Crawford Designs will build a beautiful mobile-responsive, SEO-friendly website for your business. You provide the content and tell us your vision, and we work with you 1-on-1 to build you a successful new site.

All of our websites include:

• Mobile-responsive design
• Hosting and a custom domain (e.g. www.yourcompany.com)
• Call-to-Action buttons to drive lead capture
• Lead capture forms
• Basic SEO: Keyword-optimized meta information for top-level navigation menu items
• Stock photos, if needed

For our very transparent and reasonable pricing, click here to view our rates.

The top 9 local search engine marketing tip series intends to help business owners to better reach a local demographic using websites and tools on the internet. If you do not have a well coded website, get one. Then use these local search engine optimization tips:

Tip #1: Create Quality Content With Plenty of Keywords
Search engines and customers use keywords and phrases to find your website. Make sure you use plenty of the words you would like to be found for in the text of your website. Website designers and owners should create plenty of pages that display all of the content necessary to tell a search engine to show you as an expert for your keywords.

Take the time to look at your competitors' websites to try to have at least as many pages as they do, if not more. One last important tip for local search is to take every opportunity to put your location in your text. This helps Google Local rankings, and effects the value of your Alexa ranking.

Tip#2: Update Content Often With Local Information
Take every opportunity to add new pages to your site which discuss local topics and events. Search engines will see that you are discussing local events with local keywords and move up your ranking as a local expert. Participate in local events and get your company name on charity and community websites with links back to your website. These types of links are invaluable and can only be acquired through hard work and giving back to your community.

Tip#3: Use Available Resources
One of the best tools we have found to help promote websites locally is the Google Business Tools Suite. This amazing resource center allows website designers and managers to analyze, manage, advertise, and invest in a website's online presence. Google has put most of their main business tools together in one location for easy use and understanding.

Check the relevant business tools out, read about them, and sign up for the ones that apply to you: Google Website Optimizer, Google AdWords, Google Apps, Google Webmaster Tools, Google Base, and Google Local Business Center.

Tip#4:  Pay Per Click - Monitor Closely and Spend Wisely
If you can set up and optimize your pay per click campaign, it can be very successful and sometimes the results are amazing. That being said, we have witnessed many different cases where Pay-Per-Click advertising has burned through an entire budget in a couple of days. This can happen if you don't take the time to read through the entire process before making your selection. Use local words in your PPC campaign to save money by competing locally instead of globally. Remember, spending money to make money is necessary, but spend wisely.

Tip#5: Local Search Engines: Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, Bing Local
This is an obvious and easy way to increase your local exposure. We have all used search tools that have given results with a map and indicator dots on related business locations. If you would like to come up for these types of local searches, carefully submit for these specialized location based results. The search engines will often request some sort of verification through a call back or traditional mail and pin verification.

Tip#6: Yelp!
Take the time to list yourself on Yelp and register your business. Make sure that you spend the time on these postings that you would for any piece of marketing material for your business. Yelp! and websites like it, are sometimes the only chance to give an impression you will have with a customer. Be careful. These types of listings are double edged swords... If you don't maintain a high standard of service and quality, this will also be the location that customers will go to vent about their frustrations. These listings will also count as a quality inbound link for search and is useful to increase your search rankings.

Tip#7: Chamber of Commerce
You should become members with at least one local chamber of commerce. This is a great way to establish credibility and become a member of your local business community. Once you have this membership, make sure that your listing on the chamber website is a direct link to your website. Chambers of Commerce are considered to be local experts, and their link to you is a valuable one.

Tip#8: CitySearch
CitySearch is very similar to Yelp in that it is a popular local search engine. Make sure that you spend some quality time explaining yourself and your business. You should also make sure to check back and monitor your reviews often.

Tip#9: Press Release Services, Facebook, and Twitter
Social Media and local publicity can be very important for local results. Make sure to use locations and city information in your profile descriptions. Search engines will look at social media websites, and if you do a good job of mentioning local search words with your search engine keywords, you will begin to see additional results from search engines. Press releases can be the most important local marketing item a business can employ.

