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Before the first graphic is drawn or the first line of code is written, you must define the website’s budget, purpose, target audience, design, navigation, and content. An…
small business, business, tip, tips, website, internet, web site, Tim Knox
Last week we talked about how a bad website can do your business more harm than good. That column brought several emails asking what is the key to building an effective business website. I replied with the same answer I always give: building an effective business website is a simple matter of definition.

Before the first graphic is drawn or the first line of code is written, you must define the website’s budget, purpose, target audience, design, navigation, and content. And when that’s all said and done you must define the marketing that will bring visitors to your site.

It sounds easy, but you’d be amazed at how many really bad business websites there are out there. Yours might even be one of them. If so, listen up. For nearly ten years now my company has been building and rebuilding websites for every kind of business you can imagine: from mom-and-pops to multinationals. We’ve designed (or redesigned) a couple hundred websites and along the way I have come to the conclusion that most business websites do a pitiful job of working for their owners.

What’s that, you didn’t know your business website should work for you? You think it should just sit on a server somewhere taking up digital space and collecting digital dust?

Wrong. Every website, business or otherwise, must serve a purpose, and that’s usually where most websites falls short. They serve no purpose because the website owner never gave much thought to it. It’s not the website’s fault. A website is inanimate. It is only what you make it. The only life a website has is the one given to it by its designer and owner. If the human element doesn’t do a good job of defining the building blocks, the website will serve no purpose and eventually die a digital death.

Building an effective business website isn’t brain surgery, thank goodness, since that’s how I make a nice percentage of my living. Building an effective, well-designed website that works for its owner, that actually serves a purpose, is all about definition.

Define the Budget
Every website, no matter how large or small, must have a realistic budget, with “realistic?being the key word. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat with a potential client as they listed off the eight million cool things they wanted their website to do, only to find out that their budget was just a few hundred dollars. I always feel like saying, “Well you just wasted three hundred dollars of my time, so here’s your bill?

Define the Purpose
Every website must have a purpose. Purpose drives everything: the audience, the design, the navigation, the content, and the marketing. I could do an entire column on purpose, but suffice it to say that there are five categories of purpose under which most websites fall: the purpose to inform, to educate, to entertain, to generate leads, to sell, or a combination thereof. If you fail to define the purpose of the website, all else is just wasted effort.

Define the Target Audience
Your target audience refers to that segment of the public that you hope to attract to the site. For example if you sell shoes, your target audience would be anyone with feet. Taking it a step further, if you only sold women’s shoes, your target audience would be women (with feet) Why is defining your target audience so important? If you have no idea who your audience is, how can you expect to design a website that will appeal to them? Your target audience could be customers, investors, job seekers, info seekers, etc. Define your target audience, then figure out how to serve them.

Define the Design
Website design theory has changed over the last couple of years, primarily because the search engines now ignore graphic heavy websites and give preference to those that take a minimalistic approach to design. If you look at some of the big boy websites like GE, Oracle, Raytheon, HP, and others you will see that in many cases the only graphic on the homepage is the company’s logo. Search engines now give higher preference to websites that offer keyword-rich text over flashy graphics. Don’t fight the design trend. You will lose.

Define the Navigation
Bad navigation is the number one reason website visitors abandon a website. Navigation refers to the chain of links the visitor uses to get around your site. If your site has an illogical navigational hierarchy or too few or too many links or is simply impossible to get around, you’ve got problems. We live in a microwave society. We stand in front of the microwave tapping our foot and glaring at our watch wondering why it takes so damn long for a bag of popcorn to pop. Why can’t a three-minute egg be done in thirty seconds? If it takes a visitor more than 3 clicks to get to any page on your site, your navigation needs improvement.

Define the Content
Content refers to the information on your website, be it graphics, text, downloadable items, etc. Since the top search engines no longer use HTML Meta tag data to index websites, it is vital that your website content be text heavy, succinct and well-written to appeal to the search engine spiders.

Define the Build Method
Next, who will build the website for you? Will you do it yourself using one of the point and click website builders or will you hire the kid next door? Will you hire a freelance designer or a professional firm? Budget usually dictates the build method, but be warned, when it comes to website development, you get what you pay for. Sure, the kid next door will throw up a site for you if you buy them a pizza or make your daughter go to the prom with them, but you will end up a with a website that looks like and performs like it was designed by the kid next door.

