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The SitePoint Tribune #465                     Copyright (c) 2009
October 1, 2009                                    PLEASE FORWARD
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News, Rants and Case Studies for Web Design Professionals
by Brendon Sinclair

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INTRODUCTION  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Remember my suggestion about giving ideas away for free? Well,
one of the ideas I featured in my last issue looks like it's
going to see the light of day. We'll kick this issue off by
taking a look at developments. 

I've covered it before, but we can always do with a refresh on
dealing with an often heard problem -- how to make your clients
pay. I'll present five simple ideas to help protect you from
problem payers.

Do you have a handy list of tools for testing every web site you
launch? We may just have the solution you're looking for --
literally more than 100 tools within easy reach.

Finally, let's brighten up the week by looking at a few
light-hearted videos and sites, perfect for the web creatives
among us.

Thanks for taking the time to read this issue of the Tribune.

Miles Burke
tribune@sitepoint.com [1]



[1] <mailto:tribune@sitepoint.com>


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IN THIS ISSUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 - Introduction
 - Forging Ahead with Ideas
 - Making Clients Pay
 - Streamline Your Site Testing
 - Web Funnies
 - Latest Tutorials
 - Hot Discussions
 - New Blogs


FORGING AHEAD WITH IDEAS  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In recent issues of the Tribune, I've put the call out to
readers to submit ideas that they'd like to see carried out. I
covered five of these in my last issue.

It seems that Indian freelance web developer, Prabu, may have
hit on an idea. Prabu said, "I was toying with ... the idea to
have something like sourceforge.com [1] -- you may call it
ideaforge."

Well, Prabu, this idea seems to have struck a chord out there. A
Ruby on Rails developer and web designer from Serbia, Milan
Dobrota, loves the ideaforge concept, and plans to co-create it.
Milan has posted a call for design help over on the SitePoint
Forums [2], and is keen to give this project a go.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this leads. Prabu and Milan,
please keep us informed!



[1] <http://www.sourceforge.com>
[2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4382493>


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MAKING CLIENTS PAY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Last week, I put the call out on Twitter [1] asking what readers
wanted to hear about in this issue. One response I received was
from well-known SitePoint Forums Community Advisor and fellow
SitePoint Author, Brandon Eley [2].

Brandon mentioned the age-old dilemma of clients failing to pay
for work yet again being a hot topic over on the SitePoint
Forums [3]. It's an issue that never goes away; however, there
are a few measures you can put in place to protect yourself from
a defaulting client.

Tip number one: Always have a retainer. It's handy to gain
milestone payments as well, but the retainer is probably the
most important step. There are three great reasons for a
retainer:

1. You receive some payment up-front, which helps with your own
cash flow.

1. You're able to judge the seriousness of the client by asking
them to "put their money where their mouth is."

1. A retainer motivates the client to be involved in the
project. They have real money tied up here, so they'll want to
keep the project on track.

I recommend also having milestone payments. This ensures that
you're never too far ahead of the payment cycle, and even if the
client defaults on the very last payment, you at least have most
of the money. I aim for 40% at the commencement of the project,
30% at the midway mark, and 30% at its completion. Just about
all our competitors do the same, so it's considered quite
standard where I'm from.

Tip number two: Never hand files over until payment is received.
Ideally, host the web site yourself. If you're unable to though,
ensure the client knows ahead of time that the final payment is
required for the site to go live.

Blame the accounts department, or say whatever you need to say
-- but only part with the deliverables once you have the reward.
Brandon's tip on the forums [4] was to use a subdomain to publish
the staging site; the client can see the final product, but it
will only appear on their own domain that last invoice is paid
-- great idea!

Tip number three: Offer many methods of payment. It's true that
cash flow for many small businesses is tight, but credit cards
offer some flexibility when there's no cash at hand. There's
also the benefit of rewards points if their credit card has this
feature.

Look at payment plans for those who need them, but be aware
these will tie up your cash flow. Unless you have strong
financial backing (and great contracts), I'd recommend avoiding
this method.

Tip number four: Offer a freebie or discount for early or
pre-payment. Maybe the first month's hosting, a bottle of wine,
or 5% off -- as long as the payment is up-front or within a
strict deadline.

Tip number five: Chase that payment the moment it's due. Train
your clients into recognizing that a 30-day invoice is exactly
that; knowing that they're likely to hear from you on day 31 --
rather than day 60 -- could be the difference in receiving
prompt payments.

I trust that these tips persuade those recalcitrant clients to
pay you in reasonable time!



