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We’ll be taking off the rest of the year for vacation so this is going to probably be the shortest post we’ve ever done.
For those who currently have either .COM or .NET domain names, we wanted to let you know that on January 15, 2012 Verisign® will be increasing the prices for those two domain extensions. Therefore, if you currently have one or the other registered, you may want to go ahead and renew for multiple years to beat the increase. I do not know how much the increase will be – but if I can save a few dollars – you can bet I’m going to take advantage of it.
With that we want to wish everyone a . . . .
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
When I see the year coming to an end, there are two business-related thoughts that enter my mind: taxes and starting a new business. Can’t do anything about taxes other than pay them – but starting a new business is another story. For those that have existing Internet businesses or are looking to start a business online you may find my experience over the years helpful.
Existing Business
1. If you have an existing business that has a lot of traffic – or maybe you see the traffic steadily increasing, think about expanding your current business into new related areas. For example, in my case, we had an existing antique site – that over the years we’ve expanded to cover antique shows, trade days, flea markets, ‘how to’ articles on different antique related topics and now . . . we’ve created an online store.
2. Aside from expanding into niche related areas, look for ways to monetize your site if you’re not already doing so. The obvious being AdSense or some other PPC (pay-per-click) source, offer direct advertising on your site for a fee. This advertising might be banners, or maybe something similar to classified ads. You might even want to offer ‘rental’ space on your site for people who have something to sell. They send you the info and pictures, and you upload. This allows you to maintain control.
3. If you have enough useful information or can offer a useful service – useful being the operative word – and your market is broad, you might think of having a membership site where your members can get updated material on a set schedule or you offer a pre-determined, scheduled service, i.e, search engine optimization for example.
4. The main thing is to branch out and then link all your sites together.
New Business
Starting a new Internet business is an exciting experience – but for those who want to sell a product, it can be quite a challenge. Over the years we’ve found that one of the most difficult parts of selling on line is keeping track of the inventory. So we’ve developed the following methodology which we wanted to share with you.
5. We’ve found that assigning a category, inventory number and box number to each item works the best. Once you have the item listed on line, it goes into a box with each item labeled individually bearing the same category, inventory number and box number. We always list the box number, because if we have to return it to inventory for any reason, we know exactly where it goes.
Using this method would result in the following example. Say the next item you’re selling is the 109th book in inventory in your book (BK) category and it’s in box 5. The name for this item might look like BK-109-5.
6. We would also use this same name for the image file as it helps eliminate getting items confused. And, if you have more than one picture associated with the item, give each additional picture the same name but add on a letter to make it unique, i.e,., BK-109-5 being the primary picture with the following images being . . . K-109a-5; BK-109b-5, etc. This keeps all the pictures for each item grouped together but allows you to tell the difference.
7. For boxes containing inventory, put a large label on each end with the domain name, website, or category along with the box number. If you have more than one site or category selling products, you’ll find this box labeling method very helpful.
We’re all hoping that our economy stays healthy, but even it it’s not as strong as we’d like, getting an online business started now will mean that when things do turn around – you’ll be ready with your online businesses up and running.
We’ve been putting a lot of time into building a cart on line and during the process have been using a couple of short-cuts that have really sped the process along – in addition to using the new LED Fancier 500 light and the ‘curves’ function to get those white backgrounds. Even if you’re not putting up a cart, these two tips may save you some valuable time on constructing your next web page when it comes to images.
Re-sizing an Image
In most cases when laying out a web page, you have an idea of the size of the images you want to use depending on
- Location – header logo, above the fold, side bar links, etc.
- Importance – company logo, client advertising, etc.
- How detailed you need it to be – simple geometric shape? or small details?
In some instances, you may want to use some of these same images else where on the site – but in a different size for links, page headings, etc.
If this is the case, create the original image in the largest size you’ll need and save it. Then when you insert the image into the document, you can use it ‘as-is’ or re-assign new height/width - based on correct ratio - to accommodate the other locations without having to create another image. This eliminates a lot of extra work and saves file space.
For our sample pictures below, we have an image of a traffic light where the largest image is 112 x 112, however, if we want to use the same image in another place but need it smaller – rather than create another image of the traffic light at 85 x 85 – we just replace the width / height in the HTML code with the desired size. Same image – just different code.
