You are here: Home / Archives for Featured / Columns / Website Corner

Five things you can do to improve your minor league sports website right now!

May 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Google

what do you search for?

If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to improve your website.

What is it you don’t like about your website?  What is it you do like about your website?

Determine you audience

Determine your audience.  I see this with minor league teams across the country, and some businesses too.  The website is designed for the team and maybe the family members.  It is a running bulletin board for team info.  That’s fine, but you are completely leaving out your best target – customers and sponsors!

Amon G Carter Stadium

Focus on the Fans!

Your customers, if you are a minor league sports team, are fans and potential fans.  Design your website for them!

Write all your content for fans and potential fans.  Give visitors a reason to come to your games!

Have pretty permalinks (URL’s)

Pretty permalinks are links to news posts as well as any page on your website.  How often do you see a website that has a bunch of code when you click on a story or page.  You don’t like that?  Google doesn’t either.

Make sure all links are infused with actual words, especially keywords in the article or page.  I have also seen some website companies build a website with frames so that when you click on a page or story, you don’t see a change in the URL address.  It’s not Google friendly.

There are a number of website design applications such as WordPress that will allow you to have actual words in your internal website links.

Get your website indexed in Google, Bing and Yahoo

All three of the major search engines have places to register your website.  No, really, they do.  You don’t have to wait until they “find” your website, you can roll out the red carpet!

Even more, it is free to register.  Don’t pay someone to “submit” your website to hundreds of search engines.  The largest majority (94%) of internet users use one of these three search engines, and most of the others use them too.  The only exception to this would be a well established directory.

google

Is this where you start?

 

Lose the stat counter

Speaking of search engines, Google has the best reporting for website stats.  Stat counters simply count how many times a file has been accessed on a webpage on your website.  A single page can have dozens of files on a given server attached that causes a hit.  In other words, if a person looks at a webpage on your website, they are responsible for multiple hits.

Website metrics are measured in different ways now.

Google Analytics is the best and free analytics software and it is web based meaning you don’t have to download the software.  It reports pageviews, visitors, unique visitors/pageviews and about any other imaginable information you need.  There is a learning curve, but it is a more accurate assessment of what is going on at your website.  Simply drop the code in your footer and that’s it.

Update often

Update often.  I see so many websites who are behind.  Set a schedule if you have to, but update. Simply writing up news each week is a form of updating.  A publishing platform on your website that allows you to publish articles is a great resource as the articles produce “pretty links” (see above) which are noticed by the search engines.

Further, the updating contacts the search engine letting them know there is new content.  It gives your visitors a sense that something is happening and it notifies the search engine to come and check things out.  It gives you a better search engine ranking too.

Summary

If you are an astute business person, you know that you need more customers, or fans.  More customers (who pay) mean more revenue and leave you in the black ink at the end of the season.  A business that does not have customers dries up.

We have to decide what our goals are for a website.

Think of a website as a marketing tool.   That is what it is.  It helps you get more customers.  Why would you spend money on a website that does not do this?

Many people get a website and want it to look spectacular but forget to consider how people are going to find their new website.  There are hundreds of millions of websites on the web.  Why would someone look at your website?

If you are a minor league sports team, consider sponsors.  What will they see when they get to your website?  How will they find you?

Take action today!

Maybe its time to get a new website.  If so, let’s get going!

Filed Under: Lead Story, Website Corner Tagged With: , ,

Three Indispensable Goals for your website

May 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Originally published at toddejones.net

Website design and having a website has come a long way from the early years about 15 years ago.  Back then, there weren’t as many people with websites as there is today.  There are an estimated 206 Million websites according to the Web Server Survey by Netcraft.

World Wide Web

In the light of the number of websites that are online today, simply having a website presence is not nearly enough.

So, what should a person or a business do about the mass of websites.  Many owners have seen little or no benefit from having a website, and it’s no wonder with over 206 Million websites for consumers to choose from.  This leaves us to reason that a business who decides to have a website needs to have some sort of strategy.

A strategy, or a plan, is of the utmost importance when deciding to set up shop online.  Besides, you are going to pay somebody good money to design and set it up for you.  You have to make sure you get the most “bang for your buck.”  That, in business terms, is called Return on Investment (ROI).

A website strategy has to be comprehensive, and there are, I think, three indispensable goals for your website strategy.

