E-business and E-commerce have quietly become the proving grounds for entrepreneurs seeking to parlay their ideas into a successful business entity. While online entrepreneurship is by no means a recent development, the number of non-traditional online entrepreneurial endeavors is growing at a rapid rate.
Where dot com businesses revolving around the business of dot com once reigned supreme, more traditional business models are now hitting the online marketplace en masse. From sales of mass market goods to services that can be performed through networking, the list is as endless as the number of available IP addresses.
The rise of the internet age has been a blessing for the entrepreneur, as it offers the ultimate low overhead in virtual space but exposes prospective business owners to high volumes of traffic they would be hard pressed to reach otherwise. With the capability for reaching millions worldwide, internet enterprises are fast forming the ultimate buyer’s market, where checking out the competition is only a point and click away.
Still, entrepreneurs experience far more positives than negatives when setting up shop on the internet. For starters, real estate is the great equalizer. Aside from being banned from Google or one of the other major search engines, there are no bad areas for business. Every “location, location, location” is on main street, and only the amount of window dressing separates one business from another. This allows the savviest entrepreneurs to focus far more effort on offering added value and being more creative with their marketing efforts. When the playing field is level, both businesses and consumers can benefit.
As more and more homes across the nation and around the world tap into the internet as a source of entertainment, information, goods and services, the market will continue to grow. The odds are in favor of entrepreneurs, instead of set against them as is often the case when opening a brick and mortar business. Though not all businesses can be run online, almost every business can benefit from an online presence. Since the internet is now more widely utilized than the phone book in most areas, even traditional entrepreneurial endeavors can attract a wider audience through the world wide web.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
E-business Attracts Entrepreneurial Crowd for Good Reason
E-business Attracts Entrepreneurial Crowd for Good R
E-business and E-commerce have quietly become the proving grounds for entrepreneurs seeking to parlay their ideas into a successful business entity. While online entrepreneurship is by no means a recent development, the number of non-traditional online entrepreneurial endeavors is growing at a rapid rate.
Where dot com businesses revolving around the business of dot com once reigned supreme, more traditional business models are now hitting the online marketplace en masse. From sales of mass market goods to services that can be performed through networking, the list is as endless as the number of available IP addresses.
The rise of the internet age has been a blessing for the entrepreneur, as it offers the ultimate low overhead in virtual space but exposes prospective business owners to high volumes of traffic they would be hard pressed to reach otherwise. With the capability for reaching millions worldwide, internet enterprises are fast forming the ultimate buyer’s market, where checking out the competition is only a point and click away.
Still, entrepreneurs experience far more positives than negatives when setting up shop on the internet. For starters, real estate is the great equalizer. Aside from being banned from Google or one of the other major search engines, there are no bad areas for business. Every “location, location, location” is on main street, and only the amount of window dressing separates one business from another. This allows the savviest entrepreneurs to focus far more effort on offering added value and being more creative with their marketing efforts. When the playing field is level, both businesses and consumers can benefit.
As more and more homes across the nation and around the world tap into the internet as a source of entertainment, information, goods and services, the market will continue to grow. The odds are in favor of entrepreneurs, instead of set against them as is often the case when opening a brick and mortar business. Though not all businesses can be run online, almost every business can benefit from an online presence. Since the internet is now more widely utilized than the phone book in most areas, even traditional entrepreneurial endeavors can attract a wider audience through the world wide web.
Simple Upload Page
with this code, you can create an upload page that combines HTML and PHP easily. this Source code has been writen form T4VN Team. so, if you want to develop it, please contact us. Thanks for your interested in this code
Step 1: Create one page with HTML content
File:
Step 2 : Create file upload.php with content :
// $userfile is where file went on webserver
$userfile = $HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['tmp_name'];
// $userfile_name is original file name
$userfile_name = $HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['name'];
// $userfile_size is size in bytes
$userfile_size = $HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['size'];
// $userfile_type is mime type e.g. image/gif
$userfile_type = $HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['type'];
// $userfile_error is any error encountered
$userfile_error = $HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['error'];
// userfile_error was introduced at PHP 4.2.0
// use this code with newer versions
if ($userfile_error > 0) {
echo 'Problem: ';
switch ($userfile_error)
{ case 1:
echo 'File exceeded upload_max_filesize';
break;
case 2:
echo 'File exceeded max_file_size';
break;
case 3:
echo 'File only partially uploaded';
break;
case 4:
echo 'No file uploaded';
break;
}
exit;
}
// put the file where we'd like it
$upfile = '/uploads/'.$userfile_name;
// is_uploaded_file and move_uploaded_file
if (is_uploaded_file($userfile))
{
if (!move_uploaded_file($userfile, $upfile))
{
echo 'Problem: Could not move file to destination directory';
exit;
}
} else {
echo 'Problem: Possible file upload attack. Filename: '.$userfile_name;
exit;
}
echo 'File uploaded successfully
';
// show what was uploaded
echo 'Preview of uploaded file contents:
';
echo $contents;
echo '
';
?>
Note :line: $upfile = '/uploads/'.$userfile_name; Folder of files have been stored, you can change it depending on your ideas
Another form of Upload file, you can choose file that you want to upload optionally
Create file upload.php with contents :
//Define some variables
$dir = "path/where/you/want/to/upload/files/"; //Bạn nên thay ðổi ðýờng dẫn cho phù hợp
//Kiều file, Gif, jpeg, zip ::bạn có thể sửa ðổi nếu thích
$types = array("image/gif","image/pjpeg","application/x-zip-compressed");
//Check to determine if the submit button has been pressed
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
//Shorten Variables
$tmp_name = $_FILES['upload']['tmp_name'];
$new_name = $_FILES['upload']['name'];
//Check MIME Type
if (in_array($_FILES['upload']['type'], $types)){
//Move file from tmp dir to new location
move_uploaded_file($tmp_name,$dir . $new_name);
echo "{$_FILES['upload']['name']} was uploaded sucessfully!";
}else{
//Print Error Message
echo "File {$_FILES['upload']['name']} Was Not Uploaded!
";
//Debug
$name = $_FILES['upload']['name'];
$type = $_FILES['upload']['type'];
$size = $_FILES['upload']['size'];
$tmp = $_FILES['upload']['name'];
echo "Name: $name
Type: $type
Size: $size
Tmp: $tmp";
}
}
else{
echo 'Could Not Upload Files';
}
?>
Introducing Really Simple Syndication in ASP.NET
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML standard for declaring content entries for small content feeds. The RSS format has gained popularity over the years due to its simplicity. The XML file formatted according to the RSS specification is either found as a physical file or is obtained via a Web site that handles the request and sends the content over the Internet to the client. The RSS format is as given below
Introducing Really Simple Syndication in ASP.NET
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML standard for declaring content entries for small content feeds. The RSS format has gained popularity over the years due to its simplicity. The XML file formatted according to the RSS specification is either found as a physical file or is obtained via a Web site that handles the request and sends the content over the Internet to the client. The RSS format is as given below
The XML format for RSS declares that the XML must have a root element of
Most of the elements declared by the RSS specification are optional. However, some elements need to be declared to make the code functional.
