Great New Accommodation Site Released
The new Hilltop on High Street website is a fantastic looking example of what can be achieved with our Simple Content Manager. The new site takes advantage of the multi image feature we can now put on an SCM site.I think you'll agree by visiting or looking through their online photo galleries that their claim "One of Dunedin's finest accommodation houses, Hilltop On High Street is a city haven of splendour and sophistication." holds very true.
Check it out online at : www.hilltoponhighst.co.nz
Hard Core Web Developer required
We need a contract web developer who can start immediately for an initial three month period in order to assist with delivery of eCommerce websites.The successful candidate must:
- have a strong understanding of PHP
- be able to work in a team
- have good time management skills (punctuality, accountability)
- have experience with importing and exporting data programatically between different systems
- be able to work in our offices in the Dunedin CBD (part time teleworking would be considered for the right person)
- an overview of your involvement with some projects you have worked on
- some code examples you have constructed
- relevant references from previous employers or clients
For further details, please contact Paul Southworth on 03 474-5953 or email paul@turboweb.co.nz. All enquiries will be held in the strictest confidence.
10 things you need to know to make your website work for you
Where: Rosebank Lodge, Balclutha (Google Streetview)When: 22nd April 2009 at 5:30pm
Turboweb in conjunction with Clutha Print will be conducting a seminar on how to make your website work for you. The seminar is expected to go for about an hour and in it we will cover ten topics including:
- Why be on the Internet
- How to get a website
- How to be found
- What should be on the site
- How to drive traffic
Getting your startup business off the ground
We were intrigued to read in the 8-4-09 issue of the D-Scene that the Otago Chamber of Commerce is fielding on average four calls each day regarding new startups and getting those people on the right track. This has been accelerated by the number of large companies who employ staff locally who are cutting back in order to survive the recession.Here's some clever ways of thinking to ensure that your startup (or current business) minimises it's overheads, and works smarter than your traditional business.
Computer Hardware
If you go down to your local electronics retailer and look for a new PC, chances are that you'll walk away having spent at least $1,000 on a new computer. Unless you have specific requirements, there's no need to invest so much. Ex-lease PC's are available and are a viable alternative. Average price for an ex-lease PC (without screen) is between $200 and $300, and in most cases are only a few years old.
When looking for an ex-lease PC, get the supplier to pop the lid off the machine and check that it's not clogged up with dust. Some of them will be, but in general ex-lease PC's have been in clean office environments. Go for one that's not dusty.
An ex-lease PC will generally include:
- A desktop PC
- A mouse
- A keyboard
- A power cable
As for a screen, if you don't mind using a CRT monitor then you can probably pick a decent one up for free if you ask around. Schools are good places to ask at, and if they don't have one they can put you in touch with someone who will know where they can get them from.
Choose your phone provider
There's no reason to be locked into using Telecom as your phone provider, or even using their service resold through one of the other providers. With number portability (introduced 1st April 2007) you can switch providers and keep your existing phone number.At Turboweb (and also in our homes) we have switched completely away from Telecom and are using a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) system called 2talk. Depending on the best plan for your business, you can pay as you go, or choose a higher level plan.
2talk also supports fax reception which means we don't have to have a fax machine in our office. If someone sends us a fax it gets converted to a PDF and emailed to us. The downside of not having a fax machine is that you can't send one, but if this is not a requirement for you then it will save you quite a bit.
Useful resources:
- Telecom's Number Portability page - useful details about what number porting is, and the advantages of switching TO Telecom (of course)
- 2talk.co.nz - provider of VoIP services to suit your needs. Note: there's no reason why you can't use one of their "Personal" plans for your business.
Microsoft Windows - software options
Did you know that there's an alternative to paying Microsoft for a copy of Microsoft Windows and then Microsoft Office? Linux is a free open source operating system that will provide you with a wide range of productivity applications and make sure that you're not left in the red when it comes to your bank balance.For most businesses, you will need the following applications. Here's a table showing the commercial options, and the free software options.
| Application | Commercial Options | Free Options |
| Operating System | Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 (released later this year) | Many variants of Linux: Ubuntu, Debian, Suse, OpenSolaris. We use and recommend Ubuntu Linux. |
| Email, Calendar and Task List | Microsoft Outlook | Mozilla Thunderbird (with free plugins) |
| Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Database | Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access) | Open Office (Writer, Spreadsheet, Impress, Base) |
| Web Browser | Internet Explorer (free, but only when you buy Windows) | Mozilla Firefox (see our news item from last year about this) |
In addition to the above desktop applications there is a wide range of robust server applications that will do everything for you such as handle your email in a shared environment (Courier IMAP vs. Microsoft Exchange Server), provide you with networked access to your files (Samba vs. a Windows Server) and provide security via Firewalls and Proxy Servers (iptables & squid).
