Website Design and SEO Blog by Malcom Chakery

Arlington TX Family Struck By Disaster Needs Your Help

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:14:00 -0600

12/13/11

This past weekend a fire destroyed the home of an Arlington family, who have 2 children – a teenager and an infant. All of their belongings, as well as their family pet, were lost. They were able to escape the burning home with only the clothing on their backs. At present the family is staying with relatives. They are in need of help to both start the recovery process and to bring the holiday season to their children, as all gifts were lost.

The school has spoken extensively with the father, and has developed a list of immediate needs.

Clothing:

Boy (age 13) - pants size 16, shirt youth large, shoes 9 1/2 and a winter jacket and under garments.
Infant (male) - 4 months old, wears 6 month old clothing; also need diapers, baby bottles, etc.
Parents - 30/31 waist and men’s large tops, and jackets

The 13 year old loves Legos and game type toys.

They have lost all furniture and the other items needed for daily living. If anyone has furniture, pots, pans, dishes, small appliances, silverware, clothing, etc, please consider donating them. Please also consider financial donations as well.

We know it is short notice and the holidays are a very busy time for us all, but anything you can do will help this family during their tremendous loss. Please contact me at malcom@chakery.com or by phone at 214-295-5550.

Sincerely,

Malcom Chakery

Playing the Market

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 01:02:03 -0500

Does your company use e-marketing to bring in new customers? Maybe you use e-marketing to keep current customers up to date with what is going on. Perhaps, you have been considering e-marketing, but the assortment of terms and the need to know the proper usage of each term depending on the search engine may be overwhelming.

Well, the authorities in the world of e-marketing recognized this concern, and this week they released schema.org. Schema.org is a site from Google, Bing and Yahoo in which a common vocabulary is used to make structured data markup easier on one’s webpage. Using Schema.org, site owners and web developers will learn about structured data, in addition to how they can improve their search engine rankings.

In the past few years, search engines have worked independently to support structured markup. However, it was recognized that while tools such as the Google Snippets has certainly helped, there needed to be a better way to bring search engine cohesiveness so that the average user could take full advantage of the world wide web. At schema.org site owners can now improve their SERP on all the major sites, with more search engines to be included at later dates.

Especially exciting is that Schema.org has even more categories. Some of the new categories are movies, music, organizations, television shows and many others. The site is also open to feedback from website designers so that they can upgrade and tweak the site as necessary to meet the needs of the users.

So, if you have not explored the world of e-marketing because you did not speak the necessary languages, Schema is sure to make the process smoother. Be sure to take some time to check out and see how it can help you build your business.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, website design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of website design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.comor www.chakeryseo.com

New Tool Google Correlate

Sat, 28 May 2011 01:40:39 -0500

No matter what side of the business industry you are a part of, whether it is product development, marketing, web design, etc…you know how important it is to keep up with the latest trends of your trade. You may do this through frequent watching of the news, following business analysis leaders on Twitter, reading assorted magazines and, most likely, reading your company’s data reports. All of these practices help you stay up on the latest and greatest in your industry’s trends.

Now, to make keeping up with industry trends even easier, you can use a great new tool from Google. This tool, called Google Correlate was released just last week and allows you to upload your own data series and see a list of search terms whose popularity corresponds with what is really happening in the world in relation to the information that you provided.

For instance, when Google use this tool to compare the term “CDC Influenza rate” they found that the number of times people search the web for information on influenza was a near match for the number of people who have/had this ailment. The test period was from 2006 to 2010 and when the graphs were laid one on top of the other, the results virtually imposed on each other.

Google Correlate also allows you to enter in a search term or long tail phrase and find out what other terms were searched for during the same period or perhaps you would like to search by state (i.e. snowfall in Washington, Wyoming and Maryland). Keep in mind, that this Google tool follows the privacy control requirements. In fact, they rely on the anonymity of its users and the searches they make in order to make this data (and any other information) available.

So, if you are looking for a new way to check what is going on in your industry, take advantage of this great Google tool. Remember, knowledge is power; what you do with that knowledge is up to you.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, website design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com or you can reach him by calling 1-855-CHAKERY.

Is Social Media the Answer for Building a Business?

