MIp11_0210:MI 12 Jan 21/01/2010 15:26 Page 3
Technology | 11
Optmising the
internet
Andrew Areoff, MD of Areoff.com looks at how you can
make the most of your online presence
I
magine you have discovered a specifically, SEO makes the difference between The key areas that determine what the user
new restaurant. It seems a fine an abandoned website in a dark corner of the experience will be revolve around the website’s
establishment situated in a location web and one at the top of search engine rank- usability, functunality and credibility. These
with lots of other eateries. You look ings. And getting close to the top of those rank- components, along with many others, collec-
at the menu, find it tempting, enter ings is important because the first site that tively play a crucial role in your online market-
the premises and enjoy a memorable visitors see attracts the largest amount of visi- ing efforts. They all are equally important and
meal. tors and consequently more business. The most each of them taken separately can have a signif-
Next time you are in the area you go back, successful sites on the internet are the most vis- icant impact on the success or failure of your
check the menu, it’s exactly the same. That’s ible ones, and this is largely dictated by search online business.
fine – there are other dishes you want to try. engines. In order to leverage the possible Proper SEO methodology, along with the
However this time you notice that unlike other advantages of SEO for your website you need eye-catching website design and interesting
establishments where waiters use hand held to get a clear understanding of how to use key- content, will greatly improve your site rankings
credit card consuls for speedy service, you are words to attract targeted visitors. and deliver more targeted traffic.
delayed as the waiter queues with others to use The basis of any SEO technology is to search
the establishment’s only terminal. Annoying. for these relevant keywords that can drive a Content
When you next find yourself in peckish considerable amount of traffic to your site, get Of course there are other prcesses that must also
mode, and in that part of the world, you return it displayed in the search engine result pages be adhered to, principally regularly providing
to the establishment. The menu has not and found by the users who are looking for the fresh content. Your site must continually be
changed and you remember the wait and services you offer. updated if you expect your visitors to keep com-
decide to try somewhere else. Website users go Ensuring your organisation obtains high- ing back. The site must also have useful content,
through a very similar experience. Unless that quality links to your site and knowing to whom as well as tools that will help your target audi-
experience is comfortable, innovative and your site is linking is another crucial compo- ence. Make your site as easy to navigate as possi-
evolving they will move on elsewhere. nent of SEO technology. Having relevant web- ble and be sure that your links work the way that
sites with high rankings pointing back to yours they should. There is nothing that frustrates
Worthwhile experience can be extremely advantageous. On the con- people more than a “broken” link or webpage,
So what makes a good website and provides a trary, links from websites that are not appreci- and if your site is labeled as such, chances are
‘worthwhile’ experience for the visitor? All self- ated highly by the search engines will slim that many people will want to come back.
respecting finance businesses now utilise a contribute little and can even be detrimental to There are an almost infinite number of web
website to communicate with their visitors and your rankings. development companies but those who specialise
sell them products and services. But how many in your industry are fewer on the ground. Indeed
are truly effective? Unfortunately, not many. Effective there are many that will say they are specialists in
For while creating a company website is the While a few mortgage brokers have good web- whatever industry that happens to come their
best way to inform an extremely wide audience sites, plenty of firms desperately need to be more way but are they really knowledgeable and sensi-
about the services and products on offer, ensur- effective online as consumers and other business tive to the regulatory constraints of this industry
ing that you are reaching the largest number of are now using the internet as the primary means while being able to design effective, sales driven
potential clients is a different matter altogether. of buying products/services and finding out online experiences? Get the basics right by hav-
more about companies they want to deal with. ing a professional insurance or finance website
SEO advantage Ultimately the user experience is key as their with good SEO and the benefits of reaching out
The successful players know how to employ journey on your website makes the difference as to new customers as well as servicing and retain-
search engine optimisation or SEO. More to whether you are successful online or not. ing existing ones will be evident.
www.mortgageintroducer.com February 2010 Mortgage Introducer
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