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You're Using RSS Now...Right? April 2008
I (Eric) have been writing our Web Smart newsletters, month in and month out, for over seven years. Which makes this month's newsletter a happy, yet sentimentally somber relief. This month Chris Butler, Newfangled's web strategist, will pick up where our March 2006 newsletter on RSS left off.
RSS... more >How To Do SEO, Part 2, Farming vs. Hunting March 2008
The search engine optimization approach Newfangled practices is more akin to farming than it is to hunting. Farming involves planting lots of seeds and then waiting patiently as each one contributes to a harvest. There is a place for SEO hunting, that aggressively goes after a few prize keywords. Di... more >How To Do SEO February 2008
While social media sites like Facebook may be getting all the press these days, it's important to remember that search not only started it all, but is still the most effective Internet marketing channel.
Any Internet marketing strategy needs to be heavily weighted toward search. And search engine... more >Time To Get Gmail January 2008
I will become platform and computer independent. I'm very close to being able to work from any computer anywhere in the world and I'm moving toward this goal by adopting web-based applications instead of desktop apps. I began this journey in June of 2006 when I started using Gmail. Email is a critic... more >How We Prototype December 2007
We kicked off our 2007 newsletters with "Why We Prototype." It was a short re-telling of how we stumbled upon our grayscreen prototyping process. The longer version is recounted in our book, Client vs. Developer Wars.
We'll finish the year off with the subject of prototyping again--but this time ... more >To Facebook or Not to Facebook November 2007
Last May I asked the question, is social media madness? The culture of openness can be perplexing, but whether or not you think social media is madness, there's no denying its growth. And social media's potential for marketing is profound (which is why a 15 billion dollar valuation for Facebook is n... more >Web Smart Agency Consulting October 2007
This month's newsletter marks a significant jump forward for Newfangled. Since our start, in 1995, we've partnered with many mid-sized advertising agencies to build hundreds of sites together. In addition to building sites with agencies, we also write these Web Smart newsletters. They are one way we... more >Local Search Revisited September 2007
This week I'm heading to St. Louis to speak at a conference for one of our clients. Pet Sitters International is an association for educating promoting, and supporting pet sitters. I'll be talking about how small local service providers, like pet sitters, can effectively market themselves online. Ov... more >Workin' Web 2.0 August 2007
In our newsletter “The Internet at Work,” I reviewed some of the Internet-based applications we use here at Newfangled. Well, Web 2.0 has been in high gear for a couple years now and today there are vast numbers of web-based applications that can replace just about any desktop equivalent. Word proce... more >Internet TV has Arrived: Coming Soon July 2007
Out back, behind my shed, lies a big, parabolic, dish-shaped hunk of metal. It's my old DirecTV dish. Okay, I still have a DirectTV dish--I had the old one replaced with a High Definition dish this spring. But that old dish lying in a junk pile symbolizes things to come--things that are, in fact, al... more >
What in the World is Your Website Doing? June 2007
There's a lot of buzz these days about Web 2.0, blogging, YouTube, and Google vs. Microsoft. Interest is growing in Internet TV, wikis, and social media. And of course interest in old fashioned search engine optimization is stronger than ever. But what's the net effect? (..."Net effect"--that's a go... more >Social Media - Madness? May 2007
Over the past year, as I've been writing about how Web 2.0 relates to advertising and marketing, I've described social media concepts, tools, and websites. This month I delve deeper into the realm of social media.
One underlying value of social media is openness. The suspicious side of my brain l... more >Online Advertising Redux April 2007
Cooking up an Advertising 2.0 marketing plan usually includes at least some measure of online advertising. Online advertising has many flavors such as banners, blog ads, rich media ads, content sponsorship, email newsletter sponsorships and more. But the most popular flavor? Search engine advertisin... more >Blogging: The Bedrock of Advertising 2.0 March 2007
Blogs are the center of gravity in the Advertising 2.0 world. They are the voices of conversational media. But blogging is also a focal point for other aspects of digital marketing. Search engine optimization and marketing, online advertising, online public relations, and even branding all engage bl... more >Advertising 2.0 February 2007
Technology disrupts. But it also creates opportunities. Web 2.0 is disrupting traditional marketing and advertising, in its place a new form of advertising is evolving - I call it Advertising 2.0.... more >Why We Prototype January 2007
The year 2000 was a pivotal one for Newfangled. We began work on what has become the NewfangledCMS, and it was also the year we first started grayscreen prototyping. While our CMS is the most appreciated by our clients, grayscreen prototyping is really the heart of how Newfangled works. In fact, I w... more >Goin' Live December 2006
Last month we reviewed the new Newfangled website which had been in the works for over a year. Not all websites take that long to build--in fact we've launched significant sites in a little less than a month (not all websites are built that fast). However long one works on a website, there comes the... more >The New Newfangled Website November 2006
Back in June I mentioned that we had been hard at work on our new website. At that point the site had been in progress for almost seven months. It was supposed to go live in September. Alas, our clients kept us way too busy to finish. Finally, at long last, it's done; its live; its online.
