SEO & Credit Card Shopping Carts - Pioneer Websites

Sustainable Keyboards - Bamboo Is The New Plastic!

2012-04-25T16:04:00.001+10:00

Well I never.

A keyboard made from 92% bamboo - chosen because it is easily grown with less water, and easily recycled.

What's more, it's wireless (bluetooth), has it's own lithium-ion rechargeable battery, and is the same price as an Apple wireless keyboard of similar dimensions! Everyone says Apple uses the best design lines... but this just beautiful. It truly feels like nature meets technology and nature won. Waxed bamboo feels great on your fingertips too.

Read the Sustainable Wireless Keyboard Press Release, or buy the Bamboo Keyboard directly. They have a few other natural eco-friendly products available too, like an iPhone cover (albeit a bit pricey) and iPad/screen holders.

What I really thought was worth mentioning about this product and manufacturer, is that they seriously show their commitment to the environment by offering to recycle your keyboard at any time if you send it back to them, and they will give you a $10 voucher in return! Clever. And sustainable.

I think it's also great that they include a free iPhone recharge cable with the keyboard, so you can recharge it's onboard battery from a USB port. That makes it better to me than my Apple wireless keyboard, since it requires rechargeable AA batteries which require a separate charger. And I'm sure the extra iPhone USB cable will be useful to many smartphone users who are as frustrated as I was when the original cable broke!

Aussie Websites Give Free Shipping

2011-12-08T08:17:00.001+11:00

Update: If you're looking for a way to win back some value, check out this Twista letterboxdeals competition.

Adding to the attraction of better prices online, many Aussie internet retailers are giving free shipping to Australian, cross-Tasman and even European & U.S. shoppers this gift season.

"Look, it's a real discount and we pay for it, but I think it's only fair" says Jason Bogatai who has two designer gifts stores in Sydney city, "because shoppers expect to save when they buy online, not get slugged with big freight costs." His online gift store www.bristolandbrooks.com.au offers free postage for any order over $100.

Melanie Becker started the exercise wear label Female For Life last year and normally charges $10 or $15 postage on each order. "It's been a tight year for many families - especially after the quakes & floods, etc. So we hope to open up opportunities for gifts by paying the postage for our customers". Any purchase from www.femaleforlife.com.au will be shipped for free this summer, including sale items.

Shop online and save!

New Proof On Underscores vs Hyphens - What You Didn't Think Of

2011-06-06T21:36:00.001+10:00

In our previous post supplying proof of the advantage of hyphens over underscores in urls, we supplied screenshots of sample searches in Google showing how at the time, they did indeed index and rank keywords differently depending which word separator you used.

The proof proffered was conclusive and obvious, demonstrating that since search terms separated by underscores are served differently to search terms separated by hyphens Google was indeed seeing the ranking signal in URLs just as differently. Unfortunately, there were many dissenters that couldn't overcome their blind love of underscores to see the truth (I would hate to sit on a jury with some people... urrgh!) but that's another story.

The Slight Change
To be honest I didn't notice when this change occurred, but there is now a partial difference in the way Google handles underscores. And here's some screen shots, which show the difference from our previous tests in 2009. You might not have remembered, but it was March 2009 when in this video Matt Cutts explicitly stated hyphens were treated differently and were to be used in URLs.

Well now in 2011 underscores are hyphens are being treated slightly closer towards equal in the search term box and rankings, but still miles away. They were always treated the same in the syntax-highlighting in the green URLs of the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) because that is calculated after calculating your search results, as our last post demonstrated.

Google still suggests I'm spelling it wrong, and shows me the same results as the hyphenated version. They are in fact, the same results as if I use a space and not a hyphen. No, of course no one searches for engine_optimisation - we're not saying that (thanks to all the drop kicks who commented that on our last post). This does illustrate though that SEO developers need to develop for what users do type in the search box, because that's the way Google ranks results. Searchers never type in engine_optimisation, so why would you put that in your URL???

