It looks like Google has updated the PageRank around the web.  The majority of my websites experienced significant PageRank increase…

Website Design Gal – from 0 to 2
Nancy Golliday – from 0 to 4
SEO Redefined – from 0 to 4
First Coast Designs – from 1 to 4

I was surprised to see the jumps from PR0 to PR4!!  What about you all, did you notice any changes?

Click here to check your Google PageRank!

Visit our Facebook Fan Page Wall and Become a Fan! 

Don’t miss out on the goodies we’re compiling for real estate agents!

Some of the goodies include:

ClustrMaps for Websites (map of visitor locations)
Free IDX Solution for Realtor Websites
School Map Widget for Websites
Free Animated .gif’s for Websites
Free Chat for Websites

…and more!

Click Here to Visit Our Fan Page Wall – Become a Fan!

I’ve had the opportunity to work with a Loan Site Plus mortgage website and must say I’m impressed with all that comes with it!  They offer a version with free set-up as well as full custom websites.

Findings:

1. Forms needed for the Mortgage Industry come with the site, and are secure.
2. Modern looking themes to choose from, and Loan Site Plus accepts requests for new header graphics if you send them the graphic(s). 
3. When you’re in the website and want to link either text or a graphic to another page in the website, you don’t have the option of “choosing” a page from a list of all your website pages, you must know the page URL, so we go through and grab all page URLs for a cheat sheet to use for linking to other pages within your website.  Hopefully this will change.
4. When adding graphics to the site, you either need to know the URL where that graphic is located or you need to have already uploaded the graphic to your ”Custom Files” – there is no “browse” option to bring in the graphic directly from your desktop while on a content page.  The “Custom Files” area is where you’re able to browse your desktop and get in all images for the site at once if you want, and it shows up as “My Images” when on a content page. 
5. Not all pages are accessible for editing.  Calculators, for example is one that I needed to change some things for my client, yet couldn’t access the page to do it.  So I’m emailing support to see about how this works when we need changes on non-accessible pages.
6. SEO – don’t know what the metatags are for the non-accessible pages, but will find out.
7. Switching Themes – Not all themes have the same options, so if you enter some content into the “SideBar Content” on pages, it may not appear in another theme you choose.  So make sure everything comes over when playing with different themes.
8. Buyer and Seller Articles – I wish they had registration for download like Point2 Agent does.  Point2 Agent is marketed as a “real estate industry” platform, however, the forms and other aspects are geared only towards real estate agents and brokers.  So if you’re going to use an online platform, you want to use something like Loan Site Plus that’s geared towards the Mortgage Industry.

Sample Website and Case Study:  FayettevilleNCHomeLoans.Com

FirstCoastDesigns.Com is working the inner content pages and SEO for this website.  We are also playing with different themes.  As we learn more and see enhancements from Loan Site Plus, we’ll let you know! 

So far, we love it, and I’m sure Loan Site Plus welcomes constructive feedback – we all have one thing in common – your success!

www.LoanSitePlus.com

One of the most important choices you’ll make when building your website marketing plan is the choice of  keyword phrases you’ll target.  Choose a keyword phrase that is too competitive and you’ll often end up frustrated when trying to break the top 25 results.  Choose a keyword phrase that’s too unique and you may find that no one actually uses that for their searches.

Below is the process by which I go about determining a keyword phrase.  This process has served our clients well.  Remember, the key to a successful website is driving targeted traffic to your website for a specific reason and then, once the traffic comes, achieving your goal at the highest level possible.  This means that rankings mean nothing if they don’t drive users that convert.  Your keyword phrase has to relate to what you are actually trying to accomplish or people will just click on the back button and go away.  

When analyzing keyword phrases start by trying this:

Write down your goal.  Phrase it as the response to a question.  People who are using the search engines are looking for an answer to their question.  When someone has arthritis pain, for example, they don’t type in ‘arthritis pain’ they most likely type in ‘relieving arthritis pain’ or ‘arthritis pain relief’.   What are people asking when they are looking for you?

