From the category archives:

Website Development

What are browsers, and how do they affect my website?

February 16, 2010

If you’re new to the web and you’re undertaking the development of your first website, you’ve probably been hearing the term “browser” a lot lately. And most likely you’re confused.
Browsers are one of the most important parts of a user’s web experience; which browser you are using can have a very large effect on how [...]

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What is Whitespace?

February 2, 2010

Whitespace—or, negative space—is the open space between elements in a design. The space can be a color other than white, as long as the area is void of elements.
It’s common for whitespace to be seen as “wasted space,” especially when you are working with a limited area. After all, why wouldn’t you want to take [...]

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No One Likes to be Framed

January 19, 2010

Back in the infancy of the world wide web, frames were a pretty useful tool.  They allowed a designer to have multiple panels on a page with one or more displaying consistent content (like a menu).  With the advent of the modern web programming languages such as Active Server Pages (ASP), PHP & ASP.Net, frames [...]

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6 Great Reasons to Update Your Website Content

December 15, 2009

A lot of time and effort goes into setting up a website when it is first created, but once the website is launched, the work is not over! Think of your website as a constant work in progress. Every day is a new chance to make a great first (or second, or third) impression.
How often [...]

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Internet Lingo 101

November 25, 2009

There are many terms in the internet world, and sometimes all the lingo can make your head spin. In this article,  I’ll  explain just a few of the most common terms, specifically those related to website addresses and how people get to particular sites.  These definitions should help you better understand how the internet works.

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How can a Content Management System benefit you and your company?

October 20, 2009

What is a Content Management System?
A content management system (CMS) is a web application that allows you to easily manage your website. A CMS can be an extremely powerful tool allowing you to create, manage, distribute, and publish information. Or it can be as simple as allowing you to update just one page of your [...]

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What makes a credible website?

October 5, 2009

Empty plastic bags roll through a cracked and patched pavement parking lot. Shopping carts are scattered about… some maneuvering themselves unmanned through the rows of unpopulated parking spaces of the Electronics-O-Rama. The store signage is in disarray, and the glass of the storefront is fogged and dirty. The color scheme of the decrepit building is [...]

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Web Language

September 30, 2009

It can be a bit confusing trying to figure out what language people are using to communicate on the web with.  “I’ve got one of those HTML pages” or “My site is dot net!” – but what does that really mean?  How can we distill something more than “My site is better than yours.” Hopefully [...]

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Favicons – 256 pixels of branding

September 28, 2009

Favicons (condensed from  “favorite icons”) are extremely small, 16×16 pixel graphics that help support your online branding in a very large way. Favicons function as an important visual reminder of your brand for users both on and offline.

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Choosing the right E-commerce engine for your business

February 6, 2009

Soon after you decide to add E-commerce to your small business, you may find yourself suffering from a touch of sensory overload. There are a lot of E-commerce engines, shopping cart systems and hosted storefronts vying for your attention. How do you sort through all of that to find the solution that best suits your [...]

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Using Usability to Make Your Site More Usable

January 26, 2009

There is a book in our office that has been required reading for all staff members for the last 3 years.  This book is called “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug.  The book is about usability of website design and how you don’t want to have your site visitors have to think when they [...]

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Your Website is not Yours – It’s your Customer’s

January 20, 2009

Too many business owners get caught in the trap of making a website something that they like as opposed to researching what type of site will best convert visitors into buying customers.  I commonly hear “I want” this or “I want” that without having answers to how a customer might percieve those things.  I’m not [...]

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Design by Committee Causes Much Pity

January 16, 2009

No matter how optimistically it is presented, no matter how often it is mentioned that “everyone’s onboard” and no matter how much you want to believe it will work for the better, design by committee is a process that delays the completion of a website that no one involved will be happy with.
I have [...]

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