web design

Design Solutions for the Mobile Web

January 28, 2015 by Mark Mapp Leave a Comment

The introduction of mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets, has given people the ability to browse the web and complete additional task on the go. In January, 2014, mobile devices accounted for 55% of the internet usage in the United States with mobile apps making up 47% of the internet traffic while 8% came from mobile browsers. This was the first time in history mobile app usage eclipsed desktop usage (45%). This continual growth in mobile device usage also created several issues in the web design and web development workspace. Designers and developers now have to compensate for how web pages are being viewed on these devices as well as choose the best solution to implement.

This week, we’re going to walk you through the three most common design solutions for the mobile web.

Mobile Websites

The initial way of handling the mobile web experience was by creating an entirely separate website just for mobile. A good example of this is ESPN’s website. If you type http://espn.go.com/ into your browser window in a desktop setting you will be taken directly to their “desktop” version of their site. However, if you type that same URL into your smart phone or tablet’s browser you will notice that it will redirect you to their mobile version of the site and the URL will reflect m.espn.go.com/wireless/index instead.

This direction was effective, but it still created several issues. Mobile websites often have completely separate content and a bit less functionality in comparison to their desktop counterparts.

See other advantages and disadvantages of mobile websites here.

Mobile Apps

Another solution for catering to the mobile web is developing a mobile app. This is not to be confused with a mobile website. Unlike mobile websites, mobile apps work independently of a browser and they don’t depend on an internet connection for general usage. Mobile apps are popular for linear processes, or processes that have a starting and an ending point. They also have the ability to utilize mobile device hardware such as credit card readers, cameras, and GPS locators.

A good example of this would be bank apps like Wells Fargo, or Bank of America that would allow you to scan your check with the use of your mobile phone or tablet which would then allow you to make a deposit into your bank account. You can browse and download other mobile apps from the Google Play Store from your mobile devices as well. The main disadvantage of developing a mobile app is that you have to create code for three platforms (namely Apple, Android, and Blackberry). The code is not universal and cannot be implemented across platforms.

See other advantages and disadvantages of mobile apps here.

Responsive Design

Responsive design is currently the best solution for mobile web development (See Google’s Mobile Guide). It is considered the best solution because it is one website, one URL, and one set of HTML code which allows the website’s content to be displayed on wide variety of mobile devices at multiple resolutions. Some good examples of responsive design are the Microsoft, Adobe, and BlueSky Interactive websites.

Responsive design can be a bit more costly to develop than your standard desktop website, but the low maintenance advantage of creating content for only one URL vs. multiple URLs saves time and money in the long run. In addition, having one URL is better suited for SEO related purposes.

Conclusion

Although all three solutions are proven ways of designing for the mobile web, in 2014 responsive design is the solution of choice. From our experience, responsive design is the simplest solution to the mobile design problem and has been the most effective for our web design projects.

Now that you are familiar with three design solutions, you are now able to make a better decision on which one is best for you and your company.

Which mobile design solution would you choose? Let us know in the comments below!

An Introduction to WordPress Frameworks

October 15, 2014 by Dabrian Marketing Group 1 Comment

What is a WordPress Framework?

A WordPress framework is similar to any normal theme in WordPress. The major difference between the two is that a framework requires a child theme to add custom styles. A custom style adds new code with the intent of changing the look and feel of the theme you choose. Basically, a WordPress framework takes care of the functionality and holds onto the basic code, and it requires a child theme for additional styling.

Wondering how to use a framework and a child theme? It’s as simple as uploading the files of your chosen framework into your themes via FTP. Then you just have to upload your desired theme and set it as active. That’s all there is to it. The order of these steps is important. If your framework isn’t uploaded prior to your theme, the components may not work correctly.

