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I Want to Build a Website
Posted: 02 Jun 2011 07:16 AM PDT
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You say I want to build a website, well I am going to show you how to build
a website in the fastest easiest, and cheapest way possible. You just need
to understand some basics, then you need pointing in the right direction,
and that is what this brief article is going to do for
you.IntroductionBuilding a website represents for many their first step
into the online or virtual world. Before this you may have observed the
virtual world along with over a billion others as you surf the Internet.
Unlike the real world where you are a player (whether you like it or not),
in the virtual world, you can just be a spectator, or you can choose to
express yourself and become a player too. But being a spectator and being a
player in the virtual world are two different things and so you have
arrived at the conclusion, indeed the conviction I want to build a website.
For a young person this might not seem particularly amazing, but for older
people they appreciate what a revolution to mankind, the Internet
represents. Never before has it been so easy for a single individual to
communicate with so many others so comprehensively, effectively and
easily.Why build a website?Now you want to move up a gear, stake your claim
to some Internet terrain and become a player in the new virtual community.
If you take one step at a time, who knows where this may lead you? As they
say: how does one eat an Elephant? One mouthful at a time! You could begin
with your own blog, express yourself and make your mark. In future, you
might even be able to make some real money from this virtual world. If you
are already in business, you could start marketing and even selling your
goods online. Little wonder then that you are thinking I want to build a
website.If I want to build a website, then how much will it cost me?Not
long ago this would have been a difficult job, that required a lot of
knowledge or money, but today it is easy. It will not cost you any more
than the use of a computer with broadband access to the Internet and your
time.I want to build a website, but when can I do so?You can begin right
away and you could publish your first hosted website for free within
minutes. You can then extend this and build it as you have time and
inclination.I want to build a website, how do I do so? You will need a
place to host your website (which is like a place to park what you have
built), you will need a domain name (which is like your address showing
where your website can be found). There are many fancy features that might
be helpful or that in time you might like to add. For each of these you can
pay, but why pay when you dont have to?Where do I go if I want to build a
website?There may be other places, but I will mention two of the best that
I know of. Each will tell you more about themselves in fact everything that
you need to know about them, so in the interests of brevity, I will not
tell you any more besides where to find them. There is:#1.
http://www.weebly.com/#2. http://wordpress.com/Where to from here?Once you
have built your website, unless it is just for your personal benefit and
for your friends, you may want to publicise it and draw attention (or
traffic) to it. This is the next step and for this, you will need to learn
more, but begin with what I have told you and as I said earlier take one
step at a time. This is the first article in a two-part series. The second
is entitled I want traffic.
source: http://EzineArticles.com/6253004
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Digital Marketing - 8 Common Mistakes Of User Experience Optimization
Posted: 02 Jun 2011 02:22 AM PDT
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User experience optimization is simply optimizing a website for ease of use
while obtaining high conversion rates and making the customer feel warm and
excited about their interaction with the site. User experience optimization
is both an art and a science at the same time, but if the art and science
fail, negative results will happen. In this article, Im going to introduce
eight common mistakes of user experience optimization.1. Unclear call to
action Old websites were static pages like brochures nice to look at but
they didnt do anything and they didnt compel anyone to take action. The
call to action today IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT of your website. If its
unclear, your results will remain unclear as well.2. Too many choices
Theres no other simpler way to put this than to say a confused mind is a
mind that does NOT take action. There are thousands of examples in
marketing where offering too many choices has a negative effect. It really
goes back to the saying of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sally)3. Asking for too
much information In todays online environment, customers are looking for
transparency and relationships with the businesses they interact with. If
you ask for everything but the kitchen sink right from the start, you will
turn away potential long-term customers.4. Too much text Lets be real
here. When you see a lot of text (like this article), you usually skim
through the text for bullet points or stuff that sticks out and hopefully
you can figure out whats going on. However, too much text can definitely be
a detriment to your site as people most likely will not read it.5. Not
keeping promises This one seems simple but far too often promises arent
kept. For instance, lets say you click an ad about dog grooming tricks
which takes you to a site for a free eBook on dog grooming tricks. You put
in your information and on the next page you are taken to a page about dog
food that the company is selling. This is a classic example and it happens
a lot.6. Visual distractions Gone are the days where websites can have all
black backgrounds with green or yellow letting jumping all over the place
giving you a headache. Thats Web1.0 stuff and those tactics dont work
anymore. Visual distractions once again cause confusion and a confused mind
doesnt take action.7. Lack of trust When was the last time you bought
something from someone that you didnt like and trust? (and Im not talking
about a pack of gum here)8. Difficult navigation This goes back to the
confused mind argument. We live in a microwave society where we want things
now. If we have to go through four or five steps to get to where we want to
go, we just wont do it. The navigation on your site has to be the same way.
