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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
duke878's InsaneJournal:
| Friday, February 24th, 2012 | |
| 8:19 am | Best Way to Design a User-Friendly Website That Users Can Edit Content When I started my first e-commerce website I think it was very useful that I knew how to create and edit my own websites. Without having that skill it would have been frustrating and time consuming to try to figure out the best way to design a user-friendly website that I could edit and add content to myself. I see this as a common problem with those looking to build websites. Many people pay thousands of dollars to a design who makes them a beautiful site. Then what The site just sites there like a bump on a log, doing nothing and getting nowhere because the owner does not have a user-friendly site they can actually edit on their own. Many people blow their budget on getting the site designed but have nothing left to pay for expensive website updates anytime they want to make a change. That's why I believe it is imperative that you learn how to update and add content to your own website, even if you are going to hire someone to do it for you. How do you update your own websiteIt's not as hard as you might first think Brisbane Web Design. You don't have to take years of graphic and website design courses. You don't have to learn complicated coding that looks like a foreign language you'll never figure out. You absolutely don't have to pay thousands to get a professional looking website up and running Brisbane Website Design. Website BuildersThe first way you should know about to build your own website is a website builder. A website builder is usually a website that you log into with templates you can use to build your own website. This is fairly restrictive but the good thing about a website builder is that it's very easy to use and much like using a program such as Microsoft Word to build your website. BlogsA blog is actually a website, it's just in a little different format than the standard website. You can get a blog up and running fairly quickly and easily and you can also update it with very little experience. The problem with both methods to build a website is that the content is hosting on another website. When you host your website anywhere but on your own hosting you are taking a risk that it could be removed at any time and you are also giving up control to the place where you host your content. My Recommendation for the best way to design a user-friendly website that users can edit content easily is WordPress. Yes, WordPress is also a blogging platform but it can also be use to build a more traditional looking website. It is easy to edit and if you know how to edit Word documents you can probably hit the ground running with this program. No matter which way you decide to go to build your website keep in mind who will own your content when you're done, how long it will take you to learn the program and if you can outsource the work at a later date should you need to. Current Mood:  indescribable |
| 8:02 am | Pictures Of Landscaping - Using Other Peoples Ideas To Design Your Landscape. One of the most common searches on my site is for pictures of landscaping. So I know that a lot of folks rely on photos of other peoples designs to get ideas. Brisbane Web Design But at the same time, while I do have a large picture directory of other peoples projects on my site, the most common questions I receive are still related to specific shapes and design ideas. It would seem that with as many pictures of landscaping there are to look at online, just about everyone could find a close match to their own property that could be copied. It would seem so.....if every yard was square or rectangular. However, the fact is that most yards arent square or rectangular. So even with the endless landscaping ideas and examples out there, its still highly unlikely that youll find an exact match to the shape of your property.Dont tell anyone... but even as a professional, I still use pictures of other peoples landscaping as an educational tool and to get new ideas. However, unlike most people, I dont search for an exact idea to copy. I look for unique, creative, and new ideas and pieces of the puzzle.Now heres a piece of advice and the point to this entire article.When looking at pictures of landscaping, pay attention to the details, ideas, and principles that are universal to most designs. Look for the things that are common and repeated often by different designers. These are the elements that look good because they are generally based on basic principles of art. These are the things that will probably incorporate well into your own design project regardless of shape.Other peoples landscaping pictures are a great design tool to help you get your project done. However, instead of hopelessly searching for your exact layout, borrow several ideas from several different designs. Youll save yourself a lot of frustration and have a much better chance of creating something unique to your own property.Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free landscaping ideas, pictures, and advice to do it yourselfers. Check out his free gallery of pictures of landscaping at http://www.the-landscape-design-site.co Current Mood:  touched |
| 7:47 am | Low Cost Custom Web Site Design In this day and age there is not a lot about the internet and making money through that costs a lot of money. In the early days of the web, designers were making thousands of dollars designing even the most basic of all web sites. This was due in part to the issue that there were a select few people that knew how to create web pages, most of whom had been studying this subject in secondary educational locations. Today the outlook is much different and people all over the world are finding that low cost custom web site design is very possible and more then likely the norm. This is not to say that you cannot find a very high priced web design service, there are still companies holding out hope that they will once again be called upon to design the higher dollar sites. Most often you will find that people are turning to the low cost alternatives in web design because there is not a guarantee on money making these days. As you probably recall there was nothing short of a huge boom when it came to the so called dot com era. Anyone with some internet knowledge and a bit of business savvy was making a fortune through the internet until the bubble burst leaving thousands of people bankrupt and even more in dire need of a job. Low cost custom web site design is more than a possibility today. The main issue is finding the right service that meets your needs. There are several things that one must consider. First and foremost you need to make the decision about how functional the site will need to be. If the site will require many parts that are interactive with the visitors, along with several databases and so on then the price of building the site will be a bit higher. There is also the matter of the size of the site. Remember the more time that needs to be spent on the site the higher the price Web Design Brisbane. More often then not you will find that most of the web designers of today are more then capable of building a fair sized site in less then two weeks barring any bugs that need to be worked out. Low cost custom web site design can be a fairly simple thing to find should you look in the right places. There is nothing saying that you could not get out of the entire thing for less then one thousand dollars if you know where and when to look. Check into any special discounts and offers that the companies are making and you will most likely come out ahead. Current Mood: optimistic |
