When it comes to web development and programming languages, there are two industry standards: ASP.net and PHP.  Both languages have their strengths and weaknesses, and neither one is necessarily better than the other.  Baytech Web Design specializes in both languages, but it is worthwhile to know the difference between the two.  The type of language that is chosen for your website development project will have ramifications for the future of your website, so it is worthwhile to know what those ramifications will be.

PHP is an open source development language as opposed to ASP.net, which is a Microsoft development language.  PHP tends to be easier to learn, which translates into easier maintenance for non-programmers to keep up the code.  You don’t have to learn the entire language in order to learn a few tricks to maintain your code.

ASP.net, on the other hand, tends to be used by larger corporations, since larger corporations use Microsoft products in a near-universal fashion.  If a larger company buys out your company down the line, chances are good that the larger company uses ASP.net.  If that is the case, then if your databases are already in ASP.net, then that is a value that you bring to the table by default.

PHP, on the other hand, is used by a greater variety of servers (for example, UNIX or Linux servers).  ASP.net will only work on Microsoft servers.  This makes PHP much more compatible than ASP.net on a wider variety of servers.

Overall, ASP.net and PHP have a wide variety of purposes and benefits.  Baytech Web Design can help you decide which one is right for you.  Call us today for a consultation on how we can help lower development costs for your website development project!

There are some specific risks involved with using feature-rich Web 2.0 applications for your website development project.  These do, of course, come along with the added benefits of using Web 2.0 applications – enhanced content, user interactivity, and other such features.  It’s a cost-benefit analysis, when it comes down to it, and the benefits usually far outweigh the risks and costs.  However, it is crucial to remember the risks involved with using Web 2.0 custom web applications.

Once you know the risks, you can preemptively prepare for possible exploitations and vulnerabilities.

When users use Web 2.0 online software, they are pushing code onto their machines.  This is usually not a problem.  However, if some of the code is corrupted, then potentially harmful code will be pushed onto your users’ machines.  This can cause legal and financial troubles for you and your company, since you will be held liable for the damages.

Web 2.0 applications also mix content from multiple sites onto one page and in one application.  This greatly increases the risk that sensitive data might be accidentally leaked in an unauthorized fashion.  This is another risk for companies, as it could lead to legal and financial hardships.

Baytech Web Design is the master to help you avoid the risks.

Custom web applications are being used more often throughout web design and website development.  As they become more and more common, it is worthwhile looking at some of the common vulnerabilities in custom web applications.  If there are vulnerabilities in your systems that you use on your websites, then both you and your customers at risk.  It is always worth going to whatever means possible to keep your site free from vulnerabilities.

Vulnerabilities in web applications are usually code-related and anyone with access to the web application can attack it.  This means that the run-of-the-mill users of your website can potentially exploit vulnerabilities in your system.

Some of the malicious actions that can be taken against your website include identity theft, phishing for passwords, data theft, destruction of data, malicious code execution, rootkits, and botnets.  There are many financial, legal, and marketing-based repercussions that can stem from such an effect, and these attacks usually cost companies a lot of money to pick up the pieces.

Don’t let your custom web applications fall into the line of fire of malicious individuals.  Call Baytech Web Design today to learn more about how we can protect your system from vulnerabilities, thus saving you money, time, and frustration – not to mention potential legal hassles.  This is especially important if you are running an e-commerce solution for your website, as you will be responsible for customers’ data in your database.

It’s not just an option to protect your customers’ data – it’s your responsibility.  If you are collecting potentially sensitive data from your customers, then it is your responsibility to ensure that this data stays in your hands and your hands alone.  Call Baytech Web Design today to learn more!

When you’re redesigning your website design or starting a website development project, it is useful to ask yourself a number of questions that can make the process a lot easier.  If you ask these questions, you’ll be able to plan for possible pitfalls or roadblocks along the way.  When talking to a Baytech Web Design consultant, be sure to ask a number of different questions.  Your consultant will be able to answer them with as much detail as you desire!

