Archive for the ‘Site Management’ Category

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Recently I received a call from a former client, concerned that their website was down. We helped them set up their web host services with a nationally recognized company and provided them all the information they needed to manage their account before continuing on with our other services.

Then one day we got a call. They were frantic and concerned (and not without a heavy dose of blame on us) because the site had been down and nobody could figure out why. We were the last people they entrusted their site to so we were the obvious culprit contact.

Ultimately everything got worked out, but when it come time to renew their services with the web host provider the credit card on file had expired, as had their primary contact email addresses. The web host went no further in trying to contact the company (anyone hear of a phone?) before disconnecting the account.

Our former client was able to get web hosting restored and all was well with the world, with the exception singular exception that they continue to use the same web host provider.

Web hosting, like sex, is generally one of those things you don’t think about unless you don’t have it or until there is a problem. Web hosting is often considered as one of the web site’s “utilities,” similar to how you need to pay your electric bill in order to keep the lights on. But the simplicity of setting up an account with the electric company and having them send out the monthly meter-reader pales in comparison to setting up a web hosting account. The hosting package you choose will play a significant role in the overall performance of your site.

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Years ago dynamic websites posed significant problems for search engines. While the engines have come a long way since the early days of dynamic website development, there are still some key problems that arise. Google has gone public stating that you don’t need to fix your dynamic site problems, but in reality that’s poor advice for the website owner.

Google says this in their own self interests so they can use your problems to fix theirs. But when engaging in the battle of online visibility, you don’t want to sit around while Google figures out how to plug the holes with their indexing spiders. You need to be proactive and fix the issues so you can be competitive today, not tomorrow.

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I ran into a couple of unique situations a few months that really challenged me. Both had to do with unsatisfied customers demanding that we give them money back. Each situation was different and therefore handled differently with a different result. In one case, money was returned, in another it wasn’t.

Each situation caused me to look deeply at what was right and wrong, what was deserved and what wasn’t, and what were we contractually obligated to provide vs. what was smart business. The lessons I learned from both of these situations can provide valuable lessons to both SEOs and small business owners looking to hire an SEO for their website.

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Moving your site to a new domain is remarkably similar to moving to a new physical address. In some cases it’s much easier, you don’t have to pack up, or load or unload a U-Haul truck, but there are other considerations that you have to take into account to make sure your visitors continue to find you after an online move. One of the primary areas of concern is making sure the search engines not only continue to deliver traffic to your new location, but you don’t lose all your search engine rankings in the process.

No matter what, moving is always a pain. Every time I’ve moved in my life I’ve vowed never to do it again. But sometimes external forces prevail and we find ourself gearing up for another change of address. Whether that’s a physical move or a digital one, there are several steps you need to take to make sure everything goes smoothly.

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