Is Cuil really cool?

Cuil, the new search engine that has set its radar on Google, is ready to play, but is it really ready to compete? After many months/years of development and some very experienced engineers and owners at the helm, will Cuil really be able to take on the king of the web, Google?

A slow trot out of the gate:
Unfortunately, on the day of the official launch Cuil was anything but raring to go. Because of the overwhelming media response and thus increased traffic, the servers started to buckle under the strain. Searches were taking forever if happening at all, and people were becoming very annoyed at the newbie. After some time, and increased capacity they servers were back up and running and searches started to work a bit more smoothly.

Will they withstand the test of Google?
Although not really the Google killer some had hoped for, I think that Cuil can make it's mark in some small way. They haven't revolutionized search like Google did back in the 90's but they have changed things up a bit. For example, the layout of the search results page is much different. Rather then the phonebook style listing of Google, Yahoo! and MSN, Cuil took the approach of a "magazines style layout". Interestingly this changes the whole ranking focus from being in the top 3 to something a bit more obscure. It's not clear as to whether they are considering the top 3 across or the top 3 down as the "top".

How were the searches?
This area is where they seem to be lacking the quality of data. They say they have more indexed pages then Google, but their algorithm seems to be a little skewed. Searches for local keywords bring up some rather random results and alternate suggestions. Perhaps it was just another early glitch that will be worked out, but hopefully they work it out soon.

Recommend, or stay away?
It certainly is not something that we will be jumping over to in full force with here at Ignite, but we will be keeping an eye on them. They may not be the Google killers, but they may produce some interesting attraction down the road.

Remember: sometimes even a little change can make you think of things in a whole new light.

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

White Hat vs Black Hat and what about the Grey?

There are thousands of methods that search engine optimization and internet marketing specialists will use to help get a site ranked well. Anything from content building, link building and keyword stuffing, to viral marketing, guest blogging, and various others. So which methods are better then others, and which ones are considered black hat and white hat?

White Hat Methods:
I like to think of these methods as the methods that would be used if you didn't have to worry about the search engines. What I mean is that if you asked yourself "If I didn't have to worry at all about ranking, would I do what I'm about to try?", would you still do it? If the answer is no then it clearly is not White Hat.

Content building, link building (for the most part), code structuring, etc, are all mostly White Hat techniques. They can take longer to have an effect, but over the long run your site will be better off for trying these methods.

Black Hat Methods:
Pretty much the opposite of White Hat, Black Hat is anything you can do to get your site ranked well regardless of whether it is ethical or legal in the eyes of the search engines. Spamming blog and or forum posts with links back to your site, stuffing keywords in every possible place, cloaking your domain, etc.

Black Hat techniques can give you good results in the short term, but over time can prove to hurt your site overall. There have been instances of sites being delisted in the search engines for using such techniques, which obviously is the exact opposite effect that was intended.

The Grey Area:
As with anything in life, there is always a grey area. This area is where White meets Black and the line is blurred as to how ethical an action is. For example, buying links for inbound linking campaigns is often frowned upon by the search engines, but what if the link is for a reputable association but they just so happen to charge for them? It's hard to say what to do in cases like this. The link itself is probably very valuable but there is a chance the search engines will not look so kindly on it. My suggestion would be to ask yourself "Will the link benefit a user who clicks on it?". If the answer is yes then proceed, if the answer is maybe or no, I would tend to say don't even consider it.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race:
Although it may seem like an old, over used cliche, it is indeed true. Long terms internet marketing takes time, and over time your hard work and effort will pay off and those people who have employed Black Hat techniques will have to continually look over their shoulder to see if their site is still listed.

Remember: It's not about quantity, it's about quality.

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

International Marketing Tips

The smaller the world gets, the easier it has become to do business overseas. Marketing your product overseas however, is not as easy as it may seem. Here are a few basic tips to help you when considering your venture into the international market.

Not everyone speaks English!
That's right, believe it or not, not everyone in the world speaks English. Although your product is made in the USA and you currently market it using the English language, you will have to seriously consider having everything translated. How frustrated would you be if you saw an add for a product/service you were interested in only to get to their website and see that it is in a language you don't understand?

