May 4^th, 2012

As many of you have noticed over the last 2 weeks, as well as many webmasters have noticed, over optimization has been severly punished by Google, as the major search engine is trying to create a better experience for those surfing and looking for relevant content and websites. As websites have reached the point that they have outsmarted the Google algorithm, Google is fighting back, and white hat SEO practices are the way for the long-term. If you need assistance on this, contact us.

April 20^th, 2012

Have any of you surfing the internet get a "recommended For You" pop-up? I have and it is annoying because it pops up when you least expect it. It is advertising driven and while you are surfing at your leisure, the last thing that you want is to have someone pop something on the screen promoting anything. It is an unfortunate sign of the way thinks are going towards online and it is sad.

April 6^th, 2012

In Front Of The Line recognizes Easter this week, and wants to wish all those celebrating Easter throughout the world, Happy Easter.

March 23^rd, 2012

This week, Twitter turned 6 years old. Wow, where did all those years go. For some, they have changed the way the world communicates, is able to spread information, aid in the revolution involving the Arab league and much more. For the writing purist, Twitter is nothing more than an unfortunate trend the future generation communicates with one another, not willing to express themselves in a proper sense, while continuing to have technology be the driving force. I am all for growth in technology, society as a whole, however, as an old school journalist said "There is no way that we can tell a story in 140 characters or less!" Thanks to Twitter, the trend may be a reality for many generations to come.

March 9^th, 2012

Annual Hacking contests are held in Vancouver, testing out news softwares, secure websites and O/S platforms, determining whether or not they are as secure as they let on. Well, IE9 was hacked with much ease, leaving Microsoft to consider releasing a newer, more secure version. Whatever the case may be, leave it to the software giant to continue to screw around with the web. What we need is a uniform environment for surfing the web, not newer and more vulnerable versions. I guess they will never learn.

Feb 24^th, 2012

This past week, Google Panda celebrated one year in existence, and wit hall the hoopla surrounding the tool and trying to make relevant content truly relevant, only a fractional improvement has been seen with the future of the tool a wonder for SEO experts. The algorithm had an impact on many websites when it was introduced, and many webmasters are still trying to fix those errors in order to get the website back on track. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next year to see if more improvements were made in order to get the websites back on track.

Feb 17^th, 2012

The internet has gone to new leaps and bounds over the last 15 years, and in a twisted way, it is changing the way funerals are being viewed as well. As the world has come to grips with the passing of Whitney Houston, the world will also be able to go online and watch the ceremony from the comfort of their computer. Good or Bad? That is up to you to decide. Personally, I think that it is part of the times we live in, and that there simply is no way around it. Yes, decisions can be made to not allow it, however, the means by which to watch in online are here, so if you care enough to watch, then sit back and pay respect to Whitney one last time...online.

Feb 10^th, 2012

Last Wednesday, Facebook officially files its IPO, and boy, did it make a splash! With an estimated $100 Billion Market Value, the IPO of Google in 2004 is not even in the radar of this current IPO. Taking into account inflation rates, the projected stock price of Facebook in the next 5 years can be as twice as high as what Google is presently trading at. Is this then a good buy today? Only time will tell, and based on initial reaction from the markets, the reviews are mixed, so it will be interesting to play out and then let the market dictate what the price will be.

Feb 3^rd, 2012

As a football purist, I enjoy watching the NFL final, the Super Bowl for the game itself, interested to see who will be crowned champions for the year. Other watch for the halftime shows, while others watch for the commercials. Over they years, it has been difficult to watch the Super Bowl ads in Canada because TV rights in Canada do not show all Super Bowl ads during the game. They may show 1 or 2 per quarter if you are lucky, but that is it. However, with the internet comes the chance to watch them, and this Sunday night, once the game is over, all the commercials will be broadcasted on various websites like www.superbowl-commercials.org/. Watch them and enjoy, I am sure you will find one that will catch your eye!

Jan 27^th, 2012

Read an interesting article online this week asking the question "Are pagers dead?" For those that were old enough to dive into technology in the later 80s and early 90s, pagers were all the rage, similar to Cell-phones, and now, smart-phones are today. As one relevant CEO and President claimed, the answer is a definite YES! So if you are one of those that miss pagers, there is an app that you can download on your smart phone that turn your phone into a secure pager, interesting, but will never replace the classic.

