Small Business Resource Center Blog

CMS Vacation Rental Website Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:02:00 +0000

The custom cms, content management system, web design for SunShinyFlorida.com vacation rental site launched last week and final web design enhancements were completed over the weekend. This example of cms web design techniques has the following advanced features:

Home page flash slide show with controls for play, pause, and stop
Separate interactive flash photo gallery featuring their home
CSS and XHTML custom design contact form with captcha to avoid spam
Custom vacation rental availability calendar to show open rental booking dates
Matching color scheme custom integrated Blogger blog for vacation news
Custom 404 error page providing navigation options to keep visitors engaged

The admin backend control allows the owner to create unlimited new pages in xhtml with css that comply to W3C. For the price of 10 static web design pages the intial launch is a 25 page cms website, and the owner may now add 100, 500, or 1000 website pages at no additional cost. The web design service price included resources for seo, or search engine optimization to enhance visitor experience and attract search engines.

Small business owners interested in a web design makeover, or completely new website design, are welcome to request a no obligation evaluation of their website needs. View my main site or the CMS Vacation Rental Site Launch for ideas about website design features that you would like, and then email me from any page.

TAGS: content management system cms web design website launch seo search engine optimization

About Free Small Business Web Design

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:06:00 +0000

I'm surprised that the search phrase "free small business web design" returns over 78 million results in Google. Does a small business owner really want a free website? It could be a major strategic error depending on your expectations for site performance.

My analogy from personal experience is a free puppy years ago, and in less than a year the vet costs were astronomical and then it died suddenly. Later the vet discovered the dog was terminally ill with a rare disease. He volunteered to dispose of the carcasse if I would allow an autopsy in the name of science to assist in evaluating the cause, and then told me about the rarity and that perhaps inbreeding was partly to blame.

A small business website that is expected to perform and attract visitors as well as search engines, and then convert those visitors to buyers, may not work with a free small business web design. You risk the same unknowns as that free puppy, and in most cases it leads to disappointment.

Professional advice for acquiring a new website when cost is a factor and you are thinking free is best could very well be a cms, or content management system. Unlike static sites with ongoing costs to upgrade or add pages, a cms system allows a small business owner to take control to add, edit, or delete content without the knowledge of html or xhtml programming. Once the intitial cost is paid, your website is just like free because you can add unlimited pages by creating content in a word processor. For owners who do not have the time to work on website pages, delegate the task to your brightest employee, and learn enough to take over or train someone else in the event of employee turnover.

On the other hand, if you want a site that simply provides more information than will fit on the back of a business card, and search engine traffic doesn't matter, a free web design may work. This point brings out the philosophy I have of asking "What are your expectations for site performance?" before accepting any custom web design project. Think about the downside of a free web design compared to cms, and then view what I offer because a content management system close to free may be the best long term strategy for your small business.

Readers are welcome to request a no obligation evaluation of their website plan, including free advice for resources to meet their small business goals. Visitors to this site reluctant to take the time to write may be surprised. I'm very willing to help steer owners in the right direction even if it means not with me.

TAGS: advice cms content management system web design free web design small business

Standard Web Design Page Width

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:19:00 +0000

As computer technology and internet browsers change, web designers should adjust their thoughts about what is right or wrong in web design. There is no standard web design page width, yet web developers often have a favorite, and I'm no different. The standard I use for new designs is fixed width at 960 pixels, so some designers would complain that "older" 800x600 pc monitors will have a horizontal scroll bar across the bottom. From checking stats, fewer than 5% of my visitors have 800x600, so that (old) objection to horizontal scrolling because of page widths wider than 800 no longer applies.

Some small business web design clients don't realize that controlling a visitor's experience completely is impossible. For example, in all browsers you can enlarge text size which is an option for vision impaired people. The standard in IE is "medium" text size which should look fine on all computer monitors. I test each of my web design projects in the latest version of all 5 major browsers to make sure the custom web design displays properly.

The enlarged text option can move objects around, so if you allow text resizing which is the right thing to do, you no longer control the visitor's experience. Not discussed, and most web designers either do not know or care about this aspect of design, is accessibility. Many designers create sites with fixed font sizes, so visitors have no choice, yet mine allow disabled persons who need larger text to enjoy reading site content.

