Here we are entering the second decade of the new millennium. The Internet and the World Wide Web keep building and are continually more influential in our business and personal lives. With the advent of "smart phones" and "net books" that allow for compact, mobile access to the Internet we can only expect this access and usage to increase worldwide. Just as cellphones made the anachronistic leap into lesser developed countries in the past decades, it is conceivable that our public wireless network will truly become world-wide and help level the playing ground of world economics and political responsibility.  I hope that technology will bring about that kind of positive change toward individual freedom and expression, rather than create more division and segregation in the world.

Now, change is inevitable and forever constant, Google algorithms show us this, and while it keeps us in the Web development and promotion business hopping, the search engine's continual rebirth is needed to act as a catalyst for future standards and to keep those abusers at bay. I don't think that SERPs are out to get us, for example Google's main focus is to provide the best user experience possible, so when they ditched landing pages from their "in box" to their "out box" it improved user experience overall by acknowledging that there is more to life than making money. Landing pages are a marketer's money funnel and while the information products that were being sold might be of some use to consumers I can see why Google made this change. Sure, we all need to make money to stay in business and sure we need effective, efficient ways to do so, however, when a marketing technique reaches saturation it will find itself in bullish territory.

Blogging is something I have resisted myself for sometime, for no other reason that it is another commitment in an already busy schedule. However, it is a force to be reckoned with as a part of the growing popularity of social media and also as a marketing tool for business owners. Unfortunately, I have seen a growing trend in blogging where SEO marketing companies are producing blog entries that are choppy, randomized articles that have the keywords, such as "Calgary Web Design" scattered throughout. This technique's single purpose is to sidestep the "chore" of actually creating unique, useful content in hopes of getting a back link to their client's site. This is an example of the other end of the marketing funnel - focused landing pages on one end and hazy, randomized blog entries on the other. The former is a hook, the latter a net. As a Calgary Web company owner and operator, I wouldn't condone either of these methods for our clients, however they do provide us with a gauge for the extent of manipulation companies are going to in abusing technology to make money. I guess what I am saying is that technology allows us to push its limits, however, we can't be surprised with SERPs decide that enough is enough.

To this end, I would like to offer five fundamental components for search engine optimization and search engine marketing in 2010:

1. Useful, organic content - Focus on producing unique, organic search results for your main Web presence. This means adding and updating content at a comfortable pace for you. If you think from the visitor's point of view as to what they would find of value, then you are actually satisfying the SERPs too. At least the ones who define themselves by user experience. A blog is a great way to to this, but not the only way, adding new PDF documents, news articles and channeling relevant RSS feeds work too. Get your site built, or rebuilt, with a CMS (Content Management System) so you can do updates yourself.
   
2. Meta tags cannot hurt - at least when done correctly. Research what the current acceptable rate is for Titles, descriptions and keywords and make sure the keywords and search terms reflect the organic content on the page. Make them as unique as possible.
   
3. Use Search Engine Friendly URLs where ever possible - again, they work well for visitors as they do for search engine indexing. Since many websites are database-driven, this feature is becoming more and more popular and necessary.
   
4. Get steady back links - back links, whether reciprocal or one way will help your site's popularity, you can help control the search terms used for incoming links to your site by running an ongoing back link campaign on sites that are themselves popular, for instance, those that have a Google page rank equal or greater than your own.
   
5. Make friends with Google - Since working with Google seems inevitable, since they represent approximately 70% of online searches, get set up with Google Analytics and submit a Google XML site map. While server stats are good as a default, Google's webmaster services help open lines of communication between a Web site and those promoting it.

It is good to challenge boundaries, and to test the extent of technology, however we always need to remember that it is people, not statistics or page views, that make the Web go round. People generally only are looking for one thing, whether it is a service or product, when they come to your site, so keeping it real will keep them coming back and not clicking away.

Whether you have a website or are looking to establish a web presence in Calgary, you will need to consider these top ten web design usability issues:

1. First Impressions
Studies have shown that the human eye generally reads a webpage in an “F” pattern, from top left to right. Therefore, the hottest real estate on your business website is the top left area. Post your essential information there, especially your corporate logo. Overall, your website needs to create a great first impression and establish confidence and trust in your visitor. A Web design should not hinder or overwhelm content or branding on any page, including the home page.