Advantages of WordPress Frameworks

WordPress frameworks speed up the web development process because you will already have the basic structure of the site. As a developer you just need to pick a theme on that framework and modify the look and feel based on your needs.
Frameworks experience faster load times when compared to normal WordPress themes. This is because it is free both of junk code and heavy graphics. Most framework themes must meet certain standards in order to be released for use.
Frameworks are frequently updated, and you will always receive the latest features. This is the advantage that initially sold me on frameworks. Theme frameworks rely on child themes, which means when you upgrade you will keep all of your custom changes. You will never have to change what you did a month ago because of an update!
If you choose to use a popular theme framework, it will have a huge community behind it which you can use as you develop your business online. Having a community behind you is always a huge plus.
There are many different kinds of frameworks available to fit your needs and degree of programming knowledge. You can use a free framework, or you can go with a paid option. There are frameworks with drag-and-drop interfaces as well as those that are strictly programmer-based (see below).

If you are constantly updating your website, then you likely understand the value of SEO. Most frameworks come with built-in options for SEO and/or are optimized for search engines.

As you might expect, nothing is perfect in the world of web technology. Below are a few of the disadvantages of using WordPress frameworks.

Disadvantages of WordPress Frameworks

As mentioned above, some of these frameworks do cost money. Two examples of the most popular paid frameworks are Genesis and Thesis. Unfortunately, most of the feature-packed frameworks are not free. Some of them cost a one-time or recurring fee. In some cases you’ll have to pay for additional upgrades as well. This reinforces the need to conduct research based on the functionality you’re looking for and deciding which option is best for your business.
As also mentioned above, working with frameworks has a bit of a learning curve. All frameworks are coded differently, and if it has a unique interface, it will take time to learn. After you allocate some time to learn the framework you picked, however, it will actually save a lot of time going forward.
Nothing is perfect, and frameworks are no exception. They might force you to overwrite core files in WordPress, and you need to be aware of this when you’re looking for a framework to use. Most of the time, you’ll receive a warning from the framework if it’s replacing WordPress files. We highly recommend making regular WordPress backups just in case.

Overall, the pros definitely outweigh the cons for WordPress frameworks. While we were hesitant at first to use frameworks, we now love using them. After getting used to using the framework, it nearly cut our development process in half. As you get started in WordPress, hopefully you’ll give frameworks a try. In our experience, they can definitely make things more efficient (and save a few headaches as well). We’ll be covering more on frameworks in the future, so stay tuned!

Have a question about WordPress frameworks? Ask away in the comments below!

Are You a Web Designer or a Web Developer?

October 2, 2014 by Mark Mapp 14 Comments

These two roles are often substituted for one another, however they both carry their own weight – and rightfully so. After all, they are the two main ingredients in any effective web design process. A web designer focuses on the aesthetics, or the “look and feel” of a website, while web developers concentrate primarily on the functionality, such as what happens when you click a button or submit a contact form. Although there are quite a few people out there who may be able to handle the tasks of both a web designer and a web developer, these two professions typically work together to bring web experiences into existence. This week, I’m going to cover some other characteristics that separate these two important professions.

Let’s Start with Education

Web designers typically attain a 2-4 year degree in a visual arts or graphic design program. They often learn to use a variety of creative suites, as well as several WYSIWYG editors to help them develop the aesthetic look and feel of the websites they create. Although having HTML knowledge is also a major plus for web designers, it isn’t surprising if a majority of them do not have any knowledge of HTML outside of what Adobe Dreamweaver and some other basic web editors.

A web developer’s education, on the other hand, is mainly technical-based. They often attain some type of 2-4 year computer science or programming degree where they will learn programming languages such as HTML, HTML5, Java, JavaScript, CSS3, SQL, PHP, and C++. Having ample knowledge of these languages enables the developer to produce a properly-functioning website. Web developers or programmers may also dabble with Adobe Photoshop to help with simple tasks such as resizing images and color changes, but spend most of their time using various text editors to complete their tasks.

Software, Tools, and Resources

The software and tools that designers and developers use on a daily basis also differ. A web designer’s software suite would include an image editor like Adobe Photoshop or Gimp, a vector-based program like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, and possibly a WYSIWYG web page editor like Adobe Dreamweaver or Kompozer. Other resources a web designer may use are color pickers, on-screen rulers, lorem ipsum text generators, and stock photography websites.

