The Widget | Official Blog of Kenosis Designs | Kenosis

What is a CMS? Do I need one?

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:46:09 +0100

Frequently, questions are asked about website management. Management of websites have changed significantly in the last three years. In this small amount of time, the ability of individuals and small businesses to manage their web presence has become a reality. The accessibility of these tools at affordable prices has made the anacronym CMS nearly as popular as SEO.

There are many reasons why a person or company would desire a CMS or Content Management System. Reasons that range from having control to managing search engine keywords as well as saving design and development costs. All of these are excellent reasons to invest in a CMS tool for their website. In the realm making investments in your business website, fewer decisions are of greater importance than this. In answer to the question of necessity, I would say its about as necessary as your remote control to the television. Sure you can live without one but why would you want to do things the hard way.

There are in essence two types of CMS tools as you consider your options. 1. Back-end managed CMS and 2. In-line Editing CMS. The back-end management tools can be handy and include tools like wordpress and joomla in the open source arena. Back-end managers have administrative areas and once logged in, you can make changes as needed (according to the tools installed) and publish them to your visible site.

The inline editor on the other hand has limited back-end management but typically utlizes the navigation provided in the site to easily navigate to the desired page to edit and then change at will. Both tools can be modular in nature. This means that different tools can be utilized throughout the site. If at all possible choose a modular CMS that allows multiple instances and multiple layout options for each page. Can you tell we're a bit biased toward inline editing? That is because our CMS called KCMS is just such a product.

So what about cost? CMS systems range in cost from free to thousands of dollars per implementation. On the free side there are a variety of tools available to download and install as well as templates to choose from. For businesses who have not allocated funds toward web design and development this is a good option. A caution to the brave, if you choose to do this there are often many hours to be committed in setting one of these up and making it work as you would like. This is the trade off for free and inexpensive products. But then again you can't beat the price.

Should you choose to hire a firm to create a web presence for you powered by a CMS you should consider not only the type of CMS you desire but also custom design options. Having a CMS that is skinable with custom features and designs will allow you to maximize your investment and allow you to be like Burger King and "Have it your way!"

So, take a look around a different CMS tools and see how easily you can manage your website and keep your audience engaged in your business. If you need help or additional resources for CMS tools feel free to contact us. We're always here to help.

Do I have Google Analytics?

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:28:37 +0100

Here is a tip to check your website to see if you have google analytics installed.

Step One: Navigate to the home page of your website.

Step Two: Right click on the background area of your website. You should see a dialog box pop up. Select the option that says "View Page Source" or "View Source Code".

Step Three: Ignore all the code you see and scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for the code snippet for google analytics. If you look something like this...

If you see this then you have google analytics installed and should obtain the login from your web designer. If not, give us a call and we can help you out.

Hosting: What do I need to know?

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:14:46 +0100

When looking for a web host there are a few terms every website owner should become familiar with. The following terms will help in understanding and determining what you need to have a successful hosting experience.

Terminology:

Server- This is a remote computer that stores and administrates your email and website.
Storage / Disk Space- This is simply the amount of hard drive space your hosting account is allocated.
Bandwidth - This can often be a confusing term for some people. Bandwidth is simply put the amount of data that is allowed to be transfered from your web server to the individuals viewing your website or accessing your files.
Webmail - This is a web-based tool that allows you to access your email remotely when away from your computer. It requires that your local email software is not downloading mail or that your messages are stored on the server.
Cpanel or Control Panel - This is the access portal to the controls for your hosting account. From here you can manage your email accounts, set up new accounts, control spam settings, manage databases and much more.
Domain - This is the name of your website. ie. www.kenosisdesigns.com.
IP Address - Each server connected to the internet has an IP address. This address locates the specific server that is connected to the internet. Your DNS record (see next term) is associate with this address. It is a string of numbers which can look like this. 67.432.23.8.
NS or Nameserver - This is the name of the server that your domain is pointed to. Each server has their own unique address and example of a name server would be, NS32.kenosishosting.com
A Record / MX Record - Each domain has something called a DNS record which holds all the necessary information about your web presence. It includes two primary records the A record which is the address of your website and your MX record which indicates the server address of your email. Often they can be the same but they can also be separated.
Propagation - This is the amount of time it takes for servers all over the internet to recognize changes to a DNS record. This can take up to 48 hours to complete across the world-wide servers.
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) - An SSL is a security tool to keep privacy information secure across the internet. This includes private documents as well as monetary transactions.
Registrar - Your domain has to be registered and renewed annually. Your domain registrar is sometimes connected to your host provider but not always. It is important to know who your domain registrar is and the connection information to prevent the potential loss of your domain to someone esle. Think of this information as your passport. If you lose it, it can cost you a great deal of difficulty to get it back.