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:07:27 -0500

Are you looking for a way to improve your bottom line? Do you feel as though you are sending frequent e-mails or printing and sending numerous fliers through the USPS? Maybe, you have even tried the “old fashioned” phone calls to promote your company? If you are doing any (or perhaps all) of these methods to boost your business but want to do more, then this is a good time to take advantage of social media sites like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Despite recent reports that social media is only responsible for 12% of sales, this is not a reason to overlook its benefits. After all, Facebook alone has more than 500 million users! Essentially, the lower percentage is simply because social media is still an undeveloped realm in the world of building one’s market. However, if you are willing to start making your mark in social media, then there are 2 keys to success that will help you build your company’s social media marketing campaign:

What are your expectations? Market researchers did a recent survey and found that 65% of consumers who “Like” or “Follow” a company do so in order to get discounts. Conversely, another study found that most businesses use social media in order to get to know their customers better.

Have you been found? Rather than spending time and money courting consumers to come to your company’s social media site, let the consumer come to you. Studies have found that when a consumer comes to you, then they are more likely to be a dedicated customer.

Using social media to promote your business is not likely to disappear any time soon. Yes, there are other ways to advertise, but the number of options and locations are only getting better. The savvy business owner is one who gets involved now, by taking advantage of the many ways social media can be utilized to promote their business.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com or you can reach him by calling 1-855-CHAKERY.

Upgrades to Google Analytics

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:19:00 -0500

Recently, Google Analytics has made some exciting new changes sure to delight anyone who uses their services on a regular basis. These changes include a plethora of features designed to make Google Analytics even more user friendly to the business website. And while all the quirks of the upgrades may not be 100% eradicated (and new web product is ever 100% bug free when it is initially released?), that should not hold one back from taking advantage of the great features now available.

So what are these new features available on Google Analytics? Check this out!

· Users can have up to 20 different dashboards and each dashboard can have up to 12 widgets

· Users can set interaction goals like tracking, optimizing file downloads or how many videos are viewed.

· Graphing and comparing metrics over a set time frame

· Toggling between profiles and sites while focusing on a specific report

In addition to these great new features, Google is also working on these options:

· Exporting reports to PDFs

· Emailing reports

· Migrating reports from the old analytics system to the new one

· Linking new AdWords and AdSense accounts to the upgraded analytics system

· Scheduling e-mails

· In-Page Analytics (a report that lets you see how guests use your website, see what they are clicking on and learn how your site is meeting their needs)

These changes come in addition to new sources for increased exposure through social sites such as Quora, GoWalla and Plixi. These personal networking sites allow you to drive traffic to your site as well as increasing opportunities for exposure and conversion rates. If these sites are unfamiliar to you, don’t fear. According to Website Magazine, they definitely have value as places that drive traffic to your site. Other places you may want to consider for getting website exposure are:

· Pulse.yahoo.com

· Classmates.com

· CafeMom.com

· Fanpop.com

· FormSpring.me

· Circleofmoms.com

· Fotolog.com

· Woome.com

So, what about you? Are you ready to make the Google switch? Why not take a few minutes to check out the new and improved Google Analytics and see what it can do you for you!

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com. Or feel free to call 1-855-CHAKERY.

5 Ways to Build Your Brand

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:00:00 -0500

As the economy continues to struggle, retailers are forced to do all they can to promote their brand and build up their customer base. And whether it is through coupons, special events, sales or promotions it is vital that they make efforts to get their name and their products/service in the public eye.

Of course, when it comes to online shopping, the competition is even steeper as comparison-shopping is as easy as a click of the mouse. In fact, statistics show that there are more than 100 million people using comparison-shopping sites like Google Products each month. Consequently, having your site seen on a comparison-shopping site is a huge boon to your business. If you are eager to get your brand out there, here are five tips to keep in mind:

Don’t be shy!-If budget is an issue, check out free comparison shopping sites such as LeGuide.com, caboodle.com or Shopwiki.com to get started. Take some time to research which sites will work best for your needs.

Take your time when preparing your data.-Use the best images of your product, have content that is free of typos, use accurate titles, the best client reviews and anything else you can put together that will make your products shine.

Get their attention.-Use coupons, special promotions or whatever you can use to promote your product and show consumers that you want them to use your product, but are aware of their desire to save money.