It has to be easy to use and simple to operate.By the way, do you want to
learn more about the exciting and ever-changing digital marketing
industry?If so, grab my free eBook now: 3 Secrets The Digital Marketing
Industry Doesnt Want You To KnowIf you are a business owner and would like
to get an objective analysis on your online digital marketing presence,
watch this video now.Click here: Digital Marketing VideoGerek Allen is a
Digital Marketing specialist for small to medium sized businesses.Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerek_T_Allen
source: http://EzineArticles.com/6231905
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Digital Marketing - 9 Mobile Website Metrics To Know For Your Business
Posted: 01 Jun 2011 10:46 PM PDT
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Mobile websites are special websites built and optimized for use on mobile
devices like iPads or Android phones. For businesses, mobile websites are
pretty much a necessity today as more and more people use their cell phones
everywhere and people expect to get online and have a great experience all
the time. So to make sure your mobile website is a great experience for
your visitors, its important to monitor the metrics of your mobile site.
Here are nine metrics you should know for your mobile website.1. Visits
This is the number of consumers who have visited the mobile site. These
numbers can be identified for any period of time.2. Unique Visitors This
is the number of absolute unique visitors over a specified amount of time.
A unique visitor is a new visitor who hasnt visited the site in a specific
time period. If that person visits five times during that period, they will
only be counted once.3. Page Views This is the number of pages that have
been viewed on the website. Its a cumulative number.4. Pages / Visit This
is the average number of pages visited per visit. If there were 1000 page
views and 100 unique visitors, then there were 10 pages per visit.5. Bounce
Rate This is the percentage of single-page visits in which a visitor
leaves the site from the entrance page. This is a great metric that
measures visit quality. If 95% of the visitors leave on the first page,
Houston we have a problem!6. Average Time On Site This is the average
amount of time spent on the website by visitors. The longer they stay on
the site, the better the site is.7. Percentage Of New Visits This is the
percentage of new visitors over a specified period of time. You want to
know this info to see if people keep coming back. A low percentage of new
visits means your mobile site is doing a great job of building a community
where people want to come back to.8. Traffic Sources This identifies the
different sources of traffic to the mobile site. Examples of sources
include search engines, referring sites like Facebook, direct visits when
people type in the site, and so many more.9. Device Type This identifies
which type of device the visitors are using to access your site. Devices
include iPhones, Android phones, Blackberries and more.By the way, do you
want to learn more about the ever-changing digital marketing industry? If
so, grab my free eBook now: 3 Secrets The Digital Marketing Industry Doesnt
Want You To KnowIf you are a business owner and would like to get an
objective analysis on your online digital marketing presence, watch this
video now. Click here: Digital Marketing VideoGerek Allen is a Digital
Marketing specialist for small to medium sized businesses.Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerek_T_Allen
source: http://EzineArticles.com/6266802
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Tips for Avoiding Enterprise Software Failures
Posted: 01 Jun 2011 07:00 PM PDT
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Where there is an enterprise there is enterprise software. The core
functionality of this software is integration of operations and processes;
including sales, accounting, finance, human resources, inventory and
manufacturing etc. So it has to be error free and well developed also
properly implemented and used to reap benefits from it. These softwares
have sometimes led to the downfall of many enterprises.It is very essential
to build these softwares with utmost care and intelligence. These softwares
come in various sizes and prices so it is very important to achieve its
full purpose. There are various reasons why these softwares fail. Let us
discuss some of the reasons why they fail and how to avoid them.One of the
basic reasons for the failure is incomplete requirements. Now when you
gather the requirements, you have to have everything. There should not be
scope for any error. Many consultants or partners collect around eighty
percent of the requirement and rest of it is figured out by them. This is
ok with other projects but not with an enterprise software. Get every piece
of information that is needed. Remember to do the necessary homework before
proceeding towards building the software. Follow a diagnostic approach to
the scoping of the project. Gather as much as information that you possibly
can and clear all the questions and queries beforehand.Sometimes
requirements change as work progresses. Some clients will come up with more
inputs after the process begins. They will not understand what negative
impact it will have on the production process. Constantly changing
requirements will kill your projects. They will drag time and also can
cause major problems. So always verify the requirement and get it signed
from your client.It is always advisable to have a meeting with the client
right before the start which will help you to be on the right track and
will help clear many doubts and questions. It will give you a clear idea of
what your client needs. Once the scope of the work is determined verify it
with your client. Also get the minor scope changes documented and approved
even though it wont cost you a penny. Most clients want the best solutions
so they push with changes during the production process not realizing the
fact that it creates more hassles than success.Sometimes enterprises come
up with unrealistic time frames. Never take up such a project which has
unrealistic time frames because you will jeopardize your reputation and
also the future of your client. Take the time needed and deal with every
minute details of the requirement. Clients on the other hand should not
push your partner because if you allow sufficient time to your partner they
will have more chances of doing a good job. A little bit of patience can
avoid a major downfall.These are some of the problems of why enterprise
softwares fail, so always keep the provided solutions in mind for a better
future, better working and a successful business and choose best software
development company.