Create 5-15 terms that reflect the above.  Then go to a few search engines and type in these terms.  Review who comes up and then pick out the companies that are your competition.  In your browser, view their source and see what keywords they target (this doesn’t mean that you should use those terms – you’re just looking to make a complete list).

Print the top 25 search results for the top 5 to 15 terms you have.  Then review the total number of sites that are returned, the number of your competition present in the top 25 and your ability to convert users who found you and came to your site using that term.

Other things to consider:

If you are selling on the Internet consider longer and more specific keyword phrases.  Research shows that people who buy from websites often found the site using a four to five word keyword phrase.  People who use shorter phrases are often just browsing.  You do not have to make just one keyword phrase choice.  However, each choice that you make needs to have its own page dedicated to it.  This is because it should be reflected in the metatags.

Don’t try to do too much with one page.  Content is what matters.  If you want to be found for a certain keyword phrase then you need to use it within your content.  However, if you are trying to target multiple keywords on one page you may end up not ranking for any of them.

How do you know if it is working?  It is vital to track the traffic statistics for your website.  Most good website reporting tools can now tell you where your users came from and even what search terms they used in the search engines.  There is always the traditional way as well.  Survey the users who turn into customers about how they found you.  Those results are the ones you want to build on. Don’t forget to put the question, “How did you find us” on any of your forms used in your website!

Avoid black backgrounds – these essentially limit text color choice to white and yellow, which can look garish and hard on the eyes against black.

Don’t use yellow for web page backgrounds – it causes eyestrain 

If in doubt, use black text on white background – while not very original, this color combination ensures optimal readability. In any case, choose a text color that contrasts with your background; this is usually best achieved with dark text on a light background. 

Use contrasting elements in your pages to make text and graphics feel more dynamic and easier to read on the page. If you opt for a colored background or colored type, be sure that there’s enough contrast to keep your page easy to read. It’s best to check it out with text your unfamiliar with so that you don’t mistake familiarity with readability. 

Color works great in marketing. There are lots of theories and opinions about what works best.

Many say Blue lends a feeling of quality and trust.

Red makes people want to act, now! Green makes people want to spend money.

Yellow tends to get attention better than any other color, but is hard on the eyes.

Designers use Yellow to spice up a headline or product name, but put the rest of the ad or package in warmer colors. One study showed that the color combination with the most powerful psychological effect was yellow title, white text, on a dark blue background.

Create an identity through all your marketing and products with one or two colors you use over and over.

This is a very basic and effective way to tie all your stuff together in the minds of customers. 

Color Moods… 

Red (hot, fire, daring, error, stop, persuasive) 

Yellow (sunny, caution, construction, happy, cheerful, slowdown)

Green (jealousy, pastoral, envy, beginner, fertile, spring) 

Blue (quality, trustworthiness, success, seriousness, calmness, water, peaceful, sad, male) 

Purple (royal, comedy) 

Orange (technical, warm, Halloween, fall, seasons)

Pink (feminine, cute, candy, soft) 

Brown (warm, dirty, fall, organic, earth, environmental) 

When you don’t have to (or don’t want to) use company colors or just utterly confused by what’s been stated above, here’s a tip: 

Find a graphic that “inspires” or “moves” YOU. This graphic will become a prominent part of your website, whether it’s in the header or in the content. The colors from this graphic are what you will carry throughout the website. Sometimes it can be overwhelming when trying to choose a color palette for your website. Using this inspirational graphic will make it easier for you.

In the below instructions, I reference the header template and footer template.   Only Professional/Premium Point2 members will be able to utilize the template of their website and will need to make sure it’s called out through the Advanced Visibility Options.  This code would need to be placed on every page of a standard site.

This is for all you folks that want to dig into your websites.  Have fun!

