Two Clicks

2010-04-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

Creating Search Engine Friendly Pages

There is no point in building a website unless you can attract interested visitors. A major source of traffic for most sites on the web is search engines like Google, Yahoo!, Bing, IXQuick and so on. Therefore, by designing your site to be search engine friendly, you will be able to be more visible in search engines and obtain more visitors.

Most major search engines use programs called crawlers or robots to index websites for listing on their search results pages. The crawlers follow links to a page, read the page content and record it in their own database for later results listings.

If you want to prepare your site to be indexed easily, you should avoid using frames on your website. Frames can often confuse search engine robots and reduce your chances of being indexed. Additionally, frames make it difficult for users to bookmark specific pages on your site without embedding complicated scripts in your pages.

You should not present important information in Flash movies or in images alone. Search engine robots can only read text in your page's source code so presenting important text in Flash movies and graphic images will likely affect your search engine rankings dramatically.

Use appropriate meta tags accordingly on each and every page of your site so that search engine robots know at first glance what that particular page is about. By using meta tags, you are making the search engine robot's job easier, increasing the likelihood they will crawl and index your site more frequently.

Stop using outdated HTML tags like to style your page. Use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) when possible because this is considered more effective and efficient. By using CSS, you can eliminate redundant HTML tags and make your pages much lighter and faster to load. Two clicks and good luck!

2009-06-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

The Pros and Cons of Flash-based Web Sites (The Good, Bad and the Ugly)

Flash-based sites have been a craze for several years, and as Adobe compiles more and more great features into the Flash framework, we can only predict more and more flash-based sites throughout the Internet. However, Flash based sites are considered by some usability experts to be bloated and unnecessary. Where exactly do we draw the line?

Here's a simple breakdown.

The good:

Interactivity

Flash's Actionscript opens up a vast field of possibilities for dynamic user interaction. Programmers and designers alike have used Flash to create interactive features ranging from very lively feedback forms to attractive Flash-based games. The dynamism of this whole new level of interactivity will often leave visitors coming back for more.

A standardized site

With Flash, you do not have to worry about cross-browser compatibility. No more woes over how certain css code displays differently in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera. When you position your site elements in Flash, they will always appear as they are as long as the user has the latest Flash Player installed.

Better expression through animation

In Flash, one can make use of its animating features to convey a message in an efficient and effective way. Flash is a lightweight option for animation because it is vector based (allowing smaller file sizes) as opposed to real "movie files" that are raster based and hence much larger in size.

The bad and the ugly:

The Flash player

People have to download the Flash player prior to viewing Flash movies, so by using Flash your visitor base will decrease a small but significant degree because not everyone will be willing to download the Flash player just to view your site. You'll also have to put in additional work in redirecting the user to the Flash download page if he or she doesn't have the player installed.

Site optimization

If your content is presented in Flash, most search engines will not be able to index your Flash-based content. Therefore your site may not rank well in key search engines leading to less traffic directed to your site.

Loading time

Users have to wait longer than usual to load Flash content compared to regular text and images, and some visitors might just lose their patience and click the Back button. The longer your Flash takes to load, the more you risk losing visitors.

Conclusion

It is generally recommended to use Flash only when you absolutely need the interactivity and motion that comes with it. Otherwise, use a mixture of Flash and HTML or use pure HTML if your site's primary purpose is to present simple textual and graphical information. Two clicks and good luck!

2009-05-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

The Vital Importance of a Good Web Design

Your website is the hub of your online business; it is the virtual representation of your company whether your business exists physically or not. When you are doing business online, people cannot see you physically like they would if they were dealing with an offline company. Hence, in this case, people do judge a book by its cover. This is where good design comes in.

Imagine this: you are running an offline company, would you allow your salespeople to be dressed in shabby or casual clothing when dealing with your prospects and customers? By requiring your staff to dress professionally, you are telling your customers that you truly care about quality. This works simply because first impressions matter tremendously as we form our perceptions and quality judgments.

The situation is essentially similar when it comes to your website. If your website is put together shabbily and looks like a 5 minute "quick fix", you are practically shouting to your visitors that you are unprofessional and do not place much emphasis on quality.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you have a completely professional looking website design and layout, you help give your visitors the perception that you have paid meticulous attention to every detail and care about professionalism. You are organized, focused and really mean business.

Similarly, other materials related to your company should be well designed. From business cards to your company's letterheads to promotional brochures, every little bit matters. This is because as you grow your business, these items become your company's "face" to the world. Once again, think of the "salesperson dressed shabbily" analogy, and you will understand my point. Cheers and good luck!

