Website Design: McGwire Vs. Babe

February 6th, 2010

If you were to compare your company’s website design to famous baseball players, would your site be emblematic of Mark McGwire or Babe Ruth. While these players did not compete or play during the same era, both set and broke amazing home run records.

As we know today, Babe Ruth had some unhealthy habits. Back then, baseball players could down a couple of hot dogs and slam a few beers, before hitting a homer. That’s how Babe played the season he came up with 60 home runs. Nevertheless, the wins were genuine, free of any superhuman inducing powers. Mark McGwire didn’t down any hot dogs during the season that he set the new 70-home run record. In fact, he went the other way with steroids.

As for  website design, who do you prefer to emulate, Mark McGwire or Babe Ruth? Organizations who are concerned with protecting their legacy generally mimic Babe. While, their site may have a few flaws, they conduct business above board. When Google indexes their site, it is free of the steroid-esque qualities.

  • Door way pages
  • Misleading meta tags
  • Stuffed Keywords
  • Misleading title pages
  • Link exchanges

In the end, it’s up to the Major League Baseball organization to determine how to document the history books about baseball players, who broke records under the influence of steroids.

Unfortunately, Google is not so forgiving. Although, Google will never question the legitimacy of the company Website developed using ethical website design and SEO programming, websites not meeting appropriate design standards can be penalized, and potentially  excluded  from their search engine results.

Is your website design developed using ethical programming? Contact The Net Impact for a site analysis.

The Contents of Website Design

January 31st, 2010

On the Internet, a business website is merely an organization’s virtual domain. Aside from clean website design, accentuated in a visually engaging layout, the primary purpose of the site is to generate leads and to close sales transactions. The business website also acts as a mechanism to initiate dialogue with current and prospective customers. Not limited to layout, fonts, and the color scheme, the contents of website design consists of influential information, crafted to influence the reader to make a consumer action.

 

Website Design Content Overview:

Home Page

On the home page,  the  navigational structure should depict the contents of each site  page. The home page is an overall cover page, highlighting provided products and services. The home page includes the underlining advantages the organization offers its prospective and current customers. More importantly, the home page should make it clear what products and services are offered, tantalizing the visitor to learn more.

To accommodate mobile technology (iPhone, BlackBerry, Smartphone), the latest home page website designs are crafted of page links, which lead to the product and service pages.

Products and Service Pages

The site is comprised of information, pertaining to how your business benefits the target audience why your services outshine the competition and the underlying advantage of doing business. Products and service pages should provide a succinct overview of core competencies, highlighting benefits.

Each page of the website should consist of keywords related to the product and terminology appropriate for the marketplace and target audience.

About Us

The “About us ” page is a mini-executive biography, validating why your organization is the trusted provider (Includes licenses, code of ethics and other credibility supporting data).

An extension of the website, blog design is a  a collection of articles, video, and content crafted to entertain, edify and demonstrate an organization’s expertise and leadership in the marketplace. 

Contact a company, who knows web design.

10-Questions for Analyzing Purpose-driven Website Design

January 24th, 2010

Regardless of the medium, everyone has unique design preferences. But, just because website design is one of those subjective issues in the eye of the beholder, it does not compromise specific stylization features, necessary to achieve specific tasks, -such as generating leads and selling products. Best Website Designers compiled a list of basic features to analyze rudimentary website design.

Does the website design have adequate white space? The foundation of good web design allows the audience to identify the promotion without being visually overwhelmed by too many images, call to actions and other design elements. Remember the purpose is to capture the visitor’s attention without compelling site abandonment.

Is the type legibly, displayed in an easy-to-read layout?
Microscopic fonts are counterproductive to the purpose of the web design – to motivate site traffic to take action.

Are the headings and titles accentuated in bold typography?
Fonts tend to emphasize structure, delineating space, capturing the reader’s attention.

  • Is the objective of the website design accomplished?
  • Is the objective to generate leads, referrals, or to sell products?

Rudimentary website design accomplishes four tasks: Attention, interest, desire and action.

