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In This Issue:
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DANIMA Promotions: |
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Get placed higher in search engine rankings with our new Enhanced Search Engine Submission
Services. Sign up before the end of August and we will waive the setup fee. Contact us at
danima@danima.com for more information.
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DANIMA Tech Tips:
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How to Back Up Files and Folders
Funny, we always talk about backing up, yet I bet most of you have never looked into it until the big "CRASH"! Hey, nobody's pointing fingers - I've learned the hard way myself. Here are instructions to follow in Windows XP. If you don't have XP, consider upgrading.
Follow these instructions - they look complicated at first glance, but they are really simple - go ahead, give it a try. Although the backup can take a while, you don't need to watch it. Do it before you go to bed at night, or leave the office & when you get back, you can feel a little more at ease.
Note: You must have permissions as an administrator or as a backup operator on your computer to back up files and folders. Also, backup operators and administrators can back up and restore encrypted files and folders without decrypting the files or folders.
- Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup. The Backup or Restore Wizard starts. If you don't see Backup, then you need to install it from your XP disk. This only takes a minute. Put the CD in the disk drive, click Start, Run, & type D:\VALUEADD\
MSFT\NTBACKUP. Double click the setup file & you will be ready to go.
- Click Advanced Mode.
- Click the Backup tab.
- On the Job menu, click New.
- Click to select the check boxes for the drives that you want to back up. If you want to be more specific in your selections, expand the drive that you want, and then click to select the check boxes for the files or folders that you want.
- Click to select the System State check box.
Note: If you want to back up your system settings and your data files, back up all the data on your computer plus the System State data. The System State data includes such things as the registry, the COM+ class registration database, files under Windows File Protection, and boot files.
- In the Backup destination list, click the backup destination that you want to use.
- If you clicked File in the previous step, type the full path and file name that you want in the Backup media or file name box. You can also specify a network share as a destination for the backup file.
- Click Start Backup. The Backup Job Information dialog box appears.
- Under If the media already contains backups, use one of the following steps:
- If you want to append this backup to previous backups, click Append this backup to the media.
- If you want to overwrite previous backups with this backup, click Replace the data on the media with this backup.
- Click Advanced.
- Select the Verify data after backup check box.
- In the Backup Type box, click the type of backup that you want. When you click a backup type, a description of that backup type appears under "Description."
- Click OK, and then click Start Backup. A Backup Progress dialog box appears, and the backup starts.
- When the backup is complete, click Close.
Don't we feel better now? Think of it this way ... if you do it on a daily basis, the most you can lose is a day's work!
Until next time, some parting advice - clean out your temporary files and your temporary
internet files to help your system run a little smoother. If you don't know how, send me an
email at techtips@danima.com.
-- Nick Svab
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Coming Soon to DANIMA:
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The following are projects the DANIMA staff are currently working on:
Ken Crossman Dental
- development & design
N.T.A.B
- content management system
BitNet Niagara
- site design
Entrepreneur Awards
- E-Newsletter
Kandu Pools
- re-design and database
Adventure Mats
- design & development
Lube Manager
- re-design and database
Adventures In Music
- re-design and database
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DANIMA Notes: |
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This newsletter is being sent to you by permission.
We welcome your input. Please send your questions and comments
to: danimanews@danima.com
To unsubscribe to DANIMA News
click here
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The Archives:
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Check out previous editions of the DANIMA News!
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 elcome to the DANIMA News! Every month DANIMA Technologies Inc. provides our readers with information on new company products,
web site launches, client features, marketing articles, DANIMA promotions, and more. |
On June 27, 2004 at 8:29 p.m. we welcomed a new member to the DANIMA team! DANIMA's proud Daddy and his lovely wife Anna gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy - Evan James Rotella.
7lbs, 3 oz and 21.5
inches long, the little guy came out with a full head of hair, unlike his daddy! It is also become apparent in one short month that we have another Springsteen fan in our midst!
And of course, Evan has has own web site - www.evanrotella.com which allows friends and family to watch him grow up and keep abreast of his busy schedule!
