Thursday, June 18, 2009

What Makes a Website Design a Good One?

A lot of people can recognize good design when they see it on the web. But most people don't really know what makes that design good.

How do you define "good design?" Is it subjective, like your favorite flavor of ice cream? Although there is some subjectivity within good design, there are artistic principles that good design is built from. Here are a few that form the foundation of good design.

1. Proximity

Because items that are in close proximity to one another become one visual unit, items that are related to one another should be grouped together. Laying out related items on a website page this way helps the eye associate the information and enables the viewer to mentally categorize the information easily. The flip side of this principle is that items that are not related should not be placed in close proximity to one another.

The purpose of the principle of proximity is to organize information in a way that enables viewers to quickly and easily comprehend. When information is organized, people are more likely to read it and respond. People are also more likely to remember information that is organized.

How can you determine if items form a visual unit? Squint your eyes and look at the page on a website. Now count the number of times your eye stops as it views the page. On a page that is using the principle of proximity well, your eye will stop three to five times. In other words, there will be three to five groups of information for the eye to comprehend separately.

2. Alignment

You've seen website page layouts where the text and graphics are placed wherever there happens to be space. The effect is messy, with no impact. Nothing should be placed on a page arbitrarily. There should be a visual connection between each item and something other item on the page. When items are aligned, it creates a cohesiveness that the eye appreciates.

The purpose of alignment is to unify the website page. Imagine a well-organized kitchen. All the pots and pans are stored in the organizer, the fruit is nicely displayed in a basket on the counter, the spices are all on the rack-everything is in its place. A page layout needs the same thing.

Look at a website page that you feel is good design. Now focus on the main visual element. Where does your eye go from there? Do you see how other elements are aligned with that one main element both vertically and horizontally?

3. Repetition

Good design repeats some aspect of the website design throughout the site. It's this repetition that makes all the pages in a site look like they belong together. Color scheme, graphic elements, typefaces-all of these elements should be repeated-used consistently-throughout.

The purpose of repetition is to create consistency and to add visual interest. Repetition creates a professional, polished look that the eye is drawn to. When a website design uses repetition and is consistent, it is more likely to be viewed and read.

Here are some was you can create repetition beyond simple consistency in typefaces and colors: Use some element in your logo as a major graphic element in the design. If you are using a ruled line, make the line more interesting visually by perhaps making it with tiny dots or dashes, then repeating the line element throughout the design. Create patterns that are repeated throughout the design. Take a small element and place it somewhere on each page for a whimsical look. Just be careful not to overdo the repetition, or viewers will be annoyed rather than pleased.

4. Contrast

The principle of contrast states that if two items are not the same, then they should be different-very different. Contrast creates an organizational hierarchy of the information and graphics on a webpage. When using contrast, you can't be a wimp! The contrast must be strong to be effective.

The purpose of contrast is two-fold: to create interest on the page, and to organize information. A page that is interesting to look at is more likely to be read. And contrasting elements will help a reader understand the way the information is organized.

Contrast can be created in many ways. You can contrast large type with small type, a serif font with a sans-serif font, bold with light, smooth texture with rough texture, a small graphic with a large one, a dark color with a light one.

A design that integrates these principles will automatically gain a professionalism and polish that it would otherwise lack. Next time you stumble across a website design that makes you say "wow", cheek for these principles-you'll find them quietly working to make that design a good one!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

How To Taste Wines

Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell, taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time! Keep in mind that you can smell thousands of unique scents, but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter. It is the combination of smell and taste that allows you to discern flavor.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 15 minutes

Here's How:

Look: Check out the Color and Clarity.
Pour a glass of wine into a suitable wine glass. Then take a good look at the wine. Tilt the glass away from you and check out the color of the wine from the rim edges to the middle of the glass (it's helpful to have a white background - either paper, napkin or a white tablecloth).
What color is it? Look beyond red, white or blush. If it's a red wine is the color maroon, purple, ruby, garnet, red, brick or even brownish? If it's a white wine is it clear, pale yellow, straw-like, light green, golden, amber or brown in appearance?
Still Looking. Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque, dull or brilliant, cloudy or clear? Can you see sediment? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floaters? An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.
Smell:
Our sense of smell is critical in properly analyzing a glass of wine. To get a good impression of your wine's aroma, gently swirl your glass (this helps vaporize some of the wine's alcohol and release more of its natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff to gain a first impression.
Still Smelling. Now stick your nose down into the glass and take a deep inhale through your nose. What are your second impressions? Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics. Gently swirl the wine and let the aromas mix and mingle, and sniff again.
Taste:
Finally, take a taste. Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. There are three stages of taste: the Attack phase, the Evolution phase and the Finish.
The Attack Phase, is the initial impression that the wine makes on your palate. The Attack is comprised of four pieces of the wine puzzle: alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. These four puzzle pieces display initial sensations on the palate. Ideally these components will be well-balanced one piece will not be more prominent than the others. These four pieces do not display a specific flavor per se, they meld together to offer impressions in intensity and complexity, soft or firm, light or heavy, crisp or creamy, sweet or dry, but not necessarily true flavors like fruit or spice.
The Evolution Phase is next, also called the mid-palate or middle range phase, this is the wine’s actual taste on the palate. In this phase you are looking to discern the flavor profile of the wine. If it’s a red wine you may start noting fruit – berry, plum, prune or fig; perhaps some spice – pepper, clove, cinnamon, or maybe a woody flavor like oak, cedar, or a detectable smokiness. If you are in the Evolution Phase of a white wine you may taste apple, pear, tropical or citrus fruits, or the taste may be more floral in nature or consist of honey, butter, herbs or a bit of earthiness.
The Finish is appropriately labeled as the final phase. The wine's finish is how long the flavor impression lasts after it is swallowed. This is where the wine culminates, where the aftertaste comes into play. Did it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied (like water) or full-bodied (like the consistency of milk)? Can you taste the remnant of the wine on the back of your mouth and throat? Do you want another sip or was the wine too bitter at the end? What was your last flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak? Does the taste persist or is it short-lived?
After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Was it sweet, sour or bitter? How was the wine's acidity? Was it well balanced? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? If so, jot the wine's name, producer and vintage year down for future reference.