While my standard web design page width is 960 pixels, even that number has evolved with year to year changes in technology. There is no one correct answer, so being flexible and offering clients a choice based on their preferences will help keep the majority happy. Don't like a page width standard? Ask, and most web designers will accommodate your needs.

TAGS: advice accessibility standards web design

Small Business Owner Finances Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:44:00 +0000

During a web design site upgrade discussion recently, a client pointed out that more than 50% of their competition is closing shop or moving to a home based operation to cut costs. Asked how they manage to survive, they stated they have the experience and longevity, and here's a bonus small business owner finances tip.

A creative source for small business credit card factoring advances is FastUpFront.com who bases loan repayment on daily sales, not on fixed monthly payment amounts. The advantage is more working capital to cover costs during lean months, and they specialize in helping small business owners with poor credit or zero collateral.

My situation as a home-based sole proprietor is more flexible in a slow economy, yet brick and mortar small business owners need all the help they can get during an economic downturn. The release of lower cost web design options in CMS is intended to help ease small business owner finance concerns, also.

TAGS: advice cash flow small business advice small business finance web design

Web Design and Internal Hyperlinks

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:30:00 +0000

For best practices in web design, and especially for do-it-yourself small business websites, methods for creating internal hyperlinks can benefit seo, or search engine optimization, if done correctly. It is still fairly easy to find novice web design examples using "Click here" for the link to new content. This poor example of link text instructs the visitor with the action to take without any clue as to the destination, or what to expect when following the link.

The best web design method for links is to use text in the hyperlink that describes the content at the target page. This helps give your visitors a reason to follow the link, and for disabled persons the descriptive text improves accessibility. If you want search engine traffic driven to your site, the key words used in the link text will enhance the value for seo, search engine optimization.

For example if you have a tutorial on web design, using a link of "click here" with visit our tutorial about web design, "click here" as the hyperlinked text would not be as effective as visit our "tutorial about web design" with tutorial about web design as the hyperlink. This advice is for web design and internal hyperlinks, yet the same is true of external links. The value of backlinks to your site from other sites gets a boost by search engines if each describes the page content with key words rather than just your www domain page file name.

Descriptive text in hyperlinks helps visitors, enhances accessibility, and will help attract search engine traffic. Comments or questions about best practices in web design and search engine optimization are welcome.

TAGS: advice web design hyperlinks seo search engine optimization

Trademark Research and Web Design

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:30:00 +0000

Some time ago a client for a custom web design asked my assistance in doing research for submitting a USA trademark application for their small business. While my real business is custom web design, the customer felt I could find key information about trademarks easily, and save them the time.

Here's what I found. If considering a trademark for your small business to protect your web design or other rights, visit the US Trademark FAQs website to discover more about this interesting topic. Learn the difference between trademark, service mark, certification mark, and collective mark.

The process of applying for a trademark can be costly, and certainly takes time with up to a year of waiting during the approval cycle. Small business owners are welcome to contact me for web design projects or related online research.

TAGS: advice web design research trademark

CMS Web Design Performance PDF Download

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:17:00 +0000

Small business owners should be wary of experts who promise web design seo performance without showing evidence of positive results. Too often web developers use deceptive means to improve ranking and lasting results are unlikely. A new Content Management System or CMS web design related free PDF download entitled Case Study of CMS Web Design Performance of Small Business Owner Website was released earlier today with the following topics:

Introduction of Search Engine Philosophy
Comparing CMS Web Design to Static Pages
Overview of Web Design SEO Performance Results
Screenshots from Actual Search Engine Traffic
Search Phrases and Summary of SEO Results
Appendix of CMS Web Design and SEO Training

The purpose of the report is to demonstrate to web design clients the value of the advanced seo, search engine optimization, methods being taught to cms web design customers. The report includes advice as well as screenshots of actual searches that brought recent visitors to my website after visitors searched Google for cms and related web design terms.

While the advantage of easily adding new content using CMS is key, most new pages may take time to show up in search results, perhaps months. One search result earlier today was to a new page launched yesterday, so having pages optimized for search as well as providing quality content can provide page one ranking in Google, and new traffic in less than 24 hours. Another new page featured in the web design and seo report made page two out of 457 million results.

My advice for best practice web design has always been design for visitors first, and then add quality original content often. Those words quality + often = happy repeat visitors and search engine traffic.

