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30th
JAN
How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off by Your Web Designer
Posted by admin | Filed under Internet
OK, you’ve heard, read, and been told by folks that having a website is a great way to reach a global audience. You even know some folks who do a substantial business entirely on the internet. You don’t want to be left behind, so you decide to have your own website. But let me warn you - there are several things that you need to do, learn, understand and research before you jump in, unless you have money to burn. If not, let’s get started right away.
First of all, you need to decide what you really want and expect from your website. When I say want, I mean everything - A to Z. How do you want your website to look aesthetically? How do you want your navigation? Do you want a static site or a dynamic one? How frequently do you want it updated? Will you write the content yourself or will you seek the services of a copy writer? (warning: if you copy content off some other website you are doing copyright infringement and may receive a DCMA complaint and even get sued). Always plan your website content keeping the focus on your customer. What does your customer seek before arriving at your website? It is advisable to visit a few websites, especially your competitors and see how they have their websites done. This will give you pointers and help you take directions.
Once you know what you expect from your website, start inviting web design and development quotes from multiple sources, like recommendations from friends and associates, online sources like elance, yellow pages, etc. Also ask them what type of hosting plans will be required. Once you’ve taken sufficient quotes, do some research for hosting providers on Google; you will get several choices. I’ve found that AwareINDIA.net is one of the good ones who give excellent support. Their rates are also very economical (just a few cents to a few dollars a month depending on the plan you choose). You will also need to have some idea of search engine marketing (SEM) costs before you form a budget for web design. SEM is a great way to ensure free long term visitor traffic to your website. While SEM will not be required immediately, it makes sense to know if all expenses meet your budget, else you will require making some compromises. It is also advisable to let your SEM company work hand in hand with your designer, as your website also needs to be search engine optimized (SEO) so that SE robots can index your pages properly and rank them higher for your desired keywords and phrases.
It may interest you to know that there are several open source software available which can take care of your website needs. For example, OS commerce and Zen Cart are some great options if you plan to have a shopping cart system and ecommerce enable your website. If you want a discussion forum, PHPbb is one of the best used extensively. If you’re looking out for a Portal or CMS software, there are Joomla, Drupal, Mambo, Post Nuke, PHP Nuke, and many more. Some folks even use blog software to power their website which gives it an interactive edge. Popular blog software are wordpress, b2evolution and nucleus. The good news is, most of these software can be installed for free at the click of a button without requiring any technical skills, if your hosting provider supports fantastico (AwareINDIA.net does support it). In fact, you can even buy ready made templates specially designed for and compatible with these software. Some companies even make customized templates. It’s a good idea to research on these software and also discuss this with your programmer and weigh the options if it is viable or not. Building a system from scratch would be quite expensive, especially if you’re on a tight budget. In fact, just mentioning about fantastico and these open source software with your designer will immediately cause him to feel as if you’re very much aware of the market and he will certainly think twice before giving you an exorbitant quote!
Some hosting providers also provide a Do-It-Yourself website builder which is quite easy to use, eliminating the need for a web designer altogether. However, there are some limitations with such options. AwareINDIA.net does offer this option; in fact, you can even get a free trial and see if it suits your requirements. If you’re comfortable using Microsoft Word, you should be able to design your own website without much hassle.
If you do plan to use the services of a designer, make sure you have everything in black and white. Keep the terms and conditions of the contract crystal clear. This is good for both of you as it is binding. Use an escrow service if required - most online portals like elance have this option. If you wish to read more of my work, you can visit http://www.bharatbhasha.com/author.php/Nirjara%20Rustom - I’ve written several articles related to SEO, online success, marketing tips, email marketing, etc.
By: Nirjara Rustom
First of all, you need to decide what you really want and expect from your website. When I say want, I mean everything - A to Z. How do you want your website to look aesthetically? How do you want your navigation? Do you want a static site or a dynamic one? How frequently do you want it updated? Will you write the content yourself or will you seek the services of a copy writer? (warning: if you copy content off some other website you are doing copyright infringement and may receive a DCMA complaint and even get sued). Always plan your website content keeping the focus on your customer. What does your customer seek before arriving at your website? It is advisable to visit a few websites, especially your competitors and see how they have their websites done. This will give you pointers and help you take directions.
