Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ category

Business Benefits of Owning a Web

November 14th, 2009

How Can A Website Benefit Your Business
by: Vignesh Rajendran


1. Why should you have a website?

In order to succeed in today’s world, you must have an Internet presence. More and more people log on to the internet everyday; there are billions of users world-wide and there are several reasons why one needs a web site. A website is a powerful first impression. Placing your business on the World Wide Web, gives your business the potential for global exposure, no matter the size of your business – be it large or small; singular or multi-national. To have your own website gives your business invaluable advantages, which is illustrated in the answer to the next question, viz-a-viz:

2. How can a website be useful?

Website help you leverage web services for streamlining data transfer to and from your organization.

There are myriad reasons for – How a website can be useful and why you should bring your business online? Some of them are, briefly, mentioned below:

a. Enhanced customer convenience

Your business concern can be more easily and quickly reached, every time a potential or an existing client searches for relevant businesses, products and services over the Internet. Your customers can always keep in touch with you and your business, just by knowing your web site address.

b. Greater reachability of your business profile:

Your business profile can be accessible from anywhere in the world. No other ad medium provides such global coverage. You need not depend on phone book entry or restricted yellow pages and newspaper ad presentations, any longer.

c. Greater possibilities for promoting your business portfolio:

People will not buy your products or services unless they know that they actually exist. You can tell your potential audience much more through a WEBSITE, than you could possibly do via any print advertisements, Yellow Pages listings, or TV/radio commercials. There are no limitations as far as space, time, nationality and residency are concerned. You can say as many things as you want, to as many people as you wish. And your business representation can be as resourceful as is the Internet itself.

d. Efficient low-cost advertising:

Your customers will always be able to obtain thorough up-to-date information about your services or products. Instead of having to rely on randomly aired TV or radio commercials, they can simply browse through your website whenever they like.

e. 24/7 availability:

Website is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It will be your hardest working employee, never getting sick, or taking a holiday. And you can rest assured that your website is always there for you – to answer your customers’ questions or to collect their feedback on your behalf.

f. Time-saving:

Prospective clients can learn about you and your business at any time of the day simply by visiting your website, so you won’t have to be present or involved with the process in any way. Your precious time can be saved and invested in other activities that can increase your profits and further enhance the scope of your business.

g. Cost -cutting:

You can save a lot of money cutting your costs on print ads, brochures, coupons, flyers, specials, newsletters or mailings. What’s more! Its always quick easy and extremely efficient to update real time information on your website; whereas regular renewals of printed materials turn out to be very expensive and time consuming. The fact optimized productivity at minimal cost is more valued in any business and it is possible only through world wide web.

Web services provide a standard way to implement a business function that can also be managed remotely. It employs an effective exchange of information and data-feeds between B2B and B2C portals, information warehouses, news providers, shopping portals like e bay and search engines like Google, MSN, yahoo etc.

Your website must work hard in today’s competitive online environment — attracting visitors, providing a rich user experience and converting them into loyal customers.

3. What makes a site work successfully?

Its a hotly debated question – “What makes a website work well that will genuinely help your business and attract more customers?”

A well designed website can certainly lead to increased business. By following simple guide-lines, it is possible to create a good-looking website that will really give your business the best chance of being noticed.

For your online presence to really count, your brand needs to exude credibility, confidence and efficiency through your website. A well designed website can certainly leverage your business processes. One can achieve this by blending strong design and content, with seamless functionality, and expert support throughout – with time tested processes.

Web Designing is “a process of conceptualization, planning, modeling, and execution of electronic media delivery via Internet in the form of Markup language suitable for interpretation by Web browser and display as Graphical user interface” (ref- Wikipedia)

Web Design can have a powerful affect. Web Design is important and it must be right! The right design kindles in a website visitor the right perception of your business. It engenders confidence and trust in your business. Success online is vital to the overall strength of your business.

It’s essential that –

In an arena saturated with billions of web pages, it requires innovation and expertise, to represent your brand effectively.

Your site must be easy to navigate and simple to use. If your users and potential customers can’t find what they want, this will undermine your site’s performance, in relation to your business goals.

Your web site should, clearly and concisely, reflect your business, values and products, since your web site is now the first point of contact for a new user or potential customer.

A good and innovative design ensures that the site is memorable and encourages the viewer to explore beyond the home page.

The web functionality and programming should use only standard, compliant, valid coding and also provide an alternative programming, to ensure that your site is viewable in any Browser and at any Screen Resolution.

