Monday, August 22, 2011

Website Design Terminology

This Website Design glossary has been created to further your understanding of web design jargon & related wording that you will encounter in this site and elsewhere. This glossary's intention is to be relevant and beneficial to your understanding rather than be comprehensive. While this glossary will grow over time, if you have any questions (whether it's help you're seeking or advice you are suggesting), please feel free to contact us.


Accessibility − Refers to a web page or web site that people interacting with different kinds of disabilities, the difficulty they can experience due to physical and or technological barriers. A web page or site that address these users limitations is said to be Accessibly friendly.

Applet − An applet is a small program designed to run within another application. Java is one of the major languages used for creating Web-based applets.

ASP [Active Server Pages] − Microsoft technology similar to CGI that is used to create dynamic content for a web page. Pages using ASP are created with programming scripts (eg; JavaScript) and integrated with the HTML of a page. It is a server−side scripting language and is mostly used on Windows platforms.

Bandwidth − Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred over the network in a fixed amount of time. On the Internet, it is usually expressed in bits per second (bps). A hosting server will allocate your site a fixed amount of bandwidth usage within a regular period of time.

Browser − Often called a Web browser, it is simply a software application used to interpret HTML commands and display page content. The two most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) and Netscape Navigator.

Content − A word you'll likely see around a lot is "web content" and by definition, content is the 'stuff' that makes up a web site. This could be words, pictures, images or sounds. In essence however, when we talk about web content, we are essentially referring to content in a textual nature. Content therefore is the 'information' in text form a web site provides.

CSS [Cascading Style Sheets] − A simple mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents. Not all browsers (of specific versions) implement the full specification of CSS.

Directory − A database edited manually by Humans. Sites are indexed by category making this feature the main difference to a Search Engine. Users can navigate through the categories to locate documents or information. Most directories offer searching options (which is similar to searching from a Search Engine) within its database.

DNS [Domain Name System (Service)] − An Internet system/service that translates domain names into IP addresses. Domain names are alphabetic so they're easier to remember. The Internet however, is really based on IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, therefore, a DNS service must translate the name into the corresponding IP address.

Domain Name − An unique name that identifies one or more IP addresses. Domain names are used in URLs' to identify particular Web sites. Every web site is located by its unique IP address.

Frames − An HTML technique for combining two or more separate HTML documents within a single web browser screen. A web site using frames often causes great problems for search engines, and may not be spidered and indexed correctly.

FTP [File Transfer Protocol] − One of the common methods of transferring files over the Internet. A typical method used for uploading files (pages) to a hosting server for viewing on the Internet.

Hits − Are the individual requests a server answers in order to render a single Web page completely. The page document itself and the various images on the page represent a separate hit.

Home Page − It is a first page (also referred as an opening page, start page or main page) of a Web site. This would technically be your index page or default page of your directory.
 
Hosting − Usually refers to a computer (or a network of servers) that stores the files of a web site which has web server software running on it, connected to the Internet. Your site is then said to be Hosted.

HTML [HyperText Markup Language] − HTML is a basic markup language derived from the Standardized General Markup Language (SGML), providing the means for creating simple hypertext documents, intended for publishing on the World Wide Web.

Image Map − An image that has several links geographically mapped onto it.

Interactive − A Web page is interactive when it prompts a response from the user or in some way can interact with the user dynamically (eg; filling out a form or a poll etc).

Internet − A global network connecting millions of computers. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. The Internet is not synonymous with World Wide Web. The Internet and the Web are two related but separate things.

IP [Internet Protocol] − The method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer (known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet.

JavaScript − JavaScript is an object-based, client−side scripting language developed by Netscape. Embedded in the head section of a web document, It can produce interactivity to a web page dynamically.

Link [Hyperlink] − An element in an electronic document that links to another place in the same document or to an entirely different document. Typically, you click on the hyperlink to follow the link. Hyperlinks are the most essential ingredient of all hypertext systems, including the World Wide Web.

Meta Tag − A special HTML tag that provides information about a Web page. Unlike normal HTML tags, meta tags do not affect how the page is displayed.

Mouseover − A JavaScript element that triggers a change on an item (typically a graphic change, such as making an image or hyperlink appear) in a Web page when the mouse pointer passes over it.

Perl [Practical Extraction and Report Language] − Perl is a server−side, interpreted language that provides much of the web's interactivity.

Pixel − Refers to how monitors divide the display screen into thousands or millions of individual dots to display an image. A pixel is one dot.

PHP [Hypertext Preprocessor] − A server−side, HTML embedded scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages. Designed for Windows and Unix type platforms.

