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Getting your business online without developers, an IT department or a budget www.wright.ru/dotcom Dot Com in a Day Slides and links: 1

Dot Com In A Day

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How small organizations such as startups, non-profits and clubs can get a complete online presence without developers, an IT department or a budget. Covers domain names, registrars, DNS, web hosting, email and groupware hosting, CRM, content management systems to build web sites, e-commerce, SEO and online advertising.Presented to the UCLA Anderson School of Management's Entrepreneur Association.

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Page 1: Dot Com In A Day

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Getting your business online without developers, an IT department or a budget

www.wright.ru/dotcom

Dot Com in a Day

Slides and links:

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Domain names

Domain registrars

Domain Name Servers

DNS records

Har

dw

are

& h

ost

ing

All-in-one packages

Shared hosting

Virtual servers

Dedicated servers

Colocation Gro

up

war

e &

des

kto

p a

pp

s

Email

Calendaring

Documents

CRM

Online backup

Other tools & resources

Web

co

nte

nt

& a

pp

lica

tio

ns

Content Management Systems

CMS plug-ins:- community

- e-commerce- forums etc.

SEO & advertising

Outsourcing

Getting your business online without developers, an IT department or a budget

Components of online presence

Dot Com in a Day

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Introduction

• Multiple uses:

• Start-ups

• Non-profits

• Clubs

• Vanity domains

• Negligible technical skills needed:

• Technical basics are minimal – fundamentals covered today

• Many easy-to-use tools available

• Just requires knowledge and time

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Introduction• Low budget:

• Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) e.g. Mozilla, Apache, Linux

• Free proprietary resources e.g. Google, DNS services etc.

• Community support

• Professional:

• FOSS serves over two thirds of web sites globally

• Many prominent sites use free software

• Other examples: Firefox, Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org

• No reliance on ‘security through obscurity’

• Adoption of open source by governments and agencies

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Introduction• Many ways to achieve the same end results

• Future-proof your online presence:

don’t opt for ‘all-in-one’ basic solutions that tie you to one provider

• Today’s suggestions are relatively simple, yet powerful and scalable

• Using standard, popular FOSS packages also saves on hidden costs:

• Solutions are designed for non-technical users and have

comprehensive, clear documentation and extensive support

from community forums

• Open source means developers can get up to speed quickly

and extend software for your precise needs easily

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IntroductionYour interests:

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About Me• Business analyst, project manager, enthusiast

• In e-Commerce before – and during – the dot-com bust

• IT and Development Manager for a banking consultancy

• Designed and implemented many web sites/apps for all purposes:

• Personal

• Non-profits

• Clubs

• E-commerce and fashion

• Small businesses

• International banks

• But I’m not a developer

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Internet Configuration• Domain names:

• Leased, not bought

• No domain squatting: must be for fair use

• Parts: host name(s), secondary domain, top level domain (TLD)

• Example format: hostname.domain.tld

• Top level domains: .com, .net, .org etc.

• Consider registering your domain name in multiple variants and

TLDs to avoid squatters, but don’t worry about obscure

TLDs

like .biz, .me and so on

• Don’t fall for email scams offering renewals or related domains for

a fee: always check availability with your trusted registrar

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Internet Configuration• Domain registrars:

• Each TLD has a principal registrar (e.g. Verisign for. com)

appointed by ICANN, who then appoints retail registrars

• Many, many registrars but they differ on ease of use, customer

service and price: choose a good one

• Good .com registrars: GoDaddy.com, 1and1.com,

namecheap.com, omnis.com

• Bad (overpriced) registrars: Register.com, Network Solutions

• Consider opting for a private registration (free with some

registrars) to hide your personal details from spammers

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Internet Configuration• Registering a domain:

• Example: namecheap.com

• Cheap and includes anonymous WhoIs registration

• Search for domain(s) and add to your cart – consider other TLDs

• At checkout, define four contacts (ICANN requirement):

• Registrant

• Administrative

• Technical

• Billing

• Can all be the same; different contacts get different

communications, e.g. DMCA complaints, renewal notices

etc.

