WEB DESIGN GUIDE

Be Prepared Before Buying Software

2008-10-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Be Prepared Before Buying Software
by: Christopher Curtis

Before you go to the store to buy software write down your computers specifications. You'll need the type and speed of the processor. How much ram your computer has. What kind of video card? How much disk space is available? Usually, these things are easy to find on your computer. On Windows you can navigate to "Programs >Accessories >System Tools." Then click on "System Information" and you should see a summary containing your computers operating system, processor, and memory information. Next click on the plus sign to expand the "Components" category. There under "Display" you will find your computers video card specifications. You may also need to know what kind of sound card is installed. Select "Sound Device" to see the name and manufacturer of this device. Under "Storage" you can select Drives to check how much available disk space you have. This will be labeled "free Space." Other information you may need, depending on the type of program, are network and modem specs. Once You have selected a piece of software make sure that it is compatible with your computer. Most software programs come on CDs now and will include their minimum requirements somewhere on the packaging. They may require that you have a special video card or adapter. It may require that you have a particular type of processor, so make sure that your computers processor is equal or better. Make sure you have enough ram to run the program. Usually, they will give a minimum and a recommended amount, but I have always found that it is best to go with the recommended amount.Another thing to take into account is pricing. Sometimes you can save a lot of money by purchasing an earlier version of a particular piece of software. Just make sure that it has all the features that you want and that it is compatible with your computer. The best place to look is on the Internet. You can compare pricing without having to run all over town. Go to your favorite search site, and search for the software that you are looking for. Sometimes you can buy online for less, but make sure you check the shipping costs.

About the author:Chris Curtis is the owner of C-Double Web Development and has been doing web design and development since 1997. He began offering affordable web hosting and design in 1999 when he started his own business.

Google's SEO Advice For Your Website: Content

2008-07-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

Google's SEO Advice For Your Website: Content
by: Joel Walsh

The web pages actually at the top of Google have only one thing clearly in common: good writing. Don't get so caught up in the usual SEO sacred cows and bugbears, such as PageRank, frames, and JavaScript, that you forget your site's content.I was recently struck by the fact that the top-ranking web pages on Google are consistently much better written than the vast majority of what one reads on the web.Of course, that shouldn't be a surprise, considering how often officials at Google proclaim the importance of good content. Yet traditional SEO wisdom has little to say about good writing.Does Google, the world's wealthiest media company, really ignore traditional standards of quality in the publishing world? Does Google, like so many website owners, really get so caught up in the process of the algorithm that it misses the whole point?Apparently not.Most Common On-the-Page Website Content Success FeaturesWhatever the technical mechanism, Google is doing a pretty good job of identifying websites with good content and rewarding them with high rankings.I looked at Google's top five pages for the five most searched-on keywords, as identified by WordTracker on June 27, 2005. Typically, the top five pages receive an overwhelming majority of the traffic delivered by Google.The web pages that contained written content (a small but significant portion were image galleries) all shared the following features:* Updating: frequent updating of content, at least once every few weeks, and more often, once a week or more.* Spelling and grammar: few or no errors. No page had more than three misspelled words or four grammatical errors. Note: spelling and grammar errors were identified by using Microsoft Word's check feature, and then ruling out words marked as misspellings that are either proper names or new words that are simply not in the dictionary. Does Google use SpellCheck? I can already hear the scoffing on the other side of this computer screen. Before you dismiss the idea completely, keep in mind that no one really does know what the 100 factors in Google's algorithm are. But whether the mechanism is SpellCheck or a better shot at link popularity thanks to great credibility, or something else entirely, the results remain the same.* Paragraphs: primarily brief (1-4 sentences). Few or no long blocks of text.* Lists: both bulleted and numbered, form a large part of the text.* Sentence length: mostly brief (10 words or fewer). Medium-length and long sentences are sprinkled throughout the text rather than clumped together.* Contextual relevance: text contains numerous terms related to the keyword, as well as stem variations of the keyword.SEO Bugbears and Sacred CowsA hard look at the results shows that, practically speaking, a number of SEO bugbears and sacred cows may matter less to ranking than good content.* PageRank. The median PageRank was 4. One page had a PageRank of 0. Of course, this might simply be yet another demonstration that the little PageRank number you get in your browser window is not what Google's algo is using. But if you're one of those people who attaches an overriding value to that little number, this is food for thought.* Frames. The top two web pages listed for the most searched-on keyword employ frames. Frames may still be a bad web design idea from a usability standpoint, and they may ruin your search engine rankings if your site's linking system depends on them. But there are worse ways you could shoot yourself in the foot.* JavaScript-formatted internal links. Most of the websites use JavaScript for their internal page links. Again, that's not the best web design practice, but there are worse things you could do.* Links: Most of the web pages contained ten or more links; many contain over 30, in defiance of the SEO bugbears about "link popularity bleeding." Moreover, nearly all the pages contained a significant number of non-relevant links. On many pages, non-relevant links outnumbered relevant ones. Of course, it's not clear what benefit the website owners hope to get from placing irrelevant links on pages. It has been a proven way of lowering conversion rates and losing visitors. But Google doesn't seem to care if your website makes money.* Originality: a significant number of pages contained content copied from other websites. In all cases, the content was professionally written content apparently distributed on a free-reprint basis. Note: the reprint content did not consist of content feeds. However, no website consisted solely of free-reprint content. There was always at least a significant portion of original content, usually the majority of the page.Recommendations* Make sure a professional writer, or at least someone who can tell good writing from bad, is creating your site's content, particularly in the case of a search-engine optimization campaign. If you are an SEO, make sure you get a pro to do the content. A shocking number of SEOs write incredibly badly. I've even had clients whose websites got fewer conversions or page views after their SEOs got through with them, even when they got a sharp uptick in unique visitors. Most visitors simply hit the "back" button when confronted with the unpalatable text, so the increased traffic is just wasted bandwidth.* If you write your own content, make sure that it passes through the hands of a skilled copyeditor or writer before going online.* Update your content often. It's important both to add new pages and update existing pages. If you can't afford original content, use free-reprint content.* Distribute your content to other websites on a free-reprint basis. This will help your website get links in exchange for the right to publish the content. It will also help spread your message and enhance your visibility. Fears of a "duplicate content penalty" for free-reprint content (as opposed to duplication of content within a single website) are unjustified.In short, if you have a mature website that is already indexed and getting traffic, you should consider making sure the bulk of your investment in your website is devoted to its content, rather than graphic design, old-school search-engine optimization, or linking campaigns.

About the author:[Formatting: for web, please use "website content provider" as the link's anchor text (visible link text)] Joel Walsh's archive of web business articles is at the website of his business, UpMarket Content, a website content provider:

How To Create Photorealistic Post-It Pop-Up

2008-07-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

How To Create Photorealistic Post-It Pop-Up

by: Iszuddin Ismail

Have you seen one of those post-it pop-up? The one that looks so realistic, with awesome shadow effect. If you don't know what I am talking about, try opening the following website: http://myhobbybooks.com/wowpop They look awesome don't they? And something like this is always good for your web marketing campaign. One reason, it never gets blocked by pop-up blockers. And another, it really grabs the attention of your web visitors. This is good when you want to increase subscription rate to your ezine, or promote an affiliate program, or even increase sales.But you wonder, how do they do it? You thought that you can achieve similar result, and you try, and try, and try... you tried GIF image, JPG image, none of those can get the job done.But there's one thing that you just don't know. Many pro web programmers know this, but not the normal web designers ... maybe even most web designers don't know how to do this.The secret is in PNG image format. PNG image format is the little-known image format that you can use on the web. PNG image format is unique because you can do the Alpha effect with it. The Alpha effect is where you set transparency factor on certain areas on the PNG image. That is what makes the shadow looks so real.With the Alpha effect, you can set transparency factor from 0% to 100%. So it can be 30% transparent, 50% or even 79%. Have a look at the pop-up again, and take a close look at the shadow - Now you know how it's done.But there is just one problem - Internet Explorer don't really support PNG image format. While you can still call PNG image format using the IMG tag, Internet Explorer ignores Alpha factor. In Internet Explorer, PNG image just don't appear properly. So how do we solve this ... Luckily you can still call PNG image in Internet Explorer and have the Alpha reflected using a special CSS command. It's the AlphaImageLoader().But this will lead to another problem. Before you can call the PNG image, you first need to identify the browser your web visitor is using. If the visitor is using Firefox, Opera, Netscape or any others, you can call the PNG using the IMG tag. But if it's Internet Explorer, you need to use the AlphaImageLoader().And of course, this can always be solved with a bit of Javascripting. And with a little more Javascript and CSS, you can have the PNG image floating over your web content. You can even make the pop-up disappear using the OnClick event trigger.If you'd like a complete code and PNG image to your own photorealistic post-it pop-up, try visiting WOW Pop-Up. Below is the URL address for WOW Pop-Up where you can get a free set of the code and the PNG graphic.

