Handy Pointers On Speedy Web Design

Here are some pointers for those checking out speedy web design:

- Automate, Automate, Automate! The effort involved in internet design can be soul destroying. Before you get involved in some lengthy promotion, submission or design process, think about whether you could get a software or a freelancer to do it for you. Or whether it ought to be done that way at all.

- Have More Than One Web Host. Have more than one net hosting account if you have a lot of web sites. Spread the web sites out over different accounts. That way, if one net host goes 'splat', it will be a small irritant instead of a twelve-hour slog getting twenty web sites back online. You can install the resource-intensive stuff on the good, expensive host, and the tertiary web sites on the $5 p.m. hosts. You can then, using SSH and FTP, backup one site on-server and FTP it to another account directly. This can save a lot of time. It's also much speedier than downloading a backup to your PC and re-uploading it somewhere else. Have you got a 2MB broadband internet connection? The 2MB is the theoretical _download_ speed. Ever try _uploading_ a fat file? A lot tardier, isn't it?

- Use Freelances For Jobs You Lack The Skills For. Is your budget tight? Try scriptlance.com or rentacoder.com. The key to acquiring the best work is to a) be as clear as possible as to what you want and b) write your specification in simple, concise terms. Your work will likely be done by somebody who's first language is not English. Most web marketers give an inexact specification and get work they're unhappy with. Pick somebody who's had a lot of positive reviews recently. Pay in increments. Use the freelance site's escrow facility. Don't expect to acquire more than you coughed up for, and don't be cheap; if somebody does a good job, they deserve a bonus, not carping.

- Use A Popular, Inexpensive Web Host. Here are a few winnowing criteria: Google PageRank of at least 5. Send them an email or two. See how long it takes to get a response. They ought to have a forum (another indication of popularity and customer support). Umpteen features offered (MySQL databases, Cpanel, Fantastico). Recent positive mentions in webmaster forums. Offers Linux servers (Windows costs more, and offers less). Fee per month can be as little as $10, and still have all the features above.

- Web Host Technical Support. Technical support is as important as the software features a web host offers. Some net hosts charge $10 per month and reply to support enquiries in twenty minutes. Some charge $40 per month and reply next day. As long as the request gets answered, this may not be a problem. If the quality of the support declines, however, it isn't. One day you'll require a fast answer to a very urgent problem. You will thank the gods you took the trouble to find, and pay for, a responsive net host.

- Webhost Features. Most geeks favour Unix. It has a longer history, and is more stable. Net hosts offering Unix variants like Linux have always been less expensive. They also seem to offer a wider range of toys. I need SSI (Server Side Includes), SSH (secure Telnet), 10 MySQL databases, Cpanel, PHPMyAdmin and a UK IP number. And you can acquire this for $15 a month. Things like MySQL databases, Cpanel and SSH access are real sticking points for many net hosts. If they're generous with these, you've found a rare jewel.

- Selling Something Direct? Use A Simple Means Of Purchase. An intermediary service like PayPal is quite effective to start with. If you have just a few products, their HTML buttons are a good way to test demand. When you bring in over $1000 a month, acquire your own merchant account.

- Come Up For Air Occasionally. It's very easy to get mired in the minutiae of this or that net project. There are people whose _lives_ revolve around tweaking addons to open-source software. You should keep your eyes on the prize; what do you want and what's the most direct, legal way of acquiring it?

I hope these few basic pointers will be of some use to you in getting worthwhile web design and marketing done fast.

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