Web Design
5 Design Tips for Building Your Website
Successful Web Design
The aesthetics of a website have never been as vital as they are today. Whether you’re building your website for yourself or a client, it has become crucial that you stay updated with current web design trends and market demands. However, it’s undoubtedly difficult to keep up with the pace of the internet and the ever-changing trends in web design. Web designers know that the key to a successful web design is understanding the principles of design in addition to the expectations of your target audience and leveraging them towards your specific online conversion goals while balancing these needs with your unique budget and timeline.
If you take these things into consideration, you'll be able to influence your visitor’s behavior and drive traffic to your website. In this article, we’ll outline 5 design tips for building your website.
1. Explore and Research Websites in Your Target Market
Researching other websites in your target market will help you guarantee your design is up to date on current trends and that it's in a style that your visitors will relate to. Analyze your competitor’s websites and take notes on their features that interest you in addition to those that don’t. Using these notes while designing your site will help you deliver a captivating and effective design that’s current to your industry.
2. Keep it Simple and Familiar
It’s a good idea to make use of design elements that your visitors will recognize, the most obvious are a navigation bar, header, footer, etc. This will help make certain your users can navigate your website without getting confused and will help build trust and reliability into your website. Using unfamiliar user interface elements might frustrate your users and cause them to leave your site. After all, the goal of your site is to drive your users towards a specific action, and you want it to be easy for them to quickly perform that action.
3. Use Great Fonts
Choosing a great font is a vital step in designing a captivating website. Make sure you select a font that's legible enough to make your content very easy to read while matching the style and feeling you want your brand to convey.
4. Make it Mobile-Friendly and Responsive
Mobile users are ever increasing and make up a large portion of internet traffic. Moreover, search engine giant Google has announced they're giving precedence to mobile-friendly websites when performing searches from a mobile device. This makes it very important for websites to embrace a mobile-friendly design so that they're accessible to the largest audience possible. You can test to see if your website is mobile friendly according to Google using their Mobile Friendly Test page.
5. Use Color Effectively
Color is an important aspect to any web design. Effective use of color will help you engage your visitors and encourage them to interact with your site. Because of this, it’s essential to choose your colors carefully and ensure they're appropriate to your website. Each color has a deep meaning behind it and conveys an emotion to the viewer. Although individuals may differ in their perceptions of color, you must understand what message you wish to convey with your website before you start selecting colors. For example, all colors convey meaning. And having an overall black theme and background to your website may subconsciously convey a feeling of mystery or danger that might not align with a company that wants users to feel they are open, safe, and transparent.
Staying Current is Essential
Web design is constantly changing and new fads and trends will continue to pop up and fade out. Yet it’s essential to stay up to date with current trends to avoid having an outdated website, especially if there are opportunities to improve the experience of your users and take advantage of opportunities to gain more visibility in search engines. The tips we’ve covered in this article will help you think about things to consider when envisioning a new a captivating web design for your brand.
About All in Web Pro
If you’re looking to have a website professionally designed by web designers who understand current web design trends, look no further than All in Web Pro. We are a leading Las Vegas web design company, and we’ll make sure that you’re delivered a professional web design solution that will engage your audience, showcase the best you have to offer, and drive your visitors to take the actions you desire to convert to sales and growth.
Call us today for a free web development consultation to get a free estimate for your next custom website or web application. 702-331-0650
5 Tips for Choosing a Las Vegas Web Development Company
Anyone in Las Vegas can call themselves a Web Developer
Unless you know exactly what you’re looking for, choosing a web developer in Las Vegas can be a difficult task. There are no licensing requirements for web developers and the barriers for entry are almost nonexistent. This has caused the web development market to become flooded with freelancers and companies of all skill levels, skill types, experience, and capabilities. In this article, we’ll give you 5 tips for finding the perfect Las Vegas web development company for your next website project or advanced web application.
1. Find a Professional Web Development Specialist
Many web developers, (web dev&39;s) claim that they can do it all. In reality, most web developers are primarily either graphic designers, web designers, content specialists, or programmers. Each of these fields are very specialized, and it’s uncommon to find people who are experts in more than 1 or two of them. When looking for a web developer in Las Vegas, we suggest asking them who will be doing the graphics, where the text content will come from, who is setting up the website in the online CMS platform such as WordPress or SquareSpace, and who will be providing the programming or coding work if at all. If it’s the same person doing two or more of these things, we recommend paying close attention to their previous work in their portfolio and asking to see live examples of their work online that's actively being used by past clients of theirs.
