As we move more and more into doing things via ‘clouds’ and online web based applications; one of the few things that I have yet to find is a truely comprehensive intermediate web application for search engine optimisation.. I soon came across one that seemed to fit the bill.

Thus, I went off on a journey and in short, I found no web based SEO applications. There are hundreds if not thousands of fairly good individual tools for various tasks associated with SEO. Some of the more popular web based tools include for instance website grader. There is a previous post I made on such tools here: 10 Great Free SEO Tools and Resources

However, after a few tweets (@AcuityDesigns) I came across Sheer SEO.

Sheer SEO

SheerSEO is an SEO software to track and analyze your SEO campaign. Also helps you with link building.

Sheer SEO is a basic to intermediate tool that offers comprehensive link tracking, and automation and an intuitive UI to help speed up tasks such as directory submission to hundreds of free high PR directories. It couldn’t definitely work as a tool to help a freelance web developer offer basic to intermediate SEO campaigns to his clients.

Have any of you had extensive experience with Sheer SEO? Any negatives?

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• December 7, 2009 -- 5 Articles To Understanding Your Websites Bounce Rate (12)
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Being a web designer should hopefully come with an inherent want to produce and design websites that are great to use for the end-user. As such it makes sense to stay up to date and informed on recent developments, assertions and techniques in relation to User Experience.

The following blogs are how I keep myself informed and improve my understanding of the discipline:

The UX Booth

The UX Booth is a blog by and for the user experience community. Our readership consists mostly of beginning-to-intermediate user experience and interaction designers, but anyone interested in making the web a better place to be is welcome.

Johnny Holland

Johnny originates from the need to have a place where creatives can talk and discuss in a normal, honest and pure way. A place where they can focus and learn about the issue that’s really important: interaction (in the broadest sense of the word). It’s a place where we can get inspired, dare to make mistakes and are able to feel enlighted.

Usability Post

UsabilityPost is a blog about design. Design isn’t what something looks like, design is about how it works. Making something usable means understanding what people expect from your product and thinking of ways to make the use of the product simple and enjoyable.

UI Section – Smashing Magazine

Founded in September 2006, Smashing Magazine delivers useful and innovative information to Web designers and developers. Our aim is to inform our readers about the latest trends and techniques in Web development. We try to convince you not with the quantity but with the quality of the information we present. We hope that makes us different. Smashing Magazine is, and always has been, independent.

UI Trends

UI Trends (uitrends.com) is intended to be

1. a dynamic light-weight repository for interesting user interface designs and trends for website and web applications
2. a place to comment on and discuss user interface designs and trends
3. a source of inspiration for designers and developers

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• June 7, 2010 -- Essential Resources For The Starting Freelance Designer (3)
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Quote Robot is an app that I came across recently that seemingly streamlined the tedious task of writing proposals for lots of freelance designer’s out there. Intrigued, I signed up and have been giving the free trial a run for its uhh… money.

Essentially Quote Robot exists to:

Well, we’ve always found writing proposals to be a chore.  I (Shawn) spent a lot of time creating a good proposal template in Illustrator, and it really worked, so I gave it away on my blog. I had no idea it would become the most popular article on my blog. I talked to Jon about writing an app to create the proposals, using my template, and we both thought it would help us out, so we did it. The longest part of quoting for me were always, a) coming up with the numbers (what to charge), and b) building the proposal in Illustrator. We decided to focus on trimming the time to accomplish those things. !

I have decided to split this into four sections: Interface, Making A Proposal, Output and Pricing

The interface
Quote Robot is a very cool, slick web application and it follows all the design trends one would expect from a web 2.0 application. More than just superficially looking the part, things are easy to find and the usability of the site as a whole is intuitive and for the most part simple stupid. These are good things, considering the application’s entire purpose is to streamline and decrease the time writing proposal’s takes. The application guides you through making the proposal fairly quickly and efficiently. There are a few superfluous drag and drop features which don’t seem to really make anything faster, but hey they look nice right.

