Category: Creative Programs and Systems - page 24

What does SEO stand for? I have heard hundreds of people ramble on about how important SEO is and here I stand clueless about why this acronym is so special. That is why I took it upon myself to figure what the madness was all about. Wikipedia defines SEO, search engine optimization, as the process of improving the visibility of a website or web page in search engines. I know what you are thinking and that is what I thought to. I just spent all this money on designing a website. Of course search engines will spot out my site. It is unique, functional and new to the internet right? No, that is not what is going to get your site viewed. I have found that in order to get traffic to any site they need to invest in SEO. Search engine placement is the key in getting people to visit any site. It is like the newspaper, if your article is going to get read your headline must be on the front page.

Search engine placement is an internet marketing mystery. It matters that your website is functional and well designed only after you have the traffic visiting it. In order to get traffic to your website you need to be ranked well within search engines. Take this for example: search Toy Stores in Sockville, Michigan where there is one right down the street. It doesn’t come up on the first page of the search. After scrolling through three pages you finally find them. How many people when searching something on the web look past the first page of search results? If you didn’t know there was a toy store just down the street it would have never found because you wouldn’t have continued looking past the first page. The first page lists five toy stores in the area. Those toy stores have obviously done SEO and when their websites is found it is functional and easy to order from. They will get your order. SEO helps guide the customer to your website.

SEO is to the internet what the yellow pages are to the phone book. Five years ago when you needed a furnace repair man you looked in the yellow pages under furnace repair. You would call the first few that were listed or the one with the biggest graphics and they would get your business. The same is true today on the internet. You search out furnace repair for your area. After viewing the first page of listings it gives you five furnace repair shops in your area. You visit their websites and are attracted to the attention to detail in one site. You choose to call them over the others because of it. You haven’t even searched the next two pages all with reliable furnace repair shops but because they didn’t immediately come up catching your eye they will not get your business.

The above example is exactly why SEO is the buzz right now. For years we have heard how important it is to have a website that is easy to use and delightful to look at. Now that isn’t all that is needed. You have to get people to your site and search engine placement is going to get the traffic you are looking for. Make sure when you have your company’s website designed that you speak with them regarding SEO. It is the only way you will maximize the traffic to your site. Let’s be honest that is the reason you have spent all that money on the functional and well designed website in the first place.

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What do you do when your computer stops running and you need computer help? It is the equivalent of taking your car to the repair shop. When you aren’t educated on the issue needing repair you basically trust your belongings to a total stranger. They could tell you anything, for any price and you would have to decide to trust this person’s judgment or not. How do you begin to find reliable, trustworthy computer help in your area? Waiting until you absolutely need the help is the worst idea. It is better to arm yourself with this knowledge early because by the time you need it’s too late. You need your computer fixed tomorrow because you have a huge presentation due at work. It is saved on your laptop and it is too late to figure out who can help you. You need to be prepared with that information ahead of time.

My first bit of advice is to research and locate a computer store before you need computer help. It is easier to take your time when you don’t actually need the computer fixed. In a last minute bind you often settle for someone who is below par because you just don’t have another choice. I know you don’t think computer problems will ever happen to you because you have anti-virus protection, you use surge protectors and you update programs but trust me when I say if you have a computer at some point you will need computer help. Technology is not fool proof and it goes with out saying that at some point it will fail and you will be in a bind searching for a reputable repair shop.

Start by asking around who your friends use for their computer repairs. Word of mouth is how most companies stay in business. If a friend or acquaintance is willing to refer you to someone they use then chances are that they have had good service from the computer repair shop and so will you. You can look into organizations such as the better business bureau and the chamber of commerce. Places like these deal with local business and would be able to tell you if there are complaints against the computer repair shop you are looking to go to for computer help.

When you do start researching different computer stores look into their policies. You will want to get a feel for there rates for labor, diagnostics, methods of payments and turn around time. It is also beneficial to find out what type of repairs the computer shop specializes in and what type of certifications the staff holds. You will want to find a shop where the technicians have certifications and continued education that supports their computer knowledge.

