David Martin Design

Web Design, Web Hosting, & Digital Marketing

Tag: SEO

  • Navigating Uncharted Waters: Mitzi’s Quest for a Unified Digital Presence

    Navigating Uncharted Waters: Mitzi’s Quest for a Unified Digital Presence

    This project revolved around enhancing the online presence of Mitzi Alexander, a Travel Agent, & Magical Vacation Planner. Initially facing challenges in growing web interactions and bookings, Mitzi sought to create a more engaging online platform. 

    Her target audience included families, couples, newlyweds, friends, and groups interested in honeymoons, cruises, theme parks, and all-inclusive resorts. The project centered around developing an interactive website with reliable hosting and employing a SEO content strategy that highlighted Mitzi’s passion for travel and utilized targeted keywords for better visibility. 

    The result was a friendly and accessible user experience with increased customer interactions and conversions, amplifying Mitzi’s online presence and connecting her more effectively with her target audience.

    Navigating Uncharted Waters: Mitzi’s Quest for a Unified Digital Presence

    Mitzi Alexander, an accomplished travel advisor operating in Bloomington, Indiana, found not having a website hindered her ability to effectively reach and engage her target audience.

    Despite her extensive industry expertise and commitment to delivering exceptional service, Mitzi lacked a cohesive online presence. The absence of a dedicated professional website posed a critical challenge, as she had no centralized platform to showcase her offerings comprehensively, share valuable insights through a blog, and cultivate direct connections with potential and existing clients.

    Blogging, in particular, represented a missed opportunity for Mitzi. As a powerful content marketing tool, a well-executed blog could have allowed her to establish thought leadership in the travel advisory space, improve search engine visibility through SEO-optimized content, and foster engagement by providing travellers with informative tips, destination guides, and firsthand accounts of her experiences.

    Without this essential digital asset, Mitzi’s marketing efforts were fragmented across various social media channels and disjointed web properties, resulting in a disorganized and inefficient approach to client acquisition and retention. This lack of a unified digital hub not only hindered her ability to reach a broader audience but also compromised the professional image and credibility she aimed to project.

    Recognizing the escalating importance of a robust online presence in the travel industry, Mitzi understood the urgent need to implement a comprehensive digital strategy. Establishing a well-designed, user-friendly website with a strong content marketing focus would be crucial to elevating her brand, amplifying her expertise, and ultimately driving sustainable business growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.

    Initial Consultation and Strategy Development

    We kicked off the project by collecting information through a series of in-depth consultations to fully understand Mitzi’s business objectives, target audience, and unique value propositions.

    Co-Creation and Iterative Design

    Mitzi was actively involved throughout the design process, providing feedback and insights that shaped the website’s look, focus, and functionality. We employed an iterative design approach, allowing us to refine and adjust the website based on Mitzi’s input and user testing results.

    Training and Empowerment

    Understanding the importance of Mitzi’s ability to manage her own website and content, we provided comprehensive training on the website’s content management system (CMS) and best practices for SEO optimized content creation. This empowers Mitzi to publish new blog posts and make updates as needed, ensuring the website remains dynamic and reflective of her evolving business.

    Custom CSS for Unique Branding

    We delved deep into the customization of the WordPress 2024 theme, employing custom CSS and useful plugins to tailor the site’s aesthetics to Mitzi’s brand identity. This involved tweaking the color schemes, font styles, and layout structures to create a cohesive look that resonated with the essence of travel and adventure, essential to Mitzi’s business.

    Interactive Features for Enhanced Engagement

    To improve the site’s user engagement, we integrated a variety of interactive features. These included hover effects that reveal more information, smooth transition animations that guide the user through the site, and clickable elements that invite exploration and discovery. Each interactive feature was designed to enhance the user journey and encourage deeper engagement with the content.

    Drop Shadows for Depth and Dimension

    We employed subtle drop shadows in strategic areas of the website to add depth and dimension to the design. These carefully crafted shadows provided a soft lift to images and content blocks, creating a layered effect that drew users’ attention to key elements of the site. This technique not only added visual interest but also helped in organizing content in a more digestible and appealing manner.