About the author:Iszuddin Ismail published the WOW Pop-Up and is giving away free code and PNG graphics to your own photorealistic post-it pop-up. Get a set of four PNG pop-up graphics for free.

Build websites easier with premade templates

2008-04-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

Build websites easier with premade templates
by: Alexandru Marias

To most people the process of building a web site remains somewhat of a mystery. This confusion probably stems from the fact that there is a cornucopia of web sites on the Internet. Even with wide variety of sites, every single one can be divided into two sections: front-end and back-end.The front-end is the first thing that it is designed. It encompasses the look and feel of a web site. This is probably the most established part of the web site production process. Design has been around since Guttenberg printed his first bible. Much of what has been used in print media (especially art magazines) has transferred to the web.Most well thought out web sites start off with sketches on paper. We like using the big huge box of crayons, the one with the crayon sharpener built in. Most of the colors in the "big box" are pleasing to the eye and are web friendly. If you use begin paying attention to sites you'll notice that only a few colors are actually used, 256 to be exact. Only about 100 of those won't give you a headache when you look at them. On request we will give these early designs to a client that wants to control the look and feel of their site. The site, of course, never ends up looking like the early designs. The same idea and concept is there but because of restrictions colors and whole images are lost.This brings us to the next part of the front-end, the actual site creation. This is what many people view as the most important, which is what separates a professional looking site from an amateur one.The images are created using products from across the board. Mainly, designers stick to industry standards like Photoshop and Illustrator. After getting the basic image in terms of proportions and size the designer should create the static HTML page.This is the basic page you would see if you viewed the page source. This is one of the most rewarding, most hated and most tedious part of the web design process. Each browser displays a page differently. Since most users either use Internet Explorer 4+ or Netscape 4.5 we cater to those two. Sometimes we build a different site for each, trying to maintain the same layout.That concludes the front-end section. Personal sites and some small business sites stop here. While this maybe acceptable today, tomorrow any web site hoping to attract and keep visitors is going to have a strong back-end.There are many sites and website designers that offer premade templates, these have the entire graphical layout that a page needs. For those with little or no experience with website design software, templates have quickly become a practical solution to professional website design. Most of the top end sites offer a huge selection of very impressive, easy-to-edit website templates. All you have to do is check your email containing the link to download the .zip file. The html in these templates is compatible with Adobe GoLive, Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft Frontpage. The major advantage is the price, they run anywhere from $20 to $70. Another great advantage is you don't have to hire a web designer, who usually takes 1 to 2 weeks to produce a page of such high quality. Webmasters, either novice or expert, can easily save thousands of dollars on design fees by using website templates. There are also some exception sites, such as http://www.web-site-templates.orgthat provide packages of templates at one price, instead of providing a different price for each template.

Web Design Extreme Makeover

2007-12-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

Web Design Extreme Makeover
by Scott Lindsay

The development of a web design must be intentional and with purpose. I know this runs counter to any idea of freeform and learning as you go, but there is a solid reason for making sure you know where you're going before you try to get there.
Because Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies can take so long to have a pronounced effect on your website, and subsequently your traffic, it becomes important to make sure your website matches your objectives by at least 85% before you launch it.
If you need to take time to learn as you go then try doing so through an affiliate revenue program and a site designed for that purpose. Using web builder technology you can build a site at little expense while exploring the possibilities in design and function.
What you learn from this exercise can assist you in bridging the gap between experiment and experience. This will be important as you consider diving into ecommerce.
Some of the standard pitfalls for most web designs are that the pages have already been established and you know what you want to put into each page, but you don't actually finish the content before you launch. What you end up with is an opening page that gives the consumer high expectations and subsequent pages that are either blank or have the dreaded words, "Coming Soon" or "Under Construction".
This can be a death wish for your website. Complete it before you release it online. Call in help from freelancers if you need to, utilize free article directories when appropriate, ask advice from someone you trust who has been through web designs and make sure every page is functional and informative.
You wouldn't start a brick and mortar business without the racks, merchandise and essential items to make your business wholly presentable to customers. Imagine, if you will, a business that placed two 55 gallon steel drums on the floor of their showroom and them placed a couple of 2x12 wooden planks on top to display their latest high dollar jewelry while a couple of mismatched chairs sit in the corner for customer convenience.
This would never instill trust in the product or the personality behind the business and the same is true of a half finished website designed for the consumer.
When you present a fully optimized website that is developed with both the consumer as well as the search engines in mind you stand a much better chance at reaching both of them successfully.
Unlike a brick and mortar store you do not have to live with the sign, "Pardon our mess". You can develop a new website offline and upgrade the entire system when you need to.
This article is really for both existing businesses as well as businesses planning to launch. If you have an existing business online, but your website is not what it needs to be block out some time right now to begin web design on an entirely new site. You can redirect your domain when you're ready, but web-building technology can help you achieve that next level in site design that will make the important marketing connections you need to really get noticed online.

About the Author
Online Website Design with HighPowerSites.com or Easy Website Design at BuildAGreatSite.com. Get ebooks to sell at BooksWealth.com.

Hire Offshore Website Developers

2007-11-28T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hire Offshore Website Developers
by Rakhi

When quality and timeline could not be compromised, IT professionals chose to move towards more reliable, interactive and qualitative business solutions. You cannot question on the engagement delivery models when the analysis and research from the scratch is based on through research and analysis, testing, choosing the best business model and consultancy. Offshore Outsourcing is oscillating the IT market to and fro with higher momentum but in the near future this may tend to return to a position where scarcity of resources in comparison to demand is predicated to happen. Resources will be insufficient and Indian currency value will increase with improved infrastructure and education system. Offshore IT Outsourcing continue to soar high in the international market and share major part of revenue generated.
Value oriented significant presence of India in the upsurging IT market cannot be denied. When hiring in-house skilled professionals in the developed nations got costlier then the big players started peeping out and really the gem was in hand!! Harvest the fruits of offshore outsourcing. India, the land of rich resources and cheap labor was the target and gradually absorbed by the top companies. India is the hallmark of offshore IT outsourcing and the most preferred destination because of the broad spectrum of resources that it offers to its clients. The game was not one sided, offshore outsourcing proved to be the roadmap for Indian entrepreneur to global market. India also captures the road vehemently. Rise is marked with bigger name of Indian market, growth of number of international hubs in India, set up of number of offshore development and management segments to India, increase in Indian currency value and improved infrastructure.
Offshore and outsource both the terms are used interchangeably, and are often confusing so let me brief out these two. Offshore means beyond the boundaries i.e. moving and relocating to another country, Outsourcing is transfer of business processes to some third party for its management; it generally involves non-core activities that are moved from an internal to an external entity. Dedicated and expert professionals are involved in offshore outsourcing business models and are solely responsible for business processes and their qualitative and timely delivery of projects. Giant enterprises are hiring IT and software professionals at higher rate and looking for more offshore developers at a reasonable cost to enhance their productivity and quality of production.
I have been repeating in almost all my article that India is the most preferred destination for offshore IT outsourcing because of the broad spectrum of resources that it offers to the giant IT players at very low cost. It is not a specific factor that lead brand players invest in India but myriad factors are accountable for this. The geographic location i.e. India can be easily reached from different parts of the world, sufficient low-cost-effective-quality resources. Custom website design, web site design of all types, dynamic or static, interactive and user friendly websites; India is offering holistic and comprehensive list of services to fulfill all the web designing needs of your company. Dedicated designers inculcate a lot from the websphere, resources available online and then use the most useful of them in best possible way to deliver the best deigning results. Designs are reflexive, spontaneous, creative and unique. Some of the most using designing tools and software available are Macromedia Dreamweaver, Flash, CorelDraw & PhotoShop. They also redefine websites to make them more user friendly and search engine crawlable. Skilled designers are always trained about the latest design tools and technologies, how to use these in practical life and deliver business solutions. These skilled professionals are also involved in workshops, training program. A separate team works dedicatedly to innovate new designs, explore and show their creativity. Team of graphics designers, Web editor, flash designers, flex designers all work together in coordination to provide best design solutions. Core capabilities are well defined and properly taught to make industry aspirations. The offshore design and development solutions promise quality that work smoothly in all environment, are browser compatible and are platform independent. The business development solutions are process driven and minimize the risk and increase the efficiency of operations involved. These solutions can help make your own brand name, advertise your services and products, on-line advertising is made easy, business gets automated. Our offshore website developers are adept in using all kind of tools that will impart liveliness to your website.

