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Sausage Sizzler - Webmaster Community Newsletter |
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| Editorial August 21,
2002 |
G'Day Sizzlers!
Well we didn't get much of a response to last weeks amazing offer on
Carrara 3D Studio. I wonder if everyone realized that this is almost half
the normal price AND it is a boxed copy!
We also launched Sausage Hosting last Friday. A few people have already
swapped to hosting with us, and we hope to have testimonials from them in
the following weeks for those of you who need more convincing. We also have
a special coupon for Sizzler users that will give you 20% off your payments
for the year.
We are repeating the offers this week, for those of you who might have
missed them.
Also this Friday and Saturday is Gnomedex 2002. I will be going along as an
eager spectator this year, and look forward to meeting any of you that
might be attending. I am sure it will be fun and a learning experience.
Keep on sizzling!
Nathan Allan
Sausage Sizzler Editor
editor@sausage.com
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Sponsor - SausageHosting.com 20% Coupon for
Sizzler Subscribers |
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I do not know how many of you saw our opening special for Sausage Hosting,
but in our minds it wasn't enough! we believe we are offering competitive
pricing and superior service, so we really want to make it worth your while
swapping to our service.
That is why we are offering Sizzler subscribers 20% when they use the
following coupon code. This will allow you to take 20% off either the
yearly pricing or the monthly pricing (until 21st August 2003).
Coupon Code: SIZZLE
Combine this with our opening special and you get a years hosting and
HotDog Professional 6.6 for US$160. Now we believe that is great value that
cannot be beaten!
http://www.sausagehosting.com
|
KBase 2.0 PHP3+ MySQL US$59.87
http://scripts.tlcwe.com/products.html
KBase is a PHP with MySQL based knowledge base/help document management system.
It uses a templating system so that you can easily fit the look of the
system with the look of your site.
Other features include:
- Unlimited topic depth
- Ability to make users register for access
- Web based control panel
- Search capabilities
- Web based Backup utility
There is also a demo available on the TLC Scripts site, for you to try.
Review by Nathan
E Cloaker 2.0 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP with IE4.0+ FREE
http://www.codefoot.com/software/ecloaker/index.html
This is a cool little app that someone pointed out to me a long time ago,
however in my hundreds of emails I seemed to lose it along the way.
I am glad I found it as I intend on using it to cloak all the email
addresses on the Sausage site and my own personal NetBloke site. What do I
mean by cloak? well through its simple interface E Cloaker allows you to
enter the email address and link text for a simple mailto: link. It then
converts this into Unicode. The aim is to make it harder for bots that
sweep your web pages for email addresses.
In theory I believe this should work. If you are a smart cookie you could
even use it to convert email addresses and put it into other sorts of links
or references, just to make sure all of your addresses are cloaked.
I would show an example of the code created, however it would be translated
into normal text by your browser! So go out and give it a try yourself.
Review by Nathan
The Sausage family is e x p a n d i n g
This week I would like to extend a very special welcome back and
congratulations to a long time Hotdog Veteran, Jennifer. Shes been absent
for a while, and it turns out she has a doctors note. Some how or another,
she has become pregnant. Its great to know that the Sausage users find it
important to keep the family involved. Ah the smell of community.
Please join me in congratulating Jennifer and her husband.
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=4146
Review by Bram
From online to offline
There is a trend that started many months ago but is now being attempted
(as opposed to actually happening) more often.
The "online" trend started with offline businesses getting online so that
they could offer to the world such things as shopping or online versions of
their printed material. With the dot-com crash nearing its end, the
remaining companies are either investigating or struggling to find ways to
turn their business into a real or profitable business.
Online companies that started online are looking for new means of revenue
and overall growth. What are they doing? They are looking for ways to
create offline opportunities, moving themselves out of a "virtual"
existence only, and into the "real" world. Articles like this one make a
great point of the possibilities at hand.
http://www.atnewyork.com/news/article.php/1441581/
There is no question that the Internet is a part of our lives and in many
cases essential to our very being. We may not stop living without it, but
it certain speeds life up many degrees.
When the brick and mortars of the world decided to go online the intent was
clear and the objective relatively easy to attain. Marketing too was rather
easy. Put up signs and print on receipts "visit us at http://www.storename.com/".
The larger players of course have the money to further that effort with
TV ads.
How would an online entity make its turn around? Obviously the goal is
similar: expand (or create) a revenue stream by crossing over to the other
side. The challenge now is how to reach the objective. Marketing costs
money and it is not as simple as on one would think for an individual
online entity to partner with an offline entity. If the online and offline
have mutually powerful brands and can each benefit, ala Amazon.com and Toys
R Us, then it is a great combination.
It may be a dream for some of these online companies to strike a light in
some offline-executives brain resulting in a company purchase. Since
profitability is somewhat important these days, it takes a tremendous
amount of drive, will, and strength to push on and come up with a solution.
If the online entity is a strong brand, one that has great amounts of
traffic, the cross over may be easier than expected. Without the name, it
is anyones guess.
Do any of you have thoughts to share on the possible formula for a
successful bridge or crossover?
Let us all know.
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=763
Discuss your experiences with Bram
What role does a Logo play in overall site design?
When you have to design a web site, what are the things you need to
consider? Which elements affect the outcome of design? In weeks and months
past, some of the important items discussed as being pertinent to design
included color usage, page layout, navigation, well defined site objective,
among many others.
I suppose of anything mentioned, the site objective may be one of the most
important determining factors of design. For example, if you are building a
web site for a cruise company, perhaps you will use water and wave like
elements; maybe even some varying shades of blue.
What about integrating the logo? What if the company has no logo and you
need to design one? Can one design a site and create a location where a
logo will fit? Does the logo need to be integrated into the site design anyway?
I would think that since the logo is part of the brand identity, using
colors from the logo within the site are important. Likewise, if the logo
has any distinguishing features, that may also be important to figure in.
What if the logo is "simply" text, arranged creatively? Worse yet, what if
the logo doesn't exist. Is it proper to design the logo first THEN design
the web site?
I cannot say that I have a philosophy or consistency in focusing around the
logo. Perhaps its better stated as not making the logo the focus, but a
logical starting point to for the design. That does not mean the design
should emanate from logo, but maybe it should. If a web site is about
"product information" does that mean the site should focus on delivering
information about the product? Or, perhaps it means that the web site is
truly about promoting the brand, which means that the site design should
really end up pointing eyeballs to the logo. Clearly the site needs to be
navigable, easy to read and not over-stimulating.
With so many variables to consider, perhaps the site design begins with an
objective, and the logo becomes just an item of the design. But then again,
maybe that gets reverse or even shared.
I find that making customers understand why its not so simple to give them
a price quote for a site design can often be futile. We can all throw
something together that "gets the job done". When a customer asks "how much
will it cost me if you design a really snazzy site?" what do you answer?
I am not entirely sure where this leaves me other than at a point where I
ask you for your feelings on this topic.
Do that here:
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=762
Discuss
with Bram
To read the Sizzler Forums you do not need to be a member.
However to take full advantage of this resource it will only take
you a few seconds to sign up!
- Go to: http://www.sizzlerforums.com
- Read the information and click on the REGISTER button
- Fill out the form
- You will receive an email that you simply reply to
- Hey presto! Your a fully fledged Sizzler Forums member!
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