Whether a small startup or a major corporation, companies need an internet presence to stay competitive in the modern commercial market. Generating and directing internet traffic to a company website or social media account can differentiate between a successful business and a failed one. It can be tricky, though, to generate that traffic. The internet is a prominent place, after all. Fortunately, ensuring steady and reliable traffic isn’t nearly as difficult as some people think.  Here are some website tips to get you started.

Increasing Internet Traffic

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

One of the easiest ways to increase traffic is through the use of Search Engine Optimization. SEO utilizes highly searched keywords and phrases to increase the likelihood of a given article or web page appearing early in an online search. Ensuring quality SEO content is as easy as having a reliable writer or advertiser, and programs and research can help find the right words for organic SEO content.

Of course, for SEO to work, the keywords need to be highly searched for, but not so frequently that content gets lost in a pile, as it were. Utilizing well used but easy to search through keywords can be tricky, but the tools for such work are available for those in need of them.

Guest Posts

To further assist with keyword SEO, guest posting is a great way to increase potential traffic, and it’s also an excellent way to build bridges and connections with other companies. Providing quality content for related blogs or company pages not only helps increase visibility, but it can also be helpful for companies looking to expand their networks.

Visibility

As part of increasing visibility, posting on social media and similar sites is easy and can boost traffic. Facebook is considered the old standby, but there are plenty of other sites. Reddit is an excellent example of a highly frequented site where posting content is straightforward. Internet visibility is about getting the word out and making sure content is seen and remembered.

Podcasts

Utilizing podcasts is becoming increasingly useful for companies and people to generate more traffic and expand audiences. It’s unnecessary to start a podcast, either, and there are plenty of them out there. Appearing as a guest on a podcast related to the company or business can help increase awareness and is another way to build connections.

Generating internet traffic is vital in the modern world for pretty much any business. Fortunately, with the right know-how and tools, getting that traffic, and thus more business, can be pretty easy.

Contact Edge Digital

Need advice or help increasing internet traffic? Edge Digital is here. For website tips call 919-339-7300.

The post How Can I Increase My Web Traffic? first appeared on Edge Digital.

When we meet with a business that is looking for a new website, we start asking questions such as functionality and design ideas.

Here are a few things you need to do before meeting with a web developer that will help the proposal process and avoid overage charges. Being prepared up front can save a lot of time and give you exactly what you are looking for.

Know Your Website Goals and Priorities

Create a starting point. Figure out why you want a website in the first place. Will your site sell products and/or services, or will it exist to simply provide information?

Branding

If you don’t have any brand colors or a logo, create a vision board. It should include things like colors you want to be incorporated into your brand, preferred font choices, slogans or phrases, and graphics you intend to use when marketing your business.

Will you need help with designing a logo? Do you have your logo in at least a PNG format? It is the one with the see-through background.

Make a Design Wish List

Are you building the website from scratch or do you have a site already that needs updating?

Both are entirely two different conversations: one focused on creating and executing a vision while the other focuses on improving an existing one. If you don’t have a site already, make a list that includes the number of pages, headers, buttons, menus, or any other visual element you plan on including on your website.

Budget

Building a website is much like building a house: it always costs more than you anticipate. Don’t let this scare you; just be prepared!

We try to offer at least 2 to 3 options but you will definitely need to have a budget in mind.

Give Each Page a Purpose

How many pages do you want your website to have? What is the goal of each page? How much copy will be on each page?

A great approach is to find websites in your industry you admire and try to emulate (not copy) their structure to create something similar.

You might be surprised to hear this, but you should have the words for each page ready to go before your designer begins work on your website. These aren’t just ideas; you need the final polished copy for your site. If you have no clue what to say or feel uncomfortable or unable to write it yourself, we have a staff writer who can help.

The Kick Off Meeting

When we meet with you to get started, you will need to share these with us. We use Dropbox and can share a folder with you or you can share your folder with us.

Upload the pages and we will create a sitemap from your list. We will need the website page copy or our writer will work with you on the copy.

Images, graphics, logos, photos. All of your assets for the site will need to go into the shared Dropbox folder.

