Friday, October 24, 2008

The 5 Things You Should Already Knew About Web Hosting

Internet is now no longer connecting just website but connecting human to human. The World Wide Web has become part of our live whether you realize it or not. From net surfing, news reading, match making to online or offline shopping, credit card transactions. All cannot be separated from the internet. That explains why web hosting is never been that important before.

What is web hosting?
Since web hosting is one of the foundations of the internet, do you really understand what it actually is. A simple illustration is your computer. Imagine you home PC with a quad core processors, a few Gigabytes of memory, a server motherboard and an extremely big hard drive. That sounds like a server computer in data centers and the storage space in the hard drive is what we call web hosting. Not forgetting a quality fiber optic connection to the internet access point making the files stored in the hard drive accessible by the world.

What do web hosting company do?
What web hosting providers like Bluehost and Lunarpages do is to provide the storage space in the hard drive. They divide the hard drive into small partitions and let subscribers to store their files and data there. While preparing the storage, they also need to maintain and safe guard the internet connections making sure that no traffic congestion will happen. And in return the subscribers will pay them monthly for the service.

Why am I telling you this?
Knowing that web hosting is important in our live we have to learn more about it. By understand what is it and what the providers do. We can be more accurate in picking up a suitable web hosting for our own.

Why do I need web hosting?
Basically you can do a lot of things with web hosting. One of the most popular things to do is blogging you can either write a hobbyist or a business blog. With hobbyist blog you can share your thoughts and hobby while building up a online network; with business blog you can share your products online and have some customer service there. Besides blogging, you can build an internet business that make money from affiliate programs and Google AdSense or even better you can have your own online store. Also you could use the web space as a data back up centers for your data and files.

How do I get a web hosting
You need to shop for web hosting. When I say shop that means you will need to properly choose a web hosting service. You need to do some surveys on hosting providers. Something need your attentions is that the cheapest hosting doesn't mean the best and also the most expensive one might not suit your needs. Therefore, be smart in the shopping. Know what you want, and look for the things. Always compare and review web hosting services.

I would like to emphasize again that the evolutions of internet is quick. If you would like to be advance in online tech stuffs, web hosting is something you must learn about. If you are going to host your first blog or website, get your own hosting and you will discover a lot more fun with it.

Daren is a writer and webmaster. He review Lunarpages web hosting in his website. For a good quality of web hosting, Daren recommends Lunarpages web hosting.

Should You Use Free Hosting?

Need a place to host your website? If you're looking, chances are you've come upon offers for free website hosting. However, there are definite drawbacks to using a free hosting service.

Other people's ads will be on your space. Many free hosting providers make their money by putting ad space on their client sites.

You won't get a domain name of your own. Most free hosts don't give you a unique name; you're stuck with a subdomain of their own.

You won't show up on search engines. A big drawback of free hosting is that sites hosted for free often don't rank well in search engines.

Free hosting can hurt credibility. To those who know a little about websites, it's obvious when a site is being hosted for free.

You don't get much space or functionality. Most free hosting programs allow you to have only a small number of pages on your site.

Dependability can be a problem. Free hosts aren't always the most dependable. You could get unexplained down time, so your site won't always be accessible.

Free website hosting fits every budget, but you get what you pay for. If you're building an e-commerce business or even putting up a simple website to advertise an offline business, you are much better served finding a paid host. A professional hosting site is a much more solid and dependable foundation on which to build your online reputation. So think about investing in good hosting, and you won't regret that you did.

Chris Smith is sales director for http://www.on365.co.uk a UK based data center Management Company and Server Rooms Specialists. For more information on server rooms see http://www.on365.co.uk/Server-Room-Solutions.aspx

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

How to Find a Web Site Coder

So now you know what to look for in a coder--but a much greater problem for many people is the problem of where to find the perfect coder for your project. It isn't simply a matter of posting an advertisement in a local classified section and waiting for responses--that might get you some potential candidates, but it removes one of your best tools for assessing the suitability of a coder: the portfolio.

One useful method is to post your project on freelancing programming sites, one of the most prominent of which is rentacoder.com. Rentacoder.com allows software buyers--such as yourself--to post details of your project on their directory of projects, along with some idea as to the rate you're willing to offer. Coders can then bid on your project, giving you portfolio examples, any certifications they may have, and their ideal rate for the work. Once you've checked out what they can do, you can approve their bid, place your payment in escrow, and just wait for the coding work to be done. As soon as the coder sends you the work (and as soon as you approve it), the money is released to the coder, and you can both go on your ways--your coder with his cash and experience, and you with your functioning direct response website.

