10.19.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:50 am by Ron
Are you considering building a new website but can’t decide on a subject? Why not make it about your home town.
Consider the main advantages.
1) You know your subject inside out
2) Anything you don’t know can be researched easily
3) Easy to advertise locally for free. e.g car stickers, teeshirts.
4) Can be monetized.
No matter how many websites there are about your home town there’s always room for another that expresses your own personality and explores your own interest. It’s just like publishing a local newspaper but without the cost.
What are the present topics in town? Here’s your chance to make your voice heard and possibly meet some great people. You might even start a forum.
In these times of economic difficulty many small businesses are closing down and the most vulnerable are those stores that are off the beaten track. These businesses could be approached initially with the promise of a free advertising page in your website. Small businesses like this often don’t understand about the power of the Internet for advertising and how it can raise their profile.
In return they would distribute small flyers to their customers advertising your website. Later, if they find business coming through your website they might be persuaded to take a couple more pages and pay a maintenance fee. In return you would put up their loss leaders or special offers. Much cheaper than advertising in the Press, and it’s always there.
Once you start thinking along these lines the sky’s the limit. I ran such a website a few years back and had a page for swaps and sales of computer gear. I sold some of my stuff and bought several bargains.
To be honest, I closed it down eventually because of lack of time and experience on my part, but now I’m going to start again and have some fun. The new website will cost little to advertise and will point to my other, profit-making websites. Also I need more help in writing copy and will advertise for likeminded people locally who I can meet.
Might even start a Seniors computer club. Yep- I’m that age.
Running another website these days is much cheaper than it’s ever been. All I have to pay for is a domain through GoDaddy or NameCheap. I can run as many domains as I like on my existing server here http://www.shed18.com/links/host.php . At only $7.95 a month it’s great value.
I’ll keep you posted
Ron
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06.23.08
Posted in website building, website software at 4:16 pm by Ron
I’m currently building a website for a couple who are offering disc jockey and live music entertainment. The site is just in the embryo stage at present. Take a look at it here
Please note that these web pages will not change much, if at all. I shall continue working on the site but at a different URL to protect the privacy of my clients. When it’s finished, and if my clients give approval, the complete site may be revealed.
There are only two pages at present; any more will depend on my clients. At present I’m just using a folder on the Shed 18 website. Nobody can access it unless given the URL. You’re privileged
.This is a useful dodge until the website is ready to publish on its own domain. I shall set it up to receive payments, provided my clients open the necessary accounts. WordPress may form a further part of the site, where my clients can publish details of events and accept comments.
As I say, the website is in an embryonic state and the final site may look and feel completely different. But I’d like to tell you how I set about it. I used the web editor Dreamweaver 3, a very old version, but one that I know very well, but I could just as well have used Profit Site Pro In fact I used a template I developed using Profit Site Pro that gives a page that’s OK in all screen resolutions. But more of that later.
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Making the header graphic
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I started with a picture from my customer, resized it and edited it in Irfanview (available from the Shed 18 member’s zone, graphics section). Then, using an ancient graphics program, Fireworks 2, I inserted it into an existing header graphic of a similar color and added some text. So,in a way, the pic determined the look and feel of the web page, the main colors of the pic being brown and green.
The size, or rather the width, of the header is important if you want it to work in various screen resolutions. The header graphic needs to fit the lowest useful screen resolution, that I consider to be 800×600. But this leaves an ugly gap at the RHS when viewed in higher resolutions. My solution, and I’m sure there must be others, is to fill the gap area with a matching color. You’ll see this on the Shed 18 and Member’s zone headers as well.
To match colors I use a simple little tool “Hex Color Finder”. Using the eyedropper tool any color can be sampled.
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The Home Page
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At present the home page contains very little as I’m waiting for photos and content. Apart from the DJ Yazoo” and “Disk Jockey” under the header it’s virtually the template.
The two buttons will be made “rollover” and may even change completely. The buttons work - try them.
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Intermission
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This page is about Diane “The Girl on the Fiddle” and contains samples of music from her latest CD.
