UseCenter

Your website does not stand much chance of selling anything if it pays scant regard to the user.

In other words your Site Visitor’s experience, in terms of the following, is what will make your site sell or smell!

The following 7 guidelines are all equally important and will determine the success of your website.

1. Functionality

a) Functionality is a double-edged sword in that the site must fulfill the users’ requirements only if they are your targetted users.

You cannot be everything to everybody so just make your site easy for the people you want to please - your target market

b) Your site’s design is the interpretation of its functional requirements so unless it’s functional it won’t win many customers and will probably go out of fashion tomorrow.

Therefore your site must function in the way the site visitor expects whilst maintaining a professional look etc.

Functionality also includes automating routine tasks eg producing online docs, taking orders, triggering e-mails etc using forms & scripts

2. Content

Content is King and must be meaningful, interesting & viewable in an acceptable font & color.

Your site’s content must also be kept fresh and updated frequently to maintain interest in the site and repeat visitors.

The use of RSS can help deliver fresh content to your site on a daily basis.

3. Navigation

Site Navigation must give your site visitors an indication of where they can go on your website and how they can get there.

The navigation must be;

clear (must look like navigation),

consistent (the same on each page),

predictable (style & location on the page eg lh side bar or top bar)

and must lead to obvious content (navigation bar descriptions must be accurate)

4. Load Time

If your site does not load in less than 12 seconds, the chances are that your site visitor will have given up waiting and closed the page.

A lot of viewers access the net with dial up connections so you need to ensure that your pages load within the time frame for a 56.6kbs modem.

Therefore a web page has to be designed in the ’slimmest’ way possible so as to minimize load time.

Clean code also better for search engine spidering & bandwidth saving, ie the cleaner the html & css the less the load on your server.

5. Usability

Your site may look great but if it’s difficult for your visitors to figure out how to buy what they are looking for it’s usability is not up to scratch.

Usability refers to the ease with which your site’s user interface can be used by its intended market to achieve its objectives.

Usability incorporates many factors: design, functionality, structure, information architecture, and is a combination of good planning, good content and good design, putting yourself in your visitors’ shoes, anticipating their needs and requirements.

6. Graphic Design

In order to create an aesthetically pleasing look for your website you will need to use graphics, pictures, images & logos as a text heavy page is certainly not easy on the eye.

Web safe colors should also be used to add to the overall effect.

Remember to bear in mind that graphics (jpeg or gif) need to be of an appropriate size and compressed so as not to compromise the page loading speed.

7. Compatibility

It is vitally important to design your site so that it is compatible for all browser and screen resolutions as you don’t know what browser and resolution your site visitor will be using.

This is important because pages that look fine in IE often look totally different in Firefox and pages look great at 1024×768 can be squashed up and overlapped at 800×600

Therefore to maximize your website’s potential ensure that the above guidelines have all been employed.

The following site is a good examples of the above: www.onlinesynergy.za.net

1. Bad layout formatting.

Try to use your judgment when it comes to layout. They will serve as your best guide. Do not just center on your body text. The text and content should be offset, and not overrun by graphics. Sentences should wrap nicely from left to right. Navigation should not take up half of the screen. Body text should not be 60 pixels high. Basically common sense issues that anyone with a clear head can understand and appreciate.

2. No content or outdated content.

No information or content to go along with the site is a terrible mistake many are making. It is not surprising why your visitors leave at first glance. Know that people wait and spend money to view your pages. So it is a courtesy and a necessity to provide something to reward their efforts. By content, it means something people would want to see or read. It is not just a string of clipart, GIF animations or “under construction” signs.

3. Sloppy navigation and orphan pages.

Allow easy access to pages. Always include a link back to the main page. Oftentimes, only a “back” button is all that is provided when a guest has penetrated into an inner page. Many sites, especially those with frames, can be accessed by search engines into a portion of a complete page. These have no links to the main page and leaves visitors stranded and can be considered “Orphan Pages.” Try to put a link back to your main page on every page, so that visitors would not be trapped.

4. The use of technology.

Do not bombard visitors with technology just for the sake of using them. Technology is great fun to use, if used with wisdom and care. You may think it is cool, but 99% of the world does not think so. All Javascripts, Java applets, VRMLs, and other high-tech and possibly error-prone technology should be used only when the page calls for it. Do not use it just because it is there for the taking.

5. Midis and non-stop animations.

Nothing on pages should be continuous and without a way to stop them. MIDIs are nice little add-ons that can add atmosphere to a page. Provide a way to stop it before your readers become irritated. If you doing these things to your site, stop now before it is too late. For those who does not, do not even think about it.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com

Pick an easy layout; easy to design and easy to maintain. I have wasted many hours trying to design a site that was easily three steps above my skill level. This was a complete waste of time and I promised myself that I won’t make the same mistake again. If you are a beginner, find a good web hosting company, get your domain name, pick a decent template and get started. You’re not a designer so don’t spend all of your time on web design.