Right click this link to download the illustrated CMS Web Design Performance Report (286kb, pdf, 7 pages). You do not have to register or provide an email address to enjoy this free web design related report. Readers are encouraged to forward the PDF to friends or small business peers who may be interested in this web design and seo performance breakthrough using cms.

TAGS: advice cms free pdf report seo search engine optimization web design

CMS Web Design Training Tutorials

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:17:00 +0000

The newest page on the main site for web design using a CMS, or Content Management System, is an outline of the web design training tutorials provided to my clients for small business custom cms web design. The outline lists the initial 14 chapters of training materials in pdf that allow owners to create new content for their website without a requirement to learn html code. Some lessons may be released as video tutorials, also.

View the list of web design tutorials for cms clients here. Small business owners interested in do-it-yourself web design, or free website resources, may want to consider this outline for planning their web design project. If enough people ask, I may feature a public ebook version of the pdf training written with generic advice rather than customized for my cms web design clients only.

TAGS: advice web design cms content management system small business advice

Web Design and Graphics Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:25:00 +0000

A new web design video tutorial demonstrates masking photographs to clip the background, and then combining two photos for a web graphic illustration. This client purchased a stock photo of a boxer being punched and wanted to convey a message about new internet users being abused in an upcoming web design. The second photo overlay in this web design graphic adds a business shirt and tie to the boxer's bare chest to look more like an internet user.

Next, a new custom business card artwork gallery #2 features 50 more full color business card examples. Most include the business card front and back to show how card backs may be used for small ads, or a call to action. The gallery uses an advanced web design technique in CSS to display 50 cards larger than actual size in half an open browser window. Enlarged business card views display instantly as you mouse over the thumbnails, and do not use javascript or flash. In addition, each card has a caption describing the company business product or service in plain text for added SEO value.

Finally, both card galleries have a new comment for clients who want to order fewer than 5000 new business cards. The printer I recommend now offers 1000 2-sided full color UV coated cards for $30 plus tax and freight.

Watch the advanced photo edit video for web graphics on my main site, or view 100 examples of business card artwork in the original 50 card gallery or new Gallery 2 with 50 more designs, and then email me from any page with questions about custom graphic art for web design or print.

TAGS: advice business cards small business advice video tutorial web design

Search Engine Optimization Free PDF

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:38:00 +0000

The latest episode of the Small Business Website Mailbag podcast was released earlier today, and includes the transcript of today's program: Web Design SEO Audio Ebook. The subtitle of the free to download PDF is "Search Engine Optimization Step by Step Guide", and this SEO tutorial provides detailed methods for optimizing keywords in a small business web design. You may download the ebook without obligation because you do not have to register or reveal your email address.

Download the PDF ebook to read as you listen along to the podcast episode as I read the transcript of the program. In addition, the PDF SEO tutorial has bonus information with added search engine optimization tips that are not included in the audio podcast. Here is one excerpt not in the podcast with another definition of the term SEO:

SEO has more than one meaning and stands for "Search Engine Optimizer", also, which means a consultant offering search engine optimization services. The true experts get anywhere from $5000 to $20,000 for optimizing a single website.

In addition, there are unscrupulous people who know the buzz words contained in this report, and they razzle dazzle clients into paying thousands in recurring monthly or annual fees with zero results. New clients have contacted me and reported ongoing SEO service payments for years without results, yet they accept lame excuses and just keep paying. Here’s one way they are deceived.

Search engines do not reveal their algorithms for serving up search results, so this secrecy is one weapon the unscrupulous SEO snake oil salespersons use to explain away poor results. Be very wary of anyone who promises page one. It is a lie.

Listen to the "Web Design SEO Audio Ebook" podcast episode, and then download or read the PDF tutorial "Search Engine Optimization Step by Step Guide" here (454kb, pdf). Learning do-it-yourself web design and keyword optimization can save small business owners thousands in annual fees. Your only investment is your time.

TAGS: advice pdf tutorial podcast seo search engine optimization small business advice web design

Post Card and Flyer Gallery Redesign

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:22:00 +0000

The new photo gallery display web design technique in CSS on the main site was used to redesign the post card and flyer gallery page. The old version was converted to pure CSS in perfect XHTML with CSS2 and zero code errors. This advanced web design method includes similar features to the recently created business card artwork gallery as follows:

(1) 3 rows of 6 post card and flyer thumbnails (18 examples)
(2) enlarged views of each post card on the same page
(3) seo friendly caption in actual text in enlarged views

A key advantage of this web design technique is the old design showed just 6 examples of artwork that required scrolling to view the entire page. The new css web design method displays 18 examples in approximately half the open window browser for easier viewing by visitors. An added bonus is the seo or search engine optimization of the enlarged views with descriptive text captions that may be indexed by search engines.