    Emojis for Relatability and Fun

    Understanding the importance of relatability and personality in digital communication, we incorporated emojis throughout the website. These emojis were selected to complement the textual content, adding a touch of fun and approachability to the site. Whether used in headings, bullet points, or within blog posts, emojis helped to break down barriers and connect with users on a more personal level.

    ❤️ 🛳️ 🎢 🍹📞✉️📓💬 ❤️ 😃🔍 📝 🗒️🏝️ ⛰️ 🌍☕️🍦👨‍👩‍👦‍👦🩴❤️‍🩹🗼 🌆 🏛️⛰️ 🌌 🔥🌴 🌊 🦜🧭 🗺️🍽️ 🎉❄️ ☀️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 👩‍❤️‍👨🎢🎡😆🪄📔🍹☀️🍽️ 🥂🧘 ⛷️ 🏄🏊 🧖👶 🧒 🧑 🧓😉

    Custom Features Tailored to Travel Planning

    To specifically cater to the needs of travel planning, we developed custom features that enhanced the functionality of the site. This included dedicated pages for specific customer types, a blog section with different travel categories, and testimonials with shared experiences from Mitzi’s satisfied clients.

    Keyword Research and Integration

    To bolster the website’s search engine visibility and attract Mitzi’s target audience, we employed a comprehensive SEO strategy using the Yoast SEO plugin, a powerful tool known for its effectiveness in optimizing WordPress sites for search engines.

    Our first step was conducting thorough keyword research to identify terms and phrases closely aligned with Mitzi’s services and the interests of her customer personas. This research included a deep dive into travel-related terms, with a focus on niches like honeymoons, cruises, theme parks, and all-inclusive resorts. We meticulously integrated these keywords into the website’s content, including headings, body text, and image alt tags, ensuring relevance and contextuality.

    Optimizing Metadata for Enhanced Discovery

    With the Yoast SEO plugin at our disposal, we optimized the website’s metadata with precision. Titles and meta descriptions for each page were crafted to include targeted keywords while remaining engaging and informative. This not only improved the site’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) but also increased the click-through rate by compelling users with enticing summaries of what Mitzi’s site had to offer.

    Improving Site Structure for SEO

    Understanding the importance of a well-structured website for SEO, we used Yoast’s insights to organize Mitzi’s site content in a way that enhanced navigability and relevance. This included creating a logical hierarchy of headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) and ensuring that internal linking was both user-friendly and beneficial for search engine crawlers, thereby enhancing the site’s overall SEO performance.

    Content Optimization for Engagement and Relevance

    Each piece of content, especially the blog articles, was carefully optimized to strike a balance between engaging Mitzi’s audience and meeting SEO best practices.

    Outcome

    Review left by Mitzi Alexander

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 Stars!!

    “Working with David Martin Design on my website was a remarkable experience. Their understanding of my vision, coupled with their creative insights and technical proficiency, resulted in a website that exceeded my expectations.

    Throughout the project, David and Jarod displayed a lot of patience and flexibility, accommodating all of my changes and requests with ease. Their in-depth knowledge of technology ensured that every aspect of the website was meticulously crafted and up to date with the latest trends.

    David is not just a web designer but a true partner in bringing my vision to life. If you’re seeking someone who combines expertise with patience and a commitment to excellence, David is the perfect choice. Highly recommended for anyone looking to create a standout website.”

    In the journey of building and launching Mitzi’s website, our collaboration was not just a one-time project but the beginning of an ongoing partnership. We are committed to providing Mitzi with continuous support, ensuring her website remains up-to-date, secure, and aligned with the latest web standards and trends. Our team is here for regular maintenance, updates, and to answer any questions or address any challenges that may arise.

    Looking ahead, we see a wealth of opportunities for future projects with Mitzi. As her business evolves and her needs grow, we are excited to explore new avenues to enhance her digital presence further. Whether it’s expanding the website’s functionality, integrating new tools and features, or embarking on targeted digital marketing campaigns, we are eager to continue our collaboration.

