Website Development & Coding

If you have never worked with web design or page creation before, all the technical terms related to coding can seem a little bit intimidating.

Like anything else, however, once you start to work with a design program, it becomes quite instinctual. To help you get started here’s a breakdown of some of the most basic terms you will encounter once you get started.

What Is HTML?

One of the first terms you are likely to encounter is HTML, which is an acronym for HyperText Markup Language.

In layman’s terms, HTML is what provides the basic structure of websites. HTML is a markup language, rather than a programming language. That means it uses tags to identify content.

HRML is enhanced and modified by other technologies, such as CSS and JavaScript.

What Is CSS?

Okay, then. So what is CSS?

CSS is basically a list of rules that can assign different properties to HTML tags. These rules can be applied to individual tags, multiple tags, entire documents, or multiple documents.

In other words, CSS is what you use to control presentation, formatting, and layout.

Website Development & Coding – What is JavaScript?

The last term you need to know is JavaScript. No, it’s not something you read for a film while drinking a cup of coffee.

Instead, JavaScript is used to control the behavior of different elements on your web page. It’s a programming language that was first introduced in 1995, making it a relative newcomer to page design.

Today, however, JavaScript is supported by every major web browser and is used on nearly every website on the internet. It’s the language that allows web developers design sites that are interactive with the people who use them.

Most of the interactive elements on the web pages you visit are powered by JavaScript.

Now that you are familiar with these three important terms, web design should be less intimidating for you!

Customer Recognition Programs Pay Huge Dividends

laptop with blank screen in office VSU3NE2 Easy Resize.com

Have you ever had the experience of walking into a local store and having the proprietor come out and greet you by name? If so, it’s probably something you haven’t forgotten.

It’s also a huge motivator for you to return to that business again and again. Why? Because people have a natural desire to be recognized. It makes people feel special and is one of the simplest, fastest, and most affordable ways to build loyalty bond between your customers and your business, brand, and products.

Digitally Recognizing Your Customers

Every online business is constantly seeking new and innovative ways to capture a larger and larger market share. One of the best ways for your business to do this is to launch recognition programs for your existing customers.

While you may not be able to physically replicate the experience you had when you were recognized by the owner of a local business, there are many steps you can take to build those same kinds of positive emotions within your online customers.

For example, one simple way to do this is to remember the preferences of your customers who visited your business online. With just a few lines of code, you can capture your website visitor’s preferences and remind them of what they looked at the last time they visited your online store.

Customer Recognition Programs Pay Huge Dividends – we recommend customizations

Another effective way to interact with customers so that they feel recognized by your online business is to make personalized recommendations of products you think they might want.

Streaming video services such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu already provide this service this for their subscribers, recommending TV shows and movies they think they might like based on what they watched in the past.

This type of affordable software is widely available for online businesses as well. By making recommendations to your customers about products or services you think they might enjoy, you can reinforce the loyalty bonds that are the key to repeat business.

Use the Web to Attract Customers to Your Florida Business

While the internet connects people worldwide, many local businesses are still very much dependent on local customers.

Attracting people in your area to your local business requires a technique called “Local SEO”. Basically, local SEO involves using specific geographically specific keywords to send traffic to your business website.

How to Use Local SEO on Your Website

Basically, local SEO works like this: If somebody goes online searching for a business like yours, they probably are going to use specific keywords.

For example, let’s say you own a dry cleaning business in Tampa. People looking for a local dry cleaning business who type in the keywords “dry cleaners” into their search engine probably would get results that include dry cleaning businesses all over the US, or even the world..

But if these same prospective customers type in the keywords “dry cleaners in Tampa”, they will get results that include only local dry cleaning businesses in Tampa, Florida.

Optimizing with Local SEO

How does that happen? Google, Bing, and the other big search engines scan and rank websites for specific keywords. When they find a web page for a local Tampa dry cleaners, they will include this in their rankings for those specific keywords.

But search engines will rank near the top of the search results those sites with the exact keywords “Tampa dry cleaners” in their headlines, subheads, first 100 words of the text, last 100 words of the text, photo descriptions, and other places.

That’s what local SEO means. By including geographically specific keywords in specific places in your web pages, you can get your web page ranked at or near the top of the list anybody gets when they type those keywords into the most popular search engines.

And given the fact that most people use their mobile devices to search for local businesses, local SEO is only going to become more important as time goes on.

Google Ads Industry Benchmarks

3 Simple Steps To Attracting The Best Clients

As marketing analysts we’re constantly thinking about the most optimal way to target our potential customers. With so many metrics to keep tabs on, figuring out whether or not you’re getting it right is often easier said than done.

To help shed some light on the situation, the folks at WordStream released a detailed new study on Google Ads industry metrics. The study reveals a ton of helpful industry-specific benchmarks for both search and display ads, including average clickthrough rate (CTR), average cost-per-click (CPC), average conversion rate (CVR), and average cost-per-action (CPA).