Most Web design and development companies possess skills in one or the other – rarely both. This is where ImagiNET Ventures web solutions differ, as we understand how to design a website that will most effectively present you, your business or organization, with your products and services.

4. What are the common mistakes of a website?

Lets face it! If visitors get lost or become confused while attempting to surf your website, they might hit the back button, and look for a more user- friendly website. People do not like to think, when it comes to finding their way around websites. Don’t make them tick. You need to plan your website from stage to stage, and make a difference between between a very poor website and a very good website.

Let us now see – what are the pitfalls inherent in designing and setting up a website? You may know some of them already, but by avoiding and correcting them, you can be sure to keep constant flow of visitors entering and re-entering into your portal! The list of most common errors is unending but invaluable for new designers, web developers and content writers – who need a list for their website spot check.

1.Site best viewed:

New designers usually use this “site best viewed” with a disclaimer statement regarding which web browser or screen resolution they designed their site, for best viewing. It does not impress the visitor. Instead, invest in skilfully designed website that renders well in multiple browsers, and in any screen resolution.

2.Shabby lay-out and glaring design:

Some sites are totally unbalanced in their lay-out and overloaded design. The designs do not match the page content and appears misplaced and misfit in the entire scene. Give your pages a pleasing appearance, with just the necessary facts and place your design out-lay with a professional touch. Always take screen shots of designs in different resolutions, before uploading the appropriate one.

3.Horizontal scrolling:

The horizontal scroll makes it extremely difficult to read the content on your site, and often your visitors will lose patience and leave. Check your website in a site resolution viewer. A professional website can be viewed without horizontal scrolling in, both, a smaller and larger screen resolution. User’s find scrolling from the top to the bottom of your pages, more clear to view and easy to read.

4.Free Web Hosting:

This is a common web page mistake you definitely need to avoid. Often business owners claim that the business is “just starting”, and that is why they have not yet moved their site to a domain host. Do not use free web hosting if you want your business to be taken seriously. It reflects on your image and credibility.

To resolve this issue, you must choose and purchase a domain name if you, already, do not have one. You also need to choose a professional domain host. There is no getting around this one. If you want to run a successful online business, you absolutely must have a reliable domain host.

5.Appalling Images

Don’t allow your visitor view badly shaped or terribly cropped images and missing graphics files. Optimize your images, using the best height and width. Keep your files in the best formats – j peg for Photographs and gif for artwork.

6.Blaring and ghastly color schemes:

Avoid using ghastly and loud colors that does not match your website concept and mission. Although your text may be easy to read, overly-bright colors distracts and repels the reader away from your site’s purpose. Your designs must reflect class and designer quality, with state-of-the-art designs and pleasantly eye-catching color schemes for your web pages.

7.Slow loading:

If your page does not download rapidly, visitors will quickly move on to find another site. Take action now to reduce the “weight” of your pages . Each image on your site must be correctly sized and optimized for web use. Keep your pages lean and fast for the visitor to move on quickly, with interest.

8.Spell check:

Always spell check the text , keeping it free of grammatical error, punctuations and spelling mistakes. Without spell check, the site looks amateurish and shabby.

9.Ineffective Text Content:

A major mistake is to fill the pages with long text, without any headings and sub-headings. Do not cram your web pages with loaded decorative words and hi-funda text. Readers do not have time to fill their heads with all details.

Make your text more effective. Keep your text simple, crisp and to-the-point. Use decorative words in the right context. Your language should spell clarity, consistency and coherence in content, style, structure and font. The pages should be easy to read and simple to understand, with a smooth flow. The fonts should be rightly used, with appropriate side-headings and the text need to be phrased in short paragraphs, giving a pleasing feel to the reader.

Your website must provide a clear message with a goal-oriented direction, setting you apart from your competitors. Your content should easily answer his question – “what’s in it for me?” The reader must be able to identify with your write-up and find you as his ‘partner’ for addressing his solutions.

10. Absence of an Email Subscription Form:

This critical aspect is often neglected by most website owners. It is very important to have a lead generation for your website via Email subscription form, for optimal business returns. Having a mailing list gives you several advantages like maintaining a visitors list who allow you to contact them, build a relationship, and establish yourself as an expert for solving their problems.

11.Using a weak message ‘join my newsletter’:

Your content , design layout and solutions should be so user-friendly such that it compels the reader to subscribe your mailing list. Do not use a weak message like – “join my free newsletter”. The reader would wonder “Why?” and “If I subscribe, will you give me a bonus, or a free gift instantly, as soon as I join?” If your design and text work impresses the reader for availing your services, you would automatically get email subscriptions for a membership, from your visitors. It speaks on your credibility.

