Navigation

We have talked before about the importance of search-ability of website content, but this is only half of the equation. The second we can term “find-ability”. Employing intuitive navigation techniques will significantly increase the usability of the site, and for that reason user satisfaction & return rates. Fixed-Position Navigation yields more results when compared to slideshow content, especially for mobile browsers fixed navigation is more suitable since it removes the worries of screen resolution and other issues. Find your content easily and the user hangs around.

Typography

Web designers will give lot of importance to the header of any website, but its not always about the logo. Selecting the right font, shading, weight, color and white space is a big (and important) task. Thus, Typography has become a part of the web design process. The year 2011 has seen the growth of Typekit font. Most of the WordPress designers preferred this font database (at a cost). During trail period, it offers free font library. Now, the scenario has changed, the new craze is Google Web Fonts. By using this Google tool, now the designers can easily use the typography of their choice. So we feel Google Web Fonts usage will grow in popularity as they are now supporting a whopping 422 font families.

HTML5 and CSS3

We use animations for capturing the attention of our website audience. All though this years flash animations dominated the animation scene. For the year 2012, a lot of people are expecting the domination of HTML5 and CSS3 over Flash, since HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery facilitated the usage of less coding lines as well as ease of use. Now, most of the web designers consider HTML5 and CSS3 are replacement to Flash. But Flash has got its own importance. We believe that Flash will continue to enjoy its popularity, especially among entertainment site designers and it is going to remain a favourite choice – for now.

Infographics

2012 is going to see more and more Infographics on their websites especially in content and data heavy industries. This trend is going to increase in popularity pretty quickly this year. People prefer Infographics instead of plain text since it facilitates the presentation of data along with images, charts, and supporting imagery so that the web users find it very easy to understand what we want to say. An Infographic is like a link between the content and user interactivity, so maybe we will start to see more interactive infographics… now that would be cool

What do you think is coming up this year? what is going to be hot on your next website?

“ While a good chunk of application development is aligning towards mobile apps that are in many cases initially scaled back (as updates follow) and/or even disposable — somewhere, in the cloud data centre and on the web, things are getting more complex. But what makes a complex web site anyway? Issues here include the operation and management of “bigger” back end servers and the systems integration challenges that naturally come with these blocks of data.

So-called Big Data as well as Complex Event Processing technologies will also make the delivery of data to a web site (in many cases via a Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal or Joomla. The challenges mount, so naturally we start to look for the path of least resistance to get complex but still stay online? Onward from the web CMS, there is also a need to look at the WCO factor i.e. Web Content Optimisation. This is, in a word (or three) “application-specific resource management” and if that app happens to be on the web then so be it.

One solution in this space is Riverbed Technology’s Stingray Traffic Manager. This is a virtual Application Delivery Controller (ADC) that provides “flexibility and a single point of management” for accelerating enterprise applications hosted on servers. It provides developers with what the company refers to as “advanced scripting and enterprise-level functionality” in the form of the branded TrafficScript code. Traffic script manages the content that the app is fed. So for example, if it were a web site that has a lot of images — the technology would work to scale back the images hitting the web site and just send the text first. This is global load balancing, with a sprinkling of bandwidth management, a side order of “rate shaping” and some service level monitoring to boot.

Also from Riverbed in this space comes Stingray Aptimizer, a WCO solution built to deliver both internal web applications, like Microsoft SharePoint… and external web applications, like e-commerce and highly customised websites. According to Riverbed, “Typical websites can have 50-200 file requests and for each request, in addition to the network latency, the performance of websites can be severely impacted. Stingray Aptimizer reduces page load times and reduces bandwidth by transforming the content (multiple image formats, JavaScript, CSS files, etc.) that is delivered from a web server to the web site viewer, accelerating website performance in some cases by up to 400%.”

Riverbed wants to see the Application Delivery Controller now sit in the application stack rather than the network stack. The company’s vision sees Web Content Optimisation become a tool for operating any public web site or “connected” enterprise application. Riverbed LIKES this. I wonder what the rest of us think. Consider this a POKE.”

Article sources: Computer weekly

Video courtesy of youtube and material from TED. Found it interesting? Share your thoughts below.

