Web template tips, External CSS (cascading style sheets), "effective" web design for your targeted market, worthwhile resources and other relative topics of interest to webmasters will be discussed by the Web Template Designers at BasicTemplates.com. You can also meet our designers on a personal level, discover their personal and professional trials and tribulations and join in on the office chatter regarding many popular (and sometimes) controversial topics.
We wanted to send our customers a quick but IMPORTANT reminder:
August 15, 2005 is the last day to use your membership discount vouchers.
Since 1994 we have been issuing membership discount vouchers to customers who have previously purchased HTML-CSS Templates. Those vouchers will no longer be valid after August 15, 2005, so if you have been saving them up over the last 11 years, subscribe to a template membership before that date.
The discontinuation of these vouchers will not effect any of our products, services procedures or policies.
The following are answers to questions we've received since this announcement was made.
1. We are NOT going out of business and doing quite well financially and will be bring you many more new designs and services soon.
2. Our membership plan will still be available to all new and existing members.
3. You will still be able to purchase our templates at $5.00 USD each even if you are not a subscribing member. This is 1/10th of our competitors price for the same quality.
4. Nothing will change for our affiliates and resellers.
5. Nothing will change for our current members.
6. We will continue to bring you new designs, sales events and other special promotional offers for many more years to come.
If you have any questions at all, please contact us.
// posted by BasicSusan on 7/30/2005 07:43:00 AM / Permanent Link
We are NOT Going Out of Business!
The news announcement that went out earlier today regarding the discontinuation of our membership "discount vouchers" has sent a shock wave of panic through our email servers and many, many hundreds of customers are concerned. In less than 40 minutes we received over 200 emails from you good people!
Do NOT worry. The only thing that is changing is that the discount vouchers we have been offering for years toward a membership discount if you purchased our HTML-CSS templates over in the past are being discontinued on August 15, 2005.
Let's clarify so you can rest assured of the following:
1. We are NOT going out of business and doing quite well financially. It's only going to get "BETTER" and real soon.
2. Our membership plan will still be available to all new and existing members.
3. You will still be able to purchase our templates at $5.00 USD each.
4. Nothing will change for our affiliates and resellers.
5. Nothing will change for our current members.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please let us know. We will do our best to send each of you a personal message in response to your concerns. Please note that dozens of new emails are arriving continually but we will respond as soon as possible.
So much feedback in such a short amount of time only strengthens what we have already known. You love us, and we are doing something right for you!
A warm thank you to all those folks who asked if there was anything you could do to help us stay in business! Not to worry. We are NOT going anywhere. We've enjoyed 11 years of providing you quality, clean and effective templates at an affordable price and we intend to be around for many, many more years to come - just for you.
// posted by BasicRic on 7/22/2005 05:14:00 PM / Permanent Link
BasicTemplates.com Special News Announcement
After 11 years of designing effective website templates and 5 years of offering discounted rates through a membership plan, we will be saying goodbye to our Membership Discount Vouchers.
If you have purchased prior HTML-CSS Templates from us in the past (over the last 11 years!), you will need to cash them in on or before August 15, 2005 towards a membership plan.
As always we will continue to bring you awesome new template designs and sales.events that will knock your socks off right after your shoes hit the floor. :-)
Thank you again for your continued support and for choosing BasicTemplates as your web template provider. We appreciate you and want to help you succeed on the web.
// posted by BasicSusan on 7/22/2005 03:20:00 PM / Permanent Link
Your Portfolio
The last class that I took in College I think stuck with me more than any other. The importance of keeping a good, up-to-date portfolio. This not only goes for designers but many types of business. I have a friend who is a contractor and he keeps a portfolio with all of his projects past and present. When he goes to meet with a prospective client he takes the portfolio with him to show off his work. I myself, keep a hard copy and a power point presentation of my portfolio. I also have a resume since I have been in the business community for many years (more than I would like to admit) I want them to know I also have a solid business background. When I go to meet with a prospective client I take both hard copy and power point.
My hard copy is laid out something like this; I invested in a nice binder and when I open the binder the 1st thing I have is my resume. But this is not your ordinary resume, I made mine in PhotoShop, it is more of a design. It has all the information of a plain resume but I put a little design into the background and it really stands out. The next thing that they see are my designs. With each design I put a bit of information about the project, such as the company I did it for and what the project was, i.e.: Website, poster ect. I printed everything in my portfolio on photo quality paper and I put them in plastic sleeves for protection. Make sure you include what you consider to be your best work, what you are really proud of. Most advisors will tell you to use 10-12 pieces of work. I have more like 20 in my binder.
