What is a domain name?
What is a URL?
What is a hosting provider?
What is FTP?
What is wysiwyg?
What is a widget?
What is sharethis.com, and how do I create an account?
How can Flickr help me organize and display photos and other images on my site?
Can I have a blog on my website?
How can I get e-commerce, or PayPal Pro, on my website?
Email Information: How do I set up my email for outlook?
How do I create a Newsletter that users can sign-up to receive from my site?
How can I send you photos for my site or print materials?
How do I stop a sender from going into my spam folder?
How do I add a new page to my site?
How do I add to and format text on the pages (old and new) of my site?
How do I add an external link or a document (PDF) to a page?
How can I add a photo to a page?
How do I edit the site navigation menu and submenus?
Why should I use Skype?
What are the benefits of using Google Docs?
How do I sign up for social media accounts?
1. Twitter
2. Facebook
3. YouTube
4. Constant Contact
5. LinkedIn
Where can I purchase images for my site or print materials?
I want to upload a video to my site, in what format should I save it?
What are my options for printing business cards?
Why am I not receiving emails from my contact form.
What is a domain name?
Your domain name is the URL of your website such as ´www.triplesmart.com´. Your domain name is registered and maintained by a hosting provider, such as Bluehost, and you must sign up for an account with this provider. You will want to reserve your domain name/s as soon as possible so that we can ensure we are making your logo with the correct words.
Creating a URL is the first step in developing your site, and you may want to consider using a shorter URL that you then forward to the longer URL, depending on the name of your business and the keywords associated with your business and what you do. Now days more than ever, a longer URL is really going to be critical for search engine optimization as Google puts a very high premium on keywords that are placed in the site name itself.
To check if the domain name you have in mind is still available, we recommend you visit http://www.pcnames.com/. Here you can type the domain name and then click on the various suffixes (.com, .net, .org) to see what options exist using your domain name. Sometimes while using http://www.pcnames.com/ or any other Domain Name Search site, you may see that someone else has already bought your domain name, and/or your domain name with all the different suffixes (.com, .net, .biz) and they may have the domain up for sale. You may want to consider purchasing the domain from one of these sellers.
For more information, please see our Domain Name Registration page.
What is a URL?
URL is the Uniform (unbiased) Resource (internet address) Locater (finder). It is essentially the name of the website, or the complete website address. www.google.com is a URL, and the server uses the entire address, www.google.com to locate the site/pages you want to access on the internet.
What is a hosting provider?
Web Site Hosting is a service that is offered by companies, such as Bluehost, that house, service, and maintain the pages and files for your website on their servers. The content of your web site is essentially organized and stored by the host who has the physical available space for this information and a faster internet connection. When you purchase your hosting it´s like paying a landlord to rent out a storage unit to store all things related to your website. For hosting your site and emails we recommend a low cost solution, and then if site traffic warrants later you can bump up to a more robust and expensive solution.
We highly recommend http://www.blueHost.com. You can have as many websites as you want on this single account. You can also create as many emails or email addresses as you need. You get one domain free per year. You can go there to register your domain directly as you won't have to pay or deal with the transfer to a new hosting. Also you can buy an extra, shorter domain for $10 per year if needed.
Once you have set up the account please send us the username and password so we can access the account and help you learn how to use the Control Panel to maintance and maintain all things related to your site. For more information, please see our Hosting page.
What is FTP?
FTP = File Transfer Protocol. It is the general name given to a bunch of computer programs that help transfer information (files) from one computer to another on the internet. It is called a file transfer protocol because the different programs that transfer the files across the internet all follow speciic standardized rules.
What is wysiwyg?
Wysiwyg = What You See Is What You Get. It is a module used to edit the content of your website from the backend. It works in such a way that the content or data you input during the editing process is similar to the output display or what your users will see when they go to your site. Essentially the way you see the page while editing is the way the page will look once you have submitted the changes to that page. On the other hand, html (Hypertext Markup Language) is a programming language used to create a webpage using tags (codes of html) and other elements, to be interpreted from the editor first and then displayed by the web browser. The wysiwyg module we prefer to use in Drupal, the Content Management System, is TinyMCE.
What is a widget?
A widget is a gadget for your web page. It is a self-enclosed code that is embedded on the page to perform a given function, usually linking users to social media sites or adding functionality such as a counter that shows how many people follow your blog or have viewed a given page of your site.
