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Managing Multi-Lingual Websites

multilingual website One of the challenges I face in working on the Healing Hands for Haiti website is ensuring that each time a new piece of copy is added to the site, the French version of that copy also gets quickly uploaded. The biggest challenge is in the delay between when the English copy is written, and when the French translation is provided. Here are the steps I usually take:

1) Write the copy or blog post. This is usually from information provided by someone on the ground in Haiti, or from my archive of notes and interviews written when I visited Haiti earlier this year.

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What is Google+?

Thanks to Adam Zhang from socialmediagroup.com for helping shed some light on Google+. Here are some thoughts he shares in his blog post:

Google+ is also a mobile app. By making use of Android’s dominance in the mobile OS market, Google+ has the potential to become an integral part of the Android experience, and will easily end up in the hands of all the existing users.”

To read Adam’s post in its entirety, click here http://socialmediagroup.com/2011/07/05/google/

google_plus Thanks to Adam Zhang from socialmediagroup.com for helping shed some light on Google+. Here are some thoughts he shares in his blog post:

“Everyone is saying that the project is Google’s answer to Facebook. However, there are a couple of signs showing that it could be much, much more than that. Google+ could be the centerpiece to Google’s entire strategic map to link search, social, and mobile together in a seamless and intuitive package.Google+ is also a mobile app. By making use of Android’s dominance in the mobile OS market, Google+ has the potential to become an integral part of the Android experience, and will easily end up in the hands of all the existing users.”

To read Adam’s post in its entirety, click here

Picture property of: www.ingool.com

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Content Management Systems - Which To Choose?

Content Management Systems – Which to choose?

I’ve been working with a few different content management systems over the past few years and have found that each one has features and benefits that would recommend them. Do I have a favourite? Well, the jury’s still out. Here are the main three that I’ve used:

Dot Net Nuke – I have been using DNN the longest so would be inclined to recommend it since I am most comfortable with it. There is a lot of functionality. I’m happy with how well the multi-language modules work to maintain a site in both English and French. I find the file manager a little clunky but I’ve gotten used to it. There are page settings and module settings to customize every element of the page including some behind the scenes options such as meta description and keywords. I find the form module quite comprehensive and have been able to make some complex forms that enable me to export data to an Excel spreadsheet. Overall, the DNN has a lot of functionality but some parts are cumbersome and time consuming.

Wordpress – I’ve worked with a couple Wordpress sites and the system is fine but not nearly as comprehensive and DNN. I find that the navigation is awkward and not user-friendly. I’m sure there are many Wordpress enthusiasts who would argue and they likely will have more experience with more add-ons. I like the feature that allows me to go back to a previous version of a page if I’ve made an error in editing. When I was finessing a home page on a recent site, this feature alone was a godsend. I wouldn’t choose Wordpress if I had the choice but that’s not to say that I would refuse to work on it and get more practice if the opportunity came up.

Joomla – I’m newer to Joomla and have started using it at the recommendation of a friend. I find that it has many parallels to the DNN set up which minimized my learning curve. I like the layout and find it very user friendly. The behind the scenes SEO features are straight forward to encourage their use. I like the layout of the media manager making my access to and uploading of pictures easier and straight forward. Layout of blog articles has some flexibility; a little more than what I could manage with DNN.

All in all, any of these three systems work well and make beautiful websites. Given a little training and practice anyone can become proficient in their use.

cms_logos I’ve been working with a few different content management systems over the past few years and have found that each one has features and benefits that would recommend them. Do I have a favourite? Well, the jury’s still out. Here are the main three that I’ve used:

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Customer Focused Content

36113iwfv5w8ijg Thanks to www.toprankblog.com for insights on the winds of change in the online marketing world. Lee Odden suggests that marketers need to shift their efforts from providing features and benefits about their products and services in hopes of getting new customers. The current thinking is that you should focus on what the customer wants and needs and find ways to be there when they are ready for you.

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Web content writing

18303b0tv5gilgi Copy on websites varies greatly depending on the intention of the site. Many sites are set up strictly as a source of information, in which case you will see several pages of lengthy text for those who have time to read and research.