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@addrenaline-blog
Toronto and Oakville Web Design
Addrenaline Media is a Toronto web design firm with locations in Toronto and Oakville. We provide ground-breaking web designs, custom applications and video production to help you and your brand succeed. Our stunning, responsive designs and thought-provoking content presentation have helped hundreds of businesses to succeed.
It's time to update your website.
Update, update and update.
Websites shouldn’t collect dust. That’s bad for your SEO and any interest people might have to visit your site. It is also bad for your security. Updating your site can be thought of as three main areas that should deserve your attention: content, style and structure.
Content. The ‘you’ of your website.
The collection of text and images you have describing your company, your products/services and how you do business is clearly important and should still be updated regularly even if you haven’t changed how you do business, per se. For your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) alone you should be adding/updating content, and for your site visitors (assuming you want them to keep visiting) you need to show them something new, give them a reason to come back. Maybe this takes the shape of a small blog or news area, or an ongoing article or case study series about how you solve problems, but whatever you can do, do it consistently so your audience has something to engage with.
Style. Dress for success.
Website design is like fashion, some things are timeless classics and others are all the rage until they get replaced the following month. Decide on your brand’s tone and position before making definitive choices about its style. There are lots of cool things that are not a good fit for everyone, so avoid irrelevant bells and whistles that detract from your core message. Making your site easy to navigate, read and understand and pleasant to visit are far more important than the colour scheme or typefaces employed. However, it is worth the time to research website design trends and to harness anything that can be a good fit and help set your website apart from the competition – just make sure the updates relate to who you are, and complement the information you are providing.
Structure. More than just your web pages.
There is somewhat less flexibility when it comes to updating your site structure, especially if you use a Content management System (CMS) like Joomla! or Wordpress. The relationships between pages and how things load, pop-up or link to each other may be fine but CMS version you use should be updated whenever possible because the security of your site can benefit. Not only do the creators of the CMS stop providing patches/bug fixes/support after a period of time, hackers can more easily gain access as your CMS ages. If you have a lot of customization then a standard upgrade can be tricky, it will then require a web developer with upgrade experience to really sort out what extensions and components can be automatically updated and what needs to be replaced or manually edited to allow for the new CMS version to work.
Updating is an ongoing and important process, and you should speak with your web host to make sure any updates are compatible with your hosting environment first.
- Chris Elsworthy
What were your fave viral videos of 2014?
(and did they involve public service announcements, cats, music, sports or people narrowly avoiding injury?)
The History of Web Design!
Gotta love Fast Company - check this out: The History Of Web Design Explained In 9 GIFs
...not having to worry about browser compatibility would be a nice treat in 2015 too!
Direction-aware 3D hover effect http://www.code-stuff.com/2014/12/direction-aware-3d-hover-effect.html
Website Security...
SONY was hacked recently and like many large corporations would be, they were embarrassed and had some things exposed they wanted to keep hidden. Of course, there are far more important things that can be exposed by a hack than a few movies that haven't been released yet. But the lost revenue and the chaos such an attack creates is sometimes worse than the actual data that gets mined.
It isn't just the big fish who are targets...
Yes, your hilarious cat blog is likely safe from a breach, but any business (big or small) can be targeted and the reason why doesn't always make sense in terms of traditional crime or motives. Your site may not have any financial records or personal info, or even have 'enemies' like competitors or disgruntled former employees... but many hacks do not try to earn money from your site, or trick others into buying something or infect a visitors computer - they may just be 'for fun' or proof that the hacker has the chops to sneak past your weak passwords or moderately strong firewall.
The actual code that gets inserted may not even be that malicious/damaging (though of course it is always inconvenient) and in fact, some sites can been hacked and nobody even notices for weeks.
So, what should you do about it?
Which sites are targeted can be a bit random sometimes but that's all the more reason to maintain proper security protocols, strong passwords and ensure your web host keeps back-ups of your site.
Additionally, you need to update your CMS (Content management System) as old versions are easy targets for anyone with even a basic understanding of how to let themselves in uninvited.
You can check out the article in PC Mag about the SONY hack, here - but keep in mind your site can be a target even if it seems to have nothing "valuable".
