Sending support and strength to our clients and friends during this difficult time.
We are grateful for all of our clients and so very grateful for those who are still doing business with us. Owning a small business is challenging at this time and some of our clients have had to put projects on hold with us and we completely understand that. For those who have been able to continue working with us, your support of Grateful Web Services has given an even deeper meaning to the word Grateful! Thank you! If you are able to, invest in your business, now couldn’t be a better time.
Remember
We need to remember that this is temporary and although it feels all-encompassing and never-ending, it will end. As long as we stay healthy and are able to breathe, it will be okay! This is a hard statement to make because many people are not okay or have a friend or family member, who is not okay. Our hearts truly go out to you. For the rest of us, It’s okay to have bad moments in your day. There is much sadness due to all of the sickness and deaths that we are hearing about. This is when we need to find our inner gratitude and to be truly grateful for health. Health is truly everything. It’s easy to get down and feel sadness and that is okay, just try to keep it as a ‘moment’ in your day and not your entire day.
Now is the time to give your website a check-up and even do an update!
Grateful Web Services is here to support you during this difficult time. We are open for business and helping our clients update their websites, add new services online and take advantage of some downtime to work on new website projects with us.
Your website is a window into your business! With limited public mobility, more people are becoming internet-dependent during this national emergency and people are online and for even longer periods of time than ever before. Take a moment and check your own website or have us do it for you. This is a perfect time to get your website up-to-date. Remember, the current Covid-19 crisis is not going to last forever and business will get back to a more normal pace. Although this is scary and unsettling, as long as we stay healthy, life will eventually resume back to normal for most of us.
So many options these days when developing a website! We will help you navigate the confusion!
The main difference is that WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS), whereas Squarespace and Wix or even GoDaddy Builder, for example, are drag-and-drop website builders. If you had to use one drag and drop builder, then Squarespace is definitely the better of the options but we don’t recommend anything other than a CMS and WordPress specifically. A CMS generally has more in-depth functions than a drag and drop website builder. You can scale and customize your WordPress site on a more technical level not to mention access to the many powerful plugins (tools) that are available.
Squarespace and Wix are easier for the complete novice on a budget, but a lot less flexible in the long run. Sure, WordPress has a steeper learning curve, which is why you hire a professional unless you are technologically savvy and have the time to learn it. When creating something as important as a website to represent your business, it isn’t the place that you want to cut corners. Sure you want to save money and may even attempt to do it yourself but it is short-sided. Maybe if you are just starting your business and are on such a thin budget, it’s all you can do for now. Eventually, you will need to switch to a CMS like WordPress if you plan on actually growing your business.
Blogging
If you are blogging (and you absolutely, should be if you expect Google to rank you in web searches) then WordPress is by far a superior tool for bloggers and one of the best around. It will let you use both visual and text editors so you can enjoy writing and you can still add custom HTML or your website service company like Gratefulwebservices.com can do it for you on one of our affordable Maintenance Plans. WordPress takes care of your articles, so it will automatically save your progress. Just in case something bad happens like the power goes out. It also keeps revisions, so if you decide that you want the old paragraph back at some point, you will be just one click away from having it on the page.
Unfortunately, Squarespace or Wix just isn’t as good for bloggers. There is no autosave feature, and the platform will not let you use revisions. While there are code blocks that you can use, the feature still won’t let you run your own HTML or CSS from the page. For some bloggers, this can be a deal-breaker. Extremely inflexible! Squarespace isn’t that good with media as well. While WordPress will let you reuse images that you uploaded in the past, Squarespace will force you to upload the same image once again if you decide to reuse it. If you tend to use photos on a regular basis (which you should), this can be a nightmare. Not to mention double work!
How about SEO?
