Welcome to our Web Services Articles Section

This section of our web site contains a selection of informative articles about various aspects of web development, web design and other internet related services such as web promotion.
Please note that these articles are the intellectual property of IceGiant Web Services and are not available for syndication or reprint.
For information about our selection of articles for syndication, please contact us.

New articles are added on a weekly basis, so be sure to check back frequently to stay informed about the internet and online business.

Latest Articles

• Google PageRank - The thing is...
  Whilst the little green PageRank bar is often considered to be the be all and end all of web site promotion, recent trends, as well as statements by Google employees have shown it to be only one small component of the ranking process.
  
• Learn about SEO - Google's Webmaster Guidelines
  Many online entrepreneurs employing third-party web designers have no wish to learn about web promotion and optimisation. Yet there is a very real need to at least study the basics to ensure your web site's continuing success.

Previous Articles

• Web Promotion Elements - Page Header? Header Tag? What the...?
  One frequent cause for confusion amongst less experienced web designers and promoters is the difference between the Page Head and a Header Tag. This article provides a brief overview about the differences and applications of the two.
• Keyword Analysis and Web Promotion - The Value of Niches
  The majority of online business owners will simply concentrate their promotional efforts on high visitor numbers, without considering a more targeted approach which may well yield a far higher proportion of customer enquiries.
• Domain Names - How long is yours registered for?
  What many less experienced web designers and webmasters fail to realise is that Google uses a domain name's registration period to help assess any given web site's 'seriousness'. A longer registration period will actually help site promotion.
• Onsite SEO - Title, Meta Tags and Content
  Whilst the successful long-term promotion of any given web site does of course require a balanced approach between on and offsite SEO, many promoters will favour external factors over internal aspects lile meta tags and content.
• Web Site Promotion - Gurus and Buzzwords
  The internet is full of buzzword laden offers, mostly aimed at less experienced webmasters and online business owners, promising quick riches in return for comparatively little effort. These offers should be approached with caution.
• Web Designers in Cyprus - Are they under threat from abroad?
  An increasing number of comapnies from northern Europe have recently set their sights on Cyprus and the Middle East as a continuing source of fresh clients.
  But are these developments really a threat for Cypriot web designers?
• More Accessible Web Design - Web Accessibility Gurus? [2 Page Article]
  The wake of the NFB/Target.com court case has brought the issue of accessible web design to the forefront of many discussions and is even seeing an expansion in a previously small sector of the internet industries, web accessibility consultants.
• Google Supplemental Results - And how to get out of them
  There seems to be some confusion about what Google Supplemental Results actually are and how they affect your web site's standing in the search rankings.
  This article tries to shed some light onto the subject.
• Duplicate Web Site Content - A way to harm your rankings [2 Page Article]
  It has long been known that duplicate content is likely to harm a site's rankings.
  But exactly how much duplication is too much and what are the main differences in the way search engine filters perceive web sites, blogs, CMS and so on.
• Web Design and SEO - Do they really go hand in hand?
  Although many web designers claim their products to be 'SEO-Ready', the majority of experienced web promotion operators argue that solid design techniques amount to very little without top-quality content.
• Selling on the Internet - Leveraging the International Market
  Even in this day and age there are still plenty of opportunities for small businesses to successfully establish themselves as niche-market operators on the World Wide Web and make a handsome profit.
• Choosing a Domain Name - Be sure to get it right
  It is a statistical fact that over 13,000 new dot UK domains are registered in the United Kingdom alone each month. But what exactly makes 'the right domain name' and how do know what is right for your web site?
• Underground Web Designers - A famous secret brotherhood?
  Becoming a member of this elite cadre of web 'professionals' requires unswerving dedication as well as a rebellious nature and a slightly different outlook at design on the internet.
• Web Design in Cyprus Article - E-Commerce in a United Europe
  Some two and a half years after attaining full membership of the European Union, many Cypriot web sites are still failing to compete effectively against their European counterparts. To a degree, a lack of communication with customers is to blame.
