PHP Vs. ASPX - What's Better

I got a note from a perspective client who heard from a competitor that:

"aspx language was less secure and a dead language to build a site in"

I ran that thought by our development team and it stirred some heated debate (Were a .net shop but some of our guys use to program in .php before starting with us)  Here are the points that I was able to take away from the conversation:  

That sounds like a PHP developer talking. That is almost like saying the iphone is dying because of Android when the reality is both operating systems have market share. This is just opinion but here are a few points about asp.net (aspx) to consider:

• asp.net (Aspx) is typically associated with more enterprise level software. It's a Microsoft language and in the past some of the software you need to develop in it and run it cost money were PHP is more of a free or open source type of language. It's my belief that with paid programs comes better documentation, support, performance, updates and security. 

• Another reason we develop in aspx is that many of the companies we work with have Microsoft ERP or internal systems and integration between these systems is so much easier when they speak the same language to begin with. 

This debate is more like what's better Chevy or Ford. The reality is they are both good products but to say aspx is dead couldn't be farther from the truth. It's almost sounds like a sleazy used car sales man type of pitch. We've used php in the past and it has some great features but we feel like we can deliver a better quality and more secure product using ASPX. I'm not knocking PHP it is used by a lot of popular sites but I don't believe it is a better product.

Learn more about Foremost Media asp.net programming capabilities here.

Posted By Jon Ballard

Read More

I'm shooting a video for my website. What what format would be optimal?

Most of our clients will upload their video to a site like YouTube or Vimeo and then embed from there. These are the settings we recommend when exporting your video for Vimeo or YouTube

Video Settings

Codec: H.264
A codec is the format in which your video will be encoded. Different codecs have different features and varying quality. For best results, we recommend using H.264 (sometimes referred to as MP4).

Frame rate: 24, 25, or 30 FPS

If you know at which frame rate you shot, it is best to encode at that same frame rate. However, if it exceeds 30 FPS (frames per second), you should encode your video at half that frame rate. For example, if you shot 60 FPS, you should encode at 30 FPS. If you're uncertain what frame rate you shot at, set it to either "Current" or 30 FPS. If there is an option forkeyframes, use the same value you used for frame rate.

Data rate: 2000 kbps (SD), 5000 kbps (HD)

This setting controls both the visual quality of the video and its file size. In most video editors, this is measured of kilobits per second (kbps). Use 2000 kbps for standard definition or 5000 kbps for high definition video.

Resolution: 640x480 (SD), 1280x720 (HD)

Choose 640×480 for 4:3 SD video, 640×360 for 16:9 SD video, and 1280×720 or 1920×1080 for HD. If you have the option to control the pixel aspect ratio (not the display aspect ratio), make sure it's set to "1:1" or "1.00," sometimes referred to as "square pixels."

Audio Settings

Codec: AAC (Advanced Audio Codec)

For best results, we recommend using AAC for the audio codec.

Data rate: 320 kbps

320 kbps is the highest quality audio data rate we currently support.

Sample rate: 44.1 kHz

44.1 kHz is the highest audio sample rate we currently support.

Read More

How does Google use human raters in web search?

Google's Matt Cutts explains the process in a video. Google's Quality Raters classify URLs as good, bad, spam and other classifications.

After an algorithm update, Google's engineers can do a side by side (blind taste test) directed to the Quality Raters and the raters say which side they like better."

Read More

Should I Use A Service To Submit My Site To The Search Engines?

We still get quite a few calls or emails from clients who have been solicited by companies offering to "Submit their site to the search engines".  My recommendation is run away from these types of companies.

Honestly the best way to get on the search engines these days is to get links from other sites.  Post links to your site on Facebook, twitter and any other blogs or foms where people might be intrested.  This is the quickest and best way to get indexed by the major search engines.  Most of the submit services are a scam.

You should however submit a dynamic site map to the major search engines.  These site maps come standard in most content management sites and basically let the search engines know which pages have been updated etc.

Learn More About Google Site Maps Here:
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2011/08/submit-urls-to-google-with-fetch-as.html


Posted By Jon Ballard

Read More

How Internet Service Providers Affect SEO

Michael Martinez posted a great article on how the wrong ISP can create negative effects on your SEO efforts. I thought the key points were worth relaying:

The ISP Blocks Web Crawlers At Their Router

In an effort to minimize load on their servers some ISP's can actually block the web crawlers that help the search engines understand what your site is about. If your ISP is doing this your site won't rank well on the search engines.

The ISP Puts You On A Crowded Server

It's a proven fact that Google and the other major search engines use site speed to help determine rankings. If your on a slow server with lots of other sites your rankings can and will suffer.

Your Hosting ISP Won’t Create Backups For You

Rolling back a major Website update that breaks your search optimization strategy is a major operation and you need to make sure you control the backups.

Read the full article here

Read More

How to Make Someone an Administrator on Your Facebook Page

Since we do a lot of work with clients and their Facebook pages and we come across this question a lot, we wanted to post it for all of you to see so you know how to make someone else an admin of your pages. Remember though, that Facebook changes literally every week so be sure to stay on top of the changes that happen. Follow these steps to make whoever you'd like an administrator of your Facebook page:

1) Login to Facebook and go to the page that you would like make the other person admin of
2) Click "Edit Page" in the upper right hand corner

3) Click "Manage Admins" in the left hand column of the next screen

4) Type the name of the person that you would like to make an admin in the empty box, EXACTLY how it appears on their Facebook account

5) If you're friends with that person on Facebook, they're picture and name will appear. (If you're not friends with them, it will send email to them, requesting they confirm you want them to be an admin) Click it and then click  "Save Changes." You'll then have to enter your Facebook password to confirm the change.

That's it!

Read More

Facebook Forcing Business Page Updates

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Facebook is an ever-changing beast and this morning, they announced that it won't be changing anytime soon. As of March 30th, Facebook will REQUIRE the upgrade of your business' Facebook page to the new "Timeline" format. This comes on the heel of the update to the personal Facebook pages that was highly scrutinized. Although we don't agree with the personal page changes, this Timeline feature for Business Pages could be GREATLY beneficial for promoting your brand and its products.

New Features
1) Brand Your PageAdd a unique cover photo and showcase your most important news on your Page timeline. This will allow you to showcase your brand and products as you like. The only thing you really can't do is use the spot for advertising of any type. That's against Facebook Policy.

Example: Here's Starbucks' cover photo showcasing their coffee bens

2) Highlight What MattersPin a new post to the top of your Page each week so people notice what's important. We've all made cool posts about stuff that got really good reaction from fans and followers and wished we could post it at the top for a while. Well, now you can prioritize for those important posts and information.

3) Manage Everything in One Place
See and respond to your recent activity and private messages right from the top of your Page. Most people are sick of trying to keep a hundred logins and keep up with how to administer their pages. Now you can do all of it from the top of your business page. Saving you time!

If you're interested in having us update your Facebook page and make it look GREAT, click the green button below to contact our Social Media Expert Aaron Manogue (amanogue@foremostmedia.com) or call (608)758-4841.

Read More