Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Concept Behind CSS

What is The Concept Behind CSS?

The concept behind CSS (a.k.a. cascading style sheets or style sheets) is really simple. CSS allows you to create a single document of code, similar to an HTML file, that lets you specify the colors, fonts, backgrounds, etc. of a web page. The CSS file is then linked to from the web page(s) that you want to have the same styles that you specify.

CSS allows you to make changes to all of the web pages that link to the CSS file at once by changing a style in the style sheet, instead of having to manually change every style in every HTML file.

If CSS did this and only this, they would save you a lot of time to say the least, especially if you have a large or multiple web sites. This alone is worth learning CSS, however, style sheets allow you to do this and much more.

CSS also allows you to:

* position text and graphics precisely where you want to

* add rollover effects to links

* control the spacing between letters, lines, margins, web page borders

* specify the units such as centimeters, pixels, points and more

* hide content from certain web browsers in certain situations. An example of this is when you have some content that you want to appear only in your web pages, but not in print.

Some Benefits of CSS

* Your web pages load faster because there is less code to transfer

* There is less code to type

* It is easier to have a consistent look and feel to your entire web site

* Updating and maintaining websites is much easier and less time consuming

In the end, CSS can save you a lot of time and effort and is very easy to learn.

Author Bio
Jose Valdez is the webmaster of FreeCSSTutoria.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Image and Online Success and The Importance of Good Design

Naturally there are many aspects to succeeding online but the nature of business hasn't swayed. You must have a professional image and you must provide a great service for your clients. This is what makes a business grow. This is not another article telling you to be sure you have Meta tags, linking and all the other wonderful Search Engine friendly includes. This is a bare bones old school reflection on how companies are losing sight of the bigger picture.

Put some heart into it

Most entrepreneurs have that essential vivacious approach to starting up a business and the truly successful ones will maintain that level of excitement to help cultivate a healthy and steady growth. A web site can help establish your business as a serious contender or just another hole in the wall. Which one are you? Some businesses place more emphasis on what they're going to have for lunch rather than the image they portray to their clients. Your excitement about your business shows in everything you do.

When getting a web site for your company be certain you place your trust and hard earned dollars with a design firm that is passionate about their work and has a proven record of accomplishment, understand why one charges $500 and another $3000. You will have a much better project if the designer has foresight and desire to see their work succeed and not just become another bank deposit.

If you surf online and scope out the millions of companies, it is amazing to see how many tired looking sites you'll come across. I can't imagine a company that sells from a brick and mortar store, allowing the front of their building to become decrepit with their sign barely hanging on by a couple of bolts. Not a good way of attracting customers off the street and into your establishment.

The heart of your business

Do what you do best. Sell the products and services that define you and earn the capital. Promote your business in the best way possible, keeping honesty and integrity at the forefront. Do not sell yourself short. Invest into your growth and future developments.

There are countless articles on Search Engine Optimization and how to make money quickly. Have we forgotten the core of doing business and how the market is stimulated? There are plenty of ways to promote your business online and expand your demographic just be sure to focus on the important facets that make a company great. Provide and honest service and quality product. More than just attracting customers to your web site you want to retain long lasting relationships which will only draw more clients as time goes on.

Search Engine Friendly

No doubt search engine optimization is an extremely important aspect for the success of your business but can't stress enough that the importance of having a solid image must tie in. What many articles fail to point out is that SEO isn't the only thing to achieving online success. The focus tends to be on one aspect and never the whole picture. Business like everything involving human interaction revolves around the senses.

Okay so your site gets to the top of the search results and gets a click thru. Upon arriving to your site, which lacks any sense of presentation is quickly scanned, forgotten and on to the next site they go. The attention span of surfer's is on the decline. Yes you must have relevant content but it better be presented in the best possible way so when your competitors are visited by the same potential customer you stand out. It's all about standing out and making your presence known. When you first write your business plan (you do have a goal right?), one of the main things is to define your sole purpose and what the business hopes to achieve and how you stand out from everyone else.

Building that niche

It is ideal to focus your efforts and find that little pocket where you can shine and grow. This is very helpful when creating your online image. Custom designed graphics, tailored to your business will help secure your position within your chosen niche market. A beautiful looking web site will not help your ranking but it will help secure client interest and entice sales. Many SEO specialists overlook the importance of branding, which is number one in order for a company to separate themselves from the pack. Don't allow customers the chance to forget your name. Be remembered and maintain your presence.

Author Bio
Tyson Fenech is the Creative Director for Core Creative Concepts. Designing web sites and print materials for the past 7 years helping both small startups and Fortune 500 companies. www.coregraphicdesign.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

5 Reasons Why Headlines Are Crucial To Your Website's Success

With such visual and sequential prominence, it's little wonder why headlines are the number one key to an effective web site.

