So you probably heard that Slickplan, our web app for sitemapping, was selected as a finalist in this year’s AppItOut competition.

The contest was held at Future Insights Live, a massive 5-day conference for web developers held in Las Vegas.

The contest pitted three web apps against each other in a head-to-head competition before a live audience. Lights, cameras, presentations, clapping, cheering … for a few minutes, on a Tuesday afternoon, Ian and I felt like we were on American Idol.

We even got grilled by the judges, Simon Cowell–style, and had to defend our app’s design and functionality.

It was a crazy and amazing experience. Not only did we have the honor of being voted into the competition by real users, we had the privilege of introducing Slickplan to a ton of our colleagues in a huge public forum.

We also got to meet lots of Slickplan users, many of whom thanked us for creating the app and told us how much they enjoy using it every day.

And after the competition, we got to enjoy the conference itself. We got to meet and learn from amazing industry leaders like Bulat Shakirzyanov from Twilio and Devrim Yasar from Koding. And superstar entrepreneurs like Jason Calacanis from Mahalo.

Oh — what’s that you say? Did we win the competition? No, we didn’t.

That honor went to Tracky, a social collaboration app.

But the recognition from our peers — the great feedback from our users — and the chance to learn so much in such a short time — made us feel like big winners nonetheless.

So thanks to all the fans who voted Slickplan into this year’s AppItOut competition, and gave us such a wonderful opportunity. We’re sending big love right back atcha.

At this time of year, lots of folks stress over choosing holiday gifts for their staff. Chocolates? Too generic. A gift certificate? Way too generic.

We’ve got a different concept. We’re giving our folks the gift of a stronger career.

In the past few months, we’ve invited some of our key staff to attend professional development sessions focused on interactive design and development.

In November, two of us attended the Future of Web Design conference in New York. This was an amazing opportunity to meet thought leaders in our field and explore developing technologies and trends – everything from code management and CSS3 to mobile UX and HTML5.

And in November, two more of us attended the WebVisions Web Usability Conference in Atlanta. Again, we got to socialize and share with the developers who are creating the cutting edge in UX. A huge focus of the conference was on responsive design, a paradigm that we’ve already brought back to Atomic and are applying to our work.

Spending time and money on this kind of training is valuable in so many ways. Not only does it teach us how to implement specific new technologies, it helps us think about problems differently. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and keep solving the same challenge in the same way. Being exposed to so many new ideas has helped everyone on our team break out of our creative patterns and come up with new solutions for our clients.

It’s also reinforced our commitment to each other – to building a team, together, that’s as strong as it can possibly be. Lots of people think that developers are closed-off computer nerds, but we know differently. Developers share a unique passion: to be awesome at what they do. And it’s a great feeling to know that we’re helping everyone at Atomic do that.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone.

A lot of our clients go wiggy when they see a wireframe. Maybe because of how they look: spare, utilitarian … definitely not sexy. But they play a critical role in the web development process. Here are the top four things to know about what wireframes do … and what they don’t.

A wireframe is a blueprint. A wireframe is very simple diagram that lays out the essential elements of your web pages. For example, a wireframe might have placeholders for a header, navigation, body copy, an image, a search bar, a “call to action” box, and “contact us” information. By carefully assessing which elements are needed for each page of your site, we prevent unpleasant “uh-oh, we forgot that piece” moments once we’re into full development.

It’s not a design. People often mistake a wireframe for a design document. They start to panic because they think we’re using Times New Roman for their font, or arranging their content into boring squares and rectangles. To prevent this, when looking at a wireframe, repeat this calmly to yourself: “This is not my design.” Remember, the wireframe does not represent how your page will look. It represents what it will include.

Wireframes are a step in the development process. Wireframes are just one step in a process that takes your website from idea to launch. These steps include creating a sitemap, wireframes, and design for your site, and then undertaking development. Walking through these steps one by one ensures that the basic elements of your site are established before development begins. So there’s much less chance that development will start, stop, and start over from scratch—which can drive up costs and create a clunky product.

Wireframes are not your final product. Once again, when you see a wireframe, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Repeat to yourself: “This is not my website. This is getting me to my website.” Then, open your eyes and take a critical look. Is everything on the page that should be? Are there too many items in the navigation? Too few? Are there images on the right pages? Is the live chat button where you want it? Ignore the aesthetics, think about what your customer will want to see on each page, and make sure it’s there.

Now you’re seeing a wireframe for what it is – a content planning tool that makes sure nothing critical is left out of your site. And you’re using it the way it’s meant to be used: to increase usability while saving time and money.

At WSU, I studied Integrated Marketing Communications, Human Resources Management and International Business. All of these classes were interesting, but I prefer the marketing.

