Industry Insights

The articles here are insider knowledge about best practice on how to make your website work harder. All these articles are taken from the netXtra newsletter.

  • Click to read full article: Information sharing keeps your members API Information sharing keeps your members API
    NetXtra clients are finding that their members now want to contribute more, share their knowledge and experiences, and then have this and other information delivered to them in the format of their choice. Website modules such as API's (Application Programming Interfaces) and information aggregators that use RSS feeds are becoming increasingly popular. But why are they so popular on websites for membership organisations?
  • Click to read full article: Is Yahoo set to become the 'innovator' of Web 3.0? Is Yahoo set to become the 'innovator' of Web 3.0?
    Ever heard of the 'semantic web'? In a nutshell, it's what many see as the possible foundation for Web 3.0 and if the latest news from Yahoo is anything to go by, that may not be a million miles away from the truth.
  • Click to read full article: Will advertising spark the demise of all social networking websites? Will advertising spark the demise of all social networking websites?
    With social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo enjoying an exponential rise in their successes in recent times, already there are those who potentially see 2008 as being the year of their demise. So why are so many of those in the 'know' so quick to predict a sudden downturn in their popularity?
  • Click to read full article: Paid-for links - Can they really improve your website's search engine PageRank? Paid-for links - Can they really improve your website's search engine PageRank?
    At netXtra we like to keep commercial, membership and not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in touch with the latest Internet strategy techniques. These can range from general website best practice methods through to techniques used in website development and design. Recently, many in the industry suspect that the likes of Google are punishing those who partake in the buying and selling of site links to improve search engine rankings. Do they have a point, and if so, do they have the right to feel aggrieved?
  • Click to read full article: HTML or XHTML, A developer's viewpoint. HTML or XHTML, A developer's viewpoint.
    The case for using XHTML for writing web sites is examined, and found wanting. Long live HTML!
  • Click to read full article: Membership associations and the “social web” Membership associations and the “social web”
    The "social web" refers to the relatively recent phenomena of web sites that are predominantly populated by user generated content. This might be people sharing and/or discussing video (YouTube.com), photos (flickr.com), or just the latest news (digg.com).
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