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Five Website Design Mistakes Not To Make

May 21, 2011 By

Website design software is everywhere, and so are website design companies. You can even design your own website for free, if you so desire, on many different site builders. Considering the many options that exist, it’s completely understandable that small business owners often feel a sense of confusion when it comes to building a website.

While there are many extremely desirable elements to website design, there are also some things you should avoid.

Here are five website design mistakes you should be careful never to make.

Website Design Mistake #5:  Using PDF Files Instead of Pages

It might be tempting to scan existing documents into pdf format and upload them onto your website. Give visitors a link to click, and up comes your pdf. Easy, right?  Wrong!  People hate finding pdf’s on websites. They take a long time to load, and they can be hard to read. Take the time to create a new page that contains the pertinent information.

You can build links and backlinks, add great photos, and make your page a pleasure to visit instead of an irritation.
Annoyed visitors leave a site and look for a better one – so skip the pdf’s.

Website Design Mistake #4:  Using Bookish Text

People want information fast. They want to scan your site and see whether you have what they are looking for.

So:

  • Do not make your site look like the page of a book.

Keep it interesting.

  • Use photos and vary the text size to highlight different areas of your page.
  • Use bulleted lists and quick paragraphs with headers that tell the visitor what they’re going to find under that heading.
  • Make your site interactive.

The more fun people have when they visit your site, the more successful it will be.

Website Design Mistake #3:  Building A Flashy Site That Is Too Complicated For Users To Navigate

You can have the most beautiful looking website in the world, but without elements that are properly built using proven website design techniques, your site will be just more pretty pictures – and the internet is full of those!

People want to go to a site, find what they are looking for, and leave. The better and faster the internet gets, the faster people expect sites to work.

Website Design Mistake #2:  Preventing Smartphone Users From Accessing Your Site

This is a relatively new mistake in website design, and if you’ve got a website now, it’s worth looking into. Can people who surf the web on their iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or other smartphone get into your site?

Can they find what they’re looking for, and navigate well? If not, your site needs first aid. Fast.

Website Design Mistake #1:  Not Hiring A Professional To Handle Website Design

You might want to help your buddy who is learning about website design build his portfolio by building you a website, and while that might be OK if he has some experienced guidance…it also might ruin your chances of ending up with a great site that is both user friendly and high ranking.

These days, website design is about a lot more than looking good.

Hire a professional, and your site will do exactly what you need it to – gain you business, and increase your bottom line.

 

More Website Design Information.

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Most Web Designers Don’t Know SEO

February 23, 2011 By

Don’t Most Web Designers Know SEO?

The world of web design is complex and fraught with misinformation. Chief among them is the assumed belief that most web designers have a solid understanding of Search Engine Optimization or SEO.

In truth, the exact opposite is true. Most web designers know very little about SEO and this includes those with college degrees in Website Design.

A friend of mine received a Bachelor’s Degree in Web Design from a reputable University. When I asked her what she was taught concerning SEO she replied… “Not much.”

They gave her their definition and spent a little time explaining the basic concepts. However, they weren’t actually trained in the art and science commonly referred to as SEO. They were told that type of work should be performed by an individual or company that specialized in Search Engine Optimization.

I agree with this, as web designers are more artistic by nature and not usually the best suited for things that are highly technical. That’s not to say that there aren’t some who are good at both, just that it’s probably the exception rather than the rule.

The real problem is that most clients know little about the web design process and mistakenly believe that their web designer has optimized their site for the search engines. As many web designers forget to discuss the topic with their clients, the site is completed and made live without being optimized.

To improve your chances of getting an attractive website that is also well-optimized for the search engines, it’s vitally important that you understand these three website design phases:

Web Design

In this phase, your web designer will work with you to create a nice looking website according to your project specifications. This part is primarily graphic in nature but it does form the foundation of the entire project.

Website Coding

After the website graphics are finished, the design will be coded in such a way that it can be understood and displayed on multiple browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. Some web designers will use a program like Adobe’s Dreamweaver to code the design while others will hire a web coder to do the process manually.

As a general rule, designs that are “hand coded” by a code specialist are more likely to follow the standards set by the Worldwide Web Consortium or W3C. They are also more likely to be “lighter” in their design, which is beneficial to SEO.