More Wine How To's

Brewing Coffee in a Drip Coffee Maker

Rye Sourdough Buns

Photo © Elizabeth Yetter

Whether you’re planning for a summer cookout or a large family dinner, rye sourdough buns give any occasion a special, country feel. This old fashioned recipe for sourdough buns is made with 4 cups of rye flour and the buns are topped with caraway seeds. The result is a healthy, tasty bread that everyone will admire. This recipe for rye sourdough buns makes about 24 buns, depending on size.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups rye flour
3-3/4 cups warm water
1 cup sourdough starter
.
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 cups bread flour, about
.
1 egg white, lightly beaten
caraway seeds

Preparation:

On the night before, mix together the rye flour, warm water, and a cup of your favorite sourdough starter in a large bowl. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let set overnight.

The next day, stir down sponge. Mix in salt, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
Mix in enough bread flour to make a stiff dough. The dough will be sticky.
Knead the dough for 5 minutes. To do this, I grease my hands lightly with vegetable oil to prevent the dough from sticking to my hands and I knead the dough inside of the large bowl.
Let dough sit for 10 minutes.
Grease two baking sheets. Break dough into buns, remembering that the buns will double in size.
Cover and let buns rise for 1 hour.
Brush egg white on the tops of buns and sprinkle with caraway seeds.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until buns sound hollow when tapped on.

5 Steps to Better Cocktails

1. Upgrade Your Liquor Cabinet

Photo Courtesy of: © Zyr Russian Vodka

There is a significant difference between the distilled spirits on the top shelf and the bottom shelf of the liquor store. Your drinks will reflect the quality of their ingredients and, because liquor is typically the strongest ingredient in a drink, it is important to spend a little extra money on quality. A Martini made with a 5 dollar bottle of gin is going to be disappointing compared to one made with a 40 dollar bottle of gin. That doesn't mean that you have to spend a fortune every time you go to the liquor store. There are very good mid-range brands available that are perfect for "everyday" mixing that cost around $20-30 a bottle. This simple upgrade will start your cocktails off on the right foot.

2. Use Fresh Ingredients

Ginger Mary Cocktail - Sagatiba Pura Cachaca Rum

Photo Courtesy of: © Sagatiba Pura Cachaca Rum

Whenever possible choose fresh instead of canned or bottled ingredients for your cocktails. This primarily refers to fruit juices but can also be applied to other mixers such as using a soda siphon as opposed to buying bottled soda water or club soda and making your own simple syrup, sour mix or grenadine. With fruits the answer can be as simple as squeezing lemons, limes and oranges with a hand juicer or getting an electric juicer to make fresh apple, cranberry, pear or any other type of fresh fruit juice. Many of the bottled mixers will include unwanted additives that take away from the freshness of the cocktail.

3. Match the Drink and Glass Temperature

Pomegranate Margarita - Cabo Wabo Tequila

Photo Courtesy of: © Cabo Wabo Tequila

This seems like a simple, possibly unnecessary, step to mixing drinks but it makes a world of difference. When you are serving cold drinks, chilling the glass before pouring will keep the drink colder longer and the experience of drinking is better from beginning to end. This can be as simple as placing a glass in the freezer for a minute or pouring cold water or ice in the glass while you shake and dumping it out before the pour. The same theory applies to warm drinks. If you are making a Hot Toddy, warm up the glass before hand by pouring some hot water inside while you're preparing the ingredients. Nothing ruins a drink worse than getting to the bottom and a cold drink is warm or a warm drink is cold and this simple step can stop that.

4. Use Garnishes When Appropriate

Photo Credit: © Colleen Graham

Not every cocktail needs to be garnished but those that do call for a lemon, lime, orange or whatever depend on that addition for flavor and balance. Garnishes also complete the drink's presentation. For instance, a Gin and Tonic without the lime is missing that essential, subtle citrus and a Martini without the olives lacks the soft brine flavor that infuses the drink. Garnishes are important and even if their absence doesn't ruin the finished drink, it certainly is not enhancing it like it was designed to do.

