Continental Lowers Costs, Improves Security, and Achieves 99.9 Percent Server Reliability.
Continental AG had out-of-date and disparate client-server infrastructure that needed groupwide standardization. This involved providing more than 80 sites worldwide with a total of 24,000 new workstations and portable computers, installing new server computers, and setting up modern operating systems and applications. Continental first tested a Linux solution, but the company decided instead on a platform based on Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 Enterprise Edition and Windows® XP Professional because of the opportunity to lower costs and improve security. The new system architecture has considerably reduced IT costs at Continental AG. With Active Directory® as a groupwide directory service, the corporate network can now be centrally administered.
Headquartered in Hanover, Germany, Continental AG is one of the world’s largest automobile suppliers, specializing in the manufacturing of passenger car and commercial vehicle tires using brake and drive technology as well as rubber and plastics technology. About 80,000 employees work at more than 100 Continental AG sites. The company reports a consolidated group profit of 13.8 billion euros (U.S.$17.7 billion) and operating revenue of 1.5 billion euros ($1.9 billion).
Continental AG is considered a technology leader both in its industry and on the stock market. The IT landscape that had historically grown up within the company was anything but standard. “Our disparate infrastructure was antiquated. Distributed responsibilities and different processes interfered with getting a groupwide perspective on costs, processes, and applications,” says Tobias Rölz, Manager of the Distributed Environment project at Continental AG. “In addition, it wasn’t possible at the time to have continuous and automated patch management because individual applications and support services had been implemented only at certain sites.”
Continental's management realized the company had to develop an IT infrastructure capable of supporting a dynamic business with evolving commercial strategies. Paul Schwefer emphasizes the key challenge, advising, “We needed rock-solid reliability, and we weren’t getting it from our existing infrastructure,” he says. “We needed an IT infrastructure and architecture that would provide the flexibility to build an efficient global operation and support our ongoing strategy of growth through acquisition.”
In the context of his project, Rölz was responsible for setting up a new, standardized architecture. “Our goal was to equip the group’s 24,000 workstations with the best possible technology and the highest degree of security at the lowest possible expense,” Rölz explains. The new platform had to be designed in a way that would let in-house IT experts or outside service providers administer it depending on need and cost.
Solution
IT experts at Continental AG first tested the options of a Linux platform. Supported by Sun, Continental had also evaluated StarOffice. According to Rölz, however, using a Linux/open-source solution would have necessitated an “unmanageable migration expense,” especially because individual Microsoft Office documents and solutions would not have been convertible. Moreover, a series of important applications that run exclusively on Microsoft software would have made it necessary to run virtualization software on a Citrix application server in the background of any new Linux platform.
Standardized Microsoft Infrastructure
With an eye on the tight time frame—the project had to be globally completed within one year—Continental ultimately decided in favor of Microsoft. The future security of the Microsoft solution and the opportunity to lower costs over the long term were also factors in the decision.
Continental chose a uniform client-server infrastructure based on the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 operating system (for its server computers) and the Windows® XP Professional operating system (for workstations and portable computers). The company decided to equip each client computer with Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003.
Quick Project Implementation
From February 2004 to June 2005, Microsoft Services supported Continental AG with an Enterprise Strategy Consultant, who drove project management, technical design, and quality assurance. The objective was to set up an architecture that would guarantee the secure operation of all processes—regardless of whether they had been operated previously under Microsoft Windows NT® or Microsoft Windows 2000 operating systems.
IT specialists at Continental AG and experts from service provider EDS started with the actual implementation immediately after they had completed a thorough data backup at the head office in Hanover and at a plant in Vahrenwald. They first migrated the server computers to avoid from the outset any system conflicts in rights administration and network logons during the subsequent client migration. Converting the workstations to Windows XP Professional went quickly. By the end of 2004, more than a third of all personal computers at Continental had already been converted and integrated into the uniform Microsoft server environment.
Benefits
By migrating its client-server infrastructure to Microsoft software, Continental AG has cut IT operating costs. Thanks to the Active Directory service, employees can log on groupwide and work in their usual IT environments. The solution also improves asset management. “Microsoft’s standardized infrastructure has markedly improved administration, enhanced security, and thus considerably lowered costs in the area of terminals,” says Paul Schwefer, Chief Information Officer, Continental AG.
Infrastructure Reliability of 99.9 Percent
One of the most important reasons that Continental has been able to make such improvements in its overall performance and management is the increased reliability it has gained with its Windows Server-based solution. The company has experienced 99.9 percent reliability in its distributed environment since the deployment.
Considerable Cost Savings
“Using the standardized Microsoft infrastructure, we can lower operating costs in the area of terminals considerably,” Rölz calculates. The Active Directory® service in Windows Server 2003 contributes to lower costs with its use of group guidelines that the administrators can use to centrally determine security and access settings for the workstations. “This tool is included in the functionality of Windows Server 2003. To get comparable functionality for a Linux/open-source solution we would have had to acquire an additional program first,” Rölz says.
Centralized IT Administration
The Active Directory service ensures that all users can have their computers administered and maintained centrally with their individual links and properties. Employees can easily log on to any workstation and work with their personal files and programs and with all company resources accessible to them from there.
Easier Conversion and Specialized Support
The Microsoft solution presented fewer conversion problems than Linux and hardly any expense to train users. “We were especially concerned about Microsoft Excel macros and Microsoft Access databases that had been developed over the years by many employees at different sites and that over time had evolved into important tools without anyone’s noticing,” reports Dr. Bernd Thomas, Manager of Corporate IT Infrastructure at Continental AG.
According to Thomas, Microsoft also offered an interesting licensing model with fast and specific support both specialized for migration and tailored to each individual situation. Rölz says, “Microsoft’s support played a major role in the success of our conversion.”
Automated Client Management and Improved Security
IT administration and operation have become easier and more flexible, reducing dependency on a service provider. In addition, the security level has increased overall. This is because the new IT landscape makes improved system management and update management possible.
Within 72 hours of release, new virus definitions and software updates can be set up on 24,000 total workstations—including prior intensive tests. In the same way, Continental gains full transparency over the hardware and software used, thanks to its new architecture, thereby setting up modern and comprehensive licensing and asset management. “We are now on par with the best-practice standard in the automobile industry,” says Rölz with satisfaction. “This means modern standard software at low cost, fast support processes at top quality, and comprehensive security coverage.”
Thanks to the uniform architecture, software distribution now runs like clockwork. “Employees can call in the morning, and have the software they need on their PC or laptop by the afternoon,” reports Rölz. The groupwide setup of Acrobat Reader and an SAP update went without problems as well. In addition to considerably lowering operating costs, the project has paved the way for innovations in Continental projects for years to come.
[Via:- Case Study - Continental Corporation]
Friend Sites: Nokia N Series
Editors' retrospective -- Linux Devices in 2007
As 2007 winds to a close, the editors of LinuxDevices.com have assembled a retrospective aimed at highlighting major trends and events in the world of embedded Linux. Of the approximately 1,200 stories we published this year, these were the most important, in our opinion.
(Click for larger view of `cal 2007`)
For embedded Linux, 2007 was shaped by a handful of mega-trends. We've identified the following trends to be among the year's most visible, if not important:
* Mobile Internet tablets took off, fueled by Nokia's N800 and N810 models, as well as Intel's Mobile Internet Device (MID) project. The Gnome project launched a mobile and embedded initiative, Ubuntu launched a device version of its Linux distribution, and processor vendor ARM even got in on the action, hiring Movial to port lots of desktop Linux applications to its processors, with an eye on the Internet tablet market.
* The mobile browser wars began in earnest, with commercial vendors like Opera, Access, and OpenWave taking a backseat to open source browser projects. The Mozilla Foundation launched a mobile strategy and later revealed specifics. A startup called Pleyo launched a dual-licensed Origyn browser based on Webkit. Device software and tools specialist Trolltech also began integrating Webkit with Qt, and even appointed a browser author as VP of engineering.
* As the "post-PC" world shifts attention from desktops and laptops to new form factors such as mobile Internet tablets, x86 processor vendors took notice. Intel started using 45nm process technology in some mobile chips, and was rumored to be producing a Pentium M-based SoC. Via down-clocked its embedded Eden model to 500MHz for a 1-Watt ULV model. AMD added lots of parts to its embedded roadmap in 2007, and also managed to launch some parts with integrated graphics, following its acquisition of ATI.
* In 2007, handset vendor Motorola shipped its first Linux handset for the U.S. market. The MotoRizr E6 is based on a highly integrated chipset, and was later renamed MotoRokr Z6. Later in the year, Motorola launched the Razr2 V8, the first use of Linux in its "iconic" Razr line. Despite these design wins, Motorola struggles financially, and CEO Ed Zander eventually resigns (while retaining his board presidency).
* Linux continued to convince market analysts of its large potential as a mobile phone OS, partially in response to the formation in 2007 of two large industry groups aimed at promoting and standardizing mobile phone Linux. These included:
o LiMo, founded by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone, and led by an ex-Symbian VP
o Open Handset Alliance (OHA), founded by Google and dozens of large companies around Google's Linux- and Java-based Android stack, which we reviewed here from a developer's perspective.
