Simplify the Web

DotComOnomics would like to welcome Action Auto Glass! Located in Denver, this all-Colorado company has been in business since 1994. Owner Loyd Warner is excited to have his own website, and hopes that it will make him more visible to potential clients.

The auto glass industry is incredibly competitive, so we'll be keeping an eye on Loyd's traffic to make sure his website does what it's supposed to: increase his company's ability to serve.

What is HTML?

HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. HTML is the language that displays your website's images, headlines, and paragraphs. It's very simple. You can make a paragraph like this:

When you wrap your paragraph in tags like that, you're "marking it up"...describing it as a paragraph so that web browsers can display it properly. You can make a link like this:

When you wrap your words in tags like that, you're creating "hyper text"...linking one page to another page, or a file (like a downloadable PDF).

What is XHTML?

XHTML is a more precise and strict version of HTML, making your website more usable for virtually all visitors, even those using cell phones and PDAs.

Let's face it, with so many options on the Internet and all the many "designers" that exist, one can easily get confused quickly and wonder what is best. Should you have a site that is well designed and makes people feel comfortable? Should your color scheme make a difference? Is your logo professional? Do you need a logo? What kind of layout should you choose? What kind of site should you choose? (brochure,ecommerce,lead gen,informational, etc)

With all of the choices that exist in the world of "website design" one can easily get lost and find themselves with a site that doesn't do what they ultimately need done. Many people we get a chance to talk to say that they had their site designed and paid a lot of money for that site to be designed. They like the design they like the look and feel, but they don't get any traffic. Why?

The answer is simple, don't settle for mediocrity. There are many "designers" willing to give you the greatest site with the latest technology and willing to make it look great. However, there aren't many out ther that make sure you get what you need and make sure that your site doesn't get in its own way. Take some time to look at your site and look at others, if it uses a lot of "code" to show your message, then you probably shouldn't use that design. Here are some simple tips and thoughts you keep an eye out for when trying to get a site designed:

1. Great Look Doesn't Mean Great Code

Just because your site looks nice doesn't mean that a search engine can view it. Take some time to look at the code that your site renders. It's easy! Just right click the page and select "view source". Make sure it's on an empty area of the page not on an image or a flash part of the site. Once you do you will see what the search engines see, code! Just look at the scroll bar on the right...is the bar big or none existant or is it "itty bitty". If you are trying to say something simple on your page, say a paragraph or two, and your bar is "itty bitty" then the code of your site isn't that great. In essence, your taking a ton of code to say very little and thus your position in the search engines will be affected.

2. You're Paying For It, Make Sure You Don't Settle

You're paying for a site to enable your business or idea to be found on the Internet and ultimately represent you or your organization. If something isn't how you like it, SPEAK UP! Designers design. They take ideas and make it a, virtual, reality. However, designers aren't mind readers!

Don't for one moment think that you are affecting the creative process by not giving any direction. That open ended approach costs more, as the designer charges you for time to create multiple ideas, and ultimately it only ends in frustration as it isn't your idea they are creating but their idea of what they think you should be represented as. Take some time to figure out what you want and what you like, find some sites that you like and explain why, you will find your level of satisfaction greater.

3. Designers Don't Know Everything

Don't expect designers to know what you and your company does. You are the subject matter. If you know what sells and what the people that are looking for your service or product want then tell the designer. Help them know what you're looking for and they will make sure your idea(s) are transferred to a site that will ultimately enable you and not hinder.

There are many other things out there that you can keep in mind, just make sure that youa re keeping your thoughts straight, that you take the time to think things through and realize that you are in control of your site. If you don't take the time to think it through and think about what you want, then you could end up with a site that you don't like and start looking for someone else all over again.

Have you ever really looked at software prices? It's amazing how expensive it can be to outfit your computer with the latest and greatest versions of name-brand software. That's where the Open Source movement comes from. Open Source software is designed to be created and distributed by lots of people. The idea is that two brains are better than one...so OS software folks make their creations available to others so that they can make it better.

If you're tired of Internet Explorer, you might try Firefox. If you can't afford Quickbooks, you might try Compiere or TurboCash. There are thousands of quality Open Source programs out there, but they can be hard to find. Clicking the link below will take you to a very well-researched article. The author lists a name-brand software product that's usually pretty expensive, and lists a quality OS alternative. For those who might need a program like Visio once a year, spending the money to buy it could be considered wasteful...so Dia might be helpful. For those who wonder whether a career in graphic design is in their future, buying Photoshop is an incredibly expensive way to find out...so GIMP might answer the question without breaking the bank.

If you wish you had more money to buy better software, check out the list: Proprietary Programs and their Open Source Alternatives