LeapGo Gets a New Website Design
Posted by admin in Announcements on March 9th, 2010
If you know us at all you know that we specialize in usable websites that convert visitors into leads or customers. We’ve done this for years and have been very successful at it. Being a professional web development company is more than just design. We make sure your website is developed with things like usability, closed loop marketing, and lead generation in mind. While our previous design was clean and focused on usability, it just didn’t “do it” for me. So, our new design ads a slight bit of flavor and color without taking away from the content and the easy navigation. What do you think?
Why Google Buzz is Better Than Twitter
Posted by admin in Social Marketing on February 15th, 2010
Ok first of all, if you’re not sure what Google Buzz is, check it out. To me, Google Buzz is really new. I’ve played with it a tad but can see the potential. That said this is in no way a comprehensive review of Google Buzz. More of a “this is what I’ve discovered so far”.
Let’s start by covering the two things I really hate about twitter:
- It’s nearly impossible to follow any conversation, including your own.
See, when you tweet it’s like writing a short note, taping it to a football, and punting it into a crown of followers. Some people will read it, and some may even respond. However, when responding they simply do the same thing….punt a note back at you with no reference as to what they’re responding to. This makes it tough to keep track of conversation and makes it basically impossible to follow anyone else’s conversation. You know when you try and rifle through your kids’ cell phone text messages, and try to follow some coversation with another kid that’s full of “k”, “ya i know”, “when?” and other unreadable nonsense? Ya it’s like that. I can tell you how many times I’ve seen a tweet like “@someuser hey that was totally awesome! Great stuff!”. So of course, I want to know what was totally awesome. I click on @someuser and see they’re page full of crud I don’t care about. Where’s the awesome stuff? After clicking on the 10th bit.ly link I simply give up. If only I could see what that tweeter was talking about I could find the awesome stuff and maybe add my comment too. Instead, i just wasted 15 minutes looking at random youtube and blog articles I care nothing about. - 140 characters. Really? Look, I’m not talking to the twitter founders or people that use twitter “correctly”. Usually you can answer “what are you doing right now” in 140 characters or less. The problem is, when all you do is post the answer to “what are you doing right now” I will infollow you so fast your face will melt. (what?) Who I’m talking to are all the folks that say “twitter is for business!”. No it isn’t. I can’t get a good message across in 140 characters….not without sounding spammy anyway. Oh, right, “don’t try to sell anything, just connect with people and help” they say. How can I answer any question properly in 140 characters or less? Sure it can be done, but sometimes you really have more to say.
Why Google Buzz is better:
The two complaints above are not an issue. You can write all you want, and you actually respond to a buzz and it keeps the conversation in an organized list, similar to responding to something in Facebook. Enough said.
3 Google Chrome plugins I can’t live without.
Posted by leapgo in Tricks & Helpful Hints on February 12th, 2010
I’ve been waiting for Google Chrome plugins for a long time. So long, in fact, that I’ve set Chrome on the back burner and stopped looking. Well I across a forum post today where someone was talking about Chrome plugins. Sure enough! The waiting is over! So, here’s a short list of the plugins I downloaded immediately. These are so important that they kept me from using Chrome as my main browser.
XMarks Bookmark Sync for Chrome – Easily sync your bookmarks across all your browsers & computers. Even access them from any computer on your own account page. The best bookmark sync I’ve ever used. (Previously knows as FoxMarks.)
SEO Quake Plugin – I never had an SEO plugin for firefox, mostly because they were too intrusive. I don’t want you taking over my Google results or flashing things about every site I visit. When I want to know, I’ll ask. Enter SEO the latest installment of the SEO Quake Plugin. A nice little banner that sits quietly below your toolbar. When clicked, it gives you a slew of SEO information related to the site your on. Oh, and yes, it will take over your Google results, but you can turn that off in the settings menu. Thats what makes the SEO Quake toolbar a great SEO plugin.
IE Tab – This plugin is a must for anyone who truly wants to use Chrome 100% of the time. InFirefox, I used a plugin called IE view. It was great. In one click you could load any page you were on in IE. IE Tab for Chrome, however, takes it one step further. It actually embeds an IE browser in a Chrome tab! Gadzooks, now that’s cool! Now when I want to go to a site that doesn’t support Chrome (um, Quickbooks Online!), I never have to open an IE window again. Ah, one more step away from the IE teet.
