Pure Web Analytics - Web Technology Blog http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:05:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Using the PHP flush method in your website http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2010/02/22/using-the-php-flush-method-in-your-website/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2010/02/22/using-the-php-flush-method-in-your-website/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:29:00 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=385 For those of you looking for greater speed when it comes to website loading times all you need to do is “flush”. A good number of people who are running websites today use PHP to do so.

What you probably didn’t know is that you can use the flush method to clear the buffer when your web page loads because after all slower web page loading times mean fewer visitors and a higher bounce rate. It’s all about keeping those “fans in the stands” when you are developing websites for human consumption.

Using the flush() method

It’s a relatively simple piece of code to use…

  1. Simply locate the head section of your website (Usually noted by the and HTML tags)
  2. Place the following code after the end of the < head > HTML tag…
      ... <!-- css, js -->
    </head>
    <?php flush(); ?>

    <body>
      ... <!-- content goes here!-->
  1. Its Rock N’ Roll time! Now your web pages will flush every time during a page load

I hope that you found this useful for your website and speeding up performance.

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2010/02/22/using-the-php-flush-method-in-your-website/feed/ 0 Today’s word is “Canonical” http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/08/30/today%e2%80%99s-word-is-canonical/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/08/30/today%e2%80%99s-word-is-canonical/#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:43:50 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=363 Now when I’ve told most people about this newer SEO practice I either get a blank stare or “What in the world is a ‘canonical?”  The answer is this; a “Canonical” is a link relationship and is used to prevent duplicate content problems that occur commonly in Search Engine Optimization and it looks similar to this code…

<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.purewebanalytics.com/post_about_canonicals.html" />

What problem does Canonical URLs fix?

Webmasters and website owners alike for years have had problems with duplicate content being indexed and ranked poorly because of this fact.  Now it is not really a duplicate but it is in the fact that if you have multiple links to the same page Google and other search engines used to see this as a bad thing and thus it dropped rankings of your website.  When the canonical URL concept was finally launched earlier this year (back in February) and it was covered by just about everyone in the SEO community.

Now that I’ve talked about the problem let’s talk about solutions to this problem that are currently out there for your website’s SEO efforts.  There are a number of plug-ns that have been built that address this problem and allow you to use the Canonical link relationship to your advantage.

Canonical Plug-in for WordPress

Depending on how you’ve linked to content on your WordPress site chances are some duplication issues with respect to content may occur. For instance of you have a page that is associated to multiple categories on your WordPress website duplication issues may arise. Click here for Joost De Valk’s Canonical URL plug-in for WordPress .

Canonical Plug-in for Magento

The thing about designing an e-commerce website is that it is similar to the problem faced by content-based web software like WordPress because an item can be associated to multiple categories or areas of an ecommerce website. Of course, someone has thought of a plug-in to assist you in solving your duplicate content problem. Both Joost De Valk and Joachim Houtman collaborated together to develop this Magento plug-in so have a look at it here.

Honourable Mention: All-in-one SEO Plug-in for WordPress

The All-In-One SEO Plug-in for WordPress is does support and uses the Canonical URL structure. I’ve always loved this plug-in, yes “loved” this plug-in! It’s great because if you don’t know a lot about SEO and you run a WordPress website it gives you a boost when it comes to common SEO practices that are in use today! Check it out here

Depending on the website that you run duplicate content has been an issue for a long time and now with Canonical URLs it’s possible to help you with some of the problems that lower ranking websites or ecommerce websites face.

Luc Arnold

Gettin’ “Canonical” with it!

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/08/30/today%e2%80%99s-word-is-canonical/feed/ 0 One new look for PureWebAnalytics http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/08/26/one-new-look-for-purewebanalytics-thanks-to-woothemes-and-the-completely-free-mainstream-wordpress-theme/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/08/26/one-new-look-for-purewebanalytics-thanks-to-woothemes-and-the-completely-free-mainstream-wordpress-theme/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:37:15 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=343 I personally enjoy switching up the website theme of PureWebAnalytics.com every so often as it gives people who are new to the site a chance to experience the website all over again. I’ve been running the website a little over 2 and a half years now (I started it in January of 2007 to be more precise) and it originally started as a way for me to teach myself stuff about the web, design, implementations, scripts and maintenance. Looking back since I started I realize that I have learned a ton about web analytics, online marketing, web development and online business in general.

