# suggestions



## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

I'm open for any constructive suggestions on my site.

web-friend.com

especially anything that would help in the search engine world where I would be found a little easier.


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Your title is probably *the* most important bit in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Yours isn't too good. The biggest mistake by almost everyone is putting their company name, or website name in the Title field. Unless you are Microsoft or Coca-cola, it won't help your Search. Use your Meta "description" text as your title, and include your webname if it makes you feel better.

And, I ain't helpin you no more till you get that TSG link up their!!!


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

ty for suggestion.

and I do have you linked to the

webmaster links

Be happy to put a link to the site on the "" page as well if you think that would be better.friends

Just that I figured you'd be more likely to get click-thru from the other.


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Heheh, I actually never looked in your top right area of the "Banner" part of the site, but instead went straight to Links in the Kwik Jump, and on from there.

and I was joking, BTW, just that I saw you post that you were adding a link to TSG on your site, then I couldn't find it.

I think you have an awesome site, but would take more time then I have right now to go through it all. The book I suggested will help a lot, and you will get great ROI using it's information.


BOL,

Randy


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## Snake~eyes (Apr 18, 2002)

Meta tags aren't really used that much anymore from what I've read up on.

The best way is to get good incoming links and content on your site. You can also submit it to search engines, though this is pretty dull and boring to do, it will get you more hits.

Like I said try to get your site link on other sites. Affiliates/friends that kind of stuff and you will get into search engines this way.


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

Bingo Snake - that's what I've been seeing as well. (and I was just gettin the hang of the meta-tag thing) .. lol

But in doin a little research on this whole link exchange stuff - I've seen a few things that made me go hmmmmm.....

One in particular, offers to manage your links for you, hosts your link page on their site, and you put a link on your site to your link page on their site. Everyone has a different folder/directory.

I would think that most search engines would see that as tons of folks linked to them - and If I link to another person that uses them - once again - another link for the link farm. And to boot, I would think that search engines would only see me as linked to that "link farm" and not the other persons site (since it's just another folder)

ahhh .... that felt good to get that off my chest.

LOL


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search/ukie?p=link:www.web-friend.com

just in case you didn't know about this handy search feature. It lets you know who is linking to your site. Course it also picks up links to your site within your site.


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## Shadow2531 (Apr 30, 2001)

The index page's white background is kind of killer on the eyes.

Also the drop down menu effect needs to go a little quicker.

Besides that it's pretty decent.


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

ty all for your time.
I didn't know about the yahoo recip. link site, although I did have the all the web, msn, and google ones.

darker background eh? .... maybe something inbetween. I was taught old school that personal pages are dark - more professional pages are white - guess I'm outta touch with times maybe.

And I'll take a look at drop down menu (but at least I don't have it on home page).

TY again all for your time and comments - I always do appreciate it.


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## Snake~eyes (Apr 18, 2002)

That's generally true but thats really trend I guess.

Generally personal sites are done by more unproffesional designers, there for they don't really know whats good so they do the dark stuff but I think the white i sgood.

The only problem is it clashes with the dark black and blue header at the top. Lighten one or darken the other.

-Snake~eyes


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

hmmmmm...... VERY good suggestion, Thank you


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## brendandonhu (Jul 8, 2002)

It doesn't matter how many pages link to your page, its the importance of the pages that link to your page (at least this is part of Google's algorithm).
If a list of link-exchange sites links to your site, it doesn't help much because those pages are not "important" to google. If your site was linked to from the main page of yahoo... that would improve a lot becuase Yahoo! is an important page to google for several reasons.
It is updated often, has many visitors, and is linked to by important pages.

so don't bother with tricking search engines and taking advantage of weaknesses in their algorithm so you can take over the top spots. The best method is to have a good website with content and maybe get a few of your friends to link to it


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

yep, I kind of wondered. I had posted a "trade links" page a while back, and then a couple weeks or so ago, I got a request to exchange links. No problem - I exchange links with the guy and I noticed that where he put my link wasn't really on his domain. It was at somelinkplace.com/his_site - I didn't think much about it at the time.

