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What Do You Want From Your Website Design?

Posted By Meagan Mills in Website Design on July 12, 2010
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One of the most important things to think about when you are designing a website is the site’s purpose. Not all website designs are appropriate for all types of sites. What looks great on an entertainment website looks strange on the website of a law firm.

Whether you are a website designer creating a new page or a business trying to come up with a site’s style, you definitely need to pick a design that matches your business.

Another thing you need to figure out is what you want from your website. Is the goal of your site to have clients contact you for more information? Do you want visitors to fill out a form to receive a quote or subscribe to a newsletter? Are you using your website as an online portfolio? The purpose of your site will definitely dictate the design.

For example, if your goal is to display your work online, then you need to design a website that makes it easy to do so. You will want to have the primary focus on the site’s images and you will need to come up with a way to present your work in a visually pleasing, intuitive way. You will also need to place your gallery in an easy-to-access location on the site.

If your goal is to have client’s contact you, then you would place your contact information in a highly visible location. If your site is primarily an informational one, a strong navigation structure and a site search should be two of your priorities.

The style of the site matters as well. The colours, graphics and general look and feel of the website will be different depending on the topic and the goal. If you are trying to portray your company and established and professional you will want a more traditional look. If you want your site to have a more youthful or abstract edge, you will need to keep that in mind when you are designing.

It’s also important not to mix your styles. That can be distracting for the visitor and possibly give them a bad impression of your company. Your site navigation should be consistent throughout and your usage of colours and graphics should match on each page. You don’t want a bad design to scare your potential customers away, do you?

Once you have determined how you would like to portray your business online and figured out what the site’s purpose will be, you will have a much easier time coming up with a compatible design.

Managing Your Brand Image Online

Posted By Meagan Mills in Search Engine Optimization, Website Design on April 1, 2010
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One of the most important aspects of running a business is managing your brand. Regardless of whether you set up your business last month or whether you’ve been in operation for a long time, you probably put a great deal of work into your company’s branding.

Think back to when you started the company. Remember how you spent hours (if not days) coming up with the perfect name for your business? Remember how things like designing a logo and choosing colours took far longer than you thought they would? You spent a lot of time coming up with your brand, so it makes sense that you need to continue to manage and protect it as time goes on.

Unfortunately, it’s very easy for your brand to be tainted online. Given how relatively easy it is for almost anyone to set up a website, it’s possible that someone else could purchase a domain name similar to yours, copy your website design, steal your written content or a combination of all three!

A competing website with a similar name and look could be stealing your customers. Even worse, it could be offering an inferior experience that could make your company look bad.

Another, more dangerous way of damaging a brand’s business online is by spreading untrue, negative messages. It’s very easy for a disgruntled former employee, angry customer or competitor to set up a blog online and trash your company’s name. There are numerous business review sites that people can take advantage of to spread false information.

Imagine what a customer thinks when he or she looks online and finds negative comments on numerous sites. If your brand is tarnished online it could destroy your business. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to protect yourself.

First, you can Google yourself. Head to Google (and Bing and Yahoo! and any other search engines) and search for your company’s name. You can even set up Google alerts that will email you whenever your company name appears online.

If only good things come up, you should be fine. If bad things appear, look into them. If the comments are coming from clients with concerns, see what you can do to improve the situation.

If you find any truly malicious, untrue statements online there are a couple of things you can do. The first is contact the person that has made the comments (if you can find contact information) and try to rectify the situation. If that doesn’t work you could attempt legal action, but that can often be a messy and expensive process.

The other method is to drown out the bad with the good. Add website content that makes your company look positive. Create profiles on Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites. Start a blog. Eventually the positives will outweigh the negatives.

Then you just have to promote the positive content. First2Search can help you design the website, create the content, market it and handle the search engine optimization efforts too! We will do our best to ensure that the information presented online is accurate and that your content is featured highly in search engine rankings. Contact us today for more information.

How Website Design Can Help SEO

Posted By Nathan Hughes in SEO, Website Design on February 22, 2010
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Many people consider website design and search engine optimization to be two separate, independent things. Web design is performed by web designers and SEO is done by SEO people. Both things are necessary, but for different reasons and they do not cross paths. This is not true.

The truth is that nothing exists in a vacuum. Your website design can go a long way to helping out your SEO efforts. Sometimes a few minor tweaks to your design will be enough to help you out a great deal. Other times an entirely new design is necessary. Here are a few reasons why website design helps SEO.

Better website design makes your website more straightforward

◦ Over time, many sites become convoluted. You add pages here and there. You create whole new sections out of no where. You unlink pages you no longer find necessary. This makes your website structure hard for search engines to follow. Having a brand new design will definitely help this. You can start out by taking a look at what you already have on your site, come up with a plan, and create a whole new structure. This is a great way to use your website’s design to your advantage.

