Building High Converting Websites in 2015

Knowing how a website runs doesn't mean you will know how it is built. Learning HTML is not easy, just ask any designed. A well-designed site can come about with the help of you learning how to go about it properly. Refer to the tips presented here as you move forward.

Avoid creating user interface (UI) controls that mislead your visitors.

These controls include elements, widgets and more that create an interactive experience, such as a link, drop-down list or button. You do not want to make visitors think that clicking on an underlined word or phrase for example, will lead to a new page if it is not actually linked to something else. When your visitors have expectations of something working a certain way and it does not, they are more likely to assume there is something wrong with your site and leave. Use a tracking service, rather than displaying your visitor counter for all to read. Many websites still display their counters, yet they do not serve any real purpose.

There are many high quality tracking services available, and some are even free. Use these instead of showing off how many people visit you. Pay attention to the graphics you use. Choose GIFs and JPEGs; instead of other types of graphic files. These files will help you to conserve the most amount of space possible. You should convert graphics into a more manageable file type that will make an more pleasant experience for your users. Try designing for all screen resolutions. A simple website can always encourage visitors to remain and read the content. If your site doesn't look good for a specific resolution, the visitor may leave since they cannot view it.

Designing a stretchier layout that fits any screen resolution lets you know that all visitors can enjoy the content. For multimedia presentations, take advantage of the new HTML5 standard. Although HTML5 isn't quite as robust for animation and games as Flash, it has the advantage of working stably on mobile phone browsers, including those contained in Apple hardware. HTML5 is also quite a bit leaner than Flash, so load times will improve, as well.

Responsive Website : Image from Erinvale Mississauga Dance School

If you believe your site may be accessed via mobile devices, you will want to keep your designs simple. The use of flash, excessive images, and complicated menus will not translate well to a mobile platform. Keep your page clean and simple, or create a specific mobile site for your users.

You should test your site on multiple browsers. Your site may look quite different on different browsers, so don't be caught unawares! There are a ton of resources you could use, so you are able to find out the browsers that currently have the most popularity. Try your website out on various popular browsers.

Since lots of people surf the Internet on their smartphones, look at your site through a mobile browser or two, also. If the design of your website needs to be mobile friendly, keep in mind that mobile devices have smaller screens and limited bandwidth. To account for smaller screens, you should try to design your website as a single narrow column so that the user only needs to navigate vertically, as opposed to both horizontally and vertically.

Limited bandwidth means that you should be extra concerned about your file sizes. You can also opt to create a separate version of your website specifically for mobile devices. After reading the information regarding web design, clearly it is not too difficult to design a site.

It does involve a specific skill set though, and you will have to rely on lots of accurate information. Remember to use the tips from this article to build an excellent website.

What To Do When Starting Web Design

People notice how the website is set up and how easy it is to navigate it. Since first impressions are hard to overcome, making a good one is important if website visitors are to be kept from fleeing a poorly-designed site immediately. The tips below can help you avoid this.

Your website needs to function properly for visitors who use any kind of browser, so be sure to test out your site for browser compatibility. A webpage that displays properly using Internet Explorer, could appear incorrectly or poorly on a different browser such as Firefox or Chrome. Before you set your site to go live, look at how every page shows up in all the major browsers.

Don't disable the visitor's right-click functionality. Some sites do this in order to prevent people from copying and pasting text or saving images from the site. The thing is, it doesn't work and disables other useful functions. OCR can be used to capture text from such sites, and grabbing images is as simple as taking a screenshot.

Avoid creating user interface (UI) controls that mislead your visitors. These controls include elements, widgets and more that create an interactive experience, such as a link, drop-down list or button. You do not want to make visitors think that clicking on an underlined word or phrase for example, will lead to a new page if it is not actually linked to something else. When your visitors have expectations of something working a certain way and it does not, they are more likely to assume there is something wrong with your site and leave.

While you might be inclined to add a lot of bells and whistles to your website, flashing graphics, loud music and neon colors will just distract from the purpose of your website. Visitors who are bombarded by too many sights and sounds might be inclined to leave your website before they even start browsing. Keep the colors simple and the content relevant and your website design will be a winner.

Separate your topics. If your site has multiple topics, give each its own page. Your content will be more readable to your visitors and more visible to search engines, resulting in higher rankings.

To help you design a site that is easy for people to read all the information, make sure the pages are not too wide. If the pages are not too wide then they will fit on most people's computer screens. If the page is too wide, then part of your valuable information could be left off the page.

