For Steve:

As I attempt to address questions friends continue to present me about SEO and digital marketing, I am drawn back to my roots as a history major in college and a question we were always forced to ask. Simply put, what are the consequences of their actions.

Recently I worked with a gentleman who is the owner and operator of a small construction firm working out of central New Jersey. With a staff of about twenty and an ever increasing client pool he wanted to create a website to give his company greater digital visibility. Like most small start ups the budget is limited and the vision is grand. We did have the use of a professional coder who was willing to work with us to create a manageable site that roughly fit his vision though the turn around time was lengthy and commitment was a concern.

Since the gentleman's time was limited and manpower was in short supply I suggested that we forget about SEO tactics and simply concern ourselves with the crafting of a marketable message and assuring that the content was strong enough to support it. This is tougher than it sounds. The larger the firm the smaller this obstacle is to navigate. Much like being in the Army, when there is a battalion marching everyone knows which direction to face. When there is only two of you, things can get tricky.

This being the case we took an approach that served everyone well. And should you find yourself in this situation, here is what I learned.

1) Keep it simple.

By no means when I say this should your site look remedial. Choose
your design work with care and precision. Colors should match. Language (tense) should remain constant. But the ability to navigate your site should be intuitive. The message should be direct. And most importantly, the sites up keep should be made as manageable as possible. Should several days or even weeks sneak by with out attending to the site, there should be no visible evidence of such neglect.

2)Stay on message.

Once the creative process begins there is no limit to the number of directions it may take you. This is both a positive and negative item. Although creative ingenuity is always welcome, for those just beginning stick with what has been tested and proved. Steer clear of gimmicks or being too original. People at this level what to create relationships based on trust not flash. You may only have one chance to make an impression, so make the right one.

2b)

In order to ensure that we stayed on message we agreed on a silent pitch. By this I mean that we wanted to quietly demonstrate that the services being provided were superior based on accumulated experience and attention to detail. We made sure that every piece of copy was composed to reinforce this message. Again this sounds simple in theory but can become difficult when being put into practice.

3)Have fun.

Once you have selected a template for your site and there is continuity between the pages, have fun. Language is like music and is to be played with and then played with some more. Allow yourself the ability to go back and change the wording (copy) as much as you want. As long as the message is the same how you deliver that message is up to you. If your smiling when you write the text, then chances are the potential consumer will be smiling when they read the text. This is the digital age and freedom to innovate and change is its signature.



So as you begin to create your first site let some of these lessons float to the surface now and again, and soon you will be on your way to a page-rank of 10.