    Our goal is to be more than just a service provider for Mitzi; we aim to be a trusted partner in her business’s growth. By staying engaged and proactive, we anticipate the needs of her travel advisory business and offer solutions that not only solve immediate challenges but also pave the way for new opportunities. This long-term partnership underscores our dedication to not just meeting but exceeding Mitzi’s expectations, driving her business forward in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

    David Martin shares his final thoughts on the project:

    Dave Martin: “Working with Mitzi on her website has been a uniquely rewarding experience. It’s always a pleasure to receive referrals from existing clients, and having the opportunity to work closely with both Mitzi and her husband has truly been a highlight. The collaborative spirit of this project allowed us to delve deep into Mitzi’s vision and bring it to life in a way that resonates with her passion for travel. It’s projects like these that remind me why I love what I do.”

    The project with Mitzi Alexander was more than just building a website; it was about capturing the essence of her passion for travel and creating a digital space that reflects that enthusiasm. The collaborative process, from conceptualization to launch, has been a testament to the power of partnership and shared vision. As a team, we look forward to supporting Mitzi in her ongoing digital journey and are excited about the potential for future collaborations that continue to push the boundaries of design and functionality.

  • WordPress SEO for the Busy Entrepreneur: Image Optimization

    Are you trying to DIY your online presence but are struggling to understand all the search engine optimization (SEO) terms? Are you worried about causing more damage or harm than good, or overwhelmed with deciphering what practices are essential and what could be saved for a rainy day?

    Hello and welcome to the first chapter of our WordPress SEO for the Busy Entrepreneur series where we help our clients, fellow entrepreneurs, and aspiring digital marketers better understand the foundational practices of SEO for their website’s organization.

    We know the stress of trying to run a business on top of marketing it. That’s why people come to us and we have a business! (Talk about the circle of life!) But we also have many wonderful clients who aren’t at that stage of their entrepreneurial journey, who need a professional website with reliable hosting and can’t afford a marketing agency quite yet. Yet, many have a drive that knows no bounds and are more than willing to put in the work updating their website with edits and blog posts. They just don’t have the time to learn what’s important, what’s less so, what resources to trust and learn from.

    It’s become clear to us that there needs to be a resource for entrepreneurs who are willing to put in the work, but can’t afford a single moment more. For those who need the pieces broken down and targeted specifically for their WordPress site. For those who aren’t technically savvy and have no desire to be, they just want things to work and for customers to go 📈. If any of these sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

    Today, we’ll be talking about Image Optimization, why it’s important and how it plays into your institutions marketing success, and ranking each piece by what’s most important as well as the process we recommend you take for the most efficient use of your time.

    What is Image Optimization?

    Image optimization is the process of converting high quality photographs, artwork, and graphics from their original state into copies that are optimized for websites and social media platforms. This process involves two main procedures:

    1. Cropping, resizing, and saving images into a compressed format while sacrificing minimal quality
    2. Correctly categorizing and describing the images you’re using through image metadata

    Just like you wouldn’t want to wear a t-shirt that’s 5 sizes too big and claims to be “wrinkle-free” when it’s clearly not, you wouldn’t want an image on your website that takes 2 minutes to load and ends up not being what the user was looking for. The process of image optimization is like tailoring that oversized t-shirt to fit just right.

    Image Compression: Tailor Your Images to the Digital World

    Image Compression is ultimately about carefully cropping, resizing, and compressing the image file so it loads quickly and looks great on screens – without sacrificing the quality or intent of the original image.

    Image Compression can be broken down into 4 steps:

    1. Crop: Crop the image so that the main focus is centered, if needed. Consider the platform(s) you’re uploading to and whether they use a square, rectangular, or circular aspect ratio. This not only reduces the file size, but also improves it’s impact.
    2. Resize: Digital cameras today are capable of taking superb quality photographs in 4K resolution. But images on web pages or social media platforms are rarely displayed at this resolution, since most images are not displayed full screen and the majority of internet users are using devices lacking 4K output. When in doubt, a 1200px width is more than enough for the vast majority of images used on a web page.
    3. Reformat: There are plenty of image formats out there nowadays. Each come with their own benefits and drawbacks, but to keep it simple: Use .jpg for images that have a background, and .png for images that have a transparent or no background. The default quality option should be sufficient.
    4. Compress: Using a free image compressor like compressor.io can further reduce the file size of an image by up to 80% sometimes without making a noticeable impact on quality. Now would be a good time to rename your image for SEO purposes (more on that below.) If you follow nothing else in this guide, using these image compression tools are an extremely easy and straightforward way to reduce page load time.
    Screenshot of compressor.io reducing the file size of an image

