As 2010 comes to a close, we all start to think about how we can be happier, healthier, more vital, spend more time with family and friends and make more money. Several years ago, David, my husband and business partner at ArcStone decided to be more conscience about our New Years resolutions.

The last week of December brings all kinds of lists, the Top 10 songs, books, movies, trends, news stories and now even tweets. Its also the time that people decide to compile their list of personal New Years resolutions to tackle. Like most people, I never had much luck with my New Years resolutions until using the following simple tips.

1.    Set aside some alone time to think about what goals or resolutions are priorities? Are your resolutions the same year after year? Do you never stick to them? Ask yourself why that is.
2.    Choose goals / resolutions that will make you happy.
3.    Don’t try to take on too much. Stick with a small number of resolutions – five or less.
4.    Once you get your list of resolutions compiled, think about what impact they will have on your daily life. Are you being realistic? If not, make adjustments.
5.    Create a vision board using photos, pictures, words, phrases  anything that will inspire you. I create my vision board using a small poster board (11 x 14). Basically your vision board will serve as a daily reminder. I like to place my vision board in a prominent spot so I will see it and be reminded of my resolutions every day.
6.    Make your resolutions both attainable and challenging. For example, if you want to learn how to play the guitar, set up a quiet practice space, make sure you have a decent instrument, schedule lessons, buy a good lesson book…
7.    Share your resolutions. After determining my resolutions, I like to share them with my family and close friends. They can help me stay on track by sharing their insights and lending their support. I usually make this a special occasion by preparing an elegant dinner with candles, good music
8.    Check in with your resolutions often. I like to salamasize my resolutions by creating mini goals. Don’t wait until the year is half over to realize that you’re not on the right track.
9.    Combine your resolutions when you can. For example, if you’d like to spend more time with friends and family and you’d also like to be more fit, figure out a way to combine the two. Play tennis with a good friend, take of cross county skiing with your sister
10.    Keep track of your resolutions and build on them. I like to keep my lists from years past so that I can see where Ive been and were I’m going. At the very least, its fun.

Good luck making and keeping your New Years resolutions. Happy New Year!

Signed up on LinkedIn (LI) but feeling like you’re still in no mans land? Maybe you’re right. When people search for your skill set or industry, what are you doing to ensure that you beat out thousands of other profiles to grab their attention?

By now were all familiar with the term search engine optimization (SEO), used to increase your search engine rankings so that potential clients can find your business. But what you may not realize is that LI employs search in a very similar way. For those that don’t know the secrets to LinkedIn Search Optimization (LSO), LI can feel like a ghost town.

Connections
Rankings on LI take into consideration, keywords, recommendations and connections. The more people know you on LI, the more known you are in search. Rule #1 Connect.

Get Specific
Using the right keywords can bring qualified leads to you. But in order to get those leads you need to stand out in sea of people who do what you do. Evaluate your title, does it really tell people what you can do for them? Try to think like someone looking for your service. Would they search for that title or something else? Just like SEO, long-tailed keywords are your friend and don’t be afraid to use more than one title. The more specific you can be about what you do, without being too rare, the better.

Complete your profile
No picture, little to no information, zero recommendations  you might as well throw in the towel. Be thorough, remember this is your online resume and in essence, the advertisement for you or your business. First impressions count.

Add your Websites
This one is often missed and its a shame because you can drive traffic right to your site. Interested parties can and will click your link for more information. LI gives you three, enough to add your company(ies) and your blog.

Summary
The summary is your shot  now pitch. Yours shouldn’t read like a flat list of jobs. Speak directly to the people landing on your page. Let them know who you are and what you can do for them in a clear, concise manner that is peppered with keywords. Point out your experience and accomplishments but most important, focus on what you can do for them now.

Recommendations
Some people feel intimidated asking for recommendations  don’t. If they’re on LI they know how this works and have probably been in your shoes. Always offer to reciprocate and do so immediately.  It ensures your chances of getting a timely recommendation and one that may sparkle just a little bit more. If you’re tied for keywords with someone else in your industry, your recommendations and connections are the tie breakers  get them.

Though your goal may be to reach as many potentials as you can by optimizing for search, keep in mind that its real connections and the value you bring to them that seals deals.

Follow ArcStone Technologies on LinkedIn.

Vanessa Nix Anthony is freelance journalist, SEO copywriter and SMM Strategist living in Portland, Oregon. She writes for a variety newspapers, magazines, websites and businesses nationwide. Her commercial work includes Copywriting and PR solutions as well as branding and reputation management for a diverse array of clients such as physicians, lawyers, photographers, graphic designers, filmmakers, fashion designers and media personalities.

