So you’re ready to get a new website. Great!
Here are some things you will need to consider so that we can build you a great-looking website that is search-engine and user friendly. [Read more…] about New Websites
General
Is your website protected from hacking?
After spending many hours over the last few weeks fighting/removing malware and malicious code from standard and WordPress websites I thought I should do a general post about web malware.
It may not happen to your website but the chances are good that at some point it will. No website or security system is immune to these attacks.
You should take precautions to protect your site. [Read more…] about Is your website protected from hacking?
Outdated Website Features
In this article from Mashable, 12 Outdated Web Features That Need to Disappear in 2014, old trends are exposed and new ways of creating websites are featured. I don’t fully agree with all of these – I do have a few caveats, but the recommendations are generally good.
Here’s the quick list:
1. Irrelevant Elements
2. Flash Intros
3. Photo Carousel
4. Large Hero Images
5. Stock Photos
6. Animated GIF Flags
7. Autoplay Videos
8. Automated Popups
9. ‘Hello World’ Blog Post
10. Sidebars
11. Reloading Pages
12. M.dot Sites
Click on over to Mashable to read the full article.
Website Trends 2014 and Your Business
website trends 2014
Website design is going flat; this trend is being driven by Microsoft Windows 8, Apple’s iOS 7, and Google amongst many others. Gone are the glossy buttons, drop shadows, heavy graphics, etc. The new trends are flat, simple buttons and icons, a focus on text, images only as needed, and responsive layout that adapts to different browsers and devices.
Responsive websites adjust the layout and function automatically to the width of the device. It is much like a grid of blocks which move based on the width of available space. In combination with this responsive design trend, there is flexible navigation based on the device type, and content which expands to the full width of the browser
Mobile-only websites are a fast-growing trend. Mobile sites, usually created as a complement to an existing site, are great for providing quick info, directions, and features like a click-to-call button. The goal of mobile sites are most often immediate sales or contact conversions. Mobile-only websites are especially good for
service-related industries.
Having both a responsive website and a mobile site creates a win-win web presence.
Continuing to gain more of the web-world are Content-Management System (CMS) websites like WordPress, which is currently powering 19% of the world’s websites. These sites make it easy to create and update business-related content. They can also act as a blogging platform making the site more content-rich, which helps drive search traffic to the site. These sites can also be developed using responsive design
7 questions to ask yourself about your website’s visual look
- Is my home page visually compelling?
- Does my website lead visitors to want to learn more about my
business? - Is it visually consistent with my company’s branding?
- Is it easy to navigate? Can first time visitors easily find the information they need?
- Does my site look out-of-date?
- Does my website use Flash for videos or a slideshow?
(If yes, you need a redesign because Flash won’t play on iPhones and iPads.) - Does it look good on all types of devices: desktop, laptop, tablet,
and smartphone? - Does it integrate with my social media marketing such as
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pintrest?
7 questions to ask yourself about your website’s content
- Is my website meeting the needs of my customers and, is it positively connecting with those whom I want to reach as new customers?
- Does my website tell what is unique and special about my business, setting it above the competition?
- Is the content relevant, informative, and targeted to promoting my business?
- Is the content well-organized and is there enough information (but not too much)?
- Is it consistent with my company’s marketing efforts?
- Is the text organized and written with search keywords (SEO) in mind?
- Am I sharing my business’ success by having customer reviews on my site and in social media? Last year, consumers’ trust of online reviews has risen to 70%. Television, newspaper, and magazines “trust rank” is about 47%.
Need help with your website?
With your answers to the questions above, we can address what type of website you need, whether it is informational, interactive, mobile, responsive, blog, or ecommerce.
Visit our Home page or Contact us today to talk about your website needs.
Free content for your website
Content published on U.S. Government websites is public domain and can be used as content for your website. A good place to start is at the Small Business Administration site. Oh, and there are are many helpful pages there to help your business as well.