1. HTML5 vs. Flash – Waste of an Argument?

    February 17, 2012

    As the iPad gained popularity and Steve Job’s resistance to Flash stayed the course, the issue became “If not Flash, then what?” which prompted plenty of heated arguments over the merits of each technology. Sure, Flash requires a separate download, Flash has security issues, on and on… But is HTML5 robust enough to take on the king of web animation? Not yet.

    Choosing The Best Technology

    Instead of arguing over which technology will ultimately win the war, I’d rather focus on choosing the right one for a given project. Sure, HTML5 is new and has a long way to go before it catches up with Flash, but the future is promising thanks to aggressive developer efforts. Plus, HTML5 offers some things that Flash does not, and it is an open language – not a proprietary technology whose future is determined by a big company. So, How do you know which is right for your project?

    HTML5 Compatibility

    The main hurdle we face today with HTML5 is browser compatibility. Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari all have varying levels of support, while IE trails far behind. Add to that the fact that Internet Explorer does not have an aggressive upgrade approach like Firefox, which (constantly) prompts it’s users to upgrade with each new release. IE is also widely used in the corporate world, where a browser update can mean broken intranets, web applications and other related mayhem, so full compatibility is still a couple of years away at the earliest.

    Breaking Down the Issues

    A recent project inquiry prompted me to face the HTML5/Flash topic head on. If you take some of the big issues with each technology and break them down, you can narrow your choices down quite easily. Does the content need to display on iPad or iPhone? Use HTML5. Is SEO a concern? Use HTML5. Sure, there are some workarounds for SEO in Flash, but let’s not get too far off. Is the animation and multimedia very complex? Use Flash. Sorry HTML5 aficionados, but HTML5 just isn’t there yet. Not even close really. No doubt this will change over time, with the HTML5 language gaining traction quickly.

    For Now, Use Either As Needed

    Flash isn’t going away any time soon, and still reigns supreme for complex animations and interactivity…just not on iPads or iPhones! There’s always Apple’s XCode if you need a rich graphic/multimedia app for those platforms, but for the web we are ‘stuck’ with HTML5. I say pick the one that works best for the job and worry about the battle between technologies another day! I’m off to learn some more HTML5 coding…

    posted in: Web ApplicationsTags: , , , | | Comments (0)

  2. Web Applications: Development Beyond Contact Forms

    January 31, 2012

    web apps for business

    Whether it’s a corporate intranet or public-facing website, businesses often under-utilize the power of the web. Once their site is up and running with the bare-necessities, they usually leave it untouched for months or even years, much to the detriment of the site itself. Going beyond the basic ‘About Us’ and ‘Contact’ pages can make a site more engaging for visitors and more productive for a company and it’s employees.

    web apps for business

    What is Possible With Web Apps?

    From the most basic contact form to elaborate accounting systems, today’s web application architectures can support complex programming and database functionality, making modern web applications behave similarly to desktop apps like Word or Excel. Job applications, banking services, appointment setting apps and more can be built to live right on a web server, available to users with no installation or complicated software update processes. Web apps can also be designed for compatibility with any type of computer, be it PC or Mac. Why limit your users based on the hardware they choose?

    Adapting Desktop Applications to Web Apps

    On a past project, I was tasked with translating an existing support desk ticket system to a web-based application. The existing program needed to be installed on each user’s PC, requiring valuable support time from the help desk, as well as compatibility troubleshooting for each new operating system change that occurred, making the desktop app more trouble than it was worth. Moving to a web-based system meant that software updates could be done once on the server and would be instantly ‘rolled out’ to all users. In addition, users could access the program from any computer with internet access, whether it was from home via a VPN (virtual private network) or via the corporate office computers.

    Security For Web Apps

    A well-designed application can utilize the same security technology as your bank or a government website, with the proper security measures built-in to ensure the data is safe from hackers or other prying eyes. Secure logins and encrypted data transfers make sure the database and user info are protected from attacks, while giving full access to the app’s users where needed. Modern browsers support these technologies better than ever before, making them a solid platform for secure web-based business software.

    Informing Business Owners of the Options Available

    As mentioned before, most sites stop at the basic static pages, never taking advantage of the myriad web application possibilities available. A web project manager or developer should help the company identify processes that could benefit from a software solution. Many day-to-day functions could be streamlined to save hundreds or thousands of man-hours, thus saving the company money. Private intranet sites and internal applications are more and more common these days for large companies, but can also be utilized by small businesses trying to cut down on costs by reducing tedious jobs or recurring tasks that would be well-suited to a web app. Some Examples are: appointment setting programs, calendar apps, order taking apps, custom contact or information request forms, accounting software, or employee scheduling apps. Mobile web applications are another entirely new frontier, offering portable functionality with the same access as desktop apps with a simple, mobile-friendly interface. The possibilities are truly endless, and in many cases the app itself can help to generate new business, by engaging the customer in new ways.

