How can I get my site to the top of Google searches (take 2)?

"When we google our keywords our website does not show up-all the other [retailers] in town are listed but not our company what should we do?"

This is a real email from a real customer. It's the most-asked question in the Web World, so let's get the right answer. The MOST IMPORTANT item in getting Google to notice your site is....

Content: A very well-written website that clearly tells customers what you do is most successful in Google searches. Let me say that a different way: Content is King. The text content on your website is hands-down the most important factor in pushing your site to the top of the search results.

There are other factors that affect your Search Engine Rank, but this is the one that you should look at right now. If your site is languishing on page 5 of the searches, start re-writing and we will gladly add your new text to your site.

Don't like writing? Well, we love it. It's what we do. And, we've made sites EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL by writing great content. Pick up the phone right now: 262.767.8887.

How much socializing can you do in a day?

Whoa! Is social media eating your day? I've talked to people whose Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In associations have nearly obliterated their time for productive work...

And, I've talked to others who swear their socializing has brought them more business...

What's your take? Is Facebook a help or a hindrance?

Don't Worry. Bee Happy. And we mean it.

Whoa! This morning I got a frantic phone message from a customer who hosts with BeeLine. We also manage this customer's domain name. (Their dot com.) We'd sent her a notification of domain name renewal and she'd misplaced it, so it didn't get paid. She was terribly worried that her domain name would expire and her Web site would go away entirely.

No worries!
If BeeLine is managing your domain name -- which we do for most of our customers -- you never need to worry about the domain expiring. We take expirations very, very seriously. Because if your domain expires, your Web site goes away.

So, we have a system in place that's nearly foolproof:

- When your domain comes up for renewal, we notify you well in advance of expiration dates...usually about two months in advance. Just in case you decide to take a trip to Tahiti for a month without your laptop and cellphone.

- Then, as an added safety net, we automatically renew the name for another year, no matter what.
Let me say that again: Your domain name is set to renew AUTOMATICALLY whether you've paid the fee or not. We know that your domain name is crucial to keeping your site online... and therefore to the process of running your business. So in essence, your domain name doesn't expire unless we haven't heard from you in over a year.

Why do we renew domain names at our own expense? Because we're nice. And, because we know how hectic your life is. We know that running a business and taking care of employees and products and customers can be more than a full time job. We feel it's our job to take all the worry out of your online life while you get on with your offline life.

Do we sometimes get stuck paying for a domain name we can't use? Of course we do. But, we'd rather risk that expense than have our customers' Web sites go offline. Every day that passes more people are looking online for products and services. This means that your Web site becomes more crucial to running your business successfully. . . and your success is ours, too.

So, we mean it when we say Don't Worry. Bee happy.

Are you tossing $100 in the trash?

Many businesses have received a coupon from Google in the mail (the postal mail, that is) worth $100. Most people don't know what to do with the coupon, so lots of people  have been throwing them away.

If you do have one of those coupons and you haven't thrown it away yet, give us a buzz. 262.767.8887. It really is worth a hundred bucks! And, it's an excellent way to push your Web site to a better position in the search results. In other words, using your FREE $100 for some online advertising could ultimately result in more people visiting your Web site.... and finding out what you offer ....and then buying the things you offer.... which is how you make your money!

The Short Story: Google's $100 coupon = money in your pocket.

Don't throw it away. Give us a buzz: 262.767.8887 or email or comment on this posting!

PS: We never lie. There is never a guarantee that your site will be ranked higher in search results. And, if anyone says anything resembling the word "guarantee" when talking about Google rankings, they're not telling the whole truth. Your rank depends on lots of things, including

• your competition


• how savvy they are about online marketing


• your location


• and most of all the quality of your site. It needs to have a great structure, lots of keywords, links and informative content (among other things)

Domain name hijackers -- the nerve!

Here’s a note to us from one of our BeeLine customers. She writes:

Hi, I received notification and an invoice from the Domain Registry of America for a reply to register my website. I don't recall if this is something your company has done for my website or not. Please let me know how I should respond.

Thanks,
Mary

Grrrrrr. This makes me so mad. Domain Registry of America sends you an “invoice” indicating that your domain name is expiring. They ask you to pay immediately to keep your Web site available online. Wow. The nerve of some people.

Trouble is, Domain Registry of America has NOTHING TO DO with your domain name. If they snag you into paying the fake invoice, THEN, they have succeeded in taking control of your domain name. In essence, control of the domain name results in control of your Web site.

You’ve worked hard to promote your business through your Web site by including your Web address on all your printed materials, billboards, and other advertising. If someone nabs your domain name, you may need to start over with a new name. It would be like changing your phone number, which would require you to reprint business cards, brochures, re-letter your vehicle, etc. etc. What a pain.

