10 Things to Remember When You Launch Your New Website

About to launch a new website? Refreshed your existing site? Added additional functionality or a new section? Find out what you need to remember before it goes live.

1. You'll need to make sure that you have a sitemap, and that it is complete. If you've been using a test site, or development server, then you might have used dummy data or products to fill your database, so you'll need to ensure that the sitemap includes the actual pages that will be live. Don't forget to update your XML sitemap and resubmit it to the search engines.

2. Ensure that your Robots.txt file is updated too. If your site structure has changed you'll need to make sure that the search engines are able to see all your pages.

3. If you're using analytics and tracking software, then this will need to be implemented on every page. Is it in your website template or CMS already, so that every new page can be tracked?

4. If you've renamed products, pages or categories on your new website, don't forget to use 301 and 302 redirects so links to the URLs for the old pages show the new pages. Check that these work, as you could lose a lot of traffic and links if the search engines can't find your new pages.

5. Don't forget to go through your code, and make sure that there are no commented out sections that should be live, and that there is nothing in the comments that shouldn't be there, and nothing inappropriate.

6. Make sure that there is no test copy or images as the site is about to go live. Perhaps you've created sections or pages that had Latin text or dummy images to show where the real text and images should go. Have these been replaced with the right text and images?

7. You'll need to make sure that all internal and external links work. Ensure that all internal links point to the live site and not a test site. You might have also changed the directory structure, so you'll want to make sure that everything works as expected. If there are external links on your site, you'll want to test them in case they've changed over the years, especially if they point to specific pages, rather than the homepage.

8. Remember to tell everyone involved when the new site is due to go live. This is so that they know to refresh their browsers in case a cached version exists and the new site isn't displayed.

9. Don't forget to make sure that everyone who needs to know how to use it does know how to use it. If you're introducing a CMS, as opposed to a static site, or are making use of databases, then users will need to know about any limitations or user access restrictions, so that they don't think there's a problem with the site.

10. Ensure that website administrators and those that will be updating the site know who to contact in case of a problem. A simple coding error, or file restriction could have disastrous consequences when the website is actually live. If you're accepting payments online, do you know how to contact the payment gateway company, or bank that processes your transactions? Now you know what to consider when your new website is about to go live, are you fully prepared?

BUILDING A CHURCH WEBSITE

 The psalmist declares in Psalm 26 that he loves the house of the Lord, the place where His glory rests, and that he goes about all day, proclaiming the glory of the Lord and telling of all His wondrous deeds. You love your church, not just its physical aspects – architecture, décor, location – but also its human aspects, the people who, like you, love the house of the Lord and make it their home. As with the psalmist, you want to tell everyone about the wonderful things the Lord has done, and is doing, through your church. Where the psalmist had harp and voice as his best choice, you’ve got the Internet as yours. What makes it your best choice, and why?

The Internet has become the first place many people go for information. Studies show that one of the first things new residents do when they are searching for a church to attend in their new community is to hit the web. This makes your church or ministry’s web site your first tool in reaching potential new family members. Including directions, an interactive map, nearby public transit stops and other driving and traveling aids will help the visitor in locating your facility. Listing service times is, of course, a foregone conclusion, but what about listing small group offerings? Worship and ministry offerings? If your ministry is heavily involved in one aspect of outreach or in a community service, be sure and highlight those areas, as well.

Your website should include as much information about who you are and what you do through your church as possible, giving visitors a true sense of the kind of church family they will meet. Your web site can share your unique offerings to the community and outline your ministry’s focus with visitors before they ever step foot through your door.

More and more web surfers use Internet information for making decisions. Now, your web site can help them decide whether or not to come to your church, and that’s fine. Using your web site to help them come to Christ is a potential that can not and should not be overlooked. While you may have great outreach programs in place, you can’t be everywhere, at all times. Your church website can. You can reach a lost soul at 3 am from 3000 miles away through your website. Your web site can become a tool for fulfilling the Great Commission handed down by Christ himself, spreading the gospel farther and faster than any sermon you might prepare, than any program you could administer.

Reaching new members and reaching the lost are incredible benefits of having a church web site, but have you considered what a web site can do for your existing congregation? Ministry changes daily – new prayer concerns, new meetings, new opportunities – and the digital nature of a web site means that you can keep your faithful flock fully informed of all those changes, quickly and easily. The immediate nature of the Internet makes it ideal for updating and integrating more information affecting more people.

The work of ministry requires regular nourishment, regular encouragement. Offering a daily or weekly devotional, a daily Scripture passage and/or a regular note of encouragement from ministry leaders, can supply spiritual support for the weary soul. Missionaries, military personnel and others in stressful situations far from home churches can gain strength and support from such efforts. Posting transcripts or pod casts of the weekly message can allow shut-ins, students, military personnel and others who can’t attend services in person to share in the life of the community from wherever they may be.

