The Core

Keeping it Simple

2012-01-12T13:09:00.002-06:00

One of the most difficult things when it comes to developing a website isn't always the programming. More often than not, deciding what content should go on a new website, and figuring out how to generate said content is where it gets tricky. Content is what drives a website's search engine optimization, so it's easy to get a little carried away. But what do your customers want, ultimately?

Keep it simple.

Take a moment to consider your target markets' needs. Do they need to know the specs of your product? Or the process that your company takes when providing a service? Do they need a map to your offices, or do they simply need a customer support number? Consider your customer's needs first and foremost and search engine optimization will come naturally.

A great way to track what visitors to your website are looking for is to look at existing Google Analytics data. Look at what keywords people are finding you under, and see which pages are being hit most frequently. Is that page buried? Perhaps moving it to a more visible spot, or even removing unnecessary parent links will help your customers navigate your site more efficiently. You don't want prospects to have to click three or four times to find the information they want - it should be readily available and easy to get to.

If you don't have any content yet, talk to the people who answer the phones for your business. Figure out what some frequently asked questions are, and start there. Begin by creating a simple site map and expand to fill the needs of your company. And it's always a great idea to hire a copywriter to help translate your ideas into an effective sales piece that will motivate your customers to buy your product or service.

So remember: keep it simple, and keep your customers foremost in your mind. If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to contact us at Avallo. We specialize in helping customers get the right message across through their website.

Why Graphic Designers Love Avallo Panel

2011-03-11T10:35:00.006-06:00

Avallo was incorporated in 1996. The plan was to take my graphic designer and marketing skills and my partner's business skills and enter the fairly new world of website design. I had been a freelance graphic designer and had a nice array of clients who were excited to be entering the web world with us. I did research into web programming and decided it was time to hire our first employee - coding was not for me.

Most graphic designers feel the same way. Some have spent hours and hours of time in classes and still struggle with coding and programming. Other graphic designers have tried to use CMS systems but find are extremely limiting for design. Some other graphic designers partner with programmers, but this can often blow a budget long before a project is started. So what is a graphic designer to do?

With 25 years experience in advertising, I know graphic designers. Avallo Panel is a graphic designer's best friend. Here is how it works:

Graphic Designer designs the website and gets approval from client.
With final approval, Graphic designer sends PSD file to Avallo
Avallo programmers build site into Avallo Panel to Graphic Designer's specifications.
All content can be added by Graphic Designer or Avallo.
Site goes live and it can be maintained by Graphic Designer, the client or Avallo.
Graphic Designer is now a website designer without touching the code.

Avallo Panel is unlike any other CMS (Content Management System) out now because it DOES NOT limit a Graphic Designers creativity. And the greatest thing of all? We speak English and we answer the phone when you call. We also love what we do and we LOVE Graphic Designers!

Avallo Panel vs. Wordpress

2010-12-29T12:49:00.005-06:00

How is Avallo Panel better than WordPress?

I was really surprised when I first got asked this question. Avallo Panel is a website management system. WordPress is a blogging system. In fact, we even have a WordPress plugin for Avallo Panel for blogging. Comparing the two of these would be like comparing apples and oranges, but because the question comes up, I wanted to answer it.

Avallo Panel was created as a website or content management system for our clients. We designed and built it to be as intuitive as possible for developers and non-developers alike. We have also designed a comprehensive plug-in system that allows you to add on and grow your website as your company grows. In the future, should you need to add a shopping cart, more forms, a calendar system, or even advertising, implementing these plug-ins are easy and will not affect the rest of your website.

WordPress, on the other hand, was originally built and is marketed as a blogging system. We're not here to bash WordPress, and it is the best blogging system out there, but its CMS capabilities are limited. We have built several blogging sites using WordPress for our clients, and have integrated WordPress into a dozen Avallo Panel sites. When it comes to creating your entire website in WordPress, you may run into issues and limitations. Because plug-ins are user created, there's no telling if one plug-in may conflict with another plug-in, or if a plug-in can cause security issues. Also, since WordPress is constantly updating, we have had some clients who have run into compatibility issues with old plug-ins breaking when WordPress is updated.

Case and point, not even WordPress' website is running with WordPress. Once you get to the "News" page, you will see that they are actually running WordPress for their blog.

This is how we at Avallo also utilize WordPress. We feel that WordPress is used best as a blogging interface, and the rest of the website can be more effectively managed using a website management system such as Avallo Panel.

Avallo Panel 2.0

2010-12-07T13:17:00.003-06:00

We at Avallo have been incredibly busy working on finishing up our custom website management system for the upcoming launch of Avallo Panel 2.0 on January 1st. With it, we are excited to announce some awesome new features and a reseller program for clients.

Two years ago, a client of ours approached us looking for a new website that would include thousands of pages of content. What he needed was a quick and efficient way to manage, store, and update all of the content on the site. Weston started building an amazing content management system, which would soon lay the foundation of what would soon be known as Avallo Panel.

Fast-forward two years, and Avallo Panel has come a long way. We have worked closely with clients, friends, family, and other web developers to assure Avallo Panel is both user-friendly and intuitive. We have received a lot of positive response and are continually updating and improving our content management system.

With the launch of Avallo Panel 2.0, we are excited to announce the following new features:

Image Editor: Easily crop, resize, rotate, and manipulate your photo right in your browser. No download needed!
Form Builder: Create and update any forms you are using on your website, allowing even more control over your entire site.
Intuitive Plug-In System: Need some custom website functionality? Advertisements, forums, calendars, blogs, event schedulers, user downloads... all easily added to the Avallo Panel system. You will never be tied down by our system's limitations.
Avallo Panel Updater: Never miss out on the newest versions of Avallo Panel with our new built-in updater. You will automatically be reminded and able to update Avallo Panel with the click of a button, and you will have access to new features immediately.

As a result of all our hard work, we are also ready to announce the up-and-coming reseller program which will allow other web developers, graphic designers, consultants, and printers to sell website services to their clients with the ability to update and manage their clients projects without needing to hire a programmer. More information about our reseller program will be announced in January!

Stay tuned for the launch of the new Avallo Panel site, as well as more information about the January launch! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send us an e-mail.

