A week ago we presented to you an overview of CSS and some of its main features.  We determined that CSS3 is a great tool for use in the realm of Denver website development.

In comparison to CSS2, CSS3 includes the addition of some great a elements that help with font styling, background image layering (two background images at once!), as well as layout set up (multi-column layouts for a newspaper-like feel).  CSS3 features also include a whole new range of color options.  Essentially, the possibilities are endless with CSS3!

Today we’re going to introduce a few specific advantages that CSS3 has over older versions, as well as the use of HTML or XHTML alone (without CSS).

CSS3 is Constantly Changing

Along with the ever-developing world of technology that we find ourselves residing and thriving in today, CSS3 continues to change. CSS3.info is an example of a website that frequently presents the continuing development of CSS modules.  Web designers and programmers continue to mold CSS3 to fit their needs, so you can count on new possibilities for your website coming up just around the corner!  The simple fact that CSS3 is versatile and stable, yet dynamic, is simultaneously comforting and exciting.

CSS3 Saves Time

Smashing Magazine is just one source that produced some interesting test results that show just how much more efficient the use of CSS3 can be for your website needs.  With CSS3′s intricate features, a whole set of images can be tweaked at one time.  Tweaking with CSS3 is a much faster process than individual tweaking with Photoshop images.  CSS3 files also take up less space in cyberspace, so file sizes are smaller; and therefore, loading times are quicker!

CSS3 is Versatile and Adapts to the Viewer’s Browser

As we are all surely aware, different browsers mean different appearances.  While a website may look great in Firefox, it may look absolutely dreadful in Internet Explorer.  One of the great aspects of CSS3 is that it helps the website developer program their site to adapt to the settings of multiple browsers.  Obviously, a solid code base that works across multiple browsers is necessary to get this to work.  However, once your base design is established, a variety of CSS3 tricks can be used to make this so-called “progressive enhancement” work!

CSS3 Includes the Use of Media Queries

With everything from Droids to iPads, people today are viewing the internet from many different forms of technology.  With CSS3′s use of media queries, the coding can be implemented to help fit the viewing device’s needs.

So…if you aren’t already using CSS3, what are you waiting for?!

Free e-Book: Website Fundamentals

You have a website, but is it getting found? Find out what you need to know about website fundamentals in our free e-book.

Download Now

As a Denver internet marketing company we work to help companies establish their online presence.  Part of what goes into establishing this online presence is bringing their brand into play.  Branding not only includes the logo and name of the company, but how the company is recognized when things are said about it or what it represents through its content.

Companies should be concerned about their online brand. Research released by Pew Forum in September of 2010 shows that 58% of customers will do online research before making a purchase.  This means that a company, regardless of size, needs to have a consistent and well-maintained online brand.

To have a consistent web brand, a company should first put forth every effort to have a consistent name across all platforms.  Some companies just take what is available on each site.  This isn’t what should be done.  A company should research and selectively choose a name that fits across all platforms.  When a company has a name that spans every platform, not only does it make the company easier to access but it helps build SEO as well.  And of course, the more creative the name, the more memorable. For instance, we know of a design company that has branded their business initials as OCD.  This shows potential clients that this company will be very detailed in the designs they produce.  Having a creative name that points towards work ethics or business goals is always a plus.  Creative, memorable, and meaningful are all types of names that will help build a brand that can be recognized above the rest.

Next, a company needs an image that they can post across every platform.  This, again, should be a given but at times doesn’t happen.  To present the utmost professionalism, make sure the brand image is sized to fit the social media platform.  This shows that the company has a brand plan.  With the world in such a visual state, having a quality brand image will once again move a company to front-runner status in whatever niche they are in.

There are more facets to branding than just name and image.  The language of how a company presents itself plays into its brand as well.  Companies have made names for themselves just by the way that they communicate via social media.  The way a company communicates via social media should be unique to their niche.  Communicating via social media should be organic and not automatic.  This isn’t saying that posts shouldn’t be scheduled, but that there should be communication between followers and fans.  Following through with the same communication in organic conversations in social media posts from the business helps increase brand awareness.

