Who do you trust?

In an interesting piece of research by YouGov of more than two thousand internet users it was found that a British user is six times more likely to choose a .uk rather than .com address when looking for information via an Internet search engine.

62% believe a .uk suggests a company is local or more relevant than a .com with 72% saying they would visit a .uk address first while only 5% said they would try a .com site first.

A third (32%) of people believe that it is important for international companies to have local domain names in order to attract local customers.

At SiteWeave we recommend that clients register .co.uk or .org.uk domain names as their primary domain, with a .com registration to prevent anyone else from exploiting the success of the domain name at some future time.

Source: Kingsmead Interactive

Writing Articles to Promote Your Web Site - Article 1: Why you should do it

There are many ways to promote you web site in order to enhance its search engine ranking; among these one of the most effective is writing and publishing articles.

Article can be published in two ways:

• Added to your web site
• Published on the Internet using one or more well established article publication web sites.

Sometimes you will add the articles to your web site and publish them on the Internet; sometimes you’ll only publish them on the Internet. Sometimes you’ll place exactly the same article on the web site and Internet; sometimes you’ll make subtle changes – it’s up to you.

On your web site, articles provide more content (which Google likes) which contain key words (which search engines will find). They can also provide useful information that visitors will return to read, and may recommend to their friends – your site can become an authority on topics closely related to the services you provide and/or the products you sell.

Published on article web sites, your articles will provide emails links to your company and links to your web site.

Articles can provide a win-win situation.

When we suggest writing articles most people tell us:

I don’t know what to write about!

But you do! You almost certainly take for granted the knowledge you have relating to your business/industry.

• Do you know what powder coating involves, how it’s done or how it evolved?
• Do you know more about how to keep tropical fish than your neighbour – or how to decide which size tank to use, how to filter the water and what lights to use?
• Do you know how badminton racquets are made and restrung; do you know what it’s like to work behind the scenes at the
• Olympics?
• Do you know what CNC stands for – and means? What is a demand valve? What do heat exchangers exchange?
• What is Organisational Consultancy, what are NVQs and how does my organisation become Investors in People?

These – and may other questions – can be answered by one or more of our clients: YOU! You have the knowledge and if you areprepared to invest the time and effort you can write not one, but whole series of articles that can be added to your web site and/or publish on the Internet.

What are you waiting for - get writing! But see article two first!

Hampshire Lawyer's web site is SiteWeave Page 1 for July

The web site for the Hampshire Law Society (www.hampshirelawsociety.co.uk) web site is SiteWeave's Page 1 web site for July.

Each month SiteWeave features one of their web sites that yields a Google Page 1 ranking when searched for using five words or phrases.

The Hampshire Law Society website is a forum for Hampshire solicitors. They campaign, train and provide social events for their members. They also assist members of the public in obtaining legal advice in many different areas and it is easy to search the site in order to find a solicitor in your local area or a solicitor who specialises in the area of law in which you need help and advice.

Different Strokes and Portsmouth Monopoly Board

Different Strokes Portsmouth has been successful in reaching the last 16 charities nominated for a coveted square on the Portsmouth edition of the famous Monopoly Game which is due out in October 2008.

All the superb charities that have been shortlisted all deserve a place on this board but naturally we would like it to be Different Strokes to raise more awareness and support for the work our charity does. It's such a shame there is only one space available.

Thank you and please tell any friends you feel may be moved to register their votes. Voting closes on Monday 30 June at Midday.

To nominate your favourite charity to be placed on the Community Chest space of the Monopoly: Portsmouth Edition board, submit your suggestions by Midday, Monday, June 23.

Please have a look at our website www.different-strokes-portsmouth.org.uk and if you feel that we deserve to be selected will you kindly take the time to register your vote by emailing Carla Payne at the Evening News: carla.payne@thenews.co.uk.

Please include your choice of organisation, name, telephone number, the reason why you have voted for your choice and your relationship to the charity.

The Different Strokes Portsmouth web site was created by SiteWeave, Web Design for Hampshire

Writing Articles to Promote Your Web Site - Article 2: How to do it

Your articles should be written in a general way - don't directly promote your product or service in the body of the article, you can add contact details in the article Resource Box (see below). Make the article a useful, informative piece of text - if you provide enough authoritive content then the articles on your web site will make your web site a source of reliable, useful information that people will recommend to their friends and thus increase the number of visits to your site.