Without a powerful lead, your message stands little chance of being noticed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If your headline doesn't capture attention and pull prospects into your sales copy, than your marketing effort is a total waste of energy and resources.

Nothing is more important to getting your message noticed than the first few words on a page. If you're not allocating a sizable percentage of your time and creative effort to the headline used on each page of your website, you could be losing out on a large chunk of business.

Top copywriters understand this concept well. They know how essential it is to capture attention by literally stopping pre-occupied prospects in their tracks. It's the reason why headlines command so much of their collective creative effort.

Here are five good reasons why your site headlines deserve greater emphasis and attention:

Why Headlines Are Crucial #1: Headlines Are Natural Attention Getters.
The majority of online prospects are quick scanners. No one reads the body copy of a page without first reading and being pulled in by the headline. Headlines are the first thing your visitors see. They jump out visually and command attention. Headlines are leads set distinctly above the rest of the text. Often the typeface, size, and style used for headlines contrasts with that uses in the body copy. It's a proven approach that naturally attracts eyeballs, virtually forcing interested prospects to grasp the message of the headline and to read on.

According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, 5 times more people read headlines than body copy. Although Ogilvy was talking about print advertising in general, the observation is certainly applicable to websites as well. With 5 times the readership, headlines have the power and capability to make any message many times more successful.

Why Headlines Are Crucial #2: Site Headlines Serve As Valuable Guides To The Busy Surfer.
Headlines reveal key details. They tip off readers as to what follows. They provide clear signals to help readers decide whether they should stick around for the full message, or dash off to something else - something better suited to their own special needs and interests. As a quick summary of the entire piece, the headline either attracts continued interest and readership, or they repel it. Without a headline, the reader is forced to wade through a portion of the text to understand the meaning. Forcing readers to do this is to risk losing them altogether. It's sales suicide. In effect, having no headline will cost you at least 80% of your potential audience.

Why Headlines Are Crucial #3: Headlines Prepare The Reader For What Is To Come.
Headlines stimulate interest. They captivate, arouse curiosity and stimulate the desire for more. It's the headline that starts the reader's motor running. A good headline sets up a feeling of expectation as the reader anticipates discovering more -- and can't wait to get it!

Successful headlines address specific audiences. They open prospects minds to new possibilities and expand their level of enthusiasm and interest. The best headlines involve prospects... virtually guaranteeing their sustained attention for the time being.


Why Headlines Are Crucial #4: Headlines Simplify The Learning Curve.
Every headline serves to introduce whatever follows. As an opening or lead-in, the role of the headline is to succinctly communicate the essence of the message it precedes in an interesting and compelling way. Effective headlines and sub-headings reveal key bits of information -- often with the added power of emotion. A review of the various headings alone can often provide one with the gist of a given message. This makes it faster and easier to understand, remember, and review. Use your headings to generate emotional involvement and you increase the chances prospects will go back and read more of your copy.

When you make it easier to read and comprehend your messages, you increase the chances of making the sale.

Why Headlines Are Crucial #5: Headlines Allow You To Deliver Your Biggest Bang Right Up Front.
Capture attention and interest at the outset, by using your most appealing selling point. If your strongest, most desirable product attribute (benefit) fails to pull prospects in, surely nothing else you could ever say would do the trick, either. They're your initial point of contact with visitors -- that's why headlines play such an important role.

The stronger and more compelling your headline, the more readers are likely to read on and spend more time at your website. Create every headline to grab attention and inspire interest. The more alluring and irresistible you can make it, the more genuine prospects you'll attract and ultimately, the more sales you'll record.

Headlines are powerful marketing tools when used effectively. Take a good look at your site headline. Could you add more intrigue, curiosity, or interest? Test different headlines by trying various appeals and offer combinations. Keep an eye out for additional headline opportunities throughout your sales letters, as well as on other pages on your site. Make your headlines impossible to miss and difficult to ignore... then, watch your results soar!

When you see the difference a strong opening statement makes, you'll see why headlines are the most important part of your sales copy.

