Website Design that WORKS"In FX Digital we have experienced everything we had hoped, with a friendly, flexible and professional service putting its customer interests as the highest priority." Paul Jessop "We have recommended FX Digital to several of our Customers and Suppliers who are pleasantly surprised at the cost. I would definitely recommend FX Digital to any Company who is looking to set up a Web site, and look forward to discussing further additions to ours in the near future." Nick Duffy "On behalf of Promark Promotions, I would like to take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude to you and Julie for the excellent work that FX Digital did in designing our website." Barry Watkins |
Tips 'n Tricks ... Special Note: We've finally removed the articles from this website, and you're thinking to yourself where have they gone? Well the answer is simple all articles, software reviews, hardware reviews, etc., are now housed at our Cyber Aspect Website. What? You haven't checked it out? Well, what are you waiting for? The Following is a list of some of feature articles available, at time of writing: Recently I came into contact with someone in the construction industry who runs his own business, does quite well for himself and is good at what he does. He seems to spend a fair bit of his time running around constantly putting out fires with his customers, myself included. And, I guess this leads him into trouble and in some cases loss of income. I spent some time thinking about what a possible solution might be for him and I came to the conclusion that he simply needed some basic project management skills. This chap is not particularly computer literate but that doesn't matter really as basic project management skills can be applied without the use of computers (I can't believe I just said that). So, you're starting your own e-business and want to make a spectacular impact with your Website? Have you thought about just who your Target Audience is? Are your Website graphics aimed specifically at your Target Audience or are they just "nice" graphics? This article aims to point you in the right direction to ascertaining just who your Target Audience is and how you might go about making some appealing Website graphics aimed directly at them! Macromedia in the Spotlight, John Treloar I had the good fortune to attend the recent Macromedia Launch of MX Studio at the Hyatt Hotel in Perth. And it was a pretty dazzling affair. I felt very privileged to be in that presentation room with its four large projection screens, there was even one presenter "signing" at the front left of the stage. It reeked professionalism and Robin Hilliard gave a very professional demonstration of some the new features from the MX Studio 2004 suite of software. After the formalities were over I sat down with John Treloar, the Managing Director of Macromedia, Australia and New Zealand, and took the opportunity to ask some pertinent questions about the Internet, Macromedia and John himself. I found John to be both candid and charming Copyright Issues - A Needle in a Haystack Do you have a Website? Do you have original material on it? Is somebody ripping you off? As shocking as it may sound, if you answered yes to the first two questions above then there is every possibility that you are being ripped off. I'm not talking about costs associated with website design, your Internet Service Provider or your website hosting company. What I'm talking about is other website owners, businesses or individuals stealing the information you have written, sweated over and created then displaying this material on their own websites and claiming it as their own. Some of the Ideas behind FX Digital I wonder how many people reading this have actually sat down and come up with a great idea for an Internet business . a great majority I would imagine. I wonder how many of you have explored the options further . and even more I wonder how many of you have actually carried it through to an actual thriving business. As you can imagine, almost everyone has a great business idea at some stage in their life. A few people will explore these thoughts further . and even fewer will carry it onwards to a successful business . I guess that is what makes an entrepreneur . someone that sees the potential and then carries it onwards until it is successful. Interface Design - The Big Ten Most people will tell you that building a Website is easy. Most people wouldn't let their ten year old nephew run their business but are happy to let them "Design" their business Website. Most people who can handle a good WYSIWYG HTML Editor think they will make their online business presence felt. Well, the truth is, most people are wrong. I've spent a fair bit of my time reviewing and analysing business Websites over the past month or so, in particular, and I've come to the conclusion that if most people just paid attention to or followed a few basic guidelines in Interface Design those Websites would be much more palpable, viable, appealing and even interesting. Eh, I'm not trying to be patronising ... really I'm not, I would just like to share a few basic pointers from the original guru of interface design Thomas C. Reeves. So, without further ado ... Is Your Website Tired and Old? Whilst surfing the Internet I am often amazed by the vastly different design styles ... with websites ranging from the absolutely brilliant to the absolutely abysmal. The Internet is such an integral and important part of everyday business that finding an abysmal site these days is absolutely amazing, especially when you consider that I am talking about business websites. We have all heard the saying that you only get one chance to make a good first impression. So why I wonder do so many businesses constantly create a bad first impression by having such poorly designed websites? Especially when a competitor is only ever a few mouse-clicks away ... An In-Depth Look At a Great e-business Idea! You've probably noticed that there have been a few advertisements in the WBB lately for Martin Print. Well Martin, as it happens, has an office just around the corner from us and always pops the kettle on if we visit him. It was in one of these sessions that I asked him about his Website and he started to explain exactly what he does online. I was so impressed I asked if I could write an article about it for the WBB. Does Your Website Work For You OR Are You Working For Your Website? Almost every successful business owner will have now explored the option of having their own Company website. As I see it all businesses will have come to one of three conclusions; one they will have already developed a website, or two they are in the evaluation process, or three, they have already abandoned the Internet as something that is great but not for them. They are wrong!! Surfing The Amazon (or e-business 101) If you are thinking about starting