Author : Gary KllingsheimBe realistic There is no guarantee at all that you will make money on the Internet, not even if you read a dozen articles and follow 173 "key tips" to creating a profitable website The product or service you are selling is probably the biggest variable, and then there are the vagaries of the economy, consumer spending patterns and all the rest to consider But the biggest factor, is you

The best you can do is to be persistent, get honest feedback from business professionals and do your best Many of the tips are common sense ones, but with common sense rapidly becoming quite uncommon, it will help you to read and study up The following are not in order of importance, as every tip here is important The main thing is to put everything you have into everything you do, and adapt along the way when you learn new things

1 Easy reading - The same rules apply here as with print publications A famous art director of "Life" magazine put it this way: "The page has to say ‘Read me’ and not look like a chore "

2 Easy navigation - Surfing with a website’s mini-universe can be a frustrating task if the navigation and layout is not done well Visitors want to find the information they need on your site without a great deal of hassle Bad navigation is a sure and certain way to tell your customers you can’t be bothered with saving them time, and that they should probably not come back Don’t let this happen to your website Keeping all the "nav links" together is a one way of making navigation simpler Always insert a "back-link" to your home page on all the other site pages

3 Targeted readership - You must always keep your target audience in mind and forget about pleasing everyone Who are the people who will most likely be visiting your site? You need to do enough research to understand your customer, then customize the website around their needs and desires Your site’s look and feel, plus the content and the all-important "call to action," should all be tailored to the actual human beings who will be visiting your site

4 Simple contact method - As it has been proven quite conclusively that people are more willing to fill out web page forms than send an email, you should put a contact form on the website and not rely on just an email link You have to make it easy for people to contact you, so put links to the form on all the site pages and put your phone number on every page, too Don’t make people hunt for you when they are ready to talk business or give you money

5 Kill the dead links - If the links on your site are not in good working condition, you will simply alienate the visitors, so make sure to check your website on a regular basis to make sure they are all working properly Just one dead link could result in a potential customer departing your site entirely Enough of these occurrences and your website’s search engine ranking will drop like a stone

6 Keep content fresh - The better and "fresher" your content is, and the more you offer your visitors in terms of quality (rather than simple quantity), the more often they will come back with repeat business Search engines are known to hunger for fresh content and information on the websites over which they "crawl" so updating your copy on a regular (daily if possible) basis can really help lift your site ranking One good way to encourage those return visits and repeat sales is to update the site with any new information your visitors would find useful and interesting To determine what this should be, refer back to #3 and get a solid feel for the people reading the material You can write new articles, offer special Internet deals, provide useful resources and helpful links, and generally "serve the customer" fresh, virtual meals

7 Be efficient - Most people don’t appreciate having to read through a ton of material to find the one or two specific things they need You can help them (and keep them happy) by ensuring that your copy writing is clear and to the point With the world seemingly spinning faster every day, people just don’t have the time to search for information all over your site To give them a clear understanding right away of what your site offers means balancing good navigation with clear instructions and headings Consider adding a "blurb" on your landing page that tells people, succinctly and clearly, precisely what you do, who you are and just how you can answer their questions or solve their problems

8 Comfortable viewing - Excessive scrolling on website pages quickly becomes irritating, and visitors that feel they have to do too much scrolling will be annoyed and leave the site Minimize the scrolling, both up and down and side-to-side on your website Make it a comfortable and simple reading experience

9 Site size and download time - Unbeknownst to many, not everyone has a broadband Internet connection In fact, only about 57% do, as of the July 2008 report from the Yakima Herald Than means that nearly half of all your site visitors will be online with a dial-up connection Don’t overdo it with the animations, movie clips and high-resolution art (which is unnecessary in any case) If you commit to keeping your graphic file sizes below 100k you can make your site load with fairly good speed for your dial-up visitors Make sure to test your site with all browsers and connection standards

10 Browser compatibility - Test your website with all of the popular browsers You want to make sure that your website looks the same in each, as browsers will display websites differently for a variety of reasons Test everything that you change after your initial testing, too Your aim is to generate repeat visits (and purchases) so you need to minimize the complaints, and browser incompatibility is a major sore point - still!

