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Discussion about technology, design, marketing and trends.

Oct 07
0

Sick of Internet Explorer, Using Firefox? Try Chrome!

Posted by | Technology, Web Trends | No Comments

I don’t generally go out of my way to change something I’m happy with, but about a year ago a friend of mine suggested that I try Google Chrome as a web browser. Now a year later, while I don’t have much bad to say about my old go-to browser Firefox, what I can say is that Chrome has changed the way I browse the internet.

Here’s why

  • Simplicity. It’s easy to use and enjoyable. You can type in a website address or search for something all from the same navigation bar on top.
  • Gmail. If you have a Gmail account you really owe it to yourself to have Chrome.  Need to attach some photos? Just drag and drop them into the attachment area of your Gmail and it does the rest.  No clicking on an upload button and searching for the files on your computer.  If you send or receive an email with a YouTube link the video can automatically play inside your email!
  • Syncing. Use more than one computer, at work or at home?  If you do Chrome will sync your bookmarks and stored data such as passwords automatically.  Bookmark something on your laptop, it shows up next time you’re on your desktop!  To enable syncing, click on Preferences, Under The Hood, and then click on Sync.
  • Web Store. Think of the Chrome Web Store like the App Store on an iPhone or iPad.  It’s filled with thousands of free apps and your bound to find a few you’ll regularly use. My favorites include Awesome Screenshot, Wunderlist and Flixster Movies.
  • Android. If you have an Android based smartphone there is a great Chrome extension available in the web store called Chrome to Phone that allows you to send the current webpage you’re viewing on your computer directly to your Android powered smartphone!  Comes in handy when you’re about to leave the house or office and want to take what you’re looking at with you.
  • Speed. It’s fast, you’ll notice sites load quickly and it doesn’t feel bogged down by having countless tabs open.

If you haven’t tried Chrome yet I suggest you give it a try.  Looking for Google Chrome Web Store?  You can find it here.

Aug 23
0
google fonts

Get Rid of the Boring Website Fonts!

Posted by | Technology, Web Trends | No Comments

Most of the websites you browse use one of a handful of “safe” fonts that are preinstalled on all Mac and Windows computers; the most common include Arial, Verdanna and Georgia. The benefits to using these fonts are that they scale well and they work great for body text on websites. But what about your page titles, headers, etc? Does everything need to look bland?

New technologies in font replacement now allow you to embed custom fonts, giving you the option to explore hundreds of font options rather than a handful. The gap between a web designer’s concept and a coded webpage grows smaller every day thanks in part to font embedding technology.

What’s our favorite solution?  We’ve been using Google Web Fonts, the service is free and the font library expanding daily. Let us know about your favorite service! What font do you use on your website?

Jul 15
0

Why Google+ will compete with Facebook

Posted by | Technology, Web Trends | No Comments

I’ve shared on Google Buzz, customized my iGoogle page and even heard of Orkut (yeah, right?), so the popular tendency towards skepticism on Google’s latest attempt at social media is understandable. Facebook is huge, 750 million users and going stronger than ever! Why then am I able to say with confidence that Google+ will work?

Let’s go back to Facebook for a moment. Facebook has become the world’s largest social network and in doing so has also become a powerful marketing tool. Businesses are able to leverage the power of Facebook to stay in touch with their customer base and communicate on a more personal level than ever before. So why does Google+ stand a chance? Simple. Facebook is too large and too connected for many of us, making social media feel somewhat like your girlfriend shouting at you from the other room while the TV is on and the Brewers just went to a commercial break. There’s a lot of background noise. Now pretend that your boss just called and you accidentally answered on speakerphone. Many of us don’t want to mix our professional and personal lives together yet with the business world so prominent on Facebook while any post or picture feels like a unnecesary risk to our professional career.

Meet Google+, while still in Beta, offers a different approach to how you share or “post” content. The idea is simple, whenever you add someone or receive a friend request the person must be put into a “circle” which is essentially a category like “Friends”, “Family”, “Coworkers”, etc etc. When you post a photo, video or write something you choose which group/s of people see your information. Rather than try to explain everything that Google+ is doing, check out the video above for a more thorough explanation!

