JBCR Virtual Solutions - Internet Business Developer Blog

What Happened To My Alexa Ranking??

Jan — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:18:00 +0000

Have you checked your Alexa ranking lately? You may want to take a deep breath before you do!

I was making changes on my site tonight. While doing this I checked my site online for content and saw that my Alexa ranking tripled from the last time I opened the site - which was today. I was absolutely shocked, to say the least.

So I clicked on the Alexa toolbar INFO button and it says their ranking has changed.

Here is a 'brief' of what they say:
~~~~~~~~~~~

(heading) My site's ranking has changed. Was it wrong before?

Your ranking wasn't wrong before, but it was different. Alexa toolbar users' interests and surfing habits could differ from those of the general population in a number of ways, and we described some of those possible differences on our website. While the vast majority of sites' rankings were unaffected by such differences, we've worked hard on our new ranking system to adjust for situations in which they could matter.

The new rankings should better reflect the interests and surfing habits of the broader population of Web users.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But gezzzzzzzzzz a drop of over 1 million in less than a day! There is no way to see what was there before, and why. From what I can see from their description you cannot even determine what they mean by "broader population".

I do have some feelers out to try and find out if anyone knows what is going on and once I hear something I will post it here.

Jan

Want To Know How Top ClickBank Sellers Do It?

Jan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:47:00 +0000

Anyone who is in our business, or an online marketer, will almost surely have seen screenshots of huge ClickBank checks posted on forums and splashed on sales pages.

It's no secret that the top ClickBank earners are making the big money by using the already existing base of ClickBank affiliates, the only question is... how can you do it too?!

Want to know how top ClickBank sellers get those huge checks? They use the massive base of ClickBank affiliates, over 100,000, to flood their websites with a never ending stream of cash-in-hand visitors.

I've discussed the value of using affiliates here before, both on this blog and on my site. Affiliates are a critical component of successfully marketing your product on the Internet. Many affiliate programs, offered through carts like '1 Shopping Cart' or dedicated programs such as 'Commission Junction' (CJ) provide you with tools and access to recruiting affiliates and directly interacting with them.

However, ClickBank does not give easy access to their army of affiliates, but recently, I found a product called ClickBank Stampede that appears to have solved this. It is revealing backdoors and loopholes that will let you tap into this massive base of sellers who are waiting to sell for you.

http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/stampede/

This is the fastest, easiest and most effective method I’ve seen for getting tons of visitors to your ClickBank sales page. Even if you don’t sell anything on ClickBank, you should still check it out.

Jan

The God(s) Do Have A Sense Of Humour!

Jan — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:20:00 +0000

Anyone who is an entrepreneur knows that there are good times and bad times in business. The good times / bad times can cover anything from technical issues to sales and everything in-between. Running your own business is a challenge. Spring brings its own challenges. New projects, new clients and new concerns - good 'ole tax time. The ebb and flow.

This story is about the ability to laugh at adversity.

In our household we have one cat, 11 fish and two birds (who have nested in a fake plant on our porch :) With spring, the 11 fish and two birds are doing the 'spring dance'. Our cat has spring fever and is an indoor cat (say no more :). All of us are feeling the changes and stress of the new season.

Tonight, my "sweet" cat (hahahahaha) was again howling as is her new 'spring' song and I decided that it was time to get the water gun out. Ok, my cat is 11 years old and long past the water gun stage, but the 'spring' howling has been going on all hours of the day and night. So, I get the water gun out, filled it up with water, pointed it at my HOWLINGGGGGGGG cat in hopes she would stop (from the memory of the water gun) but no such luck. So I pull the trigger and spray... water all over me :))))))) . I had the water spray direction pointed at me, not her...too funny. Should have seen her face and heard me laugh!! Wish I had a video to show you!

So what does this have to do with being and entrepreneur and business? Sometimes how you want or expect things to go don't. How you handle the 'direction' it goes can be very good for the soul.

Happy Spring!!

Jan

Did You Receive An Email That Sounds Too Good To Be True?

Jan — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:35:00 +0000

I did - and guess what - it is (surprise / surprise!!)

I received an email today from (XX company - I will not name them because I don't want to promote them)

First, never click links in an email unless you know who is sending the email. Even if you know the person, if the link(s) does not look right DO NOT click on it. If you want to check it out copy it and paste it in the browser address line - best way is right back to them .com ending without the extension.

