by Nick Throlson | Oct 16, 2017 | Web Design
Are you into web design? Maybe you have been designing websites for a while now, or you are new to this creative world, but you have probably already heard about people calling certain websites ?sticky?. What this basically means is that someone has made a website that makes visitors want to stick around, and quite probably bookmark and visit again. Every web designer aims at following contemporary trends and making their websites like this. However, there is also a lot of mistakes that they make that have a totally opposite effect. In this article, we are going to discuss some of those mistakes.
Overusing graphics
A whole bunch of graphics on your website creates clutter. This is when two things happen. First, people that have a slower internet connection will take forever to load the page. The fact is that it takes about 30 seconds for people to become annoyed and leave in order to check another website. Today, everything is immediate, so if you don?t get the attention of your users right away, you are going to lose them. Second, a cluttered page is a mess that makes it hard for people to navigate your website and decide what they even want to do.
Disabling the back button
A while ago, some web designers found out the way to override the browser?s back button. When a user clicks on it, instead of going back to where they were, they are redirected to an undesired location, a new window pops up and covers the screen, or the browser simply stays put because the designer decided that they don?t want you to simply leave. Don?t be that web designer. There are so many creative ways to keep users on your website, without annoying them.
Creating poor navigation
Everything that?s happening online is fast. So if a visitor comes to your website and can?t find out where they should go next in a few easy steps, they?ll look for what they need somewhere else. People tend to get frustrated if they have to backtrack a bunch of pages in order to get to another area of your business website. Your every page needs a navigation bar that intuitively leads users to where they want to go. It should be positioned along the top of the page, or along the left side, so that it?s always clearly in sight, no matter what the resolution is.
Too many different font styles and colors
If we take a look at some of the best web design in Sydney, we will see that the main goal of your every page is to have a consistent and unified look. Unexperienced web designers tend to get overwhelmed with the possibilities of using so many cool looking fonts and a variety of colors, that they make their web pages into visual hell. Your main task is to make your users aware of how stable and solid your design is, not show them wild artistry. It is also essential that your fonts and colors look proper on all available devices, such as desktops, smartphones, and tablets.
Too many ads
If you?re building a content website or a blog, the fact is that you will be making money off ads and not products that you are selling. However, a mistake that web designers often make is that they put in so many ads that the user can no longer tell the difference between what the content and what the advertisement is. If your user has to search your site in order to find the article, or the rest of the article that they were reading, then it means that you have just way too much advertising on your page. A couple of ads on your page is fine ? more than that is probably going to annoy people.
If web design is something that you like doing, then you need to make sure that you avoid some of the pitfalls of bad web design. This includes using too many graphics on your pages, creating poor and unintuitive navigation, disabling the back button in order to force your visitors to stay, and overcrowding your website with different fonts and colors, as well as advertisements. The idea is to follow good web design practices that will entice your users and make them want to revisit your website.? Try to invest in your knowledge, find relevant courses online and do a lot of practice and research. It will be worth your time and money.