There are a number of advantages to this method. Most importantly, there's the wide talent pool from which to choose--just as putting your business on the Internet gives your product a much wider potential audience than you could achieve through traditional channels, looking for contract employees (like coders) over the Internet gives you a much wider selection and a much greater chance of finding someone with the perfect skills for your job. Additionally, services like rentacoder.com greatly simplify the process of interviewing potential coders and determining prices: most of the things that you need to know about a coder (namely, their skills and their price) is available at the rental site, just waiting for you to sort through the options and make your decision.

But it's important to keep in mind some of the disadvantages to services like rentacoder.com as well. For one, it's very difficult to get a good sense about a potential coder's personality from their rentacoder.com profile or even their skills set. Again, this isn't a problem for short-term work, but as we've discussed, the ideal relationship with a coder is a long-term relationship. Not only does rentacoder.com make it more difficult to create such a relationship by masking coder personalities, but it also makes it more complicated to hire a coder on an ongoing basis. Rentacoder.com only allows you to bid on a coder for a single project--e.g. a single website--with no simple provision for providing ongoing work.

Fortunately, these obstacles aren't insurmountable--it just requires more work on your part in order to build and nurture a relationship with your coder. Rentacoder.com automatically releases personal details like phone number and email address for all projects above $500, allowing you to contact your coder directly--once the project is in motion, unfortunately. Before the hiring process--or if your design work costs less than $500, which it shouldn't (see below)--you can post messages to your coder on the rentacoder.com message boards or chat rooms, which is the ideal way to contact them--and there's nothing that says you can't ask for a phone number or email address in such communications to help you make the informed decision before renting a coder.

Are there other options? Of course--there's always classified advertising (on or offline), there are personal references from other business contacts, there's the possibility of emailing the designers of high-profile sites that you've seen and liked, and there's the ubiquitous Craigslist posting. But as long as you're willing to put in the effort to build a personal relationship with your coder (and to assess their personality and skills before hiring), sites like rentacoder.com simply offer too much variety and too much talent to ignore altogether.

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Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 9034 articles in print and 14 published ebooks.

HTML Or Web Builder Tools For Your Web Site?

Building a web page from the raw HTML file up can be deeply rewarding as an intellectual challenge, is certainly the most cost-effective solution, and gives you total control over the look and feel of your page. But it can also be extremely time-consuming--not only to build, but to maintain. If you want to radically revise your product information at some point, you'll have to go back in and change lots of very specific HTML formatting in your raw text files--not the most effective option, certainly.

An alternative to text authoring is to invest in an actual HTML authoring tool like Dreamweaver or Frontpage. These have significant drawbacks, of course, not least of which are the very high price and the lack of total control over your website. But they do allow you to change your text through copying and pasting without changing the basic formatting or underlying HTML code for every single HTML file you use, and they simplify some of the more complex layout coding that you might choose to use to make your page look more stylish and unique.

Some HTML authoring tools actually give you the best of both worlds--Dreamweaver, for example, lets you edit the basic HTML coding of a page at the same time as you edit the page text, images, and layout directly (without manually changing HTML tags), which can satisfy both the desire to work quickly and efficiently and the desire to have total control over a page's layout. Any tool, however, is only as good as the person who uses it, so just use the tools that you prefer and that work the best for your coding style.

If this sounds complicated, it's because DIY coding is complicated. There are definite benefits to it, of course--but for many business owners, those benefits aren't worth the time invested in learning the language. And even if you know HTML and CSS backwards and forwards, you might believe that your basic design skills can't give you exactly what you want for your company's website. If this describes you, then move directly along to our next chapter, where we talk in detail about just how to find, evaluate, and hire a coder or designer who can help your website--and your product along with it--stand out from all the rest.

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Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 9034 articles in print and 14 published ebooks.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Prada Web Design on a Wal Mart Budget

If you go into a men or women's clothier you will find someone who can help you coordinate an outfit for the most discriminating occasion.

These shoppers understand there is an art to the notion of ensemble. A good retailer understands this and can help their customers achieve the look they are after.

In a similar way a good web designer can help you put together a visual ensemble that is appealing and coordinated.

Just as there are differences in clothing stores there are also differences in web design options.

For instance you might expect to pay more at a store on 5th Avenue in New York than you might at a national chain in Sheboygan, WI.

When it comes to web design you can pay to have someone create a new page that is entirely unique to your site. This is a bit like asking Miuccia Prada to develop something uniquely special for you. You'll have the knowledge that you will have a one of a kind item, but you will also pay a premium price for garment and the name of its creator.

This is how most online businesses treat web design they feel like they have to pay the Prada prices when their budget is more inline with Wal Mart. In fact, I would go so far as to say that many business owners aren't even aware that there is a discounted idea that accomplishes the same task as a personalized site design, but at a price that is more in line with their budget.

Web builder technology still allows you to custom build your site with all the tools you might ask a web designer for, but you get to assemble the end product yourself.