I copied the tracks from the CD to my hard drive, then took the samples using an open-source program “Audacity” You can get it through the Shed 18 Member’s zone, Audio section.
Then I used Impact Web Audio to turn the MP3 files into streaming audio and provide the buttons. I matched the color of the buttons to the page using “Hex Color Finder”
There’s an offer on Rons Deals at the moment for Impact Web Audio. It’s great, and a pleasure to use. Use it as I have or for voice recording with optional music backing.
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04.13.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:23 pm by Ron
We have published a new website, Rons Deals, as a complement to our main website SHED 18. If you regard Shed 18 as a High Street store for high quality software for webmasters, the new site is the market stall outside.
SHED 18 basically sells a wide range of easy to use software for webmasters and those aspiring to become webmasters. There is a Members Zone with access to much information on website building and allied subjects and it is free to access on subscribing to Shed 18 News.
Subcribe free here http://www.shed18.com so that we can keep in touch and send useful information. Shed 18 News is published every two weeks.
From Rons-Deals we shal be offering third party software at bargain prices plus special offers that you won’t be able to refuse. Our opening offer is a fantastic program ‘Cheatkit Graphics Wizard’ curently being sold at $37 (plus taxes if you’re in the UK)
We’ve beaten that price; from Rons Deals it’s FREE when you subscribe to ‘Rons Deals Offers’.
Go take a look now
Ron’s Deals home page http://www.rons-deals.com And subscribe to get your free gift. It’s an offer you can’t refuse.
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Policy Statement
We try to be upfront about all our business dealings. Whatever we offer we try to over-deliver. Unfortunately there are plenty of people on the web who are unscrupulous. They pretend to be gurus and millionaires when they’re not.
If you’re trying to start an internet business don’t be sucked in to paying big bucks for information that’s probably available free elsewhere.
Let me tell you a story. Many years ago I lived in a small town in Surrey,UK. There was a guy there who would buy up, for peanuts, small shops that were dying. In the course of a year or so he would turn the shop round to be making a profit then he’d sell. One of the shops was for fast food, another was for sweets; it didn’t seem to matter. But when new owners took over, the shops would deteriorate again, because the new owners just didn’t have his flair. So if you’re thinking of buying a ready-made business remember this.
What’s the biggest problem with selling from a website? It’s the same as any other selling, getting enough people to eyeball what you’re trying to sell. No use having the best product in the world if nobody sees it.
So methods of attracting traffic are best sellers; it’s what everybody wants. Just recently a big-name marketer offered a report in four volumes of 750 ways to attract traffic to your site; price $97. Maximum 500 copies to be sold to protect the information. The deal was that if you bought you could resell the information any way you liked but not until April 14th. On April 13th he sent an email to his list offering a coupon deal to buy for $1; and probably that’s all it’s worth.
What’s happened to all those mugs who paid $97?
Attracting traffic isn’t easy! It needs canny advertising over a long period of time or - a mad scheme like dancing naked on Utube. Needless to say I rejected his $97 offer and also his $1 offer; I don’t need it.
So we offer mostly useful software that we have checked ourselves. If we offer ebooks, they’re either free to promote the website or at a price to reflect their true worth.
If you’ve read so far, thanks a lot- see you at SHED 18 or Ron’s Deals; oldfashioned honest traders. If you want to start an online business, welcome and good luck. Just don’t fall for the scams. Internet marketing is the same in principle as running any business in your own town; with a twist. You have to learn a lot of technical stuff. But we can help with this if you let us.
Ron King
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03.09.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:47 pm by Ron
A few weeks ago I put up a poll on Shed 18 to try to find out what kind of website people prefer to build. I found this a script I’d come across, so thought I’d try it. The poll simply asks for a choice between a site built for marketing and any other, such as a hobby or charity site.
The results have been disappointing to say the least, but so far it’s standing at 60/40 in favour of the profit site.
Why are people so afraid of polls? maybe you think that somehow from the single click I can pick up your credit card details, bank accounts or particulars about your love life. Not so, this poll does just what it says. All I can find out is how many people have voted and how.
