Virtual Horizons

It has been proven by Jakob Nielsen that the most most common web reading pattern used by visitors looks like an F. This means that when a visitor first gets to your site they read across the top content area in a straight line (__). Then on they move to read the middle section, again in a straight line (__), but not for long. Finally your visitor will then scan the left side of your website page which forms the branch of the F (|).

So how is that important you ask? Well as you may know most web surfers don't actually read content - they scan it. So how you have your website content laid out will greatly affect the information a vistor actually scans.

So to get your great content read, your first two paragraphs...

When you think of website design I'm sure that like most of us you worked hard on your content and getting your logo designed but did you realize that the colors used on your website can have a psychological impact on your visitors? What does this mean you ask? Well since colors mean different things to different people you need to know who your targeted audience is as well as knowing what message you are trying to convey. Check out the brief color list below and see how some colors may make your visitors feel emotionally:

• White: purity, innocence, cleanliness, simplicity
• Black: secrecy, death, power, sophistication
• Grey: reserved, neutral, moody
• Red: love, excitement, passion, food, warning, danger
• Purple: royalty, mystery, rarity,

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When I think of being community minded within a forum I relate it to how I would participate in my own neighborhood functions. Imagine if you would this picture... It is summer time and you are arriving at your annual neighborhood BBQ. You of course bring along your favorite dish as you know the rule that you don’t arrive empty handed at a party. You visit and catch up on what is happening in the neighborhood. You share plans with your neighbors, getting to know one another personally – you find out about their experiences, their quirks, and their goals such as an upcoming vacation. You volunteer to look after your neighbor’s home when they go away, wanting to be a help. Because you are known in your neighborhood by the way you maintain your...

What exactly is a 'Wordpress Plugin' you ask? A plug-in is a computer program that allows you to add additional features/functions to your Wordpress blog increasing its functionality. Listed below are six of my favorite plug-ins with a brief discription of their use:

1. Sociable is a plugin which adds social media buttons to your posts, therefore allowing web users the opportunity to bookmark and share interesting sites they find online. Think of it as allowing you to be a social butterfly - pollinating someone's website with new traffic!
   
2. Secure and Accessible PHP Contact Form is a contact form that is easy to upload and customize to fit your websites overall design.
   
3. Google XML Sitemaps is a plug-in that will create

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You’ve finally done it! You are venturing out on your own…you are excited at the prospect of finally being a business owner and living the dream. Like many of us, when you venture into the virtual world you recognize the need for a web presence however it doesn't take long before reality sets in and what started out as an exciting adventure is starting to look like a mountain to overcome. You’ve started to do your research into getting your web presence set up but have come to the realization that it isn’t going to be cheap! If you were anything like me, you don’t have that big of a budget so now what are your options?

Well the most obvious choice is that you can hire a web designer who will/can design your site to your specifications...