12.No Contact Information – Just giving your email id and the web address is not sufficient for your readers – who may be prospective clients. Keep your detailed contact information easy to find and easy to read. Inclusion of a site-map works wonders for your business.

13.Advertising – Advertisements provide huge revenue but it should be placed skilfully and with reference to the current times. Appropriate advertisements should be placed – reflecting the different verticals of your business. Do not overload your page with ads, especially the big flashy banners. Well placed, well designed ads are okay, if you don’t overload the page.

14. Prices –. Don’t waste your time, hoping you will get email inquiries on your prices. The moment a visitor sees your product or services, his prime question will be “what is the price of this item?” Do not keep the visitor guessing the price; it will give him an opportunity to jump into another website where the price is mentioned and you may end up losing a prospective customer. You need to include a price with the item description, if you sell something.

15.Under Construction – Avoid having a “closed – under construction” or “yet to open” website. Give your visitors atleast a single page of content, with a notice – when the whole site will be open.

16.Music: Include a soft and soothing music or that which is relevant to the content. Do not include music, if it is not needed. Music should not be out-of-control and keep the control buttons easy-to-use. Music can turn one’s mind on but at the same time put your mood off, if it is not rightly timed, controlled and soft.

The list of common mistakes are innumerable. The above general tips gives you an idea of what to avoid and how to resolve. By keeping your website design in good shape and ensuring your web content writing is in good taste, you will find more people visiting and enjoying your website!

5 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Designing Websites the Affordable Way.

September 14th, 2009

How to Design a Website

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Interested in designing a website, but need some guidance? These instructions are a step-by-step guide to creating a website that is organized logically, easy to navigate, and accessible by most visitors, regardless of computer type or visual/hearing difficulties.

Steps

  1. Shortly before beginning to create a website, think about your audience and purpose for designing the site. You may find it helpful to write this information down so that you can refer back to it during the design process.
  2. Decide which template, if any, you would like to use for your site. A template, which is a pattern or guide used in the construction of the website, can either be found in a published source or modeled off an idea borrowed from another designer. The logic behind using templates is, “why reinvent the wheel?”
  3. Maintain a simple and consistent layout throughout the site. Make sure that features, such as a company logo and/or navigation menu, can always be found in the same place.
  4. Think of the pages you need to have and organise them logically, by importance and by topic.
  5. Consider who your audience is, and write accordingly. Refrain from using confusing abbreviations or jargon.
  6. To make your text easier to read, break it into smaller sections, using subheadings and appropriate spacing to separate each the sections. The use of bold or different sized font in the headings can show the hierarchy and importance of the topics.
  7. Avoid filling the homepage with too much information; instead, provide only crucial information and links to other sections here.
  8. Well-designed, easy-to-readpages are visually attractive; you do not need busy graphics. Flash animation, bright colours, and over-powering graphics all can off-put readers. Use simple backgrounds and make sure that there is enough contrast between the background and the text colour or else the text will be hard to read. Use standard HTML and avoid tags, features, and plug-ins that are only available to one brand or version of a browser, make your website universally readable.
  9. Keep hearing and visually-impaired website visitors in mind. Caption video, transcribe audio, and include a note about accessibility. Though tables can be an efficient way of organising information, visually-impaired visitors who use a screen-reading program, may not hear the material in column order.
  10. Include interesting and relevant links. Make the link descriptive so that it may be understood out of context. For example, instead of writing “click here!” as a link title, say something like, “Information About Our Company.” It is best to keep links away from graphical elements that may look like advertisements.
  11. Keep a “mailto:” link somewhere logical and consistent so that visitors may get in contact with you, such as at the bottom of the homepage.
  12. Be sure that you have avoided plagiarism and observed all copyright laws. Whatever you include on your website must be both legal and ethical.
  13. Test your website. Make sure that all links work and that images appear as you want them to. Change your monitor settings to different resolutions, such as 640×480 with 16 colours and 1024×768 with 24 colours to guarantee that your website will appear as you want it to all visitors, regardless of what kind of computer they have. You may want to conduct some usability tests by having members of your target audience test the clarity and ease of and give you feedback on your website.
  14. Publish your website.
  15. Check links periodically to make sure they still exist, and listen to suggestions emailed to you by website visitors.
  16. Don’t waste the user’s ink when printing. Use a separate style sheet for printing. If your web site has coloured background images, make sure to take them off. If your web site has white text on a black background, reverse it and put black text on a white background. More than likely, the user would not need the navigation bar, so if you have one you can take that off entirely. Also remove any unneeded images that just pretty up the page.
  17. Make sure your visitors know that the site is active and being modified. Put a “This page was last modified at …” text somewhere on the page. Keep your users notified.

