Wordpress is used by bloggers and content managers everywhere. It’s particularly popular amongst the web design blogging scene, mainly for it’s ease of use and it’s massive library of plugins that extend the functionality far beyond what the bare bones system offers.

Let’s take a look at 10 must-have plugins for your Web Design related blog…

As freelancers, we can only handle so many clients, therefore our income is limited. For a more positive outcome of our future finances, let’s take a closer look at how to build passive income, and make money while we sleep.

Wordpress is easily the best and most robust blogging platform available today. Part of the reason for the success and “staple” status of Wordpress is due to the availability of thousands of plugins that can take your blogging experience from novice to pro overnight.

Thanks to the Wordpress community, there has probably been a plugin (or 6) developed for nearly every problem/situation/need that has ever arisen when it comes to using Wordpress.

In the last several years, Google really has <i>become</i> search. It has over an 85% market share in the UK alone and getting to the first page or two of chosen search results can really help a business achieve bigger sales and more targeted marketing not to mention increased visiting statistics.

It can however be daunting, not to mention expensive, for website owners to achieve effective SEO and obtain those much sought after page 1 and 2 results.

In this article you’ll find some great little tips on how to help your website rank more effectively for your chosen keywords.

The first thing you notice when you become a freelance web designer is how quickly you also need to become a salesman.

Web design clients do not come floating through the door, you have to go out and get them. And the second thing you notice when you become a freelance web designer is how darn hard this process can be.

In this post I am going to give you some crucial tips on how you can get a web design clients by addressing some extremely important factors. If you fail to communicate these issues to the potential client they will, undoubtedly, become uninterested.

While there are, of course, probably thousands of time-management tips and techniques, starting with the basics has a greater chance of actually changing one’s habits. Follow these 5 to get started.

Before diving into this article, I would first like to state that I am not a designer. I certainly hope I can call myself one in the future, but for now, I’ll stick with what I know best.

Having said that, it’s easy for me to write this article because as someone who has worked with a bazillion designers on so many different projects, I’ve seen every one of these mistakes made, of which I have to go back and correct…which is totally cool because contrary to popular belief, being a designer doesn’t mean you’re an SEO expert. But if you, the designer, can knock out some of this stuff before it gets to the marketing/SEO person, it would play a part in boosting productivity and efficiency, which we all know equals more money in the bank.

The following 10 mistakes are very common, and very easy to correct. If anything, at least you’ll know what to do for your own personal website projects, but I can assure you that your clients will appreciate (even if they don’t know it) the extra SEO effort that you can start them out with.

1. Abusing or Ignoring the Title Tag

This may be the most common mistake made when designing a website (and not just by designers). The Title tag is pretty much the first thing someone will see when they view your website in a list of search results. Not only that, but it’s one of the first things a search engine sees when deciding what to rank your site for.

There are a few ways that this incredibly simple, yet important element can be screwed up:

1. Leaving the Title tag blank (see below)

2. Stuffing it with keywords (see below)

So if your title tag looks like either of the above, it’s not going to do anything for you SEO wise, and more importantly, a botched Title tag will harm your overall situation as you’ll lose search visitors and with keyword stuffing, potentially be penalized.

So what’s the proper way to format a Title tag? It’s easy, really. You want a nice, (no more than) 70 character introduction to your page, with a main keyword or two in it at most.

Example of a properly formatted Title tag:

Also, make sure you use your main keyword toward the beginning if possible (just in case your Title is longer and gets truncated), and take the time to create a unique Title tag for each page on your site.

2. Confusing Meta Description and Meta Keywords

Right, right, I know, the Meta keywords tag doesn’t have much bearing (if any at all) on your rankings. The Meta description isn’t seriously high on the priority list, but it’s up there somewhere for a lot of folks. Just hear me out…

All too many times, I’ve seen the two tags flip-flopped around, and instead of entering a nicely formatted Meta description of a page, they jam it up full of 300 keywords AND they do the same thing for the Meta keywords tag. This is a very common mistake, and can easily be corrected.

