Websiteforensics.com » Web Design http://websiteforensics.com we remember when the web was in black and white ... Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:54:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 So You Want To Build A Website? http://websiteforensics.com/blogging/so-you-want-to-build-a-website/ http://websiteforensics.com/blogging/so-you-want-to-build-a-website/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:48:22 +0000 Mark MacKinnon http://websiteforensics.com/?p=498 Seriously, forget about it. No really, don’t even bother. As today’s web evolves, you’re better off creating your own one or two page site with a blogging platform with links to relevant social media where you’ll do most of your work anyway. Most important of all, provide useful and basic information that can be easily accessed with a mobile device !

  • Be to the point. Nobody cares about splash screens, flash intros, portfolios or any other useless drivel beyond the basics : Who, What, When, Where, How and WHY!
  • People perform searches on the go. They now spend more time searching with a mobile device than on destop computers.
  • People want to know WHERE you are. If you’re not on Google Maps, you don’t really exist.
  • People want to know WHAT you do. Be social. Facebook for instance is the best way to get people to know you and trust your services.
  • Get involved with niche web 2.0 services relevant to your industry.
  • Forget twitter. It’s basically for politicians, celebrities and news.
]]> http://websiteforensics.com/blogging/so-you-want-to-build-a-website/feed/ 0 The Kitchen Sink http://websiteforensics.com/blogging/the-kitchen-sink/ http://websiteforensics.com/blogging/the-kitchen-sink/#comments Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:46:57 +0000 Mark MacKinnon http://websiteforensics.com/?p=426 This post will contain some of our latest finds that don’t merit a full article. Some of these links and articles are wonderful resources.

]]> http://websiteforensics.com/blogging/the-kitchen-sink/feed/ 0 WordPress resources for Internet marketers http://websiteforensics.com/web-2-0/wordpress-resources-for-internet-marketers/ http://websiteforensics.com/web-2-0/wordpress-resources-for-internet-marketers/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:27:42 +0000 Mark MacKinnon http://websiteforensics.com/?p=318 WebSiteForensics runs on WordPress and so do most of the simple CMS sites we build. We’re well versed in Drupal, Joomla, ExpressionEngine and all the top tier CMS but when we need flexibility and plugin functionalities not found elsewhere, we’re almost always back to WordPress.

So when we want to marry CMS and marketing, we always turn to wp4im.com – WordPress 4 Internet Marketing! This great site has a very comprehensive review of plugins for anybody interested in marketing, review sites, product review, e-commerce plugins, WordPress shopping cart … you name it. This site also features a great WordPress review site plugin.

The simple fact wp4im.com runs on WordPress speaks volumes about their credibility on this topic, which is why we love to read their reviews so we can off on the right foot instead of deep searching WordPress.org or other sites.

Another reason we use wp4im.com is that – like the best WordPress users our there – the site is kept simple, clean but effective. While some experts in marketing abuse WordPress with too much visual clutter, WordPress 4 Internet Marketing is all about being focused and straight to the point.

We’re not only adding wp4im.com to our favorites links – no kidding – we’re adding them to our RSS readers and the people we will follow on twitter with much attention.

]]> http://websiteforensics.com/web-2-0/wordpress-resources-for-internet-marketers/feed/ 1 Two Great Tools For Web Developers: Firebug and YSlow http://websiteforensics.com/web-design/two-great-tools-for-web-developers-firebug-and-yslow/ http://websiteforensics.com/web-design/two-great-tools-for-web-developers-firebug-and-yslow/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:43:53 +0000 Mark MacKinnon http://www.websiteforensics.com/?p=245 yslowWe can’t say enough about these two tools when trying to diagnose an unusually slow site. Once the obvious issues have been examined (large images, bad scripts, slow database responses, damaged tables…) you should always run Firebug and YSlow sessions within your browser for further diagnoses.

Firebug first off, is a Firefox plugin that provides a wealth of information about any website or page you are currently examining. This tool will provide information about HTML, CSS, Scripts, DOM, Network, Images, Flash etc.

While loading a page, Firebug will give you some valuable network activity item by item and will reveal errors within the compiled code or the various scripts you’ve installed.

YSlow is not another application, but an additional tool for Firebug you can install for even more information and valuable suggestions. YSlow is a Yahoo development tool that will letter grade your site’s HTTP requests, DNS lookups, Javascript, CSS and so much more.

]]> http://websiteforensics.com/web-design/two-great-tools-for-web-developers-firebug-and-yslow/feed/ 1 Useful Wordpress Resources http://websiteforensics.com/web-design/useful-wordpress-resources/ http://websiteforensics.com/web-design/useful-wordpress-resources/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:43:08 +0000 Mark MacKinnon http://www.websiteforensics.com/?p=147 Wordpress is one of the most versatile content management applications out there. Granted it won’t run a mammoth site, Dupal is much better suited for that, but WordPress is a solid workhorse that is fully scalable.

Now for those who would want to create a Wordpress theme, we recommend the Ultimate Wordpress Theme Tutorial at ThemeShaper.

WordPress themes are easily modified and the Codex offers a wide range of functions you can code into the heart of the site. Start with 10 Useful WordPress Loops Hacks. We also recommend this handy Wordpress Cheat Sheet. Resources are also aplenty, but our favorite article so far has been Steffan Antonas’ 100+ Killer Wordpress Resources.

]]> http://websiteforensics.com/web-design/useful-wordpress-resources/feed/ 4