The email said:

(Quote)

We've seen your website at (XXXX) and we love it! We see that your traffic rank is XXXX and your link popularity is XXX. Also, you have been online since XXX. With that kind of traffic, we will pay you up to $4,800/month to advertise our links on your website. If you're interested, read our terms from this page:

(end quote)

You bet I was excited to see "up to $4,800 a month" - me - who knows that when it comes to the internet that if something sounds too good to be true it is

Anyways, I decided to do some research and this is what I found:

This 'person', who created this, has actually created a "tier affiliate program" and they, or one of their affiliates, has contacted you to recruit you into this 'scam' of an affiliate program. Bottom line this is spam and they want you to join and be a spammer as well. Don't fall for it. Just delete or report it.

Always remember, IF something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Jan

Read more articles like this here:http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

Marketing - Just 'Cause The "Term" Is Hot Does Not Mean It Works!

Jan — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:33:00 +0000

I caught a bit of Oprah yesterday. On the show they were talking about the book "The Secret" and "The Law of Attraction". Some very interesting guests and subject matter, for sure.

Something I notice is when a particular book / topic is aired or published everyone wants to use the flavor of the week buzz word /phrase. Now, in the scheme of things this is not bad, don't we all want to jump on the 'riches' bandwagon. But in fact what happens is that the search engine searches become saturated with the buzz word / phrase so if, in fact, you are using it to try to draw more traffic to your site it is probably not a wise decision. You are actually more likely to go down the search list for that term.

Why? You are going to become a much smaller fish in a much bigger ocean!

In this example, the folks who wrote "The Secret" and who wrote the book "The Law of Attraction" are so far up the search ladder, as well as their affiliates, that you likely will never be found.

So is it worth it to use 'buzz' words / phrases. Yes and no.

In my humble opinion, do not use them on their own. Only use them if you they are actually part of your website and business and even then it is very important to incorporate your own special niche. Stand out - be a unique fish :)

Read more articles like this here:
http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

Jan

Have Blog - Now What?

Jan — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:20:00 +0000

Working in the internet bussiness industry (web design, seo, marketing, etc.) I am often asked what to do to get 'your' name and 'your' business in front of potential clients /customers. After a web site I always recommed setting up a blog. About 90% of my clients are thrilled with the idea and I set up a blog for them... then... yes, silence.

Now I know that I am not a great example at blogging (see the last time I posted) - but I have a good excuse - I'm working :)) Ok, not a 'good excuse', but the truth.

So what can you do when you have a blog and can't seem to find the time, or the content. After thinking about what I do on my lunch break (which is in front of my computer) I came up with the answer.

Take 5 minutes out of your day and just write about what's new with you. Don't think readers will be interested? Well, in fact, it is amazing how many blogs are at the top of searches just from talking about "what's new". For example, on my lunch break I grab a cup of soup and read through emails I have received from forums I belong to, newsletters I have signed for, and unauthorized spam :))) Ok, so maybe forget the spam, but the little tib-bits you get from other emails you receive can be worth their weight in gold on a blog.

Not at your computer on a lunch break? Well then how about posting about your day just before you read your email after you get home. I know, probably the last thing you want to do. But in fact if you start to do it every day by two weeks you it will feel normal, by 30 days it will be a routine.

So... have a blog - now what? Now you write!

Read more articles like this here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

Jan

Is A Blog Really Worth It?

Jan — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:06:00 +0000

One of my clients asked me this today and I thought that it was a good question and worth talking about here.

As a web developer/designer, and SEO optimizer, I totally believe in blogs. A blog informs your customers / clients about you, your products/ services, your events, whether personal or business, and much more. A blog also introduces readers to your website.

As well, a blog can increase credibility. Why? Because people get to know and trust you. You become more than just a name. I have been blogging for a number of years now and I have seen the difference when I blog often and when I haven't 'cause of lack of time.

I started a new blog just over a year ago for a specific topic. This has been very interesting, and learning experience. Over this past year, on this specific blog, just an example the Alexa is almost equal to my business web site rating. From this experience I do have to say that I do believe, even more so, that blogging not only works but it goes beyond that.

Is having a blog enough? Yes but - BUT.... submitting a blog to blog directories, sharing it through social networking, adding images, audio, video and RSS... all of these are critical. As in all things, it grows.

As I said many years ago, and I still say today, for a blog to be effective you need to "blog". In other words, you need to update often, keep people interested and informed, invite comments. Of course, make sure you host the blog on your own url. Even better, buy a domain name just for your blog host it on its own is an even better way to make people aware of your blog and your site.