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Internet ConfigurationRegistering a domain contd.:

• You can turn on WhoisGuard at this point to protect your identity

from spammers

• Now define name servers (next topic) e.g. ns1.everydns.net,

ns2.everydns.net and so on

• Use external name servers for flexibility

• Do not choose any URL or email forwarding options

• Some registrars like GoDaddy will try to sell many additional

services; ignore these with possible exception of web

hosting

• A good registrar may not be a good web host – check the web

for unbiased reviews

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Internet ConfigurationDomain Name Servers:

• Domain Name Servers translate a request from a domain

name into the IP address of the relevant server

• A domain name is easier to remember than 217.162.3.28

• Each host name within your domain and your mail servers can

be pointed to the same or differing servers as necessary

• You can use a registrar/web host’s provided DNS servers

or use an external service

• Recommendation: a free, reliable service like everydns.net

which is affiliated with OpenDNS to ensure rapid

propagation

of DNS record changes through the internet (cached

records)

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Internet ConfigurationDNS records:

• Example: everydns.net

• Register an account then choose the Add New Domain (basic)

option in the left menu (ignore the other options)

• Enter your domain name in the format domain.tld e.g. test.com

(don’t include www or anything else at this stage)

• Now click on your domain name in the left menu

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Internet ConfigurationDNS records contd.:

• Types of DNS record:

• A record

• Master record for each server, must exist

• Points to the server’s IP address

• CNAME record

• Alias pointing to an A record’s name (not IP address)

• Simple example:

• A: londonbound.info 72.55.186.8

• CNAME: www.londonbound.info londonbound.info

• MX: londonbound.info 72.55.186.8 with MX value 1

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Internet ConfigurationDNS records contd.:

• Types of DNS record contd.:

• CNAME records are used for hosts within the domain

e.g. www, mail, anderson(.ucla.edu)

• CNAMEs can point to other servers when relevant, e.g.

ghs.google.com for Google mail/calendar hosting

• MX records point to mail servers; as many as you have,

in order (MX values, lowest number for main server)

• Ignore AAAA (IPv6) and NS (name server) record types

• For a new domain, add an A record for domain.tld, a CNAME

for www.domain.tld and an MX for the mail server

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Internet ConfigurationDNS records contd.:

• Adding DNS records:

• For an A record:

• Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN): domain.tld

• Record Type: A

• Record Value: IP address of server

• Leave MX Value blank

• For a CNAME record:

• FQDN: hostname.domain.tld (e.g. www.hostname.tld)

• Record Type: CNAME

• Record Value: hostname.tld

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Internet ConfigurationDNS records contd.:

• Adding DNS records contd.:

• For an MX record:

• FQDN: domain.tld

• Record Type: MX

• Record Value: domain.tld OR IP address

• MX Value: any numbers, in ascending order for each

server (lowest number for main mail server,

other

records for failover mail servers)

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Internet ConfigurationDNS records contd.:

• DNS record examples: tutees.co.uk – points of note:

• There is a CNAME record for mail.tutees.co.uk – do not

confuse with the MX record – this CNAME is for

a webmail application (Google Apps in this case)

at the URL http://mail.tutees.co.uk

• There are several MX records which all point to Google Apps

mail servers (Google hosts mail for this domain, but

not the main web site – hosted elsewhere)

• googleccb434ca6d800bb9.tutees.co.uk is a dummy record

used by Google Apps to ensure domain ownership

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Hardware & hostingH

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All-in-one packages

Shared hosting

Virtual servers

Dedicated servers

Colocation

Web hosting:

• You need a server with a constant internet connection to host

your files, web pages and web applications

• While you can use any computer and use a home/office

broadband connection, upload speeds may not be

good

and you need a static IP address (not usually given to

home/office users)

• Simplest option: buy an all-in-one package when you buy

your domain name

• Potential downside: just a form of shared hosting; performance,

capabilities and email accounts/features may be

limited

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Hardware & hostingH

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All-in-one packages

Shared hosting

Virtual servers

Dedicated servers

Colocation

Shared hosting:

