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Written by Applonia Design Team | 26 August 2009

SEO is an acronym for "search engine optimization" or "search engine optimizer." Deciding to hire an SEO is a big decision that can potentially improve your site and save time, but you can also risk damage to your site and reputation. Make sure to research the potential advantages as well as the damage that an irresponsible SEO can do to your site. Many SEOs and other agencies and consultants provide useful services for website owners, including:

  • Review of your site content or structure
  • Technical advice on website development: for example, hosting, redirects, error pages, use of JavaScript
  • Content development
  • Management of online business development campaigns
  • Keyword research
  • SEO training
  • Expertise in specific markets and geographies.

Keep in mind that the Google search results page includes organic search results and often paid advertisement (denoted by the heading "Sponsored Links") as well. Advertising with Google won't have any effect on your site's presence in our search results. Google never accepts money to include or rank sites in our search results, and it costs nothing to appear in our organic search results. Free resources such as Webmaster Tools, the official Webmaster Central blog, and our discussion forum can provide you with a great deal of information about how to optimize your site for organic search. Many of these free sources, as well as information on paid search, can be found on Google Webmaster Central.

Before beginning your search for an SEO, it's a great idea to become an educated consumer and get familiar with how search engines work. We recommend starting here:

If you're thinking about hiring an SEO, the earlier the better. A great time to hire is when you're considering a site redesign, or planning to launch a new site. That way, you and your SEO can ensure that your site is designed to be search engine-friendly from the bottom up. However, a good SEO can also help improve an existing site.

Some useful questions to ask an SEO include:

  • Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories?
  • Do you follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines?
  • Do you offer any online marketing services or advice to complement your organic search business?
  • What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success?
  • What's your experience in my industry?
  • What's your experience in my country/city?
  • What's your experience developing international sites?
  • What are your most important SEO techniques?
  • How long have you been in business?
  • How can I expect to communicate with you? Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site, and provide detailed information about your recommendations and the reasoning behind them?

While SEOs can provide clients with valuable services, some unethical SEOs have given the industry a black eye through their overly aggressive marketing efforts and their attempts to manipulate search engine results in unfair ways. Practices that violate our guidelines may result in a negative adjustment of your site's presence in Google, or even the removal of your site from our index. Here are some things to consider:

  • Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue.

    Amazingly, we get these spam emails too:

    "Dear google.com,
    I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories..."

    Reserve the same skepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as you do for "burn fat at night" diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed dictators.

  • No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.

    Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever.

  • Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do.

    Ask for explanations if something is unclear. If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, such as doorway pages or "throwaway" domains, your site could be removed entirely from Google's index. Ultimately, you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire, so it's best to be sure you know exactly how they intend to "help" you.

  • You should never have to link to an SEO.

    Avoid SEOs that talk about the power of "free-for-all" links, link popularity schemes, or submitting your site to thousands of search engines. These are typically useless exercises that don't affect your ranking in the results of the major search engines -- at least, not in a way you would likely consider to be positive.

  • Choose wisely.

    While you consider whether to go with an SEO, you may want to do some research on the industry. Google is one way to do that, of course. You might also seek out a few of the cautionary tales that have appeared in the press, including this article on one particularly aggressive SEO: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002002970_nwbizbriefs12.html. While Google doesn't comment on specific companies, we've encountered firms calling themselves SEOs who follow practices that are clearly beyond the pale of accepted business behavior. Be careful.

  • Be sure to understand where the money goes.

    While Google never sells better ranking in our search results, several other search engines combine pay-per-click or pay-for-inclusion results with their regular web search results. Some SEOs will promise to rank you highly in search engines, but place you in the advertising section rather than in the search results. A few SEOs will even change their bid prices in real time to create the illusion that they "control" other search engines and can place themselves in the slot of their choice. This scam doesn't work with Google because our advertising is clearly labeled and separated from our search results, but be sure to ask any SEO you're considering which fees go toward permanent inclusion and which apply toward temporary advertising.

