tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61068576353523733832011-07-30T13:14:17.167-07:00Website design secrets, tips, reviews and applying the Common Sense Web Design approach to your company's website. We'll look at what works on actual live websites as well as tour some designs and explore the thinking behind them.Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-35986635789310241822010-03-25T02:32:00.000-07:002010-03-25T02:34:20.300-07:00

A study at Georgia Tech asked people about their television viewing habits and about the effects that their Internet use had on them. One third of respondents said that they "use the Web instead of watching TV on a daily basis." They call me Website Dave because I make websites, and as more and more eyeballs are on the internet, it is more and more important for local companies to get those

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-7496381882482482332010-03-18T02:28:00.000-07:002010-03-25T02:31:28.970-07:00

Ninety seven percent of people with internet access look up products and companies before they buy, and over half of these local searches result in a purchase. A well planned and executed online advertising campaign can be the fastest way to get people’s eyeballs onto a company’s website, as long as that company doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. They call me Website Dave because I make websites,

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-27578904969373027932010-03-11T02:26:00.000-08:002010-03-25T02:27:58.829-07:00

Of all local online searches, eight out of ten result in a call or a visit to a store. Six out of ten result in a purchase. When ninety seven percent of people with internet access are looking up products and companies before buying, it makes sense to get in front of them. The question is: How? They call me Website Dave because I make websites and letting the experts do what the experts do

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-29229756309929149432010-03-04T16:59:00.000-08:002010-03-07T06:00:47.538-08:00

‘Shopping’ keywords often increase competition and businesses waste valuable time with “tire kickers” instead of buyers ready to make a purchase. They call me Website Dave because I make websites, and I’ve learned from the PowerCore team the value of letting an expert do what they do, so when Lucimar’s hair salon got aggressive with an internet marketing campaign, I put a team of

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-13066423750169068662010-02-25T17:07:00.000-08:002010-03-07T06:00:26.311-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites, and I am often asked about the big mystery: Search Engine Optimization. 97% of people with online access will research products and services online before they purchase and studies show that 64% search for local businesses. Lucimar owns a hair salon in Marietta with a decent location for her established clients, but lousy for receiving walk-in

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-81283049014032833182009-12-10T17:11:00.000-08:002010-03-07T05:59:51.595-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Small companies are promoting themselves at holiday parties in the coming three weeks. They can either hang their head low and say “I’m going to be putting a website together” or they can hold their head high and say “come check out my website.” Tuesday night, I finished arrangements to offer something special to people who can’t afford a

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-59759428647284524782009-12-09T06:25:00.000-08:002010-03-07T05:59:18.585-08:00

Many of you already know that one of my charities is helping the kids at Avondale High School. There was a meeting held last night to address many some of the issues there. I sent this email to the following people to follow up... BARBARA_M_COLMAN@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us - New head of construction for DeKalb County CC to: Alumni Bobby Burgess Flem Mitchell Billy Bourn Gary Roberson John Plageman

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-90443774923119734662009-12-03T17:18:00.000-08:002010-03-07T05:57:47.899-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. The secretary in charge of booking holiday parties is checking out restaurants’ websites to see what’s available and restaurant owners are scrambling to get their last minute holiday offerings up to date. Mark needed text and pictures changed on eight pages of his website and their previous web designer wanted to charge them a hundred dollars a

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-56988962446372487302009-11-12T17:22:00.000-08:002010-03-07T05:57:24.242-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Gary’s customers need routine text changes made to their websites. These changes used to take weeks to get made and they were freaking expensive. Marketing comes naturally to me and I understand that a website is a vital piece of a company’s marketing strategy. So it has to change when the company needs it to change and it can’t wait a week

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-79963671849662599292009-11-05T17:27:00.000-08:002010-03-07T05:57:08.209-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Nicole and Angelo need routine text changes made to their website. Their previous web guy would take weeks to get these changes made and would charge out the wazoo to get them done. Luckily, I’m a marketing junkie and I understand that a website is a centerpiece to a company’s marketing strategy, and it has to be able to change when the company

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-79903953953965468652009-10-22T17:29:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:56:49.316-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. I was recently asked how to introduce my services to a new restaurant owner. Restaurant owners like knowing my background, because I’ve walked in their shoes and have been successful at it. Their website will be built from that experience and will help position them for success. I managed restaurants and nightclubs for six years, helping one

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-89324723354796232832009-09-20T15:48:00.000-07:002009-09-25T04:40:40.162-07:00

