Your Affordable Web Design

Web Design Tips - 5 Mistakes

2010-07-22T19:00:00.001-07:00

If you have a website and you know there is something wrong with it because it doesn't look right, has a high bounce rate or doesn't convert, it may be a simple problem with a quick fix. Here are some web design tips for 5 common mistakes.

1) Your text isn't right for your websites overall mood or niche. Finding the right text to encompass the mood of your website is often a more difficult task than anticipated. If you believe this is a problem for you, Dafont.comc ould help. Dafont is a free resource that gives users thousands of unique fonts that can be organized by name, artist, or even style.

2) The website isn't compatible with multiple browsers. Many websites owners are surprised to receive feedback from visitors that informs them their site doesn't properly function in Google Chrome, which is unfortunate considering Google Chrome is the fastest growing browser online. It's definitely worth the time to check out Browsershot.org, a free website that tests your website's compatibility in any and all browsers.

3) Your color scheme is off base. If you don't have an eye for color schemes, maybe try Colorschemedesigner.com. This site is easy to use and can be very effective. Simply enter in a base color (traditionally it's a good idea to enter your logo color/colors) and see up to 20 compatible colors you can use to make your website more stylish. Again, this tool is free.

4) Your website's navigation isn't set up properly. While there isn't a tool to really nail down this problem, there are a few guidelines to follow. One of the largest mistakes website owners make within their navigation is order. If you browse around, you'll see many websites that have a "Home" tab presented first on their navigation, and have an "About Us" tab presented second. Don't make this mistake. People don't care who you are; they care about what you offer and at what price. You are better off listing your "Products" tab after your "Home" tab, followed by your "Pricing" tab (if applicable). Place your "About Us" tab towards the right side of your navigation near "Contact Us".

5) Your call to action isn't in its proper place. It's crucial to put your call to action front and center, and on nearly every page. If you want visitors to call you on the phone, put your phone number in your header to be seen on any and every page. If your call to action is to have visitors purchase, keep that option open wherever you describe your product or service.

For more free advice or a free personal website analysis, visit Savvy Pro Web - A top notch [http://www.savvyproweb.com]Minneapolis Web Design agency.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Web-Design-Tips---5-Mistakes&id=4236969] Web Design Tips - 5 Mistakes

Teamwork Revolution Power System

2010-02-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

I would like to privately invite you into something that can change your financial future forever, as it already has for so many others. It is called Teamwork Revolution Power System. It has designed to be mathematically superior to every home-based business or matrix program that has ever been created, or ever could be created, and I would like to privately invite you to join me in this history making opportunity, as what has been done by this company has never been done before.

In virtually every way, this program is mathematically unbeatable. It allows all members to break even and recoup their monthly membership fee WITH ONLY TWO REFERRALS(which is mathematically unbeatable), provides the fastest spillover rate mathematically possible, has a payout percentage of 96.8%, and allows all members to earn an average of 450% more money than the owner of the company.

It is a 2x8 forced matrix with a monthly membership fee of $29.95 that pays out 96.8% in the following format:

Level 1: 2 people x $15 = $30 (Already in profit with only 2 referrals)
Level 2: 4 people x $1
Level 3: 8 people x $1
Level 4: 16 people x $1
Level 5: 32 people x $1
Level 6: 64 people x $1
Level 7: 128 people x $1
Level 8: 256 people x $8
Total monthly income = $2,330 with only 510 people in your downline

Compare this to other popular programs that require more than twice as many downline members to earn less money, require far more people to break even and recoup your monthly membership fee, and provide much slower spillover rates.

As you can see, with this system you are provided with a mathematically impossible to beat rate of spillover, a mathematically impossible to beat "break even" point, an industry leading and virtually unbeatable 96.8% payout, the ability to earn $2,330 with only 510 people in your downline, which you'll achieve at the fastest rate possible due to the mathematically unbeatable spillover rate, while earning an average of $4.50 per downline member, which is more than 450% more money per person than the owner of the company makes.

I don't think I need to explain to you how revolutionary and unprecedented this is. This is something that has never existed in the MLM and affiliate marketing world before, and in all honesty, can't be beaten, therefore making it impossible to happen again.

This is what the multi-level marketing and home-based business industry has always claimed to be, but has never delivered upon. It's about serving YOU....not the owner of the company. I invite you to accept my private invitation and get in on this explosive business that is taking the world by storm as soon as possible.

For more information, please just click on the link below.
http://www.twrpowersystem.com/aff/pages/azril17.php

If you have any questions at all, I would be happy to answer them for you.
Please take a look at the company's very impressive list of products and services:

1. Professional Web Hosting with UNLIMITTED Web Space

Host Unlimited Websites With Unlimited Domains and Unlimited web space.
We provide :
Easy 3-Click-Install Professional Blog Hosting (Wordpress available).
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Easy 3-Click-Install For Professional Classifieds Script. Run your own Craigslist!

Free Easy SiteBuilder for custom web design and development.
Unlimited MySQL Databases.
Unlimited Web Space.
Unlimited Personalized Email Addresses connected to your website .
Unlimited Domains and/or subdomains.
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2. Web Hosting Reselling.

With our professional VPS Hosting, you are able to start your very own web hosting business with our reseller program. Apart from our affiliate program (where you get paid a fixed commission for introducing our products to other customers), you are now also able to become a reseller, where you will have your own web hosting company with your own brand! You can set your own price and customized service as you wish. Plus, we will provide extra technical assistance for you as well.

Some highlights of what you will receive as a reseller:
- Your own Web Hosting Manager (WHM) - To set a customized hosting package for your customers, and to manage all the hosting aspects of all your customers.
- cPanel - That your customers will be able to use to manage the web hosting service you provide.
- Sitebuilder - Where your customers can easily create and build websites without being tech savvy.
- Fantastico Deluxe - Where your customers can perform Easy 3-Click-Installations of enterprise grade popular web scripts (for example: Wordpress for professional blogging, and Joomla for professional Content Management System).

3. Personal auto-responders for members to use as they wish.

You may have heard the term "the money is in the list," referring to email lists. Well it is, but traditionally, you would need to purchase an auto-responder system separately to be able to efficiently stay in touch with your email lists. Teamwork Revolution Power System includes a personalized auto-responder free of charge.

Auto-responder features:
- Automated email sequences that will be sent out as you personally schedule it.
- Mass email your opt-in contacts for news or announcements.
- Easy integration to capture-pages.

4. Pre-made capture pages.

It has been proven through research, and is well known among all top Internet marketers, that obtaining a prospect's email address through a capture page and keeping in touch in with them (such as through the auto-responder provided by TWRPS) can boost your productivity by up to 66%.

Capture pages are important to initiate desire and anticipation of prospects
who can opt-in to our company auto-responder (explained below) for more information and be added to your auto-responder list as well. The second you sign-up as a Teamwork Revolution Power System affiliate, your personalized capture pages will be automatically created on the fly. Branding yourself is an integral part of marketing, and with our service, this is done instantly, saving you time and effort. Your marketing can be executed immediately.

