The Importance of Design
Posted on 10. Aug, 2009 by search_junkie.
I feel like I have to write about the importance of not skimping on Web design again because I still keep running into people that want $6000 websites. Business owners simply cannot understand the you get what you pay for. This is even more true in web design. You cannot go cheap when it comes to your website.
People should never expect an e-commerce site for anything less than $10,000. A CMS, expect upwards of $15,000. And a large dynamic site with databases and other functionality should start at $20,000 and go up. I am talking about quality. It’s like when you go to a small restaurant that is dirty and smells, you get a bad impression and probably would not go back. If that business owner would just have spent a bit more to make the place respectable they could have earned a lot more business from you.
So do yourself a favor, save up some more money and put it into your web design, it’s worth every penny!
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What is so Hard About Web Development Anyways?
Posted on 10. Aug, 2009 by search_junkie.
Many people ask themselves this questions after, during, or even before paying for a Web design/development project. It is one of those things that is very difficult for people to grasp because they do not understand it. The graphic below allows us to begin to understand.
This graphic brings up some good points regarding the difficulty of making all site elements cross browser compatible. Believe it or not, many times its the little things that are the most difficult to fix in Web development. Remember that when you work on your next design project.
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How to Choose a Good Web Host
Posted on 10. Aug, 2009 by search_junkie.
There are SO many different web hosting companies out there, it all becomes a blur when you are trying to figure out which one to use. And there are just as many horror stories about the service of hosting companies! So choosing a good one is paramount to your success. You need to consider a few things when you set out to find a good webhost.
You need to figure out what your level of customer service needs to be. Are you a savvy Web veteran that understand how to run their own hosting environment? Or are you a newbie that wants to host their own WordPress blog? Choose a company that suits your needs by checking out a review site like WebHostingGeeks.com.
If you are cost conscious then you can easily sort by price by going to their “Best Budget Hosting” section. Need a good .NET host? Go to their “Best Windows Hosting” section. They have just about every need covered in a review section. Now if every review site had this level of functionality when it comes to search the world would be so much easier to navigate.
I also noticed that they have a good blog. I found mostly some pretty advanced, techy, posts there. But there were also some good beginner type posts, like their post on the Hot Banana CMS, that could possibly help your decision on what CMS to go with.
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I am Noticing a Trend
Posted on 07. Aug, 2009 by search_junkie.
I’m wondering if anyone else has been noticing an unusual amount of people reporting virus issues with their PCs and/or servers? I’ve been hearing, and unfortunately experiencing, that people are getting malware injected into their sites. I am seeing more and more sites flagged in Google for malware too!
On top of that I noticed that I keep hearing people say that their computers are messed up in one way, shape, or form by some sort if infection or virus.
I always get very scared and paranoid when I start to hear these things in bunches. It makes me want to take a look at my setup and make sure that I have a good Antivirus Software installed on my PC. It also makes me want to check all of my servers and sites for any malware. Wordpress has notorious exploits for link injections and malware so you always have to stay on top of that stuff.
I’ve had a problem in the past with antivirus software as they seem to bog down the speed of my computers. I run a lot of applications and tools so I need all the speed I can get. I was recommended to try something called VIPRE antivirus + antispyware from a company called Sunbelt Software because it is supposed to work well and not eat up as many resources as other solutions like Norton or McAfee. It turns out that it actually works as promised. And on top of that they have a 15 day free trial going on so check it and be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to your PC security!
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Elementary Web Development Principles for SEO
Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by search_junkie.
It is crazy to imagine but most of the Web design and Web development community still has not recognized and adapted to some simple best practices that go a long way in making sites SEO friendly! For some reason I still see sites being built with complex site architectures, improperly named directories, Javascript, 302 redirects, and more.
It is very disheartening because the site owners, who pay these developers a great deal of money to design and build them a kick ass site do not know any better. And I have to assume that Web developers DO know better and that they understand their craft as it pertains to the world around them today, namely the search engines. I cannot assume that developers as so naive. People are getting ripped off because many developers are just plain lazy!
So I want to remind you all today of the simple things. If you want your web pages to rank then certain elementary principles must be adhered to:
• Descriptive file and directory names
• Limit site depth
• Keep page size to a minimum
• Place CSS and JavaScript code on a separate page
• Use 301 redirects for any pages you’ve moved
• Do NOT use Javascript or meta refresh redirects
• Customize your 404 pages
Follow these extremely basic principles and you will have come a long way all you developers out there! It is amazing, but on-page SEO is very simple and most of it pertains to proper Web development and valid XHTML and CSS. The basics!
