Google

Monday, March 31, 2008

Launch Your Site, Before It Is Finished

When you launch a site, you face three major problems: The search engines don't know you, the users don't know you and you might not have any meaningful amount of content. These problems can cost you time, before your site starts to pay off.

Three solutions to hit the ground running on launch day.

Waiting for the search engines

Telling “Google” your new web-address is only getting you a spot in its sandbox. The sandbox is like a queue. You line up until your have gotten to the front-gate. Only if you are passed it, will your site be spidered. Word on the web is that this takes 6 months - regardless of how fancy your submission technique is. There are of course other search-engines who process you faster. But can you afford not to be found in “Google”?

Once your domain is listed, they need to be found by their spiders and ultimately by the user. Although your DNS entry should cascade very fast around the globe, there are bottlenecks. It can happen that you wait for the update a couple of weeks - regardless of your TTL-definition. Nearly unbelievable, but it happens. You should get a very wide dissemination within a few days, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Getting the users to the launch

Every web page is made for its visitors. If you don't get them, all your efforts and money spent have been in vain. Unless you have a substantial marketing-budget for your launch, it takes time for users to reach your site, to tell other people, to list it or to write about it in blogs. The shorter the time you need to reach that critical mass of users, the sooner your site pays off. Also you will quicker get to the point when it is really fun to look at your web-stats.

Welcome to our empty pages

Users will not repeatedly visit your site just because it is nicely designed and structured. You need enough content already on launch-day to have something interesting for most of your visitors. Any “coming soon” on a fully operational site is very likely to be a frustration to the user. A database of 2 articles does not inspire confidence. It is like peeking into an empty restaurant on a Saturday night - you might think twice about even looking at the menu.

Waiting for the search engines, having very few users visiting your site and not offering any content will unlikely result in a good start.

“Under Construction” revisited

What was considered very bad form some years ago, might just be one way of solving the problems. When development work begins, you need to set up a page or a mini-site. When search engines are visiting they have a place to go. At the same time it solves the DNS update delay you might encounter from some backbones.

Unlike the classic “shovel and hard-hat” logo, even this simple page or site needs an identity and content. It will be visited and looked at by your potential costumers. Have you noticed how real-world construction-sites start to be tidy and nicely wrapped up - sometimes even following corporate design guidelines. Many people are walking past construction-sites - and they just might link the image of the company to the piles of bricks carelessly lying about. Sometimes you even find a little description what the new store will look like, offer and when it will be opened - a smart move.

The visual design can be much reduced, but still should convey the appropriate message. Have your designer create a layout, using your corporate identity or claims. The visitor, even the search-engine, should know on an emotional as well as a factual level what will be up and coming.

The best thing would be to have some content available. Put up an article every week for example, a review, a recipe or whatever content is related to your site. This shows search-engines that something is happening; boosts your placement and the visitor sees some activity. And you will already have some content ready for the day your site goes really life.

Getting the users to the launch

There is no other way but to directly address them. Most effective is some meaningful content, not simply a note that your site will start in three weeks time.

The indirect approach might work best. If you receive an email by someone you know or someone who has a positive reputation, it is likely to be read. Find some opinion-leaders related to your products or services. Maybe you can get this person to write content and distribute it to the community while linking to your site? You could organize an event together or simply ask for input - they might just have this great idea that you can use to make your site known before it is even fully life. Blogs are often published by “opinion leader” and you can find them as strong voices in forums.

The goal is to increase you link-popularity, get email-addresses and get access to a network of people who can avalanche information from your site to their communities.

Having Content

It is not likely to have on launch-day the same amount of content like a site that is already up for five years. But usually you only have one chance to interest and satisfy a fist-time user. One key element here is having content available. Empty article-listing or three reviews are simply not enough to interest me to delve into the site. If you would launch a print-magazine, you would also have every page filled with the best content available - the same applies to the new site.

Another advantage is that search engines love content - especially if it changes. If you have a reasonable turnover, your chances for a good ranking are high.

If you can't create content in-house, articles and reviews are relatively easy to get. You can either peruse article directories or collaborate with blogs. The quality of the content reflects on your site. Editorial-work and selection is essential.

A word of caution; It is easy to republish what is already out on the web. But original content is still best. Since you cater to the interests of your prospective visitors, the article you re-use was likely to have appeared on a site similar in target to your own. Quality over quantity is still what counts.

Launching a site starts well before you put it online. A well prepared launch will let you hit the ground running and might save months in getting the visitors you need.

