News for our Clients

Smart Art / CMS Wales

Smart Art / CMS Wales Announcements Feed
  • Pricing changes - effective immediately

    Prices for some services are changing - effective immediately;-

    Personal Hosting Plan - max 1 website (per month)    ...     £5.50
    Personal Hosting Plan - max 1 website (per annum)    ...     £60.50 (1 month free)

    Business Hosting - max 1 website (per month)    ...     £11.00
    Business Hosting - max 1 website (per annum)    ...     £121.00 (1 month free)

    CMS Business Hosting - max 2 websites (per month)    ...     £17.00
    CMS Business Hosting - max 2 websites (per annum)    ...     £187.00 (1 month free)

    Corporate Hosting Plan - max 10 websites (per month)    ...     £50.00
    Corporate Hosting Plan - max 10 websites (per annum)    ...     £550.00 (1 month free)

    Reseller Hosting Account - allows 30 clients (per month)  ...     £150.00
    Reseller Hosting Account - allows 30 clients (per annum)  ...     £1650.00 (1 month free)

    Web Promotion Package (per month)    ...     £35.00
    Web Promotion Package (per annum)    ...     £385.00 (1 month free)

    Twitter Account Promotion (per month)    ...     £15.00
    Twitter Account Promotion (per annum)    ...     £165.00 (1 month free)

    Portrait Photo Enhancement Service

    For photos relating to maternity, family, children, wedding etc. Professional photo retouching to baby portraits, beach portraits, bridal portraits, children portraits, family portraits, wedding portraits, couple portraits, black and white portraits, individual portraits, group portraits, business portraits, modelling and glamour portraits.

    Enhanced face beautification
    Skin regeneration
    Skin defect touch up
    Fixes skin blemishes such as spots or pimples
    Reduces and/or removes wrinkles
    Removes grease, sweat or shine from the skin
    Subtly reshapes all or any aspect of the face
    Enhances the eye and mouth shape, colour and sharpness
    Smooths, recolours and thickens the subject's hair
    Adjusts the lighting on the face
    Enhancement of one or more person in a photo - ideal for single, couple or family shots
    Removal of color casts created by multicolored, tungsten, or fluorescent lighting as well as by fading light
    Skin Retouching with removal of blemishes such as small spots, scars, and dark circles under the eyes that are magnified in digital images
    Correcting the density and contrast in portraits to ensure that any variations are corrected
    Crop photos to retouch the picture, removing unwanted elements, and focusing on the subject


    price per photo     1-5 photos    ...     £9.50
    price per photo     6-10 photos    ...     £8.50
    price per photo     11-20 photos    ...     £7.50
    price per photo     21-50 photos    ...     £6.50
    price per photo     51-100 photos    ...     £5.50

    Prices for all other services to remain the same.

    Full Price list available here: http://www.cms-wales.co.uk/services/price-guide

     

     



  • Christmas and New Year Arrangements & Office Hours

    As usual the Smart Art / CMS Wales office will be closing down for 2 weeks for my annual break as this is the only time of year I actually get a real break from work.

    OFFICE HOURS THIS CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR:

    • The office will close at 12:30pm on Wednesday 21st December 2011
    • The office will re-open at 9:30am on Thursday 5th January 2012


    SERVICES DURING THE HOLIDAY PERIOD:

    • HOSTING - service as normal
    • MAIL - service as normal
    • FTP - service as normal
    • SQL - service as normal
    • cPANEL - service as normal
    • CLIENT AREA - service as normal
    • SUPPORT - restricted - see section marked "SUPPORT NOTES" below
    • WEB PROMOTION - December Ranking Reports will be produced & sent out 4 days early (21st)
    • TWITTER PROMOTION - service as normal EXCEPT for Xmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day


    CHANGES RELATING TO ALL DESIGN WORK:

    From January 2012, all orders for any design work (logo design, new websites or new templates for existing websites) must be accompanied by a 50% deposit before work can commence. This brings Smart Art / CMS Wales into line with the rest of the website design industry.

