September 2008 - Page 2 of 2

Importance of W3C Validation

Thursday September 11, 2008

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Most people don’t understand the importance of having a website that is W3C Validated. Having your website validated can increase your listings on SERP (Search Engine Results Page). Its a great tool for SEO, it allows search engines to read through your website without coming across any errors.

W3C Validation is also important when it comes to software for people with disabilities. A W3C validated website allows those with disabilities such as the hearing impaired or vision impaired to browse through your website with ease. Allowing their software to read what images you have posted or maybe a description of a video you may have on a website so the hearing impaired can still follow the video.

Is your website validated? http://validator.w3.org/

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Traditional pool safety covers require anchor points to be drilled into your pool deck, which creates a safety hazard from the bolts and causes discoloration and cracks.

The Octopus pool cover frame works with both in-ground and on-ground pools and does not require bolts and anchors. It’s easy to assemble and use. After connecting the frame elements (made of galvanized steel or optional stainless steel), attach the cover and place over the pool.

The Octopus pool cover safety frame meets ASTM-S1346-91 standards for pool safety covers. It has been successfully tested to remain secure in place in winds up to hurricane strength

The Octopus is available in a variety of attractive colors, including standard galvanized steel, plus Ultramarine Blue, Emerald Green, Midnight Black, and the Bright Silver of stainless steel on request. A standard size fits almost any pool. ThOctopus can even spread out to cover odd shapes.

The Octopus pool cover safety frame makes your pool safe without deck damage or drilling. It is a safe, secure and easy-to-use way to protect your pool, your family, and your deck.

You can find out more about the Octopus pool cover safety frame by visiting their website.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Website Optimizer gives us the opportunity to create different versions of our website pages and to test how they are received by actual visitors. There are many well documented design theories out there. If you want to move past theories and test your actual visitors going to your pages Website Optimizer is the tool with which to do it.

Color Theory Color theories, which colors will appeal to your audience and have a specific affect or mood. As fascinating as color theory is, it can feel about as scientific as a horoscope. Cultural differences, variations of shades, and the ebb and flow of fashion can be influential in shaping a viewers perception of your color scheme.

Eyetracking Human testing has established that content with pictures of people appears more professional to viewers of websites. Eyetracking studies have collected results which indicate that viewers are drawn to the line of site of the person in the picture. If you want to highlight specific text or a call to action on your site it is recommended that you use pictures in which the person is looking towards that text or call to action.

Unlike print work, where you would choose your paper stock and give a final okay to the printer before production, in website design we do not have control over the final viewing. Different computer operating systems, different browsers, and even different levels of technical proficiency on the part of the viewer are variables we have no control over.

As we make changes to our website how can we be sure that the results from the changes are not due to seasonal changes, adword campaigns, social media posts or a variety of other variables? There are so many interacting variables.

Website Optimizer allows for a more truly scientific experiment. Visitors are randomly sent to the different versions of the same page and their activities can be tracked and data collected to make your design decisions based on the visitors’ actual response to your website and the actions you wish to encourage. No theory!

If you would like to look into staging a truly scientific experiment with your website design we would be glad to help.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In a recent TV spot from “the Pickens Plan” famous oilman T-Bone Pickens tells us how Iran is switching its vehicles to run on clean burning, abundant, Natural Gas. Next up at the Democratic and Republican conventions, Where our future leaders tell us that they too believe in clean burning natural gas.

Nice to see our major parties come to the same conclusion we did years ago, Lisa and I are the proud owners of a 2008 Honda Civic GX, and this in not our first CNG powered auto. We traded in our 2001 GX for this one after 200,000 miles.

Why should you care what your marketing team drives to get the milk? It is another example of where we were ahead of the curve, and yet another example of our full forward focus in action.

Does your business need help getting ahead of the curve? We can help.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

“Genuine intellectual curiosity is the attribute established brands need to be successful in the blogosphere.”
– Geoffrey Moore

With every second that passes the world changes, something new and exciting is created or an idea is set into motion that will forever alter how human beings live their life and interact with each other. In the past sixty years a flood of, what would seem to most, irrational ideas have been used as stepping stones to create the most rational and useful technologies that we enjoy in our life. Radio started the information age, followed by television, and now the world world-wide-web; but, kindred spirits either join together or they kill each other, leaving yesterday’s trend behind.

I believe the biggest complaint about television is the lack of interaction in every respect; both commercial and entertainment aspects of television have a human element missing. Human beings have a drive to be involved in everything they lay their eyes on. Internet has provided the ability for the consumer to have a say in what they see and do, the Internet is a means for people to be a part of a growing network with limitless possibilities. It was hard to see at first with the early Internet, but the possibility has always been there waiting to bloom; for a long time the Internet (WEB 1.0) was like T.V., it was just something to look at with many more channels. WEB 2.0 is a totally different ball game, we the people are the players and the umpires – It’s About You!

Social Media is what the Internet is all about, a global village of people sharing ideas, information, and art. Not only individuals, business’ (large and small) are working towards going interactive; through blogging and social networks the world is getting smaller and the possibilities are becoming greater. This revolution has forced television to jump on the train or be left behind; the fact is that people can meet their communication and entertainment needs from one central location. The Internet has given everyone a voice and audience to listen, companies can advertise, sell, and interact with the consumer in a way that T.V can’t provide.

