Mistakes when using Macromedia Flash

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Oct 172022
 

I have used Macromedia Flash for all the wrong reasons in the past and i would like to take some time to warn you, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes i have. Quite some time ago now i used to recommend using full Macromedia Flash websites to my clients all the time, and what’s worst i did a good job in talking them into it, autch….. Sorry for that if you were an old client of mine i hope you can forgive me. But on the other side at least i know better now, i learned from my mistakes and i won’t ever make those mistakes again.


The main reason i thought that Flash was the best thing ever had to do with with the fact i got involved in the online Flash community. There i saw how you could gain great status by knowing this program very well. Also being able to create those interesting things you can with Flash just by using some Actionscript was amazing to me. I wanted to become a part of the web design world and entered it from a Flash angle. I was learning Flash Actionscript all the time, day in day out, never thinking any further like about the importance of things like SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and making actual money from a website. Instead i dreamed of creating those full Flash sites jammed with animations etc, thinking that would be the greatest thing ever, the marketing side really didn’t even come to my mind at that time. Flash Actionscript and the Flash community was my world and you could say i was blinded by my love bigtime. I think a lot of Actionscript users out there are still as i was, blinded by that love.


So after having learned lots of actionscript to a level a was sure about my skills i started to receive assignments to create certain websites. In my blindness my answer to everything was something like: ‘Use Macromedia Flash and you will get a beautiful custom website with smooth transitions and effects that will impress your audience so much they will keep on coming back and you might win some awards with it.’ As you can see i was far gone and on the border of insanity, i had my head way up in the clouds and could only see it from my side ( the blind love for Flash / Actionscript). I couldn’t see it from the client side of things and that’s more related to marketing a website and how to get relevant traffic to it to make some actual money from it.
I am so glad those days are long gone and i have seen the light regarding to when and how i should use Flash. Nowadays my personal preference is how i setup free-webmaster-resource.com, a CSS, PHP, MySql and Macromedia Flash combination (unless the assignment is more of presentation like and need lots of animation, sound and video). I used Flash a little bit in this website, only in the header, and even then there isn’t anything moving etc, just a rollover. It just does not add to the site if i start to make all sorts of moving stuff in my header. With a setup like this i can also apply SEO (search engine optimization) techniques to reach a bigger and free search engine audience which results in a higher advertisement income. So my personal favorite is the cross-over website and not the full Flash website when it some to your average website thats not like a presentation.


So when shouldn’t i use Macromedia Flash?

1)You should not use Macromedia Flash in your web design if it does not add something to your website! I mean if it does not add something to the overall user experience then just don’t add it to your site. To give an example, it does not matter to an average user (that must provide your income!) how good you can use Actionscript. So please don’t try to show off your skills by coding that creepy mouse follower or those blinky thingies all over your website. Things like that don’t add to a website at all, they rather tear it down. A professional will notice things like that immediately and recognize you as an amateur (not that being an amateur is bad, not at all, but this tutorial is for people aiming a bit higher and that seek to become more then an amateur). Users are king and Queen and we as web designers and developers should serve them well, this is especially difficult if you see how much little animations one could create with Actionscript, the possibilities are endless. By not showing your visitors all those unnecessary effects you show them that you are thinking about how they experience your website. And secondly your content will be much more clearly visible and thats what its all about. I know its tempting to setup those little effects when you first start to use Flash and especially Actionscript, but just don’t do it, you will loose income and traffic from this 100% most definitely sure.


2)Another mistake in using Flash is if normal HTML could easily do what you are trying to accomplish. I made those mistakes often when starting out with Flash. An example is that some people create a full Flash site with lets say, a title, some text and a menu to a few static pages. When you click a button in the menu you are taken to the other page without any transitions, no cool flow, just bam and the next page is visible. Its quite useless to use Flash in such a manner because one would use Flash to create an interesting flow with some great transitions, not for static things like that. In HTML there are no things like transitions between pages, its purpose is just to serve a user data without any motion and such stuff. Making a page that acts like a HTML page does with Flash is not good at all, it screams inexperience, and you might want to avoid that.