White Space is very powerful Use lots of white space to guide the reader’s eye and prevent them from getting sensory overload. Too many colors, too many ads, or simply too many words on your page are not good.

Subheadings Have lots of subheadings because it breaks up the text and allows the reader to scan your site and pick out the information that is relevant to their reads. When you are creating your site remember that people don’t read online, they scan. You should always make it easy for visitors to find what they need on your web page in 3o seconds or less.

Subheadings, bold, bullets, and small paragraphs are all excellent techniques to get this done.

Navigation Bars Left hand or top navigation are the easiest for web users. Almost every site on the web uses one of them or a combination of both.

If you add a right handed navigated bar, you will stand out. However, you must consider the goal of your website. Are you trying to stand out or are you trying to provide good information and get more sales?

A right handed navigation can lead to frustration so if you insist on using one, make it prominent and use it consistently on your site.

Amara
Flash Menu Maker is a new software package that makes it
easy for users to create animated Flash buttons and menus for
websites. Amara Flash Menu Maker provides offline creation of
impressive and professional Flash buttons and entire navigation
menus, including sub-menus.

Amara
Flash Menu Maker offers exceptional Flash buttons with
animated effects. Users can create their personalized buttons
and menus by simply changing the settings of the templates, such
as colors, text, sound effects, hyperlinks and company slogan,
and the buttons can easily be made to match the style and color
scheme of any website. Users’ settings are automatically saved
in Amara Flash Menu Maker and the updating of a design is
simple. About 99% of web users worldwide are able to view Flash
elements nowadays. Although more and more websites use Flash,
still very few people know how to create Flash animations. Amara
Flash Menu Maker will help people who want to make an impact
with their website to draw and impress visitors. Users don’t
need any programming, design or Flash skills to be able to
create a website menu with Amara Flash Menu Maker

Amara
Flash Menu Maker is compatible with all HTML editors and
Macromedia Flash, so it’s easy to incorporate the buttons into
websites or Flash projects. File sizes are kept extremely low,
just 7 to 9KB for an entire navigation menu including
sub-menus.

These are some of Amara Flash Menu Maker’s unique features:

1) Button size adjusts automatically to length of text.

2) Menu bar can be made scrollable, i.e. an unlimited number of
buttons can be used in the menu or sub-menu.

3) Background music.

4) Mouse-over and mouse-down sound effects.

5) Background picture.

6) Many profesional button designs available.

7) Extra feature to add a company slogan to the menu.

Small file sizes.

Amara
Flash Menu Maker is a shareware program, so anyone can first
try out the free shareware version before deciding to buy it.
The free, unregistered version can be downloaded for free from
the Amara
Software website, and is fully functional, with the
exception of URL links in the buttons.

To get the registered version with full hyperlink functionality,
users should buy Amara Flash Menu Maker for just US$29.95 via
the secure payment service link on the Amara Software website.
Users who have bought Amara Flash Menu Maker will receive free
upgrades.More information about Amara Flash Menu Maker is
available on the website, where you can also see some working
examples of the Flash menus created with the program:
www.amarasoftware.com/flash-menu-builder.htm. For any other
questions, please e-mail the program’s creator at
amara@amarasoftware.com.

Amara Software is the
developer of no-nonsense Flash programs, making it easier for
people to create Flash elements for their website. Other Flash
programs by Amara Software are: Amara
Flash News Ticker
(www.amarasoftware.com/flash-news-ticker.htm) and Amara
Flash Photo Slide Show Builder
(http://www.amarasoftware.com/flash-slide-show.htm).

PHP has built in functions which allow it to open, copy, rename,
edit and delete files residing on the web server. This enables
files to be cached to decrease database queries and increase server performance.
Files can be edited very easily with PHP, useful for people on
the go without FTP information to their site or an FTP
application to access their website and something desperately
needs changed.

Every PHP application opens files and uses the information
stored within them to make the script run. A well designed site
that lets the admin edit their files from the admin area will
copy the file and back it up before any changes are made, to
insure restoration of the “working” file is possible. PHP also
has built in functions to CHMOD on Linux/Unix Operating Systems.

You have done all the hard works for developing your website but when it comes selecting your host you may face trouble that it does not have all the features which is required by your site. It is important to do some research before choosing a right hosting solution.

A website is an important identity of yours and it is the responsibilities of the host make it visible at World Wide Web. Selecting the right solution for your business will provide greater impact on your business. before hiring any service i suggest you to do a research on web, discuss with hosting providers, take suggestions from other users after all there are quality service providers also exists. Just spending a portion of your time you can find the “Most Suitable Solution” that will match exactly as per your requirements.

