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for website design and graphics |
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Web sites - design, writing, maintenance and marketing. Photography and original artwork. |
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| Neil Felton | Neil Felton is an independent contractor at affordable prices |
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you and original pages F.A.Q. sites by original pages pricing links |
You and original pages
Original Pages specialises in tailor made html sites, in photography, graphics and web site services and products marketing.
Neil Felton, artist, photographer, with a back ground in accounting and computer systems, creates original graphical works and web designs. If you are contemplating a web site or already have one, you may find the following information helpful. Do contact me with your queries. ONLINE SHOPPING If you have an online shop, especially with quality New Zealand Products/ Services do contact me at Shopin for a FREE LISTING!! This offer of a FREE LISTING at Shopin will not last long and is only open to online shops that compliment the existing ones at Shopin. The only requirement from you for the free listing, is a link back using our shopin logo. Shopin is a directory, in its early stages, which promotes New Zealand Web Sites with online shopping. These shops sell quality products in niche markets typical in New Zealand. If you are looking for design work and or original art work, do contact me. A few words costs you nothing and may prove rewarding. Ditto for anything to do with photography work, particularly as it applies to web site publishing. Check out sites built and maintained by Original Pages. See left menu link. Whether it be a new site, or improvements to an existing one, I will help you make the right decisions for your online business, for design - something different - original - with an artists touch, and with clarity of function, efficiency of operation, so that it is a pleasure to visit. And above all a site with content that is relevant and informative, without being cluttered with advertising. Look forward to an email from you. LATEST NEWS ON MARKETING AND SPAM Beware of marketers offering to do mail outs for you, or using marketing software/ companies that you don't fully understand, as you may do a lot of costly damage to your reputation. Automated marketing can be counter productive. Every day I fire most of the replies I receive through input forms I have on sites straight into my Recycle Bin. This is because they are obviously automated replies as the input is often irrelevant and repeated for different fields. These automated requests are totally useless to me, and to the person wanting marketing help, eg, a listing on a site. They are easy to determine from genuine requests - those who do the research, and actually fill out the required forms manually. So beware and do not waste money and time on advertising scams. Most automated advertising is just that - a waste of every bodies time and money. On a more positive note, everything you want is out there. Marketing is all about connecting up with the right people, with the right sites. Make sure you know who you are canvassing in your advertising and that you are approaching them in a personal, meaningful, sensible manner. Create lists of present and prospect clients to email relevant information to, with a special offer. Make sure your email advertising includes a simple way for recipients to be removed from your list if required. ..July, 09.. If you want help in setting up an attractive email format, please contact me. A small header of signature image with relevant info and links is ideal. Try to avoid attachments and lots of images that take time to download. Frequently Asked Questions If you have any comment about the answers given here, please email me. Your comment will be considered and may be published here in full or in part. Thank you. Internet? World Wide Web - www? What is a web site? What is a domain and domain name? Do I need to be on the World Wide Web? How can I improve my site performance? How can I avoid EMAIL SPAM!? and VIRUSES
Briefly, the internet is a communications system that uses telephone lines and wireless channels. It was originally set up for module to module communication in the armed forces with no central grid or exchange. This was to ensure that communications could continue between existing modules regardless of how many other modules "went down". The Internet System was then used as an ideal means of information transfer between Educational institutes and government departments.
Out of the internet technology spring came the innovative idea of storing information at uniquely identifiable, digital addresses, accessible to anyone in the world. This new overlayed system on the internet that allowed information to be added to and accessed by anyone, world wide, was called the WORLD WIDE WEB.
A web site is a virtual business, organisation or individuals site on the World Wide Web where you can advertise, share information, transact business. It is a representation of your business, giving information through pictures and words of your product and services. Like a physical business site it has an address that people look up to find out about you.
Your site can be in the form of a simple advertisement with pictures, information and contact details. And it can grow into many interconnected departments, just as a physical business does. It can have links to and from other businesses, organisations and individuals throughout the world.
Your site must reside within a domain. A domain is your very own "area"that you can control with whatever doorways you want in and out of it. A domain is recognised by its special address. It usually takes the form "www" "unique_name" and in New Zealand ends ".co.nz" There are many variations of this. You can have other businesses share your domain or you can have your site within someone elses domain.
Having your own domain means easier advertising as the name will be more meaningful and to the point.
Yes, if you want to open your doors to new markets. Definitely yes, if you want to attract overseas business and tourists visiting New Zealand. Many travellers now have their own internet connection through laptops, hand-held and mobile phones and are looking for places to go and things to buy before they arrive here. This is the most cost effective form of advertising that reaches unlimited markets here and abroad.
First you need to have some performance indicators
Then you need to have strategies to improve these performance ratings.
Use the CONTACT option, top of page, for any queries.
