What the hell is Responsive Web Design and do I need it!?
The clever chaps in the eSterling Development Team like to think they keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the industry and were therefore all over ‘Responsive Web Design’ some years ago.
It has grown to be a quite an important ideology throughout the internet and therefore deservers a mention on these hallowed pages.
The Idea
The thought process of Responsive Web Design is to build a site which responds and is even able to adapt depending on how the user is viewing the site. Here are just a few parameters which have an effect on how a web site is rendered:
- Browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari etc)
- Monitor Resolution (1024×768, 1280×1024 etc)
- Size of Monitor (11″, 15″, 17″ etc)
- Ratio of Monitor (4:3, 5:3 etc)
- Device (PC, Mac, Tablet, Mobile Phone)
There are one or two variants there but that’s not the half of it!
Here at eSterling we’ve been perfecting this methodology and now incorporate this into every single web build we now undertake. TEST TEST TEST! is the cry from our Development team and our customers reap the benefits!
So next time you need a website always remember to test it as much as possible because you never know what crazy set up some people are using!
I have covered the very basics here but to learn how to incorporate responsive web design into your web site visit our good friends at Smashing Magazine for more information.
Back to Basics Part 3: Domain Names
A domain name is simply the address of your website – for example, our domain name is www.esterling.co.uk.
You will need to buy a domain name for your new website if you don’t already have one and there are a number of options to consider:
- Type of domain name. For a UK business, a domain name ending .co.uk is the best option. If you trade worldwide, you may choose a .com name. If you are a charitable organisation you may choose .org and so on.
- Should I use my company name? A lot of businesses use their company name as their web address, including eSterling. If you have a very long or complicated company name you may want to abbreviate it in some way. Think about how you will use your domain name. If you are going to be mentioning it to customers over the phone, make sure you have one that is easy to understand.
- What are the other options? Some websites very successfully use their product names or slogans as web addresses. The likes of webuyanycar.com or. diy.com (as used by B&Q) spring to mind. This type of domain name can be easier to remember than a company name and can also help with your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). For example, if you sell motorboats and you have a domain that contains this ‘motorboats’, you are more likely to get good results for this product in a Google search.
What else should I think about?
- Who is your web site aimed at? Other businesses? Consumers?
- Will you be printing your domain name on stationary or advertising it elsewhere?
- Is your company name too long or too complicated? Or is it already taken?
- Could you use a domain name which relates to one or more of your products or services?
To find a suitable domain name for your website, simply use the eSterling domain checker www.esterling.co.uk/tools/whois
This tool will show you which domains are available to buy. Then simply give us a call to get started.
Back to Basics Part 2 – The First Steps to Your New Website
Once you’ve decided to have a new website, the fun really begins!
The key to success for any website development project is a strong foundation. This comes from having a clear and precise understanding between the client and development team from the very beginning. For this reason, we meet with all of our clients to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
The procedure usually goes something like this:
- An initial meeting is arranged with our Directors to discuss requirements. At this stage basic elements of design and functionality of your website are discussed, as well as budget and timescale.
- The next step is to meet with the Project Manager and the development team to lay out an exact specification of what you need for your new website to be as effective as possible for your business.
– This part is where you can tell us your ideas, from aesthetic preferences through to functionality. During this meeting we take note of any other websites that you like (and what you don’t like) and also get a feel for what message you are trying to put across to your customer.
– It is also agreed between both parties as to what exactly is feasible within the constraints of time, budget and scope. An exact price is calculated to suit your budget are we also give you an expectation of what end product you will receive.
We find that these early meetings are important for the success of the project. As Project Manager, I find that I’m able to plan your website build more effectively after discussing your needs in detail.
Every project can be faced with hiccups along the way, but if the project has been built on this strong foundation then the difficulty can be overcome – leaving you happy with your new website.
Why We Make Every Website from Scratch
Making a website from scratch, rather than using a template, is the preferred method of almost all professional web designers.
Creating a website from nothing will mean that everything behind the scenes (we call this the code) is specifically required on that website; and there won’t be any unused code that often occurs when using a template.
Website template editors can also produce bloated code, when there is a far simpler way to do the same job by hand. Less code means that the files will be smaller in size and pages will therefore load quicker.
Hand coding also means consistency throughout the website design – for example, there won’t be odd sections with incorrect colours which could easily occur if bits of the template are overlooked.
Problem solving is also significantly easier if a website site is build by hand. Any error that occurs can easily be read by the designer since they wrote it themselves in the first place.
Finally, a hand coded site will be a better product for you, since the designer won’t be restricted in what they can produce and each web design will be unique.
Doing things this way not only helps the website itself, but also allows the designer to improve – which is so important from my point of view.
