Increasing Domain Authority

 Uncategorized  2 Responses »
May 252011
 

Increasing domain authority is of the utmost importance to improving organic traffic to your website or blog.  Most people either don’t understand, or are not aware of domain authority.  We will explain domain authority in this article, and how it will help you move your web pages up the search rankings.

Not Just Link Building

architect reading blueprintsImproving Google search rankings is generally equated with building links from quality websites.  However this is an oversimplification.  Link building to an important article or page on your site seems to improve the ranking of that article or page, but only slightly improves the overall ranking of your website.

To increase domain authority, you need to build links to various pages across your website.  The number of pages Google deems important at your domain seems to have a greater effect on improving overall search rankings.  A proper strategy for building links should involve as many pages as possible from your domain.

Avoid Mass Link Pages

The one caveat is to avoid building links from pages which have a lot of links coming out of them.  Nobody knows the inner workings of the Google search engine outside of their own programming team.  But there is evidence that Google punishes the ranking of websites which build links in this manner.  This is evidently an attempt to stop unscrupulous pages which offer no usable content, but a ton of links.

- Dan Padavona, Warmpicture

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Writing Readable Articles for the Web

 Blogging  No Responses »
May 172011
 

The internet has shortened our attention spans.  It hasn’t made us lazy.  Instead it has provided us with so much information, that we need to move fast if we are to ingest it all.  This article provides some useful tips for making both print and digital articles or blogs more readable.

The single biggest improvement you can make is to break up your article into shorter chunks.  This keeps your Student in Libraryreaders’ attention, and improves the chances that they will read your entire article and stay on your page.  There are several easy edits you can make to your blog or article to keep the internet generation interested.

Stick to Short Paragraphs

I recommend every writer find ways to shorten their paragraphs.  This is a psychological trick which studies show keep short attention spans involved longer.  The rule of thumb is that we should restrict our paragraphs to 4-5 lines or less.  Do I break this rule sometimes?  Yes.  Should I?  Probably not very often.

Use Sections

As I have done in this article, I recommend everyone break up their articles into sections, each with a headline.  Some readers may be most interested in a certain point you are getting across in your article.  Using sections with headlines allows your readers to quickly scan your article for an overview, or to zero in on a particular section of interest.

Incorporate Royalty Free Images

Royalty free images are helpful for multiple reasons.  The most obvious is they provide a point of interest and add flavor to your content.  They also are very useful for SEO, since search engines will have added content to find.

colorful umbrella isolatedImages also break up the article, much the way short paragraphs and sections do.  Images increase the potential for your readers to stay focused for your entire article, and studies show blogs and articles with images build loyal traffic faster than those without.

Use Links Sparingly

I always recommend digital articles and blogs incorporate useful links when appropriate.  But be careful here.  Links provide an obvious way for readers to navigate away from your site.  External links also create an eye sore of a web page.  Blue, red, or purple lines throughout your text are very distracting.

When you change your writing style, use Google Analytics or your favorite web analytics to track changes in your readers’ behavior.  Look for an increase in time spent on your site to show that you are headed in the right direction.

- Dan Padavona, Warmpicture

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Making Friends at the Print Shop

 Design  No Responses »
May 042011
 

Prize RibbonsDesigners in fields which require a lot of printing should look to establish a relationship with their local printer.  The first steps to finding the right printer are the same obvious ones you would use when evaluating any business for your needs.  Ask other designers for opinions on print shops, then visit a few and talk about your projects.  Do they have the expertise to meet your needs?  Are they friendly (you don’t want to work frequently with someone you dread seeing)?  Do they have an easy way to upload your files to them through the internet?

Take care not to make a choice based on the lowest price.  Remember the credo, “You get what you pay for.”  That isn’t absolutely true.  You can find an excellent quality printer who has a low price.  Just don’t make the mistake of basing your decision entirely on price.

Make the first month of working with the printer an evaluation period.  Your opinion may change for various reasons.  They may be so busy that your projects are always at the back of a long queue.  Or their work may not be up to your standards.  Hopefully the first month is a tremendous success, and you have found a printer to work with for the long haul.

Once you have chosen a print shop, it is now important that your work flow meets the print shop’s requirements.  Some things to consider from your end:

  1. What file types do they accept?  Your final image should be in their preferred format.
  2. What DPI printer do they use?  DPI, combined with your image resolution, will determine the final size of the print.
  3. Take the time to understand their jargon (color separation, binding, DPI, glossy, matte, etc).
  4. Have the ability to pay immediately.  Even if you are in an organization with higher ups, your printer needs his or her money when their terms state it is due.  If this is a problem for your organization, you will be looking for a new printer constantly.

In almost all cases, you will forge a better relationship with a local printer than you will with a chain printer.  Local printers appreciate your business more, and have full stake in their business.  They are more likely to go the extra mile for you than will a national chain.  And it is inevitable that there will be times when you need printing jobs done immediately and unexpectedly.  That is where your good relationship with the print shop will pay off.

Design is a great field, not only for the work designers do, but also for the people they meet and work with everyday.  Your printer should be someone you know by name, and know you can rely on.

- Dan Padavona, Warmpicture

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