Website Optimization, How Important is it, Really?!

[Dallas42]

This is not a question that I need an answer for, but rather, a question to provoke thought on this particularly important subject matter.

Most everyone knows that the internet is a powerful marketing tool, but just how to let people know how to find your website is a tough issue, unless you have alot of money to spend on advertising. Even then, it will depend on how well or marketed your advertiser is that will determine if your own site is found through the advertiser.

What exactly is "optimization"? In simple terms, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is how the content of your website is written and submitted to the major search engines.


Several years ago, I decided to build my first website. I bought the necessary software to build websites and was successful in putting together a pretty nice little site. It was called Decals for Less and my desire was to start an online decal business. I spent several months putting this together, yet I had very little web traffic and very few sales. Most of my decals were sold through Ebay and people who found me there found my website this way. It was obvious that I needed traffic to my website if I were going to sell my decals.

I began looking at ways to do this and advertising was an option, so I tried Google Adwords. This was a "pay per click" program that allowed me to submit search terms that related to my business and if my site were found and someone clicked on my link, they would be directed to my website. The result was that I spent money, but made less.

Not willing to give up, I began looking at how search engines work and studying the art of SEO. It did take an extended period of time (years) to actually learn how to do this sucessfully, but ultimately, it was worth all the time spent.

Today, the part time decal business has become a full time sign company and ALL of my clients find me on the internet. The name of my company is Dallas Sign Company. If you use Yahoo search and type in Dallas Sign Company, you will find my company listed as #1. I am also at the top of MSN search results.

So, I ask the question: How important is website optimization? The answer is pretty obvious.

If you do not have a website, get one. Then, optimize your site or have it optimized by someone willing to guarantee results, in writing. You should also check to see if they have actually done this for another company with sucessful results. Beware of someone promising to do this only to pay Google or another search engine to list you as a "sponsored" listing.

I hope this information has helped someone in some way. If you have questions, please post them here so others can learn from the answers. I do not know everything about web developing and SEO, but if I can answer a question I will do so. I am sure that others here would be willing to help as well.

Good luck!

[innominds]

Hey John! You are right! SEO is a ongoing process. It can be called as the soul of the website.

[idansh]

Thats the reason there are SEO jobs out there MANY of them

[Tubby]

optimisation, can have many and varied meanings (not just SEO) for instance I know of a website that is owned by a pony club. on it is placed the list of competition winners. a few sponsors, and presumably something for just about every member . .

With no thought of Google or MSN or Yahoo Optimisation was simply a matter of the web designer actually calling on each member and showing them the web site, explaining how to use it. The designer I am told spent three times as much time visiting the members as she did designing the site. each member has their own password to log in. Not one member had any concerns about security. or giving out email addresses. each member can email any other member or everyone. . the whole site was optimized for the club members.

now this site does not get a thousand hits a day. but I am told members use it regularly.
To me this is nice optimisation.

I did once try to take a peek at the site, but all I got was a black page with spaces for log in.

I don' have a pony. . So I guess I will never see it. I did ask as it was me that originally put the club in contact with the designer. . but its members only! . . No Google,
no MSN, No Yahoo.

Optimised for members?.... lets face it if the mothers do not want strange men looking at the kids Chrismas party. . thats what they should optimise for...

[LifeofEgypt]

Do what you must to impress the search engines and satisfy the customer.

[perry321]

Dallas, what is your URL?

I did a search in Yahoo, Google, and others engines for the word "decals," and whatnot, and Dallas Sign Company didn't come up.

THAT name came up when typed in, but if they already knew about your site, they wouldn't type that in.

Just curious.