dataNdesigns — Sat, 25 Jun 2005 12:59:28 +0000

Selkie, thankyou really appreciate the comments and the feedback, although few hold value to awards, I will add that this site did in fact receive an award within the first 2 weeks of release, and moreover, the client reported back to us that he had taken over $8000 in products direct from the site in the first 4 days, so he was pretty happy.

Thanks again and appreciate your comments.

selkie — Sat, 25 Jun 2005 12:41:28 +0000

Stu -

Had to get my two cents in here on your site from another perspective.

You got great advice from demonhale and Steve about the "tech" aspects of the design and it sounds like you found some of their suggestions helped improve your site. I'd like to go out on a limb here and suggest there is more to website design and/or development than just the technical side of things and that is the DESIGN portion of it.

There are way too many boring websites out there that load perfectly and have the text perfectly centered. I personally love your out-of-the-box thinking with the wave on the side of the site. I see exactly what you are going for there and I think it's truly appropiate to the site as well as creative. Likewise the blue typeface. Yes, it is a trifle harder to read than black. But YES it does fit with the overall artistic design and feel of the site.

As a marketing consultant I'd give you top points for making the client's site memorable and marketable. So I say Great Job!

Selkie

demonhale — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 05:11:11 +0000

World TV, I mean advertise on TV on Worldwide channels...

You could post that google question to a new thread, so that many could try and answer, coz I dont know if its entirely true...

dataNdesigns — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 04:52:30 +0000

good points, what is world TV? and I have heard that google only goes 25 links deep if you build a link page, do you know if this is true?

demonhale — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 03:11:39 +0000

As far as I know, most people use CSS and Table combinations... As for arguments sake, most top sites wont validate, and even in my sites, it wont entirely validate, but as far as my "raw code" one that aint touched by my webhost validates... The hosts inserted code usually doesnt validate... As far as my experience goes, if you build a site from scratch and check it out at mozilla and it works, it is then that you check on other browsers, This is where you apply some hacks to make it viewable to other browsers...

The main concern with business websites other than browser compatibility and as Steve and I discussed in the other threads before is advertising... As far as I know, paying to be advertised in World TV as well as on buses and trains usually works... For a little money you can also ask friends to paste your site url stickers to their cars... Unless you put up some curiousity and some news for your site, traffic and hits wont come in...

dataNdesigns — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 02:14:47 +0000

Exactly, and as for your server - ooch, but I guess they must have a reason. I get a lot of business for people who only have the web as a medium and theirt frontage so its important to get hits for them straight off the bat.

Have you found any sure fire ways to kick off with hits? I have tried a few things now for clients with varied results from newspaper ad to adwords, link exchange, banner ads, even cds and business cards, but nothing seems to generate long term consistant hits unless the site is worked hard by the owner. I guess its also to do with content. Have thought about promotions like free give aways or competitions, do you know if these have a track record of working?

Also just got word from the owner of dazzling blue, he got his first order through the web site the yesterday for $8000 pool, he was pretty happy and he paid his bill on time.

steve40 — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 01:18:08 +0000

I agree there should be consideration for small buisness, or for a new site for that matter. The first year is the make or break point for a small business, I know having been in one. If you make that first year, chances are that the following year you may stand to make a little money.

Since the internet is now the biggest medium they have, it's a little prejudice to restrict their exposure. Sounds a little like the bigger powers! have a little to do with this. And may even put in a little boot to keep it that way.

As for a new web site, the server I am now on monitors your activity, and if you don't satisfy their requirements within 30 days you are out. A little choicey I must say, since it usually takes a month to start getting any exposure.
The forum is just as bad no post for 25 days you are cut. So there is nothing free, you have to work your A-- off to stay on the web. Or put up with so many pop-up adds, no one can see your site anyhow. It gets just a little discouraging to say the least.

dataNdesigns — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 22:56:38 +0000

Steve - yes i had known that keywords and meta data had lost relevance, from what I understand this was due to developers and site owners abusing the system.

your signature is a good idea and I will take you advice, thanks, and yes I have sites that are ranking now for different keywords based on being older than a year. But do you agree that the ranking system leaves a bit to be desired as far as ranking new sites are concerned? I mean how does a small business expect to take off? Should google or others cater for this demand to help the new comers? I have been told that this is a trial period to see if that business is going to be around in a year, but thats a bit like the chicken and egg story, how can they get business if they dont rank?

steve40 — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 21:27:25 +0000

You do know that google doesn`t even go by the keyword list. They snapshot your page, and select the ones they feel like. Usually the title, you almost have to know the name of a site to find it on google. After about a year (like with the older site) it will start to come up in various searches.

That is the reason I post my URL with my signature here, it comes up on the web as more links back to the website. I just advised a person on another category here to do the same. I am retired, and cannot afford advertising;so I have to do it the hard way. That means posting on many boards like this one, to get those all important link backs.

dataNdesigns — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 20:46:17 +0000

Yes I agree, isnt it a shame though that browsers are not built with the user or developer in mind, i mean to have all browsers display the information the same way regardless, wouldnt that be nice!

I think search engines have alot to answer for, we have to currently built sites to suit search engines, dont they have an obligation to return the matches of keywords for the most relevant sites regardless?? doesnt seem to be the case as ultimatley we need to collect incoming links from promonent sites. Talk about strangle holding the business, It doesnt allow for new sites to get posted under competative keywords regardless of how good the content they have is. I guess its just another way of making people pay for good listing on a popular key word. All my sites rank 1 in two to three days of launching even the ones on the development server, but if I go for keywords that are really populare its a nightmare.

Does anyone have any advice on this?