* The GPLv3 shipped, with little apparent impact other than many lawyers and developers working to learn GPLv2 vs. GPLv3 differences. And, late in the year, the GPL was tested in court several times, with quick results.
* Several mass-market computers shipped with Linux, instead of the typical Microsoft-supplied consumer OS. These included the $200 Walmart PC, the managed Zonbu Zonbook, and the Asus EEE PC, as well as the kid-oriented XO OLPC device.
* Lots of cool Linux-powered devices arrived in time for the holidays
But these are just a few of the highlights. For a more in-depth look back at the year that was, we invite you to peruse the pages below. They highlight what we consider to be the top 200 or so stories, culled from about 1,200 for the year. Enjoy . . . !
[Via - Linux Devices in 2007]
(Click for larger view of `cal 2007`)
For embedded Linux, 2007 was shaped by a handful of mega-trends. We've identified the following trends to be among the year's most visible, if not important:
* Mobile Internet tablets took off, fueled by Nokia's N800 and N810 models, as well as Intel's Mobile Internet Device (MID) project. The Gnome project launched a mobile and embedded initiative, Ubuntu launched a device version of its Linux distribution, and processor vendor ARM even got in on the action, hiring Movial to port lots of desktop Linux applications to its processors, with an eye on the Internet tablet market.
* The mobile browser wars began in earnest, with commercial vendors like Opera, Access, and OpenWave taking a backseat to open source browser projects. The Mozilla Foundation launched a mobile strategy and later revealed specifics. A startup called Pleyo launched a dual-licensed Origyn browser based on Webkit. Device software and tools specialist Trolltech also began integrating Webkit with Qt, and even appointed a browser author as VP of engineering.
* As the "post-PC" world shifts attention from desktops and laptops to new form factors such as mobile Internet tablets, x86 processor vendors took notice. Intel started using 45nm process technology in some mobile chips, and was rumored to be producing a Pentium M-based SoC. Via down-clocked its embedded Eden model to 500MHz for a 1-Watt ULV model. AMD added lots of parts to its embedded roadmap in 2007, and also managed to launch some parts with integrated graphics, following its acquisition of ATI.
* In 2007, handset vendor Motorola shipped its first Linux handset for the U.S. market. The MotoRizr E6 is based on a highly integrated chipset, and was later renamed MotoRokr Z6. Later in the year, Motorola launched the Razr2 V8, the first use of Linux in its "iconic" Razr line. Despite these design wins, Motorola struggles financially, and CEO Ed Zander eventually resigns (while retaining his board presidency).
* Linux continued to convince market analysts of its large potential as a mobile phone OS, partially in response to the formation in 2007 of two large industry groups aimed at promoting and standardizing mobile phone Linux. These included:
o LiMo, founded by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone, and led by an ex-Symbian VP
o Open Handset Alliance (OHA), founded by Google and dozens of large companies around Google's Linux- and Java-based Android stack, which we reviewed here from a developer's perspective.
* The GPLv3 shipped, with little apparent impact other than many lawyers and developers working to learn GPLv2 vs. GPLv3 differences. And, late in the year, the GPL was tested in court several times, with quick results.
* Several mass-market computers shipped with Linux, instead of the typical Microsoft-supplied consumer OS. These included the $200 Walmart PC, the managed Zonbu Zonbook, and the Asus EEE PC, as well as the kid-oriented XO OLPC device.
* Lots of cool Linux-powered devices arrived in time for the holidays
But these are just a few of the highlights. For a more in-depth look back at the year that was, we invite you to peruse the pages below. They highlight what we consider to be the top 200 or so stories, culled from about 1,200 for the year. Enjoy . . . !
[Via - Linux Devices in 2007]
New drivers for XP, Vista and Linux
Nvidia releases new drivers for XP, Vista and Linux.
For two days this week, Nvidia has released new versions of their ForceWare driver packages. They released the new 169.21 series for Windows XP on Wednesday, and yesterday they released the 169.25 series for Windows Vista, both 32-bit and 64-bit varieties. It's a bit interesting that they just happened to release their new drivers the same day that ATI makes a new Catalyst package available.
These are the same drivers that were available as non-WHQL, so they aren't bringing any new features to the table. They do have 3-way SLI support and support for all the current GeForce cards including the newer 8800 GTS series.
They also have made a new driver package for Linux available for download. Unlike the Windows package this one adds quite a bit of new features. Rendering bugs of various sorts have been fixed, modesetting on the newest GeForce cards has been added, stability fixes and much more has been included. It's quite a laundry list of updates, but we've come to expect that from Nvidia – they have done extremely well in the Linux driver department.
[Via - TechSpot.com]
For two days this week, Nvidia has released new versions of their ForceWare driver packages. They released the new 169.21 series for Windows XP on Wednesday, and yesterday they released the 169.25 series for Windows Vista, both 32-bit and 64-bit varieties. It's a bit interesting that they just happened to release their new drivers the same day that ATI makes a new Catalyst package available.
These are the same drivers that were available as non-WHQL, so they aren't bringing any new features to the table. They do have 3-way SLI support and support for all the current GeForce cards including the newer 8800 GTS series.
They also have made a new driver package for Linux available for download. Unlike the Windows package this one adds quite a bit of new features. Rendering bugs of various sorts have been fixed, modesetting on the newest GeForce cards has been added, stability fixes and much more has been included. It's quite a laundry list of updates, but we've come to expect that from Nvidia – they have done extremely well in the Linux driver department.
[Via - TechSpot.com]
Next-generation Linux-based Ming handsets
Motorola said to be targeting 2Q08 for next-generation Linux-based Ming handsets.
Motorola plans to launch its next-generation Linux-based "Ming" handsets in the second quarter of 2008, with the hand input intelligence handsets to be available in both high-end and entry-level versions, according to market sources. Previously, the Ming was released only in a high-end version.
While Motorola's R&D center in Beijing will continue to handle the development of the high-end version of the new Ming handsets, the US vendor will outsource the production of the new entry-level Ming handsets to the Taiwan-based Inventec Group, according to the sources, who also noted that the new Ming handsets will continue to support the 2.5G standard.
Motorola on December 17 launched its high-end 3.5G RAZR V9 in Taiwan, and the company plans to introduce in Taiwan a Symbian-based ROKR Z8, Windows Mobile-based Q9 and three entry-level models, including the W360 and W213, before the end of this year, according to Bill Chen, general manager of of mobile device business at Motorola Taiwan.
Handsets supporting the 3G standard will account for 50% of all handsets sold in Taiwan in 2008, Chen projected.
[Via - DigiTimes Telecom ]
Motorola plans to launch its next-generation Linux-based "Ming" handsets in the second quarter of 2008, with the hand input intelligence handsets to be available in both high-end and entry-level versions, according to market sources. Previously, the Ming was released only in a high-end version.
While Motorola's R&D center in Beijing will continue to handle the development of the high-end version of the new Ming handsets, the US vendor will outsource the production of the new entry-level Ming handsets to the Taiwan-based Inventec Group, according to the sources, who also noted that the new Ming handsets will continue to support the 2.5G standard.
Motorola on December 17 launched its high-end 3.5G RAZR V9 in Taiwan, and the company plans to introduce in Taiwan a Symbian-based ROKR Z8, Windows Mobile-based Q9 and three entry-level models, including the W360 and W213, before the end of this year, according to Bill Chen, general manager of of mobile device business at Motorola Taiwan.
Handsets supporting the 3G standard will account for 50% of all handsets sold in Taiwan in 2008, Chen projected.
[Via - DigiTimes Telecom ]
Red Hat delays release of Linux software
BOSTON (Reuters) - Software maker Red Hat Inc (RHT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday it delayed its August release of a version of its Linux software for personal computers that would compete with Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Windows operating system.
Red Hat Global Desktop Linux will not be available until September, product manager Gerry Riveros told Reuters in an e-mail.
The product includes Linux operating system software and other compatible programs for desktop and laptop personal computers.
It is a niche market for Red Hat, which makes money servicing software it develops for server computers.
Red Hat had said in May it was working with Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on the desktop software, which it said would have features comparable to Windows, include a wide range of programs and would be sold with a one-year subscription to security updates.
Red Hat Global Desktop Linux is targeted for sale in developing countries where government agencies and small businesses cannot afford to pay for Microsoft's Windows operating system. Its primary competitor will be Ubuntu Linux, a free version of the operating system.
The new Red Hat product is being delayed so the company can investigate adding technology to permit users to view a wide range of video formats on their computers, including DVDs and streaming media, Riveros said.
He couldn't be reached to elaborate on his three-sentence email, which was in response to an inquiry from Reuters.
Officials with Intel familiar with the project couldn't be reached for comment.
In May, Red Hat said its partnership with Intel was based on the chipmaker's relationship with computer makers around the world.
Red Hat Global Desktop Linux will not be available until September, product manager Gerry Riveros told Reuters in an e-mail.
The product includes Linux operating system software and other compatible programs for desktop and laptop personal computers.
It is a niche market for Red Hat, which makes money servicing software it develops for server computers.
Red Hat had said in May it was working with Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on the desktop software, which it said would have features comparable to Windows, include a wide range of programs and would be sold with a one-year subscription to security updates.
