Posts Tagged ‘websites’

Part of having a WordPress platform to combine a blog format and custom cms web design is the flexibility to create content rich websites for a wide variety of business models.

When considering a suitable custom content management system for an online store, you may want to reference this list and 12 WordPress eCommerce plugin reviews.

Each is a summary of WordPress plugins suitable for running an online store except 1 which is designed to manage online auctions.

7 are free plugins and 5 are premium for sale by the developer.

User ratings are based on votes as of January 2011 on WordPress.org, and I have not yet tested or used any.

Plugins are listed in alphabetical order.

Dippsy User Rated: 3.5
Specialty: Digital Downloads
Author Description: An easy to use PayPal e-commerce solution with only downloadable goods in mind, hassle free installaton and many configurable settings.
Comments: Long list of features. Author is responsive to inquiries.

eShop User Rated: 4.5
Specialty: Products
Author Description: eShop is an accessible shopping cart plugin for WordPress, packed with various features.
Comments: Long list of features. Author is responsive to inquiries.

Image Store User Rated: 4.0
Specialty: Images
Author Description: Image Store(ImStore) is a image gallery and store plugin for WordPress with a slideshow and paypal integration.
Comments: Includes a feature for download after purchase. Author is responsive to inquiries.

PHPurchase User Rated: PAID (from $49)
Specialty: Products, Services, or Digital Downloads
Author Description: PHPurchase has a very rich set of features that lets you easily and powerfully manage your online store with WordPress.
Comments: Well documented online support. Multi-site and developer licenses available.

Shopp User Rated: PAID ($55 base and up)
Specialty: Products
Author Description: Shopp is an e-commerce plugin that adds a feature rich online store to your WordPress powered website or blog.
Comments: Necessary gateway and shipping options may add $50 or more to single (or multi developer) license.

ShopperPress User Rated: PAID ($79)
Specialty: Products, Services, or Digital Downloads
Author Description: This is the ideal solution for anyone starting their own online store selling their own products or services, affiliate products or even ebooks, music or file downloads!
Comments: Discounted from $199 to $79 for unlimited installations. Real Estate, Classifieds, others, too.

StorePress User Rated: PAID (from $50)
Specialty: Products
Author Description: StorePress is a premium WordPress theme, fully coded and packed with scripts that will allow you to transform your WordPress blog into a veritable e-commerce virtual store.
Comments: Single, mixed, or dev license plus offer other niche themes like auctions, classifieds, reviews.

WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin User Rated: PAID ($50 single, or dev $249)
Specialty: Products or Digital Downloads
Author Description: The WordPress Shopping Cart plugin gives you the ability to quickly and seamlessly integrate an online shop with a fully functional shopping cart interface into any WordPress website.
Comments: Excellent online support and documention, plus offer 12 other specialty e-commerce related plugins.

WordPress Simple Paypal Shopping Cart User Rated: 4.5
Specialty: Products
Author Description: Very easy to use Simple WordPress Paypal Shopping Cart Plugin. Great for selling products online in one click from your WordPress site.
Comments: Developer also has premium eStore plugin for digital products or eMember for membership sites.

WP Auctions User Rated: 3.0
Specialty: Auctions
Author Description: WP Auctions is a revolutionary plugin which allows you to host auctions on your blog or website and to sell anything.
Comments: Well documented. Free version is a sidebar widget only. Premium versions allow post/page auctions.

WP E-Commerce User Rated: 3.0
Specialty: Products, Services, or Digital Downloads
Author Description: WP e-Commerce is a free bolt-on shopping cart that lets customers buy your products, services and digital downloads online.
Comments: Excellent support documention, plus premium upgrades are available for downloadable, members, others.

wpStoreCart User Rated: 4.0
Specialty: Products or Digital Downloads
Author Description: Quickly and easily sell your physical and digital downloads using your new or existing WordPress website.
Comments: Well documented help files and forum, plus offer a $29 premium Pro version with bundled extended functions.

My advice is investigating each WordPress plugin that seems of interest. Most have links to demo stores or live websites that are using the plugin, so take the opportunity to do some comparison shopping before making a choice.

