Services
Overview of services offered:
- Website Design & Management
- Catalyst For Business
- Blogs & Forums (WordPress, phpBB, SMF)
- Joomla - Content Management Systems
- About Joomla
- Joomla Websites (A list of interesting websites created with Joomla)
- Simplweb - Joomla made Simple!
- eCommerce (BigCommerce, Miva Merchant)
- Hosting Services
- Newsletters (YMLP)
- Image Manipulation
- Credit Card Processing & Payment Solutions
Website Design &
Management
How we work
We can create a site from scratch, or use low cost templates.
Our older sites are HTML based, while the newer ones are XHTML. We use Dreamweaver to manage client websites all of which utilize cascading style sheets (CSS). Our newer websites are created with a grid based design which allows for more rapid development.
It's the responsive thing to do
We are now recommending that all new websites be built using a responsive design, we prefer the Foundation Framework from Zurb.
Why?
Times have changes considerably. Desktop computers now come with wide screens, and an ever growing percentage of people are using tablets and smart phones to access the web. We now recommend all new websites be responsive.
What's "Responsive"?
It's a way of coding the website using media queries to figure out what the resolution is on the device being used to access the website. If it's a tablet and there's not enough room for the regular menu, it might hide the menu and replace it with a condenced version. Dito if it's a smart phone, in fact you can choose to hide content that might be too detailed for viewing on a small screen.
Check it out for yourself
Visit the new Edfund website via your desktop computer. Grab the edges of the browser window and drag it in so you have a smaller screen. See how the menu moves to the bottom of the page. On the home page, there are three rows of boxes which on a smaller screen are one on top of the other. With the inner pages the content goes from two columns wide to one column. Better yet visit the site via your smart phone or tablet!
Cost Effective
Our hats are off to website developers that claim to code everything by hand. But who wants to pay for that? We firmly believe in making use of tools, addons, and services offered by others if it means the work can be done better, quicker, and for less money.
We Manage Your Website
Many "Web Designers" want to bang out the design, and move on to the next job. Yes, the design is important, but what good is a great design if the content is out of date, or it's inconsistant looking. Our bread and butter is the management aspect; adding content (text, images, videos, etc.), editing, creating new pages, new designs, etc.
Client Communications
We're available and eager to communicate with the client! Most of our requests come in via email, but we actaully answer the phone and reply quickly to questions.
Use of a Sandbox Account
New websites are development on a sandbox account (a unique domain name that has no relationship to your organization). This means that your current website stays in place until the new one is ready to go. Furthermore, it's out of reach to your customers and search engines. When the website is ready to go live, we transfer files to the new hosting account.
Web 2.0 Capabilities
We can integrate videos, slide shows, feeds from other websites, as well as multiple effects (HTML document traversing, event handling, animating, and Ajax interactions) by using jQuery and MooTools.
Accessible websites
It's actually smart to follow these guidelines for any website.
Does your site comply with Section 508? By using cascading style sheets (CSS) and following the standards set by the W3C, a site can validate using W3C tools.
Why validate? People are accessing the internet with PDA's, cell phones, screen readers (for the visually impaired), not to mention computers with a number of different browsers, some older than others, and using varied screen sizes and resolution. Only a standards based website will have a good chance of reading well. Test the HTML or XHTML on your site by going to http://validator.w3.org/, enter the URL (your website address) and see what happens.
Paperless Online Billing
We use FreshBooks (www.freshbooks.com), a paperless online service to track time, and to create and manage invoices. Each client can login at any time to view/print your invoice, view the time spend daily if curious, pay your bill via credit card (most clients pay by check), check your balance, etc.
Catalyst For Business
Static Websites are Dead.
It's time for an Online Business. Our hosted and easy-to-use system is designed to meet your specific business needs - allowing you to focus on your goals, not mastering the technology behind it. Visit our new website, http://catalystforbusiness.com for more information!