So Why The Slight Change?
Well it seems that so many webmasters and developers were stuck in their underscore pants that Google actually had to cater to their manner of creating URLs, and that included using underscores. Despite the longstanding evidence to the contrary, there were some big name websites that simply refused to use hyphens, despite all the best SEO advice and proof in the world. (It's likely their developers were simply taking the easy road out because they didn't know what to do with a hyphen when it was presented in the URL and matched with a record in the database... at least, they reasoned, underscores weren't part of common sentences and didn't cause that problem!)

Why Was It Different In The First Place?
There are some 'words' that are joined by an underscore which mean something very specific and very different when not joined by an underscore. The example Matt Cutts used was FTP_BINARY and there are indeed many programming-related 'words' in which underscores feature prominently. Obviously this isn't a big concern for the majority of users, which is likely why the Google programming was finally allowed to change - to court the favor of the masses.

Nonetheless, as you can see in the screen shots, the websites that use hyphenated terms still rank highly even when searching for the term joined by an underscore. Only a few results which actually contain the underscore joined version in the title or use a URL with no space at all between 'engineoptimisation' rank first...

Why All The Confusion In Between?
In July 2007 there was an off-handed comment (notice that's 'off-handed', not 'off_handed') by Matt Cutts at Word Camp 2007 that was misinterpreted and echoed incorrectly around the internet, without any supporting evidence. Talk about your wildfire rumor! SERoundTable didn't publish a balancing post until a month later. Matt Cutts referred to the confusion on his blog and again to the rumors in the March 2009 video linked above. Personally, I had read the transcripts of Word Camp 2007 myself at the time and I can see why there was confusion... but only if you wanted to believe in underscores because that's what you'd been blindly using in hundreds of thousands of URLs until then. The facts were still clear nothing had changed back then... until recently, as shown by our screenshots above.

So Does It Matter Anymore?
Assuming you were brave, logical, and dare I say, empirical enough to see the light previously, you might now be left wondering what to do in a hazy shade of musk. Well apart from the fact that you're still way behind if you want to risk using underscores, you should stop thinking about search engine algorithms and start thinking about users. What is easier to read, underscores or hyphens? I'll withhold my opinion so you can decide for yourself, but I'm sure there will be just as many conflicting views as there ever was!

Which-one-of-these-lines-of-text-do-you-find-easier-to-read?

Which_one_of_these_lines_of_text_do_you_find_easier_to_read?

The fact is in most typefaces hyphens don't touch the adjacent characters, whereas underscores do (point for hyphens) but underscores are smaller space separators than underscores, which are usually wider (point for underscores). The fact that underscores sit lower than the typeface baseline is to some eyes a win (point for underscores), but to others a loss, since they seem to be confused by the reading eye with serifs making the text slower to read and recognise (point for hyphens).

And when you've decided what's easier to read (whichever you decide) forget that and take another look at the screen shots above. Do you want to target your SEO at a misspelt word that Google suggests the correct version of? Sure, if people type in the misspelt word for search. But they don't type in words joined with underscores! Do you want to be the site that isn't on page one of the underscore search page, or the hyphenated site that is still on page one of all three searches??

What Else You Might Not Have Thought Of
There's another SEO benefit to using the right word separator in URLs, and that is that not all links have distinct link text, but rather, the URL as the link text. This means that if correct word separators are used in the URL, they will pass contextual value to the webpage being linked to even if the link merely contains the URL. Our clients have been benefitting from this phenomenon for years now, when visitors copy and paste their URLs into a simple link without utilising anchor text (as many people do not), as their descriptive and accurately separated URLs contained relevant keywords which Google most definitely saw as anchor text.

So the question is, has Google been thorough enough to ensure that underscores are now treated as word separators in anchor text even though they're still not treated as equals in search and ranking? In our experience with Google's thoroughness, the answer would be 'most probably not' - don't count on it. Besides that, why would someone put underscores in anchor text? They don't, and that's why Google wouldn't cater to it. But they do put hyphens in text, and they are already counted as word separators.

But more to the point, is your love of the underscore worth the gamble in rankings?

Free Quality Images For Website SEO

2010-11-22T08:08:00.006+11:00

SEO is not about sending visitors to a website. It's optimising a website so that visitors from search engines will succeed. Google's Instant preview on the search engine results pages (SERPs) just made this even MORE important as your title and meta description will quickly take a second place to your visual representation!

