Professional Web Content and SEO
Posted in Helpful Articles category, on June 15th, 2009
Why is professional website content important? What is its purpose? Professional website content should be the main ingredient of your website. A well designed website that has a nice layout and smooth flow may be the initial attraction of the website but to keep the visitors coming back over and over again it will need to have professional web content that is interesting, up to date and informative.
Compare a website to a jelly donut for a minute to get the true idea of what website content means. A jelly donut looks smooth, round and is most likely dusted with powdered sugar. The draw of the jelly donut is the delicious filling that will be found inside. Imagine taking a bite out of the donut only to find that the one thing you were hoping for, the delicious jelly center, is missing. Are you willing to come back to the same store that sold you the jelly donut sans jelly or are you going to find a place that will provide you with the jelly donut in its entirety?
This is what happens with websites that look attractive but lack valuable web content. The content is what keeps bringing visitors back to your page thus enhancing the websites value. Another important aspect of professional website content is how well it is written for search engine optimization or SEO for short. Professional website content is written in an easy to understand manner that uses key words and key word phrasing to get your website linked to different searches done on your website’s topic. If your website is about football, then it should be filled with interesting, informative information about football. You wouldn’t want to go to a website about football to read about ballet, would you?
ONTRACKhost is a web development, design and hosting company that understands the importance of professional web content and how it should be used to make your website more search engine friendly. We understand Google and search engine technology. A local business can especially benefit from higher Google placement, which can mean customers and profit.
Tags: google, search engine, SEO, web content
Professionally Built Business Websites and First Impressions
Posted in Helpful Articles category, on June 9th, 2009
First impressions count when it comes to website design. According to research done by Dr. Gitte Lingaard at Carleton University in Ontario, Canada a website has 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression to a web user. This is 1/20th of a second which is about the blink of an eye. If a website does not make a good first impression then web users move on.
In this quick part of a second, a web user will form several opinions about the website’s aesthetic properties, credibility, usability, influence and purchasing decisions. The research that Dr. Lingaard found was based on the reactions of participants of varying ages. Flashs of website fronts were flashed for 500 milliseconds in front of participants who then had to rate the page on various scales. Dr. Lingaard’s research found that young people can discern more information quicker than older people but that the initial aesthetic quality of a decision about the website was made withing the first 50 milliseconds of seeing it.
First impressions carry over to the web user wanting to stay on the well-designed website. Websites which sell products that are competitive need to have a website with an edge that will please the eyes of web users so that they remain on their site. If the product is the same but the website is designed poorly with an ill-designed landing page the web user will have already made up their mind to go to a different website that is more pleasing to the eye.
ONTRACKhost, is a web design and hosting company that uses the current research available to enhance your website yet keep it in sync with your goals and expectations while keeping it web user friendly so that you get repeat visitors.
Dr. Gitte Lingaard’s research on web design and first impressions will be published in Behaviour and Information Technology Journal which is published 6 times throughout the year.
Tags: business, customer, impressions, professional, website
Benefits of a Website for Freelance Writers
Posted in Helpful Articles category, on May 26th, 2009
Websites are the future of marketing for freelance writers. Having a website is like having an open resume. You can update it with ongoing projects, communicate with clients and showcase your previous work.
Freelance writers can put the best of their work on display so potential clients can view what type of work is being bought and if the freelance writer is the right person for the job that they have in mind. Potential clients can also get a feel for the personality of the freelance writer by the design of the website. This can influence them to choose one writer over another who may have no website or a very stark undescriptive website.
Website design does not have to be a hassle or a headache for a freelance writer either. By using a website service like ONTRACKhost which provides domain registration, hosting services and much more, a website can be built for a freelance writer that will include everything a writer needs to promote themselves without a headache.
Another benefit to freelance writers who decide to have a website is that they are easy to find if the website has been designed with SEO or Search Engine Optimization in mind. The goal is to have this website in one of the first few links that comes up on a search for the writers name or by the product/service the writer offers.
Having a website makes a freelance writers life more convenient also. This is because you can do everything from one place. You can check your email, socially network with others by using widgets such as a Twitter widget and you can keep an eye on the traffic coming to your website. You can keep the world and clients updated by keeping an updated blog right on the website and you can use the website to promote new work that has been done.
There is really no reason for a freelance writer not to have a website.
