Wednesday, November 28, 2012

WordPress Vs Static Sites

Building a website should always start with a simple question - what do you want to do with it? This question will inform everything else you want to do, so it should be carefully considered. When asking this question, you may also want to figure out whether you would be better served by a static site or a WordPress site.

Static Sites: The Traditional Answer

To be perfectly honest, there is nothing wrong with using a static HTML site. In fact, it is still the way that most sites are built. If you use this traditional option, you will certainly not have to learn anything new - if you have kept up with web design for the last five years, you already know everything that you need to do. These sites are also quite useful for those who want to merely clone a site or use a script to create a new site, a process which can be done far more easily than with WordPress.

Of course, this sort of site creation is not quite as easy as WordPress. WordPress is often easier to use, and does help you to keep your bits and pieces together more efficiently. If you are looking for a site that will be easier to change around for SEO purposes, you might want to avoid static sites - there are simply better alternatives available today.

WordPress Sites: The New Toys

WordPress is perhaps the most popular content management system available today, and it is the backbone of most popular blogs. This handy set of tools makes it easier than ever to customize or edit a site, and the countless plug-ins and tools available can make web management far more easy than it has ever been in the past.

WordPress is far from perfect, though. It tends to require a great deal of room, making it more difficult to host multiple WordPress sites than it is to host multiple traditional sites. It can also be difficult to learn - you can always hunt down one of the dozens of guides on the internet, but those who are used to traditional sites will have to do a great deal of work to catch up.

At the end of the day, both types of sites work quite well. If you want something that is easy and comfortable, you probably want to choose a static site. If you want to use something with a bit more versatility, though, WordPress is the best choice. If you take your time and think about your needs, your choice should be easy.

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Your Company Needs An Online Presence To Thrive

To make it in today's competitive business world, your company needs a website. Customers have come to expect an online presence where they can look for more information, products, and discounts. Making a site for your business is a little more involved than making a personal site. It has to make a good impression or it will cast your business in a bad light.

Small business web design in a job best left to professionals. There are many things to take into consideration. Your site has to look professional and be easy to navigate. It should have the ability to sell products and services directly to your customers. You also want your site to collect email addresses so you can stay in touch with your site visitors and send them special offers and inform them of sales and new products.

All of those features require complex coding. You will need a shopping cart and a form for capturing data. They have to work properly 100% of the time or you will lose out on business. It is fairly easy for individuals to create blogs and Facebook pages. Those are easy to maintain as well and play a role in your online marketing campaign.

Nothing can totally replace a website though when it comes to establishing an online presence. Even a small site with just your contact information is better than nothing at all. Of course, the type of site you need will depend entirely upon what function you want it to perform. Will you be selling numerous products from your site, or will you merely be posting information for your customers?

A professional web designer is very helpful in your decision to create a site for your company. He can advise on the best type of site for your business. He will also be abreast of the latest trends in web design and online marketing. Having a reputable professional at your side can mean the difference between success and failure for your website.

Remember, that once your site is built and accessible online, you have to drive traffic to it. That is where blogging and social media come into play. Driving traffic to a new site isn't always an easy thing to do, but it can bring new customers to your door. Having an online presence isn't just about obtaining new customers though. It is also about building relationships with existing customers so they return to you and buy again.

Small business web design may need a professional to bring together all the technical details, but ultimately, your online site should reflect the values of your brick and mortar store. Providing good customer service and offering good deals will keep your customers happy and have them complimenting you through various social media outlets.

The world of business has changed considerably now that the internet and social media plays a significant role. Word-of-mouth advertising has been taken to a whole new level. You can use these new tools to your advantage by using good business sense and keeping up with the latest technologies.

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The Three Concepts Behind Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design (RWD) is one of today's practical solutions on website development. The term responsive pertains to the ability of this web design to be flexibly viewed on most Internet capable devices. The programming codes behind it allows responsive design to adapt to the screen size and resolution of any computer platform such as desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet computers, smart phones and other mobile devices.

There are many difference in the programming language used on designing a responsive website. The traditional use of pixels, for example, is replaced by percentages and "em" when resizing graphics. Interface design of a responsive site automatically refits and aligns the user's display according to the device's screen size and resolution.

The functionality behind responsive web design can be attributed to three web design concept: fluid grids, flexible images and media queries. These three determines the final output of a particular website design when viewed on different devices.

Fluid Grids

Grids are defined as a set of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines creating enclosed square areas of uniform sizes. The idea behind grids is they can be used to layout a webpage placing content s such as texts, images, videos, logos, banners, etc. according to importance and sought overall design. Fluidity among the website's grids means it can adopt the overall design according to the gadget's screen size.