My power point is a little more extensive than my hard copy. I have 30 or so pieces of work in it. I always leave my power point with them to look over at their leisure. I invested in a bulk of DVD Cases with overlay sleeves. I designed a nice insert with my logo, name, address, phone number and other information. I also stomp the CD with my name and logo.
Why go to all this work? You want to leave a lasting impression and you want them to remember you. Having that professional looking CD on there desk will make them think of you 1st, more so than just leaving a business card.
// posted by BasicAnn on 7/19/2005 07:33:00 PM / Permanent Link
Lightning Bolts in Photo Shop
Have you ever seen those really cool looking lighting bolts added to pictures? Did you ever wonder how they did that? Well here is a short tutorial on making that really cool effect. This was one of the 1st tricks I learned in Photo Shop and wanted to share it with you.
1. Open a new canvas in Photo Shop 500 X 500 would be a good size.
2. Make sure that your foreground color is black and the background is white.
3. Go to your Gradient Tool and use these settings: Linear Gradient, Mode Difference and Opacity 100%. Make sure the Reserve, Transparency and Dither are NOT checked.
4. Drag from left to right, while holding Shift down and then drag back right to left. You may have to play with this for a while; it took me a few tries because the canvas kept going back to black.
5. In the tool bar go to Filter>Render>Difference of Clouds. You should be able to see the outline of two lighting bolts now. If you don't, step back to a blank canvas and redo the Gradient tool; it may take a few tries.
6. You will now invert your canvas by pushing Ctrl+I.
7. In the Tool Bar go to Image> Adjustments>Levels. You will want to use the following Input Levels in the dialog boxes: 220, 0.10, and 255. Output levels 0, 255. You are now able to see the bolts.
8. Then hit Ctl + U, this will bring up the Hue/Saturation dialog. Make sure the Colorize is selected, choose your color. Set Hue at 239 Saturation at 54 and Lightness to 0.
9. Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and set the radius to 0.5
Then just for fun I added a few more layers with cloud effects and different transparencies and I have a storm.
// posted by BasicAnn on 7/18/2005 11:50:00 AM / Permanent Link
// posted by BasicRic on 7/18/2005 07:38:00 AM / Permanent Link
eCommerce Buttons Web Graphics
400 ecommerce buttons in a Set: eCommerce Shopping Cart themed buttons consists of 80 color sets with and without special edge effect, 10 different bitmap button text styles and 5 button accents. PSD format. [Product ID: G5062] - Use them with any of our HTML-CSS web templates.
// posted by BasicRic on 7/18/2005 07:01:00 AM / Permanent Link
Affiliate Marketing Templates
Over the last couple of months several of our customers have been contacted us asking how templates that are optimized for search engines or specific to an affiliate marketer's style differs from our popular BasicTemplates designs. Apparently there is some confusion as to why using HTML, external CSS, interchangeable graphics (and SSI for those folks with large websites) differs from the template packages being sold and branded "Affiliate Marketing Templates" elsewhere.
We did a little research this week, and the facts are in. The only differences we see are as follows:
1) Number of Template Pages:
BasicTemplates.com's designs consist of one web page which the end user copies to create new pages after the original template's main components are optimized to the website's owners specific needs. 99% of all website template packages that are created using multiple pages which are all linked together is not effective for a diverse end users' needs. Designers who sell these type packages are not concerned about you (the end user) being able to easily edit your new design to create an effective website.
2) SEO Myth in PreDesigned Templates:
It is not possible at all to design a template (without the end user's page content) that will rank well in the search engines. Any template designer who implies that their design layouts are SEO ready is not being honest with you and certainly have their own hidden agendas. Additionally, it is not possible to effectively link pages together in multi-page template packages that will use primary or secondary keyword as hyperlinks since the designer has no idea the needs of the people who will be buying the template package. The only way this could be possible if the designer is building an entire website using the client's content.
