Category: Online Advertising

The actual work on web design Santee should start after thorough planning. You cannot just get up one morning, open a website builder and start creating your business website. A lot of planning goes into the creation of a great website. In this post, we shall be looking at the important decisions you need to make before you start designing or redesigning your website.

Determine the sales strategy
Long before you start shopping around for a great web designer Santee, you need to determine how your new website should support your business sales efforts. Do you need a website where you can sell your products or services online or simply a marketing platform to direct traffic to your business? You must be sure if you need a website that generates leads or one that sells products/services.

Set a budget
How you want your website to support your sales efforts is what will determine the amount of money you will have to invest. When setting a budget for your new website, you need to work closely with a reliable web designer. The designer will help you know what your website must have and what it can do without. The budget should also account for maintenance and marketing costs.

Pick a tone for your copy and design
Defining the tone for your web copy and the visual design is something you need to do long before you start working on a new website. It is the intended tone that will determine the look of your web design Santee. The important question you need to answer is this; do you consider the relationship with your clients contemporary, professional, conservative or relaxed? An honest answer to this will help define the tone.

Select the bare minimum of info that is needed
You have to determine the bare minimum information that your website must have both visual and textural. Your website should cover these areas:

• Who are we?
• What we do?
• How you compare with other companies in the same industry
• Why choose us?

The website you create must communicate clearly who you are and why clients should choose you. Keep in mind that visitors have a short attention span. If you don’t grab their attention right away, you will lose them.

Call to action
Last but not least, you will need a clear call-to-action. What do you want your visitors to do once they get on your website? You need an effective call-to-action.

Getting the above things ready before you get started on web design will help smooth things. Make sure you have done all the above before giving a web designer Santee the green light.

Web design Santee

Once the web design Santee phase is done, the next phase is content creation. The content on your website is what keep visitors coming back and is what compels them to take the required action. But how do you create great content? Here are a few great tips you can use.

Create a sitemap
The first thing you must do before writing any content is to draft a site map. This should be a hierarchical list of your web pages and how they relate with one another. A good sitemap will help organize your pages in a clear-cut manner. Your web designer Santee will come in handy in this stage. Don’t be afraid to give notes on how the sitemap and individual pages should look like.

Create your brand message
The last thing you want is for your content to sound unrelated. This happens when you don’t have an overarching brand message. What is the main message that you wish to convey about your brand? Not being clear on this will keep your brand from being unique. Know what sets you apart from the competitors and create a story around your uniqueness. It is your overarching brand message that will guide your web content.

Get right to the point
Internet users have busy schedules. That is why they skim through content to find what they are looking for. When working on your web copy, you need to get to the point right away. Don’t start with a senseless story before sharing the big secret. Your content should have clear headlines and subtitles. The use of bullet points will further help the visitors not miss the point you want to send across. Remember that you have 10 to 20 seconds to engage your visitors. If you miss that window, you will lose your traffic to your competitor regardless of how great your products are.

Speak like a human
The worst mistake you can make is forgetting that your visitor is a living, breathing human being. Your copy should have a conversational tone. Talk to your audience like people. All in all, you need to leave the ‘LOLs’ and emojis out.

Solve the pain points of your clients
For your web copy to win the heart of your visitors, you must show your readers that you understand their plight. The purpose of your copy should be solving an issue that your target clients have. Let them know how you can help them with specific issues.

Include a clear and concise CTA
Visitors want to be told what to do next. You do this with a call-to-action. This needs to be clear and concise. Your CTA should give visitors a reason to reach out to you.

The above tips will help create better web content. You also need to keep an eye on the online marketing trends and always work with a skilled web designer Santee.

Web design Santee

Web design Santee has several unavoidable costs. These include the cost of buying a domain name, hosting and at times the cost of using a content management system. SSL is an addition to these costs. Currently, your website does not necessary need to have SSL. However, in the next year or so, SSL will be made a requirement. Google is stressing on the use of SSL. But what exactly is SSL?

What is SSL?
The SSL is short for Secure Sockets Layer. This is a certificate that you purchase and is indicated by https://. Websites that don’t have the SSL certificate have the http://. Almost every web designer Santee that you contact today will recommend that you buy SSL certificate. The SSL certificate is what protects your company and your website visitors by encrypting data that you exchange with them. It is simply an added layer of protection which safeguards the transfer of sensitive data. The SSL certificate will display in the URL just like the domain name and will be visible to your users.