3)When you have a website that contains a lot of data don’t try to use a full Flash site unless you have enough money to setup a pay per click campaign to attract visitors . A website needs to generate income and that’s it. Using Full Flash for big data sites will effectively hide all your hard earned content from the search engine spiders, so you don’t get the free highly targeted search engine traffic. If you decide to use that full Flash site you just have no way to effectively apply SEO (search engine optimization) and thus you are missing a very big audience that uses the search engines. Only by setting up PPC campaigns you can make up for that but it can cost a lot of money. Another thing to consider is that using Flash itself causes some extra overhead, this is because instead of getting the data with PHP from a MySql database and displaying it, you also need to send it to Flash in a correct way and handle it from there. If you have loads of data this could give some extra delay in the loading time of the website.


4)If you want to generate money from your website with some banners or ads, don’t use a full Flash website. You won’t be able to easily setup affiliate links, banners or other type of ads like you would normally.


So when should i use Macromedia Flash?


When you need to use video, audio or animation like e.g. in a presentation or cd-rom, then Flash is the best tool out there. Especially Macromedia Flash 8 has some awesome options regarding to video. Or if you want to create powerful applications driven by a database like MySql and a server side language like PHP , then Flash is your ultimate tool. Because with those types of creations (applications, presentations and cdroms) don’t require you to get targeted audience from search engines. So the whole search engine trouble with Flash doesn’t count. Also if you want to have a small effect like in my own header here http://www.free-webmaster-resource.com Flash can provide that easily!


Conclusion?


Macromedia Flash is an ultimate tool to use but you should not fall too deep in love with it. Take a step back and think about the things like: do i need lots of visitors from the search engines for free or do i have enough money for a pay per click campaign, do i want to setup affiliate links or other types of banners to generate an income, do i really need animation or can i leave it out and just serve my user what he/she came for etc… I hope you won’t make the same mistake of wanting to use Flash for everything like i did and that you will explore the possibilities of creating websites that search engines like and your users like too. (For example a CSS, PHP, MySql and perhaps some Flash). Ofcourse this only applies if you don’t need to have things like video, audio and animations to create that ultimate user experience. Just remember one thing and that is: you don’t have to showoff your skills with all sorts of effects nobody needs/wants to see!

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Keys to Internet Advertising

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Oct 162022
 

——————————————————-
Subscribe to a FREE internet course to help you
build a successful home business at:
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So you got your website up and running. You hired an excellent
web designer to craft a perfect home page and satellite pages
that will really draw in the visitors and inspire them to buy.
You have a beautiful catalog of products with detailed
descriptions. You have a section dedicated to the services you
provide with praises from past customers. And you have the best
online shopping cart service out there so that you customers can
buy from you with no hassles and next day shipping. That’s
great! Now where are your customers?

Driving traffic to your website is a much discussed and much
misunderstood venture. There are a million theories out there
that claim to drive tons of new visitors to your site daily.
There are services that say they will increase your traffic by an
enormous percentage if you will only pay them their small fee
over a period of fifty years. There are so-called experts who
will place your pages on all the best search engines on the net.
They claim that with this kind of blanket exposure, your traffic
numbers will explode within days.

But the only sure-fire way to draw productive traffic to your
website is through targeted marketing. The important word to
notice here is “productive.” You can draw hundreds of thousands
of visitors to your site every year by hosting a giveaway of some
kind. Services that search the internet for freebies will have
people clicking a link to your site like crazy. But these people
are not there to buy anything from you … quite the opposite.
They are empty clicks. There is nothing productive about this
kind of traffic. People looking for free stuff will rarely make
you any kind of money. And that’s what you’re after, right?

So target your marketing to the people who really want to buy
what you have to offer. How? Start by trying these basic
steps…

* Hire an experienced copywriter. The copy that is on your site
makes a world of difference in the sales you garner from the
internet. Most important to targeted marketing are the keywords
found in your title and the metatags in the website’s code. An
experienced copywriter will know how to determine the most
effective keywords and place them strategically in your site’s
copy. If you cannot afford a copywriter, do some research and
talk to your web designer about inserting metatags.

* You can enroll in pay per click search engines. Obviously,
google.com is one of these, but most of the most popular keywords
are already taken. If you can think of some original phrases
that people use to search for your products or services, you can
post your ad next to the text that comes up when people search
for that phrase. Every time someone clicks on your ad to go to
your site, you pay google.com a nominal fee.

