Usability Testing and Why You Need It

In testing the usability of a website or website application you have users go through tasks while the design staff and management watch, listen and take notes.
 
During your usability testing you will be able to tell where problems lye in your design, architecture and site structure. These results will provide you with a world of knowledge on the hows’ and whys’ users have certain things happen to them. Since we all think differently you will be able to see how different users will interpret your site or application.

Important things to remember when testing:

    * This test is for the website or application not the usability tester
    * The quality of the user’s experience
    * The ease of learning your website architecture
    * A way to apply what you will learn
    * You will see what the overall satisfaction of using your website is

Please remember to contact Hieroweb Interactive for any of your web development or marketing needs at 805-582-2081

Choosing Color Palettes for your Website Design

Coming up with a new creative design is always a fun and exciting experience. When starting out I always look for inspiration from up to date designs via magazines, art collections and design websites.

Once this is complete it’s time to come up with colors and choosing a color palette. This is one of my first and favorite steps in the design process. Picking a good color palette is a huge part of the beginnings of a design so you want to spend the time to get it right. There is nothing worse than colors that don’t mesh together well.

The following links provide information and help on selecting the right color palette for your project:

    * Pickaculous – http://www.pictaculous.com/
    * DeGrave - http://www.degraeve.com/color-palette/
    * Color Combos - http://www.colorcombos.com/
    * Color Blender - http://www.colorblender.com/
    * Color Jack - http://www.colorjack.com/
    * Color Hunter - http://www.colorhunter.com/
    * GenoPal - http://www.genopal.com/
    * Palette Man - http://paletteman.com/
    * Daily Color Scheme - http://beta.dailycolorscheme.com/
    * Webdesigners Tools - http://wellstyled.com/tools/
    * Shades from a palette - http://slayeroffice.com/tools/color_palette/
    * Kuler - http://kuler.adobe.com/
    * Color Lovers - http://www.colourlovers.com/
    * Unsafe Colormatch Template - http://www.neteffect.dk/colormatch/
 
Have fun selecting your color palettes, and I hope this helps you with your next project!

How Long does it Take to Build a Website?

 This is a question that is frequently asked. It can’t be answered until certain questions are answered though.

Please list the reasons why you want a website. If more than one item applies, number in order of importance:

* Establish and or improve a web presence
* Improve brand and / or logo recognition
* Describe your products and services
* Provide customer support and / or after-sales service
* Increase market share and visibility of your company
* Generate sales transactions (e-commerce website)
* Build, develop and centralize information (surveys, investigations, etc.)
* Support existing advertising campaign or marketing strategy
* Confirm the technical leadership of your company
* Raise funds (donations, charity)

What call to action do you want to deliver to people who visit your website?

* The purchase of a product or services
* A visit to your premises
* To contact you by mean of telephone / fax / email / post
* To request more detailed information
* To send information regarding themselves
* To comment on your products or services
* To become a member of the site
* To search for information
* Other – please describe:

Are there any other goals you intend to accomplish with this website?
Do you need web hosting?
Do you have a domain name already?
Will you need us to market your website?
Will your website require any custom scripting?
Will your website require a database?

Please provide us with 3 websites that you like (Sites that you like as far as layout and navigation)
Please provide us with 3 websites that you dislike and why.
What color palette should your website use?  

As you can see creating a website involves so thought and attention to detail. After all this site is a reflection of you or your business. This is a small sample of questions that we can ask there are actually many more.

For answers to FAQ you can also see our website: Web Design FAQ

Website Navigation Design

 My single most important design element has always been and continues to be website navigation or as I have called it for years "the navbar". A website without a good navbar is like a car without a steering wheel. Going to a website and not understanding where to go next can only hurt the site in question. There already is a learning curve when you go to a new website. You have to figure out what they have and where you want to go next. If this process is a complicated one then the user will just leave. I have left many a website for this simple reason. If you don’t care enough about me as a user to provide good navigation then I don’t have time for your site.

 That’s why doing a website usability test is an important aspect to web design. It tells you what people like and dislike about your website. Usability Testing tells you how accessible your website is. By testing your site and recommending improvements you will learn how to make it easier for humans and robots to navigate your website. What makes for good usability is good site design architecture, accessibility, user interface design, w3c compliant and seo. We believe in the less is more design architecture which means your site should be clean, uncluttered and easy to follow.

 In creating your websites navbar there is no right and wrong. For the most part it is common sense. The easier you can make it the better. What's important is that you think carefully about the navigation on your website so that it's clear, uncluttered, comprehensive and easy to follow.

