On April 24, 2012, Google announced yet another ranking algorithm update they called Google Penguin that aims to take action against “web spam” or negative SEO. Google is as busy as ever cracking down on the over-optimization of webpages, hoping to penalize those who are doing things to rank better but are in violation of Google’s guidelines. So what is considered “web spam” and who is at risk of losing rankings? The Penguin update mentions four specific areas Google is looking to crack down on.

KEYWORD STUFFING
Keyword stuffing refers to loading pages with (often completely irrelevant) keywords in an attempt to manipulate a site’s rankings.

LINK SCHEMES
Google’s ranking algorithm is partly based on the quality, quantity, and relevance of sites that link to you. Link schemes refer to any unnatural linking from bad quality sites that are intended to manipulate PageRank, links to web spammers or “bad neighborhoods” on the web. Often times this comes from webmasters paying for links in an attempt to gain more links pointing to their site.

HIDDEN CONTENT
Cloaking or hidden content refers to presenting different content to users and search engines with the goal of being favored by search engines, without the consideration of user experience. Google finds this to be a form of trickery.

DUPLICATE CONTENT
Google is now penalizing duplicate content more than ever, which is substantive blocks of identical or similar content within or across domains. While this is not generally a deceptive practice, it can be. Many websites use scrapping techniques to steal content and use it as their own.

HAS THE GOOGLE PENGUIN UPDATE AFFECTED YOUR WEBSITE?

If you have access to a website stats program such as Google Analytics, check to see if the amount of visits have decreased since April 24th. If you see a significant drop off, you may have some lingering issues you should address on your website.

GOOGLE PENGUIN UPDATE WEBSITE CHECKLIST
Most websites will not be affected by this change. In fact, Google predicts the Penguin Update will impact about 3 percent of search queries. To make sure your website isn’t penalized, follow this website checklist.

-Check if you are receiving links from low quality websites such as blog comments, links from article directories, ect. (best way to check for this is thru Google Webmaster Tools).

-Make sure that all onpage SEO such as page speed, meta content, page content, alt tags are optimized and not loaded up on keywords.

-Eliminate an excess of keywords on your webpages.

-Make sure you are not using duplicate content anywhere on your website.

Having trouble knowing how Google Algorithm Updates affect your website? Interested in ranking higher in Google? Experts in Search Engine Optimization, our team at Starkmedia understands the importance of integrating SEO with design. Contact Starkmedia.

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Chipping paint, a trash-laden lot, and dated décor are all obvious signs that a business that has been neglected, but your website might be communicating the same message.

1.    Your Website has an Intro Page
At one point it was appealing to have a flashy intro page leading into your website; now, it is not.  An intro page can deter visitors from arriving on your website. It is likely that your visitor has come to your website for a specific reason, don’t add an obstacle to their search.

2.    Your Website Doesn’t Display Correctly in the Newest Browsers
Every time a new browser enters the market they place certain expectations on a website.  If your site is using old technology it probably won’t display correctly because current browsers expect that your code is written to today’s standards.

3.    Your Website Takes Longer Than 5 Seconds to Load
Patience is not a virtue on the web. Your visitor doesn’t want to wait five seconds to get the information they need.  In addition to frustrating your visitor, Google and other search engines will penalize your site’s rankings for long load times. One of the many factors that Google considers when ranking a website is load time.

4.    Your Website Visits Resemble that of a Ghost Town
When was the last time someone actually spent time on your site? Visit your statistical data to see how many visits a certain page is receiving.  It is also important to see how long that visitor is spending on the page.  Are they looking at the information or leaving the site right away?

5.    Your Website is Nowhere to be Found in the Search Engines
Pew Internet states that 92% of adult Internet users find information through a search engine. If you’re not making search engine optimization a priority you’re missing a very large opportunity.

6.    You Show No Sign of Social Media
Social media is no longer reserved for retail and big business.  As social media has grown it has also become more relevant to the small business owner.  Having a social presence is also becoming a growing factor in search.  Now, there is a platform of importance for every industry to grow their business online.

7.    Your Website Doesn’t have a Strong Call to Action
Is your home page a mass of information or do you provide your visitor with direction?  Make sure you are taking advantage of the real estate on your home page by providing a strong call to action.

