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About Web Templates

WEB TEMPLATES


A web template is a tool used to separate content from presentation on the web design, and to the massive production of web documents. It runs in the context of a template system.

Websites often require regular content updates, and standardization of appearance. A news website, for example, needs to be daily updated. Each news item will be contextualized by a standard presentation (page layout, structure, etc.). A typical strategy to automate this standardization is:


1. choose a web template system to maintain the website;

2. specify the “presentation standards” through web templates;

3. specify and update the content on a database.


WEB DESIGN


Web design is the design of web pages, websites and web applications using HTML, CSS, images, and other media.

Web design is part of starting a website (web development) which can include web server configuration, writing web applications and server security.


A website is a collection of information about a particular topic or subject. Designing a website is defined as the arrangement and creation of web pages that in turn make up a website. A web page consists of information for which the website is developed. For example, a website might be compared to a book, where each page of the book is a web page.

A website typically consists of text and images. The first page of a website is known as the Home page or Index. Some websites use what is commonly called an Enter Page. Enter pages might include a welcome message, language/region selection, or disclaimer. Each web page within a website is an HTML file which has its own URL. After each web page is created, they are typically linked together using a navigation menu composed of hyperlinks.

Once a website is completed, it must be published or uploaded in order to be viewable to the public over the internet. This is done using an FTP client. Once published, the webmaster may use a variety of techniques to increase the traffic, or hits, that the website receives. This may include submitting the website to a search engine such as Google or Yahoo, exchanging links with other websites, creating affiliations with similar websites, etc.

A relatively new technique for creating websites called Remote Scripting has allowed more dynamic use of the web without the use of Flash or other specialized plug-ins. Leading the various techniques is Ajax, although other methods are still common, as Ajax is not a fully developed standard.


WEB PAGES


A web page or webpage is a resource of information that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser. This information is usually in HTML or XHTML format, and may provide navigation to other web pages via hypertext links.

Web pages may be retrieved from a local computer or from a remote web server. The web server may restrict pages to a private network, e.g. a corporate intranet, or it may publish pages on the World Wide Web. Web pages are requested and served from web servers using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

Web pages may consist of files of static text within the web server’s file system (static web pages), or the web server may read files of computer code that instruct it how to construct the (X)HTML for each web page when it is requested by a browser (dynamic web pages).

Web page is the main type of (and a referential for) web document.


WEB TEMPLATES SYSTEM


A web template system is a kind of “View subsystem” in a Model-View-Controller (MVC or similar) design pattern, to separate presentation from content, on web document production. A web template system is characterized by:


1. Template engine: the software, it processes input, transforming into web document. It have two typical entities on input:

a) Web template: a recipe with web document fragments, to transform content into web documents.

b) Content resource: a input supplier, like a SQL database or a XML file.

2. Template language standards: the language of the recipe.


Websites often require regular content updates, and standardization of appearance.

A news website, for example, needs to be daily updated. Each news item will be contextualized by a standard presentation (page layout, structure, etc.). A typical strategy to automate this standardization is:


1. choose a web template system to maintain the website;

2. group news items into sets, with different presentation needs;

3. specify the “presentation standards” through web templates, for each set of news;

4. specify a content resource to generate or update the content of each news item.


The idea behind the “template method” is to separate content (data) from presentation (data representation), and to separate business-logic from presentation-logic. It have many advantages in using:


1. Ease of design change

2. Ease of interface localization

3. Possibility to work separately on design and code by different people at one and the same time

4. Etc.


PAGE LAYOUT


Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement and style treatment of elements (content) on a page. Beginning from early illuminated pages in hand-copied books of the Middle Ages and proceeding down to intricate modern magazine and catalog layouts, proper page design has long been a consideration in printed material. With print media, elements usually consist of type (text), images (pictures), and occasionally place-holder graphics for elements that are not printed with ink such as die/laser cutting, foil stamping or blind embossing.


Since the advent of personal computing, page layout skills have expanded to electronic media as well as print media. The electronic page is better known as a (GUI) graphical user interface. Page layout for interactive media overlaps with (and is often called) interface design. This usually includes GUI elements and multimedia in addition to text and still images. Interactivity takes page layout skills from planning attraction and eye flow to the next level of planning user experience in collaboration with software engineers and creative directors.


