Content Management System 2 - Old City Web Services

Managing Your WordPress Website

February 11, 2015 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Creating a website for your business can be a great step toward growing your audience, spreading information about who you are and what you do as a company, and increasing your online presence and ultimately your business' bottom line. The fact is that simply creating a website and sending it off into cyberspace is not all that it takes to help your business. Here are some best tips for managing your WordPress site to optimize it and keep it helping you meet your business' goals.

Publish

Publishing new, fresh content to your site regularly is one of the top tips for keeping your site optimized. To keep people visiting your site and to keep your search engine ranking high, new content is key. When your site is first started you probably have a lot of great ideas - store some in your back pocket for later instead of using them all up right away.

Spread the Word

There are numerous ways to keep your website viewers up to date on what is happening and to keep them in the loop as you make updates to content. Offering an email newsletter for viewers to subscribe to and setting up social media pages are two big ones. The key with using social media is to select what content you share wisely, so you get the most bang for your buck. Know your audience and what they respond to, what they are going to click on, and what will get them involved.

Keep Things Running Smoothly in the Background

Some of the most important things you can do for your WordPress website are things that no one else can see. Updates: Updating your version of WordPress as well as your theme and plugins will help keep your site running smoothly and securely. WordPress updates fix bugs in code, keep security tight, and add features to what you are already using. From the get-go, creating a site that will perform well and is set up for increased traffic is important, too. This can be accomplished through setting specific objectives when your site is created. Search Engine Optimization will attract more visitors, Google Analytics will allow you to track users, conversions, and bounce rates. Having your site optimized to perform well across all platforms is important as well.

Keep it Secure

Having enhanced site security is one thing that many website owners overlook, and it can make or break your website. Keeping hackers and spammers at bay will make the user experience better and will give you far fewer headaches on a day-to-day basis. Secure site hosting and management that includes locking down parts of the site to keep unwanted attacks at bay is integral to keeping your site functioning optimally day in and day out.

All of these features - updates, social media, secure website management, and creating compelling content - are tools that we at Old City Web Services are able to provide you to help keep your website optimized. Please don't hesitate to contact us via email or phone to set up an appointment to help you with your website today!

Holiday Marketing Tip Challenge

November 20, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

FACT: St. Augustine attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each holiday season.

Whether a visitor stays for one night or all month, it is widely known that during the holidays, tourism in the nation's oldest city is thriving. If you own a B&B, restaurant or tour company, you're probably busy answering the phone and responding to email inquires this time of year.

Even though you're busy, don't forget to engage your customers with holiday marketing initiatives! This season, Old City Web Services challenges you to try at least one of these three marketing tips. Test it out and then shoot us an email or give us a call to let us know if it was a success!

1. Dress-up your Facebook page

As you dress your turkey for Thanksgiving, why not dress-up your Facebook and Twitter pages while you're at it! Create a holiday-themed cover photo that includes one incentive to customers--a promotion, discount or giveaway. What better way to engage customers while getting into the holiday spirit at the same time.

Not sure what a Facebook cover photo is? Old City Web Services specializes not only in custom design, but in Social Media too! Contact Us for more info.

2. Invite your website to the party!

Is your website holiday-ready? Make sure your site is updated with holiday flare, such as photos from Nights of Lights, a video featuring how to make a delicious holiday treat or a new Christmas package/special. Add a minimum of one piece of holiday flare to your website that will let customers know you're the go-to business to visit during their stay in St. Augustine.

Do you have the flare, but not the web expertise? Contact Us for a quote on giving your site that extra holiday glitz you need!

3. Give thanks to your customers

This is the perfect time of year to give thanks to those who love and support, not only you, but your business too! Send out an email to your past and present customers, letting them know you appreciate their brand loyalty. It's almost guaranteed this will bring back at least one new sale or prospect. After all, what harm can it do? If anything, you will put smiles on your customers faces...what more could you ask for?

No way of getting the message out? Old City Web Services can design an e-mail template using your photos, logo and colors & text, upload your contact list(s) and send out a mass e-mail blast to all your customers for you! Contact Us for more info.

