SEO for Beginners: 5 Simple Rules for Ensuring a New Website is Search Engine Compliant

By D M Gray

SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’ and it is a fundamental part of website design. If a new website wants to achieve decent search engine rankings, it will need to incorporate and utilize SEO. The problem is, SEO is a massive subject and parts of it can be complex. There are companies that providing SEO services and some companies even concentrate on specialized areas within SEO itself. However, many new website creators do not have the budget to outsource SEO to an external agency.

Most people planning to create a new website are eager to work on the design and do not want to spend months learning the ins and outs of search engine optimization. They are keen to create a quality website and work on the design and content, but hesitant to delay the design process until they have mastered SEO.

The good news is that it is possible to learn a few simple SEO rules in a short space of time and then incorporate these into a website design. This will then allow the designer to get a site up and running and listed in the search engine results, without stopping to perform in-depth SEO research. These basic rules will ensure that a new website is fully search engine compliant and able to incorporate future SEO modifications – without having to be redesigned from scratch.

Here are the 5 main SEO tactics that aspiring website creators should be concentrating on:

1. 1. Keyword Phrases

A keyword phrase is a short set of words that a website wants to be associated with. For example, if the site is about golf they may want to choose ‘Taylor Made cheap putters’. The main idea is that when a search engine user inputs that particular keyword phrase into a search engine, as a search query, the website will be one of the sites listed in the results.

It is best to opt for keyword phrases that are 3-4 words in length to begin with. Any shorter than this and the website may be selecting phrases that are highly competitive and hard to rank for in a search engine. These longer keyword phrases are often referred to as ‘long-tailed keywords’ and the right phrase can offer a decent amount of monthly searches with minimal competition from other sites.

The simplest and cheapest way to find a keyword phrase is to choose a phrase that the website is associated with – something connected with what the website sells, or promotes – then enter this phrase into Google’s External Keyword Tool. This handy free utility will allow the website to see how many monthly searches the phrase receives and the amount of competition there is for that keyword phrase. The External Keyword Tool will also suggest other keyword options based on the original entry. The External Keyword Tool may even suggest a better keyword phrase for you to use. Keep a record of some of the other topic-related selections with decent search results for use as secondary keywords.

The next step is to head over to Google itself and enter the keyword phrase into Google search and see how many competing sites appear for this phrase. Remember to enclose the phrase in quotes (“”) as this will provide results for that exact keyword phrase.

To begin with, a website should be looking for a primary keyword phrase that has 500-1000 monthly searches, but less than 100,000 competing sites. It is also a good idea to take a closer look at the top ten results on Google and check out the competition. If the top results feature sub-pages rather than actual homepages, there is a good chance that these can be outranked by a website adopting the SEO practices listed in this guide.

1. 2. Domain Name and Main Title

Once a website has a primary keyword phrase, it is time to decide on a main title for the actual website and then look for a domain name.

Ideally, the main title of the site should be the same as the primary keyword phrase or at the very least include the keyword phrase within the title. Choosing a generic website name and then using a different keyword phrase is SEO suicide and can be damaging to a website’s search engine rank. It is a proven fact that search engines place importance on the title and domain name of a website when awarding rank, so having a title and domain name that are identical, or very similar to the keyword phrase, is advisable.

If you think that ‘Taylor Made cheap putters’ is not a good title then use ‘Cheap Taylor Made Putters’. Whilst having the exact same word order is perfect, rearranging the words is acceptable and will still offers an SEO advantage.

If you use web design software, or a platform like WordPress, there will be a specific area to add a website title. If not then the main title is placed between the <HEAD></HEAD> tags at the top of the site’s HTML code and sits between <TITLE></TITLE> tags.

Next, it is time to find a domain name. It is always best to opt for a .com option. This extension can be slightly more expensive, but it is the best recognized, and trusted, of the extensions and search engines reward it with greater importance. A .com extension can be found for $10-15 per year.

