Software Update 6.15: To WWW or Not to WWW

Software Release Notes

Spartan Spark's latest software version 6.15 is out, and we've got some really interesting updates regarding our search engine algorithm.

This summer, Google began removing the “WWW” and “HTTPS” from its Chrome web browser address bar in version Chrome 76, calling the WWW and HTTPS trivial nonsense and just an irrelevant ‘distraction’.

The Chrome team values the simplicity, usability, and security of UI surfaces. To make URLs easier to read and understand, and to remove distractions from the registrable domain, we will hide URL components that are irrelevant to most Chrome users. We plan to hide “https” scheme and special-case subdomain “www” in Chrome omnibox on desktop and Android in M76.

Spartan Spark noticed this change was coming and also saw that Safari was doing something similar. We've also noticed a change in website ranking for shorter domains so we've been busily updating the software to reflect those changes and continue to focus on our software, providing an SEO competitive advantage.

Since we’re always at the forefront of new technologies, we made sure the whole Spartan Spark website platform (called Spartan One) runs on HTTP/2.

What is HTTP/2?

I tried to ask Bernie but didn't understand a word he said… he lost me at "hello," haha. I looked up some info on Google's Developer Web Fundamentals. But I'm still no smarter on the subject, so here's what it boils down to:

Before HTTP2 there were things like "cookies" that were slowing down the page load speed because the same information was sent over and over. Moving to HTTP2 means that what made websites fast for the previous 10 years (content split over multiple domains) has become a penalty. HTTP2 means that your website loads faster, ranks better, and is secure.

— Bernie Lees, CTO, Spartan Spark.

What does this mean to our clients?

Now, because of our upgrade across the board to HTTP/2, we avoid all the search engine penalties, our clients' websites do better on the search engines, and we're aligned with what the browsers are doing.

Ok — geek on below to read the rest of the technicalities of the updates!

6.15

Key features are:

1. For SEO, www, http redirection to naked https with configuration
2. Fluid Jumbotron's across the website (blog/homepage/blog news/contact/requestquote/etc) all handled the same way; added configuration for mobile display to help with width/height ratios for different site types
3. Form consolidation (contact/requestquote/requestonsite/donate/volunteer/marketingassesment) forms all share common code and are all more resilient to spam/security issues
4. Removed email template text for email configuration (may be in previous release)

Features Added or Improved

• MAJOR: www and http redirection to https
• MAJOR: removing email template text
• MAJOR: fluid Jumbotron in layout.pug jumbotron image url
• SPAM: added a number of more configs for TLD, and invalid Characters
• #7611 P1 S201929 Feature: Sign-up form is asking for home phone number
• #4724 P1 S201930 Feature: Need section information in content calendar
• #8532 P1 S201931 Feature: CRM Columns need to each show 100 Leads
• #4299 P1 Feature: API: Download Facebook Leads, Upload to Dashboard, facebook service phase2
• #3707 FEATURE tickets Files server-side (client-side coming in future release)
• MINOR: header search disabled by default (build/site navigation bar)
• MINOR: updated role names for CSR, fixed spelling for Change Manager, and added Brand Manager
• Security: deps updated

Defects Fixed

• #6708 P1 S201931 Bug: Google my business - Add logo to google search
• #1698 P1 S201931 Bug: search results wiki page names have no spaces
• #8522 P1 Bug: 2 Line Navigation icon not working in mobile view
• #8471 P1 Bug: Jumbotron is touching "Get Started" button
• Fix: message when updating project
• Fix: for text messages causing issues, now using html-to-text to generate text versions of messages
• Fix: updated login page; removed User from User Login hard-coded text
• Fix: issue for footer and mailing address
• Fix: add missing product description to model