If you are wondering - What Should You Consider Before Starting Your Website? Here is a run through. Firstly, you must choose a Domain name or the name of your site. In some cases, the name that you have in mind would already be taken. So you must check the availability and get it registered.
The next important step in setting up a website is choosing a Web Host who can show your site to the world. So you will be using their services for running your own site and choosing the right one with good speed is essential.
Designing a site is another major stage in establishing your website. It should be visible on search engines to get more clicks. You should be clear in your mind about what you want to achieve finally with the website.
Are you a starting a new online business or service? Are you now moving to online sales and business due to cost cutting? You must establish the aim of your site before you launch it. Your goal should determine the website design.
The website should be easy for people to use. In the sense that there may be people who barely know how to use the internet, there are the average internet users and high internet users. Does not matter who click on your website, they should be able to find all the information. So it should not be too technical or difficult to understand it.
You must remember to make the website as friendly as possible for the users. Try to put in many scroll down bars and customer friendly windows. So the users can save time in unnecessary typing and ask them questions, so the right information can be given.
When you are designing the website, it's recommended to use more pictures, maps and symbols. Nobody has the time to read through pages of text and on the other hand - a picture says a thousand words.
There is an average number of minutes a person spends on a new website. If the site is not able to meet the needs or satisfy the customer in the first few minutes, you may lose that customer for life. Once the user rejects the website this way, he may never again make an attempt to jump on the site again. So, first looks and impressions matter.
While designing the website make sure you provide links to all possible services like payment, inquiry, service, suggestions, locations and so on. The home page is the most important window of your entire website design. Make it bold, outstanding and capturing.
Even the layout or the outlay of the design matters. So does the colors, fonts and images that you use. You should employ a software professional company who can understand your work, business, product and your goals. You may be doing only online business or using the site for additional business. The website designer should understand the objectives and goals of your business.
Finally there is one last thing on what should you consider before starting your website. Make plans and lay down deadlines for website maintenance. You should identify the person who is going to change the fields and pages on the site. You must update information on the website frequently. Nobody likes to see an outdated website. It will chase the users away. So web site maintenance is necessary.
The article is written by John Choo, a website designer Malaysia, he own a design company also offer website maintenance service, web application develop, CMS, SEO services for the client globally.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Choo
Thursday, June 4, 2009
What Do I Need to Have My Own Website?
In our Website Basics Explained series we will show you where to start to get your first website, and what you need to go online.
What exactly do I need have my own website? It is normal if you have right now that 'it's all Greek to me' feeling when it comes to website design. In this overview, we'll take a brief look at what it takes to get your own website live on the internet.
Your Website
You can either make your own website, or pay a professional web designer to do it for you. Websites are build in a web programming language like HTML, PHP and others. Once it's created, your website will consist of several website files.
A Domain Name
In addition to creating the files your website consists of, it will need a unique identifier in the world wide web, called domain name like yourwebsite.com. This domain name needs to be registered with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) by a licensed Domain Registrant, and you will have to pay an annual fee for the registration, which is usually not more than $10 a year for available dot.com domains. Many domain names these days are already registered, so it might be a tough choice to find a good one which is still available.
Web Hosting
In order to make the files you or your web designer created for your website available in the internet, they need to be stored on secure web server that is running special software to ensure the accessibility and functionality of your website. Web Hosting Companies offer this service, and you will need to select a reliable company with secure servers in order to store and 'host' your website files. The web hosting fee for a regular website is usually between $5 and $8 per month, with extra-charge for specific add-ons (e.g. for secure payment sites). It pays to select a web hosting company with reliable and safe equipment. You can visit our website to find out which company we recommend to all our customers as the most reliable and secure web host.
This is all you need to get your own website, and if you learn how to make your own website or find the right web designer to design your website, you can be online within a few weeks!
If you want to know more about how to find the right web designer, how much a website may cost, and what you or your web design professional can do 'search engine optimization', please read our other articles in the 'Website Basics Explained' series.
If you want to know more about web design and how you can get your website on the front page of Yahoo and Google, please visit our website San Diego Web Designer.
If you are interested in learning how to make your own website, please read the free step-by-step guide Make Your Own Website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudia_Schulze
What exactly do I need have my own website? It is normal if you have right now that 'it's all Greek to me' feeling when it comes to website design. In this overview, we'll take a brief look at what it takes to get your own website live on the internet.
Your Website
You can either make your own website, or pay a professional web designer to do it for you. Websites are build in a web programming language like HTML, PHP and others. Once it's created, your website will consist of several website files.
A Domain Name
In addition to creating the files your website consists of, it will need a unique identifier in the world wide web, called domain name like yourwebsite.com. This domain name needs to be registered with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) by a licensed Domain Registrant, and you will have to pay an annual fee for the registration, which is usually not more than $10 a year for available dot.com domains. Many domain names these days are already registered, so it might be a tough choice to find a good one which is still available.
Web Hosting
In order to make the files you or your web designer created for your website available in the internet, they need to be stored on secure web server that is running special software to ensure the accessibility and functionality of your website. Web Hosting Companies offer this service, and you will need to select a reliable company with secure servers in order to store and 'host' your website files. The web hosting fee for a regular website is usually between $5 and $8 per month, with extra-charge for specific add-ons (e.g. for secure payment sites). It pays to select a web hosting company with reliable and safe equipment. You can visit our website to find out which company we recommend to all our customers as the most reliable and secure web host.
This is all you need to get your own website, and if you learn how to make your own website or find the right web designer to design your website, you can be online within a few weeks!
If you want to know more about how to find the right web designer, how much a website may cost, and what you or your web design professional can do 'search engine optimization', please read our other articles in the 'Website Basics Explained' series.
If you want to know more about web design and how you can get your website on the front page of Yahoo and Google, please visit our website San Diego Web Designer.
If you are interested in learning how to make your own website, please read the free step-by-step guide Make Your Own Website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudia_Schulze
How to Contract With a Web Designer?
In our Website Basics Explained series we will show you where to start to get your first website, and what you need to go online.
If you followed our checklist in our article How To Find The Right Web Designer you have already selected a couple web designers you consider to hire to create your website. Now it's time to get in touch with the designers you selected, explain your project, and ask for a quote.
Website Scope Of Work Checklist
Before you start, try to find out your scope of work. It's not necessary to describe your website's layout and content in detail, but answers to the following questions will help your web designer better understand what kind of website you need, and whether he or she can provide these services:
* Who are my potential visitors, what are their demographics and location (nationwide online shoppers to buy my products, or local customers in need of my services)?
* What do I want them to do (buy my product, contact me, subscribe to my newsletter)?
* What is my budget (see our article How Much To Pay For A Web Designer)?
* Do I have a logo and content (text and photos) to provide, or do I want the web designer to create this for me? (not every web designer does copy writing or design logos, and it will add to your costs)
* Do I have a specific design, layout, content or navigation of my website in mind (finding some sample websites you like is always a big help)?
* Will my website need constant updates (e.g. maintain store inventory, add new content, photos, events)? Then you will need a dynamic website with 'back office' part where you can do these updates yourself, or you have to outsource it.
Ask For A Detailed Quote
Unfortunately, the prices designers charge for their services vary drastically. When you ask for a quote for your website, make sure your web designer can outline all costs and the work in detail for you. Also ask about a guarantee of work. Stated policies such as, "We will do as many drafts as necessary until you are 100% satisfied", or a money back guarantee will give you a clear idea of the designers' confidence that they can deliver.
These days there are many pre-developed scripts and templates your web designer could use to create a website fast and cheap. However, if you want to give your business an individual look, graphic design work and copy writing can take lots of time, and many web designers will charge you by the hour rather than a fixed fee. Do you have a logo, photos, and the content copy, or do you want your web designer to come up with it? The more you can provide the better.
In any case you should insist on a detailed quote, and sign a written agreement. Also define how many free drafts are included until you finally approve the end result, and make sure they have enough manpower to work on you website. Beware of companies and individuals who claim to be web designers or developers but don't show their background, references or past work.
Cash Or Contract?
Even when a web designer has put a lot of work in an individual quote for you, you are not obligated to use their services unless you are perfectly confident they are right for the job. The checklist in our article How To Find The Right Web Designer should increase your chances of successfully finding and hiring a Web designer or developer who meets your needs and those of your website.
Once you decide on the web designer you want to hire, ask him for a contract. It doesn't have to be more than a one page document, but you should both sign a written contract.
As your web designer usually has to order the domain name and web hosting for you, it's likely that they will charge you an upfront deposit to cover these costs. For the payment terms of the web design fee we recommend that you negotiate 'milestone' payments (e.g. 30% after the first draft, and the remainder due upon project completion).
If you want to know more about web design and how you can get your website on the front page of Yahoo and Google, please visit our website San Diego Web Designer.
If you are interested in learning how to make your own website, please read the free step-by-step guide Make Your Own Website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudia_Schulze
If you followed our checklist in our article How To Find The Right Web Designer you have already selected a couple web designers you consider to hire to create your website. Now it's time to get in touch with the designers you selected, explain your project, and ask for a quote.
Website Scope Of Work Checklist
Before you start, try to find out your scope of work. It's not necessary to describe your website's layout and content in detail, but answers to the following questions will help your web designer better understand what kind of website you need, and whether he or she can provide these services:
* Who are my potential visitors, what are their demographics and location (nationwide online shoppers to buy my products, or local customers in need of my services)?
* What do I want them to do (buy my product, contact me, subscribe to my newsletter)?
* What is my budget (see our article How Much To Pay For A Web Designer)?
* Do I have a logo and content (text and photos) to provide, or do I want the web designer to create this for me? (not every web designer does copy writing or design logos, and it will add to your costs)
* Do I have a specific design, layout, content or navigation of my website in mind (finding some sample websites you like is always a big help)?
* Will my website need constant updates (e.g. maintain store inventory, add new content, photos, events)? Then you will need a dynamic website with 'back office' part where you can do these updates yourself, or you have to outsource it.
Ask For A Detailed Quote
Unfortunately, the prices designers charge for their services vary drastically. When you ask for a quote for your website, make sure your web designer can outline all costs and the work in detail for you. Also ask about a guarantee of work. Stated policies such as, "We will do as many drafts as necessary until you are 100% satisfied", or a money back guarantee will give you a clear idea of the designers' confidence that they can deliver.
These days there are many pre-developed scripts and templates your web designer could use to create a website fast and cheap. However, if you want to give your business an individual look, graphic design work and copy writing can take lots of time, and many web designers will charge you by the hour rather than a fixed fee. Do you have a logo, photos, and the content copy, or do you want your web designer to come up with it? The more you can provide the better.
