Archive for the ‘Small Business’ Category

Free and Low Cost Ways for Artists to Promote Their Business Websites

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

The following list of niche websites offer free resources to organizations, artists and other business owners.  Several of these sites offer business-organization directories where listings are free. Each of the sites accept submissions of press releases, announcements, news, events, articles and other information.

www.tidewater-virginia.net – this site accepts business and organization listings, press releases, news, events, etc. Listings on this site are free and most business categories in or near Hampton Roads are welcomed. The site is in its early stages, more features are forthcoming.

www.virginia-beach-va.net – this site accepts business and organization listings, press releases, news, events, etc. Listings on this site are free and most business categories in or near Virginia Beach are welcomed. The site offers more features at present than the Hampton Roads – Tidewater site.

www.chincoteague-island.net – this site accepts business and organization listings, press releases, news, events, etc. that are related to Chincoteague Island Virginia . Basic listings on this site are free and paid advertising is available.

www.chesapeake-bay.org -  this site accepts press releases, news, events, etc. related to the Chesapeake Bay.

www.nautical-art.org – this site accepts business and organization listings, press releases, news, events, etc. Listings on this site are free but are limited to artists and organizations that offer nautical, maritime or beach art. An artist does not have to produce nautical art exclusively to be listed.

www.fresh-seafood.net – This site includes a directory with categories such as seafood art and regional blogs, which may allows artists to qualify for free listings. In addition to directory listings, artists or organizations can submit news, press releases, events, etc.

www.commercial-fishing.org – This site also includes a directory with categories such as nautical art and regional blogs, so artists may have resources that qualify. In addition to directory listings, artists or organizations can submit news, press releases, events, etc. This site is among the top ranked commercial fishing sites, so being listed here is a good way for artists to get exposed to national and international audiences.

Submitting information to these sites is a good way to gain links to your site, which in turn helps to boost your search engine rankings. Each site directory has a “submit link” button to list your site or simply contact daybreakwebdesigns.com with your business information. Articles, press releases, events, announcements, etc. can be emailed to daybreakwebdesigns.com. We can format those and get them posted to all sites that apply.

In addition to the free tools listed, we offer a wide range of affordable services for small business including online advertising, press releases, article marketing, social media, search engine optimization, backlink building, computer graphics and more.

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Limited Edition 2009-2010 Migratory Gamebird Stamp Prints

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

Local waterfowl artist Wally Makuchal, Jr. has announced the sale of a limited number of 2009-2010 Maryland Duck Stamp prints. The prints depict a pair of Blue-winged Teal enjoying a quiet winter morning alongside a partially frozen Delmarva pond. The original work took top honors at the 2009-2010 Maryland Migratory Gamebird Stamp Design Competition held in Laurel, MD, also known as Maryland’s ‘duck stamp contest’. The Maryland duck stamp program is the fourth oldest of it’s kind in the U.S. and is in it’s thirty-fifth year of raising funds to preserve and restore precious waterfowl and other wildlife in the state.

The edition size is limited to 1400 standard and 160 artist proofs reproduced in fade resistant inks on acid-free paper. The image is approximately 7 by 9.75 inches and overall paper size is 12 by 14 inches. Prints are signed and numbered by the artist, and enclosed in an acid-free protective folder. Original pencil and color remarques will be available on either edition. Prints will be available in early October of 2009. Please call 410-632-2825 to place an order or visit the website to see other artwork available for sale.

The artist’s paintings have won several state stamp competitions. He won the Maryland Migratory Gamebird Stamp Design Competition in1999, the Florida duck stamp in 1996 and in the same year, the Maryland trout stamp. Wally owns and operates Makuchal’s Signs in Girdletree, MD and paints in his spare time.

A photo gallery of the latest duck stamp print as well as earlier prints is available at www.makuchalsigns.com.

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Tips for Starting a Charter Boat or Guide Website

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Before launching a website to represent a charter boat or guiding business, owners may want to learn the basics of website layouts, how to target keywords and phrases, and how to rank highest in search engine rankings.

Setting up a website for your charter boat or guide service is one of the most important decisions of your business. The key aspect of a charter boat or guide website is its ability to be found by your customers. Before selecting a web design company, the business owner should learn the basics of keyword research, create a list of important search terms that relate to their business and choose a specialist that can create a successful site.

Not all web design companies specialize in search engine optimization, so it is important to review past examples of success when choosing a web design company. Do they have existing clients that rank high in search engine results? Are they up to date on the latest technology?

A reputable designer can explain all the factors that influence a website’s search engine rankings, suggest which key phrases might be important and offer services to help your site perform well on Google, Bing and other search engines. After all, the most exquisite and artful website in the world cannot put paying customers on your boat unless they can find you online.

Once the business owner has a clear set of goals for attracting customers via the internet, a good idea is to create a list of features that are needed for the website. A blueprint of the site may include only a single page or a menu which includes several pages. Essential to any charter boat website is the home page, which may feature a few photos and a brief description of services. Larger sites will have a full menu on the home page, listing all the important sections that clients may need to access.

