Definition of a Static Site:

A static web page is a web page that always comprises the same information in response to all download requests from all users.

It displays the same information for all users, from all contexts, providing the classical hypertext, where navigation is performed through "static" documents.

Advantages

• Quick and easy to put together, even by someone who doesn't have much experience.
• Ideal for demonstrating how a site will look.
• Cache friendly, one copy can be shown to many people.

Disadvantages

• Difficult to maintain when a site gets large.
• Difficult to keep consistent and up to date.
• Offers little visitor personalization (all would have to be client side).

Definition of a Dynamic Site:

• Dynamic Site
  The term dynamic is defined as constant change. Dynamic, as it relates to web design and development, refers to the way in which content, images, or any other variable is placed into a website. Typically, a web based language is used, such as PHP, to retrieve information from a database. An example of a dynamic website would be an e-commerce website or a site with a content management system.

"Hands up anybody who has updated their website in the last 6 to 9 months? Wow, quite a lot of you.

Now hands up how many of you have updated your website in the last 3 months? Less, but still a good number of people.

How many of you have updated your website in the last month? Ok, not many there.

Now how many of you update your website every couple of days? Ah ha! very few people in this group."

SEO Marketing Seminar 2008

I am going to shock you now when I tell you that unless you get into that last group and do it fast you are going to be left behind in the internet marketing world. 

Why? Because of the way the internet works. The internet provides information to people. I believe the internet is practically a living breathing entity at this stage. You may think this is crazy but not so in my view. Look at it this way. The internet feeds on new information. As it processes this information it pushes all the old information down into it's archives. It's a continuous process. As the internet processes this information it grows. We humans have a symbiotic relationship with the internet. We feed it information and it processes information and feeds it back to us when and how we need it. Without us the internet would not be alive and without the internet we would be... ignorant.

Knowledge is power and the more power we have the more choices we have. Basically the internet has becomes humankind's new best friend.

So what's all this got to do with updating your website every couple of days? Well, the internet has only been really in mainstream use since the early 1990's. It's has only recently begun to shows signs of overtaking print advertising and marketing. Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a weblog and the information superhighway keeps growing and growing. Unless you are moving along the internet superhighway you will not get anywhere. Constantly updating your website or weblog with new information keeps you moving.

It is easy to think that updating your website can be just adding a new product or a nice new graphic. In fact it is essential that when you do update your website you do it with quality fresh content, ie. Content that has a) never been on the internet before, b) content that is relevant to your website or business, c) content that is going to be useful to somebody.

Let's look at these individually.

Content that has never been on the internet before: This is important to know because it is common practice for people to copy and paste information from here and there on the internet and put it together in an article and call it new content. It is not. The best sort of new content comes right out of your head. You are an expert in your field and therefore whatever your interest or speciality there is no better person to write about it than yourself. This is content that is picked up by web crawlers as 'real food' as it were. Not predigested rubbish.

Content that is relevant to your business or website: Seems obvious but you would be surprised by how stuck people get when it comes to 'what' they are going to write about. The clue is in what you do, sell, are. Really once you start it is easy to get the content flowing, and remember the best place to get that information is from your own experience or your own knowledge. When you get stuck or run out of ideas and need some inspiration look online but don't be tempted to use somebody else's words or experience instead of your own.

Content that is going to be useful to somebody: You need to make your content useful. Remember that although computers do the web crawling (looking for content) it is people who do the buying or reading.

Tip: When you add images to your website remember that web crawlers cannot read the text contained in images and include an alt tag with the image and an image description.

If you are having a website built, what are 3 good questions to ask?

Let's say that you don't have any experience on the internet but you want a web presence that will make a difference to your business. In short you want a website that will increase your profits. 

1. Websites need to be updated every day to be effective. This is a message that is key.

So, you need to ask the question: Once my website is live, how do I update it and how much will it cost me?

Once a Loewen Media website is live, we give you training and even if you have limited knowledge of computers. You will then be able to add images, text, special offers, links and much more every day. Because you can add new content yourself very quickly and simply you don't have to pay a cent. 

2. Websites need to be marketed correctly to be effective. How do I do this?

When a Loewen Media website is launched we give basic web marketing and SEO training. Because Site Engine Optimisation and Web Marketing is an ongoing process we offer this service from €25.00 per month.

3. Websites need to generate leads. Will my website be able to do this?

Once you have your website you have to promote it. The easiest and fastest way to do this is by using social networking. Loewen Media will teach you about social networking and get you started on the road to generating and converting leads from your website.

When choosing the color scheme for your website there are some very important things to consider.

Here are some Do's and Do Not's

• Do not choose a colour because you like it or because it is your favourite colour.
• Do not choose a colour because it matches your handbag or shoes.
• Do not choose a colour because somebody else likes the colour.
• Do not choose a colour because it is the hottest colour this season

• Do choose a colour because it relates to your business or what you sell.
• Do choose a colour because it complements other colours on your website, for example your logo.
• Do remember that certain colours would be wrong for your business. For example blue for a food business would be wrong because blue suppresses the appetite.
• Do remember who your target audience is and the message that you want to convey. 
• Do keep the background colour of your site neutral, white is best or black with light writing, although the latter can be hard on the eyes.

Here is a list of colours and the emotions they evoke in people: 

RED: love, passion, success, business, excitement, food, impulse, action, adventure.

BLUE: trustworthiness, success, seriousness, calmness, power, professionalism.

GREEN: money, nature, animals, health, healing, life, harmony.

ORANGE: comfort, creativity, celebration, fun, youth, affordability, communication.

PURPLE: royalty, justice, ambiguity, uncertainty, luxury, fantasy, dreams, tranquility.

WHITE: innocence, purity, cleanliness, simplicity.

YELLOW: curiosity, playfulness, cheerfulness, amusement.

PINK: softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness, tenderness, girliness, love.

BROWN: earth, nature, tribal, primitive, simplicity.

GREY: neutrality, indifference, reserved.

BLACK: seriousness, darkness, mystery, secrecy, adult.