 Inspirational examples of website navigation scheme's can be viewed here: Navbar

Useful Links for Designers and Developers

Daily Inspiration #380
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50 Amazing Blog Designs
Lets start with a cliche. Internet is immense. It is also filled with countless interesting and talented people, who project some of their creativity on the web sites they design, and thus leave their unique mark for us to see. And today, for search of inspiration, we take a look at 50 of their amazing works.

10 Ways A Designer Can Make some Extra Money
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30 Blogs That Make A Lot Of Money Online
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Weekly Web Design Inspiration #32
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Design a Clean Portfolio Website Layout in Photoshop
Today I’ll take you through the creative process of designing a beautiful and clean portfolio website layout in Photoshop.

Free political characters icon set
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Chocolate Letters photoshop tutorial
In this tutorial, I’ll show how you can create text out of any image you have. I’m going to use a chocolate picture to create my chocolate text.

Amazing Avatar Design Tutorials for Designers
This Tutorials will show you how to create Amazing Avatar Design

Really Simple Browser Detection with jQuery
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Best Free Professional Banners
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30 Wonderful Aurora Borealis Photos
In this collection you will find 30 Wonderful Aurora Borealis Photos for Your Inspiration. Hope that you will like these photos and find it useful.

88 Chronological Photos from World War I Part#2
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20 Must Read JQuery Tutorials for Web Developers
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We provide one way link building package services like with best affordable prices
We also offer Trial Packages at Just USD 40$ for 5 Links within 5-6 working days.

Showcase: Beautifully Designed Black Portfolio Websites
Designing a good looking portfolio for any web and graphics designer is very much important, and black colored website gives a decent look to any portfolio.

Design a Dante’s Inferno Game Inspired Dark Flaming Hell Scene in Photoshop
In this tutorial, I will show you the steps I took to create this really awesome looking, dark flaming hell scene in Photoshop, inspired by the Dante’s Inferno game artworks.

60 most awesome Photo manipulation tutorials ever
I wanted to post an article containing the best photo manipulation tutorials that have been written on the web. I have searched many sites to come up with 60 of the best there is.

15 Best Sites to find Web Design Jobs
Looking for web design jobs? Check out thousands of web design jobs posted from these 15 websites. There are also jobs for developers, SEO experts and writers.

75+ Websites, Billboards & Newspapers With Badly Placed Advertisements
It’s true that advertising can be funny. We can also make ads to be
intentionally funny for the audience, but in these examples sometimes it doesn’t always work out just as planned.

Design an awesome christmas tree illustration
In this Photoshop tutorial, you will learn some easy steps and techniques to design an awesome illustration for Christmas.

Post Pic How to Customize Wordpress Error 404 Page
Error 404 pages are where servers direct browsers when a URL seeks a missing page. While it’s easy to think you won’t really need a 404 page with a WordPress install, you’d be surprised.

25 Well Designed Christmas Wallpapers
Today i have collected 25 well designed christmas wallpapers, to give you the christmas feeling when you are working on your computer.

Matte Blue And White Square Icons – Social Media Logos
This matte blue and white square icons social media logos set includes the most popular social bookmarking and networking icons (Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Technorati,

swiss grid style wordpress themes
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10 Awesome Wallpapers That’ll Glue Your Eyes Open
Here are 10 wallpapers which are sure to “wow” and excite you!

Big On Type
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20 iPhone Christmas Wallpapers
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Business Card Design Art Tutorials
Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid.

CSS attribute selectors: Precision styling at your fingertips
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Lost concept art from The Matrix
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5 Best Open Source Web Editor for Web Designer Must Have
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9 Wordpress Plugin with Jquery
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10 Free Google SEO Tools Must Know
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5 useful jquery form validation
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8 Very Useful Tutorial Jquery Form
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14 Amazing Free Premium Wordpress Themes You Should Have
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Better Letters iPhone app
Study/practice Italic lettering & handwriting on the iPhone/ iPodTouch. Includes customizable practice, websites on Italic, built-in sketchpad, & multimedia lectures.