2. Check Their Portfolio
A web developer’s portfolio is a good indication of the type of work you can expect from them for your own website. When reviewing their portfolio, keep an eye out for aspects that you might want incorporated into your website. If you are looking for the latest in design trends or cutting-edge technology, look for those types of designs in their portfolio, or find them on other websites and ask them if they can build something similar. On the other hand, if you’re looking to have a website developed that involves complex programming, ensure the developer has examples of this as well and ask key questions about cost, timelines, and what to expect.
3. Be Marketing Minded and Ready to do SEO
In the early days of the internet, simply having a website was enough to be found by both current and potential customers. In 2016, having a website is just one aspect of your overall web presence. It’s important to make sure that the web developer will create the site in a way that makes it easy to perform SEO (search engine optimization) tasks, such as updating meta data, or that automatically incorporate search engine friendly tags on images, links, URL page addresses, and that link internally and externally appropriately. This will help you increase your rankings in search engines and make it easier for customers to find you, especially if you are going to be blogging, launching an SEO campaign, or hiring a separate company to do your SEO afterwards.
4. Have a Long Term Web Development Strategy
Another thing you should consider when choosing a web developer in Las Vegas is the scope of ongoing maintenance and the charges the site will require and incur after initial development is complete. It’s also important to understand at what point your initial projects ends and the maintenance phase of your relationship begins. If your website id being developed in phases, having a clear roadmap and expectations for ongoing work is even more important.
5. Have Excellent and Convenient Communication Channels
Once you’ve narrowed your web developer choices down, it’s a good idea to speak with the developer directly, and in person or on video if possible. This will help you understand how well they communicate, how well they understand your vision, if your get along well with them, and it’s a good indication of how well you can manage and maintain your positive working relationship when important and detailed communication is needed during your project. It’s also one last measure of safety before you invest in having the web developer begin working on your project. We don't ever recommend hiring someone who doesn't speak your native language, or who comes from a cultural background that is different than yours as this may dramatically change the way they interpret your instructions and vision for the project.
About All in Web Pro - Las Vegas Web Developers
All in Web Pro is a premier web design and web development company in the Las Vegas area. We focus on providing custom web design and development solutions to the Las Vegas area and beyond. Whether your project is a blog, custom web application, or business website, we can take your web presence to the next level.
Call us today for a free web development consultation to get a free estimate for your next custom website or web application. 702-331-0650
Graphic Design for the Web
Graphic Design for Digital Media
Graphic design for the web refers to the process of creating digital visual media assets used on a website or other digital platform. The graphics may be used to enhance or enable the representation of an idea or a feeling in order to reach a virtual or in-person audience. Graphic design services for the web may be used for everything from enhancing the appearance of web pages to serving as the presentation and user interaction layer for dynamic and data rich web applications.
Designing with a Purpose
Graphic design for your website is performed by a graphic designer and implemented into your digital medium by a web design expert or digital marketer. The main job of a graphic designer is to design visual elements for the web or for print that convey a message, emotion, or move viewers to take a specific action. All of these purposes can be achieved with graphical layouts for websites, posters, brochures, flyers, advertisements, social media graphics, and much much more. The goal of a digital graphic can also be as simple as catching someone’s attention, or it could aim at making them interested in purchasing a new product, clicking a link on a website, or performing a specific conversion action such as signing up for a newsletter or sharing a link on social media.
Graphics of All Shapes and Sizes
At All in Web Pro we provide every kind of digital graphic design service that your business or brand might need, among the other services we offer. We are focused on providing the best graphic design services for your brand in digital and print formats, as well as web design services. Our custom graphic design solutions cater to businesses of all sizes, no matter if you need a website layout, logo design, custom letterhead, flyers, business cards, outdoor banners, billboards, or even car wraps.
Get Started!
All in Web Pro is a graphic design and custom web development company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. We know that well designed graphics can be the key element that makes your brand stand out online and grab your users’ attention, and are critically important since every design has the potential to serve a valuable and specific purpose for your brand.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation and quote for your next graphic design project. We’re excited to hear from you! 702-331-0650
Benefits of Professional Website Design
Professional Advantage
One of the best ways to give your business an advantage and give your brand the best foot forward is to hire someone to create a professional website design for you. If your business or brand doesn’t have a custom website design, many potential customers may not even give your website a second look, or may lose confidence in your brand. For the best possible results, it’s a good idea to hire a professional web design company, such as All in Web Pro in Las Vegas, to create your company’s new mobile-friendly website.
