One thing that occurs quite frequently when developing for the web is random string generation. That is, generating a string of a specific length consisting of random elements from a given set, be it characters, numbers etc. Some of the numerous applications of random string generation are:

• CAPTCHA string generation, and
• Password generation for new users

We even use random string generation here at Glass Obelisk! Gotxt, our website that allows you to send free sms’ generates a random string of numbers when a new user signs up for an account in order to prevent fraud and spam. As an aside, challenging a user to verify a randomly generated string is a great way to verify email accounts.

Now that you know about the advantages of random string generation, we can progress to implementation details. Because of the necessity of random string generation, we have created a PHP class that you may use to your liking, pursuant to terms of the BSD License (included with the source code).

The functionality comes encapsulated in an easy to use class and is very extensible. Instructions as per extensibility are included in the source code. Usage instructions have also been uploaded for your convenience.

If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to post them.

Happy Coding.

Random String Generation Class

How to use the random string generation class

If you have an e-commerce solution on your site which allows you to sell products online, the checkout page allows your customers to complete their order and move on to payment. This part of your e commerce system will collect all the necessary information from the user to move onto processing and payment including confirmation of the sale and product information, the user details and their billing details.

Be sure that you know what it is you require from the buyer in order for a successful order to occur and that this process is efficient and easy to follow. 

Remember also that contact details are key. Collecting your customers contact details such as email address, phone number and postal address will allow you to ensure that you can communicate with your customer easily as well as give you the opportunity to further promote your products to them through mail outs, email news letters and updates on promotions.
 

Sometimes you come across a website which is just… well, beautiful. Today I’m going to go through a couple of stand outs.

fluidbook
Now your printed publications can look just as good on the web

Outline2Design
Colourful and vibrant. Outline2Design take all the work out of creating your website.

larissameek.com
A good dark themed site. Not everyone can pull off a mostly-black website, Larissa is one of the few.

Team Green
Nice arrangement and composition. Torn paper edges and other stationary effects add a lot to this design.

Free People
My girlfriend likes to shop there and when they have such a good website, who am I to complain?

By all means this is not an exhaustive list, there are plenty of other great sites out there (and plenty of absolutely awful ones too). Every now and then I’ll compile another collection of unique and attractive designs.

I would also like to thank Vu - a friend and business colleague - for posting a couple of his own entries over the past week. I’m sure he has more helpful hints and advice coming.

The transition from development to going online can be a difficult process so here are some tips to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Remember set up these key elements before you go live.

• Your  domain name: where are your clients, customers or viewers going to reach you?
• Your email addresses: how will they contact you? How will you contact them?
• If you choose to sell products and services online, an ecommerce payment gateway

Domain Name
The domain name is the address people enter to get to your website on the internet. Usually people (in Australia) use a .com or .com.au.  When your site is live your domain will point to your website. That means that once your site is live, when people type in your web address or domain (they are both the same thing) into their browser  they will see your new site. If your domain name is registered to Glass Obelisk we can handle this for you.

If your domain name is registered else where and you wish to transfer it to Glass Obelisk remember that you need to do a few things before we can finish your site.

Transfer of Administration of Your Domain:
The first and easiest method of transfer from the person who registered your domain is to transfer administration of your domain to Glass Obelisk. In doing this you simply enable Glass Obelisk to manage your domain name on your behalf without having to consult the original party you registered your domain name with. If you for any reason do not have access to it, simply contact the company you originally registered with for your domain’s details.

Point Your Domain Name to Glass Obelisk’s Servers
The second option may be more suited to those for who the transfer may compromise other aspects of their online activity such as their email addresses. For example some large businesses and organisations have a large number of email addresses hosted by another provider and may not want to have to change these. In this situation simply ask Glass Obelisk for the address for its servers and we will pass on the relevant information for you to pass onto your IT or web development officer or employee. 
Please note however that this transition of domain may take up to 48 hours to propagate or transfer.

Email Addresses
Once you have transferred administrative control of your domain across to Glass Obelisk we will supply you with your cPanel passwords which will allow you to manage your hosting and importantly create and manage your email accounts.

Payment Gateway
If you decide that you wish to process credit cards on your website be sure to consult Glass Obelisk about the options you have available to you. People are more comfortable with the security of online transactions, but still can be wary of the process. Should you wish to process payments online or manually be sure to contact a Glass Obelisk consultant today to discuss your options in providing the best possible payment plan for your website.

When selling products online make sure that your product is emphasized by a headline for each of your items. Each of your products or services made available on your site should have a headline and an opening spiel/blurb which should capture interest in the product or service being sold and have the opportunity for them to read more by clicking on a link.
However, always be sure to describe and sell your product. Write a product description and sell it to your viewer. It should be a reduced copy of what you would write as a full sales copy for your product.
So remember:

•  Headline
• Opening spiel/blub
• The benefits of the product

It is important that your site have an About Us section on your site as well as any testimonials you may have.

About us
Make it all about you. Make it personal and sell yourself or your business to your viewer.  Try and include pictures of your work group or team and where you operate from. Many websites these days lack a sense of warm and at times emit a sense of cold sterility to the viewer. An effective About Us page can change all of this and indeed engage the viewer more effectively. Try and write about yourself as if you were talking to the customer and trying to convince them to join your team. Write about your business, your vision for the industry and how unique your business is to the world.

Testimonials
Try and keep them in their original state and make sure to have the name of the customer who made the comment, their position in the company and the company for who they work. Remember try and make it personal and even include a picture of the person. Be sure of course to have the person’s permission and remember that who you get your testimonial from may vary according to your business. For some businesses, testimonials from “higher profile” people may be more effective where as in other situations, your average person may be just what you need. Be sure to consider who it is you want to make the testimonial and that they suit your target demographic.