- Chris Elsworthy
Responsive Design?
Responding to screen size/orientation is becoming standard for web templates, and no matter what your website does, it should look good to those who visit. A quick primer on what Responsive Design is:
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_responsive.asp
Questions about your site, or if you can modify it to be responsive?
Just ask us!
416-255-4000
Case Study: CIBC iPad App
Working with a larger client is always a thrill for us. CIBC is one of the largest banks in Canada and they came to Toronto web design firm Addrenaline Media seeking a web-based tool they could use on-site at their public events to capture leads from event attendees.
The Problem
CIBC needed a way to capture data in a way that engaged customers and was quick, easy and accurate. Trying to get people to pick up a pen and paper and actually provide information can be challenging and yield poor results in terms of energy spent collecting and reviewing the data and the experience of busy attendees who just don’t have the time. With mobile phones so prevalent and the rapid and online ways people now connect, CIBC needed something that made more sense in terms of time, energy and efficacy.
The Solution
Addrenaline Media designed and built a web-based iPad application that doubled as a contest-entry opt-in and an attendee information capture tool. Our goal was to keep the application simple and ensure no data was stored locally on the iPads. Simplicity was key to the interface so the app featured only 5 screens, each with simple 'next' and 'back' buttons which walked the user through the application. All data was securely transferred to an off-site server and security measures included quick time-outs and double password logins for both the application itself and the administration database.
The Results
The first event went off without a hitch and the application is being used for 6 more events throughout the summer. Addrenaline has been asked to build the administrative 'backend' out even further so CIBC's in-house team can change the event logo, name and details of the contest, and other portions of the application themselves.
- Kyle Hosick
Web Design Updates and the User Experience
Updating your website just for the sake of it?
There is constant pressure to update, refresh and modernize the look and feel of your website - new ways of integrating apps, new design styles, new (or old) fonts become trendy - it's a bit overwhelming to the regular business owner who just needs a website to work for them, not to win design awards or set new standards. Even the big players like google and flickr are not immune, and have made recent changes to their style that have upset many of their core users while trying to stay current. Of course, just about every facebook user has at some point complained about changes to the way information is organized, privacy maintained (or not) and being 'forced' to switch to a new layout.
So, when it comes to staying on top of every new and exciting trend, don't. Stick to what works, and update/refresh things that could use it - but always keep your audience in mind. If your website is easy to use, filled with interesting content and updated frequently then you're doing it right. people don't visit websites because the font style, or colour-scheme is cool - they visit to get something (information/products/services/etc.) so make sure that they can do what they came to do, first - and worry about how creative it looks, second.
Web Design Matters, but User Experience Matters More
Certainly websites should look beautiful, they should reflect the brand well and make visitors feel like staying... but jumping onto every new bell and whistle is not the way to go about this. Sometimes it's better to let the trends come and go and see what remains, which styles and layouts seem to be the most helpful to achieve your real goal - a great site that attracts and retains a visitors attention.
Not all updates are visible
Sometimes the best 'facelift' a site can get is under the hood, so to speak. Streamlining the way a customer can purchase from you, or sign up for information or even file a complaint is key. As websites age, many of the new technologies and methods used to build and maintain them also improve, and it is wise to take full advantage of anything that can save your customers (especially potential customers) time and energy or reduce frustration.
Keep in mind most people already have more exposure to advertising, emails, sales pitches and spam than they would like - so giving website visitors a stress-free, relaxing easy experience is like a breath of fresh air. Making them hunt for your contact details, or jump through hoops to ask a question can set an undesirable tone to any customer interaction - just ask a sales person what it's like trying to serve someone who is angry at your company before the conversation has even started. Your website should help people want to do business with you, not set up obstacles for you to overcome.
So, while it's impossible to make everyone happy and stay on top of every design and tech trend, keeping the user experience at the heart of all your website decisions will help you and anyone who drops by for a visit.
- Chris Elsworthy
Flat Web Design vs 3D Web Design
Toronto web design is not immune from trends, and while the technology involved and and how it's used seems to change from one minute to the next, the style of websites can often wallow stagnantly passing the time as their layout collects dust. With flat design, website layouts and styles seem to be going in the opposite trend of movies/TV and ditching 3D and taking a simple, clean and modern step backwards.
