Best Practices

Best PracticesEnd of Official Support for Internet Explorer 6 and Older Browsers

NetStrategies is ending official support for Internet Explorer 6 and other older web browsers effective June 15, 2010.

Newer browser versions provide a significantly better online experience because of their improved features and security. As the web continues to change and evolve, more complex applications and functions are now available and are a key component of a modern fully functional website.

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Best PracticesInternet Marketing Services Uninterrupted During D.C. Blizzard of 2010

Internet Marketing Best Practices with Rodney Loges

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benmurray/4346823749/


The Federal Government was snowed in a few weeks ago (February) during the now infamous Washington, D.C. Snowstorm of 2010. Many organizations closed for a day or two, as did public transportation.
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Best PracticesSet Measurable Goals and KPIs to Create Online Success

Internet Marketing Best Practices with Laurie Dunlop

How do you ensure online success? You set measurable goals and key performance indicators, or KPIs, to drive those goals.
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Best Practices20 Happy Thoughts for Internet Marketers

Internet Marketing Best Practices by Laure Dunlop

The winter doldrums are officially here. Momentum for New Year’s resolutions is fading fast. The trees are bare; grass is brown. It’s time for an Internet marketing pick-me up! And what better way than to reflect for a moment on things that make you smile?!?

Here are 20 things that make us smile at NetStrategies. We hope you will add your happy thoughts to the list too!
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Best Practices, Search Engine OptimizationLink Building for bing Rankings: Dos and Don’ts by WebProNews.como

CB034303Search Engine Optimization Fundamentals | Stacey Morgan Smith

Chris Crum of WebProNews.com recently explained bing’s link building policies. It’s a nice summary of bing’s “dos” and “don’ts.”

What stands out to me is that this lists mirrors the best practices we currently follow for optimizing site pages for Google. Best practices should be universal, so it appears your efforts, whether for bing or Google, won’t hurt the other. As Crum states, “Most of the stuff [bing's Rick] DeJarnette shared is nothing any savvy search marketer is not already aware of.”

If you are new to optimization, print Crum’s article and hang it on your wall. If you’re currently link building, you may still learn something new to help you correct your course.

Stacey Morgan Smith

Stacey Morgan Smith is the director of search engine optimization for Northern Virginia Internet Marketing Company NetStrategies. With over 14 years’ experience as an editor and proofreader, she brings a different viewpoint to SEO. Along with the rest of the NetStrategies team, she can help you increase your leads from search!

Best Practices13-Step Check List For A Healthy Web Presence

Photo credit: mykpwedding, Flickr

Photo credit: mykpwedding, Flickr

Your organization’s Web site is often your first chance to impress. Since thousands of Web sites clamor for your visitor’s attention, you need your site to entice in a number of ways. This checklist covers the minimal basics for a healthy Web site. If you cannot answer “yes” to each one, your Internet marketing team has some work to do!
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Best PracticesSix Core Values of an Internet Marketing Company That Put the Focus on Customer Delight

smile pops

Our team of Internet marketers at NetStrategies worked very hard over the past few months to define our company’s core values. I want to share them with you for two reasons. First, I’m proud to work for a company which embodies many of the same values I hold. Second, our industry of Internet marketing is sometimes so focused on the tools of the trade like SEO, PPC, social media, etc. that we forget the most important element of any successful business – the customer.

Our NetStrategies Core Values bring the focus of “customer” to the forefront. The team has our work cut out for us as we embrace our values and define a plan of attack to put each value into action in a concrete and measurable way. After all, we are Internet marketers and EVERYTHING is measurable!

Before diving into our values, keep in mind it took more than a few after-hours sessions for our team of nine to narrow our values down to this list of six and set the guidelines for success. A special thank you to moderator A. Jeffrey Parks of Performance Breakthroughs led us through the initial stages of the values-building process.

First, we commit to driving measurable results with our clients. We do this by jointly defining success, building high-trust relationships, working with a sense of urgency, and meeting commitments.

Second, we delight our customers because we listen, learn, and lead. How do we ensure this? By listening and asking the right questions, continuously learning about our customers and their industries, and anticipating needs and applying best practices. We also engage customers in a positive, proactive way.

Third, our customers rely on our bold leadership. We provide candid feedback and effective solutions. We constantly innovate and build our expertise. We hold ourselves and our clients accountable. We contribute to the Internet marketing community and empower our people with the best resources and work environment.

Fourth, we trust and collaborate with each other to achieve greater results. We achieve that through direct, respectful, and open communication which leaves no room for doubt. We help each other grow individually and collectively. We take a team approach to problem solving. We have fun and enjoy each other’s company. Trust is earned and cherished. We celebrate our team achievements. Face-to-face/phone communication is always our first choice.

Fifth, passion is key to our success. Our enthusiasm and energy is evident in everything we do. We learn, experiment, and challenge ourselves every day. We take ownership for delivering customer delight. We work diligently and productively.

Last, but not least, we do the right thing for our clients, families, communities, and company. We are responsible for our choices, actions, and consequences. We value each others health and happiness. We act with integrity and expect it from others. We give generously to improve our communities. We think and act like owners. We work with anyone who can live these values.

What are the core values for your organization? How do you integrate them into the workplace? Do you share them with your customers? Better yet, were they developed with your customer in mind? We’d love your feedback!