Squarespace and Wix do set your template up with some basic SEOwhich can help boost your site so that it appears higher in search engine ranking. It is less well known for its solid range of SEO tools, which can help boost your site so that it appears higher in search engine ranking. You can have a beautiful site but if no one finds you, what is the point! It’s the old adage of being penny wise and pound foolish
Security and Speed
One of the most important functions of your website is its security and speed. Having a fast website will increase user engagement and search engine optimization. Wix and other DIY site-building websites usually host your website on a shared server with thousands of other users. This diminishes the speed of your own website as well as security, which will result in lost customers and bad user experience.
Professional Web Services Are Still Needed
People have mentioned over the years that these newer drag and drop programs will make it harder for web design companies such as Grateful Web Services to stay in business but honestly, it really hasn’t. When we started building websites over twenty years ago, there weren’t any of these tools and we had to build using code only but when technology shifted we got on board to give our clients the best product possible. The client can now either manage the content themselves much easier and through an admin control panel or have us do it under one of our maintenance plans. It is not unheard of that a potential client rejects a proposal that we prepare for them in favor of something that they can do themselves. However, many times they come back to us or if they don’t we can see that the website isn’t working for them as intended and in most cases, they end up not maintaining it. Basically ending up with a flat tire on the side of the road. Unmaintained and outdated.
When you build your website with platforms like Squarespace or Wix or any of the other drag and drop programs that promise ease of use, it comes with a price. It’s like you are trying to build a house all by yourself and it may end up looking decent but it’s going to have a lot of structural issues. It’s going to end up costing you more in the end than hiring a professional to get the job done.
When you visit the main page for Squarespace and scroll down, logos are displayed of the companies that use Squarespace. Most of them are small businesses that aren’t nearly as high-profile as those that are built on WordPress.
Here at Grateful Web Services, we now build all of our websites in WordPress and couldn’t be happier with the platform!
Grateful Web Services designs all websites using a CMS
You may have heard the term “CMS” as it’s gotten quite popular in the last fifteen plus years. Maybe you have never heard of it, but either way, we will help you understand it a bit more clearly. CMS stands for Content Management System. Here is the link for the official Wikipedia definition. In the early days, a website was built using code but was not editable by the site owner or a non- technical person, only your web developer could make edits. Even for your developer, it was more complex and required all files to be stored on their local computer, and all files then had to be uploaded using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program. Back in the day, you had to know HTML (HyperText Markup Language), which is a programming language. Everything took longer and was way more complicated. Modern sites are usually built with a CMS so that it is easier to make changes for the average person or even for your web developer moving forward. Maybe you have a new phone number, a new employee, you want to add a picture to a photo gallery, it can all be done through the CMS, also known as the back-end of the site. It’s still wise to hold off on doing updates and more complicated changes on your own, but the simple things can be done once you learn the basics. We find that many people still rather have Grateful Web Services handle maintenance and that is totally okay since we do offer that service. It is still in the best interest to develop the site using a CMS since there are so many available tools and plugins that make it the best option when developing a new website. In short, the CMS allows users to create, edit and publish content from anywhere and at any time. Because content is added to the CMS server, the operational aspects of the CMS are not installed on the users’ personal computers so this allows for much easier editing.
A few advantages of using a CMS
Easy to edit through a browser-based admin panel
Tons of plugins to help build your site without pricey custom programming
Revision features allow content to be updated and edited after the initial publication. Revision control also tracks any changes made to files
The most popular content management system is WordPress, used by more than 28% of all websites on the Internet, and by 59% of all websites using a known content management system., The choice for WordPress is followed by Wix and Squarespace, both of which are less robust. Here at Grateful Web Services, we use WordPress as it’s proven to be the CMS of choice!
We are not talking about cracking the actual website code on a website that is way too much to cover on a blog! Besides, most of you, really don’t care to know all of that technical programming anyway, which is why we are here! Navigating the confusing terminology can be somewhat intimidating though. There is a lot of terminologies that might not make sense to you but that’s okay. Below, we have some common words that are used often in the web industry to try and help clear the mystery.
Back-end
The back end of a website is the part hidden from the view of regular website visitors. The back end generally includes the information structure, applications, plugins, and where you edit the content on the site.
