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Tip 1: Search Engine Shootout Tip 2: New Banner Exchange Resources Tip 3: Search Engine List Tip 4: E-Commerce article Tip 5: Free Valentine's Day Clip ArtE N H A N C E D F A X S E R V I C E S. . .Your Competitive Advantage While your budget and manpower may be small your impact can be HUGE! Cost Effective - Labor Saving - Accessible 24 Hours a Day The high-tech way to communicate with low-tech clients. Fax Broadcast sends one fax document to tens, hundreds or thousands of customers, prospects or other key contacts almost simultaneously. Totally customize each fax with FaxMerge or Fax Form services. Save from 20-60% on faxes to International destinations. http://www.techdirect.com/fax - - - - - - - faxinfo@techdirect.com Tech Direct, Inc. 770-509-7020Topic 1: Is Your Web Site CredibleLast month we addressed evaluating your Web site for design, technical aspects, promotability, etc. This month we will take a look at your Web site's credibility. Webster's Dictionary defines CREDIBLE as capable of being believed; plausible. What distinguishes your business Web site from a dishonest businesses' Web site? The first contact we have with a company establishes our impression of that company. Your Web site may be your first contact with a potential customer. What adjectives does your Web site evoke? Comprehensive, Educational, Professional, Amateurish, Home-grown, Low-budget, College-student mentality, Clueless, etc.? 1. Seek the best services that your company can afford-your company's image is at stake. Many times a company's image suffers just to save a few dollars. This *Penny-wise and pound-foolish philosophy has thwarted many Web site efforts. 2. Avoid any hint of spamming over the Internet (email, search engines, etc.). These practices are not only annoying to the prospect that discovers them but tarnishes your credibility in their eyes. 3. Make sure that contact information is available on all pages: company name, business address, telephone number, fax number, 800 or 888 number and email addresses that employees check and respond to-not autoresponders. Only use autoresponders to return requested information; not for questions. 4. Content. Most Internet marketers believe that a Web site should be between 80-90% information (content) and only 10-20% focused on selling the visitor a product or service. Your site may be deemed less than credible if you concentrate 100% of your Web site on a sales pitch. 5. Document facts, statistics and studies utilized on your Web site with their original source. 6. If you are selling products on your Web site, utilize the most secure technology available as well as the greatest variety of payment options. Offer a guarantee that clearly stipulates its terms and conditions. 7. Does the company behind the Web site deliver on it's promises? If you promise to respond in 24 hours, do you respond within the time frame in a professional manner? If you promise a free service, do you deliver within a reasonable period? 8. Unfortunately, some aspects of credibility are only discerned after you establish contact with a company. While a company promises the best technical support and customer service you cannot evaluate these services unless you become a customer. Avoid confusion by firmly stating your company's customer service policy. As you fine-tune your Web strategy, be sure to keep credibility at the top of your list of goals. Don't just promise credibility- deliver it. Topic 2: Design TipsLast month we stressed loading speed as a vital component of Web site design. Here are some tips that should speed up your Web site's load time. - Keep the amount of information that is loaded on a page under 30-35K. This includes ALL graphics, scripts, and the HTML file. - Graphics should be large enough to convey the message yet small enough to load quickly. The actual technique you use is dependent on which software program(s) you utilize. - Choose colors from the Netscape 216 color palette. - Limit the number of colors in your graphics. - Index colors, i.e, reduce bit-depth. - Compress your graphics to a smaller file size. Several programs are available--many as plug-ins for Photoshop. - Use interlaced .GIF files and progressive .JPG files that gradually appear on the screen. - Pre-load graphics when possible. Once a graphic is downloaded it is stored in your browser's cache. When the graphic is used on subsequent pages it loads faster since it is already downloaded off the server. - When inserting a graphic, include the graphics' height and width attributes. This allows the browser to assemble the page and display the text before the graphic is fully loaded. - Reduce the size of a graphic by scaling the size of the image in your graphics program, not changing it's height and width attributes. Graphics Resources: KAI's Power Tips & Trips for Photoshop http://the-tech.mit.edu/KPT/Tips/ Andy's Photoshop Tips http://www.andyart.com/photoshop/index.html Lynda.Com - The Browser Safe Color Palette http://www.lynda.com/hex.html Plugins & Filters for Photoshop http://www.netins.net/showcase/wolf359/galore.htm Laurie McCanna's Tutorials and Tips for Photoshop and Corel http://www.mccannas.com/pshop/menu.htmTopic 3: Dealing with ISP'sLast month we presented 15 items that you should refer to when evaluating the quality of service that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides. Whether you are choosing an ISP for the first time or looking for a more reliable provider, here are some pitfalls that you should avoid. Pay particular attention to the section on Establishing and Transferring a domain. 1. While you need a Local ISP for your Internet access, i.e., one who has a local number to dial to access their service for Internet access, email, ftp, newsgroups, etc. your Web site can be hosted virtually anywhere. An ISP who excels at local access may not provide the best value when it comes to Web hosting. See the ISP Resources below. 2. Print out all documentation that you receive when you sign up for the account. Keep a paper copy in addition to your electronic version. The burden of proof will fall on you-not the ISP. Mail boxes often become gigantic and the contents can easily be lost due to size or hard drive failure. Many new Internet users may be surprised to find out that they don't have to sign an agreement to be bound by it's contents. Many Service Agreements state that if you use the service or software you agree to the terms of the agreement. 