    Crop & Resize Images on Windows

    1. Open File Explorer and find the image you want to edit.
    2. Right-click on the image, hover over “Open with,” and select “Photos.”
    3. Click the “Edit & Create” button in the top-right corner.
    4. Select “Edit” from the dropdown menu.
    5. Click the “Crop & rotate” button.
    6. Adjust the cropping frame by clicking and dragging the corners or edges of the frame. Once satisfied, click the “Save a copy” button to save the cropped image.
    7. Open the cropped image in Paint (right-click the image, hover over “Open with,” and select “Paint”).
    8. Click the “Resize” button in the Home tab.
    9. Ensure the “Maintain aspect ratio” checkbox is checked.
    10. In the “Horizontal” box, enter “1200” (the vertical dimension will adjust automatically). Click “OK” to resize the image.
    11. Click “File” in the top menu bar and select “Save as.” Choose the desired location and format, and click “Save.”

    Crop & Resize Images on Mac

    1. Locate your image in Finder
    2. Open the image in Preview (double click on the image)
    3. Press and drag your selection
    4. Hover on Tools in the top menu bar, select Crop
    5. Hover on Tools again, select Resize Image
    6. In the width box, put 1200px & confirm
    7. Save the image by hovering on File in the top menu bar and selecting save (or press ⌘ S)

    Image Metadata: The Catalogue Card for Your Photos

    Before we delve into Image Metadata, let’s back up and ask the question: “What is Metadata?”

    Metadata defined for the laymen

    To define it simply: Metadata is data about data. It’s information that categorizes and summarizes what something is.

    To use an analogy: In the 80’s you needed to find a book (website) at the library (web). You would use the library catalogue (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) to search for the book either by it’s name or author. When you found the right card (search result), it would tell you the call number or location. You would then go through the shelves or ask a librarian for help (click) and eventually find and check out your book (website).

    In our case, we use metadata describing your website to help the robots that search engines use to rank search results better understand who your organization is, what you do, when you’re open, how to contact you, etc. and ultimately rank as high as possible.

    What do I need to know about image metadata?

    Image metadata is important not only because it helps these robots understand images they can’t actually see (yet) and determine if they’re relevant or not, but also ensures your website remains accessible for those with sight disabilities or a painfully slow internet connection by providing descriptions of what they’re viewing.

    Image metadata can feel complex to understand considering all the various elements that go into it, and even harder to know what to prioritize. But luckily, the elements that have the greatest visibility impact are also some of the simplest to incorporate. Here are the three most important elements concerning image metadata:

    1. Alt Text: Alt text, short for Alternative Text, is the most important part of image metadata. This is really just a brief description of what the image is. It’s used for people who rely on screen readers, when the image fails to load to give context (common for those with slow internet connections), and for showing search engines that this image is relevant in relation to your organization.
    2. File Name: An images name before uploading it plays a huge factor in helping search engines better understand the image content and increase it’s visibility. This is a great place to tie your images with your company and it’s specific services or people. Instead of “mark.jpg”, something like “Mark-Scott-Sales-Manager-Generica-Inc.jpg” helps search engines recognize that Mark Scott is the Sales Manager at Generica Inc, this is his picture, and that this image is relevant to the blurb describing him below it.
    3. Title: The title tag is used as a tooltip description, providing supplemental information when the user hovers over an image. However, the this only applies to users on desktop. This is a good place to add keywords if warranted.

