An article by Lorna Timbah | 21 January 2007 | http://webgrrrl.net | Republishing of this article on other web site is permitted, as long as this reference to this web site remains intact.

In this digital age, our business relies so much on computers and technology to make our jobs faster and easier. Still, as much as we need technology, we have to admit that a substantial amount of our expenses goes into these technology investments, particularly on computer software, when in reality we would have wanted to spend in more profit-generating activities.

Therefore, why not get these software for free instead? You can start with getting free desktop applications. Computers are virtually useless without office suite applications. An office suite is a package containing more than one common, ready-to-use desktop applications such as a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a presentation manager, and others that assist you with your work at the office or at home. Here are just a few of the office suites you can get without having to spend a single cent:

1) StarOffice (http://www.sun.com/staroffice/)
Developed by Microsoft’s adversary, Sun Microsystems, StarOffice created much excitement during its release as the first ever office suite available for free, and can even run on all three major operating systems (Windows, Linux and UNIX). As the suite evolves and improves, many users find it very powerful and easy to use compared to Microsoft Office. Whatever Microsoft Office does, StarOffice can do better. Unfortunately, since more than five years ago, Sun Microsystems has discontinued providing this suite for free, although the older StarOffice version 5.2 is still available for free download outside of Sun Microsystems’s web site. Good news for users comes in the form of another free suite that is…

2) OpenOffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org/)
OpenOffice, an open-source initiative started by a group of people in Germany, caught the attention, and later the financial support, of Sun Microsystems. Slightly buggy than the stable and powerful StarOffice, this suite nonetheless is as competitive as StarOffice and Microsoft Office. OpenOffice developments provide benchmarks and basis for later versions of StarOffice as both suites are continuously improved. Important capabilities such as PDF file conversions and file type compatibilities are conveniently built into OpenOffice without the extra cost involved, compared to what you have to spend when using Microsoft Office. Runs on most major operating platforms just like StarOffice, OpenOffice is well-suited for virtually everyone who needs quality desktop applications for the price of zero.

3) KOffice (http://www.koffice.org/)
KOffice is developed for use on KDE (K Desktop Environment), a Linux-based operating system, although this office suite can run on any other Linux distributions. Therefore, Linux users can count themselves lucky, since KOffice has the most extensive set of tools around (11 applications) compared to any free or paid office suites. Every component of the KOffice application works seamlessly with one another, by allowing any KOffice document to be embedded with other KOffice files. In order to open other document types, such as Word, PDF and WordPerfect documents, KOffice provides file filters to convert to and from different files. Obviously, Linux users will find this suite most suited to them, if their Linux distributions do not come with one already.

4) NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/)
NeoOffice is a version of OpenOffice.org specially modified to run under Apple’s Mac OS X computers. You can expect basically the same functionalities and a little bit more compared to OpenOffice, and with the FOC (free of charge) tag, of course. Although OpenOffice itself does have a Mac OS release, NeoOffice provides more specialized Mac OS functions such as fonts supports, better PDF generation, accessibility options such as voice recognition, and spotlight document indexing. NeoOffice is suited for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) using mainly Mac OS as their operating system, whereas larger organizations are better off using OpenOffice’s Mac OS version, which can handle millions of processes meant for a larger number of users.

5) Online office suites
The most exciting advancement in office suite development has got to be the emergence of Web-based office applications that can emulate exactly what its client-side counterparts could, thanks to the existence of AJAX, the most talked about programming language around. Two of the most popular online suites include Google Docs & Spreadsheets (http://docs.google.com/) and Zoho (http://www.zoho.com/), both of which are 100% free and ready for use. There are only two requirements for using these suites, that you must have an Internet connection and that you have a web browser. The best function of an online office suite is its ability to share your documents to anyone in the Internet for collaborative use. Also, imagine not having to worry about:
- whether the office suite is compatible with your Windows, Linux or Mac operating systems — web applications are cross-platform compatible;
- whether or not you have the latest patches or security updates for your office applications; and
- whether or not you have the latest version of your software.
In future developments, you will also have the option to install it in your company’s intranet servers, should you need to deploy it without the need for 24-hour Internet access. Online office suites are very suited to the “road warriors,” that is, IT-savvy users who constantly travel and who require online access anywhere they are.

Now that you know your option, why not start using one right away? No more burdens about spending on those expensive extra software licenses. Start experiencing the savings you can get by using these free and wonderful office suites, and soon you might even start asking, “Microsoft Office? What’s that?”

Lorna, a business graduate from the University of Alabama, is highly passionate in IT and the Internet, and her passion was what helped her land her first job as a Webmaster (and later as a Web Unit Manager), with the role to manage websites for a state-wide network known as Sabah.Net. She now blogs and makes money online. Lorna is also a part-time tutor with Open University Malaysia, teaching IT and e-commerce subjects to diploma- and degree-level students.

An article by Lorna Timbah | 13 January 2007 | http://webgrrrl.net | Republishing of this article on other web site is permitted, as long as this reference to this web site remains intact.

