Web users spent more then twice their time viewing the left half of a webpage, validating the traditional layout is most effective and profitable.

An example of users left to right attention

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Getting a good domain name is nearly impossible, so you have to get creative. It’s also important to consider Search Engine Optimization (SEO), because having a keyword in your domain tells Google and other search engines that your site must be highly relavant to that keyword. Here’s a useful tool for brainstorming about your new domain name: Instant Domain Search

Ok, now with the business out of the way, here’s the real reason why I wanted to create this post. Variations of this list have been around for a while, but I believe it’s good enough to bring back. Consider this as you narrow your search for the best domain name.

ExpertSexChange.com – Experts Exchange
PenisLand.net - Pen Island
TheRapistFinder.com – Therapist Finder
GotAHoe.com – Go to Lake Tahoe [Read the rest of this entry...]

When creating a website, the first thing many people think of is animation, video, movement and other “cool stuff”. Much of this is done in Flash, and while it’s cool and full of sizzle, Flash has several important drawbacks. Some of these drawbacks are that search engines can’t easily index Flash sites. It’s also not viewable on many mobile devices, game stations and alternative devices, plus many Flash sites lack usability and readability.

Additionally, Flash has been abandoned on many sites just because the executive staff couldn’t view their Flash site on their iPhone. Now, with the introduction of the iPad and Steve Jobs announcement that Apple wont be supporting Flash because it “…hogs processor cycles, drains battery life and causes needless crashes”.

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Are you an “Above the Fold” hardliner? There are many people that believe that users DON’T scroll down the page and that all the important information must be above that fold.  While I agree that it makes sense to keep important information highly visible on page, our analysis and research has shown that users ARE now becoming conditioned to scroll down the page.

While this is true, usability expert Jakob Nielsen focused on what areas of the page attracts a users attention and sheds a lot of light on this subject.

To summarize Jakob’s findings, about 80% of a web users time is spent looking at content that appears above the page fold. While users do scroll down a webpage, only 20% of their attention is spent viewing content below the fold.

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We’ve all used free online services or applications and have likely thought “how is that a sustainable business model?”. Some are purely for marketing and exposure, and others, like Zynga’s free FarmVille application for Facebook, allows users to fast-track the game by selling virtual currency. Some services, like Twitter, develop customers or an audience and plan to figure out the business model later. A business model that isn’t obvious at first, but makes complete sense is the “Freemium” model. In short, this is giving away a base service and charging for extra features, introducing them to your product and earning their business.

An example of a “freemium” business model is Evernote, a service that serves as a memory aid. Evernote captures and organizes things from everyday life using your computer, phone, and the web. Its services and products are free on a variety of platforms. Unlock additional features with a $5 per month subscription. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Ever wondered what parts of your site can’t be seen without scrolling?

Google’s Browser Size shows you what portion of users can see a given spot on the screen. This is not screen resolution but the area available to the browser – as gathered from www.google.com users.

browsersize.googlelabs.com/

How’s your speed? Here’s a good resource for checking.

Here’s some benchmarks. How did you measure up?

384.0 – 768.0 Kbps - DSL/Cable
1500.0 Kbps – Cable/DSL
1544.0 Kbps – Full T1
3000.0 Kbps – High Speed T3

We configure and setup a lot of websites and email solutions for our clients. Because of spam, viruses and client’s with limited IT resources, we’ve nearly gone exclusively to recommending Google’s Gmail service for email. Now that doesn’t mean our client’s give up their company’s URL for a Gmail address, but with Gmail you can keep your company URL and only you will know that you’re using Gmail.

Gmail’s features are many, but the one that stands out is the spam is completely eliminated. Gmail also has powerful smartphone applications and integrates well with all email clients. With Gmail, you can also check, write and manage your emails in any web browser. It’s so good, that I now only use my web browser for email.

This article walks you through the process of setting up Gmail for your business.

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Ever wonder about the popularity of a website, who’s going to that website or what keywords they’re targeting for search? Well there’s a way to get that information and more for free.

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