Custom Designs
Hiring a professional web design company to create a custom website design will broaden your marketing opportunities by creating a custom experience for potential customers. Not only will a professional website design help you reach more potential customers, but it also provides your business or brand a more professional reputation that will help your customer feel at ease when doing business with you. In addition, a professional website design will also help your business compete against other companies that offer similar products and services in the ever competitive online marketplace.
Unique to Your Brand
Professional website designs generally include more uniqueness and creativity than your typical business site, and hiring a professional web design company like All in Web Pro is your best option. All in Web Pro will work closely with you to find out your individual preferences in regards to the particular website design you’re looking for. Our professional website designs will help your business or brand stick out in the memories of both current and potential customers alike.
A Competitive Edge
Website design is not something for amateurs or students if you have a serious business to promote. In order to get a competitive edge in the business world, it’s in your best interest to hire a professional website design company like All in Web Pro to make sure you’re staying current and not missing critical business opportunities or the latest security measures online. We have years of experience providing high-quality website design solutions to businesses in the Las Vegas area and beyond.
Call us today for a free consultation! 702-331-0650
Web Design Tips: 5 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block
Here are 5 Techniques for Overcoming Writer’s Block:
Creativity is necessary for some much of what we do every day. When we’re “in the zone” our newest web design, web development concept or client presentation seems to flow out of us and all the dots connect seamlessly. But we’ve also experienced the other extreme. The clock ticks incessantly on an impending deadline, the more you try and force your focus the more distracted you become, until you feel incapable of stepping up to the task at hand. You’ve smashed into that impassible wall known as writer’s block. The good news is you’re not alone. Every one of us has encountered this obstacle, threatening to obstruct our path to productivity and success. And the better news is, there are ways you can climb right over the wall and continue on your way to completing your project.
1. Get the blood pumping and oxygen circulating.
Take a walk. It sounds too easy to be true, but it is an exceptional way to clear your head. It is even more effective if you make an effort to be “in the moment” by paying attention to your surroundings on your walk instead of visualizing your deadline as an anvil about to drop on your head and bust it wide open like a watermelon at the hands of Gallagher (http://gallaghersmash.com/). A walk also packs the added punch of getting your blood pumping, which increases blood circulation and oxygen, and this is vital to achieving peak brain function. Sedentary lifestyle habits, like sitting at your desk all day, inhibits effective blood circulation and can have the same stifling effect on your creativity. Many times a momentary change of scenery, coupled with some physical activity and movement, is all you need to reinvigorate your creative mojo.
2. Take a mental break to switch gears and recalibrate your focus.
Occasionally, you hit a wall and all you need to get over it is to step back from the project for 10 minutes and let your focus recalibrate. The key to not getting mindlessly sidetracked is to limit your breaks to a specific amount of time, not exceeding 10 or 15 minutes. It is best if your break involves reading or writing. Perhaps you indulge your guilty pleasures, that celebrity gossip website or check the scores on ESPN.com or go on your social networks and check out what your friends and family are up to. But again, be disciplined or this won’t work and could become just another way to procrastinate.
3. De-clutter your environment to reduce distractions.
Whether you believe that your surroundings can physically block energy, as in Feng Shui, or you just subscribe to the general principle that a messy work space is a needless distraction, it seems to improve clarity of focus when there is not “stuff” scattered haphazardly where you are working. Keep disorder to a minimum and it will enhance the process of organizing of your thoughts. A scattered work area can easily lead to scattered thoughts.
4. Limit outside interruptions.
This goes beyond your physical setting to include outside distractions such as phone calls, emails, social media and messaging notifications, television, interruptions from family, friends and co-workers, to the alluring temptations of the world wide web. Whether it’s eBay, Facebook, Zappos or cat videos on YouTube that entice you to drift, you have to empower yourself to just say no when you need to buckle down and produce a finished, quality project. Turn the phone on silent, adjust your settings to off, let those around you know you’re “off limits” for the next hour, or three, and close your internet browser. The world will not cease to turn if you go “underground” for a few hours.
