Dublicator

Every week we tweet a lot of interesting stuff highlighting great content that we find on the web that can be of interest to web designers.

The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the best tweets that we sent out this past week.

Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that we tweeted about, so don’t miss out.

To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow us @DesignerDepot

Good tips: How to Migrate from Google Reader to Feedly http://depot.ly/jjUb5

 

A sweet alphabet book for kids about pizza doing things by Ohara Hale http://depot.ly/jjF8P  (+ animation)

 

Detect Vendor Prefix with JavaScript http://depot.ly/jjEuU

 

24 Awesome Web Design Conferences You Should Know http://depot.ly/jjU73

 

Here Comes Another Button: “Send To Kindle” http://depot.ly/jjG3P  via @marketingland

 

Making Sprite-based Games with Canvas http://depot.ly/jf89y  via @davidwalshblog

 

Handy tutorial http://depot.ly/jf8dL  How to Create a Book Cover and Mock Up in Adobe InDesign – Part 2

 

Outstanding Conceptual Art by Michael Kutsche http://depot.ly/jf7qN

 

A Case Study via @smashingmag: The Art Of Storytelling Around An App http://depot.ly/jf8k9

 

Celebrating 7 years of Twitter – http://depot.ly/jhqAS  – #Twitter7

 

The Future Of #UI Isn’t Invisible, Nor Is It Seamless http://depot.ly/jf7ZX

 

Useful tips: How to Add a Flickr Widget in #WordPress http://ow.ly/jf6iU

 

Cool Firefox Sketches by Martijn Rijven http://depot.ly/jf5YI

 

10 gadgets to keep you busy http://depot.ly/jeTXc

 

Collections by Jim Golden feels like a keyhole peek http://depot.ly/jcMUX

 

Perspective photography http://depot.ly/jcOcE  Hong Kong’s cramped 40-Square-Foot Apartments

 

instasham.me/  lets you fake fabulous ‘Instagram Moments’

 

DC Comics heroes go geometric in the awesome illustrations of Eric Dufresne http://depot.ly/jcLRy

 

What’s in a Name? Writers and Their Anthroponymy http://depot.ly/j9aN6  *Interesting read

 

Fascinating wood installations by Henrique Oliveira http://ow.ly/j99iB  via @fubiz

 

For your inspiration: Alexander Graham Bell on Success, Innovation, and Creativity http://depot.ly/j9bqK 

 Want more? No problem! Keep track of all our tweets by following us @DesignerDepot

Type & Grids: Responsive HTML5 Template – only $27!

Source

How to build a Local Website

Go Local is the name of the game in 2011/12 and the success of bringing the global web developments back home is a trend of the time. First it was about tagging people, now we tag locations, be it on social networks such as Facebook or on Photo sites, such as Picasa or Flickr.

Based on the fact that surfers search for and prefer local business to cross border transactions, social networks namely have built in the local tags and stimulate users to hook media and events to geographically tagged locations.

How to dominate the local market?

In order to dominate the local market, you need to assess the use of the internet your neighbors make; chances are that they mostly hang out on social media, search Google and use email. This is of course an extremely simplified view but it gives an indication about where we need to build high visibility.

You also want to have an idea about how people access the net and websites; you will notice an increased use of mobile deices, which means that your content needs to be formatted and optimized  for desktops as well as for tablets and mobile phones.

Finally you may notice that surfers prefer visual content to text, which impacts on editing and publishing for multiple platforms.

How to Dominate Google Top 10

In order to build high visibility on search returns, you need

• a local website.
• make use of all possible Google Listings pertaining to the geographic location.
• great content and consistent publishing to provide useful information and trigger conversation.

How to Dominate Social Networks

To dominate social networks (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn) we need

• optimized profiles.
• Facebook Pages.
• a consistent flow of information to trigger attention and conversation.
• an optimized set-up to assure traffic back to our websites (let the social networks work for us instead of the opposite).

How to dominate the Mobile Web

To dominate the mobile web we need

• mobile versions of our websites (tablets and smartphones).
• mobile search optimization.
• ideally an App.
• easy to use interactive functions.

How to manage a Local Presence online

The answer is similar to managing a business online. There are three main elements I like to focus on:

• an optimized workflow to assure maximum productivity.
• high quality content and content providers.
• an integrated publishing network to hit all the important targets with per platform optimized content.