What is sharethis.com, and how do I create an account?
Sharethis.com is a website we recommend you use to add widgets, chicklets or sharing buttons to your website. The share buttons allow internet users to go to or share your Facebook pages, Twitter pages, or Email (among other social media sites). There are various styles to choose from in terms of the look of the sharing buttons and various button functions including counters that show how many people are sharing your site, etc. To add a widget or chicklet, simply go to www.sharethis.com and click on REGISTER at the top of the page. Then create a username and password and you`re all set to sharethis!
How can Flickr help me organize and display photos and other images on my site?
Flickr is a photo sharing website created by Yahoo and it can help you and/or your organization collect, organize, display, tag, and share images interactively with your users. Using Flickr, you can create groups (invite only or open) for users to join to add their photos to your Flickr account. Anyone (in an open group) or the administrator (in a closed group - invite only) exclusively can add notes to the photo, ¨favorite¨ the photos, and tag themselves to help other users find the specific company images in Flickr searches. So essentially YOU create the group, YOUR USERS or CLIENTS join the group and add their pictures (from company events, etc.) which YOU control and can group into collections.
We can even add a Flickr badge to your website to show a slide of your favorite pictures. You can take your photo sharing one step further by linking up your Flickr accounts with your Facebook, Twitter, and blog so that they show real-time updates from your Flickr account. Creating a Flickr group is one way to make your site interactive for users who become invested in your site and keep coming back for more!
To create a Flickr account go to http://www.flickr.com/. To login and generate a username and password you must use either your gmail email address, yahoo email address, or facebook login information. Please send us the email address you use and corresponding Flickr password so that we might access your account and help link your Flickr accout with your site. For more information about how to make a Flickr group, visit http://www.flickr.com/groups/, and go to http://www.flickr.com/help/groups/ for even more tips on how to maximize Flickr groups. If you plan to be the administrator of a Flickr group, check out these helpful guidelines for managing your group http://www.flickr.com/groups_guidelines.gne.
Can I have a blog on my website?
Depending on your needs, how frequently you will be updating it, the type and amount of content and functionality you want the blog to have, and the amount of traffic you expect the blog to receive, we can design a sister blog for you in WordPress. We will need your username and password to brand your blog page to be similar but not the same as your main site. Another option if you are looking to have a blog associated with your site, but on a smaller scale, would be for you to create an account at www.blogger.com and send us the URL. We`ll add a blogger link to your site!
How can I get e-commerce, or PayPal Pro, on my website?
If you want to have a shopping cart on your site so that your target audience can purchase your products or services online or donate money to your organization´s cause, your monetary transactions will be going through PayPal Pro. This is the industry standard and currently the least expensive solution for e-commerce. The Pro version is even better than Pay Pal as your constituents will just enter their credit card information and never have to leave your site to create a Pay Pal account, which can be off putting. There`s a re-occurring charge of $30 per month to use the service and PayPal receives a small percentage of what you collect via PayPal each month. For more information scroll down to the ´how it works,´ ´setting up,´ or ´pricing´ sections of the page https://merchant.paypal.com/cgi-bin/marketingweb?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=merchant/wp_pro. Or apply here.
Please send us the following so we can incorporate e-commerce in your site:
PayPal Username
PayPal Password
For more information, please check out our E-Commerce page.
Email Information: When we design the footer for your site (the bottom of the page which contains your contact information, etc.) it is important to offer users at least one generic email address such as or to contact your business. We can integrate your email accounts so that you receive emails sent to these generic email addresses in your personal gmail, yahoo, hotmail, or whatever other email accounts. It is quite common to use this generic business email address on business cards, etc. such as or . Let us know what emails you want set up and where you want them sent, and we can take care of forwarding your business email addresses to your personal email accounts for you. Also let us know how you will access these emails, gmail, outlook, etc.
For more information please see our E-Mail resource page.
How do I set up my email for outlook?
Here´s a tutorial for how to setup your email in Outlook 2003. See settings below where it says `Manual Settings. http://helpdesk.bluehost.com/index.php/kb/article/390
Here´s a tutorial on how to setup your email in Outlook 2007. http://tutorials.bluehost.com/outlook2007/
Here´s a tutorial on how to setup your email in Outlook Express. http://helpdesk.bluehost.com/index.php/kb/article/000393
Here´s a tutorial for how to setup your email in Outlook 2002. http://helpdesk.bluehost.com/index.php/kb/article/000058
How do I create a Newsletter that users can sign-up to receive from my site?