About the Author
Rakhi is a SEO copywriter at Icreon Communications Pvt. Ltd., offers staff augmentation services and Full Time Equivalents, IT staffing, offshore

5 Common (And Fatal) Mistakes That Webmasters Make In Web Design

2007-11-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

5 Common (And Fatal) Mistakes That Webmasters Make In Web Design
by Fabian Tan

Designing websites is not all about designing skills and technological knowhow. Knowing what appeals or irks the visitor is also crucial to a websites success. In this article, we look at 5 of the most common mistakes that webmasters make on their websites, and why it can kill your business.
1) Having too many graphics
Internet users are generally impatient these days, so it's a good idea to have a quick loading site. Having too many graphics will cause a site to load too slowly. Have your website load cleanly and quickly. 2) Going with the wrong colors
The colors of your website should match the theme of your site. For example, you wouldn't want too much pink on your website if it is targeting rock musicians. Your colors should also be easy on the eye. Avoid using too many colors as it is distracting.
3) Using Flash
Sites that solely use Flash on their welcome page are passé these days. Visitors who are short on time will often click away from a website that has a Flash welcome page. Remember, users on the Internet are looking for content more than anything else, and they want it fast!
4) Website does not function as it should on other browsers
Always check that your site functions the same on the different browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera and Netscape. A page can look horribly wrong on one browser, yet look perfectly fine on another browser. In fact, if possible go a step further by seeing how your site works on both a PC and a Mac.
5) Poor navigation design
Navigation design is important; it allows your visitors to move seamlessly around your website if the design is competent. Always make it easy for your visitors to use. You can survey your website visitors on how to make it easier for them to navigate around your site.
Those are 5 most common mistakes that webmasters make. Now that you've a clearer picture of what doesn't work, you can start implementing changes today.
About the Author
Fabian Tan is the author of the free 51-Page Report:
"Murder Your Job: How To Build Cash Sucking Autopilot Businesses In 30 Days Or Less!"
Head over to http://www.MurderYourJob.com to get your free copy now before it's gone!

Importance of Website Design

2007-10-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

Importance of Website Design
by Alex Smith

The world is now becoming the web world. Day by day internet technologies are mounting with very high speed. Be a part of this web world and run with technologies to be successful. In present days, every company big or small, has their own website. But the ratios of the visitors visiting the site varies because of the factors like professional look & feel, visual appeal, user-friendliness, and accessibility of the content on the website. Overall look and visual appeal is the first thing, which is observed by the visitor on any website.
Web design is very important aspect of your website. To catch the attention of users your web site must look attractive at first sight. So design a web site in such a way that, it catches the attentions of the visitors and hold them for a long time.
Before starting website design, first evaluate what type of website you would be creating. You want to emphasis more on functionality, usability, simplicity or visual appealing of the website. Next step is to think about the targeted audience who will be visiting your website. You must have some knowledge about your targeted audience and their website usage statistics.
Design of the website must look clean & professional; choose professional colors which better suites your business rather than using unusual color combination. Your website structure should not be complex including menu, navigation and sitemap so that people can easily understand the website's way of working. Put attractive images but make sure that the loading time of your web site should not increase with image size otherwise the visitors will try to browse other websites while your webpage is still loading. Take care of each and every link of your site; it should not be broken and directed to right page. Try to make your website as interactive as possible so people take interest in it.
To have a best website design you must choose a best web design company with great web designers which provides quality service and fulfill your expectation in your budget. Website design depicts how professional your company is and so web designer. Right web design company can grow your business to no limit.

About the Author
Alex Smith is freelance writer and web designer. Avileax.Com - is one of the best website design company based in Los Angeles, providing web development in Orange County, Bay Area, San Diego with a proven 100% client satisfaction record. Apply for Free Quote for your web design or web development projec

Good Website Design

2007-10-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

Good Website Design
by Guri Jeff

Now days, every organization either big or small owns a website. But, there are just few websites who have higher return on investment (ROI) or large amount of visitors visiting websites everyday. This is because they have a well-designed attractive website. The appearance of the website is the first thing that one observes while browsing through. Therefore, it becomes a perquisite while designing.But before working towards design of the website, it is important to evaluate the kind of website you would be creating. The different types of website i.e. dynamic and static have different parameters for designing. Based upon your requirement, you can design an appealing and attractive website.
Features of a Good Website
Every website has different parameters for designing. But, there are certain features or parameters which remain same for a good website. They are:
Color Scheme: Selecting a right color combination is very important for your website. If your website is related to children, then select bright colors like red, orange, green, etc to attract their attention. While designing a professional website, it is important to select color scheme which are in-sync with corporate colors of the organization. The colors should also gel with the overall theme and type of services/products offered by the website.
Navigation: Navigation provides an intuitive way for visitors to follow. The navigation has to be uncluttered and concise, so that it is easier for visitor to browse through the website. You should preliminarily have consistent left and bottom navigation throughout the website.
Layout: Layout defines the structure of the website. Nowadays, website's web page real estate is 1024 X 768 resolution; web page real estate is the area in which website is covered as compared to full screen. The font size should be 11 or 12 pixels, so that the text is easily readable. Prefer to select a professional font face rather than fancy fonts.
Loads Quickly: Website should have graphics to make it appealing, but avoid having loads of graphics or scripting as it will increase the website load time. If websites takes more than few second to load, people tend to get annoyed and browse through another website.
Overall the website should have a user-friendly and well-organized professional look to attract millions of visitors.
WebSmartz Flash Website Builder
Flash Website Builder is one that allows you to do flash website design in just a few simple steps even if you don't know any graphic designing tools. Websmartz is one such website designing software. This software is best for creating Trendy flash website templates.
Within few minutes, you can build flash designer websites, website flash intros and HTML or Flash templates. For more information, visit us at www.websmartz.com

About the Author
Guri is a professional website designer and web content writer who has designed and written content for hundreds of websites. In this article she discusses Features of a Good Website and an easy solution to create websites, flash intros and presentations i.e. Websmartz software. For more information, please visit www.websmartz.net.

Discover How To Write A Winning Web Site which is a secret to my success

2007-09-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

Discover How To Write A Winning Web Site which is a secret to my success
by Trisha Frauenhofer

What does it take to write a web site that wins your visitors? When thinking about writing a web site, you must think about everything that is included in the design and format, even navigation. Many web designers don't think about the most important aspects of writing a good web site, and that is why it fails which is the secret to my success.
If you want to create a web site that wins your readers and makes them want to know more and eventually purchase, you must have substantial, informative content that is of great value to the reader. If the content is bad, the web surfer will quickly navigate away from the page and look for something else.
Once you have good content for your web page, you must not forget about how your readers will be directed from one page to another. If this is not done well, you will lose your web surfer quickly.
One way to look at this is to think of a manual for a business. There are many times that updates are needed to the manual, and there are often cross-references made from one page to another. If in the manual, there is a statement that tells the reader to look on page 301 for more information, there better actually be something more there.
Now, think about a web site. A web site is usually a method used to get the visitor interested to eventually buy a product or service. A job manual definitely doesn't do this. That is why a web site needs to have good content and navigation even more than a manual does. Just as a manual will have cross-references, your web site will have hyper links, and they must navigate the visitor to the right page, with content that is of value to them.
It is important to remember that when a visitor comes to your web site, they don't notice all of the separate entities that make up the site. They notice the web site as a whole package. Content that is of good value to them, a good design that is appealing to the eye, and linking that is well thought out will all work together. The reader sees all of this at once.
Now, as you write your web pages, however, you don't see the end result all at once, you will see it bit by bit. You want to remember to keep the content relevant and the navigation easy for the reader. As you add more pages to your site, be thinking about all of these things. When this is all put together in a nice package, you will have a winning web site that helps you get the results you want and is a secret to my success.
About the Author
Discover how to clobber the competition and dominate virtually any online market or niche. See the amazing marketing strategy that allowed me to personally sponsor 116 people in 60 days. Click Here ->http://www.clobberthecompetition.com