Flat Design: A Definition
Web design in the flat style uses no shadows, gradients or other effects to imply 3-dimensional space. This is currently characterized by lots of solid colour and simple, but nicely chosen font styles. That's really it. Of course, there is a wide range in the look and feel of flat website design examples, but they would share the same core principles of design.
Here are a few examples of some of our flat design projects:
everydayactors.com
carinsurancehelp.ca
forgali.com
3D Design: A Definition
Just about every website you've seen in the last few years. Okay, perhaps that is over simplifying, but almost every major brand and smaller ones too have been using this style. Why? It's not bad. Not bad at all, in fact. It can be a great way to showcase products in the middle of text and over other design elements on your site... but it can get to be a bit busy and it seems too few web designers use a 'less is more' approach.
Here are a few examples of some of our 3D design projects:
backrack.ca
mypartyimpressions.com
parabellummma.com
So, what should you do?
You and your web design team should always do what makes sense for your brand. Yes, you can make best use of trends and smart design ideas, but the goal should be your audience and their user experience, not being the first to jump on to the next big design trend, however many dimensions it has.
- Chris Elsworthy
Case Study: Everydayactors.com
To launch a unique website requires some planning. You have to let people know it exists and do so in an interesting way that explains to them how it works and why they should care. Regarding everydayactors.com, it was created as a solution to a problem we had: how can we get regular, everyday people to act as extras in videos – and do so without paying an agent or talent agency for the privilege? Not only did we want to avoid breaking our budget, but we often needed people for less than one hour, sometimes even just minutes, and traditional billing structures don’t work with those sorts of time frames We tried waving a $20 at pedestrians, hoping to catch the adventurous types who actually do talk to strangers, but that took almost half the production time and we knew there had to be a better way.
Stage 1: Positioning the brand
Who were we going to be? Who was our target? What sort of experience should the website offer (for both actors and the video producers who need to hire them)? How was it going to make money?
We had to decide, and we had to figure out the right 'feel' of a site like this, the tone and layout would flow from that. We discussed multiple names, bought a few domains, liked one and then changed our minds to another, then discussed it all some more and settled on 'Everyday Actors.' It was simple, obvious, it said what it was and felt approachable. This brand name was to be for regular people who didn’t consider themselves to be actors, so it couldn't be intimidating and it had to engender a feeling of 'I could totally do that!' in our potential members.
Stage 2: Refining the concept and building the site
At this point, we had the name and the general style and tone of the site sorted out, but had to actually put metaphorical pen to paper and design the logo, layouts, write the copy and code the ‘back end’ of the site to actually do what it needed to. We went through variations on the logo and general design and discussed and refined them until we were sure we had the right vibe and began testing out the functional parts of the sign up and search processes. We knew the site had to be easy to use, work quickly and let people either make a profile (and add images/video/bio) or allow agencies to sign up, search for actors and contact them – and do so without any clunky extra steps, or any confusing or irritating hoops to jump through. So, we worked up a basic profile structure, a way to add images (limited to six) and video (youtube videos only) and some biographic text so casting agents could really get a strong sense about a potential actors experience, appearance and (ideally) how they were in front of the camera. Once that was in place we needed a way that actors could be contacted without displaying their personal information – so we built a contact form into each profile allowing our member agencies to send a message about acting gigs but without showing more than the actors first name and last initial. Meaning, nobody sees contact information unless the actor replies. We did this to make member profiles just a little bit more secure and private, because our actors trust us with their data.
For our agency members, we needed to make life easy – when they need talent, we allowed multiple ways to refine the search criteria to speed things up and find the people they need in a few minutes. To do this, we needed to create a list of features that actor sign-ups would choose when creating a profile (age range, city, gender, ethnicity, style, etc.) and still allow our agency clients a way to search with all categories unselected or as many as they like, to make sure they were in control of the experience and could be as specific or as general as needed for a particular project.
Stage 3: The site is done. Now what?