3) Price:
Our HTML CSS Templates and their accompanying PSD Template files are sold at $5.00 USD each. Subscribing members get access to literally everything including 100s of header graphics for mere pennies each. Our competitors price? Are you sitting down? Their template prices range from $40 up to $100 each. Their header graphics are priced up to $30 each. Need we say more? Yet they like to refer to their templates and graphics as low cost. ;)
4) Quality:
Regardless of what you might have read elsewhere, just because a template is priced at an affordable price to anyone on any budget does not mean that it is cheap or poor quality. The same can be said about templates priced too high. I've personally seen folks take money from their savings accounts and spend well over $500 on a template that was discovered to be loaded with improper code, heavy graphics, and fake form boxes. It's sad, but it happens all the time. So if you have fallen victim to this type of template scam, rest assured we have seen just about everything in last 11 years. The best way to judge how a template may be developed is to look at the designer's own source code. If it is cluttered or uses code incorrectly, the templates are likely built in the same manner.
You may wish to review a few of the articles we have written in the past on this topic.
Myths & Fallacies About Web Templates Consumer Alerts: Myths and fallacies about buying and using predeveloped web templates. Not all web templates are effective - most are not.
What Does it Mean to Develop an Effective Website? Step ahead in time and go with us to visit, George Jetson and Jane his wife. You will be glad you did. The only difference here is that this webmaster's dream is reality - today - and not a futuristic tale. Enjoy!
// posted by BasicRic on 7/15/2005 11:52:00 AM / Permanent Link
Presenting Mock-ups to Your Clients
I had a local company ask me to make a couple of website mockup layouts for an on-site presentation. I was excited. "No problem," I told him. I worked a couple of hours and developed a couple of nice web pages. I burned them to a CD and off I went with high expectations to our face-to-face meeting. Everything seemed to go well; he asked me if he could keep the CD to make a decision on which design layout he wanted. So I left my CD, and several days later I received an email saying that he decided to hire another web designer.
So with hurt feelings I decided to take a look at this company's new website. Imagine my surprise when the site loaded and glaring at me on my computer monitor was my design! What could I do? Not much. After all I was the one who left the CD with him. I definitely learned my lesson. So how can you avoid this type situation and protect yourself? Here are a couple of tricks that I came up with.
1. If your potential client has Internet service available where you will be meeting your client, upload your web pages to a spare hosted site or test URL and go over the designs live on the server. Print hard copies of the designs which you can make notes on while discussing more layouts options. After your meeting, go home and take the website down if that makes you feel more comfortable.
2. If they do not have Internet service available, I do the mockup development as a PowerPoint presentation. I can safely leave the CD with the client, because no layout is there to be used - just a JPG within the PowerPoint file.
We need to be good to potential clients, but we also need to look out for ourselves. This is just a little lesson learned in the web designer way of life that I learned the hard way. Hopefully, it will help you to avoid this type situation.
// posted by BasicAnn on 7/12/2005 01:21:00 PM / Permanent Link
Pricing Freelance Web Designer Projects
When you are first starting out as a freelance Web Designer, you need to decide pricing. This area may be the hardest thing to do. Here are a few things to consider when developing your pricing structure.
1. How big will your client's website be? The more pages the higher the price.
2. How many images will you need to resize and optimize?
3. Who will be writing the copy for the site? You or the client? If you will be writing the website content this is time consuming and you will need to become familiar with the client's business.
4. Will there be any extra programming involved?
5. Will you need to hire a subcontactor for programming or other task that you do not know how to do?
6. How soon do they need the web site up and running? Normally, if it is an “I needed it yesterday” project, the client will expect to pay more.
7. Will your client need website updates on a regular basis?
8. Check out the competition to see what other designers in your area are charging.
9. How long have you been designing? When you first start out it is good to quote lower rates then others in the area that have more experience; this is a good way to get a solid client base.
10. What is your client’s budget? Mom and Pop operations cannot afford as much as larger companies or corporations.
11. Will you be providing any extra service such as setting up an email account for the site?
One good way to cut down the total on your cost quotes to clients is by using a BasicTemplates.com membership. This will reduce your design time. You can then price your work at a competitive rate and easily make up the cost of your membership on your first website.
// posted by BasicAnn on 7/11/2005 03:13:00 PM / Permanent Link
Ephemera Web Templates
One ephemera themed web site template (#1106) was added recently.
// posted by BasicRic on 7/11/2005 08:34:00 AM / Permanent Link
Header Graphics Brushed Effect
20 Header Graphics with a brushed theme in various colors - JPG format - 725 x 75 px - [Product ID: G5066] - Interchangeable with many of our HTML-CSS web templates.