The theme that my site is currently rocking out is called “Mainstream”, a great creation from the team at WooThemes.com . This is one of the great things about running a website using a platform like WordPress . There are plenty of web designers and developers out there designing plug-ins, add-ons and themes for little to no cost at all with the same mission in mind, extending the functionality of the core software. Now, if you’ve never checked out WooThemes you’ll be surprised by the selection of top quality themes that they offer and some of them they offer for free like their “Mainstream” theme. The theme itself is designed to work with WordPress , an open source CMS system built using PHP and mySQL. The theme was actually designed by Adii Pienaar the “WordPress Rockstar!” from South Africa whose been rocking WordPress for the last few years. If you haven’t checked out WooThemes I would highly suggest it and also Adii’s personal site which is full of great information. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the new theme!

Luc

Keeping it “Mainstream”

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/08/26/one-new-look-for-purewebanalytics-thanks-to-woothemes-and-the-completely-free-mainstream-wordpress-theme/feed/ 0 Analyzing the Affiliates http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/07/11/analyzing-the-affiliates/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/07/11/analyzing-the-affiliates/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:12:51 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=337 I recently received a nice little pay check of about $330.00 because I decided to start affiliate marketing efforts on my main business site, SpicyWebDesigners. Now the fact that my site receives a good amount of traffic right now helps but it’s also how I choose affiliates that are focused and in line with the audience that I attract that allow me to get those conversions.

Naturally $330.00 is not a huge amount of money but when you think that I don’t need to spend time working for that money (other than the work I put into my site) it’s a really cool way to monetize a site. Getting back to my point about this article when and if you decide to get involved in affiliate marketing you’ve got to realize that some affiliate programs just aren’t worth your time and here are a few reasons why…

  1. The product is not aligned with your target audience’s core interests
  2. The commission per sale is too low
  3. The product that you’ve affiliated with does not sell and isn’t that popular

I hope those quick tips help you if you decide to start affiliate marketing.

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/07/11/analyzing-the-affiliates/feed/ 0 The most important thing about a website is… http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/07/02/the-most-important-thing-about-a-website-is%e2%80%a6/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/07/02/the-most-important-thing-about-a-website-is%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:51:50 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=334 Performance! Of course! If you think about it what is the number one thing that stops people from visiting a website or a web page? Most time you’ll hear your customers or audience saying “The site is too slow!” and then they never come back. One potential customer lost forever. I thought that I would take a moment to highlight a tool that I use when testing the performance of a website. It’s a Firefox add-on called “TamperData ” and what it does is measures page load time and the elements (JS, CSS, HTML, images, etc.) to give you a better picture as to why your site is slow and give you a chance to optimize your website further.

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/07/02/the-most-important-thing-about-a-website-is%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 Build Better Links to Track in Google Analytics http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/03/08/build-better-links-to-track-in-google-analytics/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/03/08/build-better-links-to-track-in-google-analytics/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:06:59 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=321 Now I am long time user of Google Analytics (about two years or so now) and I just recently stumbled on a tool to help you build URLs that are friendly to Google Analytics tracking. It’s a pretty cool tool that takes almost know time to learn but it will help any users out there looking to gain better control over tracking where and how people are coming into your website using a wide range of sources including email, PPC, banner ads, etc. Check it out and enjoy…

Google Analytics URL Builder Tool


]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/03/08/build-better-links-to-track-in-google-analytics/feed/ 0 Attended the IIBA Networking Event in Mississauga Recently http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/03/08/attended-the-iiba-networking-event-in-mississauga-recently/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/03/08/attended-the-iiba-networking-event-in-mississauga-recently/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:53:49 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=314 Over the past little while i’ve been researching Business Analysis and for anyone in the information technology field i recommend learning a thing or three about Business Analysis decided to become involved with an organization devoted to the understanding.  But where to find such an organization?  I searched high and low and found an organization devoted to promoting the Business Analysis skill set.  The organization is called IIBA or "International Institute of Business Analysis".  Anyways, I decided to get out there and go networking at the Mississauga Chapter which started up in January of this year.  The evening that i attended they had a panel of experts who shared their experiences of starting off in the career of business analysis and what it takes to become a business analyst.  It was a fun evening and my first networking event that i have ever attended.  I really enjoyed it and i think i will do more of this "networking" in the future.  The one thing that they really don’t emphasize in College when you are studying Computer Science is the idea of networking and it is really a great thing because it opens up new doors and perhaps things that you never really thought about.  At least that has been my experience with networking.  So if you are in IT and wondering how to get out there and meet likeminded people why don’t you go join an organization and get away from the computer for a little while… it will be there when you get back :)