Don’t run out of your product!-Pay attention to how much of the product you have available. You will not build your business if you run out of the promoted product(s).

Continue to do your homework.-Once your products have been listed on comparison-shopping sites for a while, take some time to do some analysis and determine what products are doing the best and make whatever adjustments are needed. Sites such as become.com offer customer service help and the metrics tools to help.

At Chakery Design, we want to see you succeed. Branding is an important part of that success. Call today @ 1-855-CHAKERY if you would like to learn more about promoting your business.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

10 Ways to Develop Content for Your Website

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:17:00 -0500

We have all heard it said, “Content is King”. But how can you keep up with the growing needs of your business, family obligations and other elements of life and yet still keep your website content fresh and interesting? Here are several ways suggested from Peter Prestipino’s book Web 360 to help you keep King Content happy.

1. Repurpose and curate- If you are not an expert on the topic, then you may wish to use other people’s material (be sure to get permission) on their site. One way to collect this information is through RSS feeds.

2. The expert approach-If you are an expert of the topic, share your knowledge with others in weekly/monthly (whatever works for you) in a blog post.

3. Create a company newsletter. If you already have one, then you can just post it on your website.

4. Set up a weblog for your company. This allows content to be shown in reverse order and keeps everyone up to date with what is happening.

5. Press releases and link bait- A press release lets people know what is new and exciting at your company. Link bait is any article that you post on your site that results in other sites linking to it.

If writing isn’t your “thing”, don’t despair. You can still generate content for your website. Here are some quick ways to have new content on a regular basis with little or no keystrokes.

1. Create video or screencast. Use a webcam and record messages on topics related to your site, services and products that you post to your site. Add a brief description and Viola! You have content.

2. Do a podcast of you interviewing a pleased customer or an expert in the field that you can post to your site.

3. Hire a copywriter who is proficient in SEO and have them provide blog post, newsletters, etc.

4. Add pictures of new products; include a brief description that uses your keywords.

5. The user-generated method- Today’s Web is all about user –experience, set up a forum to allow guests to interact with each as well as with yourself or employees you designate.

Keep your website new and exciting by being sure to have plenty of interesting content. Do it yourself or hire it out, but keeping King Content happy is a great way to keep you –and your site users- happy as well.

About the author

Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com

What’s in a Name? 10 Tips for Selecting a Domain Name

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:04:00 -0500

What’s in a Name? 10 Tips for Selecting a Domain Name

If you are considering a new website-whether it is a brand new one or an affiliate of an existing business-one of the most important considerations is the domain name of the business. After all, the domain name is how people will find your business online so you want that name to be easy to remember while letting people know whom or what it is your company does.

Your domain name (also known as your web address or URL) should meet several basic criteria, in order to be easily remembered. These important elements of a domain name include:

The domain name should be easy to type and remember.

Domain names should not be more than 67 characters; this includes numbers and characters.

Avoid hyphens as they are inconvenient to type and are often left out of the web address-especially when it is spoken rather than written.

While keeping the domain name short is recommended, do not make it so short that it is cryptic or difficult to remember.

Avoid using “my” or “the” as part of the name. If you do use my/the be sure that you always include them when you say the name. (e.g. Mynewsite.com not newsite.com)

Avoid plurals or misspellings as they can be forgotten or overlooked.

Select a name that represents you well; include a keyword to improve search engine rankings.

Ideally, you want the TLD (Top Level Domain) extension-.com ; however, .org, .edu, or .net are all good extensions as well. Less advisable extensions are .biz, .co, .us or other lesser known extensions.

Run any ideas for your domain name on BustAName.com to determine if the name will work as well as you envision. You may also want to check Google Keywords to determine if there are any keywords that you might want to include.

Ensure that you are not violating any trademark issues. This can be checked at USPTO.com or Domain Law on sedo.com.