Ranking − The number (order of ranking; ie 1 being the highest) that a web site is listed for a specific search term in a specific search engine. Search Engines utilize a ranking algorithm (mathematical formulas, variables, and set of weights) to determine a site's ranking for a particular keyword or keyword phrase.

Resolution − The resolution of an image describes how fine the dots are that make up that image. The more dots, the higher the resolution. When displayed on a monitor, the dots are called pixels. A 640 x 480 screen (resolution) is capable of displaying 640 distinct dots on each of its 480 lines, or about 300,000 pixels.

Script − A script is an executable list of commands created by a scripting language. Scripts that are executed on a web server (eg; Perl, PHP) are said to be server−side scripts. Scripts that execute on your own home PC (eg; JavaScript) are said to be client−side scripts. Scripts can be embed within HTML to produce a web page with dynamic actions.

Scripting Language − A scripting language is a simple programming language used to write an executable list of commands, called a script. JavaScript, Perl, VBscript are scripting languages rather than general-purpose programming languages.

Search Engine − A server (computer) or commonly a collection of servers dedicated to indexing internet web pages, storing the results in a giant database and returning lists of pages which match particular searched queries from within its database. The indexes are normally and automatically generated using spiders.

Server − A computer, program or process which responds to requests for information from an user. On the internet, all web pages reside on servers (computers).

Spider − An automated software robot that continuously crawls hyperlinks and pages on the Internet and collects data that is returned to its database for indexing. This is how Search Engines function. The process of crawling the web, storing URLs' and indexing keywords, links and text, is the act of Spidering.

SSI [Server−Side Includes] − Tells a server to include information (source from a separate file) in a document before sending it to the browser. A very effective method of producing the same information over many pages as one file can be altered to produce the changes over the many the pages that includes the SSI file.

Sub−Domain (Name) − A sub−domain is a domain that is part of a larger domain name. DNS hierarchy consists of the root-level domain at the top, underneath which are the top−level domains, followed by second−level domains and finally sub−domains.

Tag − An HTML tag is a formatting command written into a document that specifies how it should be formatted. A web browser interprets these tags and outputs the intended command (action).

Template − HTML templates are skeletal HTML pages with the main content left out. Templates provide an effective solution in creating many pages with an identical look or navigational structure but different content.

Traffic − Similar to a real−world sense of traffic on a road or freeway, traffic in a web−sense is a measurement of the amount of users that visit a Web site.

URI [Uniform Resource Identifier] − The generic term for all types of names and addresses that refer to objects on the World Wide Web. A URL is one kind of URI.

URL [Uniform Resource Locator] − Each separate page accessible on the Web has a unique address which can by identified by it's URL. The first part of the address (eg; http or ftp etc) indicates what protocol to use, and the second part specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource is located.

Usability − Refers to the level or degree of a page's operating friendliness for the user.

Validation − Validation is a way to make sure that your (HTML) code is compliant with current HTML specifications.

W3C [World Wide Web Consortium] − Established in October 1994 to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability.

WWW [World Wide Web] − Is a way of accessing information over the medium of the Internet. Browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape are utilized to access the vast collection of interconnected (hyperlinked) documents on the web.

Website Design Hyderabad

Levonsys is leading Website Design and Development Company based in Allen, Texas and Hyderabad, India. Levonsys Services includes Website Design and Development, Web applications Development,Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Optimization (SMO)
 

Mistakes in Universal Web Design

With today’s snazzy and competitive “Web 2.0” and social media world, universal design is many times forgotten. It’s bewildering as to why since there are many social, technical, financial, and legal reasons which support universal design practices. Let’s discuss some of the more prevalent issues in websites today, and how they relate to the main universal design principles.

The Principles

First, let’s review the seven universal design principles including some web-​​related examples. Keep in mind that these principles are applied, of course, to many industries outside of computer and web, such as civil engineering (buildings, walkways), entertainment (movie theaters, theme parks), and transportation (buses, trains).
  1. Equitable use: useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
    Example: A local government’s website is designed so that it is accessible to those who are using assistive technology such as a screen reader.
  2. Flexibility in use: accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
    Example: Design of an airline website maintains visual aesthetics in various computer display sizes.
  3. Simple and intuitive: easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
    Example: Primary controls of a web application are labeled with both text and symbols.
  4. Perceptible information: communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
    Example: An instructional video with captions provides the option to read the dialogue in addition to listening.
  5. Tolerance for error: minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
    Example: A technical error when submitting a form provides a clear explanation and options for how to continue.
  6. Low physical effort: can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue.
    Example: Website design has sufficient color contrast and text size which minimizes eye strain.
  7. Size and space for approach and use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the user’s body size, posture, or mobility.
    Example: A website is designed so that a physically impaired user who cannot use a mouse can still access all the content with a keyboard (or onscreen keyboard!).
Levonsys is leading Website Design and Development Company based in Allen, Texas and Hyderabad, India. Levonsys Services includes Website Design and Development, Web applications Development,Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Optimization (SMO)