Website designing - Things to keep in mind

2007-09-11T04:37:00.000-07:00

Website designing - Things to keep in mind
by Namrita Chhibber

Website designing is all about presenting a concept or a product in form of effective and attractive website. Many corporate companies including big and small business houses are now using websites for promoting their work or for selling their creation or for sharing a message. But without an effective website it is hard to magnetize or attract visitors or customers. Website designing works towards making of a website which serves and satisfies every purpose behind the making of a website.
Often, the aim is not to have a website but to have a website that draws attention. Website designing gives a website its theme, content, graphics and much more.
But before having or planning a website there are always few things to keep in mind.
1) Conceptualization - Before designing or getting a website designed, the first thing to take care of is the concept or the reason behind the website formation. It is always important to get the complete understanding of the business and the idea behind the website to do justice to the design. No website works with an irreverent or odd pictures or text or content.
A perfect logo, right color effects and effective content makes a website successful and sells the product.
2) Easy to use and search engine friendly - Making a website is of no use unless it's easy to access and use by visitors and customers. Always design a website with easy navigation and simple outlook to facilitate visitors with no difficulty in understanding what they have logged into. Imagine a situation where a surfer comes to your site and gets flashy designs and amazing graphics but still is not able to find the simple site map or FAQ link. Often such confusing designs are bad for business or site ranking.
Every website runs only if it's recognized or is ranked by search engines, thus it is highly important to design a website which is easily found on search engine list and accepted by search engine boots.
3) Know your target - Unless and until you know what your target is you can not design a website effectively. Ask yourself 'what you want to sell? A product or a message' or 'whom do you wish to address? Youth or adults', once a target is known it is to design a website that addresses and appeals the target.
4) Informative and simple design - It is always advisable to take your customer or visitor as someone who knows nothing. Provide your customers with everything from easy tools to supportive links, in order to help them reach every product or page and to decide.
More informative means more acceptable and surfed website. While designing a website always make sure that apart from perfect look an informative approach is also necessary to bind a customer to your site and to gratify search engines. Thus, simpler the website designing means easier the surfing.
5) Paid-off website - Lastly, to build a quality and paid-off website always keep the quality as the priority of your design. Make it appealing with a touch of simplicity and sophistication i.e. use perfect blend of layout, content, graphics and color. Make sure that your combination is according to your theme and makes a sense. Do not forget to add important keywords to your designing.
In the growing competition among websites to woo visitors and search engines, only those with refined, elegant as well as rational design are the winners. If you wish to have website designed or wish to design a website yourself, make sure you follow the right steps towards a great and effective website designing.
About the Author
Namrita Chhibber is a freelance author who writes on various subjects. For more information on Website Designing, please visit: http://www.webartindia.com/

How to Choose Web Design Company?

2007-08-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

How to Choose Web Design Company?
by Alvin Han

Before deciding on which web design company to choose, you should first determine the main aim and purpose for your upcoming website. Once the aim and purpose have been identified, then only move on to choose a reliable web design company to develop your website.
The first step in your searching for a reliable web design company is to check the company's reputation. Simply make a survey or ask around in your local community as well as perform an online research to check if there's any negative comments about the web design company shall be fruitful. In addition, how long the web design company has been in business shall be taken into consideration.
Next, it is important to see the web design company's portfolio, view some samples of websites that the web design company has done. Viewing some of the company's previous work will be able to show you the quality of the end product that the company is able to produce.
Evaluate the web design company to see whether they have any experience in developing the type of web site that you want. The web design company should be able to understand the aim of your website and be able to provide a design that is able to suit your needs.
The full article available at http://webdesign.vinsign.com/web-design-company.html

Web Design and SEO: The Eternal Debate

2007-07-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

Web Design and SEO: The Eternal Debate

by Mihaela Lica

Web design focuses on appearance and aesthetics. SEO focuses on text quality and quantity. Web designers don't really like to clutter their designs with text. They prefer to see the images stand out on their own. SEOs on the other hand don't like images that much. Sure, an image can be optimized for the search engines by adding relevant alt attributes and titles, but this is not enough for a site to be properly optimized. Page copy still plays the most important role in website optimization for SEO.
As a business owner you are caught in the middle of this conflict. For your website to convert you need both design and optimization. There is no middle way. You cannot have a little bit of this and a little bit of that and still be competitive. You cannot have just one of the two either. Without optimization your site is invisible to the search engines, hence to your potential customers. On the other hand, without a good design your site, although not invisible, will get nothing but hits. Web users are picky and if they find nothing of interest on your site they will just surf to the next site.
Having a beautiful website no one can find is like having a store and keeping the doors locked. You know it is there, you've done a great job decorating it, the products are waiting for the customers, yet no one comes in.
When you pay for web design don't automatically assume that by paying thousands of dollars on a layout you'll be a hit on the Web. The Web is a highly competitive place. There are already thousands entrepreneurs who, just like you, invest in design and hope to become the new "it." Without online marketing (SEO being an important part of the discipline) all these entrepreneurs will remain in the shadow, with their beautiful websites closed to the world.
SEO is the key to that virtual door you need to open for your customers. It is important that you consider this tool when you first conceive your site. Web design and SEO don't need to be enemies. There are enough professional agencies that employ both web designers and SEOs who work together to develop a good business website, a site that is SEO ready, accessible and readable with any browser. You just need to take your time, research and send a few inquiries. Then choose the company that answers your questions in a timely manner, basically choose the company that proves a clear ability of designing with W3C standards and a clear understanding of the online trends and realities.
Then balancing content with visual appearance shouldn't be such a difficult task. Aside graphics and artwork you have to choose proper font types, in a readable size, with colors that harmonize with the layout of the site and so on. If your site is not SEO ready from the first stage of the project you'll face additional costs after you launch. SEO ready means a site that is properly coded (errors in the HTML code might stop some search bots from crawling and indexing your site correctly), with good navigability and good internal linking structure.
On the other hand, SEO and appearance are not the only traits of a good site. Brand conscious companies should look at the broader picture: instead of debating what is better online entrepreneurs should ask themselves what works best to convert visitors into clients.
Studies show that an over optimized page might hurt the user-experience of people with disabilities. For example, many SEOs stuff the image alt attributes and their alternative titles with keywords. Blind and other visually impaired people who use screen readers to access the Web and read the pages cannot see the images and, instead of listening to a relevant image description, they'll hear... nonsense.
Usability and accessibility are equally important as design and optimization. Strangely enough images are better for usability. They give focus to the design and when properly optimized they provide for less cluttered website content. The problems appear when the images slow down the loading times, but with the use of CSS loading times should not be a big concern.
As search engines prefer fast loading sites it is easy top understand why good coding and optimization are so important. Poor coding raises many other problems aside loading times and might increase costs when you need website updates, especially when your website administrator is not the one who created your site.

About the Author
Mihaela Lica used to be a military journalist, worked six years as a freelance reporter for the Romanian National Radio Station (ROR) and four years in the Public Relations Direcorate of the Romanian Ministry of Defense. Since 2002 she is a PR consultant in Germany. For more SEO articles visit ewritings.

Web Design - What Is Your Websites Purpose?

2007-07-06T02:15:00.000-07:00

Web Design - What Is Your Websites Purpose?

by Stuart Mortimer

Before even starting to think about web design or the actual structure of your website and certainly before choosing colors, photos and other superficial elements your website must have an agreed goal - a purpose for being designed. This article will explain the importance of having clearly defined and recorded goals in place before web design work is even started.
It may seem like an obvious point by all websites are commissioned to be built by a web designer with some goal or set of goals in mind. Some common purposes for having a website designed are:
To create enquiries about a product or service To sell products or services online To build up a mailing list of email addresses To create an online community of website members To distribute documents or other files
Your reasons for having a company website designed may be different, or more likely are among the common purposes above. The point to grasp here is that whatever the purpose of having your website designed - there should be some reason for it and that reason should be recorded any agreed with your web designer before work even starts.
If you were having an extension built onto your home would your even dream of letting the builder start laying bricks before you had seen a detailed plan of what was going to be built and had agreed what would be involved in the work? Having a website designed is no different what so ever. In order for your website to be a success you need to agree with your web designer exactly what the website is intended to achieve on behalf of your business and then every resource available to the designer can be used to drive the web design work forward. The objectives that you have agreed can then serve as a guide to the web designer and are a fundamental and inbuilt part of the project.
For example if your goal from the website is to create enquiries about a product of service (as lots of website design goals are) the web designer then knows that an easy method of contact needs to be displayed on each page. This will influence his decisions about where to put calls to action on your pages and then lead him to ask questions about what information you need to collect from your online enquiry forms e.t.c.
It is also very, very important to record your agreed goals. Before I even produce a web design specification I make sure that I am aware of the goals that the client requires from the website. I then make sure to specify these goals right at the very start of the web design specification. This means that the purpose of the project is clearly recorded in the website specification and forms part of my contract with the client.
Another advantage of having clearly defined and recorded goals is that you can use them to drive review meetings with your clients. You can periodically arrange project review meetings which assess the websites performance against the agreed goals. You can then propose possible solutions which may correct any shortcomings with the website. In this way the web design client and the web designer himself are working together in an efficient way to achieve a common goal.
Conclusion:
Having clearly defined goals is an essential part of any web design project. Without clearly defined goals your web design project has no real direction and has no real chance of fulfilling its potential. As a web design client you must take the time at the beginning of your project to effectively communicate your required objectives to your web designer. A responsible web designer you should always make sure to understand the intended goals of the website design project before making any other web design decisions.

