We anticipate our market for Contribute website templates to be end users and developers alike. Our basic Contribute template will be an excellent starting point for further development and third party application integration by web developers.

At this point, we would like to invite input on features and functions. Please share your wish list of top features with us. We also invite fellow Adobe Dreamweaver template gurus out there to chime in . . . and/or participate in development. Contact us to discuss getting in on the ground level of development.

Applied Web Vitals is a web design and development company. Please feel free to contact us to explore your next design, redesign or site enhancement project.

While on the topic of freeware though, some other thoughts have come to mind…

The reality of open and free technology catches up with us eventually. PodPress was developed and is maintained by a gracious individual who doesn’t profit from his work and offers it free to the public. Thousands (141,380 to be exact) have benefited and profited from this great tool. And at the same time, when it stops working, the same number of users come to a screeching halt. While some users like myself are occasional to frequent users, I know that others include large news syndications. What a great deal of faith and operating efficiencies we put into freeware!

Man, it hurts when your tools stop working! But if I tallied up the potential cost of all the freeware tools that I use, my business wouldn’t be able to afford them and wouldn’t be anywhere near where it is now.

…And so we appreciate the great benefits of the latest information revolution

Applied Web Vitals is a web design and development company. Please feel free to contact us to explore your next design, redesign or site enhancement project.

Our weekly Web Technology Discussion group will resume on Wednesday August 20th at 7pm - at The Market Commons Barnes & Noble cafe in Myrtle Beach. We will not be meeting 8/6 or 8/13.

Unless I get a special request otherwise, the main topic for 8/20 will be e-commerce. We’ll cover the different shopping cart options available, store functionality and things to consider, inventory management, payment processing and credit cards, and all the little details that need to happen before you get your first e-customer.

Thanks and I look forward to see anyone and everyone that’s interested in attending (it’s free by the way).

- Dominic

More info about the web technology discussion group.

Through a close dialog with the client, the site was mapped and a design, modeled after select premier online retailers, was mocked up for review and an enthusiastic approval.

TheTeakHut.com was built on the Dreamweaver template structure to give the client full site management control with Adobe Contribute. With our developed template platform in place, The Teak Hut was able to take the reins right out of gates and begin adding and removing content, creating new pages and optimizing their keywords for search engine placement.

The shopping cart application of choice was Ecommerce Templates, a robust and versatile cart that could be customized to meet The Teak Hut’s needs. Integrated throughout the site, a smooth shopping experience was achieved by seamlessly weaving the dynamic shopping cart functionality into every page on the site.

With sixty unique product categories and a very large, and growing, list of products, the ability to integrate the online shopping cart with the company’s Quickbooks POS system was an absolute must. The project required several e-commerce customizations and third part integrator, and in the end a one-of-a-kind solution was tailored for The Teak Hut.

For additional information on e-commerce websites

For additional information on Adobe Contribute, 2

Applied Web Vitals is a web design and development company. Please feel free to contact us to explore your next design, redesign or site enhancement project.

Contribute CS3 is a website editing software program for the PC and Mac, developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Contribute is designed to edit and “contribute” to sites originally built with Adobe Dreamweaver templates. The program allows users to update content, add pages, files and media without any technical expertise or HTML knowledge.

When built on a robust Dreamweaver template structure in conjunction with other select web technologies, Contribute enabled websites are given the legs of a full content management system (CMS). Based on clean HTML/XHTML, CSS and search engine optimized code, Contribute sites are offered some great advantages over other popular CMS platforms.  Notably, traditional content management systems rely on server side technology and database counterparts that make customization and ongoing system management time intensive, technically complex and costly. Contribute sites on the other hand, once put into place, get better mileage between maintenance and have the huge advantage of simply having less parts to break—1. a premium Adobe program that comes with support and 2. straight forward server files—it doesn’t get any more simple than that.

Read how Adobe Contribute CS3 has helped Hopalong Animal Rescue save time, keep their website up-to-date and ultimately save the lives of more animals.

