How to Invite Facebook Friends to Your Facebook Business Page

When you first create a Facebook page for your business, you're missing the key ingredient to building a good community right off the bat -- people! Luckily, you probably have some some friends and family who take an interest in what you do and would be happy to show their support as you build up your base of users. Using a built-in invite feature in Facebook, you can invite your current friends in a few steps.

1) Sign in to Facebook and click on your page's name under the "Pages" section on the left side of the screen.

2) Click the "Build Audience" menu option at the top of the screen. This will open a drop-down menu. From there, click "Invite Friends."

3) Show all of your friends by clicking the "Recent Interactions" button near the top of the box, and then clicking "Search All Friends."

4) Click the check box next to the friends you'd like to invite to your new Facebook page.

5) Click the "Submit" button when finished. The friends you selected will be invited to like your page.

WebDrafter.com, a PA Web design company, helps companies create better looking websites, improve search engine placements, and build up online communities on networks like Facebook and Twitter. Interested in learning more about how we can help your business? Get in touch today at (866) 421-3723.

5 Reasons Your Search Engine Ranking is a Big Deal

Chances are, if you're here, you found this blog post through a search engine and might already be sold on the importance of search engine rankings and search engine optimization's role in improving them. You may have a partner or supervisor, however, who doesn't quite see the need to spend time and resources on optimizing your website to increase traffic from search engines. We've compiled a list of five facts that your search engine ranking is a big deal.

1) Approximately 42% of search engine users click on the #1 ranked site after a search. The second result gets 8%.

2) 62% of users will click a link on the first page of the search results.

3) 40% of SEO campaigns achieve a return on investment (ROI) of 500%. Compare that to pay-per-click campaigns (PPC) -- only 22% of those campaigns reach that lofty mark.

4) Organic search results convert users into buyers at a rate 25% higher than PPC campaigns.

5) 77% of search engine users will click an organic search result over a paid result.

While pay-per-click advertising is a nice supplement to an advertising and marketing campaign, search engine optimization efforts convert more users and reach a high return-on-investment a lot more quickly. WebDrafter.com, a PA Web design company, also specializes in SEO and SEM. Interested in improving your search placements? Call us today at (866) 421-3723.

Quick Twitter Tips

Just starting out on Twitter? It's a thriving, growing network, and a great channel for reaching out and interacting with past, present, and potential customers, as well as the members of your community. Just creating an account and firing out updates (called "tweets") isn't enough, though. There are right and wrong ways to use the service as a business. Here are two quick tips.

Tweet as a person. Given the choice, most Twitter users would rather connect with a person over a faceless entity. Use the bio section to let users know who's behind the account. If multiple users will be updating the account, consider marking each tweet with a set of initials at the end to let users know a different employee is at the helm.

Example: @Pandora_Radio

Reach out. Many businesses and websites are tempted to use Twitter as a way to broadcast information about themselves as though it's a bullhorn. Resist this temptation. Take part in conversations with your users and those in your community.

Example: @MidtownEats

Keep checking back here for more website and social networking tips, and remember to check out WebDrafter.com for all of your PA Web design needs!

Why Have a Website Redesign?

So, the website you had built for your business is finally starting to show its age.

The look, which was "in" at the time, has gone out of style like the Web design version of bell bottoms. The sidebar is littered with links to sites that no longer exist. Your header has social media icons for networks that no one is using anymore. And your content hasn't been refreshed since the day it was first written. Traffic has dropped, conversions have dropped, and your company's credibility is on thin ice.

If you can relate to even one of these scenarios, or something similar, it's probably time for a redesign.

The basis behind a redesign is always based upon improvement. There is something that can be improved, or many things that can be improved, but that's where the journey always begins. If you break it down even more, you might find it necessary to have your site redesigned for:

• Sales optimization
• Better organization of information
• Rebranding
• Staying current with Web design best practices

Regardless of your motivation, again, you'll always find it is based around the idea that your website can be improved in some way.

Are you looking to improve your current website? Get in touch with PA Web design company WebDrafter.com at (866) 421-3723

Internet Marketing: What to Avoid Doing in Your Campaign

Getting your website to the top of the search engines is a great feeling. However, watching your online presence languish below the top results is frustrating, and can be almost enough to swear you off using the Internet to market your business.

It's understandable, but the rewards of Internet marketing are so great, that you can't avoid them. So, if your efforts are not getting you where you want, your campaign might include strategies that should be stayed away from. Here are 10 mistakes many make when going forward with an online marketing campaign:

1. You decide to go it alone
   Internet marketing might seem easy enough. Do a few things here and there, and instant success, right? Not exactly. There are things you can do yourself, but Internet marketing companies exist because they know proper techniques. Deciding to throw caution to the wind and not obtain some form of professional help can lead you to implement techniques which will hurt you in the long run, and can take a while to fix.
2. You have a website, and that's it
   Yes, the most essential step of Internet marketing is to have a website that looks great and serves readers well. But, if that's all you have, then you're likely to not see the search engines – and potential customers – respond. With so many websites out there, you need to give yourself a competitive advantage and begin marketing online.
3. Your website has no clear call to actions
   You want people to come to your website. But, once they're on it, what should they do? Not directing people to certain pages (notably those where they can request contact from you or buy products) is a mistake that will leave you without an ROI. Your website should contain clear call to actions so your visitors know what to do.
4. You don't know what your competitors are up to
   You need to be aware of your competition, and keep an eye on them. If you're not, you could be losing business without even knowing it. Checking on your competitors to see what they're doing and whether it's working can provide you with ideas for strategies, especially if they're forgetting to promote a popular product or service.
5. You're copying content from other websites
   One of the worst thing any website can have is duplicate content. The three major search engines (especially Google) heavily frown upon plagiarism. If you're swiping text and pictures from other websites, it's time to get in touch with a professional Internet marketing company to begin putting together original content.
6. Your website contains false information
   The Internet loves nothing more than to expose liars and phonies. Your website needs to have true information. If you're promoting products and services with inaccurate information, you're just asking for trouble, and need to rectify this immediately.
7. You don't have a presence on social media
   It's not enough to just promote your services and wares, but you have to engage persons in a conversation about them. Social media engagement has become a big factor in proper Internet marketing and SEO, so if you're not using social media to get your message out there, you're missing out a big customer base.
8. You're not aligning your efforts
   The efforts you make for your online marketing campaign should all align with each other. You have big news on your website? Put it in a blog, then put information out on social media and social bookmarking websites. To obtain optimum results, everything needs to work in coordination.
9. You're not paying attention to search engine trends
   What worked in Internet marketing a year ago, or even a month ago, might not work now. Paying attention to search engine marketing trends for changes to algorithms and techniques can help you to maximize your efforts, and not waste time on practices that no longer generate the same bang.
10. You gave up too quickly
    It's all about patience. While there are things you can do to obtain immediate results, the vast majority of Internet marketing should be centered on establishing your website in a position that will generate good, long-term value, and not just a one-time increase.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know on our Facebook page, on Twitter (@WebDrafter) or by adding us to your circles on Google+.