* Submit articles to free ezine sites. This is especially
helpful if you are a service provider. You can write, or hire
someone to write, an article for you about your area of
expertise. Give some free tips, offer your experience, and be
accessible in the text. Then at the bottom of the article, you
get a link to your website advertising your services. Every time
someone publishes your article in their ezine or newsletter, they
must use your web address at the bottom.

These are just a few of the many ways to ensure you get
“productive” traffic. Empty clicks are just that … empty…
and your wallet will stay that way, too!

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Common Questions About VoIP

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Oct 152022
 

Common Questions About VoIP

Unless you live in a bubble, you have probably been hearing allot of buzz lately about something called Voice Over IP (VoIP). Perhaps you have heard that you can use VoIP to get cheap or free long distance calling, even Internationally. The good news is that this is true!

VoIP, which stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol is an exciting synergy between computers and telephony, but don’t let that scare you. VoIP is just as easy to use as any ordinary telephone. So, you have heard the buzz and perhaps you are curious about taking the plunge and getting set up with VoIP service. Being so new, VoIP is still somewhat shrouded in mystery. Help is here! In this article we will answer several common questions most people have about VoIP Service and help clear up the confusion about the technology and how it can work for you.

What Exactly is VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)?
VoIP is a new technology that makes use of your broadband connection to route your telephone calls over the internet, rather than using the traditional analog telephone lines. This has proven to be a very efficient and cost effective way to place phone calls to anywhere in the world.

Who Can I call?
This depends upon your service provider. There are a few different flavors of Voice Over IP Service. Most of the larger VoIP service providers you see advertised to the consumer market (such as Vonage, BlueSky, etc..) work just like your existing phone and enable you to call any phone, anywhere.

What’s It Going To Cost?
The cost for this service varies depending on the provider and the service plan you select. Currently, most service providers have plans that cost in the $10 – $25 monthly, which is considerably cheaper than ordinary phone service. Keep in mind that this service includes long distance calls. Usually, you can choose from several plans that vary in cost depending on the level of usage you desire. Most companies also offer an unlimited plan that includes unlimited long distance calls.

You will also be plesantly surprised to find that many services such as caller id, call forwarding, call waiting, three way calling, and even voice mail features often come standard with most VoIP plans. Another great benefit is that as it currently stands (in January 2006), the Government does not apply a tax to your VoIP service, unlike the additional taxes and fees that are applied to your standard phone bill. This can amount to a substantial savings alone, but this may only be a temporary benefit. As VoIP gains in popularity, it is more than likely that the Government will find a way to tax that as well.

Do I Need “Special Stuff”?
This depends on the provider, once again. One thing that you must have is an always on broadband internet connection. This means DSL or Cable Internet, for home users. Depending on whom you get service with, you will likely have to connect just regular phone to an adapter, or maybe purchase a special phone to use with the service. Check for specials before you sign up, sometimes the equipment is given away for free to encourage you to sign up. Regardless, the investment in hardware for home users of VoIP is very minimal, if it costs you at all.

Can I call 911?
You need to check with the provider to ensure that they do indeed provide this functionality. That said, in May 2005, the US Government ordered all interconnected VoIP Providers to provide 911 functionality to their subscribers.

Sounds… Too Good, What’s the Catch?
Well, there is a minor catch which is that if your internet goes out, so does your phone. This isn’t usually too big of a problem, however as most modern broadband ISPs do a great job of maintaining reliable service.

Where Do I Find VoIP Providers?
Usually, it is not important that you find a local provider just as long as the provider you choose is based in the same country. Therefore, the internet is a very valuable resource for finding and comparing VoIP providers.

Which one Do I choose?
The VoIP provider that you choose is a personal choice, as they all tend to work slightly differently. What sounds the most feasible for your setup and usage requirements is the best choice for you. Do keep in mind that this is a rapidly maturing technology and that changes are occurring all the time. You will want to choose a company that you feel will be able to provide you reliable service in the future.

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How to Choose a Water Purifier: Water, Water Everywhere…But Not a Drop to Drink

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Oct 142022
 

You’re thirsty after working in the sun on a hot Saturday afternoon. You head to the kitchen and pour yourself a cool glass of water and gulp it back greedily. The immediate effect is to cool you down, quench your thirst, and re-hydrate your body.

But did you give any thought to what its doing to your body? Its true that doctors suggest we drink 8 glasses of water a day, but if you dont drink the right kind of water,it can have a harmful effect on you!

Wait a minute, you say: “The right kind of water???” How many kinds of water are there?