How to monetize a Local Website

• Ads from Local Business.
• Ads from external Business wanting to do business locally.
• Eventually by integrating a local directory.
• Eventually by integrating a real estate classifieds feature.
• Eventually by integrating a service and products exchange.
•  … and more.

How to get readers to the Local Website

Just a few ideas:

• Talk about people.
• Talk about events.
• Talk about stories concerning the community.
• Talk about Local Sports, Clubs, Associations.
• Publish Pictures (people like to see their face and place).
• Talk about local business.
• Integrate a news wire from the major’s office.
• Have a local Gossip column.
• Let visitors contribute and discuss content.
• Don’t forget rating.
• Create competitions, contests, top 3 lists.
• Exchange advertising space with local media to promote your site quickly an consistently.
• Bring the conversation from social networks back to your site.
• … and so much more!

I hope this post helps your brainstorming when creating your local project. I will publish shortly a detailed project for my demo community, Vouliagmeni.

Related posts:

1. How to Optimize your Impact on Social and Mobile Networks
2. Facebook Strategy with WordPress
3. Google Top 10 Dominate your Keyword 3
4. 3 Web Design Trends in 2011
5. New Facebook Pages Publishing Concept

How to build a Local Website

Go Local is the name of the game in 2011/12 and the success of bringing the global web developments back home is a trend of the time. First it was about tagging people, now we tag locations, be it on social networks such as Facebook or on Photo sites, such as Picasa or Flickr.

Based on the fact that surfers search for and prefer local business to cross border transactions, social networks namely have built in the local tags and stimulate users to hook media and events to geographically tagged locations.

How to dominate the local market?

In order to dominate the local market, you need to assess the use of the internet your neighbors make; chances are that they mostly hang out on social media, search Google and use email. This is of course an extremely simplified view but it gives an indication about where we need to build high visibility.

You also want to have an idea about how people access the net and websites; you will notice an increased use of mobile deices, which means that your content needs to be formatted and optimized  for desktops as well as for tablets and mobile phones.

Finally you may notice that surfers prefer visual content to text, which impacts on editing and publishing for multiple platforms.

How to Dominate Google Top 10

In order to build high visibility on search returns, you need

• a local website.
• make use of all possible Google Listings pertaining to the geographic location.
• great content and consistent publishing to provide useful information and trigger conversation.

How to Dominate Social Networks

To dominate social networks (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn) we need

• optimized profiles.
• Facebook Pages.
• a consistent flow of information to trigger attention and conversation.
• an optimized set-up to assure traffic back to our websites (let the social networks work for us instead of the opposite).

How to dominate the Mobile Web

To dominate the mobile web we need

• mobile versions of our websites (tablets and smartphones).
• mobile search optimization.
• ideally an App.
• easy to use interactive functions.

How to manage a Local Presence online

The answer is similar to managing a business online. There are three main elements I like to focus on:

• an optimized workflow to assure maximum productivity.
• high quality content and content providers.
• an integrated publishing network to hit all the important targets with per platform optimized content.

How to monetize a Local Website

• Ads from Local Business.
• Ads from external Business wanting to do business locally.
• Eventually by integrating a local directory.
• Eventually by integrating a real estate classifieds feature.
• Eventually by integrating a service and products exchange.
•  … and more.

How to get readers to the Local Website

Just a few ideas:

• Talk about people.
• Talk about events.
• Talk about stories concerning the community.
• Talk about Local Sports, Clubs, Associations.
• Publish Pictures (people like to see their face and place).
• Talk about local business.
• Integrate a news wire from the major’s office.
• Have a local Gossip column.
• Let visitors contribute and discuss content.
• Don’t forget rating.
• Create competitions, contests, top 3 lists.
• Exchange advertising space with local media to promote your site quickly an consistently.
• Bring the conversation from social networks back to your site.
• … and so much more!

I hope this post helps your brainstorming when creating your local project. I will publish shortly a detailed project for my demo community, Vouliagmeni.

Related posts:

1. How to Optimize your Impact on Social and Mobile Networks
2. Facebook Strategy with WordPress
3. Google Top 10 Dominate your Keyword 3
4. 3 Web Design Trends in 2011
5. New Facebook Pages Publishing Concept

10 Steps to Implement your Facebook Strategy with WordPress

Implementing your Facebook Strategy will be at the center of the November Ycademy Seminar. This hands-on Seminar and Workshop will stretch over two days and build with participants an eye-ball-twisting Facebook presence. See the seminar schedule at the bottom of the post.

