This week’s trawl through the internet had me looking at predicted web design trends for 2012 (yes it’s trend prediction season again). Unsurprisingly, social media and mobile are still pretty much top of the list just as they were last year, but something else that also caught my eye and is expected to be big next year is what is known as parallax scrolling.

If you don’t know what parallax scrolling is, then this explanation taken from the Web Design Ledger website should enlighten you.

“Parallax is a difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along different lines of sight. The term derives from the Greek word parallaxis, meaning alteration.

The Parallax effect or parallax scrolling in web design is the technique that features layered images that move around the website in different speeds/perspectives creating a nice and interesting 3D illusion”.

I looked at a few examples of parallax scrolling and found them and the concept itself quite entertaining and easy on the eye and certainly an effect that adds something a little different to a website.

However, they may not suit all tastes and some may even find them a little too gimmicky but you’ll have to look and decide for yourself. A search of Google will bring up various examples of websites with parallax scrolling. Some are better than others but obviously it’s all a matter of taste.

This website here is one such example of parallax scrolling and worth a look. I really don’t know whether the effect will gain popular appeal or not; only time will tell but it’s definitely one to watch out for.

Until next time.

As the number of people using a mobile device to access the internet increases, the need to have a mobile-friendly website is becoming ever more important but surprisingly, there are still companies out there that are ignoring this and indeed its sales potential.

There are recommended best practices attached to designing for mobile devices, for example; reducing content of secondary importance and focussing on the main points only, using single columns in the layout and minimising the need for text entry which is not always the easiest thing to do on a mobile phone. What I’ve just mentioned is by no means an exhaustive list because web design for mobile involves so much more than that.

Some businesses might say that a mobile version of their website isn’t necessary because websites can still be accessed and viewed on smartphones and of course this is true. However, the obvious flaw in their thinking is staring them in the face but they are failing to see it; namely the issue of fitting a full-size website into the confines of a smartphone screen and making it easily readable without having to scroll sideways or use the zoom facility.

For most users, sideways scrolling and zoom use are two of the biggest turn-offs when viewing websites on a mobile phone and many if not all won’t remain on those sites for any significant amount of time and certainly nowhere near enough time to make purchases, and this reason alone should be enough to make those businesses that think mobile-optimised sites are not worth the trouble sit up and think again.

Smartphone users are not only using their mobiles to access the internet and read their emails; an extremely large percentage of them are now spending as much if not more time on them than they do on their desktop PCs for almost all of their online needs, and where a website is considered essential for today’s businesses, it’s becoming apparent that the same now applies to mobile-optimised sites as well.

Until next time.

A couple of posts ago, I wrote about the emergence of QR codes and briefly explained what they were and what they did. QR stands for Quick Response, and they are similar to standard bar codes in they are scanned for information but by smartphones as opposed to normal laser scanners.

So far I’ve discovered that their most basic use is as a quick link to a website without the need to type a URL into a smartphone, and apart from being able to hold quite a lot of information, that appears to be pretty much it for the time being.

As you could print a QR code on just about anything though, there is also the possibility that as a marketing tool their potential could be huge. In addition to the obvious places such as newspapers, magazines and leaflets etc, they could also be used on advertising boards, business cards, websites, promotional gifts and even T-shirts – they can be placed literally anywhere, and as more and more people are using smartphones, there is every chance that they will be scanned if only for the curiosity value.

Should the use of QR codes really catch on and develop further, there’s little doubt that creative marketers will quickly come up with other innovative ideas for their application but for now we’ll just have to wait and see.

I really wanted to be a lot more in-depth in this post, but because QR codes are a fairly new arrival there isn’t too much in the way of information as I’d hoped. However, any businesses that might be interested in using QR codes but not sure where to start should have a look here where they can download a free QR code generator with which they can experiment for themselves. In the meantime I will be on the lookout for more information and watching their development with interest.

Until next time.