Updating your site
Make changes and additions to your site. A little news item that is updated regularly is a good idea. This keeps people coming back. It also keeps you higher on search engine rankings, bringing in more people to your site. Encourage email queries on your site, introduce new pictures and current information. Keep it alive. It is just as important as it is with the bricks and mortar business.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engines, particularly Google, are getting smarter by the day, and the need for submitting your site to be included in search engine directories is almost a thing of the past. If your site is well set up with relevant information in key positions, you will automatically be picked up and registered on Google and other major search engines. Visit Google and other search engine sites if you have a budget for advertising. There are all sorts of schemes available now if you are prepared to pay. Be prepared though to do a lot of home work on the options. If you do not have the time best to get a marketing company to advise you on these options, and whether they are suitable for your particular business. Links into your site from well established proven sites - check Google pageRate for an indication of their worth - will help in your search rankings. If you are contemplating reciprocal linking arrangements which I recommend, do consider carefully how you go about this. Original Pages is engaged in installing reciprocal links for clients and I have personally developed a hands on linking system that ensures the necessary checks for appropriate linking and the proper maintenance of links. There are many operators now with varying degrees of skill and automation. Some concentrate purely on quantity of links which can work to the detriment of your site. The quality of links is very important, and communications between linking partners needs to be consistent and clear. Check this out with Original Pages.
To gain optimum results through key word searches you need to monitor search results. Try searching for yourself - for your company, organisation, products. See if you are first or maybe 100th listed. From these results, you can decide, or your page maker can decide what action can be taken to improve your ranking. Usually results are improved by updating meta tags in the page coding and by changing the information displayed on your pages. Original Pages will help you with this.
Links with Other Sites
It is my belief that the open doors approach, particularly on the web, is the most advantageous. You will benefit by reciprocal links with associate companies and organisations, with those that compliment your own business. Sharing customers is better than excluding them. Reciprocal linking has already been mentioned above, and I recommend that you do ask around. Give us a call and ask for advice. Briefly, the system I run is available to anyone who meets certain standards, and the benefits are immediate in that you start up with a number of reciprocal links that have already been approved - existing linking members. You can approve or turn down any of the links. Link categories can be modified to suit your requirements. And all maintenance and upgrading is done by Original Pages. Set up $NZ200. The first two months of operation are FREE and then $20 per month.
Email and Traditional Advertising
If you have a domain name, it is important to have this printed on every document or advertisement that goes outside the company, including business cards, of course. And with a domain name you should have email@yourdomain. Include this on all outgoing documentation and cards. Make sure you use your email to keep in touch with your clients/ members.
Email is also very good for standard letters, invoicing and advertising, so long as you are selective with your advertising list and avoid SPAM producing programs. Contact me if you want help with setting up your email presentation.
SPAM
A computer term for unwanted e-mail. In a Monty Python television skit, a group of Vikings in a restaurant sing about the meat product, "Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, lovely spam! Wonderful spam!" until told to shut up. As a result, something that keeps being repeated to great annoyance was called spam, and computer programmers picked up on it.
SPAM is also referred to as - Stupid People Annoying Me. Also, Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE) or Unsolicited Bulk Mail (UBM) SPAM is currently the biggest headache and the biggest turn off for computer operators around the world, but there is a reasonable solution. I have diligently pursued, captured, shot down these things using the usual filters that come with your email software and always the spam generators are one step ahead, finding ways around your filters, altering letters in filtered words, for example, and including sensitive text in images so that they are not detected. I was looking around for some better software when my ISP, obviously feeling the pressure to come up with something, introduced some software system that changed everything, bingo! over night! Now virtually NOTHING gets through that I don't want, and nothing is culled from my incoming email that shouldn't be. So I'm fixed. Fingers crossed. Simply, If you have not found software that does the job for you, then approach your ISP and if they cannot come up with an answer, please CONTACT me. We can see if its worth moving your domain/ email facilities to my ISP.
VIRUSES and security
Viruses are little programs downloaded onto your machine without your permission with the intent of causing a nuisance, eg, interfering with the proper functioning of your machine and its legitimate programs. These viruses/ illegitimate programs are set into motion/ executed by a response on your computer. The great majority of these viruses are introduced via an attachment to an email that has been sent to you.
To avoid the consequences of these viruses you need to do two things -
1. Install and keep updated virus detecting software on your machine. There are a few available free. 2. Avoid opening unsolicited email attachments. Even with antivirus software, you should avoid opening unsolicited email attachments. Unsolicited, of course, means anything you have not specifically asked someone to send you. You may think an attachment is legitimate because it is coming from someone you know, but this is not necessarily so. Some viruses actually use a ploy whereby they pick up email addresses on the machine they have invaded and send emails from that machine, spreading the virus further. It comes to you looking like a legitimate email from a known source - and of course it contains a virus. Best policy regarding attachments is not to use them, unless you first warn the recipient that it is coming. Sending documents this way is NOT sensible anyway as some folk cannot open them - they require the same software you used to compose the document - even with an older version of the same software they maybe unable to open it. Best to insert text and pictures directly into the email body. Any comments welcome. Pricing $NZ Free consultation and quote for all sites, including online shopping. Free advice on site maintenance, promotion and linking systems. A basic site $500 minimum, $25 per month hosting. Maintenance by arrangement. Photography $15 per photo, minimum of 3 photos. This includes publishing on the net with appropriate caption. There maybe some travelling time. These prices may vary according to your special requirements. Original logos and graphic design work by arrangement. Please do not hesitate to contact Neil Felton with any queries |
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web sites - design, writing, maintenance and marketing. On-line shops. Photography and original artwork. |
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