Should your website be in the cloud?
I've recently seen a growing number of people encouraging businesses to look at 'cloud hosting' solutions such as Amazon's EC2 and Rackspace's Mosso.
Cloud hosting takes the concept of cloud computing into the realm of hosting.
Free and low-cost PDF software programs
Providing certain documents in Adobe PDF format has many advantages. The format is open, available on almost every platform, widely-used and the Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed on most consumer and business computers (PCs, Macs, etc.).
Adding white papers and case studies to your website
If you run a business that provides information to prospective customers through a website, you may want to consider offering downloadable white papers or case studies.
PHP Caching Tools & Techniques
PHP is installed on more than 20m websites, including some of the most popular websites in the world.
It's easy to install, easy to work with and when put in the hands of a competent developer can achieve the performance and scalability that highly-popular websites and demanding web applications require.
Outsourced DNS hosting providers
An often overlooked factor in maintaining a high level of website uptime is having a reliable DNS service.
If your DNS fails or is slow to resolve, your uptime will suffer - even if your website itself is technically "up".
Website monitoring services
It's 3 a.m. Do you know how your website is behaving?
If you run an online business of any kind, you should, because downtime and poor website performance not only causes lost revenue, it also can lead to a loss of reputation and loyalty.
Getting started with Flash Video
Many businesses and entrepreneurs are finding that video content can be a valuable addition to their websites.
Flash Video, popularized by YouTube, offers an ideal, user-friendly way to deliver that video content.
Typography tools and tips
In my opinion, one of the most overlooked and least understood aspects of web design is that of typography.
In my experience, many web designers treat typography as an afterthought, ignoring the fact that it's a major element of good design.
Here are some great tools and tips for typography, as well as some links to websites that offer free and paid fonts:
PHP message board solutions
At a time when social networks are so popular, it's easy to forget that the threaded message board was for many years the "community" of choice for many online.
For businesses and website owners that don't need all the bells and whistles of a full social network, a message board may be the perfect solution for visitors and customers who would benefit from a place to interact online.
Useful online colour resources
In my last post, I provided a number of useful online resources for stock photography because visitors tend to make very quick decisions as to whether they're going to stay on a site based on aesthetics.
Another important aspect to an appealing website is using the right colours. Fortunately, there are lots of great online tools and resources for discovering and choosing them.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