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It took several months and a lot of work, but DANIMA and NTAB have completed the re-design of ntab.org. All of the great information that was on the old site still exists but is much easier to find with the new navigation.
NTAB's role is one of facilitation and communication. Bringing community stakeholders of the Niagara Region together to identify labour force issues and develop possible solutions for labour force development is a key focus
Visit www.ntab.org to find out more about all that NTAB offers.
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:: CHOOSE NIAGARA WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE MEMBERS
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Search for Niagara Business Directory, Niagara Business, Niagara Cuisine, or Niagara Directory in Google or Yahoo and you'll find ChooseNiagara.ca as either the first, second or third listing. The Choose Niagara team has been working hard to drive more traffic to the web site, so that our members get maximum exposure for their dollar! This coupled with ads in the Niagara Leisure Guide, The Business Link Niagara, and other local magazines and on-line directories are helping getting the word out that Choose Niagara is Niagara's On-line Business Directory!
The Choose team would like to welcome following local businesses that have recently come aboard as Executive Members:
Capri Restaurant
Niagara Falls ON |
MapleCraft Doors
Niagara Falls ON |
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The Buzzwater Company
Grassie ON |
Italian Ice Cream
Niagara Falls ON |
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Studio 55 Hair Salon
Niagara Falls ON |
Studio 55 Digital Works
Niagara Falls ON |
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Business Link Niagara
St. Catharines ON |
Club Mardi Gras & Patio
Niagara Falls ON |
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Casa d'Oro Dining Lounge
St. Catharines ON |
Beat Goes On
Niagara Falls ON |
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Kaj Creative
Welland ON |
Dave Bush Design
St. Catharines ON |
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Nightmares Fear Factory
Niagara Falls ON |
Yanks Old Niagara Bar & Grill
Niagara Falls ON |
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Transportation Safety Training
Welland ON |
Bridgewire Networks
St. Catharines ON |
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Web Creations
St. Catharines ON |
Zehr's Food Plus Markets
Niagara Falls ON |
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Rustic & Refined Home Decor
St. Catharines ON |
Idease Group Inc.
Niagara Falls ON |
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Small Business Club Niagara
Thorold ON |
Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
St. Catharines ON |
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If you would like to drive more traffic to your web site and to your business you can learn more about the Choose Niagara Executive Business package at www.chooseniagara.ca/adverstise or email info@chooseniagara.com.
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With the golf season in full
swing, DANIMA's team has
recently completed the
third transformation of
our original web site -
Ultimate Caddy: The
Ultimate Golf Directory.
All of the same information that golfers have come to expect with a fresh new look. New features will be added over the next several months along with many new advertising opportunities for your business. (Thanks to Tim Glover for all of his assistance in getting the site ready to go).
Visit www.ultimatecaddy.com and see why Ultimate Caddy has been one of the web's most visited golf directories for over 5 years!
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:: NEW LOGO & SITE FOR GIGA SPORTS
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When DANIMA's team met with owners Dario and Karen of GigaSports.com in Oakville the idea was to re-design the look of their site. Upon initial consultation it seemed like a quick and easy project.
However, after further analysis it was decided that Giga Sports would also like a new logo and, therefore, new marketing materials to accompany their new web site.
With only a few touch-ups and the integration of Giga's original back-end system left to get the site ready to go, you can see the progress of the site by visiting
- www.gigasports.com.
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:: NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR NIAGARA ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
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The Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (NEYA) are now accepting nominations for the following award categories: Emerging Entrepreneur Award, Established Enterprise Award, Family Enterprise Award, Innovative Small Business Award, International Trade Award, Technological Innovation Award and Tourism Enterprise Award.
NEYA honour enterprising people whose businesses have made significant differences in the community, and in our lives. The awards are a symbol of achievement for those innovative entrepreneurs who provide inspiration, exemplify excellence and carry out their unique vision.
The NEYA program celebrates and honours the entrepreneurial spirit, the successes and accomplishments of Niagara's best and brightest business leaders.
Entrepreneurs make the world go 'round. They play a key role in creating economic growth, and in developing new ideas that lead to more exciting changes in their business, in others' businesses, and in the business world around them.