Unlike the web designer whose software collection consists mainly of creative suites, a web developer’s toolkit would most likely include a text editor such as Notepad++, an FTP client like Filezilla, as many internet browsers as possible for testing purposes, and different types of Web (Code) inspectors which are usually built into the browsers themselves. In addition, web developers also tend to use CMS (Content management Systems) platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla to help streamline the implementation of content on a website.

As part of the web design process

As mentioned above, web designers and web developers often work together on web design projects. Most initial conversations in the web design process have to do with the aesthetics, or the “look and feel” of a website. Clients will generally have an idea of what they want their website to look like and the audience they are targeting. A graphic designer would then use his creativity, the client’s design principles, and their collection of tools and resources to visually layout design concepts. Once a layout is approved, functionality becomes the focus. This is when the skill set of a web developer is required. Besides developing the website from scratch using one of several coding languages available, a web developer would also work on technical components like databases, online forms and applications (and the actions they require to be submitted), as well as client login portals. Even when the web design project is considered complete and uploaded to the Web, web developers can still spend countless hours troubleshooting issues that arise. Troubleshooting websites and web pages is a continuous process and generally web designers have little or nothing to do with this task.

In Conclusion

With the information provided, hopefully you’ve got a better understanding of what the differences between a web designer and a web developer are. The differences really are like night and day, and their definitions should not be substituted for each other. If you are an individual or a business looking to hire a web designer or a web developer you should know their strengths, but you should also know what their limitations are. This will help you to make the best decision possible in deciding the resources you need moving forward.

What do you think are the biggest differences between web designers and developers? Let us know in the comments!

Designing a Logo? Here Are 5 Basic Design Principles to Follow

June 4, 2014 by Mark Mapp Leave a Comment

Introduction

When starting a business it is very important to establish some sort of identity or visual presence. This is normally accomplished by the development or creation of a logo to represent your business. Your logo should speak to your audience with little or no explanation needed to justify its meaning. With that being said, there are 5 basic design principles that many designers follow that, more often than not, will ultimately determine the success of your new identity piece. In this blog we will go over these basic principles as well as provide some good examples of each.

1. Make it appropriate or relevant to your audience

Understanding your target audience and/or customers is probably the most important step in creating an effective or successful logo design. Not knowing or having this information may cause you to struggle with the development of your logo. It may even create a big disconnect between you and your target audience. By defining who your audience or customers are, you are then able to keep all the elements within the logo design relevant to them. Some examples of logos that clearly define who’s being targeted are the ones currently representing Gerber, Pantene Pro-V, and Rolex.

2. Most successful logos are “simple” in design

After you have defined your target audience, you can then move on to developing and designing your logo. This leads to our next principle, which is to keep the design or idea as simple as possible. It is best to apply the saying “less is more” to this principle. This phrase was actually first popularized by German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and I believe that this saying has more value or meaning in logo design than any other aspect of creative design. A logo that is too elaborately designed or made up of too many elements generally tends to create issues with things such as resizing, adding color, and most importantly readability. As a major rule, it is best to design the logo in black and white or grayscale before implementing colors. A well-designed logo in black and white usually translates well in color. Some logos that work well in black and white, as well as color are IBM, Nike, and Mercedes Benz.

3. Your logo should be memorable

For a logo to be memorable, it should be visually pleasing and easy to remember. A good test to see if your logo has that memorable factor is by removing components or elements from the logo to see if it is still recognizable. Throughout history, many companies have eliminated parts or pieces of their identity without losing any relevancy. There are some key aspects to remember that can help make your logo a memorable one. First, stay away from concepts that mimic logos already in existence. Your logo design should be unique, yet relevant to the audience it’s trying to capture. Second, you should choose a font that best represents your business. Choosing a font can be considered the most crucial step in logo design. According to imjustcreative.com, fonts are the life and soul of the logo. Time spent choosing a font should not be underestimated. Make sure that you choose a font that delivers the right message because choosing the wrong font can be disastrous for you and your logo design. Third, stay away from design trends or social trends when designing a logo because as we know, trends do have a tendency to come and go. Follow them too closely and your logo could meet the same fate. In the examples below, I removed key elements or parts of logos to see if they are still recognizable.