| 7:31 am | Ecommerce Site Design Tell Me What You Really Think Site design is a primary determinant in online shopping. If your site looks dated or relies on inferior site design methodology it may be the reason your sales have not grown. Perhaps existing customers are used to the site, but what about new prospects What impression do they have of your site What would compel them to come back Take some time to research your competitor's websites. What seems to work on their site What have they done really well How does this information stack up with your site What have you learned Many ecommerce sites will phase in new site designs every two years or so. There are always new techniques and software applications to assist in the development of something that catches attention and is highly functional. There is one area you should resist and that's moving forward with a new site design that has been hastily put together simply to give your site a new look. Test the links and the functionality of the site design. Have friends and associates try a beta version of the site to bring to light any flaws in the design. There is nothing worse than pushing a new site design that is riddled with flaws and broken links. Many sites have enjoyed using Flash design in site development only to discover search engines don't access the information in Flash. While the functionality of Flash is a positive for visitors it may be best to develop a Flash and Non-Flash version of your site so search engines can read your site content. Web Design Brisbane The use of flashing text or multicolored text should be avoided. The text may get noticed, but generally for very negative reasons. Simple, compact text will provide the best means for visitors to understand what your site is designed to provide. Another reason content is so important is to keep all of your customers in mind. You may have both visually challenged and portable device customers that may use technologies that have space constraints. Many new site designs keep these limitations in mind. Anytime you are developing an ecommerce site enlist the help of several trusted individuals who are willing to tell you exactly what they think of the site. Honest feedback is important when considering something with as much potential as an ecommerce site. A traditional businessman wouldn't construct a building without consulting an architect so why should online business not strive to enlist the help of others in site development techniques, design and site appearance. Current Mood:  scared |
| 7:14 am | Web Site Design to Attract More Visitors Web site design is actually the designing of a page for introducing a collection of information about certain topics or subjects. Website Design Brisbane Here we discuss various aspects of web site design and their importance. Current Mood:  blank |
| 6:57 am | Reasons To Use Custom Web Site Design There are many reasons your business should consider custom web site design if you want to be successful online Web Design Brisbane. These reasons include branding, being unique, generating traffic, and so much more. When you hire a company for custom web site design they work hard to determine what it is about your business that makes you stand out from the rest Brisbane Website Design. They create a brand for you that make you memorable and recognizable. Customers appreciate a company with proper branding. Branding is what makes you stand out from the crowd and gives you the edge. If you use a company that cannot give you a custom brand then you will not have a brand and there will be nothing special about your business. Standing out from the rest is what custom web design is all about. It will help customers understand why they need to purchase products from you or use your services. Standing out from the rest also means an excellent logo creation that is easily recognizable and memorable too. This way, when your logo is sent around the net users remember exactly who you are and why you are the best. Custom web site design is by making a site that is customized to your specific needs, vision and goals for an online business. This means that the site is not built on a template that most other companies are using on the web today. When a site uses a template then it has the same look and feel of the rest of the sites and it may even be hard to tell the differences with the two different companies also. Custom web site design company also work hard to generate as much traffic as possible. The great thing about customers that come to a custom site is that they are actually interested in something that looks a little bit different and stands out from the rest. There are many reasons to use custom web site design for your online business. It is important for a company to create a brand that is memorable and puts a stamp on the visitors memory that is positive. Custom design works excellent by generating more traffic and building a site that is personalized for the business. Current Mood: weird |
| 6:40 am | The Criteria You Should Use When Selecting a Web Design Agency Brisbane Web Design Once you have taken the decision to find a web design agency, you need to make sure you are hiring the right one for your needs. There are numerous companies from which you can choose and it may prove to be difficult to tell if the one you choose will be able to suit your needs more than any other. Countless people will believe that price alone is a good indicator when making this important decision about the company to deal with, but this simply is not always the case. When you are spending a lot of money on a website, this will not automatically equate to having the sort of website you need. You may discover website design agencies who will offer you a site for less and this will be because they are able to keep their overheads low. In so doing, they can still provide you with high quality web design that is effective and attractive. If you feel that you should not be using price alone as an indicator as to whether or not to select a particular web design company, then here are a few tips you can use for researching the right company for you. Take a look at their portfolios. A good web design agency will have a portfolio of work they have already completed within the pages of their own site. Website Design Brisbane Ensure you take a look at this prior to contacting the company. The portfolio will probably have some links to the sites the have built. Click on these links and then spend some time navigating around these sites. Some may look great, but you may find they do not work very well. Also, take a look at how current the sites are. If the website design agency is successful, it will have current designs for you to look at. If the sites they show are ancient, then this may prove to be an indicator that there are problems with the company. Look at the programs they use because a good web design company will be using a multitude of programs so they can create sites for their clients. It may be that you are unfamiliar with these programs, but with a little research you will arrive at a basic understanding of what they are used for. If the web design company can demonstrate they are familiar with different programs, they are most likely to be able to create a good site with high quality functionality. You should ensure that whoever you select, they are familiar with the needs of your particular industry or business. You may well have specific needs that need to be met and this may entail the website being structured in a particular way. If the agency you choose is familiar with your needs, then you will eventually have a website that will attract website visitors which is, after all, why you elected to have a website in the first place. Carol Forrest is the Managing Director of Webs Galore Limited which is a professional website design agency specialising in the creation of cheap and affordable website design for small and medium sized companies. Website: http://www. websgalore. co. uk. Current Mood: lazy |