A desktop computer running on a 16 unit grid can fully view a web page because of its larger screen size, while a tablet computer may have an eight unit grid. When viewing a particular website on both devices, it does not necessarily equate that all contents from the desktop version are resized to the tablet version simply by dividing its measurement by two.

Fluid grids reshape the website design by optimizing the use of spaces and the minimalist concept, which primarily displays only the necessary elements of the website. Contents and elements of second importance are loaded later should the user opt to view them.

Flexible Images

Images can be resized passively through the use of responsive web design. To make an image flexible programmers use units different from pixels such as "em" or through percentages. Some of the responsive techniques employ the use of resizing the image without breaking its length-width ratio.

However, there are also responsive techniques that resize the picture through cropping where only a part of the original image is seen. Cropping is normally done when a website primarily designed for a desktop is made responsive through a smaller screened device such as mobile phones.

Remember, the concept of grids? Usually images resize themselves according to them in responsive web design.

Media Queries

Cascading style sheet (CSS) has a media dependent support called media queries. What this support feature does is verify the media type or gadget while gathering limits to one expression such as height, width, and colour.

Media queries helps in the reshaping of the website design in terms of spacing, layout, and other conditions on the present platform. Data from these inquiries help the programming language optimize view-ability of the web pages.

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Web Design, Websites and Starting Your Own Business

Making money online is a dream for many people. With the way that the economy has taken a turn for the worst, many people are scrambling to find ways to stay employed. Over the last few years, companies have steadily downsized their employees, which means that people are looking for other employment. This is why working online has gained popularity. For some it is their only form of income.

There are many different ways to make a living online. It does not matter if you are an affiliate marketer or a freelance writer. You will need a website or webpage in order to do business. Unfortunately, this scares many people. They do not know the first thing about building a website. However, this should never deter you from creating an online presence. Years ago it might have been difficult to start your own business and create a website. However this is not the case anymore.

There are many different places where you can create a website and be up and running in a matter of minutes. If money is a problem for you, then don't worry. There are many free options as well. Blogger is a free blogging system that Google absolutely loves. Setting up a Blogger blog is very easy and can be done in a matter of minutes. There are other websites such as HubPages and Squidoo that will allow you to create webpages on any subject that you like. This is a great option for the person who has something to say, but doesn't want to devote an entire blog to it.

These are all good free options for starting your own webpage or website. However, please be advised that you will never own a blog or webpage that is free. These types of blogs are owned and hosted by another company or person. Unfortunately, if you do anything that goes against their terms and conditions, your free blog can be taken down immediately.

However, if you want to start out with your own domain, then WordPress is probably the right option for you. This blog would be owned and hosted by you. As long as you pay the monthly hosting fee and don't let the domain expire, it will be yours forever. It is very user friendly and has plenty of plug-ins that are helpful for getting you online and found by the major search engines. Getting a WordPress blog is normally the first step that affiliate marketers will take when they want their own hosted blog. There are many different templates that you can use to customize your blog. There are even plenty of companies that are always developing new themes for you to choose from.

However, there are still those who want to have their own unique website. They eventually hire someone who specializes in web design in order to get a customized design that no one else has. There are many companies that offer small business web design services. Maybe this is the route that you want to take.

All in all, the online world is very lucrative and appealing. It is a very good source of income for a lot of marketers. All you have to do is find a product and start selling. But, first pick out the type of website or webpage that works best for you. You have the option of free resources or paid. The choice is all up to you.

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Web Design for Tradies

With more people relying on the internet to find information on local businesses, there is an important on having a professional web design on the different websites for tradies. Professionals in any industry will need to offer potential customers a method to review their business and to fully understand what types of services they offer. No matter if you are a handyman, mechanic or any other professional that focuses on a single trade you need to pay close attention to your website.

The layout of the websites for tradies doesn't have to be too complicated. However, they do have some essentials that need to be offered to ensure that consumers have all their questions answered, so you can boost sales and to be a step above your competition.

This begins with the home page that customers land on. It will be on this page that you need to pique the interest of your customer and to encourage them to look over the website. The web design should be clean and to the point, without having large blocks of text to read. Links to additional pages should be easy to find and there should be a logical approach to finding the information a customer needs.

On one of these links, you will need to have the products and services you offer. It will be important to give information on the services that you are qualified to do. In addition to the main jobs you can do, you should suggest that you can do more and encourage a customer to take a moment to contact you through your contact page.

Another important section on your website will be the about us page. On this page, you are going to give an overview of your experience and your years in business. It will be vital that you list any certifications, licenses and other items help you to stand out in your industry. This is a place where you sell your business, while giving potential customers an idea of who they will be working with. If you have a guarantee on your work, this is a great place to list it.

If possible, you should have reviews, testimonials from satisfied clients and even photographs of your projects listed. This will help to give potential customers some information on how you run your business and a general idea of the experiences they can have with you. You can also allow for customers to come in and add in their own experience in this section when their job is finished.

