Website Design & Development
There's more to an effective Web site than its design. Functionality is critical for success. What is the site's purpose? What information is important? How can a visitor use the site?
Biz-comm understands these are all important considerations. We approach Web design from a solid marketing position, designing with the client's best interests in mind. If a Web site doesn't communicate to its visitors, it has failed.
Biz-comm provides total back end editing capablities to our clients. Built on databases, our system is easy and fun to do. Want to add another photo to a portfolio? Use a form to upload. Want to change a meta tag for better search engine optimization? At your fingertips.
In addition, while many visitors to a Web site find it through traditional marketing efforts (signs, direct mail, etc.), the site must also be constructed properly in order to be found by search engines. Search engine optimization is in the control of the site owner. Want to add a new focus? Change the meta tags, headlines, content. Want to dedicate a page to a specific topic? Add a new page.
Evaluations
Already have a web site? Not sure why it's not working as well as expected? Or perhaps you're not pleased with its graphic appeal or content? Biz-comm will evaluate your current site, make recommendations for improvement. Fees apply.
On a budget?
Biz-comm understands start-up companies and organizations. Budgets are tight. With that in mind, we have a new division for start-up websites.
Check out Biz-websites.com. Grow slowly, but grow right. Plan for the future. Don't be misled by box software that leaves you without options when it is time to grow.
- Hosting
- Functionality
- SEO
- Content Management Systems
- Examples
Website Hosting, Server Specifications
Biz-comm hosts clients on dedicated servers. We only host our clients; we do not host clients not developed by Biz-comm. The advantages are many: a high level of security, only Biz-comm has server root access, low traffic, high speed and reliability.
When we develop a new site, we offer one free year of hosting. A second free year can be granted when a client refers a new client to Biz-comm for website development.
Biz-comm does not accept projects hosted on other servers. All servers are not created equal. In order to provide the full extent of our services, we require a server to have all the software installed that we use. The time it would take to get 'root' access changes from a non-Biz-comm server makes designing for another server unprofitable for Biz-comm. To help with the transition, Biz-comm gives the first year of hosting FREE to web clients.
Server Specifications
Our servers are located in Las Vegas, Nevada in a secure Class A data center managed by Collocation Solutions that features the typical Class A features.
Dual UPS
24x7 Environmentally controlled for temperature and humidity
Dedicated Back-up Generator
N+1 Redundancy
Card Key Security
Laser and motion based detection system
Pre-Action fire protection
AC power with redundant feeds
Water detection around all AC units
Seismically certified
18" Thick concrete walls
Network Details
The servers are connected with redundant Ethernet connections to ELI.NET.
Nationally Ranked Tier One Network
OC48 POS Backbone
Cisco DPT Technology
120+ Network Peers
In addition to Biz-comm staff monitoring the servers' uptime, two technical staff in different time zones, monitor uptime, virus alerts, security issues, and assist with special programming requests. Nightly back-ups to a second server protects against data loss should a server fail.
Make your website work for you
Web site development involves fast-changing technology. What was state-of-the-art three years ago, is old-hat today. While this fast pace is a challenge for web site developers, it is a bonus for companies seeking to add more information, usefulness and interest to their marketing materials.
Before beginning a Web site, Biz-comm asks a series of questions about our client's perceived use for a site, then explore what other benefits a site can bring to a marketing plan.
Items to consider include:
Online lead tracking systems: See where your leads come from.
Clients only management system: great for construction firms.
Self-administered update pages: save monthly maintenance charges by filling out a form to add a news item, customer testimonial, tip, all page content etc.
Calendars: keep your customers updated on upcoming events by self-administered events calendars.
Blogs: keep visitors returning by writing interesting or useful information.
Message boards: post items for feedback.
Mail lists: HTML email notices or text only messages to your customers, if not overdone, stimulates Web traffic.
Surveys: find out opinions on hot topics; post results or keep results private.
Client satisfaction surveys.
Shopping carts: use Biz-comm's secure server for credit card transactions.
Virtual tours: Whether it's a home for sale, a remodel to show off, or a yet-to-be-built design, animations and videos are an effective technique to get a marketing message across.
Seach engine optimization: We don't charge extra to prepare your site for good rankings. If you get an offer to get your site "on the top of Google" beware. It all comes down to which search words are "guaranteed." Most of these offers are bogus. Read more about SEO.