Translations aren't always created equal
Just as in the English language, not all words translate clearly. Another thing to remember is that there are many different dialects for some languages, such as Spanish. You want to be sure to have someone who is native to that region either translate or proof read the translations so you can be sure you are not offending anyone.

Meaning is everything
Always be sure to see what your slogan means when translated. Most of us remember the story about the car company that had a slogan that translated into "doesn't run" (or something like that). You certainly don't want to be marketing your product only to realize that people are interpreting it as a negative thing.

Take the trip, see the people
There is no replacement for a first hand experience. Actually taking the time to visit the places that you are going to be marketing in and speaking with the local people can give you great insight. What you may once have thought about a particular destination based on what someone told you may not be true at all.

Remember: Do your homework, and you'll find it will pay off later.

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

Summer Slowdown Leads to Fall Pickup...

Many companies see a slowdown in orders, production, etc during the summer months. It is typically the time of year when people take extended vacations, plants close and companies are working shorter days. Who wants to think about the fall during this time?

You should! That's right, you need to think about the fall during this time. Marketing now is the perfect time to grab those customers that will start turning up the pace come fall. Make sure you are the one they remember when they need what you do. Don't be left in someone elses dust because you decided to slow down everything during the summer.

How do I market to them now?
Anyway you can really! Send them an email blast, mail out postcards, put a special on your website. Anything and everything you can think of would be a good idea. How about a special promotion where if they order by August 31st they get a special discount? This helps get orders in for the summer as well as increasing production for the fall. People love to save money and if you give them savings they will most likely respond well to them.

Don't let the summer slip away.
Now is the time to act, not tomorrow, not next month. The summer goes by very quickly so you don't want to be standing there on September 1st wondering where all your orders are. Also, don't panic if you don't hear a response right away, it is the summer after all and they may call in September asking if they can get that deal - go ahead, give it to them, what do you have to lose but the customer if you don't!

Remember: The early bird gets the worm - it's not just a clever cliche.

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

A saturated market, is it worth it to get in?

Most people would immediately tell you to stay away from a saturated market. There is usually very little room for profit, and the daily grind of trying to compete for every dollar can get tiring. You also have to be very creative in your marketing and always try to stay one step ahead of your competitors. However, if you have a unique angle or niche within that market, why not go for it?

A niche within a niche
Lets say for a minute that you are about to get into the computer market. This is a very tough industry as most of the big players dominate the field and it leaves very little room for anyone else to make headway. But what if you had a niche within this arena? Your first niche might be that you only sell laptops, so that cuts your competition down a bit. Now the real fun starts. Your niche within a niche for laptops could be "biodegradable packing and refurbished machines". You now can play up the going green concept and let people feel good about buying from you.

Your service can outweigh your product
Many people think that it's all about marketing the product. If the customer doesn't know about every detail and each product you sell, how else are they going to chose you? Well, there are times when the product comes second, and the service or extra care is what really makes the sale. For example the biodegradable packaging mentioned above could be the most important thing to someone who is extremely environmentally aware. They know they can get a laptop from just about a million places, but you offer something that others don't, peace of mind when it comes to the earth.

Bring on the competition
So the next time you or someone else is thinking about getting into a so called "saturated market", consider what you or they will need to do to differentiate the company. Sometimes it can be as simple as your packaging other times it might need to be something radically different. Each market and company is different and thinking outside the box is always helpful.

Remember: Everyone has products or services, you need to have a differentiator.

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

Should I build multiple websites to attract more customers?

Many people are under the impression that building out several websites for the same product/service will give them a better chance on the search engines. They think that even if the sites have the same content, there are more of them for the search engines to find and in turn they can get more listings. Unfortunately this is rarely the case.

The search engines are looking for sites with unique and authoritative content. When they find several sites that are the same they will most likely either list only one of the sites and/or none of the sites, or list all of them but deep within the search results. So you have effectively devalued your sites, which is exactly what you were trying not to do.

Build "IT" and they will come
The saying is not "Build them and they will come", or "Build many and they will come", it's Build IT and they will come. That's right, build one very well written, well constructed website that concentrates on gaining as many authoritative inbound links as possible. It may take some time to gain the traffic you are looking for, but this approach will always win out in the long run.

