Make Your Website Beautiful Through Web Design

If you are running an organization or company, the first step to make your company popular is to have a proper website and your website looks more beautiful through web design. Yes, it is one of the ways to make your website beautiful and it involves the structure of the website.

If you think that it only involves some designs that are done by using some software's, it is a wrong idea because it involves various contents and elements such as text, forms, images and plug-ins. If you are developing a product through website (i.e.) online marketing, then you come to understand how important the web design is. If you want to develop your product, develop through internet marketing services and it is the best way to make your product to reach soon to the people.

In India, particularly in Chennai, there are many web design companies who do SEO marketing, brochure design, logo branding, shopping cart, offshore outsourcing, web design and marketing. SEO is an abbreviated term for search engine optimization and it is the one of the best way to make your website to get easily viewed by search engines.

SEO work is a big work and it involves various activities such as link building services, branding and website development. You may have a doubt, why it is needed? People always select a company that is listed top in the search engines to view any information about the products and they will select a company that has good page rank. So, for that purpose, you need the SEO services.

Still are you are in a dilemma, I will give you one example; consider that you want to market a motor product. How people will come to know that you have started a company and selling motor products? They will search in the search engines such as motor products and if your company gets listed in the top list, they will view your product and thus how your product gets developed.

The website you maintain should be sound enough to attract the customers and it should look good in all aspects. For that purpose, web designing is essential. Select a company that suit your website needs and give priorities for your site. A web design company Chennai should list the features and the sections that you would like to have.

Money is the factors that comes into your mind while selecting a SEO company Chennai and select a website development company that works with your budget and satisfy your website needs. Once you have handed over the website development to them, the Web design company Chennai will strive hard to make your website to look beautiful.

Ultimate Creators thinking and measured results can go hand in hand. We believe great things rise out of simple ideas - by balancing Chennai-india and built on a solid foundation, Ultimate Creators offer a wide range of digital services including Web design, Graphic brand identity, Web hosting, Web consultancy, SEO Consulting, Keword ranking and Web management

Tips for an Effective Graphic Web Design

A graphic website design is all about illustrating the website with images, animations and videos. It's basic human tendency to believe what is seen. This implies that the graphic content of the website is more effective than the text content, especially at converting the visitor into a buyer. The process of making a graphic design that is user-friendly can be divided into different stages that are mentioned as follows.

Initial meeting:

The graphic design process starts with the meeting of the website owner (business identity) and the web designer. This being the first stage of the process both the parties have to clarify what is to be embedded on to the website. This includes the study of the need of the website by the business identity, the priorities of the website, the market segment targeted and deciding upon the types of illustrations to be included. Costing, packages and duration taken to prepare the website should be clarified in this stage.

Market Research:

This is the second step where is the web designer agency needs to study the past, present and the future of the company. The past experiences and future projections along with the current market scenario play a vital role in this research. The testimonial videos relate to the past of the company. What the company assures and will be offering relates to the future. The competition relates to the present.

Concept Development or Conceptualizing:

This is about how the need of the business identity and results of the research are going to be presented on the website especially with reference to the graphics. The graphics that are going to be presented must be related to the objective of the website. The project concept needs to be mutually agreed upon by the website owner and the web design agency.

Design and Layout

Some of the graphics need to be placed in the centre of the webpage while some are to be kept on the periphery. The images that are of prime importance and effective at generating revenue should be placed in the centre. Visuals of less relevance are usually on the periphery. The layout should be prepared depending on the culture and movement of the eyes. In most of the cases the movement of the eyes is from left to right while in few cases it is from right to left. The images that the website owner wants to be first seen should be placed after taking this factor into consideration.

Appropriate technology should be used to embed the graphics on to the website. The technology should not increase the load to such an extent that the duration of downloading increases drastically. The graphic web design should be a bit flexible to changes too.

Presentation:

This is the penultimate step in the graphic web design process. This is about presentation of the raw website forth the website owner. The website owner needs to study and analyze it from every perspective that influences the business.

Approval:

This is about finalization of the web interface and submitting it to the website hosting company. To make the graphic design effective it is recommended that the services of a professional and expert web design development company be hired.

Copyright © 2010

SPINX is an expert Professional Web Design New Jersey provide web design with Graphic Design New York Services in New York Area.

Learning to Use Email Templates

Email templates can significantly contribute to your marketing strategies more specifically if you have the right information integrated in your design. Being able to come up with an excellent template design that meets the needs and demands of your target recipients will surely take you to greater heights in online marketing. While you can definitely come up with visually creative designs, these will not guarantee that you will catch the critical attention of your target audience.

In choosing effective email templates, you need to have a basic understanding of the tricks and simple tips about email templates. Random choosing is never an option as this will have serious consequence on your over all marketing strategies.

Tip 1: Adding images onto your HTML based email templates can have several setbacks. As you feel that your template really needs to have images on it, the best thing that you can do to ensure that people will not have a hard time viewing them is by adhering to the set web standards particularly in terms of image size and resolution. Also note the fact that there are email browsers that do not display images found on email messages. If you happened to placed and integrated your text information directly onto your image, your recipient may not be able to read them if the email browsers they are using are unable to display images.

Tip 2: CSS codes are undeniably the best means to create a visually attractive and dynamic page but it may not always be good for email templates. Similar to using images, not all email browsers are compatible with CSS codes. As a result, your templates created with CSS codes may not be displayed properly. This therefore renders your message less effective. Specifically to email templates, it is always better to use tables as your alternative to CSS when you want to create an HTML template.