In this case the development comes with step-by-step instructions and in many cases is similar to developing a social media page, but designed to provide a complete ecommerce package that can allow you to conduct business online in a matter of hours.

Those who use web builder technology also have the added benefit of being able to make changes to their website whenever they want. This includes everything about the website. If they want to design a new layout for the home page they can. If they want to add pictures they can do that, too. If they want to add newsletter function that is also possible.

Remember the clothier analogy earlier. Many times you will see or read about designers who essentially make the designer clothes at a discounted price. This is part of the charm of web builder technology. The process utilizes the best of the best website design techniques that have already been learned and then they make it easy to use and available to their customers. The end result can be a highly profitable site that keeps the money primarily in the hands of the web site owner - not in the pockets of the designer.

You can pay almost any amount you want for site creation, but it overall costs are an ongoing concern you might consider the benefits of personal creation through web builder technology.

Make A Website or Make Your Own Website that is as good as the big boys at HighPowerSites.com. Start a HOME BUSINESS and Resell Ebooks at BooksWealth.com.

1 BIG Mistake to Avoid With Your Website

Is your website the comprehensive, client-attracting, dynamic marketing tool it can and should be? Too many small business owners make a very big mistake when it comes to their website.

The mistake...creating a "plain and simple" website, versus a comprehensive one.

What a way to miss the boat and miss out on the outstanding marketing opportunities that come with a comprehensive website. "Plain and simple" websites very rarely work.

Let me illustrate. True story...

A colleague of mine recently called me and said, "Jeanna, go on Google and pretend you're a receptionist looking for a company like mine. Type in the keywords you would use and tell me what you find."

So I did, and when the results popped up, I saw all of his local competitors. His website was nowhere to be found. I searched and searched, clicking up to page 17 in Google. In my search I was unable to find my colleague's website, even when I searched for his business name.

I told him what I found and he said, "Yep, that's what I thought. I think I messed up big time."

My colleague had hired a friend of his to develop his website, and in doing so he made a CRITICAL error. The error was not in hiring his friend, that was fine, but he told his friend that he wanted his company's website to be "very plain and simple, bare bones, with no clutter whatsoever and not a lot of text." That was the critical error.

He got exactly what he asked for-a paper thin, "plain and simple" website with barely any information on it. If there was 500 words of text on his website, I would be surprised!

Too many small business owners make the same mistake my colleague made when it comes to their website. They think people are too busy to bother reading through lots of information about their services. They think that people don't want information, they just want simple, plain and bare bones. This thinking is wrong and can be a costly error.

People turn to the Internet because they want information, they want details, they want the whole story. The more quality content you include on your website, the better.

Your visitors will sift through and skim to find the information they want, but only if you give them a chance to do so. Some visitors will read every single word on your website. You see it should be there choice, not yours. Don't edit and hold back just because you think people won't want to read it.

A plain and simple website turns potential clients away because it doesn't offer a solution to the pain, problem or predicament they're looking to solve. It doesn't build an entire case for hiring you. It leaves them wanting more. And above all, it sends them looking elsewhere for answers...which, I bet your competition will be happy to provide them.

As if turning potential clients away isn't bad enough, "plain and simple" websites cost small business owners in another big way, too...lack of content turns off the search engines just as much as it does visitors.

My colleague's bare bones website doesn't have a snowball's chance in (you-know-what) of EVER getting a high listing with Google or any other search engine. Google loves content. Google practically demands content. No content, no high listing.

You know, my colleague is mad (mostly at himself), but at least he realized the mistake he made. The tough thing is, it will cost him more to redo his website and fix the mess, than it would if he had done it right the first time.

Trying to attract clients with a "plain and simple", paper thin, bare bones website didn't work for my colleague, and it won't work for you. A comprehensive, client-attracting website is much, much more than a few pages of information, some bullet points and a contact page.

A comprehensive website utilizes in depth content to develop a strong and convincing case for why clients need to hire you. It includes information about your services, but it also demonstrates your expertise, answers all of your clients' possible questions about you, your business, and why you're the right company for their needs.

It shows them how your small business is different, unique or better than the competition. After visiting your comprehensive website, potential clients will feel motivated to pick up the telephone and give you a call, because they know who you are, what you do, and how you can possibly help them.

To take full advantage of the huge opportunity your website gives you as a marketing tool, you have to develop a comprehensive website. Doing so, you'll be rewarded with higher search engine rankings, plus a steady stream of clients.

