Tips to Fall Cleaning --- Your Website

How 'clean' is your website? Have you accumulated extra files, images, pages? Is your product or service offering up-to-date?

Now might be a good time to devote to 'cleaning' up those extra items that can be often neglected. Below, we provide a few tips you can use to help with your Fall Clean-up.

Review Your Website --- for Errors
Look at each page and read the content carefully. Is your content free of spelling and grammar mistakes? Do the images match the message? Do you have pages with 'broken' links? These are common issues that can be easily fixed.

Review Your Website --- for Accuracy
Do you sell products or services on the web? When was the last time you checked to make sure the information is accurate? We suggest you carefully check every product/service offered on your website to ensure it is accurate and still being offered. Check your images, product descriptions, whitepapers and any other details about your product/service. If it's out-of-date, it shouldn't be on your website.

Review Your Website --- for Consistency
How do your pages 'flow'? When you go from one page to another, do you get the same "look-and-feel" or is their a lack of consistency between pages? "Look-and-feel" elements include the layout, graphics, image styles and even ensuring the same font is used consistently throughout.

Review Your Website --- for META Tags
How does your site rank? When is the last time you reviewed your keywords and compared them to your competition? Has your content been 'optimized'? These are critical areas to review that, if done correctly, can dramatically help to increase your search rankings. These are also areas you should review often.

Review Your Website --- for Rogue Files
Do you have FTP access to your website? If so, you should check to make sure only files that relate to your website are on your web server. A common mistake is forgetting to delete old pages off the web server that are no longer relevant. Just because you delete a link to the page, doesn't actually delete the page itself. If you're using a standard site (and not a web console or Content Management System, for example), you'll need to FTP into your site and remove those files - but BE CAREFUL - you don't want to mistakenly delete a file that is a necessary part of your live website. Considering the risk of deleting the wrong file, this is one of those, "if you don't know, better hire someone who does" scenarios.

Following these tips can help keep your website 'ready for business'. And, considering that your website might make the first impression your potential customer realizes, isn't regular focus worth it?

Marketing Outlook for 2010

Undoubtedly, 2009 will go down in history as a very difficult year for many people and businesses. I've been trying to keep current with the latest economic forecasts and it appears that the general consensus seems to be much more optimistic for 2010than it was for 2009.

What does that mean for small business owners? Opportunity. I'd suggest that you start by taking a serios look at your marketing efforts - not just your website, but also you brochures, flyers, banners, even business cards. Are you projecting the image you want your business to be? If you have salespeople, do they have all the marketing material they need to successful make the sale? If not, now might be a good time to start.

Another area to review is your marketing plan. Rather than waiting for business to come to you, consider a 3-6 month campaign to get your message out to prospective customers. The web is a great way to get new business, and so still is the traditional methods of print advertising. Better yet, consider a combination of both to really give your message a well-rounded approach. And, with various options out there, you don't have to spend a lot to see results.

Whatever you decide to do, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2010.

-Rick

Is Your Website Ready for 2010?

When is the last time you sat down and took a real good look at your website? How does it look, is it up-to-date? Does it even show up in major search engines? Are you too afraid to ask because you don't think you can afford the solution?

Now is a great time to give your website a serious look. In today's digital world, it is imperative that your site reflect's your business with the most relevant information. If you haven't updated it in a while, take the time now to go through and see what needs to be changed. You might find the list is not as extensive as you think. Or, you may find that your current website is seriously out-dated.

If the latter is the case, give serious consideration for a redesign. Undoubtedly, if you're on the web, your customers are very likely to see your website. Do you like what they will see?

My suggestion is to look around the web, compare your company's website to that of others in your area or even in another state. Type in search terms for your industry. Take note of who appears first, then see where your business shows up. Is it on the first page, second, third? Does it even show up?

If you're not satisfied with the answers, please give us a call. We can help get your website ready for 2010 - it's really just around the corner.

Our 8 Year Celebration

We are very excited to be celebrating 8 years of doing what we love - designing and building websites for small to medium sized business.

I remember starting this company at the height of the "dot-com" bust. After years of easy venture capital, high returns in the stock markets and a boom to the economy, high-tech "dot-com" companies suddenly took a severe downturn and were going out of business at an incredible pace. It wasn't an easy time to be starting a web company, but it was something I had longed to due for many years.

Armed with very little savings, and a passion to succeed, Tarcom Internet Solutions was born in the summer of 2001. I am proud to say that we have grown since then and have had an amazing list of satisfied clients. It is truly a blessing to be able to do the things you love.

Of course this year has it's unique set of challenges, mainly the slow-down in the economy. But as a testament to the non-relenting American pride, many people have taken this adversity and turned it into an opportunity. New small businesses are emerging, existing ones expanding and others retooling their services. It is to that spirit that we have launched a special web package ideally suited for this drive. Check out our web package today for more information.

To all of you starting a business now, I salute you! Coming from experience, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences you may ever do.

Rick Sibay,

President

Tarcom Internet Solutions, Inc.