Tuesday, October 16, 2012

What is the Difference Between Web Design and Web Development

Web design and web development are often used interchangeably.  However, there is a difference and it's important to know the difference so you are able to choose the right service and the right company that is appropriate for your business or project.  Web design is the creation of the visual layout. This includes the graphical elements on a page such as images, text, font, etc. Tools used for web design includes Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver. Web development is the phrase used to describe the technical aspects of a website. In other words, the programming required in order to present the right information in the correct format to your visitors. It is used to describe database-driven web designs using dynamic scripting languages like PHP, ASP, ASP.NET and Coldfusion. The term can also be used for client-side scripting such as JavaScript and Java.
 
More often than not, these two disciplines will overlap. A web designer is usually familiar with the basic codes and a web developer is normally able to create a functional web design. It is nearly impossible for a web designer to be considered good at his or her job without understanding coding. After all, most clients want to have a "one stop" service for their website creation needs.  Hence, most web designers will be able to design and code a website to function the way you want it to. This is because most websites do not require hyper-technical code. If a client wants a web site that is more advanced than your average website, a web developer is what he or she would need.  Sites that require the option of user-generated content, for example, will need ways for a user to log-in, permissions to determine what the user can and cannot authorized to post or edit, etc. The same goes with e-commerce or online games. In these cases, a web designer would be out of his or her league. However, having a web designer that is able to advice on the visual elements of a page would still be highly desirable.
 
It would be beneficial for clients with complex requirements in website design to work with a web development company who has both designers and developers.  Furthermore, if a company wants their website to be found, a digital marketing company that offers a "one-stop" shop would be ideal.  These companies are capable of promoting the site, creating custom applications and integrating the website with social media management elements.
 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Why and How to Create a Custom Cover Facebook Page?


With over 800 million potential Facebook users and more than 50% active users on any given day,
Facebook is the most popular social media website and it can be used to keep in touch with your family and friends, make new contacts or advertise your business. More and more, people are using Facebook to research companies, products and services as an alternative to Google. Almost all big companies like Coke, Target and Starbucks own a Facebook profile, with small and medium size businesses following the lead.


A custom Facebook page is one way to get more ‘likes’ for your page. A cover photo on your Facebook page is the larger photo at the top of your timeline, right above your profile picture. Cover images are public and are visible by anyone. With cover photo you can advertise your business or attract your visitors.

When most people first upload their Facebook page, more often than not, the image size is not the right size and will not fit properly. Here is an ultra-quick tutorial on how to make the most of this Facebook option. Photoshop or Illustrator can be used for creating or editing the Facebook cover photos.

As you may already know, the Facebook cover photo is not a common image size. If you want to have a great-looking cover photo on you profile you should take advantage of the cover photo’s exact size and shape.
  • Measurements of Facebook cover image are 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall.
  • Image has to be at least 720 pixels wide.
  • Profile picture measurements are 160 x 160 pixels and a minimum image upload size should be 180 x 180 pixels.
  • If you upload an image that is smaller than 851 x 315, it will be stretched to fit and it can be grainy or distorted.
  • For designing a first-rate cover photo you must use high-quality images and photographs.
Here you have a basic template with precise sizes of your cover photo and cut-outs. 

Of course, you can always have a company like Top Web Rank create your business page for you.  Top Web Rank helps organizations build, monitor, manage and measure their social media efforts across popular social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Our Sacramento / San Francisco based digital marketing company offers a complete end to end solution ranging from social strategy creation and implementation to rich application development and analytics that help brands and entrepreneurs turn prospects into loyal clients.