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All Posts In: Web Development
Elements Every Business Website Should Have
Posted: Thursday February 9, 2012 • Category: Web Development
Mashable posted this article today about the 10 most important features your business website should contain. Many, if not all of these items seem like no-brainers, but you’d be surprised how many businesses’ websites are lacking the basics. To summarize Mashable:
1. Your website should be user-friendly and very easy to navigate. A clear navigation bar with logical names for your website’s various pages will help with this.
Back To TopThe Death of IE6
Posted: Thursday December 15, 2011 • Category: Web Development
Attention Internet Explorer 6 users (what’s left of you anyways)! As of January, you will no longer be able to use Internet Explorer 6…and you don’t have a choice. Microsoft has announced that they have begun an official countdown to the death of IE6 that will force all IE6 users to upgrade to a more up-to-date browser this coming January. What does this mean for you? According to CNET, “Windows XP users on Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7 will be upgraded to version 8, and Windows Vista users will be pushed up the stairs to Internet Explorer 9. IE9 doesn't work on Windows XP.” As websites and browsing become increasingly savvy, IE6 has trouble supporting these new technologies. Between that and the numerous security issues prevalent in the older browsers, Microsoft has put its figurative foot down and will require all IE6 users to upgrade, an unprecedented move for a company that doesn’t market their browser updates heavily. Interestingly, “less than 1 percent of northern Europe uses IE6, but more than 23.6 percent of China does, and worldwide percentage stands at around 8.3 percent,” so this will only affect a small minority of Internet users. Luckily, Microsoft plans to make this transition as seamless as possible for those affected. Read the entire CNET article here.
Robmark Interactive Launches Website for SEC-AAAE Annual Conference
Posted: Friday September 23, 2011 • Category: Web Development
Robmark Interactive was recently hired to create a website and logo for the SEC-AAAE Annual Conference by the Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport. The website allows attendees to register and pay for the conference online as well as connects the visitors directly to the hotel group booking page. RMI also created a sponsorship portal for groups that would like to help sponsor the event. They can view what convention areas are in need of sponsors as well as vendor opportunities and booth availability. The site was also built to showcase the attractiveness of downtown Savannah as a destination city for attendees traveling from out of town. It’s always nice to hear positive feedback from our clients about the work we’ve done, and this website has brought especially high praise. In fact, the hosts of the next conference have already informed the Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport that this website has raised the bar for future conference websites. Check out a screenshot below!
Getting the Most Out of E-Commerce
Posted: Wednesday August 3, 2011 • Category: Web Development
As website developers, one of the most important aspects we keep in mind when creating a website is designing to our audience. We believe in putting ourselves in the place of a person using our clients’ sites and considering what they would want to see on the site as a potential customer. This is especially important for those who have e-commerce on their websites as your website is a source of revenue, and sometimes, it’s the only source of revenue. Which is why the e-commerce experience should be the best it can be for your customers so that they’ll be repeat customers, and why this article on increasing e-commerce conversions with easy enhancements is a must-read. The article breaks down aesthetic elements, such as adding a “Check Out Now” button or removing any distracting buttons and links that aren’t relevant to the buying process, as well as the usability aspects, such as not requiring your customers to create an account and pre-populating fields with user information you already know. The bottom line is creating a system that is simple, engaging, user-friendly and doesn’t feel like a complete invasion of your customers’ privacy. You’ll be surprised at the return you see just by making a few tweaks.
SEO Homogenizing Creative Writing?
Posted: Tuesday May 17, 2011 • Category: Web Development
We ran across a pretty interesting article today that was worth sharing, as it’s becoming more and more of an issue. Due to the increased need for everything to have an online presence, it appears that search engine optimization is limiting creative writing. Whether it’s headlines or body copy, it’s essential to use a substantial amount of keywords that directly relate to what the article/copy is talking about so that Google and other search engines will recognize it. Which begs the question: are the days of witty, pun-filled headlines that draw you in and intrigue you enough to make you want to read further gone? Are we moving towards a “what you see is what you get” approach when it comes to copywriting? In any case, it is clear that copywriters, bloggers and journalists have been presented with the immense challenge to find the proper balance between creative and SEO-friendly. In fact, we think it’s safe to say that we’re going to need to be even more creative to accomplish this. What’s your take?