Posts Tagged Search Engine Optimization
Kobelco Cranes North America’s New Website Promotes Dealer Sales and Service
Posted by admin in Web Design on March 15th, 2010
Marion recently completed the design, search engine optimization and programming for Kobelco Cranes North America, Inc.’s new website at kobelcocranesnorthamerica.com, which was presented at the AED show this past January.
Kobelco specializes in selling Lattice-Boom Crawler Cranes; however, all sales are handled by dealers. The goal of the new website was to improve the way dealer information was presented and drive traffic to the dealers. Since dealers are determined by counties, Marion developed an interactive county-based map that allows users to click on the appropriate county and review contact information for that dealer. The dealer locator application is intuitive and simple to use.
Additionally, Marion repositioned the homepage message to reflect Kobelco’s main differentiator, a lower cost of ownership. The site was also flattened to allow an easier understanding of the benefits Kobelco has to offer. The crane models and images can be viewed directly from the homepage with a quick guide of the product differentiators. Users can easily click to crane product pages and find complete, detailed information about each lattice-boom crawler crane’s features and transportation plans.
The site has become a valuable resource for customers and dealers, especially with the addition of crane training videos.
Since the site has been so successful for the U.S market, Kobelco wanted to make it available as a resource to the Latin American market. Marion just launched the Spanish and Portuguese versions of their site at kobelcocranesnorthamerica.com.
Future updates include adding a Ground Bearing Pressure Calculator, which will help determine safety requirements for crane placement.
From the Kobelco North America team:
“Thank you and congrats guys! The new website is incredible. We have had several calls coming from dealers this morning about the site and it is rave reviews! Also our service guys have already been sending people in the field to the videos section of the site and they were happy to get on and look at specific information they needed. That was quick. We’ve made them happy. Very impressed. You guys made us look good!!
I want to thank you for all the hard work that has been put into this; seeing the end result, it has been well worth it!
I know we still have some pieces to work on, and a few big ones for the future, but it has been a real joy working with all of you and I look forward to continuing……
Thanks again for everything!”
To view this website, go to http://www.kobelcocranesnorthamerica.com/Xdefault.asp
More web designs by Marion can be viewed at marion.com/portfolio.php.
For your own custom web design, contact The Marion Group at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
What’s the difference: Web vs. Internet
Posted by admin in Internet marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Uncategorized, Web Design on February 3rd, 2010
Ever used the terms “Web” and “Internet” interchangeably? Like “Surf the Web” or “Browse the internet”? Most of us have. But the truth is that the Web and Internet are different.
The Internet is a huge network of networks- it connects computers together, so that they can communicate and trade information. If a computer is connected to the Internet, it can exchange information with any other computers that are also connected.
The Web (aka World Wide Web) is just one way of accessing the Internet. The Web is an information-sharing application that is built on top of the Internet. The Web cannot work unless the Internet is connected. Simply put, the Web runs on top of the Internet the way a train runs on tracks.
When you are shopping on Amazon or watching videos on YouTube, you are using the Web. However, when you send an email, you are using the Internet, not the Web. The Web is by far the largest and most widely used subnetwork of the internet.
Here, at Marion, we provide a wide range of Internet and Web marketing services. For the Web, we can increase traffic to your page through our Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. For the Internet, Marion can create and broadcast e-newsletters, so that you can stay in constant contact with your customers. Check out our full range of online marketing services or contact us today at (713)-623-6444.
The Marion Group Breaks Ground with Traditional & Interactive Catalog Design
Posted by admin in Catalog Design, Search Engine Optimization, Web Design on December 14th, 2009
The Marion Group breaks ground by providing traditional and interactive catalog design and production services for Total Safety, a leading global provider of integrated industrial safety solutions and services. This combination of start-to-finish services is a rarity among advertising, graphic design and marketing firms.
Traditional Catalog Design: The Printed Book
Earlier this year, The Marion Group helped produce Total Safety’s first printed catalog in 10 years. We were responsible for the overall project coordination, as well as the content development including writing, editing, gathering product images, proofing and communicating with suppliers on behalf of Total Safety for the book (It won an award too!).
We also provided graphic design services that included the development the page template and cover design to reflect Total Safety’s graphic standards and brand identity. We produced the page layouts and electronic production of the catalog. To complete the project, Marion also handled the printing of the catalog.
Interactive Catalog Design: The Online Catalog
A few months after the release of the printed catalog, Marion launched an all-new E-Catalog for Total Safety by transitioning the print catalog into an online catalog that allows their customers to:
- Browse safety products from the nation’s top manufacturers
- View product details & images to learn more information
- Request a quote online for rent or purchase
The Marion Group provided custom web design services for Total Safety including:
- Database design
- Custom front end design
- Content management system that allows Total Safety to update the E-Catalog as needed
- Data entry & integration
- Shopping cart
- Robust search capabilities
- Search engine optimization for all the product pages
For more information on the services The Marion Group can provide your company, call us at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
Reliance on Google PageRank – A Thing of the Past?
Posted by admin in Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Uncategorized, Web Design on October 27th, 2009
Search Engine Optimizers have always relied on Google PageRank to determine the strength of websites on search engines; however, Google is trying to wean us off its use. To do this, Google removed the PageRank values from the Crawl stats section of Google Webmaster Tools.
Google PageRank stats range from (Lowest) 1 – 10 (Highest).
Google Toolbar PageRank
Google has always implied that PageRank is not the end all be all but no one seemed to listen. Now that it’s no longer there, Google is hoping the temptation to utilize these figures dissipates.
Still, the PageRank value is not completely obsolete. The Google toolbar and other third party applications currently provide access to this information, so technically this only affects those that utilize Google Webmaster Tools to closely monitor their sites.
It seems the moral of this Google update is, when analyzing the value of your website do not rely on only one metric.
Remember, when SEO has you confused, contact Marion to get you headed in the right direction.
Yahoo! and Microsoft Hand in Hand
Posted by admin in Search Engine Optimization on July 29th, 2009
Microsoft and Yahoo! announced today (Wednesday, July 29th) that an agreement has been made to integrate Yahoo! Search engine technology with Microsoft’s new search engine (excuse me, “decision engine”) known as Bing.
The ten-year partnership will deal exclusively with search and search advertising. The two groups will apparently remain independent in certain sectors like news sites and electronic mail services
The partnership is intended to create a new “number 2” in an effort to strike a blow at Google (never really mentioned by name in Steve Ballmer’s video below), the behemoth of search and paid ad revenues.
Fickle Yahoo! has changed search partners before.
1995-Yahoo! directory first to “catalog the web”
1998-Yahoo! uses Alta-Vista and Inktomi for web search
2000-Yahoo! uses Google for web search
2004-Yahoo! kicks Google out, buys Inktomi and develops its own search engine
2009-Yahoo!and Microsoft agree to collaborate on a web search and ad partnership “Bing go!”
Because Marion follows standard SEO practices (cleverly executed) our rankings on Bing remain as strong as they were on MSN.com, if not just a little bit better. And instead of optimizing separately for Google, Yahoo and Bing, we only need to optimize for Google and Bing now.
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