7 More Fun and Functional Ways to Use Google Search

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Google’s homepage may make it look like a simple search engine, but there are plenty of extra functions and entertaining Easter eggs hiding just below its unassuming surface. We covered six cool Google tips last month. Try these seven tricks to get started with some Google fun.

1. Track Your Flight

Get detailed information about any domestic flight with Google’s Flight Tracker function. Type in the name of the carrier and the flight number to find out when the flight took off, if it’s on time and when it’s scheduled to land. Current weather information for any airport is also available. Continue reading →

Who Knew You Could Do This With Google Search?

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If all you’ve been using Google search for is to find products, services, websites and media, you’re missing out. Behind the unassuming homepage, there’s a wealth of unique features to discover. Try these eight ways Google makes the web more useful and fun.

1. Read Archived Newspapers

Google NewspapersGoogle News doesn’t just bring you the latest headlines. The search giant has archived well over a century’s worth of publications from around the world. You can read small local and niche papers or browse through the contents of well-known publications. This is a great tool to help with research for school, work or personal use. Continue reading →

High Bounce Rate? Here’s How to Fix It

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bounce rateGoogle defines bounce rate as the “percentage of visitors” that leave your site from a landing page “without interacting with it.” Watch this funny and educational video by Google’s Digital Marketing Evangelist, Avinash Kaushik, calls bounce rate the “sexiest metric ever” and is a huge fan of it. As Avinash mentions, bounce rate is important for your inside pages also, not just your homepage.

A high bounce rate is often a sign that the user experience needs improvement. If your site isn’t getting the engagement you want, try these tips for lowering your bounce rate: Continue reading →

Mobile-Friendly: Responsive vs Mobile Websites

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Mobile friendly website comparisonWith last month’s release of Google’s new ranking algorithm that lowers non-mobile-friendly websites in a mobile search, people have been running to get their site mobile-friendly.  But for those out there who have yet to make the switch, the options for turning a website “mobile-friendly” can be confusing and frustrating, especially for those who aren’t familiar with web design terms.   Continue reading →

Modern Cloud Typography and Browser Font Compatibility

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fontWhen web designers get together they like to discuss current trends and happenings in their chosen industry. Some developer’s responsibilities include making web and mobile versions of print magazines. As can be expected, typography can be one of the major challenges that a web developer would face in getting content published.

Print magazine designers and publishers have greater freedom than their online counterparts in terms of typography. This may be difficult to believe for average users of word processing or desktop publishing software. There is a typographic disconnect between web design standards and browser compatibility that makes print design difficult to reproduce online. Imagine the challenge of bringing Ray Gun, a mid-1990s rock-and-roll magazine that was legendary for its rich typography, to an iPhone. Continue reading →

The Art of Typography is Alive and Well on the Web

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The current era of Web design is extremely visual. People are increasingly drawn to websites that are rich in videos and images, but most of them do not realize that they are also attracted to typographic design. Web users are reading more than ever, and they can thank typographers and designers for this trend. The effectiveness of a written statement is heavily dependent on typography, and this is something that Web designers are keenly aware of. Continue reading →

Why Websites Need to be “Remodeled.” Is your site outdated?

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Is your website outdated or are you thinking of starting anew?

To remodel or not to remodel? That is the question.

Everyone knows that there is a season to remodel. Remodeling our kitchens, remodeling our bathrooms, remodeling our homes, etc., but who really understand what it means to remodel a website?

Or should you just move to a new home/domain?Home Remodeling

Why is it necessary for you to update/remodel your website? The simple answer, everything gets outdated and needs to be redone eventually. It’s part of life. Let’s explore this with a house analogy. Continue reading →

Meet Benny, WordPress 4.0 Released

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wordpress-logo-notext-rgb-150x150Today version 4.0 of WordPress was released.  Most of the big changes in “Benny” are changes in how the admin area, or WordPress Dashboard, works and interacts with the user.  The biggest changes are:

  • Page/Post content editor stays in the same place as users scroll down the editing page.
  • Plugin search results are rearranged in a grid and allow admins to easily checkout a plugin’s ratings, documentation, screenshots and other information.
  • The Media Library images are in a more fluid grid pattern, not in a list.
  • Embedded videos now show as a preview inside of the WYSIWYG content editor so users no longer have to publish or preview a page to see the video.

Continue reading →

Orion Group’s Top 10 WordPress Plugins

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WordPress PluginsIn the last couple months several people have asked me what WordPress plugins are the best, which do we use on our sites, and what each plugin does.  There over 31,000 plugins in the WordPress repository, and thousands of paid plugins and add-ons available on the web.  It can be hard to figure out what to use.  So to get started, here’s a list of our top 10 plugins that we use on our latest sites. Continue reading →