    Let’s get to work: An actionable Image Optimization checklist

    Now that we’ve explained the abstract concepts behind Image Optimization and it’s two major components: Image Compression and Image Metadata, let’s go through a step by step process on how to actually incorporate these pieces efficiently:

    1. Gather your images into a folder called something like [subject]-originals
    2. Decide where you’re uploading these images and crop each one as needed
    3. Resize the width of each image to 1200px
    4. Reformat each image. Are they photographs? Go with .JPG. Are they graphics or use transparent backgrounds? .PNG is the way to go
    5. Create a folder called [subject]-optimized and upload your edited images to compressor.io
    6. Download each image, saving it into the [subject]-optimized folder and rename each image to relate to your organization and the relevent service or person
    7. If you want a break, now’s a good time
    8. Login to your WordPress website, and navigate to the Media tab in the admin panel
    9. Upload your optimized images
    10. Return to the media library, click on the first image thumbnail in the upper left. This will open the image metadata panel. In the alt field, write a brief description of the image in question either manually or use AI to assist you. If you have a premium ChatGPT plan, use our A11y SEO Image Wizard.
    11. Fill out the alt text (and optionally the title) for the remaining images. Congratulations! You’ve now optimized the images on your website. Your images can be now be added to the posts or pages of your choosing.

    If you followed this checklist, you can rest easy that the most important standards concerning image optimization are being met. Your web page will now appear more attractive to search engines, as well as improve the page load times and accessibility for your visitors.

  • The 3 R’s – Every Business Wants to Be Remembered, Respected, & Referred

    The 3 R’s – Every Business Wants to Be Remembered, Respected, & Referred

    Every business owner wants to be remembered, respected, and referred. When people remember your business, they are likely to think of you first when they need the products or services you offer. They will also be more likely to recommend your business to family and friends. Respectful treatment of customers will bring them back time and again, and encourage them to spread the word about your business.

    1. The Importance of Being Remembered: How being remembered can benefit the success of a business. Examples of successful businesses that have become well-known by creating a lasting impression.

      Being remembered can have a significant impact on the success of a business. When people remember your business, it can lead to increased sales, giving you an edge over your competition. Additionally, when customers remember your company they may feel a connection and loyalty, making them likely to return in the future. This can result in repeat customers and steady growth for the business. Moreover, when customers remember your business, they may recommend it to others, leading to referrals and even more business.
    2. The Importance of Being Respected: Why it’s important for business owners to be respected by their clients and customers. How respect can increase customer loyalty and help to grow the business.

      Respect is an important part of any successful business. Customers and clients who feel respected by business owners and employees are more likely to stick around and become loyal customers. Respectful treatment can lead to repeat customers and referrals, and it also helps to foster positive relationships that are so essential to business success. Respecting people’s time and meeting them on their own terms shows that the business cares and values its customers’ needs and wants.
    3. The Importance of Being Referred: The benefits of being referred to potential customers and how it can lead to increased business. Ways to encourage customers to refer others to your business.

      Referral marketing is one of the most powerful and cost-effective forms of advertising. It is far more reliable than conventional forms of advertising, as people are much more likely to trust what their family, friends, and colleagues have to say about a business. Additionally, referral marketing can be a great way to expand your reach and gain new customers. Making it easy for customers to refer your business to family, friends, and colleagues is essential to success.

      Creating a dedicated page on your website with reviews, links to Google Business and Facebook, and other platforms that take customers directly to the review form is a great way to encourage referrals. This will increase visibility for your business and will ultimately lead to more sales and growth.

    Being remembered, respected, and referred will have a significant impact on the success of your business. It is important for business owners to create an impression that lasts and is remembered by their customers and clients. Respectful treatment of customers will help to foster loyalty and keep them coming back. Referral marketing is one of the most powerful and cost-effective forms of advertising, and it is essential to creating visibility and growth. By taking the time to ensure that your business is remembered, respected, and referred, you will be more likely to achieve success.

  • 3 Basic Steps to Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines

    3 Basic Steps to Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines

    This article provides an overview of the three steps necessary for successful SEO: basic on-page optimization, basic link building, and basic social media marketing.

    Learn about the basics of keyword research, creating effective titles and meta descriptions, building your profile on external websites, and implementing effective social media strategies. Find out how you can use the right tools to measure your efforts and tie them back to your website. Start getting more website traffic and higher-quality leads with these three essential steps.

    SEO, when done correctly, takes a ton of effort and it is a very time-consuming process, but for this, you may need professional help from a search engine optimization company. A well structured, planned out website is going to be much more successful in the long run and will result in more relevant traffic and better quality leads. To begin, we need to focus on three basic activities related to your presence including Basic On-page Optimization, Basic Link Building, and Basic Social Media Marketing.

