Apr 07

Author : Jason BacotFlash design is a great way to jazz up your site and to draw the attention of the visitor A well made flash site will ensure that a visitor remembers your site in the future, and will possibly refer to it again Examples of great flash sites are miniclip which has thousands of popular flash games, and is coded in flash itself

Flash design seems easy, what with umpteen tutorials on the internet but the truth is, a hastily made flash design can break your site There are a lot of factors you have to keep in mind before you are on your way to a good flash design I explain some of the following below:

1 Ensure scalability and compatibility with different screen resolutions In an age when bigger and better screens are released every week, you need to ensure that your flash design doesn’t get stretched on a bigger screen It should be able to resize itself according to a smaller or higher screen resolution than on what it was designed on Larger screens can cause distortion of the template and smaller screens can cause wrapping It makes life very difficult for the viewer as the content lands up in weird positions

2 Ensure compatibility with all browsers This aspect of flash design is very important if you want to come up with the best flash design Earlier, only Internet Explorer was prevalent in the market, but these days you have browsers like Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome competing for market space This results in people using different browsers accessing your site and if it doesn’t display uniformly on all of them, it will give a highly negative impression about the design

3 Make your site fast! Yes, this is really important No one likes to wait for hours for a site to load And I am not just talking of file sizes; there are a couple of other measures you can take to make your site load faster, especially for repeated visitors Firstly though, you must keep the file size small anyway Opt for a medium frame rate, nothing too high, and nothing so low as to seem like bad quality

Secondly, go for Server Side Include (SSI) files These are files stored in the machine cache so they are retrieved almost instantaneously when the person visits the site again Also, remove unwanted and repeated code to clean up the code and make it easier to read and execute

4 Make use of material on the internet It’s free, why not use it? You’ll find tutorials on basically each and every Flash design technique ever invented, and you can keep playing video’s again and again till you finally get it right The web is the best resource for designing and you can find hundreds of forums frequented by thousands of people who have the same bent of mind as you Not only will you find like minded people there, you’ll get answers to your problems from people who have faced such problems and have found solutions to them!There is no other better place to find the Flash Design you need for your website. Look no further.

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Mar 25

Author : Suzanne AimeeWeb sites serve many purposes and in todays fast-paced world of instant information and you have about 2 2 seconds to capture a visitors attention before they are off to another site This article provides you guidelines to help you plan and build a web site It touches on a variety of topics and is not meant to be an all-inclusive source but rather a basic guide to arm you with knowledge and resources for building your own site or researching web development companies

The Planning Phase

Before you begin to build, understanding the purpose of your web site is essential Some questions you may start with are as follows: Is your web site informational only? Will you need ecommerce functionality? Who is your target market? Is it for general audiences, specific to a geographical area or vertical market? What is the message you are trying to convey? Who are your competitors? To get a better overall picture, you might also try brainstorming with colleagues or soliciting feedback from your customer base

Once the purpose of the site is determined, the next step would be to determine the site structure such as navigation, customer logins and access, secondary menu items At this stage of development, think of your site as a document with a table of contents Your table of contents has main headings (chapters) and sub-headings (sections) Main headings or menu items should consist of a general overview about the topic, product(s) or service(s), sub-headings or menu items should contain details on specific topic, product or service provided in the overview pages (for more information on navigation, please refer to the section on sitemaps)

In conjunction with the structure of your site, start thinking about the design and content that will be added This process can in and of itself require a separate planning session Some items you will need to consider when designing: web standards (W3C Standards - Usability, syntax), cross-platform browser compatibility (will my page appear correctly on Firefox (Mozilla), Internet Explorer, etc ), page loading times are graphics and images optimized?

