Designing Functional Websites

A website should reflect your business accurately. It must

• be easy to navigate;
• focus on your core business; and
• show only the most important information.

We use only pure HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript to design our content. Our code is compact, without any unnecessary elements, ensuring your site loads as fast as the connection allows. Content deemed not necessary to convey the essential message is removed. We use PHP/MySql for database/backend development, and a range of scripting languages to achieve what the client needs.

Many businesses have over-the-top corporate websites which are rarely visited or just do not return valuable results, making them an expensive overhead. Ask yourself this: Why do I have a website for my business? What do I offer the public? Your website should reflect your core product or service, no less and no more. When the site works and generates interest for the core product or service, it has achieved its aim.

All websites need ongoing maintenance. One of the things we do is to always be on the lookout for ways to reduce the amount of code needed by using newer technologies. Newer source code is used to improve existing code. Very often our clients are not even aware that we have improved parts of their websites. Getting the client's website to function is our responsibility. Doing business through the website is theirs.

Ongoing Maintenance

While nowadays code can be generated to a certain degree using AI, the latter does not offer solutions. Savvy programmers first find solutions to problem situations and then they code to implement them. We maintain certain aspects of our clients' websites without their involvement and often without invoicing the client. This includes:

• Monthly sitemap updates: Each month we update the XML sitemap so that the content as indexed, stays relevant. The XML sitemap is connected to your website's entry on our Google Console account. A valid sitemap ensures that your website content is better reflected in searches.
• An eye on the stats: We regularly check the statistics to see where visits come from. This is an indication where the most interest is generated from. We also check to see which devices are used to access the website. This is important as it gives us a clue as to what devices future development should focus on.
• Keyword updates: As content on the site changes, the relevant keywords will also change. We keep our finger on the pulse.

How We See Web Development

Elegant Design

We go the extra mile. Newer technology allows us to do things that were not possible before. Clients may have specific requirements, sometimes really weird ones, but the available technology makes it possible. Responsive tables are examples, where we had to design a really nifty solution to make a table with a lot of content work on mobile devices. Sometimes the solutions are barely noticeable but still important. A client had the requirements to write the name of super group of the eighties, ABBA, as ABBA. It was easy to do and looks classy.

Useable Icons and Screen Readers

For mobile devices, icons are visual cues that can be tapped to facilitate navigation.

Navigation constraints

You cannot control content on a mobile device's screen the way you can on a desktop. Thus, we have to look at ways to make it easier to navigate the mobile versions. We ensure that where possible, recognisable icons replace text to facilitate interacting with the interface.

In addition, we write code that allow screen readers and other assistive technologies to understand what the website wants to say. Screen readers are software applications that use the HTML code of websites to understand what the site is all about. They then read the information to visually or cognitively impaired persons. This requires that the HTML code is written correctly. This is called semantic HTML where the HTML elements must convey the type of information they contain. Not all of our site were developed with this in mind and we regularly update client sites to include this functionality.

Easy on the Eyes

Seeing clearly now. We first design around the constraints of mobile devices. If the content looks good here, then we know that it will work well on fixed devices such as laptops and desktops. While we cannot always control the conditions in which mobile devices are used, such as excessive sunlight or near darkness, we can ensure that the site displays well.

Validated Code

Every page we create is passed through the W3C Validator to ensure it is HTML5 compliant.

Proper code is important. Traditional programmers learnt to code effectively. The less code to achieve a certain outcome, the better. We started with HTML and CSS long before there were sloppy machine-code generated apps. We write our code by hand. Of course, we have repositories of code that work and can be used again, which saves time.

One of the first things we insist on is that every bit of code must be validated with the W3C (World Wide Web) specifications. If a site's HTML pages have been validated and a certain browser still renders the content in a less than acceptable way, it is the fault of the browser, not the source code.

Fully Responsive

Our websites can be viewed on all platforms – desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. This means they will work on mobile devices in both portrait and landscape modes. Of course in certain cases it is not always possible to get the layout perfect. Nevertheless, we try to ensure optimum viewability. In many cases where we use an image in landscape mode on a main page, for a mobile device in portrait mode, we will switch to a portrait mode image.

Since there are so many different mobile devices, it may happen from time to time that a site does not show exactly the way we planned. It must be understood that the @media queries used for different device sizes assume the standard display. If you have decided to enlarge your read view, then these media queries will not be able to render content as intended.

Browser Compatible

Because our code is validated by the W3C, our sites will work on all web browsers. How our sites display sometimes depend on external factors we cannot control. We cannot always guarantee compatibility with old browsers though. Life and technology move on. We need to move along as well. Some web browsers, such as Edge and Internet Explorer, are no longer supported and thus we cannot ensure compatibility.

Maintaining your website is a continuous process

When was the last time your website was updated? Have you removed the photo of the employee who passed away? What about your social media pages? If the last post was months ago, it creates the impression that your business does not exist anymore. If your footer still says "© 2019", your email address has changed, and your brochure is dated two years ago, then you are definitely not in control of your site, and you need us to do something about it right away.

Development Platforms

Please note that we do not, and will never, use WordPress, SquareSpace, Wix, or similar platforms. If your current website was designed on one of these platforms and you want us to redo it or otherwise maintain it, it will first be rewritten using a decent HTML/CSS editor. We use Visual Studio Code, Phoenix Code, and Brackets.

Some of our development

• Alcatraz Security – Security company in Mossel Bay, Western Cape
• Boedelbrug – Fiduciary Practitioner
• Clenerack – Suppliers of railing systems and supports for solar panel installations
• Cubify – Graphics and content developer
• Earthly Elements – Suppliers of health products
• Easylink SA – Digital marketing promotion on LinkedIn
• ITS Systems – Suppliers of security and surveillance systems
• JDM Projects – Premium property developer in Mossel Bay, Western Cape
• LP12 Support – Support for owners of Linn Sondek LP12 turntables
• Net die Woord – Bible-based teaching in homecell groups
• Propserve Management – Property and estate management
• RWBE Drilling – Geotechnical drilling services

Portfolio

View our portfolio here...