To Blog or Not To Blog?

To blog or not to blog? That seems to be a common question in today’s blog-crazy web design world. The word blog is a contraction of Web Log. Let’s start off by seeing what a blog really is. Think of a blog as a form of virtual diary (yep, like the one you kept as a kid – Harriet the Spy, anyone?) where posts (diary entries) are written and open for people to read.

Depending on the author, these posts can be made daily, including several times per day (depending on the subject and amount of content being put out) or they can be specifically set to be shown on a particular day of the week. The latter is much more convenient for busy bees and people who can’t really dedicate much time to blogging duties or who aren’t really interested in venturing into a full blown website design.

Blogs started out as sites for people to keep track of their daily activities and shared them with friends. Blogs have turned into full-fledged websites that fulfill the need of divulging information for big companies, newspapers, and other enterprises worldwide. Blogs are also a convenient way to manage content dynamically, cutting back drastically on the time needed to upload new content and update a website.

Whether you are just starting or have been blogging for years, remember that the fuel that keeps a blog rolling is content. Without meaningful content, a blog is nothing. No matter how good looking and fancy your web design is; the material driving the content is what will really grab people and search engine’s attentions.

So what should what type of site should you decide on? A blog, a regular website? If you plan on updating content often (daily or weekly) then you should consider a blog or blog-driven site. There are some excellent blogs available for free, with varying degrees of user-friendliness, that offer the perfect solution to this problem. Many people also use blogs as a content management system, without it exactly looking like one.

So, once you have decided what you type of content you will be handling, that will give you a clue to whether you should create a blog or use the blog back-end mechanism to create an easily updateable website or choose to have your website design created that is not linked to any blog back-end.

Here is a list of free blogs that don’t need any knowledge of web design and programming. Happy blogging!

Blogger
www.blogger.com

Blogonize
http://www.blogonize.com

TypePad
www.typepad.com

Live Journal
www.livejournal.com

Wordpress
www.wordpress.com

Top 5 Web Design Tutorials

Honing your web design skills is the best way to advance personally and professionally. When you thought you knew it all, there are often people that discover quicker and different ways of going about the same solution you are seeking. It can also become an enriching experience to think outside the “screen” and try out a new technique in a field that might not be specifically yours. Learn a thing or two about typography, photography retouching, or perhaps even how to go about making colorful illustrations. You are simply strengthening your designer set of skills, which will make you a more wholesome web design connoisseur and with a higher degree of marketability.

1. Choosing Type
http://ilovetypography.com/2008/04/04/on-choosing-type/

Even though there is not set formula on how and what sort of typography to choose for your web design project, this article will serve as an informative tutorial on how to decipher this touchy subject. Like everything in art, typography is a subjective matter and there is no right or wrong answer. Read on to understand and start applying these concepts to make your web design life a bit easier and enjoyable.

2. Designing a fast loading website
http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/fast_loading_websites.asp

Designing a fast loading website is probably the most important and logical rule for web designers to follow, right? You would be surprised to learn that a very large majority of professionals and amateurs out there hardly take this very important issue into consideration. Some basic elements to keep in mind are keeping image sizes to a minimum, optimizing images for web, keeping your html code clean (using div’s and css wisely), using Flash sparingly, and constantly check your loading time.

3. Illustrator: Abstract Vector Art
http://www.webdesignerwall.com/tutorials/illustrator-abstract-vector-art/

Get those virtual paintbrushes out and start to have some fun already with your web design! Use these ideas to create different and new backgrounds, buttons and different styling elements. This sweet tutorial, created by Web Designer Wall, points out step by step of this creative technique. All you need are some basic Adobe Illustrator skills (make sure you have CS or above) and an open mind. Be ready to wow friends, and hopefully your boss too, with your new oh-so-cool skills.

4. Swift and Simple Animation
http://www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/3d__and__animation/swift_and_simple_animation

The totally rad folks at Computer Arts Magazine have a huge list of free and excellent tutorials available to anyone. This handy tutorial will help you speed up the process of animations (which you can later apply to your web design) by using After Effects Expressions. James Wignall shows us how to animate one object, in this case a peacock and its feathers. You can apply this technique to many other objects or ideas of course. Keep on reading to download the support files and PDF tutorial.