I hope you’ve found my 3 picks interesting and helpful. What’s your favorite Google Chrome Plugin?
Do your doors lead to your professional website or brick walls?
Posted by leapgo in Internet Marketing, Social Marketing on January 16th, 2010
Don’t you hate it when you open a door only to find a brick wall? Of course you don’t. That’s because builders make sure that every door leads somewhere.
Twitter, linkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, Ning, Youtube, the list could go on forever. All these sites use some sort of networking and allow you to set up some sort of a profile and link to your professional website. Some more detailed than others, but you get the idea. When is the last time you’ve updated your Facebook status? Maybe today? But what about that one site you found months, or even years ago? We’ve all found a site that looked somewhat interesting, set up a quick profile, and then came to realize we’re not going to use the site. If you made that decision, you need to either make sure your information is up to date, or remove the information alltogether.
See, recently while working with a client we were setting up a profile page for him. While waiting, we did some searches looking for information. We came upon a few sites that had his info, but with bad contact information and descriptions about a previous business he was involved in. These are no help, and in fact may even hurt. What if a potential client was looking to contact him and found a number that was disconnected? Would they keep searching? Maybe….Maybe not.
Everyone always talks about doorways, funnels, whatever you want to call it with a focus on creating as many as you can. But, if your doorways lead to brick walls how many will it take before your client leaves the building? Stay focused and keep on top of your social media and networking profiles.
Local Search SEO Tips & News
Posted by leapgo in Internet Marketing on January 12th, 2010
Measure Your Success With Tracking & Analytics
Every website should rely on some tool to measure site traffic. (No, a “hit counter” doesn’t count!) A great choice is Google Analytics, which tells you where your traffic is coming from, which keywords are actually effective, which pages on your site are most popular and which products are yielding the most profit.
We incorporate Google Analytics into all of our Internet Marketing services – first because it’s free – but also because it is truly a valuable tool for understanding how your website performs overall. This not only keeps the client in the loop, but it also provide accountability to make sure we’re doing our job.
If you’re not using Google Analytics, set up an account. It’s free and easy to implement.
We can also setup, install, and even train you on using it so you get the most our of your information. Just ask!
Online Search – The New Phone Book?
The days of people using their trusty phone book to locate a business are dieing fast. If you have a toothache, for example, chances are you won’t open the Yellow Pages to find a dentist. You’ll most likely search online, or perhaps you’ll peruse a local online directory. But the result remains the same – customers will search for your business online. Offline marketing efforts are falling by the wayside and being replaced with more effective online marketing strategies. This is why it’s essential that your offline marketing materials – business cards, brochures, TV ads, radio ads, etc. – include your Internet address. And for the mass of people who now search for businesses online, your website must include the relevant keywords people are using to search for your business category.
A Fast, Free & Easy Way to Get Local Exposure
In a recent blog post, Eight simple things to do beyond having a website, we talked about committing to local search engine optimization. With the previous paragraph in mind, you need to make sure that when people make that local search, you’re listed. Perhaps you’ve noticed local results working their way into searches even without putting in a city name. Google, Yahoo and Bing all have local versions of their search engines. You want to make sure you set up a profile with all of them as soon as you can and make sure it’s accurate.
A great, free way to set these up quickly is by visiting a web site called GetListed.org. This site makes it easy to set up your profile and submit to all three engines. You’ll be amazed at how your website traffic and phone call volume will increase just by submitting to the local versions of the search engines.
Local Search SEO
With all the info above in mind, now would be a great time to inquire about our specialized local search seo services. We can make sure you’re getting a most exposure to your local market. We’ll give you a free initial consult, competitive analysis and proposal, all without any obligation.
Eight simple things to do beyond your professional website design
Posted by leapgo in Tips, Tricks & Helpful Hints on December 12th, 2009
The information in this article will help you formulate a solid plan that you can repeat each month. The honest truth is that you have to set a plan and stick to it. Perseverance is the key to success, not just a professional website design. Acquiring the right knowledge and skills along the way helps you to reach success much sooner.
