Archive for the ‘web design’ Category

I have finally taken the plunge into the online video genre to explore the potential of youtube as a marketing tool. I have already re-skinned the theme with my custom colors and background to tie in with this website. I have also uploaded my first video which shows how my website ranks in Google for keywords and phrases that I tried to gain high rankings for. To see the channel and view my first video, follow the link below, and feel free to subscribe as I plan on uploading more videos over the coming weeks.

http://www.youtube.com/user/stirlingcreative

With facebook emerging as the number 1 social media site on the web I decided to create a professional facebook presence. The new page will soon feature some cool FBML functionality as well as exclusive photography that will not be featured on any of my other social networks.

To get a unique facebook domain name a page has to earn at least 25 “likes” in order to be eligable to claim their facebook domain name. Once you have reached the landmark 25 you must go to facebook.com/username/ – from there you select the page (if you have multiple pages created) and then type the desired username. You must ensure that you do not make a typo as you only get one chance to add the domain, after that there is no going back.

Please feel free to check my page out and “like” it if you find it of interest. I plan on adding a great deal of content to it over the coming weeks and months.

http://www.facebook.com/stirlingcreative

Below is a short but helpful video on how to grab your very own domain name for your fan page.

I have recently over the past few months been experimenting with the power of the wordpress platform in order to deliver custom built sites for clients that they are able to easily maintain through a set of easy to use and intuitive backend tools.

The potential to generate clients from this open source software is phenomenal. I have been using a great tool for creating wordpress themes called artisteer. This really is a great piece of software and one that has blatantly paid for itself within the first few weeks of owning it. Through a combination of using artisteer and then going into the raw code to make a few changes in dreamweaver I have found it to be a very powerful combination in generating a branded web presence for a client that is easily maintainable and cross browser friendly.

The results that can be attained from this method of development are fantastic as a client with little or no HTML knowledge can easily add, pages, add and edit text and even include photos and rich media such as flash and video all by using a simple user friendly interface. I have even built this very website using this method and I for one am now enjoying making quick on the fly edits and changes that would have otherwise been a pain involving opening Dreamweaver to make even the most basic change.

For a look at my pilot project using this software please check out www.touchstonecohasset.com

I will also be looking shortly at Joomla and Drupal as CMS and will post a blog update to discuss the pros and cons between them all.

After looking through various documentation, I have concluded that I am going to try my hand at iPhone App development when Flash CS5 is released. Seems like the best way to create an app within the windows environment without breaking any of the rules set out by apple, and this way it will run on non jailbroken phones and devices. Have a look at the following video which I found quite helpful in understanding how to get to grips with some of the basics.

I have recently delved into the world of mobile web apps. I am doing research for my job on mobile marketing and app development. Having said that I have been downloading apps like crazy over the past week or 2 and here I would like to share my top 5 list.

1. Pandora Internet Radio
I was blown away to find this app. Nothing inspires me to work like a good song playing on the radio. The difference with Pandora is that it learns what songs you like to hear based on your initial choices. It is (for me at least) very accurate in suggesting a new song to listen to. You can create countless radio stations that cater to your individual tastes. You can also add variety to your stations by selecting more artists that Pandora will then use a template for what you like. And the best thing is – its FREE!

2. Google Earth
I have always loved exploring Google Earth on my computer, but now being able to explore the world in 3D on the go is a new level of coolness. I am surprised at how well the iPhone handles the graphics, rendering maps in high resolution within seconds of zooming in on an area. Its entertaining as well as being actually very handy for figuring out a the best route to take to a place of interest.

3. Flickr
Being an avid photographer, I was glad to learn that the photo sharing site Flickr was available. I can now check up on my own photo stream as well as my know immediately when any of my contacts have added new material to their own respective streams. I can instantly comment on photos I find interesting as well as respond to feedback left on my own stream. This app is a must for anyone that loves photography and new technology.

4. Flixster
I am a self professed movie buff, having watched movies my entire life I have amassed a staggering amount of useless but humorous movie quotes and trivia that are on permanent standby in the back of my mind. Flixster keep you up to date with the newest releases at the box office as well as keeping you informed of upcoming DVD releases. Also, you can search its vast database of movies from the past and watch trailers for many movies (which I love to do). You can also browse whats playing at cinemas in your local area and even bookmark favorite theaters that you can instantly check out at the touch of a button. You can also view trailers of upcoming movies (up to almost a year down the line). If you love movies, then Flixster is the app for you.

5. Twitterrific
Twitterrific as you might guess is an app that keeps you in constant contact with your twitter account. You can find out what your friends are doing instantly, as well as search tweets in your area. Its the perfect way to use Twitter to its full potential as the quickfire nature of micro blogging is often difficult to keep up with if you aren’t able to make posts as and when you need to.

Honorable mention – Flashlight.
This sounds like a stupid app, but essentially what it does is fill your display screen with a bright white light (this is actually changeable to different colors etc). After downloading this I was in my basement looking for something in a dark corner that the light didn’t reach to. I then remembered that i had just downloaded this app and tried it out. It worked great and I found what I was searching for within a few seconds. For that reason I feel it deserves a mention here. It could come in handy for situations such as walking into a dark movie theater when you would normally be stumbling your way into your seat. Cool idea and it serves its purpose very well.