Your pre-made capture pages will include:
- Your name, contact info, photo (if desired), and even a personal video that is embedded automatically (again, if desired).
- Content that blends with James Al-Oboudi's sales copy that will optimize conversion rates and opt-in rates.
- Continuous automated email marketing sequences through our company auto-responder, sending targeted promotional emails to your prospects to assist you in recruiting them. Every email address "captured" though your pre-made capture pages will be entered into our system, added to our company's auto-responder list, and be sent a series of pre-written emails to greatly enhance your marketing efforts and fill your downline as quickly as possible.
- The ability to 'remember' you as your prospect's sponsor for 90 full days. You will still receive a commission even
if the prospect signs-up as an affiliate 90 days after first visiting your capture page, as your information will be stored as that prospect's sponsor.

5. Ability to create your own capture pages.

With our easy to use sitebuilder, you can create your own capture pages that can be integrated with your own personal auto-responder, included at no extra charge.

Alternatively, you will be able to choose from our wide variety of tested 'high conversion rate' capture-page designs to create them almost instantly.

6. Company Auto-responder.

As explained above, every single email address "captured" by your capture pages (whether using the pre-made capture pages, or your own personally designed capture pages) will be entered into our company auto-responder list. From that point on, your prospects will begin receiving a series of promotional emails, pre-written by James Al-Oboudi, inviting them to become members of Teamwork Revolution Power System. This is an extremely valuable service for those who simply don't have the time to market or stay in touch with their prospects in an effort to recruit them. The lack of continual contact with prospects can lead to a dramatically decreased productivity rate, which makes this service indispensable. With the combination of our pre-made capture pages, company auto-responder, and home landing page, 90% of your job as a marketer is done for you by us.

7. Online conference rooms.

Experienced marketers fully understand that keeping in touch with your downline is crucial to maintaining success as an affiliate marketer. To help you do this, we provide you with access to our online conference rooms in which you can provide a virtual meeting ground for your entire downline to converse with each other in an attempt to build greater team unity and support.

Furthermore, you can conduct webinars (online training seminars) through our conference rooms, allowing you to personally train your downline members in a manner where they can see, hear, and interact with you. This is a tremendous tool to greatly assist you in building a strong downline of powerful Internet marketers.

Likewise, you can use our conference rooms to hold online meetings for anything you desire, such as "meet and greet" seminars in which all of your downline's new prospects can come to be educated about Teamwork Revolution Power System on a much more personal level. Imagine how much your conversion rates will rise when your prospects see and hear an entire team of people welcoming them and teaching them in detail how they can financially prosper with your team.

8. James Al-Oboudi's 24 page marketing e-book.

This 24 page marketing guide, personally written by James Al-Oboudi and used by him to become one of the affiliate marketing world's top performers in less than three months with ZERO previous experience and without spending any money at all, clearly explains in step by step detail how anyone who is new to affiliate marketing with no experience, or even those who have been in affiliate marketing for years, can tremendously boost their success without spending a cent.

This ebook has been described by those who have read it as "superb", "the best marketing guide you'll ever read," and "a highly marketable product that James could easily charge a large amount of money for," but it is yours absolutely free of charge as a member of Teamwork Revolution Power System.

9. Ongoing personal marketing training through our support forum.

Not only is James Al-Oboudi in the support forum on a daily basis, interacting with all members in an effort to train them and help them succeed, but our highly qualified staff and tremendously talented affiliates, many of whom are among the most successful Internet marketers in the world, are there to continually lend their valuable advice and marketing techniques.

10. Digital File storage.

Backup your important files online and retrieve them anywhere.
Features of our Digital File Storage product:
- Unlimited space.
- Created unlimited directories or folders.
- Secure with user authentication.
- Download, rename, copy, move and delete files.
- Support for downloading files and folders in zipped format.
- Multiple file uploading.

11. Free (optional) integration with Google Apps.

If you like using Gmail, how about using our own domain but with a Gmail and Google engine behind it?

Features:
- Have your own domain, but with a Google Mail user interface, feature rich, and fast.
- Collaborate with your team members with your own branded Gtalk and shared calendering.
- Sync your contacts and calenders directly to your phone.
- Access your emails directly from your mobile phone.

Sign Up!
http://www.twrpowersystem.com/aff/pages/azril17.php

Latest Website Design Trends For 2010

2010-02-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

Well, 2010 has finally arrived, and with it are new, innovative Website designs that will usher in the brave, new look of tomorrow's online marketplace. There will be Web design trends that people will love and some they hate, and what is hot at the beginning of the year may be cold by year's end. Additionally, the trend doesn't begin and end on January 1st; there is a definite shift in ideas and trends as the year progresses, albeit a subtle one, as new ideas emerge and become more streamlined.

The trends that evolve help Web designers evolve as well, allowing them to master and refine their skills and to reach new heights of creativity and discovery. The team of Web designers at Active Web Group have identified the Website designs that we feel will be the hottest trends for 2010.

The Web design trends Active Web Group outline below mark a different trend view from 2009, but not a drastic one. Contact Active Web Group to incorporate any of these new and latest design trends into your custom designed Website.

Oversized Logos/Headers

Oversized logos with an oversized header are one trend that is already growing in popularity, and will likely populate many newly designed or redesigned websites in 2010. The main objective behind a huge header is to increase brand recognition and leave a lasting impression. They are intended to take over a significant portion of the splash page, enticing visitors to scroll down.

Sketches/Hand-drawn Designs

Sketching or Hand-drawn designs in 2010 will become not so much the main focus of a Web design, but rather a method used to personalize standard web copy and thus become an elemental part of corporate design. The sketch will help distinguish between a cold Web site and personal interaction.

Slab Typefaces

While slab typefaces have been around for quite some time, they are just now gaining important significance in Website design. Slab typefaces are usually all capital letters and are bold and imposing. They go hand in hand with large headers and can help express who you are as a company.

Typography

Typography was a big trend in 2009 and will quite possibly remain so in 2010. Websites utilizing Typography as their main design element may be more interesting to a reader than the same site with a large amount of images.

One Page Layouts

The development of one page layouts in 2010 will focus on personal profiles with a reduced corporate influence. Think online business cards. This Web design will focus on the individual, their blog, social media hangouts, etc.

Huge Images

A huge image is about creating a visual impact that the visitor will not forget, similar to the oversized logo/header. They are designed to draw the visitor further into the Website

Change of Perspective

The change in perspective to a more realistic view will mark a definitive trend in 2010. Playing around with different perspectives, such as a side-shot aerial, may be a particular element that finds its way into the web design mix.

Interactive/Intuitive Design

The development of Websites with Flash has come a long way, with the advent of swfobject2.2, sIFR and other Flash technologies that enable it to be more accessible to major search engines. 2010 will see Web designers move towards some of the more redeeming elements of Flash. Since the average visitor is now more Web savvy than in previous years, designers will begin to create sites that are more intuitive and interactive.