Copyright © 2008-2009. Jeanna Pool. All rights reserved. Jeanna Pool is a small business marketing consultant. She works exclusively with solo small business owners who are really great at what they do...but really struggle in marketing their services and attracting clients consistently. For more information about Jeanna's small business marketing services, visit her website athttp://www.MarketingThatWorks.com

7 Elements of a Profitable Dental Web Page Design

Websites, for dentists and other oral care professionals, have become an important part of any dental business and a necessary tool on the road to success. The difficult part is deciding on a dental web page design that will be profitable. After all, dental professionals specialize in a patient's health rather than in online marketing and the intricacies of online practices. However, they still need some kind of an idea of what they would like to include in their website. If you are a dentist or oral care professional, here are seven elements you may want to consider in your website design.

Online Patient Communication

One of the most important elements of dental web page design is a way for visitors to contact the dentist's office. Because of the large number of people that can be contacting the practice at any one time, this system needs to be as efficient as possible. One of the best ways to do this is with a special contact form that prompts the customer to provide you with all of the information needed to give them the best service possible.

Online Appointment Booking

In today's market, customers want to get results instantly or they will simply move on to the competition. Giving online visitors the option of booking online is an excellent way to combat this problem. These systems can even be designed to notify you instantly while being accessible anywhere in the world to give you security and convenience.

Sharing Good News

Once customers begin to access your services, it is a good idea to maintain that contact with your clients to keep them coming back. Why not incorporate this idea directly into your dental web page design? Offer customers the chance to sign up for newsletters that include advertising, the announcement of new services, discounts, and other promotions.

Be A Show Off

One of the best ways websites for dentists attract new clients is to show pictures of some of the work the professional has done previously. Showing the results of implants, veneers, teeth whitening and other services shows the client your level of expertise. As an added benefit, those in dire need of oral care will not be as embarrassed or reserved about coming in to see you if they know you have seen worse.

Easy To Use Personal Content Management

Websites for dentists can be created specifically with the professional in mind. This allows the staff at the practice to update and change information when they want to rather than having to pay their marketing company to do it. This keeps customers checking in on a regular basis to see what's new and lets the oral care expert tailor the page to his or her specific needs.

Suitable Dental Web Page Design

The graphics and text should reflect your practice adequately while still standing out from the rest. Websites for dentists need to promote a call to action from new clients without appearing pushy. While an expert designer best handles this, you should have an idea of what you would like it to say about your practice.

Give A Tour

Websites for dentists are a great way to give clients an idea of what to expect and what your practice is all about. Use a slide show or small video to show them around. Some things you may want to point out in particular include the level of customer service and the innovative technology your practice uses to provide the best treatments possible.

Dental web page design gives oral care professionals an unlimited number of possibilities to attract and maintain their clientele. Websites for dentists should stand out and entice clients by demonstrating why their practice is superior to any other.

About the Author: Christine O'Kelly writes for the innovative creator of websites for dentists, Officite. They have more than 3,100 oral care professionals enjoying the benefits of their cutting edge dental web page design.

Monday, October 20, 2008

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BDV-72744-BDV

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Getting Into Web Design? Use These Three Tips

Web design is something that just about anyone can do. After all, there are kids that are creating websites. But anyone can create a website to make their mark on the Internet or to let someone know what they have for sale. Here are some tips that you can use when you are getting into web design.

Keep it simple

One of the first things to remember is to keep it simple. People like to have a website that they can find what they need quickly and be able to get on with their life. Don't use a lot of loud music or flashy colors - those are likely to turn people off.

Make it navigable

Another thing that you should do in web design is to make it easy to navigate. People want to be able to click on things that they are looking for and go easily from one page to another.

Offer a way for feedback

People want to give their opinion and the way that they can give you an opinion is that you give them a guestbook to sign or a way to contact you. You can even have links to your messaging programs on the site if you want to make it more personal.

Web design is something that doesn't have to be difficult and you want to make sure that the web design is simple, easy to navigate, and that you give them a way to give you feedback. These are the keys to good communication and good customer service if your website is for a business.

Are you really interested in driving massive traffic to your website?

Here's the answer:

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Save Time by Acquiring Cheap Script Development and Installation Services

If you have PHP or CGI script that you want to be installed on your web server but you don't have enough time and tools to do it, ask the assistance of a script installation service company. They can install any script that is written in Php, perl, or cgi and makes use of the MySQL database. With Perl, you can avail of the language for free on the Internet. Almost all UNIX devices have Perl already integrated. With Mac or Windows, one has to download the newest release of Perl and set it up it on your device. Script installation is ideal for reading through loads of documentation and configuration of variables. It also works out the design parameters to install Php or Cgi application. You can utilize your valuable time in other productive activities like marketing your website.

The script installation provides these services:

• They configure all the variables according to their client web host parameters.
• They upload necessary files with FTP client to their customer's web host.
• They set up all the file permissions that will ensure proper logging and script functioning.
• They test all the scripts functions that include usage, email capabilities, HTML output accuracy, configuration utilities purpose, etc.

