Google Chrome Beta
Posted by Lukevdp on September 3, 2008 in Google | 2 Comments »
Google has just released their new browser Google Chrome.
I’ve installed it and have been playing around with it a bit this morning, and my first impressions are great. The omnibox is quite useful, and the default page is also a great feature.
Google’s blog post about Google Chrome is here, and a comic that goes through all the new features and technologies behind it is here.
2 Comments » | Subscribe | Subscribe by email
Which is the best image gallery?
Posted by Lukevdp on August 16, 2008 in Devcelerator, Web Development | No Comments »
I’ve recently been working on the image gallery module for Devcelerator, and as part of that, I had a look around at a lot of different types of image galleries. Here are my thoughts on the process of deciding to upgrade, what gallery to upgrade to, and the result.
The Initial Gallery
The gallery Devcelerator used was a simple javascript gallery that had a large central picture, and clicking on the thumbnail would enlarge the thumbnail into the large central picture. Here is an example of that gallery on a site we made: http://www.vowevents.com.au/gallery.php
This gallery is fine, and I think it’s better than gallery’s that open up the large picture on a new page, but the problem with this type of gallery is that it doesn’t work really well if you have differently sized images. Also, you’re limited by the space you have on the page to display the larger image. So on a site with a small page size like Vow Events, you can’t show a very large picture. Given these problems, I went off in search for a new gallery.
The options
I looked at a lot of different options (here is a great list of javascript galleries). I also did extensive searching on google and StumbleUpon (on a side note, does anybody else use StumbleUpon as a search tool for certain types of things like web design resources, template websites etc?)
My criteria for choosing a gallery were:
- Had to look good with different sized images
- Had to be flexible. It needed to be able to work with every style of website.
- Had to be only one page (images opening up in a different page are a pain and also may cause problems with point 2)
The result
I ended up going with Slimbox and am quite happy with the result. Integrating Slimbox was quite easy and it only took a few lines of code to convert from the original gallery we were using to the new gallery we are now using.
Slimbox opens up the large image in a lightbox that is overlayed on top of the website. Visitors can then scroll through the images using next/prev buttons, and can easily get rid of the lightbox at any time by clicking outside the image. It doesn’t hamper the flow of the site and can easily be adopted into any style of website.
Needless to say, I am quite happy with the choice and can definately recommend it to anybody. Devcelerator users can look forward to this module being available as part of Devcelerator. For more info on Devcelerator watch the video at the left of the black bar at the top of this page or sign up to be notified of when Devcelerator goes beta.
No Comments » | Subscribe | Subscribe by email
mod_rewrite Primer
Posted by pmunt on August 13, 2008 in Web Development, seo | 1 Comment »
What is mod_rewrite?
mod_rewrite is an Apache module that translates URL requests using regular expressions before passing them on to the relevant document/script. To use mod_rewrite your Apache server has to have the module enabled.
Why should I use mod_rewrite?
mod_rewrite allows you to make your URLs both human and search engine friendly without rewriting the underlying code of your website.
An example
After adding this to the .htaccess file in web root directory
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^/shoes$ /shop.php?category_id=4
If one was to type:
This would be the URL that was actually requested.
Pretty awesome, no?
Regular expressions
The real power of mod_rewrite is that it supports regular expressions. Say for the example above we would prefer that all of the URLs on our site follow the form:
By adding the following lines to our .htaccess file we could achieve this.
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^/shop/category/(\d+) /shop.php?category_id=$1
Here $1 represents the first pattern in brackets, “(\d+)”, which means 1 or more digit characters.
Finishing Up
Hopefully this short primer has wet your appetite for mod_rewrite. To find out more you can visit the following links, which deal with the subject in more detail, including the configuration of your Apache server to use mod_rewrite.
mod_rewrite: A Beginner’s Guide to URL Rewriting
mod_rewrite, a beginner’s guide (with examples)
1 Comment » | Subscribe | Subscribe by email
New Design Launched
Posted by Lukevdp on August 13, 2008 in Devcelerator | 3 Comments »
We’re proud to show off our new design, and we hope you like it!
There have been another few new additions to the page. Firstly, there is now a video which showcases Devcelerator. Check it out just under the logo.
Secondly, I’ve setup an email list for people interested in participating in the beta. You can get signed up to that via the bar on the left.
Would love to hear your comments on the new design.