The domain name should be the same as the website title you have chosen. If the actual title is unavailable, try adding hyphens in between some of the words. Having a title, domain name and keyword phrase that are all the same is a very powerful SEO combination and will offer a serious advantage when it comes to gaining a good search engine rank.

1. 3. Content

There is a very famous saying that ‘Content is King’ and this is very true. Websites are nothing without content and search engines now place great importance on high-quality content that will be of value to their users.

The homepage should have at least 350-500 words within the body and whilst images can make a page look interesting, only use them if they are relevant, and stay clear of Flash images and JavaScript to begin with.

The primary keyword should be used in the title of the page and should appear once in the first and last paragraph, and a few times in the main body. The amount of words on the page decides how many times the keyword should be used – the keyword phrase itself should only count for 5-7% of the total words in the content body, any more and it could appear as ‘keyword stuffing’.

The keyword phrases can be bolded, or italicized, for greater effect and search engines will pay more attention to these as a result. This means they will notice that the page is all about ‘cheap Taylor Made putters’.

The secondary keyword phrases, saved from the original research, can be used in the content and also used as topics for future content. If you decide to use a secondary keyword phrase – or new phrase entirely – to create a new page; use this new phrase as the title of the page. Every page of the website should have its own keyword-related title. This allows each page to rank for a separate keyword term and means more search engine exposure. Expand on the secondary keyword phrases by repeating your original keyword research and give yourself 3-4 alternative phrases to use in any new content.

Search engines are more intelligent these days and will expect to see related keywords terms, semantic content, synonyms and general topic that relates to the page title. This style of search engine algorithm is often referred to as Latent Semantic Indexing and is a search engines way of ensuring that the content matches the page title and description.

Content is often more user-friendly – and readable – when broken into smaller sections, with each section having its own heading. This is the perfect opportunity to use those secondary keywords as section headings. A main page title should be a H1 heading and the sub-headings should then be H2, if you decide to break each section into even smaller sections these headings can be H3, or H4.

It is vital that a website’s content is kept fresh. Content should be interesting, purposeful and valuable to readers. Search engines like to offer their users new content that answers their queries, so keep the content updated and try to find new interesting angles that is not available on other websites.

1. 4. Meta and Alt tags

Meta Tags

While Meta tags are not as important as they have previously been, there is speculation that they are set to regain their former influence and many search engines still rely on these tags for vital site information.

It takes no time at all to include Meta tags, so it makes sense to include them – especially the keyword and description tags. Meta tags are at the top of the HTML code of a webpage, in the ‘HEAD’ section and will look like this:

<HEAD>

<TITLE>Cheap Taylor Made Putters</TITLE>

<META name=”description” content=”Find cheap Taylor Made putters in Texas – low prices, high standards.”>

<META name=”keywords” content=”cheap taylor made putters, taylor made cheap putters, low priced taylor made putters, cheap taylor made clubs, cheap golf clubs, cheap golf putters”>

</HEAD>

As you can see, a short description for the site is placed in a Meta description tag and the keyword phrases go in the Meta keywords tag. The title is the actual title of the website, or webpage.

There is evidence that Google uses the Meta description in its results listing, so always add your keyword phrase in the Meta description. As stated, some search engines still use Meta tags to establish both the keywords and description for a site, so it is important to use these tags. Remember that Google is not the only search engine you want to appear in.

Alt Tags

Alt tags are used to add a title, or keyword, to an image. The main header, and all images on a page, should possess an Alt attribute. This is a simple addition and involves a small piece of HTML code that is added to the images <IMG> tag (although some web design programs will have shortcuts to add Alt attributes to an image).

Inside the <IMG> tag, add:

ALT=”cheap taylor made putters” (or whatever keyword you wish to use)

Search engines read text, so it adding an ALT attribute to an image lets search engines know the images contained within the page are connected to the subject matter.

