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Website Maintenance - Draw High Visibility to Your Professionally Maintained Website

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Draw High Visibility to Your Professionally Maintained Website

Today, when websites are central to the success of a business, companies of all sizes recognize the importance of retaining a professional website designer - and are increasingly aware of the need for expert assistance in maintaining that site.

No question, a well-designed website is a valuable commercial mechanism, acting as a proven source of information for present and prospective customers. Having a site in place and on-line may be one key element in improving your business presence, but a professionally maintained site will further increase your visibility on the Internet.

In terms of "looks," an expertly maintained business website will ensure that styles and formatting remain consistent throughout. Perception counts for a great deal and if your site evolves into an amateurish hodge-podge of fonts, frames and columns, you could drive customers away.

Professionals know the "tricks of the trade" of correct and efficient website maintenance, so it makes good sense (and cents) to retain an expert. A business owner's time is valuable and while at first blush attempting to maintain a site in-house may seem like a cost-saving measure, the price tag on lost working hours can be high.

For small companies in particular, the fairly small expenditure of a professionally maintained website can be a far better use of money and resources. While there are Content Management Systems out there that can be used to do all of your updates yourself, it may not be as cost effective as they let on to be. Remember, it costs time and money to learn and then train staff how to keep a website up to date - it's much more cost effective to leave it in the capable hands of someone who will provide quick and complete turnaround.

Regular maintenance by a pro will keep a site fresh for visitors. While many websites have a great initial "look and feel," if customers have the sense a site is stagnant and not evolving, they likewise may have the same perception of your company and its offerings. Keeping a fresh home page is vital to the success of a commercial website. If your last online press release is dated a year ago, that sends a negative message to visitors and may give your competitors the edge they need to attract potential business.

Certainly, there are some business websites that do not require a lot of change once online, and may never find it necessary to post traditional press releases. That said, most companies, however, do have regular pricing, product and personnel announcements and where better than on the "World Wide Web" to get the word out. That's where the importance of professional maintenance comes into play. You may have new fee or contact information, but by the time you get around to posting it, that material may be old hat. Websites that provide fresh content will in turn provide a company more revenue.

By adding news items, articles and listings of upcoming events relative to your business or industry in general, you can better see which marketing avenues are working and those that are not. The addition of photographs, ancillary graphics and charts and graphs to a business site can also make it stand out from the competition, but those added elements are best left to a professional who can make your inserts and edits stand out from the crowd. It is possible to have too much of a good thing and sometimes with adding graphics and text yourself it is hard to know when to say when. A professional can help you keep your website fresh, informative and not keep it from getting too cluttered or confusing.

By trying different approaches and regularly adding information, your company can become a "go to" resource on the web for existing customers, prospective clients and even competitors. And be aware that a site that maintains its "freshness" will increase its visibility in search engine ranking, a mechanism that adds great clout to a business. Search engines can be free advertising, a professional that knows how to properly maintain a website will do so with it's search engine friendliness in mind and may even be able to help you achieve better ranking in the search engines.

A company that provides website design and maintenance can additionally ease the burden for a business owner when it comes to technology glitches. You can have greater peace of mind knowing that a backup copy of your website is in the safe hands of a professional and that your site can be easily restored should errors occur or information is lost.

Fresh content, graphics that impact and a "look and feel" that keeps visitors coming back - the ultimate goals of every business website and ones that can be met quickly and cost efficiently with the assistance of a professional.

Get the Most from Your Web Host

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Get the Most from Your Web Host

There's no question about it. In order to reach the largest audience possible, a business must have a well-designed website. But what good is that website when potential customers constantly find themselves gazing at an error message? You may have retained a knowledgeable and imaginative designer to create your site, but if your world wide audience cannot access it, then your business will suffer the consequences. Many professional website designers can provide you peace of mind by hosting your site, allowing you to focus attention on running your business-and not have to worry about current and prospective clients becoming frustrated because they cannot access the information they require.

