Saturday, April 24, 2010

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

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

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!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

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.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

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.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

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.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

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.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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.