More resources at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

Author Bio
Robert Boduch is an author of dozens of best-selling books, reports and articles on the art and science of selling. A free newsletter targeted at anyone interested in selling more of anything is available at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Rules to Create Logo Design

A logo is a simple representative graphic that allows people to remember with ease who you or your company is – That is its purpose. It should never be underestimated, it does create that memorable first impression, and even if this may not be fair, most people are pretty fickle and will base their initial impression on it – That is its importance. You have to get the logo design perfect first time and every-time.
The art of creating logos takes an enormous amounts of work, even if it at a first glance it may not look that way; creating logos implies talent and creativity but there are some rules to follow in the logo designs fascinating process. In this article, we will take a look at some of them:
Rules for Logo Design
1. Less Colors & Fonts
To establish reliable logo design rules, statisticians and designers analyzed an astonishing number of logos. Their statistics revealed: The majority of logos use no more than three colors and fonts. The use of too many fonts in addition with a great number of nuances makes if difficult to accomplish the logos initial purpose… to be retain-able.
2. Use Regular Fonts
The statistics revealed another interesting fact: numerous logos from large and popular companies use common fonts such as Arial, Times New Romans, and Helvetica.
3. Simple shapes put you in a good shape!
It is highly recommended to draw simple shapes in the process of creating logos. Have a look at the logos below, two of them respect this rule and one that doesn’t.
4. Avoid Highlights, Gradients and Shadows
This conceptual rule is strictly linked with the next one, but this is about the composition of the logo. Anyway, consider the positive aspects of a logo that lacks highlights, gradients or shadows.
5. A Good Logo Should be Easily Rendered on all Types of Media
We are living a radical revolution in media: before the internet, the methods for promotion were simple and few, with the most obvious being print. Nowadays the possibilities are far greater, but this has also become troublesome from the designers point of view, logo designers in particular.
A logo should look great on a website that can be accessed from a high performing computer with a display of 22-24 inches, from a smartphone that has a few inches display or from a simple mobile with wi-fi access capabilities. The client will probably want the logo displayed on a business card or on a poster or even on a T-shirt. All of these types of media need some specific treatment. Thus a logo that looks good on all of these is much more appreciated.
6. A Logo Should Always Look Good in Black & White
Its good practice to initially sketch on paper with a pencil your logo ideas, allowing for multiple revisions, and then proceeding to draw it with the help of graphic software – Photoshop or Illustrator – but only in black and white format. This rule helps to emphasize the idea or notion of a logo and not its composition …we have no color shadow, only the concept.
7. A Logo Should Respect the “KISS” (Keep It Simple Stupid)
The purpose of a logo is not to reveal as many chunks of information as possible, nor is to present the skills or the services offered by the client – it should only make the connections between a high quality product and you. To put it simpler, a logo is the small thing that makes people remember the big thing. So, to easily stand out and be remembered, having a simple composition is a must.
8. A Logo Should be Memorable
Here, unfortunately, nobody can give you any help or advice, it is impossible. To say that using TNR will make a logo memorable opposed to using Arial or that this color works better than color would be wrong. As was mentioned previously, the process of creating logos is an art and a science at the same time… In this article we have only covered the artistic part.
Maybe we can offer one small piece of advice: making a logo timeless will surely make it memorable for a long time. Here are some examples of timeless logos:
Conclusion
There are some rules, but nobody can guarantee that if you follow these rules you will be able to create exceptional logos. A good opportunity to find the positive and negative from your logo works is to post them on websites that offer you feedback, and attempt to act on it. You could try some of these sites below for feedback and inspiration:

Top Reasons Why You Might Want to Redesign Your Website

Have you ever thought about website redesigning? If so, you have come to the right place. Here, through this informative article, we will take a much closer look at some of the reasons that you may want to get a complete website redesign. We will also take a closer look at some of the things that redesigning your website can do for you. Read on to find out more.

Making Your Website Look More Attractive

Have you made yourself a website just for the sake of having a website? Did you just make a dinky website on your own since you have no experience in website designing? If so, then chances are that you may want to redesign your website. If you have a business, you want to get the best results. The key to your success may be how appealing your website looks. A website redesign can help your business a whole lot in the long run.

Organization Can Make All The Difference

One of the main reasons that you may want to consider getting a website redesign is because your website is currently unorganized. Chances are that there is information scattered throughout your entire website, without any rhyme or reason. If this is the case, then chances are that people may not understand your website when they do decide to visit it. By deciding to redesign your website, you could be making a huge difference in the success of your website.

Develop the Right Style For Your Website

There is no doubt that style can be very important for your website. Although there are certain things which you would love to see on your website, there are other things that you need to take into consideration when you go through website designing. This includes, what is the most suitable for your business, as well as what people are interested in seeing. If you decide to get your website redesigned, you will be able to have a website developed for the style which you are looking for. This can lead to the overall success of your website.

Promote Your Website

One of the main keys to your overall company success is website promotion. There are a number of different ways to increase your website promotion, some of which include search engine optimization, email campaigns, directories, and other websites. Of course, before you can experience the best website promotion, you need to make sure that your website is as professional and appealing as it can be. In order to have the most successful website promotion, you should definitely consider a new look for your website.

