Text vs Graphical Content, and how it can effect your Website

Lets face it, humans by nature are graphic focused creatures.  Bright colors and big logos draw our attention all the time. With brands, this is not really a bad thing, but with a Website going graphic heavy can actually do more harm than good.

Image files, in the modern age tend to take up more megabytes of the stream of data that is downloaded to the users device.  On slower speed desktops the time it takes for a Website to fully load can make or break connecting with potential clients. On Mobile devices it becomes even more important, as bytes downloaded = data plan fees.

There is actually a couple secondary concerns that speak to the benefits of using text, which can be styled through Cascading Style Sheets, over relying on graphical reliance.

Firstly, there is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. SEO is the protocols that services like Google, Yahoo and Bing use to return results when a user searches.  This is done through the scraping of textual details, in both the Metadata and content of a Website.

Photos and graphics can return some information that helps with SEO, through things like proper use of the alternative tag when placing a image file (alt="filename"), but its not the primary way a site gets ranked.

Secondly, the World Wide Web is , as the name implies, a global playground. That means, not everyone who visits your Website might actually read the language your content was created in.  This creates a major linguistics issue if you have displayed your content in pre-formatted graphic files, as servers like Google Translate can not rewrite a picture.

For example, lets say you own a small Bed n Breakfast in Vancouver BC, a city that can and does get plenty of international tourist traffic.  With text base content, your website can be presented in almost any language that is globally spoken, but if your words are formatted into the photos, you have failed to bridge the language gap.

Traveling with Technology, Tips to simplify prep and avoid the luggage restrictions en route

Technology has become a staple of our modern Digital World. From the Smartphone in our pocket to the Tablet that is slipped into the carry on , they keep us connected on the go.

Like all things that can be good, there is of course elements of bad created by Technology when it comes to travel, I thought I would take a moment with this entry to cover some suggestions on how to keep organized and stay within the airline restrictions all at the same time.

Tablet / phone stands.
At home, we become creatures of habit. We all have that speaker dock for our phone or the quality stand for our tablet ( in my case I keep a collection of the Griffin A-Frame iPad stand handy for My tablets as they can be very hand when working on multiple screen design projects)

When traveling however those specific stands might not be the best option. take the A-Frame stand that I mentioned before. it's solid aluminum and weights in at  17.9 oz.

Now consider this option instead. go to your local Dollar Store and check out their stock. If you are lucky enough to be in Canada, the Dollarama chain offers up a very handy folding stand that weighs in at a fraction of the A-Frame's heft and at only a $1.00 each won't break the bank.

The next concern is that issue known as cables and chargers.  The best suggestion here again sees us returning to the Dollar Stores, only this time it is to the school supply aisle we go for a soft zippered pencil case.  By picking up one of these and purposing it specifically for the task of travel cables, the savvy traveler can have a set of adaptors and charge cables ready to go in your get away bag almost all the time.

The last item to make sure you have available to you is of course a short cord power bar.  This is important to protect your devices from a possible electrical serge when charging at your destination, and lets face it the hotel room never has enough wall plugs anyway right?

I hope these few tips make for a far more enjoyable set of travels, and less chances of luggage fees, speaking of which, don't forget the portable luggage scale... happy travels

Can We, As a society live without relying on Apps?

Can We, as a society live without relying on apps?

The title of this blog might actually be slightly misleading, as the question should more be asked if we always need apps to access the world we digitally access.

First let us look at some of the pros apps like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus have going for them.  These pros include, but are not limited to

working as a quick home screen shortcut to the service

launching a user interface that is formatted to the smaller screen size of a Smartphone

allowing the breaking out of specific services without launching the full site

Again, as I said, these are all pros, but there are also cons to stand alone apps for each service that a site like Facebook and Google Plus offers in a complete package when one moves from the Smartphone to the Tablet interface.