The main objective of that trip is to improve my English, to meet different people from another culture, to discover new classes, and to have an expérience in a foreign company.

About myself… I love playing tennis, I played in a club for 15 years but I had to stop this year because I came in the USA. I also like other sports like surfing, skimboarding or snowboarding. I always have my iPod with me, music is a part of my life even if I don’t play it ! I’m most of the time with my friends and I enjoy watching all kinds of movies. To finish, I spend some time on photography, taking pictures and changing them on Photoshop, I really like design.

And… this is me !

As I have been traveling in different parts of the world, I speak various languages as French, which is my mother tongue, English, Spanish and Italian. All the different experiences that I had have been a great way to meet people from different countries and to discover new cultures.

I am really keen on music, I play the guitar since I am 15, and I like riding sports as mountain-biking, snowboarding and surfing. I have also a special interest for clothing, like a lot of frenchies, and also because some of my family works in the Fashion Industry… I like to hang out with my friends and to watch movies.

And people are searching for these things on their smart phones. If you want a chance at capturing these potential customers, you need to cater to their on-the-go search habits. That means you need a mobile website or application for your company — or both.

If you’re wondering about the difference, a mobile website is a condensed version of your site, optimized for viewing on a smart phone. The content and navigation are simplified and the images are minimized.

A mobile application is a self-contained program that runs on a smart phone. For example, Starbucks offers an app that lets users find a store using GPS. Chipotle has an app that lets you build, order, and pay for a burrito right on your phone.

If you haven’t thought about what kind of mobile presence your business needs, it might be time. Here are some questions to get you started.

• Who’s your audience? Are they new customers, who might need to find you using search? Are they loyal customers who might appreciate a special app?
• What are your goals? Sites and apps can have radically different purposes. Are you trying to build brand awareness? Provide information? Encourage a call or a purchase?
• What functionality do you need? Based on your goal, what functionality is required? For example, do you need to track and store a user’s GPS info? Does the app need to be usable if there’s no Wi-Fi or network signal? Does it need to run heavy animation?
• What device do you want to run on? iPhone? Android? Blackberry? Unfortunately, each platform has a unique language and process for pushing out applications, and its own internet browser. That means a site can look great on an iPhone but awful on a Blackberry. On the other hand, a site that works well on all platforms may need to have a generic look and feel.
• What’s your budget? As always, you may need to balance your goals and budget. Maybe there’s a strong business case for moving your company into the mobile space – so it’s worth it to stretch your budget. Or maybe mobile access isn’t critical for your business. In that case, scaling back on both budget and goals makes sense.

As with everything in business, there’s no cookie-cutter solution. Mobile apps and sites have awesome potential — but you want to think about what’s right for your business before you take action.

The idea that you need a PC to browse online is nearly as old fashioned as, well, the Old Fashioned. Now more than ever, people use their mobile devices to do everything—from finding the recipe for a classic cocktail, to ordering repair parts online, to writing cell phone novels.

What’s more, U.S. sales of AT&T-based iPhones are expected to reach 21.3 million by 2011. With those numbers in mind, making your content mobile-accessible seems less of an option and more of an essential, ongoing consideration.

At Atomic Interactive, we help customers adapt their web content to the mobile world in a variety of ways:

• Create an application that has value to your audience. Coming up with a concept for your application is a great place to get started. Ask yourself a few questions: “What do my clients want?” “What struggles are they having?” “Is there something fun I can share with my customers to get them excited about my product or service?” We can guide you every step of the way from concept to completion of your application.
• Fitting your site to its users. With mobile-formatted websites, we use code to sniff out your clients’ browser preferences based on the device they use to find you—whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, or mini Netbook. Your content is then displayed in an easy-to-read, mobile-size format, with the most important information up front.
• Using the latest technology. Since websites are much easier to update than applications, we’re using the latest web-development technology, such as Ajax, HTML5, and CSS3, to make functionality extremely user friendly, device-specific, and even downright sexy. We know how to optimize graphics to display well on both large and small screens, for example—so we don’t shortchange traditional users or overwhelm mobile users.
• Helping you navigate the “app” universe. Apps—the quirky, convenient applications that present information in personalized ways to mobile device users—are a great way to get multi-channel exposure (e.g., at the iTunes Appstore or the Android Market).

But how do you know which options to invest in, and whether they’ll attract customers? Our experts can help you review the online marketplace and make sure that a mobile application adds value to your brand and is useful for your customers. After all, even if you have a great app, if it’s not properly marketed, your target audience may not know it’s available.

We build sites and applications using clean code that prevent disruptions that can send mobile users running to the virtual competition. We also help prioritize your information with the mobile user’s briefer browsing habits in mind. And we always test our work from the most popular mobile platforms to be sure the content views correctly.