View these 18 graphic art examples of full color custom designed post cards and flyers as displayed on this gallery page. Gorgeous post cards or flyers in full color 2-sided designs allow cost effective advertising to mail or hand out. This Post Card and Flyer Artwork Design Gallery includes front and back enlarged images of custom flyer and post card artwork.

TAGS: post card artwork css gallery graphic art seo search engine optimization web design

Business Card Gallery Converted to CSS

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:08:00 +0000

As part of the web design makeover of the Small Business Resource Center website I converted the custom business card gallery in pure CSS. The thumbnail graphic of each of the 50 business card examples has been reduced in size, and the CSS layout renders enlarged versions of each, and all within a half page area. Unlike web design techniques in some photo galleries using javascript or flash, the business card gallery renders enlarged views instantly without a popup window or redirect to a JPG on a new page.

View the following screenshot from this gallery of custom business card artwork, and note that the card thumbnails and enlarged version (larger than actual size) takes up very little space on the page. The sequence of encircled numbers in the graphic below point out (1) the 5 rows of 10 business card thumbnails as contained in an area 550 pixels wide by 180 pixels high, the (2) enlarged view of one of the business card designs as displayed below the gallery rows, and (3) the seo friendly caption in actual text that appears under each photo.

(1) the 5 rows of 10 business card thumbnails
(2) enlarged view of one of the business card designs
(3) the seo friendly caption in actual text

This improved web design technique with CSS allows having 50 photographs with enlarged views in half an open browser window. The caption under each photo adds search engine optimization value to the web design because the text can be indexed by search engines. The caption text is visible to visitors for improved usability, also, which helps people viewing the business cards identify the company and their business for each design.

View the Graphic Art | Business Card Design Gallery to see this advanced web design technique for creating a business card or photo gallery with CSS. The enlarged views of the 50 cards are each 400 pixels wide, so presenting 50 cards in such a small space is a big improvement over the previous version of that page.

Finally, the web design of this page is complex yet meets W3C standards compliance with perfect code in XHTML and CSS2. A revised gallery of post cards and flyers will be next using this same technique. Unlike the current design with a handful of examples, the post card gallery will include 18 custom post card designs in a similar small space. Readers interested in a compact photo gallery web design for their small business website are welcome to email me for a quote.

TAGS: business card artwork css gallery graphic art seo search engine optimization web design

CMS Web Design Video Tutorial Released

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:21:00 +0000

A new page of our main site provides web design advice for small business owners including a CMS web design video tutorial just released today. The video demonstrates how the Small Business Resource Center website was converted from static pages to CMS or Content Management System generated pages using plain text.

The video includes a tour of the backend admin section of this site, and a demonstration of how new pages may be added to a CMS based design in plain text without having to learn or know HTML code. An important aspect featured in the web design tutorial is how my custom designed CMS system provides simple methods of adding META information for search engine optimization, or SEO, also.

At the same time, a new episode on the Small Business Website Mailbag podcast provides advice and information about web design using CSS styles, or cascading style sheets. The podcast show notes link to the video, also. The new and easy-to-use technique for creating a new small business web design with CMS relates to CSS for separating content and presentation and is a big part of this latest web design service.

Existing customers with static web design pages created by me are welcome to inquire about converting their website to an owner managed content management system. A $500 discount off my published price is good for existing customers and valid through June, 30, 2008. Watch the CMS web design video tour and podcast episode about web design and css styling to learn more, and then don't delay as the end of the month approaches.

TAGS: advice cms content management system seo video tutorial web design

70 Page Web Design CMS Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:32:00 +0000

The custom web design of the main site of the Small Business Resource Center website has been converted to a CMS, Content Management System, and all 70 pages are done. The advice blog and podcast graphics conversion to match will be done soon so the entire site has a consistent look. This CMS system was selected after 2-3 years of research for a simple method of creating a web design with perfect XHTML and CSS with a tableless design.

