Tag Archives: content management system

Five Reasons Why Website Updates Are Important

Posted on by
Reply

A website is a great tool. However, even once you have your site up and running, the job is not complete.  Unlike every other form of advertising, websites are never finished. Done right, a website is a work in progress, continually being updated and improved. The websites that work best, the ones that deliver the best results, are constantly being tweaked.

1. New Beats Old
Search engines rank websites with new content higher than websites with old content. Updates should be done on a regular basis, monthly or even weekly.

2. More Frequent Indexing
Search engines send out bots to index web pages. If the bot finds your site hasn’t been updated in a month, another bot may not be sent again for two months. If it still hasn’t been updated, it may wait three months. Regular updates mean your site gets indexed more often and the your site’s contents will be searchable.

3. They Will Come
Posting new content on your website gives customers a reason to return. This can enhance your relationship with them and they may be more likely to use your services more often.

4. Know What They Want
By reviewing your web stats, you’ll learn what information your users find most appealing and where they are coming from. This will help you determine a direction for new content that can draw even more visitors.

5. Ch-ch-ch-changes
Search engines are constantly changing the way they index sites. The factors one directory considers important today may change dramatically tomorrow and every directory is different. Getting the most from your website requires on-going supervision and maintenance.

Maintaining a small website doesn’t require a huge chunk of time, it can take as little as a few hours a month. Outsourcing this task can be a good choice for those who don’t have time to do it themselves. If you’re interested in having us maintain your website, please call 518.392.0846 or email suzanne@trevellyan.biz.

Client Feature: Rebecca McBride

Posted on by
Reply

Rebecca McBride found herself in an all-too-common situation. As a writer, editor, and researcher located in Old Chatham, her website was looking dated.

Rebecca came to us with two main goals – to update the look of her site, and to integrate a content management system (CMS) that would allow her to make her own changes. Rebecca’s husband created his website on WordPress and she was interested in going that route too.

WordPress is a free, web-based CMS. In its most basic application, users select a theme from the WordPress library and input their content to create a simple website. WordPress was originally conceived as blogging software, but customizable options now make it full-featured enough to power other types of website.

After reviewing the free themes that WordPress offers, we determined that none was exactly what she needed. We decided to create a custom WordPress theme that would give her the unique look she desired with the CMS capabilities that were required.

Rebecca’s website has seven pages – Home, About, Contact, Projects, Resume, Testimonials and Book, a blog page about her new book, Traveling Between the Lines. WordPress has the capability to allow readers to leave comments and ask questions, although the feature isn’t currently being used. Rebecca can change content, headings, style and order on her own. She can even create her own pages and links.

If you’re interested in having us create a custom WordPress themed website for your business, give us a call at 518.392.0846 or email suzanne@trevellyan.biz.

We Now Offer Custom WordPress Templates

Posted on by
Reply

There are two ways to build a website; either from scratch (custom), or using a template. Custom websites are the most flexible and impose the fewest limits on appearance and functionality. However, making changes to a custom website requires extensive knowledge of html, and should be handled by a professional. Templated websites have limited customization options, but have the advantage of being manageable and editable by anyone with solid computer skills.

Trevellyan.biz now offers an option that blends the two – custom templates for WordPress.

WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) based on templates. These templates can be created from scratch, so although there are some design limitations, they are less severe than those of many other systems.

If you are interested in having a website that you can maintain yourself, email suzanne@trevellyan.biz or give us a call at 518.392.0846

Client Feature: Rewraps

Posted on by
Reply

In the April 2009 issue of SHOUT! we featured PS21, Chatham’s exceptional new performance space that features music, dance, theatre and film. Since the 2006 opening, I’ve handled publicity for the venue.

One year prior to opening, PS21 founder Judy Grunberg launched Rewraps, a resale clothing store located at 32 Main Street in the village of Chatham. Rewraps was designed to generate additional income for PS21 while providing a place to view program information.

The store is doing well and has a devoted following. This fall Rewraps asked me to help expand its customer base and improve its exposure.

Our first goal was to develop a website for the store. We wanted to:
1. share relevant, timely information about products and sales
2. keep in touch with customers
3. provide directions, store hours, and contact information

The free blogging service WordPress fit our needs best. Using a blog gave us the online presence we needed at minimal cost (WordPress blogs are free) and it allowed staff to post updates regularly without having to learn html. I set up the site and filled in the first few posts, then handed the maintenance responsibility to the Rewraps staff. They can post photos, add content, and respond to comments.

Our second goal was to incorporate social networking into our marketing plan. We decided that a Facebook Page would suit us well. I set up the account, built the pages, and added initial content. This too is maintained by Rewraps staff.

Google Rewraps, or any other business for that matter, and you will find their website in the search results along with references on other sites such as Yelp, Manta, Merchant Circle, YellowBot, Celinea, and HotFrog. These sites purchase basic business information from third party providers and post it online. However, the information is often incomplete.  By registering for a free account with each these companies, I was able to expand on the information they provided. This is valuable for a number of reasons.
1. These sites often rank high on Google, so the business will get additional exposure.
2. Incoming links from other sites can improve your own site’s ranking.

The fourth and final phase of our 2010 campaign involved writing a press release and distributing it to local print media.

If your business needs a boost, give us a call. 518.392.0846 or email suzanne@trevellyan.biz.