www.costabarsspain.com
Today’s shit website is an example of what happens when a website owner thinks he knows it all, but doesn’t. In fact in this case , the owners have no frigging clue about online marketing and SEO. None whatsoever.
The site is brand new and replaces the companies previous well established web presence known as www.fiestaproperty.com (offline now for approximately a week).
It must be noted here, that the previous site was under a different domain. That other domain (www.fiestaproperty.com) was one of the 5 best ranked web sites in their marketplace. The domain is several years old, well SEO’d (by myself), has many inbound links and gets about 3.000 to 5.000 unique and very targeted visitors per month.
The previous owner of the site made a lot of money with Fiesta Property. In fact, the previous owner now has it back as the Costa Bars people could not follow his success in any way shape or form and I am sure he will make a lot of money again, starting in a few weeks when the new Fiesta website goes live, which I will be doing the SEO again for!
Now what can we learn from this “relaunch”?
The first lesson is obvious: If it ain’t bloody broke don’t fucking fix it!
If you have a good domain that ranks well, you NEVER change the domain name. A domain builds up trust rank, age rank and most importantly a certain amount of anchor link text over time. Changing the domain means you throw all that in the bin and you have to start from zero. This is especially painful when you paid a substantial amount of money for a site and for SEO.
So whats the problem with this site?
First and foremost: The actual product, the properties for sale, are not part of the content of the site. Instead of using their own database to display the properties, they simply use an iframe and load the properties from a third party domain.
In other words: All the properties shown on the site are NOT part of their content, and will never be indexed in Google as such. Instead they are part of another domain:
In the HTML – code that looks like this:
<iframe name=”ROL_iframe” marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″
<iframe name=”ROL_iframe” marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ src=”http://www.developments-online.com/weblink/inc/SearchAgent.asp?P1=CostaBarsCustom_1&P2=R&QS=RESALE&P_Country=&P_Area=&P_Location=&P_Type=&P_SubType=&P_Beds=&P_Min=&P_Max=&P_Ref=&RentalType=&RentalDate=&RentalDateFrom=&RentalDateTo=&Lang=1&CustomArea=Fuengirola”
frameborder=”NO” noresize width=”600″ height=”2300″ align=”center” onload=”window.scroll(0,0)”></iframe>
This is actually the only code, search engines will find to represent the content of their entire property portfolio. A dramatic mistake. The content now belongs to:
http://www.developments-online.com
The old site, had a static URL under their own domain to each and every individual property and each and every one of them was indexed in Google.
What one normally does, to make sure such database content gets spidered, is to place keyword rich links to such content. If you look at the bottom of the page that is what they actually think they are doing. But they are not: All those links go to the exact same page in which content is loaded into an iframe.
Therefore they creating numerous Links to the same page with no content on it. That is asking for trouble.
There are many more issues with this site such as:
- Duplicating page title and headers
- Inappropriate use of meta tags
- Poor description tags
But there is actually one very funny issue:
Look at the main navigation in the left side bar. You will see that the first letter of the anchor text is in red. First of all, that looks utmost childish and unprofessional, but whats worse about that you find in the code:
<a class=’menuline1′ href=”featuredbusinesses.php” title=”Featured Bars and Businesses”>
<span style=”color:#ED1C24″>F</span>eatured Businesses</a>
<div></div>
The formatting of the letter F (red) separates it from the rest of the word. Why is that important? because the text in internal links is a major part of proper onpage SEO. What they are effectively doing is “to optimise” the site for the term: “eatured Businesses”.
Look it up in Google: eatured Businesses Costa del Sol
And the moral?
As a real business man/woman you should listen to people who know this stuff and don’t think you are smart enough to do it yourself.
Other lessons:
- Never change to a new domain if the old one ranks well
- Never hide content behind iframes
- Always keep formating of text consistent
- Always have your content under your own domain
- Don’t rely on programmers, talk to an SEO before a relaunch
- Never upset your SEO consultant
Thats it for today, need a beer!
Regards
Wolfgang Brand
Fuengirola said
Absolutely hilarious
But your got to admit they rank top for eatured business Costa del Sol
hahaha
P.S. Given you a little write here http://livingonthecostadelsol.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/shit-websites/
keep it up wolfgangbrand
wolfgangbrand said
And they rank for “ellers Corner”
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=ellers+Corner+&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&oq=ellers+Corner+&fp=d6985f0b1643625b
Seriously
Wolfgang Brand
wolfgangbrand said
AND
They rank number one for:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=osta+Bars+Spain+Blog+&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&fp=d6985f0b1643625b
How silly, this is what happens when you think you know it all but you know nothing about it, not even the basics, You are making a complete fool out of yourself,
Wolfgang Brand
Costa King said
And the funny thing is, they say on their site that thThey have “20 years of combined experience” ……….. of doing what? They have only been on the Coast for 12 months. They certainly haven’t got that experience in sales ….. they recently closed their office and had their Fiesta Property website repossessed as they could’t make sales ….. how the hell are they going to make sales with this pile of shit website? They are on the portals, so they might get some leads that way, however with the wife’s appearance and attitude, I very much doubt that they will get any sales even if they got 1000 enquiries.
