Shawn - August 3rd, 2010
Do You Need a Website for Your Business?
It’s not just because we run a website design company in Tampa Bay that our answer to that question is “yes!” The need for a website for your business is probably as important as having a stack of business cards on hand to give to potential clients.
The reasons to have a website are pretty straightforward:
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Because people Google everything
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Because it’s the most efficient way to present your credentials and services in one easy- to-update venue
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Because every other business has one
As small businesses grow and turn a profit they can start to afford things like PR professionals and marketing strategies to improve their business.
But with I guess probably no exception, whether you run Joe’s Plumbing or Walmart…the website is your hub: the storehouse for your goods and services detail, your case studies, your testimonials; and it can also provide a platform on which people can pay you.
Websites are available in zillions of sizes and shapes; they can be extraordinarily complex with all kinds of built-in blogs and bells and whistles or they can be a basic template that is customized with your colors and logo and a Home Page, Services Page, and a Contact Us Page.
If it is designed correctly from the beginning, a website can grow with you. Easy to use content management system (CMS) add-ons will also enable you to tweak your content to reflect changes in business scope and to keep your verbiage current.
Basically, there’s nothing static about a website. It’s not a brochure that you create and print and then have to update and reprint and re-disburse. Websites can be optimized and edited and can keep pace with your target audience.
A website is a living/breathing thing, just like your business. It can be adapted and it can be enhanced, but you can never be without one.
Shawn - July 27th, 2010
We recently had the opportunity of attending the second Front-End Design Conference right here in Tampa Bay! There are quite a few reasons why we enjoy attending these conferences. Most importantly, we feel it's our duty to support events in Tampa Bay that are related to our industry. Most people are quite surprised at the amount of talent we have here in Tampa Bay! Secondly, it's always great to network with others, hear some great speakers, and get reinvigorated!
This years event marks the second Front-End Design Conference. We attended last year as well. Dan Denney and his family/team did a wonderful job putting together this conference. I'm always amazed at the speakers he's able to bring in from all around the world for this event. We had a great time, as always, and are eagerly looking forward to next year's event!
Here's some of the slides from the keynotes at the conference for those that are interested:
Shawn - July 27th, 2010
We design and host websites for a living so we know how to manage a project and do all that great webmaster stuff that brings all the elements together.
And whether or not you as a client have creative sensibilities, you know what you like. While we can make just about anything work, your input is the thing that is ultimately going to put the unique stamp on the site.
We therefore think it is always a good idea for a client to take stock of the things that are important to them in a website before we even start the design process.
So here are our Top Ten Things to Think About (or Have!) Before you Sit Down with Us or Any Professional Website Designer:
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You should have your content complete. There’s nothing more frustrating for everyone than to have the site complete and not an About Us to be found. Videos only go so far…you need tangibility of the verbiage kind.
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Make sure you have a digital copy of your logo (the higher the resolution the better).
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Pick two or three websites that you really like (if they are competitors of yours, that’s even better) and what you like about them.
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Pick two or three websites you don't like (also competitors, if possible) and what you don't like about them.
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Jot down colors that appeal and ones you can’t be bothered with.
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Think about the primary goals of your website:
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Are you selling products?
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Lead generating?
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Are you primarily offering customer service and support?
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Do you need to reduce incoming phone calls?
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Who is your audience?
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Determine how frequently the website will be updated; you may or may not want a content management system, but it will enable you to revise your site’s verbiage.
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If it's an e-commerce site:
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What type of payments do you want to accept?
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How do you want the shipping charges calculated?
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How many products are going to be sold on the website?
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Think a year ahead if you can…it is always easier and more affordable to build for growth in the beginning then to go back and add later.
No two projects are alike (good thing…otherwise we’d go crazy!), but these fundamental questions go really far toward getting your website working right out of the box.
Shawn - July 14th, 2010
Whether you’re building a brand or building a business, your first step is to establish your venue. And in the world of all that is virtual, that venue is your website. Without an effective and fully functioning one you’re kind of nowhere.