As much as the saying “content is king” rings true, form and function needs to be balanced in order to create an effective web site. This balance is even more critical when it comes to creating an effective e-commerce web site for your business. Based on a survey of U.S. online shoppers done by interactive marketing solutions firm Questus (http://questus.com), web design plays a key role in determining whether or not they decide to shop on your online store. Listed below are five main web design factors that can make or break your online selling efforts:

1) Visual design
Visual design encompasses the arrangement of content, as well as the use and consistency of colors and images in your web site. Colors and images can be used to emphasize your company’s online image, giving customers the impression that your company is professional, reliable and trustworthy. Arranging the images and information in a clean and consistent fashion throughout your web pages can very well improve the odds of converting your web site visitors into online customers. Therefore, use components such as Flash animations, sound clips, and other bandwidth-consuming forms of multimedia ever so sparingly. If using these fancy components do not add to improved web site usability or improved understanding of your product, then please, avoid using them at all cost.

2) Site navigation
Make sure that your product navigation links are the first thing your online users can focus on when they visit your site. Site navigation needs to be obvious and user-friendly, that is, requiring less clicks and links to follow in order for your customers to locate products or other information. Other than that, online users feel that it is hard to find the information they need when there are too many links in your site navigation. If you feel that you require more than seven links in your site navigation, consider grouping the links into different navigation groups. This will help un-clutter your navigation sections, thus creating “zones” to help your customers focus better when they browse your site. For instance, links pointing to your company information, contact page, press releases and site map can be grouped together, while product categories can be in an entirely different navigation group from your promotions and special offer links.

3) Check-out process
The check-out process starts as soon as your customer selects a product into his or her shopping cart and selects the “Check Out Now” or “Buy Now”. Your customer then needs to review the order, enter shipping and billing addresses, provide payment information, and confirm the sale. Experts recommend that you make these tasks into simple steps of three or less. Even the placement of the Check Out/Buy Now button should be conveniently placed in each product page. In addition, you may include user registration to allow quicker check-outs for customers who frequently purchases from your e-commerce site so that they do not have to re-enter their details. However, do not make a habit of making registration compulsory to all buyers, since one in every five online shoppers prefer not to register and give out too much personal information.

4) Product description
Product description has to do with more than just pasting on a snapshot of your product and adding a few lines of words on it. It also has to do with helping your customer understand your product to the point where your customer can visualize the dimensions or usefulness of your product, even “taste” it. You can use your product description as a place for your online customer to experience your product enough to want to buy it. One of the drawbacks to shopping online is that we are unable to use all our five senses, and have to rely on only our sense of sight and sound. Hence, this section is one place in your e-commerce web site where multimedia can play a big role in enhancing your online customer’s experience. Instead of just putting up the product specifications such as size, weight and color, some media-enhancing examples would be by providing:
- A large-scale image of your painting or hand-painted item (photographer, painter)
- 3-D view of a sculpture or doll (artist, toy maker)
- Color tweaking abilities whereby your product changes color based on your customer’s selection (t-shirt retailer, textile manufacturer)
- Product samples and user comments or testimonials (record store, book seller, infotailers)

5) Online catalog
Though closely tied in with the check-out process and product description, the online catalog factor has more to do with the ease to search and browse for products. A well-designed online catalog should not only contain helpful product description, but also have a product search engine and organized product groupings. This allows your customer to locate your product quickly, and gives your online customer a sense of control over what he or she is trying to look for. Step it up a notch by providing features such as:
- Flexible search on product specification, like brand or color
- Recommending similar product that suits your customer’s current product of choice, such as a tie that would match the shirt selected
- Product specification comparison, which is especially useful for electronics and travel packages

Keep in mind that your e-commerce site design must support your value proposition and objectives, but most importantly your customer’s needs. Based on the web design factors above and by understanding your customers, you can design your e-commerce web site so that your customers will have a pleasurable and hassle-free visit to your online store.

Lorna, a business graduate from the University of Alabama, is highly passionate in IT and the Internet, and her passion was what helped her land her first job as a Webmaster (and later as a Web Unit Manager), with the role to manage websites for a state-wide network known as Sabah.Net. She now blogs and makes money online. Lorna is also a part-time tutor with Open University Malaysia, teaching IT and e-commerce subjects to diploma- and degree-level students.

An article by Lorna Timbah | 07 January 2007 | http://webgrrrl.net | Republishing of this article on other web site is permitted, as long as this reference to this web site remains intact.

Having a web site is no longer an option for your company — it is a necessity. A web site enables your business to reach more customers at anytime and anywhere. With more than one billion people worldwide going online, your business will be missing out on a large portion of the market without a web presence.

In order to establish a web presence, one of the issues you will need to look into is getting a web hosting service for your web site. With technological progress and market competition, web hosting services are becoming more affordable, and better yet, many providers are now offering web hosting service for free. Yes, that means you don’t have to spend even half a cent to get your business online.