If your business needs help with a new website or a redesign, contact Edge Digital for a quote.  Call 888-404-5850.

The post What Do You Need To Know Before Hiring A Web Developer? first appeared on Edge Digital.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) requires some businesses to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Websites should be accessible to users with hearing loss, visual impairment, and those who need assistive devices to navigate.  Failure to comply with ADA leaves your business at risk of losing potential customers, damaging brand reputation, and attracting costly lawsuits. For this reason, ADA compliance is a necessity for designated businesses.

Which businesses need ADA Compliance?

Title I of ADA requires businesses with more than 15 full-time employees that work for at least 20 hours a week to comply. Similarly, Title III mandates public transportation, banks, hotels, and other “public accommodations” to comply. This mandate applies to both digital and physical considerations. However, ADA does not set clear rules for website compliance. Businesses rely on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure their websites are accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG is a reference point for businesses looking to improve their website’s accessibility—and consequently avoid lawsuits and other risks. Conformance to WCAG is organized into three levels:

• Level AAA: The most complex and highest level attainable.
• Level AA: Addresses common or significant barriers to web accessibility.
• Level A: The bare minimum—featuring basic features.

What are some common ways businesses can address ADA Compliance issues?

Please note that ADA compliance and website accessibility are a bit subjective. Here are a few checklist items:

• The content should be robust and compatible with assistive technologies and other user agents.
• Audios, videos, and images should have Alt tags that describe the object and its purpose on the website. Making content perceivable is especially useful for users who need to hear or read alternative descriptions to understand the media.
• Content should be understandable – i.e., predictable and readable.
• The site should be operable by providing keyboard accessibilities.
• Ensure an organized and consistent layout. Buttons, links, and menus should be easy to navigate and delineated.
• The language used in the website should be identifiable in the header code for visitors who use text readers.
• The site should automatically offer suggestions or recommendations for better navigation—especially for users who come across input errors.
• Audio and video content should have transcriptions to help users with hearing impairments.

Generally, websites should facilitate reasonable accessibility.

Contact Edge Digital

To find out more about how you can deal with the complexities of ADA compliance or how to improve your website’s accessibility, consult Edge Digital for a FREE accessibility assessment. Call 919-726-4366 for an appointment.

The post ADA Website Compliance Checklist first appeared on Edge Digital.

Sandra is my esthetician who keeps my skin looking young. She had to close her business during the COVID Pandemic for two months. In July, she sent out an email asking her client base who plans on returning to gauge interest and decide whether to open again or close completely. I immediately booked an appointment to see her.

During my appointment, Sandra told me about 25% of your clients had returned. She’s still on the fence about closing down. As a solopreneur, Sandra’s business is HER; her ability to provide a service is how she makes her living. When I first started in marketing, that was me too.

Sandra’s business is a want, not a need. Between the COVID pandemic, job losses, and fear of the economy, businesses that rely on disposable income will struggle throughout 2020 and 2021.

The #ShopLocal movement was meant to help local businesses during the holiday shopping season. It seems relevant today with all the UPS, FedEx, and USPS trucks rolling around our neighborhoods. Competing on Amazon’s level for small product sales is impossible. Small businesses like Sandra face the challenge of getting the word out about products they sell and encouraging people to come back into ultra-clean spas.

To get the word out about your business, Google has several features that you can take advantage of for free.

Google is a powerful search engine that turned its name into a verb, “I’ll google that.” Just having a website is not enough to get found in search results. I’m not going to get into how your website can get noticed, but here’s one hint – Google Reviews.

For business owners who have a small marketing budget, Google Ads can work well to get people in the door, but there first has to be “googling” something. The cost per click is based on competition, so if you have a lot of competitors, this can be a significant expense.

What if your marketing budget is minimal, like Sandra? If your local business has people “googling” for your products or services and have a physical location, you can utilize Google My Business (GMB). It is your Google map listing where people can leave a review.

Did you know you can post on your GMB listing just like a Facebook post? Go to business.google.com and sign in. Create a post for an offer, an update, or an event with an image, link, and some text – same as you would for a Facebook post. It will appear for seven days on your profile and displays under the title “From the owner.” Learn more here.

