5 Important Tips On How To Build A Professional Website March 9, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedCopyright 2006 Nikki Mhlanga
With the advent of the internet, a lot of business transactions are done online. Almost every business nowadays has a website.
Although some customers will go to the shop to buy the product from the shop, they firstly shop for what they are looking for and compare prices on line. It is now almost imperative that any business must have a website.
Whether you own a home based online business of any type, or you own a shop in your town or city, you need a website to let potential customers know that you exist and that you offer products or services or business opportunities they may be interested in.
If you do not have a website, then you are not represented on the largest and most popular medium of communication today.
What hints must you heed in order to build a professional website that will effectively promote your products or services and encourage visitors to actually buy from you?
A well presented website: A tidy and professional looking website is important. Your website is your store front, and you need to create very good first impressions, otherwise you lose potential customers.
A website that is easy to navigate: There is a lot of competition out there, and there are thousands of other businesses and websites from which customers can choose from. Customers expect an efficient and easy to navigate website where they can easily and quickly get what they are looking for.
You will need to have a clearly laid out outline of contents on your website which is easy to use and straightforward. This means that information and images of the products you are offering must be easy to find in your shopping section of your website; and they must be very clear to view. It is also important that your pages load quickly and that you have all the various options for completing an order form and paying for the products or services.
Use techniques that encourage browsing and impulse buys: Present your website in such a way that every visitor or customer is presented with an opportunity to buy more. Include product reviews or satisfied customers feedback on your products so that visitors are encouraged to buy. Include some comments about the products key benefits. If you sell a wide range of products, next to any main product, include some other complementary products which the buyer may need.
Have your contact details on your site and always be reachable: After-purchase service is very important, especially for online transactions. It is therefore critical that customers know who you are and how to contact you after they’ve made a purchase, or if they need further information about your product or service before they decide to purchase. Your contact information should be clearly visible on your site.
This will also help increase their confidence in doing business with you. It is also important that you check your website’s emails at least once everyday in case there is a customer needing some help. Your website is your shop which operates full time 365 days so you will need to be available as needed so that you keep your business running smoothly and your customers happy. A happy customer is a potential return business for you.
Include a feedback form: It is important that you constantly improve your website or products/services, and you can achieve this by having a feedback form on your website. A feed back form gives your customers an alternative way to reach you and it also informs you about what customers think about your products and services.
For you to maximize your business’ online sales, you will need a well present website that will encourage your visitors to buy the products or services you offer.
About the author:
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Nikki Mhlanga is a trusted online residual income authority and provides valuable online residual income opportunities and resources through her website at: www.smart-homebiz.com/
You can also follow these 3 easy steps to make money online in the comfort of your own home : www.smart-homebiz.com/pips.html
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How to Maximize the Value of Every Visitor to Your Website February 28, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedWhile most marketers are beginning to understand the critical importance of maximizing conversion rates, few are tracking or working to maximize another critical measurement of website effectiveness.
Visitor value…
Visitor value is simply a representation of how much money you make per visitor to your website.
You can calculate visitor value by multiplying your number of sales over a given time by your average price per sale and then dividing by the number of unique visitors you received over the same time period.
(# of sales x price) / (# of unique visitors) = visitor value
For example, if your website made 1,000 sales last month at an average order size of $100 and received 50,000 unique visitors, your visitor value is $2.
(1,000 sales x $100) / (50,000) = $2.00
When split testing modifications to your website, it is important to understand the effect these changes have on visitor value, not just conversion rates.
This is particularly important when testing different price points or working to improve your average order size.
By focusing only on conversion rates when testing different prices, you run the risk of selecting a price point that may convert best, yet produce a lower overall visitor value and profit.
For example, in a recent split testing campaign I conducted for one of my coaching clients we tested three different price points, $17, $27 and $47.
The $17 price generated a conversion rate of 3.4%, the $27 price actually converted the highest with 3.65% and the $47 price point converted at only 3.18%.
Without looking at the visitor value, many marketers would select the $27 price point. However, after calculating the visitor values for each price point, we discovered that the $27 price produced a visitor value of $0.98. But the $47 price produced a visitor value of $1.49.
Even though the $47 price had the lowest conversion rate, because of the higher visitor value it was over 50% more profitable than the highest converting price point.
Once I explain the power and importance of improving visitor value to my clients I am often asked…
“How can I improve my visitor value?”
There are only three basic ways to increase your visitor value.
First, you can improve your sales conversion rates. As long as your boost in conversion rates doesn’t come at the expense of price or average order size, improving conversion will also improve your visitor value.
Second, as I have already demonstrated, by testing different price points for your products, you can often find the “sweet spot” where your visitor value is maximized.
The third way to maximize visitor value is by working to increase your average order size. Using tactics such as up-selling, cross-selling and bundling you can quickly boost the average amount your visitors spend per sale.