Making A Proposal
The options it presents are the core of any proposal: client / company information, the scope, budgeting and timescale and quote summary. Each field gets to the core of the information that needs to be handed to a client. Their claim of it being a quick and easy process is definitely true, minimising clicking into new text boxes, formatting titles and all the tiny little tasks that eat up time in InDesign / Illustrator are done away with. I was done filling out the various bits of information for the proposal in less than 10mins.

Output
The template generated is a neat and tidy PDF that looks clean and modern. You can upload your own logo, so it is completely white labelled and looks like a PDF you have made the long and hard way in another desktop program. You can download the PDF so that you can attach it to an email or alternatively send it straight away to the client from the application itself.

Pricing
The easiest way to review the pricing is $24 a month and this gets you ‘unlimited’ everything that Quote Robot offers. Simply analysed, the SMALLEST job of lets say one billable hour – is more than the $24 charge. If you use the application to send one proposal a month, your fee is covered and the time you save can be used to do other projects or just sit back and have a coffee.

At Acuity, it’s something we will definitely be making use of!

Related Posts:

• July 25, 2010 -- Maintaining Business Standards As A Freelancer (2)
• February 21, 2010 -- Don’t be another washed up freelancer – The Freelance Lifecycle (1)
• February 3, 2010 -- How do your organise yourself as a freelance designer? – Part 2 (2)
• December 29, 2009 -- Freelancing From Home and Staying Productive (14)
• December 7, 2009 -- What Should You Include In A Design Project Proposal? (5)
• December 2, 2009 -- Does a successful freelancer have to be a good sales person? (6)

A great gem for you today; we managed to catch up with Jamie Billingham, a 14 year old young and aspiring Web Designer. We managed to catch up with him and ask him about his interests, challenges and opinions about Web Design!

Hi Jamie thanks for taking the time to talk to us. For those who have not come across you before, can you tell us a little about yourself, what it is you do and your work?

I’m a dude in year ten at a high school in Warrington (UK). I like computers, socialising and music (I’m a bit of a Clubland fan). I’ve been doing programming and website design for around seven years. I can now code adeptly in over thirty different languages and frameworks which I have been collating for a while now.

I currently do quite a bit of freelance website design, as well as a few games and other projects which I develop. At the moment, I’m working on a corporate identity and website for a cosmetics company (which is how I ended up writing this, after saying thanks for you freelance contracts); I’ve got a small game in development and will soon start planning a massively multiplayer online game with my budding team of graphic designers, 3D modellers and story developers.

Just last month, I did my work experience, as did everyone in my year. I was given the opportunity of working at Code Computerlove in Manchester and I have to say that it was absolutely incredible, just such an amazing atmosphere to work in.

“I am sure Moonpig.com nicked my idea!! ”

What made you decide on / become interested in Web Design?

From a very early age, I was fascinated with making computers do stuff. One of my very first projects was a very simple program to monitor time spent on the computer in order to allow parents to limit their child’s computer usage.

I soon found myself drifting into web design (because I could show off to everyone else). This took the form of my first website, J-Cards, a service that would let you choose a design, write a message, etc… and then have it printed. It was strangely similar to the services offered by websites such as MoonPig.com, I’m sure they nicked my idea.

Where would you say your inspiration comes from?

My Dad. He was a developer at a few companies before he started doing project management, so he knew all the ins and outs of how to do it all. Throughout my childhood, my Dad has tirelessly explained code to me, over and over again; for instance, I continually questioned why I can’t just click the dropdown and change a “<P>” to an “<A>”. But, finally, it seems to have stuck!

As is the case with a lot of geeks that grew up with Windows, I originally aspired to become Bill Gates. However, more recently, my opinion of Microsoft and the like has degraded quite a bit; I have started to become a Mac fanboy; and *shock horror* now code in PHP. I am now far more into the “open” sort of stuff, such as Linux, Apache, Java, etc… whereas before I was 100% Windows, IIS, ASP.Net, etc…

Are you self-taught? Do you plan on doing any courses in Web Design and Development?