5. Web 2.0 Buttons
http://www.webdesignermag.co.uk/tutorials/create-unique-web-2-0-buttons/

I know we’ve seen Web 2.0 buttons all over the Internet! But are they always good looking? Here’s a simple yet extremely effective tutorial that will make your buttons and web design look hotter than hot.

How to be a Good Web Design Client

We’ve all heard the shpeal and read countless articles on how to be good service providers within the web design industry. Well, what about showing our beloved clients (they’re the reason we are alive and working after all) certain tips and pointers to make the website design process go by smoother and faster – for us and for them!
Our staff at Turbonacho, including project managers, programmers, designers and even our CEO, has graciously compiled a list of ideas.

1. Have a clear understanding of what you need, not necessarily what you want
Starting a website design project can be very exciting. The possibilities seem endless as you make a list of all the sites, effects, menus, content, designs you like and have referenced from other places. Many times, a client will want to literally mix every single element they have seen from other sources to create their own site. Take into consideration that your design choices affect programming (dynamic content) and vice versa. A heavier graphic oriented website will carry more weight thus affecting visitor download and permanence times. If you are not exactly sure of what types of elements you need to accomplish your goal, talk to your website design company. They have the experience and they have options and alternatives for things you probably never knew existed or were possible.

2. Have a realistic budget
Sure, everyone wants to be able to buy the best products and services around. But being realistic of how far you can stretch your budget prior to starting and accepting a website design proposal will save you many days of headaches and wallet woes. Decide on how much you are able to spend, but do your research to also see what average market prices for services such as website design are at the moment. This way you will have a real number in mind thus allowing you to adjust your budget accordingly.

3. Be open and available for questions – lots of them!
Project managers have the task of organizing and transmitting all relevant information between client and designer. The first step before handing over a proposal to a client is asking a series of questions, evaluating them, and then asking some more. Project managers aren’t doing this to annoy you or waste your time; they are in fact doing it to get a clear grasp and understanding of what you, as a client, need and desire. Questions usually generate more questions along the way, and this has proven to bring forth solutions and more efficient alternatives to the result that is sought after. So be kind and be a little more open to the start of this wonderful client-project manager-web designer relationship. Lots of great things will come to fruition thanks to it! And if you come across a web design company that DOESN’T ask you anything and hands you a proposal right away and is in a rush to start – run! This will more than likely cause trouble later down the road.

4. Ask questions – lots of them!
We just told you that project managers will drive you nuts with all the questions they have for you. Payback is a bitch, so ask them about anything and everything you have in mind. Even if you think it sounds insignificant, stupid or senseless. The smallest thing can have huge consequences, so please don’t be embarrassed to ask. Remember the first day of kindergarten? If you want to know, just ask!

5. Pay in time
Money is a delicate issue but it should not be a problem if both parties are satisfied with the progress of a particular project. Stick to the payment schedules both you and the web developer agreed to at the beginning of the project. This will keep everybody in check and happy.
 
6. Learn the virtues of patience
Web design is not rocket science, but like most things in life it is a process and can take time. Learning the virtues of patience won’t bring you a step closer to sainthood but will make the experience more rewarding and fulfilling for everybody. Now go make your mother proud.

7. Do you want to win design awards or make money from your site?
Different sites have different needs. These are organic creatures in a virtual world that interact with others and depending on their characteristics (web DNA?) they fulfill specific roles if they are intended too. Elements such as site construction, design choices (from color palettes to layouts) influence things like monetary returns and traffic. Decide from the start whether your site is going to be tuned in more towards the business or design end of the spectrum. If your website company knows their stuff they will guide you and provide the best solution.

8. Research
Ideas can come to mind as fast as lightning, but acting upon them shouldn’t be taken so lightly! We know you have a genius inside of you, and that is exactly why we suggest to our clients they do tons of research prior to establishing their goals and fine tuning the foundations of their website design endeavor.  No matter what industry you’re geared to, stock up on material and information from both virtual (internet) and physical (remember the library?) sources. Even a trip down to your local bookstore can leave you with a great deal of information, so be sure to scope out the magazines (which are always current and up to date) and books. Talking to people with experience in the field you are working in, including peers (if you already know your stuff) will prove to be an enriching addition to your web design.

