Tek Tip Topic: Search engine optimisation
Search engine optimisation (SEO): what is it and what does it mean to your website? I assume you're all familiar with search engines; everyone knows Google right? Search engine companies write rules that check websites to help get the searcher to the sites they are most likely searching for. SEO is what a site owner does so they have the best chance at having their site turn up in search results when someone uses search words that relate to them. The rules search engines use are forever changing; they need to evolve as dodgy sites use the rules to their own advantage.
So, what does this mean to you?
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Tek Tip Topic: Trojan loaded Pop-ups
WARNING! A virus threat that is well disguised. It will look like it's from a legitimate company.
If you get a pop-up that tells you you have viruses or you need to clean your registry and tells you to 'Scan Now', no matter how legitimate it looks, just close the pop-up using the 'x' in the top right-hand corner - do not use 'close now' or 'scan later' or any other buttons or links inside the pop-up.
Open the anti-virus program you have installed on your computer by going through the start menu, make sure it is up to date and then scan your computer using the menus in the program.
DO NOT click any links or buttons or download anything from these pop-ups.
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Tek Tip Topic: Microsoft .docx Documents
If you are unable to open the .docx documents coming your way a solution is here and it's easy. You will need to download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack and install it onto your computer; this Pack is essentially a pack of Readers for MS Office 2007 documents. Microsoft warns that you firstly need to install the newly released Service Pack 3 but many - including us here at BetaTek - have installed the reader with no problems at all prior to a Service Pack 3 install. In the workplace you may need your Tech staff to do the installing for you. To get to the correct place to download the Pack you can Google 'Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack' (without the quote marks) and select the link to
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Tek Tip Topic: Forums
Think of Internet forums as an ongoing Exhibition. Suppliers of goods and services go there to exhibit their wares, check out the competition, do some PR with the general public by answering specialty questions, and to get a general feel for what the public want from them and the standard of supply expected of them.
When shopping around for an online company to do business with, check out relevant forums. Internet service providers (ISPs) and web hosts get discussed in great detail. You can find out if your potential website host responds to complaints or how quick (or slow) they are to restore a crashed server to get websites back up and running and
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Tek Tip Topic: Websites - the basics
Are you are about to venture into the World Wide Web with your website? Do you know what you want from your new website? Have you bookmarked or tagged some favourite sites that are something like what you want? Do you have a colour scheme and logo you want to use?
If you answered yes to the first one you best get on with answering yes to the rest before you go to your carefully selected web developer. Even if all you want is some sort of three page flyer that will allow visitors to know who you are, what you offer, and basic contact details you will help your developer if you have the sort of information mentioned. Will the content of your site be changing regularly? Will you need to be able to update the content yourself? Or do you want your website hosts to do the updating for you? If you want to manage the content yourself you better mention this to your site developer at the get-go. There are a number of content management systems (CMS's) out there - and more on the way I'm sure - that allow the non-geek to easily control the content of their sites. One I like is
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Tek Tip Topic: Web Hosting
It is very important to get your web hosting company right. You will need a company you can have a good relationship with. There are forums that discuss the pros and cons of many web hosting company's so Google potential hosts and ring them to find out what support they offer before you make your commitment. The cheapest is not always best in this regard. Check that the web hosting package includes your emails with ten or more email addresses. Also, if they charge extra for sub-domains, if they limit the number of pages you can have, or if the site size is too restricted - do you want to pay according to the number of pages you have? Ask yourself:
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Tek Tip Topic: Domain name registration
While most web hosts will offer packages that include domain name registration and web hosting together it is best to keep these purchases through separate companies. If there is going to be a problem with your web site it will most likely be with your web host and you will need to be able to move your site to a different host without worrying about your domain name registration mysteriously becoming something you have no control over.
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Tek Tip Topic: Bundling
When looking to start your own online business be weary of 'one stop shopping' for your website. It is rare to find a company that doesn't provide everything you need: domain name registration, website development, website hosting, and email hosting. Most internet service providers (ISPs) will also offer you these services along with financial perks for bundling your phones, music & movie purchasing, and TV viewing in with the deal. I'm sure many of you know good and bad stories about phone and ISP bundles. The important risk to consider with an online business is:
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