About the Author
Stuart is a freelance website designer in Doncaster UK who specialises in search engine friendly web design doncaster for companies of all types.

Build websites easier with premade templates

2007-06-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Build websites easier with premade templates
by: Alexandru Marias

San Francisco Web Development - Tools

2007-06-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Web Development - Tools
by: Web-Design.nr.10

"Web development encompasses many stages i.e. Planning, Analysis, Web design, Implementation, Promotion and Innovation. Each of these stages requires use of different sets of tools and professionals with varied skill sets. Planning and Analysis don't require as many software tools as the experience of the web master or project director. They need working knowledge with all aspects of server and database. Familiarity with Operating Systems and the Internet server applications are required. Experience with IP networks, programming languages and database development are also essential. The two most common Operating Systems used are Windows NT/2000 and Unix, although many also use Linux. Most commonly used Internet programming languages include PERL, CGI, ActiveX, ASP, and Java among others.In the next stage of Web designing, tools such as HTML Meta tags, JavaScript, CGI, Macromedia Flash, Macromedia DreamWeaver and Adobe Photoshop are used. Web templates, graphic designs, photographs, texts, clippings, audio and video are also included, as per the requirements. Flash helps in animation that gives an identity to a website. Visual Basic is the most common language for scripting and SQL with other database engines are used for database management on the website. To create Search Engine Optimized content, tools such as Overture are used. Once the most popularly searched words in your industry are identified and short-listed, the content creators write content using these search words. This ensures that your website lists high in the search engines and directories. In the next stage of Web designing, tools such as HTML Meta tags, JavaScript, CGI, Macromedia Flash, Macromedia DreamWeaver and Adobe Photoshop are used. Web templates, graphic designs, photographs, texts, clippings, audio and video are also included, as per the requirements. Flash helps in animation that gives an identity to a website. Visual Basic is the most common language for scripting and SQL with other database engines are used for database management on the website. To create Search Engine Optimized content, tools such as Overture are used. Once the most popularly searched words in your industry are identified and short-listed, the content creators write content using these search words. This ensures that your website lists high in the search engines and directories. In the Implementation stage, the website is implemented and tested on various browsers. Any functional errors, if found, are corrected. The Promotion and Innovation stages, help in marketing a website. Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Promotion, Loyalty Programs, Email Campaigns and Online Games are some tools used for website promotion. Tools such as site statistics software and reporting from site searches let you know what exactly your visitors are looking for. The content and marketing strategies are then adjusted accordingly. A website also needs to be maintained and continuously evaluated and updated with respect to content, presentation, layout and technical aspects.Use of good web development tools ensures that your pages have good content, Meta tags, a high link popularity score, appropriate keywords and visual appeal. Although web development tools are essential, it also takes a seasoned team of programmers, graphic designers, content creators, consultants and marketing staff to work in tandem to create a technically sound, visually appealing and highly functional website. A well-planned site, apart from being high in functionality, is also easy to re-design or alter, at a later stage. "About the author:I write articles for a San Francisco Web Development and Web Design Services, ##10 (number 10) is a Marketing and Technology Agency focused on delivering design, web technology development and e-business strategy solutions.

The Internet Marketers Answer to Frontpage and Dreamweaver

2007-06-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

The Internet Marketers Answer to Frontpage and Dreamweaver
by: Michael Jones

Leading Web site design packages have a serious contender called XSitePro, a new software package geared toward the rapidly expanding world of Internet marketing.XSitePro is a new web site design package that creates entire web sites, not just individual pages, with ease.Unlike leading web design programs, XSitePro approaches the whole process of site design from an online marketer's perspective, incorporating easy-to-use features that differentiate XSitePro from other site design software."We are confident that XSitePro offers the alternative to Microsoft's FrontPage and Macromedia's Dreamweaver that Internet marketers and other web designers are looking for," says Paul Smithson, president and CEO, of Intellimon Ltd. "Our customers can create professional Web sites in a fraction of the time it would take them using other web design software."XSitePro users don't need to know how to write code to create a professional quality web site. Anyone who has word processing skills can create web pages using the built-in "What you see is what you get" page editor.Users will also find that XSitePro is a great program for keeping their web sites updated after they have been created. Using the page layout feature it is possible to change the whole style of a site in minutes rather than days. You no longer have to settle with existing designs, or be intimidated by the workload of redesigning your sites."It is refreshing to see the product designed from the ground up for marketers," says Ed Keay-Smith of AdWords Marketing. "I love the built in automation of affiliate and Google AdWords links…I have now chosen to use XSite Pro over FrontPage as my major money making website builder."Here are just a few of the great features that this software offers:-Add Google AdSense ads with just two clicks of the mouse, adding extra income streams with little effort.-Hide unattractive page urls by creating redirect pages that automatically forward visitors to alternative locations.-Include navigation menus that automatically update themselves whenever new pages are added.- Use the 130,000 word built-in spell-checker to guarantee spelling mistakes do not occur on any pages.-Split long documents into multiple pages that include complete page navigation menus.-Keep track of all of the essential information regarding web hosting, which means users will never forget any important information such as usernames, passwords, mail server details, etc.-Export sites into other Web design programs, such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver.XSitePro also assists users with optimizing their Web sites for the search engines. Users can designate keywords that are automatically added to the meta tags of every new Web site or Web page created. They can also measure if they have used keywords the correct number of times on each page and quickly make corrections so that they maximize the chance of ranking well in search engines.You don't need to worry about backing up your data either as the software can back-up all your web site work to a single file in just one mouse click.In my opinion XSitePro is definitely one of the most exciting software packages to have been released in recent years.You can find out more XsitePro by visiting their web site at http://www.xsitepro.com# # #ฉ Michael Jones. This article can be reprinted, used in newsletters or on web pages as long as it is credited to Michael Jones, it appears in its entirety and the resource box below is included.

About the author:Michael Jones has been reviewing the latest releases for computer magazines since the early 1980s. His specialties are CAD, web design, and expert systems. Michael can be contacted by email on michael1jones@hotmail.com

Fast Web Design For The Skint Webmaster

2007-06-05T03:06:00.000-07:00

Fast Web Design For The Skint Webmaster
by: T. O' Donnell

About two years ago, I had a go at commercial web site design. I put a medium-sized ad in a London classified ad paper. Nothing fancy: "Web designer seeks work ..." etc. This was expensive, about ฃ500 for a month's run.Got a few replies. Lesson number one: advertise where clients of the calibre you want will see it. The clients I got thought ฃ300 was a lot for a web site. They didn't want to pay web hosting. They wanted a lot of bang for their buck. 'Mission creep' was a term I grew to know and loathe.This set me thinking: how could I give these people all they could ever want, but not spend a lot of time and money? Lately, I realised how.So how can you get a full featured site up in a day? Easy (ish!).1. Mambo Content Management System http://www.mambo.comI wish I'd found this software a couple of years ago. It's freeware. The default set-up allows people without web design skills to update the site. It has a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) option. This adds HTMLArea code to text input form fields. Each HTML code input box becomes a mini HTML editor.If you can use Microsoft Word, you can add formatted HTML code to the site.To get it running you need to know how to install MySQL databases, or have PHPMyAdmin as part of your web-hosting package.You can add articles, edit them, send emails to members, and be contacted by users.The only criticisms I have of this software are:1. The admin interface is confusing. It's all there, just finding and using it is the problem!2. You need to search around template sites to find ones suited to your site purpose. I wanted simple, clean, business ones. Most of those available seem to have a fat graphic which covers half the screen. There are more restrained ones out there.These are minor gripes, compared to the relief of finding what is essentially a web site in a box. It can be installed in an hour, once you get familiar with it.To add ecommerce to your site:Oscommerce Shopping Cart http://www.oscommerce.comAgain, this is a full-featured, freeware software. You can add lots of freeware 'plug-ins' to it, to get a professional shopping cart.Therein lies the danger. Some of these plug-ins require altering or overwriting the default cart files. When you try to upgrade the cart version later, you may 'break' it, by overwriting a plug-in, thus creating errors.The trick here is to only install plug-ins that add files (rather than overwrite them) or that require minor alterations to existing files.What I do is download all the versions of the plug-in type I need e.g. a WYSIWYG editor. I then choose the one which has the least files, or which creates a new directory for its files. If it requires that important files be overwritten, or is complex, I chuck it.Mambo and Oscommerce. Don't try to integrate them! Hyperlink from one to the other. I've tried integrations of other softwares, like PhpBB and PhpNuke. Fine, when it works, but when you upgrade one or the other, arrgh!*Keep databases separate*. If one goes skew-whiff, then at least the other will still work. Same goes for adding chat rooms and the like. If they're all running off the one database, and that database becomes corrupted ...It may offend your sense of tidiness for your visitors to have to sign up twice at your site, but you'll thank me for this sage advice later. Remember KISS is the basic rule of computing (Keep It Simple, Stupid!).

