It appears today that for technology, apps or social media engines – well, when we think about it, actually practically anything in this world has two options: Either they are bought by Facebook, or they are forced to integrate with it in order to be successful.

As the market continues to be as volatile as ever, I am slowly but surely coming to the realization that more and more agencies find it acceptable to do “spec work.” I, for one, am not a fan of pedaling my services for free with the hopes of landing a big account.

Having worked as a usability and UX expert for over 15 years at Fortune 500 firms and small agencies, I know how difficult it is, especially for smaller agencies, to find suitable usability or UX consultants to help with occasional client projects. The following is a short but helpful list that you can use to make sure you are hiring a competent UX consultant, and not a bad UX pretender.

The Grand Bazaar houses 61 covered streets made up of more than 3,000 storefronts selling pashminas, rugs and other trinkets to hundreds of thousands of daily visitors. Emily Eldridge explains some of the simple tactics its traders have employed for centuries to lead to higher sales conversions from locals and tourists alike.

It’s easy to think that given all the romantic images we see in movies and television. Good casino marketers understand where their bread and butter come from. Great casino marketers know how to divide up the business into manageable segments that help the business grow.

As more users turn to smartphones and tablets as their primary web browsing device, our industry needs to reevaluate many of our current web design best practices. There is an emerging methodology for web design, called responsive design, that provides an opportunity to create one site that will scale to the wide variety of devices that provide users with their window to the World Wide Web.

Today, top tier media placements power the mass market, but The New York Times and the “Martha Stewart Show” are not the end-all be all. Branding, marketing and messaging must remain relevant and create a clear, cohesive message that promotes the client’s product. The contemporary cultural shift in communication through social mediums has created increasingly connected consumers, brands and the media.

On February 27, Google released an algorithm update known as Venice. This update has flown under the radar when compared to other algorithm changes, but they’re major if you are a local business or a SEO professional with local clients.