Web standards are probably not that important to you if your not a web developer, but If you own a website, you should be sure your site is built with them. There are many benefits to using standards that are not apparent in the look and functionality of your site. Let's take a deeper look at web standards and why they are important.
Web standards are probably not that important to you if your not a web developer, but If you own a website, you should be sure your site is built with them. There are many benefits to using standards that are not apparent in the look and functionality of your site. Let's take a deeper look at web standards and why they are important.
This is an article from Paratext Web Design, Inc.
]]>You've finally made it through the process of designing and building your website and it's time to sit back, relax and wait for the sales to start pouring in... right? Absolutely not. It's time to start driving traffic to your website.
Unlike a brick-and-mortar building, there is no way for your customers to drive by your website on the way home from work. You need to tell people where to find you, and you're going have to roll up your sleeves and put some work into it.
In addition to getting people to visit your site, you need to give them a reason to stay and come back. Whether through monthly sales event information, industry news or media, you need to make contact with your target market. Start thinking about new and interesting ways to promote your products and services online, and remember that through the power of the internet, even the smallest idea has infinite potential. An easy way to start is by writing down answers to all of the questions people frequently ask about your business. This is a great place to start a dialog because people already want to know these things.
If you are going to update your website often, you need a way to notify customers when you add new content. The best way to do this is a technology called RSS. Don't be intimidated by the acronym- it just stands for "Really Simple Syndication". That wasn't so bad, was it? It's a small file on your website with all your current articles stored in a portable format. People "subcribe" to an rss feed by adding the web address of this file to their list of subscriptions using a "feed reader," essentially a newspaper that contains information from all of their favorite sites and checks these sites frequently for updates. The international symbol for rss is: ., and some browsers will display this icon in the address bar if the page contains an rss link. Customers can copy this link into any feed reader to subscribe to the feed. This makes it very convenient for you to connect with your customers.
Make sure that people have an easy way to contact you and interact with you, and encourage them to do so often. It's important to respond to customer's comments, suggestions, and complaints, and to keep in mind that even complaints can yield valuable advice. You can't pay for the kind of insight your customers are willing to give you for free, if you just listen.
If you're going to run a website, it's important to commit to updating it fairly frequently. Depending on your business this may be as little as once every one or two months, or as often as every day. Whatever you decide, it's important to stick to it and set aside time to make it worthwhile.
This is an article from Paratext Web Design, Inc.
]]>Before you can start any design or development of your website, you need to take care of a few things first. This guide will tell you everything you do and don't need when purchasing your domain name and hosting packages.
Let's think of your website project in terms of building an actual brick-and-mortar business. The first thing you need to decide, is where you'll be located. In this case, your domain name is your address. It's where everyone can find you. The "real estate" agent we'll have to see is the "domain registrar*" which is the fancy name for: "The website that will sell you a domain name that is available". Once you've found an available domain name (the search will usually be on the front page), You may purchase that domain name and own it.
Now that you've got an "address", you need a building. The "building" in this case is your hosting account. The hosting account allows you to upload the files and folders that contain your website, much like a building allows you to fill it with furniture and decorate it. Without hosting all you have is a street address and an empty lot. That's why "under construction" signs go up on sprouting websites. It's like a sign that tells the community what to expect in the near future. However just like constructing buildings, hosting can be complicated. It's important to note that there is a crucial difference between certain types of hosting packages and it's best to consult with the person that will be developing your site before selecting a package. Without going into detail, I will point out that in most cases you'll probably want to pick a Linux based hosting package. Linux is typically cheaper than Microsoft hosting and offers all of the features you would need. Microsoft hosting is only required if you wish to build your site using proprietary Microsoft technologies.
Note: If you purchase the domain name and the hosting with the same company at the same time, it's likely you will have one administrative login to manage both domain name and hosting accounts. If you purchase the two separately or with different vendors, you may actually have one management login for your domain name, and one for your hosting account.
Now that you have an address and a building, you can have your developer configure your hosting to begin designing and building your site. Although I recommend to consult with your developer on which hosting package to choose, you should be the one to purchase and set-up your hosting account. This will ensure that you have complete control over your domain. You're the one that has "the key" to who has access to your website. The developer is probably going to need access to your site management tools so that they can set-up your hosting as needed. Some hosting companies allow you to create separate accounts for administrators who will not have access to your billing information. If you don't have a way to do this, Be sure to pick secure passwords, and change your password after any outside access is no longer required. It goes without saying that you should try to choose trustworthy people when you give out access to this kind of business information (see Domain locking). Don't be afraid to ask for references when choosing a developer. If you're the first site they've built, you should know. If they've got experience, they should have pleased customers willing to give them a plug.
You'll be offered lot's of extras and upgrades but most of the time you can live without them. You can save some money here if you just want the basics. Don't worry, your host is more than willing to accommodate you if you change your mind.
Domain privacy:
When you register your domain name as an individual or as a business, you will be asked for your contact information. This is entered into the "Who is" database which stores every registered domain and the owner's info. Private registration obscures this information from a public "who is" lookup. If you are an individual who would like to remain anonymous, this is a good idea. However, for a business, I believe it looks better if your not trying to hide your true or parent identity. Savvy internet users will know how to see if your domain is privately registered or not. In either case, this is not a necessary feature if you're looking to cut costs.