The
The
Each RSS channel can contain up to 15 items and is easily parsed using Perl or other open source software. After you complete the creation and validation of your RSS text file, register it at the various aggregators. Now, any website can grab and display your feed regularly, driving traffic your way. Update your RSS file, and all the external sites that subscribe to your feed will be automatically updated.
RSS can not only display your news on websites and headline viewers but also display data in products and services like PDAs, mobile phones, email ticklers, and voice updates. RSS also enables you to automate email newsletters easily. In addition, affiliate networks and partners of like-minded sites can access each other's RSS feeds and automatically display the new stories from the other sites in the network, which as a whole drives more traffic. Plenty of RSS aggregators are available that automatically grab RSS files from the content providers and present the news in a many ways.
To access online version of the above article, go to http://www.dotnet-guide.com/rss.html
Overview of XML Encryption
XML encryption classifies a course of action for encrypting plain text data, generating ciphertext, and decrypting the ciphertext to retrieve the plaintext data.
XML encryption classifies a course of action for encrypting plain text data, generating ciphertext, and decrypting the ciphertext to retrieve the plaintext data.
Both the
If the recipient does not know the decryption key in advance, then the sender generates and sends it. The key can be protected in transit by encrypting method or key agreement.
If the plaintext data to encrypt is an XML element or content, you encode it using UTF-8 and perform any necessary transforms to it, otherwise, if it is an external resource, you simply consider it as an octet sequence. You then encrypt the data, creating CipherValue, which you place in EncryptedData.
Care must be taken when signing content that may later be encrypted; clearly; the content must be restored to exactly the original plaintext form for the signature to validate properly. To restore the plaintext in the signed content, use the decryption transform method for XML signature defined by the XML encrypt joint W3C and IETF working group.
This transform also allows specifications of XML fragments that were encrypted and then signed with rest of the document and, therefore, are not decrypted to validate the signature. Often, encrypted fragments are removed from the signed information by using the XPATH transform in the reference element, since the meaningful information is the plaintext.
We can sign the plaintext version of an encrypted element by including the appropriate reference element pointing to it. When the signed document is confidential and encrypted after being signed, you should also protect against surreptitious forwarding in which the recipient forwards the signed confidential document to a competitor, encrypted by the competitor public key, trying to make it look as if the sender sent the confidential information. To prevent surreptitious forwarding, the signer should append the recipient identities to the document being signed.
If the recipient does not know the decryption key in advance, then the sender generates and sends it. The key can be protected in transit by encrypting method or key agreement.
If the plaintext data to encrypt is an XML element or content, you encode it using UTF-8 and perform any necessary transforms to it, otherwise, if it is an external resource, you simply consider it as an octet sequence. You then encrypt the data, creating CipherValue, which you place in EncryptedData.
Care must be taken when signing content that may later be encrypted; clearly; the content must be restored to exactly the original plaintext form for the signature to validate properly. To restore the plaintext in the signed content, use the decryption transform method for XML signature defined by the XML encrypt joint W3C and IETF working group.
This transform also allows specifications of XML fragments that were encrypted and then signed with rest of the document and, therefore, are not decrypted to validate the signature. Often, encrypted fragments are removed from the signed information by using the XPATH transform in the reference element, since the meaningful information is the plaintext.
We can sign the plaintext version of an encrypted element by including the appropriate reference element pointing to it. When the signed document is confidential and encrypted after being signed, you should also protect against surreptitious forwarding in which the recipient forwards the signed confidential document to a competitor, encrypted by the competitor public key, trying to make it look as if the sender sent the confidential information. To prevent surreptitious forwarding, the signer should append the recipient identities to the document being signed.
Articles Source - www.artices-hub.com
The 5 Worst Home-Based Business Scams
By: Ben Welch
In a forum devoted to education and careers, a blog devoted to this topic was inevitable - home-based business scams. Anyone who has an email account has gotten an email - if not a thousand - like this:
Earn an Extra $5K+ per month!
Make your financial dreams happen!
Free information and training package!
Usually, the email includes a testimonial or two from people "just like you."
Before I started this business, I used to [insert bad career here]. But I started working [insert home-based business opportunity here] and made $2500 my first month! By my sixth month, I was making $11,000. This business is a dream come true!
Some of these emails can be fairly persuasive, especially if it's been a tight month. I mean, who wouldn't want to earn a little extra money? Then I think of the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," and I realize I'm probably dealing with a home-based business scam. At that point, the email becomes ridiculous.
But the truth is that thousands - if not tens of thousands - of people fall for these scams every day. Sadly, for many of these people, that decision will be disastrous. Home-based business scams tend to target people who can ill afford such a misstep - the sick and disabled, the elderly, stay-at-home mothers, low-income families, and people lacking a college education. (Note: it's not that people without college educations are less intelligent per se; rather, because they don't have college degrees, chances are they are more inclined to take risks.)
For anyone who's ever received these emails - or who every will - let me identify five of the most common and pernicious home business scams, which I've gleaned from several websites issuing similar warnings. Think of it as a public service announcement.
1. Multi-level Marketing (MLM)
Basically, multi-level marketing entails selling some kind of product or service but also rewards the participant for recruiting other people to join. Typically, early recruits are paid by the entry fees gleaned from new recruits, who in turn must collect their rewards from others. Each level feeds (or builds) off the one after it, which is why MLMs are sometimes referred to as "pyramid schemes." Granted, not all MLMs are true pyramid schemes - which is illegal in most states - but most MLMs still rely on deception in order to succeed. As such, beware of MLM "opportunities" that promise large incomes for selling dubious products and recruiting fellow distributors.
2. Reshipping Fraud
Reshipping involves receiving mail merchandise and then repackaging and reshipping it for a substantial profit. Sounds easy, right? The only problem is that the merchandise was paid for with stolen credit cards, which means you - the reshipper - are acting as a "fence" for stolen goods. Reshipping fraud is relatively new to the realm of home-business fraud; as such, reshipping "opportunities" still appear in legitimate newspapers and websites, which lend them an air of credibility. Don't be fooled. Reshipping fraud is not only illegal but also dangerous.
3. Craft Assembly
The variations on this scam are legion, but essentially it involves a company outsourcing the assembly of its product to you. All you need is a start-up kit and raw materials, which you purchase from the company, of course, and which you can do at home. Once you've assembled the products - toys, magnets, jewelry - you send it back to the company only to find that your products "fail to meet specifications." You're left with a bunch of useless products and no one to sell them to. Beware.
