If you are totally new to the idea of having a website:
I hope this blog and the Website will help you in getting started and making choices.
I just tested the google site option and created the page
> https://sites.google.com/site/actualartbiz/
This is an example of a simple way to build your own site with a google account.
Your layout and editing choices are limited but it doesn’t take long to find your way around the options.
If you have no budget, it is worth checking into the google options. You might also see if your service provider offers web space.
<html> <head> </head> <body> </body> </html>
<head> <title> Web Site Design in Monterey Bay Area by Kay Zeigh at Actual Art</title>
Important Words identifying the content of a web page. The title will appear on the top of the window for viewers, more importantly, it apears to search.
<meta name=”description” content= “ The description here is important to search. Describe the content of the page in words that people who are looking for your content will use to search for your content. Include a name, business name, subject or topic, the place your business is located. The reason for the web page.”
</head>
You can research other meta tags but the title and description are easy to understand and very important. After the </head> comes the
<body> All the text information in the world can go here for people and search engines to see. Ideally there will be actual content phrases that can be seen in heading and paragraphs inside the<body>.
<h1>Kay Zeigh builds websites in Monterey California</h1>
<h2> Important Information about Website Tags </h2>
<p> If you see good words that identify subjects and content inside heading tags that is good. Text content in paragraphs with actual content is good to see also. Here you can have all the ext content in the world. </p>
</body> </html>
You might want to view the source code of a web page, for fun. If you are learning about websites you might want to look at source code. The source code can show interesting things about a web page. It can reveal how your page looks to the machines.
To find the page source: When you have an open browser click on View on your top menu bar. The option to view the page source is at the bottom of the list, after the Zoom options. Different browsers use slightly different names for the source code.
Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, and Internet Explorer are Browsers.
w3schools Browser Statistics
So, the first place to look for tips on how to optimize search is from the monsters mouth, the google website on Webmaster Guidelines for: best practices to help Google find, crawl, and index your site. If someone says they have tricks and schemes that will increase traffic or put you on top of a google search, watch out because the monster does not like being teased. On the other hand the beast itself offers ways to help make Google-friendly sites. I have posted more links below that will inform you or site person about things to think about regarding search.
When a site does not come up in search with obvious keywords, there is a lot a web designer can do to increase its potential attraction by using the right keywords. But, keep in mind the designer is not an expert on your field, product or service. You know more about your business than the site designer does so you can help by providing strong and clear content. You can suggest appropriate keywords for titles and descriptions for at least the main pages of your site. Keywords in headings are also important. You don’t have to know what a <metatag> is or which ones work, but your site person should.
When I have time I might write more about why I think the history of search is totally interesting. Search is a core aspect of internet history and internet history is seriously relevant to the history of the information age. The metaphor of searching alone is a gigantic idea. A book called, Search Matters: Ethics and Integrity Mean Something to Search, could be about information science. Or it might be a book of psychology, philosophy, theology, cultural anthropology, self-help or all kinds of things.
off site links
Of course you want to give your viewers a way to send email. Making it easy to click open a direct e-mail form also makes it easy for the address to be harvested by sinister crawlers seeking spam targets. It is a good idea to have an e-mail address that is just for your web mail. It can be set up so the website mail is forwarded to your primary e-mail. And, there are ways to have your e-mail address viewable on your webpage but less attractive to search. Like:
webmail (at symbol) actualart .biz (no spaces)
or make have an image of the address. The compromise, it is not quite as easy as just a click open pre-addressed e-mail compose window. More and more we are seeing sites that use forms for mail. What is worse, having to key in an address or fill out a form? What would your audience rather do?
If you are comfortable with publicity and advertising you may see the public space of the internet as a great way to get your message out. Yet, if you see going online as a bit scary, it can be, but relax. Just think about going online like going out. It is always potentially dangerous to go out in public and most of us still sometimes go out. Look both ways before crossing the street. Pay attention to the road while driving and keep an eye out for potential hazards. Chances are you will survive and get where you want to go.
Things to think about and prepare for a website that is selling stuff.
A clear comprehensive inventory is necessary for any kind of selling. When you are selling online you are preparing a catalog of your inventory so you need prepare information for each item. Use relevant key words while composing all text, titles, descriptions, alternate text…
You will need a shopping site. If you are starting out, consider selling through another mega e-commerce company. You can have a low maintenance main website to present your company and link to other services.
Pros:
.Cons:
Before you choose, compare the various fees, the per item fee and the % fee. Also consider potential costs related to postage and tax. Do a little math to figure out which service is best for your product. For example if you are selling a lot of little things, a higher per item fee might really cut into your profits. On the other hand if you are selling a few expensive items, the per item fee is irrelevant.
Off Site Links
– Selling on Amazon
– “Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_commerce
– E-commerce Times
You can use a free blog server or one that is included in the service that hosts your site. This is a WordPress blog. When you begin a WordPress blog the default greeting is “Hello world!” So, Hello world!