Landing Pages & SEO

2010-06-22T11:52:00.000-05:00

Landing pages - we've all seen them. They're not your average home page. They're straight to the point, and deliver a lot of information in short amount of time. They've got a simple call to action, and invite users to purchase a product or a service. But we're not talking about your every day landing pages, we're talking about building an SEO campaign that involves landing pages to better track, filter, and guide customers to the information they're looking for.

I'm sure you've been to a website with a landing page that serves as an introduction to a website, often flashy graphics or even "welcome" animation. This is not the type of landing page that will help with your SEO. In fact, it can often hurt you.

Landing pages with regards to SEO and marketing campaigns are the pages that a customer will go to when they click on online ads, or e-mail links. These specialized pages draw special attention to a particular product or service. By having a special page to direct customers to with your internet marketing (be it ads or e-mail campaigns), you can better track how effective these marketing strategies are, and have a more precise conversion rate than your standard web page. Only users who view your ad or e-mail will be visiting the landing page, so you know how much traffic you are receiving from your marketing efforts.

Your landing page in and of itself could be optimized for particular keywords. The domain name, title, and content could be so focused on one aspect of your business that it gets better search results than your main website. You could have a landing page for each of your products, or each of the services you provide. It helps your customers get the information they are searching for right away.

Beware of "SEO" companies who want to offer you a landing page to help track your website, or even ones that give you a new phone number to help "track" leads. This can become very dangerous. The "landing page" they are creating for you is often on their domain - giving them better SEO, not you. Additionally, if you choose to discontinue the company's service, search engines will still point to their website and phone number, resulting in potential leads lost. If you truly want to get better search engine results, go for a more organic approach. These "smoke in mirrors" tricks to getting better search engine placement can only hurt you in the long run.

If you're interested in learning more about landing pages, or would like to get started on your ad or e-mail campaign, contact us at Avallo. We can get you started on the right track with your online marketing strategies.

Get Noticed with Facebook Pages

2010-06-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

Facebook profiles, groups, and pages. What are they, and how can you use them to your advantage? Which one best fits your goals for your business? Read on to learn more about how to optimize your Facebook page for your followers, and how to get noticed in the multitude of Facebook pages.

Facebook Profiles

Facebook profiles are intended for personal use. One of the biggest faux pas I have seen is a business or organization creating a Facebook profile. Why is this wrong? For one, it's difficult to find a business or organization that's linked to a Facebook profile. Profiles are also set up to be more private than a group or a page. Instead of just clicking "like" and immediately becoming a fan, you must submit a "friend" request. If you want to have thousands of fans (and who wouldn't!?), you would then have to accept each of those friend requests separately. Additionally, you cannot contact all of your customers at once. Both groups and pages allow you to contact all of your customers with one quick message.

A profile also limits to you one account to modify, update, and change information. To have multiple administrators, you would have to pass out the user name and password to the profile to everybody, which has its own security problems. If an employee decides to leave the company, you would have to change the password and alert all other employees of the change. It's not very efficient.

Bottom line: if you're a business, corporation, or organization, stay away from profiles. Profiles are great for individual employees, but a Facebook group or page will better represent your company.

Facebook Groups

Groups, while more public than profiles, are also originally intended for personal use. Groups allow you to choose the network the group will appear in, as well as allow an administrator to approve members. This proves useful for organizations that are invite-only.

Like Facebook profiles, there is only one user to administrate the group. You can, however, add group officers to help administrate the group. However, if the creator of the group decides to part ways with your company at any time, they will be stuck as the admin. If this is a concern for you, a Facebook Page is a better choice.

When your customers interact with you, they will be listed as "Members". Their feed will be updated with "Customer Name has joined the group, "Your Organization Name"".

Bottom line: While great for organizations or clubs, Facebook groups don't offer the functionality that business or corporations would need.

Facebook Pages

Intended for businesses, brands, organizations, or even public figures, Facebook pages offer a variety of options that neither groups nor profiles provide. A Facebook page, much like your company, is a separate entity. You can add or remove administrators easily, and administrators are not listed on the account - they remain anonymous. This means that activity reflects on the company as a whole, and not one particular admin.

Facebook also makes it easy to create advertisements for your Facebook page so you can promote it and hopefully gain more fans.

The biggest difference is that pages allow you to add apps to a page, but not a group. Apps allow for greater flexibility and customization for your company. Take Avallo's Facebook page, for example. Instead of seeing the Wall when you visit our page, you are greeted by a full-color and fully customized landing page that points our customers to our website, blog, and other valuable offers and information.

By customizing your Facebook landing page, you can stand out from the crowd. Add some color to the normally blue-and-white Facebook, and get the most important information and updates to your customers.

Even more importantly, pages are indexed by search engines. This means that if someone searches for your company, it's very likely your Facebook page will appear in the results. Groups are not indexed.

The bottom line: Facebook pages are intended for businesses. It only makes sense, if you're a business, to take advantage of a Facebook page.

So what's best for you?

Both pages and groups have their strong points. Ultimately, it's up to your company to decide which will work best for your marketing strategy. Pages are a public company profile that allow you to interact, create events, and send updates to customers. Groups are a more exclusive club that allow invite-only members, and even allow you to send messages to everyone in the group - but this functionality is revoked when you have over 5,000 members.

Pages are indexed by search engines which means it will be easier for your customers to find you. They also allow you to include applications, making it incredibly easy to customize your page and stand out from the crowd. Both pages and groups allow you go create events and interact with your customers.

Once you've decided what you want, let the experts at Avallo help you set up your Facebook page or group, and even create custom apps or landing pages for you. While you're at it, become a fan of Avallo on Facebook and receive a free chocolate bar! You will also be entered into our monthly t-shirt drawing. How awesome is that?

Regular Website Maintenance

2010-03-11T11:45:00.000-06:00

So you have a website. Now what? I hear it all the time: "I know my website needs to be updated, but I don't know what to do." Your website is often times the first impression customers get of your company. If your website is old, has dated information or pictures, or just doesn't even look usable, you can drive people away.

