tech

The Internet Turned 50, But How Did it All Begin?

Posted on | by moocow

As 2019 draws to a close, we look back on the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Internet, and how technology has advanced ahead of 2020.

The creation of the internet occurred in 1969, originally under the name ARPANET through experiments performed by scientists from UCLA, MIT and Imperial College London. The “founding fathers” of the Internet are largely recognised as MIT Engineer and Office Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Lawrence Roberts, packet Switching creators Paul Baran, Donald Davies and Computer Scientist and UCLA Professor, Leonard Kleinrock. Roberts was the leader of the team, with the project’s creation originally devised for the United States Department of Defense.

The very first “host to host” ARPANET connection was made at 10.30pm on 29th October 1969 between UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute, which are over 300 miles apart.

The details of the night’s events have since been described in a UCLA article.

“SRI (Stanford Research Institute) programmer Bill Duvall, and UCLA student programmer Charley Kline were responsible for the first connection. Kline connected from UCLA’s SDS Sigma 7 Host computer (in Boelter Hall room 3420) to the Stanford Research Institute’s SDS 940 Host computer. Kline typed the command “login,” but initially the SDS 940 crashed. About an hour later, after Duvall adjusted parameters on the SDS 940, Kline tried again and successfully logged in to the SDS 940. Hence, the first two characters successfully transmitted over the ARPANET were lo.”

The first permanent ARPANET link and network was later secured in the following months prior to Christmas that year. “Internet pioneers” Bob Kahn and Vince Cerf went on to develop it into what we now refer to as the internet, however it would be another 20 years before the development of the World Wide Web and internet browsers. English scientist and Oxford graduate Tim Berners-Lee created both whilst working for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland between 1989 and 1990.

You may be surprised to think that so many years have gone by when it seems like only yesterday to many, it was an era before Apple was King, but for some, our age of great technology is all they’ve known. And since the 1990’s the speed of technological developments have only increased. Today things are very different, we now have easy access to PCs, laptops and smartphones, fibre-optic broadband is practically in every house, and we’ve had major developments in web design and social networking from the creation of open-source software, graphic user interfaces, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

Why Hiring a Web Design Team for 2020 is Vital

Posted on | by moocow

2020 is predicted to see the greatest increase in technological advancements in digital and online platforms so far, from shopping orders to social media, it is becoming increasingly vital for companies to maintain a strong online presence when it comes to marketing their business. With technology on the rise daily, companies will gain more and more opportunities to expand and compete digitally. Many don’t see the importance of having a website, and the idea of creating one can appear daunting so they either avoid doing it or hire someone who isn’t an expert.

You may be thinking why bother or why hire a designer? If you’re nervous at the thought of moving your company online, this article is here to tell you why you needn’t be sceptical. We are here to help make the transition as easy as possible. And with 3.8 billion people across the globe currently using the internet, there are so many opportunities available online to help you access new customers and clients. Marketers and potential clients use the internet to find companies they can trust, and having a well established site shows credibility.

All businesses need a website to successfully market their brand online. Without one, many customers and clients will feel this reflects badly on how up to date you are with running your company. And with the competition being high, you want a site that wows. If your website is poorly designed, it will directly reflect badly on your brand. If the site is old and outdated, it will immediately put customers off from visiting your site. A website always needs to be user friendly. Customers must be able to clearly see what it is your business does, access any information on products and sales, as well as be able to find contact details easily. If they are unable to do this, you are at risk of customers not being able to contact you, you could lose sales and be subject to bad reviews online and a bad Google ranking. In fact, whether you have a good website or not can be a deciding factor in whether your business fails or succeeds.

Relying on someone who isn’t trained in web design to design your website can not only leave you out of pocket with a poorly designed web page, it can leave you without reliable support or technical help if things go wrong. A lot of sites offering downloadable website builders do not offer you the advice or guidance to support a professional web build, they offer very basic designs at high prices, and many don’t allow support for video, RSS feeds and other links. Professional web designers are kept constantly up to date on current trends and developments occurring in the world of web. Knowledge on the latest news and developments enables them to directly create websites and programs specifically targeted to your brand or business. Professional web design is worth the investment when looking at high quality, custom built design. And at Moocow we don’t just design your website, our packages include domain and hosting, coding, optimisation, user-bility, research and strategy, development, SEO and UX, and eCommerce integration. Our professional design team provide friendly, consistent and ongoing technical support, and are able to offer advice and knowledge when something goes wrong. The benefits of having qualified developers help you make the move into going digital are huge. We love being able to watch the businesses we have helped thrive and expand their brand successfully. So if you’re yet to take the leap into creating a website for your company, or have been anxious about making changes to your current site, we hope our advice puts you at ease and helps you get a few steps closer to making the most out of your business.