Then about a week or so ago - I start getting all these requests to add their link to my site - and "TONS" of them are all inside this same domain (not all - but a lot) - so I started looking around a little bit. I don't mind exchanging links with folks - but geeesssshhhhhh ...... 5000 links inside the same link farm doesn't do anything for me. And I suspect the most of the folks that are requesting links don't really understand how them requesting links is only helping this linkservice - not them.


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## Shadow2531 (Apr 30, 2001)

I agree with Snake~eyes.

You can keep the white, if you adjust the other colors to make the whole scheme work great for YOU and for your visitors.

This forum has a white background, but the rest of the colors go together great which makes it easy on the eyes.


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

That was definately the ticket and what was bugging me about the home page - and as soon as he said that about the stark contrast between the white and the header - I knew that was the problem.

Back to the drawing board, and some time in psp I guess to come up with something a little different, a little lighter.

And thanks again for taking the time to look folks, I really do appreciate it.


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## Snake~eyes (Apr 18, 2002)

There's another problem, you're using PSP


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

I know ... I have a copy of photoshop, just never learned it. I liked the low-overhead and short learning curve of psp. Actually, when I want to do something that psp won't do, I revert back to Corel


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

ok - I've made the adjustments per the suggestions ... is it better?

I kinda did a little of both - darkened the page and lightened the header.

I had one person tell me it was too even, and that everything shouldn't be so symeterical?

web-friend.com


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## Shadow2531 (Apr 30, 2001)

It's definitely better on the eyes.

Now it needs something else. Maybe some different borders or something. Not totally sure I love the granit background. It's not bad, just not great.

on the sitemap page, I really like the brnpaper.gif background with the blue links. That part looks sharp.


On the front page, a bgcolor of silver looks nice, but it's too plain and clashes with the rest.

The brnpaper.gif as a background for the front page would look nice. You would have to change the whspec.jpg for the other two backgrounds to something else though and tweak a little.

That just my opinion.


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

THe header graphic is a little warbly...technical term....LOL










Needs to be cleaned up a bit


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

looking up "warbly" ......

warbly war'.blee: Adj., Not quite right.

lol - yep, I agree, and I will get back to that. I could have gotten it cleaner from the get go if I would have stuck with straight lines, but I wanted a curve - so now I need to clean it up. To be honest, it'll probably be another week or so before I get back to that particular graphic though - I want to redo the flash page, add some things to the search directory in my help files, and I need to get a few new things posted in my members section. I know that a true web-site is never "completed", it's always a work in progress. I have to admit - just the few little suggestions that you folks here have made have really guided me in the direction I was looking for.

Thank you again,
Ched


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Search Engine Optimization Tips

Search Engine Secrets

http://searchenginewatch.com/

http://www.web-ignite.com/editorial.html

thought y'all might find these interesting.


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

TY Randy - the submit it site tips page was one I hadn't seen, although I had used them in the past for submission.

the searchenginewatch page should be a bookmark to any webmaster no doubt.

Don't know if you caught other posts, or just a hunch, but the entire "search" thing has been my topic of interest here lately. Other than submitting once every 3 or 4 months, and having some keywords and various meta tags - I had never really paid much attention to detail since my domain was more of a hobby then anything.

So, Thanks again for the links - good ones.

Ched


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Actually, I had noticed the other posts, and when I came across those gems Yesterday, automatically thought of you. Since this post had the most activity, and my additions were still on topic, and I wanted to let as many people know about them . . . I posted it here, instead of the SEO thread you had started ages ago.

BOL!


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## AtreideS (Aug 20, 2001)

All in all a very nice site. It's very clear and easy to find everything. The white background also makes all the writing clear and easy to read (although a bit bright when its late and night and the room is dark ).
One thing I did notice though: "You want quality content, and professional web design. Inside you'll find it: free online help files, original 3D wallpaper, java music rooms, search tools, computer and Internet services, links galore, and more. 

Already a member?"

I'm not a english grammar expert. But shouldn't there be a question mark after that first sentence? Or are you telling everyone that they DO want quality content.
Other than that your site is quite nice, and the domain name will attract alot of people I'm sure. I know if I did a search for 'online help files' and found a site called 'Web-Friend' and another called 'Cold and Harsh Help Files', I'd choose your site. The name is just so... friendly.
Good work. I'm going to add your site to my favourites so I can check back.


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