4. Medical Billing
The basic sales pitch with medical billing is that the health care industry is inundated with unprocessed paper claims and there's a need for someone - you - to process these claims electronically. The beauty of this scam is that it's true - there is a need and you can make money processing claims. The training you receive from promoters, while overpriced, will be legitimate. The only problem is that once you've finished your training you have to generate your own business. That's where the scam comes in - promoters tend to over-hype their ability to get you contacts within the medical community. The fact is that few medical-billing entrepreneurs are able to attract clients and earn a reasonable income. The truth is that the medical billing market revolves around several large firms and competition is stiff.
And finally...
5. Envelope Stuffing
The doyen of home-based business scams has been around since the 1920s. One website even referred to it as the "cockroach you just can't eliminate." Basically, this scam involves you sending off a fee to learn how to make money stuffing envelopes from home. Shortly thereafter, you get a letter telling you to place a similar envelope-stuffing ad in magazines and newspapers. That way, people will send money to you to learn how to make money stuffing envelopes. You, in turn, send them a similar letter about placing envelope-stuffing ads in other magazines and newspapers. In short, the way you earn money stuffing envelopes is by propagating the envelope-stuffing scam.
To conclude, let me just observe what these home-based business scams have in common: it's true that they lie, exaggerate, and misrepresent their products and services. That being said, the only reason they work is because people let themselves be carried away by delusions of "getting rich quick" or "making easy money." In other words, these scams, like all confidence games, feed off of greed and, in some cases, desperation. Don't be a victim. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember that the only foolproof ways to increase your earning potential are hard work and education.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
How to Profit Easily From RSS Data Feeds
By: Michael Hehn
stands for "really simple syndication", and as the name suggests, it is relatively easy to take advantage of RSS to make money.
There are many ways you can profit from RSS data feeds. To begin with, since this is a new technology, most people are afraid to jump in and learn how to take advantage of it. This makes it a great opportunity for you because there is less competition.
In the same way you generate traffic, subscribers and money by writing and submitting articles to article directories, you can do the same thing with RSS feeds.
You simply create your RSS feed and then submit it to the various RSS feed directories.
The links within your feeds need to point back to your websites, affiliate links and opt-in list pages so that you can make money.
On the Internet content is king and webmasters are always on the lookout for free content. Especially nowadays, with the Google Adsense craze, a lot of Internet marketers are creating tons of websites constantly with page generators and free content.
This is why an RSS feed will be picked up and used on lots of different websites, and the smart marketers that use RSS feeds stand to profit wildly from this situation.
You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about rss. But don't be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.
Since you will be submitting the RSS feed to directories, it is important to use an attractive title, including related keywords. This way, people looking for content will find it when doing a search in RSS feed directories.
Now that you have a fair understanding of what RSS is, and how you can create your own feed, here are some creative ways to put the power of RSS to work and bring in profits:
1. Syndicate your RSS feed in RSS directories to be picked up by webmasters looking for free content.
2. Insert relevant affiliate links in your RSS feed.
3. Insert links to your websites and opt-in list pages. This way you build up your link popularity and attract traffic to your websites.
4. Sell a product directly using RSS by including your sales letter in the feed.
5. Use RSS data feed content from other authors to create a content site using a page generator. Once the content site is done you can add Adsense and related affiliate links.
These are just a few ideas to get you started with profiting from RSS feeds. With application of this technology you will come up with various other ideas, and profit even more. The key is to take action and differentiate yourself from the majority of Internet marketers, many of whom are afraid to deal with technology at all.
This article's coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.
Earn Extra Money Online…Win Dollars for Yourself!!
Article Source: http://www.articles.myprofession.org
Aspiring Webmasters Want To Know, "What Makes a Website Grow?"
By: A Raymond Randall
It appears that most webmasters have come from the world of advertising. Their website content emphasizes "marketing and promotion". Just to prove my point, do a Google search on "marketing promotion". As I write, Google comes up with "about 5,910,000" entries. Gosh imagine the good fortune of a listing on page one! Of course, the number of entries for "marketing promotion" gets shadowed by "sex" which provides you with "about 192,000,000". It's not money and sex; it's sex and money.
Prominent webmasters like Jim Daniels, Cory Rudll,and Kevin Bidwell (one of my favorites) et.al teach you Internet success strategies. Of course, they all started way back in '96 (that's 1996) when aspiring webmasters wanted to know how to succeed.
Someone asked me recently if Cory Rudll's two volume manual collects dust on my desk. Chagrined, I acknowledge, "sitting just to the right of my keyboard" (been there for two years). Then I think of all the other manuals, ebooks purchased to vault my Internet marketing skills.
What then gets you the income so many claim to make? You've read the ads, "so and so made $55,000 in one month" and this was their slowest month. Or, affiliate maven makes $463,000 a year marketing affiliate programs. Each of these testimonials appear attached to some alluring ebook which you "must have" to succeed. Well, hold off before entering your credit card number.
Here are 5 considerations to ponder before thinking about income from your website.
Purpose:
I never gave much credence to business plans; however, you can't get from my house to Boston without a map. Whether you write it down (which is best) or create pictures in your mind, there must be a map. A strategy which defines what steps you take. Strategies begin with brainstorming. Sit down, put a blank paper on your desk, grasp your pen, and write. Write anything that comes to mind relevant to your purpose. Write the not so relevant ideas too; who knows they might turn out to be the most important expression of your brainstorming.
A number of routes will get you to Boston from my house: some direct and boring, some scenic and slow. Who cares what way you get there. Herman Drost's article, "8 Steps to Creating a Simple Business Plan...." provides a "how to" outline.
Persistence:
No matter what Internet hype reads, this takes persistence. Perhaps the only emotion that separates the successful from the not so successful comes down to persistence. Calvin Coolidge's (1872-1933) viewpoint may be worth memorizing. "Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." Kevin Sinclair's article, "Persistence - The Magic Key To Success" inspires you to continue. Also, if you've never read Russell Conwell's "Acres of Diamonds", find it and read it now.
Preparation:
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure," says Colin Powell. Well, historians will assess the current geopolitical "learning from failure".
Every endeavor requires preparation. Ever watch a chef work? Every summer I work a weekend at a camp which serves 250 men seven meals. Doesn't sound like much until I observed the chef arrives to work at 3AM. I would get there at 4:15AM in order to dice, chop, stir, and pour in preparation for the next meal. When meals get served, few understand the amount of "prep work" that preceded the meal. No one sees you doing it; it just has to be done. Judy Collins provides clear guidelines on Ten Steps To Prepare Yourself for Online Marketing.
Probabilities:
As this article is written, the banter of presidential poll interpretation continues. Everyone has an opinion, and every pole a changing nuance. Reading polls provides some lessons on reading the probabilities of website traffic.