7 tips to improve your CSS
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29 Funny Linux Comic Strips And Cartoons
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Photography by ArtLuz Studio
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Top 10 Wordpress Portfolio Themes
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the power tweet- a twitter marketing
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Free Design Resource Roundup #1 | You the Designer
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Industrial Design: 80+ Awesome Product Designs
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Silks Road, The World Biggest Market Wholesale Place
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Design Bold
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New Release – Sunset Farm Wordpress Theme
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Electronic Template Design
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The Best Resources to Promote Your Design Blog Articles
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Color Theories In Advertising Design #2 Green Color
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Inspiration: 50 Fabulous Photo Illlustration
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Free Photoshop Brushes: Christmas Special
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2009 Wordpress Themes Collection
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Favorite caricature of 2009 #1
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20 Stunning Example Of Infographics For Your Inspiration
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Passive Income Myths and Realities
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20 Creative Flash Websites From The Creative Minds
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30+ Amazing Backgrounds For Twitter Lovers
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How to Decorate Your Blog for Christmas
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33 Must Read CSS3 Tips, Tricks, Tutorial Sites and Articles
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Breathe New Life Into Your Typography With 22 Techniques
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iPhone Icons For The Christmas Tree
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Domain Name & IP Reputation

 Since the web is in constant flux and change so are the rules with which we communicate on the web. ISP’s are beginning to put into place domain based reputation systems. This will change how email messages are delivered. If you are responsible for your website’s email marketing campaigns you will want to follow these changing rules.

 ISP’s are watching spam compliant rate and user rates based on IP’s and domain names. They are watching how many emails generated from your domain end up in spam filters or have been flagged as spam.

 Search engines look at how many times email to a domain or IP went into the spam folder. They watch how many times it ends up in the inbox automatically. They check to see if a user has flagged it as spam.

 These new rules will not impact most users, but if your email practices are not compliant you may find yourself with a negative reputation and possibly black-listed.

 A blacklist (or black list) is a list or register of persons who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. Trying to get this reversed is a process and takes time.

 All in all if one follows normal email protocols they will never have to deal with these new rules.

Nine Practical Tips for Tracking Website Expenses

 We have all had to spend money on our projects prior to charging or collecting money from our clients. Things like domain name purchases, buying imagery, paying a subcontractor in regards to coding or graphic design. All of these expenses need to be tracked properly sp you will remember to invoice them down the road.

1. What are you fixed expenses – Keep track of your fixed expenses like domain name purchases so you remember to charge the client.

2. Simplify by keeping purchases on one card – Don’t use different sources for paying for your expenses. Use one credit card so they are easy to mange.

3. Don’t charge for silly things – Don’t invoice for silly office supply type stuff, it’s not worth it and makes you look cheap.

4. Fulfill your clients expectations – Have receipts of any charged purchases that were agreed to.

5. Reduce expenses – If you can show and pass on a savings to your customer that may be enough to keep them coming back.

6. Keep Receipts – Keep all your receipt expenses together in the same place for easy reference.

7. List your clients name – When making purchases write down the clients name on the receipt for easy reference and filing.

8. Use Plastic not cash – To ensure that you have a paper trail make all of your purchases on credit cards and avoid using cash.

9. Track invoice and expenses together – Use a software program that can keep you invoice and expense tracking together.

Benefits of Flash Animation
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If you're considering incorporating flash animation into your business Web site, you're making an excellent marketing decision. Flash Animation can add a whole new level of interactivity to your Website, showcase your business, and increase the branding power of your products.

• Flash animation can help you control the experience of your Web site visitors by allowing you to implement a storyline to your Web site. Add an animation to introduce your business, introduce audio to get your message across, or create a map that guides your visitors through your business Web site.

• A Web site without flash animation is much like a storybook without pictures. You may be able to get a sense of the plot, but you lose the overall picture. Flash animation can help give your business that extra "edge" for visitors to your Web site by adding a new level of visual imagery and highlighting what you want them to see.

• Branding is a powerful tool that helps differentiate your commodity from your competitors. Flash animation helps you to do just that by adding a level of distinction to your business, defining your image, and creating a sense of connection for your clients.

Use Flash Web Design to Showcase Your Business Portfolio
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Flash Web design can boost the look of a number of business Web sites. If you have an architecture firm, interior design studio, or photography studio, then you have a portfolio that you want to let your potential clients see. Your business portfolio can make or break your relationship with a potential client, so it is vital to present it in the best format possible. With Flash Web design, you can set up your business portfolio to highlight the most important aspects of your work and create an interactive environment for your viewers.

Scoring Flash Web Site Design
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Web sites using Flash Web site design are at the forefront of areas like content, design, and innovation. The Web Marketing Association has released the results of its nine-year study, the Internet Standards Assessment Report (ISAR). The results noted that among advertising Web sites, those created with Flash Web site design outperformed those without. However, the results indicated that although these Web sites scored high in design originality and content, not every area of Web site design was a strong point. Areas like navigation and ease of use were rated as problem areas. Since Web sites using design with Flash tended to concentrate on exhibiting an advertising firm's work, their Web site design often neglected incorporating a high level of interactivity with the user and a clear site map.