Today, your computer is a portal for all of your day to day media and communication tools to connect with the web. The time has come to join up with social networks and blog circles, this will increase your presence and network; whether for business or pleasure, I believe it will be worth your time to move with the Internet and not against it. Experience the world in the way that you want, at your desired pace; the Internet is no longer growing with you, transversely you’re growing with the Internet. The Internet has already started anticipating your next move and remembers what you are interested in; your computer is no longer an extension of you, rather you are an extension of your computer!

Reading Time: 5 minutes

You can write great text for your website and the search engines will crawl your site. Hopefully the search engines will like your text, consider it new and unique, but the bottom line is when the human being clicks on your site they usually look at the photos or videos first. Why is this? To my way of thinking it is human nature. We are looking for a connection and our brains focus first on photos and videos. It is a quicker connection. Viewing a photo about a product or service is sometimes easier than taking the time to read. The photo to the left was taken on 9/5/08 at 7:00AM. By 10:00AM the flower had closed, never to reopen again. I could write an essay about this cactus, but the image tells you all you need to know. One moment in time!

Let’s face it, we use photos and videos throughout our daily life. When tragedy strikes some of the first items that people will try to save are their photos and videos. The photos and videos help to validate one’s heritage and existence. This phenomenon might explain why those of us who grew up being filmed by our parents using a Bell & Howell 8mm now spend an excessive amount of time and money to have these old films converted to DVDs. And so it is when you use photos and videos on your website. The site and the services/products become tangible.

For almost ten years Webconsuls has worked with their clients to provide original photos that can tell the story. Furthermore, we sometimes were given videos or slide shows to work with; however, this medium was in its infancy stage on the internet. Enter Google videos and YouTube.

In a recent article from Site Pro News, Randy Zlobec states, “On YouTube alone (which accounts for more than ninety-eight percent of the videos viewed via Google), more than eighty-two million people watched over four billion videos last year. That makes YouTube both the top video sharing site and the top video search engine. YouTube receives as much as thirteen hours of new user-submitted video every minute, and more than fifty percent of the people watching videos online share links with other people. So, getting a good YouTube ranking could be an important way to bring people to your site.”

If you are interested in having Webconsuls create a video for your site, remember this can be accomplished by using still photos. We invite you to look at two samples: Saco River Canoe & Kayak’s Fall Color on the Saco River (this video also provides closed captions) or Cottonwood de Tucson’s Equine Therapy for Addiction Recovery (this video includes original music specifically written for the video).

Check back next week for a short discussion on editing!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Do you remember who won the Superbowl last year?

The new NFL schedule kicked off last night between the Washington Redskins and the Defending Champion NY Giants. The final score ended, Giants 16 Skins 7- all of the scoring which was in the 1st half.

Here are my picks for the upcoming year”

AFC:
East- Patriots
North- Steelers
South- Jags
West- Chargers

NFC:
East- Cowboys
North- Vikings
South- Panthers
West- Cardinals

Superbowl: Jags over Cowboys

Those are my picks- Sunday is the 1st full day of games. Enjoy the new season, it will be a good one with the AFC as open as it has been in years mainly do to injuries. The Carolina Panthers are my comeback team of the year and yes, the Jacksonville Jags finally breakthrough the Patriots/Colts impenetrable wall to make the big dance this year. Its all about defense.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Google has had a relationship with Mozilla Firefox for quite sometime and now they decided to branch off and get in to the desktop applications at a larger level. Firefox lead engineer Ben Goodger began working on the Google Chrome project two years ago where at that point, he stopped contributing to Firefox. Firefox see’s Chrome as another competitor in the industry, and why shouldn’t they, its Google.

Chrome is designed to have more application related websites run smooth giving each browser tab its own run-time environment so if one tab crashes, you can still continue to browse other websites in separate tabs.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Internet today offers several avenues for exposure beyond traditional Search Engine Optimization. Working in concert with a firm that has expertise in these avenues can increase visibility, search engine rankings, and business. These avenues are often considered part of Social Marketing.

One is to use the Internet to publish articles. You write the article and your web development company publishes it on a myriad of Internet sites. Well written and interesting articles can not only get wide circulation, but enhance your reputation as well.

A second way is to use blogs. The web development company would set up the blog and you regularly add content. Done correctly, the blog pages that you add would get wide and fast circulation.

You might consider adding video content to your site. Relatively inexpensive equipment is available to take acceptable videos. You may already have suitable equipment. Well done videos are interesting content which can be publicized them on the Internet. There is also much less competition for videos. For one client’s main keyword there were over 750,000 pages indexed by Google, and less that 175 videos.

Webconsuls, LLC We are a web site development company with expertise and experience in designing and building web sites, in Search Engine Optimization, and in Social Marketing.

Webconsuls > SEO

Reading Time: < 1 minute

In the Google way, they announce this product with a comic book, but this is not about your kids going to Webkinz this is about how the internet has itself turned into the application, and Google gets it. Gmail, Calendar, Documents, Photo, RSS, and Vids should not be sitting on a computer in your office that, will break, may become infected with a virus, and finally will become obsolete in 18 months.

Click here to download Google chrome

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Month: September 2008

Importance of W3C Validation