Tag Archives: tips and tricks

10 Fantastic Google Marketing Tools You Never Knew Existed

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Hosting

The post 10 Fantastic Google Marketing Tools You Never Knew Existed appeared first on HostGator Web Hosting Blog | Gator Crossing . The world’s largest search engine has established an impressive reputation for delivering quality data to relevant search queries. Between their extensive index and ubiquitous adoption, it’s no wonder the behemoth has risen to the top. But while the average user is searching for flan recipes and movie quotes, marketers have at their fingertips a bevy of useful tools for improving their efforts and gaining insight into their market.   Google Trends Understanding the cultural milieu of particular terms or trends is valuable when crafting copy or photographic content. To this end, Google provides the ability to check the frequency of searches by date. Top terms by category can be viewed in charts and the Explore function enables a chronological documentation of a term’s frequency in search queries. Between these views, marketers will have a better understanding of the zeitgeist and can avoid hitting any hot button terms in the process.   Google Public Data Explorer Understanding the public requires comprehensive data. Thanks to Google Public Data Explorer, marketers can peruse census data, unemployment rates, and any other publicly released information from international governments in line graph, bar graph, or scatter-plot form. With the ability to compare and contrast critical data between countries, you now have the ability to target your marketing and product positioning toward appropriate economic and social conditions.   Google Correlate The strength of data lies not in isolation, but in the ability to compare it for context. Google Correlate provides this capability, showing the trends in search results over the course of a few years or a few months. In a curious, though creative, feature, users of the solution can draw their own line graph and see search terms that match that pattern, thus providing the potential to determine seasonal trends or year-to-year fads.   Webmaster Tools Managing online efforts can be difficult, especially when your carefully crafted website is working poorly. Google Webmaster Tools gives you the necessary functionality to check site health, monitor valuable analytics, and run crawl requests to make sure your assets and articles are properly indexed. In addition, the platform provides structured data tools that check the “micro data” of pages and previewing how they will render in Google’s search results.   Google Fonts In an age of design-forward thinking, your copy needs to look as good as it reads. Google Fonts makes accessible a wide variety of high quality fonts that would previously require local installation to display. With this range of choices and easily accessed API, you’ll have more control over the aesthetic and readability of your web copy than ever before.   Google Ngram Viewer If Google Trends doesn’t provide the kind of insight you’re looking for, then Ngram Viewer most certainly will. The project documents the appearance of words over the course of millennia, showing side-by-side comparisons at the user’s behest. This historical context can make a big difference when dipping into the past for reference or citation.   Dart While marketing is not, at its heart, a programming endeavor, it certainly can benefit from a little knowledge. Marketers with an understanding of web code can help troubleshoot problems quicker and guide development efforts when the time arises. For those with an eye on the future and a penchant for the technical, Google’s Dart coding language provides an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an emerging tech trend. The true benefit lies in its simplicity, as the company has designed it from the get-go as a language capable of understanding, even by beginning coders.   Google Think Insights Not all of Google’s contributions boil down to raw data or code. Google Think Insights delivers a number of Ted-talk-esque treatises on changes in technology and business practices. Marketers with a desire to expand their horizons can examine the “Marketing Objectives” section for tailored advice, while a laundry list of tools provide key insights and lessons. Coupled with creative projects that teach highly-sought-after information, the platform constitutes a gold mine for ambitious marketers.   Get Your Business Online If you find yourself in the passenger’s seat of commerce instead of the driver’s, then this is the section for you. The step-by-step tutorial helps teach you the importance of getting your business on the web, along with the best practices in doing so. The project is tailored at small businesses, with a declared intent to help boost the local economy and grow mom-and-pop’s shops. Along with free web hosting for one year, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would pass up such a sterling opportunity.   Full Value of Mobile If, instead, you’re an established business and want to expand your reach, then understanding mobile is crucial. The Full Value of Mobile page provides a useful calculator for businesses to help determine how much their mobile property is worth. In addition, the tool helps analyze how customers interact with your business, giving insight into effective leveraging of owned mobile properties.   Between these tools and the existing means of market research provided by the search giant , it appears that no stone has been left unturned. Exploration and comparison of public data can help guide distribution and advertising efforts. Proper coding, webmaster tools, and fonts provide more control over owned properties. Finally, Think Insights, GYBO, and Full Value of Mobile provide valuable information for a wide range of experience levels. With successful marketing pacing the growth and success of many companies these days, this toolkit can help lift the weight off your shoulders and give you confidence that you’re making the right call. Register a cheap domain name at HostGator.com Continue reading →

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The 10 Commandments of Effective Web Design and Development