Search Engine Optimization

After the site has been designed and coded, the work can then begin to optimize the website for the search engines. This is best performed by a SEO Specialist.

The SEO Specialist’s job is to work closely with the client in an effort to understand their business and what outcome(s) they are looking to produce. With this information, they will begin the process of keyword research and selection and then start optimizing each individual page of the site.

In addition to the work performed to the site itself, the SEO Specialist will perform a variety of “off page” tasks. These tasks will likely include linkbuilding, social bookmarking, the creation of citations as well as many others.

As you can see, successful web design is a rather complex topic and frequently requires the work of several specialists. Armed with this information, you’ll know what questions to ask to insure your project is completed to your satisfaction.

After all, a beautiful website that doesn’t get any traffic it may as well not exist. The common analogy that is often related to this situation is that it is like building a billboard out in the desert. Please don’t put yourself in that position.

We can help with your SEO website design strategy.

Give us a call at 1-866-910-4471.

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Is Your Website Design The Culprit In Lost Sales?

February 17, 2011 By

Is Your Website Design Contributing To Lost Sales?

A business website takes time and money to set up, so it’s really frustrating when it just doesn’t seem to be bringing in the bacon. What most local business owners often overlook are the basic facets that convert traffic into cash. This article takes a look at the most critical sales conversion features your website needs to have.

Specific Sales Pages And Squeeze Pages

You’ve worked hard to drive traffic to your website yet you link them to a home page full of general information about your company. Your website should have specific sales pages and squeeze pages where your traffic lands. If you were promoting a free gift in exchange for email address in one of your articles on an article directory, your visitors should land on your squeeze page and nowhere else. If you had a product launch video on YouTube, then your URL link should land viewers directly onto your sales page. In this way you give your prospects no chances of getting distracted by other content.

Website Sales Copy

Sales copy refers to the way you write your pitch on your sales page that drives people to buy from you. Your traffic needs to be further convinced to take action to buy. Remember it’s not what you say, but how you say it. If you don’t know how to write good sales copy, you can simply learn from the best for free.

Read the sales copy for bestselling products and services in magazines, direct mail letters, websites, newspapers, videos etc. What words do they use, how do they lay out their text, what colors do they use, how does the content flow, how many words do they use, what compelling phrases and titles do they employ? You could go the route of hiring a copywriter but its best to first educate yourself on what good copywriting looks like, so you’ll know if they have done it right

Feedback Area

Always include a feedback area in your website. This is usually located at the bottom of the webpage. Sometimes we need to hear things from other people’s perspective and that feedback area allows visitors to tell you things about your website that probably you never realized.

They may alert you to broken links, problems they are having with loading content like videos or with your payment processor, or even give you ideas on how to improve your products and services through their complaints, questions and comments.

Social Media Links

It is often said that web users need to be exposed at least five times to a website before they actually buy something, so one way to keep your business on their mind is to add a social media toolbar.

This toolbar has the icons for the popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Technorati and others. This allows them to join your fanpage or share your web content with others.

Also include an RSS feed icon that alerts them to new updates on your website. All this helps  your business to be remembered by the user and increase the likelihood of them purchasing from you in the future.

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How To Ensure Your Local Business Website Is User – Friendly

February 15, 2011 By

How To Ensure Your Local Business Website Is User – Friendly

Your business website is your online store front and its image and functionality determines whether users stay on it or click away. Here are some tips to make sure your website is friendly and attractive to users.

Keep Your Business Website user Friendly By Adopting A Minimalist Approach

It’s tempting to “fill out” your web pages with unnecessary content just make it look weighty but that only gives your readers viewing fatigue. Keep it simple so that users can quickly scan your content and find exactly what they want.

Website Text Layout

Make sure your text is divided into short sections complete with titles and subtitles. Also give information in point form or bullet form, and space it out into brief paragraphs so it’s easier for your users to read.

Keep Your Website User Friendly By Having Your Links Open In New Windows

If your website has multimedia content like videos, audio files or PDF documents, make sure that their links open in new windows so that as the large files are downloading your user can multitask and remain on your webpage. That saves him time.