Jan 20^th, 2012

As many of you now know, this past Wednesday (January 18/2012) Wikipedia, the largest encyclopedia online shut down for 24 hours, the question is why did they do that? Simply put they were protesting a move known as the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act. These 2 motions threaten the very existence of Wikipedia because the way that information is shared can be banned and copyright infrigments may lead to that the law prevent information from being uploaded to the online site. Whatever happens, this can spark the beginning of big things regarding content and the way in which it is transmitted and gathered online.

Jan 13^th, 2012

Have been reading that Apple are planning a lauch of the iPad3, the latest and (for now) greatest iPad yet! And why not, with the way Apple markets its products, you would think that if you do not have one, that there is something wrong with you. Don't get too excited as the appearance of the iPad 3 is rumoured to look quite similar to the iPad 2, however, the hardware and software upgrades will differ, along with price, of course! Look out for it in the next 2 months, with a possible launch date in the next few months.

Jan 6^th, 2012

According to Google, the most popular website based on traffic for 2011 are the websites that you are familiar with. The number #1 website is Facebook, followed by Youtube. Rounding out the top 5 were Yahoo, live.com and MSN, respectively. Other websites that cracked the top ten for 2011 were Wikipedia, BlogSpot, which is a surprise in my opinion, Microsoft.com, Baidu, another surprise, qq.com, a web portal and bing.com rounding off the top 10. Interesting results for 2011 include the decline, at least in visitors for ebay, ranking #26. It will be interesting to see what 2012 has in store for viewerships and how the landscape will change.

Jan 1^st, 2012

Happy New Year to everyone all over the internet! Hope 2012 is a good one!

Dec 23^rd, 2011

Happy Holidays to everyone all over the internet, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all that good stuff! Hope 2012 is as good as 2011 was

Dec 16^th, 2011

This holiday season, there are so many websites that are gearing their merchandising towards the Christmas bonanza, trying to take advantage of what they can in the busiest retail point of the year. Some offer you sales, others offer new products, and then there are websites that try to think outside the box. One website I came across is www.trythat.ca, a website that caters to the whole of Canada with interesting gift ideas, and as their motto says, making ordinary gifts a thing of the past.

Dec 9^th, 2011

As the holidays are upon us, and you are always looking for great deals on Christmas presents, there are always things popping up this time of year. One such thing that is becoming very popular are penny auction websites, with such websites as QuiBids, ZBiddy and GrabSwag. Wherever you can get a dela on a product on the internet, that is a win-win and penny auctions can be a good thing. Be sure that once you win a bid that you do not get totally killed in the shipping. Be sure that you know what the price is as many of these penny auction sites have shipping prices available for you. Happy holiday shopping with penny auction websites.

Dec 2^nd, 2011

An update from the sales and figures regarding last week's Black Friday, long weekend in the US and Cyber Monday reveals that sales actually increased, depending on which website you are comparing. Several website reported that last weekned's sales topped 2010 figures, and in actuality, the numbers have consistently gone up since 2008. Amazon, for example, saw a major jump in their kindle product, with sales topping numbers that even the company did not forecast. Online retail sales is here, and it can be the way in which you can avoid any economic downward spirals, lower costs than owning a storefront, something that can add to the bottom line and sales price of a product!

Nov 25^th, 2011

With the American Thanksgiving complete, we are upon Black Friday, unofficially, the start of the countdown to Christmas, and thus, the beginning of the holiday shopping season, definitely in the US, and to an extent here in Canada. With record sales anticipated, there is the belief that arises whether there is a downward spiral coming and that the recession will lessen the spirits for those looking to buy this holiday season? Experts predict that although the economy is affected, many are turning to the internet for buying holiday gifts, as they will be able to shop for deals and find great prices online. Maybe, the internet is the foolproof retail way to guarantee that you make money in the future, with costs being kept low, and the ability to pass those savings off to customers. Only time will tell whether or not this is true, but the reality is online sales are here to stay.

Nov 18^th, 2011

What to know if a celebrity who is out of the spotlight is living or has past away? There is a website I came across called www.deadoraliveinfo.com, providing you with information on famous and, as the website says, "semi-famous" celebrities, listing where they are dead or alive. As is with anything out there, and the internet allows for a little of an easier opportunity, however, silly, silly things online. If you think that this is not, let me know, would love to read your comments?

Nov 11^th, 2011

InFrontOfTheLine.com wants to take the time for a day to forget about updating goings on at Google and on the internet to reflect for Remebrance Day here in Canada. There is a great piece that I read regarding the day and what it means, have a read.

Nov 4^th, 2011

Google has done its latest update on website PRs. How important is PR today compared to 5 years ago? To some, it is as valuable today as it was in 2006, to others that evaluate the importance of a Google PR, some say it is not important and does not reflect the positioning and performance of website placement for organic SEO. Whatever the case may be, check your website to see if it went up, down or stayed the same. You will be surprised to know that things change without you knowing why.