The web design makeover to CMS follows the announcement of this new service 2 weeks ago here, and in 2 podcast episodes about CMS. The purpose of a Content Management System for web design is allowing small business owners the control to add, edit, or delete content to manage their website without learning how to code in XHTML.

Unlike most CMS software out of the box, our custom web design with matching graphics, and significant template modification, has been done to maximize aesthetics and allow SEO, Search Engine Optimization, of your small business website. Tired of paying your web developer each time you need a change? Follow this link to learn about a custom web design with CMS for your small business.

Interested in a tour of a working CMS web design? Visit my main site to view the 70 page web design and CMS makeover. Technically my blog and podcast are done in CMS, so the overall content of this website has more than 350 pages of information and advice for small business web design and related services.

TAGS: content management system cms launch news small business services web design

Just When You Thought You Heard Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Staying on top of technology is part of my job in custom web design and development, and just when you thought you heard everything something new comes along. Designing sites for accessibility means making it easier for disabled persons to access your content. To my surprise, one site goes beyond simple text, and does it very well.

Here's what happened just recently. For one of my personal blogs I use FeedBlitz for readers to subscribe to posts, and I get emailed copies of their broadcasts announcing new posts, also. I file the announcements without much thought, but decided to read the latest. WOW! As expected, a story posted on my personal childhood storytelling blog was linked in the announcement email, but it included an icon for a pc speaker. Curious, I followed the link to find that my personal blog posts are being digitized from text to audio as an RSS feed, and available for listeners to hear!

Visit Growin' Up in Maine with the story of a photo postcard my Grandmother showed me when I was 6. Next, open up another tab in your browser and follow this link to hear the digitized audio of the story told with a female voice and matching the blog post perfectly word for word.

One aspect of web design that deserves more attention is website accessibility making the internet as equal as possible for persons with disabilities. For example, my web designs in xhtml with css are easier for screen readers to extract and present content spoken aloud digitally to blind persons. A very small percentage of web developers design websites for accessibility, and others may not care.

The voice tempo of the digitized version of my post was nearly human, and it was perfectly clear with fewer odd pauses than I would have expected. If you know a blind or vision impaired person who goes online, you may want to introduce them to this audio feed service from talkr.com that will allow them to listen to audio versions of written blog posts.

TAGS: advice accessibility audio blog text to audio web design

Design Evolution and CMS Web Design

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:00:00 +0000

As new technology evolves, the evolution of web development design and cms web design continues to make great progress. My goal has always been perfect code to comply with W3c standards with zero code errors, and creating websites designed with seo rich content for search engine optimization. Most CMS, content management systems, create code errors yet with 1000 files in the system to tweak, getting a perfect cms site has been nearly impossible.

With the newer wide screen format for personal computers, the layout of some websites are not displayed as well as expected. The reason in some cases is a stretchy design that fills the screen and creates long sentences in wide screen view. The advantage shows up on smaller computer monitors at 800 pixels wide, yet that goal is practicaly obsolete.

From tracking stats of visitor systems used to view my site, it turns out that fewer than 5% are on 800 x 600 screens. The purpose of a flexible design is filling the screen on all sizes without needing a horizontal scroll bar, yet accommodating older technology appears to affect very few people.

As a result, my choice for the future is fixed width site design of 960 pixel wide sites that will apparently display well on any size screen. By using xhtml with css these custom web designs will also display well on small screens like the iPhone or cell phones, too.

Meanwhile, the design evolution and cms web design has conquered the problem of creating a site the owner can manage, and finally have perfect xhtml and css. To begin demonstrating this newer cms method of web design, I've added a section for readers to view to see the development and evolution of cms. The concept and new feature is the subject of the latest podcast episode entitled Custom CMS Web Design Demo, so you may now listen about this breakthrough in design services that I offer. Email comments or questions from any page of this website.

TAGS: advice cms content management system search engine optimization small business services

Two Days Two Weeks or Two Months

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Fri, 23 May 2008 23:16:00 +0000

How long should it take to get a domain registered, a logo proof, and a custom web design for your small business? Incredibly, some of my new clients contact me for one of the above after waiting months for service from prepaid vendors. You pay in advance for support of your new small business and it is reasonable to expect timely action.

Previously a client paid a large design company for a logo, domain registration, and web design, and two months later they were still waiting for the domain to be registered. Phone calls were either not returned or sent to voice mail oblivion without any callbacks.

