Now that it’s 2011, all the top trends of 2011 lists are coming out. A noteworthy one I stumbled upon today is Mashable’s Five Design Trends for Small Businesses. What’s great about what we see coming up in 2011, is that many of these trends won’t require any more out-of-pocket expense to implement. They create a lot of bang with very few bucks, possibly even saving you some money, which is crucial to a small business. Here’s what you should see come our way in 2011.
Custom Web Development
Test Driving iPhone Photo Apps
Photography gets serious with the iPhone 4. The new iPhone4 features a 5 megapixal with 5x digital zoom with fully-functioning HDR capabilities. It also has a built-in LED flash that does a decent job in low-light situations. To see how the camera performs, I decided to test out 4 photography apps that produce a variety of effects on the iPhone.
By Invitation Only
Consumers want to feel privileged and anybody with Internet has access to a pair of shoes on Zappos or discounted gift card on Groupon. To cater to these consumers another form of commerce emerged invitation-only online shopping.
Parthenon Launches Rascal Flatts/JFI “B1″ Website
This week, Parthenon launched a new website that represents a partnership between the country music group Rascal Flatts and The Jason Foundation, Inc., an organization working to prevent teen suicide. The new site promotes the B1 Project, an effort to educate youth and students on recognizing the warning signs of youth suicide and how to help a friend.
Parthenon Develops Website for Flood Recovery
When I found out that Parthenon had decided to offer its employees one paid vacation day to help with flood recovery here in Nashville, my first thought was how generous that was. My second thought was to ask myself what was the most effective way I could help my neighbors given one full day to help.
Why is Web Usability Important?
Not only is web usability important, it’s vital. In a competitive world of big-name brands and corporations fighting for the same space, you can’t simply launch a site and trust it’ll engage your audience. Developing your site from the ground up with the user in mind will increase the chances of conversion and gaining yourself a loyal customer base.
Can a (Good) Magazine Be Produced in 48 Hours?
48 Hour Magazine, a project announced this past Tuesday, aims to announce a theme, gather submissions, edit copy, arrange photos, lay out a magazine and send it to the printer within 48 hours. If nothing else, it promises to be a high-profile experiment in using the latest web design, web … read more
Getting Website Visitors: It’s About Value, Not Glitter
You can have the snazziest, coolest-looking site on the web, but if you ignore it after the launch dust settles, you’re missing a huge opportunity to capitalize on your investment.
Weekly Video: Is the Blockbuster Model Archaic?
Between digital downloads, Netflix and DVD vending machines, some say Blockbuster is a dinosaur. That makes sense, since the Internet is taking over the universe. Consumers want to click or text — not drive, walk or reach for their landline (gasp) telephones.
The World’s Most Popular Websites In Nifty Charts
As a visual learner, Fast Company’s Infographic of the Day frequently catches my attention. Today’s infographic was compiled by the BBC and takes a look at Internet traffic patterns by unique users in the U.S, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil and Australia. Where do you think people spend the most time online?