Oct 28^th, 2011

Some interesting facts regarding the Google Doodle for Hallowe'en, the video is filmed outside of the Google head office, each pumpkin weighs over 1,200 pounds, wow! Som cool stuff:

Oct 21^th, 2011

Read a great ad this weekend on a bus shelter that read along the lines as Technology that does not exist today will be created in 5 years and will shape the landscape of how business is run. It is safe to say that this ad was referring to the social media craze over the last 5 years, that was ushered in by MySpace, then taken to the next level with Facebook and Twitter, with so many other facets as well. It is interesting to note that if you watch American newscasts, you will see many anchors with their Twitter name below their actual name, who knows what will change the landscape online and offline in the next 5 years.

Oct 14^th, 2011

For those that are web designers and are wanting to stay up with the latest styles, please learn to code with HTML 5. The beauty about HTML 5 is that it is universal on all browsers across the internet, something that has been a concern for web designers, when testing their websites with such browsers as Firefox, IE v7-9, Opera, Google Chrome, and Safari. HTML 5 eliminates any worries you may have with regards to compatibility because all the browsers recognize HTML 5 as a standard coding language across the board.

Oct 7^th, 2011

Sept 30^rd, 2011

This week, the focus on finding the right company to help you design a website. Now, with so many web design companies around in Toronto, you will need to spend some time finding the one company that will provide you with great service at prices that you can afford. Next, there is the need to make sure that you are aware of the different website styles, from simple HTML with CSS, Flash designed websites and database development websites. Whatever is best for you, be sure th know that an HTML website is better for SEO than flash, however, that is for next week.

Sept 23^rd, 2011

Continuing with the theme about knowing what to do when it comes to setting yourself up online and with respect to getting web presence, today, I want to focus on hosting packages. One thing that is important is to host your website with a Canadian website server, that will provide you with a Canadian IP address. This is beneficial for search engine optimization purposes, along with the latest in technology. Then, In Front Of The Line strongly urges to host your website on a Unix-based server, NOT WINDOWS!!! Next week - Website Design!

Sept 16^nd, 2011

When you are looking to start out with a website, including a domain name and web hosting account, there are many options that you can consider, however, I am here to let you know that there are a few things to do. The first thing is to make sure that you have the domain name registered under your personal name or business name and get the passwords. There is nothing more difficult than not knowing and not possesing that critical information. If you paid for it, you should own it.

Sept 9^nd, 2011

As today is my birthday, I want to take the ttime to acknowledge those that are also celebrating a birthday on Sept 9:

• Michael Buble, Singer
• Joe Theismann, Former Pro Football Player
• Hugh Grant, Actor
• Otis Redding, Singer
• Shane Battier, Basketball Player, Houston Rockets
• John Kuhn, Football Player, Green Bay Packers

Sept 2^nd, 2011

In Front Of The Line, will be enjoying the labour day weekend these next few days, and with it, will be busting out new Google adword campaigns, to get a jump on all the influx of traffic that is anticipated with everyone going back to school, back to work, back to their regular routine and grind. It is said that summer, especially, the months of July and August are the most quietest for all sorts of activity.

Reason being, people are on vacation, working less hours, and for that, I commend all those people that are willing to enjoy themselves, present company included. However, with the return of school and all the good things that go with it, I will be looking to setup adword campaigns, and doing things that will get me the jump on all competition, and I think you should be doing the same.

August 26^th, 2011

Reflecting on the week that was, it was big in terms of everything PC and internet and the one company that has single-handedly transformed many things in todays society (maybe even one man). Well, that one man stepped down as the CEO of one of the more powerful companies this week; Steve Jobs has called it quits again from Apple. Although he will serve on the bord, he will no longer take part in the decision making that helped Apple become the stallworth that it is today. A moment to remember that one day back in 1984, when on Superbowl Sunday, the commercial of the Machintosh 64 was shown, a symbol defining the decade, enjoy:

August 19^th, 2011

Was on the subway this morning, and could not help but notice all the different ads (that is nothing new with the money hungry management at the TTC) featuring scan code for smart phones. Now, I know that this is something that is a trend, but with so many companies jumping on ship to provide offers that people can store on their cell phones, is it necessary.

Don't these big players have huge budgets to brain wash us in order to remember everything that they offer. Well, it is great for those that have the means to scan, but is something really going to scan an ad for a real estate agent, in order to store their phone number on their phone? Maybe, yes, however, it is something that is another example of technology being something that gets a lot of love, in spite of the love it is giving out!