Most of us read the primary poll results rather than referring to the "internal tracking polls". When reading website traffic, we look at the number of visits without reading the "internal tracking". Travis Reeder provides detailed explanations and reasons for digging deeper into the numbers in his article, "How (and Why) to Read Your Web Statistics and Analytics".
Learn to track visitors. "AWStats is a free powerful and featureful (sic) tool that generates advanced web, ftp or mail server statistics, graphically." "A reasonable probability is the only certainty," writes E.W. Howe. So what probabilities do you have for succeeding and how do you measure them?
Personality:
Ever start a conversation with someone until you recognize that person is not "there"? Many websites give the same impression. What does this webmaster think? What matters to them? What message do they want conveyed?
It takes more effort to insert your personality into your work, to evidence your opinions and world view on a website. Every website page represents you implicitly or explicitly. What matters to you should be evident on your website, and your website should reflect your values.
Little seems to be written about this subject. Terri Seymour's article, "The Power of Personality" provides further insights. Bob Baker's book, "Poor Richard's Branding Yourself Online" elaborates this premise.
Oscar Wilde's observation that "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation" deserves a webmaster's attention.
As with all enterprise, Internet endeavors involve you with something that does not happen overnight. As with all worthy efforts, it requires a purpose clearly defined, a persistence resolutely affirmed, and a daily preparation involving your complete personality. You must remain passionately focused on the belief that you add value to this incredible enterprise known as the Internet.
Article Source: http://www.articles.web.com
Podcasting – The Easy Way To Get Started
By: Philip Nicosia
Imagine this: you’re in your room facing your computer. Over the microphone you say, “Good day, listeners. Today’s podcast is on… “ And as you continue to say your piece, the recording continues. This record is what people in your neighborhood, in your city, across the country, and even in other parts of the globe can hear as they tune in from their computers or digital audio players.
What are you doing? You are podcasting! As science turns imaginations into realities, you can become a DJ or to be specific, a podcaster, and have your own radio show, and be heard. Anywhere. Anytime. Anyhow you want it. You think this is cool? This is sub-zero cool!
Just as we’re getting accustomed to terminologies like e-mail, voice-chat, blogs, and so on, we now have PODCASTING. New Oxford Dictionary defines podcasting as “the digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player”. But really, what is it?
Podcasting is a conjuncture of the words “iPod”, the most popular audio digital player created by Apple Computers, and “broadcast”, which means to put on air; hence, the association of podcasting to iPod or Apple computers. However, any brand of digital audio player is okay and any computer with a built-in or add-on microphone and soundcard will do.
The recording is uploaded into a website and becomes a web feed, aptly termed a podcast. Podcasts can be any music, advertisement, or information in audio or video format that is downloadable. They range from talk radio, comedy shows, news, political views, evangelization messages, language tutorials, business reports, and so on. Any subscriber can podcatch – meaning, download - and listen to podcasts.
But you say you’re not even trained or experienced to be a podcaster? There is no need at all. The charm of podcasting is that you can be your natural YOU!
So gear up! Catch the finest podcasting software offer in the market. Get the Podcast Blaster Package and unlock a whole new world of podcasting made easy and more!
In its exclusive offer, the Podcast Blaster Package is bundled with Podcast Manual, Podcast Software, Podcast Safe Music and Podcast Sound Files. The Podcast Manual will teach you how to record your podcast step-by-step, guide you on what equipment you need or add if you want to expand, and direct you on how to get the audience you want. The Podcast Software is the recording application -- intuitive, easy to navigate, and Macintosh or Windows-compatible. It comes with built-in special effects, user-friendly editing features, and proper export modules that will transform recording into podcast, no sweat! Finally, the Podcast Safe Music has over 100 sound files, or over 40MB, such as professionally produced voice-overs, loops, background effects, stingers and Podcast-safe music. The package also includes a guide to the best websites with free music downloads. If you get stuck with a technical problem, turn to the Podcast Blaster Team who will also assist your sales, refund, and other requests or inquiries. Podcast Blaster is confident you will be satisfied with the package that it offers 100% money-back guarantee! Plus, you get a special bonus software!
Eager to get started? Go to http://www.podcastblaster.com and learn more about this new milestone and on how to be a podcaster. Try podcasting and be among those who will dramatically transform the ever-changing landscape of this digital world.
Article Source: http://articles.webblogerz.com
Earning A Living Online - Is It Defining The New Millennium?
With the creation of the internet by Al Gore, Ok, who pushed the idiot button? (Can I say that?)
There hasn't been anything that has stirred things up so radically across the U.S. and around the world as the internet has since the start of the industrial age in the mid 1800's when people started leaving their farms for the big cities to find work in industry.
Now, as if we were rolling back the calendar of time in the new millennium, people are working feverishly hard, spending free time at their computers, working evenings, late into the night, and weekends to achieve the ability to work at home again. All of this is due to the internet, which is creating more small business owners and entrepreneurs than ever before.
If one has a computer, access to the internet, and some spare time, he or she can have an internet business up and running in as little as 24hrs. That my friends is the ultimate in entrepreneurship.
Right now we are in what's called a paradigm shift and according to the numbers, a complete reversal in the workforce. This isn't going to happen overnight; however, it is estimated that somewhere around 70% of the people will ultimately work at home with a home business or a job. Furthermore, the remaining 30% will remain on the job in the workforce.
Now I don't know about you, but two incredibly gut wrenching words "job and workforce" were enough for me to decide that maybe I should look into this work at home business with a little different kind of mind set.
At this point in time there are thousands of people earning a living online. Will these workforce numbers begin to be seen as accurate? That's truly hard to say. Looking back, not so long ago, "they" said that no one would ever want to have a personal computer in their home. Is that one still kind of up in the air for everyone?
Oh, and they (who are "they" anyway?) stated that no one would ever need, want, or use a cell phone. Their reasoning, "Because who would want to be able to be found at anytime or anywhere." I don't know about you, but my teenage daughter starts getting real fidgety when her phone gets below 20 minutes of airtime. "Dad, what am I going to do? How are my friends going to able get a hold of me? What if they can't find me? Dad, I need more minutes!" Now, I can't look into those big beautiful blues eyes and say no, so I start running. Yes, she costs me a fortune and she's worth every penny.
With these extreme examples of missing the mark, you may indeed be looking at one that "they" may actually come close with. The estimated number of people who will be earning a living online is expected to jump to 15 million by 2008.
At this point you may be thinking, "This is all fine and jim dandy, but where do I fit in on the grand scale of things?" Actually, the opportunities are boundless. With a few pivotal pointers, some revealing suggestions, and your willingness to learn and seek direction, the opportunities are unlimited. The most critical part to your success, is to stay focused on one business and make it work. You cannot achieve success by jumping from one hot market to the next.
