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A Dream Wedding by Sharon Replaces Their Old Bludomain Flash Website with a New WordPress Site

July 12, 2010 by Marc 2 Comments

Well known San Diego wedding planner Sharon Cole of A Dream Wedding by Sharon contacted me regarding improving her search engine marketing and internet presence. For a number of years she had been using a Bludomain website but recently found that with increasing competition, her website traffic and leads had become almost nil. This is in spite of her being an area ABC leader and the all the awards and news paper articles and links she had developed over the years in business in San Diego.

In looking into her site’s presence, we discovered that her website was virtually not present in Google’s index. Even Google searching with her business name and city the site was not found. The reason for this is because the inherently low “indexability” of a Bludomain site combined with no changes to the site in years. Effectively the search engine calculated that the site was just not relevant for what people may be searching. You see, most Bludomain websites really only have two actual pages, the splash page and the rest of the Flash website. The website itself is functionally just one page of Flash content with different actions. When we discussed all this the plan became multi-faceted and clear.

Sharon and Maria (her office manager) improved the legacy splash page text content and began using Google Webmaster Tools and Analytics to begin to “wake” up the site. I helped Maria install WordPress on the Bludomain hosting account and behind the scenes started to create an all new WordPress based website for A Dream Wedding by Sharon. A little progress, Sharon’s legacy site returned to Google’s index, though very far down in the listings.

But the Bludomain hosting account was very troublesome for WordPress. The blog was always a struggle with loading plugins and having errors. Bludomain’s hosting setup is often not a very friendly enviroment for WordPress, more so with WP 3.0. So the new WP based website would be based on a non-Bludomain server. (When the time came to choose whether the legacy Bludomain site would be kept, moved or dropped it was decided, after Bludomain quoted $80 to move it for what was effectively 2 indexed pages, that the site would be allowed to “fade away” and the savings used elsewhere.)

It’s done, and Sharon feels the new site is a great fresh look for her San Diego wedding planning business, and not like a typical blog site. And it succeeds in Google, search marketing and social media marketing. The new site already has well over 90 pages in Google index, is moving up in search placement and search traffic and best of all the site traffic has increased almost 10 fold. Plus it is easy to add new information, pages and posts to it to tailor internet marketing to the interest of today’s bride to be. When Sharon adds new content to the site it automatically Tweets the news and posts content to Facebook. And, not to forget that the new site is also viewable in iPhones and other mobile devices where her Bludomain site was not.

Please visit and take a look at A Dream Wedding by Sharon’s new web/blogsite. If you have questions about Bludomain SEO, internet marketing or WordPress based web/blog sites please send me an email.

Filed Under: BluDomain, Featured, Portfolio, Websites Tagged With: BluDomain, Facebook, Flash, Internet Marketing, marketing, search engine optimization, Search Engines, search marketing, search optimization, social media, twitter, web/blogsites, Websites, Wedding Marketing, WordPress

How to Import Your Website Blog into Your Facebook Business Page

July 12, 2010 by Marc Leave a Comment

UPDATE: Importing a blog into a Facebook business page is no longer supported by Facebook. Please see this post for more details – You can no longer feed your blog to your Facebook page. To import a blog or other pages from your website you will need to create a custom tab for your Facebook busines page. More on how to do that soon.

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Here is the how-to for automatically importing your website’s blog posts onto your Facebook business page. It is not very complicated, but it is not very intuitive either so it made sense to share the instructions in a short video.

As I mention in the video it can take a while before Facebook recognizes your website blog, but be persistent it will work eventually and it is well worth it from both a social media marketing effort as well as enhanced search engine presence. If you have any questions send me an email.

Filed Under: Social Networks, Tools and Tips, WordPress Tagged With: Blogs, blogsites, Facebook, search marketing, SEM, SEO, SMO, social media

The Joy of a WordPress Based Website

January 18, 2010 by Marc 1 Comment

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One of my newer photography website clients (and a former Flash website owner) gets a lot business from Facebook. This morning he sent me an email with this link to the Facebook Developers Wiki asking if there was a way to automatically include the Facebook Share button on his website pages and posts. If you visit that link, it will give you a snippet of code that you manually place into each page/post, some instructions on where to place the code and it also tells you how to modify the code to change to the look of the Facebook Share box.