// posted by BasicRic on 7/11/2005 07:54:00 AM / Permanent Link
Web Design Contract
The importance of a written web development contract is something that I learned early on when I opened my own business. You see, I am a very trusting person and to me a verbal contract was just as good and binding as a written one. Not so. It can turn into a "he-said/she-said” situation. It can cost you money and time. You should have a written contract to protect both you and your client.
What should be in a contract? In your contract you will need to state what type of service you will be providing and the cost. Make sure you include things such as material costs, cost for hosting, design and also cost for changes or maintenance. You need to be very detailed, because this lets the client know exactly what they are paying for. This will also protect you if they want something that is not in the contract without incurring extra cost. Don't forget to include the completion date.
Have your client sign the contract and mail or fax it back to you. If you require a deposit, be sure the amount of the deposit is state in the contract. My contracts normally ask for a deposit and set up fee. My own policy is that I do not begin work until the deposit is received and the contract is signed. This not only protects me, but I know that the client is serious about their endeavor. Believe me, this can save aggravation and wasted time. When I first started out in the web design business, I wasted many hours working on layouts, graphics designs and then the potential client decided he/she did not want to continue the project.
When someone hires you to do work for them do not be afraid to ask for a deposit up front, it is not uncommon. You are taking a risk if you do not get a deposit. Once you have established a relationship with your customer, you may want to bill them on a monthly basis.
On your end you need to be very careful on the pricing and the project completion time line. In my contract I always add a few days to the completion timeline; you never know what a day will bring. You need to live up to the terms of the contract to maintain a good reputation. Never contract a project which you do not have the resources to complete.
// posted by BasicAnn on 7/08/2005 08:36:00 AM / Permanent Link
Interchangeable Colors & Page Elements
Meet George Jetson and Jane, his wife. George and Jane just walked into their local space-age department store to buy a new shirt for George to wear to work. George purchased a basic dress shirt. Because George knows that is all he will ever need.
Now imagine you are walking into your local department store to buy a new shirt and being able to choose a basic style that within a few seconds you can decide what color you want it to be the day you wear it. You could also decide you want the sleeves and pocket to be a different color than the rest of the shirt or maybe pinstriped instead of a solid color. Wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't that truly be the ultimate timesaver on those mornings that you just simply cannot get going and don't want to make any decisions before you get to your job? George and Jane Jetson will agree.
Now imagine that this new shirt is your website. Because when you use a BasicTemplate which are all developed with External CSS (the RIGHT WAY!) that is exactly the flexibility you have available to you. I am constantly amazed at the number of so-called "professional" template designers who advertise that they use CSS when in fact they are using it completely wrong. The fact is most are using it similar to the way that redundant HTML font/color/etc. tags are used (internal or inline) which makes the concept of CSS useless when developing a web template. The end user is the one that suffers - major.
When you purchase a web template elsewhere be sure to check the source code. If the designer is using CSS properties within the HTML, it was not developed correctly even if they have provided you with an External CSS file. You can also be assured that you purchased a template from a newbie designer or someone who knows very little about effective web design.
Let's go back and peek in on George and Jane Jetson. George just got out of the shower on Monday morning and is headed to his closet. He pulls out the new shirt, click a few buttons, types in a few codes, and WHAM! he changed the color of his green shirt to blue with blue pinstriped pockets and WAIT ... he removed the collar and changed the length of the sleeves! How did he do that?
If you again relate George's basic shirt to your website using a BasicTemplate with External CSS and "Interchangeable" Graphic capabilities, by merely swapping out a Real Estate header graphic image to a Baby Header Graphic image and adjusting the colors in the .CSS file, you changed the theme and appearance of your original template within seconds.
You don't have to wait until the time when we can fly our cars to work through the air to enjoy the same kind of space-age technology with your website. BasicTemplates.com's designers had you in mind when they developed the concept behind their templates back in 1994.
If you purchased a template elsewhere and are wondering whether the CSS is being used correctly for the best possible effectiveness, ontact our tech support team with your URL. They will check your source code at no charge.
Did you know, there is a common misconception that just because a CSS file validates, that the code is being used effectively? That is simply not true. Validating your stylesheet only means that the code and formatting of the code used are correct. Validation does not ensure that your website is using the proper CSS method to be effective for you so that your website maintenance is less of a burden.