First, make sure you know what the goal of the site is.  Ask yourself and your web consultant what the goal of the website should be: is it to close sales?  To market the company?  Are you building a tribe of people (as Seth Godin would describe it?  It’s important to know why you want a website development – it’s not enough to simply know that you want a website development.

Who are you trying to please with your website development?  Are you impressing your boss with the website?  If so, why is that important?  Knowing your audience will make the website development process a lot smoother and easier.

Are you telling a story?  The best websites sometimes tell a narrative that captivates and excites their visitors.  By doing so users will not only find the website and the content interesting and engaging, but they will also be more likely to return to your site and recommend it to friends.

Call Baytech Web Design.  Our consultants will help you ask the right questions about your website design so that you can be certain that your project will be a success.

The last post detailed some of the most important questions to ask yourself if you are taking on a website redesign company.  It was by no means, however, a complete list of questions.  There are many other questions that are important to ask before you take on a website design project.  These questions are simply meant to ease the planning process.  If you ask the following questions, you will be much more likely to make a successful website.

One important question to ask yourself is, “Is our website going to be just one site in a network in which people can learn about us?”  If so, then you might be creating a content-rich website network.  If not, then you are simply creating a signpost on the web.  There is nothing at all wrong with either option – it is just worthwhile knowing what you are getting into.

“How often do we want people to come by our website?” If the answer to that question leans towards “fairly often,” then you will need to be able to easily up the website semi-regularly.  People don’t generally visit static website.

It’s also worth looking at your search engine strategy.  Do you want to become visible in the search engines?  If so, what keywords are important to you?  And how much are you willing to spend on that search engine strategy?  A search engine strategy can reap dividends when it comes to increasing targeted towards your website.

When you call us at Baytech Web Design, we’ll ask some of these questions of you.  That way, you will be certain that you will end up with a website that suits your business, your needs, and your preferences.

If you are delving into the e-commerce world with your website development, it is imperative not only have a set of best practices, but also to communicate that set of best practices to your customers.

What are these so-called “e-commerce best practices?”

One example is a clear description of the terms, including returns and refunds.  If you don’t make this information clear to your customers, it could result in costly and time-consuming chargeback.  Not only that, but you could also lose your e-commerce privileges from Visa and MasterCard.

You should clearly spell out your terms and policies on an easy-to-find page on your website.  If nothing else, it’s the right thing to do for your customers. After all, handling disputes with unhappy customers is never fun, and anything you can do to avoid these disputes is a good idea.

Another benefit (although certainly not the last one) of having some e-commerce best practices is that you will incur lower development costs.  Why does this occur?

For the same reason any explicit plan of action helps lower costs.

When you know what you’re doing and where you want to go with your e-commerce solution, you will be able to implement your e-commerce web development even more efficiently and cheaply.

Don’t wait to implement e-commerce best practices.  Call us at Baytech Web Design to learn more about how we can help you implement your “best practices.”  We’ve helped many other companies before – let us help you next.

PHP is becoming more and more sought after on the Internet, since it adds a level of interactivity to websites.  If you want to keep your website from being a boring, static HTML website that does not provide value to your visitors, then they won’t hang around for long.

Your temptation will be to try to save costs by assigning PHP development to someone in-house who knows PHP.  While that might work, it’s probably not an efficient allocation of your resources.  Here’s why:

First, PHP is a fairly simple development language.  This means that if you choose to have people develop your custom web applications, you will be able to find a competitive rate for high quality developing.

It’s also important to remember that the level of service you’ll get by outsourcing your PHP development to a company like Baytech Web Design will reap dividends.  When you outsource your PHP projects to developers who work with PHP often, you can be sure that your project will be done correctly.

Our team of developers works with PHP in web development for custom applications quite often, so you can be sure that when you choose Baytech Web Design, your web applications will be developed by a team of experienced developers who will keep your needs in mind.  Call us today to find out how we can help you and your company succeed in the realm of interactive custom web applications.