Link building is better for one
Another drawback to building many websites for the same service/product is that when you start acquiring inbound links, what site do you point them to? You'll be hard pressed to find authoritative sites that will link to all of your websites if they are all the same thing. They know the value of the link they are giving you and they want to be sure they won't see any backlash from sending people your way.

How do I keep up with it all
One last thing that you should consider is that having multiple websites means you have to keep up with multiple websites. That price change for all your products now has to be done in more than one place. That new product that is coming out next month has to be added to all your sites. After a while this could prove to be a pretty daunting and annoying task. One site, means one update, one addition and better quality control.

Remember: More isn't always better.

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

Lively - Is Google on to Something?

Google just announced this week the launch of it's new 3D chat software called Lively. Still in beta mode, but ready for the public to try out, Lively seems to bring chatting to another level. Is this the way of the future or just a cool new toy from Google?

Many are saying that Lively is merely a half step to Second Life, but without all the controls and number of people. Lively allows you to create your own "rooms" and avatars and then chat with up to 20 people at a time. The chat windows actually show up as speech bubbles like you would see in a comic book sketch, so it is as if your avatar is really talking (to a degree!). You can also put your "room" on your website or blog so people can join your chat as they wish.

Is there any business use for this?
For right now it seems a little too animated to have very much business use. Certain fields may find this to be a unique way of communicating with the visitors on their website/blog. For example someone who has a website selling children's toys could put this on their site and it might fit in nicely with their theme.

For the everyday business person, I think this is a long way off from going main stream. It is also one of the few, if any, Google products that you actually have to download and install software on your computer in order to use. This could leave some people leery, and keep them away at least until it comes out of the beta stage.

So for now we suggest you take a look, maybe even try it out, and if you feel it fits into your website theme you might even want to test it on a page or two of your site.

Remember: New tools are great, but they aren't for everyone.

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

Flash and the Search Engines - Update!

For as long as Flash has been around, trying to have a website built using this technology be seen in the search engines has been a tremendously difficult if not impossible task. The search engines have had no way of reading any of the text or links within a Flash movie and therefore have found little content when going to these sites. That is until now!

Adobe announced last week it that it is working very closely with both Google and Yahoo! to figure out a way to make their product more search engine friendly. It will probably be a while before we see any major changes in the way of listings, but it certainly does create some excitement. Flash websites being indexed is a major step and one that will help industries known for using Flash such as the music and entertainment industry.

There is a lot of speculation as to what they will be able to make open to the search engines, how they will link to specific areas of a movie, how much will they rely on certain tags or coding, etc. Until Google, Yahoo! and Adobe hash out all the details, all of this will remain speculation for now.

So should I start building my all Flash website?
Even with this new development, we hold strong it saying that Flash is a very useful and powerful application when used for the application. A website that is trying to sell hardware with very spec heavy information should probably stick with HTML/ASP/PHP, etc. Using Flash for banners to promote a certain product or service is always great.

When we decide if Flash is right for a website we usually look at two factors: 1) What industry is the website being built for? 2) What is the goal of the website? The answers to these two questions will typically tell us if Flash would be appropriate or not.

Remember: Always keep the end user in mind; after all they could be your client one day!

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization

Show your visitors some fireworks!

I don't mean literally put some corny fireworks animation on your home page. What I mean is give them a deal, start a promotion, have a weekend long sale, etc. The holidays often times are looked at as dead business days because everyone is out celebrating. With a sale or discount of some kind the holidays can be a cash cow for some!

Recurring customers get even more!
What better way to drum up business than to offer an even better deal to people who have ordered in the past week/month/year? If you can figure out a way to give these people an added incentive to shop, you may find that business picks up even more then anticipated.

Leave no stone unturned
A sale or discount can be to anyone for anything. New sign ups can get a different discount then someone who just wants to purchase without signing up. If they buy more than one of a certain item they can get a special deal. There are tons of ways to give your shoppers a little something extra, and the holidays aren't the only times either.

Shoppers love deals and the more they feel that you are open and willing to give them a deal the more likely they are to come and shop with you.

Happy 4th of July and we at Ignite hope you have a profitable holiday weekend!

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Ignite MediaLLC, Ignite Your Site™
http://www.ignite-media.com/
Website Design & Development eCommerce Development Search Engine Optimization