What does Google’s ‘Mobile-friendly’ tag mean for you?

by Mark Treager Marketing Mobile Marketing Our Blog

As a marketer- I lo(athe)ve Google. You see, marketers live and die by a site’s Google search rank… And so do you, you just might not realize it.

Back in November 2014, Google announced they would be launching a new method affecting mobile SERP (search engine results page) – the mobile-friendly tag; a great feature for anyone who has ever found themselves Googling an obscure topic to settle a dinner argument. April 21st marked a day which will live in digital infamy (at least for all us SEO nerds); Google now penalizes your site for not being mobile-friendly.

Google’s Webmaster page has lots of goodies for anyone who wants to attack the whole enchilada, but for those of you who are busy and want to make sure your site is compliant and move on with your life here is a list of three things you can to do make sure you aren’t falling victim to a Google rank penalty.

To preface these tips- this change does not currently affect the SERP for desktop searches, only searches done from mobile devices (i.e. smartphones-not tablets).

1- Google your website on your phone.
Check your site’s SERP location by doing a quick Google search on your own mobile device. If your site is mobile friendly you will see a mobile-friendly tag beneath the site title. If you do- you can stop there, but if you want to ensure your site is indexed by Google as mobile-friendly proceed to Step Two.

2- Check to make sure your site is indexed as mobile-friendly.
If you are slightly paranoid (like me) you should check out this mobile friendly test to verify your site is being indexed by Google as mobile-friendly. If it is- way to go! You’re done- for now. If your site fails this test don’t panic- we can fix it!

3- Choose a mobile-friendly template.
If your site doesn’t pass the mobile friendly test, it’s time to think about an upgrade… sooner rather than later- as in now. Upgrading your site might sound like a daunting task and it could be if you were all alone. Thankfully there are plenty of experts out there to help you make a fairly seamless transition to a new site without causing a whole lot of disruption all while improving your organic search rank.

Once you have upgraded your site to a mobile friendly template you will need to resubmit to Google so it can be crawled and indexed- which sounds absolutely disgusting but it’s actually a good thing.

So, why does this all matter? Why should you care? No one looks at your site anyway…

With the entire landscape of digital media, advertising and research turning to a vastly mobile-centric world it is paramount that all websites are completely responsive and mobile-friendly. This means ensuring that you are not using any software that is not compatible with mobile devices (we’re looking at you, Adobe Flash). End users need to be able to check your site and click on links easily- this means spacing out links, using a site template that will respond well to mobile devices (WordPress is great for these) and generating content that is easily consumed for those users accessing your site on the go.

Did your site fail the mobile-friendly test? Are you filled with questions, comments, concerns or really cute dog pictures? Drop me a line at Cornerstone Media Group and be prepared to be amazed! Laine@CSMediaGroup.com

Facebook Facelift

by Mark Treager Social Media

If you have a Facebook account, chances are you are a fan of something or someone. But, if you’re hesitant to join in the social media hoopla (don’t worry, I was too) here’s how fanpages work. When you set up a Facebook account for a company, you actually create a fanpage, where Facebookers from all over the world can become a fan of your company and suggest their friends become fans also. Any status updates from your company show up in the newsfeed of all your fans. You can use this to make fans aware of specials, introduce new products or use special Facebook fan only discount codes!

Many national companies have utilized fanpages, such as Macy’s, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola. However, not everyone has an attractive fanpage. What makes these companies stand out from everyone else? These companies, and several others, have integrated a section, such as the company homepage, About Us or Contact Us pages right into Facebook. You can check ours out here!

Not only can you have your homepage be a part of your Facebook fan page, but you can also have all of your fans and fans-to-be default to particular Facebook tabs. For example, many fans-to-be are directed to the homepage or About Us tab in the fanpage, while actual fans are directed to the fan comments tab or a tab introducing new products or specials.

So, how is it done? Facebook uses a special language, FBML (FaceBook Mark-up Language) to code the insertion of your website page. There is a special application in Facebook (FBML app) that translates the code of your website into FBML so your content can be viewed in Facebook. You can search Facebook for the application and follow directions or, if you are anything like me and this stuff is just way beyond your realm of geekiness, call us at Cornerstone and one of our gurus would be happy to help get you set up with an appointment for your very own Facebook Facelift! (no surgery required!)

Progressive Website Maintenance

by Mark Treager Our Blog

One Sunday evening I sat down after a long day of yard work and house cleaning. I contemplated the fact that yet another weekend had passed, and I spent it doing work. Weekends are supposed to be for resting and doing things to enrich your lives, not work. I do that every day of the week. That was the day I vowed to start a progressive cleaning schedule and take small segments of chores and perform them throughout the week.

I take 20 minutes and vacuum the floors one evening, and then I am free to relax. In the morning I may collect all of the trash in the house and take it out to the garbage. That night I tackle another chore.

Long story short, I have not only regained weekends to do what I want, I have a cleaner house and better-looking yard. The best part is it stays like that all week. No more last minute rushing to clean up before a guest stops by. Through teamwork my wife and I get a surprising amount done for a couple both working full time demanding jobs, and we have the weekends to spend time together not cleaning.

So what does this have to do with websites? After regaining control of our house and free time, it was then that I realized I could do the same with my productivity time at work. A website can be systematized like my house. If a website is broken up into tasks, you can take small chunks and progressively make changes. Instead of doing a complete overhaul, you make small changes on a consistent schedule. You may update the news one day, then update a small part of your SEO strategy the next.