// posted by BasicBeca on 7/07/2005 09:49:00 AM / Permanent Link
Win a iPod
Enter to Win a iPod mini 4GB model in our newest contest which is sure to please any age group.
What is an iPod? It is an mp3 player developed by Apple. Most of the commercials you see show teenagers dancing to music with earphones. But did you know the iPod is much more than a high-tech means to listen to music?
If not, we have some great news for you. The iPod can also be used as a portable hard drive. We use it to transfer files between remote locations, listen to training audiobooks and downloaded MP3 files which are produced and distributed by specialists in the marketing and educational fields. Several of us here at BasicTemplates.com use our iPods while we are driving long distances. Personally, it is my #1 tool that connects me to the online education world and I store my contacts and to-do list in it. I rarely use my Palm PDA anymore.
You can also download radio programs, popular music and podcast from iTunes. Podcasts are audio files produced by webmasters worldwide and many are absolutely free; others require a subscription fee. And you can listen to what you download and sync it into your player to listen to at "your" leisure.
Gone are the days of having to reschedule your plans to attend a seminar, teleconference, or web conference. The iPod has changed the world of education, radio, audio technology, conferences, telecommunications, and so much more will come from this exciting technology in the near future.
You can enter to win your own iPod Mini and get it engraved and shipped to you for free. It will come to you direct from Apple and engraved to your specifications. You can even choose from four popular colors. The drawing will be a random selection and will be announced in our blog, newsletter and websites the first week of October, 2005. One entry per person per household.
// posted by BasicBeca on 7/05/2005 09:19:00 AM / Permanent Link
Templates Sales Event Extended
Never in the history of BasicTemplates' Sales Events has this ever happened!
It was the biggest blow-out Sales.Event ever in the history of BasicTemplates. Four mail servers constantly churning out orders just couldn't keep up. During the last two hours our servers simply jammed and many folks experienced order delays. For this reason, our team decided to give everyone who didn't get a chance to order yesterday (or any of the 300+ shoppers on our website who were rushing to beat the midnight clock) another 24 hours of relaxed freedom shopping today.
An extension has never happened before in the history of our popular Sales.Events and may never happen again. (There will definitely be some server additions or upgrades on the priority to-do list.) So if you still have some serious shopping to do, today would be the time. This extension will definitely end at midnight tonight so do not delay.
Good things do come in "basic" packages ...
// posted by BasicRic on 7/05/2005 07:54:00 AM / Permanent Link
#1 Mistake Made by Webmasters
I love to design and I love to make money online. I dislike seeing good people with super business ideas and products miss out on the vast amount of business opportunties online simply because they make the same mistake over and over again.
I'd like to ask you, no - beg you, to stop right now and take notice of one little, simple, basic, elementary thing that you can begin doing today - every day - that will increase your sales and/or the success of your website by tenfold if you stick it.
This is going to sound very silly to you, but I guarantee you that simple or basic {pun intended} concepts will make (not break) your website. The number one mistake made by all webmasters is wasting time on things that do not matter and will not help you achieve your website's objective. Before you roll your eyes, let me say that if you do not read further, you WILL BE missing out.
EVERYTHING you do every single day in relationship to your website should bring you that much closer to your website's objective (goal). Your goal may be anything ranging from or including several of the following ... increasing your: sales, customers database, contact list, website traffic, mailing list, etc.
Every time you turn on your computer or start to work on any project related to your online business, STOP and think to yourself:
"Is this going to bring me closer to achieving my goal of ______________?"
If your answer is Yes, then do it. Stay on task and complete it right then.
If your answer is Maybe, do NOT do it. Don't waste your valuable time doing trival things that may seem important to you, but your visitors do not notice nor care about.
If your answer is No, stop thinking about it. You are wasting your mental energy when it could be better used doing something that will get you that much closer to achieving your goal.
Last week I had the perfect example of a huge time waster come in as a tech support inquiry from one of our dear customers. She had purchased a template some months back and was super happy with it. But she was now fretting over whether she should change the image in the upper left corner because she was tired of looking at it. She assumed her website visitors would be too. She was asking my advice as to what-how-if she should change it.
Below is a summary of our email communication. I want you to see exactly what I mean by prioritizing your daily business activities and re-thinking what you are currently doing with your time. Each of us are given the same about of time every day. It is how we spend that 24 hours that results in an increase or decrease of our goals. Remember, that each day, minute or hour you waste on trival things is time you will NEVER get back. That's life. So use your time wisely.
