Thursday, August 11, 2011

Article: 10 things you can do to improve your Web site right now

10 things you can do to improve your Web site right now
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-things-you-can-do-to-improve-your-web-site-right-now/2666

madison
Follow this blog:
RSS
Email Alert

10 Things

10 things you can do to improve your Web site right now

August 11, 2011, 6:31 AM PDT

Takeaway: Even if you don't have the time or resources for a full-blown site redesign, you can make some small, easily implemented tweaks that will have a huge impact.

We often look at our Web sites and know that they need to be overhauled, but we just do not have the time to do it. A major Web site redesign project can takes weeks or months (depending on the size of your site and the technology underneath it) to complete. Meanwhile, your site is turning away visitors right now. Here are 10 easy things that you can do to improve your site.

1: Make your contact information more prominent

Most companies' sites need to sell products, services, and so on. By making your contact information easier to find, you raise trust and allow visitors to initiate the sales process more easily. If you have a phone number you want customers calling, it should be in large letters, at the top of every page. If you have a "Contact Us" page, it should be one of the most obvious links on every page.

2: Don't mix HTTP and HTTPS

Mixing HTTP and HTTPS elements on pages can lead to annoying security warnings and incomplete page rendering. Using relative links throughout the page's HTML, and having your AJAX calls detect what protocol to use, will ensure that all content comes through the right channel, eliminating those problems.

3: Add better analysis

It takes only a few minutes to add Google Analytics to your site, which will help you get a long-term idea of your search engine situation and what pages users have problems on and will highlight all sorts of other information. If you have a Web application, newcomer Totango (currently in a public beta) provides similar instrumentation specific to application events, and it is also easy to add to your application.

4: Create print-specific CSS styles

Don't you just hate it when you print a Web page, and the page is mostly whitespace and navigation? What looks good on a monitor in landscape orientation usually does not work so great on the printed page. Luckily, CSS allows you to define (or override) styles based on the type of device viewing it. Creating some print-specific styles is easy, I've found that just omitting the navigation, banners, footers, etc., and making it consume the full width of the page can do a lot, and it takes only a few minutes. While you are there, make another set of changes for mobile browsers that resizes and repositions elements to fit mobile devices better. It may not be as good as a mobile-specific site, but it takes a lot less time, and anything is better than nothing.

5: Make sharing better with image_src

Ever wonder how some sites get their logo or just the right image to show up automatically when you share a page on Facebook and other sites? That's done with the image_src item. This simple 30-second change gives you much better control over how your company looks on social networks and makes it easy for people to spread the word about you.

6: Ditch the dead weight

It's easy for a site to accumulate a lot of extra junk over time, especially things like references to JavaScript that is no longer being used. Audit your site and see what is being included that is not actually needed —  and get rid of it. Your page load speeds will improve and users will be happier.

7: Use alt text

This one has been mentioned so many times by others, yet Web designers and developers still fail to heed it. Putting alt text on your images does more than give a useful tooltip, it allows search engines and disabled users to make sense of your site. Adding the alt tags takes very little time, and a number of tools will even identify images without it for you.

8: Write for your audience, not your c-level execs

Take a look at the wording on a lot of sites, and they seem more like the "new employee handbook" than something designed to attract customers. The problem is usually caused by management teams who are trying to convey a corporate message (often using a lot of jargon that means something to employees but not to customers). Site visitors don't care about that message. Put yourself in the customers' shoes, and reword your content so it speaks their language, not yours, and you will see people sticking around longer. You may even get some search engine benefits too.

9: Get the content out of PDFs and into HTML

Many times, we're fed a bunch of content for the site in PDF format (or as Word documents). Whether it be through a lack of time or some mandate from someone, the content goes onto the site as-is. Unless there is a compelling reason to keep the content in those formats, you should take the time to get them into HTML pages instead. My experience has been that most visitors really dislike Acrobat or Word popping open or a file downloading unless it is absolutely necessary.

10: Remember that silence is golden

If there is one thing that will drive users off your site quickly, it's a page that makes noise without their consent. All videos should either be muted by default or should require a deliberate user action to start playing. Do spot checks of any advertisements on your site to make sure that they aren't playing videos with the sound on by default as well. Users remember which sites surprised them with a barrage of noise, especially if it happened at the workplace or some other embarrassing moment, and avoid them like the plague.