Site navigation and usability in your website may be enhanced with a tree structure and cms web design. Besides the home page, about us, or general topics like a blog linked along the top navigation the site layout usually includes additional tabs of broad categories for the cms website.

For illustration purposes, let’s assume you offer products and they fall into general categories of Product A, Product B, Product C, and Product D.

Your website could grow to 10, 100, or 1000 pages yet everything you do falls under one of those broad categories. It would be too confusing for visitors to see a link for each of those 1000 pages in the top navigation.

Instead, this tree structure allows people to follow one link by Product A, B, C, or D for each of those tabs, and takes the visitor to a “directory” of the rest of the content relative to that category.

Think of this tree structure like a funnel that directs a person from the top navigation to general categories and then specific topics under that category. This makes a complicated site easy to navigate to get to content of interest. My site looks simple at a glance yet actually has over 500 pages of content.

The tree structure of navigation and links to more content can be seen on my site if you follow any of the top links. Follow the link to Web Design www.jimdegerstrom.com/web-design-services.html and then study the “tree” structure. This is not an article written about web design, but instead is more like a directory to web design related content on my site with a list of summaries with links to more content by following the “Read more…” hyperlinks.

Consider the lessons on optimizing pages presented in the 50 page seo and do-it-yourself web design tutorial sent to each customer. It teaches the importance of keyword research and then writing proper titles and descriptions for seo optimization, and explains how it is entered into the backend admin of the cms.

As you view my sample tree structure on web design as linked above, note the following important fact.

The headline and description for each item listed on that web design page “directory” is the title and description used in the code. There’s no better way to link to content deeper in the site structure than by using the actual title and description already chosen on the destination page for search engine optimization.

The value of describing what people will find at the destination is good for human visitor usability as well as helping search engines index your overall website content.

Do-it-yourself custom cms web design site owners need to understand the importance of optimizing their text content for search engines. This SEO or Search Engine Optimization tutorial explains free online tools for tweaking content such as testing in DupeFree Pro and SEO keyword density. Watch this video for details. (0:10:34 min./sec.)

Follow these links to download the free resources mentioned in the video:
DupeFree Pro for tweaking and testing keyword density
GridinSoft Notepad Lite customizable text editor review

Learning how to attract search engine traffic using content optimization is important for site owners who choose a cms content management system web design so they can control and manage their website. Optimized content using this tutorial can help.

An important tool in writing cms web design optimized content for search engine optimization is keyword research. For small site owners the web design and online research tools at Keyword Discovery are by subscription yet they do offer a keyword discovery truly free trial.

Here’s a graphic of part of the search page (slightly smaller than actual size):

If you want a custom web design that can compete online you need to know what site visitors type when they search for someone like you, not phrases that you know about your product or service and imagine people will search. You will probably be surprised at phrases in the search results that you did not consider. Your research will allow you to adjust key words in your web design and attract more traffic.

The free online tool version of Keyword Discovery has less features such as only the top 10 results for a given search phrase and a limit of 50 searches per day, yet that is usually enough unless you’re in the business of offering seo or web design services to clients. Unlike some seo software free trials that have a time limit, there is no expiration date.

Here’s how to get started optimizing your custom cms web design. KeywordDiscovery.com is owned by Trellian, so visit the Keyword Discover signup page and submit your request for a Trellian account and then check your email. Click the activation link in the confirming email then log-in to begin using the tool.

Finally, there’s a great online keyword discovery tutorial (html) or view and download their Quick Start Guide (pdf).

I’m a big believer in custom cms web design to meet W3C standards with zero or near zero code errors. A site created in xhtml is more likely to display well today and in devices yet to be invented compared to older html web designs. Those same design practices may not provide an equal experience on mobile devices.

If your web design was not originally designed to meet mobile device web design validation then it likely has errors or violates mobile design best practices. If you don’t know, it probably wasn’t. Regardless, this tutorial will show you how to test your web design.

The W3C or Worldwide Web Consortium creates the standards for recommended web design related specs, and they have an online mobile device web design validation tool for testing if your website meets their recommendations.

Note that most websites are designed for personal computer browsers, so this may not mean your website will have display problems on a mobile device. It simply grades your site on a scale of 0-100% for mobile web design best practices.