    Basic On-Page Optimization for SEO Success

    Basic On-Page optimization is the lowest hanging fruit and is the first place we start when trying to optimize our website for search engines. We begin with brainstorming and researching keywords that your target audience is using to locate your products and services. If a client is trying to rank locally for keywords, we make sure to include keywords (such as Bloomington) in the copy and structure of the HTML. Title tags are then written to evoke the highest emotional response using keywords that are relevant to your audience. High-quality meta descriptions that include one to two sentences about your business with calls to action are crafted. Your information on your page should be structured into an outline like form including headings, paragraphs, bulleted lists, etc. Images all have titles, descriptions, and when it makes sense, captions. These images should have ALT descriptions not only for search engines but for accessibility. David Martin Design can provide you with assistance on the appropriate layout.

    3 Basic Steps to Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines: On Page Optimization, Basic Link Building, and Social Media Marketing

    Basic Link Building for Increased Rankings

    After the overall structure has been built and your information is well organized, it’s time to build some links to your website. Basic Link Building is important as a link reference from another reputable source on the internet is worth a TON in the search engine ranking factors. It’s important to create quality content and submit press releases that link back to your website for newsworthy items. Building your business profile on websites like Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Manta, Instagram, Google My Business (for better efficiency should be managed using tools only from this site), Snapchat, Yelp, Yahoo, Foursquare, Bing Local, and a plethora of other directory-based websites is vital to your search engine ranking. It’s important to not just claim your listing, but include your business hours, images of your product and location, and other important signals that show you are active in your business marketing. Your customers will reward you with high-quality reviews if your customer service aligns and your performance exceeds their expectations. Make it easy for them to write reviews by promoting your business on social media and in as many online places as possible.

    Image result for seo

    Social Media Marketing: Optimizing Your Channels

    Social Media Marketing is a challenge as most people don’t initially gravitate towards social networks to interact with businesses or to hear about your latest gadget or gizmo, usually, it takes help from companies to get people into using social media. It’s important for link-building to optimize your business information on social media profiles. It’s also important that a key person in your business is assigned to monitor these channels for customer communication. This responsibility most likely falls into the hands of most business owners and they install apps on their phones to keep in touch with their customers. It’s important to claim your profiles, optimize them, and use helpful tools to help manage your social media. Using the right tools, you can effectively measure your efforts on social media and tie them back to your website.

    As you can see, it can get pretty complicated to market your business in today’s world. Start with these 3 basic steps:

    1. On-Page Optimization of your website pages
    2. Build High-Quality Links to your website and webpages
    3. Basic social media marketing

    and you will begin to see positive results in the search engines and reach highly qualified leads.

  • New Internship Opportunity for IU O’Neill School Student, Kyle Buchanan

    We are happy to announce that IU O’Neill School Student Intern, Kyle Buchanan, has joined David Martin Design. Kyle is working closely with David Martin, owner of David Martin Design, on a variety of client projects & learning about website design, web hosting, content marketing, competitive research, & SEO (search engine optimization).

    Despite not specializing in the information technology field, Kyle believes he will be able to problem-solve when it comes to content and ideas he doesn’t fully understand.

    Look at that handsome fella!

    “For me, every job is all about problem-solving, even if you know exactly what you’re doing. The very way I came into this position was by thinking of solutions to issues I was facing. I wanted to find an internship here in Bloomington, but I was growing more and more tired of the traditional application process.”

    “You either hear nothing back or you get your hopes up going through additional interviews only for the job to pick the other candidate. I thought to myself about solutions and one day I just sat down and started researching local businesses here in Bloomington, ironically using BloomingtonOnline.com that I now help manage, and came across David Martin Design. 

    Looking at my relevant skills when it comes to website design, I have to say that I don’t have a lot coming into this. I am a technology savvy person though so I have a basis of knowledge in what we work with, because of this relationship or lack thereof with the basics of some key aspects of David’s job, I often find myself having to put my problem-solving skills to work again and again as I find myself in new and often challenging positions. I am happy to say that in the short time I have had the chance to work with David so far I have learned so much with regards to not only technology or Google but to aspects like professional project management.”

    For the past three years, Kyle has been attending IU Bloomington as a Financial Management major, and he is currently in the process of applying to law schools for next fall. We look forward to seeing great things from him!

