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Posts Tagged ‘Technology’

6 Ways to Successful Web Design

December 28th, 2009

Hostgator, Bluehost, and Dreamhost are definetly some of the more popular services in today’s market.. Top rated, cheap hosting is really not that hard to find and you should not spend too much time doing it. Don’t get me wrong, reliability is important, but many people waste too much time looking for the perfect host. Jsut make sure your choice can handle these things and you will be OK.

1. Website = Face of the Business — Don’t get caught up in all the bells and whistles. Make sure it looks professional, but don’t get too carried away. You don’t want to distract your visitor from the reason they came there in the first place.

2. Make Navigation Simple. — The navigation menu should be uncluttered and concise so that visitors know how to navigate around your website without confusion.

3. Cut back on the photos — They make your site load very slowly and more often than not they are very unnecessary. If you think any image is essential on your site, make sure you optimize them using image editing programs so that they have a minimum file size.

4. 4 sentences or less = Easy to Read — Short sentences are just naturally easier to read. Again, it’s about making your visitors experience more pleasurable. Break up the long paragraphs.

5. Firefox and Internet Explorer have got to be able to show your site — Their are others for sure, but these seem to be the most popular one’s at the moment. You are going to want to make sure that your site works the same in both. Go to w3.org and double check.

6. Please, back away from the scripts — I would say just stay away from them all together. They slow the loading of your site way, way down. Remember, keep things very simple. You don’t always need all the fancy flashing lights. Let people find what they are looking for.

The above is web design 101. Don’t discount these 6 things. hey alone will make your life a lot easier when it comes to the success of your website.

For more useful stuff, be sure to check Bill D. Sheers awesome free information on Google web hosting and the many other affordable web hosting services.

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Selecting between Paid vs. Free Blogging

December 20th, 2009

Before you even start blogging you need to choose between free hosting services and a paid site. There are pros and cons of each decision and it will affect every other aspect of your online journal or business.

Decide the purpose of your blog. You need to clearly define why you are blogging before you decide on a blog host. If you have a personal blog or online diary then a free host may be the way to go. Most professional bloggers will tell you that’s better to start out owning your domain name so you can build a brand. Owning a name ensures that you have complete control over what happens on your site. You’ll be able to add as many plugins or use different template designs which may be restricted on free hosting.

Know what you are getting into. A free blogging service may seem like the way to go just because the price is right. You’ll want to carefully consider all of the restrictions that this may place on you. You won’t own your domain name and you’ll have to abide by their terms of service. Your free blog may even be marked as spam and taken down without notice.

Reevaluate your budget. Money is probably the only thing holding you back from getting your own web host. You might be able to make more money with a hosted blog, more than enough to cover your costs. It may be helpful to break the money down into a month by month basis so you get a clearer idea of what it will really cost you.

Think about the future. You might want to start off with a personal blog but be surprised how much it will take off. At some point you may want to switch your personal blog into a business blog. Many free blogging sites don’t let you monetize your site in certain ways. If there is even the slightest chance that you will turn your blog into a business to make money you will be better off going with a paid service so you’ll own the domain name.

Evaluate how computer savvy you are. Lots of web blogging hosts have simple software that you can use with a little education. You may find that free blogging sites really cater to the beginners; you might not even need to learn code. You might find the design templates offered to be static and your blog won’t have all the functionality you want. Millions of other people may use your template so your blog may just look like everyone else’s.

Looking to find the best deal on hosting a blog, then visit HAB to find the best advice on whether or not top blog hosting is right for you.

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How to Find Cheap Website Hosting for You

December 19th, 2009

When you start your own business you probably don’t have a lot of money. You may even be considering going with a free host. You need to stick within your budget while still maintaining a functional and professional looking blog or website.

Take into account the overall presence of your blog. If you are just blogging as a social activity you probably don’t care what your domain name appears as. A business blog requires more credibility; your own domain name will make you appear successful because you don’t rely on free hosting. With a little knowledge and patience you can get a website that looks like a designer has been there without shelling out the cash. Stick with modern straightforward themes to seem well qualified.

