31/10/2007 by admin.

Any web site designer for small business will say that design is one of the big parts of a web site. And I would agree.

Actually, you agree with this also. If a site that’s being built for your business doesn’t look good to you, you’ll tell your designer to go away and start again. You wouldn’t sign off on a poorly designed site for your own business, and you appreciate that your customer won’t either.

You’ve got to have pleasing design, then. But where do you find it?

Fashion drives site design.

Look at the fashion change taking place at this moment at sites set up for Web 2.0. The clean lines, solid colors, gradients and large fonts are popular and becoming wide spread. Another, earlier, fashion change can be seen on corporate websites. A decade ago they had gray backgrounds and used burgundy colors: now you probably won’t see this combination on a corporation’s website. Just as design never stands still off-line, it is never resting on websites.

Welcome to Web Fashion. Your site ought to be reasonably close to the current fashion so it stays up-to-date for your visitor. For this reason evaluate your site every couple of years and perhaps redesign it.

As well, there is a technology consideration to design.

Form to email boxes, and Google Earth’s maps and satellite imagery, are examples of this. New technologies in their days, these tools are now routinely built into web sites by designers.

You should use new technology on your site if it will help your customer, and your site will work better for them.

The design of a site is pushed by what visitors think looks cool and what designers know is technically possible. Think about both when you design a web site.

Recommended Read : Don’t Make Me Think!: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability By Steve Krug

Posted in Business, education /psychic, Software, Computers, Art and Books | Print | No Comments »

30/10/2007 by admin.

You’ve probably heard about other people making money selling on eBay. There’s no reason teens can’t do the same. This article is for teens who want to learn easy ways to make some spending money and will give you the tools and tell you how to do it.

Decide What To Sell

There are a few pointers to keep in mind as you decide what you’re going to sell. First, try to pick a product that’s reasonably unique, that a million other established sellers aren’t already selling. The product might be something you make, like dolls, quilts, or candles. Or it may be a collectible like antique children’s books, vinyl records, or vintage clothing. You can also sell things that people use in their every day life, like games, kitchen appliances, or fishing gear.

Second, pick a product that you’re interested in. There may be days when you get tired of your product even if you start out loving it. If you start out hating it, your business is not likely to last for long.

Third, you should have a renewable supply of your product. As old items sell, you should have a way to get new items. For instance, if you’re selling vinyl records, you might make it a point to go to every neighborhood garage sale you can find and buy up vinyl records wherever you see them. If you’re selling vintage clothing, keep an eye out for sales at the thrift store. And so on.

Research

Once you have decided what you’re going to sell, check eBay listings for similar items. Pay attention to the average starting prices and closing prices as well as to the layouts of the auctions. Which items seem to be getting the most bids? The ones in bold print? The ones that have a special look? You will want to incorporate this information into your own listings. For instance, if most items like yours are selling for $10, you won’t want to set a starting price of $20.

Photograph

People don’t like to buy what they can’t see. You may persuade a few people to take a chance on books, DVDs, or games, but no one is going to buy, for instance, a dress or a homemade candle unless they can actually see what it looks like. If you don’t already have one, invest in a digital camera and take pictures of the items to add to your listings.

Set the Right Price

The lower the starting price, the more likely people will be to bid on your auctions. But be careful–if you’re selling something truly valuable, you don’t want to let it go for $1.50 when it’s worth $150. Luckily, eBay has what is called a “reserve price” feature. It is not visible to the public, but it allows you to set the absolute minimum you will accept on bids. Using the reserve price allows you to set the starting bid low, secure in the knowledge that you won’t risk losing a valuable item for next to nothing if the bidding doesn’t take off like you hope it will.

A word to the wise: only use the reserve price feature to protect a truly valuable item. Buyers tend not to like reserve prices and may steer clear of auctions that use them.

Accept Payments Online

Gone are the days when people had to mail you a check or money order. Now most eBay buyers prefer to pay quickly online using PayPal (eBay’s partner) or another online payment service. Many buyers will bypass an auction that doesn’t accept PayPal. If you’re underage, you’ll probably have to have your parents help you set up a PayPal account, but it’s well worth the aggravation.

EBay is a viable home-based business for teens that can help you earn extra spending money with a relatively small investment of time and energy. Use these tools to get started on your new career!

Recommended Read :The Secrets of Successful Buying and Selling on Ebay
By Roger Shaw

Posted in Business, Teens, education /psychic, Art and Books, General | Print | No Comments »

04/10/2007 by admin.

Volleyball originated in United States and is more than hundred years old. Volleyball is an extremely popular sport in United States and has gained popularity in various other parts of the world. It is estimated that 46 million Americans play volleyball and there are around 800 million players of volleyball worldwide. In the year 1895, William G. Morgan, thought to mix the elements of baseball, basketball, tennis and handball into one game. He thus created a game called mintonette, which was later called volleyball. The first game of volleyball was played in the year 1896. Earlier, the ball of basketball was used for playing volleyball. In the year 1900, a special ball was designed for the sport. The ball of volleyball now weighs between 9 and 10 ounces and the ball pressure is between 4.5 and 6 pounds

Volleyball is one of the most energetic sports. In volleyball there are typically six players in one team. There are two teams playing against each other. Each team has three players in the front and three players at the back of the court. In between the two teams there are high nets to separate them. The teams use their hands and arms to hit the ball back and forth over the net. The ball should not fall on the ground.

Volleyball can be played indoors as well as outdoors on a rectangular court. The field is divided into two equal half-courts. The rules of volleyball are fairly simple. There are six players on each side. The server of the ball should serve from a line on the court called the restraining line or the end line. It is necessary that the ball is clearly visible to the opponents before the serve. The ball may be served overhand or underhand. The served ball may graze the net and fall to the other side for a point. The maximum hits allowed per side are three. A single player cannot hit the ball twice in succession. If so, it is considered to be a foul. The ball may be played off the net throughout a volley and on serve. A permissible hit is contact with the ball by a player body above and together with the waist, which does not permit the ball to perceptibly come to a rest. If two or more players contact the ball concurrently, it is considered one play and the players concerned may not partake in the next play. A player must not attack a serve. Switching positions will be allowed only between front line players and that also after the serve.

The scoring of the game is also quite simple. Rally scoring is used in volleyball. The game of volleyball is typically played to twenty five points. There will be a point scored on every score of the ball. Scores will count on a defence miss or out of bounds hit. Defense will score on an offensive miss, out of bounds hit, or serve into the net.

***Recommended Read - Volleyball (Know the Game)
By English Volleyball Association

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