Writings from Force 5 Basecamp

02/10/16

According to Google, a 404 page is what a user sees when they try to reach a non-existent page on your site (because they’ve clicked on a broken link, the page has been deleted, or they’ve mistyped a URL). A 404 page is called that because in response to a request for a missing page, webservers send back a HTTP status

02/05/16

Today I had to run out to Elkhart to run an errand.  That gave me the opportunity to meet up for lunch with my friend Chris who works out there, and try a new restaurant that opened last fall.  I had read about Hotdogeddy’s on the Flavor 574 website, and although I am not generally a huge fan of hot

01/26/16

An effective customer-centric website design requires the designer to put himself in the customer’s place to build a site that is user-friendly, while providing all the information that the visitor needs.  If you find it hard to put yourself in your customer’s shoes, there are services out there that will critique the usability of your website for you.  Some, like

01/14/16

A recent poll by the Domain Name Association shows that when people are looking to go to a specific company’s website, 43% of them will type the company’s name or relevant term into a search engine while only 31% of people will type the domain name (www.domainname.com) into the browser address bar. In fact, looking at search analytics data for

01/04/16

One sign that you might need a new website is that it doesn’t look good on mobile devices.  According to a recent study, mobile device usage is significantly higher than desktop usage, with people viewing 51% of the content on mobile versus only 42% on desktop/laptop.   (Five years ago, it was 12.5% mobile vs. 75% desktop/laptop).  Mobile Friendly Not Mobile

12/31/15

1) Do I Need a New Website? The team at Force 5 shares their thoughts on signs that your business might need a new website. 2) Happy Halloween A Halloween post with downloadable pumpkin stencils of the Force 5 team. 3) Is Your Website Mobile-friendly? A blog about the importance of having a mobile-friendly website. 4) SQL Case Study –

12/29/15

According to a recent study by HubShout, 94% of people use a mobile phone to search for local businesses. So what information are they looking for when they get to your website? 88% are looking for your business hours (46% are annoyed when they can’t find business hours on a website) 85% are looking for your phone number (42% need

11/02/15

In a recent Facebook post, colleague Marty Heirty took us back in time to remember or learn about the famous confrontation between Muhammad (formerly known at Cassius Clay) Ali and George (before the grill) Foreman. When a young, strong, well-trained, highly-conditioned Cassius Clay took “the ring,” his strategy was encapsulated in his signature phrase, “float like a butterfly; sting like a bee.”

10/30/15

Happy Halloween from the team at Force 5! Here are a few fun facts about Halloween… In the United States, the first citywide celebration of Halloween was in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921. Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday. According to Irish legend, Jack

10/29/15

Do you need a new website?  I surveyed the team here at Force 5, asking them each for 2 or 3 signs that someone might need to update their web presence. Some of their responses are based on functionality, some on user experience, and some on overall look-and-feel, but here are their answers: Christian Mattix Web Application Developer & Network

10/22/15

When I read about the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Highway Beautification Act, which was intended to limit billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising along federal highways, it reminded me of the iconic Mail Pouch Tobacco barns. According to Mail Pouch barn enthusiast Eddie Robberts, farmers were willing to let Mail Pouch Tobacco paint their

10/06/15

Our Little Free Library has been in front of the Force 5 offices for about two months now.  Our library is one of over 20,000 registered Little Free Libraries in over 70 countries.  The response in the neighborhood has been very positive, and there is always a new selection of books that have been left by the neighbors.  (Note: we always seem to run