5. Two minds can be better than one.
Get a second opinion. Collaboration can be a rewarding way to push through your writer's block. If you are writing an article, you can call an expert on the subject for a short interview. You reap the benefit of a relevant quote that improves your work, while expanding your perspective and, hopefully, making a new valuable connection. If the project is a presentation, try asking a colleague, friend or spouse to listen to your pitch and offer feedback. It will be helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off as well as give an insight or perspective that takes your concept to another level or in a different direction that you would not have thought of on your own.
The important elements of web development, web design, SEO, graphic design, or any creative development work, all require a high level of creativity and focus. It’s vital to have strategies to deal effectively with blocks when they occur. We would enjoy hearing what strategies get you past writer’s block and back on the path to productivity. What practices help you get into your creative flow?
Web Design Tips: 5 Ways to Make Your Social Media Matter
To harness the full power of social networks and leverage the exponential reach available through social networking, here are 5 best practices.
Social media is a powerful tool for generating brand awareness and building trust. An effective social media strategy integrates seamlessly with your web design so that your online presence represents your company with professionalism and your SEO is boosted. If you do social media the right way you can build relationships with fans and followers that will build long-term relationships by creating content that engages and brings value your audience. Your web development strategy should always include a social element so your social networks are easily visible and your content is easily shared by those interested in your brand and content.
1. Use your social networks to listen, not just talk.
The social interaction between people is what brings the “social” element to social media. People interested in your brand will fan you on Facebook, follow you on twitter and subscribe to you on YouTube to interact with the person behind the company. They aren't always finding you on social channels to hear a one-way message that talks at them. Rather, thanks to social media, marketing and advertising is now a conversation and consumers will demand that you talk with them in a conversation. This is an exciting evolution that allows you to develop genuine connections with your audience that were not available before.
2. Your content should create value for your audience.
Only if you entertain, inform, or in some way provide value, with your social posts and updates will your fans and followers like your posts, share your blog content and videos and retweet your tweets. How can those interested in your brand join the conversation if you are not initiating one? No one wants to be sold to all the time, not in person and not on the net. If you consistently provide content that is of educational, social, or useful value you will build a following that is loyal, engaged and enthusiastic about your brand.
3. Social is not about selling, it’s about building relationships.
You get out of social what you put in. If you use it as a platform to always be selling, making it all about you, visitors will be less motivated to come back to your sites. But the good news is that building relationships is actually more powerful than sales! If you’re a dentist you’re not trying to use your blog to sell one pair of braces. If you blog on interesting subjects related to your business, such as how to ask for a second opinion or, for those that are terrified of the dentist, a 5 minute mediation to put you at ease before you enter the dentist chair, you will begin to build trust with your audience. This trust is the first step to building a lasting relationship. You will become a trusted resource that can develop into a client bond that will outlast a one-time procedure and continue for 5, 10, or 20 years or longer.
4. Use social networks to build relationships with industry leaders, colleagues and mentors.
Social is not only about reaching out to potential consumers, it's also about participating in the conversation among your peers and industry thought leaders. Follow those agencies and individuals that are driving innovation in your field or who have influence with many people. These people have much to teach and they give away valuable information and insights through social media. Are you listening or are you missing out? LinkedIn is optimal for engaging with industry giants and experts. You can join LinkedIn groups representing your field to keep up on the latest news, updates and industry trends. Be a part of the conversation so you too can establish yourself as a leading voice in your market.
5. Track your metrics to develop and fine tune your strategy.
In order to know what you are doing right, and which strategies are not benefiting you, you need to track your performance. There are many tools, both paid and free, that will generate reports which let you know when your content resonates with your audience and when it falls flat and fails to generate interest and engagement. By playing to your strengths and understanding your weaknesses, you can develop a winning social media plan that will increase your presence, raise your SEO ranking and establish your business as a leader in your market.
We have been in the Las Vegas web design and web development industry for years and we have experienced the power of social media to make connections and create partnerships and clients in our community. It’s not rocket science, all it takes is knowledge, a passion for engaging with your audience, and a consistent dedication to the effort and consistency required to create value and build genuine long-term connections.
New Website Design: Prakti - Changing the World with Cookstoves
Changing the World
PraktiDesign.com is the website home of Prakti, an exciting new social venture startup that's working hard to develop innovative technology that will significantly improve the health of women and children in developing countries. Their innovation is clean cookstove technology! They've created an advanced cookstove system specifically designed to be affordable for mass distribution in the developing world, and they've already begun operations in India, Haiti, and Nepal. Most people wouldn't think smoke from a cookstove could be such an important issue, but it's one of the top 5 killers in developing countries today, causing over 1.9 million premature deaths every year mostly among women and children who cook food in covered indoor stoves which release harmful particulates into their homes.