Churches who have included an online offering opportunity have seen giving increase, as members utilize its easy to use, secure services. With several of these services offering regularly scheduled “automatic” payments, those inclined to tithe or give routinely seem to prefer to do so without having to worry about missing a service due to illness or travel.

The social aspect of Web 2.0 can offer your church family a way of keeping in touch irregardless of the time, the day or the weather through forums or chat rooms. In areas where severe weather can often hamper or even cancel regularly scheduled meetings, chat rooms can allow small group members the opportunity to gather, worship, pray and discuss from the safety and comfort of their own homes.

Today’s web user is more technologically savvy than he was 5 years ago. He has become used to using the Web more and more, and for more than just gaining information through reading pages of text. He plays games, watches videos, downloads audio files and communicates with others regularly. A church considering a web site should keep this in mind, and offer as much interactivity as possible, to be as appealing as possible.

Audio files of sermons, hymns or other music, video files or broadcasts of services, chat rooms or forums for member to keep in contact with each other, prayer or devotional blogs are all means to create an effective, tech savvy website for your church or ministry. They will help you not only create ways in which to reach and outreach, but also as ways to maintain the relationships and ministries that you already have.

Websites should be an integral part of any 21 century minded ministry. The potential to reach, teach and preach is nearly endless. With more and more people turning to the internet for information, communication and interaction, a church without a website can’t hope to fully fulfill its commission of going into all the world, preaching and teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. A church or ministry that’s as plugged in to the worked wide web as it is to it local community can see explosive growth, increased involvement among its faithful, and have an untold impact to the world at large.

WHY YOU MUST GET YOUR WEBSITE CUSTOMISED

The success of a business depends on how its target customer perceives it. This rule is not an exception when a business is trying to make its presence feel online. Here comes the importance of custom website design and the series of advantages that it offers. A well made custom website design not only helps in contributing new visits, but also makes a splash in their mind. Remember if you are looking for professional appearance to win the trust of your customers custom website design is the only reliable solution.

What is Custom Website Design?

Custom Website design is a striking combination of design and web contents to deliver the right identity of the company. With custom web design a company can place their products and services strategically to attract business and expand business. Thus, if you want your business to outshine in the cutting edge competition opting for custom website design would be the most sensible decision.

Stitched to your needs, Fits into your budget, Increase your profit

• As You Like It: You can construct and incorporate the designs of your company, the way you want it. See your business strategy turn into reality as you incorporate web content to site to arrest the attention of user.

• Stay a Step Ahead: Carefully and professionally made custom web design can help you and your business to stay ahead in cutting edge competitive environment. Whenever the browser finds that your website is different in terms of quality of content and design, your products and services are guaranteed to stand out.

• You Own Your Design: A custom website design turns to be your property and under the copyright law your online corporate identity remains protected.

• Pocket Friendly: As majority of the companies are relying on custom website design the prices are highly competitive. Thus, you can expect a tailor made design at economical cost.

And remember to consider these points for custom website design,

• Proper Navigation: Proper navigation assures smooth experience for its browsers. Simultaneously, proper navigation helps search engine in indexing pages of website. This is one of the most important point that one should consider.

• Look and Feel: Emphasize on consistent web design for the right look and feel for your website. A professional look and feel of a website makes the site more acceptable to its user. In this connection keep in mind the selection of colors, page backgrounds, page size, graphic design application etc.

• Proper Communication: Communicate your requirements clearly to make sure you get the right custom web design for your company. Make sure that you have included "About Us" AND FAQ or frequently asked question page to let the people know who you are and how they can contact you.

• Flash Techniques: If you are using flash techniques for your websites ensure that upload speed remains unaffected. Delayed uploading time might lead to losing important and valuable customers. Also you must update your site content from time to time

Domain Name Hosts

Domain Name Hosts



This quick guide to domain name web hosting will help you understand the process of hosting your domain name online. Finding and registering a domain name is one thing, but you still must host your domain name. Web hosting is similar to "renting" space on the Web, either by the month or year. You rent that space according to the size and needs of your website.



There are several ways to do this. One way might save you time, while others save you money. Some methods offer short-term benefits while others offer long-term benefits. Read below before making your choice about domain name web hosting.


Already Registered - Now What?



If your domain name has already been registered with a registrar or domain name reseller, then you have two options. One, do nothing. Leave the domain name's registration right where it is and pay the bill each term.



You can find domain names and managed web hosting elsewhere. You'll have two separate bills with two companies - one for domain name registration and one for hosting.



Two, you can find a Web hosting provider and transfer your domain name registration to that company. This will enable you to have everything billed with the same company. Keep in mind that if you registered your domain name before you secured Web hosting, then your bills might come at different times. The domain name renewal will be billed at one-year intervals (or anniversaries) from the date of registration. If you secure it for more than one year, it will renew on that date within the next two or more years.