One other area you will want to ensure that your web design has will be a frequently asked questions section. Here, you can provide information on items you are asked about regularly in phone calls. You can also offer some resources that people can use to help them with projects they are working on.

Every professional tradesperson should have a quality website that helps to boost their business. If you aren't sure where to begin, you may want to speak with a professional web design company to get you started.

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Things to Know While Finding a Good Graphic Designer

It is quite easy to find a graphic these days. Today, entrepreneurs have a large pool of graphic design talents to choose from. However, before making a final decision, there are a few important tips that could help you find just the right designer.

When graphic designers set out to deliver to their clients, they should be capable of placing themselves in the shoes of the clients' target audience. There are four important aspects of a design that good graphic should be able to look at, through the audience's perspective.

1. Is the image inspiring?

2. Is it captivating?

3. Is it motivational?

4. Is the text easy to read?

These are four questions that should be answered before converting the idea into a real design.

When designing, a graphicshould keep the client's current brand image in mind. Sometimes web come up with designs that may just be short of a masterpiece but fail to merge with the client's brand image. This shift in the client's brand image could dent the image rather than promoting it. Experts suggest that reviewing a graphic designer's portfolio prior to hiring them for a project will help in avoiding such common pitfalls. It is always safe and a good approach for the client to ask for a sample design from the prospective designer in order to assess the designer's capabilities and talent. As an example, in a case where the client wants to have a office furniture brochure designed, the client should ask for a sample office furniture brochure design to assess whether the designer has any previous experience.

References are another way to confirm as capabilities. If a designer refuses to provide verifiable references with respect to his or her past work, it is always better to look for another designer who can provide a reference.

Few more tips related to choosing the right designer based on the inputs from the latest news are listed below:

1. Crisp, Clear Photography

The photography used in the graphic design should be crystal clear and should contain crisp images. Blurs, pixelization, over-exposure should not be present in the photographs.

2. Unique, Original Pictures

Borrowing or stealing photos to be used in harms the image of the company. Entrepreneurs are always advised against using such methods as it could lead to copyright infringement. All images used in a brochure, website or an advertisement should be unique and original. The pictures used should set an individual or a company apart from the rest.

3. Avoiding Clip-Arts

The usage of clip-arts in graphic design for newsletters or fliers should be minimal. Excessive clip-arts make it difficult for people to focus on the text. Clip-arts if used in a graphic design should always gel with the text and not make the design look mixed up.

4. Relevant Usage of Pictures

The photography used in a graphic design should always represent the primary message of a product or service. In addition, the colors that make up the photos should complement the overall colors and theme used in the design.

A few final words

Finding a good graphic designer or a good design need not be rocket science. Remembering these few points while selecting a good graphic designer can help you find the right person to design for you. It will also help you save time and money. However, it is also important that you pay attention to the process and the time needed to find the right designer. This little investment of time can be the difference between a bad or ordinary design and a high quality professional website design.

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How Web Designers Can Put Together The "Perfect" Portfolio

When it comes to garnering clients, a portfolio really is a web designer's best friend. Whilst there is no 'right way' to put a portfolio together and the 'perfect' portfolio will differ from person to person, there are a number of tips and pieces of advice that we can offer you to ensure that your portfolio is as good as it could possibly be, hopefully helping you to attract more clients and to ensure a long and successful career.

Your profession: A web designer's portfolio should not only be highly attractive and unique, it should incorporate user-friendly navigation and readable text. Not only will this ensure that potential clients can browse your portfolio, it will show them the kinds of elements that they will be looking to achieve in their own projects. Your goal: You must also begin to think about the overall goal of your portfolio. Are you trying to land a full-time job at a design company or are you after some freelance work? Are you trying to get into a design school to further your education or are you trying to attract new clients? Each of these goals will require very different things from your portfolio.

Whilst it may seem fairly obvious, you should only use your portfolio to show off your best work. New web designers are tempted to include every single piece of work that they've ever worked on, even if they aren't overly happy with the finished product, just to show that they have plenty of experience. This is where the saying 'quality over quantity' really rings true, as shown by the following stages of portfolio creation.

Start from scratch: Once you complete a project and are considering whether to put it in your portfolio or not, you must ask yourself whether you think that the work is good and whether it accurately represents your level of skill. Established portfolio: When web designers have been in the business for a number of years, updating their portfolios becomes difficult. You need to review the work you currently have on display and take out anything that no longer embodies you.

Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast way for web designers to build a portfolio and keep it looking fantastic. This is an ongoing process and one that you will need to alter as the need arises, such as the addition of new services or skills for example. When screening your work to determine which you will put on display and which you will leave on the cutting room floor, remember to only include projects that you are proud of.

