Category Archives: Web Wise

How Long Does It Take For a New Site to Appear in the Google Search Results?

Web Wise, Website Tips
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Google Find If Index Your Site Yet

Here is the typical scenario: you’re a small business owner and you’ve just launched your new website to the world. Now you are wondering how long will it be before people searching the web find your site in the search engine results page (SERP)?

Since its brand new, the search engines do not know anything about it, so therefore cannot display it to anybody searching for it.

So some things need to occur before its “searchable”.  The site needs to be indexed by the search engine.  There’s no specific set time for Google to initially index your site, can vary based on several items such as:

  • Popularity of the site (is there other sites linking to it? )
  • Is the content crawl-able
  • Site structure (code up to date?)

The time it takes for your website to appear in search results can range from a week to four weeks, or sometimes even longer. The good news is that you can expedite this process by ensuring your social media profiles and any other online listings of your business are current and have links back to it from authoritative sites (local chamber, relevant trade industry etc…). As for the second and third points, these should be handled by your website developer. If we’ve developed your site here at Northwoods Web Designs, rest assured that these aspects have been thoroughly addressed.



Other items that are equally important include:

  • Making sure your site loads quickly
  • Your site is submitted to Google using Google Webmaster Tools
  • Provide a sitemap.

Again, if your website was developed by Northwoods Web Designs, these get taken care of for you.

So how do you know when it’s indexed by Google?  Google makes that pretty easy. Simply type site:yourdomain.com in the Google Search Bar, and the results will show you the results.

Type In Googles Search Bar site:yourdomain.com

Once your see your pages being indexed, it will start showing up in the SERP. The next step is to try to beat your online competition by ranking higher in the SERP.

What can you do to help your website place higher?  

You can help boost your website just by keeping fresh content updated on it.  You can also help your new site place higher by finding other online related directories or sites and getting your business information /domain name listed.

And don’t forget to list your information in the top directories such as Manta, Angie’s List and Yelp to name a few.  The more reputable places your website domain is listed, the better.

After that, you’re left taking it to the next level, which is obtaining our Advanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services.

Unless you’re a web professional who has delved into and fully understands the 37-page Google “Starter” Guide to SEO, it’s often best to entrust SEO services to an expert. These services typically involve crucial tasks like keyword analysis, managing the site’s meta tags, and optimizing your local listings on platforms like Google and Bing—just a few of the essential elements required for effective SEO.

Northwoods Web Designs offers SEO services. To learn more check out our SEO page. Or if you have questions, drop us a line here.

Responsive Web Design (RWD) – The Mobile Friendly Website Fundamentals

Web Wise, Website Tips
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Mobile devices have been around for a while, but they were never used in a way (and to such a degree) as they are today. Surfing the web with these mobile devices has grown at a stellar pace, and for the first time will outnumber desktops and laptops starting this year. And most sites on the web are not optimized for these smaller screens.

Responsive web design, also known as mobile friendly design, assures that the website is responsive to any display size and adjusts accordingly to assure optimum viewing for any device.  For example, take our site ( Northwoods Web Designs ) shown below in different devices,  is designed with responsive in mind.

Responsive Web Designs

 

Similar to a chameleon per se, it will adjust the layout, navigation and content of what is displayed based on the size of the screen to assure the best viewing experience regardless of screen size.



To account for these smaller screens,


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Disadvantages of using Yellow Book/HIBU pages for Your Online Web Presence

Computer Tips, Web Wise
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No Yellowbook

In the past (many moons ago), Yellow Pages, Yellow Book or HIBU have been a great way to advertise and promote your business to a large audience.

Then came the internet and it went to the web as yellow pages websites.  However, over the past several years there has been a decline in these types of websites and for good reason due to the following disadvantages vs traditional web design firm or professional services:

Not Owning Your Website: This is probably one of the most important disadvantage of owning a yellow page website is that you are basically renting it from the yellow page company and do not actually own it.



In other words, you are paying a yearly rental to the yellow page company to host your website. To this regards you would lose your website if you dropped out of the program or don’t renew your contract.

Not Owning Your Domain Name: When registering your website (that WWW URL that distinguishes you from the rest) through a yellow page/HIBU company, you are essentially not the owner of your domain name .