Tip 3: Plain text version of HTML based email templates has its benefits and repercussions also. Most of my mentors who are web developers and social media experts recommend a simple and clear approach to doing online marketing. This includes using plain text to communicate with target recipients. They, however, noted that one must be careful in placing too much textual information in a single message. Lengthy messages often discourage people from reading all the way to the end of the message. As a solution, it is always better to place the brief and concise information of a particular topic. You can easily add link on your message just incase your recipient wants to read further.

To know more about email templates designer, go to http://EmailTemplatesDesigner.com

How to Go About Obtaining Graphics For Your Website

Proper website graphics can liven up and enhance the appearance of any website. The right website graphics can even improve response rates and make visitors feel at ease when browsing on your website. The sole purpose of your graphics should be to communicate a certain message to your viewer that will help to further the advancement of the sale.

You can even use your graphics to help educate a reader about your products and services. When it comes to acquiring graphics, you have the option of purchasing them, getting them for free, or creating them yourself. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, so you should make the decision as to which one is the best for you.

If you hire someone to create your graphics, you know that you're getting top notch designs from someone who does this for a living. The drawback is that you have to pay for this service, but the end result is usually worth it. If you're planning on building a large website and are expecting great results from it, then you should consider this option. If you are on a budget and are looking for a more inexpensive way to get graphics, then this option isn't for you.

If you're on a budget, then you should consider using free graphics for your website. You can find free graphics all over the web and they are a great replacement for professional graphics. Usually you have to give proper credit to where ever you got the image from, but this is nothing in comparison to what the graphics can do for your website.

If you're not someone who prefers free graphics and are looking for a more cost effective solution, then maybe you should create the graphics yourself. You can do this via the use of customizable PSD files that you can quickly edit and place on your website. PSD files are Adobe Photoshop files and you need Adobe Photoshop to open and edit them.

They are a great alternative to hiring a graphics designer and can do wonders for your website. Usually you will find that there are graphics available for your niche and that you can modify them to fit the theme of your website. This is an excellent option if you are on a budget and can do wonders for your website.

There are certain kinds of graphics that you can get for your website. These include the header graphic, the website background image, your product image, and even order button images. All 4 of these kinds of graphics exist and can be used to enhance the appearance of your website.

When using anyone of these graphics, you should take the time to figure out if you really need them or not. If the bulk of your website is dedicated towards content and writing, then you shouldn't focus on graphics too much. However if your website is driven by alot of products, then you should use graphics to help sell your products. You want to use graphics here so that you can give your prospects a visual representation of the product that they will receive.

As mentioned before, website graphics can be easily attained via a graphics designer, for free, or by creating them yourself. You should analyze which option is best for you and decide on the right ones for your business.

FOR MORE INFO: Learn website graphics secrets you can use to put beautiful graphics on your website. To learn more, visit the following website for more details: http://www.instant-downloadz.com/ezpsdgraphics.html

How to Make the Most of Free Ecommerce Templates and Save on Design Fees

In a perfect world, ecommerce solutions providers would provide custom designed templates to every new sign up while retaining their $50 monthly subscription fee. But unfortunately the dynamics of commerce does not allow that at this point of time.

So the next best thing is to opt for free ecommerce templates that come with the solution. When shopping cart providers first started giving out free template designs with their solution many years back, practically all of the designs pretty much sucked, by today's standards. But things the designs have improved drastically since then. In fact, free template designs are now a pulling factor for shopping cart providers.

The key to making any free template design work for you is finding the best fit. By 'fit' I mean the template's relation to the logo design, the products and the general feel of the store.

Logo Design
I am sure you have come across a few websites where the logo does not seem to fit the template. This is mainly due to the background color of the logo which is usually white. This gives a nasty impression that not much thought was given into the design of the sight. This unprofessional outlook might have a detrimental effect on sales.

To overcome this, some merchants pick the template design first, then have their logo designer create a logo to suit it. Since custom logo designs are very much cheaper than template designs, this is seen as a very viable option. I would suggest not spending more than $100 on a custom logo design. You can get a really good custom logo creation between the range of $70 and $100.

Products
Before selecting a template, give a thought or two to what you will be selling. For example, tactical gear stores usually use templates with bolder colors like black and brown. Stores selling extreme sports equipment use red while those promoting holiday destinations by the beach usually prefer light blue, which is reminiscent of clear skies and the ocean.

But knowing what colors not to use is as important as knowing what colors to use. Some are quite obvious like not using pink on a store selling NFL items. But I have seen a few dental sites using red in their logo design as well as their template design. Red is associated with pain as well as blood so using that hue in dental related designs is a no no.

Store Feel
Free templates come in various colors and designs. Some are neutral and may appeal to a wider market while some may only a appeal to a certain niche. For instance, if you looking to sell pot puree and wellness products, a pastel colored template with floral designs will go a long way in contributing to the calming feel of the store.

I would say that for a start, aspiring merchants should use carefully chosen free ecommerce templates. That would already translate to a saving of at least $300. The only thing that a new merchant should invest in, design wise, is a custom logo. And that should not cost more than $100.

But of course, if a merchant can afford it, then by all means, invest in an intelligently designed template that complements the products being sold.