In any case you should insist on a detailed quote, and sign a written agreement. Also define how many free drafts are included until you finally approve the end result, and make sure they have enough manpower to work on you website. Beware of companies and individuals who claim to be web designers or developers but don't show their background, references or past work.
Cash Or Contract?
Even when a web designer has put a lot of work in an individual quote for you, you are not obligated to use their services unless you are perfectly confident they are right for the job. The checklist in our article How To Find The Right Web Designer should increase your chances of successfully finding and hiring a Web designer or developer who meets your needs and those of your website.
Once you decide on the web designer you want to hire, ask him for a contract. It doesn't have to be more than a one page document, but you should both sign a written contract.
As your web designer usually has to order the domain name and web hosting for you, it's likely that they will charge you an upfront deposit to cover these costs. For the payment terms of the web design fee we recommend that you negotiate 'milestone' payments (e.g. 30% after the first draft, and the remainder due upon project completion).
If you want to know more about web design and how you can get your website on the front page of Yahoo and Google, please visit our website San Diego Web Designer.
If you are interested in learning how to make your own website, please read the free step-by-step guide Make Your Own Website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudia_Schulze
How Much to Pay For a Web Designer?
In our 'Website Basics Explained ' series we will show you where to start to get your first website, and what you need to go online.
The prices web designers put on their services vary drastically. Like most purchases, with web design, you tend to get what you pay for. If your project is fairly small and straightforward, freelancers may charge less than big agencies. By 'small' we mean a regular website with about five pages like 'Home', 'Services', 'References', 'About', 'Contact'.
Of course the sky is the limit when it comes to individual services, and there are also certainly regional differences, but here are some rules of thumb.
How Much Does A Website Cost?
The one-time set-up fee for a 'basic' individual website with up to five pages done by a Web Design Freelancer or a professional Web Designer ranges between $350 and $1,000, depending from where you are located, and how much 'individuality' your website requires, and what material you can provide.
Do you have logo, photos and text for your website, or does your web designer need to invest his time to creating the content too? Graphic design work and copy writing takes a lot of time, and you need to find an agreement with your web designer, how many drafts are included until you finally approve the end result. Don't get fooled by 'paying by the page', because once your main layout is set up, it takes only a fraction of the time to add another page. If you get a cheap quote it is likely that the web designer will use a out-of-the-box template, and your website might not look as individual as you wish! Of course, the sky is the limit when it comes to web design. For highly individual professional websites you should get a detailed quote from different web design companies and compare before you sign a contract.
How Much Does A Shopping Cart Website Cost?
The creation of a shopping cart website is usually a very individual task. If you have a small business with only a couple hundred products, you should be able to find a web designer who can use standard e-commerce software which is available for under $300 (your web designer might even be able to use a web host that offers free shopping cart scripts). The more requirements you have the more costly it will be, but there are a couple of free or cheap scripts out which a good website designer can use and adapt to your needs. The total cost of a small shopping cart website one-time set-up fee should not be more than $1,000 to $1,500. All professional shopping cart scripts include an online 'back office' where you could even update your inventory in the future fairly easily yourself.
If you have a couple thousand items to sell and need a real professional shopping cart website, you will have to get an individual quote from different web design companies to compare. Make sure you talk about the support and maintenance costs too!
If you need just one simple page to capture email addresses, you can even try to get a freelancer to adapt a free available website template for you. His one-time set-up fee should not be more than $300. But with such a website it is crucial that you get a person who knows how to optimize your website in regards to the keywords your customers will search for. You might even think of buying an existing website. Here is having a website only as good as continuous efforts to market your website in order to generate the traffic you are looking for. This can be very time and/or money intensive depending from your product. Time means somebody has to constantly promote your website by e.g. submitting articles to blogs and ezines, money means you can instead invest in Google AdWords or Yahoo Search Marketing to get your website instantly ranking on top of the search engines result pages.
We hope these basic numbers will give you an idea what you have to budget to get your own website.
If you want to know more about web design and how you can get your website on the front page of Yahoo and Google, please visit our website San Diego Web Designer.
If you are interested in learning how to make your own website, please read the free setp-by-step guide Make Your Own Website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudia_Schulze
The prices web designers put on their services vary drastically. Like most purchases, with web design, you tend to get what you pay for. If your project is fairly small and straightforward, freelancers may charge less than big agencies. By 'small' we mean a regular website with about five pages like 'Home', 'Services', 'References', 'About', 'Contact'.
Of course the sky is the limit when it comes to individual services, and there are also certainly regional differences, but here are some rules of thumb.
How Much Does A Website Cost?
The one-time set-up fee for a 'basic' individual website with up to five pages done by a Web Design Freelancer or a professional Web Designer ranges between $350 and $1,000, depending from where you are located, and how much 'individuality' your website requires, and what material you can provide.
Do you have logo, photos and text for your website, or does your web designer need to invest his time to creating the content too? Graphic design work and copy writing takes a lot of time, and you need to find an agreement with your web designer, how many drafts are included until you finally approve the end result. Don't get fooled by 'paying by the page', because once your main layout is set up, it takes only a fraction of the time to add another page. If you get a cheap quote it is likely that the web designer will use a out-of-the-box template, and your website might not look as individual as you wish! Of course, the sky is the limit when it comes to web design. For highly individual professional websites you should get a detailed quote from different web design companies and compare before you sign a contract.
How Much Does A Shopping Cart Website Cost?
The creation of a shopping cart website is usually a very individual task. If you have a small business with only a couple hundred products, you should be able to find a web designer who can use standard e-commerce software which is available for under $300 (your web designer might even be able to use a web host that offers free shopping cart scripts). The more requirements you have the more costly it will be, but there are a couple of free or cheap scripts out which a good website designer can use and adapt to your needs. The total cost of a small shopping cart website one-time set-up fee should not be more than $1,000 to $1,500. All professional shopping cart scripts include an online 'back office' where you could even update your inventory in the future fairly easily yourself.
If you have a couple thousand items to sell and need a real professional shopping cart website, you will have to get an individual quote from different web design companies to compare. Make sure you talk about the support and maintenance costs too!
If you need just one simple page to capture email addresses, you can even try to get a freelancer to adapt a free available website template for you. His one-time set-up fee should not be more than $300. But with such a website it is crucial that you get a person who knows how to optimize your website in regards to the keywords your customers will search for. You might even think of buying an existing website. Here is having a website only as good as continuous efforts to market your website in order to generate the traffic you are looking for. This can be very time and/or money intensive depending from your product. Time means somebody has to constantly promote your website by e.g. submitting articles to blogs and ezines, money means you can instead invest in Google AdWords or Yahoo Search Marketing to get your website instantly ranking on top of the search engines result pages.
We hope these basic numbers will give you an idea what you have to budget to get your own website.
If you want to know more about web design and how you can get your website on the front page of Yahoo and Google, please visit our website San Diego Web Designer.
If you are interested in learning how to make your own website, please read the free setp-by-step guide Make Your Own Website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudia_Schulze
Ecommerce Website Design Made Easy
Ecommerce web design has been a popular topic since the birth of the web. Once people got used to using computers to communicate, it didn't take long for people start using them to sell to one another. But as many of the web's first business owners discovered, if you build it, they won't necessarily come. In fact, doing business online can be extremely tough -- all of your competitors are just a few clicks away, and customers are willing to leave your site based on the slightest of flaws.
This is why savvy startups have placed such a high value on great ecommerce website design. A seamless site that doesn't give users any time to pause is a site that's going to keep them around from the initial visit to the final sale. And a great design does more than keep them from backing off: it can also be a way to show that your site is legitimate, established, and that it has invested in being a good business (before deposit insurance and banking regulations, most banks had trouble getting customers to trust them. One trick they used was to have extremely expensive buildings -- so their customers knew that the bank had sunk too much money into their business for it to make sense for them to cut and run).
Great ecommerce web design also has a calming influence on your customers. That huge diversity of options and opportunities can create a lot of stress for customers. Your customers may feel overwhelmed by their options, or stressed by the savings they might be missing -- or even confused by the proliferation of reviews and recommendations that the web has spawned. Don't let them panic: create a soothing web design that makes them feel right at home, and they're likely to stay close.
So what are the keys to good ecommerce web design? You need a site that is friendly, professional, and simple:
* Friendly websites use soft colors, rounded edges, and an uncluttered design to give users a sense of peace of mind.
* A professional website shows users that you mean business -- not that you're after their money, but that you'll treat them with respect, as a customer rather than just another Internet user.
* Your ecommerce website desigb should be simple enough to sell without doing too much else. The tendency among many website owners is to have a website that does everything for everyone. But by taking away features instead of piling them on, you may find that you end up with a site where people spend less time fiddling with your features and more time buying your products.
Coming up with good ecommerce website design isn't easy, but it's very rewarding for your business. Good ecommerce website design doesn't just show your customers an easy-to-use site. It's also a way for you to clarify your own ideas. Once you strip away the extra cruft and featuritis, the site you're left with showcases how you really want to do business.
Byrne Hobart is a New Yorker with widely, perhaps even bizarrely varied interests. He's an experienced marketer, with a strong background in ecommerce website design.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Byrne_Hobart
This is why savvy startups have placed such a high value on great ecommerce website design. A seamless site that doesn't give users any time to pause is a site that's going to keep them around from the initial visit to the final sale. And a great design does more than keep them from backing off: it can also be a way to show that your site is legitimate, established, and that it has invested in being a good business (before deposit insurance and banking regulations, most banks had trouble getting customers to trust them. One trick they used was to have extremely expensive buildings -- so their customers knew that the bank had sunk too much money into their business for it to make sense for them to cut and run).
Great ecommerce web design also has a calming influence on your customers. That huge diversity of options and opportunities can create a lot of stress for customers. Your customers may feel overwhelmed by their options, or stressed by the savings they might be missing -- or even confused by the proliferation of reviews and recommendations that the web has spawned. Don't let them panic: create a soothing web design that makes them feel right at home, and they're likely to stay close.
So what are the keys to good ecommerce web design? You need a site that is friendly, professional, and simple:
* Friendly websites use soft colors, rounded edges, and an uncluttered design to give users a sense of peace of mind.
* A professional website shows users that you mean business -- not that you're after their money, but that you'll treat them with respect, as a customer rather than just another Internet user.
* Your ecommerce website desigb should be simple enough to sell without doing too much else. The tendency among many website owners is to have a website that does everything for everyone. But by taking away features instead of piling them on, you may find that you end up with a site where people spend less time fiddling with your features and more time buying your products.
Coming up with good ecommerce website design isn't easy, but it's very rewarding for your business. Good ecommerce website design doesn't just show your customers an easy-to-use site. It's also a way for you to clarify your own ideas. Once you strip away the extra cruft and featuritis, the site you're left with showcases how you really want to do business.