Quality stock photos and stock imagery will help your SEO in three ways:

Visitors will return to your quality website
Users will link to your quality site
Searchers will click on your SERP link

Where can I get quality photos that don't break the budget?

Let's establish a fundamental truth: You get what you pay for! It's, true, however sometimes you get a little more than what you pay for. Here are two sources of high quality FREE stock photos and royalty free stock photos at a truly low price:

Stock.XCHNG - Free Photos

Pro: Completely free
Con: Some photographers require notification of final use
Con: Wade through low quality images to find the good ones
Con: A LOT of advertising, can be confusing and you end up selecting an expensive iStockPhoto

Dreamstime - Free Photos & Royalty Free Images

Pro: Completely free high res quality photos
Pro: High quality high resolution photos royalty free very cheap
Pro: No advertising
Con: Paid photos require you to buy credits (min. ~$10)

So between the two there's a good chance you'll find the shot you're looking for completely free, and if you need to purchase one at Dreamstime, you'll get away with about $10 and be able to buy about 8 photos.

The boost to your Search Engine Optimisation will be well worth it!

Three Tips For SEO in Press Releases

2010-01-16T22:53:00.001+11:00

Search Engine Optimisation Whitepaper (PDF VERSION)

Three Tips For SEO
in Press Releases

	Publicity Agents have been successfully promoting our clients for many years. Ever respectful of this expertise, the new breed of SEO (Search Engine Optimiser) seeks to join forces – after all, successful clients equal successful marketing agencies. This Whitepaper offers three fundamental suggestions for getting the most SEO value from existing press distribution services.

Fundamental SEO practice is easier to employ than you might have once thought. Considering the three following suggestions will position you to instantly enhance the benefit of your publicity work for your client, ensuring your retention and mutual success. The suggestions are practical and simple technical information is provided where required.

Relevancy
What's the first action taken by a large proportion of viewers of an advertising campaign? Few deny the pivotal role Search Engines play in converting consumers, regardless of which media developed their interest they're highly likely to go straight to their favourite Search Engine. That being said, no one can tell the population at large what search terms to use; they'll search for something using terms they know. Marketers in the mid-2000's seemed to think it clever to advertise in print campaign 'Google “such and such”' - confident the promoted website was ranked first. This however offers free advertising for other websites who achieve secondary rankings for that term, and opens up the possibility that the promoted website isn't even #1 anymore. In todays highly volatile Search Engine landscape where Google #1 can be Google #nowhere overnight, the chance of the Search Engine Results Page changing unexpectedly while your print media still carries it's gloss is very real. Simply put, page two of a Search Engine Results Page is all but total obscurity when a drop from the #1 spot to #3 means a 70% decline in traffic.

1. Online Coverage: Don't Expect, Suggest
Suddenly viewing your clients coverage through the World Wide Web lens, you might be surprised to find how little online coverage your press release or advertisement is receiving. And yet it's this lens that consumers across every demographic now refer to first, some even exclusively. The following questions will help you evaluate a distribution outlet's effectiveness for your client's web presence and SEO:
- Is your distribution outlet guaranteeing a web page appearance of the full release?
- Is it available on a dedicated page or masked by scores of other entries?
- Are they syndicated with other online content aggregators?
- Do they employ RSS and Atom feeds?
- Is language translation (at the very least, automatic online translation) and distribution employed?
- Is the title and/or lead sentence published to Twitter? Along with a link?
- Is any video content uploaded to YouTube with associated text?
- Can viewers of the online version easily bookmark or redistribute the coverage, including to their social media like Facebook?
Some outlets simply aren't geared for online distribution. Others, like AAP (Australian Associated Press) don't guarantee web page publishing because their Newswires are available to registered journalists only and not Search Engine robots like Google's Googlebot. Your evaluation of such services may encourage them to change their methods, or to develop alternatives like a community forum section where you can add descriptive briefs. At the very least, it can help you recognise those offering the most value.

