But just how can you find the perfect host for your site? Truth be told, such a job is really challenging and difficult. There is a high level of importance attached to finding the best hosting service for your company. You can start this by going through the customer reviews as regards the firms on the internet that offer web hosting. You can find a lot of these sites (that offer reviews on website hosting).

All of the websites post reviews that have been written by real people. Even if such reviews posted seem to be in the negative, these websites would still go on to feature it. The purpose of these websites that offer reviews on hosting is to dish out a clear and real account of the activities of the different hosting firms on the internet.

There are a few words of advice that need to be heeded before you jump on any website that offers reviews on web hosting. You need to check the page rank of that particular site using the free Google tool. This should give you a basic idea about the genuineness of that site and the reviews therein. Then you can go ahead to judge how authoritative the resources are.

Another thing you need to check is the date the domain was created. You need to know just how authentic the website really is. Check the date the website came online. Do not be discouraged; this is something you can easily check by using the numerous tools found on the internet. These tools are capable of checking the WhoIs of any website.

You also need to check pages that have been indexed by Google. It is highly imperative that you do this so that you can ascertain just how many pages Google has indexed from that particular page.

Are there any links to affiliate merchants? Most of these review sites make use of links gotten by Cj dot com. You should also be on the lookout for non positive reviews. This is important because you cannot have a hundred percent of good notes. If all the reviews are positive and encouraging, something is wrong somewhere. If you go along to use such a hosting service, you will lose a greater percentage of your customers in the nearest future.

Another method of searching for reviews on hosting firms on the internet is to sign up with forms where there are active members. You can also join a group that discusses issues like this. An example of these types of groups would be professional groups on LinkedIn.

In the spirit of the holidays, Web Girl has compiled a list of Thanksgiving-related web sites.
We hope you enjoy them!

Crafts
I would be remiss if I didn’t have the Queen of Domestic Bliss, Martha Stewart – http://ow.ly/3eEzx
Fall Leaf Crafts – http://www.craftjr.com/leaf-crafts/
Fall Mandala Coloring Pages – http://ow.ly/3eFEa

There are countless others, just Google Thanksgiving Ideas or Thanksgiving Crafts.

Recipes
Ok, I hate to say I’m totally biased about Food Network and Cooking Channel recipes and shows.
I’m making The Neeley’s Sweet Bourbon Mashed Potatoes – http://ow.ly/3eFSW
I’m also doing Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey – http://ow.ly/3eFWK
For my Vegetarian and Vegan friends out there – http://ow.ly/3eFRH

We hope you have enjoyed this lighthearted newsletter. We want folks not to be stressed when it comes to matters of the web. This holiday season, please support your local small businesses and keep your tax dollars local.

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving,
Web Girl Consulting

This is an article that was featured on Designm.ag.

In the right situation WordPress is an excellent CMS  (Content Management Solution) to use for client websites. As a designer/developer, it provides flexibility and it’s easy to work with. From the client’s perspective, it’s free and open-source and it gives them control over the content of their own website. However, there are some things that you’ll need to consider when working with WordPress as a CMS for clients. If you have built your own personal sites on WordPress you’re probably used to doing things in certain ways.

1. Take Advantage of WordPress’s Built-In CMS Capabilities

Over the past few years WordPress has consistently improved the experience and ability to use it as a full-fledged CMS, rather than just a blogging platform. The options of having a static front page and the blog posts on a specific page make it possible to use WordPress for a lot of different purposes. Additionally, options like using different page templates can help to make a site that looks less like a typical blog.

2. Talk to the Client About Upgrades Ahead of Time

Part of working with WordPress and using it as a CMS is the inevitability of the need to upgrade. Upgrades either bring new functionality or features, or they fix security holes, so they’re not a bad thing, but from a client perspective they may bring added maintenance to the site. If the client is not comfortable doing the upgrade themselves they’ll have to hire someone to do it for them (maybe you). Upgrading is not that big of an issue and shouldn’t be a deal breaker, but the client should be aware of the need to upgrade periodically before jumping in to the project.

