Apple® has decided to lock down the iPhone™ preventing people from installing third party applications but is encouraging development of Web 2.0 Applications targeting iPhone users. You can click here for more details.
The idea behind Web 2.0 is using the Internet as a platform to develop rich, interactive, and user-friendly applications that can be used entirely from a web browser. The applications are designed to give users the tools they need to create, control, and share data with each other. This blog is a great example of such an application. In theory the more people contribute the more valuable the application becomes. Web 2.0 applications provide you with a multi-platform application you can access from virtually any device that has Internet connectivity and a web browser with standard JavaScript support.
Web 2.0 is still evolving and First Scribe continues to find new ways to offer feature rich, highly interactive applications to our customers that solve their business needs. Contact us for your web 2.0 application development needs.
We are a Minneapolis web design firm, providing professional web design, web site hosting and search engine optimization - SEO. Our blog posts address all sorts of website and technology topics.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Paris Hilton teaches us SEO
Paris Hilton made the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records as the world's "Most Overrated Celebrity" (Showbiz Tonight). This is certainly a dubious award but what does Ms. Hilton have to do with the Internet Marketing world?
Granted, she has an obvious impact on corporate productivity due to extended water cooler conversations regarding the latest Hilton Headlines but is that all she is?
Honest Boss, I'm working!
Surprisingly, Hilton has much to teach us about the Internet in regards to the search algorithm and SERP standings.
How so? Well, we would argue that the best way to learn about search engines is to start with a high-level look at a situation with the following variables:
Hilton meets all of our needs.
"So Paris, How do you rank?"
Granted, she has an obvious impact on corporate productivity due to extended water cooler conversations regarding the latest Hilton Headlines but is that all she is?
Honest Boss, I'm working!
Surprisingly, Hilton has much to teach us about the Internet in regards to the search algorithm and SERP standings.
How so? Well, we would argue that the best way to learn about search engines is to start with a high-level look at a situation with the following variables:
- "Accidental SEO" competition - a lot of similar content without obvious SEO involvement
- Big PageRank - We consider 7/10 to be a good starting point
- A non-saleable item - The lower the profit possibility the better
- Some certainty of new pages
Hilton meets all of our needs.
- News pages almost always rely on a replication of the Editor's headline when writing page title, description and lead content in the story. Therefore the content almost never adheres to common SEO practices.
- There are many news and gossip websites with PageRanks of 7/10 and beyond.
- The news industry is in search of heavy readership but there is no direct profit off each page.
- Hilton is a wealth of information from public record (everyone sees the same arrest report at the same time). She is a constant character in the news of late so we can count with some certainty on the news agencies to pour out news stories about her on a daily basis.
"So Paris, How do you rank?"
- By volume
Search volume for "paris hilton" is respectable at 55,590/day in Overture - Digital Point Solutions. Not bad compared to the bar-setting "porn" at 126,342/day. Compare Hilton's search volume to "iraq war" at 1,780/day and we have the pulse of America but that's for another post. - By SERP
Today a Google search of "paris hilton" gives the #1 placement to Wikipedia - a site well known for fast-loading pages and new, relevant content. Interestingly enough, we found this page was updated with news of Hilton's release no more than 12 hours after her release. - New Content
Hilton was released from prison this morning which means that there are bound to be new stories to that effect for us to find. A Google search for "paris hilton release" brings up quite a few copies of the same Associated Press story on June 23, 2007. The top listing is from hollywood.com - a 7/10 site with a big text link front and center on the home page that points to the new content.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Vista hurts First Scribe productivity
Windows Vista was released in late January of this year and the tech industry anticipated it would be a huge step forward, visually at least, for the stale PC platform. Vista toted many enhancements over Windows XP including an enhanced user interface, superior security/connectivity, and better integrated backup. While many of these features are well deployed Vista also has its share of quirks and issues.
Improvements and Features
The new user interface, Aero, is visually light years ahead of previous Windows versions. The new desktop allows windows to be stacked and shuffled on screen which makes multi-tasking much easier. It also sports transparent edged "glass" windows which make it look pretty slick when compared to the standard blue or grey XP windows.
The security center is something that has been available since Windows XP Service Pack 2 but the Vista variation better integrates anti-virus, anti-spyware, and Windows updates. The improved connectivity mostly deals with wireless and more complex networks and doesn't seem to have much value to a standard Ethernet based LAN.