Tips

  • People don’t like extremely flashy websites with animated gifs and flash media. It can be distracting and slow down your website. Be modest when making websites for your business. Most times, simple is better.
  • Don’t add a lot of large files to your website, or they’ll take a really long time to load.
  • If you don’t like coding stuff(HTML,CSS,XHTML,etc.) but still have great ideas, try online WYSIWYG website makers, as they are for novice developers. Syntha Siteis good for very simple site creation but is a little less flexible than DevHub, which is good for more commercially-focused sites.
  • Don’t use large blocks of text it will be harder to read, use instead more smaller paragraphs. You can always use CSS to make suitable distances between paragraphs.
  • When you have lots of articles or pages make sure you have offered certain ways for visitors to can find the information they want.
  • Test each and every link on your site before you put it online.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Design a Website. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

2 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Post

January 16th, 2009

This is an example of a blog post.

2 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

An article about bluffing in poker.

January 8th, 2009

How to Bluff in Poker

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Taking down a big pot at poker night does not require the best hand at the table. These instructions are specialized for “Texas Hold ‘Em,” but can be applied to any type of poker game.

Steps

  1. Count how many players are in the hand. Your chances of successfully bluffing are greater with fewer opponents because you have fewer people to drive out of the pot. Bluffing one or two players is more profitable than bluffing three or more players.
  2. Look at your cards casually, with a face that shows no emotion. You should not look disappointed to see bad cards – this is crucial if you are playing face to face but not if you’re playing online.
  3. Bet, or raise someone else’s bet, in the first round of betting, before the flop. Do not bet too much, and don’t raise an already large bet. If you think someone else actually has a great hand, fold and live to play another hand.
  4. Make a check, if it’s available, either after the flop or turn. You should make a reasonable bet in the other round. Consistent betting makes your opponents think you really have a winning hand and are trying to get as many chips out of them as you can. It takes guts to carry out a good bluff, but if it’s done right it will work.
  5. Remember that the bet following the river card is the most important. This one must be powerful and intimidating. If the check comes to you, place a large bet. If a player bets in front of you, there are two things you can do. If they bet small, a significantly larger bet might push them out. However, if they make a large, bluff-like, bet, your best chance would be to call and go all in. The best feeling in poker is catching someone on a bluff and taking down a large pot with a bluff of your own.
  6. The Turn card is very important. If you bet big on the turn when you’ve been betting moderately earlier, players will be more intimidated. If you think you’ve won the hand on the turn card, you may even want to check and then bet like crazy on the River. People are more likely to call a big bet if you checked before, thinking you might be bluffing. This works even better if you’ve been (accidently?) caught bluffing earlier.
  7. Tell a story with your bet! This is key. Despite the above advise, an ill-timed river bet will not tell a cohesive story on its own.
    • Example: Let’s say you raise preflop, and bet hard again on a flop of 9-3-J. With no available draws, your opponent might put you on a pair of jacks or pocket pair. If the turn brings a 3 and you bet again, your opponent will certainly not put you on a real hand, as you couldn’t have raised hard preflop with any hand containing a 3 only to bet bottom pair hard on the flop. A savvy opponent will simply call your bets and rake in the pot with any made hand. Pay attention to the texture of the flop and watch how the hand unfolds. Represent a certain specific hand consistently with your betting pattern.