Here is a little tip. Most ecommerce solution providers have tie-ins with design firms. These design firms provide the templates that ecommerce firms offer for free but they also design custom templates for a fee. I would suggest bugging your shopping ecommerce solution provider for some sort of discount arrangement when you sign up so you can get a logo or template designed at a cheaper price by these associated design firms. Its worth a try.

Harry Goldberg is a retired ecommerce entrepreneur who has built and sold over 100 online stores. He now shares his ideas and tips on how to make full use of logo design creation and where to obtain free ecommerce templates.

How to Create a Web Site That Works For You

Not everyone can afford to hire a professional designer to create a web site, and yet some freely available software doesn't give you the professional look you want. You don't want to have to learn lots of code and programming in order to build your site, so what do you do? The easiest way forward is to find a service that lets you create a web site that works for you, with the input of professional designers, but without the price tag.

This really is achievable if you know where to look. Whether you're designing a personal website for your favourite hobby, a corporate website for your business or an interactive site for a club or society, you want it to look good, encourage users to browse and push potential members, customers or clients your way. Getting the look of your web site just right can make all the difference, which is why you need some professional input about:

Style - too little on your page and your site looks sparse. Too much and people don't know where to look. When you create a web site, you need to get the right balance between text, pictures and design, making your visitors feel welcome and ensuring it's easy for them to get around.

Package - it can be difficult to see what you're getting for your money when you create a web site with third party software. Look for a company that tells you up-front exactly what's included. As a minimum, you'll need a name for your site (the URL), some email addresses, hosting for your site, and enough pages to get your message across. You decide whether you want a basic or more complex package, depending on the features you want to add and the budget you can afford.

Finding an easy-to-use setup that helps you to create a web site that's professional-looking, practical and gives the right impression could be easier than you think.

The Site Idea is an online resource that helps you to create a web site easily and professionally. With hundreds of options available to you and affordable packages - including a free option - you can build a site that works for you. Visit us today to make a start.

Building Landing Pages That Convert - 4 Key Aspects For Designing Capture Pages

Building landing pages that convert is your primary goal when designing your capture page. The page must be focusing on one singular offer or idea. Instruct the reader what to do by means of a call to action. The action that you state defines the conversions. Any conversion means a lead of a prospective buyer to call, or even better, a sale. You will also want to do be able to measure the performance of your landing page.

Building Landing Pages That Convert - 4 Key Aspect For Designing Capture Pages

1. Design & Layout

Statistics are showing that the simple 'ugly duckling' pages convert at a much higher rate than the fancy looking colourful pages. Designing capture pages that are 'single columned' and without navigational elements work best. The only option available to the visitor should be to enter and proceed the sales funnel process.

When building landing pages that convert, you must have all key elements of your page above the fold. What does that mean? Above the fold, is the top of the page which people see on their screen when visiting. The visible elements above the fold are critical. An image of your product works best when placed to the left of the body text. A capture form works best when placed to the right of text or image. Just make sure it's all above the fold and compelling. Research has shown that visitors decide to stay or leave a page within 8 seconds!

2. Sales Copy

Writing good sales copy is an important aspect of building landing pages that convert. It's a key element for designing capture pages. The headline should deliver on the PPC ad, banner or other advertising campaign. Through the headline you let visitors know that they have landed on the right page, providing them with the info they are looking for.

Include some compelling subheads. Include the benefits to the reader - why should they buy from you? What's in it for the user. It's a fact that most internet surfers scan a page first, before deciding to read the sales copy. When you are designing capture pages, you should do the same. Scroll through your page, read the title and the subheads. Does it tell you a story? Would you want to read the page? Are you compelled?

3. Capture Forms and Buttons

Building landing pages that convert include a capture form that is short and simple. Don't ask for more info than absolutely needed. People don't usually like to give out personal information and details. I personally only ask visitors for their name and email. The phone number is optional but never required. It also helps to put some sort of privacy policy below the form that you commit and adhere to.

The buttons are another key element for designing capture pages. Words like 'submit' or 'enter' are simply not attractive nor are they compelling to the reader. Try using words such as 'Show Me The Biz', 'Buy Now' or 'Download Special Report'. Whatever you choose, use words or short phrases that exactly describes what happens when the user clicks that particular button.

4. Testing

Extremely important! I personally use the Google Website Optimizer but there are other tools available on the internet. What you want to measure is the effectiveness of all the different elements on your page and if they have the capability of converting. Success is achieved by cross testing. Try different things and improve on certain elements in your pages to increase conversions. Here is a list of all the elements you should be tweaking and testing:

- The headline

- Subheads

- Call to action

- Body text

- Button text

- Capture form design

- Graphics

It is my personal experience that through trial and error you can really double the number of your conversions, if not triple them! It is well worth your time and effort.

Designing capture pages that work is something everybody can learn, just like all the other marketing methods and techniques to promote and brand your business online to max out on profits.. Click now learn building landing pages that convert and see what is arguably named the best online internet marketing program available to date, teaching you how to market virtually and product or business, online and offline. Just fill out the form and watch the video on the next page. Just for visiting you also have the option to claim a free website.

Mike Heesen is a home business owner that is, just like you, earning a living to support his family, pay for the mortgage or rent, utilities, needs and other desires. He is a member of the world's largest online mentoring and marketing program. His main activities are helping and showing people how to learn and master the power and potential of the internet to create financial freedom. Over the last year, Mike and his team have made significant marks on the internet. You can be part of his team too. Learn effective online marketing! Go now to http://2wealth-2freedom.com.