Domain locking:
Domain locking is not really a feature, it's more like a sucker bet. When a domain is locked, any attempt to transfer the domain name to a different registrar will fail automatically. Your website can only be transfered by someone who knows and has access to the registrants email address. A secret code is sent to the main contact email address (on file with host/registrant) that allows the owner to accept the transfer. The only way a transfer can go through, is if domain locking is turned off when the transfer is initiated. You can make your own decision about whether this is appealing or not but a lot of times, even if you don't pay for this service, you'll get it anyway because your host wants to make it harder to lose your business. I've not paid for this service once, but every time I've tried to transfer a domain I've discovered it was locked.
Traffic acceleration:
There are many different ways to increase traffic on your website but these traffic boosting packages aren't good ones. Most of what these programs do, is submit your new domain name to multiple search engines, which can be done manually in a few moments. It can be argued whether or not there is a true benefit to these services, but most are simply not worth it when you consider Google owns an estimated 87% of the search market. Besides, professional development and excellent content can do more for your search engine relevance than these programs anyway.
Alternate extensions:
Nowadays there are many different extensions available. From country codes like ".co.uk" (United Kingdom) to ".mobi" for mobile devices. Unless you plan on using these extensions specifically, it may not be important to own multiple extensions. Sub-domains are a more popular choice for alternate sites with the same brand because they have the same extension (eg. info.sitename.com) and are usually an included feature of hosting.
Bandwidth/Storage upgrades:
Your hosting account includes a set amount of storage (ie. how much content your site can contain) and bandwidth which determines how many times your site can be viewed in a month (data transfer). Normally, the basic hosting account will include plenty of both for a basic business website. If your website grows significantly in size or audience, you will need to increase your limits. This is one of those problems that's good to have.
Site Builders/Free Software:
Many times hosting companies will bundle suites of web applications with the hosting account. Most of these are helpful tools that can be used to get something up and running quickly, with a decent amount of technical savvy, but can be difficult to personalize without experience in development. For a company, it may not be the best solution unless you have someone who can support and customize these applications to your needs.
Now that you've got the real estate, it's time to decorate it and furnish it. In Lesson 2 we'll discuss the differences between aesthetic and design and discuss what it takes to create a professionally designed website.
*We use Godaddy.com as our registrar and hosting company. There are many different choices but GoDaddy has great prices and great customer service. It's very easy to purchase and manage any of your web service needs through them.
This is an article from Paratext Web Design, Inc.
]]>You're ready to design your website. What does that mean exactly? The site design is more than just picking a few colors. The right balance of contrast, spacing, typography, and consistency can make your website not only attractive but simple to use. Believe it or not there's a lot of technical and scientific process to design, but since it's also an art, it takes plenty of practice to perfect. Companies who want to look professional hire professionals.
People make decisions quickly when it comes to the internet. You can lose a visitor's attention in a matter of seconds. It makes sense. There are seemingly unlimited options online. If a website doesn't quite look or work as expected, it's a short trip back to the search bar. It's important to have a design that is instantly inviting and easy to scan for information. If they can find it, they might stick around for a moment longer.
If you expect people to visit your site, you need to design your site for them. You may love your logo and want it to take up half the screen to show it off, but your customers won't appreciate it. You may have several paragraphs full of $5 words that make you sound like the greatest company in the world, but they're not going to believe it until you prove it. You may get excited to watch a dramatic trailer/commercial every time you visit your home page, but NO ONE else does. The point is, your visitors have different needs and if you want them to choose you, you need to cater to those needs. Think of it as designing an experience for the user. This will help guide you in all the design decisions and questions you come across.
There's a reason why big companies pay big money to high-priced design firms for identity packages, ad campaigns and slogans. Your brand is your identity. If you don't stand out you'll get lost in the crowd. Having a consistent design, look, and message in all your marketing conveys capability and reliability. Your logo is the face of your brand. It needs to be unique, unforgettable, and on everything you do. Your website is no exception. In fact, on a website, the logo can sometimes be the only way to tell two sites apart. This illustrates how important branding can be to a successful design.
It helps to look at other websites and write down things about them you either like or dislike and why. This will help you think like the customer, and gain an objective perspective of the user experience. Having done your research will help you deliver the best experience for your customers.
If you're not a professional designer you should probably hire one to design your website. A good designer will be able to walk you through important decisions and come up with creative solutions to your marketing objectives. Your reputation is at stake, don't leave it in the hands of an amateur.
Design isn't just about aesthetic, it's a process of solving problems to deliver a great user experience while effectively conveying your brand identity. Companies like Apple consistently reinforce the importance of harmony between form and function. Sometimes the difference between market leader and market loser is in the details.
This is an article from Paratext Web Design, Inc.
]]>Most people get lost after the first few acronyms when it comes to web development. Although you may not fully grasp all the concepts you'll be briefed on in the development process, it's important to know that they will make a difference in the performance and quality of your site. You should be familiar with a few concepts to be able to find the right developer for your website project. Here's a few of the basics that can get you started in the right direction.
Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that professionally developed sites should be "standards-compliantâ€
This is an article from Paratext Web Design, Inc.
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