We had a great site, that worked well and was ready to go – but it was empty! We knew we couldn't drive traffic to it yet, it had to offer something for the very first casting director to sign up, it had to have real people who wanted to act as extras in commercials, or web videos, and above all both actors and those who hire them had to understand how the site works and why they should care about it.
Our first step was to get actors signed up. We offered free membership and placed ads in free and paid online classified sites, along with select newspapers. We didn't have long to wait. Having free sign ups also allowed us to make sure the process was working seamlessly before we monetized with Paypal, and to finesse a contact/support structure that made it easy to contact us but managed the way in which we received information to make it easy for us to reply and stay on top of any issues that could come up. Once we had a few hundred actors in the database, it was time to invite the casting agents, directors and any business that needs to make how-to videos, or online video promotions and would have use for extras.
We quickly realized it wasn't necessary to spend a lot on ads to get a solid response, never mind the irony of doing so to promote a site based on saving money. We shifted focus to a mixture of free ads on craigslist and kijiji and used social media (mostly twitter and facebook, with a few dabs of tumblr) to promote the site, the experience and the 'everyday people like you getting acting jobs' message.
With twitter, we post upcoming gigs or news relating to our agency clients, both as a way to promote the site and to let people know the type of projects that are happening in as up-to-date a fashion as possible. We use facebook to offer tips about auditioning, industry news, and on-the-job examples like photos sent in by actors on set.
Response so far has been enormous, as the inexpensive sign-up fee for actors is just high enough to make sure people are serious about working and low enough that just about anyone can afford it (a cup of coffee a month) and the agencies who hire actors can create an account for free.
The next stage?
We remain ready to adapt to the future and have built a flexible site that can be tweaked to fit new ways of interaction and expansion, and based on member and agency feedback everydayactors.com can improve as needed, when needed. We’re very proud of the work we did on this and think the concept is strong and can work beyond the acting industry as it really streamlines the process of locating and hiring people, and does it all for far less than you would traditionally pay.
- Chris Elsworthy
Toronto Web Design: Content Management
At Addrenaline media, we employ Content Management Systems, or CMS, in order to make website creation more efficient and to make editing/updating the website easier for our clients once the project is completed. While we are always available to make changes, we think our clients should have the freedom and the ability to edit their site without needing to call a web designer or get a degree in web design...
What is a 'CMS' exactly?
A Content Management System (CMS) is a set of processes and technologies that support the evolutionary life cycle of digital information. This digital information is often referred to as content or, to be precise, digital content. Digital content may take the form of text, such as documents, multimedia files, such as audio or video files, or any other file type which follows a content lifecycle which requires management.
The digital content life cycle consists of six primary phases: create, update, publish, translate, archive and retire. For example, an instance of digital content is created by one or more authors. Over time that content may be edited. One or more individuals may provide some editorial oversight thereby approving the content for publication. Publishing may take many forms. Publishing may be the act of pushing content out to others, or simply granting digital access rights to certain content to a particular person or group of persons. Later that content may be superseded by another form of content and thus retired or removed from use.
Content management is an inherently collaborative process.
It often consists of the following basic roles and responsibilities:
Content author - responsible for creating and editing content.
Editor - responsible for tuning the content message and the style of delivery, including translation and localization.
Publisher - responsible for releasing the content for use.
Administrator - responsible for managing access permissions to folders and files, usually accomplished by assigning access rights to user groups or roles. Admins may also assist and support users in various ways.
Consumer, viewer or guest- the person who reads or otherwise takes in content after it is published or shared.
A critical aspect of content management is the ability to manage versions of content as it evolves (see also version control). Authors and editors often need to restore older versions of edited products due to a process failure or an undesirable series of edits.
Another equally important aspect of content management involves the creation, maintenance, and application of review standards. Each member of the content creation and review process has a unique roll and set of responsibilities in the development and/or publication of the content. Each review team member requires clear and concise review standards which must be maintained on an ongoing basis to ensure the long-term consistency and health of the knowledge base.
A content management system is a set of automated processes that may support the following features:
Import and creation of documents and multimedia material
Identification of all key users and their roles
The ability to assign roles and responsibilities to different instances of content categories or types.
Definition of workflow tasks often coupled with messaging so that content managers are alerted to changes in content.
