ing and maintaining a website. However, some of these systems were created without taking into consideration the indexability of the pages that they generated. If you are planning to let users update pages on your website, either through a CMS system, or through dynamic pages, you must ensure that the system you are putting in place requires these users to specify individual page titles, descriptions, and a different set of keywords for each page. In addition, the system should allow pages to include ALT labels for all images (this is the text that appears in lieu of images when the browser does not download them, or when a browser for the blind is used) and TITLE labels for each of the defined links (this is the text that appears inside a small yellow box when the pointer is on a link). That is the minimum set of prerequisites that should be met. Although, it would be ideal if the CMS itself automatically generated the appropriate HTML code: correct use of header labels Hx, W3C validated code, accessibility-compliant code, etc.

5. Internal search engines: do not hide your web content

Websites that specialize in e-commerce, real estate, and others that may offer a fairly large number of products or items usually include a local, internal search engine. Typically, these engines consist of a small form where users can enter the criteria that they are interested in and the system returns all available items that meet those criteria. Even though this form of navigation is extremely efficient from a user’s perspective, it makes all web content that sits behind this local search engine practically invisible to the external search engines. The automated search engine crawlers are unable to fill the small forms and therefore can never

Website owners often request the services of a web positioning firm after they realize that their websites are not achieving the desired results. It turns out that in many cases, inherent programming issues, or the website architecture itself may keep optimization efforts from ever becoming 100% effective. Therefore, the best way to improve the indexability of a website is by involving positioning experts during the initial design phases. That is when certain aspects of a web design must be properly considered and nailed down to avoid costly web positioning efforts later on, or worse yet, to not make positioning an almost impossible task once the site has been published.

Once a website has been completed and published, obtaining a good ranking from an Internet search engine –Google, MSN Search or Yahoo- usually becomes one of the highest priorities. Oddly enough, during the conception, design and programming phases of a website –in other words, during its creation- that same priority does not seem to be present in a developer’s mind, nor is requested by a client when ordering the site. And even though a web developer, with very good intentions, may use the most advanced programming techniques and the most refined graphic designs, and a webmaster may also host the site on the most modern and sophisticated web servers, the website may experience problems at a later time when it fails to appear within the top search engine results. The reason for this is typically tied to the fact that the designer never took into consideration the most basic indexing aspects of a website and also ignored the fundamentals for web usability, accessibility and compatibility throughout the design process.

Interestingly, our consultants often run into this type of situations when clients come to us asking to improve the positioning of their websites. Sometimes, clients may even be struggling with the easiest of all scenarios. In other words, their website is failing to appear on a first page of results when very specific search terms, intimately related to their line of business, are used. In such cases, the website should almost automatically appear on the top results returned by a search engine. A solution to this type of problems may be as simple as teaching a client how to properly include a title on each of their pages, or could involve a more complex and expensive approach, especially if a website has already been published. In extreme cases, we find discontented clients that after having invested significant resources and money implementing a website, they realize that their site has a difficult time competing and obtaining the expected results.

Building “search engine-ready” websites: born to compete

Are athletes born or made? It seems evident that the best athletes are those that have hereditarily received a privileged set of genes and after applying themselves through a rigorous and continuous training program are able to obtain the utmost from their natural physical abilities. Applying this concept to the implementation of websites, it has also become clear that by providing web positioning consulting services from the very beginning, that is, from the moment that the web design is conceived, we have the opportunity to ensure an end-result that is optimal and search engine-ready. By starting from a solid base, the design will not only guarantee a high level of indexability for our website, but it will make possible later on to apply more refined techniques that will improve the positioning for those search terms that can deliver the best returns in each case.

Therefore, if your company is considering implementing a website at this time, and you are convinced that one of your objectives is to achieve good rankings later on, make sure you order a “search engine-ready” implementation. To assist you in this endeavor, we offer the tips below as some guidelines that should be considered before embarking on a project to produce a “search engine-ready” website.