When contacting me for assistance, the domain was registered within two days plus a logo proof was emailed, as well. With their logo approval the site prototype was online within two days, and the site was complete in two weeks. Since their first order, that client has ordered two more custom website designs.

Another client has been on hold with their custom web project because they're waiting two months for their logo from another designer. If you have been waiting to get your custom web design online for two days, two weeks, or two months, and you're growing impatient, please email me or give me a call.

Besides the advantage of fast response because I'm a home-based sole proprietor, my overhead is negligible and I pass the savings on to my clients with modest pricing for custom web design projects. To succeed, web developers need to be responsive to inquiries plus deliver a quality design at a fair price on time. That formula works for me, and it's sad some companies overlook this basic principle of providing professional web design services to small business owners.

TAGS: advice domains domain registration small business advice web design

New Large Screen Video Design Services

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:15:00 +0000

I began using a new production technique for large screen web video for small business websites, and the following example was recently launched for a tutorial on the RBO Vacation Ads website. The lesson demonstrates how to edit or resize photographs to 500 pixel wide using free photo edit software from Irfanview, yet this same advice can help blog owners adjust photos to any width.

Advantages of my technique for video production include larger display size and clarity, plus zero ads like some free hosted video websites. The custom video design includes mixed tracks with background music in the intro and outro, and the narration which was recorded separately.

You may want to view another video tutorial at Rent by Owner Vacation Ads. For small business owners who want a similar custom design large display video online ad to feature or introduce their products or services, contact me for a prompt quote.

TAGS: advice custom video small business advice small business services video tutorial website design

Joomla Articles Website Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Mon, 19 May 2008 22:14:00 +0000

Great resources for do-it-yourself small business website owners using a Joomla content management system may be found at the recently launched Joomla articles website.This brilliant one-stop-shop for everything Joomla is the creation of Ric Raftis, a fellow custom web design expert in Australia.

For now the site is in beta pending the formal release, yet the site is already loaded with valuable information for Joomla based site owners. The official Joomla forum contains nearly 1.3 million topics. By comparison, www.JoomlaArticles.com features only the best and current resources for making the most of your small business Joomla 1.5 installation.

My advice for small business website owners is bookmarking JoomlaArticles.com to stay on top of the latest developments from a neutral expert with an eye for collecting only the best online resources. Best of luck to Ric Raftis with the growth of this site.

TAGS: advice cms content management system joomla joomla articles reviews small business advice

Podcast Show Comparing Blog Formats

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:13:00 +0000

The latest podcast show comparing blog formats from Blogger and WordPress was launched today with advice for small business owners. If you're undecided about the benefits of blogging, or which format to select, the show gives comparisons of format, ease of use, and other features on these top blog formats.

The show features a review of a new custom matching blog done in WordPress for one of my personal sites, and features bonus tips for advanced plug-in options and themes or templates for WordPress. An integrated blog custom design to match your main site is one of the best search engine optimization techniques I can recommend. Contact me at any time for no obligation free advice about blogging for small business.

TAGS: advice blog blogger podcast small business advice WordPress

Prompt! Teleprompter Software Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:53:00 +0000

Quite often professional voice talent creating video or audio production use a teleprompter. For small business website multimedia production, there's a low cost alternative to expensive dedicated teleprompter solutions when adding video or audio to your web design or podcast.

After considerable research of teleprompter software reviews, the Prompt! software from DataWay Multimedia Canada, Inc for $44 USD is my recommended choice. A free lite version may be downloaded, also. Here's the list of features from their website, MovieClip.biz:

Text can be imported and exported
Simple text editing is available
Native files can be saved
User customizable controls
Macintosh or Windows playback
Control over font size
Mirrors text display on screen
Mouse or keyboard control
Lite version available
Multiple resolutions
Works with most remotes (not included)
Cheap!

Prompt! version7.0 is a standalone application that allows keeping multiple windows open during recording. My advice is preparing your audio script in NotePad and then load it into Prompt! with copy and paste. The scrolling text may be adjusted by size, color and background, and scroll speed. The Lite version is limited to 2500 characters, so you may want to do a test drive with Lite before making a purchase.

Using a teleprompter for short clips or full presentations allows readers to focus on content to eliminate gasps, oohs, or aahs during recording. Speaking extemporaneously is very difficult for most small business owners, and a prepared message is more likely to enhance the multimedia production. Reading from an audio script will be faster and more professional when adding audio or video to your website, blog, or podcast. Download Prompt! here.

