creativity is imperative.

Spinning Your Web

An introduction to internet marketing.

• 21 Years Old• Born, raised, and will die in Halifax.• Sole Proprietor of the Brownell Networks Group

• Upwards of 20 regular clients, 4 casualemployees and still growing!

• Natural Flow Design• Exodios Web Hosting• Auraous Networking Solutions• Diatus Data Solutions

• Disassembled and successfully assembled first computerat the age of 10.

• 11 years of experience in with web programming.• 5 years of experience in branding, graphics design,

and marketing.• Halifax West High School• Saint Mary’s University• Université Sainte-Anne• Dalhousie University• Université Sainte-Anne• University dropout (for now…)

creativity is imperative.

Spinning Your Web

An introduction to internet marketing.

Terminology.Search Engine

A webpage that is used to locate information on the internet.

WebpageA single unit in a website. This is what you see when you look at something on the internet it is more than likely on a web page.

WebsiteA collection of webpages usually located within the same domain.

Webspace / HostingLeased disk space on the internet where the data is stored. In order to have something onto the internet it has to be on a web server.

Domainhttp://prefix.name.extensionhttp://www.ryanbrownell.com

BlogAn online editorial “column” written by anyone about anything. Usually are kept up to date by their author. Everyone can have their own blog for free and with little effort.

Using the Internet for Communication.

Standard Methods (Average End User)

EmailBrowsingInstant Messaging

Advanced Methods (Advanced End User)

Online CommunitiesBloggingFile SharingWebsite Publishing (Publisher End User)

Why The Internet?

The audience in North America consists of250 000 000 members (73.6% the total population).The total audience size around the world is 1 460 000 000 (21.9% of the total population).The “YouTube” effect.

Anyone can do it!Cheep!

And you can too!

http://www.internetworldstats.com/

Obtaining an Internet Presence.

Does not necessarily mean having a website!

General ParticipationSocial Networking SitesOnline CommunitiesEmail

BloggingGet a Website

Getting a Website.Blog only websites.

Free!Mostly LimitedRelatively Unimpressive

Do it yourself.Free/mostly inexpensive!Can be complicated.Impressive based on your own skill level and how much you spend on it.Isn’t for everyone.

Design Firm / SpecialistMost flexibleHigh expertise and high quality resultCan offer suggestions for contentCan guide you through the whole design processPerfect for the artistically/digitally inclined!Costs money, be sure to set a budget.

General Design Tips.

Consistency throughout pages.Each page template should look like it is part of the same website.Navigation consistent and in one location.Legible.Stick to one or two fonts excluding logos.Establish balance between graphics and text.Maximize screen space.

No cramped content.Minimize scrolling.No pop-ups from your navigation bar area!

Browsers are lazy! Make your website fully accessible to them.

Content.

Ask yourself what you want to communicate.What is the purpose of your website?What does your market want, what are they looking for, and what will bring them back?Look for ideas from other websites!

Pages in a Site.Standard Staples Include

A Home PageAn About PageA Contact Page

Standard Staples for AuthorsBook List

CurrentIn Progress

Book PagesLinksBlogReviewsHow to Buy

How do you Solve a Problem like a Home Page?

Avoid the “Chatty Clerk Effect.”Your welcome mat.Your building directory.Design Tips

Short and Sweet.Highlight *some* important stuff.Highlight *some* new stuff.Minimize scrolling.

Working with a Design Firm

Important QuestionsHow much is this going to cost?What are the terms of use for stock images?How much will updates cost?Do I retain ownership of the design?Do you folks do hosting?How collaborative in the design process is your firm?

The Process at Natural Flow Design.

http://www.naturalflowdesign.com/start

Now What? Getting out There.

Optimize your website for search engines.Network.Spread the word.Participate.Extra Domains.

Search Engine Optimization.

META TagsContent specific keywords, more focusing on broader terms as opposed to specific nouns such as book titles.Broad description of the content of the specific site or page.

robots.txtsitemap.xmlSearch Engine Site ToolsSearch Engine Submission

Be sure not to forget search engines other than that of Google (or your favourite one)!

Design firms can do this for you but it usually is a supplementary service.

Networking.

Establish mutual links.Get yourself on Wikipedia.

Spread the Word and Participate.

Participate in online communities and discussionsParticipate in online writer’s contests and other means of getting other sites to link to yours.Include your web address in your signature.

Extra Domains.

Creating additional web address to the same website will help increase site hits, especially if the domain name includes the keywords.

Keeping People on Your Site.

Don’t include advertisements. Pennies gained are not worth the distracted/lost viewers.Keep content interesting, unique and fresh.Keep the site user friendly.If you need to link to external sites make sure those links open in a new window.

Bringing People Back.

It is easy to bring new visitors bringing them back is the hard part.Movie Ownership Phenomena.Keep content fresh.Keep the design fresh.Keep things interesting with incentives contests.Establish some sort of regularly updated content.Keep current with new technologies.

Keeping Things Current.

Dynamic Content GeneratorNews Feed GeneratorManual Updates

Note the address of the pageBe specific and not vague about changes.Email is preferred but when difficulty occurs CALL.

Microcelebrity

A person who is well known because they fill a very specific niche. The fanatic group/discussion around a micro celebrity also includes the celebrity him/herself.Participation in your personal fan group is critical.Can be lost as quickly as it is gained.Can also be the first step to the next level of celebrity.

Upcoming Technologies.

Important for bringing visitors back to your website.Important for marketing in general.

Real Simple Syndication (RSS)A couple of years old.Can fit into any application that reads RSS.Updates automatically.Driving engine behind podcasts.

Portable Network Graphic (PNG)New graphics standard.Allows for transparent alpha channels on any color channel.Allows for some remarkable website design.

Quick Response Codes (QR Code)Two Dimensional Bar Codes.Can be read by camera equipped cell phone.A hyperlink in the real world (Hardlink).Popular in Japan.

Quick Note on Branding

Important for MarketingConsistency Across ALL Mediums

Book CoversWebsiteBusiness CardsLetterheadPromotional MaterialsPowerPoint Presentations