A good business example is the resell rights market, which is a favorite to many because of it's low start up cost. A brief explanation: resell rights are your ability to purchase rights to other peoples products. It doesn't matter if those rights are to reports, software, e-books or many other information marketing products, you may sell them and keep 100% of the profits for yourself.
A fantastic deal for sure, most resell rights will come with a ready made sales page, header and graphics already done for you, as you can see getting started in the resell rights business is truly and entrepreneurs dream.
Because we are in the information age, information marketing products are hot and people are looking for information and immediate answers. They want everything now! The internet has created an information hungry society. What are people looking for? If you can name it, you can get it. More importantly you can sell it and profit from your sells. Now, if that doesn't fire up your imagination, find someone to check your pulse.
Several people may be sitting on the fence, undecided about whether or not they really want to be earning a living online. Yes you will face challenges, yes you will grow, and yes with perseverance and tenacity you will succeed.
There is a treasure trove of information to be had on the internet. The truly underlining allure is your ability to test the waters, without actually jumping in tush first (misprint). You are able to continue with your number one source of income, and begin a part time business with as little as a few hours a week added to your current schedule.
The old saying, "nothing ventured, nothing gained", is only a tantalizing clue to the adventures the cyberspace world may hold in store for you. Put on that entrepreneur cap and let the magical mystery tour begin. Take action now, it's your future. Are you going to be the one who will say that earning a living online has defined the new millennium for you?
Article Source: http://www.articles.myprofession.org
Secure your Web Pages. Never before this easy!
Find out for yourself. Not just any video. No more writing codes. See for yourself Just HOW easy it is to secure your web applications.
Shopping Cart Scripts Review
By: Kevin Dark
OsCommerce is an open source software to create online shops. Many hosting providers include osCommerce into their Fantastico bundle. Even the default version is full of various features while add-ons may expand the script abilities to an enormous extent. While osCommerce is positioned as easy to install and configure, this is not always true. In order to utilize all the advantages of osCommerce you'd better find a qualified integrator of this product who will tune everything the way you need it.
OsCommerce shopping cart allow you to add multiple products and organize them, run discounts and promotions, set prices in different currencies and accept payments through all most popular methods.
X-Cart is another popular and powerful solution. This shopping cart script has more than 100 features and it has a very demanded module that allows to deliver software products online.
X-Cart payment gateway supports over 60 different methods and the cart itself is very comfortable and easy to configure. The developers of the script offer installation and configuration services so that you can have a turn-key project in the end.
X-Cart is a commercial script offered in two varieties - Pro and Gold. The only difference between them is that the Pro version allows you to set up unique accounts for different merchants.
CubeCart is an open source script which is very similar to osCommerce and other shopping cart solutions alike. CubeCart needs your hosting to support PHP and MySQL. The script has extended configuration capabilities and can be connected to different payment gateways including PayPal and VeriSign.
Zen Cart is an open source product developed by a group of shop owners who know what they need in product implementing this into Zen Cart. Designers, programmers and ecommerce consultants help them on the way. This is probably one of the most user-friendly shopping cart scripts, though the functionality is still to be extended.
Shopping cart script named Agora is also quite a popular solution which is like osCommerce is often bundled into hosting providers' Fantastico installation packs. It is one of the best shopping carts for beginners and has enough features to satisfy advanced users as well. Agora is famous for the excellent tutorials and support forums. Even if your HTML knowledge is not your strong side, it is quite possible you'll be able to set up a nice online shop if you use Agora.
Of course, it's up to you what to choose. It could be a wise decision to try all of the products described above and maybe some else to understand which of them offers the features you really need to create the online shop you think will be fantastic. Sometimes open source projects are more suitable than commercial ones. Sometimes it's the other way round.
Combining Affiliate Links,Adsense and PLR Articles to Make Money
By: ian Williamson
One of the most frequently asked questions of all time is, "How do I make money on the Internet"?
If you have been trying to make money on the Internet for even a short while, you have undoubtedly heard quite a few names being thrown about. It seems as if everyone sees themselves as an expert and everyone who is anyone knows everyone else who is someone. It is like a marketing guru clique. And they make you think that if you do not know somebody, you will always be a nobody.
You have probably encountered product launches, audio and video streaming, teleseminars, and joint ventures, etc. The gurus that are selling these products and services are making money hand over fist. In all fairness, these products and services are genuine and valuable to the folks who buy them.
But what most of them will not tell you is that there are thousands of people on the Internet making thousands of dollars a month without spending a lot of money. They do not fly to every seminar in the country just to make contacts. They rarely do joint ventures, because frankly, no one knows who they are. They literally sit in front of their computers in their underwear, click a few links, and wait for the money to roll in.
How do they do it? Affiliate links, Google Adsense, and content.
Take Google Adsense, for instance. Search engines love good content, the more, the better.
When you create multiple content pages on your website, the search engine spiders crawl the site, then follow each link to more content, which helps raise your rankings.
How does this make you money? By placing Adsense ads on every page. As readers click through your pages, many will also click the Adsense links. Every time they do, you make a commission from Google. It can be anywhere from a few cents to several dollars.
They do not have to buy anything. Just clicking the link makes you money. The more people you drive to your site, the more people will click the links, and the more money you will make.
Now all you need is content. If you are a good writer, you can write your own. But most of us are not.
One option would be to use articles written by others. Go to any of the popular article directories and you will find thousands of articles. Most can used free of charge as long as you include the resource box with each article. Since you are not promoting your own product, this is a very viable option.
The major downside to using other peoples articles is that the reader will view them as the expert and likely click the link in the resource box instead of the Adsense links, and you lose money.
However, the best option is Private Label Rights articles. Just a little editing can turn these articles into your own creation. The reader will view you as the expert, since you are not competing with another writer.
You can also include your own resource box with a link to an affiliate program, so whether they click the Adsense links or your affiliate link, you have increased your chances of making money. And you have done it without a single product of your own.
Making money on the Internet is not as difficult as some would have you believe. As with any business, give the people what they want and they will keep coming back.
Article Source: http://www.articles.web.com
Create your own XML channel within 10 minutes.
Short, step by step ysw web tutorial shows how to create very simple and functional XML channel (RSS) for distrubution of media content as adio or video files.
15 Tips to Bring More Traffic to Your Blog
By: Michael Hehn
There are many factors that make blogs much better than normal WebPages including the speed at which blogs are indexed, ability to submit to blog directories & normal directories, pings and track backs. All these little things can help drive more traffic to blogs. Here are 15 popular techniques you can use:
1. Create at least four keyword posts per day. Most of the top blogs such as Boing Boing, Daily Kos, and Instapundit (with literally tens of thousands of visitors per day) publish an average of 30 small 100-150 word posts per day according to "Secrets of the A-list Bloggers: Lots of Short Posts" by TNL.net
2. Submit to My Yahoo! When you submit your own RSS to My Yahoo it is indexed by Yahoo.
3. Submit to Google's Reader. When you submit your own blog RSS to Google's Reader the Google Blog Search will index your site.