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Differences Between Web 1.0, Web 2.0 & Web 3.0

Web is a hypertext system that operates over the Internet. The world of internet is constantly evolving with the new technologies being developed to enhance the experience of users. There  are till-date three versions of the web that are in use and there is much confusion regarding Web 1.0, Web 2.0 & Web 3.0. This write-up aims to clear all these confusions by discussing various aspects.


The Basic Differences

Web 1.0 : Web 1.0, or web, is a stage of the World Wide Web, linking WebPages with hyperlinks. The only feature of Web 1.0 was “to read”.  The shopping cart application comes under the category of Web 1.0.
Shopping cart applications is widely used in e-commerce to assist people with online purchasing. This version of web widens the exposure for online service providers and users, removing all geographical restrictions.

Web 2.0 : Berners-Lee describes Web 2.0 as a “read-write” web. This idea was introduced in 1999, to contribute content and interaction with other web users. Earlier, the users wanted to get more involved in the information provided to them. Hence, it satisfied the reading, writing and publishing needs of users through live-journals and blogging. The dramatic shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 can be interpreted as a result of drastic advancement in technology. This change in technology included broadband, improved browsers, AJAX, rise of Flickr, YouTube, Facebook and other interactive and innovative websites.

Web 3.0 : Web 3.0, as an extension of web 2.0 evolved by adding one more feature to read and write, that is ‘Execution’. Berners- Lee explained it in simpler terms by referring it as semantic markup and web services.
Semantic markup refers to the communication gap between human, web users and computerized applications. Through Web 3.0, data can be filled in a form that is accessible to humans through natural language and can be interpreted by software applications easily.

Web service is a software system designed to support computer-to-computer interaction over the internet, which usually takes the form of an Application Programming Interface (API). There are thousands of web services over the internet among them, the most popular is Flickr-A photography-sharing website, wherein users can search from a large database of images. Through the combination of a semantic markup and web services, Web 3.0 provides an effective application communicates directly, and makes the search for information broader through simpler interfaces.

Now the use of web is not confined to technical experts only, rather it has widened the scope for common internet users. With the evolving features mentioned here, even a school going kid can have an easy access to web and use it for multiple purposes.
Website Design Hyderabad 

Levonsys is a 10 year old – Website Designing and Website Development company in Hyderabad, India and Texas USA. We cater and collaborate with a wide client base and business partners across the globe and offer a galore of services relating to all the sectors in the IT Industry.



How to Create a Full Flash Search Engine Friendly Website

The internet revolution has give rise to a spate of websites catering to the needs of knowledge, business, and entertainment sectors, and so on. In such a case, it is essential to have a distinct identity and that is where Search Engine Optimization comes in. Search Engine Optimization is the technique that puts a spotlight on websites existing in the vast realm of the World Wide Web. But promoting a website having full of flash elements in such way can be challenging at times and certain guidelines that must be followed for this including:

Using Flash Smartly

Flash content makes a great impression on the viewer but adds to the loading time of the webpage. Heavy images also increase this time so it is recommended that image tags are used and these can be filled with relevant keywords for promotion.

Keeping It Simple

Even if the website has flash elements, the emphasis should be on keeping it simple and clean. The flashing images and animations should be easy on the eye so that the viewer stays on the website.

Enhancing Keyword Density And Relevance

Have a proper density of keywords in the written text and the associated tags to attract more traffic to the website. If this is done properly then there is no stopping the website from being SEO friendly i.e. ranked higher in the search results.

Keeping It Light

Do not use scripted applications, languages like Java as they increase the loading time and irritates the users as some of the applications may not be installed on their PC. Do not give the viewers a chance to leave the website due to this.

The Power Of Indexing

Indexing is another technique that improves navigation and layout of the websites. Such websites are very SEO friendly and preferred by users as they know get to how to effectively browse through the pages. Ideally the indexed contents should be aligned to the left for better access.

Knowing The Server

Last but not the least; it is essential to know on which server, the content will be posted. If the content on websites is restricted due to the servers not working at all times then it is useless to post the content in the first place.
With the growing number of websites on the internet it is becoming more crucial to evolve the SEO web designing techniques by all means- whether it by improving indexing, tag content or keyword usage. By following these guidelines it becomes much easier to design a full flash website that is friendly for the users and in terms of search engine optimization.

