If you are looking for a way to really connect with your target audience and to get the most out of your blog, you might have heard that you should add an RSS feed to your site. But, what exactly is an RSS feed and how can it be beneficial to you and your Website?

Put simply, RSS is a specialized format that allows you to deliver Web content to anyone who signs up to be part of your “feed.” In other words, it is similar to opting in to a e-newsletter, but rather than receiving  your e-newsletters on a regular basis, those who have signed up for your feed receive notification every time you add something new to your blog.

Although RSS feeds were originally used by news-related sites, the use of RSS feeds has become increasingly more popular with businesses, organizations and even casual bloggers. Considering the many benefits that having an RSS feed can provide, it is easy to understand why this is such a popular addition to any Website or blog.

The primary benefit to adding an RSS feed to your Website or blog is the fact that it instantly notifies those who have subscribed to your feed every time you add something new. This can help your Website in many ways. Some of these include:

• Keeping your subscribers informed about the latest products, services or other news related to your business as an RSS feed ensures they read your latest post in a more timely manner
• Establishing the reputation of your business or organization, as you provide subscribers with meaningful content and because having an RSS feed makes your Website or blog look more professional
• Bringing traffic to your Website as an RSS feed containing interesting topics will pique the interest of your subscribers and will encourage them to visit your site

People who are interested in your blog will also appreciate it when you add an RSS feed to your site because it helps them save time. After all, no one wants to have to visit a Website every day just to see if new content has been added. By providing an RSS feed, those who want to know more about your business or organization will be able to easily keep up-to-date and will ultimately become more engaged in your blog.

Of course, in order to help those who are a little less Web-savvy with obtaining and reading your RSS feed, you might also want to include a feed reader download on your site. By downloading this software, your site visitors will be able to easily read your RSS feed as well as any other feeds they may choose to include in their reader.

If you aren’t sure how to add an RSS feed to your Website or if you need help making your RSS feed more user-friendly for your site visitors, the PlanMySite team will be glad to help!

I am a bit behind in announcing this, but I am pleased to say that I have successfully completed the Google Analytics Individual Qualification exam. By completing this exam, I am now able to teach my team members as well as my clients more about how to use these tools more effectively.

Obviously, teaching my team members how to effectively use Google Analytics has its benefits. After all, if they are aware of how to use this resource, they will be better capable of creating a Website that will draw in well-targeted Web traffic. It also allows me and my team members to take a closer look at Websites that might already be in place and determining where its strengths and weaknesses may be. In other words, if a new client comes to us and wants us to analyze a Website that was previously built by someone else, we can use Google Analytics to get an idea of that site’s effectiveness.

I am also excited that I am now qualified to teach my clients how to use Google Analytics. For those clients who prefer to take a hands-on approach to the development and maintenance of their Websites, Google Analytics is a powerful tool. Not only will it help our clients gain a better understanding of how effectively the Websites we develop work, it will also give them the power to create better-targeted ads, to improve their marketing strategies and to achieve higher conversion rates long after we have finished working with them.

Of course, if our clients prefer to have the PlanMySite team continue to work with them even after we complete the Website, we will be happy to do that as well. The bottom line is that we are dedicated to providing a wide range of services to our clients. For those who want someone to walk them through each step of the entire process, we are there for them. For those who want to learn more about how to monitor the success of their Websites and marketing strategies, on the other hand, I will be more than happy to help them learn how to use Google Analytics effectively.

With the World Wide Web being more than 20-years-old, it should come as no surprise to learn that Web design has evolved significantly since it was first developed. Thanks to new technologies and developments within the Web design field, such as Progressive Enhancement, modern Internet applications look simply amazing. But, what is Progressive Enhancement and why should you look for a Web developer who will put this methodology to work for you?

What is Progressive Enhancement?

Progressive Enhancement, or PE, is a Web development methodology that involves starting with a solid development base and then adding onto that base in order to create a more enjoyable experience for those who use the Website. In other words, the Web developer lays down a solid foundation for the Website before adding on all of the little extras that make the site easy to navigate and enjoyable to use. In this way, you can be certain the Website can be accessed by anyone who might be interested in seeing it while also resting assured that those who visit your site will have a positive experience.

Why Should You Use Progressive Enhancement?

There are many benefits to implementing the Progressive Enhancement methodology. Some of these include:

• It provides users with a sense of security because they can visit your site and can interact with your content with a variety of different devices and browsers
• It emphasizes the content on your site, making it more valuable to your site visitors
• You can activate your basic Website right away while concentrating on adding the “extras” later
• Websites developed with Progressive Enhancement are easy to maintain
• The Web developer can focus on completing more complex aspects of the Web design without worrying about the basic foundation of the site

How Does Progressive Enhancement Work?

To understand how Progressive Enhancement works, it is beneficial to look at a real world example. For those with basic jQuery knowledge, the simple example below shows how this methodology works.

Example 1: jQuery Fancybox – adding a stylized box to all of the photos on your Website (Fancybox plugin can be downloaded from: http://fancybox.net ).
Requirements:

• Downloaded jQuery 1.3+ and latest fancybox version,
• Simple HTML template with “img” tag embed in “a” tag, for example:

This simple script will transform your normal image into a nice looking modal box with image.

