Bon Voyage on Your Journey Around the Sun

January 2006

Every year we ride the Earth on another vast spiral through space. Our galaxy races away from the big bang, the sun sweeps intergallactic space as it rotates around the milky way, the earth worms its way through space around the traveling sun, spinning as it speeds. Undertaking another trip like this makes other goals seem smaller and more possible.

Thanks to all my clients and other folks who inspired me during the last ride, and I hope you feel the power of the journey during the next.

This quarterly newsletter is here to help you with this year in webspace. Let's make your home on the web more welcoming and productive.

In this edition I'll introduce ideas for using online directories to increase traffic to your site, how to choose and use keywords, some useful resources such as a course, and some fun stuff purely for your enjoyment. For more, visit Cosmic Idea on the web.

You've received this because you're a client and/or friend, or someone I felt may find something here of interest. If it's not your cup of tea, please do unsubscribe using the form at the bottom.

Who do you think are the biggest job creators in the economy? Small businesses and organizations, that's who - and maybe that's you. There are 350,000 of them in BC, representing 98 percent of all business. Feel your power.

Most will have a presence on the web. The way we present ourselves there will form a strong impression in the minds of our current and future clients. If you're proud of your home it's easier to invite guests, and the same is true of your web site. And no-one will come to your party if you don't send out invitations, so we look at that, too.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.”

Babatunde Olatunji

Use online directories to gather your flock

Your website is ready for the world to see. But who’s going to see it? Chances are you have to make some effort to bring visitors to your site.

One way to help them find you is to list your site in free online directories. These are sites that feature links to sites by topic. Your listing features a description of what you do and a link to your website. This helps direct traffic  to your site and improve your search engine results.

You can pay thousands of dollars for folks to optimize and market your site. Think of each listing with a well-chosen online directory as that elusive free lunch. MORE...

Free seminars on creating a web site

Ebusiness, a section of Small Business B.C., is offering a series of short seminars on how to set up business online, including how to plan a site, choose a designer and create a system for online transactions. See their site for more information.

Fees change, but still low

Fees will be calculated at $50/hr. in future. This is still a very low rate as web design goes, and that for a fellow with many years of experience designing web sites and print graphics, and as a photographer and writer. There won't be any change in rates for projects already underway. Here’s an opportunity: updates contracted before Feb. 28th will be contracted at the old rate.

Cosmic specials

1) New Year - New Site: Rates will be only $45/hr. for projects begun before Feb. 28th.
2) Keyword Cruncher: research and placement of better keywords for your home page: $65 before Feb 28th.
3) Sprout a favicon: the little graphic you sometimes see in the address bar or your favorites menu beside a link is called a favicon. The favicon on a website is like the cherry on a sundae: $20.
Is today the day? Contact Cosmic!

Choosing and using keywords

Do you feel a twinge of dread when someone says how important keywords are?

A keyword is simply one that captures something essential about your website. If you’re a rocket scientist, you would certainly have the words rocket and scientist appear in several places on your site, preferably in the title, and possibly tucked away into a few other places we’ll touch on later. Think how you'll smile when you know how to choose better keywords and craftily deploy them. MORE...

"An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity."

Winston Churchill

Women's enterprise

36 percent of B.C. small businesses are owned and operated by women. Over two thirds of my clients are women. I take this as a compliment, as I strive to listen and use my intuition to match the design of a web site or print project to my clients' unique qualities. You may be interested in exploring the resources of the Women's Enterprise Society of B.C..

"I discovered I always have choices and sometimes it's only a choice of attitude."

Judith M. Knowlton

New photos - Switzerland

Want to see what the Swiss world looks like? This year I went to Switzerland to visit family and friends. On the way we poked through old cities, trekked up a maze of stairways in the Italian region around Locarno, cruised castles and watched our daughter grow before our eyes. I've posted a small selection of the best of the over one thousand photos I took.

 

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"Good Sitekeeping" is a free quarterly newsletter. Did you find this interesting? Please let me know how it can be improved. Visit cosmicidea.com for more free information about designing your presence and making your web site sing. Sign up for the Good Sitekeeping newsletter.

Cosmic Idea Web and Word Design
604-947-2313
jdowler@cosmicidea.com

"Good Sitekeeping" © by John Dowler 2006