A page layout can be designed in a rough paper and pencil sketch before producing, or produced during the design process to the final form. Both design and production can be achieved using hand tools or page layout software. Producing the most popular electronic page (the web page) may require knowledge of markup languages along with WYSIWYG editors to compensate for incompatibility between platforms. Special considerations must be made for how the layout of an HTML page will change (reflow) when resized by the end-user. cascading style sheets are often required to keep the page layout consistent between web browsers.

All You Need To Know About Submission To Web Directories

If you are a web site owner and do its SEO and promotion by yourself, you know that search engines bring huge traffic, and you do your best to climb the top of the search results. You know that quality text content and proper meta tags are very important, and you know how important are links which lead to your web site from other sites. There are several ways of getting links for your web site and submission to web directories is one of them.

1. Why submission to web directories is a powerful tool for your web site promotion?

Web directory is a web site that accepts web sites listings categorized into categories and sub-categories. When you submit your site to a web directory, a link to your web site is added. As you know, link popularity is an important factor for high rankings. When your link is placed on a page with good PR this is a plus to your web site link popularity, because your web site gets ‘piece’ of the page’s PR. The more links your web site has the higher your rankings in search engines but the links must be natural – i.e. relevant and one-way.

Yes, few years ago for high rankings in search engines it was enough just to exchange links with other web sites. Nowadays Google recognizes such schemes and considers these links not natural, and discounts their value in web site popularity and PR calculation. Reciprocal link exchange can still be used as way to get visitors to your web site if you exchange links with good high traffic web sites, but for building ranking one-way natural links are needed.

The links must be SEO-friendly: static, direct, and without ‘nofollow’ attribute; they must be on a page that has some PR, surrounded by text content related to your web site theme and not more than 30 other web sites links. More links on a page will devaluate “piece” of PR your web site gets from the page.

Web directory that offers such links is called SEO friendly web directory and is really worth even paying some small amount for submission because your link will be found and indexed by search engines in just a couple of days and it will be a “plus” to your web site link popularity.

2. What listing to select?

Usually web directory listing consists of linked title, URL, and description, and also can display web site home page thumbnail, Page Rank, detailed description, reviews by visitors, and other. Listings can be free, free with reciprocal, regular paid, and paid premium.

Free listing is a regular listing, its plus that you pay nothing for inclusion, but this type of listings doesn’t guarantee permanent place for your link because newly submitted links will move it to the further pages with lower PR.

Option of free with reciprocal link listing you can select in a paid directory if you don’t want to pay but want to add your web site. Some web directories consider this type of listings as a kind of premium, and give benefits of placement to your link until you keep their reciprocal link alive.

Regular paid listing you may pay for inclusion to a really good web directory, which is SEO friendly and will really give positive results to your web site promotion.

Premium paid listing is always placed above regular listings and can be added to top categories pages with good PR. Such type of listing guarantees permanent top place until payment expiration, which can be monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Often premium listing allows deep links submission, i.e. link to internal pages or sub-directories of your web site, that is good for your web site promotion.

3. How to find good web directories?

Of course you can use search engines but better is to use categorized list of reviewed and rated web directories at special web sites like http://www.criticdirectory.com, http://www.directorycritic.com, http://www.addurl.nu/, http://info.vilesilencer.com/ where the directories are reviewed by hundreds of webmasters so you don’t waste your time on submission to useless directories.
As you will see from the lists, there are general and niche web directories. Always start submission from niche web directories related to your web site theme, because links from relevant resources will be more useful for your web site, and then go to general web directories.

4. How to submit your web site correctly?

There are some tips and secrets and you really need to know them to get high ROI for your money and time spend on submission. Follow these 5 tips to make web directories work for your web site:

4.1. Make sure that it is a SEO friendly web directory

Links must be direct, static, and SEO-friendly, i.e. search engine robots will easily find and index your link. View the web page source code by right clicking on the page and selecting ‘View Source’ from the drop-down menu. Look at the page meta tags, namely ‘ROBOTS’ and make sure it doesn’t contain ‘NOFOLLOW’ or ‘NOINDEX’ attributes.