[1] <http://twitter.com/milesb/status/4340492549>
[2] <http://www.brandoneley.com>
[3] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=638077>
[4] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=638077#post4382285>


STREAMLINE YOUR SITE TESTING - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We're all good at testing, right? First, we load up a few dozen
bookmarks or handy URLs from an electronic file, and then we're
away and testing our latest web work.

But sometimes, it can all seem a bit too hard. Well, along comes
Test Everything [1], a simple site with an important mission:
helping users streamline their web site testing.

From SEO to validation to network tools, as well as text and
image tools, this site is certainly worth a look. I'm a little
unconvinced about the usability of the form, but the service
really is valuable.



[1] <http://tester.jonasjohn.de/>


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WEB FUNNIES  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm a huge believer in the idea that in order to enjoy the work
you do, it needs to also be fun. In that vein, here are a few
humorous links to brighten up any web developer's day.

This article, If Architects Had to Work Like Web Designers [1],
is funny, despite being so true.

Have problems with distractions? You'll certainly appreciate
this graphic, showing The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions [2].
I know most of these distractions well myself.

Ben Stiller has a laugh at the Twitter follower counting
phenomenon (and also himself) in this short YouTube video [3].

Still on YouTube, this short clip [4] from the British TV
sitcom, The IT Crowd, is always funny. Remember, don't break the
Internet!



[1] <http://www.digitalsurvivors.com/archives/000455.php>
[2] <http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-hierarchy-of-digital-distractions/>
[3] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBXmVkGmVnA>
[4] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fiqp7dDp6g>


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That's it for another issue -- thanks for reading!

Miles Burke
tribune@sitepoint.com [1]
Editor, SitePoint Tribune



[1] <mailto:tribune@sitepoint.com>


LATEST TUTORIALS  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

CSS3: To Infinity And Beyond!
by Alex Walker

Browser support for CSS3 is continually improving. In this
article, Alex walks us through a few of the coolest CSS3
properties supported in the latest development release of
Firefox (3.6 alpha).

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1758


Share Media on Twitter Using Flex, Part III: Video
by Andrew Muller

In parts I and II, Andrew showed us how to build a slick-looking
Flash frontend for Twitter and Flickr using the beta versions of
Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder 4. In this final installment in
the series he takes our application a step further by adding
video functionality: allowing users to upload videos, and to
take screenshots of their videos to post as images.

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1757


HOT DISCUSSIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What is the most important in web site traffic?
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=639084>

How to increase followers of my blog?
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=639132>

CSS - Test Your CSS Skills Number 28 (max-width)
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=639017>

Do you do OOP?
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=638841>

hosted blog vs blogspot
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=638774>


NEW BLOGS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

JavaScript & CSS Blog: STYLISH SCRIPTING

Interesting CSS Quirks: Border-spacing  (2 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/01/interesting-css-quirks-border-spacing/


News & Trends Blog: INDUSTRY NEWS FOR WEB PROFESSIONALS

Microsoft Slams Google Chrome Frame  (8 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/01/microsoft-google-chrome-frame-security/

Our 5-for-1 Book Sale is On Again!  (16 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/24/our-5-for-1-book-sale-is-on-again/


Web Pro Business Blog: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

Why You Should Be Using Press Releases to Promote Your Business 
(1 comment)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/01/press-releases-to-promote-your-business/

5 Ways to Use Twitter to Kill Your Business  (11 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/30/how-not-to-use-twitter/

Are You a One-Man Show or the Man Behind the Curtain?   (10
comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/29/make-your-business-seem-bigger-than-it-is/

11 Domain Name Generators & Search Tools  (4 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/28/domain-name-generators-search-tools/

5 Reasons Why Mistakes Make Me Happy  (4 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/26/why-mistakes-are-good/


Web Design Blog: PIXEL PERFECT

Three Hidden Photoshop Pen Tool Tips  (4 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/30/three-hidden-photoshop-pen-tool-tips/

Fifteen Web Sites Using Horizontal Scrolling  (13 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/29/fifteen-web-sites-using-horizontal-scrolling/

New Logos For Holiday Inn & Hilton Worldwide  (17 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/26/new-logos-for-holiday-inn-hilton-worldwide/


PHP Blog: DYNAMICALLY TYPED

Build a Lifestream with SimplePie  (4 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/29/build-a-lifestream-with-simplepie/


Web Tech Blog: TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

Why Windows 7 Will Revolutionize Your Browser Testing  (21
comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/29/windows-7-browser-testing/

Google Chrome Frame: the Technical Details  (13 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/28/google-chrome-frame-technical-details/


Podcast Blog: THE SITEPOINT PODCAST

SitePoint Podcast #29: Interview with Roy Rubin  (4 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/26/podcast-29-roy-rubin-magento/




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