About The Author


Raoul Dobal focuses on usablilty and is partner of ADWIRED, a Swiss company specialised in webbased communication. Visit http://www.adwired.ch for information about services or http://www.iquse.ch to read further articles on usability.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Questions to Ask when Designing a Website for clients

by: Brent Parker

Questions to ask when designing a Web Site for your client (s).
“Excerpt from the book: Graphic Artists Guild, Handbook Pricing & Ethical guidelines Written by: Brent Parker

These questions are a great tool to use when trying to develop your clients website. It gets down to the roots of web design, so there is a clear and precise understanding of what needs to be done. You can either make yourself a check list on paper for face to face talks or you can put it into Adobe PDF form, and have them download it from your website and fill it out later. It may seem odd at first, but in the long run it works out perfectly.

GOALS

What is the client’s business and how will the client’s Web site advance it? What message is the Web site supposed to convey?
Who is the primary audience for the Web site? The primary age group of the audience? Their professions, disciplines, and interests? (Designers should warn clients that if the target is a broad-based, international audience, with potentially slow modems, old browsers, or expensive service, this might limit the design options.)
What are the secondary goals of the Web site? Is this an informational site or an avenue for internet-based marketing or revenue?
What subjects, in order of priority, does the client want to cover on the Web site? Have the client define at least five separate area of subject matter and state what’s unique about their business.
ONLINE EDUCATION

Does the client understand the difference between the Web and an online email service such as America Online? The answer to this question is an indicator of the clients overall Web knowledge. If the client does not understand the difference, the designer may want to factor in time for basic Internet education
Does the client require a Web hosting account and/or dial up access? How many users? What user privileges would the client like?
Is the account only for email or does the price quoted allow for server space to host a Web site? How many megabytes of server space?
If the client already has an Internet account, is it with a true ISP or with an online service such as America Online? If the account is with an online service rather than a true ISP, extra costs or special arrangements may be needed to host the Web site.
PLANNING

Who will give final approval of the project? If someone other than the clients’ team will have final approval, then the designer needs to make sure that person has Internet access and understands the Web.
What domain name would the client like? (.com, org. net etc…) What are two to three alternative domain names in case the first choice is already taken/
Are the client’s source materials in electronic form, and if so, does the designer need to handle file conversions? The designer may need to educate the client about how to submit materials in as consistent and compatible formats as possible. If necessary, the designer should provide the client with a variety of options and be prepared to do conversion’s
Does the site required advanced functionality, such as database functionality (Access, Filemaker Pro, Microsoft SQL, Oracle Server)? Does the site need to be coded in a special language such as Microsoft ASP or Allaires Cold Fusion?
Are there requirements for e-commerce, such as the ability to process credit card transactions, development of Shopping Cart strategies, survey forms, advanced configurator sales selectors, online games and interactive demonstrations, online chat and message boards?
Is the site to be hosted in-house or with another provider? If in-house, the clients information services department should be included in the planned meetings.
DESIGN

Is the website to be designed from scratch, or is it a makeover of an existing site? If a makeover, does the client want any additions?
What look and feel would the client like for he Web site? The client should show the designer examples of Web sites, magazines, publications, or artistic works they like. Does the client have a specific genre, culture, or style in mind?
Are there any collateral marketing materials (brochures, publications, corporate identity programs, or posters), preproduction sketches, or media (CD-ROM’s, video games, records, or tapes) that the Web site should be consistent with?
Does the client desire graphics interactivity and/or multimedia (also involving content development and site mapping)? These typically include JavaScript rollovers and effects, animated GIF’s QuickTime or AVI movies, sound files, PDF downloads, Macromedia Flash animations, and interactivity.
Does the client need a new logo or new collateral marketing materials and media to be consistent with the new Web site? If so, these design services should be quoted in addition to and not as part of the Web site proposal.
Does the designer wish to negotiate a credit link that targets his or her home URL or email?
FOLLOW UP

Does the client have the staff to respond to email? If not, the designer may need to explain that the client may develop a bad reputation in the online world if people don’t receive immediate responses.
Does the client plan to have in-house site maintenance, or does the client want the designer to do it? Designers considering site maintenance arrangements should look carefully at the ability of their own organization to do at least biweekly of monthly changes
About The Author


Brent Parker is the creator and Webmaster of Sprywebsolutions.com. Spry Web Solutions is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. We specialize in web design, corporate identity, business documents and other great design tools. If you are a business start-up or thinking about starting one, we have a Corporate Identity pkg complete with 10-12 pg Website, 1000 Business cards, Letterheads and Envelopes all custom for one great “low” price. SpryWebsolutions.com
To purchase this book go to Amazon.com

Thursday, March 27, 2008

In Search of Webhosting: First Understand the Industry

by: Dax Christopher

In search of a webhosting company for personal or small business purposes? We advise you to take a look at this article to understand the hosting industry and study its dynamics to know what to look for before you make your choice.