source: http://EzineArticles.com/6238662
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About Building A New Website
Posted: 01 Jun 2011 03:25 PM PDT
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If you are considering building a website but are a bit overwhelmed with
the technology and choices available to you, here is some information that
will be helpful to you.Static Website vs. DynamicIf you have a business
that offers a limited amount of products and services a static website may
be all you need. However, if you have a business with rapidly changing
product lines, static websites are not the best solution.A dynamic website
will make it easier and faster to make routine changes or even add new
pages to your website. It offers more flexibility and interactivity.Many
dynamic websites have back-end administration areas that can allow a
business owner to make changes or add pages themselves. If the platform
offers a WYSIWYG editor, you can create pages as easily as using a word
processor.Search Engine OptimizationMost web designers know little about
SEO. They may have a terrific eye when it comes to design, but most dont
excel in things of a highly technical nature.When it comes to search engine
optimization, websites that are built exclusively in Adobe Flash are not
SEO friendly at all. Search engines cant read or index Flash content, so it
appears as if your websites content is missing. This isnt good.Get advice
from a web development firm with SEO specialists on their team or read a
book on the subject. After all, your beautiful new website isnt much good
if it cant be found by those looking for the types of products and services
you offer.Mobile Friendly Design ConsiderationsHow important is it to have
a mobile-enabled site? Very!More and more, websites are being found by
those using a mobile device like a smartphone or one of the new tablet
devices. A great mobile friendly version of your website is narrower in
width and simpler in its design so that mobile users can easily access and
navigate the content.Also, as many devices do not support Flash, its best
to ensure that your mobile version doesnt use Flash to display any vital
content. If it does, the content may never be seen by those using a mobile
device.With these considerations in mind, youre well on your way to
creating a great site that should get found in the search engines and one
that should add value to your visitors-whether they are looking at it from
their home PC or smartphone.Now that you better understand the differences
in website design, here are some options to make sure you get exactly what
you needand no more.Anne Marie Moro is an educator and educational
publisher. For the past 30 years, she has specialized in writing and
editing educational textbooks, articles and cartographic reference
resources. She also designs media marketing materials for businesses in the
environmental and hospitality services industry.? Copyright 2007 M4Group
Marketing Services. All Rights Reserved.Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Marie_Moro
source: http://EzineArticles.com/6274030
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Features of PHP Based Web Development
Posted: 01 Jun 2011 12:20 PM PDT
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PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a scripting language used for developing
dynamic websites. Now, if you have no knowledge about dynamic websites and
how they look like, then you can consider the most common example of news
websites, where fresh information is updated on a continuous basis. The
dynamic websites are not limited to news websites but are actively used by
organizations to do business over the Internet.In order to create website
by using this scripting language, certain PHP codes are set into the HTML
(Hypertext Markup Language) files. The codes are then interpreted with a
PHP processor module over the web server to develop web pages. The PHP
codes in the file can be performed by the PHP runtime to change content,
images or any other existing thing on the websites.If you want to know how
you will be benefitted by this open source language, then take a look at
the following features of PHP website development:* PHP Extension and
Application Repository system helps to maintain PHP codes to handle certain
functions like encryption, authentication, caching, managing errors etc. *
This open source language is highly compatible with operating systems and
web servers for bug-free web development. * It can be used to access files
and documents in different formats including PDF, XML etc. * PHP compilers
help to optimize the codes for high-quality performance. The compiled codes
can be easily cached by using PHP accelerators like xcache, eAccelerator
etc * It includes cookie management features to create and develop
customized web pages. * It helps to access images and graphics anytime, so
that the user can make changes to the existing information as per their
requirements. Further, by using this language, images can be created in
various formats like gif, jpeg etc * The functionalities in this scripting
language enable PHP developers to identify the bottlenecks and help them to
develop bug-free websites.After having clear-idea about the features of PHP
for web development purposes, you can consider taking help from
professionally talented and experienced PHP developers. There are many PHP
developers who are working with reliable and experienced web development
companies. You can consider outsourcing your web development project to PHP
developers who will provide you the best web-based solution at affordable
rates.For taking their assistance, you need to spare out some time to get
in touch with a certified PHP developer and plan to have a dynamic websites
for effective business functioning.