  • Is the design captivating enough that it draws in the audience / target market?
  • Does the design feature any benefits (as in Interest)?
  • Are there any design attributes, which instill trust (Desire) to buy using money-back guarantee, testimonials?
  • Is the call to action and the design simplify the consumer’s check-out transaction?

If you would like more information about website design to improve your site’s conversion rate, contact The Net Impact at 888.629-4672.

How to Design a City Government Web Site

January 16th, 2010

How do cities, towns and  other  government funded departments scrap an outmoded Web site without enduring an excruciating web renovation? It’s called a content management system (CMS). But, not just any CMS will do. Powered by the Auctori™, the state of art platform gives cities the autonomy to post, update and perform regular site content maintenance:

  • Announce special events and departmental meetings
  • Publish agenda minutes
  • Bid solicitations
  • Archive outdated reports
  • Notify citizens of time sensitive information – data alerts

Boundless web design. Municipalities are not married to using the same old, same old city templates. With Auctori, the possibilities of developing the website are boundless, presenting a wealth of features, engineered to ease making in-house updates. 

Efficacious workflow. Auctori supports all city programs, presenting easy updates for a professional designed Web site. Moreover, the content management system expedites the content approval workflow for all citywide departments, programs and services. Equipped with roles based permissions, the CMS enables administrators to post information in draft form for publication approval by superiors.

Unobstructed exposure. Attract local, national and international traffic. Auctori places the city Web site on the roadmap to high exposure. Attracting visitors, tourists and citizens is literally a no brainer. With its built-in search engine optimization features, Auctori works to ensure that your Web site is configured to procure new business relationships.

Fuss-free interaction. Auctori eases communications with its seamless survey modules. Poll, survey and interact with residents about tax modifications, infrastructure repairs or other pressing issues. Form builder module allows any municipality to create applications for parking permits, vehicle registrations, and other pertinent documents dissemination.

Read more about the power of Auctori for your municipality’s Web site.

Web Designed to Accommodate the Smartphone User

January 9th, 2010

Have Web site, and visitors will follow. It’s the basic premise for the Internet.These days, Web sites must accommodate all kinds of operating systems. As every major wireless telecommunication company rolls out applications designed to streamline surfing via the smartphone, 2010 is the year to ensure that the web design is accessible across all platforms.

 

Technology behemoths: Google, AT& T, Apple, Verizon and T-Mobile continue to revolution a brand new mobile landscape, it signals the need for web design modifications. In other words, if companies want to be accessible across all platforms, they should not ignore mobile device users, who account for some 37.5 million American consumers (over the age of 13) (1)

In a media release survey by Compete, smartphone users appear to outpace other consumers. More than 35 percent say that they have used their handset to make a purchase over the past half year.  Other research indicates a propensity to use the mobile device to compare prices at other locations.  Meanwhile, another 38 percent report abandoning a Web site if it was not engineered for a smartphone.

Imagine if all the BlackBerry, iPhone and Android users are unable to access a Web site because it is not configured to accommodate the “smart phone” user.

Nonetheless, redesigning the Web site is not only for the business-to-consumer model. Decision-makers from all cross sectors rely on the smartphone technology too.

The Missouri web design company, The Net Impact had the foresight to meet this demand. In October of 2009, the release of a content management system (CMS)with autonomous search engine optimization (SEO) offered a wealth of compatible features. The Net Impact’s proprietary software, Auctori™ automates Web design, accounting for every type of operating system, too.

Now about your Web site’s design:
  • Does your Web site’s design accommodate all operating systems?
  • Does the web design account for all smart phone devices: Android, iPhone and Blackberry? Each operating system possesses differing feature qualities.
  • Are pages designed with flash animation? Smartphones have compatibility issues with flash animation.
  • Does the site’s navigation accommodate the smartphone end-user? Navigation should be intuitive with touch friendly functionality.

Need more information? Obtain professional advice by contacting a Web design company, who develops Web site’s for the smartphone technology.

