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	<title>Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training &#124; LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL &#187; Blog</title>
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		<title>Google Places now enhanced for smartphones</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-enhanced-smartphones/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-enhanced-smartphones/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:18:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=1130</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As Google Places (formerly Google Local Business Center) evolves one of the most important aspects of their development is their mobile presence. The video below shows how Google Places has been enhanced to work more seamlessly with the iPhone, Google Android phones and other Smartphones like BlackBerry&#8217;s, Windows Mobile, Nokia and others. With Android, Google [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-enhanced-smartphones/">Google Places now enhanced for smartphones</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As Google Places (formerly Google Local Business Center) <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/introducing-google-places.html">evolves</a> one of the most important aspects of their development is their mobile presence. The video below shows how Google Places has been enhanced to work more seamlessly with the iPhone, Google Android phones and other Smartphones like BlackBerry&#8217;s, Windows Mobile, Nokia and others. </p>
<p>With Android, Google wants to continue to play a leadership role in how mobile is intermeshed with local. And how much more local and intermeshed can something be than a device that&#8217;s never far from your fingertips than a mobile device? </p>
<p>This all bodes very well for small businesses who&#8217;ve invested the time to create and updating their <a href="http://www.google.com/local/add">Google Places page</a> with photos, video, updates, mobile coupons and more. </p>
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<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-enhanced-smartphones/">Google Places now enhanced for smartphones</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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		<title>Google Places now doing free photo shoots</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-doing-free-photo-shoots/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-doing-free-photo-shoots/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:01:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News, Reviews & Rants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=1110</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Along with their name change to Google Places (from Google Local or Google Maps) there are some new useful features and services that the folks in Mountain View have for local businesses in select U.S. and international cities (all major Australian cities!). If you apply at Google you might be one of the lucky businesses [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-doing-free-photo-shoots/">Google Places now doing free photo shoots</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://maps.google.com/help/maps/businessphotos/#utm_campaign=en&amp;utm_medium=van&amp;utm_source=en-van-na-us-gns-svn"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1111" title="google-places-free-photo-shoot" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/google-places-free-photo-shoot.png" alt="" width="333" height="62" /></a>Along with their name change to Google Places (from Google Local or Google Maps) there are some <a title="New stuff at Google Places" href="http://sites.google.com/a/pressatgoogle.com/googleplaces/new" target="_blank">new useful features</a> and services that the folks in Mountain View have for local businesses in<a title="Google Places photo shoot cities" href="http://maps.google.com/help/maps/businessphotos/faq.html#q3" target="_blank"> select U.S. and international cities</a> (all major Australian cities!).</p>
<p>If you <a title="Apply for a free photo shoot with Google Places" href="https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlemapsbusinessphotos" target="_blank">apply</a> at Google you might be one of the lucky businesses that receive a <em>free photo shoot</em> of the <strong>inside</strong> of your premise!</p>
<p>Google will coordinate a photo shoot and upload the photos to your Google Places Page. There are still a lot of gaps in their coverage but if you&#8217;re included be sure to <a title="Apply for a free photo shoot with Google Places" href="https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlemapsbusinessphotos" target="_blank">apply</a>.</p>
<p>And for those of us with digital cameras (ahem, pretty much everyone) you can take photos of the inside or outside of your business (or whatever you choose) and upload them to <a title="Google Places, list your local business with Google" href="http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&amp;ai=Cm5BeKczYS7q7LciItgemwMxkgtTBtwGS69mpEvKFvOJBCAAQAVDivLLj_v____8BYMn2t4fco5QRoAGs_5T-A8gBAaoEE0_QQs-txXFpbmah3dm4IrIeeSk&amp;sig=AGiWqtztpzhKbQ7wmYSSDtULEzU50n1Qmg&amp;q=http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter%3Fgl%3DUS%26hl%3Den-US%26service%3Dlbc%26hl%3Den-US%26gl%3DUS%26utm_campaign%3Den%26utm_source%3Den-ha-na-us-google%26utm_medium%3Dha%26utm_term%3Dgoogle%2520places" target="_blank">your own Google Places page</a> any old time. <img src='http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/google-places-now-doing-free-photo-shoots/">Google Places now doing free photo shoots</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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		<title>An easy way to build Google rankings</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/an-easy-way-to-build-google-rankings/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/an-easy-way-to-build-google-rankings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:46:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=1101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Using Yahoo! Site Explorer to find and use the backlinks your competitors are using to get on page 1 of Google search results The problem: You&#8217;re on page 10 of Google search results for your city &#38; keyword combination. Solution: You need more links pointing to your website from other sites around the web. They&#8217;re [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/an-easy-way-to-build-google-rankings/">An easy way to build Google rankings</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="640" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/slS3BEnqW8M&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/slS3BEnqW8M&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<h3>Using Yahoo! Site Explorer to find and use the backlinks your competitors are using to get on page 1 of Google search results</h3>
<p>The problem: You&#8217;re on page 10 of Google search results for your city &amp; keyword combination.</p>
<p>Solution: You need more links pointing to your website from other sites around the web. They&#8217;re called <a title="definition of backlinks" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backlinks" target="_blank">backlinks</a>.</p>
<p>How to get there: Using <a title="Yahoo! Site Explorer" href="http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/" target="_blank">Yahoo!&#8217;s free Site Explorer</a> utility you can find out the most valuable backlinks your competitors are using and then get <em>many</em> of them for your own site. By applying some elbow grease you can still turn this old SEO tactic into a page 1 Google ranking.</p>
