Posted July 26, 2022
by Michael Slater
HTML is the lingua franca of the web. Virtually all content on the web uses HTML. Yet people who write and edit content for web typically seek to avoid having to deal with HTML by using WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors. While WYSIWYG editors can be convenient, and are often a reasonable way to edit content, they are also the source of much grief.
Continue Reading »
Posted May 18, 2022
by Michael Slater
Forms are where the rubber meets the road for most websites. Until a visitor fills out a form, they are just passing through. Forms are where you capture leads, add people to your community, accept requests, and so forth.
Continue Reading »
Posted May 12, 2022
by Michael Slater
University academic departments have some unique challenges when it comes to their websites. They typically have few, if any, marketing resources, and all too often their websites are built by volunteers from within the department. We applaud the volunteers for their energy and enthusiasm, but unfortunately they generally lack the skills to create an outstanding website.
Continue Reading »
Posted April 26, 2022
by Michael Slater
If you have been putting off making your website mobile-friendly, now is the time to act. Last week, Google changed its search algorithm to lower the rankings of sites that aren't mobile friendly, when the search is performed on a phone.
Continue Reading »
Posted August 16, 2021
by Michael Slater
A 5-minute history of the web.
Continue Reading »
Posted August 4, 2022
by Michael Slater
Websites are most effective if they are kept up-to-date. While this fact may seem almost too obvious to state, the harsh reality is that most sites aren't updated nearly as often as they should be. If you are having a new website built for you, make sure you are going to be able to add and edit content yourself, without needing any technical knowledge.
Continue Reading »
Posted July 5, 2022
by Michael Slater
One of the time-honored guidelines in web design is to keep the most important content "above the fold". In a responsive design, is there any such thing as the fold?
Continue Reading »
Posted May 21, 2022
by Michael Slater
About 33 million smartphones were shipped in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2014. To appreciate what an awesome number this is, consider that only 14.3 million PCs were shipped in the same period. That's more than two smartphones for every PC.
Continue Reading »