Modal Boxes

In 2010, modal boxes are picking up steam. They are similar to a popup but much more engaging and less intrusive. Modal boxes are easy to design and use, making them a great solution for designers due to their ease of usability.

Minimalism

One of the trends Active Web Group sees coming in 2010 are Websites featuring loads of white space, bold typology and different color schemes. Minimalism will showcase some fresh colors that bring forth warmth and websites that are primarily focused in their delivery on information.

Oversized Footers

While we have seen only a small amount of Websites with oversized footers thus far, we believe 2010 will see this web design feature become an integral part of the overall design of the Website. Footers will highlight such features as: feed updates from social media outlets, photo and video feeds and more.

Retro

In an attempt to honor vintage art, 2010 will find Web designers turning to retro design. While a site that is done in retro might seem incomplete, the key to a successful retro design should be a focus on an inspirational tone and 'playfulness'.

Intro Boxes

The attraction towards the development of an intro box on a Website in 2010 is the simplicity of introducing yourself to the visitor instead of struggling with the development of a creative 'About Us' page.

Magazine Layouts

The magazine layout in 2010 has come in part due to the migration from the traditional press to online infotainment. The development of a magazine layout gives the visitor all of the information they are seeking on one home page; this gives the visitor the opportunity to view everything quickly and at their convenience.

These are just a few of the most important Web designs Active Web Group believes will be the major trends in Website design for 2010. For more information contact Active Web Group today and let us design a custom Website for your online presence.

Active Web Group is a full service Internet marketing agency located in Hauppauge, NY on Long Island. We provide custom designed Websites, Search Engine Optimization, E-Commerce Marketing, Pay per Click Management and more.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Latest-Website-Design-Trends-For-2010&id=3559022] Latest Website Design Trends For 2010

Inexpensive Web Design

2010-01-19T22:56:00.001-08:00

It is vital to have a good looking online presence if you want to make an impact. A well created web site will give you or your company a great first impression and high credibility. This is even more important if you are a small business or just a one person operation working from home.

All this is probably stuff you already know but if you don't know nothing about site design, how can you achieve this? And even more important, how easy is it to find good but inexpensive web design?

Hiring a good web page design company can vary in price and it the final cost will be all dependent on what you want in your website. Having page upon page of descriptions and a few hundred images may not be needed.

However, you still need to achieve an even balance as you still want your website to reflect the right message, no matter if it is just an online advert or you are using the site to interact with your customers.

The two options open to you if you are looking for inexpensive web design is to do it yourself or get a great quote from a professional company. I will go out on a limb here and suggest that if you could do it yourself, you would not be reading this but looking for tutorials on web design. With that said, I will look at the other option of hiring a web design company and getting a good deal.

The easiest way to get low prices is not to hire a big company. There are many small or micro web design companies who have very low overheads and are looking for design work. You should be able to negotiate some good deals from companies like these.

Also, there are many freelance web designers who work from home. These guys will usually offer you the best rate and can be found by asking around in forums such as the digitalpoint and warrior forums. These forums can be found by doing a search in Google.

Before you agree a price, make sure to view any of the work they have done previously for other clients. You need to able to have a to keep in contact with your designer so that you can communicate any changes or additions you may need.

And if you are dealing with a designer who is located in a different part of the world, make sure you pay your fees through a company such as Escrow.com or Paypal. There maybe extra fees but these online payment companies will offer some level of protection against fraud and it means you may be able to get your money back if something goes wrong.

If you are looking for inexpensive web design, there is a small web design company that I have used on many occasions and would personally recommend you take a look at.

Visit them at [http://webdesignnorthampton.org]Web Design Northampton

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Inexpensive-Web-Design&id=3536397] Inexpensive Web Design

8 Specific Ways to Avoid Common Web Design Mistakes

2010-01-12T00:20:00.000-08:00

Effective web design goes beyond simple aesthetic appeal. In fact, there are many factors which can contribute to the overall success or failure of a website. Therefore, it is important to have a solid understanding of the common pitfalls you will want to avoid before starting this process.

Here are 8 specific ways to avoid some common web design mistakes:

Avoid fancy, flashing or too-small fonts. Less is often more in the world of web design and this concept definitely applies to making font selections for your site. Remember to keep your human visitors in mind while making your selections and stick to those that are clear and easy to read.

Break content blocks into bite-sized pieces. Internet readers tend to prefer material that is easy to scan over novel-length dissertations. Try to break up long paragraphs by incorporating bullets or numbered lists whenever possible.

Clearly communicate what the site is about - fast. Your visitors should be able to understand what your site is about right away. You have a brief window of opportunity to convert a first-time visitor into a repeat customer - so the more clearly and quickly you can communicate your message, the better.

Skip the fancy introductions. This applies to anything that makes it harder to visitors to get to what they want. The fewer steps between landing on your site and finding what they are looking for, the better. As always, make decisions based on what is best and easiest for your human visitors.

Avoid auto-playing music. You may absolutely love the Red Hot Chili Peppers - but there is no way to guarantee that every single visitor to your site will. Even if they do, odds are they don't want everyone at work to know they are surfing the Internet during the day - and a sudden blast of loud music coming from their computer is a definite give-away.

Incorporate value-added audio (or video). Audio and video presentations can be a great way to enhance the user's online experience. Just make sure they don't significantly increase your page load times and enable your visitors to start and stop each presentation at will.

Avoid clutter. Too many badges, banners, association labels or other items can take away from or confuse your ultimate message. Again, good web design is usually simple and straightforward - so try to stay focused on only those elements which enhance your primary message.

Limit scrolling. Some amount of vertical scrolling may be necessary, but try to limit it as much as possible as web surfers have notoriously short attention spans. On the other hand, horizontal scrolling should be avoided at all costs - you want the width of your entire web page to display upon opening (vs. needing to scroll across to see the whole thing).

Clearly, there are many factors to consider when deciding on the right web design options for your business. This list and the recommendations of a reputable web design firm can help you avoid the most common mistakes as you establish a successful online presence.

Salli Berman is a Documentation Specialist at Western Reserve Internet Services, a [http://www.wris.com/services/web-design.cfm]Cleveland web design, [http://www.wris.com/services/cleveland-hosting.cfm]Coldfusion hosting, PPC and SEO company established in 1996.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?8-Specific-Ways-to-Avoid-Common-Web-Design-Mistakes&id=3499367] 8 Specific Ways to Avoid Common Web Design Mistakes

Advanced Web Design Principles

2009-10-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

Home Page

Your entire site consists of a number of pages. Your Home Page being the first page, serves as the preface of your entire website. So with the viewers' convenience, it has to have sufficient information which is easy to acquire and fast downloadable pages. With your Home Page at the first, it introduces your offered products and services to the viewers and potential buyers. It must have sufficient links that easily connects the customers to your other pages providing them more information of their desired products and services. But then, you should be careful not to overload your Home Page with too much information. Remember that your first page only serves as an appetizer to the customer. It is to avoid confusion on the part of the viewers. Oftentimes, too much confusion and poor accessibility would lead the viewers to leave your site.