“Advertisers often wonder whether search ads cannibalize their organic traffic. If search ads were paused, would clicks on organic results increase, and make up for the loss in paid traffic? Google statisticians recently ran over 400 studies on paused accounts to answer this question.

In what we call “Search Ads Pause Studies”, our group of researchers observed organic click volume in the absence of search ads. Then they built a statistical model to predict click volume for given levels of ad spend. This model generates estimates for the incremental clicks attributable to search ads (IAC), or in other words, the percentage of paid clicks that are not made up for by organic clicks when search ads are paused.

On average, the incremental ad clicks percentage across verticals is 89%. This means that a full 89% of the traffic generated by search ads is not replaced by organic clicks when ads are paused.”

Here is a video but the full report can be found over at google.research.com

Google+ (or Google Plus), which begins rolling out a very limited field test on Tuesday 28 2011, is the culmination of a year-long project led by Vic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president of social. The project, which has been delayed several times, constitutes Google’s answer to Facebook.

Google Social Media huh, so What is it? At its core, Google+ is a true social network. The first thing users are shown to is the “Stream”. Much like the Facebook News Feed, or an advanced twitter feed, allowing users to share photos, videos, links or their location with friends.

Google’s top bar has changed.. what you missed that? The search giant’s new social media project will be omnipresent on its products and all of its offerings, thanks to a redesign of the navigation bar. The familiar gray strip at the top of every Google page that you have been used to will turn black, and come with several new options for accessing your Google+ profile, viewing notifications and instantly sharing content.

The Google social media notification system is similar to how social giants Facebook handles notifications, complete with a red number that increases with each additional notice, sound familiar?

We will keep watching this space… its set to be an interesting few months for google with this and the release of their own operating system to rival Microsoft. big dreams for the now social network media giants.

Anyway, now could be the time to wise up – why not try some of these top tips from OnGuard:

1. Protect your personal information. It’s valuable.


To an identity thief, your personal information can provide instant access to your financial accounts, your credit record, and other assets. If you think no one would be interested in YOUR personal information, think again. ANYONE can be a victim of identity theft. In fact, according to the Federal Trade Commission, millions of people become victims every year. Visit ftc.gov/idtheft to learn what to do if your identity is stolen or your personal or financial information has been compromised – online or in the “real” world.

How do criminals get your personal information online? One way is by lying about who they are, to convince you to share your account numbers, passwords, and other information so they can get your money or buy things in your name. The scam is called “phishing”: criminals send email, text, or pop-up messages that appear to come from your bank, a government agency, an online seller or another organization with which you do business. The message asks you to click to a website or call a phone number to update your account information or claim a prize or benefit. It might suggest something bad will happen if you don’t respond quickly with your personal information. In reality, legitimate businesses should never use email, pop-ups, or text messages to ask for your personal information.

To avoid phishing scams:

Don’t reply to an email, text, or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, and don’t click on links in the message. If you want to go to a bank or business’s website, type the web address into your browser yourself.

Don’t respond if you get a message – by email, text, pop-up or phone – that asks you to call a phone number to update your account or give your personal information to access a refund. If you need to reach an organization with which you do business, call the number on your financial statement, or use a telephone directory

Some identity thieves have stolen personal information from many people at once, by hacking into large databases managed by businesses or government agencies. While you can’t enjoy the benefits of the internet without sharing some personal information, you can take steps to share only with organizations you know and trust. Don’t give out your personal information unless you first find out how it’s going to be used and how it will be protected.

If you are shopping online, don’t provide your personal or financial information through a company’s website until you have checked for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a website URL that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some scammers have forged security icons. And some hackers have managed to breach sites that took appropriate security precautions.

Read website privacy policies. They should explain what personal information the website collects, how the information is used, and whether it is provided to third parties. The privacy policy also should tell you whether you have the right to see what information the website has about you and what security measures the company takes to protect your information. If you don’t see a privacy policy — or if you can’t understand it — consider doing business elsewhere.