Find a computer shop that gives you options on your repairs. Find out if they offer only new parts or are there options to repair with slightly used parts? Make sure when dealing with the computer shops staff you feel comfortable to ask questions. Make sure you understand the answers to your questions. The staff should be patient in explaining the nature of your computer problems. They should also be willing to show you the issues with your computer. Hopefully this article will help you seek out computer help that you feel comfortable with and that best fits with your needs.

Website buyers often question if they really need the extra expense of search engine placement. Simply put the answer is yes. In order to get your website viewed ahead of the competition you really need to keep your company marketed in everyway possible. Search engine placement is so important to any company’s online business marketing. This article will explain that in order to maximize your website and online marketing you should be using search engine placement.

Rankings are everything when it comes to getting your website viewed. Recent studies have showed that upwards of ninety percent of all website traffic comes through a search engine. Every time a product or service is needed and you don’t know where to turn what do you do? I know personally I go to the internet and Google it. Websites are so important but getting the people to your website is even more important.

The great thing about search engine placement is that clients are already interested in the product or service you are advertising. You wouldn’t go out searching washing machine repairs if I didn’t them. You want to make sure your repair shop is the first one I lay eyes on if I am searching for one. As a consumer in need of something I am most likely going to call on the first website that land in my search. If your site is not placed within the first ten you should basically consider yourself invisible on the web.

Search engine placement is an easy issue to understand. Resolving it is another thing. Hire a professional will ensure you are hitting the target and your site is getting the traffic it should be. When you hire a website developer they should take search engine placement into consideration as it is as important as the websites design. Getting people to view the site is so important trust the website developer to make it pretty and user friendly while also using search engine placement to get the website viewed.

People nowadays are going straight to the web for any and all information they need. Word of mouth will give you growth in business but it will not sustain your business for the long haul. Consumers need to be able to search for your services and your company by plugging in one or two word phrases online. Ranking with in the top ten sites for your industry will help you maximize travel to your site. The extra expenses will pay for themselves each month by the increase in traffic generated by the extra traffic you will experience. Your businesses growth depends on your search engine rankings. Take this into account as much if not more than the actual design of your website.

Providing online services is popular these days, and when you’re looking for a website design company, there are literally thousands of choices in front of you. Everybody from Joey the high-school student to Susan the former postal worker is trying to make extra money, and because performing basic web design services requires nothing more than a can-do attitude and a bit of trial and error, many of today’s website design service providers are individuals, oftentimes disguised as bigger than they really are.

Especially in Michigan, where the economy is in a poor state, website design services abound. However, when you’re looking for a Michigan-based website design company, and one that is established at that, how do you go about finding one of these local website designers?

Verify that they are a Michigan-based company

Many business owners and individuals use classified ads, and classified ad websites, such as Craigslist.org, to locate the services they need. However, many of the advertisements for website design services, whether they targeting Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Detroit, are out-of-state website designers. While quite a few of them are near-Michigan companies, almost as many are for states on the other side of the country. When you visit the website designer’s website, check out their contact information to verify whether they are a Michigan-based company or not.

Do they have an active website?

Hiring a website designer without a website is a lot like hiring a photographer without any pictures — it doesn’t make sense. It’s ironic, actually, that a fair number of self-professed web designers don’t currently have an active website online. The story is usually the same — they’re working on it. However, if you’re looking for a reliable website design company, don’t choose one that does not have a website of their own.

Do they have a physical office?

Running a service-based business online, like website design, is nothing like running a brick and mortar company. Offices, especially if there are employees involved, require hundreds or thousands of dollars per month to maintain whereas anybody with $15 and a credit card, or bank card, can setup a website online. While some website design firms operate out of the owner’s home, and plenty of legitimate businesses operate this way, if a design company has a verifiable brick and mortar office location, there’s a good chance that they are dedicated, professional, and should at least be a serious candidate for your web design company of choice.