Graphic Design Reminders For Your Website

In designing a website, you will need to learn not only the technical matters but you will also have to be creative. It will take these two for you to come up with a site that will really suit your intended readers. It is natural for you to need to know the codes that you will use for your site to work online. Web design will greatly depend on these codes as these are the main factors that can make your site available for others. As mentioned, you will also have to use your creativity. This will be the key for your site to get and maintain a hold of your audience's attention. The success of a website will depend on the number of readers that you can drive to your site. Hence, you will have to improve on it so that more readers will be interested on what your site has.

One should not forget that there is a better chance for you to get to your audience if your site is appealing to them. Aside from the content, you should also focus on the design. This can make a difference as you can be able to catch the attention of more people and drive them to browse more pages of your website. Content can keep your target audience into your site but you can improve on this chance of you can make your site visually appealing for them.

Aside from what is mentioned, there are more reasons why web design is important. If you have a site and you use it for business, it is more necessary for you to engage in the right web design process. It is important that your site looks interesting but it should also maintain a professional look. This will make your site look more credible for the site visitors and for you to have a better business out of your website. Of course your site will only work if the right codes are used so you should not also neglect that aspect of web design. With the proper codes and the right design, you will be able to catch more attention and more profit for your business.

The use of pictures can grab lots of attention. Aside from it is more interesting, you can also compress more thoughts and ideas into your site through the use of pictures. Also, it can make your site look better as it can be pleasing to the browser's eyes. It can make people want to come back to your site. Hence, if you are looking for a boost in your site, you can start with picking the right kind of pictures that are in line with the goals of your website.

Now that you know the importance of having the right web design for your site, you should not forget that the content is as important as the design. In fact, you can lose website followers if one is not right. Some searchers will no longer go back to your site if he does not see anything that he can use in it. Even if the design is outstanding, most searchers will always look for quality content. When you are able to balance these web design needs, you can definitely improve your website for your audience that you are trying to reach out for.

Amaechi is also an expert on new treatment for psoriasis.

A Visitor is Knocking at Your Site

When a visitor finds your site, imagine it's like your best friend knocking at the front door. You want them to come in, make themselves at home and stick around awhile. Great web site design can make that happen. Whether you're selling a product or service, or simply providing information, you want them to feel they've come to the right place.

Imagine you're Judy, an online shopper

Imagine you're Judy, an avid shopper, and you're on the hunt for a flat screen TV, possibly 3-D. You start your search on Google by typing "flat screen TV", and your search returns over 29 million results. What are the odds Judy will look beyond the first ten results? Pretty slim! What if she typed in "3D flat screen TV?" Hey, we're down to 8 million results. Maybe she'll check out the first two pages of results.

Local relevance is important

What if Judy didn't want her new flat screen TV shipped from who knows where, and wanted to find one locally? What if she lives in Phoenix, AZ and typed in, "3D flat screen TV Phoenix AZ?" Not only will her search query be reduced to 32,000 results, the odds increase dramatically that she'll search through more results to find the TV that appeals to her. She's now very focused.What if you were selling 3D flat screen TV's in Phoenix? Would Judy find your site? Possibly, but not necessarily. Is the verbage, 3D flat screen TV Phoenix AZ, anywhere on your site? Is your site indexed by Google, Bing or Yahoo?

Is your site in a good Internet neighborhood?

Internet neighborhoods are very much like real life neighborhoods. Ask your friend where to find that TV and I guarantee you that they (probably) won't send you to a guy who is selling them out of the back of a truck. They're going to point you to a reputable store. As well, it's in the search engines best interests to point you to the most relevant websites. They have billions in advertising dollars resting on their recommendations.

What could land your website in a bad neighborhood?

Using blackhat SEO techniques jumps to the front of the line, followed very closely by allowing links back to spammers. If you're running a blog or forum, be sure to moderate the comments and weed out the ones linking to obvious spammers.

The Power of the Internet

The Internet has leveled the playing field for many small and medium sized businesses. It's not uncommon for many many more visitors to find you online than could ever find your brick & mortar location. Just as that sign on the front of your business and the landscaping surrounding your location is meant to draw walk-in prospects, your website is very much the online face of your business or organization. Your goal should be to make the best possible impression with each and every visitor. Following some very simple basics will help tremendously.

Visual Guidelines

It's best to select a color theme that supports your site's goals without overwhelming your visitors. Simple and pleasing versus busy and cluttered.

Navigational Guidelines

Make it easy to get from Point Query to Point Buy. Include FAQ's to answer questions.

Add a Touch of Personality

Your site needs to be different from the sites your visitors just left. Add a touch of personality, but retain consistency across the entire site. Emphasize what makes your business unique.

Graphics and Text

The right mix of graphics and text is important. Long unbroken blocks of text will send visitors fleeing for the exits. Too many graphics may impair the search engines ability to index your site. You need a balance of graphics and text to make your site visually compelling.

Attention to Detail

Broken links give the impression that your business is less than professional. If your site is not in good working order, the perception is frequently that neither is your business. What you're looking for is a quality experience with your visitors.

Steve is an Inside Sales Manager at Hostirian in Saint Louis, MO. He began his writing career many moons ago while stationed in Pensacola, Florida, writing for the Cory Log. Today, Steve writes about business, marketing, search engine optimization, and web design & hosting. You can read or RSS his articles from http://www.WDTalk.com.