Once you have a domain name that you are pleased with and that meets as many of the criteria above as possible, you are ready to get started on building your website. Talk to Chakery Design about creating a website that is all you want it to be.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

How to Promote Your Company Using Social Media

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:41:00 -0500

By now, you have likely realized that one of the best ways to give exposure to your company, without investing huge amounts of money in advertising, is social media. So, if you have taken the plunge and had a custom Facebook or Twitter design created, you now want to utilize it to the fullest potential. Recently, Mashable.com offered some tips for marketing your business through social media sites. Here is a recap of some their ideas:

1. Show your human side. Be sure that comments and tweets sound like they come from a real person, not just some computer generated info. Have someone (perhaps a team of people) whose job is to keep post fresh an interesting. In addition, don’t stress out if there is a typo or misspelled name on the page. Simply post a note saying “Oops” and correct the error. This lets others know you are human. J

2. Have goal or focus group that you want to reach with your social media site. Thinking about this before you begin interacting online will save time in the long run and help build your brand as well.

3. Interact-Listen and respond to what your fans and followers are saying. Be sure to respond to questions and comments. This is a great way to let people know they are important to you. Also, it will allow you to deal with any negative situations before they result in a lack of business.

Have good content. Don’t just focus on interacting with your fan base, provide them with something interesting to look at, read, listen to, etc. Consider using polls to find out what your followers are thinking about or are looking for.

Be sure you understand the differences in platforms. Twitter is best for basic customer inquiries, saying thanks, brand updates and basic conversational dialogue. Facebook is more like a community and is great for announcements. For many businesses, Twitter allows for more conversation than Facebook, which is why you see so many businesses, television programs and celebrities using it.

So, be social and build your business online. Whether you do all the communication yourself or have a team do the social media for you, you will be amazed at how something so relatively simple can make such a big difference in promoting your company.

About the author

Web Designs Mistakes You Want to Avoid

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:48:00 -0500

Your website is one of the best tools you have for building your business. Think about it. Even if you are out of the office, people can visit your website and learn who you are and what you do whether you are there or not. Consequently, you want your website to be a positive user experience so your company will be successful. To ensure that your website is all you need it to be, here are five mistakes you want to avoid:

1. Difficult to navigate- When people visit your site, they are looking for specific information. If they cannot find it, they will leave. Keep in mind that most web users have a limited attention span, so if your website is too difficult to find things on, they will go somewhere that makes knowledge gathering easy. This ease of use can be done through navigation icons, logical groups of related links and page-by-page information telling them where they are and how to get to another topic or page.

2. Not having a call to action- Once you have traffic on your website, you want them to take the next step and purchase, sign up or contact you. However, be careful not to have multiple calls to action on each page as that will cause confusion. When you insert your call to action, keep these four elements in mind: size, shape, color and position.

3. Color and contrast- Be sure that the colors used do not make it difficult for your guest to read-especially for those who may be color-blind or have poor vision.

4. Content- Most people do not read unless they have to, and prefer to scan the material to get to the information relevant for them. Other elements of content are: Plenty of white space so the reader can focus on the content of your site, having information broken up into logical sections with clear headings and font sizes, and margins that allow the guests to peruse with ease. You should also be sure that your content is spelled and punctuated correctly, as this adds to the professionalism of your site.

5. Clutter- Don’t overload your site guests with too much information in a minimal amount of space. Before placing an item on a page, ask yourself if it meets these parameters: Does it really need to be there? Does it promote and sell your product? Does the new item help guests get the information they need? Is it clear whether or not the item is a promotion or just content? If you answer, “no” to any of these questions, then it may be a good idea to leave the item off the page or perhaps add a new page to the site.

These are just a few common mistakes made on business web pages. Don’t let your website suffer because of these mistakes.

About the author

Facebook Fan Page Design

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:55:00 -0500

Social media is one of the best ways available to promote your business. After all, with more than 500 million Facebook users worldwide the potential for increasing your business by 100% (or more) is totally achievable. However, if you do not do what it takes to attract customers, then it does not matter what the potential is. At Chakery Design, we want you to succeed help in every aspect of your business. One way we can do that for you is by creating a customized Facebook design for your company’s Facebook page.

A custom Facebook page design will help establish your brand. In addition, you can use your page to let your customers know the latest news about sales, products and special events as well as give people a sense of who you are. After all, it is a way to have your face on the web and you want it to be the best it can be.

Your Facebook design is most successful when it works in conjunction with your company webpage so you want it to have similar elements. Tabs for contest entries, about us, contact, home or landing page, video or picture gallery or a page with brief blog posts offer guests a chance to get to know you.