1. 5. Links

Links are a huge SEO topic. So this section on links has been split into the following categories: Anchor Text, Internal Links, External Links and Link Quality.

Anchor Text

Both internal and external links should be looking to incorporate the use of keywords and they do this by relying on anchor text. This technique is for textual links but if an image is to be the link then the title and Alt tag of the image can serve as a keyword anchor. Try to avoid graphical navigational links as search engine crawlers can find these difficult to read and crawl.

Anchor text should be varied occasionally so that the primary keyword is not the only one been targeted. Look to create other links, using secondary keywords, so as to avoid any suspicion of keyword ‘spamming’.

A basic anchor-based link relies on HTML code and is formatted like so:

<a href=”The Website Name”>The Keyword</a>

Most web design software programs will have a shortcut function for adding links within text, or for turning words and sentences into links. It is crucial to use keywords in anchor text links because search engines will associate the link with that particular keyword phrase. This connection encourages search engines to rank a website for its selected keywords.

Internal Links

Internal links are used to guide a search engine, and visitors, around the website itself. They are not only important for internal navigation, they allow a search engine to crawl and index every page of the website.

A website homepage is the primary page and all other pages should link directly to this page. It is good SEO practice to choose a few secondary pages, which also contain important content, and add direct links to these secondary pages as well. Basically, each page in a website is assigned an importance and when a page links to another it lends some of its importance to that page. By linking all the weaker pages to the primary and secondary pages, these pages gain more importance. Building up the strength of the secondary pages means they can then pass on their increased importance to the homepage.

A well-organized hierarchical internal linking structure is essential for building overall website strength, increasing customer usability, and improving the website’s importance in the eyes of a search engine.

External Links

External links are formatted in the same fashion as internal links. These links rely on keyword anchors but they serve a slightly different purpose. In order to rank highly in organic search engine listings, a website must have a strong collection of topically relevant backlinks to the site.

A backlink simply refers to a link on another website that points directly to your site; this can be from a competitor’s website, a forum, a collection of blogs, directories, social media sites etc. There are many methods for obtaining backlinks and many companies make a lot of money by specializing in providing linking services.

To start with you can post on related blogs and forums that allow link inclusion, or utilize the power of social media (social networking site profiles, video marketing, submitting site content to social bookmarking sites etc). Another good link-building strategy is to submit articles to article directories and to other websites. External links are extremely important for achieving a good search engine rank.

Link Quality

There are two main types of backlinks: one-way and reciprocal.

A one-way link is a link from one website to another. A reciprocal link is when two websites link to each other. Reciprocal links are sometimes referred to as two-way links, or a link exchange. Reciprocal links are usually easier to find as they benefit both parties concerned although one-way links are regarded by search engines as having more importance. With a one-way link, a search engine assumes that this is not simply a beneficial exchange; it is a vote of confidence from one site to another without ulterior motive.

Links from topically similar websites are superior, especially if the link comes from a site that has authority and a high quality score – although these links are harder to obtain. The structure of external linking should be similar to that of internal link hierarchy. The majority of links should point to the homepage, but a decent amount need to be directed to secondary and lower-category pages.

Links are a search engines map and they are a website’s route to good search engine rankings. The better the map and the more places on the map pointing back to a website, the easier it can be located by a search engine and the greater search engine exposure it will receive.

Shortcut to SEO

By following these 5 important SEO techniques, a new website will give itself every chance of earning a good search engine rank in the fastest possible time. SEO is a huge subject and can take years to master, but you do not have to learn everything all at once. These 5 SEO strategies alone are more than enough to fully prepare a new site for search engine inclusion.

Website optimization is constantly changing. New technologies and ever-changing search engine algorithms ensure that SEO never sits still. This guide is designed to assist a new developer create – and manage – an optimized website and ensure that website will be able to incorporate future SEO strategies and techniques, as and when they come along.

