tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64768055708581152422024-03-14T01:06:06.371-04:00Web Technologies for ClergyLearn to manage web technology with a Tech CoachLife & Tech Coach Michael Milettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032772589816186486noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476805570858115242.post-51691570121212721452029-12-31T23:59:00.012-05:002010-04-27T17:07:15.413-04:00Create and Maintain Your Own Web SiteIn the beginning, they said let there be a website, a place where people could go and learn about our wonderful congregation and a place where people could read and rejoice in reading the Word of God... and it happened.<br />
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Whether you are clergy, staff or a volunteer in the congregation, an entrepreneur, a small business owner or run a non-profit organization, team or club, you can learn how to create and maintain your own low or no cost website in as short a time possible with a little help from me, your professional Tech Coach.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Who Can Do This?</span></strong><br />
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If you can use a word processor and a web browser, you'll be able to run your own website. You will need to have access to a web browser on a computer with a high speed Internet connection.<br />
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<em>Free Tech Coach Tip:</em> <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">FEAR</span></strong> is often nothing more than <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>F</strong></span>alse <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">E</span></strong>vidence <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>A</strong></span>ppearing <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>R</strong></span>eal.<br />
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In life, we are often afraid of what we don't know. However that fear goes away when we learn. With the help from me, your professional Tech Coach, you will be amazed at what you can do! I will be right there by your side to teach you what you need to know and to answer your questions.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Why would you want to do this yourself?</span></strong><br />
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I can't begin to tell you how often I speak with people who have paid someone to develop a website for them in the past that not only didn't meet their needs, but that they could not manage on their own once it was up and running. Some have even gone through the experience more than once.<br />
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After <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>JUST ONE HOUR</strong></span> of working with me, you will end up with a low or no cost site and feel qualified to be in the drivers seat. You will:<br />
<ul><li>Be able to update your site how you want, whenever you want;</li>
<li>Be able to make changes in a matter of minutes;</li>
<li>Be free from having to pay hundreds of dollars in ongoing maintenance fees;</li>
<li>Have addressed your need to be present on the Internet;</li>
<li>Have a sustainable site that almost anyone can manage and maintain.</li>
</ul>What it all comes down to is, why would you hire someone to manage and maintain your site when you can do it yourself in minutes from anywhere that you have access to the Internet through a web browser? Depending on your cell phone, you may even be able to use it to make small changes. Imagine walking out of a meeting and already having your site up to date.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><strong>How does do we get started?</strong></span><br />
<ol><li>The first step is to let me know you might be interested. I will email you a copy of my Clarity Guide, a special questionnaire designed specifically to help us figure out what you want so that we can focus on helping you get it. It covers basic things such as your preference for a user name, a password, name of your organization, etc. Stuff that we will need to create your site. Feel free to ask questions or let me know if you have any concerns.</li>
<li>Schedule your coaching time with me. The information on how to do this will be included in the Clarity Guide.</li>
<li>Email me back the completed questionnaire along with your payment. Please note that payment for this service must be made before our session.</li>
</ol>That's it. At the appointed time, we will get together and make it all happen.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Basic Blog or Website (like this one)</span></strong><br />
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Believe it or not, it can only takes about one hour to create a site like this one and that includes providing you with enough basic information to maintain it. We can built your site on Blogger or WordPress. For a basic site, I offer a couple of packages:<br />
<br />
<strong>The Value Package ($99)</strong><br />
<ul><li>Free YourSiteName.blogspot.com or YouSiteName.WordPress.com domain name</li>
<li>Your choice of a Blogger or WordPress predesigned template</li>
<li>Up to 5 static web pages in addition to your home page</li>
<li>Login information emailed directly to you</li>
<li>A electronic copy of my Clarity Guide Questionnaire and Web Designer Workbook to help you develop your site and it's contents</li>
<li>Basic Training on how to add/edit content (text and images) on your site </li>
</ul><strong>The Custom Designer Package ($249)</strong><br />
<ul><li>Everything in the Value Package above plus...</li>
<li>Custom Header - the graphic which appears at the top of the pages</li>
<li>Custom Colours</li>
<li>Custom Domain Name applied (you can get a domain name for about $10 per year)</li>
</ul><strong>The Deluxe Training Option ($99)</strong><br />