Why does the SSL matter?
An SSL certificate matters a lot more so when you consider the sensitivity of the information people share online. The sensitive information ranges from the credit card information when making a purchase to providing their email and name when signing up to a service. More and more people are learning of the importance of SSL. As a result, you will be surprised by the sheer number of people who will be reluctant to share any information with you if you don’t have the SSL certificate. Lacking the SSL certificate sends the message that your website is not secure hence not trustworthy.

With that being said, having the SSL certificate will actually increase your revenue, build a better email subscriber list and also improve lead generation. Internet browsers, with Chrome leading the way, are today alerting users when they visit a website that doesn’t have a valid SSL certificate. Having the SSL certificate helps you demonstrate how credible and safe your website is.

How much does the SSL certificate cost?
An SSL certificate costs between $0 and $1,500 per year. There are certain vendors that offer the SSL certificate for free. However, if you need optimal security, you have to invest in a paid SSL certificate. This is for the simple reason that paid SSL certificates come with additional protection such as advanced encryption and higher warranty. Some of the leading SSL certificates vendors are GoDaddy and Norton.

As aforementioned, an SSL certificate is not yet a requirement. However, to be ready for the future, you need to get the certificate for your current website and when working on a new web design Santee.

Web design Santee

The first two steps in web design Santee is the purchase of a domain name and second is getting the right hosting service. Website hosting is a service that will enable Internet users to find and access your website. After getting a hosting service, your website will be assigned a space on the server of the hosting provider. This enables people from all over the world to view your website. Just like your domain name and the SSL certificate, the website hosting is an upfront and ongoing website cost.

The cost of hosting per year is between $24 and $24,000. This cost will depend on the hosting company you use, the package you select and the nature of your website. Based on your needs, a web designer Santee will be able to let you know which package is best for you.

Why is web hosting important?
The hosting service you select will have a significant impact on the overall function of your website. While free hosting exists, it is very rare for a professional website to use these free options. Your website hosting will affect the following:

• Web page loading speed
• Website’s expansion capabilities
• Level of customer support you get

You have to be very keen on the terms of service before selecting a hosting service. It is also vital that you look at the requirements of your future website. You must also consider the reputation of a service provider before getting hosting from them.

How much does web hosting really cost?
For a business, hosting will cost between $24 and $10,000 per year. The cost will depend on the package you select. There are four categories:

• Shared hosting: This will cost you between $24 and $120 per year. Your website will be on a shared server which means the performance of your website will be sluggish on peak hours.
• Website builder: Website builders offer hosting too. With Wix, for example, you will spend from $60 to $180 per year. Hosting by website builder is a great idea for the startups and small businesses.
• Virtual private server (VPS): This will cost between $240 and $600 annually. Your website will be sharing a server with several other websites but will have full access to the server’s resources thus no sluggish performance.
• Dedicated server: This is a premium package and will cost between $1200 and $24,000 every year. You will get your own server with complete server resources. This is the option for websites that get over 100,000 visits every month.

Website hosting is as important as your website. That is why you need to make a good investment long before you start work on a web design Santee. Always seek advice from your web designer before selecting a package.

Web design Santee

Every web designer Santee wants to create a website that will be found and meet its purpose. This is, however, not something that comes easy. There are so many marketing strategies you can use and most of them become obsolete within no time. The key to succeeding online is hence to anticipate the future and keep up with the trends. As the year 2018 comes to an end, it is good to learn of the marketing strategies that will be in use in 2019. In this post, we shall be looking at the top trends you can bet on.

Evergreen content
Certain content never gets obsolete. The evergreen content includes the how-tos, tutorials and the DIYs. These are the type of content you need to keep in mind as you get ready for 2019. You just need to create something that people like and come back to read over and over again. To make the content more interesting, incorporate some media. Images and videos will make the content easier for consumers to understand. Make sure you account for the use of media in your web design Santee.

Voice marketing
As the technology continues to improve, digital marketing strategies are changing. Today, about 40% of grownups use voice searches to search for things online. It is estimated that by 2022, the voice recognition business will be worth more than $40 billion. There is no better time to incorporate voice marketing in your marketing strategies than now. Always remember that voice searches don’t work in the same way as typical text-based searches. You need an experienced web designer Santee to help with the integration of voice marketing.

Mobile marketing
This is not something new. It has been around for years. More and more people are using mobile devices to access the Internet. As a matter of fact, more searches are done using mobile devices than using desktop computers. Your target this coming year should be investing more in mobile marketing. Did you know that having a mobile friendly website will actually boost your search engine ranking?

