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Top 10 Must-Haves for Your Home Page #2: Content TitleWhen you are adding copy to your website, it is important to title your content appropriately. Even photo websites deserve content title that will attract search-engines. Keep the "spiders" happy, and have a relevant, keyword rich title for each of your web pages. Need copywriting help? Get the Q.U.I.C.K. Fix for Your Ailing (or Missing) Website. This self-paced learning manual has everything basic thing you need to know about building your own professional-looking website – the Q.U.I.C.K. way. Search engine spiders will not read images, so keep them crawling all over your website by adding a title to your content today. 352 Media Group Tip: Welcome Visitors with a Web Video HostWant a website that's likely to capture and keep visitors' attention right away? Consider adding a video web host to your site. Instead of relying on the graphic design and text to engage site visitors, your site will virtually come to life with a professionally designed web video host presentation. When you add a video web host to your site, visitors will be greeted by a brief professional video that features full motion graphics and audio that carries a message of your choosing. What better way to welcome visitors and provide key information in the few seconds it will take them to decide whether to check out what you have to offer or move on to another website? Of course, the quality of video added to your website will have a major impact on how effective this strategy will be. It's a fact that not every web development company has the ability to provide effective video web hosting services. If you decide that a video web host is a good choice for your site, be sure to hire a web development company with extensive experience with all stages of the web host streaming video process, such as the 352 Media Group (www.352media.com). Ask to see examples of projects the companies you are considering working with has completed, and be certain that you understand exactly what is included in the full motion graphics package that you are considering before making your final decision. Top 10 Things You Can Do Now to Get a Website Today #1: Get the Q.U.I.C.K. FixOne of the best things you can do for your business is to reach as many people as possible who want your product or service. Publishing a website on the world wide web is the fastest and least expensive way to do that. Even if you were to hire a professional website consultant , publishing a website is less expensive than an expensive billboard advertisement that reaches only local people. It is less expensive than a direct mail campaign, and it is far less expensive than handling the everyday expense of owning a business without the offset of income. What if you do not have a professional website consultant available to you? Fret not. I have just the answer for you. In fact, it is a Q.U.I.C.K. Fix for Your Ailing (or Missing) Website , and it is available to you - the non-professional business person who realizes the value of marketing across the Internet and also appreciates saving a buck or two in the process. The Q.U.I.C.K. Fix is a self-paced learning manual that goes from the very basics of setting up Internet service to buying a properly formed domain name to advertising your website offline and online to securing your website. It has many resources, but the manual alone will help you produce a whole, professional website at a fraction of the cost of a website consultation. Order yours today . 352 Media Group Tip: Put Your Motion Graphics Skills to Good UseDoes your range of design skills include working with video and flash animations? If so, look for employment with a web development company that offers more than just standard design and development services. Consider applying for a position with a full service design company that incorporates flash design, Silverlight development, web host streaming video production, and other motion graphics technologies into its work. When researching prospective employers, pay attention to the types of services offered to identify those companies that most likely need someone with your skills and experience. Of course, if you want to be considered for employment with a company that takes pride in providing clients with the most innovative and best motion graphics features for their websites, you'll need to be able to demonstrate your skills through your resume and portfolio. Prepare samples of your best animation as video work to submit at the time of application, so there will be no question that you stand head and shoulders above other applicants whose portfolios are limited to more traditional design and development techniques. Top Web Development Terminology #1: Web DevelopmentWeb development extends the functionality of your website. Let us compare design and development. Web design is what you see, like the design of a kitchen. Web development is what you do, like the kitchen's appliances. As web design and web development are not the same, web designers are not always web developers and vice versa. Make sure you know which you need and get what you pay for. It begins with a plan. Things like payment systems, calendar schedulers, and automatically changing date/time blocks on your website are just a few of the things that a good web developer can do for you. 352 Media Group Tip: Best Cities for Web Design JobsAre you wondering where is the best place to live and work to pursue your goal of becoming a professional web designer? There are web design and development companies located in most cities, but there are also job opportunities for skilled designers to work in corporate settings and advertising agencies that offer web design and development services. Three places where you may want to consider seeking web design employment include: Atlanta – There are many Atlanta web design employment opportunities with web design and development firms, companies with headquarters located in this major southeastern city, and with the many major advertising agencies