Dentists reach out to Patients through Online Web Presence

More and more dentists have started to reach out to patients through patient-centric websites. Today, there are plenty of website design experts who specialize in creating sites for dentists.These websites come loaded with plenty of interactive features from patient education videos to free Smile Analysis features that can help patients make better decision about their dental health. Many of these dental websites also use search engine optimization techniques to reach out to their patients and consumers who are looking for information regarding dentistry services.Dentists believe that using websites as a tool can educate patients in preventing and in spreading awareness about dental health. Existing as well as future patients will have complete access to information about the providers, education videos and photos of dental procedures, along with extra information when they visit these sites.

Posted on: 11 May 2011 | 4:30 am

Dragonfly Web Design and Developer Toolkit released by Opera

Opera, the Norwegian browser developer, has unveiled the Dragonfly web design and developer toolkit this week. This new product has emerged as a collection of web design and development tools, and lays special emphasis on debugging.Dragonfly is a hybrid web application, which essentially means that users never have to update it since its latest version is always pulled directly from the Web. It is also always compatible with any version of Opera being used at the time.Opera has long since realized that the world and technology has gone mobile, and this is why it has provided remote debugging tools for mobile devices as well. A web designer or developer will simply have to switch on the remote debugging function and Dragonfly will then connect to your Opera Mobile and allow for debugging to take place directly from the device.You can even hack on to your site on tablets, TV’s or on your computer with this remote debugging feature. Dragonfly can also mask as other browsers to ensure that cross-platform compatibility is there. There are also many advanced options such as color-picking tools, a JavaScript debugger and the options to debug Scalable Vector Graphics.

Posted on: 11 May 2011 | 12:03 am

How to Hire a Web Developer?

A while ago, I decided that I wanted to redo all my websites. Three of my websites are informational ones, and two are ecommerce-based sites. Like with most entrepreneurs, I have tried my level best to keep up with the Internet revolution and I’ve done pretty well. But doing pretty well is no longer enough if you are in the ecommerce industry, which sees shopping behavior change every single day.If you’ve had enough experience with building and maintaining your websites, then you’ll know that it is trickier than it may appear. You are not looking to make your website better; you need to make it great. The basic reason being ROI. A great website will pay for itself in terms of increased traffic or increased conversion rates. But getting a new site can be quite expensive, but in the long run it is worth it. But hiring the wrong web development firm to build your website can be a very expensive mistake.It is very important to be more careful and deliberate when hiring a web development firm. Not only will a mistake cost you a lot, but it will be much harder to fix your website if it has been bungled up by a bad development job.Get started by asking trustworthy people for recommendations. This will bring a few candidates your way. In addition, you can also do some research on the best shopping cart software, which will show you companies who provide these services. Check out their portfolios. Local firms are always advantageous, as they are local. This way, you’ll be able to visit their premises and have live meetings.Your next step is to get quotes from a number of companies and eliminate those that give you bad information. Zero in on a company that provides you with real answers and a great understanding of your requirements. I like companies that don’t always send sales people. The company I chose was a bit expensive and when I asked why, they said that they do market analysis before they get started with a project. Now this really makes sense.Choose a company that helps you succeed as this will help them succeed ultimately.

Posted on: 5 May 2011 | 4:29 am

Mobile Websites vs. Mobile Applications

Mobile applications are the new but cool kid on the block. Often equipped with the nest and latest graphic designs and decked in the hottest new functionality, mobile applications are very promising prospects. Mobile websites on the other hand offer more device compatibility, easier access and lower development costs. It is the nerdier counterpart but provides different possibilities.When choosing a good marketing campaign, your choice will naturally depend on your goals, products, target customers and more. Instead of focusing on the campaign, it would be a better idea to look at your goals and the customers. It is very important to prioritize. You don’t need to choose between the two, you can use both.Who are your customers: Different customers like different things. People’s preferences keep changing with the latest developments. When choosing your mobile marketing strategy, consider how your target audience will be able to engage with your brand.Make them browse first and download later: People always browse first and then download applications later. By only focusing on application, you’ll be missing out on the opportunity to connect with your potential customers. Applications are great when it comes to expanding your customer base and loyalty.How will your website look on a mobile phone? If you haven’t designed your site for a mobile phone, then your customers are going to have to scroll a lot to get what they want. This is going to be unappealing and frustrating to them. Your site will need a makeover. Make sure your website takes on all the characteristics of applications, and offer the same functionality and design elements.Optimize your mobile site for phone screens and capabilities.