Your Home Page has to have the right ingredients to easily catch the viewers' interests. If possible, refrain from unnecessary things such as these flash introductions that don't provide significant information.

Site Structure

Your site's structure is one of the important factors that should be carefully considered. It must have a specific system capable of enticing the viewer from your Home Page to various succeeding pages of your site.

Like in a complete set of meals, the structure of your site should have an appetizer, a main course, and of course, a dessert.

As said earlier, you Home Page act as your Preface or an appetizer for your offered products and services. It contains short and enticing details that would lead your viewers to your succeeding pages.

The main course of your site contains detailed information of specific products and services arrayed in your site.

The last part serves as a dessert which completely satisfies your customers by placing your contact information or order slip for the new craving customers.

Navigation Structure

Sometimes, it can't be helped to have a very long page in your site. Most people even yourself would find it irritating and feel the hassle of scrolling down and up or navigating through the page too long. Chances are, your viewers just might as well skip through your site or page.

To avoid such a thing to happen, try keeping your navigational structure as plain and as effortless as possible. Also place a menu on the top or at the bottom of the page to make your users free from scrolling from the top of the bottom and vice versa.

Text

Viewers are too important and sometimes have no time to read all the contents of your page. What they usually do is that they just scan through the pages seeking specific information that would satisfy their needs and interest such as your featured products and services, your personal or company's background, price variables and your contact information.

It is sometimes inevitable that customers may not find what they are looking for so it is best to provide options for further research. Furthermore, purvey easy obtainable information to keep viewers in your site. By simply avoiding customers waiting for information, more sales are reachable.

Creating Emphasis

As discussed earlier, visitors on your website, usually just scan through the pages. So it is very important for you to consider the things or ideas on your site that should be emphasized.

How to do this? Be as creative as possible with your words to better highlight the ideas you want to be emphasized. Thus, increase in your sales is highly possible.

Graphics

Another way of being creative with your site is through graphics. You wouldn't want your site to look dull and lifeless because this will only bore your viewers making them leave your site instead. But never use graphics simply because you like them for your site. Maximize their uses. Graphics are of best use as a tool for emphasizing and highlighting your offered products and services.

Graphics should emphasize how good your products are which will easily catch your viewer's attention thus, creating a high probability on the increase of your sales.

Speed

Nothing beats a faster download. In the internet industry, one minute is already too long to wait for. Viewers oftentimes tend to be very impatient. Even still, there are some who still use dial-up connections so it is important for you to make sure that the download time is fast enough to increase your sales. As many people say, time is gold. Now, you can take that literally.

Note: You are given the right to copy this content to your website or blog as long as you keep the resource box and links of the author.

Percival Pelaez is a Professional freelance with more than 15 year history in computer hardware and software troubleshooting, internet security, internet marketing and website development & design. He's currently running http://www.surigaodigitalservices.net/pages for web design services and giving advices through blogging.

For affordable web design and development visit http://www.surigaodigitalservices.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Percival_Pelaez
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Web Design Trends to Avoid

2009-10-28T22:20:00.001-07:00

Having a website with a great design, animations or flash may not always be as great as you think it is. Some of these can be a complete turn-off to your visitors. You do not want your potential clients to click the back button as they land on your website. If you already have a website and considering a redesign or you are looking forward to get your first website; below are a few trends that you should avoid.

Unreadable Text
Some websites have their font so small that is it almost impossible to read. You need to keep in mind that everyone might have a different screen resolution, you must take this into consideration so the font do not look too big and neither too small. Even better you can have an option to automatically increase or decrease the font size with a click.

Cluttered Content
It is important to have white spaces on your website for the eyes to rest. White or blank spaces make it much easier to read and move around elements on a webpage. Also it is much easier for a visitor to pay more attention to the "call-to-action"

Animated Backgrounds
We all know that it is a lot easier to read a book than reading online. If there is an animated background, it becomes difficult to read and annoying for the eyes.

Website Completely in Flash
No matter how much you like flash, know that some people may have flash disabled in their browser thus they will not be able to see your website. One more thing to avoid is to have a flash intro which is bad if you want to optimize your website for the search engines.

Having a good website that converts does not always mean you should have lots of graphics. Though it is important you must also give as much attention to content. Unlike what you might have heard, creating a website requires a lot of planning and time, so it is best that you avoid everything that will not help your website to achieve its purpose.

Webline Ltd offers quality web design services. Visit the website at http://www.WeblineUK.com

for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rubeina_Sawdoo

http://EzineArticles.com/?Web-Design-Trends-to-Avoid&id=2976652

Why is the Website Designing Important?

2008-12-16T00:47:00.000-08:00

When designing your menu and website navigation, do make it simple and instinctive. To have a really good website, you will need a money in order to make it look reliable and professional.

I am happy to say I have made a couple of friends through my articles one Bipolar man overseas that might team up on designing a website with me, and another Bipolar girl in my own city who is going to become a café latte coffee friend and someone to chat to on the phone. Website designers broadly fall into one of three categories Graphic design firms offer print-based design services in addition to designing websites Multimedia artists create difficult design work often involving 3D animation and sound Web developers have more of an IT bias and their technical skills are well-suited to building web applications as well as website design E-commerce websites are particularly suited to web developers as their technical knowledge means that they are well-positioned to build secure dynamic websites. And you can find freelancers to take on just about any other non-administrative project you can think of designing your website writing a business plan sending out press releases you name it. If you are designing or maintaining your website then learn about Meta tags.

Designing Your Directory Structure The first step to implementing a website is to design the directory structure. Design for Specific Search Engines -While designing your website aim to get a high ranking in the top three search engines Yahoo Google and MSN. you can use while designing your fast loading website. Unlike the Hollywood fairy tale of build it and they will come designing a beautiful website isnt enough.

Whether you are designing sites for clients or designing your own business website your color choice is vital. What I have mentioned above are just the on-page SEO factors that you must keep in mind while designing your website. So if you are designing a website for a client and are confused by the terminology you may want to bring it to their attention and help them rework the copy so ALL their customers understand it. Color choice should also be dictated by other less obvious goals when designing or re-vamping a website.

When designing your Website you must make allowances for the lowest possible common browser. Co specializes in building designing implementing managing and maintaining corporate website to boost sales of your company. Navigation is one of the most important aspects of designing your website. When designing your website you need to ensure that it is companionable with other internet browsers or your website will appear with a muddled layout.

Providing you with website and sales reports Designing presentations for client meetings Again there is a much smaller pool of website designers who have the capabilities of designing a website so that it is well optimized for search engines. This article will help point out some key areas you should focus on when designing your own website. On your Website, the penalty kick is your Form, and you must spend incredible amount of time in designing and testing it.