5. Measure Everything

Bar Jigger - Measuring in a Bar - Bar Tools

Photo Credit: © Shannon Graham

The importance of measuring cocktail ingredients cannot be stressed enough if your desire is to create great tasting drinks consistently. Many people skip this step because it's time consuming or because they like the show of a free pour. Granted, many bartenders who work in busy establishments rarely touch a jigger, but they also pour a lot of drinks and know the timing needed to pour a shot. Measuring ensures that you are creating the cocktail in the way it was meant to be and an over or under pour of a single ingredient can throw off the delicate balance of a drink. Also, if you are drinking and mixing, your perception of measuring can be thrown off.

Chris Milligan has a great perspective on this theory and a fun story.

Joomla - Sorting and Ordering

Joomla provides a various sorting options for articles, sections, categories, menu items and other content. These tend to confuse users due to so many different possibilites.

The best thing is to define all items to be shown by Ordering. Then manually adjust the Ordering. However, instead of using the Ordering dropdown where you would have to go into each menu and select the ordering from the dropdown (and sometimes the dropdown may misbehave and not do exactly as specified):

Ordering Dropdown

you should be using the content items listing to change the ordering. You can either use the up / down arrows to move the item up or down. Or even nicer you can enter the order into the boxes, and once you have determined the correct order click on the diskette to save the order.

Content Item Ordering

Removing Joomla footer

How to change / remove the Joomla footer (remove joomla! is free software released under the gnu/gpl license)

Removing / changing the powered by Joomla! footer message

Although we all know what a great content management system Joomla is, sometimes situations call for the link not to be visible in your website footer.

oomla 1.5

With Joomla 1.5 if you want to remove the footer, simple go to Extensions > Module Manager and unpublish the footer module. If you want to change the text, go to the language directory, go to the folder of the language you want to change, find the mod_footer.ini and change the text in there to whatever you want your text in the footer to be!

Joomla 1.0

To remove this from the default (1.0.x) template, you need to browse via ftp or otherwise to the file includes/version.php. Open it with your favourite editor, find the $URL line and change it to your liking. If you want nothing at all leave the line as $URL = '' (2 apostrophes). Do not remove the whole line because you might break your template.

This applies to the default template (rhuk_solarflare_ii). Other templates are likely to not use the URL and use their own links. You would have to use some kind of software on your local installation which looks within text files, and search for the text you want to change. Once you find it, you can change it to suit your needs.

2. Editing includes/footer.php so it does not retrieve the copyright info from the language files. Instead enter your own details here.
Pros: Again fairly quick and easy - possibly more efficient as the info will be available throughout multiple template sets.
Cons: The includes/footer.php file is part of the core distribution - it gets overwritten when you upgrade your favourite CMS.
specifics:

URL; ?>

Find and remove these lines, or similar from the /includes/footer.php file, and replace with your own html or php.

3. Editing the language files directly - so that footer.php retrieves your info.
Pros: does the job
Cons: less transparent to anyone who takes over from you as editor. Also prone to being overwritten when you upgrade your favourite CMS.
Specifics: edit the file /languages/english.php

Some people have suggested moving the includes/footer.php file, for example into your template's folder, and editing the template to include this file.
Pros: still fairly quick and easy, and will survive an upgrade of the core CMS.
Cons: only compatible with templates that have been edited to work this way. Other templates may cause an error when the file is not found in its default location.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Optimize Images for the Web Development

Creating graphics and posting images for your site is one fun thing to do in web development. Nothing makes your site stand out better than some great images.

Graphics and images can be used for entertainment, professionalism or a visual queue. A graphic designed properly can change your visitor's outlook and/or decision for your site. It is important to you have images ready and optimized for your website.

Optimize Your Images

One thing to remember when creating graphics and images for your site is to optimize. What do you mean by optimization?

Optimization is a way to compress data to make your file size smaller. One way optimization works is that it will read through all the color of the image and use other color combinations to make similar colors. This will then discard some colors that will not be needed for the particular image. But there is a downside with optimization. You will lose quality in your graphic and/or images.

Quality vs. Size

When optimizing your images watch the quality compared to size. You want the smallest size possible for your site, making your site load faster. This will make it easier for your visitors and search engine bots.

If you image or graphic becomes too distorted, raise your file size. You don't want a pixelated image on your site. You want your images to look good and professional. You just need to find a balance between having a clean professional picture and having a decent small file size.

Image Optimization Tools

Adobe Photoshop has put this into consideration in some of their new application versions. You can now do a File > Save for the Web Options and Adobe Photoshop has a pre-built optimizing process that is very good. You can choose what file type to save in and how much to compression and optimization. Adobe Photoshop is an expensive commercial program, another option is using Dynamic Drive's Image Optimization.

Types of Image Files

Last thing to touch on is JPEG, GIF and PNG. There are so many file types, but these are highly recommended for web development.

JPEG

JPEG is a compressed file that has very good quality standards. Because of its compression, colors and data are squeezed out of it to create smaller file sizes. This can cause some blur with images with sharp edges, which is great for photos. If you look at a photo there are no straight lines or edges. Everything is blended together, which why JPEG is great for photos. You can get great optimization out of a JPEG file.

