by Jackie Baker When I ask for website submissions for this column, the very first thing I want to know is what is your goal for your website? "My daughter says I need to have one", or "everybody has one so I should too" definitely don't count. I'm talking tangible, profitable goals. And these goals ultimately come down to just one question: what do you want people to do on your website?

by Jennifer Laycock The ALT attribute is one of those bits of code that's been abused since day one. People can't remember it's name, they stuff it full of keywords or they ignore it entirely. So with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek, I thought it might be fun to create a graphic that tells you what you need to know about using the ALT attribute. With that in mind, here's my visual representation of the four primary reasons to use the ALT attribute.

by Stoney deGeyter What this is about: This checklist covers multiple elements concerning the visual aspects of the website development. Some of the information here can be dismissed, depending on the type of site, but overall these are good points to consider during the design process. Why this is important: The site design is essentially the first impression that someone gets when they land on your site. You may have all your usability and SEO elements in place,

by Stoney deGeyter What this is about: This list contains a few items that pertain to site logo, how it's placed and it's functional implementation. Why this is important: The logo lends directly to brand identity and site identification. It also creates a certain element of appeal and professionalism in the mind of the visitor. It holds an important role in visitor assurance and navigation.

by Sage Lewis According to Sage, the best things about Google's new web browser Chrome are how speedy it is and the ultimate usability of the address bar. Now, we're just waiting for the add ons and plug ins. Search Engine Roundtable talks about Google's increased ability to search Flash sites, and Microsoft updates their adCenter Keyword Research tool.

by Sage Lewis One word says it all this week, Chrome ! Will September 2, 2008 go down in history as the day Google launched not just a mere web browser but a new operating system? Sage thinks so. He foresees Google's Chrome as a complete departure from we have used and something that will one day come pre-installed on small computers, EPCs, etc.

by Stoney deGeyter What this is about: This list covers a handful of browser functionality and compatibility issues, as well as user interface with the site via the browser. Why this is important: The browser is )obviously( what we use to view websites. The goal is to give the visitor the best browsing experience possible, but we have to keep in mind that not all browsers are the same. We must make sure to accommodate different users,

by Stoney deGeyter What this is about: This checklist covers various aspects of the domain and site URL structure, how they should be used and how to ensure proper site and browser functionality. Why this is important: The domain name is part of the identity of your business. The URL chosen can have a significant impact on brand identity and in a lesser extent, keyword ranking performance. However,

by Mack Collier So often, we want to focus on writing great content in order to grow our blogs. But we can sometimes forget why social media works so well; because it connects people. Here's a big tip for any company that's blogging: We can connect with people easier than we can with you. So how do you work this to your advantage? You don't focus on your company, you focus on the people that work for, and interact with your company and its products and services.

by Stoney deGeyter Marketing a website isn't particularly difficult. Its usually just a matter of knowing what to do, how to do it and having the skills and time to get it done. With that said, marketing a website isn't particularly easy either. There are so many factors and variables in play that at any given time that the job can be quite overwhelming. Obviously I can't address the issue of whether or not you have the skills or time,

by Ross Dunn Last week I was fortunate to enjoy the company and tutelage of some talented web marketers at the Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose. An annual occurrence, the San Jose conference is one of those particularly special events that I aim never to miss. On top of the incredible networking and party events such as the Google Dance and the Search Bash there were a great number of exceptional seminars on all facets of web marketing.

by Diane Aull Lots of businesses use email as a marketing tool. One of the big issues they have to overcome is how to get the customer to actually open and read the email. There's an art to it, and even the best can't get recipients to read every email they send. The one commercial email almost everyone reads But you know, there's one kind of business email that almost always gets read, and almost never gets reported as spam.

by Jennifer Laycock I scan hundreds of feeds and read dozens of articles each day so you don't have to. From hyperlocal blogging to Google AdWords "Automatic Match" to new ways to use Twitter and LinkedIn, find out the six articles I dubbed as must-read for the small business crowd today. If you enjoyed Matt McGee's post on Hyperlocal Blogging earlier this week, you'll be pleased to hear he's back with more. Part Two focuses on choosing a domain and setting up your blog.

by Jennifer Laycock Everyone wants to celebrate a viral success at some point in their marketing life. After all, who wouldn't be thrilled to have their message take off like a streak around the web? The problem comes when you get so focused on the spreadability of an idea you miss the marketing ability of an idea. In this four part series I'll dig beyond the hype of Viral Marketing and look at four key lessons companies need to learn before diving into this style of outreach.

by Sage Lewis The government is finally on the social media bandwagon. The U.S. Dept. of State not only has a blog with comments but it also has YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook accounts, plus RSS feeds. Also in the news, Yahoo launches their Buzz.com site, emulating other social bookmarking sites like Digg.

by Jennifer Laycock My mother always said "nothing worth doing is easy." Generally good words to live by, but especially practical when it comes to viral marketing. While some of the most talked about viral marketing successes appear to have happened effortlessly, chances are high you'll need to put a lot of time and effort into yours. That's why it's absolutely essential to understand the adage "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

by Stoney deGeyter This week I've been looking at the speakers from Search Engine Strategies in San Jose. I first covered a handful of featured speakers and then moved on to the search marketers themselves. I've found that that many of us in the industry are good at teaching things that need to be done but often overlook those very things when it comes to our own stuff. I'm no exception, of course, as Jackie pointed out in the comments yesterday. Jordan Kasteler Overstock.

by Jennifer Laycock I scan hundreds of feeds and read dozens of articles each day so you don't have to. From changes to Google AdWords' Quality Score to hyperlocal search to back to school viral videos, find out the six articles I dubbed as must-read for the small business crowd today. Carrie Hill puts together a nice post called "SEM Success in 10 Minutes a Day" over at Search Engine Watch.

by Sage Lewis Sage unleashes his endorsement for Search Engine Guide's Small Business Marketing Unleashed conference that is coming to Columbus, OH this September 22-23. Day one if full of general sessions to get your feet wet in everything from site architecture to blogging for business and link building; day two dives you down deep into hands-on workshops such as viral marketing, copywriting and usability. Sage's favorite aspect about SBMU is how intimate the environment is.

by Jennifer Laycock We all know the viral campaigns that travel the furthest and carry the most impact tend to be the ones that leave the greatest impressions. Viral campaigns are, by their very nature, remarkable. Otherwise they wouldn't carry the emotional impact required to make us pass them on. With that known, the challenge becomes whether or not you should build a remarkable campaign or a remarkable company.