With WordPress there is an easier option than learning the code and manually placing the code in each page or post. There is a plugin that will do it automatically. All you need to do is install the Facebook Share WordPress plugin. The plugin is also documented in the Facebook Developers Wiki.

Part of the “joy” of a WordPress based website is the huge open source code community you become part of when you use WordPress. A community of people who are constantly creating new ways to enhance the basic WordPress code to make it one of the best website platforms available particularly for business marketing/networking. (Like the people who created and shared the Facebook Share plugin.) And it makes it especially easy for non-programmers to enhance their own website in almost any way wanted.

Unlike most Flash websites and other closed source platforms, you can make as many changes as you want to your website and not violate any copyrights. Yet, you can also use WordPress to even enhance most Flash websites and others.

If you have any question about enhancing WordPress, a WordPress website or adding WordPress to your current website send me an email.

Filed Under: Internet Marketing, Social Networks Tagged With: Facebook, Internet Marketing, SMM, SMO, social media, social media marketing, Social Networks, web/blogsites, website marketing, Websites, WordPress

Three Websites Walk into a Bar… to meet a prospective client

December 27, 2009 by Marc Leave a Comment

The bar must have WiFi. Now stop me if you have heard this one before … but three websites each from different photographers (or any service or product that the prospect was searching for) meet a prospective client. Each may present only one page to try and make a sale.

One website shows the prospective client a photo and plays a song.

Another website shares with the prospective client her five most recent blog posts, all on different varied topics.

The last website presents the prospective client a targeted page explaining what they have to offer the prospective client, showing their work and why the prospect would be making a good decision to chose them.

Which website do you think made the sale? My vote also goes to the last one, the one presenting what they do and why they should be chosen. All in a comprehensive approach using text, graphics and media in an up to date, regularly updated and subscribable mode.

Because of the popularity of Flash based websites, a surprisingly high percentage of the competition takes the first approach. Out of frustration with Flash websites or poorly designed static websites many people are trying the second, making their blog the landing page. Experiencing more “meetings”, but not as many leads as they hoped.

And some are gaining a competitive advantage by utilizing the third website’s approach. A website based in WordPress, with a well crafted dynamic landing page designed to make an effective 30 second sales presentation to site visitors and search engine. While the rest of the site includes a traditional blog and attractive galleries together with all the rest that today’s website needs.

Now think about your website, which approach does yours take? Does your website give you the competitive advantage when it “meets” a prospect on line? And does it easily gain high search engine results at low cost?

There are many problem websites out there. Here is a website which just reviews and critiques websites with different problems, problemwebsites.com. Unfortunately some of these problem websites are fairly recent and look to have been expensive. Sadly, it is not uncommon. Some of the most popular photographers’ website templates from companies such as Bludomain, Photobiz, Showit Sites and others share the initial presentation limitations and search marketing problems of Flash.

But, that does allow wise marketers an opportunity to gain a significant competitive advantage. If you would like more information, have a question or would like to know how I might make over your website to gain a real marketing advantage just send me an email with the form on the right.

Filed Under: BluDomain, Internet Marketing, Sales, Wedding Marketing Tagged With: blogsite, blogsites, BluDomain, search engine optimization, search marketing, search optimization, SEM, SEO, social media, Social Networks, twitter, web/blogsites, website marketing, Websites, Wedding Marketing, WordPress

Not all websites are created equal. There is a difference, the most important ones you can’t see.

December 15, 2009 by Marc Leave a Comment

Here is what I mean. Some websites are passive websites that require you to market them. They are search marketing inept and need Adwords and other paid promotion to receive visitors. My websites are dynamic sites with active search marketing and SEO features and are social network aware to continually present your goods and services across the internet, at no promotion expense. Just using the organic nature of the internet.

I feel the reason to have a website is not to just send someone a link to a digital business brochure, but to have an active sales tool taking advantage of the unique sales and marketing opportunities offered by today’s world wide web A good marketing and sales website can even ask for the order and process payment. One of my websites for your business becomes almost an additional staff member.working 24/7 for just the cost of hosting.

Every one of my website clients receive a custom dynamic website tailored to their business, mission, style and taste. This is pretty much the same with all website creators. But there a more fundamental difference hidden behind the scenes.

I believe my clients want to use the internet and their website to actively increase their business income. Some website do this well, other do not. It is in the way they are written. Fortunately there is a way to measure this difference. A third party tool called websitegrader.com. It provides a useful segmented report and a comparison based percentile score for any website you want to evaluate.