by Nick Throlson | Oct 11, 2017 | Business, Web Design, WordPress
A website has its dignity in this technological era. A business cannot be considered without a site in this modern time as website plays a role of backbone for a company. Just admit that a human being who cannot move without spine same like a business can?t achieve high ranks and will not be able to run forward without a website. To make a business successful, one has to build and maintain an eye-catchy website so that company will be able to target his envisioned audience in limited time. Lots of things should be considered before development and creation of the website as website contains different factors which can affect business growth. Some significant elements which should not be neglected at the time of website development are summarizing here.Website design
The most important thing you have to consider before the development of a website as a business owner is that you have to make a website design which is bright enough for your customers and also for your visitors. Try to make appealing design and avoid ambiguous theme which may cause to disperse your visitors and affect your customers. Navigation between the screens tabs for online shopping and integration of social apps should be displayed vibrantly. Selection of color scheme for your website is also an essential part so colors should be used in such a way that they have a fresh and attractive effect on minds of the visitors. The logo of your website also works for you to make your business successful as a logo is the identity of your brand, so you have to maintain a logo which represents your brand effectively.Quality content
The content of a business website is the power of business, not only the power but also a reliable weapon to attract customers. It is mandatory for a business website to publish quality content on its site so the business owner must maintain check and balance on the content which is going to be published on his website. There is a strong reason behind marinating quality content on a website the idea is that people and visitors associate the standard of the brand and its products with the content published on the website. If visitors read quality content, then they assume that this name is providing reliable services so as a result, you will be able to give growth to your business. Responsiveness
According to the latest research, it is observed that most of the audience is the mobile user so according to this observation, your business website should be responsive as you will be able to target more audience and ultimately will be able to generate more traffic for your site. That?s the reason that most of the business consultants in UAE maintain a responsive website as they have an understanding of the importance of a responsive website for their business. At the time of designing, you have to consider a web design which is not only mobile friendly but also able to display properly on all other devices like tabs, iPhones, etc. Backend infrastructure
For a successful website, it is compulsory for a site to maintain robust backend infrastructure because all purchasing is done through website especially in case of e-commerce business. So, if backend of the website is handled with care then you will be in a condition to make a trusty and healthy relationship with your customers as all information provided by the customers at the time of purchasing will be stored in the backend.Effective domain
To select a domain name for your website, you have to understand the nature of the business and website you are going to maintain as the domain name is the thing through which your website will be able to locate on the internet. Under the consideration of the nature of your website, you have to choose a domain name which reflects your brand and services so your customers will be clear enough about your services. It?s suggested you have to choose shorter and comprehensive domain name as it will be effective for a business website.The growth of the business is the dream of every business holder. Before the advancement in technology that task was difficult, but the invention of latest technology and usage of the internet make this job easy for business owners. A business owner just has to maintain a website with some standards and rules, and the rest of the work website will do for his business. Author Bio: Jessica Watson has been writing for websites and magazines for three years now. She had a fair share of writing in various niches but her main focus is technology, business, finance, and social media. Currently associated with a business consultancy firm Aurion UAE.
by Nick Throlson | Oct 10, 2017 | Guest Post, Web Design
We all know that a professional and user-friendly website has the ability to boost brand exposure and sales for your business. In this day and age, your website is (or should be) your most qualified salesperson. If it fails to generate leads on a regular basis, then it isn?t doing its job.When embarking on a web design (or redesign) project, there is a tendency to focus very much on the superficial ? how the website looks. Some business owners believe that a ?fresh lick of paint? is all that?s needed to attract more customers and improve conversions. But that really only scratches the surface. Here are four reasons why your new web design might not generate the profitable results you were hoping for. It should come as no surprise that #1 on the list is:You didn?t think about your users
Listen ? your web design can have all the image carousels, parallax scrolling, and Flash animated load screens you want. But these ?impressive? effects are the last thing you should be thinking about when designing or redesigning your website. First off, you should be thinking about the needs of your users. Even if your website looks the part, your users will soon become tired of it if essential components, such as being able to find things easily, are overlooked. When people visit websites, rarely do they spend their time gushing over how beautiful it is. They?re not here to linger and admire, they?re here to a) find something, b) read something, c) buy something. It may sound boring, but the truth is that people like familiarity. Your attempt to create something that deviates from the norm may actually put them off, particularly if it makes the website hard to navigate. So the take-home truth is this: don?t try to reinvent the wheel. Build a website that meets the needs of your users in a pleasant and efficient way. You went for style over substance
We?re often led to believe that creativity is the holy grail of marketing. I?m certainly not here to dispute that. However, when it comes to designing a website, creativity actually isn?t the be-all-and-end-all. ?What an unfashionable thing to say,? I hear you cry. Stay with me. Let?s consider the following statistics:- Nearly 8 in 10 of consumers will stop engaging with content that doesn?t display well on their device (Adobe)
- 39% of people will stop engaging with a website if images won?t load or take too long to load (Adobe)
- 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience (Econsultancy)
