Archive for July, 2008

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Megastarmedia @ Technorati!

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Technorati Profile

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Web Hosting Company For Your Small Business

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

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When you are ready to expand your business to the Internet or start up your own Internet based business one of the first things you will need to do is find a good web hosting company. These days’ web hosting companies provide everything you and your company needs to get off of the ground. Many web hosting companies offer domain registration services, web design help, and search engine promotion and optimization. With so many competing companies offering these useful services it is hard for a small business to choose a good hosting plan.

When the time comes to start looking into small business web hosting always compare prices. While it is true that you get what you pay for in the competitive world of web hosting companies are always having discounts and special promotions in order to boost sales. Find out how much companies charge you monthly and also check to see if the web hosting companies will offer discounts for paying a year or two in advance.

Paying in advance is a good way to get extremely low web hosting and if you are hesitant about spending too much money upfront for a service you may or may not like look for a company that offers a money back guarantee. Major web hosting companies will give a thirty day or more money back guarantee that will give you a chance to test out their services. If you are still unsure sign up for a month to month billing account and upgrade to a yearly paid account at a later date. When you move fast enough you will still be able to save a good deal of money.

After you have found a few reasonably priced plans find out what features are included in the plan. In some instances a company might charge more because they offer much more than their cheaper competitors. Find out if the small business hosting plan includes one or more free domain name registrations. Also, find out what amount of bandwidth is included in your hosting plan and if any free email address are included. Being able to assign an unlimited number of email address accounts will be extremely useful for your business if you have many employees and want to use uniform, corporate, email addresses.

Last, but not least, find out how much storage space is included in your web hosting plan. A large amount of storage space will be necessary for hosting large files if you do a lot of file sharing with customers or for email accounts that have a lot of activity. If you are not sure which company will suit your business needs always consult your web design company. Most professional web design companies have worked with many major hosting companies and will be able to recommend the one that will be best for your small business needs.

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Posted in Dedicated Servers, Social Networking Services, Web Development | 3 Comments »

Customized Widgets For Website Promotion

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Business owners with profiles on multiple social networking websites are constantly trying to find innovative ways to promote their own, specialized, websites without breaking user agreements. While many social networking sites allow users to link to other profiles they sometimes make the process of sharing very difficult. Some websites offer warnings to discourage users from leaving there sites. For this reason many users are not willing to visit outside websites unless they are sure that they will find some information that will be useful to them.

widget social manager

 

 

This is where custom designed widgets come in.

Widgets are used by some of the most well known companies to share up to the minute news feeds. News providers like CNN and the Associated Press in particular take advantage of widgets to let site owners keep their readers informed about world events. Widgets can also be used by website owners, especially blog owners, to keep others informed about their own website activity.

Customized widgets can be designed to update each time your website has new content or your company has breaking news to share. This will encourage curious individuals to visit your website by letting them know what news you have to offer. These widgets can be placed on any social networking website profile that allows outside HTML coding. If you have a steady client or customer base you can even encourage them to place copies of the code on their own website to help advertise your site.

Widget designs are often very affordable and should be considered if you want to do something to make your website stand out on the crowd. Hiring a developer to create a custom widget is usually much more affordable than investing in an entirely new website design. Widgets can be branded with your website or blog name, a logo, or anything else you can imagine. If you are trying to encourage visitors to install your widget on their own site then ask your designer to make a variety of sizes and colors. This will increase the chances of visitors using them since they will be more likely to find a widget that fits with their own profile or website design.


 

 


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Posted in Internet Marketing, Social Networks | 4 Comments »

Online Community Chat Software

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Choosing chat software for online community chat rooms can be a difficult process. There are many options available as web hosting companies compete to offer potential customers a variety of service choices. When choosing chat software for community chat there are five things that you, the buyer, should always keep in mind.

First of all, does the web hosting company offer you and your visitors any sort of customer/technical support? Many people have found that chat software is easy to install but not so easy to use effectively each and every time. It is important that you, the website owner, have proper support available to trouble shoot any difficulties that you or your customers have. Before signing up for web hosting with a company that includes chat software or purchasing chat software ask them whether or not they offer live support to you, the buyer, and the people using the site/software. If the software or hosting company does offer live support find out whether this support is strictly online or if telephone support is also include.

Secondly, find out how often the chat software and web hosting is down. Some vendors will not be willing to give you an honest answer so be prepared to do a little bit of research. Do a search using Google or any other major search engine using the name of the chat software or web hosting company and see if any complaints turn up. Also, visit the web hosting company’s blog or public support log to see what errors and downtime has been reported.

Third, establish how difficult, or easy, it is to find out how to contact customer support to answer questions. Does the web hosting company or software company offer a wiki with information on their chat software? Are the customer service email addresses and phone numbers easy to find? If you notice that information is hidden then you might want to consider other web hosting alternatives. When you or your clients are frustrated by a website chat software problem the last thing you want to do is spend time hunting around a web hosting site for customer support contact information.