4. Add a relevant link directory to your blog and trade links like a demon possessed! Although it may take more time than simply submitting to a search engine one time, this method is perhaps the best way to drive traffic to your site. Use software such as Zeus to speed up the link trading process.
5. Use ping sites like ping-o-matic. Ping your site every time you add a new post.
6. Submit your blog to traditional search engines such as AltaVista, and MSN.
7. Submit your blog to traditional directories such as DMOZ. Directories (particularly DMOZ) increase relevance with Google. DMOZ is very picky, but what do you have to lose by trying?
8. Submit to as many RSS Directories and Search Engines as possible. This is a simple but repetitive process that can be done with software such as RSS SUBMIT.
9. Comment on other blogs. Do not just leave short, lazy comments like "I agree." Leave well thought out replies that will force readers to wonder "who wrote this?"
10. Use track backs. If there is a blog that you refer to or quote and it is highly relevant to your subject, leave a track back. It increases your link popularity and may even score a few interested readers from the linked site.
11. Go offline. Use newspaper ads, public bulletin boards, business cards, even stickers to let as many people as possible know your blog exists.
12. Add a link to your blog in your e-mail signature block.
13. Use Groups (Usenet). Find a relevant group on Google groups, Yahoo groups, MSN groups or any of the thousands of other FREE group services and find like minded people and talk with them. Make sure to use your blog URL like it is your name.
14. Use Forums. Forums are one of the best places to go for advice. Go to forums and find problems to solve. Make sure you leave your blog name, but be tactful about it; some forums get annoyed with those who selfishly drop a few links to their own site and leave.
15. Tag your website. Tagging is a new idea that has erupted across the web. Sites like Del.icio.us, Technorati and many others have a social feature that allows you to place your article under keywords or "tags" that everyone interested in that tag can see.
Article Source: http://www.articles.myprofession.org
How To Create A Sitemap?
By: Jeremiah Patton
A sitemap of a website is similar to the table of contents of a book. Sitemaps are important because it guides web surfers to the particular part of the website they have a point of interest in. With it they would save time following links and get right to the point instead.
Sitemaps are also where search engines look at if somebody is looking for a particular keyword or phrase. If you have a site map, you can most likely be searched.
Creating a sitemap, now with software technology surging in, is relatively easier than before. You need not be a programming guru to be one. All need is a notepad, a program editor, and some patience. Here’s how you do it:
Create the listing on a notepad.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a notepad. Any word processing program will do. First off, make sure to type in all the parts and pieces of your website. Include all pages and all links you have. Create it as if you listing the contents of your book. Make a draft first. You’re sure no to miss something out this way.
Create a new page for your sitemap.
You can insert the sitemap on your website on one of its pages or you can create an entirely different page for it. Using your notepad, incorporate all tags necessary to it to make another webpage. Open up your website creator program and tag your sitemap using it. If you have created your website on your own, this will be easy for you.
Create a link for the sitemap.
You won’t be able to view the sitemap if you won’t put a link for it, of course. Create the link on the front page of your website so that visitors can view it right away and be directed appropriately.
Check your work.
It is important to validate the functionality of the links you created on the sitemap. Test each and every one in there and if you get an error, be sure to fix it accurately. Run through every single page to make sure that all are accounted for.
Upload your work.
Place the sitemap now on your live browser and double check it. It should function as smoothly as the dry run. Error should be minimal at this stage since you already have verified it locally.
The steps provided herewith is the manual way of creating a sitemap. These days, if you search hard enough on the web, you will find online programs that will do all these work for you. All you have to do it type in the URL or the link of your website and they will create the sitemap with click of a button.
Of course that method is generic. All of you who have created their sitemap that way will have an end product that is all the same, plus there’s that possibility that something else will be inserted in there too. Then again, the process is less taxing and way, way simpler.
But if you want a more personalized output, and you are pretty good with computers and programming yourself, better make one of your own. And since you made your website anyway, creating sitemap is just like creating any other page on the website. Other than you’ll know for sure the links are accurate, you can organize the links the way you prefer it to be. Major parts of the site are emphasized compared to less significant. This is important especially if you are selling products or offering services online.
Sitemap is vital to a website. People search the web a lot for something. If your website has what that particular person is looking for, and your sitemap reports it, then you have a new customer looking at your items. Not only that, they will see some other things up for sale that they might be interested in as well.
Sitemaps, be it generated by a program automatically or you made it yourself, presents the same purpose. That is to lead your visitors to where they’re likely headed, and for you to be seen on the World Wide Web through search spiders. So with these, make sure your website has a sitemap of its own, lest make one.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Website
A Fully Interactive Training Workshop for any one who wants to build a web site. It is not just a book to read. We have used the great qualities of the Internet to allow you to partake in practical exercises. This means that you will be learning many of the skills and terminology necessary to get your site built and loaded ready.
Download Now
12 Effective Tips & Tricks to Maximize Google Adsense Revenue
By: Nickkalis
Ways to Increase your google Adsense Revenue for Your Websites & Blogs by following simple tips & Tricks. Watch your income from Adsense increases significantly
The first name which comes to everyone while talking about PPC Program is Google adsense. It is by far is the most popular contextual advertising program used by publishers worldwide. It has variety of revenue generating programs starting from Pay per click ads, adsense for search, referrals for Firefox with Google toolbar, Picassa, Google Pack. But does everyone earn a lot from it? Many think that just copying and pasting the adsense code will fetch a huge amount of money, but that’s a mistake. There are some effective tips to increase Google Adsense CTR.
The following optimization tips can help you increase your Google Adsense dollars:
1> Make sure the ads that are appearing on your site are closely related with your content. For doing this create open topic one page, use your keywords in page title, also check your keyword rich content and then mark some of your keywords as bold or italic.
2> Increase your keyword density. If you use the proper keyword density in your content, you will attract more targeted ads. Your visitors are far more likely to click on a relevant ad. Targeted ads usually pay more per click too.
3> Use Online Keyword research tools like Overture Keyword Tool, Google Keyword Research Tool and Goodkeywords.com. You can also try the free trial of Word Tracker and if you like, pay for the service. Other excellent paid keyword research tools include NicheBot and KeywordElite.
4> Use wide ads (336x280, 300x250 or 250x250). Because there are the best performing ads.
5> No Border ads. One of the best ways is to erase the borders of Adsense ads and make them merge with the website’s background color.
6> You can embed your Adsense ads in your content. You should surround the ads with the content of the page. This is where your visitors will be looking, so you should also give them ads to read and maybe click on if they're interested.
7 > Place an image near your ads because user tends to look at this section.