The answer is: several! Water is not just a colorless liquid that quenches our parched tongues. Water is a necessary part of life and not just for keeping us hydrated. Most people dont know that watercontains other properties that allow you to live a healthy life:

1. Your water is supposed to deliver essential nutrients and minerals needed to live. For example, calcium, magnesium, potassium and trace elements — which doctors recommend we take in — can be found in some drinking waters, but not all. Are you spending an arm and a leg on supplements to ensure youre getting these minerals when instead you can get them simply and cheaply by drinking the right kind of water?

2. Your water should help balance out the acidic state of your body. Simply put, our bodies tissues produce waste that is acid in nature. When these acid wastes accumulate — because of pollutants, modern diet and stress — our tissues slowly deteriorate. Chronic diseases such as cancer,arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis are associated with this acid condition. Water should help balance out our acidic state by being alkaline.

3. Like a natural stream, your water should have antioxidant properties. Oxidization hastens cell breakdown, while foods with antioxidant properties prevent it. You dont need anyone to tell you that you want a body that generates cells, not destroys them!

4. Your water should be free of contaminants. Many people are shocked to learn that there can be over 2000 contaminants in an ordinary glass of tap water.

So aside from quenching your thirst, water should also be full of minerals, be alkaline, and be antioxidant. But did you know that most water is exactly the opposite? And did you know that waters from many water purifier systems fail these basic requirements?

Its true. People buy water purification systems thinking that they will successfully filter out the “bad stuff” and keep the “good stuff” in water. Unfortunately, many systems, even the expensive ones, eitherdo an inadequate job of filtering out the “bad stuff” or they filter out everything — both good and bad. In fact, there are filtration systems for which people pay top dollar, that doctors recommend you dont drink from on a long term basis — because they can make your body even more acidic!

But before you completely swear off water, know this: its not all bad news. There are excellent purification systems that do a good job of creating healthy, alkaline water with as much antioxidant property as a glass of orange juice!

Protect the health of your family. Before believing the advertising claims of any system, and before spending a fortune on bottled water, really compare the choices in home purification systems. Find out:

1. How do the health benefits of each system compare? (contamination, acidity, antioxidant, minerals)

2. Whats the taste like? If you dont love the taste, you wont drink enough water.

3. How much will it cost me?

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Jobs Online :: How To Get Your Computer to Work For YOU!

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Oct 132022
 

Ever since you first got your computer and plugged it in – you’ve probably been “at its mercy” – trying to learn a new language of terms and acronyms. You’ve probably spent a lot of time just “trying to get stuff to work.” Well, now it’s time for your computer to return the favor!

I wish I could tell you that I have discovered some “magic pill” – some “secret formula” – some “instant wealth” secrets. The fact is, those things just don’t exist. What does exist and what does work is inspiration, willingness to do some work, and the desire to try something that is outside of your traditional “comfort zone.”

There are all kinds of different ways to make money online. Both with or without your own website.

You don’t have to spend a ton of money, either. There is lots and lots of information out on the web about different techniques people have used to become a success marketing products and services over the Internet. I should know – I’ve probably bought literally 1/2 of them over the years!

Add to the mix the fact that the Internet landscape is changing all the time – while about 85% of the information about it doesn’t. There are some basic concepts and ideas that are universal to making money (or marketing products or services) – things that can be applied to both offline and online business.

However, the simple mechanics of HOW to get things going on the Internet, or how to make some money without having to deal with your own website – that’s another matter entirely. Because of the sheer number of people that would like to “tell their boss to shove it” and make money from their computer – there are a lot of people who are in things for the “quick buck” and don’t really care as long as they get their money.

Unfortunately, it’s the people who are looking for some guidance or ideas on how the process works that get “sucked in” and waste a lot of time and money just trying to get their bearings in the first place.

To help end some of the confusion – I’ve written a FREE eBook called “Jobs Online :: How To Get Your Computer to Work For YOU”. This is an easy read, and it lists resources and links to give you an idea of what is available and what kinds of options are out there for making money online. You download the free eBook from: http://www.1clicktraining.com – in the “FREE Resources” section.

As the saying goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” The same is true with making money online. However, once you know what you’re going to do – you need to follow through and execute it. If you just read and read and read and never take any action – no amount of ideas will ever help you to actually succeed online. Here’s to your success!