If you’d like to learn more about how to save money and do inbound marketing yourself, visit Hubspot.com and get certified for inbound marketing – FREE – with their Inbound Marketing University at http://inboundmarketing.com/university.

Extend the Life of Your Laptop Battery

Laptops are great.  They are mobile and compact, yet they have many of the same features that desktop computers offer.  However, they do have one drawback.  A common complaint about laptop computers is that their battery life does not support prolonged computer use.  It can be very aggravating when a laptop dies as you are trying to watch a DVD or write a report that is several pages long.  To maintain mobility and avoid having to constantly use a power cord, try implementing the following tips the extend the life of your laptop battery.

1.  Adjust the brightness settings on the LCD.

LCDs make great screens for laptops, but they consume a lot of power.  You can reduce the screen’s power consumption by turning down the brightness settings.  This can add a significant amount of time to the battery life, and you probably won’t notice the change in screen appearance.

2.  Disconnect.

External devices, such as a USB cord running to a camera, can drain a battery faster than you might expect.  Even if you are not actively downloading pictures from the camera, it is still placing a significant load on the battery.  To prolong the laptop battery’s life, disconnect non-essential items immediately after you are done using them.

3.  Turn the computer off when not in use.

Although it seems like a no-brainer, users should always turn their laptops off when they are not in use.  It is very easy to just fold the laptop and pack it away, but without properly going through the shut down procedure the laptop will stay on and waste power.  If you will only be gone for several minutes you can put the computer in hibernate mode, but leaving the computer for a longer period of time means that it should be shut down.

4.  Clean up the hard drive.

Most laptop users are not aware of exactly how many programs are running while the computer is in use.  For example, you might be browsing the web while your computer is also running an antivirus or spyware program.  Turning off these automatic programs will decrease the strain on your hard drive and the computer will require less power to operate.

5.  Clean the battery itself.

Lastly, laptop users can extend the lives of their laptop batteries just by cleaning them.  Simply remove the battery from the underside of the laptop and clean the contacts using a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol.  This will help remove any dust, grime, or residue that may cause a weak battery connection.  Computer experts recommend that laptop batteries receive this type of cleaning every two months for optimum battery life.

Laptops are some of the most convenient electronics available, and these personal computers are invaluable for on the go individuals.  By using these simple tips, laptop owners can see a significant increase in battery life and enjoy hours of mobile web browsing, entertainment, and so much more.

Reducing Computer-Related Stress: Maintaining an Organized Work System

You can improve your productivity and efficiency by keeping your work system organized and adopting good habits when you’re using the computer. Here are some steps you can take to make things easier and to keep stress from getting the better part of you.

Using the Computer

1. Bookmark each website you visit frequently. Make sure you categorize them properly so you can easily locate a website when you need to.

2. Empty your email inbox often. It’s a good habit to answer emails immediately to avoid buildup backlog. If you’re using more than one email address, use an email client that can access your different accounts and download all your emails to your computer. That should save you time and effort logging in to different services just to check your mails.

3. Almost everyone who uses the computer also needs an office application like a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and so on. There’s no need to spend a fortune on proprietary software because you can always use OpenOffice, an open-source program. It’s free software.

4. Take advantage of the many freeware utilities on the Internet. You can have your choice of scientific calculators, world clocks, password managers, and the like and place them on your desktop. They’re very handy especially the different clocks if you’re doing business with people who are in different time zones.

Organizing Your Work Station

Equally necessary to organizing your computer work system is putting your work space in order. Keep it neat and clutter-free. Arrange your things so you have enough space to move around freely but not too much that it seems you’re holding office in a warehouse.

Accessing Your Data

Data loss and failure to access files are also common causes of computer-related stress. Here are some things you can do to minimize your stress:

1. If you’re highly reliant on your work files, make sure you have a plan in place in case you have data loss. When you’re typing documents, have the auto-save function on.