• Smaller Search Engines - Good reasons not to ignore them
  In the race to get rankings with Google, MSN and Yahoo, the many smaller search engines on the web are often overlooked in spite of the fact that promotion to these operators can really boost a site's profitability.
• SEO Scam Artists - How to spot them [4 Page Article]
  The SEO industry is plagued by a small number of what can only be described as scam artists taking advatage of their customer's lack of knowledge.
  This article provides an insight into their methods.
• Web Site Content - The Importance of Quality
  Many commercial web sites are so busy blowing their own trumpet by going on and on about themselves and their philosophies, they completely overlook the wants and needs of their potential clients.
• Web Accessibility - Graphics, Alt Tags and more [2 Page Article]
  although the use of 'alt attributes has been accepted as a vital part of disability access on the web, they are often ignored by less experienced designers or, worse still, abused by unethical web promotion operators.
• Black Hat Web Promotion - The Scourge of Online Business [2 Page Article]
  Whilst the bulk of web promotion specialists are adhering to the guidelines laid down by the World Wide Web Consortium and the major search engines, a small number of operators are serving to give the industry a bad name.
• Web Site Visitor Tracking - Keyword Analysis is Important [2 Page Article]
  Whilst the overall importance of in-depth keyword analysis is gradually filtering through the industry, more than a few novice developers still believe that basic hit counters are all that's required for successful web promotion.
• Web Designers - You only get five seconds
  Any commercial web site which does not make its point or catches the surfer's attention within the first five seconds after arrival is likely to suffer as a result.
  The fact is that visitors are notoriously fickle when it comes to browsing the web.
• Professional Web Design vs. Part-Time Web Design
  Whilst the services of a part-time operator are often cheaper than those of a professional web design studio, there are certain issues to be considered by prospective clients.
• Web Site Navigation - How visitor and spider friendly is yours?
  When deciding on your site's navigation system as far as style, layout and scripting is concerned, you need to consider a functional approach for both human visitors and search engines alike.
• Writing Internet Articles - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly [2 Page Article]
  Many internet article authors seem to favour quantity over quality, a strategy which is likely to damage their business in the long-run.
  We plead our case against poor copywriting.
• Accessible Web Design - The Future is Now!
  A ruling by a US court held that the major online retailer Target.com was discriminating against disabled web users, setting a precedent for future disability rights lawsuits against commercial web sites.
• CSS; Cascading Style Sheets
  Although CSS offers many advantages over conventional HTML web design, there is still a substantial faction of the web design community largely unaware of the applications of Cascading Style Sheets.
• Google PR - Greenbar Madness?
  Many webmasters and industry professionals place a high value on Google PageRank, but is PR really of paramount importance when it comes to successful web promotion?
• Content is King [2 Page Article]
  A few reasons outlining the need for original, authoritative content as part of any successful online venture.
  Here, as is the case with so many other aspects of web marketing, customer confidence is everything.
• Competent Web Design; [2 Page Article]
  examines the relationship between competent, W3C compliant web design techniques and the search engine spiders used to index a site's content for inclusion in search engine databases.
• Basic Web Promotion;
  outlines a few basic rules to remember when planning a web promotion campaign.
  This short article also provides a few basic tips on the subject, ranging from W3C compliance to link partners.
• Link Building Strategies
  Whilst most link builders seem to concentrate their efforts solely on increasing the popularity of their site's homepages, there are a number of good reasons to spread incoming links throughout their site.
• Internet Graphic Design
  This article lists some of the most common graphic design errors made by budding web developers and offers advice about how to employ graphics to maximum effect within site design.
• Hiring a Web Designer
  As a business owner, there are a number of things you should ask when interviewing prospective web designers to create your new site.
  These questions will help you distinguish the bad from the good.

Check back regularly for new articles about the web services industry

You may also wish to read:

Web Design in Cyprus

IceGiant Web Design Awards

IceGiant Graphic Design Services

Keyword Analysis

W3C Compliance

Effective Web Promotion