Backlink
An incoming hyperlink from one web page to another website.
the more backlinks you have pointing back to your site, the more popular it will be.
Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are the navigation elements that generally appear near the top of a web page and show you the pages and subpages for the page you’re on. For example, Home > Services > websites>
Browser
The browser refers to the program a website visitor is using to view the website. Examples include Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome.
Cache
Cached files are those that are saved or copied (downloaded) by a web browser so that the next time that the user visits the site, the page loads faster.
CSS
This is a set of instructions in a programming language used for describing the style. The style of the page layouts, colors, fonts, etc. This saves a lot of work. It can control the layout of multiple web pages all at once. CSS is an important technology of the Internet, alongside HTML and JavaScript.Wikipedia
Content Management System
Also known as a CMS, the Content Management System is a backend tool for managing a site’s content that separates the content from the design and functionality of the site. Using a CMS generally makes it easier to change the design or function of a site independent of the site’s content.
DNS
This Stands for Domain Name Service. It’s the thing that converts IP addresses into domain names. DNS servers are provided with the IP address of your web server when you assign your domain name to those servers. When someone types your domain name into their web browser, those DNS servers translate the domain name to the IP address and point the browser to the correct web server.
Domain Name
The domain is the name by which a website is identified. The domain is associated with an IP address. Depending on the extension com, .net, .org, etc., a domain can be anywhere from 26 to 63 characters long.
Domain Registrar
The place where you purchase your domain name like GoDaddy
eCommerce
This is short for electronic commerce. It’s the buying and selling of goods online, through websites. Products sold through eCommerce can be physical products that require shipping, or digital products delivered electronically.
Error 404
An error message indicating the server cannot find what was requested by the user. For example, landing on a page that does not exist on a website.
Favicon
Favicons are tiny (generally 16×16 pixels, though some are 32×32 pixels), customizable icons displayed in the web address bar in most browsers next to the web address. They’re either 8-bit or 24-bit in color depth and are a small version of your logo
Front-End
The front end is the opposite of the back end. It’s all the components of a website that a visitor to the site can see (pages, images, content, etc.) Specifically, it’s the interface that visitors use to access the site’s content.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol
FTP is how files are moved across the internet. You can use FTP to connect to your web server and put your web files there. You can also access files via a browser.
HTML
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It’s an essential language for developers to use to specify content for a website or web page.
HTTPS
Similar to HTTP, HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol over SSL (Secure Socket Layer) or, alternately, HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. Like HTTP, it’s a set of rules for transferring hypertext requests between browsers and servers, but this time it’s done over a secure, encrypted connection. This is required these days and is handled as an extra but required charge through your hosting company.
Hyperlink
A hyperlink is a link from one web page to another, either on the same site or another. Generally, these are text or images and are highlighted in some way. Text is often underlined or put in a different color or font weight.
Javascript
JavaScript is a programming language that’s used for web development, web applications, game development, and lots more. This is used to implement dynamic features on web pages that cannot be done with only HTML and CSS
Landing Page
A landing page is a page where a visitor first enters a website. Oftentimes, a special landing page is created for a specific action from the new visitor. This can be used for a special advertising or marketing campaign.
Links
Active text or images that by clicking on you will move to a different page or place online. This is usually highlighted as an underlined or different color or font weight.
Menu
The list of buttons, like home, about us, contact, etc. that are used to navigate through your website.
Navigation
Navigation refers to the system that allows visitors to move around the website. Navigation is most often thought of in terms of menus, but links within pages, breadcrumbs, related links, pagination, and any other links that allow a visitor to move from one page to another, are included in navigation.
Payment Gateway
This is relevant to e-commerce. This is a 3rd party financial service provider that collects money generated from online sales from the customer’s credit card and deposits the money into your bank account. It is like the middleman between the sale and your bank.
