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Business Resource Article: "15 Important Web Design Tips" Author: Sharon Housley

Business Resource Article: "Five Crucial Things You Must Do To Build Your Business With Social Networking" Author: Bonnie Jo Davis

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"New Leads & Resources"
By Susan NichoIs, Editor/Publisher

Hi Wonderful Subscribers,

We hope your week is going well and today's ezine is filled with resources and business leads for your progress online.

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15 Important Web Design Tips
Author: ©Sharon Housley

Here are 15 important website design tips that you might not be aware of or have overlooked. Consider taking advantage of them if you haven't already done so...

1. Custom 404 Pages
Create a custom 404 web page, so that any time your website visitor mistypes or misspells a URL on your site, they will still be provided with navigation options for your site (instead of getting nothing but a "Page Not Found" error message, which is neither friendly or helpful).

2. Redirect Non-www. To www.
Website visitors will often leave out the "www." portion when they type a URL or link to your website. Set the website up so that it automatically redirects any non-www version of your domain urls (http://domain.com) to the www version (http://www.domain.com) of your website.

3. Properly Sized Graphics
Size and define all graphics and images on your web pages properly and correctly. Web pages will load quicker if the graphics contained on each page are properly defined so they don't require the web browser to re-size them. Properly sized and defined images can reduce the web browser workload and speed up the page loading time.

4. Favicon
Add a Favicon (favorite icon) to your website, so that your company or product logo appears in the URL box. This icon will also show up in a bookmark list, and gives the web site an added level of professionalism.

5. Include RSS Auto-Discovery
If you offer an RSS feed for any content on your website, be sure to include auto-discovery code in the header of your website. This will allow many browsers and RSS readers to automatically detect the presence of an RSS feed and alert the visitor that it is available.

6. Alternate Domains
Domain names are relatively inexpensive, so you should register multiple domain versions and extensions in order to protect your brand. The varied domains can be parked on the main website, simply to prevent others from obtaining them. Registering alternate domain versions will help protect your brand.

7. Consistent Navigation
Navigation should remain consistent on a website. As a website visitor moves through the website, the navigation bar should remain in the same place on each page. This will make it easier for visitors to navigate your website, and become more comfortable as they move through your site.

8. Home Goes Home
The main graphic, company logo, or "header" at the top of the site should be included on every page in the site, and should always return the visitor to the home page of the website. This has become a web standard, and most visitors now expect to return to the main page of the site simply by clicking on the main top graphic from any page within the site.

9. Copyright Notice
Include a copyright notice on the bottom of each page contained on the website, and keep it current! It may seem trivial, but an out-of-date copyright notice can send a message to your visitors that the website and its content may be out-of-date as well.

10. Meaningful File Names
Use meaningful file names for any files, graphics, or web pages. Many search engines look at file names as part of their search algorithm, and using keywords in file names may help to improve search engine rankings.

11. Hyphens vs Underscores
When naming files and webpages, use hyphens (i.e. web-page.html) rather than underscores (i.e. web_page.html) for the file names. It is much easier for search engines to separate and index the keywords when hyphens are used.

12. Alt Tags
Use ALT tags to describe what images represent on web pages. ALT tags not only assist visually-impaired visitors in knowing what the images are, but they also help with search engine ranking.

13. Spell Check
Use a spell-check feature on the text of all web pages in a website. A website that contains mistyped or misspelled words just shouts "unprofessional". Take the extra few minutes necessary to check the spelling of text on each page of your website.

14. Test
After making changes to a website, test it! Many times, a webmaster will upload changes, confident in their abilities, only to later discover that in their attempt to fix one thing, they have "broken" something somewhere else. Make testing a habit after making even the most minor changes!

15. Keep It Simple
Simple is good. Remove unnecessary clutter and distractions from a website and navigation menu.

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Five Crucial Things You Must Do To Build Your Business With Social Networking
Author: ©Bonnie Jo Davis

The age of social networking is more than upon us-it is becoming INGRAINED in us. Many of us are so addicted that we can hardly get out of bed before we begin checking to see status updates on Facebook and Twitter. Reconnecting with old friends and staying in touch with current ones are great reasons to use social networks-but what about using them to market your business?

The fact is, those same networks that you are using to share pictures and reminisce about old times can be great sources of income for your business. In addition, there are plenty of social networks out there that are made specifically for doing just that.

Below is a list of five crucial things you must do to utilize social networking effectively for your business:

1. Choose networks that cater to potential prospects for your business. There are so many social networks to choose from now, it can be overwhelming to keep up with all of them. In order to be effective, you simply have to make choices. Choose networks that cater to your particular market. The more targeted the network, the more interest and activity you are likely to generate.

2. Take time to create a comprehensive, well-written profile. Many people simply assume that they will make money by filling out a profile on a social network and adding their website address. This is highly unlikely. The benefits of a social network come with interaction-and that can only happen when folks can get to know you. Take the time to fill out your profile completely, with both business and personal information (your interests, hobbies or goals) so people can get to know you as a person and a business owner. People tend to do business with people they feel like they know, so the more cold and impersonal your profile, the less likely people will want to interact with you. Liven it up! Show your personality-but do remember to behave in a friendly but businesslike manner.

3. Interact with community members and build relationships. In order to build traction within a community, you need to interact. This does not mean simply messaging others with information about your business or submitting an article once a month. You need to take the time to get to know them-find out what is important to them, ask about their business. You want to build a quality network of folks who know about what you do and care about you. This will encourage them to do business with and refer you.

4. Take advantage of the extra features offered by the network. Most social networks today provide many opportunities to help you get your message out: banner ads, classified ads, blog platforms, article submissions, video hosting platforms and more. Sure, some may cost a few bucks here or there, but if you really make use of the features provided, you can quickly become a superstar on any network!

5. Refer clients and prospects to join the network. Invite business colleagues, clients and potential clients to join the social networks you use. Is it easier to catch a particular fish in the ocean, or in a tiny pond? Bring all your prospects as you meet them to your tiny pond and you can get to know them better and interact with them on a regular, more personal basis. When it comes time for them to buy, you'll be close by!

While these five tips represent some of the best ways to help you get more business using social networks, they are by no means the only ones. To be effective, you must have a plan of action and follow it consistently. Use these tips to get started, and then continue to build the list as you become more effective at marketing your business online utilizing social networks. Happy networking!

© 2010 Davis Virtual Assistance. Publication rights granted so long as article and byline are reprinted intact, with all links made live.