First of all, let’s get all the boring, nasty, horrid, stressful, blood pressure increasing, confusing, complicated, and expensive web design stuff out of the way first because with this antidote you won’t have those problems. Yes, I know that anyone who has been involved in, or is contemplating, website design could easily come up with a load more negatives – these are just some of them.

Perhaps I could put it in another way; simply speaking; many of us dread the thought of building a website ourselves, and the alternative — hiring a web designer — doesn’t make us feel any better. In fact, in some cases the thought of hiring a website designer can make us feel even worse!

Anyway, rather than spend any more time talking about the problems, perhaps I can ask you to consider this key question please:

If I could show you an easy and cost effective way of building an excellent website, would you be prepared to ignore your previous experiences and negative impressions about website design and open your mind up to a new way of doing things?

And would you like to be able to forget about using a web designer and either build the website yourself, or get one of your staff to do so?

Some of the key aims of effective web design are to create websites which are: attractive, search engine friendly, easy for visitors to use, easy to update and time efficient to build.

So, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce you to what I call:

“The genius of website design software” – XSite Pro.

XSitePro website design software is:

* Very easy-to-use

* Very good value indeed (check it out for yourself; you will not be disappointed)

* Very quick to learn – learn to build a website in under two hours! (Around one hour, if you are a geek, nerd or similar).

* Very intuitive

* Very clever – it turns the complex into a very simple procedure, and this applies right across the spectrum of web design functions

* Very easy to backup – I particularly love the individual website backup function, which takes only a few clicks. I can back up a website to just one file, which can then be stored safely or even e-mailed to someone else, if need be

* Very scalable – if you need to, you can build monster websites with XSite Pro. If you are an advanced Internet marketer, then you will find plenty of features in XSite Pro which will make you drool! There are some very advanced features tucked away under the hood, yet interestingly, these do not get in the way of people who are using this software in a very basic way.

* Very well supported – on the rare occasions that I have needed support, I have found the XSite Pro company based support people to be very effective and helpful. XSite Pro also has a more informal forum associated with it and I have come across many fantastic people in there, as well as some very useful posts.

* A key competitive advantage – for many reasons. Slashing costs and speeding up time to market/deployment are two key examples which spring to mind.

* A way to set yourself free of the need for a web designer. Some people/businesses still want to use a website designer though. In fact, I have built websites for clients using XSite Pro on the basis that they would be able to do their own updates and page additions down the track, without recourse to me. If your website designer uses XSite Pro, then the costs should be lower due to the large reduction in time spent building a website.

* Very good for search engine optimization (SEO). XSite Pro has advanced features and help.

Perhaps you are wondering why I call XSitePro web design software: “The genius of website design software“?

Some of my strengths and interests lie in the areas of thought/thinking, Philosophy, personal development – all that mind type stuff. I have been studying some areas for decades now. When I take a step back and study XSite Pro from the perspective of an analyst, I can see that the software bears the ‘marks of genius’.

It is not very often that I come across this, and explaining how I came to that realization is beyond the scope of this article, however one key indication is that the designers of XSite Pro have taken some incredibly complicated stuff and made it very simple, whilst retaining very advanced features for the more knowledgeable among us. They have managed to make sure that the complexity does not get in the way of people with lower-level needs.

XSite Pro is so well thought out that it even has an easy mobile website builder – for the .mobi domain, which is for viewing on a mobile/cell phone. XSite Pro simply builds the mobile website in the background which automatically amends itself whenever you update or alter your main website. As you can see from the screen grab from my personal development website, mobile site creation involves a simple 7 step wizard. (Click image for larger version in a new tab).

XSite Pro Mobile Website Creation

You can view my main website, created with XSite Pro here: http://www.BlackShaman.com

And my mobile site here: http://www.BlackShaman.mobi You can view this on a computer, however have a look at it on a mobile/cell phone if you can.

Remember, my mobile website was built with a simple 7 step wizard! Set and forget. I have not had to change any settings since I set it up. Each new word or page on my main website is automatically added to my mobile site!

In conclusion then, if someone asked me to describe XSitePro web design software in one short sentence I would say:

XSitePro web design software is the big easy of web design applications.

Website design software blues now have an antidote! is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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3. Fresh new look for Personal Development Magic website.(Too easy!)

Last year I needed to find a top class way of sharing my photos. I looked at many options, including applications which I could host on my own server, special software and numerous photo sharing sites. I wanted to share my photos in a highly professional manner, and in a way which did not involve lots of hassle and time wasting. What I found blew me away quite frankly.