Knowledge makes the difference: There are lots of myth spreads about choosing a solution from Dedicated hosting provider or a Hosting Reseller. Some advocates A Dedicated service provider for uninterrupted services and some advocates A reseller hosting who will be able to provide a better support and you can have one to one discussions. It is always better to choose a company who sells straight forward plans with dedicated support and have enough domain knowledge.

Instead it is more important to choose the right hosting package that your site requires. Rather than harvesting the net for gathering database of hosting companies select few good companies and ask them if they have the required features your site needs. Since there are so many hosting companies are around, its hard to find the right solution for your business. Some companies offers unlimited stuffs, but when you go to install a sql database or an htaccess file or require hosting a script which runs server side, you will find those are disabled on your package. Always check the specs before you buy any of the hosting services. Here are brief of following categories of sites which will help you to choose a right solution for your business.

>> If you are a beginner, just calculate your present requirement keeping in mind of any future up gradations. It is essential if in future you go for an interactive site or a dynamic site, your present host must have ability to upgrade the services without any hassles. You should choose a basic package and check the required features available for use. You can always upgrade to higher package in future. This way you can save much of your money and focus on enhancing your site.

>> If your site is a database driven and require custom or readymade script installations, You should check if the components required by site are preinstalled on the server. You can make a checklist and ask your hosting provider if they will be complying with all the requirements. Some companies also provide hosting with preinstalled scripts/software’s which you can install and start using in minutes without spending much time on developing and installing it. It is always advisable to check the complete features of the software’s, which meets your present requirements as well as have the latest version installed. You may choose an advance hosting plan and check the required features.

>> If your site is a high traffic one and required concurrent up gradations and installations of the scripts, you should go for a dedicated hosting service. It is always advisable to have a managed dedicated server with all the latest components installed with it. This will give you freedom to upgrade your site or application at any point of time, done by you only. Find out the reliable datacenters and checkout the server specs along with facilities provided by them. There are few datacenters which I can recommend are Rackspace, ThePlannet, Infinology and also you can check with EV1Servers too for some interesting offers.

Today, in North America, almost 70% of households have access to the Internet. It has evolved to the point where the Internet has become an integral element in the way business is conducted, and is shaping the way business will be conducted in the future. Most consumers these days research a product or service on the Internet before making their purchase. So, in this day and age, it could cost you not to have a website. Listed below are 5 reasons why you should employ an experienced web designer to construct a custom website for your small business.

Credibility & Identity Building
Like it or not, your potential customers are going to judge the quality of your products and/or services based on presentation and image. Therefore, an aesthetically pleasing web site will give you and your company more credibility in the eyes of you customers or clients.

Lower Your Expenses
Why spend thousands of dollars on static traditional media such as brochures? If there was ever a change in your business, such as an expansion or additional products/services, it would require printing all new corporate brochures. A web site is dynamic and can be changed or updated in a very cost effective manner. Best of all, your clients can access this information from anywhere in the world, without the delay of snail-mail. A properly constructed web site can also reduce the time that you and your employees spend answering redundant customer questions.

Complement Your Existing Marketing Efforts
Most people think of a web site as advertising. Unfortunately, they would be wrong - A web site is a medium which complements and enhances your existing marketing efforts. Your potential customers or clients can easily gain access to information that isn’t suitable to include in other traditional advertising mediums. In less than a decade, a web site will be just as common as having a listing in the Yellow Pages. What would your potential customers or clients think of your business if you didn’t have a web site?

Customer Service
A web site allows potential customers or clients to get to know more about your company, increasing the personal side of doing business. Your business will be open 24hrs per day, 365 days per year, and if someone has a question concerning your product or service, an answer is only an e-mail away. Some people may feel uncomfortable on the phone or in your office / store, and, to these people, e-mail is their preferred method of communication.

Get a Jump on the Competition
A professionally designed web site will make your business appear larger than it actually is, and therefore challenge larger competitors. When it comes to getting listed in the search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.), the longer your web site has been active, the higher ranking you will receive, and therefore more traffic will be directed to your web site. It is for this reason that you can’t afford delay this important decision any longer.

Paul Coulter is the owner and operator of a custom website design company located in Windsor, Ontario.
You can contact him by visiting his company’s website: Windsor Website Design, http://www.windsorwebdesign.ca.

As a designing and programming nerd, I am not one of the people who use Internet Explorer to browse the web. In a normal situation, I use Firefox. However, I’m not the only one. Statistics gathered on various websites show that as many as 30% of the visitors to your site might not be using Internet Explorer.

Just because your website looks fine on your computer doesn’t mean it will look okay on someone else’s. There is no way to completely control that, but you can do one thing to be safe. If there’s one piece of advice I can give someone designing a website for the first time, it’s to make sure you check your website in a variety of web browsers. In fact, I went so far as to purchase a Mac Mini just to check my clients’ sites on a Mac.

