Villing Web Articles
Why We're Dropping Support for IE6
Nathan DeSelm (January 18, 2012)
It's 2012, so it's time to make some changes. First on the list: we're no longer going to put much effort into supporting Internet Explorer 6. Are we crazy?
Touch Computing: Yet Another Case for Accessible Website Design
Nathan DeSelm (December 26, 2011)
Touch is positioned to become the primary method that consumers use to interact with your website within two or three years. Here's how you can prepare your website for the coming "touch" revolution.
Voice Computing: Another Case for Accessible Website Design
Nathan DeSelm (November 28, 2011)
As Siri and Xbox Kinect push voice recognition into the mainstream, here are some things you can do to make it easier to browse your website using voice commands.
Leaving the Station-ary: The Rush to Mobile Marketing
Thom Villing (November 8, 2011)
By 2014, more people will access the Internet via mobile devices than with desktop computers. This has major implications for marketers.
The Best New Features of HTML5
Ashleigh Karasawa (November 3, 2011)
You may have heard a lot recently about HTML5. Here's a summary of the best new features HTML5 has to offer.
Five Tips to Create Usable Website Navigation
Nathan DeSelm (September 19, 2011)
Clear, easy-to-use navigation is probably more important than any other element of your website. Our interactive director explains how to make sure that your navigation is effective.
Seven Key Areas to Help Companies Improve Online Video Content
Brad Rosier (August 31, 2011)
A web video needs to be compelling or people won't care and it will end up being a huge waste of money. Our video specialist shares seven tips to help make your web videos better.
Marketers Need to Face the Facts: "Apps" are Mostly Games and Social Networking
Nathan DeSelm (August 15, 2011)
App usage is exploding, causing many marketers to blink dollar signs and flood the app store with "apps" that are little more than mobile-friendly versions of their website. I think this is a mistake.
Mobile Apps versus Mobile Web: The Key Statistic that Determines Which Is Best For You
Nathan DeSelm (August 9, 2011)
Should you prioritize a mobile app or mobile website? We suggest that you can answer that question by looking at a single statistic of your website.
How Travel and Tourism is Ahead of the Curve in Digital Marketing
Thom Villing (June 8, 2011)
Those in the travel and tourism industry better get on the mobile marketing train in a hurry or get left at the station.
Are You a Spammer? How to Use Email Marketing Without Sending Spam
Nathan DeSelm (March 11, 2011)
As valuable as email marketing is, it's important to understand the rules and risks involved. If you're not careful with your email marketing, you could be blacklisted by ISPs or fined by the FTC.
Ten Email Marketing Tips You Can Implement Now
Lesley Langfeldt (February 25, 2011)
I recently listened to a webinar by Dan Zarrella from HubSpot. It was filled with email marketing ideas that any company could implement now.
Is Aggressive Search Engine Optimization Immoral?
Nathan DeSelm (February 7, 2011)
A high search engine ranking obviously has the potential to drive tons of visitors to a business. Some companies have decided that it's OK to do anything to cheat the system. I say, "enough is a enough!"
Hearsay and Statistics: Smartphone Apps May Get the Press, But a Recent Survey Suggests Many Consumers Prefer the Mobile Web
Nathan DeSelm (December 17, 2010)
Apps are great for self-contained experiences. However, it's important not to overlook the value of creating a mobile-friendly website. This may be what your customers actually prefer.
The Web is Dead? What Wired Really Meant, and Why You Should Care
Nathan DeSelm (September 1, 2010)
The cover of the September Wired magazine is bright red and loudly proclaims "The Web is dead." The truth is more subtle, but shouldn't be ignored.
Is Augmented Reality the Future of Marketing?
Nathan DeSelm (May 4, 2010)
Augmented reality combines technologies such as GPS, cameras and wireless Internet to create some pretty incredible applications. We share the best real-world examples and what this will mean to you in the coming years.
Making Digital Look Analogue: Visual Trends in Web Design
Brad Rosier (March 15, 2010)
The border between analogue and digital web design is being compromised visually. View examples of websites that are replicating the look and feel of the analogue world we wake up in every day.
Low-down, Dirty Search Engine Tricks (And Why You Should Never Use Them)
Nathan DeSelm (February 5, 2010)
If you are responsible for a website, you've probably been approached by search engine companies making remarkable promises. This article explains why you should slam the door in their faces.
What You Need to Know About the Browser War
Nathan DeSelm (January 6, 2010)
Need to be able to speak intelligently about website browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome? Nathan DeSelm explains the current browser landscape and the main issues that are involved in this volatile market.
Use Google Trends to Gain Valuable Insights for Free
Nathan DeSelm (December 11, 2009)
It's important for marketers to keep their finger on the cultural pulse. One way to do that is to use Google Trends.
The Four Critical Questions Every Home Page Must Answer
Nathan DeSelm (November 2, 2009)
Your home page is one of the most important pages on your website. To be effective it must quickly provide the answers to four basic questions.
