Zirez Blog

Custom Software Applications versus Content Management Systems

May 10, 2009 – 6:10 pm
by: Patrick McCoy  Custom applications are specifically built keeping in mind the preferences and expectations of the customer; they are designed in stage by stage processes, allowing customization according to specifications. In addition to them being well-suited for those projects that have truly unique functional or non-functional requirements for software, custom applications are also more ably supported by the developers who have developed them with their better understanding of the same. If a customer has a unique requirement to put their ideas into practice, custom applications are custom approaches to solving their problems, the proposed method in custom applications and system allows the overall software development process to be less laborious and time-consuming and thus more efficient to implement. Summary of Benefits from Custom Application Software It has been specifically designed for your particular requirements and can be tailored to exactly fit in with the way that your business or organization wishes to operate.  It ...

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Become e-Compliant against SPAM

May 1, 2009 – 6:28 pm
by: Patrick McCoy If you have an email address or have ever used the internet, you’ve heard of the word “spam” used in some context. We aren’t talking about the canned, mushy, pink colored, slop you can buy at the local grocery store which is edible either. We’re talking about the annoying, viral, sometimes malicious emails you receive in your inbox or all those friend requests you had last night from Facebook or MySpace “users” or any other website you place your information. SPAM doesn’t really stand for anything except the aforementioned annoying term which was derived from the “Monty Python Flying Circus” television show’s SPAM sketch. I apologize for wasting 3+ minutes of your life from watching that clip, if you did, but you should now get the picture of what “spam” is and how it works. No? Well, what is SPAM in the electronic sense then? According to Wikipedia, SPAM ...

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Common Online Marketing Mistakes

April 4, 2009 – 9:02 pm
by: Patrick McCoy There are methods which exist to successfully create a profitable future for your business. Majority of the time businesses see virtually no result from their investments after spending money on advertising. In many cases, one or more crucial mistakes are made when trying to expand your market presence and brand within the community or region. Many things can go wrong or not be successful when marketing your business, but I wanted to share a few which I feel are most important when dealing with the company website. #1: Not Having a Website Research indicates, 70% of all products are researched or found on the Internet. If your business is not online, you cannot capture your share of the millions of dollars exchanging hands online everyday. However, just having a web site will not necessarily increase your revenue. #2: Type of Site Most commercial websites are designed as destination sites. What this means is, ...

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Design vs. SEM: What’s the Difference?

March 27, 2009 – 9:01 pm
by: Patrick McCoy In my daily conversations with businesses and business professionals, I am continually surprised by the numbers which do not understand the different roles of Website Design specialists and SEO specialists.  These are almost entirely separate specialties, with some overlap. In competitive markets, especially Residential & Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage, Insurance, Information Technology, Construction and many others, it's critical that you not ignore either aspect of site development.   So, what’s the main difference between the two? Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is about getting people to visit your website. Design is about keeping them there, engaging them and converting them from prospects to leads… hopefully at a much higher conversion rate than non-professionally designed sites.  Talk to you website designer and ask questions. Get educated. The more you know about how SEM functions the better chance you have in utilizing it your full advantage.  Is it really that simple? Yes.  Now you’re wondering, well, how ...

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Overview of the 2003 CAN-SPAM Act

January 9, 2009 – 6:25 pm
by: Patrick McCoy  “The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) establishes requirements for those who send commercial email, spells out penalties for spammers and companies whose products are advertised in spam if they violate the law, and gives consumers the right to ask emailers to stop spamming them” as stated by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).   The CAN-SPAM Act requires the following:  It bans false or misleading header information – all information must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email in “From”, “To” and the routing information It prohibits deceptive subject lines – subject lines must clearly state the purpose of the email message being sent It requires that your email give recipients an opt-out option – a return email address must be provided and a method to opt-out from any further emails from the sender; the sender must honor this request and not send ...

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Good Web Design Leads to More Customer Conversion

December 15, 2008 – 8:31 pm
by: Patrick McCoy With good web design, visitors should be able to quickly understand what they are looking at on a webpage without thinking about it. At Zirez Design we follow the 12 second rule. Within 12 seconds of a unique site visitor (someone visiting the website for the first time) seeing your website, they should be able to absorb who you are and what you do. This exercise of attracting people right from the start along with simple, easy to understand navigation entices those visitors to ultimately contact our clients if there is a fit to do business. Simplicity should act as a guide in all Web-based communication. Consider the following tips:         - Pick one navigation scheme, and use it throughout the site.         - Make sure you think of your website visitors.         - Consider how people are interacting with the site… What information are they looking for most frequently? Can they find it ...

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Web Design 101

November 13, 2008 – 8:59 pm
by: Patrick McCoy When I speak with prospective clients or even curious business professionals, the most common questions I get asked is: "How can I buy a website?" In the past, there were three basic options in building a website – buy a template website from one of the many providers available, hire a professional design company to build a custom site or design one yourself using one of the several software programs available on the market. For most small-medium business owners, building their own site is not a viable option due to the time and money that needs to be invested. For years, the choice between template and custom sites was difficult. You wanted your site to look special, but you also needed to get it up and running quickly. Template sites could be created in less than a week, but “Bob’s” HVAC company site might look the exact same as ...

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Looks Are Everything These Days

November 4, 2008 – 8:23 pm
by: Patrick McCoy When others don't personally know you or your company, how your website looks can say a lot about your business to prospective clients, existing clients and anyone else who may see the work.It's important to make the extra effort to educate yourself about recent Web 2.0 trends when designing or re-designing you website in order to have it look its very best. While designing a custom website, think of the page design as the framework or skeleton and the textual content and images as the finishing layers within that framework. Design decisions about the layout and typography are critical to the website’s success. Consider the following guidelines for creating a clean, simple website: Webpage Layout Allow ample space between elements Follow the guidelines for good typography Use headings, subheadings and bullets to separate information Minimize the use of clip art Use 72 dpi, well-cropped photographs Use color for a specific purpose -- to direct attention, create ...

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Taglines, What Are They Good For?

June 24, 2008 – 12:45 pm
by: Patrick McCoy Are you able to name the company behind such popular taglines as “Just Do It”, “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, “The Breakfast of Champions”, “Tastes Great, Less Filling” and “Don’t Leave Home Without It”? If you didn’t have to think twice about whose taglines these are, you watch way too much television OR pay too close attention to the commercials! I’m joking. These taglines have been around for years and years and have never changed. As stated, they’ve been almost forced into the homes across the U.S. and sometimes the World in their advertising campaigns. This is why we can name the companies who branded these taglines, as well as, many other taglines we hear daily. Oh, the answers to the taglines mentioned above are Nike, BMW, Wheaties, Miller Lite and American Express respectively. Taglines create brand recognition, a first impression. People will remember a tag phrase, but have no idea about the ...

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CUS∙TOM∙IZE…

May 6, 2008 – 11:29 am
by:  Patrick McCoy  … to modify or build according to individual or personal specifications or preference.  TEM∙PLATE – anything that determines or serves as a pattern; a model; an electronic file with a predesigned format and structure ready to be filled in  When you hear the word ‘customize’ do you immediately envision lots of money leaving your bank account as an expense, whether you’re customizing a kitchen, car or a website? Sure you do! That word scares people.  When you hear the word ‘template’ do you immediately think of easy to do and change while saving a ton of money, but sacrificing your vision and uniqueness? Of course!  Why customize anything? Customization takes place because we are all unique and we all have our own ideas. We all want something different. Something we can call our own. Something we are proud of. That’s why we customize our kitchens, cars and websites. So ...

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