8.    Your Website Isn’t Compatible with Non-Flash Enabled Devices
It’s safe to say iPads and iPhones are utilized by a vast amount of people to browse the web.  Neither device can read Flash and both use different sized browsers. If you haven’t made specific allowances for these devices it may be time to make the move.

9.   Your Current Brand Image Differs From Your Website
Continuity is important when protecting and growing your brand.  Everything from e-newsletters to print ads should reflect the same look and feel. Each form of marketing should work together and support each other.

10.   Your Website Still Has Images of Old Employees
Including images of your employees is one way to convey the atmosphere of your business.  Including images of old employees is providing an entirely different message.

Is your website guilty of any of these signs? Starkmedia can help.

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At Starkmedia, we’ve seen firsthand the success landing pages can bring to companies from a variety of industries. But a landing page is only as successful as the message it conveys and the people that visit it. Businesses often see inadequate results from landing pages because they simply do not know what an effective landing page looks like. In fact, the typical landing page loses more than half of its visitors immediately. How do you keep visitors on your page and generate more conversions? Let us guide you on a path back to success with 4 effective tips for optimizing your landing pages.

Build Credibility

The only way visitors will listen and act is if they trust you. With the Internet becoming more social, it is more important than ever to establish immediate credibility. Try to incorporate reviews, ratings, testimonials, and social media information (shares & likes) to make your landing page stand out from the rest. Choose reviews and testimonials that are specific to the desired action you wish the visitor to make.

Use Forms Wisely

Don’t bog down your page with a lengthy form asking a visitor too many questions. Instead, ask for the bare essentials. Studies have shown that forms with five fields or less tend to perform the best. People are much more susceptible to giving you information if you don’t come across as invasive. Whether it’s a lead form or a newsletter subscribe form, it’s always easier to get more information further down the road.

Desire an Action

In order for a landing page to be effective, it must be immediately clear to visitors the action you want them to take. This might mean taking other elements such as the page navigation or other links away to focus in on one specific goal. Also, be sure to state the action you want a visitor to take and the value that will come from it in a short paragraph or list at the top of the page.

Provide Value

A landing page must have the right incentive in order for it to be effective. Visitors must feel like they are being rewarded for providing information. If not, they will never feel the need to come back. Offering giveaways, special pricing, or even a promotion can not only provide value, but entice visitors to return.

Effective landing pages don’t magically appear out of thin air. They need to be strategically & carefully created for the best results. Landing pages have proven to be successful in both paid & natural search. Because the message is so narrowly focused, keywords can be easily targeted, increasing relevance to the visitor. Looking to convert more visitors through your website? Wondering why your landing pages aren’t effective? We have all the tools to help you succeed online.

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With the recent release of Facebook Timeline for Brands, marketers and businesses alike wondered how this new layout would affect user interaction with a brand. Would the elimination of a default tab hurt brands more than it would help? How would this affect user engagement with a page? Now, with data from early adopters of the Facebook Timeline and all businesses being forced to make the switch on March 30th, we are able to gain some insight into these questions to hopefully give you some helpful tips for marketing your business in the Facebook Timeline world.

Users are more Engaged than ever

The transition to Timeline has already shown an immediate boost in user engagement, with likes & comments per page post increasing more than ever. Why is this? The new Timeline creates a more visually stimulating experience with the addition of the beautiful cover photo and the change to larger photo posts. Because of the increase in engagement for photo & video posts, make sure you are taking advantage of both to create visually engaging material. Also, the addition of the new “pinned posts” & “featured posts” functions present a great opportunity to highlight especially important material. These new functions have shown to the potential to generate more ‘likes’ and increase user engagement more than a regular post.

No Landing Page, No Problem

When Facebook announced they were eliminating custom landing page apps for brands, many businesses were rightfully concerned. Research has since suggested this change may not be as detrimental as many had once thought. The transition to Timeline has shown an insignificant change to the daily fan growth rate, which means users still have to be convinced to like a brand page. Custom apps are still a great way to interact with users, generate ‘likes’, and expand your reach. With Facebook’s change to allow custom apps to be featured at the top of a brand page with a graphic, users are more prone to interact with custom apps. Many brands are turning to a custom forum app that allows users to become a part of a community where they can get their questions answered and interact with other fans. This has been just one of many effective ways custom apps have been utilized in the new Timeline.