Better Positioning of Keywords and Headings

◦ If you’re changing your website design, it’s also a great time to reevaluate your SEO plan. Maybe you’ve decided to target different keywords than the ones you chose when you first set up your site. Your new design can start with these in mind. Structure your page in a way that allows you to place your keywords and headings in areas where search engines will recognize them.

A Good Design Attracts People

◦ If your website looks good and is easy to navigate, people will spend more time on it. The longer someone stays on your site, the more likely that person is to read the content. The more content someone reads, the more likely they are to share or link to your page. When more people share or link to your page, your traffic increases.

Some people may link to you just for the design

◦ There are many websites that have sections on “featured website designs.” These pages give exposure to websites they feel are well designed. If you can get your page featured on one of these sites, you’ll help out your SEO efforts.

Finally, and this isn’t SEO specific, but well designed websites have lower bounce rates. People like to visit pages that look nice and are easy to navigate. Having a good website design is a great way to make visitors stay on your web page longer.

Turning Visitors Into Customers

Posted By Sara Bergeron in Pay Per Click, SEO, Website Design, Website Promotion on February 12, 2010
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Webmasters spend a lot of their time trying to increase traffic to their websites. So do SEO professionals, PPC marketers, social media marketers and website copywriters. And it’s obvious why.

You can’t sell a product or service without people knowing your company exists. In order to get noticed, in order to spread your message to as many people as possible, you need to increase traffic. There aren’t many website owners that can honestly say the don’t want more traffic and there are even fewer than would say they want less traffic.

But you don’t just need traffic, you need to convert that traffic into sales. If you run a website that makes money off of ad revenue, having a lot of traffic could be good enough. But if you’re selling a product or a service, you want to increase your sales.

So how do you turn casual visitors into paying customers?

There are a few ways. First of all, having a clear call to action on your website is important. You may want your visitors to fill out a contact form, or call you on the phone ,or purchase a product ,or request a quote or something else entirely. The bottom line is that you have to make this easy to do and you have to make the link that starts this process stand out.

A good call to action is obvious. It is the most obvious link on the page. It should be larger than the rest of the links on the site or use a different font or text colour. It should be positioned in a place where it is easily seen. A visitor’s eye is naturally drawn to certain areas of the screen and your call to action should be placed in one of those areas.

Another way to convert visitors into customers is through well-written website content. Your content should be persuasive and informative. It should give the user the information that they are looking for and it should also sell your company and promote the products or services you offer.

A well-designed website with quality content and good calls to action will convert more visitors into customers than a badly designed one that does not clearly point the user in the right direction. Sometimes the best way to test this is through trial and error. Move elements around the screen until you’ve found one that converts well. You’ll be happy you did.

Custom Website Design Advantages

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Web Development, Website Design on February 1, 2010
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There are many advantages to using a custom website design on for your web page. The first is that it will help your website stand out. If you are using a free template found online, there is a good chance that at least one other website has the same template. If that other site also has similar content, most visitors won’t remember which site they liked, and they likely won’t remember very much else about your site either. Your website will blend into the background.

Having a unique web page design created by a skilled web developer will definitely make it easier for your visitors to remember you.

You want your website to be memorable and there is no better way to do that than by having a custom web page design.

If your site is visually appealing and unique visitors will be impressed when they first arrive. This will keep them on your site longer. If your website also has good quality content, you’ve got a winning combination. A great looking, unique website definitely draws in visitors and keeps them there.

A well-designed, custom website design represents your company well. It gives you a professional look and allows your visitors to see your creativity through the design of your site. In short, a custom website design give your web page personality.

A website developer can create a website that will perfectly match the branding of your company. If you’re looking for a youthful image, a professional image or a knowledgeable image a custom website can be designed to give you exactly what you are looking for. That flexibility and the fact that your website will be designed with only you in mind is are the main advantages of having a custom website design created specifically for you by a website developer.

Your website will be exactly what you want it to be. The colours will be perfect. The spacing will be exact. Everything about the web page will be to your exact specifications. And it will work exactly how you want it to as well. With a custom website, you won’t have to struggle to adapt third party tools to your own web page. If you want a custom search tool on your page, your web designer will be able to make one for you. If you are looking for a specific content management system, you will get exactly what you need. You won’t have to cut corners or settle for less.

A custom website allows you to get the exact website you have been looking for. You will even be able to add custom features to your website that your competitors do not have. This will definitely give you an advantage over the competition.

Choosing a Website Design Company

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Web Development, Website Design on January 29, 2010
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High quality, functional website design is very important when conducting business online. Professional website development is a key to success and can make or break your web business. Having a well-designed website will draw visitors to your website and keep them there longer.