• The most common option for small sites with no great

demands on server resources (memory and

processor)

• Look for latest unbiased reviews before choosing e.g. at

www.webhostingtalk.com

• Can start here and upgrade later

• Reputable hosting companies:

• www.webhostingpad.com (+ free domain name)

• www.bluehost.com (+ free domain name)

• www.inmotionhosting.com

• Look for a cloud-based/automatic failover service

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Hardware & hostingH

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Shared hosting

Virtual servers

Dedicated servers

Colocation

Shared hosting contd.:

• Two options: Windows and Linux hosting

• Linux is the default and is usually best:

• Cheaper

• More flexible (more software available)

• Don’t be put off: no scary command lines to tackle

• Everything is done through a web-based control panel

• Windows is only needed for Microsoft-specific services

• Shared hosting will include use of the host’s mail server and

will probably include webmail, virus scanning, spam

filter

• Control panel will have built-in analytics, one-click installs etc.

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Shared hosting

Virtual servers

Dedicated servers

Colocation

Shared hosting contd.:

• Take backups of your data

• At least daily if you have a dynamic (database) site

• Control panel will have a backup management option –

USE IT!

• Quick look at a typical control panel at my host: iWeb

• File Manager

• One-click installs (Fantastico) – great if no customizations

• Web usage stats

• Backups

• Database creation and administration

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Hardware & hostingH

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Shared hosting

Virtual servers

Dedicated servers

Colocation

More robust hosting options:

• Virtual servers

• Quarter or half of resources of a physical server

• Command line access, full control over parameters

• Use control panel to get performance without hassle

• Dedicated servers

• Managed option: connectivity included, hardware

monitored, full access, remote management etc.

• Colocation

• Rent rack space, install and manage own servers

• Negotiate contracts with ISPs

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Groupware & desktop appsGroupware:

• Generally, tools used widely across a group or that aid

information exchange within a group

• Includes email (shared address books), calendaring (free/busy,

shared resource calendaring), CRM, knowledge

databases

• Why groupware and not standalone?

• Access Control Lists (ACL)

• Delegation

• Centralized administration (IT support)

• Share information geographically

• Improve coordination, ensure business continuity

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Groupware & desktop appsEmail:

• Several free/open source options (no Microsoft Exchange)

• Google Apps Standard Edition is a great, free starting point:

50 users, no admin/hardware, but limits control

• Advanced Commercial Open Source solutions: Zimbra, Scalix

• Free (limited, community supported) and paid versions

• Hosted or self-installed

• Zimbra is owned by VMWare (previously by Yahoo!)

• See www.zimbra.com/products/product_editions.html and

www.scalix.com/community/communityedition

/othereditions.php

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Groupware & desktop appsEmail contd.:

• Why is Google Apps a good choice?

• Free for 50 users, 7GB mail storage each

• Hosted solution: no hardware or software maintenance

• Cheap upgrade to Premier Edition for more storage

• Google high availability and quality of software

• Industry-leading spam filtering

• Includes options that cost extra with Zimbra & Scalix:

attachment previews, mobile synchronization etc.

• Intuitive administration through control panel

• Limitation: data access control for sites, but not for email yet

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Groupware & desktop appsEmail contd.:

• Read more and sign up for Google Apps Standard Edition at

www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html

• Google partners with GoDaddy for domain registration

• If using an existing domain name, set up DNS records like

we saw earlier

• Quick example: managing settings and accounts for wright.ru

• Users can download installer to put shortcuts on desktop (using

Google’s fast Chrome browser)

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Groupware & desktop appsCalendaring:

• Quick meeting time arranger: doodle.com

• Google Apps uses the familiar Google Calendar

• Combine multiple calendars in one view (resources,

colleagues, business and private calendars)

• Standard Edition does not allow resource calendaring

(rooms, projectors etc.) but can be worked around with

regular accounts or public viewable calendars

controlled

by administrators

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Groupware & desktop appsUsing Mozilla Thunderbird and Lightning as Google Apps clients:

• Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source desktop mail client

similar in features to Microsoft Outlook

• Install Mozilla Lightning for an integrated calendar

• Convenience and speed of desktop apps, offline access

(e.g. while traveling), avoid Google’s contextual advertising

• Performance (particularly search) is better than Outlook

• Downloads at www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

and www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/lightning/

• Full setup instructions at www.wright.ru/dotcom/thunderbird.rtf

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Groupware & desktop appsOffline Google Apps access:

• See the Offline links in Mail and Calendar to copy data to

your hard disk using Google Gears

Synchronize/access Google Apps on your mobile device:

• Click the Sync links in Mail and Calendar for options to use

on Windows Mobile, iPhone, Nokia and Blackberry

devices

• See www.google.com/mobile/ for details

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Groupware & desktop appsDocuments:

• More Google: Google Docs (as part of Google Apps)

• Intranet: Google Sites, Wikis (see Fantastico options)

• OpenOffice.org is a free, cross-platform, compatible alternative

to Microsoft Office made by Sun (aka StarOffice)

• Familiar interface and tasks:

• Writer = Word

• Calc = Excel

• Impress = PowerPoint

• Draw = Visio

• Base = Access

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Groupware & desktop appsCustomer Relationship Management:

• Essential business tool: sales, marketing, knowledge transfer

• Central repository of information; retain when staff leave

• Access anywhere: no office-bound rolodexes or spreadsheets

• Aids/imposes workflow: teams, pipelines, targets, reporting

• Great as an email marketing campaign tool with tracking

• Integrate with web site for prospect registration

• Salesforce.com is the best-known option and has no up-front

costs but can get expensive ($65/user/month)

• Open source contender: www.sugarcrm.com

• Commercial and self-install (free) options

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Groupware & desktop appsCustomer Relationship Management contd.:

• See www.sugarcrm.com/crm/community/sugarcrm-

community.html for details of free self-install option

• Many community-contributed extensions at

www.sugarforge.org

• Installation follows typical pattern (similar to CMS – see later)

• Integrate with mail clients for instant archiving of client emails

• Example: installation used for e-commerce email marketingGro

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Groupware & desktop appsOnline backup services:

• Great way to handle offsite backups without inconvenience

of discs, tapes, rotation & replacement etc.

• Microsoft Skydrive gives 25GB of storage for free (drag/drop)

• Unlimited storage and automated backup options:

• Mozy: www.mozy.com (2GB storage free or $5/month)

• Asus Web Storage: www.asuswebstorage.com ($40/year,

backup 3 computers on one account)

• Backup web servers, or send local backups to a file server/

network disk (NAS) using a file synchronization tool

like

PureSync (free) so only one backup account is

needed

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Groupware & desktop appsOther tools and resources:

• Graphics: Inkscape (Illustrator), Paint.NET (Photoshop)

• PDF tools: CutePDF Writer, Foxit PDF Editor & Creator

• Open source ERP: Compiere, Openbravo

• Reporting: Jasper Reports and front-ends/derivatives

like iReport (desktop) and OpenReports (web-based)

• Chat/communications: Skype, Google Talk etc., Asterisk PBX

• Web conferencing: VNC (multi-OS remote desktop app),

Skype, Mikogo, DimDim and VMukti (WebEx alternatives)

• Operating systems: Ubuntu and other Linux variations

• Almost anything! See SourceForge, HotScripts, Force.com etc.

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Web content & applicationsContent Management Systems:

• Engines for creating web sites easily with no coding

• Framework providing many common reusable functions like

templates, menus, contacts, user registration,

permissions

• The most popular CMSs have hundreds of extensions

for every conceivable purpose: e-commerce,

classifieds, forums, customer service, chat, real estate

listings, videos, photo galleries….

