Webcraft Webmaster Services

Evaluate the Legal Stuff/Re-Assurance/Legitimization of Your Website * Did you include a Contact Us page with real address, phone number (toll-free for businesses) and contact form or email available, basically a clear and easy to use feedback/contact mechanism? * DMCA Notice up? Terms of Use page available where you specify what you do and why and what visitors have to agree on if they want to use your site? This is to protect yourself from complaints or worse regarding things that you cannot control properly, such as links to third-party websites or ads from automated systems such as Google AdSense, etc. * Privacy Policy up (especially if you collect data, email, names, and web analytics tracking cookies)? --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Evaluate the Marketing Considerations of Your Website * Is the website properly optimized for search engines (essential text emphasized, title tags relevant, title text presented in H1, outbound links reliable and contextually related, etc.) * Does the index page entice a visitor deeper into the site or shopping cart? * Does the website contain elements designed to encourage future or viral visitation (i.e. a contest, newsletter, tell-a-friend feature, and forum with a subscription option, downloadable toolbar, RSS feed or similar)? * Are robots.txt configured correctly? * Site Map available? * Is every page accessible at least via a single plain HTML Link (no JavaScript or Flash Link)? * Does every page have at least some text in the content? (How much text remains on the page if you remove all Images, Videos, Flash, Java Applets and JavaScript Code? Anything? Does the remainder still state the page's purpose?) * Is every individual page only accessible...

Evaluate the Technical Considerations of Your Website * Does the site load quickly – even (especially) for mobile users? * Are all links (internal and external) valid and active? * Are scripts free from errors? * Is the website free from server side errors? --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Evaluate the Security of Your Website * Any obvious security flaws? * How resilient are forms to special characters? * Are private directories password protected via .htaccess? * Are public non-document directories (cgi-bin, images, etc) indexable or are blank index.html pages or appropriate permission settings in place to block access? * Is customer data stored online? If so, is this database appropriately safeguarded against external access? --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Evaluate the Content of Your Website * Is the website copy succinct but informative? * Does the copywriting style suit the website's purpose and 'speak' to its target audience? * Are bodies of text broken into easy to read chunks? * Can text be resized through the browser or do CSS settings restrict size alteration? * Is the contrast between text and its background color sufficient to make reading easy on the eyes? * Is text broken into small, readable chunks and highlighted using headings, sub-headings, and emphasize features where appropriate to assist in skimming? * Within articles, are there links to more detailed explanations of subjects, or definitions of jargon terms? * Do you have an "about page" that identifies the author of the content, credits to source for content that was not written by the site owner himself? * Do you have testimonials and publish them on the site? * Do you update the content regularly and don't live b...

Evaluate the Design of Your Website * Is the site's design aesthetically appealing? * Are the colors used harmoniously and logically related? * Are the color choices visually accessible? (For example high enough in contrast to assist the colorblind and visually impaired in reading the site appropriately) * Is the design audience appropriate?- The standard text size should be readable for visitors who don't know how to adjust their browsers. * Are the fonts easy to read on various screen resolutions? --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Evaluate the Navigation of Your Website * Are links labeled with anchor text that provides a clear indication of where they lead without over using exact match anchor text? * Depth – what is the maximum number of clicks it takes to reach a page within the depths of the site? * Does any part of your site use Flash? * Responsive to click feedback – Is a response given immediately (0.1 seconds) after a click is made on a hyperlink? * Do clickable items stylistically indicate that they are clickable? * How intuitive is it to navigate? Are signs obvious or obscured? * Is it readable? Consider typeface, font size, color contrast. * Is there a clear statement of PURPOSE of the site? The purpose must be clear within a few seconds. * Do you have a clear call to action on each page? * Is a logical site map available?, If not, is a keyword-based search feature available? Note: Large (multi-thousands of pages) sites should have a search form. --- This email has been ...

Evaluate the Accessibility of Your Website * Is content structurally separate from navigational elements? * Is the website optimized for mobile? * How compliant is the website with W3C coding standards? Valid HTML/CSS? * Are 'alt' tags in place on all significant images? * Are text-based alternatives in place to convey essential information if this is featured within images or multimedia files? --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

What’s more important: SEO or content marketing? Link building or relevant content? These questions plague the minds of many, since Google updated its Penguin algorithm in 2012. The question has been discussed with even more enthusiasm after  John Mueller declared that he would allegedly like to avoid link building completely. The idea under discussion is that since the Penguin algorithm was updated back in 2012, any efforts to build links through spammy and low-quality tactics were destroyed. Moreover, further updates and data refreshes are just making the system better, so Google can track if your website is involved in black-hat SEO tactics. Taking into account this fact, SEO experts, marketers, bloggers and other specialists involved in SEO have been divided into two camps: those who believe that  link building is dead  and those who think that  link building is still alive  and will be alive for a very long time. So, where is the truth? Is link buildin...

Any effective SEO campaign in 2016 consists of a good amount of link acquisition. However, you need to work really hard at acquiring organic links to your website. For this, your basic strategy is to create content that would inspire people to talk about it and want to share it on their own. If you have a tight budget or have limited resources, then it is best to inform the SEO company you are hiring in advance. A company having ample experience in the field would know which activities to employ for acquiring links. They may cut down a bit on your marketing and PR budget but would definitely work on getting a few high-quality links.

With the arrival of Google’s latest updates, it is essential to have content that is relevant to your website. Google is more focused on meeting the queries of the users and ranks only websites that generate content relevant to the queries in that genre. Fun content and listicles are good but not good enough if the reader can’t find an answer to his query. Quality content, which is informative and rich, is extremely important for consistent visibility according to the experts.

