Tag Archive for 'online'

When to use AJAX… and when not to!

Published by Marc on 10 December, 2007 in Web Development and Web Standards. 0 Comments

A client recently approached us with the plan to render most of their website in AJAX (otherwise known as Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), a web development technique used in online forms and other interactive web apps.

For Responsive Webpages and Forms

AJAX is designed to make web pages more responsive - it allows for a page to be ’seamlessly’ refreshed with new data without requiring a reload and effecting the look and speed of the interaction. It’s fantastic in application forms where instant feedback or additional details may be required.

AJAX - Handle with Care!

But AJAX should be used with care. It can have a negative impact on a site’s search engine optimisation (SEO) and can prove problematic for disabled users. So here’s a quick breakdown of what AJAX is good at and what it’s not so good at…

What AJAX is good at:

  • Delivering small blocks of content - for small quick changes it works well.
  • Reducing the number of steps in a process - it’s great for forms with options (like application forms).
  • Delivering instant feedback such as validation of form fields and quick feedback on from submissions.

AJAX is not very good at:

  • Making content visible to search engines and any device that is not JavaScript enabled.
  • Bookmarking - once you’re some way down an application process in an AJAX rendered environment, you cannot bookmark individual steps like you could if each stage of the app is delivered in standard HTML.
  • Providing content for disabled users - the blind and vision-impaired are not able to access AJAX rendered content (and can have legal ramifications as in this example with Target in the United States and with the Sydney Olympics Website).
  • Providing speed benefits to users with slower machines as it puts the processing onus onto the user’s machine.
  • SEO: a typical implementation of AJAX is invisible to search engines. As you can replicate AJAX functionality with HTML, you’re better off using the latter for web content if you’re concerned about ranking on search engines.

To see an example of AJAX functionality, play around with the flight booking engine on Bezurk.com

Social Media Optimisation - what the heck is it?

Published by Marc on 14 November, 2007 in SEO. 1 Comment

A client recently asked us about Social Media Optimisation or SMO as to ‘what the heck it was’ and if he should ‘get in on that action?’ Little did he know he was already applying many SMO techniques - he just didn’t know it!

SMO as defined on Wikipedia is ‘a set of methods for generating publicity through social media, online communities and community websites’.

So if like our client you’re performing SMO if you are…

Adding links back to your site

Search engines like Google and Yahoo value links and reward sites who have many incoming links from other websites (especially relevant links from heavily trafficked websites). So listing your business on paid or free directories is a sound strategy for improving your natural (organic) search rankings.

How to find directories and acquire links

A good place to start: Type ‘Australia Directory Listings’ into a search engine and you’ll come across some popular directories, many of which are free.  Simply submit your site and wait to receive confirmation of your posting!

Popular directories include:

Making your site easy to tag and bookmark

Giving visitors to your web site the opportunity to bookmark your content is also a sound optimisation strategy. Don’t lose your traffic! Make it easy for users to stick around and engage with your brand by providing them with the tools to reconnect with you again and again.

Popular bookmark tags include:

Adding content mashups

A further way to enhance your website’s content is via content mashups. Add videos, maps or streamed content from a news source provider to provide a better web experience or facilitate a sale. It’s surprisingly easy and a handy way to take your website to the next level and as search engines improve, those new forms of content will count ever more towards your quality score.

For example:

Sharing your content

It pays to share. And that saying certainly holds true for the web. Sending your content on via newsletters or posting to your company blog interesting topics like ‘Social Media Optimisation’ can only serve to increase the number of repeat visitors to your site.

So share your content through:

  • Blogs (like this one)
  • newsletters

A little site called Facebook

And finally… Is there a person who has not heard of a little website called Facebook? Synonymous with social networking online Facebook is great way to network, keep in touch with friends and link to people with similar interest locally and internationally.

Launched in early 2004, Facebook has grown from a niche university social networking site into a worldwide phenomenon. By starting your own ‘special interest group’ on Facebook or joining an existing network of likeminded individuals, you can rapidly expand the reach of your content and broaden your link profile.