20 February

HTML5 is Here, Start Using It!

Posted in Web Design, Web Development

Jairo Martinez - Bayshore Solutions Sr. Programmer

By: Jairo Martinez — Bayshore Solutions Development Team

I hear a lot of people talk about how HTML5 is the future of the web but in reality HTML5 is now out there being used pretty heavily in a lot of websites. So, let’s start using it!

To clear the fear of the unknown, let’s cover some HTML5 fundamentals. First, let me show how a basic HTML5 page looks like in code:

 

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>My first webpage</title>

</head>

<body>

<p>My first webpage</p>

</body>

</html>

That’s it! If you are familiar with HTML 4.01 you will notice the DOCTYPE declaration is not the crazy mess it was before and now it’s just <!DOCTYPE html>. If you see the source code of any HTML5 page that line will be always at the top. The <head> tag will contain important information for search engine web crawlers such as page title. The <body> tag will generate the code that will be shown in the browser.

So, what is new in HTML5? Some of the most interesting new features in HTML5 are:

  • The <video> and <audio> tags for media playback
  • The <canvas> tag for 2D drawing
  • Better support for local offline storage
  • New content-specific tags, like <article>, <footer>, <header>, <nav>, <section>
  • New form controls, like calendar, date, time, email, url, search

If you want to add video your website you will not need to have a browser plug-in (like flash), you can just use the <video> tag like this:

<video width=”320″ height=”240″>
<source src=”movie.mp4″ type=”video/mp4″ />
</video>

The <canvas> tag will allow you to draw graphics, on the fly, by scripting (usually JavaScript). There are already people creating complete games using the features provided by the <canvas> tag. One amazing example is the popular game for the IPhone ‘Cut the Rope’ that has been completely ported to HTML5. You can play this game in your browser by going here: http://www.cuttherope.ie.

The set of features of HTML5 supported by the browsers vary from one to the other but most modern browser currently have some basic support of HTML5. If you want to know exactly what HTML5 features are supported by your browser you can view that on this page http://html5test.com.

For more information about HTML5, I’ll recommend you this site http://www.html5rocks.com.
In there you will find the latest and most relevant information about HTML5. So, let’s embrace HTML5 and start using it!

Jairo Martinez is a Senior Programmer at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

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13 February

Does Your Website Share The Love?

Posted in Mobile Web Presence, Online Marketing Strategy

Lauren Castine - Bayshore Solutions Project Manager

By: Lauren Castine — Bayshore Solutions Project Management Team

Happy almost Valentine’s Day to all you romantics out there! Of course, I hope that everyone reading is aware that tomorrow, February 14th is Valentine’s Day! If not, this is your final warning.  As soon as you’ve completed reading this post you better make that last minute call for flower delivery, or set a reminder to stop and purchase a card on your way home.

Speaking of purchasing, did you know that Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas in terms of consumer holiday action? Here are a few facts to show the enormity of love out there:

  • The National Retail Federation (NRF) says Americans will spend nearly $18 billion on Valentine’s this year
  • The Greeting Card association estimated that one billion Valentine’s cards are sent every year
  • 189 million roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day

With all those sparks being generated at cash registers across the country, is your website ready to offer a warm embrace to consumers? Or will you be left all alone in the dark wondering why they don’t call anymore? Each holiday, I always anticipate the Google homepage image. Google seems to get that users have lives offline, and that the more you acknowledge that, the more they will connect with you online.

It’s the same thing brick and mortar stores have done for decades. It’s the same thing we do in our own homes. I decorate for each holiday, and my favorite stores do as well – which leads me to ask the question – should we be decorating our websites for each holiday as well? On the topic of decorating websites for holidays website usability guru Jakob Nielsen notes:

“There are two main reasons for websites to recognize holidays and special events, and both reasons fall under the same general category: To respect users as human beings, rather than simply as ‘eyeballs’ or a source of e-commerce transactions. Commemorating special events is a way for websites to connect to users and be seen as welcoming environments, rather than places focused solely on money grubbing.

More specifically, the first reason for a website to commemorate a holiday or special occasion is to appear current and up-to-date. Major holidays and special events are important to users, and they constantly see these special days reflected in the physical decor of their surroundings. A website that doesn’t reflect what’s currently topical and important to users will feel cold or out of touch. Worse, it might feel stale, and users might think it’s outdated in other respects as well.