About the author:T. O' Donnell ( ) is an ecommerce consultant and curmudgeon living in London, UK. His latest project is an ebook on conservatories, available at T. O' Donnell freeware may be downloaded at

Cheap Webhosting - Is It For You

2007-05-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Cheap Webhosting - Is It For You
by: John Pierce
There's an old adage which states that "You get what you pay for". In most areas of life, and business, this holds true. Not necessarily so, however, in the webhosting industry. Often, you pay too much, and don't get what you pay for. Several weeks ago I got a call from a web designer friend of mine. "John," He said "You won't believe this". He went on to tell me about a Plastic Surgeon he was redesigning a website for. This client was paying $600.00 per month for his webhosting account. "The incredible thing is" He related, "I can't get the current host to return my phone calls or emails". After looking at this clients needs, I was shocked to find that there was nothing special about his site that justified his being on anything other than a basic shared webhosting plan. We quoted him a monthly rate of under five dollars. In this case, the client was being raped by an unscrupulous host who was not only overcharging him, but not even providing the basic support he needed. This is an extreme example, no doubt, but it all to often characterizes the poor deal which most website owners fall into. Several years ago, there was no such thing as a webhosting industry. Nearly all websites were hosted by local ISP's. The average monthly cost for hosting a website was $20.00 per month. Often, if you called the ISP with a technical question, they would tell you to buy a book or take a class. Around 1996, we saw the emergence of a few "webhosting" companies. These were companies which were strictly committed to hosting websites. Using the economy of scale, they were able to offer incredibly useful webhosting packages for around $10.00 per month. What's more, some of these companies provided useful tech support which was geared towards meeting a website owners needs. Fast forward to 2005 and we now see the emergence of a new type of web host - the cheap webhosting provider. These are companies which offer hosting for less than $5.00 per month. Generally, cheap webhosting providers are newer companies. There's a reason for this. It's extremely difficult for the older companies to lower their prices when they already have a large customer base which pays higher prices. They'd be slashing their gross, and most companies just can't afford that. So how do cheap webhosting providers offer such a low price to begin with? Part of it is that servers, hard drive space and bandwidth are much, much less expensive than they were several years ago. Cheap webhosting providers capitalize on this. Another part is that cheap hosting providers use a different business model than the older providers. Webhosting is a very competitive business. Until recently, web hosts attempted to compete by providing the most tools and features. The problem with this model is that not everyone needs everything. Most web hosts provide free backup services to all of their clients. Backups are costly, and not everyone needs or wants them, but everyone pays for them because they're built into the cost of the package. A cheap webhosting provider, on the other hand, might give you the basic features that everyone uses, but offer weekly backups as an available add on feature, putting the cost of backing up websites on only those customers who want that service. This all sounds great, I know, but what about service? Will I get competent and fast customer support from a company which charges me $4.00 per month? The answer, surprisingly, is usually yes. Obviously, not all cheap webhosting providers will give you great service. But not all expensive webhosting providers will give good service either. Our Plastic Surgeon friend couldn't get his $600.00 host to return his emails. But, with a cheaper provider, the key for the providers success is customer retention. A savvy web host will endeavor to please his existing clients by providing the best support possible. About the author:John Pierce is a technology writer and the Customer Service Manager for Gold Zero Web Hosting - -and the Webmaster for Cheap Webhosting Info Guide -

Reselling Domain Names

2007-05-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Reselling Domain Names
by: Lois S.

September 2005You offer web hosting services. Or web design services. Or both. When your clients need domain names for their websites, do you want to send them to another site, possibly to a competitor, to register one?Of course not. That's part of why domain name registration is a popular service to offer. Reselling domain names provides an additional service to attract and keep clients as well as another source of recurring revenue. You can offer domain name registrations on their own or bundled with other services you provide.Features of domain name reseller programsWhen you are a domain name reseller, your clients register domain names using the service accessed through your domain name reseller account. The domain name company bills you, and you bill your clients. Or possibly the domain company handles the billing.You decide on the retail pricing, and you market your services. The wholesale prices you pay before you add your markup depend on your sales volume and on the domain name reseller program you choose.All of the domain name reseller companies compared in this article offer a reseller API (Application Programming Interface), which enables you to use the features provided with the domain reseller program. When your clients register domain names or update records at your site, the API communicates with the domain name reseller program system. With an API at your website, you keep the appearance and branding of your site when you resell domain names.Two of the domain name companies compared here offer website creation tools for resellers, which means that you can be in the business of reselling domain names within minutes of having your account set up.Many domain name reseller programs require the domain name reseller to pay and regularly top up a deposit for domain names. By doing this, the domain name reseller is paying for the domains in advance while making a profit from them when they're registered.Domain name companies comparedThe starting prices listed are the highest current wholesale prices for .com domains. Some other extensions may be higher, and the prices typically decrease with volume pricing.See the company websites for more details about what each domain name reseller program offers.BulkRegister BulkRegister's Domain Pilot tool allows domain name resellers to provide their clients with a unique URL and access code to make changes to the Whois data for their domains. Resellers can control which of the fields to provide their clients with access to. Registration can be automated or manual.Resellers become BulkRegister members and are invited to take part in discussions about product ideas, upgrades, and updates. A $50 Overture advertising credit comes with the first year of membership.- Setup fee: No- Annual fee: $99- Deposit required: No- Starting wholesale pricing for .com domains: $12- Website creation tool for resellers: No- SSL certificate: YeseNom If you resell domain names through eNom, you choose between two eNom tools:- Automated Registration Software (API), which allows your clients to register and manage their domains through your site- PDQ, a site that you customize and eNom manages — they handle the billing, and you earn commissions As an eNom domain name reseller, you can also offer your clients web hosting, web monitoring, SSL certificates, and other eNom products as a reseller. - Setup fee: No- Annual fee: $99 if you use the PDQ website tool- Deposit required: Starts at $199 for 199 eNom points- Starting wholesale pricing for .com domains: $9.95- Website creation tool for resellers: Yes- SSL certificate: NoTucows A website builder, blogware, SSL certificates, and email services are among the services you can resell as well as domain names.- Setup fee: $95- Annual fee: No- Deposit required: No minimum payment, but they recommend prepaying one month of credit in advance- Starting wholesale pricing for .com domains: $9.85- Website creation tool for resellers: No- SSL certificate: NoWild West Domains Owned by The Go Daddy Group, Inc., Wild West Domains offers several reseller packages. They also offer other products to resell in addition to domain names, including hosting, website builders, email plans, SSL certificates, and merchant accounts.- Setup fee: No- Annual fee: Starting at $99; $249 with the API- Deposit required: No- Starting wholesale pricing for .com domains: $7.75- Website creation tool for resellers: Yes- SSL certificate: Yes

About the author:Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for http://www.websitesource.com and http://www.lowpricedomains.com

Choosing A Web Designer: A Plan To Guide You Through The Minefield

2007-05-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

Choosing A Web Designer: A Plan To Guide You Through The Minefield
by: Robin Porter

Choosing a web designer can seem like a daunting task. They come in all shapes and sizes – from freelancers working at home to glossy new media agencies, and there is as much variation in prices and service as there is in size.So how do you choose the right one for your business?