Tips for Using Graphics and Images in Your Web Site:

- Graphics and images should have a purpose and be placed strategically with corresponding text They should only be used to help convey your message
- Site colors should help establish your corporate identity or brand
- Consistency in colors and structure should be used throughout the site

Adding Content

Content is king Keep your content concise and relevant, remember the 2 2 second factor People searching for specific information usually want it immediately and generally will not spend time searching through page after page to find it The key here is to provide enough information to grab their attention and once you draw them in and contact has been initiated, that is when a more in-depth dialog can begin Content is also relevant for the placement in search engine results

Important Pages to Include

Privacy Policy Make this page accessible throughout the site Typically placement for this is at the bottom every page next to the copyright A good example of standard policy can be found at www bbbonline com

Contact Us Make this page easy to find and access You will want to make it as easy as possible for interested parties to contact you NOTE: If you intend to apply for programs such as the BBB Online Privacy Seal or TRUSTe, full disclosure of your contact information is required

Site Map If you have a large site, a site map assists visitors in finding the specific information they are looking for In addition to human or manual navigation, a site map is a useful tool for web crawlers (spiders) This will ensure that all of your pages get indexed in the search results Google offers a free site map tool

Terms (Optional) This page depends on the products or services you are providing If you are building an informational or brochure site, it is probably not necessary to include However, if you’re offering downloadable information, 3rd party links or products it is advisable to not only have a terms and conditions page but to have it reviewed by a lawyer to ensure your liability is covered

Choosing a Hosting Provider

There are several hosting options available and with that much competition, the least of your worries should be price Things to consider when selecting a hosting provider: amount of space and bandwidth, dedicated or shared hosting, Windows or Linux (Linux is open source and Windows is proprietary) and features such as scripts, ecommerce capability, SSL, SQL databases

The Calling Card

Web sites are your calling card to the world and first impressions do count! Investing the time, energy and resources into building a functional and attractive web site is well worth the effort This article was written by Suzanne Aimee, President and Founder of Able Web Professionals, Inc. (AWPI). AWPI offers web site design and development services as part of an overall marketing strategy. To learn more about us and our services, please visit us at: http://www.ablewebpro.com

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Mar 13

Author : James CannonToday users prefer video to text or audio, and the distribution model for video has only begun to see success on the web Learning to take advantage of the development of web software to create the best web sites that encourage sharing of content and web development and design chores across the community is critical to the success of the web developer and designer over time

The skill set necessary for successful web design is wide and varied among users, the people at the end of the computer’s interface with the world With so many people participating with so many interdependent skill sets, the success of the web designer and developer in the endeavour to create the best web web sites utilizing the latest web tools and software is wholly dependent upon the efforts of the community as a unit While the individual user can create content and submit it, it requires vast amounts of user interaction to provide the type of feedback and criticism necessary to perfect the content delivery system

Inherent in the concept of web software and especially the web marketing plan is the idea that web content should be focused on being user friendly and easy to use overall, for a wide majority of users so as to facilitate even those who might not otherwise have a chance at uploading a video or implement an on-line program The easy to use and implement nature of the web design and concept of everything for everyone is intended to facilitate the creation of idea based, high value video content

With this ease of use factor firmly in mind, the web developer or designer is obligated to enlist the aid of the web affiliate marketing and development community that has already established their presence on-line The ancient adage that it takes a village to raise a child is most specifically implemented in this case, as it takes a good deal of exposure to affiliate marketing and advertising in general to begin to get a grip on the true nature of successful web marketing Learning from and interacting with the web marketing community is highly advised for the web marketing newcomer interested in successful use of web applications and web e-commerce

As web software and development become more and more well developed and the new web community grows, it is essential for the web marketer to focus on web collaboration, as the efforts of the community are of great assistance to the success of the web marketing The web community is a good source of like minded collaborators and web affiliate marketers who are more than willing to help build the web community and benefit from web collaboration This attitude of massive networks of people supporting people in the web community is a concept uniquely and exclusively embodied in the web environment of today’s internet

