Avoidable Mistakes When Using Website Templates

Technology has a way of getting faster and faster as time goes by, moving more efficiently.  In times past, web developers would have to spend countless hours creating and writing HTML code in order to create a website; however, today there are many software programs that do this for the designer.  This makes knowledge of HTML code almost obsolete (although it must be said that the professional seo’s tend to prefer to code by hand).  One such type of software is the website building template.  This is great for some sites; but, there are some common mistakes that can be made that, if avoided, can ensure the success of a template-based site.

Common Template Website Design Mistakes

One mistake that to some is not viewed as such, is that of choosing a web template that is already popular.  On the one hand, it is popular because it works.  Others suggest that because it is popular, it needs to be made unique so that it is not just another copycat site.  In order to make it unique, the web developer has to have some working knowledge of HTML, and therein lies the problem.  Many new developers rely too heavily on templates and therefore do not possess a working knowledge of HTML.  Because of this lack of knowledge, it is often difficult to earn credibility.

The customization process for a website template is also another issue.  Templates save both time and effort, not to mention money.  On the other hand, some spend so much time messing with the frames and other aspects that they can end up with a totally different looking website than the original template.  If you want original and unique, why not build from the ground up, rather than messing with a template in the first place?

Also, trying to customize a template can create other time consuming issues, as well.  For instance, if you seek flexibility, a template doesn’t really offer that.  Most have set designs and dimensions, and are that way for a reason.  Trying to change them only results in frustration, especially if you do not know how to do this.  Also, if you want the frames to be wider, you do not have much wiggle room to make these types of changes.

Solution to the Template

Choose a template that you like that is not as popular.  This way when you have to make any changes, they will not be as noticeable.  There are paid-for as well as free templates available for purchase or download by the various web hosting companies.  You can also pay designers to design a specific template for you to use on some of the more popular web hosting programs such as WordPress, these incidentally are quite seo friendly too.  This will enable you to work with the site’s specifications whilst also being unique.

As discussed, if you do not have a working knowledge of websites, or more specifically HTML, it is best to choose the template that is closest to the type of site that you are trying to build.  This will save a lot of time, frustration, and money in the long run. Alternatively you can use a company such as seo swindon to optimise your template, if you search for seo swindon you will find them. Making sure Google can find and index your website is a very important part of the design process. A good company can ensire that your new site appears for terms such as seo swindon, it may take some time, but the benefits will be well worth it.

Filed under seo | Tags: design, html, seo, swindon, template, wiltshire | Comments Off

Small Business Accounting Software

I’ve recently been doing some rather detailed research into some of the accounting products which are available on the market today. Not so much from the features aspect, as to be fair any software on the market, simply must be capable of doing the fundamental tasks required or it just would not sell. What I have been looking into though are some of the additional benefits which are increasingly bundled into the latest products, Sage 50 Accounts Professional being a great example, and also the pricing differences between suppliers, what one will provide over another and delivery timeframes.

Firstly I did look at how widely all the products were used, such as MYOB and Quickbooks, however to be fair, most companies do seem to either use Sage, Spreadsheets or their Accountant does the whole thing, and yes, you guessed it, almost every accountant also seems to use Sage, so I’m afraid this review is going to be unintentionally rather biased towards that UK software giant form Newcastle. That being said, it does make a refreshing change to have a dominant force in any technology sector which is a truly British company.

So, firstly features, any package will have a nominal ledger, sales and purchase ledgers, invoicing abilities and bank reconciliations, without these features the product would be of little use to anyone, however if you look at the higher end products they do also incorporate other additional features, these include full POP, job costing, stock systems and a number of 3rd party add-ons which can (apparently) be integrated by the user in most cases.

When it comes to the pricing things get a bit odd. Sage themselves run an online shop and sell everything direct to the public, however this is at the recommended retail prices. They also have a huge network of Partners and Accountants all around the country who resell the products. The strangest thing here is that they are consistently much cheaper than their vendor. For example you can buy the top level Sage Line 50, to use it’s old name or Sage 50 Accounts Professional, with or without Sage Cover, which is technical support supplied directly by Sage from about £750 from some of the resellers, but Sage sell it direct for over £1000.

At the other end of the scale and retailing at over £550, you can find the basic Sage 50 Accounts product for well under £400 from some resellers, this in some cases even includes delivery and invoices and somewhat ironically 45 days of free sage cover too.

The upshot is that if you want to buy any of their software, because this doesn’t just apply to the accounting software, the Sage forecasting and  payroll software etc is all cheaper too, it’s well worth having a look at what the resellers can offer. Also with them all delivering it in the same time, or sometimes even quicker than the vendor them-self can do, it’s not a bad option.

Filed under sage 50 | Tags: accounting software, accounts, best price, buy, cheapest, forecasting, payroll | Comments Off