Blog | Day is New Creative

5 Ways to Improve Your Search Engine Ranking

Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

photo of women climbing ladder and looking through binoculars

 

1. Establish your baseline

The first key to improving the visibility of your website using search engine optimization (SEO) is to identify where you currently stand. A number of free tools are available to help you investigate the current status of your website from a major search engine’s perspective.

First, if you haven’t already, install Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free and incredibly robust analytics reporting tool that will prove invaluable in this process. Once installed on your website, you’ll have access to thorough reports on things like which pages are most frequently accessed, the most common keywords and phrases that people use in search engines to find your site, what links they clicked from other websites to access your site, how many visits you are getting per day/week/month, what technologies are being used (e.g., desktop, tablet, or mobile device), screen resolution, type of browser, and more.

Next, do some keyword research. There are several free online tools that can help you identify which keywords or phrases to target to make sure that your website appears in the search results:

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Web Design Trends for 2013

Posted on Monday, January 7, 2013

photo of lights hanging in a tree

As we settle into the fresh new days of 2013, it's a great time to take a look at shifts and trends on the Web that are likely to continue to increase in adoption in the new year. Here is a summary of what we might expect to see more of in 2013:

Responsive web design

“Responsive web design offers us a way forward, finally allowing us to ‘design for the ebb and flow of things.’” - Ethan Marcotte, author of Responsive Design

Responsive web design has been growing steadily in recent years, particularly in 2012. The ability to provide a flexible design that adapts to and is optimized for the user's device - whether it be a smart phone, tablet, or desktop computer - is essentially what responsive design provides. In August 2012, mobile phones and tablets accounted for a combined 13.3% of total page views on the Internet  - nearly double that of August 2011. As mobile phone and tablet use continue to grow at such an accelerated pace, it's ideal for websites to provide a user experience that is flexible and optimized for a variety of devices.

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The Changing Tide of Social Media: 2012 Trends and Projections

Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2012

photo of college-aged Asian woman looking at smartphone

Mobile devi​ces driving social media growth

Nielsen released the 2012 Social Media Report earlier this month with some very interesting results. Unsurprisingly, more people are using smartphones and tablets to access social media.  July 2012 saw a 63% increase in time spent on mobile apps and the mobile web over in just one year. 

In July 2012, Americans reported spending 520.1 billion minutes online, a 21% increase from July 2011.  While online usage with a desktop computer increased by only 4%, mobile web usage increased by 22% and mobile apps usage increased by a whopping 120%. Americans continue to spend more time on social networks than any other type of website with 20% of time spent on PCS and 30% spent on mobile devices.

Love it or hate it, Facebook  alone claimed 17% of American consumers’ PC time.  Clearly, mobile devices are driving access to and usage of the Internet as well as the growth of social media.

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Where to Find Good Resources for Web Design Inspiration

Posted on Tuesday, October 23, 2012

photo of computer keyboard with key labelled "Inspiration"

We've all seen beautiful websites from time to time while surfing on the Internet, but when it comes time to create our own website, sometimes it can be difficult to remember what design elements or features we really loved and want to use as inspiration.  Luckily, there are a ton of great resources available for web design inspiration.  Here are some of my favorites:

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5 Reasons to Power Your Website with WordPress

Posted on Monday, October 1, 2012

WordPress

1. You can edit or add new content on your own!

One of the best things about a website built with WordPress, is that YOU, the client, are able to update it.  You can publish new pages, edit existing ones, or unpublish outdated information with just a few clicks of the mouse.  You are no longer dependent on a web developer for publishing or editing your webpages. The investment today will save you time and money in the future.

2. Powerful plugins to easily customize and enhance your website

Plugins are what makes WordPress websites really sing.  The Wordpress community has generated thousands of plugins (many of them free) that you can install and use on your website. Want to use Google Analytics to track website usage?  There’s a plugin for that.  Want to add a forum or e-commerce shopping cart? Yep, lots of plugins for those, too.  Have an idea for a certain type of functionality you’d like to add to your website? Check out the WordPress Plugins Directory to see if a plugin already exists.

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