So, yes I do think a blog is worth it - do you? Would love to hear your comments.

Jan

Read more articles like this here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

No More Supplemental Indexing - Sort Of

Jan — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:54:00 +0000

Over the holidays I was reading an article from WebProNews on the Supplemental Index. If you are unfamiliar with the term, let me explain.

Back in 2003 Google introduced the Supplemental Index. This was an index (database) where web sites, pages went when not up to standards (less important or less trusted) for Google's main index (database). Now this explanation is a 'brief' to say the least, but you get the idea.

Many business owners were quite upset, and rightfully so, by this because if someone typed in a search term / phrase and your site / pages were in the Supplemental Index your site would not come up IF others did show for the search in the main index. They would only show IF they search did not turn up results in the main index.

It's been reported by Google Search Quality Team that now when someone types in a search term / phrase both the main and supplemental index will be searched. This is indeed good news.

Read more about this here:
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/12/ultimate-fate-of-supplemental-results.html

Happy New Year!

Jan

Happy Holidays, A Joyous New Year - And A New Outlook?

Jan — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:42:00 +0000

As we come close to the end of the this year most of us start thinking about the New Year, what is to come, what we can do to make this new year better, etc. With this in mind I have to tell you what I experienced this evening.

I was watching 60 minutes and the interviewer was talking about this new 'preacher', Joel Osteen. On the 60 Minute website it says "Popular preacher Joel Osteen's positive message draws 40,000 a week to his Houston Lakewood church and has made him known around the world."

We have all heard the message of the power of positive thinking, from the time of the actual book "The Power of Postive Thinking" (first published in 1952), to the Law of Attraction, to the recent explosion of the book "The Secret". The basic message tells us that we just need to think positive and happiness, health and wealth will come to us. I am not saying that positive thinking is a bad thing, not at all, what I am saying is why don't we take it a step further.

If for a minute I set aside different strains of the power of positive thinking, which I do believe in BTW, my fundamental "law" has always been the golden rule... 'treat others as you would want to be treated'. Positive thinking - yes!

Now I ask you, if everyone in the New Year, 2008, treated everyone the way they wanted to be treated don't you think the world would be a very different place? Ok, maybe we all wouldn't make 'tons of money' because this is not a catchy program or bestseller book, but I do believe that we would all live in a much better, healthier and happier world. Don't you?!

"Use The Power of Positive Thinking" to attract into your life - THEN - remember to practice the "Golden Rule" and give back to others - The Good Of All!

From JBCR Virtual Solutions, Jan & Bill, we are sending you our 'special' holiday greeting. Enjoy the smile.

http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/SeasonsGreetings07/

Jan

Domain Registration & Hosting

Jan — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:30:00 +0000

A new client of mine ran into a problem that I have seen too often and thought it would be of interest to my readers.

When you hire a web design company it is very important that you have an understanding, at the very least. Having a contract in place is much better.

Why?

Well, for one, if you have your web company purchase your domain name for you, and arrange your hosting for you, it is important that both of these are registered to you and not the company that is doing the web work for you.

Now, it is not unusual for a web design company to purchase the domain name and arrange hosting for the client, but the client's name should be listed as register and the web design company as tech.

In the case of my new client, and others I have worked with, they come to me for changes, or redesign, of their site only to discover that, in fact, they do not own the domain name, they cannot get any information on the hosting and even worse, depending on the company, they have no rights to their web site even though they have paid for it.

If you do not purchase your domain name or arrange for your hosting just make sure that you receive proper documentation so you do not find out, down the road, that you don't own your web site.

Read similar articles here:

http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

Page Rank Is A Changing

Jan — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:39:00 +0000

Unfortunately not for the good :(

I noticed yesterday that my page rank had dropped. The drop was not drastic, but since it took a lot of hard work to get it from a 5 to a 6 it was very depressing to see it back at a 5.

First thing I did was check out my fav forum Web Pro World. Seems I am not the only one that is seeing the change, though not are all bad.

Now some are of the opinion that Page Rank really doesn't matter as long as you are still getting the traffic. In some respects I agree with that, but if nothing else I see page rank as a positive or negative Google 'handshake'.

It appears the scoop is the drop is from 'inter-linking' and/or 'selling links'. Well I do have links to sites I have created. I think that is just part of business, these are websites my company has created - the portfolio. I certainly don't have paid links. Some are also saying it is the Big Players that have been "spanked". Well I would not put my company in the Big Player category, at least the definition it seems they are using.

So why the drop?