TAGS: advice audio small business services software review video

Real Estate Website in CMS Launched

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:30:00 +0000

A new custom web design featuring real estate vacation rental ads was launched earlier using CMS, a Content Management System, allowing the webmaster to add property without knowing HTML code. The site is a rent by owner USA vacation property ad directory for owners, property managers, and realtors to upload free or low cost ads for USA short term rentals.

As the site owner, another purpose of the site is to demonstrate CMS capabilities to realtors interested in real estate templates for a custom web design, also. The layout is suitable for property sales as well as rentals, or both.

Initially the site is in test mode with the first rental listing from Central Florida, and new USA vacation rental properties will be added in the coming days and weeks. Visitors may join as members to view vacation property details including rates, and save favorites, plus view bookings availability calendars.

Owners or managers of rental property may join as agents to immediately begin adding listings with up to 8 photos per rent by owner vacation ad. Ads for listings are available to upload or edit 24/7, and real estate agents or homeowners gain instant access.

In addition, the site features a Rent by Owner USA Vacations blog using Blogger and integrated with a matching color scheme which will provide advice and tips for tourists and owners. Both were done in XHTML with CSS for fast loading and streamlined code. Visit the main real estate vacation rental ad website here, and the rent by owner USA vacations blog here.

TAGS: blog template custom website design content management system real estate website launch

Royalty Free Photos of People

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Sun, 04 May 2008 06:51:00 +0000

This site includes a directory of royalty free photo websites for small business owners to use for web design or printed marketing material. Royalty free photographs of people require special consideration. Royalty free does not mean free to use without limitations even when offered for commercial production of websites, print, or multimedia.

Creative works are intellectual property, and if a photographer posts photos on a royalty free website, it does not imply transfer of ownership if you download from their gallery. There are sites who charge a one time fee for use in one application, others who charge recurring royalty fees, and then those in my directory that are truly royalty free. If a photo includes people, each person's rights cannot be overlooked.

Anything royalty free has restrictions for use, including those without any fee. Always look for and read the license to avoid any legal copyright issues, and be cautious about using pictures from sites without any license information. They may have accumulated photographs without caring about copyright. Sale or redistribution of royalty free photos whether singles or collections is illegal.

It is your duty as a small business owner to stay within the law when downloading content for fair use. A photo that includes real and identifiable persons is especially tricky, and should never be used without that person's consent including a written model release.

TAGS: advice photographs royalty free small business advice

Small Business Online Research Frustration

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:09:00 +0000

People do online research looking for fast answers to inquiries in search engines. The trail leading to free information for a simple question should not take 5-10 minutes of sorting through sites for a real answer. Here's one case study of small business online research frustration, and the eventual solution.

After receiving a voice mail message from a small business owner, and then getting their answering machine when I returned their call, I decided to search online for more about them. The caller only left their name and phone number and a brief description of the design services of interest.

Without a business name or website URL, my first choice for finding out more about their company was a reverse phone lookup. The results from lookup services were a huge disappointment. Following search engine results was frustrating because each of the first three free lookup sites returned results on their website of "found" with more information available. Following that link took me to a paid service to get what should be publicly available for free.

Finally, I input the prospect's phone number into the Google search box, and instantly the first listing was their website. From viewing their site and doing a search in WhoIs, I was well prepared on the second callback when finally getting through and talking to the owner. Consider various ways of getting creative when it comes to search engines and small business online research to avoid the frustration of following dead ends and finding a surprise shopping cart.

TAGS: advice research search engines small business advice

Advice for New Small Business Websites

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Degerstrom) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:58:00 +0000

For owners looking for advice for a new small business website, the first 10 podcast episodes of the Small Business Website Mailbag may be the perfect starting point. The audio programs were intentionally presented in a logical order for business owners getting online for the first time.

Each show averages just over 10 minutes, so listening to each provides valuable audio advice for saving time and money with your first website. Listen online or download episodes to hear the expert tips at your leisure.

The 10 podcast programs are like a two hour audio course with advice for new small business websites. Besides paid web design services, I'm more than willing to provide free advice to small business owners without obligation, as well. You are welcome to contact me about problems or questions concerning a new or existing site.

TAGS: advice podcast small business advice website design