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Hollander Concrete Online

Caltronics Communications' new Joomla! website is now online - go here to view it

Joomla 1.6.0 has just been released.

This new version of Joomla includes more power, more control, and more options than ever before.

Rebuilt from the ground up in much of the application, this latest Joomla release will delight the casual site builder while helping small, medium, and enterprise businesses succeed in delivering web sites, intranets and applications to their respective markets.

Delivering power through simplicity, Joomla 1.6 ensures its place as the popular CMS of its kind. Joomla 1.6 delivers new features to end-users and site administrators including:

• Finer access controls for viewing and editing content with configurable user groups and viewing levels
• A user-defined category structure, from simple one-level to complex multi-level categories
• Installation improvements allowing for multiple extension installations in one package, updatable with a single click
• Expanded language support for easy production of multi-lingual sites
• Start and end publishing times for modules with more control over where they display,
• Fresh new templates and semantic markup to please the eye as well as the search engines
• More creative control through template styles
• Hundreds of additional features, streamlining workflow and productivity

CanadaWeb Inc. is proud to present Riverfront Aquarium's new Joomla website - go here to view it

Ok, so there's something wrong with the ROI (Return on Investment) of your website ...  It just doesn't seem to do much for the company.  But how much did you spend on it ?  When was the last time it was updated or re-designed ?  Who built it: the receptionist, the office manager, the IT guy, your son, your daughter ?

Well it's really quite simple: you have to spend money to make money (but not necessarily huge sums) and you have to spend it where it counts.  This means you should hire a professional company like CanadaWeb Inc. to set you up with a professional internet presence.  Notice that I called it an internet presence and not a website because there's so much more to it than just the website.  Call us to explain this in more detail ... and that consultation would be free ;-)

By awarding to CanadaWeb Inc. the contract to design and create a new Joomla website, IRT Integrated Rectifier Technologies Inc. has become a valued client.  We are looking forward to a great business relationship lasting many years.

Hollander Concrete Ltd. is now a client - their new Joomla website will be online shortly.

So as a web developer, here's one of my (admittedly many) pet peeves ... and it's 2-fold.  First, why are they called IT - Information Technologies - at all ?  Really, if you think about, Computer Hardware & Software Support is far more accurate.  So we should refer to them as CHSS guys (or girls).  Website designers and creators would more accurately referred to as IT people - we really do deal in Information Technologies.

And here is the second part of it.  Quite regularly, when we meet with clients for a web project, they insist on involving the "IT guy".  Even worse, some companies (they shall remain nameless but know who they are) actually use their IT staff to build and maintain websites.  I mean, that's like getting the structural engineer to do interior design.  He may be a very good engineer but what does he know about interior design ?  Answer: essentially nothing.  And so the result is quite predictable: poor.

For those who would take issue with my reasoning, image this:  the company needs to upgrade / install a new server and calls in the IT guy.  To the big surprise of the IT guy the boss has also brought in the web designers so they can vet everything the IT team plans to do.  Make any sense ?  No ?  Exactly, and that's my point.

Well Tech Energy Services Inc. new Joomla website is now online - see it here.

Jade Oilfield Maintenance Co Ltd. is now a client - a new Joomla website is going online soon - view it here

So when building websites one the important things is to have photos, images, diagrams, etc.  The problem so often is with the photos as supplied by clients.  In this day and age everybody thinks themselves to be expert photographers.  How can you fail with all the fancy digital, automatic everything cameras.  Aim in the general direction, shoot and presto we have a perfect web photo.  If only it was that easy.  The problem with lots of folks is that they don't know the first thing about good photography and the impact it will have on their website.  The photos we get from clients are often woefully inadequate but they don't want to spend money on a professional photographer.  So this leads me to wonder, why would someone spend thousands on a classy new website only to load it up with garbage photography ?  Well, we see it all the time.

This article is not meant to provide lessons on the finer points of web photography but I would like to urge people in charge of the website for their company to very seriously consider hiring a professional  to provide high quality web photography / videography for their high quality website.  Remember, on the web all a visitor knows about your company is what they see on the website ... and first impressions are lasting ones.

News - the Joomla website for Redmont International ULC is now complete.

We have completed work on the Joomla website for Redmont International ULC in Cushing, Oklahoma.  The site is now online and can be viewed here http://www.redmont.com/

What a good website should do for your business

Most business people think that a website essentially acts like a 24/7 sales person … well, they are right and like sales staff, some are better at it than others (and many are quite abysmal).   It does that and performs a few other services that many people probably aren’t aware of.

It starts with the idea that a graphically well designed site should look pleasing and provide its company with a refined, sophisticated and admirable image.  So, if the site looks crappy, it makes the company look crappy.

Next, the site should be a source of information about the products and / or services the company offers.  That may seem self explanatory but have a look at many sites and you’ll not find the specific technical data you’re looking for.  So, put that info out there on a public or private (limited to certain customers) basis and people will come looking for it.  That’s called traffic and traffic on your site means sales in the door.

Then there are sales.  Sure you want that site to magically grab visitors and turn them into customers … just like that.  The phone will ring off the hook – lovely thought that.   Unfortunately it’s not the reality for many companies.  Instead think of the website more like a sales assistant who’s constantly on standby.  It works like this:  when your sales staff is on the phone with a (potential) customer who will be asking questions about specific products or services.  It’s always quite impressive when your sale rep can say: “please go to our website www.oursite.com and in the products section you will find complete specs, write-up and photos  of  the product and also in downloadable Pdf format”.  And you can discuss it while on the phone and your customer is reading info and looking at photos.  Now that’s what closes sales !

By awarding to CanadaWeb Inc. the contract to design and create a new Joomla website, TIW Western Inc. has become a valued client.  We are looking forward to a great business relationship lasting many years.

Few companies can afford not to promote and advertise their products / services.  Since you have to spend money to make money, where is that money best spent ?  Well, for many of the older business men / women the answer all too often is still Yellow Pages, news papers, magazines etc.  These folks were born without the internet-savvy gene and will not use (or spend money on) something they're not familiar with.

But the fact is that a website is online working for you 24/7/365.  A Blog, Facebook and/or Twitter presence are by far the most effective means to promote and disseminate information to clients and prospective cuastomers.  Amortize the cost of the site over the typical average of 3 years and then compare the colourful, multi-page and often inter-active website with a small, static newspaper, magazine or Yellow Page ad and it becomes very apparent that the website provides by far the best R.O.I. (return on investmant).

Contact us for more details.

On Call Plumbing & Heating Ltd. has placed an order for their new website which is now under construction and scheduled to be online soon - view it here: On Call Plumbing & Heating Ltd.

The new Servo Dynamics Inc. website is now complete and online - view it here:  Servo Dynamcis Inc.

We can improve the internet visibility of your company dramatically by setting up a Twitter account, Facebook account and / or Blog - ask us.

The new McNabb Construction website is now complete and online - view it here: McNabb Construction.

The new All Track Service (1984) Ltd. is website now complete and online - view it here: All-Track Service.