Archive for August, 2009
Graphics In Your Church Website Design
Author: hanun
Graphics in Your Church Website Design
Using graphics in your church website design is very important and are the basis for first impressions. The Internet has become what many call the “Information Highway.” This is true for your website as well as the design you incorporate into the site.
Graphics are the pictorial information to a website. A visitor can view a website, see the pictures and decide if they want to continue viewing or move on to the next website. Before incorporating graphics into your church website design, there is one major decision to be made: Is your designer comfortable creating their own graphics or would they rather use graphics that were designed by someone else? Sometimes graphics are difficult to create. Their beauty and how they blend in with your page design makes creating them even harder. Therefore your designer should decide this quandary himself.
Obtaining graphics from a clipart library is the easiest way to incorporate graphics into your church website design. Clipart libraries give you the choice of design, color and size that fits your website. A two-inch set of praying hands would be an eyesore on a page with tiny doves and a large photo of your church. Therefore choosing the correct size of graphics is important as well. Make sure they are eye catching but not overpowering to the page.
Many of the programs used in designing web pages include a clipart library. If yours does not, you can always log onto the Internet and do a search for graphics and clipart. There is a multitude of free clipart websites that allows you to download all the clipart you want.
Another possibility is obtaining permission from the owner of another website to use some of their clipart. If you are browsing a website and see the perfect graphic for your design, it is possible to contact the owner of the website and ask permission to use that design. Obtaining permission is important for several reasons: The owner of the site may not be the owner of the graphics, the graphics designer may have these graphics copyrighted and use of them without express consent could be a violation of copyright laws, and finally, the graphic may have been used from another designer who has copyrights to it.
Another way of adding graphics is by taking pictures yourself and editing them to fit your needs. Digital cameras afford the designer the ability to create their own graphics by snapping a picture of the graphic they want and then editing it to fit their page. A good example is: Taking a picture of a Bible then cropping and resizing it could give the perfect graphic for your needs.
Whether you design your own graphics or use a clipart library, the usefulness of graphics on a church website design has become common practice and separates the “ok” websites from the “great” websites. Consider using graphics on your web pages to set your sight apart from all the others. You won’t be sorry you did.
read comments (0)Fashion – Making Money as a Fashion Designer
Author: hanun
Do you have a love for fashion? If that love includes designing your own clothes or fashion accessories, like handbags, have you ever thought about making a living as a fashion designer? When it comes to being a fashion designer, many individuals feel that it is a dream of theirs that just isn’t destined to become a reality. While this is sometimes the case, it doesn’t always have to be. With the right willpower and the need to succeed, you can easily make money as a fashion designer.
When it comes to making money as a fashion designer, many individuals believe that they can only be successful if they see their designs on the runways in New York or Paris. While this would definitely help, you don’t have to be a famous, well-known fashion designer to make money as one. Did you know that you can make money as a fashion designer making your own clothes right from your own living room or home office? You can and if you would like to know more on how you can go about doing so, you will want to read on.
As you likely already know, many fashion designers start out with simple drawings on paper. Many have the dream of turning their drawings into real pieces of clothing or fashion accessories; therefore, many do so. What is nice about making a living as a fashion designer is that you have a number of different options. For instance, if you were just starting out small, to see how your designs would sell, you can not only be the designer, but the maker as well. If you would like to hire assistance, either right away or after your business took off, you could do as well.
If you are interested in starting your own fashion design business, you will want to think about having your own online website. In fact, many fashion designers sell their products exclusively on their own online websites, not in some big fancy fashion store. Of course, if your fashions take off, you could later choose to do so if you want. If you also want to sell your own fashions locally, you may want to think about renting some business space.
If you carefully choose your space, you cannot only have a sales floor, but you may also be able to have a warehouse where you can make and store your fashions. This ideal if you are interested in running both an online fashion store and a storefront one.
If you have been interested in being a fashion designer for a while now, there is a good chance that already have some of the many supplies needed. For instance, you probably already have a large selection of drawing materials, a sewing machine, and likely even a collection of fabrics.
If that is the case, you will find that the startup costs associated with getting your fashion design business up and running are minimal. For many, it is the cost of starting a business that poses the biggest problem, but it may not necessarily be a problem for you.
Of course, when it comes to running a business, even just a small one, you need to remember to abide by all local, state, and federal laws. For more information on running a small business, like a fashion design business, out of your home, you may want to think about speaking with your local government officials. If they cannot assist you, they should be able to point you in the direction of someone who can.
Why you Should Have a Website
Author: hanun
If one more person asks you, “what’s your website address?” you can politely tell them, www.i_dont_have_one.com. After all, building a website is not on your list of priorities and with all of the costs of doing business, why should you spend money on a website when you don’t “need one?”
As the owner of a website design company in Tampa Bay, I can give you 10 Reasons Why You Should Have a Website:
1. Marketing
A website is a great way to compliment your existing marketing strategy and when compared to radio commercials, tv ads, billboards and even the yellow pages, nothing is as economical and versatile as your website. In the United States there are more than 220 million internet users; developing a website that will enable you to reach this market-share should be part of any businesses’ marketing plan.
2. Educational
People want to know what you can do for them and what you have done for others. More and more consumers use the internet to get information about products and services so include testimonials from other satisfied customers; provide background information about personnel, give some history about your company or post some photos. People like doing business with people they know and trust, so make your website informative and educational and you maybe surprised at the results.
3. 24/7 Access
Customers shop and compare prices now more than ever before and the internet offers a powerful, quick and efficient way to do so. If your competition is online, you should be there also. Your customers can go online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to get answers and information about your business.
4. Resource
Your website gives customers and potential customers all the information about your business they need. This can include a map (if you have a bricks and mortar location), your hours of operation, contact information (phone, fax, email) etc… Customers will have an immediate resource with important information about you business.
5. Interaction with Customers
Your best customers are repeat and referred customers and there is no better way to interact with new and potential customers than keeping in touch with them online. Through your website you can post a newsletter, take a polls or surveys and promote special deals. When you keep in contact it shows customers you care and will keep you “top of mind.”
6. Instant Legitimacy
As a customer you want to know the company you are buying from is legitimate and runs a reputable business. A well designed website lends legitimacy to your business and can lead to increased sales.
7. Marketing research
The web is interactive and can provide valuable information about what your customers want and need. To get a handle on your potential customer base you can set up a survey to figure out exactly what visitors are interested in. By finding out what they are looking for you can also learn what new trends are on the horizon. This marketing research will help you efficiently grow your business.
8. Level the Playing Field
Look and act bigger than you really are. Every big business has a website and every small business should too! A well designed website presents a more professional image than a larger competitor whose web presence appears weak or amateurish.
9. It is Lucrative
If you develop an effective online marketing strategy, your website will bring in new business and new customers that you may not have acquired through other traditional advertising strategies.
10. Customers Expect It
Isn’t this where we started? In today’s business world, the internet is the way we do business and without a web presence, your business risks never being found by prospective customers.
Now that you understand why you should have a website, your next step it to determine what you want your website to achieve and then get to building! Questions? Just send me an email and I’ll be happy to help provide you with a variety of website design services!