How many people have Silverlight installed?

According to Rich Internet Application Statistics, Silverlight is installed on version 4 (64.40%), version 3 (4.14%) and version 2 (0.40%) of the machines out there.

You can add the RIAStats collection script to your own site, for free. You’ll receive a link to an RIAStats report that’s specific to your own site. Share that link if you like, or keep it private. Use the “RIAStats for your site, free!” button at the bottom of riastats.com.

What kind of numbers are you seeing?
I’d love to hear from anyone with access to similar stats for their own site(s).

Photoshop - Layer Style & Layer Mask Interaction

Photoshop - Layer Style & Layer Mask Interaction

In this "Tutorial" I'm going to show you a neat little trick involving layer styles and the way they relate to layer masks.

Step 1
You know how sometimes you think you’re so damn smart… And then you learn something so basic that it makes you feel silly for thinking you were at all smart in the first place? Well, if you’re a long time PS user like me and you don’t know this trick, be prepared to have that feeling.

I never new about this little gem and just had processes in my workflow to compensate, so I can’t say I ever missed it, but now that I know, I use it all the time!

I’ve setup a simple example below to help me demonstrate. I’ve added a new layer and with the Elliptical Marquee tool created and filled a circular selection which I then applied a few simple Layer Styles to (ie. Drop Shadow, Outer Glow and Bevel & Emboss).

Step 2
Next, I’ll grab the Rectangular Marquee tool and create a selection around the top of the circle. With that selection made I’ll click the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette to add a Layer Mask to this layer. The issue we’re going to solve today now becomes evident. As you can see, not only have I masked the circle, but Photoshop has now automatically adjusted all the layer styles to apply only to the unmasked pixels on the stage. Now, sometimes you want this to happen… But sometimes you don’t.

Step 3
Adding a Gradient to the layer mask to create a fading effect compounds the problem as Photoshop struggles to apply Layer Styles to partially transparent pixels causing the bottom of the circle to take on a blackish look due to blending that’s going on with the underlying Drop Shadow.

Step 4
So here’s the Tip:
If we open the Layers Styles dialog for the Circle layer back up by double-clicking on its Layer Style icon, we are by default opened to the Blending Options page. You’ll notice that in the center of the dialog is a section called Advanced Blending and inside that area is a feature called Layer Mask Hides Effects. By default this checkbox is not checked. Notice also that the next unchecked box is for Vector Masks, which makes this tip relevant to both types of masks.

Step 5
If I click on the Layer Mask Hides Effects box, you can see that now the mask is independent of the Layer Styles and is applied to the actual pixels on the layer AND the layer style in exactly the same way.

If you already knew this little tip, shame on you for not sharing it with the rest of us… And if you didn’t and are now having that feeling I mentioned, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone... :)

Common Search Engine Optimization - SEO Mistakes

Common Search Engine Optimization - SEO Mistakes

It's difficult to pinpoint which elements of search engine optimization truly matter as the search based algorithms are completely unknown and kept a secret. However, through years of practice and experimentation there are ways to increase a website's overall search engine ranking through a few commonly known SEO factors.

Due to the wide proliferation of SEO on the web, many people make common mistakes when implementing SEO strategies. In a push to help your rankings, this article will share a few of these common SEO mistakes.

Keywords play a vital role in the overall ranking of a website. Without proper keyword research, even the best content can fail to reach a high level of search engine ranking. Use the common keyword research tools to find the best ones for each piece of content you plan to create and replicate the use of it throughout the page.

Mistake #2: Failing to optimize the title tag and description
The title and description are what gets your content clicks; not only do you need to craft each so they entice users to click through but they will need to be optimized with your keywords in order for them to rank well. Using the same keywords you found through keyword research, include them in your title and description.

Mistake #3: Overstuffing the content with keywords
Due to years of bad practice and false information, many webmasters have stuffed their content with every possible combination of keywords; doing so is bad play and will cause search engines to apply negative "points" to your content which ultimately reduces the overall ranking. In short: don't abuse your keywords.

Mistake #4: Failing to build backlinks to each web page
Despite writing a great piece of content and optimizing your pages for SEO, if you're not building backlinks to each page than you're not going to rank well. Backlinks help search engines determine the usefulness of content on the web; a link from another site is an indicator that yours is worthwhile. Build backlinks to each page from related websites while using related keywords.

Conclusion
It's very common to make a mistake when focusing on SEO; so many factors come into play that it can be a hassle to keep up with them all especially when they're constantly changing. The basics still rule: create great content, optimize your keywords and build backlinks to your site; do these with each content you publish and you can avoid the many SEO mistakes.

Website Redesign - Do It For The Right Reasons

Is your website bringing in new business and generating leads like it used to? Does it reach the right audience? Is it professional looking? If your answer is no to any of these questions, it may be time to take a fresh look and consider a website redesign.

Your company's website was created to increase sales and to generate leads. Over time, the look and feel, as well as content, may have become dated. Often, a website has had content added to it that it was not originally designed for. The result can be an awkward looking and an awkward functioning site.

If you are thinking about an overhaul of your current website, keep in mind that it will need to be for the right reasons. It will also need to be part of a larger strategic marketing plan.

The most important reasons is to generate sales and be found by more prospects/clients - everything else is secondary. Without a prospect finding your site, you are not even getting the opportunity to generate new sales and you are not making money. Being found is easier said than done. It starts with creating a great looking website with an accurate, compelling message that will help generate more leads than your current website. Your visitors need information, as well as a look, that is persuasive.

Next is the underlying code and structure of the website. These are the parts most people never see, but search engines are very interested in. These un-seen parts of the website must be optimized to be successful with Google, Bing and other search engines. The appearance of your webpages needs be supported by carefully researched keywords and key phrases. Search engine success is the difference between a beautiful site that is busy and a beautiful site that nobody sees.

Once you have attracted prospects to your website, converting them into buyers is critical. Your website needs to have the functionality, ease of navigation and great content that people are looking for.

Many times, the content of a website is pretty good. After all, you know your business best and are able to write to your strengths. However, what it often lacks is the impact of a professionally designed website. Your website has to instill trust and confidence in your business or brand. Fair or not, people make decisions based solely upon the appearance of a site, even when your product or service is superior to your competitors.

Nearly 50% of the time, web sales are simply lost. The reason? Your visitor cannot easily find the information, products or services they are looking for. The result? They simply cannot be converted to sales. Don't waste website traffic, and lose sales, due to a lack of sales-ability.

After your site has been professionally redesigned and relaunched, it must be monitored, refined and improved on a regular, on-going basis to continue to capture new prospects. Information must engage visitors or they will leave your website and land on one of your competitors.

If you are considering investing your precious marketing dollars in a website redesign, it should be carefully and professionally crafted from the ground up to be found by your prospects and to convert them into sales. This happens when you have a strategic plan in place from the very beginning.

Remember, business websites are created to generate sales. Today, it is not enough to just have a website. It must be part of your larger strategic marketing plan.