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The Art of Web Design

Web design is a rather tall order these days. If you remember web design in the 90's, then you were probably quite good at it. The design process was simplistic, and it did not take long to build a quality website. The definition of quality back then was debatable, but it was still an amazing undertaking. Today however there are more things to think about when working on websites for tradies. For example, will you be relying on graphics? Will you use CSS? What about PHP? Will you be creating a login interface? These are all things you need to consider, but first you should ask some obvious questions.

Where Will you Host? -- Before you can work on your web design, it would be a good idea to have a host in mind. There are a number of different hosts available of course, and you should make sure the host in question supports the format you will be using. Most web hosts support all formats and plugins, but some charge more than others.

Website Flow -- One of the biggest mistakes people make in web design is that of creating a website that simply does not flow. When you make your website, you should have others test it out. While it might look good to you, it might be ridiculous for others. That is just something to think about.

Lightweight Components -- Something that many people do not consider is the weight of the website. Yes, computers are more powerful, and the internet is faster, but when you are working with web design, you still have one major goal: to make your website as small as possible. The larger your website is, the longer it will take to load, and many people will simply move on to your competitor if they find that your website takes too long to appear. It might sound a bit harsh, but we are living in a world where timing is everything.

While you could try to work on your own web design, it would likely be in your best interest to seek out a web design company that will take care of the heavy lifting for you. Even though you might have the necessary experience to create a stellar site, you will find that owning the company in question gives you a blurred perspective. The things that you might find to be acceptable may be anything but acceptable on the internet. In addition to that, where will you find the time to create a website when you are running a business? Short answer: you won't. That being said, there are plenty of web design companies out there who will not only create a website based on your needs, but also help you to find a good web host. These are technical considerations that you should really never have to touch.

Will it be expensive to hire a web design company? It could cost you quite a bit, yes, but as we said before, it is better to have a fresh perspective when you are working on creating a company. Now would definitely be a great time to start seeking out a website developer that will get you to the finish line, and give your website the functionality it really needs.

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Get Noticed on the World Wide Web

The world wide web has developed into a real jungle and finding new cool websites has become increasingly harder. If you own a website yourself, you'll know that getting noticed is also getting harder and at some point you may scratch your head and wonder if there is anything you can do to become more popular.

The good news is that there most certainly is! Below I have listed 5 points that you can use to build up your websites popularity and increase your online visibility.

Web Hosting

The first point is aimed mainly at those of you who don't yet have their own website but are very keen to build one. After you have selected your websites URL you will need to choose a web hosting package. There are many different packages to choose from and they will cover a wide range of specifications. Outline exactly what it is that you will require from your website. Choose a host that will enable you to have a professional looking website up and running in minimal time. A reliable and well-maintained hosting service is imperative if you want to grow your presence on the web and become popular amongst website users.

Finding a compatible host though is often easier said than done. The website hosting industry has grown and grown over the years and the different hosting packages on offer can have you scratching your head. Seek out a hosting company that has a good reputation and a long history in the business. Visit their website and read references and appraisals. If the site doesn't have any, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Does the hosting company offer 24/7 support? Have they got a support ticket system that is free to use? Make sure they don't have an expensive premium-rate telephone number for service calls, this could prove very costly over the length of time that you use them. Choose a hosting company that has an easy to understand series of plans that makes sense, even to a novice.

Website Optimisation

Having a cool website is all very well and good, but if you do not rank highly in search engines results pages (SERPs) then no one will know you are there and your plans of a successful website will quickly evaporate. To make sure you get noticed in all the major search engines, you will have to carry out some search engine optimisation (SEO) on your website. SEO covers a vast number of elements and someone new to the subject can be easily intimidated, but with a little time and effort you'll soon start to see the benefits as your website becomes more prominent in SERPs.

When beginning with SEO for your website it is important to identify relevant keywords and always bear your visitors in mind when you are writing the content for it. Keyword density is an important element in SEO and when done correctly can reap huge rewards.

Another important consideration with search engine optimisation is back links, these are links from other peoples websites pointing to yours. Search engines consider these links as votes and the more votes you have the more popular your site is deemed to be. Back linking must be seen as being natural so spend a little time engaging with websites that are relevant to yours and guest blog or comment. If you have something worthwhile and interesting to say, you will soon build up a nice portfolio of incoming links from like-minded users who want to share what you have to say.

Social Networking is Here to Stay

Despite search engine optimisation being a major factor with your site's optimisation, you shouldn't stop there. Social media is fast becoming just as important and has developed into a very powerful online marketing medium. A social media strategy should include the following; make sure the content on your website or blog is relevant to your core subject and up to date. Visit websites that share a common interest and join in the conversation by leaving forum and blog comments; don't be afraid to share your knowledge and opinions. Make full use of Facebook and Twitter and provoke debate; give users a reason to re-visit your website.

