Big changes in the web landscape will impact your website

Hello, I thought it was time for another email updating you on the latest web innovations.

It is amazing how fast things change and I know it is difficult to keep ahead of the competition. This is especially true when you have to juggle the website alongside other priorities.

The last month has been interesting with lots of stories that will impact your site. However, I have narrowed the list to the three top issues you need to be aware of.

Google is changing and it will impact your search engine rankings

We have a great article on Boagworld this month that outlines the changes Google are making to their site.

One of the changes you need to be particularly aware of is the introduction of real time search. Essentially this is taking results from twitter and integrating them into Google.

What is interesting is that the twitter results are placed above the traditional search listings. This means that even if you are number one on Google, your competition could leapfrog you by making better use of social media sites like Twitter.

Is it time for you to stop targeting Internet Explorer 6

Internet Explorer 6 is now nine years old, has some major security risks, and yet remains a popular browser.

The problem lies with corporate IT departments who have been hesitant to upgrade due to legacy systems built specifically for IE6.

However, things are beginning to change. Both the french and german governments have published statements encouraging people to upgrade and even Microsoft itself have followed suit. Also Google has also joined the likes of Facebook in saying they are going to phase out support for the browser. All of this has led to a sharp drop in IE6 usage over the last month.

Although I would not recommend dropping support for IE6, I do believe we have reached a point where we can safely offer IE6 users a lesser experience and actively encourage them to upgrade.

Could flash based content prevent you reaching an emerging market?

Many organisations make use of Adobe Flash to enhance their websites. However, the plugin has always had accessibility concerns, not least of which is the need to have it installed.

In the past this has not been a problem because the majority of PCs came with flash preinstalled.

Unfortunately, this is changing. This month Apple announced its much anticipated iPad. Like the iPhone this new device will not support Flash and yet is widely expected to be just as popular.

With sales of the iPhone expected to reach 80 million by 2012 it is clear that Flash could be a significant barrier in reaching this new market.

Fortunately, there are a number of emerging technologies which will replace many of the roles performed by Flash. However, organisations need to begin planning their transition away from Flash now if they want to reach this new audience.

Get the Website Owners Manual Free

If I have inspired you to keep more up-to-date with web innovations then be sure to subscribe to boagworld.com. You can also get the latest web news via twitter by following @boaglinks.

Finally, don’t forget to buy your copy of my book the Website Owners Manual. However if you are an existing client of Headscape, drop me an email and I will send you a copy of the ebook for free!