If your business needs help getting found online, we’ve got solutions.  Contact Edge Digital for developing your business’ SEO.

The post SEO: One Underutilized Google Tool For Local Business first appeared on Edge Digital.

The American with Disabilities Act ensures that everyday life is more accessible for those with disabilities, including the internet. The ADA states that businesses with fifteen or more full-time employees that are operating for at least twenty hours a week, and companies that serve public accommodation must have ADA compliant websites. Failure to do so not only reduces the site’s accessibility to potential customers, but it can also make the company liable to lawsuits.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Unfortunately, the actual guidelines for what a website must contain to achieve such compliance are somewhat vague. Fortunately, when it comes to following ADA compliance, there is a helpful guide, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). When followed with spirit and energy, these guidelines allow for accessibility and ADA compliance.

Access for All

The WCAG states that a website should be easily perceivable to all visitors meaning users with vision issues can enlarge the text or utilize voice programs. Transcripts for audio content are also advised. The site should also be easy to navigate. This point makes sense for any website, not just one striving for ADA compliance. Easy keyboard accessibility for non-standard keyboards is an excellent example of following this guideline.

The content should also be understandable. Providing input assistance and FAQ’s are a great way to ensure the site’s content makes sense for anyone who peruses the site. The website should handle all the various interactive equipment some people may need to interact with the site. Alternate keyboard accessibility and usability is a large part of this, and ensuring a website can function properly and smoothly with such equipment is essential.

Time and Expertise

The effort required by an IT department for ADA compliance can be daunting and taxing on the servers but is an essential aspect of a business. Ensuring videos and other visual media contain transcripts and alt tags, along with other efforts to ensure accessibility, might take time. However, that is time well spent to provide a site that meets ADA compliance and thus has increased accessibility to a broader audience. Some guidelines, like an easy to follow layout for a website, are just good ideas regardless of the content or the need for compliance. The site needs to be accessible and usable to as many people as possible, using as many different devices as possible to view the content.

Contact Edge Digital

If your business website needs help with ADA compliance, contact Edge Digital at 919-726-4366.

The post What Does ADA Compliant Mean for Websites? first appeared on Edge Digital.

A website accessibility statement is the first step towards ADA compliance. The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination of users based on disability—and non-compliance puts you at risk of lawsuits, legal fees, and other headaches. The statement also demonstrates an organization’s commitment to social responsibility.

What exactly is a website accessibility statement—and what should it include? Generally, it can be defined as a declaration of a website’s commitment to accessibility. It shows users that a site cares about their needs—while providing information on what makes the content more accessible. A website accessibility statement should include the following:

A clear commitment to accessibility for users with disabilities: This is simply a declaration of intent. It’s an introductory paragraph that affirms a website’s commitment to ADA compliance.

The accessibility standards and fundamental guidelines applied: To which accessibility standards does the website conform? These standards often include W3C technologies and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). It may also highlight compliance with the EU Web Accessibility Directive or ADA—where applicable.

Technical fundamentals: Such as the web browsers supported

Exceptions or limitations to the desired level of website accessibility: It’s vital to acknowledge instances where the website may fail to adhere to its accessibility targets—including the intended roadmap to solve the issue. However, this should not be seen as a way of skimping on providing accessibility to the inaccessible areas.

Contact information to report/address any problems: What if there is an area in a website that’s inaccessible to the specific needs of someone with a disability? Providing contact information allows users to report any problems or suggest ways to improve accessibility.

Please note that the statement must not make false claims—otherwise, it may harm the website’s reputation while risking a breach of ADA compliance.

Where is the website accessibility statement placed? The statement should be placed or linked in logical places—focusing on making it easy to find. Consider linking the statement from several points—including the about page, sitemap, help menu, and footer. It’s also essential to consistently use the same link names across all your content. And contrary to common practice, a website accessibility statement should be separate from the “help page.”