  • What are the most common abuses a website owner is likely to encounter?

    • One common scam is the creation of "shadow" domains that funnel users to a site by using deceptive redirects. These shadow domains often will be owned by the SEO who claims to be working on a client's behalf. However, if the relationship sours, the SEO may point the domain to a different site, or even to a competitor's domain. If that happens, the client has paid to develop a competing site owned entirely by the SEO.

    Another illicit practice is to place "doorway" pages loaded with keywords on the client's site somewhere. The SEO promises this will make the page more relevant for more queries. This is inherently false since individual pages are rarely relevant for a wide range of keywords. More insidious, however, is that these doorway pages often contain hidden links to the SEO's other clients as well. Such doorway pages drain away the link popularity of a site and route it to the SEO and its other clients, which may include sites with unsavory or illegal content.

  • What are some other things to look out for?
    • owns shadow domains
    • puts links to their other clients on doorway pages
    • offers to sell keywords in the address bar
    • doesn't distinguish between actual search results and ads that appear on search results pages
    • guarantees ranking, but only on obscure, long keyword phrases you would get anyway
    • operates with multiple aliases or falsified WHOIS info
    • gets traffic from "fake" search engines, spyware, or scumware
    • has had domains removed from Google's index or is not itself listed in Google
    • requests your FTP account information or root access to your server

    • There are a few warning signs that you may be dealing with a rogue SEO. It's far from a comprehensive list, so if you have any doubts, you should trust your instincts. By all means, feel free to walk away if the SEO:

    If you feel that you were deceived by an SEO in some way, you may want to report it.

Benefits of Applonia - Joomla

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Written by Applonia Design Team | 26 August 2009

Joomla is one of the most powerful Content Management Systems on the planet. It is used all over the world for everything from simple websites to complex corporate applications. Best of all it is simple to manage and reliable.

 

Here are just some of the ways people use Joomla:

  • Corporate websites or portals
  • Small business websites
  • Non-profit and organizational websites
  • Government applications
  • Corporate intranets and extranets
  • School and church websites
  • Personal or family homepages
  • Community-based portals
  • Magazines and newspapers
  • Online commerce

The possibilities are endless! Joomla can be used to easily manage every aspect of your website, from adding content and images to updating a product catalog or taking online reservations.

Easy Management

Once Joomla is installed, configured, and running, it is simple for even non-technical users to add or edit content, update images, and to manage the critical data that makes your company or organization go.

Anybody with basic word processing skills can easily learn to manage a Joomla site. Via a simple, browser-based interface you will be able to easily add news items, manage staff pages, product images, and create an unlimited amount of sections or content pages on your site.

Customizing Joomla to Meet Your Specific Needs

Joomla does a great job of managing the content of your website. But its true power lies in the framework that makes it possible to customize your website with add-ons and extensions. Here are just a few examples of the hundreds of options available:

  • Google Adsense
  • Weather Reporting Services
  • Photos and multimedia galleries
  • Ecommerce and shopping carts
  • Forums and chat software
  • Calendars
  • Games
  • Google Maps
  • RSS outgoing and incoming feeds
  • Glossaries and Dictionaries
  • Email newsletters
  • Surveys
  • Data collection and reporting tools
  • Banner advertising systems
  • Subscription services
  • and many, many more!

Web Developer Lingo

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Written by Applonia Design Team | 26 August 2009

Banner ad
An ad on Web sites that promotes and links back to your Web site. Most banner ads are formatted as GIF images, although many sites accept HTML banners as well. Ads are charged at their rate of impressions, or amount of times the ad is viewed by Web visitors, usually in groups of 1,000.

Branding
A marketing concept used to create a greater awareness of your company's products and services. Companies that are interested in branding try to get as many Web users as possible to view their banner ads and logos, with less concern for the number of clickthroughs to their Web sites.

Bulletin Board
An online forum for a threaded conversation. Users can browse through previously posted messages or add their own message.