Red Hat Global Desktop Linux is targeted for sale in developing countries where government agencies and small businesses cannot afford to pay for Microsoft's Windows operating system. Its primary competitor will be Ubuntu Linux, a free version of the operating system.
The new Red Hat product is being delayed so the company can investigate adding technology to permit users to view a wide range of video formats on their computers, including DVDs and streaming media, Riveros said.
He couldn't be reached to elaborate on his three-sentence email, which was in response to an inquiry from Reuters.
Officials with Intel familiar with the project couldn't be reached for comment.
In May, Red Hat said its partnership with Intel was based on the chipmaker's relationship with computer makers around the world.
China's Linux desktop market booms - Hardware
Although China's Linux market as a whole doubled from 2003 to 2006 to $20 million per year, sales of Linux desktop software grew more slowly. In fact, the market share of Linux desktop software in China dropped from 16% to 12% in the same period. But according to CCID Consulting, sales of Linux desktop software increased 25.1% in the third quarter of this year, catching up with the quick growth of China's Linux industry as a whole. Several new developments have added fuel to the growth.
The Chinese government's antipiracy movement has had an effect. After the central government published two regulations last year to force its departments and local governments to stop using pirated software, the government has increased its spending on low-cost Linux desktop software. Last year, the antipiracy movement focused mainly on senior province and city governments, but this year it filtered into the junior village and town governments as well -- areas that previously relied on pirated software. Currently, the government is responsible for purchasing accounts for more than one quarter of China's Linux desktop software market, and the homegrown Red Flag Linux leads the government market.
Industry users, such as hotels, lottery sellers, and telecommunications companies, also increased spending on Linux desktop software this year. According to CCW Research, online business in China's hotel industry will have increased more than 30% this year, causing hotels to buy more computers and software to establish or improve their Internet order systems. The low-cost Linux desktop software has earned big market share here.
Emerging markets also add momentum to the Linux desktop market. For example, the estimated 6 million computers that will be sold in China's rural areas in 2007 and 2008 provide a big stage for Linux desktop software.
Hardware vendors have also begun to promote Linux desktop software in the Chinese market. In 2007, computer makers such as Dell and Lenovo preinstalled Linux desktop operating systems in their computers for Chinese buyers. Dell has begun to sell some of its computers with Novell's SUSE Linux in China.
Dark side of the growth
Despite its rapid growth, China's Linux desktop software industry faces some problems. Piracy is still an issue. Using pirated Windows can be easier and cheaper than using a Linux desktop OS. Zhen Zhongyuan, vice president of Red Flag, says that China's Linux desktop market would increase as a "geometric series" every time piracy decreases 1%.
The high uninstall rate of the Linux desktop OS also diminishes actual growth. According to CCW Research, 31.9% of Chinese users uninstall their Linux desktop OS after buying a computer with it included. Some computer retailers themselves uninstall it and install pirated Windows instead if buyers ask for it. Retailers and personal users are more inclined to uninstall it than industry users, who seldom uninstall it because their industry software runs on it.
Additionally, the low-cost advantage of Linux desktop software is diminishing. Microsoft has taken a more flexible pricing tack in the Chinese market, offering increasingly better discounts for Chinese computer producers. An anonymous executive of a Chinese computer producer says that his company considered using the Linux desktop OS at the beginning of this year, but eventually went with Windows because Microsoft didn't charge much more than the service fee of Linux companies. He suggested this could be looked at as a victory for Linux, as it had forced Microsoft to lower its price.
Despite a few problems, the future of China's Linux desktop industry remains bright. Once the country can settle its problems, the Linux desktop industry is expected to continue its fast increase in China.
Chen Nan Yang is a Chinese freelance journalist and former IT director in the Chinese government.
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The Chinese government's antipiracy movement has had an effect. After the central government published two regulations last year to force its departments and local governments to stop using pirated software, the government has increased its spending on low-cost Linux desktop software. Last year, the antipiracy movement focused mainly on senior province and city governments, but this year it filtered into the junior village and town governments as well -- areas that previously relied on pirated software. Currently, the government is responsible for purchasing accounts for more than one quarter of China's Linux desktop software market, and the homegrown Red Flag Linux leads the government market.
Industry users, such as hotels, lottery sellers, and telecommunications companies, also increased spending on Linux desktop software this year. According to CCW Research, online business in China's hotel industry will have increased more than 30% this year, causing hotels to buy more computers and software to establish or improve their Internet order systems. The low-cost Linux desktop software has earned big market share here.
Emerging markets also add momentum to the Linux desktop market. For example, the estimated 6 million computers that will be sold in China's rural areas in 2007 and 2008 provide a big stage for Linux desktop software.
Hardware vendors have also begun to promote Linux desktop software in the Chinese market. In 2007, computer makers such as Dell and Lenovo preinstalled Linux desktop operating systems in their computers for Chinese buyers. Dell has begun to sell some of its computers with Novell's SUSE Linux in China.
Dark side of the growth
Despite its rapid growth, China's Linux desktop software industry faces some problems. Piracy is still an issue. Using pirated Windows can be easier and cheaper than using a Linux desktop OS. Zhen Zhongyuan, vice president of Red Flag, says that China's Linux desktop market would increase as a "geometric series" every time piracy decreases 1%.
The high uninstall rate of the Linux desktop OS also diminishes actual growth. According to CCW Research, 31.9% of Chinese users uninstall their Linux desktop OS after buying a computer with it included. Some computer retailers themselves uninstall it and install pirated Windows instead if buyers ask for it. Retailers and personal users are more inclined to uninstall it than industry users, who seldom uninstall it because their industry software runs on it.
Additionally, the low-cost advantage of Linux desktop software is diminishing. Microsoft has taken a more flexible pricing tack in the Chinese market, offering increasingly better discounts for Chinese computer producers. An anonymous executive of a Chinese computer producer says that his company considered using the Linux desktop OS at the beginning of this year, but eventually went with Windows because Microsoft didn't charge much more than the service fee of Linux companies. He suggested this could be looked at as a victory for Linux, as it had forced Microsoft to lower its price.
Despite a few problems, the future of China's Linux desktop industry remains bright. Once the country can settle its problems, the Linux desktop industry is expected to continue its fast increase in China.
Chen Nan Yang is a Chinese freelance journalist and former IT director in the Chinese government.
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Search Engine Optimization for Corporate Websites.
Although your corporate website does not allow customers to purchase products or services online, your company can benefit greatly from optimizing your website for the search engines. Ranking well in the search engine results will not only increase your businesses' brand awareness, it will bring increased sales leads, which will lead to increased ROI from your corporate website.
There are several things that can be done that will make a corporate website more search engine friendly�and making sure that the search engines like your website will help it get indexed properly. It will also increase the number of targeted visitors to the site, increasing it's overall ROI. Most corporate websites use high-end web designers who charge a lot of money. If that sounds like your website, then you know that your corporate website is a major investment. By paying attention to the little details that make a big difference when it comes to search engine rankings, you'll be able to allow your site to 'earn its keep' so to speak, and it might even become a part of your full-time sales staff.
Home Page
The home page of the corporate site (www.yourcompanyname.com), is the most important page on the site. When visitors come to www.yourcompanyname.com it shouldn't redirect to any other web page; after all, that's your home page. And since most other websites link to your home page (www.yourcompanyname.com) rather than www.yourcompanyname.com/anotherpage.html, then you should take advantage of that; don't use any redirects on your home page.
Your home page's title tag should include your company name. If your brand is "well known" then typically the title tag of the home page should only include your company name. However, if your company is not a "household name" or "well-known" brand, then including your company's industry or keywords reflecting what your company does should be included in your title tag on the home page. Of course, whether or not you choose to include any keywords along with your company name is up to you�only you can make that decision. The meta description tag is often used in search engine listings and in other highly visible places like in search results and in website directory listings. Having a well-written meta description tag that contains a statement about what your company does along with your most important keyword phrases and your company name is a must. The meta keywords tag is optional, although it won't hurt to include one that includes a few keyword phrases that describe what your company does; it's also a good place to put keywords that won't fit into your meta description tag. It's important not to go overboard with it, though. A few targeted keyword phrases should be sufficient. Keyword research tools are tools that will tell you how many people search per day for keywords related to your business or your company's products; these can be helpful when writing title tags and meta tags and when crafting your website's copy.
When visitors come to the home page, they should easily find the name of your company, what your company does, and what products or services it provides. Adding text to your home page is imperative, as search engines don't read graphics�they need text to be able to determine what your web pages are about. A small paragraph or two about your company should be sufficient, although more text is always better�adding links within that text directly to the company's most important products is also a good idea. Other elements that should be included on the corporate website's home page include links to the company's most important products and services, links to the company's contact information, links to the company's management team, and the headlines of the company's latest news or press releases. Keep in mind that the company's home page should link to the most important content on the site.
Product or Services Pages
Using keyword research tools, you should be able to identify one or two important phrases that describe each product or service that your company offers. The title tags of product pages should include those phrases along with the company name. It's best to include the keyword phrase(s), the name of the product, and then your company name in the title tag (in that order). The keyword phrase should appear first in the title tag since it's the most important. Keep in mind that title tags are also what appears in the search results, so including the keyword phrase (typically what someone searched for) along with the product name and the company name will help entice the visitor to click on the link in the search results and visit your corporate website's product page.
