We discount Linux and Windows hosting in Australia and we discount domain names.
Why do registrars and hosting companies like to sell through resellers?
Simply because it's easier for them to collect money through resellers. That's why we can do cheap hosting.
If clients change their email address, the yearly or two-yearly invoice from the registrar may not reach the client who may then lose the domain name through not renewing it on time.
Resellers are always closer to the clients. Registrars and hosting companies may have tens of thousands of accounts and so cannot provide the same personal service.
In fact that is a large part of our work. No website needs to be out of date.
We can also quote a Content Management System (CMS) for you to update pages on line.
D.I.Y. UPDATES
For those clients who like to do it themselves, we provide some brief tips.
Copying your files to and from the internet
Install an FTP (file transfer protocol) program. Many people use WS_FTP Home
Enter
Host address of your website (e.g. ftp.cia.com.au)
Your User ID
Your password
Hit OK to log into your website. On the Remote site (right hand side) you see your web files. On the Local system (left hand side) you see your hard disk. In the middle are arrows pointing each way.
To copy files from your server to your hard disk, open a folder for them on your hard disk, highlight files on the right, then click the arrow which points left.
To load files to your website, highlight the files on the left side, open the appropriate folder on the right side, then click the arrow which points right.
Take care that files have correct case on the web. MugShot.jpg is not the same as mugshot.jpg or mug shot.jpg or Mug shot.JPG.
Avoid long file names with spaces. Keep them simple to avoid errors.
When loading a new picture, make sure you also load the amended HTML page with the new filename.
Web page text
To just change text in existing pages, without changing the page lay-out, use a plain text editor, like Notepad, and stay outside the angle brackets < and >. Good HTML editors are EditPlus or Coffee Cup.
HTML layout codes are between angle brackets < and >. Common ones are:
To change graphics in the page, note where existing graphics are located in relation to the page, e.g. in
<img src="pic/mugshot.jpg" height=240 width=160 border=0 hspace=5 vspace=5 alt="The Author">
the graphic file is in a folder "pic" on the same level as the folder containing HTML file.
Save the new graphic as a size which will load as quickly as possible without losing quality.
Insert dimensions and filename of your new graphic in the code.
One client discovered the consequences of not optimizing their graphics. Not only were the pictures slow to load to a visitor's screen, but the client paid a download excess charge to their host when visitors reached more than 60 per day.
We charge a mere $5 each for placing graphics, because we spend time optimizing them and placing them precisely on the web page.
Databases
Our Shopping Cart databases come with admin screens and a help screen. Clients can talk directly to us for more help.
Our Standard Shopping Carts use a text file database.
Besides the on-line Admin screens, you can also update a text file on your hard disk with MS Word, Notepad, or Wordpad.
Our Advanced Shopping Carts use an Access database.
You can also update an Access database on your hard disk by using update forms, or by importing from an Excel spreadsheet. This method is favoured by those clients with thousands of products when they have a major price change.
If you update your database on your hard disk, you can use FTP to upload it to your website.
Our databases allow for the use of formatting codes like <BR> for line breaks or <B> for Bold in description fields.
Always view it on your hard disk through a browser before loading it to your live website.
View it through Firefox. Although 80% of visitors will use Internet Explorer or compatibles, there will be some using Firefox, in which something just does not appear as you planned.
Once loaded - always test everything live on the internet - even if it works perfectly on your hard disk.
If it doesn't work live, it's often something simple - think: WWW - Wrong case, Wrong filename, Wrong folder.
For a website designed to suit you use the wide commercial experience of:
Platypus Websites Pty Ltd – ABN –
www.platywebs.com.au –
email: [email protected]
Australian website designer