Implemented wisely, a well optimized press release or social media blast can bring you first-page visibility for your keywords very quickly. Sometimes you can take over more than one spot on the first page of Google.

When a new visitor arrives at your site, they aren't looking to learn all about you. They want to know how you can help them. Your site should be about the visitor and what they need, and how you can solve their pains and problems.

​Take a look at your homepage and answer these questions…

• Would a first time visitor know where to start?
• Am I distracting people from what I want them to do with too much clutter?
• Is all this homepage content really relevant to people when they start?

And if you don’t know WHO your ideal visitor is, then that’s a problem in itself. You need to define that first.

Simplifying a homepage is not about leaving anything out, but focusing on THE most important thing you want people to do. Always think about what your audience would need most when they arrive. Keep it simple and offer a very clear message. 

Wondering how your site stacks up online? Check out your site results with our FREE checkup here. 

Here are a few of our favorite tools:

1. Acuity scheduler:  I have tried a few different scheduling tools and I found them to be difficult and their customization tools were less than stellar. What I love about Acuity is they make it super easy to use and embed right on your website. Your follow-up emails are customizable with the ability to add links etc. There is a free version as well as paid options.  I would give this 4.5 stars out of 5 simply because there is no such thing as perfect. 
2. Canva: I love the ease of use and the one stop shop features. Meaning you can use their stock photo's and add special features all within Canva. With that said I would give them 4 out of 5 stars due to the fact that their stock photos are very stock photo looking. Which brings me to my next favorite tool. 
3. Fotolio.com: What I love about Fotolio is that they don't charge you insane prices for their stock photos. You can buy a set number of credits and then purchase photo's as needed. Having looked into several stock photo company's I was blown away at their outrageous subscription fee's. Fotolio makes it affordable for all and their photo's are awesome. I give them 4.5 out of 5 stars!
4. Freeconferencecall.com: I truly can't believe this is FREE but it is and it's fabulous. You have the ability to have one person or several on at one time. Each call is able to be recorded and a link is generated for you to share with clients or attendee's. I use this daily in my business. I record every coaching call I do and send a link to my Go Getter's so they can play back all the valuable information we covered. This is an excellent tool. I would give this 4.75 Stars out of 5 ;) 
5. iPhone: Seriously, it reminds me of everything. I put all my appointments and must do's in my calendar and get reminders throughout the day. I also use my notes in my iPhone for blog idea's or anything that comes to mind while I am away from my office. When I am driving I use voice memos to record what I have on my mind. So my iPhone is probably the tool I use the most - not free, but definitely an excellent resource! 4.99 out of 5 stars :) 
6. Site Checkup: Wondering how your website stacks up, and curious about any types of online updates that you may be missing on your site, social, and seo efforts? Check out your site results with our FREE checkup here. 

There are so many amazing tools out there helping us level up in our business and helping us get stuff done in less time. 

The First Impression:

• Proper use of colors: Use the right colors for your audience and to draw attention to select elements. Don’t try to make everything jump out. The result will be just the opposite – nothing will stand out. Avoid a chaotic mix of colors on your website and instead pick two to four colors for your template and marketing materials.
• Animations, gadgets and media: Avoid anything unnecessary. Using Flash animations because they look cool is the wrong strategy. In most cases it’s best not to use animated background or background music. Only use media and animations to help support content and information.
• Layout: Create a clear, user-friendly navigation structure and organize page elements. Don’t be afraid of white space and avoid clutter!
• Typography: Make sure your website is legible. Use fonts, font sizes and font colors that are easy to read. For easier page scanning, use bullet lists, section headers, and short paragraphs.