<p><a rel="enclosure" href="http://blip.tv/file/get/LocalNa8ion-AnEasyWayToBuildGoogleRankings745.mp4">iTunes, QuickTime, iPhone or iPod download</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/an-easy-way-to-build-google-rankings/">An easy way to build Google rankings</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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		<title>New Ways to Engage your Customer</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/new-ways-to-engage-your-customer/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/new-ways-to-engage-your-customer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:20:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=1092</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You may have already heard more than you can take about social networks like Facebook and Twitter or blog marketing. These conversational communications tools are none the less here to stay. Once in a while it&#8217;s a good idea to step away from the How-to make a facebook page type article and look at the [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/new-ways-to-engage-your-customer/">New Ways to Engage your Customer</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You may have already heard more than you can take about social networks like Facebook and Twitter or blog marketing. These conversational communications tools are none the less here to stay. Once in a while it&#8217;s a good idea to step away from the <em>How-to make a facebook page</em> type article and look at the bigger picture of how online tools are redefining our customer relationships. That&#8217;s the intent of this piece.</p>
<h3><em>The Broadcasting Model</em></h3>
<p>It would be an understatement to say that customer communications models are changing. Old marketing and communications practices followed a we speak/you listen model. This worked out pretty well for business owners and marketers when people used to have more attention to spare or we could rely on the <a title="novelty of an advertising medium" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/about/our-advertising-legacy/" target="_self">novelty of an advertising medium</a> to break through the clutter. Unfortunately, the expiration date these days on novelty expires in months and not decades.</p>
<p>The issue now is that people don&#8217;t have the time or interest in <span style="text-decoration: underline;">listening</span>. Before they expend their time and attention  on your <em>company</em> or product an <strong>exchange of value</strong> has to take  place. For today I&#8217;ll call that exchange of value, <strong><em>engagement</em></strong>.</p>
<p>The old model looked something like this.</p>
<div id="attachment_148" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 410px"><a href="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-old-model-400px.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-148" title="engagement-old-model-400px" src="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-old-model-400px.jpg" alt="engagement-old-model-400px" width="400" height="385" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ye Old Marketing and Communications Model</p></div>
<h3><em>The Interaction Model</em></h3>
<p>Interactive online tools like blogs ushered in today&#8217;s <em>interaction</em> model and extends today in webinars, livestreams, chat rooms, virtual worlds and social networks. Clearly we have a lot of tools that make it possible to better listen. For those of you with businesses with retail locations this interaction model has always extended to the most powerful of interaction models &#8211; face time! The influence of online tools has grown and today small business owners are starting to see the value in listening <em>more </em>with online tools. But listening skills aren&#8217;t enough and far too many organizations are still stuck in the broadcast model.</p>
<p>The interaction model looked something like this.</p>
<div id="attachment_153" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 410px"><a href="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-transitional-model.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-153" title="engagement-transitional-model" src="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-transitional-model.jpg" alt="engagement-transitional-model" width="400" height="357" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The transitional model - think web 2.0</p></div>
<h3><em>The Evolving Engagement Model</em></h3>
<p>With today&#8217;s tools we have what we need to move towards a new engagement model that focuses more heavily on listening, processing, interacting, and broadcasting. Ideally, the net result is tangible engagement and then a lift in your brand and sales.</p>
<p>It probably resembles a formula like this.</p>
<h3>Listening 30% / Processing 20% / Interacting 30% / Broadcasting 20% = <em><strong>Engagement</strong></em></h3>
<div id="attachment_155" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><a href="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-new-model.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-155" title="engagement-new-model" src="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-new-model.jpg" alt="The evolving engagement model" width="500" height="376" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The evolving engagement model</p></div>
<p>I&#8217;m going to dive into the engagement model in more detail in future posts and we&#8217;ll bring it all together with an actionable process.</p>
<p>Julian, ed LOCAL Na8ion<br />
<em>where you are is where it&#8217;s at</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/new-ways-to-engage-your-customer/">New Ways to Engage your Customer</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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			<media:title type="html">I searched for myself on Google and found nothing</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-transitional-model.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">I searched for myself on Google and found nothing</media:title>
		</media:content>
		<media:content url="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/wp-content/uploads/engagement-new-model.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">I searched for myself on Google and found nothing</media:title>
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		<title>Where you are it where it&#8217;s at</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/where-you-are-it-where-its-at/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/where-you-are-it-where-its-at/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:54:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=1065</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We just launched a sister practice of LOCAL Na8ion called brand trampoline. I&#8217;m writing some posts there to get things started and even though the content is a bit different from the typical fare here I thought you&#8217;d be interested. Here&#8217;s the first post. There will be more to follow. - Julian, ed LOCAL Na8ion [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/where-you-are-it-where-its-at/">Where you are it where it&#8217;s at</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>We just launched a sister practice of LOCAL Na8ion called <a title="Brand Trampoline | elevating any brand, anywhere, anytime, online" href="http://www.brandtrampoline.com/" target="_self">brand trampoline</a>. I&#8217;m writing some posts there to get things started and even though the content is a bit different from the typical fare here I thought you&#8217;d be interested. Here&#8217;s the first post. There will be more to follow.</em></p>
<p><em>- Julian, ed LOCAL Na8ion</em></p>
<p>One of our sister practices at brand trampoline is called <a title="LOCAL Na8ion, small business web design, local internet marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training" href="http://www.localna8ion.com" target="_blank">LOCAL Na8ion</a> where we help small businesses harness the web to get more customers from their local city. Our slogan at LOCAL Na8ion is <em>where you are is where it&#8217;s at</em>.  The slogan hints at how our physical and virtual worlds have become intertwined. At times, <em>where we are</em> is a state of mind, such as when we&#8217;re contributing to an online community, while at other times we are grounded in the context of our physical location and needs like when we go out to dinner or look for a plumber on Google.</p>