Owen Carver had the opportunity to meet the founder of Prakti, Mouhsine Serrar, last year at the UnReasonable Institute in Boulder Colorado during the 2 days leading up to the UnReasonable Climax event. The Climax is a startup stage where 25 entrepreneur graduates from the UnReasonable Institute's 6 week program present their for-profit social ventures to a packed audience of academics, investors, and like-minded individuals passionate about changing the world.
Prakti was one of two startups presented that received awards from Siegel & Gale, a global strategic branding firm based in New York, which entitled them to receive free banding services from the firm along with a blue-print for a new website. After some time Prakti reached out to All in Web Pro for help with the execution of these brand strategies through the redesign of their website.
While working closely with Prakti and the Siegel & Gale team, we generated an modern interpretation of this new user-friendly and easy to navigate website aimed at providing key information to investors and partners through a story-based content system designed for easy ongoing maintenance and expansion.
We're proud to be able to support Prakti in their mission to change the world through innovative cookstove solutions and are honored that they look to us for their web design needs.
How to Measure and Monitor your SEO for FREE
8 tips on how to keep track of your SEO for FREE
You can offer the best services or goods in your marketplace, but if those who are searching for what you sell find your competitor online instead of you, you will likely not earn their business. The research shows most consumers first look online when they are interested in making a purchase. The statistics are clear; over 80% of consumers will do their own search online well before they pull out their wallet to spend their money.
In order to know where you stand in regards to your competitors, it’s crucial you measure your SEO (search engine optimization) to establish your position, and to monitor it on an on-going basis. If you have the budget, SEO is one of the most dominant factors in your online marketing campaign and allocating the funds to have it professionally managed, will be some of the most valuable money you spend towards driving traffic to your site and bringing potential clients directly in touch with your brand. However, if you are not yet in a position to afford expert assistance with your SEO marketing, all is not lost. With some time and effort, you can use the following free tools to identify your ranking and monitor your position. For 6 free techniques you can put into practice today to power your SEO upwards, you can read our article 6 Simple SEO Habits to Increase Website Rankings & Traffic.
1. Google Analytics
You can sign up in minutes to begin taking advantage of this powerful, free tool. Google Analytics offers daily traffic statistics which you can sort and organize: per keywords, per visitor, per location, per referring website, per search engine, and by any time scale. Packed with useful features, it is a must have for anyone interested in measuring and tracking their website traffic and SEO progress.
2. Google Adwords' Keyword Tool
This powerful and free online resource allows you to see the number of searches that Google receives nationally, and internationally, for any specific keyword phrases. We recommend checking off the box that says "Exact" searches, not broad or matching, for the most accurate and relevant statistics. What this means to you is that now you can confidently know which keywords your target audience is searching for the most when they're looking for brands or businesses like yours online. We use this to help decide which keywords would be most profitable to target in our SEO campaigns for ourselves and our clients.
3. Understand the Power of Search Results Ranking.
On any Google search page in organic results: #1 gets 33% of clicks, #2 gets 22%, #3 gets 11%, #4 gets 7%, on down until #10 gets 1-3% share of link traffic. This shows how skewed the numbers are toward the top of the first page of Google. Because traffic is so heavily funneled to the first few listings, its easy to see how companies can become forgotten when they are not actively managing their SEO and staying on top of their ability to be found. Keep in mind that these numbers vary widely based on the industry you're in and how likely it is that people searching will be satisfied with the first search results versus continuing down the search results page looking for something the other results aren't providing.
4. MicroSiteMasters.com
This extremely valuable service provides Search Engine Results Page (SERP) rank reporting and tracking keywords in Google, Bing, and Yahoo, and their service is free for first 10 keywords. 10 keywords are more than sufficient to get started measuring the progress of your SEO efforts, and if you're not using a tool like this, you need to start now so you can begin understanding where you rank and how your rank changes over time.
5. HubSpot's Website Grader
In less than 30 seconds, HubSpot issues a report that analyzes all of your online marketing efforts, not just on your website, and gives you a Marketing Grade on a 1-100 scale. It doesn’t stop there; it recommends the next steps, in order of priority that you should take to improve your strategy. By assessing over 30 factors, HubSpot offers a comprehensive assessment and then provides a plan of action, complete with online resources to help put their recommendations into practice.
