by Nick Throlson | Jan 3, 2018 | Web Design
Needless to say, 2017 had been quite eventful in terms of technology and left the doors open for the new technologies which make the mark in this year. Now, since 2018 is about to embark, you can just witness a tremendous of competition existing out there be it in mobile or web. So, if you are not updated, the probability of losing your consumers undeniably augments.Here we will be talking about the websites because most of the businesses heavily rely on them for capturing the user base. In such a scenario, businesses are left with only two options - intact the website according to the trends or sit back with the orthodox strategies and fundamentals for governing their business chronicles.The moment has finally arrived to revamp your website in a way users love. Spare out some time from your busy work roster and plunge into crafting the exploding website, with the top trends listed below.Vibrant and sparkling colors Well, the concept of mixing and matching the colors is endowed by the year 2018. Website designers can use the vibrant, sparkling and bright combination of unique color schemes. Reason being - users love it and they are pretty much eye-catchy as well.Despite using the safe and elegant colors, the designers can use the enlarged images, attractive buttons and clickable images. In 2018, the business can plan something that doesn?t match the suite and strive for imparting a humongous and inimitable experience to the users.Therefore, the designers can think about adding some ignited colors for encouraging the users and to keep them tailored for a long time.Illustrations will add essenceAdding custom illustration plays a great role in adding substantiality to your websites. They contribute simplicity to your websites in a much bigger way when compared with the high-quality images and pictures.For instance, Shopify uses highly creative illustrations for showcasing its core business ideation and concerns. Other than illustrations, you can also go for adding attractive GIFs, SVG?s etc. for making your website even more bolstered.Just remember while adding the aforementioned key pointers, step aside and view it from the perspective of users. A cozy website with too many elements can be abandoned by the users, thus process with a complete brainstorming and verified planning.Switch to mobileIt is very important to make sure that your website fits the mobile version without any operational, functional or display bugs. Owing to the current scenario, 40% of the website traffic is being generated from smartphones thus you cannot miss out on having the mobile version of your website.People are nowadays addicted to mobile apps, and in order to earn impressive results, make sure that your website loads quite faster over the mobile. AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) can be used by the designers and mobile app developers for making the loading time quite faster. It helps to trim down the code and the media files at the time your website is being opened in the mobile phones.Therefore, in case you are looking for a bigger and huge traffic from both the mobile and web-version, AMP is the one to keep an eye on.Videos will fetch the users Instead of writing elongated text on the websites, business and the designers can use videos for making the users stay on the websites. Using and integrating the videos on the website is certainly not a new trend, but in the year 2018, we can view it taking a major shape.For delivering the complex business operations, videos can come as a major rescue. They propel the users to see your offerings and the value they are attuned to.Asymmetry and typographies will dominateSimply you can use the zigzag rows of words and phrases that go exactly with your sparkling colors, remember we discussed it in very first point. Isn?t great to display words in white with the bigger typography and in a different shape on your black colored designed website. Well, it sounds quite amused and awesome.You can use broad letter words for emphasizing your brand core value plus it will also help you to stand tall among your competitors. In 2018, for sure the concept of asymmetry accompanied big and bold written texts will fetch a massive momentum, as they not only fits to mobile but also adds an extra attraction to your overall website.Concept of flat design will bloom It helps your website to look clean and fresh.? The concept of flat design is not new but when it is modified with the bold texts, asymmetry and bright colors, it becomes quite capable of attracting a vast user base.Therefore, it turns out to be a perfect choice for remodeling the website and in case you are getting ready to serve your clients with something really extraordinary.AI will continue to dominateAI had made a clear-cut way in the mainstream of businesses with the help of Chatbots. If you are not aware of the term, it is an AI-powered interface that interacts with your clients 24/7 in a very flexible and interactive way.Well, AI contributes a lot to make your website design advanced and still, there are more inventions to be commenced by the AI on the surface.Now, since 2018 is around the corner, it?s the right time to get your websites on heels for capturing a user base. These trends have already embarked into the current landscape and are continuously replacing the traditional concepts of website development.Hence, plan your strategy based on the above designing trends and deliver your users something innovative and magnificent this year, while showcasing your services and products with a really captivating approach.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 21, 2017 | Business, Web Design