Promoting Via Dental Web Design

There's more than one approach to market your dental care service. You can either make a professional dental web design for online promotions or brand awareness purposes or you might opt for the conventional marketing approach by going for below the line marketing techniques. You will find benefits and drawbacks to both techniques. Taking the dental web design method will be a bit of a risk since it is a place that not everyone has mastered. There are many people who can claim that they fully understand everything there is to know regarding online marketing and having your dental care program stand out from the competition through search engine marketing techniques and SEO.

The hazards of trusting the wrong people with your money are higher with regards to online marketing. In conventional media, the only real big drawback here is just how huge the costs are. With no proper financing, this strategy will be too small and useless to make a difference. Nevertheless, it's really a proven medium and it's easier to monitor which businesses are telling the truth in their sales pitches and those that do not. It's still a much better option to get familiar with dental search engine advertising and optimization first since the low price of this technique would be really useful for start-up businesses.

Your online existence will begin by having an effective dental web design. Exactly what entails a good website design? The standard rules of readability and simplicity come to mind. Your website has to be effortless to go through, the font shouldn't be too extravagant. You'll want to provide the effect of clean professionalism and reliability. Save the swirly font and the neon colors for another project.

A good dental web design should be very clear concerning the message and also the services that you offer. Make the various readers feel welcome by including a brief video clip presentation that quickly explains the kind of services that you offer. It's also recommended to make it extremely simple for the consumer to find a contact page or anything that could lead to more information about you and what you represent. All of the certifications which you have obtained over time should be right in the front page. Consumers love validation of expert knowledge. The more certificates you've got as well as true testimonies you can collect, the more customers you'll probably influence.

That's not to say that you should plaster as much text and certifications within your front page as you possibly can. You must incorporate it into a layout which looks every bit as good as the service that you promise. Nobody will focus on a huge wall of text so be sure that your dental web design balances aesthetics with usability. Aside from this, you might also need to optimize the internet site for search engines like Google. This can be done by most SEO companies if you do not know how to accomplish it yourself. It is advisable to include search engine optimization principles early enough in production rather than later.

Before you decide to pursue any sort of venture in online marketing, do yourself a favor and be sure to check out these trust worthy pages that will be sure to help you in making a successful online marketing strategy to promote your practice Dental Web Design, and Dentist Marketing Additionally, you can reach me at 1-323-851-3825

Become a Graphic Designer Or Web Designer

The goal of web design is to create a web site that offers content and interactive features to a user in the form of web pages. A web designer must have the skills to create a website that can provide the different requirements of people for their site. The web design project usually starts with a few pictures that the website demands. Web makers focus on the general appearance of the website first, and then go on to creating other web pages.

The way a website looks is the first thing that attracts people, so a website must look striking and exceptional. Web makers make use of colors, photos, images, background, font style, shapes, curves, bullet points, watermarks, shading and bordering to enhance the appearance of a web page. Themes, animations, frames and other graphic elements also come into play. Text content does not play a major role at this point, although you must keep in mind that websites are visited due to the written material or content and not necessarily because of the website's looks, appearance or graphics.

There are many styles and ways to design a website. A wide range of graphic designing material is available. Various shapes, backgrounds and font styles are available to web or graphic designers so that they can easily accomplish their task. Web designers should have a sense of what kind of design the website requires. In many web designs, the graphic designs are essential. In other websites, however, the graphics design is only a secondary concern. Official websites or those with a specific purpose like social forums, tutorials, informative content, encyclopedia, etc. demand less graphic designing. Books and magazines are also published in their specific sites and do not demand much graphics.

Websites for educational purposes like those of different schools, colleges and universities contain detailed information about their institutions. General information about the institution, departments, courses, faculty, admissions, fee structures, results, etc. are made available. They have more text content compared to graphics.

Graphics requirement depends on the industry you are operating on and your target audience. If you are from the entertainment industry and your target is to entertain and amuse teenagers, adolescents and kids, then fun seeking, songs downloading, beauty tips, fitness, health maintenance and games must be incorporated in the website. The website requires more graphics to enhance its appeal. Kids' websites should be colorful and highly animated to attract the children's interest and make them want to visit again. It is the job of the web maker to manage the text content and graphic requirements of the website that they are operating.

Enroll in a web design course and get your web design degree quickly online. Check out our recommended schools today!

Make a Website and Remember These Things

Many individuals and businesses are now realizing the importance of having their own website. Websites are totally beneficial and useful to every individual whether for personal or business purposes.The increasing popularity of the Internet has further boosted online website creation activities. This is predominantly apparent in the presence of a great quantity of websites and web hosting sites that offer the necessary tools and tips on how to a make a website.

Creating a website might seem too hard and problematic particularly to someone new to it.These websites and web hosting sites make it less complicated and easy for anyone to make a website of their own.They can provide you with the tools and equip you with the necessary knowledge and familiarity with the terms in making a website. These websites and web hosting sites make it easier for anyone to make a website, however, the task remains an enormous one for anyone who is unfamiliar with this activity.

The number of websites in recent years has ballooned since technology has made it easier for anyone to create a website. As a result, the competition for space and attention from online users has become stiffer. It has become more obvious that being knowledgeable in how to make a website is not enough, whereas what is more important is how to make your website distinct.In doing so, you also have to consider several important factors in designing and making your web pages.

In making a website you have to bear in mind that our principal object is to lure online visitors.Therefore, what should be our foremost concern is to make our website as comfortable and convenient for our viewers.

