Reno is Artown
by David on June 14, 2011
I’m pleased to announce the recent completion of a Bobzien Interactive Strategies project: a redesign of the Artown website: www.renoisartown.com.
Working with a rock solid team of RKPR (public relations) and Stan Can Design (graphic design), the redesigned site allows non-technical staff to post content such as press releases and events announcements, and incorporates the organization’s social media channels, all the while showcasing the Artown look and feel.
Revised site map, click to view detail.
Information architecture and web development drove the project toward completion. To determine the clients needs for the redesigned site, an information architecture effort was conducted to inventory current site content and identified additional needs. The first result was a site map that laid out content components and an easy-to-navigate site structure for visitors.
Example page wire frame for the home page. Click to view detail.
Following the completion and approval of the site map, page wireframes were created to guide the user interface (UI), or visual, design. Wire frames are an often overlooked task in a site design process, but critical to account for all page components and functionality- elements that a graphic designer should not have to worry about so that can can concentrate on the aesthetic requirements of a good web site.
Thanks go to the Artown organization for the project, and to the full team that worked to create this visually-stunning and content-rich site. Reno IS Artown, especially online.
Maximizing copy to boost search results: Sierra Document Management
by David on January 26, 2011
Sierra Document Management‘s business is copying and producing confidential and irreplaceable documents for their clients. While they started their work serving Nevada’s law firms, their business has expanded to other corporate environments, and now they’re taking an active look at how they market themselves to new clients.
Having had a basic business card site which served them just fine for a number of years, they recently approached Bobzien Interactive Services to suggest improvements to make their site easier to find online, but with the express instructions that a redesigned site was not something they wanted to pursue.
After a thorough audit of their existing site, a number of technical barriers to proper search indexing were uncovered: valuable copy locked in non-machine readable graphics, a lack of targeted meta tags, duplicative content, etc.
With that information in hand, a review of business development goals led to the creation of a comprehensive list of targeted keyword search phrases. A snapshot was taken of the site’s search ranking to benchmark a starting point, and then a complete review/rewrite and recreation of the site’s structure and content was undertaken.
The final step was a reworking of the site to address the previously identified technical shortcomings and place the new content and pages. The resulting redesigned site was akin to taking the existing body, paint job and all, and placing it on a stronger chassis with a faster engine- with better search performance and more business leads as a result.
Ring in the New Year with a critical WordPress update
by David on December 30, 2010
First off, happy holidays. I hope this time of the year, chilly for many of you, has given you time to enjoy family, friends, and loved ones and reflect on the year before and the year to come.
A nice way to start off a holiday greeting email from WordPress’
Matt Mullenweg, but the impetus behind the merry message? A security vulnerability has just been discovered, and WordPress has quickly responded by releasing the 3.0.4 update. Read all about the vulnerability and the new release here.
As a constant watcher for updates to WordPress and news about security vulnerabilities, Bobzien Interactive Services has already made sure the clients across Nevada (in Reno and Las Vegas) have received their updates. While WordPress is head and shoulders above other small to mid-sized web site Content Management Systems (CMS), its popularity means it’s always a target to hackers, but its open-source development community is always vigilant. Have a WordPress site that you want to make sure isn’t just up to date with security patches but is being watched by a knowledgeable developer who’s gone the extra mile to lock down its security? Contact me!
I realize an update during the holidays is no fun, but this one is worth putting down the eggnog for. In the spirit of the holidays, consider helping your friends as well.
Indeed, but we’re glad you guys were still on the clock and able to react so quickly!
Las Vegas WordCamp presentation video
by David on December 18, 2010
The video of my presentation from last October’s Las Vegas, Nevada WordCamp, “WordPress Analytics: What You’re Doing Doesn’t Measure,” is now available. The presentation covered the use of Google Analytics and the Contact Form 7 plugin. Thank you WordPress.tv!
Google Analytics Goals with Contact Form 7: The Right Way
by David on October 22, 2010
When preparing for my Las Vegas WordCamp presentation, “WordPress Analytics: What You’re Doing Doesn’t Measure Up,” I realized the existing instructions on the web regarding setting up Google Analytics goals for Contact Form 7 WordPress forms weren’t quite up to snuff. Based on some ideas found in this WordPress support thread, it turns out Takayuki Miyoshi’s existing instructions weren’t entirely complete.
Specifically, the example JavaScript Action Hook to be placed in the plugin’s “Additional Settings” for a given form…
on_sent_ok: "pageTracker._trackPageview('/funnel_G1/step1.html');"
… confusingly doesn’t mesh with page tracker available to the new GA Asynchronous Tracking Code.
What follows is a step by step process to guide you in the set up of a Google Analytics goal, based on the completion of a WordPress Contact Form 7 plugin email form, using the GA Asynchronous Tracking Code.