Byrne Hobart is a New Yorker with widely, perhaps even bizarrely varied interests. He's an experienced marketer, with a strong background in ecommerce website design.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Byrne_Hobart
Wedding Photographers Can Market More Effectively by Placing Wedding Venue Comments on Website
The wedding photography industry is competitive. To thrive in this environment, most photographers need to execute an effective marketing plan. With increased traffic going to the web, having a web strategy is essential. This article looks at how listing local wedding venues on a photography website along with some photography related commentary can benefit the photographer, his clients and the wedding venue.
The photographer benefits by having these listings on the site because it conveys the message that he is an expert in the area, his key search engine rankings will be enhanced and his relationship with vendors can be built.
When a client reads a comment on various wedding locations from a photographer's perspective, he is able to see the depth of the author's knowledge. He is able to see that the photographer is not just a startup shooting his first wedding, but is an experience professional with a detailed knowledge of shooting in a number of different locations. A potential client can also get a feel for a photographer's shooting style and preferences as he reads the critiques. The client should also gain some insight on the photographic benefits of choosing one venue over another.
Additionally, writing these evaluations can help the photographer's website improve its page ranking on valuable keywords. When posting a venue commentary it is helpful to the client to see an address. This address will have the city's name tied to it. This will help a website gain search engine strength on the name of the city.
A photographer can also create contacts and enhance his relationships with the venue managers by posting venue comments on his website. Like the photographer, the venue is in business and is benefited by additional exposure. By contacting the venue and explaining his plans to write the commentary and asking for feedback, a photographer can establish a positive working relationship with the venue managers.
With the advent of digital photography and relatively cheap digital cameras and related software, the photography industry has become increasingly competitive as more people are entering its ranks. Adding helpful content - such as venue listings will help a photographer distinguish himself from the majority of these professionals.
The author, through photo journalism, provides a unique expressive perspective for weddings, seniors, events, proms and newborns.
In addition, she works as a Laguna Beach Wedding Photographer with a knack for shooting in rural areas such as the local wineries. She also teaches photography classes to a number of Orange County Photographers.
While Vanessa began her business in the Temecula area, she later move to Newport Beach and began serving Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, and Irvine.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vanessa_Honda
The photographer benefits by having these listings on the site because it conveys the message that he is an expert in the area, his key search engine rankings will be enhanced and his relationship with vendors can be built.
When a client reads a comment on various wedding locations from a photographer's perspective, he is able to see the depth of the author's knowledge. He is able to see that the photographer is not just a startup shooting his first wedding, but is an experience professional with a detailed knowledge of shooting in a number of different locations. A potential client can also get a feel for a photographer's shooting style and preferences as he reads the critiques. The client should also gain some insight on the photographic benefits of choosing one venue over another.
Additionally, writing these evaluations can help the photographer's website improve its page ranking on valuable keywords. When posting a venue commentary it is helpful to the client to see an address. This address will have the city's name tied to it. This will help a website gain search engine strength on the name of the city.
A photographer can also create contacts and enhance his relationships with the venue managers by posting venue comments on his website. Like the photographer, the venue is in business and is benefited by additional exposure. By contacting the venue and explaining his plans to write the commentary and asking for feedback, a photographer can establish a positive working relationship with the venue managers.
With the advent of digital photography and relatively cheap digital cameras and related software, the photography industry has become increasingly competitive as more people are entering its ranks. Adding helpful content - such as venue listings will help a photographer distinguish himself from the majority of these professionals.
The author, through photo journalism, provides a unique expressive perspective for weddings, seniors, events, proms and newborns.
In addition, she works as a Laguna Beach Wedding Photographer with a knack for shooting in rural areas such as the local wineries. She also teaches photography classes to a number of Orange County Photographers.
While Vanessa began her business in the Temecula area, she later move to Newport Beach and began serving Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, and Irvine.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vanessa_Honda
3 Critical Questions For ECommerce Web Development
Planning is the most important stage in eCommerce web development. Once the design team, the coders and the graphic designers have begun working on a particular plan, it's difficult and costly to change course. It's also here where many lose their way. Without any basis or starting point, it's easy to get confused about how to do it. Here are three big questions whose answers should prove excellent launchpads for your site plan.
To whom are you selling?
Marketers call this consideration the 'target market' in their professional lingo. Regardless of what you call it, your target market will definitely have to be one of the biggest factors in your eCommerce website design. After all, they'll be the ones who'll see the site and to whom the site should be appealing.
Although you could get off with not specifying your target market in your business plan, you simply can't proceed with eCommerce web development until you define it. That's because certain elements and design considerations work differently for different people. Pages with lots of moving images, for example, might not appeal to older buyers; in the same vein, elaborately written descriptions will be under-appreciated by younger crowds.
How are you different?
Establishments in shopping malls have it easy: a fancy window display and loud music can immediately set them apart from adjacent shops. How do you set yourself apart in the big, big world of the Internet? Your answer to this question will also dictate much of the direction of your eventual eCommerce web development.
Do you have a quirky, eclectic company image? Design a site with lots of kiddie graphics and a web application game or two. Are you trying to come off more as a sophisticated online retailer? Put little visual details like minimalist or Victorian themes into the design. Is an online clearance outlet the goal for your company's image? Show customers special offers and discounts at every turn.
You're bound to have just one or two advantages over the next website on the Internet. That's why, once you've identified the things that set you apart, your eCommerce website design should reflect that very thoroughly. It's not enough that the customers see it; they have to feel and remember your advantage as well.
Do your products have special requirements?
Not all products are made equal, so it's highly likely that the needs of your site and your products will be very different from the next site's. Here are a few examples.
If your eCommerce company sells audio hardware, for example, the typical shopping cart software with the click-pay-deliver model will work for inexpensive things like regular earphones. That won't, however, be enough to sell high-end $5,000 theater systems. One common eCommerce solution to this kind of problem is to incorporate a live help system that will have a live customer service representative selling high-end equipment for you.
Aside from high-end items where customers tend to ask a lot of technical questions, there are countless other situations where the usual model won't cut it. Observe how other retailers sell similar items and check what special measures need to be done with you.
It's usually very helpful to have someone on your team who's well-versed with eCommerce web development. He or she should be able to advise you on the specific nuances for your business, thus giving you a better and more profitable site overall.
Jelecos.com has a long roster of companies that we've helped with their eCommerce web development. Let us help you create the optimal ecommerce web design and system for your site as well.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronaldo_Rick
To whom are you selling?
Marketers call this consideration the 'target market' in their professional lingo. Regardless of what you call it, your target market will definitely have to be one of the biggest factors in your eCommerce website design. After all, they'll be the ones who'll see the site and to whom the site should be appealing.
Although you could get off with not specifying your target market in your business plan, you simply can't proceed with eCommerce web development until you define it. That's because certain elements and design considerations work differently for different people. Pages with lots of moving images, for example, might not appeal to older buyers; in the same vein, elaborately written descriptions will be under-appreciated by younger crowds.
How are you different?
Establishments in shopping malls have it easy: a fancy window display and loud music can immediately set them apart from adjacent shops. How do you set yourself apart in the big, big world of the Internet? Your answer to this question will also dictate much of the direction of your eventual eCommerce web development.
Do you have a quirky, eclectic company image? Design a site with lots of kiddie graphics and a web application game or two. Are you trying to come off more as a sophisticated online retailer? Put little visual details like minimalist or Victorian themes into the design. Is an online clearance outlet the goal for your company's image? Show customers special offers and discounts at every turn.
You're bound to have just one or two advantages over the next website on the Internet. That's why, once you've identified the things that set you apart, your eCommerce website design should reflect that very thoroughly. It's not enough that the customers see it; they have to feel and remember your advantage as well.
Do your products have special requirements?
Not all products are made equal, so it's highly likely that the needs of your site and your products will be very different from the next site's. Here are a few examples.
If your eCommerce company sells audio hardware, for example, the typical shopping cart software with the click-pay-deliver model will work for inexpensive things like regular earphones. That won't, however, be enough to sell high-end $5,000 theater systems. One common eCommerce solution to this kind of problem is to incorporate a live help system that will have a live customer service representative selling high-end equipment for you.
Aside from high-end items where customers tend to ask a lot of technical questions, there are countless other situations where the usual model won't cut it. Observe how other retailers sell similar items and check what special measures need to be done with you.
It's usually very helpful to have someone on your team who's well-versed with eCommerce web development. He or she should be able to advise you on the specific nuances for your business, thus giving you a better and more profitable site overall.
Jelecos.com has a long roster of companies that we've helped with their eCommerce web development. Let us help you create the optimal ecommerce web design and system for your site as well.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronaldo_Rick
The Ways to Keep Your Website Smooth Functioning
It is a generally accepted norm that making anything is easier as compared to maintaining it. This holds true for websites as well. Making a website is undoubtedly a strenuous effort but once it is made it is essential to maintain it in a certain way so that it functions smoothly. Revising and editing the content, addition of new pages for quick response to their queries or general information regarding the products or services of your company. These are all some of the things that you can do to maintain your website. A good Los Angeles Web Design Company includes all these aspects of maintenance.
Modifying the website a little bit regularly makes it more lively and fresh. It also attracts the visitors as there is always something novel in the website. However, in order to uphold your site, you need to pay web hosting fees and domain name renewal fees. This is necessary as it will keep your domain name unique and dynamic. Also, the customer's interest in your site will remain intact as there is fresh content, products, features, services and so on. These kinds of services are a kind of customer care services and are generally provided by the web design services in Los Angeles. This type of maintenance of the website ensures your powerful online existence in the web and henceforth, helps you in growing your business. Modifications are generally easy to do but if you are not much of a techno savvy then, appointing a web design consultant is a better option.
Keeping your website dynamic is definitely a positive thing for you as well as your client. The new content that you bring in helps in making your site alive and on the other hand the customer also retains the interest in your site. This is a very positive thing to follow and can be done through two ways. First one is to have a contract with a web designer regarding the maintenance plan. Asking the web designer to regularly make changes after a certain interval and execute some major or minor changes. The second solution is to train a staff member in carrying out the process of modification. The staff member can be trained about HTML editor and some knowledge on word processing programs as well. Knowing of these two things will enable a person to upload the modifications on the server of the content.
There are several factors that influence on the cost of the website maintenance. Some of the factors are the number of new pages added to the site, the inclusion of the products and services and a very significant factor is the frequency of the changes made on the site. Staff member training can be a cost effective way for website maintenance but it has its own problems. The person will have to forgo the ongoing work specially for maintaining the website. Also the person might not be able to resolve any complications that might occur during the process. Therefore it is any day better to have the website maintenance done by a professional web design company which also provides with website services.