Be smart with your advertising budget
As tempting as it may be, resist the urge to throw a couple of thousand dollars at the Yellow Pages for an advert, unless there is proven information that shows that your type of business is best to spend it there. Instead, consider splitting your advertising spend and getting a website together. Not convinced? Here's five reasons why your website should get the lions share of your advertising budget vs. Yellow Pages (a rather unfair comparison, but food for thought nonetheless):- Your website is not fixed in stone, whereas printed material is.
- Your website is a complete website, and it can have contact forms, testimonials, pictures, downloads, news items (like this one), video etc. Your Yellow Pages advert does not scale so well for that kind of thing.
- Your website is at the fingertips of everyone with a computer, and chances are that the Yellow Pages is sitting under their computer monitor to make it higher (thanks Telecom).
- Your website is a powerful marketing tool and you can actively communicate with your clients through it by sending email broadcasts. Yellow Pages doesn't do that.
- You can't control your position in the Yellow Pages (unless you spend more than your competition to get a bigger advert), but you can control the position (on Google and other search engines) of your website simply by adding relevant content to it.
Websites can be expensive
Don't get a website from the first place you come to - at the very least shop around and ask other companies what they have in mind for your type of business. Make a checklist of questions or requirements so that you can get a consistent response from across the board.There are generally two kinds of website:
- Custom website with upfront payment and ongoing hosting fees, powered by software like Joomla, Drupal, SilverStripe etc.
- Subscription services with ongoing monthly payments, normally powered by a custom content management system that the web company have developed (ours is called the Simple Content Manager)
This should hopefully give you a good starting point when considering your startup venture. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to get in touch with us via our contact form.
Turboweb Helps Lawrence Go Wireless
Today the marks the integration of the website of the Tuapeka Lawrence Community Website with the Lawrence Free Public Internet Access.Turboweb is proud to be associated with this innovative project and wish to congratulate all those involved in getting this project to fruition.
You can now arrive in Lawrence with your Laptop, Ipod, Iphone or PDA and access the Internet for free. This truly awesome service is backed up by the installation computers that have been placed in the various cafes to offer free internet access whilst you enjoy a coffee or a meal.
The Lawrence information centre also offers free Voip Phone Calls to more than 40 countries around the world, this service is available for all visitors to Lawrence.
When visitors log on the free internet service whilst in Lawrence, they are welcomed on the Lawrence Internet Splash page and routed through the Tuapeka Lawrence Community Website.
Turboweb helped by providing the splash page and the technology for the Tuapeka Lawrence Community Website. TVNZ covered this event on the National News and the news item is available as video here
Nectar Espresso Bar + Cafe website launch
For some time now we've been working closely with Stephen and Angela down at the Nectar Espresso Bar + Cafe to put together a website that reflects the spirit of their cafe.The website puts Stephen and Angela firmly in charge allowing them to make changes to anything any time they like. We delivered to them a system that allowed them to:
- manage all content of the website
- manage a photo gallery that automatically resizes images on upload
- update their "Customer Of The Week" section where they can promote their patrons
- manipulate their cafe menu with an interactive custom built menu editor
- broadcast news and event from their website to their mailing list to drive more foot traffic into their cafe.
Clutha Print
Clutha Print recently switched over their site to SCM. Making a great looking site that is easy to update for them. The new site gives them some real power that they didn't have before. The ability to get in and make changes quickly and easily.Clutha Print is a Balclutha based commercial printing company. Clutha Print provide high quality digital and offset printed products. They are also the Turboweb official partner and representitive for the greater Clutha area.
Check them out on their website www.cluthaprint.co.nz
Hylight Milton
Another great looking site goes live. They specialise in fabricating and installing aluminium joinery, for both residential and commercial projects in the Otago and Southland region.So if you ever need some aluminium joinery you know who to call.
Check out the new site at www.hylightmilton.co.nz.