Many charter boat owners will need a photo gallery which accurately depicts the types of charters they will provide. For fishing charters, this may include a collection of photos and videos that show the types of fishing and species caught. Other charters such as nature cruise and sailing charters may need images that focus on local scenery, events and aspects of the boat.

Many charter boat owners will include sections on rates, types of trips, what to bring, driving directions and other important information. These sections can eliminate mix-ups and provide customers with a clear understanding of the services available.

Some charter services include a blog on their website. Blogs, news pages and fishing report sections are extremely popular among audiences and can be a vital tool for building a portfolio of repeat customers. Some blogging tools combine a Captain’s entries, photos and guests comments to create an interactive experience that attracts a loyal following of readers throughout the season.

A charter boat or guide website can also be an important sales tool. In addition to traditional services such as fishing charters, cruises and tours,  many top charter boat operators and guides offer t-shirts, sweatshirts, custom tackle and other accessories. A good website can increase sales of gear which has become a valuable source of income for many businesses.

Once the website is launched, a specialist can show you cost effective ways to improve your search engine ranks, target specific search terms and bring more readers to your site. The end result of these steps should put more paying customers aboard your boat.

For help with setting up a charter boat website, improving your search engine rankings or local, national and international advertising, visit Daybreak Web Designs.

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Daybreak Web Designs Announces New Virginia Beach Website

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Daybreak Web Designs has announced a project which serves Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads communities. www.virginia-beach-va.net features articles, news, events, photo galleries, a business directory, online store and more.

Our market research clearly showed a online interest in Virginia Beach and the the Hampton Roads region. We decided to put together this site which is a one stop resource for visitors, residents and small businesses.

Business owners will find a variety of services available on the site. Basic features include press release and article submissions, as well as standard listings in the site’s directory. In addition to basic free tools, the site offers paid advertising and an array of other promotional tools. For businesses that lack a website but want to get listed in the directory, special pricing is available for custom websites. This service enables small businesses to have an online presence and full use of the directory’s features.

All of the free tools created for the business community are also available for non-profit organizations. The directory has categories for civic groups, charities, government agencies and other non-profit organizations.

Another feature of the site is an online store which includes a collection of Virginia Beach books, maps, art, gifts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, raglans, jerseys, golf shirts and other apparel.

To follow is the sister site, www.tidewater-virginia.net which serves the Tidewater – Hampton Roads communities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Chesapeake, Hampton, Virginia Beach and Suffolk.

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Nautical Art Website

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

While working on several of our projects, it became obvious that there is tremendous interest in nautical art. To serve this niche, we created www.nautical-art.org. The resource provides online sources of nautical art, with listings by category. The site is a niche web directory for artwork related to marine subjects.

For artists the site has a variety of services. Basic features include press release and article submissions, as well as standard listings in the site’s directory. In addition to basic free tools, the site offers paid advertising and an array of other promotional tools. For businesses that lack a website but want to get listed in the directory, special pricing is available for custom websites. This service enables small businesses to have an online presence and full use of the directory’s features.

The site features an online store which showcases an extensive collection of fishing, seafood, waterfowl, sailing, birdwatching and nature t-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, raglans, jerseys, golf shirts and other apparel.

The site uses a software platform that allows for simple navigation, user friendliness and offers advertisers more options. We use a proven design which works well for both art enthusiasts as well as the artists that need to promote their work. Our goal is to provide an easy to use resource that brings together artists and art lovers.  This platform allows artists to get exposed to traffic from specific market niches.

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Our Commercial Fishing Website Takes #1 Spot On Google

Sunday, December 30th, 2007

On December 16, 2007, www.commercial-fishing.org overtook several important websites to gain the Google search engine’s # 1 spot for the term “commercial fishing”.
Although Google is known for fluctuations in its search engine results and ranks are likely to change again, the upward shift in rank was an important benchmark for the site. The site continued to hold the #1 spot thru December of 2007.

Daybreak Web Designs is proud of the progress made by www.commercial-fishing.org. The goals for the website was to create a resource that hat would benefit commercial fishermen as well as businesses and organizations connected to the commercial fishing, seafood and aquaculture industries.

The site officially opened in January of 2007, offering the commercial fishing sector with tools such as a business directory, web forums, news, articles and other resources.

Tools on the site allow members to directly contribute information and discuss issues facing their industry. The site also accepts press releases, articles, business directory listings and other content from the commercial fishing and seafood industry.

Our emphasis has always been on the site being interactive. The idea was to give people that are connected to the commercial fishing industry a variety of tools that allow them to share information, promote their business and learn about industry changes.

Daybreak Web Designs, specializes in analyzing the behavior of search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. This experience was in place at a critical time for the commercial fishing industry

For the last 12 months we have worked to present content that is of benefit to the industry. Having the tools in place to allow others to contribute content was a vital component for us. The quality and quantity of the site’s content helped us during the Google re-alignment and much of that content came from the commercial fishing industry, so everyone benefited.

Search engine results change daily but commercial-fishing.org stands a good chance of staying in the top results for a variety of key phrases not only with Google but with Yahoo and MSN. These ranks allows the us to offer some of the best online advertising values available to those businesses that provide commercial fishing-related services and equipment.

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