Web 2.0 is the latest buzz-phrase going around the Internet.  Just about everyone has heard the phrase “Web 2.0,” but what is it exactly?  Web 2.0 refers to interactive web design and web development.  This includes social networking sites, interactive websites, blogs, user-generated content, and more – just to name a few.  This is in stark contrast to the previous schema of designing websites in a static manner.

In short, Web 2.0 is about conversation and interaction as opposed to the one-way proliferation of information.

A key feature of Web 2.0 is custom web application development.  Users can now manipulate and change the data in websites – they can change their Facebook profiles in real time “tweet” from Twitter, and modify Wikipedia changes.  Web 2.0 is defined by the ability of users to manipulate data on websites in real time.

Web 2.0 is here to stay, so it is absolutely imperative that you integrate the technologies and capabilities of Web 2.0 into your online presence.  After all, if your users have a reason to continue coming back to your website, then they’ll be more and more likely to buy your services and become a customer.

People use the Internet as a way of obtaining value.  As someone establishing an online presence, it’s your job to provide that value to your customers online if you’re going to succeed in this rapidly changing marketplace.  That’s where Baytech Web Design comes in.

At Baytech Web Design, we’re well-versed in the technologies, sensibilities, and best-practices of Web 2.0.  We’ll consult with you to learn more about your needs, and then we’ll help you establish a Web 2.0 presence that will keep your users coming back for more.  By giving your customers a reason to come back, you will have already converted a visitor into a prospect.

The process of beginning a website development project is a complex one, and it begins with a little bit of brainstorming.  Before brainstorming begins, however, it’s important for a web design and development team to do a few preliminary things.

First, a web development team should consider things such as the audience, goals, competition, and budget of the website that’s being created.  If these things are not known at the beginning of a project, it’s highly unlikely that the project will be successful, since a huge factor to the success of a web development project is understanding the many factors that will contribute to the usability and success of the project.

Once the pre-work is finished, it’s time for the brainstorming sessions.  During brainstorming, let all the ideas flow – don’t censor anything just yet.  Take very detailed – yet useful – notes during the brainstorming sessions, and realize that everyone in the brainstorming meetings brings something useful and unique to the table.

After brainstorming, you should take the creative briefs to your creative team, and show technology notes to the development team.  At this point, let them “work their magic” and design mockups (for the creative team) and workflows (for the development team).

One last thing – make sure you don’t use too much flash on your websites.  Your creative team will want to, but let the development team come up with alternatives.  This may seem like an esoteric thing to bring up, but it’s useful to have that set down as a standard before brainstorming begins rather than once the development begins.

If you keep these principles in mind before work on your project begins, you’ll be in top shape for a successful web development project.  Luckily, Baytech Web Design uses this model for allowing creativity to flow already, so if you choose Baytech Web Design for your web development or website design project, this process will be utilized by our own teams to create the most creative and most highly-personalized websites imaginable.

The Internet is an extraordinarily fast paced environment.  Consumers can simply Google what they want and make a decision about a company in no time at all.  As Malcolm Gladwell explained in his book Blink, we make snap judgments about people – and companies – very quickly.  What does this mean for you and your web presence?

It means you have to make an impression on your customers very quickly.You can only do that with a website design that shows clear value to your customers.  Your website design – and content therein – should show your customers how you are set apart from the rest of the pack and why your customers should choose you.

Beware, though.  Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is NOT a marketing slogan or jingle.  Web 2.0 users are far too savvy for those.  They’re looking for value, they’re looking for information, and they’re looking for proof.   Proof of what?  Proof that they should choose you over your competitors.

You should be glad that customers look for UVPs.  After all, if there’s no UVP involved, then what do consumers look for?

Price.

If they simply compare prices and go with whichever company is the cheapest, then your product or service has successfully become a commodity, and your profit margins will suffer from that. 

Call Baytech Web Design to discuss how our Internet branding services can help your company’s website deliver a Unique Value Proposition that sets you apart from your competitors and tells your customers not only why they should choose you, but also shows the value that you and your services will bring them.  Your website will be many of your potential prospects’ first glimpse at your brand.  Make their first impression a great impression.