- With Contact Form 7 already installed and a form created, open the edit view of the form.
- Scroll down to the “Additional Settings” bar (screen shot 1) and click “Show” to reveal the input window.
screen shot 1
- Enter in the following:
on_sent_ok:"_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/funnel_G1/complete.html']);"for a JavaScript Action Hook (screen shot 2). It’s important to note that the file name and path,/funnel_G1/complete.htmlis completely arbitrary, and as has been pointed out in previous instructions, is not meant to reference and actual file. It’s more or less a “fake out” reference to give GA something to track. You may want to consider a format similar one I’ve use to keep track of multiple goals and virtual references (“funnel_G1”, “funnel_G2”, etc.)
screen shot 2
- Click “Save” to update the plugin form settings.
- Switch over to Google Analytics, login, navigate to the corresponding GA account, and click “Edit” to access the account’s profile settings.
- Click “Add Goal” to begin the goal set up process.
- Give your goal a name (ex: “Contact form submitted”), set it to “active” and be sure the goal type is set to “URL Destination.”
- Under “Goal Details,” set “Match Type” to “Head Match,” and input the “Goal URL,”
/funnel_G1/complete.htmlin this example (screen shot 3).
screen shot 3
- If you wish to define a goal funnel, you can also do it on this page, otherwise, click “Save Goal” to complete the goal creation process.
- Now, if everything has been configured correctly, you’re open for business and GA can begin tracking goal completions for your form. You should however test it to be sure. Complete a goal submission, and wait 24-48 hours, then check for a completed goal in your GA report.
That’s it (check out screen shot 4.)
screen shot 4
One important caution: when testing, pay attention to whether the form successfully issues the appropriate AJAX feedback message upon submission. I have seen instances where a form is submitted, and the resulting email is sent/delivered, but no AJAX message is issued, and likewise the Javascript action hook is not activated, resulting in a failed goal capture. I’ve resolved this by clearing out extraneous Javascript that was undoubtedly causing conflicts preventing successful display of the AJAX feedback message and the action hook necessary to register a completed goal. Very frustrating.
Thanks go to Takayuki Miyoshi for such a great WordPress plugin.
Welcoming the Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation
by David on September 21, 2010
I’m pleased to announce a new addition to Bobzien Interactive Strategies’ statewide network of clients. The Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation, headquartered in Las Vegas, provides support to families and health care professionals to meet the needs of infants and children who are blind or visually impaired. Technology, tutoring, sensory play groups, a resource library- these are all services provided by the Foundation, services that make immensely positive impacts in the lives of the young people they serve.
Bobzien Interactive Strategies will be migrating their site to a content management system (CMS) to allow staff easier access to making updates, integrating the Foundation’s blog and various social media efforts, making content changes to better present the Foundation, and improving the site’s accessibility for those who are blind or visually impaired.
This last task is perhaps the one I most look forward to. When I worked in higher ed web development, accessibility was a major responsibility of mine. I’ve written before about the virtues of accessible design and how they benefit all site visitors. And while most of the sites I build are in fact accessible, look for some special features of the reworked website to maximize accessibility for those with vision challenges.
A special welcome aboard to the clients, board and staff of the Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation!
R.I.P. Bloglines, long live RSS
by David on September 13, 2010
Illustration by Matt, comingupforair.net.
A minor story from the tech world passed by my field of attention this evening (thanks to a glance of my RSS reader): Bloglines, one of the first online RSS aggregators, is being shut down October 1st.
In the early 00′s, RSS (“real simple syndication” is my preferred definition for the abbreviation, but there are certainly others) was developed as an XML standard for the syndication of content- a data definition for characterizing a stream of content articles, with such elements as headlines, summaries and URLs to the source article. The resulting files could be pulled together into one space for a viewer to browse the collection of streams, making obsolete the practice of clicking from site to site each morning to collect say clippings of articles (a task I once had as part of a job.)
Client-based software for browsing these streams (known mostly as “subscriptions”) proliferated (NetNewsWire was my favorite back in the day) but the limitations for anyone browsing content streams from multiple devices (say, your home computer, your work computer, your phone, and Aunt Millie’s WebTV) were quickly obvious- you had no way to mark your progress as you browsed through all the streams, leading to head-scratching self doubt that you probably had already read this particular bike racing article this morning.
Bloglines was the solution. Browser-based, it could sort all of your subscriptions, and mark your progress no matter how you were accessing the subscriptions. It was so popular (and I loved it too, can still picture its icons on my old Treo screen) that Ask.com bought it for $10 million in 2005.
But then Google happened. I remembered being reluctant to try Google Reader- a new tool, which did everything the tool I was already using did, so much configuration and time invested in the existing tool, etc. But after adding in a few test subscriptions and spending a few days using it side by side with Bloglines, I quickly dumped the first tool by the side of the road.