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Hosting

The post The 10 Commandments of Effective Web Design and Development appeared first on HostGator Web Hosting Blog | Gator Crossing . To the uninitiated, web design is magic. Transforming text into beautiful, responsive, and interactive creations is pure sorcery to those who don’t see past the one-way mirror. The problem is, you do, and for that reason, you know just how complicated and challenging things can get. When navigating the jungle (so that end-users don’t have to) keeping essential, core principles in mind can mean the difference between Facebook and MySpace. In this post, we’re outlining the ten commandments of effective web design and development.   1. Thou shalt code with care If you honor the integrity of your web page and the integrity of your sanity, this rule means everything. Poorly organized, un-commented, and messy code can create copious headaches as you develop your site or redesign your aesthetic. It is said that the skill of a master chef is indicated by the cleanliness of his apron; the same goes for coders. Keep things clean, organized, well labeled, and concise in order to save you and yours a little pain along the way.   2. Thou shalt be flexible Our relationship with the web is ever changing. From our standards for interaction to the platforms on which we view sites, the onus falls on web developers to make users happy at all junctures. For this reason, it is essential to observe responsive web design. The elegant solution will adapt your layout, your media, and your text based on queries to the observing platform. In doing so, your website maintains a coherent identity with common elements and shared page ranking; a win-win-win.   3. Thou shalt put the user before all else Developing your code and your platform is only part of the picture. Ultimately, the user is where the rubber hits the road, and failing to gain traction with a favorable user experience will see ambitious efforts fall heartbreakingly short. At every conjuncture, consider elements like typography, visual balance, navigability, communicability, and aesthetic to ensure that viewers appreciate all the hard work you put in.   4. Thou shalt remember scalability and keep it holy The term “web development” should give you an idea of what we’re talking about. Development is, by its nature, the progression and adaptation of infrastructure and design to your changing goals. For this reason, your web hosting infrastructure and underlying platform should be scalable in order to accommodate future growth. You may only see 100 users per day at present, but when your blog hits it big, you’ll wish you had sprung for a solution with robust upgrades options.   5. Thou shalt change with the times As stated, the web is an ever-changing cornucopia of visuals, content, contexts, and experiences. Failing to adapt to this changing world will leave your site feeling slow and looking old. These may not seem like huge issues at first, but considering  how quickly a user’s attention can falter , even a seemingly negligible drop in performance can turn them off. Aesthetic is not to be ignored either. The glossy buttons of web 1.0 have been supplanted by simple and elegant flat designs. Falling behind this curve means uninterested eyes and negative perceptions.   6. Thou shalt not take a domain name in vain Your docket is already full with technical concerns and design considerations, but ignoring the significant role that your domain name plays is an exercise in ignorance. In order for websites to garner organic traffic, they need to be eye catching when viewed in the context of search results. A good domain name can set expectations and entice wandering eyes even before your copy and layout make an impression. Choose something simple, creative, and interesting to reel in readers.   7. Thou shalt optimize thy search index In order for your domain name to have an impact, however, your site needs to appear in said search rankings. The search indexing system may not be perfect, but unfortunately, it’s all we’ve got. Optimize your SEO by focusing on Schema microdata, authorship, linkages to high profile sites, and strong keywords. Doing so we’ll not only bump your initial traffic results, but also make hay for years after publication.   8. Thou shalt hold design on high If the individual instances demonstrating the importance of design haven’t sold you on this concept, then let this commandment do the work. Design, once popularly considered to be a luxury of large companies with ample budgets, quickly became an integral part of startup culture, content formatting, and now, every aspect of the Internet. The new era sees design as a primary concern of Internet users, even if only subconsciously, and failing to recognize this can seriously derail your efforts.   9. Thou shalt be distinctive The Internet is big. To quantify it, research shows that monthly traffic in 2012 hit 44 exabytes per month. To put this volume in perspective, 1 exabyte is 1,000 petabytes, and 1 petabyte is 1,000 terabytes. For that reason, you need to make an impression. Web design is about functionality and impact, and when focusing on impact, aim to set your creation apart. This can be achieved in a number of ways, just remember to focus on being distinctive, not weird or annoying.   10. Thou shalt keep it simple Paramount to all of these concerns, make sure you keep things simple. Strive for elegance; the simplest, most effective solution. Cluttered code, busy design, and ham-fisted attempts at standing out are as likely to drive away users as they are to frustrate your stakeholders. In all things, strive for the simplest solution and enjoy the sophistication and intuitiveness that only elegance can provide. They may not have been handed down on the mount, but these commandments can help guide your web design and development efforts in profound ways. Code responsibly, focus on the user, develop flexible platforms, keep up with design innovations, optimize your data, and focus on elegance. Between these rules and your own dash of creativity and talent, you’re bound to build something notable, and that’s a valuable thing in an interconnected world. Register a cheap domain name at HostGator.com Continue reading →

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Infographic: 5-Finger Internet Discount