Don't Underestimate the Importance of Your Subpage Design
Nathan DeSelm (October 9, 2009)
There's something that's always bothered me about the traditional website design process. The focus is too often on the home page design, with the subpage design thrown in as an afterthought. This is dangerously misguided.
The World of Webinars
Lesley Langfeldt (September 21, 2009)
Technology has brought many conveniences into our lives. In my opinion, webinars are one more convenience to add to the list.
Concept to Completion - Building a High-Impact Financial Web Site: Part 2
Nathan DeSelm (September 11, 2009)
In the previous article, I discussed the planning and design stages of building the Lake City Bank website. Of course, you can have the coolest design out there, but if the site doesn't work right, or is difficult to maintain, it just won't be useful.
Concept to Completion - Building a High-Impact Financial Web Site: Part 1
Nathan DeSelm (September 9, 2009)
Villing recently launched a Web site that may be one of our most ambitious projects to date - the Lake City Bank website. This article gives a behind-the-scenes look at the project.
Advanced Search Techniques To Help You Google Like a Pro
Nathan DeSelm (August 4, 2009)
Using special keywords and operators in Google's normal search box can greatly improve the quality of your results. You may have heard of some of these, but my guess is that some will be new.
Top Four Web Optimization Myths
Nathan DeSelm (July 6, 2009)
Myths about website optimization can often lead to unnecessary usability restrictions or inappropriate goals. These are some of the more common web optimization myths that I run across quite frequently.
If You Use Google for Everything, You're Missing Out
Nathan DeSelm (June 17, 2009)
With the recent release of Microsoft Bing and WolframAlpha, I thought I'd discuss some situations where Google isn't your best choice for finding information online.
How to Hire a Web Developer and/or Web Firm
Nathan DeSelm (May 21, 2009)
Hiring an outside web developer or firm can be very challenging. It often feels like you're wading through acronyms and certifications when all you really want to know is "Will this developer do a great job on my site?"
Protect the Mothership: Everything you do in online marketing should orbit around your Web site.
Thom Villing (May 15, 2009)
An organization's website is truly its mothership on the Internet. And any online marketing initiatives are only as powerful as the mothership around which they orbit.
How To Check the Quality of Your Web Site Code
Nathan DeSelm (April 22, 2009)
Most marketing managers and coordinators don't understand HTML. So how do you know if your programmer is doing a good job?
Useful Tools for Marketing Professionals (also, they're free)
Nathan DeSelm (March 10, 2009)
Over the years, I've found quite a few useful tools that marketing people might not realize they can use for free.
So, You Want Online Animation?
Nathan DeSelm (January 28, 2009)
Website animation can greatly enhance a visitor's experience on your web site. But you need to be careful or it could do more harm than it's worth.
Four Things You Think You Want (But Really Don't) For Your Web Site
Nathan DeSelm (December 9, 2008)
Often during our early meetings for a new web site, the client begins listing some of the things they'd like to accomplish with their website. Most of the time, these objectives are reasonable, but sometimes they are not.
Personalized Search - Google is Changing the Ground Rules
Nathan DeSelm (November 22, 2008)
Do you spend a lot of money with sleazy companies who promise top search engine placement at any cost? If so, it's time to rethink your strategy.
Three Interactivity Features That Will Improve Your Web Site
Nathan DeSelm (October 29, 2008)
In the last five years, we've witnessed the beginning of a major shift in the way people use the Internet. The Internet is moving away from being a collection of separate pages and becoming a single integrated experience.
Lost in Translation
Lesley Langfeldt (October 20, 2008)
Many companies are falling short when it comes to integrating their traditional marketing materials with their online marketing efforts.
The Three-Month Google AdWords Trial
Lesley Langfeldt (August 29, 2008)
Learn more about Villing & Company's three-month Google Adwords trial and why we are going to continue the program.
New Home Broadband Statistics
Nathan DeSelm (July 15, 2008)
The Pew Research Center recently released their Home Broadband Adoption report for 2008. Learn about some of the key findings of this report.
Manage Your Identity on Google Maps
Nathan DeSelm (June 5, 2008)
Learn how to edit your business information on Google Maps.
The Dark Side (and the Bright Side) of Pay-Per-Click
Sara Beckwith (November 1, 2007)
Pay per click advertising, when done right, can be a very useful and effective advertising tool. However, companies often don't have a clue as to how to make PPC advertising work for them.
Don't Waste Your Time Browsing. (Let the Web Come to You.)
Nathan DeSelm (September 20, 2007)
You may have heard of RSS or feed readers. Basically, RSS is a method of distributing website content, such as news stories, to everyone who has chosen to subscribe.
Why You're Not Getting Googled.
Scott Tingwald (June 21, 2007)
What do you say when the boss, asks "Why aren’t we showing up in Google?" "Good question!" is probably not a great answer. How to enhance placement on search engines is by far the question we hear most frequently.