So please go to my poll now and vote; just to please me.
We have a wide range of webmaster’s software here. Easy to use and reasonably priced, with a full guarantee.
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03.05.08
Posted in Internet marketing at 10:32 pm by Ron
Here at Shed 18 we have subscribed to loads of marketing newsletters to see what we can learn from them, and we recommend that you do the same.
But after a time many of these “newsletters” turn out to be a waste of time, no more than just an advertising ploy. Some of these ‘Marketeers’ send us a ‘newsletter’ every day with no information other than a link to a website where the latest jaw-dropping offer is on sale.
This is usually an ebook, audio files or videos and the whole setup is routinely boring. The sales page is several feet long and has predictable features; the ebook has been written by someone who has made $2,000,000 in 3 weeks and it is supported by umpteen testimonials from the ‘rat pack’ of internet marketing.
Then inevitably follows the ‘bonuses’ a hodge-podge of bits and pieces all illustrated by a fancy box. Why do we expect a box with graphics on? dunno.
Some of these offers are so arrogant as to be laughable. Who buys this rubbish? And quite a lot of it is very expensive; maybe $1000 or even more.
So let’s get down to earth. How much would you pay in a bookshop for a book on marketing methods? This is the most you should pay for one of these offers. Just because somebody is doing very well from internet marketing doesn’t mean the same method will work for you.
There is such a lot of free stuff about Internet marketing and in our experience not much that’s new is revealed by these gurus. Even if they did it probably wouldn’t work for you. If you want some really good info on marketing there’s a lot of good stuff free to download in our Member’s Zone.
Subscribe to Shed 18 News, our informative newsletter published every two weeks
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02.08.08
Posted in website building, Internet marketing, website software at 4:52 pm by Ron
There’s a different world outside your comfort zone!
We all live our lives within limits that we have set up or that have been set up for us by accident or design. As long as we stay within these boundaries we feel confident and safe and it may take courage to step outside the boundary. But we should all extend our boundaries from time to time to make life more interesting.
Many years ago I took a job with a company with global interests as a Design Engineer. After a time my responsibilities grew and I was required to travel to the company’s headquarters in Switzerland to discuss design ideas. Having never left the UK before, I was apprehensive but I needn’t have worried. I survived and did all that was expected of me.
After that I was called upon time and again to undertake a variety of duties in various parts of the world, often at short notice. And not always confined to my specific field of design.
In other words I was often working outside my ‘comfort zone’ but the experience was rewarding. These particular boundaries of my comfort zone became, through repetition, the norm. In this case I really had no choice if I wanted to further my career; but it’s more difficult to break out of one’s comfort zone voluntarily.
We all have our comfort zones in the field of computing but there’s no real reason for it. Many people who surf regularly, post to forums and download music files tell me that building a website would be quite beyond them. People who already have a website tell me they’ll never understand HTML, or any other programming language, or CSS, or RSS or any other of the multitude of techniques, but it’s these that make building websites so exciting; the joy of breaking out of your comfort zone - and winning.
I’ve been messing about with websites as long as they’ve been around and I try anything that becomes available once I think it’s reasonably well developed. And if I have the time!
I believe that many folk are intimidated by names put on processes by Geeks. Terms such as MySQL, permissions, Cron jobs, CGI and many others can be intimidating but if tackled one at a time aren’t difficult to understand. If you’re unsure of a term just do a search for it on Google. Wikipedia is a great resource.
Using a process, say installing a script, may take some time for the first one. Then the second will be easier and after that it’s all downhill until you wonder what the problem was. The problem was fear; fear of failure. But we all have to make mistakes in order to succeed.
When tackling something new, like installing a script, look ahead to see any possible snags and keep copies of original files before modifying them, just in case you need to backtrack. Keep notes of progress and above all persevere.
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01.26.08
Posted in Uncategorized, website building, Internet marketing, website software at 5:05 pm by Ron
I am sorry that I have neglected Shed 18 Report for a long time but I hope to write more regularly in 2008.