Tags: benefits, Our Portfolio, website
Real Estate and Home Auctions - Full Website Design
Posted in Our Portfolio category, on May 20th, 2009
ONTRACKhost Portfolio Example - Real Estate Website
This is an ongoing project for a local real estate and home auctions business. The website includes a full design, graphics, including PHP coding and several script installations. The real estate properties are listed in a very organized manner. Some of the properties are also featured on the top of the pages, using a script gallery.
The website is search engine optimized. Due to our strategic coding, it receives a great amount of Google traffic. This project is also a great example of our attention to detail, as well as our dedication to our customers. We provide full and ongoing maintenance, whenever it is needed.
Tags: business, Our Portfolio, real estate, website
Freelance Writing Portfolio - Full Custom Website
Posted in Our Portfolio category, on May 18th, 2009
ONTRACKhost Portfolio Example - Freelance Writing Portfolio
This is a beautiful, clean and professional portfolio for a freelance writer. Linda, a published author, needed an official website, as well as a page that will showcase some of her best freelance writing work.
Tags: business, freelance, official website, Our Portfolio, website
NFL and Sports Blog - Web Design Customization
Posted in Our Portfolio category, on May 17th, 2009
ONTRACKhost Portfolio Example - Sports Blog Website
Drivewaysitups is an old, loyal client of ours, that needed a freshened up look. The blog owner wanted a sleek design, compact blog posts, and the ability to display multiple blog excerpts on the main page. We also included a neat content gallery, featuring some of his funniest posts about sports. Widgets such as Twitter were added, as well as AdSense and RSS feeds.
Tags: blog, custom design, Our Portfolio, website, wordpress
Small Business Website Advantages
Posted in Helpful Articles category, on May 16th, 2009
Should your local business have a website? Absolutely. In today’s economic market the best way to advertise to both local and global consumers is via a website. A business website can bring in new costumers, cut advertising costs and also bring the consumer information that they want.
Consumers have been blessed with the internet because they can get information as quick as their fingers can type out a search. A business website designed with search engine optimization can ensure that your local business is one of the first names that shows up when your product is searched on.
An old method of searching out new businesses in the area was searching the phone book or talking to your neighbors about who they recommend for different products and services. The new method of finding these products or services is by typing a quick search into Google, Yahoo or MSN. If your local business doesn’t have a website that can be brought up in a search engine, you are potentially losing hundreds if not thousands of customers to the businesses who have created websites.
Websites for local businesses are also important because it brings the consumer and the provider together. The business can give out information on their history, policies and also provide details about what goods or service’s they are selling. Consumer’s pay attention to businesses which put themselves out into the world for viewing and a website does just that for a local business.
Another benefit for local businesses to have a website is because it can cut advertising costs. It costs hard earned money to list ads in newspapers, magazines and to send out flyers and post cards. These are great methods of advertising a local business but the best advertisement comes from good search engine placement. That will only happen with a well designed website. It will cost less in advertising money to buy a domain name and a hosting service such as the ones provided by ONTRACK Host. The prices for a domain/hosting service usually consists of a yearly fee of $10- $30 depending upon the complexities of the service your business wants and needs. Advertising without a website can cost well into the thousands of dollars range and not give your business the exposure it should have.
Tags: advantages, advertising, benefits, marketing ideas, small business, website
Why Choose Us?
Posted in ONTRACKhost News category, on May 6th, 2009
With our Web 2.0 web development and stunning multimedia web design, you can be assured your website will stand out from the competition. Our website designs are sharp, sleek, faster loading and compatible with all web browsers. Hard coding, proper search engine tactics and knowledge of web language allows us to have a finished product that is always XHTML and CSS validated. Satisfaction, awe-inspiring designs, long term maintenance, along with friendly customer service are our goals.
We are your one point of contact for all website needs; from design, to updates, to maintenance. We offer hosting solutions for any budget, as well as domain name registrations. Our happy customers can manage all of their purchased services in one place, as well as receive help in marketing strategy, advertising campaigns or any of our creative print ideas. Big part of our budget goes to providing a secure environment for all of our clients, keeping business data safe, and protecting personal information.
The internet is buzzing about ONTRACKhost, as we are becoming Shippensburg, PA’s leading solution to small business web development and web hosting needs. Come let us show you what all the buzz is about.
Tags: ontrack, shippensburg, website, welcome