The author of this article is a professional writer and has a wide range of experience of working with web Design Company. In the past few years the writer has grabbed good knowledge on web designing and therefore, the article here, shares that knowledge.
web design Los Angeles - http://www.plaveb.com/web-design/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Spenser
Modifying the website a little bit regularly makes it more lively and fresh. It also attracts the visitors as there is always something novel in the website. However, in order to uphold your site, you need to pay web hosting fees and domain name renewal fees. This is necessary as it will keep your domain name unique and dynamic. Also, the customer's interest in your site will remain intact as there is fresh content, products, features, services and so on. These kinds of services are a kind of customer care services and are generally provided by the web design services in Los Angeles. This type of maintenance of the website ensures your powerful online existence in the web and henceforth, helps you in growing your business. Modifications are generally easy to do but if you are not much of a techno savvy then, appointing a web design consultant is a better option.
Keeping your website dynamic is definitely a positive thing for you as well as your client. The new content that you bring in helps in making your site alive and on the other hand the customer also retains the interest in your site. This is a very positive thing to follow and can be done through two ways. First one is to have a contract with a web designer regarding the maintenance plan. Asking the web designer to regularly make changes after a certain interval and execute some major or minor changes. The second solution is to train a staff member in carrying out the process of modification. The staff member can be trained about HTML editor and some knowledge on word processing programs as well. Knowing of these two things will enable a person to upload the modifications on the server of the content.
There are several factors that influence on the cost of the website maintenance. Some of the factors are the number of new pages added to the site, the inclusion of the products and services and a very significant factor is the frequency of the changes made on the site. Staff member training can be a cost effective way for website maintenance but it has its own problems. The person will have to forgo the ongoing work specially for maintaining the website. Also the person might not be able to resolve any complications that might occur during the process. Therefore it is any day better to have the website maintenance done by a professional web design company which also provides with website services.
The author of this article is a professional writer and has a wide range of experience of working with web Design Company. In the past few years the writer has grabbed good knowledge on web designing and therefore, the article here, shares that knowledge.
web design Los Angeles - http://www.plaveb.com/web-design/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Spenser
Getting the Text Appearance Correct on a Web Page
There is a large body of research evidence on how text should be displayed on websites. Unfortunately a large number of web designers seem to have an uncanny knack of ignoring the recommendations from professionals who have undertaken extensive research into web accessibility. In order to ensure a websites accessibility for users is optimized there are numerous simple techniques that should be employed.
Firstly the text on the website should utilize familiar fonts such as Times New Roman or Georgia (serif fonts), or Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana (sans serif fonts), with a size no smaller that 12pt. The reasoning behind this is that it is harder and slower to read text which uses an unfamiliar font. Moving below 12pt for the text on a a web page results in slower performance, going below 9pt is one sure way of getting users to leave your website for good. Also consider your target audience. If the users may be over 65 then consider upping the font size to 14pt. Also be aware that whilst the font may appear acceptable on your browser on your PC, it might be completely unacceptable on someone else's browser on a different platform, e.g. a Mac.
Next the contrast between the text and the background should be as high as possible, again to improve the legibility. The ultimate contrast of course being white text on a black background or black text on a white background. Believe it or not, people read high contrast text up to 32% faster than low contrast text, or text on a patterned background. Whilst on the subject of background colours, these can be effectively used to help group together items of related information. Using 'mixed-case' fonts for reading prose text means that most letters will be lower-case, with all letters that should be capitalized being in upper-case. Most users have had considerable experience reading lower-case letters and are therefore will prove to be very proficient at it.
Throughout the website the styles used for main headings, subheadings, lists, paragraphs and the like should be consistent. If you have items such as phone numbers, postcodes or times, make sure that these are in a format that is common. Certain of these items will depend on the geographical area of the users. Attention grabbing items, such as animations should be used sparingly. Whilst a nice animated banner may grab someone's attention, ask yourself if this is detracting from what you want the user of the site to do next. Movement such as animation is one of the most effective attention-grabbing item. Researchers have found that people cannot stop themselves from initially looking at moving items on a web page. Be warned however, if the movement is not relevant or useful, it may (will?) annoy the user. If the movement continues after attracting attention, it may distract from the information on the Web site. How many times have you started to read the text on a web page only to discover that you end up being distracted by that advert on the side of the page. Advertisers know the power of animated adverts!
Returning to consistency of a whole website, two research based studies have found that the number of errors made by website users using visually inconsistent displays is reliably higher than when using visually consistent displays. Visual consistency in this case includes amongst other items the size and spacing of characters on the web page; the colours used for labels, fonts and backgrounds; and the locations of labels, text and images. Earlier research studies have found that tasks performed on more consistent interfaces resulted in:
(1) a reduction in task completion times;
(2) a reduction in errors;
(3) an increase in user satisfaction; and
(4) a reduction in learning time.
For many websites it can be seen that this will increase the sites popularity, increase the number of repeat visits and reduce the bounce rate. Remember that consistency here not only refers to pages within a single website, but where items are placed generally. Only a fool would place a navigation menu on the bottom right of a web page - most people look top and left, and that is where you should place it, otherwise the user just might hit their back button and move to a different site.
If you and your web designer follow these basic guidelines then you are on your way to creating a highly usable, and therefore popular, website.
Established in 2002, Switchplane Ltd is a Sussex Web Design company operating in the South East of the UK. Switchplane are capable of undertaking web based projects using a variety of technologies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Reed
Firstly the text on the website should utilize familiar fonts such as Times New Roman or Georgia (serif fonts), or Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana (sans serif fonts), with a size no smaller that 12pt. The reasoning behind this is that it is harder and slower to read text which uses an unfamiliar font. Moving below 12pt for the text on a a web page results in slower performance, going below 9pt is one sure way of getting users to leave your website for good. Also consider your target audience. If the users may be over 65 then consider upping the font size to 14pt. Also be aware that whilst the font may appear acceptable on your browser on your PC, it might be completely unacceptable on someone else's browser on a different platform, e.g. a Mac.
Next the contrast between the text and the background should be as high as possible, again to improve the legibility. The ultimate contrast of course being white text on a black background or black text on a white background. Believe it or not, people read high contrast text up to 32% faster than low contrast text, or text on a patterned background. Whilst on the subject of background colours, these can be effectively used to help group together items of related information. Using 'mixed-case' fonts for reading prose text means that most letters will be lower-case, with all letters that should be capitalized being in upper-case. Most users have had considerable experience reading lower-case letters and are therefore will prove to be very proficient at it.
Throughout the website the styles used for main headings, subheadings, lists, paragraphs and the like should be consistent. If you have items such as phone numbers, postcodes or times, make sure that these are in a format that is common. Certain of these items will depend on the geographical area of the users. Attention grabbing items, such as animations should be used sparingly. Whilst a nice animated banner may grab someone's attention, ask yourself if this is detracting from what you want the user of the site to do next. Movement such as animation is one of the most effective attention-grabbing item. Researchers have found that people cannot stop themselves from initially looking at moving items on a web page. Be warned however, if the movement is not relevant or useful, it may (will?) annoy the user. If the movement continues after attracting attention, it may distract from the information on the Web site. How many times have you started to read the text on a web page only to discover that you end up being distracted by that advert on the side of the page. Advertisers know the power of animated adverts!
Returning to consistency of a whole website, two research based studies have found that the number of errors made by website users using visually inconsistent displays is reliably higher than when using visually consistent displays. Visual consistency in this case includes amongst other items the size and spacing of characters on the web page; the colours used for labels, fonts and backgrounds; and the locations of labels, text and images. Earlier research studies have found that tasks performed on more consistent interfaces resulted in:
(1) a reduction in task completion times;
(2) a reduction in errors;
(3) an increase in user satisfaction; and
(4) a reduction in learning time.
For many websites it can be seen that this will increase the sites popularity, increase the number of repeat visits and reduce the bounce rate. Remember that consistency here not only refers to pages within a single website, but where items are placed generally. Only a fool would place a navigation menu on the bottom right of a web page - most people look top and left, and that is where you should place it, otherwise the user just might hit their back button and move to a different site.
If you and your web designer follow these basic guidelines then you are on your way to creating a highly usable, and therefore popular, website.
Established in 2002, Switchplane Ltd is a Sussex Web Design company operating in the South East of the UK. Switchplane are capable of undertaking web based projects using a variety of technologies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Reed
The Importance of Customizing Your Website
It is essential to create a distinct image in the market so as to bring the prospective customers to its fold. The success of every business depends heavily on their presentation. A website can serve you the purpose of a tangible company when it comes to online business. A web-design based on the templates does not create an effective company image and hence, plenty of companies have shifted their focus on custom web design.
Custom web design are ordained to exhibit your business in an attractive format and thereby define the professional business image. Since all companies are different from one another, it is better to have a website that is customized according to the companies purpose and needs.
A customized website must be simple to understand and should be very attractive too at the same time. The website should be unique in terms of its functionality and looks. It should be able to retain the client's interest in the business that you are dealing in. The custom web design must be a combination of descriptive and instructive so that it can arouse the interest s of the visitors. The website must also have good usability features with proper linkage of the pages. Easy navigation of the site is also essential. A good customized website can help in online branding and marketing.
However, mere good looks of the website are not important, it is also essential to have proper functionality. The loading speed of the website must also be good. The web users lose interest in the site if it does not open up quickly. Therefore, even if you have the most beautiful web design, chances are that it might still fail to get you the expected results. It is the quality and the quantity that counts. A professional web design company knows this in a better way and hence, it is a wise choice to get your website done by a good web design company.
The author of this article is an expert in the field of content writing and has written articles on various subjects. The author has been working with a web design company. A wide range of experience of working in a web design company has enabled the writer to throw some light on the topic of the significance of the web design.
Web Design Company - http://www.plaveb.com/web-design/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Spenser
Custom web design are ordained to exhibit your business in an attractive format and thereby define the professional business image. Since all companies are different from one another, it is better to have a website that is customized according to the companies purpose and needs.
A customized website must be simple to understand and should be very attractive too at the same time. The website should be unique in terms of its functionality and looks. It should be able to retain the client's interest in the business that you are dealing in. The custom web design must be a combination of descriptive and instructive so that it can arouse the interest s of the visitors. The website must also have good usability features with proper linkage of the pages. Easy navigation of the site is also essential. A good customized website can help in online branding and marketing.
However, mere good looks of the website are not important, it is also essential to have proper functionality. The loading speed of the website must also be good. The web users lose interest in the site if it does not open up quickly. Therefore, even if you have the most beautiful web design, chances are that it might still fail to get you the expected results. It is the quality and the quantity that counts. A professional web design company knows this in a better way and hence, it is a wise choice to get your website done by a good web design company.
