Get the base secure store URL
Mage::getBaseUrl('web', true);
Changing the Admin URL: Open the /app/etc/local.xml file, locate the <frontName> tag, and change the ‘admin’ part it to something a lot more random.
/app/etc/local.xml
<frontName>
Show image using current skin path (PHTML)
Show image using current skin path (CMS)
How to check for https
if (!Mage::app()->getStore()->isCurrentlySecure()) { ... }
Skin URL
echo $this->getSkinUrl('images/test.jpg');