Google Ads Industry Benchmarks – Average Conversion Rate

Google Ads Industry Benchmarks – Average Click Through Rate

How Virtual Reality Could Help Your Business

The latest trend in web-based technology is virtual reality. This is an immersive experience in which the viewer appears to be completely inside a complete world.

Virtual reality requires the use of a special headset. Many companies have recently introduced their own versions of these VR headsets and more are on the way.

Types of VR Viewers

Some more expensive headsets come with their own special screens. Others allow the viewer to use their existing smartphone, which fits inside a special holder, which is sometimes made of cardboard.

In both instances, once the user puts the headset on, their entire field of vision is filled with whatever appears on the screen. It’s sort of like seeing a movie in an IMAX theater.

What makes virtual reality different, however, is that as the viewer moves their head, what they are seeing moves with them. The can look up, down, sideways and behind them.VR provides users with a 360-degree perspective, which is why it seems like viewers are immersed in a totally new world.

VR provides users with a 360-degree perspective, which is why it seems like viewers are immersed in a totally new world.

How Virtual Reality Could Help Your Business – VR and Business

If you aren’t already thinking about ways you can incorporate virtual reality experiences into your marketing, you should be.

The technology that enabled VR has been in the works for years. But the bandwidth required to support the platform has been too large until recent technology developments enabled it.

Now that it has arrived, it will soon take over as the new, go-to format for everything from movies and sports to education and tourism. In the very near future, virtual reality will move from the fringes of technology to the mainstream of marketing, much the same way as streaming video or social media did just a few years ago.

While developing a VR campaign may be cost prohibitive right now for all but the biggest corporations, the costs of developing VR promotions will only come down as the platform becomes more widely used. Developing ideas now for ways your business can use VR in the near future will help you prepare for success.

Top 4 Qualities of Effective Web Design

Learning how to design attractive, effective web pages is just like learning any other new skill. It requires a basic understanding of the primary elements.

Once you learn the basics of good web design, you can build on this knowledge and, combined with your experience and practice, begin to create better and better pages that reach a wider and wider audience.

The basics of top-quality web design fall into four categories: Layout, f0nts and typography, color, and images.

Layout

Layout refers to where the different elements of your website are located on your web page.

People have certain expectations when they arrive on any web page. They want to be able to navigate your page intuitively. If you try to get too fancy or creative with your web page layout, it can backfire on you.

It’s better to stick with the basics and give your page visitors what they expect.

– Fonts and Typography

The type and size of the fonts you use on your web page are important. Make your text too large or too small and it can turn away visitors.

A good approach is to use standard fonts and standard sizes. If you aren’t sure what these are, visit the web page of your most successful competitor and use what they are using.

Top 4 Qualities of Effective Web Design – Color

The color of your web page generally needs to fit with your business or brand. If you have a logo, it’s usually smart to use those colors, or colors that are related or complement your standard colors.

Color is one of the most important factors in web design because it communicates with visitors on a non-verbal level.

Top 4 Qualities of Effective Web Design – Images

Images are arguably the most important element of your web page design. Try to choose images that are appealing but still communicate the purpose of your page.

Think Locally But Market Globally

flatlay business background 38BFGMF Easy Resize.com

The transition from traditional marketing to digital marketing isn’t just a shift from newspapers, TV, and radio to the internet and social media. It’s also a shift from local to global.

When you promote your business online, people from anywhere in the world can view your web pages, social media posts, digital advertising, and other online marketing. And that literally opens up a whole new world for your business.

Think Locally But Market Globally – Unintended Consequences

Owners who don’t think their business appeals to prospective customers outside their local market are often mistaken. With the internet, you never know who is going to land on your website, view your social media posts, or come across your advertisements.

For example, let’s say you own a cupcake shop on South Beach. You might think your only customers are those in your immediate area, most of whom are probably walking by and coming into your store on impulse.

But if you have an optimized website, your business is likely to be found by cupcake enthusiasts worldwide — especially those who are planning to visit Miami in the near future and who may make it a point to put a visit to your business on their trip’s itinerary.

Think Locally But Market Globally – Thinking Big

That’s why it’s always a good idea to think globally when designing your online marketing and promotions. The likelihood that people from other states — and other countries — are going to find your business using specific search keywords (“South Beach cupcake shops”, for example) is high.

Even if you don’t do mail order, the global reach of the internet allows your business to be found by people anywhere, and at anytime.

So don’t limit your business’s potential by playing by the old-fashioned rules that applied to outdated traditional marketing. Today’s business owners need to act locally, but think globally when it comes to their digital marketing.