To begin with, my Dad was the driving force for the development of my skills with website design, programming, etc… More recently however, I have found myself seemingly absorbing many frameworks and languages (currently, my favourite is jQuery!) and instead of receiving help from my Dad, I now find that I am helping him and introducing him to new stuff; I still haven’t managed to get him onto C# though!

My current plan is to do computing and graphic design at college, hopefully work at Code for a year, and then perhaps do a degree. I’m not quite sure at the moment, so I’d welcome any advice/tips!

With the many different styles of website a designer can create, what type of websites impress you and do you have a personal preference on design style?

Personally, I love designs that are clean, simple and minimalistic; however, I am also a big fan of abstract patterns and colours, as well as a bit of grunge where appropriate. For my own websites, I like to keep things very simple and clear, whilst still being colourful, with some grungy textures.

Some of my favourite website designs:-

As a 14 year old, you must face many challenges trying to run a business and get clients, what are they and how are you going about dealing with them?

That is definitely the case. Many people that have expressed an interest in my services have been quite wary due to my age. I find that the best way to combat those issues is to try to be confident and as professional as possible, whilst still being yourself. Also, saying web stuff like “exposure”, “web 2.0” and “social media” seems to earn lots of brownie points!

With my latest client, I had a few tips and some help with how to communicate with her from some Steve and Ian at Code, which I have summarized here, plus a few top tips of my own. I’d recommend to any person around my age that they consider these:-

Be yourself, at all times. There is nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable when doing a sales pitch.

Absolutely, do not under-price yourself. £100 for a day of your work isn’t actually that much to a company.

Don’t be afraid to speak your mind and offer your opinions. If your client doesn’t like it, then you’re only going to have issues with making them understand how websites work and they’re probably not the person for you.

Once again, thank you very much for the interview. Where can those interested in you and your work find you online?

My portfolio can be found at www.jamiebillingham.co.uk. I’m thinking about starting a blog to go with it, so perhaps you’ll see that on there sometime soon.

If I may, I have a few shoutouts along with their web addresses for people that have helped me achieve all this stuff:-
My Dad, Nigel Billingham
Jono Brain
Code Computerlove

Related Posts:

• July 31, 2010 -- Interview with Illustrator, Designer, Musician Joel Gonsalves (3)
• March 16, 2010 -- Interview with Glennray Tutor – PhotoRealism Painter (5)
• March 3, 2010 -- Interview with Illustrator and Artworker – Liam Barry (2)
• February 3, 2010 -- How do your organise yourself as a freelance designer? – Part 2 (2)
• January 6, 2010 -- 5 Free Web Design Proposal Contracts (22)
• November 28, 2009 -- Interview With Will Kay of OddKingdom – Becoming Your Brand (5)

Hi all, thought I would share a list of resources which help me along my way. From business to the theory of branding, there is a lot contained within these great resources by their respective authors. Take the time to have a good read through them and if you find the list useful make sure to share it on.

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Thanks to a smashing article on six revisions about setting up goals in Google Analytics - we delved further into the subject and found these great 5 articles to help you get to grips with just the same.

1.http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2007/03/google_analytics_tutorial_4_wo.htm

Almost 100% of those who’ve contacted me since I started doing these has asked for a presentation on using goals.

View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

2. http://sixrevisions.com/tools/google-analytics-in-depth-goals-and-funnels/

In this article, we’re going to delve into Google Analytics and start to tailor your account settings so you can get information you need much more easily. Google Analytics in Depth is my series of Google Analytics articles where we will explore Google Analytic’s beneficial features to help you get the most out of this powerful and free web tool.

3. http://blog.joshbaker.com/2009/01/15/using-goals-in-google-analytics-to-track-conversions/

A simple non-technical explanation is that Goals count the number of unique pageviews of a specific url that you predetermined during the Goals setup process. When a visitor reaches that predetermined page, Google Analytics increases the numerical count by one for that particular goal. A goal is incremented only once per single visit, so if a visitor during a single visit reaches that predetermined page more than once, the goal count is only incremented one time so as to not inflate your goal count.