Each product or services page must be unique. We've already discussed the title tag and how that should include keywords that describe the product as well as the product name and the company name. Those words should also be included in the meta description tag and meta keywords tag, which also must uniquely describe the particular product or service. Do not duplicate meta tags across several product pages; it's imperative that each one be unique or the search engines might not include those product pages in their search engine indices.
Each product or services page should contain at least several paragraphs of text; using the keywords (based on prior keyword research) is good practice, although you don't want to "overuse them" in the copy. Keep in mind that although the text on products and services pages can also appear in product brochures and other sales literature, it's important that it only appear once on the internet (on your product page). The search engines do not like duplicate content, as duplicate content can draw penalties from the search engines. Links to related products or services that the company offers will keep visitors on your site as well as help the search engine crawlers find all the pages; you might consider adding a "breadcrumb trail" as a part of the navigation, as well.
Product or services pages can help bring in sales leads for your company. When potential customers are looking for a product or service the company sells, they typically turn to search engines. When they find your product or services page listed in the search engines, the visitor will come directly to your product or service page. They'll typically take a few seconds to glance at what you have to offer; it's at that time when you need to give them some sort of "action" to take. For example, if your company's product or services are very expensive you might consider allowing your visitors to download an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of your product brochure. Including a link in a prominent place on your product page will give them some sort of "action" to take. It's also a good practice to ask them to fill out an online form with their contact information before they actually download the PDF file. Capturing their contact information will allow you to collect online sales leads, and allow your sales staff to follow up with prospective customers. If you do not include an "action" for your website visitors to take on your product pages, you're losing out on potential sales leads. Furthermore, most web analytics tools allow you to track how those prospects heard about you and what they searched for at which search engine. Even though your sales process might be lengthy, it's possible to track specific sales to keywords that the client searched for to find you. This can lead to increased marketing awareness and allow you to focus your marketing efforts in areas that are most profitable for your company.
Company News and Events
Many corporate websites include press releases, company news, and events (like trade shows) on their site. I mentioned earlier that it's often useful to include the headlines of press releases and news on the company's home page and links directly to pages on the site where that news is located. There should be a separate section on the site for press releases, as well as a separate page for events or trade shows that the company is attending.
Each press release should have its own page, and the title of the press release should be included in the title tag and the meta tags of that page. Press releases should include links to the products and services the company sells as well as a link to the company's home page. Most often these are included in the "About CompanyName" section of the press release, and it's a good practice to include direct links to the product pages on the site in that "about the company" section.
Whenever a press release is issued it should first be added to the website; then it should be sent out to the press or to the newswires. It's important for it to be included first on the website as that's the first place it will appear, insuring that the company is the author and originator of it; any other copies of the press release that appear on other websites will essentially be regarded as duplicates. This is key since it will help the press release be indexed first for that information, which will help that press release's page get ranked quicker in the search engines for the information contained in the press release. Whenever a company announces news, people turn to the internet and search for that news; it's best that the company's own press release about that news show up first in the search engines rather than any other 'copies' of that press release that might show up in the media.
Oftentimes people search at the search engines for trade shows they're going to attend. By including separate web pages about each trade show the company is going to attend or exhibit at, there's a good chance that people searching for that trade show in the search engines will see the page on the corporate website mentioning the fact that the company is attending; this can lead to company and brand awareness as well as potential sales leads. If someone is searching for the trade show then they're interested in that particular industry; so those types of visitors to your corporate site are extremely targeted and valuable.
Links to the Corporate Website
Many corporate websites already perform well when it comes garnering links from other websites. Links are important because they're the currency when it comes to the search engines�the more links a website has from other websites the more popular or influential that website is when it comes to search engine rankings and overall traffic. Keep in mind that links are valuable, so making sure you get a link whenever possible will help. Websites that contain links that are extremely valuable are often overlooked; these include websites of trade associations or trade groups the company belongs to, as well as industry trade magazines (they often will link to your products and services pages and list your white papers). It's also valuable for companies to be listed in industry portals and industry directories, as well as www.dmoz.org, the Yahoo! Directory, Business.com, and Best of the Web (www.botw.org). Best of the Web also has a blog directory, so if your company has a corporate blog it can be included there, as well. Corporate blogs can be a good source of additional content for your corporate website, as well as a place that will naturally get links from other websites.
Other Considerations
Corporate websites can often be seen as an industry leader if it includes additional valuable content. For example, including a dictionary or glossary of terms is helpful. Including articles by your company's industry experts can also lead to increased credibility (those articles can also be syndicated for use on other websites on the internet that will bring even more targeted visitors to your company's website). Keep in mind that white papers are also valuable, and there are many websites that will list your company's white papers at no charge.
When including information about your company's executives, each executive should have his or her own web page on the site. The title tag should include the executive's name, as well as the company name. The meta description and meta keywords tag should also include this information as well. Giving each executive their own web page on the site is valuable, as there are people who search at search engines for executives' names or the company name and their job title.
Many companies typically own more than one domain name. It's important that the corporate website have one main domain name�all others must be redirected to the main domain name using what is referred to as a "301 Permanent Redirect". If you allow your company to have more than one domain name that brings up the same content, you're asking for a possible de-ranking or de-listing in the search engines because of "duplicate content". The search engines do not like to index duplicate web pages or duplicate websites.
Have you ever searched at a search engine for your company name? Most likely your corporate website will be listed first. But, what is listed second, third, or even eighth in the search results? Are all those other websites that mention your company positive? Are some of them negative? By adding an "in the news" section to your corporate website and linking out to positive articles and other websites that offer valuable information about your company, you will increase the chance that those positive references to your company will show up higher in the search results than the negative ones.
By making a few changes to your corporate website that don't sacrifice its quality and good looks, you can make your corporate website pay for itself by turning it into a serious lead generation tool. Not only will your corporate website be found at the top of the search results, it will be seen as an industry leader and start to "show up everywhere" for your company's most important keyword phrases, the phrases related to your products and services. And not only will the corporate website be found more often in the search engines, it will increase your company's brand awareness.
Discuss this article in the Small Business Ideas forum.
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There are several things that can be done that will make a corporate website more search engine friendly�and making sure that the search engines like your website will help it get indexed properly. It will also increase the number of targeted visitors to the site, increasing it's overall ROI. Most corporate websites use high-end web designers who charge a lot of money. If that sounds like your website, then you know that your corporate website is a major investment. By paying attention to the little details that make a big difference when it comes to search engine rankings, you'll be able to allow your site to 'earn its keep' so to speak, and it might even become a part of your full-time sales staff.
Home Page
The home page of the corporate site (www.yourcompanyname.com), is the most important page on the site. When visitors come to www.yourcompanyname.com it shouldn't redirect to any other web page; after all, that's your home page. And since most other websites link to your home page (www.yourcompanyname.com) rather than www.yourcompanyname.com/anotherpage.html, then you should take advantage of that; don't use any redirects on your home page.
Your home page's title tag should include your company name. If your brand is "well known" then typically the title tag of the home page should only include your company name. However, if your company is not a "household name" or "well-known" brand, then including your company's industry or keywords reflecting what your company does should be included in your title tag on the home page. Of course, whether or not you choose to include any keywords along with your company name is up to you�only you can make that decision. The meta description tag is often used in search engine listings and in other highly visible places like in search results and in website directory listings. Having a well-written meta description tag that contains a statement about what your company does along with your most important keyword phrases and your company name is a must. The meta keywords tag is optional, although it won't hurt to include one that includes a few keyword phrases that describe what your company does; it's also a good place to put keywords that won't fit into your meta description tag. It's important not to go overboard with it, though. A few targeted keyword phrases should be sufficient. Keyword research tools are tools that will tell you how many people search per day for keywords related to your business or your company's products; these can be helpful when writing title tags and meta tags and when crafting your website's copy.
When visitors come to the home page, they should easily find the name of your company, what your company does, and what products or services it provides. Adding text to your home page is imperative, as search engines don't read graphics�they need text to be able to determine what your web pages are about. A small paragraph or two about your company should be sufficient, although more text is always better�adding links within that text directly to the company's most important products is also a good idea. Other elements that should be included on the corporate website's home page include links to the company's most important products and services, links to the company's contact information, links to the company's management team, and the headlines of the company's latest news or press releases. Keep in mind that the company's home page should link to the most important content on the site.
Product or Services Pages
Using keyword research tools, you should be able to identify one or two important phrases that describe each product or service that your company offers. The title tags of product pages should include those phrases along with the company name. It's best to include the keyword phrase(s), the name of the product, and then your company name in the title tag (in that order). The keyword phrase should appear first in the title tag since it's the most important. Keep in mind that title tags are also what appears in the search results, so including the keyword phrase (typically what someone searched for) along with the product name and the company name will help entice the visitor to click on the link in the search results and visit your corporate website's product page.
Each product or services page must be unique. We've already discussed the title tag and how that should include keywords that describe the product as well as the product name and the company name. Those words should also be included in the meta description tag and meta keywords tag, which also must uniquely describe the particular product or service. Do not duplicate meta tags across several product pages; it's imperative that each one be unique or the search engines might not include those product pages in their search engine indices.