One of the easiest and most obvious ways to keep your website updated is by having a "Latest News" section. Here you can announce special events, promotions, new products, new/retiring employees, trade shows you may be attending, celebrate your upcoming "XXth" anniversary, or anything else your company may be doing in the community. Even if your company isn't doing anything news-worthy, you can post a thank you or testimonial, or even plug a partner company. Who knows, they might even return the favor on their website. If your company has frequent events, try updating once a week. If you're having trouble keeping up, just post something once a month. If you really can't come up with something, a generic "Happy St. Patrick's Day" can keep your website content looking fresh. Just remember to update it after the holiday has come and gone.

Another way to keep your website content fresh is to post a blog. It may be time consuming, but depending on what your company does, it could be an important platform to get information to your client base. Setting up a blog is incredibly easy. There are a multitude of blogging interfaces out there, including Blogger and Wordpress. If you're interested in seamlessly integrating your blog into your website, you can talk to your favorite web developer, and be blogging in no time. Blog once a week, once a month, or even once a quarter - just get blogging. By having a place to talk about common questions, issues, or news in your industry, people will no where to turn when they have questions. You can also encourage your customers to subscribe to your RSS feed, so they don't actually have to go to your website to read your latest blog post.

If you're already e-mailing monthly or weekly newsletters, consider publishing the newsletter on your website as well. That way, you can also encourage users to sign up for your newsletter, or subscribe to an RSS feed of your newsletter. Newsletters are a great way to keep an open communication with your customers, so even if they aren't in the market for your service at the moment, when the opportunity does arise, your company will be the first thing they think of.

Another way to update your website that is often overlooked is to simply update the pictures on the website. Be it by taking new pictures of your building, employees, or products, or by finding new stock photography, new photos can breathe new life into your website, even if the content is the same.

If your website is difficult to update - or you don't even know how to go about updating it - it may be time to contact your web developer. Web updates can be as simple or as extensive as you want. And, if you want to be able to make these changes yourself, consider a custom content management system, where editing information is as simple as writing an e-mail; and adding new pictures is as easy as uploading an attachment.

If you want to learn more about how to breathe new life into your website, contact us here at Avallo. We have the resources, knowledge, and experience to get people to your website. And with Avallo Panel, you can easily make changes to your entire website in just minutes.

Web Standards & Validation - The Basics

2010-01-19T19:33:00.001-06:00

I've often spoken of the importance of having valid markup on your websites - but how do you know if your markup is valid? Fortunately, the organization that is in charge of standardizing web, the World Wide Web Consortium has its own free online validator: http://validator.w3.org. With this tool, you can check your website for any errors or problems. The results come back with line numbers to make fixing these errors easy.

Similarly, a CSS validator checks your Cascading Style Sheets in the same manner, by cross-checking with standards set by the W3 Consortium. There are some that will also tell you which CSS attributes are supported by different browsers. This validation tool is also available from the W3 Consortium: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator

So why validate your website?

It helps with cross-browser, cross-platform compatibility, and the future compatibility of new browsers.
Search Engine Visibility: Search engines love valid markup - it makes it easier for them to sift through the content. So, more often than not, a website with valid markup will get higher rankings than one with messy markup.
High quality and professional website - many web designers either do not validate or do not know how to fix a site with errors. Top notch web designers do.

The W3 Consortium Web Standards Checklist

1. Quality of code

Does the site use a correct Doctype?
Does the site use a Character set?
Does the site use Valid (X)HTML?
Does the site use Valid CSS?
Does the site use any CSS hacks?
Does the site use unnecessary classes or ids?
Is the code well structured?
Does the site have any broken links?
How does the site perform in terms of speed/page size?
Does the site have JavaScript errors?

2. Degree of separation between content and presentation

Are all decorative images in the CSS, or do they appear in the (X)HTML?

3. Accessibility for users

Are "alt" attributes used for all descriptive images?
Does the site use relative units rather than absolute units for text size?
Do any aspects of the layout break if font size is increased?
Does the site use visible skip menus?
Does the site use accessible forms?
Does the site use accessible tables?
Is there sufficient color brightness/contrasts?
Is color alone used for critical information?
Is there delayed responsiveness for drop down menus (for users with reduced motor skills)?
Are all links descriptive (for blind users)?

4. Accessibility for devices

Does the site work acceptably across modern and older browsers?
Is the content accessible with CSS switched off or not supported?
Is the content accessible with images switched off or not supported?
Does the site work in text browsers such as Lynx?
Does the site work well when printed?
Does the site work well in Hand Held devices?
Does the site include detailed metadata?
Does the site work well in a range of browser window sizes?

5. Basic Usability

Is there a clear visual hierarchy?
Are heading levels easy to distinguish?
Is the site's navigation easy to understand?
Is the site's navigation consistent?
Does the site use consistent and appropriate language?
Does the site have a sitemap page and contact page? Are they easy to find?
For large sites, is there a search tool?
Is there a link to the home page on every page in the site?
Are links underlined?
Are visited links clearly defined?

Check out your website with the links above and see if it validates. Pass the info on to your web designer. If they can't fix your site, find someone who can. Our programmers here at Avallo write obsessively clean markup and code, and we pride ourselves on the quality of websites we develop. If your website isn't validating, give us a call.

Using Social Media to Grow Your Business

2010-01-06T08:29:00.000-06:00

I am very busy just like most of my clients, family and friends. I didn't think I had the time to blog or use social networking sites. But here I am! And so as I do with most things... if I am going to do it, I learn how to do it as well as I can.

My business is based almost solely on referrals and business partners. I network like crazy every week - choosing which events to attend carefully and trying not to waste my precious time. So that is how I am approaching social networking and how I approach it with my clients. With so many choices out there, do you just sign up for all of them? Which ones fit best with your business' goals and clientele?

Which social media sites are worth your time, and more importantly... how do you use them to your advantage?

The answer isn't as simple as the question; it varies with every business. Ask yourself this: where do your key customers hang out online? Is your company B2B or B2C? What demographic do your clients usually fit into? It's pretty obvious, but if your customers don't bother with a social networking site, you probably shouldn't either.

