Archive for the ‘Website Design’ Category

Awesome example of TV social network

Friday, February 12th, 2010

this site does an amazing job at design, interaction and content for a social networking TV station.

awesome social network for TV

awesome social network for TV

How to brand yourself online

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

Listening

  • Build ego searches using Technorati and Google Blogsearch
  • Comment frequently (and meaningfully) on blogs that write about you and your posts
  • Don’t forget the conversations hiding in Twitter (use Summize.com) and Friendfeed. Be sure to stay aware of those.
  • If you can afford it, buy professional listening tools, like Radian6 or others in that category.
  • Use Google Reader to store your ego searches.
  • Use Yahoo! Site Explorer to see who’s linking to your site.
  • Use heat map tools like CrazyEgg to see how people relate to your site.
  • Listen to others in your area of expertise. Learn from them.
  • Listen to thought leaders in other areas, and see how their ideas apply to you.
  • Don’t forget podcasts. Check out iTunes and see who’s talking about your area of interest.
  • Track things like audience/community sentiment (positive/negative) if you want to map effort to results.

more online here http://www.chrisbrogan.com/100-personal-branding-tactics-using-social-media/

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.

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.

Custom Web Design – 3 Things to Remember

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

When the time comes to hire a professional to design a customized site for your company it is easy to be influenced by the competition. Many small business owners make the mistake of creating overly flashy websites that have the latest technology and features. While this might create an impressive impression it might not be for the best. Before you give your designer a list of requirements that you feel will generate sales remember these three things.

First of all, your website must be easy to navigate. Visitors should be able to find everything that they need without hunting for it. Include links to all major parts of your website; “About Me, Contact Us, etc.” at the top of your website and at the bottom. Make sure that everything is easy to understand your clients should not have to spend an hour figuring out how to get around the site.

Secondly, the website must clearly state your companies name and contact information. When a visitor gets to your website they must be able to tell, right away, that it is your site. With visitors going to hundreds of websites each day they will eventually get confused. This will happen a lot if you are selling goods or services that will lead to your visitors doing a lot of comparison shopping. Your site must be able to stand out in the crowd by showcasing a brand name, logo, or other identifying graphic that will be memorable and easily recognizable.

Third, and finally, your website must be able to load in all browsers quickly. Web surfers are notoriously impatient and after a few seconds of dealing with a slow loading website they will move on to the next best thing. The only way to avoid this is to cut down on large graphics, excessive animation, and anything else that will slow an Internet user down. When you are trying to come up with ways to make your website load faster, always remember that not all users will have access to a DSL or high speed connection. Test your website out using dial up and test it in multiple browsers. Even though you might like your exciting flash entrance page a user with an older computer, outdated Internet Explorer, and dial up might get angry when your website crashes there entire system.

Always remember that it is your company’s services and products that matter. Do not let yourself get fooled by the flash that some company’s use to hide their lack of quality. Focus on what your website needs to educate potential customers and rank well on major search engines.

Social Networking Website Design- Why You Should Hire a Professional

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

As more successful social networking websites launch more companies and individuals are on the look out for professional social networking website designers. These designers specialize in customizing social networking profiles for bands, models, corporations, actors, and many more professional personalities. By taking advantage of these professional designers businesses are able to use social networking websites in place of traditional websites to attract and communicate with fans, customers, and others who are interested in their message.

Quite a few people wonder why anyone would pay to have a social networking website developer create a profile for them. Many social networking websites are set up to be used by individuals with little or no web design knowledge. While the average person might be comfortable with the idea of putting together a social networking profile with limited knowledge many professionals cannot not afford this approach. Having a poorly designed profile will not only fail to impress current customers, it might also drive new customers away. These days’ professionals must have a highly customized social networking profile designed in order to be taken seriously by competitors and their target audience.

There are many benefits to hiring a professional designer, one being that these designers can use their skill and experience to reflect your businesses image or personality. An experienced social networking website designer will be able to use custom graphics, flash images, and more to attract customers and show them what makes your business different from competitors. They will be able to design a layout that is not only attractive but also easy for visitors to use and navigate.

Now that you have decided that a professional designed social networking profile is for you it is important that you make a list of questions or requirements before contacting a designer. First of all, you must have a set budget in mind before shopping around for a good social networking website designer. Just like traditional website designers the price for a social networking design will vary depending on the designer or complexity of the design. Without a set budget in mind you run the risk of spending more than planned which will put you in a financial bind. Decide how much you want to spend and then base your design needs around it. Most designers will be willing to work with you and your budget needs.

The 5 Most Important Elements of Custom Web Design

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

When you are having a web site built for your company it’s important to make sure the company that you hire to build the site knows the five most important elements of web site design so that the design of the site isn’t a complete failure. Your company web site can be what sets your company apart from your competition so it’s important that the site be great. When you’re interviewing web site design companies make sure that you ask them about these elements of web site design to make sure they understand how important they are:

1. Branding and appearance – Your company website is your calling card on the Web, and in order for people to recognize the brand name and recognize the product branding is very important. You need to have uniform branding from the package to the website and on everything in between. Any custom web site design that you done needs to incorporate your brand image and your company colors into the colors and appearance of the web site.

2. Navigation – Whenever you have custom web site design done for your company one of the priorities of the design needs to be navigation. A website is no good it’s difficult for the user to figure out how to get around on the site. You want people that visit the site to look around the site, read the content and maybe shop on site. If the site is hard to figure out and hard to get around they won’t stay on the site very long.

