Patrick Oak

I'm an internet consultant. Over the past 10 years, I have built my own online businesses and helped companies build theirs. From strategy to development to marketing I am a jack of all trades and love sharing my experiences and advice.

Collecting information from your users

Firms are often told that the information they collect from users through their websites, especially email lists, is extremely valuable.

But most of the companies I have worked with over the years really have no idea how to use this information to boost business.

by Patrick Oak 09 July 2008 08:45am 0 comments

Free and low-cost PDF software programs

Providing certain documents in Adobe PDF format has many advantages. The format is open, available on almost every platform, widely-used and the Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed on most consumer and business computers (PCs, Macs, etc.).

by Patrick Oak 04 July 2008 08:45am 3 comments

Adding white papers and case studies to your website

If you run a business that provides information to prospective customers through a website, you may want to consider offering downloadable white papers or case studies.

by Patrick Oak 02 July 2008 08:30am 1 comment

PHP Caching Tools & Techniques

PHP is installed on more than 20m websites, including some of the most popular websites in the world.

It's easy to install, easy to work with and when put in the hands of a competent developer can achieve the performance and scalability that highly-popular websites and demanding web applications require.

by Patrick Oak 30 June 2008 09:54am 0 comments

Outsourced DNS hosting providers

An often overlooked factor in maintaining a high level of website uptime is having a reliable DNS service.

If your DNS fails or is slow to resolve, your uptime will suffer - even if your website itself is technically "up".

by Patrick Oak 27 June 2008 08:45am 1 comment

Website monitoring services

It's 3 a.m. Do you know how your website is behaving?

If you run an online business of any kind, you should, because downtime and poor website performance not only causes lost revenue, it also can lead to a loss of reputation and loyalty.

by Patrick Oak 25 June 2008 09:15am 4 comments

Getting started with Flash Video

Many businesses and entrepreneurs are finding that video content can be a valuable addition to their websites.

Flash Video, popularized by YouTube, offers an ideal, user-friendly way to deliver that video content.

by Patrick Oak 23 June 2008 09:00am 2 comments

PHP message board solutions

At a time when social networks are so popular, it's easy to forget that the threaded message board was for many years the "community" of choice for many online.

For businesses and website owners that don't need all the bells and whistles of a full social network, a message board may be the perfect solution for visitors and customers who would benefit from a place to interact online.

by Patrick Oak 18 June 2008 08:45am 15 comments

Typography tools and tips

In my opinion, one of the most overlooked and least understood aspects of web design is that of typography.

In my experience, many web designers treat typography as an afterthought, ignoring the fact that it's a major element of good design.

Here are some great tools and tips for typography, as well as some links to websites that offer free and paid fonts:

by Patrick Oak 20 June 2008 08:45am 0 comments

Useful online colour resources

In my last post, I provided a number of useful online resources for stock photography because visitors tend to make very quick decisions as to whether they're going to stay on a site based on aesthetics.

Another important aspect to an appealing website is using the right colours. Fortunately, there are lots of great online tools and resources for discovering and choosing them.

by Patrick Oak 16 June 2008 09:00am 0 comments