We recommend that you read the following article on the Arnima Learning Center before you hire a web design & development company for your web project: http://www.arnimalearningcenter.com/before-hiring-a-web-design-company.html.

Here is a link to an article posted on the Arnima Learning Center that explains How to Optimize Website Performance for best results.

A good article on how to write excellent content for your website that appreaed on the Arnima Learning Center.

Read the article on the Arnima Learning Center Website.

E-Commerce websites can appear to be complex and intimidating, but, in actuality, they really are not. Rather than being complex, we prefer to say that they are structured. There are several critical components that make up an e-commerce website. Our interactive E-Commerce Primer will guide you through the basics of E-Commerce that can be used with both regular (shared) and SMB web hosting. You can view this primer http://arni.ma/ecomsite.

Let us know what you think!

Unless your organization has significant brand recognition and awareness, just having a nice website is simply not enough. Remember, there are close to 250 million websites on the Internet. Your website is simply one of them – a proverbial needle in the haystack!

It is challenging enough that the expectations of Internet users are constantly increasing and people want much more than they did previously. Technological advances have made the Internet an essential part of life for most people to the point where they rely on it for information, entertainment, research and a whole lot more! They expect fast load times, minimal distractions, user friendliness and attractive designs and more than anything else, they expect unique and meaningful content. And this challenge is augmented by the fact that search engines are continually improving and tweaking their search algorithms to make sure that relevance is maintained for every search conducted – so now you have to satisfy both your website visitors AND the search engines!

Consider the following questions:
1. How do you expect your potential website visitors to find you on the Internet?
2. Once your potential visitors find your website, what do you want them to do?
3. Do you have a plan to engage your visitors and lead them through a decision making process?

When it comes to the Internet, there is no magical formula for success. In order to gain an edge, you must dot all your “i’s” and cross all your “t’s”.   With that in mind, at the very least, your website should:

-be well designed and architected with focus on ease of use
-have unique and relevant content that engages your website visitors and prospective customers
-be optimized to rank high on search engines using ethical SEO (search engine optimization)
-have properly laid out landing pages with clear call(s) to action that lead visitors to take action
-be constructed such that information is readily found without having to hunt around for it
-be optimized to load quickly without any broken links and missing elements
-make minimal use of distractive technologies and elements (excessive use of flash, for example)
-work properly on all major browsers and have no broken links and missing elements
-use effective technology that enhances the user experience without becoming cumbersome
-be easy to manage, update and keep current without having to rely on designers or developers for assistance

If your website is not generating the results that you expect it to, you need to take a hard look at its overall effectiveness and address the items listed above.

Arnima is a Tampa SEO and Florida Web Design company that can help you rank high on Bing and also on Google and other search engines via our Search Engine Optimization Services.

We are excited to introduce our "Websites on a Budget" Offering via Arnima Express.

Arnima Express was created with a simple and a single goal - to provide high-quality and fully-functional websites on a budget. We identified a need in the market and Arnima Express simply fills that need

Consider a simple situation – you start a business and you immediately realize that one of the first things you require is a website. You look around, you talk to friends, family, associates and you realize that it will not be that simple to find a company that will suit your needs – primarily because your research has uncovered that a custom website can cost anywhere from $2,500 and up!

Don’t be dejected or discouraged – our websites are fully functional, don’t cost a fortune and allow you to scale up as you grow your business.

Don’t believe us? Check out our Demo Websites and look at our Pricing. And then decide for yourself. And Get Started when you are ready.

And, oh, check out our blog post on Arnima Express @  http//arni.ma/aexp-intro

Website analytics tracking software shows you the activity of your website visitors and measures their online behavior.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics offers you more insights on the performance of your web site than just about any other tool available today. You can find anything from what screen resolution your customers have, what color space they're using, to what ISP they are using and much more.

Graphs, charts and interactive map

You can get graphs, pie charts, and lists and that’s not all. You can also find an exciting interactive world map that shows you from which countries, states and cities your visitors are coming from, plus when and how they got there!

Search engine Statistics

You also get detailed search engine statistics, such as which keywords are being typed into the search box to get to your site. You also get to see which pages are getting most hits, how users are searching for your website and a lotmore data!

Another great thing about Google Analytics is that it can show you how people are getting to your site (which search engines, what percentage of users are reaching your site through referrals, what or where they were referred from and also what percentage of your visitors were direct traffic and what they were typing in to become direct traffic).