3. Be Prepared to Train the Client on How to Use WordPress

For those of us that spend a lot of time with WordPress of other CMSs, it may seem pretty simple. However, many clients, especially those who are not very tech-savvy, will have no idea what to do without some instruction. For most sites, it won’t require hours of your time, but you will need to spend some time with most clients walking them through the process of editing and adding content. Be sure to account for this when you’re estimating how long the project will take.

4. Find Out Who is Currently Hosting Their Website

This is probably something you would want to find out up front anyway, but it’s more important when you’re dealing with WordPress. Most major hosting companies by now are offering an easy installation of WordPress (such as through Fantastico), but it’s a good idea to make sure that their web host offers this option. If not, you may want to charge a little more for a manual installation of WordPress, or ask them to move to a new hosting company. One option is to become a reseller of a particular host. Then you could get as many clients as possible to use your own hosting and you would be working in a familiar environment most of the time (plus you could make some extra money on the hosting).

5. Minimize Plugins When Possible

One of the best things about being a WordPress user is the excellent community and all of the resources available, including plugins. However, plugins are a potential source of problems when it comes time to upgrade. I’m not suggesting that you use no plugins, but if a client site isn’t upgraded frequently, excessive plugins can lead to extra work. If you stick to plugins that are actively being updated by developers you should be fine. Additionally, if there are other plugins that can accomplish the same thing, you’ll always have some alternatives if a plugin causes problems following an upgrade.

6. Minimize the Use of Custom Fields

Custom fields are a great feature of WordPress and they open up all kinds of possibilities. But in my opinion, many clients get overwhelmed if they need to use custom fields. In many cases it really comes down to what the client wants and needs. For some things you may not be able to accomplish something specific without the use of custom fields.

7. Consider Purchasing a Developer’s License of Premium Themes

Many premium themes offer developer’s licenses that sell for two or three times the cost of a single license. If you do a lot of client work on WordPress, you may want to consider purchasing some of these. It could save you a little bit of money (you could still charge a client the cost of a single license if you have paid for a developer’s license), plus it will allow you to get very familiar with some specific themes. Editing an existing theme can often be faster and more cost effective than building a theme from scratch, and many premium themes include additional functionality from the dashboard.

8. Use Child Themes if You’re Customizing Existing Themes for Clients

If you want to make modifications to an existing theme for a client, theme upgrades could be difficult or impossible depending on just how much you change the theme. Child themes can allow you to edit the theme while keeping the upgrade process very simple. Admittedly, this is an area that I need to work on for myself.

A child theme is essentially a CSS-only theme that allows you to modify the look of the theme without hindering the ability to upgrade in the future. If you want to learn more about child themes, see:

• How to Protect Your WordPress Theme Against Upgrades
• Creating WordPress Child Themes
• How I Used a WordPress Child Theme to Redesign My Blog the Smart Way

9. Have a Development Blog

If you do much work at all on WordPress, this is probably something that you already have, but still worth mentioning. You’ll want to install WordPress somewhere that will allow you to work on client themes (and test) without the public being able to find it. With a development blog you can keep multiple themes and switch back and forth whenever you want to work on one.

At the start of a project you may prefer to code it in static HTML and CSS before implementing it into WordPress, but there are sometimes going to be slight changes to how things will appear once it’s in WordPress. For this reason, it’s preferable to get into WordPress earlier rather than later to avoid re-doing things.

10. Keep Your Development Blog Updated with Every New Release of WordPress

Updating WordPress is a good practice in any situation, but especially if you’re developing new themes. If you’re developing a theme for a client that will be using a new installation of WordPress, they’ll be using the latest version. The last thing you’re going to want to find out is that something in the theme doesn’t work quite right on the client’s site because your development blog is not up-to-date.