Yellow page essentially owns the rights to that name, for minimum of a year. They say they will release it and transfer the ownership (generally for a price) after the contract is up but will do everything in their power to make sure you continually pay the expensive monthly fees for hosting and domain name.

They will also tell you how important it is to maintain your advertisement in the big thick yellow physical book that everyone tosses away, unless your in your 70’s, which is probably not the target audience you’re looking for.

And not only does transferring the ownership of the domain name cost money but they have the upper hand and it can possibly lead to legal issues if you no longer want your website with them.

Immensely Expensive Option: It is vital to note that by owning (renting) your website via yellow pages you have to pay an initial cost for creation and hosting along with paying a rather expensive yearly rental fee to stay in the program.  The cheapest monthly options they have are still 70% higher than our monthly hosting fees.


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What is Google My Business Listing and its Benefits?

Search Engine Optimization, Web Wise
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Google My Business is a free tool by Google that allows businesses to create and manage their online presence across various Google platforms, including search engine results and Google Maps.

It enables businesses, or agencies such as Northwoods Web Designs, to control the information that appears in their listing, such as their address, phone number, website, hours of operation, photos, and reviews. With a Google My Business listing, businesses can enhance their visibility, attract more customers, and engage with their audience through posts, messaging, and Q&A features.

What are some benefits of a well-managed Google My Business Listing?

Increased online visibility: With a Google My Business listing, businesses can appear in local search results and Google Maps, making it easier for potential customers to find your business and providing another boost to your website.

Improved organic rankings: Having a verified Google My Business listing can improve the overall SEO (search engine optimization) of a business’s online presence, helping it achieve higher organic rankings in search results.

Accurate business information: Businesses can ensure that their address, phone number, website, and other important details are accurate and up to date, making it easier for customers to contact or visit them.

Customer reviews and ratings: Google My Business allows customers to leave reviews and ratings, which can help build trust and credibility for businesses.
Positive reviews can also attract more customers, while negative reviews provide an opportunity for businesses to address concerns and improve their offerings.

Business insights and analytics: Google My Business provides various insights and analytics, such as the number of views, calls, and clicks to your website, allowing businesses to track their online performance and make data-driven decisions.

Additional business information: Businesses can share more information about their products, services, special offers, and upcoming events through posts, which are displayed directly in their Google My Business listing

We always advise our customers to take ownership of their Google My Business Listings. With our Web Care Plans, Northwoods Web Designs is also able to act as our customer’s agency and maintain it for them.

If you have any questions or feedback on this, please leave a comment below, or send us a message.

Finally, The End of Adobe Flash

Security, Software, Web Wise
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As I am typing this, 1000’s of companies across the world are actively disabling and uninstalling all instances of Adobe Flash. For Microsoft Windows 10 machines, Microsoft provided an update (KB4577586) that must be installed, to uninstall, its previously well-integrated 3rd party Adobe Flash product. Google Chrome Browsing already is removing it in its December 2020 update.

It was announced three years ago the day would come for the end of Flash, and here we are. Back in the day, I even dabbled in designing some flash components for use in websites. But luckily that was soon replaced with new web standards (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) which became the norm and are suitable for mobile devices, which Adobe Flash was not.

Some brief history for you history buffs.

The internet was once a land of text blocks and dreary backgrounds. But everything changed in late 90’s when a company called Macromedia acquired an animation tool called FutureSplash and rebranded it as Macromedia Flash 1.0.

Then In 2005, Adobe acquired Macromedia for $3.4B and set out to make it even more ubiquitous. The true downfall of Flash began in 2007, when Apple decided not to support it on the new iPhone. In 2010, Steve Jobs penned the famous open letter “Thoughts on Flash,” which laid out a viscious critique of the technology:

  • Rapid energy consumption
  • Poor performance on mobile devices
  • Security dependence on one company (Adobe) made it a huge risk


Flash simply wasn’t made for the rising mobile world. And soon, new web standards (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) became the norm.

Fast forward to 2017 when Adobe announced it would discontinue Flash. It offically ended end of 2020 (Dec 31, 2020). Just like there are still pockets of Windows 7 devices out there, there will more likely be pockets of Flash for those applications that built around it vs the other way around.

So if your reading this and you haven’t yet, make sure to install Microsoft’s update (KB4577586) and the latest Google Chrome Browser to remove the security holes, Adobe Flash provides free of charge, to Windows devices.