Sure, it’s tempting. We’re all looking to save money and resources. But your presence is important. It may the first and only impression you offer prospective new customers, clients or vendors.

And we all know first impressions matter.

It Takes A Team

The demands of creating a high-performing site are too great for any one person to master–no matter how expert they may be. Some companies try to hire individual experts to cover each aspect of a state-of-the-art site.

But they quickly realize that when the parts are not working together, performance suffers, costs mount, and projects mire in delays. Building a highly functional, cost-effective Web presence that delivers strategic results truly does take a team.

Assembling Experts

An effective team includes systems engineers, software developers, user interface specialists, graphic designers, copywriters, search engine optimization professionals, and social media experts. In addition, you will need expert project managers that have the vision and skill to make sure every aspect of your Web presence works toward meeting your goals—while delivering your project on schedule and on budget.

Benefits of an Integrated Approach

Working with a partner like C4, you’ll have all the resources you need under one roof with all the pieces working together. You’ll have the ease and clarity of a single point of contact. Moreover, you can rest assured that the team will bring you:

• Ability to convey your brand visually
• Expertise in making your site easy to use
• Expertise in the programming languages and environments
• A deep understanding of Search Engine Optimization to bring traffic to your site, as well as reader engagement to keep visitors interested
• Social media innovation to help you connect to your audiences
• Data structures that can be mined to support a variety of corporate functions
• The know-how to make the latest innovations work with older technology
• The ability to resource fast, efficient hosting
• A secure, hacker-proof infrastructure
• Regular and tested back ups

Web Presence Management and Promotion

C4 has built its reputation on our ability to bring together cross-functional experts to focus on your strategy, your target audiences and your goals. The concept is simple, really. We combine a true team of experts, best-of-breed online tools, and proven processes and services to create a winning online presence. We manage the many specialties and intricate details of getting your business running efficiently online, and we make sure we reach your audiences and motivate them to take action.

Measurable Performance

We know your time is valuable and your resources are precious. We require minimal upfront investment. Our monthly packages are affordable, and every project is priced for clarity and value. Working with C4 frees you from having to chase down details so you can concentrate on results—results we guarantee.

Call us today at 949-829-1067. Your Web presence doesn’t have to be complicated and expensive. See how making it easy for you and is also about making it right.

SEO: Today’s Alternative to Yellow Pages

Where are people going to find local companies or specialist providers in a specific category? For most, people, it is search engines. Nielsen Megaview Search statistics show Google with a 65.4% share of searches, Yahoo with 15.3%, and Bing/MSN/Windows Live with 10.7%. Digital Yellow pages get barely .03% of online searches. The significant fact for most businesses is that mastering search engines is the only real alternative to the Yellow Pages–print or digital. Known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), managing your Web site for maximum find-ability has become the key to making your phone ring and getting leads. For businesses operating in a specific geographic area, such as Orange County, getting local search right is the key.

Getting Found on Search Engines (Search Engine Optimization or SEO)

Letting your fingers do the walking for most people today means typing in a few words into a search engine box and getting an instant list of results. For the searcher, it’s easy. For the Orange County business wanting to be found, using SEO to make it to the top of the list is a huge challenge. Putting an ad in the Yellow Pages was a simple, set-it-and-forget it project. Making sure your company shows up at the top of search engine results page (SERP) is a time consuming project involving key word research, optimized Web page copy and metadata, link building, and now social media engagement. Google uses 250 elements to calculate what Web sites get ranked at the top. While it is not rocket-science, most companies simply don’t have the wherewithal to do SEO right.

Three Things That Improve Find-ability and Drive Leads

1)  Make sure your company is listed with key search engines and local Orange County business directories. The easiest way to get started is to go to the Web site www.GetListed.org. This site will walk you through the process of getting listed with the most important search engines and will suggest dozens more directories that can help you. The site offers rich resources for helping you improve your company’s find-ability. Best of all, it is free.

2)  Improve on-site search engine optimization. If you have the time and inclination to do this work yourself, books like Search Engine Optimization for Dummies are a good way to start.  We also recommend our article “Major Components of Search Engine Marketing and Optimization” (http://c4development.com/services/seo-and-social-marketing/)

Make a minimum weekly commitment to work on your Web site. Unlike a Yellow Pages ad, SEO is not a one-time activity. You need to invest time and effort on an ongoing regular basis. For most companies, it makes sense to outsource SEO to a specialist agency. They follow search engine algorithm changes, keep abreast of industry best practices, and know how to work efficiently. You will get better results for less effort and fewer resources. We would be happy to talk to you about the various options—you can contact us here

3) Improve off-site search engine optimization. Some people will find your business through a search engine, others will find you through a referral. Referrals come from other Web sites that link to yours, often with a recommendation. Referrals often get you better qualified visitors with a real interest in your company. Your SEO how-to book will cover the basics of link building. Most SEO specialist agencies include getting links to your Web site as part of their regular service.

Making sure your business if found by your customers and prospects is the most important function of marketing today. Gone are the days when a simple ad in the phone book was all you needed. True, today’s world is requires more technical know-how and effort. The potential, however, is also greater. Have you thought about how digital marketing and search engine optimization can help you can engage more people more deeply than ever before?