2. Insist On Receiving Web Links
The single most influential factor in a website's success in the Search Engines is the number and quality of web links pointing to it. This can be said authoritatively. While quality website content is essential, a miserable website can succeed in Search Engines due to quality links from sites with quality content – effectively leveraging both their content and Search Engine ranking. Therefore, it is imperative that wherever digitally possible, a web link is made from the source site to your client's site. Beware, however, as press or advertisement sites have many ways of unintentionally destroying the value your client can receive from links to their website.
Bad example #1: Some links that appear to be links to your client's site from a press release site actually point back to that same website. Even if, when clicked, they employ a redirection from the press release site to your client's site, they pass no SEO value. When you hover over the link or right click and copy the destination URL, it must plainly begin with http://[your-clients-website].
Bad example #2: If the website code of the page linking to your client contains the rel=nofollow attribute, the value of your hard-earned link will be null.This could be in the line with the link (

3. Get The Link Text Right
Both web users and Search Engines, like Google, learn from the text inside the link to your client's site. It is used to determine the site's relevancy to the keywords consumers are searching for. Countless expensive directories and advertisement websites use the text 'website' as the link to your clients domain. As much as that is bad practice, it tells Google your client's website has something to do with, wait for it, 'website'! Good practice involves including descriptive text in the web link, as follows: 'See the outdoor furniture on their website'. If you're not sure what text to use in the link, take a look at the title of your client's web page you're linking to. This can be seen as the text naming the tab of your web browser when viewing their website or internal page (if it's truncated, hover over it to reveal the entire title). That point beckons mentioning that the correct page must also be selected as the recipient of the link. Not every link should go to the home page – web users need to be directed to the most relevant page with instant information pertaining to their desire.
Many high quality websites use the website address as the link text for your client's link. This represents an unfortunate decline in value, however some ingenuity here can maximise the benefit. If possible, ensure that the link points to an internal page, not just the home page. That way, the words in the file name or address for that internal page will now add value to the meaning of the link. For example, if I can only use the website address in the link text to www.embodydenim.com.au, I will choose to supply the target link address as http://www.embodydenim.com.au/Denim/Jeans/, or for a different type of website, possibly http://www.customsup.com.au/Custom-Stand-Up-Paddle-Surfboards/, since the words 'Denim Jeans' and 'Stand Up Paddle Surfboards' will assist the site in ranking for those highly popular consumer search terms. (It should be noted here that addresses which utilise underscores spoil the word value since Google does not index an underscore in a file name as a word break. See this SEO underscores or hyphens article for demonstrations and proof.)
Still another type of implementation is where a Press Release or News site requires the link text to state the company name. You may not even realise where exactly this happens, but at some point in an online or paper application form where the company name is requested, the outlet will simply copy the supplied company name and place it as the link text for your client's web link. Almost all websites (certainly well-constructed ones) will rank highly for their company name, so this is not of any particular SEO benefit. Some company names are more relevant to search terms than others, which can be a bonus, however the best use of link text is for descriptive, often searched-for keywords. Therefore, with a little ingenuity, you may be able to list the company name as relevant keywords when completing your client's Press Release registration. Take this example of the usual trading name 'Globe Jockeys' being presented as Light Globe Replacement – a far more relevant and helpful term, both for SEO and for users.

Conclusion
The collaboration of professional expertise and resources is an often overlooked key to client success and retention. With just these three simple suggestions and a little supplemental technical knowledge, our mutual clients can perform better, presenting a stronger future all partners.

Pioneer Websites is a boutique web development agency specialising in content managed eCommerce sites custom built from the ground up. They hand craft each site without automated procedures and build in the right SEO from the very beginning, including keyword and competitor analysis from privileged data sources within the industry. Ongoing SEO and online promotional marketing, combined with an affordable development service, allow Pioneer Websites to create and market websites that don't cost more money than they make.

Pioneer Websites Testimonials

2009-09-07T07:49:00.015+10:00

Read what our clients are saying about the service they get from Pioneer Websites:

(N.B. No quotations were harmed in the recording of these testimonials)

I tell ya what, it's just going gangbusters Paul, honestly!

- Frank Iaria, Vegitation Mt Beauty Green Grocer, 04/05/12

I wanted to sincerely thank you and your team for all your effort and creativity. The website is coming together nicely and many things are better than expected.

