Digital Media Services. Terri Goff Web Design Utica, New York

Digital Media Services understands the balance needed in creating your website. Content, keywords and Search Engine Optimization are all important factors in developing your website but what about the basics? The look, feel & usability of your website can either invite visitors or turn them away.

My name is Terri Goff. I started designing sites as a hobby a few years ago and since then have learned enough about web design to turn it into a side business to help people like you. I believe that you should have a professional looking website that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I also offer photography services to help compliment your website (see examples of my website photography for CharlottesCreekside.com, TuscanSuites.com, ILoveSylvanBeach.com & CrosswindsCottage.com in my website portfolio below). I do offer minimal design services for logos and artwork but suggest using an ad agency like The M & G Group for more comprehensive design services and publication jobs.

I have also teamed up with a programmer that develops MySQL database and PHP applications WintersWebs.com. This allows me to offer you a full array of services that make your website dynamic (interactive) for end users. One of the most exciting products developed by WintersWebs is called The EZ Webitor. Applying EZ Webitor to your website allows you full editing control of your website through an administrative login screen. Check out their website to try it for yourself.

I am also excited to have found someone local who specializes in Search Engine Optimization. Rob Thrasher is an original founder of the Search Marketing industry as referenced in The New York Times in 1996. With thousands of articles, books and marketing research published through well-respected publications such as Marketing Sherpa, Web Pro News, Direct Marketing News and hundreds of other publishing entities. Rob also authored research material published in 'Search Marketing Metrics,' one of the most respected reference publications in the Search Marketing industry.

Whether your internet solution is small or complex, Digital Media Services & our team of supporting experts may have just the solution you need. Feel free to drop me a line to talk more about your website and how I might be able to help you. cyberdiva77@gmail.com.

What I Feel Are Important Factors In Designing Your Website:

Your website should reflect your business...
Using your business� logo and color scheme is important. I believe these things should remain consistent throughout the design of your website as they help to support your identity online.

Your website should be geared towards your customers...
You know your customers better than anyone, let me help you gear your website toward their specific needs and desired preferences.

Your website should be easy to navigate...
I like to make everything easily accessible to the user. I believe that no one should have to dig for links to get around your website. I find that this is one of the single largest complaints of most end users. If I use a flash animated menu, I like to offer text links as well for those few users who do not have flash installed on their computer.

Your website should load relatively quickly...
Optimizing your graphics is important in reducing your website's load time. There is a fine line between optimizing and over-optimizing web graphics and I try to stay on that line. I also like to add some highlights of flash animation, as long as it doesn't cause your site to take a long time to load. In some cases I've created intros with an option for the user to skip directly to the site.

Your website should operate in most browsers...
There are a number of different browsers out there. The most popular web browser is still Microsoft�s Internet Explorer but browsers like Firefox and others are gaining popularity every day. With so many browsers out there, I believe in testing your website on most major browsers to be sure everything appears correctly. Another factor is the display size that people choose for their browser. Some people still use 800 X 600 pixels display settings, I try to keep this in mind so these users don't have to scroll left to right on the bottom of the page in order to view your website.

Your website should include searchable content...
Some of the newer website programming software offers designers WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) designing capabilities, however designing a site that is one large photo divided into sections is not recommended if you�re concerned about your search engine placement. Many search engines not only look at the meta tags in your website code but also check text content while trying to locate your website in order to rank it properly.

You should have meta tags on your website...
Your title, keywords and description located in your html are important factors in telling search engines where you are and what you do. It�s not only important to have the meta tags on the home page but other pages too so they can be indexed as well.

Your website should be submitted to search engines
Some websites offer you free submissions to a number of search engines. There are hundreds of search engines out there but you want to submit to as many as possible. Some companies offer paid site submission but it�s important to know which ones are legitimate in helping you get ranked. One service that is affordable and works for most search engines is Hypersubmit which will do monthly search engine submissions for you from $39 - $199/year. Ask me about getting involved in the Google AdWords program to help speed up your Google rankings.

Your site should have Google Sitemap submitted...
Sitemaps are being used more and more to help search engines in their indexing process. I usually generate ror.xml and/or Google sitemap.xml files, upload them to your site and verify them for you.

Don't Already Have a Domain Name?
I Can Help You Choose One That's Right For Your Business...
There are few different factors in coming up with the right domain name. Domain names are yet another thing that search engines consider when ranking your website. If you're concerned about search engine optimization, I can help you choose a domain name that will include your keywords of interest. The length of your domain name along with it's memorability are also important. I found a great resource for helping you create a domain name from your keywords of preference: DomainsBot.com is a great place to start. After you choose your desired domain name, come back to: Digital Media Services Domain Registration (just $9/year). You'll also need a hosting service, this is where all the files that make up your website will be located on a sever. Hosting plans are also available starting at just $20/year.