How to set up a winning web site

To create a winning internet site or web log you need subject matter, hosting and SEO. Nowadays it is possible to establish an on-line store for free and for a low number of euro you can make your own web shop with good support from your Internet Service Provider.

At the base of your net publication is a tested web hosting company with secure hosts and good support. Depending on your location, it should not be hard to retrieve such a hosting company. If you project to operate a web log on Word press, we recommend using a Apache supported webhosting solution while different solutions demand a IIS server.

Developing hot articles for your blog or web site is simple if you like writing. Be sure to chose a subject that truly occupies you; you will have to continue writing on that matter for a long period of time to get the success you started out for. Good spots to find thoughts and inspiration are blogs and social media web sites like TwitterMySpace and YouTube.

In the procedure of making a good web site or blog, you must hold your site updated with the cutting-edge SEO proficiencies and be positive your site is well optimised for search marketing. The procedure of optimizing your site for search engines requires great content, draws of inbound links and a mastered server setup so you can operate all technological elements of your websites performance including the optimal URL structure.

Establishing a flourishing presence on the Internet requires a lot of work and some attainments but with blogging software like Drupal the programming requirements will be held at a minimum, so that you can focus on producing sound and solid content.

About directories:

A directory is simply a web site that contains a categorized listing of links from around the web. They aid surfers to locate the ‘best’ and most informative links for a particular category. For example a category may be called ‘Home and Garden’ and in this category there is list of links about home improvement and gardening. Directories consist of a collection of categories into which links are seperated. Categories can have sub-categories to make the division of links more specific.

Directories are important tools in building link popularity and as a result help improve search engine ranking. They are an excellent source of inbound, one-way links, which are the most powerful types of links to help build link popularity.

There are a multitude of varied directories on the web at present. They range from general directories that include categories for almost everything, to specific directories that contain categories to match specific area/s of interest e.g. web sites about fishing. It is helpful to get your web site listed in as many directories as possible as this will help you beat the competition in rankings.

Getting your link listed varies between directories as each has their own different process. Some directories require a fee but most do not. A lot of directories offer a mixture between free and paid listing. When you pay to get your link listed in a directory it is normally added within a week and it is guaranteed to be added. On the flipside a directory offer a free listing can take anywhere from a week to several months to add your link, and also there is no guarantee that the link will be added.

Some directories use other approaches to get your link listed. For example the Joeant directory http://www.joeant.com requires you to register as an editor in order to submit a link. The Zeal directory http://www.zeal.com also requires you to register as a member but first you must complete and pass a 20 question quiz to prove your worthiness.

Directories to submit to:

Getting listed in quality directories such as DMOZ or Yahoo can be more beneficial for your link popularity than a lot of links from smaller, newer directories. It is therefore useful to know which to submit to. The following is a listing of some of the higher quality directories:

DMOZ
http://www.dmoz.org
The most important directory that exists on the web today. Getting listing in this directory is critical if you aim to achieve top rankings..

* Listing - Free
* Time to get listed - 1 to 6 months, maybe even longer

Yahoo Directory
http://dir.yahoo.com
After DMOZ, probably the next most powerful directory to get listed in.

* Listing - Free or paid
* Time to get listed - Free inclusion can take several months, paid inclusion a few days

Zeal & Looksmart
http://www.zeal.com
http://www.looksmart.com
These two directories are very closely related as Looksmart owns Zeal.
* Listing - Zeal: Free for non-commercial sites (sites can only be submitted after passing a 20 question quiz) but paid for commercial sites.
Looksmart: Paid

* Time to get listed - Zeal: Free inclusion can take 1-2 months, paid inclusion a few days
Looksmart: A few days

JoeAnt
http://www.joeant.com
JoeAnt is a directory that is growing in popularity.

Gimpsy
http://www.gimpsy.com
Operates differently to other directories. Web sites are organized according to question asked.

Information needed to submit to directories:

When submitting a link to a directory you will more than likely be asked to provide the following information about your web site:

* URL
* Title
* Description
* Keywords that describe it

One thing I recommend that you do before submitting is to prepare this information in advance and to use the same information when submitting to all directories. As much as possible place keyphrases that describe your web site into the Title text and Description text you submit, especially into the Title text (this is known as anchor text optimization).