up your own e-business and need some inspiration or ideas what better place to start than the top. Amazon.com was and is an amazing success story, if we follow the history of the company and look at what procedures the founder, Jeff Bezos, put into place we'll have some pretty rock solid foundations on which to build a stable and profitable e-business of our own. Everyone that has used the Internet must at sometime have wondered how web pages are actually designed. This as you can imagine is a vast subject in fact the sheer amount of information is often daunting, this need not be the case as we'll walk you through designing your very first web page. You will not need any special tools other than those found on your computer, you will not have to learn vast amounts of computer jargon and coding techniques, you'll just have to have fun. There have been various revolutions in world history such as the industrial revolution that have changed the way people live their lives permanently. But none has occurred as quickly, ubiquitously and nonchalantly as the Internet revolution. The Internet revolution has affected every corner of our culture in profound ways, at home, at school, and at work, our lives are different not necessarily better but certainly different as we move into the Information Age. Developing a successful online business. Having worked within the Internet arena for numerous years it is all too easy to forget that this is still a relatively new venture for most senior executives, business managers and all the administrative type service departments beneath them. Don't take me the wrong way, I'm not saying that they have no experience with the Internet, what I am saying is that the vast majority of these individuals fail to realise how to utilise the Internet for the best benefit of their business. You've worked long and hard, but finally your new Web site is finished, it's sitting there a model of perfection with everything just looking as you always wanted it to. In fact, you may have gone so far as to tell the powers that be that, this time the Web site cannot fail to generate business, so confident are you of it's success. Designing the Perfect Banner . With advertising rates seeming to rise almost on a daily basis it is imperative that the banner being advertised is the most effective banner you could possibly have, as this should in theory lead to the greatest success for your marketing campaign. Disaster Planning - Server/Hosting Failures. Ask ten Web site based business what causes them the biggest problem and keeps them up at night and I'm sure you'll hear Web site hosting mentioned by more then one or two of them. Creating a Professional Website Specifically Designed to Sell If you're a serious Internet Entrepreneur, your top priority must be your website. Your website is a direct reflection of you and your business. Learning to create a professional website designed to sell will take a great deal of time and effort. There is much more to take into consideration than design. You must look at a much broader picture and specifically design your website to sell. How do two busy but savvy university students manage to make a success of their fledgling Web Development business? Discover how up-and-coming business people Martin Smith and Jon Southall struggle to succeed both in their business and their development-related university courses. Will it work? You decide. Publishing an Ezine: A Step by Step Guide One of the most powerful marketing techniques
used on the Internet
is email capture. This technique is used in a variety of ways to
enable an Internet marketer to keep in touch with their visitors
and promote their products and services. How a computer programmer followed his dream and started a highly successful message board community. An interview with visionary Vanchau Nguyen, Founder and Chief Technology officer of ezboard.com. No matter where you are in the world you cannot have failed to notice the sheer amount of press coverage the word "Virus" has attained in recent weeks. Indeed at one point it was almost impossible to open a newspaper or watch a news broadcast, without some reporter or another mentioning the latest most deadly virus to be spreading around the world's computers. If you're serious about your Internet business and have a sincere desire to succeed, having your own domain name is a must. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity. Not only does it help to identify you as a professional and provide a memorable address for your customers, but it provides you with the freedom to market your business without the fear of someone taking it all away. The Kaleidoscopic Adventures of Joy How does being a systems analyst, writer, band manager, rock band magazine editor, undercover journalist, and graphics designer lead to operation of a successful eZine and a Web design company? This month Judy Vorfeld interviews Joy Williams of Artist Web Design, and JoyZine & The Adventures of Zoë. Designing A Web Site for Success There are millions of web sites on the Internet today with thousands more being added each day. The competition is fierce and in order to be successful, you must stay one step ahead of the game. FROM THE RAIN FOREST TO THE WEB How does one segue from subsistence farming in the rain forest to harvesting hits on the World Wide Web? "It wasn't a plan," says search engine specialist William Johnson, of Tucson, Arizona. "In mid-1994, I got bored watching a pre-season University of Arizona football game and wandered to the main library's deserted computer lab. I'd spent my last 20 years in the jungle, and had never used a computer, but... I s property damage an act of violence? How about virtual trespassing? That's what the mainstream media and the United States government would have us believe. In the so-called "land of the free, home of the brave," courageous protestors and hacktivists are finding that their available avenues for protest are fewer and farther between . Central Virginia Business Directory How did busy CPA, educator, and dedicated mother revolutionize her life by starting an Internet business? Nancy Saltz, of Central Virginia Business Directory reveals the dramatic incidents that led her to gamble on starting an Internet business. So you've got yourself a killer Web site, its primed and ready for action, but getting the word out is proving to be a little difficult. Your finding that looking at your visitors' stats is similar to looking through a pile of blank paper and the managing director keeps asking you why the Internet is not producing any tangible results. Well here we try to look at some of the most popular ways to generate repeat visitors. From
Bricks & Mortar