Michigan has a lot of website designers to choose from, if for no other reason than there are a lot of people in the state looking to make extra money. However, this short list of qualifiers should help you to narrow your choices down when you’re looking for a Michigan website design company.

CPS is a website design company offering search engine positioning services to Pinckney, Howell, Brighton, South Lyon and all of Livingston County, Michigan.

Most of us use our computers several times a week, and many of us use our computers on a daily basis. Because our PCs boot up, our programs run when we double-click on icons, and we can browse the internet unfettered, far too many of us mistakenly assume that our computers have a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, however, for some people — maybe you — there are silent killers working their black voodoo magic the background; viruses and spyware slowly siphoning your personal information away to strangers, and maybe even destroying your files, and killing off your computer’s internal protection measures so that they can operate freely within the confines of your computer system’s walls. The question is — are you an unwitting participant in this based-on-a-true-story, made-for-PCs horror movie?

Spyware – the identity thief

Spyware can rob you of your privacy, and it can lead to the complete takeover of your identity by unscrupulous third parties. Sometimes spyware is relatively benign, aside from the privacy intrusion implications, and does little more than track your internet usage or monitors the software that you use on your computer. Other spyware, however, keeps track of passwords that you enter into login forms, grabs your credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security number, as well as other sensitive information, and sends it to an unknown party who either uses it themselves or sells it to others for them to use as they wish.

Spyware is unfortunately very easy to ‘catch’, kind of like the common cold or food poisoning, depending on how you look at it. While spyware is generally embedded in software that you download and install — like a game, a toolbar, a PC security application, or even a coupon printer — your computer can also become infected through simply visiting a malicious web page that exploits a hole in your computer’s security.

Viruses – the PC killer

Viruses, while they can have spyware-like implications, are infections that can spread throughout your PC much like a virus spreads throughout your body and can result in sickness. However, much like viruses that infect us, computer viruses can be asymptomatic, and you might not be able to tell that your PC is infected until it’s too late. Viruses can be unfortunately devastating — they can disable certain functions on your computer, like being able to run certain anti-virus software, they can disable your internet altogether or prevent you from visiting specific websites, and they can even render your computer completely unusable.

While most computer viruses are not ‘invisible’, so to speak, they can remain hidden for quite some time if they do not affect your daily computer-usage routines. If a computer virus is left to run as it pleases, eventually you will suffer some kind of data loss, and maybe even lose the ability to boot up your computer anymore.

How to verify that your computer is free of viruses and spyware

The best way to confirm that your computer is spyware and virus free is to have a professional computer repair technician scan your PC for viruses and spyware. While there are plenty of virus and spyware removal tools available today for the amateur and pro DIY (do it yourself) computer repair technician, when in the hands of a computer novice, they can actually be quite dangerous because of the false sense of security that they can give. While you should absolutely install trusted anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer, sometimes it just isn’t enough to protect your PC from new infections.

If you do not want to be an unwitting participant in this all-too-real, made-for-PCs horror-movie scenario, you need to be aware of the inherit risks of using your computer, especially when you are continually connected to the internet. Don’t assume that your computer is clean just because it runs, or even because a free anti-virus or anti-spyware program says that your computer is clean. For your own security and privacy’s sake, have a professional scan your computer for viruses and spyware from time to time — it’s a precautionary measure that may very well save you from a world of hurt in the not-too-distant future.

CPS provides computer repair services and virus and spyware removal to Brighton, Howell, Whitmore Lake, Novi, and all of Livingston County, Michigan.

Search engine placement services, which many regard as a combination of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM), or just an offshoot of the general SEO category, can be an integral part of a website’s success, especially in today’s competitive online climate. However, what do search engine placement (SEP) services really offer, and how can they benefit your website or your online business?