Let’s talk about couple of important point I choose to discuss Web Designing & web Hosting Lets say you have chosen one of the best web designing company in your area to design & develop your website with the best of your knowledge and they have completed the website designing in couple of days now your website is ready to host on a server.

Author Resource:-> About the author
www.killer-mini-site.com
www.html-branders.com

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Most Essential steps in designing a website

2008-11-17T22:46:00.000-08:00

Designing Your Directory Structure The first step to implementing a website is to design the directory structure. Unlike the Hollywood fairy tale of “build it and they will come,” designing a beautiful website isn’t enough. In the same manner that color bears great significance in our daily lives, so too does color play an important if not crucial role when designing a website. In order to increase the search engine optimization for your website, some new website designing needs to be done. It's not that difficult to build your own website and the following 10 reasons will convince you that designing a website that suits you and your market may lead to increased profits. For more help go to www.automatic-content.com .

However, it always happens that HTML editors write clumsy HTML tags, especially when you amend the webpage layout again and again during your website designing process, which may possibly deter search engines from reading your web page and in turn poorly affect your search engine ranking. Planning and organizing are the most crucial steps in designing a website. Don't get too caught up in all the fancy graphics when it comes to designing a website. A web designer needs to consider a variety of online selling principles while designing an eCommerce website. This article will help point out some key areas you should focus on when designing your own website.

Irrelevant Content Is King when designing your website, and is equally important to both of the major groups who will determine the success of your web site. Pick a Reputable Website Designing Company In order to get the best website redesign, it is important to make sure that you choose a reputable, well liked company. When designing your website or any promotional material, make sure you use language that all your customers understand. When designing your website, include these keywords in the page titles, Meta tags and heading tags. * Providing you with website and sales reports * Designing presentations for client meetings, Design depends on individual taste, and designing a website from a first draft that the client will like from the start, can be a real challenge.

Use website templates if you don't have any designing flair. Keywords and Search Terms Your business keywords and search terms are also critical considerations when designing your website. For more information logon to www.javascript-magic.com .Here’s a Fast Track Technique to make your job of designing and building a website a lot easier: All you really have to do is plan one page, your homepage, and then clone all your other 2nd and 3rd level pages. Graphic Tools for designing your own website online is also available. Designing a Website with ZERO Marketing Experience -- Most web designers have no idea how to make money on the internet, with anything other than their design services.

If you are designing or maintaining your website then learn about Meta tags. Proper web design is not a difficult task; it is just a matter of designing your website from a viewer’s point of view. Designing the video jacket, website, figuring out how to market the video and get publicity all while trying to lose weight hard enough to do when you're not stressed and food is you’re only vice.

Author Resource:-> www.my-early-days-on-the-net.com

www.thedesignbuild.com

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Some Affiliate marketing Ideas

2008-11-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine our lives without Internet? What are the greatest things about the Internet? How it works as a complete reference?

It has taken control of every possible source and aspect of information and database sharing: the encyclopedia, the dictionary, the White and Yellow pages and even maps - they all have become antiquated with the invention of the Internet. How can it help you as a new online marketer? The answer is: It's easy. The big money on internet is in affiliate marketing, in "Niche" marketing.

With the hype about it what exactly is niche Marketing to a particular group instead of the public at large is defined as "Niche" marketing. If you think about it, on the surface, it sounds a bit strange. You would like that EVERYONE will buy from your website but how can you make a site that is appealing to everyone or how you can write web content to sell your product that appeals everyone? Actually it's impossible. For more details go.That's where niche marketing comes in. Pick a product as, say, Hickory Farms meats and cheeses and do your best to promote them.

However, before you pick on a niche product to promote, there is a series of questions you have to ask yourself.

• Who and Why is going to buy your product? Well, in case of Hickory Farms products, chances that you'll be selling them too many teenagers are almost zero. As your market obviously is going to skew older, you will need to write content that most likely is going to appeal to an older audience. Hold off on the slang, the off-color jokes and the pop-culture references.

• What are the benefits your product is offering? In the case of Hickory Farms the company has been making quality products for generations. Play up the history aspect, superior quality aspect or even the holiday's aspect, since they are a company that always seemed to peak during the holidays. Every single product out there has a list of benefits that can be highlighted. If you intend to succeed in this area make sure that you know them and make sure you give your customers as detailed description as you can.

• Is your knowledge wide enough about this product to write new, interesting content about it every few weeks? This is THE question. Your passion about Hickory Farms and your love to their products, should give you the confidence to say "Yes" and apparently writing a new article about their product line every few weeks wouldn't be difficult at all. Participating in an affiliate program only because of the high commission and if you don't have enough knowledge about the products you're selling, than you should think again about your choice.

Perhaps niche marketing sound a bit odd on the surface but it really is the only right way to go. Focusing of your site and concentrating your energy on a particular group of interest. It will make it seem more legitimate and increase your potential for more business success in no time flat. For more information logon to .One of the greatest parts about affiliate is the incredibly low initial investment you need to start earning money. Narrow focused website with well written content most likely will do the job for you. The wealth of FREE programs on the open market will guide you though basic web design, when in most cases no preliminary knowledge is needed, you can be up and running in the span on a day. Finding a good affiliate marketing program to subscribe to - that's all that left at this point.

Few tips below to help you starting up your affiliate marketing campaign today!

• As already mentioned, tens of thousands of affiliate programs are available out there that you can subscribe to and the list is essentially limitless. An important piece of advice though is that you should stay away of an affiliate marketing program which wants you to pay money to sign up. In general most the affiliate marketing programs are FREE! Enough said and some of the big time programs will even train you and give you tips, the right keywords, and promotional tools to help you to focus on promotion of the program, to sell a product and earn you money! Don't pay for, unless you really are interested to be part of an affiliate marketing program that charges money. Thousands of others are free.

• Stay away from a low-quality internet provider too. Don't be fooled of a tough choice for costs at zero or as close to zero as possible. Most likely your local full Internet Service Provider is going to do a better job of hosting your new money making website then some free site that crashes all the time and causes you sale loses. Don't trust a company that hosts your money-making machine, your website, that isn't going to do everything they should to ensure its up and running 24/7. Most likely you pay for an internet connection in your home already, and in most cases with your basic Internet account, you get free web space too. Use it and rest assure knowing that your website is in trustworthy hands.

As any other industry out there, affiliate marketing has its few ins and outs too, and you should know them to succeed online.

Take advantage and download a new special report by Samuel A. Baron Golden Rules to Online Business Success which covers fundamentals related to the issue, and gives you a step-by-step blueprint how to start, develop and expand your online business.

Author Resource:-> www.firesale-automator.com
www.scroll-pops.com

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Some Important Tips for Website Designing & Businesses Online

2008-10-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Article highlights how graphic designing, logo designing and corporate identity solutions serves as important facets of web designing for unique identity of businesses online.

