Do you own your website? (Part 4 - website hosting)

Submission by Robin Clapp - Web Design by Robin

This is part 4 of the series "Do you own your website?".  Today you will learn what website hosting is and how to purchase it.

I will ask a new client to perform two tasks when they hire me to design their website.
1) Pick and purchase a domain name for their website, which I covered in another blog article.
2) Purchase a hosting plan, which is the main focus of this blog article.  I will start by explaining what a website host is.

How does an internet browser know where a website lives?



It begins with registering your domain name with the whois database.  All domains are registered here.  This is how they know which ones are available and which ones are not.  The whois database record that contains the domain name also contains the address of where the website lives.  This address is normally that of a computer server that has access to the world wide web 99.9% of the time.  You want as little downtime as possible, right?

When you pay for your hosting plan you are paying for your website to be hosted on a server - giving it an address.  Once you know your server and website address it can be recorded in your domain name record and VOILA the connection is made and your website can be found.

Not all hosting plans are the same.

I specialize in content management websites, specifically in an application called Joomla.  The hosting plan needs to support the tool set I use. Not all hosting plans are the same. Godaddy hosting plans are a great fit for Joomla websites and are reasonably priced.  This is why I recommend their economy hosting plan to my clients.

Website Ownership
By completing steps 1 and 2, listed above, you have claimed ownership of both your domain name and hosting plan.  Now my favorite part begins, CREATING A REALLY COOL WEBSITE FOR YOU!

Robin Clapp
Web Design by Robin
Bringing Your Website to Life
Robin@Web-Design-By-Robin.com
508-622-1464

Shag Carpeting is Back!

submitted by Dotty Wyman - Dotty Wyman Designs     

 Shag carpeting is back and of course with a new twist.  It's not the same shag I grew up with in the 70's, with all the bright colors and long strands.  Today's shags have lots of lush texture, a thicker pile and the strands are a little shorter.  The colors are more neutral and multi-colored for today's homes.  I was surprised to see how many options and price points that were available as well. 

     Shag carpeting has a cut pile, the yarns are slightly twisted, with a much less twist than the frieze. The individual yarn strands are longer and spaced further apart.  The shag gives a "grass type look" because the strands lay in a different directions.

             A client of mine is redecorating her family room.  We are changing the paint color, selecting fabrics for window treatments and pillows, and purchasing a new carpet.  This large family room has beautiful oak hardwood  floors, but we wanted to create a fun casual and comfortable feeling.  The shag rug is a great solution.  We plan to treat the shag carpet as an area rug.  It will be cut to size and bound around the edges.  The thick plush shag will stand out against the hardwood creating tremendous impact for the room.  I really like using the shag carpet as an area rug.  It keeps the rug from overwhelming the room and it keeps things looking fresh.

A few tidbits I learned at the carpet store;  Shag carpeting is easily seamed without needing to match a pattern.  This allows for very little waste and a cost savings to the consumer.  The seams are undectible creating an even more beautiful rug.

Please send along any comments I would like to hear from you.

Dotty
Dotty Wyman Designs
508.219.4739
www.dottywymandesigns.com/

Singin' the Email Blues

Submitted by Frances Fahey of Fran's Fine Editing.

       Please allow me a few moments to rant about proper email usage. I have written in the past about it, but apparently nobody read my emails.
       I have burrowed into my (admittedly disorganized, non-foldered) email list in the past to try to find a particular one, only to see that it didn't have a subject line, which is why I couldn't find it, or it doesn't have the person's current phone number on it, so I have to go elsewhere to find him, and then I find that another email didn't answer all of my questions, so I have to email her again.
         Not that I haven't been guilty of hitting the "send" button too soon, before double-checking that the attachment was there. At least it doesn't happen as often now as it did when I first started sending them as attachments 25 years ago (oops, did I just tell you my age? Please disregard).
       Val Nelson is a good writer, a good coach, and a good mentor from one of my women's groups.  Take her "E-tiquette Quiz" on email usage and tell me how you do. While you are there, read some of her other helpful tips on blogging and email marketing, too.



Frances Fahey

Fran's Fine Editing

http://www.fransfineediting.com/

 (413) 529-1189    

"I'll keep you composed"

Do you own your website? (Part 3 - content management websites)

This is part 3 of the series "Do you own your website?".  Today you will learn how Content Management Websites can give you control of your website.

Submitted by Robin Clapp - Web Design by Robin

 In part 1 of this series you learned why it is important to own your website's domain name and how to check if you do.  In part 2, I explained to those just starting out how to pick and purchase a domain name.  Domain name ownership is an important piece of website ownership.  However having your name listed as the registered owner is only half the story.

Can you make changes to your website?  And when I ask this question I'm assuming you are not a web coding guru but instead an everyday business owner rocking and rolling in what you do best, your business.  If this is the case, then updating your website is a task that can be simplified by using a content management system.

Content Management Websites

I use the term "content management" all the time when I am referring to website design.  Content management is just that - a system that manages content.  When you use one with your website you are accomplishing content management electronically and online!  How cool is that?

Why is it so important to have a Content Management Website?

Better said do you have time and money to waste?  A content management website allows you to make changes to the content of your website.  If you don't have the ability to do it yourself you will have to pay your web designer to do it and it will get done when they fit you into their schedule (TIME and MONEY).
I'm not saying that you shouldn't give someone else the task of updating your website content - I'm stressing that you should have the choice.  What's the point of owning this really great marketing tool if you can't use it to promote your business at will?

In closing...