located here. Orlando – This city is home to many companies that employ individuals with web design and development skills. Orlando web design job opportunities are plentiful with technology companies, digital video production houses and design firms. Seattle – With the city's progressive image and high tech economy, Seattle can be a great choice for web designers who want to live in the Pacific Northwest. Corporate Seattle web design opportunities are plentiful, as are opportunities with advertising and web design firms. Top Web Design Terminology #1: Web DesignSome people can get a graphics design software package, but they are not a graphic designer. Same with web design. Just because someone has access to publishing pages on the web doesn't mean that they are web designers. Web design considers the layout of your text and your graphics throughout your website. The best web designers also do what they can with your website's meta tags to gain you the best exposure for your purpose on the Internet. Web designers are not traffic brokers. Web designers are also not usually web developers. Color, layout, and other visual considerations are all part of what a good web designer will do for you. 352 Media Group Tip: Establish Your Expertise with a Web Design BlogAre you looking for a way to establish yourself as an expert in the web design community? One of the best ways to make a name for yourself in the field is to start a quality web design blog and work on building a following. Building a successful blog is something that takes time, but doing so can be well worth the effort if you want to earn the respect of your peers, potential clients, and prospective employers in the web design and development community. The best blogs on the web are populated with quality content that cannot be easily found elsewhere on the Internet. Think about what you know that will appeal to other people and that will also demonstrate your unique expertise and qualifications as a professional web designer and create a blog that allows you to highlight that aspect of the field. Take the time to review the best design and web programming blogs so you can be sure you're not simply duplicating a site that already has a following before finalizing your plans. By selecting an angle for your blog and sticking with it so that readers know what types of information they can expect to find when visiting the site, you'll be on your way to creating one of the best and most popular website design blogs on the world wide web. Be sure to update the site regularly, ensure that it reflects your design abilities, and focus on attracting visitors using your knowledge of search engine marketing techniques. Top Things To Look For In A Web Designer #1: IntegrityWe all have a basic instinct about people, which we may put on the back burner for whatever reason. However, I urge you to tune in and locate the web designer who matches who you are as a person. For instance, in speaking with prospective web designers, make certain they wouldn't do anything you wouldn't do if you knew how to design your own website. If your web designer suggests that you link to multiple popular websites similar to yours without gaining permission to do so, and you feel that the blind one-way link strategy doesn't sound right to you, then stay away from it and find an alternative web designer. You will quickly get a feeling of which web designer matches or exceeds your level of integrity. This web designer will be as open and honest with you about your options as you are with your requests and feedback. Conducting a Local Web Design SearchFor some businesses and individuals, working with a local Web design firm is an ideal situation. In this instance, what is the best way to conduct your search? There are a few ways you can proceed to select a local Web design firm best suited to your project needs, depending on how you want to approach it. Content Management BasicsWeb content is the basis for everything you display on your Web site from product information to images to your company bio. As an aid to ensuring your Web content is optimal, incorporate a content management system (CMS). A content management system is the application you use to create, organize, update, and maintain your Web site content. You can integrate a CMS into your network that allows you to log in for access and control what goes on your Website. CMS is the tool that puts you in control of maintaining your business Website. Determining The ROI of Your Intranet SystemYou may have recently implemented an Intranet system into your organization's inner workings, but have you been able to measure the ROI it has on your bottom line? Rather than looking at your overall Intranet system in its entirety, it is beneficial to examine concrete key areas of your company Intranet that you can measure like cost savings, increased employee productivity, and competitive advantage in the marketplace. The important thing to keep in mind when evaluating ROI dollars is to remove operational costs from your equation. For instance, do not calculate anything requiring regular maintenance such as necessary upgrades. Cost savings can include items like avoiding printing costs and distribution costs. Increased employee productivity can be realized through better communications and more efficient project collaboration. You can improve your competitive advantage in the marketplace by using your Intranet system to improve forecasting and managerial decision-making. Capabilities of Flash Web DesignBy employing the use of Flash Web design, your business Web site will come alive as a rich, interactive experience for the viewer. Flash Web design creates an experience for each Web site visitor, making it a useful marketing tool. To help you communicate with your Web flash designer, it is helpful to know the capabilities of using Flash in Web design. Here are some of the highlights: • Customize your text and clickable buttons to add punch to the graphics of your business Web site. • Bring a two dimensional image to life to showcase a product or service. • Add a voiceover or