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The Staples Of a Professional Website

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Professional Website|The Staples Of a Professional WebsiteIt’s easy to get a website up and running. You can do it in about ten minutes. But building a quality website? That’ll take a bit more effort. And if you’re trying to get people to regularly come to your website, then it’s an effort that you’ll have to make. Of course, some people just set up a website for their own use, which gives a lot of freedom: you don’t need to think too hard — if you’re happy, then it’s fine. But things are different when it’s a public-facing website and greatly different if the website is for business purposes. At that point, the quality of the website can be the difference between business success or failure.

To get customers, your site will need to be professional. But thankfully, getting a professional website is not a complete mystery. It’s all about incorporating those digital representations of professionalism into your site. So how can you do this? In this blog, we’ll run through some of the staples. Take them all on board, and you’ll be on your way toward success!

Excellent Design

First impressions count for a lot in most areas of life, including with websites. So what are your visitors seeing when they land on your page? If it’s anything other than a well-designed, clean looking website, then you’ll run the risk of their first impression being slightly less than impressed. As well as the overall design, it’s important to ensure that the look of the website fits in with your company’s branding. Due to the importance of having a website that looks the part, it’s best to work with a web design agency. This will cost more than if you did it yourself, but it’ll be worth the expense.

Photos and Videos

You won’t just rely on the text of your site to wow your visitors. You’ll also need to have photos and videos. But, of course, it’s not as if just any old photos and videos will do. You’ll need to ensure that they’re high-quality. There are plenty of websites that offer license-free photographs, but if you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can always turn to paid photographs. If you’re selling items online, you may also consider hiring a photographer to take photos of your products for you.

Limited Number of Pages

Many times, less is more. It’s tempting to add as many pages as possible because it helps to make your website look fuller and bigger. But it’s not the best approach. The best method is to only include content and pages that are genuinely needed. Don’t think that you need to add more pages because your website only has a few. If you’ve said everything that you need to say on those pages, then that’s fine — the added pages won’t only not add anything, they could dilute the message of the pages that you really want your visitors to see.

Easy Navigation

It’s important to think about the overall user experience when they land on your website. If your visitor is struggling to find the pages that they need, then that’s an issue. You should make sure that your visitors find it easy to move around your site.

Regular Updates

People want to know that your website is alive and kicking. It shouldn’t have the appearance of being dead! This is where regular updates can come to your rescue. By this, we don’t mean that you need to change everything all the time. It’s just about showing your visitors that the site is actively being managed. You can do this in a variety of ways. For instance, by hosting a blog, which you update regularly. You can also make small design changes in line with a seasonal event (for example, a Christmas design).

High Security

There’s no way to build a successful online venture without taking privacy seriously. Without it, you’ll find it difficult to gain the trust of your visitors. They need to know that they’re safe when they visit your website. You can do this by working with an IT company to ensure that your security measures are robust and up to date. But you should also go further. If you have a blog, be sure to block spam comments by using a service like Defendium. If you don’t, then you’ll run the risk of your visitors falling victim to a phishing scam — and that’s something that won’t reflect well on your business!

About Us Page

You can go a long way towards gaining your customer’s trust by writing an informative ‘About Us’ page. In this day and age, there’s a greater emphasis on digital trust than ever before. People want to know who they’re buying from, and your informative ‘about us’ page is the best way to convey that information. This doesn’t just give you a chance to show your professionalism. You’ll also be able to share your story, which is one of the best marketing tools you’ll have at your disposal (providing, of course, that you have a good story to share!).

Well-Written Content

Your website could look the part, but the details of the site are pretty key. There are plenty of sites that look the part, but then, when you get into the details, you can see that there’s very little there. For example, the website copy. The writing should be clear and sensical. Without it, your visitors will be more likely to have a negative view of your website and, by extension, your company. If you don’t know how to write persuasive copy, look at outsourcing the job to a professional copywriter. They’ll make sure that your website’s writing sings.

Conclusion

The tips we’ve outlined above won’t ensure that your business is successful. But if you’re running an online business, then you’ll find that it’s impossible to find success without those things. As we’ve seen, none of them are difficult to incorporate into your site. They just require a little bit of time, effort, and thought — easy!

Humanizing Your Website: Why The Personal Touch Is Best For Business

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Website|Humanizing Your Website: Why The Personal Touch Is Best For BusinessYour website is your opportunity to communicate directly with customers, clients, suppliers and partners. The visual appearance of the site and the content that it contains are the most direct way that you can speak to anyone interested in working with your company. It is also the foundation for your marketing and your brand presence online.

If your website doesn’t show off your business in a positive light, it is not only going to make it challenging for you to gain new customers, it can also leave your team feeling underappreciated.