- Daniel Wurm, National Painting & Decorating Institute, 11/02/12

I would like to thank you very much on the hard work you have put into the website. it is great great work and alex agrees. we are very impressed and amazed for your artistic and professional result.

- Michael Moussey, Ultimate Cobbler, 2/01/12

Love it when you explain things in such succinct detail.

Love it.

- Jason Bogatai, Bristol & Brooks, 03/08/11

Job well done, this is a magnificent site …full of good content!

The search engines should love it!

- Gabriel Andrews, Twista, 24/05/11

Just had our first person on the Bundy site who initiated [an online] chat and just purchased a system online after our chat.

Thanks again for getting this up and running and suggesting this cheaper option.

- David Azzopardi, Bundy Specialists, 20/05/11

Thanks again for everything. Your diligent, logical approach has been refreshing. The slick way the site works - especially with the content management system - is exactly what we were after.

- Matt Milgrom, Tender Success, 05/08/10

Since we have the new website, the Dept of Education NSW and Dept of Environment has granted us $$ to train 420 painters!

- Daniel Wurm, Green Painters, 24/06/10

That was quick!!! Talk about good service. Thanks so much once again for your help, I look forward to continually doing business with you.

- Isaac Swoma, West Coast Cruisers, 20/05/10

This is perfect... Thanks so much... terrific... Good work!

- Fiona Liu, Daily Telegraph, 12/02/10

Thanks - love your work!!!!! Must say I'm getting a lot more visitors and bean bags are moving....

- Ann Anderson, Annie Bs, 08/12/09

If you're trying to impress me, its working...

- Daniel Wurm, GreenPainters, 01/12/09

Thanks Paul I love the way you work !!

- Darrianne Donnelly, BGM Models & Pyjama Women, 09/07/09

Fantastic job mate really happy with the site! Thanks for working so fast.

- Damian Barry, Sounds Like Home, 08/07/09

This is great, makes life so much easier. I should of got you to do one of these for me years ago.

- Natalie Wakeling, Embody Denim, 27/06/09

You’re a genius! A legend! A man of standards!

- Jason Bogatai, Bristol & Brooks, 27/05/09

God love you Paul that is fantastic...DD

- Darrianne Donnelly, Pyjama Women, 30/04/09

Absolutely marvelous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Let's get going now... Your report certainly has opened my eyes to where I can and need to go from here with it. Very exciting!

- Ann Anderson, Annie B's, 03/04/09

Thanks so much Paul ... you really do a wonderful job for us all!

- Clare Bogatai, Bristol & Brooks, 30/03/09

I’ve had a look and all I can say is wow! And thank you thank you thank you. I love it! ... Lots of our friends have look at the site and love the quality.

- Cliff How, Fin Portraits, 24/03/09

Hi Paul, I received my business cards today they look amazing, the quality is superb.

- Cliff How, Fin Portraits, 19/03/09

I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again............I LOVE YA WORK!!

- Jason Bogatai, Bristol & Brooks, 28/10/08

You are amazing thanks for that...DD

- Darrianne Donnelly, Pyjama Women, 22/10/08

You are worth more money.

- David Azzopardi, Finger Access, 10/04/08

We are getting more enquiries than previously, we can only put it down to your google ad words. Top stuff... You’re a legend. I knew we went with you for a reason.

- David Azzopardi, Finger Access, 11/10/07

I’m in heaven. This is soooooooooooo good!

- Jason Bogatai, Brisol & Brooks, 02/05/07

Underscores vs Hyphens SEO Conclusive Proof

2009-06-17T07:48:00.008+10:00

Once you've read this post, see the new proof about underscores and hyphens in June 2011.

I'm sick of having this argument with people who claim to know SEO and/or programming but demonstrate their ignorance. What really incensed me, was when Matt Cutts, head of anti-spam at Google gave definitive direction here (rare) on what was best practice, hyphens or underscores, and then in person at an interview, he was still misinterpreted by people who wanted to believe what they still wanted to believe!

Come on people! This isn't a religion, why the blindness?

So here's some conclusive proof I have developed in reviewing this issue with my long time friend and colleague James, who does SEO Sydney, Australia.

The test

1. Google: search-engine-optimisation

Results: 44,800,000. This is the big one.