Blog's and Message Forums
WordPress Blog's
For Blog's I prefer WordPress, a state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. [More on WordPress][View a WordPress Blog in Action] [Compare Joomla vs WordPress (Infographic)]
phpBB
Millions of people use phpBB on a daily basis, making it the most widely used opensource bulletin board system in the world. Whether you want to stay in touch with a small group of friends or are looking to set up a large multi-category board for a corporate website, phpBB has the features you need built in. [More on phpBB]
Simple Machines Forums
SMF in short — is a free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes.
Joomla!
Joomla! is a free, award-winning content management system written in PHP which allows users to easily publish their content on the world wide web and intranet's. Joomla is created as an open-source project where individuals and teams contribute their skills to its development as well as its supporting systems.
While Joomla is packed with features, its greatest quality is that it is extremely extensible. Because of its extensible structure, there aren't many things you cannot do with Joomla. A short list of some important features of Joomla are the following:
- Page Caching
- Web Indexing
- RSS Feeds
- Printable Page Versions
- Newsflashes
- Blog's
- Forums
- Polls
- Calendars
- Website Searching
- Language Internationalization
What's a Content Management System?
Content Management Systems are database driven websites that can handle a lot of data, and can manage input from multiple users/contributors. There are hundreds of commercial CMS available which range in cost from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and often have significant monthly maintenance costs. For that reason, I have focused my energy on free open source CMS.
Joomla is free to download and it's supported by large community of people who create templates and add on's which make them more useful.
Picking a content management system
Joomla can be made to do just about anything you need; there are 10,270 extensions available (last count 1/24/2013)! It's certainly powerful, but it also requires some experience to set up and run.
Tom Rogers Web Design can get your Joomla site up and running fast. There are three ways to do it:
Solo - You can quickly set set up a Joomla site via the site manager which is built into your hosting account (accounts hosted by us).
- You are on your own to do as you please, but can always contact us for fee based assistance.
- Don't forget to install the version upgrades which happen monthly, some of which are considered essential. This requires that you back up all your files including the database.
Turn Key - We can set up your Joomla site and maintain it going forward.
- This turnkey service would include important version upgrades.
- Leave the complicated back end work to us, so you can focus your time and energy on adding content.
Simplweb - Instant Joomla Based Websites!
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With Simplweb you can set up an instant Joomla website, already set up with content, templates and extensions.Simplweb on Sale! Sites set up via Tom Rogers Web Design get 10% off on the monthly hosting fee. Contact us for details - When you get a Simplweb site you also get education and support to help you build a successful site.
- Sign up NOW for a Simplweb account and you'll be able to instantly create up to 5 Joomla powered websites, complete with over $100 of professionally designed themes and extensions.
- Visit the Simplweb section for more information.
[Compare Joomla vs WordPress (Infographic)]
Simplweb - Instant Joomla!
With over 20 million websites powered by Joomla on the web, there is no doubt that it's by far the best open source Content Management System (CMS) available, but many have struggled to create their website.
- They couldn't set up the server
- They couldn't figure out how to organize the content
- They just needed to ask someone a simple question.
Imagine if:
- You could create a Joomla website instantly, no complex server involved,
- You never had to worry about keeping versions up to date
- You had access to extensive educational resources
- You had someone there to ask for help.
| Simplweb on Sale! |
| Sites set up via Tom Rogers Web Design get 10% off on the monthly hosting fee. Contact us for details |
Now Offering Simplweb Instant Websites!
The service is called Simplweb, and it provides instant Joomla sites, already set up with content, templates and extensions. When you get a Simplweb site you also get education and support to help you build a successful site.
No complicated plans here. Everything you need for your website for one simple price
Visit some website builder services and there are all sorts of added extras and set up fees. Simplweb offers:
- No start up fees!
- One month FREE TRIAL!
- No credit card info needed to start!
Simplweb's primary goal is to help build successful Joomla based websites. To that end, they provide excellent tutorials, an active message forum and quick replies to your support related issues.
Although it's pretty easy to set up a Simplweb site, sometimes you need more help than they can provide.
- Do you have a current site elsewhere that you would like to convert?
- Do you have a complex site that you are having difficulty with?
