In This Issue

• Do-It-Yourself Web Sites
  • When Creating Your Own Web Site Makes Sense
• Office Live
  • Overview
  • Resources

Hello!

Welcome to the April 29^th edition of Scribbles!. In our last issue we reviewed the web design process and outlined what a business owner and a web designer usually need to do in order to publish a useful and aesthetically pleasing web site in a reasonable amount of time. In this issue we'll talk about the how and why of creating a secondary "feeder" site on your own.

DIY Web Sites

Summer is on its way and it's time to start thinking about all of those do-it-yourself (DIY) projects you've been planning: the backyard tomato ring, a brick Bar-B-Q, the external web site...Wait, what? A web professional is recommending that you build a DIY web site? That's not as far-fetched as it may sound. Read on...

Creating Your Own "Feeder" Site

• SEO, Marketing, Brochure-ware
  It may make sense for you to use an online template-driven application to put together one or more web sites if you use those sites to improve Search Engine Optimization, promote your primary business site, or as an avenue to gauge interest in new or updated products and services. Let's take a look at how.
  
  
• Improving SEO
  One of the best ways to improve your position in Search Engine results is to have links coming from relevant sites into your primary site. No one says you can't inexpensively create those external sites and links yourself. As an added bonus you get to control the link text. Caveat: Don't duplicate your existing content word for word.
  
  
• Marketing
  Use a DIY site to write about and promote your primary site. Use it for photos, stories and press releases. Or, if you're really into it, create a blog! The name of this game is exposure, so don't be shy about adding your business's contact information.
  
  
• Brochure-ware
  Be seen, be heard and be read! Use the secondary site as a web brochure to test the waters for new or updated products and services. Print inexpensive (or even free!) business cards with the URL of the new site on them.
  
  
• Office Live
  Office Live is not an online version of Microsoft's ubiquitous Office suite of applications. It is instead a robust multi-level online application for domain registration, web site creation and web site hosting. Plus, it's pretty easy! Click here to take a look.
  
  
  
  
  
  "Microsoft Office Live For Dummies"
  Price: $18.24
  • Overview
    Microsoft's Office Live service comes in several flavors. You will probably want to sign up for the Basic (i.e. free) version. To prevent spam-sites and robots, Microsoft will ask you for a credit card number in order to verify your identity.
       Once you've signed up, picked a domain name and set up your user accounts, you will have access to a plethora of web site templates and themes. You will also get 25 e-mail accounts, a gadget dashboard and common web site plug-ins like News and Weather. You can immediately begin to enter text and upload your own graphics.
    
    
  • Resources
    While it's beyond the scope of this newsletter to provide a tutorial on how to use Office Live, may I suggest that you buy Karen S. Fredricks' excellent book, Microsoft Office Live For Dummies. You may also want to read this detailed review by Michael Muchmore over at PCMag.com.
    
    

Parting Thoughts

I hope you take advantage of Microsoft's Office Live service. Even the Basic level provides a great selection of features that would easily cost $300 per year elsewhere. If there is another way to get domain registration, hosting, e-mail and a web site construction application for free (and without big honking banner ads and pop-ups!) I'd like to hear about it.
   Next time out we'll explore how to write a web site Press Release, where to send it and to whom.

Cheers!!
Ed Moore
www.animai.com