I am constantly learning more...but here are a few things I have learned on the social media journey so far:

Don't think old school marketing will work in social media - Don't push your products or services out of the gate. You need to entice, educate and entertain the person into coming to you and asking for your service.
It takes time and energy to be a valued participant in an online community. You don't need to do everything yourself. Below is a list of popular social media sites, some creative ways companies have used them, and whether or not they may be right for your business:
1. Blogging: This is great for just about any business. I blog weekly for two reasons: first, to prepare content for networking commercials I do every week, and secondly, to share my knowledge of online marketing to clients and potential clients. My blog also appears on Facebook automatically, making it easier for me to update Facebook on a regular basis. With my blog appearing on Avallo's website, it keeps our website updated and always has something new for visitors. One fopaux that many new bloggers make (and I'm even guilty of this at the beginning), is to start strong with updates and eventually fall off the wagon. Eventually, your most recent blog post is months... or years old! Stick to it!
  
  If you're having trouble thinking of what to blog about, sit down one day and write up a whole bunch of potential blogging topics. Or, think about questions you are frequently asked that you could answer in a blog. You could even answer e-mails on your blog if you think it would pertain to a large number of your client base. There is always something to blog about - don't give up!
2. Facebook: Avallo has a business site for fans. Here, fans can post on our "Wall", share links or testimonials and view our photo galleries. I have been doing a lot of Facebook research and it can be a huge marketing opportunity for businesses. For example, it is now possible to have full screen color graphics on a business Facebook site. The ideas are limitless with this including video, polls, contests, coupons, and links going to your site. Facebook is perfect for retailers, restaurants, hotels, and companies selling consumer driven products. It's all about fun and buzz!!
  
  IKEA recently used Facebook in a creative way: they posted pictures of some of their newest merchandise on their Facebook, and the first fans to "tag" the item with their name got the furniture for free. By doing this, IKEA received thousands of fans, and every time someone got "tagged", it alerted their friends, which encouraged friends of friends of friends to become a fan of IKEA. A brilliant marketing idea.
3. Twitter: More and more, tweeting is becoming a great way to communicate with customers. Share useful information and links, special offers, updates on what you're doing, and answer questions. Because Twitter is so instant, it's often a good platform to offer quick deals or information that might be useful to your customers.
  
  For instance, a massage therapist has been using her Twitter to fill up empty appointments: she simply tweets the time and date she has an opening, and the first person to respond gets 1/2 off the appointment.
4. LinkedIn: This is a great tool for business people to connect with people who can refer you, advise you and create awareness for your business.
  
  A few things to remember:
  - Fill out the profile completely
  - Join industry and alumni groups related to your business
  - Link your status updates with your other social media accounts
  - Use LinkedIn to research your prospects before meeting or contacting them - so make sure your profile says what you want
  - Make recommendations for valuable vendors and clients (they will appreciate the attention)
  - Set up to receive your LinkedIn messages via your email so you can respond fast
  - Post job listings to find the talent you are looking for
  - Post info on new products, new contracts and anything else new you want to share

Remember, the most important thing with social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn is that it's a two way communication. If you want your clients to talk to you... talk to them! Make your updates informational and something that will be useful to a broad range of clients. And don't waste your time with social media sites that don't mesh with your business goals.

New Years Website Resolutions

2009-12-29T20:57:00.000-06:00

Just about everyone makes New Year's resolutions for themselves, like making more money or spending less time at the office. So why not a New Year's resolution for your business? Or better yet - how about a New Year's resolution for your website and have your website work harder and make you more money to help your business run smoother so you can spend less time in the office.

Here is a list of New Year's Web Resolutions for small business:

Get more potential customers to your website: This is an obvious one, but it's often easier said than done. If you don't have people coming to your site or don't know to get them there, make this your priority for 2010. There are many ways to attract potential customers to your website, but the easiest way is to have good, informative content that helps customers make a decision, or learn more about your product or services.
Add new content to your website frequently and keep it up to date. This not only helps your search engine ranking, but it also will keep your customers coming back. Once they learn they can get up-to-date information, they will return when they have future questions or want to make future purchases.
Get all of your internal and external forms online. Going digital not only saves trees, but also saves you and your office time and money. Storage and retrieval is a snap compared to shoveling through papers and file cabinets. Additionally, it makes it easier for your clients to get important information to you. No more faxes, postage stamps, or driving to drop off forms.
Make sure all of you advertising pushes customers to your website for more information – to a special landing page for tracking is best. By having a separate landing page for your marketing purposes, you can gauge how effective your marketing campaign is. Using special tools, you can track the number of people going to this website versus the number of hits you're getting to your regular website.
Use your website to collect new potential customers interest and contact information. It's one thing to get people to your website, but by collecting their information, you can keep in contact with interested customers with e-mail marketing, or letting them know about special promotions. You could also offer special monthly promotions to only those on your mailing list, which would encourage clients to sign up.
Create separate websites for your best selling products and services - link them all together. By having landing pages for specific products, and having different domain names for these pages, you can improve your rank for particular products or services. By linking them all together, you can lead people to your website, where they will find additional information about all of your products, not just the one they were searching for.
Use your website to become an expert in your field. Having well written content is important, but the content should also be informative and pertinent to your customers needs. By offering as much information as possible, you can have an advantage in the market. Clients will come to your website because they know you will answer all their questions - which will help them make a decision faster.
And finally - find a website development company that can help you achieve your New Year's Website Resolutions. Whether you want a website that can be easily updated or you want a complete website redesign to meet your New Year's Resolution needs, Avallo can help you achieve your goals. Call Julie today and please, visit our website at: www.avallo.com.

5 Steps to Take the Mystery Out of SEO

2009-12-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

I've met SEO "experts" that charge thousands of dollars but only spend about 5 hours on a site doing search engine optimization. Why are people paying them so much? It's because their clients have no idea what SEO is and are desperate to get people to their site.

I met with a new potential client a few weeks ago whose page titles listed services that they didn't offer. When asked why, they said their SEO company said it was the highest search keyword under their field of business. They field daily calls on it and refer them to someone else. That just doesn't make sense. Let me simplify SEO for you: Use common sense and have quality content that customers need to make that buying decision. Don't try to trick the search engines or you can be penalized. Listed below are 5 steps that you can do to optimize your website for search engines.