Once you know what you expect from your website, start inviting web design and development quotes from multiple sources, like recommendations from friends and associates, online sources like elance, yellow pages, etc. Also ask them what type of hosting plans will be required. Once you’ve taken sufficient quotes, do some research for hosting providers on Google; you will get several choices. I’ve found that AwareINDIA.net is one of the good ones who give excellent support. Their rates are also very economical (just a few cents to a few dollars a month depending on the plan you choose). You will also need to have some idea of search engine marketing (SEM) costs before you form a budget for web design. SEM is a great way to ensure free long term visitor traffic to your website. While SEM will not be required immediately, it makes sense to know if all expenses meet your budget, else you will require making some compromises. It is also advisable to let your SEM company work hand in hand with your designer, as your website also needs to be search engine optimized (SEO) so that SE robots can index your pages properly and rank them higher for your desired keywords and phrases.
It may interest you to know that there are several open source software available which can take care of your website needs. For example, OS commerce and Zen Cart are some great options if you plan to have a shopping cart system and ecommerce enable your website. If you want a discussion forum, PHPbb is one of the best used extensively. If you’re looking out for a Portal or CMS software, there are Joomla, Drupal, Mambo, Post Nuke, PHP Nuke, and many more. Some folks even use blog software to power their website which gives it an interactive edge. Popular blog software are wordpress, b2evolution and nucleus. The good news is, most of these software can be installed for free at the click of a button without requiring any technical skills, if your hosting provider supports fantastico (AwareINDIA.net does support it). In fact, you can even buy ready made templates specially designed for and compatible with these software. Some companies even make customized templates. It’s a good idea to research on these software and also discuss this with your programmer and weigh the options if it is viable or not. Building a system from scratch would be quite expensive, especially if you’re on a tight budget. In fact, just mentioning about fantastico and these open source software with your designer will immediately cause him to feel as if you’re very much aware of the market and he will certainly think twice before giving you an exorbitant quote!
Some hosting providers also provide a Do-It-Yourself website builder which is quite easy to use, eliminating the need for a web designer altogether. However, there are some limitations with such options. AwareINDIA.net does offer this option; in fact, you can even get a free trial and see if it suits your requirements. If you’re comfortable using Microsoft Word, you should be able to design your own website without much hassle.
If you do plan to use the services of a designer, make sure you have everything in black and white. Keep the terms and conditions of the contract crystal clear. This is good for both of you as it is binding. Use an escrow service if required - most online portals like elance have this option. If you wish to read more of my work, you can visit http://www.bharatbhasha.com/author.php/Nirjara%20Rustom - I’ve written several articles related to SEO, online success, marketing tips, email marketing, etc.
By: Nirjara Rustom
Tags: Budget, Copy Writer, Copyright Infringement, Focus, Global Audience, Google, Left Behind, Own Website, Pointers, Web Design, Web Development, Website Content
30th
Why a Joomla Tutorial Video Can be Key to Your Success in Learning Joomla
Posted by admin | Filed under Web Design
Let’s face it - majority of us learn better by sight and sound than by reading a book and with most of us flocking to the internet to build websites with Joomla doesn’t it make more sense to find out how to build an effective Joomla web site rather than having to hire an expensive web designer that knows Joomla? Well, sure! But would you know where to start?
It really IS easier to grasp a concept when we see it, rather than just reading about it. If you’ve ever taken a course in anything you know the difference between someone standing in front of a group talking about a significant something. Some will catch on fairly quickly, others will be left in a slight fog. BUT…
Let that same instructor provide a slide show, a visual, and you can bet the majority of those viewing will have those all-important and very gratifying ‘Ahl Ha!’ moments!
The reason is because videos make you feel as if you are interacting. They ‘express’ more than just words on a page. They make you understand the how’s and the why’s. This is so meaningful and is the reason why so many now make it a point to include them in their marketing.
A Joomla tutorial video offers you that same ease in beginning to learn Joomla. Joomla is a powerful open source content management program that gives the “average joe” the opportunity to build, publish and update their own website without the help of a web designer.