Define the Marketing
If you build it, will they come? Not on your life, at least not without a good marketing campaign. Your website should become a part of all your marketing efforts, online and off.

Put the website address on your business cards, brochures, letterhead, and all collaterals. Include the address in your ads; print, TV and radio. If you prefer to do online marketing, figure out where your target audience surfs and advertise there.

If marketing is foreign to you, do yourself a favor and call in an expert. Many businesses fail because they simply do not know how to market their products and services effectively. This is also the downfall of most business websites.

Here’s to your success!

Technorati Tags: 8 things you must know to build a great website, bad business websites, big boy websites, business website, business websites, effective business website, graphic heavy websites, target audience, website, website design theory

All too often when you wanted something printed professionally, you find that you start asking for file formats you’ve never even heard of, let alone have your image in. To make sure you’re in the know next time, here is a quick look at what these formats are and how they differ.
graphic design file formats jpeg gif eps ai
There are two different types of file formats – bitmap and vector drawing. Bitmaps is the most basic of the formats with each image made up of individual pixels. This format is most often used with photographs and images that contain subtle shading.

There is however one problem with bitmap images, scaling up the image. This is because by scaling up the individual pixels become more pronounced, leading to a jagged appearance. There is the ability to improve this using a technique called anti-alias which acts to smooth the graphic, however this still will result in a jagged appearance as the image is scaled up once more. This again can be improved through increasing the image resolution, however this causes the problem of making the file larger and therefore slower to load.

Programs that produce such files are Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and Corel Photo Paint, with file formats including BMP, GIF , JPEG, JPG, PNG, PICT (Macintosh), PCX, TIFF and PSD. The most popular out of these formats for web pages are Gif and JPEG, the former because of it ability to compress files and therefore speed up loading time, the JPEG because it allows a full range of colours.

Vector images differ because they are made up of paths. This makes them much smoother and clearer as the image I scaled up and is what true-type fonts use to ensure that they lose no quality with changes in size or resolution. It is for this reason that vector drawings are used for page layout / type / line art and illustration.

Programs that produce these types of files are Macromedia Freehand, Deneba’s Canvas and Abode Illustrator, the file formats include .ai, .cnv, .cdr and .fh8 .

The EPS format is a file type that allows a graphic application that can’t read the file types above and is a format that is likely to be most requested for illustration and line art because of the ability to scale the work with no lose of detail.

Hopefully this makes the scary world of graphic file formats a bit clearer and if your graphic designer is of any quality then as soon as you mention a format they should know exactly what you’re talking about and will be very impressed if you do too!

Technorati Tags: a quick lesson in graphic file formats, corel photo paint, different types of file formats, file format, file formats, formats jpeg gif, graphic design, graphic file formats, individual pixels, paint shop pro

a tutorial on adding/making use of the module positions & suffix classes for templating within the joomla content management system (cms)
joomla, template, cms, module, style, suffix, advanced, div, moduletable
an article from User Written Resources

1. duplicate the styles already used for the particular module, adding a suffix to each style name. this will definitely include some of the following;

1. .module {}
2. div.moduletable {}
3. div.moduletable h3 {}
4. table.moduletable {}/li>
5. table.moduletable th
6. table.moduletable td

and can include other styles used on the content in that section, such as;

1. ol, ul, li {}
2. a:link,a:visited,a:hover {}
3. a.readon:link,a.readon:visited,a.readon:hover {}

and others, note that certain modules already may have specific css styles associated with them (such as latestnews & mostread lists) so if you are modifying one of these modules, you might need to either remove the specific style so the module class suffix style can be applied, or just change those specific styles.

example from “freemambo template”

table.moduletable { float: left; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 152px; background: url(../images/leftright.gif); } table.moduletable th { background: url(../images/subhead_bg.gif); font-size: 10px; text-align: center !important; text-align:center; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 0px; height: 23px; text-decoration: none; width: 154px !important; width:152px; color:#FFFFFF; text-transform:uppercase; } table.moduletable td { font-size: 11px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 2px; font-weight: normal; color:#000000; }

no module suffix screenshot

2 .make changes to these styles as desired.

example of changes to “freemambo template” – adding suffix eg

table.moduletableeg { float: left; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 152px; } table.moduletableeg th { background-color: #FF9900; color: #333333; font-size: 12px; text-align: center !important; text-align:center; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 0px; height: 23px; text-decoration: none; width: 154px !important; width:152px; text-transform:lowercase; } table.moduletableeg td { background-color: #EEEEEE; font-size: 11px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 2px; font-weight: normal; color:#FF0000; }

eg module suffix screenshot

3. update the module class suffix within joomla administrator.