Doing these three things will help a company be miles ahead of the rest in brand awareness.  Names, images, and language styles aren’t just limited to social media, though.  These  branding opportunities can be carried over into print and other multi-media advertising too.  This will allow for a heightened brand awareness that will help drive customers to the business.

What exactly is SEO?

We hinted that having a brand helps build SEO.  How does this happen? Read our SEO handbook, it will shed some light on the situation.

Download Now

There’s a relatively new addition to the world of web development out there, and that new addition’s name is CSS 3.  CSS 3 is the newest version of CSS, with plenty of unique and exciting features.

As you are probably aware, CSS is an important web language that functions to help meet your creative needs when building a website.  CSS stylesheets and style elements help to determine everything from background image placing to hyperlink appearances to table colors.  While CSS will not get you anywhere without some good solid HTML code behind it, it’s still an important element in terms of aesthetics.  While HTML is the “meat and potatoes,” so to speak, CSS is the salt, pepper, garlic, and butter…you get the idea.

So why is CSS 3 so great?  Today we are going to give you a few examples of CSS 3′s new features, and you will have to agree with us that it can certainly help satisfy your web design needs!

First, let’s talk about the basics of what CSS has to offer:

• background image alignment and repetition rules: without this, background images would certainly be a headache
• link style for hyperlinks, visited links, active links, and links on “hover:” so you can venture out of the blue and purple link world
• font styling aspects including color, size, and font-family properties: for those times when you get bored of Times New Roman
• styling for tables including background color, and some border styling properties: it’s all about uniformity, folks
• styling for text area boxes including background color, and some border styling properties: again on the uniformity…it keeps things looking neat

Now, besides having all of the above, here are some neat CSS 3 features:

• multi-column layouts to create a newspaper-like look so that text continues from one column to the next: pretty useful if you are into the whole blogging thing!
• the power of speech: if you are using Opera, that is
• the ability for users to resize website elements: say goodbye to any pesky little scrollbars that are hindering the user-ability of your website
• the ability to create shadowed text: a little cheesy, possibly, but pretty neat all the same
• the ability to designate background pixel size: way easier than editing the image repeatedly in Adobe Photoshop
• the ability to use multiple backgrounds on one page: again, so much easier than edits upon edits upon edits of one image
• use of opacity in terms of colors: for example, you could make red text fade to pink in precisely the same warm-toned shade
• ability to use an image as a border around tables: seriously, how cool is that?!
• a wider range of color options with the use of hue, saturation, and lightness numbered colors: it’s not all about hex codes anymore
• rounded border corners: simple, but this is an element that could certainly change the look and feel of your website!

So you get our drift.  CSS 3 has made some pretty snazzy additions to the CSS family, and chances are, you’re itching to try them out!  So we will get back to you next week with some more details on writing the CSS of your dreams.

Free e-Book: Website Fundamentals

You have a website, but is it getting found? Find out what you need to know about website fundamentals in our free e-book.

Download Now

To think: this question could one day influence whether or not a person will be hired or considered for a sponsorship.  As a Denver internet marketing company we follow web trends and sites that have influence on how the web works.  Klout has become one such site.

Klout is a website with the goal of measuring an individual’s online influence.  Started in 2008, when Klout reached mainstream it was measuring the influence of individuals through just their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Klout measures influence across three ideas: True Reach, Amplification Probability, and Network Influence.  They look at true reach by how many people an individual is connected with.  Amplification deals with how people respond to the individual’s social media posting: do they share, comment, etc. Finally, network influence deals with how influential an individual’s true reach is, coupled with how often their social network shares the individual’s message.   These three areas come together to form an overall score that spans from 1 to 100.

Recently Klout has begun to expand beyond just measuring Twitter and Facebook, to measuring LinkedIn profiles, Foursquare check-ins, and Youtube videos.  All of these were added within the last two months.  Then this week Klout added measuring capabilities for Instragram, tumblr, blogger, Last.fm, and Flickr.  We can understand that social media moves fast — however, this expansion beyond just the typical social media platforms raises red flags.  Is Klout expanding too fast? One would hope not.  They seem to be expanding at their own pace. Only time will tell.