Some of us venture forth in web design with some experience, some with just a little, others more advanced. Whatever, we all have a common bond and that is that ALL of us always have more to learn -and a Joomla tutorial video will help anyone who needs to understand what Joomla is and how it can work for them.
The truth is, many of us wish we had something or someone that would SHOW us what to do to clear up our understanding and, perhaps, confusion in trying to learn Joomla or anything in life for that matter. Now, there are many good Joomla tutorial sources on the internet today, but how many of them are on video?
To reiterate, videos are important because they teach in the true sense of the word. And with a Joomla tutorial video, as they teach, you learn. As you learn, you become more of a force to be reckoned with because you can stand on your own two feet with a sense of accomplishment, which in the end can save you time and money.
So, don’t throw in the towel if you can’t grasp Joomla by just reading the forums and reading the joomla installation manual. Know that a Joomla tutorial video is available to help you bring your web building dreams from fantasy land into reality.
Remember, your dreams are more than possible - they are achievable! Sometimes, you just need to be SHOWN what to do.
By: Ck Burrell
About the Author:
It really IS easier to grasp a concept when we see it, rather than just reading about it. If you’ve ever taken a course in anything you know the difference between someone standing in front of a group talking about a significant something. Some will catch on fairly quickly, others will be left in a slight fog. BUT…
Let that same instructor provide a slide show, a visual, and you can bet the majority of those viewing will have those all-important and very gratifying ‘Ahl Ha!’ moments!
The reason is because videos make you feel as if you are interacting. They ‘express’ more than just words on a page. They make you understand the how’s and the why’s. This is so meaningful and is the reason why so many now make it a point to include them in their marketing.
A Joomla tutorial video offers you that same ease in beginning to learn Joomla. Joomla is a powerful open source content management program that gives the “average joe” the opportunity to build, publish and update their own website without the help of a web designer.
Some of us venture forth in web design with some experience, some with just a little, others more advanced. Whatever, we all have a common bond and that is that ALL of us always have more to learn -and a Joomla tutorial video will help anyone who needs to understand what Joomla is and how it can work for them.
The truth is, many of us wish we had something or someone that would SHOW us what to do to clear up our understanding and, perhaps, confusion in trying to learn Joomla or anything in life for that matter. Now, there are many good Joomla tutorial sources on the internet today, but how many of them are on video?
To reiterate, videos are important because they teach in the true sense of the word. And with a Joomla tutorial video, as they teach, you learn. As you learn, you become more of a force to be reckoned with because you can stand on your own two feet with a sense of accomplishment, which in the end can save you time and money.
So, don’t throw in the towel if you can’t grasp Joomla by just reading the forums and reading the joomla installation manual. Know that a Joomla tutorial video is available to help you bring your web building dreams from fantasy land into reality.
Remember, your dreams are more than possible - they are achievable! Sometimes, you just need to be SHOWN what to do.
By: Ck Burrell
About the Author:
http://www.joomla-videos.net, offers flash-based videos to assist with learning and installing Joomla CMS. If you publish content online you’ll learn how to create beautiful and imaginative web sites fast.
Tags: Bet, Common Bond, Confusion, Face, Fog, Management Program, Open Source Content Management, Own Website, Sight And Sound, Success, Truth, Web Design
26th
JAN
Joomla-how to Use in Web Design?