From the perspective of the designer, constantly having to code a website from a blank canvas will allow them to find new and more efficient ways to create. Not only this, but with the ever changing world of web development, hand coding allows the designer has to develop with the times. This ensures that each new website produced is in-line with what’s happening in web design right now.
Choosing the Right Web Design Company for You
Choosing the right web design company is a tricky thing. There’s a lot at stake, and if you end up with a bad design, bad code and are nowhere to be found in the search engines then you’re at a massive loss.
Here are a few pointers to help you narrow down your search and find the perfect company for you:
Look around!
Don’t just go with the first company you find in Google. Ask people you know or local businesses with good websites which company they used.
Is their own website designed well?
There’s nothing worse than a web design company with a terrible website. If a company can’t design and maintain their own website well enough, will they do that for you? Although you don’t need to like their design, a well designed site is a good indicator.
Do you like their design work?
Every designer should have a portfolio. Have a look at their work, and see if anything catches your eye. Always remember that every client wants a different thing, so bear in mind that they may not have the same aims as yours.
Do their sites work well?
There’s a lot more than just the design. Check their sites in different browsers to see if they break or look same across the board. Make sure they are easy to navigate, well thought out and convey the client’s message well.
Have they made a site with features you want?
Although it’s unlikely that they will have made something to your exact specification, they may have made a site with certain parts you need e.g. ecommerce, content management system etc. Don’t be afraid to contact the company and ask them for specific examples of things you are after.
Do their sites rank well?
Try and find some of their portfolio sites in Google, obviously without using their company name! You want your completed website to be easily found, so make sure that they can do that for you.
So what’s next?
Gather a shortlist of the best companies you have found and approach each one with your specification. Remember don’t always go for the cheapest option. It is more important to go for a company that understands your needs, you can communicate well with and will deliver you exactly what you set out to get.
Why Smart Phones are Taking Over the World
It’s amazing to think that the number of mobile internet users looks set to surpass desktop users within the next four years.
Just take a look at the facts:
- 89% of theUKpopulation use a mobile phone [Source: Ofcom, October 2010]
- 54.3 million smart phones were sold in the first quarter of 2010 alone. [Source: Gartner, via AOP Digital Landscape Report, June 2010].
- 7.1 million people access the internet through a mobile phone [Source: Internet Monitor Survey, Kantar Media, September 2010]
- Smart phone usage in theUKis growing up to 70% faster than inEurope. [Source: comScore/GSMA MMM, via AOP Digital Landscape Report, June 2010].
These figures really show how much we’re in love with smart phones. And it’s easy to see why – as Claire discussed in her post last week –smart phones can be used anywhere and everywhere. The internet is available to your customers on the go and as long as you have a mobile website, your customers can find you while they are on the train, waiting for the bus, on their coffee break or even when they’re having their hair cut!
If potential customers can find your mobile site from their smartphone, they are more likely to choose you over your competitors. Because smartphones are great for sharing, your customers can also use their phone to share links to products with their friends via Facebook or Twitter – meaning that they can spread the word about your products for you!
Now is the time to get ahead of your competition by investing in a mobile website. These sites are specially designed for new smartphone technology, helping your company to tap into a lucrative audience of new customers that want access to your website when they’re on the go.
A mobile website is different to a regular website in both appearance and functionality. Mobile websites need to be much simpler than a conventional website in order to suit the mobile phone format. This means that there need to be fewer graphics (as these can take time to load) and less text so that your customers can access the information they need fast.
A mobile site also needs to be compatible with the different smartphones on the market and therefore needs to be coded in a clever way. If you find that your current website looks great on a desktop, but not so hot on a mobile, then it’s time to upgrade and get a mobile website that suits the purpose perfectly.
Make sure you are leading the way and contact eSterling today about your new mobile website by emailing us at enquiries@esterling.co.uk.
What is Google Shopping?
When your customers search using Google, it is possible for them to refine their search to shopping only results to help them find the products that they need. This is useful to consumers if they have a specific product in mind and they wish to compare prices between different retailers.
To try out Google shopping for yourself, simply click on “Shopping” at the top left of the Google home page and type in a product name (e.g ‘iPhone 4’). This directs you to the Google Product Search page and here you will find a list of products that are available to buy on the internet. These results can be sorted by category, price, brand and retailer – helping the user to locate exactly what they want quickly and easily.
If you have an e-commerce website, you will not want to miss the opportunity to get your products listed in the Google Shopping results. Making sure that your products appear in this search will help you attract new business and generate sales by helping your customers to find your site easily.
With the help of eSterling, it’s simple to submit a product feed to Google, as we can configure this to happen automatically from your e-commerce database. For further information about how to get your products listed in Google Shopping, please contact eSterling Limited by emailing enquiries@esterling.co.uk.
