The recent release of the highly anticipated iPad may just turn the web design world on its head. Whether you love the iPad, or hate it … the fact of the matter is that it has arrived and sooner or later we need to learn to design with it in mind.

So what should be taken into consideration when designing for the iPad?

*HTML 5- The iPad offers no support for browser plugins like Flash. If you are hoping to include video, animation or graphics on your site, it is imperative the site be designed using HTML5. HTML has long been the foundation for web development. Their latest version incorporates much of the elements previously only available via Adobe Flash. Luckily, websites designed with HTML5 are easily viewed on the iPad.

*Orientation:  The iPad has no correct way of viewing websites. That means you can view it either in landscape or in the portrait mode. But for the designer that means two completely different layouts for which to design. It is for this specific reason that the iPad highlights the need for smart fluid width design. Using a smart combination of CSS and Javascript the User Experience can be made to improve drastically.

*Contrast:  Because the iPad is a touch screen, it is important to build in a lot of white space and contrast to make the pad easy for visitors to use. After all, if they can’t click deeper into your site, you are never going to convert them.

*Test, test, test: while testing is an important component of any new web design, it has never been truer than when attempting an iPad friendly web design. There are already several sites out there that offer you the ability to take a ‘peek’ at how your new design will look on an iPad, a great tool is www.ipadpeek.com.

*Touch Screen: Primary method of user interaction with the iPad is and will be the fingers. The users will interact with our websites using fingers. So all those brilliant hover effects that were favorable for pointer-based devices, will be a hurdle in user experience on the iPad. Also the links can no longer be concealed in a text and left for the user to dexterously click upon it. We might want to resize the links so that the user experience does not suffer.

Typography is the most valuable asset of your blog. It doesn’t matter if you have a colorful blog design, an awesome online publication or a plain simple blog. The main focus always stays on the content and the readability of your text. That is where the importance of good typography comes.

Google Font API  is a new and innovative concept from Google that aims at providing a helping hand to all web design and development pros. Google Font API  helps you add web fonts to any web page.

If you use Google’s Open Font’s API, you have many advantages like:

1. Huge collection of Font Typefaces to choose from Google’s Fonts library.

2. All the bandwidth load is on Google as you are only using their resources in the API.

3. The speed is blazing fast as Google’s CDNs are faster than your site.

4. You can hotlink the font file so that there is a less file and bandwidth request.

 The world of web typography is quickly evolving but this evolution means that your web developement team and end users now have more choices than ever before.

Do you use any web font services in your websites?

How your blog looks is just as important as how it sounds. Even if your blog content is top-notch, boring blog designs will discourage visitors from reading and will leave them quickly clicking away to your competitor’s blogs. A custom designed blog increases brand equity, and exploits the power of one of your most important online marketing and public relations tools.

1.  Make your purpose clear.

Your blog banner should have a title and subtitle that make it clear who you are and what your blog is all about. First-time visitors will quickly click away if they can not discover at a glance what you are trying to accomplish through blogging.

2.  Keep it simple.

There are so many different options you can integrate into your company blog, from colors to widgets, that it is often tempting to pile on too many. The result is a cluttered blog that is frustrating to navigate and visually chaotic. Review your blog every few months to determine whether any of the elements have become outdated or no longer relevant, and remove them.

3.  Take advantage of whitespace.

 Space out the graphic elements on your blog on your banner, in your posts, in your sidebar and readers will enjoy a heightened sense of readability and lightness as they browse your blog.

4.  Use complimentary colors.

Be judicious in choosing your color scheme; too many colors, or colors that are too bright, can turn off readers and cause them to click away sooner than they might otherwise.

5.  Place key information “above the fold.”

Place important information such as your call to action, at  the top half of your blog page, where readers will be able to see it as soon as the page loads into their browser window.

6.  Choose a readable font.

Is your copy too large? Too small? Copy that is too large can immediately turn viewers off, while copy that is too small will discourage older viewers from reading your content. Choose a copy size that is easy to read.

7.  Add visual interest with photos.

Humans are visually stimulated, and let’s face it: reading is much more fun when supplemented with pretty pictures. Even if you don’t fancy yourself a photographer, it is a good idea to include images now and then in your blog posts to help up the “good-looking” factor.

8.  Do a usability check.

User testing allows you to see how real people navigate your site, while hearing their comments at the same time.  This provides insight into how to improve your site by identifying positive and negative aspects of your site, including features on your site that may be confusing to visitors. You might be surprised what valuable information you receive when you ask for it.

9.  Do cross-browser testing.

Every browser has quirks that display pages slightly differently, so it is always a good idea to look at your blog in different browsers to make sure that it looks the way you want it to.

In conclusion, an eye-catching blog design that compliments your content and showcases your company’s expertise will give your visitors a reason to come back and visit.

The Net Impact, a St. Louis based online interactive agency, redesigned Bausch + Lomb’s surgical instruments websites to offer visitors improved usability and a web design that reflects the unmatched quality of the Bausch + Lomb brand.