While my clients and readers all know how passionate I am about maximizing conversion rates, when it comes to changes or split tests on your website that involve pricing or average order size, visitor value is the metric that you want to maximize.
By consistently measuring the impact your conversion rate optimization efforts have on visitor value, you can ensure that your site is living up to its most profitable potential.
Want to improve your conversion rates? Get a FREE website evaluation from one of the worlds top eCommerce and traffic conversion experts. Visit http://www.web-site-evaluations.com/free today for your free, no-obligation website evaluation today!
Eric Graham is the CEO of several successful online companies. Internationally recognized as a top authority on eCommerce, Website Conversion & Internet Marketing, he’s an in-demand speaker & consultant.
Get expert tips, advice, news and commentary on improving conversion rates, split testing, web usability, copywriting, internet marketing and more. Just visit Eric’s popular Blog: http://www.conversiondoctor.com/conversion-blog/
Back To School Web Hosting
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedEvery year as school starts web hosts see an up tick in orders as entrepreneurs and stay at home parents have more free time and the vacation summer season winds down to the shorter days of winter. Many hosting companies plan special fall campaigns designed for these small business startups. But lately there has been another wave around this time of year and it comes as specialized hosting packages for students and parents. Increasingly we are seeing websites for bloggers, online photos, resumes, family forums, podcasting, and web cams. This variety of new technologies has spawned a larger need for web hosting. Someone has to host all of this content and information. And in some cases like web cameras, photos, and podcasting the hosting needs are pretty large.
Seniors and juniors in college are using simple resume websites with “their name”.name to help promote their skills and give potential employees a place to research them. These websites can give a lot more information and if designed well are a tribute to the professionalism you are trying to portray. This is an easy thing to use on job hunting websites and to include in your email signature. You can usually find a website like this for around $40/year with tools to help you easily create it.
Blogs, blogs, blogs. This is certainly one that we here about all of the time. But students, teachers, and even parents love to blog about their education experience from college down to elementary school. Blog websites have become extremely easy to setup and many very full featured ones are free! These websites give anyone a forum to express their views and experiences, and education seems to be a topic people love to talk about.
The next buzzword after blogging is Podcasting. This is the art of taking a blog to the spoken level. People can record whatever they want and upload it to a pod casting website for the whole world to hear. It is very popular for people to create virtual tours of museums and universities for people to download and walk around with in their ipod. Or it can simply be a recording of your personal views for the whole world to hear.
What do parents who like to see their child’s classroom and voyeuristic college kids have in common? Web cams. Another step up from blogging and podcasting your thoughts and voice, is actually filming yourself. Web cams are finding their way in to all sorts of places and the back to school season seems to spur an extra boost. Web cams are being used by schools to allow parents to view their child, they are being used around campuses and neighborhoods for security, and also by parents and children separated by distance to see each other.
Another smaller type of website that we have even heard of is Family forum boards. As a family gets spread out with multiple kids in multiple colleges across the country, a forum board offers a convenient way for everyone to communicate on their own time and keep up with all of the conversations of the family. Most hosting companies offer free forum boards with their hosting plans and these are very easy to install and setup. If you look for a web hosting company with an auto-installer script, such as Fantastico, you will be amazed at how easy it is to get started.
The final type of back to school website are online photo albums. With the proliferation of digital cameras people are now turning to online photo albums as a place to store their family treasures. This also allows your far away college student to post pictures of his dorm room for the extended family to see as well as for the family to post pictures of the good times they are having. A picture is worth a thousand words. There has been the creation of web hosting companies specifically designed for this task. This is called Image hosting. Type “image web hosting” into any major search engine and you will find all of the companies you need to choose from. Also, most web hosting offer free online photo album scripts that you can install. And as mentioned previously, if they advertise an auto installer like Fantastico, then the install and setup is done for you.
The fall months historically offer increased web hosting demand, but with the advent of recent technology trends we are now seeing an increased demand in specialty hosting during the fall that caters to students, parents, and friends. These are just 6 specialty hosting needs but I’m sure there are other ways people are using the internet to enhance their educational experience and reduce the distant that it sometimes puts between family and friends.
About the Author: Rodney Ringler is President of Advantage1 Web Services, Inc., which owns a network of Web Hosting Informational Websites including HostChart.com, ResellerConnection.com, FoundHost.com, ResellerForums.com, and HostingKnowledge.net. Rodney has over 15 years industry experience from programming to internet marketing.
Selecting a Web Host Provider that Meets Your Needs February 25, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedHow or where you host your website may not seem like it’s all that important to the overall marketing plan of your site, but I guarantee that you’ll only think that until your website or email goes down when it matters most. Over the years I’ve used almost a dozen different web hosts providers. In that time, I’ve found only one or two which were virtually hassle-free, and for that I had to pay some pretty sizeable hosting fees.
