Here’s how collaborative web development used to work: A bunch of developers download code from a website onto their personal computers. As they finish working, they upload it back to the site. Whoever finishes last ‘wins,’ in the sense that any changes he makes overwrite whatever’s there already—whether or not the changes are correct.

Like many developers, I know the obvious shortcomings of this system all too well. As soon as a developer uploads his or her code, the previous poster’s work essentially gets undone. (I once lost about 8 hours of work this way—don’t get me started.)

Fortunately, we’ve wised up, and have figured out how to spare ourselves that headache. I’m now a firm believer in Version Control.

Working out the kinks, one command at a time

With version control, all previous iterations of a string of code are stored in a single repository, accessible from a development server. When users add or change code, they have to commit changes to the code’s main branch. That way, if there are deviations from what another developer has posted, they aren’t automatically overwritten. All developers on a project can see what everyone else has done, and can verify changes are correct and in line with job specifications.

We use versioning systems Apache Subversion (SVN) and GitHub. SVN is an older system, but it’s simple and powerful, and it gets the job done. GitHub is great for larger client projects. It has a nice user interface, and cool collaboration tools like a bug tracker, an editable style page, and time and date tracking, which we can use to make sure everyone’s pulling their weight.

Turning developers into time travelers

To a developer, version control is a lifesaver. It eases communication tremendously within development teams. It also helps us keep our clients happy. Let’s say we revamped a client’s site menu, and a month later, the client wanted it switched back to the way it was before. Before version control, we would have had to write the old code all over again. Now, all we have to do is go back to the version from the date needed (assuming it had been committed) and snatch up the relevant code.

Version control means security for our code (since it’s stored on a server, it’s safe from crashes). It also means we can keep projects moving forward, because developers can jump in without fear of undoing each other’s work. These days, we can do in 30 minutes what used to take five hours.

I can’t say enough about how much version control can streamline your web development process. Of course, it’s only as good as your developers themselves—if you do a sloppy job to begin with, version control may not do you much good. But if used well, you and your team can make coding magic.

Want to make sure no detail of your site design falls through the cracks? Contact Atomic’s development team for help crafting a showstopping website.

Sure, it’s a first-world problem. But it’s more than a little annoying: you want to know, let’s say, the contact number for a nearby restaurant. You load the webpage from your smartphone, only to find that the text shows up in teeny-tiny print.

A minute of touch-screen pinching and squeezing later, you’ve finally got the text to a readable size. But you still can’t find what you’re looking for. Instead, the number is buried on another page, or in a corner you can’t possibly see once you’ve zoomed in.

If memories like these make you want to chuck your phone across the room or use your tablet as a boomerang, take a deep breath. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Changing up design to fit the medium

That’s why there’s Responsive Web Design (RWD), a way of leveraging current web standards to adapt the layout of what you’re displaying, no matter where you look at it. Like mobile web platforms themselves, it’s a new concept. But as more people access the Internet via mobile devices, it’s gaining ground—and making for a much friendlier browsing experience.

There are a few different frameworks you can use to get your site mobile-ready. I like Foundation’s intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Another good one is Bootstrap, from Twitter. And WordPress has also developed some responsive themes for bloggers.

Foundation allows you to lay out pages quickly and logically within a flexible, nestable system. Upload your content into preset grids, and enter rules in CSS to dictate how windows will appear on various devices. Foundation applies ratios to areas of content (rather than absolute pixel sizing), ensuring that fields remain proportional. Plus, Modernizr is built in, ensuring your site looks its best even on older browsers.

Giving users what they need

What’s great about RWD is that you can emphasize what really matters. If your client wants customers to call, give ’em a landing page with a fat, clickable button they can use to dial the number right from the site. If they want users to be able to make reservations with ease, make sure a reservation schedule shows up on top.

If you’re a developer and you’re not using RWD yet, you should be. It’s a huge timesaver because it means only one development cycle, and one set of code applied to all devices. Just add in the media queries, which control which style rule gets applied, to your CSS, and voila—no more writing entirely separate code for a mobile-only site.

Here at Atomic, we try to incorporate RWD into client projects by default. The way we see it, it’s just the way web design should be done. While some prevailing wisdom favors the ‘Mobile First’ approach, we kind of turn that model on its head. We make desktop sites the best they can be, and go from there to create amazing mobile versions, without sacrificing quality.

The world is going mobile. Don’t let your site be the cause of any smartphone-projectile-related misfortunes. You’ve been warned.

Does your website need to clean up its mobile act? Contact Atomic Interactive to learn how to make responsive web design work for you.

In 2011, Google changed how it ranks websites in its search results. Google’s new ranking algorithm is called Google Panda, and this algorithm is intended to promote high-quality, informative websites and weed out spam-filled web pages. Marketers and business owners alike should be aware of these changes. Websites that continue to use old practices will fall in the rankings under the new guidelines and this can cause companies to lose potential customers and clients. Keep reading to find out more about life after Google’s Panda update and important new SEO practices.

No More Keyword Stuffing

The new changes penalize websites for stuffing their content with keywords. Articles need to be informative and well-written. A large number of spelling mistakes and other typos on a website can also damage its search engine ranking. Instead of trying to game the search engine system, companies should focus on creating articles that website visitors will find legitimately valuable. Keywords can still be used sparingly, but should no longer be the primary focus of any article.

Plagiarized Website Copy Can Get A Website Banned 

One of the worst things that a company can do is steal content from another website. Although this practice has been common in the past, the Google Panda algorithm specifically looks for instances of plagiarism. If a website is determined to be composed of stolen content, Google might delete the page from its search engine entirely. Companies should invest in original, well-written content for their web pages.

Relationships And Contacts Are Key

Google’s Panda algorithm wants to promote websites that are considered trustworthy and authoritative, and one of the ways Google Panda makes this determination is by counting the number of pages that link back to the original article. Companies should work on relationship building by encouraging visitors to share articles and features. By including social media buttons, websites can make it easier for visitors to share pages. Social media engagement can help boost a website’s search engine ranking and help companies with relationship building online. Marketers should make sure that every article published on their client’s website is worthy of sharing.

Fresh Content Is More Important Than Ever

Under the new search ranking guidelines, fresh, high-quality content is more important than ever. Google Panda privileges websites that are updated frequently over those that are not. Companies should make sure that their pages are not filled with stale content. Updating a website at least once a week is a good strategy. Of course, in the attempt to produce fresh content and comply with new SEO practices, website managers should not forget that all their content should be original, error-free, and informative.

Keep Ads From Cluttering The Page

Google Panda also will penalize websites for overcrowding pages with advertisements. Not only does the inclusion of too many ads make it difficult for readers to navigate a website, but will also cause the page to drop in the search engine rankings. Companies should choose ads for their websites strategically, and should make sure that any ads that are posted do not distract visitors.