Name of your website?Asheville-Hendersonville
Your name?
Bob Castro
Your Location (city, etc)
Etowah
When did you start your website and why?
I worked off and on over a year collecting information, finding the right webpage format and creating the pages. Asheville-Hendersonville.com has been online since March 2007. I found there was no website which put together all areas of interest on the Asheville and surrounding areas. Each were too specialized with good information or too commercial with no information.
Please give us a short summary of your website, business model, etc
Avl-Hvl.com (for short) combines information on relocation, activities, events, accomodations, real estate and other areas of interest for anyone local or from out of state to find the information they are looking for.
What has been the most difficult part of creating and running your website?
Gathering all the data and putting it together in a navagational format for easy browsing and pleasing presentation. I still have alot of work to do accomplish what I imagine the site to be. I am new to video and having it work in a CSS based website. I want to use Flash but have use QuickTime for now.
What has been the easist part of operating your website?
I can create webpages on my schedule after gathering information, photos, videos and anything else I think a visitor might want to read or see.
What was your biggest mistake?
I don't see any real mistakes creating the site but I would like to be better at graphic designing. I do have too much data and need to incorporate additional graphics to make it more visually appealing.
Who maintains your website and why?
I have been creating and maintaining the website myself. I enjoy the freedom of creating the pages and formats that I think would be enjoyable if I were finding the site for the first time.
Tell us how your business has benefitted from your website?
Since this is an area information website I am not selling to visitors but would like to start receiving advertising revenue. I will eventually start marketing to the local businesses.
What are your views on ecommerce and the future of the internet?
Unless I need to physically see or touch an item I prefer to do business over the internet. Why overpay by going into a store if you can purchase the same item by a reputable seller online. The exception is customer service where a brick and morter store will be more willing to work with you if there is a problem.
What are your views on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
If you do some research on Search Enging Optimation you can create a visually appealing website and still rank high. Optimize right from the beginning and you won't have to resort to tricks to rank better or pay for clicks.
What are your views on Search Engines? Have they helped or hindered your website?
My traffic is mostly from search engine results. Unless your site is so unique that word of mouth i.e. news service, radio or television picks up on it search engines are the way to reach all over the world.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
I subscribe to Web SEO, a search engine optimization/submission software program which lets me do research and submissions.
What method has been least successful for promoting your website?
Telling the few people you know.
What would you like to see change with respect to the internet?
Less spamming and hacking, the internet can be a great tool.
What is your website address?
Asheville-Hendersonville
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