2. Know who you’re dealing with.


And what you’re getting into. There are dishonest people in the bricks and mortar world and on the internet. But online, you can’t judge an operator’s trustworthiness with a gut-affirming look in the eye. It’s remarkably simple for online scammers to impersonate a legitimate business, so you need to know who you’re dealing with. If you’re thinking about shopping on a site with which you’re not familiar, do some independent research before you buy.

If it’s your first time on an unfamiliar site, call the seller’s phone number, so you know you can reach them if you need to. If you can’t find a working phone number, take your business elsewhere.

Type the site’s name into a search engine: If you find unfavorable reviews posted, you may be better off doing business with a different seller.

Consider using a software toolbar that rates websites and warns you if a site has gotten unfavorable reports from experts and other internet users. Some reputable companies provide free tools that may alert you if a website is a known phishing site or is used to distribute spyware.

File-Sharing: Worth the hidden costs?
Every day, millions of computer users share files online. File-sharing can give people access to a wealth of information, including music, games, and software. How does it work? You download special software that connects your computer to an informal network of other computers running the same software. Millions of users could be connected to each other through this software at one time. Often, the software is free and easy to access.

But file-sharing can have a number of risks. If you don’t check the proper settings, you could allow access not only to the files you intend to share, but also to other information on your hard drive, like your tax returns, email messages, medical records, photos, or other personal documents. In addition, you may unwittingly download malware or pornography labeled as something else. Or you may download material that is protected by the copyright laws, which would mean you could be breaking the law.

If you decide to use file-sharing software, be sure to read the End User Licensing Agreement to be sure you understand and are willing to tolerate the potential risks of free downloads.

3. Use security software that updates automatically.

Keep your security software active and current: at a minimum, your computer should have anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall. You can buy stand-alone programs for each element or a security suite that includes these programs from a variety of sources, including commercial vendors or from your Internet Service Provider. Security software that comes pre-installed on a computer generally works for a short time unless you pay a subscription fee to keep it in effect. In any case, security software protects against the newest threats only if it is up-to-date. That’s why it is critical to set your security software to update automatically.

Some scam artists distribute malware disguised as anti-spyware software. Resist buying software in response to unexpected pop-up messages or emails, especially ads that claim to have scanned your computer and detected malware. That’s a tactic scammers have used to spread malware. OnGuardOnline.gov can connect you to a list of security tools from legitimate security vendors selected by GetNetWise, a project of the Internet Education Foundation.

Once you confirm that your security software is up-to-date, run it to scan your computer for viruses and spyware. If the program identifies a file as a problem, delete it.

Anti-Virus Software

Anti-virus software protects your computer from viruses that can destroy your data, slow your computer’s performance, cause a crash, or even allow spammers to send email through your account. It works by scanning your computer and your incoming email for viruses, and then deleting them.

Anti-Spyware Software

Installed on your computer without your consent, spyware software monitors or controls your computer use. It may be used to send you pop-up ads, redirect your computer to websites, monitor your internet surfing, or record your keystrokes, which, in turn, could lead to the theft of your personal information.

A computer may be infected with spyware if it:

Slows down, malfunctions, or displays repeated error messages
Won’t shut down or restart
Serves up a lot of pop-up ads, or displays them when you’re not surfing the web
Displays web pages or programs you didn’t intend to use, or sends emails you didn’t write.

Firewalls

A firewall helps keep hackers from using your computer to send out your personal information without your permission. While anti-virus software scans incoming email and files, a firewall is like a guard, watching for outside attempts to access your system and blocking communications to and from sources you don’t permit.

Don’t Let Your Computer Become Part of a “BotNet”

Some spammers search the internet for unprotected computers they can control and use anonymously to send spam, turning them into a robot network, known as a “botnet.” Also known as a “zombie army,” a botnet is made up of many thousands of home computers sending emails by the millions. Most spam is sent remotely this way; millions of home computers are part of botnets.

Spammers scan the internet to find computers that aren’t protected by security software, and then install bad software – known as “malware” – through those “open doors.” That’s one reason why up-to-date security software is critical.