In this day in age, your company simply cannot survive without a website. Even if you?re a local business who sells products from a physical store rather than online, you still need to have your name out there on the internet to be competing for customers. Even when people are looking for local businesses they will be browsing online to see what?s available, a nice website could possibly snag you a new customer. If you do trade online, it?s even more important since this will be the face of your business. It?s what customers will see first, it?s your chance to make an impression. If your current site isn?t up to scratch, here are just a few of the ways you can go about improving things to improve your business in general. A Professional, Streamlined LookThe first and most obvious change you could make to your website is a new design. If your current layout looks cheap and amateurish this will lead customers to think the rest of your business is the same way. There are lots of talented web designers out there who can create something tailored to your business and make it look incredible. You need the right fonts, colors, headers, the right amount of whitespace on the page. Ads shouldn?t be too crowded or clutter up the page. It?s worth spending the money here and investing since it?s such a crucial part of your business, it?s likely to be the difference between success and failure. A Live Chat FeatureLive chat is becoming more and more widely used. It?s something that customers love and can really help to boost business. It makes your company and site look more professional, and if you have customers that are on the fence about buying from you, being able to have their query answered hassle-free via live chat it could sway them. Not every customer will pick up the phone to resolve an issue before buying, and not everyone has social media accounts to speak to a real team member on there. Live chat makes it easy for them and can do great things for your business. Clear Contact DetailsWhen a customer is thinking of buying from you, one of the first things they will look at is how easy it is to get in contact if anything goes wrong. Make sure the page to your details is clearly linked and visible. It should contain a business email address, a landline telephone number, and your physical address. If you want a more impressive looking address, invest in a mail forwarding address. Here you will appear to have the address of a stunning office block on Google maps, but your mail is just sent there and forwarded on to you. An Easy Verification SystemIf you run the kind of business that requires documentation from customers (perhaps for equipment hire or financial products such as a loan) you could include a real world identity verification option. This software can be easily integrated into your site and makes everything quicker and easier as opposed to having to upload and email information. It allows customers to scan things like IDs, bank statements, utility bills and more. If these are the kinds of things you need from customers in your business something like this could be ideal. A BlogFinally, a blog is an excellent addition to your website. It shows that you are knowledgeable in your field of business. This can help to make you look professional and trustworthy which customers will love, especially if they?re new to shopping with you. A blog can also easily integrate into your website, and over time can help to improve page rank. There are lots of freelance writers online you can hire to write posts for you, they don?t cost much and you get great content to add to your site every week or a couple of times a week. If you?re not on board with blogging for business yet, it?s something you definitely need to implement as a way to boost business. There are plenty of ways you can improve your business website, many of which depend on the specific kind of website you run. However, it should be neat and tidy with a professional edge and blog at the very least. Is your business website in need of an update? What features have you/ will you get installed that is specific to what your company sells?
by Nick Throlson | Dec 15, 2017 | Marketing, Web Design
While the ad copy of your landing page is important, landing page design also plays a large part in maximizing its performance.It's easy to get carried away tweaking all the elements of your landing page's design. However, you want to focus on the changes that will make the biggest impact.To help you increase your conversions, Bradley shaw from dallaswebsitedesign picked up some solid landing page design tips and best practices for optimizing your offer.Making Your Landing Page Flow?
