Chris Smith

I've recently started a new web development blog and have been pleasantly surprised at the high levels of traffic (relative to anything I've done before) it's receiving after such a short space of time.

As a web developer and programmer I'm always on the look out for solutions to little problems.

My website, www.chris-smith-web.com, is 5 years old today.

Using Google Analytics or a similar web stats package you can see how many people are visiting a particular page or downloading a particular document on your website.

Working on your website's search engine optimisation (SEO) is all well and good but it's a dangerous strategy to use this one source of web traffic in isolation.

With web technologies it's very easy to quote and manipulate the statistics to make things sound better or worse than they actually are.

Here are the real basics of starting a website in simple, jargon-free, easy to understand English.

I use Mozilla Firefox as my prefered web browser.

In the offline world when you create a new publication, like a brochure or catalog, you need to plan its distribution.

I recently read a great blog post on sub-standard web developers and how to avoid them.

As a linguist I find the evolution of language fascinating.

Facebook is the fastest growing, most popular networking tool in the UK today.

I just bought a new laptop and have spent a couple of long evenings setting it up.

There are many good reasons for moving from producing printed publications such as leaflets, brochures or catalogues to putting all information onto a website - better for the environment, wider reaching, faster and cheaper.

I was recently using Amazon at home and my 4 year old son joined me.

Search on the internet is changing.

I often get invited to quote for designing ecommerce sites or online stores and more often than not I actually decline the invitation.

This summer I studied the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)'s eMarketing Award.

A look at what awaits "cheap web design" seekers.

We're all used to the idea of search boxes on websites.

What separates a good website design from a great website design?

Integration is, in simple terms, making your website fit in with the rest of your business.

The first thing to do is to have a clear distinction in your head between content and style.

With all this financial doom and gloom in the media it's perfectly understandable that many businesses are looking to cut back on spending and play it safe until the economy is more stable.

You've probably heard the phrase CMS or Content Management System.

When you design for print media you work with graphics and text and arrange them in a way that is both pleasing to the eye and conveys your message.

There's so much written about links, linking strategies, link exchanges and so much conflicting advice out there.

When looking at investing money in trying to get more visitors to your website you need to first work out what a visitor is worth to you.

I thought I'd just give my tuppence worth on Google's new BETA browser, Chrome.

The days of having your website managed by a web designer or design company are now on their way out.

I'm currently studying towards the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)'s eMarketing Award.