Jovia Web Studio Blog

Color is Key

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:26 GMT

When it comes to website design, color is crucial. Do you remember the 64 pack of Crayola crayons? Oh, the colors! And the built in sharpener! Glorious days! In a recent color study done by KISSmetrics, it turns out that mostly women can appreciate the diversity of color names. Men tend to categorize all similar colors together and lump them in with the same general name. While women might be see Sea foam or Herb,… Continue

Book Review-The Dip

Fri, 20 May 2011 19:48 GMT

“Winners quit the right stuff at the right time.” One summer, earlier in my life when I was both young and stupid, my husband and I started a business. Mind you, neither of us are entrepreneurial material. But we were newly married and ambitious and thought love would carry us through budget meetings. The business was asphalt seal coating. Not a romantic business; in fact nothing says romance like the whiff of hot tar or… Continue

Turn That Frown Upside Down

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:54 GMT

Responding to online criticism gives retailers a chance to right a wrong. According to today’s USA Today, “Sony's PlayStation Network has been hacked, putting at risk the personal information of about 77 million user accounts. The company is coming under fire for failing to let users know immediately about the data breach, which was revealed today. The intrusion brought the network down April 17, and it remains down, but the company is only now revealing… Continue

It’s not the Value, it’s the Thought that Counts

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:04 GMT

Thoughtfulness on your part could translate into repeat business on their part. What does it take to make a customer happy? Good service, an efficient and reliable product? A knowledgeable sales person? Sure, but it maybe even easier than that. At the end of a mundane day, when you walk into the grocery store, do you love it when there’s free food samples? Inside our grocery store there is a Starbucks. When the barista was… Continue

Dynamic Class Names with ExpressionEngine

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:58 GMT

When adapting a template into ExpressionEngine, it is a common occurrence to see items such as class=“first” and class=“last” when looking at a list of items. What follows is a simple explanation of some of the ExpressionEngine conditionals that you can use to work through these situations. Situations such as these are no problem when we are using static code to run our pages. However, we use ExpressionEngine, and we have the power of flexibility.… Continue

MerchantCircle…Matchmaker

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:27 GMT

Are you in the circle of friends? MerchantCircle is the "largest online network of local business owners, combining social networking features with customizable web listings that allow local merchants to attract new customers." It’s like a matchmaker for merchants and shoppers. It is specifically dedicated to local businesses and local shoppers. With over 1,000,000 users, it’s a treasure trove of resources. MerchantCircle replaces the Yellow Pages, and makes for an interactive and online shopper-to-buyer connection.… Continue

Guide to 404 Pages with ExpressionEngine

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:10 GMT

According to a recent study, 7% of traffic to any given website will result in a 404 error. By default, most ExpressionEngine sites will just redirect the user to the homepage, without any indication of what has just happened. This guide explains all you need to know about setting up your system for optimal 404 pages. A 404 Error, which simply means “Page not Found”, is sent from the server whenever a user types in… Continue

C’mon Apple, Where’s Your Consistency?

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:41 GMT

Normally, I applaud Apple’s design aesthetics. They lead the way in terms of simplicity, usability, and beauty. Lately however, they have been messing with my mind in terms of usability. What really bothers me is how much they are altering the window layout of their most popular apps. To start with, let's look at how the navigation and close/minimize/maximize buttons work on both the native file browser and Safari: Finder: File Browser Safari: Web Browser… Continue

The Benefits of Dropbox

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:33 GMT

Dropbox is an application for Mac, PC, and mobile devices that allows continual synchronization of files across the Internet. What follows is a description of how I use (or hack) this tool to improve my workflow across multiple devices. Six ways that I use Dropbox: Worry Free Backup. Because Dropbox is continually running on my computer, I know that any files that I save into it are instantly backed up securely to Dropbox's servers. If… Continue

Top 10 Principles for Creating a Successful Web App

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 23:05 GMT

There’s a glut of new apps out there. Some are good, some wish they were. An expert shares what makes web apps golden. According to author Guy Malachi, in the February edition of Website Magazine, here are 10 golden principles for a sucessful web app: 1. Useful- Duh. When I flew to South Africa this summer, I was able to choose my seats online for each flight. That is a successful app. It was useful.… Continue