SEO Success for Dream Acres

Back in the Spring of this year, I worked on cleaning and redesigning the site www.dreamacresec.com for friend Angie Morin. It is featured in the Redesigned Websites: Before & After section of my website. Like many of my clients, her goal was to be seen better by Google and other search engines. After just a few months, she ranks #1 in a search for Equestrian Center in Maine.

It just goes to show what clean coding and

a little SEO can do for your website.

Step 1: A Joyful Logo

Katie and I have been working together to develop a logo for her new website - Joyful Celebrations. The first samples presented 6 options. We made a few adjustments to her choices and I presented 4 more for her review. With a simple color adjustment we were able to create her new logo in less than a week. GREAT START!

A Joyful Partnership!

Flying Change Webs & Graphics has just been hired by a new company in Florida, Joyful Celebrations, LLC. After just two emails and one wonderful phone conversation in less than 24-hours, a wonderful new partnership has formed.

I am writing about Katie and her business because I was surprised to learn of the difficulty she had finding a web designer that could give her a small, custom designed website with the feminine touch she requires for her initial wedding favors and supplies e-store. Enter Flying Change Webs & Graphics! Giving small businesses a custom website design is what I love to do. The personal communication with the owners makes them more than just clients to me - they often times becomes friends in the process.

I'm looking forward to the building Katie's logo and website in the coming weeks as well as developing a new friendship. Follow along here on my blog as we make Joyful Celebrations come to life!

You can see Katie's blog about her trials and tribulations at the Joyful Celebrations, LLC Blog.

Patience is the Key!

I am within a month of my one year anniversary of starting Flying Change Webs & Graphics. When I first built and designed my website, I incorporated keywords, carefully coded the text for SEO, registered with the top search engines and directories, wrote some quick articles to publish, and acquired links back to my own website.

Several months past and I still wasn't happy with my ranking. I asked an SEO colleague of mine if he could look at my website and give some advice. He said one word:

PATIENCE!

"You're kidding!" I thought to myself. But, being somewhat new to the the art of SEO, I took his advice. As I waited, I continued to read about SEO, tweek my keyword selection, adjust some headline text, page title text, and add links through networking, writing, and all the great new web designs I've given people over the last 11 months.

Today I performed a couple of test searches to see where I stood. My focus and passion is designing websites for small businesses, especially in my home state of Maine. Here is the results I got today on Google.

Search:
Small Business Website Design Maine
Results:
Page 1, Position 5

Other results, using web design, portland maine, and other website design search criteria, placed me within the first 3 pages.

My friend was right ... With all the other elements in place - website design, keyword optimization, and free submissions - patience was all I needed.

If you are ready to experience this same success, contact me now to start your new web design project with Flying Change Webs & Graphics.

The Squatty Dog

I'd like you to meet a member of my family. Her name is Holly. She weighs in at less than 12 lbs. She may be small in size, but she thinks she is one of the horses at the barn.

It's Holly - The Squatty Dog.

Holly is a Jack Russell Terrier that we adopted 3 years ago at a horse show. Now, something should know about me. I've never owned a small dog. I've always had 90 lb dogs. My father always referred to little dogs as "drop kick dogs". I swore I would never have one of those.

But here I am ... with this little dog that is smaller than my 16 lbs cats. And I can't imagine our house without her. She is the sweetest dog, friendly to everyone and every animal. She is not one of those "yip yip yip" dogs. She is small enough to travel easily with us. She attends every horse show and just loves life!

Holly the Squatty Dog and her mindset can teach to small businesses owners a few lessons:

small CAN MEAN BIG

EXAMPLE: Holly will go face-to-face with a horse for a treat. (This is no joke ... I've seen it happen.)
THE LESSON: Small "packages" are often strong and steady. They know their niche and they are proud to stick up for it. Small businesses often have a small, specialized market they cater to. This often makes the small business stronger in that area, so there is no need to be intimidated by the "big guys".

EXAMPLE: Holly runs circles around her black and yellow lab "friends".
THE LESSON: Small can make it easier to move around and shift gears quickly to accommodate changing situations with clients. No red tape ... just trying your best to please.

EXAMPLE: Holly cuddles up with the cats who are nearly DOUBLE her weight.
THE LESSON: The "big guys" and "small guys" can help each other. If a job is too big or beyond your expertise, don't be afraid to refer a client to a "big guy". What goes around, comes around and it could be that the same "big guy" is referring you for a job that is too small for their scope.

Don't underestimate the power of being "small". Know your strengths and use them toward the success of your small business.

The Inspiration of a Proud Mom!

As my logo and website implies, I am, indeed, involved with horses. On a daily basis ... actually, during this time of year I eat, drink, and breath horses because my daughter is a competitive 3-day eventer. She is currently at the Training level and this weekend we were in beautiful Vermont. She and her thoroughbred horse, Billy, performed like stars and, after completing the 3 phases of what proved to be a very challenging competition, took home a 3rd place and was one of only three (3) that had a "double clean" round in the cross country course.

For Flying Change Webs & Graphics, going to these shows is a source of inspiration. The colors, the people, the beautiful horses, and the dedication these riders have to make it through the 3 phases. I come home exhausted, and at the same time energized with new ideas.

When the horse and riders are given the "go" on the cross country course, they are told "HAVE A GREAT RIDE". It's a wonderful philosophy, whether you are riding a horse, building a house, or designing websites: enjoy what you are doing, do it to the best of your ability.

So today, no matter what you're doing today ... "have a great ride!"

Small Means Big

Small business owners are often under the incorrect assumption that they are "too small to have a website". Three pages for $375 is about the best investment you can give your small business. Here's three good reasons why:

1. Even if you never touch your site again (not recommended), it is a great, inexpensive advertising piece. List it with things like Yahoo! Local and it's better than the yellow pages!
2. If a potential client has seen or heard your name, they can search for the name and BAM! there you are on the web, with complete contact information and the information customers want to know ... NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT.
3. A professionally designed website - no matter what the size - tells potential customers that you really do exist, that you are a professional, and give you the advantage over the "competition" (who may not know the benefits of having a web site).

So what are you waiting for? See 2 of the latest small websites designed by Flying Change Webs & Graphics: Blue Heron Self Protection, Evergreen Tree Counseling Service.

Small could be BIG for you, too.