There are two choices when you are doing small business SEO, do you want traffic or you want rankings? Most small business owners want both, but in reality websites that are just starting with no links need a strong link base and the rankings. So in that case a PA small business owner should look to building links on relevant sites with high traffic keywords. By following this practice your site will begin to see some traffic as well as help with organic SEO rankings.

Now if you want sheer traffic then there is another route to go. Usually a Scranton small business owner will request traffic when they have a solid diversified link profile and have had some history built up in analytics. You can think of it as giving your car a shot of jet fuel. This can be done through various social media sites like Myspace and Facebook as well as submitting your site to various social bookmaking sites. Never underestimate the power of the social media sites. You can even go after the media side of the internet with sites like YouTube. Developing video shorts about your products or your company could bring you a lot of traffic.

The bottom line before developing seo for small business website is to make sure you know the life stage that your website is in. If you site is just starting out then you need to develop its link profile through link building. If you site has been around for awhile then you might need to look into developing lines of traffic through social sites and video sites.

Over the past couple of months I have met several small business owners in the Scranton, PA area who have had the same questions about web design and search engine marketing, so I figured I would take a moment to share them with you. I will also provide the answers so you can become a little more knowledgeable in small business web design and online marketing.

Question #1: How come there are no sales happening at my online store?

Well that is a common myth that if you build it they will come mentality does not work in the online e-commerce world. You have to make sure your small business website is optimized with proper meta-tags and then you have to market your site online through paid and organic efforts among others.

Question #2: What is Web 2.0 and do I need it?

Web 2.0 is a term that was created to explain the next evolution or step in how we as a society use the World Wide Web. This current phase can help Scranton web designers as well as online marketers bring new customers to their clients by using social media networks and video. So yes embracing web 2.0 into your marketing plan is essential for small business online marketing success.

Question #4: What is the difference between paid and organic search?

The main difference is time. With paid search you can pay to be on the top of the search engine results by way of ads and it would be a matter of hours before you see your ads running along your competition. With organic, it might take several months to see results of link building efforts with in your small business SEO service. Either way time is what you need to be aware of when considering the right route to go.

Question #5: How big of a website do I need and do I need all that flashy intro stuff?

Google and the other search engines do take into account the size of your site when calculating rankings, but size is not everything. A well optimized small business website with only a couple of page could out rank a larger site if it had a solid number of backlinks. Being a Scranton web designer and a small business SEO professional, having a fancy intro is not great for rankings. Sure it makes the site exciting, but it all depends on the type of computer the visitor has on whether the movie plays right or hangs up the browser. You are better of with a site full of embedded videos and pictures then a flash intro.

I have to say that Scranton small business owners have come along way in understanding the internet and how it can benefit them and their business. These are only a few of the questions that I get asked on a daily basis. If you have any questions feel free to contact me through the contact form and I will be happy to help.

Let me show you just a few of the reasons you may want to think about coming to us for a complete website redesign.

Making Your Website Look More Attractive – Does your small business have a website just for the sake of having a website? Is it just a small one that covers just the basics with no bells or whistles since you had no experience in website design? If either of these questions sounds familiar, then chances are you should redesign your website. As a business owner, you want the best results. A major key to seeing success comes from how appealing your website looks.

Organization Can Make All The Difference – Another main reason to get a site redesign is because right now your website is terribly unorganized. Older small business websites contain information scattered throughout the entire site, without any rhyme or reason. Chances are visitors may not find the information they are looking for or get confused by the flow of it and leave. Say goodbye to that potential sale then.

Develop the Right Style For Your Website – Every site designer I know all agree that style is one of the most important aspects of a small business website. We all have those certain things which we would love to see on our websites, but there is also other “stuff” you need to take into consideration when designing a website, for example, what is most suitable for your business, and what would a visitor be most interested in seeing. With a website redesign should could one developed for the style which you are looking for and deserving.

Promote Your Website – One of the main keys to a company’s ecommerce success is the extent of their website promotion. There are a number of different ways to increase your site’s visibility. Some of these are search engine optimization, email campaigns, social media campaigns, PPC campaigns and other forms of internet marketing.

Stay tuned later this week for part two of why a small business should consider redesigning their website.

I wanted to let everyone know we are extremely excited to see 2008 coming and bring with it so many new and exciting opportunities in the world of small business website design. We have a lot of ideas and goals set for the new year and are looking forward to working along side you to make it all happen.

One of those goals is a little project we are putting together for the city of Scranton but we can’t give out anymore information about so you’ll just have to keep checking back in to see. We promise you’ll be impressed. Another one of our pet projects involves food, bars, parks, and web design. Curious what it can be? Again, you’ll have to wait and see.

Most importantly, our main goal is to help you build a presence online for your business. We want to see you succeed. If your business is drawing in paying customers, then we must be doing something right, as well. I hope you can see now why it is so important to us for you to show some great results.

Feel free to check in with us or just shoot us an email to see what we can do for you or if any of these projects sound like something you would be interested in getting involved with. We’re always ready to answer any and all your questions.

• Turn customers into repeat buyers – You want a customer’s experience with you to become a relationship with them. This can be done through analytics as well as collecting and using that information to follow-up with them and hopefully turn it into repeat business. Targeted email marketing campaigns and promotional discounts based on the customer information you have collected tend to work best.
• Become sociable – There are tons of social networks and websites out there just waiting to be marketed. Don’t underestimate how much they can boost your business. Visit and advertise on the websites your customers are at. Running an ad in the newspaper is a waste of time and money. Running an ad on Facebook, however, is a whole new niche of customers to drive business to your site from.
• Use content to draw traffic – Customers may love the products on your website but the search engines love your content. Websites with relevant content rank well in the results pages of the search engines like Google for relevant to your business keywords. If your website sells medical supplies, it better contain plenty of content on the subject. MysticLiquid offers services that can use that content to successfully market your products and drive customers to your ecommerce site.

I told you we had plenty of great ideas. That was just three ways we can help you with your small business e-commerce aspirations. We actually have plenty more ideas just waiting for a website to use them on. Send us an email to see about getting your website on the fast track to online success with some of these ideas.

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