| 6:21 am | Brochure Design and its Mandatory Features Brochures are an integral part of marketing or advertising campaign. They are not just a promotional material; in fact, they also serve to give information about a particular service or business. Brochure design is significantly important in the launching phase of a product or a business as it plays a pivotal role in spreading awareness. Customers buy products only when they have authentic and complete information about them Brisbane Website Design. Brochures can bring you customers, spread your roots in the industry and enhance your brand image provided they are effective enough. A brochure must be attractive in order to grab the attention of its customers, but do you know what the other mandatory features of a brochure design are If not, then this article will surely be of great help to you. The first or front page of your brochure design is of utmost importance. Beside good colors and graphics, the front page of your brochure design should also contain a captivating and competent tagline. It is mandatory because this will provide a glimpse of the brochure to your target audience. For a promotional brochure design, tagline should always comprise of the most important feature of the product. This will generate a curiosity in your customer, and your customer will be encouraged to read your brochure in order to get the required details. Logo of your organization is also a mandatory feature of the brochure. It makes you look professional. Some brochures contain huge introduction of the organization which is simply useless especially in a promotional brochure. Logo of the organization is important to add because it is a competent replacement for the introduction. With the presence of logo, only three to four lines are enough to describe about the organization including its history and achievements. It is mandatory to include correct and complete contact address of the organization. A brochure, without contact details, is worthless since it fails to create a link between customers and the organization. Don’t leave it to your customers to find your contact details. No one wants to waste time upon such things. Customers look for products that are easy to avail. Just a little distraction or uneasiness might encourage your customer to ponder over your competitor’s product; therefore, provide your customers with an access to your products or services. Images help to grab the attention of the target audience but they should always be relevant to the nature of product being promoted. Irrelevant images might help you to attract your customers but they won’t be able to add value to your promotion. All the mandatory features including images, colors, tagline and graphics should be able to magnify the worth of your business; thus, they all must be aligned with the nature of the business or product. Brochure is a highly valuable tool for accelerating an advertising or marketing campaign. If any of the above mentioned mandatory elements is missing then the brochure design loses its impact. Thus, it must be designed after complete research and knowledge Brisbane Web Design. Only a complete and sound brochure design can help you gather a huge clientele. Deana Meske is a social media specialist and likes to share her views on Logo Design & Brochure Design. Current Mood:  gloomy |
| 6:04 am | Moving Toward Ecommerce Site Design Ecommerce has been a major player in the retail market place for more than a decade now. Initially invented in 1979 by Michael Aldridge, a British entrepreneur, the trend only exploded with the widespread popularity of the internet. Industry statistics this year estimate that 44% of consumers will shop online for holiday gifts this year, and as the market share is ever increasing, a number of companies continue to turn to the world of online shopping almost every day. For most companies looking into this type of website, however, there are a number of different concerns that must be addressed before you can ever begin to build a site that attracts customers and promotes sales. Industries where Ecommerce May be UsefulBefore a company ever starts down the path toward online sales, it may be helpful to take a look at which industries get the most out of the process. The answer is a pretty simple one - almost any industry. Take the city of London, for example. Long a mecca of shopping for people around the world, you couldn't visit this city's unique shops without actually visiting the UK. With the popularity of ecommerce, however, everything from famed department stores like Harrods to much smaller venues like Honest Jon's are finding real success in the online marketplace. Whether you market auto parts to do-it-yourselfers or used books, you're likely to find a home in the world of ecommerce. The Site DesignDesigning your site is key to the process of online shopping. That, however, is the case with any online venture. Customers must be able to find exactly what they're looking for. Wandering around the forlorn virtual aisles of your e-store will do little but make them abandon their shopping cart and visit a competitor, leaving you without the online sale that is so essential to your bottom line. Here are just a few of the most important tips necessary to help your customers find the product they want:Keep the Number of Clicks Required to a Minimum: If your customer has to click eight times to buy a single used book, you have a real problem on your hands. Perhaps one click is the search through the various categories. The next click leads them to a category description. From there, perhaps they have to click on a sub category. The process can get endless and frustrating. The rule of thumb is that more than four clicks to the point where they must provide their personal information is unnecessary and can cause a poor buy rate. Website Design Brisbane Add to Cart or Buy Buttons Must Be Obvious: It's the first rule of any website design. Your customers have to understand what they are supposed to do, and nowhere is this more true than in an online shopping experience. Your customers should never have to scroll below the fold to find the right button to push to purchase their item from you. Show the Price: This one may seem like an obvious marker, but many online retailers require more than one click before the potential buyer can look at the price of any given item Website Design Brisbane. If you don't show them what the item costs immediately, you risk losing them right away. Security ConcernsAs essential as site design is with ecommerce, perhaps the most important factor is the security of your customers. You must implement all of the necessary security protocols and scripting requirements during the actual site build for two major reasons. First, online shoppers are savvier than ever these days. They understand the risks of identity theft and poor transmission of information via the internet, and not creating the secure environment necessary to purchase an item from your shop will only lead them somewhere else where they can have the security they need before they make a purchase. The second reason security concerns must be addressed involves your company. Without the right level of security, products could actually disappear from your warehouse without the proper payment from customers, and