You could say I’m a newbie when it comes to web development.

My background is in graphic design, but as Atomic’s newest designer, I’ve been doing some web work, too. Learning the programming ropes has been easier than I expected, though, thanks to my secret weapon: Codecademy. One of my fellow Atomic developers showed me the site, and it’s a novice coder’s dream.

Codecademy is an easy (and free!) way to learn jQuery, JavaScript, and the fundamentals of web development. Information is organized into step-by-step lessons, starting with the basics, like entering commands or performing simple math problems. And it’s fun—seriously. Each course wraps up with a project that requires you to put the skills you’ve just learned to work (I’ve built a virtual blackjack game, address book, and cash register on past levels). Codecademy teaches you to problem-solve with code.

In contrast to the Google-one-command-because-you-can’t-remember-how-to-use-it strategy that’s the tendency of many a developer, Codecademy shows you how commands work together. Each coding lesson draws on skills learned previously, making knowledge more likely to stick.

And it’s not just for beginners. Codecademy has tutorials all the way up to high-level programming. Even if you think you know it all, there are always cool shortcuts to learn. (I’ve learned tricks that shorten ten lines of code to just two or three.)

In case coding savvy isn’t enough, the site lets you create an account to track your progress, earn badges for successfully completing projects, and share your achievements with friends. There are also helpful hints and glossaries for each section, and a Q&A forum to share tips with other coders. I’m about halfway through the program, and am amazed by how far I’ve come. Code that used to look like gibberish suddenly makes sense—now I’m writing gibberish of my own.

Who’s callin’ me a newbie?

Want to see our developers’ coding expertise in action? Give Atomic a ring and we’ll show you what we can do.

Ever visit a restaurant that got the dining experience just right? I don’t mean only great food. I’m talking about a place that really understood what they were about. From the impression when you walked in the door, to the look of the menu, to taste of the meals themselves—this place showed that they were something special. You probably recommended the restaurant to friends, and maybe even became a regular customer. You went for the grub, sure, but it was the experience that kept you going back.

The way we interact with websites isn’t so different. While it might be a little easier (for us non-programmers, at least) to pick out the details that set restaurants apart, it doesn’t take a trained eye to tell the Bob’s Diners from the hip eateries of the web world.

As Atomic’s business developer, I get asked all the time what the big difference is between template-based and custom websites. Why shell out for a custom site when you can get an off-the-shelf template for a fraction of the cost? It’s a valid point—but one you may end up paying for later. Here’s why:

Credibility. Your website reflects your business. A custom-made site says, “I know what I’m doing. This look takes work. Let’s get to know each other. Sit down and stay a while.” And a template looks like, well, a template, no matter which “unique” design you pick. As a veritable fast-food chain of websites, it says…not much.

User experience. Good luck incorporating your company’s branding elements into a template site. All templates have virtually the same navigation and site map, leaving little room for customization. Have extra service lines, a unique business model, or want additional functionality? Too bad. Visitors may never find out about them, because if they don’t fit within the template’s preset formula, you’re out of luck.

Custom design, on the other hand, shakes things up. It gets users excited about all the cool things the Web can do. Plus, it allows for all the business-specific gadgetry your enterprising heart desires (like order tracking, purchase histories, and clear calls to action).

Back-end ease of use. Web code has high standards. These standards help developers organize data so that it’s logical for upgrades. They’re also important for sharing information with search engines, like Google. If standards aren’t obeyed, search engines won’t index your site correctly, making any SEO work you’re doing for naught.

But website templates aren’t always built with standards-compliant code. The worst part? You won’t know if a template is compliant or not until after you’ve purchased it. Reputable web companies build custom websites with clean, well-organized code.

The bottom line is, you just can’t accomplish a memorable user experience using a template (did I mention they’re also prone to hacking?). By the time you spend the time and money to deal with the headaches templates cause, you’ll wish you’d invested in a custom website from the start.

Be the place people are talking about. Don’t be the greasy spoon.

Fortunately for you, custom web design is kind of our thing. Contact Atomic for ideas on how to help your site chuck the cookie cutter.

Marketing a business online through search engine optimization is a great way to draw in targeted customers at a low cost. The problem with most companies, though, is that many don’t know how to get their website ranking for the keywords they want. This is where a search engine marketing company will come into play. With thousands of SEO companies out there, it’s important to distinguish the good from the bad. Since so many scams are floating around in cyberspace, here are five things a legitimate SEO company will never do:

#1 Guaranteed Rankings – To the Top in 48 Hours!

Search engines can be very unpredictable and if a company ever claims that they can get you number one rankings, it’s best to run very fast. First off, how can they get these number on rankings? Do they have some special relationship with the search engines? Probably not. With a natural marketing strategy, rankings will usually follow.

#2 Unknown Company Name – Who are They?

A great SEO company won’t only offer a great sales pitch but they will have a great presence online. Since they will practice what they preach, a good company will rank for great terms and have a great reputation online. Usually, a quick search for the company will bring up some decent results. If you’re reading a lot of negativity or nothing at all, it’s safe to say that this company may not know what they are doing. Now, this isn’t always the case, but if you can’t find anything about them, it’s safe to consider someone else.

#3 It’s a Secret – We Won’t Share

If a company won’t talk about their marketing strategy or content development up front, then there’s probably something to hide. See, most search engines rely on hundreds of factors. One of those main factors include gaining backlinks from other sources to your website. If your website has thousands of unnatural looking backlinks, then this can actually come around to bite you in the butt down the road. A great company will not only lay out a plan but they will tell you exactly how they are going to promote you to the top. Always make sure that you get this information in writing.

#4 Spelling and Grammar

Upon landing on a SEO website, it’s important to read the content that they have written. A lot of the bad SEO services out there are outsourced through countries such as the Philippines or India. While there are great companies in these countries, a lot of them have shady tactics that just don’t work. A great way to find these bad businesses is simply by reading their sales copy on the front page. Since there’s a good chance that they will work on content development for your website, would you want the world to know that your website can’t spell or write right?

#5 Bad References – Nothing to Show

A great company can showcase a lot of the clients that they worked for. Wouldn’t it be impressive if a company could rank a client for the terms like “credit cards.” If they can prove they can do something like this, then the proof is in the pudding. Yes, it’s a cliché, but it’s so true. Always ask for references and a portfolio before signing a long-term contract.