Trust is everything
People are putting more trust in others. Before purchasing anything online, they want to see what other shoppers are saying. To succeed in digital marketing, you need to make use of trust indicators. Here are some of the things you should consider adding:

• Statistical evidence
• Trust badges
• Customer testimonials
• Third-party seals

New trends will arise and some old ones will excel in 2019. You need to keep your ear on the ground and embrace the trends that work for your type of website.

Web designer Santee

In web design Santee today, it is hard to ignore the importance of a landing page. This is a simple web page that serves as the gateway to specific areas of a website. They are used to generate leads, increase traffic and do so much more. However, before you get started, there are a number of things you will have to do. In this post, we shall be taking a look at the essential elements of a landing page.

Compelling headline
As a web designer Santee, the last thing you want is for your landing pages to register high bounce rates. This happens when the headlines are not as compelling. Compelling headlines help prevent visitors from bouncing as soon as they get on your page. They will not spend enough time to consider the offer. Regardless of what you are promoting, it is imperative that you create headlines that have clarity, relevancy and empathy. The best headlines are those covering how to’s, questions, user humor and those that provide unique value proposition.

Effective copy
The purpose of a landing page is to persuade users to take the required action. This will only happen when you clearly get your point across. In addition to being optimized for SEO, your landing page copy should be concise, easy to understand and easy to skim through. If you force visitors to read through huge paragraphs you will end up losing them.

Engaging media
To make your landing page content more interesting, you should consider using engaging media. You can make the content more engaging by adding images, videos and gifs. Media should be used to make it easy for readers to digest the content. 96% of the consumers find videos to be more helpful when making purchase decisions online. To 58% of the consumers, videos make brands more trustworthy.

Trust indicators
Your audiences need to trust you. This is why your landing page must include trust indicators to add more credibility. There are many methods you can use to make your audiences trust you. Consider adding the following:

• Statistical evidence
• Trust badges
• Customer testimonials
• Third-party seals
• Privacy policy

Lead capture form
The key to collecting visitor information is making use of lead capture forms. The forms will only work when they are designed properly. The forms you add to your web design Santee should only require essential information from the prospects, must be organized properly and should be placed at strategic points of the page.

Creating a unique landing page will improve your business. It is also good to add a strong call-to-action. The CTA should be easy to find and must be clear to understand.

Web design Santee

Every web design Santee should be crafted with the primary aim of capturing and converting leads. This is the purpose of a website and if your website does not do this, it makes no sense to have it. In this article, we will be discussing the important things you need to do when working on a lead centric website.

Usability
For you to create a website that has great user experience, the design needs to be easy to navigate and must be intuitive. An experienced web designer Santee will also make sure that the website they create has a design that is uncluttered. The rule of thumb is to ensure that navigating to the desired information is easy. The web design should also entice the users to become potential leads. Cluttered web designs, on the other hand, are clumsy and will distract visitors from the intended action.

Calls to action
Visitors need to be told what is required of them. That is why you need to include a calls-to-action on your website. A CTA that has been placed properly and one that is compelling will determine the number of users you convert. The CTA needs to stand out. It should be appealing visually and must be welcoming.

Engaging content
The content on your website is the soul. Visitors are on your website to consume the content that you are offering. It is for this reason that you need to create content that engages the users and one that adds value to your visitors. Great content will not just help you stand out but also increase the frequency of the leads you generate. Don’t forget to pair your content with interactive features and unique visuals. The important point to remember is that engaging content will instill trust and confidence in your business.

Responsive
Your website needs to be responsive. The web design Santee that you use must load smoothly on both desktop computers and on mobile devices. Test your website on various devices to ensure that it scales properly to fit any screen size. Needless to say, having a responsive website will improve your search engine ranking.

Load fast
Last but not least, you need to make sure that your website loads fast. Each page needs to load in less than 3 seconds. If your pages take longer than that to load, you will notice a high bounce rate which will in turn cost you valuable business.

The aforementioned tips will help improve the success of your website. It is imperative that you work with a great web designer Santee and keep up with the trends in online marketing.

Web design Santee

Working on a web design Santee requires more than just using the best CMS and installing the right theme. There is a lot that goes into web development. This is more so if your goal is to create a professional website. In this article, we shall be taking a look at the things that go on behind the scenes.

Research
A web designer Santee will not get into web design right away. To create the best design, the web designer needs to understand the needs of the client. This is why a significant amount of time goes into research. On a standard website, a web designer will spend ten to twelve hours in research. In the research, he will look into everything from competitor websites and new trends in web design to the mission of the client. The research helps create the foundation of the creative process.