Drawbacks to Using a Flash Web Design Template
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For businesses that neither have the time or money to contend with hiring a Web designer or firm, using a Flash Web design template can be the perfect solution for a fast and affordable way to put up an interactive Website. However, with packaged, inexpensive Web options, you do face some disadvantages.
First, because it is a template, you are locked into a certain range of design and navigational restrictions based on the template that you purchased. With a custom design, you do pay the higher price, but you also get the benefit of a Web site design tailor made to strategically market your business. Second, you lack the advice and input of a professional or team of professionals that can give you the benefit or their design and marketing experience. With the exception of customer support from the template manufacturer, you are on your own as far as implementing the Web site design, Flash components, and information to your Web site. Third, although you can find a well-designed Flash web design template, you run the risk of having a generic looking Web site that doesn't best showcase your business. With the number of competitors that have unique, custom made Web sites, you lose a competitive edge in your Web presence.

Learning the Language of Flash Design
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The best way to get Flash design to your Web site is to communicate with your Flash Web designer. You don't have to understand how to make a program work, but it is helpful to know the basics. It would be beneficial to have some knowledge of basic Flash components and design when talking with your Web site designer. To educate yourself on the latest in Flash design, take advantage of the Internet and video classes, or read up on the latest technology. Adobe offers free seminars to showcase the latest capabilities to their products. Simply sign up for a session to that will be simulcast over the Internet. You only need about an hour of your time and the benefits of the knowledge will be worth the effort.

Flash Based Video
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Flash animation is a great tool to create punch to your Website. You can bring life to two-dimensional images, incorporate three-dimensional animation, and add audio to enrich the visual experience. But using Flash based video programs like Squeeze and Flix are an easier and less expensive alternative to adding video to your Web sites than competing programs like QuickTime, Real Player, and Window's Media. Because most Web users already have a Flash plug-in on their computers, using Flash based video is a smart alternative. A video just a few minutes in length can readily compete in visual quality with any of the competing programs. The bonus is the availability of the downloadable component, which would allow viewers to take the video with them on any mobile handheld device with a Flash plug-in.

View or Order a Flash Site Today

Call us at 805-582-2081

Introduction to HTML 5

HTML 5 is going to bring to the browser many things that are very exciting. The evolution of the web is constantly changing and bringing new capabilities and technologies to browsers. HTML 5 is one of those technologies. With HTML 5 we will have more flexibility and interoperability, and it will enable more interactive and exciting websites and applications. Google has even mentioned that they may scrap Google Gears for HTML 5.

Some of the new aspects to the new standard are: canvas/SVG, video, geolocation, app cache & database, and web workers. All of these new aspects are built right into the browser making application writing much easier and quicker.

The video below covers the different aspects of HTML5 and breaks each one down. After that check out the Mozilla App Bespin below the video.

Websites that are using html5:

    * HTML 5 based website #1 
    * HTML 5 based website #2
    * HTML 5 based website #3
    * HTML 5 based website #4
    * HTML 5 based website #5
    * HTML 5 based website #6

Introduction to HTML 5 from Brad Neuberg on Vimeo

Firefox updates 3.6 Beta 5 now has support for the HTML5 file API

Article: Get Started Building Web Pages With HTML 5

Useful links: Bespin - A Mozilla Labs experiment on how to build an extensible Web code editor using HTML 5 technology.

Could this be the End to SEO?

This week Google officially launched real-time search, and Yahoo announced today their launch of real-time search. Most of the real-time search is related to things like the "latest news", "Twitter", “MySpace” and "Facebook". While there will be competitive terms that real-time search may draw traffic away from. SEO's will still have good representation in the SERP's for their sites.

I don't believe that the entire index is ever going to be able to be involved in "live" searches, so SEO's will always have a place in helping websites rank well for their industry words and phrases. The real-time results do appear at the very top of a results page, which is the most coveted spot for every online marketer. Like anything else that has changed in the past users will have to educate themselves and understand what is what.

It is also true that when users search for consumer brands there is a chance that the respective brand may show up in the live stream results. But again it isn't the only thing on the page, and SEO still has its rightful place.

It is also true that the uninformed may click on the real-time results and may never see the natural search results so it will be our job as SEO’s to educate the user whenever we get a chance.

With proper tracking in place in a few months we will have some figures to look at and we will be able to see what percentage real-time search takes from the SERP’s.

While many are running around claiming that SEO is dead, I don’t believe that to be true.