    CMS SITE TEMPLATES FOR 2012:

    Clients with a CMS (Content Management System) website will be aware that the "look" and "feel" of their website is controlled entirely by a design template. As such, to have a new look to your CMS for 2012 only requires the creation and application of a new design template. This work means that instead of having to rewrite the entire site in order to achieve a new design, none of the text, or the site database, needs to be touched, only the template files are replaced. Keeping the site content, database and design template separate in this manner means a new design for your site costs a fraction of the cost of a new site build. Price for a new design template is £650.00. Timescale for a new template is 1 full week, with graphic previews during the design.

    I am taking orders now for new templates for 2012, and they will be created strictly in the same order that orders are placed. So if you want your CMS to have a new look for Spring 2012, now is the time to place your order (payments are 50% on order, which can be from account credit if you have it, with final 50% due after the new template design is approved and has been applied to your site).

     

    SUPPORT NOTES:

    During the holiday break all requests for help/support must be made through the Support Ticket System in the Client Area at http://www.cms-wales.co.uk/clients/

    IMPORTANT: If you require help there are certain checks you should make before starting a Support Ticket...

    If you are unable to view your website, please check first to see if it is an issue local to you or your ISP - you can do this by visiting: http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ and enter your website URL. This site will check to see if your site is available via other routes. If it says your site is up, then the problem lies locally to you. This can mean that work in your local telephone exchange is affecting routing, or your ISP is doing maintenance - or that your browser cache is corrupt and needs to be emptied (see knowledgebase in Client Area), or that your Hub/Router needs to be reset in order to give you a new IP Address and so route you round any local problems. In this case, rather than simply using the hub/router's reset switch, which would reset the hub but leave you with the same IP Address, it is best to power down the hub/router for at least 30 seconds, power it back on and leave it to reset itself - this will then normally give you a brand new IP Address and so solve any local routing issues.

    However, if the site above does say your site is down, then please start a Support Ticket and provide the following information:-

    • URL of site affected
    • Time that problem was identified
    • Description of the issue you experienced
    • Your current IP Address (get this from: http://whatismyipaddress.com/ )
    • An email address you CAN access OR
    • A Mobile Number capable of receiving text messages

     



  • Web Promotion Service - PROOF it works

    For any client (or potential client) wondering about the ability of the Website Promotion Service to get your key phrases into the top positions in search engines:-

    Don't just take my word for it...

    Here is the absolute PROOF:-

    http://www.cms-wales.co.uk/services/website-promotion/web-promotion

    On this page you will see that I list my 5 most important phrases I need to be found for when people search for the type of services I offer - and each phrase is linked by a query to Google so you can simply click the link and find the results for that phrase. (I have done the same with the linked phrases below).

    As you will see, my favourite phrases are all in the top positions of Google's first page - and indeed for these phrases I have more than 1 listing on the Google first page of results.

    In fact, taking them in order I achieve the following results:-

    This sort of performance is not achieved overnight - not even within a few months - it has take me YEARS of ongoing promotion and constant new article addtions to my site to achieve these results.

    So if you want similar results you must keep the service running long term, because the info in your monthly Ranking Reports is VITAL in ensuring you know which phrases to target and when - and be sure to check that your favourite phrases (and variants of them) are actually in your website - and not just in text copy, but also in the Page Titles and in the META Description and Keywords tags.

    Some help on writing good copy to boost your favourite phrases:-

    Key phrases for the page/article in question should go into the Title first and foremost, then also into the copy, along with all variants of the phrase providing you can work them in naturally (i.e. always write for your human reader rather than for the SE’s - they will notice your intent and boost you for this), then also add the main phrase for the page into the Description and Keywords boxes too.

    If you are not rushed - always put a short "synopsis" of the page in question into that page's "meta description" - as this will then read more naturally in the Search Engine results to the person looking at the search results.

    Doing all the above puts more “weight” or “relevance” on the phrase when the SE’s see it.