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Add an extra 120 minutes of one-on-one training (regular price is $198) where you can ask pick my brain and ask questions like:<br />
<ul><li>How do I create additional static web pages?</li>
<li>What are Widgets (also known as plug-ins or add-ons) and how do I use then?</li>
<li>How do I add video to my site?</li>
<li>Can you guide me on creating my content?</li>
<li>How do I take on-line payments?</li>
<li>How do I create an Opt-In Mailing list?</li>
<li>How do I create a "Contact Us" type Form?</li>
<li>How do I add a photo gallery to my site?</li>
<li>How can I have a widget appear on a specific page(s)?</li>
<li>How can I find out how many people are visiting my site?</li>
<li>What can I have to get my site listed on Google, Yahoo or Bing?</li>
<li>How can I add ads on my site?</li>
</ul><strong>The Tech Option </strong>(no extra charge).<br />
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With this option, you are involved from the very beginning. You will see how to create accouts, the basic site and configure some settings. The benefit is that you gain much more knowledge and increasing your chances of being able to create additional similar sites on your own down the road. Like the express option, you will also get the basic training which will enable you to add and edit information on your site on your own. Note that this option can be overwhelming for some people. <br />
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<strong>The Express Option </strong>(no extra charge)<br />
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This option will get your site up and running in the shortest amount of time possible as I do most of the work covered in the Standard option above before we even meet. This option takes less of your time by just focusing on what you really need to know.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Tech Coaching</span></strong><br />
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All of the above options include basic one-on-one Tech Coaching with me where you will learn how to add, edit and maintain your new site. You will learn how to create new pages, change existing pages, add pictures and make backups of your site.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Additional Options</span></strong><br />
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More advanced types of hosted sites based on WordPress or Website Baker have advantages including much greater flexibility while still remaining simple to use and manage. You can optionally skip the basic site and start off with something more powerful that will enable more flexibility down the road. If you aren't sure, start with a basic site. It will be easier to learn and get your feet wet, and you can always bring your information with you when you decide to upgrade in the future. Additional Tech Coaching is available to help with any questions that might come up over time or to help you set up and learn to use any the following:<br />
<ul><li>A Domain Name for your web site (www.YourOrganization.com<br />
and email address (name@YourOrganization.com)</li>
<li>Email Autoresponders, Mailing lists</li>
<li>Donation or payment processing</li>
<li>Helping you develop content for your site</li>
<li>Advanced calendar of events</li>
<li>On-line appointment scheduling</li>
<li>Polls and surveys</li>
<li>Making audio or video content available on your site</li>
<li>Teleconference calls for classes, seminars</li>
<li>Web conferencing</li>
<li>Video conferencing</li>
<li>Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube)</li>
<li>Blog Radio (radio show over the Internet)</li>
<li>Monitoring your sites traffic</li>
<li>Web forms (see <a href="/p/contact_25.html">Contact Us</a> page as an example)</li>
<li>Publishing a newsletter</li>
<li>Publishing eBooks</li>
<li>Generating income on your site through affiliate programs</li>
</ul>For more information, please <a href="http://www.michaelmilette.com/pages/contact.php">contact me</a>. I look forward to working with you in the near future. <br />
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With warmest regards,<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em><strong>Michael </strong></em></span><br />
Life and Tech Coach Michael Milette<br />
<em>Come discover a great life</em><br />
<a href="http://www.michaelmilette.com/">http://www.michaelmilette.com/</a>Life & Tech Coach Michael Milettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032772589816186486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476805570858115242.post-54471631631669765532010-04-27T22:27:00.003-04:002010-04-27T22:27:26.027-04:00Blogger vs WordPress<p>Blogger and WordPress are two of the most popular blogging and website tools in the world. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. Unless you have a very good reason, I recommend you consider either using Blogger or a hosted WordPress.org installation.</p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Blogger</span></strong> <p>Blogger is a free blogging / website service provided by Google.</p>Advantages <ul><li>Free to use</li>
<li>Free hosting</li>
<li>Easy to use - great for beginners!</li>
<li>Includes free domain name</li>
<li>Can customize any theme</li>
<li>Can install custom third party templates</li>
<li>Can install custom third party Widgets</li>
<li>You can alternatively use your own domain name</li>
<li>Easily integrates with several of Google's other products</li>
<li>Free technical support</li>
</ul><p>Disadvantages</p><ul><li>Limited availability of free third party templates</li>
<li>Can not password protect the whole blog site</li>
<li>Limited number of available Widgets</li>
<li>Limited number of static pages</li>
<li>Not as flexible or as popular as WordPress</li>
<li>Only third party contact forms can be added</li>
<li>You can not use a static page as a home page. However you can simulate a static Home page by setting the post date into the future.</li>