The author of this article is an expert in the field of content writing and has written articles on various subjects. The author has been working with a web design company. A wide range of experience of working in a web design company has enabled the writer to throw some light on the topic of the significance of the web design.
Web Design Company - http://www.plaveb.com/web-design/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Spenser
The Best Design Solutions For Your WordPress Website
Six Sources for finding the best design solutions for your WordPress website.
Free WordPress Themes directory is the most important provider. Here you can find the newest themes, plugins and news about WordPress.
WordPress Themes Archive has gathered over 2000 free themes and, excluding the directory which allows the preview of each individual themes, provides a file containing all the themes, a file which has nearly 400 mb and which can be downloaded directly from the website as an archive (in zip or tar.gz) or with a torrent client. If you don't want the whole collection, just download the themes that you are interested in; the files are available for themes with a column, 2, 3 or 4 columns.
There are also disadvantages; would you expect everything to be perfect? The theme doesn't allow too many criteria for sorting - only category, color and positioning of the sidebar and is quite time consuming to navigate through more than 100 pages. In addition, almost any theme downloaded contains an additional link, paid advertising for an online store, in one of the footer or sidebars. Not that it would be too difficult to remove that link! Last but not least, a rather important omission is that there's no link to the home page theme, meaning you don't have any idea if the theme is working correctly on your version of WordPress and you also don't know if any updates have occurred for this theme.
Smashing magazine presents 100 free high-quality WordPress templates. The team of Smashingmagazine has carefully selected among hundreds of designs and themes, which have been manually selected, installed and tested over the last weeks. All the themes can be downloaded, customized and used for free in both personal and commercial projects. Links to demo-versions provide a direct preview of a theme. In other article, they said that you can explore a gallery with 83 free themes which probably you haven't seen yet. All themes offer quality, elegance and a user-friendly interface.
Top WordPress Themes is a collection of top themes, selected by columns (2 or 3 columns) or by author. All the templates are free and the disadvantage is that you can't sort by colors or category (like business, personal page, etc.)
WordPress Themes Base offers you a collection of fresh WordPress themes. They praise to bring you the most fresh, appealing, and unique themes. The collection contains a sufficient number of templates. A wide choice of this website will help you to pick the right one for your needs. Here you will find creative approaches based upon a simple WordPress template and the most amazing designs and nonstandard layout solutions. All themes are absolutely free and can be used for personal or commercial purposes. At times design-communities give in public use unique WordPress Themes that offer high quality, elegance and a user-friendly interface.
WP Themes 360 is a huge directory for WordPress themes. The principle is simple, you must choose a theme from 32 pages with 50 templates per page. When you navigate to this directory, your eyes automatically select the best WordPress template on the page. You can play with the themes using the "randomize" button. The game is called "Try Randomize!" and you can create unique and fresh selection of templates.
http://iulianbaciu.com/internet/wordpress-themes/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Iulian_Baciu
Iulian Baciu - EzineArticles Expert Author
Free WordPress Themes directory is the most important provider. Here you can find the newest themes, plugins and news about WordPress.
WordPress Themes Archive has gathered over 2000 free themes and, excluding the directory which allows the preview of each individual themes, provides a file containing all the themes, a file which has nearly 400 mb and which can be downloaded directly from the website as an archive (in zip or tar.gz) or with a torrent client. If you don't want the whole collection, just download the themes that you are interested in; the files are available for themes with a column, 2, 3 or 4 columns.
There are also disadvantages; would you expect everything to be perfect? The theme doesn't allow too many criteria for sorting - only category, color and positioning of the sidebar and is quite time consuming to navigate through more than 100 pages. In addition, almost any theme downloaded contains an additional link, paid advertising for an online store, in one of the footer or sidebars. Not that it would be too difficult to remove that link! Last but not least, a rather important omission is that there's no link to the home page theme, meaning you don't have any idea if the theme is working correctly on your version of WordPress and you also don't know if any updates have occurred for this theme.
Smashing magazine presents 100 free high-quality WordPress templates. The team of Smashingmagazine has carefully selected among hundreds of designs and themes, which have been manually selected, installed and tested over the last weeks. All the themes can be downloaded, customized and used for free in both personal and commercial projects. Links to demo-versions provide a direct preview of a theme. In other article, they said that you can explore a gallery with 83 free themes which probably you haven't seen yet. All themes offer quality, elegance and a user-friendly interface.
Top WordPress Themes is a collection of top themes, selected by columns (2 or 3 columns) or by author. All the templates are free and the disadvantage is that you can't sort by colors or category (like business, personal page, etc.)
WordPress Themes Base offers you a collection of fresh WordPress themes. They praise to bring you the most fresh, appealing, and unique themes. The collection contains a sufficient number of templates. A wide choice of this website will help you to pick the right one for your needs. Here you will find creative approaches based upon a simple WordPress template and the most amazing designs and nonstandard layout solutions. All themes are absolutely free and can be used for personal or commercial purposes. At times design-communities give in public use unique WordPress Themes that offer high quality, elegance and a user-friendly interface.
WP Themes 360 is a huge directory for WordPress themes. The principle is simple, you must choose a theme from 32 pages with 50 templates per page. When you navigate to this directory, your eyes automatically select the best WordPress template on the page. You can play with the themes using the "randomize" button. The game is called "Try Randomize!" and you can create unique and fresh selection of templates.
http://iulianbaciu.com/internet/wordpress-themes/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Iulian_Baciu
Iulian Baciu - EzineArticles Expert Author
Build It, They Will Come - Change it They Might Leave
Maybe you are just plain tired of looking at the same colors every time you open up your web page. Maybe there is a really great script that will help your users do so much more, and save time. Or maybe you have ran out of things to do and you need to look busy.
Whatever the reason, you are set on a course of site redesign, and there is no turning back. Hey, you have already convinced everyone in your office how great this is going to work out. You have to make this work! One problem though, when you went through this 2 years ago, there were not quite the rave reviews you were hoping for.
Turns out, folks get used to doing things a certain way. They find comfort in seeing the same things in the same locations. Even if they have to click 14 times to get widget x to send their information, they know that 14 clicks is what it takes. You think, "I can make this take only 7 1/2 clicks". A great idea, everyone agrees. You implement the change expecting accolades from all of your users, and you get the first batch of emails.
Dear Webmaster,
I was looking forward to my daily click fest, making a friendly wager with my friend that I bet I could click 14 times in a far more dexterous manner than they. To my surprise, somewhere after 10 clicks I had signed up for 4 1/2 spam news letters, did something change? btw, you owe me a dollar two ninety eight.
...and the undeniable..
Dear Support,
I don't like it, blue is not my favorite color.
Of course not mentioning what their favorite color is, nor letting you know where in the world they saw blue on the new site!
For a most part, and depending on your audience, people are uncomfortable with change. When you find yourself in a position where you must, consider these points.
* try to search through old emails and see if there are any points of agreement, at least a couple people, before making a change that affects the user's experience
* Make your changes in subtle increments, go for 12 clicks instead of 7 1/2 to start with!
* Present your changes to some random people for review, but do not tell them what you changed. This will help you get an unbiased opinion
* Save a copy of the previous version
Eric Johnson is a Game and Software Developer. He has been coding for over 15 years in a variety of languages. He previously taught software development for a national technical school. For the past 10 years he has worked at Tournament Games Inc, the grand-daddy of casual game sites.
http://www.tournamentgames.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Eric_Johnson
Whatever the reason, you are set on a course of site redesign, and there is no turning back. Hey, you have already convinced everyone in your office how great this is going to work out. You have to make this work! One problem though, when you went through this 2 years ago, there were not quite the rave reviews you were hoping for.
Turns out, folks get used to doing things a certain way. They find comfort in seeing the same things in the same locations. Even if they have to click 14 times to get widget x to send their information, they know that 14 clicks is what it takes. You think, "I can make this take only 7 1/2 clicks". A great idea, everyone agrees. You implement the change expecting accolades from all of your users, and you get the first batch of emails.
Dear Webmaster,
I was looking forward to my daily click fest, making a friendly wager with my friend that I bet I could click 14 times in a far more dexterous manner than they. To my surprise, somewhere after 10 clicks I had signed up for 4 1/2 spam news letters, did something change? btw, you owe me a dollar two ninety eight.
...and the undeniable..
Dear Support,
I don't like it, blue is not my favorite color.
Of course not mentioning what their favorite color is, nor letting you know where in the world they saw blue on the new site!
For a most part, and depending on your audience, people are uncomfortable with change. When you find yourself in a position where you must, consider these points.
* try to search through old emails and see if there are any points of agreement, at least a couple people, before making a change that affects the user's experience
* Make your changes in subtle increments, go for 12 clicks instead of 7 1/2 to start with!
* Present your changes to some random people for review, but do not tell them what you changed. This will help you get an unbiased opinion
* Save a copy of the previous version
Eric Johnson is a Game and Software Developer. He has been coding for over 15 years in a variety of languages. He previously taught software development for a national technical school. For the past 10 years he has worked at Tournament Games Inc, the grand-daddy of casual game sites.
http://www.tournamentgames.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Eric_Johnson
Making My Own Site - A Journey
The process of making my own site used to be so hard. Once I knew all the tools and resources that I need to have in order to start building my site, the process had become extremely easy. I could easily create a web site over and over again with little or no effort at all. When I first started out on building a web site, everything seemed so hard and blurry. So many technical things to learn and I was not good at all creating content. I searched the internet for the best web site building tools and ended up getting scammed over and over again.
The scams did not stop my desire to start making my own site. My focus changed every so often during this journey. Instead of making my own site, I ended up buying a lot of useless e-books offering fancy promises and fell into false marketing leads. I did not regret it at all, since it was during those times that I managed to hone my skills in identifying which are useful offers and which are simply baits to separate me with my "hard-earned money".
I had a full time job which made everything worse. I started my site building effort after working hours; sometimes all the way up to 2 or 3 in the morning. The following day, I still had to wake up at 6 in the morning to show up at work on time. In the very last minute; right before I gave up, I found the best web site making program. Not only it enabled me to start making my own site, it also gave me all the necessary information, training and tools to start making my own site effortlessly. With all these tools made available for me, all I need to do now is getting a topic I love and start making my own site.
Now, when someone asks me how did I start making my own site, I would point them out to the coolest resources on creating a website. No HTML or any technical knowledge required at all. I can focus on my content and start producing quality contents. Get your very own site up and running now and enjoy all the FREEDOM of working from home.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W_Dodoli
The scams did not stop my desire to start making my own site. My focus changed every so often during this journey. Instead of making my own site, I ended up buying a lot of useless e-books offering fancy promises and fell into false marketing leads. I did not regret it at all, since it was during those times that I managed to hone my skills in identifying which are useful offers and which are simply baits to separate me with my "hard-earned money".
