Archive for Online Tools
Google Analytics Gets a Facelift
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t know many webmasters these days that don’t use Google Analytics in one way or another. It is simply one of the best third party website statistic tools out there. Here recently, it also got a ‘bit of a facelift as far as how the content is organized. Everything is much more focused on getting you the information you need, faster.
For example, here is the new dashboard for another website of mine Firefox Facts:
If you need to quickly view basic statistics, this is the best place to go. You can also customize it with more widgets – to give you access to more data.
As you browse through the rest of the interface – you will se much of the same information is there – things are just organized in a much better way. The use of drop down menus on the sidebar also helps to better focur yourself on seeing the data you need to see on and about your website too:
The last new feature that really impressed me was the drop down menu at the top that lets you switch between websites you run very quickly. It includes a search option too – for those of us managing multiple domains this is even better. Simply type the first few letters of the domain and you can quickly pull up a Google Anyaltics profile for it. 
If you want to play around with this new version of Google Analytics yourself, simple log into your Google Analytics account and click on the red "New Version" link at the top. Overall, I would say a great tool just got even greater.
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Better Domain Management with Hover
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I am always a little cautious when it comes to domain name companies. The usual formula, if you look at GoDaddy as an example is to offer the basics, and then load you up with a continuation of ads on top of ads trying to trick you into getting extra services you don’t need. However, Hover – from the Tucows company is really breaking the domain name registration mold by offering you more tools and less junk to avoid.
Domain Names Made Simple
Hover is looking to make the domain name registration and management woes we all go through a lot easier. You get all the important basics like domain forwarding, email forwarding and even custom URLs. The prices are also very simple and easy to understand too.
Create Your Own Short Links
The best feature of Hover is the ability to create your own short URLs with your own custom domain, using the Hover tools. All you need to do is install the Hover This! bookmarlet, and then you can create your own list of shared links with your own domain name. So, you no longer have to use somebody else’s domain name in your shortened links.
Great Domain Name Support
Hover’s support and tutorials are also top notch too. They are very simply written, so you can easily understand all the steps and how to do this, that and the other. You can check out the help resources yourself by visiting help.hover.com.
Overall, Hover gets two thumbs up from me. I might even start moving my own domain registrations over from GoDaddy so that I can manage my own domains in a much easier to understand straight-forward interface.
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Better Off Site Backups with Carbonite
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I have been a big fan off keeping files backup off site for a while now and the best tool I have found to get that job done is Carbonite. Out of all the other solutions, Carbonite does the best job at making backing up automated so I don’t have to worry about it. For the webmasters out there, it is also a great way to store your website backups too.
Once installed, Carbonite just starts to automatically backup your files. Now, you can go in and customize which files you need it to back up – and it will do so, with perfection. Just in case your PC goes caput, recovering your data from Carbonite’s servers it hassle-free. You can restore all the files in your backup (just in case you get a new PC) or recover any accidentally deleted files from the Carbonite desktop client.
Now, how would you use Carbonite to backup your website?
First, you would need to log into your control panel and generate the backups needed. You want to make sure you grab all the files stored on the server via FTP and all your database files you need for your installed scripts too. Once you have those files downloaded, put them in a folder – and name that folder by the date of the backup – such as:
Web Hosting Show Nov 15 Backup
Now you have one local copy of your website backed up. To get Carbonite to back it up – just right-click on the folder, and then Select Carbonite > Back this up. It is that easy. Now, you will have two backups of your website. You have the local version of the backup saved to your PC and the off site backup saved to the Carbonite servers.
How much does Carbonite cost? It is only $54.95 a year, which is around/about $5 per month. That is equivalent to your average shared web hosting plan price. You can also try Carbonite for free for 15 days before you decide if you want to pay for it or not too. If you are looking for a great off site backup option for your websites, Carbonite is a great and cheap way to get the job done.
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3 Free Photo Gallery Tools
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It might be easy to find a free photo gallery script you can get up and running on your website. However, not all scripts are created equal. Sometimes you might want a simple page dedicated to photos, and other times you might need an entire domain dedicated to the idea of showcasing your images. I have searched the Web high and low to bring you the best free image gallery tools for big projects, medium sized projects and lightweight projects.
Here are the three best free image gallery scripts, depending on the job you need them for.