Get Involved - It's good to talk

Making visitors to your website feel involved is a sure-fire way to ensure repeated visits, write your content from a personal point of view and pose questions that users will want to answer. Holding competitions is an effective way to get people talking about your site; the prize doesn't have to be spectacular as most people like to compete regardless of the award.

Everyone likes to air their views, so give visitors the opportunity to do so. Your online conversations could go viral and be picked up by local media or even better.

Usability is Key

Spending a little time to think out your websites design will reap huge benefits and should not be underestimated. A well designed website that is easy to navigate will instil trust from your users and encourage re-visits. Before you put the site live invite friends and family to test it and take note of their views. Do some research by visiting other websites and compile a list of good and bad points regarding aesthetics and usability. A badly performing website will deter re-visits and leave you out in the cold.

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Things That Make a Website Look Professional

For businesses looking for websites there are a number of criteria that must be met. Of course the website needs to be fit for purpose and it needs to actually be successful in converting visitors into buyers/clients. Of course it also needs to work on a variety of devices and not inadvertently be ruling out any large portion of the market by failing to load on specific devices. But before all of this it also needs to quite simply look and feel professional so that visitors feel like they're on a website that's owned by a serious and capable business and not one that's a botch job made by some kids.

This is why many people will use web design services in order to create their websites and why we often look at getting outside help also on creating the images etc. But what precisely is it that sets a good website apart from one that looks unprofessional? Here we will look at a few important areas.

Images

The images are something that often make a website look either very professional or very unprofessional. While there are various factors at play here, one of the most basic and important points is that your images should be high definition and they should look crisp and large. If they look fuzzy it will make your site seem outdated or just amateurish.

At the same time the nature of the images affects how professional your site looks, and essentially it's crucial to make sure that your images look specially made for your site, and that they involve professional looking people.

Colours

Certain colour schemes feel professional, others do not. As a general rule more serious and muted colours are the ones that will attract a business audience and this means using navy blues, blacks and whites rather than pinks and baby blues. Look at the documents you use in your office and think about how you are going to mimic that.

Layout

It's hard to put your finger on what it is about the layout itself that makes a site professional or otherwise, but there certainly is some correlation between the precise positioning of items and how professional the design appears. Make sure you don't have areas of your site that look too empty, and at the same time make sure that it doesn't look crowded or over complicated. Don' design a page yourself if it means it's just going to be a block of text.

Code

The coding of a website betrays how tech savvy the team behind it were. For instance, do visited links look purple still? Or are there flashy features like flash animations and drop down menus? Too much of the latter can be distracting, but in the right quantities it can show off that a professional team with real coding knowledge was behind the site which makes the site seem a lot more impressive as a result.

Font

And finally the font needs to be correct, so make sure that you choose a good one that's easy to read but that also has an air of professionalism about it.

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Landing Page Design: 3 Rules You Must Follow

Landing page design is hugely important in the post panda, penguin or whatever animal Google comes up with next, era! Any online business must think carefully about the first experience a user has when they have their very first interaction with you, usually through a landing page. Just to clarify.

A landing page is a page a visitor lands on (hence the name) when they first visit your website. This might be from a Pay per click advert, perhaps a banner, maybe an article you have written. It must fulfil the promise for the visitor of what they are expecting. This is often where online business owners start to make mistakes. So what are 3 golden rules to follow?

1. Design

Your website visitors are more discerning than ever before. The days of poorly designed websites are long gone. In fact latest data suggests that the better your design is the longer your visitor will stay on the page. Let's say you have a website selling Clothes for young girls. Something pink and feminine would be the order of the day. Not something black and gothic. An outrageous example maybe. Yet the subtlety of this seems to escape many designers. Think of the average age, and spending power of your market. What colours and design are appropriate? Make it appropriate to what you want to convey so that it gives a great user experience.

2. Content and A Call To Action

You need content on your landing page and content that is relevant to what the searcher is looking for. If I Google dog collars, I want to see information about dog collars on that page. Not dog leads or dog crates. Subtle I know and yet it will make all the difference to the user experience. The best formats usually start with a good headline with the keyword included. This can then be followed by a paragraph that gives the user information that they are looking for. You can then summarise these with some nice easy to read bullet points. Finally the all important part which is having an appropriate call to action. You must ask your visitor to do something. This could be ring to place an order. Sign up for our free recipes. Or any combination of these that moves your potential new customer forward.

3. Page Navigation

Every landing page you send visitors to must also have access to all your other legal pages that prove to your website visitor that you are an ethical company that adheres to the latest internet rules and regulations. Your navigation needs to be obvious and yet at the same time subtle. This is pretty easy to achieve with the many different pieces of website software available, specifically landing page software which makes it easy to create pages that enhance your visitor experience.