Web hosting costs have reduced drastically in the last several years; however, you shouldn’t choose a web host based solely on cost. As inexpensive as it might be month to month, a poor provider can cost you thousands of dollars in lost sales if your site or email goes down or simple fails to function properly on a consistent basis.
When researching various hosting companies, look for quality over cost. You don’t necessarily have to pay an outrageous monthly fee, but you do need to find a host that provides you all the features you need with minimal inconveniences and ongoing problems.
Tech Support
A good web hosting company will provide around the clock call-in tech support. Personally, I avoid any provider that only offers email or online tech support. That’s a personal thing for me; you’ll have to make your own judgment on that. If you call, you should not be left on hold for more than four or five minutes before reaching a representative to help you. If you email a tech support issue, be sure your provider responds to requests quickly-within hours, not days-and is able to quickly and competently provide you a solution.
Down Time
Many providers offer some kind of uptime guarantee. Be sure to read the small print in order to fully understand what that means. I’ve dealt with providers which the guarantee was only for the website and not for email. I went a full day without functioning email and the host refused to give me any discount on that month’s service charges.
Many providers give a 99.9% uptime guarantee. This means that the provider guarantees that their servers will not go down for more than 8 hours per year or less than 45 minutes each month. Of course, if you’re in the middle of a big marketing campaign, 45 minutes can be crucial.
If a provider fails to meet their guaranteed up time, you can usually get your hosting charges waived for the month. If it happens regularly, you can literally go months without having to pay fees. Sounds nice, but it’s really not adequate compensation for the amount of traffic, and perhaps business, you lose while your website or email is not functioning as it should. If you are currently with a host that goes down more than a couple times a year, you may want to reconsider who you host your website with.
Server Load Monitoring
You want to choose your hosting plan carefully to ensure that it will be able to handle whatever server load your site might generate, especially during peak times or big marketing pushes. Most web hosts allocate a certain amount of bandwidth usage each month. If you exceed that, you may find yourself paying extra fees, or worse, your site may be inaccessible until you ante up more money.
Be sure to know your bandwidth usage and how much you are allocated. Knowing that, you’ll also want to be aware of the consequences if you exceed that bandwidth. Plan for this to happen in advance so you’re not caught off guard when you get a sudden surge of traffic.
Secure Server
If you are processing credit card information or storing personal data that should not be exposed, it is important that you have access to a secure server. Security is a growing concern with Internet shoppers and many businesses report an increase in conversions just by displaying a secure symbol in their shopping cart area.
Some web hosts will provide you access to a secure portion of their server. In these cases when visitors navigate to the secure area, the URL will actually change and the visitor will no longer be “on” your site (i.e. www.yourdomain.com). In most cases the user probably won’t even notice, however many websites place their entire online store on these external secure areas. The downside to this is that it removes many potentially valuable pages off your site making any potential search engine ranking benefit inaccessible to you. Each of these pages could otherwise be an entry point to your site via the search engines.
The other option is to have a secure area on your own site. You can do this by purchasing a secure certificate for your domain name. This certificate is then “installed” through your web host giving you unlimited secure areas of your site to work withall on your own domain. This is the most professional solution and allows you to keep potential search engine friendly pages indexable with the rest of your site.
I would also recommend keeping as much of your website out of the secure area as possible and only transfer visitors to the secure area when they are in the checkout process. If they leave the checkout to continue shopping they should also leave the secure area.
Free Hosting Services
Free web hosting services, such as Geocities, are not recommended for any business that wants to develop a professional online presence. Leave those free services for hobby and personal sites. If you want your business to thrive on the Internet you need to be able to direct someone to www.yourwebsite.com, not www.geocities.com/~mycoolsite/index.html.
In-House Hosting
Many companies are bypassing the web hosting providers altogether in favor of hosting their sites on their own in-house servers. There are some definite pros for doing this but I don’t recommend going this route unless you have a full-time IT person on staff who is skilled at web server management.
I once flirted with hosting my site in-house. I have a rented in-house file server which comes with ongoing customer support. My tech sold me on the benefits of hosting my site in-house. After moving my site over I quickly realized that there was much more to web hosting than meets the eye. Days went by as I waited for my server tech to set-up proper email functionality and domain redirecting. After about a week with calls to the domain registrar, server tech, and programmer, all saying the problem is somebody else’s issue, I return to using a real hosting provider.
In-house hosting also raises site access issues. When hosting in-house the ability for visitors to access and download your site is largely dependant on your local ISP and the connection speed you receive. Even with broadband DSL or cable, typical connection speeds are much slower than can be provided with a quality web host. This can increase download times and create a more sluggish site if you have many visitors at once.
In-house hosting also does not provide you with any kind of uptime guarantee, and in my experience, excellent tech support. Should your server go down, you temporarily lose Internet access, or power goes out, your website will be unavailable to your visitors.