Malware may be hidden in free software applications. It can be appealing to download free software like games, file-sharing programs, customized toolbars, and the like. But sometimes just visiting a website or downloading files may cause a “drive-by download,” which could turn your computer into a “bot.”
Another way spammers take over your computer is by sending you an email with attachments, links or images which, if you click on or open them, install hidden software. Be cautious about opening any attachments or downloading files from emails you receive. Don’t open an email attachment — even if it looks like it’s from a friend or coworker — unless you are expecting it or know what it contains. If you send an email with an attached file, include a text message explaining what it is.

4. Keep your operating system and Web browser up-to-date, and learn about their security features.

Hackers also take advantage of Web browsers (like Firefox or Internet Explorer) and operating system software (like Windows or Mac’s OS) that don’t have the latest security updates. Operating system companies issue security patches for flaws that they find in their systems, so it’s important to set your operating system and Web browser software to download and install security patches automatically.

In addition, you can increase your online security by changing the built-in security and privacy settings in your operating system or browser. Check the “Tools” or “Options” menus to learn how to upgrade from the default settings. Use your “Help” function for more information about your choices.

If you’re not using your computer for an extended period, disconnect it from the internet. When it’s disconnected, the computer doesn’t send or receive information from the internet and isn’t vulnerable to hackers.

5. Protect your passwords.


Keep your passwords in a secure place, and out of plain sight. Don’t share them on the internet, over email, or on the phone. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) should never ask for your password.
In addition, hackers may try to figure out your passwords to gain access to your computer. To make it tougher for them:
Use passwords that have at least eight characters and include numbers or symbols. The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack. A 12-character password is stronger than one with eight characters.
Avoid common words: some hackers use programs that can try every word in the dictionary.
Don’t use your personal information, your login name, or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords.
Change your passwords regularly (at a minimum, every 90 days).
Don’t use the same password for each online account you access.

6. Back up important files.

If you follow these tips, you’re more likely to be free of interference from hackers, viruses, and spammers. But no system is completely secure. If you have important files stored on your computer, copy them onto a removable disc or an external hard drive, and store it in a safe place.

7. Learn what to do in an e-mergency.

If you suspect malware is lurking on your computer, stop shopping, banking, and other online activities that involve user names, passwords, or other sensitive information. Malware could be sending your personal information to identity thieves.

Confirm that your security software is up-to-date, then use it to scan your computer. Delete everything the program identifies as a problem. You may have to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
If the problem persists after you exhaust your ability to diagnose and treat it, you might want to call for professional help. If your computer is covered by a warranty that offers free tech support, contact the manufacturer. Before you call, write down the model and serial number of your computer, the name of any software you’ve installed, and a short description of the problem. Your notes will help you give an accurate description to the technician.

If you need professional help, if your machine isn’t covered by a warranty, or if your security software isn’t doing the job properly, you may need to pay for technical support. Many companies — including some affiliated with retail stores — offer tech support via the phone, online, at their store, or in your home. Telephone or online help generally are the least expensive ways to access support services — especially if there’s a toll-free helpline — but you may have to do some of the work yourself. Taking your computer to a store usually is less expensive than hiring a technician or repair person to come into your home.
Once your computer is back up and running, think about how malware could have been downloaded to your machine, and what you could do to avoid it in the future.

Also, talk about safe computing with anyone else who uses the computer. Tell them that some online activity can put a computer at risk, and share the seven practices for safer computing.

Social media Google Search results have changed in a few slight but interesting ways. For example, social search results will now be mixed throughout your results based on their relevance (in the past they only appeared at the bottom)

SEO experts and Social media marketing professionals alike are very happy to see that Google is now making the Social Search more comprehensive by adding notes for links people have shared on Twitter and other sites. Now, if someone you’re connected to has publicly shared a link, it will show that link in your results with a clear annotation.

A Social Search engine optimisation agency can spend lots of time understanding the details and complexity of how social and other search algorithms work which is why born 4 digital, an SEO agency based in Bournemouth, Dorset is dedicated to get the news to our clients so they can understand how to get the best use of SEO for successful results and powerful website promotion.

This social search video that Google put together might help you understand a few things you might not hae known about social media, social networking and SEO.

If SEO is something you would like to implement you would like to talk to someone about the kind of results you could achieve with a dedicated website promotion agency in Bournemouth Dorset. Then please contact us for a free SEO consultation today.