Specific checks are graded as low, medium, severe, or critical. I tested the home page of this site and it’s rated 86% with no severe or critical issues. That’s better than a competitor website that I checked. Their web design was rated 0%. Drop down arrows allow you to view failure data in great detail, so you can analyze and fix problems to improve your web design.

Here’s the tutorial. Follow the link above to the W3C mobile device web design validation tool and type your domain in the input box, and then select the check button to view results for your site’s web design. Be patient as it may take 30-60 seconds to run the test.

Keep in mind that the W3C recommendations are ideal standards for very small screens, so a low score may not indicate a poor web design. Not all of us in web design would compromise larger physical or file size content that we feel meets the purpose of a web page message just to satisfy mobile user experience.

In fact, file size and rendering recommendations have not been an issue viewing 480 x 360 videos that I’ve created and viewed on tiny iPhone or Android mobile phone screens. The quality of the video and xhtml in the custom cms web design is excellent when reduced by the user to fit the smaller screen.

Regardless of results, check out all failures for opportunity for improvement. The trend to more smaller computing device screens for viewing content online is unlikely to get much smaller. Therefore, it makes sense for those of us in custom cms web design to add mobile device best practices and validation to our long term strategy.

Consider the fear factor of buying online in your web design. People get ripped off by unscrupulous crooks who take your money without ever intending to fill an order. As a result, your website visitors will leave in an instant no matter how great the offer if they sense less than 100% confidence in your business.

Besides having an obvious offer and call to action in your web design you need to establish credibility as a business that people can trust. If your content interests a visitor they will look for evidence your business is real. That includes full disclosure of contact information to include name, email, phone, and an address.

A common web design mistake that hurts trust and credibility is using a postal box number.

Most internet thieves hide behind a P.O. box or have no address at all, yet a legitimate business may make the same choice without considering the consequences. You will increase your odds for success converting visitors to customers with a web design that includes a physical street address in your page footer or contact us page.

Don’t make this serious web design mistake. Establish credibility with full disclosure so people know you are for real, and then make it a habit to review site content regularly to improve offers and call to action.

There’s more than one secret to sales success besides a quality design at a fair price when it comes to custom cms web design sales. The best salespersons are not those who can smooth talk and dominate a conversation with a potential new client.

The most successful salespeople are those who listen.

You cannot understand what your customer wants in their custom cms web design until they have the chance to explain it. They can’t do that if you’re putting on an aggressive presentation of features and benefits without letting them define their expecations. Your sales pitch sounds like blah blah blah if it doesn’t touch on a subject that’s important to the listener.

What is most important? They’re thinking “me”, or specifically “What’s in it for me?”!

Imagine a scenario that has nothing to do with making a sale. Meeting someone for the first time in a social setting my advice is asking open ended questions that allow the other person to open up. For example, inquire about their occupation and rather than respond asking a yes or no question like “Do you enjoy your job?”, you reply with “Tell me more about what you do”.

Listen carefully and continue asking about what interests them, and later when they walk away without learning a single fact about you, they’ll be telling others how wonderful it was talking with you.

Reconsider sales. Selling any product or service including a custom cms web design means learning what the prospect likes or dislikes about what you offer. Use these clues to overcome any potential objections to your custom cms web design services to make your offer stand out above competition.

People buy from those they trust. People buy from those who show a sincere interest in them including what they want and need. Be that person. Listen and care. For those of us in web design, being a good listener could be the most important secret to making custom cms web design sales.

Earlier this year I began offering marketing services on a trial basis with several clients who have multiple custom cms website designs from me. Their intentions were good when they first launched, yet time is the enemy, so they agreed to have me “market” their websites by adding original quality content often.

The marketing services option for a custom cms or content management system may be a cost effective solution for small business owners to do more online promotion by outsourcing the work.

Besides your main website, I recommend adding a blog to allow posting news, reviews, and advice about your niche. Does a blog attract search engines? Definitely. I’ve posted content on my blog and had visitors sent by Google to that new post 90 minutes later. The concept of adding new content often means Google is back on my site several times a day, not several times a year.