August 12^th, 2011

I recently read an article how the success of the LinkedIn IPO did and continues to do since it went public back in May, and it made me remember about the late 1990s dot com bubble (more like stupidity and ultimate boom). I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same, or is this different, this time around? Only time will tell, however, one thing is for sure, the lessons from the fall of 1999 should not be forgotten, and I believe that now they have.

The one thing that does concern me is that only the social media and networking websites are either contemplating or looking to go public in 2011. Whatever the case may be, lets not forget about the late 1990s when millions of dollars where being thrown at creative domain names, and acquisistions were daily events. The best way to look for good deals online, is to have a website with the fundamentals in place, with a great design, good SEO and hosting in place for positive returns on your own business or personal investments.

August 5^th, 2011

With new things constantly changing, some for the worse and some for the better online, it is important that you are always up to speed on what is happening in the world of the internet and specifically, SEO enhancement tools. With the latest news that such a tool came from Yahoo, where they will be killing off their Site Explorer by Dec 31/2011, a bummer for SEO guys like me that use the free resource, but with that other doors open, as the motto goes.

As we try to put our own pulse on what is taking place, the powers that be (SEO powers that is) tend to switch things up again. Take news of this morning where Google is updating its Pge Rank yet again. Strange considering that this was done last month, however, now claims of a bug the last time, brought this on about, much the the delight or concern for many webmasters out there. All in all, SEO is good and we are in a good time, jump on for the ride my friends!

July 29^th, 2011

We have been away for the last few weeks, and now that we are back online, we see things like Google +1 being implemented everywhere, and it got us thinking, how effective are tools like this when it comes to loading your page. Javascript enabled tools tend to slower your page load, and if you are looking on ways to see how quick your page loads and how effective your website is, there are many websites that I like to call gimmick tools.

What is a gimmick tool? Well, it is a website that offers a great service, however, there is always a catch with these websites, that makes us wonder the main reason for offering the service. One website that I like to use is GTMetrix, try it yourself and see how quick your website loads and then see if there is something that you are willing to remove to ensure your page loads quickly.

July 1^st, 2011

In Front Of The Line simply wants to say Happy Canada Day to every Canadian celebrating this country's birthday, and be sure to look for the Google Doodle update, which bring us to look back at all those Google Doodles over the years, some great ones! You can check all the archived one here: http://www.google.com/logos/

June 24^th, 2011

Came across a blog post talking about what are some of the important factors when looking to perform SEO on a website, or your own website. Some of the points that were highlighted included: Content - something that is on the top of the list. Duplicate Content - something that you should look to avoid, especially if it is from another website. Accessibility - ease of navigating through a website is key, make it easy. As I went down the list, something omitted was link building and something that was included was Meta Tags.

While there are many articles circulating online that stress keywords within the Meta Tags are not that important, here is one blog post saying that Meta Tags are important. Who is right and who is wrong? I guess, the only true finger on the pulse of the SEO world is the mighty search engines, so follow all the guideleines online and try to make your website a success online.

June 17^th, 2011

How serious are you regarding social media? Do you even cares about all the tools surrounding social media. Do you know that social media extends well beyond, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and simply blogging...right? Well, you can break down social media into categories, that range from the Communication side of things, the Collaboration side, the Photo/Vidoe sharing aspect, the opinions and reviews on anything and there is a trend to help monitor and enhance brand presence online through social media. However, instead of simply listing all the sites and where they go, here is a brief overview to get yourself up to speed on things:

From blogging with Blogger, WordPress, and to a lesser extend (Microblogging) with Twitter, to social networking platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Hi5 there are so many angles. Then there is the social bookmarking and social news with the likes of Delicious, Stumble Upon and Digg to mention a few respectively. Then there is sharing photos, videos, live streaming of TV and music with such things as Photo Bucket, Flickr, YouTube, Daily Motion, Justin.TV, Last.fm, Pandora Radio, the list goes on and on. Then there is reviews and opinions with eHow, epinions.com, WikiAnswers, it is endless and with so many new platforms coming up, who know how crazy Social Media will get in 5 years from now. Remember, 5 years ago, Social Media was in its infancy, wow how time flies!