    Official "lengths" for tags:

    Official figures from Google and other engines suggest the following lengths to comply with best SEO practices – I’m giving away secrets now ;-)

    These are the “ideal” lengths to aim for to achieve best display in the SE results pages and to comply with Best SEO Practices:-

    Title: Google shows 69 Characters (Including Spaces) for Page Title.
    Meta Description: Google shows 156 Characters (Including Spaces) for Meta Description.
    Meta Keywords: Just use the MAIN phrases for the page – don’t “over-stuff” this tag – max length is 250 characters (including spaces & commas). Separate each phrase by a comma then a space i.e. key phrase one, key phrase two, key phrase three etc. etc.

    Page Content Length:

    Generally considered a minefield – but planning is the way to make the most of this and ensure you give the visitor AND the SE’s what they want to see…

    There are two "tents" in your website - "intent" and "content." Before you worry about the SEO, think about your site visitors and the reason for the existence of a given page. This is the "intent" part. What is your intent for this page? What information are you trying to convey to your visitor? That should be your first concern. The internet isn't like any other form of marketing you've ever done. The site visitor has very definite and different expectations when they visit your website than they do when they read one of your print ads. The average visitor:

    • probably got there from a search engine;
    • was looking for some specific information in their search;
    • wants to find what they're looking for in a hurry; and
    • doesn't want to wade through a bunch of stuff to get what they want.

    This isn't print: It's clear to the average consumer that what they see in most any print ad is something you're "pushing" at them with a goal of doing business at some point. And most consumers are OK with that, and will still read your ads if they have any interest at all. But, when they visit your website, particularly from a search engine, they arrived with a question or need for information. They're not looking for a sales pitch. They're looking for answers.

    What the visitor wants: So, the first decision about content length for a web page should be made with the goal of providing the information that the visitor wants. If 200 words can do it, then that's probably enough. If it takes 600 words, then that's the right page length. If it takes thousands of words, then we get to a new decision and plan. This also has to do with choosing a key phrase for the page for which you'll be doing SEO. If you have a lot of information, and if you're having trouble narrowing down to one important key phrase, then you've got more than one web page of information.

    Better less than too much: Suddenly some of the fear of not having a lot of SEO'd pages on your site will die away. The average web visitor is in a hurry, looking for fast access to the information they seek, and doesn't necessarily want extra information at that moment. This works in your favour for your site planning and content development. If you've got lots of information that answers several questions, you've probably got several pages of information. Generally, too much scrolling is not good, so a text-heavy page of information could be perfect with anywhere from around 200 to a bit more than 1000 words for complex topics.

    Really, the "content" question is frequently not a question if you answer the "intent" question first. Develop the content of a page around the information you're trying to provide to your visitor.

    Finally:

    Don't forget, add new content to your website FREQUENTLY - a website with no recent updates is seen as "dead" by both your visitors and the search engines - aim to add new content at least once per week as the absolute MINIMUM. Any less frequently can stop your visitors coming back, and even stop the search engines coming back.

    Also - after every new addition to your website, TWEET about it if you have Twitter, with a link back to the page in your website. If you don't have Twitter then you are missing out on this millenium's best marketing tool bar none!

    PS - Clients with a Smart Art CMS can have "AutoTweet NG Professional" installed (many have already) - which then automatically posts news of your website updates to your Twitter account for you (Facebook too if required), allowing your Twitter Followers and/or Facebook Friends to know instantly that you have posted new content on your site and they can simply click the linnk and be reading it within seconds. If you don't have this in your CMS then just ask.

    Use these tips, keep your web promotion running, ACT on your VITAL monthly reports (you simply cannot achieve any of this without the data in those reports) - these will identify which of your phrases are not performing well - which is then easily rectified by yourself by adding a new article/page that takes all of the above into account and is targeted at the poorly performing phrase - using my tips, and the VITAL data in your monthly Web Promotion Report (that I send out to all Web Promotion Clients on the 25th of every month), there really is NO excuse for letting your favourite phrases perform badly - you've seen the proof, and I have told you how it is done - the rest is up to you.

    If you need more info - please just ask.