Plug-in
A plug-in is a bit of a third-party code that extends the capabilities of a website. It’s most often used in conjunction with a CMS like WordPress for example. Plug-ins are a way to extend the functionality of a website without having to redo the coding of the site. Plugins can also refer to bits of third-party software installed within a computer program to increase its functionality. Using these plugins saves the site owner a lot of money since custom coding is very expensive. However because it’s not custom coding, there are limitations of what the plug-in was created to do.
Responsive
Responsive design is a way of building web pages that detect the visitor’s screen size and orientation and automatically change the layout accordingly. Whether you or on an iPhone, Android device, tablet, or computer, the website will look good and will be laid out in a readable format. Providing a consistent browsing experience across different platforms. Responsive design is critical for Google to rank your website in its results. It is also critical for your users to get a smooth experience when reading your website
SEM
Search Engine Marketing – includes any type of marketing and advertising for the best search engine visibility. This includes SEO and paid methods such as Google Adwords.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization – The process of improving your search ranking on search engines.
Search Engine
A system designed to help find information on the internet Like Google.
Shopping Cart
The online tool within your website where you can list products available for sale – a series of dynamic pages that allow users to browse, add items to their cart, then purchase. This is eCommerce
SSL
This stands for Secure Socket Layer. This is a must-have these days on your domain hosting account. When your website URL shows HTTPS, you know you are secured by an SSL.
Spam
Junk email. Unsolicited, uninvited emails to sell stuff to you that you probably don’t want.
SVG
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based vector image format for two-dimensional graphics with support for interactivity and animation
Traffic
The number of visitors to your website
URL
Stands for Uniform Resource Locator. A site’s URL is its address, the name that specifies where on the Internet it can the found. Like, gratefulwebservices.com
Web Page
A web page is a single document with a website. Generally written in HTML/XHTML, meant to be viewed in a web browser. In many cases, web pages also include other coding and programming such as PHP or ASP. Websites are generally built from multiple interlinked web pages.
Website
Many times people call a website a web page but a website is All of the pages and is not a single document, like a web page.
Web Hosting
The fee you pay to rent space on high-speed servers so your website is available to the general public even when your computer is switched off. You can ask Grateful Web Services about hosting your site on our dedicated server.
Web Server
A web server is a computer that has software installed and networking capabilities that allow it to host websites and pages and make them available to internet users located elsewhere. The web server holds all of the web files on a website and makes them available for people on the internet to see them. It is necessary to have this to have your website on the internet.
Web Statistics
An application that reports the number of visitors to your website, where they are from, how they are locating you etc. Ask Grateful Web Services about Google Analytics. We can install and monitor your website traffic. It’s important to know what your site visitors are doing to better serve them.
Whew, you made it down the list! There is no quiz, so no worries! Please be sure to ask about anything unclear, when you talk to us. We are here to guide you through and not confuse you!
After twenty years, Cobalt Images has rebranded as Grateful Web Services!
While our name has changed, we will continue to provide you with our personalized and outstanding service, that we have always prided ourselves on.
When building websites for business’ became a “thing” in the late ’90s, I just knew that I had to be involved! I loved the internet, loved computers and technology! I was hooked, and have devoted the last twenty years of my career to this industry. Maybe that ages me, but I don’t care. Age and experience are a value and I wear that proudly.
In addition, I enhanced my knowledge as a project manager for the last ten years and have been overseeing website and eCommerce projects for other website and marketing firms as well. Having been involved in every aspect of the process, I am well versed in the lifecycle from every angle.
As a company, we know how to be a real partner to our clients and will be responsive and available every step of the way. We are ready to work within your timeline and budget.
Grateful Web Services is a boutique firm and this enables us to give our clients personalized service and faster turn-around times, and you just won’t find this kind of service at a larger agency!
Laura Rider Owner
gratefulwebservices.com
Get Started
Give us a call or drop us a note and let’s see what we can do for you!
We are Grateful Web Services. A website design and website development company that also offers contract, per project, project management services. We have been involved in the website industry for over 20 years. We are located in Northern California but we don’t limit ourselves and can work with companies, anywhere!
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