TIPS AND INFORMATION FOR WEBSITE OWNERS
from Websites at Work

IN THIS ISSUE

• Welcome
• Feature article
• News you can use
• Coaches corner – terrific tips
• Website of the month
• Internet marketing resources for you

WELCOME

Welcome to the May issue of WEAVING THE WEB . In this issue you will find useful and interesting tips and information to help you get the most out of your website. We are very excited this month about launching our new updatable website demonstration. We’ve also launched our new-look Websites at Work website – have a look!

FEATURE ARTICLE

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SECURE E-COMMERCE

There is a lot of information on the Internet about SSL, trusted certificates, strong encryption and so on. But the real security vulnerability is not your e-commerce website; it’s your own computer. Here is some practical advice on how to minimize the risks.

http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/securitytips.html

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Websites at Work UPDATABLE WEBSITE DEMONSTRATION GOES LIVE

Our updatable website demonstration allows visitors to see the power of a fully updatable website and see for themselves how easy it is to use. For those of you who already use our content management system, the demonstration profiles features you may not use as much as you could, as well as including some material that you may find mildly humorous.

http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/sitedemo.html

DEBATE OVER E-COMMERCE SYSTEMS CONTINUES

There is no simple answer to the question of who provides the best credit card verification and merchant account service. Many are accused of excessive prices; others like Pay Pal are accused by some of poor service or security. Here is an article on Pay Pal.

http://www.wilsonweb.com/wct5/paypal_assess.htm

CAN INTERNET FAXES SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY?

Follow the link below for an article that discusses the merits of Internet fax services. At Websites at Work we use http://www.mbox.com to make sure our phone line is never busy sending and receiving faxes.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/24/1019441256482.html

FREE WEBSITE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Does your website meet your business needs? Simply contact Websites at Work, or fill in our new website needs analysis form at http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/websiteneeds.html and we will give you a FREE initial website needs assessment. Too many websites fail to match the real needs of their owners, even though in many cases relatively few changes are needed. Our aim is to gain and hold the loyalty of our customers, we achieve this by ensuring that we understand your business needs and making sure that your website meets these needs. Our assessment, and our service, covers all aspects of owning a website, not just its appearance or functionality.

COACHES CORNER - TERRIFIC TIPS

TIP 6: Spam (see definition below) which originates in the US often states it is in compliance with Congress bill S.1618. Don’t click on unsubscribe – it usually doesn’t work – instead use your inbox assistant or message filters (depending on your e-mail program) to delete all email containing “S.1618”.

TIP 7: If you want to distribute e-mail or newsletters to customers without convenient e-mail access our Newsletter management system can send the newsletter by fax. E-mail us at mailto:info@websitesatwork.com.au and we’ll tell you how.

TIP 8: To double-check your newsletter is just right put your e-mail address in the box at the bottom of the page and click on “test message”. It is a good idea to send the test to someone other than yourself, as a fresh pair of eyes can often see points which would otherwise slip through. Getting all details right is important to convey the most professional image to your subscribers.

TIP 9: When looking for ways to advertise your website, remember that the total number of visitors is rarely the most important measure of your advertising success. What matters is how well targeted the traffic is and what it costs. A visitor who searched for your services is probably more likely to make a purchase than ten visitors who were looking for “free stuff”.

WEB WORDS

Spam

Spam has many definitions, often contradictory. Spam is most widely taken to mean unsolicited advertising e-mail sent in bulk to addressees who have not requested it – the Internet equivalent of “junk mail”. The most despised form of spam is that which is sent in bulk using purchased third party lists and usually does not give a real address for the sender.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Our May website of the month is http://www.naccho.org.au , an information resource for Australian Aboriginal health organisations and providers. This website effectively uses powerful database functions and an e-mail discussion forum to put members in contact. The NACCHO website also features press releases, an archive of reports and a newsletter.

INTERNET MARKETING RESOURCES FOR YOU

From our partners Creative Thinking:
http://www.creative-thinking.com.au/

TIP

Never promise something that you cannot deliver. Don’t set your Client’s expectations too high just to get the contract; if you fail to deliver it will be disastrous in more ways than one – with that client and probably with everyone else they know!

MARKETING RESOURCES FOR YOU

Direct marketing can be more cost effective than conventional advertising if your target market is relatively small, or if your product or service is complicated and thus requires detailed explanation prior to purchase...’ read more from DO IT DIRECTLY! at: http://www.creative-thinking.com.au/new.html

In our next issue: an e-commerce special with more information, tips and articles on how to get the most out of your e-commerce website.

Until next month!

Michelle Davis

Websites at Work – websites created to put you in control.

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GIVE A GIFT TO A FRIEND!

Please forward this update to your friends and colleagues!

Your recommendation is how we grow, and anyone can subscribe by visiting http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/subscribe.html.  Remember that we give you a 10% discount on hosting and support for every full service customer you successfully introduce to us. See http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/discounts.html for details of this offer.

SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE

If you wish to be added to or removed from this newsletter please use the form at http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/newsletter.html.

UPCOMING ISSUES

Issues to be covered in forthcoming updates will include: how to profit from e-commerce; the importance of metatags and keywords in your text; how you can use your website to give more value to your customers; the importance of interactivity; and how to use graphic design to maximize the impact of your website.

Michelle Davis is Director of Websites at Work, a web design business that specialises in designing and supporting database driven websites and e-commerce set up for easy owner content management. http://www.websitesatwork.com.au

E: mailto:info@websitesatwork.com.au P: +61 (0)2 6241 0467

F: +61 (0)2 8569 1505        M: +61 (0)412 819 376

COPYRIGHT

This material is Copyright Websites at Work 2002.  Feel free to share this Update or any of the resources on our website with your colleagues and friends, just keep the copyright information intact.  The author is Michelle Davis and requests to publish tips or articles should be directed to: mailto:info@websitesatwork.com.au  or telephone +61 (0)2 6241 0467