that could put your entire company at risk. Choosing the Right Web Design CompanyThe key in addressing all of the concerns surrounding getting a functional ecommerce site that actually improves your bottom line is working with a web design company experienced with a variety of different platforms that can address the needs of your company. As you choose a web design company that's right for you, you may want to consider the following:Look carefully at the company's portfolio. Any good company will have many site designs they can point to so you get a feel for their past work. Navigating these sites, and maybe even making a purchase from them, will help you get a better sense of how your final product might look Website Design Brisbane. Evaluate their services carefully. Great looking products aren't all a web site design company needs to get your business. They also need to have an extensive list of services that meet your shop's needs. Creating the site is only half the battle. Having a site design company that can teach you how to interface with it is another thing entirely, and it must be part of the services if you're going to have a successful experience online. Read reviews, and talk to other customers. Looking carefully at feedback is the final essential component. Find out if there are other customers you can speak with, and look extensively at the available online reviews to find a company that best meets your needs. Ecommerce sites are only increasing in popularity as more and more retailers discover the power of online sales to help boost overall numbers. The key, however, is addressing all potential problems before you begin to launch. Current Mood: drained |
| 5:49 am | It Looks Like it Was Designed by a Twelve-year-old! the Importance of Effective Web Site Design Putting up a Web site for your business, whether just to direct people to your store or office location or as an entire online mail-order store, is essential for any business that hopes to succeed. The Pew Internet & American Life Project (www.pewinternet.org) studied online use in America and estimates that 70 million Americans log on to the Internet each and every day. Pew states that 81% of those users researched a product or service while online Web Design Brisbane. What if they were looking for the product or service your business sells and they dont find a Web site for your company Or possibly worse, what if they did find a Web site for your company and were put off by the amateur Web design. The Executive Business Center at www.theebc.com is one Web site design, hosting, and ecommerce company that will help you avoid potential Internet business disaster. Hire a professional Web site design company to ensure that your Web site not only keeps customers from turning tail with one look at your site, but that it also drives more and more customers to keep coming back. TheEBC.com has five great Web hosting packages all designed with a different kind of business Web site in mind. TheEBC.coms Basic Starter Web design package might be just what you need. Are you on a budget and you just want a simple Web site design that highlights your companys products or services, customer service success, history, and contact information For $299, TheEBC.coms Basic Starter Web design package will get you one year of free Internet hosting and a free domain name, three pre-designed (but original) Web site pages, and free updates for thirty days. Additional Web site pages are $50 each. If youre part of a company that performs most of its business transactions offline, this small, concise Web site design will effectively represent you on cyber-space and draw customers to your front door. For $399 you can go one step up with TheEBC.coms Custom Starter Web site design package. The Custom Starter package includes all of the Basic Starter packages amenities except that it includes a completely custom design that reflects your companys business ventures instead of the pre-designed pages. Do you already have a Web site design that hasnt really helped draw in the clientele you had hoped You can transfer your Web site domain and all of its contents and leave it in the capable hands of TheEBC.com with the Existing Plan Web site design package ($599). Get a complete, original revamp of your Web site design with one-year free hosting and a domain name, free content updates as needed for an entire year, unlimited pages, free search engine optimization, and free search engine submission for six months. If youve yet to make your mark on the Internet, you can get all of the benefits of TheEBC.coms Existing Plan package in the New Plan Web site design package ($799), except that TheEBC.com staff will work with you to design your Web site from the ground up. Many successful businesses are conducted entirely online. You could sell wholesale or handmade products and work out of kitchen in your home! Even if you do have a store, you can augment your income exponentially by opening an online version of your store. If you plan to open an online business and all or much of your business transactions will be conducted over the Internet, TheEBC.coms e-Shop Web design package could be perfect for you! For $999 the first year, the e-Shop Web design package offers you all of the Existing or New Plan benefits as well as an extensive shopping cart and checkout program to make online shopping easier for your customers. Youre also welcome to list unlimited products for sale for a year, so your online business possibilities are endless! A Web site design company like TheEBC.com can give you the tools you need to succeed. Reel in all of those eyes online with a professional, easy-to-use business Web site design! Current Mood: jubilant |
| 5:33 am | Great New Trends For Business Website Design Like all fashion trends, the list of what is seen as hot and what is not in website design changes on a regular basis. The latest trends are usually something new and exciting that the web page designers have dreamed up, and sometimes there is even a return to an old favorite design technique that has suddenly returned to fashion. Over the last couple of years, there has been a trend back to the old days when a corporate presence consisted of one page. Single page designs are very popular at the moment, even better when combined with large titles and an uncluttered minimalistic layout. A trendy new business website design would consist of a large title, a relevant image and simple text with links onto the lower levels of the site. It is even better still if the image is a hand drawn or a sketch rather than a photograph. After years where website design consisted of every page using a single sized font, there has recently been a switch to braver choices for text. Typography is a big trend, and seems to be more popular with the average web page designer than images at the moment. Whether it is the bold use of slab typefaces or oversized titles, headers and footers, there has been a lot of creative font use recently. One of the more recent developments has been the use of modal boxes which seem to be replacing pop-up boxes on web pages. They do not suffer from the same bad publicity as pop-ups have in the past, and most web users block them at the browser. With a modal box, a web page designer can get the desired information from the visitor without them having to do something extra to see it. There has also been a trend towards more controlled use of Flash, especially for business website design. In the past, it was common for sites to have too much reliance on an all-singing Flash animation and a lot of users were unimpressed after the first view. Flash is still one of the best tools to run an interactive website but the use of it is now more restrained than it was in the past. The first impression is still as important as it always has been. One of the great new ways to give a great impact is the use of an Intro box to introduce the website to its visitors. Brisbane Web Design These simple boxes are a great way to make your business website design impress your customers as soon as they arrive at your site. One of the other common trends in website design is towards a magazine style layout. This style of layout really lends itself to a website, and is a great way of making your content available on a standard page display. Over the last year, these trends have been popular with many website designers using them to make a great impact Web Design Brisbane. As they become more widespread, expect some more exciting new trends to take their place. Current Mood: disappointed |