Posted on: 4 May 2011 | 7:15 am

Easy Steps for your Web Design

How do you design a website that not only looks great but acts as a great money making machine for you? Here are a few key principles of web design that show you the easy steps to designing your site.Focus on the Site: Before getting started with the web design, it is important to clearly define what the main purpose of the site is. Are you creating a web store? Is your website going to be an information hub? Are you creating a branding website? Depending on the function of the website, the design can be created.Website Features: Jot down what features you will need on your website. Do you need a shopping cart for your online store? Will you need a password protected section?Make a Map f the major sections of the site: Draw rough diagrams of the site and show the hierarchy of the site and how various sections are related to each other.Your website should be content-driven. It is the content that makes your site more effective. Writing the content for your site should not be left till last. It is the most important part of your design.Find a Look for your Website: Come up with a design for you site or come up with some design options and narrow down to one.Now you can start building the website.

Posted on: 3 May 2011 | 6:35 am

Website Development Tools offered by Google

Everybody knows that Google is one of the biggest search engines. But what most people don’t know is that Google also provides various tools and resources for website development. Here are some of the most valuable tools offered by Google:Google Code: Google Code is a website that provides a whole range of development tools, code snippets and API. It also publishes development-related news, videos and events. It is a great source of information for developers. The API’s and Tools section is particularly important. This is a directory of API’s for all the Google products and services. If you want to include a map on your site or your own image search, then all the necessary information is here. Each API page will provide you with links to documents and code samples, forums and blogsGoogle Web Toolkit: This is a starter pack filled with goodies including plugins, code libraries, user interface design components and developer tools. This kit was put up to help web developers build complex JavaScript applications. The GWT Designer is a plugin that generated the Java code for simpler forms. It is used by Google and has played major roles in the development of AdWords and Google Wave.Google App Engine: This is a part of Google’s code repository that allows web developers to run applications on Google’s enterprise hardware. It is a complete development stack that helps to build and host web applications.

Posted on: 2 May 2011 | 6:10 am

The Deciding Factors for the Cost of Website Design

Hiring a professional website design form can cost you a fortune. However, there are plenty of cheaper options available in the market as well, especially if you are working on a tight budget. In the market, there are a wide range of costs that can be available to when looking for a designer to design your website. There are plenty of deciding factors that come into play when designers charge you a fee.One of the biggest deciding factors as to the cost of your web designing project is the basic goals that you want achieved on your site. If you have specific technical requirements, then you should be willing to pay higher prices in the market. Such services are far more expensive and you should opt for them only when you have an established website. There is really no point in spending too much on a website that is still new to the Internet.Another deciding factor is the actual source of the web design. A freelance designer would cost you far less when compared to a professional agency with a whole team. For example, there are plenty of overseas web design companies that work for about $15 to $30 per hour. Local freelancers will charge about $25 to $100 per hour. But a professional company would cost you anywhere from $75 to $250 per hour. Custom web designers are even more expensive and only a few, established companies can afford their services. They could charge anywhere from $20,000 to $45,000.If you opt for someone who is less experienced, then do not expect much in terms of quality. They will be able to provide you with a working website, but you should expect problems every now and then. So, if your goals are small, only then opt for them.However, working with professional web design firms will ensure high levels of quality and strict planning of the project. It is very important to read the Request for Proposal or RFP very carefully. It should specify the services that will be provided and the long term as well as short term goals and expectations. It should also specify the deadlines.