More Storage Lets You Do More with Your Website

fashion designer working at desk SJLMPH9 Easy Resize.com

You may have noticed that computers, tablets, and smartphones are getting smaller and faster than ever before. While some of that has to do with technological advancements like high-definition screens and improvements in processing speeds, none of it would be possible without the huge leaps that have taken place in data storage.

While some of that has to do with technological advancements like high-definition screens and improvements in processing speeds, none of it would be possible without the huge leaps that have taken place in data storage.

When the original iPhone was introduced in June 2007, it had only 8 GB of storage. The iPhone 7, which was released this year, has up to 128 GB of storage.

More Storage, More Capabilities

Most of us have had the experience of unboxing a new smartphone, turning it on and being surprised and delighted by how fast it is compared to previous versions. Whether it is an iPhone, an Android, or Google’s new Pixel, today’s devices are faster, sharper, and lighter than ever.

And as data capacities and processing speeds continue to improve exponentially with every new release, they will be able to do new and exciting things.

For example, virtual reality is something that is finally beginning to become a reality after decades of talk about it. Several companies, including Oculus Rift, have introduced VR headsets and content producers are just beginning to offer VR entertainment.

Soon, viewers will be able to watch sporting events, concerts, and even their favorite television shows while immersed in new worlds of virtual reality — all of which is made possible by expanded storage capacity.

More Storage – What Can Your Website Do?

Today, the world is changing faster than ever before. If you are still using an outdated website that hasn’t yet adapted to what consumers are looking for, it could cost you real dollars and cents.

Let “Lytron Lead Generation” help you bring your website design into the future.

Collaboration Is the Key to New Innovations

girl working on a laptop at a restaurant YH4VF7R Easy Resize.com

The traditional “top-down” business model in which executives or ownership make all the decisions and those on the organization’s lower rungs implement them is dead.

Today, for businesses to succeed they need innovative, fresh, new ideas. No matter how creative your upper-level management is, you’re going to need to depend on other people. You’re going to need to collaborate.

An “Open Ideas” Policy

The people who know best about how to improve the products or services your business offers typically are the ones on the front lines. It’s critical that ideas be harvested from line-level employees.

They are the ones dealing directly with customers, clients, vendors, and other people important to your business. So they are the ones most likely to know the best ways to improve your business, its operations, its products, or its services.

Innovative organizations need a constant flow of new ideas. Implementing an “open ideas” policy in which any employee is empowered to offer suggestions on ways the business could improve without fear of reprisal or embarrassment is key.

Collaboration Is the Key to New Innovations – Rewarding Creativity

Your workers will be less likely to keep their great ideas to themselves if you offer to reward or recognize them for their contribution to your business’s success.

Some companies have implemented a “Big Ideas” program in which any employee can make recommendations on ways to improve products, services, or anything having to do with the way the organization is run.

Under this type of program, if the employee’s “Big Idea” is implemented and results in an increase in profits, a reduction in expenses, or more efficiencies, they can share in the benefits in the form of a bonus. Or they might simply be recognized publicly for their contribution to the company’s success.

In either case, soliciting ideas from every member of the team then rewarding and/or recognizing their contribution is one of the most effective forms of collaboration.

What’s Next for Smartphones and Tablets?

business still life concept P25Z7LG Easy Resize.com

In recent years, digital devices have become practically universal. Just a little more than a decade ago, most people were still communicating via flip phones, razor phones and — if they were really cutting edge — a BlackBerry.

Today, people are texting, using video chat, sharing high-definition videos, and exchanging data and content on smartphones and tablets that are slimmer, faster, and more powerful than ever before.

So what does the future hold for smartphones and tablets? And what kind of innovations are left that will make our current devices seem quaint and antiquated in another decade or so?

What’s Next for Smartphones and Tablets? Fixing Faults

While today’s devices are convenient, they still have some drawbacks that need to be improved or corrected.

For one, most users who use their devices constantly are also continually struggling to keep their smartphones and tablets charged. It’s a good bet that device manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and now Google are furiously developing batteries that hold a charge longer — think days rather than hours.

What the WiFi?

Another likely improvement is speed and WiFi coverage. While the networks have been expanding every year since wireless devices were first introduced, there are still a lot of spots where users can’t get coverage or where WiFi is still lacking.

Improvements in bandwidth, coverage, and device processors should make smartphones and tablets faster and give them more capacity so they can accommodate even more improvements in picture and video quality — including virtual reality.

What’s Next for Smartphones and Tablets? Where’s the Wires?

Apple already has eliminated the headphone jack on its newest iPhone 7 and it’s a good bet other manufacturers will soon follow suit.

Headphones tethered to devices with wires will likely become a thing of the past. And look for earpieces to be replaced with high-tech glasses that provide augmented reality, smartphones that double as VR viewers, and other tech that hasn’t even been imagined yet.