The ability to track and manage multiple versions of a single instance of content.
The ability to publish the content to a repository to support access to the content. Increasingly, the repository is an inherent part of the system, and incorporates enterprise search and retrieval.
Content management systems take the following forms:
a web content management system is software for web site management - which is often what is implicitly meant by this term
the work of a newspaper editorial staff organization
a workflow for article publication
a document management system
a single source content management system - where content is stored in chunks within a relational database.
Questions? Give us a call at 416-255-4000 and find out how we can help you.
Why do websites get redesigned?
There’s a lot of websites out there, over one trillion unique URLs (web domains) and growing...
Design trends change all the time and depending on your particular industry websites can become quickly out dated, as new sites continue to bring new knowledge and new technologies to bear in their design and capabilities, and ultimately the experience they provide to their visitors. In reality, if your site is two years old or more, you should be analyzing your site’s current competitive standing.
Examine your competitors’ web sites.
Honestly appraise if their web sites are aesthetically “better” than yours.
Do your competitors offer significant features that you don’t, such as live chat, a customer forum, or “tell a friend”?
Do they provide a better presentation of product or services? Are “specials” highlighted?
Go through their checkout process. Is it faster and easier than yours?
If your answer to any of the above is “yes”, you should probably consider having your site redesigned. There are many reasons for why your site no longer stacks up, including:
Your website was built on a small budget. Many websites are launched with a budget inadequate for creating a professional Internet presence.
Your web site looks “dated”. Technology keeps moving forward, and what looked great a few years ago is now out of step with today’s design standards and shopper expectations.
Your business has changed. Your business has grown, and your web site is no longer a clear reflection of your business proposition.
Your competitors are ahead of you. Lead the pack rather than following it. Offer features that represent clear competitive superiority.
You now better understand your customers. You’ve developed a deeper understanding of what your customers are looking for and some of the problems that they might have encountered on your site. You need to factor those elements into a redesign that more effectively caters to your market’s expectations.
Content is difficult or costly to keep fresh. More current web tools allow the site owner to easily update all the content on their website, keeping it fresh and relevant.
You need to increase your site’s visibility. If your original site was developed with little consideration to what search engines use for ranking your site, a redesign with new content will raise your site’s search engine rankings.
Food for thought from your friends at Addrenaline Media
What's a 'Spamhaus' and is there war on the internet?
You may have heard the internet was under attack. Or that large parts were almost crippled by hackers. You may have even had some slow speed while surfing the web! There is enough backstory to make a solid B-movie over what really transpired, but essentially two parties were involved, and depending on your philosophy about the internet and how it should (or shouldn't) be regulated you may have some strong feelings about what went down.
DDoS?
Wikipedia defines it as:
'A denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) or distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS attack) is an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. Although the means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of the efforts of one or more people to temporarily or indefinitely interrupt or suspend services of a host connected to the Internet.'
So, one party (let's call them 'CyberBunker') decided to attack another party (let's call them Spamhaus) by clogging up the arteries of the web with way more traffic than normal to disrupt their ability to provide/receive service online. The reason this mattered is due to the size and influence of Spamhaus (they can blacklist your IP address if they feel like it, and you have no recourse but to ask them to de-list you after you prove to them you are not a 'spammer' which can be a murky definition in many cases). They can act like a private police force on the web, and there is resentment towards them and CyberBunker in particular feels they abuse their power.
That does not mean people necessarily side with spammers, but depending on your interaction with Spamhaus you may view them as noble protectors of proper web etiquette, or ham-fisted vigilantes abusing power they have no right to. It seems CyberBunker felt they were the latter... and thus, they allegedly launched this DDoS attack in retaliation for being blocked.
So, what? This only affects spammers.
Well, the bigger issue is the vulnerability of certain structures of the internet. Many people who use the web just think of it as cyber space and 'stuff in the cloud' but there are rigid, physical elements that support the traffic and allow or deny entry into other parts of the web (think of your home network as a small example). So, while there are bits of info flying around, there are technical limits of hardware that affect how easy (or hard) it is to spam, to corrupt a network, or to block and isolate those that try to engage in bad behaviour.