Shop around before you buy. The lowest priced company isn’t always the best host; it can even cost you more money in the long run. Read other customer’s experience to avoid scams and find a host that will actually do everything that it says it will.

Beware of credits. With all of the free domain names and credits that come with a contract it might look like you are actually making money by signing up; this isn’t exactly true. You’ll find that to get use out of a lot of the free advertising you’ll have to make deposits into your account first. Sign up because the host itself seems good not because the offers seem too good to be true.

Consider how your site may expand. Your website or blog will probably start out small and you might not even have several sites that you need to host. You want to get a plan that will work for you in the future as well as right now. Watch out for plans with big jumps between size levels so you can grow your blog into what you want it to be.

Double check your shopping cart. When you get to checkout your price may have skyrocketed. There are pages of offers that you have to go through before you get to the payment screen so make sure that the add-ons haven’t inadvertently been added to your plan. Some add-ons may be worth the extra money. If privacy is a concern then pay a few extra dollars to make your WHOIS info private.

Looking to find the best deal on hosting a blog, then visit HAB to find the best advice on whether or not blog hosting websites is right for you.

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Choosing Website Hosting That is Right for You

December 18th, 2009

Choosing webhosts hosting may seem difficult because all of the different services may blend together. It’s an important decision that will decide how effectively your online business runs as well as your basic stress level.

Look at your technical knowledge before picking a company to go with. You’ll need to be able to use an ftp program and install your own blogging software since most hosts handle the more technical aspects. A free host will work well for beginners and you won’t have to worry about many of these issues.

You’ll also want to consider why and how often you’ll blog. If you blog everyday for business then a paid host is the way to go because of the added control and options. If you are just going to write whenever you feel like it and you don’t have a niche in mind then you want to go with a free host. Free hosts may mean that you’ll be able to keep your blog up longer because it won’t seem like a waste of money if you aren’t getting all of the visitors that you wanted.

Carefully research downtime. You don’t want your site to be inaccessible when people are trying to get to it. A lot of customers write about their bad or good experiences so do a little reading. Some companies will even backup their data often in case your blog encounters a hacker.

Functionality is another key component when choosing blog web hosting. Your host needs to have everything to run your blog software of choice but should also have easy ways to update the software; this will save you hours of time. You’ll still need some technical knowledge which you can pick up along the way but your host can alleviate some of the more time consuming tasks.

Look for a plan with room to grow. An unlimited bandwidth host makes sure that you don’t run into nasty fees or downtime because you’ve exceeded your usage. It’s always nice to have an account where you can put more than one domain name in case you decide to expand.

Money may be the deciding factor when you choose which company to go with. Often you’ll find that a lot of the services cost exactly the same so you might have difficulty picking the best one. A little bit of reading makes sure that you go with the real deal instead of a reseller who may not know what they are talking about.

Looking to find the best deal on hosting a blog, then visit HAB to find the best advice on whether or not blog hosting sites are right for you.

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Web Design Leads To A Successful Online Business

December 18th, 2009

You want the correct images in the correct place on your website home page. Successful web design is easy but you must create a memorable website image so visitors will keep coming back. You might want to visit your favorite websites that sells products and get some ideas to use for your site. But follow these basic steps for now. You will be able to add to your site later.

Place three to five images on your index or home page. Do this also for your core sub web pages. Assume that all people online just brought their computer home from the store. They therefore have 800 by 600 screen resolution and have a 56k modem.

Many if not most people use high speed internet buy assume for now they all have slow dial up to get online. Once you are set up you will be able to read your stats tool and find out what speed internet connection your visitors are using. You can adjust accordingly.

For now begin with three to five images on your home page of your website. A logo, an emotional image, and a product image will make up the images on your home page. The first and biggest image will be your logo. It will be the first image your website visitor will see. It will be for you, the most valuable image for an effective logo image will help your site stand out in your visitors mind.