What’s New for Responsive Web Design in 2020?

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we make sure you’re up to date with all the latest UX/UI know-how, ensuring your site gets the attention it deserves. With technology and techniques developing daily, take a look at what 2020 has in store for responsive design.

For web design newcomers or those looking to get an insight into how we create our sites at Moocow Media, responsive design is fundamentally the method of using CSS to generate a web page which re-adjusts and arranges itself to display its content correctly on any sized device. This technique works side-by-side with mobile first.

Companies now only need to buy a single site which squeezes all the best info from your web page and efficiently displays readable content on any gadget, whether it’s a desktop, tablet or mobile device. Not only does this save you a small fortune, it also allows customers to benefit from having a website that will allow Google to enhance its rankings. And as Google now only promotes sites which are designed for mobile devices also, it’s really the only choice for your website. Sites that aren’t mobile-friendly will be digitally wiped off the map.

Mobile First

Over the last year we’ve focused a lot on the importance of making sure your website is mobile first. And with m-commerce transforming and developing daily, making sure your site is mobile first is vital for the successful functioning of your business and web page. Mobile transactions are set to rocket in 2020, with the vast majority of orders already being made from mobile devices accessing your website. So if you’re still yet to update your site to mobile first, make this your new year’s resolution. Making sure your mobile site is responsive and easy to use is a number 1 priority, otherwise you risk customers not even being able to access your site in search engines at all.

Thumb-Friendly Mobile Navigation

2020 will see a step up in simply focusing on previously making your site mobile first. Sites are now being challenged with the task of making mobile sites “thumb-friendly” allowing for better ergonomic use, “user-friendliness” and increasing the ability to access site navigation with greater ease.

 

Source: Smashing Magazine

The above diagram shows a good example of how our hands naturally grip our phones and the restrictions in our thumbs natural manoeuvring across phone screens. Opting for bottom hand corner navigation, for menus, social media or contact buttons over traditionally placed top, right hand navigation could significantly help to improve UX. These changes might seem simplistic, but all add up when combined in providing a website that’s both customer and Google friendly.

Web Design Trends for 2020

Posted on | by moocow

As we approach the last stretch of 2019, businesses and designers alike are preparing for the creative trends set to take over 2020. With AI and interactive design becoming an evermore sought after technology, it’s not surprising that plenty of new web design features plan on largely incorporating websites with voice user interfaces, chat bots and other similar functionalities. But what else is trending?

It’s predicted that asymmetrical designs, broken grid layouts and microanimation will all be trending components for leading web design for 2020. A continuing popular feature is bold colours and minimalist layouts, which are proving to be a persistent theme from previous years. Take a look below to see some of the most in-demand styles and layouts to help you have that light-bulb moment and get your website prepped to be ahead of the game for the new year.

 

Microanimations and Illustration

These subtle, yet hypnotic creative twists to your web page design, can make all the difference in capturing a new audience, as well as showcasing your talent digitally which enables a sense of professionalism, no matter what industry you’re working in. Audiences like illustrations and animations that are unique, bold, colourful or fun, and add that little bit extra to help show personalisation of your company or products.

 

Source: Heco

Source: Ariel Wollek/Wix

Source: Smashmallow/Gifox

Source: Webflow

Source: Proud & Punch

 

Minimalist Layouts

Minimalist layouts allow for a stylish, sleek finish. Aim for homepages that aren’t text heavy, focusing more on visually appealing to your customers, whilst still bearing in mind the importance of a fast loading web page. This style of layout is great for not overloading the viewer with too much information, and works great for artistic or creative businesses looking to keep their site chic, but simple.

 

Source: Elegant Seagulls Design

Source: Yumi Lambert

Source: Club of Waves

 

Bold Colours and Typography

Bright colours and bold typography, with geometric, sans-serif or freestyle fonts are particular favourites for graphic design in 2020. Colour is psychologically proven to have a relationship with mood and has been used as a clever marketing tactic in advertising for years. Making your home page proudly loud is a great way to draw in viewers and mesmerise customers with websites dazzling and dripping with colour.

