A database-driven website, also called a dynamic website, is an interactive site that gathers information and stores it in a behind-the-scenes database that can then be accessed by either the website owner or the website user. . The storage area for the information is called a database. The need for and use of such websites are constantly increasing. According to Sean Jackson, manager of database development at Heritage Web Solutions, approximately 85% of all of the websites Heritage designs make use of a database.
Database-driven websites are in demand because consumers’ needs for information gathering, access and interaction continue to rise. Every time you order a product, fill out a form or access your membership information you are using a database-driven website.
A few examples of Database Functions:
• Membership Sites - http://www.hwdweb.com/dating.shtml
• Real Estate Listings - http://www.hwdweb.com/real_estate.shtml
• Interactive Calendars - http://www.hwdweb.com/calendar_php.shtml
• Blogs - http://www.hwdweb.com/Blog.shtml
• Online Stores - http://www.hwdweb.com/shopping_cart.shtml
• Product Catalogs - http://www.hwdweb.com/shopping_cart.shtml
• Payment Forms - http://www.hwdweb.com/advanced_payment_form.shtml
• Automobile Dealer Listings - http://www.hwdweb.com/auto_featured_cars.shtml
• Subscription Forms - http://www.hwdweb.com/double_optin.shtml
• Chat room Features - http://www.hwdweb.com/flashchat.shtml
• Secured Applications - http://www.hwdweb.com/secured_form_20_fields.shtml
• Forums and Bulletin Boards - http://www.hwdweb.com/forum_bullitinboard.shtml
• News Feeds - http://www.hwdweb.com/zfeeder.shtml
• Logins - http://www.hwdweb.com/java_script_login.shtml
• Newsletter Sign-ins - http://www.hwdweb.com/double_optin.shtml
In considering the need for a database-driven website, you should assess the type of interaction you want to have with your customers or visitors. If you need to gather, present or display changing information from your website, then you will require a database program to perform those actions.
What To Do Next
As a business owner considering the options to incorporate into your website, take the time to discuss your business needs with a professional firm. Many of your database needs may have already been created for use in multiple websites. With modest revisions, they can be adapted to your needs. This potentially can save you significant time and money. And remember, for all of your database and other website needs, the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions are just a phone call away.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Using the BBB to Promote Your Business
In today’s business environment fraught with ever-increasing deceptive business practices, less than desired customer service, and the questionable credibility of many businesses, the benefits of being in good standing with the Better Business Bureau is a must. Businesses enjoying a positive record with the BBB are well positioned to assuage the fears of prospective customers. A case in point is that of Heritage Web Solutions.
Heritage is a website design and hosting company with over 15,000 clients. In its history Heritage has had less than 1% of its clients voice concerns to the BBB. More remarkable, Heritage does not have a single unresolved BBB complaint. This track record pays huge dividends in attracting new customers.
Mark Strong, co-founder and current chief quality officer at Heritage, offers the following insight: “The track record Heritage has with the BBB is a huge plus for our company as we discuss doing business with potential clients. Most consumers have had both good and bad experiences doing business with various individuals and companies. Their unspoken concern is, ‘Are they simply saying the right things to get my business, or do they really perform?’ Getting a link to Heritage’s BBB report and viewing that report from a neutral, third party is huge in setting their minds at ease. We simply love the BBB and the positive impact it has on our business.”
According to the National BBB Organization:
Corporations partner and align with BBB primarily because we share two fundamental beliefs:
• The marketplace has its greatest opportunity to flourish when consumers trust the business community. BBB's mission is to advance marketplace trust.
• Industry self-regulation solutions are preferable to government intervention on marketplace trust issues.
Given this, BBB Corporate Partners provide tangible, financial support for BBB's work to advance marketplace trust. In return, alignment with BBB:
• Demonstrates a company's commitment to a trustworthy marketplace
• Further strengthens its Corporate Responsibility Profile and Brand Reputation, and
• Nourishes the necessary framework to develop new self-regulation solutions
As underscored by Strong, business relationships with the BBB create a win-win situation for both the business and the consumer. As a friendly reminder, remember the helpful folks at Heritage Web Solutions are simply a phone call away.