Working with the web community is a good first step for building the web marketing hopeful’s new web e-commerce platform in rapid fashion, and it is also a useful long term strategy for building a network of web developers and designers that are familiar with web software, web development, web design, web tools, web collaboration, the web community, web e-commerce, and other new web concepts and marketing opportunities With the assistance of the web community, the novice web designer can benefit from the knowledge of his direct forebears Founded in April 2004, royalatlantisgroup.com is a privately held established ecommerce firm specializing in online website design, website development, website branding, graphic design, web programming and custom application development.
http://www.royalatlantisgroup.com

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Feb 02

Author : Francis LuaEvery website designer or website designer has their own specific roles The main roles of a website designer (graphics artist) are to plan, analyze and then design a visual answer to a communication problem Meaning they will create and illustrate in a form of graphics to deliver information or messages through visual form

There are many ways the website designer or graphics artist can deliver the messages Normally, they will decide the best format that can be done to deliver the news It is up to them how they get the message across, and it can either be through the use of print, film or some form of electronic media using various different methods The methods that they will use in order to convey this message will be through the use of type, photography, animation, illustration, color and certain print and layout methods In today trends, website is one of the best and easiest methods to deliver company messages or information to the world

It is the website designer who develops the overall layout and design of magazines, journals, newspapers, corporate brochures or reports and many other kinds of publications you see today There are even some whose main role is to design promotional displays, marketing brochures, packaging or the logos for products and businesses

As mentioned above the trends has changed compare to few years back, there are an increasing number of website designers whose sole role in their field is to design web pages for the internet, interactive media and multimedia schemes Most business owners are more likely to use website as the best way to show the products or services information In a way, it is kind of advertising

Different graphics artist has different skills Example, there are some website designers whose role is to produce the credits you see at the beginning and end of all those movies and television programs that you watch

So certainly, when it comes to being a graphics designer, there are plenty of options and different ways in which their talents can be used

Whatever the case is, the first step a website designer will need to take in order to develop the design for their client is to determine what they actually need They will understand what the clients want and how they want to deliver the message They will need to know what it is that the message he is trying to convey will portray, and how to make it more appealing to the customer or user of the product or service This is where later part, the website designer normally will propose the best form that can be used to deliver the message

There are few processes involves when designing and developing a website design When developing a design for their clients, a website designer will look at several different factors in order to plan and execute their design at their target audience The factors that they will take into consideration in order to achieve this include the following:-

1 Cognitive
2 Cultural
3 Physical
4 Social

Delivering the accurate message is whole idea behind any design works In order to get the relevant information they need to produce a piece of work which will do everything that the client requires, is to meet with the client, as well as their own creative or art directors (if the company has them) Plus, they will carry out their own research on the subject matter as well

If you are a business owner and if you really want to excel in the world of business, it is essential that you need to identify website designer that can deliver not only the design quality but also your message based on the products and services you are offering

Once you manage to find one, you will soon discover, a lot of your work will involves into getting the work done based on your requirements and these probably covers; focus on helping to create a communication strategy for your client, as well as actually doing the designing and layout work as well

Most of the website design company or website designers will normally product a mock-up to show that they are getting the correct idea based on clients requirements This is normal routine for any website design company Many website designers, in order to produce a design for their client, will either produce sketches or layouts through either the use of a computer or by hand When putting together a design for their client, they will look at various different elements in order to produce something that not only the client will like, but will cause a reaction from their target audience The elements that will need to be included within any design they produce includes:-

1 Colors
2 Sound (if required)
3 Artwork
4 Photography
5 Animation (if required)
6 The style of type (font) they will use
7 They will select the size, as well as how the different elements when all brought together, will look either on the page, or on the screen
8 They may also design graphs or charts produced from data provided by their client

Most of the time website designer will communicate with clients on how exactly they want their website to look like The website designer normally will show the client some samples of their previous works and understand what kind of format the client are looking into Getting the right format will solve most the major things during development In many cases, a website designer will also take time to consult with copywriters as to exactly what type of text they should be using to accompany the visual part of their design Once all these elements have been brought together and they are satisfied with what they have produced, they will then present it to their client for them to approve

