What’s New

Let’s have a little bit of technical talk here. To the average Web site owner, this may not seem like a big deal. However, there are some very big changes that are going on right now. Even though you may not be Web building professional, some of these changes will be of concern to you.

The most important of these changes involve updates to HTML and CSS. HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. Working together, HTML and CSS are what make Web pages work, including yours. For nearly 10 years organization (World Wide Web Constortium) that sets the standards for the Web have been working to update and CSS.

Why are they doing that? Well, as it turns out the basic behind the scenes code (which is HTML) has become highly outdated. Twenty-one years ago when the original HTML was developed. It was intended to make very simple Web pages work. In fact, those early Web pages were so simple that they were quickly identified as being nearly unusable. The hypertext markup language of the day was intended to identify certain components of the Web pages. But those components were few in number. They included paragraphs, lists, links, and a couple of other things.

As we all know by looking at modern Web pages, there are a lot more parts than the few items noted above. To keep up with the advancements in Web site technology, the HTML code was periodically updated. It is unfortunate that the Web sites have progressed quicker than the HTML has. The new version of HTML is called HTML5, and it has many more identifiable components then the original version the code had.

Cascading style sheets control how we set the appearance for Web pages. The upcoming version of CSS will be number three. And it allows us to do things with Web page appearance that we have never been able to do before. Although the final versions of CSS3 and HTML5 have not been fully set yet, many of us are incorporating those features into the new Web pages that we’re building right now.

What does this mean to you? As a Web site owner, you need to be concerned about how well your Web site works. That means you need to be thinking about the quickness of your Web site, the reliability of it, and how well the quickness, reliability and appearance of your site help to get its message across. Naturally, everybody wants a good looking Web site. But most importantly, you need a Web site that works.

As much as possible the Web sites being built today are using HTML5 and CSS3. There are many advantages to this. One of the most important advantages is the ability to reduce the number of images that are used on a Web page. As a very simple example, nowadays when we want to add rounded corners to a page we can do that with simple code. We previously had to add rounded corners by using several images. This added to the complexity of a page and it added to the download time.

One of the things that is most talked about is the ability to add video and audio clips to a Web page that don’t require outside plug-ins. This is a big deal for is one owners because not all of the visitors have the proper plug-ins to make audio and video work. Quite often visitors to a Web page have not updated their plug-ins or add-ons in the browser, and owners of iPad’s and iPhones have discovered, much to the chagrin that their machines don’t work on a lot of Web sites because they can’t see the Flash content. HTML5 gets around these problems because it is a standard code that’s recognized by the new browsers and written into a Web page.

What should you do about it? If you have not had a Web site update in the last two years, you need to strongly consider having some work done. There’s a very good chance that your site does not download very quickly, it is bulky, and does not have the sleek, modern appearance of the sites that are now being built. You need to take advantage of the new HTML5 and CSS3 and make sure that your site is working for you and your business correctly.

Contact us and we can go over your site and advise you what needs to be done, if anything, and tell you about some of the great things that you can expect when your site is fully up to date.

We are extremely pleased to announce the launch of a fascinating new site for John Salvato’s Talent Spectrum. The URL is www.johnsalvato.com.

You may remember the original Talent Spectrum from a number of years ago. That site was put on hiatus for a couple of years. Now the site is back bigger and better than before. It has a great new layout, new photos, and performance videos.

Visit today!

I have been asked several times recently about e-mail addresses. The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to make sure that all of your e-mail issues are solved. The biggest problem that we see is that people do not have professional e-mail addresses.

Do you have a Website? Of course you do! And that means your Web address is something like www.mybusinesswebsite.com. You should be using an e-mail address such as info@mybusinesswebsite.com. In other words your e-mail address should have your Web address in it. That is what looks professional.

Too many business owners are using generic e-mail accounts and not taking advantage of the e-mail systems that are built into their hosting packages.doing anything less makes you look unprofessional.

When you purchase a Website hosting package you also get an e-mail package. and in that package you can set up e-mail accounts. The number of e-mail addresses depends on your hosting account. For instance, at FatCow you get an unlimited number of e-mail accounts. All you have to do is log into your control panel and manage the accounts.

Once you have your e-mail accounts set up, you can get your mail with your favorite e-mail program such as Outlook or Thunderbird. Almost every one of these e-mail account packages also allows you to use Webmail. Webmail allows you to check your e-mail from any computer anywhere at any time.