A more robust integrated backup solution had been needed for a while. While the standard backup tool provided in Windows XP did an ok job it was difficult to schedule and not very reliable. If the computer wasn't left idle after the backup it was difficult to determine if the backup was successful without digging through event logs... not something your average user wants or knows how to do. Vista makes scheduling routine backups very easy and provides noticeable feedback if problems occur. Some versions of Vista also provide a "Complete PC Backup" option which essentially creates a disk image. This is much easier to restore and more complete than the file backups.
Drawbacks and Limitations
While these enhancements are overall a step forward for PC computing, Vista also came with some unforeseen negativity. The biggest drawback is performance. Two years ago the average workstation had a 2.4 GHz processor and 1 - 2 GB of RAM and rarely was the First Scribe staff disgruntled with the performance. Since the adoption of Vista computer performance has greatly suffered even though current computer hardware is more that adequate for the limited number of applications run on them. The average machine now has a dual core processor and at least 2GB of RAM yet the performance is dismal. Often users have to restart and get "Low on Memory" errors even with only a few running applications. Most production work is done in Adobe Fireworks and/or Dreamweaver and these often become unstable after only a few hours of usage. Users are forced to close background applications, like Outlook, in order to try to keep the main applications running. These problems ultimately lead to lower productivity and the need to sink more money into hardware to try to bring performance up to par.
Another problem, common to any new operating system, is limited driver support. Many basic pieces of hardware such as scanners, printers, and graphic cards are lacking basic driver support and have no support planned going forward either. Major vendors like Hewlett Packard, ATI (AMD), and Adaptec all have products which functioned great on Windows XP but will no longer work within Windows Vista. These components need to be replaced or valuable IT resources need to be invested to develop workarounds when possible.
The bottom line is Windows Vista has brought several great features but at a cost. Vista is currently deployed on less than half of the workstations at First Scribe and will likely get no further adoption. The market offers other competitive products that better fit First Scribe's business needs by providing better performance and a more robust user interface. These are essential for any small business and lead directly to higher employee productivity. That is why the next iteration of workstations at First Scribe will likely be Macs.
Improvements and Features
The new user interface, Aero, is visually light years ahead of previous Windows versions. The new desktop allows windows to be stacked and shuffled on screen which makes multi-tasking much easier. It also sports transparent edged "glass" windows which make it look pretty slick when compared to the standard blue or grey XP windows.
The security center is something that has been available since Windows XP Service Pack 2 but the Vista variation better integrates anti-virus, anti-spyware, and Windows updates. The improved connectivity mostly deals with wireless and more complex networks and doesn't seem to have much value to a standard Ethernet based LAN.
A more robust integrated backup solution had been needed for a while. While the standard backup tool provided in Windows XP did an ok job it was difficult to schedule and not very reliable. If the computer wasn't left idle after the backup it was difficult to determine if the backup was successful without digging through event logs... not something your average user wants or knows how to do. Vista makes scheduling routine backups very easy and provides noticeable feedback if problems occur. Some versions of Vista also provide a "Complete PC Backup" option which essentially creates a disk image. This is much easier to restore and more complete than the file backups.
Drawbacks and Limitations
While these enhancements are overall a step forward for PC computing, Vista also came with some unforeseen negativity. The biggest drawback is performance. Two years ago the average workstation had a 2.4 GHz processor and 1 - 2 GB of RAM and rarely was the First Scribe staff disgruntled with the performance. Since the adoption of Vista computer performance has greatly suffered even though current computer hardware is more that adequate for the limited number of applications run on them. The average machine now has a dual core processor and at least 2GB of RAM yet the performance is dismal. Often users have to restart and get "Low on Memory" errors even with only a few running applications. Most production work is done in Adobe Fireworks and/or Dreamweaver and these often become unstable after only a few hours of usage. Users are forced to close background applications, like Outlook, in order to try to keep the main applications running. These problems ultimately lead to lower productivity and the need to sink more money into hardware to try to bring performance up to par.
Another problem, common to any new operating system, is limited driver support. Many basic pieces of hardware such as scanners, printers, and graphic cards are lacking basic driver support and have no support planned going forward either. Major vendors like Hewlett Packard, ATI (AMD), and Adaptec all have products which functioned great on Windows XP but will no longer work within Windows Vista. These components need to be replaced or valuable IT resources need to be invested to develop workarounds when possible.
The bottom line is Windows Vista has brought several great features but at a cost. Vista is currently deployed on less than half of the workstations at First Scribe and will likely get no further adoption. The market offers other competitive products that better fit First Scribe's business needs by providing better performance and a more robust user interface. These are essential for any small business and lead directly to higher employee productivity. That is why the next iteration of workstations at First Scribe will likely be Macs.
