There are many wonderful things we can incorporate into websites that look fantastic on a PC but horrendous on a mobile device. Many modern websites have this problem. And with the popularity of smart phones and more of us doing business from our phones, it makes sense to optimize your website for mobile browsing.

Sounds simple right? Well it depends on the complexity of your site. A simple site might be just fine in a mobile browser. A more complex site might benefit from an independent mobile website. A site that is full of javascript, flash animation, high resolution pictures, or advanced CSS3 positioning tactics absolutely needs an independent mobile site.

Designers like jQuery make designing mobile sites easy. With jQueryMobile, you can build a nice, informative, and perfectly compatible mobile website with ease. There are many tools you can use in the powerful jQueryMobile suite to help you set up menus, colors, fonts, and user interaction goodies. The mobile site is coded using HTML after the template is designed with some light CSS making programming a snap if you are good with web development code.

The jQueryMobile framework is compatible with IOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, PalmOS, and more. This cross-platform support is superior to any other mobile framework and ensures your site is viewable on the most popular mobile devices.

Remember, mobile sites are not really meant to be flashy but rather a slimmed down, clean look of your business or mission. If a visitor wants to see your site in all its glory, they can use a PC to see it. Also remember that while you can provide a link for a visitor to see the full site, depending on the sites complexity, it could be a total mess. Offer this link wisely.

For more information on the jQueryMobile Framework.

A quick search of the AppStore produced the Adobe Reader App. After the installation completed, I opened the form from my email and BAM!, all the saved data is viewable now. Finally, an app with some purpose.

Thanks Adobe.

When I first start designing a website, I use Firefox to check my progress.  I use Firefox with my web design because I use Firefox for everything.  There is everything to like about this web browser and not much to hate.  It supports all kinds of plugins, all of HTML5 and CSS3, has a very low profile header, and is very fast.

This is not to say the others arent good, there are actually two others that I would recommend.  Number 2 on my list would be Opera.  Slightly less known is Opera but it is a very stable web browser, full of support for plugins and web standards.  In fact it is highly similar to Firefox.

Number 3 on my list would be Chrome.  Chrome is a pretty decent browser although I have had some minor issues with it.  The issues I’ve had are related to installation and updates but they were minor enough to endure.  The layout is very simple, which can make things hard to find sometimes.  Support for code and script seems to be pretty good as I have never had an issue with it.

Number 4 on my list is Safari.  The only reason it is so low on the list is because it is an Apple product.  I do not use Apple software at all.  I still test my sites in Safari just because there are people out there that DO use Safari.  And, it is not the worst browser of the 5.

That spot is reserved for Internet Explorer.  The worst of the worst.  This browser is clunky and slow.  It feels like you are surfing in mud while using it.  Every time I test my site with IE, there is something I have to fix just because IE doesnt support all the latest code.  In fact, if you do some research you will see that has been the history of IE ever since the dreaded IE6.  But I know there are still faithful users that use this browser so if I want my sites to look good on it, I need to test with it and learn to overcome the browsers shortcomings.

Like I said in the beginning, browser selection is a matter of personal choice.  It would be nice to be able to design a site with Javascript, PHP, HTML, and CSS without having to worry about different browser interpretations, but I understand we all want choices.  The web is making a push for standardization and that appears to be starting with HTML5 and CSS3.  It’s nice to see that Firefox and a few others are already welcoming this change with open arms.

So what is CMS?  CMS stands for Content Management System.  Basically, a CMS website allows a user to update content on the website by using a simple text editor.  No knowledge of HTML or CSS is required.  A web developer will design the site and assign areas that can be edited by the user.  This type of design is beneficial to users that need to update content on their websites without having to worry about paying a web designer to do it for them.

The basic process of updating a CMS site is simple.  First, you will navigate to the admin login for your site.  This can either be a link from your sites homepage or an independent address.  Next, you select the page you want to edit.  The text editor will pop up and allow you to change the text, headers, pictures, hyperlinks, and any other feature of your site that is enabled for editing.  Finally, you save and publish and you are done.  It’s that easy.

Of course designing the site isn’t as easy and can often be more time-consuming that coding a standard website.  Typically, CMS sites are more expensive than standard sites just because there more work involved.  But in the long run, a CMS website is a great investment if you plan to change your content often.  You will save money on site updates and wont have to wait a day or two to get your update published.

NorthBridge Web can create new sites using the WordPress CMS structure or we can event convert your current site.  Contact NorthBridge Web for more information.