When JavaScript is turned off or when the browser does not support javaScript, the user will just see normal picture or photo.

Example 2: jQuery User Interface – creating tabs from the list (using jQuery and jQuery UI).
Requirements:

• Downloaded jQuery 1.3+ and jQuery UI,
• Simple HTML template with items list and content elements, for example:

One
Two
Three


Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce quam ante, aliquam quis sollicitudin eget, vestibulum id lorem.
Suspendisse dignissim interdum posuere. Quisque euismod posuere lectus, ut porttitor sapien blandit eget.
Aliquam cursus quam a augue feugiat sodales. Duis ultrices commodo tellus eu scelerisque. Morbi scelerisque gravida feugiat.

When JavaScript is turned off, the user will just see a single list and listed content elements.

Simply put, Progressive Enhancement helps ensure every one of your site visitors has a positive experience when visiting your Website by making changes according to the tools the visitor is using to access the site. At the same time, it sets up your Website to be easily modified and enhanced over time so you can provide your users with the best experience while also keeping up with Web design technology as it continues to evolve.

When it comes to trying to select the perfect Web development company, one of the decisions you will have to make is whether you should go with a one-man shop or a Web design company that consists of an entire team of professionals. While the one-man shop may offer a lower rate in some cases, it is generally in your best interest to go with a company that uses the team approach.

Two Heads are Better Than One

Let’s face it, when it comes to creating a great Website, you will get the best results when you get input from several different people. In fact, getting feedback on a graphic design from someone who doesn’t specialize in that area is quite valuable. After all, that person is just a “regular Joe,” just like your site visitors will be. When you work with a Web development that is more than a one man show, you get the extra input and additional value that can only be obtained by having several people take a look at what has been developed.

You Get the Best There is to Offer

Unfortunately, some “one-man team” Web developers attempt to handle all aspects of the job on their own. This includes taking care of the graphic design, the programming and the content creation. Let’s face it – most of us are great at everything we do. Therefore, the chances are pretty good that your one-man team will fall short in some area of the site development if he or she attempts to do it all.

If you are having problems with your heart, you don’t go to a doctor who is a general practitioner, do you? Of course not! You go to a cardiologist because you know that doctor has the extra knowledge and experience necessary to properly treat your condition. Why would you treat your Website design and development any different?

When you hire a Web development team, you work with a group of people who specialize in their particular area of expertise. As such, you can be relatively certain each member of the team has quite a bit of experience in that particular area and that he or she has devoted a significant amount of time in perfecting his or her craft. In other words, each member of the team will bring his or her “A” game to the drawing board in order to obtain the best results possible.

The bottom line is that you get what you pay for. If you choose to cut corners by hiring a one-man Web development company, the chances are good that he or she will be only average in each area of the development process. If you hire a team of professionals, on the other hand, you will get the most highly skilled professionals available within each of their industries.

If you have ever shopped around for the services of a New Jersey Web design company, you might be surprised by the price differences that are quoted to you. While one company may quote $500 for the project, another might charge $5,000. How can one New Jersey Web design company justify charging so much for a Website that looks exactly the same as one that costs so little? The simple answer is that you get what you pay for and there is a lot more that goes into developing a Website than just the way it appears to the site visitor.

Making it Search Engine-Friendly

One of the steps a higher-priced Web development company will take is to make certain your site is SEO-friendly. Optimizing your page source so it is attractive to search engines such as Yahoo, Google and Bing is an essential part of achieving a high ranking. Experienced programmers know how to write goad in a SEO-friendly manner while also preparing the site for future development.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to assess whether or not the quality of code is up to par. Even using validation tools such as W3.org is not necessarily a good way to check the quality of code, as this only determines whether or not the HTML and CSS code is correct. Just because the code is technically correct, it doesn’t mean it is set up in the way necessary to allow the search engine spiders to crawl effectively.

Creating the Same Look for Everyone

After working closely with your Web developer, you finally create the perfect Website. Great, right? Not so fast! Unless the developer has taken the steps necessary to create cross-browser compatibility with your site, it may look great with one browser but look terrible with another. The reality is that there are many different browsers to select from, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Chrome. The way your Website looks is affected by the type of browser your site visitor is using as well as the version of the browser and the computer’s operating system. Therefore, it is essential to work with a Web developer who can make your site look great on any combination of browser and operating system the site visitor may use.

Offering Your Site to Everyone

As a business or organization, it is essential that you are able to reach everyone who might be interested in what you have to offer, including those with disabilities. Since disabled site visitors will view your site differently than those without disabilities, you need to be sure to work with a Web developer who knows how to make your site accessible to all users. Not only will this help your disabled users access your site, it will also make it easier for people with mobile devices to visit your site will on the run.

Unfortunately, it is far too easy for a programmer to show off a Website that looks great, but does not have all of the characteristics that are necessary to truly be successful on the Internet. Therefore, when hiring a Web developer, be sure to ask about cross-browser compatibility, search engine optimization and accessibility. Otherwise, by saving a few dollars with a less expensive developer, you may actually lose money in the future when very few people actually find your Website and are able to access it.