At one time (long ago), these tags held incredible importance in the ranking of your site (when search engines were stupid), so keyword stuffing everything possible quickly became an effective (albeit blackhat) way to get your site at the top. Of course, this doesn’t hold true anymore, and I’ll go on record of saying that unless I’m being super anal about a site, I rarely mess with the Meta keywords tag anymore because it’s nearly completely useless. The Meta description, however, is something that Google sees and takes into consideration when providing search results, and again, it’s also one of the first things that a visitor will see after performing a search – so properly formatting it is probably worth your time.

A good Meta description should be a nice, 155 character description of your site, incorporating a few target keywords – but make it look “natural”. Usually, describing your site (whether you offer services or products) in a few well written sentences should do the trick, but here is an example of a less desirable Meta description vs. a good one:

Less Desirable

Good

Why? The “good” one takes advantage of the space they’re given, uses a couple of good keywords without sounding or looking like spam, and gives the end-user a clear and concise description of the services/products offered.

What’s wrong with the less desirable one? It’s not the worst I’ve ever seen, but it’s too short, and doesn’t fully explain to me what they have to offer, compared to the next guy.

Just like Title tags, make sure you generate a unique Meta description for each page for maximum benefit.

3. Forgetting Image Alt Attributes

A very common mistake made among all is forgetting (or neglecting) to use good alt tags for the images on a page. Naming the image with a good keyword or phrase that describes the image is key to getting the search engines to recognize it (they can’t see what’s in the image…yet). Not only will it help you in places like Google images, but it will also help search engines more accurately identify what your page is about.

This one is quite simple, but just in case you need a visual…here is what the “Alternate Text” line should say for the following example:

Remember to keep your image sizes as optimized as possible, because you don’t want to slow down load time for your site. This can affect spider performance when they arrive on your page.

4. Too Many H1’s, or None at All

Header tags play an important role in “on-page” SEO, and properly using the available header tags can give the search engines a more clear-cut idea of the theme and idea of your page.

I’ve seen some projects use several H1’s (do they think they’re going to fool someone?), and completely ignore any other tags. The general rule is to use one H1 per page, and you want to use it for that particular page’s most important keyword (in other words, the text in your H1 should pretty much portray the content of the entire page). Then use your H2’s, H3’s and so on.

As a designer, you should know that you can style the header tags any way you’d like, so that shouldn’t be an excuse to use them improperly. H1 tags are huge by default, but with a little CSS, you can hook it up real nice.

5. Internal Linking – Not Using Good Anchor Text

This is a simple, yet potentially large issue. Internal linking (meaning, links that link pages of your entire website together) plays a part in your overall SEO situation. Google and others like to see healthy amounts of internal linking, so while its good to get in the habit of linking to your other pages in a proper, SEO friendly way.

To this day, I still see new sites that have fantastic internal linking, but they lack the ability to make the links really work for them by linking with proper anchor text. The most common instance of this is the dreadful “Click Here” anchor text. I have nothing against using “Click Here” for quick blog posts or things like that, but when it comes down to linking products or services, instead of using “Click Here” for blah blah blah, try using an anchor text that describes the page you’re linking to.

Example: Instead of “Click here to see the latest iPhone cases” you could use “Check out the latest iPhone cases” (using “iPhone cases” as the anchor text).

6. Forgetting to Leave Room for Text

Designers love to use all sorts of images and graphics wherever possible, which can make for a pretty page, but don’t forget to leave plenty of room for actual text!

While I hate using the phrase, “content is king”, it really still holds true, and allowing your clients to have a healthy amount of text on that newly designed page will help them achieve better rankings in the long run.

Organize your pages, and don’t be scared of using fancy images and graphics, just try not to overdo it. Simple, really.

7. Dirty Code

Again, I’m not a designer or coder, but I do know that Google and other search engines are not a fan of dirty, cluttered code. Having ugly and messy code can hurt your search rankings tremendously.

