There’s a lot of confusion out there about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), so this post will scratch the surface of what can be a deep and complex topic. Note: Search engine practices change as often as Google updates. So note the date of this post; if you’re reading it years from now, double-check before...
Free Web Site Advice
Email Blacklists (or, the ripple effect of Spam)
When using a commercial Web host, your naughty neighbors can get you in trouble, too… Today I drafted a few designs for a client of mine, and e-mailed her a link to the JPG files that I’d posted to her new Web hosting space. Since we haven’t changed her domain name yet, I used...
What Happened to the Webmaster? (And other misleading titles)
Someone asked me the other day if I was a “Webmaster.” Ah, the flood of memories that invoked. Way back when I started working on the “Information Superhighway” (circa 1994, or as archaeologists might one day refer to it, “the Netscape Era”), the term Webmaster was in common use. At first it referred to...
PayPal vs. Other Payment Systems
PayPal’s basic ecommerce system allows vendors to sell online with very little setup, and with a decent fee schedule. Which raises the question: why would anyone use a traditional ecommerce system? First,...
Where Am I, What Can I Do Here?
One of the biggest problems I see with Web sites has to do with user orientation. A business owner designing his site already knows what his business is and how the site is laid out — so he neglects to provide the most basic of information: where am I, and what can I do...
Who Says a Web Site Has to Be a Pyramid? (Part Two)
If you haven’t already done so, you might read Part One of this topic. As we’ve seen, the pyramid site model might be a good place to start, but it breaks down pretty fast. Some other circumstances in which the traditional pyramid doesn’t work: Syndicated content: advanced Web content tools (such as this blog)...
Who Says a Web Site Has to Be a Pyramid? (Part One)
Traditional Web site organization is like a pyramid: the Home Page is the top point of entry, and the Home Page links to the next level down (main category navigation), and each main category page links to the next level down, and so on depending on how deep the site is. And the granularity...
The Lost Art of Speling
Spelling isn’t easy, especially when you’re working at large type sizes. (Or, when you’re in a hurry.) Over the years, we’ve seen some surprising mistakes in public places. Enjoy, or be sad. http://www.goodtimes-la.com/typo/...
Announcing: Web 101 For Business Series
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be presenting my “Web 101 for Business” seminar six times in 2006. After presenting the first seminar last month and stepping in as a last-minute presenter for a program in Burbank, I think it’s safe to say the program’s a hit. If you’re a small business owner or...
Everyone Will Love This Post
Here’s some writing advice: avoid using superlatives in a row. It makes you look bad, and casts doubt on other statements you make. I just read the following from a respected (until now) agency: “Everybody in attendance loved the day, making it one of our most successful events.” Really… everyone? And they all loved...