Compare what the average business owner spends for Yellow Page ads to poor ROI performance because people are more inclined to search online. Many of my clients now realize that their advertising and marketing budget for print ads is better spent on expanding their website. Several of my customers with large budgets for Yellow Page ads decided to save most of that and spend a portion with me for marketing rather than the phone book.

Interested? Have a blog but never or hardly ever post? Did I design your custom cms web design or blog and yet you just can’t make time to learn the do-it-yourself details? Contact me to discuss your situation and the marketing services options for cms that I offer.

The ubiquitous Internet Explorer v6, or IE6, seems immune to going quietly away. While many of us in web design agonize over workarounds needed in our code in order to make pages display well in all browsers because of IE6, there’s still no silver bullet for IE6.

Let’s explore why after a review of overall visitor browser stats to my website, and then look at the impact on future web designs.

The latest traffic stats to my site show less than 4% of visitors still using Internet Explorer 6.

FireFox has taken over first place with 43% amongst browser brands followed by IE8 at 18%, Google Chrome at 14.6%, and then IE7 at 12%. Add that 4% of IE6 to Microsoft’s marketshare, and they’ve moved from #1 to 2nd overall at 34%.

Chrome at #3 is pretty incredible, and demonstrates the power of Google to dominate when it comes to knowing what users want. Safari by Apple continues to grow capturing 7.4%. Opera has fallen to 1% share.

Why has this IE6 older version of the Internet Explorer browser managed to survive? One reason is IE6 is used in many older corporate installations, and some large companies are reluctant to switch because of the cost to modify, test, or debug their infrastructure. In short, the old adage applies: if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Another factor is a large number of third world users are on older technology, so they continue to use IE6, as well. The older pc excuse is not completely valid, however. Comparing operating system to browser stats, many IE6 visitors have upgraded equipment, so some of those individual diehards cling to what they know, too.

Until the corporate and individual users abandon IE6 the fact remains there’s no silver bullet for IE6.

The final topic about offering web design, or in my case custom cms web design, is providing a backward compatible website that displays well in all browsers. For years I’ve provided html and css code workarounds, and since 2004 I’ve designed in newer xhtml, so web designs will display well on current technology as well as computer systems designed or yet to be invented in the future.

Finally, the “Best Viewed in IE6″ in the illustration (or as a disclaimer for a specific browser on ANY website) is a dead giveaway that the site was created by an inexperienced designer. Mine would read “Best Viewed in Any Browser”, so avoid web design services if they design for just one browser.

If you use IE6, my advice is upgrade to IE8. The download is free and the world will be one user closer to R.I.P. IE6.

I must admit it’s pretty satisfying having a tech-savy Mom in her 80′s who is active online with email, Facebook, instant messaging, and forums.

She wrote a recent update that reminds me of the dangers of social networks and transparency.

Mom has trouble grasping the prevalence of people, and especially the youngest generation of relatives, putting expletives in writing. I don’t blame her.

Private or inappropriate thoughts typed in haste remain online forever.

For those youngsters looking for better paying jobs, more and more companies will check out your posts on social networks, so you may not even get an interview if constantly…

1. Dropping the F* bomb or any expletive in your public posts
2. Writing gripes about a job, the boss, or ways to ditch work
3. Sharing experiences that demonstrate poor judgment or character

The future of social networking includes the risk of too much transparency for those people who aren’t careful. Law enforcement are already using social network data to locate fugitives and deadbeats. Divorce lawyers are finding gems written online by opposing spouses to improve cases for their clients.

Your social network is not a diary. Don’t type what you wouldn’t say in public or want repeated in a legal case, job interview, church service, or family setting. Imagine being quoted years from now in great detail about something you blurted out and immediately shared in writing only to regret that moment.

My Mom, your Mom, and most Moms have enough dirt on their family, friends, and relatives to write a dozen tellall books documenting scathing reports of poor judgment. Most don’t, won’t, and wouldn’t. People need to learn from their example and avoid the dangers of social networks and transparency that could come back to haunt them in the future.

That’s one lesson I learned thanks to the upbringing of “the bestest Mommy in the whole wide world”.