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Make Some Noise: Seven Super Promotion Steps

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Oct 122022
 

Trade shows are all about promotion. You are strategically planning to present your goods and services to a specially targeted audience, in order to meet clearly defined goals and objectives. To maximize your success, however, it is imperative to make promotional efforts above and beyond merely showing up at the next event. Begin these pre-show efforts six to eight months before your next event.



Here are the seven steps you need to take:



1. Decide on a pre-show promotional strategy.



How are you going to let your target audience what shows you will be attending and what you will be presenting? Options include:



– Personal Invitations

– Advertising in trade publications and local media

– Direct mail

– Telemarketing

– Public Relations

– Website

– Sponsorship



2. Plan on-site promotional activities.



This will include any efforts you make to promote your presence at or around the show. Options include:



– Airport Advertising

– Billboards

– Hotel TV advertising

– Transit Advertising

– Show Daily Advertising

– Hotel Room Promotions

– Show Directory Advertising

– Sponsorship



3. Reach out to the media.



Editorial coverage is worth its weight in gold. To entice media outlets to cover your company’s promotional efforts, you have to provide a newsworthy angle. Give the reporters something to write or talk about. Make this ‘hook’ the focus of your press kits. Press kits should be mailed before the show, be available at the show, and provided after the show to ensure maximum coverage. Two main ways to reach out to the press are:



– Press Releases

– Press Conferences



Remember to only use press conferences when you have new information to share with your target market. You will make the media very unhappy if you share old stuff.



4. Organize A Visitor Competition.



People are wildly competitive. Throw in a chance to win a prize, and you’ll have crowds flocking to your booth. Planning visitor competitions requires some careful planning. Everything that happens at your exhibit must reflect your marketing goals and objectives. Competitions should be consistent with the corporate image you want to portray. For example, a game show style trivia contest may be far more appropriate than a kareoke stage. Prizes should tie in to your products and services in an effort to attract more qualified leads. Items to consider include:



– Type of competition

– Prizes to be offered

– Compliance with local rules and regulations

– Compliance with show regulations

– Staffing for the competition

– Duration of the competition

– Role competition plays in promotional efforts



5. Decide on Giveaway Items



Giveaway items or ‘freebies’ should be more than a trendy trinket with your corporate logo on it. Ideally, these items are something that enhance your corporate image, will be used regularly by your target audience, and keep your company logo in regular view. Avoid items that will be passed along to children, such as cuddly toys, or are so insignificant that they are likely to be tossed. Four things to remember about giveaway items:



– Giveway items should reinforce your marketing message

– Make your giveaway business oriented

– Don’t be trendy! It is better to be unique and cutting edge.

– Toys and gimmicky gizmos are always, always, always passed along to children. Unless your primary buyers are still in preschool, avoid them.



6. Plan Hospitality.



As more and more companies begin to do business on a global scale, marketing strategies change. Buyers from Europe and Asia expect a certain amount of hospitality at trade shows. In fact, these features are an integral part of the International business scene. Many relationships that begin in ‘social’ environments flower into profitable business. Consider if any of the following will work for you:



– Hospitality Suite

– Meal Style Events

– Sponsorship



7. Mind the Details.



More often than not, it is the little things that can stymie the most well-intentioned promotional efforts. Attendees will easily get frustrated and walk away if what they perceive as a minor need cannot be met – and they won’t be walking away with a good impression. For that reason, make sure the following matters are attended to:



– The booth number must be clearly printed on all promotional material. People cannot visit you if they cannot find you.

– Extra supplies of literature, catalogs, and sales material should be available.

– Clear, concise, and correct information must be listed in the show guide.

– Adequate supplies of visitor tickets, free passes to hospitality suites or events, and similar items should be on hand.

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Does Your Heartburn?

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Oct 112022
 

It’s an awful feeling isn’t it. Heartburn. There’s not too many who haven’t experienced it at some stage in their lives in the western world. You know the feeling. The pain associated with it is bad enough let alone the regret you also suffer through knowing you could have prevented it this time.

How does the regret go? Let me enlighten you. You suddenly sit upright in bed in the middle of the night. It’s like someone took a torch and lit your stomach. You think… “I knew I shouldn’t have tried to stuff that extra piece of fried chicken in …aaggh!” Or “I knew I shouldn’t have eaten spicy tonight. But it looked and tasted so good. When will I ever learn. Never again…never again! It hurts so much… please stop!