An Advanced Free Image Gallery Script
Zenphoto is a great gallery tool that also comes with some CMS (content management system) options to make it a great tool to use to run your entire website. It doesn’t try to do too much though, when it comes to features. it keeps things simple by just delivering one of the best web media gallery management tools out there. Once installed, the administrator interface is pretty easy to pick up and with the online template system they have – you can create a beautiful website in no time at all. Zenphoto can also handle audio and video too – which makes it an all in one multimedia gallery tool too.
A Middle of the Road Free Image Gallery Script
Minishowcase is another good gallery script that keeps things really simple. With just a little PHP and JavaScript, you can put together an online gallery of photography, artwork or anything else without the need of configuring databases or customizing the code. You can literally get this script up and running in just a few minutes. All you need to do is bring the content to showcase. If you need a gallery tool that is on the simple side (but still looks good) there is no better choice than Minishowcase.
A Very Lightweight Free Image Gallery Script
SmoothGallery is the last album script I have to share with you today. Using mootools, this fantastic JavaScript gallery and slideshow system lets you setup a simple image gallery, slideshow or showcase anywhere on your pre-existing website. While you could not use this tool to run your entire website, it does make for a great way to showcase your work on the website you already have set up. So if you would rather just showcase your images on one section of your page, rather than dedicating an entire website on it – SmoothGallery is a great script to use to get that job done.
There are plenty of more scripts out there, but these three of the best for the occasions you need them. Zenphoto makes for a great tool to base your entire website off of. Minishowcase is a nice lightweight gallery tool that could maybe be put in just one section of your website. Then, last but not least, you have SmoothGallery. It would let you display your images on a single page, just to quickly show them off to your website visitors.
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3 Best Image Gallery Services
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There are thousands of free image host out there, but not many that focus on providing you a cheap or free place to host an online gallery for your photography, images or artwork. If you do not want to upload a script and run it from day to day, you might try one of these three free image gallery hosting services to get your own portfolio hosted online.
Picasa
I had to throw one generic free service into the mix, and Picasa is the one I decided to pick. Now run by Google, Picasa not only gives you a place to host pictures – but also comes with a very powerful desktop client to organize your collections with too. If you have a Google account (and really, who doesn’t these days) go check it out and see if you like it.
Flickr
Flickr is another awesome and free way to upload and share your digital images online. It might be one of the most well known photo sharing websites on my list today, and there is good reason for it. It works, and it is where the people are right now. You can create an account for free by logging into the Flickr website with your Yahoo info, and you’ll be ready to upload soon after that. You can also organize your collections, share them with friends or limit who can see them too.
SmugMug
The SmugMug service is an interesting alternative to Flickr. It seems to do everything Flickr does, and I am sure the developers of the service would say they do it better. Where SmugMug might hold the advantage is when it comes to selling your prints online. They have a nicely integrated service that makes buying prints or merchandise with the prints on it very easy to do. It might not have the community that Flickr does, but it is not short on features either.
So there you have it – which one of these services do you like the best? Do you have another that you love more? Send your thoughts to me in the comments – cause I would love to check out what you use for free image gallery hosting.
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Tune in to the cPanel Podcast
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Now, you might think that cPanel isn’t something you really need to follow. If you think that, you’d be wrong. The people at cPanel have taken great leaps and bounds when it comes to adding a lot of informational and fun features to their website. My favorite update to the cPanel website thus far is the new podcast they added, hosted by cPanel’s technical writer Lindsey White.
The show’s main premise is to provide practical instruction for improving your website. The topics they have covered thus far include:
- How to Install WordPress using cPanel
- How SSL Certificates Make Websites More Secure
So this brings us to our highlight today, check out the latest cPanel podcast here, where you can learn more about the cPanel Automation Bootcamp conference.
The web hosting industry needs more voices and personalities, and I have to say that across these three shows I have really enjoyed Lindsey White’s work.
Take a few minutes to check that out, and be sure to stay tuned for more great cPanel podcasts on podcasts.cpanel.net. If you have any feedback for them, feel free to leave it in the comments here and I am sure they would enjoy to hear what you have to say about their show.
Facebook Fan Page Come join the fun on the Web Hosting Show Facebook Fan Page!© Mitch Keeler 2010 | Check out my firefox help site and my tech blog too!