In other words, we need to focus on usability if we want to please our customers. That means having a responsive website that displays well across devices, optimizing the website for speed so that pages load quickly, and ensuring that users have a good overall experience so they are more likely to come back. A good web designer already knows all of this. What?s more, they also know the importance of having quality content. Whether you create the content yourself, bring a copywriter in-house, or hire a freelancer, you need to be thinking about your content alongside your web design. Why? Because at the end of the day, content is what drives traffic. It?s the food of SEO. Search engines need ample information about the what, where, how, why and when of your business in order to determine your rank in SERPs. Content is the ideal way to position yourself as an expert worthy of the top spot. You went ahead and made it yourself
Note: you may ignore the following point if you?re a web designer.However, if you?re not a web designer and you have no experience in web design, then designing your website yourself is a big reason why it may not work out the way you plan. The truth is it takes years to perfect the art of making beautiful, functional websites. The same result is virtually impossible to achieve in a few hours using a DIY web design tool. Nothing beats good old-fashioned experience, and while a website builder can give you something very passable for a reasonable budget, you may find it hard to recreate exactly what you?re after. By contrast, working with a professional gives you much more flexibility, not to mention saving you the headache of doing it yourself. Web designers not only understand the principles of design, they also know how to create a website that will bring targeted traffic and high conversion rates. Everything from layout and hierarchy to color and iconography has a role to play.Read more: Web Design Services That You Need. Tips for ensuring a successful web design
It?s clear that design has the power to make or break your digital brand. Here are the elements that a good web designer will focus on to build a website that will benefit you and your business:- Intuitive navigation ? making it easy for users to find what they?re looking for
- Responsiveness ? automatic adjustment to different screen sizes
- Considered presentation and placement of CTAs for maximum impact
- Simplicity over clutter ? everything needs to justify its presence
- Form and function over frivolity ? UX is paramount
- On-brand aesthetics ? optimal use of color, graphics, and copy
So whether you?re out to create a new website, update one or two key pages, or overhaul your existing design, remember that it pays to go pro. Cutting corners may save you money in the short-term, but could lose you business in the long-term. With the right professional on board, you have the best chance of building a web design that works out exactly the way you planned.
by Nick Throlson | Oct 6, 2017 | Business, Social Media
Starting a new business can be very challenging and there are a lot of factors that will affect its success. As an entrepreneur, you can avoid most of those difficulties. Making a good website is the first step toward building a respectable and recognizable brand. Your potential customers will go online and search for your service and product. Their experience while visiting your site will form their opinion about your business. Below are some of the most important aspects you should consider when creating a website for your new company.Navigation
You don?t want to hide anything from your clients. Therefore, create a website that is easy to navigate through. That simple effort will ensure that people come back and start trusting your company. Every single page of your site should include plenty of breadcrumbs, so visitors can easily navigate around different categories and pages. It is crucial that they know where they are at any time. In addition, navigation should be done the way it looks pretty. Being functional is just not enough. Feel free to play with basic shapes and lines in order to improve aesthetics of your website?s navigation. Keep it simple and appealing and traffic will most certainly increase.Homepage image
The homepage is the first thing your potential customer will see. Keep in mind that people are visual beings. Because of that, you should pay a lot of attention to your homepage image. Use the visuals to direct visitor?s eyes. You can make people look at any specific area using just simple elements which will cause an immediate reaction. In case you don?t want to have large visual on your homepage, you can do just fine with other design elements available on your site. There are no rules, so go ahead and be creative. The more time you invest, the better your homepage will be.Recent and popular posts
If you decide to run a blog, WordPress which is highly recommended, you should make sure it is well organized and relevant. That means that you?ll need to push your most popular posts on the top of the page. The same action should be done with recent posts. This simple tricks will help your business in at least two ways. First, you?ll be able to see what are your visitors interested in so you can meet their expectations in the future. The second perk is a better ranking of your website in the search engine results.High-quality content
Once your customers clicked on your link and found themselves on your website, they?ll want to know what are you about. Make sure you work on high-quality content and web design which will get your visitors hooked on your brand. Keep up with personal tone while writing content since people are more likely to trust an individual than a big faceless corporation.Before you start creating content, go ahead and find out who?s your ideal customer. Try to define their demographics. Get to know their age, interests, education. All of those will help you to give them the content they are seeking for. Work on keywords, and if you are not into it, feel free to consult one of the available SEO companies and they?ll be there for you.Social media
Your website can?t make it on its own. Regardless of its aesthetics, functionality, and content, it will need help from social media platforms. The whole internet life is happening there, and if you?re not on social media, there?s a good chance you don?t exist. Because of that, consider adding some sharing buttons on your website, so your visitors can share what they like quickly. That way, the word about your business will be spread out, and you?ll be able to see what people think about your product or service. In addition, you?ll get valuable information about the traffic that came from social media, so you can use it for future marketing campaigns.Aesthetics
Try to avoid making a boring website. It should be provocative and unusual, and yet simple and pretty. You don?t have to worry about that since there are numerous talented web designers out there and you can make an audition so they can present their ideas. Make sure to hire someone experienced and up-to-date. Trends are changing fast and you don?t want to hire someone who will design and outdated website. Your website will be the face of your company, so make sure it?s representative.Final thoughts
As you can see, aesthetics is important but not crucial part of your website. Before you start thinking about the looks, go ahead and start working on the content. The best way to lure people to your site is to listen to them and give them what they want. Always meet your customers? needs. Create a place where they can communicate with each other and with you.Take some time to answer all their questions and address all concerns. People will appreciate your attitude and will be coming back. If you treat your customer base with care, they will share their experience online and your website will get even more traffic and your conversion rate will improve in no time.
