You know everything there is to know about your subject. So how do you let search engines in on the secret so they can help you spread the word?

If you need your web site to be found on search engines today, the first thing to recognize is that content is king. You need to let Google and other search engines know that you are a thought leader in your field.

** Remember: search engines don't work for you; they work for the person who types something into that search box.

If your web site is to be found on the first page of search results when someone makes a relevant search, then search engines have to believe that your site will deliver one of the most relevant answers to the searcher's query.

So how do search engines know you are as good as you are? They have to know about your content. You have to publish and syndicate it so they will know all about you and what you have to say. Only then can they send the people searching for you to your web site.

Good SEO (search engine optimization) starts with a lot of unique, relevant content on your pages. We'll talk more about what this means in a future article, but the second step is to spread the word about all your good content using a blog, social media and other tools.

Write a blog! A Build111 or Church111 blog is a great way to generate content that will be noticed because it is designed to syndicate every post automatically. It does this by sending your post out to lists that publish blog articles from all over the world. It also allows you to set up special tags that will get noticed and publish your blog feed to feedburner.

Create promotions and campaigns. These will expand your audience, drive sales, spread a message or create a buzz about you and your site.

Spread the word. Once you publish your content through your web pages or a blog, you will need to use social media to generate some buzz about it. We'll have more to say on how exactly to do this in future articles, but if you want to get started right away, give us a call at (877) 397-7605 or email info@111webstudio.com for more information.

Whether you are using Build111 or Church111, your members section is tailor made for building community and developing communications with the people who matter most to you. Here are some of the useful tools available to you through your members section.

eBlast

Right out of the box, your members section includes the ability to send unlimited emails to as many as 3000 people. If your list is bigger than that, you can add more addresses at nominal cost. Create messages easily and watch the results of your email marketing campaigns. 

Groups and Classes

Set up groups of members and optionally make them a "class." Any person can be a member of as many groups as needed. You can send your eBlast messages to everyone or just a group. If you set up your group as a class, you can track class attendance and give members even easier access to those people most important to them.

Forum

Set up a private or public threaded message board so your community can discuss topics of interest to all members. Let people interact with each other through your website making you a valuable partner for them.

Directory

You can enable an on-line directory that members can even download in PDF format. Include photos and share personal information like anniversaries and birthdays. The web site can automatically send email greetings to members on those special days.

Live Chat

Hold a discussion in real time about a topic of interest to your community. The chat can be left on so people can discuss topics on their own or you can schedule chat sessions with a group leader or other person whith whom members don't normally get to interact.

Many more useful features for building community are available in your members area. If you would like to learn more, give us a call at (877) 397-7605 or email info@111webstudio.com for more information.

111 Web Studio has been building custom content management systems for customers since the late 90s. First we used Perl, then ColdFusion and then PHP. In fact, today, we no longer create websites without content management built in.

Custom content management systems can be costly, but if you're on a budget, you're in luck. We created our Build111 and Church111 website builders with a CMS that was designed by us from the ground up specifically to be easy-to-use as well as extremely powerful and flexible. Thousands of business web sites and church web sites have enjoyed the ease of use that accompanies all the features of Build111 and Church111.

On the other hand, if you have special requirements that aren't met by Build111 or Church111, the 111 Web Studio custom programming team will collaborate with you and design exactly what you need. Since 1995, 111 Web Studio has built hundreds of online software and custom business systems for clients who have unique web design requirements and we can do the same for you.

Give us a call at 877.397.7605 or contact us for more information.
 

The Build111 and Church111 website builders' live chat feature has been rebuilt with an upgraded interface. The live chat feature is available as an option for any site with a member's section. With this feature you can hold live chat (text) sessions with other members in the security of your private members area. This is handy for scheduled chats or you can leave it enabled so members can chat with each other at their leisure at any time they like.

Live chat is particularly useful when a topic of interest to several members will be discussed and rapid fire, live feedback is helpful. This is often done when a "celebrity" visitor or a "group leader" wants to teach a lesson, hold a feedback session or engage in social conversation with members.

The other option for group conversation, of course, is our threaded message board option. Discussions on a message board have the advantage that there is a written record of the conversation for visitors to review any time in the future. A live chat, on the other hand, has the advantage that feedback is immediate, but a record of the chat is not recorded for posterity. As a result, members must be present to engage and experience the chat.

If you have any questions about this or any other features of our Build111 and Church111 content managed website builders, give us a call at (877) 397-7605 or email info@111webstudio.com for more information.

What is responsive design?
If you want your web site to work well on any device from a desktop to a laptop to a tablet held vertically or horizontally to a phone, then you need responsive design. 111 Web Studio has been using HTML5 and CSS to create very cool responsive sites for several years. These sites "respond" to the width of the viewing device and deliver their content in a way that is appropriate for that screen size. Not only do images get smaller, but buttons may change to work with fingers instead of a mouse and some content may actually move around so mobile devices get the best view for them. Responsive design is a way to combine design for desktops with mobile web design in the same website.

How can I see if a site is responsive?
To check whether a site is responsive or not, just open it in a browser on a desktop computer. Grab the side of the browser window and move it to narrow the width of the window. As you do, notice what happens to the website. If it changes as you get narrower, the site is responsive. To see an example, try it on ICG Link's site or on 111 Web Studio. Both work on all size screens.

How can I get my site to be responsive?
Responsive design will cost a little more because the site must be designed several times for the different views. A lot of thought goes into determining the best content presentation. The good news is that just about any design can be made to be responsive. Give us a call and we will be happy to evaluate your site and let you know what it will take in your case.

If your site needs a redesign, this is a great time to make it responsive because we can design the site from the ground up in such a way as to minimize the cost. Give us a call at (877) 397-7605 or email info@111webstudio.com for more information.