Internet explorer 10 is here to stay

internet-explorer-10-is-here-to-stay

internet-explorer-10-is-here-to-stay

Although many of the previous posts point out the flaws of internet explorer, namely 10, internet explorer 10 is here to stay.  While it is true that Internet explorer still has issues, with privacy being at the top of the list, the new internet explorer 10 is light years ahead of its predecessors. Internet explorer 10 ships with windows 8 – the newest operating system from Microsoft.

Internet explorer 10 continues on the major improvements that were made by the earlier version, Internet Explorer 9. IE9 took significant steps towards proper implementation of W3C standards for HTML5 and CSS3 and IE10 continues where it left off.

The web design community couldn’t be happier. I am speaking for myself. Internet explorer has been a nightmare for web designers ever since version 6, version 6 being the worse.  Since then microsoft has made improvement here and there but nothing noticeable.  I am confident that the new Internet explorer 10 browser will make it easier for us web designers as well as for our customers who love Internet Explorer so much.

Kudos to Microsoft for a great release of Internet Explorer 10 and also kudos for their latest products, including windows 8 which I actually like.

how to plan content for website

how to plan content for website

how to plan content for website

How to plan content for website

It is very exciting to have your website finally completed and ready for content, but then, the question rises, how to plan content for website ?

Here are some tips on how to plan content for website, once it is completed, or even better, while it is being built.

  1. Content audit: lay everything out on the table.
  2. Audience research: get your head into the mindset of the crowd.
  3. Information architecture: develop your site structure.
  4. Define goals: empower your audience to complete tasks you set along the path.
  5. Calls to action: identify key calls to action, and measure their effectiveness.
  6. Content development: break up your content into manageable chunks.
  7. Workflow: automate the process when possible to keep things fresh.

The truth is that today content is king, but content doesn’t show up over night.  Content requires time, quality content at least.  Therefore, I recommend on top of the tips above to gather what you already have, even if it isn’t organized in the way that you would want it. Chances are that the outcome will be better if you use what you have, rather than trying to come up with content last minute. Think back to your college years and imagine trying to write a 20 page essay within 24 hours. That is what it is like to try to create quality content over night. Instead make it a habit to create content as often as you can.

Another way to come up with content from existing sources is to use any notes that you might have stored in your computer. phone, evernote, etc. More than likely you have quality content stored there that just needs to be developed.   The point is to be honest to yourself whether you do have content or you don’t and start from there. If you don’t your site will be bare but overtime it won’t be, if you start creating content today.

Why Microsoft’s promise for Internet Explorer 10 backfired on them.

Within recent months Microsoft plan to have a successful and appealing launch of its more recent version of their famous browser, Internet Explorer 10, has suddenly backfired on them. Internet Explorer 10 which launches in a default “do no track (DNT) position intended to offer more privacy by shielding users from advertisers to track them.

The major ad lobby groups said yesterday that they would ignore microsoft’s DNT signal.  The reason they explain is that the choice should be made by the user not the browser.

Even worse, now the rest of the browsers, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari can alert its users that their privacy controls are the only one that will be respected, since they have to opt-in.

What this means is that now, IE10 is the one browser that offers users the least amount of privacy from advertisers.

This was definitely something Microsoft didn’t expect but since they chose to ignore its own clients, the outcome doesn’t come as a surprise.

Advertisers in general are happy to ignore customers who chose privacy but they don’t want a company like Microsoft to make the choice for them.

So, your choices for privacy are: older versions of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. Remember to go to your user preferences (options), and chose private browsing, cookie blocking and anti-tracking.

Internet Explorer 10

Explanation of Internet Explorer 10 by Wikipedia

Square Offers Businesses a Flat $275 Monthly Usage Fee

The mobile payment company Square now offers business a flat $275 monthly usage fee for their service. This is revolutionary for the credit card payment industry because they are the first company to rethink their business model with the merchant in mind. The $275 monthly usage fee allows for unlimited transactions making it easier to keep track of transactions.

“For 62 years, merchants have suffered complicated, expensive processing fees. Square is the first company to rethink electronic payment pricing with the merchant in mind. We are giving merchants affordable, predictable pricing, ” said Square CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey said in a press release. “With one monthly price, merchants know that the sales they’ve processed in a day is the same amount deposited in the bank.”

The amount you charge your customer is the amount that goes into your bank account. This shift in thinking will make it easier budget monthly expenses, pricing and accounting. Great move on the part os Square. I am not sure how they came up with the $275 fee but I am guessing someone in that room might have said, “What if we just get rid of the period”, so instead of 2.75% per transaction it is $275 per month. Genius!

The art of logo design

In a recent documentary by PBS arts experts go into great depth of the art of logo design.  They point to references from the beginnings of cave paintings to the modern logos of today.

“Utilizing a silent vocabulary of colors, shapes, and typography, logo designers give a visual identity to companies and organizations of all types. From cave painters to modern designers, artists throughout history have been reducing the complex down to simple ideas that communicate with the world.” – PBSoftbook

There has always been the need to communicate visually but logos represent a lot more. They have the power to change a person’s mood or compel them to take action.

Of course, a logo alone is meaningless unless it is charged with a good sense of branding behind it. It serves as a reminder of a thought or an idea.  It is an extension of who you are or what you do.  A logo doesn’t express everything but it should express what needs to be expressed.

A lot of times we know that we need a logo but we often failed to recognize or analyze why?  It is in searching for this deeper meaning that the secret to a successful lies in my opinion. Almost any visual aid can be considered a logo or a mark, that will remind you of something but only a successful logo has the ability to engage you and connect with you in the form the designer  and the brand intended to. Throughout the years the idea of what a logo should be hasn’t changed much even though styles and cultural shifts happen all the time.