When a directory asks you to provide keywords that describe your web site it uses these keywords to locate your site when someone performs a search within the directory. So for example if I submit the keyword ‘lawn’ I have a better of chance of being listed in the directory’s search results when someone searches within it using the keyword ‘lawn’. However focus more on writing keyphrase-rich Title and Description entries than Keywords when submitting.

Tips when submitting to directories:

* Submit your link to the most appropriate category
Every directory will tell you this as it makes their job easier when it comes around to listing your link. This point should be stressed though as it not only makes the directory editor’s job a little easier therefore speeding up your listing, but also the search engines will look at the other links that surround you on the page you are listed on and if they are of a similar theme to your own this can boost your rankings.

* Be patient
One point to remember about directories that provide a free listing, be patient. If you are not paying to be in the directory then your link listing has a lower priority than paid listings. It can take several months to get into some directories so it can be frustrating. The best thing to do when you submit is to put it out of your mind.

* Keep a log
One of the most useful things to do upon submitting to a directory is to write the name of the directory and the date of submission into a log of some sort (try an Excel sheet). This prevents you from submitting to a directory more than once (keeping the editors happy) and gives you the satisfaction that you are getting something done. When your link gets listed in the directory mark it off in your log. Job well done!

Summary:

Submitting your link to directories is an excellent way to build your web site’s link popularity and improve search engine rankings. There are many directories out there, ranging from the general to the specific, each with their own link submission processes. Prepare keyphrase-rich text that accurately describes your web site to submit to the directories. Choose the most appropriate category for your web site before submitting.

Submitting to directories requires a little effort and a lot of patience. Your search engine rankings will thank you for the extra effort.

Frank Kilkelly is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Expert and Webmaster at http://www.seo-ireland.com/, a complete search engine optimization resource. The highlight of the site is an SEO forum http://www.seo-ireland.com/forum/ for discussion of the latest techniques and tips to improve the ranking of your web site.

We all know that in order to get customers to your site, you need to market it. You need to get the word out that your site is there and it’s got the products or information for your customers. Here I am, come and get me! But, how to do this is the question. One of the most effective ways is to use a search engine as a tool. More and more search engines are the ways people find websites that they visit. Once they are there, your products or information will sell itself!

Search engine submission software can help you do this. By submitting your site to search engines, you will be there when someone does a search using the keywords you set up for that website or webpage. Again, the goal is to get the customer to the site. Some of these software programs can help while others may prove to be useless. Here’s a reason why. When you, yourself want to search for something on the net, where do you go? Do you use Google? Yahoo? More than likely you do. The question is, does the software you plan to spend your hard earned money on include these popular search engines?

The website software submission software claims to submit your site to many different sites. Often some of these are free for all sites or sites that generally generate no traffic besides submissions like these. So, what good does that do you? When you decide to purchase this type of software ensure that it will submit your site to useful search engines, ones that will be used and will generate traffic to your site.

By all means, having your website automatically submitted to hundreds of search engines is a great thing. But, make sure that where your site is going is actually something that will increase your hits. Do this by researching just where it is being submitted to.

Keith Mallinson is author of the article exchange newsletter, offering
subscribers up to date information on all aspects of article submissions and use
of free articles for search engine
optimization http://www.article-exchange.com

Many people think that having a website is enough to succeed in the online market. On the contrary, to be successful in any online business or in any enterprise for that matter, good management skills and the right marketing strategies are required.

Managing a website and turning it to an instant cash cow is possible but one must have the right online tools and an attractive website that is hospitable to users and can be found by search engines. To earn online, you also need hard work, patience and commitment to building a good site.

But even with the best intentions and the best resources, one must still face the fact that there are over millions of online businesses battling for profits. Stacked against these odds, how can one website get ahead?

The solution: get your website optimized. That means getting your website on the first page of a search result. A website placed within the first two pages of the search results of a relevant keyword has more chances of getting viewed, and in turn higher potential of selling products and services.

Search engine optimization (SEO) companies are professionals who do more than create and manage websites. They make sure that a website is included in the top page of the search results of significant keyword terms. SEO covers important aspects like design, content, and programming code, plus link building. More than just online traffic, SEO can actually help any website generate actual income.

Stephen Schwarzman explains his 7-step program for economic recovery.

Stephen Schwarzman is profiled on Builders & Titans for Time Magazine 100.

Stephen Schwarzman is a Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Kennedy Center.