Sparkl.us is a fabulous search engine for web designers. Powered by Google, it is a specialty search engine, which makes finding the information you need very easy, without weeding through lots of non-relevant material. Scrub the Web offers search and tools for webmasters.

One that has intrigued me is Search Lores, which favors Opera Browser to take advantage of all of its features, yet I have yet to figure out how to use it. If anyone knows, I would love to get some input on that one, as I believe many buried treasures lie there.

Octora is an RSS feed search engine which allows you to search feeds, urls, and offers a deep search. Daypop is recommended for non-main stream news, or perhaps research and articles are what you are looking for.

Or you may want to try HighBeam which offers a free search that includes search by subject. Of course Windows Live Search is now what powers MSN. The index page for Google Products has many options, including a blog search.

All the Web has news pictures, video, audio options. A newer contender is Wise Nut. Dogpile and OxySearch have compiled several search engines into one, and I am not sure what the difference is between these two.

Clusty conveniently organizes the search results in clusters. Answers is a “one-stop shop” with a customizable deluxe homepage, answers, definitions and explanations on over 4 million topics, in addition to WikiAnswers. Ask or browse.

An open directory project, which allows the internet to organize itself, and is edited by human volunteers can be found at DMoz A very useful search engine, Creative Commons Search, helps you to find content from the web which can be used for commercial purposes, or which can be adapted for your own use. Useful for respecting copyright.

Happy Searching!

web search, internet, information,

We are pretty excited about the show. The concert website is to promote the concert and to sell tickets. Please have a look at the Lucinda Drayton Concert Website I have just finished, and if you have a chance, I would be happy to hear your comments. The background was a challenge to work with. I do realize this type of background is not recommended, however hopefully I have done it some justice.

This was an accomplishment for a self-taught web designer. We as a group are pleased with the job. It is about bringing a vision to life. I can honestly say to more I am involved in this type of work, the more addictive it becomes. I will be back soon to share with you some exciting new resources I have discovered.

lucinda drayton concert website, design challenges, bliss,

If it a status thing, “Hey why don’t you check out my website!” then perhaps your advertising dollars are better spent elsewhere, unless of course, you have money to burn. If that is your reason, hey, I can still design one for you. Here are some things to consider, before you meet with the designer.

What do you want to accomplish? Some websites are educational, with an emphasis on relaying information and sharing it. It may also be a reference resource, or a non-profit organization. Perhaps you need a donation button.

Or if you are showcasing your talents you may need something slick and simple. Many artists use a website simply as an online portfolio, or a resume if you will for the galleries. If you are a self-representing artist, you will most probably need to set up an e-commerce system, where people can buy your art direct.

You may have a special interest in a particular topic, which you want to share, and connect with people who share a common interest. Writing websites are one example.

Perhaps you have a product to sell which you want to market whether it be to a niche market or a diverse audience. What better way to gain exposure for your business?

Consider your target audience, once you have decided on your goals. Then you have to get your name out there. What is it worth to you to have an internet presence? How much are you willing to spend, and what are you expecting as a return for your investment?

Drawing people to your site, having them make return visits is an indication your web presence is growing. Regardless of your goals you must represent yourself in an optimum manner.

web presence, website goals, web design,

You will want to have your site look optimum in any browser. Be sure that if you are hiring a web designer, that they are going to take these browser issues into account.

That should be fairly easy to accomplish, however things are always changing. IE 7 and Firefox 2.0 are the latest editions of browsers to most recently appear on the scene.

As the two most popular browsers have been released this past week, web designers and developers will need to go over all their code to make sure it is compatible with the newest upgrades.

I am willing to bet, the one which will be the most challenging will be IE7. It is sure to be a learning experience soon to come which I have not delved into yet. Old bugs may be gone, while new ones are sure to appear.

I am not sure why new versions are not standards compliant at the time of release. Surely fixes will follow. Already security vulnerabilities have been found.

It would be great to get it all in one shot, rather than a constant stream of updates. I shall soon sink my teeth into rewrites shortly, while all the while trying to drum up new business. And I may even get my own website finished. ***Sigh***

IE7 vs FF2.0, zen web design, browsers,

Having a website is one thing. Getting people to visit is another. Building my first website, involved a huge learning curve. I had known for a long time I wanted to build myself a website. It did not become a reality until much later. Once I had it somewhat the way I wanted it, I realized my work had just begun. Action needed to be taken to ensure someone besides myself would see it.