Additional resources

Get IT Tips, news, and reviews delivered directly to your inbox by subscribing to TechRepublic's free newsletters.

Justin James

About Justin James

Justin James is an employee of Levit & James, Inc. in a multidisciplinary role that combines programming, network management, and system administration. He has been blogging at TechRepublic since 2005.

Justin James

Justin James
Justin James is an employee of Levit & James, Inc. in a multidisciplinary role that combines programming, network management, and system administration. He has been blogging at TechRepublic since 2005.

Justin James

Justin James
Justin James has a contract with Spiceworks to write product buying guides; he has a contract with OpenAmplify, which is owned by Hapax, to write a series of blogs, tutorials, and articles; and he has a contract with OutSystems to write articles, sample code, etc.

(via Instapaper)



Brief message sent from a handheld device.
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

10 workplace blunders to avoid at all costs

10 Things
Career not taking off the way you expected? The reason might lie in some of your on-the-job behavior. Steve Tobak runs through a few things NOT to do at work.
Sent with Reeder


Brief message sent from a handheld device.
Posted by at No comments:

The 21 Winning Attributes Of The Wealthy

PickTheBrain

When I consider the word wealthy I want to go far beyond the limited definition that relates purely to accumulation and comfort.

Wealth to me has a far much broader meaning that also includes the richness of friends, family, as well as opportunities.

So with that understanding let's explore 21 of the finest attributes of the wealthy.

1. They Love What They Do

To be able to wake up each morning with a skip in your step. With a mind bursting with new and fresh ideas and clear plans, laid out the day before for the day ahead, is a joy. I have made it my personal pursuit throughout the years to align my work with my passion. Every day I breathe I now do what I love to do, and it has made the journey extremely worthwhile.

2. They Perform With A Touch Of Class

If you're going to do a job then do it with excellence. Go beyond the call of duty. Do more than you're asked. Under promise and over deliver. It really doesn't take much to do better than expected. One real estate agent did it by simply providing some free pizza vouchers with every house purchase. Now the cook in that house, after a long day of heavy moving, never forgot that touch of class.

3. They Apply A Winning Attitude

There are two attitudes in a life – good or bad. To have a good attitude is to have a winning attitude. A good attitude approaches every challenge looking for solutions, not problems. A winning attitude is reflected in our speech. I have been working with a colleague to correct their speech. She would continually ask the question, 'What's wrong?' as though something was always wrong. I'm pleased to report that with a little coaching she now asks, 'What's right?' with a winning attitude.

4. They Go Beyond What Is Expected

What a pleasant surprise to see a job done that outstrips all expectation. I recall the time years ago, when a friend loaned us their car each weekend, because at that time we didn't own our own. When it was delivered to us on Friday it was usually dirty. When we returned it on Sunday afternoon it was always returned in an immaculate condition and a full tank of petrol. The smiles received were a rich reward to us, and by the way – we weren't walking for too much longer.

5. They Are Great Time Managers

I have a prioritized list of 6 major things I need to do each day in order to move my life and businesses forward. As I complete each task I cross it off. I do not stop until I complete each task. If I book a meeting with another person and they don't show up after 15 minutes from the appointed meeting time I leave. I have learnt to say 'no' to those things that are not aligned to my personal goals. I rule my phone. It doesn't rule me. This has everything to do with time and life management.

6. They Take Initiative

I don't wait to be asked. I do the asking. Good things come to those who don't wait. I make my own opportunities through positive and consistent action. This is initiative.

7. They Are Enthusiastic

Enthusiasm makes all the difference. At times I'm accused of being 'over-the-top' in the expression of my passion, especially when I'm talking about subjects that are dear to my heart. But I don't care. I'd rather live one day overflowing with exuberance and enthusiasm than live a lifetime of deadly dull doldrums.

8. They Are Diligent

To be diligent is to have, or show care and conscientiousness in one's works or duties. When I owned a cleaning company it was one of my clients who taught me to be diligent. She wiped her finger over the top of the light switches that we had failed to clean. From that day forward I always cleaned the top of every single light switch. And even to this day, many years later, when I come into a room, I will often find myself wiping my finger across the top of the light switch to do the 'dust test'.