Get Better Website Optimization For Your Website

Chances are that you probably have your website listed in search engine databases. If so, you probably know the way that search engines work is through website optimization. This is when websites are arranged according to how well keywords match up to what a person is looking for, through keywords. In order to increase the search engine optimization for your website, some new website designing needs to be done. The best keywords will be chosen, to make your website more effective in search engines. For the best search engine optimization strategies and to increase website optimization, you should definitely consider having your website redesigned.

Change the Wording to Make it More Appealing

Are you unsure of whether or not the information on your website sounds appealing enough? Do you also want to make sure that people who view your website can easily understand it? These are both very good reasons to consider website redesigning. The way that your website is worded can make a huge deal to someone that is browsing through it. Making sure that it sounds as appealing as it possibly can be very important to your success, as well as your website optimization.

What Good Graphics Can Do For You

One of the main things which people want to see when they visit a website is graphics. There are a number of different things that graphic design services can do for your website.

* It can make your overall website look more appealing to anyone who visits it.
* Graphic designs can also add to the style of your website.
* If you have a company website, you may find that your overall success will be increased through graphic design.

Make Sure That Your Website is Easy to Use

One of the main things that people hate about websites is when they are not easy to use. When people use a website that has confusing navigation, chances are that they will not use the website again because they will get frustrated with it. Website redesigning can help you a lot when it comes to making your website easy to use. An understandable website can lead to the overall success of your business, by increasing the sales that you get.

Develop a More Professional Looking Website

One of the most important things that there is to know about website design is the fact that a website is the soul to your company. If you have a company which is very professional, chances are that you will also want your companyĆ¢€™s website to be very professional as well.

If a person finds that your website does not seem professional or legitimate enough, they will most likely avoid using your services. If you decide to get your website redesigned, you will feel rest assured to know that your website is as professional-looking as it should be.

Match Your Competition

The truth is that industries are constantly changing. If your website is older, chances are that the content that can be found on it may be out of date. In order to match your competition, you should have a website that is just as good as your competitors. Having your website redesigned can be extremely successful when it comes to this.

Why Is Website Redesign So Beneficial?

* The appearance of your website will be improved through graphics.
* Your website promotion will be more successful.
* Website optimization will be increased.
* The overall success of your company will be increased, through encouraged sales or use of services.

About the Author: Rajesh V. Tavakari, Senior SEO of Website-Promotion-Ranking-Services.com

Simple and best SEO techniques

Content is king, and Google needs backlinks to verify the quality of the website. After all, as clever as Google is, nobody could expect a machine to understand whether the content is correct or not.

Also I believe backlinks don't have much affect straight away, this way Google can aviod rewarding websites they pay for backlinks. So my advice would be to find a website that will provide a link that will last for some time, this is why relevant links are so valuable!

Try and do everything right, at the start of your project and start as you mean to go on. It's not necessarily a case of doing a lot, just do it correctly. I've worked on so many projects where SEO is a second thought and "just get it up there" is the word of the day and as a designer I can make sure that all the code and structure is clean and correct but this is only one part of the overall picture.

* Generate good relevant content
* Keep your articles and content semantic (so use Headings, lists, titles etc)
* Fill in the Meta content
* Get the links flowing (with or without keywords), both internally and externally. (This covers everything from twitter to forums, Press releases to site directories, be proud of your content and post links where relevant traffic will come from.)
* Get a Google sitemap and use it
* Install and use Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools
* Use the Firefox Rank Checker plugin to follow how well you're doing for the keywords you've selected, and make changes where you need

I'm a big believer in keeping things simple. A little goes a long way!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Twitter Celebrates Hiring Of 300th Full-Time Employee

Any Twitter historians out there may want to mark today on their calendars as a milestone of sorts.  This afternoon, the company announced that it's hired its 300th full-time employee.

To provide a rough timeline documenting Twitter's growth: it supposedly had 22 employees at the start of 2009, 110 at the start of 2010, 140 as of February 14th, and 205 as of June 4th.

Please note that we emphasize the words "rough" and "supposedly" here - there's been some confusion about the full-time/part-time split - but the company's execs have in any event allowed themselves to be quoted on these numbers.

Now it seems certain that Twitter's hit the 300-employee mark, too, and judging from the call for people to "JoinTheFlock," the company's still hiring.


These details may signal that Twitter's quite healthy and probably far from needing another round of funding.  Or they could hint that it's healthy and knows it has more cash on the way.

Feel free to place your bets in the comments section.  Regardless, things are looking good for Twitter right now.

Source : webpronews.com