Search engine submission

Fist of all, understand that Search Engine Submission is not the end-all of how to get listed, in fact, in most cases, you don’t really have to submit your site at all.

Truth is, google.com and yahoo.com have “bots” that crawl the web and will eventually find your site. There are many things you can do to tell the search engines you are there, but merely submitting your site to a search engine is not going to make “indexing” your site a high priority.

“Indexing” is the term search engines use to define the action of taking a picture of your site and storing that picture on their servers. This picture is a representation of your site, and consists of a title, keywords, keyword relevance within the content of the site, a site map, and a few other things we’ll discuss later.

Search Engine Submission companies will try to convince you that submitting your site to hundreds (or thousands) of websites is the answer…it’s not. There are many search engine companies, and apparently, it’s not too difficult to put one up on the web, but how many people use those smaller websites is another question. If someone uses that specific search engine, the search will be limited to that search engine only, so it’s not a good representation of the web as a whole.

I focus on google.com when designing websites. They are one of the biggest, and most widely used on the internet. Google.com is making huge efforts to keep the internet “honest”. I like that.

Submitting your site to multiple search engines is not a bad idea, but I focus on the big boys (google.com, yahoo.com, msn.com). It’s where most people are going and searching. Actually, many search engines search a common database called dmoz.org, so it’s probably fine to submit your site there, then focus on content.

How to choose a graphic designer (part 3)

Review designs: First thing to decide at this point is if you are going to present the designer with a design and concept that you want them to reproduce, or if you are going to give them free reign to come up with something for you. Understand that you are paying for it, so you should never feel pressured to go with their first idea. You should go with what you like. If it doesn’t shine the correct light on you, then have them go back and do it again.

Direct them with things like: “I like/don’t like this color,” “More curves, less corners,” “Too feminine,” “Too cluttered,” and “Too techy.” Try to stay away from things like: “Not sexy enough,” “It’s boring,” “Looks like poo,” etc.

Realize this process almost always takes a few iterations to get it to your liking. Don’t get frustrated, but be specific about what you want and don’t want. Logos will take the most rounds, as well they should.

So, you have a friend or relative who does graphics: My advice, treat them the same way you would if they were not. It will benefit them in the long run, and you won’t have to live with something you don’t like, just so feelings are not hurt.

All in all, it’s your money, and your company, so you need to be happy with your designer. I hope this helps.

How to choose a graphic designer (part 2)

Review portfolios: I feel this is the most important aspect of choosing a designer, but a good portfolio can be deceiving as well. Make sure the designer has worked on similar projects as yours, and that the samples of their work were designed and produced by them. Some projects are team efforts. Ask questions, and you won’t be stuck with a half finished product.

Discuss with designer: Talk to them about past marketing efforts, successes and failures. Educate them with any pertinent information. The best designer will become as informed as a potential client, otherwise, you could get a pink website to sell your chainsaws.

Talk to them about deadlines and how content will be given to the designer. Talk about photography and any scanning that needs to be done.

Talk to them about how and where the brochure will be displayed. Will it be handed to someone by a salesman, or picked up by someone at a hotel lobby? Tell them where the billboard is located or where you have bought banner space on someone’s website.

All of this gives your designer the most information he needs, so that his first attempt at a design will be a good one, and not totally off base.

Ask for a quote: Expect a ballpark quote. If you have an exact budget, find out what the designer can do within that budget. Also, ask about turn around time. Remember the marketing triangle: “Speed, Quality and Cost: Choose two.”

Enter into a contract: Some designers don’t use contracts, some just ask for half of the total cost down. Some only collect when the job is done and you are satisfied with the end product. Ultimately, and agreement is made and preferences should be openly and completely discussed before work is begun.

Some designers will present designs before they are hired, just to show that they are capable and willing.

How to choose a graphic designer (part 1)

I’ve put together some guidelines I feel are a good starting point for choosing a designer. Ultimately, it may end up being a personality that you prefer over another, but nevertheless, it’s worth the research. This interviewing process may take a few days, but ultimately, you’ll be glad you didn’t just pick someone out of the blue. My advice is to interview at least two designers before making a decision.

Decide what you need: Business cards, website, brochure, ads, whatever. Although it is not essential that you have a five year marketing and advertising plan, it’s a good idea to have something in mind. If nothing else, knowing your target audience will be a huge help.

Be ready for designers to suggest marketing campaign ideas; which might include items you may or may not want to implement into your marketing plan, but may not have thought of. Hopefully, the designer you choose will have enough experience to suggest possible solutions that have worked for other customers in the past.

Figure out what your budget is: You might have a good idea what graphics cost, or you may be way off, but it’s a good idea to have something in mind. Most designers should be able to work with a small budget, especially if there is a prospect of more work in the future.

Different cities have different fee schedules, so make sure you ask this up front. Don’t be fooled into a low price if you haven’t seen a designer’s portfolio. Students may be cheaper, but they may not know how to make logos scalable, how to make websites load quickly, or that images need to be CMYK (not RGB) to not incur extra costs at the printer.

Ask for recommendations: Look around at companies with graphics that you are attracted to and ask the owner for a recommendation. Everyone has an experience with a designer that they will share upon asking. Your local Chamber of Commerce will let you know what designers and printers are in town. Always look at portfolios before making your decision, and contact companies listed for their comments on a designer.