Focusing on a more personal element to your website is the right way to move forward, and moving away from that more impersonal ‘corporate’ style site can do wonders for your business. But how exactly do you implement this practically? Here we take a look at some of the best strategies that your company can use to humanize your website.

Avoid stock photos at all costs

One of the major issues causing company websites to look cold and corporate is the overuse of stock images. Stock photos might look more professional than those you can take on your camera phone and they can lend credence to a small business that is just starting out. But, having these images lingering on sites can leave it feeling corporate, less personal and unrealistic.

It’s a much better idea to take your own images. This is clearly a good option for companies producing products, but it can also be effective for service-based businesses too.

There are still many businesses that are put off providing their own product or incidental photography because of the perceived high cost of camera equipment. Yet this isn’t the right way to think about it. Of course there are some initial outlays to investing in high quality in-house images, but they have so many advantages compared to stock photos it is really worth doing.

It should be pointed out that equipment costs don’t have to be as expensive as they used to be. It is now possible to spread out payments from more costly equipment by using services which utilize so-called ‘buy now, pay later’ companies, such as Klarna and Affirm. For businesses keen to follow the sustainability route, another option is trading in used equipment to get money off a new purchase – many camera specialists offer this.

Speak like a human

It is still extremely common for small businesses to have websites that use a very corporate writing style. Being formal and professional can be appropriate in some settings, but it is no longer the case that all companies need to present themselves in this manner, especially if it does not necessarily suit the target market and industry.

Of course, it won’t suit every business to be extremely conversational and loaded up with jargon and many professional writers prefer to think in terms of ‘business casual’ as the standard preferred style. However, again this will depend on the specifics of the business and what works with your audience.

Focus on community

One of the most fundamental ways to humanize your website is to install a sense of community with your customers. The benefits of building a community amongst your customers are well established.

“As a part of your community, members feel more emotionally connected to your brand,” says Rachel Burns, writing for Podia “and when people feel connected, they’re more likely to recommend your brand and products to others.”

Companies are still regularly using social media platforms for their community building, but actually it can be beneficial to do a lot of that work yourself to optimize the business success of a site. This can be done by making use of user-generated content.

7 Effective WordPress Website Design Principles to Follow

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, 7 Effective WordPress Website Design Principles to Follow

If you are looking to start a website, or are in the process of redesigning your current website, it is important to understand some effective WordPress website design principles. By following these guidelines, you can create a website that is both visually appealing and user-friendly. We will go over some of the most important principles to follow when designing your website using WordPress.

1. Muted Colors are the Way to Go

In general, muted web colors work best on websites. These are colors that come from the color spectrum that have been slightly “muted” down by adding gray. Bright colors can be too overpowering and distracting on your site, which is why muted colors are often best for your website. Just make sure not to go too extreme in the other direction by choosing only black and white. Also, be aware of color schemes. The difference between a color scheme and color choices is that a color scheme includes more than one color.

2. Resize Your Graphics Well for Online Use

When designing your site, be aware that you will not always be using it on a large screen. For this reason, it is important to resize your graphics for use online. By maintaining the original resolution of your image, you can ensure that it will not get distorted when used on a smaller screen. That way, your users will be able to view the same high-quality image that you intended them to see.

3. Parallax Effects Are Good But Don’t Overdo It

A parallax effect is a scrolling technique that gives the illusion of depth, dimension, and movement. They have been used on many sites to give viewers an exciting visual experience. While these effects can definitely boost the appeal of your website, be careful not to overdo it. Too much parallax scrolling can become distracting and even nauseating for some users. Find a balance.

4. Fonts Matter

Fonts are a very important aspect of your web design in Long Island. By choosing the right fonts, you can create a unique and creative look for your site. There are many great options out there to choose from, so make sure to take advantage of them. Just be careful not to use too many different fonts. Also, keep in mind that a font may look perfect on your computer, but may not look so great when used on another. So always test it out before making the final decision.

5. Think About a Minimalist Design

Another important thing to consider when designing your WordPress website is a minimalist design. This means keeping the site free of unnecessary graphics and clutter. Too much clutter can get in the way of what you are trying to convey. By using a simpler design, users will be able to focus on your content instead of having to sift through a bunch of other stuff.

6. Incorporate 3D Visuals and Illustrations

3D visuals and illustrations are a great way to incorporate an extra element into your site. Whether you use them for backgrounds or overlays, they are sure to give your site a creative feel. Just be careful not to overdo it with 3D visuals since they can become distracting.

7. Be Consistent

Finally, it is important to maintain consistency throughout your website design. This includes everything from the images you choose to use to the color scheme. By maintaining a similar look throughout your site, you can keep it visually appealing. This will also make it more user-friendly for your visitors.