Since joining SmugMug (I have a Pro account) I have had nothing but good experiences. Due to other projects taking priority I have not yet uploaded a lot of images yet though. You can see my photos here: www.AlexWebleyMedia.com

SmugMug is ideal for both amateur photographers and professionals. It is also an excellent tool for webmasters.

Really, it is hard for me to do SmugMug justice so I suggest you check out their fantastic site yourself. SmugMug have the most responsive customer service and the most buttery-smooth experience of any photo sharing site and you can find out more by checking out this Maximum PC review.

In the last few days I have been busy organizing a SmugMug account for Anoushka Newman, my step daughter. She loves photography (you can tell just looking at her photos) and has taken all of the photos on her SmugMug site apart from two. In my view, she is a very talented young lady. I registered a domain name for her and simply pointed it to her SmugMug account.

Check out Anoushka’s SmugMug site here: www.AnoushkaNewmanMedia.com

Anoushka Newman Self Portrait

Photo sharing – the most buttery smooth experience. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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For some reason I was getting unusual additional stuff listed at the top of the search results page on my Personal Development Magic website.

Here is a post I wrote about it on the forum.

Someone on the forum suggested that I should send the query directly to support, saying that support “will be better placed to deal with this kind of query than forum members”. (My PS: Forum members are very helpful and knowledgeable, which is another plus about using this website builder).

Accordingly, I contacted support.

My experience with support was superb.

To start with, XSitePro makes it easy to back up and export your website into ONE file. Yes, that’s right! A quick and easy export enables one single back up file! Support requested that I send this back up file, which for the Personal Development Magic website was just under 2mb, for them to look at. Support got back to me and said that the website search functioned fine on a test server.

Next I was asked to provide my FTP details so that support could look at my server.

Support advised that:

It seems that your server handles empty files slightly differently to the others that the search has been tested on.

I have modified the script on your server so that it is now working correctly. I will also make changes to XSP itself to incorporate the updated script.

When I queried:

Presumably the changes to XSP which incorporate the updated script will be
included in the next update?

I got the reply:

Hi Alex,

Yes, they will be in the next update – however, you should find that XSP won’t overwrite the file on your server with the older version.

Best regards

Matt.

Simply speaking then, XSitePro support not only promptly and efficiently solved my problem; they even sorted out an issue on my server (which is not present on my other websites by the way) and are going to adjust the website builder software (XSitePro) so that it can deal with this rare type of issue in future.

How is that for excellent service and commitment to ongoing product improvement? And FAST too!

What is the support like for YOUR website builder?

You really should check out XSitePro today and grab yourself a copy. It will save you time, money and stress. You will also be able to do fancy stuff in an easy, simple way.

And by the way….if you have a web developer who is not using XSitePro, then the chances are you could be paying more than you should – for the simple reason that the software saves HEAPS of time.

PS: Even if you think you are a moron when it comes to website building, XSitePro will make stuff easy for you.

Does YOUR website builder software developer offer this level of support? is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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2. The Complete Guide to Website Building – easy, professional, inexpensive..
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One of my early websites was Find-A-Person. Here is a link to some archived copies of the site, categorized by date.

(Tip: The Internet Archive Wayback Machine is worth bookmarking if you want to easily check what a website looked like in the past. Bear in mind though that not every site is archived, nor every page).

When Microsoft Expression Web was released, replacing FrontPage, I moved across to the new platform. Expression Web behaved in a very similar way to FrontPage.

Over the years I tried alternative website builders such as Dreamweaver but none of them satisfied. As with both FrontPage and Expression Web, I found the alternatives to be clunky and awkward to use.

Simply speaking I had a love/hate relationship with my website building software, despite being technically proficient and having used using computers since 1981.

That all changed once I discovered XSitePro a few years ago. (Currently $197 USD).

Regular readers of my blogs, websites and articles will know that I am a deep thinking philosophical person with a respect for only the best. Frankly, having used XSitePro for some time now and with careful study of the thinking behind the program, my conclusion is that the product bears the marks of genius.

XSitePro makes the complicated simple, while retaining advanced functionality. Even if you have never built a website before, XSitePro can enable you to construct a commercial/business grade website within a few hours, or less.

XSitePro comes with a fantastic tutorial, easy to use/understand instruction manuals and world class support (Example: I found a minor bug in the program and support soon fixed it, updating the program especially to cover the issue – see my blog post here).

Clearly, I have a lot of experience with websites. I even build them for paying business and private clients. The XSitePro manuals and tutorials are excellent. However, I am also humble minded (Tip: being humble is a key life tool) and realized that I have holes in my knowledge. When the makers of XSitePro brought out their:

The Complete Guide To Website Building

I knew it would be excellent. I am not disappointed.

