A week ago, we introduced you to Google Web Fonts; or maybe, you had already heard of them!  The fact is, this just-over-a-year-old tool is gaining popularity fast.  There are currently over 100 million font requests each day at Google Web Fonts!  The website is also seeing a 30% growth month to month.  We think those are some pretty impressive statistics, and well deserved, too.

When you consider that Google Web Fonts is becoming a mainstream tool, it only makes sense to utilize it to the fullest extent for your online marketing needs.  More than a handful of prominent websites out in cyberspace have already delved into the open source dream that is Google Web Fonts.  For example, the Royal Wedding website  made creative use of Web Fonts by picking a font with a cursive, ‘handwriting’ feel to it for people to sign their virtual guestbook.  Norad Santa Tracker, a volunteer-run site devoted to making Christmas stories a reality for children, uses Google Web Font’s “mountains of Christmas” (how fitting)!  There are numerous other sites around the web that use Google Web Fonts as well.

So maybe you thought of a creative way to incorporate Google Web Fonts into your site already.  That’s what we like to hear…but here’s another idea…why not take Google Web Fonts off of the web and into other areas of the Denver marketing world?  South by Southwest, a huge music, film, and arts festival held each March in Austin, Texas, made use of Google Web Font’s “lobster” typeface.  ”Lobster” was used on South by Southwest 2011 t-shirts and other merchandise, and consequently essentially became a visual identity of its own.

The fact that Google Web Fonts are completely open source is a huge factor in the philosophy behind web fonts as well as the growing popularity.  As technology becomes more advanced, and designers and developers form and share numerous ideas, open source tools thrive around the web.  On Google Web Fonts being open source, Google Web developer stated, ”they’re your fonts just as much as they are Google’s.”

Just in case you aren’t already convinced that Google Web Fonts can help you meet your internet marketing needs, we will tell you a little bit about how great Web Fonts is for mobile internet.  By definition, mobile internet is simply internet accessible via smart phone or other mobile device.  Obviously, with a large percentage of the world’s cell phone users turning to smart phones, mobile internet tactics are fast becoming vital to the marketing mix.  Google Web Fonts has the ability to detect what kind of device the user is accessing a website from, be it a laptop or a smart phone.  Web Fonts then takes this information into account to optimize the version of the typeface or font families that are being used on the website in question to cater to the device.  Let us also not forget that, in the case of mobile devices especially, Web Fonts are a much better option than images.  Why, you ask?

• less loading time (Web Fonts take up way less storage space and use less bandwidth than images!)
• quality is upheld by Web Fonts even in the case of zooming in (whereas image quality would decrease)
• with multilingual options, Web Fonts can work internationally (that fancy logo you make with Web Fonts can be translated into Turkish and Arabic…could an image do that?)

Now, we just have one more question…
why aren’t you using Google Web Fonts yet?!
We will leave it at that for today, and next week we’ll start some brainstorming for Denver marketing tactics with Web Fonts thrown into the mix.

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Arial, Times, Verdana, Courier New, Georgia…what do all of these font families have in common?

If you happen to be a web designer or developer, you could probably have told us that these are a handful of the meager font-family options that are made available to those creating a website.  Considering the thousands of available font faces found in graphics programs and all over the world wide web, the web-friendly choices are rather disappointing.

Not to worry though, because we have some good news for you.  Google has recently developed and released a program that is already changing web typography as we know it.  This revolution has been dubbed “Web Fonts” and is a piece of cake to use!  Google Web Fonts allows anyone to obtain a new font for their website with three easy steps:

step 1: search and make a choice

Google Web Fonts database can be combed through with any criteria of the user’s choosing.  Users can simply type in keywords in hopes of finding a font face similar to one of their favorites, or can even narrow down a search with variables such as “thickness” and “slant.”  Fonts can also be found according to linguistic script or basic filters such as serif versus sans serif.

step 2: review your choice

This part is quite straightforward.  Once the user has chosen a font they (think) will work well embedded in their website, they will view all aspects of the font that Google Web Fonts has to offer.  Users will see all the styles and variations of their chosen font, so there is no mystery behind a font choice!

step 3: copy and embed the code

Google Web Fonts makes this step as simple as can be, too.  The code and directions for the font of the user’s choice are on the page (and oh-so-easy to use, especially considering we are all aware of how CSS3 works now, right?), ready for copying and pasting.

So, assuming you are all ready to break away from the Arial, Times, and Georgia bandwagon, let’s talk a little bit about how this simple yet fantastic new tool can be useful for Denver marketing.

Synchronization in terms of design

Perhaps all of the graphics on your website do not make use of fonts that fit the Arial, Times, etc. mold.  Though very typical, it can be frustrating not to be able to incorporate that curly, bubbly, or otherwise creative font into your website’s design without spending a good chunk of time on it in Photoshop.  However, with Google Web Fonts, you can certainly find fonts to match your graphics (or, likewise, find the fonts in Google Web Fonts prior to making graphics) and incorporate your newly found fonts into aspects of your website that do not demand a whole graphic to themselves.

Getting trendy

Out with the oh-so-popular Helvetica, in with a new font perhaps?  A unique new Web Font may be able to help you create a trend and attach a certain identity to your brand or company.  Making good use of your favorite Web Font around your website, and maybe even in your logo would be a great way to revamp an old visual identity, or create an entirely new one!

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?!

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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.

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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).

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