SEO What? Say What?

Houston Creative Director | Houston SEO | Houston Graphic Design

Have you heard of SEO? Search Engine Optimization, or SEO as it is commonly known, is a process many website owners don’t utilize and it is THE most important practice for a great website. It is also the biggest puzzle to put together, but once the foundation has been set, you build a strong connection between you and your next customer or client.

Take a walk into the virtual world where the Internet is a web of confusion, at least to the majority of us. As you walk, you come upon a button that can decipher whether or not your website is working for you. Does your website have the correct number of keywords and phrases needed for SEO? Would you select that button if it is expected to analyze your data and determine if all the material contained quality content on your website and then directed the people who need your service to your website? If the analysis determined that you were, in fact, missing key phrases would you utilize the results?

So how do you determine if your website contains quality content and is doing what you paid it to do? Most of us purchase templates or use free services just so that we can get our wares and services out on the Internet. If you are not incorporating the right phrases, your name will not fall on the first or second or even the fifteenth page of a search engine. I don’t know about you, but if I can’t find what I want on the first page, I don’t look any further. So my potential clients are missing me all together and commissioning my competition because I do not include quality content in my website.

So where do we turn? The website is a plethora of information that is an overload for the financial advisor, photographer, printer, etc. Most of us are small businesses with one employee – ourselves. So we have to put on multiple hats: those of accountant, bookkeeper, custodian, customer service, sales rep,- you get the picture.

The one hat we shy away from donning is the Internet hat, because we don’t know a thing about what makes the Internet work we just assume does. And we don’t know a thing about what makes the Internet work for us much less what we need for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Assume no longer if the Internet is working or not, and get an analysis of your website to determine if it is working for you. Visibility does not simply happen by having a website and uploading data. It is special care and consistency that allows your viewers to pull your company up when searching for your services. If you would like more information contact me at roseann@selfreflected.com and stay tuned.

Wed Design

Aesthetically appealing to the viewer?

When was the last time you checked out a website? What are you looking for? Is the design and information overwhelming that you close out the session, and Google for another website?

So what attracts the viewer to a website? Graphic design is a very important factor to consider when deciding to implement a website. Including a few of the design elements ensures that the website is aesthetically appealing to the viewer while providing information.

Design elements include line, shape, texture, color, harmony, dominance and unity to name a few. This information alone is probably putting your brain in overload, and that is why many put their future in the hands of design coordinator who can provide a graphic designer for your project?

Design coordinators and graphic artists are put through a rigorous pace ensuring that they are up-to-date with today’s industry standard and most strive for attaining a degree, but experience is also important as it provides a greater portfolio to present to the client.

A design coordinator/graphic designer should include a variety of works in his or her portfolio. Works of logo designs, brochure layouts and designs, website designs should all be included as they all become a part of the branding process.

Another aspect of the design is the process, and that usually begins with the first session with the client. The meeting with the client is to listen to what they are expecting their website to evolve into.

When consulting with the client it is during this time that you will want to discern whom the client’s target audience will be, the purpose and goal of the site, and what features they would like to include just to name a few. More importantly it is about ensuring that branding, through logo, tag line, and content appear, clear, concise, and visually appealing in the web design.

PRESS RELEASE- VILLAGE HOME HEALTH

RoseAnn Rapp, Freelance Graphic Designer/Artist, completed a graphic design project for Cecil Barcelo Jr. of League City, Texas. The graphic marketing material will be used for presentation to the State in order to attain the qualifications needed to expand their goal. With 30 years experience in the health care industry, their goal is to become the HOME health care provider in “Family” style. For more information visit the website at www.villagehomehealth.biz.

Who Are YOU following!

Do you understand that every action leaves an impression, a footprint, or fingerprint? As evidenced by the popularity of the social networks, such as Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn, we are opening our private world to our potential client, or employer.

Potential employers, agencies, major projects can slip our grasp because of those we follow, or what images we upload, or even what we comment and regardless of our freedom we will suffer consequences because of these actions.

What to do? Clean up images of your bachelor/bachelorette party. Send a hard copy directly to your friends instead. Cyberspace is a black hole, and once those images are out there a screen shot is all that is needed to immortalize the occasion.

Think before you send your comment. Is it offensive, bullying, selfish, or do your comments reflect the person you want the world to see? Trust me, the world will see it.

Follow the companies, people, affiliations that parallel the life you lead or want to lead. There are wonderful organizations both for profit and nonprofit worth following.

Now take this time to do some damage control to your persona. You could be the weakest link to losing that big project. You never know.

Did you hear?????

I love my Motivational Mondays as they give me the opportunity to get a jump start of my week, and as a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success I am privy to such speakers like Charles Marcus.

In his session, he spoke of how he was forced to be a great listener because of a speech impediment that he had growing up, but the inspiration was how he saw this as an asset instead of an obstacle.

Great listeners are great communicators, and Charles Marcus says that statistic shows you have the first 15-30 seconds to make a great impression, and making an impression is much easier than changing an impression.

Listening is the key and those with speech impediments find that they are forced to listen which in turn winds up being a good thing, again, because great communicators are the great listeners.

Charles Marcus says that when speaking we should do so with conviction – it displays clarity; compassion – it confirms authenticity; honesty – it illustrates truthfulness; confidence –inspires; and conviction – demonstrates belief.

But Marcus also states that we should listen with sincerity and be present, in the moment, giving 100% attention to the speaker. The rule of thumb is to speak for 20% of the time and listen intently for 80% for effective communication.

The way I see it, I think we are all talking way too much which indicates that no one is listening. Maybe we need to practice, what Charles Marcus is preaching, in our government, schools, work environment and even in our personal live.

Shhhhhh…Listen!

Marketing to Baby Boomers

I want my J.O.B.

I want my!

And if you are like everyone else, you are probably applying to every company online, and like everyone else you want a JOB NOW! But how do you apply effectively especially in this feeble job market?

Realizing that job hunting is a process I have come to the conclusion that you need to market yourself for the position.

So now, you become the marketing director and take the steps that they would take to promote their client’s services and products. Interview yourself and answer the questions normally asked by the marketing director to determine what you need to promote YOU.

So now I am going to take my own medicine and I will report my progress. I’m starting with my resume ;-)