Google Search Algorithm Champions User Experience

20 Jan, 2012 in Marketing, Technology & Trends by Karen Loper +

On January 19, 2012, Google made an interesting change to their algorithm. Yes, it is just one out of about 500 algorithm changes per year, and it will only produce a noticeable affect to less than 1% of searches globally. Considering that 1% of the 12 billion searches on Google in December 2011 equals 120 million searches, 1% is a big deal.

The change means the Google will be looking at the page layout of each landing page, specifically for content “above the fold.” If a site comes up in the organic rankings for a paticular keyword, Google wants the user to be able to find that information quickly without having to scroll and scroll to find it. Google is really trying to target sites that have lots of ads above the fold, and push the real content down below those ads.

Score one for Google in the fight to improve user experience!

To read more about this change please take a look at Google’s Official Search Blog, Page layout algorithm improvement.

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Oh, the things we find in this office.

19 Jan, 2012 in For Funzies, Internal Stuff by Naomi Dhillon +

“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

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SOPA/PIPA Blackout

17 Jan, 2012 in Announcements, Technology & Trends by Naomi Dhillon +

Tomorrow, January 18^th, 2012 could possibly be the largest protest the Internet has ever seen. Sites such as Google, Wikipedia, Reddit and Mozilla have vowed to either black out their homepages or host protest links for 12 – 24 hours in response to SOPA and PIPA.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, H.R. 3261) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last October by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX). The Protect IP Act (PIPA, S.968) was introduced to the Sentate in May 2011 by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). Both bills have similar goals of stopping online piracy and protecting copyright holders by blocking sites with pirated content and those that provide supplementary services (ie. PayPal).

Opponents of SOPA & PIPA state that this is a form of censorship and poses a threat to cybersecurity and the Internet itself. They state that Congress does not have a thorough understanding of the Internet to properly legislate bills around it.

As of today, the SOPA bill is being postponed while PIPA is slated for debate later this month (January 24^th). We’ll continue to see what unfolds and how it will affect what we do. If you’d like know more about these bills or monitor their progress, visit GovTrack.us.

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It’s Friday the 13th you say??

13 Jan, 2012 in For Funzies, Internal Stuff by Naomi Dhillon +

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Stanton Street’s 2012 Resolution: Stop Supporting Bad Habits!

9 Jan, 2012 in Announcements, Technology & Trends by Karen Loper +

Use of Microsoft’s ten year-old browser, Internet Explorer 6 (IE6), has dropped to below 1%, according to Net Applications, a leading internet market share consulting service. This has given everyone at Stanton Street reason to celebrate. Seriously! Tony Casas, Creative Director, has deemed today “the single greatest day of my life.” So what is the hoopla all about? The 1% threshold means Stanton Street will no longer optimize websites for IE6.

According to Tony, “I don’t think anyone truly understands how bad IE6 is. It would take me eight hours to break down a site and another six or seven to make it work in IE6. It also tremendously limited what I could do as far as design. I actually don’t think I could break down some of our newest websites in IE6. Now I can go crazy. I’m excited.”

So now, if you try to use IE6 to view a new website designed by Stanton Street, you will be met with a personalized message, “Still using IE6? Bet you have a brick for a phone, too! Upgrade your browser today.”

If you want to learn more about why you should ditch IE6, take a look at our blog post on March 8, 2011, 3, 2, 1: Internet Explorer 6 Countdown.

Download Firefox
Download Chrome
Download Internet Explorer 9

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Why build a mobile version of your website?

14 Nov, 2011 in Internal Stuff, Technology & Trends by Melissa Swanson Porter +

Well, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Internet is in the hands of almost every person these days, especially with new versions of internet enabled phones sprouting up like weeds. It’s stuck to us like glue, in our hands 24-7, and taking the place of several other gadgets we used to use daily.

The shift to mobile has happened pretty quickly at that. I’m not sure I even knew how to text, get my email, or had the ability to surf the Internet about 5 years ago. My phone was tiny and had the smallest screen. I was lucky if I had service.

If your site was built around then, I sincerely doubt it is very mobile friendly, either. They weren’t tailored to look nice on a mobile device back then or function well for that matter. Who knew how far we would come so fast?

What does this mobile stuff mean to you? A report by Nielsen Mobile shows that businesses that have added a mobile website have increased overall traffic to their website by 13%.
You have a choice – hang tight until browsers change (which probably won’t be soon, people are still using Internet Explorer 6.0) or you decide to make changes to your website so that it’s mobile friendly.

Committing to the latter, will most likely increase your importance to mobile users while keeping them engaged and coming back to your site.

A normal website has a lot of clutter and noise, too. By tailoring your site to be a good mobile solution, you can present the user with a clear path to information and become an invaluable resource in the palm of their hand.

Is your site mobile ready? Give us a call and find out – 915-351-8440 or visit us.

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Feeding Our Brains!

14 Nov, 2011 in Internal Stuff, Technology & Trends by Melissa Swanson Porter +

We’re not all shiny silver metal, software, and mouse pads here.

We’ve got brains, too.

Stanton Street has been reading up on the latest trends, analyzing movers and shakers, and doing some personal growth these past few months.

In a sense, I guess you could say we’ve started a book club for all things “intertron”.

Each week, we select a topic and discuss, trying to pull lessons learned and ideas from them and apply them to the way we do business.

Check out what we’ve been readying lately:

■ Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
■ Creating Passion Driven Teams by Dan Bobinski
■ Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
■ Free by Chris Anderson
■ Googled by Ken Auletta
■ Micromarketing by Greg Verdino
■ The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick
■ Failure to Communicate by Holly Weeks

Check them out and be smart like us

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The Anatomy of an Agency

4 Nov, 2011 in Internal Stuff by Gabriel Acuna +

Our field demands creativity. All the time. Everyone’s always racing to develop the newest, latest and coolest in a client’s industry. However, those at the reins aren’t always all that unique themselves, as this cool little infographic points out. When you have a minute, check it out, I.D. all your co-workers, laugh and pass it on… then get back to work. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

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Your Opportunity to Win Amigo Airsho Tickets is in Plane Sight!

30 Sep, 2011 in Announcements by Gabriel Acuna +

Our office manager Christine has been practicing her planing!

Planking? That’s so last season. Owling? No one gives a hoot anymore. Coning? Let’s not go there. These fads have come and gone but the latest will take off like no one’s business AND can even win you tickets for the Amigo Airsho!

It’s Planing, and Stanton Street brought it to you FIRST! Check out this photo to get an idea of how to plane. The most important things to keep in mind: feet together, chest and head up like a proud little birdie in the sky and arms out. If you’ve got these three elements, congratulations… you’re planing!

Step 1: “Like” Stanton Street (www.facebook.com/stantonstreet)
Step 2: Get a friend to snap a shot of you planing
Step 3: Post the photo on Facebook and tag Stanton Street (or email the photo to airsho@stantonstreet.com)

Keep an eye on our Facebook page to see if your pic made the cut.

Every week a lucky winner will receive a pair of tickets for the Stanton Street Amigo Airsho chalet on Sunday, October 23, 2011. Want a family four pack? Then get REALLY creative (but not dangerous) with your photo and you could be a winner!

Good luck and we can’t wait to see your submissions! You are now free to plane across El Paso.

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