Among the factors that should be remembered is how the web content is written. It is vital that you provide credible web content for your viewers. Aside from being credible, your content should be educational and should contain all the information about you, your company or the products that you are selling.Many people veer away from websites that have badly written content and consistently harbor anomalous articles.

You also have to conduct several tests to your website to find out if there are any problems in regards to the loading time, compatibility with browsers and navigation features. It is highly suggested that you ask people that you know to try your website and determine where the problems might arise. A lot of people also get impatient with web pages that take too much time to load. To address this potential problem, you have to test your website's loading time and compatibility with certain browsers.Some websites are not compatible with certain browsers. You also have to be concerned with your website's navigation features. A lot of web users get impatient when a website is too complicated and they usually stay away from those kinds of website. It is also vital to keep track of your website's statistics. Recording the statistics of your site such as getting the number visitors your website gets on the average, their origins and what pages they usually look at; all of which can help determine if your website is doing well and what part of it needs to be improved.

There are important factors to consider in making a website. Due to the stiffer competition for space and attention from online visitors, it is now a huge task for anyone to make a website. In making a website, it is important to pay attention to the viewers' convenience and comfort in viewing a website. There are currently several websites and web hosting sites that make it easier to create a website.

Web Design & Usability Issues

Whether you have a website or are looking to establish a web presence in Calgary, you will need to consider these top ten web design usability issues:

1. First Impressions

Studies have shown that the human eye generally reads a web page in an "F" pattern, from top left to right. Therefore, the hottest real estate on your business website is the top left area. Post your essential information there, especially your corporate logo. Overall, your website needs to create a great first impression and establish confidence and trust in your visitor. A Web design should not hinder or overwhelm content or branding on any page, including the home page.

2. Menus & Navigation

It is ideal to have consistent and universal navigation on your Calgary business website. This means having a menu that can access all pages at any time. This makes it easy for visitors to find the information they need and also maintains confidence in their experience with your company. Having supporting navigation such as breadcrumbs or contextual "previous" and "next" buttons or links to related items will reinforce the site's overall usability. Consistency is key, and remember that navigation, such as text links and a site map, is also used by search engine robots when indexing your web site pages for their search results.

3. Contact Information

Make it easy for visitors to contact you by displaying your Calgary office address or phone number clearly on all pages of your website, or at least on your key pages. You can also have a contact us page that has more detailed information, such as different branches, key contacts or a contact us form. These days it is also not uncommon to see live chat options so a visitor can connect with your staff as they surf!

4. Call to Action

Even if it is just to get a visitor to call your office, a website needs a "Call to Action" - this is something that is defined by a combination of site navigation, content generation and site functionality, including e-commerce processing. What do you want visitors to do on your site? Where do you want them to go? What is the next step once they have found your site? Is it to call you? Buy a product online or learn something? Or perhaps share information with a co-worker in the form of an e-book or pre-recorded video.

5. Keeping Above the "Fold Focus"

Keep the critical information in the top area of your website, above the fold where someone has to scroll down to read more. This is why logos, menus and the main calls to action appear in the top part of the site design - they need to be easy to find and use, without the person having to scroll down the page to find the information. Of course, when detailed information is needed pages can be long, however, consider using a PDF document for more passive content, as it keeps the actual Web page shorter and more manageable.

6. Web Content that Invites and Offers a Return

A relationship is an ongoing commitment from both sides, it is not a one way street. While the visitor is looking for a product or information, your business is looking for that new customer and the sale they bring - and as it has been said before, it is so much easier to sell to someone who has already bought from you before. So, when I say "offers a return" I mean it's a return for both sides, the returning customer finds continual value in your services or products and you retain them as a repeat customer. So keep content fresh, updated and consider adding a blog or Content Management System to you Calgary Web site.

7. Clear Content Layout

Organize your site so the visitor can easily flow from one page to the next, that information is prioritized in a hierarchy of need (both for them and you) and provide the information or product to them as efficiently as possible. Consider the home page as the gateway to the site and lead the visitor to what you can offer them (e.g. latest deals, latest information package, latest blog entry, etc.) and then give it to them. Ensure that each page follows a consistent layout for navigation and branding and that the content area is organized in a clean manner so the design of the site does not interfere with content delivery.

8. Appearance Matters

A website's impression is made not only by what is included in the site, but what is left out. Bypass banner ads, third party advertising, non-interactive flash animation and overwhelming colour schemes that blatantly fight for the visitor's attention. Visitors are generally looking for one thing on your site, so make it easy to find by keeping the structure and layout of the site simple, clean and direct. While someone may gain attention by wearing a speedo with flashing lights on it, most people will end up buying a product from the salesman who is a tad more conservative. J

9. Trust & Security

With billions of Web pages online these days, visitors need to know, more than ever, that they can trust their valuable time and money to what your site has to offer. Security seals and trusted third party endorsements, 256-bit SSL Certificates speak directly to the visitor about what you have done to secure your Calgary web site. However, there are subtle, yet effective, ways to show your visitor that they can trust your site: include properly written privacy policy, terms of use, shipping and returns policy, unique logins for their registration, acknowledge you will never sell or share your information with a third party unless they agree and only email them to the degree to which they have agreed. A basic way to ensure trust is to have your site professionally developed as this shows you have invested your own time and money in something you feel is worthwhile to others.