You want to make the job of searching the page as easy as possible on the search spiders, so that they’ll keep coming back on a regular basis.

Make sure HTML is validated and W3C compliant, and to go a step further for even more gains, try to bring your website up to 508 compliance, which is designed to allow sites to be accessible by those with disabilities. This is a relatively quiet subject, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that 508 compliant sites enjoy an extra boost when it comes to rankings. Here’s more on 508 compliancy standards.

8. Not Using Clean and Descriptive URLs

You’d think that by now, most people (even those that aren’t that familiar with SEO) would know that a cleaner, more keyword friendly URL is easier for the user and the search engines, but to this day, it’s still common to see URLs structured like this:

http://badexample.com/1=5545453245/klaljksd/h774.asp

While Google and other search engines are still smart enough to find out what the page is about, there is still plenty of evidence that having a keyword descriptive URL will give you an edge when it comes to organic rankings.

An example of a search engine friendly URL:

http://goodexample.com/new-photoshop-examples

So, why not play it safe, and make sure your URLs are looking as friendly as possible? Name your pages with keywords that appropriately describe them, and if you’re using a Wordpress platform, make sure and change the permalink structure to something like /%postname%/

9. Too Much Flash

We all understand that flash can make a page look extremely attractive (if done right), and that you have a wide range of design possibilities when implementing it.

However, flash is the bane of Google’s existence. While Google and Adobe announced an initiative last year to allow Google to more deeply and thoroughly index and read flash, it’s still not anywhere near an optimal experience.

Using flash in your site should be limited to a supplemental design element at most – and if you remember anything, don’t put any important keyword rich text in the flash element where Google can’t see it. There’s certainly nothing wrong with incorporating a bit of flash into a page, but just keep in mind that search engine’s are still pretty much blind to it.

10. Using Only Javascript Navigation Menu’s

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using a fancied up Javascript navigation menu with cool drop down’s and what-not. But keep in mind that search engines cannot read these navigation menus and follow them to their respective pages.

The most common and accepted way to use sweet Javascript based navigation and still allow the ability for search engine’s to discover your pages? Just duplicate the menu in text and throw it in the footer. You’ll see this on 9 out of 10 sites, and it is encouraged by Google to do so.

Are you making any of the 10 mistakes above in your design process?

If so, that’s alright, because it’s never too late to start adapting better SEO practices. Like I said at the beginning, your clients will appreciate the added SEO boost (even if they don’t know it) when you design a site that has a lot of the basics already implemented. Not only that, but the term “SEO” is a hot buzzword and through personal experience, a lot of clients have heard of it, but are not quite sure what it means – so being able to proudly say that your sites are “Search Engine Optimized” could make the difference between them selecting your or your competition.

Twitter. The slogan is “what are you doing?”. Everyone has an account. But web designers should be aware of the fact that Twitter is much more than just “I’m eating some cereal” and “I’m driving to work”. In fact, Twitter can make you a better web designer. In this post I am going to show you how you can use Twitter to improve your web designs, learn new design techniques and grow your businesses profile. I can honestly say that Twitter has improved my web design skills more than any other single entity.

1. Follow the best designers

The first thing you need to do is follow the best web designers. These guys are constantly giving tips and hints on how you can improve your designs and as such they will be an invaluable source of knowledge. I make it a habit to keep my Twitter window open all day long and periodically check for updates from these top designers. I can think of at least four occasions when a revolutionary Tweet changed the way I designed one of my client’s websites.

A bunch of very patient and diligent bloggers out there have compiled some fantastic and valuable lists of the best web designers on Twitter. Here are a few:

• 100 Web Designers to Follow on Twitter
• 50+ Designers to Follow on Twitter
• 300+ Active Web Designers to Follow on Twitter
• Inspiring Web Designers to follow on Twitter

TIP: Follow people who live in a different country than you. European and Australian designers are doing very different things than Americans.