- Perhaps your graphics don't fit the template you are using, or the style sheet needs to be adjusted?
- Or perhaps your time is limited?
Tom Rogers Web Design can help get your Simplweb site up and running.
Simplweb On Sale!
Sites set up via Tom Rogers Web Design get 10% off on the monthly hosting fee. Contact us for details
Need more details? Visit Simplweb.
More on Joomla!
[Compare Joomla vs WordPress (Infographic)]
eCommerce
Needs vary, that's why we offer a number of eCommerce Solutions.
We will work with you to determine the best fit for your business. Here's a quick overview:
- Godaddy has a quick and inexpensive shopping cart, we've used it for a couple of seasonal stores. But it's a rigid system, and time consuming to set up properly.
- BigCommerce offers an all-in-one, feature rich ecommerce platform that is easy for the novice but highly customizable.
- We highly recommend Catalyst For Business for anyone looking for an integrated online busines platform.
- For power users, we offer Miva Merchant.
BigCommerce - The Easiest Way to Sell Online!
BigCommerce is an all-in-one, feature rich ecommerce platform that allows even the most novice of user to create a fully functional online store and sell both physical and digital products online.
Utilizing an easy to use interface, online retailers can publish products in seconds, accept credit cards, use multiple shipping methods, run effective marketing campaigns and more. Built from the ground up to support search engine optimization features such as search engine friendly links, effective use of heading tags, alt tags and per product and per page title tags.
BigCommerce also features a built in content management system to allow easy publishing of website content including web pages, news items, blogs, promotional banners and coupon codes.
BigCommerce Feature List
With BigCommerce anyone can quickly and easily create their own online store without any technical experience. Unique features such as Drag & Drop Design Mode make it easy to completely customize the look and layout of your store using just your mouse. BigCommerce has built-in search engine optimization features which help your online store rank at the top of all major search engines including Google and Yahoo. There's too much to list here, please visit BigCommerce to take a look!
Catalyst For Business
Powered by Adobe Technology
Sell Anything - You can create an unlimited number of products, then organise them in catalogues. You can even sell downloadable eProducts.
More Targeted Marketing - Every customer who interacts with your site has their details automatically captured into your integrated CRM system. Keep a history of customer orders and actions, run loyalty programs based on segmented customer lists, or link targeted Email Marketing to these specific segments.
Easy Shipping Integration - Out of the box shipping integration with FedEx, USPS, DHL and Australia Post allows you to cater to a global market. Offer your customers a range of payment options, with support for a growing list of payment gateways.
Search Engine Friendly - Search engine friendly URLs mean that your business and online store can be found with ease. Search Engine Optimization will be a breeze, with all URLs containing the product or catalogue name and automatically generated Google Sitemaps XML files.
Measure your success - Powerful analytics and reporting tools allow you to measure the popularity of products, shopping cart abandonment rates and much more, so you know exactly how your Online Store is performing and why.
Part of our Online Buisness platform powered by Adobe Technology. Our hosted and easy-to-use system is designed to meet your specific business needs - allowing you to focus on your goals, not mastering the technology behind it. Visit Catalyst For Business.
Quick Shopping Cart from Godaddy - A quick and inexpensive Shopping Cart
Get everything you need to start selling your products online! With Quick Shopping Cart, you can accept credit cards, integrate your store with PayPal, offer multiple shipping options (UPS®, USPS®, FedEx®), list your products on eBay and much more. PLUS! No percentage of sale fee AND no set-up fees. Visit Godaddy to take a look.
Build a thriving online store with Miva Merchant
There should be an e-commerce solution that is flexible, reliable, expandable and easy to use. A solution with comprehensive features that are easy to use for new online businesses, yet powerful enough for the most demanding e-commerce expert.
Miva Merchant is that solution
Taking your online business to the next level, Miva Merchant provides unlimited potential with unprecedented power, flexibility and ease of use. Miva Merchant is designed for success and provides you with access to all the tools you need to develop, maintain, and grow a thriving online store.
As a premier e-commerce solution, Miva Merchant includes the following:
- Advanced catalog, customer and order management systems.