Heritage is a website design and hosting company with over 15,000 clients. In its history Heritage has had less than 1% of its clients voice concerns to the BBB. More remarkable, Heritage does not have a single unresolved BBB complaint. This track record pays huge dividends in attracting new customers.
Mark Strong, co-founder and current chief quality officer at Heritage, offers the following insight: “The track record Heritage has with the BBB is a huge plus for our company as we discuss doing business with potential clients. Most consumers have had both good and bad experiences doing business with various individuals and companies. Their unspoken concern is, ‘Are they simply saying the right things to get my business, or do they really perform?’ Getting a link to Heritage’s BBB report and viewing that report from a neutral, third party is huge in setting their minds at ease. We simply love the BBB and the positive impact it has on our business.”
According to the National BBB Organization:
Corporations partner and align with BBB primarily because we share two fundamental beliefs:
• The marketplace has its greatest opportunity to flourish when consumers trust the business community. BBB's mission is to advance marketplace trust.
• Industry self-regulation solutions are preferable to government intervention on marketplace trust issues.
Given this, BBB Corporate Partners provide tangible, financial support for BBB's work to advance marketplace trust. In return, alignment with BBB:
• Demonstrates a company's commitment to a trustworthy marketplace
• Further strengthens its Corporate Responsibility Profile and Brand Reputation, and
• Nourishes the necessary framework to develop new self-regulation solutions
As underscored by Strong, business relationships with the BBB create a win-win situation for both the business and the consumer. As a friendly reminder, remember the helpful folks at Heritage Web Solutions are simply a phone call away.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) has become a vastly popular way for online businesses to generate traffic to their website. All types of businesses, including website design companies such as Heritage Web Solutions, depend on PPC advertising.
PPC are ads that show up as sponsored links on the top and along the right-hand side of the search engine page. An advertiser pays the search engine company every time a searcher “clicks” on their ad. The three main search engines make up 75% of the searches worldwide; Google (47.4%), Yahoo (16%), MSN (11.5%).
Ranking high with PPC in a given keyword is based on how much you are willing to pay per click versus your competing advertisers; the more competitive the keyword the higher the cost per click.
Setting up an Account – To set up an advertising account with the three top search engines, go to the following addresses:
Google: http://www.google.com/intl/en/ads/
Yahoo: http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/
MSN: http://advertising.microsoft.com/microsoft-adcenter?s_int=277
Tips for a successful PPC Campaign
1. Your Ad –Include the keyword or phrase that people are searching. Experiment with different ads and determine which ones are most successful.
2. Landing Page – This is the page that people will land on when they click your ad. It should be sales oriented and contain your contact information.
3. Keywords – Use only relevant keywords and phrases which relate to your product or service.
4. Types of Keywords – There are three different ways of listing your keywords. For helpful insight, go to: https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6100&topic=78
5. Ad Positioning –The 1st position is not always the best. It attracts the "auto clickers", people who automatically click on it, even if it is not what they are looking for. These irrelevant clicks are expensive. Positions 3 and 4 are often recommended.
6. Keyword Clean Up—Review the performance of your keywords and delete the non-performers.
PPC advertising can be the most cost-effective source of marketing and pay huge dividends if done correctly. Remember, the friendly experts at Heritage Web Solutions are just a phone call away.
PPC are ads that show up as sponsored links on the top and along the right-hand side of the search engine page. An advertiser pays the search engine company every time a searcher “clicks” on their ad. The three main search engines make up 75% of the searches worldwide; Google (47.4%), Yahoo (16%), MSN (11.5%).
Ranking high with PPC in a given keyword is based on how much you are willing to pay per click versus your competing advertisers; the more competitive the keyword the higher the cost per click.
