Locable Affiliates are Boostrapped - Twitter Boostrapped That is

After nearly 2 years our front-end code, the stuff that makes our sites look the way they do, got a complete overhaul. Don't get me wrong, we were regularly updating the websites in our network to include new features and refinements but we rebuilt our sites User Interface from the ground up.

Twitter, the benevolent juggernaut that it is, has developed and subsequently open-sourced a framework called Twitter Bootstrap that just frankly superior than most anything else out there.

So, with all of that technical jargon what does this actually mean? Well, there are a number of benefits that come from adopting something like Bootstrap including:

• Better compatibility across browsers and devices i.e. it looks good even on old computers and new smart phones
• The sites load faster which means happier visitors and search engines - yes, Google considers how fast your site loads in ranking you
• It follows a set of conventions and best practices which means we can continue to enhance and evolve the sites in our network more rapidly and with less expense
• The sites just look better. Bootstrap incorporates a number of design subtleties that enhance the overall appeal of content sites and even incorporates a sort of haptic-response. Most people are familiar with haptic devices such as smart phones where you touch a button and the phone vibrates ever so much to trick your brain into thinking it pushed a real button. On the web it's a little different but when you move the mouse over something clickable or you click a button it appears to depress. This behavior is rewarding psychologically for users and entices people to click more than they would otherwise - that's good for us.

So, look for more great interface updates on sites around our network and consider how your site can benefit from adopting the best of what's new. Better yet, save yourself the headache and contact us to learn more about  the Locable Publisher Network to see if you and your publication qualify to join our growing network of profitable local websites.