Defining search engine placement

Search engine placement is, simply put, the act of manipulating certain elements of a website and its marketing to obtain a desired position in search engines for a pre-determined keyword or phrase. Or, to put it very simply — doing things with your website to help it rank better in search engines. While some feel that manipulation of any sort is black-hat SEO, or optimization that goes against search engines’ established guidelines for which marketing and optimization tactics are acceptable, the fact is that just about any tactic that you use to increase your website’s rankings can be seen as manipulation.

However, think about it like this: just as you can use your vehicle to run from the police, which is bad and improper, or drive to work, which is good and proper, you can use search engine placement services properly or improperly. Use them correctly, and they can increase your website’s visibility exponentially.

What search engine placement services offer

Search engine placement services help to give you a competitive edge in search engines, and they help you to place your website in front of people whom you feel will benefit from whatever it is that your website offers. While obtaining high search engine rankings is a self-serving endeavor, without a doubt, positioning your website on the first page in search engines is actually beneficial for your target audience provided you offer something of value to them. In reality, this is a win-win situation for both you and your target audience — you get a potential customer, client, lead, or partner, and the search engine visitor has a way to get their needs met.

Getting the most value out of your website for SEP

These days, preparing your website should start before your website designer completes your website’s layout. As SEO is a vital part of your website’s search engine positioning, and SEO nowadays is so much more than throwing a keyword-stuffed title on each web page, it’s important that your website design starts out with your search engine positioning goals in mind. If you have an existing website, be sure that you take advantage of as many on-page aspects as you can:

* Create concise, descriptive, engaging, and keyword-focused page titles for each page on your website
* Use descriptive (keyword focused) page names where possible
* Be sure to use descriptive links (links with keyword-focused anchor text) when referencing your website’s internal pages, and maybe be a bit liberal when linking to important pages of your website
* Be sure that your website doesn’t contain broken links, and make sure that each page of your website can be easily found by using your website’s internal linking structure

Search engine placement services are an absolutely vital part of a website’s online visibility. While optimizing your website for search engines is a great idea, and building links to your website is the recommended course of action for every commercial website online today, these two acts as standalone services probably won’t cut it. Especially in competitive markets, it takes the concentrated effort of search engine placement services to increase your website’s rankings in search engines to take you from where you are today to get you to where you want to be tomorrow.

CPS provides search engine placement services and computer repair services to Novi, Howell, Fowlerville, South Lyon, and all of Livingston County, Michigan.

In the past, the role of the web designer was rather straightforward and simple — their job was to create a website for you that was visually appealing, and functioned in the way that you wanted it to. However, just as the internet has aged, or “added on years”, the years have added new requirements for the aesthetic designers of days past. Overlooking all of the visual changes of recent years — from the basic text websites of the 1990s to the flash-and-flaunt designs of the late 90s and early 2000s — there are new requirements that are demanded of today’s website designers. Today’s web designers not only must possess the ability to deliver a high-functioning website, they must have a solid understanding of SEO, or search engine optimization, so that their end-result designs — your website — is prepped and primed to compete in today’s competitive search engine marketplace.

Today’s website technologies are significantly more advanced than those that were available even just five years ago. Dynamic functionality is the norm, rather than a luxury reserved for those who can afford the oft-called ‘geeky play toys’ and the servers needed to run them, and online competition increases exponentially by the day for many competitive markets. When you hire a website designer today, your website’s search engine placement and positioning should not be an afterthought, rather, it should be planned beforehand and be integrated into the very core of your website’s design and structuring.

Now, this does not mean that a website design company needs to also provide SEO services, or search engine placement services, themselves to be considered a good website design company. Rather, what is important is that your website designer of choice understands the basics of search engine optimization and designs your website that allows for easy optimization of all of its important elements. What would be tragic, especially in this day in age, is to purchase professional website design services only to realize later that there is no easy way for you to create unique page titles for every page, or to use user and search engine friendly page names instead of the generic, and less-than-helpful for search engine rankings improvement query strings for dynamically-generated pages.

