t might seem that everyone that comes into your store, or those who interact with your business online, has a smartphone that they use for research before, during and after they shop. You might be surprised to find that, according to comScore, 80 percent of internet users own a smartphone and use it to search the internet. Unfortunately for business owners, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, there is a good possibility your business won’t show up in a Google search, even if it did previously. Why? There is a new Google algorithm that puts an emphasis on mobile-friendly websites. Don’t panic. There is an easy way to know if your website is mobile-friendly. If it isn’t you can fix it so you don’t lose any business from being MIA on Google searches. Here is what Google uses to assess what websites are considered mobile-friendly: The site doesn’t use software that is not common on smartphones and other mobile devices – like Flash. The text is readable without zooming in. The site has a responsive design that fits the content to the screen, and allows users to interact with the site without having to scroll horizontally or zooming in to read. The links are placed at a far enough distance so users can easily tap the one they are looking to use. There is a foolproof way to tell if a business’s website will pass the test for the new algorithm. Google is now offering everyone a free assessment tool that you can use to see if a website is mobile-friendly. If you get a passing grade, you are fully optimized and will still be included in Google searches. You can click here to be directed to the free assessment tool. If your site gets a failure message after the assessment, don’t worry! You will get a few reasons that your site isn’t considered mobile-friendly, and you can use these to start plans to fix the problem and get back onto the rankings where your business belongs. If your site requires a little more heavy lifting than you have the time, or skill set, to fix, there are a number of website builders that offer mobile-friendly. If you are looking for free or inexpensive templates that include a responsive design, visit templatemonster.com, templated.co or html5up.net. While this may seem like a tedious exercise – it’s all about location. If your customers are using their mobile devices more than computers for their internet searches, then your business should be mobile-friendly so that you’re both top of mind, and top of the search engine results. If you still have questions, or want to help others make mobile-friendly sites, visit the Webmaster Help Forum that Google has set-up to help make the web better for all users. ...read more

Food and travel enthusiastAnatesha Dunnoffers up her favorite cultural foods. Anatesha Dunnloves to travel - traveling, she says, gives one ample opportunity to expand not only the mind, but the taste buds, as well. Eating is an intimate experience, reflectsAnatesha Dunn; there are few other daily activities that people put so much thought and care into as a single meal. Here,Anatesha Dunnoffers a few favorite dishes in a taste bud tempting global excursion. Italiano Italian food, statesAnatesha Dunn, creates visions of family gatherings, with an Italian matriarch pushing a spoon into her grandson’s mouth while sternly saying, “eat!!!” It’s true, admitsAnatesha Dunn, a hot lasagna brings people to the table. A trip to Italy, where the food is thrown together as if by magic at every eatery, café, and la cucina, saysAnatesha Dunn, proves that some folks can do a lot with very little. Pasta, sauce and a few spices, claimsAnatesha Dunn, are really all you need for the perfect Italian meal.   African Cuisine Perhaps no other culture, notesAnatesha Dunn, has been so deliciously creative with such limited natural resources as the tribes of Africa. One example is a dish called Groundnut Chop. This dish, saysAnatesha Dunn, may sound a little unusual to Western society - peanuts, chicken, and boiled eggs over rice - but is superb. Topped withAnatesha Dunn’spersonal favorite, bananas and coconut, this is a festive party dish.   French Fare Croissant anyone? French cuisine, according toAnatesha Dunn, is another of her favorites. Puffed pastries filled with crème and crepes folded over fresh seasonal fruit, saysAnatesha Dunn, are sure to please even the pickiest of diners. French food, claimsAnatesha Dunn, just seems to taste best when shared with friends.   While every society in every country across the globe has their own regional flavors to be cherished, these are just a few ofAnatesha Dunn’sfavorite foods. She also ranks Chorizo, a Mexican sausage/cheese dip, and strudels soaked in PET milk, an Austrian desert, among some of her family’s most beloved treats.   ...read more

Although she’d already been baptized in her teens, Anatesha Dunn decided to renew her public declaration of her faith. Anatesha Dunn now shares her story with others in an effort to inspire. SAVAGE, Maryland – September 23, 2011 – Beginning her walk with God as a teen,Anatesha Dunnremembers feeling a little scared. She wasn’t sure how her life would change. “It was a beautiful moment,” Anatesha Dunn says of the moment when she decided to give her life to God. “I felt the weight of so many things that had been weighing me down released.” Like many other Christians, Anatesha Dunn has her fair share of struggles, but she fully believes. Anatesha Dunn sees God as her best friend. Recently, Anatesha Dunn decided to get baptized again. For Christians, Anatesha Dunn explains, baptism is a way to declare to the church that one is dedicating his or her life to God. While many are baptized as youth, some choose to go through the ceremony again as adults as a way of re-dedicating themselves. Anatesha Dunn felt she now had a better understanding of what baptism meant to her. “But I had some concerns similar to the ones I had as a teen,” Anatesha Dunn remembers. “When I get baptized, are things are going to change? Change is never really easy, even if you’re doing your best to live right.” But, just as she had as a teen, Anatesha Dunn pushed past her fear. Anatesha Dunn explains that baptism involves standing in front of a congregation while the pastor announces that the person is dedicating themselves to Christ. According to Anatesha Dunn, the person is then fully submerged in holy water. Baptisms do not necessarily take place in church—baptisms have been held in rivers and other bodies of water. The real baptism, Anatesha Dunn says, is in the dedication in the heart of the person being baptized. “I feel very proud of making this decision to show God how much He really means to me,”Anatesha Dunnsays. “I hope that others find the courage and strength to follow through with their direction with God. I can honestly say it is a commitment that you would never regret.” ...read more