1. Your Very Own Internet Real Estate: Your Domain Name

Choosing a local domain name, such as www.twincitiesdental.com will provide tremendous value in your ability to rank in search engines for highly searched key phrases. This is one of the first places search engines look. If you type in "twin cities dental office," you can be assured that www.twincitiesdental.com will appear high on the list.

If your domain name isn't performing as well as you'd like, you can still give your site traffic a boost by purchasing more optimal domain names and creating a landing page that represents a particular aspect of your business, products or services. This landing page can get high rankings by being very specific and detailed about your product or service with quality content, and can lead potential customers to your website.

2. Titles & Keyword Optimization: Think Like You Are the Searcher

Think of titles as your first impression. When someone searches for a term or keyword, the websites are displayed by the title of the page. Page titles should be informative and to the point, not bloated. Don't think of it as another place to stuff keywords, just use it as a introduction to your company, product or service. Reassure them that your website is exactly what they are looking for.

Page titles should be diverse and different depending on which page of the website you are on. This allows search engines to differentiate between the pages, and tells your customers what information is available on different pages.

Think carefully about what people may be looking for when they come to your website, or come to a particular page, as well as what information is available on that page. Google Keyword Tool External and Google Search-based Keyword Tool will provide you with keyword ideas based on actual searches. Use common sense.

3. Submitting to Local Guides

For small and local businesses, its important to get a foothold in your community before branching out to regional or even national sales. To gain traffic at a local level, its in your best interest to publish your company's information on some local guides. Google Maps will display the most popular businesses in local searches. To help your ranking on this "popular business" list, make sure you're listed in the following directories:

Submitting your information to these sites is completely free. Think of it as free advertising. It only takes a moment. Be sure, however, to keep track of which websites you have posted on, and any log-in information. If you move down the road, this will make changing your address or phone number fast and easy. It will save you the headache of trying to clean up your web presence down the road... which is another issue altogether.

4. Linking Strategies

Search engines work like end users often do: they like to know where they're going. By cleverly linking common keywords and phrases on your website to another page (on your website) that describes the product or service in greater detail, you can lead visitors deeper into your website. Additionally, using terms like "click here" or "learn more" are vague, and don't tell your visitors (or search engines) what the link is. "View our Map," or "More information about -Your Keyword Here-" describes more clearly what your visitors will accomplish by clicking the link.

When blogging, link to your website - and do it often. When search engines crawl your blog, and find a link to a web development website, or even graphic design, this keyword will be associated with that page on your website, giving you an extra boost in search results.

5. Be an Expert in Your Field

Become the go-to expert in your field through networking and social media. Create a blog, post informative or interesting tweets on Twitter, and use sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to promote your business. Offer classes, tutorials, or seminars to help educate your clients about your business.

More importantly, make sure that the content on your website is up-to-date and accurate. By keeping your homepage and all your content updated, your customers will know to come back to your website if they have any questions. By becoming the go-to expert, you will also find yourself receiving the ever-valuable referral.

If you need help making these changes to your website, or want more information on getting your website to appear at the top of search results, contact me! We at Avallo know the ins and outs of Search Engine Optimization - and we won't charge you a pretty penny to let you in on the secret.

Custom Web Applications

2009-12-08T15:53:00.000-06:00

More often than not, when you ask different companies what they use their website for, their response will be the same: marketing. But how do you take your website above and beyond the norm of static brochure websites and transform it into an interactive tool that makes your life, your client's lives, and even your employee's lives a little easier?

From online reservation and ecommerce tools, to internal inventory management systems, scheduling, and even payroll, Avallo can create custom web applications that will not only save you time and money, but will help centralize and organize day-to-day activities.

Custom web-based applications can be accessible from any computer with an internet connection - as long as you have the proper credentials - which makes them incredibly convenient. Different access levels can be set, allowing certain employees access to only certain portions of the application. Additionally, your information can be encrypted to ensure the security of your data.

Below are some of the examples that you can do with custom web applications:

Reservation / Ticketing Systems : With real-time availability, your customers can make reservations and pay online; even print out tickets. Hotel reservations, restaurant reservations, concert tickets... whatever! Your application will be completely customized to your specific needs.
Ecommerce : Automate your online store with inventory systems, credit card processing, automated invoices, and even print out the shipping label. You can also view reports generated by your shopping cart to see what product is getting the most attention, or what you may need to restock. Make it even easier for your customers to re-order their favorite products by offering a quick reorder option. We can even integrate your favorite shipping company to offer real-time shipping rates for orders.
Scheduling / Appointments / Calendar Systems : Make it even easier for your clients to schedule an appointment online; Internally, schedule your employee's hours, or even schedule their tasks for a day. Schedule and announce events and meetings from one simple interface.
Information Collection : Collect valuable information from your clients, from anonymous surveys to membership registrations. Use the information to keep in touch with your clients, inform them of new products or offers, or just to keep a record of clients.
Information Reporting : Collecting data is one thing, finding a use for it is a whole other story! We can create a reporting system that will take information stored in a database and display it in a user-friendly interface. You can even sort and view only the data you want (select a date range and view the applicants in that time period, etc.).
Office Administrative Tools : Payroll and time clocks, accounting, invoicing systems, HR functions like employees healthcare info, time off information and work rules and regulations... now if only your website could make your coffee for you!

Here at Avallo, we're all about custom. We want our clients to get exactly what they are looking for in custom applications. We don't want to box our clients into how we think something should work, we will work closely with you to offer a solution to meet your specific needs. We're only limited by your request! So, contact me today to get started on your custom web application.

Announcing Avallo Panel's Soft Launch

2009-10-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, Avallo began looking for a website content management system that would fit both Avallo's needs and the needs of our clients. I went to meeting after meeting without success. We found systems that only worked on PC's, another one was created by programmers in Russia, others written a decade ago and nowhere near up to current web standards, and other promising systems were filled with programming errors... the list of problems went on and on. Many were either too simple and put constraints on the site design or even restricted you to use only their pre-designed templates, and others were so incredibly complicated that no one except a web expert could figure it out. We spent months searching for a good program, but came back empty handed.

We knew exactly what we wanted: a content management system that was easy to use and intuitive for beginners, but powerful enough that even professional designers would love it... so we jumped in and created our own CMS - a system unlike any we had seen.

