If you run an offline business like a restaurant or hotel and you want customers to be able to find your location easily there maybe a solution called Schmap.

The solution allows a website – say for a restaurant, bar or other business – to serve a map and contact details perfectly formatted for iPhone visitors. In the future support for visitors with other mobile devices like a Blackberry or Google Android.

As a Blackberry owner myself it would be good to try the service in action on my own device. The service is available worldwide. If you are looking to get passing trade to your offline business it may be worth implementing this now to save you having to do a whole redesign of your website so it is mobile friendly.

I’m sure you’ve heard about Google Chrome by now, it is the new web browser from Google to take on the mighty Internet Explorer. I downloaded it yesterday and have so far found it nice to use – nothing amazing just nice.

One Killer Advantage
It is simple to use and looks good, but the best advantage is without doubt the process management system it has. This enables much faster surfing of the web than I’m used with Internet Explorer. If you’ve already got a super speedy computer and internet connection then you probably won’t be bothered about it, but if you’re like most others this new browser is great as faster surfing means you can get more done!

Let Google Chrome Help Your Website
If you have a website which is heavy on processes (AJAX, javascript etc) and you run a membership based website or one where visitors return regularly you should consider promoting Google Chrome to the users. By using the browser on your website it will improve their experience which in turn always encourages loyalty and trust.

You may not get paid for those who download the browser because of you but the knock-on effects will mean you generate more revenue, so in effect you still get paid – just not by Google!

Go download the browser now and see for yourself!

When designing a new website or redesigning an old one an important part is advertising space, how much do you need to include, where abouts is it going to be located and will it blend or stand out?

I have been faced with this dilemma a few times recently, the cold hard fact is that I need to profit from my websites, no matter how old or new. For the first 12 months I would love to not need a single bit of advertising space so the content could be perfectly placed and the whole navigation system, logo, rss buttons etc could all be exactly where I want them (above the fold, big and clear!) to aid the building of a solid user base. Unfortunately I’m not in a position to do this so I need to be generating revenue as soon as their is even a trickle of traffic!

If we didn’t have to worry about revenue generation then designs could be much more impressive, maybe not in colour and imagery, but certainly in overall layout which would be great for users.

I’m currently setting up a website related to vitamins and minerals, it is going to be a sort of online magazine. In my design I have decided to go for one large block of ads in the sidebar and knowhere else. I normally like to integrate ads in both sidebars, at the top (quicklinks) and then have affiliate links when possible in content as well as a google search function to make money from searches. This represents a big change for me.

Having only one block of ads on my new website I am sacrificing short-term valuable ad space in the hope of faster growth - I hope it is worth it!

The majority of my websites have different areas, even if it is only the main website and then a blog on a subdomain. I have recently been considering the designs I use on different areas of different websites I have, and whether or not I should integrate the designs so they look the same or have different ones.

On this website there are 4 sections: the main website, free image hosting, hdr info, and of course this blog! At the moment the main website and image hosting service have the same basic design (with a few tweaks), and the HDR area and this blog have dramatically different designs. So should I make all areas look the same, or make them look different?

Here is a breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of having a consistent design:

Advantages

• Users will feel more comfortable navigating between areas
• Users will build up more loyalty because it is obvious the different services are ran by the same website
• Consistency throughout the site looks more professional
• When users land on different areas from different channels they will recognise the overall ‘website identity’
• Refreshing the design is easier because you only have to worry about one design and only have to edit one file

Disadvantages

• Makes the website feel ’smaller’, different designs make it clear the areas provide different services giving the whole company a larger feel
• You only get to play with one design, instead of trying cool new things on lots of designs
• The limitations of the design are felt across the whole site, rather than just one or two areas
• The design may not be ideal for all services

That’s all I can come up with right now – 5 advantages and 4 disadvantages. I guess that means it is more beneficial to have a consistent design.

I’m still considering this situation and am going to take action in the coming weeks upon what I decide.

When designing a website there is lots to think about, and one of the most important parts is how users will navigate around your site. Users love simple navigation, it means they have to think less and can surf quicker. If you want users to stay on your website for a while then easy navigation is critical.

Navigation To Try And Avoid

• - Using lots of images can confuse users. For example a picture of a house to return to your homepage, it may be obvious to you what it represents but users may think its only part of the design and not click on it.
• - Don’t use javascript drop-down menus because early browsers do not support javascript so some visitors won’t be able to see the menu.
• - Don’t make the navigation text the same color & size as normal text, this looks ugly, doesn’t help users eyes and means the navigation choices don’t stand out so users move between pages less.

Navigation Recommendations

• - Use text links instead of written images. This benefits search engines and is easily editable (color, size, font) so you can change it quickly and easily so it works really well with your design.
• - Have the nav bar in one place, I can’t stand the ones that move down the page as you scroll down, they are annoying!
• - Make the navigation bar clear. You need to make it stand out enough so users see and can clearly read the links, but the colors still need to work with the design.

So remember, simplicity is the key to navigating around your site. If visitors can’t find how to navigate around they will leave in a flash meaning your site makes no money!

For more reading check out this article called Where Am I?