Hey don’t worry. I’ve been in that situation many times. But I’m happy to say I’ve been almost heartburn free for several years just through taking some simple steps. Just like my friend Kate from Atlanta. I rang Kate the other day and funny enough, heartburn came up in discussion. Oh no, don’t worry, we’re not a couple of hypocondriacs who constantly discuss our medical conditions everytime we chat. But we did reminisce on this one occasion.

I asked Kate how she’s feeling knowing she loved to indulge.

“Hey, I know what you’re getting at but let me tell you buddy, I’m letting heartburn go,” she forcibly replied.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I’ve made a few simple changes. Ain’t no way I’m going through that again to that extent,” she says with the relief noticeable in her tone.

“What changes; what extent?” I asked revving her up knowing she would react because of the lectures I’d given her in the past about avoiding heartburn. Maybe I just wanted to get a “you told me so” out of her.

There was a slight pause on the other end.

“Well Dino, without trying to sound like I’ve become a wowser… no more excessise amounts of fried food; spicy food is definitely out; since we last caught up I’ve lost a good deal of weight and you know my habit of trying to fit into clothes two sizes too small?”

“Do I ever,” I’d respond sarcastically.

“Careful,” she says in a threatening voice. “Anyway, they’re all a thing of the past. I’m not going through heartburn again as long as I can help it. No more feeling that my chest is on fire. No more not being able to lie down or sitting back. That feeling of starting at the bottom of your stomach and burning through your body. No buddy boy, I’ve taken steps.”

Sounding stunned I’d ask… “What, no more alcohol?”

“Heeeyy, in moderation,” would be her swift reply.

“Sounds like you’re about ready to join the order of the nuns,” I’d respond with a smirky tone.

With a forceful giggle she’d admit…”I’d look good wearing fashionable headwear and a long gown!”

Kate decided to make some simple changes. So did I. For me, heartburn got to a stage similar to visiting the dentist. I had gum problems several years ago which constituted regular visits to the dentist. Despite his best efforts to make me feel as comfortable as possible each visit resulted in some degree of pain. Pain was always my ongoing memory of a dental visit. So much so that in the end, I kept thinking to myself… “enough is enough, I can’t stand the pain anymore!” So you know what I did? I started taking the dentist’s advice and started flossing my teeth everyday and started cleaning my teeth everyday.

The same “pimple” burst with my heartburn. A tweak here and a tweak there and voila!

No more regrets. No more I “shoulda” – “coulda” – “woulda.” And you know what? It’s been just great!

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Improve Your Visitors Experience – Add Scripts to Your Website

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Oct 102022
 

For new webmasters, adding third-party software and scripting to a website can be a really scary proposition. I remember when I put my first scripts on my own website. Even with my basic dos programming experience in high school, I was still intimidated by the whole process. I was so sure that I was going to screw something up.

The very first script I ever installed on my website was a Graphical Counter from BigNoseBird.com (http://www.bignosebird.com/carchive/counter.shtml). I ended up spending five days playing with the script to get it to display just the way I wanted it displayed.

The second script I ever installed was a Recommend This Page To A Friend script, also from BigNoseBird.com (http://www.bignosebird.com/carchive/birdcast.shtml).


How Scripts Differ From Ordinary HTML

Basic web building uses HTML. HTML is simply a markup language that helps you display text and images within a web page.

Most of us know the basics of how to build a webpage in HTML. Others use website design software that interprets the requests of the user to build a webpage in HTML.

In its most basic understanding, “scripting” is the process of programming webpages to perform certain calculations, which will affect how information is displayed on the webpage.

If you fill out a form on a website and hit send, chances are that you are engaging a script of some sort to interpret the information that you have sent to the website. If you return to a website and it knows your username and password, then a script has been involved in the process to make your return visit much simpler. If you see a list of the most recent posts on a website, then a script was used to make that information appear for your consumption.

Scripting is most often handled in Javascript, VBscript (Microsoft’s answer to Javascript), PHP or Perl. Each one is different in its structure and utilization.

Javascript can be added within the actual HTML of a webpage, and it will fire when the page is loaded or when a request is made. One way that I have recently seen Javascript used was for a page that was doing a countdown of how much time remains until their scheduled event. I have actually used Javascript to put news feeds across the top of my webpages. Some Javascript is usually placed in the page header, between the HEAD tags within the HTML. Other Javascript is placed in the HTML body where the Javascript activities are intended to appear.