2008-09-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Easy Way to Save Paper and Ink When Printing Documents In Word

Save half of all the paper and ink you use when printing draft Word documents.You can print up to 16 pages per page (2 usually works best for readable text).

1)From File Menu, click 'Print'
2)Select '2 Pages' from the 'Pages Per Sheet' menu under 'Zoom'
3)Click 'OK' to Print

2008-09-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Great Little XML /Google Sitemaps Tool

A great little XML /Google Sitemap Generator: http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/

2008-08-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

How do I display code on a web page?

Something this simple can appear quite tricky as the browser will attempt to render any HTML and JavaScript code it encounters. Once simple solution is to include the code you want to display in a separate text (.txt) file. Simply link to that file, and being text, the browser will not attempt to render the code.

The links below provide some additional resources for displaying page code including some automatic conversion utilities that will make short work of the conversion process.

Displaying HTML Source Code in Web Pages

Display Markup with the Text Munger

How to display HTML code in your web pages

How To Display PHP Code In A Web-page

2008-08-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Free Replacement for Microsoft Visio?

After evaluating a few possible solutions, we have determined an adequate replacement for basic Visio diagramming functionality is the Open Source program, Dia. It is available for Windows, Unix and Linux, though we only evaluated the Windows version. The software can be downloaded from: http://live.gnome.org/Dia

An example use of Dia for an actual project process flow can be found here

Two clicks!

2008-01-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

To convert a PDF document to editable HTML, simply email the document as an attachment to pdf2html@adobe.com. Within a minute or two, you'll get the text of the document emailed backed to you in a zipped file. Two Clicks!!

2007-07-10T17:47:00.001-07:00

The Simple Two Clicks Free Solution for Basic Home PC Security

1) Download and install Free Avast Antivirus http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

ALWIL Software provides the full line of avast! antivirus products at special discount prices for non-profit, charity, educational and government institutions.

2) Turn on Windows Firewall

To Enable Windows Firewall on Windows XP SP2

1. Click Start, click Run, type Firewall.cpl, and then click OK.
2. On the General tab, click On (recommended), and then click OK.

You're done. Two clicks and good luck.

2007-06-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

TinyURL.com is a cool site that creates a tiny URL that will not break in email postings and never expires.

If you are tired of posting URLs in emails only to have it break when sent or need a easy solution for redirecting your affiliate links, Tiny URL is for you. Click to go to tinyurl.com now.

2007-04-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Automating FTP Uploads To Your Website

If, like us, you occaionally have the need of uploading content or files to your website automatically based on time or triggered when a file is changed, FLING may be the app for you.

Features

-Full featured ftp software client.
-Supports transfer using the file transfer protocol via the internet, ordinary local area network, between computer or to external hard drives.
-In automatic mode it will automatically detect when a file is changed and transfer or upload it. In this way it works as a ftp or file system mirror.
-Works within Windows Explorer. To manually update a file just right click on the file and select Fling.
-Can be set to automatically upload at preset intervals.
-Can be integrated or linked to from other programs using command line arguments to create automation upload systems.
-Runs as a service so the software can run when logged off on a server to automate transfer in the background.
-Installs in just minutes. Very easy to use for day-to-day operation.

System Requirements

Windows 98/2000/XP/2003/Vista

2007-01-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

Fighting SPAM in Two Clicks - Quick Tips for Lessening the Frustration of Unwanted Emails

1) Remove your email address from your website. Email addresses listed on you website are typically picked-up by e-mail address-harvesting robots that spider your site and extract them. Use web-based forms instead. This will significantly reduce the amount of spam you receive.

If you prefer to list a mailto email address on your site, it can be disguised to prevent the spammers from picking it up. The source code below is a JavaScript that writes a mail link onto the page. The full email address will not appear on the html source code and should not be detected by spambots.(Remove any breaks that may appear in the script below).

<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"><br /></script> <br />

Another alternate script:
<script type=" text/javascript">user ="info"domain ="twoclicks.org"subCon ="Two Clicks Website Comment"document.write(' <a href="mailto:" subject="'">Email Us</a>' );</script> <br />

2) Use a Spam Filtering Tool

Ella for Spam Control is a extremely useful plug-in for Outlook and Outlook Express that helps filter incoming spam from multiple email accounts and prioritizes legitimate email into user-defined categories such as "Read Later." Ella offers a free trial and is the preferred solution used here at Two Clicks.