Just because you hire a website design company, this does not mean that their only job should be to create a visually-appealing and functional website. There is too much competition online these days to leave your website’s search engine optimization as an afterthought rather than an integral part of your website’s initial design and layout. Again, we are not saying that it is your website designer’s job to create keyword-focused page titles, or to come up with your website’s meta description tags, but it should be their job to create a website that can easily be modified to import these important search engine optimization elements.

While the role that website designers play has not changed a lot over the years, creating a search-engine-friendly design is one of the more important requirements for today’s website designers. Bottom line — if your website design company of choice doesn’t have the ability to create designs that are easy to optimize for search engines, there are a thousands of other designers — both freelance and corporate — who are more than willing to take on your website design project.

CPS is a website design company offering search engine positioning services to Pinckney, Howell, Brighton, South Lyon and all of Livingston County, Michigan.

Spyware is an all-too-real, but definitely unwanted, reality that faces PC owners today. There is computer software that comes pre-installed with spyware, websites that embed spyware into your computer without your knowledge, and unfortunately, even anti-spyware software that actually proliferates your computer’s infections due to malicious intent by savvy but morally bankrupt marketers. For as much as anti-spyware software is advertised online, and for as user-friendly as many tout it to be, removing computer spyware can be a risky endeavor for those who are not computer savvy. So, the question remains — is removing spyware on your own the best choice, or is it something that should be left to the professionals?

The reality is that in order to remove spyware and viruses from your computer, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to alter your computer’s sensitive records — most notably, registry entries. For those who do not know, your computer’s registry is like the ‘brains’ behind your computer, and if your registry becomes corrupted, or entries are accidentally removed, this can have devastatingly-negative effects on the functionality of your computer.

It’s the same when you want to remove viruses just as it is when you are trying to remove spyware from your computer — these malicious files are generally embedded into your computer so well that they require several tedious, and manual, steps in order for you to completely remove the spyware-laden or virus-infected files, and all their associations, from your PC. Oftentimes, this includes manually editing your computer’s registry, which, again, is not something that should be done by the average computer user.

If your computer is infected, it is highly recommended that you attempt to rid your computer of spyware as soon as you can, but also that you do it safely. Because of the huge variance of requirements to remove different types of malicious bugs from your computer, we also highly recommend that you take your computer to a professional who can remove the spyware, and any other infections, safely, without risking your computer, its functionality, or its data.

These days, website design services are a dime a dozen. Which, this can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. What it means for you, however, as a website owner, is that you have a lot more choices available to you when you’re looking to choose a company to create or re-create your online presence, and hopefully you’ll find one that can do more than just a basic website design.

In the past, getting your website listed, and ranked, in search engines was much more simple than it is today. In fact, each year that the internet ‘ages’, it is getting incrementally more difficult to get first-page placement for your chosen keywords. Now, even if your website designer does not understand all of the up-to-the-minute nuances of search engine marketing, if you want effective website design, your website designer should, at the very least, understand the basics of search engine optimization.

See, today, website design is not just about building a pretty or functional website — it’s also about preparing your website to compete in the increasingly competitive search engine marketplace. Any semi-skilled 12-year-old can design a web page, quite frankly, but website design is just the framework that will support your website on the internet superhighway. Website design without structural SEO is like owning a Dodge Viper that’s powered by an 8-horsepower Briggs & Stratton riding-lawnmower engine. While it may look pretty, it isn’t going to take you very far.

While a good website design company should also offer search engine positioning services, at the very least, your website designer of choice should have a solid grasp on what it takes to create a search-engine friendly website. Without these skills, you’re left with nothing but a Viper backed by a lawn-mower engine — it might be a conversation piece, but it won’t get you the results you’re looking for in the online race to the top of the search engine results pages.

CPS provides website design and search engine placement services to Brighton, Howell, Pinckeny, Novi and all of Livingston County.