Posted on: 29 April 2011 | 3:13 am

Payment Gateway Integration & Website Development

Payment gateway is a service that should be designed and developed on your ecommerce site to help with the online billing process. It basically consists of a built-in billing processor that enables the collection of credit or debit card information and its transmission through the Internet. An online payment gateway system is similar to that of a credit card processing terminal. It is basically a software application that enhances the functionality of a credit card company, thus allowing your customers to make online payments through your site.There are essentially 2 types of payment gateway systems:The secure form order is the most widely used system. It helps by directing the client to the third party website for processing the credit card information into an individual merchant account.The merchant-side application program interface is another system. Here, a code will be integrated onto the server that hosts the merchant ecommerce site.Some of the benefits of an online payment gateway are:Online payment gateways make it easier to accept online payments done through credit or debit cards.It reduces the geo-location obstacle. Now, clients that are located anywhere in the world can also make payment in no time at all. You will be able to accept payments from anywhere in the world.Your customers will now be able to make payments in a faster and more comfortable manner.Your customers will immediately be notified about any acceptance or failure of payments. This keeps the payment process highly transparent.An online payment gateway is a 100% safe and secure way of making transactions. You can even offer a money back guarantee to customers who wish to return a product.It reduces the human resource and infrastructure costs.

Posted on: 27 April 2011 | 3:10 am

What to consider when signing a website development agreement

When looking for and interacting with web developers for your website development project, you’ll come across a wide range of responses. Some web developers will be keen to work on your project and will even ignore the legal contract, while some others might work on the standard terms. There are still others who actually sit down and negotiate an agreement that suits both parties.The latter option is probably the best way to go so that even before your project starts, you can sit down with your developer and come to an agreement on each of your expectations for the project. Yes, there will be many standards terms that will apply, but here we will only focus on the important legal issues that you should address.Clarifying the amount of work to be done: If your developer is going to work on a fixed fee, then it is very important to clarify just what work will be done for that money. Give the developer a proper specification for the project, both in terms of look and feel as well as functionality. Also, address the required functionality that is required for your site to be legally effective.Set Milestones: Most web development projects occur in stages. If you have a basic website, then try to pay your fee in installments. But start by assessing milestones that are specific and measurable. Your web developer will want to make sure whether he can refuse to undertake any further work until and unless he has been paid for a particular milestone.Testing: Make sure your agreement includes testing functions to see whether the work done is satisfactory and functionality is effective.

Posted on: 26 April 2011 | 4:04 am

Tips on how to design your website for the Visually Impaired

Surveys have shown that nearly 53.2 million Americans of the age of 45 and above suffer from some kind of visual impairment that could range from mild to severe. However, in spite of having visual impairments, many people still take to the Internet every day.The Internet is jammed with all sorts of articles that talk about designing websites for blind users. But what about those who are not blind but visually impaired? Most people suffering from visual impairment do not need any kind of screen reading software. However, in spite of this, the net can still be a very difficult place to navigate through when you can’t see properly.Here are a few tips on how to design your site so that it is more accessible to the visually impaired:Enlarged Text: Most of the time, enlarging the text is what a visually impaired person really needs. You could put in an option for an alternate stylesheet with larger font sizes and ensure that your text does not get broken when you enable text-only zoom in the browser. Most visually impaired people tend to zoom in on the text without really changing the scale of the site’s layout.Contrast: There are plenty of eye diseases like Glaucoma, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Retinopathy and cataracts that lead to a decrease in the contrast sensitivity, which is essentially the person’s ability to distinguish between similar color shades and similar levels of brightness. So using a layout that is detail-oriented and that utilizes subtle gradients can be a headache for users who struggle with color sensitivity. So, make a second version of your website with more contrast between the elements. Use bold text to add to readability on low contrast items and stay away from thin fonts.Use Keyboard Shortcuts to make Navigation Easy: Keyboard shortcuts can make it useful for people with screen readers and can make site navigation easier for the visually impaired.

Posted on: 25 April 2011 | 3:08 am

What to remember when creating a Flash Intro

Once you know why your website cannot do without a Flash intro, it is very important to remember when creating one. Following these points will provide your customers with a pleasant experience on your site, right from proper navigation to handling the control of the intro.Provide a “Skip” button: Always provide a “Skip” button from the start so that your visitors can either view the intro if they want to or skip it if they don’t want to. Never test your visitor’s patience by forcing them to view your entire Flash intro.Provide HTML Links below or above the intro: Always remember to put in static HTML links in all the important sections of your website. This is very important if you have the navigation menu built into the Flash intro. These static links can be either placed below or above the intro. Static HTML links will provide your visitors with the option to jump from one page to another directly without having to wait for the intro to load. It will also help the search engine bots to index all the pages on your website.Provide a “Loading” Message: If your Flash intro exceeds 50Kb, then put in a “Loading” message. Always remember to put in numbers so that visitors will know how much time it will take for the intro to load. You can create fancy “Loading” bars as well.For very large Intros: If your intro is very large, then it will take more time to load. This is why it is good to keep your visitors engaged by displaying interesting animation or messages. Always keep your visitors engrossed if you want them to wait.Prove a link to the plugin: Though nearly 90% of web browsers have Flash installed on their computers, it is always important to provide a link to the plugin download.Music: If you have music on your intro, make sure you also provide your visitors with the option to mute it.