These are just a few terms to consider as you look at your web hosting service.

The 3 Defining Factors of Success on the Web.

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:19:19 +0100

Success for businesses utilizing their corporate website as a means of marketing is defined by several factors. 1. Traffic or Exposure 2. Conversion Rate. 3. Value added services and efficiency. What must a company do to ensure that all three of these are met? I am glad you asked.

Let's start with traffic. Many posts could be filled up in the discussion of gaining traffic and exposure for your web presence. The fact remains that many business are experiencing reduced effectiveness in this area becuse of often due to the myriad of options in the marketplace many of whom do not come with results. Gaining traffic to your website can be simple. It come down to a few simple steps. One, sound infrastructure. Make sure your website is SEF or Search Engine Friendly. This means that you as the owner of the site had control of and oversight of the tools required to make your site friendly to the search community. These include:

Google Analytics - Allows you to track your online success.
Friendly URL's - These are the names of you pages in the address bar.
Content & Keywords - Take the time and or money to invest in having well focused content and keywords for your website.
SEO Capaign - Invest in a properly focused campaign to build your value in the search engine marketplace. Be careful that the solutions you are after are reputable and take your business needs in mind.
Social Media & Reputation Management - People are talking about you, you can either choose to engage them well or let your reputation go its natural course. Social media is making easier than ever to connect with your target audience and let them spread the word about the quality of your business.

Conversion is of greater importance than traffic. It is true that more traffic can equal more inquiries but having window shoppers will not keep you in business. Conversion is the key to a successful website. Have a website that is soundly structured and market focused in its presentation has a much better chance of converting shoppers to customers. Here are a few keys to help conversion.

Simplicity - A website that connot be understood or navigated will simply drive business away. Avoid the desire to "over communicate" with extensive and superfluous content or imagry. Also make sure your site loads as fast as possible to offer a seamless experience for your potential or returning customers. Lastly, keep your contact information immediately accessible on as many pages a possible.
Clarity - Make sure your products and or services are clearly presented in a way that demonstrates your unique presence in the marketplace.
Call to Action - Ask nicely for people to make a decision. Invite them to know how you can benefit them and their needs.
Testimonials - A picture is worth a thousand words and a testimonial is worth a million.
Video / Media - Any time you can offer a way for people to interact with your company or your services you can improve your conversion rate by up to 45%.

Make your website interactive and efficient for business. You can built a significant web presence by adding tools to your website to keep people coming back for more. Tools that keep you focused on growing business and your clients satisfied with your service. Here are a few ways to increase efficiency and interactivity of your website.

Content Management System - Make sure you have the tools to manage your web content and inforatmation with a online software that makes changes to your website as simple as using MS Word or sending an email. These tools keep your website content up to date and invite users to keep looking to you for updated information in your business area.
Membership / RSS - Offer your visitors and customers a way to keep up with what you are doing as a company through blogs, news articles, membership services, knowledgebase, customer support and similar services.
Media - It should also be noted that Video also plays a large role in making your site more inviting and interactive.
Back-End Tools - Provide a employee or member only access point to your website to provide efficiency for your company in everything from HR management, to work schedules and internal communications.

These are just a few tips to get you started on the right path. Each of these items could be a post unti itself and will be expounded upon by our staff from time to time. We hope you find this information helpful. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.