| 5:16 am | What are the contributions of a Good Logo Design Over the years, logo has spread its roots in the business world smoothly and swiftly. Initially it wasn’t considered important for an organization’s growth but then it became a mandatory part of the business world Website Design Brisbane. Have you ever thought what the possible reasons are Importance of anything increases if its benefits or advantages increase. Logo design of an organization can surely work wonders for an organization’s growth and success in the industry but there are certain conditions to it. Contributions of a logo to the progress of a business are interlinked with these conditions Web Design Brisbane. Rapid recognition in the industryIt is a fact that business world has diversified to a huge extent. One must launch its business with a bang in the industry in order to get its target audience aware of its arrival. Here comes the role of a logo design. It not only establishes an identity but also helps in explaining the attributes of one’s business to its target audience. Marketing and promotionIf the logo design is unique and is a clear representation of the business then it’ll surely grabs the attention of the customers. This way your target audience will be encouraged to know about your products and your services thus, increasing chances for your progress. Now, this is in your hand that how well you utilize these chances to bring more and more business to your organization. Adds value to your corporate introductionLogo design of your organization adds value to the introduction of your organization since it replaces hundreds of words that could be used for this purpose. People are no more interested in reading long paragraphs about an organization nor can you put these words on all the marketing materials like bill boards and print advertisements. Website Design Brisbane Another reason to support this point is the fact that a picture worth thousand words. The process of conveying certain thought with the help of a picture is not only easy but is enticing as well. Enables you to reach wider audienceEvery organization has a target market. People in their target market differ in their likes and dislikes. It is difficult to satisfy everyone’s taste but images are liked by almost every individual especially when they are compared to hundreds of words. Therefore your logo design can help you seek the attention of all your customers. All you need to do is to align the features of your logo design with the nature of your business and your target customers. People, who fail to understand words, do understand images easily therefore you can even attract those customers. Helps you win the trust of CustomersLogo design of your organization is its identity in the market. Your target customers evaluate your corporate stature by looking at your logo. If it is of high quality and is easy to understand then your customer is going to rate you high among your competitors. Their trust will increase as they’ll be able to witness your approach towards quality and your logo will serve as an example for it. Logo design has wide applications and benefits but the quality and standard of the design determine its effectiveness. A good quality logo design surely boosts the business. Deana Meske is a social media specialist and likes to share her views on Logo Design & Brochure Design. Current Mood: anxious |
| 5:04 am | WordPress Web Design - How to Create a WordPress Website in 7 Steps WordPress is a great solution to create a blog or website. This is because the software is open-source (free), easy to install, customize, maintain and is search engine friendly. One of the biggest problems site owners have is how to set up their WordPress website. This can be achieved within a few minutes by following the steps below. How to create a WordPress website in 7 steps1. Register your own domain nameAlthough you can create a WordPress blog at WordPress dot com, I recommend registering your own domain name so you will have more control over it and you can brand your business. Select a domain name that is short, easy to remember and includes your business name or a keyword related to your business. 2. Select a web hosting providerA web hosting service allows your website to be displayed on the web. Choose a web hosting plan that has sufficient disk space and bandwidth to host your website files. Get at least 50 MB of space and 3 GB of bandwidth and make sure you have the option to upgrade your hosting plan should you need more space and bandwidth. Make sure your Web hosting plans include the installation of WordPress. Check tech support service by calling or e-mailing the company to see how fast they respond and how friendly they are. 3. Install WordPressLog into your web hosting administration panel (domain. com/cpanel) and look for the Fantastico icon. Click on this icon, and look for the WordPress link. Clicking on this link will install the WordPress software in a folder on the server. It will ask you for the name of your site, where to install it (domain or subdirectory) and provide a password to log in to the admin panel of the website. 4. Select a themeThere are hundreds of free and paid WordPress themes on the net. Google "free WordPress themes" to receive a list of themes to choose from. Choose one that suits your business and download the zipped files to your computer desktop. Unzip the files, then upload the new theme to the themes folder on the server (wp-content-themes) using FTP software (e. g. Filezilla, SmartFTP). Login to the admin panel, click on "appearance" to select your new theme then click "add new. " Refresh your browser to display the new theme. 5. Optimize your website for the search enginesClick on settings --permalinks and check "custom structure. " Insert /%postname% Website Design Brisbane. html and save your changes. This enables your web pages to have search engine friendly addresses. Every time you create a new post or page, insert your keywords in the title and content so the search engines spiders will index your content. An alternative way to optimize your content is to install the all-in-one SEO pack plugin. 6. Promote your websiteHere are 10 methods for promoting your site:Write good quality content Write and submit articles to article directories Offer a newsletter or e-zine Encourage interactivity by responding to comments Submit RSS feed to RSS directories Submit blog to Blog directories Add social media icons to make it easy for visitors to share your content with others Create videos of your content and submit them to video sharing websites Write a press release and submit it to press release websites Submit your website to online directories and search engines7. Track your visitorsYou web hosting plan usually includes site statistics which tell you how many visits your website receives, where they are coming from and the keywords used to find your site. View these statistics regularly to track traffic coming to your website. Current Mood: jubilant |