11. Use Different Page Templates

Page templates can be very useful for a few different reasons. First, they allow you to have pages look and function in different ways, rather than everything using the same blog sidebar for example. Also, and equally important, page templates can allow you to “lock down” certain elements of the design that might otherwise be unintentionally altered by the client. Using the WordPress editor makes it easy for clients to accidentally delete something that might have a significant function in the design. By keeping these items as part of the page template you can ensure that nothing important is deleted or changed.

12. Consider Using PSD to WordPress Services

PSD to HTML services are obviously very popular right now, and they can save you some time in development. There are also some, like WP Coder, that specialize in converting PSDs to WordPress themes. In the right situation, this type of service could make your process easier and free up some of your own time.

13. Set the Client Up with a Database Backup Plugin

Most of your clients won’t think about backing up their database, so it can be helpful if you install a database backup plugin and show them how to use it periodically, it could save tons of headaches later.

Read this article by John Cox to learn more.

Twitter has been touted as the shiny new toy. It was a big part in the presidential campaign, and you can find almost every company you’re in love with on the social network. It’s safe to say the creators are pretty rich now. Who knew 140 characters could be such a big hit with a society that talks a little too much? With inbound marketing being one of the most sought after forms of getting and retaining customers, professionals could really benefit from the tool.

Here are 10 careers that could utilize Twitter to their advantage:

1. Real estate agents: Yes, the housing market is at an all time low. Waves of foreclosures hit monthly and short sales are on the rise. Even though the housing market bubble was probably prime time for agents, they can use Twitter to find who plans on moving. Everyone tweets their business these days anyway, so it’s time to get in it. Find your clients and go for it!
2. Bloggers: Well this is a given, but Twitter is a good way to promote your content. Everyone does it, (if not, you should), just about everyone tweets out when there’s a new post.
3. Actors/actresses: You think your favorite celebrity is on Twitter just to talk about what they had for lunch? For some, yes, but they’re also using Twitter to stay relevant. No one wants to be on Dlisted.com or worse. Twitter lets them know that they have fans who are really waiting to find out when the next movie is. It’s also a great promotional tool.
4. Musicians: Same as above, musicians need to stay relevant. I’ve seen musicians really using Twitter as a means to promoting their albums, as well as their gigs. You can get great feedback from people who really do listen to your music, and it’s a good way to share too!
5. Journalists: Twitter is definitely the platform you want to use for breaking news. Share your stories with your followers, and potentially the world! Short, sweet, and to the point is how people like their news.
6. Politicians: Like I mentioned before, those into politics are getting more involved in social media. Politicians could get great use from Twitter by connecting with those that they are representing, in a genuine and personable way.
7. Authors: I would love it if more authors were on Twitter. I admit, I don’t read as much as I used to, but it’d be great to tweet with someone working on a book, and you can get little snippets of chapters along the way. Great exposure!
8. Life coaches: For those inspirational individuals, Twitter users eat up bits of wisdom that they can apply to everyday life. Use it to your advantage, send that optimism to your followers!
9. Career counselors: In this economy, just about everybody is looking for a job. If you have the knowledge of job openings and company profiles, people are definitely going to follow you. Tweet out the careers you suggest and get people back into the work force!
10. Charity directors: Non-profit organizations and charities run on support. In order to get support, you need to get the word out. With a successful Twitter campaign, you can raise necessary funds and increase the number of people who back you.

If you’re already in these positions, and you’re not using Twitter, I have no idea what you’re waiting for. These, obviously, are not the only professions who can benefit from using the microblogging website, but if you’re wondering how it’s even helpful, sign up for Twitter and find out.  I hope you’re a little more briefed on the topic. While you’re tweeting, follow me!

Photoshop brushes are a popular tool that designers use to apply an effect to a graphic. Brushes can be used for digital painting or even to distress text or logos. This set of 25 High Resolution Photoshop Brushes is our little treat to the readers of PSDtuts and can be used to grunge up your designs in whatever way you need for free!

http://tinyurl.com/26yoqst

Prototypes range from rough paper sketches to interactive simulations that look and function like the final product. The keys to successful rapid prototyping are revising quickly based on feedback and using the appropriate prototyping approach. Rapid prototyping helps teams experiment with multiple approaches and ideas, it facilitates discussion through visuals instead of words, it ensures that everyone shares a common understanding, and it reduces risk and avoids missed requirements, leading to a better design faster.