Posted on: 21 April 2011 | 4:16 am

5 things that you should know before making a Web Strategy

When developing a website for your business, it is very important to first have a web strategy in place. Here are 5 things to know before you build a good web strategy:Know your Target Audience: Everything on your website, right from the content to the navigation, needs to speak out to a target audience and address their problems. So find out who your target audience is first.Measure and Revise your Strategy: Although your website is your most popular marketing tool, most of your visitors will not read or understand half the data on it. So it is important to measure all the popular pages, the popular routes, where your visitors came from and what keywords are being used to find you.Listen before getting started: Before jumping into Facebook and Twitter, make sure you use all the effective reputation monitoring tools to find out what people are saying about you.Use Offline Marketing Techniques: While it is debatable whether traditional marketing is more effective than online methods, it is very important to use both methods. What is really important is that you should always keep both methods well coordinated.Maintain your Strategy: A lot of businesses come in with a bang and then fizzle out. It is important to keep updating your site and maintain your strategy at all times.

Posted on: 20 April 2011 | 4:34 am

Website Development and Social Media

Any website development project requires extensive planning, strategizing and organizing. One of the biggest factors behind a successful website is the ability to effectively market and promote your site. The key element of any social media marketing campaign is to build “social authority”. Social authority can be built if an individual or a business asserts themselves as an expert in their area of expertise or field.Social media is not always about getting high Page Ranks or rankings in the Google SERPs. It is also about generating a sort of online “buzz” for your company, products and services. It is all about promoting and marketing your business to create a strong online presence. It is something akin to traditional advertising.If handled properly, social media can expand your online business faster than any other method can. However, it can also be done organically. Google has taken extra steps to penalize sites with spam content. If handled properly, social media can provide you with a platform for brand exposure, awareness and networking, and can boost your overall web traffic and sales. The best way to attract people is by sending out quality content.On your website, provide easy access to various social media services where readers can share your content with their contacts and other social media groups. If followers enjoy what they read, then they too will share it with their friends. This is the real power of social media.Creating a successful website requires a lot of time, research, planning, strategizing and marketing. It is very important to find a designer who you can communicate with and work well with. You could also hire an SEO company that specializes in social media marketing.

Posted on: 19 April 2011 | 4:19 am

Why use Java for your Web Development Project?

Java is probably one of the most popular languages today and is more widely accepted that when it first appeared. This rapid demand of the language and its wide acceptance can be traced back to its various design and programming features that you can use to write a program and run it anywhere.Today, Java is the chosen programming language for network computers and has been used as the universal front end for enterprise databases. Java is essentially a simple, distributed, object-oriented, robust and secure language.Java has many more advantages over most other languages, which is why it is so suitable for most programming tasks.Here are some of the reasons why you should opt for Java in your web development project:Easy to Learn: Java is an easy to use language and so is easy to write, debug, compile and learn.Object-oriented: Java allows you to create modular programs and reusable codes.Platform-independent: This is one of the biggest advantages of the language. Its ability to easily move from one computer system to another and run the same program on different systems makes it platform-independent and the source as well as the binary levels.Distributed: This language has been designed to make distributed computing easy with the network capabilities that are integrated into it. Writing programs on Java is like sending and receiving data from files.Secure: Security is a very big part of the design.Robust: Java is highly reliable and checks for possible errors and for problems that may show up during execution time.Multithreaded: Java can perform several tasks at the same time within a program. This multithreaded facility has been smoothly integrated into the language.