As a business owner, it goes against all instincts to turn away business. When things go sour, often our entrepreneurial instincts kick into high gear and we work harder at making the client happy, focus more on them to help turn things around, and then lose sleep over it anyway. All of that expended energy results in complete frustration that nothing seems to work. You have lost other business because you couldn't focus on other clients as much as they needed or have time to get new business with your ideal client. When you focus on a negative situation, it keeps your business stuck in that negativity causing your business to have no opportunity for expansion. When Should You Let a Client Go? Has your once dream client turned into your worst nightmare? At first some clients might seem like "the bomb" but after working together on a closer basis you may notice some signs to make you think again about keeping them as a client. Here's 1...

Social media has made it possible to share your thoughts and ideas with thousands of virtual strangers, literally within seconds. You barely need to have formed a cohesive thought, and BOOM! There it is, posted for the world to see. But before you hit that 'publish' button, do me a favor: run through this list of the top 10 things you should never post on social media. It just may save you from causing hurt or embarrassment to yourself or others! 1. Offensive content on social media Where do I start? There are so many types of posts that fall into this category. Racial slurs, graphic images, crude jokes, swearing (except in the rare event this is an integral part of your brand), to name just a few. Some business owners don't think it's a big deal to occasionally post a distasteful joke or questionable picture; I strongly disagree. This lack of awareness and respect can cause irreparable harm to your brand. When in doubt, leave it out! ...

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While the grammar of "olde" might have seemed stuffy and pretentious, there is a way to tap into that school of grammar rules that will greatly benefit your online writing pursuits today. It's not enough to know the difference between affect and effect anymore (although it's a great start). In order to be a credible, valued, popular online writer with a wide variety of job offers and a formidable sense of expertise, you need to be perceived as intelligent and credible, which is tough to do if you've cast the grammar rules to the wind. Although most fifth grade grammar rules are out-dated in today's writing environment, you still need to employ great grammar in order to produce good writing. It's that simple. What You Need to Know: Grammar 101 For the Modern Day Parts of Speech Do you remember diagraming sentences? Us too. Although we promise we won't make you do that now, it is important to have working knowledge of ...

There is no call that strikes fear in the heart of a business owner quite like the one where your friend calls and asks, "Um, have you looked at your website recently? It looks like it might have been hacked." Ugh. What do you do when you realize your website was hacked? Website Hacked Have backed up your site recently. Yes, I realize it is a bit odd to start this list with an item in the present perfect tense. But, I am assuming most of you reading this right now haven't been hacked yet. I have caught you in time! Before it happens, get in the habit of backing up your site regularly. Your options are much better and trust me, the pit in your stomach won't be as deep if you know there is a recent backup of your site that exists in the world. There are many good options for WordPress plugins that automatically back up a WordPress site on a regular basis. One that Spring Insight uses for its clients is ManageWP. This service allows us to run ...

Create Effective Content Website design plays an important role in building trust with users. However, this doesn't mean you focus only on the design and compromise on the content. Informative, fresh and unique content is of great significance when it comes to attracting traffic to a website. Do invest sufficient time in creating great content. Also, make sure to carefully consider the words you use, especially on your call-to-action buttons. According to ZippyCart.com, the words you use on call-to-action buttons impact your conversion rate greatly. Moreover, using the word 'free,' when asking people to sign up for or download items, has been shown to increase conversions by as much as 4.2 percent. my motto is "Keep it simple" and "don't leave anything for tomorrow that can be done today." Regards Gerald Crawford Stellenbosch South Africa E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws --- This email has been checked for vi...

Choose the Right Colours for your Website Using appropriate colours in your website's design can help it set the right tone and convey the message to the visitors in a more precise manner. Here's how you can go about choosing the right colours for your website: Start by familiarizing yourself with the colour wheel. Choose colours that allow for a harmonious colour scheme. Colours may have different meanings in different cultures. Also, they tend to evoke different feelings. Do be mindful of this when selecting colours for your website. Consider contrasting colours as they will prevent your website from turning into a visual mess and help the text stand out against the background. Use few but enough number of colours to make your site look appealing. my motto is "Keep it simple" and "don't leave anything for tomorrow that can be done today." Regards Gerald Crawford Stellenbosch South Africa E-mail: gerald@webcraft...

Navigation is the backbone of a website. If your website is challenging or perplexing for users to navigate, it will undoubtedly reflect in your conversion rate. A lack of accessibility can never be OK and presents the risk of alienating a large section of your audience. An intuitive site structure, on the other hand, will encourage users to continue browsing. Here's what you should follow for effective navigation: Don't overwhelm users with too many links and by overcrowding the page with chunks of text. Keep it simple. There is no need to add dozens of pages either — that can make it difficult for users to find what they're looking for. Organize your content in a way that can be easily understood by the users. Make sure that the information presented is factual and consistent. Choose appropriate orientation so that it makes the overall site look balanced, tidy and clutter-free. Technology is constantly changing. You can opt for responsive ...

Imagine the website www.YourCompanyName.sucks in the wrong hands. With new generic top-level domain (gTLD) .sucks being rolled out soon, companies are advised to ensure their trade marks are adequately protected. Donvay Wegierski, trade mark specialist at Werksmans Attorneys, said .sucks, which is aimed at creating online space for consumers to share opinions about businesses and brands, creates risks for businesses beyond giving unhappy customers a space to share negative opinions. Another danger comes from cyber-squatters, a term that describes opportunists who register domain names in bad faith. Cyber-squatters can include competitors, extortionists and opportunists who use misappropriated domains to point to other websites containing illegal or inappropriate content. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which oversees the internet domain naming system, creates new gTLDs to increase competition and choice in the domain name space. A...