We all use smartphones to view websites differently than we do on our desktop or even laptop computers. Mobile browsers are used for shorter, more targeted browsing. When we’re away and have a few moments of wait time, we pull out our smartphone and check a website (or app, or game!).

When mobile browsing, we are looking for what’s new, to find directions or a phone number, or to catch a quick (meaning short!) read that we’ve been meaning to get to, or to link with something that catches our eye, i.e., specific to one’s location. Been meaning to buy a product? Want to register for that event? Need to pay that invoice? All can easily be done by a visitor accessing your website via their smartphone.

easy to read and navigate

Mobile devices have constraints different from desktop/laptop browsing. Smartphones, due to their much smaller size and cellular network, have a lesser rate of data throughput (bandwidth); they just don’t download pages as quickly. Obviously they have a smaller screen size.

Well-designed sites show well on mobile browsers. Mobile-designed sites go a step further to present the information in a way that displays even better on the mobile screen, and may not present all of the pages, large images, or the entire information presented on the ‘normal’ site. Typically mobile pages are presented in a one-column format rather than a typical two- or three-column design. Navigation is also treated differently for easier clicking.

ActiveCanvas builds mobile sites using the same content as the conventional site (so there’s no duplication) and without adding a lot of code that needs to be downloaded (so there’s not extra download time). The mobile sites are responsive to the needs of mobile users, and any extra code stays on the server- not on the mobile device.

Got your smartphone handy? Check out our site (www.activecanvas.com) on your mobile browser. Let us know what you think, and let us know what smartphone you are using.

Professionals and small businesses typically do not have the luxury of an IT department to support their information infrastructure. Yet their business information (email, contacts, and calendar) is critical to the success – not to mention viability – of their business. To add to the complexity and vulnerability of a small business, we have not just office desktop computers but also laptops, notebooks, iPads, and smartphones all of which we use to keep us in contact with our lifeblood- our customers and business relationships.

A hosted exchange is a cloud-based service, which means that it can be accessed 24×7 from any of our connected devices; all that is required is an Internet connection and an account. It allows one to access all their business information on any of their connected devices. Multiple email accounts, contacts, and calendar. Sounds easy- sign me up!

Set-up is the hard part – getting them all connected seamlessly takes a knowledgeable professional. However once a system is set-up and properly working, it provides good reliable service including back-ups to protect your mission-critical data.

Recently we helped a client configure multiple email addresses, several hundred contacts and calendar to a desktop, smartphone, and laptop. Another client reports that his system is ‘a thousand times better than before’; we helped him configure a single email address, 1700 contacts and his business calendar simultaneously to his office computer, his iPad and his iPhone. With hosted exchange service professionals and small businesses no longer are at an information deficit to large corporate enterprises.

It’s a technology that no mobile professional or small business owner should overlook.

Reason 4 talks about keeping at least one element of an old logo intact. We agree.

But today, ensuring your site appears in top positions in search engine results isn’t a do-it/forget-it proposition.
It takes time and diligence to manually insert the right algorithms into your index and relevant pages
that will get your site noticed and picked up by the Open Project Directory and other major search engines.

It’s time consuming, tedious work that can pay off in big ways. It requires the skill to push the limits without pushing too far and having your site banned for life.

Why it’s important to website design

The objective is to ensure that your customers find you

Potential customers find your site before they find your competition

How we do it

SEO is a blend of technical savvy with effective copywriting. While nothing short of 24/7 vigilance can ensure a site will always come out on top, a few practical strategies can and do make a difference:

• Create a ranking strategy that meets your goals
• Write skillfully crafted and relevant site copy
• Build effective site architecture
• Create and encode relevant page titles and descriptions
• Register your site with top search engines
• Submit your site manually to the top search engines
• Find relevant directories and submit your site

What can we do for you?

We can create keywords or phrases in page titles and headings with the proper keyword density and link usage, then create links from all respected search sources so you have a large number of links pointing to your site. We manually submit everything, and report significant changes in your listing on a regular basis. If your listings fall, we optimize your site to bring it back to top rankings.

What is database-driven?

Basically speaking, a database-enabled web site allows you to customize your content for specific users, or to serve up customized information to answer a specific question by a specific user, e.g., which members or agents or salons are located in California or Ohio, or which are located in a
specific 3- or 5-digit zip code? Note that data can refer to text, numeric, or even date information.