| 4:51 am | The 8 Must Do rules for effective website design In this article you will learn the importance of designing your website around your customers and their needs Brisbane Website Design. An effective website design is what will determine if a visitor will stay just a visitor or turn into your next customer. To succeed at your online business (whether you are selling your own product/service or are selling for other merchants as an affiliate), you need a Web design must be just for that - a simple, focused site. One that is easy to build, maintenance-free, low cost, credible, and a powerful traffic-builder and customer-converter. Having the right tool and the right product alone doesnt insure the success of your website. There are many factors to be considered in effective website design. Unfortunately, most of these are overlooked by offline business owners using the internet to promote their business. Web Design Rule #1 - Build It for SpeedIt's a fact of modern life - people are in a hurry. This means that you have between 10 and 30 seconds to capture your potential customer's attention. To minimize your load time, keep graphics small. Compress them where possible. Use flashy technology (JavaScript, Flash, Streaming Audio/Video, animation) sparingly and only if it is important to your presentation. Web Design Rule #2 - Target your MarketKnow who your market is and make certain that your site caters to their needs. It is critical that your site reflect the values of your potential customers. Is your market mostly business professionals If so, the site must be clean and professional. Is your product aimed mostly a teenagers and young adults Then your site could be more informal and relaxed. The key here is to know your market and build the site to their preferences. Web Design Rule #3 - Focus the SiteMake certain your web site is focused on the goal, selling your product or service. A site offering many unrelated products is not necessarily unfocused, but this is often the case. If your business does offer many products, dedicate a unique page for each instead of trying to sell them all from one page. Web Design Rule #4 - Credibility Is CrucialThe most professionally designed site won't sell if your customers don't believe in you. A clear privacy statement is one way to build your credibility. Provide a prominent link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information. Provide legitimate contact information on line. Web Design Rule #5 - Navigation should be simpleMake site navigation easy and intuitive. Simple and smooth navigation adds to the convenience of the visitors. Add powerful search and catalog features. Many times a lot of visitors do not have the patience to navigate through the whole website to find what they are looking for. Web Design Rule #6 - Consistency is the keyMake sure the site is consistent in look, feel and design. Nothing is more jarring and disturbing to a customer than feeling as if they have just gone to another site. Keep colors and themes constant throughout the site. Web Design Rule #7 - Make your site interactiveMake your website interactive. Add feedback forms as well as email forms that allow your prospective customers to ask you any questions they might have pertaining to a product.Personalization of your website is another key element that can lead to customer delight and can increase your sales. Personalization technology provides you the analytic tools to facilitate cross-selling and up-selling when the customer is buying online. It would give you an idea of what products to cross-sell and up-sell. For example, when a person buys a CD player, a disc cleaner can also be offered. Web Design Rule #8 - Content is KingGood content sells a product. Ask yourself the following questions. Does your copy convey the message you wish to get across to your visitors Is it compelling Does it lead your visitor through the sales process Have others review, critique and edit your copy to insure it is delivering the intended message. Always double check your spelling and grammar. These eight, simple rules will go a long way toward an effective website design, and most importantly, turning visitors into customers. ========================= Article written by Rudi Ashdown and first posted athttp://www.whywebsiteswork.com .This is article 1 of 10 - get the other nine free athttp://www.whywebsiteswork.com======= Current Mood: lethargic |
| 4:36 am | Creating a professional Website Design What is actually being “professional” and why is it important for organizations or brands This is of the biggest questions that require extensive information and explanation Website Design Brisbane. What do you do when you have to partner with any other organization for a certain purpose How do you select the one which is best for your business You surely look for professionalism But how are you able to figure out that this particular brand is professional Isn’t that “quality” that helps you to decide whether a particular organization is professional or not And this isn’t just the quality of the products that matters rather each and every single move of the organization whether in its marketing domain, sales or which so ever it is, it has to be of high quality and standards. Similarly a website design which is the biggest and the prominent representation of an organization in the industry must be of high quality so as to give a professional look to its business and help its customer’s rate it high among its competitors. These are not just the advertisements or different campaigns that carry the responsibility of marketing in fact each and every component of the organization whether it is any activity or an individual working in the organization are part of its marketing domain. Website design must have certain important pages. It is mandatory to have them which include “About Us page” and “Contact Us” page. Your visitor should get complete information of your company or your products And how they can contact you These are the fore most things that everyone looks for when visiting any organization’s website. Keeping the name of these pages as “About Us” and “Contact Details” is a usual practice so almost every single individual knows what he or she is going to get inside these pages but some organizations also change these names which isn’t an unhealthy practice but then the alternative names must be relevant and should clearly explain what sort of information does it contain so that visitors don’t have to face any trouble. The look of the website design matters the most. It not only has to be attractive but it must also carry a professional look. By this I mean that all the information must be placed at its definite position on the website Brisbane Website Design. Nothing should be overdone. Rule of moderation leads to a perfect solution. Adding the right images and colors to an optimum level will shape your web site design as professional. There are many organizations which are into online business. In their case, establishing a credible image in front of the target audience is highly important. The path to contact, choose the products and the delivery system should all be transparent and crystal clear. Commitments should only be made to an extent that can be fulfilled. Making false claims will badly ruin the image of your company. Thus, each and every step should be taken by keeping the consequences in mind. Professionalism also incorporates the fact that your website design is continuously updated. In case there is any change in your contact details or policies then it must be readily updated on the website. Delays really give a bad impression. Deana Meske is a social media specialist and likes share her views on Logo Design & Website Design. Current Mood: indifferent |
