Posts Tagged ‘Design’
Written on July 14, 2010
Euro Food Machinery Ltd are one the major suppliers of food processing machinery and equipment in the UK and they required a website design that reflected their high, professional standards of service. Our design was clean, with colours that relate to the company’s image whilst the site is easy to navigate and showcases the companies suppliers to visitors.
Features within the site include a slideshow, Google Map and Contact Form as well as NECSES Webdesign’s inclusive Word Press Content Management System, full search engine optimisation of the website and W3C compliant XHTML.
Testimonial
“I am absolutely delighted with this new Website designed and created by NECSES Webdesign. The whole process was fast and hassle free, the ideas fresh and modern. I would have no hesitation using NECSES Webdesign again in the future and would recommend them to anybody wanting to dramatically improve their web presence.”
Paul Sandlan, Euro Food Machinery Ltd
Written on June 10, 2010
Hooves to Paws are a new Dog Walking and Horse Care business based in Chippenham, Suffolk. They wanted a web site that offered control over the content and allowed them to expand the site as their business grows. They also had a very clear idea of how the website should be designed, and NECSES Webdesign’s designers worked with them to produce a clean, exciting and memorable website using a Pluck Content Management System which is an ideal CMS for start up businesses, enabling Hooves to Paws to edit and add/remove pages, text and images as well as manage their own SEO (cutting out the need for additional Optimisation costs).
Written on June 9, 2010
Many small business owners struggle with the seemingly overwhelming task of managing their web site. There always seems to be so much to do, yet no time to do it all (something we know all too well). This brief article should help to highlight the key aspects of web site management that will help them gain the most from their web site with the time that they have available.
The following ten tips are key to maintaining a successful web site. Follow these and your site will do better. Nothing will guarantee that a web site will be successful as there are simple too many different factors that impact web success – but as a general rule these ten tips will always lead to better performance.
- Content
- Freshness
- No Tricks
- Links
- Structure
- Accessibility
- Quality Code
- URLs
- Style
- Images
1. Content
Content is key!
Almost all the search engines scan a sites content now – almost ignoring things like meta tags. The more content you have on your site the more the search engines can scan – but there is more to it then that: people like content too. Many people measure a web site’s success by the number of visitors it gets – so ask yourself – why would people come to your web site? Do you offer them interesting and informative information that relates to your product or service? if not, why would they come?
Relevant content and lots of it is a key for a successful web site. There is always room for more content on a web site, and you can never have too much.
Take this article you are reading for example, while it’s fairly useful information for many of our visitors, it’s also additional content for our web site – and will serve to help our site do better. Writing articles about aspects of your industry is a great way to generate content.
Set asside an hour a day (or at least an hour a week) to devote to adding new content to your web site.
2. Freshness
Keep it current
Having lots of content is great – but if it is all three years old it’s not going to look like your site is much of a priority. The search engines actually track this. They monitor how frequently your site changes as they visit it for indexing. The more often it changes the better your rank in the freshness category.
What constitutes change? Pretty much anything – which is why keeping a BLOG or adding frequent news articles to your web site usually produces such good results. It is also the reason why having something as simple as rotating content and the current date on every page has been shown to make a difference.
3 No Tricks
Don’t try to outsmart the Search Engines – Eventually you’ll loose
Many web design companies promise success through the use of tricks, backdoors, and special tactics designed to sneak a web site into a top position rapidly. Something, of course, that the search engines are constantly battling to defeat. Why play the game? As the search engines find the cheaters they will plug the holes and a rank (that usually costs a pretty penny to achieve) will immediately be lost.
Rather, follow the recommendations of the search engines – most set out rules for web masters that outline what they would like to see in a web site. By following the rules the engines are actually battling all the cheating web sites and working to promote the sites that follow the rules – they are fighting FOR you!
4 Links
Links both in and out must be relevant
There has been a lot of talk about link exchanges – people linking to others merely to gain a higher rank (hmmm this smacks of breaking tip 3) if you are going to link to someone and/or ask them to link to you – ask yourself: is it relevant?
Any old link is not going to help you much – search engines will look at who is linking to you – they also pay very close attention to how many links you have off your web site on a page. This is being done to try and drop sites with pages of links (do you have a links page on your web site?)
It is far better to have relevant links places throughout your web site – on only those pages that specifically the topic that relates to the page being linked to.