In my experience, quality web hosting is difficult to come by, but is absolutely essential for any business that takes their online marketing efforts seriously. Be sure to research your potential web host providers carefully. Find out what services they provide for free and what you have to pay for. Make sure they provide sufficient tech support, guaranteed uptime, as well as a good reputation from others. If you need to, be willing to pay more for quality service. A little extra each month can help eliminate thousands of dollars in potential lost revenue if your website or email goes down at an inopportune time.
Stoney DeGeyter is president of Pole Position Marketing, a professional search engine marketing and optimization firm providing SEO services since 1998. Stoney is also a part-time instructor at the community College in Reno, Nevada where he resides as well as a moderator in the Small Business Ideas Forum. You can read his SEM blog at (EMP) E-Marketing Performance. You can email him with any questions at stoney@polepositionmarketing.com
Nine Things To Know Before Selecting The Web Host For Your Business February 19, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedIt may seem simple yet it is often times overlooked. When it comes to choosing the right Internet hosting provider for their websites, the majority of business owners or companies know very little about making the best Internet/web hosting decisions.
- What makes a good Internet/web hoster for a business website? What makes a bad one?
- How can the wrong Internet/web hoster help/harm your business?
- What are the different types of Internet/web hosting services? Which ones are best for which industries?
Here are some tips to help you make the right decisions:
1. Understand the distinctions between shared, collocated, unmanaged dedicated & managed dedicated hosting so you choose the one that is right for your business.
It is crucial to understand the difference between the types of hosting offered. As the hosting industry has matured, hosting offers have split into a couple of distinct categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Shared hosting (sometimes called virtual hosting), means that you are sharing one server with a number of other clients of that company. The host manages the server almost completely (though you maintain your site and your account). They can afford to charge you little since many clients are paying for use of the server. However, companies other than yours are using the resources of that server. That means heavy traffic to one of the other sites on the server can really hammer the performance of your site. Also, you are typically not able to install special software programs on these types of machines, because the host will need to keep a stable environment for all of the clients using the server.
Collocated hosting means that you purchase a server from a hardware vendor, like Dell or HP for example, and you supply this server to the host. The host will then plug your server into its network and its redundant power systems. The host is responsible for making sure its network is available, and you are responsible for all support and maintenance of your server. Good hosters will offer management contracts to their collocation clients so that you can outsource much of the support to them and come to an arrangement similar to managed dedicated hosting. Most collocation hosts do not offer this service, however.
Unmanaged dedicated hosting is very similar to collocation, except that you lease a server from a host and do not actually own it yourself. Some very limited support (typically Web-based only) is included, but the level of support varies widely from unmanaged dedicated host to unmanaged dedicated host. This type of server can be had for around $99/month. Support levels are typically only provided in general terms. Ask the host to go into specifics about what support they will provide — will they apply security patches to your server? — before signing up. This service is typically good for gaming servers (like Doom or Counterstrike servers) or hobbyist servers, but not for serious businesses that need responsive, expert-level service.
Managed dedicated hosting means leasing a server from a host and having that company provide a robust level of support and maintenance on the server that is backed by quality guarantees. This maintenance typically includes that services such as server uptime monitoring, a hardware warranty, security patch updates and more. Be sure to make sure your managed dedicated host is specific about its managed services included so that you can be sure they are not disguising an unmanaged dedicated offering as a managed dedicated server. This has been known to happen unfortunately, which is why it is important to do your homework and ask the right questions.
2. Ask If Your Potential Host’s Network Has Blackholed Ips.
Many hosts care little about who is actually hosting on their networks, so long as the clients pay their bill. That means many hosters will allow porn sites, SPAMMERS and servers that create security issues on their network for the sake of the dollar. Even if you are to place ethical issues aside, this does have a negative impact on customers in general, however, when a network gets blackholed for spamming, for example. Getting blackholed means that other networks will refuse e-mail originated from IPs that are blacklisted. Some hosts have a number of entire class C (up to 256 IPs) networks blackholed and redistribute these tainted IPs to new clients. That means if your business relies on legitimate closed loop opt-in e-mail marketing to drive sales, being on such a network can severely cut response to your campaign because your e-mail may never get to its destination.
Check with any hosts you are considering to see if their networks are blackholed. Also, here is a link to a third party source that tracks blackholed networks and lists them: http://www.spamhaus.org/sbl/isp.lasso
The following URL is a good resource to help you understand what is labeled SPAM and what isn’t: http://www.spamhaus.org/mailinglists.html
3. Don’t Confuse Size With Stability.
Just because a web hosting company is big, does not mean it is stable and secure. In fact, many of the biggest filed for bankruptcy protection or were saved by being sold to some other company, in some cases causing uncomfortable transitions in service for their clients. How do you protect yourself? Ask some key questions:
How long the has the host been in business?
Is current ownership the same as always?
Are they profitable and cash flow positive from operation-generated revenue?