While design is important, don’t forget that offering great content is what your visitors are ultimately looking for. A well-designed website might convince visitors to take a closer look but they won’t look twice if the content isn’t useful and well organized. After all, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

A visitor comes to your website to collect information or to research details that are of benefit to them. Your website should anticipate those needs and quickly and clearly address them. There is one person at the center of your message, and that is the visitor. Not you. Not your company. Not your product or service. What are your clients' pains, and how are you the go-to business to fix those problems? Offer clear solutions.

Your website should communicate how the customer will win or benefit by becoming your customer. It should clearly describe how your visitor has found the perfect solution to their issues. Any other approach sounds boastful, out of touch, and buries the information that your potential customer is looking for.

Use our free online tool to review key metrics like performance, mobile readiness, SEO, and social networking. Click here for a FREE website checker.

Over the years as we've been growing our business, I am constantly seeking out inspiration, ideas and advice from experts that have already made it happen. One of the 'tools' I use to stay on top of best practices, new trends, and big ideas are podcasts. There are hundreds of thousands of them to choose from, but I have identified a few that literally change my day, and sometimes even the entire course of our business. Next time you're driving, instead of talking on the phone or rocking out to the radio, tune into one of these podcasts with the true intent of listening and implementing. They can be game changers!

1. EOFire by John Lee Dumas - http://www.eofire.com - I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this show is! 7 days a week, 365 days a year JLD interviews the countries best entrepreneurs and every one of them has so much to offer. This is by far my absolute favorite and has provided me with so much value I can't begin to share it all!

2. Online Marketing Made Easy by Amy Porterfield - http://www.amyporterfield.com/category/podcast/ - Amy is an absolute ROCKSTAR. True game-changer!

3. The GaryVee Audio Experience https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/the-askgaryvee-show-podcast/ with Gary Vaynerchuck - Hands down Gary is the hottest thing happening in Digital Marketing. He's an absolute genius! www.garyvaynerchuk.com/the-askgaryvee-show-podcast/

4. Smart Passive Income by Pat Flynn - https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/podcasts/ Pat also interviews successful entrepreneurs who have a story to share and tons of value to throw your way, all you have to do is tune in!

5. The Agents of Change with Rich Brooks - www.theagentsofchange.com/podcasts/  Rich is an incredibly talented web designer/ SEO master. He speaks with industry leaders and offers you expert advice on how to improve your SEO, mobile marketing, and social media. 

We are sure you’ve heard of Google Analytics and the Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools), and probably use them. But I’d like to share the tools I’d also suggest.

Ahrefs. Want to know which sites link to your site?  Which links are keepers and which are clunkers?  Who links to your competitors?  Ahrefs is the best backlinks checker and analysis tool.  I use it every day.  It’s $79/month - which may sound expensive if you’re not a full-time SEO-er - but the intel it gives you is priceless.

Moz Local.  The free scan is gives you a rough picture of which major local directories you’re listed on, as well as how many of those listings have the correct info.  The paid version ($84/year) will actually create listings on those sites for you - and the listings in its network often are a pain to claim/fix or create manually.  I use the free version every day and use the paid version for a good chunk of my clients.

NAP Hunter Lite.  A Google Chrome extension that finds incorrect business listings, so you can fix them.  Free.

Whitespark’s Local Citation Finder. Tells you which local-business directories and other “local citation sources” your competitors are listed on.  That allows you to list your business on those same sites, too.  That’s an advantage you can neutralize.  The “Small Business” version is $20/month, but the free version is pretty good.

CrazyEgg.  It shows you a heatmap of exactly where your website visitors click and scroll.  You can study the heatmaps and understand how to make your site better at converting however much traffic you get.

Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.  Tells you whether your site is technically mobile-friendly.  (It can be technically mobile-friendly but still not very good, so in some senses that’s a low bar.)

Review handouts.  One-page PDFs that you give to your customers to walk them through how to post a review on Google. You can generate a free PDF over at Whitespark. 

Asana.  The project-management tool I and my helpers use to get things done.  The free version is probably all you need.

Wondering how your site stacks up online?
Check out your site results with our FREE checkup here.