I had a full time job which made everything worse. I started my site building effort after working hours; sometimes all the way up to 2 or 3 in the morning. The following day, I still had to wake up at 6 in the morning to show up at work on time. In the very last minute; right before I gave up, I found the best web site making program. Not only it enabled me to start making my own site, it also gave me all the necessary information, training and tools to start making my own site effortlessly. With all these tools made available for me, all I need to do now is getting a topic I love and start making my own site.
Now, when someone asks me how did I start making my own site, I would point them out to the coolest resources on creating a website. No HTML or any technical knowledge required at all. I can focus on my content and start producing quality contents. Get your very own site up and running now and enjoy all the FREEDOM of working from home.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W_Dodoli
Points of Consideration For Flash Game Development
Flash website design is being used in various areas in a site for better results. One such concept is of flash games, it gives the fun element to a website and is interactive in nature. These games can be used for various purposes like viral marketing, education, awareness, just to add fun element to a site for attracting and sustaining the visitors.
Developing a successful flash game plan is not so easy. The game development team should be highly skilled with loads of creativity. Certain things have to be taken care of while creating online games. It is acceptable that certain amount of challenge is welcomed by the players but they also like to get victory at the end. But that does not mean that the game should be very easy that the player wins it everytime, nor so difficult that someone cannot win it without computer's help. Therefore the difficulty level should be kept in moderation.
In case the game has difficulty level than construct them in smaller stages with reward points. It would keep the players engaged and spirits uplifted while they get practice to become a champion. Such variations are usually done by keeping different level of difficulty starting from the easy level. The player has to select the level at the starting of the game. Options to choose between beginner, intermediate and expert modes can be given. Thus the player can choose the option according to their gaming skills.
Keep the rewards system in the flash games, which gives rewards of a player if they win a certain stage in the game so that they get further motivation to play ahead. You can do this by randomizing some game elements or offer different version every time they start to play the advanced stages. Such steps would encourage the visitors to re-visit your site.
Discuss with your flash website designer about what features and technology you can put into the interactive game for extended and strategic benefits.
If a player enjoys playing the flash game designed and wish to share it with their friends, so provide facilities to share your game. You can do this by giving the bookmarking button option on the gaming page. Or else consult with the game designer to put any new forms of creative ways for better encouragement to the players. Keep these important issues in mind while flash game development for good response.
Copyright © 2009
SPINX - Web Design Company Company provides services like Graphic Design Santa Barbara, Website Design West Hollywood, Website Design Santa Monica & also across the world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_L_Smith
Developing a successful flash game plan is not so easy. The game development team should be highly skilled with loads of creativity. Certain things have to be taken care of while creating online games. It is acceptable that certain amount of challenge is welcomed by the players but they also like to get victory at the end. But that does not mean that the game should be very easy that the player wins it everytime, nor so difficult that someone cannot win it without computer's help. Therefore the difficulty level should be kept in moderation.
In case the game has difficulty level than construct them in smaller stages with reward points. It would keep the players engaged and spirits uplifted while they get practice to become a champion. Such variations are usually done by keeping different level of difficulty starting from the easy level. The player has to select the level at the starting of the game. Options to choose between beginner, intermediate and expert modes can be given. Thus the player can choose the option according to their gaming skills.
Keep the rewards system in the flash games, which gives rewards of a player if they win a certain stage in the game so that they get further motivation to play ahead. You can do this by randomizing some game elements or offer different version every time they start to play the advanced stages. Such steps would encourage the visitors to re-visit your site.
Discuss with your flash website designer about what features and technology you can put into the interactive game for extended and strategic benefits.
If a player enjoys playing the flash game designed and wish to share it with their friends, so provide facilities to share your game. You can do this by giving the bookmarking button option on the gaming page. Or else consult with the game designer to put any new forms of creative ways for better encouragement to the players. Keep these important issues in mind while flash game development for good response.
Copyright © 2009
SPINX - Web Design Company Company provides services like Graphic Design Santa Barbara, Website Design West Hollywood, Website Design Santa Monica & also across the world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_L_Smith
User Experience Over Usability
We all know a poor experience with a brand can be fatal. Have you returned to a restaurant where you got poor food, or terrible service? Have you gone so far as to warn others away?
A good experience is essential for a customer to return. Happy customers recommend your site/brand/company to others, and people are much more likely to make purchases from somewhere that has been recommended by a friend. Happy customers are walking, talking billboards, which are a great way to drum up business.
Every time a customer comes into contact with your organisation they will judge your brand, assess it and decide if it's worth their trust and money. These days one of the first contact points with potential customers is your website, so it is absolutely crucial in determining the overall brand experience. Site usability can have a key influence on this experience. When searching online for a restaurant and presented with 2 options, which will be preferred - one with an online menu including prices, good directions and a clear phone number, or one with no obvious phone number, just a map and a basic description of the type of food?
The big picture
Let's look at the difference in focus between usability and user experience. Good site usability has several advantages. It ensures people are able to use the site - making purchases, signing up to subscriptions, etc. It also reduces points where people get stuck or frustrated. After people finish using the site they walk away with a positive perception of the brand.
But how about after they've turned off the computer? User experience focuses on the big picture. It looks beyond the site at the whole experience. It widens the scope of focus beyond the website to everything that surrounds it.
All further points of contact can add to (or detract from) this experience of interacting with your brand. This means every touch point may ruin or reinforce your hard won trust. Touch points such as email communications, packing slips, how phone calls and emails are handled, all continue to influence your customers perceptions of the brand.
How can you ensure a good experience throughout? By diligently checking your contact processes and content. Checking your user experience will give you a clear idea where your communications are letting you down. Do a couple of test runs of what the entire flow of contact is like for both a newly arrived potential customer and a return customer.
Keeping track of all these touch points can be hard work. Do you know what emails are sent out to your customers? As an example, before a meeting with a company we made a test purchase on their site. We printed off all the automatic emails received as a result and took them to the meeting. When we showed them their email communications they didn't believe that 1 was their own. Their system was sending an email to all their customers, which no one responsible for the brand had ever seen or approved!
Key areas to examine
Things you should ensure you check include:
* All automated emails (both their content and exactly when they are sent)
* Packaging and all accompanying letters and flyers
* How customers do the most common tasks
* All advertising
* Call centre responses
* How you handle troubleshooting - Trouble shooting is often a make or break point with brand interaction, if a company is not helpful in helping me recover from a mistake, for example, ordering the wrong item, then why should I continue to use them?
Key questions
Common questions to ask for each include:
* With all communications - Do they make sense? Is there any risk of misinterpretation? Is all the information needed on them? Do they reflect your brand? Are they on message? Are all communications consistent? Do you give the same information in your call centres, on emails and online?
* For all processes - Have you made them as easy as possible? Are there points where what was planned and what happens differs? What must the customer do to solve the most common problems? Is this reasonable? Is there anything you can do to help?
Remember - All contact with customers is a conversation about your brand. Ensuring clarity and uniformity throughout this contact and good troubleshooting is the best way to ensure your customers will come back and, perhaps more importantly, sing your praises to others.
This article was written by Alistair Gray a consultant at the user experience consultancy, Webcredible ( http://www.webcredible.co.uk ).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alistair_Gray
A good experience is essential for a customer to return. Happy customers recommend your site/brand/company to others, and people are much more likely to make purchases from somewhere that has been recommended by a friend. Happy customers are walking, talking billboards, which are a great way to drum up business.
Every time a customer comes into contact with your organisation they will judge your brand, assess it and decide if it's worth their trust and money. These days one of the first contact points with potential customers is your website, so it is absolutely crucial in determining the overall brand experience. Site usability can have a key influence on this experience. When searching online for a restaurant and presented with 2 options, which will be preferred - one with an online menu including prices, good directions and a clear phone number, or one with no obvious phone number, just a map and a basic description of the type of food?
The big picture
Let's look at the difference in focus between usability and user experience. Good site usability has several advantages. It ensures people are able to use the site - making purchases, signing up to subscriptions, etc. It also reduces points where people get stuck or frustrated. After people finish using the site they walk away with a positive perception of the brand.
But how about after they've turned off the computer? User experience focuses on the big picture. It looks beyond the site at the whole experience. It widens the scope of focus beyond the website to everything that surrounds it.
All further points of contact can add to (or detract from) this experience of interacting with your brand. This means every touch point may ruin or reinforce your hard won trust. Touch points such as email communications, packing slips, how phone calls and emails are handled, all continue to influence your customers perceptions of the brand.
How can you ensure a good experience throughout? By diligently checking your contact processes and content. Checking your user experience will give you a clear idea where your communications are letting you down. Do a couple of test runs of what the entire flow of contact is like for both a newly arrived potential customer and a return customer.
Keeping track of all these touch points can be hard work. Do you know what emails are sent out to your customers? As an example, before a meeting with a company we made a test purchase on their site. We printed off all the automatic emails received as a result and took them to the meeting. When we showed them their email communications they didn't believe that 1 was their own. Their system was sending an email to all their customers, which no one responsible for the brand had ever seen or approved!
Key areas to examine
Things you should ensure you check include:
* All automated emails (both their content and exactly when they are sent)
* Packaging and all accompanying letters and flyers
* How customers do the most common tasks
* All advertising
* Call centre responses
* How you handle troubleshooting - Trouble shooting is often a make or break point with brand interaction, if a company is not helpful in helping me recover from a mistake, for example, ordering the wrong item, then why should I continue to use them?
Key questions
Common questions to ask for each include:
* With all communications - Do they make sense? Is there any risk of misinterpretation? Is all the information needed on them? Do they reflect your brand? Are they on message? Are all communications consistent? Do you give the same information in your call centres, on emails and online?
* For all processes - Have you made them as easy as possible? Are there points where what was planned and what happens differs? What must the customer do to solve the most common problems? Is this reasonable? Is there anything you can do to help?
Remember - All contact with customers is a conversation about your brand. Ensuring clarity and uniformity throughout this contact and good troubleshooting is the best way to ensure your customers will come back and, perhaps more importantly, sing your praises to others.
This article was written by Alistair Gray a consultant at the user experience consultancy, Webcredible ( http://www.webcredible.co.uk ).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alistair_Gray
Building My First Website Like an Experienced Professional
So, you're ready to claim a little chunk of virtual real estate for yourself! Way to go. Having a website is great-whether you're doing it for business or personal reasons. The trick is creating a good looking and functional site without going bald in the process!
Going bald? That's right. If you don't go about putting your first site together the right way, you might end up yanking all of your hair from your scalp. Doing things the first time is always tough, but building a site without previous experience can be particularly trying. You hear it all the time:
"I was building my first website and I just couldn't get it right! It drove me crazy."