The other question that has been posed is “Where do businesses fit in?” Klout currently only measures personal Facebook profiles and not business pages.  They have yet to release their reasoning, but hopefully in due process Klout will offer this feature.

The main place that businesses can use Klout is knowing which influential people are talking about their niche, and sometimes specifically their product.  This offers so many advantages for companies to offer the right product placement with people who are going to project their message to the masses.  This changes the game when it comes to marketing.  Doing this gives faces and personal connections to products that have never been seen before.

Klout has begun offering “perks” to these people.  Most notable so far has been the Spotify perk: allowing Klout users in America the first look at the new music application.  Other perks have gone to people who are influential about food, movies, department stores, electronics, and hygiene products.  The opportunities for perks are endless.

As social media becomes more of a marketing medium, recognizing who is influential about topics is going to help companies stay on the forefront when it comes to marketing their products and services.  Klout found a niche in the online world that not only individuals enjoy, but companies find useful.  It seems that they will be around for a long time, as long as they stay accurate in determining who is influential.

As individuals, finding our niche that we wish to promote in social media will be key for our personal futures. Right now we must understand that Klout is built towards the individual and realize that businesses themselves may not have the highest Klout score.  We must also keep in mind that it’s not just about having a high Klout score, but specifically what topics a person is influential about.  Some people may have a low Klout score but still be influential within their social media network or in their search engine rankings.

The closing question for you readers is: What is your Klout? Comment with your score!

More Questions about Social Media?

Have a look at our Social Media for Business handbook.  Filled with helpful tips on how to maximize a companies social media experience, this e-book will not disappoint!

Download Free

 

So one of the big questions, once you have established and built your website, is how do you add that personal touch?  With millions of websites out there, some probably focusing on the same sorts of services and products your website offers, how do you make yours stand out?

Rather as a store or a business run out of an office might operate, successfully centering your business around your website means taking some extra care.  With online marketing in mind, we have pinpointed a list of three key ideas for you to focus on when you are aiming for success.

Customer Service

Make sure that customers and visitors alike to your website can find out what exactly they want to know.  Whether this means a subscription email list, a form for questions (which should be answered in a timely manner), or a small forum within your website…this part is important.  A small forum on your website can certainly add a unique touch to your methods of internet marketing, because this a feature that makes your website truly interactive.  Forums can give you ideas, too!  Connecting with a social media network of some sort is also useful in the realm of customer service.  A Facebook page can help connect you with a current target market for your business, and can help you to expand your market as well.  Facebook pages, or other social media platforms, can also become a good place to market with photographs or videos.  While your website should look professional, a social media page can be a little more casual and relaxed, and is a good outlet for creativity and fun.

Frequent Updates

An easy way for any website to fall behind is lack of updates.  Current information pertaining to your business as well as the industry your business resides in is vital.  A great way to keep up with this is to have a company blog.  Going back to our previous idea of customer service, a blog is another way to get feedback (by way of comments) as well.  Your business website should always have the most current information on the products or services your business offers and the successes your business has had.  Your website is a direct reflection of your business; everything from recent customer reviews to snippets of your other marketing campaigns (besides internet marketing techniques) should certainly be included.

Something Unique

Maybe you have everything on your website up to date, and in the right place.  Your customer service is outstanding, and you are constantly getting some good feedback.  So what can help put you above the competition?  Try something no one else has done before.  Maybe you create a smart phone app that connects directly back to your website and is centered around your company.  Maybe it’s some kind of online game that helps people grasp the concept of what your business is all about.  The unique thing about your website could even be in the design, for example, a particularly interactive and innovative website made with Flash.  The point is, you want to make an impression.  When a visitor arrives at your domain, you want your website to capture their interest (and make them keep coming back).

Free e-Book: Website Fundamentals

You have a website, but is it getting found? Find out what you need to know about website fundamentals in our free e-book.

Download Now