So what is wrong or right with Flash. Flash can give you a movie-like website, after all, it really is movie creation software. The pages transition smoothly, fading in, fading out. The images pop like flashes on a camera. Gradients of light sparkle across the background. Navigation menus shimmer as if they are under water. I have seen some very impressive Flash websites…BUT, there are drawbacks.

First drawback is site loading speed. This is not that big of a problem now that most people have moved from dial-up internet. Still, most flash sites have a loading period when you first open them and if your internet speed is compromised in any way, it can bog the load speed down. Think about this…when you are surfing the internet for a product or service, do you wait around for the site to load completely? Even if there is a little graphic telling you how much longer you have to wait? Unless I’m researching Flash websites, I’ll move on.

Second drawback is mobile optimization. If you own an iPhone, you will not be able to view a Flash Website. And even if you have an Android based mobile device, the likelihood of you having an enjoyable experience on a Flash site is pretty slim. They take up a lot of memory and will sometimes not fully resolve to the point of usability.

Third drawback is the customized software needed to create and maintain the site. Okay so you have a web designer build the site for you and now, a month later, you want to update it with some fresh content. You have two choices; purchase the software and do it yourself or hire a designer to edit the site for you. Of course you can purchase the software but it is very expensive and comes with a steep learning curve if this is something you have never worked with.

So what about HTML?

HTML has come a long way. There is not much you CAN’T do with HTML. And now with HTML5 on the market, it seems there may not be a need for Flash anymore. So how about some good things about HTML. You can integrate different technologies to make your site more powerful than any Flash based site. Technologies such as PHP for server-side applications like forms, databases, photo galleries, and forums. CSS for customized and powerful styling tactics. Javascript integration that can do just about anything Flash can do. HTML is very versatile yet simply powerful.

Internet browsers are designed to work with HTML. All modern web browsers fully support HTML5, even the almighty Apple browser, Safari. There aren’t many drawbacks from HTML other than cluttered code and broken links. Often a site will get updated many, many times over a short span and a greenhorn web designer will make common mistakes and let his pages get cluttered or broken, which can cause slower page loading or even fatal errors. Browsers are forgiving in that they will support older code but it is best to keep up with the current standards if you want your site looking its best.

Another great feature of HTML is the learning curve and the editing software. You can purchase software for around $80 to $180 to build standards based HTML sites complete with CSS. Flash software will cost upwards of $800. You can even build and edit HTML sites using a free program called Notepad. You may have heard of it, it comes standard with every Windows Operating System. A person who is completely new to HTML can Google their way to updating a website or even building one.

HTML has the power and the flexibility to give you what you want in a website. In my opinion, it is far superior to any other technology and is getting better every day. This is not to say there is no place for Flash in a website. Flash can do many wonderful things for a site but it shouldn’t be the base and foundation of the site. I would expect in the next couple of years that Flash would be phased out of web design completely due to the power of HTML5/CSS and trimmed Javascript languages like jQuery. There are other uses for Flash, but web development may soon be one of the past.

For some businesses, this will be easy.  A unique name like NorthBridge Web may be easy to get.  But often, names are already taken.  Northbridge.com was taken as was northbridge.net even though they are different businesses.  The name NorthBridge doesn’t say a whole lot either.  The name NorthBridgeWebDesign seemed too long for me and maybe a little redundant.  NorthBridge Web just seemed to fit just right.

Some tips for selecting a domain name:

• Be unique, but not so unique that it doesn’t make sense.
• Be relative.  The name should reflect your business name and/or trade.
• .net, .com, .org – it does not matter.  Business may want to consider buying all 3 domains anyways to avoid another organization using the same name.
• The domain should be easy to remember.
• Try to avoid dashes in the domain.  It would be a pain to have to say “NorthBridge dash web dot-com”  every time I said it.  And chances are good that someone will forget the dash and end up at another website.
• Avoid numbers in the domain unless they contribute to the actual name of the business.  NorthBridgeWeb25.com is not recommended.
• Research your top name choices.  See if there are other sites out there with the same name or similar names.  You can search for available domains at just about any hosting company website.
• Make sure you are happy with it.  Tell your friends and family and see what they think.

Choosing a domain name can often be the trickiest part of getting your site up and moving.  It is a permanent link to your business.  Yes, you can buy a different name later if you need to change it but getting it right the first time will save you the hassle of having to change everything.  Also, when changing the domain name, you are back to square one as far as search engine optimization goes.  A good reason to spend the time and make a good decision.

The first thing you need to consider before launching a website…who is going to design and code it?  If you are doing your own HTML coding, you are probably already aware of the hosting dilemma.  If you have no clue about HTML or what it takes to code and design a website, my advice is to stop looking for a host and start looking for a webmaster.