4. Don’t Make Price Your Only Priority.
The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies to most things in life, and hosting is certainly one of those things. When you over-prioritize price, you run the risk of ending up with a host that will provide you with a connection to the Internet and little else in terms of support (and even that connection may be running at maximum capacity or have uptime issues).
5. Make Sure Your Host Has Fully Redundant Data Centers.
When dealing with smaller vendors, make sure that they have their own data centers and that those data centers are fully redundant in terms of power and connectivity. Here are a few questions to ask:
How many lines do they have coming into the facility?
What is the average utilization of their connections?
(No matter how large the connection, it if is running at maximum capacity it will be slow.)
Do they have redundant power to the servers?
Do they have a generator on-site?
How often do they test their generator?
What sort of security measures do they have in place for the network?
What physical security do they have?
What type of fire suppression systems do they have in place?
6. Find Out If They Have Actual Experienced Systems Administrators On Their Support Staff.
When you call in for technical support, it can be a frustrating experience to be stuck talking with a non-technical “customer service” representative when you really need to talk to a systems administrator who can resolve your issues. Find out the structure of their support department, how quickly you can get to an actual systems administrator when you need to, and which systems administrators can help you when you need help.
7. Make Sure The Host Is Flexible.
It is important that the hoster understands how important quality servers are to their clients’ businesses. Even most managed dedicated hosts will not go near supporting applications that are not part of their initial server setup. Find a hoster that has a vast amount of experience to support a wide variety of applications, and one that can bring that expertise to you through their services.
8. Find Out What Their Former/Current Clients Say About Them.
Can your prospective host provide you with success stories for clients with similar configurations to yours? Are they able to provide references from clients who can tell you about their experience using that company?
9. Make Sure The Host’s Support Doesn’t Include Extra Charges.
Make sure any host you consider provides you with a comprehensive list outlining the support they offer so that you can have an understanding of what is supported for free, what is supported at a fee, and what is not supported at all. Many hosts will try to hide a sub-standard level of free support behind non-specific statements of high quality support, so make them get specific to win your business.
About The Author
Chris Kivlehan is the Marketing Manager for INetU Managed Hosting. INetU is an award-winning Allentown, Pennsylvania-based hosting provider that specializes in managed dedicated hosting for businesses nationwide in the online retailing, web development, e-learning, financial services and online marketing industries, as well as for governments, non-profits and civic institutions.
610-266-7441
chrisk@inetu.net
info@spreadthenewspr.com
How To Find Inexpensive Web Design
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedWeb design is a very competitive area and there is no longer any reason why people should pay large amounts for website design services.
This article describes and explains where to find very very cheap website design services.
The first place to try of course is the internet search engines themselves. The best place to try could be paid adverts on the right hand side of the search engine Google. These are called Google adwords and these companies are actively seeking business. The results on the left hand side are normally the more established companies who will probably try to charge a lot of money for their services.
I have heard a lot of people who have had great success on auction websites, like ebay. People or companies at times offer their services for a very cheap rate, normally to drum up some very much needed business.
Other areas to look are in places like the yellow pages, newspapers or by asking family or friends.
I myself know of many people offering expert website building skills who only charge between £50 and £100 per website. There are many great deals to be had out there for people who are willing to make lots of phone calls or send lots of e-mails and who are patient.
When finding a company or person to build the website always take a look at their portfolio as this will give you an insight into the work they do. Obviously if you are not impressed, there is no point in carrying on, even if it is very cheap.
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Do You Really Own Your Web Site? Maybe Not February 14, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedHere are some important tips for you to remember and some questions to ask your web site design or development company. If you don’t understand the ‘ownership’ issues when you are buying a web site design or web based application, this is must read material for you! Don’t get caught paying twice.
I recently interviewed a new client who was looking to add the functionality of a database to their existing web site. Their current webmaster had completed a business logo and designed the initial interface for the site. The clients asked their webmaster for a quote to add the functionality to the site and he returned a price that far exceeded the clients’ budget.
Long story made short, we found a great application that already exists that would meet the clients’ needs for substantially less than custom development. The client advised the previous webmaster that they were moving services. Do you think they got to keep their original web site? Nope. We had to start over again, which unfortunately meant that this customer had to pay for extra design time that they had effectively already paid for.
Here are some important tips for you to remember and some questions to ask your web site design or development company.
Web Design Source Code
When you hire a web designer or a developer they are going to produce a web site or web based application that your business is going to be dependant on. In fact, a web application may be your whole business. This is absolutely the case where a business is 100% online and depends on the process built into their web site. E-commerce stores are a perfect example of a whole business online.
Web designers create web pages with a compilation of images and hyper-text markup language (HTML). The HTML is a text based standard language that most every web designer in the world knows. The HTML is what is used to hold the structure of your web site together. It keeps the pretty pictures and text all in the right places. Your web browser interprets that HTML and shows you the web site images and text.