Do not use images for your background. When you think about some of the biggest websites on the Internet, they do not have images as backgrounds. When you use image backgrounds, you represent yourself as someone who is not well-versed in web designing. Images as backgrounds also cause your site to load slower, which can lead to user frustration.

If you want to build a website fast without having to learn a computer language, use a code generator. Using a code generator allows you to quickly build a site and prevents you from making a mistake when you have no idea what computer programming is. Code generators are not only fast, but you will be able to learn a lot too.

You constantly want to test your page to ensure it is functioning well. It's very important that you carry out your site's user interaction and usability tests as early as you can in the design phase of your website. Keep testing and improving as the design nears completion.

You don't have to fill every pixel on the screen with content! By insisting on utilizing all the available tips and tricks, you can make a site that is not friendly to your users. When you space things out in an appropriate way and have a sense of organization, this will make users feel like they are in control. There are many situations in which empty space makes a major impact.

Make sure all your domains, including sub-domains, include visible taglines. It needs to be the first thing the viewers sees when they follow links, so make sure the text is large and bold. The purpose of the tagline is so that they know what that page is about. This way the viewer can quickly decide whether to stay or move back to the previous page.

Provide an option for site visitors to search your entire website for a specific keyword or phrase. By doing this you will help to increase your site's usability, and allows easy access to any information that a visitor might wish to see. The ease with which these can be used, and the benefit to your visitors, make any effort worthwhile, to put them in place.

Don't force visitors on a path since that can keep them from their workflow. Don't force your user to attend to pop-ups, surveys and other intrusive nonsense. When you take away the visitor's choices by your own demands, you will lose their loyalty and decrease your credibility.

When you are making a number of pages that require the same template, the simplest way to do this is to use copy/paste. You don't have to generate fresh HTML code for each and every page. You can copy the main portion of the code, make some tweaks to it, and save it to a new file. By saving the master copy, you will have a tool that you can use ad infinitum.

Internet surfers notice website design immediately, and usually make a stay or surf elsewhere decision within second. It's best to make their first impression a good one. These previous tips should've showed you what to do so that others remain on your site.

Tricks To Help You Become A Better Cook

Becoming a good cook is all about knowledge, as well as, a bit of trial and error. Knowing the correct methods and styles can be greatly beneficial. The advice given in this article, will give you the necessary knowledge and insight to help you become the great cook that you have always wanted to be.

When sauteing ingredients in a fry pan ensure that you don't overcrowd the pan with too much food. Trying to cook too much at once will only lower the temperature of the pan and lead to steaming instead of browning. It is wiser to saute the ingredients in two separate batches, if necessary, and this will maintain the quality of cooking.

Garlic is one of the more pungent odors that you will ever experience, and you will want to have tricks to get rid of it as soon as possible. Here is a suggestion, after you cook something with garlic, rub your hands on the base of your stainless steel sink for a minute to eliminate the pungent odor off of your skin.

One of the things that you should spend a lot of money on, is your kitchen utensils, pots and pans, and other equipment. These are extremely valuable investments as they will serve as the foundation for all of your cooking. You will want to extend the life of these tools as long as possible. Cooking is so much easier if you are using high quality utensils and equipment.

If you want to cook delicious steaks, use your oven broiler. When you properly heat your oven, the broiler will quickly sear the meat and keep it juicier. You should avoid using any utensil that will puncture the meat when you turn it. That will cause vital fluid loss. Use a spatula instead.

Keep a potato masher in your kitchen at all times. This useful device can be used to mash more than just your typical potatoes. Try mashing carrots, cauliflower, and other root vegetables. You can mix any of these in to your usual mashed potatoes to make them more vibrant, nutritious, and interesting.

If you are always in the kitchen cooking, invest in a knife sharpener. This will ensure that your utensils are sharp at all times, which will give you the ability to maximize the quality of your cuts. Keeping your utensils up to par is very important when cooking in the kitchen.

Let roasts rest before carving to allow the juices time to retract from the surface of the meat. Slicing beef, pork, poultry or lamb immediately after roasting lets most of the juice run out of the meat which makes it drier and less flavorful. Giving the meat time to rest prevents the loss of the juices.

If you have a family, you will want to implement a process for cleaning up after you cook your meal. This is very important as you will want to conserve the excess food that you do not eat for future servings. Post meal cleanup is just as important as pre-meal preparation.

When you are chopping onions for a home cooked salsa make sure you rinse them. Rinse your onions immediately after you cut them then blot them dry with a napkin. This will remove the sulfurous gas and will make your salsa taste better. This works well for other recipes too.

