No matter where you are in the online marketing world, you may or may not have your own website. You may wonder if creating a business website will be efficient in building your business. Here we offer you a little guidance about creating an effective online presence.

First, you should determine your website goals. Whether you are attempting to gather leads, offer knowledge, generate sales or even something different, your website design is dependant on your online marketing goals.

Once you have determined your goals, you need to know who your target viewers are and then target the photos, content and language to fit their needs and preferences. However, you should never just assume that everyone is at the same level of understanding as you are about the subject.

Then once you know who your target viewers are and their preferences, make sure that your website features ease in navigation. Just make sure that navigation is easy and simple without including a lot of distracting animated redirects.

Make sure you place a call to action on every web page of your business site, since many people simply wander the internet; they need direction of where to go and what to do once they are there. Simply capture their attention, while teaching them something new, as this will motivate them to make a purchase.

Determine whether you are trying to generate more traffic to your website, seeking sign ups or encouraging you visitors to make a purchase. On the other hand, perhaps you are trying to get people to come to a physical location. You will need some means of measuring your efforts, otherwise you will not find out what methods work and what does not work.

To allow your business to move onto the next level, you will need to follow this guidance, whether you build your own website or pay a professional to build it for you.

AJAX is a cross-platform technique that can be use on different operating system and web application based on JavaScript and DOM. It is a powerful approach of web application technique using client-side scripting to exchange data with the web server. This means that with AJAX, web pages increases interactivity and faster responsiveness of user interface by having an independent communication with the server. Gone are the traditional ways of web browsing whereby a new page communicates with each user's request. This creates dynamic web application user interface that renders effective usability of every desktop applications. AJAX primary purpose is to increase the web page's interactivity, speed, functionality, and usability.

Ajax, by definition, is not technology. In fact, it is an application of several technologies. Ajax incorporates several existing web application like XHTML and CSS for standard-based presentation; the Document Object Model for dynamic display and interaction; XML and XSLT for data interchange between the server and the client; the XMLHttpRequest to exchange asynchronous data with the web server; and the use of JavaScript as the core code for running AJAX application.

To understand AJAX, first we must know how the traditional web application works. The classic web interface trigger an HTTP request back to web server. The server then process and retrieve data before returning an HTML page to the users. This process as a model for hypertext medium makes technical sense. But as web application evolves this process does not make the user interface more interactive and practical.

AJAX, on the other hand, eliminates this problem. AJAX speed up the loading of any web application with the use of intermediary between the user and the server called AJAX engine. This adding of another layer application of eliminates the start-stop-start-stop nature on the web. The browser loads an AJAX engine at the start of session.

The AJAX engine allows the user interface and the application to interchange data asynchronously-independent of the communication to the server. So the interaction between the user and the web never slows down, no point of waiting for the server to do something.

AJAX is a powerful technique that grows exceedingly as web application. That is, AJAX is now part of the guiding principle as web 2.0 flourishes and become a practical reality. With the power of AJAX, many of the business and marketing web site are integrated with AJAX application server platform now. Most of the major products of Google such as Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Suggest are employing AJAX application. Other web services like the photo-sharing application Flickr, Amazon's A9.com, and the new Yahoo! maps depends on AJAX. The application of AJAX comes from simple function to the most complex program like Google Maps.

The thing about computer languages is that there is some weird heaviness on the actual work involved. People are scared of by codes and although they see the power, they just can't seem to get going because they have no idea where to start.

That is where training comes in. And of course, fun training. You need to be taken by hand and shown exactly what you need to do, where you need to do it, and when you need to take the right action.

The funny thing about CSS is that it allows you to create your website in the fraction of the time when you would do it using tables. It's hard to believe, but still after all these years of promotion for CSS people (and companies!) still heavily rely on tables for layout. They have no idea that they are simply wasting time on old techniques that will be useless in a matter of time.

So where do you need to pay attention on when you are looking for a CSS Guide?

1. The Teacher

The number one thing you need to be sure of is that your teacher knows where he or she is talking about. Why is he or she teaching about Cascading Stylesheet, because they need to from their boss? Because they think they can teach, no matter the subject?

Think of that, how many teachers are only "teaching" stuff, and never practice it their own? Ask yourself "why" are you teaching you me this. Are you the best in the field? Where did you get your knowledge from?

2. Teaching Style

So the teacher may be a great person, has all the required skills, has a passion for the subject and knows about everything of it. But can your teacher deliver? Does he or she KNOW how to explain things? How to take you by hand and show you step-by-step how things work?

Is it fun to follow along with the teacher? CSS is one of those topics that can become boring easily when it's only discussed in a technical way. Make sure you know what you can expect!

An even more important thing is cutting right to the case. You don't want to end up with all kind of knowledge that you will never use in practice. It simply isn't useful to learn every possible css style there is when you just get started. And this brings us to the third point you need to pay attention on when you are looking for a css guide.

3. Teaching / learning speed

Can you keep up with the course? Does your teacher decide the speed, or do you? Of course a great way to follow a course is one that allows you to define your own speed. Home study courses and guides are wonderful for that.

4. Delivery

How is your guide delivered? Are you somebody that likes to read, follow along with a training video or both? Decide what you like, training videos are great, because they allow you to follow along in a real life situation. This means hands on practice, which is exactly what you need if you want to become good in CSS.

5. Contents

Last but not least, content. What is discussed in the guide? What is marked as important? Do you get a total reference, or do you know you don't need that, that the real thing you need is a hands on course with day-to-day subjects? Decide what you want to know, just the basics, how to create full layouts, or just how to create a menu using 100% CSS.

It's up to you now, decide what you need, you know how important the 5 above points are, and where you need to pay attention on. And one last tip, make sure you get some preview videos or sample chapter before following any course, it can save you a lot of time and money at the same time.

Hilco van der Meer
CSS Expert