Read all about Avallo Panel below and contact me if you are interested in seeing a demo and discussing your needs.

Avallo Panel is a Content Management System (CMS) developed by Avallo, Inc. We designed and created Avallo Panel as a way to allow our clients to easily and efficiently manage, update, and change content on their websites.

Avallo Panel is different from other Content Management Systems available. First, Avallo Panel puts full control of your website in your hands. It incorporates a WYSIWYM editor that allows even users with no computer experience to write clean markup. Additionally, for more advanced users, Avallo Panel will allow you to view and edit the HTML, CSS, and Javascript that is controlling your site. By combining the ease of use of text editors with the ability to edit the code, Avallo Panel becomes a powerful tool for corporations and small business that want full control of their website.

Secondly, Avallo Panel was built just for you. Every website is different, and every client has different needs. We will sit down with you and figure out exactly how your company will get the best use out of our system. Because we developed Avallo Panel, we can make it work exactly how your business wants it to.

Listed below are some examples of the unique features that makes Avallo Panel stand out from other Content Management Systems:

Multiple Access Levels for different users: prohibit and allow different sections to be edited by different employees.
Calendar: Easily add events (including recurring events) with our interactive calendar.
Multiple Content Layouts: choose from pre-designed layouts, or create your own layout to determine how copy and images will display in your website.
Image Uploader: crop, re-size, and rename images straight from your digital camera onto your website. No image editing software required!
Adding New Pages: New pages will automatically appear in your navigation, making web updates a breeze!

Remember, Avallo Panel is not a template. We can either convert your existing website to work in Avallo Panel, or we can design a brand new website for you. In either case, Avallo Panel is completely customized for your unique site. You won't find anybody else with the same design as yours, which is common with online site builders.

Check out our new website. The only thing left is the tutorial. Look for us everywhere 2010 and I will see you at the next networking event!

Websites 101: Navigation

2009-10-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

Good navigation is the key to having a website that gets used. Our goal at Avallo is for the visitor to get to any page from any page. Although there are always exceptions to this rule, we try to adhere to it.

If navigation is not easy to use, the user will leave your website very quickly. I believe that navigation is the most important part of a functional and accessible website. As the owner and creative director of Avallo, I do not program sites - my staff does. But I always make sure our clients websites adhere to the fundamentals below:

Navigation should stay in one place on every page - and be highly visible. Having a navigation that changes its position whenever you click on a link is off-putting, and can confuse some users. By having the navigation a static element on your site, your users can easily and quickly find what they are looking for.
Make your navigation intuitive. Don't try to redefine navigation. Users that are first coming to your site need to be able to instantly navigate your website.
Keep the description of the page it is linking to short and concise. "Our Services" and "About Us" are clear descriptions of the information that your user may be looking for. Images or obscure references might not be clear to users, not to mention that they are not search-engine friendly. For that reason, the links should always be text, not images.
Have a reasonable number of links on your main navigation. If you have more links, consider using a sub-navigation or a drop-down navigation to include more pages. This allows users to find information quickly, and to navigate to any page of your website from any other page, and provides a cleaner and more functional website.
Large sites need a SEARCH box. Having a search box allows the user to choose what they would like to see, but having a bad coding behind the search box is not only an annoyance, it also will stop users from exploring your site. The search box should be able to find things even if they are spelled wrong. Narrowing a search should be an option if appropriate.

While every website is different, Avallo sticks to these guidelines when developing a website. Not only does following these guidelines make the website functional and accessible to all users, but it also makes the website very search-engine friendly. Keeping the users in mind is key when developing a website, and navigation is no exception.

Avallo has blank site maps to help map your website - including navigation. Call me for a free consultation to get your website redesign or brand new site on the right navigation track.

Google Wave Coming Full Speed Ahead This September

2009-08-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

Google Wave has been getting a lot of attention and creating quite a commotion on the web in recent weeks. But what is Google Wave, exactly? What does it do, and what does it mean for you as a business or home user?

It's hard to describe exactly what Google Wave is, primarily because there is nothing like it. The reason why it is getting so much attention is because it will revolutionize the way we communicate. Forget e-mail, forget "instant" messaging... the Google Wave is a real-time communication platform. The Google Wave developer Lars Rasmussen describes the idea of a wave best:

"A 'wave' is equal parts conversation and document, where people can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more."

Some of Google Wave's highlights include:

Open Source Coding: By having this source code available, Google is encouraging developers to improve on the Wave and make it even better.
Applications: From real-time games to robots that spell check and translate in real-time. The sky is the limit for these apps, and since anybody developer can make them, there will be plenty to choose from.
Real-Time Communication: Even more instant than "instant messaging", Google Wave transmits character-by-character, streamlining conversations and allowing you to formulate a response before they are even done typing. Thumbnails of images are even sent before the full image has been updated.
Drag-and-Drop Functionality: Drag and drop images, audio, and other files from your desktop right into Google Wave, making file sharing a snap.
HTML 5: Google Wave was developed in HTML 5, meaning it runs fully on your browser. Nothing to download, nothing to install, nothing to update. With the exception of the drag-and-drop functionality, everything will be run in your browser of choice.
Blogs, Twitter: And other popular social networking sites work with Wave. You can post your Waves to Twitter, and even embed a Wave into a blog site - allowing others who use Wave to post comments in real time.
Live Collaborative Editing: With the functionality of a wiki, e-mail, and instant messaging tool, Google Wave redefines collaborative editing. Multiple people could be looking at, editing, and having discussions about a particular document... all in real time.

The Google Wave could very well change how we view communication over the internet, making it even faster, easier, and more intuitive than ever before. Look for it to be coming out in September. We at Avallo are very excited for the release, and look forward to building and developing apps to make this powerful communication tool even more useful for our clients.

For more information about Google Wave, or to watch a video of the I/O demo, visit www.wave.google.com.

The Coolest New Internet Thing - Ping.fm

2009-07-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

With all of the social networking sites out there, how does anybody keep up? Between Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Yammer, LinkedIn, and various blogging websites (just to name a few...), social networking has become a huge time sink, and you may find yourself juggling dozens of different accounts. There is hope, however! The website Ping.fm allows you to integrate all of your different social networking venues, and even lets you post updates to all of them at once, saving you valuable time. Sounds cool, huh? It gets better.

