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The Maze Of ISP Services
There are many different internet service provider (ISP) services around to choose from. How do you choose one that is right for you and your family? You need to establish what kind of internet connection you want for your computer. Do you want...
Tips On How To Design A Great Site
Have you ever walked pass a shop that, for some reason, you just felt that you had to go in? Maybe it was the dcor, or the window display, or the pretty girl, or a combination of all those but something in the shop called out to you, "Come in" and...
Types Of Internet Access
There's a lot to be concerned with nowadays when looking for an internet service provider. You first need to decide what type of connection you want, and how much you're willing to pay for it. Depending on your requirements, and how many features...
Types Of Web Site Features
As web platforms and software grow at exponential rates, site owners are faced with a plethora of potential features. So, what is out there?
Web site features are limited only by imagination. Here is a brief categorization of some of the major...
Web Conferencing Software - Choosing Your Application
It is worth bearing in mind that, when you are deciding which web conferencing application to utilize, none of the applications currently available will do everything well.
Each system has its own strengths and weaknesses and it is therefore...
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Ten Basic Steps For Building A Web Site That Works
1. Assemble a web site development plan that is integrated with your overall marketing processes; the content should be consistent with offline materials, the graphics/images don't have to be identical with traditional media, but should be consistent with your overall branding, style guide, usage of colors etc.
2. Hire a web site design firm that understands your market position and one that won't get ""geek crazy"" - meaning they are so in love with their own design capabilities, your site gets bogged down with graphics, plug ins, GIF garbage, etc. But, conversely, check your ego at the door when you work with your design firm - I've see so many good web site designs get ruined by clients who can't or won't listen to what we tell them!
3. Pay attention to ""load times,"" how long it takes a web site to load on a 56 KBPS modem (this is an industry average), if its more than 12-18 seconds you may experience the ""click of death"" - the site doesn't load quickly and the surfer is gone. Of course, if your targeting broadband customers who are reaching your site via ISDN or DSL then you can build a site that incorporates multimedia-ready content that may include streaming audio or video, or Shockwave or Flash capabilities - go ahead and let those digital geeks get carried away with cutting edge content!
4. Dare I say it, ""keep it simple"" - make your site easy to move around in, build a menu structure that is consistent with industry standards, local menus (for a page or section) on the left and global menus (overall site navigation) at the top and/or bottom of each page, keep as much information ""above the fold"" (above the cutoff point at the bottom of a monitor), don't make people use horizontal scroll bars unless absolutely necessary.
5. Inculcate ""digital speed"" into your overall site design, your client/customers should be able to get to their desired area of your site within one or two mouse clicks; they will quickly get frustrated if they have to click-through multiple menus to find information they are seeking.
6. Develop content that is web-enabled, people don't read web site content like they do offline media, keep your paragraphs short no more than two to three sentences, build in white space with your content, include links in your pages - don't try to tell your whole marketing story on your site - get people to call you (hello the telephone still works!), e-mail or fill out a profile form (see below).
7. Make your site permission-based marketing ready - I love Seth Godin's ""Permission Marketing"" book,
Stefon Harris And Blackout On JazzSet
At the KC Jazz Club bandstand, Harris' vibes run parallel to the edge of the stage and perpendicular to his marimba. Like a boxer in the ring, he works the corner where the keys meet. Hear Harris and his band Blackout pound on OutKast and Jackie McLean in two sets at KC Jazz Club.
When Jazz And Not-Jazz Converge
The Dirty Projectors is a weird rock band. Guillermo Klein is an idiosyncratic Latin jazz composer. But their bodies of work converge in several surprising ways. Where do you see alignments, intentional or not, between jazz and its fellow genres?
http://www.permission.com, and we recommend it to all of our clients - he champions building a long term relationship with a customer by asking their permission to continue to market to them and incorporating value/information in all marcom processes.
8. Ensure your site is optimized for Search Engines by identifying 8-12 keywords that people will use to find your site, then incorporate these keywords in your site content (to drive relevancy with s/engine spiders/bots) and then manually submit your site to the top ten search engines. We don't' recommend most of the free or $19.99 specials available; yes, all will get your registered with the s/engines, but getting listed on page 75 of 350 pages (for example) won't really drive qualified traffic to your site, you need page 1-3 listings on the top ten engines to really drive qualified traffic.
9. Delve into your log server files to uncover ""digital tracks"" made through your web site - your log files are raw files that show how and from where (in most cases) people accessed your web site, where they went on your web site, how long they stayed, etc. Web Trends is the defacto industry standard, http://www.webtrends.com/default.htm, but we use and recommend a market-experienced firm in Europe, Fantomaster, Ltd. to our clients http://www.fantomaster.com - they have a suite of Search Engine products that can be downloaded for free or purchased.
10. Think global in your overall site design - the greatest Internet growth is occurring outside North America, so it is essential to build a site that can be accessed easily by people around the world. What issues do you need to look at? Load times are very important (again), develop content that avoids colloquialisms that may not be understood by others who may not speak the same language, you may want to make your site content available in diverse languages, there are a number of emerging applications that will facilitate this process, ensure your e-commerce capabilities can be utilized by all.
About the Author: Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience. He is the founder/CEO of a Northern California based, privately held, profitable Interactive Marketing Agency and Software Company, Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.intelective.com, and can be reached via e-mail at Lee@intelective.com.
Source: www.isnare.com
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