Web Design Standards and IE8

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Show Notes
Podcast episode 045 entitled Web Design Standards and IE8 provides an update on the pendiing release of the new Internet Explorer version 8, or IE8, and the impact on small business websites. Information includes a history of announcements about IE8 and the delayed release as improvements are made, plus my comparison of compliance and compatibility. Here's the outline for today's program:

• Introduction to Web Design Standards and IE8
• Microsoft IE8 Announcements Dec 2007 and Mar 2008
• IE8 Release Delay and Compatibility
• Web Design DOCTYPE and Internet Explorer Hacks
• Latest Conclusion of IE8 and Web Design Standards
• Quick Tip of the Day - Resource for Testing Site Display in IE8

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Web Design Standards and IE8
0:11:21 Tip of the Day - Resource for Testing Site Display in IE8
0:12:54 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:13:24 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 045

Referenced links:
IE8 browser site display testing resource with JPG screenshots
IE8 official blog and compatibility view blog post

The tip of the day describes the IE8 display test on a high speed server for viewing the actual display to test your website pages without downloading the IE8 BETA, and before the release of the production version of Internet Explorer 8. You may test older versions of IE including IE5.5, IE6, the current IE7, and IE8.

TAGS: advice browsers ie8 Internet Explorer 8 web design web standards

Web Design Templates Compared

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Show Notes
Podcast episode 044 entitled Web Design Templates Compared comes after a web design review earlier this week for a client interested in custom graphics, and perhaps matching web graphics to upgrade the look of their small business web design. Their site gets very little traffic, and results of their recent attempt at search engine optimization, or seo, has been less than ideal. Here's the outline for today's program:

• Free Web Design Templates Review
• Standard Commercial Website Templates
• Custom Web Design Templates and SEO
• Web Design Skills Combined with Graphic Art
• Dynamic CMS Web Design vs Static Site Templates
• Website Quick Tip of the Day - Web Design Navigation and Usability

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Web Design Templates Compared
0:11:49 Tip of the Day - Web Design Navigation and Usability
0:14:43 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:15:13 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 044

Referenced links:
CMS Template Outline and Ebook on my main site

The tip of the day explains the strategy of web design navigation and usability using a tree structure of internal links. Having your home page as the tree trunk with major branches linked from each page, and then subpages with expanded topics, allows site owners to easily grow their site. The web design and seo concept of "add original quality content often" that I recommend is easier to visualize using this tree structure for website navigation.

TAGS: advice cms review seo search engine optimization templates web design

Website Visitor System Stats

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Show Notes
Podcast episode 043 entitled Website Visitor System Stats comes after a question earlier this week about my choice of standard web page design width, and the importance of knowing visitor behavior. By viewing website visitor system stats your web design can keep up with the needs of the majority of website visitors. Using free stats tracking allows site owners to determine the browser brands and most common screen monitor width of their site visitors. Here's the outline for today's program:

• Visitor Browser Brands and Screen Monitor Size Intro
• Tracking Visitor Stats and Web Design Strategy
• Review of my Visitors' Browser Brands and Screen Size Stats
• Browser Brand and Web Design Cross Browser Compatibility
• Visitor Screen Monitor Size and Evolution of Web Design
• Website Quick Tip of the Day - Online Resource for Testing Page Display

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Website Visitor System Stats
0:09:32 Tip of the Day - Online Resource for Testing Page Display
0:11:52 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:12:22 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 043

Referenced links:
Online Resource for Testing Page Display from BrowserShots.org

Referenced statistics from this podcast episode:
Browser Brand Usage of Visitors to My Site

34.0% FireFox3
27.4% MSIE7
17.0% MSIE6
07.0% Safari
06.6% FireFox2
03.0% Chrome
02.2% Netscape
01.6% Camino
01.2% MSIE Older
01.0% Opera

Monitor Screen Size of Visitors to My Site

37.10% 1024x768
33.47% 1280x1024
22.58% Unknown
04.03% 1152x864
02.02% 800x600
00.81% 1600x1200

TAGS: advice browsers pc monitors review statistics web design

Healthy Web Design Checkup

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Show Notes
This podcast episode 042 entitled Healthy Web Design Checkup provides advice for small business website owners to check the quality of their web design for search engine optimization, or SEO. Topics cover a comparison of healthy and unhealthy designs, and how to avoid problems. Here's the outline for today's program:

• Why Web Designs Need an Annual Checkup
• Case Study Uncovering an Unhealthy Web Design
• Question to Test Web Designer SEO Knowledge
• Update on Another Zero Traffic Custom Web Design
• Advice When it Comes to Changing Web Designers
• Website Quick Tip of the Day - Web Design Online Project Management

0:00:00 Podcast Theme Music and Introduction
0:00:45 Main Topic - Healthy Web Design Checkup
0:11:26 Tip of the Day - Web Design Online Project Management
0:16:11 Podcast Outro Theme Music and Credits
0:16:41 End of Small Business Website Mailbag Podcast 042

Referenced links:
PDF website comparison report of healthy and unhealthy web designs (pdf, 197kb, 2 pages)
Online project management services from TeamWorkPM.net

The tip of the day provides advice and a review of small business owner online services for project management including a review of the service I use at TeamWorkPM.net. A successful web design depends on good communication between the client and web designer, and online project management is an affordable and easy tool to use.

TAGS: advice project management podcast review seo search engine optimization web design website quality