Web Design in the Eye of the Beholder

January 4th, 2010

Does your company covet the site designed using flash animation? Have you ever watched he classic Twilight Zone, episode titled, ‘The Eye of the Beholder’? It’s the one, where a bandage-faced woman lays in wait for the removal of her surgical dressings. Enduring the eleventh reconstructive procedure, she yearns to look like everyone else on her planet. In actuality, the others’ faces bear a resemblance to the swine species.  “The Eye of the Beholder” is analogous of Web site design. Not saying that companies want their site to be branded using the icon of a pig, flash has its place in web design. 

If you click on the following link: “Web design company,” you will see a home page void of photos, colors and layout. From a first impression, it seems like the company Web site lacks the design qualities that The Net Impact preaches about. However, upon a close assessment, the page is designed to accommodate all platforms: desktops, personal computers, Mac, and mobile technologies.

Rather then overwhelm visitors with a flash presentation, the site accommodates all operating systems, making it easier for anyone to find and click onto interest specific information. Moreover, market research suggests that most business-to-business prospects prefer the traditional HTML presentation than flash.

Next, upon the click of Flash Development, the visitor is taken to a page, featuring flash animation. Additionally, each Web page features Web design continuity. In other words, each page has the same site navigation, layout and design features.

And while, the home page is not comprised of all the bells and whistles, which bellow “super-slick” web design, few site visitors abandon the site because they were unable to find specific information or the animation took too long to load.

So, in the eye of the beholder, user-friendly, SEO driven Web design  appeases every end-user.

Good Web Design Mimics Fashion Sense

December 28th, 2009

Is your Web site flattering? Does it have qualities that mimic the person with a protruding belly, clad in a midriff? What about the gentleman wearing the prom suit jacket, which is now three sizes too small? Either way, both tend to make the audience look away, uncomfortably.  When it comes to style and dimension, one size never fits all. Web design and SEO are not any different. Given the gazillion Web sites on the Internet, formulating a distinctive online marketing strategy is paramount then ever.

At the factory workplace, a bow tie is too formal for the environment. And, flash design is not for every marketplace. Flash animation is one of those Web design features that either attracts or repels. In particular, flash does not do much in the way of procuring new business relationships. The reason is because regular Internet users prefer to experience Web sites on their own terms. In particular, business-to-business prospects have a short attention span, searching for information in the shortest time possible.

Aside from film, fashion,  and advertising, where flash reflects the marketplace, the Web design feature has mixed reviews. To accommodate and reduce the bounce rate, a well-designed Web site offers flash and standard HTML options.

Form-fitting bodysuits are not intended for the plus-sized figure. The one-man shop, a page on Linked In or the single paged Web site is adequate enough to serve the marketing agenda. Nonetheless, the abbreviated Web site does not work for every entity. Obviously, the organizations providing numerous products and services necessitate the full fledge Web development.

Social media is not intended for every Internet marketing strategy. Depending on the industry, Twitter and Facebook may serve a futile marketing mediums. In the realm of the small business, which services other corporations, social media networking is not always an applicable solution.  Depending on the service, (in example oil rigging company, brokerage firm, etcetera) social media may or may not be the best marketing medium for your target audience.

In the end, good web design is equivocal as good fashion sense. Both make or break the impression. Each considers the audience appropriateness. And just as – all sizes and styles are inappropriate for all body types; a similar rule applies to Web design and all business models.

 Let The Net Impact tailor-fit a solid Web design strategy for your Web site.

Additional Web design and flash design articles:

Anticipatory Web Design Analysis

December 22nd, 2009

Anticipatory Web Design Analysis

Web design is an integral aspect of the site’s online presence. It’s the first impression that targeted traffic perceives when they visit a site. Quality web design anticipates, a visitor’s next action. From the home, landing or company page, each site segment provides a subliminal blueprint of where or what action the visitor should embark upon next.

Quality web design anticipates the next course of action a visitor will take. The page highlights pertinent information, specific to the target audience. The ability to anticipate what motivates the prospects and which buttons will motivate action is critical to converting visitors into to clicks.

 

Use the following checklist to determine if your site accommodates your site traffics preferences:

 

  • Is each page of your site properly tagged with an appropriate page name and description?