First impressions mean a great deal. If your website design is unattractive, difficult to use or slow-loading, many people will click away without giving your site much of a chance. This is why it is so important to choose the right web design company.

Here are a few tips that will help you select a website developer:

1. Know what you need

A good company will design a website that meets your unique needs. Before talking with any web developers, figure out what you want from your website. Come up with an idea of what you would like it to look like and how you would like it to function. Then present those ideas to your website designer. They should be able to create a custom website that meets your needs. There is no point in finding a designer that is skilled in Flash programming or other advanced techniques if you don’t want these aspects on your website. Conversely, if you need these services, you’ll definitely want to find a website development company that is able to offer them.

2. Look at their web design portfolio

See what the web development company has done in the past. Do you like their designs? Are the pages they show you clean and easy-to-use? You can usually tell a web design company’s skill level based on past work. If you like what they’ve done in the past, they might be the right fit for you.

3. Meet with them

Talk to the web designer either in person or on the phone. Get to know their personally a bit. You will likely be working with this person for at least a few weeks, so it is helpful if you can get along. Also, you want a website design company that listens to your ideas and works with you rather than one that ignores your wishes.

4. Use proper search engine optimization techniques

A good website design company will understand search engine optimization. They may not be SEO experts, but they should have a basic understanding, especially when it comes to web design principles. A web page developer that understands how URL structure and page layout help SEO efforts is someone you want to work with.

5. Where are they located?

This is sometimes a matter of personal preference. Some people may want to hire someone local. For example, someone located in Toronto may be exclusively interested in Toronto website design companies. It is possible to work with someone that lives halfway across the country or on the other side of the world, but sometimes that makes communication difficult. Decide if you want someone local when choosing a web development company.

Following these tips should help you choose a website designer that suits your needs. Remember to, above all, go with your gut. You’ll know when you’ve found the right website development company if you follow these tips and trust your instincts.

Five Traits of Modern Websites

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized, Website Design on January 20, 2010
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Website design, like most other industries, goes through different trends. And like those other industries, websites must adapt if they do not wish to be left behind. Consumers searching online expect to see updated, modern web designs from professional companies. Appearances mean a great deal when it comes to websites, and thus having an attractive modern website design is very important.

These are a few current trends in website design that will give your website a fresh, updated look.

Larger Images and Text

Websites today aim to grab your attention. What better way to make someone stop and notice than by having important points highlighted by large images and text? These make customers stop and take notice. They focus on the words and are interested in the images. Of course, it the text needs to be interesting and the images need to be high quality, or people will move on quite quickly.

Blogs and Social Media

An integration with blogging and social media is necessary these days. No longer does a blog or a Twitter feed stand on its own. Modern websites have recent blog posts and tweets listed right amongst the site content. Giving equal billing to social media and blogging is a great way to build a devoted, interested base of followers.

Faster Loading

No one has time to sit and wait for a web page to load. If your site takes too long, people will move on. This is especially true today when more people are surfing on mobile devices than ever before. A site that loads quickly will retain more visitors, both mobile and traditional ones.

Simple is better

This point follows the one above. Society is fast-paced. Things move quickly. People don’t have time to sit and figure out your confusing website structure. Competition online is fierce and most users will choose to hit the back button and surf to a different page rather than spend time deciphering yours. A simple web page is best.

Calls to action

You need to convey your message to your visitors quickly. If the object of your site is to get people to “CALL NOW” or “DOWNLOAD FREE SOFTWARE” a call to action button is necessary. Again we end up at the idea of speed and efficiency. Having a large button that directs users to the most relevant section of your website will get you more business.

Five Reasons to Update Your Website Design

Posted By Meagan Mills in Web Development, Website Design on January 18, 2010
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You probably have a website for your business right now. It might look great. It might perform well. You likely feel as though there is no reason to update the website design. That may be true, especially if you have a relatively new site, but there are several reasons why you should think about giving your site an update.

A fresh, attractive look – Branding!

Website design trends change each year. That doesn’t mean you need to overhaul your site every twelve months, but it’s something to keep in mind every once in a while. Sites that are even a few years old are already looking dated. First impressions mean a lot, especially in niches with a lot of competition. Updating the look of your site will make a great impact on new visitors.

2.New features

Changing your website design is also an opportunity to add new features to your site. A website developer can work with you to integrate your Twitter feed or your Facebook page to your site. You can also use this chance to add a new search feature to your site, reorganize content or make any other changes you can think of.

3. Frequently updated content

Your brand new site design should include a blog or some sort of frequently updated content. This content can be used to create a group of loyal visitors, promote your website and draw in traffic. Having fresh content on your site will give your visitors a reason to stay longer and return more often.