Effective website design starts with a strong billboard mentality. The average visitor gives a website less than five seconds to keep their attention, and strong visual communication goes a long way in establishing this. There are two rules of visuals that I like to use. First, it must catch the eye, and then second, it has to communicate the idea of the page very quickly. A great place to find

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-3273307026441580292009-09-19T05:34:00.000-07:002009-09-21T05:44:52.706-07:00

Any time a background graphic is used, it needs to be subtle and not interfere with the text or other content that goes on top of it. Here are the two tricks that I most commonly use when a picture is going to be used... 1 - Fade When I fade a picture for a background, I fa-a-ade the picture for the background. My goal is for visitors to feel the picture, not look at it. That's all I want then

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-63937018759102432832009-09-18T05:18:00.001-07:002009-09-21T05:34:08.723-07:00

If a website is going to have a photograph as its background - not a part or a section of a website, I mean the entire website - make sure it is very large. If it can be 1400 pixels wide and about 1200 pixels high, then that's a great start. The reason that a background image for an entire website should be that large is that if a visitor stretches their browser window wider than the background

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-30092605947073138592009-09-17T17:34:00.000-07:002010-03-04T18:39:53.732-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. I am often asked if I can go in and work on or update a site that somebody else built. The answer is “yes” and I am introducing a maintenance program that makes it possible and easy to have someone work on a company’s website, even if I’m not the guy who built it. For a low monthly fee, they can have a website guy in their back pocket who can

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-31680582920016034022009-09-17T04:57:00.000-07:002009-09-21T05:17:12.274-07:00

The best use of a photograph as a background is to make sure it enhances the message rather than detract from it. If the background is getting all of the attention, then what are visitors looking at? I recently visited a website for a residential cleaning company. They had a picture of their baby boy in a bunny outfit tiled (repeated) all over the background. Now the picture was cute, but it had

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-28417965942766965832009-09-16T04:44:00.000-07:002009-09-21T04:56:24.965-07:00

So now the question is "what *is* a good background?" In graphic design, the most effective and most often used background is plain white. Black text is used on this white background to get the most contrast and the easiest visibility, and therefore, the easiest readability. Let's look at the contrast for a moment. Contrast is one of the most abused rules in graphic design, both by

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-7648771446777662262009-09-15T05:04:00.000-07:002009-09-21T04:56:39.481-07:00

While it's true that a visual can speak a thousand words, be careful what words they say... especially if they say them over and over again. The second set of fouls comes from a repeated photograph in the background. While this is a nice touch to put on personal family websites, it is a disaster for a company. Although there is no written rule saying so, having a background photo that tiles all

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-64075177390911210652009-09-14T14:21:00.000-07:002009-09-14T14:51:14.528-07:00

While it's true that a visual can speak a thousand words, be careful what words they say... especially if they say them over and over again. There are many examples of this on MySpace pages. The most common "fouls" come from small background images repeated many times. The images may look really good on their own, but when multiplied, they create several issues. The first is what I like to call

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-67396838147809832792009-09-11T10:24:00.000-07:002009-09-11T10:52:21.860-07:00

Eight years ago, I came out of the shower and heard about the attacks. Work was a somber place that day. Everyone drove slower. Spirits were serious... but not down. Everyone on that day had felt the sting around the world. For a short time, politics got put to the side and we were all part of the same group: Americans. We showed that like any family, we will bicker and fight with each other,

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-88741583204938925582009-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:002009-09-10T11:36:22.929-07:00

Avondale High School is one of the causes I support and the past couple weeks have been amazing. Today, Fox5 is coming out to film practice. They are featuring the team on Saturday morning, and the website and internet marketing have been described by those involved as "essential to the team's success." We have raised over $15,000 to fund the kids through the website and other means. The Blue

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-29531685069364576682009-09-08T09:51:00.000-07:002009-09-08T10:44:04.631-07:00

I would have to say that the most unique client I have had is a company that does ghost tours in downtown Atlanta. The website breaks a lot of rules and does a lot of things that web developers will say "it's not supposed to do." What can I say? I'm a rule breaker. Her website, Darkside Tours, uses strong visuals to set the mood and to create mystery. "I don't want to see dancing ghosts"

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-48759105379045997112009-09-06T18:36:00.000-07:002009-09-06T19:33:31.543-07:00

Websites work with a combination of billboard and brochure mentalities. The first page uses the billboard mentality. A visitor will give a website an average of five seconds to decide whether or not they want to stay there or not, so it is important to grab their attention and keep it at the start. If someone is looking at a restaurant's website, they are probably either hungry right then, or

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-14525191658842471102009-09-05T09:45:00.000-07:002009-09-05T10:02:52.423-07:00

Most business owners that I know support at least a couple charities. Mine include a women's shelter and a high school football team. I wasn't planning on ever posting this, but it's on my heart to put it out there in case there are others who would like to help or to find charities that they would like to help support. The women's shelter takes in ladies from all sorts of bad situations (abuse,

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-42887764870336070922009-09-04T16:17:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:55:52.987-08:00

48 Hours - One Website (we'll make a few small adjustments in the next few days). http://www.warehouseaquarium.com That was a fun project with a whole lot of moving parts... and done just in time for college football! Woot!