to Cyberspace In the early 1980s, four co-partners founded Windsor Communications Co., a design firm specializing in creative work for the entertainment industry. Within a couple of years Windsor became a full service ad agency. One of the partners, Stephen Brockelman, with a strong background in the entertainment industry, became obsessed with information distribution and with finding new ways of promoting his services. Are you selling your services at a reasonable price or are you running around like a busy fool. There is no clear cut or agreed method of establishing a price for your services, however you should clearly aim to set your prices initially at a level that gives you the highest profits possible. In this article we interview home-based programming whiz William Bontrager, whose screaming hot cgi, wife's design site, and highly successful e-zine, WillMaster Possibilities, make his site a "must" to visit. Do you really need an Internet Presence? Are you constantly being asked, "What's your web site address?" are you finding that the answer "that you don't have one" leaves you feeling slightly inadequate, and could be losing you potential customers. If the answer's, yes then this article is especially for you, lets look at some typical answers as to why companies are not on the Internet? And give you a few suggestions. Adding New E-Mail Accounts to Outlook Express I don't know about you, but the number of times that I have been asked " how do you set-up a new e-mail account in Outlook Express " is astronomical, although quite understandable given the pace of the Internet and the way businesses all over the world are rushing towards it. For example our hosting customers expect to be able to utilise their new email accounts straight away, with the minimum of fuss and they expect us to provide step by step instructions if they hit problems. That where this article comes in to play, we have decided to provide step by step instructions on exactly how to set-up Outlook Express to utilise a new e-mail account. How to Offer Good Web Site Copy Judy maintains contact with many Webmasters and Web site owners-some of whom are clients, most of whom are colleagues-and occasionally interviews them for her "how-to" articles. Do you ever cringe while trying to create effective copy for a Web site? "Writing is indispensable to success in today's world," says Jennifer Stewart, "and in the current competitive climate, you need to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way." The Straw that Broke the Consumer's Back For me, it was the advertisements on the gas pump handles in San Jose, California. For some, it was the recorded message just after the busy signal offering to continue dialing the busy number for a small fee. For others, it may be the corporate logos printed on individual sheets of future toilet paper rolls or the total transformation of the Internet from a communication tool to just another marketing channel. But rest assured, the last marketing straw is threatening to break the back of the average consumer - and soon. So, the question arises: How do you market your website without becoming the proverbial last straw? As a Web developer, when I'm developing a site, I most often think about how I can incorporate the most cutting-edge and latest technologies, such as dHTML and assorted plug-ins, but have never really stopped to consider the large group of users who may wish to access one of my sites using something other than MSIE 5.0 or the latest offering out of Netscape. What will these people see? How many of my users come from this demographic and how will incorporating good design techniques that allow all-around access affect my site's traffic? Maybe the most basic question I could pose would be "Should we be developing the most innovative technology or sites that are accessible by the largest potential audience?". Web Site Marketing - Ten Golden Rules Attracting visitors to your Web site is the ultimate goal of every site owner out there, millions of Web sites all fighting for the same visitors. Many Web sites fail to attract visitors, not because of the sites content or general appearance, but because the sites owners have failed to promote the Web site effectively. So what's contractual advantage? Well, it's actually your company's terms and conditions. These are perhaps the most important things you show to your customers. They express how professional of an organisation you are, how business oriented you are, and how fair you play the game. We've all heard the phrase, "read the small print"... New to the Internet and thinking about creating a presence for your company? Or perhaps you are a Web developer on your first professional project? What steps should you take in the development process and what can you expect at the out-come? Take a look at this article for all the answers... Overcoming Web Builder's Block The deadline is approaching, and you still don't have an idea of what this site is going to contain. Sound like a familiar scenario? Maybe this article can offer a bit of help. So, ya' say you want to be a professional Web builder? Are you ready to embark on a completely new adventure in the Internet arena? Just make sure you stock up on the instant noodles and powdered milk... What is the story with 3D on the Internet? Was it destined to lag behind every other technology out there, or can we expect some new hope in the near-future? You've got your ASP in order. Your CGI scripts are ready to process those online transactions. Now, what else do you need to do to make that e-commerce presence come to life? Here's a look from an e-commerce pro. The Internet is so young, but yet there are so many self-proclaimed experts out there. Are they for real or just trying to make a buck through a book? We've all heard that mystical term "community" in reference to the Internet, but what exactly is it, and how does one go about establishing it? Where is our industry headed as a profession? Are we ever going to find any respect, or is the Web building profession bound to be regarded as a rouge sector dominated by anti-socials artistics and hackers? Are you designs merely status quo or do your Web sites stand out from the crowd? How do you make a statement and pursue design success? Here's a look at this unwritten law. Where are we? How did we get here? Is this the result of too much drinking and too little discretion? Sometimes the Web industry looks like an accident waiting to happen. What direction is this road leading to? The free Web site hosts are becoming less than "free" these days. How much does your intellectual property matter to you? If you regard it as something that matters, then you'd better inspect that TOS agreement before placing your HTML on a free host. E-commerce has eradicated geographical boundaries and national borders, allowing both companies to pursue international business consumers, and consumers to purchase any item, day or night, globally without leaving there house. Well, this is the case if you live in North America. |
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