by Nick Throlson | Sep 20, 2017 | Web Design, Web Hosting
It?s easy to get swept up in adverts for website builders such as Wix or Squarespace that promise the ability to build your own website in minutes. As a small business owner, you?ve got to watch every penny. So why should you pay a couple of thousand bucks to a web designer when you can do it yourself for a low monthly fee?But there?s a catch. There is always a catch. The kind of website that you build with Wix or Squarespace is a million miles away from the kind of website a professional web designer will deliver. As one of your business? key pieces of collateral, it is important that your website does more than looking good. Don?t believe us? Here are five ways a Wix or Squarespace website will let your business down.1. Your website won?t get found
Part of the reason many business owners get a website is to reach a larger customer base. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a great way for websites to attract users through search engines like Google. Website builders have notoriously bad SEO, however. Because these builders are drag-and-drop, they spit out a jumble of code that is so poorly structured it is hard for Google to crawl it. If Google struggles to crawl it, you'll rank badly. And there?s nothing you can do to improve it, either. That means that even if you hire an SEO agency, they will have a tough time working their magic on your website if it?s built using Wix.2. It will look bad on mobile
You look at websites on your smartphone, right? Exactly, and so do millions of other Americans. In fact, more people access Google on their phones than on desktops or laptops. With so many potential customers using the Internet on their smartphone, it?s important that your website looks great on mobile devices. Unfortunately, these website builders primarily care about how your website looks on desktop PCs. There are no guarantees that it will work well or look good on smartphones. A web designer, on the other hand, will usually build up from mobile first to ensure that your site looks great on any device.3. It will be slow
A fast website is key for great user experience. No one likes using a website that takes ages to load. In fact, most users will leave a website if it takes longer than a few seconds to load. If you want to convert visitors into customers, you need your website to be fast. Unfortunately, the bad code that makes it hard to rank a Squarespace website in Google also means your website will be slow. And just like with SEO, there?s very little you can do to improve it. A professional designer, however, will minimize code and images in order to make your website load as fast as possible. Your customers will thank you for it.4. It won?t scale with your business
Most web designers will use a Content Management System (CMS) to build your website. This will usually be WordPress. A CMS lets you add new pages to your website and edit the content of your website after you have built it. So when you need to add a new service or write a new article, it?s incredibly easy to do. This isn?t the case with a website builder. Once you?ve built it, there?s very little you can do to change it. You?re stuck with it.5. You can?t move it
Using a website builder like Squarespace or Wix doesn?t just mean that your website won?t scale, it?s also very difficult to move it if you decide to go in a different direction. Worse still, you don?t actually own the website. Wix or Squarespace owns the website and you must continue to pay them in order to use it. If you want to move away and have a website that you own or control, you?ll have to start from scratch. It?s much easier to hire a professional web designer from the start who can build a great website that is actually yours to own and use as you wish.See? Using a website builder like Wix or Squarespace isn?t all it is cracked up to be. If you care about your business and want to hire a professional web designer, get started with a free quote from us today. We can build the WordPress website your business deserves.http://www.throlson.com/free-quote/