June 10^th, 2011

Online Dating Sites, are they any better than actually meeting someone like we did back in the days? Stats show that 3 out of every 4 people are meeting someone either through a dating site, or through a social media site like Facebook. However, what makes these websites so popular? Is it the fact that the technology allows for you to sit at home and with one click of your mouse, you have many interested men/women at your disposal? Or is it the lifestyle that is the internet? That debate can rage on forever, however, one thing is clear, the internet, and the ways websites with the advancement of technology is definitely aided in allowing a cultural change. Although online dating is only one example, there are many other things as well from the way we listen to and buy music, from the way we shop for car insurance to the way we book flight tickets, the internet and websites in general have changed the landscape over the last 15 years. Some experts say that this change is more drastic then anything we have seen since the industrial revolution! Now that is saying something.

June 3^rd, 2011

As we continue to blog, I remember when I first setup a web hosting account to be able to host websites for friends, family members and possibly to start this as a side business to generate income. Through a lot of trials and tribulations, I have come to realize after some 8 years, what is the best option for me. However, this may not be the case for every hosting company, webmaster, looking to host websites and any social media and blog web creator. There are different options of web hosting from a shared hosting account capable of hosting unlimited websites. There is a reseller account, that is still within a shared hosting platform, however you are dedicated more disk space. Then there is a Virtual Private Server (VPS) that is a great option as the server is basically shared with maximum 5 other VPS accounts, something that if you are considering, you should verify with your host provider. The 4th option is going with a dedicated server, that is fully managed. This option has you solely hosting your websites on this server with no one else. This is good for exclusivety, however can be the most pricey. The best thing to consider is your budget and go from there. A reseller account is good in the beginning, where you can customize your nameservers. Another good option is a VPS, provided that you have no more than 5 other VPS accounts on the server. A dedicated account is great because of the fact no one else is hosting, but the price is high, the choice is yours, so when in Toronto, look for a web hosting company that will provide you with answers to these questions.

May 27^th, 2011

The other day I was reading something somewhere that had a feature on SEO content writing, and how there are certain rules that you need to follow. I am here to say, GARBAGE, GAARBAGE, GARBAGE. I guess I should pose a question to those that are all about the guidelines, who are you catering this message to; Google or your readers. If I am reading something that is not appealing, but is targeted towards the Google spiders, how involved will I be in continuing to read further. Remember guys, do not only focus on what you need to do, dense keywords, anchor text that are linked, write from your heart, relate with the reader. Trust me, that will go a long way in getting the reader to react to your blog post, article or press release. Try it and see. Contact me if you feel I am crazy, info@infrontoftheline.com

May 20^th, 2011

We are back for another week of blog writing, then it dawned on me, let's talk about ways to make your blog more effective. What are some things that you need to do to your blog to make it benefit your purpose> There are many ways to create and continuously maintain an effective blog. Some example below are:

1. Host Your Blog within your own Domain
When you go with a free blog website to host your blog, you have effectively lost all control, and will find it difficult to customize the way you want, you will be unable to take advantage of placing links on your blog and gaining the advantage that has on your domain name. Very simply, create a sun-folder within your website, call it"/blog" and go from there.

2. Create a blog initially without any comments
In the beginning, post a few blog updates about yourself, your services or any relevant links or content. Once you feel that you have enough to go with, then start to integrate a comment section, a simple form for feedback, or any RSS subscription feeds where you are engaging with those you are targeting.

3. Add Video, images to your blog
Don't just settle on simple text for your blog posts, insert videos, relevant links and images to add a certain dynamic element to your updates.

4. Use intelligent URLs for your blog
Let someone simply guess what your blog URL will be by making it as simple as possible. Certain things like, www.yourdomain.com/blog is probably the safest bet. Don't get too fancy as you will be dead in the water.

5. Be yourself within a blog post
People are looking for genuine information on the internet and a blog is just the platform that can allow you to express what is on your mind. In the 21^st century, the idea of posting your personal information is made possible thanks to the internet, so be sincere, don't give away too much, but remember to talk from your blog as you are talking to your friends and not submitting a thesis.

May 13^th, 2011

The other day, a client came and asked "how can I get my site to the top?" Then I explained that there are several factors that go into getting to the top, because extend of different variations of keywords and different combination of 2 to 3-keyword phrases. Then there is a geographical focus as a search engine like Google focuses now within local areas, as well as regional and national campaigns. That is why, just getting to the top is so broad, you need to know what keywords you want to go after to rank on the top of those, then In Front Of The Line will help you achieve those results with many tools and services to help your website succeed online.

May 6^th, 2011

In Front Of The Line is launching a new website. We changed the look of the website and have tried to offer you with my deals on web hosting and web design services to all of our new customers. Have a look at the website and let us know what you think about the site, any comments that you would like to see different, anything you feel in not necessary and something that you feel is good, let us know.

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