  • Scam Alert

    Be Warned - Several client sites today have had their contact forms submitted by a company claiming to post "good reviews" about them in order to fool Google into giving them a "ranking boost".

    Be wary of these scammers as their fake reviews will get you into trouble with search engines, and other companies and cost you a lot into the bargain.

    There is NO way to fool Google - the only way to get good rankings for your sites is to write GOOD copy - as Google themselves say "Content is King".

    So if you get an email from your website claiming that these reviews will give you a boost - just bin it - and certainly DON'T let these scamers have your credit card details.

    The scammers are calling themselves one of:-

    Posting-Good-Reviews.com or Defend-Experts.com

    BOTH are scams

    More info:

    http://www.scaminformer.com/scam-report/posting-only-good-reviews-postingonlygoodreviewz-this-c39719.html

    http://www.scaminformer.com/scam-report/defend-experts-com-posting-good-reviews-com-rip-off-spam-c31918.html



  • Hard times - help with your hosting and promotion fees

    In this time of recession I have noticed that some clients are finding it difficult to pay their annual invoices for hosting and promotion services - especially when Hosting, Web Promotion and Twitter Promotion invoices all arrive at the same time.

    To help alleviate this burden I would like to suggest that ALL clients move over to MONTHLY invoicing ASAP...

    As clients on annual invoicing know already, they have been receiving a discount for paying annually - 12 months for the price of 10 - so why would you want to switch if it would cost more?

    ANSWER: It will NOT cost more - as I am about to adjust Hosting and Promotion plan prices across the board for MONTHLY invoicing so that monthy invoiced clients get the same annual costs as the annually invoiced clients.

    E.G.

    • Personal Hosting Plan (suitable for home use only) - currently £5 per month/£50 per annum - will be adjusted to £4.20 per month
    • Business Hosting Plan (suitable for static websites only) - currently £12 per month/£120 per annum - will be adjusted to £10 per month
    • CMS Business Hosting Plan (suitable for CMS sites & allowing TWO websites) - currently £17 per month/£170 per annum - will be adjusted to £14.20 per month
    • Corporate Hosting Plan (suitable for CMS sites & allowing TEN websites) - currently £50 per month/£500 per annum - will be adjusted to £41.70 per month
    • Reseller Hosting Plan (suitable for CMS sites & allowing THIRTY websites) - will be adjusted to £125 per month
    • Web Promotion Package - currently £35 per month/£350 per annum - will be adjusted to £29.20 per month
    • Twitter Promotion Package - currently £15 per month/£150 per annum - will be adjusted to £12.50 per month


    Annual prices will remain the same!

    These changes will put everyone on the same rate, whether they pay monthly or annually.

    If you wish to switch to monthly invoicing please let me know ASAP.

    I sincerely hope that these changes will help anyone struggling with annual invoices to more easily manage their budgets.


    NOTES:

    1. If you have recently renewed any annual plan/package you can still move to monthly invoicing, any difference will be refunded as credit to your account, taking care of your first few monthly invoices automatically.
    2. For those already on monthly hosting, your pricing wil be adjusted this weekend and will be reflected in your next monthly invoice/s.
    3. The minimum term of contract for monthly service is 3 months.
    4. Any service can be cancelled only if you provide written notice at least 30 days in advance of required cancellation date - in which case note 3 above still applies and the full 3 month term will be invoiced.



    Best Wishes
    Harry Adams

     



  • New CMS Packages and Web Promotion Packages to suit all budgets

    Smart Art will be announcing new CMS Website Design Packages in the coming weeks – we will offer full CMS’s to all clients on ANY budget – ranging from as little as £575.00 for those on tight budgets, up into the thousands for those with larger development budgets.

    This step is to help those still stuck with old-fashioned "static" websites move forward into the "Web 2.0" Era and all it has to offer.

