Review of Online Website Builders
Online website builders are becoming more and more popular. Online Website builders enable the average HTML-Challenged person to build (dare I say…cool) websites online without having to code a thing. These time saving tools come with some features built in, such as forums, link exchanges, password protected member areas, RSS feeds and more.
I’ve looked into a couple of offerings lately in an attempt to replace the poor hosting I was getting from another web host. I compared 3 site builders:
1. VeryVip at www.VeryVipHosting.com: This host offered three options. One standard everday hosting option and two online site building options. Prices started at $14.95.
2. The WebWizard at www.Probuildertool.com: This host offered three options. All included the online site building option. Prices started at $9.95.
3. HomeStead at Homestead.com: Offered 4 options all including online site building. Prices started at $9.99 (you get you first three months at $4.99).
Each vendor had their strengths:
Homestead had a large selection of designs.
VeryVip offered built in RSS feeds.
Probuildertool offered free forums and
link exchange pages.
Ultimately as a programmer I had to go with the tool that
I thought would give me the most flexiblity for the cost and the one that didn’t look like I built my site using an online site builder.
VeryViphosting.com was nice, but for a product that has been on the market for a couple of years, it offers very little in the way of templates. You cannot use third party templates unless you use the hosting only option.
Homestead had nice designs, but the designs demonstrated by the customer sites they listed were very…well…generic. In addition, you had to download the editor (how that makes this an online site builder is beyond me…)
Probuildertool.com had several templates, though the 180 templates is actually more like 70 templates and a combination of color and graphics changes. The one thing that this site offered that was lacking with the others, was the ability
to truly build a community site and grow from there. Neither Homestead nor Vip offered a forum in thier lower level packages, while probuildertool offered it on the very first level.
Homestead didn’t offer an option for creating a newsletter at all at any level, while VeryVipHosting offered it only on their top level. Probuildertool offered it on their mid level package.
Email a friend links could be placed on any page in Probuildertool without typing in any code. This was not available with VeryVipHosting or Homestead.
Multimedia support (i.e. flash movies, music, etc.,) was available for Homestead and Probuildertool, but not on VeryVip hosting.
Homestead, based on the customer sites, was not what I was looking for. They have been in the online web building business since 1998 (according to their website) and won awards for thier product, but honestly the designs were a little bland.
Most likely because the users didn’t use the software to its fullest potential.
Conclusion on Homestead: This is a very strong product and is obviously geared toward people who have never had a web presence but need to create on quickly or those that may already have a brick-and-mortar presence.
I’ve got give it to George Little and the people over at VeryVip. If you are trying to start a business online and you are just getting started, their option is the choice for you. If you read any “internet guru” book, ebook, website or
email course you will find everything they recommend that you have on a website as an option on VeryVipHosting. RSS display, RSS publishing, Ad management, content, content, content.
Conclusion on VeryVipHosting: A solid product for the beginning online entrepreneur.
The Probuildertool offered me a lot for only a $9.95 investment per month. They give you just enough freedom to make your site your own. I typed in my information, set up my forums, put in my article source link code (one line of javascript) and
within a few minutes I was up and running.
Conclusion on Probuildertool: Offers a lot of options and flexibility. Great price and gives the experienced web designer enough freedom to create a really unique site.
If you are just getting started on the web or just need a web presence quickly any of these tools can, honestly, do the job. I just found more flexiblilty with probuildertool, but that’s my opinion. I encourage you to check them all out and
based on your needs choose the one that is right for you.
Yolanda Yvette McDonald is a Christian and a 15 year IT veteran. She holds an MBA in Global Technology Management and has worked in several different industries including Engineering, Government, Utilities, and Insurance.
Tags: online website builder, web design, Web Hosting, website, website builderAll In Favor Say “EYE”
When Designers and Site Builders begin the process of making a website for themselves or clients, the first question they need to ask themselves is:
“What is the Purpose of this Website I am about to create?”
If you are only trying to impress friends and family with your amazing flash animation and techno beat rhythms, then the site is only limited to your prowess and imagination. I’ve personally seen sites that are absolutely incredible in their presentation and music. I’ve even felt like I was at the movies with some- watching a great sci-fi flick (albeit for only a few minutes).
If that is your goal, and that is what your clients want, then I say “Go for it!” Give it all the slow loading bells and whistles you can think of.
After all, if your friends and family wait for them to load, potential clients will too, Right?
“WRONG!”