4. Help your organic search ranking

Search engine optimization is always changing. If you have a new website design, you can start from the ground up with search keywords in mind and incorporate these into your site in many aspects. A good website design will position text on the page with SEO in mind. It will also take advantage of heading and alt tags as well as make your content easier to find. You can greatly improve your search ranking by having a new website design.

5. One up your competitors

A new website will make your company stand out. When visitors are searching the web, they will spend more time on a site that catches their attention. A brand new site with an impressive look and numerous features will definitely make you stand out from the crowd.

How Not to Promote Your Website

Posted By Nathan Hughes in Website Design, Website Promotion on January 15, 2010
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So you have a great new website design and you want the entire world to know about it. What do you do? You’ll likely need to do some website promotion and online marketing in order to get people to visit. There are a lot of good ways to get people to visit your website. Search engine optimization, pay per click campaigns, online marketing and organic site optimization are all great ways to get visitors.

However, there are also some really terrible ways to promote your website online.

The first one is spam. Spam email is annoying. You’ve no doubt received spam email messages before. Not only are these messages incredibly annoying, but they also make the websites involved look very amateur. You can permanently ruin your brand image by spamming people through email, instant messenger, web forums or social networking sites. There is nothing wrong with sending a brief, personalized email, Facebook message or tweet to a few people to let them know you have a new website. It becomes a problem when it gets excessive.

And that brings up our second point: Don’t annoy people. Participating in forums and commenting on blog posts are sometimes good ways to give your website some extra exposure. However, don’t go overboard. Interrupting an existing conversation online to throw out your completely unrelated link will only serve to annoy people. Annoying someone is a great way to ensure that they will never, ever visit your website.

Another website promotion tactic that you should avoid is any website offering to mass submit your link to hundreds of websites online. First of all, these services usually charge money for a service that is essentially useless. Secondly, modern search engines frequently punish website that associate with “bad areas” of the Internet. If your site is linked to hundreds of unknown websites, there is probably a very good chance that it has been wandering into some rather unsavoury areas of the web. Doing this may get you punished or even blacklisted from one or more major search engines. It’s simply not worth the risk.

When coming up with an online marketing or website promotion plan, think about how you would promote yourself in real life and apply those lessons to the Internet. Most people would ignore someone standing on the street corner randomly screaming a store name into a crowd, so don’t enter a message board and start plastering your URL everywhere. If someone walked up to you and promised that they could make your restaurant the most popular place in town in one month for the low cost of $9.99, you probably wouldn’t believe them, so don’t believe someone who guarantees the top spot on Google for the same price.

Ultimately, a well thought out, respectful, carefully planned website marketing strategy will offer much more success than spam or annoying strangers.

Good Website Design

Posted By Meagan Mills in Website Design on January 8, 2010
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The saying is “Don’t judge a book by its cover” and usually that’s good advice. However, it doesn’t always play out that way in the real world. This is especially true online. The nature of the web and people’s lives today dictate that things move quickly. We don’t want to wait for pages to load and we don’t want to spend five minutes trying to figure out what a website is about. If a web page is complicated or doesn’t give us what we are looking for, we hit the back button and move onto the next site in the Google ranking.

A well-designed web page is very important. Visitors want to be able to find the information they are looking for quickly, efficiently and with minimal effort. As always, giving the potential customer exactly what they are looking for is a great way to convince them to use your business. A good way to do this is by having a professional web design.

First of all, a website needs to look good. Website design is very, very important and says a lot about your company. It’s human nature to be attracted to nice looking things. A website should have pleasing colours, a clean design and it should be easy to read. Accessibility is incredibly important on the web.

You want your customers to know how to use your site without much effort. Site navigation should be clearly posted and easy to find. The page titles should be descriptive and important information should be placed in an easily-accessible location on the site. The less time someone has to spend searching around your site, the better. They’ll spend more time reading your content and finding out about your company.

A professional website design can also go a long way in instilling trust in your company. If a web page design is professional and it looks as though thought was put into it, the visitor already has faith in the company behind the site. If a site is sloppy, ugly and amateur the user will likely head elsewhere. You could be running a great company and still scaring people off with your website design.

Something else to consider with your website development is whether or not your site design is appropriate to your service offering. A web page for a doctor or a lawyer should naturally look different from that of a musician or athlete. Leave the flashy graphics and music for sites where they belong. No one expects to hear loud rock music when they enter a dentist’s office, and they expect the same on a dentist’s office website.

Finally, web pages should be informative. The main reason anyone visits a website is because they are looking for information. A list of the products or services you offer, information about the company and ways to contact you should be easy to find. Your website designer should be able to help you determine the best look for your site.

Website design is very important in making a first impression on your potential customer. A web page that is clean, attractive, easy-to-use and functional says a great deal about the professionalism of a company and will give you the leg up on your competition.

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