There are various facets of a website. These primarily include graphic designing, and the creation of logos as well as a unique corporate identity. When it comes to designing, then there are various tools and methods that are used to give one the benefit of a superior design. It must be understood that you must choose the perfect graphics format for your website needs. Graphic designers are very judicious when it comes to the selection of graphics. They confirm to and follow various norms while choosing graphics for use in a website. For e.g. if the graphics have and need a lot of color then many designers prefer to opt for JPG images and if the graphics have minimal colors then GIF images are the option they choose. Designers also understand the concept that more often than not the audience of the website does not have the advantage of a state of the art computer system. This is more than evident with regards to graphics . It is of paramount importance that graphic design companies use web safe colors which are universally recognized by all browsers. The sole purpose of logo designing is to create a unique identity for your business. It is one of the ways that your business and its operations can be recognized and is an integral part of the branding exercise. A great logo speaks volumes for your company. It must be strong, clear and have balanced imagery and not look uncluttered. Moreover, it must have a design that is bold, a graphic imagery that is perfect for your business.” A great logo speaks volumes for your company. A logo design must be such that it compliments the name of the company and it must also be easy on the eyes and easy to understand. Moreover, while designing a logo, a designer must see to it that it must look good in color as well as in black and white .

If you are looking at a design for your corporate website then there is a bit of a difference as compared to other websites. Unlike various typical websites, a corporate website has a large scope and more often than not does not cater to a specific type of audience as it does not have a fair idea of its readership. The designing of such a website must take into consideration the fact that it caters to different interest groups. For e.g. it not only cater to prospective clients but prospective employees as well. “Bring, Make and Retain Customers with your unique corporate identity good website designing company will dispense with superfluous graphics and keep the corporate website accessible. More importantly, the optimization of the website must revolve around a collection of web pages that have a simple configuration.

Author Resource:-> www.15-ways-to-boost-website-response.com
www.instant-squeeze-page-mastery.com

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Common E-commerce Mistakes that must be Avoided!

2008-10-20T00:09:00.001-07:00

There are many excellent e-commerce sites, but very few are successful. The main reason behind this fact is committing some very common mistakes which have a negative effect on sales and customer satisfaction levels. As the customers have unlimited options for shopping online, they will take their business elsewhere if your site gives them problems. Therefore avoid the following mistakes.

Bad Design
A good website design is the gateway to success in the highly competitive online business. Your online business is mostly judged on the basis of the designing theme and overall look of your e-commerce site. Hence, you should go for a professionally designed e-commerce site. Don’t forget to ask your USA or UK based web design agency to incorporate latest technologies in the web site.

Lack of usability
A website without usability is like a town without directions. If your site is not reflecting your business, it is simply useless to the audience. Suppose if you are offering financial services, your website must have content related to latest financial issues, your experience and the services.

Barriers in shopping
People shop online because of the ease of shopping. Any minor problem faced by the buyer while shopping would make them leave the site within a matter of few seconds. Try to keep the price tag and description about the products very accurate and up-to-date.

Unsatisfactory customer service
If the customers are not treated properly, they would start looking for the same product at some other site. Poor customer services mean not answering e-mails, not responding to queries, delay in delivering the products or delivering the wrong goods.

Poor search options
It is important for a customer to narrow down their options while browsing for products. It helps them to find the products of their expectations in less time. Hence, even though you are selling good quality products, there must be the option for your customers to filter their searches and remove irrelevant products.

Hidden checkout button
By hiding the checkout button you simply can’t compel your buyers to buy products or services from your site. At times, after adding a product to the shopping cart it becomes difficult to search the checkout button. Ideally, any good e-commerce site should have a visible checkout button on every page.

Unnecessary inquiry
It is necessary to ask the customers to ask for some details during the registration process. But giving away too many details is something that most of the customers don’t prefer. Stick to just necessary details to complete the purchase. Name of the customer, delivery address, contact number, and card details are all you need.

Displaying ‘out of stock’ products
When an item is out of stock, it is essential to remove the product from the search result pages. You don’t want your customers to be disappointed at the end of their shopping to find that the product that they wish to buy is out of stock.

If you are planning to have your own e-commerce site to expand your customer base, approach a reliable and affordable web design companies in the UK, the USA or India. Go for a reputed web and graphic design company which have both the experience and infrastructure to provide you with quality e-commerce solutions.

Author Resource:-> James Elliott is an expert website designer who works for http://www.liquidbubble.com/print_media.htm >web and graphic design London. His articles on trend of http://www.liquidbubble.com/index.htm >affordable web design UK have been appreciated a lot.

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Creative Web Design or SEO- for Success!

2008-09-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

In the success story of a website, both design and search engine optimization (SEO) play an important role as their work is vital for a successful online presence. While SEO helps in driving traffic to your site, the designing part helps in grabbing the attention of the users.

Even though both are essential for the success of a website, yet they employ very different techniques and ideas.

Designing Part

Any experienced web designing company, whether based in the UK, the USA or Asia, would keep one objective in common while designing a web site – and that is what is the purpose of the web site and who is it being made for.

In keeping with Web 2.0 trends, a web site today needs to be designed keeping in view the users’ perspective. It is a user-driven economy on the web now and all web sites must conform to what users want. It is not enough to have a wonderfully appealing graphic design or some superb flash and animation work on the web site. The web site also needs to offer enough interesting inputs to the user through relevant information, interactive features, user-friendly web design and navigation structure.

SEO Part

If the designer is responsible for making the website look appealing and be user-friendly, it is the job of the SEO experts to make its presence felt amongst its target audience. SEO helps in driving traffic to a website to increase its visibility.

SEO does not only mean placing relevant keywords at the right place. It is an intricate and laborious process involving indexing of pages, directory submissions, link building, talking about the web site in relevant social forums and networking sites and so on.

which one is more important?

The credit for overall popularity of a website can’t be given singularly to either designers or SEO experts. It is a joint venture and there must be a balance between the two. One cannot single-handedly establish the brand identity of an online business without the support of the other.

Suppose, the SEO experts have successfully driven traffic to your site, but what happens if the user doesn’t find the site up to the standard? Again, what’s the use of a good website design if its online presence is significantly low?

The web designers must understand the basics of SEO and on the other hand an SEO expert must comprehend the importance of designing elements required for branding. It is essential for both to understand and meet the expectations of the web site’s target audience. Users want both search visibility and appealing design and this in turn helps the web site in establishing a strong online presence.

Last but not the least, it is essential to find an affordable web design company which also provides SEO services. Firstly you don’t have to look for two companies and secondly, there are few chances of clashes between the two different departments.

Author Resource:-> James Elliott is an expert website designer who works for a leading http://www.blogger.com/ >web design agency in UK

.His articles on trend of leading http://www.blogger.com/ >graphics design agency in London have been appreciated a lot.