With the UK and the rest of the world still firmly in the grip of recession, online traders are always on the lookout for new ways to tempt visitors onto their websites and spending whilst visitors themselves are cautiously watching the pennies and looking out for any bargain or offers that will make what they have stretch just that little bit further.

Understandably, in a global slump, even online spending could be in for a bit of a nosedive. However, the internet didn’t evolve into the force it has become without constant innovation from those with something to sell. So, whilst some companies batten down the hatches to sit and weather the storm, others are facing it head on by introducing internet discount codes in an attempt to get visitors to part with their cash.

Internet discount codes can be used to get money-off online purchases in the same way traditional paper-type vouchers are redeemed in supermarkets and high street stores. Many internet traders are now commissioning new websites or adapting their current ones to enable them to issue discount and promotional codes, whilst others have seen the potential and opened dedicated sites which tell visitors where the best online discount codes and deals are to be found.

As saving money will be most shoppers’ main priority even during boom periods, an ecommerce system with the ability to issue and accept internet discount codes would almost certainly turn out to be a worthwhile investment because its usefulness won’t end when the recession does.

With nearly all businesses feeling the pinch and the sound of tightening belts filling the air, it’s likely that some ecommerce traders will see them as an unnecessary expense, while others will realise that apart from the future potential, the marketing value alone could justify the cost and make them a must-have for any online trading enterprise.

Until next time.

Many of you may have noticed the increasing number of little black and white boxes appearing on websites, magazines and newspapers and like myself wondered what they are. A chat with my local web design company provided the answer. These are called QR codes: QR stands for Quick Response.

At first glance they look a little like a heavily pixelated image but in fact could be considered as the more versatile cousin of the standard barcode except where a scanner reads a barcode horizontally, QR codes are read both horizontally and vertically and are capable of holding far more information.

Their purpose can cover a number of uses but perhaps the most basic one being a quick link to websites via a smartphone. Users simply point their smartphone at the QR code so the phone can scan it and it automatically takes them to the website in question without the need to type in a URL: something that can be a bit of a fiddly undertaking on some smartphones. Certain smartphones will have a scanner already built in but for those that don’t there are various apps available that will work with most models.

Quick response codes is a fairly new concept but one that looks like it will catch on quickly because of the ever growing use of smartphones. I suspect that in the very near future we will start to see more and more QR codes appearing on websites and in magazines and newspapers and perhaps even in unexpected places as it’s almost a certainty that marketers will come up with novel ways for their use.

I will write about QR codes in more detail in future posts but in the meantime, if you do happen across any and your smartphone has a scanner, give it a go and see what you think.  

Until next time.

Once your website is up and running it would be nice to think it could be left to its own devices to draw visitors and convert them into paying customers but unfortunately it doesn’t quite work like that and so most web design companies offer various packages that provide ongoing SEO for your website aimed at giving it every chance to be amongst the top of search engine listings.

Another method to drive traffic to your website I’m briefly going to mention in this post is the use of article marketing which can be very effective but does have its limitations, one of the major ones being time itself.

Business owners often struggle to find enough hours in the day to do everything needed to keep their businesses running, and after finishing the working day the last thing they will want to do is sit down and write an article or two so it might be worth considering using guest authors or even contributions from employees at least to get the ball rolling.

Although there are no set rules regarding the number of articles you would need to write, it’s generally considered the more the better to get your name out there and your business noticed, but one of the problems with trying to build up article numbers quickly is that many of them end up suffering from a lack of quality; something that readers will certainly pick up on, so taking the time to do it right is extremely important.

As your articles will also contain your author bio, often referred to as a resource box, it means that there is a link to your website in every article you write and the wider your articles are distributed, the higher the chances of driving visitors to your website.

Cost-wise, article marketing is free which is just one reason it’s so popular. It’s also extremely easy to do in terms of submitting your work to article and ezine sites, and if your articles are well written, interesting and informative your readers and peers could eventually start to consider you as an authority within your particular industry.