4. http://www.business.com/guides/setting-up-goals-conversion-tracking-in-google-analytics-9181/

* Log into your Analytics account and make sure you are on the “Analytics Settings” screen.
* Under the desired website profile, select “Edit” under the settings column.
* Under the “Conversion Goals and Funnel” section, there are four spaces for setting up goals.
* Select a goal that has not been configured and select “Edit” under the settings column.

5. http://www.maine-seo.com/google/measuring-success-through-conversions-creating-google-analytics-goals

Conversions are more important than rankings – they are the goal. Sure, good rankings should lead to higher conversions; but being #1 should not be your first priority. Using Google Analytics, you have the opportunity to set up a total of four goals for each website (should you have multiple sites) to track your conversions.

Click the edit button on the Dashboard page in your Analytics. There, you’ll find all of the settings for your account. What we’re interested in are the Conversion Goals and Funnels.

Related Posts:

• May 25, 2009 -- Google Analytics Explained Almost (9)
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I recently wrote an article: what to include in a design project proposal. Which helped me think through the things I normal include in say a branding project. However, for the web its evident different things are involved. In my web travels I have found the following sample contracts and proposal examples – thought it would be nice to share. Hopefully you find these useful to use or to help create your own bespoke proposals.

I recently also came across a useful web application called Quote Robot which is a great tool for streamlining your workflow and sending out proposals in a much faster time than normal. It has a plethora of features for most needs, so have a look!

Find below the contract template downloads.

Many thanks to the creators of the above documents.

Related Posts:

• January 30, 2010 -- 5 Free Non-Disclosure Agreements (4)
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1) Just Creative Design – Bad Graphic Design
Yes, this is a controversial topic, however I hope to raise awareness of some mistakes you may be making in your graphic design pieces that are making you look amateurish, but please keep in mind that none of these are hard and fast rules, this is only a general guide of things you should be aware of.

2) Smashing Magazine – 10 common mistakes in Logo design

A professional business should look professional. New business owners often invest a lot of time and money in property and equipment, but do not often match it by investing suitably in their logo.

3)Noupe – 10 Common design mistakes

Below are ten of the most common mistakes web designers make, along with examples of sites who do things right. Some of these are easy to correct if you’re aware of, others might take a bit more time. But all are fixable and worth the time and effort to correct. While this is by no means a comprehensive list of common errors, it is a good starting point.

4)Daily Blog Tips – 43 Web Design Mistakes You Should avoid

Some of the points are common sense, others are quite polemic. Most of them apply to any website though, whether we talk about a business entity or a blog. Enjoy!

5) Crestock.com – 7 common design mistakes that clients love

From flash intros, to logo theft, to information overload, clients often ask a design team to do a lot of stuff that’s just plain wrong. Here are 7 of the most common mistakes clients might ask you to make — and how to talk some sense into them.

6) Desin cubicle – 10 common typography mistakes

The goal of this post is to help designers and clients understand the importance of good type skills, while avoiding some of the common mistakes. Please keep in mind that most of these mistakes are subjective and can be changed varying on the project, goals or circumstances.

Below is a list of 10 common mistakes used in type design/layout that can make a large impact in the effectiveness and appearance of your designs, in addition to saving you time and money when dealing with printers.

7) Web Pages That suck – Biggest mistake in web design

These ladies are laughing at you. Why? You designed your web site for your needs, not their needs. It gets worse. After they stop laughing, they’re going to one of your competitors’ sites and buy something.

8 ) Andbreak.com – 101 common designer mistakes

A lot of people are nowadays starting a new web site, may it just be personal blog or your own ecommerce site. With a growing number of web page we also see a growing number of web site designs.

The main stream of web sites are flawed with mistakes that are easily avoidable. Here is a list of what I found the most important mistakes made by web designers.

9) Articulate – 5 common visual design mistakes

I was working with a student intern the other day. We reviewed his first attempt at a rapid elearning course. For this review, we focused on the course’s visual design.

Overall, he did a great job, especially for someone just starting out. However, he made some mistakes that are common to many of the courses I see. I thought I’d do a quick rundown of what they are and provide some tips on how to prevent them.