The Seminar is designed for WordPress Developers and WP users who are looking for high productivity and customized publishing and marketing solutions.

11 Efficient Facebook Strategies

This topic deals with efficient strategies which will efficiently improve your Facebook presence.

7 Ways to jeopardize your Facebook success for sure

Surfing through Facebook we notice some common errors well intended people commit when building their Facebook presence. We will discuss these issues and show you how to eliminate them from your personal or business Facebook.

4 Important Facebook features to focus on

While content is king, there are different ways of making it accessible to visitors. We will discuss the recent changes Facebook has implemented and show you where the focus should be in order to improve your visibility, traffic and business or network expansion on Facebook.

Facebook Privacy and Accessibility settings

Function of your strategy we will define and optimize privacy settings in order to grant potentially interested visitors access to relevant information. Privacy, Accessibility and List-building as well as Targeted Communication are the essentials of this key session.

Workshop: Information and Profile

For people looking for you, your business, services or products, your Profile and Info page are of the utmost importance, the more that your info is visible from outside Facebook and therefore Google efficient. We will set up with participants an efficient Info Page.

Friends, Fans and Subscriptions

We will discuss the recent changes implemented by Facebook and how they impact on our strategies.  Friends, Fans and Subscription features impact on the way we expand our network and influence on Facebook.

Facebook Pages

Overview of the Facebook Page feature. Integration techniques, Apps, Content, Canvas and Pages.

Workshop: Build a simple Facebook page

The focus is on the technical set-up of a Facebook Page. As  content we will use a graphic, picture of video.

Creative and useful Facebook Page Content

What is it you actually wish to display on your Facebook page? In fact there is no limit and it depends entirely on your strategy.

Integrating WordPress with Facebook

This is the center piece of the seminar. Creating Facebook Page right from your WordPress site is now possible. We will set up a reveal page and different Facebook pages depending on participants needs. In fact we show you how to create a whole website in Facebook, straight from your WordPress.

While this works with most any WordPress 3.1 enabled Theme, we will demonstrate the integration with Semiomantics XO.

In fact we will work with a professional plugin modified for Semiomantics XO.

Workshop: Build your Facebook with WordPress

The Seminar will guide you to master the following and more:

• Create Unlimited Facebook Fan Pages with WordPress

• Increase Likes by 150% with Reveal “Like” Tab Gateways

• Unlimited Customization Options When Designing Your Fan Pages

• Create Unlimited Custom Pages with the WordPress Page Editor

• Create Custom Menus and Navigation with Just a Few Clicks

• Comments, Like, Send and Over 50+ Custom Shortcodes for Enhanced Customization

• Facebook Open Graph Integration for Enhanced Facebook Integration and Google SEO

• Auto Post to Facebook From Your WordPress Blog

• Use Your Facebook Albums and Photos on Your Blog and Fan Pages

• Add Google Maps to Your Facebook Fan Pages

• Create Squeeze and Sales Pages with Just a Few Clicks on Facebook

Workshop: Add Social Network features to your WordPress

Add Facebook related widgets to your front and/or content pages. Google+ and Twitter buttons. Pull in Facebook Albums, Events, like Buttons and more. Use Facebook Connect to log in to or to register with your blog.

Selective Access to your FB Content

Create content which is only accessible after visitors clicked the “Like” button. A smashing filter which allows you to manage accessibility right from your XO.

Seminar Schedule

Time

Saturday and Sunday November 26/27, 2011.

We start at 1 pm London Time and end at 9 pm London time both days.

Materials

You need a WordPress blog preferably with FTP access.

Scripts and all other materials are provided.

We will install the necessary scripts for you previous to the Seminar; please get your Tickets early. If we are not yet in possession of the FTP access to your site, please send it by email to Bianca Gubalke at bianca(at)ycademy.com.

Tickets and Price

The Price for Participating, Materials and access to recordings is $85.

Discount as usual for Ycademy Pros. Please contact Bianca Gubalke at bianca(at)ycademy.com for the code or any other question you may have pertaining to the Seminar.