Imagine how you shop online. Most visitors shop for products on many websites before they buy. A clean and professional logo will be memorable and people will want to make their way back to your site when they are ready to buy. Also, include up near your logo your telephone number, hours of operation, and information on how people can make a purchase; credit or debit card, or by pay pal for instance.

Before they buy people go back to a website five to seven times. You want to have a memorable logo and not simply your domain name written out at the top of your website. Think about memorable logos. When you see them you automatically think about the products the logo represents.

The emotional image should tell the benefits of your product in a photo. If you are selling iced tea, have images of people drinking your iced tea on a hot day. They are being refreshed by your tea. Your visitor will want the same feeling. Take a look at some sites to see if they have emotional images. Compare the sites with and without them. You will see how effective emotional images can be.

Place three to five product images. This way people with slow internet connections will not get impatient and leave your site because they had to wait a long time for your site to download. You can add more later when your stats show that most visitors have high speed connections. Many people create a website without a plan but not you. You will follow these web design tips and you will be on your way to success.

We utilize Vancouver web design to generate dynamic results for our clients. Our web designers in Vancouver understand your needs and we employ trends and technology to deliver clear communication. To learn how to gain a competitive advantage through web design in Vancouver, please visit us!

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How to Choose the Best Blog Software

December 15th, 2009

When you are just starting to become a blogger you’ll need to decide which blogging software you want to use. There are several different ways to go with this so you’ll need to make the decision that is right for you and your business. You can find free services or go with a paid variety.

Decide exactly what you are looking for and expecting. Some software may promise to do everything for you except make the coffee. You’ll have to decide whether your priority is saving time and keeping things simple or being able to accomplish a lot of technical tasks. The intent of your blog is also important because free software is fine for a personal blog but you might need paid software for a more professional site. It also matters whether you are going to use a free host that comes with the software or whether or not you are going to pay for your hosting.

Evaluate how much time you want to spend on education and learning technical items. You might find that the free software is easier to navigate than the paid variety. You’ll need to be able to use an FTP with your own host. Simpler, free versions won’t have all of the options. You need to make a choice between a technical host with lots of options and easy and basic.

Give the program a test run. Many of the main blogging software services out there have a free service. This includes hosting but you’ll have to abide by all of the rules which may even include zero monetization at all. You can setup a blog in just a few minutes as a trial to see which platform you like better. You will probably want to make the decision as soon as possible just so you can get started on your own domain name and build your own links.

Decide whether Wordpress is right for you. Wordpress seems to be favored among professional bloggers. There are always a lot of upgrades and new features and plugins with this site. It might be more difficult for the true beginner but it can also be a lot more functional once you learn how to use all the features.

There are pros to using the blogger software. Blogger software is free and easy to use. One of the disadvantages of going with Blogger is that you don’t have a lot of options. This software will also just give you a few templates; but you won’t have to know html to customize things like the font color and size.

Looking to find the best deal on hosting a blog, then visit HAB to find the best advice on whether or not inexpensive web hosting is right for you.

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Hosting a Blog Made Easy

December 13th, 2009

Hosting a blog is an opportunity to get your own piece of real estate on the web. You can start your own business or share your personal thoughts. You don’t need a lot of technical knowledge to become a blogger. It does help to choose the right blog host to alleviate a lot of the stress, worries and downtime.

You can go in with high expectations with any web host and it could still backfire in your face. You don’t want to believe all of the promises that they feed you, but you also want to make sure that you get enough services to have a functional blog. You’ll probably have to sign a year long contract with the company to get the best price so ask all of your questions before you sign on the dotted line.

It’s essential to do some research before you sign up with a company. Many contracts last as long as a year, so you don’t want to be stuck with a service that doesn’t fit your needs. This can affect your entire business; in fact it’s the foundation for an online business. Look at both the websites claims and actual user reviews on other sites to make sure that you’re actually getting usable and functional space.