When cooking, make sure that you never put anything metal in the microwave, as it will cause sparks given the electromagnetic energy. Always make sure that the items you are microwaving are safe to put in there. This will help to increase your level of safety when you are in the kitchen.

You should use real butter when you are cooking for your family. There are some people who choose to use margarine when they cook instead of butter because it is more affordable. They may not know that they are feeding their family something that contains hydrogenated oils and trans fats that are unhealthy.

When you are cooking pumpkin seeds, first, cover the raw seeds in melted butter, olive or vegetable oil. Then spread them out evenly across a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with your favorite seasonings. Bake the seeds at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about forty-five minutes or until golden brown.

Replace and refresh your spices twice a year. Spices lose their flavor if kept too long. Share your spices with friends or relatives if you will not use as much as you buy.

Here is a good cooking tip to use when making meatloaf or meatballs. Take a portion of the meat used for the meatballs or meatloaf and fry it in a pan as if it were a hamburger. Doing so will allow you to test the meat before you make the loaf or a batch of balls. You will be able to taste the seasoning in the meat and adjust it before you produce the final result.

Read the recipe fully before you begin any cooking endeavor! Just reading the list of ingredients does not ensure that you are fully prepared to complete the meal. There are many different techniques and tools that may be required so do not be too ambitious when tackling a new recipe.

Use a paper towel to blot your ground meat before cooking it. You should always blot up extra moisture before cooking ground meat. Leaving it can cause the liquid to release when cooking. The moisture will cook before your meat does. This is undesirable, since the meat will technically steam, instead of searing.

When you are using herbs and spices make sure that you store them correctly to keep the, fresh. Since humidity is a spice's worst enemy, make sure to keep them in air-tight containers. Also, keep them in a dark place, as light can also negatively affect the taste of your spices.

As was stated earlier in the article, cooking skills are all about the knowledge you have of the processes and styles. Learning the best methods, as well as using experimentation, can help you understand the basics of cooking. The advice given in the article you just read, will put you on the best path to becoming a culinary genius

Sources:
Blarneys Gate Irish Pub
Live Mississauga Restaurant Guide

Safely Insulate Your Basement Without Professional Help

I like to share whatever tidbits of information I pick up.

Recently we tried to do some basement remodeling (insulating was part of it), got half way through the project before we called in professional to finish it. But so much was learned I thought I would write a quick article about it.

Here are some tips to help you with your project:

One important lesson in learning how to insulate a basement should be to always wear safety goggles, a dust mask, and protective clothing. Otherwise, particles of insulation can get into your hair, eyes, and nose, as well as irritate the skin. Wear shirts with long sleeves, long pants, work gloves, and at least a jacket or pullover that sports an attached hood.

If working in unfinished areas with construction going on, always wear a hardhat to guard against getting bonked on the head with wood, pipe, or other falling objects. Rubber-soled shoes make the smartest footwear choice to avoid slips on wet surfaces. Protecting yourself with the proper attire and gear can save you from discomfort or even a trip to the doctor.

Another part of understanding how to insulate a basement includes learning about electricity. All power tools should be appropriately grounded and, when using them, make absolutely sure cords do not interfere with their operation. Watch out for frayed wiring in older homes and keep everything – including insulating materials – well away from the wiring until you've had a chance to repair it.

Do not smoke while you are learning how to insulate a basement. Many types of insulation materials are highly flammable. Smoking in an enclosed area, like a basement, also traps the smoke and causes even more damage to your lungs than smoking in a ventilated area. You are, in essence, re-inhaling secondhand smoke.

Of course if you do run into problems, you can contact a professional basement renovation company. If you live in the Toronto area, try Handyman Mississauga basement renovations. They did a great job with our project, we're very happy with the work. .

These are just a few ideas to keep in mind while learning how to insulate a basement. Plain old common sense goes a long way, however, and you should make sure yours is in top form. It’s not that difficult to learn how to insulate a basement, but don’t forget to keep your safety in mind, too!

When Web Design Goes Terribly Wrong

I was talking to my partner the other day and he told me about a conversation he had recently with a photographer friend. They were catching up on what each other was doing, having not seen each other in several years and.

After talking about what my partner and I were doing, she said that he wished she had known about that as she had a website recently built to promote her portrait photography business and would have rather worked with someone that she knew then picking the lowest priced website design company out of the phone book. She asked us to take a look at it and let her know what we thought.