Last week, David and I attended the annual luncheon for our friendly neighbors, Domestic Abuse Project (DAP). For over 30 years, DAP has worked with women and men to curb domestic violence. Their ability to combine immediate crisis response with long-term care and behavioral therapy made them the first of their kind in Minnesota.

With over 500 in attendance, speakers told heartfelt stories of DAP’s success as healers and teachers.

Earlier in the summer, ArcStone began working to donate a newly designed, SEO-friendly website that will provide resources for domestic abuse victims and raise awareness about their organization. Our designers and developers have gone to great lengths to create something special for DAP. WordPress 3.x has been incorporated into the site so that DAP staff can economically (and oh-so-easily) keep content up-to-date. Laying the groundwork for DAP’s first ever SEO campaign will ensure higher visibility on the search engines. Direction over rich media placement will result in the site’s audience being better engaged.

Needless to say, I am very proud of my colleagues for taking the time to give back to the local community.

Site launch is a scheduled for just a few weeks from now. In the meantime, we wait in eager anticipation.

To learn more about Minneapolis-based Domestic Abuse Project, visit www.domesticabuseproject.com. If you would make a donation, please visit this website.

Total SERP domination is just another way to build brand awareness, strengthen your brand and increase conversions. In this blog post I will describe five simple tactics to use when playing the SERP domination game.

1. Create microsites with clear calls to action. These microsites can be simple. Make sure to use a simple domain name to your primary domain. For example, our client Custom Remodelers, Inc. wanted to build brand awareness around the services they offer so ArcStone created a handful of microsites using their existing domain plus the targeted service area.

http://www.customremodelers-siding.com
http://www.customremodelersflooring-mn.com
http://www.customremodelersstormdamage.com

Microsites will help you grab additional spots in Google’s top ten. These sites not only help you get more top results, they also help push your competition down.

2. Use Social Media Profiles. Creating social media profiles is pretty much standard for every company today. If you’re not sure that LinkedIn, or Twitter may be right for your business, consider this. Social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube have a high domain authority and typically rank very high in the SERPs. Our client, Donnay Homes wanted to engage with customers on a deeper level and get more exposure in the SERPs. We created social media profiles for them.

Donnay Homes on Twitter
Donnay Homes on Facebook
Donnay Homes on LinkedIN

3. Claim Google Local Listings. Another way to dominate the SERPs is to create a listing in Google Local. Google Local listings (7-packs) are the listings that appear on a map when you a Google your company’s name. We claimed the Google local profile for our client Glendale Photographer, Cilento Photography.

Cilento Photography - Google Maps

4. Write Press Releases and News about your company. Distributing press releases and news about your company will snag another result in the search engine results pages. Coming up with good topics is really quite easy. Recently our client, Minneapolis moving company, Barrett Moving & Storage won a van operator of the year award. ArcStone helped get the word out about Barrett’s achievement by submitting the press release to distribution sites on the Web. If you’re unsure what to write about here are some other topic ideas:

• Personnel changes
• The launch of a new program or service
• Events & Awards

5. Build Brand Profiles on High Authority Sites. Building company pages on sites like Wikipedia will also help you pick up additional results in the search engine results pages. Keep in mind that Wikipedia will reject pages that blatantly sell or market your brand. If your company has newsworthy history you may be able to pass the Wikipedia sniff test. Our client Meshbesher & Spence, founded by Ron Meshbesher has a very rich history in Minnesota. ArcStone created a Wikipedia page for Ron Meshbesher that consistently ranks in Google’s top ten.

6. Run a PPC Campaign. Pay per click is another way to dominate the SERPs and generally speaking, your company’s name will not be an expensive keyword to target.

Meshbesher & Spence PPC

Good luck with TOTAL SERP domination! As always, if you have questions or need assistance. Contact me at lisa@arcstone.com.

It’s sad to see a trusted and talented employee leave your business.

I received notice last week that Nik Rowell, TechTranslated contributor, friend and fellow ArcStonian will be leaving us to work for the social e-commerce start-up Alvenda (which I have to say seems to be a pretty cool business).

Thank you Nik for all the fantastic work you have done here at ArcStone.  Time and again you have made us proud – you’ll always have friends here.

Earlier this month Google rolled out a new feature called “Google Instant.” From Google’s official blog:

“Google Instant is search-before-you-type. Instant takes what you have typed already, predicts the most likely completion and streams results in real-time for those predictions—yielding a smarter and faster search that is interactive, predictive and powerful.”

Currently Google Instant is only available to logged in users. The search behemoth plans to roll-out the mobile version “soon.”

Right away I wondered how this latest feature would impact SEO and Reputation Management, my main focus at ArcStone Technologies.