[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is Professional Web Design, 242 pages for just $9,90.]

The Rapid Prototyping Process

Rapid prototyping involves multiple iterations of a three-step process:

1. Prototype
   Convert the users’ description of the solution into mock-ups, factoring in user experience standards and best practices.
2. Review
   Share the prototype with users and evaluate whether it meets their needs and expectations.
3. Refine
   Based on feedback, identify areas that need to be refined or further defined and clarified.

The prototype usually starts small, with a few key areas mocked up, and grows in breadth and depth over multiple iterations as required areas are built out, until the prototype is finalized and handed off for development of the final product. The rapidness of the process is most evident in the iterations, which range from real-time changes to iteration cycles of a few days, depending on the scope of the prototype.

Scoping A Prototype

The word prototype often conjures images of a coded, fully functioning version of an application or interface. Rapid prototypes are not intended to evolve into fully functional solutions, but are meant to help users visualize and craft the user experience of the final product. With that in mind, when scoping a prototype, decide on a few key issues before beginning any prototyping work.

What Needs to Be Prototyped?

Good candidates for prototyping include complex interactions, new functionality and changes in workflow, technology or design. For example, prototyping search results is useful when you want to depart significantly from the standard search experience; say, to introduce faceted search or the ability to preview a document without leaving the search results.

How Much Should Be Prototyped?

A good rule of thumb is to focus on the 20% of the functionality that will be used 80% of the time; i.e. key functionality that will be used most often. Remember, the point of rapid prototyping is to showcase how something will work or, in later stages, what the design will look like, without prototyping the entire product.

Find the Story

After identifying the areas to be prototyped, weave them together into one or more scenarios: identify the coherent paths through the user experience that the prototype simulates. For a website that sells shoes, one scenario could be “Boring Joe” buying the exact same Nike running shoes that he bought six months ago, while another scenario could be “Exploring Sam” browsing through size 10s to find a pair of Oxfords and pair of loafers that interest him.

Plan Your Iterations

The entire prototype is usually not built in a single iteration but rather piece by piece. A good approach is to start prototyping broadly and widely and then dive deep into selected areas of the solution. For a website, this would mean building out the home page and landing pages for the main sections in the first iteration (sometimes referred to as a horizontal prototype) and then reviewing and revising that framework. Subsequent iterations could drill down into one or more sections of the website (a vertical prototype); for a media download website, this could be the steps a user would take to find a video and to download it, or how they would manage the media in their online library.

Choose the Appropriate Fidelity

Fidelity refers to how closely a prototype resembles the final solution. There are multiple dimensions of fidelity, and prototypes can lie anywhere on the spectrum for each of these dimensions. Depending on the stage of the design process and the goals of the prototype, select the appropriate fidelity for each of the following:

• Visual fidelity (sketched ↔ styled)
  Look and feel are the most noticeable dimension of a prototype’s fidelity and, if not properly selected, can sidetrack prototype reviews. Go hi-fi too soon and users will focus on visual design, which is not appropriate in early stages. From a visual standpoint, prototypes do not have to be pixel perfect but should be proportional; for example, if the left navigation area has to occupy one-fifth of a 1024-pixel screen, it does not need to be exactly 204 pixels wide, as long as it is proportionally depicted in the prototype. As prototyping progresses through the design cycle, increase visual fidelity as needed by introducing elements of style, color, branding and graphics.
• Functional fidelity (static ↔ interactive)
  Does the prototype reveal how the solution will work (static) or does it appear to be fully functional and respond to user input (interactive)? This dimension is less of a distraction to users, but adding interactivity in subsequent iterations increases functional fidelity and allows the prototype to be used for usability testing and training and communications.
• Content fidelity (lorem ipsum ↔ real content)
  Another dimension that often distracts users is the content that is displayed in the prototype. Squiggly lines and dummy text like lorem ipsum are useful to avoid in early stages of prototyping. But as the prototype is refined, evaluate the need to replace dummy text with real content to get a feel for how it affects the overall design.