Note that we have been given written authorization by this customer to reprint her communication with me.
Heather: Hi. I love each template I've ever purchased from you; they are perfect for each mini website dev project I've purchased them for. I was wondering what you think about me changing the image in the upper-left corner of my gifts site. I loved it at first, but frankly, it's been nearly a year and I'd like to see something different. Any ideas?
BasicBeca: Hello Heather. Thanks for the kudos. First, let me ask you how your website is doing. Are you satisfied with your sales?
Heather: Yes and No -- my website is doing great but who wouldn't want to make more money? *grin* I am now making $[snip] a month which is a 25% increase since I started using your template on this web site. That's why I really don't want to make any changes without consulting you first.
BasicBeca: Do you know what percentage of your sales are repeat customers?
Heather: Not really, but I do get a lot of great feedback about how much easier my site is to use.
BasicBeca: Let me ask you this, do your visitors complain about the image you are thinking of changing? Do they comment on it at all?
Heather: No.
BasicBeca: Then it is likely only bothering you. It looks fine to me and quite frankly, if I had never been to your website before, it would be the first time I have ever seen it. Secondly, if you completely change it some of your previous visitors or customers may question whether it is the same website they are accustomed to visiting.
Heather: That is true. What would you suggest then?
BasicBeca: What other goals do you have for your business? Do you have any new products or projects on the horizon that will directly effect your goals?
Heather: Oh sure. I'm working on new items all the time for my store. I have one that I'm positive will be very popular this Christmas season. Why?
BasicBeca: Then you should be concentrating on things that will matter to your customers, your business sales and goals. Your site looks great as it is. Spending your time second guessing your graphics, hiring someone to change them, or looking for something "you" like better will NOT increase your sales or customer base. Your customers visit your website because they like your products and services, not because they want to look at your website's graphics. {smile} You said yourself that when you slimmed down your website's design with our template, that your sales increased, right? Then don't worry about your website's design. It is working in your favor. Spend your time thinking about what new items you can add to your store (which by the way I may do some holiday shopping at myself - very cool) and watch your sales increase even more. Your site looks great and so do your gift items. I can guarantee you that changing that image on your website will do nothing to increase your sales.
Heather: Oh my gawd! You know, you are right. I never thought of it that way before. You must think I am being so silly.
BasicBeca: No, you are not silly. This is one of the biggest mistakes made by webmasters. They waste time focusing on things that do not really matter when it comes to making money online. Trust me, I see these type of questions all the time.
Heather: So you are saying I should never change the image then?
BasicBeca: No, not necessarily. What I am saying is that if you have other things to do that will help you increase your sales, then by all means spend your time doing those things. My guess would be that you have no end to the gift ideas you are creating for your store. But if you ever find that you have a ton of time on your hands, then you can come back to the idea of changing that image. Be aware though that a substantial change may confuse your visitors. Also, we have a swap-out graphics package of images that will fit this template perfectly. But quite honestly, I would hate to see you spend your time and money on something that likely will not increase your sales or the success of your website.
Heather: Wow, I've never seen such support and great advice by a company such as you guys. You are discouraging me from purchasing one of your products. {grin}
BasicBeca: LOL. We like to see our customers succeed online even if it means that we lose a potential sale. Sure. If you succeed then we succeed. But seriously, if sometime down the road, you want to swapout the image, let me know. By that time we may have 100s more of interchangeable graphics that work perfectly for this template. And then you can "split test" whether the change really did make a difference. Split testing simply means that you setup your website so that every other visitor to your site sees a slightly (very slightly) different version. In your case, a homepage with the old image and a homepage with the new image. Over a few months time period you can compare the data from the split test to see whether this "very slight" change helped you achieve your goal quicker or whether it lost you sales. Then and only then should you make the change if you saw a significant increase that would be worth your time to make the change.
Heather: Thank you so much! You guys rock!
// posted by BasicBeca on 7/04/2005 08:39:00 AM / Permanent Link
If you are not a real estate agency but a do-it-yourself and sell-it-yourself type person, FSBO "For Sale by Owner", then check out the selection of Property Templates we have waiting for you.
// posted by BasicBeca on 7/04/2005 08:22:00 AM / Permanent Link
Real Estate Logos
15 Logo Templates, L0236T thru L0250T were added. The new design themes are: real estate, realty companies, property listings, home owners, equity loans, home loans and navigational icons.