CMS Update Management

November 6, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

The importance of staying on top of site updates

One of the many services Old City Web Services, Inc. offers our clients is Quarterly Content Management System (CMS) Update Management. It is important to update both the version of your website and all of the plug-ins as a preventative maintenance measure to lower the risk of potential security issues.

During the unfortunate event when a website is compromised, not only can valuable content and prospects be lost, but it can also decrease your website's position in search engine rankings. Google actually de-indexes sites with malicious code on them, therefore when such code is placed on your site, you can almost guarantee your placement in Google search results will weaken.

Furthermore, updates aren't always compatible with existing themes or plugins, consequently causing problems to arise with the functionality of your site. Unfortunately, WordPress does not provide an easy way to "roll back" updates; therefore it can be a time-consuming and often times scary task if you do not have a reliable way to first conduct a backup on a secure server. Old City Web Services will always keep a recent backup of your site prior to completing these updates. This means if there are any issues, we can easily restore your website immediately.

Let us help you manage your CMS updates for you. This service includes updating the WordPress core, all plugins and the removal of any spam comments when necessary. Each quarter, we will ensure your site is completely clean and updated.

Want to learn more about our new CMS Update Management service? Contact Us today to learn more!

Need help updating your site

October 23, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Nobody likes to see outdated / false information on a company or organization's website. If your site currently has inaccurate information, such as dates, prices or ancient photos, it's time to think about an easier way to maintain this valuable investment of yours.

Setting aside time to update your site is often difficult for small business owners, especially when many already exceed 40+ hours a week running their business. Sometimes it's much easier (and more efficient) to let the professional manage it for you...and that's where we come in! Old City Web Services offers a monthly or quarterly update service for Content Management System websites. Let us spend a few hours each month or a little more each quarter, freshening up your site with new photos, updated pricing sheets, specials, media, links and more. These updates will help ensure customers keep coming back to your site. There is no better way to get repeat visitors than by making sure your site presents a new or different experience for users.

How does this work you may ask? First, we'll take a look at your website and then come up with a customized, viable and affordable plan that will suit your needs and schedule best. All you have to do is shoot us a quick email to: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com with the subject line "Help me update my site" and include your website URL and the best way/time to reach you. Our Project Manager will be in touch shortly to discuss!

Out with the old…in with the New

June 6, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

How can you really tell if your marketing efforts are outdated? We've developed a simple check list to help you determine if how you're running your small (or big) business is in-line with the newest technology and innovative marketing trends. Note: If you answer "Yes" to any of these categories below, pick up the phone and contact us today--we're here to help!

You don't remember what your website looks like....if you can no longer remember the details of what your site looks like, then it is safe to say that you haven't visited your own website in a while--quite possibly a long while and I bet it could use some major updating! Ask yourself: What images are on my homepage? What pages are included in my navigation? Here are a few more key signs your site is outdated:

You have a starburst on your site
Your color palette includes fluorescents
There is not a functioning navigation
You have broken links
You cannot view your site from an iPhone or iPad

You lost rankings when Google Places was launched...Google launched a game-changing search process in 2011 called Google Places. In order to capture more of the lucrative local search audience, Google started to integrate places results with organic rankings (rather than simply showing a map with markers). What does this mean for your SEO? Google Places listings can dominate the entire first page of search results pushing the link to your company's website further down the list.

The administrator of your company Facebook page is no longer with the company...if you no longer remember the logins to your company's social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter or otherwise), you're officially outdated. Even if your Facebook page looks nice and people continue to interact with it, you're still missing the ball by not engaging with your consumers. Social media might not generate the same ROI as traditional direct response channels, but that doesn't mean there is no value.

Your search traffic directs to your homepage...if you are not using landing pages to create cohesive campaigns, you can guarantee users are bouncing off your site as fast as they arrive. You can do all the keyword research you want, but if you aren't using landing pages that are aligned with your keyword approach, you're not running an effective end-to-end paid search campaign. When paying for online ads or promotions, it's important to consider the path your users are taking to convert.