10. Polish to a Shine

Errors happen, it is technology after all, and while we all want to believe that technology can deliver 100%, 24/7 - is that reality? The reality is knowing that accidents happen, glitches happen and once in a while things need to be fixed. The reality of the Web is knowing that technology is expanding and those tools made to make your life easier still take time to learn and use. As technology expands we must be prepared to update, upgrade and expand along with it. By working out all of the errors such as broken links (this requires ongoing maintenance), spelling errors, broken images, browser inconsistencies, etc. you can present a well-polished gem to your website visitor, which will inherently carry its worth in its visual appeal, optimum functionality and delivery of relevant, needed content.

Consider the above 10 key points to improve your current web site or if you are looking to start a new Calgary Web design project.

If you are looking for a proactive and multi-faceted design team in Calgary Alberta, please visit Calgary Web Design to see BlindDrop Design's full list of services to the Cochrane & Calgary Area. Lucas Arnatt has been a Calgary Web Designer since 1997.

The Small Business Web Design Dilemma

Web design and small business owners go hand in hand, just like crackers and cheese, as opposed to chalk and cheese, but you would be hard pressed to know that due to the difficulties many of them have getting a website to go live. Unfortunately small business owners, or at least very small business owners wear so many hats and assume so many roles in their business, that the role of newbie web designer isn't high on their list of priorities. But web design should be an integral part of any successful small business owner's business plan.

Having a website makes a difference to your business' bottom line - the importance of having a website was even highlighted by the President in his 2010 State of The Union address - that's how crucial having one is these days! So, as a small business owner, how can you be sure that the investment you make in a website is going to pay off? Before you spend any money you need to know what the goals of your web site are. If your site is there to be a promotional piece, like a clickable brochure, and you are not going to promote it online then the goal of your site is to be an information area where people interested in your business can learn more about it - but they have to have heard of your business somehow first, likely through word of mouth or your printed marketing collateral.

However, if you want to truly make money with your site, your goals will be different and your web design needs different. You don't have to have an e-commerce store to make money with your site - if you have a service company, the more people who know about it via the web, the more business it can procure. To promote your site online you need to attack your web design plan differently. It's no good thinking that because your site looks good it will rank well. You need to start your project with Search Engine Optimization in the forefront as the major priority by finding out what search terms people are using to find your competitors. Replicate your competitors' online strategies and surpass them, and you will dominate your market.

Whichever path you choose to go down, as a small business owner starting out on the web, list your website's goals and break them down into manageable chunks, then work through those one at a time. If you are going build a website all on your own you will have to take on the role of web designer to get the job done, or a member of your staff will - and that takes time from your/their actual job. But if you hire a web design company to do the work it will get completed on time and to your satisfaction. It will be customized especially for your needs and you will get the best results. The bottom line is: A well designed, search engine friendly website improves your bottom line.

Fran Jeanes is an internet consultant for icontactwebdesign.com who writes about web design for the Charlotte NC web design company.

Do Web Designers Need to Understand the Search Engines?

All web development project should start with the the same basic premise:: you are building a website to be found online. Of course you want to look good and have people buy your products or services, but the primary goal should be a website where people can find you.

The best site is the world is not worth a lot if it can't be found online. A terrible-looking and functioning site that does well on Google is also sub-optimal.

A business should have the best of both worlds: a great-looking website that is found online. One without the other is like a car with four great tires and no engine.

Here is a simple way to find a web designer that can help you be found online.

Ask any prospective web design team to show you the last five websites they have designed from start to finish. If they haven't five completed sites, seriously consider someone else. Imagine hiring an auto repair person who has not done five tune-ups or brake jobs!

Then ask them to give you ten keywords they are targeting for people to find their own website. For example, it could be "web design Hawaii" or "online marketing specialist". If they don't have a list, they are amateurs and should not be trusted with your website. If you can't find them on Google, how are they going to help you be found?

Seeing what they can do for their clients is important. Likewise, seeing how well they can market their own business online will show you their skills. Any reputable web development company will, without hesitation, show you their most recent projects, and they should be willing to show qualified potential clients their own online marketing prowess.

Kona Impact has been provide Kona web design services to businesses since 2006. As leaders in design and marketing, we can help your business become successful.

Finding, Hiring and Working With the Perfect Website Designer

If you're ready to hire a Website designer and find yourself putting it off, it may be because you're not sure how to find the right Website designer or what questions to ask.

As a professional copywriter, marketing consultant and business owner myself, I've worked with many clients who either needed a Website upgrade or an entirely new site that created the right statement for their business.

However, many of these clients were absolutely stuck when it came to finding the right Website designer - for a number of reasons, such as:

• They didn't know where to look for a Website designer
• They didn't know what questions they should ask a Website designer
• They didn't know how to describe what they wanted their new Website to look like or do

Over time, in order to help my clients get past this barrier, I created a a list of questions - and hiring criteria - to use when interviewing Website designers. If you need to have your old site updated or a new Website designed, you may find it very useful as well...

Here is an overview of the steps involved:

• Step 1: What information to give the Website designer before the interview
• Step 2: Checking out the Website designer - what you need to look for, what questions to ask
• Step 3: Checking out references and the Web designer's business practices
• Step 4: Understanding the project scope

Step 1: What Information to Give the Website Designer

Before setting up an interview, there is some information you'll want to give the Website designer to help them prepare for the interview. (This actually saves you time, and cuts through a lot of fluff, because the designer can prepare information for you based on your needs and expectations, and best of all, at the end of the interview, you'll know whether or not they're a good fit for you and your Website. Here's a list of things you can provide them (use what makes sense for your company):

• A bio and backgrounder of your company
• Your current URL
• The reason you want your Website updated or created, and a list of your goals, and what you want your Website to accomplish
• A brief description of what you sell, and the steps a customer goes through to buy your products or services (or a list of the steps you want them to go through)

Obviously there is more the Website designer will need, but not until you've hired them and they've signed a confidentiality statement. This gives them enough information to be able to answer your questions - and their answers should let you know if they're the right Website designer for you.

