Design Coding from the Poetic Prophet tells you how to code your site.

Check out his other amazing YouTube videos too!

One of my all time favorite websites is also one of the ugliest I have ever seen. So what makes this site so great? The content. It is truly valuable. Go check it out for yourself: www.selfpromotion.com. I promise you will spend a long time going over all the information provided free of charge.

I am a big fan of design. I like things to look clean. I like the best content above the fold. I like clear navigation and information broken into bite size pieces. However, none of these things matter if the content is not great. Simply posting your brochure online is not good enough anymore. You have to provide visitors with a reason to visit your site, to come back, and to tell their friends about it. I have been referring people to www.selfpromotion.com for the better part of a decade because of the fantastic tips and articles about search engine optimization. I consistently return and donate to the site. What kind of content can you offer? The options are broad, anything from recipes, reviews and travel tips to white papers, case studies and statistics (watch for my upcoming article about generating your own statistics through surveys).

Many of my clients find the idea of creating unique and valuable content daunting. The good news is that content does not need to be academic, perfectly written and 30 pages long. In fact, it is often better if it is not. You can be conversational and casual. You could even create lists (i.e. “Top 5 Benefits of Going Green”). Just make sure your content is fresh, original, free of errors and be creative. There are oppotunities for great content in unlikely places. Musicians could post stories from the road, backgrounds on what inspired a certain song, or even information about the instruments they play. An architect can review famous structures, share photos that inspired him on a recent trip, or discuss how helping the environment is changing his profession. You are signaling to your visitors that the item being discussed is important. It is also a great persuasion tool for the casual visitor. I am much more likely to visit an art opening if I have had an opportunity to read the artist’s biography, a review of the work, and some background on the art movement she is a part of. While the BIG fan may already know all this and not need the in-depth info, you have the opportunity to convert more people to fans before they have even seen the work. If you have an online store, the more information you provide about a product, the more sales you will make. I guarantee it. If you need more guidance, there are professional writers who can help. Drop us a line for recommendations.

Others are afraid of giving too much away for free. “If I tell them too much, why would they buy from/hire me?” While I can understand these concerns, I don’t think they should prevent you from sharing. If a landscape designer had tips for desert landscaping or caring for evergreens, many online searchers would find this content very valuable. Rather than providing them with all the information they needed to do it themselves, she has positioned herself as a trusted expert that really knows her stuff. If you were going to hire a landscape designer, would you chose the one that was knowledgeable and wanted to provide you with the information you need to assist you in caring for your yard?

Content is great because it is a win win. Your website visitors win by enjoying your unique content. You win because search engine LOVE content rich sites. You increase your search engine rankings and the likelihood that other sites will link to you. Who doesn’t want that?

If you are lucky enough and worked hard enough to rank well with key words and phrases on the search engines, congratulations. Imagine you have the website www.weebles4you.us and you hold the #1 position for “weebles”. Fantastic! That means that anytime someone is searching for that phrase, they will likely click on your site. Now all you have to do is sit and wait for those weeble searchers to be looking for you. All that hard work optimizing your website, building links, submitting to search engines, and now you just have to wait. There is something you can do to take advantage of this achievement. Think about your radio commercial, your newspaper ad or when you are out networking. Do you tell people to go to www.weebles4you.us? Hmmm. For the busy mom hearing your radio ad in her car, that might be a little bit hard to remember. She might go home tonight and remember your ad. She’ll sit in front of her computer and try to remember your website. Was it www.weeblesforyou.com? www.weebles4us.com? She ends up visiting your competitors website because she could not remember the correct web address. Now imagine your radio ad had said “Just search “weebles” on Google”. You know that your website has the top position, so once they search, they will find your website. In fact, many big companies use this method. Now the busy mom can certainly remember the keyword. That is what she was interested in in the first place. This time she searches for “weeble” and the first search result has a title and description that matches the message in your commercial. This is familiar to her and she knows it is the site she was looking for. She clicks your link and you have made a sale!

You could use this method even if you don’t rank high organically in the search engines. You can perform a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign to achieve top positions. Now when you are at a networking lunch and you meet a prospective client, you can tell them to search your keyword. They may even be impressed by your high position on the search engine.

Some time ago, I saw a report that said many Internet users will search an entire domain name (www.wikipedia.com) or the website name (wikipedia) rather than enter the address into the address bar. Why would someone do this? My first inclination was to assume that such users were unsophisticated and did not know the difference between the address bar and the search bar. Recently, I was in a client meeting and the client was showing me the websites owned by his organizations as well as many of the websites he frequents daily. Instead of entering the URL’s into the address bar, he entered them into the search bar. “Mr. Jones” is a very web savvy person. I couldn’t understand it. “Mr. Jones” told me that it was simply easier. If he misspelled or mistyped the url, Google would compensate by making assumptions about what he was really searching.

I suppose if you know the search results are reliable, this can be a fine method of navigating the web. The downside for the searcher is that you may end up on a website that is not the official site you were seeking. The downside for the website owner is that they may not be the top result for their website name. Go to Google and Yahoo right now. Enter your www and your website name into the search bar. Are you the top result? What about other “branded” words like your name (if your name is closely tied to your company). When I search my name, “Karen Propp”, the top results belong to a different Karen Propp. Fortunately, the 15 minutes media website is the 4th result, but I have to wonder how many searchers may have been looking for me and found her instead. Imagine if we offered similar services or if there was a lot of bad commentary about her (there is not, I have corresponded with her and she is a wonderful woman).

Last year we finished a website for a fashion client. The client declined our offer to perform SEO, but we always build optimized sites and pay special attention to meta content. A few months after the site launched, the client called concerned because her site was not appearing in the top results for the brand/website name. Other retailers that carried her line and publications that mentioned it all ranked higher. She was losing sales and contacts. We made some small tweaks, submitted the site to the search engines and she now has the top position.