GIF

GIF is used more for vector based graphics. A vector based graphic is when a graphic is made of lines and shapes. Vector graphic have sharp corners, edges or text. When dealing with graphics like described, it is better to use a GIF rather than a JPEG. A JPEG could case distortion on your sharp lines. GIF can also be use for animation. Frame by frame animation saved as a .gif will animate on your page. Transparency is another feature that GIF can support. You can save your images with a transparent background.

PNG

PNG is one of the newest web graphic technologies. PNG is great for quality and file size. You have the best of both worlds in a PNG. PNG can also support transparent backgrounds. The only downside to a PNG file is that some old web browsers don't support PNG. This problem is becoming less and less a concern. But keep that in mind.

Quickest Time for Web

Optimizing images and graphics is almost a must in web development. Having big file sizes could cause some of your visitors to leave your site. If your site is too slow to load, you need to optimize immediately. Rumour is that you have 3 seconds to pull a surfer in. If you site doesn't load in that amount of time, then you might lose them. Time your page in your browser and see how long it takes. If you are under a couple of seconds, you're doing a great job.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Buy Web Site Traffic for Free | Increase Website Traffic

Conduct any traffic generation search on a major search engine and you are sure to run into sponsored campaigns like these that make direct, no-nonsense claims about overnight Internet traffic success:

10,000 Visitors $12.99

Real Guaranteed Website Traffic.

Real Time Tracking! None Better

10,000 Real Visits $7.95

Limited Time - Special Offer

250,000 Real Visitors only $68.99

Buy Guaranteed Traffic

1,100,000 Real Visitors to your
Website for only $399 -Limited Time
10,000 Visitors $10.00
Worldwide Cost-Effective Traffic
Get Sales Rolling! 24/7 Tracking

Are these claims for real? Can these traffic generation sites deliver what they promise? Are they biting off more than they can chew. At MGT, we closely examine this hot trend and assess the impact of the buy web site traffic paradigm.

Mechanics of Paid Web Traffic Generation

Traffic generation companies utilize a host of methods to push traffic to your web site when you choose to pay for it. Some are more effective than others and it is important therefore that you become familiar with these strategies. The most common method being used today is called the ?pop under? method. A pop-under is similar to a pop-up except that it is programmed to load underneath the page on display instead of being displayed on top of it. Pop-under content, through which the traffic is generated, is viewed by site visitors in the full screen mode and is programmed to adjust to the screen resolution set by the user. The single greatest disadvantage of this method is that it is ineffective when it is up against a pop-up blocker. Given the ubiquitous nature of pop-up blockers specially when they come pre-packaged with search engine tool bars, the quantity and quality of this traffic stream is at best suspect. However, when these pop-under's generate traffic, the traffic flow can be quite regular in nature.

Many traffic service providers from whom you can buy web site traffic employ the misplaced finger technique. In this approach, landing pages are set up specifically for thousands of misspelled search engine keywords and key phrases from where targeted web site traffic is redirected to your site. An automated system is invoked which continuously records a digital trail. These companies also register expired domain names and create dedicated landing pages which redirect traffic in real time.

The Right Web Site Traffic Strategy

As is the case with every apple cart, there are good apples and bad apples. Choose a paid traffic service provider carefully and judiciously. Check credentials and ask for references. Those companies that offer a free trial are ideal. It is best to interact directly with service providers as opposed to their resellers and affiliates. A little bit of Sherlock Holmes style detective work can help you separate the wheat from the chaff and lead you to those sites that offer free trials and no-risk offers thus generating free traffic from paid sites. Signing up for trial offers will also give you the breathing time to learn how to leverage this approach for maximum long-term results.

To Buy or not to Buy Website Traffic

Choosing between free web site traffic and paid web site traffic is strictly a matter of personal preference depending on your long-term goals and budgetary considerations. It just might be prudent to refrain from putting all your eggs in a single basket considering the ever-changing Internet landscape. Adopt a combination approach that emphasizes both paid and free traffic generation processes so that the targeted traffic to your site is never-ending and your digital cash register continues to ring year round.

About the Author

Naveen Kapur is a senior SEO and SEM consultant with more than ten years of core experience in multimedia and graphic design, website optimization and Internet marketing. He helps organizations achieve their corporate objectives by building an online presence on the Internet.

Are Domain Names with Hyphens and Dashes SEO Unfriendly | Increase Website Traffic

Although the jury has been out for over a decade on whether to use or not to use dashes or hyphens in a domain name, there is enough empirical data to suggest that all else being equal; it provides no distinct advantage to hyphenate the domain name to gain SEO mileage.

Web analytic services like Hitbox and Alexa too provide no preferential treatment to hyphenated domain names because they are configured to monitor traffic impartially regardless of whether the domain name registered with them is or without hyphens.

Search Engine Optimized Domain Names

There are at least three reasons why we believe that hyphenated domain names provide no strategic advantage in the broader context of search engine rankings. We have examined several domain directories on web hosting services to arrive at this hypothesis. First, simply explore the infinite Internet spectrum and you will notice that most of the Fortune 1000 or Inc. 100 companies do not use hyphens in their primary domain names. Is there something they know that we should and don't? Secondly, search engine search bots or spiders as they are also known as, have become smarter over the years. They are now able to parse domain names with ease and make intelligent sense of their meaning in order to classify and categorize them appropriately. There was a time when search engines used the words and phrases in domain names to prioritize site rankings on their search results. However, this additional emphasis was quickly dropped when the system began to be misused. Finally, none of the major search engines have publicly admitted a preference for domain names with dashes. This is probably why you will notice more domain names without hyphens than names with hyphens when you closely examine a web directory such as the Open Directory Project or DMOZ.

User-friendly Domain Names

Since the primary purpose of your web site is both to generate and increase web traffic and not to merely display a URL on your business card, your domain name should be one that can be easily remembered and used by your site visitors and prospective customers. Hyphens in a domain name tend to pose some difficulties in this regard. Your customers need to remember exactly where to put the dashes and hyphens when keying in your web address directly into a browser. One misplaced hyphen and your customer just might end up on a competitor's web site. The keyboard placement of the hyphen also tends to irritate many. Search engine services have recognized this for a long time and have judiciously refrained from using dashes in their own domain names. However, in order to cover all your bases, we recommend that you register your company's name as a single word domain name as well as a hyphenated domain name. This will prevent competitors from picking a slice of your online revenue and provide you with long-term protection. Capture the .net and .org extensions also if possible for further protection. Domain registration costs are no longer as expensive as they used to be as recently as ten years ago. With a small investment, you can protect your Internet property securely for many years to come.

About the Author

Choosing a SEO friendly Domain Name | Increase Website Traffic

Until recently, you could successfully own and operate a business without investing in a web site. The reason is simple. There was no Internet before the nineties. Then came a time when owning a piece of the Internet pie became integral to business success.

Today, it is impossible to locate a successful organization that does not have some sort of presence on the information super highway. It is no longer good enough to have a well crafted, information rich and visually appealing web site. If it is not indexed by the search engines prominently, it will sit out there in lonely cyberspace and do nothing for your business enterprise. It is precisely for this reason that search engine optimization or SEO as it is mostly referred to has become such a major prerequisite to Internet business success.

As discussed earlier in my other articles on how SEO makes an effect on generating website traffic, it is as well important to know the key elements of SEO techniques. Domain names related to your website and more importantly to the keyword that focuses your website plays one of the crucial roles in search engine rankings.

You might wonder if keyword related domains did ever make a difference in SEO or SERP. If you are still wondering try getting a domain books.com or simply poker.com. In case you don't get those domains for yourself, which I am sure you wont, try researching if they are available for sale and at what price.

For instance website.com was sold for $750,000, chat.de for $470,000?marking the first and second highest valued domain sale this year so far.

Here is a small brief on SEO domain names, any single or 2 word domain name with no spaces, higher keyword ranked will always be the costliest. Not just because of the domain name being single or double, but more importantly the keyword search value.

For instance website.com was sold for $750,000, chat.de for $470,000?marking the first and second highest valued domain sale this year so far.

Traffic Generating Domain Names that are SEO Friendly

You can acquire traffic generating domain names in one of two ways. You can either buy them or create them. It is a good idea at the outset to integrate the selection of the right domain name with your Internet web site hosting as well as your SEO strategy. Carefully articulated keyword research could provide a key to the words and phrases your potential customers are utilizing to locate you. If you are serious about your Internet business and you should, we highly recommend that you consider subscribing to a reliable keyword research service to generate the most accurate keyword lists. Search engines are known to rank those web sites higher that include these first level keywords in the domain name. For instance, if your niche service is to offer people to get cheap secured loans, the obvious choice would be www.getcheapsecuredloans.com . It doesn't really matter in which order you choose your keywords as a part of your domain name because search engine spiders are configured to parse the domain name and establish the right association.

SEO and the Dot Com Advantage

As far as possible, try to stay with a .com because search engines are known to have a clandestine love affair with .com domains. It is preferable to have a .com domain name with your keywords in the wrong order as opposed to a .biz or a .info name with the right keyword order. For instance, www.getcheapsecuredloans.com will get you a higher ranking than www.getcheapsecuredloans.info all else being equal. That is why you always hear about the dot com era and not the dot net or the dot org era in spite of the fact that all these extensions were introduced at the same time by Network Solutions Inc., Internet's first domain registrar. It is amazing to notice how many Internet entrepreneurs choose not to cooperate with the search engines often due to ignorance when it comes to increasing web traffic on their web site. Choosing the right keyword rich domain name is indeed a prerequisite to Internet Web site hosting that is both reliable and drives web traffic to your site.

About the Author

SEO Web Hosting and the New Paradigm | Increase Website Traffic

Part 1: Selecting Your Domain Name

We have all heard about the explosive growth of the Internet but once we are confronted with the real facts, this growth almost seems like a miracle. The Internet continues to grow at an annual rate of more than 18% and now has one billion users on all continents.

The number is expected to double to two billion by 2020. One of the catalysts that has fueled this unbridled growth is the Internet's unparalleled ability to provide a level playing field for one and all to pursue the radiant dream of success and financial prosperity. The Internet knows no religious, economic or ethnic distinctions and treats every dreamer that dares to carve a niche in cyber space with an equal amount and level of impartiality. As we stand at the multiple crossroads of Internet and online commerce, we are sure to notice how important considerations such as the way in which web sites should be optimized for the search engines can make the difference between a run away success on the Internet and simply a damp online squib.

Web Hosting and White Hat SEO

Among the more than a hundred factors that determine how the major search engines rank your web site on search engine result pages, the environment in which your site is hosted by a web hosting company is one of the most important. This is perhaps the most under-estimated factor when web sites are prepped for search engine spiders to generate front page rankings on search engine result pages (SERPs). There is more to healthy and ethical search engine positioning than garden variety link building and keyword research-- a premise that can be easily substantiated through carefully articulated analysis and systematic execution. Implement most if not all of the considerations outlined here and you will notice how your web site quickly sky-rockets to a coveted position on the result pages of Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Before you Sign the Web Hosting Dotted Line

Before you finalize the web hosting company to which you will eventually assign the crucial responsibility to manage the hosting of your web site, there is a short check list you should run through:

Selecting the right domain name.

Did you know that the top level domain name (TLD) you choose for your web site determines, in part, your search engine ranking? This isn't a myth because all you need to do in order to verify this hypothesis is to pick any established and competitive keyword and enter it into a major search engine such as Google or Yahoo and then sit back to watch the result pages. You will quickly notice a pattern emerge. Many of the top level domain names such as .com, .net and .org which use part or all of the keywords in their domain names will be reflected. This equation also holds true for web pages, the pages that are linked from either the home page or one of the more important pages. Here is an example:

Keyword: top jobs

Result on the SERP: http://www.getatopjob.com

The presence of search terms and search phrases in the domain name and its accompanying web pages is no coincidence. They are often expertly chosen by SEO professionals after meticulously pursuing search engine keyword research using high energy paid keyword research tools such as Keyword Discovery.

The order in which search terms and phrases appear in the domain name or the name of a web page also impacts page rank and position. For instance, if "cheap secured loans" is the operational key phrase, http://www.getcheapsecuredloans.com will generate more mileage for you than cheapgetsecuredloans.com. Equally important is the "add on word" When you add a relevant term such as an action or transitive verb such as "get" the domain name becomes even more powerful. Hence, http://getcheapsecuredloans.com will generate a higher ranking for you than cheapsecuredloans.com all else being equal.

Search engine spiders, search bots and indexers have become intelligent enough to be able to parse the domain name and match it up with their hyper indexes. Therefore, it is no longer necessary or meaningful for you to register top level domain names with dashes or hyphen. It is also a good idea to register domain names with a .com extension. Acquire a domain name with a .net extension only if a .com is not available. The Search engine love affair with the first generation top level domain names such as .com, .net or .org isn't a thing of the past yet and the second generation top level domain names such as .mobi and .biz still have ways to go. You can always read my earlier article on domain names Choosing a SEO friendly Domain Name, or Are Domain Names with Hyphens and Dashes SEO Unfriendly. The same holds true for domain names with country-specific extensions such as .e for Germany and .ru for Russia. Everything else being equal, as long as a search result with a .com or .net is available for the major search engines to display in their results, a country-specific domain name may not get preference on the global search (google.com), but will result well in the country specific searches (google.co.in) Personal experience and what might be best described as intuitive and unscientific research has also led us to believe that optimized web pages housed in sub-domains, too don't make it to the list. If you have a set of landing pages for instance which must be indexed preferentially, try not to house them under a sub-domain. It is well worth your while to invest less then seven US dollars in an independent, search engine friendly domain name and put them out for the major search engines such as Yahoo and MSN to index them.

It is important, therefore, that you plan your domain naming strategy carefully first before registering a domain name because as Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth would say, what is done cannot be undone!

· Who on Earth is "Whois"

Before we tell you who "Whois" is, its relevance to SEO strategy and how it is related to the major search engines, we need to take a moment and tell you about localized and geo-targeted search. Over the past few months, all the major search engines have been gradually, steadily but surely moving toward serving up more relevant results by displaying local search results. For instance, if you were planning to send your son or daughter to a tennis academy in your city, type "tennis school" or "tennis classes" into Google's search box and you will notice that many of the results displayed will link you to tennis academies in your immediate area. This intuitive ability to connect you with your local community is not the exception but the rule and as time passes, more and more search results will display local establishments in your area that offer the product or service you seek. As an icing on the proverbial SER cake, millions of results are also being indexed to street map, directions and other logistics data through Map Quest, Google Maps and other services.

Google and possibly the other major search engines seem to have established a referencing system which accesses the Whois records of a domain name. A Whois record contains complete information about your domain name including your geographical location. This is the same referencing technology currently being used by a large number of web analytics programs such as HitBox, SAS and ClickTracks. A sample record from Whois which you can access by visiting http://whois.org looks like this:

· Go Windows or Linux.

This is most certainly the million dollar question in any web hosting-SEO debate. Each platform has its own distinct advantages and flaws and this is perhaps an inappropriate forum to discuss this. The search engine spiders have, in effect, been impartial in this matter. Web sites hosted on both platforms are uniformly indexed by the major search engines continuously round the clock. The key is to use search engine friendly code, provide HTML meta tags liberally and craft a SEO friendly search map where pages are linked mostly from text links. The web hosting company should provide your web site with sufficient bandwidth with a 99.9% up time. Windows-based hosting servers have to be shut down at least once a month if not more for routine maintenance and Microsoft update installations and Heaven forbid that the search engine spider comes looking for your site at that time. The more state-of-the-art your hosting company's system resources are, the better your site's performance. Your minimum server configuration should be:

Hosting System featuring Intel Pentium 4 with Quad Processors and at least 1 GB RAM and 24X7 power backup

Even if your web site is on a shared hosting platform, there is no distinct disadvantage. The key is to ensure that the web hosting hardware is well maintained and all logs are preserved for administrative access.

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Using a Static IP Address for your Website | Increase Website Traffic

Web Hosting SEO and the New Paradigm

Part 2 : Using a Static IP Address for your Website

The complex and dynamic relationship between web hosting and search engine optimization has often been ignored and misunderstood by web masters and SEO companies alike.

In our second report in this series, we examine several considerations which you should take into account when choosing a web hosting company. Remember that all web hosting companies are not alike and so it is incumbent upon you to ask the right questions and expect to receive the right answers. It is a good idea not to assume that all web hosting decisions are SEO friendly. There are many factors related to web hosting that tend to have direct repercussions on how the search engines rank your web site in search engine results.

Always use a Dedicated IP Address

The observation that all forward-looking online organizations like yours should use a dedicated IP address sounds really formidable but exactly what does this mean? In order to explain this, we need to take you back into time to the dawn of the Internet era.

When the Internet initially came into existence, the names of web sites, also known as domain names, were created because the numerical identifiers assigned to each IP address were impossible to remember. The University of Wisconsin created the system of Domain Names in 1983 which maps text names to Internet Protocol or IP addresses. Domain names were associated with and linked to these IP addresses in a systematic manner and the practice is followed to this day. It is now regulated by an international agency called the International Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN for short. IP addresses are made up of four sets of numbers. Each set of numbers ranges from zero (0) to two hundred and fifty five (255). This addressing system is also known as the thirty-two (32) bit system. To view an IP address in action, type 209.131.36.158 into your Internet browser's address bar and press enter. This happens to be the IP address for Yahoo.com and that is why the Yahoo web site is loaded when you input this IP address.

As the owner of a web site on the Internet, you have the option of either sharing your IP address with other web sites on the web hosting company's server or using an IP address that has been uniquely assigned only to you. The reason why many web hosting companies set you up, often without your knowledge, to share your IP address with other web sites on the same hosting server is because it saves them money in terms of administrative and other operational costs. These benefits are often not passed along to you. If you have guessed that this form of penny pinching isn't in your overall interest, you have guessed right. Always ask for a dedicated IP address for the following reasons:

Sharing an IP Address Kills Performance

Sharing your IP with thousands of web sites on the same server reduces the efficiency of your web site and is detrimental to your service delivery model. Anytime you share a resource, its performance is compromised. Not only it effects your website individuality but also effects dramatically your search engine ranking, which off course means less amount of Website traffic.

Dangerous Consequences

If a web site with which you happen to have the misfortune of sharing an IP address on the same server happens to be black listed for spamming a search engine or a domain, your web site too will get black listed or even unindexed by the search engines for no fault of yours. Your PPC campaigns may come to a grinding halt and your site may not be featured on the search engine result pages or SERPs. This can be painful especially since you have done nothing to cause it.

Denial of SSL Certificates

The absence of a dedicated IP address will preclude you from being able to install SSL certificates since SSL certificates from industry leaders such as Verisign, Comodo and Go Daddy work only with dedicated IP addresses with a verifiable and valid paper trail. If you are accepting orders or gathering sensitive customer data on your web site, you will need to install an SSL certificate.

Say Good Bye to Visa and MasterCard

In the event that your domain is assigned a shared IP address by your web hosting company, you may not be able to accept credit cards on your site from reliable merchant transaction processing companies. Data security is compromised when you use a shared IP address. Some web masters are forced to link to the sites of third party service providers to execute their order processing functions when their web sites use a shared IP address. There are inherent risks in this approach such as link failure and access difficulties which may be experienced by your customers over which you would have no control.

Shared IPs are SEO Unfriendly

Most importantly, if you use a shared IP address, your web site will not rank high on search engine results. Back links from another web site which shares your IP won't build search engine credits for your web site. On the other hand, back links from web sites with unique IP addresses that link to your web site (even if they happen to be your own web sites) will count as legitimate back links.

Geo-targeting Strategies to Increase web site Traffic

In an age where localized search is quickly becoming the order of the day, it has now become important to build a geographically unique identity through a dedicated IP. This helps the major search engines to notice your web site and drive qualified traffic to your web site. It is practically impossible to geo-target your web site and strategically position it for qualified traffic if it does not have an independent IP address. The minor additional expense is well the investment and there is no reason why you will regret it down the road.

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Managing your DNS Records | Increase Website Traffic

Web Hosting SEO and the New Paradigm

Part 3: Managing your DNS Records

After an in-depth discussion of how the domain name of your web site and its IP address can impact your web site’s standing in the SEO universe, we now graduate to yet another critical controlling factor that is hardly understood by even the search engine wiz kids.

We are referring to the deep-rooted relationship between your domain’s DNS record and its position in the search results of the results pages of the search engines. You will be amazed how quickly your web site will rise to the front page of search engine results and gain more website traffic once you put your DNS house in order.

DNS Record Overview

The DNS record of your domain name is an important element of your Internet property. The abbreviation DNS stands for Domain Name System and refers to a specific online document which translates your host name into the assigned IP address. There are several entries in the DNS record which are closely connected with one another and each entry in the record performs a unique and critical function a detailed analysis of which is beyond the scope of this brief report. However, we do recommend that you develop a fairly good understanding of the DNS record and its functions by visiting the DNS page in Wikipedia. You can find it at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System

The DNS record is like a telephone directory which helps to look up the domain name associated with an IP address and visa versa. It clearly identifies the name of the individual or organization that owns the domain name, the hosting server, the date of registration and expiration, billing information and other important details to facilitate smooth and reliable access.

Updating your DNS Record

In order for the major search engines to drive traffic to your web site effectively, your DNS record must remain updated at all times. This is specially important when the major search engines like Google attempt to send localized traffic in your direction through geo-targeted search. For instance, if your DNS record does not accurately define and pin-point your geographical locations, Google may not be able to include your site in localized search results because it wouldn’t know where you are located.

We have reliable evidence to believe that spam activity associated with your IP address is data that Google is able to capture. Hence there should not be any spam or spam-related activity associated with your DNS record. There is really no benefit-of-doubt here. If your DNS record happens to be incomplete or tainted, Google assumes that you are a spam-prone, unreliable and untrustworthy site. A clean and updated DNS record is your pathway to prime placement in organic search.

Selecting a Managed DNS Service Provider

If you own and operate a heavy traffic web site and do not have the in-house resources to manage your DNS record, it is a good idea to assign this important function to a professional service provider who can manage and monitor your DNS record. Companies such as Easydns, Zoneedit,and Ultradns provide managed DNS services. Be sure to explore their service delivery models carefully prior to signing the dotted line. In our next report, we will tell you why it is important to research your IP, especially if you have acquired an existing IP, to gain maximum search engine exposure.

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Banned IP and More | Increase Website Traffic

Web Hosting SEO and the New Paradigm

Part 4: Banned IP and More

After having presented a basic consideration of the role of dedicated IP addresses in the SEO equation, we will revisit the subject of IP addresses in an entirely different and yet critical context. The practice of banning IP addresses has been adopted by many web masters, forum administrators and discussion list moderators alike and has been gaining momentum as a part of their overall effort to maintain decorum and order.

You can probably live with it. However, what happens if a major search engine bans your IP address? The consequences can be disastrous and near-fatal especially if your web site is your only way of generating income and monetizing your Internet investment.

Why do Search Engines Ban IP Addresses

The reasons why the search engines ban IP addresses aren't few and far between. The end result, however, is that your web site ceases to be featured in the results pages of the search engines. Some of the reasons why the search engines take such drastic measures are as follows:

Using unethical SEO techniques to gain prominence on the result pages also known as Black Hat SEO
Pursuing fraudulent, illegal or criminal activity through the use of your web site
Spreading malice and hatred specially of an ethnic or racial nature
Spamming other web sites
Using e-mail to spam the Inboxes of search engine mailing services such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail
Violating international and national statutes and policies that govern Internet usage and support fair use and best practices
Using bots and automated tools that hamper the stability and performance of the search engines

Banned for No Fault of Yours

When you acquire a dedicated IP address from your web hosting company, there is always a remote possibility that the IP address was abandoned by the previous owner for reasons that were not too complimentary and were perhaps less than honorable. The IP address could also be on a Watch List for past dubious behavior. It is precisely for this reason that you should thoroughly research your dedicated IP address prior to paying for it. Conduct a frank and open discussion with your web hosting company prior to acquiring the dedicated IP address. If you happen to find that the web hosting company isn't too forthcoming, take your business elsewhere. Remember, it is a buyer's market out there and you are under no obligation to purchase something without being fully convinced.

Researching and Monitoring your Dedicated IP address

Monitoring your IP address is not a one-time affair but an ongoing activity. There are a number of tools and services on the Internet which can help you to do so. For instance, you can visit the following web sites to check the status of the IP address just in case it has been black listed:

http://3d2f.com/tags/banned/ip/list

http://recs.fraudwatchers.org/banips.php

Remember, however, that no list is ever complete and you just might have to check multiple lists. You can also visit http://DNSstuff.com to supplement your research efforts.

Doing Away with Banned IP Addresses

If you are experiencing major difficulties in achieving top SERP rankings in spite of all your best white hat SEO efforts that are 100% ethical, go back to the drawing boards and check your IP address. Perhaps there is a problem in that realm. Correct it and watch your rankings soar in no time.

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Doing Away with Banned IP Addresses

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