2. You may also want to save your files manually while you are working on them and periodically create a duplicate copy you can revert to in case you can’t undo any edits you’ve done.

3. Regularly back up all your data on an external hard drive or using an online storage facility.

4. Invest in a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) to prevent data loss during power failure. A UPS will let you continue with your work even when the power goes out and allow you to save your files and shut down your computer properly.

5. If you must always be connected to the Internet, it may be a good idea to maintain a dial-up account with another ISP to serve as your backup connection in case of unexpected problems with your current broadband access.

6. Another way you won’t be able to retrieve your data is if you can’t recall your password. If you need to access a number of sites related to your work and you must remember several passwords, you will need either a password-management program or a physical device to help you with your passwords. KeePass (keepass.info) is a good password manager. It’s an open source software, which means it’s free. There is a KeePass version for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X computers.

Gain More Knowledge

Try to find the time to take up a basic course on how to repair computers. You’ll find it handy when your computer acts up and techies are not around to help you with your computer problems. It’s also a good idea to learn how you can automate your routine tasks so you can focus more on those that require human decisions. Try to learn simple programming languages and you might even enjoy them. You could even engage in freelance coding when you get really good at it.

Keep in mind the tips mentioned above and you’ll be able to go about your computer work stress-free.

Save Money on Office Productivity with Open Source OpenOffice.Org

by Elizabeth Ann West

Office productivity suites are a universal requirement for businesses around the world. Traditionally, these four software types are responsible for creating word processing documents, spreadsheets, slide presentations, and databases. Microsoft has changed the vernacular to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. But organizations can use free and open source software on any operating system, Microsoft, Linux, or Mac, and save bundles on license costs.

A recent check on the bulk pricing for Microsoft Office with a certified Microsoft reseller offered each license at $259 as a special offer, when 15 or more licenses are purchased (Data Resolution, dataresolution.net). For an organization of 15 people, that’s a cost of almost $4,000. Not only that, but then there is also the license cost for the Windows operating system. OpenOffice.org’s office suite is free, and a complete solution to Microsoft’s proprietary office software.

There is one downside, and that’s with open source you won’t be forced to learn the newest inane software Microsoft is pushing to create even greater dependency on their product lines. Open source streamlines and keeps resource use efficient. Instead of three products to make various types of documents, Word, Publisher, and InfoPath, the main functions of these software titles are housed in one– OpenOffice.org’s Writer.

OpenOffice.org offers five main categories of office file creators: Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Base.

Writer is the nicer looking cousin to Microsoft’s Word. Users can make simple documents, save them in a variety of file formats including .doc, .xml, or even export as a PDF. In addition, users can create complex forms, just like Microsoft’s InfoPath and newsletters or posters like Publisher. There is even a one-stop click to export a document straight into HTML.

Calc is the spreadsheet software title for OpenOffice.org. It also supports Excel formats and even Microsoft Access data exports. It also integrates well with Writer and OpenOffice.org’s database title, Base.

Impress creates slide show presentations, and will save or open PowerPoint files. Users can add animation, music and movies, and even download user submitted slide backgrounds.

Draw is image creating software, with added functionality to make even novices look like experienced graphic artists. There is free draw, and a number of pre-set shapes users can use to create logos or other graphics for presentations and documents.

Base creates and edits databases. It also allows users to create relational databases, forms, and create macros. Advanced users can download a driver from MySQL for integration between the two software titles and using the database in web applications.

OpenOffice.org is completely free to use, distribute, and work on. In fact, users contribute extensions for specific functionality on a regular basis. An SEO writer can download and install an add-on that counts the top 10% frequently used words in a selection– a perfect solution for keyword density checks. OpenOffice.org’s office suite also works on Windows, Mac, and Linux distributions.

All of OpenOffice.org’s office software is integrated into one workspace. Meaning, a user opens OpenOffice.org and from there can create anything available from the five main office document categories. Tutorials and help are also available for free from the online community.