Look at the links codes – they must be placed within tag ‘A’, ‘URL’ in ‘HREF’ attribute must be pointed directly to a linked web site, not redirect from the web directory domain link. Links must not contain ‘NOFOLLOW’ attribute.

4.2. Find the best place for your web site link

The best place is page with good Page Rank, easily and shortly reached from index page of the web directory, that contain relevant text and links.

Browse a web directory categories and/or subcategories to find the best placement for your link. It’s very important because link, placed on a page with text content relevant by theme to the web site’s theme has more value in eyes of search engines. If your web site fits more than one categories or subcategories, select the one which is reached by less clicks from the home page, and/or has less other web sites links on the pages, this will give your link larger ‘piece’ of Page Rank.

4.3.Follow the web directory submission guidelines

If the online web directory meets all these requirements you can start composing your link. Always before starting submission you should read the submission rules or guidelines, because if your submission is failed to meet them, your web site will be denied.

Usually typical submission guidelines are quite simple and within the common sense rules – your web site must be legal, developed (no landing page or under construction), must not be related to racism, hate, illegal activities, etc.

If you try to submit such web site regardless of the guidelines, most likely your submission will be denied because most of web directories are human edited.

Another reason for your web site to be denied is that you selected wrong category for your listing – some web directory editor may fix it, but another one will just delete the listing.

Let’s also talk about deep linking – this is when you submit internal page of your web site like www.yoursitename.com/pagename.html instead of top level domain www.yoursitename.com
Deep linking is a SEO tactics for getting links, which look more natural in eyes of search engines, and it helps promoting certain web site pages or sections as well. Not all web directories accept deep links for regular listings – most of them offer this for premium paid submission only. If you want to submit internal page link to a web directory, read before starting what the directory submission guidelines tell about this to avoid deletion of your listing.

4.4.Write proper title and description for your link

Title of your link is very important because usually it will be linked to your web site as anchor text that has great impact on your web site search engine rankings, so do your best writing title for each link you submit, however do not stuff the title with keywords only because this may cause rejection of your submission by the directory editor. Write normal informative phrases describing your web site topics, services, products, ideas.

If the web directory submission rules allow using 2-3 keywords or key phrases in the title and description, do not miss that chance; however try to ‘mix’ the keywords with other normal words.

Do not exceed the allowed limit of characters otherwise your title will be truncated or the whole listing rejected.

Vary the link title and description at least slightly for each submission to make the links look natural in eyes or search engines. When search engines find hundreds or thousands of links to your web site with the same anchor text (title) and description, they just discount the links value and your money and time were wasted to no result in rankings. It’s enough just to change one word in title and phrases order in the description from directory to directory, and use different keywords for every 10th web directory to get natural links for your web site and improve its rankings for all the keywords.

Remember that human users are also interested in your web site listing and if will follow the link if they find its interesting and useful. That’s why to use normal language for the title and description, that takes attention of the users and prompt them to click the link.

4.5. Write down all web directories you have submitted your web site to

The first reason for this is to avoid repeated submission to the same web directory because this may cause the first submission rejection or deletion. Also it’s just helpful and handy to have summary list of where and when you submitted your web site, so in few weeks you can return and check if your web site has been added, because some web directories send notification about web site inclusion but some do not and you have to check it manually.

5.How often to submit?

When you start submission you may have list of up to 500 web directories. Process of reviewing and approval by editors usually takes up to several weeks, so even if you submit your web site to all of the 500 web directories at once, the links will not come up same day and your web site will not be penalized for too rapid links getting. However it’s better to keep submission limit reasonable, remembering that the links must look natural in eyes of search engines. So just submit about 100-200 links weekly and after 2 months you will see complete results.

New web directories appear every day and almost all of them are free at the beginning of their life, so you must be hurry to reserve a good place for your web site link because after several months the most of web directories will become paid, and their popularity and Page Rank will grow due to promotion efforts of the owners.

Where to find new web directories? Visit http://www.smackdebt.com/submit-directory.htm for daily report based on webmaster’s and SEO’s forums announcements.

6.Automated submission vs Manual

Submitting your web site to web directories you will notice that some web sites offer automated or bulk submission to 500+ or even 5000+ web directories. Are the services worth trying them? Yes, if a submitter allows using different titles and descriptions for different directories, because if he submits 500 or 5000 links with the same title and description for your web site there is a risk of penalizing by search engines, or just they will discount these links considering them not natural, so you will waste your money.