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Affordable Web Design Option

2008-09-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

Web designing is one of the toughest challenges faced by many companies that aim at utilizing the power of the Internet to their benefit. There are more than a million pages on the World Wide Web, with each constantly competing for attention, in the form of search engine ranks. It is advisable for companies to approach the task of web designing from a professional perspective, to uncover the full potential of their website, and make a difference to their business. Most companies have a wide customer base all over the world, and hence there is a great demand for professional web designers to design and promote their sites. Many companies that have high advertisement costs usually like to go for affordable web design options.

Companies all over the world have realized the importance of globalization. Most companies endeavor to make people aware of their products and services, by operating customized websites that are designed by professional designers. Web designing is a career in which trained professionals, utilize their web designing skills to maximize profits for clients. Professional web designers are information analysts, who can help clients structure web page systems to manage large volumes of data. They utilize their expertise in guiding and improving, the accessibility and usability of their client?s websites.

Companies that offer affordable web design options, help small and medium business, develop and maintain a web presence. In order to stay competitive in the market, online business is no longer considered an option but a necessity.

These companies offer high quality and visual impact designs at affordable prices. They create graphics and print layouts that coordinate with websites.

For companies that are just beginning to discover the potential of doing business on the web, and would like to test the market in an affordable manner, custom design or web template program is the best option available.

Affordable Web Design provides detailed information on Affordable Flash Web Design, Affordable Web Site Design Companies, Affordable Web Site Design Services, Affordable Web Design And Hosting Services and more. Affordable Web Design is affiliated with Build an Ecommerce Web Site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Affordable-Web-Design-Options&id=410055

Affordable Web Hosting at http://www.fanwebhosting.com/

Ssssh! The Little-Known Secrets To Affordable Website Design

2008-08-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

Affordable website design services are an important commodity in today's world of computers and technology. Businesses constantly need new websites created and updated. As such, a person with knowledge of this technology can offer affordable website design services to businesses. Many website design companies also offer affordable website designs to help small businesses create a web presence that their potential customers can enjoy. With many different designs, styles, and choices available, a company can find an affordable website design with a certain amount of research.

If you are a small company or a home-based business, you can do affordable website design by yourself with some knowledge. This will likely be a basic website, but the important thing is getting your business name into the world wide web for potential customers and clients to notice. Many websites and office supply stores sell affordable website design software you can utilize for your website. With the proper software and a do-it-yourself attitude, you can create your own affordable website design by the end of the day.

Creating an affordable website design might take some specialized training. If you don't mind taking a few classes, you can find adult education training in your area that offers affordable website design training inexpensively. You can also find books, magazines and software to help you create an affordable website by yourself. The more knowledge your have in the website design field, the more unique and creative you can make your company's site.

Several website design companies offer affordable website design packages for small businesses and individuals. If you hire a company to create an affordable website design, it will probably be a very basic site that might not meet all of your business needs. For more customized and uniquely designed sites, they normally charge higher rates. As an alternative, you can get your affordable website design by freelancers who offer this same service. One advantage is that freelancers are more likely to be inexpensive and they offer your case more individualized attention. Many freelance web designers specialize in providing affordable website design and maintenance packages to save you from the hassle of creating a website design by yourself.

There are several ways that you can get an affordable website design. For basic web pages, you can create an affordable website design by yourself. If you're willing to spend a little more money, you can also get an attractive website design by companies or freelancers who offer this type of service. With a proper but affordable website design, you can increase the profits of your company and have something you can be proud of.

Lee Hopkins the author of over 130 articles on business communication, and is recognised world-wide as one of Australia's leading experts in online business communication, including Social Media or Web2.0 as it's also known as.

To connect with him, please call him on +61 8121 4444 any hour of the day or night; if he's asleep you can leave a voice message!

Visit his site at http://www.LeeHopkins.com to find many more articles on business communication. He also blogs at http://www.LeeHopkins.net Whilst there, why not pick up a complimentary copy of his 'Social Media White Paper', which explains all about this latest seismic change to the business communication landscape!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Hopkins
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Affordable Web Design And Hosting Services

2008-08-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of options for affordable web design and hosting services out there. This means that having someone create and host your website is more cost effective than ever. How do you find an affordable web design and web hosting that is perfect for your needs?

First, you will have to decide what your exact website needs are. What is the purpose of your site? What kind of content do you want on your site? Do you know how many pages you would like? Any graphics? The more you think about how you want your site to look, the easier it will be to find affordable web design and hosting services.

The next step to finding affordable web design and hosting is to do your research. Look on the Internet for more information. Visit review sites. Ask around on forums. Ask your friends and family what they recommend, and if they know of a good company. Post an ad or join one of the freelance bid sites to post your project requirements.

If you have some coding skills of your own, consider putting together a “rough draft” of your site. If you do some of the initial web design yourself, it may help lower the price when you have a professional do it. A start from scratch fee is always a lot more than it would be if all the content and the basic design are in place. This requires less time spent by the web design company.

After your site is designed, you will need to consider your web hosting options. Some coders also offer web hosting. Other services include domain registration and web hosting. To find the option that is the most affordable and is the best quality, go through the same research process you went through to find your web designer.

Finally, as you go through this process, remember that the most affordable doesn’t always present the best value. If you hire a web design and hosting service that delivers a low quality product, you definitely did not get your money’s worth. In fact, it can cost you more in the long run.

Web Design And Hosting provides detailed information on Web Design And Hosting, Professional Web Hosting And Design, Affordable Web Design And Hosting Services, Cheap Web Site Design And Hosting and more. Web Design And Hosting is affiliated with Create Your Own Web Site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Morgan
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Affordable Web Hosting at http://www.fanwebhosting.com

How To Hire A Web Developer

2008-08-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

Today, most businesses want a website. Some already have one. Others want one. They don't want to hire IT staff and probably can't afford any. And in most cases, an in-house IT staff, especially for your typical small business, just isn't necessary. But, that doesn't mean that you have to go without or will be forced to use some cookie cutter website or a personal Frontpage experiment gone awry. You can hire a web developer/designer to create a professional website for you, set it up, then hand it over to you for you to do what you want with it. But, how should you go about finding someone to do this? What should you look for? There are literally thousands of companies/individuals out there offering to do your website. How do you pick from this large group?

What Do You Want?

The first step is to decide exactly what you want on your website. This is very important as it will determine what the requirements are and, in turn, what skill set your web developer needs to fulfill your needs. Here are some questions to ask of yourself:

* What kinds of information do you want to have on your site? Approximately how large do you envision the site (# of pages)?

* Will your site require regular updates? Do you want to do these updates yourself?

* Will you be engaging in e-commerce on this website?

* Will you need a database?

* How fast do you need the job done?

* What is your budget?

Start Your Search

Doing a web search for someone that has the skills you will need for your website will still give you a humongous list of possible choices. Referrals are often the best method of weeding people out. IF someone recommends a developer, it is because they are happy with the service they were provided. So, if someone recommends a developer to you, you should check that developer out and see if they have the skills you will need from them.