Setting up an Account – To set up an advertising account with the three top search engines, go to the following addresses:
Google: http://www.google.com/intl/en/ads/
Yahoo: http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/
MSN: http://advertising.microsoft.com/microsoft-adcenter?s_int=277
Tips for a successful PPC Campaign
1. Your Ad –Include the keyword or phrase that people are searching. Experiment with different ads and determine which ones are most successful.
2. Landing Page – This is the page that people will land on when they click your ad. It should be sales oriented and contain your contact information.
3. Keywords – Use only relevant keywords and phrases which relate to your product or service.
4. Types of Keywords – There are three different ways of listing your keywords. For helpful insight, go to: https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6100&topic=78
5. Ad Positioning –The 1st position is not always the best. It attracts the "auto clickers", people who automatically click on it, even if it is not what they are looking for. These irrelevant clicks are expensive. Positions 3 and 4 are often recommended.
6. Keyword Clean Up—Review the performance of your keywords and delete the non-performers.
PPC advertising can be the most cost-effective source of marketing and pay huge dividends if done correctly. Remember, the friendly experts at Heritage Web Solutions are just a phone call away.
Monday, November 10, 2008
What Makes a Successful Website?
Many people think that if they just set up a website, customers will magically appear and start buying. This is like building a retail store with no windows, doors or signs, on a lot with no roads or sidewalks, and expecting customers to find you and flood you with business. Whether a business designs its own site or engages the services of a professional design firm such as Heritage Web Solutions, great care and thought need to be given in creating an effective website.
An Internet website is an electronic store front, like a physical store front. Set up and marketed right, it will become your most cost-effective way to generate business.
A fully developed and coordinated web marketing program includes a "sales oriented" website, an online vehicle for driving customers to your site, a process of converting them from lookers to buyers and a way of tracking the results.
Five Proven Tips
1. The Front (Home) Page should tell your prospective customers what you can do for them. Give them reasons to buy. Keep your text short and to the point.
2. Less is more. Give your site visitors just enough information to motivate them to call. YOUR MAIN GOAL WITH YOUR WEBSITE IS TO GET THE CUSTOMER TO CONTACT YOU.
3. “Call to Action”: Each web page should have a "call to action", a reason for them to place an order then and there, or to call your phone number, or fill in a form with their name, email address and phone number. An example of this would be a time-sensitive special, or “while supplies last”, etc.
4. Capture their Information: It is important to gather your website visitors’ contact information so you can start developing a relationship. If they don't buy from you today, they may tomorrow. You want to stay in touch. The best way to accomplish this is with an auto-responder program.
5. Colors and Font Styles need to be easy to read and pleasing to the eyes. Avoid being too fancy or cluttered with your pages. Keep them simple and easy to navigate.
Too maximize the effectiveness of your website, you may want to engage the services of a professional. Remember, the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
An Internet website is an electronic store front, like a physical store front. Set up and marketed right, it will become your most cost-effective way to generate business.
A fully developed and coordinated web marketing program includes a "sales oriented" website, an online vehicle for driving customers to your site, a process of converting them from lookers to buyers and a way of tracking the results.
Five Proven Tips
1. The Front (Home) Page should tell your prospective customers what you can do for them. Give them reasons to buy. Keep your text short and to the point.
2. Less is more. Give your site visitors just enough information to motivate them to call. YOUR MAIN GOAL WITH YOUR WEBSITE IS TO GET THE CUSTOMER TO CONTACT YOU.
3. “Call to Action”: Each web page should have a "call to action", a reason for them to place an order then and there, or to call your phone number, or fill in a form with their name, email address and phone number. An example of this would be a time-sensitive special, or “while supplies last”, etc.
4. Capture their Information: It is important to gather your website visitors’ contact information so you can start developing a relationship. If they don't buy from you today, they may tomorrow. You want to stay in touch. The best way to accomplish this is with an auto-responder program.
5. Colors and Font Styles need to be easy to read and pleasing to the eyes. Avoid being too fancy or cluttered with your pages. Keep them simple and easy to navigate.
