Moondog Web Design News

Remove those "diamond shaped boxes with question marks in them" in your Blogger posts

2010-01-15T17:24:00.004-06:00

Microsoft Word uses non-standard characters for quotes, apostrophes, double dashes, and 3 periods in a row (ellipses). So, if you try to copy/paste a Word document into Blogger you are going to get some of those "diamond shaped boxes with question marks in them" wherever you had quotes, apostrophes, double dashes, and ellipses.
Saving Microsoft Word documents as US-ASCII (plain text) will remove all MS Word formatting and convert those characters into something most web browsers can understand. Here's how it works:
1. Open the Word document then click: File > Save As
2. Save as type: "Plain Text (*.txt)"
3. Click OK
4. A File Conversion Menu will appear. Choose "other encoding", then select "US-ASCII"

5. Check "allow character substitution"
6. Click OK to save
7. Open the new .txt document in a text editor such as Notepad
8. Copy the contents and paste into the Blogger compose window

This method is about 95% effective at removing non web-compatible characters from your document, but of course you still proofread the final draft before posting.

Moondog Web Design v 5.0 is finally online

2010-01-03T21:02:00.004-06:00

The new version is a bit more colorful, should be easier to navigate, and has a link to download our FREE Website Planning Guide. Also, the portfolio sample pictures are larger, and I have added links and information for our sister site, Moondog Web Hosting. At the last minute I decided to integrate the News and Tips page with my previously dormant Twitter account. I'm still tinkering with the page background, but I think I'm going to leave it as is for the time being. As always, I would love to hear any comments and suggestions to make the website better.

Going once, going twice...

2009-11-09T21:25:00.000-06:00

I just completed a new website for The West End Auction. The site is not yet "live", but the auction agent has given me permission to release a sneak peak at the condos that will be auctioned on December 5th. I've seen this place, and if you are looking for an upscale condo with awesome views of downtown Nashville and lots of "outdoor living" area, this place is pretty cool.

Back up your data

2009-09-15T08:18:00.002-05:00

Acronis True Image WD Edition Software helps you to completely clone your current system drive onto your new WD hard drive. Cloning makes an exact copy of your old system drive on your new WD hard drive, including the operating system, applications, data, preferences, and email settings. Everything will be present and operate exactly as it did on your old hard drive. As of 09/15/09, it is available as a free download on the Western Digital website.

Watch Out For Domain Renewal Scams

2009-02-25T21:37:00.002-06:00

They go by several names ... Domain Renewal Group, Domain Registry of America, Liberty Names of America and probably a few others that I'm not yet aware of. Regardless of the name, they operate in the same manner - by sending out what looks remarkably like a time-sensitive invoice for a domain renewal. But if you read the letter carefully, you will realize that they are using an approach called slamming (trying to trick you into switching your domains to another company). They highlight that your domain is due to expire shortly, and that you risk losing the domain name unless you renew the registration. Although the letter states that it is not a bill, it is purposely designed to look like an invoice. Paying that "invoice" actually begins a very overpriced domain transfer - and undoing that mistake will be a major hassle. Often the transfer fails, but the fine print says that the fee is non-refundable. If you receive an invoice from anyone other than your Web host or domain registrar, you'll save yourself a headache if you simply send it through the shredder. MOONDOG WEB HOSTING does NOT send renewal notices via postal mail.

"About Us" Web Pages

2008-08-23T21:30:00.003-05:00

Your About Us pages should include:

A brief overview of what you do, including the benefits you offer to customers, and how those benefits distinguish you from competitors.
Your company history.
Profiles of executives and other key managers if applicable.
Testimonials from happy customers.
A list of awards and other recognition you have received.
Press releases and other resources for the media.
Information on how to contact you.

source: Guide to Writing Effective "About Us" Web Pages

Express E-mail Marketing

2008-06-17T08:41:00.005-05:00

Face it: There's a right way and a wrong way to do most everything. This is particularly true when it comes to email marketing. The last thing any business ever wants is to be associated with spam. That's why we created Express Email Marketing. Now you can enjoy all the benefits of email marketing - and steer clear of ever being considered a spammer.

No one wants to receive marketing emails they didn't request. That's true! But there are many people who want to know about your products, company or organization. These people will welcome hearing from you and actually look forward to getting your emails.

Express Email Marketing includes everything you see here:

Subscriber Management

List import & export
Advanced segmentation (interest groups)
Bulk list removal
Custom exporting
Activity reporting
Member profiles/history
View campaign subscriber lists
Customize subscriber list view

Surveys

10 unique question types
Question sorting
Multi-page questionnaires
Custom design features
Link generator (text & button)
HTML code for link
Easily move questions within your survey

Campaign Designer

Personalization (e.g. Dear Mr. Smith)
Quick start templates
Huge 1,500+ Image Library
Upload a Personal Image Gallery
HTML & text emails
Auto Save
Web page import
HTML import
Advanced editor
Detailed customization
Scheduling
Recipient filtering
Campaign previews
Test messages
Spell checker

Sign Up Forms

Standard & custom questions
Question sorting
Double opt-in protection
Custom design features
Return links
Form preview
Link generator (text & button)
HTML code for link

Reports

Campaign responses
Survey results
Subscriber activity
Demographic drill-down
Interest groups

Other Features

Bounce handling
Unsubscribe handling
Opt-in confirmation
Anti-spam protection
Spam reporting links
Custom e-mail messages
Add file attachment

Express Email Marketing automatically adds the necessary disclaimer language to any email you send. Plus, it even includes links that allow recipients to automatically opt out.

Check out the Express E-mail Marketing page at Moondog Web Hosting for more details and get started today.

Moondog Web Hosting's Web-Based Email Upgrade

2008-05-14T09:44:00.002-05:00

Web-Based Email 4.13 is a feature-rich upgrade to Moondog Web Hosting's already successful email program, giving customers many NEW features:

Instantly preview email messages while scrolling through them in the inbox
Unique Drag and Drop to quickly move email messages for easy filing
Search your email OR the entire Web in a single click and save searches for future reference
Create folders from any screen view without a complicated folder management interface
Customize the program's appearance by choosing from among a wide variety of color palettes

If you already have an e-mail account with us, but you haven't tried accessing your account via web-based e-mail, simply open your favorite browser, type "email.cooldomain.com" (replacing "cooldomain" with your actual domain name) into your the address bar, then enter your e-mail address and password. It's just that simple.

Register.com Run Around

2008-04-09T07:31:00.000-05:00

Recently I tried to help one our clients transfer her domain name away from Register.com to Moondog Web Hosting. Our prices are much better ($8.95/yr vs $35.00/yr), and she already has a hosting account and e-mail marketing program with us, so it just made good sense to consolidate all of her web products under one roof. One of the first steps in transferring a domain name is obtaining an Authorization Code from the losing registrar. With most registrars, you can log in to your account and either find or request your Authorization Code. Not so with Register.com. The Register.com website proudly proclaims But if you want to transfer away a domain name from them, you must go through their "Business Center" to get the authorization code. The Business Center hours are 8am - 6pm EST Monday to Friday. But wait, it gets better. They still won't give you the authorization code until you provide a them with a "security code" which they must e-mail to the administrative contact for the account. They explained to me twice how this run around was purely for security reasons. So I asked, "How is e-mailing me a 'security code', then having me repeat it back to you over the phone to get the authorization code any more secure than just e-mailing me the authorization code in the first place?" They didn't have an answer.