Now the really interesting thing with this website is the brag that they speak 5 different languages (on their contact us page) yet the site is ONLY in English. DUH!
wolfgangbrand said
Dear Costa King
This blog is about websites, not about somebody’s appearance or attitide. Please keep that in mind when posting.
Thanks
Wolfgang Brand
CostaBars said
Wow, I’m really suprised by this website. I can see where they got the ideas from, but you would have thought that with all the webdesigners out there they might of actually been able to find a professional to do the job.
Let’s be honest, it takes about 10 minutes to look up the ‘competition’ and see what they have done right and wrong.
Also, if think its worth pointing out, if a company claims itself to be honest, etc… (which I’m sure they are) maybe they should give they’re CIF number and state where they’re office is? from a web marketing point of view i think it would help
I say best of luck to them, I think they are really going to need it.
Regards
CostaBars
wolfgangbrand said
Very good point.
In fact in order to be listed in Google local search, you need to have an address on your website. Also by Spanish law you need to fully disclose your company name, vat number and registered address of the business.
As far as I know, they are (like many) working from home now. Nothing wrong with that, but if you don’t want to put your home address on the site (privacy) it would be advisable to get a business address at one of those business centers and put that address on the website.
Makes a big difference in credibility and in Google (local search and Google maps).
Wolfgang Brand
Me said
This is the most stupid thing I ever heard of
Hedwige said
Maybe, the owners wanted a change. A new image.
Maybe they posted the link to the new website via recommendation from the original website with all the traffic!
MAYBE you should not be soo judgmental of people’s decisions when they may have been on the verge of hiring someone for SEO. A person with manners and decorum!!!
Could it be you has does not have ‘a friggin clue’?
I am disgusted at you wolfgang.
Not only that but after researching I came across your site, which may I add is not exactly an internet masterpiece. Displaying links for sites such as one for German high class escort. Not exactly the most professional looking.
Marketing Director
Mobile Number: (+34) 647 830 786
UK Number: 0800 862 0473
Fuengirola said
(could not resist wolfgangbrand, also got someone on my site bollocking you)
“Maybe they posted the link to the new website via recommendation from the original website with all the traffic!”
he never said otherwise. But now with no links from fiesta you won’t be getting the traffic, will they?
“A person with manners and decorum!!!”
so not wolfgangbrand then
“Not only that but after researching I came across your site, which may I add is not exactly an internet masterpiece.”
might not be the prettyist (better than my design though http://livingonthecostadelsol.wordpress.com/ )
But is you go onto google and type
http://www.diamondcommercials.com
http://www.marbellapropertynet.com
http://www.interinvestmarbella.com
http://www.costabarsspain.com
All previous articles he wrote about and look where he’s ranking.
And as a “marketing director” you should see the value it what he’s doing and how this site markets other relevant sites. Not exactly rocket science is it?
So what comapnies are you currently doing the marketing for?
wolfgangbrand said
Dear Hedwige
Nobody wants change.
Everybody wants business, no more no less. When one doesn’t get the business, then I agree its time to change. But then first of all you find out why you are not getting business and then apply changes where appropriate.
Changing from a good website to a bad website, changing from about 3500 unique to about 350 per month, ist not exactly what I call a smart business decision. Especially not when the new site is build in a way that you have not the slightest chance to compete in Google. You will have to asign a huge advertising budget to get business with that site.
And I actually can be judgmental on websites. I know pretty well what works and what doesn’t. In 7 years of doing SEO I found out, believe me. Also don’t forget that it was ME who got http://www.fiestaproperty.com top rankings under 100reds of relevant search terms. Forgot that already?
That is the reason why Andrew Clark now contracted my services again and is prepared to pay decent money for it.
Instead of being disgusted Hedwige, you should put on your self-criticism-hat (if you ever had one), take the advice given here (for free!) on board and see it as an opportunity to fix those issues.
In addition you got a free link, possibly the first one to your new site, and you got exposure on a blog that has in one single day more traffic then your shit new website in a month.
But no, typically you: You feel offended! Instead of saying something down the line: “Oh thanks for bringing that to my attention” , you comment on my manners, decorum (you don’t like my orange sweater? come on you love it just like everbody else….) and you try in a pretty ridiculous manner to question my credibility.
Hedwige, nobody attacked you here personally, nobody comments on your products or services. This is about your website nothing else, so there is no need for defense as nobody attacks you, its constructive criticism. Learn from it, or are you so convinced about you being the ultimate authority on everything?