3. Whether you read it or not, the service agreement sets the ground rules for your relationship. It shouldn't be a surprise to you that the agreement typically favors the ISP. This is especially true with the termination policy. Read this section carefully to find out when they charge your credit card as well as requirements for REFUNDS and Service CANCELLATION. 3. While locals ISPs may bill on a month-to-month basis, Web Hosting services may bill on a quarterly, semi-annually or annual basis. Be aware of the Termination Policy and your requirement for notifying the provider of your cancellation of services. ISPs automatically renew your service at the end of the commitment period unless you notify them in writing within the specified time period. If you sign an annual contract, missing the cancellation window may mean that your account is automatically renewed and your credit card billed. It doesn't hurt to send a certified letter with a signed receipt to prove your compliance with the terms of the agreement. 4. Check your credit card statements carefully to be sure your charges are correct. Some ISPs use a third-party agency to collect fees which means that the charges may be under a different name. If there is a problem with your bill, notify your ISPs billing department immediately in writing and start an investigation with your credit card company. Many credit card companies limit liability to charges within a certain time period-such as the past 60 days-so time is of the essence. 5. If your company pays by check, a late payment can result in the termination or disruption of your services. 6. The biggest problem in switching a local ISP is that your email address changes. You may want to pay your old ISP to forward email messages to your new provider for a set period of time or at least until you are able to notify all of your friends, family and business associates that your email address has changed. E S T A B L I S H I N G A D O M A I N Web Hosting services brings other challenges. If you are switching from a subdirectory on your ISP's server to a real domain name you must notify your business associates and customers of your new URL. Consider having your old ISP display a redirect page that sends your customers and prospects to your new Web site. Use this service up to 90 days to ensure that re-submitted search engine listings have been updated. When requesting your domain name, insist that your company serves as the Administrative Contact. This ensures that you will receive notification of any requests or modifications regarding your domain. Choose someone who answers email daily and will remain with the company. Many times third-party Web developers will list themselves as the contact which can create problems if you need to modify the account with the InterNIC. T R A N S F E R R I N G A D O M A I N If you already have a domain name your address will remain the same and your email that is sent to that domain will continue to arrive once the InterNIC changes makes the appropriate changes to redirect your service to the new provider. Unfortunately this is not always a smooth transition. Keep your old email account active while you are switching domains. The InterNIC will send a message that you must acknowledge in a timely fashion in order to transfer your domain. It is important that the email address that is listed with the InterNIC is used to respond to this message. If your email account is closed and the mail bounces you will need to seek the assistance of the new company in getting your domain transferred. Don't expect a great deal of help from your old provider since you are no longer a customer. R E S O U R C E L I S T F O R I S P s The following list will help you identify local ISPs and provide short comparisons of their services. The List - http://thelist.internet.com Find an ISP by area code, country code, U.S. or Canada. Unfortunately this list does not address Web Site Hosting providers as a separate category. Rating ISPs - http://www.webhostlist.com A list of the top 25 web hosting providers with online evaluations for rank, value, quality, support, flexibility and other miscellaneous items. List of Merchant ISPs http://www.webreference.com/ecommerce/csp.htmlTopic 4: Misc. TipsTip 1: CNET's Search Engine Shoot Out http://www.cnet.com/Content/Reviews/Compare/Search2/?dd Addresses the similarities and differences between the major search engines: Alta Vista, Excite, HotBot, InfoSeek, Lycos, Northern Lights, Open Text Index. Also mentions MetaSearchers.Tip 2: New Banner Exchange Network Resources http://users.netconnect.com.au/~jboy/banner/ - Banner Exchange Networks is a nicely presented rundown on a growing list of banner exchange operations. New Banner Link program called justClick http://justclick.com/ Tip 3: Search Engine List Register in overseas search engines and directories at the Global Business Centre: Indexes and Search Engines Around the World http://www.euromktg.com/gbc/indexes.html New Search Engine: Link Addict http://www.hypermart.net/addict Search Engines for Specific Topics The Web's Sports Directory http://www.sport-hq.com/ http://www.pcgame.com/ For game searching http://ipix.yahoo.com/ For image searching http://www.uvision.com/ If your looking for cheap computer parts http://ftpsearch.ntnu.no/ Anonymous ftp site search Tip 4: E-Commerce Sales gains show the Web's appeal E-tailers have new tricks on tap to make online shopping more attractive and personalized. http://www.msnbc.com/news/130742.asp Tip 5: Free Valentine's Day ClipArt From the Clip Art of Romance http://www.geocities.com/~bizart/valentine/ Over 100 free pieces for Valentine's Day. - - - A-B-O-U-T O-U-R S-P-O-N-S-O-R - - - Tech Direct provides professional Web Site Design, Web Site Marketing & Consulting, Newsletters and Marketing Communications services at an affordable price. Visit: http://www.techdirect.com HOUSE KEEPINGTo UN-Subscribe, remove-IBIZ@techdirect.com In the BODY of your message, type: remove firstname lastname email address To Subscribe, sub-IBIZ@techdirect.com In the BODY of your message, type: subscribe firstname lastname email address Web Site: http://www.techdirect.com/IBIZ Email comments: owner-IBIZ@techdirect.com Archives: http://www.techdirect.com/IBIZ/archives.htmlCopyright 1997-99, Tech Direct Inc. All Rights Reserved. This publication may be freely redistributed by e-mail in its entirety. The reprinting of portions of this publication or any other type of reprinting beyond forwarding issues to a friend is strictly prohibited without permission from Tech Direct, Inc. and shall be construed as a violation of applicable Copyright Laws. http://www.techdirect.com Marietta, GA (USA)
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