Select Your Marketplace

Firstly, decide what market your would like to select from: local , national or overseas.If you would feel more comfortable meeting your designer, and running through your project face to face (maybe it’s the kind of project that needs to “evolve”) ,and your ethos is “quality of service” rather than “Pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap” then a local web designer is for you. They can usually provide better back up, and be able to meet face to face to discuss your project and iron out any problems should they occur.If you are a bit more budget conscious, then it makes sense to select from a “wider pool”. Getting quotes from designers across your country will usually obtain a more competitive quote. What you lose in face-to-face service is made up for in cost savings, and all but the largest web projects can usually be sorted out via telephone and email these days.For the extremely cost conscious and value for money orientated (some would even say “brave”!) there is the overseas market. If you know exactly what you are looking for and can explain your project thoroughly and clearly in writing, then there are huge savings to be made. But what you save in price is invariably countered by having to do a little more work on your side – particularly when it comes to communication!

Finding Web Designers

To find a list of local web designers consult your Yellow Pages (or equivalent) or do a web search for “web designer “ “your area”. Looking further a field, you can do a web search or check out directories such as www.recommended-web-designers.co.uk . For overseas designers, go to web sites such as www.elance.com or www.rentacoder.com, the latter offering the benefit of escrow and arbitration services.

Draw up a shortlist

Draw up a shortlist of 3 or 4 designers to speak to. You can do this by visiting their websites, getting a feel for the type and size of business they are and looking at their online portfolio. Then call them – ask them questions about the type of clients they work for, timeframes and any other technical questions you have. Get a feel for how they communicate – whether they are on the same wavelength as you.If you opted to go overseas, the websites already mentioned have ratings systems which can help you decide, and you can also send and receive private messages to ask questions.

Get Quotes

Once you have your shortlist, you can get quotes. For a straightforward website this can be a simple fixed price – for a more complicated project that is likely to evolve, you may just want to get a budget price at this stage, and then pin down details and a fixed price with your preferred bidder later. Always specify your expected timeframe for completion when obtaining quotes as this can affect prices.

Get References

Once you have your preferred bidder, get references. Any established web designer will be able to provide details of satisfied clients. Email them and ask if they were happy with the service received, if the job was completed on time, how unforeseen problems were dealt with etc.Remember to trust your instincts: If you are not entirely happy with the references you obtain, walk away and select another designer.

Appoint your web designer

You now have a fixed price, references, and confirmed timescale for your project. Now appoint your designer!Most have standard agreements –read them carefully, and if in doubt get your legal adviser to look them over. Make sure timescales and project milestones are specified, as well as payment terms. Find out how alterations to your project are dealt with – in terms of cost and delays – and how disputes if they arise would be settled.Finally, when you are completely happy, sign on the dotted line and look forward to a productive working relationship with your web designer!ฉ 2005 Robin Porter.

About the author:Robin Porter has been CEO of of London based web designer Arpey Internet (http://www.arpey.co.uk) for over six years.

Steps to becoming a web host reseller

2007-05-15T04:28:00.000-07:00

Steps to becoming a web host reseller
by: S. Rosendahl

You’ve decided to get a reseller web hosting account to resell web space. What now? Here’s a step-by-step guide. 1. Choose the platform you want to use. More open source software programs are available for Linux than for Windows, which makes Linux less expensive. While most programs (Perl, PHP, Flash, etc.) run on both platforms, a few run on only Windows or Linux. A site that requires ASP or MS Access, for example, requires a Windows platform. 2. Choose the control panel you want to use. Control panels for websites range from very basic to loaded with features. As a reseller, you’ll also have a control panel for you to set up and control hosting accounts. In Choosing Your Hosting Automation Software, we compare several control panels, all of which offer good features for web host resellers. 3. Choose your web host. The web host company that you choose for your reseller account is a key decision — your business success depends on the quality of your host. Factors to consider when choosing a web host for a reseller account: The platform and control panel Account features The company’s reputation — search for online reviews by clients The record of server uptime The level of support — how fast does tech support respond to support requests, especially time-sensitive ones? Flexibility — does the web host have packages that allow you to upgrade when your needs increase? Will they customize plans if necessary? How long the web host has been in business — while a new web host may be very good, many web hosting businesses fail within the first year Price — consider what is included in the price Get Started with reseller hosting. http://www.websitesource.com 4. Set up your hosting plans and prices Divide your bandwidth by your disk space to find out the ratio of bandwidth to disk space that you can offer. Take into account any ratios that differ if you upgrade to a larger package, and then base your packages on that ratio. For pricing, consider what competitors charge, but also factor in any additional services you’ll be offering. 5. Develop a business website You have three main choices for website development: Create a website using an existing website template http://www.websitesource.com/clientarea/reseller_website_templates.shtml Hire a designer or a design company to design your site for you http://design.websitesource.com/design/elements_custom-work.php If you have web design skills, design your site yourself Include all the information that clients will want to know about your services and company. 6. Make your site e-commerce ready To be able to accept payments for hosting accounts, you’ll to set up: An SSL certificate A merchant account A payment gateway 7. Set up a helpdesk A helpdesk allows clients to contact you with support requests and you to track and respond to those requests. 8. Set up billing With an automated billing system, clients are billed and payments are registered with little effort on your part. Most billing software licenses are priced per month or per year, with some billing software companies offering prices for lifetime licenses. Some popular billing and payment processing systems: Modernbill http://www.modernbill.com/ ClientExec http://www.clientexec.com/ WHM.Autopilot http://www.whmautopilot.com/ Whois.Cart http://www.whoiscart.net/ When you choose a billing software program, check if it’s compatible with your server platform and if support is included. 9. Create a welcome email After you set up hosting accounts for your clients, you’ll need to send them a welcome email. Include in this email: A confirmation of the plan details The nameserver names A username and temporary password A link to the control panel Links to your knowledge base / FAQ and to your helpdesk 10. Market your website Submit your site to search engines. Tell your family, friends, and business acquaintances about your website. Include a link to it in your signature line in outgoing emails. But don’t stop there — market your website http://www.marketingcontrolpanel.com via incoming links, advertising, newsletters, and special offers. About the author:About the author: Chris K. is a Technical Executive Writer for Website Source, Inc. http://www.websitesource.com. His established writing skills coupled with experience in the web hosting industry have provided internet professionals with marketing, product and service ideas for many years.