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Hosting

The post Infographic: 5-Finger Internet Discount appeared first on HostGator Web Hosting Blog | Gator Crossing . It’s been said: “if it’s free, it’s for me; I’ll have three!”  When speaking of free things on the Internet, it’s most often a conversation about stealing media; mp3s, movies, and other copyrighted materials.  However, there are some legitimately free and legal things for you to help yourself to online.  Presenting The 5-Finger Internet Discount: 5-Finger Internet Discount via HostGator Register a cheap domain name at HostGator.com Continue reading →

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5 Great Books On Web Design That You Need To Read

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Hosting

The post 5 Great Books On Web Design That You Need To Read appeared first on HostGator Web Hosting Blog | Gator Crossing . Web design is challenging stuff. There’s a reason that talented and well-read individuals can make impressive sums of money with a little HTML and CSS know-how. But everyone had to start somewhere and properly educating yourself is the first step to honing these skills. Myriad tutorials and forums exist that can help make sense of markup and formatting language, but the breadth of information required to create attractive and usable websites demands the touch of experts. These resources may not be free, but valuable information rarely is. Furthermore, the capabilities of print to flexibly and graphically represent the trickier aspects of coding are worth the investment in order to build a foundation of knowledge that will pay for itself in time. From the copious volumes of web design information, we’ve selected five gems that are sure to put you on solid footing and get you coding with confidence.   HTML&CSS Building attractive websites demands an attractive resource. Jon Duckett’s comprehensive volume builds the essential skills needed to create your first website, with the added benefit of some truly beautiful and informative graphic design. Aside from the aesthetic appeal of its pages, the tome holds thorough explanations of web basics and advanced CSS functionality. The true value of this book lies in a creative and considerate application of visual and textual elements. The benefit of online tutorials is that they can actively demonstrate the effects of syntax on a working page. However, their instructional capabilities are limited to the technical acumen of the instructors coding the lessons. In this way, a printed volume of well crafted, textual explanations reinforced by visual aids can help enlighten key concepts in ways that online tutorial simply cannot.   Don’t Make Me Think But learning to construct web pages is only half the battle. With appropriate markup and formatting knowledge, one can create gorgeous, utterly unusable pages that benefit no one. That’s where Steve Krug’s user experience guide comes into play. By examining the process of human interaction with web pages, nascent designers can understand the essential elements of usability and function. In teaching these concepts, Krug takes a unique and valuable approach. Instead of simply delineating UX best practices, he teaches readers to think like a usability expert, in order to guide future development efforts and inform functional solutions. In addition, the guide is short, engaging, and extremely digestible, bucking the unfortunate reputation of educational texts as dry, sleep-inducing slogs. By teaching a process in a digestible way, the book helps demystify our relationship with the Internet to great effect.   Responsive Web Design If you’ve paid any attention to the progression of web design in the past couple years, you know that responsiveness is in. The solution, which endeavors to design versatile configurations that address complicated and ever-changing platform concerns, has taken root in large and small-scale web development alike. For this reason, any rudimentary education in web design necessarily includes at least a cursory look at adaptive and responsive layouts. Ethan Marcotte’s 150-page crash course in this web design revolution will give you the information you need to jump on the wagon. The book examines key aspects of adaptive layouts including a look at how to adjust media, text sizes, and arrangements of elements in order to accommodate mobile, tablet, and desktop devices. Since whatever you craft will likely be seen on each of these platforms at some point, it behooves you to consider everyone’s needs when creating your masterpiece.   The Smashing Book Smashing’s reputation as an authority of design knowledge precedes itself. Their website houses droves of professionally curated techniques, code, and ideas with the express intent of making you a better designer. But their greatest contribution to the annals of design history is a massive regular publication containing all the latest developments and information an aspiring web designer needs. The Smashing Book’s true value exists in its authors’ abilities to turn sophisticated design concepts into actionable takeaways. Recent articles run the gamut from predictions on the future of web typography to the logistics of content strategy. With this resource in your office, you can assure that your skills keep up with the rapid pace of development; an essential consideration for any successful web designer.   Mobile First The cell phone has become as much a part of our society as khakis and hotdogs. But to the chagrin of web designers, this transition necessitates some special accommodation in order to fit small screens and finger-based interfaces. Furthermore, the commercial potential of mobile adaptation is immense, rendering an education in mobile a designer’s obligation. Now that our knowledge of the platform has reached critical mass, Luke Wroblewski’s paperback guide represents an essential piece of any web designer’s library. The former Yahoo! design architect packs each page full of data-driven strategies and time-tested techniques to making your mobile site the best it can possibly be. With an entertaining voice and a concise format, readers will find themselves privy to some of the most important design information of our modern age without facing the trudge of dry academic reading. As the body of web design knowledge continues to grow, these volumes may, time, fade into the distance. But for the current wave of technologies, each book listed here contributes essential knowledge and skills that will put your web design on solid ground. From attractive and understandable explanations to yearly updates on important design developments, your bookshelf and your brainchild will both benefit from these handy references. What other books have you found helpful? Add the titles in the comments section below! Register a cheap domain name at HostGator.com Continue reading →