We can help you design a newsletter to be sent out via email to a list of your contacts (be that your clients, friends, or to other organizations that sign up) that matches the overall branding of your business. We can brand your newsletter to match the look and feel of your website by incorporating your logo and other elements from the overall site design. To generate the newsletters you will need to sign up with an email marketing provider, then send us your login info and we`ll design the newsletter template for you, and add a subscriber sign up button or subscriber logins to your site. Here are the email marketing providers we recommend and their associated fees:
How can I send you photos for my site or print materials?
If you have multiple photos that cannot be attached in one or two emails, you may want to zip the images or other files together in one file. Please consult this how-to-guide for more information on how to zip files in Windows. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Compress-and-uncompress-files-zip-files.
We also have a DropBox account by which you can create a new folder for your photos and share that folder with us using DropBox software. All you have to do is download DropBox from https://www.dropbox.com/ and use our account info to directly share your photos with us.
How do I stop a sender from going into my spam folder
We found a great resource which shows you how to white list a particular email in almost every email program out there. Check it out here: http://www.dropsend.com/support/
How do I add a new page to my site?
How do I add to and format text on the pages (old and new) of my site?
How do I add an external link or a document (PDF) to a page?
How do I add an internal link to a page?
How can I add a photo to a page?
How do I edit the site navigation menu and submenus?
Why should I use Skype?
We use Skype on a daily basis to contact our clients and place other business calls. We think it`s a great communication tool and we are recommend our clients sign up for a for free skype account so that we can skype-to-skype with you, and take advantage of some of the helpful software features. Skype allows us to share our desktop with you, so you can see what we see as we develop your site or take you through the steps of editing your site during trainings, etc. Also, skype-to-skype calls are free and we can see each other using web cams, and chat via Skype chat. Download the software here: http://www.skype.com/intl/en/get-skype and then set up a skype account.
For more information about Skype, please see our Skype Guide.
What are the benefits of using Google Docs?
Our team uses Google to internally share documents and spreadsheets with one other and also with our clients. We encourage you to use gmail to share your website content and other materials with us too. Google docs and spreadsheets are especially helpful when organizing site databases as they allow you to add content to the doc and for us to view the changes, comment, or edit the pages on our end ¨live¨ while or at the same time that you are working with the document. When you work on a Google doc you don`t have to bother sending us your content via email, you can just share the doc with us and we can better collaborate with you directly throughout the creative process. To sign up for a gmail account, click here.
How do I sign up for social media accounts?
In the design of your site you likely have widgets or buttons linking to your Twitter, Youtube, or other social media sites. Below you will find some basic information about some popular social media sites that can connect you with your target audience and boost your clientel.
1. Twitter: https://twitter.com/signup
Note your "username" will be your twitter URL, ie. www.twitter.com/yourname.
Please send us the following so we can theme your twitter with the look-and-feel of your site:
- Twitter URL
- Twitter Username
- Twitter Password
2. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/r.php
Please send us the following:
- Facebook URL
To create a company page, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and select the appropriate category for your business, organization, etc. (ie. for a local business, brand or prodcut, organization, artist brand, or public figure) Enter the page name and check the box that says you are an administrator. Your company Facebook page will be accessed and updated using the administrator information. Note that your page name will be your facebook URL, or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yourname. On the next screen you can upload your business logo, provide information about your business, contact information, hours of operation (if you have a retail or local office), etc., and write a general description of your business.
3. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/
Go to http://www.youtube.com and select "Create an Account" or simply go to http://www.youtube.com/create_account?next=%2F. You can use an existing Google account or other email address when signing up for a YouTube account, or create a new Gmail account once in the ´account sign up´ page.
Please send us the following so we can theme your YouTube page with the look-and-feel of your site:
- YouTube URL
- YouTube Username
- YouTube Password
4. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com
Please send us the following:
- LinkedIn URL
To create a company page first login to your account. Once logged in click on the ´companies´ tab at the top of the navigation bar and click on ´add a company.´ Before you can add the company you will have to add the the company name and email and verify that you are an official representative of the company. Whichever name you enter as the company name will be the custom URL, ie. www.linkedin.com/company/yourcompanyname. On the next screen you can add stats about the company (logo, company description, specialities, type of company, year estabilshed, the links to your Twitter and Facebook accounts, industry, RSS feed, etc.)