Website Design Hyderabad 

Levonsys is a 10 year old – Website Designing and Website Development company in Hyderabad, India and Texas USA. We cater and collaborate with a wide client base and business partners across the globe and offer a galore of services relating to all the sectors in the IT Industry.


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Tips To Effective SEO Usage

In the current era of internet, SEO has come up to be a significant concept in World Wide Web.  Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines. But there exists certain ways and means of conducting SEO that makes it more effective and feasible.

Use Of Keywords

Use of keywords is very important in SEO. In any kind of internet campaign, keywords play a very important role in increasing the visibility and prominence of your webpage. But a lot depends on the accurate usage of keywords in the right places in your Internet campaign. Again it is often seen that all the top and common keywords are already dominated by authority websites. These sites that have been around for sometime now, have garnered a loyal following, have accumulated a great number of links, and already displaying qualitative content. Therefore, to compete with such websites by means of same keywords would be a tad difficult but not exactly a lost cause. This is the primary method of pulling audience to your website and thus requires a whole-hearted effort.

Use Of Original and Quality Content

Again the generation of original and qualitative content is another vital aspect in SEO. The use of copied and duplicate content should be avoided at all costs. Innovative and new content should be worked out that would generate interest among the people and also encourage them to share it with their friends.

Adopt White Hat Search Engine Optimization Techniques
The white hat search engine optimization techniques refer to the good practice in SEO. The black hat techniques denote the wrong methods in SEO that should be avoided at all costs. It is better to be on the safe side than be sorry later.
Arrange Links In Natural And Logical Way

The links for the website should be thought out logically and naturally. You should think about how people would normally link to a website that they genuinely like. Mostly it is seen that they would link using the site’s URL for the anchor text and not an obvious keyword. In this way, they can link to it more than a couple of times within just one webpage.

Remain Updated

Finally, the best tip for SEO secrets that you can learn is always to remain updated with the developments in this domain. The rules or best practices in search engine optimization continuously keep on changing. Therefore, in order to know the current trends in this domain, you should constantly keep yourself updated by reading SEO blogs, participating in Internet marketing forums, and subscribing to newsletters about the topic.
Thus, using the above mentioned SEO tips can give your website or online business a good fighting chance in the maze of several websites on the internet.
  
Our SEO Professionals team at Levonsys performs marketing research, suggest the best search engine marketing channel like SEO, SMO, Google sponsored listings (paid listing) and how to make a SEO friendly website for your online business.

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Email: sales@levonsys.com | Website: www.levonsys.com

Trends In Web Development

Website development has undergone a paradigm shift that has made the field very exciting for techies and increased the commercial viabilities of WWW for small, mid and large sized businesses across the globe. Herein we will discuss some of the time-tested initiatives that are on the hot-spot for being dynamic, scalable and highly effective at the same time.


Marketing on the WWW

This includes the creation of customized websites, online mailers, landing pages, back linking, online listings and social networking to build a strong business network that drives sales while improving visibility in face of stiff competition. Tracking the success of a marketing campaign has also been made easier by monitoring number of clicks, checking the usage of search terms, and impressions as well as page visits.

Social Networking

An offshoot of internet marketing, the use of social media for enhancing business presence is gaining popularity due to the wide reach at lower cost. It helps in positioning the business where it matters the most while giving an interactive platform for potential customers. What’s more, the search engines are able to index the content on websites that were earlier considered for entertainment purposes only like YouTube, Twitter etc. meaning more options for visibility.

Mobile Devices: The In Thing

It is now that businesses have realized the power of reaching out through mobile devices for spreading their business and maintain relationships. The current initiatives in mobile marketing campaigns, mobile application development and advertising will continue to increase in the coming years.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

If the last few years can be considered as an example then they clearly show how SEO technologies are set to increase in the times to come. Though companies are relying on added services to increase prominence on the net, Search Engine Optimization continues to rule the roost for increasing website rankings.

Marketing Content: Offering Information and Value

Content whether it is in the form of articles, images, videos or links, has emerged as a powerful tool in changing connectivity and bringing businesses together. Having two-fold benefits in the form of web syndication to form relevant connections along with spreading of info regarding latest industrial developments, Content Marketing will remain a major source of attracting visitors and increasing search engine rankings.
These trends will continue to be very effective in the times to come and growth is expected in terms of new technologies that will be introduced to deal with the demands. So while on one hand, the developers need to focus on gaining expertise in delivering these solutions, the businesses need to optimize such facilities on their websites to make the most of going online for getting the maximum benefits.