Depending on whose statistics you read, you have between 6 and 10 seconds to explain who you are, what you do, and where to go for the next bit of information that could lead to a sale or a lead. So, for our example, let’s say its 10 seconds
That gives you an average of 3 seconds to quickly and concisely convey who you are, 3 more seconds to convey what you do, and 4 seconds to guide the viewer to the proper sequence of events that could lead to a sale.
Depending on your presentation AND the bandwidth of your potential client (over half the USA still use phone modems to access the internet), your wonderfully beautiful, high tech flash presentation could take 30 - 60 seconds or more to load.
So during the first crucial 10 seconds
Do they find out who you are? Maybe- if your company name is “Loading Presentation, Inc.”.
Do they understand what you do? If you have VERY slow loading website -that’s about all they will understand for 30 - 60 seconds (IF they decide to hang around because they have nothing else to do that day).
Do they know what to do next? Most make that decision easily- “Forget this- I’ll click on another site to see if THEY have what I’m looking for”
So What Can You Do?
That’s easy, just four simple words “Make Every Second Count!”
How do you do this? Not so simple, but I can give you some important guidance.
Winston Churchill once said “If you want me to give an hour and a half long speech, give me 5 minutes to prepare. If you want me to give a five minute speech, Give me an hour and a half to prepare”.
This great statesman recognized the fact that if he only had five minutes to impact a crowd, he absolutely needed to pare down the frivolous, non-important facets of his speech so that every word, every expression, would accomplish exactly what it needed, in as short a time as needed.
He also realized that it takes more preparation to present in a short few minutes, than if he had all the time in the world.
You too, must approach your design issues this way. Yes your friends, colleagues, and family will ALWAYS take the time to watch your work. And, if you’re any good, you will probably get the “OOhs and Aughs” as they watch.
Good for ego, bad for business.
Now, let me clarify. There are industries and businesses where a super duper “check this out” type site is justified. But if your client wants a site that actually converts to sales or generates leads - You MUST change your thinking process.
You must look at the project from the prospective buyers’ point of view (POV). Think of yourself as an incredibly busy executive- you have 30 minutes carved out to find a purple widget for your business. You Google it and see 25,000,000 competing sites. You’ll look at the first ten, maybe. You’re in a hurry, click on first site, “Hmmm interesting.” you think, as you click a couple more links. “Looks good, I’ll check a few more sites”.
You are already in a “click and see” mode, there’s momentum building, you’re on a mission and you have a deadline….
Then you click on a link with a slow loading behemoth of a flash presentation. You hear the theme from “Jeopardy” playing in your head doo doo doo doo doo dah doo
Are you going to stay there while it loads? NO way! Click, you’re gone. No time to wait. Have a life. Need Info.
And your sites’ opportunity to acquire a new paying client evaporates into the aether along with its Profit and Loss statement.
FOCUS Brings Profits!
SO where do you go from here? First of all, you must focus your design in the key areas that a client will browse when first approaching your site.
Huh? Let me explain…
There are Thermal Eye Imaging Results that Reveal How People View Search Results!
Yes, there are secret, critical design paths that very few designers and site builders know. Recently, a research foundation set up instrumentation to detect and follow where the eyes of internet surfers go as pages load in front of them.
They used a thousand people, so this was no mom and pop test with 3 family members. They had thermal eye imaging cameras set-up with sophisticated software, tracking even the smallest movement of the eyes as they perused the sight.
The results were astounding and conclusive. There were consistent, measurable, pathways that people would follow as they looked at a site.
If look at a picture of those results, you will see that most people’s eyes tend to fall immediately on the upper left hand side of the page and move down center/left. Knowing this- consider some of your recent designs.
Where does your site lead surfers?
Do you have your critical information in the KEY areas where people look?
Let’s Do The TWO-STEP:
Here’s a two step process that will help you…
1) Decide what ONE major action you want a visitor to your site to do (click here for more info, sign up for our newsletter, special discount here, etc).
2) Put that ONE major action in the “Hot Spot” as seen in the Thermal Imaging report.
EVERY site that we have done this to, we’ve seen increases in the action desired. If it’s opt-ins, they’ve increased. If it’s “click here for more info”, more people click through.
Think about it. If you want to build a list, but your opt in form is at the bottom right hand corner of your site, you think you will have the same results as someone who puts it smack dab in the middle of the bulls-eye? No way, Jose`.
