Weighing “Must Have” Technology:
The Top 3 That May Not Survive the Weigh In
Technology is a constantly expanding field. How many of us have bought a new piece of computer hardware only to learn that a newer and improved product is to be released just months later! Website technology expands at about the same rate.
1. FLASH. Yes, I design with Flash and love Flash. Websites can be more dynamic. Images move and transform. The animation is gorgeous. However. And this is a big HOWEVER. If a user doesn’t have Flash installed on their computer they can’t see any of the design bells and whistles. In fact, if all the written copy (ie. text) on the website is incorporated into a Flash file, then the search engines can’t pick it up and users without Flash can’t read it. Yes, there are still older computers in use that don’t have Flash installed, but even the latest technology, the iPhone, doesn’t have Flash and neither will its next generation G3 iPhone due for release in the near future!
2. Content Management Systems (CMS). This is the latest buzz word amongst small businesses. Whether it’s web designers who price gouge for updates or businesses owners who want to control every aspect of their business, managing ones own content has become the vogue. Some of the pitfalls: CMS can not easily be added to existing websites, adding costly redesign time to employ, businesses who didn’t have the time or the skill set to learn website HTML find that they still don’t have the time to learn a CMS and follow through on updates. Skirting the cost of CMS, your designer can help identify which information needs to be updated frequently and develop a plan to do that. Website owners find too that websites can often be updated through simple HTML editors on a hosting account.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimizing).SEO is a must but it doesn’t survive the weigh in as a separate technology need. For the average small business, optimizing should be done as part of the initial website design process. Why put up a website that can’t be found?!!! A partnership with your web designer to follow the website’s search engine ranking, will assure that your website stays relevant for Internet users’ evolving search patterns. SEO is not a separate “science”, but should be part of every site design and site maintenance.