But, let’s be blunt here. If you are a business owner, you should not be using generic or free e-mail accounts. Check this list-

- If you use Gmail you may look like a computer nerd, but it still means you’re using free e-mail instead of your own e-mail system and you’re missing out on an opportunity to advertise your business.
- Hotmail is about the same. While it has lots of great features, it also means you’re not very professional.
- If you’re using Time Warner, and that means your e-mail looks something like @nycap.rr.com if you live in the capital district, and you’re running a business. That means mostly you too lazy to set up your own e-mail accounts.
- If you use AOL. It means you’re living in the 1980s. And that indicates an amazingly low level of professionalism.

So, if you want to help your business and if you want to look more professional you should be using your own e-mail system. Log into your control panels, and get your e-mail accounts in order and start using them. If you’re trying to run a business. There’s no reason to miss an opportunity to promote your business.

We had had several requests recently for information about getting business locations better listed with Google. This is includes being placed on Google Maps and things like that. Well, it turns out that the whole process is pretty easy, but this is something that your should do.

Her is a brief overview of how to get listed and what you need to do. Remember, this is something that you should do. You do not need a professional, and it is amazingly easy.

First, go to http://www.google.com/places/ or at the very least go to Google and search “Google Places.” One way or another, you will end up at the right place.

You may see a link to “Get Your Business Found on Google,” or you may see another introductory page. It all depends on whether or not you have a Google account, such as one for Gmail or Analytics. If you have to, start a new account. If you do that, you will set up a Gmail address, password, and so on. Then you will be able to log into Places at any time.

The next thing to do is crazy-simple. You will be asked to fill in a bunch of boxes. That will include your business name, address, and so on. It is pretty obvious. If there is anything you don’t understand, notes are provided that explain everything.

A couple of the options are interesting and worth mentioning here. For instance, you will be asked how you want to specify your target area. You can select the area codes or towns that will include your typical customer base. Or, you can select a range around your location. You might select 20 mile radius, as an example.

One you have all the necessary information submitted, Google will mail you a post card with instructions about how to confirm your entry. Follow their steps and you will be neatly listed. Of course, once you are listed you can log into your account to make updates or other changes.

So, today’s tip is simple. Go to Google Places and get listed right away.

There is also a new Web site for The Vermont Inn! As all of you long-time readers know, The Vermont Inn has been a client for ages and ages. The Inn has recently changed ownership, and the new owners commissioned a total makeover for the site. That project is completed, and you can see it now at .

The new site is much warmer in appearance, features a bunch of HTML 5 goodies, and utilizes the latest CSS 3 features. But, wait until you see the new home page with the large slide show. Hmmm, hmmm, good, as the soup guys used to say.

The end of the year is turning out to be plenty busy! We are capping it off with another exciting site launch. This time it is for Shaker Rentals at www.shaker-rentals.com.

The site has a new look, new features, improved, photos, and lots more. You can check a Quick List to see what is available, and you can also download the Rental Guides.

Be sure to visit today!

That would be the World Famous Web Basement, in other words, right here! We have just launched a totally revamped Web site for The Yoga Loft at www.theyogaloft.net. The Loft has been one of our clients for ages and we have been pleased to have them on board. But the time came to do a makeover, so we got on it right away.

When you visit the new version of the site you will see that it is very similar, but more streamlined, easier to read, and has a smoother appearance. Behind the scenes it has all the goodies that new site should have. We really like it, and we think you will, too!

Yes, it is true, every now and then it pays to take you own advice. What advice is that? Update your Web site, of course! We have just completed a total top to bottom, front to back update of our site. You should notice faster downloads and improved layout.

Yes, it has been busy around the old office. We have launched a new site for Tabak and Kiosse LLP, attorneys at law here in Guilderland. Their site is currently located at www.tabaklawoffice.com but will be activating a new domain name very soon.

Visit this site today, I think that you will really like it.

One more travel-type Web site before you head out to Grandma’s: Do you wonder what is going on out on the tarmac when you are at the airport? Are you a fan of United’s Channel 9? Are you curious about why Aunt Zelda is held up at Newark? Check out www.liveatc.net to listen to air traffic control radio communications from around the world. This is a kick! Thousands of volunteers provide live feeds of communication between ATC, aircraft, and even on the ground chatter. Most big airports are covered, as are plenty of smaller ones. You can even listen in on your smart phone while you sit in the departure lounge.