Currently I am building/rebuilding a website (http://www.AlexWebley.com) and decided to do The Complete Guide To Website Building course so as to produce the best website possible.

I quote from their website:

Find out how anyone, even someone who has never built a website before or has struggled with software like Dreamweaver, Frontpage or Expressionweb, can build a professional quality website in record time.

The Complete Guide To Website Building course costs $197 (USD) at time of writing and comes with a complete 365 day, 100% money-back guarantee.

In time I will write more articles about XSitePro and The Complete Guide To Website Building which will specifically detail key benefits you will derive from both.

Tip: If you can use a word processor you can use XSitePro.

For now, let me leave you with this example of a key benefit:

Backing up a whole website in XSitePro is very quick and easy. I simply export to my desktop, the only choice being whether or not to include the publishing information (hosting password etc). I am provided with just ONE file. Even a big site I have (105 pages) is only 1.98mb.

This means that I can quickly back up my site to external media, send it to support if needed (very rare), send it to someone else (another developer in your company perhaps) or simply back up before working on/altering the website.

XSitePro: http://www.website-software-made-easy.info

The Complete Guide To Website Building: http://click-here-now-for.info/complete-guide-to-website-building

The Complete Guide to Website Building – easy, professional, inexpensive.. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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Yesterday I was on a roll.

Posting to my blog, which runs the latest edition of WordPress. Uploading photos for my posts.

Since then I have changed nothing. No WordPress upgrades, plugin upgrades, no technical or setting changes.

This morning I find that when trying to upload an image to a blog post I get this error:

“Failed to write file to disk”

I tried a different browser, different image, different upload methods (both flash and standard). I even tried the media upload function. Same error.

Moved onto a web search and discovered that many others are experiencing the same problem currently. Clearly not the fault of my webhost. I am not sure there is actually a fix yet and in any case, as I had not changed anything I was reluctant to start fiddling; especially as some suggested fixes looked very complex and uber geeky. (I am only part geek). Even the WordPress.org forum contained a number of posts saying: “This topic is not resolved”.

The dilemma….I need images in my posts and do not have time to fart about or wait until a resolution is readily apparent. Who knows, the problem came mysteriously, so maybe it will disappear in a similar manner. But when?

No problem for me. Why?

I have an account here.

Top quality professional and industry standard photo hosting.

I simply created an unlisted (non public) gallery for my blog images. Quickly uploaded an image. Got the share link and simply embedded in my blog post.

Sure, the photo hosting/sharing service is an extra yearly cost, albeit a low one, however how much time do YOU have to waste fixing this latest WordPress glitch? Will it be fixed for everyone? And when?

The service can be used for other purposes besides hosting blog photos. Check it out today. And de stress.

Fix (workaround) for WordPress “Failed to write file to disk” image upload error. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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While I was waiting for some help on how to adjust my blog code to fix an inactive RSS button, I decided to try a workaround fix myself.

The good news is that the fix has worked.

As it happens, it is just as well because I have noticed that the inactive button also appears in a panel just below every post!

The problem is that the buttons list my feed incorrectly.

My fix consisted of setting up a redirect so that the feed pointed to the right URL.

Because I am only a ‘half geek’, setting up a redirect could have proven tricky.

Fortunately for me I have a simple solution in my arsenal which enabled me to solve my problem in around 10 – 15 minutes. This time frame included installing a special script on my hosting server.

Easy Redirect Script. It lives up to its name, for sure.

The script is excellent value. Think of the time and hassle it has saved me for example; just on this one issue.

When you visit the sales page, you may get the impression of a technical, ‘salesy’ or even basic looking website. Do not be misled however. The developer, whom I know, is a genuine and gifted individual who provides excellent support. The product works very well indeed, even for someone like me who has simple needs and does not understand all the advanced stuff which the script does.

Easy Redirect Script is easy to install on your server/web host. The instructions are clear and simple.

I simply uploaded the script to my server and quickly set up my admin console (real easy). Then I logged in.

Creating a redirect was so easy – see the graphic below.

(I put the word ‘feed’ into the Redirect Name box and the RSS feed URL in the Destination URL box.)

Then check out the next graphic which shows the end result.

Having created my redirect, my RSS issue is now solved. I guess I could leave it like this because it might save me editing code every time there is a blog theme update; presuming such an update would overwrite my own prior customization. Because the pre formatted feed address now points to the right place I should be set.

I am planning to see what feedback I get to my forum query, which includes a question about whether using a redirect script for this purpose is good long term practice.