Since paid links is not an issue my next step is checking out what is going on in my stats programs. Google Analytics and Crafty Syntax - Live Help, which I can use to communicate with folks who visit my site and more.

If you want to read an article about what is being called "Pagerank Smackdown" Click here.
Certainly one concern I have is that the 'hack' I had awhile back is now coming back to haunt me. (You can read more about that here Surely Google would check this considering I even posted a remark to Matt Cutts (not that I heard anything back) and they are saying sites were viewed by humans and not just a script. This is a scary thought.

One thing to keep in mind when reading this is that Page Rank and search rank and two different things. I checked a couple of keyword phrase search terms for my site and I am still doing ok.

Jan

October Newsletter Is Now Available

Jan — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:01:00 +0000

I am happy to announce that JBCR Virtual Solutions'Virtualoso' Newsletter for October 2007 is now available. In this issue I cover:

1. Web Design and SEO
2. Google Google's Stand on Links
3. Shopping Cart Frustrated?
4. Second Life Snippets
5. Video (A very special treat)

If you do not receive our newsletter you can sign up on the form at the right or click here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/index.html#Virtualoso

Enjoy!

SEO - Kinda Black Hat?

Jan — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 03:14:00 +0000

There was a post on a forum I belong to that was asking if what they wanted to do was "kinda Black Hat". The question struck me because I am a firm believer that if you have to ask this type of question chances are it is getting into an area that you may not want to go. It also made me think that it was a good time to review all the "hats" for folks that are working on SEO or have someone doing SEO for them.

Read the article here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html#White

I also offer a SEO ecourse for those that are just starting out and need to know that basics. You can read about it here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/SEO-ECourse.html

Just make sure your "hat" is always clean :)

Jan

Shopping Cart Frustrated?

Jan — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 03:13:00 +0000

I understand 'shopping cart frustration' because I have started at square one with my own shopping cart and helped others with their 'shopping cart frustrations'.

Most online businesses, at one time or another, look at having a shopping cart. A shopping cart helps a business to:

* List building - Establish a relationship of trust and showcase your talent. Offer a free newsletter or special report.

* Keep in touch - Regular broadcasts to advertise special offerings and a newsletter are two excellent methods of keeping in touch.

* Prompt and secure order processing for your products and delivery of digital products.

* Increase you marketing potential by enlisting others to promote your product for a commission through the use of an "affiliate marketing" program.

* Track your success - Using tracking codes so you can measure what you are doing and what might need to be changed.

A good number of businesses also pass on having a shopping cart or hire someone else to handle it because it appears so complicated. Well I have created a new service to help. I invite you to view Shopping Cart Survival

Yes this post is a tad 'salesy', and I don't want it to come across as a marketing promo, but I do want to help others with the knowledge I have gained.

Jan

Slicing and Dicing an Image to Create a Website

Jan — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 02:52:00 +0000

One process many clients don't understand is 'slicing and dicing'. When we first create a client's unique web template, the banner, side menu, etc., this is done as an image. In most cases it is not possible just to stick up and banner and have a background color with a light inner table, except with certain sales pages or ezine templates, for example.

Why Slice and Dice to Create a Website?

The shortest and simplest answer is the smaller the file size of the images used in a web page, the faster the page will display. This in itself is a good enough reason.

Website visitors traditionally have a very short patience span. Broadband's steady proliferation has not changed this. If anything, visitor expectations is now that pages should load instantaneously. At rate, the longer they have to wait for a page to display, the more likely it is you will lose them before they have viewed your offerings.

So how does slicing and dicing produce faster page display?

Have you ever seen a page with central table with shadows to make the table appear as if it were floating on a layer above the page? Here is an example using a site we developed: http://www.iaccweb.org/ . The left and right edges of the central table are tiny tiled vertically to produce the effect of a solid graphic. The slice is a very small file size, so takes much less time to display than if we had used a side graphic big enough to fill the required area. This brings up another reason - why we slice and dice images.

Read more of this article here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html#Dice

Jan

Google Alerts

Jan — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:16:00 +0000

How many of you use Google Alerts? How many of you have heard of Google Alerts?

Ok, for those that haven't heard of it, this is Google's definition:

"Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.

Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:

- monitoring a developing news story
- keeping current on a competitor or industry
- getting the latest on a celebrity or event
- keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams"

I signed up for Google Alerts a number of months ago to keep informed on new issues and stories in particular areas of interest for my business. I also signed up for a particular category to see if my site would show in the alert if I worked the site enough. A test to some degree, but very important when it comes to getting the word out about your business.