3. Load time – Flashy custom web site design that is full of animation or large graphics is definitely not the way to go for a business web site. Not everyone that visits your site will be using a high speed Internet connection and a custom web site design that is full of Flash animation and large graphics will take too long to load. Your visitors will just surf away rather than wait for everything on the page to load. People that are trying to access the site from PDA’s and cell phones won’t be able to load the site at all. Any custom web site design should be simple and clean with no Flash if at all possible.

4. Search Engine Optimization – Websites today need to be search engine optimized. Even if the custom web site design company you hire doesn’t search engine optimize the content of the website they should do search engine optimization on the tags in the HTML codes of the site.

5. Functionality – If the site that you are having built is an ecommerce site then the company that creates your custom web site design should make sure that the shopping cart and payment processing systems that you want to use will integrate seamlessly into the site. The shopping cart and the check out process should be tested and re-tested before the launch of the site.

Have You Ever Thought About Creating Your Own Website Like MySpace?

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Do you like using social networking sites but wish that there was one more tailored to your own interests? Or maybe you should bout creating your own website like MySpace to promote your band, or your artwork, or your business. Well if you’ve ever thought about creating your own website like MySpace you should create your own social networking site. It’s really not as hard as you might think. You can build a custom social networking site that is built just for you from scratch or you can use software or even a free social networking site on the Web that will let you create your own website like MySpace.

There are a lot of advantages to having your own social networking site, especially if you are trying to promote your business. You can have fans and customers of your work sign up so that they connect with other fans and you can get their email addresses to send them email updates and other special things. Creating your own website like MySpace can have a lot of benefits for businesses.

Even if you’re not running a business you can benefit from creating your own website like Myspace. Do you want to keep track of your large circle of family and friends? A custom social networking site built just for you and your family and friends is a great way to stay connected without worrying about writing long emails or making regular phone calls. One quick update to the blog on your social networking site for family and friends and you’ve updated everyone that you care about on what’s going on in your life. You can even use your social networking site to share pictures, videos, music and more.

Creating your own website like MySpace doesn’t have to be just for family and friends. You can create your own social networking site for your college or high school study groups to work together on homework or share materials, or for all the people in your dorm to stay updated on dorm events, or at work to make sure that everyone in the company stays connected without using memos or emails that might get lost. Social networking can be a lot of fun on a small scale too, and these days it’s easier than ever to create your own website like MySpace. If you’ve thought about creating your own social networking site in the past now is the time to get started.

5 Questions to Ask a Web Design Company Before You Hire Them

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

If you don’t know a lot about web design it can be intimidating to hire a web design company because you might not know what you are suppose to ask in order to judge if they are really qualified to build the kind of website that you want for your business. When you’re interviewing prospective web design companies here are 5 crucial questions to ask that will help you decide if they are the right company for you or not.

1. What other companies have you built websites for? This question is important because it’s a good indicator of what types of websites the company has built in the past. If you are wanting them to build you an ecommerce site that you can use to sell your products on the Web and they have never worked with any companies that sell products online then you’ll know that the company probably isn’t experienced enough to build you the kind of ecommerce site that you want.

2. Do Web marketing techniques do you use? If you ask this question and they stare at you blankly then you will know right away that you need to choose another company. A web design company doesn’t necessarily have to know a lot about Web marketing in order to build you a functional site but a good website design company will stay informed about the latest trends in Web marketing so that they can make sure the sites they built are compatible with Web marketing techniques and are optimized for web marketing.

3. What other services are included? If you want the company to do additional website work for you like regular updates, website hosting, website maintenance and so on you need to clarify that up front and make sure that those services are including in the initial price quote.

4. How long will the building of the site take? If they can’t offer you a specific time table for completion they should at least have an outline of benchmarks that they can offer so that there is a definite beginning and a definite end to the completion of the project.

5. What are your rates? You will need to find out if the company works on an hourly rate or if the price is per job. Some website design companies charge per designer, per hour and other charge a flat fee for the entire project. If the fee is a flat fee per project make sure that you ask if revisions, maintenance, or any other “extras” are included in that price or not.

How to Choose a Custom Web Design Company

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

When you want to choose a custom web design company to build a website for your company you have a lot of choices. There are thousands of companies that build custom websites for clients. So how can you tell if a company that you are thinking of hiring to crate a custom web design for your website is a reliable, experienced company? Here are some tips on choosing a qualified web design company:

Ask for a portfolio – Any web site design company that has worked with clients will have a portfolio of custom web design websites they have done in the past. Usually this will be a digital portfolio and might even be online so that it will be easy for you to look at different kinds of sites that the company has done. Make sure that you look through all the sites in the portfolio to see if the company has worked on sites in the past that are similar to the kind of site that you want. Also take note of the companies that they have worked with. If they have worked with other companies like yours, or even with your competitors, then you can be confident that they can create a custom web design that will be appropriate for your business.

Ask for references – Any reliable web design company should have plenty of references to give you. Call the references and ask detailed questions about whether or not the work that the company did for them was done on time, and if the company was good to work with. References will be one of your best resources when you’re trying to pick a high quality web design company.

Ask about payment details – If the company has a standard contract and can easily answer questions about payment, prices, costs and so on then the company is trustworthy. If they company wants a huge sum of money up front and is sketchy or avoids direct questions about financial arrangements then the company is probably not all that reliable.

Go with your gut – When you’re interviewing a company representative about the company’s qualifications and experience really pay attention to the person you’re talking to. If the person from the company seems comfortable with your questions, seems to know a lot about design and seems to really listen to your ideas then you can assume the company will be responsive and easy to work with.