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/03/08/attended-the-iiba-networking-event-in-mississauga-recently/feed/ 0 What Does Great SEO take? http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/02/07/what-does-great-seo-take/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/02/07/what-does-great-seo-take/#comments Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:28:13 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=307 So many people try to sell Search engine Optimization as the ultimate fix for a web based business. So what does great SEO really take? I’ve dealt with customers in the past on a wide variety of SEO concerns. The thing about great search engine optimization is that there is no tried and true method that guarantees success because great SEO is practice, experimentation, measurement and research. What works for you may not work with someone else. I’ve decided to split it into a few areas to make it easier to understand…

Understanding the technologies involved – This is a biggie when it comes to search engine optimization. Understanding how robots and spiders work, how certain search engines rank your site, how your site’s architecture may conflict or work with search engines to build a “search engine friendly” website.

Understanding your customer’s behavior – How do your customer’s use your website? What do they want from your online business? Do they have problems searching your website or e-commerce site? Where do they drop off in the conversion process? These questions and more will shed light on what needs to be done to optimize your website and this separates the big time players for the small fish in online business.

Researching & knowing your business – You’ve got to know your business and understand the need that it meets. This will provide insight into what needs to be done next. Where is your business? Where are you going in using a website, e-commerce site, portal or some other web presence as a part of your business systems?

I do a lot of ‘techie’ type stuff when it comes to search engine optimization and what I’ve noticed about SEO is that companies think it’s the be all and end all solution to their web business. The simple truth is that with planning and understanding you can reach achievable goals in online web business systems but you need to monitor and plan in order to see long term results. Be wary of any company or individual claiming first page results and simply look for someone who has your company’s best interests in mind.

Luc

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/02/07/what-does-great-seo-take/feed/ 2 What is WIA-ARIA? http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/02/06/what-is-wia-aria/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/02/06/what-is-wia-aria/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:00:37 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=304 I came across this methodology of designing online while interviewing a web designer for the main site that I run, SpicyWebDesigners.com and I had no clue what WIA-ARIA (aka. Accessible Rich Internet Applications) stood for or even meant. After Alex Gewessler explained its meaning I was intrigued to know more so I decided to check out w3Schools and found the following…

“WAI-ARIA, the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite, defines a way to make Web content and Web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. It especially helps with dynamic content and advanced user interface controls developed with Ajax, HTML, JavaScript, and related technologies.”

Source: W3C: WAI-ARIA Overview

I am glad to see that organizations like W3C (world wide web consortium) are taking steps to ensure that disabled persons can access the internet as well. I haven’t found many web designers who specialize in this particular understanding of Accessible Internet Application development but I am sure that in the coming years we will see more standards related to this type of consideration being made when planning and implementing a web site or business system that runs online. Just thought I’d share.

Luc

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/02/06/what-is-wia-aria/feed/ 0 What is the gclid URL parameter? http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/01/31/what-is-the-gclid-url-parameter/ http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/01/31/what-is-the-gclid-url-parameter/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:17:17 +0000 Luc Arnold http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/?p=300 I remember getting a question about this a while back about someone’s URL that they were using as a landing page from a Google Adwords campaign that looked similar to this…

“http://www.yourlandingpage.com ?gclid=123xyz”

So what is the “gclid” URL parameter anyways? It is a way that Google Adwords allows its users to “Auto-Tag” a landing page in an Adwords campaign. Auto-Tagging is simply the process of making sure that data is being collected from a landing page including the source, medium, term and content information. Just thought I’d share this with you. Enjoy your Auto-Taggin’ Adventures in Google Adwords.

Luc

]]> http://www.PureWebAnalytics.com/2009/01/31/what-is-the-gclid-url-parameter/feed/ 0