1. Flash: should only be used when absolutely necessary

Those websites developed exclusively with Macromedia Flash technology are at a definite disadvantage compared to the more traditional, HTML-based sites when it comes to web positioning. If animations are not essential for your website, consider using Flash only in certain areas of a page. In most cases, you will find that the end result is pretty much the same as if the entire page had been programmed in Flash. You may also develop specific micro-sites inside your main HTML-based website to capture those aspects that are best expressed using the interactive and animated capabilities of Flash. But always make sure that both the primary website structure and the structure of all individual pages are HTML-based. By following this approach, the search engines will know where and how to index your site. Finally, you should eliminate any animated corporate logos that get displayed before accessing your home page.

2. Frames: perhaps no longer a very good idea

Frames were introduced years ago primarily to expedite the download of web pages and to facilitate the navigation. Today, their disadvantages far outweigh the original benefits. If your web is currently using frames, you will notice that the title is the same in all pages (corresponding to the frameset title), that the URL address is the same for the entire website, not allowing a user to add one of your pages to their list of favorites. Finally, you will notice that occasionally, your website registers visits to internal pages that a user may have seen outside their corresponding frame, possibly without navigation menus or company information. Frames, in general, pose a great challenge to the positioning of individual pages.

3. Beware of PHP programming elegance

A number of PHP-based websites have recently been emerging that unfortunately share most of the same disadvantages that were identified for frameset structures, making the positioning of their pages an impossible task. These websites are kept inside a single URL. Software in the only dynamic page loads the appropriate set of contents by evaluating the variables associated with each link. However, from a browser’s perspective, and unfortunately, from a search engine’s perspective as well, the entire website consists of a single home page. Therefore, all the dynamic content becomes invisible to both the browser and the search engine, seriously handicapping the possibilities to compete with other websites. Regardless of how elegant a programming style is, the marketability and usability of a web design should never be sacrificed.

4. Content Management Systems (CMS) must also generate search engine-ready results

Websites of medium complexity may offer CMS capabilities, thus allowing users with no programming knowledge to add, delete or modify web pages. CMS systems are very efficient and can help decentralize the efforts associated with updating and maintaining a website. However, some of these systems were created without taking into consideration the indexability of the pages that they generated. If you are planning to let users update pages on your website, either through a CMS system, or through dynamic pages, you must ensure that the system you are putting in place requires these users to specify individual page titles, descriptions, and a different set of keywords for each page. In addition, the system should allow pages to include ALT labels for all images (this is the text that appears in lieu of images when the browser does not download them, or when a browser for the blind is used) and TITLE labels for each of the defined links (this is the text that appears inside a small yellow box when the pointer is on a link). That is the minimum set of prerequisites that should be met. Although, it would be ideal if the CMS itself automatically generated the appropriate HTML code: correct use of header labels Hx, W3C validated code, accessibility-compliant code, etc.

5. Internal search engines: do not hide your web content

Websites that specialize in e-commerce, real estate, and others that may offer a fairly large number of products or items usually include a local, internal search engine. Typically, these engines consist of a small form where users can enter the criteria that they are interested in and the system returns all available items that meet those criteria. Even though this form of navigation is extremely efficient from a user’s perspective, it makes all web content that sits behind this local search engine practically invisible to the external search engines. The automated search engine crawlers are unable to fill the small forms and therefore can never r

The Paradox of International Trade Shows
There is a paradox to an international trade show. And it has two parts.THE FIRST?It is unique because it is foreign. If it’s your first show, it should be a real adventure. If it’s your umpteenth overseas trip, you may view it as a drag, or look at it as an opportunity to maintain and expand relationships.THE SECOND?It is the same as doing a show in the US.Which is right? Both. How can that be? Because…..The principles of trade shows are universal. There’s a practical understanding to the basics of trade shows – no matter where in the world you exhibit. Of course, there are the cultural nuances you must accept. Knowing where you are going and how to be accepted once there are critical business decisions.In addition, there are universal standards in design, promotion, presentation and follow-up for any trade show. Your appearance and business practices must align to the actualities of the host country, industry and the international marketplace.These are a sampling of questions you should ask as you consider starting or expanding your exposition schedule–ARE YOU GOING TO THE RIGHT SHOW?A show is not just a show. Each exposition has its own personality, and that changes from year to year depending on locale, exhibitors, the health of your industry and how the economy affe

uations when clients come to us asking to improve the positioning of their websites. Sometimes, clients may even be struggling with the easiest of all scenarios. In other words, their website is failing to appear on a first page of results when very specific search terms, intimately related to their line of business, are used. In such cases, the website should almost automatically appear on the top results returned by a search engine. A solution to this type of problems may be as simple as teaching a client how to properly include a title on each of their pages, or could involve a more complex and expensive approach, especially if a website has already been published. In extreme cases, we find discontented clients that after having invested significant resources and money implementing a website, they realize that their site has a difficult time competing and obtaining the expected results.