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-88598614149630459252009-09-04T07:21:00.000-07:002009-09-04T07:34:42.626-07:00

The deadline is 7pm to have my client's website up. This project came up with 48 hours' notice and he will be showing the site tonight! At 7pm tonight, I will be tweeting whether or not I met the deadline (no additional pressure, huh?), so if you're on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/websitedave and follow me and you'll see if I get the thrill of victory... or the agony of defeat... Where is

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-19575220728087769792009-09-03T06:51:00.000-07:002009-09-03T07:12:33.295-07:00

Website design strategies should never be rushed... but they shouldn't drag on forever, either. Tomorrow at 7pm (preferably before), my latest project "goes live" for the world to see. It is a project for one of the founders of the company that would become known as WebMD. His latest venture involves the retail, wholesale and maintenance industries. I learned about this project yesterday evening

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-22798692176929661422009-09-02T08:04:00.000-07:002009-09-02T08:51:24.969-07:00

I am often asked why I place so much emphasis on visuals in my website design. After all, haven't website designers always said that if you have a lot of graphics it will bog down the website? That's half-fact and half-myth. Today's computers process information much more quickly than even a couple years ago and can handle complex graphics. However, if someone's trying to fit too much stuff into

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-55686298259305054162009-09-01T08:20:00.000-07:002009-09-01T10:35:38.696-07:00

It's kinda ironic - like ray-ee-yain on your wedding day - that I haven't started a blog until now. I urge my clients to do a blog for a host of reasons, yet I haven't done it for myself. It's funny... a website design guy who helps others with search engine optimization (or SEO) and I haven't done a whole lot of it for my own site. While I could argue a business reason for not doing the SEO (

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-19795264937984990492009-08-20T18:00:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:54:50.683-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Common Sense Web Design Says avoid website templates unless you really know what you are doing. Just like doing your own hair color, when you screw it up, it shows! When a man puts that stuff in their hair without knowing what they're doing, they go from salt & pepper to jet black in 8 minutes flat... and everyone notices, but they don't say

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-45911973938580090962009-07-09T18:08:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:54:10.555-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Common Sense Web Design Says to choose an email address wisely... The following email addresses have been altered (but not by much) to protect identities. "Skoal bandit at yahoo" doesn’t say "computer repair tech." "Tequila diva at hotmail" doesn’t say "virtual assistant." "Party till you puke at yahoo" sold insurance and "stripperbabe at aol"

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-67237294835819704262009-07-02T18:18:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:53:23.030-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Common Sense Web Design Says to choose the type of website carefully. Is it a sales site? Is it an informational site that positions you as an expert? Is it a gallery? Is it a client reference? Tim and Kim have a multi-technique therapy clinic. Their clients kept forgetting what to do between sessions. Luckily, figuring out unique solutions

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-86679806801783635492009-06-25T18:21:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:52:47.649-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Common Sense Web Design Says to make the domain name easy for folks to remember. That bird site dot com is much easier to remember than Tim Vogle’s 18th annnual southeastern bird show dot com. Jimmy is a painter and his canvas is somebody else’s brick walls. He doesn’t usually have permission to use these brick walls and Jimmy wants to show

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-13416691949406868562009-06-18T18:27:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:52:10.624-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. Common Sense Web Design Says a website should sell one concept at a time. A specialty shoe store shouldn’t try to sell barbecue grills on the same website. Being the marketing junkie that I am, helping clients focus on one niche market at a time just comes naturally to me. Bruce has a deli with two locations, which are open for breakfast and

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106857635352373383.post-25846508822672180952009-06-11T18:33:00.000-07:002010-03-07T05:51:27.203-08:00

They call me Website Dave because I make websites. A picture speaks a thousand words. It defines a company and sets the vibe. Whirling tools say more than "handyman." A smiling tooth says more than "dentist." Being a graphic artist, making pictures that speak volumes just comes naturally to me. Angelo and Nicole opened a Taqueria in Midtown. That’s right. A Taqueria. A hard to pronounce name,

Website Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457411488269833206noreply@blogger.com0