Storzeye is an online store for ophthalmic instruments. Their target audience is ophthalmologists who require the highest quality surgical equipment. Users can search for instruments, set-up a wish list and add products to a shopping cart. Bausch + Lomb’s passion for eye health needed to be reflected in their online presence including both design and user experience. The Storzeye brand was no exception. The Storzeye brand conveys exceptional quality and a unique set of attributes that distinguish them from their competitors.  Every element on the site, from icons to the grid and baseline, reflect the unmatched quality of the Bausch + Lomb brand. The relationship between website design and product creates an engaging experience for the user while reinforcing Bausch + Lomb as a credible industry leader in the ophthalmic community.

“The rebranded websites reflect the unsurpassed quality of the Bausch + Lomb brand. The visually appealing and easy to navigate websites are consistent with the company’s long-standing professional image,” said Mandy Christanell, Project Manager, The Net Impact. “We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with such a well respected company in the medical industry.”

The new websites’ features include enhancements to the ways in which products are displayed and indexed on the sites. Unlike their competitors, Bausch + Lomb’s websites pioneer user-interaction. The websites include improved product detail with “click to enlarge” functionality on all product images as well as high-quality product videos. In addition, website visitors can now search for instruments, set-up a wish list and add products to an online shopping cart. The website also displays related product offerings for selected products and the on-site search tool was expanded to incorporate search results from both sites.

The iPad is extremely responsive, lightweight, and easy on the eyes for reading. Is it going to be the netbook killer? As of right now, I would say no, but I believe the next generation will be. Not to mention the HP slate and other tablet PC due out within the year will also start making an impact on the netbook industry.

The iPad can be anyone’s new toy because of the versatility and portability. The applications are fantastic and can finally break out of their shells and harness a whole new feel with the screen real estate. The new A4 processor allows you to move quickly from one app to another in the blink of an eye. The iPad runs the same iPhone OS that we all know and love, meaning there aren’t any learning curves you have to tackle. Gaming looked great and was a smooth experience. All in all, if you’re a business professional always on the go, a sketch artist, or the casual web surfing, Facebook loving, music listening and video watching individual, this device will probably suit all your needs, but to a limit.

There are, however, a few flaws. First, the iPad doesn’t support multi-tasking. Working in the web design and development field, you are constantly working in multiple applications and programs at once. Second, Apple decided not to put a camera in the iPad. Why not? I understand this is debatable and some may say “Why would the iPad need a camera?”. If your target market is the busy, media driven community then you should cater to them and let them take pictures, organize new albums, sync with iTunes, upload to Facebook and other social media sites, and video capture. A front facing camera for video conferencing would be nice as well. I’m not sure that I would use video chat much but I know there are people in the world that would. And the largest flaw, no support for flash. We all understood when the iPhone didn’t have flash and Apple blamed it on preserving battery life and processing power. Now Apple has created its own processor for the iPad to help with speed, not to mention the dual battery it possesses, so you would think it would have enough power to handle flash. If you’re looking to have the iPad replace your laptop I wouldn’t suggest it. The iPad is more of a desktop/laptop companion and media device than a work horse.

As a web design and developer I wouldn’t mind purchasing the iPad. I could use it for a few reasons. Reason one being the iMockup app. iMockup lets you create wire-frames for any interface you desire and lets you manage multiple wire-frame projects. This is ideal for when you want to get away for a while, run to a local coffee shop and bang out some wireframes or wire-framing with a client. The second reason is the Sketchbook Pro app. This would be fantastic for logo design and branding doodles and again, having the portability of working on those doodles with a client or shooting them a quick email of the sketch. The final reason is organization of meetings, projects, to-do lists, and quick referencing with the Calendar, Contacts, Things, and Safari. The iPad is definitely a great start to tablet computing, but personally, l think I’ll hold off until next year.

Suggested music to listen to while reading – http://www.jango.com/music/Tag+Team?l=0

Your logo design is a key part of your company’s Internet marketing strategy. In order to establish brand identity, your logo should be instantly recognizable, reflect confidence and credibility in your company, while communicating who you are and what you do. Your logo is much more than a symbol or image, it essentially becomes the face of your company.

When prospective clients come knocking, does an administrator quickly whisk them to the most cluttered waiting room in the office? Probably not. But, quite often, Well, it’s the equivalent to effect that outmoded website design has on unique website traffic and unique visitors.

Website design is only as effective as the web traffic it attracts. Frequently, small business proprietors become consumed with how well the company site ranks on Google.

While sites with page rankings on the first five results of Google attain high website traffic, an inability to turn those unique visitors into leads and a new business is like turning away prospective new business opportunities.

Regardless of how well a site ranks or the frequency at which updates are posted on its blog and social media pages, if the experience and website design is not engaging, web traffic is locked in the cluttered waiting room looking for quick moment to escape.

A quick visit to the Compact Fluorescent Bulbs is a presentation of all the web design components and media, which make up a socially engaging blog. From the diverse topics, page layout and social media sites brandished under each post, the blog epitomizes clean web design.