The particular category is Second Life and I started this site Second Life Snippets on May 18, 2007 in WordPress. Second Life is certainly newsworthy. When you type in Second Life in Google you get 599,000,000 results. So you can see competition is stiff.

Today I received my normal daily Google Alert summary for Second Life and there was a post and link to my site under "Google Blogs Alert for: Second Life. I am very happy with this achievement. It shows you can get noticed and get out there if you work at it.

Read more here: www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html#Alerts

Jan

Don't Believe Everything That You Read

Jan — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 03:37:00 +0000

On a daily basis I am bonbarded by sales pitches. A good portion are not products, like ebooks or audios, they are 'systems' or 'software' that say they can have your site indexed in hours, in the top 10 of page 1 of the list in search engines (and so much more).

Some of these 'promos' I receive I have opted in to receive (usually a newsletter) and some not - more not. I know this is not unusual. Most of the time I just delete off these 'pitches' after reading a few lines because:

1. It must be an affiliate link since I have read the same line in numerous emails already.
2. I have to click a script to read it and will not do that.
3. The first few lines immediately tell me that this person may be selling something worthwhile but has no idea what the ramaifications are.
etc....

My point in this blog post is that if you receive something that make claims that you find hard to believe chances are you should not believe it.

Especially when it comes to do with anything related to SEO / SEM. Do a bit of reading that will save you money and pain in the long run. At least read Googles Webmaster Guidelines:

Google Webmaster Guidelines

Even this bit of knowledge will help.

Quality guidelines - specific guidelines

- Avoid hidden text or hidden links.
- Don't use cloaking or sneaky redirects.
- Don't send automated queries to Google.
- Don't load pages with irrelevant keywords.
- Don't create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.
- Don't create pages that install viruses, trojans, or other badware.
- Avoid "doorway" pages created just for search engines, or other "cookie cutter" approaches such as affiliate programs with little or no original content.
- If your site participates in an affiliate program, make sure that your site adds value. Provide unique and relevant content that gives users a reason to visit your site first.

A bit more reading would be even better.

I understand as busy business owner you may not manage your own web site, or do your own SEO or marketing, but if you are tempted to purchase products out there that are related to this - in any way - take time or make sure your or your web master / marketer / SEO team has at least read them.

It will save you money and what could be a very big headache.

Read more articles here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

Jan

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) 101 Part 3

Jan — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 03:34:00 +0000

In our previous segments of this report, we discussed how you can realize a higher ROI by saving money on website update by using CSS, Cascading Style Sheets.

Saving money is making money, but in addition to saving you money, a web site that uses the minimum amount of code required to "make it all happen" gives additional money making advantages too!

MONEY MAKING ADVANTAGE

KEEP THOSE GOOGLEBOTS HAPPY (AND OTHER SEARCH BOTS TOO!)

Search engines send out automated software called "crawlers" or "spiders" to look through websites for content to list. Those crawlers have a lot of Internet to cover. It gets bigger every day and as it gets bigger the crawlers get less patient about the amount of code they have to wade through to extract what they came for, which is your content. Help the bots help your client/customer find you. Keep the code used to display the content as minimal as possible. This way they "crawl" more relevant, indexable content, and less code before they move on.

Currently crawlers are set to check the first 250 lines of code on a page and then move on to index another page. They index from the code view, not the text view you see. This is important to remember!

Read more of this article here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html#3

Designing a Web Site with SEO in Mind

Jan — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:28:00 +0000

was reading an article the other day that stated that web design companies lack SEO knowledge and 'their company' not only builds sites but also makes them search engine friendly.

This is not new and this is not news.

My opinion is in this day and age anyone who hires a web design company must ensure that the company designs with SEO in mind. Long gone are the days on web design alone. As an example, and this is a very basic one, a CSS should be created with any new web site. You may ask what a Cascading Style sheet has to do with SEO since it really is a design issue - well, basically, too much un-necessary coding is not SEO friendly. A CSS should be created in an external file and linked in the page. Let me show you an example.

Here is an image a site with no unique CSS:

Here is an image of a site with a unique CSS:

Lots of difference in code - right!

JavaScripts should be in an external file as well.

So, yes, ensure that your web designer is considering SEO when designing. It is a must now!

Jan

Virtualoso Newsletter for July is Now Available!