Often, the developers you are pondering are not located in your town. In today's day and age, this is not usually a problem. Yes, there are instances where a face-to-face meeting is really beneficial, and if you are the kind of really considers this meeting important, you should limit your search to developers within driving distance of your location. Otherwise, the internet and phone system provide all the communication you will need, regardless of distance.

The first thing to do when considering a developer is to check out their website.

* IS the site well-designed and attractive?

* Is it easy to navigate?

* Are there any broken links?

* Is the information complete (introduction to staff, company location, contact methods, etc.)?

* Does the site load quickly?

* IS there a portfolio? (Very important. A developer without a portfolio to display is a total question mark. You simply don't know if the people are good or are snacking on doritos trying to figure things out as they go).

* What skills does the developer have? Do they do design only, or can they do dynamic web development and database design? Also, ensure that they do not advertise themselves as a web designer but focus mainly on print media. Internet design and print design are different ballparks with different requirements. Also, keep in mind that good use of Dreamweaver or Frontpage does not in itself make a web designer. Check their portfolio and ensure the developer really knows his stuff. A person well-versed in internet development should know not only about creating the site, but also maintaining it, marketing it, and promoting it. Ideally, a web developer has successfully done all of the above on his own sites.

* Does the site offer customer testimonials? Read them. And, you might even contact those clients independently to ask them questions of the service you were provided.

Small Freelancers vs. Big Firms

You need to decide if you want to work with a large design firm or a small freelance company (or even single developer). There is more security for the client when working with a larger firm. The skills they offer vary widely because their staff is so large, and they often have a very large portfolio. The caveat, though, is that large companies often charge more money. The overhead costs for such companies is larger, so they will charge more. Additionally, larger companies often come with more beauracracy. With so many developers, often communication is just not what it should be, leading to inconsistencies in the project due to miscommunication. Also, sometimes you will find that these companies pay a little too much attention to process rather than simply getting the job done.

Freelance developers offer better value for the money, and because they are a single person, the communication flow between them and the client is usually much better (one-on-one). If there is a staff, usually the size is small, meaning communication will still be more tight-knit. This will lead to more consistent coding and coordination. Also, you know who is responsible for your project and there is more accountability. In larger firms, nobody is responsible in some cases. (or so they say). The downside of freelancing is that their skill set is their skill set, and if you need something that they don't know how to do, they must research it. Also, freelancers are limited by their size. If they already have a high workload, then their throughout is limited and it may force you to wait. So, depending on the size of your project, a large firm might guarantee the job gets done quickly.

Rates and Guidelines

Check out the rates of the developer. Often, you will not find the rates directly posted on their website. This is usually because they like to do things by estimate, so simply contact them, give them a few specs, and go back and forth until you get a ballpark figure. When getting an estimate, make sure it is detailed and exact. Ask any questions that you have. If you think the price is too high, ask them about it. Don't be afraid to counter-offer. They can always refuse.

Check out the developer's contract. Make sure the client is protected. PAy attention to guarantees of response time. You want to make sure your developer is available for you. Also, look for their policy on project changes. Obviously, you cannot alter the specs of your project once an estimate is agreed upon without expecting additional fees. Ask them about this. Also, inspect the contract for warranty of work. Who will they handle bugs in the work they have done?

Talk With Them

Any developer you consider should have a method of being reached by phone. Call them and gauge their personality. Make sure they are good people who you can talk with and bounce ideas off of. See if they treat you right or act like they barely have time for you. Good communication is very important to a successful project, and if you can't properly communicate to your developer, you should not hire him/her.

Evaluate

Evaluate your potential developers using the advice above and you will be more likely to have successfully completed project with minimal frustration.

About the author:
David Risley is a web developer and founder of PC Media, Inc. (http://www.pcmedianet.com). Specializes in PHP/MySQL development, consulting and internet business management. He is also the founder of PC Mechanic (http://www.pcmech.com), a large website delivering do-it-yourself computer information to thousands of users every day.

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Designing Your Site For The Search Engines

2008-08-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

When you design a website, it's easy to focus on what your visitors are going to see. What you have to realise, though, is that you're going to have another kind of visitor with a completely different agenda: they're not going to be looking at your pretty logo and they're not going to be passing judgement on your background colour. What they're looking for is the content and structure of your page.

They're the search engine spiders, and they are in control of probably the largest section of your traffic. You need to please these spiders if you want your site to be successful. Here's how.

Make Your Structure Clear.
Resist the temptation to lay your page out in non-standard ways: you want it to be very clear to the search engine where the navigation is, where the content is, and where the headings are. As a rule, put navigation first in your page. Always use the heading tags (h1, h2, etc.) for headings and sub-headings.

Avoid using generic span and div tags and only making things clear to the user through CSS font sizes: instead, use every 'semantic' HTML tag that applies to your content. If you're quoting someone, use the blockquote tag; if you're posting program code, use the code tag. Search engines love this.

Keep Keywords Consistent.
It's not usually worth deliberately saturating your content with keywords in hope of a higher search ranking – the engines have pretty much wised up to this tactic – but do make sure that your keywords appear consistently when they occur naturally. For example, for these articles, I have stuck with 'website' throughout, as suddenly writing 'web site' instead would bring down my rankings.

HTML and Javascript.
It's worth noting that search engines read HTML, but they don't, in general, read Javascript. That means that using Javascript to insert text into your page is a bad idea if you want search engines to see the text. On the other hand, you might want to have just the text in HTML and insert all the other parts of the page with Javascript: this will tend to make your page appear more focused, although you should be careful not to insert navigation links this way if you want the search engines to follow them.

Use Meta Tags.
Yes, meta tags are out of fashion, and search engines pay no attention to them any more when it comes to ranking your site, but they're still important in one way: the meta description tag is still often used to decide what text search engines' users see when they find your site in their results! This can be just as important as the ranking itself – write something here that will look useful to the searcher, and you're more likely to get them to click-through. Don't forget that, while search engines are just machines and algorithms, the end result of it all does involve a human decision: to click, or not to click?

Avoid Splash Pages.
You might think it's a great idea to have a 'splash' page displaying a full-page version of your logo (or an ad) to every user who arrives at your site, but search engines really hate that. Using this trick will get you ranked far lower than you would usually be, so you should avoid it – it's annoying to visitors anyway.

Include Alt Tags.
Any time you use a graphic, include alt text for it – especially if there is text in the graphic. Remember that, as far as search engines are concerned, all your graphics might as well just be big black boxes. Test by removing all your graphics and seeing if your content remains relatively intact. If it doesn't, then you'll be turning search engines away.

Finally, Write Great Content.
The key with modern search engines (and, at the same time, the thing you have least control over) is how many people decide to link to your page from their page. How can you make more people link to you? Make your content useful. Make it something they'll want to quote on their blogs. Content is more King than it's ever been, and the best way to design for search engines is to make your content really stand out.

About the author:
Angie is the lead web designer for a fortune 500 company. Read her thoughts on web design on her blog... http://www.webdesignblogonline.com

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