I tested the roll-out by starting to type in ArcStone. By the time I typed ArcSt – Google instant produced results for ArcStone (http://www.arcstone.com).

What does it mean for your brand?

If a company can dominate the search results for a keyword term or their company name this will increase the company’s visibility in a big way.

Similarly if you can achieve high rankings for some popular Google Instant results you will be able to significantly impact your website’s traffic.

Google claims that Google Instant will save searchers time. I’m not sure I buy this. Yes, Google Instant allows you to refine your search on the fly so you can get the results you want to see but will you save loads of time using it?

How will this change the SEO game?

Google Instant adds another layer to SEO. Fortunately most SEOs are in the field because they like the fast-paced, always-evolving demands of the job. Google Instant will definitely impact the keywords we select for optimization. SEOs will look for trending themes and try to rank for those keywords. For example, if I was working with a Minnesota Car Accident Lawyer or a Minneapolis Moving Company, I’d probably look for opportunities around trending Google Instant “Minnesota” searches. I’d capitalize on these searches by creating and optimizing content that ties-in to the Minnesota Vikings or Minnesota State Fair.

Google Instant will impact longtail keyword opportunities because Instant will finish the query before the searcher will be able to type in their longer, more specific query.

It’s too early to tell the consequences for SEO. Time will tell.

Deciding to overhaul your company’s website is no small decision. Beyond setting aside a moderate budget for the project, there are important decisions to be made: what should it look like? Who should you hire to handle the coding and design? What does it even need to do, that it doesn’t do now?

Given these tough questions, and the expense of a quality website, it’s no wonder so many business owners and marketing managers decide to put off upgrading their sites. Deciding to hesitate, however, is usually false economy: it ends up costing you more than you’d save, when you consider lost online sales, lowered impressions of your company, and so on. For most businesses, an outdated website is like having a salesman with a polyester suit and bell-bottom pants—it’s telling people that you aren’t with the times.

To keep you fashionably profitable, here are five tips for taking the website redesign plunge:

1. Ask questions. A critical part of the web design process happens before a single pixel is placed. Some of the things you’ll want to know before you begin your new site are what it’s going to look like, how long it’s going to take, what the costs will be, which features will be added, and so on. Don’t be afraid to ask about things you aren’t familiar with, either. A good web design partner can help steer you towards the features and platforms you need, rather than just the ones you’re most comfortable with.

2. Think of all the numbers involved. What you end up paying for your website isn’t nearly as important as what it ends up paying you back. Most business owners understand this point on a certain level, but find it’s easy to forget once they’re looking at different bids. Make sure to compare apples to apples and remember that six months from now, it’s what your site is earning that will matter most.

3. Consider design, functionality and marketing. Lots of clients never get past the first mockup picture; they become so mesmerized by the new look of their website that they get into a rush to put it online without much further thought. Most profits, however, come from what your site can do… not just what it looks like, so give as much time to the functions and programming as you do to the artistic vision.

4. Test out a new design using a landing page. Not sure about redesigning your entire site? Start with a baby step. A landing page is a good way to try out a new look, logo or message. Make sure there is a clear call-to-action and use analytics tools like CrazyEgg to conduct A-B testing. Check out the landing page we did for Donnay Homes.

5. Find a design partner you can trust. Redesigning a website is a longer and harder process than most people think; there are layouts, meetings, changes, more meetings, and a whole lot of tests and opinions. For that reason, it’s important you choose a design partner you trust to lead you through the process. Otherwise, you could find yourself several weeks – and several checks – into the process feeling more confused than when you began.

Think your website could use an overhaul? Contact ArcStone Technologies today to find out about our web design services and get a free website evaluation. It probably costs less than you think, and we’ll keep your site looking better than ever – both online and on the bottom line.

For the last few years, John Rowell has carried around a business card that reads “John Rowell, retired. No phone. No Fax. No email. No Worries” … No joke, he really printed a handful of those out.

In no way does this mean he’s been spending retirement fishing and playing the StarTribune’s daily Sudoku. Well – those are both pretty accurate – but much of John’s retired days are spent sawing, varnishing and wood-burning away at his lake home in Outing, MN. This has become the studio of Nature Enhanced, John’s creative outlet for all wood products. Handmade.

Just over 5 years ago, when I was writing my first lines of html, I told my Dad that someday I’d make him a website for Nature Enhanced. And just recently, I decided it was time to make up for the long wait. In the end, Nature Enhanced received an entire handcrafted package, including …

Full Re-Branding and Logo Design

It was time to replace the old clip-art logo with a fresh, logo that played off of the wood theme and the fact that all products are branded, literally, with “HANDCRAFTED BY JOHN E. ROWELL“.