One of the best things about OpenOffice.org is the community development. Users can ask for specific features and there is a two-way dialogue with developers. Try asking Microsoft for a new feature not included in the original software. Also, the software is modeled on Microsoft’s titles for easy transitioning from proprietary office software to open source office software. There are a few differences, but most of them make logical sense. Who on earth though formatting a page should be under the File menu instead of Format? In Writer, everything that can be formatted is under the Format menu, including page margins.

Organizations large and small can benefit from switching to open source office software. There isn’t even a need to abandon Microsoft products already purchased. Just add OpenOffice.org to workstations and give it a test drive. Then, when a new version of Microsoft’s Office comes out, complete with a licensing price tag, your organization can decide if it’s worth it to stay with proprietary office software. Finally, since OpenOffice.org is open source, many other open source programs can work with it, like open source email clients.

Save Green While Going Green – 3 Ways To Conserve Computer Energy

Did you know that after office lighting, computers and monitors have the highest energy consumption in office environments? The processor in your PC which allows you to perform mission critical operations but can’t do so without energy to keep it running. The cost of using just one computer can add up to several hundred dollars a year. However, using automated power management on each of your computers / monitors, could add up to significant savings. The amount of savings depends on your/your staff’s current habits – i.e., people who usually keeps their computer on 24/7 could save hundreds.

Did you also know that studies show that 35-65% of computer equipment are not turned off every night and weekend? That’s 75% of the time, computer equipment is on when not in use wasting energy and precious profits. Even if you/your staff turn off computer equipment every night, check out these tips for energy conservation that you might not be aware of:

1. Turn it Off! (obvious one)

The most basic step you can take when trying to conserve energy on your computer is to simply turn it off. This sounds obvious, and it is, but getting into the habit of turning your computer off can actually be rather difficult. Thankfully, you don’t have to get into the habit at all. By configuring automated power management putting your computer to sleep you can dramatically reduce energy usage either whenever the computer is idle (not just during off-hours).

HOW: Simply go to the Power Options menu in Windows and set the computer to automatically Sleep if it is not used after fifteen minutes. Now your computer will automatically turn itself off even if you forget.

Don’t forget to turn off other devices attached to your computer, as well. External hard drives, printers and other such hardware require power in order to operate, even in standby mode. Turning these devices off will conserve even more energy.

2. Use Power Management

While we’re messing with the Power Options menu, lets also implement some settings which will reduce power consumption while the computer is still on.

HOW: Click on Change Plan Settings to open one of the Power Plans listed. Change the options here so that your computer’s display is dimmed after two minutes and is turned off completely after five minutes. This will make sure that your computer isn’t using much power if you turn away from it momentarily.

Next, click on Advanced Plan Settings. Expand the Hard Disk section of the menu which opens and set the Hard Disk to turn off after five minutes of inactivity. This will further reduce your computer’s power consumption at idle.

3. Upgrades Reduce Power Consumption

If you have an older computer, you might want to consider upgrading it. Generally speaking, newer computers components are far more power efficient than older ones. Replacing an old processor with a newer model can result in less power consumption. Replacing the power supply can also achieve this goal.

Of course, you may not be comfortable tinkering around inside your computer and decide to replace it altogether. If you do decide to buy a new computer, look for one which is Energy Star certified. Energy Star is a set of government standards for ultra-low power consumption devices. The Energy Star website has a list of all computers which have earned Energy Star certification.

You can also reduce power consumption by upgrading your display if you’re still using an old CRT model monitor. These big, bulky monitors use between two and four times more power than a modern, slim LCD display. This upgrade alone can slash the amount of power your computer uses overall. (Note, the larger the screen, the more energy it uses.)

Lastly, studies have shown that laptops require less power than do desktops (55-70 watts while active and 2-9 watts while off for desktops compared to 12-22 watts while active and 1.5-2 watts while off).