1.  Quality Design

There is a whole school of thought on web standards.  Learn more here and here.  Standards keep your designer at the forefront of quality design.  It is best if they have adopted an active approach to using, or at least learning, web standards.  If a designer is trying to design with tables are something from the 1990′s, run and run fast the other way!  Standards also help ensure that your designer will design you a website that will be “search engine friendly.”

talkephotography from Flickr

2.  Traffic

In the movie, Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character was told, “If you build it, they will come.”  While that philosophy was inspirational in the movie, it doesn’t work in the world of websites.  With over 206 Million websites on the web (see above), visitors have more options than they can possible choose.  Skilled webmasters and designers have to work on the website in an ongoing attempt to bring traffic to their website through the use of skills such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  SEO is only part of the solution.  Many website owners are turning to social media to help draw visitors to their sites.  Further, good old fashion marketing has its place as well.

3.  Conversion

Once you have visitors coming to your website, then what?  Conversion is the art of converting visitors in to consumers.  Every business has to do this.  When I worked in a book store, we recommended books and other items to the customer in which we thought would be of interest to them.  Without sales, businesses go away, and conversion is the process of “closing the sale.”  Much of the conversion process is accomplished different ways, but copy writing is very important.  Coppyblogger is one of the best blogs that helps writers with their conversion skills.

In the backdrop of these three goals is communication.  Communication is at the heart of a website, and communication is the basis for building a community–a community which can become customers.

In today’s online world, running a website is a full time job, although most small to medium size companies can’t or don’t hire someone to manage and run their website.  However, given the right person, the benefits can more than pay for the position.  If you are a small business owner and you have a website, you can and should learn what you can to make your website successful.

What will you do to improve your website?  Do you have a plan or a strategy?

Photo Source:  by bull3t from

Filed Under: Lead Story, Website Corner Tagged With: , ,

Using Social Media to Level the Playing Field

April 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

website cornerOK, so you have bought an ad in the newspaper (yikes!), you spent thousands of dollars to build a website and you seriously considered that billboard space on the freeway.  You have done all of these things to match up with the bigger company down the street, but you haven’t increased any of your traffic at your place of business.

You then decided to quiz old-school businessmen and they tell you that you need to network.  “This is 2011,” you say.  You wonder if that is still a valuable strategy.  They are right!  Except in today’s business world, networking can be done, in part, online.

You have heard the hard-to-believe stories about companies using Twitter or Facebok to attract new customers and double their businesses.  I have heard those too.  Now, you are trying decide if social media is for you.

 

For one, while social media is a great tool, it by itself is not a “magic cure.”  Networking, by its definition, assumes communication and conversation, which means that it is a two-way street.  You have to engage “friends” in conversation.  These online friends are potential customers, and, to be sure, potential evangelists for your business or brand.  Your ability to engage your customers online gives you an advantage over the big businesses who might be using social media as a glorified email marketing strategy.

A couple of years ago, I visited an upscale restaurant in Fort Worth.  I never would have afforded it, but we were given a gift card as a treat that made it possible.  The food was awesome, and the service was outstanding.  The setting was wonderful.  What put this experience over the top was that the owner and head chef came out to meet the customers!

A year later, he had a book signing at the bookstore where I worked.  I recognized him and escorted him to where he would be signing his books.  He probably didn’t remember me, but I remembered him!  I am not usually an upscale restaurant kind of guy–I prefer a place like Cracker Barrel–but if I ever have the money, I would definitely consider going back, just because the owner came out to meet me.

Why Social Media?

Word-of-mouth has stood the test of time, and social media is a new vehicle to accomplish that.  Think about it, when you are looking for a new barber or dentist, how do you find one.  You simply ask trusted friends.  That is what social media is about.Social Media

According to social media guru, Shama Kabani, it is better to manage a couple of social media profiles well rather than to have several that are not managed well.  And more, she says in her book The Zen of Social Media Marketing which was released in book form in April 2010, we need to have a hub, and online presence, in which to direct the customer too.

Ideally, that hub would be a website or blog.  I believe, it is better to have a website which has the feel of a blog.  There are a couple reasons for this.

Engagement

First, a blog is conversational, therefore, it reinforces the idea of conversation and of engaging the customer or your online friends.  Merely having a static, brochure-like website is stale and non engaging.  You can separate from your bigger company competition if you have the feeling of friendly and conversational when customers come to your website.

Search Engine Friendly

Second, a website which is built to have the feel of a blog, and possibly built on a blog platform such as WordPress, is active and the search engines love active.  Each time you update your blog or site, the site will ping the search engines to let them know that it has new content.  Over time, the search engines recognize that your site is active.  Active sites receive higher rankings in the search engines.  Also, when you update your site with articles or news, this creates some backlinks to your site.  As Darren writes in the article I linked to, backlinks are not the most powerful thing you can do, but they do help.  And by the way, always cross link your profiles with your website or blog.