In summary. Decide the outcome of your landing page. Is it to get a customer to buy, pick up the phone and call or join your database?

Next make sure your design is appropriate for the job in hand. Think colours and style that align with your market and your offer.

Make sure your content provides value and is all about what your customer is looking for. Finally make sure you are compliant. Have all the appropriate navigation links visible for your visitors to explore further.

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How to Build a Website From Scratch? Choose the Option That Suits You Best

If you'd like to learn how to build a website from scratch you basically have 2 options. The 1st is to make the design, write the code yourself and make an absolutely customized web site using html coding. The second choice is to go with a free and easy program like WordPress that allows you to make a website fast and easily.

Option one - Html code

This can sound like the perfect choice since you will be able to do whatever you want with your website but I would not suggest it unless you're counting on opening a web design company where you will provide these services professionally. Here is why. You are about to spend a serious quantity of time and possibly money, learning html code and multiple programs like Photoshop & Dreamweaver. On average, learning html code to be able to create your own website will take you about three months.

As you can clearly see, if you're not intending to make a living from website design and since you want to create a complicated website, you'd better hire someone to do this work for you. The money and the time you would invest would far surpass the price of having a site expertly designed and made. It's possible to get a good website designed for about $1000 - $1500.

Option two - Use a free website builder like WordPress

WordPress is actually the right way to go if you do not have coding and design abilities. It's an absolutely free website builder to use and I've seen some lovely sites made with it. You can make a very good and attractive website in about two hours!

Even if you're new and have no experience, you need just to spend a few hours to learn the basics. In the official Wordpress website you will be able to find answers to every question you may have while trying to create your own website.

Requirements to use Wordpress

1. Domain name

You need to have your own domain name to be able to install Wordpress on it. For example buildwebsiteguide.com is a domain name. Domain name is your internet address where you will be able to upload the content of your website. You can purchase your domain name from a company named "Registrar" There are lots of companies you can find online. On average a domain name with an ending.com costs about 6-10 US dollars.

2. Hosting account

Since you want to create a website with Wordpress, you need to have your own hosting account. That means that you need to rent a space to a server from where the files of your website will go online. A monthly hosting fee is about 4-10 US dollars.

3. Wordpress Installation

Most hosting companies offer a very easy to use one click Wordpress installation. That means that you can install the free Wordpress platform through your hosting company with just a few clicks.

4. Learning Wordpress

Since you are about to create a website with Wordpress, you need to spend a few hours to learn how this website builder works. It's not at all difficult! You just need to follow a good guidance. Visiting this website, you will find a very easy to use step by step guide ton how to create a website with Wordpress

5. Install a Wordpress theme

There are some very good and attractive designs related to the website you are about to create and these are ready to use! These are called Wordpress themes. What's also pleasant about WordPress is you can flick through hundreds or potentially thousands of available free themes (related to the topic of your website) to install with a simple click, where you can select the look of your site immediately and change it at any point. There are both free and paid Wordpress themes

6. Add content to your website

Since you know how to build your website with Wordpress, you now start adding content to your website. Make your homepage, add your posts, pages and videos etc. Make it attractive! It's easy! Whenever you have problems in adding content to your Wordpress website, simply make a good Google research and it is sure, that you will find the answer to your problem.

In conclusion, nowadays, since not many people have the available free time to learn html code, and since you don't need a very complicated website, it will be very easy for you to create your website with Wordpress. Of course, you may face some limitations if you want something more complicated. Then you need to study html!

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Tips for Getting Maximum Benefits From Your Business Website

If you are in business such as a shop, restaurant and other small business like this than a good website can limelight your services and it is also a very effective way to bring customers at your door. But before going for marketing of your website you need to be careful about design and layout of your website. You need to do your website design according to your business nature. Here I am describing some tips which may be useful to get maximum from your online business.

1. Always choose user friendly design and functionalities - If you are going to choose a design it may be possible that you should carried away with animated features and graphics and other things. These are the good things as far as design is concern but you need to choose those designs which are simple and silky. If you will go for more picture and animated things, it may be possible that the page loading time will be increased. And it is not a good sign for any website. So always prefer for good silky design.

2. Create a video (showcase) of your products and offers - We all know that video or showcase can easily understandable by anyone, so it is the best way to announce your offers. Your website is the best platform to display such type of things. You can easily describe things with the help of a video. Let us take an example for better understanding. If you owe the business of a restaurant than you have to display the menu online. So if you are going to display it with the help of video you can display the complete picture like mouth-watering pictures of your dishes. It is applicable for any type of business. So, go for it. It will definitely help your business a lot.