Posted by admin | Filed under Web Design
I was recently asked by a potential client why I recommended Joomla! to be used for building their website. Let me explain the benefits of using Joomla versus using anything else, and by anything else I mean comparing building a website using some type of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, such as Frontpage or Dreamweaver, or building a website with a comparative type of software package.Joomla! is a Content Management system, which means that it is built to ensure that website pages can easily be maintained and updated. This includes for example, adding new pages or removing pages. This is the main advantage above building a website in straight forward HTML that would normally be the end product of using some type of HTML editor. But why Joomla? Why not something else like a Microsoft based product or another commercial product?Joomla is Open Source, which means that there are no licensing fees payable, that you have often pay for a Microsoft product or a commercial productBecause Joomla is Open Source, there is a huge pool of community resources available to provide support or go to www.javascript-magic.com
The Joomla community is huge worldwide as well as in local countries - there are often local user groups which are very well supported often even in small countries such as South Africa. There is an enormous pool of people supporting the product. The forum on the Joomla.org site has over 200 000 members all providing support and input into making Joomla! a better product.There are millions of sites worldwide (about 10 Million if you do a guestimate using Google) that runs on Joomla. It is therefore extremely popular and widely used which also means that it will never be difficult to find developers and people to support it.Because it is so popular, it also means that by now there have been quite a few books written about Joomla! from various perspectives to assist both the developer as well as the end-user.Some other good reasons to use Joomla!One of the most attractive features of using Joomla! is the fact that is so very easy to extend its functionality. You can build anything from a brochure website to a full-featured shopping cart or interactive membership site. This is because there are over 3500 add-ons and plugins available to extend its functionality. This ranges from shopping carts, image galleries, video plugins, forums, blogs, and project management tools, etc etcThe Joomla templating system also makes it easy to change the look and feel of your site without having to redo the whole site from scratch you can visit www.master-web-graphics.com
You can literally change the whole graphic design/look of the site in a matter of seconds while retaining the content. There are also over 2000 templates, most of them free, available to change the look and feel of your site.But again, why Joomla! Why not Wordpress, for example?I have to admit, Wordpress is also extremely popular and Wordpress also makes it extremely easy to add new pages. Wordpress also has numerous free templates available and it makes Wordpress an extremely attractive option to build websites quickly and easily but it must always be kept in mind that Wordpress is essentially a blogging platform. Although it also has numerous plugins available to extend its functionality, it just does not have the raw power with regards to its underlying infrastructure to allow it to easily plug in something like a shopping cart, for example.So what is the catch? It can’t be all roses?Having worked with Joomla! for a couple of years (and before that, with its predecessor, Mambo) I can tell you exactly what the shortcomings are:Joomla’s membership capabilities fall far short of what they could be. There is verylimited support for various access groups and access levels.
By: subhash
The Joomla community is huge worldwide as well as in local countries - there are often local user groups which are very well supported often even in small countries such as South Africa. There is an enormous pool of people supporting the product. The forum on the Joomla.org site has over 200 000 members all providing support and input into making Joomla! a better product.There are millions of sites worldwide (about 10 Million if you do a guestimate using Google) that runs on Joomla. It is therefore extremely popular and widely used which also means that it will never be difficult to find developers and people to support it.Because it is so popular, it also means that by now there have been quite a few books written about Joomla! from various perspectives to assist both the developer as well as the end-user.Some other good reasons to use Joomla!One of the most attractive features of using Joomla! is the fact that is so very easy to extend its functionality. You can build anything from a brochure website to a full-featured shopping cart or interactive membership site. This is because there are over 3500 add-ons and plugins available to extend its functionality. This ranges from shopping carts, image galleries, video plugins, forums, blogs, and project management tools, etc etcThe Joomla templating system also makes it easy to change the look and feel of your site without having to redo the whole site from scratch you can visit www.master-web-graphics.com
You can literally change the whole graphic design/look of the site in a matter of seconds while retaining the content. There are also over 2000 templates, most of them free, available to change the look and feel of your site.But again, why Joomla! Why not Wordpress, for example?I have to admit, Wordpress is also extremely popular and Wordpress also makes it extremely easy to add new pages. Wordpress also has numerous free templates available and it makes Wordpress an extremely attractive option to build websites quickly and easily but it must always be kept in mind that Wordpress is essentially a blogging platform. Although it also has numerous plugins available to extend its functionality, it just does not have the raw power with regards to its underlying infrastructure to allow it to easily plug in something like a shopping cart, for example.So what is the catch? It can’t be all roses?Having worked with Joomla! for a couple of years (and before that, with its predecessor, Mambo) I can tell you exactly what the shortcomings are:Joomla’s membership capabilities fall far short of what they could be. There is verylimited support for various access groups and access levels.
By: subhash
Tags: 10 Million, Community Resources, Content Management System, Countries, Google, Microsoft, Open Source, People, Perspectives, Software Package, South Africa, Web Design
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