An excerpt from arstechnica.com explains part of what was happening:
Small requests are sent to DNS servers, generating responses from those servers that are about 50-100 times larger. The sending address of these requests are spoofed, so the DNS servers think that they originated not from the attacker's machine but from the victim's machine; accordingly, the large responses are sent to that victim, overwhelming it with traffic.
This means that keeping your nose clean is no defense... the way to tighten up the security requires actually changing how servers operate slightly, and that requires every ISP and every DNS operator to join in on the action. However, this has a cost associated with it that is borne by a small percentage of those who use and maintain the internet, and that is a tough pill to swallow even if these changes are really for the best.
- Chris Elsworthy
The Spirit of Radio
Our "High Risk Insurance Quote Line" ad is running on AM640 these days - we were able to conceive, record, edit, and produce this spot and it's generating a great response for our client.
Remember: media buys don't have to be huge, they just need to be smart to reach your target audience at the right time, with a relevant message.
Addrenaline's Kyle Hosick featured in Playback
http://playbackonline.ca/2012/12/18/everydayactors-com-offers-no-cost-actors-search/
Kyle Hosick, the CEO of Toronto web- and video-production agency Addrenaline Media, has started a new business that is focused on disrupting the acting business by effectively eliminating the role of the talent agent.
EverydayActors.com, an online database, was started this month with the goal of connecting producers of branded web videos with talent.
“We noticed that in most cases, we needed a regular ‘everyday’ person to play the part of a customer in these videos, and that sourcing talent was time-consuming, tedious and overly expensive,” said Hosick in a statement. He added: “This typically involved going through an acting or modeling agency, sifting through headshots, auditioning people, and ultimately, finding someone who would require a minimum number of paid hours and an exorbitant fee, of
which the agency would take a percentage.”
“Effectively, we’re cutting out the middle man and becoming a talent agent to the world.”
The site solicits for aspiring actors to build a profile in exchange for an annual $20 fee. The site doesn’t take any percentage back-end or flat fees to producers.
Notably, EverydayActors.com takes no role in setting contract terms or pay rates between the content producer and the performer, a company representative told Playback.
Producers are able to search the site by paremeters such as location, age, union status, gender, style of look (ie: “working class” or “punk”) and ethnicity. The site is designed to ensure only serious and qualified actors are subscribers, the company said in press materials.
http://playbackonline.ca/2012/12/18/everydayactors-com-offers-no-cost-actors-search/
E-commerce: The advantages of being online, all the time
E-commerce has opened up a new world of possibility for both consumers and businesses. While e-commerce is commonly considered the easiest and most convenient form of purchase for shoppers, it’s up to the retailer or merchant to determine how efficient and effective their e-commerce strategy really is. In order to implement a successful plan, companies must understand the principles of e-commerce and why they are important.
Reaping the benefits
The top three significant advantages in using e-commerce are:
24/7 business hours,
Unlimited reach through global distribution
Success selling niche products
Online, there are no business hours. Customers are given the opportunity to shop whenever they need to, or want to. And of course, location is never an issue. Your company can reach out to a global audience – assuming your shipping and handling policies allow this. But perhaps the most advantageous aspect in e-commerce is the niche product market. Regardless of the size of your company’s targeted market, there are always buyers. In a store location, your buyers might not be close to you; online, it doesn't matter.
Creating a strategy that works
So what can you do to ensure your e-commerce abilities are up to par? You need a plan. Getting your product online is easy – but maintaining or improving company success requires strategic thinking.
Create a blueprint for your company’s online location the same way you would plan a store. Think about the following:
Product shelves: How will you display your products? How will you separate them?
Convenient shopping: Can customers compare product prices? Can they continue shopping after they have selected a product? Can they create a wish list?
Virtual employees: What computer software will you use?
Checkout: What form of payment can customers use? Credit, PayPal, etc.
Security: How will you secure your site and your customers’ information?
Customer interaction: How will you “interact” with customers and maintain reputable experience?
Once you've evaluated these questions, write a list of the improvements you’d like to see in your company and the benefits you want your customers to reap. Now you have a checklist and can begin the transformation, one step at a time.