You’ve added new content to your website in the last 30 days, right?
If not, then like many other sites, yours has gone stale and may websites have lost credibility because there is old information on your website. Frequently updating your website and adding fresh, compelling content is the best way to attract and keep traffic coming to your website. If your visitors are finding nothing new when they come back then the likelihood of them coming back drops dramatically. Combine that with the fact that it takes the typical visitor to hit your site 3-5 times before considering a purchase and you’ll see why it’s so important. Show people that you’re involved with your website and using it as a communication tool and not just an online brochure and they will keep coming back. If you can’t update your site, find out how toupdate your existing website easily.
Are you turning visitors into leads?
What’s the difference between your website and your brochure? Hopefully you’ve got a ton of answers here. Your website needs to be interactive. This could be something as simple as adding coupons or contests on your website but should always include a focus on lead capture. You should always include a short, simple form on your pages. Even if you run an e-commerce website there are many people that just want to ask a question before they buy.
Thank your existing customers.
You’ve seen all those special offers for new customers only, right? But what about those faithful customers who’ve been with you all along? An easy way to generate new business is to get your existing clients to drum it up for you. Say could least one existing client every month. It can be a simple card or a special gift, anything that gets the point across. Take time to make sure it’s personalized. A special touch is to even send them a hand written card and without trying to up sell anything. They’ll know that you sent it just to say thank you and they will be more likely to open emails and other correspondence from you in the future. You’ll be surprised at how much it does for you and how hard happy customers work for you.
Hand out 10 business cards every month.
This is about as old fashioned as it gets. With all the focus on technology and social Media Marketing on sites like twitter and Facebook face to face interaction almost gets lost in the shuffle. As someone asked you for a business card recently only to find you patting your pockets? Make sure you’ve got your business cards on you and make a point of handing them out whenever you can. Just make sure handing them the business card is not the only thing you do. Introduce yourself and shake their hand. Let them know you’re in business and passionate about what you do.
Start (or keep) blogging.
A good way to gain readership and authority is post a blog article displaying your expertise. By posting regularly you’ll be increasing your exposure and positioning your business as the industry expert. Keep in mind Blogging should be informational and helpful not about selling your latest product or service.
Commit to local search engine optimization.
Making sure your website is visible in the search engines is crucial but if you’re a locally focused business you’ve got to make sure you’re listed in the local search engines. Google, yahoo and being all have local versions of their search engines. You want to make sure you set up a profile with all of them as soon as you can and make sure it’s accurate. The great way to set these up and maintain them quickly and effectively is by visiting a web site called GetListed.org. This site makes it easy to set up your profile and submit to all three including an additional search engine called best of the web. You’ll be amazed at how your website traffic and phone call volume will increase just by submitting to the local versions of the search engines.
Get other websites to link to yours.
I know what you’re thinking…send out a thousand emails and ask for a link exchange. YUCK! It’s true most people think this is the best way to get links to your website. However, it isn’t. The best way to get links to your website is by creating good content. I know, I’m also tired of hearing “good content”. What does that actually mean? I really like a term I heard recently. Try thinking up an “ultimate resource page”. Give people everything they would ever want to know about a particular subject all on one page. It’s OK to link to other web sites that have already created good information. The idea is to bring all of that information together on one page, yours.
Put one system in place or improve an existing one.
Did you forget to call someone back? Are you creating the same form in Microsoft Word from scratch every time? Systems make business life easier. The more day to day tasks you can automate the better. Implement a CRM like salesforce.com or get everyone in your team on the same page with a project management software like basecamp from 37 signals. There is software, templates and other stuff out there that help you become more productive and prevent things from slipping through the cracks. Take some time to recognize a recurring problem in your business, then look for a solution.
These are eight simple things that you can do every month. Got something to add to the list? Please leave a comment!