Recapping, Shed 18 is dedicated to building good websites for all purposes, from family and hobby sites thro’ personal business websites, hence our slogan “Building Websites for Pleasure or Profit”
I have had a good career as an engineering design engineer but am now retired. Starting a new engineering design involved starting with a clean sheet of paper on the drawing board. The designs I produced were entirely mine, from first concepts to overseeing the manufacture on the workshop floor. Then delivery to the customer and making sure that the product performed as per specification and that the customer was entirely happy.
Website building is very similar and has filled the need for me to produce products that are appealing and fit for the purpose for which they were designed. They involve writing, photography, graphics, layout and other skills that I didn’t know I could learn, such as audio and video. It’s been, and still is, a fantastic journey with no fixed frontiers; there’s always something new to learn or try out.
And yet, for all this, building websites is a cheap hobby when compared to most others and doesn’t involve getting your hands dirty. In fact, spend a minute or so firing up the computer, spend as long as you like enjoying the work. When it’s time to stop, just tidy your files and shut down the computer. No gardening tools to clean and put away; no wood chips to sweep up and dispose of. Heaven!!
I don’t pretend to know everything there is to know about building websites, does anyone?, but I’m constantly trying new stuff and experimenting with programs. Shed 18 a sells a range of superb software for use in building or promoting websites. The software is easy to use and comes with support and a guarantee. There is new software added every month.
Shed 18 publishes a magazine every two weeks that will keep you in touch with us. Subscribe free to the magazine and get some free webmaster’s software. Subscribing to Shed 18 News also allows entry into the Member’s Zone, where there are more useful articles plus access to a load of reports and software free to download.
If you’re not a member, please go right now to this page to subscribe. You won’t regret it.
Ron King
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07.20.07
Posted in Uncategorized, website software at 3:46 pm by Ron
We’ve added a directory to Shed 18 where loads of up-to-date information can be found on many subjects.
Take a look at it now.
And while you’re there add a link to our website.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 2:52 pm by Ron
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07.04.07
Posted in Uncategorized, Internet marketing at 10:49 am by Ron
Shed 18 Report 3-07-07
Internet Marketing Scams
Of late, the methods employed by some Internet marketers are throwing the business into disrepute and probably causing potential customers not to buy.
I bought a report from a well-known marketer a couple of weeks back priced at $5. I didn’t expect a lot for $5 but I got more than I expected. After paying through Paypal I was redirected back to the seller’s page that consisted solely of a form to join his affiliate system. There was no way to bypass the form.
The form asked for far more than I was prepared to reveal, such as my home address, email address, Paypal email address and telephone number. And it was arranged that every question be answered before proceeding. I was forced to disclose my email address in order to get the instructions to download the report but for the rest I typed rubbish.
There’s another procedure (I nearly wrote scam) that’s becoming more prevalent. You buy a product for, say, $10 and you’re directed to a page which is an OTO; a one-time-offer. You’re offered the rights to resell the product for a further $17 with the ‘close’ and told that it is the only chance you’ll have to accept this fantastic offer. Near the bottom of the page there’s usually a note, upside down in Chinese telling me I’m an idiot for not accepting the fabulous offer that I click to get grudging access to what I’ve paid for.
Why would I want ‘rights’ before I’ve read the report or tried the software? I want to see whether it’s something worthwhile before I put my reputation on the line.
Luckily there are still genuine people about who don’t resort to gimmicks to sell their stuff. Is it a coincidence that these same people aim to ‘over-deliver’. One such is Joe Robson; as far as I’m concerned he’s totally honest. If he says a deal will end on a certain date it does. If he says he’ll only sell 400 units, that’s when the offer closes.
At Shed 18 we’re finding our way. At present we’re acting as conventional shopkeepers. We sell a range of software that’s always available at the same price, any time, just like Microsoft, Macromedia etc. And our software is much easier to use but just as reliable.
We don’t resort to gimmicks. But we shall soon be selling low-priced but meaty technical reports. That is why we’re so concerned about these ‘cowboys’ who are losing the trust of the public and are jeopardizing our business. There are too many smart-asses in Marketing.
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