Site visitors can be fickle and are easily be turned off, but if you are thoughtful and creative you can integrate these various strategies to keep them coming back Use these tips when creating, changing, updating or revising your website, and be persistent in your efforts Get good advice when you need it, and honest feedback, too You don’t need pats on the back from the family and friends when you are most concerned with clicks on computers and customer satisfaction Stay on target!Moonrise Productions is a custom web design company specializing in custom web development and design. Whether you
e in San Francisco, New York or you need social network web design - we
e here to help and we have the team to do it right. Submitted By ArticleUnited.com

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Author : Jeffrey FangLanding pages are the key to success in any internet marketing campaign Do you know how to design what’s the best converting landing pages there is? Read the article below

Regardless of your business, landing page design is an important part of successful internet marketing “Landing page” is simply a term for the page that your visitors “land” on when they click on an advertisement These are usually used to capture leads, make sales, provide relevant information or in the case of affiliate marketing to direct the visitor on to the merchant’s site A well designed landing page can make the difference between a highly successful marketing campaign and one that fails miserably Here are some page design tips that will help get you on your way to creating pages that convert visitors into customers

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when designing a landing page is to include too many links off the page The function of a landing page is to get your visitor to take whatever action it is that you want them to take - whether it is signing up for your mailing list, downloading a white paper, making a purchase or anything else Good landing page design works like a funnel to direct your visitors to take the action that you want If you litter your page with information and links that are unrelated to the action then people will get distracted and click away on those rather than completing the action By only providing highly relevant links and information on your landing page you will be more successful in directing your visitors to go where you want them to

You landing page should be optimized for your offer or for whatever you were advertising You should strive for your advertisement, the text on your landing page and the action you want your visitors to take to match up perfectly and be highly relevant to each other The more relevant you can keep your information the more likely people are to see the value in it and find what they are looking for

Speaking of value, that is another thing that most people overlook when designing landing pages A well designed landing page should not just be a huge push for your product or service, but instead should provide something of value to the people who visit Value can be a review, product information, helpful advice, a free download, bonuses or anything that makes your visitor feel like they have gotten something out of visiting your page If you try to directly sell to people they will be less responsive than if you provide them with value and build a little bit of trust with them and then move into your sales pitch

Finally, your page should be clean, well designed and project a professional image You are trying to build trust with your visitors and if your page looks like it was put together by an amateur people won’t take it seriously While you could hire a web designer to create landing pages for you or take the time to learn HTML and graphic design, there are other options to create stunning landing pages without needing to know a thing about HTML The author’s web site http://snoobdesigns.com/ provides information about landing page design and minisite design.

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Author : Francis LuaInternet has become one of the main sources of income for many people especially for those who have not managed to get stable job It has become one of the best method that used by not only professionals but also freelancers to make a living Having a level in an area of Information Technology can open up many doors for people Some of them include work in the areas of designing a website, analyzing programs, testing, development of new software, and even engineering Of course there is always a need for tech support and troubleshooting when bugs are detected Yet the need for such individuals on a regular basis is being reduced due to the volume of outsourcing

As the world become more competitive, any effective business strives to keep costs as low as possible That means they are going to evaluate the value they get from something for the cost One of those areas is wages paid out to employees When you toss in workman compensation, vacation pay, sick leave, retirement, and health insurance perks it really starts to add up It is certainly more than just what you see in the wages column of their expenses and that is the main reason outsourcing has become popular among the business owners

Software development is one of the areas where most businesses are finding they can save money They can outsource it to freelancers that are not part of their company Therefore none of those additional expenses are in place All they pay for is the work on the particular program that they need This is going to save them quite a large sum of money Therefore it is only natural that they will be looking into it

This particular scenario does not sit well with many in the profession of Information Technology though They are starting to feel threatened by outsourcing and it is understandable why When a company can turn to an outsider and get the same quality of work for much less it makes you wonder why they would want to hang on to people that are becoming obsolete to them as part of the company

Most software development companies now have followed the trend and turned by outsourcing most of their projects And this includes those companies that need software development done on a routine basis are going other routes For example they may still outsource it which means that person is not an employee of their company They do not have to offer them benefits of any kind Yet that person can continue to do the work for them on a regular basis