A comprehensive list of other Windows Spam-fighting tools can be found via the link below:

http://email.about.com/od/windowsspamfightingtools/Windows_Spam_Fighting_Tools.htm

3) Don't Bounce Back SPAM

It is now widely acknowledged that bouncing Spam back to the originator is ineffective. This is because the vast majority of Spammers use phony return addresses, while the Spammers easily detect simulated bounce messages. Bouncing Spam can burden a Network infrastructure and actually increase the amount of Spam you receive.

2006-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Finding the Best Merchant Account and Payment Gateway

Finding the right Merchant Account and Payment Gateway solution has always been a involved process. Attempting to compare the thousands of varying offers online and determine compatibility with your site's back-end can be intimidating --until now.

Richmond Web Services now offers customized credit card processing solutions and special low rates with an easy online application. With rates priced to deliver return for your business, their online tools provide an easy way to compare the rates offerred by other providers.

The merchant account and Authorize.net gateway are bundled together through one provider making this an easy choice whether this is your first credit processing solution or you'd just like to switch to a more affordable solution. Richmond Web Services gets a special "Two Clicks" award for a great credit acceptance solution.

More info and tools about this Merchant Account and Payment Gateway solution.

2006-11-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

Protection for Web Publishers

The California Supreme Court has ruled that Internet publishers could not be held liable if they posted defamatory comments written by others, a victory for online publishers!

Read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/21/technology/21internet.html?ref=technology

2006-11-13T15:59:00.001-08:00

A Quick Two Clicks Solution to Your Site's Favorites Icon

A fav icon or favorites icon is simply a small graphic 16pixels by 16 pixels saved with the file extension .ico.

In order to create one for your site either:

1) Open Windows Paint and edit/save your graphic as the .ico extension.

2) Download a free Photoshop plug-in that allows Adobe Photoshop to open and save in the .co format. This link takes you directly to the free Windows plug-in.

2006-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Cool New Email Tracking Tool

For those of us who often wonder what happens to messages you send to friends, colleagues and clients, here is your solution. MSGTAG is a new desktop app that notifies you when your emails have been received and opened. Now you'll know instead of wondering. Download free version of Message Tag at http://www.msgtag.com/download/.

2006-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Two Clicks to a Great Website

TwoClicks.org has thousands of professional web designs, logos, flash intros and e-Commerce templates available for instant download. Create an attractive and affordable web presence in Two Clicks.

November 07, 2006 -- TwoClicks.org has released a low-cost line up of thousands of online templates, layouts and other design elements to aid with the creation or redesign of websites, blogs, ECommerce shops and other online offerings. These elements include the fully customizable HTML, Photoshop graphics, Flash and Logo sets - everything needed to make a website that looks great to your customers and your bottom line.

Log onto the website now - http://www.twoclicks.org to take advantage of the great offers available for a limited time.

2006-11-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

HTML Special Characters

Any Web Developer or Blogger will occasionally need to utilize HTML Special Characters to render keyboard text in certain situations. The following links are quick reference guides to address your "Special" Character needs.

Tips on Special Characters

HTML: Special Characters

2006-10-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Live Chat Software:

For those considering the integration of Live Chat on their website, here is a good selection of related Live Chat providers.

AliveSite http://www.websitealive.com/
BoldChat http://www.boldchat.com
ClickSeva http://www.clickseva.com/
ChatAnyWhere http://www.xencoders.com/products/chatanywhere
Crafty Syntax Live Help http://CSLH.com/
LivePerson http://www.liveperson.com
ClickChatSold http://www.clickchatsold.com
LiveChatNow http://www.livechatnow.com
Live2Support http://www.live2support.com
LiveHelper http://www.livehelper.com
InstantService http://www.instantservice.com
LiveSiteManager http://www.livesitemanager.com/webadmin

2006-10-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Check Out Our Web Layouts and Site Templates!!!

The Two Clicks templates site offers one of the best selections of website templates, flash intros, layouts and other related design products available on the web. Browse the site to view our world-class designs and improve your web presence ...today.

http://www.TwoClicks.org

2006-10-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

MySpace and Flash

When working with sites such as MySpace or other blog/social networking sites, you must work aroung any inherent coding database/file access limitations.

To embed your own custom Flash on MySpace or other profile sites, you'll first need to upload the flash files to an external server. Make sure you out any SWF and XML files at the same server, and make sure your code refers to all files (SWF, XML and MP3/FLV/JPG) with a full pathname.

Sample code is below. Be sure to replace all netfilmmusic.com url references with your own domain name.

Sample Code ‹embed name="index" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.netfilmmusic.com/mp3player.swf" width="300" height="300" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="config=http://www.netfilmmusic.com/config.xml& file=http://www.netfilmmusic.com/playlist.xml" scale="showall"›