3 Comments » | Subscribe | Subscribe by email
Top 6 low cost ways to generate web design leads
Posted by Lukevdp on August 10, 2008 in Business, Web Development | 2 Comments »
Starting out in web design can be hard. Similarly, even if you’ve got a large portfolio of great sites, keeping a steady flow of new projects coming in can still be a challenge. Here are the best ways that I’ve found to generate web design leads without much of a budget.
1. Word of mouth
Word of mouth leads are the best type of leads. Generally a good recommendation from one of your previous clients is the best type of lead because a) it is free and b) it is more likely that the lead won’t be shopping around for other quotes.
There are a few ways to get more referrals from current customers. Firstly, I have a customer oriented approach and work really hard to exceed customer expectations. After all, how can you expect your customer to refer someone to you if you weren’t great? When a job is finished, and the client is really happy with the work I’ve done, I always ask for referrals.
An example of how powerful satisfying customers can be - I received a request for a quote for a start up online hire website. I wrote up a proposal in detail, and answered several questions he had about his website and his business idea. Unfortunately he decided that his business plan wasn’t viable and decided not to go ahead with it. However he was so impressed with my proposal and the help I gave him that he referred someone to me, and asked that I send him a bunch of business cards to hand out. From just basic good service and helpful advice, I have a champion for my services without actually doing any work for him!
2. Elance.com and similar sites
This can be a great place to find leads, however a lot of the work there is very underpriced, and that’s not even mentioning the fees they take. However Elance is great for building a portfolio if you’re willing to take a pay cut, and it is also great if you are very specialized in a certain area, because you can find jobs that fit your expertise that pay you what you’re worth.
For me, I just have a free account on Elance in the Sales and Marketing category, and I when I do look for work on Elance, I look in the marketing cateogry for marketing work that also has some development involved. This is kind of specialised because most developers don’t subscribe to the marketing category, and a lot of marketers aren’t looking for development work. I also go into great detail in the proposal. Using these methods I’ve found I can charge what I’m worth on Elance.
I’ve found that once you’ve built up a portfolio, it’s better to find work elsewhere, however it’s always good to keep Elance in the back of your mind in case leads from other areas are a bit slow.
3. SEO for your local area
While it’s a waste of time to do SEO for “web design”, it is a lot easier to optimise for “web design [your suburb/town]“, and it can produce good results. Here are some tips on local search engine optimisation. Another good idea is to optimise for Google Local Search. Google Local Search are the results that show up next to the Google Map on local searches.
Part of local SEO is submitting to local directories. The big ones in my area are www.truelocal.com.au and www.hotfrog.com.au. Not only are these good back links, they often feature prominently in search results and also do PPC advertising, so they do get a bit of traffic on their own right.
I live in a regional city, and reaching first spot for organic search results for my city took about 6 months. I reached top spot in Google Local a lot quicker though. My city is only small, but I still get 1-2 leads a month from it. Now unfortunately I’ve lost top spot for local organic search results as I’ve restructured my site ambitiously optimising for “web design quote” Australia wide, however I think it’s the right move in the long run.
4. Buy leads
There are sites out there where you can buy web design leads. Quote My Website is the biggest in Australia. They sell leads for $9 to up to 5 designers per lead. You have to be quick though as leads generally only take 10-15 minutes to sell out.
I haven’t bought many leads, and I haven’t been very successful with leads I have bought. If it is quiet I’m sure I will try more again in the future. Has anybody had success buying leads?
5. Direct Mail/Cold Calling
When I first started offering web design services, I did a direct mail and cold calling campaign. I went through the yellow pages and sent a letter to businesses with large ads and no websites. Looking back, I didn’t stick with it long enough, and I didn’t have the experience I have now so the campaign was far from optimal :). Still, I converted about 2% of contacts which I guess isn’t too bad.
During my campaign I learnt a few tips. Firstly, direct mail without a follow up call is wasted effort. I found that a lot of people I called had read the letter, but did not take any action. Following up with a phone call with the goal of setting an appointment is necessary to get any results. I tweaked my script on the phone and it ended up as a) a brief introduction, b) a promise I’ll be brief, and then I c) asked if they had received my letter. From there I would then ask to set an appointment where I could meet in person and discuss their website options.
Cold Calling can be quite daunting, and a lot of people have a fear of rejection. I had this as well, but I fought through it and I found very few rude rejections and people were largely nice to me. Some were so nice that I hung up smiling, even if I didn’t make a sale. The nice people far outweighed the rude ones!