Bulk submission is great when dozens of hundreds of web directories are owned or managed by one person or company and they can add your web site to all of the directories, however again, ask them if there is a possibility of using different titles and descriptions for different directories, at least for each 5th or 10th.

Amazing New Facts About Web 2.0!

When you come across the term Web2.0, the first thing that comes to your mind would be – ‘This looks like a new version of the World Wide Web! Web 2.0 is not really a new version of the Web, but a term that’s refers to an improved form of the World Wide Web.

The concept of Web 2.0 started during a brainstorming session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International. During this session, what they noted was, through the dot com bubble had burst; the World Wide Web was far from over. It had in fact just started to become an important tool for springing up new applications and sites. They concluded that the dot com collapse marked a turning point for the Web and this turning point ushered a new set of features into the Web. They characterized these new features as Web 2.0.

With the coming in of these new features, the use of the World Wide Web as a means of just browsing the internet was over! Web users now have the opportunity to contribute and shape the content they see and read about on the Web. Such contribution can be done in many ways such as writing a compelling blog, recording a podcast or sharing photos and videos with the world. Thus, with Web2.0, the demand for “user-generated content” has reached the top and there is no looking back now.

So, what are these new features that revolutionised the World Wide Web and changed user outlook on how to use the web forever? Here’s a look:

• Web 2.0 has a participation architecture wherein as more people use it, others are also benefited. In other words, there is a network effect in its usage.

• It has become a platform for business and communication, rather than just being a place where information is stored. The Web is used to deliver applications, just through a browser.

• The Web now consists of sites which are informative and interactive. The information on the site is owned by the site owners and is constantly updated by them.

• Web 2.0 has feature-rich and user-friendly interfaces based on Ajax or other similar frameworks.

All these features indicate that Web 2.0 is actually the second generation of Web-based services. Social networking sites, Wikis, Communication tools, and Folksonomies, are typical examples of these new services. One important characteristic that the new services share is that they provide for online collaboration and sharing among users.

Web 2.0 has brought a number of innovations for its users, by which user experience of the web has been enriched. Looking into the innovations associated with Web 2.0:

• Rick user experience: The web sites, we see on the web now offer a rich user experience through Ajax technology. They have the same features as the personal computer such a word processing, spread sheet, slide show presentations. The use of browser-based operating system are also seen and these services function as application platforms and provide the same user experience as a desk-top operating system by offering features and applications similar to a PC environment.

• Rich internet applications: Software such as Ajax, Adobe Flash, Flex and OpenLaszlo, provide rich internet application techniques by which users can request for updates to some part of a page’s contents, without the need to refresh the whole page.

• Advanced server software: The service technology required for supported web sites in Web 2.0 has advanced. As a result server vendors offer new features. One is the universal server approach, in which all required functionality is placed in a single server platform, and the other is the web-server plugin approach, in which standard publishing tools are used, along with API interfaces and other tools.

• Enhanced client-side software: The coming up of scripting language such as Javascript has enabled the use of client computer to reduce workload on the server. The extra functionality provided by Web 2.0 depends on the ability of users to work with the data stored on servers. This can be done through forms in an HTML page, through a scripting language such as Javascript, or through Flash or Java. All these methods make use of the client computer to reduce the server workloads.

• RSS: Syndication is an important feature of Web 2.0. Through syndication, end-users can do different things with the data on a particular site. They can use it in another context such as another web-site, to a browser plugin, or to a separate desktop application. Protocols which permit syndication include RSS ,RDF, and Atom. All these protocols use XML-based formats.

• Use of web protocols: One of the most important elements of Web 2.0 infrastructure is web communication protocols such as REST and SOAP. REST provides a means to access and manipulate data on a server using the HTTP verbs GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, while SOAP enables posting XML messages and requests to a server.

All said and done about the effects of Web 2.0 on internet users, the term has received considerable flak from critics.

One point argued is that since there is actually no real standard set to define Web 2.0, it can be thought of in different ways by different people. Furthermore, much of the radical changes attributed to Web 2.0 have emerged before the term Web 2.0 was actually coined. For example, Amazon provided its users with the feature of writing reviews and consumer’s guides when it started in 1995.

