Rodney Hoover
@rhoover
Rodney Hoover
- 08/08/2025
Does your website qualify for Google’s new “mobile friendly” label?
Google recently announced that they are taking steps to highlight websites that are particularly friendly for use on mobile devices. Not only have they started asking mobile users to rate their mobile search results, but Google has also started displaying a label in the search engine ranking pages (SERPs) that tells the user whether or not the website listed is a “mobile-friendly” one. They’ve even developed a tool to test whether or not your website is…
Categories: Website Design | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 11/24/2014
Lancaster, PA is a Google 2014 eCity Award Recipient
Not to be outdone by Lititz’s 2013 designation as the “Coolest Small Town in America,” Lancaster city was awarded Google’s 2014 eCities award for being the strongest online business community in Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999, Sharp Innovations is proud to have been one of the original web design and internet marketing firms in Lancaster, and we are now equally pleased to have contributed in earning this prestigious distinction. In determining which…
Categories: Website Design | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 11/14/2014
Get to Know Your Bounce Rate
Analytics drive business decisions every day, and the same should be true for your website. Key website metrics like unique visitors and organic search performance are frequently cited data points. But something called “bounce rate,” can tell an important tale of your site’s overall performance, as well. For the unfamiliar, bounce rate is simply the percentage of visitors who hit any page on your website and leave without moving to another page on your.…
Categories: SEO | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 10/29/2014
890 Reasons to Have an Active SEO Campaign
Having managed dozens (perhaps hundreds) of search engine optimization campaigns for our clients over the years, we are often asked why having an active, continuous search engine optimization (SEO) effort is preferable to just “doing SEO” once, or perhaps here and there, and then letting it go. After all, it’s entirely possible that a properly set-up site will show-up reasonably high on search engine results pages. Not only is this becoming increasingly…
Categories: SEO | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 09/15/2014
HTTPS, Google and You
Most people know that Google is rather secretive when it comes to how their search engine works. Indeed, outside of emphasizing the use of quality content that is user-friendly, Google generally masks any other variables that characterize their ranking process and how to reach the first page for your key business terms. This is why last week’s announcement on Google’s Online Security blog came as bit of a surprise, as Google clearly states: “[O]ver the…
Categories: SEO | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 08/18/2014
Google Pigeon and Local Search Engine Optimization
About a week ago, Google released a new search algorithm update which caused one of the largest changes to local search we’ve seen. Given the nickname “Pigeon” by Search Engine Land, this update is intended to provide better local information by delivering more relevant and accurate results to the person who is doing a search. Businesses seeing benefits from this update are ones who are properly set up on the necessary directories and social media,…
Categories: Yelp | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 08/04/2014
Top 10 Things to Look for in a Web Development Firm
Gone are the days of placing an ad in the Yellow Pages or going door-to-door to ask your neighbors for business. Today, when people need a product or service, the Internet is their first stop, bar none. But it’s no longer sufficient to just be present online. These days, your potential customers expect your web presence to look great, load quickly, function intuitively, and provide them with whatever information or resources they might be seeking. Understandably,…
Categories: Website Design | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 05/15/2014
Responsive Web Design Vs. Mobile Web Design
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 91% of all American adults have a cell phone, and 58% have a smartphone. If you’re wondering whether or not now is the right time to be thinking about a mobile-friendly version of your website, the answer for most businesses is that you shouldn’t just be thinking about it, you should already have one. The real question for most businesses is what type of mobile site is appropriate? There are basically two.…
Categories: Website Design | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 03/07/2014
Sharp Innovations Acquires This Way Up! Marketing
Since 1999, Sharp Innovations has help decision-makers in dozens of industries grow their businesses through the power of Internet marketing. With powerful design, creative content, full-service search engine optimization, and more recent additions like social media management and mobile device optimization, we've made it our mission to help our clients find success online and achieve a positive return on their investment. As part of our ongoing commitment to providing…
Categories: Web Development | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 02/11/2014
What Can Google Analytics Tell You?
We have been using Google Analytics with our clients for several years, and it is one of the most powerful, no cost tools available. Just about any activity or interaction from visitors on your site can be measured with Google Analytics. In this post, we’ll focus on a few specific features that can help you make adjustments to your website and keep it moving forward. Do I need a mobile website? Google tracks mobile and tablet views to your website, so if you have seen…
Categories: SEO | Authored by: Rodney Hoover | Posted: 01/31/2014