Each product or services page should contain at least several paragraphs of text; using the keywords (based on prior keyword research) is good practice, although you don't want to "overuse them" in the copy. Keep in mind that although the text on products and services pages can also appear in product brochures and other sales literature, it's important that it only appear once on the internet (on your product page). The search engines do not like duplicate content, as duplicate content can draw penalties from the search engines. Links to related products or services that the company offers will keep visitors on your site as well as help the search engine crawlers find all the pages; you might consider adding a "breadcrumb trail" as a part of the navigation, as well.
Product or services pages can help bring in sales leads for your company. When potential customers are looking for a product or service the company sells, they typically turn to search engines. When they find your product or services page listed in the search engines, the visitor will come directly to your product or service page. They'll typically take a few seconds to glance at what you have to offer; it's at that time when you need to give them some sort of "action" to take. For example, if your company's product or services are very expensive you might consider allowing your visitors to download an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of your product brochure. Including a link in a prominent place on your product page will give them some sort of "action" to take. It's also a good practice to ask them to fill out an online form with their contact information before they actually download the PDF file. Capturing their contact information will allow you to collect online sales leads, and allow your sales staff to follow up with prospective customers. If you do not include an "action" for your website visitors to take on your product pages, you're losing out on potential sales leads. Furthermore, most web analytics tools allow you to track how those prospects heard about you and what they searched for at which search engine. Even though your sales process might be lengthy, it's possible to track specific sales to keywords that the client searched for to find you. This can lead to increased marketing awareness and allow you to focus your marketing efforts in areas that are most profitable for your company.
Company News and Events
Many corporate websites include press releases, company news, and events (like trade shows) on their site. I mentioned earlier that it's often useful to include the headlines of press releases and news on the company's home page and links directly to pages on the site where that news is located. There should be a separate section on the site for press releases, as well as a separate page for events or trade shows that the company is attending.
Each press release should have its own page, and the title of the press release should be included in the title tag and the meta tags of that page. Press releases should include links to the products and services the company sells as well as a link to the company's home page. Most often these are included in the "About CompanyName" section of the press release, and it's a good practice to include direct links to the product pages on the site in that "about the company" section.
Whenever a press release is issued it should first be added to the website; then it should be sent out to the press or to the newswires. It's important for it to be included first on the website as that's the first place it will appear, insuring that the company is the author and originator of it; any other copies of the press release that appear on other websites will essentially be regarded as duplicates. This is key since it will help the press release be indexed first for that information, which will help that press release's page get ranked quicker in the search engines for the information contained in the press release. Whenever a company announces news, people turn to the internet and search for that news; it's best that the company's own press release about that news show up first in the search engines rather than any other 'copies' of that press release that might show up in the media.
Oftentimes people search at the search engines for trade shows they're going to attend. By including separate web pages about each trade show the company is going to attend or exhibit at, there's a good chance that people searching for that trade show in the search engines will see the page on the corporate website mentioning the fact that the company is attending; this can lead to company and brand awareness as well as potential sales leads. If someone is searching for the trade show then they're interested in that particular industry; so those types of visitors to your corporate site are extremely targeted and valuable.
Links to the Corporate Website
Many corporate websites already perform well when it comes garnering links from other websites. Links are important because they're the currency when it comes to the search engines�the more links a website has from other websites the more popular or influential that website is when it comes to search engine rankings and overall traffic. Keep in mind that links are valuable, so making sure you get a link whenever possible will help. Websites that contain links that are extremely valuable are often overlooked; these include websites of trade associations or trade groups the company belongs to, as well as industry trade magazines (they often will link to your products and services pages and list your white papers). It's also valuable for companies to be listed in industry portals and industry directories, as well as www.dmoz.org, the Yahoo! Directory, Business.com, and Best of the Web (www.botw.org). Best of the Web also has a blog directory, so if your company has a corporate blog it can be included there, as well. Corporate blogs can be a good source of additional content for your corporate website, as well as a place that will naturally get links from other websites.
Other Considerations
Corporate websites can often be seen as an industry leader if it includes additional valuable content. For example, including a dictionary or glossary of terms is helpful. Including articles by your company's industry experts can also lead to increased credibility (those articles can also be syndicated for use on other websites on the internet that will bring even more targeted visitors to your company's website). Keep in mind that white papers are also valuable, and there are many websites that will list your company's white papers at no charge.
When including information about your company's executives, each executive should have his or her own web page on the site. The title tag should include the executive's name, as well as the company name. The meta description and meta keywords tag should also include this information as well. Giving each executive their own web page on the site is valuable, as there are people who search at search engines for executives' names or the company name and their job title.
Many companies typically own more than one domain name. It's important that the corporate website have one main domain name�all others must be redirected to the main domain name using what is referred to as a "301 Permanent Redirect". If you allow your company to have more than one domain name that brings up the same content, you're asking for a possible de-ranking or de-listing in the search engines because of "duplicate content". The search engines do not like to index duplicate web pages or duplicate websites.
Have you ever searched at a search engine for your company name? Most likely your corporate website will be listed first. But, what is listed second, third, or even eighth in the search results? Are all those other websites that mention your company positive? Are some of them negative? By adding an "in the news" section to your corporate website and linking out to positive articles and other websites that offer valuable information about your company, you will increase the chance that those positive references to your company will show up higher in the search results than the negative ones.
By making a few changes to your corporate website that don't sacrifice its quality and good looks, you can make your corporate website pay for itself by turning it into a serious lead generation tool. Not only will your corporate website be found at the top of the search results, it will be seen as an industry leader and start to "show up everywhere" for your company's most important keyword phrases, the phrases related to your products and services. And not only will the corporate website be found more often in the search engines, it will increase your company's brand awareness.
Discuss this article in the Small Business Ideas forum.
Other related sites where you can find out some toys too: Jocuri barbie
Search Engine Optimization for Ecommerce Sites.
If you run an ecommerce site, then you know that it's important to make sure that your products show up in the organic search results ahead of your competitors�especially if your competitor is selling the same products. Optimizing your ecommerce web site for the search engines can be tricky at times, so we'll examine what's really required in order for your products to rank better than your competitor's products in the organic search results.
Optimizing an ecommerce site isn't that different than optimizing any other type of web site. In order for a page to rank well in the organic search results, the page needs a few things: a good title tag that includes the keywords you're targeting (typically the product name), good content on the page that includes the appropriate keywords, and links from other web pages to that web page. And in order for the page to remain in the search engines' indexes, the page cannot be a duplicate of any other page on the internet.
Search Engine Friendly
What does it mean when I say that your site is search engine friendly? I'm referring to a web site that can be easily crawled by the search engines without being restricted by cookies, redirects, session IDs, and long URLs with lots of parameters in them. To find out if your site is already search engine friendly, go to Google and perform site:www.yourdomain.com search. If you know you have 100 product pages on your web site and Google is showing all of them, great. But if Google doesn't appear to be indexing all of your product pages then there's a reason�and most of the time there are issues with the site that can be fixed.
If you have a shopping cart on your web site then you're most likely using a shopping cart that can be changed to be more search engine friendly. Many popular carts like OSCommerce, Miva, X-cart, and Monster Commerce, are already search engine friendly or include some plugin or additional features that can make it more search engine friendly. You'll need to figure out which shopping cart you're site is using and see if you're using the latest SEO-related plugins or add-ons.
The URLs of your site should not include variables, parameters, or session IDs. If you have question marks in your URLs and/or if you have page URLs that change every time they're visited, then that needs to change. You should be able to pick out one product page on your site, visit that URL directly, and that page should come up�and it shouldn't change or give an error or "not found" message. Like I mentioned earlier, many of the common shopping carts include plugins or "add-ons" that will make the required changes. If you're not using these plugins or "add-ons" then you might consider installing them or moving to another shopping cart.
One of the most common search engine "unfriendly" issues I see when I start to analyze a web site is a redirect from a web site's real home page to another page on the web site. The real home page of your site is www.domain.com. It's not www.domain.com/somepage.html. The mistake or "problem" is when a visitor goes to www.domain.com and it redirects to another URL. There should never be a redirect�your home page is your home page. In fact, all web server software has some way of "telling it" which page is the default home page for the site. So, even if your shopping cart software doesn't use index.html (the most common default home page) it's possible to change your default home page to whatever it needs to be�and you could even change it to mycleverflashyhomepage.html. In any case, when you go type in www.yourdomain.com it shouldn't redirect to anything else. Why? Your real home page (www.yourdomain.com) is your most powerful page, especially because more people link to your real home page and not your "other" home page (e.g., www.yourdomain.com/homepage.html). And if you never allow anyone (or any search engine) to get to your real home page, then you're literally shooting yourself in the foot�you're not taking full advantage of the "power" of your real home page, the one that has all the links going to it. (And, if you're wondering, web pages that have more links from other web pages are more "powerful" when it comes to search engine rankings. We'll talk more about links to pages later.)