Yes Hedwige, I also run adult websites. One of those sites is designed to advertise quality escort services. I can’t see anything wrong with that. Just business nothing else and of course i link to them from my blogs: Its called link building for SEO, I am sure you heard about that before.
Regards
Wolfgang Brand
wolfgangbrand said
I also suggest you read this:
http://shitwebsites.net/about/
Wolfgang Brand
wolfgangbrand said
Ok for those being interessted in some facts:
Here is a report I generated on September 11th. comparing rankings of fiestaprioperty.com with the rankings a week prior.
It tells you how much it moved up again . The 6th I started placing links again from my blogs as I had reason to believe I will do the SEO for the site again.
http://www.b2c-systems.com/fiestaranking.pdf
Some agents on the coast would murder for those rankings. But you don’t have to, just give me some money and I ‘ll do it for you. Unless you are an estate agent specialised on commercial property – Fiesta has an exclusive deal on that one.
Regards
Wolfgang Brand
Costa King said
They are also so professional, that they are advertising on businessforsale.com and they have their office address as ‘BLANK’
That would really encourage a client to buy eh?
http://spain.businessesforsale.com/spanish/servicesDirectory/browse.aspx?startLetter=C
Do they have a CIF Number?
Fuengirola said
not very good marketing is it?
Costa King said
If you look at their site now ……….. the search facility and all the property listings have been removed and there is an error message.
Have they closed down? What a shame if they have!
Costa King said
OK – more info on the Costa Bars Spain website and their company.
They are trading with the SL ……….. Spectrum Properties SL
Their address is:
Jose Orbaneja Ur Palmeras 9012
Mijas, Spain
The Administrator is David Ash with NIE X9913765Y
For some reason they are hiding their identity, however, here it is! No reason to hide your identity if you are a genuine, professional business.
Jake Smith said
comment deleted
Jake Smith please read the blog rules and refrain from personal insults against Hedwige and David Ash. This is about their website not them or their company.
Thank you
Wolfgang Brand
Jake Smith said
I am so very sorry that you think my comments were of a personal nature about Hedwige and David Ash. I guess your comments about the state of David’s piles were totally from a medical perspective. Thanks for the double standards!
CostaBars said
CostaKing,
do you mean here?
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=Jose%20Orbaneja%20Ur%20Palmeras%209012&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
we know where you live!!!
They should put an office link on their site.
CostaBars said
CostaKing,
do you mean here?
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Jose+Orbaneja+mijas&sll=36.509937,-4.886352&sspn=0.221308,0.441513&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Calle+Jose+Orbaneja,+29650+Mijas,+Malaga,+Andalusia,+Spain&ll=36.512033,-4.72852&spn=0.006916,0.013797&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A
we know where you live!!!
They should put an office link on their site.
Fuengirola said
fucking hell that looks hard to find.
Costa King said
Funny …….. this is what is on their website:
“The Costa Bars Spain Team is a professional, enthusiastic, dedicated and honest International Team of Commercial Real Estate Agents on the Costa del Sol in Spain with over 20 years of combined experience in selling Bars and Businesses and living on the Costa del Sol”
Twenty Years Experience? The Couple who run it (the two who had Fiesta Property taken away from them for not paying) have ONLY LIVED ON THE COAST FOR 16 Months!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you think they are lying to their potential clients?
Johnathon Thomas said
Have you see that Fiesta Property is back in business? They have a new website which has a load of businesses for sale on it and it looks pretty good. Have a look, http://www.fiestaproperty.com
Are the same Costa Bars idiots running this? Can’t be? Or is the old people running it again?
Me said
Nooo
Its Mister Minipulate who is running it:
WOLFGANG BRAND
Fuengirola said
eh?
mister manipulate???
are you saying he masterminded this whole grand scheme involving new owners of fiesta who did not use his services, so they ran the business down, have the business go back the previous owner, is now doing the SEO and gets to bitch about the ex-fiesta now costabarspain own to get back at them and get better interenet positioning
very machiavellian
wolfgangbrand said
Dear Fuengirola
That’s a bit unrealistic. I can not run down a company I have no involvement with at all. Nobody assisted them in running down Fiesta Property, they did that all by themselves.
Wolfgang Brand
Fuengirola said
you misunderstand,
refering to you as mr manipulate gives the impression that you have been ‘manipulating’ the situation. I was taking the piss out of ‘Me’
Me said
I just say he is a dangerous manipulater.
Did you know he and his mate Andrew Clark where accused of fraud when selling a similar previous company before?
Johnathon Thomas said
I heard about that – apparently a business was sold to a couple of welsh pricks who were equally inept in terms of personality and business capabilities as the Ash’s and as a result they reported Wolfgang Brand, Andrew Clark and all the staff (yes, all the staff) to the Police for fraud!
It was thrown out of court – simple fact was that they failed in their business and lashed out!
I must add that this is off topic, but it is funny! I think that ‘Me’ is Hedwige or David Ash! Thankfully she doesn’t have her photo on here!