  • Blogging for Business: What You Need to Know About WordPress and Content Management

    Blogging for Business: What You Need to Know About WordPress and Content Management

    Blogging is rapidly becoming an integral part of running an online business. While some business owners are quick to dismiss blogging as a waste of time and energy, the statistics are suggesting otherwise. As more and more websites start maintaining a blog, there’s an increased demand for a more blog-friendly content management system (CMS). 

    Although WordPress started out as a meager blogging engine, it is now considered the preeminent content management platform. As the largest CMS in the world, WordPress powers roughly 39% of websites. Its flexibility, reliability, and customizability attract web designers over other CMS competitors. 

    Here, we’ll explore why it’s important for businesses to understand WordPress and why publishing fresh content is a must. 

    WordPress JetPack Plugin - Artist Wall at the 2019 WordCamp US in St. Louis
    WordPress JetPack Plugin – Artist Wall at the 2019 WordCamp US in St. Louis

    Why Businesses Need to Know About WordPress

    Whether you’ve heard about WordPress in your research about website development or this is your first exposure to it, you might be wondering what makes it so different. With dozens of other reputable platforms from which to choose, what makes WordPress so unique? 

    That’s a great question and one which has no shortage of answers. However, we’ll only stick to a few of the most compelling to help small business owners understand what they’re missing out on. Here are a few reasons why businesses need to know about WordPress. 

    1. It’s completely free. 

    Free…it’s music to any business owner’s ears. Unlike other content management systems, WordPress operates under what’s known as a GNU General Public License which essentially means it’s free for anyone to download, edit, and customize. When compared to other, more costly CMSs, WordPress has risen through the ranks as one of the most popular among small businesses that are trying to keep costs down. While you’ll eventually need to spend money on web hosting and domain names to get your website up and running, WordPress saves you on costs other platforms wouldn’t spare you. 

    1. WordPress is totally customizable. 

    As a business owner, you know just how vital it is to set yourself apart from competitors. A common complaint among web developers about more rigid CMSs is their lack of customizability. Due to WordPress’s open-source design, anyone is free to upload add-ons, plug-ins, and other features that maximize customizability and flexibility. If you can think it up for your website, there’s a good chance somebody has already contributed the functionality to WordPress. With a single click, you have access to tens-of-thousands of unique features. As the needs of your online business change, WordPress can easily keep up with its unmatched flexibility. 

    1. It’s SEO-optimized by default. 

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the method through which your website is primed for optimal exposure on search engines like Google to increase your chances of reaching your target audience. Without an SEO-optimized site, your content can easily get lost in the shuffle. WordPress takes the stress away by ensuring all sites made on the platform are SEO-optimized by default since their structure is recognized by most search engines. However, your website SEO can further be maximized by downloading SEO-focused plug-ins that are available to everyone. 

    Business Blogging Statistics

    As a small business owner, it’s understandable why you might be hesitant to dedicate valuable resources to developing and maintaining a blog. You can’t afford to waste time and energy on areas of your business that won’t offer a return. Fortunately, there’s a wealth of data underscoring the positive impact that blogging can have on businesses. 

    Here are a few of the most impressive statistics: 

    • Blogs can lead to a 97% boost in indexed links and a 434% boost in indexed pages. (Demand Metric) 
    • 8 out of 10 internet users engage with both blogs and social media sites. (Demand Metric) 
    • Businesses with blogs generate 67% more monthly leads on average than their counterparts that don’t have blogs. (Demand Metric)
    • Blogging businesses see 55% more online visitors than companies that don’t blog. (HubSpot)
    • In 2019, marketers prioritizing blogging saw 13X more return on their investments than those who didn’t. (HubSpot) 

    The Importance of Publishing Fresh Content 

    Of course, having a blog doesn’t do small businesses any benefit if they’re not regularly updating it. Although there are several advantages of maintaining a constant stream of fresh content, there are two primary reasons: 

    1. Search engines prefer newer content. 
    2. It’ll be easier to keep your audience engaged. 

    When forced to choose between ranking an older site that regularly posts new content and a site of the same age that hasn’t posted in months or years, Google will rank the former website higher even if the content is relatively similar. Reflecting the demand for new and updated content, Google wants to present its users with the freshest content. Most search engines work in the same manner. In order to prime your website for higher rankings in search engines, you need to post new content regularly. 