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RIGHT-CLICK DISABLE

Don’t want anybody stealing your graphics? Place this code into your header template or footer template. You’ll want to replace the text that appears when someone tries to right click on a graphic or highlighted text.

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.2 type=text/javascript>Text to Appear when Someone Right Clicks‘)”)//–>

<!–if (document.all)
document.body.onmousedown=new Function(“if (event.button==2||event.button==3)alert(‘

</SCRIPT>

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CHANGE HOVER COLOR

You can control what colors appear in text links for your site. Point2 websites will tend to follow the primary and secondary color choices for text links. If you’d rather use different colors, insert this code into your header template or footer template of your website.

<STYLE type=text/css>
<!–
A:visited {color: #003300; text-decoration: underline}
A:link {color: #003300; text-decoration: underline}
A:active {color: #003300; text-decoration: underline}
A:hover {cursor: pointer; color: #000000; text-decoration: none}
//–>
</STYLE>

Here’s the website to check out hex #’s: http://www.december.com/html/spec/color.html

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STYLESHEET EFFECT

This code will allow your web page to be fixed and centered. It won’t expand and contract if the viewer has a smaller or wider monitor.

Place the code in the header template or footer template of your website.

<STYLE type=text/css>
<!–
form {
margin-top: 5px;
background-color : #ffffff;
}

.DesktopDefaultPage { background-color : #c9e4ff; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 820px; padding-left: expression(document.body.clientWidth > 820 ? (document.body.clientWidth-820)/2 + “px”:0); padding-right: expression(document.body.clientWidth > 820 ? (document.body.clientWidth-820)/2 + “px”:0); } 
 

.DesktopPortalFooterPanel {
background-color : #FFFFFF;
} –>
</STYLE>

NOTE:  In the first section of code, the background-color is the content background in the middle section of the web page. 

In the second section of code, the background-color is the color you see on the left and right sides of the web page. For those that want to get fancy, this can be a color or image. For images, replace the background-color to backgroun-image : url(“YOUR FILE LOCATION URL HERE”);

In the third section of code, the background-color is the footer background color at the bottom of the content section.

The “820″ is the width of your web page in pixels. Don’t go over 950 or a viewer with a smaller monitor will have to scroll over to the right to see anything in the right column of your website (or a portion of the right side of the site). I use 950 most of the time.

_______________________________________________

SCROLLING MARQUEE OF TEXT

Use this to have your text message scroll across the screen in your website.

Place this anywhere, just adjust the widths accordingly.

<center><MARQUEE style=”FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: #607b8b; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Sans Serif” width=96% height=30 scroll=”continuous”>Your Text Here</MARQUEE></center>

___________________________________________________

BACKGROUND IMAGE (NOT FIXED)

Place this code in your header template or footer template for a full page background. This is not to be used with the stylesheet effect code. This appears on the whole page and text sets on top of it unless it’s in a table with a colored background or something.

<body background=”YOUR FILE LOCATION URL HERE“>

___________________________________________________

BACKGROUND IMAGE (FIXED)

Place this code in your header template or footer template for a full page background. This is not to be used with the stylesheet effect code. This appears on the whole page and text moves over it leaving the image still while the viewer scrolls down the page.

<STYLE type=text/css>
<!–
body { background-attachment: fixed; background-image: url(Your Image Location URL Here); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center top}
–>
</STYLE>

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ADD THIS SITE TO YOUR FAVORITES! BUTTON

You can add this anywhere in your site. 

<!– AddThis Button BEGIN –>
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>addthis_pub  = ‘firstcoast’;</SCRIPT>
<A onmouseover=”return addthis_open(this, ”, ‘WEBSITE URL HERE‘, ‘DESCRIPTION OR TITLE HERE‘)” onclick=”return addthis_sendto()” onmouseout=addthis_close() href=”http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php”><IMG height=16 alt=”" src=”http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif” width=125 border=0></A>
<SCRIPT src=”http://s7.addthis.com/js/152/addthis_widget.js” type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>
 <!– AddThis Button END –>