Duplicate Content
One reason why product pages on ecommerce sites appear in the search engine indexes and then disappear is because they're duplicates. You may not think your product pages are duplicates of one another, but the search engines (mainly Google) often does. By using a unique title tag, meta description and meta keywords tag on every page of your site, you'll have a better chance of those pages not being considered duplicates. Furthermore, if you include unique product descriptions (not the generic ones provided by the manufacturer of products), as well as other unique elements on every page, your pages won't be duplicates of other pages. It's important to note that when Google compares one web page (as a whole) to another web page (as a whole) and if the majority percentage of those pages contain the same content, then those pages will be duplicates. Google will keep the first page they find and "throw out" all the other duplicate pages they find. Generally speaking, I like to use the figure of 25 percent�a page must be at least 25 percent different than any other web page on the internet in order to be considered a unique page.
If you're selling products that your competitors are also selling, then your product pages need to be different than their product pages. In many cases, the generic product descriptions of items are provided by the manufacturer�so it's too easy to use the description that is provided. However, if you used the same product description that every other online store that sold that product used, your product page wouldn't stand out. It might even be considered a duplicate page if the majority of the content on the page is the product description. So, you must include other additional information on the page�try rewriting the product description or, if you do not have the time or manpower to do that, add a product review, links to related products (links to product pages with other colors, sizes, similar features), or perhaps a testimonial about the product.
Having a unique domain name is important�I prefer to host an online store on a separate web hosting account rather than using an online store such as the Yahoo! Online Store. I often advise retailers to stay away from the canned online stores mainly due to the fact that you'll have more control over your site and your store in general, especially if you want to customize it and/or add additional content to your website such as a blog or other static informational html pages. Keep in mind that it's important to choose one domain name and stick to it. If you own more than one domain name or use an online store that includes a subdomain as its address, then all other domain names you own should redirect to your main site using a 301 Permanent Redirect. Additionally, if you remove a product from your site then it's good practice to redirect that page to another similar product page using a 301 Permanent Redirect.
Product Pages and Search Engine Rankings
Let's say, for example, that your ecommerce site is selling the exact same product as your competitors. When it comes down to the actual organic search engine rankings, the product page that has more on-topic links and a better optimized title tag tends to rank higher. So, it's important that your title tag contain the search term or product name that someone will search for�and your product page must have links from other pages on your site (ideally from other related products) and from other web sites. Since your home page is typically your most powerful page, it's important to feature your most important products on your home page so that those product pages will have a link from the home page. Adding a �related products' type of navigation on your product pages will help the visitors stay on your site (in case they want to another size, color, or product with similar price or features), as well as help your product pages get more internal links. Keep in mind that you can also control the actual link text of the links in that area as well, so you might want to use link text that is similar or the same as certain keyword phrases you're targeting for rankings.
Additional Content
You don't have to be limited to the shopping cart as the only source of content on your web site. Although the shopping cart is installed, it's still possible to add regular static html pages or other content such as a blog to your site. Adding additional content can be a good way to add links to your product pages, especially if you decide to add a blog that features certain products on your site. Informational pages about the products you sell, including articles about how to use those products or background research information can often be helpful to potential customers, as well. With the manufacturer's approval, you might even be able to include information such as user manuals (or information from them) on the site. Or you might choose to include recall notices, product reviews, testimonials, or a product message board/forum discussion for your customers. It's this additional content that can lead to more links from other web sites as well as areas where you can embed links to certain product pages. Press releases about new products you're selling and other company news can be helpful for more exposure and more links, as well (add press releases to your own site as news and distribute your press releases on other sites such as prweb.com). Additionally, it's important to watch your web site's statistics and keyword trends, as they can often lead to ideas for even more content or similar products that visitors are looking for but are not finding on your site.
Whether you're just starting out as an online retailer with a few products to sell or you've been selling thousands of products online for many years now, making sure your ecommerce site is optimized for the search engines is a must. Online shoppers are using the search engines to compare product features and prices, and if your online store's product pages aren't positioned in the top search engine results you're missing out on a lot of potential online sales. By making a few minor changes to your existing site or making sure your new ecommerce site is optimized properly, you'll get more search engine traffic which will ultimately lead to more sales.
Please find out some more information about ecommerce here: what is ecommerce
Discuss this article in the Small Business Ideas forum
Optimizing an ecommerce site isn't that different than optimizing any other type of web site. In order for a page to rank well in the organic search results, the page needs a few things: a good title tag that includes the keywords you're targeting (typically the product name), good content on the page that includes the appropriate keywords, and links from other web pages to that web page. And in order for the page to remain in the search engines' indexes, the page cannot be a duplicate of any other page on the internet.
Search Engine Friendly
What does it mean when I say that your site is search engine friendly? I'm referring to a web site that can be easily crawled by the search engines without being restricted by cookies, redirects, session IDs, and long URLs with lots of parameters in them. To find out if your site is already search engine friendly, go to Google and perform site:www.yourdomain.com search. If you know you have 100 product pages on your web site and Google is showing all of them, great. But if Google doesn't appear to be indexing all of your product pages then there's a reason�and most of the time there are issues with the site that can be fixed.
If you have a shopping cart on your web site then you're most likely using a shopping cart that can be changed to be more search engine friendly. Many popular carts like OSCommerce, Miva, X-cart, and Monster Commerce, are already search engine friendly or include some plugin or additional features that can make it more search engine friendly. You'll need to figure out which shopping cart you're site is using and see if you're using the latest SEO-related plugins or add-ons.
The URLs of your site should not include variables, parameters, or session IDs. If you have question marks in your URLs and/or if you have page URLs that change every time they're visited, then that needs to change. You should be able to pick out one product page on your site, visit that URL directly, and that page should come up�and it shouldn't change or give an error or "not found" message. Like I mentioned earlier, many of the common shopping carts include plugins or "add-ons" that will make the required changes. If you're not using these plugins or "add-ons" then you might consider installing them or moving to another shopping cart.
One of the most common search engine "unfriendly" issues I see when I start to analyze a web site is a redirect from a web site's real home page to another page on the web site. The real home page of your site is www.domain.com. It's not www.domain.com/somepage.html. The mistake or "problem" is when a visitor goes to www.domain.com and it redirects to another URL. There should never be a redirect�your home page is your home page. In fact, all web server software has some way of "telling it" which page is the default home page for the site. So, even if your shopping cart software doesn't use index.html (the most common default home page) it's possible to change your default home page to whatever it needs to be�and you could even change it to mycleverflashyhomepage.html. In any case, when you go type in www.yourdomain.com it shouldn't redirect to anything else. Why? Your real home page (www.yourdomain.com) is your most powerful page, especially because more people link to your real home page and not your "other" home page (e.g., www.yourdomain.com/homepage.html). And if you never allow anyone (or any search engine) to get to your real home page, then you're literally shooting yourself in the foot�you're not taking full advantage of the "power" of your real home page, the one that has all the links going to it. (And, if you're wondering, web pages that have more links from other web pages are more "powerful" when it comes to search engine rankings. We'll talk more about links to pages later.)
Duplicate Content
One reason why product pages on ecommerce sites appear in the search engine indexes and then disappear is because they're duplicates. You may not think your product pages are duplicates of one another, but the search engines (mainly Google) often does. By using a unique title tag, meta description and meta keywords tag on every page of your site, you'll have a better chance of those pages not being considered duplicates. Furthermore, if you include unique product descriptions (not the generic ones provided by the manufacturer of products), as well as other unique elements on every page, your pages won't be duplicates of other pages. It's important to note that when Google compares one web page (as a whole) to another web page (as a whole) and if the majority percentage of those pages contain the same content, then those pages will be duplicates. Google will keep the first page they find and "throw out" all the other duplicate pages they find. Generally speaking, I like to use the figure of 25 percent�a page must be at least 25 percent different than any other web page on the internet in order to be considered a unique page.
If you're selling products that your competitors are also selling, then your product pages need to be different than their product pages. In many cases, the generic product descriptions of items are provided by the manufacturer�so it's too easy to use the description that is provided. However, if you used the same product description that every other online store that sold that product used, your product page wouldn't stand out. It might even be considered a duplicate page if the majority of the content on the page is the product description. So, you must include other additional information on the page�try rewriting the product description or, if you do not have the time or manpower to do that, add a product review, links to related products (links to product pages with other colors, sizes, similar features), or perhaps a testimonial about the product.
Having a unique domain name is important�I prefer to host an online store on a separate web hosting account rather than using an online store such as the Yahoo! Online Store. I often advise retailers to stay away from the canned online stores mainly due to the fact that you'll have more control over your site and your store in general, especially if you want to customize it and/or add additional content to your website such as a blog or other static informational html pages. Keep in mind that it's important to choose one domain name and stick to it. If you own more than one domain name or use an online store that includes a subdomain as its address, then all other domain names you own should redirect to your main site using a 301 Permanent Redirect. Additionally, if you remove a product from your site then it's good practice to redirect that page to another similar product page using a 301 Permanent Redirect.