Posted on: 15 April 2011 | 3:53 am

Some Important Web Development Tools you need to know about

No website is really complete until it has some of the necessary functions that are important to make it operational when it goes live. In order to ensure that your website is fully functional, it is very important to use some of the most advanced and user-friendly web development tools around. These tools will help you create a better and more functional website that will prove to be more beneficial in getting more web traffic.However, it is very important to first find out whether these web development tools are relevant to your business or not. Unnecessary usage of web development tools may lead to a highly cluttered and confused site that your visitors will not like. Here are a few web development tools that may increase the demand and profitability of your site:HTML Editors can increase the functionality: HTML editors are very important tools that are useful for search engine optimization. While many optimizers prefer to write their own codes, there are still plenty who prefer to use the standard HTML Editor.Using Text Editors: A good Text Editor will be required of you choose to write your own customized HTML code. The Text Editors will ensure that your coding is clean and readable, even though it can be a bit time-consuming to actually write them. You can use these Text Editors to write articles and edit scripts. Use a Text Editor like Note Pad if you are using the Windows OS.FTP is a good tool if you want to transfer files over to a computer network: File Transfer Protocol or FTP is a useful tool when it comes to downloading or uploading your files from the web server or to it. This tool will take control of all your files on the server. In case of a potential virus threat, you can download your files from the server directly and use them.The Graphics Editor can be used to edit your graphics: The Graphics Editor is a very useful web development tool that can be used to design and edit your graphics. However, you should note that it can only edit very basic graphics.

Posted on: 14 April 2011 | 4:29 am

Things you need to know about Freelance Website Development

Website development first started off as a small business opportunity on the Internet a few years back. Today, it is one of the highest selling businesses available online. If you really want to know what offshore website development is all about, it is very important to first understand the entire process of website development.Website development is all about developing certain codes for the website and making them available for the Web. In short, website development is about creating websites and using the individual web pages to promote your business by launching it on the Internet.Today, most IT companies make their money by offshoring their website development projects. IT companies understand the importance of having qualitative and reliable business solutions that are of the highest quality and can be given within a timeline. The high momentum of freelance services is what makes them so attractive. Today, offshore web development companies are in great demand.Website development involves certain steps of web designing and spans from coding simple web pages to complex application pages. The entire website development process is a complex process that should be handled carefully. It involves: web editing, flash developer, graphic designing, etc. To handle any project, a detailed analysis of the client’s requirements is important. This is then followed by the coding and development process. Coding is basically for developing templates. Hiring in-house employees to handle this can be very expensive. This is where freelance website developers and offshorers come into play, as they are cheap and still provide quality solutions.The cost of offshoring your website development project depends on a number of factors. The complexity of the design and the contents of the web pages are two major factors. Web developers use many advanced tools like Linux, MySQL, PHP, and Apache that all contribute towards effectively cutting costs.

Posted on: 13 April 2011 | 4:04 am

Why you need Sitemaps on your Website

If you have started with the development and design of your website, then you probably are doing everything you can to include everything possible so that your visitors have the ultimate browsing experience on your site. It is very important to make it easy for your visitors to browse through your site. But how do you do this?For starters, it is very important to provide them with all the navigational help they will need. If your visitors can find the information, products or services that they are looking for quickly on your site, then they will surely come back for more or even recommend your site to others. And this is where sitemaps come into play.Sitemaps are basically an extended form of a navigational aid that allows you to display your entire website structure with all the links to the major sections as well as sub-sections.Sitemaps don’t necessarily have to be a series of links that come in a tabular form. You can also make it different by providing a few details about each section and sub-section with good yet descriptive content.There are plenty of sitemaps that I have come across. Some developers prefer to display their sitemaps in the form of an image-map, while others prefer the plain old HTML version. But I’ve seen the really bad kinds where the sitemaps do not contain any links! It is no use having a sitemap without any links! So make a note of this and ensure that no matter what kind of sitemap you choose, make sure that it is well updated and has the correct links!