"I was trying to get my first site together and the whole process was infuriating."
"It took FOREVER to get my first site up and running. There was so much to learn!"
You get the idea. It can be a challenge. Luckily, there is a way to get things started without driving yourself crazy in the process. You can rely upon some expert guidance and instruction to shorten your learning curve. You can get your hands on quality tutorials and step by step plans that will take you from being a complete newbie to having a fully functioning site.
You can enroll over at the school of hard knocks instead. You can figure out every little thing you need to do to go from idea to fully-realized website. Prepare to invest in a wig or toupee if you go that route, though. The smarter way is to use the experience and tutelage of those who've "been there and done that" to your maximum advantage.
Preparing to build your first site? Stop right now. Find a good tutorial before you take the plunge. You'll save yourself a lot of time and effort that way. You'll undoubtedly be happier with the final outcome, too.
If you do follow some smart instructions, you'll be saying, "I was building my first website and it was so easy! And I have a full head of hair to prove it!"
"Building my first website" information is only the tip of the iceberg.
Check out this site today. It shows beginners how to build a basic website with a rock-solid opt-in form. It makes creating a serious, fully functional website fast and easy, breaking the process down over 10 easy-to-ingest sessions.
Get the written instructions, helpful images and how-to videos here:
http://www.thefasterwebmaster.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Timber
Going bald? That's right. If you don't go about putting your first site together the right way, you might end up yanking all of your hair from your scalp. Doing things the first time is always tough, but building a site without previous experience can be particularly trying. You hear it all the time:
"I was building my first website and I just couldn't get it right! It drove me crazy."
"I was trying to get my first site together and the whole process was infuriating."
"It took FOREVER to get my first site up and running. There was so much to learn!"
You get the idea. It can be a challenge. Luckily, there is a way to get things started without driving yourself crazy in the process. You can rely upon some expert guidance and instruction to shorten your learning curve. You can get your hands on quality tutorials and step by step plans that will take you from being a complete newbie to having a fully functioning site.
You can enroll over at the school of hard knocks instead. You can figure out every little thing you need to do to go from idea to fully-realized website. Prepare to invest in a wig or toupee if you go that route, though. The smarter way is to use the experience and tutelage of those who've "been there and done that" to your maximum advantage.
Preparing to build your first site? Stop right now. Find a good tutorial before you take the plunge. You'll save yourself a lot of time and effort that way. You'll undoubtedly be happier with the final outcome, too.
If you do follow some smart instructions, you'll be saying, "I was building my first website and it was so easy! And I have a full head of hair to prove it!"
"Building my first website" information is only the tip of the iceberg.
Check out this site today. It shows beginners how to build a basic website with a rock-solid opt-in form. It makes creating a serious, fully functional website fast and easy, breaking the process down over 10 easy-to-ingest sessions.
Get the written instructions, helpful images and how-to videos here:
http://www.thefasterwebmaster.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Timber
Website Building Tutorials Make Life Easier - And More Profitable
If you're getting ready to build a website, stop. Don't do it yet. Don't take another step without first securing quality website building tutorials that will march you through the process. Solid instructional materials are often the difference between a positive experience and a frustrating series of disappointments.
That's because there are so many different "little things" that can go into the building of a functional website. Any one of those smaller factors can snowball into a major challenge if you're trying to learn the process on your own. The better approach is to shorten the learning curve by utilizing the instruction and insight of those who have a solid grip on the best strategies for website building.
Tutorials can serve as a handy blueprint. They'll take you from Point A to Point Z, providing you with context and instruction every step of the way. It's hard to overestimate just how much easier this can make the process of website creation. Instead of wondering what do to next-and how to do it-everything is spelled out for you.
You could do it all yourself. After a great deal of effort, you might even end up with the site of your dreams when all is said and done. The question, however, is how long it would take you to get the job done. How much time would you waste "reinventing the wheel"? How many completely avoidable mistakes would you make along the way?
In other words, it takes a lot longer-and a much more effort-to graduate from the school of hard knocks than it does to to get the same education from some of the many fantastic website building tutorials currently available. There may be a compelling argument in favor of beating yourself up to accomplish the task instead of of approaching site building with a good "how to" guide in hand, but it's hard to imagine what that would be.
So, before you start struggling with the construction of a new website, take some time to find some helpful instructional information. Building a site doesn't need to be a long, arduous, headache-inducing process. It can be fun and easy when you're using proven techniques presented by experienced webmasters.
Website building tutorials are only the tip of the iceberg.
Check out this site today. It shows beginners how to build a basic website with a rock-solid opt-in form. It makes creating a serious, fully functional website fast and easy, breaking the process down over 10 easy-to-ingest sessions.
Get the written instructions, helpful images and how-to videos here: http://www.thefasterwebmaster.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Timber
That's because there are so many different "little things" that can go into the building of a functional website. Any one of those smaller factors can snowball into a major challenge if you're trying to learn the process on your own. The better approach is to shorten the learning curve by utilizing the instruction and insight of those who have a solid grip on the best strategies for website building.
Tutorials can serve as a handy blueprint. They'll take you from Point A to Point Z, providing you with context and instruction every step of the way. It's hard to overestimate just how much easier this can make the process of website creation. Instead of wondering what do to next-and how to do it-everything is spelled out for you.
You could do it all yourself. After a great deal of effort, you might even end up with the site of your dreams when all is said and done. The question, however, is how long it would take you to get the job done. How much time would you waste "reinventing the wheel"? How many completely avoidable mistakes would you make along the way?
In other words, it takes a lot longer-and a much more effort-to graduate from the school of hard knocks than it does to to get the same education from some of the many fantastic website building tutorials currently available. There may be a compelling argument in favor of beating yourself up to accomplish the task instead of of approaching site building with a good "how to" guide in hand, but it's hard to imagine what that would be.
So, before you start struggling with the construction of a new website, take some time to find some helpful instructional information. Building a site doesn't need to be a long, arduous, headache-inducing process. It can be fun and easy when you're using proven techniques presented by experienced webmasters.
Website building tutorials are only the tip of the iceberg.
Check out this site today. It shows beginners how to build a basic website with a rock-solid opt-in form. It makes creating a serious, fully functional website fast and easy, breaking the process down over 10 easy-to-ingest sessions.
Get the written instructions, helpful images and how-to videos here: http://www.thefasterwebmaster.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Timber
Website Creation - Some Programs Designed to Make Website Creation Easier
There are a variety of different programs you can use to help you in the process of website creation. Depending on your needs for your website you'll see that you will have plenty of options to aid you in this process. Gone are the days when you needed to know HTML programming and other complicated skills in order to get your website up and running. Today, the various editors, programs and tool kits allow you to easily create, customize, manipulate and update your website.
One of the most popular programs for website creation today is WordPress. WordPress is actually a blogging platform; however, you can create a wide array of website styles and varieties with the power of this program. There are hundreds and hundreds of different templates you can use, and customizing layouts and site designs is easy and intuitive. You can add a WordPress blog to your website as a separate edition or your entire website can be based off of the WordPress system.
With so many people that use this tool, there is a plentiful supply of online help, resources and add on programs and plug-ins. This is one of the real strengths of the WordPress system, not only is it free, but you'll be able to solve any issue or problem with the help of millions of other experienced users. WordPress makes it easy to optimize your website for the search engines while presenting a unique and appealing look for your visitors.
Other blogging platforms are also popular for website creation. These include Blogger and TypePad. You'll find that different people usually prefer one or the other. It seems that WordPress however has the greatest pure functionality and flexibility.
There are also several different popular and free content management systems. A CMS is a tool that is designed to allow for easy website updating, without the need of any programming or other time consuming activities. Two of the most popular free CMS programs today are Joomla and Drupal. Both have different advantages and disadvantages depending on what you're are looking for. Another slightly different CMS is Dot Net Nuke which is popular with more advanced users.
Outside of these options you also have programs for website creation such as Microsoft FrontPage. FrontPage is a WYSIWYG editor, or "What you see is what you get" -- which means that you can drag and drop components and layouts without the need for any programming. While all of the above programs are browser based, meaning you are editing the site while you're in your browser, with FrontPage you can work offline and then connect to your site to make the appropriate updates.
These are just a few of the available options for easy website creation. No matter how little experience you have with website creation or with programming in general, any of these tools will be able to help you get a successful website up and running very quickly. Find the one that best matches your needs and your desires and you'll find the options to be quite limitless.
If you would like more information about online business development, we have just completed a free ebook entitled "Learn How to Easily Create Your Own Website and Actually Understand the Full Process, Even If You Are a Newbie".
Download the free ebook here: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Sharon Zolna and Larry Zolna are authors of numerous articles as well as coaches for online business development and other related fields. To receive valuable tips and information about developing your online business as well as a free ebook on website development, please visit our website: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Zolna
One of the most popular programs for website creation today is WordPress. WordPress is actually a blogging platform; however, you can create a wide array of website styles and varieties with the power of this program. There are hundreds and hundreds of different templates you can use, and customizing layouts and site designs is easy and intuitive. You can add a WordPress blog to your website as a separate edition or your entire website can be based off of the WordPress system.
With so many people that use this tool, there is a plentiful supply of online help, resources and add on programs and plug-ins. This is one of the real strengths of the WordPress system, not only is it free, but you'll be able to solve any issue or problem with the help of millions of other experienced users. WordPress makes it easy to optimize your website for the search engines while presenting a unique and appealing look for your visitors.
Other blogging platforms are also popular for website creation. These include Blogger and TypePad. You'll find that different people usually prefer one or the other. It seems that WordPress however has the greatest pure functionality and flexibility.
There are also several different popular and free content management systems. A CMS is a tool that is designed to allow for easy website updating, without the need of any programming or other time consuming activities. Two of the most popular free CMS programs today are Joomla and Drupal. Both have different advantages and disadvantages depending on what you're are looking for. Another slightly different CMS is Dot Net Nuke which is popular with more advanced users.
Outside of these options you also have programs for website creation such as Microsoft FrontPage. FrontPage is a WYSIWYG editor, or "What you see is what you get" -- which means that you can drag and drop components and layouts without the need for any programming. While all of the above programs are browser based, meaning you are editing the site while you're in your browser, with FrontPage you can work offline and then connect to your site to make the appropriate updates.
These are just a few of the available options for easy website creation. No matter how little experience you have with website creation or with programming in general, any of these tools will be able to help you get a successful website up and running very quickly. Find the one that best matches your needs and your desires and you'll find the options to be quite limitless.
If you would like more information about online business development, we have just completed a free ebook entitled "Learn How to Easily Create Your Own Website and Actually Understand the Full Process, Even If You Are a Newbie".