• Popular CMSs include WordPress, Drupal and Joomla

• Joomla is simpler and does a lot; Drupal is the ‘pro’ option

• Joomla examples: londonbound.info, thomasmurray.com

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Web content & applicationsContent Management Systems contd.:

• Potential disadvantages of CMSs:

• CMSs can be very large and hard to locate/fix bugs for

non-programmers

• They impose a narrow range of ways of doing things:

sites can look ‘samey’ (design, interface)

• Can be hard to find/develop original, distinct designs

to wrap around content

• ‘Jack of all trades’: consider your requirements first,

then decide if a CMS is a good fit for them or

if custom development would be better

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Web content & applicationsContent Management Systems contd.:

• Installing Joomla:

• Use Fantastico for automated install/upgrade (note:

custom alterations can cause upgrades to break)

• Download latest package from joomla.org in a zip, upload

to web host, unzip and visit site to run automated

installation/configuration wizard

• Play with templates and content in admin back end

• Test drive basic Joomla features at demo.joomla.org:

create an account and try the public front end

and administrator back end

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Web content & applicationsContent Management Systems contd.:

• Adding content is simple using the three-tiered structure

in the administration back-end: section category

item

• Joomla extensions directory: extensions.joomla.org

• Currently has 4206 add-ons and an active support forum

• Community Builder extends Joomla’s basic user accounts to

add extra user profile fields, links between users,

avatar

images etc. and acts as a framework for other

extensions

such as newsletters, blogs, forums and others –

www.joomlapolis.com

• Example: www.aboynelodge.org

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Web content & applicationsContent Management Systems contd.:

• Forum software:

• Standalone (can usually ‘bridge’ to CMS):

• phpBB: www.phpbb.com – advanced, most popular

• Vanilla: www.vanillaforums.org – lightweight, simple

• For Joomla: several; try the powerful and stable Agora

or install a standalone forum and use a ‘bridge’

extension to link them

• Drupal: built-in forum module

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Web content & applicationsContent Management Systems contd.:

• Mobile clients (e.g. iPhone, Blackberry):

• Template systems can be used to reformat content

for mobile devices (single column, low graphics)

• 2 approaches: multi-site or multi-client

• Multi-site: direct users to a different URL with mobile

template on same back-end, e.g. mobile.test.com

• Multi-client: site has code which determines the client

and delivers the content in appropriate template

• Look for mobile templates for common CMSs/apps e.g.

PDA-plugin + template for Joomla (multi-client)

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Web content & applicationsE-commerce packages:

• A complicated field with many different requirements

• Make a list of features you need in advance, e.g. physical

goods vs digital download, internationalization etc.

• Evaluate software on several criteria: simplicity, scalability,

design flexibility, payment options, tax rules engine,

promotions and coupons, shipping options and price

calculations, documentation and support

• Very simplest option: a basic hosted (but paid) package like

Shopify (www.shopify.com) or Yahoo! Store

• Free, simple Joomla extension: VirtueMart, www.virtuemart.net

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Web content & applicationsE-commerce packages contd.:

• Advanced extension for Drupal: Ubercart – www.ubercart.org

• Newer standalone packages challenging commercial engines:

• PrestaShop: www.prestashop.com – free, advanced

features, impressive AJAX interface, templating

system based on popular Smarty standard

• Magento: www.magentocommerce.com – heavyweight

option used by many high-profile companies but

can be downloaded and used for free; complex,

requires developers and powerful server (not

shared hosting); an emerging standard

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Web content & applicationsE-commerce packages contd.:

• Obviously there is a lot more to starting an e-commerce

business than just the web site/technology

• I have a checklist of many of the other aspects that also need

to be considered; it is UK-specific but I can share it

with

anybody who is interested

• Considerations include: merchant accounts, fraud rules,

accounting, customer service, returns processing,

logistics,

company administration etc.