Many organizations today already have mission-critical information arranged in databases. Enabling a web site to serve database information can add immense value to your web communications, This can very easily complement and support your customer service program, and typically reduces your
overall customer service costs while increasing the value you bring to your customer.

Databases have been ushered into the worldwide web through an ever-increasing number of stable yet versatile tools that allow site developers to capture the power of databases. Applications such as PHP, MySQL, Ruby on Rails, and XML combine with standard HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to create powerful yet elegant sites. These applications have the added attraction of being freeware; they are in the public domain so do not require a fee for the license to use the application.

How do I know whether it’s right for me?

It is a good question. Those that only need a very small, simple site often need only a “static” site, i.e., each page is hard-coded and never changes.

Those who have multiple items that each consist of multiple pieces of similar types of data are more often opting for an XML implementation.

Those who wish to display complex information or who already have their information organized in a relational database use tools such as php or Ruby to query (communicate with) a database management system (DBMS) such as MySQL or Oracle to display their data as requested.

Some organizations run their entire large web site using database technology; others only need a portion of their site to be database-driven. The benefits include:

• streamlining business processes and procedures
• becoming more responsive to your users
• reducing the amount of people needed to manage business processes
• reducing the cost of the business services, thereby becoming more competitive

But again, the best way to determine if your whole site, or a portion of your site, can benefit from database technology is to review your content and site goals with your designer before work begins. To learn more about the advantages of site planning, read Constructing User-Centered Websites. If you’d like to talk more about our database services, contact or 513.677.3887 for more information.

Data-driven Examples

• Collection of Data from Forms
• Dynamically sorted information
• Employee contact information
• Events Calendars
• Frequently updated content
• Gallery displays
• Membership directories
• Product inventories
• Sales of Product (eCommerce)
• Secure Online payments
• Usernames and passwords managed

You’ve found the site, now you need one piece of information that you’re sure is there. But where? After several clicks into a maze of dead-end and wrong way streets, you give up. You scream, “I can’t find the information I’m looking for!” So you leave the site, another disappointed user left stranded and frustrated on the Information Stupor Highway. We believe that Websites need to be intuitive and predictable. Structured according to the mental model of the user.

Building the prototypes

Long before the finished product is uploaded to the host server, we model a site’s structure by creating two types of construction: wireframe and graphical.

These preliminary structures serve as prototypes. The wireframe rests on ActiveCanvas’ development server. The graphic prototype is delivered via static images.

Wireframe Prototype

The wireframe prototype includes text, structure, and navigation but not graphics. It allow us to concentrate on the copy and framework of the site without being influenced by it’s look and feel. As with any prototype, the wireframe can change through successive iterations.

Graphical Prototype

Graphics are constructed and placed within the site structure. Nonsense text is inserted where text would normally be. This allows us to focus on the look and feel without being distracted by the text.

How users view a site

Information is placed in the wireframe according to how individuals typically view information. For example, users usually look first at the headlines, then the article summaries, and then captions, and ignore graphics. Concise meaningful titles and headers help the user understand the content and meaning of a Web page. They ignore information low on the page, or anything that looks like advertisement.

In organizing the content, we keep the number of user clicks to a minimum to avoid user confusion. And we keep the navigation scheme visible throughout so the user always knows where they are on any page.

How users read a site

A concise style of writing is vital. Text is written to be scanable. Tone is objective, not promotional. We use highlighted words, bullet lists, and one key idea per paragraph when possible.

Once the client approves the wireframe and graphical prototypes, we combine all the elements into the final version.

Everyone benefits

This site building method is good for the designer because the wireframes and graphical prototypes takes less time to build. Changes are easier and no time is wasted. In fact, it speeds the final phase of the project by practically eliminating further iterations.

It’s good for the client because it provides a simple interface for the approval process. In the wireframe, clients pay attention to language and accuracy. In the graphical prototype they aren’t distracted with the copy. It helps everyone on the project team focus on the original site goals.

Ultimately, it’s good for the user. And that’s where the rubber meets the road.

Language is our most powerful tool. We use it to filter and define our world.
It empowers us to make connections, get involved, and to influence each other.
It also gives us the power to mislead, antagonize and irritate each other.

