designforweb.co.uk/blog

Subject: PHP security exploit with GIF images Author: Manuel Lemos Age in days: 94 Summary: This post talks about a PHP security exploit that can be performed using specially crafted GIF images that embed malicious PHP code. Advice is given on what to do and to not do to avoid the problem.

I wonder if I'm kind of a dinosaur moving around in the city.

Are there any other VB6 programmers interacting with social media and other web 2.0 applications around?

It would be nice to connect and exchange stories...

ActiveGreg

Ok I don't know if this exists but I would love to find it. For those of you that use wordpress you know that on your dashboard you have blog stats that contains something like

There are currently 274 posts and 819 comments, contained within 33 categories.

Is there a plugin I could get that would display this info in my footer? That would be cool.

Want to let me borrow it? I've got like, 16 bars of Irish Spring I can trade with you..

Credibility is difficult to build and extremely easy to lose. These 10 steps will help you maintain your credibility.

Stanford released the following 10 points for increasing credibility after a 3-year, 4,500 person study .

1. Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site. - The web makes it extremely easy to link to other sites that back up your material. No need to create a 3 page bibliography. Simply link to the material inline. Those that want additional information will be able to review your information and see that you have done your homework on the subject.
2. Show that there's a real organization behind your site. - Web sites make it easy for smaller companies to look just as big (or bigger) than larger organizations. While this can be both good and bad for either group, showing that your company has more of a presence than a P.O box will help increase your credibility.
3. Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and services you provide. - Besides stating your "qualifications", it is always better to show off your expertise by writing articles that clearly shows your understanding and your authority on the subject.
4. Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site. If you provide a simple bio of the people in the organization, you can highlight your expertise and show that your people can be trusted. Testimonials are a great way to help build credibility.
5. Make it easy to contact you. - This is one of the three essential purposes of a website . Show your contact info on every single page.
6. Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose). - Your website should look like your business. Templates will never do that for your business. Make sure that your design is built around your customers and can communicate directly with their needs.
   
7. Make your site easy to use -- and useful. - Make sure you use good navigation and make it simple for people to "progress" through your website to the information they are searching for.
   
8. Update your site's content often (at least show it's been reviewed recently). - Whether you are using a CMS or have a company blog, make sure that you are providing up-to-date, pertinent, information that will answer your customers current questions. Your industry isn't stagnant. Your website shouldn't be either.
9. Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers). - Your customers didn't come to your site to see advertisements. They came looking for specific information. Make sure people can clearly tell what are ads and what aren't.
   
10. Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem. - No one loses credibility faster than those that have broken links, bad grammar, or pages that don't display correctly. Take a second to review your site.
    

These are simple concepts. However, making them a part of your everyday operations is more difficult, but the benefit will be well worth the effort.

Usability is an integral part of any website and is just as important as accessibility and search engine friendliness. So many websites are shooting themselves in the foot with poor usability by making it difficult for users to navigate, access material, and even purchase products. Why then, do so many websites simply ignore the usability principles set out? Is it lack of knowledge, awareness, or skill? We're going to be looking into the possible reasons for poor usability in this article.

Three simple and quick ways to increase your conversion rates.

I recently read a nice little list of ways to increase conversions . While this list is nothing compared to reading "Call to Action ", this is a nice concise list. I'm only going to share a few that I felt are most important.

• Remove Website Clutter - Every page should have a distinct, clear, call to action. Anything that draws people's attention away from the call to action should be removed. This includes poorly worded copy, distracting ads, and images that don't add value to the page.
• Resolve Concerns at the Points of Action - Pair your Points of Action (POA) with appropriate statements that address your customer's concerns. These could include testimonials from previous customers, reviews from experts, reliability indicators (such as associations and memberships), and statements about your privacy policy.
• Remove Checkout Roadblocks - Make it as simple as possible to checkout. Why do you think that Amazon has their own "One Click Ordering ". People are extreme impulse buyers. The checkout stand of your local grocery store is proof of this. Don't make people jump through hoops to purchase.
  

While these are fairly simple concepts to understand, implementation is a different story. Don't become overwhelmed. Just make one change a week. Compare your conversion rates week to week to make sure that you are moving in the right direction. Increasing your conversion rates is one of the simplest ways to get more money out of your existing web viewers.