This m... more >Browser Competition - Game On October 2006
It's time for an update on the state of the browser again. This month, the new Internet Explorer 7 was finally released. Having defeated Netscape some years ago, Microsoft was able to rest in its victory for quite a while. But nature and economics abhor a vacuum, and the browser space was soon fille... more >Using Video on the Web September 2006
Until recently, putting video on a website was not the simplest of endeavors. Digitizing media from video tapes required special equipment and detailed knowledge of video formats, codecs, frame rates and a host of other options that bewilder the digitally impaired. Once a video file was obtained the... more >Typography and the Web August 2006
Me and type go way back. At RISD I did an internship with Barry Moser whose fine, press limited-edition books blew my mind. Hot type printed on handmade paper--it's a thing of beauty. My degree project was designing, illustrating, printing and binding an edition of 50 handmade books. I still remembe... more >Much of the world's stuff, especially digital stuff, is online. Music, books, opinions, news, photos, illustrations, movies, videos, data, software - it's all there to be had. A natural result of everyone having access to all this stuff is the act of sharing. Mashups, derivative works, and re-use of... more >Raising Website Expectations June 2006
So, we're busy working on our new Newfangled website. It's targeted to go online in September. As part of this effort I've been reviewing past newsletters. Wow, five years of monthly newsletters - that's a lot of content! Some of these old newsletters will soon be removed or re-written since the... more >Wikis and Swikis and Blogs, Part 2 May 2006
Last month we began to define "Web 2.0" as a resurgence of web based applications and services. Many startups, backed by venture capital, are creating all sorts of new web services. There are now hundreds, maybe thousands of sites that can help you store, access, discover and share websites, new... more >Wikis and Swikis and Blogs, Oh My! April 2006
Wikis and Swikis and Blogs are tools of the Web 2.0 renaissance. Not sure what I'm talking about? Well that's why we write these newsletters. Next month, in part two of this newsletter, I will describe tools like wikis and blogs, but for literary purposes (the title) these tools are representati... more >RSS: When the Web Comes to You March 2006
RSS feeds are one way to keep your content out in front of your audience. RSS help you keep tabs on your favorite sources of information. This month we'll review RSS, how it works, how to publish a feed, and how to use an RSS reader.... more >SEM and SEO - What's the Difference? February 2006
Many people misunderstand the goal of search engine optimization as distinct from search engine marketing. Applying SEM expectations to SEO can lead to significant frustration and disappointment.... more >The Internet at Work January 2006
The past year has been one of some transition for Newfangled. We've moved offices, moved employees, changed phone and network providers, and implemented new administrative software systems. After a year of trial and error searching for flexible and affordable business infrastructure tools, we've... more >Number One in Google? Not for Long... December 2005
Everyone wants to be number one in Google. I'm happy to have a few phrases that hit that golden spot myself. But in the not-too-distant future (and for some that future is today), the notion of being number one in Google will come to an end.... more >AJAX Website Applications November 2005
BREAKING NEWS: Sun Sets in West - Expected to Rise in East. ... more >Seriously Fun Websites October 2005
"What can I do for fun, right now, today?" My daughter, Katie, came out with this snappy expression when she was four years old. This month's newsletter is just for fun. That's not to say that fun can't be serious business. One of the coolest things about the web is that is enables just about an... more >Advertising Agency and Artist Websites September 2005
Over the past year our monthly newsletters have addressed the topic of search engine optimization and the fundamental need for relevant content a number of times. I won't revisit that topic again this month, but I will apply these lessons specifically to advertising agency and artist websites. G... more >Benefits of Cascading Style Sheets August 2005
This month's newsletter is a short summer follow up to last month's newsletter about the current state of web browsers. It's also short because, for the first time in ten years since starting Newfangled, I've been able to take a week long vacation (two of them, in fact). Thank you, Mark O'Brien!... more >Browser Detente July 2005
Can it be? Has it been three years since we last wrote a newsletter about the Browser War? A lot has changed since 2002, and it's about time we updated you on this fundamental web development topic. Three years ago, we did some math and computed that, accounting for browser versions, computer pl... more >Urchin 6 is Now Google Analytics June 2005
At Search Engine Strategies New York, I was able to preview the new Urchin 6 (now Google Analytics) website traffic analysis system. We have been happily using Urchin 5 for our sites, but the new Urchin 6 has some impressive new features. Now that Urchin 6 has been released and I've been able to... more >Who's Your Homepage? May 2005
The homepage is, of course, the most important page on your website. If your site were a book it would be the cover. Your site's homepage ought to establish the site's main theme, and begin to hint at the most important content.... more >What Else is Google Doing? April 2005
Last month we reviewed the topic of local search featuring Google's new mapping system. This month I'll review other new Google features. Among the most interesting are Blogger, Google Desktop, and Google Answers.... more >Let Your Fingers Do the Clicking March 2005