Incoming search terms:

• social community feature like facebook in wordpress
• strategy for facebook wordpress integration
• best facebook strategy
• facebook strategy
• creating efficient blog pages in wordpress
• scheduled facebook page posts
• price create facebook page
• integrate wordpress blog with facebook page
• increase likes on a wordpress post
• increase likes by 150%

Related posts:

1. WordPress on Facebook
2. Facebook and Mobile Web Seminar by Ycademy
3. Facebook Marketing 2
4. WordPress for Facebook Fan Pages with FBlaster
5. Semiomantics Optimization for Facebook

About the Social Community

When looking at the amount of Social Networks sprouting everywhere – Empire Avenue, Facebook, Twitter to start with – it all seems to be about the Social Community and its interaction, so-called ‘conversation’ and communication. We are talking strictly online here.

The question is: how social is a ‘Like’, how social is a ‘blurb’…. how social is all this on the surface forced and in most cases minimal and totally superficial exchange for some virtual benefit in one way or another really?

And then we have to ask ourselves what we actually understand by ‘social’? Sure, we all seem to know what it means, but what’s the definition?

 

About the Social Community

Before going into the more scientific approach, I found a quote by Rudolf Steiner that encompasses within just one sentence what I think says it all – and I am monitoring in my own activities on especially Empire Avenue whether or not we actually – virtually speaking – live it… whether it’s at all possible… :

“A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living.”

The photo of a flamingo looking at his own reflection in the water I shot a few months back in Hout Bay, South Africa illustrates the thought and leaves room for meditation. Imagine the whole flamingo community around… which it was, just not captured on this photo, but on many others. He was part of it, totally… sort of floating on their distinctive ‘blabla’ while certainly more interested in anything eatable he could grab in the muddy waters under his stamping feet…

 

Social Meaning

So now let’s look into the social meaning via Wikipedia – I quote their definition:

“The term Social refers to a characteristic of living organisms (humans in particular, though biologists also apply the term to populations of other animals). It always refers to the interaction of organisms with other organisms and to their collective co-existence, irrespective of whether they are aware of it or not, and irrespective of whether the interaction is voluntary or involuntary.”
What I find interesting is the statement: “… irrespective of whether they are aware of it or not, and irrespective of whether the interaction is voluntary or involuntary”.

I continue:

“In the absence of agreement about its meaning, the term ‘social’ is used in many different senses and regarded as a fuzzy concept, referring among other things to:

Attitudes, orientations, or behaviors which take the interests, intentions, or needs of other people into account (in contrast to anti-social behaviour) has played some role in defining the idea or the principle. For instance terms like social realism, social justice, social constructivism, social psychology and social capital imply that there is some social process involved or considered, a process that is not there in regular, “non-social” realism, justice, constructivism, psychology, or capital.

The adjective ‘social’ is also used often in political discourse, although its meaning in a context depends heavily on who is using it. In left-wing circles it is often used to imply a positive characteristic, while in right-wing circles it is generally used to imply a negative characteristic. It should also be noted that, overall, this adjective is used much more often by those on the political left than by those on the political right. For these reasons, those seeking to avoid association with the left-right political debates often seek to label their work with phrases that do not include the word ‘social’. An example is quasi-empiricism in mathematics which is sometimes labelled social constructivism by those who see it as an unwarranted intrusion of social considerations in mathematical practice.

In contemporary society, ‘social’ often refers to the redistributive policies of the government which aim to apply resources in the public interest, for example, social security. Policy concerns then include the problems of social exclusion and social cohesion. Here, ‘social’ contrasts with ‘private’ and to the distinction between the public and the private (or privatised) spheres, where ownership relations define access to resources and attention. [...]”

 

We often take expressions and terms for granted without questioning them or going into more depth; I think here’s lots of room for thought as concerns ‘Social Networks’ on the Internet… the online soclial community so to speak… and its influence on Social Network Publishing.

Your thoughts are welcome…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free Fun Cards Online

Finally, I got going with “Free Fun Cards Online” – combining a funny photo with a funny thought or greeting. I’ve so often enjoyed seeing these from other photographers and artists, now it’s just a matter of getting the time to dig into my own digital photography collection and do some myself.