First, if you look at the modern Mobile Web Browsers, on Android, iOS and Windows one will notice that they all display these sites in a comparable fashion to how Desktop Browsers display them.  An exception being if a Website relies on the dying technology of Adobe Flash.

The second thing one needs to take into account is storage space on a tablet.  Most tablets tend to come in storage sizes ranging between 16 and 128 GB of storage.  Breaking out the services can produce a collection of Apps that each do one thing.  As an example, take a look at Facebook's offering on iOS

Facebook............................. 60.3 MB
Messenger........................... 33.0 MB
Pages Manager................... 42.6 MB
Camera................................18.0 MB
Poke....................................  9.0 MB

That makes for a total of 5 Apps taking up 162.9 MB or a little over 1/10th of a GB , or about the size of two copies of Angry Birds Star Wars.

So, while Apps do have some advantages to them, the question does always need to be asked. Can I do this without taking up the space that stand alone apps take up?

Of feedback and Digital Personality, or "Think of Your Website as a personality"

I am a fan of Professional Wrestling. the way that someone can take a concept and turn it into a entire personality which draws entire crowds of people into your world. A world where your audience is in the palm of your hand.

Over the years  I have been witness to situations where the role a performer takes on just does not connect with the target audience.  So, what does Professional Wrestling do in a situation like that? The answer is simple, they adapt and evolve.

Now I can hear many of the readers saying to yourselves

"What the heck place does Professional Wrestling have in discussion on a Web Designer's blog?"

A valid question, if ever there was on, and the answer is quite simple

If your audience is not connecting with your product, you have lost the battle when it comes to getting onto the radar. A lesson I have realized first hand

Last spring, when I first launched Inertial Zen Designs,. I created a Website, and while it held all the information the customer
would need. Validated as HTML 5 and CSS 3 standard compliant, and yes even tested on mobile a major problem existed.

THE SITE LACKED A CAPTIVATING PERSONALITY!!

When asked their opinion of the website, the responses would include comments like

"it's easy to navigate"

or

"I can find what I'm looking for fast"

Both comments are things a content creator wants to hear. It was the unheard comments that shouted out more useful feedback.  Users did not feel invited to stay on the site, they were not invested in getting to know what Inertial Zen Designs is all about.

So what was the solution to this problem? Extreme Makeover: Website Edition of course. colors softened to make the site more inviting.  My logo got changed from resting on a black background to a Zen like background image that features a Bonsai Tree and a dragon figurine. The image of an Android tablet desktop replaced with an image of a owner and their cat using a tablet.  Information shifted to a streamlined feel, and reworked  to create an easier to read experience .

In short inertialzendesigns.com got a facelift equal to WWE turning Husky Harris into Bray Wyatt.

Never consider your website as a "one and done" project. consider it lime you would a public representation of your company. The user feedback will evolve itto work smarter for you.

But why would I need a Website when I have Facebook anyway?

The topic of this blog is actually a question that comes up quite often when discussing the idea of Designing a Website with Small Business owners, and frankly it's a valid question.  Websites cost more to create, they take more time to maintain and they may not have the same social network viral sharing quality that Facebook has, but there are also some very valid reasons as to why it's a wise move to have both a dedicated Website AND Facebook.

First there is content.  Content is the energy that powers an effective website, but there are times that content can actually risk knocking your entire Facebook page offline and in accessible to your Customers.  For this lets use a Comic Book Shop as an example. 

Lets say our shop has a practice of scanning in the covers of each week's new releases and uploads them to their Facebook page, and we happen to get a controversial cover released for an issue.  If that cover either violates the Facebook Terms of Service or gets enough complaints about being offending, it's quite possible for Facebook to remove the post, suspend the account or even delete the account over all.

Now, if that same edition's cover is on the Shop's stand alone Website, any complaints about it are going to be addressed to the Shop's ownership, who can handle each one personally and deal with their own policy on what is posted on their Webspace.