Campaign
Refers to the schedule by which a banner ad will run or fly.

Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
A CGI script is a small program that results in an action based on the user's input.

Chat
Allows Web surfers to "speak" to one another on a real-time basis. Generally, messages typed in can be viewed immediately.

Clickthrough Rate
The percentage of Web visitors who actually click on a banner ad to get to a Web site. Clickthrough rates vary from as low as 0.1 percent to 1 percent for Run of Network campaigns, to as high as 3 percent to 5 percent for more targeted campaigns.

Co-Located Server
When your site is hosted on a co-located server, an Internet service provider (ISP) provides high speed Internet access for a Web server that you provide and set up. Generally, the ISP is responsible for making sure the connection is up, while you are responsible for making sure the site works.

Cookie
Web sites use browser-assigned cookies to collect user information and to deliver customized content.

Cost Per Click
Cost per clickthrough to your site.

Cost Per Thousand (CPM)
Ads are charged at their rate of impressions, or amount of times the ad is viewed by Web visitors, usually in groups of 1,000.

Dedicated Line
A type of telecommunications service in which a high-speed open connection is maintained between two points.

Dedicated Server
When your site is hosted on a dedicated server, the Internet service provider (ISP) provides a NT or UNIX server and connects it to a high-speed Internet network. All you have to do is develop content for your site and install the necessary applications on the server.

Domain Name
A text-based address used to locate a specific set of Web pages. Most for-profit businesses end their domain name with .com; nonprofit organizations generally use the .org ending.

Dynamic Pages
Web pages that are automatically generated based on user input and activity.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
FTP software allows you to upload or download files from sites on the Internet.

Firewall
A way to ensure that data on a Web server or connected computer will not be available to anyone on the Internet. Firewalls block outsiders from accessing private information or altering your Web site.

GIF File
Also called CompuServe GIF, it is a common way that images are stored on Web sites. Another popular type of image is JPEG. Some sites limit the number of GIFs that a banner can have, so pay close attention to this.

Host, Web Host
The server that stores the pages of your Web site, offered by both ISPs and dedicated hosting companies.

HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
The code used to write a Web page. The language uses text commands to create a series of "tags" that specify how information should appear on the Web page.

HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP)
The protocol used to access pages across the Web.

Impression
Another term for page view. The number of Web users that view a particular page.

Internet
A worldwide network of interconnected computers. The Internet uses the TCP/IP protocol to send information between disparate systems.

Inventory
The number of banner ad impressions that are available during any period of time.

IP Address
A string of numbers that is used to identify the location for your domain name on the Web. The domain name system translates domain names into these addresses, which are represented by a series of numbers that look like this: 123.123.23.2.

ISDN
A digital dial-up service that can be used for a high-speed Internet connection.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
ISPs offer businesses and consumers connections to the Internet. Some offer Web hosting and site development services as well.

Java
A programming language developed for Web sites. Java gives Web sites the ability to create small interactive applications for visitors.

JavaScript
A scripting language for developing client and server Internet applications.

Meta Tag
A special HTML tag that provides information about a Web page. Unlike normal HTML tags, meta tags do not affect how the page is displayed. Instead, they provide information such as who created the page, how often it is updated, what the page is about, and which keywords represent the page's content. Many search engines use this information when building their indices.

Perl
A computer programming language. This language is favored by programmers for tasks involving system utilities, software tools, system management tasks, database access, graphical programming, networking, and Web programming.

Point of Presence (POP)
A physical location maintained by an Internet service provider to provide a local connection to the Internet.

Portal
Another term for search engine. A portal is basically an Internet hub that acts as a starting point for locating information on the Web. Some examples of portals are Yahoo!, Lycos, Excite, and InfoSeek.

Secure Pages
Pages that are encrypted to ensure privacy. These are typically used for forms where sensitive information, like a credit card number, is being relayed.

Shared Hard Drive
A type of Web site hosting service that allots you a certain amount of hard drive space for your Web site. Generally, you are given a folder into which you can upload your Web pages and images.

