Groundzero Webmaster Newsletter : Issue #1
Copyright (c) 2002 : http://www.ground-z.org
January 28 2002 : All Rights Reserved
Editor : Rik Tairea - webmaster@ground-z.org

This is a FREE monthly newsletter created for webmasters and website owners who are looking for resources, website tools, editorials, software, eBooks, promotion and design tips to help get the most out of a website. For in-depth webmaster resource reviews, website related articles, website awards and past newsletter issues then visit the Groundzero website located at http://www.ground-z.org.


- In This Issue -

1. Recommended Resources
2. Editors Corner
3. Promotion Tip
4. Recommended Download
5. Subscriber Sites
6. Contact/Feedback/Unsubscribe
7. Final Thoughts
8. Newsletter Details


- 1. Recommended Resources -

CGI Spy - http://www.cgispy.com
Host to a large number of CGI scripts/services for people who don't have access to CGI on their servers. The most useful of their services is the random banner script which is one of the only banner rotator services on the Internet that doesn't place their own ads in it. Standard membership is free and is supported by advertising, but not all scripts have advertising in them (but are still free).

Get Submitted - http://www.getsubmitted.com
Providers of an easy way to submit URLs to search engines and directories including Yahoo, Excite, Lycos, Google and many more. Search engine experts will tell you that automatic submission is a big waste of time but this service has a good reputation in this area. It's a good way to keep track of which search engines you have submitted to and recommends when to resubmit. Standard membership is free which allows five URLs to submit.

Marketleap - http://www.marketleap.com
If you need to quickly know if your website is listed on the major search engines or how many sites are linking to you on different major search engines then Marketleap is the free service for you. The Search Verification Tool will use the keyword phrase you provide to verify inclusion of your website and the Link Popularity Analysis is one of the best ways to measure your website's online visibility.


- 2. Editors Corner -

"Three ways to really annoy your visitors"

There are hundreds of ways to annoy visitors to your site and keep them away - FOREVER. As a webmaster of a website award program and as a web surfer I have come across many pages that have managed to keep me around for 10 seconds and then make sure that I never visit again (which I'm sure has happen to you as well). Here are three commonly used ways to really annoy your visitors.

"Multiple Popups/Popunders"

Now don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against popup or popunder windows, I use them myself. When used properly they can be the best way to put your message across and can produce revenue through CPM advertising. I don't even mind visiting sites that have popups to pay for free hosting (geocities, tripod, fortune city, etc) but when you have to endure 3 to 4 popups/unders on one page it can be annoying and terribly frustrating.

To take it even further, some popups/unders can come with no title bars and no window borders. I have even seen cases where these pop-ups manage to go into full screen mode and the only way to close them is by pressing ALT F4.

The problem with multiple popups/unders is that they get in the way of the actual content. If I'm spending too much time trying to close windows I'm just going to get frustrated and leave the website, provided I haven't closed the main window by accident in the first place.

Another problem with multiple popups/unders is that they can take up substantial bandwidth and thus slow down the load time of the actual website. Studies show that the attention span of an average web surfer is not terribly good so you only have a limited amount of time to capture your audience in order to keep them around longer.

If you are going to use popups/unders on your website then try and use them sparingly and to your advantage.

"Splash Pages"

Like popups/unders, if used wisely can actually add to a website. But for some webmasters, the temptation to go overboard while creating a splash page and in some cases splash pages is too great. We've all seen them, some may look great but take forever to load while others just plain old look ugly and serve no purpose what so ever.

Then there are pages that display flash presentations that take 3 - 5 minutes to load and 30 seconds to watch. Now don't get me wrong (again), I don't hate flash (but I don't particularly like it either) but it can be a big pain in the (insert your expletive here). Disadvantages include loading time, having to download a plug-in if you don't have it already installed, and in some cases not being able to get past the first page.

Here's a scenario for you (if for some reason you are reading this aloud then take a deep breath because I have purposely refrained from using any punctuation for dramatic effect). If there is no skip intro or alternative link to get into the main page of the website and if the visitor doesn't have the plug-in or has flash disabled and the page designer has not written statements that redirect a visitor to the main page if the flash file does not load then where does the visitor go from there? Nuff said.

If you need a splash page for Search Engine Optimization (maybe your site is made in frames or is purely created in flash) then take a look at the splash page for the Spring Woods High School Orchestra website @ http://swhso.vr9.com It's simple, looks great, loads fast, is only one page and really fits in with the look of the whole site.

"Bad Color Schemes"

In my opinion the look of a webpage doesn't really matter, the viewability (if that's a word) does. Put it this way, if a visitor is having a hard time viewing your content then what's the (insert your expletive here) point?