The Prototyping Spectrum

Low Fidelity

The quickest way to start prototyping is also the easiest: putting pen(cil) to paper. Sketching on paper is a low-fidelity approach that anyone can do; no special tools or experience required. Most often used during the early stages of a design cycle, sketching is a quick way to create rough mock-ups of design approaches and concepts and to get feedback from users. Paper prototyping is ideal during brainstorming and conceptualization and can be done alone in a cubicle with a sketchbook or in a group with a flip chart (or whiteboard) and markers.

Lying at the low-fidelity end of the prototyping spectrum, paper prototypes are static and usually have low visual and content fidelity. This forces users to focus on how they will use the system instead of what it will look like, and it makes designers more open to changes based on user feedback.

Low-fidelity prototyping lends itself to rapid prototyping. It has no learning curve but lets you make changes easily and quickly.

Medium Fidelity

As we start using computer-based tools such as Visio and Omnigraffle to prototype, the fidelity increases on most fronts, yielding medium-fidelity prototypes. Wireframes, task flows and scenarios that are created with these tools take more time and effort but look more formal and refined. While visual elements of branding, colors and style can be introduced, prototypers often stay away from them, focusing instead on demonstrating the behavior of the application. Interactivity can be simulated by linking pages or screens, but functional fidelity here is medium at best. These prototypes are best suited to determining whether user needs are met and whether the user experience is optimal.

There are two reasons why one might intentionally make a medium-fidelity prototype not look like a medium-fidelity prototype:

• The first is that, by using Balsamiq or sketchy Visio stencils to make the prototype look low fidelity, you force users to view it as a draft or work in progress, rather than a polished and finished product.
• The second is that, by giving the prototype a high visual fidelity (for instance, in a comprehensive layout done in Photoshop), you get the user to focus on the visual design and look and feel, including color, fonts, layout, logo and images.

The speed of medium-fidelity prototyping is achieved with templates, stencils and reusable widgets and elements. It gets faster as you become more proficient with your tools of choice.

High Fidelity

High-fidelity prototypes are the most realistic and are often mistaken for the final product, but they are usually time-intensive. A few years ago, the only way to create high-fidelity prototypes was to actually code using a programming language, which often required the designer and developer to work together. These days, however, application-simulation tools allow non-technical users to drag and drop UI widgets to create high-fidelity prototypes that simulate the functionality of the final product, even for business logic and database interactions. Axure and iRise are some examples of application-simulation tools that can be used to create high-fidelity prototypes.

These prototypes are appropriate when high visual and functional fidelity is required; for example, when introducing a new technology (say, when moving from a mainframe application—yes, they still exist!—to a Web-based solution. Most of these prototypes cannot be converted to usable code, but they serve as an excellent reference for developers. These are also useful for conducting usability testing and training users.

High-fidelity prototyping is relatively rapid, considering the level of interactivity and fidelity involved, and it can be accelerated by using drag-and-drop simulation tools. In addition, some of these tools facilitate the gathering of user feedback and documenting of requirements, further speeding up the design process. Even though you do not need to learn a new programming language, these tools do have a learning curve.

Selecting a Fidelity Level

In choosing the prototype fidelity, there is no one correct approach. Most designs of new products are best started with sketches, then moving to either medium- or high-fidelity prototypes, depending on the complexity of the system and the requirements of the dimensions of fidelity.

In working with one particular client in the pharmaceutical industry, we went from whiteboards to interactive prototypes that had high functional and content fidelity but low visual fidelity. They cared less about the look and feel than about adhering to corporate guidelines.