The information you get from the referral data shows you which of your marketing campaigns are working and which ones aren't doing so well. This abundance of information allows you to make easy and quick changes to your marketing strategies and track your progress on an almost daily basis.

Here are some actual visitor statistics from one of our websites, www.findnotarypublic.com:

Site Usage - the number of visits, page view and other statistics

Visitors Overview - the number of visitors



Traffic Sources - where people are coming from

In Part 1 of this series, we covered the first 5 questions. Now, in Part 2, we cover the remaining 6 questions.

6. Do you have a formal design & development process?
A well-outlined and formal web design & development process will indicate that a company has invested the time and effort into processes which means that they are serious about what they do. It will also allow you to determine their level of expertise. In fact, beware of a company that does not have a formal process in place. Well established companies will also educate you as to your roles and responsibilities and what feedback and input would be required from you during the project.

7. How do you handle changes?
A proper change management process is essential. Let’s face it; at some point in time, your website will need changes or updates. A properly implemented change management mechanism is important as it will ensure that the changes are
(a) properly reported
(b) actually implemented
(c) reported back to you and
(d) tested to make sure all works well.

You will also need to find out what types of maintenance options are provided and what the associated charges are.

8. What types of technologies do you work with?
The answer to this question is critical. Given the ever-evolving nature of technology, companies must make the effort to keep up with the times. A good web design & development company will be able to work in ASP.NET, ASP, PHP, AJAX and various scripting languages such as JavaScript and VBScript. They should also have significant expertise in database technologies such as Microsoft SQL Server, mySQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access. In terms of design tools, look for names such as Adobe, Microsoft and other recognizable companies that put out serious design & development tools

9.  Do you provide website hosting services?
Get a clear answer. If a company provides in-house hosting, at the very least, make sure that they are not hosting your mission critical website on a server in their basement, or in their office. If they outsource, make sure that you know what SLAs (Service Level Agreements) are in place and where the hosting company is located.

10. Who owns the website code after work is completed?
If you are spending several thousands of dollars on your website, there is only one acceptable answer. You as the client will own the website, the code, media and all content.  If your website uses components such as a content management system, or a shopping cart system, be sure to find out about the licensing and ownership.

11. How do you charge?
There are 2 ways for a web design & development company. They can charge you for time, i.e. by the hour, day, week or month. Or they can charge you a fixed amount for your project. Bear in mind that in order to establish a fixed cost, the requirements and specifications have to be very clearly laid out. In fact, most web projects can be estimated fairly accurately if a given company has the experience in the industry. If a company is unwilling to give you a fixed cost for a project, it is advisable to be careful…time-based billing can get ridiculously expensive.

In part 1, we will cover the first 5 questions. This will be followed by the second part where we will cover the remaining 6 questions.

1. Why should I hire your company and not a freelance web designer?
It depends. Whilst independent web designers, some of whom are extremely good, have a lot to offer, be sure to consider that a web design & development company will have in place, at the very least, the following:
(a) robust design, development and test processes
(b) access to the knowledge and expertise of an entire team of highly-qualified individuals
(c) a proper quality assurance mechanism
(d) access to large library of tools and components
(e) the ability to collectively solve problems and brainstorm as a team.

2. How long has your company been in business?
There is no hard and fast rule here. It ultimately depends on your comfort level, and, equally importantly on the cost factors. You may be comfortable working with a startup, or with a company without much experience, however, be sure to give this due consideration. Bear in mind if a company has been around for a long time, chances are they know what they are doing and thus they may be worth considering.

3. Can you show us samples of your work?
A good web design & development company should have a varied portfolio and this portfolio should illustrate their capabilities. A few important things to watch for: creativity, uniqueness of design, streamlined navigation and how well the design represents a brand.

4. Can you provide client testimonials?
Well established web presence companies will be happy to provide you with a list of satisfied clients. In fact, most of them would also make this list of testimonials available on their websites. If a company is unable to supply you with testimonials, or is unwilling to supply them, it should raise a red flag.

5. How experienced is your team?
A proper team structure will ensure that your project is handled in a professional fashion. A proper team structure indicates that a company has spent time and effort into cultivating a team culture. Any company that is serious about what they do will be happy to have you go to their offices and meet with their staff. If a company balks at a face-to-face meeting, well, you get the hint.

One word: ABSOLUTELY!

