Web Design Business and Marketing

I was wanting to learn CSS and was advised to purchase “CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions” By Andy Budd, Simon Collison, Cameron Moll.

I really like the way the friendsof books are set up. I will be honest and say I didn’t go through the whole book. I read and studied the first five chapters and picked up CSS from there. I now use the book as a reference when I get stuck on a certain issue like CSS for forms, lol. If you want to learn CSS this book will get you up and running pretty fast. The best way to learn is follow the examples in the book and then do it for a client who is expecting his website at the end of the week. That will force you to learn it fast.

When I was on my way home I heard a commercial about trading college books with other students. Great Idea and where was this in my first years of college. Anyways something I always advise my clients to do is register all possible domains that have the same sound as other words. The website advertised was 2dollartextbooks.com and right away I wondered if they purchased twodollartextbooks.com. Sure enough this company did register both. My suggestion to you is when you are picking a domain name just sound it out and see if others will spell it differently when typing it in. If there is any inclination that they will by all means register it, domains are so cheap. My other suggestion is if there is anyway your domain can be plural, register both it’s singular form and plural form. One other example is hearing an advertisement for a company called 4 Over. Now this company does a lot of print ads so that does make up for it. But for some reason if they did tv or radio they would really have to spell their domain in the advertisement so user will not go to fourover.com which is owned by someone else.

1. ) Increase the site visits to this website. If I had to give a number I would say 5,000 to 10,000 visits a month. You can help me with this if you have some suggestions or want me to talk on a certain subject or just plain digg and invite peeps.

2.) My goal for my business is to expand and have at least 1 other employee helping with the workload. I want the business to make six figures this year.

3.) My goal for family is to spend more time with my kiddos and my beautiful wife. We will be searching for a house to buy by fall of this year.

4.) To become closer to my extended family brother, sister, brother-in-law and nieces.

5.) To pay off as much debt as I possibly can (college loans included).

6.) To lose about 20-30 pounds (going on a little diet for the month of January).

7.) I have been reading a lot lately, from a kid who would pick the books with more pictures than words, to reading 2 books a month is a pretty big change. I would like to increase this and absorb as much knowledge as I can about web, marketing, idea inspiration and business.

8.) Make good grades in school, SCAD.

9.) I guess as some point find a church to go to. Enough Said.

What are your goals for the new year? Post them here or post a link to your blog for your goals. HAPPY NEW YEAR AND THE BEST TO YOU AND YOUR PLANS  FOR ANOTHER PROSPEROUS YEAR!