If you only read one of my newsletters this year, READ THIS ONE!... more >Proverbs and Ecclesiastes on Business February 2005
In past newsletters I've reviewed business books that have been helpful to me in running and growing my company. For example, in December of 2003 I did a book report on one of my favorite books - Selling the Invisible, by Harry Beckwith. Tipping Point, by Malcom Gladwell and On Writing Well, by ... more >The IT Guy January 2005
Over the course of my ten years in business development for Newfangled I have seen some excellent potential projects bite the dust based solely on a negative response from someone in the prospect's IT department. This is particularly frustrating when said technologist was not even part of the sa... more >How People Search December 2004
For the past two months we've been writing about the power of words on the web. When it comes to website marketing the dictum "content is king" is true. The most popular sites always provide the best and most interesting content. Website marketing efforts are rewarded when frequent, quality cont... more >Unleashing the Power of Words November 2004
Last month we wrote about how words make the web work. We talked about how good writing is rare on the web. In part because the work involved in writing well is often underestimated.... more >Words Make the Web Work October 2004
When speaking of website content, the word "content" is an utter abstraction. Reliance on abstract words like "content" to stand in for specific, concrete realities is necessary in order to communicate broadly about concepts and ideas. Newfangled in particular relies on the term "content" quite ... more >Online Advertising with Google AdWords September 2004
Online advertising is back. After the burst of the dot com bubble in 2001, online banner advertising dropped dead. Now that the technology world has recovered and the internet has matured, online advertising is again garnering attention. This month's newsletter addresses the pitfalls, benefits, and ... more >Advanced Website Tracking Tools August 2004
Newfangled stresses that content management is the foundation upon which a website can become a powerful marketing and communications tool. But content management won't accomplish this automatically. That's why the NewfangledCMS has advanced tracking tools that can further transform a website in... more >Analyzing Website Traffic July 2004
This month's newsletter about analyzing website traffic is an update to a previous newsletter we wrote way back in April of 2001. This updated newsletter goes into more detail about how to use, read, and analyze the information contained in an Urchin report. We've also provided some general benc... more >Designing for SelectEdit June 2004
In January we announced SelectEdit. SelectEdit provides the same web development process and NewfangledCMS content management capabilities as Newfangled but in a simplified, low-cost way for small companies, sole proprietors and non-profits. SelectEdit's purpose is to help fulfill Newfangled's c... more >Google Tracker May 2004
This month's newsletter is the second in a two part series on search engine optimization. Part one was one of our most popular newsletters yet. I'm very excited to write this month's newsletter because it describes a NewfangledCMS search engine optimization application that we have been working ... more >Search Engine Optimization Strategy April 2004
Two years ago we wrote a newsletter about search engine optimization ("Struggling with Search Engines"). This month we begin a two part series on search engine strategies and new advanced NewfangledCMS search engine optimization tools that will soon be available to NewfangledCMS sites. Some of t... more >Maintaining a Website March 2004
This month's newsletter makes the argument that content management is the foundation upon which the future of web development will be established. The potential usefulness of a website, to any given company, is contingent on what that company does. A manufacturer, a retailer, and a non-profit or... more >Announcing SelectEdit: Affordable Content Management January 2004
Newfangled's mission is to make content management a standard function of every website we build. Toward this end, every one of our clients receives a free user license to the Newfangled CMS (our content management system) regardless of the size of their project. We are pleased with our success ... more >Book Report: Selling the Invisible December 2003
Back in 1997 I was browsing through the business section at Barnes and Noble trying to find help. I was a young guy who found himself in transition from designing and coding websites to managing a growing web development company (my one ‘professional practices' course at RISD wasn't cutting it... more >Fall Back in Love with Your Website November 2003
I have to admit, that even though we're a web development company, I've never enjoyed working with our own website as much as I have over the past few weeks. We want you to experience the same thrill of using a website that actually produces results you can see and measure. We want you to see th... more >Infrequently Asked Website Questions October 2003
How much is a website? Do your sites work with search engines? How much is a website? Will I be able to add pages to my site? How much is a website? What happens if you go out of business? How much is a web site? There are a host of frequently asked questions when it comes to web development. Th... more >Splash is Dead September 2003
Splash pages are dead, well mostly dead anyway. In 1999 I wrote an article for Web Techniques magazine called "Web Sites That Really Make a Splash" (July 1999). In it I talked about the appropriate and inappropriate uses of splash pages. By a splash page I mean a "cover" page for a site that lea... more >Slogging Through SPAM August 2003
