If you’re a local business looking to rank first online there is a lot more to it then going to some $500 web designer or friend, throwing a few paragraphs together and hoping people find your web site and your offline business.A tiny proportion of web sites have no need to rank first on Google. But for the other 97% of websites out there trying to sell online or market for your offline business, your site absolutely must rank high on Google. AOL research shows a drop off in web traffic of 350% for each position on Google page rank.So how do can you make sure your website gets ranked high in Google??There are literally hundreds of thousands of web site designers out there. Most do make stunningly beautiful and semi-functional web pages. The problem for local businesses is that the most beautiful, functional website in the world is almost completely useless if it does not rank high for Google on the search terms that will sell your products or services.Most companies can readily get to position 1 for their own company name, but unfortunately that’s usually where the search results start and end. A smart thinking proactive SEO Web Design Company will make sure that your web site or web sites feature for not only your brand, but also your predominant products and services you are trying to sell.Even smarter web designers will customize the web design and SEO work so that you rank high for Google on a geo-targeted basis. That way when your customers enter your products and services and in your town, your company will not only come up first, but it will dominate most of the first page of Google.Lots of web designers that work for the big Web Design companies are show ponies of the industry. They create beautiful looking sites that when put up on a projector look fantastic. The ridiculous thing is that most small SEO Web Design Companies out rank the big players by more then 9-1 when it domes to ranking high for Google.Why do most the big Web Design Companies rank poorly? It’s a very simple answer. The big design companies use lots of Flash, graphics and tables to make the layout of their websites look pretty. The problem is Google doesn’t rank pretty sites. Google ranks functional and informative sites with proper SEO construction.So what does Google look for? The first things Google looks at are your domain name, your meta titles, descriptions and data, then the headings and then the keywords embedded in the text. The location of these keywords and the use of keywords as anchor text for links is of paramount importance.Lots of Web Design companies demand $3000 plus for a 4 page web site that is not even Search Engine Optimized. This is complete highway robbery. A great Search Engine Optimized website can be created for less then $800 and for a little over $1000 you can have an entire cluster of web sites and web assets driving highly targeted traffic to your money making site.
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Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!
He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.
But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.
Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!
Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.
We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.
Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.
Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!
But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.
Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.
Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.
And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.
All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.
He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.