Aspire Internet Design has been providing quality web sites and web marketing to hundreds of clients since July of 2002. So what makes us different from other web design and marketing firms? There are a few qualities we feel set us apart.

• We Are Partners with Our Clients

We truly view our relationships with each of our clients as partnerships and feel we have a vested interest in helping our clients’ businesses succeed. We understand how critical our clients’ online web presence and marketing efforts are to their bottom line and strive to provide ideas, solutions, and the highest quality of work to increase their sales and profits on an ongoing basis. We approach each project from a business perspective and realize there always needs to be a focus on our client’s return on investment.

• We Do What We Say We Will Do… When We Say We Will Do It

At Aspire ID, we understand time is of the essence for our clients. We are very committed to providing outstanding work and customer service in a timely manner. For instance, most web site design projects are completed within 7 days of receiving all materials from our clients. All of our normal web maintenance work is turned around within 24 hours. Phone calls and emails are responded to promptly. For larger projects, we provide a specific timeline and have a great track record of meeting all of our deadlines.

• We Are Constantly Studying the Online Environment

Best practices for web design, development, and marketing online are constantly changing. Standing still in this environment is not an option. We have a mindset at Aspire to strive for continual improvement. This isn’t to say we haphazardly apply the latest tricks, bells & whistles. We make sure new methods are tried and true. And, we are constantly looking forward and studying the environment for new ideas, better processes, systems, and tools for our clients.

• Please take a look at our work, our client reviews, or, contact us for a free phone or in-person consultation. •

A web design firm is responsible for presenting and, in some cases, creating your corporate identity online.  Your business web site speaks for you when you cannot.   Because the Internet is such an important part of your business, the best web designers need to approach web design with a focus on marketing principles and business concepts. 

For most small businesses, a website must have the following attributes:

• Every website should have a purpose.
• Every website should guide users to tangible goals.
• Goals should be based on clearly defined business objectives.
• Customers should experience your marketing.
• The message should be clear, concise and beautifully executed.
• Organizations should control their own content.
• Conversion is key and should be measurable.

We help define your goals, create effective strategies, build easy to use applications, and design award-winning websites that communicate your message effectively.

• Please take a look at our work, our client reviews, or, contact us for a free phone or in-person consultation. •

Here are 13 ways to ensure you have a search-engine-friendly site and improve your site’s search engine ranking…

1. Site Structure is Key

Sites need to emply CSS, no frames, minimal words within images, limited dynamic pages with keyword rich content, limited use of Flash animation.

2. No Splash Pages

This can cost you dearly as spash pages inhibit a crawler’s ability to index your site.

3. Include Keywords in URLs

Ex: a URL for a bakery site might read: bakery.com/fresh_breads.html.

4. Use a Linkable Footer in HTML Text on each Page

This is extremely helpful to search engines & humans who can navigate to another section without scrolling back to the top.

5. Have a Site Map & Site Index

Site maps should allow access to at least the third tier of internal pages.  Search engines use the site map as a path for their robots and allow them to identify dynamically generated pages as well as static ones.

6. Inbound Links Generate Extra Value

Links from related sites with high Google PageRank appear to generate extra value.  So do links from .edu, .gov, .org sites, blogs, press releases.  Links from link farms diminish PageRank.  A good practice is to discipline yourself to request ten new inbound links every quarter.

7. Title & Alt Tags Are Important

The title on each page should employ specific keyword phrases.  Each image should have keyword-rich alt tags applied to it.

8. Keyword Rich Content is Important

Use the same four primary keywords you selected for optimization in the first paragraph of text for that page.  That’s the only paragraph most search engines scan.

9. Size & Complexity of Your Site Affect PageRank

Information-intensive sites seem to do better.

10. Sites with Newer Content Tend to Have Higher Rankings

Keeping your site content fresh and updated is not only very important for search engine optimization, but, is also very important for your site’s visitors and overall credibility as well.

11. Use Search Terms in Subheads, Navigation, and Links

Use keywords as part of the link text.  Don’t use “click here” for links.

12. Use Meta Tags on Each Page

Search engines are using meta tags less and less.  However, they can provide an edge.  It’s important to add title, page description, and keyword meta tags to each web page.

13. Use Keywords in Headlines & Subheads.

Some search engines use cues from the HTML code to distinguish text that appears in headlines or subheads.

Keyword Tools:
Overture has a free keyword tool at http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion.  After you enter a likely search term, Overture returns the estimated frequency the term has been queried in the last month across all Yahoo! properities and suggests related terms.  Wordtracker offers a somewhat more sophisticated tool at http://www.wordtracker.com.

• Please take a look at our work, our client reviews, or, contact us for a free phone or in-person consultation. •

Choosing a web design firm is similar to choosing a doctor, laywer, or contractor.   As with these types of professionals, it’s wise to conduct thorough research prior to commiting your time, money, and business’ corporate identity and online presence to just any company.

There are several things you should look for when choosing a web design firm…

• What Have They Done for Other Clients?

Take a close look at a web design firm’s portfolio.  Doing so will give you a good sense for their capabilities, design skills, and project scope.  Is the purpose of each web site immediately clear?  Are the sites easy to navigate?  Do all of the links work properly?  Are there misspelled words and other errors?  Do the sites look custom made or do they have a cookie-cutter / template-driven look and feel?  Are the sites’ designs similar or vastly different?  A company’s portfolio is the best place to start when looking for a design firm and assessing whether they would be a good fit with your business.

• What Do Their Clients Say About Their Work?

A good web design firm will have multiple references and a list of clients who can provide testimonials about their involvment with the web design firm and their satisfaction levels with their work.  Contact the references and ask them if they were happy with the web design firm’s work.  Ask whether they stuck to the established budget and timeline.  And, whether they would recommend the firm.

• Contact the Web Design Firm

One of the best ways to determine whether a design firm is a good fit is to contact them and discuss your project’s needs.  It’s best to have a phone meeting or, better yet, a face-to-face meeting.  The web design consultant(s) should ask a lot of questions about your business, the goal(s) of the web site, the site’s audience (your current and potential customers), your business’ competitive environment, etc.  The consultant should also provide ideas, possible solutions, and be a problem solver with a strong focus on identifying measurable goals.

• A Thorough Proposal is Key

After meeting with the prospective web design firm, you should be provided with a detailed proposal which includes a suggested site map, detailed pricing information, and a comprehensive contract which should specify a timeline to complete the web project.

• Personality & Accountability Are Important

The business relationship you establish with a web design firm will most likely last for years to come.  Make sure you feel comfortable with the consultants and designers from the web design firms you are interviewing.  Also, make sure they are accountable.  Are they easy to contact and get a hold of?  Do they do what they say they will do, when they say they will do it?  The design firm will become an important business partner and needs to be one you can rely on year in and year out.

• Please take a look at our work, our client reviews, or, contact us for a free phone or in-person consultation. •