Static Pages
Web pages that consist only of HTML and images.

T1, T2, T3 Lines
These dedicated lines are typically used by companies with substantial connection requirements. Dedicated lines carry enormous amounts of data per second, with T1 having the smallest capacity and T3 the largest. They can be used to connect a user to an Internet service provider (typically T1), or to connect an Internet service provider to other locations on the Internet (T2 and T3).

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
These two protocols were developed by the U.S. military to allow computers to talk to each other over long distance networks. IP is responsible for moving packets of data between nodes. TCP is responsible for verifying delivery from client to server. TCP/IP forms the basis of the Internet and is built into every common modern operating system (including all flavors of Unix, the Mac OS, and the latest versions of Windows).

Telnet
A powerful program that allows users to access other computers from remote locations. Users are then able to run commands and programs as if they were sitting at that remote computer.

URL
Depending on whom you talk to, URL stands for Uniform or Universal Resource Locator. Essentially, it's a Web address that represents a particular Web page on the Internet. You can recognize URLs by their prefix "http."

Virtual Domain Name
A service offered by Web site hosting companies that allows you to utilize a domain name as your Web site address. Companies that do not offer this will require that the hosting company's domain name be part of your Web site address.

Web Site
A collection of Web pages (or files) that are extensions of a particular domain name.

Web site benefit

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Written by demo | 10 August 2009


TOP 13 REASONS TO GET A WEBSITE.

1. To establish a presence.

Globally, approximately 50 million people have access to the World Wide Web. Quite simply, there are few businesses that can ignore a market of this size. Having an e-mail address and Web site is crucial to even small companies.

2. To network.

By linking your pages with those of your networked contacts, you are referring clients back and forth. If, for instance, your product complements, is used within, or uses a product from another manufacturer, a potential client can get a complete package of information with just a few clicks of a mouse.

3. To provide availability advertising.

There's little doubt that the most used resource directory is the Yellow Pages. Imagine a book of Yellow Pages that covers the globe—all a client would need to do is tell it what he or she was looking for, and it would automatically open to your listing. That's exactly how the WWW works.

Not only can you list basic information (your business expertise, location, hours, how to contact you, methods of payment, and so on), but you can update this information instantly (time-sensitive specials, current interest rates, announcements, and press releases). You can even have an entire catalog, including full-color photographs and graphics, available for instant viewing and ordering.

4. To augment traditional advertising.

Imagine including a brochure with every business card, piece of letterhead, print or broadcast ad, and even in your telephone's on-hold messages. By including your WWW address, that's exactly what you can do. A WWW address, such as www.robotici.com, is small enough to fit anywhere, yet it provides instant access to your entire sales argument. Furthermore, an instant e-mail response can be built into Web pages to get and give feedback while the questions are still fresh in your customer's mind, without the cost and lack of response of business reply mail.

If you read any of the nation's largest magazines and newspapers, you'll notice more and more WWW addresses printed within advertisements. The reason for this is simple: The WWW allows a much higher degree of communication for the advertising investment—"more bang for the buck."

5. Customer service.

People wiser than we have often said that it's easier to keep an old customer than to get a new one. Keeping an open line of communication is one of the most important ways to serve your customers. Via the WWW, you can post information, troubleshooting tips, request forms and the like that will enable you to "keep your finger on the pulse" of your customers.

6. Publicity.

The media is perhaps the most advanced profession today in regard to electronic communication, since their main product is information, and they can get it more quickly, cheaply, and easily online. Because of this, online press kits are becoming more and more common. Most pressrooms have gone digital in the past decade, so it is much easier for them to simply take a press release and photos from a Web site than it would be for them to strip-in hardcopy. The easier you make it for the press, the more likely you are to have your press releases turn to articles in a timely fashion.