It’s clear that website accessibility is crucial for ADA compliance and general social responsibility—but it’s not always straightforward. It’s a blend of legal jargon and IT technicalities. If you want an accessibility statement for your website or want to make your website more accessible—but you’re not sure how to go about it, contact Edge Digital. We are well-equipped with technical know-how to make your site available and ADA compliant. Call 919-726-4366 for more information.

The Americans with Disabilities Act  (ADA) requires websites to follow specific guidelines to increase viability and accessibility. Ensuring a site is ADA compliant might seem complicated, with guidelines that are hard to follow, but that is not true. Advice on how to follow ADA guidelines is easy to find, and, with a proper IT expert at the helm, getting a website compliant is not difficult.

First, it is essential to understand what the guidelines to be ADA compliant are in the first place. Though they might seem complicated at first, the basics of an ADA compliant website are rather simple. The content of the site should be easy to view regardless of any potential disabilities. A site’s content should be easy to understand, as well. Various devices and platforms should be able to access the site.

Though the guidelines are admittedly vague, the key is to ensure a robust website that can interact and interface with a multitude of devices designed to assist the disabled. Audio technology, easy keyboard access, and transcripts for audio files are relatively easy steps a website can provide to be ADA compliant.

The main issue when handling ADA compliance is making sure the site can be accessed by those alternative devices, such as keyboards designed for the blind. Having a well trained IT department is the best way to ensure a website meets the criteria as set forth by the ADA. A required site must be ADA compliant, too, because otherwise, it might be considered discrimination.

Though the guidelines for ADA compliance in the legislation are vague, many guides can be found to ensure they are followed. The Website Content Accessibility Guidelines provide a plethora of input on how to create an ADA compliant website. Any company or similar institution that supports the WCAG is sure to be considered compliant.

It can be admittedly tricky to follow the ADA guidelines, not just because of how vague they may seem, but because of the amount of coding and work that goes into such efforts. With a bit of research and tech-savvy crew, however, the guidelines become much easier to enact to ensure a compliant site.

If you need help with making your website ADA compliant, Edge Digital can help. Contact us at 919-726-4366.

As more and more people grow dependent on the internet for work, personal needs, and leisure, it is becoming ever more important for websites to be easily accessible. A large component of this is ensuring a site is compliant with the guidelines set forth by the Americans with Disability Act. Making a website conform to ADA guidelines can be involved, but the increased accessibility is well worth the effort. Depending on the size of the company running the site, accessibility for the blind and deaf with voice navigation and other compliant functions is required.

Such compliance efforts pose quite the challenge, and, unfortunately, the legislation on the matter is somewhat unclear as to what is considered suitably compliant. Fortunately, there is help through the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines demonstrate how to make compliant content. One example of such material is making sure the site’s content is easy to perceive. Audio assistant technology is an excellent example of such compliance. Easy navigation for the site is also essential. Keyboard interfaces, such as those for the blind, is another example. The website should also be easy to understand. Utilizing input assistance and content readability helps with such efforts.

Perhaps the most difficult, yet possibly most important, the site should be compatible with multiple user assistive devices and interfaces. This compatibility is especially important since it doesn’t matter how compliant a website is if it cannot be accessed or used. An IT expert is essential to ensure compliance. Since the rules are unclear, the reliance on other guidelines tends to create a copycat effect. This effect does have the benefit of creating consistency amongst compliant sites. For example, the use of alt tags for images, audio files, and videos is an easy adjustment. Another easy compliance trick is the use of transcripts. A consistent and orderly layout is also a good idea and is generally useful for easy website navigation for everyone.

Creating an easily accessible and compliant site that abides by ADA guidelines can be a lot of work and is sometimes required. Though it needs to be handled by IT experts, the benefits are well worth the time and money, ensuring a proper layout. The ability to make a website accessible for a wider audience means more viewers and readers, which means a more significant base for the site and its affiliates. In the modern world, compliance and fighting ableism aren’t just about following guidelines. It’s about supporting fellow humans.

Do you need help with your website?  Contact Edge Digital.  We know about ADA compliance and will make sure your website is accessible by all.  Call 919-726-4366 for more information.

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