However, the whole reviewing process might take sometimes if the designer failed to understand what the clients want or the when the client failed to explain clearly their requirements When this happened, they will be required to review the design to check for any errors prior to it actually being discussed

Many website designers today will now use a wide range of graphics and layout software in order to help them produce their designs Certainly, when it comes to producing designs for web pages or other forms of interactive media, then this website designer will use computer animation and programming packages in order to develop and produce a design for their clients

The great thing about using such software programs is that they are easy to use, but they provide the website designer with a lot more flexibility By having this flexibility, they are able to explore a larger number of alternatives for their designs But also it helps to cut the amount of time down that it actually takes to produce and present the completed design to their clients and then to the target audience

Finally, not only does it save them time, but it also helps to reduce the costs associated with producing designs using the more traditional methods

Understanding the roles of website designers will at least give you some idea what the designers will go through when working on the website design If you are a business owner, probably by now you should understand why website designers charges slightly expensive The more complex your requirements the higher the price will be The best practice when you want to hire a website designer is by preparing all the necessary information and that covers:

1 Company information
2 Product/Services information
3 Your Vision
4 Your Direction
5 What you expecting with a new website
6 What kind of information you want to deliver
7 Contact information
8 Products/Services images

At least with this information the process of designing and developing the website done can be done within the short period Proven Web Solutions . Malaysia Website Design and Web Marketing Consultant.At i1WebSifu, we provide Superior Quality and World Class Website Design and Web Marketing Solutions for your business needs. Be it dazzling websites and portals or customized software solutions, our team is trained and ready to fulfill your every need. Visit http://www.i1websifu.com

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Feb 02

Author : Scott MiscallLet’s face it, people love taking and showing off pictures of themselves and the best way to keep your friends updated is by showing them your newest pics Some of the best MySpace layouts are those that have a wide variety of photos, videos, and graphics so that you can easily share the pics of your latest party or social get together with your friends You can use these to go through your various photo albums and show pics by album so that you don’t have to keep updating the slideshow on your own Although you can find layouts with built in slideshows, it is much more fun to create and modify them on your own Using our Pimp My Space tools, you can add custom slideshows to your profile and share your photos with ease to your friends and visitors

You can easily make custom slideshows with your own collection of photos by using Pimp My Space to make it happen You simply add your photos and then choose the custom slideshow theme that suits your profile There are plenty of cool options to customize slideshows on MySpace and once you’ve got the slideshow set up, then insert the code into your profile and you’ve got an instant MySpace pimp that can keep your friends in the know about what’s up on your end of the world The best part about making a custom slideshow is that you can group them by theme or event so that you can place different slideshows all over your MySpace profile

If you get bored of your slideshows, then you can simply remove them by deleting the corresponding MySpace codes and start from scratch You can always keep adding pictures or even set the codes to update as you add pictures to your different photo albums That way, the more pictures that you add to your MySpace, the longer the slideshow will be Slideshows are one of the best MySpace addons because they add that little bit of personal flair that not only sheds some light on what you do for fun, but also allows people to get caught up on the action that they missed

There are too many bland and boring profiles on MySpace that could be looking great with just a few pimps and tweaks Don’t let your friends suffer from a boring profile, help them out by showing them how to use slideshows to pimp their own profile Use a custom theme generator to create the perfect set of MySpace layouts and then add video and picture slideshows to complete the look Once you’ve figured out how to do it, your friends will be sure to follow and you can help rescue them from their disaster of a look Tell your friends how they can turn an ordinary layout into something that will turn heads and keep visitors coming back from more If you are looking for more friends and comments, then adding custom slideshows will be the perfect way to do it Join MySpace, then pimp your MySpace profile with cool MySpace Layouts and Free Myspace Graphics.

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