<li>Can only import from other Blogger blogs</li>
<li>Can not upload files - however you can store files in other Google services</li>
<li>Limited SPAM protection</li>
<li>Can be made SEO friendly with some effort</li>
<li>Few SEO friendly templates available</li>
</ul><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">WordPress.com</span></strong></p><p>Advantages</p><ul><li>Free to use</li>
<li>Free hosting</li>
<li>Includes free domain name</li>
<li>Perfect for beginner-intermediate users</li>
<li>Free technical support</li>
<li>Easy to add "Contact Us" form</li>
<li>You can assign a static page as your home page</li>
<li>You can upgrade from Blogger and import your blog data</li>
<li>Can upload a limited number of file formats</li>
<li>Better SPAM protection available</li>
<li>Built-in SEO</li>
</ul><p>Disadvantages</p><ul><li>Slightly more involved than Blogger</li>
<li>Can not customize any theme</li>
<li>Restricted to published list of templates</li>
<li>Restricted to published list of Widgets</li>
<li>Restricted to WordPress.com configuration settings</li>
<li>Limited to a maximum of 10 static pages</li>
<li>No SEO specific templates available</li>
</ul><p>For a more complete feature comparison between Blogger and WordPress.com, see the <a href="http://pulsed.blogspot.com/2007/07/blogger-wordpress-chart.html" target="_BLANK">Blogger vs. Wordpress.com Comparison Chart - 2010</a>.</p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">WordPress.org</span></strong></p><p>Advantages</p><ul><li>No Restrictions</li>
<li>Extremely Flexible</li>
<li>Impressive list of available third party Widgets</li>
<li>Impressive list of available Templates</li>
<li>Easy to install new template</li>
<li>Having your own hosted site and domain can have many other advantages</li>
<li>You will find more articles on the Web written about WordPress than any other blogging tool</li>
<li>There are tools to allow you to password protect all of your site or just part of your site and grant multiple levels of permission</li>
<li>Easy to add Contact Us form</li>
<li>You can assign a static page as a home page</li>
<li>Perfect for beginner-intermediate users</li>
<li>You can upgrade from Blogger and import your blog data</li>
<li>Can upload and store any file format you want on your site</li>
<li>Flexible SPAM protection available from third party widgets</li>
<li>Build-in SEO and more SEO templates available</li>
</ul><p>Disadvantages</p><ul><li>Slightly more involved than Blogger</li>
<li>You must also arrange for hosting</li>
<li>There is a fee for hosting and for the domain</li>
<li>Technical support may not be free if something goes wrong</li>
</ul>Life & Tech Coach Michael Milettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032772589816186486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476805570858115242.post-58700101071038635882010-04-27T22:27:00.002-04:002010-04-27T22:27:18.849-04:00Frequently Asked Questions<span style="color:#3366ff;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Question: How much does a blog or website cost?</span></strong> </span> <strong>Answer:</strong> The whole point of these low or no-cost websites is to minimize your ongoing cost. Neither Blogger.com or WordPress.com charge to host your website or blog. The only ongoing cost associated with your basic website will be the cost of purchasing and renewing a domain each year if you go with this highly recommended option. To help you get started, I offer the following packages for Blogger or WordPress: <strong>The Value Package (*$99)</strong> <ul><li>Free YourSiteName.blogspot.com or YouSiteName.WordPress.com domain name</li>
<li>Your choice of a Blogger or WordPress predesigned template</li>
<li>Up to 5 static web pages in addition to your home page</li>
<li>Login information emailed directly to you</li>
<li>A copy of my Clarity Guide and Designer Guide to help you develop your website and it's contents</li>
<li>Basic Training on how to add/edit content (text and images) on your site </li>
</ul><p><strong>The Custom Designer Package (*$249)</strong></p><ul><li>Everything in the Value Package above plus...</li>
<li>Custom Header - A graphic appearing at the top of the page</li>
<li>Custom Colours</li>
<li>Custom Domain Name applied (you can get a domain name for about $10 per year)</li>
</ul><p><strong>The Deluxe Training Option (*$99)</strong></p><p>An extra 120 minutes of on-line training (regular price is $198) where you can ask pick my brain and ask questions like:</p><ul><li>How do I create additional static web pages?</li>
<li>What are Widgets (also known as plug-ins or add-ons) and how do I use then?</li>
<li>How do I add video to my site?</li>
<li>Can you guide me on creating my content?</li>
<li>How do I take on-line payments?</li>
<li>How do I create an Opt-In Mailing list?</li>
<li>How do I create a "Contact Us" type Form?</li>
<li>How do I add a photo gallery to my site?</li>
<li>How can I have a widget appear on a specific page(s)?</li>
<li>How can I find out how many people are visiting my site?</li>
<li>What can I have to get my site listed on Google, Yahoo or Bing?</li>
<li>How can I add ads on my site?</li>