For another client, this one in retail, our interactive prototype had to have high visual and functional fidelity. The content fidelity did not matter because they would be reusing content and were already familiar with it. To them, the look and feel and interactive experience mattered more because this was their first implementation of SharePoint, and they wanted to make the portal look “non-SharePointy”!

Selecting Tools

Depending on your approach, you have a wide variety of tools to choose from. Dan Harrelson has compiled a list of popular prototyping tools on the Adaptive Path blog.

Each tool has its own feature set and strengths. Based on your needs and the requirements of the projects you work on, evaluate which tool would be most appropriate. Here are some questions to consider when evaluating tools:

• How easy is it to learn and use the tool?
• Is it flexible to support prototypes for Web, packaged and custom software applications, as well as desktop and mobile applications?
• Is there a repository of reusable stencils, templates or widgets available?
• How easy is it to share the prototype with others for review? Can their feedback be captured using the tool?
• How easy is it to make changes on the fly or to incorporate feedback?
• Does it have any collaboration features, such as allowing multiple people to work on it at the same time?
• What are the licensing terms and costs?

Dos And Don’ts

As you get started, here are a few points about effective rapid prototyping to keep in mind:

Do…

• Work collaboratively with users, business and IT stakeholders while rapid prototyping. Apart from giving valuable feedback, they also gain a sense of ownership of the final product.
• Avoid “prototype creep” by setting expectations for the process, including ones affecting the purpose, fidelity, scope and duration. Remind everyone, including yourself, that rapid prototyping is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
• When creating interactive high-fidelity prototypes and simulations, build in realistic delays (for instance, for screen refreshing or moving through steps of a transaction), so that users do not expect instant response times from the final product.
• Reuse, reuse, reuse. For computer-based prototyping, this means saving reusable templates, stencils, patterns and widgets for future projects.
• Most importantly, begin every prototype review session with the disclaimer that this is just a prototype, a mock-up, not the actual solution. This reminds users that this is a work in progress, it encourages feedback, and in the case of high-fidelity prototypes, it prevents users from mistaking it for a working solution.

Don’t…

• Don’t prototype features or functionality that cannot be implemented—often an issue with software package implementations. When in doubt, confirm with developers before starting.
• Don’t take every change or request that comes out of a prototype review as a new requirement. Rapid prototyping helps capture missed requirements, but these new requirements should be evaluated carefully. Some may be implemented, while others are pushed to a future release.
• Don’t begin prototype review sessions without clear guidelines for feedback. Be very specific about the type of feedback you are looking for. (Are the steps logically arranged? Is the navigation clear and intuitive?) If not, be prepared for, “I don’t like the blue in the header,” or “Can’t we use this font instead?” or “Can you make this bigger, bolder, in red and flashing?”
• Don’t be a perfectionist. In most cases, rapid prototyping does not have to be 100% perfect, just good enough to give everyone a common understanding.
• Don’t prototype everything. Most of the time, you shouldn’t have to.

Further Resources

• If you need a nudge to start sketching, try Dan Roam’s book The Back of the Napkin.
• Learn more about paper prototyping in Carolyn Snyder’s book Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces.
• Sketchboarding, a technique for exploring and refining concepts.
• Need low-fidelity content? Generate Lorem Ipsum text for your prototype.
• Want to make your Visio prototypes look low fidelity? Use the sketchy stencil.
• Want to make your paper sketch look high fidelity? Try these Web, iPad and iPhone stencils.
• Sketching and Prototyping Tools for iPhone Apps
• Simple sketching and prototyping in Firefox with the Pencil add-on.
• Free Printable Sketching, Wireframing and Note-Taking PDF Templates
• 50 Free UI and Web Design Wireframing Kits, Resources and Source Files

This article was take from Smashing Magazine’s article with the same title.

I have started the process. It’s not easy but it can be done. I’m now listed on VetBiz.gov. If you are a veteran, especially a service-connected disabled veteran, I would strongly encourage you to pursue this.