Here is a comparison table of my research thus far.  The table shows best price, which is sometimes only possible with bulk credit purchases.  It also shows if the service has an API, supports MMS and supports 2 way messaging.  Some of the Gateways which do support 2 way message have limited features with this. 

Australian Taxation Office
GPO Box 9845
IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY

So no choice – write my own.  To use it you will need to substitue your RSS url for the one in the variable $myFile on line 3.  You will also need to substitute the first 4 letters of your twitter username for the word ‘John’ on line 10. 

On line 18 change the phrase between the quotes to whatever you want yours to say (if the feed stops working) and you are away.  It displays the first 70 characters followed by …  To change this change the number 70 on line 14 to whatever number of characters you want. 

Here it is – free to use, and in return I would appreciate a link for my troubles.  Please link to ‘http://www.webtechnologyqueensland.com/web-design’ and use the word ‘web design’ in the anchor text. 

<?php

$myFile = “http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/251836287.rss“;
 $fh = fopen($myFile, ‘r’);
 $status = fread($fh, 1000);
 fclose($fh);
//echo $status;

$newstatus = trim(substr($status, 546));
if (substr($newstatus, 0, 4) == ‘John’)

{
$newstatus2 = trim(substr($status, 557));
echo substr($newstatus2, 0, 70); 
echo “…”;

}
else
{
echo “Follow JohnKAlley on Twitter, get tweets from Peace Apostolic Community.”;
}

?>

IMPORTANT NOTE: This script uses a php file function to open a read the rss feed file.  It then truncates (chops) off everything up to the first feed.  You may need to adjust the numbers in the trim(substr($status section to chop off the right amount of characters.  This happens twice.  The first time you chop off everything up to the username – so you can validate the first 4 letters of the username.  The second time you chop the username off too.  If you don’t want to chop the username off – simply remove the number 2 from both $newstatus2 variables and it will include the username. 

With squeeze pages people either buy, signup or do whatever the page is trying to get them to do – or they hit the back button on the browser and go to the next page down on the Search Engine Results.  Most of the time (about 90%) its the back button.  However the other 10% is a good result and brings the website owner results.

Here I’m suggesting that there should be squeeze pages for online evangelism.  In fact that is exactly what I did on my websites for many years – and I had a veru similar response.  Let me explain. 

Back in 2002 when I was still pretty much a newbie with websites – I had no idea about squeeze pages.  In fact I don’t think the term had been invented yet.  However having grown up in churches, and being a pastor’s son, I knew about the traditional approach for evangelism.  During a meeting where the gospel is preached people are invited to come forward to the front where they can publically accept Christ and become a Christian.  This is done in a deliberate way and people who have the desire to follow God are encouraged to do this. 

At this point – called an altar call – the minister explains the significance of the decision to follow God, often in a variety of ways, and then invites people forward, often several times.  He explains the benefits and sometimes the tragedy of those who reject God.  Using prayer, music and many compelling words, often people are convinced to accept God, and they do go forward.  This has been the traditional evangelistic pattern in churches for a long time.  Some people call it the “Billy Graham Method.” 

Today, churches are trying different things, including evangelism in homes, in programs, outside of meetings and other strategies.  I wish all the best to those who have a heart to bring people to God.

Not knowing much about online marketing, and never having heard the term “squeeze page” I built my first squeeze page based upon the traditional evangelistic method I knew from church.  It was a page with information that was compelling leading to a prayer at the end.  Then there was a form to be completed by those who had prayed the prayer.  In return they were promised further information about God, and that I would also personally pray for them. 

In one year I had 40,000 hits on my website, and over 2,000 email addresses on my list.  Most of the hits were from Adwords, Overture and Ask advertising platforms and some were organic and direct.  This meant that the visitors were targetted visitors, and the response (between 5 and 10%) was a typical squeeze page response. 

Amazingly – in the emails that followed the responses were many stories of changed lives.  I didn’t change the lives, that was a miracle, it was God.  It was also a miracle that I built an effective gospel style squeeze page.  I have friends today 8 years later that I made on that gospel page. 

I think there is a place for gospel squeeze pages… don’t you. 

— Resource Box—

This article was written by David Alley, Church Web Designer and Owner of www.Escrow-Australia.com.au.  This article can be used without permission as long as a backlink to this page is included, and this resource box stays intact. 

So here is just an initial list I have drawn from tonights research, if you know of other modules that I’m not aware of, please add to this list, or add in a comment so that other people can benefit from this.

• Authorize
• Google
• Paypal
• 2Checkout
• Cybersource
• MIGS
  Skipjack
• SPPlus
• Adyen
• Sage Pay
• Liqpay
• eProcessing Network
• CCAvenue
• Moneris
• Keyclient
• Setefi
• X-pay
• Gest Pay
• EBS
• iwsmile
• Securepay
• ICICI Bank
• Netbuilders nbepay
• Saferpay
• Echopay
• Creditcall
• Webmoney
• Paytrace
• Z payment
• Viaklix
• Dineromail
• Quickpay
• Ticketmaster IATS
• Novalnet
• CCNOW
  Yandex
• eGold
• Privatbank
• iTransact
• Flow2cash
• Multibanco
• Ogone
• St George Bank
• Atos
• mPay24
• Mobillcash
• Paydutchgroup
• Worldpay

This list was Compiled by David Alley, Web Technology Queensland, Church Web Designer

However if you take away Winston the Politician and Winston the Statesman, and if you take away Winston the Orator, what is left.