Speak to the User

Site builders commonly spend huge chunks of time defining architecture, implementing whiz-bang back-ends, and designing
the graphical user interface.
Rarely do they think about a site’s language and how it effects a site’s functionality and appeal to users.

Language (often referred to as "content") plays second fiddle to interface design and (oh groan) spectacular graphics.
Language is often underestimated and sadly undervalued.

Well-written sites speak the language of the user.
Tone, terms, and word choice need to be consistent.
Just as the graphic designer puts a great deal of creativity and sensibility into page layout, font treatments, size, color, kerning and
margins, so too should the Web writer manage the language of a site on a global level.

Beware Pitfalls

It takes a watchdog to maintain consistency in tone, terminology, and word choice. A site whose content is written by someone
who understands and speaks the user’s language can suddenly sour if other writers write too many updates.
One solution is a Language Czar.
This is the person whose word is law.
Everyone producing content for the site passes copy through the Czar’s editing process.

Language is a critical part of the site metaphor, the user interface, and the user experience.
It includes vocabulary, word choice, punctuation, and synonyms.

A key element is guidance. Guidance text is a tricky thing.
Too many "click here" statements can send a message to the user that he must be an idiot,
or that your designer hasn’t a clue about designing and building.
Conversely, a user who doesn’t get enough guidance on a page can become lost, or fail to achieve his goals.
A consistent, intuitive navigation scheme is the solution.

Punctuation has its pitfalls. Do you use quotation marks or italics? When do you use the exclamation point?
Your exclamation point might mean that you’re excited about what you’re just said.
To the user it may make him feel like he’s just been castigated or yelled at.

Capital letters make some users feel yelled at too.

Another key area is the terms used to describe the functionality of the site.
In a shopping cart, what’s the difference between Order and Invoice?
Find, Browse, and Search do not mean the same things.
They each have distinct connotations for the user.

Category titles and headers should say what you mean.
Leave the cute metaphors to the artsy types and their ego sites.

Language is extraordinary flexible. With tone, vocabulary, and style you can make the difference between ease of use
and user irritation. Language can make or break the user experience.
Or it can be the great foundation of a user-friendly site.

Summary

• Speak the user’s language
• Assign a Language Czar
• Guide users with link text
• Avoid confusing metaphors

What is CSS?

Cascading Style Sheets is a standard method for formatting (putting style to) HTML documents. In the beginning days of HTML (the language in which Internet documents are written, or marked-up) tags were used to mark a certain piece of text to be bolded or italicized, or to specify what font face or size in which to display the text. One used tags to mark up the text to define style.

There was one major problem with that method- repetition of tags both within a single file and site-wide across all files. The ramifications of repetition are several:

• documents quickly got cluttered with tags
• style changes were laborious and time-consuming
• file (i.e., site) sizes mushroomed
• download times increased

CSS allows style tags to be indexed within it’s own dedicated file(s) and the style is then referenced whenever needed throughout either a single HTML file or across many or even all HTML files across the site.

Multi-purposing

Some organizations are including more of their users by opening up access to alternative display devices such as PDAs or speech readers for the blind. Without CSS, one would need to duplicate each page in the site for each alternative device.

To multi-purpose with CSS, only the style sheet(s) are duplicated; that is a very minute portion of a medium-sized site. The correct style sheet is then served depending on the device from which the page request originated.

What’s the Cost?

Obviously it makes a huge improvement on the positive acceptance by the users of your site, so what’s the damage? In fact, CSS is a language and therefore comes without any added cost. The time it takes for a designer to build a custom site using CSS is no more, and usually less than putting style directly into the HTML file. If any change needs to be made, even in the shade of a color or size of a font, CSS is many times quicker to modify.

If you’d like to discuss in more detail about how CSS can improve your web site efficiency, contact
(513.677.3554) for more information.

Benefits of using CSS

1. Faster loading of the web page to your browser
2. Faster displaying (rendering) of the web page by your browser
3. CSS files can be selected dynamically for multi-purposing
4. Faster updating of site files
5. Supported by modern versions of major browsers
6. More organized, understandable code
7. Style definitions consolidated for easy understanding
8. Style is only interpreted once by your browser
9. Fewer mistakes made in maintenance; quicker corrections