Tips

  • Know your game. Can you predict when one player is going to take the pot without showing his hand? Bluffing involves recognizing that situation and exploiting it.
  • Don’t bluff too much. It is essential that the other players think you only play good hands.
  • The basic bluff goes like this: You have nothing. Your opponents have nothing. You bet. They fold. Sometimes it’s difficult even to make people throw away an inside straight. Know your opponents. Watch for signs of disgust with their hand.
  • Bluffing is best with a very small pot because no one really wants to vie for it with you. They think to themselves, “alright, if he has something good, he’ll win. If he doesn’t, I might win but it’s not worth the risk.” Although it doesn’t seem like much money, it can be your edge if you do it well.
  • It is a mistake to think that there are no mathematics involved in bluffing. It is mathematically a good idea to bluff if you are in late position against one or two opponents going into the flop. The small pool guarantees that no one has a very good idea of what the other person has. In other words it’s a high risk bet for everyone. Betting into a high risk pot is bad poker strategy, so if a young/inexperienced player bets, he is probably bluffing (raise him) and if the player is older and better, you can trust his bet is backed up with at least something (fold). Keep in mind that the early position player might try to draw a bluff by checking if he has a good hand. That’s part of the game.
  • Conversely, it’s generally not a good idea to bluff if a lot of people saw the flop. There is a very good chance that someone made at least a two pair or trips (the average winning hand in 10-handed holdem). It will take a very strong bet and strong reputation to scare away someone with a real hand.
  • Some flops (three of a kind for example) lend themselves towards bluffing (betting with nothing) or semi-bluffing (overbetting your hand). For a flop to be “bluffable” it must be rare and there must be a small number of ways to win. Three queens on the flop is a perfect example. There is anxiety about who has the pocket pair. Fear and risk are a bluffer’s best friends because good poker players look for easy money. In this case it is best to bluff in early position because if someone in early position has the nuts, they are likely to check and call the bluff.
  • One fundamental requirement for successful bluffing is a table with other players who are thinking about what cards YOU have. In many low stakes (so called “No Fold’em) Hold’em games, players think only about their own hands; in these games, a bluff will rarely work.
  • You don’t have to show your cards if everyone else folds. You can take the pot and leave everyone to wonder what you had. This is almost always advisable.

Warnings

  • Bluffing can go wrong and cause you to lose a lot of money.
  • Gambling can become an obsession and lead to many financial problems. Play to win, but play for fun.

Things You’ll Need

  • Playing cards
  • Poker chips

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Bluff in Poker. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

4 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Getting the most out of Workouts.

January 7th, 2009
The secret to getting the most out of your workouts and staying with your exercise pan is motivation and a positive attitude. If you make a mistake or have an off day don’t let it effect future workouts. It is also a good idea to write your health goals down so that your have a reason to stick to them. Stretching is an optimal part of every workout, so don’t forget it. Stretching is a great stress reliever and is good for your overall health. Be sure to eat well. Eating healthy is an important part of health. Eat a small meal 20 minutes before a workout. Water consumption is a must. Remember to drink plenty of water to get the best results in working out and staying fit. Remember to stay motivated and write down your goals. You have what it takes to become fit and stay in shape!

Information obtained from: http://www.wikihow.com/Get-the-Most-out-of-Your-Workout

No comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Broccoli

January 6th, 2009

Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family. It provides many benefits like Brussels sprouts. Eating regular servings of broccoli can prevent cancer. In addition with tomatoes, broccoli can cut risks of prostate cancer. The human cell has different detoxification levels and cleansing abilities. Broccoli boosts the effectiveness of the cleansing properties in cells. Along with the detox benefits it supports stomach health, helps sun damaged skin, and helps prevent cataracts. All in all eating broccoli can prove beneficial to your health.

Content obtainted from: http://www.whfoods.com/

1 comment »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Improving your ups

December 12th, 2008

Jumping is a key part in almost all sports. The key to jumping higher and faster is building the muscles in your legs. With the saying, “If you don’t use it you lose it.”, in mind you must use the muscles in your legs to build them.

When beginning your jumping exercises be sure to warm up. This warm up may include stretching and a short jog to get you body loosened up. A good exercise to begin with is deep knee bends. To do this you stand straight and bend your knees and then rise. Repeat this exercise 15 times if you do not feel pain. Next you can do deep knee jumps. You do the same thing as a deep knee bend but jump up as high in the air as you can. When you land you crouch and do another one. Next move on to toe raises. Raise onto the tips of your toes slowly and repeat 40-50 times. Abdominal crunches will also increase your ups. Last but not least be sure to practice jumping rope forward and backwards.

Content obtained from: http://www.insidehoops.com/

2 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Brussels Sprouts

December 9th, 2008

Brussels sprouts are a health super food.

With only 60 calories in a 156 gram serving, cooked Brussels sprouts provides a worthwhile nutritional punch. Research has proven that this health super food helps prevent many types of cancer. Brussels sprouts also optimize cells for detoxification of the body. Healthy skin and immune health increase from this vitamin C rich vegetable. They contain high amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber which increase health of the colon. All in all, Brussels sprouts hold many health benefits that many would not expect.

Content obtained from: http://www.whfoods.com/

2 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Hello and Welcome to the Best Blog Ever!

December 8th, 2008

Hello! My name is Eli and I am creating this blog for a senior project at my highschool. I have used the domain name Eliswebdesign.com because I have owned this domain for a while. I will be writing in this blog daily about many possible random topics. My goal is to achieve readers, receive comments, and transfer information through my blog.

3 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags: