Friday, May 19, 2017

As it says on the tin "More Developments"..............

This year, we - The Phoenix Group - will have been in the very specialist business of manufacturing 'Memorial Diamonds' (real diamonds using the carbon from within ashes and hair) for about 14 years.

Under various websites, designed by various website (so-called) 'Experts' - we have learned the hard way how the industry works, so I think I should write a book or at least write "what I now know about websites" to try and help both websites owners, users and website visitors - especially the visitors to ours.

  • There really are some bandits out there.
  • There are some really smart arses who ought to know better. Lies are always found out.
  • Because websites are seemingly almost an art-form, they come in many guises.
  • Websites can be simple scripts (like a document) or in 'Template' form. Would you know?
  • Good website design costs a lot of time and consequently reasonable money.
  • Where the domain rests is fraught with danger, be-it the web geeks own server or yours.
  • Some unscrupulous 'experts' can build-in secret backdoors, secret links to their and your sites. 
  • A bandit can hold you to ransom if you don't pay a certain fee - because he/she may actually own the website domain - even with your original permission.
  • Some website designers mean well - but totally miss the whole point of - we the customer may not know what we don't know, but it doesn't't mean we don't know what we like and what we don't like - but then don't know how to achieve what we require because we don't speak HTML or CSS coding or understand trickery and their expertise.
  • You can have a great idea, come up with a domain name, and then some cunning plagiariser comes along and registers a similar name and copies all your ideas - and because they may be better at SEO (search engine optimisation) get themselves into the Google stream faster and higher up the pecking order than you.
  • Some beautiful websites have cost blood, sweat & tears, perhaps loads of money - but then just die. For example 'J.K.Rowlings' first website of her office desk. Not many people, or fans, or fanatics will realise the deep hidden thoughts behind the tricks of their trade designed by really clever designers.  
  • There are basic rules in the design of websites. Rules for SEO, rules for helping buyers easily buy your products from the page and rules of subliminal physiologic enticement.
  • Go for at least 3 estimates/quotations and check out their past and present customers. If they don't wish to show them - why???  
  • Be very specific what you are aiming for. Give examples of the better sites you have visited.
  • Check to ergonomic colour schemes (some colours put people off?) 
  • Make it easy for people to flow through your site.
  • Use the tricks of Google.... i.e. use 'Blogger' as Google will be seeing it and will easily check it out for what you are writing about. [this site is Blogspot - Googles first]. 
  • Images say a thousand words. Take good quality photo's or buy excellent photos or pay a professional to supply photo's. 
  • Don't ever pay 100% upfront.  A commission fee, first site check, hand-over and final proof are stages - with at least 1 month to sort out glitches (they nearly always exist). 30% : 30% and 20% with a 4 week retention of the final balance. 
  • Do not take anything for granted : They are not mind readers OR they think they are. Don't assume anything. Write everything down. Keep dates, times and stage notes.
  • Do some research. Check out website formats (WordPress comes in two forms, upload WP.com to your server or buy into WP.org) - but remember about owning your domain.
  • In WordPress there are many geeks who have designed 'themes' - almost a template for you to add photo's, text, contact boxes and blogs. 
  • Know the difference between Admin and user level access. You need to keep full control as YOU own it all - not your designer. You need to be able to cut the 'Fat Controller' out.
  • Always choose high strength passwords and user names. Always keep software and themes regularly updated. Take a back-up and know how to get it back up running.  
  • When you register a domain name, keep in mind plagiarisers may buy a .com if you have only bought .co.uk.  You may wish to register protective similar names - but you have to know the reasons why and budget accordingly. 
  • Do research on domain names. Are they copyright, trade-marks, names established.
  • Think hard about Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Instagram et al - NOTHING is ever free. Usually FREE stuff comes with a penalty - usually YOU are the product. Google and ALL the Google products say they are 'Free' - but they wish to spy on what you do, say, want, write about.  
  • Be very careful what you write down on any website. It may as well be written in stone/concrete for it could be recorded FOREVER
These pointers are just a few of my pet hates, likes, lessons, tricks, downright thefts.......
I may expand on some of these. If you wish to chat about any point call me. Our contact data is on all our websites and the address is always the same (we have never tried to be two separate entities).

http://www.Phoenix-Diamonds.om   Phoenix-Memeorial-Diamonds.com  Memorial-Diamonds.com
Equine-Diamonds.uk   Farewell-Innovators.co.uk