Communication is key when looking for website or blog hosting. This is really true if you are a beginning blogger or you don’t have a lot of technical skills. You’ll probably have dozens of questions and you need a team that is dedicated to helping you with your problems. Before you sign a contract give the customer service representatives a trial run by emailing them a few questions. You might even want to call the phone number to make sure that it’s legitimate.

One of the first quandaries you’ll hit is whether or not you should go with a free host or a paid host. Going with a free host may seem like the obvious choice because it’s free after all. However, there are severe limits on the design, content and even the overall life of your blog when going with a free host. You might not even have all of the SEO capabilities that you’ll need to be successful.

The best blog host will be functional. Every blogging software has different requirements so you want to know which one you’ll be using before you sign a contract. Even if you aren’t tech savvy you’ll still need to check to make sure that your basic installation and updating needs are met; otherwise you won’t have a blog at all. If you’re a beginner then look for a company that offers Simple Scripts or Fantastico which will make installation as easy as clicking your mouse a few times.

The best blog web hosting is the one that allows you create a blog with a minimal hassle. Blogging should be easy and fun. If you have the wrong web host it seems like it’s just the opposite. Finding the right fit allows you to network with people all over the world and create a space that is as unique as you are.

Want to find out more about hosting a blog, then visit Sara Gilmore’s site on how to choose the best blog web host for your needs.

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Follow These Web Design Steps To Success

December 13th, 2009

The web design for your website graphics to include on your home page should tell a story. You want to have the right images on the right places. This can make or break your site as far as the number images.

You want to have about three to five images at least on your home page and on your core sub pages. Begin with a customer with a computer that just came out of the box typically the screen resolution is 800 by 600 and they are going to be using a 56k modem.

The bulk of people have high speed internet but you want to assume for the worse and once you get your site up and running you are going to be able to tell through the stats what screen resolution and speed of internet connection people have that will looking at your site.

You will be able to make changes based on that but for now start off with three to five images. Your images will include a logo, and emotional image, and a product image. Your logo or header will be your first image. It will be your largest image and be the first thing people will see. It will be the most beneficial because an effective logo and your domain name will help your website stand out in people’s minds.

And when people are shopping for products they are going to look at several websites so a clean professional logo will help you stand out from the rest of the pages out there. So having that and also other helpful information like your telephone number your credit card acceptance information your hours of operation listed at the top of your page will set you apart from other websites out there. And that logo can make or break a sale depending on whether or not they find their way back to your site.

People actually return to a website three to seven times before they make a purchase so having a logo verses having your domain simply written out is going to help you stand out in people’s minds. If you think about it major companies have memorable logos and when you see it you think of the company and their products.

The next image to have is an emotional image. If people feel something at your site they are more likely to return to your site and make a purchase. You want to present in your image what you are trying to sell. If you are selling comfortable bean bag chairs have images of people relaxing and enjoying life sitting in your bean bag chairs. Your website visitors will believe that they too will be relaxing and enjoying life once they get this product.

You want to have three to four product images. Once you see that most of your visitors have high speed internet connections you can add more product images. Product images once clicked will give more details about the product. Follow these tips on web design and you will be on the road to a successful internet business.

Trying to find talented web designers in Vancouver? We specialize in Vancouver Web design to generate dynamic results. Don’t miss the chance to gain a competitive advantage through web design in Vancouver!

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Web Design For A Successful Online Business

December 8th, 2009

Web design will be your first step to a successful online business. Tell a story with your webpage. Have the right images in the right place. This can help make or break your internet business. Follow some basic principles and you will be ahead of your competition.

Place 3 to 5 images on your home page and on your main sub webpages. Assume your customer just pulled her computer out of the packaging. The screen resolution will be eight hundred by six hundred with a fifty six k modem.

Most have high speed connections but assume people have the slowest possible dial up connection in the beginning. Afterwards you can use your stats tool to find out what speed the majority of your visitors are surfing the internet with but for now keep it simple.