There are sites which claims they are Web 2.0 site because they some trivial feature such as a blog. This is more like using means Web 2.0 as a way to market themselves and not actually using it in the context if what it really means. The critics who points all this out feel that there is actually no Web 2.0, but only an extension of the existing World Wide Web with enhanced technologies. For example if you take Ajax technology, it cannot be used as a replacement of underlying protocols like HTTP, it functions like an additional layer of abstraction on top of them.

However, despite what the critics say, the term has been coined and is here to stay. As the World Wide Web evolves with the advent of more advanced technologies, this term will become more significant as people will have to associate such new technologies with a new version of the web. Even if this new version is not actually announced, it is expected that Web 2.0 will be used to refer to them.

The Contact Area is often the Most Frequently Forgotten about Factor in Custom Web Development

You have expended a lot of time and effort making absolutely sure your primary internet site seems wonderful. You’ve got put consideration in to the operation of your internet site to be certain that you’re supplying your prospective customers an interesting and interactive encounter. Your content material is optimally written along with search engine marketing friendly. You’ve worked with an expert web development company to make sure you have done all you can to get people pumped up about your product as well as service.

This can seem to be for almost nothing if you never have taken time to generate a good accessible and useable contact form. When visitors are all set to make that cross over from visitor to purchaser they don’t wish to wait around. You’ll have very small window of opportunity to make this occur. The actual application that you need to utilize is an efficient contact form. Right now there are a handful of quick techniques to make certain your contact solution just isn’t going to be a obstacle for a selling.

First, ensure it is uncomplicated to locate. There needs to be a backlink to your contact form with every web page of your website. When a guest has made the decision that they are willing to take that second action these people do not want to need to hunt for the form in order to make it take place. If it requires them too long to discover your register or contact form when they’re set, they might easily turn to your competitor as a substitute.

Next, keep it simplistic. For original contact along with sign up forms you need them to have the ability to send the bare minimum amount of facts. Simply ask what is totally crucial to move your guest to the following step in the sales process. Should you ask lots of questions or too much information, guests may possibly feel like that you are being invasive and will quickly cool off on their own purchase decision.

Make sure that when you’re discussing the first plans for your web site along with your web development company that you simply make an effort to actually plan out this contact us webpage. A small amount of time used on this kind of element may lead to increased conversion rates in addition to ultimately more product sales in the long run.

 

Student Interior Designers Often Learn About The History of Their Profession

In their training, student interior designers often learn about the history of their profession. This can be a really important way to give context to their subsequent careers. In this article, I will draw on my experience as an interior designer and educator to discuss the history of this exciting field.

The earliest professional interior designers were based in London – the British had become intrigued by Egyptian techniques of decorating household objects and wanted the same for themselves. London families became desperate to employ an interior designer to create magical spaces and accessorise their interiors. As interior designers came to be recognised as professionals, they increasingly found a need to draw on history to create fabulous results. This was particularly true when creating designs for historic London mansions or listed buildings – they saw historical reflections as a way of preserving the past while also looking to the future.

THE ANCIENT ROMANS

In Ancient Rome, citizens demanded comfort, luxury and wealth. These elements are still important in the work of interior designers across the world today. The lavish decorations, tapestries and iconic stonework today remain as timeless and popular in London as in Tokyo or Sydney. The Ancient Romans adored bespoke furniture and loved quality textiles and expensive fabrics.

MONASTIC TIMES

After the collapse of Roman rule, the church assumed power and largely discouraged the most creative interior designers. Opulent interiors were taken out and interior designers were instructed to install quiet and simple oak panels with dark lines and sharp edges. This influence was felt throughout Europe – from London all the way to Florence.

RENAISSANCE AND REVIVAL

The Renaissance saw the emergence of professional French or French-inspired interior designers. It was a new age of elegance and sophistication, which saw the rebuilding of the London Interior Designer community and a fresh take on creative and beautiful living spaces. A “palatial” feel was rediscovered, and interior designers began to take advantage of new transport axes going through London to the continent and to the Americas in order to rediscover their profession and herald the next generation of design.

This brings to an end my article on how the work of interior designers has changed over the ages. In my next article, I’ll reflect on how interior designers use interior fashions for great effect.