The next detail that a Business Owner needs to take into account is that Facebook, like all Businesses, is in the business of making a profit. This is done through allowing Businesses to purchase promotion for their Facebook posts.  This causes a two tier post system called Organic and Inorganic Reach.  

Organic Reach is your post's reach just on it's own, and is simply the number of screens your post crosses and is seen in the timelines of without it benefitting from Paid Promotional Status. Inorganic, of course then means the number of people who have seen your post as a "Sponsored Post" or side bar ad.

There has been some problems with this method of promoting one's page, as the video, Titled Facebook Fraud,  linked below goes into detail about

Youtube: Facebook Fraud

Taking all this into account, a Small Business Owner needs to also remember that not everyone has, or wants a Facebook page, but they may still use computers to research out a purchase before hand.   Having a dedicated Website, properly formatted to return results based off location (Done through the use of Meta Data in the HTML Code of the Website) can produce a Site that returns high results in the Google and Bing rankings, without having a person needing to access the Facebook platform first.

I hope this brings some insight into the question of "Why Do I need a Website when I have Facebook?"

Planning a Trip? Technology is your Friend

Over the past few months, I have been tasked with planning for a routine business trip to Vancouver BC. Now normally this trip is about a a week and a half and I have stayed with the existing Grocery Stores and restaurants that have served me well on previous trip.

This trip, however, will actually be much longer in length, and it got me to thinking about options which will allow me to stay with in the budget AND not get a constant feed of the same meals the entire time that I'm away, and this is where Technology came into play.

Armed with the tools of Google Search, Google and Apple Maps and of course Yelp for reviews. I set out to locate a website which would give Me estimates on Taxi Fares in the City, this being very helpful as on average I would like to keep the cost to around $10 each direction.

The next step was to locate a Starbucks, because everyone needs a "Mobile Office" when on the road.  With the Mobile office located, I turned the task to places where I can eat a quick meal at a low price, and of course quickly had the usual suspects of McDonalds, Wendy's and Subway mapped.  From there, I decided to flip over to the Television, where Food network programs (and my trusty old blackberry Playbook) allowed me to find a few local to my location yet off the beaten path places to eat, and of course back to Google Search for Websites and PDF Menus in order to gage prices and hours, along with Yelp for reviews.

The final results of the search so far have proven very effective in creating a spreadsheet in Numbers (for access on the iPhone / iPad when on the go) of locations, distance from where I'm staying and the estimated Fare per direction.

As you can see, Technology has made what could have been a dull trip into something with some adventure.  Well Designed Websites allows a traveler to pre-plan their adventure prior to departure,and can actually bring new customers into your Business from out of town, Customers who will recommend places to their friends, like how I found to search for one Dinner.  Throw in apps for things like your Alarm Clock, navigating the Airport,  managing the budget with a good Spreadsheet software and a Scanner app,  and the traveler is pretty much set

if you are a Traveler What do you use to plan for a trip, any Favorites? If you are a Business, how helpful is Your Web Presence for those outside the City Limits? Leave your comments below

The pros and cons of the Digital Download

This past week, I had the event no computer loves to see happen, a software issue that can only be corrected with, yup you guessed it, the dreaded system reinstall.

While modern technology has made things a lot easier to keep the important details in tact (like not losing the media collection or any important business document...remember people back ups and external storage are your friends), I found myself hitting the tedious task of pulling programs back down from the app store (Apple's Mac App store specifically) and that's actually been a multiple day trek as the connection to the app store has been running painfully slow.

Slow speeds were not the only problem, there is also the wonderful realization that, for what ever reason-afterall we the customers are not given a notice and a chance to get an offline installer- a program gets fully removed from the digital store front.

The pros of a web based App Store make for a very convienient, one stop place to get very useful software, usually in a quick manor, but without the ability to back this type of stuff up offline an App Store can also become a factor of great disapointment when you lose things you like and use with no access.

While the concept of App Stores are clearly here to stay, how do you feel about them, what changes would you like to see made in how a digital storefront works? Please leave your comments.