7. To open international markets.

We were recently confronted by an issue where a foreign customs official held a package of print proofs for ransom. If these proofs had been made available on the WWW, this could not have happened. As the United States is discovering, digital information has little respect for international boundary lines. Because of this, markets that may have once been too difficult to approach can now be very profitable.

With a Web site, you can open up a dialogue with international markets as easily as with the company across the street. We'll go so far as to say that you should decide how you want to handle the international business that will come your way before you start a Web site, because it is a good possibility that your online marketing will bring international opportunities—whether it is part of your plan or not. We once posted an ad for an old Jeep on a local Usenet group (not even the Web) and were contacted by people as far away as the Netherlands.

Another added benefit: If your company has offices overseas, it can access (and even add to) the home office's information for the price of a local phone call. So the Internet and Web make possible easier international communications within a company as well.

8. To test market new services and products.

The advertising costs of rolling out a new service or product can be enormous. Many times, because of the cost of printing and mailing, companies hold off releasing new products until the next generation of their catalog. On the Web, new products and services can be released globally and instantly; updating a Web page to include a new item costs a fraction of what it would to print a new catalog. The Internet's two-way communication also enables you to receive immediate feedback from your markets.

9. To reach a highly desirable demographic market.

The demographic of the WWW user is probably the highest mass-market demographic available. College educated, high income, credit card holders (most ISPs require credit card deposits)—it's no wonder that magazines that deal with the Internet and WWW are easily able to get high-revenue ads on a regular basis.

10.  To reach the specialized market.

Thinking of selling nude photos of George Bush? With millions of Internet users, even the most narrowly defined interest group will be represented. And, because of the search capabilities of the WWW, your potential customers will be able to find you.

11.  To provide 24-hour, 7-day accessibility.

A FAX may come in from Tokyo at 2:00 in the morning. By the time someone comes in to open the office, the sale is lost. By accessing your WWW system, however, the same potential client could have surveyed your brochure and placed an order—for less than it cost to send the FAX.

12.  To save money.

Say your company prints 10,000 copies of a brochure. You send 2,000 out via the mail, give 2,000 to the sales staff, and put 6,000 in a warehouse for later use. Over the next few months, you add new products/services, or you move offices, or you add partners. You now have thousands of outdated brochures.

One of the main reasons that so many of the largest corporations in the world have rushed to the WWW is to try to contain print and print-storage costs.

13.  To sell.

Obviously, sales is the most important part of any business—so why didn't we make this the first item on the list? Because a good businessperson will have seen that all of the other points listed add up to increased sales. The WWW is perhaps the most powerful marketing tool ever devised, but it is only a tool. Even the most perfect promotional system can't make up for a poor product or service, inept staff, or any of the hundreds of intangible stumbling blocks that lie in the way of successful sales. However, with the powerful communication tools and enormous market available in Internet marketing, there's far less of a gamble.

How To Choose The Right Website Design Company

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Written by demo | 10 August 2009

Before calling any website design companies / designers. You should have a budget in mind. It's like buying a car. If you have $15,000 budget, then you should be thinking of buying a Toyolta Corolla. On the other hand if you have $50,000, then a Mercedes is what you should think about.

A website can cost anywhere from $300 to $50,000 depending on what you are asking for. Have your budget ready when asked. Some website design companies only work with budget over $2,000 or $10,000 or $30,000. There are always some companies that works within your budget. Therefore, call at least 6 companies. Then from the 6, select 2 or 3 that can work within your budget. Then you can select the company that you think is best. But how do you know which one is best.

In order to answer that you need to know what you are looking for. Building a successful website requires many technology. In the website design industries, many companies specializes in many different technology.

If you want high quality flashy website that doesn't required search engine optimization. Then should choose a company that specialize in Flash and animation.

If you would like a simple brochure website that people can be able to find on search engines. Then you should choose company that specialized in search engine optimization.

If you would like to sell many products online and need a lot of visitor from the search engines. Then you should choose a company that only one specialize in search engine optimization but also database and ecommerce integration.

There it is very imporant to ask the website design company what they specialize in.

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