<h3>Where your people <em>are at</em> has changed</h3>
<p>The slogan is apt for our new service <a title="Brand Trampoline | Digital Engagement Strategies" href="http://www.brandtrampoline.com">Brand Trampoline</a> because <em>where you are</em> and where <em>your people are</em> (be they consumers, job seekers, or buyers of your product or service) has radically changed&#8230;if you want your company to be <em>where it&#8217;s at</em> you have to participate.</p>
<h3>Every aspect of life is converging and connecting</h3>
<p>Connections are now happening in multiple contexts and dimensions including our physical proximity and shared interests to our social networks of friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, email and blogs, and yes offline too. Perhaps the ultimate mashup of all these interactions is  TCFKAP &#8211; The computer in your pocket formerly known as a phone. Wait, did I just make a Prince reference?</p>
<h3>Facebook is becoming the web&#8217;s top source of traffic</h3>
<p>The web today is pretty search centric (that&#8217;s spelled G-O-O-G-L-E) but times are changing quickly, <a title="Facebook is becoming the web's top source of traffic" href="http://www.steverubel.com/facebook-now-drives-more-traffic-to-web-sites" target="_blank">Facebook is fast becoming the web&#8217;s top source of traffic</a>. Real time search results and social search are replacing the way we interact almost overnight. We have new interaction touch points, tools, and communication vehicles and in almost all cases consumers, job seekers, and local buyers are <em>way out head of the typical enterprise </em>- be they the mom and pop variety or the Fortune 500.</p>
<p>Companies of all sizes are making one of three mistakes</p>
<ol>
<li>They&#8217;re failing to engage at all.</li>
<li>They not keeping pace with where people are moving due to budgets, expertise or red tape.</li>
<li>They&#8217;re failing to engage in a meaningful way, often in the form of broadcasting their information rather than following an interaction model (what we refer to as digital engagement)</li>
</ol>
<p>We all need to let go of the paradigm where our company website is <em>where it&#8217;s at</em>. Not that we don&#8217;t need one, it&#8217;s just that your website has already become a spoke in the wheel as far as <em>people</em> are concerned while your business operations, marketing and PR are still treating it like sun that your customers all orbit around.</p>
<h3>The new <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">interaction</span> engagement model</h3>
<p>We&#8217;re going to take up the case of the new <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">interaction</span> engagement model in the coming week but you might not be surprised to learn that success in our new world is based not in technological expertise or marketing gimmicks but old fashioned common sense applied in a contextually thoughtful way. Not to sound smug but it&#8217;s called listening. Have you noticed how little room there is today for listening? It&#8217;s hard when everyone is an expert and all of us posses some <em>fantasmic</em> skill or solution for becoming wealthy, skinny or successful overnight. Listening and understanding are more important today than in any time in our history.</p>
<p>Rather than rushing to establish an online reputation it&#8217;s useful for us all to recognize that we already have one, just like we already have a company culture even if you HR team or CEO failed to launch a multi-million dollar culture initiative in the 90&#8242;s.</p>
<p>I look forward to picking up the conversation about the new engagement model (er, old) in the coming week. In the mean time we&#8217;ll be out there looking for threads of knowledge in this and other conversations and looking to engage in more understanding.</p>
<p>-Julian</p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/where-you-are-it-where-its-at/">Where you are it where it&#8217;s at</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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		<title>Local Bits, Bytes and BS &#124; Weekly Issue No. 3</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-3/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-3/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:31:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local Bits, Bytes and BS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local SEO]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=1052</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Issue 3 &#8211; March 11, 2010 Featured Article &#124; The Biggest Mistake in Web Design March 10, 2010 &#124; The biggest mistake in web design is letting your own design taste get in the way of choosing a really great web design. This is especially true for small businesses where one person is the sole decision maker [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-3/">Local Bits, Bytes and BS | Weekly Issue No. 3</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bits-bytes-and-bs-logo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-973" title="bits-bytes-and-bs-logo" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bits-bytes-and-bs-logo.jpg" alt="Local Bits, Bytes and BS from LOCALNa8ion.com" width="600" height="283" /></a></h3>
<h3>Issue 3 &#8211; March 11, 2010</h3>
<h3><strong>Featured Article | </strong><em>The Biggest Mistake in Web Design </em></h3>
<p><em> </em>March 10, 2010 | The biggest mistake in web design is letting your own design taste get in the way of choosing a really <em>great</em> web design. This is especially true for small businesses where one person is the sole decision maker on the design. This post talks about what makes a business web design <em>great</em> and shares some simple steps on how you can avoid this trap while still achieving a design you love. <a title="The Biggest Mistake in Web Design" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/the-biggest-mistake-in-web-design/" target="_self">Read full story</a>&#8230;</p>
<h3><strong>Video |<em> Get on Page One of Google with jQuery | Episode 24 Local Knowledge</em></strong></h3>
<p>March 11, 2010 | There’s a new way to get on page one of Google search results by using a jQuery web design. This video and blog post will get you squared away.  <a title="Get on page one of Google with jQuery" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/get-on-page-one-of-google-with-jquery/" target="_self">Watch Video</a>&#8230;</p>
<h3>Watercooler | <em>Authenticity in Marketing<br />
</em></h3>
<p>As small business owners we are often naturally <em>authentic</em> in our marketing but on occasion we also try to be bigger than we are in order to impress our potential customer and in so doing we unintentionally sound like corporate BS machines! P Morgan Brown&#8217;s article <a title="P Morgan Brown Authenticity in Marketing" href="http://ow.ly/1hmHb" target="_blank">Authenticity in Marketing</a> describes how Trader Joes publishes a newsletter called the <em>Fearless Flyer</em> that manages to inform their customers while coming across as approachable and true to their company spirit. <a title="P Morgan Brown Authenticity in Marketing" href="http://ow.ly/1hmHb" target="_blank">Read More</a>&#8230;</p>
<h3><strong>Local 141 | <em>Juicy links &amp; status updates</em><br />
</strong></h3>
<p>March 10, 2010</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Facebook Will Allow Users to Share Location &#8211; Bits Blog &#8211; NYTimes.com <a href="http://ow.ly/1gA3t">http://ow.ly/1gA3t</a></li>
<li>Foursquare Introduces New Tools for Businesses &#8211; Bits Blog &#8211; NYTimes.com <a href="http://ow.ly/1gzZ3">http://ow.ly/1gzZ3</a></li>
<li>The biggest mistake in small business web design from LOCAL Na8ion in West Palm Beach, FL <a href="http://ow.ly/1gzY1">http://ow.ly/1gzY1</a></li>