Web hosting basically describes your web server, where all information on your website, such as HTLM files, graphics and data is stored. Your web hosting also includes database support and DNS (Domain Name Service), the technology that maps a domain name to a computer's IP (Internet Protocol) address. Hosting allows your website to be viewed by a universal audience - the name of the game when it comes to businesses of all ages and sizes.

There are a number of web page hosting packages out there so it pays to do a little research and choose a hosting service that is right for your needs. The idea is to retain enough service to ensure your site is always "up" but not pay for a package that is too large for your needs.

Regardless of the entire package you choose, there are several basic components to look for when deciding on a hosting plan. Server space, a reliable backbone service to the Internet, reliable DNS service, professional Statistical Software for tracking visitors, technical support, data archiving, daily back-ups and retrieval and 24/7 monitoring are the most important criteria on which to base your choice of host.

Solid and reliable customer service is an essential mark of a reputable hosting service. Knowing that your host is able to and will troubleshoot any issues that arise with quality service and speedy response should be of paramount importance when making your choice. Oftentimes, the personal touch of a smaller design, hosting and content management firm will provide that round-the-clock service necessary to keep you satisfied.

While customer service and the human resources involved in providing that service is perhaps the most key element to a sound web host, a close second is a host's ability to provide a solid back-up plan. Daily, local and remote backups are imperative, as is 24-hour monitoring and alerting.

It's also important to team up with a host that provides a variety of plans, for as your business grows so will your web hosting needs. Size of your company notwithstanding, make sure your host offers a comprehensive package of services, including domain name purchase, e-mail address and account hosting, traffic analysis reports, real-time e-mail virus scanning, and personalized service. Secure socket layer (SSL) capabilities are also a "must have." Protecting a site's data from unwanted intrusions should be a primary consideration when selecting a host.

Also, bear in mind the amount of control you will have once you've made a hosting decision. You want to be able to utilize a variety of background applications, including online forms and data management specific to your business. Comprehensive record-keeping capability is also essential. Does your host provide you with the necessary records, such as IP addresses, registrar login information and the proper logins from your FTP (File Transfer Protocol) accounts to give you the comfort level you desire?

Another point to consider - are you able to handle the technology used by your host? If the software on your site runs, for instance, on a Microsoft Internet Information Server under Windows NT, then look for a host that supports that configuration.

Other key elements to consider include the amount of available web space, guaranteed "uptime," adequate data transfer (translation: the amount of bytes transferred from your site to a visitors site when they browse your pages), proper disk space, and I'll say it again - technical support.

Remember, you don't have to go it alone when choosing a host. Seek out the advice of the software company representatives you work with or get a few referrals from industry colleagues or personal friends. The more homework you do and the more input you have will aid in your final decision.

Your ultimate goal when choosing a web host is peace of mind. With the proper plan in place, you will have the control and reliability necessary to focus on providing your services to your customer rather than providing service to your website. Doesn't that make good business sense?

Website Translation - Add a Second Language (and Value) to Your Website

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Add a Second Language (and Value) to Your Website

To some businesses, it is an emerging trend, to others a commercial necessity - whatever "language" you attach to it, the growing market for Spanish-speaking websites cannot be denied.

Statistics show an estimated 10 million U.S. Hispanics are online, a number that is expected to grow by double digits annually for the next several years. Eye-opening data indeed, but those figures should come as no surprise since according to the US Census Bureau an estimated 40 million native Spanish speaking individuals currently live in this country, a figure that is expected to increase to 50 million by the year 2010.

Additional data indicates that Hispanics own nearly one-half of all minority-owned businesses, generating $200 million in sales annually and that one in three Hispanic households have and use the Internet. The numbers tell the tale and increasingly are growing harder to ignore, with response to this fast-moving development starting to gain momentum.

Several large service-oriented corporations have for some time provided Spanish translation websites for their constantly growing numbers of Hispanic clients. Nearly two years ago, Southwest Airlines became the first major airline to offer a Spanish-language website, followed shortly thereafter by other major players within the consumer industry, including Verizon Wireless and Home Depot. Government organizations, medical facilities, retailers and even the Girl Scouts have added Spanish versions to their websites, underscoring the very real fact that diversity is vital to E-commerce and E-marketing.