Labels:
Employee Productivity,
Windows Vista,
Workstations
Is Your Website Apple iPhone Compatible?
Internet technology and marketing trends change change rapidly. Twelve years ago Google was nary a thought in some one's head and now they eclipse the Gross National Product of most countries.
The next big wave is coming...
If you've yet to hear of an iPhone™ -- Then you better sit down.
On June 29, 2007 Apple Inc. is set to release the iPhone. It is a touch screen cellular phone that can surf the Internet at near broadband speeds. For all intents and purposes, they built a pocket-sized Macintosh with the handiest connection to the Internet yet.
What is the impact?
Only a small segment of Internet traffic will be surfing with any intensity from an iPhone for the foreseeable future. That being said, this technology will likely impact businesses in the next 6-9 months.
Most businesses rely on some portion of their business from one of the iPhone's target audience. You should reconsider your web presence if you sell goods to any of the following marketing (more obvious) segments:
The problematic segment 4
Segment 4 is less obvious but it concerns us the most. Segments 1-3 are used to new technology so they will absorb a few glitches in trade for the coolest technology. Segment 4 folks generally represent trend followers so they may be forced into this new position and therefore they're not receptive to bugs.
Think in terms of the real estate at a home site with a client. They need information from an MLS listing and they need it now. The sites they visit on the way had better work on their phone.
Or possibly the remodeling contractor compiling estimates, the electrician ordering product, the surveyor updating maps, or the Over The Road trucker away from home.
All of these examples represent a demanding web visitor with a smaller tech. pain threshold - it needs to work. Some of them will have just received their new iPhone and they're under duress to integrate it into their routine.
Their FIRST VISIT to you make the difference between a frustrating departure or a lasting client relationship.
How do I get on board?
The iPhone has two primary issues when it comes to surfing the web (versus a desktop computer) :
Download speeds - As broadband Internet becomes more prevalent, it becomes easier to forget that a solid portion of visitors are connecting at sub-broadband speeds. Remember that the latest and greatest is fine for certain markets but dial-up and mobile connection rates demand a fast website.
Screen resolution - The wide-screen iPhone has a screen resolution of 320 by 480 pixels. The interface allows you to zoom out to see an entire page and the touch-screen enables left to right scrolling.
We encourage you to develop your new iPhone web design in a way that senses the mobile visitor and shows them a website with as little scrolling as possible on their iPhone.
Make it work for the iPhone
Build your website to load fast and scroll less and your visitors will appreciate it. There are also new JavaScript plugins which will recognize the iPhone's mobile browser and serve a mobile version of the site.
The next big wave is coming...
If you've yet to hear of an iPhone™ -- Then you better sit down.
On June 29, 2007 Apple Inc. is set to release the iPhone. It is a touch screen cellular phone that can surf the Internet at near broadband speeds. For all intents and purposes, they built a pocket-sized Macintosh with the handiest connection to the Internet yet.
What is the impact?
Only a small segment of Internet traffic will be surfing with any intensity from an iPhone for the foreseeable future. That being said, this technology will likely impact businesses in the next 6-9 months.
Most businesses rely on some portion of their business from one of the iPhone's target audience. You should reconsider your web presence if you sell goods to any of the following marketing (more obvious) segments:
- Young people between the ages of 20 and 35
- Affluent teenagers
- The traveling "jet-set"
- "Mobile" employees who do a portion of their work on a "work site"
The problematic segment 4
Segment 4 is less obvious but it concerns us the most. Segments 1-3 are used to new technology so they will absorb a few glitches in trade for the coolest technology. Segment 4 folks generally represent trend followers so they may be forced into this new position and therefore they're not receptive to bugs.
Think in terms of the real estate at a home site with a client. They need information from an MLS listing and they need it now. The sites they visit on the way had better work on their phone.
Or possibly the remodeling contractor compiling estimates, the electrician ordering product, the surveyor updating maps, or the Over The Road trucker away from home.
All of these examples represent a demanding web visitor with a smaller tech. pain threshold - it needs to work. Some of them will have just received their new iPhone and they're under duress to integrate it into their routine.
Their FIRST VISIT to you make the difference between a frustrating departure or a lasting client relationship.
How do I get on board?
The iPhone has two primary issues when it comes to surfing the web (versus a desktop computer) :
- Slower download speeds
- Small screen resolution
Download speeds - As broadband Internet becomes more prevalent, it becomes easier to forget that a solid portion of visitors are connecting at sub-broadband speeds. Remember that the latest and greatest is fine for certain markets but dial-up and mobile connection rates demand a fast website.