<li>I love cheap &amp; easy. In my SMS marketing tools I mean. SMS PENNY SMS <a href="http://ow.ly/1guPD">http://ow.ly/1guPD</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>March 9, 2010</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Don&#8217;t Let User-Generated Reviews Ruin You &#8211; ClickZ <a href="http://ow.ly/1g25W">http://ow.ly/1g25W</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>March 8, 2010</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>YouTube &#8211; Where 09: Danny Sullivan, &#8220;Tricky Issues With Local Search&#8221; <a href="http://ow.ly/1fxYj">http://ow.ly/1fxYj</a></li>
<li>How to Design for Your Worst Client: You. <a href="http://ow.ly/1fxNk">http://ow.ly/1fxNk</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>March 7, 2010</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Is someone managing your paid search ads for your business? Do you know how much of your money goes to buying ads? <a href="http://ow.ly/1extX">http://ow.ly/1extX</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>March 4, 2010</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Want to convert more lookie-loo&#8217;s into buyers? Forbes study suggests SEO, email and PPC ads are most effective: <a href="http://ow.ly/1elKU">http://ow.ly/1elKU</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this week&#8217;s edition of Local Bits, Bytes and BS.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>- Julian Seery Gude</em><br />
<strong>LOCALNa8ion.com &#8211; Where you are is where it&#8217;s at</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>About | Local Bits, Bytes &amp; BS is our weekly online magazine and email newsletter for small business owners that need to connect with local buyers for next-to-nothing using practical online tools and methods. We publish content every week that reveals secrets from the leading edge of local internet marketing, local search engine optimization, social media, online video, web design and WordPress.</p>
<p><em>Subscribe:</em> You can find Bits, Bytes &amp; BS online at <a title="LOCAL Na8ion, small business web design, local internet marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training" href="http://www.localna8ion.com" target="_self">www.LOCALNa8ion.com</a> or <a title="Local Knowledge Weekly" href="http://localna8ion.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=da4f1b065ecdd09a3109abe2b&amp;id=5cb4580fde" target="_blank"><strong>subscribe to the weekly newsletter</strong></a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-3/">Local Bits, Bytes and BS | Weekly Issue No. 3</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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		<title>Get on page one of Google with jQuery</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/get-on-page-one-of-google-with-jquery/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/get-on-page-one-of-google-with-jquery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:11:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jQuery]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Episode 24 &#124; Local Knowledge There&#8217;s a new way to get on page one of Google search results by using a jQuery web design. How do you design attractive websites for people while feeding Google the text it needs to improve your search engine rankings? Recently I talked about how designing your website in Flash [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/get-on-page-one-of-google-with-jquery/">Get on page one of Google with jQuery</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>Episode 24 | Local Knowledge</h3>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="640" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2RpwssNvCNA&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2RpwssNvCNA&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<h3>There&#8217;s a new way to get on page one of Google search results by using a jQuery web design.</h3>
<p>How do you design attractive websites for <em>people</em> while feeding Google the text it needs to improve your search engine rankings?</p>
<p>Recently I talked about how <a title="Do not let Flash happen to your website design" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/do-not-let-flash-happen-to-your-web-design/" target="_self">designing your website in Flash is a disaster</a> from a <em>search engine optimization</em> standpoint even it if looks great from a <em>web design</em> perspective. People like the look of Flash web designs but Google can&#8217;t read the content of Flash movies (like video) so Google can&#8217;t rank your website for relevant keywords. The end result is poor search engine rankings.</p>
<p>The opposite end of the spectrum is a text-centric web design. Google eats ups the keywords like a pig takes to mud but the text heavy website design leaves people <span style="text-decoration: underline;">cold</span>.</p>
<div id="attachment_1030" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/text-centric-web-design.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1030" title="text-centric-web-design" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/text-centric-web-design-300x163.png" alt="" width="300" height="163" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">text-centric web designs rank well with Google but perform badly with people. What&#39;s the alternative?</p></div>
<p>For years website designers and SEO experts have tried myriad techniques to produce a pleasing uncluttered <em>visual design</em> with a text-centric SEO friendly design for Google. In the last couple of years a new web programming language has emerged called jQuery and it is quickly becoming popular for good reason. Many designs using jQuery mimic the interesting visual effects of Flash but with one key difference. All the text within jQuery effects are 100% accessible to search engines. This is great news.</p>
<h3>jQuery is the holy grail of web design and search engine optimization</h3>
<p>With jQuery effects you can combine text headlines with keyword rich text descriptions and break up the text with design elements, video and pictures. This <em>chunking</em> of website content allows you to feed manageable amounts of information to people so they get the point of what you&#8217;re saying without becoming overwhelmed.</p>
<div id="attachment_1032" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.woothemes.com/demo/?name=delegate" target="_blank"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1032" title="jQuery-slider-demo" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/jQuery-slider-demo-300x146.png" alt="Click on the image to see an interactive demo of a jQuery slider panel" width="300" height="146" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click on the image above to see an interactive demo of a jQuery slider panel</p></div>
<p>Let&#8217;s consider an example. A popular jQuery effect is called <strong><em>the slider</em></strong>. It features a panel that slides to reveal more content. While the person looking at the website is getting nicely <em>chunked</em> information, the search engine is able to read (or index) 100% of the text from ALL the panels contained within the jQuery slider panel. Take a look at the <em>Delegate</em> design made by WooThemes (one of many jQuery designs available in our <a title="The Percolator Package from LOCALNa8ion" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/products/percolator-brew-up-new-local-customers/" target="_self">Percolator Package</a>) . Make sure to click on the picture of the Delegate WordPress theme to see the demo and then scroll through the slider panels to see the content rotate through the design.</p>
<p>jQuery has many effects that can be used to chunk text heavy content into visual design that&#8217;s more manageable. For example, we used jQuery expanding panels on a <em>website magazine design</em> that shows multiple blog posts on one page, an action that would normally leave a person scrolling down the website page for days.</p>