Posted on: 12 April 2011 | 12:51 am

Aussies call for new Online Data Protection laws

Australians are now calling for the right to sue for invasion of online privacy! A senate committee report said that many of the greatest advances in online technology still have substantial implications for privacy. In the past ten years, the Internet has seen the rapid development and adoption of Web 2.0 technologies that are those technologies that are characterized by allowing for greater online interaction and user-generated content. We have seen the emergence of social networking sites, blogs and even photo and video sharing sites. The developments have gone a long way in making it possible for us to store and share great amounts of personal data, and have given us the freedom to upload personal information on the web. However, this coupled with other technological advancements has led to concerns about the privacy framework taken to protect the privacy of online users. Once uploaded online, it can be very difficult to delete, control or recoup personal information. The committee in question has backed an Australian Law Reform Commission recommendation that has recently called for the development of a statutory cause of action in case of a serious invasion of privacy. This way, people will be given the right to sue for damages that arise out of invasion of privacy.

Posted on: 11 April 2011 | 12:15 am

Common Mistakes to avoid while designing a Website

If you about to start your own website and are new to the field of web design and development, there are a few mistakes that you should avoid in order to have a successful website. Most professional website designers will know what mistakes to avoid, and so should you. Here are a few mistakes that you should avoid as a web designer: Never use eye-straining colors on your site: If your text is unreadable because of the bad color combination used in your site, then you will be pushing your visitors away. So choose a good color scheme. Never use unreadable fonts: All kinds of visitors will come to your site from the young to the old, so make sure your fonts are readable for all age groups. Use simple fonts instead of fancy ones. Never control your user’s web browser: There are plenty of programs out there that will allow you to resize your visitor’s browser, allow them to open different tabs at one time, or redirect them without their permission. While this cool, most visitors don’t like it. Never overuse Flash: Everybody wants their website to be interactive, but it is not wise to overdo it. Using too much of Flash or other multimedia elements can slow down your pages. And the last thing you want is your visitors to get impatient while waiting for your page to load.

Posted on: 8 April 2011 | 4:29 am

Web Development Tips for getting Higher Search Engine Rankings

As a website owner, your main aim is to get higher search engine rankings and increased website traffic to your site. You can now get this by following the tips mentioned below:Find out what keywords people are using the most on search engines, especially if they pertain to your products and services. Use these keywords in your website content and in the design text to increase your website traffic.A majority of website designers tend to use too many graphical images and programs like Flash and Java. These can result in less traffic and lower rankings.If your web pages include spreadsheets, then they will definitely consist of cells and tables. Use the least number of cells and tables as possible in your web design.Concentrate on the meta-tags. Each of your web pages should have appropriate keywords used in the meta title and meta description tags. Make sure these tags are good.Try not to repeat your keywords too many times in the keyword meta tag.Always put the most important keywords right at the top of the page and place them as text headers.Make sure that you always place your most important web pages and keywords right at the start of the site.Never use frame based websites for the Internet; keep it for the intranet.Never include pages that redirect people to other pages.Count the number of keywords used by running an analysis program.

Posted on: 7 April 2011 | 4:24 am

How to know whether your website needs a redesign

Your website is your private marketing tool that is as effective as any advertisement, brochure or press release put together! When people are curious about a product or a company, the first thing they do is visit the company’s website. So, your website is the first impression that your customers will get of your company.Being the face of your company, your website should always fit into your marketing strategy. It should accomplish your marketing goals and objectives by communicating your brand’s message to a targeted audience.When people visit your website, it should properly introduce them to your business and it should give your customers the idea that you’re a leader in your industry. If it doesn’t do any of this, then you probably consider redesigning it. Your website needs to look good to make a good first impression. It should be able to inform your customers how it can fulfill their needs.A good website is not only about the looks or the cost. Your website acts as your strategic marketing tool and should fit in with all your marketing strategies. It should be able to communicate your message to your customers and this is why it is very important to find a website developer who truly understands this.

Posted on: 6 April 2011 | 4:40 am

Is it better to choose a website template or is better to opt for custom development