Apart from the obvious fact that it’s free, here are a few reasons why you should consider using free web hosting for your business:

• Test ground for your budding web skills
  If you are thinking of becoming your own webmaster and want to get your feet wet in web building, you probably won’t be ready to invest much on web hosting yet. Free web hosting services will give you the freedom to test out your skills, to see what does or does not work in your site, and can better visualize the cost and effort needed in creating and maintaining your company web site. Free web hosting also allows you to try the hosting provider’s service for an initial period; once you’re confident that the service provider is reliable enough for you, you can upgrade your company web site to the service provider’s paid package that is better and with more frills.
• Convenience of built-in features
  Most free web hosting companies, such as Bravenet, Yahoo!Geocities and Tripod, provide easy-to-use web page builder, as well as tools such as guestbook, hit counter, email forms, and others that can enhance your web site. You will be able to build your company web site in just a few simple steps, while providing you with a more than decent web site in just minutes. The extra features frees you from having to hire programmers just so that you can have online applications to capture visitor feedback, setting up of polls and survey, as well as building up your subscribers for your online newsletter.
• Positive return on investment
  You get free web hosting, you design your own web site, and you have fancy tools added into your site to give it extra functionality, all without having to spend a single cent. Add these up, compare with the potential new customers that you will be getting, and you find that your ROI for establishing a web presence for your company would obviously be satisfactory. You can now reach out to your online market and hopefully your online strategy can effectively increase your revenue.

On the other hand, the downside to using free web hosting is also numerous and comes in the form of hidden costs to your business:

• Lack of flexibility and control
  Be sure to read the web hosting provider’s Terms of Service before registering for your free web hosting account. Some free web hosting providers restrict the use of certain file types, content, or even languages. In addition, they can also overload your web site with unneeded and irrelevant advertisements in order to support their services. When bombarded with such annoyance, visitors to your site are going to take the effort not to visit your web site ever again. You will also find that some advanced tools needed to operate a fully functional e-commerce presence are not possible with the use of free web hosting, such as shopping carts, secure ordering system and online payment gateways. You may have to upgrade or switch to a paid hosting service provider if you decide to use them, which will require not just the extra effort but also the extra cash.
• High risk of downtime and no guaranteed support
  To be honest, there is no such thing as a zero downtime, whether it be for free or paid web hosting. Downtime refers to the period of time or a percentage of a time span that a machine or system is offline or not functioning, making your web site inaccessible (source: Wikipedia). Nevertheless, the risk of free web hosting having frequent downtime is more than likely to happen than with paid hosting. Free web hosting providers more often than not won’t provide any guarantee to their services due to the cost of maintaining them. Other than the risk of downtime, free web hosting accounts are mostly subjected to low priority bandwidth, thus affecting access to your site by making your web site load slowly. Responses to support requests can be slow or next to nothing, and you are solely responsible for backing up your own web site files. These problems cause visitors looking for information on your company feeling frustrated. Ultimately, this can jeopardize your reputation, and your current and potential clients would view your company as an unreliable provider.
• Loss of credibility
  Internet marketing strategists place unprecedented importance on the use of domain names for your business. A domain name (or web site address) is one of tools used to establish your company’s online branding and image. Most free web hosting providers offer subdomains as addresses for your web site. A subdomain is a web site address whereby your business name is appended onto the free host’s domain name, such as http://yourbusiness.freehost.com/ or http://www.freehost.com/yourbusiness. Seldom do you see free hosting providers that support actual domain hosting (such as http://www.yourbusiness.com), or at least not without a catch. A subdomain name as your business web address is harder for your clients to remember than a domain name. Furthermore, one serious drawback to not having your own domain name is the fact that subdomains sounds less professional. Without one, your business may be regarded as disreputable or even illegitimate, and tend to be avoided by web-savvy customers.

In the end, it’s your choice. While some sacrifices needed to be done when using free web hosting, try to look at your need for web hosting service just as you would your budding business. Start small, dream big. Weight the pros and cons of free web hosting versus paid web hosting. If you have to, begin with using a free web hosting provider. Once your needs and resources grow, you can then upgrade to a more advanced web hosting service which you can afford to pay.

So don’t worry for now, especially if you are a small business or are just starting one. No one will shoot you in the head for using free web hosting — at least I won’t.

Lorna, a business graduate from the University of Alabama, is highly passionate in IT and the Internet, and her passion was what helped her land her first job as a Webmaster (and later as a Web Unit Manager), with the role to manage websites for a state-wide network known as Sabah.Net. She now blogs and makes money online. Lorna is also a part-time tutor with Open University Malaysia, teaching IT and e-commerce subjects to diploma- and degree-level students.

If there’s one thing I noticed from the Wayback Machine is that a need to redesign my web sites has been long overdue. I have been sticking to my old designs since 2002, which is as embarassing as a monkey caught peeing in his pants. So after much re-splicing, re-wording and re-placing, the new design for Cybernet Sabah is now ready for your enjoyment. I have big plans for this baby, big plans. The best is yet to come (hint: freebies, anyone?).

Here’s wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a joyous New Year 2007.