Focus on Optimization

Optimization is really the process of taking all of the previous steps and putting a polish on them. This is the part of the development process in which we ensure that the graphics are captivating and relevant, ensure that the established taxonomy is intuitive, ensure the layout is functional and well-balanced, and of course ensure that the content is keyword rich.

This last consideration is an industry in and of itself – called Search Engine Optimization or SEO.  The concept is rather simple – at this point, we have developed a site that we are certain reflects the business and its goals, so now we need to introduce it to the world!

 We do this by letting search engines – like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN – know that the site exists and that their bots should ‘crawl’ the site and index the information found. 

Based on complex algorithms, every search engine indexes a site a bit differently. But one factor that is always considered is keywords.  This means that if you have a site that primarily sells ‘blue widgets’ – that your content should have the term ‘blue widgets’ on nearly every page of your site.

While this is a gross over-simplification of the entire SEO process, it’s used to simply elaborate this point – make your content relevant to your business and Search engines will find you. If the proper attention is paid to refining the content, your site will come up when someone searches for ‘blue widgets’.

Chances are that your company is not the only one selling ‘blue widgets’ – in which case you have to compete to be the most relevant site when it comes to ‘blue widgets’.  This takes time and determination.  Armed with the appropriate metrics, a site will generally need to be ‘fine-tuned’ for a period of at least six months before any significant traffic comes from the searches.

While some SEO companies may guarantee that they’ll take your site to number one in a matter of a few weeks, be cautious!  Using some unscrupulous techniques the search engines can sometimes be fooled into ranking a site higher than it truly deserves to be.  While this may generate an increase in traffic, that traffic may not ultimately help your business.

For example, if I pull a few strings and get top placement for‘green widgets’ – there’s a good chance I’ll see an increase of traffic to my site, but once the visitors get to my site and realize that I only sell ‘blue widgets’ they’ll most likely leave the site and never return.  What’s worse is that this type of traffic cannot only be detrimental to your business, but your reputation as well.

The best way to get great search engine exposure is by creating a truly unique and relevant site that is well tuned for your business.  This is the belief and approach of Dijital Media for each of our clients.  Regardless of the industry, by holding ourselves to this high standard not only results in happier clients, but a better web experience for all!