Screen resolution - The wide-screen iPhone has a screen resolution of 320 by 480 pixels. The interface allows you to zoom out to see an entire page and the touch-screen enables left to right scrolling.
We encourage you to develop your new iPhone web design in a way that senses the mobile visitor and shows them a website with as little scrolling as possible on their iPhone.
Make it work for the iPhone
Build your website to load fast and scroll less and your visitors will appreciate it. There are also new JavaScript plugins which will recognize the iPhone's mobile browser and serve a mobile version of the site.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Apple Releases A Browser For Windows
Apple Inc. released a beta version of its Safari Web browser for Windows this week to compete with Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox.
"What we've got here is the most innovative browser in the world and the most powerful browser in the world," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said during his keynote speech at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference.
Unfortunately, we downloaded the beta version for Windows XP, Service Pack 2 and the browser was buggy enough that we decided to uninstall and wait for the next version. - Download Safari
Regardless of our initial experience, we are excited to see some competition in the browser world.
The new iPhone will enter the market at the end of June, '07 and Safari will undoubtedly be the browser of choice on that equipment. We suggest testing your site(s) in Safari and fully expect to see more Safari visits in your analytics as Macintosh, iPhone, and Safari for Windows grow in market share.
"What we've got here is the most innovative browser in the world and the most powerful browser in the world," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said during his keynote speech at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference.
Unfortunately, we downloaded the beta version for Windows XP, Service Pack 2 and the browser was buggy enough that we decided to uninstall and wait for the next version. - Download Safari
Regardless of our initial experience, we are excited to see some competition in the browser world.
The new iPhone will enter the market at the end of June, '07 and Safari will undoubtedly be the browser of choice on that equipment. We suggest testing your site(s) in Safari and fully expect to see more Safari visits in your analytics as Macintosh, iPhone, and Safari for Windows grow in market share.
Changes in Google caching?
We are noticing a significant difference in the amount of time it takes Google to cache and subsequently rank a new page.
Two months ago, 3 to 6 weeks was a fair estimate to cache status with a PageRank of 0/10 in Google. A quality page rank would arrive somewhere on order of 3 months later.
Now we are noticing a cache time of 6 to 10 weeks with a grey PageRank bar and quality rank on order of 4 months later. This is calculated off of existing pages with an exiting Page Rank of 5/10, and a quality text link pointing to relevant content.
Could it be that Google is sending people to the Sandbox for a longer period?
The only good advice is to consistently add quality content to your website. MSN seems to pick it up first and Google will appreciate it later.
Two months ago, 3 to 6 weeks was a fair estimate to cache status with a PageRank of 0/10 in Google. A quality page rank would arrive somewhere on order of 3 months later.
Now we are noticing a cache time of 6 to 10 weeks with a grey PageRank bar and quality rank on order of 4 months later. This is calculated off of existing pages with an exiting Page Rank of 5/10, and a quality text link pointing to relevant content.
Could it be that Google is sending people to the Sandbox for a longer period?
The only good advice is to consistently add quality content to your website. MSN seems to pick it up first and Google will appreciate it later.
Blogs drive Spiders drive Visitors
When it comes right down to it, Google likes current, relevant content. You will increase your search engine ranking by consistently adding relevant content to your site. Obviously, the easier it is for you to add that content yourself, the more likely it is that you will do so.
Enter - The Blog
Let's take a minute to dispel all the myth and mystery around blogs. All they are is a simple way for the average person to publish information to the web. They are nothing more and nothing less.
Blogs come with a special benefit for search engines - they are highly conducive to search engine spiders. We are noticing a significant traffic benefit to the addition of a blog on our client websites.
One simple example:
East Silent Resort - Minnesota Family Resort
Match the Template
Be sure to set your blog up correctly so that the template closely matches your website design. Your visitors will appreciate the similar look to your site as they navigate.
Enter - The Blog
Let's take a minute to dispel all the myth and mystery around blogs. All they are is a simple way for the average person to publish information to the web. They are nothing more and nothing less.
Blogs come with a special benefit for search engines - they are highly conducive to search engine spiders. We are noticing a significant traffic benefit to the addition of a blog on our client websites.
One simple example:
East Silent Resort - Minnesota Family Resort
Match the Template
Be sure to set your blog up correctly so that the template closely matches your website design. Your visitors will appreciate the similar look to your site as they navigate.
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