10) Turbomilk – 10 mistakes in icon design

It is much easier to criticize somebody else’s work than to create something cool yourself. But if you apply a systematic approach to criticizing, make a numbered list and prepare illustrations, it will be regarded as a fully-fledged analysis! In my opinion, icon design is undergoing a transitional period. On the one hand, screen resolutions are increasing, hence enhancing icons. On the other hand, we still have good old pixels. Icons sized 16×16 and even smaller are still widely used. And so, here are the most commonly observed mistakes in icon design…

11) Smashing Magazine – 15 common mistakes in E-commerce design

Selling online can open up huge new markets for many businesses. When your store can be open 24/7 and you can reach a global market without the costs of mailings and call centers, it can be a huge boon to your business. But there are plenty of things to consider when designing an ecommerce site. It’s not as simple as throwing up some shopping cart software and plopping products into a database.

Related Posts:

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• September 26, 2008 -- 10 Resources and Tutorials to Understand and Create Corporate Identity (2)
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Whilst on twitter, I came across this nice little tool to help grade your blog via a tweet by Rutiso It then provides an analysis of your blog and outputs a score out of 100. It functions/looks vry similar to hubspot’s ever popular Website Grader.

Related Posts:

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• June 8, 2009 -- Is Alexa Traffic Rank Important – 4 resources to help you find out (6)
• April 12, 2009 -- How to translate a website – considerations (2)
• September 2, 2008 -- 10 Great Free SEO Tools and Resources (23)

‘Is Alexa Traffic Rank Important??’ is something a client asked me the other day, and I realised I didn’t have a definite answer to give them… I found the following 4 articles to be very useful!

1 ) SEO Book: http://www.seobook.com/archives/000944.shtml

Over the last few days my Alexa has doubled from around 13,400 to around 6,800. Wow I am great. Not really!
If you looked at my actual server logs you would see that traffic has been fairly constant over the past week with only a small uptick in traffic of about 5 percent. Why the huge increase in Alexa rankings then?

2) Google Success: http://www.google-success.com/how-important-is-alexa-ranking-for-webmasters.htm

The main problem with Alexa is its rankings are based on users who have installed the Alexa toolbar onto their browser. If your website visitors do not have the toolbar running, they do not affect the rankings of your sites. The next big problem with Alexa is it is very easy to game.

3) John Chow: http://www.johnchow.com/why-alexa-is-worthless/

The main problem with Alexa is its rankings are based on users who have installed the Alexa toolbar onto their browser. If you do not have the toolbar running, you do not affect the rankings of the sites you visit. The next big problem with Alexa is it is very easy to cheat the system. Just get a few friends to install the toolbar and have them surf your site everyday. It does not take many people to break into the top 100,000.
4) http://www.kangainternet.com.au/exploring-google-page-rank-and-alexa-rank.html

So, you’ve heard a few things about SEO and now you are trying to learn some more about what SEO actually is and what your goals actually are. Well, your main two goals in SEO are to increase your websites position in the search engine results pages(SERP’s) and increase website traffic. Google Pagerank represents how important your website is compared to all other websites and Alexa Rank is how many visitors your website gets in relation to all other websites on the Internet. You are aiming to get a high Google Pagerank (commonly refered to as PR) and a low Alexa Rank. What looking at these two measured elements does is give you some idea of how well, or how badly, your website is doing in comparison to all other websites. Lets explore these two rankings in a little more detail.

Do you think Alexa rank is important?

Related Posts:

• September 2, 2008 -- 10 Great Free SEO Tools and Resources (23)
• August 11, 2010 -- Web Based SEO Applications and Online SEO Tools (3)
• June 29, 2010 -- Interview with Young Web Designer Jamie Billingham (9)
• January 6, 2010 -- 5 Free Web Design Proposal Contracts (22)
• December 7, 2009 -- 5 Articles To Understanding Your Websites Bounce Rate (12)
• November 5, 2009 -- 11 Articles To Stop You Making Designer Mistakes (7)