First, a brief introduction to the webhosting chain: the end consumer is served by about 3 upstream providers: the webhosting provider that they have direct contact with, the webhost's upstream company who maintains the servers and sells space to webhosts, and above that, the datacenter that provides the connection and houses the servers. Some webhosts are also the server admins and liase with the datacenters directly.

The webhosting industry has been claimed to be near saturation point as there are hundreds of web-hosting providers clamouring to provide cheaper and better services to businesses and individuals. This upsurge of supply is largely due to resources becoming readily available (and at cheaper costs) with plunging diskspace and data-transfer prices. The barriers to entry in the web-hosting space is low as large resellers of server space provide cheap hosting and reselling plans that create opportunites for new webhosts to join in the market. With increasing number of suppliers with ever cheaper reselling plans, more webhosting businesses are sprouting up to provide web-hosting solutions to business and individual websites due to lower fixed costs and investment. In addition, this increase in supply is not caused by factors in any particular country. The internet is global and as such, datacenters in US, or in fact, any part of the world, can provide the server and webspace for a local webhosting company. It is taking place in internet space and consumers and providers can easily find each other and exchange services in the global space.

Increasing the supply is naturally a good thing for the customer who is on the demand side. This inbalance has caused new web-hosting providers to offer extremely low prices for their webhosting plans or packages in order to compete in the tough market. Customers get to choose from a myriad of hosting providers who are constantly lowering their prices. However, this might not be a good thing. By offering low prices, companies are earning small margins that may not cover their support costs. Support is vital in the webhosting business as most customers want to be able to get help with their web-hosting accounts. If the profits do not justify the costs, web hosting companies will easily close down - and take their clients' sites with them.

So what are the factors to look at when choosing a host for your website?

Support is the single most important factor for any individual or small business looking for a webhost for their websites. Any internet web hosting provider that does not respond to emails for at most 24 hours is probably having problems providing fast and reliable support services. These services are essential to customer satisfaction and especially for customers who are new to webhosting will need guidance with publishing their websites on the webhosting account provided. The webhosting business is about relationships between webhost and webhosting customers. You should want to know that you can get help when you need, and want to be informed when your website is going to be offline for maintainance.

Stability comes in second as a factor when choosing a webhost. Stability refers to how much uptime you can expect from the webhosting provider. This actually depends on the providers' servers and network. If they do not have reliable and stable providers, it would affect their servers and cause problems for your website. An uptime of about 99.5% is considered reliable in the industry as there are external factors which may be beyond control of the provider. External agencies like Alerta.com provide server monitoring services that webhosting companies might use to proof their reliability.

Cost is a factor depending on the purpose of the website and budget. Personal /Individual websites might have smaller budget and choose to go with a cheaper webhosting provider, possibily in exchange for support and stability. Business sites might have larger budgets and should definitely place stability and support above all else. The cheaper webhosting deals that offer enormous diskspace and huge amounts of data-transfer at a dollar rates has continuously proven to be a one-off hit that attracts customers in numbers, but fail in providing quality support. Large numbers of client sites also cause sustained high server loads that might cause the server to crash and thus affecting stability.

Location of the server is generally not an important issue depending on your ISP/country's connection to the datacenter where the server is located. Pings to the server can normally tell you the network latency to expect when people from your area access your site. Lower ping rates means that your site will load faster.

Lastly, take time to identify and contact a webhost to ask about their service. This would give you an idea of the kind of support that you might receive and help you in deciding if you want to go with the web-hosting provider.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Web Hosting - The Importance Of Choice

by: John Cantrell


There is a whole multitude of domain registration and website hosting offers in the market today.

I had an offer the other day to register domain names from $1.99 per year plus a whole lot of other bonuses. Admittedly I am already a customer of theirs and this offer was for existing customers only.

There are hosting sites that will host for nothing. Yes $0.00

Why would there be any excuse not to have your own website.

Having your own website shows the world that you are in business, and that you are getting serious about it, and, it gives you control of your internet business. At least more control than if you didn’t have a site at all.

You have to have your own websites.

I recently registered a domain name with GoDaddy.com for two years including two years of hosting, email addresses and so on for $66.00 all up.

Hardly a fortune and it’s with a reputable company.

Why not go with some cheaper of free site?

This company is reliable, here to stay and have a reliable hosting system that delivers more than 99% of the time (almost all hosts will shut down for a small period for maintenance every now and again and I should imagine that none can honestly quote 100%).

You’ll normally find that the down time, if there is any, is in the least busy traffic times in their home country anyway.

If GoDaddy are down for a few minutes in the early hour of the morning US time big deal.

There is a company in Australia that I have used since the very early days of the internet and email. They regularly are off the air for up to two hours early every morning (Australian time). Doesn’t worry me I am mostly asleep when it happens.

