The Core Blog
Much has been going on at Avallo
2009-04-30 20:14:00
Avallo now has a website!
It took a little longer than we had expected but it is finally up and running. The reason for the delay was I developed a custom content management system to go on the back end enabling the employees of Avallo to make changes and updates easily. This will help us keep the website fresh, and our portfolio new and interesting.
I am pleased to report that we are finally hosting websites as well, and for a very reasonable price. The starting package is $12, so if you are interested in having your site hosted please sign up in our hosting section.
In some upcoming posts I will be reviewing some books and sharing tips and tricks to help you with your development. As well as cool API’s and libraries to make your projects come together faster, and look professional.
That’s all for now. Check back soon.
Weston Shaw
My Webservations
2009-04-30 15:00:00
Analyzing a website is sometimes a difficult task. Bad code and ugly designs are obvious and easy to detect. If you know your site suffers from one or both problems - please contact us immediately. Just like we need to clean up the environment, we need to clean up the internet and there is no better place to start than at your home (page).Here are the other things I look at when analyzing websites:
- Content - must have good content filled with relevant keywords, titles and meta data. This is by far the MOST important factor on a good website. The content also needs to be current.
- Clean Code - the second most important aspect of a good website. 2009 web standards means the design, content, and behavior of the website are separated. This provides for an easy way to change the design without editing every page of the website. Likewise, it makes it easy to update content without fear of breaking the layout. Tables should be used for tabular data, not site structure. Websites should also have valid markup, which includes document type and encoding, ensuring that the website displays correctly on a variety of browsers. With clean code comes accessibility and usability, which I will discuss in future posts.
- Good Looking with Good Navigation - the site should be visually appealing and easy to navigate. Large sites need a good site search that goes to appropriate pages easily.
- Does the site give many opportunities for potential customers to contact you, buy from you or do what you want them to do? #5 will tell you that
- What does Google Analytics say about usage, keywords, and who is coming to your site? This information is crucial. Add it to you site now and check it periodically to get the most out of the data it is collecting.
There are so many badly designed sites out on the internet. Here at Avallo we have extensive experience and know-how to create great-looking and functional sites. Our resources section includes links and downloads to help fix some of the problems mentioned above.
Just as you can fix a small leak on your pipes at home if needed, you may be able to fix small issues with your website yourself (bad links, better content), but make sure you hire a professional to fix the big problems. Most of the time, it is easier to replace the bad pipes than to try to repair something temporarily. Believe it or not, it is almost always cheaper to redo an entire website than to trudge through messy code and try to fix the holes.
So, take a moment, take a look at your website, and if you find any of the issues discussed above, contact the most cost effective web plumbers around - or at the very least - hire a professional!
Julie
The Cobbler Has No Shoes
2009-04-19 23:23:00
Small business owners know what it means to have no shoes today. You are so busy running your business that somehow the greatest thing you do for others, you don't have for yourself. Well, here at Avallo, it was the same thing. We are creating some great technical websites for our clients but sadly our website sat idle. We made a commitment a month ago to change that. We had a new opportunity that was slow to move because we didn't communicate through our site all of our newest services. It was time to make a brand new pair of shoes.So today we premier our new site. It will grow as we add more of the cool new technologies and our success stories. Check out our new portfolio featuring database websites like this one.For all the super techies, Weston will be sharing his wisdom as well. We are developing our own Content Management System and will be in testing mode this spring. We are working to develop a network team of Super Marketeers and there will be more on that to come. We are working with some local schools to get the kind of web programmers needed that just are not available in the area right now. We are also volunteering to help the new non profit Maple Grove Art Center get off the ground and bring fine art class and art shows to the Maple Grove community.Our new shoes will be getting dirty very quickly and this time they will be replaced with new ones right away so we can keep on moving forward. Call me to get your new pair of shoes. You'll be surprised at how fast you will be able to run.
Julie