"Will I be able to update my website?"  This is a question I hear everyday as a website designer and I feel it is one of the most important ones!  If you are not asking this question - YOU SHOULD BE.

Robin Clapp
Web Design by Robin
Robin@Web-Design-By-Robin.com
508-622-1464

You Are Not Alone…No One Told Us These Things

submission by Sara-Lynn Reynolds, Home Instead Senior Care

Keep in mind as the years go by that there are certain 'tid-bits' our parents ignored, didn't know, or just plain forgot to tell us about...and that you are NOT ALONE in this lack of knowledge.

     
     We were NOT told that any home with multiple stories would wreak havoc on the kneecaps or that a steady banister on each side of the stairs would actually be useful.

     We were NOT told that anniversaries, holidays and birthdays need to be celebrated with a designated driver. No one wanted to admit that one alcoholic beverage could knock them out or that caffeine would keep them up all night. 

     We were NOT told to put our house or car keys in the same spot every day so we didn’t have to rely on memory to find them.

     No one told us to beware of identity theft or mentioned the invasiveness of security checks at the airport because of terrorism...no one wants to admit that their finances and body just ain’t what it used to be…

     We were NOT told about constant maintenance and more maintenance of the mind, body and spirit. We were NOT told about the exhaustion that came with all that constant maintenance as well as a waistline that would continue to bloom regardless of what we did to decrease it.

     Finally, We were NOT told our parents were going to NEED us, or how we should take care of them.

Thankfully…the Baby Boomer generation has made head-way in that direction…For information on how to better care for yourself and your aging parents…Home Instead Senior Care

Sara-Lynn Reynolds-Community Liaison

Home Instead Senior Care

555 Pleasant Street, Suite #104,

Attleboro, MA 02703

508-222-0800 office
774-254-3413 cell
website:  http://www.homeinstead.com/590/
BLOG:  http://www.homeinstead590.wordpress.com/

Do you own your website? (Part 2 - pick and purchase a domain name)

This is part 2 of the series "Do you own your website?"  
submitted by Robin Clapp - Web Design by Robin

Today you will learn how to pick the right domain name for your website and a few tips to follow when you purchase it.

Picking a domain nameTake some time to pick the perfect domain name for your business website.  A good domain name should be relatively short, easy to say and easy to type.  The rules of the past are changing - today you need something remembered rather than something that meets google's standards.  In other words - brand yourself and focus your search engine optimization efforts elsewhere.

Back in 2005 when I purchased my domain name, www.web-design-by-robin.com, we were told google couldn't read words without the hyphens.  Six years later you can imagine my frustration relaying it over and over to people in conversation with all those hyphens.   And trying to type it into your smart phone - forget about it!

Since then I have purchased www.websitesbyrobin.com and permanently pointed it to my original domain name using a 301 redirect.  This will be my mobile domain name and the one I give out over the phone making my life and those interested in viewing my website so much easier.

So where should you start? 
Think of the words and phrases used in your industry and try to work them into your domain name.  As you can see I used web design in my first and websites in my second leaving no doubt as to what I do.  Then add a bit of personality.  Yes, webdesign.com would seem like a great domain name but its too vague to be remembered.

Checking domain name availabilityAs you are going through the exercise of thinking of a domain name for your business website you should probably know how to check if your choices are available for purchase. 
Here is a tool Godaddy provides to check domain name availability. www.godaddy.com/domains

Before we get too far along let me make a suggestion about extensions.  If the domain name is for your business use .com.  This goes back to easily remembered.  Everyone assumes .com therefore use it.

Purchasing a domain name
There are two important factors to keep in mind when purchasing a domain name.
The first is make sure it is registered in your name and this information is public.  When the option comes up to make your ownership private choose NO.  In my blog article titled "Do you own your website? (Part 1 - domain name ownership)" I show you how to check domain name ownership using the whois database lookup.  This process is commonly used to check a business' credibility.  Making your ownership private makes it look like you have something to hide.

The second is how long to purchase your domain name for.  Domain names are relatively cheap, under $20/year.  If your domain name ownership term is 5 years you will rank higher than someone only setup for a year.  Google likes an established website.  Little things like this make a difference.

So there you have it, a few tips for picking and purchasing a domain name for your business website.  I'd love to hear what you decide on!

Robin Clapp
Web Design by Robin

The Penguins Go to the Bronx Zoo

 Another Fine Post from Fran Fahey of  Fran’s Fine Editing

     So the joke goes something like this, with a few embellishments:

     Mr. Brown was traveling through Kansas and met a guy selling penguins at $2.00 each. “What a great deal,” he thinks. He calls the Bronx Zoo, who tells him that they’ll buy as many penguins as he can sell them at $90.00 each, so he buys 129 of them to bring to New York.

     Around Hackensack, NJ, Mr. Brown’s car breaks down. While he’s waiting for AAA, a Good Samaritan stops to help him, and Mr. Brown says, “Would you take these penguins to the Bronx Zoo?” The guy agrees to help, loads all 129 penguins into his car, and takes off.

     In the Bronx, Mr. Brown gets into a major bumper-to-bumper traffic jam. As he creeps closer to the zoo, he sees people lined up along the sides of the street, pointing and laughing. As he pulls up to the zoo, he sees the guy who helped him walking along the sidewalk, trailed by a line of penguins holding balloons. “What the heck?” he says to the guy. “I asked you to take them to the zoo!”

     “Sure, I did,” the guy said. “But I had a little money left over, so I’m taking them to the movies!”

Moral of the story?

 Be careful how you word things. You just may get exactly what you ask for.

Fran Fahey

Fran’s Fine Editing