<p>Instead we featured the article headline and a visual call-to-action for the user to read the post by simply clicking a plus sign. As soon as you click the plus sign you see the <em>entire</em> blog post. When you&#8217;re done reading, you click on the minus key to put the post content away and move on to the next headline. What would have been page after page of dense text has been reduced to a few inches of precious screen real estate.</p>
<div id="attachment_1035" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 610px"><a href="http://www.hrexaminer.com/magazine/weekly/hrexaminer-v1-09" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-1035" title="expander-panel-demo-jQuery-600px" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/expander-panel-demo-jQuery-600px.png" alt="Click on the image above to see a demo of the jQuery expander (look for the plus signs)" width="600" height="338" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click on the image above to see a demo of the jQuery expander (look for the plus signs)</p></div>
<h4>Page one of Google Search Results</h4>
<p>jQuery is a design and SEO powerhouse and one you can&#8217;t afford to ignore if you want to appear on <strong>page one of Google search results</strong> while still having a great looking design!</p>
<p>Julian Seery Gude, ed LOCAL Na8ion</p>
<p><a rel="enclosure" href="http://blip.tv/file/get/LocalNa8ion-GetOnPageOneOfGoogleWithJQuery946.mp4">iTunes, QuickTime, iPhone or iPod download</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/get-on-page-one-of-google-with-jquery/">Get on page one of Google with jQuery</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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			<media:title type="html">text-centric-web-design</media:title>
			<media:description type="html">text-centric web designs rank well with Google but perform badly with people. What's the alternative?</media:description>
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			<media:title type="html">jQuery-slider-demo</media:title>
			<media:description type="html">Click on the image above to see an interactive demo of a jQuery slider panel</media:description>
			<media:thumbnail url="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/jQuery-slider-demo-150x150.png" />
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		<media:content url="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/expander-panel-demo-jQuery-600px.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">expander-panel-demo-jQuery-600px</media:title>
			<media:description type="html">Click on the image above to see a demo of the jQuery expander (look for the plus signs)</media:description>
			<media:thumbnail url="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/expander-panel-demo-jQuery-600px-150x150.png" />
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		<title>The biggest mistake in web design</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/the-biggest-mistake-in-web-design/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/the-biggest-mistake-in-web-design/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:47:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Create]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Marketing]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How small business owners can chose a great web design for their company The biggest mistake in web design is letting your own design taste get in the way of choosing a really great web design. This is especially true for small businesses where one person is the sole decision maker on the design. This post talks about [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/the-biggest-mistake-in-web-design/">The biggest mistake in web design</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_1016" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.thepixel.com/blog/"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1016" title="thepixelblog" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/thepixelblog-300x158.png" alt="Great web design isn't just about being original, it's about connecting with your website audience" width="300" height="158" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Great web design isn&#39;t just about being original, it&#39;s about connecting with your website audience</p></div>
<h3>How small business owners can chose a great web design for their company</h3>
<p>The biggest mistake in web design is letting your own design taste get in the way of choosing a really <em>great</em> web design. This is especially true for small businesses where one person is the sole decision maker on the design. This post talks about what makes a business web design <em>great</em> and shares some simple steps on how you can avoid this trap while still achieving a design you love.</p>
<p>There are many elements that go into a <em>great</em> business web design. Things like originality, usability and the marketing content itself which include elements like your logo, website colors, marketing copy (text) and images. The business website must communicate the essence of your company (your brand) and lay out a convincing case for how doing business with you is better than your competition (differentiation). It can be a daunting challenge.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s get something clear as to what I mean when I say <span style="text-decoration: underline;">great</span> web design.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t mean a work of art that wins a design award or feeds your ego. I mean a website design that motivates a large percentage of your target audience to take action, such as call, email or visit your business. That&#8217;s the kind of <em>great</em> design I&#8217;m talking about.</p>
<p>Now that we have a common understanding about what I&#8217;m defining as <em>good design</em> let&#8217;s talk about how to avoid your design bias overwhelming your primary goal of getting more leads from your website.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">secret</span></em>?</p>
<p><strong>Process</strong>.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t beat your head on your keyboard just yet, I know that sounds dull. Don&#8217;t fret, because this <em>process</em> is really good at helping you create or select a great web design.</p>
<h3><strong>Web Design Process</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li>Identify your customer</li>
<li>Make a list of your website requirements</li>
<li>Make a rough sketch or example of your desired layout (called a website wireframe)</li>
<li>Use representative placeholder text and images to agree on layout and overall design</li>
<li>Write headlines, marketing copy (text) and calls-to-action</li>
<li>Apply the skin of our new design last, after you have your layout, wireframe, text and images sorted</li>
<li>Get feedback on the design from a small number of real customers</li>
</ul>
<p>Let&#8217;s break each of these down and then you&#8217;ll be ready to put the process in place with selecting your next web design.</p>
<h4>Identify your Customer</h4>
<p>Remember how earlier I talked about how web design isn&#8217;t just the pretty face thet greets your web visitor? Here&#8217;s what your design should be about: communicating to your customer and incenting <em>them</em> to take action. Therefore wouldn&#8217;t it be nice if our design was <em>customer centric</em> rather than business owner centric? Say yes. Good job, you&#8217;re getting the hang of this process already.</p>
<h4>Make a list of your website requirements</h4>
<p>This is about what you want the website to do and what content you think you should include on your website. These requirements start out high level and then you get more specific until you have enough clarity to make them actionable.  For example, a high level requirement might be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Include email newsletter signup widget</li>
</ul>