Applied Web Vitals’ Contribute CS3 website templates will incorporate a host of common small business website features and will come SEO and cross-browser compatible.  Years of best practices, scripts and cutting edge techniques will make this line of Contribute CS3 website templates an exciting addition to the market.

Barnes & Nobles in Market Commons (1063 Howard Pkwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577)

Well, don’t take this news as the definitive green light to go 100% flash just yet. There are quite a few considerations before replacing your HTML with flash and the “advancements” are just that—steps in the right direction. We’re not there yet and I suspect in the end, there will always be some limitations.

Google recently reported on the progress that they’ve made in crawling flash files - “Now that we’ve launched our Flash indexing algorithm, web designers can expect improved visibility of their published Flash content, and you can expect to see better search results…”

No question, this is great news. The ability to search and index flash files offers a significantly greater range of flexibility in building and presenting web content. There is still more progress to be made (a great deal more), but the hard and fast flash vs. html argument is starting to change. Some of the pull quotes from Google below highlight the limitations, which for my preferences, still leaves flash as strictly supplemental media and not a platform for mission critical content delivery.

“…if your Flash application contains links . . . Google may now be better able to discover and crawl more of your website.”

This MAY be a matter of semantics, but the comment “…Google may now be better able…” leads me to believe that indexing links in flash files is still on the horizon and not a here-and-now ability.

“If you prefer Google to ignore your less informative content, such as a “copyright” or “loading” message, consider replacing the text within an image, which will make it effectively invisible to us.”

I’m not pointing this comment out to support the flash issue, but to reiterate the limitations of some forms of media on your website. When Google uses the term “effectively invisible” and your ultimate goal is visibility, then you should examine your site for needless and/or replaceable images that contain key content for your site.

“Googlebot does not execute some types of JavaScript. So if your web page loads a Flash file via JavaScript, Google may not be aware of that Flash file, in which case it will not be indexed.”

There are tremendous advantages to using a JavaScript loading function for flash, including flash player version compatibility or availability, cross-browser functionality, speed, and more.

“We currently do not attach content from external resources that are loaded by your Flash files. If your Flash file loads an HTML file, an XML file, another SWF file, etc., Google will separately index that resource, but it will not yet be considered to be part of the content in your Flash file.”

Separately indexing loaded resources sounds pretty nebulous. Delivering content via XML tuns flash into a living and useful tool. The value of this content comes when presented as a whole not as disparate singular bits of information. Regarding loaded SWF files, this cuts the legs out from under the CMS (content management system) functionality of flash - think of a slideshow or presentation like powerpoint slides. The back-end CMS access to the flash file offers a practical way to manage and contribute content to a web site. Now, I’ve recommended and used flash for this purpose well before search engines suggested indexing the information—so in nothing has changed. I’ll continue to use and recommend it, but when that content is fully accessible, then we’re really getting there.

Back to the question of using flash vs. HTML for content delivery. Today’s verdict: HTML is still king. But keep your eyes on news as it develops. Your flash should slowly gain more mileage as Google and the search industry marches forward race to index flash.

About the author: Dominic Taverniti, owner of Applied Web Vitals, is a web design and development professional with clients throughout the U.S. and abroad. Dominic was recently honored with a Webby Award nomination for work on the Eyes On Darfur website, an Amnesty International special project.

Situations like this call into question the professional ethics and reliability of the virtual web professional. Being a web designer and developer myself, I know that we shouldn’t all be painted with the same brush. Perhaps it’s my business background or the value that I place on my reputation that makes me push to please, complete, improve, excel . . . or to simply do what it is that I say I’m going to do.

The inspiration for this post came from a recent personal experience involving hiring and working with another web designer. The “incident” was painful, costly and (in retrospect) avoidable, or one where the damages could have at least been mitigated.

So over the past several months I’ve been searching out other web professionals to put in my short list of “go to” sub-contractors that I could outsource specialty projects or project pieces to. In my process of identifying these “professionals,” I disregarded the steps of selecting a web designer that I advise others to use (listed below). Perhaps it was the lack of urgency that accompanied this early-stage, network-building effort, but in the end it would be this list that I would go to when the need arose and the work was at hand.