Building “search engine-ready” websites: born to compete

Are athletes born or made? It seems evident that the best athletes are those that have hereditarily received a privileged set of genes and after applying themselves through a rigorous and continuous training program are able to obtain the utmost from their natural physical abilities. Applying this concept to the implementation of websites, it has also become clear that by providing web positioning consulting services from the very beginning, that is, from the moment that the web design is conceived, we have the opportunity to ensure an end-result that is optimal and search engine-ready. By starting from a solid base, the design will not only guarantee a high level of indexability for our website, but it will make possible later on to apply more refined techniques that will improve the positioning for those search terms that can deliver the best returns in each case.

Therefore, if your company is considering implementing a website at this time, and you are convinced that one of your objectives is to achieve good rankings later on, make sure you order a “search engine-ready” implementation. To assist you in this endeavor, we offer the tips below as some guidelines that should be considered before embarking on a project to produce a “search engine-ready” website.

1. Flash: should only be used when absolutely necessary

Those websites developed exclusively with Macromedia Flash technology are at a definite disadvantage compared to the more traditional, HTML-based sites when it comes to web positioning. If animations are not essential for your website, consider using Flash only in certain areas of a page. In most cases, you will find that the end result is pretty much the same as if the entire page had been programmed in Flash. You may also develop specific micro-sites inside your main HTML-based website to capture those aspects that are best expressed using the interactive and animated capabilities of Flash. But always make sure that both the primary website structure and the structure of all individual pages are HTML-based. By following this approach, the search engines will know where and how to index your site. Finally, you should eliminate any animated corporate logos that get displayed before accessing your home page.

2. Frames: perhaps no longer a very good idea

Frames were introduced years ago primarily to expedite the download of web pages and to facilitate the navigation. Today, their disadvantages far outweigh the original benefits. If your web is currently using frames, you will notice that the title is the same in all pages (corresponding to the frameset title), that the URL address is the same for the entire website, not allowing a user to add one of your pages to their list of favorites. Finally, you will notice that occasionally, your website registers visits to internal pages that a user may have seen outside their corresponding frame, possibly without navigation menus or company information. Frames, in general, pose a great challenge to the positioning of individual pages.

3. Beware of PHP programming elegance

A number of PHP-based websites have recently been emerging that unfortunately share most of the same disadvantages that were identified for frameset structures, making the positioning of their pages an impossible task. These websites are kept inside a single URL. Software in the only dynamic page loads the appropriate set of contents by evaluating the variables associated with each link. However, from a browser’s perspective, and unfortunately, from a search engine’s perspective as well, the entire website consists of a single home page. Therefore, all the dynamic content becomes invisible to both the browser and the search engine, seriously handicapping the possibilities to compete with other websites. Regardless of how elegant a programming style is, the marketability and usability of a web design should never be sacrificed.

4. Content Management Systems (CMS) must also generate search engine-ready results

Websites of medium complexity may offer CMS capabilities, thus allowing users with no programming knowledge to add, delete or modify web pages. CMS systems are very efficient and can help decentralize the efforts associated with updating and maintaining a website. However, some of these systems were created without taking into consideration the indexability of the pages that they generated. If you are planning to let users update pages on your website, either through a CMS system, or through dynamic pages, you must ensure that the system you are putting in place requires these users to specify individual page titles, descriptions, and a different set of keywords for each page. In addition, the system should allow pages to include ALT labels for all images (this is the text that appears in lieu of images when the browser does not download them, or when a browser for the blind is used) and TITLE labels for each of the defined links (this is the text that appears inside a small yellow box when the pointer is on a link). That is the minimum set of prerequisites that should be met. Although, it would be ideal if the CMS itself automatically generated the appropriate HTML code: correct use of header labels Hx, W3C validated code, accessibility-compliant code, etc.