 

Source: SKTR./Awwwrds

Source: Black Futurism Festival 2019/WebDesignerDepot

Source: Adobe

Source: Gautier Maillard

Source: Nuture Digital

How to Boost Your Brand Using Twitter

Posted on | by moocow

Twitter has become hugely popular across the globe since its creation in 2006 by founder Jack Dorsey. The popular social media platform has become a favourite amongst businesses, and with 126 million daily users – its followers are constantly growing. With our easy to use guide, Moocow can show you how to use Twitter to help utilise your social media skills, boost your brand and get you the followers you deserve. With Twitter paving the way for businesses to show off their creative flair, using Twitter correctly allows consumers to see a more personal side to how your company works, as well as showing off what your brand has to offer. Below are 6 ways you can improve your site following using Twitter.

1. Reach out to brands you know and interact with them. Re-tweet work that is being produced, show an appreciation of what they are involved in and it’s likely they will return the favour, getting you a greater amount of impressions from new viewers.

2. Use video to market your company via social media. Statistics shows that 85% of Twitter users prefer video content or visual graphics as opposed to just ready a clump of text. Create short videos that focus on your products or offer an insider view into what’s going on behind the scenes at your company. For ideal posts, use a max length of 140 seconds to keep viewers entertained.

3. Repeating yourself can be a good thing, so don’t worry. Be sure to re-tweet content you’ve previously posted and tweet your content multiple times throughout the week. Posting a blog or image just once is unlikely to get it seen by all of your followers. By re-tweeting it and sending out reminders to your audience to check out certain posts you are more likely to get your content noticed.

4. Be sure to monitor analytics to see what type of tweets work best. Twitter itself has some quite handy options for doing this. And in addition to this, you can use sites like Google AdWords and Google Keyword Planner to help you identify what keywords will be most effective in boosting the SEO for your business.

5. Collaborate with other companies or people of influence to help push your twitter following. This can be by getting well known Tweeters or companies to re-share or write a blog on your work, or even by doing a social media takeover where your audience has the chance to do a “ask me anything” event with your chosen social media celeb.

6. Although it may appear tempting, don’t use sites where you can buy Twitter followers for a set price. Most of them time bought followers are either fake sites, or its quite noticeable to the public they are not genuine followers that have been earned. Instead use Twitter ads, campaigns and promotions to reach out to new audience members and gain a greater following.

 

Why Bespoke Illustrations are Trending in Web Design

Posted on | by moocow

At MooCow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the hottest web trends. With technology and techniques developing daily, take a look at what 2017 has in store for the world of web design.

Whilst many businesses are still opting for a traditional approach of plumping up their sites with bold typefaces and pristine layouts, others are jumping on a slightly different bandwagon. Hand drawn illustrations are a hot pick for up and coming web sites, with many of the creative industries choosing to adorn their sites with hand drawn graphics and typography.

Not only is it a fun way to personalise your site, it allows your web page to be custom crafted and show off your talents if you’re a master doodler yourself. Brands often set themselves apart by having unique and off-beat logos, designs & layouts, so you never know – having your web page plastered in drawings and free-style artwork could actually make you the next web page super star.

A few of our favourite sites that showcase some serious talent when it comes to illustration include Legwork Studios, Future Living and Proud & Punch. Take a look at their sites or have a look at the Awwwards site for award-winning design inspirations.

 

4 ways to maximise site security and prevent hackers without impairing UX

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow we’re all about knowing what’s best for your business, whether it’s the latest updates, design tips or marketing tactics. And when it comes to getting you your perfect website, we pride ourselves on making sites that are both manageable and secure.

Following the launch of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation laws (GDPR) which began May 25, everyone has gone a bit security mad, and businesses seem to be packing their site with security options that aren’t often necessary. This can in turn lead to problems with the speed of your site as well as making it easier for hackers to access your web page details. Our aim is to help you understand security options for your site clearly, allowing you to cut through the confusion and get to grips with the lingo, making it that little bit easier. Obvious options to take such as ensuring that your software is always up to date and backed up, are implemented by most. Below however, are a few simple steps you may not know about which may help pin down some good ways to make your site secure, without putting off customers to your site.

 

Restrict Your Plug-ins

We know it’s tempting, but try not to overload your site with various security plug-ins. Do your research, and pick two or three at most that do the job efficiently. Too many plug-ins will slow down your site and leave it vulnerable to hackers trying to access your private data. Researching what security plug-ins work the best and comply with GDPR regulations is the best way to establish this. It’s easy to be tricked by advertising telling you you need all sorts of different plug-ins, but ultimately many will end up doing the same thing, and it’s easy to find just a couple of plug-ins that will cover your site securely.