If you’re a BeeLine customer, in most cases we manage your domain name for you. Or, if you’ve opted to manage it yourself, we’ve given you detailed instructions on how to keep your domain name safe. When we manage names (recommended), we always notify you a couple of months in advance of the expiration. This leaves plenty of time for renewal before there’s any danger of the name expiring. That notification always comes from BeeLine, not from any other company or registrar.

Registrar: the company where your domain name is registered. Registration is always done online. If you manage your own name, you should have a user name and password for accessing your account on that site.

If you ever receive notification from any company claiming to be “renewing” your domain name, be absolutely sure you’re dealing with a legitimate company and that they are really your domain registrar.

If you’re not a BeeLine customer or don’t know who is managing your domain name, give us a buzz. We’ll be glad to tell you the status of your domain name for free. And, if you need help managing your domain or site, we can do that, too. We’ve helped dozens of companies straighten out domain name and hosting problems.

Premium Listing? Baloney.

OK. I just got off the phone with a woman who wanted to “update my information” for the White and Yellow Pages. I have nothing against phone books. They’ve come in quite handy over the years when I’ve needed anything from plumbers to pizza. (Well, I’ve never NEEDED pizza. But it does come in handy now and then, especially when facing a couple of dangerously starved teenagers.) And, phone books are actually still handy for some things. . . although I can’t think of any at the moment.

There are a couple of things wrong with this woman’s approach. First of all, she failed to mention that I would have to pay for my “updated” phone book listing. While she rattled off my address (which was wrong) and phone number, I interrupted to ask if there was a charge. Oh yes. Minor detail of $389. BUT, she continued , you’ll get a bold listing AND (here’s the Grrrr) a “premium listing on major search engines Google, Yahoo,  etc.” (This is a direct quote.) I think she was kind of annoyed when I told her it isn’t true that she can give me a premium listing. In fact, she hung up when I said it was totally absolutely and in all other ways inconceivable that she could give me or anyone else a “premium listing” on any search engine. There’s no such thing.

If it were possible to demand top billing for specific businesses, then they wouldn’t be search engines. They’d be advertising engines. And, the guy with the most money would get the Most Highly Profitable and Pretentious Premium listing. Take the Super Bowl. Who even watches the game anymore with so many clever commercials all stacked up waiting to pay their millions for few seconds’ rent on a bunch of pairs of eyeballs? Well, LOTS of pairs of eyeballs, I guess. (And, sometimes the half-time show has some interesting equipment failures, too.) Only the very, very rich can afford ads on the Super Bowl.

The fact is, it’s the quality of a Web site that determines placement on search pages. Searches are designed to return the most relevant information based on the words typed in by the searcher.  That’s it. If the text on the pages of your Web site is relevant to exactly what’s being sought, that page will be more successful in searches, because the text explains exactly what you do or sell and it matches the searched words.

So buy phone book ads if it helps customers find you and brings in revenue. But be sure to question anyone who guarantees higher (“premium”?) placement in Google or Yahoo! searches. That’s not how search engines work.

Is someone trying to steal your domain name?

Here’s a note to us from one of our BeeLine customers. She writes:

Hi,

I received notification and an invoice from the Domain Registry of America for a reply to register my website. I don't recall if this is something your company has done for my website or not. Please let me know how I should respond.

Thanks,

Mary

Grrrrrr. This makes me so mad. Domain Registry of America sends you an “invoice” indicating that your domain name is expiring. They ask you to pay immediately to avoid interruption in your Web site availability. Wow. The nerve of some people.

Trouble is, Domain Registry of America has NOTHING TO DO with your domain name. If they snag you into paying the fake invoice, THEN, they have succeeded in taking control of your domain name. In essence, control of the domain name results in control of your Web site.

You’ve worked hard to promote your business through your Web site by including your Web site address on all your printed materials, billboards, and other advertising. If someone nabs your domain name, you may need to start over with a new name. Just like changing your phone number, would require you to reprint business cards, print ads, re-letter your vehicle, etc. etc. What a pain.

If you’re a BeeLine customer, in most cases we manage your domain name for you. Or, if you’ve opted to manage it yourself, we’ve given you detailed instructions on how to keep your domain name safe. When we manage names (recommended), we always notify you a couple of months in advance of the expiration. This leaves plenty of time for renewal before there’s any danger of the name expiring. That notification always comes from BeeLine, not from any other company or registrar.

	Registrar: the company where your domain name is registered. Registration is always done online. You should have a user name and password for accessing your account on your registrar's site.

And, if you ever receive notification from any company claiming to be “renewing” your domain name, be absolutely sure you’re dealing with a legitimate company and that they are really your domain registrar.

If you’re not a BeeLine customer or don’t know who is managing your domain name, give us a buzz. We’ll be glad to tell you the status of your domain name and help you manage it. We’ve helped dozens of companies straighten out domain name problems.