Not only do you want to attract new customers to your company, but also your Facebook design should allow customers to interact with each other as well as with you. Your company Facebook page is also a great place to collect client testimonials along with any input regarding services or products.

A custom Facebook design can also allow you to run targeted advertising campaigns, thanks to being able to keep up with what your customers are saying and asking for. In addition, you can deal with problems easily. For example, if a customer comments on Facebook that a particular item is unsatisfactory, you can address the problem quickly and thus build a stronger brand by showing you care.

Your Facebook design does not mean that you need to learn an assortment of applications or codes. You can leave all that to the Facebook designer. All you need to do is use your custom Facebook page to build your customer base so you can succeed beyond your wildest dreams.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

Which CMS is Best For You? Open Source Or Closed?

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:54:00 -0500

When it comes to designing and developing a website, one of the most important features is that it is manageable. As a result, developers are frequently releasing new content management systems (CMS) so that web developers can easily update webpages, add new products, conduct surveys or any other element that will make their websites more profitable. These CMS may be a free open source program that allows anyone to make updates for it or the CMS may be a closed source, which is known for having tighter restraints so that the program cannot be changed by anyone.

But which of these is better? The answer has been much debated, but it ultimately comes down to what you need or want to be able to do with your site. If you have not made up your mind, here are some of the pros and cons of open and closed source CMS.

Open source CMS allows numerous people to work on the software, so anyone who understands coding can tweak the program to suit their needs. They will typically include instructions so you can change the open source system based on whatever criteria you have. Of course, the same ease of use can also result in your site being easily hacked, so you need to be sure to include as many security measures as possible. (However, these hacks are repaired quickly, as anyone who can write a patch can correct it.)

Closed source has better security and you are able to get help from the developer should you have any problems. Closed CMS programs grant the user the right to use the program based on parameters stated in the contract and usually forbids modification or distribution. Keep in in mind that if you have an e-commerce site, a closed source may not be your best option, but closed source will work well for other types of websites.

At Chakery Design, we use a CMS program called Gooey CMS that allows us to design a custom website based on your needs. We would love to work with you to create a website that promotes your company on the Web.

About the author

Landing Pages

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:34:00 -0500

Just as your homepage is important to keeping your customer’s interest, equally imperative is having an effective landing page. If your company focuses on marketing, then one of the best ways to build clientele is with a landing page. These pages, sometimes called microsites, are designed to boost the number of site visits and sales through the use of marketing campaigns.

If you are considering a landing page, one of the most important things you can do is to be sure that the landing page is designed with search engine optimization in mind-to do less, will defeat the purpose. Of course, you do not want to fill your landing page with so many keywords that your page is not ranked. However, you do want your landing page to do the following:

Collect leads that will result in sales.

Get to know the visitors so you can follow up and seal the deal.

Help the potential customers understand who you are, what you offer and how you are different form your competitors.

Provide a way (e-mail, phone number, etc.) for guests to contact you should the customer not wish to leave their personal information.

Be sure that it is mobile device-friendly by keeping the navigation simple, URLs under 40 characters, having clearly labeled links and quick-loading interfaces (under 100 kilobytes).

Once you have determined how to best incorporate these objectives, you will want to design your landing page. When deciding the landing page’s look, be sure that it has subheadings that allow the guest to easily see who you are. You may choose to tell a story, include client testimonials, have a picture gallery or any other form of show and tell. In addition, your landing page should aesthetically pleasing with plenty of whitespace and an obvious call to action button.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

How Relevant is Your Homepage?

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:30:43 -0500

Perhaps the most important page of your website is your home page. And, while most of us have heard that you should never judge a book by its cover, when it comes to your website, its “cover” is often what decides whether a guest will stay or leave. Moreover, while you may think your website’s homepage is warm and inviting, your guests may not agree.

If you want to test the usability of your website, ask a friend who has not previously visited your site to do so and then give you their honest feedback. If they love it and find it easy to navigate, then you have done your research and executed a hip homepage. However, if they have more cons than pros, then you have some work to do. If you find yourself in this less than perfect place, here are some changes and considerations to make.

1. Help guest be aware of what you are offering. If a site guest cannot easily find what it is they are looking for, they will leave. Conversely, if your homepage has too much activity, then you will lose them as well. Remember if you emphasize everything then nothing is important.