Unfortunately you can’t exert too much control over the way that other sites link to yours but it is worth looking at how a site usually links to others before to specifically go requesting a link from them.
5 Structure
Organize your web site and everyone will thank you.
Both the search engines and your web visitors prefer a web site that is well structured. The search engines due to their very nature (being computer programs) must break down all web sites into elements based on the structure of the pages. People, so frequently rushing to find the specific information they are looking for, rarely read through web pages but rather scan headings and bulleted lists to find the detailed sections of interest. In both cases a well structured site will be far better received then one that is a mish-mosh of information haphazardly thrown together.
This is simple to do – but all too often missed. Make headings, use the correct coding tags for them, organize sections of content into groups, and use bold and bulleted lists to present key points.
Keep in mind when writing paragraphs of text that most humans will not read them unless they are specifically titled with a headline that matches what they are looking for.
6 Accessibility
A web site that speaks to all is better then a site that only speaks to some.
Tips no 6 and 7 are closely related: The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) provides a list of guidelines for how to create web sites that are accessible to as many people (and systems) as possible. Think about your web site – can someone with a visual disability (perhaps even something as simple as colour-blindness) still get information about your product or service? If not, how do you feel knowing that you have just excluded a vast segment of the population from accessing your web site?
7 Quality Code
Well coded web sites perform better.
Many small business owners don’t have too much control over the code used to create their web site – but it is still important to know how important it may be. Standard compliant code that has been checked for errors is easier for the search engines to assimilate. It is more widely visible across varied platforms (computer types) and in different browsers.
Ensure your web designer is writing standard compliant code that is validated for errors. You can also check your own web site using free on-line tools from the W3C (The World Wide Web Consortium – the standards body that administers Internet technologies). All NECSES Webdesign websites comply to W3C Standards – giving our customers peace of mind.
8 URLs
Prudent choice of URLs will impact your web site’s performance
Professional web designers should already know this – but if you are using a content management system to build your web site, or portions of it, it is important to understand the significance of the URL used to access pages on your web site.
Search engines look at the address of every page on your web site and try to extract key-words from the content of the url. For example, you may have a page about “Widgets” on your web site called “somewhere.com” creating the page with a filename of widgets.html will give a better keyword rank then page6.html
This is a fairly subtle point but makes a significant difference for most search engines. It can also make it much easier for people that are typing in a URL to access a specific page of your web site. Notice the URL for this web page – it’s called http://www.necseswebdesign.co.uk/top-ten-small-business-web-site-marketing-tips/ for a reason!
9 Style
Looks do matter – but perhaps not the way you think…
In the grand scheme of things the “looks” of a web site in the classic sense are not really that important – honestly! Once people have looked at a web site for a few minutes they will quickly discard their first impression (based on looks) and move immediately to asking – is this site giving me the information I need – and can I find it quickly (going back to tips 1 – content and 5 – structure)
So what are we on about with style? Simple – ensure the style of your site makes it easy to read. Avoid things like black backgrounds with white text (inverse text is harder to read) and ALL CAPS (humans read by identifying word shapes – writing in all caps forces people to read every letter and quickly becomes annoying – plus on the net it is used as a typographic method of indicating you are shouting) font.
10 Images
Selling a product – better make sure it looks good
If you are selling something that has a visual representation – then professional looking photography is key. Even a multi-million dollar resort will not look good if the photographs are amateurish. If you care about what you have to sell, then it’s worth investing in some professional photographs to show people what you have. Remember, on-line people can’t get a hold of your product – so you need to give them some really good photographs so that they can feel confident that it meets their needs.
Written on April 29, 2010
NECSES Webdesign’s sister organisation NECSES Events needed a re-designed website that had four main requirements;
- To promote their range of Professional Development Fairs and Business to Business Fairs
- Serve as a source of information for exhibitors and visitors to the fairs
- Generate revenue by advertising exhibitors on the site
- Create a memorable design along with logo creation
Using Word Press as a content management system we created a simple design that allows the utilisation of both sidebars for navigation as well as advertising on the site. Features within the site include a News Blog, Gallery and contact forms. Using Word Press widgets allows the full optimisation of the website ensuring that optimisation costs are kept to a minimum whilst giving full exposure to search engines.
Testimonial
“We wanted a vibrant design for our website, whilst also allowing the opportunity to advertise exhibitors services within the site. NECSES’s website designers gave us just what we needed, and optimised the website so that within 2 weeks of launch we were appearing on the front page of Google for the UK as a whole.”
