Social Media Integration to your Website is a must

Social Media is a great way to be social! We are more connected today because of the Internet and social services like Twitter, FaceBook, and Google Plus. Families, friends, and even businesses are taking advantage of the Social Media phenomenon to connect, converse, relate, and collaborate. In my opinion, a website is not complete if it does not contain a few links to your social media presence online. A Web Designer should take this powerful venue into account when planning and designing a project.

There is good reason for this. Many companies are using Social Media as a way to connect with both potential and existing clients. For example, Taco Bell's website (www.tacobell.com) has links to several Social Media accounts owned by that company. Taco Bell's Twitter account is known for being light-hearted and fun to read. For example, look at the following tweet:

Courtesy of http://www.searchenginejournal.com/10-social-media-accounts-can-learn/102729/

Indeed, Taco Bell's Twitter account is considered one of the top 10 social media accounts a business can learn from (http://www.searchenginejournal.com/10-social-media-accounts-can-learn/102729/). Taco Bell uses social media to their advantage. For this reason, if you are designing websites for businesses or individuals, you should be asking your clients about their Social Media presence.

Another good reason to integrate Social Media to a website is the potential reach this medium has. In 2013, 57% of marketers used Social Media for advertising (http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-trends-2014/). This is a powerful statistic that shows how many businesses are leaning into Social Media with the objective of generating new business. Businesses are putting time and money into the Social Media marketing and servicing avenue. 

And if money talks, then Facebook's recent earnings report is shouting out from the mountain tops that Social Media is definitely a must for any business's website (http://seekingalpha.com/article/2165053-facebook-destroys-earnings-estimates-and-is-offered-a-cold-glass-of-apathy-from-mr-market).

So, the bottom line is this: if you want to have a successful website make sure to integrate Social Media links. Then, get people talking about your website by reaching out to them. The more social media real estate you engage in, the more potential visitors will come to your website.

Courtesy of http://www.frogameni.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/social-media-seo11.jpg

Web Design and Infographics (Trends for 2014)

This week, I wanted to share some information I found regarding Web Design Trends for 2014 (see infographic below). I love the information because it is presented in the form of an Infographic.

 

Infographics are visual representations of data. In fact, an infographic can make the data more pleasing to the eye and easier to absorb. Websites and blogs that have infographics are shared and viewed more often (http://www.customermagnetism.com/infographics/what-is-an-infographic/).

 

If you are interested in creating an infographic, there are free tools out there. Follow this link for a few of the free infographic creators available: http://www.techalam.com/10-free-infographic-maker-tools/.

 

The infographic below describes various trending topics in Web Design for this year. I specifically enjoyed reading about returning to a 2d environment in many new websites and apps because of the major releases by Apple (IOS7) and Windows 8. Both of these operating systems have taken the previous look of a 3D environment and produced a flat and simply look to the way we are now viewing our smartphones and tablets (as well as desktops).

 

Web Design is a great career to have. It allows you to make a living with the freedom to use your creativity and make something original that a business or an individual can use. Of course, like any career, you will have to cater to your clients. This means you will have deadlines and directives that you may not agree with. But, you have to make the best of it.

 

As I was reading through the information below, I came across an acronym that not all will know about: CMS. CMS stands for "Content Management System". This is basically a simple way to create a website without knowing code. You can learn more about a Content Management System (CMS) here: http://cms.about.com/od/cms-basics/g/Cms.htm.

 

I hope you enjoy the information below! Thanks for stopping by.

Courtesy of http://infographiclist.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/web-design-trends-for-2014_52608d1de0b45.jpg

What I learned about being a Front-End Web Developer

I had the opportunity to attend a local technology conference this week. The conference was focused on technology for enterprise. It was very enlightening and I particularly enjoyed the session regarding Web Design/Development. The person speaking is an actual Web Developer for a local major company. This made the session even more intriguing.


Courtesy of http://www.talkspot.com/_images/features/javascript.png

He started by discussing how to make a company website load faster. He mentioned that statistics show most users expect content to start downloading within two seconds of visiting a web page. The key to making this happen is JavaScript.

JavaScript is a coding language that allows a website to run from the browser the consumer is using to view a company's website (http://www.javascripter.net/faq/whatisja.htm). Because the website is being rendered from the browser and not a server located somewhere on a physical site, the content can load much faster.

Now, the part of this session that caught my attention was the discussion on how to hire a Front-End Web Developer. I gained some great insight into the industry by simply taking down the following tips given to business owners present:

1. Search on the web for blogs by Front-End Developers. Web developers do what they do because they love it. More than likely, the person will be creating websites just for fun and posting those sites online. These are the ones you want to hire.

2. Take note of their job titles. Don't hire the ones who call themselves "Java Ninja". Hire those with professional titles like "Front-End Web Developer" or "Front-End Engineer". Titles say a lot about the person's character and attitude towards the job.

3. Ask relevant questions. During the interview, ask the person relevant questions such as "What makes a website faster?" or "What makes you passionate about web design?" If you are hiring a web developer, make sure he or she can do the job.

Another characteristic mentioned was curiosity. Most Front-End Developers learned on the side because of their curiosity and passion. These are the qualities that make a great Web Developer.

With that, the session ended. And, this blogger picked up some great insider information!

For an in-depth explanation of JavaScript, please visit Microsoft's information page for developers: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms970435.aspx?ocid=bing_app_269

For more information on the annual technology conference I attended, please go to www.innotechconferences.com.