What I found in reviewing the site is what is common in most artist websites. The website does not have a clear call to action of what the visitor needs to do. In this particular instance, the goal of the website should be to drive visitors to make appointments to get portraits taken.

Instead, it highlights four galleries to showcase example photos taken (which is a good thing to do) but forces the customer to search throughout the website to fine even the location of this company, pricing information, how to schedule an appointment, etc. In other words, all of the things that make the artist money are extremely difficult for a potential customer to find on their website.  

If that was not bad enough, the website was not designed to be found by the major search engines. In this web site’s instance, the only way you could find this person’s website would be if you knew the company’s name. This might be fine if you already have great name recognition in your industry, but otherwise the only way that your website will be found is through online advertising, print marketing, and word of mouth.

This really misses the boat to all of the free customer leads that the search engines can bring to your photography business.

The good news for her is after she asked us to do a full assessment of her website; that we are now starting to work with her to correct these shortcomings while still leveraging the existing framework of the website that she had built.

Whether you are looking for a website to just showcase your artwork, attempting to market your work to publishers, or trying to run a full blown photography business – it is important to know that not all web design companies are the same in what they deliver and in most cases, you get what you pay for. In the coming weeks, I hope to follow up with another article discussing how these changes positively impacted her business and how you can do the same with your website.

Mississauga Web Design Company | 1-800-571-TASK

In these short few years, many new web design standards, technology and design concepts have come to bear. That is on top of the immense amount of knowledge distribution and demand for more functional and independent web design packages and tools.

The knowledge distribution has also led to shift in demand to the content management systems which facilitate content updates. These updates have become immensely necessary to keep the consumer’s interest for visiting the web site again and again and also to keep the consumer abreast with latest happenings regarding the company and its products and services. A great example of a company that keeps their customers up to date is iConnect Media, a iConnect Media Mississauga website design company.

CMS or Content Management System is quickly becoming the standard with web design organizations. They have come to realize that CMS is the future of web site design and may be left behind in the industry if they do not begin offering CMS services.

CMS does not in any way spell doom to web designers. CMS certainly saves the company’s time it spends on web design and allows them to put more efforts into marketing. CMS gives the company the freedom it needs by providing them with an ability to update the site when needed, not when convenient. CMS also saves the company’s costs by not having to run to the web designer every time an update is needed.

Even the most basic content management system has the following:

• Provides an interface to Add/remove/edit pages.
• Provides easy interface to update content of each page.
• Capability to add or remove images where needed.
• Interface to update contact information.
• Display updated listings (ex: Mortgage and interest rates).
• Facilitates addition of news on the industry everyday.

UI (or user interface)

A web design organization should seriously consider offering CMS to their clients to prepare for the future. It is still at a nascent stage, so if a web design and development organization is considering developing a customised CMS and marketing it, they can still see success in the near future.

For more information contact iConnect Media.

3 Tips for Finding the Best Website Developers

When you have the daunting task of looking for a web design company, you may find that you’re not quite for sure what to look for.

You may find yourself asking questions like "What qualifications will a good company have?" and "How expensive will a good web design company be?" There are several things that you should be on the lookout for in your endeavors.

1) Their Website

A good web design company will have a professional looking website. Their website will look like it is carefully maintained, and have a call to action on almost every page. The graphics on their site will look professional and high quality, and will load quickly. Their content copy will not have grammatical mistakes. Lastly, a good web design company’s website will be helpful and easy to navigate. If a web design company’s own website isn't well managed, why trust them to work with yours?

2) Willingness to Work with You

A web design company should have content on their site that is geared towards you, the potential customer. If they display an eagerness to work with you on your needs, then they understand that you may have different needs than other clients. A "one site fits all" solution for one low price is not the answer when it comes to custom web design. The good web design companies have multiple ways for you to contact them, located in an easy to find area of their site. If a web design company doesn't want to understand your needs, how can they satisfy them?

3) The Contact

If the company you’re looking at has satisfied both of the above descriptions, it is time for you to contact them. There are several things that you should look for within the first conversation you have. You should look for a company that has a personable representative who cares about your needs. They should let you lead the conversation, and respond with interest and helpfulness. A good web design company will be honest with you about what they can do and how they do it. Last but not least, the company should always advise you in your best interest, regardless of whether the sale is closed. If the company has your best interest in mind and is easy to work with, they will produce results greater than what you expect!

After you've found a good web design company that satisfies the three descriptions above, you are on your way to having a great website. But more importantly than that, you will develop a working relationship with an expert that can give you good advice when you need it!

Thanks for reading.