| 4:18 am | Is Your Site For Everyone Broadening Your Reach With Accessible Web Site Design The World Wide Web is an incredible resource; one which has always been touted as something which benefits all mankind (or at least everyone with internet access). However, there are some users who have effectively been shut out of a large part of the web due to web design issues. Increasingly, accessible web site design is being seen as important by webmasters and design firms alike who are interested in making their sites available to a wider audience and being inclusive of web users who have visual impairments or other disabilities. "The internet, after all, is supposed to be for everyone. So how can you ensure that your site meets accessible web site design standardsThe best place to start is with the guidelines provided by the W3C, the consortium which is as close as the web comes to a regulatory body. According to this organization, an accessible web site is one which is as close as possible to universally accessible, with the site being usable by all visitors, even those with disabilities. Truly accessible web site design means a website which can be used by:Users with older browsers or those which lack newer plugins (such as Flash and Java);Those using text-only browsers such as Lynx and w3m;Visually impaired users who surf the web with text-to-speech web browsers;People who have limited access to the web; including users with older 28. 8K and 14. 4K modems;Users who are deaf or hard of hearing;Dyslexic users;Users with learning disabilities;People with impaired motor abilities, including paraplegic and quadriplegic users. Implementing accessible design is a win-win for everyone involved; disabled users and users with non-traditional or older web browsers have equal access to the content of an accessible site. The website owner, for their part, gains access to an audience they may not have been able to reach otherwise; something which gives them an opportunity to foster loyalty among these users in a world where there are still many websites which fall far short of the W3C's guidelines for accessible web site design Website Design Brisbane. Website Design Brisbane Website owners also benefit from an improved search engine ranking; the major search engines favor sites which meet accessibility standards. These sites also have the advantage of being able to reuse existing content in formats suitable for different users and reduce the need for website maintenance work. By creating a site which meets accessible web site design guidelines and making their content more readily available to users with low speed internet access, the site's server load may also be significantly reduced, which improves the performance of the site for all visitors, regardless of the browser they use and any disabilities they do or do not have. One thing to keep in mind is that in the UK at least, there are laws in place which require websites to meet certain accessibility standards. This is a trend which is seen as likely to expand to other nations; webmasters would be well served to get ahead of the curve and redesign their sites according to accessible web site design standards beforehand. So how can you get started figuring out if your web pages are accessibleOne good test is to "look" at the page with a text-to-speech browser to get an idea of how your content appears to visually impaired users. Website Design Brisbane It's a simple test which can tell you a lot about how your website is doing in meeting - or not meeting the W3C guidelines for accessible web site design. Current Mood: excited |
| 4:01 am | Major Difference Between Web Development and Web Design Even though they are part of the same market, the same domain, there are certain differences between the two conceptions Brisbane Web Design. In order to better understand them, you can connect them to the comparison between architecture and the construction of a building. The field of web design primary deals with how things look like and what substance they beam Website Design Brisbane. On the other hand the web development area focuses on methods of putting through the layout throughout programs and software and other technological methods. This is the basic difference between the two areas of interest. When we talk about web design, the creator focuses on the aspect of the website. This means that he has to treat different criteria in order to obtain the perfect result. Creative thinking and ingeniousness is a plus because the market today commands people to be inventive if they want to overpass their challenger. What would you say if you see the same thing at everybody in the market The answer is utterly clear and that’s why when it comes to a bang up web designer, we have to hash out his way of resurrecting above all others. There are many panoramas on which he can work due to the online possibilities provided by the internet: from videos to links and even Flash and Java application. There are no limitations to what he can make with the proper tool. Website Design Brisbane When we look at the web development area, there are much more things to concentrate on. As specified earlier their main concern is the implementation methods of the web designers. For a proper collaboration between the two parties there has to be a smooth and constant communication in order to incessantly see if they are on the same page. Why is that The reason behind this issue is that there are positions when the prospects and the thoughts of a web designer are beyond the possibilities of implementation provided by the web developers. If there is no communication between the two parties they will come to a statement while in this stage. One last thing that is in the requirements of a great web developer is the ability to make the great web design of a site usable. Most of the software development services company lacks a quality web developer. It’s one of the requirements of a certain job. Just think about it: if a website has been created with all sorts of flashy and eye-catching stuff but the primary focus of the website, the selling of the service, the product, the people, is not reached then we have a problem. This is commonly found on the market today because people have a tendency to lose their essence when trying to better sell their image. In order for a great outcome on the overall custom software development there has to be a great connection between the two parties. In this way you can ensure a high quality of work and most important, a huge satisfaction that all the requirements are meet and the client will be pleased with the result. We as a leading Chicago web development company gives you the most unique outsourced web design services. We here make sure that our Chicago web design professionals fulfill all your requirements. Current Mood: surprised |