Develop Your Web Design Skills by Learning About Colour

Designing for the world wide web involves plenty skilful disciplines from layout to type & colour. Colour is particularly serious because it provides the first impression to the user. the right colours can create a great experience for the user, while the wrong colours can have an adverse affect.


To make a good website, the web designer should know how colours can affect people. subconsciously, people react to colours and associate them with different feelings & emotions.


Colours do not only bring up emotions and feelings that might influence how a site is received but they can also be cleverly utilised to direct users to specific bits of your site.


Every colour that you can think of can be used on the internet these days, which means that picking the correct colours can be a huge task. here’s a fast summary of how some colours evoke certain reactions.


Black is associated with power, sophistication, riches & mystery. in design, it can be very effective with brighter colours to create great contrast.


White is linked with cleanliness, simpleness, calm & purity. used on websites a lot, it can convey style & demonstrates that the website’s content is strong enough to stand alone without bold imagery or graphics.


With connotations to lust, anger, fire & power, red, used sparingly, can be a good way to direct the user’s attention to a certain area.


Red is a very evocative colour & it stirs up thoughts of hell, love, fire & warning. it’s probably the best colour to use to draw attention.


White can create contrast by being used as a background colour. the areas of white inbetween the components of a webpage are called negative space. White is linked with cleanliness, peace & light.


Black is a bold colour & is associated with sexiness, intensity & elegance. it’s a very popular colour on photography web sites, because black creates heightened contrast with colours within photos.


Purple has connotations of royalty, indulgence & luxury. it isn’t an often used colour in designing web sites, probably because it is known as a girly colour.


Creating the impression of earthiness, cosmos & poverty, brown is extremely similar to green in that it can be used to give the site a relaxed feel.


Brown stands for confidence, reassurance, dirt & poverty. like green, it can be used to make a site feel calm and relaxed. it is really popular with websites to do with nature.


Purple might be a really rich colour & it’s linked to religion as well as wealth & royalty. It doesn’t is not so popular as other colours in designing for the internet however, if used effectively, it gives a site a sense of sophistication.


It is evident that colours do not just make a site look stunning, but they also have an underlying effect of user experience & can dictate how successful a website can be. picking the right colours can evoke a site that users can identify & will make them more willing to use, explore & promote the site to pals. picking the wrong colours can accidentally put users off & have them switch off.

About the Contents of Your Wedding Blog

It is very common for couples to start a wedding blog nowadays. It is mainly because it is very easy to do so these days. There are a lot of free services out there and you can easily create the blog even if you have not much knowledge on creating a website.

You may wonder how you can create a wedding blog for free. As a matter of fact it is very easy to do so. There are a lot of companies and websites which provide free blog hosting services. What is even better is that you do not need to install the blogging software. You can just concentrate on posting different things about your wedding.

Of course you may also consider creating your own blog without using the free services. It is also very easy for you to do so. A lot of hosting companies will provide very user friendly ways for you to install the blog software. You will be able to start your own blog without any difficult.

What is actually difficult when you are creating your wedding blog is deciding what you should write. Actually, you can blog about everything you encounter when you are planning for your wedding. This is the essence of starting your wedding blog. You will be trying to share all the emotions when you are planning for the event.

In fact, one of the advantages of creating a wedding blog is that you can use the blog as a platform to inform your guests regarding the wedding plan. It is even more important if you are planning for a destination wedding since your guests may need more information about the destination.

In the case of a destination wedding, you may also need to prepare the air tickets for your guests. Again, you will be using your wedding blog as a platform to gather information about that. You may require guests to leave a message in your blog so that you can arrange the air tickets and accommodations. Besides, you may also give your guests some useful information such as points of interest and transportation in the destination. Your guests will find your blog very useful if you can do so.

Your wedding blog is not only for your guests to read. People who are surfing on the web can also read it. Of course this will include all other couples. You will be sharing your experience of wedding planning in your blog with all other brides and grooms. You can also read the wedding blogs of other couples so that you can learn from them. The point here is that no one will be experienced in wedding planning unless you are a wedding planner yourself. As a result, it will be a good idea for couples to learn from one another.

From the above you should probably know what you should write in your wedding blog. Have you started your blog yet? If not, you should do it as soon as possible so that you can share more with the others.