Do you have a website? Do you have a Google Webmasters account? If not, you need one!  This document outlines how to sign up for Google Webmaster Tools and explains a few of the basics.

Go to http://www.google.com/webmasters and sign up for an account.

You will see the Home page.  Scroll down and click the “Add a site” button, and add your website address.  Then, under “sites” click on the domain you just created.

You will now see the dashboard.  It is an overview of several tools:  Top search queries, Crawl errors, links to your site, keywords, sitemaps – you can click “More” under any section to see more information.

When you are done exploring the dashboard, look to the left.  There are 4 main navigation sections: Site Configuration, Your site on the Web, Diagnostics, and Labs.

First, click the + sign next to Site Configuration and go to  Settings.  You can see the current crawl settings and change them here.

Now, click the + sign next to Diagnostics.  Here, you will find HTML Suggestions.  Here, you can get a good look at how many pages that are indexed have duplicate meta descriptions, duplicate title tags, etc. It’s a good idea to look at this section often and see what can be fixed when you notice new items have appeared.

Last, click the + sign next to Labs.  When you use the “Fetch as Googlebot” tool, and enter any page from your site, Googlebot will show you exactly how it sees that page.  Click on the word “Success” next to any fetched page to see the results.

Under Site Performance, you will see a performance overview of your site.  It takes several days for this page to update after it takes a reading, you may have to give it a week in between updates.  Scroll down and you will see it offers page speed suggestions for improving your website load time.

If you have any questions about the other sections in Google Webmasters that I did not discuss, submit them here!

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Jessica Franke is the owner of Green Web Design, a full service Website Design, Web Hosting, Domain Registrar, and Online Marketing firm.  She is also the owner of 50 States Classifieds, and has been providing Free Classifieds online since 2002.  For more articles written by Jessica Franke, visit her blog.

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I am pleased to announce the creation of a website for Mystery One Bookstore on Prospect Avenue in Milwaukee.  For a good read, there’s nothing like a mystery. They have the best selection of mysteries in Milwaukee and many signed copies.

• Full service new mystery bookstore
• An extensive selection of new and out-of-print first editions
• Mystery One carries most mystery fiction titles that are in print
• Searches for out-of-print books
• Mails everywhere UPS goes
• Discounts 15% off hardcovers, 10% off paperbacks, 10% off signed hardcovers

I was looking through my facebook friends list the other day, noticing all of these talented people that I know who are self employed and doing fascinating things with their lives and their businesses, and I was thinking I should do a “Meet My Friends” series, where I showcase some of the other companies that I work with and the other small business owners that I know.  This is the first installment.

I have accumulated a large number of friends who are my fellow web designers, programmers, technicians, and other assorted geeks throughout the years.  We each have different specialties and talents, which naturally leads us to call upon each other for input, collaboration, assistance, or just to talk shop with someone else who speaks our language from time to time. This is where I will be starting.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Matthew Ramirez from Digital Marauders and Touch Clothing.  Matt and his crew make awesome eCommerce shopping cart websites as well clothing.  They specialize in the fashion and music industries.

Here’s an excerpt from his business website, Digital Marauders

We are a think tank. A cutting edge design house. We are a group of artists who are passionate about the look and feel of the world around us. We love to skate and ride fixed gear bikes on our way to a red carpet fashion event. We enjoy the movement and progression of art and the vibrations of the music that passes though our office floors. It is our goal to help bring your passions, your vision and your dreams to life. To effectively convey your vision and imagination to your customers and clients; to help you meet your goals; to help you become a Digital Marauder.

As if all of that wasn’t impressive enough, in 1998, he and his friend Amadeus (both of them talented DJ’s in the rave scene in the 90’s, which was also one of my passions at the time) started Touch Clothing. Here is an excerpt from their website:

Despite living in a world that allows people to stay connected in coutless ways, human interaction is on the decline.  We are increasingly losing touch with our true nature and our surroundings, often suffocated by the burden of work, money, and the drone of mass media.  Touch Clothing derives its strength from a tight knit family of loyal supporters.  Our designs represent an attempt to share this vision with the world. Join the Touchcrew and always stay true and loyal to friends and family.

I met Matt a few years ago, through our mutual client, Viktor Viktoria, who will need no introduction if you’re from Milwaukee and like fashion.  We also share a common client in the Brooklyn based Music Skins,  who make durable vinyl protectors for iPods and other electronic devices.  I will be doing blog entries about both of these fascinating companies in the near future, so I’ll just leave it at that for now.

Digital Marauders is responsible for the gorgeous designs of both of the above websites.  I came to the team after the sites were already open for business.  Viktor Viktoria was looking for a local Milwaukee online marketing company that could also provide some support and design services when needed.  Music Skins was also looking for an online advertising company who had the technical skills to work on their website when needed.  Since Matt & I were already working on Viktor Viktoria togther with great results, he recommended me to Music Skins as well.  The rest, as they say, is history!

As is often the case in this increasingly digital world, though we’ve looked through each others’ photo albums on facebook and could recognize each other on the street, and despite the fact that we’ve been working together via email, phone, and ftp for almost 3 years, I haven’t met Matt in real life yet.   I think that a visit to New York will be in my near future.  Not only will it be great to someday finally meet my co-worker; I’d also love to hang out in some out of the way corner of his office and see what it’s like to be a new york fashion and web designer for a day.

It has been my pleasure to introduce you to my friend Matt in NYC.  If you need an eCommerce shopping cart website that is professionally designed by a very talented group of geeks, check out Digital Marauders.  If you need awesome clothes, check out Touch Clothing.  If you are in LA or NY, check out his newly launched Fashion Classifieds site, HoozDooz.com!

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Jessica Franke is the owner of Green Web Design, a full service Website Design, Web Hosting, Domain Registrar, and Online Marketing firm.  She is also the owner of 50 States Classifieds, and has been providing Free Classifieds online since 2002.  For more articles written by Jessica Franke, visit her blog.