Building a Functional Website in BA...

[Wesley Irwin]

...or anywhere for that matter. First off, thank you if you replied to my previous post.

Now,
Anyone know the difference between the .com, .net., and .co etc. when it comes to search engine optimization??? I've heard .com is the best for SEO but then why is .co more expensive for example and why is the most popularly search site for english teaching .net?

Also,
When it comes to something like working with www.themeforest.com etc, what is the difference between a free template through wordpress and something you pay for, like on the theme forest site???

I am trying to run a self-made English teaching website with no previous experience. Anything you can tell me in regards to set up and functionality, and any words of wisdom to help me cope with the IT world, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Wes

 

[igor]

Anyone know the difference between the .com, .net., and .co etc. when it comes to search engine optimization???

.co is domain for Colombia, so unless you have in mind something like dis.co, you should not use it. I don't think there is a significant difference in SEO between .com and .net (if any). Besides if somebody will search for "learning english", what is the difference whether your site shows up on page 1000 or page 2000 of search results?

When it comes to something like working with www.themeforest.com etc, what is the difference between a free template through wordpress and something you pay for, like on the theme forest site???

Themeforest is quite good, actually. But once again, is it about whether you should spend 30 bucks for a template or not? If you can find a free template you absolutely love - go with it. In general, themeforest.net has better quality templates (both in terms of design and html-coding). If you are looking for wordpress templates you can also check WooThemes.

 

[mpaget]

Wait a minute!
".co" at the end of a domain is the top level domain (extension) for Colombia (country) but if it's ".co.uk" means a commercial website in England.

Top level domain it's useful for geolocalitation fo your business.

 

[LJ2]

LOL...this couldn't have been a more timely topic for me. I'm currently building a website myself. I just got the domain registered and hosted over the weekend, with what i hope to be a good company, and spent the better part of the day kicking the tires and setting up the email and admin accounts. I think we have the beginning of a support group.

Personally, I went with ".com". I figure if I need to signify a country in the web address, it can be a subdomain. Just a thought.

 

[Hellek]

To me it is new that the domain would be important for search-engine-optimization. Nevertheless, I'd use a domain that fits:
1.) .com and .net are basically always okay. They are not attached to any countries or types of business. .com means "commercial" but nobody cares about it, so if you are non-profit you can still go for it I think.
2.) Next in list would be country-specific domains. For example .com.ar
They are frequently harder to get (some country's registries demand proof of being a local resident or business) and are frequently more expensive than those in 1.)
I don't know how it is in argentina. Look here: http://www.nic.ar/
3.) Apart from that, there are some special top-level-domains like .name, etc., I don't know much about them because I always opt for 1.) or 2.)

PS: On the topic of search engines, there are of course a lot of things to know if you want a 100% optimization. The most important things are pretty simple though:
1.) Most important is having many sites linking to yours. The more important those sites are, the better.
2.) Be careful with "stupid" things like putting blank text on blank background to hide some additional keywords. Search engines are aware of most of these tricks and either ignore or even punish them.
3.) For really important keywords (i.e. "learn" and "english"), good places are the page's title or the URL (i.e. example.net/learn-english.html). They are generally weighted higher here than when they appear in a text-paragraph in the page.
4.) Flash is bad. Go for html with css.
5.) Be careful with SEO-companies. They might charge you big bucks just to tell you what I just did (and which is information that you can even find in the help-section on google.com I suppose) and additionally might do stuff like 2.) or worse (i.e. the homepage of a mayor car-manufacturer got once blacklisted for doing too much "cheating" in the SEO-field).

 

[CoachGayle]

Hi! I've helped new expats and coaches set up websites two different ways. For those using a traditional website and who want to do it themselves, this site can be useful for step by step instructions and links to additional articles on choosing domain names, how to optimize your site, etc:
http://www.thesitewizard.com/gettingstarted/startwebsite.shtml

Another possibility is a weblog, or blog. Many opt to use Google's free blogging platform at blogger.com now that it has pretty cool features, including multiple pages (so you can have a home page, "about me" page, etc.). You might thus be inspired to have on page for blogging about teaching English, which would keep your site refreshed constantly, which is one thing search engines like. You can buy the domain name (without "blogger") right when you set it up, and I highly recommend that you do that.

Be sure to use popular key words (the ones your prospective clients would use), especially in titling your pages and in the first paragraph. Don't over do it though. Then be sure to link your site to other sites, including Facebook, LinkedIn, other blogs, etc.

Oh, and don't forget to include your website link in your email signature and on anything you handout (manuals, tip sheets, brochures, etc.).


Good luck!