At an early outlook, it seems as though the transition to Facebook Timeline for Brands has been a positive one, helping to increase user engagement to pages in just about every area. By looking at some early trends, we hope these insights will help you adapt your social marketing strategy accordingly. Starkmedia is committed to helping businesses develop a lasting presence on the web, whether it is social media management or custom app development.

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The arrival of spring often awakens the desire for a fresh start by cleaning and purging old items. This desire for a refresh is what lead Thedacare to Starkmedia. Thedacare is a company founded on Dr. John Toussaint’s desire to create a better healthcare marketplace. To ensure value was delivered, he created a model with three key components: delivery, payment, and transparency. Our strategy also focused on three main components to refresh their website.

Adding E-Commerce Components
The addition of new material gives your visitor a reason to come back to your site and also adds an updated look. In order to highlight Dr. Toussaint’s seminars, DVD’s and books, as well as give visitors a reason to return, e-commerce was added to the site. Visitors can now purchase his materials directly from the site. When accessing this material, the visitor is also given reviews, press, other places to buy, and recommended products. These extra features provide efficiency, while also adding to the credibility of the product.

Optimizing Your Results
Google is known for constantly changing their algorithm to provide relevance and quality to the user. To maintain optimal results in the search engines, it’s important to keep your site up to date. We added an expanded footer to the Thedacare website to provide Google with more content for internal linking, while also adding to the user experience by providing the visitor easy access to all the content. Attention was paid to updating all meta content, including title tags, to ensure everything met current standards.

Updating Your Look
Simple updates can bring new life to your website. First, we expanded the size of the site to meet the standards for today’s web browsers. Next, we added a search feature, events page, and highlighted social platform links on the home page. Each new element added to the look of the site by presenting an updated appearance to site visitors.

Does your website need a refresh? It may be time to think about adding new content, optimizing your site, or giving your design an update. Starkmedia can help.

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Starkmedia prides itself on building websites that encourage the success of our clients’ business. Meriter Health System has been a client of Starkmedia for over ten years and during that time 3 significant website redesigns have occurred. Meriter takes pride in staying updated on the latest technology and we believe this has attributed to the success of their site.  Recently, Meriter was recognized as one of the nation’s top 25 hospital websites.   Their award was based on four criteria: accessibility, content, marketing, and technology.

Accessibility
The design of the home page is unique because it has all the important components of a healthcare website, but looks extremely different.  The layout allows visitors to browse all that Meriter has to offer without feeling overwhelmed.  In addition to the ease of use, everything is dynamic which means the visitor is able to interact with the information, giving them a better experience. Whether a visitor has come to pay a bill, browse the baby gallery or find a doctor everything is accessible online and is a click away.



Content
Content remains king and Meriter has been successful in creating engaging and informative content. Using a custom content management system we are able to give Meriter’s marketing department control over updating their content.  An easy to use back office tool allows them to efficiently update the information on any page of the site without jeopardizing the design. Our design works in conjunction with their content to create a successful presentation on each page.

Marketing
When considering Meriter’s target audience there were primarily two groups of people the website needed to be geared towards – prospective employees and potential/current patients. The design speaks to both groups through targeted scrolling ads that display on the home page.  In addition to the ads, they provide several ways to connect with Meriter giving them multiple channels and opportunities to convey their message.



Technology
In order to remain up to date, it was a top priority for Meriter to have the latest technology.  One way we are able to apply technology is to ensure that everything a visitor is able to do in their facility they are also able to do online with the exception of receiving medical care. Now a visitor is able to experience the convenience and care Meriter is known for both online and off.

Let us help you achieve success in your online efforts.

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Skylight Music Theatre located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a popular venue for theater goers seeking everything from Broadway to Opera. Although their history and current productions reveal a company with deeply rooted creativity and artistic excellence, their website wasn’t a reflection of these things. After seeking Starkmedia to create a better web presence, we immediately began to address their biggest concerns.

Interaction. Social media outlets were explored and added to the site to bring an element of interaction to the site visitor. Facebook emerged as the best outlet; therefore it was embedded onto the home page. We also provided links to their other social media platforms at the top of each page. Videos presented an opportunity to showcase their productions, therefore a YouTube channel was born and a prominent spot on the home page was designated for them.