- No limits on the amount of store data.
- Complete store design control with new Store Morph Technology™.
- Integrated credit card processing and shipping calculation.
- An expansive list of add-on modules and services.
- And much more »
Empower your online business with available marketing services, including pay-per-click advertising and search engine optimization. Leverage your business potential with Miva Merchant, the only e-commerce solution for online business success. [More on Miva Merchant 5][View a Miva Store in Action]
Cloud VPS Hosting Services
Our websites and blogs are hosted on a cloud based virtual private server (VPS) powered by VMWare.
Our servers are located at the CoreSite datacenter in Somerville MA. Each account comes with root access, cPanel, including Softaculus which provides quick and easy setup of the most popular scripts and software (WordPress, Joomla, etc.).
Our clients pay a single yearly hosting fee which includes all labor associated with maintenance of the account.
Backups? Your Covered!
We do full backups every night to an offsite server at the Digital Realty datacenter in Wakefield MA.
At all times we keep a copy of: the most recent daily backup, a weekly backup, and a monthly backup.
It's hard to believe that CoreSite datacenter would ever encounter any downtime, but if that happens, we can switch over to the the backup files within hours.
What is VPS Hosting?
VPS is a method of dividing a LARGE physical server into multiple servers with each having the appearance and capabilities of virtually running on its own dedicated machine. Each virtual server can run its own operating system, and each server can be independently rebooted and accessed using full root or administrative priviledges. The servers also offer a full clustered capacity so each server is guranteed resources.
What's VMWare?
VMWare is recomended for ENTERPRISE customers who need extremely fast IO, Daily backups, fully fault redundant networking, Raid 10 and Automatic node failover. [ More on VMWare ]
Got your own server account elsewhere?
No problem. When you manage your own server account, we work on an alacarte basis. We only provide services when and if it is required.
Newsletters
Your Best Mailing List Solution - YMLP!
We've managed newsletters for two grass roots organizations since 2004 using Your Mailing List Provider. This is definetely the best deal for small to medium sized organizations, in fact if you send less than 1,000 emails per month, it's free!
Send your Email Newsletters with YMLP's Handy Web App:
- Zero installatioin or maintenance - easy access via your web browser
- Easy Email Newsletter Builder, including 30 free sample templates
- Fast & outstanding delivery through their mailservers
- 7 years online, 75,000+ users in 100+ countries
- Free version available, paid plans starting from $3.75/month.
With YMLP, we can:
- Set up opt in/opt out forms on your website.
- Craft standards complient emails and newsletters to suit the needs of the organization.
- Make editorial and layout suggestions.
- Send test emails to the person(s) in charge.
- Send it to your list in html and plain text.
- Convert the email/newsletter into a webpage or blog posting.
Image Manipulation
Websites are a whole lot more appealing when you have photos for people to rest their eyes on. Putting an image on the web is not the same as with printed material. If you make the image too big it will take too long to load the page. If you make it too small, no one will bother looking at it. Most of the images I get are taken by amateurs, or shot under less than ideal circumstances. As an example, I received an image for the National Empowerment Center recently of Dr. Daniel Fisher shaking hands with Senator Kennedy. Take a look at the original image:
It's a great image and luckily it was high resolution giving me plenty of flexibility (images taken with cell phones are the worst!), but there is a lot to distract you from the moment. I manipulated the image and put a date on it:
This image has been posted to two of my client websites:
National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations
Credit Card Processing & Payment Solutions
Tom Rogers Web Design, through Merchant Focus, is proud to offer access to the highest quality Credit Card Processing and Payment Solutions.
Featuring INSTANT ESTABLISHMENT of your Merchant ID Number, as soon as you submit the Online Application for your merchant account, your live Visa/MasterCard Merchant ID is issued to you.
No other eCommerce Processor matches our "merchant friendly" practices!
For successful businesses processing over $250,000 annually in Visa and MasterCard sales we offer Interchange-Plus merchant accounts with NO MONTHLY FEES of any kind. Click here for a professional analysis of your current processing & customized proposal.