The Internet trend watching site, eMarketer quoted an Ad-ology survey conducted earlier this month that reveals some rather alarming numbers: 46% of small and medium business owners did not have a website in 2009.  Another study conducted by VistaPrint found that only about 50% of small business owners that have a website are actually tracking their online marketing efforts! And the icing on the cake is a study from a Discover Small Business Watch Poll that corroborates Ad-ology’s survey results and goes on to state that a lot of small and medium business owners perceive the need for a website for their business as a “myth”.

This begs the question: As a small or medium business owner, what are you losing out on if you don’t have your own website?

The answer is very clear: Customers!

Come on folks! We are just about ready to start year 2010. People are no longer using the (actual) yellow pages or phone books to look for information. The three major search engines are serving up local search results even when a search does not include a local or geographical qualifier. The bottom line: Small and Medium businesses need web presence that they can directly influence and control.

There are many ways for you to establish web presence. Of course, you can go Yelp or use other social media websites such as Merchant Circle and get a “listing” but always remember, you don’t control any of these. You have zero say on how they will allow you to connect with customers. It is better than nothing… but sadly it is still not enough.

Your very own website gives you the ability to:
-Provide information and details about your products and services to people all over the world
-Set yourself apart from your competition, especially if they don’t have a website
-Become visible to the growing population that rely solely on the internet for information
-Harness the power of social media and social websites, the new word of mouth
-Properly and effectively leverage local search results from search engines
-Establish yourself as an authority with your customers and within your industry
-Build credibility with your customers by sharing information about your company
-Build and create your own community (social network)
-Leverage email marketing by building an email list and using that to market to potential clients

Before you jump on the website bandwagon, take the time to identify why you need a website. Remember, not all small businesses have the same “web presence” goals. Whether you want to simply promote your idea, sell products and services or build an online community, give it serious thought and plan your web presence goals.

So, now that you’ve got your goals planned, how do you go about getting yourself a website?

Website Domain: We recommend that you start by picking your website’s domain (that would be in the form of yourbusiness.com). In most cases, the domain name you end up with will be similar to your company or business name. Make sure that you book/register the domain name and that you retain ownership of the domain. We have come across situations where a website designer or development company booked a domain on behalf of a client and then refused to relinquish control of the domain name when the relationship changed.

Design & Development: Hire a professional company to design and develop your website. Don’t skip this step. We can tell you countless horror stories where people did not hire the right professional. If you want a proper image, look and feel, go to an expert.  The bottom line is that your website needs to look professional. The exact type of website you end up with will depend on several factors: your brand, your industry, your products or services and your business model.

Website Content: Content is KING on the web. Content is what your potential visitors are after. Content will give you a boost in your SEO (Website Search Engine Optimization) efforts. You do not need a website with lots of pages of content – the aim here is to provide potential clients with the right information about your business and what you are all about. We recommend that you have, at minimum, a 5-6 page website: Home Page, About, Contact, Products, Services and Testimonials and maybe even a Portfolio or Projects Page. The Contact page is essential so that you can leverage local business listings on search engines.

Website Hosting: Unless you already have website hosting in place, we recommend that you stick with your website design company (of course, they should offer website hosting as part of their services) even if you end up paying a little extra for website hosting. Whilst there are many affordable website hosting choices, it is best to stick with your design company because chances are that they know their hosting platforms best. An added benefit of getting hosting through your website design company is having a single contact, avoiding confusion about who’s responsibility it is if your website has an issue. Oh, and be sure that you get enough email addresses to cover your needs. Your email address should be you@yourbusiness.com.

Local Search Engine Listings: Make sure you grab your local listings on Google, Yahoo, Bing , Best-of-the-Web and any other third party websites. Go to www.getlisted.org to see if you are listed, and how complete your local listing is.

Internet Marketing: Again, hire a professional Internet marketing company that can assist you to prepare and complete an Internet Marketing Strategy that will include a Social Media plan, an Internet Marketing plan, Search Engine Optimization and Paid Advertising recommendations. The world of Internet Marketing can be daunting and it is best to have professional guidance so that you get the best return on investment (ROI).

On a final note, small and medium business owners are increasingly using the Internet as a marketing channel – this fact is upheld by the 36% increase of SMB owners who have created websites over the past 2 years. This number, no doubt, will increase in 2010 and beyond. Search Engines are putting more and more emphasis on local business listings which in turn makes your website an integral component of your business and marketing.

In short, get a website if you don’t have one!