This means freelancers are responsible for putting money away to pay their taxes They should also be saving a chunk of their earnings for retirement If they are not doing so it is scary because no one else is going to be doing so Not everyone with a degree in Information Technology wants to be a freelancer They want the stability of working a job each day They also want their health insurance coverage, retirement plan, and steady paycheck

One area of Information Technology that does not seem to be negatively hit though is quality testing This because the testing needs to be done by an independent that is not part of the software development on the project The buyer of such software may not have the time or the desire to test it out themselves Therefore they are willing to hire someone to test their materials on an ongoing basis

Many in the world of Information Technology feel that freelancers and outsourcing take away some of the prestige of the line of work they are in They no longer feel highly valued After all, they are being told if they cannot do the work faster or better or for less money then they can be replaced That is a very stressful set of circumstances to be working under day after day Yet the trend of outsourcing software development continues to increase all the time There does not seem to be any slowing down for it in the near future either

As the world trends keep on changing and as we continue to move into a more technological society, more software has to be created The demand for it means more freelancers are going to find this line of work to be well suited for them They can do what they love and they can make plenty of money doing it That attitude certainly is not making anyone working in the area of Information Technology feel any better about the situation though

So, should business owners go for freelancers? Yes, they can but there are a lot of things that need to be defined clearly before hiring them And this includes:

1 Support
2 Skills
3 Price tag
4 Commitment
5 Professionalism
6 Track records or portfolio
7 Deliverable
8 Terms of service

Now should website design professionals or website design company should feel the impact and feel threatened?

It depends how the business owners looking at it If you able to make full use on the resources available then you should be able to get the proper cut Most of the freelancers are not able to give full support which is one of the biggest issue after delivering a project Support is a must and is the highest priority Without support as a business owner you might spending more later to get someone else do the job So, without doubts most of the business owners will prefer to work with local website design company due to the support, commitment and professionalism This is because any hiccups to the development it will affect the daily business process They rather spending slightly higher rather than having a business downfall 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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Author : Leva DuellShould you have a web site for your home business, small business, or local business?

A web site can be a very powerful tool to promote your business As of June, 2008, 1 463 billion people use the Internet according to Internet World Stats

If you have a business, you should have a web site Even a home business, a small business, and a business conducting business locally should have a web site

Below are 10 reasons why your home business should have a web site

1 People will look for your products and services online

Your prospective buyers are going to search the search engines for your type of product or service online Today, many consumers search for information online before making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store Those people are serious about buying If they don’t know your business exists, you will lose a lot of prospective customers to your competition

2 Your prospective customers expect you to have a web site

A web site can improve your business image If you don’t have a web site, your prospects will lose confidence in you and your business

3 Reach a worldwide market

The web expands your market worldwide and helps you reach a wider customer base
You can reach millions of Internet users, individuals, businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations

4 Get ready-to-buy customers

Customers find you online When people find you online, they are ready to buy Today’s buyers want instant gratification They expect instant information and automated online ordering

5 Your web site is your hardest working sales tool

Your web site provides information about your services and products and allows customers to automatically order 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week A web site will improve customer service Customers can contact you (email) any time at their convenience for inquiries, feedback or other important information A professional web site can make your business look bigger and more successful

6 Your customers have Instant access to your information

Your web site can offer instant access to your customers such as online ordering; instant database access, instant downloads of articles, ebooks, and software Your email messages and articles reach hundreds of thousands instantly

7 You save time through automation

Set up a shopping cart once and it will take orders and verify payments without your intervention Set up a downloadable book once and it can be downloaded over and over again Set up an autoresponder with newsletters once and they will automatically go out to all your subscribers and follow up automatically at a time interval of your choice Provide information on the web site instead of sending out brochures, repeating the same information on the phone, or emailing the same information over and over again

8 Low Cost

The cost of a web site is low compared to a retail store You can work from home and don’t need to rent an office or a retail store Marketing and distribution costs are lower on the Internet compared to direct mail and other marketing methods You eliminate or reduce postage and printing costs Using email communications can reduce your long-distance phone bills Fees for hosting, domain names and web design have come down

9 Make changes easily

It’s easier and less expensive to update a web site than to update your printed promotional materials such as your catalogs and brochures You can add products, remove and revise information on a web site easily

10 Improve your business image

Your business image is vital to the success of your small business A professional-looking web site will boost your business image and inspire confidence in your products and services

Today, your prospects and customers expect you to have a web site even if you’re a home business, small business, service business or local business They want to be able to find out more about you, your business, products or services quickly and easily Don’t be left behind A web site will give your business the advantage over your competitors Get established online before your competition does!Leva Duell, Five Star Web Design and Marketing, provides web design built on proven marketing strategies. Visit http://www.fivestarwebdesign.com/ebook.html and get a FREE ebook, Inside Secrets to Developing a Profitable Web Site, providing powerful, non-techie web design and marketing strategies to increase your online profits.