“A great logo is memorable, it’s appropriate to the brand, and it is simple to it can work everywhere and look the same in every situation.” - Sagi Haviv, http://sagihaviv.com/

Logos should also be timeless. Think Coca Cola.

Here is a 6 minute video of the documentary:

Old browsers are still a big concern

Although recent approaches to web design help to address the issue of the vast variety of web browsers, old browsers are still a big concern. There are five major browsers which are, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Opera. and even though 5 downs’ seem like a huge number, each one of these browsers are constantly being updated; therefore users are more often than not a few versions behind.

Some browsers like Google Chrome have adopted automatic updates into their browser, so the user doesn’t even have to think about it. This has resulted in Google Chrome becoming very popular and closing in the gap between Google and Microsoft in the browser wars.

Other browsers like Firefox, are following suit and even Microsoft has announced automatic updates. However; the biggest problem lies in Microsoft Internet explorer. You see, according to StatCounter about 31% of desktop users are on Windows XP.  This is a big problem because Microsoft allows Windows XP users to update up to IE 8. Microsoft’s most recent version of Internet explorer is IE 9 but it requires Windows Vista or windows 7.  So, unless the 31% of desktop users running windows XP decide to upgrade their operating systems or Microsoft creates a tool for these users, the user is trapped and his only hope is that the web designer was considerate enough to think about him/her.

By far, the most popular approach to address the problem with older browsers is “Progressive enhancement” which is short means that users with older browsers will have a less rich experience than users with newer browsers. Users with newer browsers will enjoy the latest features available.

One wishes all the older browsers would just disappear since their expiration date is well in the past.  We are making some progress though, here is the usage share from StatCounter on desktop browsers for May 2012

Is your e-commerce store, PCI compliant?

In order to answer this question, first you need to understand what it is. PCI stands for (Payment Card Industry).  In 2006 the PCI Security Standards Council was launched to promote PCI Security standards, including the Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS), and PIN Transaction Security (PTS) requirements.

The council was founded by the five founding global payment brands — American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide, and Visa Inc.

In short, it is the latest effort by the credit card companies to decrease credit card fraud by placing more responsibility on the merchant. The merchant is now required to be PCI compliant by following the new industry standards or possibly receive a fine.

You can find all the information you need at their website: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org

You can also watch these 2 silly videos of the 12 requirements:

Is your e-commerce store, PCI complaint?

The PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was created by the major credit card companies to ensure the adoption of consistent security measures by all merchants. There are 12 requirements for meeting the PCI DSS, broken into 6 groups:

Build and Maintain a Secure Network

REQUIREMENT 1: Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
REQUIREMENT 2: Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters

Protect Cardholder Data

REQUIREMENT 3: Protect stored cardholder data
REQUIREMENT 4: Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks

Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program

REQUIREMENT 5: Use and regularly update anti-virus software
REQUIREMENT 6: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

Implement Strong Access Control Measures

REQUIREMENT 7: Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
REQUIREMENT 8: Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
REQUIREMENT 9: Restrict physical access to cardholder data

Regularly Monitor and Test Networks

REQUIREMENT 10: Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
REQUIREMENT 11: Regularly test security systems and processes

Maintain an Information Security Policy

REQUIREMENT 12: Maintain a policy that addresses information security

Responsive web design vs building a separate mobile site

I have read multiple articles on the subject of responsive web design vs building a separate mobile site. Like all debates, it depends who you ask but I believe that it comes down to budgets at the end.

The choice is like this, pay for one site with added features to make it responsive as opposed to static (same layout, regardless of size of device) or pay for 2 sites one static and one mobile.

Although it seems like a simple choice, responsive designed layouts can get really tricky and require more planning than static sites of course. The level of extra planning and the level of customization for each device as stated before depends on budget but it also depends on the audience and the type of content. It’s easy to get carried away with responsive design when it might not be necessary. The key is balance.

What is responsive web design anyway, you can of course find the formal definition, what is responsive web design, but it comes down to this as far as I am concerned, “adapt a layout to the viewing environment, and probably use flexible images”.

Mobile sites on the other hand, deliver content exclusively to the targeted phone device(s). A lot of times this means, condensing the content and optimizing the experience for the mobile device user.  Think of a bank mobile site. Try going to www.chase.com for example with a mobile device using the device’s web browser. You will find only three options, ” Log on, Contact us, and find ATM/Branch.”, oh, and a link to their app which is a lot like their mobile site.  Chase decided out of all the services and financial products they provide, their mobile users would only care about these 3. I am assuming they didn’t just guess, this was calculated based on studies, usability studies and trends.

In conclusion, when you decide whether to choose a responsive web design or building a mobile site in addition to your static site, consider your budget, target audience, and the type of content you are delivering.

responsive web design vs building a separate mobile site

elements of responsive web design

SEO for startups in under 10 minutes by Google

Google released on Tuesday a video that provides startups tips and suggestions about how to master search engine optimization in under 10 minutes. Google aims to make it easier for startups to get better rankings for their brands. This video is catered to businesses with 50 pages or less.

The video, SEO for startups in under 10 minutes by Google, suggest that each page should include a unique topic, title and meta description for the snippet that appears below the link listed on the Google search results page, but meta keywords tags aren’t needed. Keywords should be in the file name and typed with lower case letters.

For example, the anchor text for every link should also be clear and include keywords, whether you are linking to your site or another. This means that “click here” is not descriptive enough phrase to highlight with a link. Instead, it should be “product specifications” or something that better matches the link with the content.

Ohye also points out some major things to avoid: “Do not hire any rogue or shady SEO [provider] — if they guarantee rankings, it’s too good to be true,” she says. “Don’t participate in link schemes or buying links for the purpose of passing PageRank.”