Your web designer will start your design by “drawing” your web site in a graphics program. Macromedia Fireworks and Photoshop are two tools that are very often used by professionals. Your designer will draw the site using shapes, colors, images and fonts that are all piled up in layers to create the final “look and feel” for your new web site design. The designers will then slice up the images and use the resulting smaller images to build your working website using HTML to hold it all together.
Here is the key. You need the original art file that was used to design your web site in Macromedia Fireworks or Photoshop or whatever software your designer uses. If you don’t get the source file, your next web designer will have to start your design from scratch if you want artwork changes. This is no walk in the park if the original images that were used are not available. Macromedia Fireworks source files have the extension .PNG (yourWebsite.PNG). Photoshop files have the extension .PSD (yourWebsite.PSD).
Another design issue that you may run into in the future is fonts. If your designer uses fancy fonts that are not installed by default on your computer or your future designers computer, you will have to substitute different fonts. In some cases, choosing a new font is not a big issue. However, if you could image that the font used in the logo for Coca-Cola® became unavailable because Coke® changed designers it would most likely cause them real damage. They need the font used in their logo or corporate branding and so do you!
Questions to ask your web designer
1) When you are finished designing my web site will you provide me with the source files used in the design of my new web site?
2) Will you transfer the ownership (copyright) of these source files to me or my company? Or at least give me perpetual license to continue using them and to make revisions?
3) Will you provide me with the names and files for all non-windows fonts used in the design of my new web site? At the very least, because there may be real copyright issues with transferring the fonts, you need to know the names of the fonts and where you can buy copies of them for your project archive.
Web Application Source Code
Web developers create programs that work as applications on the internet. They create code that is compiled, usually in real-time, at the web server. The code will, for example, connect to a database and extract a set of data. The data will then be compiled into an HTML table (so that it is readable) and then sent from the web server to your web browser as pure HTML. You will not be able to “view source” and read the scripting language because it never leaves the web server. If you “view source” from the web browser, you will only see the HTML.
Some of the code that your developer writes will be protected by copyright. Your developer may also buy code in the form of server components, use code blocks for functionality from other programmers or purchase complete application in order to finish your program. You need to ensure that the developer tells you that you can continue to use the software that they develop for your business for an unlimited period of time, and that if there are any licensing restrictions or reoccurring licensing costs that they are disclosed to you before you start the project. Find out if you will be bound forever to a hosting or server plan for you application.
Here are some questions you may want to ask your web developer
1) Will you transfer an unlimited a perpetual license to me or my company to use the application that you develop for me?
2) Will you disclose any licensing restrictions to me regarding the application?
3) Will you write code using common standards or languages that I will be able to move to another hosting provider or eventually to my own server?
4) Can I move my application to another server in the future if it is necessary?
Use of Encryption
So your web developer says “yes” to the last four questions and you think, “great, I’m home free, let’s get started”. Then two years later you decide it’s time to move your web application to your own servers because your e-commerce store is screaming busy and the cost of bandwidth and hosting is killing your profits.
You start the process to move your application to your new server and call up your webmaster for help, but he has gone to University in the states and “isn’t doing that anymore”. You think to yourself, “I guess I should have used a more established company…” So you find a new webmaster. Incidentally, I am often told by new clients that I am their second, third and sometimes even fourth web developer. So we go to move the web site, but wait, something is wrong… portions of the source code are encrypted. Even the government couldn’t decrypt it. We have to rewrite those blocks of code and the client has to pay… again.
If your web sites source HTML or application scripting language is encrypted then it may have to be rewritten or you will have no way to add functionality, or to fix bugs, without involving the original developer who holds the key to the encryption. They are quite clever, aren’t they?
There are some good reasons to encrypt some portions of the source code, even on in a web application. Most web applications will contain, in the source code, the database, username and password within one of the files. This is a great example of a code block that should be encrypted before it is placed into a shared hosting environment.
If your web developer is going to encrypt portions of the source code, make sure you get a copy of the unencrypted source code for your project archive. In this manner you will be able to work with a new developer.
Questions to ask your web developer regarding encryption
1) Will you be encrypting any or all of the source code in the application you are developing for me?
2) Will you provide me with a copy of the original source code prior to being encrypted?
Technologies
There are a number of technologies used in the development of web sites and web applications they include Pre-Hypertext Processor (PHP), Active Server Pages (ASP), Active Sever Pages dot Net (ASP.NET), and Cold Fusion to name a few. All of these scripting languages facilitate connecting web sites to databases and accessing functionality on the web server such as sending mail or uploading files. All of these technologies are widely used, widely available and there is a great number of developers that know these languages. There are some lesser known programming and scripting languages that may be able to do a lot of the same things as the more widely used languages. The pitfall is that you may have a more difficult time finding a programmer that knows the language.