You're not taking advantage of online advertising...small businesses have a tremendous resource at their disposal: the internet. Without a doubt, the internet provides the best forum for small business advertising. Here are a few reasons why entrepreneurs should look toward the internet to advertise their business:

More and more consumers look to the internet for their purchasing-it's convenient, fast and online sales are generating billions of dollars each year.
The Internets scope is world-wide--businesses can expand their customer base across the globe and customers can make purchases anytime, anywhere 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There is a wide variety of internet ad options-banner ads, promotional, newsletter, social media, audio/video...just to name a few!

Keeping a marketing plan fresh by adding or adjusting key ingredients is a constant and timely job and unfortunately it is not always made a top priority for many small businesses. Why not make the step in the right direction today by letting Old City Web Services and OldCity.com help turn your marketing efforts around? After all, we're a local, small business too! The difference is we specialize in web development, internet advertising and integrated marketing...and we love what we do! Contact us today by giving us a call: 904.829.2772 or emailing us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com.

eCommerce + Content Management

April 3, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

With more and more people shopping online, considering an eCommerce shopping cart system for your website may be just what you need. Integrating an eCommerce system into your existing site will allow you to sell your products or services online and keep the same look and feel of your current site. Whether its books, accessories, groceries, clothes and more, the Internet allows consumers to purchase products quickly and get it shipped within a matter of days.

Here is a list of some eCommerce features:

Unlimited number of products
Products assigned to an unlimited number of categories
Multiple product images
Ability to highlight featured products
Generate discount coupon codes and gift certificates
Several online payment modules
FedEx and UPS shipping calculation
Inventory tracking
Password-protected administrative access
Google Analytic's integration
Dashboard widgets to easily view sales and product history
Control the cart from anywhere in the world using your web browser

*Not all of these features are included in our eCommerce systems, therefore additional charges may apply for select features.

ECommerce systems are considered to be a cost-effective and favorable alternative for small businesses who wish to expand nationally and larger businesses who wish to expand internationally.

Old City Web Services offers eCommerce solutions that fit your specific business needs. Not only will we add the first 5 products to your online store, but we'll teach you how to manage it yourself! Let us help you expand your growth and become more profitable by giving us a call at: 904.829.2772 or emailing us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com to set up your free consultation!

Outdated website? Why you should consider Content Management

March 6, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Is your website outdated or at least 5 years old? Before you answer this question, click on this link and read the article titled: Top 10 Signs Your Outdated Website is Due for a Re-Design and then you will really know if your site is in dire need of a new system or not. Here are 3 signs the article discusses that will reinforce the fact that your site needs some freshening up:

Your website is made entirely in Flash:

Yes, you want to stand out and attract people on the web, but I promise you Flash is not the way to do it. The reality is that Flash sites are dying...and they're dying quickly. News Flash (pun intended)-- keeping a Flash-based website will only be detrimental to your rankings, but incompatible with most mobile devices (i.e. your iPhone or iPad)!

There are no "Calls-To-Action":

Let's face it--your website must serve a purpose or there's really no reason in having one. Each site has a goal and as soon as someone lands on your Home page, this goal should be prominent. For example: if your goal is to promote current specials / discounts, you may want to include a custom image that when clicked, links to a printable coupon.

All the content on your site is static:

Are you able to easily update your own website? The best websites thrive by providing relevant and timely content that will engage visitors and keep them coming back for more. A Content Management System allows your business to promptly and simply update fresh new content whenever you'd like.

If you would like more information on how Old City Web Services can give you a fresh new website, call us: 904.829.2772 or email us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com to set up your free consultation.

Time for a Complete Website Re-Design?

November 7, 2012 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Design...it all starts with a concept

...The concept behind a website will drive every other element. Your sites single purpose for existence is to promote your products and services to increase revenue and awareness. In order to do this, you must get visitors to your site, gain your audience's attention and give them more reasons to stay longer and come back more often. The look & feel and consistency of your websites theme is essential in having a successful site. Let us help you improve your site with a fresh, new re-design.

Widgets, plug-in's & more

Mobile Plug-In's...with more and more people searching the web via mobile devices every day, it's become critical to ensure that your website will be easily navigable by mobile users on their iPhone, iPad, smart phone or other device. It operates off the same domain you use for your full size website. Mobile users will also have the opportunity to view your full site if they choose.