    Leverage the Web’s Power and Reap the Rewards

    On your next web project, think beyond the same old static content and find some ways to incorporate web software solutions that help increase your productivity. Chances are there are existing business processes that would be well-suited to a browser-based program, or new creative solutions that could be introduced that will enhance the business and save valuable employee time.

    Contact Jgm3 today for a free web app consultation

    posted in: Web ApplicationsTags: , , , , | | Comments (0)

  3. SOPA Makes Red Very Sad

    January 19, 2012

    Internet Marketing Director Red - Very sad about SOPA/PIPA

    In a (misguided) attempt to thwart online piracy, our friends on the Hill have come up with a frighteningly overreaching bill that will give content providers and their legal eagles far too much control over what goes on the web. I don’t need to explain the whole bill – you can read all about it here. I just want to pile on the opposition to it.

    SOPA + PIPA = Slippery Slope?

    If this bill passes, the legal fiasco(s) that will ensue will be such a mess that the internet as we know it will slide into the abyss of censorship, financial warfare and corporate control. In other words, once things start sliding down the slope, the mess will be far-reaching and can’t help but hurt us in ways that don’t really help the situation they are ‘trying’ to fix (piracy/intellectual property rights,etc…)

    They Just Haven’t Caught Up Yet

    Even With all of the intellectual firepower at hand on this globe of ours, the entertainment industry just has not been able to figure out a way to protect their goodies, which has created a divide in the world of finance and the world of entertainment. There’s an ‘old guard’ and a new one, which boils down to one side has embraced the new economy and ‘gets it’, while the other side is so bogged down in the old ways and their corporate minutia, they can’t get a foothold on this new system. So what do they do? Of course, create ridiculous legal spiderwebs to catch and sue the violators…which will affect us all in the end.

    Don’t support it, tell your rep you hate SOPA/PIPA and tell your friends who don’t know about it. Awareness is an amazing tool when used correctly.

    posted in: InternetTags: , , , | | Comments (0)

  4. Choosing Good Keywords For Your Site

    January 12, 2012

    selecting good keywords

    Gone are the days of randomly guessing what terms people will search for on the web. These days competition is heavy to get on top of the search engines, and the only way to compete is to know your stuff. Instead of picking terms out of thin air and peppering your site with useless phrases you ‘think’ will get you found, there are some much more strategic ways to approach the issue.

    Don’t Guess Which Phrases Will Rank Highly

    Let’s say your business is Auto Glass & Windshield Repair. Certainly you can fill your site with the terms related to ‘Auto Glass’ and ‘Windshield Repair’, which are obvious terms, and also high-competition terms. Some people might just search for ‘chip repair’ or ‘cracked windshield repair’, along with the city or county name where they are located. Google has become pretty specific in how it handles phrases and the order of words within them, to the point where getting the right combination of terms can be the difference between page 1 and page 2 of the search results.

    Keyword Tools Focus Your Efforts

    There are tools we use to discover the appropriate terms and variations on them which will bring the most traffic. Google even provides it’s own keyword tool which takes some learning to really use properly, but provides valuable insight into what phrases people are really using. The info can be interpreted in many ways, so it is definitely a good idea to have an expert assist or take the time to study the ins & outs of the system. (I can recommend just such an expert!)

    SEO Campaigns Take Time

    Business owners want to see results fast – any business expense should have tangible ROI that returns real results in a reasonable amount of time. Instead of randomly choosing search terms and hoping your site will jump to the top of Google, it pays (pun intended) to learn the ropes or hire an expert to do the legwork when it comes to keyword research and implementation. Even with the right keywords, there are other factors to consider, such as avoiding ‘spammy’ usage of terms, ‘keyword stuffing’ which flags Google that you’re gaming the system, etc… Many neophite SEO consultants will jump in a little too heavy, going overboard with adding keywords in ways that can actually hurt the site’s ranking. Dirty SEO tricks are no longer tolerated by search engines…they are getting too smart to be fooled easily!

    Keep things Fresh

    Once you have established good SEO habits and have some targeted phrases, be sure to keep them updated – don’t think you can ‘set and forget’ with web content. The search engines are smart enough to know when your content has changed, and they give more importance to new content in most cases. There is plenty of voodoo involved as to how this really works, and is a subject for another article…but for now, just remember to keep things from getting stale – the competition may just be a little bit fresher!