Well, the work was at hand just two weeks ago. An incredibly valuable client handed my name off to their associate with a very high personal recommendation. The work for this new client had a very tight time line, but was within my abilities and my schedule was open so I took it on. As soon as the project got underway though, two separate fires broke out with existing clients that required my immediate attention.

No problem, right? I was prepared, having preemptively assembled a list of professionals to turn to in just a situation as this. With a hard-earned recommendation and my reputation on the line, I went straight to the top and contacted the individual who appeared to be the most capable, professional and expensive. Everything went as planned . . . right up until the due date! Daily communication over the four days of the project pointed to a successful completion. The evening before the due date, I received what would be the last communication with my “professional,” stating that polishing touches along with the latest revisions were being made. And then silence________. I haven’t heard from him since. When noon rolled around the next day, after several (a dozen) phone messages and emails, I got the sinking feeling that I was left holding the bag . . . and the bag was empty.

After the anger and frustration was pushed back, I contacted the client—who in turn needed to present drafts to their client that day—and let them know that I had nothing. Nothing! I was sending them into their meeting empty handed. Just thinking about it right now gets my heart rate up. What in the world happened? Where was this guy? Who was this guy? Ah, now we’re getting some where! (try that last phrase with your best Inspector Clouseau accent) Clumsy and disoriented is exactly how I felt too. My pre-assembled list of web designers was put together without a sense of urgency. Well, the urgency was being sensed now.

In the end, I needed to purchase additional tools (consequently equal to the project budget itself) and work through the weekend to make the launch deadline early the next week. While I’m please to say that the project was ultimately completed on time, I’m even more pleased that the client relationship was preserved–not just with the new client, but with the referral source as well. There was no easy out in this situation. And in the end, being open with the client and doing what it took to get the job done earned their appreciation and desire to work together in the future.

So back to the “who was this guy?” question. Where I went wrong was not doing my homework and background checks, namely not checking references and past work. The process doesn’t have to be as involved as it sounds. Read on for some valuable comments on selecting and hiring a web design professional.

Considerations for selecting and hiring a web designer

• Professional web designer vs. do it yourself. Hiring a professional for the job isn’t a new question; it can be asked at almost any juncture—plumbing, auto care, even dinner. The answer of course isn’t necessarily straight forward. Ask yourself: What is your time worth, how much will the right tools cost, what quality does the final product need to be? and on… The tools available to the do-it-yourselfer have definitely improved over time and have made it a viable option for some entry-level, low-budget or semi-professional projects. From my experience however, if the need is business related then the choice is professional. Sometimes, too often in fact, that decision is made after taking the do-it-yourself road to only find out that the end product missed the mark by so much that it’s embarrassing to show friends, let alone potential customers. In those cases, more money was spent than simply going with a professional web designer in the first place.
• Choose a web professional. There are several professional options to go with. Often the two choices presented are freelance or big company. But consider the often overlooked players in the web design world, including small design shops and branding/marketing firms.
  - Freelance web designers are individuals that take on every facet of the project and will be working personally with you. This personal touch can provide a level of comfort that a large company can not. On the other hand, many freelancers have no structure or formal business to point to, leaving a lot to question.
  - Big web design companies appears to have credibility. Sheer size can give clients a sense of security and confidence. However, as company size increases the cost of personal touch increases as well.
  - Small web design shops can offer both a personal touch and the security of a formalized company (LLC, corporation). Small web design businesses often have the internal resources and skills to fully handle small to medium size/complex projects. When and where needed, small web shops will bring in outside experts to get the job done right, but will continue to manage the project and provide you with a single point of contact and accountability.
  - Branding and marketing companies, both large and small, can be excellent web design facilitators. Using a branding and/or marketing company to manage the project offers the advantage of consistency across your businesses marketing collateral, but this level of professional consulting also comes with a higher price tag.
• Ask for a price quote. But keep in mind that an exact price quote requires an accurate project scope - the more complex the project the more work is require to scope it. Often web designers are asked to provide an itemized quote (scope) of a project. In essence, the “potential” client gets the web designer to do the leg-work on a project for free. If you haven’t done your homework on the concept first, don’t be surprised to get little in return from a designer/developer who is asked to risk their time and effort in exchange for a “chance” at getting selected for the project.
• Call and ask questions. Have a conversation with the professional to see if you’re both compatible. If they speak over you with technical jargon or speak at you in a way that you’re just not comfortable, then it’s a good sign that you should keep looking. The web design and development process has a high level of client touch and you will be spending a good deal of time with them on the phone, back and forth with emails and possibly in person. If you don’t communicate well with your designer, an already intricate and challenging process will be made impossible.
• Check references. Read testimonials and talk to clients. Don’t be afraid for contacting clients directly by tracking them down from the professional’s portfolio. When a web designer values their reputation, they will be more then happy to put you in touch with satisfied clients. And in the end will have a vested interest in preserving that reputation to which you now have direct access.
• Local vs. remote. Meeting with a designer in person is a personal preference and I completely understand the need for some to have the “hand shake” introduction. I tend to gain clients from word-of-mouth and referral, so a level of comfort on both sides is achieved that can often overcome the need for a face-to-face meeting. If you’ve considered all of the previous comments and recommendations listed here, then the decision to hire a local or remote web professional will be a fairly easy one when decision time comes.