 

Use reCaptcha

When accessing a site, most of us know how frustrating it is having to declare we’re not a Robot… However, using reCaptcha does comes with a lot of benefits. It’s extremely helpful in protecting you from up to 95% of spam and data hack attempts. One downside is, using reCaptcha can have the potential to slow down your site. It’s a bit of a double edged sword. There’s both pros and cons to using it, but overall we feel the benefits outweigh any of the speed issues that may or may not crop up.

 

Implement Two-Factor Authentication

This method of security has become much more popular recently, especially with larger businesses and sites that hold especially personal data. For those who aren’t sure what this means, it’s pretty much the same as having to show two forms of ID when confirming your identity. In this case it will usually take the form of a password, and a personalised security code sent by text message to your phone. You’ll then be asked to submit this code on the website. Two-Factor Authentication can help significantly reduce the likelihood of hackers being able to impersonate your identity and log in to any accounts or personalised info.

 

Add a Concealed WP Log In Page

Most hackers will try to get into your site through your WP log in page or dashboard.

WordPress websites primarily all have a universal login URL of /wp-admin/ making it extremely easy for hackers to go directly to your log in page and use brute force cracking to hack your page. This is a trial and error form of hacking used to decrypt passwords and other types of log in details. To prevent this from happening, you change your URL to something more personalised using plug-ins such ManageWP. It allows you to customise your log in URL to something harder to guess, an easy example being /my-concealed-login/ but you can change it to whatever works best for your business. It may seem like a bit of a hassle, but doing this has the potential to stop almost 100% of hackers accessing your page.

 

5 of the Best WordPress Themes for Creating a Portfolio

Posted on | by moocow

At Moocow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on the latest web news, tips and trends. With technology and techniques developing daily, Moocow are continuously working hard to help find new ways to develop your business.

Our design team believe WordPress ranks above all the rest as a hosting platform. The open-source CMS works as an ideal model for creating a wide variety of sites for both small and large businesses, and is ideal for showcasing portfolios and products. Having a portfolio that’s professional, visually captivating and clearly showcases your work is vital for your business to achieve success and gain interest from new clients. So below, we’ve hand-picked some of the best WordPress themes for putting together a high end portfolio, that will grab your audience’s attention and gain you new clients and sales.

 

Oshine

Creates beautifully fresh and contemporary portfolios with 12 unique layouts to choose from. Comes with access to over 500 fonts, colour choices, shortcode modules and so much more. Oshine also supports a large variety of plug-ins, including WPML, BuddyPress and Gravity Forms. A great choice if you’re looking for a stylish and modern way to display work visually.

 

 

Adios

A great theme that’s easy to use, extremely fast loading and is ideal for those working within the creative industry. An elegant and artistic approach to portfolio design, you’ll have access to hundreds of fonts, colour choices, layout elements and designs and you’ll be able to use a variety of great options for animation. Adios allows for superb compatibility with all devices and browsers, and will ensure your site is noticed worldwide.

 

 

Art.

Perfect for colourful, chic and customisable design, this theme comes with a coding-free content builder for ease of use. Ideal if you’re looking for an artistic and simplistic portfolio design, it’s packed with beautiful layouts with drag and drop options, fashionable headers and plenty of options for blog posts. You can also create stylish home sliders to showcase large images, and with SEO by Yoast you’re sure to have plenty of great options for getting noticed in search engines.

 

 

Kalium

A sensationally designed theme for those looking for a cool and contemporary twist to showcase their work in style. With numerous options for layout, images and blog posts, this WordPress theme also includes Revolution Slider, allowing users to display work through slideshow. You’ll be able to personalise the slides and create your own unique animations and visual effects too.

 

 

Studio 8

Rated as one of the best WordPress themes on the market, Studio 8 has a superbly sophisticated and stylish design. Beautifully fast and responsive, the theme provides great portfolio options to businesses of all backgrounds. You can upload custom headers and access built in short codes to make editing and designing easier. Known for creating attention-getting websites, this theme will help put your portfolio on the map.

 

 

Tips to Help Your Website Show You’re A Business Clients Can Trust

Posted on | by moocow

At MooCow, we pride ourselves on having the most up to date knowledge on web design. With technology and techniques developing daily, take a look at our tips below to see how small changes to your webpage can help boost your recognition as a company your clients can trust.