6. Using your online profile
I’ve only recently started blogging and using social media as a way of reaching people and promoting the upcoming Devcelerator CMS, and although I’ve had a few design leads from my other blog, I’ve never converted anything from it. My clients have mostly been small businesses or startups generated from the other methods above.
Since I’m very new to social media, I’d love to hear from you. What is it about YOUR online profile that gets people to trust you?
2 Comments » | Subscribe | Subscribe by email
4 tips on how to reduce your web development time
Posted by Lukevdp on August 9, 2008 in Productivity, Web Development | 6 Comments »
An easy way for web designers to increase their earnings is to reduce the time it takes to develop a site. Wouldn’t it be great if you could cut the time it takes to do a 1k job from 40 hours to 20. Here are some tips that have helped me do exactly that.
1. Plan properly
Spending an extra few hours making sure you understand what the client wants, and how you’re going to achieve that, will pay dividends later down the track. Planning helps to avoid scope creep, and all the pain and time associated with it. Not only that, proper planning often results in better solutions for the client.
An often overlooked aspect of planning, is understanding the clients plans! During a meeting I had with a client, they mentioned in passing that down the line they would like to sell products over their website. Needless to say, it had a rather large effect on how I built the website.
2. Educate the client on the process
As a developer, you’re well aware of what parts of the project are easy to change, and what parts are time consuming to change. As much as possible, try to keep your client involved in the major decisions that will affect options later down the track. Here’s an example.
I’ve found that a lot of people like to wait until their website is finished before they go soliciting the feedback of friends and family. All designers know that when some clients get feedback, it is quite often accompanied by requests that are contradictory and largely unnecessary. Nowadays, with all my clients, I let them know about the different phases of building a website, and that design changes must be made in the design phase. I ask them to approve the design of the website, and get any feedback from friends before I even code their site. I will send them a picture of the design, and ask them to give all the feedback on it at that stage, as design changes down the line may not be possible and will incur costs. Only once the design is approved, will I go onto the coding/content stage.
Another common bottleneck in website development is if the client gives you content that is unstructured and all over the place. At the start of the project, ask that your client give you a separate document for each page or area, with the content structured how they want it to appear on the website.
3. Streamline as many tasks as possible
Whether you’re using a CMS or making static webpages, there are a lot of ways to streamline the development process.
If you’re making a static webpage, rather than writing each website from scratch, have a base template that you can go in and edit. Have the file structure of the site already setup so you can just copy and paste to a new folder, change a few things and have a basic site setup. If you do make static websites, use some sort of templating system so that small changes to the navigation don’t take lots of time. Or even better, use a CMS.
If you’re using a CMS, streamline your install process. Devcelerator CMS is setup with the intention of making installation an extremely easy 5 minute process through a page in “my account”.
Set up your desktop to have common tools you use in the same area. Organise your projects in logical folders so switching between projects is easy, or use something like Aptana to manage your different projects. If possible, use two monitors so you can have more tools open, and the ability to switch between them with ease.
4. Get into a routine
This point is about getting to know yourself and your working habits. Everyone has times when they can knock a project off quickly, and times when they are sitting staring at the screen absently. I find I work best late at night listening to music with headphones on, so I try and do most of my solid work then. During the day, when my focus isn’t as strong, I will do smaller tasks such as updates and all the other little tasks nobody tells you about when you decide to become a freelancer 
Find the environment you work best in, and stick to it as much as possible.
What do you do?
For me, reducing the time I spend building websites is what drove me to start developing Devcelerator CMS. The development version of Devcelerator that I currently use for my clients has helped me shave up to 50% of my development time. For those that are interested in participating in the beta for Devcelerator when it is ready, subscribe to this blog (or get email updates) for news of when it will happen.
Now lets open the floor. What are some techniques or tips that you use to speed up the time it takes to build a website?
6 Comments » | Subscribe | Subscribe by email
Devcelerator Blog Launched
Posted by Lukevdp on August 3, 2008 in Devcelerator | 1 Comment »
Whilst we’re working hard to finish Devcelerator and launch the Devcelerator website, we’ve created this blog to get the ball rolling on the Devcelerator community.
Within the next few months we’ll be rolling out software, articles and resources for small and medium web developers. For now though, bookmark this site and check back shortly!