Why look for a webmaster?  A webmaster or web developer will most likely have a selection of hosting companies they use often.  Since a web developer has such a close relationship with the hosting company, they will most likely know the good and bad about many different hosts.  I use one hosting company.  I have been with them for several years and have never had problems and have always been satisfied.  If you were to ask me who is a good hosting company, I would gladly tell you.

Sometimes even a good web developer is hard to find.  It may be even harder to get information from them without having to pay them, after all, they are running a business.  When I search for things online, like products or services, I try to find “Top 10” lists or customer reviews.  If I am going to invest my money into something that is important, like the host of my business website, you can bet I am going to do my homework on the company I choose.  All of the hosting sites claim to be the best, the cheapest, the fastest, the most options, free email, the most storage space, 24/7 support, the best marketing tools, the best SEO strategies.  How do you know what they say is true and does any of this stuff matter?

What is a web host anyways?  A hosting company provides the servers, technology, storage space, and all the administrative tools and personnel a website requires in order to be functional and visible on the web.  You can buy or build your own web server if you want.  But you will have to maintain it, upgrade it when necessary, provide backups, install software, obtain external IP addresses and a whole bunch of other things that a small business or organization may not have time for, let alone pay for.  Large businesses will usually host their own website, which is why they have an IT DEPARTMENT and DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS.

So back to choosing the host.  Sometimes your best bet is to make a decision based on the referral from someone you know.  A non-biased opinion can mean a lot these days.  So without injecting any bias, here are the things that make for a good hosting company.

• Reasonable fees.  Not too high and certainly not too low.  Somewhere around $4 – $7 per month for hosting AND domain (depending on your contract length) is a good place to start filtering.  Beware the $0.99/month host.
• Unlimited Stuff.  Be careful with hidden prices.  You can rack up charges for high volumes of data transfer or website storage space.  Being unlimited is important.
• Plenty of Perks.  I’ve seen hosting companies charge for email accounts (huh?), web forwarding (really?), SEO and local search visibility (are you kidding me?), Facebook marketing (I’ve seen it all now), MOBILE EMAIL??? ( I guess I haven’t seen it all).  This stuff should be included with the exception of SEO, which you can do on your own or have your web developer do it for you.
• Flexible Technology.  Do you need PHP, PERL, SQL, Ruby on Rails, Apache or any other technology?  Check to make sure they are supported.
• Script Installs.  Trying not to give away my hosting company – this is a non-biased write-up.  Scripts are small projects of web code (freeware) for awesome perks like forums, photo galleries, calendars, shopping carts, merchant sites, content management systems, blogs (like WordPress), chat rooms, and mailing lists.  These scripts install easily and provide easy management tools.
• Good Ratings.  You have found a hosting company that looks good to you, now Google its name for reviews.  You are guaranteed to find something on them, both good and bad.  Take these reviews with a grain of salt as you would with product reviews.  Read the bad reviews and see if there are recurring complaints like server downtime, terrible customer service, price gouging.
• Verbal recommendations from someone you know.  Word of mouth is powerful.  A coworker of mine introduced me to my current hosting company many years ago.  I gave them a go based on his recommendation and have never looked back.  Ask around.  You will be surprised how many people have websites, or know someone that does.

A lot has been said here and I hope it is making sense.  Remember, you want to research as much as you can before settling.  Get educated if you plan to do this on your own.  And trust me, if you are planning on going alone, it won’t be easy.  There is much to worry about AFTER you have chosen a hosting company.  This is the first step.

I have never had much interest in blogging until just recently when I discovered that a good blog can produce many things for those who read.  First, blogs that are technical in nature or are about something that others may share interest in, such as Web Design, can be extremely helpful learning tools for the reader.  They can also benefit the writer by offering a place for comments and discussion on certain topics.  Second, a blog can enlighten a reader by providing useful information.  For example, this blog will help readers understand certain aspects of web development such as hosting.  What should I look for in a web host?  Does it matter who I buy my domain from?  How will I access and edit my website?  Third, a blog can provide a good read for those who like to read blogs.

I hope that if you decide to follow my blog or just simply read it, that you will enjoy the information presented here, learn from this information, and ultimately share this information with others.  Please feel free to leave comments.  Suggestions for topics will also be accepted.

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to be an expert in any one area of Web Design.  As a student of a high technology, I find myself learning something new every day.  It is the purpose of this blog to share those new skills with my readers and to learn what I can from those who offer knowledge in their comments.

Thank you and Enjoy!

Mike B.
NorthBridge Web Design
www.northbridgeweb.com