5. Internal search engines: do not hide your web content

Websites that specialize in e-commerce, real estate, and others that may offer a fairly large number of products or items usually include a local, internal search engine. Typically, these engines consist of a small form where users can enter the criteria that they are interested in and the system returns all available items that meet those criteria. Even though this form of navigation is extremely efficient from a user’s perspective, it makes all web content that sits behind this local search engine practically invisible to the external search engines. The automated search engine crawlers are unable to fill the small forms and therefore can never

Throw that Pen - Get a Chemical Signature
May I lick the contract?The Chemical Signature is a simple concept: make your ink unique by mixing a new color and adding secret components. Even salt and sugar will do it. Now, the custom ink could have been invented by Da Vinci, but without Internet it would have been very hard to associate a person with its Own Ink. It is possible now for everyone to have a custom ink, adding safety to signatures and rubberstamps. The ink is obtained by mixing standard colors in different proportions. As a first step in validation, the colors are shown in a website, under a code.The additional components that add safety to the OwnInk system are substances that are easy to detect, if you know what you are looking for. If you do not, you need a multimillion dollar lab and many hours of expert chemists or biochemists. To know some of the secret components, the validator needs to register in a website. More components mean more safety levels, and more requirements for validators.What is wrong with the $1 ball pen?In these times of digital signatures, nobody pays attention to ink signatures, which are still made as in the Middle Ages, but move billions of dollars every hour. Ink signatures in paper will probably stay around until we extinct all the forests.However, when handwriting analysts mention technology, they mean a magnifying glass. No changes have appeare

ositioning for those search terms that can deliver the best returns in each case.

Therefore, if your company is considering implementing a website at this time, and you are convinced that one of your objectives is to achieve good rankings later on, make sure you order a “search engine-ready” implementation. To assist you in this endeavor, we offer the tips below as some guidelines that should be considered before embarking on a project to produce a “search engine-ready” website.

1. Flash: should only be used when absolutely necessary

Those websites developed exclusively with Macromedia Flash technology are at a definite disadvantage compared to the more traditional, HTML-based sites when it comes to web positioning. If animations are not essential for your website, consider using Flash only in certain areas of a page. In most cases, you will find that the end result is pretty much the same as if the entire page had been programmed in Flash. You may also develop specific micro-sites inside your main HTML-based website to capture those aspects that are best expressed using the interactive and animated capabilities of Flash. But always make sure that both the primary website structure and the structure of all individual pages are HTML-based. By following this approach, the search engines will know where and how to index your site. Finally, you should eliminate any animated corporate logos that get displayed before accessing your home page.

2. Frames: perhaps no longer a very good idea

Frames were introduced years ago primarily to expedite the download of web pages and to facilitate the navigation. Today, their disadvantages far outweigh the original benefits. If your web is currently using frames, you will notice that the title is the same in all pages (corresponding to the frameset title), that the URL address is the same for the entire website, not allowing a user to add one of your pages to their list of favorites. Finally, you will notice that occasionally, your website registers visits to internal pages that a user may have seen outside their corresponding frame, possibly without navigation menus or company information. Frames, in general, pose a great challenge to the positioning of individual pages.

3. Beware of PHP programming elegance

A number of PHP-based websites have recently been emerging that unfortunately share most of the same disadvantages that were identified for frameset structures, making the positioning of their pages an impossible task. These websites are kept inside a single URL. Software in the only dynamic page loads the appropriate set of contents by evaluating the variables associated with each link. However, from a browser’s perspective, and unfortunately, from a search engine’s perspective as well, the entire website consists of a single home page. Therefore, all the dynamic content becomes invisible to both the browser and the search engine, seriously handicapping the possibilities to compete with other websites. Regardless of how elegant a programming style is, the marketability and usability of a web design should never be sacrificed.