Don't you just love it when you visit a webpage that has a black background with dark blue text, or better yet a webpage with a bright yellow (and I mean YELLOW) background with a very bright red text that is able to make you squint your eyes so hard that suddenly you to go into a seizure, fall off your chair and foam at the mouth.

Ok, maybe I'm being a little over dramatic (just a little bit) but I have seen webpages like this many times before which have managed to hurt my eyes. So if this happens what do you think my next action will be? Do you think I'll take some pain killers and carry on looking at the offending webpage in question? You guessed it - NO! (unless the content will either save my life or create world peace). I'll be heading to another website more user friendly to my fragile needs.

Have you ever noticed that the most used background and text color combinations for webpages are white/black and black/white. There's a good reason for this - THEY ARE EASY ON THE EYES!

"Remember"

Like I said before there are hundreds (and I mean HUNDREDS) of ways to turn visitors away and make sure that they never return to your website. When your creating your webpages just remember this - think about whether or not what your creating will turn away your visitors, if you think yes then decide on another course of action.

There's my rant for this month.


- 3. Promotion Tip -

Most of us have heard about the Open Directory Project but there are still some webmasters who have not heard about a similar service called Zeal. Zeal is a community-driven directory that allows enthusiasts from around the world to contribute sites, manage categories, and collaborate with a team of professional editors to build a superior directory. Zeal is a part of LookSmart and additions to Zeal can be seen on LookSmart, Microsoft's MSN, Excite@Home, AltaVista and included on many smaller directories.

If you have a "non-commercial" website then become a member of the Zeal community by signing up. Then pass the twenty question quiz and add your website to the appropriate category. If your website is excepted by an editor expect your site to show up in the Zeal and Looksmart directory in less than 48 hours. Additions to other directories may take longer (depending on how often they update).

These days it is hard to get a free listing in the big search engines but Zeal does it's part to help out.

Zeal - http://www.zeal.com
Open Directory Project - http://dmoz.org


- 4. Recommended Download -

Name : SbookBuilder
Size : 575kb
Operating System : Windows
Price : Free
Minimum Requirements : Internet Explorer 4.0 +
URL : http://www.jansfreeware.com/jftools.htm

SbookBuilder is a free HTML compiler/eBook Publisher that creates a standalone HTML viewer executable of a directory and all the html, image and sound files in it, with just a few button clicks. Includes frames support, zoomable print preview and printing of selected pages, custom start page, custom Icon and title bar, optional password protection, special print page break and Cascading Style Sheet support.

The best thing about SbookBuilder (besides the great price) is the fact that the finished ebook has no flashing banners or adware to distract from the content you have made. For once FREE actually means FREE


- 5. Subscriber Sites -

Would you like your website featured in the Groundzero Webmaster Newsletter for FREE? If so just send an e-mail to webmaster@ground-z.org with the subject heading "Subscriber Site". As long as your site is viewable to a general audience and doesn't contain anything offensive then please feel free to submit. It doesn't have to be webmaster related (but webmaster related sites are welcome) and the design and size doesn't matter (the viewability does).Offer only available to subscribers and a link to http://www.ground-z.org would be highly appreciated.


- 6. Contact/Feedback/Unsubscribe -

If you have any questions regarding this newsletter then please feel free to contact the editor at the following e-mail address : webmaster@ground-z.org. You can also send in any feedback about the Groundzero Webmaster Newsletter at the same address.

If for some reason you no longer wish to receive this newsletter then send an e-mail to webmaster@ground-z.org with the subject heading "Unsubscribe" from the address you signed up with. You will be removed from future mailings.

If a friend has sent you a copy of this issue and you would like to subscribe to the Groundzero Webmaster Newsletter then you can join by visiting the Groundzero site located @ http://www.ground-z.org or by sending an e-mail to webmaster@ground-z.org with the subject heading "Newsletter Subscription".


- 7. Final Thoughts -

And there we have it, the first issue of the Groundzero Webmaster Newsletter. I hope you enjoyed it because I totally enjoyed creating it. The next issue will be sent out February 28 2002 (if you didn't know each issue is sent out on the 28th of every month) and will feature what we all want to see in an Ezine - CONTENT. If you think you know someone who might be interested in reading this newsletter then do them a big favor and forward them this entire e-mail or point them to the Groundzero website located @ http://www.ground-z.org

Thanks for your time and stay safe.
Editor - Rik Tairea.


- 8. Newsletter Details -

You are receiving the Groundzero Webmaster Newsletter because you submitted your e-mail address by way of a sign-up form located at Groundzero or at one of our partner sites. You may have also subscribed by e-mail. If you do not wish to receive this publication anymore then please follow the unsubscription e-mail link located in section 9.

No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. You may forward this newsletter by e-mail as long as you forward it in its entirety. It is forbidden to post this newsletter on any website or republish it in print or other media without prior written consent from the editor.