Tag: Online Web Tools

10 Useful Online Tools for Website ManagementMay 28th, 2023

As someone who manages websites, people often ask me about what online tools I use. Here are 10 online tools I use on a daily basis that help with all the webmaster tasks I perform.

• WhatTheFont :: Sometimes you need to figure out what font is used in a logo or graphic. This tool is pretty good at figuring out what font is used and gives options.
• (Item Removed) The tool we had here no longer has a secure connection, so we removed it
• Sauce Labs :: I used to like Adobe’s Browser testing. But they shut it down. Sauce Labs is picking up the slack and you can see how your site looks at in many different browsers.
• Character Counter :: If you write several tweets at once, it helps to make sure you stay under that magic 140 number. This simple tool counts for you, so you don’t have to open up word or other software.
• Convert Case :: Many times clients send me docs, or emails all in upper case. This tool lets you convert to various cases, such as lower case, sentence case, etc.
• Lorem Ipsum Generator :: When you are building a website, you often need placeholder text. This allows you to grab some text, based on how many words, paragraphs, bytes, etc.
• Sucuri SiteCheck Malware Scanner :: Malware is the plague of our time. It is often hidden where you can’t find it. This tool identifies if you are infected. And the company can assist cleaning your code.
• Google Translate :: For those of us who manage websites in multiple languages, the Google Translate tool comes in handy. While the translation isn’t perfect, it is pretty good and handles the chore well enough for most instances.
• SSL Checker :: This tool tells you if a server has a secure certificate, who issued it, and when it expires.
• Network Tools :: This tool allows you to perform many tests, such as: Traceroute, Ping, Domain Name Server (DNS) Lookup and WHOIS.

Added Online Tools :: 5/28/23

We have some more online tools we have now added to this list:

Embed Responsively:  :: this tool allows you to embed videos, images and content that will respond to the size of your visitors’ screens.

Optimizilla :: This free online image optimizer uses the best optimization and lossy compression algorithms to shrink JPEG, GIF and PNG images to the minimum possible size while keeping the required level of quality.

ChatGPT :: We’ve all heard about AI, and this tool can be very helpful in website management.   While we don’t recommend you have it write all your blog posts and use it word for word, it does come in handy when you’re looking for things like hashtags for posts, or for generating ideas.

Twitter Fonts Generator :: Spruce up your social media post with this fun little tool. Despite its name, it works on other social media outlets as well.

As we are always discovering new online tools to help make our job more efficient, we will be updating this post. Please check back. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Caution: website a work in progressJune 15th, 2015

I saw this sign and I immediately thought of websites. (I know, I say that about everything, hey I am a web guy) But this sign illustrates what I have been preaching since 1996. The idea of build a website, and they will come doesn’t work. (Although it did work for building a baseball field in the middle of Iowa…) Websites are ALWAYS a work in progress and requiring maintenance and updates.

Websites will thrive only when they are not stagnant and are consistently being updated. Companies throw away thousands trying to shortcut their SEO efforts. Google and other search engines don’t fall for tricks, they are looking for content, and quality content. Because of the onslaught of email campaigns from offshore SEO companies promising a pot of gold they can’t possibly deliver, companies jump at quick fixes.

DON’T DO IT!!!!!
I get calls and emails everyday, just like you.  Hang up the phone, and delete the emails.  Most of these companies use black hat techniques which will ultimately hurt your business. Not sure what black hat SEO is? Here is a definition from Webopedia:

In search engine optimization (SEO) terminology, black hat SEO refers to the use of aggressive SEO strategies, techniques and tactics that focus only on search engines and not a human audience, and usually does not obey search engines guidelines.

Spend your time and money investing in your website from a content & maintenance standpoint.

Do the following:

1. Hire a company to maintain your site. This way you can send them content and website changes. You worry about content, let someone else worry about the nuts and bolt of running the site.
2. Create a schedule of content and social media for regular content updating.
3. Make your website/social media part of someone’s job, not an afterthought. Have tasks appear on people’s calendar so they are not forgotten.
4. Schedule a quarterly SEO review.  If you aren’t being found for phrases you’d like, formulate a plan to improve.

Bottom Line: Rarely do you see a comparison between a maintenance sign and a website. But as with any building or property, websites need care and feeding. Let them go and they will eventually have problems or grow irrelevant. With a little hard work, you can grow your website, improve search rankings and hopefully turn your website into a profit center, not a drain on resources. Don’t get me wrong, it takes work and it takes commitment. But you CAN be successful. Just think of that simple yellow sign!!