Add lots of content to your site without spending hours writing it.

Last year I blogged about how to use Content Syndication to increase your website's useful content. You can read that post: Good websites provide value to the visitor - the content syndication trick!

This concept is SO important that I need to repeat it in 2008. The best websites engage the visitor, provide value and useful content. There is absolutely no excuse in this area and cutting corners in the content of your website is only going to hurt your website in the long run.

In last year's article I provided a few links to get content, however, here are some new content ideas for 2008:

• BLOGS - Just like you are reading this blog, there are thousands of others with lots of fantastic information. Of course, you don't want to "steal" a blogger's content, but there are many tools that allow you to place interesting blogs of your choice right on your website - with full credit going to the blogger. Hey, there is value in "content aggregation" for the convenience of your visitors. Of course, "buyer beware". When you reference a blogger, you are promoting their views. Make sure these are views you agree with - OR - that you present the links while warning the visitor that you may or may not agree 100% with the blogger. Looking for blogs? Check the BLOG page at CNET.COM or even use Google to search "blog" and any topic of interest.
  
• Voxant Newsroom - an interesting aggregator of video content from many sources (like the AP, Reuters, The New York Times, etc.) They even claim to give your website a share in their advertising revenue when videos play. My only caveat with using something like this is make absolutely certain that you include content that is 100% relevant to your website's purpose. Including "all content" or "non relevant" content won't impress your users - on the contrary will leave them wondering why they are presented some "foreign" topic.
• CNET.com is an excellent source of technology news. Check out the CNET Feeds Page.

Again, content is KING! If you want a website that consistently attracts visitors, then make sure you are giving them a reason to visit you!

Seek out your Interactive Marketing Association and join NOW!

Many cities now have "Interactive Marketing Associations". These groups can be invaluable resources in your Search Engine Marketing efforts for both networking with other professionals and also for education.

Did you know that many "hot" search engine techniques which might work today, may actually hurt your ranking tomorrow? The field of Search Engine Marketing is extremely dynamic and staying on top of all the changes can be a challenge. This is where your local association could prove to be a great resource.

In our case, the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association (SFIMA for short) is a great organization indeed very active in networking and education. For instance, just today, I attended a fantastic full-day workshop where three top Search Engine Marketing experts covered both basic and advanced techniques for both natural search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing. The lineup read like a "who's who" of Search Engine Marketing in our area and beyond:

• Jay Berkowitz, CEO of TenGoldenRules is based out of Boca Raton Florida
  
• Joe Laratro, President of Tandem Interactive is based out of Hallandale Beach Florida
  
• William R. Leake, President and CEO of Apogee Search is based out of Austin Texas
  

All the speakers work with clients and conduct training nation-wide.

If you have any web presence at all, you should strongly consider joining your local association. Chances are good that they too will be putting together excellent learning opportunities for their membership. 

No local group in your area? No worries, the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) is also an excellent resource that operates on a national scale and boasts an impressive membership roster.

Weather local or national, getting involved with other Search Engine Marketing professionals can make the difference between top placement and no placement on the Search Engines.

Scrolling on the iPhone

Certain web pages have scrolling areas (usually iFrames or scrolling layers) used to better organize content without extending the height or width of a page. On the iphone, these scrolling areas do not show the usual "scroll bar" visible in your desktop web browser. However, despite the lack of a visual cue that the area is scrollable, iPhone Safari allows users to scroll inside these areas using a "two finger" scroll. Whereas traditionally, one would use a single finger to move up or down on a website, to scroll on these pages, simply use two fingers over the scrolling area to move "just" that area up or down. Since some scrolling areas are small, it may be easier to do this after first zooming into the scroll area.

To read a post from Apple on this topic, click here.

Take a Segway tour in a city of your choice!

During a recent trip to Austin, Texas my wife and I were looking to enjoy the "sights and sounds" of the city. We only had a day, so we decided to try a Segway tour. Much to my surprise, the tour was fantastic and a real incredible way to enjoy the usual walking tour without any of the walking. I was all for that!

The Segway, in case you are not familiar with it, is the most modern "scooter-like" vehicle in existence. Actually, calling it a scooter is am insult since the vehicle is actually an incredibly powerful computer complete with servos and gyros that keep it perfectly upright even though it rides on only two wheels. It was released a few years ago amidst much "hype" of it going to revolutionize the world, much of which never materialized frankly because I feel people are mostly afraid of new technology like this. Still, the Segway is here to stay, for now at least, mostly as a novelty item.

However, interestingly enough the "city tour" industry seems to have embraced the technology while at the same time adding some "techno glam" to the "city tours". Houston is no different with at least two different companies offering such tours. We called both companies and ultimately settled on Gliding Revolution (http://www.glidingrevolution.com/) because we liked their website a bit better (and you know me and websites!)

We arrived at our appointment time to find a real cool and friendly staff eager to take us about the town. In case you are wondering, they were ALL about safety and after a brief but complete class on "Segway driving skills", both my wife and I felt comfortable on the vehicle. At that point, escorted by the excellent guides from Gliding Revolution, who completely watched for traffic and ensured safety, we were off to enjoy the city. Had we walked the same distances we covered on the Segway, we would have been exhausted and would have needed three times the amount of time that the Segway tour took.

All in all, the experience was fantastic and I would definitely repeat it if in Austin again. I can't wait to visit other cities and enjoy their Segway tours.

Actually, I can't wait to have a Segway of my own, although I am not sure where exactly I would use it! Ah, if only the mall and grocery store would let me "glide" around!