    Another critical reason to keep your site updated with fresh content is to keep your audience engaged. Whether you’re wanting to catch the attention of new users or keep regular visitors coming back, you need to make sure your site is providing something worthwhile. While the content you put out matters, the rate at which it’s produced also plays a role in the overall success of your site. 

    If you’re a small business owner who’s ready to reap the benefits of having an optimized blog, feel free to reach out to David Martin Design. With decades of experience building and managing websites for small businesses, David knows how to maximize the return on your website investment. 

  • A New WordPress Website for Artist & Musician Henry Leck

    A New WordPress Website for Artist & Musician Henry Leck

    David Martin Design has launched a new WordPress website for Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington member, Henry Leck at https://henryleck.com.

    Henry Leck Website Screenshot
    Henry Leck – Artistic Director & Internationally Recognized Choral Director
    Visit https://henryleck.com

    It was a challenge at first to figure out how to best work together due to the Covid-19 pandemic and technology restrictions. We began with a Google Meet and it was great to meet online. It was really easy to use and helpful to see Henry face to face and to be able to share screens with each other.

    Henry’s New WordPress Website

    Henry and David discussed where it was best to store information for the new website. Using a shared Google Drive folder, Henry could upload photos of his artwork, an Excel spreadsheet of inventory, and a Pages file of painting information. After securing the digital workspace folder it was time to work on developing the website content. Henry & David created a very organized Google Sheets spreadsheet, assigned SKU numbers, and developed product descriptions, captions, and filenames based on the shared online inventory catalog.

    Optimized Filenames with Keyword-Rich Information

    David renamed all of the images with the sku number and hyphens between keywords that would describe each one. Instead of uploading an image from the camera with a default name like “IMG6480.jpg”, it’s important to rename the image henry-leck-art-195-Harbor-Scene-after-C-Curry-Bohm.jpg so if someone were searching for this type of image it would be more relevant and come up in a search.

    Organized WordPress Pages, Posts, Tags, & Categories

    After learning about search engine optimization (SEO), Henry understood the importance of optimizing images with keyword-rich file names, optimizing title tags, using headings, meta tags, the taxonomy of WordPress pages, posts, tags, and how to name categories. After organizing all of this information, it was clear that David could begin building the website.

    Preferred Domain Name: HenryLeck.com

    Henry let David know that he had worked with a web designer previously and they decided to try and recover the old domain rather than starting out with a new one. This was an important decision because not only is it better for branding, but how long a domain name has been registered for is definitely a search engine ranking factor.

    Fast Web Hosting with David Martin Design

    After transferring the domain registration and updating the contact information, David set up a new cPanel business web hosting account and pointed Henry’s domain to his new web hosting server. The web hosting service that David Martin Design provides includes a FREE SSL certificate, email service, spam filtering, and lots of other great features.

    After installing WordPress and configuring the optimal settings David built all of the pages, posts, categories, and tags. David installed the WordPress Twenty Twenty theme and worked with Henry to choose the preferred layout and colors. David set up plugins for website security (WordFence), spam (Akismet), SEO (Yoast SEO), and others to add more options to his WordPress website.

    Tracking to Understand How Customers Use The Website

    In addition to building the website it’s important to track how it performs. David setup Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Microsoft Clarity for Henry in order to see reports about how people interact with his website.

    David & Henry have built a great website at https://henryleck.com and we hope that you’ll go check it out and see what you think.

    About Henry Leck

    An internationally recognized choral director, Henry Leck is a professor emeritus in choral music at Butler University, where he served on the faculty for 27 years. He is the Founder and Conductor Laureate of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir where he served for 30 years. He has conducted on podiums throughout the world, and still finds some time to teach, conduct, and edit.

    Since Henry’s “semi-retirement” in 2016 he has taken up painting …. oil painting to be specific. While continuing to conduct, teach, and edit music, painting has quickly become one of his passions in life. He is an active member of the Upland Plein Air Painters and the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association.

    We invite you to learn more about what Henry likes to paint.

    Art (97)