Flash websites have been enticing web visitors and creators since their emergence.  However, there is debate over how effective this type of design technology is when it comes to online marketing. For some, Flash sites are considered to be preferred in comparison to the static HTML websites that have little to no moving parts. In spite of the popularity that Flash web design has garnered over the years, many businesses and online marketers concerned about  SEO rankings should beware!

Flash websites look cool, they add more visitor interactivity and make web sites more entertaining. However, there is  a lot more to the web than just having fun.  And, as we all know, there are a TON of things going on behind those beautiful and bright graphics that the average user views when surfing the web.

One of the biggest drawbacks to using a Flash website is the negative impact it has on the site’s SEO rankings. There’s no point in having a beautiful, exciting new website if no one can find it, right? So let’s take a look at  why Flash websites are still not compatible with search engine optimization (SEO) principles.

Flash is simply a software name created by Macromedia, which provides excellent animation quality on the web. Flash Plug-ins embedded on websites have the capability to make images, graphics, logos and animation appear to be in 3D mode, which is a lot livelier than basic HTML. In theory, the entertainment factor or enticement factor helps boosts up the odds that people will find your website more attractive and help to increase the amount of traffic on your site.  People who argue in favor of Flash web sites might also suggest that this type of design increases the likelihood that your audience will stay on your site for a longer duration of time, converting more prospects into customers.

While Flash websites are more appealing to the human eye, these websites will not be indexed by search engine spiders. In spite of showcasing enticing websites, owners of Flash sites may find it harder to rank decent in search engines because search engine crawlers have difficulty in detecting websites that utilize Flash. Yes, what the user sees on your website is incredibly important. At the same time, however; what web crawlers see is just as important. The difference between users and web crawlers is that web crawlers read the code that is hidden behind the images and graphics. In order to know how to rate and and rank your website in search engines, web crawlers MUST be able to view this code.

The myth about a customer staying longer on your site also does not mean a 100% conversion of sales. Based on statistics, the majority of online viewers are impatient, in terms of looking through what they really want. When it comes to web visitors looking to make purchases, price and product are the first items and information that users look for. If people need to sift through a ton of animation or close out introduction videos before they can get to what they are really after, this could be a deterrent and turn people away from your website.

Load time is another drawback with Flash websites. Both users and search engines are not fans of sites that take longer to load. Google added load time as a signal in their search ranking algorithms over two years ago and it has stuck ever since. Flash sites take much longer to load than HTML sites. As a result, they have lower SEO rankings and less popularity among users.

At the end of the day, simpler is better when it comes to your website. Sure, Flash in websites is appealing and enticing for some audiences, but it does not mean it appeals to everyone. The important thing is that you utilize web development  and design techniques that are both SEO and user friendly.

Facebook’s new “Timeline”  feature is undeniably a craze that has taken the social media giant’s website by storm since its launch in March. There was some controversy about Timeline taking over the face of Facebook but now that the new look is front and center, let’s see how it is affecting the user experience and why it is important to understand this new feature as an online marketer. Here are some of the surprising things one should know about Facebook Timeline when it comes to social media marketing:

1. One new and enticing feature of Facebook Timeline is the cover photo. It’s a new feature that helps highlight your page, represent your brand, and gives curiosity to the viewer by applying Murphy’s Law to web design. Cover photo has a size of 851 x 315 pixels and can be very complicated because of its terms and conditions. To avoid risking your entire Facebook Timeline account, be sure to research the terms and conditions that Facebook has set out regarding what you can or cannot post here.

2. With Facebook Timeline, you can now customize your Facebook applications. By customizing your Facebook applications, you can create all of the call-to-actions and personalized icons you want. Your Facebook Timeline will appear more personal and organized according to your brand or personality, helping you stand out among competitors.

3. “Highlighting” and “pinning” are a few of the new most commonly used features available in Facebook Timeline. By “highlighting” and “pinning”, your key moments, important dates, cool pictures and links are emphasized throughout your social media campaign. Unlike the old Facebook, this format in Timeline gives you a unique and more strategic way of emphasizing your important moments or things you want to stand out.

4. As a Timeline user, you should become familiar with the Admin panel of your account. “New likes”, insights, personal messages and activity logs are just some of the great new features that help you observe your fans as well as the activity of your page.