To explore the difference in search marketing potential between my websites and that of any other website developer you are considering I suggest that you run websitegrader reports on our respective home sites, the websites each of use to market our services. After all shouldn’t your websites creator’s site demonstrate strong SEO and marketing properties? That way you can feel more confident that the website you choose for your business will actually be good for your business.

This morning I did just that preparing for a meeting with a prospective client Long story short, there was a very large, measurable internet marketing difference between our website methodology … almost an order of magnitude. Their score a failing 7%, my score 98%+!.

Here is the report link for my site from this morning-

Report – http://websitegrader.com/site/www.marcfuller.com
It is above the 98th percentile compared to over 1.8 million websites

I work as a website craftsman, taking the time to learn your business and goals and then creating a website that uses the internet to present your business well and actively achieve your goals. If you would like to know more about what I might do for your business please send me an email.

Filed Under: Internet Marketing, SEO Tagged With: BluDomain, Internet Marketing, marketing, search engine optimization, Search Engines, search marketing, search optimization, SEM, SEO, SMO, social media, Social Networks, web/blogsites, Websites

Newest WordPress Real Estate Website – EveryHomeOnline.com

November 30, 2009 by Marc Leave a Comment

It has become well accepted by Real Estate marketing experts that WordPress is a great way for Real Estate professionals to communicate and interact and network on line with buyers, sellers and others. So you can think of what will happen when WordPress becomes the basis for a complete Real Estate website.

A website that is the best way to showcase your real estate listings as well as your expertise, the community and personal information. Why bother having two separate real estate sites, when you can have a powerful, amazing, easy to use site with “best-of-class” search engine results? A site that has your listings, an IDX if you wish, your blog and even integrated with Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

Please take a look at one of my latest Real Estate websites – EveryHomeOnline.com

The site owner wanted a similar color palette to the well known Trulia.com real estate site, but with more style and landmark localization. All the graphic design was made just for him. He also required the listing display to have a photo gallery with more potential images and Google map integration, but have it be something that could be done easily and nicely displayed.

Over the last two months I have completely revised the working of my Real Estate websites. They are now even easier and quicker to add listings complete with maps and unlimited photo galleries. Now you (or your assistant) can upload and create a display gallery of up to 80 additional images in just 5 minutes!

Being WordPress and being SEO optimized from the ground up means that your sellers will see that you present their home high in Google’s search results with the side benefit that buyers are more likely to also see your listing first on your site. My father was a real estate broker, I have been too. I try to make sure my sites will perform better than any, in terms of online marketing for Real Estate brokers without being compromised by also being easy to use. Plus they are very affordable with no need for ongoing maintenance and support costs. Send me an email, Let me know what I might do for you?

Filed Under: Client Websites, Featured, Real Estate Tagged With: Facebook, Internet Marketing, Linkedin, marketing, real estate, real estate websites, search engine optimization, social media, Social Networks, twitter, web/blogsites, website marketing, WordPress

How To Bend The Internet To Your Will

September 10, 2009 by Marc Leave a Comment

The internet is huge and complex, but we need to only affect a very small portion of it to achieve marketing goals that will make us as small business people very happy. But it takes creativity and understanding to affect the internet and achieve website marketing impact that will achieve the goal.

Fortunately it seems that Anthony Bourdain has a remarkably strong grip and understanding on the quicksilver that is the internet. And Robert Donoghue shares a lesson he learned from Bourdain which help may show the way to bend enough of your corner of the internet to achieve your goals.

The question at hand was how to find good restaurants, and his answer was to take the city you want to go to and just google up some restaurant names that serve the dish you’re after. Then got to chowhound or another foodie site, and rather than asking about restaurants, you put up an enthusiastic post talking about how you just had the best whatever you’re looking for at one of these restaurants.

… Posters will show up from nowhere to shower you with disdain, tell you how that place used to be good but has now totally sold out and – most important to your quest – will tell you where you would have gone if you were not some sort of mouth breathing water buffalo.

Very subtle but it shows the effect and the channel by which just one person and a few words can “harness” the internet for their goal. I came across this a couple of years ago, and I often remember it when I am trying to come up with some way to help a client achieve their internet marketing goal. Blindingly obvious once it is explained. And something to think about when facing the huge complexity of internet marketing.