9. References
Don’t be shy or afraid to ask for customer and client references. More often than not, previous clients will be happy to guide you and let you know what their experience was like with that particular web design company. This will give you extra assurance that you are comfortable with your choice and that your idea will be generated with real and confident expectations.

10. Enjoy it!
After reading all of these tips, and since you are now on your way to becoming an even better client, you should feel more confident and relaxed with your decision. Make every moment of the web design process count and enjoy it! It’s your brainchild after all!

Top ten reasons Why Google May Penalize You

Getting a Google ban is more like receiving a life sentence in prison where you are alive but your life has no more meaning.

Grounds on which Google may penalize you

Google Penalty is the practice of black listing a specified site or blog. It is examined as a very big penalty for webmasters and is done to keep the Internet clean and free of awful sites. There are many justifications which may trigger a Google Penalty and I have tried my utmost to clarify each one of them below. 

1.  Short-Term Domain  Registration

This is one of the most contentious justifications that support the fact of Google Penalty. Google might penalize you in a sense if you run your blog on a domain that has been listed for just one year. The reason is that majority of the scam, deception and spam domains only get listed for one year and Google has less faith on short-term domains so you may receive lower search engine ranking positions. Good way to overcome this is to register your domain for a long-term.

2.  Duplicate Content 

Most of the bloggers are already conscious of the replicate content penalty by Google. Google may penalize your entire blog or some of your pages because of replicate content. Not that you composed them purposely but furthermore if you similar post content in your categories and archives. Notsoboringlife has a outstanding article that can save your blog from being reprimanded by Google this way.

3.  Link Buying/Selling 

MattCutts, who is a Google Engineer, gave a short interpretation some time ago on how selling paid links on your blog can cause Google to devalue your blog. Moreover buying links just for the sake of maximizing Pagerank is also examined as an evil activity and is not acknowledged by Google. Checkout how Google can apprehend your paid links.

4.  Hidden Text or Hidden Links

Google does not like concealed text or hidden links on your blog. Buried links or hidden text can effortlessly be composed by wrapping them around a zero font tag or by using the display:hidden css property. Even if you code the links/text to be the same color as that of their background afterward they are examined as hidden by Google and this procedure may lead you to a ban.

 5.   Excessive Use of Keywords 

Google likes keywords that are applicable to your blog content or post content. If you have a technology blog it is not essential for you to add the keyword “technology” in all of your blog posts. Only use keywords that are at most applicable to your article/content. Using inappropriate or unnatural keywords can give you a penalty.

6.  Automated Redirects or Doorway Pages

Google has less admiration for sneaky or doubtful redirects. Those pages which just offer a doorway to other web pages and exercise automated redirects can be excluded by Google at once. These pages bewilder the search engine and are highly ostracized by Google. Using a Mod Rewrite rule or a 301 Permanent Redirect is a good procedure to save yourself for this kind of penalty.

7.  Linking To Banned Sites 

In the actual world you are recognized by your community. The same rule is pursued by Google on the Internet. If you time and again link to sites that have a Zero Pagerank or are themselves excluded by Google then Google may furthermore eliminate you too from its good books list.

8.  Getting Linked By Bad Sites 

Make certain you don’t exchange links with sites that have a Zero Pagerank. Scam sites, online phishing sites and other deception sites can get you reprimanded by Google if they keep on linking to you.

9.   Violate Google Webmaster Guidelines 

I don’t believe there is much to state about it. It is appreciated that Google will ostracize you if you do not comply with their Google Webmaster Guidelines so don’t think of going against them.

10.   Link Building Campaigns 

It is a very universal practice amidst bloggers to start link trains in order to get more back links but this can be risky to your blog sometimes. Even many blogging kings like John Chow have been influenced by this too. It is favorable for you if you escape excessive link exchanging campaigns.

Original article written by Abhinav Ghirdar

Top 5 Website Design Directories

Having many options available is often an advantage the Internet has to offer, but sometimes it can become a bit overwhelming. Who should you hire for your next design project? Where can I find info about a specific web design company? Who’s got the skills and the reputation to get my job done? Here we’ve listed 5 of our top rated web design directories. You can find a wide range of services available, from web design, graphic design, logo design, corporate ID, flash animation, 3D animation, architectural renders, consulting, and marketing. Companies are usually listed by location (city and state), making browsing a breeze.