So, to wrap up, use power management while computers are idle, turn off (or completely unplug) computers / monitors off at night and make sure you are operating on energy efficient equipment!

If you would like help in configuring your computers to take advantage of these energy savings settings OR if you’re interested in upgrading / replacing energy intensive equipment for your home office or office, please give us a call our Help Desk Support Team at R&B Communications 530-478-1137.

Make Your Computer Run Faster: Three Tips and Tricks

Make Your Computer Run Faster: Three Tips and Tricks

Have you been noticing that your computer is running much more slowly than it was before? Have you been frustrated with the loading times of simple programs such as Internet Explorer or Outlook? If so, you might not need a new computer. There are many reasons why your computer might be running more slowly. Often cited causes include viruses, newly installed software, or recent hardware changes that might be affecting your computer’s operation. However, these are not usually the causes of computer slowdowns. More likely than not, your computer is running more slowly because of something a little more common. If you want to make your computer run faster, follow the three tips below.

1. Clean Up Disk

The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk by searching your disk for files that you can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all of the files. Use Disk Cleanup to perform any of the following tasks to free up space on your hard disk.

Go to Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup

Files to delete: (Check only the below items)
Temporary Internet Files
Recycle Bin
Temporary Files

Click OK, then Yes to verify the action.

2. Defragment Your Hard Drive

Defragmenting feels like it belongs in the ’90s, but it’s still as relevant today as it was back then. Over time, as your hard drive fills up, it can no longer find continuous empty space in which to store a file. When this happens, Windows splits the file over multiple spaces. When the file is read, the hard drive cannot just look in one location, but instead has to travel to multiple places to read the entire contents. With enough fragmented files, the computer slows down as it cannot read the drive’s contents efficiently. Defragmenting your drive is simple: go to Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter. Follow the steps from there.

3. Disable Unnecessary Devices

There are many unnecessary devices located within Device Manager. Take the time and go through them. If you identify devices, like a game port that you never use, go ahead and make them disabled. Doing this reduces the number of devices that are initialized when you start your computer. Typically, this allows your machine to load faster. Remember to exercise caution. If you do not know exactly what a device is, never disable it. Doing so can do more harm than good.

Conclusion

Chances are that following the steps in this guide will help improve your computer’s performance. Check your devices, defragment your hard drive, and disable any unnecessary devices. If none of these work, then it is highly recommended that you start searching for viruses and other causes. However, the above tips will usually lead to a good performance boost.

If all else fails, call us at 530.478.1137 for a free computer tune-up when you bring your computer in to the store front (Grass Valley, CA) or write to us  regarding your problem at info@rb-com.com.

How to make social marketing work for your business – for free!

by beconrad

The first Internet revolution transformed a private and proprietary Defense Department network into a worldwide phenomenon that changed the way we work, the way we play, the way we interact with one another – and the way our businesses market their goods and services.

Now the second Internet revolution is underway, and Web 2.0 sites like Yelp!, Facebook, Twitter and others are promising to change the business landscape even more dramatically.  Already many smart businesses are positioning themselves to take advantage of these powerful social networking and Web 2.0 sites, and the potential for those sites is only expected to grow in the future.

Foursquare and the Power of Local Community

While the Internet in all its incarnations has a global reach, local resources are still an essential part of social networking and the Web 2.0 revolution.  Foursquare provides residents with a chance to explore their cities, towns and local communities, including your business.  By positioning their businesses within the Foursquare community, smart businesses can benefit from all important word of mouth advertising.  This unique form of advertising cannot b purchased at any cost, but the benefits that advertising provides can be priceless to your business.

Users of the Foursquare community gather together to share insights and information about the various businesses in their communities, talking about everything from the best bar for an after work get together to the best place to get an ice cream cone. By checking the site for mentions of their own firms, business owners can keep tabs on what customers really think, and those insights can be invaluable when it comes to marketing their businesses and putting their best foot forward.