Things that you can expect from a Script Installation Service:

• You will be certain that your script will be installed in a fast, timely, and secured manner.
• Your script will be bedded in as designed by the author.
• After the installation is completed, they will send you an email specifying the work performed, the relevant URLs, directories, script passwords, etc.
• In case the script installation service will not be competent enough to make your script work, you payments will be refunded.

Requirements that the script installation service may ask you:

• Domain name
• Send the script as provided by the script author in a zip, rar, or tar format.
• The FTP and the Control panel login details of your site.
• The folder or URL in which the script need to be installed.

The website optimization services scripts are comparatively small pieces of programming code that is intended to add definite function to a website. Nearly all modern websites will not perform accurately without any scripts. They would definitely not be able to provide the range of user improvements. Scripts come in different forms and sizes and give an enormous collection of functions, some for the advantage of the visitors and some for the webmaster. Unlike PC software, most of these scripts don't go with simple install wizards or help screens. This makes them very difficult to install and set up.

Scripts are also often less forbearing of the many configurations web hosts use on their web servers. Scripts not installed correctly on certain web hosts, or scripts already installed but doesn't run as it should be, can give the webmaster some troubles. Some scripts function perfectly on some web hosts yet fail to operate on other web hosting providers. In script installation, one really needs to be well knowledgeable of technical matters in addition patience and experience. The best solution is to take advantage of the Script Installation Service. They will make your life easier and your website impressive.

For more information on Php Script Installation and Autoresponder Script Installation please visit our website.

Monday, October 13, 2008

What You Have To Know About Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting enables businesses and individuals to get a pre-configured connectivity as well as advanced equipment from a website hosting company. Dedicated hosting gives the website owner many advantages stemming from the fact that an entire server is dedicated to the website. While the website owner is only concerned with web software issues, the hosting company on the other hand owns, maintains as well as backs up the server apart from looking into the security, power supervision plus other aspects of data center maintenance.

Dedicated hosting provides the client with a customized, first-class web server. Dedicated hosting is usually for websites that require more system resources as well as bigger bandwidth. With this need for resources, an entire server dedicated to the needs of the website is more practical.

As its name indicates, the client will have complete control over the website with the dedicated hosting service. The client can choose the software, operating system, settings, and multi-media requirements for its website. Dedicated hosting is also practical for clients that want better control of their servers but do not have the money to purchase their own servers.

Dedicated website hosting is also more practical for businesses that have high-traffic websites, but do not have the personnel, security, and resources to maintain, install, and build their in-house IT staff. It can also save a company money since they no longer have to pay for the services of a network administrator. Businesses can save at least 85% monthly just by opting for dedicated hosting.

Finding a good web host is a difficult decision which most online business owners face. HostingCoupons.org simplifies this process by providing hostgator reviews and discount coupons from the leading web hosting companies. Read the webhosting blog and find a good webhost such as hostgator.

What To Check In A Web Host For An E-commerce Website

The Internet business has grown by leaps and bounds in just a few years. Today there are millions of businesses that anchor their operations in the Internet. Big and small companies have cashed in on the potential of the Internet as the prime medium of communication. Such companies or individuals who want to make it big online have to count on several factors that would help them in becoming more successful in the field.

Fortunately for those in the Internet business, there are a lot of web hosting firms that can help even small companies in making it big in their businesses. But how does a company identify a good web hosting firm?

First a good web hosting company should offer good enough amount of bandwidth that will allow the users to download essential files and information like registration forms, credit card information, among others.

A good web site hosting company should have back up on their server hard drives to ensure that the website remains online even in times of unforeseen power interruptions. The back up server should also be accessible at all times.

In reality the space provided by website hosting companies is not much of a worry since these hosts provide 25MB space, good enough to store around 500 web pages. This is not a bad start for any website owner.

One can get of a website hosting service for at least $100 a month which is a good steal considering you can run an efficient online business with such service.

Finding a good web host is a difficult decision which most online business owners face. HostingCoupons.org simplifies this process by providing bluehost reviews and discount coupons from the leading web hosting companies. Read the webhosting blog and find a good webhost such as hostgator.

Getting A Good Web Hosting Deal

The Internet is besieged by companies offering discount web hosting. However the challenge most companies and individuals face wanting to put up websites is how to get the best deals with a good quality hosting firm. How do you do that? Simple.

As stated earlier, the Internet is proliferated with many website hosting companies. There are a lot of options to choose from. This is good since there are too many options, however the problem is when you choose a hosting firm that proves to be undependable.

The safest bet to those looking for a quality web hosting service is to get in touch with the parent company itself. Do not talk to the resellers since they may offer very enticing rates, but the real best rates are offered by the hosting companies. These companies are more equipped with the necessary equipment and personnel to attend to your web hosting requirements.