    Smart Art will also be announcing new Web Promotion Packages that will allow you to choose a “level” to suit your budget. Watch for the Announcements in the “Announcements” section of your Client Areas at www.cms-wales.co.uk/clients

    All clients are also reminded they should read the new article on the website "SEO Scams - SEO, do you need it? Avoid the scammers" which can be found here: http://www.cms-wales.co.uk/community/seo-scams-beware-of-seo-companies-using-these-tricks - this article outlines all the tricks any of the tens of thousands of SEO Scam Companies preying on web site owners will use to try and get your money from you - and tells you why you don't ever need them... forget Domain Name Registration scams - the new scam on the block is SEO Scamming.

     

     

     



  • New CMS for the Trewern Arms Inn & Restaurant launched today

    Smart Art's latest CMS design project; a brand new Content Management System website with full on-line room reservation system, built for the Trewern Arms Inn & Restaurant in Nevern, Pembrokeshire, was opened to the public today.

    The new website includes many innovative features, including our first fully-fledged hotel room booking system, and like all CMS's, is driven by a database.

    You can view the site here: http://trewern-arms.co.uk You can also follow the Trewern Arms on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/trewernarms



  • New CMS for Knockhundred Translations launched today

    Smart Art's latest CMS design project; a brand new Content Management System website, built for Knockhundred Translations, was opened to the public today.

    The new website includes 192 different languages and many innovative features, and like all CMS's, is driven by a database.

    You can view the site here: http://knockhhundred.com You can also follow Knockhundred Translations on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/knockhundred



  • Planned Server Downtime during upgrades

    On Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 2:00am (GMT), we will begin migrations to a newly provisioned host server suite. There will be some downtime while your site is migrating. We generally do not expect the downtime to exceed 15 minutes, but it is based on many variables and may (rarely) exceed a half hour. The Data Centre Tech Support Team will be actively monitoring your host machine for the duration of the migration.



  • News CMS for Fforest Fields launched today

    Smart Art's latest CMS design project; a brand new Content Management System website that we built for Fforest Fields - Caravan and Camping Park in Mid wales, run by George & Katie Barstrow, was opened to the public today.

    The new website includes many innovative features and, like all CMS's, is driven by a database.

    You can view the site here: http://www.fforestfields.co.uk/ You can also follow Fforest Fields on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/fforestfields



  • Software Downloads section updated with latest versions of all recommended software.

    Software Downloads section updated today with the latest versions of all recommended software.

    Our software downloads are available to logged in clients only

    The download section is available in your Client Area at www.cms-wales.co.uk/clients/

    Software in the section, all updated today:-

    • CCleaner (Windows Optimise & Clean)
    • FeedReader (RSS Feed Reader)
    • FileZilla (FTP)
    • Keepass (Password Manager)
    • XnView (Image browser/viewer/convertor)
    • Xobni (Outlook plugin)

    All software in this section is FREE.

    All software was downloaded here first and scanned for viruses before uploading to the server.

    All software in this section is installed on my own machines and is used daily - hence my recommendation.



  • SCAM ALERT

    SCAM ALERT

    Some of you may remember this, but the "Domain Renewal Group" are sending out their scam letters once again.

    If you get a letter headed "Domain Renewal Group" or "Domain Renewal Services"either bin it or shred it - but do NOT reply to it - giving these people your credit card details will enable them to empty empty your account.

    There is information on this scam available here:-

    http://www.domainscams.co.uk/domain-name-scammer_42_Domain-Renewal-Group.php

    http://www.fsb.org.uk/discuss/forum_posts.asp?TID=1321

     

    Here is a  sample photo of the scam letter you might receive:-

    If you feel the need to take action then it is best to report the scam to the Royal Mail - who had to deal with the same scam last year FROM THE SAME ADDRESS (56, Gloucester Road, Suite 256, London). So I am sure they would be interested to find that the scammers have started up at the same address.

    The actual address in Gloucester Road is run by a company that basically is just a repository for mailboxes (which they call "suites") and they are not in the slightest bit interested that scammers are using their mailboxes.

    So there you have it - if you get one of these, the people behind it intend to empty your card or bank account if you give them your details. You have been warned!

    Stay Safe