5 Questions to Ask a Professional Website Development Company
When shopping around for a professional website development company you’ll come across lots of web design portfolios, some good some bad, but that’s just a starting point. There are some critical things that can really make or break your website design project. Just because a company has a beautiful portfolio doesn’t mean you should start signing contracts and writing checks. Here are a five questions you should ask any web designer, small or large before you give the green light:
1. What is your design philosophy for my project?
When a web design company considers your project they should have a preliminary plan, outline, and a good idea of your target market. If you’re looking for a website that’s going to expand your brand awareness and help sell your office furniture, you probably don’t want to hear “Well first we’re going to start with a sweet animated laser light show…”. Your prospective web design agency’s design philosophy has to match your overall goal. Ask what colors they plan to use, how they will present your content, and where the menu will be. You don’t necessarily need a mockup to decide whether you and the designer are on the same page.
2.Can you describe your ideal client?
This is important. If you’re the type of person who knows exactly what you want and the designer tells you they prefer artistic freedom, there’s trouble ahead. Our ideal client is someone who has a general idea of what they want, is open to suggestions & feedback, and can make solid decisions after being presented with viable options and information.
3.Can you give me some examples of similar sites you’ve done?
Most web developers are going to go on and on about how they can easily handle your project and have experience to back it up. However, ask this question and see what kind of sites you get back. If you’re a car dealership looking for an auto dealership website design and you get examples of flower shop sites, beware.
4.Can you give me some references?
This is a funny one. I say this because it’s actually a question we get quite often, but when we provide the clients not many people actually contact them! Just because a web design company provides you clients doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone on that list is happy. You’d be surprised by how much you can learn from previous clients. It’s not always “dirt” you’re looking for. Sometimes it’s just helpful to know something like “Make sure you have your text written ahead of time or it might stall the project”.
5.Where will you develop this site?
Usually we develop websites on our own “staging” servers until launch time. However some developers will start asking you for FTP information or who your web host is. If you don’t know or aren’t ready this can stall the project.
Bonus! – What do you expect from me?
You wouldn’t believe how easy it is for web design agencies to forget that you don’t know everything about the web development process. We do this all the time and things can become routine. I hear collegues and fellow web agency owners complain all the time about how “the client didn’t even have their content written yet” or “they don’t even have a domain name yet”. My response is usually “did you tell them they were supposed to have that ready?”. To some, having a website created means making a design and integrating their professionally written text and in-house product photos. To others it means registering the domain name, setting up a hosting account, bringing in a writer, and designing their logo. Both you and the web design company need to be on the same page when it comes to who is responsible for what or there can be a complete project melt down. And, if you’re not sure get it in writing!.
We hope that this will help you make an educated decision on what web development company you choose. And, if for whatever reason it isn’t us, as long as you do your homework and ask the right questions you’re sure to find a good company. There are plenty of good website design firms out there, the trick is weeding through all the crap to find them!
Pitching a plan they can’t afford
Posted by leapgo in Internet Marketing, Tips on November 25th, 2009
“Hi, you probably don’t remember me. We talked about 2 years ago about our website”. Actually, yes, I did remember him. And it was 3 years ago, not 2.
Have you ever had one of those meetings with a client where everything goes right? The ideas are flowing, the visions are focused and the personalities are clicking. Then you hit a brick wall spray painted with the word “Budget”. What do you do here? Everyone is on the same page. Everyone in the room agrees that this is the solution they’re looking for, but they just can’t afford it right now. You can do one of 3 things:
- Compromise. – This is what most people do in this instance, and it usually nets them a client. But wait, you just spent hours researching and presenting this perfect solution. Now you’re telling the client that they can do with less. Depending on the level of compromise you’re playing with fire here. If thought out carefully it can work, but it could very well end up that when you’re done there are a few important pieces to the puzzle missing. All it takes is for a website and/or marketing plan to be lacking in one area and the entire thing breaks down. That makes an unhappy customer who will blame you for not having their best interests in mind.
- Stand your ground, shake hands and part ways. – Nobody will blame you for this, and as hard as it is this is better than the first option. You have standards and you’re not willing to compromise and that’s ok. Who knows, maybe the client will think of you down the road, if they’re still in business.
- Know it was coming in the first place. – If one of the first questions out of your mouth isn’t “what kind of time and financial investment can you make in this project” then you’re probably running into this problem a lot.
