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How to find your website's broken links, fast and free

1/30/2017

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Imagine this scenario: You're online, searching for the perfect "something" you want to buy, or looking for the information you need to complete a report or solve a problem. You're sure you've found just what you want -- the answer to all your prayers -- when you click and . . . 

The link's broken. 404 Error. Page Not Found.

Is there anything more aggravating?
404 Error image
Broken website links are really frustrating for searchers. And Google doesn't like them, either, because "The Goog" is all about giving people the best possible search experience, and broken links are not a part of that. Why? Because one way Google’s algorithms rank websites is by sending their spiders out to crawl links, so if those links are broken, the spiders can't crawl and index them. 

Therefore,
Google won't want to send searchers to that site and ultimately, a site can be penalized in search results because of those bad links.

So to avoid this problem on your website, you'll want to check for broken links on a regular basis and fix any problems as soon as possible.


About broken links – and how to find them quickly

Bad or broken links come in several types. For instance, if you delete a linked page on your site, put an incorrect URL or an accidental typo in a text link, or change a page's address without correctly updating the URL, you'll get a broken link.

Or if you have a link to another website and THAT website makes a change, deletes the page, etc., you can also end up with a broken link.

So how do you find out if all the links on your site are still good without going through every page and clicking each link?

Solution: BrokenLinkCheck.com allows you to run a free test to find problems quickly. 

This online validation tool will scan your entire site and give you a report of any broken or problem links (unlike some other scanning 
tools that list ALL the links on your site, so you have to sort through the files to find out which ones are bad and need fixing).

​Note: If you have over 3,000 pages on your site, you can contact the company to see about getting a price quote for scanning – it's probably worth it!
Picture

This tool works on Mac and PC, iPads and even smartphones, so you can even check your site while you're on the go. Once you enter your site URL and type in a quick CAPTCHA code, you'll get a report of any link problems on your site, including the page where they're located. From there, you can examine any issues and take the steps needed to fix your problem links.

Have you used this tool or others like it? Leave a comment below!
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Free Cool Marketing Tool: Canva

1/23/2017

 
Adobe’s Creative Cloud is the go-to software for designers worldwide. Considered the industry standard, Creative Cloud offers 20+ apps including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for computers and mobile devices.
 
It also includes a big, hefty price tag. $49.99 per month, to be exact (unless you’re a student).
 
For full-time designers and marketing teams, Creative Cloud software is just one of the costs of doing business. Yes, it’s expensive, but you have to have it and you can write it off, no?
 
But what if you don’t have an in-house design team? What if you don’t need all the bells and whistles and you just want to create a poster or blog graphic once in a while? What if you can’t afford that $49.99 every month?
 
Enter Canva.
Canva logo
Canva is an online design tool that allows you to create, share and download posters, postcards, social media graphics, presentations and much more. Once you set up your free account, you have access to thousands of customizable templates, photos and graphics that you can use to create marketing materials of all kinds.

You can also upload your own photos, logos and images to add to any design. If you need more inspiration or want to purchase some of the snazzier photos or graphics from Canva, you can do that, too.

I'm personally a big fan of the free infographic templates, which help you create eye-catching infographics in a snap. Infographics are now "liked" and shared on social media 3X more than other any other type of content, so these can help you put together an engaging post for social media really quickly.
​
Infographic layout
Canva also offers design articles and tutorials that help you get up and running quickly and provide tips on improving your own layouts.
And if you want to be able to organize things into files and folders with a team, you can upgrade to Canva for Work, which also offers resizing tools and the option for customizable templates (there’s a 30-day free trial if you want to try before you buy):

Picture

What other free layout and design tools have you found that help you get the job done? Leave a comment below!

    Author

    Natalie Bolton is a Boulder County-based marketing professional who helps businesses 
    improve their websites and reach their goals. 

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