I receive between 300 and 400 spam emails every day. Spam is not just an annoying time waster, but it is also beginning to strangle email as a useful means of communicating and as an appropriate marketing tool. Unfortunately, there are very few solutions to this problem. Most anti-spam efforts b... more >Keep Your Clients to Yourself! July 2003
Many advertising agencies and design firms have been cautious in their involvement with their clients' websites. In some cases they have avoided the web all together. Those who do offer web services often struggle to win their existing clients' web business. When won, producing and delivering a ... more >Book Report: Don't Make Me Think June 2003
One aspect of Newfangled's agency alliance is our design consultation. Typically when we are working with an agency or design firm they will send web page layouts to us for review before presenting them to their clients. This allows us to provide technical and information design feedback to the ... more >How Much is a Website? May 2003
A website costs as much as a car. The range of options and costs associated with buying a car are actually a very good comparison to the cost of a website. It's possible to buy a decent used car for under $5,000 that should be perfectly adequate to get you where you need to go. Similarly, buyin... more >Building E-Commerce Websites March 2003
Building an e-commerce site is a challenging process. Certainly there are some technical challenges, but more critical are the challenges related to the customer's expectations. Additionally, how a company manages their offline business practices has a direct impact on how their online system wi... more >Advertising Agency Client Extranets January 2003
Newfangled's Client Manager system is an extranet designed for the purpose of creating and maintaining password protected client pages for advertising agencies and design firms. This system is available to our agency partners. This month's newsletter takes a look at how the Client Manager system... more >Dealing with DNS December 2002
Sometimes it's the simplest things that can seriously complicate launching a website. Domain name issues are amoung those little details that, if not caught, can create problems. For example, most clients expect email and website hosting to be grouped together. Understanding the differences in t... more >Web Design Tips for the Print Designer, Part 2 November 2002
... more >Grayscreen/Whitescreen Process Applied October 2002
New England Gas Company needed to integrate four distinct websites into one. Since ProvGas, North Attleboro Gas, Valley Resources, and Fall River Gas had merged into one company, the new www.negasco.com website needed to combine the information of all four. This created some complex information ... more >Online Surveys September 2002
Surveys can provide an effective means for research, marketing, and customer service. Unfortunately, they typically take a considerable amount of time to create, distribute and collect. Online surveys solve the distributing and result collection problems. Newfangled has a website survey applicat... more >Browser Battles July 2002
Web development would be great if weren't for browsers. Of course without them we would still be back in the days of Lynx - anyone remember that old text-only browser? Browsers have made the web what it is today, but they have also made developing sites for the web an extremely tricky business. ... more >
This month's newsletter reviews the fundamental principles behind database driven web development. While content management is an important aspect of database driven web development, there are other more foundational benefits to this approach that are often overlooked.
How database driven si... more >Struggling with Search Engines April 2002
Search engine registration and positioning can be a confusing issue, especially when we receive so many bogus offers for "top 10 guaranteed placement" services through daily spam email. There are, however, many ways that you can actively work on improving your placement and increasing traffic in... more >Spam Free Email Marketing March 2002
Nobody likes getting spammed with unsolicited, irrelevant, and often offensive email. I've had to get used to the fact that a few minutes a day will be taken up hitting my delete key in Outlook. Getting spam email is a universally annoying problem. There are however, acceptable, appropriate, and... more >Web Development Fallacies, Part 2 January 2002
Last month we examined how understanding common web development fallacies can help avoid some of the problems inherent in web development. We specifically looked at how developer fallacies, those wrong approaches and misplaced assumptions that we can be blind to, can cause problems.... more >Web Development Fallacies, Part 1 December 2001
Web development can be a particularly tricky endeavor. The complexities of hypertext, technological concerns, and contending with inflated expectations can cause web development projects to quickly spiral downward. One of the ways we can avoid some of the problems inherent in web development is ... more >Designing for the Corporate Intranet November 2001
... more >Benefits of Using Extranets October 2001
Extranets share protected information with business partners, clients, and special customers. Extranets are one example where the web can show measurable return on website investment. Extranets take advantage of the web's ability to share information in ways that other mediums simply cannot. It ... more >Web Design Tips for the Print Designer March 2001
Designing for the web can be really fun. Unlike other mediums, where you might not be sure exactly how things will look until you get back a proof from the printers, or see color separations, there is an immediacy to web design, where what you design is exactly how it will look.... more >
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