If you would like you can also add products and services. By clicking on the ´product and services´ tab you can add a product or service button. You will enter info about your product or services such as the product item name, category, graphic, description, disclaimer, list of features, URL, contact person, current promotion, and YouTube video. You can also create a ´product and services´ home page.
5. Constant Contact: https://www.constantcontact.com/features/signup.jsp
Please send us the following:
- Constant Contact Username
- Constant Contact Password
To create an account you will be prompted to enter your name (the account administrator), the organization name, country, state, phone number, email address, and website URL. Finally you will need to create a security question and answer. The account is created first as a trial account and must then be upgraded to a paid account.
Where can I purchase images for my site or print materials?
We always recommend you use your photos first, but to find other professional photos at an affordable price, we recommend http://www.istockphoto.com/. Each istock credit costs around $1.50. The picture, illustration, or graphic is yours once you (or we) purchase it, and most images going into a website can be x-small. We can purchase the images for you to use in your website or print material from our istock account, just let us know the istock number for the images you would like to use. In the search bar you can search for things like happiness, energy, healthy, healthy food, exercise, park, healthy lifestyle, yoga, etc. (if you`re a fitness center or yoga instructor), whatever your needs are. If you click on a photo it will go to its own photo page and you can see other keywords in the bottom right that might be good search terms for other searches.
Sometimes you can also find images on StockXchng at http://sxc.hu/. These images are free but there are stipulations about the use of each picture in various media forms. For example, many times images are free for use on the web, but the author must be cited if the image is used in print matieral. Or the image is explicitly for use on the web and the author does not give permission to use the image in any other media form. Click on the image to see the stipulations for use, displayed below the photo.
I want to upload a video to my site, in what format should I save it?
When we add a video to your site, we upload it first in YouTube. Please save the video in any one of the following files or formats, or for more information, click here:
What are my options for printing business cards?
Route 1: You can print full-color business cards very cheaply now days due to new technology. We have a printer that we often work with, for example, which charges around $16 for 1,000 business cards, full-color, front and back on 16pt cardstock. There is a shipping fee involved, although the cards can usually be shipped as a group, and a $5 proof fee. This printer is called Americas Printer and you can see their pricing online at www.americasprinter.com.
Route 2: You can print using Pantone colors on high-quality cotton paper, which might have a texture, etc. This type of printing is much more expensive but also has a much different quality. You can pick a creme-colored paper, have raised-inks, etc. The way that printers charge for this is per color used. So most people go with one to two colors due to cost. You would have to use a flat, single-colored version of your logo if you go this route.
We always recommend going with a local printer because you can go in, touch the paper, and are supporting local business. However, if cost is a major issue, you will have to weigh that into your decision-making. In terms of the design of your business cards, it is important we know which route you plan on going for printing as the color scheme, etc. will be impacted accordingly. We can always communicate with the printers for you, and even send the printer-ready files to the printer, if you provide the name and contact information of the printer.
We found a great resource which shows you how to white list a particular email in almost every email program out there. Check it out here:
Why am I not receiving my contact form emails?
The contact form could be going into your junk folder. You will need to white list your URL in your email program. We found a great resource which shows you how to white list a particular email in almost every email program out there. Check it out here: http://www.dropsend.com/support/
If more than one person is receiving the contact email, the problem could be that your email is set up as a POP rather than IMAP. POP accounts erase the email from the server when it is downloaded onto your local computer. That would mean that if more than one people are getting the contact form email, only the first person would get the mail before it was erased off of the server. The second person would log in and the mail would be gone.
The solution would be to set up all of your accounts as IMAP not POP. That means that once your Outlook downloads the message it will LEAVE it on the server. That way when the first person downloads the mail onto their outlook the message will still be there for the second person.
The second solution, which we would recommend, would be to change the type of email account all together. If you make the email where the contact form is going a Forwarder email, it will simply forward a copy of the email to all the people on this list. If you go this route you may need to remove contact form email from your Outlook, so you don't receive duplicate copies of the email.