10 Tips For Web Success

2007-05-12T03:30:00.000-07:00

10 Tips For Web Success
by: David Risley

The webmaster's biggest job is to get their traffic up and keep customers/visitors coming back. Building the site is one thing, but simply building and posting a website does not guarantee traffic. In fact, a website could be beautiful and an example of all the latest technology and still not attract a single visitor if not promoted correctly. Here are 10 tips to guide you to success with your website.(1) The internet is a new medium.At least compared to print, it is. A website is a waste if it simply re-hashes something which could easily be put into print. Don't have the site be just an online brochure. Put up features which take advantage of the internet as a medium of communication. Filter information for them. Provide search capability. Provide interactivity with features like forums, quizzes and tools. Web visitors like to interact.(2) Treat the Customer's Time as Valuable.When a person visits your website, you have their attention for that point in time. You either need to use it or you will lose it - fast. Most visitors have short attention spans, what you need to design your site homepage so that it grabs their attention and provides what they are looking for right away. Its like walking into a restaurant. If you walk in and just stand there and nobody comes to greet you, you might wonder what is happening. But, if the hostess comes and greets you right away and walks you to a table, then you will be there for awhile and eat. The same analogy goes for websites. Don't overcomplicate your website homepage. Best results will be obtained if you make it very clear where to click to find what they need.(3) Design the site for customers, not the company.Your site needs to satisfy the needs of customers, not the company. So, don't post content which is not really useful to the site's customer. And avoid over-flattering marketing hype about the company. It inflates the ego of the company more than it helps your customer.(4) Involve the Visitor.Keep the visitor involved and make them feel like a valuable contributor. Actively ask for the feedback and suggestions. Ask for communication from your visitors and answer that communication swiftly. When getting that communication, capture their email address. This will allow you to communicate with them long after they have moved on and forgotten about you.(5) Keep it Current.You need to have content on your website which is timely and relevant to the customer's life. Posting month-old news is not interesting. Posting dry product information which never changes is not interesting. Yes, you need to have product information and other information on your site that won't change much, but you can also post more timely content. You can, for example, post content about how your products can be used in certain situations in life. Provide tips and techniques - things which are immediately applicable and solve a problem.(6) Pay Attention to Form/Design.Some sites simply over-do it on the eye-candy. Big graphics just for the sake of graphics often impress the site's designer more than the visitor. Do not use graphics that are large and purposeless. Remember, some visitors may still be accessing your website via dial-up. Your site needs to load up quickly for all users. A slow website will cause your users to leave quickly. Also, pay attention to graphic and design size. Many web designers operate on fairly large screen resolutions and sometimes forget that even though a graphic looks great to you, it will appear enormous to somebody on a smaller resolution. On the flip side, don't go too light on graphics. A site which is poorly designed and using the default font and no color is not very aesthetically pleasing. Any web visitor, whether they admit it or not, judges your company by your website unless they have something else to go on. A well-designed site communicates professionalism. A poor design makes the site seem like an afterthought.(7) Promote.When a visitor communicates to you via email, it is best to use a web form. not only will this keep your email address from being picked up by spammers, it will also allow you to ask your customers for their email address and then store that address for later use. Employ the "push/pull" marketing strategy. A visitor coming to your website is the pull, but later you want to push content back to them in the form of a newsletter or other promotional material. Start a mailing list and use it. Invite visitors to sign up. Promotion makes or breaks a business, and as long as you respect the ethical considerations of your mailing list, you should use it.(8) Don't Operate in a Cocoon.The internet is a medium which is shared by millions. When you set up your website, don't operate as if you are a self-contained island. Get out there and keep in tune with what is happening on other websites related to your own. Participate in forums. Post links to other websites and ask for a link in return. Form partnerships with other sites if it is appropriate. When it comes to communication, people like personal contacts. Hiding behind general email address like "sales" and "info" is OK as long as there is a way to also email you directly. A company site which allows email direct to the management is good. Just remember how much you hate calling a company and getting stuck in their phone system. Sometimes you just want to talk to somebody. Give your visitors that ability.(9) Have a Plan to Attract Repeat Traffic.Use newsletters, out-going email, contests, forums, clubs, auctions - anything that will cause people to return to your website. When posting links to other websites, don't just send your visitors somewhere else. They may never return. Provide them an exit page. Give them a pop-up when they try to leave your site. Or at the very least make external links open in a new window.(10) Track Your VisitorsPay attention to your site's statistics and react accordingly. What are people reading? How are they finding you? Do they just come and leave right from your homepage? How long as they are on your website? Do they return? This data is immensely valuable in fine-tuning your website based on customer needs and wants. Remember, the biggest mistake of any webmaster is designing the site for what THEY want. A successful website is designed for the target audience, not to impress the site's owner. About the author:David Risley is a web developer and founder of PC Media, Inc. (http://www.pcmedianet.com). Specializes in PHP/MySQL development, consulting and internet business management. He is also the founder of PC Mechanic (http://www.pcmech.com), a large website delivering do-it-yourself computer information to thousands of users every day.

Website Buying Guide Checklist

2007-05-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

Website Buying Guide Checklist
by: Joel Walsh

Can you really get a website even without knowing anything about code, and without paying a fortune? Find out.The days when websites were primarily distinguished by their code are long gone. Nowadays, the web is a true publishing medium that favors well thought-out ideas. You can get a professional-looking website online in minutes with many website building services and software. But what should you look for? What are the features you really need and which are just clutter?Content EditingSome website authoring software packages only allow you to entire plain, unformatted text. Some of them allow you to entire HTML tags. Others provide a WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") interface with options for font, links, and image insertion much like a word processor's. Some will allow you to use more than one, or even all of these options so you have a choice on how you want to format your text.Template DesignsEvery website builder ever invented came with at least one or two templates for creating the graphical look of a website, so you don't have to design the look of the site yourself. But some packages have very large libraries of templates, some have only a few. Some will let you mix and match elements of the design templates, while others will lock you in to one setup.Ecommerce FunctionsMany ready-to-go websites created by website builder software feature built-in shopping carts. Some even come with credit card processing. This is of course necessary if you're going to be selling stuff direct online. But if you're not going to be selling anything, ecommerce functionalities may just complicate the administration of the site and pad the price for the software or service.Blogging FunctionsBlogs are "web logs," but blogging software involves more than just a simple online journal. Blogging technology allows you to send your new posts directly to subscribers via RSS, without them having to visit your site or receive an email from you. Still, unless you plan on updating your site regularly (at least once a month), your website's blog will just gather cobwebs.EmailSome hosted web authoring systems provide email accounts at no additional charge, while others do charge separately. Some web builder systems even come with modules for creating email newsletters.SupportIt is very likely that you will encounter a technical difficulty at some point while owning your website. Make sure you know in advance of paying whether the company provides only paid support, and if any included support is over email, a web ticketing system, or the telephone.Photo and Image ManagementFor many, if not most, people who want personal websites, displaying pictures online is a primary motivation, if not the only motivation. If you want to display pictures on your website, make sure to choose a website builder system that makes it easy to upload and publish images.Renting vs. OwningYou can buy website authoring software upfront for a flat fee, or you can "rent;" i.e., pay a company every month to use a hosted service. The choice is up to you, but remember that the hosted service will likely charge you much more in the end: averaging around $20/month, hosted the typical hosted website builder will cost you $240/year--far more than most desktop software.In short, you don't need to know how a website is coded to make one, any more than a book author needs to know about printing ink. Don't burden yourself with learning how to do web design. Having fun with your website starts with choosing a website builder software that will make it fun. About the author:Joel Walsh recommends you check out this article on your website! Requirement: live link for above URL/web address w/ link text/anchor text: "web authoring software" OR leave this bracketed message intact.]

How to register your domain

2007-05-05T03:17:00.000-07:00

How to register your domain
by: Ted Prodromou

When you launch a new website you must register a unique domain name with an authorized registrar. When the internet was first starting, all domain names and IP addresses were registered through one organization, Internic. Eventually Network Solutions took over the role as “keeper” of the internet domain names. Today, there are hundreds of websites where you can register your domain name but Network Solutions still maintains the main database of domain names. Some websites charge as little as $2.95 per year for your domain name while others charge as much as $35 per year for the exact same service. Some even offer one year free if you register your domain name with them and host your website on their servers. Why pay $35 when you can register your domain name for much less at another website? So why does Network Solutions charge $35 a year if they are the keeper of the database and their resellers charge a fraction or even nothing? Who knows and who cares! Register your domain with one of the cheaper providers and you'll be fine. A word caution - be care who you choose to host your website. Getting a free year of your domain name isn't worth it if your webhost is unreliable and your website is down more than it's up. You pay for your domain name on a yearly basis. It's a separate charge from your webhosting bill. When you register your domain name choose the autorenewal option if it's available. This way your domain name will not expire if you forget to renew it. If your domain name expires, it's free for anyone else to register so you need to stay on top of when it's expiring. Also registering your domain name for a 3 to 5 year term will often save you money. For example, godaddy.com charges $8.95 a year for your domain name but only $7.25 a year if you register for a 5 year term. When you register your domain you can create different contact names. The three contacts are Administrator, Technical and Billing. Most of the time the same person is all 3 contacts. If you web designer registers your domain name for you, make sure you are designated as the Administrative contact. This gives you control over the domain name and you must be notified if someone is trying to make changes to your record. If you aren't one of the contacts then someone can transfer ownership of the domain name without your permission. To see a record of your domain name, go to www.networksolutions.com and use their WHOIS utility which is located in the bottom left corner of their home page. Simply enter your domain name and click Search. You'll see the complete record of your domain name, where it's registered and where your website is hosted. For a complete video of how to use WHOIS, visit www.valiss.com/video/whois/whois.html.When you register your domain name you'll have to the option of making it a private registration. I highly recommend paying the additional fee to make your information private. If you leave your registration public anyone can look up your domain information which includes your home or business address and your email address. Many spammers scan public domain registration records to find valid email addresses to spam.I always use a yahoo or hotmail email account when registering my domains. This way if spammers to find my email address, I can just get a new “throwaway” email address and I won't receive spam at my primary email address.Always make sure your domain record remains locked. Locking your domain name is a feature implemented a few years ago. When you want to transfer your domain name to a different registrar you must unlock it. Once it's unlocked the new registrar can “pull” your domain name from your current registrar. Once the transfer is complete, the domain name will be locked to prevent anyone else from “pulling” your domain away from you.About the author:Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular One. Today he's the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides personalized web design and small business marketing solutions. Visit for lots of free “how to” articles about marketing your business online. Copyright 2005 Valiss IT, Inc. All Rights Reserved