9. They Are Self-Disciplined

I have been in business for myself now for decades, and one of the key things that you have to develop when you're in business for yourself is the practice of self-discipline. There is no one telling you what or what not to do. You are fully responsible, and that's why even as I write this article I'm seated in one of my local coffee shops early in the morning, as is my self-disciplined habit, creating yet another piece of 'magnificence'.

10. They Are Assertive

Those who are assertive have or show a confident and forceful personality. They will never allow themselves to be a doormat for others to walk on. They speak up for truth. They confront problems head on. They do not hide. They do not run. They show respect, but in return expect the same.

11. They Are Team Players

The wealthy understand that they cannot live a wealthy life by going alone. They recognize their strengths, but at the same time understand that their weaknesses need to be supported by those who are strong in those areas. The great joy of the wealthy is that they take others on their own wealth ride.

12. They Risk Doing Something Great

Risk is one of my middle names. My discovery? Risk won't kill you. Actually, you are more likely to die not taking a risk than if you do choose to venture forth from the path taken by the 'status quo'. But don't simply risk doing something small. If you're going to risk, then risk doing something great – something that will provide some lasting significance to your life and to the lives of others.

13. They Set The Bar In Competence

To be competent is to have the ability to do something successfully or efficiently. Whenever I have approached a new business opportunity or the acquirement of a new skillset, I have always made it my goal to become the very best in each endeavor. Not to just be a doer of the deed, but rather to become the expert or the leader in that field. Be a 'bar-raiser'  – not just one of the crowd.

14. They Establish & Preserve Organization

This is not about control. This is about order. This is about systems. This is about consistent results. This is about quality control. This is about efficiency and success through the power of organization. I organize my desk. I organize my car.  I organize my house. I organize my clothes. I organize my time and finances. I organize my life. Disorganization has no place in a wealthy life.

15. They Show Respect

Owning a cleaning business for three years taught me a lot about respect. I had some clients who failed to show that to me. We call it status. But the fact was that I was the one who got the money. I still respected them, and three years later sold them at a profit to someone else. Whenever I stay in a five star hotel you may notice me often leaving a thank you note for the cleaners. It's all about showing respect.

16. They Are Clear Communicators

I tend to over-communicate. Why? Because communication is vital for clarity and accuracy of understanding. Say what you say and make it clear. As my business coach once taught me, 'You get what you communicate.' So if you've not been getting what you expected from your issued instructions then do a communication check up. It may not even be what you're saying that needs adjustment. It may be how you're saying it.

17. They Dress For Success

I've recently moved my office to my home. I've always wanted to work from home. No commuting except for my morning jaunt to the local cafes in my area to write. But then I return home and continue with my day's tasks. But as far as my dress is concerned I still dress as if I am going to the office, or about to hold an important meeting. For as you dress so you think. Dress successfully and you will think successful and act successfully.

19. They Model Character

When I come into the company of others I am never moved by what they drive, where they live, or what they make in income. I listen to what they say, and I look for their character. This is the true nature of who they are, what they believe, how they treat others, and how they treat their partner and their children. The truly wealthy model character – good character.

20. They Are Committed To Constant Change

I have surrounded myself with people smarter than myself, and I take notes furiously because I am committed to constant change. Every new piece of technology released I investigate. Not all are adapted unless they add value to my life and businesses. But I investigate. I read. I study. I listen, because I want to be on the cutting edge of change – for there is only one thing in this day and age that is constant – change.

21. They Smile A Lot

Well why wouldn't you when you're wealthy? Inner wealth shines forth from your mouth in the shape of a big beaming smile.

So how many of these attributes are operating in your life – and could you add any more to this list?

 

Motivational Memo: To be healthy, wealthy and wise is to live a rich life.

Peter G. James Sinclair is the author of the Personal Success Blueprint, a free report you can download instantly to learn how you can unlock the secret to your own personal success. You can access the report from here – http://www.selfdevelopmentmastermind.com

 

Sent with Reeder


Brief message sent from a handheld device.
Posted by at No comments:

Article: Free Windows utilities you should download right now | TechRepublic

Free Windows utilities you should download right now | TechRepublic
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/itdojo/free-windows-utilities-you-should-download-right-now/2769?tag=nl.e099

Bill Detwiler: Every IT pro and power user has theirfavorite Windows utilities and tools. But, there are a few tools that everyonewho uses or supports Windows should have.