Too maximize the effectiveness of your website, you may want to engage the services of a professional. Remember, the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Attracting Customers to Your Website
More and more, businesses are recognizing the necessity of having an online presence. Website design firms, ranging from the small one-person design shops to the large professional design firms such as Heritage Web Solutions, cater to the design needs of today’s business community. Simply having a website, however, is of no consequence, unless visitors actually come to the website.
Attracting customers to your website is imperative to online success. The question is, “How can I accomplish that?”
In ever-increasing numbers, prospective buyers are searching the Internet to find products and services to purchase. These searches utilize one or more “search engines”, with Google (Makes up 46% of searches) and Yahoo (Makes up 22% of searches) being the predominant ones.
The quickest way to receive a high rank is by placing a Google or Yahoo paid advertisement, called Google Adwords or Yahoo's Sponsored Search. These ads show up on the right hand side of the page as “sponsored links.”
Another way to achieve a high ranking is in the natural or organic listings of the search page. This process is cost-free but to get there takes a lot of time, patience and know-how.
Four Proven Strategies:
1. Title lines - Make sure your Title Line, Meta Tag Description and Meta Tag Keywords have the main keywords that you want people to search for.
2. Home Page Keywords - Prominently list the main keywords on your home page starting at the top left-hand side of the page.
3. Keyword Frequency - A search engine looks at how often a
keyword is listed. The keyword needs to appear naturally in the text, not just thrown in multiple times. Search engines eliminate those.
4. Links - Find other websites, that you would consider to be a support to
your website (not a competitor) to link to your site. The more
popular sites you link to, the greater the ranking you'll receive to
your website.
To maximize the effectiveness of your search engine efforts, seeking professional help may pay huge dividends. Remember, the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
Attracting customers to your website is imperative to online success. The question is, “How can I accomplish that?”
In ever-increasing numbers, prospective buyers are searching the Internet to find products and services to purchase. These searches utilize one or more “search engines”, with Google (Makes up 46% of searches) and Yahoo (Makes up 22% of searches) being the predominant ones.
The quickest way to receive a high rank is by placing a Google or Yahoo paid advertisement, called Google Adwords or Yahoo's Sponsored Search. These ads show up on the right hand side of the page as “sponsored links.”
Another way to achieve a high ranking is in the natural or organic listings of the search page. This process is cost-free but to get there takes a lot of time, patience and know-how.
Four Proven Strategies:
1. Title lines - Make sure your Title Line, Meta Tag Description and Meta Tag Keywords have the main keywords that you want people to search for.
2. Home Page Keywords - Prominently list the main keywords on your home page starting at the top left-hand side of the page.
3. Keyword Frequency - A search engine looks at how often a
keyword is listed. The keyword needs to appear naturally in the text, not just thrown in multiple times. Search engines eliminate those.
4. Links - Find other websites, that you would consider to be a support to
your website (not a competitor) to link to your site. The more
popular sites you link to, the greater the ranking you'll receive to
your website.
To maximize the effectiveness of your search engine efforts, seeking professional help may pay huge dividends. Remember, the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tips for Online Stores - From Heritage Web Solutions
With the ever-expanding acceptance of online shopping, is it any wonder that the emergence of websites catering to this trend are multiplying dramatically. Many website design companies, from the small shops to the larger professional design firms such as Heritage Web Solutions, are thriving in this environment.
According to a recent survey conducted by Burst Media, three quarters (75%) of respondents who are web users (age 18 years and older) say they are also online shoppers; three out of five (62%) of such shoppers also say the Internet is their primary source of information when evaluating and comparing products. It is trends like these that have huge significance for today’s business owner.
If you are selling a product and do not have a website with e-commerce (online store) capability, your competition is gaining the upper hand.
Four Proven Tips
1. If you are selling products, make sure your website has an online store. Online stores give your customers the ability to shop and buy right online
2. In directing traffic to your website through Yahoo or Google Paid-Per-Clicks, advertise specific products lines instead of general ads, and have the ad click through to that specific product rather than your home page. People surfing the Internet are looking for specific products, such as Oakley Sunglasses. They are not looking for general eyewear.