This is clearly the correct search - Google news picks it up, as well as squillions of advertisers. I'm even offered a two word definition of what a 'search engine' is.

2. Google: search_engine_optimisation

Results: 12,500 with a better suggestion

Firstly you note Google offers you a better search, trying to break the single word into separate words, but then shows you your limited results - 12,500 misled minions who think underscores are better than dashes. Notice too that there are no advertisers bidding for this search...!

3. Now finally Google: engine_optimisation

Results: 590 with a better suggestion

This is the clincher. 590 sensless mentions of the word engine_optimisation. And notice again that there are no advertisers bidding for this search because Google isn't counting it as a search for two separate words, but one big ugly word with an underscore in the middle. Instead, I'm being offered a better search with a space before the word optimisation.

Do you get it now?

A space, like a hyphen (or dash) is a word break.

An underscore is not.

That's true grammatically, and programmatically.

Don't be fooled by the keyword highlighting... the bold on a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is applied after the search is calculated and conducted. So the bottom result shown in the image above (the unfortunate Bond SEO) has the word engine_optimisation in bold, as though Google can see it separately, but this in only because the bold is applied after the search is calculated. We only have 590 results available. If Google were seeing the keyword as separate words, then we'd have millions of results available.

Your honour, I rest my case.

"What should I do?"

First of all, if you really want to evaluate how good an SEO company like the ones listed above are, make this the first question you ask them: do you recommend hyphens (dashes) or underscores in urls? Then get them to explain why. It will help you tell the SEO men from the boys.

What if my massive website already has underscores in the urls and (maybe because of the CMS) in the title tags or meta description?

A good SEO agency with both marketing AND technical programming skills is what you need. This is hard to find an agency that's good at both, that doesn't have two competing halves that don't cooperate or communicate, and that doesn't cost the earth!

We (Pioneer Websites) are a small family agency, solving the issue of competing halves. We probably favor technical over marketing while never neglecting either, and our client's track record speaks for that combination's success. If you're not sure how big a job your site is, send us an email and we'll gladly analyse your site and give you a recommendation.

It could be as easy (for us) as adding programming which corrects SEO underscore vs hyphen errors, picking up any lost SEO value and rechannelling it correctly, without you having to change your whole Content Management System or your content.

P.S. Yes I've spelt it the British way optimisation instead of optimization but the results are the same for either, as you can see, Google's SERP using alternate spelling for my results - but only where I used dashes and Google can see it's a separate word!!!

Where can I advertise my business online?

2009-06-08T15:25:00.009+10:00

If you've spoken to us about a web-based startup you've probably heard about our patented two step process:

1. Put your business on the web.

2. Make money from it.

N.B. Don't forget step 2.

Unfortunately around 65% of businesses in our experience leave out step 2 when starting up, and the number one shortfall is they don't attract customers by promoting their website in high quality directories. This of course is a service Pioneer Websites offer, however we understand not everyone's marketing budget has room for someone else to do the leg work and so we commend website owners efforts in self promotion.

Want a head start?

We recommend www.clickfind.com.au.

First of all, they're 100% Aussie. Being listed with them will help your search engine rankings in Google.com.au. Full stop.

Secondly, our recent dealings with ClickFind have proven to us they are committed to both high quality customer service and first rate Search Engine Optimisation.

Our very first email to them was answered within the hour, and they are continually enhancing their web presence (30,000 web pages isn't to be sneezed at!).

So if you're wondering - where can I advertise my business online? ... check them out.

Click Find.

Promotions Comotions

2009-02-27T17:33:00.003+11:00

Everyone wants to know how to attract visitors to their website that might just be looking for something they've got to offer.

I read a lot of Sage Lewis's column on Search Engine Watch. Not only is he a genius, he's crazy, and that's why his advice is good - it works, and more importantly it gets you thinking.

He's working on choosing the best sort of promotions for link building this week, and offering an entry for a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate to anyone that will link to his current article - one entry for each link from a different domain.

This is a great idea and will score links and feedback and was easy to participate in. From the promoters point of view, although he stipulated multiple link for multiple entries had to be from different domains, he didn't state if nofollow links counted (like on blogger and wordpress domains) and if the spot even had to be indexed let alone get decent traffic. (Rules like that make it harder to participate but easier to score less-than-useful links...)