I'm Bill Detwiler, and during this episode of TR Dojo, I'llshow five free Windows utilities that you should download right now.

There are hundreds of Windows utilities out there. Andalmost everyone who works on a Windows computer has his or her favorites. But,there are a handful of must-have tools that no Windows user or support proshould be without.

To keep things simple, I've divide this list into fiveseparate categories:

  • Cleaners
  • Uninstallers
  • Defragmenters
  • Remote support tools, and
  • Password recovery and reset utilities

And while dozens of applications may fall into eachcategory, there are a few that really stand out. Those are the ones I'm goingto focus on. And best of all, they're all free.

Now, the tools in our first category — "Cleaners" help youkeep you system free of all those unwanted files that build up over times onyour hard drive — like temporary Internet or installation files. This unwanteddata could take up valuable disk space, cause program errors, and even slowdown your computer.

That's why you should download Piriform's CCleaner rightnow. With just a few clicks of the mouse, this free utility lets you empty theRecycle Bin, delete all your temporary files, clear the clipboard, and evenclean out the Windows registry. Sure, you could do most of these tasksmanually, but that would take a lot more time.

Now, I'll provide a download link for CCleaner (and all theother tools I'll mention today) in the TR Dojo blog.

I'll also provide links to several TechRepublic articles thatprovide a bit more detail about each one.

Since we're talking about cleaning unwanted files off yoursystem, this is a perfect time to the second category on our list — uninstallers.

Now, you can uninstall programs using the Windows Add orRemove Programs wizard, but sometimes it doesn't get rid of all anapplication's bits and pieces. This is where dedicated uninstallers can help.

And the while some cleaner utilities, such as CCleaner, canalso act as uninstallers, the one that really stands out with the TR communityis the Revo Uninstaller.

This handy utility from the VS Revo Group is available inboth freeware and professional versions and makes removing an unwantedapplication and all its remnants a snap.

The third category of must-have Windows tools aredefragmenters. These tools can help keep your mechanical hard drives runningsmoothing.

And while Windows' built-in defragmentation utility is oftensufficient for the average user, IT pros and power users often choose athird-party defrag tool.

In a previous TR Dojo episode, I looked at four free defragtools that were popular with TechRepublic members:

  • UltraDefrag tool
  • MyDefrag
  • Smart Defrag
  • Defraggler

I'll link to each of these tools and the video in the TRDojo blog.

Now that we've covered the general maintenance utilities,let's get a bit more specific. The utilities in our fourth category are mustwhen support remote users.

Sure you can talk someone through a complete series oftroubleshooting steps over the phone, but wouldn't it be quicker and easier tojust do it for them? Remote support tools let you do just that.

And one of my favorite, and free, tools in this category isCrossloop.

I first covered this remote support utility way back in2008. And while there are lots of alternatives from companies such as Citrix,LogMeIn, and Bomgar.

Crossloop is still one of the easiest to install and use.

Well, we're down to the last category on our list ofmust-have Windows utilities. And while, you may not use them every day,password recovery and reset tools can be a lifesaver when you need them.

I was reminded by this fact recently, when I forgot thepassword to one of our Windows test machines that I rarely log into. Afterwasting 30 minutes trying every possible password I could think of (and gettingnowhere), I threw in the towel and reset the password with the Offline NTPassword and Registry Editor.

This Linux-based utility that can reset passwords onWindows-NT based systems that use NTFS, such as Windows Server (2003 and 2008),Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

This utility is so cool I devoted an entire TR Dojo episodeto it back in 2008. I'll like to in the TR Dojo blog.

Well that does it for my list of free Windows utilities thatyou should download right now. If you didn't see your favorite tool on the listor think I overlooked a critical type of tool, tell me about in the TR Dojoblog.

And as always, for more teachings on YOUR path to becomingan IT Ninja, visit trdojo.techrepublic.com, sign-up for our newsletter, orfollow me on Twitter.

Thanks for visiting the TR Dojo.

(via Instapaper)



Brief message sent from a handheld device.
Posted by at No comments:

Article: Ten Safari shortcuts you should know | Business Center | Working Mac | Macworld

Ten Safari shortcuts you should know | Business Center | Working Mac | Macworld
http://www.macworld.com/article/160951/2011/07/safari_shortcuts.html

Ten Safari shortcuts you should know

Whether you're using Snow Leopard or Lion you can save time with these tricks

by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld.com   Jul 21, 2011 5:30 am

I'm a keyboard guy. While I like my Magic Trackpad, and the trackpad on my MacBook Air, I do as much as I can from the keyboard. As such, I use LaunchBar () to launch applications, and have learned a number of essential iTunes shortcuts to save time when I work with my music collection. I know dozens of shortcuts for the apps I use most.