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Web content & applicationsSearch Engine Optimization:

• SEO boosts organic search results; tricky, but very cost

effective compared to paid placement/advertising and

not subject to click fraud – in your control

• The goal: higher ranking more clicks higher ranking

• Achieve by keeping control of SEO to focus on readable

content, or select an ‘ethical’ SEO company

• Main concepts: content should be fresh, relevant and

trusted by others – aim for domain expertise/thought

leadership

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Web content & applicationsSearch Engine Optimization contd.:

• Things to do:

• Update content regularly, e.g. with a blog or white papers

• Consider allowing (spam-moderated) user comments

to get feedback and add user-generated content

• Divide content into short pages covering discrete topics

• Put your keywords in the page title/HTML title tag and use

accurate meta-tags (description and keywords)

• Use relevant text for links, not just ‘click here’

• Use a clean design template and cut down on JavaScript

to keep keywords high up on page/in HTML

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Web content & applicationsSearch Engine Optimization contd.:

• Things to do contd.:

• Repeat key phrases regularly without overdoing it

(keyword density)

• Use search-engine friendly (SEF) URLs like

www.mysite.com/interesting-article/ instead of

www.mysite.com?articleid=237 (CMS function)

• Use a robots.txt file on the server to tell spiders how to

crawl your site; see robotstxt.org

• Help others link to you with social bookmarking e.g. Digg,

Twitter, Facebook etc. – can use a CMS module

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Web content & applicationsSearch Engine Optimization contd.:

• Things to avoid:

• Do not ‘hide’ content from search engines:

• Behind login functions, unless necessary

• In graphics (use ‘alt’ text to describe images)

• In Flash content

• In frames or iframes

• No keyword spamming, hidden text (e.g. white on white)

or ‘cloaked’ landing pages only for search engines

• Do not use link exchanges or paid links

• In short, keep it readable and honest

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Web content & applicationsSearch Engine Optimization contd.:

• Tools and resources:

• Web log analysis to see how people attempt to/find you

using reports like AWStats, Webalizer, Analog

• Google Analytics visit stats – www.google.com/analytics

• For popular sites and comparisons, use Alexa (alexa.org)

to check rank, trends, and keywords

• Install Google Toolbar to check PageRank (0-10): a

measure of site importance – links as ‘votes’

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Web content & applicationsSearch Engine Optimization contd.:

• Tools and resources contd.:

• Submit to the Open Directory Project, www.dmoz.org –

human editors; used by Google and others

• Google Webmaster Tools: google.com/webmasters/tools

• Sitemaps: a standard used by MSN, Yahoo, Google

• See sitemaps.org, Google Webmaster Tools

and generators at xml-sitemaps.com and

various tools for CMS sitemap generation

and submission e.g. JCrawler for Joomla

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Web content & applicationsSearch Engine Optimization contd.:

• Further reading:

• Google’s SEO guidelines: www.google.com/support/

webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35291

• Google SEO starter guide:

www.google.com/webmasters/docs/search-

engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf

• Yahoo’s SEO guidelines: help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/

search/ranking/ranking-02.html

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Web content & applicationsOnline advertising:

• Top providers in descending order of reach:

• Google AdWords and AdSense (inc. AOL, Ask.com,

NYTimes.com) – adwords.google.com

• DoubleClick (now owned by Google) – doubleclick.com

• Yahoo (formerly Overture) – searchmarketing.yahoo.com

• Microsoft/MSN – advertising.microsoft.com

• Benefits: targetable, trackable, broad reach

• Pitfalls: click fraud (10-20%?), trademark infringement

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Web content & applicationsOnline advertising contd.:

• Most common option is Pay Per Click (usually auctioned)

• Response rates can vary hugely: constant monitoring and

adjustment is crucial; altering just one or two words

can

make a huge difference to both costs and results

• Target extremely carefully to avoid wasted clicks: by sites

visited (interests, behavior), geography (by IP or zip)

etc.