Happy April fools day!

1. Making the little things difficult for your customer. If you use a shopping cart, check if the post/zip code request appears before the city and area on the order form. Most carts don’t do this. Why is this important? Because if ordering is not easy, I mean real easy, for your buyers, they drop out in the process. Ordering should be as effortless as possible for the purchaser.

If the post/zip code is before the city and area and is set to drop their city and area into the next two fields automatically, it saves the purchaser’s time. Believe it or not, this one “little” item is memorised and they will remember the experience in the future. Did you know that 60% of buyers opt-out and don’t complete the transaction because of the little things? Yes thats right 60%

2. Trying to sell the wrong product online. Not all products will sell successfully on the Internet. Inexpensive products that require a shipping charge are typically not worth selling, particularly if they can be easily purchased in most local stores. Other products, such as specialized high-end clothing, may be more difficult to sell because people prefer to try them on. Research how other e-commerce sites have fared with similar products and what tactics that have used to entice shoppers into ordering online.

3. No customer feedback on error handling. When designing an e-commerce site you will have many, many web pages with different products, all this leads to a high chance of you having an error if you remove or edit a product in your online store. Many individuals forget to set up the “error page” on their web site. Do not leave that to chance. Ask them questions on the error page so that you will know what occurred. Example: “Tell me how you saw this page please.” Add your e-mail address. Hyperlink the address and spell out the full address for those with different browsers. Make it easy for individuals to identify any errors on your web site so you can fix them quickly.

If you think that will never happen to you and that you have checked your links repeatedly, your wrong, it can still happen. Software has glitches and they happen to be the best of the best. In addition, an error page is a worthy place to add other hyperlinked navigational bars (a list of the main areas of your web site).

4. Inadequate security features. One of the biggest threats to small businesses is the risk of security issues such as credit card issues. You would need to learn how to deal with these security issues from time to time. This is one of the reasons that you will have to stay in touch with tomorrow’s technology today so that the information that is entrusted to you is kept safe and confidential.

5. Inadequate website usability. The concept of your website should be clear and useful to your audience. This will be reflected on the website by offering information that is related to your business. In short if your site is not doing the job that it was designed for than it is basically useless to the customer. Good usability on any website is where the user intuitively knows how to navigate through the website and knows what to expect while navigating through the e-commerce site.

6. Unclear terminology and language. Don’t beat around the bush with your visitors. Make your message so clear that even a ten year old will understand it. Make the language conversational – easy English.

7. Missing Search and Landing pages. If you dont have search functionality on your ecommerce website then get it! Making it easy for your visitors to find the information they want quickly will increase your onlines sales . Here is a tip that has enormous return, and is somewhat of an insider e-commerce secret. When somebody searches for something and it is not found, set up a default-selling page of other items and products related to the search within your site. When someone has searched and found a product through one of the main search engines then make sure your landing page for that product has been set-up so the customer lands on exactly what they were searching for.

8 A poorly designed Web site. In their haste to get online quickly and start selling, too many e-commerce novices do not display their wares well. Many would-be Web designers crowd their sites with too much information or cram too many items on a single page. A professional-looking site that features a dozen items with clear photos and descriptions is more effective than one that includes 50 sales items all bunched together. Also, be wary of too much color, Flash animation, or graphics that can slow downloads.

One thought that should be kept in mind that every website is only a click away from the enormous competitions available out there. If your website faces poor design than it will fail in the first part of the test. Your online presence will be judged on the basis of your design. Let’s face some facts we would not want to buy goods or services from a website that is poorly designed. Your website should be professionally designed and should have the latest technologies to keep you abreast with the current technologies.

Your website should make it easy for your visitors to find matter that you would like to find over the net. One way of doing this is to make sure that your navigational menus link everything that you have on your site. You can also do this by showing the articles that interest your readers on the home page. To cite one very good example would be the MSN.com page. They literally have millions of articles; the home page reflects the articles that would interest you.

If you want a little extra help or you would like to talk us about your e-commerce experiences or need an estimate for a new e-commerce website, then please contact us for a free consultation and estimate to help you realise the true potential of online sales with ecommerce website design.