1. go to ‘Modules’ -> ‘Site Modules’
2. click on the module you’d like to apply the new css styles to
3. enter the suffix you used in the module class suffix field & click ‘Save’

site module – edit screenshot

Technorati Tags: advanced joomla templating pt1 using module class suffix, class suffix field, class suffix style, joomla content management, module class suffix, module suffix screenshot, new css styles, specific css styles, table.moduletable td, user written resources

Technorati Tags: Activate, Definitive, Guide, Guides), JavaScript:, Pages, Your

Learn how to publish your novel, poetry, memoir, how-to book, children books.
Learn how to publish your novel, poetry, memoir, how-to book, children books.
Learn how to publish your novel, poetry, memoir, how-to book, children books.

1) The first thing you need is book publish software
http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/
>> Every day, more graphics professionals, publishers, and print service providers are discovering that Adobe InDesign is a leap forward in page layout software. Get more information on the benefits of switching from QuarkXPress and Adobe PageMaker, as well as resources to aid you in making a smooth transition to InDesign.

http://www.quark.com/
>> The first thing to get straight when evaluating QuarkXPress 7 is that with three million registered users worldwide, Quark is more focused on keeping existing customers happy than on converting Adobe InDesign users to QuarkXPress. While many people have switched to InDesign, many more have stayed with QuarkXPress, just biding their time. The newly released QuarkXPress 7 is what they’ve been waiting for.
>>>>
After you get the layout software, you can write your story and insert your pictures , add your graphics and element.

2) Picture resolution

the picture or illustration of your book need high resolution.e.g : 3?x 3?image in your page layout need around 4.4 mb
e.g: dscn8461 270,230KB photoshop image
dscf3326 113KB jpeg
make sure that you are using photoshop format or tif format, you can see the DSCN8461 is 27mb, good for A5 size image. The DSCF3326 is just a 113K jpg which can do nothing for your book.

If you are scanning image by scanner , pls remember that you select tif format and using 350 x 350 dpi ( 1:1 )

PSD = photoshop file
Tif = tiff file
Jpg = jpeg file

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My name is Jacky, feel free to email me if you have any question.

www.graphicdesignsworld.com

Technorati Tags: 10 step to publish your books, adobe indesign, adobe indesign users, adobe pagemaker, children books, how-to book, jpeg file, layout software, page layout, page layout software

In order to master the art of web design, designers must follow the subsequent pointers:
Web Development Services, E-commerce web development services, Web site development services, E-commerce website development services
In order to master the art of web design, designers must follow the subsequent pointers:

1. Web designers are marketers per se. Web sites are all about advertising products, ideas and services. Thus, a web designer has to understand the mindset of marketers in order to create a design that sell.

2. Read, read and read. We do not experience everything. Thus, our tendency is to learn from others. Reading web design books, newsletters and tips are pretty valuable since they can save you time and effort. Basically, books are more conclusive than newsletters and tips however, they are for free and mostly updated.

3. Narrow down your target market. You cannot please everybody same thing that you cannot be good at everything. Thus, this fact calls for the narrowing of your target market. Even in the interface of the so-called web design, a designer cannot claim that he is an expert at anything or everything about the needs of a website. It is better to pick a certain audience and try to be good at catching their attention, preference and choice. This practice allows you to be best at a given area thus developing expertise.

4. Answer your target audience’s needs. In order to answer the visitor’s needs, web designers must know what kind of visitors his site is welcoming. Do they belong to the younger generation or otherwise? What do they want from your site? Are these information, details and pleasures in your site in order to get their undivided attention and loyalty? Bear in mind that colors, font size, style of graphics, contents and the entirety of the site affects viewer’s decision and choice.

5. Know the basics of SEO and copywriting. Though Search Engine Optimization and copywriting are not directly related to designing, still, designers must have basic knowledge about them. This is because web designing is intertwined with marketing, use of keywords and visibility.

Aside from that, designers must also have knowledge of the programming basics. If not, the tendency is waste time or to create a mediocre or unsatisfactory design to the detriment of the sites.