2. Determine what your homepage’s goal is. Do you want to showcase products, introduce yourself to the customer or show off the latest press release? Whatever it is, make that your focal point. Ideally, your goal is to sell your service/product through presenting its qualities in a way that is inviting and clear.

3. Optimize your homepage by using elements that support your conversion rate. For some sites this may be done with multimedia graphics while another may be better served with text or video. Keep in mind Dr. Tony Alessandro’s rule, “Do unto others as they want done to them.”

Simply put, you want guests to your homepage to have a cover that is inviting and interesting. After all, if they do not stay a while, you won’t have the opportunity to get to know them as clients or customers. Be sure that your homepage draws guests in.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

How Mobile Is Your Website?

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:04:19 -0500

Recently a friend shared an experience with me regarding internet use. She had wanted to download tickets for a local event. Unfortunately, the site was not compatible for mobile users, so she was unable to follow the link that was sent to her for printing the tickets. Happily, she was able to contact the person heading up the event and get her tickets that way, instead.

However, her frustration made me wonder how many sites there are that have not updated to suit the needs of today’s mobile consumer. After all, if you are trying to sell a product or service you don’t want to lose customers simply because your site cannot be navigated on a mobile device.

If you have yet to update your website for the mobile user, consider this. Cisco has predicted that worldwide mobile traffic will increase by 25 times between now and 2015, largely in part to the extensive amount of video consumption on today’s mobile devices. (Website Magazine, April 2011) So, if you have a company that is primarily a web-based business and have yet to make your website mobile-friendly, then you will ultimately loose a large percentage of new customers—and perhaps some of the existing ones.

In a day where money and budgeting is tighter than it has been decades, this is not the time to decide that upgrades are unnecessary. After all, you want your website to be user –friendly so your sales increase and your site guests can’t wait to come back and visit again. Make sure your website is on the move so your customers will not move on to someone else!

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

+1 More Ways to Reach Customers Online "Google"

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:17:04 -0500

In their ever-changing effort to make the world’s most popular search engine more useful, the good people at Google are unveiling the new feature today that might seem familiar to a lot of users: a “+1” button that appears next to search results and sponsored ads.

What is the +1 change all about? Similar to Facebook’s “like this,” it’s a chance for searchers to note a result that they find particularly helpful, and to share that opinion with others in their (for now) Gmail network. In other words, when you click on +1, your contacts can see it if they run across the same search result. What’s more, Google plans to start compiling +1’s, possibly for integration into their search algorithm. Eventually, more +1’s will likely mean a more relevant site and better search positioning.

For Google, this is a great move. Not only does it add the possibility that searches will become more efficient, since people can now essentially “vote” on which sites and pages are most helpful, but it also makes the world’s largest search engine more social. Facebook and Twitter already offer similar options, and this is a smart way for Google to join the game. Additionally, it could make ads more valuable, as users can +1 those as well, giving certain marketers better exposure.

Only time will tell how +1 is going to shake out, but it certainly adds a new and interesting dimension to search engine optimization. By bringing users directly into the mix and asking for their opinions in a way that goes beyond simply finding out where they collect and spend their time, Google is essentially furthering their trend of rewarding sites with interesting, relevant content that’s written for people… not search engine spiders.

SEO is changing all the time, and mostly for the better. By giving users another tool to find what they’re actually looking for, what Google is really doing is giving you +1 ways to stand out in the crowd.

Tired of search engine optimization talk and want to start seeing results on Google, Yahoo, and Bing? Contact Chakery Web Design & SEO for a free consultation today!

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

3D Website Design and Motion Websites (Wii Like)

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:58:00 -0500

Today, Chakery Design is pleased to announce the introduction of 3D Website Design and Motion Websites. No more bland websites where you point and click your way from homepage to blogs. Now, your website can be the total interactive experience as your products are seen in 3D and site guests can test them out before they buy them.

The Motion Website works much like playing your Wii. Rather than just clicking the “Next” button to go the following page, now you can hop, skip, run or perhaps surf your way to the next page. You can even design the site so that you can go to the next page by moving hands like you would turn the pages of a book. The possibilities are endless!