source: http://EzineArticles.com/6247999
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Should There Be an App for That?
Posted: 01 Jun 2011 08:46 AM PDT
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Getting into your customers pockets is no easy task.With the tablet wars
heating up and smartphone sales skyrocketing, at some point, the thought is
bound to cross your mind: Is it time to create an app?The lure of being
with your customers everywhere they go and being readily accessible with
the tap of a finger is certainly hard to resist. And with over 350,000 iOS
apps in Apples App Store and over 200,0000 apps in Googles Android Market,
its clear that many companies have eagerly climbed aboard the app
development bandwagon.Thanks to a proliferation of DIY app templates, the
barriers to entry in the app marketplace are not as steep as they once
were.But you cant simply judge the merits of creating an app as you would
would any other marketing tactic. Instead, you should look at your
potential app as a product in and of itself.You wouldnt put time and money
into developing a product without a reasonable amount of confidence that a
market exists for it. Same goes for an app. You can build it. You can get
it into the app store. But if its not something people want, your efforts
will be for naught.Your app must meet these eight basic criteria, or else
its not worth the investment:1. It must be designed around business growth
objectives.To justify the necessary investment, your app must be aimed at
promoting the growth of your business, whether it does so by making it
easier for your customers to buy from you or keeping your brand at the
forefront of their awareness.Sure, plenty of big names have created vanity
apps that dont serve a business growth function, but thats not a luxury the
average company can afford. For example, Mercedes offers an iPad game
called SLS AMG HD that allows users to put their driving skills to the test
through a series of tunnel challenges.Sure, its a slick-looking gimmick.
But is it actually doing anything to improve the companys bottom line? Does
anyone who is inclined to buy a Mercedes really need an iPad racing game to
tip them over the edge?An app in and of itself is not a marketing campaign.
If your goal is to boost the visibility of your brand, creating an app is a
very indirect and costly means to reach your desired end.Remember that
youll be competing with hundreds of thousands of other apps to be
discovered by smartphone users. Your chances of creating something so new,
so different and so out-of-the box that it will go viral and jump to the
top of the download charts are slim to none.Whats more, even the number of
downloads your app gets is no guarantee of ongoing exposure to your
customers. According to a recent study, as many as twenty-six percent of
apps are opened only once after download.With odds like that, if your sole
purpose is elevating the visibility of your brand, there are no shortage of
other tactics from SEO to pay-per-click advertising to social media-based
PR campaigns that will likely deliver a better ROI.2. Its utility must be
customer-driven.No matter what, your app development process shouldnt be an
exercise in ego-stroking. Forget what you think is cool or cutting-edge and
look at your app through your customers eyes.For your app to be successful,
it needs to offer something people want, whether thats in the form of
utility, convenience, content or all of the above.For the most part, your
customers use their mobile devices for one of two purposes: productivity or
entertainment.If you want to create an app that entertains, be prepared to
bring the big guns because youre competing in a space with the
heavy-hitters, from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to a slew of professional
game developers.The productivity space is easier to enter, but conquering
it is still no easy feat. A useful productivity-oriented app must make it
easy for your customers to accomplish the types of tasks they commonly
perform while on-the-go.If your app is content-driven, it needs to be
encyclopedia-worthy to warrant a spot on the reference shelf of your
customers mobile device. It must be comprehensive and updated frequently,
and its interface must be ultra-searchable and scannable.Whole Foods offers
a great content-based app. Users can search its extensive library of
recipes by keyword, input ingredients they have on-hand to get suggestions
and create shopping lists on-the-fly. Search results are even classified by
dietary preference, such as gluten-free or low-fat.This type of utility
aligns squarely with Whole Foods target market. Undoubtedly, their app is
the go-to resource for many health-conscious, time-strapped working parents
who leave the office with no idea of what theyre going to make for dinner
when they get home.3. It must offer an optimal balance of usefulness and
simplicity. Your app should not attempt to be all things to all potential
users, or it will be doomed to failure.Likewise, it also shouldnt simply be
a mirror of your websites features. If thats your plan, youll be better