Most of these hosting firms offer coupon codes which can give you at least 2 months of free hosting. In some instances you can get additional benefits which can run for a year without entailing you any costs. These discount web hosting firms can offer these generous deals because they profit from your renewal subscriptions. In turn they upgrade their products and services, thus they can afford to give away a few offers just to entice you to stick around. It works like Sony selling video game consoles, knowing that the consumer will be back to buy video titles and accessories.

Finding a good web host is a difficult decision which most online business owners face. HostingCoupons.org simplifies this process by providing lunarpages reviews and discount coupons from the leading web hosting companies. Read the webhosting blog and find a good webhost such as hostgator.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Top Tips For Choosing a Web Designer

So you have decided to make your first tentative steps onto the World Wide Web by having your own web site. The first thing you need to think about is engaging the services of a Web Designer, but how do you choose which is the best one?

Here are some tips to help you decide.

Look for a designer who asks the right questions

A good designer will ask you specific questions such as

What is the primary goal of your web site?

Who is your web site trying to target?

By what criteria are you going to measure the success of your site?

Don't necessarily go with the lowest quote

Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. It's not just about getting a web site; it's about getting a web site that will perform. There is generally a direct correlation between price and quality.

Do some research

In order to make an informed decision it often helps to do a little research of your own. Read up on the internet or in your local library about good web design techniques, about usability and accessibility and the basics of online marketing. It's best to glean information from a variety of sources as many experts have differing opinions.

Armed with this basic knowledge you should be able to judge the good from the not-so-good.

Don't judge a book by it's cover

Don't judge a designer on their graphical design skills alone. Although graphic design is important, they are not the most significant determinant of what makes a good web site.

As with most things, personal taste dictates the look and feel of a client's web site and after all, the customer is always right.

Make sure you check out the designer's portfolio and ask yourself these questions.

Does the designer have good organisational abilities in the way they organise the web site as a whole and the way they organise the layout of individual pages?

Do they design with usability in mind; are their web sites designed for form or for function?

How easy are the sites to navigate? How easy is it to find specific information?

Each site should motivate a visitor to do something, whether it be purchase a product or service, filling in a quotation request from, signing up for a newsletter etc Does the designer do a good job of showing visitors how to perform these actions?

Don't ask yourself "Does this site look good?", ask yourself "Would this site make me want to buy from this company?".

Talk with previous clients

A good designer would be happy for you to take references or testimonials from previous clients. Check out their portfolio and contact some of their clients about their experience of dealing with this particular designer.

Ask them how easy it was to work with the designer, how long it took to complete the project, how happy they were with the completed web site, whether they felt it was value for money, how effective the web site has been, how many visitors they have had, whether their sales have increased and whether the web site has accomplished their specific goals.

Ultimately it is up to you. Only you can judge by your own personal tastes what you feel is a good web design or not. Hopefully this article has given you a few hints and suggestions to help you make an informed decision.

Rob is a freelance web designer and owner of Apollo Web Design, a UK based web design company.

http://www.apollo-web.co.uk

Graphic Design, the Most Important Things to Consider

With modern software tools, website design and publishing has become easier than ever before. No longer do you have to figure out the language of computer codes, instead these tools provide a simple, intuitive, graphical template with which to design. But this simplicity does not guarantee you a great web site. It is still up to you to put thought into your design, otherwise you could easily churn out and unreadable or even unusable site. This article will help you avoid this by offering general guidelines important for good website design using any web design software package.

The most important thing to remember about using graphic design to create a web page, is to keep it easy to read. The fancier web sites use complicated backgrounds that cause the text to become unreadable. The background should highlight the color of the text. When a fancy background is appropriate to use, the text blocks should be offset and use a single color background using only a single color, such as a black background with white lettering.

Text size should be large enough to read, but not so large that a small block of text dominates the page. Link colors should likewise be easily distinguished from regular text. Text should be centered for headlines, and justified on both sides for paragraphs. Most modern browsers support fully justified text. Older browsers which don't support fully justified text will simply disregard the command and present the text aligned only on the left side. Fully justified text will make the page more appealing to the majority of web site visitors.

Simple navigation of a website by a user is the focus of the next step in graphic design. Users must be able to access to every page in your site in no more than three clicks. A table of contents makes the site more organized and therefore easy to navigate. A frame containing a table of contents can be inserted on the left side of the page and then the links will open in a frame on the right side. This will allow the user to be anchored to the main page.

A web site should be easy to find. The use of carefully chosen keywords sprinkled throughout the site will make it easier for search engines to list the site appropriately according to the subject matter. A properly listed site will be easier to find by people using search engines. Many search engines provide forms for search engine submission. Using these forms will also help the search engines find and properly categorize the web site.