8> Rotate Google Adsense Ads Colors to Reduce Ad Blindness. To prevent regular users from ignoring the ads, you can officially rotate up to 4 different types of color palettes for your adsense ads. When you are selecting the color scheme for the adsense ads, press the Ctrl key, scroll up or down with the arrow keys and select multiple color schemes with the SPACE bar.
9> Track your ads. Google gives you up to the ability to track ads by web page or by the type of ads displayed. They give you up to 200 custom channels for you to use. Experiment with different ad types and positions to see which suites best.
10> Use the Adsense for search box. It's always a good idea to give your visitors the ability to search your site. If you use Adsense’s search box, you would be paid for visitors who click on the ads in the search results page.
11> Do not rely on one website. The more sites you have, the more ads have the potential to get clicked.
12> Use site maps. Use Google's site map. It visits your site and will crawl it much sooner that any other submission process.
About Author
Nick Kalis is a techie with special interest in internet marketing, travels worldwide and writes on technology,american holidays Food and global events . He writes for http://www.123greetings.com and quite a few other websites.
Article Source: http://www.1888articles.com
Publishing A Successful Ebook
By: Cameron Johnson
To publish a successful ebook you must follow a step by step process which I will detail in this article.
First step is to write a quality book that has a clear target readership. Your ebook must answer a common problem or need that audience shares. Then you have to build a marketing plan, and stick to it for a reasonable period of time.
Before you write your first word try reading A LOT. Read books you love and books you can't seem to make it past page five and figure out what makes good and bad writing. Write these down as points so they are totally clear to you. Read other books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid or copy as a writer.
The next step is to plan your ebook. First, narrow down your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should tackle a specific aspect of the issue your ebook is going to solve. Each chapter should be broken down into several parts. This will help your readers process your information a in bite sized pieces instead of overwhelming them with every bit of information so they feel like they're about to explode.
The next two obvious steps are to write your ebook and then revise it again and again. And maybe again. Of course, writing can be extremely difficult, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. I would suggest you find a good book about writing and revising books to step you through the process.
Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you respect. Or join a writing group and let the other members review your work.
Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your work one last time.
One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop writing and revising it.
The next question is "How do you turn your ebook into profits?"
As I have mentioned in previous articles, Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring the costs of print production. All you need is an appropriate subject and some inexpensive software, and you can convert your manuscript into an ebook.
The problem, in terms of actually making profits from your ebook, is that the market is inundated with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time it takes to download them.
Make sure your book does not just rework old material. You will damage your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable information if it is nothing most readers have not read before. Make sure your ebook is of the highest quality and presents the most current information. A good book will eventually sell itself; false or misleading claims about your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any future books you may write.
Once you have produced your ebook and are happy that it is valuable to your potential readership you need to set a price which is equal to its value. An under-priced book may give the impression that the information has little value.
To work out a fair price, estimate how much time you put into creating it and how difficult it was to put together. Figure the value of your time, and then price it accordingly. The goal is for you to be satisfactorily compensated for your ability, time, and effort.
Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to communicate the value of the ebook without pricing itself out of the market. You should also consider the price of similar ebooks.
To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author.
Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is essential. You definitely need outstanding sales copy to sell your book. Make sure the copy includes the benefits they will derive from buying it rather than just features. Tell them how buying your ebook will solve their particular problem.
Use graphics in your promotional materials which instantly convey the quality and value of your ebook. Graphics can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics reassure the customer that the product is what it claims to be.
Finally, when you set-up your download link on your web page, make sure to simplify the process. It's a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even better value. Make sure the bonuses are valuable and high quality. Too many bonuses or a load of useless stuff will create a negative impression of your ebook.
In summary - Make sure your product is pertinent and up to date. Develop an successful marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy. Then offer your book for sale, and wait for your audience to discover you!
15 Critical Things to know about Google Adwords before starting a campaign
By: Aaron Brooks
The World Wide Web innovates and web masters, marketers, and giants in the field are constantly finding new ways to grabbing success. The search engine giant Google has struck gold with its Adwords.
The World Wide Web innovates and web masters, marketers, and giants in the field are constantly finding new ways to grabbing success. The search engine giant Google has struck gold with its Adwords.
Using the PPC module, Google search introduced sponsored ads to the right of the page and called it Google Adwords. It allows service providers and product marketers a chance to tap into the unending potential of the internet.
Google advertising drives customers to your site by displaying your advertisement whenever a browser types in specific key words. What is great is that you only pay Google when you get a click. And, you can decide on what your minimum daily spend should be. Once you achieve success you can increase the spending.
While Adwords is attractive and many have tasted sweet success by using it in their marketing campaigns you must keep in mind that:
1. Google is a search engine giant and everyday millions of clicks can be generated. What was once an affordable, PPC cost is now quite expensive. So, think and plan and set limits on daily clicks.
2. There is a need to plan well and learn all the subtle nuances of Adwords. Remember, it is not the clicks that will benefit you but the conversion of visitor traffic into sales or assignments.
3. You must learn to circumvent rejected keywords and disabled ads. As the popularity of Google Adwords grows many customers find their keywords rejected or ads disabled.
4. You must lower the cost per click such that it is lower than the income generated. You cannot sell for say USD 1 and spend USD10 on Adwords.
5. Learn the art of selecting niche keywords. Ones that represent your business best and are yet distinct and unique. The words must be specific to your business and yet common enough for users to think about them.
6. Think “return on investment” and make the Adwords campaign cost effective.
7. Continuously analyze the workings of the campaign. Monitoring and tracking your Adword campaign on a daily or weekly basis will give you insights into its effectiveness.
8. Advertisers are required to bid for keywords and the larger amounts get priority placements. So, if the keywords selected by you are common you may face competition and need to spend more to achieve targets.
9. Placements are decided by Google based on bid amount, click through rate, and budget.
10. The title tag is what will get clicks. So you must coin a short phrase that grabs attention.
11. It is keyword variations that will reach more prospects. Use as many spelling variations and derivatives as possible.
12. You must opt for broad match so that even a far flung reference to your keywords will get your ad displayed.
13. Select an ideal landing page. This can make or break your business. The page must function such that clicks convert into sales.
14. Make use of Google Analytics. It is free and benefits small businesses greatly. Using the software will enable you to formulate your marketing plan more accurately based on the comprehensive data generated.
15. Adwords can be a part of your marketing strategy and not a stand alone attempt.
The internet is a thriving marketplace with many opportunities just waiting to be had. And if you want your website to thrive you need to use the many available tools in an intelligent and knowledgeable way.