Now, take the cool test below- it will be a real eye opener
TEN SECONDS to breakthrough:
TRY this test called the 10 second challenge.
Go to your site and let it load. If you have a fancy flash presentation, go fix yourself a ham and cheese sandwich, make a pot of tea, and mow your neighbors’ lawn first.
For the rest of you, sit in front of your screen, about 2-3 feet away. Close your eyes for 10 seconds (no cheating). Now, open your eyes and observe WHERE your eyes want to naturally go.
Is it to your logo? Is it to the number one action area? Is to an area of color or text that isn’t anywhere near where you want them to go? Or do your eyes wander aimlessly trying to find something of value to focus on?
If you’re unsure of the results, do it several times. You will begin to get a feel for what’s happening.
Now, take the information you have about the thermal eye charts. Do a quick re-design using those parameters. Then repeat the 10 second test again and see if it impacts your results. Once you feel comfortable with your design issues, use your family or friends as lab rats (ok, guinea pigs), and do the 10 second test with them on your site.
See if they see the same thing you do.
Take My Hand, Please…
Your customers or potential clients MUST be easily and clearly led exactly where you want them to go. If there is one scintilla of hesitation or confusion, you could forever lose them. BUT, if you make the path of little decisions very clear, and you put the signs for that path in the proper places where you know they will be looking, you WILL see some very positive results.
I’ve given you some key information that professionals use to get tremendous results. We use them with our own sites, and most of our clients’ sites. They work. I encourage you to do the same.
Keep tweaking, keep testing, and you WILL see a difference in your conversion AND lead responses.
You will be amazed at the results.
And so will your clients
Bob Volk, Founder of VolkNet Enterprises, is an Internet Entrepreneur and has started/co-founded many sites including http://volknet.com, http://seo-elite-services, and his newest venture, an automated link exchange program with a unique twist at http://Link-Blaster.com He specializes in Web Site Design, Marketing, and SEO Consultation for both small and medium size businesses doing $30 - $40 million a year.
Tags: clients, consultation, conversion techniques, Links, sales, web design, Web Hosting, websiteAvoid Getting Ripped Off - Spot Bad Web Hosts
Firstly, go to the potential host’s website. Find their contact details and call them (if they don’t have a phone number, then you should not bother - it means that this host is most likely operated from somebody’s bedroom. If they call and it doesn’t sound like a business (kids screaming in the background, not a professional, business greeting, etc), you should also ignore the host.
While you are at the website, look at the general design. Click on a few links. Do they have a support forum? If the website does not look professionally designed, you shouldn’t give up on them, but a you should see a warning flag - it could mean a new company without the staff to properly support you. When you looked at the forum, did you see a lot of unhappy customers? If you only see one or two, you can ignore them - everybody has customers that complains, and many of them over things that is out of the hosts control. If the general mood of the forum is pleasant, it usually means the customers are happy. If you see a LOT of complaints, you should find somebody else. If it’s a very empty forum, you should also go somewhere else - it most likely means that it’s a company without a lot of customers.
The last things you can do is to look up how old the company is. New companies are usually small and will not be able to provide proper support if something goes wrong (the owner and only staff member will most likely have a day-job). The easiest way to see how old the company is, is to see how long ago he’s domain was registered (the address of the site e.g. microsoft.com). If it was registered recently, you should be wary, but if it’s a few years old, it means the company will have many happy customers, or they wouldn’t still be around. Doing this lookup is tricky sometimes, but the easiest way by far is to go to www.hostinginfo.ws - find the “Domain Lookup” link and click on it. You must then type in the domain name of the host, without the www bit. For example, www.microsoft.com will become microsoft.com.
Once the lookup is complete, you will get all sorts of information about the host, including the name, address, phone number and when the domain was registered. The last thing to do is to see if any of the information looks fake (e.g. a phone number of 123-1234) - if it does, you should not do business with them. If a company does not give you their real address and phone number, would you like to do business with them? Would you give them your credit card number?
There are many good hosts, but even more scam artists and rip-offs. If you follow the information in this guide, you shouldn’t encounter any of them. One thing you should always remember. If your gut feeling says a company is bad, then they most likely are.
Juan van Heerden is the owner of Hosting Info, a website that provides detailed reviews on web hosting services and information on picking the right host. You can visit his website at: http://www.HostingInfo.ws for more related information.
Tags: choose hosting, choose web host, finding hosting, Web Hosting, web site, webhosting, website, www