5. With Facebook Timeline, Ads are even more important than before. Although it has to be approached differently, its importance gives highlight to the very use of Timeline. You can directly post your Ads to any of your chosen applications where a specific call-to-action is available. Also, with the help of your current fans, engagement may be more important than likes.

6. Another cool feature of Facebook Timeline is being able to enjoy your favorite songs and music along with your friends. Once you switch to Facebook Timeline, you are given ample time, probably seven days, wherein you can personalize and organize your profile in such a way that you want others to see it. Within this span of time, your Timeline will be invisible, giving you a chance to make another change that you want for your Timeline.

Although it might have caused some controversy at first, Facebook Timeline has certainly shaken things up in the social media world. Whether you are a fan or not; it is important to be aware of how Facebook’s Timeline can work for you and your page as an online marketer. Unlike the old Facebook format, with Timeline you are able to personalize your account and create a fresh, dynamic new Facebook profile, exactly the way you imagined it to be. Sometimes, change is good. Especially when it makes you appear more creative and more up to date. As a marketer, we all know that this is an essential aspect of success. So keep an open mind when it comes to managing your Timeline.

Your SEO strategy may not necessarily NEED a CMS. However, using the two together sure does make things a lot easier when it comes to Internet Marketing. A CMS, which stands for Content Management System, has been tagged as one of the first steps in any full comprehensive online marketing strategy, along with solving a lot of Internet marketing roadblocks. The CMS’s easy-to-use and customizable features allow websites to take SEO to the next level. Here are a few reasons why you should consider using a CMS to boost your SEO campaign.

1. Static is stupid - One of the most important factors of SEO, also known as Search Engine Optimization, is to avoid a static, stand still, boring website. Think of it this way – plants need sun and water so that they can get the nutrients they need to grow. If they don’t get either, they won’t grow. Now lets look at SEO. With SEO, in order for your website (a.k.a the plant) to rise in the rankings, you need your site to be seen (a.k.a get some sun). In order to get traffic you need pure, original content (a.k.a water). A CMS allows you to create vibrant and dynamic websites that are constantly changing with events, news, blogs, and more. This will allow your website to stay current and interesting. Otherwise you will either need to go into the files every day, pay someone to do it for you, or not update your site at all… Boring! Google thinks so too!
2. Meta is mighty – With a static website you’d have to go into the code and into every single page in order to change the keywords (Yes, I know maybe your programmer made it so that it’s all one page and it pulls it dynamically). But still, you have to go into the code. A lot of the time, I’m changing my keywords and page content around trying to see what works. How annoying would it be if you had to download each page? Using a CMS, allows you to easily change your meta tags, headers, and content. This makes your job less painful, and your goals much easier to accomplish.
3. Integration is important - With CMS’s it easily allows you to install modules or plugins that lets you install Google analytics. This easily allows you to also track certain pages differently, if needed. There are a ton of really cool modules for the major CMS systems that allows you to track your SEO right through your website or give you an SEO checklist of things that you can’t forget.
4. Sitemaps are serious – Ever try to maintain a sitemap of a site that changes content everyday by hand? Um, if you have that’s crazy. Especially because, a CMS will do everything for you. Just install the plugin and it will take care of the rest. No more worrying about keeping that thing up to date!
5. Redirects are ridiculous – If you’ve ever gone into the htaccess file it’s extremely easy to make a mistake and break your site. So now not only do you have your files, meta tags, sitemap, but the CMS lets add redirects to the maintenance list. So now you are spending all your time doing the tedious work that a CMS already does for you.
6. Clean is clever - CMS’s allows you to have clean beautiful URL’s that are easy to use and makes people remember. Instead of doing siteurl.com/thispage.php you can just have siteurl.com/thispage. This is much easier and better for the average user, who has no idea what PHP even is. Most people will probably forget it and type in html or just not go at all! Again, CMS makes SEO much easier!

There you have it. Six good reasons to use a CMS, especially if your doing SEO. While, I’m sure there are more reasons, these are the 6 I came up with. As I have written above, Content Management Systems such as Drupal and WordPress make  doing Search Engine Optimization a million times easier. It takes all the tedious and time consuming work away to allow you to focus on other important aspects of your website responsibilities.