- Remove Unnecessary Distractions
Landing pages should look and feel intuitive. The visitor should quickly get an idea of what they're being offered and what actions they can take upon going to your page. There are many distractions that can get in the way of this process including images, security seals, and even the navigation menu.In this example,VWO increased signups by 100% by simply removing the navigation menu. It goes to show that keeping your design minimal and focused can pay off.- Use Typography that Is Readable
When you study the best landing page examples, you'll notice that most of the pages use typography that's easy to read. There's often nothing fancy going on. The focus is on making sure that visitors can quickly scan the message and get the main point.There are also other elements that make the text, particularly the headline work better. A strong color contrast is used to make the core message stand out. Headlines use bigger and thicker font. There's also a visual hierarchy to the text that leads readers from one point to the next.- Use Relevant Imagery
A common mistake that many landing pages make is using the wrong images to support their offer. Too many websites still rely on stock images to make their website look more professional.The problem with this is that certain stock images have characteristics that indicate that it's a stock image. You want to use strong imagery that supports your message. For example, CodeCombat uses a great image of kids having fun on their computers while learning to programme.- Optimize for Mobile Visitors
Landing page design gets tricky when dealing with mobile visitors. There are many things that you'll have to adjust including the page layout, content formatting, loading speed, font size and web buttons.If you're using a responsive theme, do not assume that your theme will automatically optimize your page for mobile. Do your due diligence and test how your landing page appears on different devices, browsers, and screen sizes.- Use Visual Cues
Visual cues can help visitors pay attention to your message and increase your conversions. You can use them explicitly and implicitly. Arrows, circles and dotted lines would be examples of explicit visual cues.A person looking at a specific direction, spacing, color contrasts and the shape of design elements are examples of implicit visual cues.This study by ConversionXL found that using a direct arrow increased the attention span spent on a landing page form. Ideally, you'll want to use a mix of both for the best results.Optimizing Forms and Buttons
- Experiment with Different Forms
There's nothing wrong with using standard forms if you're just collecting the visitor's name and email. But if your forms call for more than that, you may be able to see better results by using form design that's interactive.Tools like Leadformly allow you to use multi-step or quiz style forms that can increase signups. It also uses a clever progress bar to indicate to users how far they are along into the form.- Optimize Your Call to Action Buttons
Ultimately, you want your visitors to take action. That means that you have to get them to press the button to either subscribe or go to the order page. That's why the design of your call to action button is important.Start by experimenting with the size and color of the button. Next, you want to play around with the actual call to action text.You'll be surprised at how much of an impact that this simple test can make to your conversions. If you're using a longer landing page, you will also want to try adding multiple CTA buttons throughout the page to see how that performs.Trust and Credibility Elements
- If You're Going to Use Testimonials, Make Them Real
Using testimonials on your page is one of the best ways to strengthen your offer. But it can backfire on you if your testimonials are poor. Common mistakes include using low-quality photos (or none at all), using initials instead of full names, and using general feedback.If you're going to use testimonials, make sure that they're real. Include the headshot, full name, title, and company of the person that gave you the testimonial. Using video may be even better as adding video to full-page ads increases engagement by as much as 22 percent.- Adding Trust Elements Can Lift Conversions
There are many other things that you can do besides adding testimonials to get visitors to trust your landing page. If your company has been featured in trusted media channels or publications, you may want to use their logos on your page and link to the source.Other elements that can help you include the about us page, privacy policy, and a money back guarantee if you're making a transactional offer. Some other supporting pages that can help include the how it works and comparison sections.As you can see, there are a large number of design elements that can impact the performance of your landing pages. There's no hard and fast rule for what approaches work. It's best to focus on the fundamentals of why certain design approaches work and experiment with different designs.Hopefully, these tips and best practices will inspire you to go beyond the ad copy of your landing page and get you in the process of optimizing your page's design as well.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 7, 2017 | SEO, Web Design, Web Hosting
How to reduce your Website?s Bounce RateWebsites have always been and are still being used as one of the primary tools for leveraging businesses. It is almost rare as a unicorn to find a business that is making insane profits without having a website. And that is because, for a prospective customer, a website is a door to the company?s products & services. Now some people may argue that choosing mobile app development could have been a better option, but then a website, somewhat, builds a foundation where you can connect with your customers in a much broader sense.But then there are times when you wonder why in the world your website isn?t generating business as expected, despite spending a fortune on it. You start doubting your product, as well as your business potential. But most of the times, the real culprit is ?Bounce Rate?.What is Bounce RateThe simplest definition of Bounce Rate is - it is the percentage of visitors that leave a website after viewing the first page. Even simply put, your product or service didn?t seem interesting enough to them. The effect of Bounce Rate on your business could be disastrous if, over the time, nothing is done about it.According to a research, 26-40% Bounce Rate is great, 41-55% is average and anything above it is not what you should be aiming for.So how do you reduce Bounce Rate of your website? If you are looking for an answer, this guide is a must-read for you:ReadabilityThe connection between Bounce Rate and readability is quite apparent; the better they understand, the more they are interested. If you have a WordPress website, you get a free SEO plugin from Yoast. Install it and follow the corrections it suggests to improve your content?s readability.According to Yoast, a piece of content has good readability when:- Not more than 25% sentences have more than 20 words.