Safari is no exception. Since it's easier to use the keyboard—no need to move my hand to my trackpad—I've memorized a handful of useful shortcuts for browsing the Web. Here are ten that I think are essential. (These should work in both Snow Leopard and Lion unless otherwise noted.)

1. Quickly enter URLs

When I want to type a URL, I don't use a mouse or trackpad to click in the Address Bar, clear it, then type. Just press Command-L, and all the text in the Address Bar is selected, so whatever you type replaces it immediately. Start typing a URL for a favorite site, and Safari can auto-completes it by looking at your history or bookmarks. If Safari displays a list of sites, use the up- and down-arrow keys to choose the right one, and then press Return to go there.

2. Search in a snap

Like everyone, I search a lot using Google. Why click in the Google search field when you can go there by simply pressing Command-Option-F? Remember this shortcut, as it works in many Apple programs. Use it in Mail, iTunes, Address Book and more when you need to zip to the search field.

3. Hop to your history

There are times when I want to browse my History list to find a Web page I visited recently, but whose URL I can't remember. Pressing Command-Option-2 takes me to the History list, and puts the cursor in the search field. I can type a word or two and narrow down the display to find what I want. Double-clicking an entry in the History list takes me to that page, and pressing Command-Option-2 again takes me back to the previously visible Web page.

4. Scroll with the spacebar

When I get to my favorite Web page, I rarely bother to use scroll bars, or even my trackpad, to scroll. Just press the spacebar, and Safari scrolls down one screen. Need to go back up a screen? Press Shift-Spacebar. It's fast and efficient, and doesn't make me dizzy watching the page move up and down.

5. Open tabs in the background

Safari's tabbed browsing is a practical way to have several Web pages open at once without getting confused by multiple windows. Safari's Tabs preferences show the shortcuts you can use to create new tabs. Go to Safari -> Preferences and click on Tabs to see these. The shortcut I use most is Command-Shift-click, which opens a new tab in the background. I use this a lot when I'm doing research on the Web and want to open several pages from search results without looking at them right away. To open a tab in the front, use Command-click. (These shortcuts are reversed if you don't select the When A New Tab Or Window Opens, Make It Active option.)

Safari tabs
Safari's Tabs preferences let you choose how you want tabbed browsing to work, and show you the available keyboard shortcuts according to your settings.

6. Navigate your tabs

Once I've got some tabs open in Safari, I often want to switch from one to another; but I certainly don't want to use the mouse for that. Command-Shift-Left Arrow or Right-Arrow will take you from one tab to the other. Just make sure that your cursor isn't in a text field on any window displayed in a tab; if so, this shortcut will hit a dead end when it reaches such a window.

7. Send a page (or its URL) to a friend

Sometimes I want to email a neat Web page I've found to a friend. Command-I does the trick; it takes the contents of the page and send it to the person in a new message in Mail, with the page's title as the message subject. If you just want to send a link, use Command-Shift-I.

8. Save pages for later

New in Lion is Reading List, a sort of temporary bookmark list that you can use for pages you want to come back to and read later. If you press Command-Shift-D, you can add the current page to the Reading List. You'll see an animation of an icon flying from the page to the left-side of the Safari window.

9. Save links for later

The above Lion shortcut works when a page is visible. If you want to add a linked page to the Reading List—a page in search results, or a link, say, on the main page of macworld.com—just hold down the Shift key and click on that link.

10. View Lion's Reading List

To view the Reading List, you could click on the eyeglasses icon in the Bookmark Bar, if it was visible. Since we're discussing keyboard shortcuts, however, instead you use the easier method of just pressing Command-Shift-L.

Learn some of these shortcuts and make your Web browsing faster and easier, and save time as well.

Senior contributor Kirk McElhearn writes about more than just Macs on his blog Kirkville. Twitter: @mcelhearn Kirk is the author of Take Control of Scrivener 2.

(via Instapaper)



Brief message sent from a handheld device.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)