Widgets....allow users to turn personal content into dynamic web apps. Web widgets are intended for use on webpages and have major implications in areas such as site performance, SEO and back-link campaigns. Here are a few widgets we recommend & can include in your site's re-design proposal:

The Social Pad is a 9-1 social network browser widget that allows you to display your accounts on 9 different social networks all within the same space.
The Blogger Buzz will help you get the most visibility for your content, while eliminating the need for any manual updating or management. With this widget, we can enter your blog feed, design the look and feel of the widget & access unique stats.
Google Site Translater allows you to open your site to viewers across the globe! Visitors can click on their country's flag to view any page of your site in their language (English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian sites).

Our re-design process

Our project manager and our highly skilled graphic designers will discuss with you your website's professional image and what you want your visitors to experience. Using your logo, images and color palettes, our designer will create a custom design that will focus your visitors on your business, the ultimate purpose of your site. We will then present you with a conceptual design of your site for your approval prior to programming your site's new look.

Our price

Our design and development fees are estimated on a per client basis, determined by the number of pages and site functionality. Contact us for a free consultation to get started.

Give us a call: 904-867-4112 or send us an email: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com for more info on re-designing your company website.

Take Your Website Outside!

August 8, 2012 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

40% of OldCity.com's Traffic in July was Mobile.

Step out on St. George Street on a busy Saturday and you won't have to wait more than five minutes to see someone searching the web on a smart phone. Mobile devices are becoming incredibly popular for people on the go, and visitors to St. Augustine are no exception.

In the month of July, OldCity.com received over 19,000 visits from mobile devices -- 40% of our total unique visits for the entire month.

iPhones and iPads lead the way.

Of our 19,000+ visits from mobile devices, more than 13,000 of them came from iPhones and iPads. With Apple products dominating the mobile scene, that means we all have to be cautious about using Flash and other components on our websites that do not work with Apple devices.

If your website has a lot of Flash -- a type of programming that makes your website look animated -- mobile visitors on Apple devices will have trouble using it. This may translate to lost business for you, which is why it's so important to keep with the times and have a mobile website.

Our solution: It's time for an all-in-one upgrade.

In about eight weeks' time we can give your entire website an upgrade with a new look & feel, new content management system (which gives you the option of making your own updates) and a clean, easy to use mobile website.

Our mobile website plug-in takes the content from your regular website and automatically converts it for mobile users. You don't have to have a second site, you don't have to make updates twice, everything is controlled under one roof with one easy solution.

Test drive some of our mobile sites by visiting the sites below on your computer and a mobile device to compare:

oldcitywebservices.com
sunsetgrillea1a.com
atjourneysend.com

To receive more info, pricing or ask questions about our mobile website options, please give us a call or send us an e-mail:

904-867-4112

letusmarketyou@oldcity.com.

News, Notes & Content Management Systems

June 13, 2012 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Our workshops are continuing to grow!

Yesterday we followed up the success of our Facebook workshops by hosting our first Google Analytics Business Clinic. Our clients in attendance learned all about using statistics gathered from their website to improve their web presence, convert more customers and build their business.

We will be announcing another Google Analytics seminar soon, as well as additional workshops with new topics. If you have a topic suggestion or would like to find out more about signing up, please give us a a call or send us an e-mail!

A new content management site for Rodbender!

Our friends at Rodbender Fishing Charters have a new home on the web with a built-in content management system. The optimized website features a photo gallery, contact form, custom Facebook icon and more! Visit the new website to see what OCWS put together for Captain Chuck and his crew.

The new Rodbender site is also hosted by Old City Web Services, which includes a link and listing on OldCity.com. Since we added the link a month ago, the new Rodbender website has seen a major increase in visits just from OldCity.com referrals!

If your website isn't listed on OldCity.com, call us to find out how you can be added.

How can a content management system save you money?

The benefits of a content management system on your website are endless. In addition to the ease of use the system provides for making changes and updates to your site, it can also save you money.

How? Well, even if you don't have the time to make website updates yourself, we can make your changes faster using the content management system. Reducing our time reduces your cost as well, which means savings for you!

We're always here to help. If you'd like more information about content management systems, give us a call and we'll be glad to answer all of your questions.