4. Will your logo stand the test of time?

As time passes by, your logo or identity should remain relevant and appropriate to your audience with little or no changes at all. Simply put, the least amount of changes you make to your logo over time the better it is for you and your company. Logos that have that timeless factor or element to them tend to have little or no changes to their design over time, or the changes can be so miniscule that it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the previous and new design. According to brandprofiles.com, your logo should remain relevant 10-20 years down the road. Therefore, redesigning or rebranding your company’s identity or brand isn’t considered a good practice. Simply put, it is all about longevity. Some good examples of this would be the Google, Coca-Cola, and Reebok logos.

5. It must be versatile and flexible

Another key aspect of a successfully designed logo is its ability to be scaled at different sizes without losing quality or readability. Logos should also display well in one color or against different color backgrounds. They should also have the ability to be implemented across various media and within a variety of contexts. Creating a logo in vector format is the most common and recommended practice by designers as a whole. Vector files can be created in programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape and will give you the most versatility and flexibility when creating or implementing a logo for different media types.

Conclusion

Now that we have covered the 5 basic principles of logo design, it may be in your best interest to audit your company’s current logo, or a logo that you have been developing to see if the design reflects any or all of these principles. You may also want to critique some busy or complex logo designs to see what the designer could have done differently to make the logos more relevant or ideal to its audience. When looking at and critiquing these logos, keep in mind that some of them may still be considered good designs though they do not follow the 5 basic logo design principles.

Have a question or a tip I didn’t mention? Please add yours in the comments below!

DaBrian Marketing Group Chosen to Redesign Local Law Firm’s Website

February 14, 2014 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

A West Lawn, PA-based law firm has chosen DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC to lead in the development, implementation, and configuration of its website redesign project.

Reading, PA – February 13, 2013 – Miller Law Group, PLLC, a law firm located in West Lawn, PA, has chosen Reading, PA-based DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC, a full service digital marketing agency, to redesign the firm’s website.

With experience spanning over 40 years, Miller Law Group, PLLC has built a reputation of providing clients with devoted, passionate, and professional legal service. Where other law firms may concentrate solely on a rapid legal resolution, Miller Law Group chose to differentiate itself by forming a personal connection with each person or business it represents. In support of the firm’s mission, Miller Law Group’s founding partners resolved to focus on marketing themselves in lieu of doing so with the overall brand.

“The Miller Law Group has grown tremendously over the last 13 years based upon our individual reputations as lawyers. However, as we have now begun to expand the firm and offer the same personalized service throughout multiple attorneys, it became apparent that we needed to market our extremely reputable brand itself, to get across the message that we now have a full firm offering the same excellent services,” said Larry Miller Jr., Esq., managing partner of Miller Law Group, PLLC. “DaBrian Marketing Group has been instrumental in getting that message across, and we are excited to be working with this innovative company.”

Through initial discussions, it became clear that the firm’s brand must be able to stand on its own in order to make any progress from a marketing standpoint. With that in mind, DaBrian Marketing Group designed, developed, and programmed an all-new website built upon the flexible, open-source WordPress content management system. Throughout the process, DaBrian Marketing Group adhered not only to the most current web design best practices, but also considered Miller Law Group’s digital brand identity.

“Making the transition from primarily traditional marketing to digital often poses many challenges,” said Daniel Laws, principal of DaBrian Marketing Group. “For Miller Law Group, we worked to create a website design and write page content that reinforced key branding components and, at the same time, supported the traditional marketing efforts that the firm conducted in the past.”

The new Miller Law Group, PLLC website can be found at millerlawgroup.net. You can also check out our past design work in our new portfolio!

The Importance of Maintenance

December 18, 2013 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

I am going to take a break this week from writing about the Google Analytics API and focus on something very important that is often overlooked. Website and webserver maintenance is one of the most important jobs related to a website, and yet, many people do not perform it. In some instances this may be because their trade is totally unrelated to the field of web development and web maintenance, and they are unsure of what to do or who to ask. In many cases, the issue of maintenance is financial. However, the long range financial burden of a broken site can be much higher than a maintenance plan.

The Problem

A client pays for a shiny new website coded in the latest language with the latest software updates. The site is designed and developed with best practices in mind. After the development process is complete, the client declines any more maintenance with the site, citing their own ability to maintain.

