If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, better hurry!!

Also for our advertisers, don’t forget to send me your sale specials to add to the newsletter!

• One of the things we often forget about is the copyright on our website. If it still says 2010, or even worse 2007, well, what do you think this says to your customers? To me, it says that this website hasn’t been updated in quite a while, and I should look somewhere else making my purchases.

• Another thing I have noticed lately is the amount of dead links you find on a lot of websites I have been surfing. Have you checked some of the website link exchange or topsites only to notice all of the dead links and websites that are no longer in existence. I have noticed a couple of notices lately that a couple of the well know websites are now casino sites. Now is a good time to check all of the links, and back links to your website and make sure that they all go to a live website. You want to make sure that you are not promoting something you’re unsure of.

• Have you added a way for customers to follow you via facebook, twitter, RSS,  or pinterest? If not, why not?

• Is your website easy to navigate? Do I have to hunt through several pages to find the information I am looking for?

• Does your website / blog have music playing? If it does, I suggest removing it. There are a lot of customers, myself included, that will immediately leave a website that requires them to listen to music while visiting your website.

• Is the web content on your website current? Do you have grammer or spelling errors? Are your products or services current? Are you still offering a doll or canister set for sale that has already sold?

• Is your contact information still current and easy to find? You want to make sure that if your customers or potential customers have a way to contact you.

I hope this information has you thinking about a few things to keep your website updated and customer ready. Copyright © 2012—All Rights Reserved — Nancie Dumdi ~Whistlestop Crossing Marketplace & Craft Mall

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/SpeckledGoose

If you’re a Whistle member, be sure to send us your specials and we’ll get them added to our blog!

Have a great day!

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]]> http://whistlestopcrossing.me/2011/12/30/blog-checklist/feed/ 0 whistlestopcrossingmarketplace http://whistlestopcrossing.me/2011/12/26/online-website-directory-listing-will-improve-your-business/ http://whistlestopcrossing.me/2011/12/26/online-website-directory-listing-will-improve-your-business/#comments Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:05:57 +0000 WhistlestopCrossingMarketplace http://whistlestopcrossing.wordpress.com/?p=197 Continue reading →]]> Online Website Directory Listing Will Improve Your Business
By Sharen Turney

Every website should look pleasing to the eye. Especially when you have a business website, with a lot of information that people would like to check out. If you have a business website, which simply does not get the kind of traffic that you anticipated means that you need your directory to be listed on the top results of a search engine. In the ever expanding online market, you are bound to find some tough competitors with an equally good website, but they have found premium ways to somehow increase their website traffic. Once your website listing appears in the top search results, you will stand a better chance of gaining business, as being the top result in the search engine is like sitting on a gold mine.

A very good and effective way to increase your page popularity is to join a good directory listing firm. These firms are online based and charge a reasonable fee to optimize your website. Also, another major aspect in gaining a good customer base is to choose a simple, easy to remember, yet unique name or address for your website. It is generally seen that even though you have wonderful graphics and nice artful content on your webpage, you lack the gush of visitors, because somebody else happens to have a website with almost a similar name. A chunk of your visitors might be ending up on his page rather than yours.

There are some very good professional directory listings out there, which help even a newbie by helping him/her on the uniqueness of their website address. These directories have a huge database with the names of almost all websites in the business. Hence, you need not worry about choosing an existing name, since the directory listing will warn you if such a directory already exists. So, choose a directory that is very user-friendly.

The best part about directories is that they will categorize your website based on the content. If your website addresses people with some medical information, they will categorize your website under health and fitness. Similarly, if your website gives a review on all consumer goods, your site will end up in the household category. So, your website will be neatly sorted out, removing any confusion. However, many renowned directory listings give you an option to register in a particular category, so that it would save them time in simply sorting the websites.

Sometimes, people register their website under general category, hoping to gain more viewers. However, this will only increase the directory listing firm’s work, as they would now have to re-categorize your site and then start to optimize it. Thanks to their individual attention to each directory, you have nothing to lose, but gain from entering your listing in a good online directory. In order to get a better page rank, do not register in those directories, which have a ‘no-follow’ function. This will discard any user from entering your website, as the directory disables your link, which is not good news for you.

If you are looking for free article submission sites then you are in the right place, just follow the link and also know about SEO friendly list of directories.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharen_Turney

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Anyone like me already thinking about their goals for the New Year? I have already started putting together my year’s goals, both short term goals, and long term goals.

I will share some of my goals with you all, and I will also be putting together some posts for you on how to create measure and follow through with the goals you create for yourself and business.

I like to separate my goals into sections. I am also going to add the tasks for my goals to my on-line calendar so that I can view it daily via computer, tablet and phone, wherever I am, and set up reminders!

Above all I am going to take time to smell the roses, take walks with the dogs, and spend time with my boys!

Marketing:

• Decide the best way to utilize the marketing dollars I have available
• Create at least 3 posts on each blog weekly
• Write 2 new articles each month
• Continue daily marketing via facebook, twitter, and blogging
• Continue bi-monthly newsletters

The Speckled Goose:

• Add a minimum of 10 new pictures of new items in the store weekly.
• Create weekly updates for both stores (NT & Erie)

Graphic Websites:

• Add a minimum of 15 new sets of graphics weekly to each site
• Add a minimum of 10 new printables weekly to each site
• Add a minimum of 10 items weekly to Artfire store

These are just a few, and I am still working on my goals. Check back to see what I have come up with as far as measuring and following through with your goals.

Have  a great afternoon!

 Nancie, Haley d’Pug & Bear

© The Speckled Goose

http://thespeckledgoose.com

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