Maintain A Consistent Design Theme For Website Usability

If your website has multiple pages, maintain a consistent design theme. Make sure navigation tools, colors, layout, text font and other features are the same on each and every page. You don’t want your user to feel that they have clicked the wrong link and wonder whether they are still on your website or not.

Professional Appearance Adds To Website Usability

If you want to be taken seriously, it helps to have a professional looking website instead of one that looks outdated or created with childish- looking freebie templates. It pays to have a website designer help you get your look together instead of trying to do it yourself.

Graphics And Media Can Effect Website Usability

There’s nothing more annoying to a website user than drumming his fingers impatiently as he waits for your website to load heavy graphics and multimedia. The world is getting busier and people’s attention span is getting severely shorter, so keep those graphics simple, your videos about a minute in length and resize your images for fast loading. Your website should not take more than 15 seconds to load.

Don’t Chase Your Website Visitors Away Because Of Poor Spelling Or Grammar

It’s often the basic things we get wrong. The spelling and grammar of your content should be perfect. Wrong spellings and confusing content shows you don’t pay attention to details and turns off users. They will probably wonder why they would want to buy anything from you, if you can’t even get your spelling right.

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Important Questions To Ask Before You Hire a Web Designer

February 15, 2011 By

Important Questions To Ask Before You Hire a Web Designer

Your website will represent your business online and should have a look and feel similar to your local business, specifically, professional and welcoming. When it comes time to choose a web designer, you’ll want to make sure you’ve chosen an individual or group who not only understands your needs but has the technical know-how to turn your vision into a reality.

Start by narrowing your search down to several web designers, at least two or three. Then interview each one, paying special attention to the answers they give you. Their responses will tell you quite a bit about their abilities.

Can I See Your Website Design Portfolio?

Make this your very first question. The first thing you’re looking for is a track record of actually completing projects. The second think you’re looking for is your potential designer’s ability to create aesthetically pleasing work. Don’t accept pictures or screen shots. Make sure you are able to visit at least one or two websites he completed himself.

Will My Website Be Viewable On All Web Browsers?

Believe it or not, websites show up differently in search engine browsers. A site may look really great in Firefox but may not look quite right in Internet Explorer, Safari or Opera. The designer you choose to work with should understand how to optimize your site so that it works in all of the major browsers, regardless of whether you’re on a Mac or a PC.

Who Will Own My Website?

Some web designers take ownership of their work, from setting up the domain and hosting accounts and creating the site itself. You are paying for the website, so you should have access to all of the hosting accounts and you should have a backup copy of the website on file. You’ll want to make sure you have the information necessary to move to another designer if you should choose to do so in the future.

How Will I Be Able To Make Changes To My Website?

Building a website is one thing. Editing the content on your site is another. Ask the designer in question whether you’ll be able to add or edit content and pages on your own or if you’ll have to come back to him to make edits. If you can do it on your own, will you have to learn a complex editing program or will you be operating on a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) type of platform. Make sure you’re getting a modern built-in editing program, if possible.

What Is The Time-Frame For Delivery And How Much Will My Website Cost?

After giving the developer an idea of what you are looking for, he should have no problem giving you a time estimate and a price quote. Clarify whether or not the developer is charging a flat rate for the project or if he has an hourly rate.

What Website Design Questions Do You Have For Me?

Ask the developer if he has any questions for you. He should definitely ask you about your goals for the business in general, how you want the website to look and feel, and what you’d consider a successful site. The more he asks, the greater your odds of getting a site you really like.

Don’t rush to choose the first web developer you speak to. Take the time to interview a few and make sure you’re getting the services you want from someone you feel comfortable with. The end result will be a direct reflection of your communications. Make them great.

Is Search Engine Optimization ( SEO/SEM) Included In Website Design Cost?

The truth is, most web designers are not qualified to optimize your new site for the search engines. All too often, clients’ assume that their new site will be found and indexed by the search engines after going live but this is a dangerous assumption.

As this is crucial to your business, it’s important that you discuss the topic of SEO to see if they will perform basic SEO strategies to your new website or if they can refer you to a qualified SEO Consultant.

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