Reward Your Customers with Groupon

These days more and more consumers are using coupons to make ends meet, and smart businesses have been using coupons to build customer loyalty and enhance the visibility of their firms.  While there are many coupon sites on the Internet, one of the most intriguing – and most powerful – is a site called Groupon.

With the Groupon site, visitors can sign up and be rewarded with unbeatable deals and money saving coupons.  Businesses who participate in the site are rewarded as well – with loyal customers, excellent sales and greater visibility.  Relationships that would take a great deal of time and money to foster the old fashioned way can be forged within a matter of days by using sites like Groupon.

Yelp! Reviews

Word of mouth advertising cannot be purchased, and yet it is one of the most powerful – and most valuable – forms of marketing in the world.  Sites like Yelp! allow ordinary consumers to speak out about the great – and not so great – products they have purchased and services they have received.

Savvy business owners can use Yelp! as  a way to gain valuable business intelligence.  So many business owners simply do not understand how important it is to check their online reputations, but that willful blindness can be dangerous.  By keeping tabs on social media and taking a look at what others are saying about your store, you can make the necessary adjustments and make sure future users will have only good things to say.

By taking an honest look at customer complaints business owners can adjust their practices as necessary and make changes that will enhance the long term value of the business.  For instance, if you notice some not so nice comments about a particular clerk, it may be time to sit down for a chat with that employee.  If you see a lot of positive comments about a new product, you may want to feature that product prominently and offer special discounts to new customers who try it.

The Power of Facebook

When Facebook first hit the scene, many business owners wrote it off as a waste of time.  But over the last couple of years, many of those business owners have begun to sing a different tune.  With the right approach, Facebook can be a powerful marketing tool for your business.  With a Facebook page you can introduce your existing customers to your latest products and services, introduce would be customers to your company and offer discounts, coupons and other special offers to your customers.

A Facebook page can serve as a powerful addition to a dedicated business website, but some business owners are finding that Facebook is so powerful that it can be used as a substitute for an expensive business website.  Using a Facebook page as a substitute for a traditional website can make a great deal of sense, especially for cash strapped startup businesses.  With Facebook there are no monthly hosting charges, no expensive web development fees and no ongoing costs.  In addition, substituting your Facebook page for a traditional website eliminates the need to update two different online presences.  This allows your staff to dedicate their time to keeping your Facebook profile up to date with the latest news, discount offers and product demos.

Tweeting for Fun and Money

If you can craft a powerful marketing message in 140 characters or less, you can get the attention of customers and grow your business without spending a dime.  Like Facebook, Twitter was once written off as simply a waste of time, but many smart companies are now using their tweets to communicate with customers, craft special offers and offer coupons to their followers.

Twitter can also be used in conjunction with other Web 2.0 services like Facebook, Yelp! and others.  Updating your Twitter page with information about your company’s latest products and services is an excellent way to keep your customers informed, and tweeting the latest strange news stories can keep your customers entertained.  One of the best things about sites like Twitter, and Web 2.0 services in general, is the sense of the community those sites can foster.  Whether your store serves local customers only or has a global reach, you can use the power of social media and social networking to communicate with those customers and make them feel special.  By offering coupons and discounts to your Twitter followers, you can foster a feeling of community among your customers and help them get the most out of their special relationship with your firm.

No one knows what the future holds for the Internet, and this powerful technology has already undergone a number of powerful revolutions.  The exact nature of the next web revolution is not yet known, but for now it is all about Web 2.0 and the power of social marketing.  By positioning themselves within this space, smart companies can take advantage of the power of the web to grow their business and the visibility of their companies.  Smart businesses are already using the power of Web 2.0 to grow market share and grab new customers – isn’t it about time your company discovered the power of Web 2.0?

Social media in the workplace

With the explosion of social media sites like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. how is your business being impacted (productivity of staff and internet bandwidth and resource consumption)? Should social media sites be banned from the workplace?