 

  • Does your Web site reflect the philosophy of your brand identity?

 

  • Is the site navigation easy to follow or clumsy?

 

  • Does your site contain two navigational options (top and bottom, vertical or horizontal)?

 

  • Does your Web site load expedient enough to compel site traffic to explore your Web site, learning more about your offerings?

 

  • Is each page of your Web site stocked adequately with images, content and links, leading to specified pages?

 

  • Does your Web site include links to your social media networking pages (Facebook and Twitter)?

 

  • Is your Website comprised of interactive features designed to stimulate the dialogue between existing and prospective new customers?

 

  • Does your Web site anticipate and accommodate the target audience’s interests?

 

For a complete site analysis, contact the best web site designers.

Quality Web Design: Explained

December 8th, 2009

WHAT’S QUALITY WEB DESIGN?

As of December 3rd 2009, a Google search on the exact keyword phrase, “quality web design,’ returns 143,000page results. That means a lot of Web design companies are touting “quality web design.”

So, the question becomes—exactly what is quality web design?

From web designer to Web design company, the concept of quality is subjective. Nonetheless, quality web design is an extension of the marketing strategy.  Starting with the word, ‘quality’, it is an overused marketing term. But for the sake of this article, let’s explore what quality web design is NOT:

Quality web design is NOT:

Cluttered
Web pages comprised of over-accessorized visual elements, distract and deter site traffic from learning more. With too many options and an inability to find the information, which lead the visitor to the site in the first place, there is a higher probability of low site retention.

Confusing
Most of us have stumbled upon the Web site with a confusing layout, esoteric pages and other hodgepodge features, and thought “what’s the point and what are they selling? In other words, don’t expect to convert the site visitors, who do understand the gist of the offered products.

Quality Web design has an intrinsic ability to please MOST audiences.

Unreadable
Microscopic fonts, unsuitable dark backgrounds, embedded with a lucid typeface and unrecognized characters reflect unreadable characteristics. Any content illegible to the target audience is counterproductive to the design.

Incomplete

Although, site pages are designed, pages are missing information, lacking details or photos, suggesting that an organization offers insufficient products and services.

Please click “quality web design” to review exemplary web development.

Related Articles:

What Do You Look For In A Quality Design?

Ecommerce Web Design For A Quality Webpage Look

9 Essential Principles For Good Web Design

What’s In a Web Design Company?

December 2nd, 2009

Excerpt: Smart business tactics for hiring a Web design company

WHAT’S IN A WEB DESIGN COMPANY?
As in any industry, not all companies provide the same exact service and products. There are three types of web design companies: ones that do the design work, exclusively, those that outsource the design and the web design company, which offers all Internet marketing services: web design; email marketing, search engine optimization and social media networking.

Selecting a web design company is analogous with choosing a doctor. General practitioners are preferable. They’re the equivalent of the web design company that provides all Internet marketing services. Many general practitioners work with a network of medical experts. In the realm of Web development, a team of creatives and programmers, contributing to the process, usually exceeds the Web design company, outsourcing all the moving parts.

What is the normal span needed to create a Web site?

While each Web site is different, a web design company should be able to complete a seven to 10 page Web site within a month’s time.


Are there any basic tips on hiring the right Web design company?

There are three fundamental steps to hiring a Web design company:

Review the portfolio. Although a web design company may not have your specified industry in their portfolio, look for design qualities illustrating a variety of unique, aesthetic features. For example, The Net Impact’s web design portfolio exudes several distinctive Web sites with a variation of designs.

Check the Web design company’s reputation on the Better Business Bureau and other watchdog sites (I.e. RipOffReports.com).

Request a proposal. Most web design companies will provide a proposal, which details the following information: a blueprint of the site’s architecture and navigation, page names/titles, delivery turnaround time, project quote as well as any specifications that were requested for the site’s development.

Investigate this Web design company.

Related Articles:

How To Hire A Web Designer

Factors To Consider When Hiring A Web Design Company

10 Steps to Hiring the Best Web Designer Or Web Design Company For Your Business Website