Big news in August slipped below my radar. What’s the fuss? There’s now a fix for a small but frustrating problem that has plagued CSS designers ever since the release if Internet Explorer 6.
When a mouse rolls over a link that the designer has styled with a background Image, IE6 shows a flicker as it changes states. Though there were cumbersome fixes, nothing was available that worked simply and elegantly.
Enter Dan Popa’s IE6 Image Flicker solution. A simple Javascript snippet placed in your HTML document’s head element fixes the caching problem completely!
Here’s the code:
javascript:void(document.
execCommand("BackgroundImageCache",false,true))
Thanks Dan!
September 29th, 2006
Hiring a freelance Web designer and getting good results is not a mystical process. Though many elements of a successful process may not be controllable, there is much you can do to insure a good return on your investment.
Many intelligent people simply don’t know how to hire a freelance Web designer. Those who hire freelance designers often make the following mistakes:
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Getting started on a new Web site without setting a budget or setting a budget without measurable outcomes.
To avoid getting lost in cyberspace ask yourself:
- What will it take to make this project a success?
- What is this project worth to me?
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Not planning your Web site around content; trusting aesthetics as a substitute.
To avoid a Web site with glamour and no substance ask yourself:
- What do I hope the new look of my Web site will help me achieve?
- How will my aesthetic choices help me achieve my goals?
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Not considering search engine visibility and optimization (SEO).
To avoid an invisible Web site ask yourself:
- In what way will my new Web site be more visible to search engines than my old one?
- Have I researched keywords on Google and WordTracker. Have I written page titles, descriptions, and headings based on my findings?
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Not monitoring your Web designer’s progress and budget expenditures.
To avoid overspending ask yourself:
- Will I get what I want if I don’t regularly monitor my new Web design and establish a reporting schedule for my freelance Web designer?
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Choosing a Web designer based on price without considering quality workmanship and the designer’s track record.
To avoid hiring an unqualified designer ask yourself:
- Which is more affordable, a Web site that costs $500 but gets no results or a $5000 Web site that helps sell my products and services?
September 11th, 2006
If you have ever taken the same approach to a problem repeatedly while hoping for a different result, this book may be exactly what you need. Our daily routines form patterns that trap us in narrow thinking, and sometimes we need a fresh perspective. Sam Harrison gives us a tool to help us overcome creative lapses by looking at our surroundings with new eyes.
Harrison’s book, IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea, is a collection of witty anecdotes, creative exercises, inspiration, and wisdom written in an engaging tone and embellished with whimsical line art and typography.
Pick up this book if you are feeling a need for a new perspective and creative boost.
Book Details
Related Resources
September 9th, 2006
Have you ever wondered how experts use Wordtracker to keep their clients’ sites at the top of the search engine results pages? What can you learn from their methods? How can you apply their strategies to your own website to get outstanding results?
read more | digg story
September 7th, 2006
The months of November and December account for at least 28% percent of retail sales and are also a peak web browsing and purchasing season. With this in mind, it pays to prepare for the increase in traffic the Christmas season will bring no matter the size of your Web site. Retailers are already gearing up for Christmas in late August, so you will be in good company as you prepare for the Holiday Season.
Content is the life-blood of an online business, so most of these tips will focus on your Web site’s content. Here are Seven Tips to help you bring your Web site up-to-date for the Christmas Season:
Monday. Proofread. You probably won’t like this very much, but you need to read every page on your Web site to make sure it accurately reflects your current product or service. What changes have you made to your business offerings lately? Nothing is more embarrassing or counter-productive than promoting a product you no longer carry or misrepresenting your product on your Web site. Trust is vital to the online exchange of services and products.
Tuesday. Remove Ambiguities. Think about questions clients, customers, and friends have asked about your business over the last year. What seems absolutely self-evident to you, but is misunderstood by others? If questions are coming at you from left field, it may be time to add a Frequently Asked Questions page or to update your existing page with clear answers to those not-so-self-evident questions!
Wednesday. Revive Your Web Site’s Look & Feel. Take new product photos and replace the old ones on your Web site. Liven up your pages with new graphics and stock photos as needed. Add a slideshow or flash presentation to your home page or other appropriate landing pages to grab the attention of more visitors.
Thursday. Learn from Competitors. Visit your the Web sites of your competitors and compatriots for new ideas regarding content you can add to create value for your customers and clients. Add New Content: Articles, White Papers, Tools, etc.
Friday. Research to Improve Your Search Engine Traffic. Put on your thinking cap. On a blank sheet of paper, write an unedited list of search terms that you think potential clients and customers might use to find your Web site. Concentrate on phrases in the two to three word range. Spend about 15 minutes searching Google for these phrases. Does your site come up on the first few pages? If not, don’t panic. Consider ways you might be able to add the phrases you consider most important to the HTML titles and body copy of a few relevant pages on your Web site.
Tip: A good place to get search term ideas is from your server logs. These record all visitors to your Web site and often specify search terms used to find your pages. This may spur you on towards finding additional related phrases that are not in use now.
For added effect, visit Wordtracker and purchase a low-cost daily subscription (Support me - find an affiliate link here) to research the keyphrase list you created. Find the most effective phrases. Concentrate your efforts on those.
Saturday. Evaluate the contact channels your Web site provides. Do your contact forms work? Is your email address clearly visible? Is your business address included in the footer of EVERY page? Is your telephone number available on every page?
Why should you be redundant with regard to contact information? Most Web site visitors these days come either from pay-per-lick advertising or search engine results pages. They are seeking highly targeted content and have a cynical distrust of Web only businesses. Showing your physical address and offline contact information on each page declares your location in geographic space as a real and accountable entity.
If you disagree with my reasoning above, at least include a prominent “contact” link on each page.
Sunday. Rest. Relax. Perhaps mull over in the back of your mind any promotions or events you can offer your customers and clients during the coming months. Find a piece of paper and write them down if you wish. Be completely non-judgmental. You’ll evaluate them later.
If this blog post left you wanting more, Harvey Ramer has also written a short e-Book called A No-Nonsense Guide to Creating Your Web Site Design Plan that you may find helpful.
September 7th, 2006
It’s that special time of year again, when the first plush Santas, singing snow men and blown-glass Christmas ornaments begin to appear on store shelves.
You know. August.
What, you find it hard to muster yuletide spirit when you’re wearing a bathing suit?
Well, too bad.
read more | digg story
September 7th, 2006