Free Fun Cards Online

My first edition of “Free Fun Cards Online” hints at all the hectic shareholders in Social Network Empire Avenue, where it’s about growing your portefolio with EAves – basically the home-grown shekels :) It’s all fun and a game on the surface but with a serious background in which your activities on Social Networks like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, our Blogs and others are monitored and measured – and everything adds to increasing your ‘value’ as a shareholder. So it all makes sense.

If this sounds like fun to you, give it a shot HERE – join for free and connect with great people!

 

Free Fun Cards Online

Finally, I got going with “Free Fun Cards Online” – combining a funny photo with a funny thought or greeting. I’ve so often enjoyed seeing these from other photographers and artists, now it’s just a matter of getting the time to dig into my own digital photography collection and do some myself.

Free Fun Cards Online

My first edition of “Free Fun Cards Online” hints at all the hectic shareholders in Social Network Empire Avenue, where it’s about growing your portefolio with EAves – basically the home-grown shekels :) It’s all fun and a game on the surface but with a serious background in which your activities on Social Networks like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, our Blogs and others are monitored and measured – and everything adds to increasing your ‘value’ as a shareholder. So it all makes sense.

If this sounds like fun to you, give it a shot HERE – join for free and connect with great people!

 

Global Sports hit up Crepe City,the annual event is held in the London fashion epicentre Shoreditch, the day was a great success with people queueing up at our stand to try and grab one of our exclusives before we sold out. Here are a few pictures of the day…

Also our friend @REDnivars snapped up a few shots of our 2 troublesome employees who are undeniably made for swagg!

http://www.sneakerfreaker.com/articles/Chocolate-City-London-Recap/crepe-city-london-31-1/popup/

Posted By Junayd Mohammed (@junayd_1010)

The Future of Travel Information

I don’t know about you, but before I book a trip I talk to people I know who may have been there, I try to find out a maximum about my targeted holiday spot on the Internet and yes! I would also check what’s on the shelves at Exclusive Books here in Cape Town, South Africa. There’s nothing like sitting in the garden or on the beach and paging through a real book… then lifting one’s view to the distant horizon and do what I call “… just dream it”.

While the dream may be so spectacular that you never buy that flight ticket… chances are that all the accumulated information gets you excited and you get on that plane to dreamland!

The fact today is, however, that most people search on Google, get to Travel and Tourism related websites and blogs to read reviews and be inspired by other tourists … and then simply book online. It’s just a few mouse-clicks and you’re on the plane.

Therefore, and especially with the explosion of Social Media Marketing through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc, it seems the Future of Travel Information is obvious… and this has an impact on the future destiny of Travel Guides… cherished by many, but not by the masses.

 

The Future of Travel Information

The fact is, that the most relevant and pretty genuine information about places and trips is easily found in form of ‘user-generated content’ on Social Networks. Who needs to ask a Travel expert if there is a possibility to talk to someone living exactly where one wants to go, and this since generations and with a joyful willingness to share and answer questions?

Add to this the speed of the Mobile Web!

Listen to Richard Trillo, author of several African Guide Books, at the eTourism Africa Summit 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa, how he sees the Future of Travel Information and, of course, the traditional travel guide.

 

ENJOY!

I just discovered a slideshow of his presentation that you can find by clicking on  the top photo here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Social Media can Raise Awareness

Coming back to my feedback regarding the eTourism Africa Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, here’s a short snippet to show how Social Media can raise Awareness. This can be of tremendous help for many worthy causes. Here a brief example concerning Nature Conservation, where we can help protect one of our most precious resources right here in Africa.

 

How Social Media can Raise Awareness

Presenter Damian Cook from Kenya demonstrates with the example of Africa’s almost extinct Northern White Rhinoceros how we – the ‘users’ of the Internet… the ‘producers’ of so-called ‘content’ that continuously floods Social Networks like Facebook and Twitter – and obviously YouTube (watch my next post !) …with all the new stories, comments, thoughts and recommendations… can make everybody aware of things that matter, that are of concern to all of us and where it’s worth to stand together for a real cause. Please watch this brief snippet on YouTube for more information.

 

Keep the Pressure On

As long as we “… keep the pressure on…” we have good chances to have a positive and powerful impact – here for a truly worthy cause: saving one of our most precious resources.

This example shows the mind-boggling power to influence and determine that Social Networks have – meaning: the users, to be exact: YOU! So no more hiding; we can all make a difference: yes! we CAN!