The second reason for a website to feature holiday or event decorations is to increase joy of use. Even simple ornamentations like a Christmas wreath, a Valentine’s heart, or a soccer ball can create a small moment of happiness for users as they’re reminded of the greater happiness the holiday or special occasion brings.”

Keep in mind that adding holiday messages or content to your website should be relevant to your company’s business. You don’t want it to feel forced, as users will see that as a turn off. A simple way to do this is through the use of a content management system or by updating an image within a promotional slideshow. These dynamic areas, which can be edited and changed quickly, allow you to be current without jeopardizing the integrity of your site’s design. Here are a few examples of some sites that have done this with success.

Examples:

 

 

Valentine’s Day is an emotional holiday. People are buying more with their hearts than their wallets. So why not let them express their emotions on your site? Find a way that your product fits in with the holiday, set the mood with some relevant imagery and content, and let the romance begin! And who knows, maybe you can turn a few of these one-time purchases into long-term customer relationships?

Lauren Castine is a Project Manager at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

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6 February

Google+ Brand Pages: Are They Worth It?

Posted in emarketing, Online Marketing Strategy, Social Media

Jonathan Casella - Bayshore Solutions Account Associate

By: Jonathan Casella – Bayshore Solutions Emarketing Team

Your company has a Facebook page. Your company has a Twitter account. You have heard about Google+, but you are unsure if your brand really needs another platform for posting, tweeting, sharing, mentioning, and liking. As an online marketing specialist, I am often asked my thoughts on Google+ for businesses and brands. Will Google+ become the new Facebook? I doubt it; however, that is not to say that Google+ can’t benefit your company in the form of increased brand awareness and conversions. Before you begin creating your Google+ brand page, here are some things to know:

Circles

Google+ offers something very unique: social circles. For instance, you may not want to share the same content with clients/consumers as you would your employees. With Google+, you are able to organize your followers into circles, so you can control who is seeing what. And you can take these circles however far you choose: employees, clients, past clients, future clients, vendors, suppliers, and so on.

Hangouts

Google+ Hangouts allow up to ten users to participate in a video conference. This has the obvious benefits—such as the ability to meet when multiple participants are off site. Although, there are more opportunities: troubleshooting sessions, customer care, product releases, and those are just a few.

Advertising

At the end of last year, Google announced the introduction of Social Extensions, a feature that gives companies the ability to connect their Google+ page to their AdWords account. By doing so, companies are able to collect all +1’s that they receive from search results, ads, website, and their Google+ page, which essentially increases the probability of your brand showing as recommended to Google users. Google states that Social Extensions is expected to enhance ad performance, given the high percentage of consumers who rely on friends’ endorsements.

Privacy

Google+ has some definite advantages when it comes to users’ privacy. First off, a user cannot be followed by someone who they are not following. It’s a situation where you cannot follow me unless I follow you, and vice verse. Similarly, if I stop following you, you can no longer follow me. Google+ seems to aim at increasing user control; however, that is not to say there are no potential risks.

As with many social media platforms, unless a profile is set to private, the basic information is public, which includes employment and friend connections. You should make your entire company aware that when on social media platforms, like Google+, it’s the same as walking around in a company shirt—you’re representing the brand. Also, be aware that public profiles are an open invitation for competitors to see any newly formed client or potential client connections.

Do I believe Google+ is worth your time? Yes. I believe that any outlet for you to engage with current or potential consumers is well worth the effort. According to search engine optimization predictions, there will only be a greater emphasis on social media. Both Google and Bing are factoring social media activity into their search algorithm. The burden falls on you, or your online marketing team, to communicate with followers and produce new content—because if you do not, your competition will.

To learn more about the strategies you should be incorporating into your online marketing strategy, request a quote or call (877)397-6514.

Jonathan Casella is an Account Associate at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

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30 January

How Much of Your Device Cost is Going Towards Legal Fees?