The 3D feature allows you to make invitations and newsletter more personable. Site guests don 3D glasses (available at numerous locations) so that rather than getting a printed invitation on the computer, now they can have someone “in person” sharing the information. Do you want your customers to experience how your latest improvement to your skill saw works? Now they can try it out before purchasing without fear of damaging the product.

Basic requirements for the 3D and Motion Website designs are Wii controller and balance board or the Kinect game system and you are ready for a totally interactive experience on the Web. Contact us today for more information on how you can convert your website to a 3D or Motion website!

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

This video is a short video explaining our SEO services. It also...

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 03:31:41 -0500

This video is a short video explaining our SEO services. It also goes into detail about some of the clients we serve and the success we have had working with those clients. Visit us online at www.chakeryseo.com or www.chakery.com

How Google Search Is Changing

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:32:00 -0500

Have you been posting articles on your favorite sites, or writing blog post but have not seen any increases in revenue, site guests or SERPs in the past few weeks? If so, don’t despair. At the end of February, Google changed their algorithm, which affected websites of every type and size. This algorithm, dubbed by many as Farmer, is designed to weed out sites where there is an abundance of duplicate and less than stellar quality content. As a result, many site owners saw a significant downslide in revenue and a lowering in page rank.

When asked, Amit Singhal of Google, explained that the weeding determinations were made by sending questionnaires to testers and asking them to rate sites based on questions such as “ Would they be willing to share their credit card ?”, “Did they feel there were more ads than content?” and “Do you feel that this site is authoritative?” Once they had their answers, Google made changes.

These changes mean that website content providers, bloggers and those writing link articles will have to work harder to improve site rank. To fail to do so, will mean one’s site(s) will rank low. If you are one of the 1,000’s who were affected, you may be wondering how to climb back up the page rank ladder. Here are several steps to help you recover:

· Trash any web content that does not add site value.

· Protect what is yours. If you run across content that was unique to your site on another page, run a WHOIS search to locate the site host is, then firmly request that your material be removed from the site.

· Be creative! While imitation may be the highest form of flattery this not so on the web. Write original articles and blog posts so that your site will stand out from the crowd-not blend in at the bottom of the list.

By making just a few changes in your style, before you know it, you can soon be back where you were before the “Farmer” weeded the Web.

About the author

Selecting a Great Website Design Company

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 03:49:00 -0500

Selecting a Great Website Design Company
By: Malcom Chakery, Chakery SEO

You may have decided that you’d give designing your company’s website a shot. You may have also learned that designing a website is not easy. It takes a lot of knowledge, a lot of time, and a good sense of design. That’s one reason why so many businesses opt to hire a website design company to create their website for them. But now a days there seems to be a new website design company popping up every few minutes, so how do you know which one you should select?

Look at the Work

First and foremost, look at the body of work that the website design company has done. Like any good artist, a website design company should have a portfolio for you to look at that gives you an idea of what they are capable of doing. Some design companies create websites that all look the same, which are often called “cookie-cutter designs”. These are websites that are created from a certain amount of templates and where the design basically just plugs the information for each client in where it belongs.

If you’re in search of a high quality website, one that won’t look like just any other website online, then you definitely do not want to go with one of those companies. You should instead look for a company who has a portfolio that shows a great amount of change. One that shows that they can design a website for one company that looks completely different from the website for another company they did, and that all of the designs match the businesses that they were created for.

The Right Information

You will also want to hire a website design company who is knowledgeable about all of the latest things going on with the internet. The internet is an ever expanding thing, and you never know when something new is going to pop up and is going to become the next big thing. Often these things, like Facebook and Twitter, can become indispensible marketing tools for your business, which is why it is vital that the website design company that you hire has not only a great knowledge about how to design a website that matches your company, but also that they’re constantly learning and know all about the latest technology and how they can use it to help your business.

Redesigning

You may already have a website. Having the same website for too long, however, is not always a good idea. It can make your site, and therefore your business, look and feel stale. A talented website design company can redesign the website for you so that it’s fresh. It is important, however, to ensure that not only is the website fresh, but that it retains some of the things that your visitors liked from your previous website. When you’re selecting a website design company, you may want to ask if you can see samples of redesigns that they have done, so that you will know, without a doubt, that you are hiring a website design company that can give you everything that you need.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.