- Punctuations and grammar have been well taken care of.
- There is sufficient use of transition words.
- Passive sentences are less than 20%
Use sufficient InfographicsVisual communication has always been much more efficient at getting the message across, compared to text only. People find it the content more engaging when you use pictures, GIFs, and videos to communicate. Besides, Google also gives priority to content that has more infographics. And if you good ranking on Google search; chances are, people already trust you enough to go to your website.Integrate the content with your brandIntegrating the content with the brand brings uniformity and a sense of credibility to your website. The sections on your landing page should not feel scattered and must not talk about different or contradictory goals. Carry out extensive research on the tone of how others, in the same line of business as yours, pen down their ideas. Have a logo and a summary of your vision, mission, and offer, apparent enough on the landing page itself. The effect of appropriate content is almost the same on a website and app. That is why, the best mobile app development companies as well, understand the importance of appropriate content integration and make sure it has been seamlessly done.Load-TimeAccording to statistics, a 1-second delay could cost you 7% conversions. According to another study, 53% mobile sites turn into ghost towns if the load times are more than 3 seconds.What do these figures say?It is that people don?t like to wait, periodYou can decrease your website?s load time by using page optimization techniques like using compressed pictures and videos. Apart from that, using cached pages also decreases your load time as the server deploys web pages from local cache.Only use authentic web-hosts to host your website. Some popular web-hosts in India are HostGator, GoDaddy.?Author Bio:Hari Krishna is a well-versed content writer working in FuGenX Technologies, an emerging?mobile app development company New York. He likes to write on technology, start-ups and latest technological innovations that people like to know and share with others.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 4, 2017 | Business, Web Design
When you?re in business, you should be more than concerned with what your customers want. They?re the backbone to your operation and the people who are going to help you take your company to new heights. Do whatever it takes to make certain you?re on the same page.They should be on your mind night and day as you figure out ways to have your business cater to their needs. Don?t assume you know what they want. Research, read and ask to get your answers and come up with a list of the most important items to focus your attention on. See elements customers want in a business.A Functional & Attractive WebsiteCustomers want to search and find you online without any issues. They want to see your website, scroll through pages and click links from all sorts of devices. Work with a professional designer who can help you create the perfect website for your business. You want to make sure you include the right kind of information and that it?s easy for your users to navigate through the site. Not only does your text and layout have to be on point, but you need high-quality images and fonts too.A BlogAfter your website is up and running, consider adding a blog. In fact, starting a blog is easy when using a simple and free step-by-step guide made for beginners that can be found online. You can get started in just three steps. Once you have the foundation configured, start writing interesting and thought-provoking blog posts your readers will enjoy reviewing when they land on your website. Have someone on your team manage it, so it?s always up-to-date and has fresh content. A blog is a great way to be found in the search engines and for you to show your customers that you?re thought leaders in the industry.Timely & Properly Managed Email Marketing CampaignsEmail marketing campaigns are great if they?re done the appropriately. Customers don?t want to be bombarded with messages that don?t relate to them at odd hours of the day. Come up with a process and calendar for sending out your emails. Be sure to spend time on the messaging and segment out your audience lists, so the right people are getting the right message at the right time. Make sure your emails have a purpose and aren?t going out too close together. Email marketing can be extremely successful if you put in the time to learn how to execute it correctly.Exceptional Customer ServiceOne element all customers can agree upon is that a business offers exceptional customer service. People are sick and tired of mediocre and having to argue their way into being heard. Have processes in place that keep it all running smoothly and people who are willing to go above and beyond to make sure the customer?s happy at the end of the day. Strive to be known for having the best customer service around and see how quickly people return and your reviews grow stronger.Quality Products & ServicesBusiness isn?t just about how quickly you can get a product or service out the door. While speed matters, so does quality. Customers want value for their money and to be satisfied with their purchase. Your goal is to have clients be happy and not want to instantly return whatever it is they bought from you. If you lack in quality, you may get sales, but over time they?ll dissipate and you?ll be left with a lot of extra inventory. Put quality at the forefront and then be