6. MajesticSEO.com
This website offers a free tool to track and analyze off-site backlink health of any website online, by total history or by recent growth. Use the power of MajesticSEO’s enormous link intelligence database to compare your backlink power to that of your competitors.
7. Google's "Site:" search
I use this tool everyday, even when just browsing because it's so powerful. Just try typing “site:examplesite.com" into the Google search bar, adding in a website use regularly, and then look at total search results for the number of pages indexed by Google. This normally tells you, with a fair amount of accuracy the total number of pages on any website, which can be used as a rough indicator of their on-site SEO credibility in Google. The total number of pages a website has can also roughly approximate how well established and trusted your website is according to Google search engine’s algorithm, this is because the longer a website has existed and the more valuable content they have online, the more it lends to the idea that they know what they're talking about, assuming that the content is relevant, unique, and that there's a decent amount of it on every page.
For even more fun, try adding search terms with a space just before where the "site:" appears, and you'll be amazed at how useful it is to be doing a Google search of pages ONLY on the website listed in the example. ("site:example.com")
8. Use "Page Source" / "View Source"
This is a simple, fast way to determine which keywords your webpages, and your competitors' webpages, are targeting. This is the basic information you need to assess where your current SEO is focused and vital to your understanding of what type of traffic you are attracting—or failing to attract. "Page Source" or "View Source" is a browser tool option which you can access in most browsers by doing right-click on the webpage on PCs or Option-click on Macs; it also appears in the browser's menu. Select this option and you will see the HTML code for the page. In the code, near the top of most webpages you should be able to see or find using CTRL+F the following text meta tags; look for <title>, <meta description >, <meta keywords > tags.
Pay attention to the first words that appear in these meta tags. These keywords can be used to analyze your competition and see what keywords they are telling Google to target for each of their webpages. The most important is the title tag, but the description tag is also very important to Google, because this is the text that appears in Google search results. Conversely, be sure your meta tags are telling search engines the right story about who you are and what content or keywords each webpage is primarily relevant to.
Based in Nevada, our Las Vegas web design team would be happy to answer any questions you may have about SEO. For more resources and helpful tips sign up for our newsletter or send us a message telling us what topics you'd like to see covered here. For now, don’t hesitate to get started with these useful resources that you can access free of charge anytime. We recommend always getting professional feedback and direction at the start of any SEO campaign, no matter how small, to ensure that you're not making any mistakes that could be costing you valuable traffic. We offer free consultations and are happy to educate our customers on the value of a well designed SEO campaign.
12 Steps to Creating Value with your Website
12 powerful ways to create value with your company website
The internet is overrun with content streaming and updating every second of every minute of every day. Intelligently planned SEO (search engine optimization) strategy and management can funnel users through the digital deluge straight to your company’s website, but once you have their attention it’s crucial you provide them with value or they may never return. People love the access to information the internet provides and 8 out of 10 of consumers hit the web to research when they are in the market to purchase goods and services. But competition is fierce and if you do not stand apart from the crowd, you will be drowned out by the onslaught of content crowding the internet. Most users suffer from content overload and you really have one chance to make your impression or they will move on to your competitors. How do you keep them coming back? That’s simple, but not always easy: create value with your website.
1. Provide information that helps people.
To determine what information is helpful to people try this effective technique: Pretend you're a visitor and imagine what you would want to know and what information you would want to come away having learned after interacting with your website. This seems simple at first, but there are subtle and sometimes unobvious subconscious decisions that your visitors are making. Try to get in their heads and really think about what would make them, not you happy.
2. Have a purpose and a way to measure your progress.
Think of your website as your online ambassador. It represents you every second of every day, while you're sleeping, away on business, or offline. What do you want your ambassador to say to people who are interested in what you do and what you sell? What is your goal? Do you want your brand ambassador to generate sales or leads? How many and by when? Be specific in outlining your objectives so you can set up benchmarks and monitor your progress. If you are not hitting your marks, it’s a good indication that it’s time to make some changes to your content, online marketing, or SEO strategy.
3. Give or create something specific.
General information is for Wikipedia; you want people to gain measureable value from spending time on your site. Be specific in what you are communicating so people come away with a clear understanding of what they accomplished, learned or gained.