The structure of any article written for your own web site is up to you, but be sure to include your key words and phrases - without over-doing it! On your own web site you can openly promote your products and services.

And talking of your web site - take a careful look at it - are there pages on your web site that, with a bit of tweaking, could be made into articles? This may also apply to PDFs that you make available from your web site - don't overlook your current assets!

When writing for publication on article web site you need to create or supply the following components, though not all article web sites will employ them:

• A title for your web site: make it short, snappy and attractive!
• A list of key words and phrases that relate to the article only, nit to your whole web site
• A brief summary of the article: a couple of sentances will be enough and try not to just copy out the first paragraph!
• The article: aim for at least 250 words, though some article web sites require at least 500 words. The maximum length is usually 2000 words, but if you've written that many words you should consider splitting the article into two or more articles!
• A Resource Box: this should contain a brief biography of the author - a couple of sentances is enough - and contact details: your web site address and an email address. These will normally be "live" links to your site
• A photograph: not compulsory, but it's nice for readers to see the person who wrote the site and it makes the article more human.

When you've done all that check it very carefully then submit it to your chosen article web site or get your webmaster to do it for you, making sure that you are acknowledged as the author, and get them to add it to your web site too.

What are you waiting for - get writing!

If you'd like help with writing and publishing articles contact John S at SiteWeave

Examples of Articles on SiteWeave Clients' Web Sites

Below we list:

1. The name of one of our clients
2. Their web site address
3. The title of the article
4. The page on their web site that displays an article
5. The same article as displayed on an article publishing web site
6. Notes about the article

1. 1. Atlas Trailers: Sell and hire trailers
2. Web Site: www.atlastrailers.co.uk
3. Article Title: "The Benefits of Buying a Tipper Trailer"
4. The article on the Web Site: http://www.atlastrailers.co.uk/tipper_trailer_articles.asp
5. The article on Ezine Articles web site

1. 1. Vistaplan-Arand: Powder coating
2. Web Site: www.vistaplan-arand.com
3. Article Title: "Powder Coating: Its Early Development and Its Relationship With the Environment"
4. The article on the Web Site: http://www.vistaplan-arand.co.uk/articles-history_powder_coating.asp
5. The article on Article Base web site
6. The article on another web site

1. Easy Alarms: Burglar Alarms
   
2. Web Site: www.easyalarms.co.uk
3. Article Title: "Burglar Alarm Myths?"
4. The article on the Web Site: http://www.easyalarms.co.uk/article-burglar_alarms_myths.asp
5. The article on the Ezine Articles web site
6. Article displayed on another web site

1. J Casey: Provide Confidential and Free Debt Advice
2. Web Site: www.jcasey.com
3. Article Title: "Debt Managment Plans (DMP)"
4. The article on the Web Site: The article was created from the text displayed on an existing page of the web site
5. The article on the Ezine Articles web site

1. Loft Blinds: Supply Velux Blinds
2. Web Site: www.loftblinds.co.uk
3. Article Title: "Factors to consider when choosing Velux blinds"
4. The article on the Web Site: http://www.loftblinds.co.uk/articles06-choosing-velux-blinds.asp
5. The article on the Article Blast web site

1. Vitalyz: Enable physical activity to be introduced safely and effectively to people with a variety of medical and physical conditions
2. Web Site: www.vitalyz.co.uk
3. The article on the Web Site: http://www.vitalyz.co.uk/articles-senior_exercise.asp
4. Article Title: "Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors"
5. The article on the Ezine Articles web site
6. Note: all of Tony's articles display a picture of Tony!

Stroke Survivor's Web Site Goes from Strength to Strength

The Different Strokes Portsmouth web site (www.different-strokes-portsmouth.org.uk) was written by SiteWeave in December 2007; they then handed over the updating of the site to members of the group.

Current web master, Doug Laybourne, has been adding more Personal Stories to the web site and it now features the biographies of seven stroke survivors.

The web site provides useful links for stroke survivors, their friends and families and keep everyone up to date with what's going on.