For now stick with 3 to 5 images. The fewer the images on your website the faster it will download. If someone with dial up has to wait too long for your site to come up, he will be off to the next site. Your images need to included a logo, an emotional image, and a product image. The first thing your visitor will see is your logo. It will the largest image on your site. A good logo along with your domain name will be what is remembered by your visitor. It will help your website stand out.

A clean professional logo will help when people are searching several sites for similar products. You also want next to your logo, your telephone number, hours of operation, and information on payment options like credit card or pay pal information. This information will help you stand out from other websites that do not bother to list this on the home page. This can help people when they are searching back to find your site.

Visitors usually go back to a website 4 to 8 times before they buy. Having a logo rather than simply your domain name written on your website will help you be memorable in people’s minds. Think about the logos of major corporations. When you see them what do you think of? You think about their products. You want the same thing with your website logo to happen with your visitors.

The emotional image is simply that. You want people to get the feeling of the benefit of your product. If you sell lawn furniture you want images of people relaxing on your lawn furniture. The people in your images have not a care in the world because they bought and are using your furniture. Your visitor will want the same benefit. They will assume they will have this when they buy your products.

Have 4 to 5 product images. You can add more product images and product categories once you find out that most of your visitors have high speed internet. Your product images will lead to a webpage with details about the specific product. Follow these web design tips and you will be on your way to a successful online business.

We utilize Vancouver web design to generate dynamic results for our clients. We understand our clients’ needs and we employ trends, tactics, and technology to deliver clear communication. To learn how to gain a competitive advantage through web design in Vancouver, please visit us!

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Business Webhosting Making the Decision

December 2nd, 2009

Mission critical websites and web hosting. After many and many long hours and meeting the acronym named committee at your place of employment may well have chosen you to do the workup and work through to come up with a good recommended web hosting provider. Always it’s an issue of cost versus benefit – all in line with saving costs, value and keeping budgets in line. This is even truer in 2009 / 2010 with an economic business recession in full bloom. What criteria should you follow in your award or awards?

First of all determine your needs. Among the basic criteria are reliability and speed. Have a host that goes down all the time when you are running an ecommerce site is just plain poor value. You only get one chance for a customer. Even if you are lucky enough to have a bargain unreliable host up and working it sure does not create an impression of care and attention to detail that fosters and nurtures an image of a reliable business that someone half way around the world will submit payment to.

It can be said that part of the analysis and analytical problem and concern in the exercise is a lack of vendor stability. The web hosting marketplace is more than extremely competitive. It’s easy to appear large in this community. Yet many sales groups are simply web space resellers, purchasing space in a “reseller” web host account from a host, whom they chose based on cost or a deal offered to them. Yet when it comes to concerns and problems you are many steps away from the real authorities. On top of that the reseller that you are coordinating with may be simply a marketer or business person lacking real computer, IT and computerized system networking skills.

To some degree where your website is physically and geographically located is of minor concern. Many never know or even care. It is simply a matter of “Does the website load fast?” Yet one consideration by Google of where they place their “data centers” is to be nearby major centers of population or in your case your customer base. There will be a lag in time , guaranteed as your data traverses the world wide web whether it be close nearby in the US or UK, in Winnipeg Canada or to far off Bangalore India . True computerized network switches on the internet “highway” gets faster and faster each and every year and speed over great distances is not such an issue anymore. Yet one thing that you can count on , is the longer the distance traveled for your website loading on a customer’s browser , that you can bet your bottom dollar , that data transmission lag , is always part of the overall mix , and customer satisfaction levels.

In today’s marketplace and business environment the old standby’s of advertising and promotion – be it the newspaper media outlets, or TV and radio are being reduced in stature and effect each and every day. John Heppenstal of Hep Communications, a Winnipeg based media marketing specialists’ states clearly that “the four p’s of marketing are dead”. If your customer cannot reach you or your product with several clicks of their computer mouse, then you dead in the water. The web hosts and web hosting decisions that you make today – lay the very foundation and reputation of your future marketing efforts, plans and ultimate profitability.

Search Engine Optimization Engineer and Winnipeg Web Designers

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