Driven by this expanding Hispanic market (and other non-English speaking sectors, including a rising Asian population) the transformation of web-based economy will continue on the fast-track, ultimately making it imperative for businesses of all sizes to consider making their websites at the very least, bilingual.

Although the present and future market for other-than-English-language websites is vast, still less than 1 % of all US websites are offered in Spanish, and the percentages are even smaller for other languages.

So what's holding a majority of companies back from offering Spanish counterparts to their sites? Some may not have yet recognized the number of advantages a bilingual site generates. Others may think the cost associated with translation will be prohibitive.

In short, the advantages are many, while the cost can be minimal - and well worth the price if additional traffic is brought to your site.

A second language version of a website will not only bring additional potential customers your way, it will also get you increased exposure in search engines, providing for more flexibility with your "pay per click" marketing. Google and Yahoo have had Spanish language search engines in place for some time, targeted toward a Spanish-speaking audience living in the US.

You will also have the ability to obtain an entirely new sector for innovative market ideas and products when you go bilingual. The appeal factor of product lines can be vastly different among different cultural groups, opening up fresh territories for your business.

Translating a website into another language is an art unto itself, with content at the focus of attention. Consistency rules when it comes to disseminating information. If an English language site encompasses several pages of content, then its Spanish-speaking counterpart should offer the same amount of information. Website translation is an investment in a company's present and future, so it's probably wiser to go the entire distance and offer a comprehensive website in Spanish, as opposed to a cut-rate version that may only provide a home page or price list in Spanish.

Despite the burgeoning popularity of other-language websites, adding this feature to your business won't get you a desired number of "hits" if you have a weak "link." By placing a link to your Spanish-language site in a highly visible spot on your US home page, you will generate more traffic in a shorter amount of time, thereby expediting a return on the investment made in creating a bi or multi lingual site.

By integrating Spanish into its Internet marketing, a business will, without question, increase customers and sales. The size and importance of an emerging and constantly growing Hispanic audience cannot be ignored. Business owners who recognize the value of providing culturally diverse websites will reap benefits in many ways.

Interactive Flash Animation - Making Your Website Come Alive with Flash Technology

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Making Your Website Come Alive with Flash Technology

Flash animation has become a familiar presence to many business websites. From subtle animation elements to more obvious advertising techniques Flash is a method of making an entire website come alive with movement. In layman's term, this technology allows web designers to incorporate colorful animations with text, shapes and images into website pages. And because the technology is vector-based (no pixels involved), Flash animations typically don't take up a great deal of disk space, translating into a mechanism that lets you download large animated images in a short period of time.

When done properly Flash animation can grab and hold a viewer's attention, yet be understated enough to give a website a little flair - without distracting from the site's essence. It can also draw attention to a specific product or service or be used simply to add a little something extra to a website.

Before you take the Flash plunge, consider who visits your site currently and who you want to draw to it. While most web browsers come with a limited number of plug-ins necessary to view Flash animation, many are not fully equipped to handle all Flash presentations. Additional plug-ins can be downloaded fairly quickly and easily, but the idea is to draw as many audiences to your website as possible right now, building the potential for increased viewing and sales. The last thing you want is to load up a site with sophisticated Flash images only to have your core audience exit your page because they don't have the proper plug-ins needed to appreciate these efforts. The idea is to leave them wanting more, not to have them leave permanently.

For the business owner considering adding Flash to their website or updating current animation, a professional website designer can help create, build and maintain any number of intriguing multimedia Flash presentations that can be used as stand-alone applications or can be seamlessly integrated into an existing website.

As a stand-alone presentation, Flash can be the perfect tool for product displays, sales promotions, training modules or the added punch needed at a trade show. And by incorporating a user-interface you can transform a typical viewing mechanism into something that will engage visitors to explore all that your business has to offer. Here's another two-fold benefit to Flash - it can first be used as a web display, then it can be made into a CD or Business Card CD to be employed as a "leave behind" by your sales force.