Tonight I am contemplating how to use Bourdain’s subtle approach to help create more linkbacks to a new website. Don’t know yet exactly how/what I am going to do, but you gotta love Anthony Bourdain … smart creative insights into life, love, food and even the internet.

If anyone has similar ideas or lessons please leave a comment.

Filed Under: Internet Marketing, SEO Tagged With: Internet Marketing, marketing, search engine optimization, search marketing, search optimization, SEO, social media, website marketing

Facebook and Friendfeed

September 7, 2009 by Marc Leave a Comment

This is an excellent Washington Post article by Chadwick Matlin that discusses Facebook’s recent acquisition of Friendfeed. And even better, provides insight into the use of Friendfeed and how Facebook may use its advantage, the ability to aggregate peoples activity from across many social media sites. The article really helped me better appreciate the value of Friendfeed in reaching into and participating in social media.

Fortunately WordPress based websites, like what I provide, can integrate with Friendfeed now. Look at the range of free WordPress plugins available for Friendfeed. If you need help or have questions just send me an email.

And may you have a good Labor Day holiday!

Filed Under: Social Networks Tagged With: Facebook, Friendfeed, Internet Marketing, SMM, social media, social media marketing, Social Networks, website marketing, Websites, WordPress

The Zen of Twitter and Facebook

September 6, 2009 by Marc Leave a Comment

Almost everyday I hear the question “What is the difference between Twitter and Facebook and why do I need both?” They are similar in that both are the “water” that can help make the internet marketing of your small business thrive. But they are very different forms. A simple answer is that Twitter is an emotional flow like a river, while Facebook is more stable and retains inputs like a sea. Like rivers and seas; both are important, both are water, both are different. You need both Twitter and Facebook social networks to maximize your internet marketing ans SEO. They both represent different form of communication.

When contrasting Twitter and Facebook in this way I am reminded of a passage from the Tao interpreted by John Heider in the “The Tao of Leadership”

Imagine that the life force is like water in the river and in the sea. The sea, greater than the river, lies below, open and receptive. The busy, rushing river enters the sea, is absorbed, and is transformed.

Here is a great post by Kevin Marks titled “How Twitter works in theory”, which could in my opinion be more accurately titled “The Way of Twitter” . Regardless, if you want a deeper understanding of Twitter, go read, now. And you will learn how to appreciate and better use the Twitter phenomenon to present your goods and services on the internet. And why I think it is so important that your website be able to actively participate and manage both social networks.

Filed Under: Internet Marketing, SEO, Social Networks Tagged With: Facebook, Internet Marketing, marketing, search engine optimization, search marketing, search optimization, SEO, social media, Social Networks, trends, twitter

The Pervasive Power of Today’s Social Media

August 24, 2009 by Marc 1 Comment

Earlier I have written about how the desire for social connection helped launch the Internet and world wide web. Today Social Media like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin are pervasive, powerful and respected. More importantly they are very wildly, ubiquitously used. They are the channel that will reach many of your prospective clients quickly, affordably and with a very high return on investment.

Here are some important bullet points and a video prepared by Erik Qualman, VP of Global Vice President of Online Marketing for EF Education, the worlds largest private educator covering the present reality and importance of Social Media.

By 2010, Gen Y will outnumber Baby Boomers — 96 percent of them have joined a social network.
One out of eight couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media.
Years to reach 50 millions users: Radio, 38 years; TV, 13 years; Internet, 4 years; iPod, 3 years. Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months; iPhone applications hit 1 billion in nine months.
Eighty percent of companies use LinkedIn as their primary tool to find employees.
The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55- to 65-year-old females.
Generation Y and Z consider e-mail passé. Boston College stopped distributing e-mail addresses to incoming freshmen in 2009.
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world.
Twenty-five percent of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content.
Seventy-eight percent of consumers trust peer recommendations.
Only 14 percent trust advertisements.
Only 18 percent of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI.
More than 1.5 million pieces of content (Web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook daily.
Successful companies in social media act more like Dale Carnegie and less like David Ogilvy — listening first, selling second.

Erik Qualman is also an important contributor to Search Engine Watch, here are two of his recent articles which provide much more information on the impact and importance of Social Media: Social Media: Fad or Revolution? and 15 Social Media Maxims for Marketers. Check out both of them. And keep on blogging and tweeting and networking!