3. Make sure you have a clear and attractive picture of your product, with a simple and short description.
4. Consider a short video clip of your product or service. According to
Klipmart, an online delivery and management solutions provider, after surveying 500 online campaigns, reported that visitors on average are watching 21 seconds of a 30 second video. That is a huge percentage in the marketing arena, considering that most visitors move on to the next website within two seconds if they do not find what they are looking for.
In all your e-commerce needs, remember the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
According to a recent survey conducted by Burst Media, three quarters (75%) of respondents who are web users (age 18 years and older) say they are also online shoppers; three out of five (62%) of such shoppers also say the Internet is their primary source of information when evaluating and comparing products. It is trends like these that have huge significance for today’s business owner.
If you are selling a product and do not have a website with e-commerce (online store) capability, your competition is gaining the upper hand.
Four Proven Tips
1. If you are selling products, make sure your website has an online store. Online stores give your customers the ability to shop and buy right online
2. In directing traffic to your website through Yahoo or Google Paid-Per-Clicks, advertise specific products lines instead of general ads, and have the ad click through to that specific product rather than your home page. People surfing the Internet are looking for specific products, such as Oakley Sunglasses. They are not looking for general eyewear.
3. Make sure you have a clear and attractive picture of your product, with a simple and short description.
4. Consider a short video clip of your product or service. According to
Klipmart, an online delivery and management solutions provider, after surveying 500 online campaigns, reported that visitors on average are watching 21 seconds of a 30 second video. That is a huge percentage in the marketing arena, considering that most visitors move on to the next website within two seconds if they do not find what they are looking for.
In all your e-commerce needs, remember the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Future of the Internet and Your Business
As a global community, we have evolved into a technology-based world. Rarely do we pay cash or write a check anymore. Our banking transactions have moved to an Internet-based system. More and more of our purchases are made online through EBay, Amazon or directly from an online business. Professional web design businesses such as Heritage Web Solutions have grown enormously to accommodate the need for a professional Internet presence
According to Vinton G. Cerf, one of the inventors of the Internet, “The flexibility we have seen in the Internet is a consequence of one simple observation: the Internet is essentially a software artifact. As we have learned in the past several decades, software is an endless frontier.”
So, what does this all mean for you and your business?
It is imperative that every business have the Internet and an online presence. Additionally, research shows that the average Internet user will decide in the first three seconds whether or not your website has any relevance to them. A website must have eye appeal and immediately convey a fundamental message.
Top Three Considerations:
1. Create a design and layout that are unique and different. Do not go the route of using a cheap template for your website..
2. What is your customer looking for? Determine what it is and show that at the top of your web page, keeping it short and to the point. Less is more. Remember that a visitor will only take three seconds to consider the site. Do not put a lot of dialogue or text on the web pages.
3. You must drive traffic to your website. Just because you have a website on the Internet does not mean that people will find you. Include your website in all of your correspondence. Use Google’s, Yahoo’s and MSN’s “Paid-per-Click” programs that will list your online ad on the first page of a keyword search.
The future of the Internet is the future of business. Businesses that recognize this will be the businesses of the future. Remember, the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
According to Vinton G. Cerf, one of the inventors of the Internet, “The flexibility we have seen in the Internet is a consequence of one simple observation: the Internet is essentially a software artifact. As we have learned in the past several decades, software is an endless frontier.”
So, what does this all mean for you and your business?
It is imperative that every business have the Internet and an online presence. Additionally, research shows that the average Internet user will decide in the first three seconds whether or not your website has any relevance to them. A website must have eye appeal and immediately convey a fundamental message.
Top Three Considerations:
1. Create a design and layout that are unique and different. Do not go the route of using a cheap template for your website..
2. What is your customer looking for? Determine what it is and show that at the top of your web page, keeping it short and to the point. Less is more. Remember that a visitor will only take three seconds to consider the site. Do not put a lot of dialogue or text on the web pages.