<p>The more specific version could be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Place email newsletter signup widget on home page and right sidebar of all pages and blog</li>
</ul>
<p>Requirements insure your website actually has all the right parts needed to address your target customers&#8217;s needs.</p>
<h4>Create a wireframe</h4>
<div id="attachment_1010" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/wireframeexample.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1010" title="wireframeexample" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/wireframeexample-300x250.jpg" alt="a website wireframe helps you and your web designer to visualize your design and agree on layout" width="300" height="250" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to expand. A website wireframe helps you and your web designer visualize your design and agree on layout with no fisticuffs</p></div>
<p>Ever doodled a graphical idea on the back of a napkin so you could communicate what you mean to someone? Even if you don&#8217;t have the slightest design skill you can make rectangles, circles and scribbles that look like text. Today we do this when we make websites but we borrow an engineering process for it and call it a wireframe. What you&#8217;re doing is identifying a web design layout that you can apply your actual design and content to. Like we would apply wood or stucco to a house frame. How does this help? We don&#8217;t get emotionally invested in wireframes. We see the layout and can more quickly determine the right overall shape and flow you&#8217;re looking for. They let both you and your designer agree on a key aspect of the design with cool, calm precision. Don&#8217;t worry, there&#8217;s still time for mental anguish and hand wringing in the last two steps.</p>
<h4>Use representative placeholder text and images</h4>
<p>Ever seen a print mockup or website mockup of a design and it was full of text like this:</p>
<blockquote><p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam consequat ligula sed enim pharetra cursus. Praesent posuere faucibus metus in aliquet. Sed egestas erat at nulla imperdiet a rutrum mauris ultricies. Suspendisse varius nisl ut quam pretium nec aliquet nibh tincidunt.</p></blockquote>
<p>Just like the wireframe, placeholder text and images help you narrow down your design look and feel without being <em>distracted</em> by the specific elements of your <strong>final</strong> design. When we use real copy on a design it&#8217;s impossible not to jump in and start wordsmithing your new marketing copy. We all do this. So don&#8217;t fight this urge, just don&#8217;t give yourself a chance to have the fight. Copywriting has a place in your new web design and it needs to get done before your designer starts to apply hair and makeup to your design (color, imagery).</p>
<p>Now that you have your requirements and design layout chosen you&#8217;re ready to start applying your marketing copy or text to the website. Hey, go crazy with your wordsmithing and headline writing. The tighter this stuff is the better the final design. You might wonder why we make text before we apply the last layer of lipstick to our design. It&#8217;s critical since your marketing copy is descrbing both your product/service and how you differentiate your business &#8211; all summed up to capture your company&#8217;s essence (or in marketing lingo your brand). This written description paints a mental picture in the mind of the reader. That&#8217;s good because that&#8217;s what your designer should have in mind before they design! Give this text to your designer to help them conjure up all sorts of images, colors, and ultimately a design that visually depicts what you&#8217;ve described in text.</p>
<h4>Apply the skin of your design (hair, makeup, etc.)</h4>
<p>With every other part of your design in place from your content, layout and navigation it&#8217;s finally the moment of truth. The designer has to bring all this together in a way that pleases your customer. And at the very least the design has to be something you believe in, even if it&#8217;s not to your exact taste.</p>
<p>The good news is that by going through this process you&#8217;ve already given your designer tons of feedback on what you need. Because of this your web designer often &#8216;nails&#8217; a design on the first attempt and produces a design that knocks your socks off and more importantly those socks on your customer!</p>
<p>If you <em>don&#8217;t like the design</em> you&#8217;ll have already agreed on many aspects of overall design so you really hone in on what&#8217;s not working about the design. It makes this step less confrontational and faster to get through.</p>
<h4>Get feedback on the design from a small number of real customers</h4>
<p>Before you select a final design or throw your designers ideas out the window get feedback from 4-8 actual customers. It&#8217;s not hard to do &#8211; just get creative. People are happy to help out and no one has a hard time expressing their opinion when asked! You can ask your customer the obvious question: &#8220;how do you like the design of our new website?&#8221; but don&#8217;t worry about negative feedback unless it represents the majority opinion. Remember, just like you your customers have a design bias. So ask less subjective questions like &#8216;would this website address your questions and give you a reason to contact us?&#8217;. Use this real world customer feedback to tweak your design. Fixing design issues are typically small tweaks that can make a big difference like using a different picture or headline.</p>
<h4>Wrap up</h4>
<p>The process we&#8217;ve outlined is one that an interactive web agency like we have here at LOCAL Na8ion can do for you (including the actual design) but it can also feel too <em>process heavy</em> for small business and sounds expensive. It doesn&#8217;t have to be either of those things.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s true that this process (like any) can turn into a runaway. But you can avoid that by sticking to your goals and keeping your time and business size in mind. A website requirements list for Bank of America can be 50 pages long. Yours should fit on one. The entire process could take a big company six months to get through but you can follow each step in this process quickly and be done in a week. That&#8217;s a good investment in time given that your new web design will be around a few years.</p>
<p>Most designs made for small business don&#8217;t follow any process at all and the results are similarly hit and miss. You often feel you&#8217;ve accomplished your goal when you&#8217;ve selected a web design that you like. Don&#8217;t measure success by your design bias. Let the results of your web design be judged by the effect it has on producing new customers leads. Thinking this way will redefine your small business marketing in more ways than just your web design. It can be applied to all your marketing decisions.</p>
<h4>Last Word</h4>
<h5><strong>Can this process work with inexpensive design templates and WordPress themes? You bet!</strong></h5>
<p>Custom design can be expensive. A minimal design might set you back between $1000 and $8,000. That&#8217;s just the design, don&#8217;t forget you may need to budget for marketing strategy (identifying your customer and figuring out how to best connect with them), search engine optimization, social media optimization and copywriting. Great designers design stuff. Don&#8217;t ask them to perform SEO or develop a marketing strategy.</p>
<p>One of our specialties here at LOCAL Na8ion is the use of design templates for projects (we specifically use WordPress to power all of our business website projects). We believe in design templates so much that we used a design template on our original website and our recently &#8216;re-designed&#8217; website. You&#8217;re looking at it and it cost me $70. It met my website requirements and it also looked much like the wireframe I made before I got into the hair and makeup phase of the design. Using templates for our client projects allows us to focus on providing services to small businesses that normally couldn&#8217;t afford them like local search engine optimization, training on how to use Facebook or online video to market your business.</p>