    Contact Jgm3 today for a free SEO consultation

    posted in: SEOTags: , , , , , | | Comments (0)

  5. Sketchy Ideas Are Good

    December 20, 2011

    Sketchbooks make better thinkers
    Remember when you were a kid and you drew all over everything? Walls, furniture, people, pets…Well, just because it isn’t cool to cover the walls in permanent marker anymore doesn’t mean you should abandon your art career altogether. Even if nobody ever sees your ‘masterpieces’, the practice can keep your eyes and design skills sharp, as well as record those bright ideas when they hit.

    Have Sketchbook, Will Travel

    Buy yourself a sketchpad and a couple of pencils or pens…whatever is your medium of choice, and keep them in the car or next to your desk – and get in the habit of using them! Sure, there are millions of apps and note-taking devices for your phone, laptop, iPad, etc…but there is something visceral about the act of scraping a pen across paper that makes it more fun. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but for me, writing and drawing will never be replaced by voice recorders or tablets and other digital doodling devices. They even have pens that record audio…talk about redundant technology! The simple sketchbook will go anywhere, travel well and doesn’t require batteries. You don’t even have to turn it off on a plane.

    What if I Suck At Drawing?

    Most kids love to draw—that is why crayons are marketed to them—they have no inhibitions about drawing or painting and just dive into it, without fear. Adults can learn a lot from this, as we tend to ‘grow out’ of art, which is a shame. There are hardly any efforts made to market the practice of art to adults, and when asked to draw something most adults just shy away “Oh I can’t draw at all!” There are plenty of great drawing books on the subject, which are targeted specifically at people who left drawing behind in their younger days, or stopped at lollipop trees and stick figures.

    All in the Eyes

    If there is any one ‘secret’ to sketching or drawing well, it’s the fact that the skill is more about ‘seeing’, not penmanship. It has been said that if you can write your name neatly, you probably have the technical skill to draw. It has to do with how you observe shapes and spatial relationships, as well as light and dark values. Other than that, it’s practice. Learning ‘How to see’ is the real secret. And it won’t just help your sketching ability—it can make you a better conceptual thinker, designer, and generally more creative. How? Because the act of drawing engages the senses in a way that most people don’t experience in day-to-day life. It forces us to think in dimensional, spatial, aesthetic ways—concepts that have been shelved for most adults, but usually nurtured in children.

    Just Let It Fly

    So grab a sketchbook and a scribbling device and see what happens! Most importantly, don’t be self-conscious or timid about what you create – just let it fly and have fun with it.

    posted in: GraphicsTags: , , , , | | Comments (0)

  6. Small Business Website Design and Credibility

    October 27, 2011

    In today's increasingly computer-centric world, many businesses are discovered online first, brick and mortar second. The customer's first impression often comes from how nice a website looks, not how the actual store looks. While this is certainly a new frontier for most business owners, it should definitely be something that is embraced, not ignored.

    The Online Gauge of Trust


    When a potential customer first visits a site, they start with a clean slate of trust—a clear, unclouded opinion of this world they have just entered. As they take in the information and graphic treatments that make up a site, they judge the site's credibility by the presentation of info, imagery, and general usability. If the site is for a photography business and the photo work is second rate, the visitor is immediately going to lose some of that trust. Likewise if the site is for a copywriter and there are misspellings or bad grammar on the site, there is an instant drop in that gauge of credibility. And all it takes is one tiny slip!

    Watch Those Pixels!

    The human eye has an incredible ability to detect spatial alignment. Even the tiniest inconsistencies in typography, graphic elements, or form elements will be noticed by the observant web surfer. Setting proper CSS margins, padding, floats, and line heights are crucial for a designer, not just because it ‘looks pretty’, but because when things are not well styled, the business takes the hit, not the designer.

    As I mentioned, a site visitor shows up with an unbiased opinion of the business behind the site—after a bit of clicking around, how much of that opinion is still positive? How many times did they think “Hmmm…that looks a little Off…”
    Each little moment of “hmmmm…” is a ding for the business.

    form field and buttonWhat's wrong with this form submit button? Even a quick glance and you can see that the 'Password' label is too high in relation to the field, the 'sign up' text is too far down within the button's border, and the button itself is not lined up with the password field above. In other words, a big mess! And that is only subtle alignment issues. Poor grammar and misspelled words look even worse, lowering that gauge quickly.

    Spending the extra time it takes to polish up every piece of type, layout, or imagery on a website can mean the difference between new customers and lost ones. Don't let tiny pixels make a giant dent in your bottom line!

    posted in: Web DesignTags: , , , , | | Comments (0)