</ul><p>* Note: All prices are quoted in Canadian dollars. Tax will be added for Candian residents. All prices are subject to change.</p><p>BEFORE PLACING YOUR ORDER: Be sure to contact me to confirm that the package you are selecting is appropriate for your expectations and to ensure that the above prices are still current.</p>Life & Tech Coach Michael Milettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032772589816186486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476805570858115242.post-88839008975336484412010-03-25T23:53:00.004-04:002010-03-28T23:16:59.813-04:00Getting StartedThank you for considering me to be your Tech Coach. I am sure you are very excited to get started.<br /><br />Getting your new website up and running is a as simple as 1-2-3. Here are those three steps:<br /><br /><strong>Step 1)</strong> Once you are ready to get started, just let me know. I will email you a welcome package which will include an agreement describing what you expect of me (the services) and what I expect of you (payment).<br /><br />The package will also include a questionnaire to gather some basic information that we will need in order get started including things like:<br /><ul><li>Scheduled time together.</li><br /><li>Information required to create your basic web site.</li><br /><li>List of extra options you would like to include (contact me for pricing)</li></ul><br /><strong>Step 2)</strong> Upon receiving your agreement and questionnaire, I will confirm our appointment and send you payment instructions.<br /><br /><span style="color: red;">IMPORTANT: Payment is due in advance </span>and must be received before we get started.<br /><br /><strong>Step 3)</strong> We make it happen. Before you know it, you will have your very own easy to manage, low or no cost web site.<br /><br />Be sure to contact me if you have any questions about the process before we get started.<br />I look forward to working with you,<br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Michael</span></strong></em><br /><br />Life and Tech Coach Michael Milette<br /><em>Come discover a great life</em><br /><a href="http://www.michaelmilette.com/">http://www.michaelmilette.com/</a>Life & Tech Coach Michael Milettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032772589816186486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476805570858115242.post-21036163902779301252010-03-25T21:31:00.000-04:002010-03-25T21:31:04.296-04:00What is Internet Hosting?Internet Hosting is where your web pages and files will be stored on the Internet. <br />
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You have several options here and it really depends on your needs.<br />
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<strong>Basic</strong> - This particular site is hosted by Blogger, a service provided by the fine folks over at Google. Think of it as a beginners web site. There is no cost associated with this service. You can create up to 10 pages on your web site in addition to any number of articles you may want to publish on your web site.<br />
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Hosting Cost: Free as long as you can live with a website address like yourcompany.blogspot.com. If you want to use your own domain domain name such as <a href="http://www.yourdomain.com/">http://www.yourdomain.com/</a>, you will have to pay a yearly fee. See Domain Names for more information.<br />
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<strong>Intermediate </strong>- The next step up would be WordPress. WordPress is by far the most popular blog system on the Internet today and for very good reason. First, it is much more flexible than Blogger. You can create as many pages as you want, and there are literally hundreds, possibly thousands of templates to choose from.<br />
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There are two options available when it comes to WordPress:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Free Hosting: This is great. You get a blog that is much more flexible than Blogger however the free hosting version available though WordPress.com has a couple of draw backs. First, the look of your blog / website is limited to those templates available on the Wordpress website. Although there is still plenty to choose from, it is but a small fraction of what is out there. The same goes for the add-on plug-ins. The second and probably more important drawback is that you can't use your own domain name. You'll have to use yourcompany.wp.com.</li>
<li>Paid Hosting: There are many companies out there today where you can host your own WordPressed based blog or website. These sites usually charge you a monthly fee which can vary dramatically from one company to the next.</li>
</ul>
Everything above this level will require paid hosting. For more information on Paid Web Hosting, see my review of the iWeb.com, the web hosting company that I use and recommend.<br />
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<strong>Advanced - </strong>This level is recommended for people who want to have more features in their website but without added complexity. For small and medium size businesses, I often recommend Website Baker. I have tried MANY different systems for my own website. My criteria was that I needed a certain level of flexibility for my business and absolutely wanted to be able to focus on my websites content instead of trying to figure out how to make things work. To my delight, Website Baker did all this and more. It was designed from the ground up to be super easy to use. Creating a new web page can be literally be done in a matter of a few seconds. If you have all of your content ready, you can literally have your website done in just a few hours. There are lots of templates available and add-ons for things like setting up a store front where you can sell your goods and/or services.<br />
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<strong>Complex -</strong> There are Content Management Systems which can be very intimidating. The most popular systems are Joomla and Drupal, both of which are often use for medium and large size business. They offer the most flexibility but have a big learning curve. When starting with a clean slate, it can be a while before you actually have your first web page up. I do not recommend these unless you are either going to spend a good deal of time on the learning curve or you have a professional managing your web site. As such, these are beyond the services available on this website.<br />
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If you have any questions about which path is right for you, please contact me for an initial free consultation.Life & Tech Coach Michael Milettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032772589816186486noreply@blogger.com