Beata Stachyra, Events Manager, NECSES Events.
Written on March 24, 2010
Can You Be Successful Without a Website?
I don’t think there’s any question that you need a web presence to survive in today’s business climate. But do you still need a traditional website, or has the web moved on in that regard?
First off, let me be perfectly clear in that I’m not advising anybody not to have a website. That said, there are a lot of ways to have a web presence without actually having a site, and let’s face it – maintaining a site (let alone a successful one) takes time, money, and resources.
According to data from Compete, Facebook has become a bigger traffic source than Google for some sites, and for many others, it is right up there with Google as a major traffic source. If it can drive the traffic, then that means the people are already at Facebook. You can be on Facebook without having your own website. Businesses can build a Facebook Page, complete with analytics provided by Facebook itself, and they can spend time making that page a good one. Here are some tips on how to do that. Facebook pages are perfectly capable of being found in search engines. In fact, they are often right on the first results page.
You know what else is often right on the first page? A set of local search results from Google Maps, courtesy of Google’s Universal Search integration. Within those results (which are very often right at the top of the SERP) are links to individual businesses’ “Place Pages”. From here, users can find coupons, reviews, store hours, etc. There is a very good chance users will find this before they find your site anyway.
Google is actually going to great lengths to get people using these Place Pages. They are even sending out stickers with barcodes for stores to hang on their windows. When a user scans this barcode with their mobile phone, they will be taken to the business’ Place Page. Social media profiles can also appear on these pages (although so can website links of course).
I probably don’t have to tell you that the web is rapidly becoming more mobile. Smartphone usage and mobile broadband subscriptions continue to accelerate, and people are using a variety of devices, operating systems, browsers, and apps. Making sure you have a site that looks right across all of these is no easy task. This is not so much of a worry when it comes to Facebook pages, Google Place Pages, and other third-party entities.
In many cases, it seems that small business sites are becoming harder to find through organic search. If you look you can find them, but users want convenience, and they are probably not going to look too hard if they can find what they are looking for on the first search results page (or right within Facebook where they’re already spending their time).
Social profiles show up in search, and often early. The very nature of social media is viral. If one Facebook user becomes a fan of your Facebook page, that user’s friends are going to see it. Then, maybe a couple of them also become fans. Then maybe a couple of their friends become fans, and that trend can continue on and on. The more people who become fans, and the more exposure that page gets, the more chance that page has of acquiring links, which of course can lead to better search engine rankings, not to mention a larger presence on Facebook itself, where a large percentage of Internet users are already spending a great deal of their time. Your reputation and following within the social networks themselves may do your profile well in the eyes of Google too.
If you sell things online, there are obviously many different options out there without having to sell from your own site. In fact, even Facebook and e-commerce are on the road to becoming more and more closely attached. People can buy/sell physical goods through Facebook.
A great deal of focus has been placed on Facebook in this article for the simple fact that it is the world’s most popular social network. That could all change in time. But that doesn’t mean the points would not sill apply to other services. Google is going to be placing a lot of emphasis on Google Buzz this year, and it’s going to become integrated with more and more Google products. Currently, Google profiles are kind of the central place for a Buzz presence. Users can include any links they wish right into that profile (Facebook page, Twitter account, blog, eBay/Amazon listings, etc.)There’s no telling how big Buzz can be, and there’s always the possibility that something else will come along and take the world by storm. And that is one of the reasons…
Why it Still Pays to Have a Site
Can you be successful without a site? I think so. However, having a site gives you a more stable foundation, and still creates more opportunities than if you didn’t have one. When you have a site, you have control. You don’t have to adhere to the policy guidelines of any third-party platform. If Facebook decides to shut its Pages down (as Yahoo did with GeoCities, for example), you still have your own site that they can’t touch. For that matter, having your own site certainly lends credibility to your brand.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter
Written on March 1, 2010
Design, Supply and Install Ltd (DSI Ltd) in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk required a website with an integrated content management system to allow them full control of their website content, as well as the search engine optimisation of the website, with a design and structure that promoted the many faceted aspects of their business in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering as well as their Fabrication capabilities.
Features within the site include a built in slide-show, on-line booking form, a Google location map and breadcrumbs for easier navigation.