3. You must drive traffic to your website. Just because you have a website on the Internet does not mean that people will find you. Include your website in all of your correspondence. Use Google’s, Yahoo’s and MSN’s “Paid-per-Click” programs that will list your online ad on the first page of a keyword search.
The future of the Internet is the future of business. Businesses that recognize this will be the businesses of the future. Remember, the friendly staff at Heritage Web Solutions is just a phone call away.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Recession: Why Online Businesses Survive
By Brad Stone
Heritage Web Solutions
Recession is generally an ugly word to businesses, but not to Heritage Web Solutions.
As we have watched both our national and global economies slip deeper and deeper into recession, Heritage Web Solutions has not seen any slow-down in its marketing responses. At first we were perplexed why we were not affected by the recessionary forces, but with further investigation we learned that online businesses seem to have a greater resiliency to economic downturns.
Here are some of the main reasons why online businesses do better in tough financial times:
• Online businesses are less expensive to maintain, with overhead costs being very minimal compared to retail businesses. Online costs like hosting and domain registration are typically the only costs to maintain an online business.
• The high payroll costs associated with a retail business are minimal compared to virtually no payroll costs to maintain a web presence. Once set up properly, a website can be easily maintained by the business owner.
• Costs of advertising are far less expensive online than through conventional means of newspaper, yellow pages, TV, radio and direct mail.
• Businesses have a bigger audience online, thus expanding their reach to more potential customers.
• With an online presence, one has the ability to quickly change the marketing copy to ebb and flow with the changes in the financial markets, unlike convention marketing, which takes time to notify newspaper, printers, etc. to change the advertising piece. Instantly, the business can offer a discounted price or a “two for one” special offer to increase new sales.
• Free Advertising through Online Social Networks. The likes of Google’s BlogSpot, Facebook, MySpace, You Tube, all offer free ways to advertise products or services. Social networks are becoming more popular with all age groups. One needs to simply set up an account and start talking about the product or service.
To learn more about an online business, remember Heritage Web Solutions is just a call away. We provide an economical way to put your business online without the high costs associated with the conventional way of doing business.
Visit Heritage Web Solutions at: www.HeritageWebSolutions.com
Heritage Web Solutions
Recession is generally an ugly word to businesses, but not to Heritage Web Solutions.
As we have watched both our national and global economies slip deeper and deeper into recession, Heritage Web Solutions has not seen any slow-down in its marketing responses. At first we were perplexed why we were not affected by the recessionary forces, but with further investigation we learned that online businesses seem to have a greater resiliency to economic downturns.
Here are some of the main reasons why online businesses do better in tough financial times:
• Online businesses are less expensive to maintain, with overhead costs being very minimal compared to retail businesses. Online costs like hosting and domain registration are typically the only costs to maintain an online business.
• The high payroll costs associated with a retail business are minimal compared to virtually no payroll costs to maintain a web presence. Once set up properly, a website can be easily maintained by the business owner.
• Costs of advertising are far less expensive online than through conventional means of newspaper, yellow pages, TV, radio and direct mail.
• Businesses have a bigger audience online, thus expanding their reach to more potential customers.
• With an online presence, one has the ability to quickly change the marketing copy to ebb and flow with the changes in the financial markets, unlike convention marketing, which takes time to notify newspaper, printers, etc. to change the advertising piece. Instantly, the business can offer a discounted price or a “two for one” special offer to increase new sales.
• Free Advertising through Online Social Networks. The likes of Google’s BlogSpot, Facebook, MySpace, You Tube, all offer free ways to advertise products or services. Social networks are becoming more popular with all age groups. One needs to simply set up an account and start talking about the product or service.
To learn more about an online business, remember Heritage Web Solutions is just a call away. We provide an economical way to put your business online without the high costs associated with the conventional way of doing business.
Visit Heritage Web Solutions at: www.HeritageWebSolutions.com
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