2. Tweet some questions

Now that you are following the best web designers on Twitter you need to start asking them questions. The wonderful thing about Twitter is that, for the first time ever, you can connect with your design heroes without feeling like you are really bothering them. In the past you could have sent out an email but chances are you would never hear back. Now you can post a simple Tweet and get an instant response.

Make sure your questions are direct, simple and easy to answer. Here is an example of a Tweet I do every time I finish a new design. The result is about 40 to 100 replies from people telling me what they like/don’t like and as such I am always able to improve the design.

You can also ask question during the design process. I recently asked my followers whether there was a way to “resolution test” my designs on the one computer. Five minutes later I had 20 websites that converted my design to every screen size available. Fantastic!

TIP: Add “@designersname” to your questions if you want to make sure they see your question.

3. Promote your clients

A good web designer doesn’t just design the site and then vanish into thing air. Instead, they should put some initial effort into promoting their client’s business and the new website that they have created. One fantastic way to do this is to use Twitter to create a burst of initial traffic and gain some backlinks. This will do a lot for their Google rankings and help them kick start their online presence.

For example, if you have just designed a website for a local pizza joint (like in the example above) you can Tweet some details about their pizza and promote it to your followers. If you have followers in the area there is a good chance they will retweet your message and your client might even get some orders! Try and be creative in the way you do this.

TIP: Keep your message short if you want it to get retweeted. Remember, the retweeters are limited by 140 characters as well!

4. Get your clients on Twitter

This idea is about taking the previous point to a new level by getting your clients involved with the magic that is Twitter! Obviously this tip isn’t about the design itself, but it is about being a better web designer on the whole. Your clients can get a lot out of Twitter and if you are the one that takes the time to incorporate it into their site, get them involved and get them profiting from it then you will (in my opinion) be a lot better at what you do. It is extremely important to keep your clients and your designs up to speed with the latest trends and avoid being one of these “set and forget” type of web designers.

Here is a great example of how it is done. Terrafolia Flowers is a florist in Montreal and she uses her website to promote her Twitter account and her Twitter account to promote her website. By marketing herself as the “social florist” she can tap into a generation of tech-savvy users and provide a way for her clients to find her again and again. Take a look.

The Twitter page (above) is used to show some of her latest floral arrangements and provide inspiration for other florists out there. She can also keep in touch with her existing clients in a very informal and friendly way.

With over 1,300 followers her Tweets are bound to get some repeat business. Now ask yourself whether any of your clients could have benefitted from this type of interactivity. What a wonderful (and free!) way for them to promote their business on a new scale. They would love you for this idea.

TIP: Make this an additional package in your web designs that you either charge for or add on as a bonus for premium sign ups.

5. Use contests to promote your firm

In the right hand sidebar there is a list of the most popular topics on Twitter for any given day. They are called Trending Topics. At the top of this list for the first part of June 2009 was the word #squarespace. The reason? Squarespace were giving away an iPhone every day for a month if you added that word to your Tweets. The result? Squarespace experienced an avalanche of traffic and got masses of new sign ups for their blogging software packages. I was shocked to see how many of my followers set up new Squarespace blogs during this promotion.

Of all the social media sites it is Twitter that has the ability to go truly viral. The reason I use the world “truly” is because Twitter seems to create a lot of conversions, not just traffic. Stumble Upon and Digg are wonderful for bringing new visitors to your site but these visitors rarely convert to friends, followers or clients. Twitter is different. Squarespace are getting hundreds of new clients paying $30 a month due to some free marketing on Twitter. Imagine what you could do for your web design business.

TIP: Make your prizes concrete items like cash, phones or iPods. People do not respond well to eBooks, free designs or consulting.

Conclusion

Twitter is fantastic because it is full of talented people who are willing to converse with their peers. A few months on Twitter and I guarantee you will re-think the way you look at the web design business. You will modernize, become more effective and learn a wealth of new tips for dealing with your clients. If you aren’t already on Twitter I urge you to sign up today and implement these five tips.