There are two types of websites: Good Websites and Bad Websites. The line that divides these two categories varies accordingly to your needs. A real estate agent has different needs than an artist. A dentist has different needs than a musician. What every business needs is a website that gives accurate and well presented information while simultaneously creating a pleasingly emotional experience.
I use very contemporary design techniques to serve the end purposes of generating customers and creating revenue. Important factors include using the right types of technologies, a beautiful visual appearance, hand-holding informational layouts, search engine optimization, and the use of media in the correct proportion and degree to achieve your business goals.
You are looking at a website that demonstrates my sense of style. I took the colors of the sunset over the western shore of Mobile Bay, Alabama that you can see from Point Clear and combined it with a contemporary style known as "Web 2.0" that uses a lot of gradient colors and rounded corners.
Not that you need to know any of the technical details for me to create the perfect website for you, but for those who are interested, in building my sites I use combinations of HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, MySQL, XML, FlashTM and RSS feeds to get it done right. If you notice the "Valid XHTML" link at the bottom of the page, that just means that my code is clean and the site will function properly on the Internet for a very long time.
What is a blog? "Blog"is a shortened version of the words "Web Log." A blog is a website that is commonly used to announce press releases, write articles, and keep readers informed on a regular basis. Many people use blogs to keep a personal online journal, but a blog can give a business the advantage of having it's own online news broadcasting tool.
Part of the magic of a blog is its ability to automatically generate what is known as a "RSS feed." A person creates a blog "post" which is an article or press release. Once the post is "posted" on the web, the RSS feed then distributes the post all across the world, or to a targeted area. Potential customers as well as people who share a common interest in your goods and services can find your posts online without having even known about your website. If within your posts you include a link to your online store, you then have the opportunity to generate revenue.
The blog platform I will use and customize for your business is WordPress. It is a great tool with just about every technical customization you could want, including video, podcasting, event calendars, private membership logins, and a change of style or appearance at the click of a mouse. It is used by the New York Times, Martha Stewart, Larry King and Reuters to name a few, and it will put you on the same level as these media moguls. This can either be a stand-alone website or it can be made to match and be appended to your current static website.
If you have new or updated information for your website, in most cases you will want to be able to put this content on your website yourself in a timely manner. I know that it is hard to have to wait on a web developer to update your website while he or she waits for the convenient time to do so. What you need in this case is a content management system, or CMS.
With a CMS you do not have to know any more about computers than knowing how to get onto the Internet and how to use a word processor like Microsoft WordTM. A CMS has a section, or view, that allows you to create, edit, or delete the words and pictures on your site. No one else can see this section except for you. You can configure a CMS to not allow you to alter the important code and design of your site, which is good if you are concerned you might mess the site up completely.
A customized blog could be considered a CMS, although there are some differences, and depending on your needs the features of a CMS might be a better choice than having a blog. There are two or three content management systems that I like to use for clients depending, once again, on specific needs and business goals.
I can set you up with a website you can edit yourself.
Studies show that most people use search engines like GoogleTM or YahooTM to find information on the Web. If your website does not show up in the search engines then it is like a gas station on an island with no cars.
I once worked for a company where my sole job was to improve the search engine rankings of about 3000 dental and orthodontic websites. The medical fields are very competitive in the search engines, and I learned many techniques and methods of improving search engine rankings for dentists in major markets like Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. You could say it is my specialty.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing process, and there are no guarantees. Any web developer who guarantees your website to appear on the first page of Google's results is lying. Either that, or the developer uses unethical tricks that will eventually get your site banned from the search engines altogether.
Sometimes SEO is not as important for a website. For example, an artist who cannot be pigeonholed or nailed down to certain genre might not need to consider how the general public searches for his or her art. In this case it is more important to showcase the artist's work properly using multimedia rather than focusing too hard on SEO. Likewise, a company with a strong print advertising campaign can list its website address on the print ad, and thus search engines do not play an important role in the sales process.
One other thing to remember is that, in general, websites that use a lot of graphics and animation do not perform as well in the search engines as sites that use the right amount of well-placed text. There are other factors to consider like the way your pages are linked to one another and how the rest of the World Wide Web links to your site. I can explain this to you further if you would like to meet in person.
Nobody wants to look at a boring website. Your website needs images, videos, and interactive features to keep it fresh and engaging. I have the equipment an know-how to produce and distribute professional presentations, online video, audio, podcasts, and elegant photo galleries.
Video
There are several different ways to present video on your website. Using a video social networking website, such as YouTube, is a good way to host your video for several reasons. 1) It doesn't require any of your web hosting hard drive space or bandwidth, and 2) Somebody surfing and searching on YouTube might more easily discover your goods and services. You can embed video directly on the page as shown to the left or you can have a pop-up window play video as demonstrated by CLICKING HERE.
Video can have a great impact on your presentation. There is a direct impression made on the viewer, and it gives your website another level of legitimacy. The technology is affordable and available, and there is no reason why you should not have at least one video on your site.
I have the equipment and ability to produce videos and online presentations for your business. Contact me to find out more.
Podcasting
A podcast is a lot like a blog, except that instead of publishing text, you are publishing audio or video. Podcasting is advantageous for companies that have unique information or creative content that people desire and cannot get anywhere else. It is also a good way to strengthen relationships with visually impaired customers. These listeners subscribe to your podcast to get the stimulation they need and then are reminded of your products and services.
If not used merely as a marketing tool, you can also set up premium subscription podcasts which require payment before downloading. This is rarer, and to make this successful you would have to have very, very valuable information or content for sale in audio or video format.
I can not only build a podcasting system for you, I can also produce podcasts and any other type of audio, including commercials, for your business.
Photo Galleries
Posting pictures of your business locations, your staff, or your products for sale is always a good idea. There are many different options as far as style and functionality, such as automatic slideshows, and any style of photo gallery you can imagine is usually possible.
The wealthiest people in the world have found a way to make money while they are sleeping. Setting up an online store will set you on your way. It doesn't just have to be physical goods - you can sell services, digital downloads and memberships too.
Having an online store requires a few extra bells and whistles. You have to get what is called a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) that adds an extra level of security to protect customers' personal information and credit card numbers.
You also have to have a way to take payments. This can either be done by creating a free account with payment service website (e.g. PayPal, Google Checkout) or setting up a merchant account with a bank to take payments directly from your site. There are pros and cons to both - PayPal and Google Checkout are very easy to use, can be set up immediately, and do not require any entry costs. However, setting up a merchant account might give your website a more polished presentation and save you percentage points of each sale.