In my last post (“The Importance of Content“), I referred to the problem of “too much text”. Personally and professionally, I love to read – but even for me, when I encounter a website that consists of a wall of text, my gut reaction is “ugh, too much information”. As I pointed out in the previous post, too little information can be a problem for search engines, but too much information can be a problem for humans. When it comes to […]
I had an interesting conversation with a client recently. He had hired a company specializing in SEO to try increasing traffic to his website. One of the recommendations was to remove all of the written content from his Home page and replace it with images. I explained that while this might add visual appeal, it would certainly result in reduced traffic. He decided to give it a try and had me remove the content. My prediction was correct and the […]
We have been writing about and working with mobile-responsive design for a few years now. Up until April of this year, building or switching to a mobile-friendly platform was a good idea, but – in my estimation – not a “must have”. That changed on April 21st, 2015 when Google announced that “we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.” They make it sound so friendly! But what does it mean? It means that, as of […]
WCAG – short for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – is a set of international standards aimed at making the Web more accessible to everyone. The AODA is shorthand for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. As of January 1, 2014, the AODA requires not-for-profit organizations and private businesses with 50+ employees to comply with the WCAG when launching a new website or undertaking major revisions to an existing website. (Reference: http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/info_sheets/info_comm/website.aspx) It’s not just Ontario that is pushing for […]
Are you thinking about setting up a blog? Are you trying to manage comments on an existing blog? Whether you are setting up a business, professional or personal blog, you will need to decide whether you will allow comments. Blogs help you improve your website’s SEO AND they help you connect with new and existing customers. Allowing people to post comments on your blog is a great way to make it interactive and drive even more traffic to your site. However, […]
Mobile devices have become the driving force for recent changes in website design. Handheld devices with small screens have created a demand for responsive design; layout that changes automatically to suit your device type and screen resolution (see our blog post titled Responsive Web Design: The Silver Bullet for Mobile-friendly Websites?). This means Web Designers and Developers are on the lookout for new ways to present information that will work on both large and small screens. Enter the “one page” […]
If you’re like most business owners, your goals likely include improving the SEO of your website, positioning yourself as a leader in your field, marketing your products and services, and gaining new customers or clients. Adding and maintaining a blog on your business website can help you achieve all four of these objectives and save you money in the process. 1. Improve your Organic SEO If your website displays on the first few pages of an online search, you will […]
You have a site that you really like. The only problem: it was built 10+ years ago. Does that mean it’s time to bite the bullet and have it redone? Not necessarily. Like anything (computers, cars, people) “old” doesn’t necessarily equal “ready for the junk pile”! Like an old faded pair of jeans, sometimes websites can look and feel more comfortable with age. People often judge a website by the way it looks. The way a site looks has nothing […]
In this corner, we have “Blog” the young up-and-coming contender, prepared to challenge for the title. And in the other corner we have “Newsletter” the experienced fighter and current crowd favorite. The result: a technical draw. Research shows that no one needs to throw in the towel just yet. Both Blog and Newsletter have their strengths, and when they work together they have the ability to captivate the entire audience. Ok, enough of the boxing references. Most people are familiar […]
We recently conducted an experiment. It wasn’t the kind of experiment you read about in the daily news. It was more of a “oops, I wonder how long that tub of yogurt has been hiding at the back of the fridge” sort of experiment. Several years ago, I had a bit of spare time, and a few ideas, so I started writing articles for the Black Cap Design website. A few months later, I noticed a big improvement in our […]
Your web developer may have already explained that your website will move up and down in search. For example, today you may be on page 1 and tomorrow you may find your site on page 3 of a Google search. Your search results will also vary depending on which search engine you’re using, e.g. Google, Bing or Yahoo. Where your site shows up in search will depend on the specific combination of words you’re using, however there are many other […]
What is SEO? SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It’s nerd-speak for making your site accessible to search engines. Popular search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing are massive catalogues (think the phone book on steroids) of information about the websites that comprise the Web. Just how many sites are out there? As of October 2013, there are an estimated 767 million active websites! (Source: http://news.netcraft.com/.) No wonder it’s tricky getting your favourite search engine to find your […]