Handcrafted Business Cards

The cards were printed on 13pt, Uncoated 2″ x 2″ cards, using UPrinting. They were designed to double as a product hang tag, and each was given a hole punch and a string. I decided that the cards also needed to embody the ‘Handcrafted’ theme of company. To accomplish this, I first gathered sticks during a late night stroll along Nicollet Island. The sticks were then broken into approximately 2″ pieces and laboriously super glued to the bottom of the cards. I prepared about 100 of these to get my Dad started, and gave him a hole-punch, string and super glue to finish the remaining 400 on days that Sudoku only takes him a few minutes.

Website Design, Development and Admin Area

The site was also designed closely around the wood and handcrafted themes – using wood background textures and brown tones. The navigation was kept simple: –
HOME – a very brief intro to the company.
PRODUCTS – sample products and descriptions, with a ‘lightbox’ javascript effect for viewing product photos.
OUTLETS – locations where Nature Enhanced products can be found, using embedded google maps
CONTACT – Office and studio info and a simple contact form.

I also set up a basic admin area that walks through accessing the new nature-enhanced.com email accounts, working with the online store, and cut-and-paste code to allow using the Nature Enhanced logo on Craigslist ads and other websites.

Product Photography

Using white foam board, masking tape and some flood lights, I created a makeshift photo lightbox to allow for isolated product photography.

E-Commerce Solution

I set up a Free account at Big Cartel to get John started with an online store. The free account allows for 5 products, 1 photo per product and basic stats. The Big Cartel admin area is very well designed and easy to work with – and, because they allow for custom CSS on all accounts, I was able to fully style the store to match the look of the Nature Enhanced website.

Hopefully all of this was worth the 5 year wait… In fact, I hope it’s so good that John has to fire up that phone, fax and email a bit more often.

One of the greatest things about the Internet is that it’s allowed people to share information and impressions with each other at an absolutely unprecedented rate. Review sites for different products, vendors, and services are popping up all over the Internet. If you run across something you’re interested in buying, but haven’t heard of before, or using a company you’ve never heard of, it usually only takes a few mouse clicks to figure out what others’ impressions have been, which is a great thing…

As long as it’s being done honestly and legitimately.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. There is a growing trend among some unscrupulous businesses to go online and post negative reviews about their competitors. Because these review sites carry a lot of weight with search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, it only takes one or two bad comments to put a major dent in your sales – online and off. Here are four things you can do to stop review sites from killing your online reputation:

Encourage reviews.
Of course, the best thing you can do is make sure every customer you have is happy with you, and telling the world about it. Just as bad reviews can kill your business, good ones can push it over the top and help you gather more customers than ever. In fact, a steady stream of strong reviews will usually drown out one or two instances of average or poor feedback, so do what you can to encourage happy customers to speak out.

Monitor the sites yourself.
You don’t want to find out you’ve gotten a bad review weeks or months after it has been posted. Take a bit of time every couple of weeks – marking your calendar if that’s what it takes to remember – and look through what customers are saying. It should only take you a minute, but the information you’ll get is invaluable. Use tools like Google Alerts to monitor your reputation. Create alerts for your business name, key personnel or products.

Dispute malicious or incorrect information.
If someone has posted information about your company that just isn’t true, then make sure to find it. Most review sites have set policies for challenging entries, and it’s usually easy to have one removed if it’s obviously been posted by a competitor or someone who hasn’t done business with you. Again, a keen eye is your best weapon.

Take feedback to heart.
There are going to be times, of course, when you get a poor review and it’s your fault. There isn’t much you can do in that situation except trying to remedy the situation with the customer (who might in turn remove or edit their review), or vowing to do better in the future. Over time, your reviews will likely show a positive or negative trend, depending on how hard you’re willing to work to improve your product or service.

Want to keep closer tabs on your online reputation? Ask us about ArcStone’s Reputation Management Services, which scans all major websites, and the web in general, for feedback and information provided about your company. It’s the ultimate tool for any company that wants to make a positive impression on their next customer.

We’re excited to be working with tap|QA – a highly experienced software QA and testing consultancy based here in the Twin Cities.  One of their fundamental business tenets is the importance of looking locally first, finding and training smart people to do QA right (QA stands for Quality Assurance, the sometimes under appreciated “red-headed step child” of software development).  Their tap|LAKSHORE software testing service competes very well against comparable offshore testing services.

We enjoyed working with two of the firm’s partners, Don Peterson and Tim Guilfoil and we’re happy to have had the chance to help them develop their new site.  Good luck tap|QA!