To get Google+ head over to their website and sign up. If you’d like to add me as a friend on Google+ search for the name “Movses Karagyozyan”. Cheers!

Jun 28
0
What Do You Love from Google

WDYL | A New Way to Search using Google

Posted by | Technology | No Comments

Bored? Want to search the web differently? If so, head over to WDYL and give it a try! Results use a variety of Google services including image search, videos, stock reports, interactive 3d modules, maps, calendar, and much more. Is it going to change the way we search the internet? I would venture to say this is more an experiment on Google’s part and the the successful pieces will no doubt get integrated into the search engine page that I'm all familar with. Go Go Google!

May 29
0
search engine friendly

How to Write a SEO Friendly Article

Posted by | Search Engine Optimization | No Comments

Writing an article does a few things: It provides information about your business field, it shows your potential customers and clients that you are an expert in your field, it publishes your business name and it is a cost effective marketing strategy. Here are some tips to make sure your article will be search engine ready.

Title Keywords

The title of your article should include the most important keywords that describe your business. You should think about this like the title of your website. (See our previous post “10 ways to make your website more search engine friendly”). When people are looking for information that your article contains what will they search for?

Headers and Body Text Keywords

The keywords in your headings and body text should sound natural. Write them without thinking about the keywords. Then, after you have finished, go back and add the keywords where they make sense.

Industry jargon is generally something to avoid. It really depends on who you want to market your article to. Unless your article is geared towards industry professionals or business to business clients, don’t use terms that are too technical. They won’t rank well on the search engines and you will have lost a good chance to use a more popular keyword.

Synonyms

When you are thinking about your most important keywords – think about their synonyms as well. Don’t stuff your article with the same keyword over and over… it won’t read well or help your ranking.

Anchor text

Anchor text is hyper linked text. Make sure that several important key phrases are linked to your homepage or related internal pages.

Posting and URLs

Post your article on your website and if possible give it a separate page with a keyword rich URL. This will help your article rank in the search engines and it can build links for you website.

Submit

Submit your article to a few free article websites. Please see a list on our previous post “10 free ways to promote your website”.

Don’t write a press release

People are much more receptive to useful information than a sales pitch. Write about a new technology, a theory, the newest players in your field, a critique of software you use or an evaluation of a new online tool. Give information that highlights you as an expert in the business field without actually saying it.

Credit Experts

Flattery goes a long way! If there is a non competing experts in the field – use a quote from them or give a link to their website. Then, tell them about it. They might link to your article or your site!

Contact Information

Make sure you include your name, your website, and your contact information at the bottom of the page.

Proofread and Proofread Again

If your article is not professional people will not take you seriously. Send it out to a few grammar-enlightened friends. Send it to someone who doesn’t know a lot about your business to make sure it is clear. It will be your first impression to a lot of people – so make it count!

Sep 18
0
Promote Your Blog

10 Free Ways to Promote Your Website

Posted by | Marketing | No Comments

It’s easy to neglect your website when you’re busy but the reality is promoting your website can be a very easy and cost effective way of growing your business. Below are 10 steps that can help you gain more traffic.

1.) Include a blog on your website.

A blog should be about your business but personal and unique. Write about your day to day experiences, something new you learned, funny business stories or frustrating business stories. The most important thing is to provide interesting content that entice people to follow you. Read More

Aug 31
0
Social Media Fans

Do you have Fans?

Posted by | Marketing | No Comments

No, not the kind that circulate air. I’m talking about Social Media: Facebook fans.  Twitter followers.  Views on YouTube.  What was once for college students posting photos from last weekend’s soiree or teenagers crazy over Ashton Kutcher’s latest tweet, is now one of the biggest marketing tools available worldwide.

Traditional media is still powerful, however TV, radio and print advertising are  becoming less effective and less efficient every day.  Recent statistics are staggering in the proof that social media is shifting the way we consume media.  For example, 70% of 18-34 year-olds have watched TV on the web, and 25% of all Americans have watched a short video on their phone…in the past month, leaving TV advertisements out cold. Read More