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Category NEWS, Portfolio | Tags: Breadcrumbs, CMS, Design, google, optimisation, search engines, SEO, web development, Web Design,
Written on January 27, 2010
AGR Chauffeur Services in London and Essex required a re-designed website with an integrated content management system to allow them full control of their website content, as well as the search engine optimisation of the site.
The site has a built in slide-show, on-line booking form, and blog section. Additionally, the site includes a news service for London and an Events Calendar detailing events taking place within the company’s radius. The site is currently placed 1st for Chauffeur Services Essex in Google.
Written on October 22, 2009
While NECSES Webdesign does not build template websites we do want to give consumers all the facts about template sites so they can make an educated decision about what type of website best suits them. Below is a list of the pros and cons of template websites.
Pros of Template Websites
Template websites are a less expensive method of making websites. Template websites are a lot easier and take less time to create than custom websites which is what the site cost should reflect. While template websites should be cheaper than custom websites, that is not always the case. Many website design companies say they build custom websites but in reality they build template websites and charge clients for a custom website.
So how can you avoid paying too much for a template website? Get a quote from a custom website design company and compare it to the price of a template website company. Since template websites require a lot less work than custom websites, the price of a template website should be significantly lower than that of a custom website. If the custom website is close or lower in price than a template website than just go for the custom website.
Template websites are usually simple designs that take less time to build than custom websites. Template websites are less complex and have less functionality than custom websites thus taking less time to build and get running. Companies that are looking to get an online presence up immediately may decide to go with a template website.
It seems as though there are many more website design companies that offer template websites than custom websites. That being said, it could be easier for a business to find a template website company than a custom website company. More availability could make it that much quicker to find a website design company to build a template website than a custom website.
Cons of Template Websites
While template websites usually offer simple and clean designs, they can be very limiting. With a template you get what you see. Template websites are very limited in the changes that can be made to the design and functionalities that can be added. For many companies paying less money for a website is not worth the limitations offered by template websites. Companies should not build websites around a template but websites should be built around a company. Custom websites properly reflect who a company is and what they do, while template websites most of the time do not properly reflect this.
The simplicity of template websites does not let companies stand apart from others. Custom websites stand out from template sites because many template websites look similar and don’t offer much distinction. While template websites are very similar and plain, you can design custom websites any way you want allowing businesses to have a more professional unique appearance.
Most template websites are not search engine optimized. If a website is not search engine optimized it is likely to not be found in search results. What good is a website if it cannot be found? One of the reasons NECSES Webdesign builds custom websites is so that they are search engine optimized. If you want a website to show up higher in search engines then a template website is not the way to go.
Many smaller companies may be fine with having a limited amount of website functionality but larger companies especially require more functionality than template websites offer. Template websites are premade so they are not built to suit any particular company. Larger companies should choose a custom website design company to work with rather than a template company so that the website will be built around all of their needs.
Template websites are quick and easy to build because they work from a pre-made design and structure. Premade designs work for some companies, but they limit what can be done to the site. As a business grows their website should grow with them. Template websites cannot be built scalable so as a business grows and changes their website will not work for them.
With all of the cons associated with template websites, why would any company use a template site? Template websites may save companies money initially, but will cost more money and cause problems in the long run. Custom websites are the perfect solution for nearly every business. Contact NECSES Webdesign to discuss how a custom search engine optimized website can help your business.
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Category NEWS | Tags: Bing, CMS, Design, E-Commerce, google, marketing, online marketing, optimisation, search engines, SEO, web developer, web development, Web Design,
Written on October 9, 2009
Blue Sky Reflections wanted a website creating that with a fresh, clean design that gave viewers a feeling that ‘anything is possible’. The site includes a content management system as standard and allows the addition of new pages and news articles, through the blog feature..
NECSES Webdesign also designed a logo for the website and the company as a whole, with business stationary also being produced by NECSES Webdesign.
Written on October 9, 2009
Keith Houghton Book Keeping Services required a website that promotes his book keeping and accountancy services as well as their administrative services to as wide an audience as possible.
NECSES Webdesign created a website that mirrored the company’s existing image of mainly black and white logos and added a touch of colour to the clean design. A content management system allows K H Book Keeping to update their website, whilst also allowing them to keep their clients informed of the latest changes to financial management through the News pages as well as linking to important websites. A customised contact form was also included in the website.
The brief also required NECSES Webdesign to re-design existing logos that would enable the company to retain theirprevious image and create logos more pertinent to the websites overall image.