After all, I had spent a tremendous amount of time teaching myself code, optimizing images, and learning layout. How was I going to get people to visit? So the research began. Finding out how to market a website became my new obsession. All of this was new to me. Submitting to search engines, what to use as keywords, meta tags, site maps, link popularity, page rank … a never ending stream.

One could never profess to know everything. So much to learn and the learning never ends. Rapid change continues to occur, requiring ongoing work, to ensure your presence on the web. Here are some resources for you to check out if you would like to read up on what is involved. Some excellent tools here:

Search Engine Watch
Future Page Rank
PRO SEO

seo, keywords, website marketing,

I hand code everything. First of all, I enjoy it. Second of all, I get to see every detail, and I know when things are going to work and when they are not. Programs can be finicky, sometimes adding in extra code, or stripping out things you wanted to leave in. Seriously, I have Macromedia, yet I found it easier to learn to hand code, than I did to learn that program.

Now that I have learned to do everything from the ground up, I am able to get around on Macromedia just fine, as I have a better understanding of how things work. Yet I still prefer to do it all by hand. Did you know you can build an entire website in Notepad? Simple and clean. As of late I have discovered Notepad2 which is very much like notepad, only it has quite a few more convenient options.

Also I most often use HTML Kit, which has lots of handy resources for more than just html. I love it so much, I can’t imagine not using it. New things are always coming along, each claiming to be better than the last so they say. Yet I like to keep my brain sharp, so coding by hand helps me to do that. Besides, what fun would it be, if we were not still learning?

web design tips, html editors, code lover,

Good photographs of your work, are of utmost importance. A digital camera is one of the best investments you can make if you are a visual artist. When looking for a digital camera I would say anything 3.2 mega pixels and up, is a good choice. Prices are coming down, so you can get a decent digital for $300.00 or less.

Some features you will want your camera to have include white balance and the ability to take pictures without a flash. I have never successfully photographed a painting with a flash enabled. It creates a glare which renders the picture useless. In order to do this you will also need a tripod to steady the camera, especially when using slow shutter speeds. For closeups of your work, you will want to have a macro setting on the camera.

A good photo editing program is essential. Learning to use a photo editing program can be trial and error. Many use photoshop, yet it is expensive. If you are looking for open source photo editing I highly recommend Gimpshop. It has a similar interface to Photoshop. The good news is it is free! They now have a Windows version that is precompiled, so that you can install and use. Be sure you get the right download for your operating system.

For help with photo editing check the web for many good tutorials. Here is one for Gimpshop, and one for Photoshop to get you started.

photo editing, photographing artwork, visual web tools,

Business blogging is an excellent way to establish Internet presence for your business. You have the opportunity to demonstrate your unique spin on the market you are involved in. If you are not comfortable writing a blog, you can hire a professional blogger. That’s right, many bloggers are now for hire.

Advertising your business is virtually free. Search engines are blog friendly. They seem to pick up on the frequent fresh content. Why take not advantage of the chance to build your search engine ratings?

Your topic selection can influence their choices, steering them to your main website. You can demonstrate your knowledge, experience and expertise. Let them know you are proficient, someone they want to do business with. People do business with people they know and trust.

Connecting with other professional bloggers is a form of on line networking. This can help you to build an audience while keeping in touch with the current trends. Your blog readers are potential clients. Once you have raised your profile, all you have to worry about is delivering the goods.

problogging, trends, SEO,

Blogs are huge, showing no sign of slowing down. Once a website was an essential tool for your business. Now the business blog is just as important. Now days one of the first questions many will ask is, “Do you have a blog?”

Writing a business blog is a perfect avenue to relay up to the minute business news. Another benefit of having a business blog, is to demonstrate the evolution of your business, while sharing your knowledge & expertise.

Communicating with people via your blog allows them to get to know what you and your business are about. You will get to know your audience, while standing a good chance of opening up your business to more traffic, which in turn, can translate into dollars.
Stay tuned for Part Two.

business, blogging,

Mandarin Design is a place I have used time and time again, during my learning process. A list Apart is another good one. Website Tips also has some great guidelines. Remember if you use any ideas from these sites, it is courteous to link back to them. Enjoy!

web design, css, resources,