Product Pages and Search Engine Rankings
Let's say, for example, that your ecommerce site is selling the exact same product as your competitors. When it comes down to the actual organic search engine rankings, the product page that has more on-topic links and a better optimized title tag tends to rank higher. So, it's important that your title tag contain the search term or product name that someone will search for�and your product page must have links from other pages on your site (ideally from other related products) and from other web sites. Since your home page is typically your most powerful page, it's important to feature your most important products on your home page so that those product pages will have a link from the home page. Adding a �related products' type of navigation on your product pages will help the visitors stay on your site (in case they want to another size, color, or product with similar price or features), as well as help your product pages get more internal links. Keep in mind that you can also control the actual link text of the links in that area as well, so you might want to use link text that is similar or the same as certain keyword phrases you're targeting for rankings.
Additional Content
You don't have to be limited to the shopping cart as the only source of content on your web site. Although the shopping cart is installed, it's still possible to add regular static html pages or other content such as a blog to your site. Adding additional content can be a good way to add links to your product pages, especially if you decide to add a blog that features certain products on your site. Informational pages about the products you sell, including articles about how to use those products or background research information can often be helpful to potential customers, as well. With the manufacturer's approval, you might even be able to include information such as user manuals (or information from them) on the site. Or you might choose to include recall notices, product reviews, testimonials, or a product message board/forum discussion for your customers. It's this additional content that can lead to more links from other web sites as well as areas where you can embed links to certain product pages. Press releases about new products you're selling and other company news can be helpful for more exposure and more links, as well (add press releases to your own site as news and distribute your press releases on other sites such as prweb.com). Additionally, it's important to watch your web site's statistics and keyword trends, as they can often lead to ideas for even more content or similar products that visitors are looking for but are not finding on your site.
Whether you're just starting out as an online retailer with a few products to sell or you've been selling thousands of products online for many years now, making sure your ecommerce site is optimized for the search engines is a must. Online shoppers are using the search engines to compare product features and prices, and if your online store's product pages aren't positioned in the top search engine results you're missing out on a lot of potential online sales. By making a few minor changes to your existing site or making sure your new ecommerce site is optimized properly, you'll get more search engine traffic which will ultimately lead to more sales.
Please find out some more information about ecommerce here: what is ecommerce
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Switching Web Hosts – Why And How.
When you first sign up with a hosting provider, you may think that it is a permanent arrangement. After all, you spent a lot of time researching different hosting providers and evaluated their offerings. You have the perfect host for your situation.
This is not always true. Sometimes you come to find out that your web host just cannot live up to their promises. Alternatively, your website might have become so popular that your current web host just cannot handle the sheer volume or scalability that you now need.
Lets face it; there are many reasons to switch web hosts, both pleasant and unpleasant. If done right, it can be accomplished with relative ease.
First, you need to take the time to shop around for a new hosting provider. It may help to make a list of the features you need for your website, as well as any that you feel you might need in the near future. When evaluating new hosting providers, compare the available features of each one with the list that you have created. You will undoubtedly find at least a few that offer packages that will fit your needs. Be sure to investigate their options for scalability and support as well.
After you have made your selection, contact the host to make arrangements. During the signup process some companies want to transfer the domain to their servers immediately. Make arrangements to transfer the domain at a later date. You may have to contact the web host directly to accomplish this, since most automated sign-ups do not accommodate such a request.
Now that you have a new web hosting account, make a fresh backup of all your content on your original website. Backups are something that should be done on a frequent basis, but that is a topic for another time. Make sure that you have backed up all of the information needed to run your site. This includes HTML, scripts, images, database files, downloads, etc.
Once you have backed up all of your data, it is time to upload it all to your new website. Since you have not transferred your domain name yet, you will either have to use an IP Address to access your website, or some kind of sub-domain (i.e., http://www.webhosting.com/yournewwebsite). Using an FTP program or another method, upload all of the required files to your new web account. It may be necessary to have your new provider make security modifications to files or folders in your account, depending on the provider and your website requirements.
It’s now time to test. Test your website very thoroughly on your new server. Try every option and click every link. I know this seems like a lot of work, but it is necessary. The last thing you want to do is switch over to your new web host and have problems right away. Testing everything will ensure that the transition will go more smoothly for you and your website visitors.
After fixing any problems you encountered while testing your site you will want to transfer over any content from your original web host that may have change while you were setting up and testing your new service. It is important to make sure the two sites are completely in sync, since you are now about to enter the transition period of your domain transfer.
I refer to it as a transition period, since it is the easiest way to describe it. When everything is tested and ready, you will need to notify your new hosting provider that you are ready for them to transfer the domain name to your new account. Your hosting provider will make it so your domain name now points to their name servers. The problem with this is that it is not an immediate process. Once the changes have been made, it can take as long as 10 days for the changes to propagate completely throughout the Internet.
Since it can take so long for the changes to completely propagate, or spread throughout the Internet, you may not only need to keep both web accounts functional but completely synchronized as well. There is no telling when a visitor types in the URL for your website, which one that they are going to hit. So, for at least one week after the transfer of the domain name, you will be in the transition period between the two providers.
This transition period is not only for your website. It can also affect your other services such as email. You may need to check email for your website on both services for the duration of the transition period. As a matter of fact, any service of your website that can be located using the domain name is affected by propagation, so be sure to take those cases into consideration.
After your transition period, your new provider will now be handling all of your site traffic. It is now appropriate to discontinue your old web service. One final backup is recommended, just in case there is something that slipped through the cracks and did not get transferred to the new web provider.
In the case you find yourself in need of a new hosting provider, following the above guidelines will help you complete the transfer with a minimal margin for error.
This is not always true. Sometimes you come to find out that your web host just cannot live up to their promises. Alternatively, your website might have become so popular that your current web host just cannot handle the sheer volume or scalability that you now need.
Lets face it; there are many reasons to switch web hosts, both pleasant and unpleasant. If done right, it can be accomplished with relative ease.
First, you need to take the time to shop around for a new hosting provider. It may help to make a list of the features you need for your website, as well as any that you feel you might need in the near future. When evaluating new hosting providers, compare the available features of each one with the list that you have created. You will undoubtedly find at least a few that offer packages that will fit your needs. Be sure to investigate their options for scalability and support as well.
After you have made your selection, contact the host to make arrangements. During the signup process some companies want to transfer the domain to their servers immediately. Make arrangements to transfer the domain at a later date. You may have to contact the web host directly to accomplish this, since most automated sign-ups do not accommodate such a request.
Now that you have a new web hosting account, make a fresh backup of all your content on your original website. Backups are something that should be done on a frequent basis, but that is a topic for another time. Make sure that you have backed up all of the information needed to run your site. This includes HTML, scripts, images, database files, downloads, etc.
Once you have backed up all of your data, it is time to upload it all to your new website. Since you have not transferred your domain name yet, you will either have to use an IP Address to access your website, or some kind of sub-domain (i.e., http://www.webhosting.com/yournewwebsite). Using an FTP program or another method, upload all of the required files to your new web account. It may be necessary to have your new provider make security modifications to files or folders in your account, depending on the provider and your website requirements.
It’s now time to test. Test your website very thoroughly on your new server. Try every option and click every link. I know this seems like a lot of work, but it is necessary. The last thing you want to do is switch over to your new web host and have problems right away. Testing everything will ensure that the transition will go more smoothly for you and your website visitors.
After fixing any problems you encountered while testing your site you will want to transfer over any content from your original web host that may have change while you were setting up and testing your new service. It is important to make sure the two sites are completely in sync, since you are now about to enter the transition period of your domain transfer.
I refer to it as a transition period, since it is the easiest way to describe it. When everything is tested and ready, you will need to notify your new hosting provider that you are ready for them to transfer the domain name to your new account. Your hosting provider will make it so your domain name now points to their name servers. The problem with this is that it is not an immediate process. Once the changes have been made, it can take as long as 10 days for the changes to propagate completely throughout the Internet.
Since it can take so long for the changes to completely propagate, or spread throughout the Internet, you may not only need to keep both web accounts functional but completely synchronized as well. There is no telling when a visitor types in the URL for your website, which one that they are going to hit. So, for at least one week after the transfer of the domain name, you will be in the transition period between the two providers.
This transition period is not only for your website. It can also affect your other services such as email. You may need to check email for your website on both services for the duration of the transition period. As a matter of fact, any service of your website that can be located using the domain name is affected by propagation, so be sure to take those cases into consideration.
After your transition period, your new provider will now be handling all of your site traffic. It is now appropriate to discontinue your old web service. One final backup is recommended, just in case there is something that slipped through the cracks and did not get transferred to the new web provider.
In the case you find yourself in need of a new hosting provider, following the above guidelines will help you complete the transfer with a minimal margin for error.
Becoming A Web Hosting Reseller.
So you would like to get into the lucrative business of being a web hosting provider. Welcome to the club. There are many companies and individuals trying to break into the web hosting resellers market today. Reselling web hosting services offers you the ability to start your own internet-based business selling web space, but without the hassles or monetary expense of managing your own equipment.
But now that you’ve made that decision, what do you do? Where do you even start when it comes to creating a new business for this purpose? I hope to provide you with guidelines that can help you to achieve your goals.
The first thing to do is decide on what it is you wish to offer. Some resellers just want to offer hosting solutions for a cheap price hoping that they can make money on quantity. Alternatively, other resellers are design firms who have decided to offer hosting to augment their design offerings as well as open the door for additional customers. There are many reasons for becoming a reseller, and a multitude of options that can be offered to your customers. It is a very good idea to know who your prospective customer is before you even get started.