As always, access to a select group of our Logo Templates is free to subscribing Template Members even without the interchangeable graphics addon service. If you need more information about our unique designs and services, listen to our Audio Presentation for more details.
// posted by BasicRic on 7/04/2005 08:14:00 AM / Permanent Link
Real Estate Header Graphics
10 Header Graphics with a Real Estate theme [Product ID: G15] were recently added. These headers are 725x100px and are provided in .JPG format. View this Web Graphics Package.
// posted by BasicBeca on 7/02/2005 06:15:00 PM / Permanent Link
Free Globes Web Graphics on CD
Are you enjoying your weekend? Let us make it even better for you.
Since you own a website then likely your visitors are located all over the world. What better way to remind your visitors that you appreciate their business regardless of where they are located then by adding a simple "globe" to your website's design? Now you can.
Through July 4th when you sign up for a discounted membership with us, we'll ship you our popular collection of 150 Gel, Metallic and Glass Globes in PSD format on a CD. This is a retail value of $49.95. We pay the shipping too regardless of your country of origin. The images are layered and you can intermix land masses with different water masses. The color combination possibilities and textures are endless.
Existing Members: Purchase this membership subscription during this special Sales.Event, and we will add another 12 months to your existing membership account(s) and ship your CD to you ASAP.
This offer may not be combined with any other promotional offer, voucher, affiliate commission, renewal promo, etc. It will end permanently at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on July 5th.
Remember: "Keep it Global" ... After all they don't call it the World Wide Web for nothing!
// posted by BasicRic on 7/02/2005 08:39:00 AM / Permanent Link
Server Side Includes SSI
If you know me, then you know I like to write about topics that come up in our tech support inquires. This one comes up often and is a real time saver for anyone who has a large website with multiple page elements that repeat across many web pages.
Wouldn't it be great if you could design your website so that all the colors, fonts, backgrounds, borders, etc. could be edited in one file? And wouldn't it be ideal if your images could be easily replaced by simply uploading new ones? And while we are dreaming, wouldn't it be the ultimate webmaster fantasy if your header, footer info, copyright info, nav menu, special notices, etc. that generally appear on multiple pages could all be changed in a single file for each element?
Well it is NOT a dream and all of those wishes can be reality for you. How?
With the magic of External CSS controlling fonts, colors, etc., the concept of Interchangeable Graphics, and SSI (Server Side Includes) you can easily develop a low maintenance website. Here's a real life example.
At BasicTemplates.com we developed our website using SSI. Go check out our homepage to see what I mean. The section between our logos at the top starting with, "Total Templates..." uses SSI, the horizontal navigational bar at the top is built with server side includes; so is the navigational menu on the left. Those are just three of the sections that repeat on multiple pages of our website which would be a nightmare to edit on 1000s of pages if we did not use this web programming language.
Last week we added a new link to our navigational menu, "CD Store". We made that change in one file, uploaded it to our server, and 1000s of pages were automatically changed.
Yesterday, we added a patriotic accent image to our logo in celebration of the July 4th holiday, uploaded the new logo, and it was changed on all of our pages.
Today, we removed the colored backgrounds (beige and gray tones) from the info box sections of our homepage. So now we have more white space. If you visit our website often, then you likely noticed the crisp looking effect. We did not edit 1000s of pages on our website to remove the background colors; we simply changed the color codes in the external .css file. Tada!
The good news is that 100s of our HTML-CSS Templates can easily be used with SSI by simply copy/pasting portions of code in separate SSI files. When we developed our designs, we didn't just check out what the competition was doing. {yawn} We wanted to create a unique service that the end users (our customers) could benefit from to create "effective" websites without little cost, the need for expensive software, and spending hours of their precious time.
Can you imagine more good news? Here it is. Our HTML-CSS Templates were built with External CSS and the concept of Internchangeable Graphics. Oh, the joys of web design couldn't get much easier.
If you want to know more about SSI, check out our originally authored tutorial:
That's right. All of our tutorials are originally authored by our template designers which makes our designs and services even more unique, effective for and valuable to the end users (our customers).
// posted by BasicBeca on 7/01/2005 06:22:00 PM / Permanent Link
Basketball Web Templates
Looking for basketball theme web templates? Check out the HTML CSS Web Templates and Web Header Graphics we have available. It's not too soon to start thinking about designing your basketball team's website.
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