Website Design Hyderabad 

Levonsys is a 10 year old – Website Designing and Website Development company in Hyderabad, India and Texas USA. We cater and collaborate with a wide client base and business partners across the globe and offer a galore of services relating to all the sectors in the IT Industry.



Online Tools for Website Testing

A website is actually a display window for a company or a firm. Creation of a website does not put an end to your task. It should be tested properly because easy navigation of a website is sure not only to retain the existing users but attract new ones too. For the same, you need not download latest software on your PC’s. To make this task easier and convenient for you, there are a lot of online tools available on the Internet. Read ahead to know them…
Commonly Faced Problems and Tools Available
  • Slow Loading Time
    If a site takes longer time to download, it can be really frustrating and annoying for the user. The two tools to identify the cause for this problem are YSlow – a Firefox extension and option of timeline built in Google chrome.
  • Browser Incompatibility
    Whether the website is fully functional on all the web browsers can be also be checked through various tools such as Adobe Browser Lab and IE Tester. Adobe consists of a tool called BrowserLab that displays the webpage of the URL you specify and checks it on a range of browsers, which includes Firefox 2, 3 and 3.6 (Windows & OS X), Chrome 3 (Windows), Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8 (Windows) besides others. With IE tester, you can check your website compatibility on all the versions of Internet Explorer ranging from 5.5 to 9.
  • Javascript Errors
    In case any element on the website does not work, choose the option error console in Firefox. You can go to the tool option in the menu bar and click on error console. Press on the clear button and refresh your page. Or you can also install Inline Code Finder for Google Chrome or Firefox browsers. Go to the run option and all the inline events as per their nature will get outlined and color coded. It will display a score and lesser the score the better scripting.
  • JQuery Conflicts
    Javascript errors and library conflicts are some common issues in functioning of the websites like between JQuery and Scriptaculous. In case two libraries that utilize the same selector, then jQuery should be placed into noConflict mode to make the process hassle free.
So, if you want to check the proper functioning of your websites, make use of these online tools, which helps in saving your time and effort.

Website Design Hyderabad 

Levonsys is a 10 year old – Website Designing and Website Development company in Hyderabad, India and Texas USA. We cater and collaborate with a wide client base and business partners across the globe and offer a galore of services relating to all the sectors in the IT Industry.


Web Development Lifecycle (WDL)

Web development is a complicated affair and to make it easy, web developers have to come up with various techniques and processes. When a client invests in a Web Development Company, he expects to get the value of his money. And this is possible, only when the web development company that has took up the project follows the main steps of web development lifecycle. This web development lifecycle acts a point of reference between the client and the company for determining the status of the given project.

http://weblinkindia.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/facts-about-web-development-lifecycle.jpg 
The identifiable phases involved in web development lifecycle are:

Business Analysis by Initial Consultation

Understanding the client’s business and determining the needs for development of website can surely help a web developer in developing a business model i.e. the website for promoting business and generating revenue. It also helps in identifying the end users or the target audience that the website would cater.

Architecture of the Website

In this stage, a developer must figure out the requisite hardware and software that can be used for delivering the web applications. This includes choosing the most suitable operating system, web and application development language, database management system (DBMS), and hardware / hosting environment. These applications must support the final website, so take into account the visitors count, web traffic, growth of data volumes and most importantly its functionality.

Content

Information architecture forms one of the major aspects while developing the websites. Content, whether it is textual or graphical, needs to be developed properly and incorporated in the website. Clients provide a functional specification or a blueprint, which describes the website from readers’ end and the way of structuring the content in certain sections. As per the needs and offerings, a client provides the developer with relevant content to be integrated in the website. Besides, the client has full liberty to alter or change the content at any stage of website development or even after that.

Development

This step accounts to implementation. Now it’s the time to transform your plan into a website. With the help of hard core programs; source code, content and data file are integrated into a single module. So, a detailed design is transformed into an actual website.

Testing

Testing of the website is done at various levels. It includes:
  • Load testing
  • Cross-browser compatibility testing
  • Resolution testing
  • Integration testing
Through W3C consortium, validation of the pages is done.

Marketing as well as Maintenance

Now, web pages are optimized and Meta tags are incorporated. Frequent updating of website keeps the website fresh and high on ranking. Apart from this, error maintenance and bug fixes are done.

The above mentioned stages accounts to the web development lifecycle. And a web developer must follow the above mentioned steps to develop a website that make the right impact for the client’s identity and business.

Website Design Hyderabad 

Levonsys is a 10 year old – Website Designing and Website Development company in Hyderabad, India and Texas USA. We cater and collaborate with a wide client base and business partners across the globe and offer a galore of services relating to all the sectors in the IT Industry.