Content strategy
This has to be done before web design starts. The content that is to be published on a website will significantly impact the design. The content strategy is what sets the roadmap for the website. Content strategy takes into account the business objectives, target market, website goals and resources.

Wire frames
These are low fidelity sketches that guide the writers and designers as to what is needed on the website. The wire frame is basically a pre-design sketch that your web designer Santee will use to visualize the final design.

SEO
Search engine optimization cannot be ignored in online marketing. This stage includes keyword research and incorporating the keywords in the copy. The identified keywords will then be assigned to the pages on your website.

Copywriting
The content of a website is of utmost importance. The content should adhere to the content strategy, tell a story, set the mood, highlight the benefits to the target customers and describe the company’s products and services. It takes time to create great content. Basically, copywriting takes between 50 and 80 hours.

Design
It takes hours to design a website. This stage takes between 50 and 80 hours to complete and an additional 30 hours for the design revisions. Design is done while considering the things that will impact usability, development and the overall user experience. The client is then given time to review the design. This is followed with any required revisions.

As you can see, it takes a considerable amount of time to create a website. The last thing you want is to cut corners when working on your website. Everything that you do has to be well thought out and must be backed with research.

Web design Santee

Web design Santee has come a long way since the advent of the Internet. Today, it is very easy for you to create your own website from scratch from the comfort of your home. No programming skills are needed. All you need is the right online web development tool and an idea on what your website should look like. With all these simplicity, why does it take so long for a professional B2B web design to get done? Unlike the basic websites, there are so many things that need to be done in a great web design. Here are the top reasons why it takes long to complete a great website.

It is not a template
The reason why you are able to create your own website with no prior experience is because you rely on templates. WordPress is a popular CMS because of the thousands of templates it offers. You simply install the template that you want and get started on web design. This is not the case with professional web design. A web designer Santee has to build everything from scratch. To get a polished, credible presence and a custom website, you need a design that is unique. This is done by a web designer by coding everything from scratch. This helps the web design agency to create a website that has all the capabilities and features that are needed to convince, attract and convert visitors into paying customers.

It is designed for user experience
Yes the templates are designed with user experience in mind but they are not as effective. Templates are not built for specific target market. This is the case with customer web development. In addition to understanding the needs of the target market, the web designer working on a custom website will require the web design Santee to be assessed by real people in different stages to ensure that it is not confusing.

Research is needed
A lot of research goes into web development. Professional web designers and content specialists will work together to understand their market and the competitive landscape. They are also well versed with the prevailing trends and standards. An audit is needed before work starts on web development.

It is also good to note that a professional website will also require web development which is the backend of your website. The web designer Santee will also need to create high quality content as well as handle every aspect of search engine optimization. A lot more is done by web design agencies hence the reason it takes too long to build a custom website from scratch. Make sure the web designer you are about to hire goes above and beyond in web development.

Web design Santee

In web design Santee, you need to worry about page speed as much as you worry about aesthetics. The last thing you want is to create a masterpiece only for it to be abandoned because it takes forever to load. The page speed is the measurement of how fast it takes for your content to load. It has a major impact on user experience, lead generation, lead conversion, SEO and on brand reputation. But how do you ensure that your website loads fast? Here are the important things you should do.

Pick the right web hosting service
This is without doubt the most important thing you need to do. Your hosting service provider can make your website load faster or cause it to drag on. The hosting service you select should have a good reputation in reliability. They should offer virtually unlimited bandwidth and have virtually no downtime. The hosting package you select will also affect the speed of your web pages. Shared hosting, for example is not as reliable as dedicated hosting. You need to make sure you understand the pros and cons of each package before you select a hosting service and package as a web designer Santee.

Browser caching
The use of browser caching can significantly boost the load time of your web pages. Browser caching works by reducing the time it takes to load your website when a visitor visits it again. Part of your website will be stored on the computer of your visitor so that the next time they visit your website it will load fast. You need a caching policy and make it clear to your audience that you will be using cookies.

Compress the images
The size of your images will affect the load time of your website. When loading a page, the browser of the visitor has to download every component on your website. The bigger the images are the longer it will take for your page to load up. Compressing the images on your website will improve the load time. The images need to be at the least amount of pixels and bytes as possible prior to uploading them onto your website.

Clean your code
Removing unnecessary code will also help boost the load time of your pages. For this part, you will definitely have to work with an experienced web designer Santee. All the extraneous code needs to be removed or minimized on the backend of a website.

These are the simple things you need to do to boost the load time of your web pages. Web design Santee must always be done with page speed in mind even if you don’t care about SEO. Having pages that load fast is the key to improving the user experience.

Web design Santee