In addition to deciding on what it is you wish to offer, the next step is to consider how you want to offer it. Many resellers offer different flavors of reseller hosting. Here are a couple of the more common varieties:
• Agent Partners – This is when you become a “partner” with a web host, and resell their services. It is your job to find the customers, and when they sign up they become customers of your web host. You earn a recurring commission on the services they purchase. It is well known that you are not the actual hosting provider, just a partner.
• Private Label – If you would like your customers to believe that you are the actual provider, or do not wish for them to know whose services you resell then this is the option for you. The actual provider will supply you with the information you need and the appropriate tools to transparently offer their services as your own. It is not common knowledge that you are a reseller or whose services you resell.
Once you have decided who you will cater to and what kind of image you would like to portray, the next step would be to begin to research hosting providers who can accommodate your wishes. For example, if you wish to offer services for ASP developers, you will need to find a hosting provider who offers windows-based hosting and who can offer the reseller program you desire.
Selecting a provider may not be as simple as it sounds. There are many hosts available to choose from, some better than others. It is highly recommended that you find some references from the ones that match your intentions, to help narrow down your selection.
Once you have selected a provider you need to decide what you want your website to consist of. If you are skilled in web design, then you have an edge in this arena. Most do not, however, and need to employ web designers to build their site for them.
By becoming familiar with the options available by your provider, and by researching other web reseller’s websites, you can build a site map of how your web site should be architected. If you will be having a web design firm handle creation of the website for you, this is imperative if you would like receive an all-inclusive quote.
Be sure you know what it is you want from your designer. Some of them will offer services such as logo design and banner ad creation, as well. Ask for example work and references. It is also helpful if your designer has experience with web hosting sites. First impressions are everything when it comes to web hosting customers, so this is very important. You want to make sure to select a firm that can deliver what it is you need, with professional quality and at a fair price.
Once your site it created, your final step is advertising. You can have a professionally designed website and outstanding hosting plans to sell, but without proper advertising your potential customers will never know you exist. There are many ways to advertise on the internet. These include submitting your website to search engines, doing direct advertising with select web sites, and banner advertising with different exchanges. You will need to weigh the benefits of each along with your budget.
By following the above guidelines, you should be well on your way to a constructive and profitable web hosting venture. This is not to say that these guidelines are a sure-fire way to become an instant success. Any successful business requires effort and dedication. But by taking these guidelines and applying the right amount of good old-fashioned hard work and determination, you have the makings of lucrative venture.
More Hosting related you can find here: Free Hosting
But now that you’ve made that decision, what do you do? Where do you even start when it comes to creating a new business for this purpose? I hope to provide you with guidelines that can help you to achieve your goals.
The first thing to do is decide on what it is you wish to offer. Some resellers just want to offer hosting solutions for a cheap price hoping that they can make money on quantity. Alternatively, other resellers are design firms who have decided to offer hosting to augment their design offerings as well as open the door for additional customers. There are many reasons for becoming a reseller, and a multitude of options that can be offered to your customers. It is a very good idea to know who your prospective customer is before you even get started.
In addition to deciding on what it is you wish to offer, the next step is to consider how you want to offer it. Many resellers offer different flavors of reseller hosting. Here are a couple of the more common varieties:
• Agent Partners – This is when you become a “partner” with a web host, and resell their services. It is your job to find the customers, and when they sign up they become customers of your web host. You earn a recurring commission on the services they purchase. It is well known that you are not the actual hosting provider, just a partner.
• Private Label – If you would like your customers to believe that you are the actual provider, or do not wish for them to know whose services you resell then this is the option for you. The actual provider will supply you with the information you need and the appropriate tools to transparently offer their services as your own. It is not common knowledge that you are a reseller or whose services you resell.
Once you have decided who you will cater to and what kind of image you would like to portray, the next step would be to begin to research hosting providers who can accommodate your wishes. For example, if you wish to offer services for ASP developers, you will need to find a hosting provider who offers windows-based hosting and who can offer the reseller program you desire.
Selecting a provider may not be as simple as it sounds. There are many hosts available to choose from, some better than others. It is highly recommended that you find some references from the ones that match your intentions, to help narrow down your selection.
Once you have selected a provider you need to decide what you want your website to consist of. If you are skilled in web design, then you have an edge in this arena. Most do not, however, and need to employ web designers to build their site for them.
By becoming familiar with the options available by your provider, and by researching other web reseller’s websites, you can build a site map of how your web site should be architected. If you will be having a web design firm handle creation of the website for you, this is imperative if you would like receive an all-inclusive quote.
Be sure you know what it is you want from your designer. Some of them will offer services such as logo design and banner ad creation, as well. Ask for example work and references. It is also helpful if your designer has experience with web hosting sites. First impressions are everything when it comes to web hosting customers, so this is very important. You want to make sure to select a firm that can deliver what it is you need, with professional quality and at a fair price.
Once your site it created, your final step is advertising. You can have a professionally designed website and outstanding hosting plans to sell, but without proper advertising your potential customers will never know you exist. There are many ways to advertise on the internet. These include submitting your website to search engines, doing direct advertising with select web sites, and banner advertising with different exchanges. You will need to weigh the benefits of each along with your budget.
By following the above guidelines, you should be well on your way to a constructive and profitable web hosting venture. This is not to say that these guidelines are a sure-fire way to become an instant success. Any successful business requires effort and dedication. But by taking these guidelines and applying the right amount of good old-fashioned hard work and determination, you have the makings of lucrative venture.
More Hosting related you can find here: Free Hosting
Web Hosting Benefits Of A Dedicated Server.
Hosting your web sites on your own dedicated server may seem a little expensive in comparison to shared web hosting, but the end result is more advantageous. Shared web hosting, no matter how well managed, cannot be 100% reliable and stable. However if you have your own dedicated server you can manage to avoid most of the variables affecting the reliability and stability of a server, commonly experienced by shared hosting accounts; variables such as: overload, bad codes and scripts from other users (especially beginners); and, too many applications and components uploaded, and so on.
On a dedicated server you will install only software and applications you want to use, while on a shared hosting server you will find a host of other software and applications installed for other users.
By the very nature of the account, a dedicated server: reduces your dependency on the web host; and bypasses time delays and possible expenses incurred from these. With dedicated server hosting you can provide instant support to your own clients whenever required, which is not possible if you are on a shared server. A reliable and fast support service is vital for your own business growth just like the stability and reliability you wish for your own website. In business, reliability is reflected through word-of-mouth as one of the most effective promotional activities.
For people with clients, such as Graphic Designers and Web Designers a dedicated server is invaluable. A dedicated server will bring extra income into the studio, not just as a hosting facility, but, as a designer knows only too well, for the extra ‘bread and butter’ income value. If you have 24hour access to your own dedicated server then you can adjust, correct or update a clients website in minutes, allowing you to keep the dollar back in your studio and not in someone else’s. Ready availability results in reduced labor costs for the client, but higher studio-income frequency for the designer. Hence you will see the return of all your regular offline clients, bringing their web work with them.
The need for a dedicated server to your average shared server user is realized when stats tell you: how quickly people left your site because it was taking too much time to download; or how many daily visitors you are down by, because your site was not up. The true negative is the worry of how many lost visitors could have been your future paying-customers. The loss could easily equal the value of the upgrade to a Dedicated Server!
For a business, a website that is quickly downloadable and up all the time gives the visitor encouragement that your service is just as reliable, hence you will be more likely to make a sale. It will also enhance the company’s image and encourage existing customers to refer your service to others. This will result in more sales for less promotion.
On a dedicated server you will install only software and applications you want to use, while on a shared hosting server you will find a host of other software and applications installed for other users.
By the very nature of the account, a dedicated server: reduces your dependency on the web host; and bypasses time delays and possible expenses incurred from these. With dedicated server hosting you can provide instant support to your own clients whenever required, which is not possible if you are on a shared server. A reliable and fast support service is vital for your own business growth just like the stability and reliability you wish for your own website. In business, reliability is reflected through word-of-mouth as one of the most effective promotional activities.
For people with clients, such as Graphic Designers and Web Designers a dedicated server is invaluable. A dedicated server will bring extra income into the studio, not just as a hosting facility, but, as a designer knows only too well, for the extra ‘bread and butter’ income value. If you have 24hour access to your own dedicated server then you can adjust, correct or update a clients website in minutes, allowing you to keep the dollar back in your studio and not in someone else’s. Ready availability results in reduced labor costs for the client, but higher studio-income frequency for the designer. Hence you will see the return of all your regular offline clients, bringing their web work with them.
The need for a dedicated server to your average shared server user is realized when stats tell you: how quickly people left your site because it was taking too much time to download; or how many daily visitors you are down by, because your site was not up. The true negative is the worry of how many lost visitors could have been your future paying-customers. The loss could easily equal the value of the upgrade to a Dedicated Server!
For a business, a website that is quickly downloadable and up all the time gives the visitor encouragement that your service is just as reliable, hence you will be more likely to make a sale. It will also enhance the company’s image and encourage existing customers to refer your service to others. This will result in more sales for less promotion.
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