Smarter Spider

So you want a web page? CMS or CMS?

Stefano Cosentino — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:43:22 +0000

No two websites are the same. Each one is built for a different company. Each website is designed by a different company. Each one has their own little way of administering the websites they create for you.

What’s a CMS? If you have heard of WordPress, that’s a CMS. So is Joomla, and Drupal. There are hundreds out there, I’m just mentioning the popular ones. A CMS is a Content Management Service. It’s the software behind your website that allows easy administration of the site. A new page is an easy addition, editing an existing page is just as easy. If you can use MS Word, then you can probably administer your own website.

Chances are some of us do. But a lot of us don’t. We leave that up to our web administrators that can have our requested changes up in no time, compared to us taking time out of normal business and trying to spend hours figuring out how to do a certain update to a page and then making it work, look pretty and be online when hit the APPLY button.

There are essentially two kinds of CMS. A customised one you may have spent thousands on. Or an open source one such as the previously mentioned WordPress and Joomla.

The key differences between the two are minimal, but vital.

They both offer the same functionality. However, one is easy to manage, the other can turn into a nightmare. One is free, the other costs a small fortune to develop. One is designed and maintained by a small group of individuals, the other is supported by hundreds if not thousands of enthusiastic people.

Do you want to guess which CMS belongs in which category?

The customised CMS, which costing more, will in fact make you worse off. Since it’s a customised solution, only a handful of people will know how to use it. If the organisation you used to build the website disappears, you are almost screwed. Finding someone who may be able te recover something will have a hard time as they’ll have to first figure out what the CMS actually is.

As a friendly alternative, an open source CMS provides you will almost unlimited support and a knowledge base to match. Chances are, any web designer will know how to manipulate the backend of an open source CMS. The purchase of an open source CMS is $0. Having to only pay the development fee for a web administrator/designer to do what they were going to charge you for anyway even if it was a customised website. The picture looks pretty bright.

So, when you’re thinking about a new website, consider an open source version such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal (the three biggest and most popular choices).

Changes at Smarter Spider

Stefano Cosentino — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:53:27 +0000

Over the years, Smarter Spider has provided the best Website and Email hosting service you can get in Australia.

We are the greenest.

We are the cheapest, without heading over to the U.S. based plans that cost $2 per month but come with great latency, timezone issues, and slow loading times and you’re not keeping your money in your own economy.

To continue offering the best service we can, there have been some changes in the way Smarter Spider operates.

These changes have not come lightly. However, I have tried my very best to ensure that the effect of the changes are at best minimal.

Our changes in a nutshell:

There are two immediate changes you will notice on your next invoice. Both of which I must inform you of to help you make judgement as to whether or not our service is still viable for your organisation.

1. Billing

1.a. Billing instalments will now be available in annual or quarterly blocks only.

Monthly billing will no longer be available. Rather than increase prices significantly, I am reducing administration costs by providing only two options for existing and future accounts. These two options are Quarterly billing and Annual.

1.b. Invoices will now only be available via email and no longer printed and mailed to you. If you have already received emailed invoices, that’s fantastic. Nothing will change in the way you receive invoices. If you receive bills via Australia Post, you will no longer.

This change helps significantly reduce administration costs to help avoid drastic price increases.

2. Terms of payment

2.a. Our terms which are currently set to 14 days and have been for the last 8 years we have been established are now changing to 7 days from date of invoice.

This decision, while a difficult one has been made to keep our fees from increasing significantly. I understand that cash flow can be an issue, and while this change has not come lightly because I’ve always been sensitive you and all my other customers needs in small business. I have no other option but to make this change so I can continue providing the same, reliable service.

2.b. Existing payment options such as Direct Deposit and Cheque will continue, however to make it even easier, soon a secure Credit Card payment option will be included and accessible via our website. You will be notified of the option when it appears on our website.

3. Pricing

Smarter Spider Webhosting prices are significantly lower than other Australian based organisations that offer a similar service. However, while our price point for each plan we offer is set to increase, a comparison still shows we are cheaper and we are still greener.

Our current small business plans have always been set at $9.95 per month. Your next invoice will show a small increase to $12.95 per month. That’s an increase of $3 per month or $36 per year. Yet Smarter Spider Hosting is still significantly more affordable than the competition.

We hope as existing customers you continue to see the improvements and benefits of using our service. As new customers, I am happy for you to compare services with other Australian hosting providers and see that we are greener, more affordable and a very reliable web hosting company that cares more about Australia’s economy, environment and your website being available and accessible to your target market.

Thank you

Stefano Cosentino

Analysis of your website

Stefano Cosentino — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:44:47 +0000

Websites cost money. And once you’ve paid for them, you have to keep paying for them. Hosting is an on-going expense for the services you sign up for.

Do you track how your expenditure on your website is going?

When you put an advert in the paper, a magazine, a billboard, radio, or television, you want to know that the money you have invested in that advertising has paid off.

So when I ask people how well their website is tracking, they have no clue.

Most hosting companies have rudimentary, built-in tracking systems that do okay at telling you where your website readers are coming from, what pages they look at and so on. However, these reports aren’t very in-depth.

One of the best alternatives, and a free one at that is utilising the services of Google Analytics. While Google Analytics is easy to use, it can be difficult to install into your website. Your existing website technician can help you there, and the cost should not be more than $75.00

If they quote you more than this, walk away.

Existing Smarter Spider customers get this for free if you ask me. However, we can also install the code into your existing website even if you’re not our customer. And we’ll do it for a discount price of $50.00

This is a one off fee, with no further costs associated with the adjustments. Your website will not be altered and will continue to function normally. Once you agree to have me install the code into your site, you will receive information on how to log into Google Analytics and start getting easy to read, but in-depth reports on who looks at what on your website. Find out what page works and what page needs to be altered or deleted altogether. Watch the video below to see what Google Analytics is all about.

For more information, don’t hesitate in contacting info@smarterspider.com.au

Why host in Australia?

Stefano Cosentino — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:44:31 +0000

This is not a silly question.

Why would you host your website in Australia when there are companies in the U.S. charging $2 a month for hosting?

Hosting in Australia means you keep your business local
If there’s a problem, you’re in the same timezone as the person who takes care of you
Websites load faster because they’re on the same continent
Harmonytech hosting is green
Your not just another number to us

If you’re thinking about hosting a website in Australia and want a host who cares about the environment and you. Shop around for a host like Smarter Spider.

Packages. Everyone loves getting packages

Stefano Cosentino — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:24:01 +0000

I have been very busy with setting up Smarter Spider and providing excellent web hosting services.

Now we’re adding more value by adding packages that help your business grow online.

Our packages are based around your online demands and the size of your business.

Click here to head over to the packages page where our brilliant webhosting packages are on offer to you.

Welcome to Hosting with a Difference

Stefano Cosentino — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:43:56 +0000

What’s the difference? All our servers are Australian based, and each one is powered by renewable energy (Solar and Wind power).

With 99.9% uptime guarantee, and being based right here in Australia, your website will load faster for your audience.

If you need a reliable home for your website, hit the bullseye with our services.