1. Top Design Firms
http://www.topdesignfirms.com/

Owned and operated by Cider Media, this Kentucky based Media Communication agency tops our list with its vast array of nationwide web design companies in its roster. Only companies with the highest standards are allowed to publish their info, assuring you that only the best are for hire.

2. Design Firms
http://www.designfirms.org/

Design Firms has an excellent stock of web design companies available for hire, with an added bonus – featured sections like reviews, jobs, portfolios, awards and articles will complement your search with useful and relevant information.

3. Web Designers Directory
http://www.webdesigners-directory.com

Holding over 10,000 web design firms, Web Designers Directory lets you search for companies and designers in your area, as well as pricing your web design project right on their site. The Web Design Price Calculator specifies rates for each type of designer or company available (student, freelancer, expert consultant, and professional firm). An average cost guide is also given, to give you a good starting point for price ranges.

4. Freelance Designers
http://www.freelancedesigners.com/

Hiring someone to freelance your web design may be the best-suited choice at times. Freelance Designers compiles freelancers in web design, graphic design, fashion, photography and video. You can request a bid based on service type, budget, location and deadline times.

5. Web Design Stuff
http://www.webdesignstuff.com/

Web Design Stuff lists many great companies and also lets you see which are their top rated picks. A well selected list of web design resources is available, as well as a best design showcase. Good source of inspiration to get your web design started!

Top 10 Flash Websites

When Flash was introduced back in 1996, it quickly became a fancy and very popular element in website design. It’s ability to add interactivity and animation blew people away, but not long before designers and clients carelessly started abusing its powers to impress. Sites would take longer times to load, often driving away needed public. It is now 2010 and becoming impressed by new technologies isn’t as common as it used to be. We salute the brains behind the following Flash sites, which have made animation and user interaction an exciting, fun, refreshing and awe-inspiring web experience.

1. Don’t Click It
http://www.dontclick.it/

Navigation without a Click? Why, certainly! The evolution of the Don’t Click It project began with questioning regarding habits of interface development. Even though we use the click as the way to control and navigate website content, it can also result in wasted time. So the experiment of removing the click entirely from its interface has proven to be a strange but refreshing experience. Try it for yourself!

2. Got Milk?
http://www.gotmilk.com/

As if little milk cartons with cool designs on them weren’t captivating enough, the interface is reminiscent of the days when we played with and read big pop-up books at school. The menu is kept simple and user-friendly, so the content really grabs all of the attention. There are even great recipes to try. Make your mom proud.

3. We Are Trendy
http://www.wearetrendy.com/

Trendy is a design studio working in website design, motion/3d, visual identity and print. Their work is equally impressive as their website design. Navigation is a breeze with section links clearly and cleverly animated at the end of the main star’s tips.

5. Lego Click
http://legoclick.com/

An interactive Lego Flash website that’s just as fun as the little Lego’s themselves! All website content is smartly placed in Lego-pieced walls that rest over a cute light bulb production line animation.

6. Arena Estadios
http://www.arenaestadios.com.br/

Arena is a consulting and design firm that mixes marketing, architecture and financial enterprises to bring forth solutions for the sports and stadium construction industry. Check out the transitions, great work!

7. SOBE
http://www.sobe.com

This heavily photograph-driven Flash website gets the point across, in a clear and tasty fashion. Famous for their flavored water, SOBE has concocted a simple and delicious way of showcasing their best product around!

8. Labuat
http://soytuaire.labuat.com/

Labuat gives us an example of beautiful user interaction with Flash. A gorgeous melody plays as you move and control your mouse over the canvas…wonderful things begin to happen.

9. Summit on the Summit
http://www.summitonthesummit.com

This amazing Flash sample showcases one of the most original and well thought website designs, and all for a good cause. You are able to explore Mt. Kilimanjaro on your own while raising awareness about keeping our planet’s water clean.

10. Toyota Prius
http://promo.prius.ru/

This Russian-based Toyota website design impressively combines video, 3d, and user interaction all in one. Might just be another good reason to go green after all!