Download the free ebook here: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Sharon Zolna and Larry Zolna are authors of numerous articles as well as coaches for online business development and other related fields. To receive valuable tips and information about developing your online business as well as a free ebook on website development, please visit our website: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Zolna
Basic Website Creation Tips For Newbies
If you're new to the world of website creation you will see that there are many basic tips and guidelines you can use to help get you started. However not all tactics and strategies are as effective as others. These basic website creation tips will help you get your website off the ground while providing a solid base of usability and functionality.
One of the key aspects of website creation is easy navigation. Website navigation refers to how people access all of the different pages and content you have on your website. With a poor navigation structure, visitors will become frustrated and will leave your site before you get a chance to really turn them into a prospect or convert them into a customer.
Every page on your site needs to be able to connect to every other page on your site within just a click or two. The best way to do this is either with a vertical navigation bar on the right or left side of the page, or a horizontal navigation bar across the top of the page. The navigation bar should include a link to the home page as well as a link to all of the major sections on your site. This way everybody will be able to get all around your site easily and quickly.
To make it even easier, you should include a sitemap for your website. A sitemap is a basic page that includes a link to every other page on your site, separated into appropriate sections or categories. Then people can come to the sitemap and quickly find what they need if they couldn't find it otherwise. Additionally, a sitemap will help with your search engine optimization.
Speaking of SEO, you need to be very aware of your SEO needs during the process of website creation. SEO is your tool to bring visitors to your site, and it's importance cannot be overlooked. You can improve your SEO by naming your website pages appropriately, using keywords and key phrases. Also be sure to include these phrases throughout your page content, in the links to the pages within your site and in the links you create on other sites leading into your site.
Don't forget to create your website based on the needs and desires of your customers, rather than on your own preferences. A website should be easy to find, easy to navigate and easy to use. But it also needs to be created to appeal to your visitors. That may mean changing the tone of your language, the color schemes, the visuals and all other elements to convey the appropriate image for your site while reaching out to customers as much as possible.
These are just a few website creation tips that newbies can use to help them get started. There are many aspects of site creation that you need to learn through experience and trial and error. But paying heed to these core principles will enable all newbies to create their website the right way, the first time.
If you would like more information about online business development, we have just completed a free ebook entitled "Learn How to Easily Create Your Own Website and Actually Understand the Full Process, Even If You Are a Newbie".
Download the free ebook here: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Sharon Zolna and Larry Zolna are authors of numerous articles as well as coaches for online business development and other related fields. To receive valuable tips and information about developing your online business as well as a free ebook on website development, please visit our website: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Zolna
One of the key aspects of website creation is easy navigation. Website navigation refers to how people access all of the different pages and content you have on your website. With a poor navigation structure, visitors will become frustrated and will leave your site before you get a chance to really turn them into a prospect or convert them into a customer.
Every page on your site needs to be able to connect to every other page on your site within just a click or two. The best way to do this is either with a vertical navigation bar on the right or left side of the page, or a horizontal navigation bar across the top of the page. The navigation bar should include a link to the home page as well as a link to all of the major sections on your site. This way everybody will be able to get all around your site easily and quickly.
To make it even easier, you should include a sitemap for your website. A sitemap is a basic page that includes a link to every other page on your site, separated into appropriate sections or categories. Then people can come to the sitemap and quickly find what they need if they couldn't find it otherwise. Additionally, a sitemap will help with your search engine optimization.
Speaking of SEO, you need to be very aware of your SEO needs during the process of website creation. SEO is your tool to bring visitors to your site, and it's importance cannot be overlooked. You can improve your SEO by naming your website pages appropriately, using keywords and key phrases. Also be sure to include these phrases throughout your page content, in the links to the pages within your site and in the links you create on other sites leading into your site.
Don't forget to create your website based on the needs and desires of your customers, rather than on your own preferences. A website should be easy to find, easy to navigate and easy to use. But it also needs to be created to appeal to your visitors. That may mean changing the tone of your language, the color schemes, the visuals and all other elements to convey the appropriate image for your site while reaching out to customers as much as possible.
These are just a few website creation tips that newbies can use to help them get started. There are many aspects of site creation that you need to learn through experience and trial and error. But paying heed to these core principles will enable all newbies to create their website the right way, the first time.
If you would like more information about online business development, we have just completed a free ebook entitled "Learn How to Easily Create Your Own Website and Actually Understand the Full Process, Even If You Are a Newbie".
Download the free ebook here: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Sharon Zolna and Larry Zolna are authors of numerous articles as well as coaches for online business development and other related fields. To receive valuable tips and information about developing your online business as well as a free ebook on website development, please visit our website: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index3.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Zolna
Choose Your PSD to HTML Conversion Firm
There are so many vendors who convert image files into valid HTML/XHTML language, so how can one decide while hiring them? In a stride to coagulate the right points while hiring any firm or freelancer I have managed to pen down following points:-
* Go randomly and make a list of 9-10 service providers (firms or freelancers). The more the number of choice the better it would be. Now make a list of services and packages they offer. In the end compare the price at which the quality is coming. Remember it is not necessary that quality comes with high pricing only even the providers with moderate pricings can also provide good work.
* If you are a web design firm or big organization then you can ask for a RFP (Request for proposal) from the vendors to show their interest.
* Quality Check: - Checking for quality is a must. You can scroll through the vendor's website and the existing portfolio to see the quality of the codes.
* W3C Standard: -
* Make sure that the vendors convert the codes as per W3C standards. All codes must be coded manually along with neat and clean CSS markup. Compatibility Check: -
* Make sure that the codes written must be cross browser compatible. Generally IE 6 is the browser which gives the slicer a tough time and tests their skill. There are many other popular browsers too which are used popularly in different parts of the region such as Opera, IE, Mozilla, etc. Turnaround time: -
* Discuss on the time frame prior to the commencement of the deal as it is one of the most important factor. Vendors promise wrong timings initially just to clinch the deal but later they stretch it. Support: -
* Support system of the vendors or service providers must be very good. A nice support system keeps you aware of the progress on your project. Testimonials: -
You can also take testimonials or feedbacks of the clients into notice. Generally all website contain good client feedback for obvious reasons. So you can check out some online comments over communities or reviews.
Xhtml.pixelcrayons.com converts your design files from various common image formats (PSD, JPG, GIF, PNG, AI) into best quality cross-browser compatible W3C validated XHTML/CSS markup. Check xhtml.pixelcrayons for our PSD to XHTML Conversion and PSD slicing services.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manish_Rawat
* Go randomly and make a list of 9-10 service providers (firms or freelancers). The more the number of choice the better it would be. Now make a list of services and packages they offer. In the end compare the price at which the quality is coming. Remember it is not necessary that quality comes with high pricing only even the providers with moderate pricings can also provide good work.
* If you are a web design firm or big organization then you can ask for a RFP (Request for proposal) from the vendors to show their interest.
* Quality Check: - Checking for quality is a must. You can scroll through the vendor's website and the existing portfolio to see the quality of the codes.
* W3C Standard: -
* Make sure that the vendors convert the codes as per W3C standards. All codes must be coded manually along with neat and clean CSS markup. Compatibility Check: -
* Make sure that the codes written must be cross browser compatible. Generally IE 6 is the browser which gives the slicer a tough time and tests their skill. There are many other popular browsers too which are used popularly in different parts of the region such as Opera, IE, Mozilla, etc. Turnaround time: -
* Discuss on the time frame prior to the commencement of the deal as it is one of the most important factor. Vendors promise wrong timings initially just to clinch the deal but later they stretch it. Support: -
* Support system of the vendors or service providers must be very good. A nice support system keeps you aware of the progress on your project. Testimonials: -
You can also take testimonials or feedbacks of the clients into notice. Generally all website contain good client feedback for obvious reasons. So you can check out some online comments over communities or reviews.
Xhtml.pixelcrayons.com converts your design files from various common image formats (PSD, JPG, GIF, PNG, AI) into best quality cross-browser compatible W3C validated XHTML/CSS markup. Check xhtml.pixelcrayons for our PSD to XHTML Conversion and PSD slicing services.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manish_Rawat
Website Design For Increased Traffic
These days almost everyone is on the internet selling products or services through some kind of website. To have a good online presence, you need a website that should be attractive enough to bring people to it and interest them to make a purchase of your product or service.
A solid web design company plays a major role in increasing the traffic to your site. A company that offers you the best services usually gets the results. It's important for you to understand the factors that will make a website noticed by a lot of people.
Super Visuals:
There is no doubt the more visual the stronger it is. No matter what product you are endorsing through your site or what services you are willing to offer your consumers, your site should be providing an appealing website that is easy to look at and easy to get around on. There are some websites that require flash visuals to give the three dimensional desired effect. An example would be a technological web site using flash.
Web design companies need outstanding skills and they need features, like even the smallest things that people generally forget. The hired company knows the effect a visual can create and they ensure to add very effective visuals in their work ethics of skills.
Remember the purpose of adding a visual is to give your consumer an idea what they are heading towards, what products or what quality service they may expect from you.
Slogans:
Some services emphasizes a lot on different slogans. It's one small line that catches all the attention and promotes your website or the product/ service you are selling. It sticks in the viewers head, that is why many companies use slogans.
Shading:
There is no denial that colors play a major role in making a site look beautiful and dramatic. Designers for websites know how to give your site just the right colors, their tints, shades to make it look more effective.
Space: The right use of spacing out your website also helps in making the site look more professional to keep visitors.
For more information on getting a professional to build your website, please visit: http://www.sytecweb.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cynthia_Parker
A solid web design company plays a major role in increasing the traffic to your site. A company that offers you the best services usually gets the results. It's important for you to understand the factors that will make a website noticed by a lot of people.
Super Visuals:
There is no doubt the more visual the stronger it is. No matter what product you are endorsing through your site or what services you are willing to offer your consumers, your site should be providing an appealing website that is easy to look at and easy to get around on. There are some websites that require flash visuals to give the three dimensional desired effect. An example would be a technological web site using flash.
Web design companies need outstanding skills and they need features, like even the smallest things that people generally forget. The hired company knows the effect a visual can create and they ensure to add very effective visuals in their work ethics of skills.
Remember the purpose of adding a visual is to give your consumer an idea what they are heading towards, what products or what quality service they may expect from you.
Slogans:
Some services emphasizes a lot on different slogans. It's one small line that catches all the attention and promotes your website or the product/ service you are selling. It sticks in the viewers head, that is why many companies use slogans.
Shading:
There is no denial that colors play a major role in making a site look beautiful and dramatic. Designers for websites know how to give your site just the right colors, their tints, shades to make it look more effective.
Space: The right use of spacing out your website also helps in making the site look more professional to keep visitors.
For more information on getting a professional to build your website, please visit: http://www.sytecweb.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cynthia_Parker
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