Want to learn more about maximizing your Web presence? Use your mobile device to find us online, send us an e-mail, or ring us up the old-fashioned way.

So… you want to make money online? Putting a few items on Ebay is one thing. But building a successful online store is another. Whether you’re selling products, services, or information, careful planning is essential for success.

Here are a few questions to consider before getting started:

Inventory

• Do you have a brick-and-mortar store that will share products with your online store? If so, what would happen if you sold a product online and in the store at the same time? Would one of your customers have a bad experience?
• How will you track your inventory online? Some store owners use the web; some use Quickbooks and sync the store and the ecommerce site together. Whatever method you choose, create a process and follow it diligently.

Software

• Is there existing ecommerce software system that you can use?
• If so, is it the best solution for your customers? Would they have a better experience with a website ecommerce design that was custom-built to their needs? A custom Magento solution, for example, might pay off in the long run if it makes the buying process easier for your customers.

Handling payment

• How will customers pay for your product or service? You’ll need to select a merchant account and gateway to get started.
• PayPal is an affordable option – but they aren’t a bank and don’t have to obey the same legalities that banks do.
• Authorize.net might work with your business banking account.
• Your bank might have a custom solution, or your inventory management system might have a built-in system.

Shipping

• Will you offer free shipping? If so, how will that cost be built into your business model?
• What vendor will be most convenient and cost-effective: UPS, USPS, or Fedex?
• Are your products large enough to require freight shipping? Can your vendor handle that? What will the handling fee be?

Marketing

• How will you market your website? Customers won’t find you automatically – you need a plan for getting their attention and moving them to your site.
• Are you familiar with the ins-and-outs of website marketing—from search engine optimization to analytics? Or would it save money in the long run to work with a trusted advisor to market your ecommerce site?

Figuring out the best ecommerce system for your products and your customers may take some time. Remember that time you spend upfront in planning will save headache down the line — and that custom development, if it helps convert interest to sales, can be worth its weight in gold.

Often when I’m talking with a potential customer, they get stuck one question. Is improving their website really worth the investment?

They might want a good website in theory. But paying for it can seem like money spent on overhead, without much return on investment.

That’s why I help customers figure out clear business goals for their website, before they get started. Goals intended to help their business grow.

Those goals could include things like having more customers:

• Fill out a “request for estimate” form
• Click a “chat with a salesperson” button
• Download a brochure, sales flyer, or white paper
• Watch a sales video
• Download a coupon
• Sign up for a mailing list
• And, of course, make a purchase!

Once we set goals for a website, its value becomes more clear. And our job as web developers also becomes clear: design a site that will achieve those goals.

We do that in a lot of ways. By creating a professional website that lends credibility to the business. By building intuitive navigation that lead visitors through a desired “path” in the site. By making contact information easy to find. By creating easy-to-use forms. And by designing effective calls to action.

The proof in the pudding is when we measure results against the goals. We can measure just about anything using Google Analytics. But we also love to hear firsthand results from our customers. Like when HotSpring told us that the majority of their sales were now coming in through their website. Or when K12 Gallery told us that online donations were starting to roll in.

From my perspective, a beautiful website is great. But if it’s not helping your business grow, it’s just so much ink on … well, a screen.

Is email marketing dead?

We recently saw a post on this topic, and it made us stop and think. If you can get Twitter and Facebook updates from your favorite companies, do you really need to get email from them too?

We put our thinking caps on, and we thunk awhile, and we decided . . . yes, yes, you do need email marketing!

Here’s why.

• Email marketing reaches customers who haven’t jumped into social media. Plenty of boomers get email from their kids and shop online. But not all of them have started using Facebook, let alone Twitter. Email remains a useful way to stay in touch with them and let them know about sales and promotions.
• It’s a way to establish expertise. Many companies send out email newsletters just like this one on a regular basis. These newsletters aren’t pushing direct sales. Instead, they share information about topics that are important to your customers. This knowledge-sharing can help establish you as an expert in your field – whether you’re a catering firm writing about how to host a great event, or a golf pro offering weekly tips on improving your stroke.
• It’s a way to get the word out about sales and specials. It’s no big news that putting products on sale is one of the most effective calls to action available. That’s why mega-retailers like J. Crew and Land’s End have aggressive email marketing campaigns. Each company promotes a wide variety of sales throughout the year – sometimes it’s free shipping, sometimes it’s end-of-season discounts, sometimes percent discounts. But the sales are regular, and the emails announcing them can come weekly or even daily.

The rules of conduct governing email marketing are rigorous, and there’s no better way to ruin your reputation and get onto server blacklists than to violate them. But if you follow the rules, email can be a great part of your interactive marketing campaign.

Want to talk about your email strategy? Contact us today.