by MIMO Solutions | Internet Marketing, marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Smarketing Blog, tips, Web Design
Responsive & Mobile-Friendly Web Design Is Now A MUST!
Google announced that it will be updating it’s search results to feature mobile-friendly content to mobile users and penalizing non-responsive websites! Read the full announcement here. That means if your website is not upgraded to a responsive or mobile-friendly format, you will begin to drop in the search results.
This year the number of Google searches from mobile devices will exceed the number of desktop searches for the first time in history, and Google is preparing for that landmark event. You should too!
“Starting April 21, Google will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.”
Call MIMO Solutions today for a free consultation and mobile-friendly website audit at 816-616-2201. Click here to call from your mobile device.
What is responsive web design?
Responsive web design means that the website changes and adapts to many screen sizes. It makes sure the website’s template width fits smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. The website will read the type of device loading the page, and adjust the design to look great on that screen size.
Prior to about 5 years ago, this type of web design was really difficult to achieve. It required separate sites for mobile and desktop, but now one responsive design handles the changes automatically.
Click here to see a responsive, mobile-friendly website in action.
Just select the desired device in the top yellow bar, and you will see the website automatically resize itself to fit each screen size.
MIMO Solutions can upgrade your existing website to a responsive, mobile-friendly template!
How much does a mobile-friendly web design cost?
Not as much as you think!
MIMO Solutions is offering a special Google Update 2020 Special.
We will upgrade your existing WordPress site with a new mobile-friendly template for only $1,000! Or, we will upgrade your old static HTML site to WordPress with the responsive template for only $2,020.
by MIMO Solutions | Gallery, graphic design, Internet Marketing, Web Design
We are proud to announce the launch of a brand new website for the Triumph program. Triumph Over Emotional Eating is a weight loss support group that will change the way you think about food, and change WHY you eat.
Check out the new website and support group program at http://triumphprogram.com/
by MIMO Solutions | Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Smarketing Blog, Web Design
What is local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Have you ever heard of Google My Business, Yahoo Local Directory, or searched for a service professional in your area on Bing Maps or your favorite map tool?
When you search for a local business in Kansas City on Google, you will probably see some local map listings. They are usually presented in odd numbers of results: 3, 5, or 7 depending on the competition and number of results. These are direct links to the Google My Business listings and your companies Google+ page. They usually look something like this:
That is our client Superior Door Service in the #2 spot for this very competitive keyword.
Kansas City Search Engine Optimization
Local Kansas City search engine optimization can be very difficult if your business is located outside the Kansas City metro area. If you address is in KCMO, then you are more likely to come up in a search phrase with Kansas City in it. However, if you own a business in Parkville, Lee’s Summit, Overland Park or Olathe, you probably still want to come up for KC search phrases, but it is going to be a lot more difficult.
This type of local search engine optimization may require the help of an expert. You don’t want to sacrifice your great local ranking in your municipality, but you want to add the Kansas City search phrases as well. Good and qualified search engine optimization specialists can help you get it sorted out and have the best of both worlds…
Great local search engine optimization is the fastest way to the first page of Google!
That is especially true for competitive businesses looking to do business around the Kansas City metro area. Google continues to attach more organic ranking factors to map listings, reviews are become more crucial, and Google+ activity can help as well. At MIMO Solutions, we offer full service G+ optimization, local search engine optimization, directory listing fixes and building combine with advanced local SEO techniques to help you get those coveted Kansas City rankings.
Call us today for a free analysis and consultation of your local Kansas City map and directory listings.
by MIMO Solutions | Gallery, Internet Marketing, Web Design
We just launched a brand new site for some awesome plumbers in North Kansas City… Check it out:
http://stinenichols.com/
by MIMO Solutions | Internet Marketing, Smarketing Blog, tips, Web Design
WordPress is the world’s most popular website platform, but is it right for your organization?
In order to choose the correct website platform, you will first need to determine your goals. It all depends on what you want it to do. That being said, WordPress is the world’s most popular platform for a reason. It can handle the simplest to the most complex website designs and functions. Here are a few of the reasons we prefer WordPress for most of our clients.
Open Source Structure
WordPress was built and is maintained in an Open Source environment. What that means is that program is open to the public and free to use by all. A collection of programmers take suggestions and make upgrades based on the feedback that they get. Everything about WordPress is public information so programmers around the world can make improvements and suggestions to alter its functionality. What that means for you is that you don’t have to pay to use WordPress as your content management system for your website, and you shouldn’t have to pay for much custom programming, since the best programmers in the world have already developed solutions for most of the usual situations.
Responsive Designs
Possibly the greatest thing about WordPress over other platforms is its ability to make mobile-friendly websites without custom programming. Responsive design was developed in the last 5 years to allow websites to grow and shrink to fit the screen size of whatever device is being used to load you website. That means your site will look different on a smart phone than on a computer, and it will rearrange things to make it more user-friendly for your visitors. WordPress has some responsive capability out of the box, but adding a responsive design template can make a huge difference to your overall results, and it avoids the cost of having to build a separate mobile site or phone app.
Easy Design & Functionality Upgrades
The other great aspect of using design templates is the flexibility for upgrades. Technology and graphic design changes so rapidly that most people were having to completely rebuild their websites every 3-5 years. Now, with WordPress, you can keep your content, pictures, and database the same, and just overlay a new design on the frontend to bring your site up to date. This takes the cost of an upgrade from thousands of dollars down to as little as a few hundred if you can do it yourself.
A Wide Range of Plugins & Tools
Another cool aspect of open source programs and WordPress in particular is the ability to add on custom plugins, widgets, and tools to add special functionality to your website. With WordPress, most of these are already built by amazing programmers. Want to add social media widgets, ecommerce functionality, or user profile pages? All of these are already made and can be added to your site very quickly. Some are free and open source, other premium plugins can cost up to a couple hundred dollars, but in general, you are saving thousands that this type of custom programming would take on a traditional website or a build-your-own solution.
Security & Speed
Everyone has heard about websites being hacked, and WordPress in no different. There is no way to completely stop hackers, but with WordPress security updates and fixes come very quickly, typically before your normal small business site ever gets affected. The largest platform in the world has already dealt with most of the challenges that custom solutions have yet to see, plus they have the best proactive and reactive staff to deal with these attacks. The same thing is true with speed. As the most popular solution on the web, WordPress has developed tools and servers have developed technology to make sure these sites stay up and stay fast for the life of the website.
Getting started with WordPress
Are you sold? There are two ways to get started with WordPress. You can set up your own blog on WordPress.com or you can download the program and install it on your own hosting package and domain name. WordPress.com is free to get started, but it has some limitations for plugins and some design templates are more expensive. We recommend buying a small, dedicated WordPress hosting package and your domain name at Godaddy, and they have tools to automatically install the program for you. Another great way to get started is to go to WordPress.org and start learning more about it. There are plenty of articles, forums, and tutorial videos around the web to help you learn as well.
Call us today for a WordPress consultation and internet marketing plan at 816-616-2201.
