So you’re posting to Twitter, Facebook, etc. and providing regular updates to your status. You’re even using the platforms to generate web traffic by posting links to your site. But if you are relying on the quick link sites (TinyURL, Bit.ly, etc) you may just be minimizing the benefits. Doing so will eliminate the benefit of your updates for organic SEO by masking your site’s link with their short ones.

Yes, it’s convenient and sometimes that pesky 140 character limit to for tweets can get in the way when you have a lot to squeeze in. So whenever possible maximize your efforts by using blind URLs. Turn your long blog post permalinks into shorter friendly links that don’t take as much space when included in a message.

After all, http://www.dovetailinternet.com/BlindURL-Tip is a lot less wieldy than http://www.dovetailinternet.com/Blog/2009/04/25/Social+Media+Quick+Tip+Blind+URLs.aspx too!

-- Mike

follow me on Twitter @mikevilla

It’s been well documented for years that one of the best ways to improve your organic search engine results is to establish inbound links from other websites. Here’s 5 tips on how to do it.

1. Industry Directories
   Pick an industry, any industry, and you’ll find a number of options for posting your site in online directories. Most are free, and besides helping to increase your inbound links, visitors to those sites will be likely to find you when they visit.
2. Complementary Reciprocal Links
   Take inventory of your business partners and other complementary companies. Check out their websites and reach out to them about the possibility of cross linking. You can link to them and they can link to you.
3. Press Releases
   Whenever you issue a press release, be sure to include links to your site. When the press release is picked up by other sites and posted, your links are typically embedded.
4. Blog Commenting
   Spend time on blogs? If so, don’t be shy – comment away. Lend your expertise in discussions that match your company. Then at the end of every comment include a simple, but consistent signature that contains your information with your website address.
5. Social Site Status Updates
   Sites like Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter are all the rage. Use these sites’ status updates to provide useful information about your company and its solutions. Answering a question on Twitter, post a link. Letting people know about a news item, post a link.

Now, of course these are only a few techniques and I could spend an hour on each but no matter how you link to your site, be sure your site is a destination worthy of the visitor’s time. Keeping your site current and relevant is the first part of success, and of course a solid content management system can go a long way to help you do just that.

-- Mike

follow me on Twitter @mikevilla

Today is Earth Day. According to Wikipedia, today is “a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.” The mantra of the generation is the three “R’s” of environmentalism – Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Have you ever thought about how your web strategy can help you do just that?

Last week I had an article published by Worcester Business Journal called "Intranet Advantage: How an internal network can help your business." In it, I made the statement that

“…an intranet can help you reduce your company’s carbon footprint. With all your forms in one central location, and by providing employees the ability to fill them out online, you can eliminate unnecessary printing and copying.”

This is no trivial statement. Think about it. For example, an intranet where board members can login and receive meeting packets can easily same a ream of paper per board member (multiply that by 20 board members and you’ve save two cases of paper!). The time spent putting together those packages is also greatly reduced, adding efficiency and decreasing costs from administrative tasks.

Companies with intranets have come to realize that it’s not only environmentally beneficial to reduce waste created through print, but fiscally responsible as well. Many have also come to realize there’s another type of green benefit from an intranet. The green that shows itself as a positive impact on the bottom line.

At Dovetail, we work with many clients to build effective intranet solutions with our novo content management system. Check out the case study on our site for Westfield Bank to read about one example.

If you don’t have a solid intranet platform and are looking for ways to improve your carbon legacy as a company, consider one. If you do have one, ask yourself if you are using it as effectively as you could be to reduce waste. Why save a tree alone when together we can save the planet? Make every day Earth Day.

-- Mike

follow me on Twitter @mikevilla

Every business knows that a web site is a critical component of their marketing efforts, and at the same time agrees that keeping their site current is also critical. But many companies are simply unable to do so. They fear the technology, don’t have the time, or don’t feel they will ever see a return for the investment. Our company was founded on the principal that no business should languish online. To that end we created novo, our content management system. And for businesses in almost any industry novo is just what the marketing doctor ordered.

But many companies still feel that full content management is simply too big, too time consuming, or too expensive. At Dovetail we do our best to combat these misconceptions. And to make it even easier, we’re now offering novo in a new hosted option that’s flexible and affordable. Simply put, time to market can be faster, updates can be easier, and a real ROI can be realized.

So if you are looking at a way to get the most out of your website, partner with the experts at Dovetail and find out how you really can have the power to change the way you think about your website.

For more details and to find out how affordable web CMS can be, check out our novo options for small business today.

-- Mike

follow me on Twitter @mikevilla