3. Provide a contact and address details page - This is the basic things which you need to do. In current scenario you can find may site which do not have this page. So if a person likes your product then where he will contact. So it is basic as well as most important part of a website. If your main purpose to bring business from your site than you need to put your information so that one can make a call to you if required or sent you the mail so that he can know more about your product and services.

4. Keep necessary and important items on the top bar - If you are offering anything about your services or products you need to put it before scroll. It is also most important thing as far as user point of few is concerned. Some people do not want to scroll more, so if you put such type of thing after the fold, it will be waste of time as well as money. So highlights all your offers and best products. It will make your conversion of business better.

5. If possible, create a mobile version of your site - Modern age is the age of mobile and iPod. So, if possible, you can create a mobile version of your respective site so that you get more and more customer. It will be the boost for your business.

Factors To Be Incorporated By A Website Design Company   Growing Usage of Mobile Application Development Services   Websites Are Effective Marketing Tools For Tradesmen   Get Your Best Web Site Design for Small Business   Designing a Mobile Website: What To Consider   

Why Do I Need a Web Designer?

There's no denying it, there are a lot of ways to make a website without hiring a professional. You can do it yourself using an online site building service, you can install site building software like Dreamweaver, or you can find a tech savvy friend to do it for cheap or maybe even for free. Why then, with all of these options, would a business consider hiring a professional website designer? One of the top priorities of any business is to move potential customers in the direction of knowing and trusting you right from the start. Your website is often the first interaction customers have with your business and it's one of the most powerful tools available for reaching potential customers. Yet so many business owners never realize the benefits of getting professional help with their website.

In this article I will offer my top 3 reasons to consider hiring a professional web designer, I'll explore why so many businesses choose not to hire one, and I'll tell you how you can benefit from this cosmic twist of fate.

Top 3 Reasons to consider hiring a professional web designer

1. Return on investment

I put this reason at the top of the list because I think very often these are the types of questions first in a business owner's mind when they consider hiring a professional for anything, not just web design. "How much will this cost? How long will it take? Can I save money by doing it myself or by finding the cheapest option?" Most people see a website as nothing more than a sign or business card on the internet, they pay someone to put it up and the job's done. So it seems to make sense that if you can put the sign up yourself or get it done super cheap, so much the better right? Wrong! Your website is your gateway to reaching more potential customers than you could any other way (without a big budget). The internet is the most powerful marketing tool there is for businesses of any size.

It allows you to create a dialogue with your customers and engage with them on a more personal level. Your website can build you an audience of people that want to hear from you! Your website is not just a sales soliloquy that you hastily post on the internet. You don't want to just throw it together, throw it up when you think it's finished, throw your hands up, and hope for the best. Yet most small businesses do just that. If you build your website yourself, the bottom line is that you will most likely spend far more time with far fewer results than if you hired a professional. Most people don't realize just how much work it takes to get an effective business website from concept and planning to running, looking good, and performing well on PCs, Macs, mobile devices, and the plethora of web browsers that run on each of them.

The point is, it takes time to build a website, even if you're using the most amazing online site builder ever made, it's going to take time. There are only so many hours in a day and as a business owner, you want to be doing what you do best, not making websites. Wouldn't you be much better off spending time working on your business than on learning a skill you will rarely use? An investment in your website is an investment in your business. Don't short yourself.

2. It's not just a website, it's your business! - SEO and Social Networks

Building an effective online presence goes far beyond just building a website. Good quality content that helps someone in some way is by far the best way to reach more people, increase traffic, and grow your business. Your information must also be easy to find ( SEO ) and you've got to have a presence on social networking sites if you want to stay in touch with today's market. All of this takes time and if you build your website all by yourself, you're in for some long hours at the computer. If you don't do it, your most important customers may never find you. A business website is not just about a stylish design and adding some meta keywords for the search engines anymore. Google hasn't used meta keywords for years and search engines are continuously advancing in their ability to find websites with good, useful, relevant content. Any professional web designer worth their salt will have a solid working knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) and how to lay your website out in a clear and concise way that's easy to read for both people and search engines. SEO is an entire field of information in itself and if you build your website yourself, you'll most likely spend enough time getting your site online without having to learn SEO and all of its intricate, "money making" secrets.

If instead you hire the cheapest web designer you can find, you're likely to get nothing more than a website and an "all in one" SEO plugin or some other quick solution. Social networking is another aspect of web design that cannot be ignored. So you've made a website, but is it connected to your social networking sites? Have you setup your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages to match the style and information on your business website? If you want to have a consistent, professional brand online, your social networking profiles should look sharp and consistent. It can take hours to go in and setup profiles on multiple social websites each with pictures, videos, and other information to fill in. Hours you could be spending on more important things, like running your business. The point is it's not just your website, it's your whole business and what people are saying about it online! Invest accordingly.

