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.

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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!