Search Engine Optimization actually works best in a progressive maintenance cycle. Instead of shocking the search pool by making large changes all at once, you make small changes here and there and see how the search engines react. If an SEO strategy does not pan out, you have lost traction on just one page, not the entire site.

By beginning a a progressive website maintenance schedule, you will have a cleaner site that is much more dynamic and fresh. You will get into the habit of seeking out errors and inconsistencies as you break your site down into smaller chunks. Major design changes will be a much smoother transition when the time comes. You will drive your users to revisit your site more often to see ever-changing content. This will give you the opportunity to target more conversions, and in the end you will have a much more successful business.

Cornerstone Media Group, Inc has maintenance plans tailored to allow you to do just this. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you regain control of your productivity and put your website onto a progressive maintenance plan.

WordPress Is Not Just For Blogs

by Mark Treager Social Media

More people already use WordPress to power their blog than any other blog software and most do not know that WordPress is a powerful Content Management System (CMS) too. In reality, WordPress is an awesome tool for actually managing your website as well. When I tell people about this, they often ask me for some examples of non-blogging sites using WordPress, so I’m want to show some that really stands out.

I wanted to showcase a good selection of sites that I can point them to for several really great examples of just how flexible WordPress is. Some sites just look good. Some are examples of famous celebrities, companies, or organizations. WordPress can be used for serious projects that can go big scale, we are highlighting the most popular brands that are using WordPress. Here are a few of the sites that inspired us. There’s no particular order here.

Nikonfestival

A video contest website from Nikonfestival.Those are 140 seconds or less videos. Powered by WordPress

Icondock

Icon Dock is a project from N.Design Studio. Offer stock icons in vector and pixel format that you can quickly snap in your projects to speed up the development. Just see how the arrangement of content has been made using WordPress.

Typographica

Typographica is for review of typefaces and type books, with occasional commentary on fonts and typographic design. Another awesome example of WordPress as CMS.

Creativeawards

Creative Ad Awards is one of the best advertising archive, serving all the advertising fan and others who need it. You will feel comfortable here, because of WordPress customization.

Good

GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward.This website is an ongoing exploration of what GOOD is and what it can be.

Champagnewarehouse

Ugsmag

It’s an independent Hip Hop magazine featuring interviews and a daily news feed with underground rap videos, audio and free album downloads. An amazing use of WordPress as CMS. It makes us think that power is in the hands of developer. You just have to mold WordPress according to your needs.

Flickout

You can watch the best new HD movie trailers for upcoming releases and movies in theaters. Get movie reviews and more all in super High Definition.

Typechart

For preview and compare web typography while retrieving the CSS,Browse typographic files.

Thesalonhair

Kmxus

Website is for selling karts and their accessories.

Camachocigars

A brand website for cigars and where to buy those things with events and VIP club.

Nowplaying nokia

Website for Rihanna fans all over the USA are sitting with their Nokia’s at the ready to buy tickets for the US leg of her tour.

Healogix

Healogix is a global health care marketing research and consulting firm created to meet the needs of executives facing real development and marketing decisions.

Platinumgames

Platinum games is powered by wordpress.Developed in conjunction with cnp_studio.

Popculturetees

Featuring new designs from the hottest retailers and indie artists, tips ‘n tricks, and interviews from industry experts.

H-mag

H-mag is a high-end luxury magazine for the Hoboken market.They are having blogs ,events and news section too.

Inbound pass

IOKON Media is creative collective that specializes in Digital Media and Marketing.

College crunch

Probar

Andyroddick

Official Website of Andy Roddick, a very famous tennis star. It is also powered by WordPress.

Cornerstone Media Group

Did we mention that our corporate site is done in WordPress! Kind of cool isn’t it!

Our Po!nt: WordPress is no longer reserved for just social media. It has grow from a small free software application into the sort of power house brand that becomes generational. Use WordPress for your next website makeover.

Where Do Your Customers Land When They Jump?

by Mark Treager Marketing

To do search marketing right, it’s best to send potential customers who click on your search-engine-generated links to a “jump” or landing page. This page is the gateway to your site, and should promote further action from your prospective clicker, be it to make a purchase or leave a name and number. So, how do you get the most out of a jump page? What’s the secret to getting jumpers to click? Here are a few tips:

Catch the reader’s attention with a big, bold headline that’s relevant to his or her search. Test multiple jump pages at once to see which prove to be the most effective landing pages.
Use visuals. Print a bunch of text, and you’ve lost their attention. Remember: pictures that tell a great story really are worth 1,000 words.
Include testimonials. People like to buy based on other people’s recommendations.
Provide something for free in exchange for a name and email address, or a bonus gift with purchase.
Create a sense of urgency with an offer only valid for a short time, or only available to a limited number of new registrants.
Give users multiple options for how they pay, from credit cards to PayPal. Also, include a toll-free number for any questions.
Be sure to test your control page in an effort to improve conversions each time.

Our Po!nt: Jump to it! Use these tips to optimize your landing pages—to respond to and reward searchers who take the time to click.

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Tagged: web design

What does Google’s ‘Mobile-friendly’ tag mean for you?

Progressive Website Maintenance

Where Do Your Customers Land When They Jump?