6. The primacy of functionality. If ever you are faced to make a decision between a web site’s aesthetic form and its functionality, you have to be firm in upholding the latter. Not everything that is pretty is ‘saleable? Besides, you don’t create web sites for the sake of making it nice-looking.

Above anything else, the site must be functional so as to cater to every visitor’s wants and needs. Appearance is a means to catch visitor’s attention nevertheless, it is not the end. If a designer prioritizes appearance alone without considering its primary consideration the web site’s marketability will suffer.

7. Know when to break the rules. Rules are only guidelines, if you feel that the rules are inappropriate for a certain creation follow your heart’s desire and venture on an experimental adventure.

Technorati Tags: 7 pointers about web design, e-commerce website development, so-called web design, web design, web design books, web designers, web development services, web site, web site development, web site development services

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Web design is a lucrative prospect for web site. Nowadays, you don’t have to depend on the web master to modify stuffing of your web sheets. You can modify the comfortable of your website by means of Content Management System. You don’t encompass to use your moment and wealth yet again and once more on upgrading the website.
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Individually from organism beautiful they have to be consumer responsive. Intended for this cause web trendy are with frequent rudiments so as to be obtainable on the internet. These rudiments comprise text, code language marks, descriptions etc. In arrange to intend an eye-catching website a variety of websites plug-ins such as sparkle; Java script and QuickTime are used. Web Design Delhi Services company e-fuzions website uses graphical rudiments that assist the users to steer through sheets with no trouble. Web Design Delhi Services Company e-fuzions description is very significant and should be completed proceeding to the website being presented. This might agree to you to decide what you fancy to insert and what you wish for to take away of the website previous to locate the website on online. Through Web Design Delhi Services you can set a facade sheet or directory sheet awake other than odds are you resolve most likely desire to create sure that you have quite a few pages of the website finished to permit populace the possibility to discover your location. In attendance is also a gathering of insert on features to believe as fine. Believe the reason of your website. Why are you construction it and what do you wish for out of your website while you comprise completed it. Web Design Delhi Services nearby a few basics you find to believe when construction a website. The principal belongings to believe are how you are departure to put your website mutually and what you are scheduling to put in the website as comfortable. Web designs Delhi frequently period the pleased resolve to choose the design or permit versa so together want to be measured in the matching moment.

These resolves provide you the basis to erect your comfortable. after to describe what pleased you would resembling and where you would similar to put it, liability this will tell you how many pages you are departing to require roughly. With Web Design Delhi Services company e-fuzion in every kind of in sequence or every class you are present ought to be known its have piece on your website.

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When it comes to web development, one of the most difficult things to do is the lay out.
Web Development Services, E-commerce web development services, Web site development services, E-commerce website development services
Designers especially the newbies go frantic on how to go about it. It has to be attractive, engrossing, user-friendly and functional. Thus, unraveling the secrets will definitely bind the website.

So, what are these layout secrets?

Together let us unfold them one after another?
1. Centering it all is no good. The secret is doing the contrary and not centering everything. The latter will just make the page disorganized, strewn and drab. The alignment may also seem weak and wanting.

2. The use and mastery of contrast is indispensable. Contrast is one thing that makes the page attractive. The use and mastery of it in color, value, size and weight will greatly affect the site’s appearance and edge. In fact a typeface may appear bigger with the use of contrast in color. The latter can also affect the look of organization of the page. At a glance, a page may appear organized or the exact opposite. That is the secret of contrast.

3. Apply deviations if necessary. Most of the designers practice nowadays is to develop a ‘uniform-pages?look. They try to use same background colors and other peculiarities to establish similarities to the homepage or other pages. But the fact is that viewers can be easily bored with that scheme. Viewers always want something new and by giving them a repetitious work, they are pissed off and transfer to another site where they can feast both their eyes and mind.

Placing lines in between contents also manifests division. Instead of using these lines, use blank ‘buffer zones? This way what are created are invisible lines to make the effect subtle.

4. Do not forget that functionality is the king of web development. Moreover, keep the content and information full, tight and pretty useful. Use the space, don’t waste. Only leave a small percentage for blank spaces. Use the space cleverly in order for the website not to look crowded at the same time loose. Multiple columns are also advisable in order to maximize space.

These four topmost secrets in page layout are so crucial that to break them may spell disaster or the end of your precious site.

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