Assuming that my biggest pool of prospective visitors to my site are from the northern hemisphere, that down time in Australia, which the company claim affects nobody because most are asleep at that time, is a semi peak, if not peak, time in the U.S. and much of Europe. How much traffic could I lose? It’s anyone’s guess.

Needless to say I only use them as a mail server for incoming mail these days.

I know of someone that uses a free overseas host and he estimates they could be down as much as 30% of the time. No good complaining he says - You get what you pay for and it doesn’t cost me anything.

Quite right, it’s no good complaining.

What he doesn’t realize is that it IS costing him, probably big time, and it’s costing him in lost sales. I suppose he rationalizes that what he never had he won’t miss?

Consider your market - most of your internet businesses will probably not be governed by geographical boundaries in your own country, but world wide.

Make sure that your hosting arrangements suit your business requirements.

There are a few gems in this world that are free, I often wonder why Nvu is for instance, but on the whole nothing is really free.

You, or somebody, will invariably pay for it one way or the other. In the case of free hosts that maybe aren’t that reliable you are paying in potential lost sales and probably in other ways as well.

Consider a reputable host, the cost of hosting is inconsequential in the overall scheme of things.

In Search of Webhosting: First Understand the Industry

by: Dax Christopher

In search of a webhosting company for personal or small business purposes? We advise you to take a look at this article to understand the hosting industry and study its dynamics to know what to look for before you make your choice.

First, a brief introduction to the webhosting chain: the end consumer is served by about 3 upstream providers: the webhosting provider that they have direct contact with, the webhost's upstream company who maintains the servers and sells space to webhosts, and above that, the datacenter that provides the connection and houses the servers. Some webhosts are also the server admins and liase with the datacenters directly.

The webhosting industry has been claimed to be near saturation point as there are hundreds of web-hosting providers clamouring to provide cheaper and better services to businesses and individuals. This upsurge of supply is largely due to resources becoming readily available (and at cheaper costs) with plunging diskspace and data-transfer prices. The barriers to entry in the web-hosting space is low as large resellers of server space provide cheap hosting and reselling plans that create opportunites for new webhosts to join in the market. With increasing number of suppliers with ever cheaper reselling plans, more webhosting businesses are sprouting up to provide web-hosting solutions to business and individual websites due to lower fixed costs and investment. In addition, this increase in supply is not caused by factors in any particular country. The internet is global and as such, datacenters in US, or in fact, any part of the world, can provide the server and webspace for a local webhosting company. It is taking place in internet space and consumers and providers can easily find each other and exchange services in the global space.

Increasing the supply is naturally a good thing for the customer who is on the demand side. This inbalance has caused new web-hosting providers to offer extremely low prices for their webhosting plans or packages in order to compete in the tough market. Customers get to choose from a myriad of hosting providers who are constantly lowering their prices. However, this might not be a good thing. By offering low prices, companies are earning small margins that may not cover their support costs. Support is vital in the webhosting business as most customers want to be able to get help with their web-hosting accounts. If the profits do not justify the costs, web hosting companies will easily close down - and take their clients' sites with them.

So what are the factors to look at when choosing a host for your website?

Support is the single most important factor for any individual or small business looking for a webhost for their websites. Any internet web hosting provider that does not respond to emails for at most 24 hours is probably having problems providing fast and reliable support services. These services are essential to customer satisfaction and especially for customers who are new to webhosting will need guidance with publishing their websites on the webhosting account provided. The webhosting business is about relationships between webhost and webhosting customers. You should want to know that you can get help when you need, and want to be informed when your website is going to be offline for maintainance.

Stability comes in second as a factor when choosing a webhost. Stability refers to how much uptime you can expect from the webhosting provider. This actually depends on the providers' servers and network. If they do not have reliable and stable providers, it would affect their servers and cause problems for your website. An uptime of about 99.5% is considered reliable in the industry as there are external factors which may be beyond control of the provider. External agencies like Alerta.com provide server monitoring services that webhosting companies might use to proof their reliability.

Cost is a factor depending on the purpose of the website and budget. Personal /Individual websites might have smaller budget and choose to go with a cheaper webhosting provider, possibily in exchange for support and stability. Business sites might have larger budgets and should definitely place stability and support above all else. The cheaper webhosting deals that offer enormous diskspace and huge amounts of data-transfer at a dollar rates has continuously proven to be a one-off hit that attracts customers in numbers, but fail in providing quality support. Large numbers of client sites also cause sustained high server loads that might cause the server to crash and thus affecting stability.

Location of the server is generally not an important issue depending on your ISP/country's connection to the datacenter where the server is located. Pings to the server can normally tell you the network latency to expect when people from your area access your site. Lower ping rates means that your site will load faster.

Lastly, take time to identify and contact a webhost to ask about their service. This would give you an idea of the kind of support that you might receive and help you in deciding if you want to go with the web-hosting provider.