We encourage you to be part of our ongoing program by submitting your nomination or by nominating someone you know who has made a difference.
Nomination forms are available on-line at www.niagarentrepreneur.com , Small Business Club Niagara Inc., your local Chamber of Commerce or by calling The Institute for Enterprise Education at 905.688.5757. Deadline for submission of your nomination is August 31, 2004.
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:: MONTHLY MARKETING ARTICLE
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Keeping Visitors Coming Back To Your Site
-- by Dave Rotella
So, you've spent a few dollars on your web site and now you're wondering "how do I get people to visit my site?" Good question, but driving traffic to your site is just the beginning, keeping them there is a whole new ball game. And what is even trickier is having those visitors find a reason to come back to your web site.
With that said, there are three things to keep in mind when examining your web site.
- Are people coming to your site?
- When they arrive, do they stay?
- If they come and they stay, do they come back?
We won't spend any time on the first point, except to say that there are numerous web analyzers and statistic programs that will provide you with the number of visitors reaching your site.
The second point refers to the content of your site. Are you giving your visitors enough information to keep them on your site? Is the information current? Do you offer expert advice and/or answers to frequently asked questions with respect to your business, your industry, or your products and services? These are important elements when looking at visitor retention. Many sites are filled with pretty graphics and Flash movies, but they have no substance. After one visit and a few "ooohs" and "ahhhs" you realize that there's no sense going any further. I use to laugh at the so-called "geek sites" such as, SlashDot.org because, in my opinion, they were void of any creativity - just content and more content. But numbers don't lie! Sites like this get tens of thousands of hits a day. These people are seeking information! When I look around this old Web of ours, I realize that, in 2004, this is what visitors want. People visit sites for information! The rest is just fluff. Don't get me wrong. I love the fluff! Hec, we sell the fluff. But there needs to be a marriage between the fluff and substance if you want to make sure your site is effective. So, in essence the shift is going back to the original intent of the web - simply providing information. Go figure.
So, now that you've followed the advice of point number two and you've beefed up your content, made sure it was current and added an advice or a FAQ section, you are probably feeling pretty good about your site, right? Well, you will for a bit, however, information gets "stale" pretty quickly. How do you keep people coming back to your site after they found the information they were searching for? The answer is simple - update your content! Offer daily, weekly or monthly features. Update your photo galleries, events calendars, job postings, etc. If someone visits your site and it never changes why would they come back? On-line stores and directories are exceptions to the rule because they have products or listings that are often static pieces of information that won't change very often. However, even these sites offer value-added content to their customers to ensure that they come back for more than just the listings or to purchase a product.
I'll end with an example that is not business related, but the outcome supports my theory. I recently had a son and having a web business I had to develop a web site for him! The other reason that I did this was so that relatives from as far away as Italy could login and see the little bambino as he grows up and feel somewhat connected. After all, isn't that what the Internet was intended to do? Well, once little Evan was born and family and friends found out about the web site it was flooded with traffic (flooded, is a bit strong, but he did get a few hundred hits the first 2 days). I expected this. I knew I could get people to visit the site. I also knew that there was enough information on the site (photo gallery, family tree, daily/weekly updates, stories, milestones) that people who stay on the site and look around for a bit. I realized that in order to get them to come back I had to not only update the pictures on the site but I had to come up with a hook - something that would grab the attention of the visitor. So, I came up with "Evan's Jive". Basically it's a daily/weekly journal (blogging in today's technical terms) that adds a bit of humour to update readers on Evan's daily escapades. Well, lo-and-behold the hits have been coming in at a steady pace and many people I run into tell me they check back almost daily to see what Evan (or his Dad) has to say. They come back, go figure!!
So, remember it's not good enough to just get visitors to your web site. You have to provide them with the information or substance that will keep them on the site. Finally, you have to update your site and provide visitors with information that will keep them coming back. The number one reason people are visiting your site is to acquire information, current and dynamic information. Keeping these three key elements in mind when analyzing your web site can assure you that you will increase traffic to your site. I'll even stop by from time-to-time.
Until next time...
For more E-Marketing articles visit DANIMA's Monthly E-Marketing Article section at DANIMA.com!
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