You should really dig a little deeper into the subject of Internet hosting services and choosing domain name registrars. The information you gain might just give you the confidence you need to become a real webmaster.

10 Indirect Ways To Get To The Top Of Search Engines

There are millions of web sites trying to get listed in the top 20 spots of the major search engines. That amounts to an awful lot of competition and even after spending hours and hours on Search Engine Optimization techniques you may still not be able to achieve a high ranking for your competitive keywords!

However, if it proves too difficult for you to get high rankings directly, there are still ways that you can get to the top.......indirectly!

So, just how do you do this?

Firstly, look up the top 20 web sites on the major search engines under the keywords and phrases people would find your web site. If you could either advertise on those sites, or get a link from those sites to yours then that would be nearly as good as having a top listing yourself.

The most expensive way to do this would be to buy ad space on those web sites. However, if you don't want to spend any money to do this, you could use the ten strategies below.

These strategies may not of course apply to every web site but I'm sure there'll be at least two or three that you can make use of straight away....

1. Participate on their discussion boards. You could post questions, answer other peoples questions, and join in on conversations. Just include your signature file and link to your website at the end of your messages.

2. Ask the web site owner if they would like a free ebook to giveaway to their visitors. You could have them link to your web site or include your ad in the free ebook.

3. Submit content to their web site. You could write articles for their web site and include your resource box and link at the end of the article. If they publish it, you'll indirectly be at the top of the search engines.

4. Write an excellent article review of their web site, products or services. Then publish the review on your web site. E-mail the web site owner and tell him or her about it. They may link to your web site so their visitors read it.

5. Ask the owner of the web site if they would want to trade advertising. If you don't get as much traffic as they do, you could throw in some extra incentives.

6. Propose a cross promotion deal with the web site. You both could promote each others products or services together in one package deal. This means a mention and link back to your web site.

7. Give the web site a testimonial for their product or service. Include a little text link for your web site with the testimonial. You never know; it could end up on their ad copy.

8. Post your advertisement on their free classified ad section on their web site. You want to be sure you have an attractive headline so they will read your ad.

9. Sign their guest book. You could leave a short compliment about their web site on their guest book. Just include your signature file and link at the end of your message.

10. Tweak your own website so that your pages are search engine friendly. There are steps that you can take that don't take long to implement but can dramatically improve the traffic you get from the likes of Google and Yahoo! Look at our free course detailed below for the simplest way to do this.

10 IMPORTANT WEB DESIGN TIPS

                              

A website should firstly be searched out by visitors before talking about attracting or retaining those visitors. Nowadays, a “well designed website” does not only relate to a web site’s visual attractiveness but more importantly, how friendly it is with search engines.

Below are 10 SEO friendly website designing tips where web designers should pay attention to during the early stage of their web designing process.

1. Avoid creating menu on the left-hand side of a website. If unavoidable, an alternative way is to put some text with rich keywords at the top or above the left-hand menu so that this text will be the first thing to be read by search engines.

2. Headlines are rated more important than the rest of the web page by search engines. To take advantage of this, you should have your keywords in the page headline. Since the header tag (h1) is quite large, you should format it to make it smaller.

3. Every page should contain the “title” and “description” tags with good keywords to describe the page content. The number of words for the title should not exceed 9 and that for the description should not be more than 20 words in order to keep within the limits of most search engines.

4. Try not to use Flash when possible. Flash cannot be read by the search engines to date and will cause slow page loading time and make people run away. If you really have a reason to use flash, try to make it smaller (e.g. as a flash header) and leave other area of your website for keyword-rich content.

5. Think twice on how to use graphics. Make them relevant to your content and use an alt tag with relevant keywords for search engines to read as they cannot read graphics and also for your visitors so that they can have something to read when waiting for the graphics to load.

6. Do not only use images to link out. You should always use text links to link out to important content on your web site. Spiders can follow image links, but like text links more though.

7. Avoid using frames. Some search engines cannot spider web pages with frames at all. For the other search engines that can, they can have problems spidering it and sometimes they too cannot index the web page.

8. Avoid using too complex tables when laying out your page but to keep them simple for the spiders. There are some engines which find it difficult to navigate through to the other pages on your website if the navigation bar is too complicated.

9. Use external Cascading Style Sheets and Java Script files to reduce page size and make the download time much faster. It will allow the spider to index your web page faster and can help your ranking.

10. Use standard HTML. Software such as FrontPage, Dreamweaver or a WYSIWYG editor will often add unnecessary scripting codes that will make the page larger than is needed and make it harder to crawl. It will sometimes add codes that cannot be read by search engines, causing the spider not to index the page or even the whole website. If to use, you should use those web page creator software wisely with a good understanding of html so that you may manually avoid or even delete those unnecessary scripting codes.