4. Use tools.
Tools help you maximize your web presence. Of all the sites they could end up at, your visitors came to yours; why let them leave without knowing who they are and taking the time to see what their interests and needs are? One way to do this is to use a newsletter sign up that captures their email addresses and maybe a few additional pieces of information. For the cost of providing a weekly or monthly newsletter you gain valuable leads and priceless market research.
5. Always include a Call to Action.
Make it easy for your website visitors; let them know what to do next if they are interested in finding out more, taking advantage of a special discount or promotion, or talking to a representative from your business. CTAs can be designed to run with new product launches, special promotions, your current marketing campaign, or key industry events. Even if you are not offering a specific offer, you can suggest they click on a link to take your desired conversion action. You need to know what specific behavior you want a visitor to engage in on your site to consider it a successful visit. Then invite them to do so, that’s your call to action.
6. Connect to your Social Networking Sites.
Invite your visitors to engage with your brand through the social sites where they spend their time. This takes the one way message of your website and makes it an interactive experience by opening the door to a conversation via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or whichever social networks your company uses. It's important to pick and choose which networks you really plan to use, then stick with it, even if you only write an update once a month.
7. Incorporate a blog.
Fresh content improves SEO while establishing your brand as a resource and leader. Additionally, if you continually update your site with new blog articles it provides a reason for people to revisit your site on an on-going basis, creating a relationship with your readers.
8. Use images and text to communicate your message.
Multimedia makes for a more satisfying and engaging experience. If you can use images to enhance your message, go for it. If you can offer video content too, then even better. Internet users are becoming accustomed to photos and videos and the more variety of media you offer the more enticing your message. Images also help communicate the message you're saying faster and in a more friendly way when used correctly.
9. Use images as part of your navigation on your homepage.
People should be able to click on an image or icon to navigate through your website to improve the ease of use. This is especially true on your homepage. Some people are visual and may prefer to navigate using images so be sure your images are clickable and reinforce the natural navigation structure and flow of your site.
10. Plan your pages and content.
This requires that you have your objectives clearly defined. Once you know what you want your site to offer and what you want your digital presence to achieve, you can plan your pages and content to accomplish your goals. As your goals change and evolve with your business and the marketplace, you should update your site and revise it accordingly.
11. Have your contact info on every page.
Make it as convenient as possible for visitors to get ahold of you when they are ready to take the next step and contact you. Establish the method of contact that works best for your business and have it appear on every page. Have you ever been to a website and not been able to find the phone number? That’s an easy way to lose a client or give the impression you're not eager to receive calls. Don’t require too much work on behalf of your visitors, because they may lose interest or delay contact. Think about websites you've used recently and where you had to look on their site to find the phone number.
12. Make your homepage user-friendly.
Your site should be easy to navigate, streamlined and not overly cluttered. A web page that a visitor can glance at and have a clear idea of who you are and what you do is ideal. You only have a short amount of time to convey your message and if it takes too much of an effort to comprehend, or more than 2 or 3 seconds to figure out how to navigate your site, guests will move on.
As a Las Vegas SEO and web development company helping local and national companies build their brands online we are always interested in hearing about the experiences others have had with user-friendly design and invite you to comment or email us any questions you have or topics you are interested in and we’ll do our best to include them in our upcoming blog posts. And feel free to let us know anything we might have missed or anything that has successfully created value for your users which could help others.
Channel 13 News Interviews Owen Carver for Las Vegas GiveCamp
Recently Beth Fisher of Channel 13 News did a spotlight on Las Vegas GiveCamp for her Good Morning Las Vegas show "Making Las Vegas a Better Place to Live" to help raise awareness among area non-profits and volunteers. Las Vegas GiveCamp is a local hack-a-thon for charity co-founded and co-organized by All in Web Pro's founder Owen Carver. The interview took place at the Work In Progress building in downtown Las Vegas, a co-working space where the event will be held at the end of June 2013.
Vegas GiveCamp is part of a national movement that has already raised millions of dollars in free technology services for non-profits in different cities across the country. The event has already received applications from over 50 non-profits and more than 40 Las Vegas web developers who've offered to volunteer their time and talent over a 3 day weekend to give local non-profits a technology upgrade in the form of a website, an app, or database management system. But the event isn't just for web designers and web developers, it's also open to graphic designers, online marketing consultants, content writers, app developers, and anyone else who can help area non-profits leverage technology.