I harp a lot on optimizing your website and ranking well for well chosen keywords and phrases, but protecting your brand is important as well. If you are not in the top organic position for your web name, do all that you can to get there now. For most website owners, this is not a difficult. Unless your name is “Corvette” or “Coca Cola”, it is likely Google will deem your site most relevant to your name. Another friend and client of mine has a very common name. He is a musician named David Cook. If that name sounds familiar, it is because there is a David Cook competing on American Idol. You would imagine that ranking well for his name would be nearly impossible, but if you search Google for “Dave Cook”, he comes up #2 after Google’s own result in the #1 spot. Not bad. It is doubtful that I can ever rank #1 for “Karen Propp” because the other Karen is well known, has many sites linking to hers and owns the domain that bears our name, but I can and do rank #1 for my business name.

Now What?
You have searched your website name and you don’t come up #1? You need to perform a little SEO. This blog is full of helpful tips on just what to do, or you can call us at 718-768-3844 for a consultation.

I am always on the look out for new ideas on the web. It seems new web applications and social communities are constantly popping up, but few are unique or impressive enough to distract us from the biggies like Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. However, I recently found a new website that is actually worth checking out. Less than two weeks old, Howcast is a video website and syndicated content provider started by former Googlers. Howcast is similar to YouTube in many ways (it even has its own YouTube channel), but keeps the content exclusively to “how to” videos. I learned the proper way to bathe your dog, do a sun salutation and how to get paid for donating plasma (hey, the web business isn’t always gravy).

The Howcast videos are more polished than most user-submitted content. An instructor voice-over informs the viewer what items they will need and provides step by step instructions. The viewer can jump to different steps and leave feedback, warnings or additional tips in the comments. If you want to create your own “how-to” audience members can suggest themes/ideas, upload or edit scripts or upload your own video. Howcast will take your ideas and scripts and send them to film students to produce. The result is clean, fun, high quality video.

Now here comes my marketing angle: Besides being a fun time killer, this site can be an important marketing tool. Are you a lawyer? Why not make a how-to about getting out of a parking ticket, copywriting your creative work or writing a will. There are dozens of opportunities for any profession. Share your expertise with the world and increase your reputation as a knowledgeable expert while providing useful information.

It seems that Martha Walker just cannot stay out of the news. After receiving great reviews and being in several gallery shows, Martha Walker has moved to the small screen. Two of her sculptures were featured on 2 episodes of the hit show “Gossip Girl“. There is a great article about her “tv appearance” and a link to the site 15 minutes media developed!

Check out this clip (posted by her adoring son) from one of the episodes: Martha Walker Sculpture on Gossip Girl

Professional Organizer and 15 minutes media client (check out her minimalist website) was featured on Apartment Therapy this week. Check out her “pared down perfection”, drool over the beautiful accessories and envy the closet, then give Laura a call to make your home feel like perfection too.

Laura Cattano
Professional Organizer
www.lauracattano.com

Read our latest newsletter.

‘Tis the season for parties, shopping and family and 15 minutes media is no exception. With our own holiday party just around the corner (have you RSVP’ed yet) and many of our clients in the throes of their busiest season, it is also our busiest season. Just one year ago, I was balancing a hectic work schedule and college finals in what seemed like my 2nd decade in school. Thankfully, I received that degree this past spring and can focus all my attention on the business and my clients. If you read our newsletter, you know that we lost Amanda, and Cassie and I are trying to handle all the work while I try to replace the irreplaceable.

The 15 minutes media offices will be closed from December 24 - January 2. With all my family out west, it seems I barely get to know my nieces and nephews. I even have one I have never met!

I look forward to speaking with you all in the new year. Peace and Happiness to you and your families.

- Karen

Looking for Holiday gift ideas? Try some of 15 minutes media clients:

ShirLaLa Chanukah! - Lively storytelling of Judah Maccabee and the Chanukah miracle, followed by spirited and dynamic holiday music in many styles.


Showtime Golf - Golf gift certificates for tee times at over 80 courses in California, Nevada and Arizona. Check out their holiday discount!

Just Because Baskets - Fabulous Build-Your-Own Baskets. Everything from Tool Boxes to Diaper Bags.

Don’t miss Martha Walker’s sculpture on the popular T.V. show, Gossip Girls in the upcoming episode airing on Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 at 9:00 p.m./8:00 p.m. central time. Two of her sculptures, Hope and T’Kiyyah, Sound of the Shofar were chosen by the art director as props for a scene in a trendy New York City art gallery.

15mm Staff News

A lot has happened here at 15 minutes media since our last newsletter. We had a productive summer and fall and are looking forward to a joyful holiday season. We lost our in-house activist and HTML guru, Sarah, to better paying jobs earlier this fall, and now, Amanda is moving on to follow her dreams as an illustrator in the book publishing industry. Amanda has been an important part of 15 minutes media for the past year and half, and we will miss her.

The Little Engine that Could
Karen did little more than work this past summer, but enjoyed FINALLY graduating and a visit from family (their first!).

Eric develops website for Diabetics
Inspired by his Diabetic father, 15 minutes media programmer, Eric, develops My Insulin Log.

Cassie in Providence
Cassie, who has been part of the 15mm team for over 3 years, has moved to Providence, RI. Of course, she is still part of our team (she’s a lifer) and is available in our new satellite RI office!

Guest Stars
15 minutes media has been working with some talented guest stars. Our flash guru, Christian, and programmer, Daniel, are important additions to our team. And we couldn’t do without Nancy, an excellent copywriter.