Posted in Design & Inspiration, New Technology

Jason Marquand - Bayshore Solutions IT Manager

By: Jason Marquand – Bayshore Solutions IT Team

Every day as I make my way through all of my tech blogs, I see at least one article about one technology corporation suing another over patents.  This has been occurring so frequently in present day that you have to wonder “How much of what I bought is going towards legal fees?”  It’s either Apple suing Samsung or Google, or vice versa for patents that should not be applicable in the first place.  The patent laws in this country need to be reformed, and quickly.  Hundreds of millions of dollars a year are spent by these corporations over frivolous legal battles attempting to ban the import of competitor’s products, or force them into some sort of expensive licensing structure.  Microsoft makes money on every Android device that is sold, an estimated $444 million a year. Google is purchasing Motorola Mobility for their patents to help cover their device vendors, which will help negate the legal woes created by patent infringement.  Apple uses lawsuits to counteract their slipping hold on the mobile OS market, particularly with their largest competitor, Samsung.

In this day in age we see more and more anti-competitive behavior from businesses dressed in lawsuits over patents that should never have been allowed.  One of my favorite recent lawsuits is over the slide to unlock patent.  Apple is suing anyone and everyone who uses his feature. But if you think about it, should a thumb swipe to bring a phone out of a lockscreen be something you patent?  It is a simple human behavior that is intuitive and easily learned.  Should we patent the simple mechanics of the human hand next?  Who gets that patent?  Everyone’s deity of choice?  Charles Darwin? This sort of mechanic should not be patent worthy.  The only things that should be covered by patent laws are things that require manufacture. It should not be a sword that a company uses to keep their competition at bay.

Over the holiday we saw a few items that sold quite well, namely for this example the Kindle Fire.  It managed to outsell the iPad, which has had a stranglehold on the tablet market. The entry price point of $199 for a well equipped tablet made this tablet a big seller.  Now in comparison to other Android based offerings on the market, even the iPad it was within 50-60% cheaper than anything else on the market.  What Amazon did to differentiate their product was to use a custom skin that skated around the patents already at play by their competitors.  This kept price down and allowed them to get some saturation in a market dominated by Apple.  Now look at the iPad and the other higher end Android tablets in the tablet space.  They start at $400 and reach prices as high as $700, based on internal storage and size of the device.  Which makes you wonder how much of that cost is legal fees, and licensing?  Wouldn’t it be easier to stop the legal wrangling and reform patent laws to exclude some of the more common sense aspects of design and ergonomics to deter the manufacturers from filing non-stop lawsuits?  Which would then lower costs for the end user and increase market share by getting these products into the hands of people that cannot afford these items at their current price points?  Just my $.02.

Jason Marquand is an IT Manager at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

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18 January

Stop SOPA and PIPA: Make Your Voice Heard

Posted in emarketing, Internet, Search Engines

Jessica Camara - Bayshore Solutions Account Manager

By: Jessica Camara – Bayshore Solutions Emarketing Team

There has been a tremendous amount of buzz today about two bills that are currently before Congress. The Protect IP Act known as PIPA and the Stop Online Piracy Act known as SOPA. If passed, these bills will censor the Internet and place damaging regulations on various businesses. Already there have been numerous Internet users and companies that have openly opposed to these bills passing. In fact, if you attempt to visit Wikipedia today, you will soon discover that the English website is locked. Wikipedia is protesting the two bills for 24 hours with a blackout. You are directed to a page that encourages you to contact your state representatives and voice to them that you oppose the passing of these bills. Over 7,000 websites are expected to be offline today and other major websites are also displaying their protest such as Google, WordPress, and Reddit.

While Members of Congress’ main purpose of these bills is to stop copyright infringement, the large holes within SOPA and PIPA would do more damage to the internet community than it would to stop the piracy. This will equal to a reduction in the economic growth of the United States.

What does that mean for me? If passed, all Internet companies would need to closely monitor anything and everything that their users link to or upload in fear that they would be breaking the new laws. These bills would force search engines to totally eliminate an entire domain at any given time if the site is caught with even the tiniest of infringements. Social media sites, such as, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia are in the greatest danger and could effectively be shut down if these bills are passed.

While I agree that laws need to be in place to stop piracy, as an online marketer and having the responsibility to the success of my clients, I am completely against SOPA and PIPA being passed. The Senate will begin voting on January 24th, therefore, if you agree with me, please contact your state representatives and let them know how you feel about these bills. Google has also set-up a petition against PIPA and SOPA. You can sign that petition at https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction.

I have taken action. Will you?

 

Jessica Camara is an Account Manager at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

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