Many of our clients are utilizing videos in their websites, and often the topic comes up: Is there any way that we can use our videos for SEO (search engine optimization)? Good question!

Gary Przyklen, in this article on how to optimize videos for SEO, shares some of his success formulas for optimizing videos using YouTube. If there were an algorithm for YouTube – as there is for Google – it might involve the following three criteria:

• Text in your titles and descriptions
• Number of views and recent trending
• Ratings

Gary ends his article with the following advice: “Although video isn’t new to the web, many marketers and businesses fail to make the best use of tools and social networks that will take their video and SEO results to the next level. If you’re going to invest time and money in boosting your SEO efforts this year, do yourself a favor and start considering video in your marketing mix. You’ll be glad you did.”

“Show me your website and I can tell you who you are in the business world” might be one of the newest quotes heard from business owners these days.  Your website has become your company’s identity.  In traditional “off line” business jargon, your website is like your store or shop, where people may be attracted to go inside and check the products/services you offer or just pass you by.

In this age of advanced technology and easy access to the internet, a business’ online presence has become so very important.  If you’re a serious entrepreneur or business person, you can’t “just” have a website, you have to have a website that is well designed, one that is not “just” attractive but (“just” as important) easy to navigate, complete with online support and services, professional-looking with valuable information and content, and able to not only capture the visitor’s attention but retain existing client loyalty for your product/service. In other words, the design of your website can either make or break your business’ brand.  This is why web design is so important to your business.

Your web design must convince prospects that you mean business.  It must reflect your company’s competence and reliability. You have to be able to convey all of the most important details your prospects should know right at the outset in order to keep them on the site and prevent them from clicking away from the home page. (Next time you check your site statistics, look for the number of bounces.)

As a web design company, we of course recommend hiring a competent web design company with experience and a portfolio of sites to show with testimonials from satisfied clients. There are so many “do it yourself” website applications – you could certainly try to design your own site. But don’t! It’s not worth the cost savings because in the long run it will end up costing more in terms of lost business and dissatisfied clients.

With a well-designed professional site – built by professionals – you will have a secure foundation on which to grow your business. You’ll also have a professional staff at your disposal to help you with marketing your site online and helping you expand your site as new technology emerges or as your needs for new features arise. Once your site has been launched and running properly it will be time to go into marketing mode. Be prepared!

Mediabridge has been selling computer networking hardware for years via the online giant, Amazon, and recently decided to launch its own storefront with the help of WWWC.  “Our web designers and software developers were eager to help this growing company create a new online storefront that reflects their advanced technologies and dedication to customer service,” explained Bob Savar, President of WWWC.

Much like the computer giant Apple, Mediabridge wanted a website that reflected the efficiency of new technologies.  WWWC designed a website that incorporated clean lines, sharp shades, and easy navigation tools to reflect Mediabridge’s dedication to product quality and customer care.  This basic website design also symbolizes efficiency and helps customers find the products they need with the fewest page transitions.

In addition to color, WWWC customized the shopping cart software to provide Mediabridge customers with a safe, easy, and secure method of purchasing online.  “We fully customized ProductCart, a software program by Early Impact,” said  Savar, “to help Mediabridge transition their business from Amazon to their own website.”  Since ProductCart is fully compatible with PayPal, Google, UPS, and hundreds of other systems, the software gives Mediabridge customers the same purchasing flexibility they have on Amazon.  And, since the software is compatible with popular accounting and management software, Mediabridge has even greater control over their inventory and sales.

With the flexibility of their own online storefront, Mediabridge can experience unlimited online growth opportunities while still providing the same quality of service to existing customers.

Whether you’re doing your own social media marketing or using a professional to do it for you, here is a “must read” article, 5 Steps to a Successful Social Media Marketing Strategy. The key word is “strategy,” and the questions are: What is your message? Who is your target audience? What are you trying to accomplish? How will you measure the results (ROI)?

So you have a blog and a social media presence (Twitter, Facebook, and/or LinkedIn). What metrics are you using to measure the success of your efforts? According to Business.com in a Benchmark Study (which is cited in an article entitled The Power of Blogs & Social Media) the most popular metrics used to measure B2B Social Media Success are:

- Website Traffic – 68%B
- Brand Awareness – 61%
- Engagement with Prospects – 60%
- Engagement with Customers – 52%
- Brand Reputation – 47%
- Prospect Lead Quality – 40%
- Revenue – 38%
- Prospect Lead Volume – 37%
- Useful Product Feedback – 26%

In order to determine the ROI you’re getting out of your blog and social media efforts you will have to decide which metrics are most important to you and determine a clear way to measure the success or failure of your efforts.