• Set clear objectives and use tools to predict response, and tie

budget to goals in order not to let expenditure run

away

• Landing pages must engage and ‘sell’ as much as the adverts:

don’t link to a standard home page and hope for sales

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Web content & applicationsOnline advertising contd.:

• Consider both reach and frequency (over- and under-exposure)

• Users should respond after a few exposures (<10); try not to

hit the same people over and over again e.g. by

limiting

impressions per site in AdSense or by using cookie

tracking

• Spread advert placement over many sites and content

categories to improve reach, not just one site

• Multimedia adverts capture attention/clicks better than static

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Web content & applicationsOnline advertising contd.:

• A closer look at Google AdWords and AdSense:

• Short, text-based (and more recently graphical)

• AdWords – shows adverts alongside search results

• AdSense – places adverts on relevant web sites

• Access both programs through adwords.google.com

• Sign up safely without fear of being charged – you have

full control and can estimate campaign expenses

and set budget limits in advance

• Starter Edition: a single product or business; text only

• Standard Edition has more targeting and tracking options

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Web content & applicationsOnline advertising contd.:

• Create advert groups (based on keyword groups) and

campaigns (based on target locations and languages)

• Define a budget per campaign (daily/monthly)

• Set cost-per-click per advert based on Google’s placement

predictions

• Higher relevancy quality can reduce cost per click: pay

close attention; small adjustments can slash costs

as well as affecting advert placement

• Define advert placement to display in AdSense, select

or exclude specific web sites etc.

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Web content & applicationsOnline advertising contd.:

• Useful tools:

• AdWords has a built-in keyword suggestion tool that

predicts impressions, clicks, and suggests bids

• Google’s Search-Based Keyword Tool scans your site

for suggested keywords and gives more data:

www.google.com/sktool/

• Further reading:

• Perry Marshall, AdWords guru: perrymarshall.com

• www.doubleclick.com/insight/research/ – reports on

click fraud, campaign optimization and more

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Web content & applicationsOutsourcing:

• Where to find outsourced developers/workers:

• www.elance.com – huge site but charges both sides

• www.odesk.com – better vetting/visibility of experience &

project management tools to track progress and cost

• Others: guru.com, rentacoder.com

• Think quality: requirements, contracts, communication, results

• Problem: difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff

• A few precautions can aid success (common sense but easier

said than done)

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Web content & applicationsOutsourcing contd.:

• Specify requirements very clearly in contract; consider hiring a

business analyst/project manager to define and oversee

• Inspect code for good comments: even the original

developer will have trouble maintaining or extending

his

code later without this, and you are unlikely to get the

same

developer anyway

• Beware of scope creep: get version 1 finished and in use; avoid

detail overload; understand the product you’re paying

for

• Allow extra budget for scope creep/unanticipated hitches

anyway: they won’t be in the original quote

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Web content & applicationsOutsourcing contd.:

• Select developers based on experience, references, cover

letter and understanding of project, not just cost:

don’t underestimate the cost of wasted time (esp.

yours)

• Make sure you can communicate well, particularly with a

language barrier: no ‘lost in translation’

• Consider hiring a trusted expert to review code: cheaper than

employing them to do the whole job, and can save

money

overall; don’t need perfection, just avoid a mess

• Beware of licensing restrictions: copyright theft, contravention

of open source licenses (return to community if

required)

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Dot Com in a DayQuestions for offline follow-up:

• Virtualization technologies: outside my expertise, although I can talk in general

terms about hardware and software virtualization and available solutions

• Software (and platform) as a service:

• Salesforce’s Force platform, Google Apps, SAP Business ByDesign

• Many more at www.saas-showplace.com

• Web and user interface design:

• Don’t Make Me Think! A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

(Steve Krug, New Riders, 2000) + his website www.sensible.com

• Designing Web Usability (Jakob Nielsen, Peachpit Press, 1999)

+ his website/newsletter www.useit.com

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Inte

rnet

co

nfi

gu

rati

on

Domain names

Domain registrars

Domain Name Servers

DNS records

Har

dw

are

& h

ost

ing

All-in-one packages

Shared hosting

Virtual servers

Dedicated servers

Colocation Gro

up

war

e &

des

kto

p a

pp

s

Email

Calendaring

Documents

CRM

Online backup

Other tools & resources

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Contact: Andrew Wright [email protected]

QUESTIONS?

Dot Com in a Day