The WebWise Blog

Showcasing the De Soto, WI Area

Announcement, Web Design, Web Development / By /

A New Tourism Website Launch

The WebWise Design & Marketing team is proud to announce the launch of a new website for the De Soto Area Tourism Commission: desotoareatourism.com.

De Soto Area Tourism Website imageWe had the pleasure of working with Gary Mulford, President of the De Soto Area Tourism Commission, and committee member Jenn Swiggum to create a website that will serve as the cornerstone of the Commission’s tourism marketing efforts. The site is designed to attract visitors not only from the local region, but also from across the Midwest and beyond.

Nestled in the heart of the Driftless Area and bordering the majestic Mississippi River at Pool #9, the De Soto area offers unique natural beauty and a wide array of recreational opportunities. The new website highlights what makes this part of Wisconsin truly special—whether you’re into fishing, hiking, scenic drives, birdwatching, or simply enjoying the friendliness in the bars, restaurants, wineries or shopping experiences of a small river town.

We invite you to explore desotoareatourism.com and discover everything the De Soto area has to offer. From local events and lodging options to outdoor adventures and historic sites, the new site is a comprehensive guide for planning a visit to this hidden gem in southwestern Wisconsin.

Town of Clayton, Crawford County, WI

Announcement, Web Design, Web Development / By /
Town of Clayton Photos

The WebWise team recently had the privilege of working with the Town of Clayton in Crawford County, WI Chairperson Bill Olson and Harriet Behar, the Chair of the Town Plan Commission. Bill had first reached out to us about developing one our WebWise Towns & Villages Websites.

Harriet was our point of contact for the Town and did a great job of gathering information and photos and to keep the project moving.

Clayton Township is located in the southwest Wisconsin Driftless Area known for its scenic bluffs, steep hillsides, valleys, and clear trout streams. Hunting is a popular activity, with abundant whitetail deer, wild turkey, squirrels, and raccoons.

The Kickapoo River forms the township’s western boundary, and the well-known Gays Mills apple orchards are primarily located within Clayton’s borders. Each spring, visitors enjoy the blooming apple blossoms, and in the fall, farmers markets offer fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, honey, maple syrup, mushrooms, baked goods, and more. Small farms are a big deal in the Town of Clayton!

The new website is ADA compliant and provides easy access to town news, meeting notices, ordinances, and information. Whether you are a resident or planning a visit, the website is a helpful resource for staying connected with the Town of Clayton in Crawford County Wisconsin and its surrounding natural beauty.

 

Don’t bet your job that someone read your email.

Email, Tips / By /

Can you count on your email getting delivered or read? Don't bet your reputation or job on it!

Email is still one of the most widely used tools in business—but it’s not foolproof. Just because you hit “Send” doesn’t mean your message was received, opened, or even delivered. Between spam filters, full inboxes, misaddressed emails, and security systems, your message may never reach the person you intended.

If you’ve sent an important email and haven’t received a response within a reasonable amount of time, don’t just wait and hope. Take action:

  • Check your Sent folder to confirm the message actually went out.
  • Verify the recipient’s email address—a small typo can send your message to the wrong person or nowhere at all.
  • If there was an attachment, consider its size. Many email systems still have limits on incoming message sizes. Large or multiple attachments can cause your email to bounce or be rejected.
  • Review your email. If you used CAPS LIKE THIS, your email could easily have ended up in the recipients SPAM folder.
  • Follow up. A polite second email can help. If it’s time-sensitive or critical, pick up the phone. Simply ask if they received your message—no pressure, just a quick confirmation.

Email Delivery ImageToday, email deliverability is more complicated than it used to be. Filters and firewalls are stricter, and email services are cracking down on anything that seems suspicious. One major way to improve your email’s chances of making it to the inbox is to ensure your domain is properly authenticated.

This is where SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records come in.

These are DNS (Domain Name System) records that help verify you are who you say you are when sending email from your domain. Without them, your messages are more likely to be marked as spam—or blocked entirely.

  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells email servers which IP addresses are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.
  • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your messages that proves they haven’t been tampered with.
  • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM, giving domain owners control over what happens to unauthenticated messages.

