K3 Design Blog

Try jquip for lighter weight code

k3center — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:29:35 +0000

Try jquip for lighter weight code.

The core jquip.js is only 4.28KB (minified and gzipped) which is only 13% of the size of jQuery.
jquip has 90% of the good parts of jQuery including;
- the main $(selector)
- DOM traversal (eq, first, last, slick, prev, next, etc)
- DOM modification methods (append, prepend, remove), and
- CSS class modification methods, event methods and utility functions.

Inspired Infographics

k3center — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:15:03 +0000

Like most anything else Internet users place on a pedestal, infographics have almost been done to death – which would truly be a shame if it plays out that way. Originally used to represent important data and statistical information in a more visually pleasing and more easily consumable way than plain text, infographics have become an excuse for creating increasingly larger, less useful and oftentimes incomprehensible art projects.
Simple tips for well-designed infographics:

Create something unique without losing the message in the translation;
Visualize the data you are trying to convey and then tell the story through your design;
Use the most readable fonts possible for numerical data, and
Save the fancy typography for eye-catching titles

Reference post

HTML Email Templates

k3center — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:40:40 +0000

List of free HTML email templates.

6 Tips for The New SEO World

k3center — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:15:01 +0000

The fact that the SEO space has become increasingly competitive, coupled with continued updates of search engine algorithms makes the challenge of providing information to users as tough as ever.
This article presents 6 points that highlight the importance of having a human touch in developing SEO strategies that help users find the information they seek.

Diversity of approach: Use different tactics without focusing on one thing, even if it appears to be working well. Search engines “appreciate” diversity in link building, along with quality content written for human beings, not ’bots. SEO changes all the time, so what works today may not work tomorrow.
Write for people — optimize later: It is possible to overoptimize. When you lose sight of your intended audience: your customers, your readers -— and what is important to them — because you want to please Google, you hurt yourself. Think about the person who will read and be motivated by your information.
Test, and test again: Don’t be afraid to test new methods and discover new techniques because search engines are changing every day. Just don’t throw everything that has been working for you out of the window and similarly evaluate old tactics to ensure that they are still effective.
International search requires special consideration: This will depend on the dominant search engines in a given country or market and how they work, including culture and language. Research and understand those parameters.
Use the right tools: SEO tools are advancing every day to help marketers be strategic and make informed decisions. Take advantage of tools that help save time, provide insight and keep up with the ever-changing search engines.
Write about what you know and write from the heart: Remember this old rule from school? The same rule applies when successfully writing — and optimizing— for the Web.

Source article.

7 Ways a Website Can Under-perform

k3center — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:45:35 +0000

In a world with 5 billion mobile subscriptions your website should be fast, well-designed and mobile-friendly.
SEO tactics are important, and if content is still king we need to provide content written by and for real people.
Your about us page is not about you, here are tips to create a better About Us page.
When video or audio auto-plays users are forced to turn it off; let your visitors choose if the wish to listen or watch.
Be clear and straightforward, minimize the efforts needed to learn how to use and navigate your site.
Some visitors would rather use a search function than explore individual pages on your site.
Each page needs a clearly defined purpose or call to action, once a visitor lands on your page what do they do next?

Reference article

Solution: Getting A Facebook Access Token using Client-side Flow

k3center — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:28:55 +0000

Breaking change: Graph API PROFILE_ID/feed and PROFILE_ID/posts requires access_token

1. Use offline_access to get a non-expiring access token

· https://www.facebook.com/dialog/oauth?client_id=YOUR_APP_ID&redirect_uri=YOUR_URL&scope=offline_access&response_type=token

2. Copy the access token from the redirect_uri

· http://YOUR_URL#access_token=166942940015970%7C2.sa0&expires_in=0

3. Append your Facebook Graph url (example link from PrettyKlicks JSON Facebook feed)

· https://graph.facebook.com/USER_ID/feed?access_token=166942940015970%7C2.sa0&expires_in=0&limit=6&date_format=l%20jS%20F%20Y%20h:i%20A&callback=?

3 Strategies for Boosting eMail Engagement

k3center — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:10:45 +0000

1. Develop Emails that Drive Engagement. Good emails drive recipients to act, entertaining, educating are all great ways to increase engagement.

2. The Welcome Series. This oft overlook step helps you set subscriber expectations vis-à-vis your email program by describing what type of content you send and when one should expect to receive it.

3. Triggers. As subscribers interact with your brand, paying attention to purchases, browsing behavior, life events, user generated content can help you identify and take advantage of key touch points where consumer behavior sends out automated triggered emails.

The more one understand, believes and values your emails, the more engagement you will see. At its simplest, an engaged subscriber is one that opens, clicks or otherwise engages with an email message. This is why Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo mail all introduced engagement tracking features to help filter and mange your inbox.

Reference Article

5 Rs for Search Engine Marketing

k3center — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:58:45 +0000

Here are 5 core principles that small business can use for search engine marketing.

Relevance. Search engines aim to provide users with the most relevant content in response to queries
Reputation. Good reviews from respected sources that link to your content shape the reputation of your content.
Remarkable. It has been said before, do not be boring, remarkable content holds the keys to getting noticed.
Readability. Format and structure to make it readable to humans and machines alike.
Reach.Find topics that have a broad reach as these can generate or have a wider interest amongst your audience.

Reference article

Supporting Articles (manually generated)

4 Steps to Creating More Effective Content from the Buyers Perspective

Marketing Task List

k3center — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:14:19 +0000

The quiet spells on your marketing calendar are a result of poor planning in the immediate past. These marketing tasks are presented to inspire better planning by paying attention to marketing tasks that call for attention on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Daily
1. Send one email to or call at least one new contact.
2. Add at least one prospect’s name to your list of potential clients.
3. Add one more personal detail about a current client to your client database.

Weekly
1. Send surveys to current clients. Incorporate their suggestions into your practices.
2. Research your competitors’ activities.

Monthly
1. Stay in the loop with customer who truly support your business by providing referrals that support your marketing efforts.
2. Review the effectiveness of your contact points.

Reference article

3 Tips to Engage, Attract and Understand Customers

k3center — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:40:25 +0000

This article explores how to;

Encourage customers to contribute to your marketing and product development efforts
Avoid wrong customers that hurt your bottom line
Learn reasons why prospects buy from your competitors

Source article