Not only does Ping.fm simplify the process of updating your social networking sites, the mobile apps that Ping.fm offers allows you to make these changes on the fly. Connect to m.ping.fm (or i.ping.fm for us iPhone owners) and update away. There's even a Firefox add-on, which allows you to update without going to the Ping.fm website. You can even connect to Ping through Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, GTalk, and Skype.

Don't have a smart phone? You can set up any cell phone to update your Ping account via text message.

Signing up is quick and easy, and linking your accounts is painless. Once you have registered, simply return to your dashboard and click "Add More Networks" on the right. Select the network you would like to add (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and follow the instructions. Many times it just requires you providing your user name and password, other times it will direct you to your account to retrieve a verification code.

Once you have linked all of your accounts together, you can start updating! So what are you waiting for? Get over to Ping.fm and get posting!

Web 2.0

2009-06-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

While it has been several years since the term "Web 2.0" came onto the scene, we at Avallo still hear the phrase come up from time to time in conversations. Whether it's with friends, clients, or fellow companies, it seems as if nobody can agree or is really clear on what "Web 2.0" really means.

At first glance, one could assume that "Web 2.0" is a new technology, a remake of the original internet, something better and faster. This isn't really the case. The internet is still being run on the same technology. While there are always changes and new technologies being added to the web, it is still built on the same basic framework. You may reupholster your couch to update the look, but it's still the same couch structure underneath.

"Web 2.0" is merely an idea; a coined phrase used to describe the changing ideas of how the internet should be used. In the early 2000's, companies began moving from static, informational websites to something more interactive. Websites moved from a digital business card of sorts to an open dialogue with customers and powerful marketing tool. Blogs, wikis, comments, forums, communities, consumer reviews, interactive searches, RSS feeds, and links are often associated with "Web 2.0", but in fact many of these features were around long before the emergence of the buzzword.

Since the exact definition of "Web 2.0" will vary depending on who you ask, don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to go with a company that deems itself "Web 2.0 Compliant." This doesn't really exist. What you should really be looking for is someone who follows W3C Web Standards, and can offer Search Engine Optimization. When you're ready to make the move from a stagnant website to a more interactive, customer-focused website, give us a call.

How Not to Blow Your Budget by High Website Design Fees

2009-06-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

The cost of a website can be hard to figure out. Since a website is constantly changing, it can be hard to keep it under control. Here are some tips for you to keep your costs under budget and keep your sanity (and friendship) with your web design team.

The biggest mistake companies and individuals alike make is to leave the end price open. With every rule there are exceptions, and developing new tools for the web is one of them. But for most websites, if the site map is complete and accurate, can be quoted at a firm price. Always have one round of text changes included as these changes can quickly add up.
Before you start the process, be prepared. Have all of your content ready before the web programmers start. The designer needs to have the look created and approved. The copywriter should have pages copy written and SEO copy ready to go. The photos should be marked to match the site map. A big time killer for programmers is unorganized content which can leave holes in the site and cause delays that can be costly.
Have everything in writing. If you are paying per page of the website, what constitutes a page? Who owns the website copyright after completion? Can you move my site to a different server and is the domain register in the company's name with a company representative as contact? These are all very important for both sides to have this documented.
If the web firm is making changes, learn what their policy is on how fast the changes will be done. What is the minimum cost for this service, is it hourly or by job? If you are entering into a maintenance agreement, (which I don't recommend) how many hours does it include and can you carry over unused hours.
Customer service is key to a great website experience. Your sales person or production manager need to represent you and keep the project moving. If you do not click with your rep, ask for a new one right from the beginning... or don't use that company - you may be very sorry.

Here at Avallo, we cover all of the above and more. We get most of our projects by referrals from our very satisfied customers. Our Process was designed to keep everyone on the same page, so the end product is done timely and with your budget in mind. And since I am the go-to person for Avallo, your customer service is guaranteed. With a little bit of organization, and a reputable company, you can have a beautiful website done fast, and within budget. Contact us today to get started.

The Story of Avallo

2009-05-21T08:21:00.000-05:00

Every business has a start-up story. Avallo is no different. My friend Barb wanted to leave her sales tax business (due to law changes) and do something different. I was a freelance designer having started Direct Design in 1994. We investigated a few different options: buying a printing franchise (too many chemicals and smelly), starting a document scanning service (not much interest back then for those services), or starting a multimedia and website design company. I was already dipping my creative toes into web design and Barb had a lot of business contacts, so it made a lot of sense to go with the last option.

Our first choice for a name was "Avalon". It came from the Arthurian Legend based around the Island of Avalon. The artwork created from the Arthurian Legend story was both beautiful and inspiring, and the stories are timeless. Everyone knows of Merlin the magician and King Arthur's rise to power.

However, Toyota had the Avalon, so we decided not to go there. Try searching for Avalon and you will see there are millions of results, many of which are companies. We also wanted our domain name to be the businessname.com (no dashes, no inc. on the end, just our name.com). Back in 1997, you could still do that. Not wanting to get confused with a car, or lost in the crowd, we did some research, and found some variations of the word "Avalon": Abhlach, (yuck), Avallen, (Okay, but not strong) and Avallo. We chose Avallo because the only other company was Avallo Humidors. Avallo was easy to spell, easy to remember, and avallo.com was available. At one point there was also a porn star named Avallo, but thankfully she quickly disappeared from the web, hopefully finding a new line of work.

Our logo is inspired by the artwork of the legend. Barb had gorgeous art books where we got our inspiration. As the story goes, the island had a magic tree full of golden apples (hence our gold logo with the apple on the end). Also, we have an office full of Apple Computers, iPhones, iMacs, and software, so the apple seemed very appropriate.

When you come visit our office, you will enter through castle doors to be greeted by our knight, King Arthur. Okay, it's a lot cooler than it sounds. So email me to stop by and see us. (We don't come to work in costumes - I promise) Our brand is displayed on all of our print advertising, website and other materials. A good brand makes advertising almost easy and always fun. If you need help finding your brand, contact us and we will help your business tell your story.