A professional website designer can accommodate all Flash needs for small businesses and large corporations, including professional product presentations, promotional presentations and by integrating Flash movies with databases or XML documents. Moreover, Flash design companies have the ability to assist in writing script, coordinating presentations and even translating documents into other languages. Working with a company that can provide these services can be quite beneficial since it requires experience to ascertain the appropriate length of text and what elements in particular will draw the viewer into wanting to learn more about your product or service.

Multimedia applications are becoming more and more prevalent for company websites, making communication more effective than print, radio and television. By combining text, graphics, video and sound into one integrated package, you can offer clients and prospective clients a full sensory package. Multimedia applications can run a full range, from web animation and banners to online demos, advanced Flash programming, video and voice-over.

Animating objects that appear in a three-dimensional space is another multimedia application that can allow your website to garner more visibility and ultimately more "hits." 3-D animation - objects that can be rotated and moved about - can add great style and impact to a static website or promotional presentation. This mechanism is ideal for product-based presentations for it allows the viewer to see multiple angles through rotation. 3-D also lets you zoom in for a closer look, a visual element that may be key to a prospective client.

Not just a flash in the pan, Flash design and presentations have become a useful marketing tool for all variety of businesses, large or small. That old adage about "a picture being worth a thousand words" holds true. By creating a few well-placed "pictures" on your website, you can build a more engaging and dynamic presence in your industry.

View Web Site as Virtual Window Display

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500

View Web Site as Virtual Window Display

Often viewed as a virtual window display for business, a well-designed and properly managed Web site can entice a potential customer to stop, browse, explore and ultimately buy or lease. But like that old adage about first impressions, a Web site has to capture the attention of the viewer. That process typically happens by design, not by chance.

Keep It Fresh. Outdated information is a big no-no. A good content management system can allow you to eliminate out-of-date product lines, prices, listings, contact names, etc. and replace them with current information.

Recent content management systems are much more affordable than those offered in the past. With an hour's training, most people can navigate well enough to handle the task in house.

If your content is constantly changing, however, the do-it-yourself task can be daunting. It may make sense to hire a professional to keep content up to date, freeing you to concentrate on your business.

Appearance Counts. A Web site should be contemporary and sophisticated, well-organized and contain tightly-written copy.

Think before selecting background and text colors. Excessively bright colors may not be appealing to the eye, while darker colors could be equally visually difficult. Also, different browsers interpret colors dissimilarly, so choose fonts that are easily read and look good on both a Mac and a PC.

Monitor size is another consideration. Scrolling to the right may not seem like a big deal, but it could be a big deal breaker sales-wise if information appears missing or is too much effort to find.

Download Time. To optimize constant traffic to a Web site, it should load quickly and efficiently. Don't place too much information on the opening page. The idea is to get visitors to explore fully what you have to offer, not overwhelm them in the first few seconds.

Navigation Structure. An easily navigated business Web site can translate into new clients. Information should never be more than a click or two away. Also, think image maps, hyperlinks and drop-down menus in addition to search engines - all say "user friendly."

Don't Overdo the Flash. A good rule is not to overdo on animation tools and moving images, also known as Flash. Seek the advice of a designer as to how much is appropriate for your industry.

Product Access. If you show ever-changing product lines or properties via photo or drawing, those images and/or descriptions should be accurate and accessible. Replying to "send me more information" should be a straightforward process. Anticipate questions and answer them on your Web site beforehand. Also, the check-out process should be expedient. That one-or-two-click-away theory is important to volume sales.

Broaden Your Horizons. By using translation services to create a copy of your Web site in Spanish or another popular second language, your ability to reach and communicate with a larger audience increases, providing your company with the edge it needs to shine brighter than competitors. Think of all the untouched revenue possibilities you may uncover by simply diversifying your Web site to serve another segment of the consumer market.

Less Is More. A Web site should be a guidepost, a way to attract the viewer to take that next action step. With the right navigation, appearance and language, a Web site should lead a prospective client in the right direction - which is, you hope, your direction.

Sandra McNally is director of operations and marketing and heads the Spanish division of Interactive Palette, West Bridgewater, a firm specializing in Web site design and development, hosting and specialized services in Flash animation.

This article has been published in:

Boston Herald - Women's Business - December 2005