Utilizing website software development tools and paying attention to the basic rules for good graphic design, even the most inexperienced web designer can create a functional, attractive site. And by putting in a bit of computer time and effort, a beginning web designer can amass the experience needed to acquire one of the plentiful web design jobs that are available in today's marketplace.

The most important thing to remember about using graphic design to create a web page, is to keep it easy to read. The proper use of keywords is critical to making a web site a popular web site. Search engines also provide forms for search engine submission which will further help the search engine serve your site to people who are seeking sites on a particular subject. These design guidelines, with help from up-to-date software, will help a web designer create a site that will interest the audience. After getting a little experience, a web designer can work toward applying for web design jobs that are available.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Edit Your Website - Simply!

On-demand, editable, template websites

Just because you own the company doesn't mean you are the best one to judge website content, keywords, etc. Begin this project by gathering the young people in your office or store and ask them what they look for when they are researching or buying products online. Have them tell you about two or three websites they really like and two or three they really hate. Use the ideas that come from a good brainstorming session within your employees (probably the young ones who grew up with e-bay and Amazon). Buy the pizza, sit around and have everyone throw out wild ideas. Have someone write them down and then pick the ones that appeal to the group.

Here are ten basic things to remember when you are editing your website:

1. Someone has to monitor the leads from your website every day and multiple times during the day. Consumers who shop for information or products on the internet are doing it because they want instant answers and expect super-fast responses. Don't be one of the 80% who didn't respond to the lead in time!

2. The top of each page contains the most important content of that page. Don't make the pages too long, it looks unprofessional. The name of your company should appear at the top of a lot of pages, in one form or another. Use it to lead into the topic for that page.

3. Your template website was probably designed to fit small screens and the lowest common denominator of consumers. Don't mess it up by making images too big, too messy, or too complicated.

4. Know your audience: If you are trying to attract high-end buyers you may opt to add flash, sound or creative options. If you are trying to attract aftermarket customers focus on getting them to their goal quickly. If you are trying to attract price- driven and highly competitive consumers, focus on affordability, price per square foot, etc. and keep the creative stuff to a minimum.

5. Respect people's time, get to the point. If you want to use a distinctive flash opening, make sure you offer the option of skipping it. Keep your website simple and easy to navigate. Just because you have 26 tabs and pages available to you, doesn't mean you need them all...only use the tabs and pages that get someone to the buying position you want them in.

6. Boost "searchability" by repeating key words and phrases. Also use them if you have a search engine meta data page. If a consumer enters your site (from a search engine) somewhere in the middle, we prominently show the "home" button for them to find it but...you may want to show an e-mail link to your office on a lot of different pages.

7. Photos are really important. They must, however, be current and topical. Online consumers are very sharp and will dump you in an instant if they see that your site, or images, are out of date.

8. When you design your home page make sure the name of the company and your location as well as the market in which you sell are all prominent and at the top of the page.

9. Go for lots of contrast, use light or white font and images on dark backgrounds and vice-versa. Don't use red on blue or something like that. Use font like Verdana and Arial, make it easy to read...nobody reads the fine print. If you use two different fonts (never use more than two) make sure they contrast and don't look like a mistake. Use real photos, not cartoon clip art.

10. Before you add a manufacturer or supplier link to your site, make sure it doesn't have a dealer locator that shows all of your competitors. However, the more sites you can have a link on...the better. Check with all of your vendors and see if you can add your website link to theirs, it raises your status with the search engines.

In this day and age, websites are absolutely critical to your being considered a viable and legitimate business. I can tell you of a number of instances where a phone call came in asking for a web address. If the call didn't get answered fast enough and/or heaven-forbid the retailer didn't even have a website, those consumers usually hung up the phone and that business was lost forever.

It doesn't have to be complicated...use some common sense and do it now!

By: Ken Rogner, senior sales management consultant and sales educator. Ken can be reached at 708-205-6721 or at 3rresources@comcast.net

Web Site Design Advice - Make Your Own Web Site Fast and Easy

So you are thinking about building your own website. Here you will find some tips and great places for help building your own personal or business website. I will tell you about two companies that I would recommend.

I will talk most about 1&1 Web Hosting as they are the Web Hosting Company I use. They have been a great company to work with. I will also talk about GoDaddy, as they are another one of the best Web Hosting companies in the world. I recommend both these Web Hosting Companies because they have everything you need to make and run a web site. You pay one monthly price for a complete hosting package.

They have powerful tools that lets you construct a professional-looking site in minutes, with no programming experience or HTML know-how. The handy wizards they have will guide you through the site-building process from start to publish, with easy-to-follow instructions and simple point-and-click prompts. You will be able to have feedback forms, a visitor counter, guestbook, forums, shopping carts, and many other forms.