There are many different things to keep in mind when designing your WordPress website. By following some of these critical rules, you can ensure that your site will be user-friendly and eye-catching as well. If you’re looking to design a WordPress website, you can consider hiring a WordPress web design company that will touch on all aspects for maximum effectiveness and efficiency.

Have You Outgrown Your Web Hosting? Here’s how to Know

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Web hosting|Have You Outgrown Your Web Hosting? Here’s how to KnowA business website is a necessity these days because most people expect to find information about you through a single online search. Web hosting is a crucial component of your website as it determines the experience people have when they get on your website. Choosing a web host can be complicated and when you find one that works for you, you never want to think about going through that process again. However, needs change, and businesses outgrow their web hosting. Here are five things to think about to know whether your web hosting still works for you or whether you have outgrown it.

Cheap Hosting

It is perfectly OK to get cheaper hosting if you have a smaller website. The option available is often shared hosting where you have more than one customer on a single server. The problem with shared hosting is that someone else on the server could be using all the resources sending out emails or running scripts. These actions lead to slowdowns on your end and your visitor will have an unfavourable experience.

The good news is that there are a lot of dedicated server and Virtual Private Server options available where other users will not be an issue. There are also web hosts that concentrate on specific types of websites such as blogs for e-commerce websites. To help you find the right web host, head to this link to learn more. There you will find everything you need to know about web hosting. You will also find additional information and resources on how to start and run a successful blog, from how to do SEO properly to monetizing your blog.

Load Speeds

The load speed is related to your load times (the time it takes for the website to fully load). A faster load speed means low load times and a slow load speed means high load times. Faster load speeds offer a better user experience and reduce the chances that visitors leave your website without interacting with it.

Second, your load speeds affect your ranking on search engines. A low load speed and thus longer load times could lead to your website being ranked lower, reducing the number of people who see and visit your website.
Lastly, load speeds are crucial for mobile visitors. These are the people most likely to swipe away if the load times are too long. There are numerous factors that impact website load speeds, with your web host being a crucial one.

If you find that your website’s load times have been increasing or are no longer acceptable, you may have outgrown your web host.

Performance During Peak Hours

Apart from additional users on your server, your allocated resources can also cause a degraded performance during peak times. This happens a lot with e-commerce websites that require a lot of RAM. If you find your website running slow or your shopping cart acting sluggish, the server resources available are not enough for your needs, and you need to find a new web hosting provider.
Your web hosting has a huge impact on your website or blog and thus your business. It is important to continuously assess whether the hosting is enough for your needs and to consider seeking alternatives if it is not.

4 Business Services To Outsource In 2022

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Outsource|4 Business Services To Outsource In 2022Throughout the turbulent, unpredictable, and often even distressing business climate the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has, and is continuing to cause, if you are either the owner or manager of a business that has continued to trade then you are to be commended.

With the Covid-19 pandemic still exceedingly prevalent as the new year arrives, it is time to start buying yourself more time to give attention to the areas of concern within your business model. With that being said, continue reading to learn of the top four business services to outsource in 2022.

1. Recruitment Processes

Recruiting and hiring for new staff is one of the most time-consuming and vital responsibilities of running a business and as a result, outsourcing the entirety of your recruitment management is one of the best decisions you could possibly make.
The primary advantages of outsourcing your business’s main recruitment processes include the simple fact that it makes it easier to run the fundamentals of your business, the beneficial assistance gained from industry experts, and the fact that the right hire means your business is more likely to succeed in growth and expansion.

2. Social Media Management

Whether you like it or not, social media is a prominent, and possibly even necessary, tool in running a business—regardless of industry—in the modern world.

Content across all of your social media platforms should be consistent, uniform, and most importantly, exceedingly engaging so as to entice both recurring custom as well as new consumers of your products or services.

As successful social media management requires such a lot of time and effort to be spent on it, outsourcing this service often results in a large intake of new customers to a business. Other benefits of outsourcing social media management include the injection of fresh content and ideas, the delivery of immediate and effective results, the important saving of cash monies, and the enormous amount of time you will save to focus on other areas of the company.

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3. Vertical Transportation Systems’ Inspections

Obviously, one of the principal roles of a business owner or manager is to ensure the safety of every single employee and customer who enters your business premises, and the best way to do this is to ensure you have everything inspected as regularly as possible.

When it comes to your vertical transportation inspections, it makes perfect sense to outsource everything related to each system to ensure optimum safety, performance, and compliance, and professional escalator companies will deliver unrivaled services every single time.

4. Website Design

In 2022, especially due to more and more consumers choosing to shop online, your company’s official website needs to be as simultaneously aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly as possible.
Outsourcing your website design and maintenance will mean you will benefit from cost-effective yet professional assistance, save valuable resources, and of course save that much-valued commodity of time—not to mention unprecedented access to the latest and most innovative technologies to make your website as professional as possible.