Clients ask us the same question all the time: is there a way I can make simple changes myself without having to know a lot about website programming?

Yes. It’s called WordPress and you can convert your site to it pretty easily and without spending a lot of money.

I’ve written about WordPress before, and it’s popular, so the name may be familiar to you. It started life as blogging software but today goes far beyond that. WordPress is, essentially, a very flexible content management system.

What’s the difference? Simply put, a content management system allows you to do the blog thing while also including static pages. And, on these pages, you can do almost anything you can on a “normal” site. The average visitor won’t notice that you’re using a specialized tool. And, when it comes time to change a date here or some content there, you can do it yourself.

How much does it cost to convert your site to WordPress? That all depends on your site. WordPress itself is open source and can be used without licensing fees. We’ve converted small sites for $99 - our new customer special - while most standard small business sites are in the $500 range.

If you’re looking for a way take control of your site without having to learn the technology, convert it to WordPress. It’s not the right solution for every website, but it is a very good solution for many.

I’ve been working with a customer on a photo gallery script for their site.  I highly recommend the PHP script Gallery.  It’s highly configurable, well programmed and easy to use.  It’s a nice piece of work.

So you have a website and you want to add a bit of ooomph to it with a Flash widget. Great! Make sure you get the source from whoever develops it. Why? The one constant on the web is change and, without the source, you’ll either be locked into your current developer for changes or you’ll likely have to redevelop the widget from scratch.

How can you tell if you have the source? Your developer will always give you the SWF file. That’s the one you’ll use on your site. What you need is the FLA file. This is the file other developers can use to update your Flash widget. If you’re using any custom fonts, you’ll need those files as well.

Some developers will give you the FLA files, some won’t. We provide them on request. Under our general terms of service, the original source files and published versions are both your property.

If you don’t have the source, is it still possible to update the Flash file? Sometimes. You can convert the SWF into an FLA working file, but you lose the granularity required to make anything other than simple changes.

Just got a fax today from the Official Internet Registry & Optimazation Bureau touting their SEO services.  Now, the company may in fact provide SEO services, but there are several factors that lead me to believe they are just a scam.

1. Their name.  There is no official Internet website registration or oprtimation bureau.

2. They’re faxing blind, which I never trust in businesses, politicians or charities.

3. They offer no specific statement about what they provide.

4. They operate from a Panamanian registered website (.com.pa) and offer only a Private Mailbox Style address.

5. They offer a once annually service.  SEO is a constant requirement, not a once a year event.

The sad part is that someone out there will probably sign up for the service hoping for a magic cure to their Internet woes.  When they do, they’ll be out $600+.  A quick search around the web will find multiple reports of these shysters.

If you’re looking for SEO, talk to your web developer first.  Chances are they can help.

This caught my eye this morning. Technically, this JC Decaux bus stop is in Chicago, which is probably what Hamburg thought they were getting when they sought to advertise their now-concluded China Time 2006 event. But the bus stop is near a Sears that is on the very edge of the city. Across the street is Elmwood Park. If you look down the road in the picture, you can see that the area is mostly residential.

Talk about 0 ROI. I suppose I’m seeing it, which is something, and I’m blogging about it, which is also good. But I can’t image the cost of the advertisement justifies the payback from this post.