Domain registration: Don't lose your domain name accidently. We keep a master list and will let you know when it's due. Do NOT pay any bill that arrives in the mail from companies that you don't recognize. With our system, you own your domain, but we are listed as a contact to keep you safe from scams.
How are we different from other web site developers?
Biz-comm doesn't want to be in the business of maintaining clients' websites. We build easy-to-use update pages so our clients can add content as they with. A new testimonial in the mail? Just type it in, and instantly it is online. Add new vendor to your list? Type it in. A news item? Same drill. Want to add a new page? Easy to do and no extra cost.
Everyone knows someone whose brother's cousin does web sites. That's not who we are. We are a marketing company that includes effective web sites as part of the overall strategy for success.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization isn't voo-doo. It's simply making all the elements in your site to work together. Beware of any company that claims for $xxxx a month, you'll be on top of Google.
A helpful resource provided by Google.
Here are the main ingredients to a good ranking.
1) Find keywords. Pick a list of words relevant to your business. Which words do you think your target audience would use to search for you? Focus on those words. Then pick one word (or phrase) to use on one page of your site. A general word such as "remodeling" alone won't put you on the top list. Portal sites such as ServiceMagic are too large to compete with. However, "remodeling yourtown yourstate" will zero the search to a geographical area, and has a better chance of having a good result.
2) Keywords in Page Title. The Page Title is one of the most important things that Google and other search engines evaluate to determine what is on a web page. Put your keyword or phrase in the title, keep it short.
3) Keywords in Page URL. Google and other search engines also use the text of the URL of the page to determine the content of the web page. A page named kitchen-remodeling.htm is more valuable than kitrem.htm.
4) Keywords in Metadesciption. Write human-readable key phrases. The description should make sense and the keyword metadata should focus on your keyword or phrase. Google doesn't use keywords in metatags, but some other search engines do.
5) Keywords in your H1 text. The H1 text is the title of an article or some larger bold text at the top of your page. Google puts extra importance on the words in the H1 text.
6) Keywords in the page content. Putting the keyword in your page content also signals to search engines that the page is actually about the keyword BUT must make sense. "Packing" keywords won't help if a person can't read it.
Content Management Systems for websites
Biz-comm puts control of a website's content in the hands of its owners, including search engine optimization (SEO) updates and changes.
Born out of the frustration of so-called SEO experts talking our clients into paying thousands of dollars so sites could be "optimized," Biz-comm developed a database driven system that puts the power to make SEO changes easy.
Once a site is built, our clients can log into an administration backend, review which meta tags and descriptions are in the pages' code, and make changes. Clients can change titles, content, images—everything except the code, or design, of the site. This prevents anyone from accidently "breaking" the page, yet allows for full content change.
If, at some point, a client decides a new phrase should be considered for searching, he or she can make the appropriate changes and then watch Google Analytics to see its effect.
The changes are easy, and the forms to make the changes, only require a client to type in new information and press a button. The forms have various fields for each element, fully annotated to remind our clients what field does what to the page.
Partnerships
"Often times I have grown client sites beyond their original scope. Self-maintentance then becomes a bit of a nightmare, as simple edits can end up creating havoc on a page. And un-doing that havoc can eat up billable hours in a flash. Working with Patrice at Biz-comm has changed all that. From the initial set up stages, Patrice creates a distinct set of back end tools that enable complete page editing without breaking code or changing overall site functionality. Her controlled and consistent client editing system means that clients can quickly jump into their sites, add new pages, import images, create new links, and instantly see the results. Suddenly I feel as though I can offer my clients so much more; a well built website that can be seamlessly maintained for years to come. Biz-comm has made growing my business that much easier."
Leila Dillon, DillonCommunications.net
"The ability for NATE to host their store on my site and for me to be able to fulfill their products for the store has helped increase NATE's online business and also has increased mine.
"The ability for their certified technicians to purchase items online has simplified their process and allowed them to order frequently which has increased demand for the products that I supply, which means that they order logo merchandise from me more often which increases my sales and bottom line."
Karin Collis-Arnett KarinsCustomImages.com NATE
Examples
Featured Sites of the month:
Construction Industry
Shopping Carts & Retail Products
Portal
Newspaper & Publications
Associations
Miscellaneous