Fourth, does the chat software for your community require any additional plug-ins or third party software to run properly? This might seem like a minor issue but if users have pop-ups disabled or strong firewalls they may not be aware of the reasons why the chat software is not working correctly for them. Try to use a web host that has chat software which requires no additional plug-ins or outside software.

Fifth and finally, test the new chat software for your community extensively before making it available to the entire community. This will help you and your technical teams identify any serious problems and malfunctions before making a public launch. Remember, failure to properly test your chat software could result in problems throughout your entire community.

These steps might seem like overkill to some website owners but having functioning chat software will help members of your community interact and get the most out of their social networking experience.

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Posted in Social Networking Services, Social Networks | 1 Comment »

Professional Social Network Design

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

There are many experienced website owners and marketers that are interested in creating their own social networking site. The problem that many of these businesses experience is the lack of reputable social network website designers currently available. While there are many website design companies promoting their services few specialize in social networking. The few companies that do advertise social networking design services are often extremely expensive or have very long waiting lists.

Fortunately there are web design companies emerging that create fully functioning social networking websites for affordable prices. If you are a website owner that is interested in designing a social networking website but are operating on a budget there are few things that you should do before requesting a quote. This will help you avoid wasting valuable time and will also help prevent you from becoming discouraged during your search.

First of all, visit the web design company’s portfolio. Try to visit every website that is live to get an idea of what sort of web design style they offer. If you find two or three websites that have functions that you like and will work with your finished social networking site remember to mention these when requesting a quote. On the other hand, if you do not find anything that you like in the web designers’ portfolio do not be afraid to move on.

When you have an idea of what features you want the designer to implement contact the designer for a quote and reference the sites in their portfolio that interest you. Do not be afraid to tell the designer exactly what you are going for. If you are interested in a video sharing website tell them and do not try to beat around the bush. A professional will be able to tell you right away if they are able to help you or not. In some cases if the designer you have contacted cannot create the site you want they will be able to refer you to someone that can give you the site that you are envisioning.

Finally, find out what additional services are offered along with website design. Many companies like Mega Star Media will be able to help with website optimization that will make sure your newly launch site receives traffic. They will also be able to provide, or recommend, web hosting services that will suit the needs of your new site. In many instances the company will even be able to provide start up marketing advice and services in the form of press releases and search in Pay Per Click campaigns designed to drive traffic to your website while generating interest among the news media.

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Posted in Social Networking Services, Social Networks, Website Design | No Comments »

Understanding Social Community Software

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

There are many experienced Internet users and marketers that have not yet discovered the usefulness of community software. These experienced individuals have watched the growing popularity of social networking websites with apprehension and are not sure if, or how, they will benefit from this new Internet revolution. Fortunately, many professionals have to come to realize that social networking can provide an enormous boost to their business in terms of traffic and sales. This realization often comes with a full understanding of the community software that is used to create and manage many of the most popular social networking sites online today.

The most popular social networking websites online today were first created to help friends, coworkers, and family members stay in contact. They make it easy for people to message each other, share news in the form of blog posts or bulletins, or even share outside news or blog feeds. There are many social networking websites online today that all help individuals and businesses network usually completely free of charge. The community software used to create these websites is designed to make it easy for the average computer user to easily set up an account and communicate with other users.

Community software comes in many different forms and is designed to include features that the website owner believes users would want or appreciate. Some software programs are designed to offer high levels of account security and easy functionality. Others are designed to be visually appealing and promote blogging or other forms of communication or information sharing. Regardless of the main goal of the community the website owners will have the software designed and installed in a way that is easy for the average user to manage.

One thing all community software users and owners must remember is that software will, on occasion, fail. This will often happen when thousands or millions of users are all trying to access parts of the site simultaneously or when a user’s computer is not compatible to some of the sites features. Community software often involves many trials and errors and if you are someone interested in investing in community software to use on your own site always test things out before committing to a full launch. Many large companies have sponsored limited beta trials of their social networking sites to find, and fix, all major bugs before completely launching their site.

Once you understand the downfalls of community software and its advantages you will be able to decide whether or not signing up for a social networking community is right for your business. Many website owners have found that signing up for social networking sites has positively influenced their business sales and website traffic. If you are still unsure about the benefits of using social networking software experiment with a few social networking sites that operate using different types of community software before making your final decision.

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Posted in Social Networking Services, Social Networks | No Comments »

Creating an Online Community – Important Things to Remember

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Creating a fully functioning online community can be a time consuming, but completely worthwhile, process. Many people make the mistake of assuming creating an online community will only require a domain name and a web hosting company. In reality a successful online community requires a great deal of planning to determine how you want members to interact, what sort of features you want to offer members, and most importantly what type of online community software will be necessary to support your newly launched website.

After you have made a few basic decisions regarding the look and feel of your community it is time to contact a software developer. Even if you are not ready to start and launch your online community talking to a software developer will help give you a realistic idea of the development process. Creating your own, original, social networking site is going to take time and a qualified developer will be able to give you an appropriate estimate on the time it will take to develop and test a new online community software program.

Next you will be faced with the dilemma of budgeting for your project.

