Web Design Deli News

Web Site Usability

2007-06-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Usability is critical for every web site. If users find your site difficult to use they will leave regardless of how pretty it is or how neat your AJAX application works. Unfortunately, usability often takes a back seat to design and SEO.

Network World has a good interview with Steve Krug about how web 2.0 features impact usability.

More Sites, Less Money

2007-06-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

According to a Actinic survey; web designers are making more and more websites but the drop in prices have resulted in no additional revenue. They suggest one problem for web firms is a lack of efficiency in their design process.

The survey also found an increase in PHP over ASP and Unix over Windows as the preferred platform.

FTC issues Judgement against Netvertise

2007-05-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Netvertise and its owner Elliot Krasnow have been ordered to return return $160,000 to its customers. The company is also banned from selling franchises for web design. According to the judgment Netvertise misrepresented the potential income from its franchises and overstated the value of its software.

Between 2000 and 2005, Netvertise sold franchises for $20,000 to $100,000, and those franchises offered Internet services to small and medium-size businesses. Included in the franchise was SEO software, which the company claimed would create first page results on Google.

But don't worry about Elliot Krasnow. This is already the second time the FTC has ruled against one of his companies for using deceptive practices. He will have his next sham company up in no time.

Is Web 2.0 Causing Bad Design

2007-05-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have long noticed that the rush to make a web 2.0 site is leading to a lot of bad design. More and more sites are slow loading and overly complex. Apparently I am not alone in feeling this way. Designers need to remember that interactive is nice but it shouldn't be used to the detriment of usability.

Saving Energy with Web Design

2007-05-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

The story traveling around the internet is that white screens use more energy to display than black screens. Google changing to a black screen would save 750 megawatt-hours every year.

While this may be true for CRTs, it is not the case for LCD screens. LCDs actually use less power displaying white. As more people move to LCDs, white is the new green.

How Safe is Your Domain Name

2007-03-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

If you were a customer of RegisterFly you are now keenly aware of the problems with the domain registration business. As the company disentegrated from internal management struggles many people were unable to access their domains. Some advice for protecting yourself is:

1. Check the reputations of your prospective registrar.
2. Be careful registering your domain with a hosting company.
3. If you must make your whois information private then use a 3rd party privacy service.
4. Do NOT allow your registrar or hosting company or designer to have any stake in your domain whois records.
5. Make certain your whois information is accurate so you can be contacted should complications arise.

Web Designers and SEO

2006-11-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Many have argued about whether a web designer has the knowledge to do search engine optimization (SEO). I think before you make that decision you should look at their past work. If they are just learning SEO you might be in trouble but I have met some designers who are very competent at SEO. The real question is if they have the time to do the work.

Tom Shivers makes the case that only a specialist can do the job here.

HHS Announces Updated Usability Guidelines

2006-11-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Health and Human Services has issued updated usability guidlines for websites. These guidelines are intended to provide users with disabilities access to the same information that is available to other users.

Read all the guidelines here(beware it is a large pdf).

Web Design: What Fonts to Use?

2006-10-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

it’s difficult not to get bored by using the same old fonts day in and day out with every new – or not so new – web design. After all, web design is a creative job, but how can we let our creativity flow when we’re being held back by font restrictions. Worry no longer, there is something that you can do about the font that you use.

Read more.

Seven Things You Need to Know About AJAX

2006-10-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's been approximately 18 months since Jesse James Garrett fatefully coined the term that would go on to nearly reinvent the face of Web development. A lot has happened in the last year and a half, including the Web 2.0 phenomenon getting into high gear, the creation or resurrection of many a company building or using rich Internet technologies, and the proliferation of really great dynamic, online software.

Read More.

Web Design Deli Launches New Website

2006-10-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

Today Web Design Deli announced the launch of their new website at www.webdesigndeli.com. The website connects businesses looking for local web design and Internet marketing firms.

Web Design Deli is the brainchild of Melinda Powelson. Prior to starting Web Design Deli, Powelson formed and operated a successful web design firm in Denver. An expert in Internet marketing and development, Powelson struggled to balance the job of generating enough qualified leads to grow her business and doing the work she loved.

"I enjoy working on web projects but I was spending most of my days prospecting for new customers," says Powelson. "I knew that I was not the only one facing this challenge."

Many businesses would like to use a local design firm but find it difficult to locate one. Search engines were designed to help people find information and are less effective when it comes to geographic searches. To make up for the shortcomings of the search engine, large firms buy advertising to make sure they show up in the search results.

The problem for local firms is how to compete with large firms for the coveted top positions. The result is local web design firms are pushed off the first pages. The continuing rise of online advertising was a key factor in the Powelson's decision to create Web Design Deli.

Web Design Deli is a network of quality, local web designers. Using a single lead-generation website allows them to pool their online budgets and compete head to head with the largest development firms. Local designers receive the contact information of the business looking for service.

The benefit for business is the ease of finding the right, qualified developer. Each request returns quotes from up to 4 firms. With multiple quotes they are not just getting a local designer but the right designer for their project.

Web Design Deli offers vendors who specialize in web design, web development, e-commerce, content management systems, search engine optimization, PHP programming and ASP.Net programming.

Web Design Deli Launches

2006-10-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

Web Design Deli Launches

2006-10-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Google has trouble recruiting middle managers, Javascript programmers

2006-10-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

There may be more than a billion people in India, but even an Internet superstar like Google Inc. has trouble recruiting talented locals in its South Asian operations, a board member said Tuesday.

In particular, the venture capitalist cited a shortage of Web development skills such as knowledge of Javascript and Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), the Web design technology used in the latest generation of Web sites like Google Maps and Flickr. Middle managers also are in short-supply, he said.

Read more.

Perhaps Google could try using some home grown talent. There is plenty of coding talent in the United States but Google won't call because we won't work for pennies on the dollar.

Local Search Led By Google and Yahoo!

2006-09-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

According to comScore, Google and Yahoo! are the leaders in local search. ComScore defines a local search as: "searches conducted by consumers on the local or directory (Yellow Pages) sections of leading search sites, and other searches identified as having local intent."

The numbers aren't suprising but based on how poor search engines local results are it is amazing that customers keep coming back. This speaks to the power of the Google and Yahoo! brand when it comes to searching on the internet.

Share of Local Searches by Site
July 2006
Total U.S. Home, Work and University Locations
Source: comScore qSearch

Total Local Searches
Total Internet Population 100%
Google Sites 29.8%
Yahoo! Sites 29.2%
Microsoft Sites 12.3%
Time Warner Network 7.1%
Verizon Communications 6.6%
YellowPages.com 3.9%
Ask Network 2.7%
Local.com 1.9%
InfoSpace Network 1.9%
DexOnline.com 1.4%
All Other 3.2%

New Microsoft Web Design Tool in Beta

2006-09-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has released the first beta of its new Web design tool that will compete with Adobe Dreamweaver. The program is part of Microsoft's forthcoming Expression lineup, which also includes a graphical design tool and an interface designer.

Expression Web Beta 1 is the second public preview of the tool following a Community Technology Preview issued in May. Features of the application include the ability to build sophisticated CSS-based layouts, standards compliance and built-in support for ASP.NET 2.0 server technology.