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Online Photo and Video Sharing Is Expanding: What Does It Mean For Your Business

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Hosting

The post Online Photo and Video Sharing Is Expanding: What Does It Mean For Your Business appeared first on HostGator Web Hosting Blog | Gator Crossing . With burgeoning volumes of content on social networks and websites, content has reached a point where less user friendly, empathetic, and compelling fare will see a precipitous drop-off. The fact is, media-full users simply do not have time in their days to consume everything presented to them. For that reason, discerning viewers have developed attitudes toward media that allow them to quickly determine what matters to them and what does not. High on the list of “what matters” is visual media. The trend makes sense: in a world where time is media, quickly digested pictures and videos hold a special advantage over text in their ability to communicate meaning, emotion, and more without the “arduous” task of reading. So what does this mean for you? It means that video and photo is the “it” channel for conveying brand message, and any effort that can be made to accommodate this trend is well worth your time and energy.   What’s Behind the Trend? When one considers the ubiquity of cellphone cameras in today’s society, it is not hard to understand why photos and videos rose to the top. With the availability of recording tools, more adults than ever are uploading original photos and videos. In addition, high-resolution screens and readily available wireless Internet access have made viewing online photos and videos a breeze. The specific content of these items follow measurable trends. According to a  Pew Research Center study , the top three types of video consumed include humor, educational, and instructional, with music at a close fourth. Video created primarily includes everyday activities, people doing humorous things, and pets. According to another  study by the Pew Center , the demographics sharing and consuming this media include 18-29 year old, college-educated individuals. What fuels the consumption of content, however, is not simply the format itself. The rise of social networking, including platforms designed specifically for video and photo sharing, have hasted the spread of visual formats. According to the Pew study above, 66% of online adults use Facebook, 12% use Pinterest, and 12% use Instagram. Specifically, as many as 20% of women use Pinterest and 27% of 18-29 year olds use Instagram. The ease and penetration of these platforms have made video and photo sharing an easy and engaging endeavor.   Video While all this data is well and good, you’re probably wondering how this affects your business (after all, it was in the title of the article). First and foremost, understand that if you are not using video in your marketing, you should be. According to  a study by Reel SEO , 93% of marketers are using video in their campaigns with 82% reporting positive results from doing so. In addition to the hard numbers, video presents a real opportunity to enrich and engage your customers. As an institution of authority, tap into the how-to and educational crowd. Businesses would do well to introduce content that leans on their specific area of expertise and delivers valuable, informative content to viewers. Sites that sell shaving products can afford-ably create a web series about proper shaving technique.  Cooking ware companies can release videos detailing basic cooking techniques that use their products. Identify what expertise you possess and use it to engage your customers in a way that focuses on delivering value. Furthermore, avoid any pandering and know what your audience wants. Creating video for video sake is just as likely to appear desperate, as it is to help sales. Content should be genuine and enriching. Furthermore, know your audience, either through direct communication, polling, or surveys of comments on content, and base subsequent videos on the response.   Photos Images pose another opportunity altogether. Simplifying the content experience, photos can be readily shared and consumed by peers in a way that builds online identity. According to a study by the  Content Marketing Institute , images that possess characteristics with which viewers want to be identified are more likely to see shares on social networking and, in the process, build positive brand association. Know your goal when developing images. Infographics, for example, provide the same opportunity to deliver value that videos do, but in a way that is more digestible and less time consuming. Non-branded images incorporating your company’s products have shown to improve overall brand perception. Branded content based on memes and humor is likely to see shares, currying positive feelings toward your organization. In either instance, identify what you want to accomplish, and tailor your content on that basis.   Sharing Regardless of the content you produce, do not ignore the need to share. Unless you’ve invented the next Google or Facebook, it is unlikely that your site alone will draw enough visitors to maximize your content’s potential. Use the obvious channels, Twitter and Facebook, and don’t be afraid to embrace newer channels with demonstrated user-bases like Instagram and Pinterest. Your goal should be for a “> 1″ return on social media views: focus on shares and spreading content. In doing so, you give your brand the opportunity to become a part of the cultural zeitgeist, and that’s marketing no money can buy. With no signs of slowing down, video and photos have become a powerful component of any successful marketing strategy. Tap into your intellectual resources and share that asset with the community in videos. Base photography on brand goals and use social networking to its fullest potential. Check out the fast WordPress blog hosting by HostGator.com Continue reading →

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