Usually it is best to set a budget for your project before contacting a developer but when it comes to a project of this nature many first timers have a difficult time estimating the actual cost of a social networking site. Most people make the mistake of assuming their website will cost the same to develop and maintain as a traditional business website. Since an online community requires a bit more back end design, testing, and maintenance the cost will be more than an average site design. Be prepared to spend a good deal of money for the development of your online community software and the cost of reliable web hosting, domain registration, and eventually marketing.

There are many who attempt to rely on free online forums, chat room sites, and more to start their own online community but always remember you get what you pay for. When relying on a third party site you will be at the mercy of their servers, software, and support teams. If a third part site goes down then your site, while still live, will be virtually useless and your members will go elsewhere.

Last, but not least, extensively test your online community software before letting the public sign up. Get your friends and family members to sign up for test profiles so that they can tell you about any bugs or problems they experience. Find out whether or not your forums, chat rooms, or blogs slow down when multiple users are logged in and also experiment with your communities messaging system. Taking the time to test out your own system before opening it to the public will help you avoid hundreds of support tickets and customer service emails/complaints.

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Posted in Social Networks, Web Development | 2 Comments »

Choosing a Professional Website Designer

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Choosing a professional web design company can be a daunting task especially if you are new to the Internet and have never completed a transaction on an independent contractor basis. Unfortunately, in order to succeed and be taken seriously your business will need a professional website which means contracting a web design company. With so many different companies offering their services it is important that contact, and talk to, at least three design companies. This will help ensure that you pick the best web design company for your professional needs. Try not to settle for the first company you stumble upon after completing a web search.

When you have narrowed your choices down to at least three web design companies you will want to ask a few questions. While some of these questions might be answered on a company’s business site do not be afraid to repeat a question. Most companies will not mind going over information again with a potential client.

The first thing you should always ask for is a portfolio. Find out the names of the companies they have designed for and never settle for domain names that are no longer online. Ask for samples of their work that are online and are in your industry or field. Once you have gotten a list of their work do not be afraid to contact the clients directly using the information found on their own sites. Make sure that the design firm is being honest because it is easy for amateurs or scam artists to make claims to online work that they really did not do.

The second thing you should ask is how many revisions they are willing to do before charging additional fees. It is possible that the first design mock up they present you with will not be up to your standards. Never be afraid to ask for reasonable changes but do not expect a professional designer to come up with four or five different versions of your site. Time is money for independent contractors so expect them to charge additional fees if you insist upon many changes or if the changes you request completely contradict your initial design request.

Third, find out how much time it will take the web design company to complete your site. Once again, time is money, and how long can you afford to wait for a website. Most professionals will be able to quote a completion time frame based on the work requested. This is especially important when you are working with a company that charges on a flat rate basis. While hourly charging companies will be glad to tell you how many hours of work are necessary a flat rate company will usually quote you a time in days. If the web design company tells you the work will be done in five or ten days always find out if they mean business days or consecutive days.

Hiring a web design company does not have to be a difficult task and once you have successfully hired an Internet based company you will be surprised and pleased by the ease and convenience of the process.

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Posted in Website Design | 1 Comment »

Social Networking – Why You Should Start Your Own Community

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

After the enormous popularity explosion that followed the launch of MySpace many Internet entrepreneurs and marketers found themselves wondering why they did not come up with MySpace first. The idea of social networking is nothing new but before MySpace it was not seen on such a large, user friendly, level. Quite a few Internet savvy people would have loved the chance to make a fortune selling advertisement space to major movie studios, television stations, bands, and much more. Surprisingly creating a website like MySpace is not nearly as difficult as you may be imagining.

In order to establish a social networking website it is necessary to invest in your own, customized, social networking software. This software is created by a developer that specializes in creating programs to be used for social networking and will be branded for your own use. While hiring a development company and setting up web hosting along with marketing can be expensive in the long run it will be worth it.

Even though many people prefer setting up their own profiles on sites like MySpace and using them to promote their own businesses setting up your own website will give you much more control over your promotion and increase your opportunity for financial success. When using third party sites you are totally dependent on their system and have to hope that there is no downtime, errors with messaging, or anything else that can have an adverse affect on your promotional efforts. You are also at the mercy of their staff that may or may not close or lock your account for a variety of reasons real or imagined leaving you to cool your heels until someone has the time to answer your support ticket.

Setting up your own social networking site will give you total control over the community. You will be able to invite your friends and business associates to sign up and then watch the news spread through word of mouth. Unlike other website ventures social networking leads to word of mouth news being spread because once a user has a profile set up they want the world to see it. Plus you will be able to set up a site that showcases your own interests be it body art, music, television, animation, or anything else you can imagine.

If you are interested in starting your own social networking website you will need to contact a web design company that specializes in social networking sites. Since there is a lot of work involved in the development and upkeep of any social networking site you will want to choose a company with experience in the field. Once you have found a web design company that has designed sites that are similar to your own vision contact them with any questions you might have. In many instances these companies will be able to recommend web hosting and even provide marketing assistance. With all of this in mind if you are someone that wishes you were the owner of MySpace it is time to invest in your own social networking site.

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Posted in Social Networking Services, Social Networks, Web Development | No Comments »

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