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Author : Ruediger SchmidtOne of the most crucial things to learn when learning to draw is realizing the process nearly every artist applies to fill a white sheet with more and more lines till she completed the drawing Though seemingly complicated this process consists of several separate and simple tasks

Many artists follow intuitively these individual tasks stepwise in the proper order Unluckily when beginning to learn drawing, you lack the experience to follow this strategy intuitively But rather than waiting for the necessary experience, you should use the following shortcut

I created a scheme around this process most artists understand and stick with by instinct It consists of four steps: Placement, Outlines, Shapes, Illumination These four steps are rather simple and follow the common process to make a drawing I abbreviated this formula P-O-S-I - a POSItive way to learn drawing

So let’s get going:

1 Placing the elements in your drawing

This is the first step Have a look at the whole scene, distinguish the individual elements in the scene and seek to understand the scene Concentrate on the individual elements’ positions and their location relative to one another Ultimately if you believe your apprehension of the scene is good enough, mark on your sheet where you want to place the individual elements
Try to be as precise as possible unless you possess already some competence in the art of pictorial composing Experienced artists know how to modify the scene for a stronger expression without disturbing realism

2 Drafting Outlines of the individual elements

Now you know where to place the elements it is time to outline them as mere outlines Look cautiously at each part of the scene and try to understand its outline and shape Then draw its outline - only the silhouette - in a couple of faint lines Restrict yourself to the outer lines of each object Repeat this step for every element in the scene Ideally you begin on elements in the background and continue to the foreground parts
After finishing the outline of the whole scene this way, it is time to have a concluding judging look (but not too judging although!) In this stage it is still easy to shift any element or to adjust one or another line But don’t be too critical and keep in mind: every outstanding drawing lives thanks to minor deviations from reality

3 Draw the Shape of the individual elements

Now it is time to turn our attention to the elements’ shapes Begin to add the internal structures of the scene’s parts with few and fine lines Place the strokes in the proper directions to travel along and form the shape of the parts of every element
For curved elements use curved lines and in plane parts use straight lines But still limit you to few and faint lines Just try to catch the contours properly As there are still only fine and faint lines on the sheet you have still the opportunity to adjust some lines
Finally your picture will have gained a more substantial perspective and depth impression Time to fill out the blanks and complete your drawing!

4 Illuminate your Drawing

Thus far we merely worked on arraying the scene using faint lines Forming the outlines and contours of all elements in the scene we produced a line drawing that portrays the scenes outlook faithfully
But for creating real naturalism something is missing: texture, light and shadow In that last step we’ll fill out these elements that generate volume to our drawing and ultimately make it seem realistic So in this last step our chances for creating a great picture are great but also is the risk of damaging it beyond repair
What to do? Again look cautiously at each part of the scene Note how light, shadow and surfaces are forming the shapes and what the colors look like Most important is the surface - as even if a surface is all one color, its structure and texture produces different tones
The same applies to shadows Look how the elements cast shadows on themselves and on elements close to them Add these darker areas by first sketching their outline, correcting and perfecting it and then filling it with dark shades
When adding all the shadows and textures to your picture all of the time seek to work from the background to the foreground Whilst following this strategy go from lighter tones and weak contrasts in the background to strong tones and contrasts in the foreground This creates a more substantial volume and depth

Congratulations! After this final step you finished your drawing Make one step back and enjoy the result But keep in mind: when the petty critic in you awakes, put your drawing away, the more you’ll enjoy it in some months!This is the third part of the 6 part series about drawing and how to learn drawing. Visit the next part of the how to draw series. Here you can also get free tutorials for learning to draw.

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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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