• Intitial foundation for market branding
• Extending market brand to all media
• Market brand and small business websites
• Market branding and corporate image
• Actions that further define corporate image
• Website quick tip of the day

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Websites and Market Branding
0:08:42 Tip of the Day - Your Company Name or Slogan in Your Logo
0:09:33 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:10:03 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 015

Referenced links:
Protecting Your Corporate Image and Market Identity article I wrote with advice and tips about logo artwork

Today's show goes beyond websites and promotional material in print. Another key to a consistent market brand and corporate identity is how you execute the operation of your business. This podcast explains how your way of treating customers and doing business becomes part of that corporate image.

TAGS: advice news podcast market branding small business advice

Web Design and Accessibility

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Show Notes
Today's podcast Episode 014 entitled Web Design and Accessibility provides small business owners important information about making websites accessible to the widest possible audience, especially those persons with disabilities. Here's the outline for this podcast show:

• Definition of Website Accessibility
• Importance of Web Design and Accessibility
• Key Elements for Accessible Web Design
• Case Study of Screen Readers for the Blind
• Accessibility Testing of Small Business Websites
• Website quick tip of the day

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Web Design and Accessibility
0:12:58 Tip of the Day - SEO Value of Accessible Web Design
0:13:52 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:14:22 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 014

Referenced links:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 provide WAI standards for accessible web design
HiSoftware online accessibility testing allows verifying accessible web design
Test accessibility of this podcast here to confirm it Passed Automated Verification

Special Notes:
To assist listeners, the following list is included here to save you any inconvenience taking notes:

15 Key Elements for Accessible Web Design

1. Use Proper DocType Statement in Code
2. Use a Language Identifier Code
3. Use Descriptive Page Title Tags
4. Use Text Links vs Javascript
5. Use Title Tags to Clearly Define Links
6. Use Descriptive Alt Tags for Each Graphic
7. Use Relative Font Sizes in Ems or Percentage, not Fixed Pixels
8. Use H Series Tags for Headings and Subheadings
9. Use Label Tags in Form Elements of Online Forms
10. Use Summary Tags to Describe Data in Tables
11. Use Table Header Tags to Define Table Layout
12. Use a Search Box Function on Every Page (large sites anyway)
13. Use Separate Presentation and Content with CSS Style Sheets
14. Don't Use Links that Launch Browsers in a New Window
15. Avoid Spacer Shims or Invisible Graphics for Layout

Some of the elements may be unfamiliar or seem too technical, so you may want to review the above list with your web developer. Having pages render compatible to devices for disabled persons is not difficult, and may bring you revenue opportunities servicing this niche of potential customers by providing an accessible small business web design.

TAGS: advice accessibility podcast small business advice search engine optimization wai website design

Optimize Your Website Keywords

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Show Notes
Today's podcast Episode 013 entitled Optimize Your Website Keywords is for small business website owners interested in percentage of keywords for search engine optimization. Topics provide advice for SEO research, implementation, a case study, and free software to help automate the process. Here's the outline for this podcast show:

• Understanding keywords and key phrases
• Researching keywords for your small business website
• Case study comparing web design to website design
• Advice on optimum keyword density for web pages
• Automated software to test and edit keyword density
• Website quick tip of the day

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Optimize Your Website Keywords
0:10:30 Tip of the Day - Using a Tilde Search for Synomnyms
0:11:46 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:12:16 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 013

Referenced links:
Keyword Discovery search online tool for ranking popularity of key words and phrases
DupeFree Pro software download page for testing and edit of keyword density

During this podcast the example ranking of top search results for "web design" and "website design" listed below is referenced and included here to save listeners the trouble of taking notes. The list displays ranking from 1 to 20 of the top 20 search phrases, the actual phrase, and the popularity of that phrase as a percentage compared to the other 19.

Rank/Keywords/Percentage
01 web design (46.4%)
02 website design (11.4%)
03 design a web page (8.6%)
04 web site design (7.6%)
05 web page design (5.8%)
06 free web design (5.4%)
07 design site web (3.4%)
08 computing web design (2.6%)
09 web design software (2.1%)
10 web design tools (1.8%)
11 free web page design (1.3%)
12 free website design (0.9%)
13 website design software (0.5%)
14 website layout design (0.4%)
15 ecommerce website design (0.4%)
16 how to design a website (0.3%)
17 design website (0.3%)
18 best website design (0.3%)
19 design your own website (0.3%)
20 design a website (0.3%)

The bottom line to enhancing your site for search engine optimization is keeping relevant key words in your content that relate to your business without repeating key phrases too often. Your content should be designed for readers first, and then natural linking from search engines and other websites should follow.

TAGS: advice podcast keywords small business advice search engine optimization website design

Small Business Advice Podcasts

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Show Notes
Today's podcast Episode 012 entitled Small Business Advice Podcasts takes a look at other podcasts that specialize in helping small business owners, their themes, and other observations of podcasting options. Here's the outline for this podcast show:

• Finding small business advice podcasts
• Common themes covered by these online shows
• Reviews of 5 quality podcast productions
• Interacting with small business podcasts
• Future of small business podcasting
• Website quick tip of the day
  

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Small Business Advice Podcasts
0:06:42 Tip of the Day - Recording Equipment for Small Business Website Audio
0:08:58 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:09:28 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 012

Referenced links (alphabetically):
BusinessWeek Magazine Podcasts with video and audio podcast interviews
Entrepreneur Magazine Podcasts offers staff hosted or guest contributor interviews
SmallBizPod with Alex Bellinger and the UK's first small business podcast
Small Business Trends Radio from the Small Business advice site of Anita Campbell
Startup BizCast with host Steve Mullen and weekly small business advice, tips, and education

Small business advice podcasts are a great opportunity to help brand your marketing identity while teaching other entrepreneurs valuable lessons. The tip of the day in today's show introduces podcast equipment and software for producing shows, audio testimonials, or product and service introductions.

TAGS: advice podcast small business advice small business podcasts podcast reviews

Lesson on Blog Tags and Labels

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Show Notes
Today's podcast Episode 011 entitled Lesson on Blog Tags and Labels was selected as a result of an inquiry from one of my small business clients. Learn the value of using tags and labels effectively to maximize the seo and promotional value of your blog to visitors and search engines. Here's the outline for this podcast show:

• Poor tags or labels and search engine optimization
• Comparing small business blog tags and labels
• More about effective blog tags for drawing traffic
• Organizing blog labels that assist your readers
• Summary of advice for blog tags and labels
• Website quick tip of the day

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Lesson on Blog Tags and Labels
0:09:30 Tip of the Day - Comparison of Pinging Services
0:11:40 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:12:10 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 011

Referenced links:
Technorati provides an authority source for tracking blogs
List of blog and podcast ping services from a recent post on my blog

Small business websites with integrated blogs have an advantage over their competition. Consider the fact that 70% of solo small business owners do not have a website, and only 5% with sites have a blog. By applying the principles of proper blog tags and labels in your posts, you can enhance the potential for online success.

TAGS: advice blog blog tags blog labels podcast search engine optimization small business