Some web scripting or programming languages like Microsoft’s® Active Server Page or Active Server Page dot Net technologies are developed specifically for use on the Mircrosoft operating systems. These technologies are difficult, if not impossible, to run on a Linux operating system. When your programmer selects a language to develop your web application with, he may be marrying you to a long term relationship with a particular operating systems and software vendor. This is okay as long as you recognize the long term ramifications of these choices, some of which may be greater costs to you in the future.
Questions to ask your web developer regarding programming languages
1) Is the technology you use tied to one particular operating system or can I host my web site on my choice of servers with my choice of operating system? More specifically, can I host my application on a Microsoft web server and a Linux server?
Transferability
Make sure that you are able to move your web site to a server with comparable standards in the future should you wish to do so. Moving a web site to a new server is not necessarily due to a break down in the relationship with your web designer. You may be forced to move if your existing server can no longer handle your traffic bandwidth. If your costs become too high in a shared hosting environment you may find it more economical to setup your own web server and host your own application.
If you do choose to host your own application this is where the cost ramifications of your earlier choices will hit your pocket book. For example if your site was developed using PHP, an open-source scripting language for websites, then the cost of your new server will likely not include any software licensing because the operating system (Linux) is free. If on the other hand your site is developed using .ASP or .ASP.NET, you are going to have to buy expensive server licenses from the big guy.
Can You Use Your Site Into the Future?
If you commission a web designer or developer to complete a project for you make sure that you have an agreement in place that clearly specifies that you can continue to use the project and the related source files when it is completed. Check the service agreement that you have signed with your web company. Of course if there is no documentation then you will not know if you own you web site or web-based application.
In Summary
There are some good reasons for web designers and developers to protect their rights and to ensure their future earning potential. As the client or purchaser of web design services you need to understand where you stand with regard to choices that will be made on your behalf regarding your web site or web based application.
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© eKzact Solutions Inc. 2005
David West is a Director and the operating partner of eKzact Solutions Inc. A full service web site design and web-application development company. eKzact Solutions puts small and medium sized business online! Visit us at eKzact.com
eKzact Solutions Inc. www.eKzact.com… “We Put Small Business Online” Helping small business to jump start their online success, profit and growth. We make putting your business online affordable!
Using Webpage Templates to Build Websites February 13, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedWeb page templates have been used by web experts for quite a few years as a highly inexpensive technique of building value Websites. HTML web frame templates allow you to select a pre-designed appearance add some text and you are done. You have an instant web site. Flash takes this idea to the next level through the power of Flash website templates.
The benefit of web frame templates is their cost. Custom web page designs can be thousands of dollars and entail a lot of development time. A designer template solves this problem by pre-creating a site’s frame work. The drawback to HTML designer web page templates is that they are limited in their variations and moderately difficult for typical users to achieve their desired look.
Professional Flash template designs remove these limitations, making it easier to produce dynamic and unique Websites.
Multimedia Web templates have literally trillions of different combinations. With a web site Flash template you can create a professional look that is uniquely your own.
One option for inexpensive webpage design is to download free templates. This can be a tremendous help if you are just starting out. There are many different styles and designs; you are bound to find one that will work for your website. A quick search online will pull up an array of sites offering free templates.
Modifying a free Template
The templates that you download will all need modifying before you can use them. The main things you need to change are the navigation options and the logo.
How to Use a free Website Template
You simply open the template and type in the text we want and then save it using a different file name. It is always a good idea to create a few backup copies of the template in case you overwrite the original.
James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.
Read more at http://www.website-templates-central.info
Setting Up Your First Web Hosting Account February 11, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedThe Basics
Setting up a web hosting account for the first time can be confusing and frustrating for the novice. This article will guide you through the steps of setting up a new web hosting account for your website.
Setting up your web hosting account will depend upon many things, the first of which is:
Do you already have a website built and ready to be hosted?
If the answer to that question is yes, then your next set of questions should be:
How was your website designed? Did you design it yourself using Microsoft FrontPage, or did you use some other WYSIWYG website building software? Did a professional designer build your site for you? Did they use Microsoft FrontPage, or did they use some other WYSIWYG website building software? Did your designer use a database driven software, such as Cold Fusion? Maybe they coded your site using a text editor – you’ll need the answers to these questions.
If you have a FrontPage website, you’ll need a web host who supports FrontPage. If your site was developed with Cold Fusion, you’ll need a web host who supports Cold Fusion. This also applies to other design software not mentioned here. Check with your web designer and/or web design program’s documentation for further help with this.
Maybe you haven’t yet designed your website. Many web hosts offer online website building software that requires no programming or HTML knowledge. If this is your strategy, make sure your web host offers such software, and find out if there’s a cost for you to use it.
Finding The Right Web Host
Locating a web host that gives you the reliability you need, plus excellent customer service, and that offers all the features you’re going to need, can be challenging.