served by optimizing your existing site for mobile browsers.Generally
speaking, the more features you try to cram into an app, the less intuitive
it becomes to use.And as hard as it may be to imagine, app users are even
less patient and more fickle than Web surfers. If your app is difficult to
figure out or frustrating to use, theyll wipe you from their phone with
nary a second thought. Therefore, its critical that your apps purpose is
clearly defined and that its functionality is streamlined.The FedEx Mobile
for iPhone app is a perfect example of this balance of utility and
simplicity. FedEx is a massive global corporation that offers a broad array
of services to a highly diverse customer base.Its app, however, is limited
to four main functions: obtaining a quote, creating a shipping label,
tracking a package and finding a location exactly the type of
time-sensitive features you need at the ready when youre trying to get that
all-important document out in tonights shipment or awaiting an important
delivery.4. It must be mobility-oriented. There are some tasks people like
to do on their phones and some they do not.Any task that involves too many
steps and is not urgent in nature is not going to be something your
customers would choose to do on their phone rather than just waiting until
they are in front of their computer screen again.5. It must take advantage
of the mobile devices unique features. Mobile devices have a number of
built-in features that even many laptops dont necessarily have, such as
GPS, the ability to deliver push notifications, a camera and video camera.
If you dont plan to tie the utility of your app to any of these functions,
its hard to justify creating a dedicated mobile app rather than just
enhancing your current site to provide an optimal experience for mobile
users.Amazons Price Check is a great example of an app that takes advantage
of the phones camera function to allow users to scan barcodes and compare
prices on-the-go.GPS is a little more tricky to use wisely. A lot of
branded apps from Gaps StyleMixer to USPS Mobile use GPS to allow users
to find their closest brick-and-mortar location. As an auxiliary feature
its a nice convenience for users who are already plugged into the app, but
this type of function is not enough to justify the existence of an app in
and of itself, as there are plenty of other mapping and searching apps that
can deliver the same information with broader utility.Also, you should
weigh the pros and cons of integrating push notifications carefully. If you
can provide legitimate value to your customers with timely alerts, thats
fine. But if you cross the line into intrusiveness, youre just asking to
get deleted.6. It must be applicable to a broad customer base.The Chipotle
Mobile Ordering app lets users place a completely customized order and pay
directly from their phone in advance of arriving at the store. For a
national chain with thousands of time-starved customers who have little
patience for waiting in line, the app represents the perfect marriage of
utility and marketing savvy.But apps like this require a certain scale to
make sense.If youre a mom-and-pop bakery, you could theoretically develop
an app that would let your customers design their own cupcakes and place
their order right from their phone. While it would surely be a fun gimmick,
it doesnt fulfill a broad-based need, and the apps ability to generate
additional revenue would probably never offset the cost to create and
maintain it.7. It must be well-designed and thoroughly tested before
launch.The app marketplace is no place for experimentation. You have to get
it right out of the gate.If you go live prematurely with an app thats
underdeveloped, lacking utility or plagued with bugs, your bad reviews will
haunt you for a long time. Whats more, disenchanted users wont be likely to
give you another shot even if you come out with something better later.8.
It must continue to evolve.If youre going to get into the app development
game, you must be prepared to be in it for the long-haul. Once you launch
your app, your job is only just beginning.App developers have raised the
bar of user expectation for updates. You must monitor your feedback and
respond with interface tweaks that provide a better experience. You should
also add to and improve upon the functionality of your app regularly and
keep it fresh with current data. If users see an app that has gone stale on
the shelf, theyre not going to be inclined to download it.Based in
Charlotte, N.C., Fame Foundry is the trustcasting agency specializing in
driving business growth through marketing, website design and development,
traffic building, public relations and social media, creative design, media
and software and information technology. The firm publishes The Fame
Foundry Magazine at http://www.famefoundry.com/ and produces two podcasts
-?The Fame Foundry Podcast and The Fame Foundry Marketing Minute -?all
focused on helping owners and marketers overcome the challenges of doing
business in todays marketplace.Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Lane
source: http://EzineArticles.com/6246227
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