See, it’s ok to make a plan that you know your customer can’t afford, as long as it’s accompanied by a road map. Tell your client about your perfect plan, then tell them how they can get there. As a web entrepreneur myself, I know that passion, determination and a willingness to learn matched with a few points in the right direction can take a website a long way. In fact, it will go so far that eventually they will need to make a decision – work on the web presence or work on their business. It’s at this point where they can afford to hand over the website and/or marketing plan to a professional firm that can take it to the next level, while they nurture the business to handle the increase. Now you’ve got yourself a client who’s educated, well versed, open to new ideas and understands the importance of an effective web presence. Now that’s a client we all want!
That brings me back to where I started this post. 3 years ago we met with a client, who I knew could not afford our services at that time. But we did the research, built the plan, and gave him a road map. Now his business is hopping. His website is pretty decent and he has some fairly good exposure. Another thing he’s got is a bigger budget. Now, after a few revisions to the original plan we’ve signed ourselves a new client. One whom I’m sure is going to take advantage of all the opportunities we can create and truly appreciate our services. We’ve got a client for life, and it only took 3 years to create.
$8.99 Domain Names in October!
Posted by leapgo in Announcements on October 1st, 2009
$8.99 .com’s at Go.LeapGo.com!
All month long!
LeapGo is offering a huge 65% discount all month long on .com domain names. Here are the details:
- This Promo is applicable to the first year of Registration only. A 2 year .COM Registration will be billed as $8.99 for the first year + 11.99 for additional years.
- Renewals and Transfer-Ins will get the reduced $11.99 pricing.
- There are no restrictions on the number of Domains that can be Registered during this period
- The Promo Ends on the 30th of October, 2009
So go ahead and register your domain name today.
If you haven’t stopped by Go.LeapGo.com lately, you haven’t seen that we also offer a new unlimited hosting plan, great discounts on SSL certificates, and event a do-it-yourself site-builder plan starting at $4.99 per month.
Can’t send email? Port 25 Block?
Posted by leapgo in Tricks & Helpful Hints on September 29th, 2009
This blog post in is response to a few recent calls our web hosting support team has taken. It usually goes something like this – “Yesterday I could send email but now I can’t.”
After some quick investigating (try logging into your webmail account and sending from there) we realized it was a port 25 block. Now, one of our support technicians will give you a technical explanation if you ask but I like one of our customer’s explanations better – “Sounds like <insert your internet provider’s name here> is just trying to make it a pain in the butt to use anything other than their services!” Well, not really. You can thank spammers for exploiting port 25.
How do you get around a port 25 block?
Well, if your hosting with us it’s real simple. Just open up your account settings in your email program and change the SMTP port from 25 to 25. Voila! Another way to get around a port 25 block is to simply use your internet provider’s SMTP account for sending mail. You can keep the pop3 server the same and still send mail from your @yourdomain.com account. Just make sure when you change your SMTP server to your internet provider you select “my outgoing server requires authentication”. Then enter your email and password you got from your internet provider.
What if I don’t host with LeapGo?
Well it still may be simple. Try changing the port to 26 and see if you get lucky. If not, try these to get around a port 25 block -
- If you’re on a server running Cpanel and changing to port 26 didn’t work, ask your host to turn on the service exim-26. This just allows your email server to run on port 26.
- If you’re not sure what your web hosting provider is running, simply submit a support ticket letting them know you are the poor helpless victim of a port 25 block. They’ll know what you’re talking about and should be able to advise a specific work around for the post 25 block.
Did changing to your internet providers SMTP server work? Read this.
That’s great! Except when you’re using a laptop. See, as soon as you leave your home or office and connect to the internet from a different location (with a different internet provider) you won’t be able to send email. This is because most internet providers block access to their SMTP servers from any other provider.
What is the most reliable way to send email if I’m off location or experiencing intermittent issues?
Simply take your internet provider out of the equation and log into your webmail account. Most web hosts have an address you can visit to log into your email accout from the internet, similar to a Yahoo or Gmail account. Anyone hosted with us can simply visit www.yourdomain.com/webmail and you can login with your email address and password.
My password has been saved forever, I have no idea what it is. What should I do?
I knew you were going to say that 
Just submit a ticket and call your web hosting provider and they can reset or tell you your password.
I hope this article helps you in finding a workaround for a port 25 block!