I leave you will the poem written by a friend back in 1997... Enjoy!

Once upon a time we were ensorcelled
by long-ago Celtic legends,
some say ancient memories,
of Uther Pendragon and King Arthur and Merlin Emrys
and the Faery world of Avalon.

Avalon, Isle of Paradise, last resting place
of Arthur the Sleeping King.
Avalon, with Magic Orchards of Golden Apples
where time stands still in mystery and wonder.
Abhlach. Avallen. Avallon. Avallo - Island of Apples.

Avallo, land of The Dream Time;
of harmony and magic and poetic enchantment,
a legend resonating with all that is hopeful and good;
where anything and everything is possible.

Avallo. The Magic lives on.
Through us.
For you.
Come, let us weave you a legend.

If You Build It, They Won't Just Come

2009-05-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

So you came up with a clever domain name, spent some money on a website, added Google Analytics check visitor statistics, waited a couple weeks and found out... not many people are coming to your site. We have heard this again and again. Many people have no way of tracking visitors and therefore have no clue who is coming, or how customers are finding their website. You do need to take care of the technical parts of your site (clean web standards code, optimize site for search engines, have great content), but what can you do as a business owner right now to bring people to your site?

Here are 10 ways to get people to your site that just about anybody can do:

Start a Google Ads campaign. (Pay per Click) It is the fastest way to get new visitors - but it costs money. There are other programs but Google is the biggest.
Put your website on everything you hand out to potential customers. Letterhead and business cards are obvious - but also on apparel, invoices, envelopes, flyers, coupons, labels, signs, trucks and autos, voicemail messages, on-hold messages, everything.
Network like crazy. Visit your Chamber, join a network group like BNI and visit as many groups as possible. Schedule your networking time every week. Create new realtionships. Work hard on networking and it will pay off.
Start a referral program for your business. Run the program through your website.
Join LinkedIn, select related groups to be a part of, stay as active as possible. If you are too busy, assign it to an employee.
Attend events that are related to your business, be a sponsor or a speaker - become an "expert in your field."
Link to other sites including partners, associations, industry & trade magazines, and have a resource and white papers section with links.
Support a high profile non-profit you believe in that has a large exposure and shows your logo and whose website links back to you. Givers will always get back even more.
Advertise wisely. Where do your clients shop, what do your clients read? Use a pointed approach for where you are advertising, so every dollar you spend is money well spent.
If you do not have a brand for your company...it's time to think about it. You need to stand out from your competition. More on that later.

Of course, all the networking and marketing in the world won't make up for a website that is lacking on the technical end. You don't just want people to come to your website, you want them to keep coming back. Clean code and comprehensive content will generate organic clicks - traffic that is invaluable for any business. However, you only have a few seconds to keep their attention. If your website is not visually appealing, is difficult to navigate, or if they can't immediately find what they are looking for, these potential clients are only one click away from visiting a competitor's website.

If you feel you need help marketing your website, whether rebuilding your website from the ground up, writing copy that moves clients to act, or if you need to work on your branding, contact us. We will help you build the foundation that will not only get customers to your website, but will keep them coming back.

My Webservations

2009-04-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Analyzing a website is sometimes a difficult task. Bad code and ugly designs are obvious and easy to detect. If you know your site suffers from one or both problems - please contact us immediately. Just like we need to clean up the environment, we need to clean up the internet and there is no better place to start than at your home (page). Here are the other things I look at when analyzing websites:

Content - must have good content filled with relevant keywords, titles and meta data. This is by far the MOST important factor on a good website. The content also needs to be current.
Clean Code - the second most important aspect of a good website. 2009 web standards means the design, content, and behavior of the website are separated. This provides for an easy way to change the design without editing every page of the website. Likewise, it makes it easy to update content without fear of breaking the layout. Tables should be used for tabular data, not site structure. Websites should also have valid markup, which includes document type and encoding, ensuring that the website displays correctly on a variety of browsers. With clean code comes accessibility and usability, which I will discuss in future posts.
Good Looking with Good Navigation - the site should be visually appealing and easy to navigate. Large sites need a good site search that goes to appropriate pages easily.
Does the site give many opportunities for potential customers to contact you, buy from you or do what you want them to do? #5 will tell you that
What does Google Analytics say about usage, keywords, and who is coming to your site? This information is crucial. Add it to you site now and check it periodically to get the most out of the data it is collecting.

There are so many badly designed sites out on the internet. Here at Avallo we have extensive experience and know-how to create great-looking and functional sites. Our resources section includes links and downloads to help fix some of the problems mentioned above.

Just as you can fix a small leak on your pipes at home if needed, you may be able to fix small issues with your website yourself (bad links, better content), but make sure you hire a professional to fix the big problems. Most of the time, it is easier to replace the bad pipes than to try to repair something temporarily. Believe it or not, it is almost always cheaper to redo an entire website than to trudge through messy code and try to fix the holes.

So, take a moment, take a look at your website, and if you find any of the issues discussed above, contact the most cost effective web plumbers around - or at the very least - hire a professional!

The Cobbler Has No Shoes

2009-04-19T18:23:00.001-05:00

Small business owners know what it means to have no shoes today. You are so busy running your business that somehow the greatest thing you do for others, you don't have for yourself. Well, here at Avallo, it was the same thing. We are creating some great technical websites for our clients but sadly our website sat idle. We made a commitment a month ago to change that. We had a new opportunity that was slow to move because we didn't communicate through our site all of our newest services. It was time to make a brand new pair of shoes. So today we premier our new site. It will grow as we add more of the cool new technologies and our success stories. Check out our new portfolio featuring database websites like this one. For all the super techies, Weston will be sharing his wisdom as well. We are developing our own Content Management System and will be in testing mode this spring. We are working to develop a network team of Super Marketeers and there will be more on that to come. We are working with some local schools to get the kind of web programmers needed that just are not available in the area right now. We are also volunteering to help the new non profit Maple Grove Art Center get off the ground and bring fine art class and art shows to the Maple Grove community. Our new shoes will be getting dirty very quickly and this time they will be replaced with new ones right away so we can keep on moving forward. Call me to get your new pair of shoes. You'll be surprised at how fast you will be able to run.