Jan — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0000

The July issue of JBCR Virtual Solutions newsletter is now available. In this issue we cover:

1. New Google Tag
2. Google Algorithm Update
3. Slicing & Dicing
4. Second Life Snippets
5. A Special Video!

If you do not receive our newsletter you can sign up on the form at the right or click here:
http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/index.html#Virtualoso

Enjoy!

Jan

Creating Creative Web Sites

Jan — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 21:38:00 +0000

All the web sites we create are creative to varying degrees. Clients that are in particular industries need a more creative site than others. For example, Gregory Collett, actor, required not only a graphical creative web site but he also needed a showcase of his work, both print and film. This requirement brought some challenges and, in my opinion, wonderful results.

For example, his still pictures needed to be displayed with something more than just thumbnails that you click on to make them larger. So we used a script and created this photo gallery:

You don't really see the 'beauty' of this until you start to look at the photos. First you can pick the category from the drop down side menu (series). When you land on the page it is on Basketball and Soccer. Now if you take a picture and drag it up the larger area it shows the larger photo with the small thumb at the side. Try another - again the larger picture in the main area and small thumb at the side. To see other types of still photos just click on the drop down box and different images appear.

Photo and move reels is a page with thumb nails of movies Gregory have done. See here. There are thumb nails that when clicked on take you to a new page with some stills showcased, or in the example of Boring Or, for example, you can also click on 'movie reels' and see a sample of the film.

Of course the resume rounds out the actors portfolio.

It's challenging and fun to do a creative site like this for actor Gregory Collett.

I will show you a different one next time.

Click here to view our gallery of web sites we have created.

Jan

Alt Tags

Jan — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 19:39:00 +0000

What is an alt tag, you may ask - well an alt tag is a text description for images.

There are two important reasons to use alt tags.

1. Accessibility for vision-imparied visitors. The software will be able to describe to the user what they can't see.

2. Search engines cannot see images but the can read the content that describes the image.
This is an example of how you would use it:

img alt="description of image and do use keywords if appropriate for the particular image" src=imagename.jpg" (Do make sure you put this inbetween < > If I try to do this it says the image is not valid :)

Having said that, don't keyword stuff your alt tag. That will hurt you more than help you. Just be reasonable and ensure the keyword(s) you use represent the image and the subject matter of the page.

Read more articles here: http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

Jan

Do You Depend On Google Searches?

Jan — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 03:18:00 +0000

The saying "don't put all your eggs in one basket" comes to mind IF you depend solely on Google searches. With constant changes in their algorithm you can be listed on the first page one day and the 1000 page a month later. No don't get discouraged, sometimes it is a shift that will be adjusted and you will see yourself back in that spot, other times it is website owners who are working their sites and it starts to pay off, or....

Work Your Site?

Yep! As much as it would be nice to just upload the site and wait for traffic that is just not going to happen.

First - focus. Take a broad key phrase and narrow it. As an example, as a web designer if I type in 'web site design' in Google I get 1,090,000,000 results . Being found for 'web site design' is so broad I would be lucky (to say the least) if I was in the top 10. But narrow it down to 'web designer Canada' I get 126,000,000 results. Yes of course still daunting, and this is not what I target for, but you can see what I am saying.

So yes absolutely work your site for search engine searches but don't rely on them completely. You need to work your website and that means starting a blog (or two), submit articles, social networking, etc.

Read more about this and other informative articles here:
http://www.jbcr-virtualsolutions.com/tips-and-articles.html

Jan

Advertising on Second Life

Jan — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 03:08:00 +0000

We have been on a search for land at Second Life and have finally bought land!

Our goal to buy land is to build a business for my company and help my clients build a business in Second Life. There are many businesses and companies in Second Life and I know this will continue to grow.

Of course we want to advertise, but since we are new and just 'found land', one thing we did was create a tshirt with our company info, logo and web site address on it - we wear our advertising.

Here's a pic:

To do this you need to create a texture on a basic shirt. Here is what the texture looks like when you upload it to Second Life:

Of course there are many different ways to advertise, which we are going to do, once we get a shop built. For now this is a start.

Are you interested in marketing in Second Life? Click here to read more.

If you are not a member and want to join Second Life? Click here . Do say HI when you join!

Jan

Creating a Business In Second Life - Buying Land

Jan — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:28:00 +0000

I have talked about my 'quest' to buy land in Second Life and build a business, for myself and to help my clients, and my 'quest' has taken a nice turn. I finally found some land in Second Life.

Read more about it here:

http://secondlifesnippets.com/