Steps to think about when building a website. (I can't stress this enough, but write everything down, plan, plan, plan.)

Step #1: Ask yourself these questions

  • Why do you want to make a website?
  • What is the purpose or goal of your website?
  • Who do you want to view your website? (your target audience)
Examples
  • Personal website for sharing photos and personal information.
  • Business showcasing their products or services.
  • Online Store - selling one product or many.
  • Hobby - Setup information hub for your hobby.
Step #2: Plan your content
  • Where are you getting your content from?
  • How are you going to show it on the web?
  • What are you going to sell?
  • Free giveaways?
  • Order Forms & Checkout Carts?
  • Are you going to have ads on your site?
Step #3: Plan the hierarchy of your web pages What is the order of your web pages? Starting at your Main Home Page, layout on paper how each page links to other pages.


Step #4: Pick your Domain Name Try to pick a domain name that fits with your website content. Pick a name or two and type them into a domain name checker like the one at 1&1 Web Hosting or GoDaddy. You type in your Domain Name choice and it will tell you if it's free to buy and also give you many other word combinations for you to pick from. TIP: If you can, you should always try to get a domain name that ends in ".com".

Step #5: Pick your Web Hosting Company I use 1&1 Web Hosting and I also recommend GoDaddy Web Hosting. Both companies are great and they both have many options for building websites. They have low cost options for the first time website builders. The low cost websites start at $3.99 per month. They both have all the options you could ever want. From an Online Web Store to a personal web site. You also will get hundreds of email accounts that you can use with your own domain name.

Step #6: Pick your Template Each web hosting company has many website templates to pick from. They have many themes for all kinds of websites. Pick your page layouts & color scheme.

Step #7: Insert your Content Now the fun part, designing your website. Start with your Home Page and work from there. Think about what kind of graphics you want. Think about the placement of your content. Make sure you use the build-in spell checker to make sure your content is grammatically correct.

Step #8: Evaluate the website Once the site is build, have someone else look at the finished project and give you constructive feedback.

Ask these questions:

  • Is the site easy to navigate?
  • Is it easy for your customer to find the information they want. Should only be a few clicks away.
Step #9: Launch you New Website! Now its time to show all your hard work to the world. Publish your website on the Internet. Submit your site to search engines and directories.

Congratulations on your new website!

About The Author;

Thomas W. Shay is a long time Computer Consultant and Help Desk Specialist.

Want to learn more about keeping your computer running fast and error free?

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Subscribe to my Computer Repair and Support Newsletter, by sending a email to articles@tshay.emailaces.com

Check out my web site at: http://www.tomshayconsulting.com

Web Design - The Invisible Hand to the Success of Your Business

Business and websites go hand in hand. A website is the focal point of your business, interacting with your customers and clients round the clock. People judge you by your covers and this is where a good looking website design steps in.

A professional website layout puts your business where it matters the most- in front of your customers and set you apart from the noise and clatter of your competition. How many times have you walked in a store which appears shabby? I bet you avoid stepping in, leave alone doing business with them. The same rule applies to your website- it is your virtual storefront and by designing an eye catching website, you are bound to turn a few heads and keep visitors coming back.

Picture this- your website acts as your storefront, your web layout and design the first impression your customers get, your content acts as brochure and catalogs for your customers to browse through, would you be willing to take a chance with any of the pointers that directly affect your business? A professional looking website layout portrays that your website means business. A website should be designed like a car with the purpose it needs to serve in mind. What's the use of creating a vehicle without passengers? Getting a good looking website does not necessarily cost you a fortune. A well thought out website design would not only add value to your website but open up host of revenue avenues for your website besides creating value to your business. Making your website easily accessible and providing relevant content with your business niche creates a winning combination.

Before you start creating a website, there is an important factor to be borne in mind- your target audience. Your target audience should dictate your website theme and design. For instance if your business niche is real estate, your target audience is in the age group of 25-55 years and your website theme, layout and concept should be governed by your target audience and by over looking this key component you would end up turning your website-"internet real estate" into an "internet wasteland" . Your website should speak the language of your customers. Hiring a professional web designer to turn your vision into reality might come in handy but remember no one knows your business better than you, so your involvement would always create a personalized professional website leaving your footprint on the website, helping you to communicate efficiently with your customers. Make sure the website serves the purpose for which it has been created.

Business is what Business does- making contacts with the right people at the right time at the right place. But how can we do it all the time? This is where a website steps in. In simple terms it puts your business on auto pilot. Every Business needs a website-PERIOD.

Amaan Goyal is a SEO & SEM expert. He is the CEO & Founder of Greymindz LLC based in Arizona, providing affordable and innovative Search Engine Optimization, PPC and Web Designing solutions. Please visit us at http://www.greymindz.com