| 3:48 am | Interior Courtyard Design - Designing Vertical Space Creative interior courtyard design has some of its own special considerations and rules. Web Design Brisbane Generally, youll follow the same rules as designing small gardens. The main difference and consideration will be in effectively using your vertical space - the walls. Small gardens and especially courtyards can feel very boxed and closed in. How you choose to decorate the walls can have a dramatic influence in this Brisbane Website Design. Merely hiding the walls with climbing vines as most folks generally do, doesnt necessarily create depth or the sense of an extended boundary. Using courtyard walls as an element instead of just hiding them is a much more effective use of what little space you already have. Make them a framework instead of a boundary. One way is in creating an alternate source of height besides the walls themselves. Adding another source of height, another element, will help draw the eye to the element so that not as much attention is payed to the final boundary. It creates an illusion of extended space beyond the element. Its much like the 3d effect that painters create in paintings. Brisbane Website Design Placing a small tree, tall pot, or some other piece of decor in front of a vine covered wall creates a wonderful framework. In a sense, your decor element or planting becomes the focal point and the wall becomes its frame. This draws more attention to the element which has space behind it. And now the boundary doesnt seem so final and hard. Another consideration is in the colors of your walls. Bright and light colors make an area feel more closed in while darker colors create more depth and a sense of distance. Darker walls behind vegetation and vines can actually make the walls or final boundary seem nonexistent. It can give the sense that maybe the garden extends farther than you can see. In courtyards you have very little to work with to start. So try looking at the boundary walls as an element that can be used as a framework and decorated instead of just the final destination. Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site. com which offers free professional landscaping advice to do it yourselfers and homeowners. For more landscaping ideas advice, visit his site at: www. the-landscape-design-site. com. Current Mood: thankful |
| 3:30 am | Ecommerce Websites Design Winning Strategies The number of ecommerce websites that are into buying and selling of consumer products or services has risen in past few years, making it necessary for aggressive promotion of ones company online via internet marketing and other techniques. It is possible to divert higher number of web traffic to your ecommerce website by using effective SEM and SEO tactics Website Design Brisbane. But in order to convert the visitors into loyal customers of your company, right kind of ecommerce strategies needs to be applied. Here in online market the greatest tool to make visitors customers is providing them enough encouragement to make a purchase and keep them happy with your products and services so that they keep coming back to buy things from your website. People always go for ecommerce websites that have easy-to-follow instructions and smooth layout that facilitates them to reach their target product in lesser time. Your main page or home page should have all necessary items and information that help a customer start the buying process, for instance search box, special offers, payment and shipping options, browsing by category, etc. Get the required data of the target customers and sign them up for the email listings in automatic manner. You can ask simple and normal details of customers like their- name, residence address, birth date, contact number, email address, etc. These details can be used in future for sending these people latest offerings or updates about your company through emails, posts, sms, or by calling them. Your target customers should be able to set-up their RSS feeds on your website so that they receive information about every new products or changes happening on your ecommerce site Brisbane Web Design. Greetings or special offers to customers on their birthday or anniversary can be send so to increase selling on those days. Special promotional offers can be given to top customers or new buyers. To lure in the visitors and make them customers, you can offer them additional gifts or coupons as a promotional tool. Giving discounts or gifts is way to attract visitors and they get encouragement to re-visit you ecommerce site and give you more business. Rewarding the customers if purchase has been made beyond a certain limit of amount is also a good promotional tool to boost up the sales. Point system can be introduced where every purchase made by the customer adds to his/her points. After certain amount of points gets accumulated some free gift or discount can be given. Current Mood: horny |
| 3:12 am | Web Site Design These days if you are in business and don't have a website you are missing out on an abundance of customers. Everyone that has a computer in their house will be using one of the search engines (google, Yahoo, Msn etc. Brisbane Website Design ) to look for your business. There are over 20 million searches done every hour on the internet in the UK alone. If your business is not appearing on these search engines then you are losing out to your competitors that are looking for what you do. You will be asking yourself I have done without a website till now so why would I need one It is a good question If you are currently doing well with your business then that is great but can anyone turn round and say that they don't want anymore business If you do say that then what happens if your business starts to lose some customers then you will start to try and get new business elsewhere. A website is THE way to generate extra enquiries and more business than any other means of advertising. More and more people these days are turning to local searches and with broadband the internet is connected in their house 24 hours a day 7 days a week. In all honesty do you even know where you keep your yellow pages anymore There is really no need as with the internet if you need a plumber in your area goto yahoo and type in plumber ( your area ) and a list of sites will come up with plumbers in your area. If you are a plumber how much would you pay to have your site appearing on those searches above your competitors How much would that be worth to you in business terms The answer is easy. . . A lot. 5 or 10 years ago that listing in the yellow pages would mean as much to you as the listings you get on the search engines today Brisbane Web Design. A website for your business could be for several different reasons. You could use your website as a brochure to advertise the products you offer how much more could you show on your website compared to an advert in the paper Instead of having a few lines in the paper explaining your business you could have 10 or 20 pages outlining what you do and the products you offer and give a more in depth description of all your products. For an ad in your local paper for say 3 lines of text would cost you say £50 for 1 week if you had your own website it would cost say £250 per year and the website would be online and available to view 24/7 365 days a year. You could also use your website to keep your existing customers in the know on exactly what you are offering. If your existing customers go onto your website and sign up for your newsletter everymonth you could email them any product updates you have Brisbane Web Design. If you don't have the time to email you could also have a news section on your website that can be updated on a monthly basis and that would allow your customers to log into your website and view any updates since their last visit. New business is good to develop but your existing customers are already doing business with you so why not use your website to maximise the sales you get from your existing customers. All in all a website for your business is an essential to to maximise profits for your business. To generate new business and also to keep your existing customers up-to-date with any changes or product ranges that they could be interested in. More business or not the choice is yours. Current Mood:  contemplative |