glad that you can be proud of your company.Human FactorCustomers want to know that who?s on the other side is human too. They want to know that you?re not all about sending out fake looking images and messages. They?re thirsting for that personal connection with your brand. Give it to them by showing who?s behind the company walls, posting raw images on social media and allowing customers to easily get in touch with your customer service department. Most importantly, when you make a mistake admit it and don?t try to cover it up. People will understand more if you?re honest and authentic.People who ListenSimilarly to how you want your staff to listen to you, your clients desire the same respect. Customers want to do the talking. They want you to listen and hear their feedback and complaints. Businesses who do what they think is best and go on without taking into consideration what the customer wants usually end up regretting it. Have conversations with your customers, give them the floor, let them speak and share their ideas with you. Be glad they care and feel strongly enough about your product or service to wanting to connect with you.Ease of Doing Business & Reliability Focus on priding yourselves on the fact that it?s easy to do business with you. It should be as simple as hitting the easy button and not having to jump through hoops to finally be satisfied. It?s about keeping the promises you make and not disappointing your customers because it?s better for you. Be reliable and honorable, so there?s a desire for customers to want to do business with you time and time again. Customers have enough stress and chaos in their own lives. They?re counting on you to deliver results and do it with a smile, so they can move on with their lives and not have to deal with any drama.ConclusionThis is an important list that you should strongly consider implementing in your own business. Put your customers first and watch how quickly other areas of your company start to fall into place. Stop trying to do it all yourself and start listening to what consumers are saying about you. The future is in your hands and has the potential to be very bright if you?re willing to work hard to please the people who matter the most. These are elements customers want in a business.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 1, 2017 | Web Design
Website Trends to Watch Out for in 2018
Businesses should have New Year?s resolutions just like individuals do. The new year is a great opportunity to implement fresh ideas that can help your business to grow, or perhaps 2018 will be the year you finally put your entrepreneurial hat on and start that business you?ve always dreamed about. Either way, you need a website, or you need to refurb your website for a fresh and optimized new start to the year. Here are 4 trends to watch out for in 2018.Mobile Friendly Each year, more people are turning to their smartphones when surfing the internet. Rather than switch on their laptops or use their desktop, mobile phones are proving more convenient. By having a website that is optimized to be mobile friendly, you can improve traffic, which, in turn, improves your sales and your bottom line. In 2018, it is even more important to get mobile-friendly, however, as this is the year that Google is planning to roll out its Mobile First Index, which will place more importance on websites that have a mobile-optimized site, showing them first in rankings. It?s not just about SEO anymore, and that is important to remember.Use of GridsAs years go by, the trend in aesthetics changes. Whereas in the 70s it was de rigueur to have busy brown wallpaper in the kitchen, in the 21st century we prefer (generally) a more classic, clean approach. The same is true of websites. Things change, and what was considered appealing a decade ago is no longer what is required to make your website somewhere people want to visit. In 2018, the look of your website may be going to change again, this time to incorporate an irregular grid layout. If that sounds like a foreign language, don?t worry ? that?s what website designers are for. Speak to a professional about redoing your website to incorporate this trend, and get ahead of the curve. Remember, an expert web designer will be able to help you whether you need with HVAC websites, or if you?re a retail e-commerce business, etc.?Bright Colors Once you have your modern design set up by your web designer, you?ll want to start thinking about the overall look of the website. Again, this is something that the professionals can help with once you have an idea of what you want. The trend for 2018 is for bright, bold colors that really pop from the page and catch the attention. No more minimalistic white spaces and black fonts ? it?s time to change things up and use some wacky and wild colors. It?s good to look at what your competitors are doing and try to choose different colors from them if you can; you need to show how different you are.AppsApps are hugely popular and take up a large amount of time when it comes to people using their smartphones and tablets. For 2018, the idea is that apps will be used on websites as well, bringing the portable feeling of a mobile device to the entirety of the internet. These apps won?t be quite the same as those found on a smartphone (the technology is different in many cases) but will be a hybrid of those apps we know and love and the web itself. They will be called progressive web apps, and throughout 2018 you will start to see them popping up on websites across all sectors.