Because of the ever-changing way in which the internet works, most online businesses tend to now prefer blogs to article submission sites but that doesn’t mean that article marketing doesn’t still have a place. There are countless content-hungry readers out there actively searching for new articles to put on their websites and even on their blogs so your articles could reach a much wider audience than you imagine. Other SEO methods will certainly work faster but if you do happen to have the time to write articles it’s definitely worth a go.

Until next time.

In a recent web design post about SEO, I briefly outlined how having a business blog was not only a good way of keeping readers up to date with what’s happening in their particular industries but how they keep search engines happy with streams of fresh content for them to index whilst also being an excellent method of marketing your website.

Although there is no hard and fast rule regarding posting frequency, the more often relevant content, valuable information or industry-related news the blogger can deliver the more effective the blog will be, but one of the problems with blogging is that most business owners simply don’t have the time to post on a regular or even semi-regular basis: something that’s essential if your blog is to work to its full potential.

If you are a business owner with a blog or are considering the idea but don’t have the time to give it the attention it needs, one option available to you is to obtain the services of a guest blogger to do it for you, and finding one could be easier than you think as these excellent tips by Darren Rowse at ProBlogger point out.

·        Look in Your Comments Section - perhaps the best place to find guest bloggers is in your comments section. It is there that you’ll find readers who’ve taken a step towards active participation on your blog already (a good sign that they want to interact with you). Look for repeat comment leavers and those with something worthwhile to share. Even in the early days of a blog those who are commenting can be great contacts to deepen connections with.

·        Aim High – ‘you’ll never know unless you ask’ is a saying I utter a fair bit. While most well known bloggers are probably unlikely to say yes to blogging on a blog that they’ve not heard of – you might just be surprised. I’ve asked most ‘A-listers’ from time to time to come post something for me at ProBlogger – and some of them even took me up on the offer.

·        Aim ‘Low’ – ‘low’ is the wrong word and I don’t mean to cast any judgments – but sometimes the most willing guest bloggers are those just starting out who are attempting to make a name for themselves in your niche (or a related one).

·        Look for Networkers – look for bloggers who have a history of being networkers and who are already taking up similar opportunities on different blogs.

Look Offline – some of the most successful guest posts that I’ve had on my photography blogs are from people who’ve never heard of blogs before – pro photographers. These experts in my niche were not active content creators – but were willing to share what they knew. You don’t have to go for Pros or Experts in your niche – family members, friends, colleagues or associates might make a great guest poster and bring a unique perspective to your blog.

Many consider business blogs as a must-have when it comes to website marketing methods and to be fair they are probably right judging by the sheer amount of business blogs that populate the internet, but as the biggest enemy of business owners is often time itself, at least with guest bloggers there’s a possible solution at hand.

Until next time.

Online businesses will soon be expecting to see their ecommerce systems go into overdrive when the traditional Christmas spending frenzy starts in earnest, and if your website copy is doing its job properly it should persuade visitors to buy your products or services, which in most cases will involve them going through your shopping cart process and end with the checkout.

However, even if all that goes according to plan, there is still the high possibility that amongst other reasons, potential buyers will quickly change their minds if don’t know or can’t find what shipping or postage charges will add to the total cost of their purchases.

Given the economic climate, consumers are understandably exercising tighter control over their money and making every penny count, so when shipping and postage costs are not made clear before they reach the checkout, they obviously come as an unwelcome surprise and according to a Forrester report, leads to 20 percent cart abandonment: something businesses can’t afford at any other time of year let alone the lucrative potential at Christmas.

What should be an easy and straightforward process is sometimes made hard because of unclear pricing options regarding shipping costs, and whilst some sites do make their shipping and postage charges clear from the outset, there are others that don’t reveal those costs until just before the checkout.

In most cases, shipping and postage costs are obviously unavoidable and although buyers realise this, they need to know what they are sooner rather than later as many may have to adjust their budgets accordingly, so to take a share of the potential £7.5 billion pot this festive season, website owners should take a look at their shopping carts to ensure that they make buyers fully aware of shipping and postage charges well before they reach the checkout.

Until next time.