Together, these records protect your reputation and improve deliverability.

The takeaway?

Don’t assume your email was seen. Take the time to double-check your message, follow up when necessary, and make sure your domain is set up correctly behind the scenes.

Your reputation—and sometimes your job—depends on it!

Carr Valley Cheese Continues Winning Awards!

Announcement / By /

Carr Valley Cheese - Logo

Master Cheesemaker, and Carr Valley Cheese owner, Sid Cook with his team of cheesemakers recently claimed six more National Awards!  This time it was at the 2025 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest held in Green Bay!

The award-winning Carr Valley cheesemakers had two Best of Class Award winners with their Blue Spruce Blue and with Mobay cheeses.

Carr Valley Cheese Blue Spruce Blue Cheese photo
Carr Valley Cheese - Mobay - Photo

The awards didn’t end there. The Carr Valley Cheese cheesemakers added two second place award winners with Cave Aged Mellage and Marisa, and for good measure two third place award winners with, Sante and Grand Canaria.

Do yourself a favor. Visit carrvalleycheese.com to order Award-Winning Carr Valley Cheese online or visit one of their southern Wisconsin Carr Valley Cheese Retail Store locations.

Don't forget to buy some of their Cheese Curd to eat on the way home!

 

 

SEO & AEO — Two Sides of the Same Coin

AEO, Marketing, SEO, Structured Data / By /

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are both critical digital strategies for increasing online visibility and driving traffic. While they share common principles, they are distinct in their approach, objectives, and execution.

SEO is the first side of the coin. WebWise Design & Marketing started optimizing web pages to perform well in search results with our first client websites in October of 1995. According to sources (Gemini for one), the phrase "search engine optimization," or SEO likely came into use around 1997.

Search Engine Optimization then and now starts with well written “Title” attributes. Initially, WebWise Design & Marketing grew because of our SEO practices, knowledge, and our never-ending quest to learn how to have our client’s website pages rank well in SERPS (search engine results pages). We still offer and deliver that for our clients.

What is SEO:

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) in a manner that motivates the search to click the link and view a web page relevant to the search intent. SEO techniques include:

  • On-Page SEO: Optimizing individual pages with relevant keywords, high-quality content, meta titles and descriptions, and strategic internal linking.
  • Technical SEO: Enhancing website speed, mobile friendliness, using structured data, and security.
  • Off-Page SEO: Leveraging social media, blog posts with shareable content, utilizing domain authority practices, and building backlinks from reputable sites.

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the other side of the same coin. WebWise Design & Marketing understands the importance of using AEO. We are working with our current clients incorporating additional AEO tactics and enhancing the structures that are Inherent to all websites we develop. Of course, we are encouraging our new clients to embrace AEO as well.

What is AEO:

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is a newer concept that focuses on optimizing content for answer engines like Google's featured snippets, voice search assistants (such as Siri and Alexa), and new AI-driven search tools. The intent of AEO is to provide direct, concise, and authoritative answers to users' questions. AEO techniques include:

  • Optimizing for Featured Snippets: Structuring content in a way that makes it easy for search engines to pull direct answers.
  • Using Structured Data Markup: Implementing Schema Markup to help search engines understand the context of content.
  • Focusing on Conversational Queries: Creating content that aligns with natural language search and voice search trends. FAQ pages are great for this.

The primary goal of AEO is to feature your website content in search results as a direct answer, often without requiring users to click through to a website. Example: If they are looking for your phone number, don’t make them click to your “Contact Us” page.

So, you have “Two Sides of the Same Coin,” but there are similarities and differences.

  • Both require high-quality, relevant content.
  • Both prioritize user experience.
  • Both need technical optimization.
  • Both strive to increase visibility and traffic.
  • Both evolve continuously with algorithm changes.

SEO and AEO — Two Sides of the Same Coin To ensure your website content is discoverable across all modern platforms and devices, it's essential to leverage both.

To discus how Answer Engine Optimization - AEO can improve your website's visibility and ranking in SERPS, Call us today!

608-822-3750 or 800-281-9993

Email us at contact@webwisedesign.com