However, after the shiny slideshows and brilliant graphics are complete and your website is hosted and optimized for all mobile devices, you’re still kind of nowhere because you need to market your website.
So where to start? Well you know you need to be optimized to be found. But website optimization can be expensive and is an effort that takes some trial and error.
Our suggestion?...it’s never a bad idea to start with the free stuff first! You should absolutely go in true Gary Vaynerchuk style and leverage the ton of free marketing solutions through FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media. If you’re consistent and fresh, you can really establish a following.
Then, probably the best place to spend your marketing dollars is with Google AdWords or other Pay-Per-Click marketing programs sponsored by the major search engines. If you do opt for AdWords, we would suggest combining your social media marketing efforts in association with AdWords efforts. (Then you can follow with SEO once you have some statistics.)
For AdWords, basically what you’re doing is creating ads by choosing words or phrases related to your business so when people search using one of your keywords, your ad may appear next to the search results.
What’s cool is that you’re essentially singing to the people who like the same songs because they are searching for what you’ve got. In addition, you’ll be able to collect statistics as to what keywords convert well for your business. So you’re literally compiling market research from targeted audiences.
After you’ve pulled some statistics as to what keywords are converting well for you in your AdWords campaign, then you can launch your SEO campaign with some assurance that you have the signposts for the traffic you are seeking.
It sounds calculated because it has to be, but by monitoring these statistics you can consistently remain current on how people are searching and adjust accordingly.
You just need to bear in mind that while SEO takes time and patience, you can obtain more immediate gratification by leveraging Pay-Per-Click and social media marketing. And if you start out reaping some results, you won’t get as discouraged waiting for your SEO to hit its stride.
Bottom line -- your marketing plan is just as important as a good-looking, well-designed website. Just don’t get frustrated in the beginning or believe there is a fool proof plan to get to the coveted Page One.
You can do it, but in the interim, you can steadily build a solid fan base using social media and some Google Tools.
Shawn - June 16th, 2010
While optimizing your website for search engine attention is the norm, the website design bar is now set higher to include optimization for mobile devices. This alternate version of your main site typically highlights the best and most significant features while omitting the battery draining, performance bogging videos and effects that just don’t translate to the small screen; most of them won’t even work. The act of zooming and scrolling alone is enough to make the most persistent iPhone Googler with the best eyesight search elsewhere.
But there are definitely a couple of things you should consider before you go to the expense of having a mobile version of your website created.
First of all, you need to take into account the type of information or services your site and/or your business provides. If you are a supplier of travel information, you’re going to want to cater to your subscribers on the move. Nothing would be more annoying for a commuter in Manhattan looking to obtain information on subway delays if a site takes longer to load than the train does to arrive.
Perhaps you provide information to paparazzi or news journalists on assignment abroad; they rely on immediate notifications of things like Lady Gaga sightings or directions to U.S. Embassy locations in other countries.
Another great example of a business that would significantly benefit from a “portable overhaul” would be an e-commerce one. Why lose a sale from a potential client trying to order Mother’s Day flowers on her BlackBerry while waiting for a connecting flight at the airport? Customers like her who no longer schlep their laptops on short business trips because they can tote feature rich hand-held devices are the perfect audience for a scaled down version of a website.
Amazon.com offers the ideal example of an effective sister site. Their mobile website is a perfect thumbnail of their main site, but stripped down to the hardcore essentials minus the ton of intricate graphics. It is completely functional and easy to navigate. (By the way, let us know if you find any other great ones!)
If you do think that creating a mobile version of your website is right for your business, you can actually take it to the next level by creating two mobile versions: one for Smartphones and one for simple phones. The sophistication of the mobile device is irrelevant; it’s the adaptation to the small screen that is essential.
As you know by now,optimizing for the search engines entails a complex balance of elements and methods that combine to enhance a website’s ranking. Optimizing for mobility on the other hand is about enhancing the site’s readability and transportable functionality.
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