For example:
Sample 1. <img src=”http://www.yourdomain.com/trafficlight.jpg” width=”112″ height=”112″>
Sample 2. <img src=”http://www.yourdomain.com/trafficlight.jpg” width=”75″ height=”75″>
From JPG to PNG
You have a JPG picture of an object but you want it to be a PNG image so the background is transparent. You might need this for layering images or for using by itself in an application where the background needs to be transparent – for example, maybe your web page has a patterned background
This can usually be accomplished by using the ‘Magic Wand’ or ‘Magnet’ tool in your graphics program. After selecting the tool, you can capture the part of the image you want to use and save. In some cases you may need to adjust the tolerance more than once as you go through the process of selecting what is to be copied. I have found that it’s not very often I get the complete object selected first time with ‘one click’. Once you’ve selected the portion you want, copy and paste it as a new image on to a transparent background saving it as a PNG image.
If you find that you are having a problem selecting the portion of the original image you want because it has a busy background, try making the background white or some other solid color, if your object is primarily white or light colored. Basically what you’re looking for is a contrast in colors to make selection easier. Once you’ve got the solid background, you should find it farily easy to select the object, copy/paste on to a transparent background and then save as a PNG.
 The original intent of the Internet was for sharing, however, as more and more services become available, so has the need for security.
Almost every service - or account we sign up for - now requires a password – some passwords are not as important as others. With hackers becoming more aggressive and increasing in number, the possibility for your identity (username and password) to become compromised has reached new levels. And, while there is a growing demand for more secure hardware devices, most of the time these devices are either too expensive or too complicated for the general public. Not any more.
I don’t very often see a new product that I would recommend, but saw this little device last week and was impressed not only with the simplicity of it (uses a USB port) but also the low cost. If you are in a situation where you need or want to protect your laptop or computer, then the Yubikey may be just what you need.
Quoting from the website, “The YubiKey is a hardware authentication token that looks like a small USB memory stick, but it is actually a keyboard. With the command of an integrated touch button, the device can send a time-variant, secure login code as if it was typed in from a keyboard. And because USB keyboards are standard on all computers the YubiKey works on all platforms and browsers without the need for client software.”
This simple bit of hardware can be used for secure access to e-mail, VPN, Windows login, disc encryption and web single sign-on – as well as many other applications. And, from some of the comments I read, it is practically indestrutible.
It would be the perfect way to secure access to laptops/computers for students, office workers, or anyone who feels their computer and it’s contents might be at risk of prying eyes. It might also prove effective for those who use the cloud for computing and want to restrict access through their computer.
Even though we work from a home office, I’m tempted to buy one of these . We have no affiliation with this product, just thought it was a good idea we wanted to bring it to your attention if you haven’t already heard of it. You can read more about this product at their website – www.yubikey.com. (Just copy and paste into the address bar).
Pictures are typically a big part of any website – but if you’re planning on offering items for sale via either a cart or catalog, then pictures can take on a whole new importance. As discussed in a previous post, ‘how to get a ‘white background‘ – you want to start with the best-lighted original picture you can get. While very few of us can’t afford a well lighted studio set-up, most of us can afford to build a good light box out of PVC that will give excellent results.
Before you begin the building process, you should decide where you are going to be using your light box. Preferably this will be somewhere you can leave everything set up. If you don’t have a place like this, then building your light box out of PVC is even better since you can take it apart and reconstruct it easily.  Once you’ve selected where you want to take you pictures, you should measure the maximum space available for the light box. In my case, I had a table that would accommodate a 2′ x 2′ area. Once this was decided, I sketched my diagram and listed the needed supplies.
To build a 2′ x 2′ light box, you will need the following. I might add that regardless of the size of light box you decide to build, the number of pieces needed are the same. Simply replace the length of PVC pipe you need for your light box for my 2′ sections. The diameter of PVC used was 3/4″.
PCV Supplies
- 2 back pieces – top & bottom (2 foot each)
- 8 side pieces - (2 foot each)
- 4 back extender pieces (4 inches each)
- 8 PVC ‘L’ pieces
- 4 PVC ‘T’ pieces
You’ll also need a measuring tape and a PVC pipe cutter. Once you have the correct lengths cut, the light box is as simple as connecting the dots.
Instructions
1. Connect the back top and bottom pieces using the 2′ center sections, 2 T’s and the 4 extender pieces.
2. Finish the back section by placing an L on each end and then connecting the sides together with a 2′ section vertically. You now have a rectangle.
3. To complete the sides, place a 2′ section into the open end of the T – top and bottom.
4. Place an L connector on the end of each section
5. Place a 2′ section between the L’s vertically. You now have a completed side.
6. Repeat stepd 3-5 for other side
Picture Taking
 You are now ready to drape a white sheet over the framework and take pictures. For my light I chose a 500 LED Light Panel with dimmer switch by Fancier 500A available from Amazon. So far – for all the pictures I have taken over all these 15 years, I have found that this light gives the best light of any I’ve used when compared to outside light. Best part is I can dim the light to suit the subject.
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