Smart phones have taken us beyond just making calls.  We can get driving directions, find the nearest sushi restaurant or even get recipes for dinner on our commute home. I tell my clients to think of them as small laptops revolutionizing the way we market and reach our audience.

More and more smart phones are entering the marketplace, they are faster, smaller and more attractive than their predecessors. The growth of smart phones is about 2.5 times that of personal computers. And research shows that between 2011-2013 there will be more smart phones connected to the web than computers. Take a minute and process that statement. Now, let's assume that in the near future everyone will have a smart phone – how will people change the way they get their information?

The data shows that people with smart phones are more likely to download videos, interact with apps (including social media) and use the mobile web.  This means your existing website will need a mobile version because you can't risk not having your brand/service/product accessible to this growing market.

This creates a drastic change in the how we process data and information. The obvious problem is that mobile websites cannot deal with technology such as Flash (yet) so they have to be simpler and more condensed.  Second, and most importantly, you need to design the mobile site for someone who is "mobile". They are not sitting at a desk and don't have time to read lengthy copy. So keep the information pertinent to their needs (while on the go).

More and more smart phones are being sold each and every day and they are driving mobile web traffic and usage to record highs. Is your brand mobile ready?

Tags: mobile media | mobile website | smart phones

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With all the different technology available, it can be a little challenging to decide what CMS to build your website with. So here is my quick guide to help you evaluate what system is best for you.

First - do you really need a content management system?
Unless you are planning on updating your site often, it doesn't make sense to have a CMS. A content management system will cost you more to produce and host than a regular HTML site. When you compare that cost to what an agency would charge to make updates on your behalf – the latter is usually the most cost-effective choice. You may also want to consider whether being personally in charge of your site maintenance is in fact a good thing. Many people like the idea, but soon discover that learning CMS and finding the time to make the necessary edits on a consistent basis, may not be worthwhile.

Select the system that works best for your needs
Is your website’s primary focus e-commerce, a portfolio of work or a blog? You need to define its main "job" in order to evaluate how best to accomplish it. Joomla works great for large-scale websites that require more complex functions, whereas WordPress is ideal for smaller sites that are blog-driven. If you plan on simply posting blogs and photos, then you are better off with a CMS with limited capabilities that’s easier to learn, maintain and less expensive to host.

Look at the administration interface
Can you figure out how to handle the basics with no instruction? If you can't add or edit a page, write a blog or add an image without a tutorial – find another CMS. You don't want to be "re-learning" how to implement changes every time you log in. One last note here, if it doesn't have a WYSIWYG editor for articles or posts – walk away. You don't need a system that makes more work for you.

Pick standard platform
I run across people who build their sites with unknown, unsupported or even proprietary systems. This can become very expensive down the road. All too often, the original developer goes missing and you're stuck trying to find someone to take over a site that doesn’t follow common protocols. A standard, common platform will save you thousands of dollars in development costs if something goes wrong. Choose a supported CMS like WordPress or Joomla and stick with it!

It should offer some creative flexibility
Some content management systems don't allow a lot of customization in the layout and look of the site. You will want to update your site appearance every couple of years and you don't want to create a whole new site just to change some basic cosmetic features.

Support and documentation
Sooner or later, technical issues will likely arise, regardless of which CMS you choose. It’s invaluable to have someone readily available who can fix the problem or offer you professional advice. If you have an agency, they will handle the issue for you and spare you a lot of frustration, but if you're on your own, make sure the CMS you choose offers an active support and reference community online you can contact for help.

Tags: website | joomla | cms | content management system | WordPress

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If you are serious about doing Search Engine Optimization (SEO), one of the things you need to improve is your Alexa ranking. Here are some simple tips to help raise that ranking and get more visitors to your site!

1. If you're using Firefox as your browser, add Alexa SearchStatus - it will track hits. Here is the link: http://www.quirk.biz/searchstatus/
   
2. Once you have SearchStatus installed, set your index or blog as your default homepage. Note: if you work in an office - set all the computers up with Firefox and use SearchStatus. Encourage your friends or readers of your blog to do the same. If you are in Europe, make friends with an owner of a cybercafe and have them do this simple step. It's all about getting traffic that is recordable.
   
3. Sign up at Alexa and put a widget on your website. Rate your site and have friends and co-workers do the same. 
4. Pay-per-click ads will bring in more traffic and help increase your Alexa rank, but this will require good content and good ads. I'd only suggest this for sites that are established and are looking to move to the next step.
   
5. Try putting material up on Digg.com or Stumbledupdon.com.
   
6. There are some other ways to artificially increase your rank, but getting it the old fashioned way is better. Alexa may adjust for drastic increases. Be wary of anyone promising you dramatic results quickly.

With these ideas, and probably some others you find around the web, you should be improving your Alexa ranking every quarter!

Tags: Firefox | SearchStatus | Tips | SEO | Alexa | Rob

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It's finally here and I'd like to thank the whole team and our patient developers for all their hard work and effort.

We switched from standard HTML to a content management site that allows us to make updates with much more frequency. In choosing a content management system (CMS), we wanted to make sure it was scaleable, customizable, under active development and had an active community. We ultimately chose Joomla as our content management system and even uploaded it to a faster server so everyone can enjoy it.

The new site offers our clients access to more resources and up-to-date information. We added a blog, case studies and social media links to Facebook and LinkedIn (see the Stay In Touch section). Further, we've made it easier to access past newsletters for reference, browse our portfolio, find our services, get the latest news about the team, read team bios and even transfer and store files.

There still some features under development and we'll keep you informed of those updates here in the blog.

We hope you enjoy the new website and feel free to share your comments at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tags: Rob | Davidson & Belluso | content management system | cms | joomla | website

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