The only thing he didn't do was provide a url to link to, meaning if you were reading the newsletter on email (as many do) you'd have to find the article to get the link address. Maybe this was all part of the test was it Sage??

[Update: Just when you think a promotion wouldn't work for every client who has an SEO campaign... we were approached by this Window Cleaner in Sydney's Lower North Shore who was already running a monthly promotion on his website! Yep - even a regular service like window cleaning was subject to the same attractions that have seen Groupon, Scoopon, Cudo & Spreets become very popular with Sydney-siders - and I mean consumers, not just advertisers!]

2007-08-29T08:18:00.000+10:00

How to make a Credit Card Shopping Cart Website

It's every budding web designers dream. But the novice web developer soon discovers there's a LOT more to designing an online shop and shopping cart than just thinking up the commission you'll make on all your clients products!

Where do I start?

The answer to that depends on the answer to this...

How much do you know?
Or more to the point, how much DON'T you know about web design and development?
Well before your ears get giddy and your fingers fail, take heart - it's easier than you think. It always is, if you have an overview. It's the first step in teaching anything - take the learner from what they already know and show them around the corner - and it's more than crucial to designing websites that sell products online.

The overview of getting started:

We'll take these one at a time in future posts,

but for now, find where you fit in:

You'll need to know how to design some HTML.
That's a given, and won't be discussed here (not till later posts, anyway). There are a zillion HTML tutorials but we'll need to sort them out. So assuming you can put images and text on a web page and make them look pretty enough for someone to buy them, the next step is...

You'll need to be able to make HTML forms.
These drove the interactive nature of the web, and took the internet from a digital newspaper with glossy ads, to an online shop with all the choices. Again, easy to learn. And that would be enough if you only had three products. But more products and more choices mean eventually you have to...

Take HTML form data across multiple pages.
And that's the hard bit. When the submit button or submit image of a HTML form is clicked, the form data (all the choices the customer made) get sent to the server - and need to be processed by a script on the server - not Javascript, because that isn't on the server, it's on the browser, on the user's computer. I remember banging my head on my keyboard like the pianist from Sesame Street for weeks on end - until 3am one morning and the sun rose on what would be the dawning of a new day for simple but effective website design and development for intermediate programmers. I'll share my 3am secret solution later. (No cookies, no server side scripts like PHP or ASP needed, just good old fashioned innovation!) First, you're going to need to...

Manipulate form input elements.
That is, pre-select a checkbox or drop-down list or radio button in the forms, disable certain choices or even make them disappear. This could apply either on the one page (like if the customer chooses the Blue color and the Blue is only available in Medium and Large, not Small) or on successive pages of the website (like if the customer has already typed in their name and you want the next page to start by saying 'Thanks Paul...').

Insert products into the online shop from a database.
Not long after that 3am morning I found myself hand-coding a clients website with over 50 products, writing the separate HTML for each one! Craaazzziiinnneeesss, now that I look back. Sure, there was copy and paste, but as you know, even changing the unique information for each product is time consuming. What's worse is, it allowed errors to creep into my 'template' product layout. And then can you imagine when the client asks to edit that template layout? Sure, you can use 'replace all' if they wanted to change 'red' text to 'green' text but it wasn't always that easy. What you want to be able to do is insert products into a database and manipulate the database as often as you want and as easily as tying up your shoelaces (on velcro shoes that is). That means you can edit prices, descriptions, names, categories, choices, etc etc. Then you want to be able to write just one piece of HTML that is your product layout, template style, and if your client wants to change the layout - its no sweat, you just change the template, once. Buddabing!

Have your client upload the product information themselves!
Now you've swum this far across the English Channel, you don't want to turn around and go back... take it to the other side! This is what's known as Content Management, or Content Managed Websites - the most complex of which allow the client to change everything right down to the color of the corners and the image behind their logo... but online shops where the owner (your client) can upload products themselves, including images, prices and descriptions are not too far down the information superhighway track.

Any questions?

The next post will be entitled:

Credit Card Shopping Cart Website - The tools you'll need.