Content Creation. Due to the nature of their business, it was important for SKylight to be able to update productions frequently. To remain cost effective, we worked with an existing content management system that we customized to their specific needs. Now they are able to easily add every detail necessary.

Design. The home page features all their latest shows in an appealing display that expands to reveal more information as the visitor scrolls over the image. The design was updated to appeal to their target audience and provides a modern and clean aesthetic. The navigation supports the design through its consistency and ease of use.

Profit. Not only did we highlight their shows in a more predominate fashion, but we continued to provide opportunities throughout the site for visitors to donate to the organization. By providing easy ways to buy tickets and donate, we are able to support profits for the organization.

News Outlet. A blogging format was applied to their news and media section. This format allows the visitor to easily scroll through recent happenings, while also providing Skylight with a platform to easily add new content as necessary.

Through custom design and development, we were able to provide Skylight Music Theatre a solution to their online needs. Take a look at your online presence and let us help you address your latest concerns.

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If there is one thing that we have learned over the years at Starkmedia, it has been to quickly adapt to the swift and constant changes of the Internet. With close to 1.2 billion mobile web users worldwide, the Internet is anything but a computer based experience anymore.  In fact, it is projected the number of U.S. smartphone users will increase from 90.1 million to 148.6 million in 2015.  With this transformation, it is more important than ever to take advantage of the opportunities that come with it.  Businesses and website owners are turning to two new avenues to replace their website on smartphones and tablets: apps and mobile sites.

Apps Vs. Mobile Sites

A recent survey from Zmag showed that 87% percent of connected consumers prefer websites and mobile sites to apps.  Another study from mobithinking.com has shown that 1 in 4 mobile apps once downloaded are never used again.  What does this tell us?  Although consumers are using apps to interact, they are still doing the majority of their learning and purchasing via mobile sites, making a mobile version of your website imperative in today’s digital world.

Advantages of a Mobile Site
In order to provide the growing amount of mobile web users with the best experience possible, mobile sites have evolved to optimize the smartphone or tablet display to its fullest. Below are a few ways that Starkmedia has helped their clients succeed with mobile sites.

Content Prioritization: Due to the size of a smart phone screen, information must be condensed and easy to access without compromising on the customer’s experience. Mandel Group is able to provide users easy navigation by prioritizing four sections of the site: apartments, condos, about us, and contact.

Vertical Navigation: The switch from horizontal navigation (desktops) to vertical navigation (smartphones) has a profound impact on user experience. Snapper took advantage of this and created a homepage that uses this functionality in the form of a list.

Localized Results: Mobile sites are able to use GPS to locate exactly where a user is, allowing site functions and search engines to present the most relevant local search results. Briggs & Stratton utilizes this as consumers look to find the closest local dealer.

Responsive Web Design: Another evolution in mobile development we are embracing here at Starkmedia is the use of a single responsive site that adjusts naturally to the size of the browser and therefore multiple devices. By detecting the screen width, a single template can restyle content dramatically, allowing one code base to cater specifically to a desktop, tablet, or mobile visitor. In addition, one code base allows simplified content management, reduced maintenance of multiple desktop and mobile sites, and creates a user experience targeting the needs of each visitor.

As Starkmedia looks forward to 2012, one thing is for certain the mobile web will continue to expand, and with these expansions come new opportunities. What can a mobile web presence do for your business? Let Starkmedia help build a web presence yields results.

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Have you noticed SEO seems to change almost as much as a teenage girl? If your website doesn’t keep up with the ever changing demands of SEO, be prepared to watch from the sidelines while your competitors reap the rewards of search. SEO can be a very powerful tool, but can be overwhelming to keep up with. Even within the past year, Google released its panda ranking algorithm update which lowered the rank of “low-quality” sites, incorporated social platforms to search, and is now offering features such as site-links and ratings in search engine results. With the changing climate of search, make sure your business is taking advantage of these three SEO strategies in the new year.

Integration of Search & Social

With more social platforms than ever trying to rival Facebook, there is no doubt that 2011 was the year of social media. Within 2011, search and social media have been integrated more than ever. Search engines have realized that people are getting more and more valuable information from social media platforms, which has significantly narrowed the gap between the two. In fact, search and social are only going to become more integrated in the years to come. Twitter ‘shares’, Facebook ‘likes’, and even Google+ ‘+1s’ have become a huge channel for sharing information and significant influencers in search rankings. Within Facebook, businesses are taking advantage of promotion opportunities that generate ‘likes’ through the development of custom pages. This helps in creating an audience for your business to engage and interact with. If you do not currently have a social media presence, let Starkmedia help build and integrate it into your priorities for 2012.