On Windows computers, the browsers you should check your site in include (of course) Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Netscape. Macs also run all those browsers, although Internet Explorer is no longer available for download. Another big one for Macs is Safari.

This task might seem time consuming, and it can be. Maybe you just don’t want to install all those browser. (I don’t blame you.) Perhaps access to a Mac just isn’t an option. Luckily, there is another option available. I have not used them myself, but www.browsercam.com will allow you to view screen captures of your website on a variety of different platforms, and even in a variety of resolutions. It is free to try out, but costs money if you decide to continue using it.

While your website certainly won’t and can’t look exactly the same in all browsers, it should be very close. And you should never have a message that says “This site best viewed with XXXX.” What you are really saying is, “If you aren’t using XXXX to view our site, we really don’t care about your business.”

Regardless of how you decide to do it, checking your website in multiple browsers is a must. It would be terrible to lose customers just because your website looked wrong in their browser.

Tim is the owner and senior web designer at T&S Web Design. His company has developed and maintained website for dozens of small businesses and organizations. Tim also maintains a blog with free website advice for small business owners, GetASiteOnline.com.

Let us talk about going back to the basics of printing. The basics meaning, not using the internet for advertising needs. May seem almost unreal with all these online services at your disposal. But then, think of those who do not have the fortune of owning one. Or those that does not have enough knowledge about the internet to try and accessing your site. If you limit yourself to online advertising, it may be possible that not all are seeing and reading about you.

There are other ways of advertising that make use of printing that is also effective in more ways than one.

The “wearables”. Having your other people like customers wear your ads printed on shirts, bags and hats is an age-old effective way of making people see you. Making your advertising as visible as possible is an assurance that people is liable to see them as them on the streets, on buildings and anywhere the wearers go. This is making your ads as visible as it can possibly go. There are now more companies allowing employees to wear casual attire while working. Just think of one person walking around the length of the building wearing your sign could do to advertise your creation.

Car signs. Putting a sign on your car is another. It is just like wearing your ad but not on yourself. In this case, you can try taking your car along wherever you go, even short distances. You can even try driving in new places and unknown neighborhoods in order to expose more of your ad. The prints should be readable and big enough for people to see them visible while passing through.

Use billboards. Billboards are the perfect way of targeting potential customers in specific areas. Making sure that the location is just about where people are most frequent is a good technique. Getting big billboards is also a big advantage over smaller ones in order for people to have a perfect and readable view. Advertising in billboards though should be kept simple. Take into account the limited space and the area where it will be located. Putting many prints and words would only serve to confuse people. They will even tire of having to read those many words. Just posting words that should have the right impact on people is enough in this type of advertising. Graphic designs could also work if you get the right one that is bound to serve its purpose.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.losangelesprintingservice.com

One good thing about writing articles for a living is that I get to learn about new things. Since I spend most of my time in front of a computer, it seems I don’t get out much and unless it’s on the nightly news, I don’t usually hear about computer scams. That’s how I found out about Phishing Scams. I had never heard of such a thing until I was asked to write an article about it, and I’m glad that I was asked. I now know what a Phishing scam is and I’m happy to share this information with you, in case your not very computer savvy either. Now most of us know enough not to openly give out personal information online to just anybody, and common sense tells us when something looks a little shaky when we see it. However, Phishing scams are hard to see because they are made to look like things we are used to. We do a lot of things online today, banking, paying bills, shopping, stock trading, etc. We usually don’t give it a second thought to give our information in doing any of these activities. That’s what these Phishing scams are hoping for, that you won’t give a second thought to giving them your personal information.

Phishing scams usually come as emails or pop-up messages to lure your personal information from you. “We suspect an unauthorized transaction has occurred in your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.” Have you received an e-mail that looks like that one? Or how about; “During our regular verification of accounts, we could not verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information.” Both of these scams are called phishing, and it involves Internet schemers who send email or pop-up messages that lure you into giving them your personal information. Credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, and passwords, any information or sensitive material you think is safe. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers claim to be from a business or organization that you deal with, including Internet service providers, online payment services and even government agencies. The messages can ask you to update or confirm your account information, or threaten you if you don’t respond immediately. The messages will then direct you to a website that looks just like the one you’re used to dealing with, but it’s not, it’s a fake website and its only purpose is to trick you into giving out your personal information.

FTC recommends never give out personal information to email or pop ups that ask you for it. Legitimate companies never ask for this information via email. Don’t cut and paste a link from the message into your Internet browser. Don’t “click” on a button or web address given to you via email unless you’re absolutely sure of were its going. For more information, look for websites pertaining to phishing scam information.