It takes a while to put a social media strategy in to place.  You have to be intentional.  I recommend you working on it as if you were at a networking event or conference.  Ask questions, answer questions, engage people and seek out experts in your field.  Build up a base of friends or followers.  The rewards are great.  Not only will you tap into another market–a loyal market, but, eventually, your website rankings in the search engines will begin to rise, and the only thing you will have spent was time.

Photo Credit: toprankonlinemarketing

For more info, check out the video below!

Filed Under: Lead Story, Website Corner Tagged With:

Overlooked Success for Websites

May 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

website_corner

Companies and organizations of all sizes struggle with their website.  After all, everybody knows you need to have a website, but how do you make it work for you?  The lack of real investment in a website shows the lack of confidence a company and/or person has in the use of a website.  (The result of this is that people put up inexpensive or free websites, and that can cost you.  See my articles here.) Oh sure, we use “hits” like a banner.  We put a hit counter on our website to show the world how many hits we have.

The reality is that “hits” refer to the number of times a file has been accessed from your website.  These days a web page can contain dozens of files.  One person looking at one page on your website can account for 12-15 hits, or more!  If that is the case, then why are we counting “hits?”  A better question to ask is, “What is the purpose or the goal of your website?”

Often companies and organizations aren’t sure what the goal is for their website.  It is widely assumed, now, that having a website is indispensable.  We see the stories of websites who bring in business for it’s owner, but we figure that it is rare since it doesn’t happen for us.  But, what if we took the time to decide our goal for having a website?  Website owners learn after a while that simply having a website does not mean that thousands of people will show up every day!

What is your goal for a website?  To look cool?  To communicate with your team or organization?  To generate revenue or leads?  This is the first question to ask.  Everything else flows from this question.  It will determine everything about how you design your website from the function, the look, the architecture of the website, everything.  It is the beginning of your online strategy.  If you look past this, you will be spinning your wheels.

How can you decide the goal or purpose for your website?  That, of course, starts with your marketing plan or strategy.  What role does the website play in your larger marketing strategy?  What do you want the website to accomplish?  Do you want it to function as a team communication hub?  Do you want it to keep fans updated?  Do you want it to be a news outlet for all things related to your team?  Do you want it to help you fill the stands?  All of these are questions you need to ask yourself in regards to your website.

Remember, if you are looking for help, you can always contact me.  I talk about using online tools for businesses at my blog, www.toddejones.net.

Filed Under: Website Corner Tagged With:

Bringing Candid Pictures into Your Lives

July 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Candid pictures are so much better than poses.  These are pictures taken when we are just being ourselves.  That is what Karyn Kelbaugh strives to do with her photography business which is located online at www.KarynKelbaugh.com.  Karyn specializes in these kind of photo sessions.

My style is relaxed, fun, and a little bit silly. Aww, who am I kidding, a lot silly. I want to photograph you – being yourself – it’s that simple.

She offers sessions for children, couples, pets, seniors, families, and seniors.  Not only does she specialize in candid shots, she prefers them.  Therefore, she told me, she can do kids sporting events too.

An avid athlete herself, Karyn regularly participates in runs, rides her bicycle several times a week and even participated in the DFW Mud Run a couple of years ago.  Karyn has a great work ethic that she learned, no doubt, growing up on her parents’ farm in Ohio.

Something else readers should consider is that Karyn can do professional head shots.  This is important in this day and time because we are routinely asked for pics for profiles such as at Google, Linkedin, Twitter and other promotional materials.

So, if you need a new family portrait, someone to take pictures at your child’s games, baby pictures, or any other photography needs, just give Karyn a call and tell her you read about her here at Dfwfootball.net!

Karyn is available on the web at www.KarynKelbaugh.com and @karynkelbaugh on Twitter.

Filed Under: Website Corner Tagged With: ,

Cassie’s Corner

June 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

This month’s website corner is Cassie’s Corner.  The website keeps the family and friends of Lone Star Mustangs player Cassie Korywchak up-to-date with the news of Cassie’s treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Cassie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in March of this year, and she is only 21 years old.   She and her twin sister, Kelsey, are members of the Women’s Professional football team, the Lone Star Mustangs.

The website not only has news of Cassie, but it provides readers a way to donate to help with the cost of Cassie’s treatment.  You can also order bracelets with Cassie’s theme, “2 inspire” which will help with Cassie’s expenses.