A visit as  St. Louis SEO blog, the site is designed via content management system, which maintains Website design continuity.  The same is true of  the Compact Fluorescent Bulb blog.

Dear Best Web Site Designers: 

We need social media  advice. Our marketing director has banned anyone from using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, during company time. Since many employees were abusing it and a hacker compromised our company email system; social media is forbidden at our office.  How do I convince our director that social media is important for our company without being fired?

-Anonymous Marketer

 ————————

Social Media Advice  

Not that Ashton Kutcher,  Gary Zuckerberg or Apple’s new iPad are the only living testaments that social media drives profitability, but tens of thousands of companies could not be wrong.  

As safeguarding a company’s technology is necessary for streamlining productivity, most companies cannot afford the downtime that some hackers can inflict upon an entity’s enterprise system. Just think of the magnitude that Google’s 30-minute plus outage caused in 2009. While most managers are not going to sacrifice safety for a marketing whim, social media networking is too paramount to overlook.

Some executives still consider the old school of nurturing relationships to be the primary catalyst for business cultivation. Social media is slowly, but surely replacing traditional advertising and marketing mediums. Open forums, online networking events, market research, sweepstakes, and games typify the interactive characteristics of social media.

An article published by the Harvard Business Review indicated that Intel provides guidelines and stipulations, encouraging their employees to post technology topics pertaining to their department on the Facebook page. Intel is not the only company promoting such social media interaction.

With the right social media design, strategy and security, any organization has the capacity to fortify consumer loyalty. While Best Website Designers cannot provide your manager with a cogent reason to incorporate social media with the rest of the web marketing strategy, the best recommendation is

Hire a web design company to develop the Twitter and Facebook pages. Request that the social media design incorporate all security contingencies.

For professional advice, please click on social media.

Is logo design really relevant? With the gazillions of Web sites on the Internet, not having a logo is tantamount to having a faceless spokesperson promote an organization’s offerings. In other words, logo design is emblematical of the company face.

When consumers think about Apple ®, most don’t  visualize Steve Jobs. The image of a translucent apple comes to mind. Google conjures a white space punctuated by six rounded, colorful letters.  A red bull’s eye symbolizes Target’s logo.

In a recent post, reported by The Net Impact, the web design company attests to how the company logo influences the Internet marketing strategy. Logos possessing recognizable features, instilling trust and reflecting leadership are the types of icons wielding effective brands.

While Apple, Google and Target are prominent logos embedded in America’s psyche, another brand successfully inculcates trust, recognition and leadership attributes: Facebook. Visit any Web site with the familiar white lowercase ‘f’ encased in a violet blue background, and consumers feel an immediate “connection” or trust of sorts with the site embedded with the ‘f’ stamp.

The ‘f’ icon is virtually the face of Facebook. The social media’s logo design appeals to the human psyche. From the color and font, the logo design conveys an amicable style. Rounded fonts signify sociability. Facebook’s azure hue background represents truth and friendship. Moreover, Facebook’s logo exemplifies how a simple logo design is related to a welcoming interactive technology.

• Is your logo design tackling the company image in a positive viewpoint?

• Is your company logo recognizable?

• Does the logo evoke impact?

Is the logo design effective across all marketing channels?

• Website design
• Merchandising
• Social media networks
• Traditional advertising (TV, Radio and print)

For those who are unable to answer, “yes” to all of the aforementioned questions, contact the Net Impact for a logo design facelift.

Knowing when it’s time for the redesign website is as critical as timing the launch of new products and services. Nonetheless, replacing a vendor (web design company) with a new one to redesign website can be as intensive as ending an intimate relationship. Certain web design firms have been known to refuse to release information in an endeavor to retain the client or make it impossible for the company to take their Web site elsewhere.

1)   Compile all hosting details, technical specifications and site statistics. If the company Web site is hosted with a Web design firm, obtain all the hosting and technical specifications needed to transfer the site to another Website design company.  (To expedite the process, put the request in writing).

2)    Be sure to run a report of your Web site’s statistics, as it will allow the Web design company’s, bidding on your company’s redesign website, to develop a blueprint around traffic patterns, target market interests and the search engine marketing strategy. 

3)    Shop around for an agency which marries website design with SEO.

4) Once all the technical details have been gathered, select three website design companies to bid on the redesign website. Provide each company with as much information as possible to devise a concise RFP, including these details:

• Budget  (Is the bid quote a flat rate?)
• Timeframe of delivery
• The redesign website strategy
• How the web design will complement the search engine optimization
• Other specific web design details (form pages, Facebook page, lead generation, et cetera)

5) Then, review each web design’s company’s bid proposal. Evaluate the contenders based on the comprehensiveness of the RFP. In example, a web design company, providing competitive intelligence data with the RFP, is indicative of a vendor willing to exceed expectations.

As for selecting the right website design firm, consider a company that gives your company the autonomy to manage the regular updates in house. For instance, The Net Impact redesigns websites, using a content management system with built in search engine optimization. Please click Contact the Net Impact for a redesign website quote.