<p>Your website is just one part of an online marketing strategy to get your business new customers. Building your new design using this process gives your offline and online marketing a platform that can connect the missing dots in turning shoppers into buyers while saving you precious time and money along the way. Oh, and chances are pretty decent that you&#8217;ll end up liking your new web design, especially the results part where you make more money. <img src='http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Julian Seery Gude, ed LOCAL Na8ion</p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/the-biggest-mistake-in-web-design/">The biggest mistake in web design</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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			<media:title type="html">thepixelblog</media:title>
			<media:description type="html">Great web design isn't about being original, it's about connecting with your website audience</media:description>
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			<media:description type="html">Click to expand. A website wireframe helps you and your web designer to visualize your design and agree on layout</media:description>
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		<title>Local Bits, Bytes and BS &#124; Weekly Issue No. 2</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:22:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Publish & Design]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=923</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Issue 2 &#8211; March 2, 2010 Featured Article &#124; Don&#8217;t let Flash happen to you Last week I got a call from Fantasia Floral Design, a local florist on the upper east side of New York City. They were interested in the article I wrote on the Google Enhanced Business Listing. Before calling the business [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-2/">Local Bits, Bytes and BS | Weekly Issue No. 2</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bits-bytes-and-bs-logo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-973" title="bits-bytes-and-bs-logo" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bits-bytes-and-bs-logo.jpg" alt="Local Bits, Bytes and BS from LOCALNa8ion.com" width="600" height="283" /></a></h3>
<h3>Issue 2 &#8211; March 2, 2010</h3>
<h3><strong>Featured Article | </strong><em>Don&#8217;t let Flash happen to you</em></h3>
<p><em> </em>Last week I got a call from <a title="Fantasia Floral Design" href="http://www.fantasiafloraldesign.com/" target="_blank">Fantasia Floral Design</a>, a local florist on the upper east side of New York City. They were interested in the article I wrote on the <a title="Google Enhanced Business Listing" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/google-enhanced-business-listing-for-small-business/" target="_self">Google Enhanced Business Listing</a>. Before calling the business I performed a quick assessment of their website. What I found was a critical and all too common problem. <a title="Do not let Flash happen to your web design" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/do-not-let-flash-happen-to-your-web-design/" target="_self">Read full story</a>&#8230;</p>
<h3><strong>Video Podcast |<em> Think Global – Market Local | Episode 23 Local Knowledge</em></strong></h3>
<p>February 24, 2010 | For those of you who have products or services that can be sold anywhere the Internet has opened up new revenue and growth opportunities for small business that never existed before. But just because you can get business from anywhere doesn’t mean that your marketing effort should be similarly broad. While I encourage you to think globally when it comes to your ideas and marketing differentiation I would strongly suggest that you act locally when it comes time for targeting your message and advertising. <a title="Watch video Think Global - Market Local Episode 23 of Local Knowledge" href="../think-global-market-local-episode-23-local-knowledge/" target="_self">Watch Video</a>.</p>
<h3>Watercooler | <em>How Google’s Algorithm Rules the Web</em></h3>
<p>It&#8217;s impossible to market your business online today without paying great attention to Google. Watch them closely, obey their rules and reap the rewards of free leads pouring in to your website. Steven Levy of <em>Wired Magazine</em> published a very informative article February 22, 2010 called <a title="Wired Magazine | How Google's Algorithm Rules the Web" href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/02/ff_google_algorithm/all/1" target="_blank">How Google’s Algorithm Rules the Web</a>. The article covers the evolution of their algorithm changes and gives us some great hints on what&#8217;s to come. Please read it.</p>
<h3><strong>Local 141 | <em>Juicy links &amp; status updates</em><br />
</strong></h3>
<p>March 1, 2010</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9852137238"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> Google just bought web-based photo editor picnik. Here&#8217;s my video lesson on picnik <a href="http://bit.ly/ruR4G">http://bit.ly/ruR4G</a> &amp; story here <a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9828417750">http://bit.ly/a5Q7Ap<br />
<img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> Dec &#8217;09 54% of small businesses used social media to monitor feedback about their business. Here&#8217;s how: <a href="http://bit.ly/diYSag">http://bit.ly/diYSag<br />
</a><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9828260480"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> 69% of small businesses used social media to post status updates or share links according to eMarketer <a href="http://bit.ly/99VW2T">http://bit.ly/99VW2T</a></p>
<p>February 27, 2010</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9728558650"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> How local is local?  <a href="http://twitter.com/gsterling">@gsterling</a> reports buyers make large % of purchases within 6 miles of home. <a href="http://bit.ly/dav8RJ">http://bit.ly/dav8RJ<br />
</a><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9728154596"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> If u r unsure of how to write an SEO friendly article, blog post or press release then scribe for WP might help you <a href="http://scribeseo.com/">http://scribeseo.com/</a></p>
<p>February 26, 2010</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9687291989"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> Great post by  <a href="http://twitter.com/davidmihm">@davidmihm</a> on the complexity of local search (local SEO) <a href="http://selnd.com/ci90S5">http://selnd.com/ci90S5<br />
</a><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9689177207"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> Want better local Google rankings? Read this real useful post &amp; video by  <a href="http://twitter.com/localseoinc">@localseoinc</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/197jqE">http://bit.ly/197jqE</a></p>
<p>February 25th, 2010</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9636731494"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> 5 Tips for Using Online Video to Market Your Small Business GREAT post by  <a href="http://twitter.com/morganb">@morganb</a> on  <a href="http://twitter.com/reelseo">@reelseo</a>&#8216;s site <a href="http://bit.ly/aEEcpt">http://bit.ly/aEEcpt<br />
</a><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9630122377"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> Small Business Owners: According to Forrester your chance of appearing in a Google search are 50X more likely with video than website text.<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9630122377"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> Small Business Owners: According to Forrester your chance of appearing in a Google search are 50X more likely with video than website text.</p>