Workaround fix for inactive RSS button. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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XSitePro makes stuff so easy and over the years while using the program I have often found myself thinking that it is just like WordPress. Easy to use, slick and full of key functionality.

Another thing I like about XSitePro is that because it is so easy to use – adding pages, inserting links, converting and uploading videos and so on – there is no subtle subconscious disincentive to use it. It is so important to use good tools because then we do not have to motivate ourselves to use them. We want to use them.

I love XSitePro so much I’ll coin a phrase:

“XSitePro makes building websites feel like blogging. Easy”.

http://www.website-software-made-easy.info/

XSitePro makes building websites feel like blogging. Easy. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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You can view the article concerned here.

In my fax I used the following link to a collection of blog posts which are hosted on my blog:

http://click-here-now-for.info/InternetCensor

The link is an easy way of taking people to:

http://blackshaman.net/?s=filtering&x=0&y=0

…which is simply a search term applied to my previous blog.

Can you imaging sending a fax with the second link? Seriously; who would bother to type it into a browser?

If you want people to read what you have to say, it is best to make it as easy as possible; whether that be in day to day communication, business or Internet Marketing. Good website design incorporates a key focus on usability.

So how did I do it?

And was it hard?

No, it was not hard to do.

I had previously registered a domain name which is designed for ease of reading and understanding. The domain name is also a ‘call to action’.

I use this domain name – www.click-here-now-for.info – purely for the purpose of creating redirect links which are easy for people to read and follow. When people see them on websites, blogs, forums etc, the links make a better impression and have a more powerful effect than those gobble-de-gook rthey5653hdsyet type links. The links are more reassuring to click on too. Remember that what we understand reduces confusion, including subconscious confusion.

Creating my redirects is done very easily:

http://click-here-now-for.info/redirect

More personal information on this method of creating link redirects is here:

http://blackshaman.net/2009/11/17/workaround-fix-for-inactive-rss-button/

For those interested in how I come up with these type of ideas; a key ingredient is focus upon other people. What will what I do be like for them. After all, other people are interested in themselves.

How to make easy web links that people will use. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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Recently I have reorganized my blogging and in the process decided on a single blog complete with a new look which matched my new letterhead and business card designs.

Today, I translated the new look onto the Personal Development Magic website:

http://www.PersonalDevelopmentMagic.com

You will notice that the website now looks similar to this blog.

Here is what the website used to look like:

My wife and I organized our own designs, using the tools we have available. In fact, because we have taken care to use the right programs, our website design tasks are much easier. Of course, having an eye for design is important, however if you have poor quality tools then even a good design can be difficult to set up. In fact, good tools encourage good design.

The Personal Development Magic website is built, updated and maintained using this website builder:

http://www.website-software-made-easy.info

Today on the website I changed the following:

1. Header image
2. Header bar color
3. Side panel color
4. Side panel size
5. Main panel size (main content area)
6. Footer color and size
7. Footer text color
8. Background image/color
9. Menu background color
10. Menu text color
11. Breadcrumb text color
12. Menu graphic symbol
13. (Main home page picture – now has my ugly mug and one of my beautiful lady friends; earlier it had an abstract graphic)

Was it hard? No.

Did it take long? No.

Why? Is it because I have lots of experience building websites? Again, no.

The software I use is very easy to use; even if you feel like a dork when it comes to technology. In my view, the website builder software was created by genius for the use of simple minds and upwards. (I like having a simple mind).

Check it out here:

http://www.website-software-made-easy.info

It comes with a great tutorial and fantastic help files. You could be building a website within 1 to 2 hours; it is that easy.

If you happen to be an elite website developer reading this, then the software has something for you too. All that fancy stuff is kept straightforward, but out of the way of simpler folk like me. Have a think about how much time you will save. Time equals money. Can you afford to waste it with clunky software and outdated work practices?

Fresh new look for Personal Development Magic website.(Too easy!) is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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People with knowledge of setting up a link redirect will be aware of how fiddly and time consuming they can be.

Time is so precious and I am constantly on the look out for key ways to systematize and simplify.

If we just let things be, whatever it is, we will often miss out on ways we can grow personally or business-wise.

When I came across the inexpensive link redirecting solution I am about to show you, I was very pleased. It works a treat and was very easy to install and set up. Be sure to watch the video carefully for more information:

Easy, inexpensive solution to time wasted when creating link redirects/link cloaking.

The link above is an example of the product in use.

Technical note: The script uses a ‘simple redirect’ method and apparently does not cause problems relating to ‘validated cookies’.

Internet marketing (Business development) – link redirects/link cloaking. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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