What is maintenance and monitoring?

The process of monitoring and maintenance is the act of having someone consistently watch for signs of issues with a website. Monitoring by webmasters may be done by the use of Google Analytics to watch for traffic changes, Webmaster tools to ensure that the user experience is at its best, or many other tools such as visual inspections. In addition, many of these tools offer alerts which allow webmasters to monitor errors and provide the best possible user experience.

What happens next?

For the foreseeable future, if the client properly updates the site, there should be little to no issues. However, changes in employment or a lack of properly trained individuals at a client’s workplace may result in the eventual downturn of the site. If at any point there is a lapse in monitoring that is more than a month or two, the site may be partially or wholly unable to be salvaged.

This may seem a bit extreme, but it is entirely possible that a month or two of neglect can be the downfall of a website. This is particularly true when a site uses a piece of software to run such as a content management system (CMS), and when that solution is open source. Despite all efforts to correct any issues along the way, developers or webmasters may need to spend a significant amount of time working to ensure that the site is functioning at its best and continues to align with the ever changing best practices. Additionally, the only support is a community of developers, who may or may not be available in a time of crisis. While the site may be always be considered “salvageable” by a technology professional, a cost-benefit analysis may deem it unsalvageable, just like when a car is totaled. Sometimes, the cost of repair is simply not worth it. Technology, particularly lines of code, can be extraordinarily complex and involve a lot of time, trial, and error.

If the neglect goes on for too long, the site may be impossible to repair. In some instances, the entire website will need to be overhauled. In this case, the “damage” or the risks of causing said damage seriously outweigh the benefits of updating. Making massive updates, such as updating across many versions, or making significant changes can seriously affect the workings of the site. Sites in this situation are in working condition, theoretically, but they often do not live up to their owners’ expectations.

Damage? Seriously… this is a website

Absolutely websites can be ‘damaged’! But, not in the same way that you might break a window with a baseball. This sort of damage could be errors in lines of code or simply outdated code. Each update edits the code, making important changes. If you compile those lack of changes over time, it can definitely become a serious issue.

I can’t afford maintenance from my provider. What can I do to ensure my site is alive and well?

If you are unable to get maintenance your provider may at least be able to answer questions. Never be afraid to ask for help! In addition, ensure that the website is checked once a week. If updates are available, they may be something as simple as clicking a button. This way, if there are issues, they can be addressed immediately. Also, if you are not equipped to fix the problem, it can be directed towards someone who can.

What are the long term effects?

Though the upfront costs of maintenance may seem like something that can be set aside, the reality is that the potential loss of business growth as well as the potential costs of issue resolution may have a major impact on business finances. A little upfront maintenance can prevent a lot of issues in the long run.

Design Solutions for the Mobile Web

Mobile Websites

Mobile Apps

Responsive Design

Conclusion

Which mobile design solution would you choose? Let us know in the comments below!

An Introduction to WordPress Frameworks

What is a WordPress Framework?

Advantages of WordPress Frameworks

Disadvantages of WordPress Frameworks

Have a question about WordPress frameworks? Ask away in the comments below!

Are You a Web Designer or a Web Developer?

Let’s Start with Education

Software, Tools, and Resources

As part of the web design process

In Conclusion

What do you think are the biggest differences between web designers and developers? Let us know in the comments!

Designing a Logo? Here Are 5 Basic Design Principles to Follow

Introduction

1. Make it appropriate or relevant to your audience

2. Most successful logos are “simple” in design

3. Your logo should be memorable

4. Will your logo stand the test of time?

5. It must be versatile and flexible

Conclusion

DaBrian Marketing Group Chosen to Redesign Local Law Firm’s Website

The new Miller Law Group, PLLC website can be found at millerlawgroup.net. You can also check out our past design work in our new portfolio!

The Importance of Maintenance

The Problem

What is maintenance and monitoring?

What happens next?

Damage? Seriously… this is a website

I can’t afford maintenance from my provider. What can I do to ensure my site is alive and well?

What are the long term effects?

Have you ever had a website go down because of lack of maintenance? Tell us in the comments!

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