What with the growth of the Internet, it comes as little surprise that Internet technologies are advancing at a very rapid pace. Today, more and more businesses understand the importance of a strong online presence and how it can help in your business development efforts. There is no doubt that starting a website is very valuable to your business. But how do you go about doing this in order to avoid problems and exploit the benefits.When creating your own website, there are 2 major parameters that you should consider. You could either get your entire website custom developed, or you could buy an off-the-shelf solution for your site.In the first case scenario, if you want to stand out from the crowd and believe that your business deserves a lot more than any run-of-the-mill template, then custom development is a great option. Every company’s website should be great and so should yours, as it is a very important constituent of your business. The advantages of custom development are:Custom development takes into consideration any current or future requirements of your market and customers.With custom development, you will get just what you want.If you are looking for profits from your site, then making improvisations with custom development will increase its functionality.Unfortunately custom development is also no ideal. Its biggest disadvantages are that it is time-consuming and very expensive. Use this only if you have a big budget.In the second scenario, if you urgently need a website and are working within a budget, then a website template should be a good option for you. The major advantages of choosing templates are that you save up on time as well as on money. The major disadvantages are:You won’t be able to profit as much and such templates will not realize your websites aims.Templates do not take into account all your websites needs.Every time you need to make changes to your site, you will have to hire developers.Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of both these options, the choice is all yours to make!

Posted on: 4 April 2011 | 3:10 am

Facebook develops a killer Mobile Web Application

Facebook announced that it will be launching the latest version of its mobile website that is much simpler and will work on thousands of mobile platforms.The leading social networking giant has a monthly figure of 250 million active mobile users, and the majority of them access Facebook through mobile Web.The new site can be accessed at m.facebook.com. This site replaces the existing one at the same address for feature phones and there is a separate site for Smartphone’s that can be accessed through touch.facebook.com. This new version uses extensive implementation of WURFL, which is a database that helps to map the way in which the site is displayed to the best capabilities of each device.Facebook says that it will now be able to delete thousands of lines of old mobile site codes once the new site is released in the next couple of weeks. Facebook has also said that in order to achieve maximum accessibility, the new mobile Web development application is favored over a native application development. Facebook is internalizing all of its strategies around HTML5 to prove that emphasizing on this can work.

Posted on: 1 April 2011 | 5:16 am

What Questions to ask a Web Designer before you sign on the dotted line

It seems like everybody is using the Internet these days, and you are no exception to this! If you need to start a website, who are you going to hire to design and build it? Perhaps you know a little about web designing, but is it enough to handle such a project by yourself? Whatever may be your experience, it is very important to make the right choices when hiring a professional website designer.Plenty of website owners shift from one web designer to another to undo the mess that a previous designer had left. If you are a business owner and not a designer, then you are probably not aware of the elements that involved in creating a successful website. This is why it is important to never jump into a business deal blindly, and to find out what kind of questions you should ask your designer before you hire him.Can I take a look at your portfolio and the kind of work you’ve done for previous clients? Checking out their portfolio will give you an insight into their skills and expertise. Check for quality and attention to detail. Check to see if their client’s websites have been well designed, how accessible they are, are they easy-to-use, and are they easy to find. Check the content as well. Lastly, if the designer is confident in the work done, then he or she will not mind you talking to previous clients.Who does your team consist of and who do I address my questions to? Always have a single point of contact with your designer. Find out who will be working on your project and how experienced are they. Constantly remain in tough with the designer and his team.Do you understand my project requirements? As a business owner, you are not expected to know the “web” terms and may have to find other ways to explain your requirements to a designer. This may not always be easy, or you may not always know what you want. This is why it is their duty to give you advice.How long will the project take and how much will it cost? Website designing consists of a number of project cycles that your designer will inform you about. This should clearly indicate the length the project will take and the approximate cost.If you do not meet my requirements, what compensation will I receive?These are just a few questions that you should ask your website designer before you sign on the dotted line!

Posted on: 1 April 2011 | 4:54 am

Google’s Latest Offer – DIY Web Design

Freelance website owners can now try their hands at building their own web pages! How so? There’s a new online tool in town that allows users to create and publish web pages without having to endure the intimidating costs of regular website design services.Launched by Google, this free tool helps to empower freelancers and enables them to create and edit web pages exactly as how they appear online, without the need for any complex software or HTML. This free tool however, is currently in its testing or ‘beta’ phase, which means that it will be improvised to meet the users’ needs, especially if they send in suggestions to Google.This initial roll out is only open to those users with a Gmail account, but with the immense number of sign-ups coming in, Google was forced to temporarily suspend this service. Because of the overwhelming demand, Google had to suspend any additional sign-ups. However, they are going to start offering sign-ups again very soon. Users who wish to use this service can check the Google Page Creator website regularly for any updates or can submit your email address to the waiting list.

Posted on: 30 March 2011 | 4:37 am