<p>February 24, 2010</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9590881224"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> My latest LOCAL Na8ion video on local internet marketing for small business: Think Global &#8211; Market Local <a href="http://bit.ly/b0RzQS">http://bit.ly/b0RzQS<br />
</a><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9580463239"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> Mobilize your small biz WordPress website with WP-Touch plugin. Works for iPhone, Android &amp; BB Storm phones <a href="http://bit.ly/7acG7Q">http://bit.ly/7acG7Q</a></p>
<p>February 23, 2010</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/LOCALNa8ion/statuses/9539339188"><img src="/wp-content/plugins/lifestream/extensions/twitter/icon.png" alt="twitter (feed #2)" /></a> How&#8217;s your mobile website? Mobile Local Search is now 28% of all digital searches <a href="http://bit.ly/bHFvXP">http://bit.ly/bHFvXP</a></p>
<blockquote><p>I hope you enjoyed this week&#8217;s edition of Local Bits, Bytes and BS.</p>
<p><em>- Julian Seery Gude</em><br />
<strong>LOCALNa8ion.com &#8211; Where you are is where it&#8217;s at</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>About | Local Bits, Bytes &amp; BS is our weekly online magazine and email newsletter for small business owners that need to connect with local buyers for next-to-nothing using practical online tools and methods. We publish content every week that reveals secrets from the leading edge of local internet marketing, local search engine optimization, social media, online video, web design and WordPress.</p>
<p><em>Subscribe:</em> You can find Bits, Bytes &amp; BS online at <a title="LOCAL Na8ion, small business web design, local internet marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training" href="http://www.localna8ion.com" target="_self">www.LOCALNa8ion.com</a> or <a title="Local Knowledge Weekly" href="http://localna8ion.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=da4f1b065ecdd09a3109abe2b&amp;id=5cb4580fde" target="_blank"><strong>subscribe to the weekly newsletter</strong></a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/local-bits-bytes-and-bs-weekly-issue-no-2/">Local Bits, Bytes and BS | Weekly Issue No. 2</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
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		<title>Do not let Flash happen to your web design</title>
		<link>http://www.localna8ion.com/do-not-let-flash-happen-to-your-web-design/</link>
		<comments>http://www.localna8ion.com/do-not-let-flash-happen-to-your-web-design/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:51:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julian Seery Gude</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Publish & Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.localna8ion.com/?p=950</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week I got a call from Fantasia Floral Design, a local florist on the upper east side of New York City. They were interested in the article I wrote on the Google Enhanced Business Listing. Before calling the business I performed a quick assessment of their website. What I found was a critical and [...]<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/do-not-let-flash-happen-to-your-web-design/">Do not let Flash happen to your web design</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_953" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fantasia-floral.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-953" title="fantasia-floral" src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fantasia-floral-300x208.png" alt="Don't let Flash happen to your web design" width="300" height="208" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Don&#39;t let Flash happen to your web design - Google can&#39;t read it.</p></div>
<p>Last week I got a call from <a title="Fantasia Floral Design" href="http://www.fantasiafloraldesign.com/" target="_blank">Fantasia Floral Design</a>, a local florist on the upper east side of New York City. They were interested in the article I wrote on the <a title="Google Enhanced Business Listing" href="http://www.localna8ion.com/google-enhanced-business-listing-for-small-business/" target="_self">Google Enhanced Business Listing</a>. Before calling the business I performed a quick assessment of their website. What I found was a critical and all too common problem.</p>
<p>Their website was made entirely in Flash, a web programing language that is intended for displaying motion graphics and videos on a website but never intended for use in attracting search engines or powering <em>entire</em> websites. Google and other search engines read text but not the content of Flash or video files.</p>
<p>Given that <em>local search</em> is now the number one tool people use to find local products and services this presents a major problem.</p>
<p>The solution is to have a new website design made using modern web design and local search engine optimization methods. Today, an integrated design that combines best practices in web design, usability and SEO are available in the general marketplace at affordable prices (for example we offer a starter package that includes your WordPress install, setup, design theme, local SEO, training, web hosting, and training for under a thousand bucks).</p>
<p>There are some additional benefits to updating your website. If your old Flash content is still compelling and relevant there&#8217;s a good chance it can be incorporated into your new web design like as I&#8217;ve done with Fantasia Floral&#8217;s Flash movie below.</p>
<p><center><br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="450" height="315" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/intro.swf" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="315" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/intro.swf"></embed></object><br />
</center><br />
Just make sure your web designer integrates your Flash content with your website messaging, and that your text and images are properly optimized for search engines.</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/localna8ion" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/themes/optimize/images/twitter_64.png" alt="follow Local Na8ion on Twitter" hspace="8" align="right" /></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LocalNa8ion" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.localna8ion.com/wp-content/themes/optimize/images/facebook_64.png" alt="Follow LOCAL Na8ion on Facebook" hspace="8" align="right" /></a>A website built on a modern platform will open up other features and benefits that make it easier to market your business online, such as easy integration with social media like Twitter and Facebook. Modern website platforms like WordPress like we use here at LOCAL Na8ion make it easy for business owners without technical <em>knowhow</em> to update their own website, freeing them from the costs of hiring a web designer every time something in their business changes.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s always a balancing act when creating a web design that&#8217;s attractive to people and search engines. The site must look good and function well while providing users with clear navigation &#8211; all while being fully accessible to Google and other search engines. The benefit of this integrated web design is better organic search engine rankings, a lasting effect that keeps paying you back as long as you&#8217;re in business. That&#8217;s what good web design and marketing are all about &#8211; better results.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.localna8ion.com/do-not-let-flash-happen-to-your-web-design/">Do not let Flash happen to your web design</a>
<a href="http://www.localna8ion.com">Small Business Web Design, Local Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Online Video, Training | LOCAL Na8ion West Palm Beach, FL - </a>
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