music to your business Web site to enhance your visitor's overall experience. • Employ video commercials as a means of relaying information. • Use Flash Web design to weave an introduction to your company profile and better engage visitors to stay and browse your Web site. Branding With Internet MarketingCreating name recognition for your business or product will make you stand apart from the rest of the competition. That's why Internet marketing is an excellent tool for branding. According to a recent Shop.org and Forrester Research study, the profitability for online businesses looks promising. Nearly 80% of online businesses show profits with an average margin of 21%. With the growing number of consumers online, Internet marketing is not only an effective means of promoting your business branding, it is an essential one. Services From An Interactive AgencyAn interactive agency can encompass many aspects of the Web and other forms of media. When you think of interactive media, think of any physical interaction that allows you to communicate either through graphics or verbal cues. The Graphic Artists Guild defines interactive media as any production or service allowing a user to choose commands to influence an outcome. An interactive agency can create tangible sources of interactive media for your use through sources such as Web design, kiosks, audio prompting, and CD Rom. Award Winning Web DesignFirst there was the Grammy's, now there's the Webby's and the Addy's to take on the award winning Web design market. If you want to know about the latest innovations in Web design and development, take a look at award winning Web design. The Webby Awards gives tribute to Web sites around the world that have excelled in the areas of design, creativity, and ease of use. The Webby Awards now recognizes over 65 categories of business, consumer, and culture, including corporate communications, financial services, lifestyle, and television. The Addy Awards uses a thorough set of criteria to judge and recognize advertising accomplishments in all areas of media, including interactive media such as flash design and Web design. Benefits of Flash AnimationIf you're considering incorporating flash animation into your business Web site, you're making an excellent marketing decision. Flash Animation can add a whole new level of interactivity to your Website, showcase your business, and increase the branding power of your products. Website Design DelawareThere are many resources for locating the perfect website designer in your area. For instance, if you are searching for website design in your city, try the local Chamber of Commerce. Please see recommendations within this tip site to help you select the website designer, website developer, and website host who will suit your needs. Lesley the Web Resource specializes in website design and website development is located in New Castle County Delaware. This business is also a member of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. Realizing that web design and website development can be serviced from outside of your local area, sometimes it just makes sense to work with local companies who service their communities especially. 10 Really Bad Reasons for Lacking a Website #1: Lack of NeedWhile it is true that there are some who may not have an immediate need for a website, this is a pretty poor excuse for not having one. Let me explain... The point of entry for owning a website is so low that everyone should have one, if for no other reason than to reserve their name for a personal website. Naturally, you do not want to be considered a cyber squatter by purchasing domain names without the intent to use them. So use them. Hire a professional website consultant to help you with ideas for designing and developing your website to suit your purpose on the Internet. Discover many reasons why you should have a website today, and learn how you can do it for a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional website consultant. You may not think you need a website, but essentially you are out in the middle of the ocean without a raft if you do not have one in this day and age. Top Must-Haves for Your Website #1: Web Page TitleImagine you are one of several websites that come up in a search engine listing. (BTW, if you're not in the search engines yet, keep reading tips here or from other web gurus on how to get there.) Thankfully, the person has chosen your website...among a few. Help them out by adding a title to your web page. That way if they get side-tracked in viewing another website, they will look forward to reading your website (which hopefully has all the information they need on it). Your web page will bear a short but appropriate title that will appear up top in the title bar of your Internet viewer. For example, you can see LifeTips in the title bar above. Ask your web designer about adding an appropriate title for each of your web pages, and ask about getting an icon in the title tab that appears within the viewing window for a more custom look. Top Things You Can Do Immediately to Fix Your Ailing Website #1: Tag Your GraphicsThere are a lot of creepy crawlers out there on the Internet, and some of them are trying to help you get attention. Spiders that crawl web pages looking for information to add to their respective search engines are looking for more information on your website. They cannot read graphics. What does this mean for you? It means that if you had to use a graphic representation of your logo at the top of your web page or if you are using a graphic to represent your homepage, the search engines will not read it - unless you are using your alternative text option. An alternative text for your graphic is used primarly to let the web visitor know what is supposed to be there but might be missing for any number of reasons. Secondarily, though, spiders will pick up the alternative text. So you can make it something creative, like the name of your product or service or company. Ask your web designer how to add one for you today.
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