About Author
Aaron Brooks is a freelance writer for http://www.1888seoservices.com/ , the premier website to find Seo consulting, link buildings and professionals seo training, online marketing tips, seo tools and more. He also freelances for Submit Free Press Release http://www.1888pressrelease.com
Article Source: http://www.1888articles.com/author-aaron-brooks-716.html
PHP HTML Tutorial // POST Table Forms
A PHP and HTML Tutorial in which we processes information from a form using the $_POST[]; functions in PHP and created a table and form.
Valid Code and Code Validation
by Steve Dougan
Summary : Creating your pages on the Net can be exiting and fun. Webmasters spend much of there time in the design aspects of the website and seem to ignore the most fundamental component of a good website; the code itself. It is widely estimated that 99% of web pages on the Net have some coding errors. This suggests that most webmasters really don't understand the importance of valid code.
So what is all the fuss, you say? You view your website in your browser and it looks fine therefore the code must be fine. In reality that is not always the case. There are a wide variety of versions and brands of web browsers accessing the Net. Some are more forgiving of errors than others.
What you see in your browser may look completely different in another browser. In some cases, entire tables and all its content can be missing over a simple error such as a HTML element that wasn't closed.
Creating your pages on the Net can be exiting and fun. Webmasters spend much of there time in the design aspects of the website and seem to ignore the most fundamental component of a good website; the code itself. It is widely estimated that 99% of web pages on the Net have some coding errors. This suggests that most webmasters really don't understand the importance of valid code.
Code that is used in the creating of a web page and then checked against accepted formal standards and passes is considered valid code. The most commonly accepted recommended standards are those suggested and provided by the W3C (World Wide Web consortium).
It is really not that difficult to write code that is valid to the recommended standards. Below are some of the key points to look out for:
- Start with the right doctype (http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/global.html)
- All HTML elements that you open, you must close
- Make full use of alt tags on images
- Make use of character sets (http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/html-spec/html-spec_13.html)
- Use HTML validators regularly
- If you find errors, fix them immediately
Here are validators that are free to use and provided by the W3C. It is always advisable to run your webpage through these validators to ensure your code will be compliant with the universally accepted recommended standards.
w3c code validator- http://validator.w3.org/
w3c css validator - http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
Problems that occur as a result of bad code include difficulty for assistive technologies. Browsers such as readers for the visually impaired, have considerable difficulty reading bad code. Search engines hate bad code. A great amount of your website's content can be hidden from the engines and therefore not spidered if you have bad or missing code attributes.
The human visitors of your website, bad code can result in very slow loading of your pages. Slow loading pages have been attributed as one of the main reasons people that arrive at a web site, but don't stay very long.
The bottom line is that the more time you spend designing your website and then testing it for valid code, the better your overall long term presentation will be. You will give yourself a better chance of being spidered properly by the search engines, and the more accessible your site for everyone that visits.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Build Your Own YouTube Site The Easy Way
by Stephen Carter
Do you like watching videos on the web? Apparently a LOT of people do. Google thought the phenomenon important enough to dish out $1.65 billion to acquire YouTube and guarantee its position as a number one provider of video feeds.
But is there really any reason the average webmaster could not build their own video or audio based portal? Would that not be a difficult thing to attempt? Well, that used to be the case, but it is not true any more.
Now, based on the fact that you are currently reading this article, I would hazard a guess that the following is true: At some point in the past, possibly even just recently, it occurred to you that building a YouTube-like site might be a fun thing to do. But then you tossed the idea out the window once you discovered that adding audio and video clips to your site can be time-consuming and tedious. Not to mention technically intimidating. But like I said, that no longer has to be the case. In fact, if you are prepared to fork out a few hundred dollars for the software to power your site, you can be up and running in no time flat.
In all likelihood you do not truly want to compete with YouTube for visitors. But maybe that real estate site you had been thinking about could benefit from audio and video feeds. Or perhaps that restaurant guide, or model plane construction website--short how-to videos on the best way to build remotely-controlled planes might be just the thing you need...
Are the ideas starting to bubble up? If so, read on to find out how you can set up a video or audio site painlessly.
So what are the barriers to us as webmasters wanting to set up such a site? Well, you have probably already investigated several multimedia-related web sites to see how they go about presenting audio and video clips to their visitors. Most of these sites now offer streamed content, which is to say the music or the video feed starts playing just a few seconds after you hit the play button. No waiting for a full download to occur. Visitors, even those with high speed connections, simply do not have that kind of patience. So, you must serve the content immediately.
There are two basic ways you can do this. One, you can install a special server that is optimized to stream audio and video files. However, this can cost you an arm and a leg, depending on the server you choose. It is also just one more thing you do not want to have to deal with if you can avoid it. The second option is to go with a simpler method, called progressive streaming, wherein you make a request to your regular web server to stream the file in such a way that it can be played almost as soon as the first batch of bytes is received. This is not as efficient as a dedicated streaming server, but unless you are running a very highly-trafficked site, the results are virtually indistinguishable. This is the option discussed in detail in this article.
Several applications exist on the market to handle progressive, or psuedo, streaming. The difficulty in using them lies in the amount of work it can take to add HTML code to individual pages on your site in order to call the application which will then stream your audio or video content. What you really need is an automated solution of some type. An application that will allow you, or your visitors, to simply upload the content that is to be streamed, and then have all the file storage and HTML link-formatting done for you, behind the scenes.
Fortunately there is at least one application that does all this for you (this is mentioned in the resource box below). In this case the application makes use of a Flash-based client named Wimpy, which exists in several different incarnations. The best known of the Wimpy players is the Wimpy MP3 Player which allows MP3s to be played from a fancy Flash-based jukebox. The appearance of this player is controlled by a skin, and there are literally dozens to choose from--some of which contain rotating dials, flickering volume bars, and so on. An alternative to placing a jukebox on your pages is to simply place a button that allows an MP3 track to be played or paused. This is the Wimpy Button Player. It is useful for pages where you are going for simplicity, or page real estate is at a premium.
But Wimpy can do more than just play MP3s. If you want to serve video files from your site you can elect to use the Wimpy AV Player. This version allows you to load an entire video playlist, just as the Wimpy MP3 Player does. But my preference for video presentation is the Wimpy WASP Player. This client will play just one video at a time, but it can be controlled with javascript commands, so it offers more in the way of programmable and presentation options. You can embed the videos right into your web pages, or you can elect to have them pop up when a visitor clicks on a link.
By using a solution that combines all these Wimpy clients into a single transparent application, and which also allows visitors to review the uploaded audio or video files, you have at your disposal just the tool you need to create a YouTube-like site complete with visitor reviews. Hopefully I have managed to convey the idea that creating such a site is fairly straightforward. With the right tools in hand, the only remaining ingredient you need to make it happen is dedication and passion. But if you have read this far, you likely have that in spades. Good luck!
About the author
Stephen Carter is the developer of Red Queen, a powerful product review script that allows webmasters to build audio-based customer review sites. To learn more, see: How To Create A Music Review Site.