4. Content Management Systems (CMS) must also generate search engine-ready results

Websites of medium complexity may offer CMS capabilities, thus allowing users with no programming knowledge to add, delete or modify web pages. CMS systems are very efficient and can help decentralize the efforts associated with updating and maintaining a website. However, some of these systems were created without taking into consideration the indexability of the pages that they generated. If you are planning to let users update pages on your website, either through a CMS system, or through dynamic pages, you must ensure that the system you are putting in place requires these users to specify individual page titles, descriptions, and a different set of keywords for each page. In addition, the system should allow pages to include ALT labels for all images (this is the text that appears in lieu of images when the browser does not download them, or when a browser for the blind is used) and TITLE labels for each of the defined links (this is the text that appears inside a small yellow box when the pointer is on a link). That is the minimum set of prerequisites that should be met. Although, it would be ideal if the CMS itself automatically generated the appropriate HTML code: correct use of header labels Hx, W3C validated code, accessibility-compliant code, etc.

5. Internal search engines: do not hide your web content

Websites that specialize in e-commerce, real estate, and others that may offer a fairly large number of products or items usually include a local, internal search engine. Typically, these engines consist of a small form where users can enter the criteria that they are interested in and the system returns all available items that meet those criteria. Even though this form of navigation is extremely efficient from a user’s perspective, it makes all web content that sits behind this local search engine practically invisible to the external search engines. The automated search engine crawlers are unable to fill the small forms and therefore can never

Make Money Fast With Articles
As I have often discussed elsewhere, before blogs came along, I was able to make money fast online without a web site and using only articles posted at other people's high traffic sites.Key word rich articles posted at web sites and articles directories all over the World Wide Web are akin to having many high traffic mini sites pointing at your site. Using articles in this way is a license to print money and you can make a lot of money very fast.When I used to make money fast without a web site, in the days that blogs had not yet arrived, the resource box that I used to include at the bottom of the article contained an invitation for the reader to subscribe to my email newsletter. In this way I was able to build up a huge opt-in email list which I used to promote a lot of things and was an excellent way for me to make money fast from my articles marketing campaign.The other thing that I had in my resource box was simply my email address for anybody interested in content provision services to contact me directly. Many people did and I was able to make money fast in this way without having a web site.

using frames, you will notice that the title is the same in all pages (corresponding to the frameset title), that the URL address is the same for the entire website, not allowing a user to add one of your pages to their list of favorites. Finally, you will notice that occasionally, your website registers visits to internal pages that a user may have seen outside their corresponding frame, possibly without navigation menus or company information. Frames, in general, pose a great challenge to the positioning of individual pages.

3. Beware of PHP programming elegance

A number of PHP-based websites have recently been emerging that unfortunately share most of the same disadvantages that were identified for frameset structures, making the positioning of their pages an impossible task. These websites are kept inside a single URL. Software in the only dynamic page loads the appropriate set of contents by evaluating the variables associated with each link. However, from a browser’s perspective, and unfortunately, from a search engine’s perspective as well, the entire website consists of a single home page. Therefore, all the dynamic content becomes invisible to both the browser and the search engine, seriously handicapping the possibilities to compete with other websites. Regardless of how elegant a programming style is, the marketability and usability of a web design should never be sacrificed.

4. Content Management Systems (CMS) must also generate search engine-ready results

Websites of medium complexity may offer CMS capabilities, thus allowing users with no programming knowledge to add, delete or modify web pages. CMS systems are very efficient and can help decentralize the efforts associated with updating and maintaining a website. However, some of these systems were created without taking into consideration the indexability of the pages that they generated. If you are planning to let users update pages on your website, either through a CMS system, or through dynamic pages, you must ensure that the system you are putting in place requires these users to specify individual page titles, descriptions, and a different set of keywords for each page. In addition, the system should allow pages to include ALT labels for all images (this is the text that appears in lieu of images when the browser does not download them, or when a browser for the blind is used) and TITLE labels for each of the defined links (this is the text that appears inside a small yellow box when the pointer is on a link). That is the minimum set of prerequisites that should be met. Although, it would be ideal if the CMS itself automatically generated the appropriate HTML code: correct use of header labels Hx, W3C validated code, accessibility-compliant code, etc.