What happened to Bloglines? The Market Financial reports:
Ask.com President Doug Leeds said that the reason behind shutting down Bloglines is due to the market changing. People are starting to prefer real-time news streams like Twitter. There has been a 20% decline in people using RSS feeds as a whole.
Well, maybe. I for one supplement my Twitter usage with RSS feeds to track targeted tweet streams. And while a decline may be occurring because of corresponding increases in popularity of other content centers (Facebook News Feed anyone? Which of course you can’t get as an RSS “feed” lest they lose your eyeballs to sell you stuff.), the reality is RSS is still one of the primary work horses of the Internet.
More likely is what the folks over at 37signals have deemed as the “acquisition graveyard”: where good applications, ideas, etc. are purchased by incumbent interests for the sole purpose of putting a bullet into the temple of a good idea lest it present a challenge for the incumbent. As they put it:
[Ask.com] picked them up in 2005, did little to advance the application, and then dragged out the inevitable. It’s being shut down on October 1st.
Indeed. Google Reader quickly shot past Bloglines (sharing! keyboard short cuts!), while the latter stayed comfortable chugging along in second gear.
While Bloglines is certainly a tale of innovation off the tracks, reading the coverage of its demised reminds me to lift a glass to the value it, and RSS and general, has brought to many. Not just for news articles anymore (although in 2010, some news outlets still struggle to get RSS implementation right, a certain paper right here in Reno, Nevada comes to mind!) RSS is a nice add on to just about every shopping, productivity, search-related, entertainment, financial, what have you, site and application on the web. You really can use it for just about everything except for brushing your teeth.
Not sure what I’m talking about? New to RSS and want to learn how you can squeeze more value out of it? Stop me next time you see me- even if it looks like I’m checking my feeds on my phone.
UX Magazine on web accessibility
by David on September 8, 2010
Working with a Nevada-based client currently with express web accessibility needs has my mind focused on accessible design of late. Particularly, the notion that accessible design, in addition to being the right thing to do, is an indicator of a well-crafted website by someone who understands the proper authoring of HTML and who doesn’t simply rely on visual editors.
Disability rights attorney Gregory Care expands on this idea:
Indeed, a website created in accordance with “universal design” typically benefits both disabled and nondisabled users. For example, a website designed to be universally accessible is typically organized better than an inaccessible site, permitting better ease of use and a superior user experience. Further, simple programming techniques allow a universally accessible website to be as aesthetically pleasing as the designers’ imaginations will permit. In other words, accessibility is not mutually exclusive of creativity.
via Accessibility and the Law: How good UX can keep you out of court | UX Magazine.
Well said. I recommend the article to anyone wanting to determine just where exactly the state of accessibility law and the ADA rests with regard to web design and the Internet.
Back from Burning Man… insights on web design
by David on September 5, 2010
48 hours in Black Rock City seemed just the perfect approach to Burning Man this year- long enough to catch up with friends, sample the art and accumulate enough dust to require a few bottles of vinegar for cleaning, but not so long that it took a whole day to leave the playa once the burns were over (a common occurrence known as “exodus” for those who wait until Sunday or even Monday to head for home, whether it’s Reno, someplace else in Nevada, or the Bay Area.) Oh, and leaving some time for work on the weekend was an added bonus to launch me into September projects.
It was also a enough time to take home an important insight for gauging good design, especially web design.
Every Burning Man seems to be populated with fun, experience-based art installations that really come alive when passersby take the time to “learn” the art and interact with it. It’s the main reason I try to go every couple of years or so… to see and experience amazing art. This year was no exception, with one of the highlight pieces, entitled “SYZYGRYD,” providing a platform for group collaboration and performance (light, sound, and of course, fire.)
SYZYGRYD experiencing a dusting.
Here’s a video detailing the software developed for the project:
Syzygryd Software Preview from nicole aptekar on Vimeo.
While I’m sorry to say I wasn’t able spend time with the installation, the concept and rave reviews I heard from others got me thinking about the connections to web design.
Good web “design” (and by design, I don’t just mean pretty pictures, or content or any element in isolation) fosters creativity on the part of the user (reader? site owner?) and enables expression on a level not previously considered. On a base level, this could be the creation of a content management system-based (CMS) website that both inspires visually but more importantly provides the site owner with an opportunity to do their best “work”, moving their messages and selling their ideas.
While the “product” from the designer is the result of many hours of research and insight into the client’s needs, the true measure of success is what takes shape in the months and years to come: a healthy, ever evolving website that continues to serve the client long into the future.
Just getting started
by David on August 31, 2010
We’re just getting started. In the meantime, visit the old personal site, or learn more about Bobzien Interactive Strategies.