About the author: Dominic Taverniti, owner of Applied Web Vitals, is a web design and development professional with clients throughout the U.S. and abroad. Dominic was recently honored with a Webby Award nomination for work on the Eyes On Darfur website, an Amnesty International special project.

Some of our small business owners have found 6PM to be a bit too early. And for those businesses that are open for after business hours for walk-in traffic, 7PM seems like a better meeting time. But before we reschedule, I’d like to get your feedback. Please email us with the time that works best for you . . . as well as days, if Wednesday doesn’t work well.

Once we tally up all the feedback, we may move the time on Wednesday or perhaps launch a second meeting all together to accommodate the extra attendees.

Attending the discussion group is free and open to everyone. We meet to discussions topics such as: building and maintaining websites; search engine optimization; Internet marketing and measurement; business blogging; graphic design & do-it-yourself advertising; and more…. Bring your curiosity and any unanswered web design questions.

The Web Technology Discussion Group of Myrtle Beach is led by Dominic Taverniti, owner of Applied Web Vitals.

While there most definitely is more to the subject and process of SEO (as evidenced by the several hundred pages in The SEO Bilble by Jerri Ledford), this a good streamlined list to compare your site against and get started optimizing. If you have any questions about search engine optimization or would like to optimize your website, please contact Applied Web Vitals anytime.

In the Myrtle Beach area? Join us for the Web Technology Discussion Group every Wednesday at 6PM.

SEO Punch List:

Page structure
- Great content
- URL, title, meta description, meta keywords
- Keyword/keyterm density ~5-7%
- Anchor text (incoming & outgoing)
- Image (file name, alt text, link)
- Formating (H1-2-3, Bold, Italics)
- Fresh content
- Great content (that’s right, first and last!)

Concerns
- Duplicate content
- Hidden content

Content generation
- Forums
- Blogs

Accessibility
- Splash page
- Navigation (text links)
- Flash vs. HTML
- Java Script
- ASP & PHP (dynamically built pages)

Inbound link strategy
- Press releases
- Requesting links
- Writing articles
- Web 2.0 contributions
- Affiliate programs
- PPC (pay-per-click) and Paid Links

Outbound link guidelines
- Relevant links to quality highly ranked sites
- Keyword anchor text
- Be ware of excessive links, including link directory pages
- Check frequently for broken links

Robots, Spiders and Crawlers
- Robot Exclusion Protocol (robot.txt)
- Robot Inclusion Protocol (sitemap.xml)