Winston the Blogger.  Actually to be technically correct, Winston Churchhill was a journalist.  At one point in his life he was even a war correspondent for a newspaper covering the Second Boer War in Africa. 

As a journalist, writing was his income and he settled into a steady work habit which involved daily writing.  This continued throughout his entire life, including retirement.  As a writer, he produced a large number of volumes on topics covering a wide range of subjects including history and war, and lighter topics like painting.  He produced 38 official public written works (books) – details can be seen at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill_as_writer

Winston lived from both his authorship and other writing for periodicals and newspapers at various times in his life.  He also spoke and raised money in that manner.  Winston developed a habit of writing 1000 words per day.  In this manner he would produce 7000 words a week, the equivalent of 2 good chapters of a book. 

It is obvious with His wide range of knowledge and his dedication and good writing habits, that Winston would have made a great blogger.  It is said that he was not necessarily a comfortable person to be acquainted with – not easy to be his friend.  However his thoughts and ideas have inspired many.

There are two things left to say.  First, get yourself a good biography of Winston Churchill and you will learn a lot.  Second develop some good writing habits of your own, and see where it will take you.

——————-

This article was written by David Alley, Rockhampton Web Designer, SEO Consultant, PADI Rescue Diver and Church Leader. 

This article can be used without permission, but it must not be changed, and a permalink must be credited to http://www.davidalley.com.au/why-winston-churchill-would-have-made-a-great-blogger

However not all websites have the aim of building revenue.  Church websites certainly don’t fit into this category.  Many churches are non profit organisations and a large number of churches are interested in sharing their message, and they rely on donations and will ask for them, but they view their websites in an entirely non commercial way.  In fact because of this, many churches and religious organisations don’t even have websites, although this is changing. 

Church websites are largely information based.  This information is aimed at converting a person, encouraging a person with religious thoughts, providing religious materials regularly (daily bible reading etc) or to push a certain stream of thought.  Many local church websites are also used to encourage church attendance in their area.  Because of the purpose of church websites, traditional commercial promotional methods are often not used.

Many religious leaders ignore popular marketing advice or advertising systems (such as Adwords) or other forms of website promotion because is intrinsically linked with commerce – but this is a mistake.  In particular Search Engine Optimisation should be a large (if not the most important) priority in the building of an information based website. 

Search Engine Optimisation has several components to it – the external which involves link building and other off site activities.  It also has the interneal which involves on-site optimisation.  This second component is crucial to church websites.  This takes the information about a local church and optimises it on the website so that it captures traffic from Search Engines in the Local Area.  This is likely to and does lead to new people attending churches.

Let me give an illustration.  In my home town of Mt Morgan, in Queensland Australia, I built a very simple church website for Peace Apostolic Community.  The site has audio sermons, church newsletters and a blog and that is all. 

I optimised the site with keywords that relate to its community, and to its activities so that local people who search for those activities will see the church in the listings.  So a new person moves to Mt Morgan and is looking for a church to attend, they type into Google “Mt Morgan Church” and the website for Peace Apostolic Community is displayed prominently at the top in the Google Local Listings (more on this in a minute) and then further down in 6th position as well. 

No special promotion took place to achieve this position – there was no link building campaign or advertising blitz.  This result is simply a benefit from on site search engine optimisation. 

In addition, Google offers local businesses and organisations a Place listing.   This is a free service and each church should list for their community.  This increases the chance of being found in searches like the one described above. 

The benefits from search engines come begin with proper optimisation of websites using keywords, and this should be a priority for church and religious leaders.  SEO simply means taking the time to determine the proper keywords that are appropriate for a website, and including them in the right places like titles, page names, headings and so on. 

You may visit my church website designer page and read more about effective websites and visit additional links from there. 

Author: David Alley

You can buy dots for just a dollar – paint them – invite friends to help and become a part of the biggest collaborative artwork ever in the history of the world.  Last year in Israel (2009) 28300 people stuck their fingerprints down to create a giant Israeli flag – the current world record. 

I’m looking to smash that – and I have a million dots to paint.  Can you spare a dollar for a dot – or even better you can have a large role to play and paint a whole bunch.

When the painting is finished – we will hopefully have not only a new World Record, but also have a piece of artwork to auction for charity.  The charity that has been chosen is the orphans of Kamphon Cham in Cambodia.  You can see pictures on the www.paintadot.com website.

Visit now – Paint a Dot.

This is the website address for Coopers Store, and below this post are some of the keywords we are seeking to optimise for.  Coopers is a great business and if you live in Sydney visit one of their showrooms, or if you love great furniture – give them a ring and get something on a truck to where you are.

Coopers Main Keywords

1. Timber Dining Room Tables
2. Coffee Tables
3. Dining Room Tables
4. Dining Rooms Table
5. Furniture Dining Room

When we first took on SEO work for Coopers Store – they did not rank in the top 100 listings in Google for any of their keywords.  Now we are proud to announce that in just one month – we have them in 15^th (Page 2) for their main keyword, Timber Dining Room Tables.