3. Branding

Making a good first impression is a critical factor to success and your website is often the first interaction between a potential customer and your business. If even the smallest thing about your website is off, missing, or poorly executed, you may be creating a bad first impression and driving away potential customers. Even if your website works great, if it's not easy to grasp quickly, your potential customers may get confused and leave. If your site is not optimized to be found in search engines, they may never even know you exist. These days consumers are more tech savvy than ever. If you skimp on your website, people will be able to tell. Some may not know why they don't like your website, but they'll leave and go looking for your competition just the same. How do you think a cheap website will reflect on your brand? Would you take a business seriously if their website was built using an online site builder or if it looked hastily thrown together? If you want to make a good impression, make the commitment to invest in a quality, professional web design and give your potential customers something to be excited about!

The Trouble with Web Designers

With all of these awesome reasons to hire a web designer why do so many businesses decide not to do it? The trouble with web designers is that most of them are just web designers. They're techie people, they're not marketing people. They've never worked in a sales and marketing environment and easily become preoccupied with the technical aspects of building a website rather than keeping an eye on the overall goals and needs of the business owner. Your average web designer believes the selling is up to you and their job is simply to produce a website. The result is that many small businesses that don't have time to learn the intricacies of web design are easily lured in by the unfeasibly low rates of average web designers. The designer builds them a website that looks great stylistically, but it acts as little more than a sign on the internet waiting for random passersby to see it. This ends up re-enforcing the belief that a website isn't all that important and leaves business owners with a false impression of what a website can really do for them.

How you can benefit

The good news is that the majority of your competition will simply go for the bargain and leave it at that. They will hire an average web designer or build their website themselves. They will inevitably suffer the same dismal results as everyone else who fails to realize the value of an effective website design. Very few of your competitors will be willing to invest what is necessary for success. If you do, you can win. This does not mean you need to have a huge budget and hire a big design team to succeed. It just means that if you're willing to go beyond the norm and invest in a professional web design, you'll be well ahead of the game.

Conclusion

Most of my web design clients had already tried building their own websites or paid bottom dollar for a designer before coming to me. Some of them had invested hours and thousands of dollars in their sites, but all of them eventually realized the point that I'm making to you now. When it comes to your business website, it's well worth it to hire a professional.

If you'd to work with me on your next web design project, check out my website to learn more about my services.

Do you think it's worth it to hire a professional web designer? Have you hired one? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!

Factors To Be Incorporated By A Website Design Company   Growing Usage of Mobile Application Development Services   Websites Are Effective Marketing Tools For Tradesmen   Get Your Best Web Site Design for Small Business   Designing a Mobile Website: What To Consider   

Web Designing Companies Can Help You Get The Perfect Business Website

Web designing is basically about developing web pages, websites and web applications. It is the tool used to develop the internet supported intermediate, which can be used by business firms to promote their business, or to market their products to the customers. Web designing is more than twenty years old as of now, and over the time it has got quite advanced with the inclusion of more advanced markup language of web designing. Today, it stands as a more complex and alterable composition. Simply from being a desktop supported, nowadays, the website required to be mobile supported as well. Hyperlinks are not just enough there must web apps integrated into a website, likewise starting from the basic coding to the user interface, everything about a website and its designing has got changed.

With the return of web designing, lots of new tools and technology of designing have got introduced as the market demand looks for the finest looking website at affordable rates. This demand has managed to ooze out only because there exists a source to full fill the demand, and this source is nothing else but a good web designing company. This implies that how important it is to choose a good web development company. To get hold of the same, first of all it is important to check the quality of the services offered by the company. The quality of the services is of absolute importance and it doesn't matter much whether the company is big or small. If the company is committed to the customers and meets the specific requirements of the clients then it is fine enough to be relied upon.

How to get associated with a good Web Designing Company

Current market witnessed a mushroom growth of web designing companies and selecting the best among them is a difficult task. Taking the cue, this article points out a few points that one should consider before making the selection, the points are as follows:

• Reputation of the Company, • Services portfolio

One should opt for the services of such a company that can provide the customers a wide range of options like link building, conversion optimization, social media, content development, email marketing, branding, advertising and other SEO services. Apart from these, there are a few more points that one must keep into consideration, check list follows:

• Ranking of the company on Google page • Variety of services offered by the company • Deliverance of E-commerce website design system • Certification by Google • Programming, Technical, Online and Customer Support of the company • Cost packages • Commitment to timely delivery • Experience in designing websites • Provision for customized design solutions

A professional web development company will definitely help you to get hold of a secured and an ideal website for your Company. However, for that it's important to hire a good web designing company, which may require a little bit of searching but that's worth doing.

Factors To Be Incorporated By A Website Design Company   Growing Usage of Mobile Application Development Services   Websites Are Effective Marketing Tools For Tradesmen   Get Your Best Web Site Design for Small Business   

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