2. Menus & Navigation
It is ideal to have consistent and universal navigation on your Calgary business website. This means having a menu that can access all pages at any time. This makes it easy for visitors to find the information they need and also maintains confidence in their experience with your company. Having supporting navigation such as breadcrumbs or contextual “previous” and “next” buttons or links to related items will reinforce the site’s overall usability. Consistency is key, and remember that navigation, such as text links and a site map, is also used by search engine robots when indexing your web site pages for their search results.
 

3. Contact Information
Make it easy for visitors to contact you by displaying your Calgary office address or phone number clearly on all pages of your website, or at least on your key pages. You can also have a contact us page that has more detailed information, such as different branches, key contacts or a contact us form. These days it is also not uncommon to see live chat options so a visitor can connect with your staff as they surf!
 

4.  Call to Action
Even if it is just to get a visitor to call your office, a website needs a “Call to Action” – this is something that is defined by a combination of site navigation, content generation and site functionality, including e-commerce processing. What do you want visitors to do on your site? Where do you want them to go? What is the next step once they have found your site? Is it to call you? Buy a product online or learn something? Or perhaps share information with a co-worker in the form of an e-book or pre-recorded video.
 

5. Keeping Above the “Fold Focus”
Keep the critical information in the top area of your website, above the fold where someone has to scroll down to read more. This is why logos, menus and the main calls to action appear in the top part of the site design – they need to be easy to find and use, without the person having to scroll down the page to find the information. Of course, when detailed information is needed pages can be long, however, consider using a PDF document for more passive content, as it keeps the actual Web page shorter and more manageable.
 

6. Web Content that Invites and Offers a Return
A relationship is an ongoing commitment from both sides, it is not a one way street. While the visitor is looking for a product or information, your business is looking for that new customer and the sale they bring – and as it has been said before, it is so much easier to sell to someone who has already bought from you before. So, when I say “offers a return” I mean it’s a return for both sides, the returning customer finds continual value in your services or products and you retain them as a repeat customer. So keep content fresh, updated and consider adding a blog or Content Management System to you Calgary Web site.
 

7. Clear Content Layout
Organize your site so the visitor can easily flow from one page to the next, that information is prioritized in a hierarchy of need (both for them and you) and provide the information or product to them as efficiently as possible.  Consider the home page as the gateway to the site and lead the visitor to what you can offer them (e.g. latest deals, latest information package, latest blog entry, etc.) and then give it to them. Ensure that each page follows a consistent layout for navigation and branding and that the content area is organized in a clean manner so the design of the site does not interfere with content delivery.
 

8.  Appearance Matters
A website’s impression is made not only by what is included in the site, but what is left out.  Bypass banner ads, third party advertising, non-interactive flash animation and overwhelming colour schemes that blatantly fight for the visitor’s attention. Visitors are generally looking for one thing on your site, so make it easy to find by keeping the structure and layout of the site simple, clean and direct. While someone may gain attention by wearing a speedo with flashing lights on it, most people will end up buying a product from the salesman who is a tad more conservative. J  
 

9. Trust & Security
With billions of Web pages online these days, visitors need to know, more than ever, that they can trust their valuable time and money to what your site has to offer. Security seals and trusted third party endorsements, 256-bit SSL Certificates speak directly to the visitor about what you have done to secure your Calgary web site. However, there are subtle, yet effective, ways to show your visitor that they can trust your site: include properly written privacy policy, terms of use, shipping and returns policy, unique logins for their registration, acknowledge you will never sell or share your information with a third party unless they agree and only email them to the degree to which they have agreed.  A basic way to ensure trust is to have your site professionally developed as this shows you have invested your own time and money in something you feel is worthwhile to others.

10. Polish to a Shine
Errors happen, it is technology after all, and while we all want to believe that technology can deliver 100%, 24/7 – is that reality? The reality is knowing that accidents happen, glitches happen and once in a while things need to be fixed. The reality of the Web is knowing that technology is expanding and those tools made to make your life easier still take time to learn and use. As technology expands we must be prepared to update, upgrade and expand along with it. By working out all of the errors such as broken links (this requires ongoing maintenance), spelling errors, broken images, browser inconsistencies, etc. you can present a well-polished gem to your website visitor, which will inherently carry its worth in its visual appeal, optimum functionality and delivery of relevant, needed content.

Consider the above 10 key points to improve your current web site or if you are looking to start a new Calgary Web design project.

Please feel free to contact us for more information about how we can help you with these Web usability issues for your current  Web site or new Calgary Web design!