Step 2: Checking out the Website Designer

What you want to know about the designer:

What is the designer's work experience? If you're choosing a local Website designer, set up a meeting to go over their portfolio. If they come to you, you'll need a computer with internet access, because the best way to view the designer's previous Websites is to look at them online.

If you're meeting with a designer over the phone, you'll still need the computer and internet access so they can direct you to the appropriate urls.

If the designer is sending you a CD of their portfolio, you'll want to go over it, and then set up a phone or chat interview to ask further questions.

Things to pay attention to: When you're looking at their portfolio, pay specific attention to the different types of sites they've designed for other clients. It doesn't matter if they have designed Websites for other companies like yours. What you want is someone who has designed different types of designs in different industries. This broad range of experience will serve you well, because they'll have the best understanding of the right type of site for you.

Look for specific features that catch your eye. Then look at the different elements each sample showcases. These may include: shopping cart, blog, online catalog, CRM, list building element, etc.

What types of sites does the designer build?

Next, look at whether it's a static or flash Website. (Static html Websites are becoming the dinosaurs of the Web, and except in certain cases, such a site may do your business more harm than good, by making it look old-fashioned, obsolete and, well, boring.)

Flash Websites have a professional and cutting-edge look and feel, and offer many benefits:

For example, they can:

• Result in the visitors spending more time on your site, and being subtly directed to the specific pages you want them to visit in the order you specify
• Be SEO optimized for your chosen keywords, resulting in more natural traffic from the search engines
• create excitement, interest and attention among visitors, because flash sites can be interactive.
• Build your brand by communicating your unique message effectively

Questions to ask the Website Designer:

1. What do you think are the most important elements I need on my Website to achieve my goals? Why?
2. Give me an example of a challenge you faced in designing a site similar to one you would build for me, and tell me how you solved it?
3. What will you do to help me achieve my goals in created a branded company image through my Website?
4. What will do you to help me achieve results in my marketing strategy?
5. Give me a brief overview of SEO strategies you will add to my Website.
6. May I have a list of at least 3 references from past clients please?

Step 3: Checking References and Business Practices of the Website Designer

This is a very important step and one that many entrepreneurs are uncomfortable with. But it's something that needs to be done. So just cowboy up, and do it. Ask the Website designer for a list of 3 past clients that you can check with.

The fastest way to check references is by phone. (And I'll give you the questions you can ask in just a minute.) The next best way is to send an email. Many people prefer this method, because it's less stressful - but be prepared, it might take longer to get a response, and you may not get one at all. Which does not necessarily mean there's something wrong with the Website designer. It could mean that because the reference doesn't know you, they delete your message, or it goes into their spam box or other filter, rather than their inbox. However, the choice of how to check references is up to you.

Reference checking script:

Hi, my name is (insert your name). I'm the (insert your title) of (insert your company name). I'm in the process of hiring a Website designer for my business, and I've been talking to (insert Website designer's name) of (insert Website designer's company name). He gave me your name as a reference and, if you could spare me about 5 minutes, I'd like to ask you five quick questions. (If they give you the go ahead, continue with these questions. If not, ask them if you could follow up with an email and ask them if they could respond within the next 48 hours so you can make your decision.)

1. Are you happy with the Website that (insert designer's name) built for you? (If they don't elaborate, it's okay to ask them, 'Why or why not')
2. Did (insert designer's name) meet their deadlines and communicate with you regularly throughout the process?
3. Has your Website helped you achieve your business and marketing goals?
4. Is there anything you'd do differently knowing what you know now?
5. Would you use (insert designer's name) again if you needed another site built?

Well, that's all the questions I have. Thank you very much for your time, you've been very helpful.

(end of script)

Once you've hired the perfect Website designer, it's time to get your project started. And that usually starts with what's called a 'project scope'.

Step 4: Understanding the Project Scope

Professional Website designers usually have a project scope that they'll send you when you're ready to get started. It will include a list of the information they need from you, such as:

• Graphics
• Background information
• Content or content requirements
• Color preferences
• List of elements you want
• Logo, tagline and other graphics specific to your brand
• Shopping cart or payment information
• Current company Website
• Information relating to your hosting company, etc.
• The Project Scope should also include information about:
• How and when the project will start
• Fees and payment schedule
• Project milestones
• Communication methods and schedule
• Follow up meeting or interview schedule
• Contact information
• What to do in case of a problem or if you want changes made
• Copyrights
• Confidentiality and use of confidential or proprietary information

It's always a good idea to have your attorney or other business advisor look over any legal or binding document before you sign it. And of course, if you have an questions or concerns, now's the time to bring them up with the Website designer. The project scope will help keep your project moving forward and keep it on track.

There you have it! Everything you need to know to find, hire and work with the right Website designer for your next Website.

Looking for more resources like this one to help you build a successful business? Check out my Website at http://www.cherylantier.com to get lots more free tips, checklists and resources! Free 30 minute consultation if you qualify.