VBscript works in the same manner as Javascript, but needs to reside on a Microsoft Windows server.

PHP and Perl are more appropriately designated as languages. Both are file types, and both allow you to design an entire website or parts of a website to perform specific actions or functions.

A function is defined as, “Functions (also known as subroutines and procedures) are chunks of code – parts of programs – which can be called from another part of the program. Generally, functions greatly enhance the space-efficiency and maintainability of computer programs.”


PHP and Perl Usage

Most servers have PHP and Perl functionality built into the web hosting accounts. However, not all web hosting companies are comfortable offering Perl (CGI-Bin) access to their users.

The reason why many web hosts shudder at the thought of making the Perl libraries available to their users is because Perl is a very powerful scripting language. In the hands of the wrong person(s), Perl access in a server can be used to bring great harm upon the server.

In order to operate Perl scripts, you must have the ability to change and set file permissions on any file that resides on your web hosting account. If you have just a basic Yahoo hosting account, you will not be able to use any Perl applications on your website. Some web hosts prohibit Perl usage at any level.

PHP is a new language that came about over the last few years. It has been designed to allow people who do not have Perl access to still have the ability to do scripting on their domain.

PHP generally does not require that you have access to file permissions. In Perl, executable files must carry permissions of 755. In PHP, most files will only be required to carry permissions of 644, which are the same permissions a standard webpage carries.

Fortunately for Perl programmers like me, PHP operates in many of the same manners that Perl programs operate. The learning curve from Perl to PHP is not very big at all.


Perl and PHP Bring With Them Powerful Libraries of Functions

What makes Perl and PHP as powerful as they are is the fact that both utilize functions very well. Basically, a function will carry out one specific task, and it will be able to be called from anywhere in your software.

Generally, one of the very first actions to be taken in a script is to INCLUDE all other files that are needed to operate the software. The additional files generally carry many of the functions that will be used in the software.

Then the software proceeds to carry out all of the necessary functions in order to build a webpage in a specific, pre-defined manner.

Programmers decide that there is a task that they perform often, and then they build it into a function. In time, the programmer will usually make his function available to the programming community. And eventually, if the function is exceptionally useful, then the function will be bundled in new releases of the basic Perl or PHP build. All of these additional functions are made available as the functions library.


How To Find Perl and PHP Scripts to Use On Your Website

There are actually many places you can go to find scripts to use for your websites. Some websites offer directories of free and paid scripts. Some websites will let you have their scripts if they can have your email address.

Additionally, there are literally thousands of websites and hundreds of books that will teach you how to write your own scripts in any of these languages.

When I am in the mood to improve my coding abilities, I like going to: http://www.planetsourcecode.com/ Planet Source Code offers full scripts and pieces of scripts, with feedback, that will teach me to be a better programmer.

My favorite place for locating scripts to download for free or to buy is: http://www.resourceindex.com/

The Resource Index has one part of their site dedicated to Perl scripts: http://cgi.resourceindex.com/

They also have one part of their site dedicated to PHP scripts: http://php.resourceindex.com/

Another decent site for locating scripts is at: http://www.hotscripts.com/

Many individual programmers also offer a lot of good software for purchase or for free. A few of the good ones will be:

http://www.scriptarchive.com/
http://www.bignosebird.com/
http://www.willmaster.com/


In Conclusion…

If you have ever told yourself, “it would be cool (or useful) if I could do this for my website’s visitors,” then you are in the market to learn how to use scripts on your website.

If you have imagined it, chances are someone has programmed it. If they have programmed it, then you will either be able to download it for free, or to buy it at a very reasonable cost.

Before you plunk down your money to buy a program or script, be sure that the programmer is willing to show you the script in action. If it doesn’t do what you want it to do, don’t buy it. If it does do what you want to do, then by all means, do consider purchasing the software for use on your own site.

When programmers offer their software for sale, their documentation is usually pretty good. They will tell you what steps you need to take to install it on your server, and they will tell you how to operate the software.

It is very realistic to believe that if you like what the software does, you can have it live and operational on your website in less than 30 minutes in most cases.

Good luck. I will be around later to see what cool stuff you have added to your website. 😉

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