In addition to Cassie’s Corner, readers can check out her CaringBridge page at www.caringbridge.org/visit/twin2.

Filed Under: Website Corner Tagged With: , , ,

News Without the Blues

May 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Do you ever get tired of how the mainstream media likes to promote the negative news?  I do too.  There is a new, innovative news website that is reporting positive news in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.  Their slogan is “News without the blues.”

Chris Ghanbari started DFWReporting.com just a few months ago, and the site is already picking up momentum with a team of reporters reporting positive news.  Chris has a background in video producing, and he spent time working with WFAA TV, channel 8.

The site is fresh and takes advantage of social media initiatives.  Working behind the scenes for DFWReporting.com is Dallas online marketing expert Shama Hyder of Clicktoclient.com.  She is the online marketing guru and designer of the DFWReporting.com website.

Chris has gathered a team of talented reporters, but don’t think that all they do is boring, non-sports news.  On their site right now is a 2 part video interview with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter.  Reporter Kimberly Torres caught up with Carter who is playing indoor football for the Abilene Ruff Riders.

DFWReporting has plenty of sports videos if you click on Browse Categories in the top navigation bar.  On the side bar in the Categories section you will see several categories including sports, inspiring, education, pets, etc.

The site has a clean interface with a straight-forward navigation bar at the top.  It takes advantage of features such as RSS feeds, a big search box at the top of the page, and lots (and lots) of videos.  The logo including the slogan is prominent at the top center of the page.  The page is laid out very well.  The colors are eye-catching and seem to convey modern.

It has just been a short time, but DFWReporting.com has already gathered some nice interviews in the world of local sports.  First, there is the interview with Carter.  Further, Torres was at the casting call of the Michael Irvin reality show and got an interview with Irvin.  Then, there are the interviews with 3-time Indy 500 Champ Helio Castroneves, Olympic Gold Medalists Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson, and a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.

Be sure to bookmark DFWReporting.com and catch the positive news stories which are being produced by the innovative site.

Filed Under: Website Corner Tagged With: , ,

Website Corner: JerryRhome.com

March 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

This month’s Website Corner is JerryRhome.com.  Jerry is a football coach that helps athletes develop into better players.  Jerry has an impressive resume including a testimonial from Coach Jimmy Johnson.

I listened to Jerry talk with Randy Galloway of Galloway and Company last month, and I was impressed with his passion and knowledge of the game.  Of course, Jerry has been a world-class football coach for decades.  Now, he coaches one-on-one including getting players ready for the NFL and help improve their draft stock.

Jerry coaches players as young as 10.  He can help take your talent to the next level.  If you are a middle school, high school, college or semi-pro football player, you might want to consider droping Jerry a line to find out what it would take to get Jerry to coach you.  If you are able to get him, you might just find yourself playing in the NFL.

www.jerryrhome.com

Filed Under: Website Corner Tagged With: ,

Website Corner: Getting Better Television

January 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Once a month, I am going to do a review (or simply a shout out) of a website.  These sites will then be added to my links pages.  I have been thinking about doing something like this for a long time.

It is an easy way to compile a list of internet friends.  If you would like to be featured in this segment, click on the contact page at the top and send me an email.

The first site we are going to look at is Getting Better Television by Jeff Atkinson.  Jeff has put together a website explaining his ideas for having a better television experience.  It seems as if he is a little partial to satellite TV.  I understand that.  Some cable companies act as if they don’t have competition.

Jeff’s site has been up for almost a year, and he seems to write about two articles a month.  He recalls some of his own experiences with TV and how he has found the best experience.  He is offering advice from his own experiences.

The site looks good.  It is a classic looking blog set up with the latest articles posted on the entry page and sidebars on both sides.  He has gathered quite a group in his blogroll.  He has some advertising, but it doesn’t get in the way of the writing which is a good thing.

He has a nice big pic of himself (but not too big) in the upper left corner showing that he is open and unwilling to hide behind some avatar or cute slogan.  He has added the “add this” feature to his posts so that you can share them with your friends, etc.

Us football fans are often looking for the best TV value to catch all of the games.  Maybe Jeff’s suggestions can help you.  As I commented on one of his posts, I use AT&T Uverse.  But to each his own.  Until AT&T starts giving me money to exclusively mention them on this site, I will not censor anyone’s opinion based on their expereinces with TV.

Check out Jeff’s site.  Maybe he can save you some heartache.

Filed Under: Website Corner Tagged With: , , , ,