Content Links

One of the most effective ways people are gaining traction in SEO today are credible, authoritative content links from other sites. This can be harder than you think. Google is smart enough to know whether a link is credible or not. In fact, Google has gone out of its way to penalize websites who link to ‘spammy’ sites or content farms. So instead of attempting to trick Google, look for avenues to write fresh and creative content that the web will want to link to. Many will rely upon blogs or guest blogging to accomplish this task. Some businesses will contact publications or associations they may be a part of for content links. Other sites will naturally attract quality links. Regardless of the website, authoritative content links are necessary in the long-term stability of your search engine rankings. Not sure where to start? Starkmedia can provide you with a clear strategy to build your web presence.

Get Local

You may have noticed that the majority of searches that you perform will have a Google Places section. There is a reason for it. A study from SEOmoz has revealed that visitors gravitate toward local listings even more than the top few positions of the page when they are displayed. What does this mean? If your business generates revenue from a physical location, make sure that you are taking advantage of all local listing channels such as Google Places, Yelp, and Yahoo! Local Listings. It is a great way to build more visibility to your site. Be sure that all the information across these channels are consistent and accurate.

The future of SEO presents new opportunities for you and your business to grow your web presence and increase interaction with your customers. Having trouble establishing an online presence? Are you unsure of your website’s next step? From design to SEO, let the team at Starkmedia guide you on a path toward online success.

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When a visitor lands on Google’s home page there’s pretty much one thing to do – search for something. This is a great example of a clear call to action. Often websites are littered with so much information, it becomes difficult to know what to do or where to go next. This is why knowing your goals and creating a call to action that is rooted in those goals is essential to the success of your website.

What exactly do you want a visitor to do when they visit your site? Is it clear? Below are a few examples of clear calls to action.

Browse: Upon arrival to Mandel’s site, your eye is drawn to the scrolling images of condos and apartments. With several listings highlighted on the right that include eye-catching images and appealing descriptions, the visitor is invited to browse their properties.

Donate: Although MPTV’s website has a barrage of information on the home page, a clear call to action is visible. The ad box on the right draws the visitor’s attention using bright colors and typography that emphasize on a call to donate and support MPTV.

Volunteer/Get Involved: Involvement is the cornerstone of Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition’s organization. With two callouts on the home page asking visitors to contribute and volunteer, they are able to enhance the opportunity (or possibility) for visitors to get involved.

Subscribe: Mead & Hunt leaves little room for misinterpretation, highlighting the ability to download or subscribe to their publications as you arrive on their publications page.

Connect: Meriter Health serves a large base of clients in the greater Madison area, so they wanted to provide multiple ways for their visitors to connect. They devoted a section of the home page for the opportunity to connect with Meriter, providing the visitor with direct access to newsletters, volunteer opportunities, and social networking sites.

Learn More: With countless products that live within the Briggs and Stratton brand, it is crucial for the visitor to learn the extent of what their products have to offer. By providing a delicate balance of white space around ads that ask the visitor to learn more, Briggs and Stratton emphasizes the opportunity to become educated on their products.

Apply: Northwest Healthcare is the largest employer in Kalispell, Montana. To emphasize the importance of employment, they have a prominent ad at the top of the page inviting visitors to learn more about jobs at NWHC.

Multiple Calls of Action: The Vital Voices home page highlights multiple calls of action, encouraging the visitor to learn more, make a donation, download the newsletter, or register for their latest event.

Conversions: Once your goals have been linked to a clear call to action, it becomes crucial to define and monitor your success. This could be as simple as completing a form or a successful transaction. Analytics can help provide the tools needed to measure success through conversions. Looking at specific metrics can either give you the satisfaction of a job well done, or provide the information you need to make revisions. This is accomplished by looking at things such as:

• Where are your visitors coming from?
• How much time does a visitor spend on a specific page?
• Are visitors leaving shortly after visiting the site?
• How many visitors are taking advantage of your call to action?

Let Starkmedia help you examine your goals, implement them through a clear, and track your success.

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