You can begin your search by asking business associates, friends and relatives who have websites of their own, who they use. Just as you would get a recommendation for a good restaurant, word of mouth can sometimes steer you in the right direction.
You can also check out the many web hosting directories on the web. These directories are set up to allow you to search using the features that you’re looking for in a web host. Keep in mind though, that many of the listings you see may also be paid listings that are pushed your way for obvious reasons.
Once you narrow down your search to a few potential web hosts, your next step will be to visit the many web hosting message boards and forums on the web. Perform a search on each of the potential web hosts that you have in mind – read through the posts and see what other people’s experiences have been with the hosts you have in mind. If you see too many negative comments or experiences by others, you might want to take a hint from that and rule out that particular hosting company.
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a few web hosts, you should make contact with them and get answers to any questions you have. Since you’re a beginner at this, you might strongly consider using a web host that provides telephone support. A web host that provides only email support may not be able to fully answer questions that you have – this applies to sales questions as well as support questions.
When you make your inquires, keep track of which host responds to you the quickest. Which of these hosts answers your questions patiently and takes the time to go over details with you? Do they seem more interested in getting you to sign up, or do they address topics you have no concern about, beware of those danger signs.
Signing Up For Your Web Hosting Account
Most web hosts have multiple plans that you can choose from. The trick is to choose a web hosting plan that provides you the features you actually need, without choosing a plan that offers you features you don’t need, or may never use. This is probably the most difficult thing a novice will be faced with when choosing a web host. You’ll need to choose a plan that strikes an even balance between what you need right now and what you may need a month or two down the road. Your website might remain the same size as it is today, by next year; however, your site may grow quickly, requiring additional resources in a relatively short period of time.
Consult with your web designer and with your potential new web host about these issues. Ask you potential web host if it’s easy it is to upgrade your account if you need additional services. Ask if there are any additional charges if you upgrade your account.
The last thing you should do before signing up for a web hosting account is to read your web host’s AUP (Acceptable Use Policy), and/or their TOS (Terms Of Service), and/or their SLA (Service Level Agreement). Make certain that you understand and agree with your new web host’s policies, and that your website does not break any of your new web host’s rules and regulations. By not reviewing your new host’s contracts with you, you may find your website and email shut down without prior notice for breaking a rule you were not aware of, or you might end up paying for fees you didn’t know you were liable for.
The majority of web hosts require you to sign up for a hosting account by using your credit or debit card. Some hosts offer online check payment, as well as paper check payments. Many web hosts accept PayPal. You might want to ask if your host offers discounts for advance payment. Some hosts offer substantial discounts if you prepay a year in advance. I don’t recommend this until after you’ve had some time to experience your new host’s level of service and support.
Most importantly, don’t rush into signing up. Wait until you get all of your questions answered to your satisfaction.
This article may be reprinted or published without the authors consent as long as the “About” and “weblinks” are kept intact. If you publish this article, we would love to know the location. Feel free to email us.
About The Author
Contibuting editor Russ Mate can be contacted at www.matemediainc.com
Date: 6/15/2004
Email: mkt@websitehostdirectory.com
The WebSiteHostDirectory.Com is a resource for webmasters and consumers looking to find a website hosting company or a quality expiring domain name. WSHD is part of the Techpad network of sites.
Professional Web Site Hosting February 4, 2009
Posted in : Hall Of Websters , comments closedProfessional website hosting provides you with not just a storage space for your content, but a comprehensive tool kit to get you started on a website and help you maintain a professional website. Professional web hosts give you easy-to-use website builders and user-friendly online control panels. This kind of web hosting is specially targeted at business men for whom a high standard website is an asset. Since you pay your host for their services, it saves you workforce for website maintenance and upkeep. You need not worry about server crashes and technical hitches. You can be rest assured that your clientele has easy access to your business services.
A few tips will help you choose the right website host for your business and guarantee efficient services. The main thing of course, will be to approach a reliable web hosting service that provides you with decent amount of server space to host your site. Technical support and user friendly website builders are characteristic to most professional website hosts. You should be looking at what kind of special features you need in your website and how much you can afford to spend on it. Your website host should also give you some flexibility to move around and grow with your business and the hits on your site.
Future Quest Inc is a good web host with a variety of offers to suit different business concerns. Their services include PHP secure mode, extractions of virus infected emails, C, C++ , 100 GB bandwidth and 2,500 MB disk space. They also have add-on features like extra domains and sub domains. Their hosting fee per month ranges from approximately $10 dollars a month to $100 dollars a month.
Small business at yahoo.com is a very popular web host and attracts a large number of clients owing to their reliability and efficient support. Their professional web hosting package costing approximately $30 includes 1000 email addresses and 20GB disk space.
Professional Web Hosting provides detailed information on Professional Web Hosting, Professional Web Site Hosting, Professional Web Hosting Designs, Professional Web Site Hosting Services and more. Professional Web Hosting is affiliated with Web Hosting Solutions.