Why Web Designers do NOT have it easy…
As web designers our job is not only to create kick-ass web sites, but also to educate our clients in the ways of the internet and to explain to them the limitations we all have to abide by.
In this article I will outline some of the biggest issues that face web designers and developers across the world and help you realise why we do certain things the way we do.
1) Cross Browser Support
What’s a browser? Why is it angry? Let me explain..
A browser is the program your computer uses to view web sites and there are a number of different browsers you can choose from, the main contenders are Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome etc. They all render websites in their own special way, which can alter how they appear to you.
In order to be provide you with a valid website we have to test each site in over 5 browsers and make sure it is not only looking right but also functioning correctly in each of them.
Add to this the fact that the companies who make these browsers will keep on updating them, putting multiple versions of multiple browsers into the mix. This makes the job of the web designer tricky to say the least!
One browser in particular has made our job more difficult over the past 9 years and that browser is little ol’ Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. Many of the biggest web sites in the world have now dropped support for this browser, as have many design agencies, so if you are using the dreaded Internet Explorer 6, it’s really time you upgraded.
2) Resolution Issues
I’m not about to confuse you with inane computer jargon so don’t worry, but I do have to mention the Resolution Issue which is cropping up more and more.
Have you ever thought “I want my home page not to scroll”
or “I want my web site to fill up the screen”?
When you say “screen”, web designers think “OK, is it a 17’, 19’, 21’ screen or bigger?
When you say “scroll”, we think “Not scrolling on your resolution? Or all resolutions and screen sizes?”
You see, its not just as easy as coding in HeightOfSite=100% its far more complicated than that.
What we have to do as web designers is come up with a happy medium whereby the site vertically scrolls as little as possible in as many resolutions and monitor sizes as possible. Getting it right for all screen resolutions and monitor sizes is a bit of a juggling act. The end result looks easy, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes!
As a side note, vertical scrolling is now second nature to internet users so it really has no bearing on the success of your new web site.
I hope you have found this article interesting and informative.
So remember, even if something seems easy to you, its probably not the case. You have hired the web designer so trust him or her to do their job properly.
Talking of which, my next post will feature handy tips on how to choose the right Web Design Agency for your next project.
HTML5 Rocks
Google have updated their HTML5Rocks website with all new content – http://www.html5rocks.com/ While obviously targeted at Chrome developers in particular the site has grown from the demo slideshow presented last year into a useful point of reference now containing samples and tutorials.
Also gaining some traction are sites offering basic HTML5 frameworks such as HTML5 Boilerplate – http://html5boilerplate.com/ – which help ease the development time which stock implementations of basic code. Even with such reference code becoming commonplace web application development still lacks tools to speed up the process. Two that are headed in the right direction though are Glimmer – http://visitmix.com/labs/glimmer/ – a Flash-like jQuery animation builder and 280North’s Atlas – http://280atlas.com/ – which mimics Apple’s Xcode. With an acceleration of support for new web standards we hope there will be an increase in the availability of such tools.
Competition Season
The demo scene has been around for a long time. Starting out as intros for cracked software titles back as far as the Commodore 64 days it wasn’t long until tech heads were admiring the work of the coders putting together the jaw dropping technical displays pushing hardware to it’s limit more than the software they had obtained by less than legitimate means. The idea of a demo is to push hardware to produce effects that shouldn’t in all reason be possible while doing so with the least amount of code possible. 64k is seen as pretty roomy for a program, 16k is still enough room to swing a cat but the true hardcore programmers show their skills with a limit of 1k. That’s 1024 bytes. To put that in perspective this article is already 775 characters long at this point.
Creating a program that not only does something in such a small size but produces effects that can push hardware to it’s limits is awe inspiring. This scene has now jumped to the web with the advent of the 1k Javascript contest – http://js1k.com/home – which challenges programmers to produce the same dizzying effects through a simple webpage that allows 1024 characters of Javascript. The results are to a programmers eye a least impressive. See this for example – http://js1k.com/demo/15 – results will of course depend upon your browser, more specifically it’s support for the Canvas element and the speed of it’s javascript engine. Internet Explorer is out of the question but webkit based browsers like Chrome and Safari will display the effects fine.
Somewhat related is An Event Apart’s 10k app contest – http://10k.aneventapart.com/ – the idea of which is to create a useful web app in jst 10k of code with a prospect of a juicy $3,000 reward for the best entry. While the results are less inspiring to a coders eye than the 1k Javascript contest it does show how seriously the web community is now pushing the adoption of HTML5 and especially experimenting with the possibilities of the Canvas tag.