5. Internal search engines: do not hide your web content

Websites that specialize in e-commerce, real estate, and others that may offer a fairly large number of products or items usually include a local, internal search engine. Typically, these engines consist of a small form where users can enter the criteria that they are interested in and the system returns all available items that meet those criteria. Even though this form of navigation is extremely efficient from a user’s perspective, it makes all web content that sits behind this local search engine practically invisible to the external search engines. The automated search engine crawlers are unable to fill the small forms and therefore can never

A Few Promotional Methods for Your Website
When you are ready to start driving traffic to your website the initial step is to submit it to the major directories such as the Open Directory Project, Web World Index and Goguides.org. You can either submit your site to these directories manually or use a service. After you have submitted your website you may opt to not use pay per click advertising such as Google adwords due to budget constraints, especially if you are a small home business. In this case their are other ways to generate hits to your site for free, but the flipside is that they are often a little bit more time intensive than the other ways.The first method you may want to consider is reciprical linking. naturally, the top websites to trade links with are similiar and yet non-competing. For instance, if your site sold cars you may want to trade links with car detailing, automobile insurance or auto accessories sites but not with another site which sells cars. Reciprical linking builds traffic while improving your link popularity, which will improve your search index rankings, needless to say.After that you may wish to begin posting to bulletin boards and forums. These sources can send in hits while you are waiting for your directory listings to take hold. These source may also improve your link popularity. You could also post to Newsgroups but be very careful not to cross post to more than o

ing and maintaining a website. However, some of these systems were created without taking into consideration the indexability of the pages that they generated. If you are planning to let users update pages on your website, either through a CMS system, or through dynamic pages, you must ensure that the system you are putting in place requires these users to specify individual page titles, descriptions, and a different set of keywords for each page. In addition, the system should allow pages to include ALT labels for all images (this is the text that appears in lieu of images when the browser does not download them, or when a browser for the blind is used) and TITLE labels for each of the defined links (this is the text that appears inside a small yellow box when the pointer is on a link). That is the minimum set of prerequisites that should be met. Although, it would be ideal if the CMS itself automatically generated the appropriate HTML code: correct use of header labels Hx, W3C validated code, accessibility-compliant code, etc.

5. Internal search engines: do not hide your web content

Websites that specialize in e-commerce, real estate, and others that may offer a fairly large number of products or items usually include a local, internal search engine. Typically, these engines consist of a small form where users can enter the criteria that they are interested in and the system returns all available items that meet those criteria. Even though this form of navigation is extremely efficient from a user’s perspective, it makes all web content that sits behind this local search engine practically invisible to the external search engines. The automated search engine crawlers are unable to fill the small forms and therefore can never reach the resulting content.

Due to the fact that many potential clients will enter very concise search terms (“bungalow in Miami”, “golf balls”, “Bose speakers”), it will be necessary to optimize and position each individual page, or product spec sheet, in this case. An effective technique that will let a search engine reach the hidden content consists of including on the home page, links to various product category pages.

For example, links such as “New bungalows available for immediate occupancy”, “Discounted golf balls”, or “Speakers on sale” could be included on the home page. All these links use pre-canned search criteria to reach the corresponding content. These product category pages will typically reflect the most commonly used search criteria and therefore will be very important for our website. External search engines will be able to reach these pages and subsequently, via links such as “More Information”, will also be able to reach each individual product page. The goal is to provide paths for search engine crawlers to reach the content of our entire website.

Conclusion

We only selected a few examples, among the huge number of potential scenarios out there, to illustrate how decisions that were made during the conception phase of a web design can seriously impact our ability to properly index the website later on, thus handicapping its ability to compete.

Avoiding the application of sound design principles in the early phases of a web design will always require the investment of additional time and money afterwards since the repairs will have to be done on an ill-prepared and less optimized base. A website’s indexability (a must for being properly indexed by a search engine and therefore have the potential of being highly ranked for predetermined search criteria), usability, accessibility and compatibility are all fundamental aspects that must be taken into account while implementing a web design. This task could be facilitated by bringing together web programmers and specialists in search engine positioning.

It is interesting to note that the best Internet rankings are achieved even before a website is formally published.