1. Keep your website as up to date as possible, a professional website should not only visually show off your brand, but also be easy to access. Making sure your site is regularly updated, fast-working and mobile friendly are the best ways to ensure a reliable site.

2. Clearly outline who you are as a business, show your customers you have nothing to hide. Make sure your site has a clear ‘About’ section so your clients have a good understanding of what services you provide, your mission and goals. Always be true to the values advertised on your site.

3. Show off your credentials, make visible any companies you have partnered with or worked for. Provide proof of any qualifications or awards your company has received, recognition allows for your company to be seen as dependable as well as capable of providing an excellent service.

4. Be direct. No one wants to find out about hidden costs further down the line, hidden in small print. Make sure you stand by any promises stated on your web page. With online shops, make sure details like shipping, cancellation, return policies are all clearly visible with no hidden. Make sure customers can contact you easily, always have a contact number or email address listed on your site that is kept up to date so any queries can be dealt with rapidly.

5. A strong social media presence helps back up who you are. Social media sites such as Facebook, twitter and Instagram are the first place potential customers are going to head to, to check out your authenticity. Having a varied amount of reviews and testimonials from previous clients can help to give proof your company can be relied upon.

6. Vocalise your brand’s mission statement, personalise the values and ethics your company holds, speak to your clients in a relatable manner and get your audience interested in what you do. Use examples, statistics and present data visually that will showcase exactly what your company can achieve.

Using Instagram to Boost Your Brand

Posted on | by moocow

Instagram – the world’s most popular photo sharing app. With 300 million monthly users, the social media site currently has a larger following than Twitter, and its followers are constantly growing. With our easy to use guide, Moocow can show you how to use Instagram to help utilise your social media skills, boost your brand and get you the followers you deserve.

A large majority of online shopping traffic occurs through social media, sites like Pinterest and Etsy have made online shopping even more popular, with buyers being drawn in by adverts and promotions that are visually exciting. Instagram is paving the way for businesses to show off their creative flair, allowing consumers to see a more personal side to how their company works, as well as showing off what their brand has to offer. Below are 5 ways you can improve your site following using Instagram.

First steps – setting up your account!

If you’re already an Instagram user, be sure to keep your personal account separate when setting up a new account for your business. This enables users to identify you and your brand as separate, and allows for any embarrassing selfies to be posted completely out of eyesight of any potential clients. Use your brand logo throughout your page and as your profile image so viewers can establish that your Instagram directly relates to your company. Make sure your bio is short and sweet, but packs a punch. There’s a million or so users out there, you want to make sure your company stands out from the crowd. Last but not least, always attach a link to your website – whenever a user views your profile, it directly boosts traffic to your site.

Make an impression

Be big, beautiful and bold! Boost your brand by using product shots that are eye catching, colour co-ordinated and fun to create. Believe it or not, certain colours are actually more of a hit than others on Instagram, with blue being one of the most desirable colour trends with followers. When creating adverts always use HI RES professional photographs, opt for a text overlay on one of Instagram’s photo editor apps to create quick and trendy ads.

Identify trends

Keep up to date with what’s hot on Instagram – which users, hashtags and themes are trending. Do your research, take a peak at your favourite brands, look into companies similar to yours and see what gets them plenty of likes. What styles of posts are popular? The main aim is to boost your brand professionally, but customers and clients want to see you have a fun side also. Outdoor shots that show your customers actively using your products are a great way to show off your adventurous side. Whether you’re having some downtime with your team, or are busy getting creative in the office, these are great opportunities to capture your company’s creative side on camera.

Get #Hashtagging

When posting your pics, pair catchy descriptions with relevant, trending hashtags. Picking a popular hashtag allows any user across the world to view your post. Use hashtags that relate to your area of business, such as company name, location, what you’re doing, and words that describe exactly what you’re posting. Research hashtags that are currently trending, be it colours, days of the week, events or features in the news, and use these to help shape the audience you want your post to reach. Use a minimum of 5 to help boost your audience range, so don’t be shy. You can even create your own hashtag relevant to your business name.

Network

Get networking! Make sure to share on other social media platforms your company uses such as Twitter & Facebook. Encourage clients to share, like and comment on your posts, and return the favour too! Keep an eye out for new business opportunities by connecting with new users and building a rapport with relevant brands.

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