Website

Saved By The Web Development Firm: When You Should Hire Help For Your Website

What can you do in 50 milliseconds? People looking at your website will make a decision about engaging with your brand in little more time than the blink of an eye. 

If your website isn’t easy to use, engaging from the first moment, or attractive, you’ll lose potential customers. 

You may think your website is functioning fine, but in reality, you’re missing out on potential opportunities. Here are the top signs you need some help to develop, grow, and build your site with a web development firm.

Four Signs You Need a Web Development Firm 

Running a website on a do-it-yourself level is tempting for startups and small businesses on a tight budget. However, a little investment could make the difference between staying small or huge growth.

Here are six signs you need to call on a professional to help with your website.

1. You Haven’t Updated Your Site in Months

Regular and fresh content is the number one way to achieve continuous organic traffic. However, when you’re running your own website it’s easy to fall behind and forget to refresh your content from week to week.

Worse still, you’re probably neglecting plugin and security feature updates. That leaves you open to hackers and also risks parts of your website not functioning. There is nothing more frustrating for a user than images that don’t load, broken Flash files, or missing hyperlinks.

2. You Don’t Know if You Have Any Broken Links

Speaking of links, when was the last time you ran a check to find any 404 errors? Have you made sure your pages aren’t redirecting to blank pages? Do you know if backlinks to your site are still relevant?

Professional web development firms have software that runs checks on things like this for you. You don’t need to click every single link on your website. You also don’t need to invest in expensive software subscriptions for a comprehensive search.

Instead, the professionals will use their own software access to check missing and broken links for you and repair them. This saves you significant time and stops users from bouncing off your site in frustration.

3. You’re Doing Everything Else for Your Business, Too

Running your own startup, small business, or freelance side hustle means you’re doing everything else on top of website development. You’re an accountant, a CEO, a marketer, a business consultant: do you have the time, depth of knowledge, and resource pool to do your website, too?

Investing in a professional website development firm will save you significant time. You can use that extra time to focus on your true skills such as marketing and finding sales opportunities for business growth.

4. Your Site Doesn’t Have an SSL Certificate

Do you know what an SSL certificate is? Does your website have one?

Without an SSL certificate, you’re missing out on website traffic. Google now uses secure websites as a priority ranking factor. That means if your website still uses http:// instead of https:// you’re losing out on potential traffic.

A website development firm will manage security updates and other important changes to make sure you’re always ahead of your competition and continue to rank well in search listings.

Time Equals (Lost) Money

If you know you’re harboring any of the above problems when it comes to managing your website, it’s time to call the professionals. 

A web development firm will always work with you and your budget to find a solution suitable for your business. Some capital investment in web design will save you time and money in the long-term.

Before you reach out, have some ideas in mind to help steer the project and stay on budget. Check out these incredible web design tips to trigger your imagination!

5 Things You Need to Do Before You Hire a Website Designer

There are over 1.5 billion websites on the internet today – but have you ever thought about how many of those are actually active, well-made sites?

The answer: not even 200 million websites on the internet are active right now. Of those, it’s hard to imagine they’re all on-trend and making good impressions on users.

It’s not enough to be just another domain among the many, many websites out there. If you’re creating a website for your business or trying to start a high-performing online business, you need to hire a web designer.

Web design determines how well you reach, engage, and convert your audience. It’s critical to making money and growing your presence online.

But, you can’t hire just any web designer to create something for you.

Here are 5 things you need to do to find the right person!

1. Identify Your Needs

Are you building a website from scratch or are you in need of a redesign? Do you want to transfer data from one domain/hosting site to another or would you rather have someone build the backend for you?

These are just a few questions to ask yourself before hiring a web designer. They help you focus your search once you start looking for people to hire. Identifying your needs also keeps you on track as you get into discussions about contracts and services.

2. Set a Budget

It’s one thing to establish everything you need from a web designer and another to know how you’re going to pay for it. This is why you need to set a budget before you start reaching out to different designers.

You don’t want to be ready to hire someone just to realize their services are completely out of your price range. Go into your search with a number in mind so that you don’t have any surprises as you narrow down your options.

3. Do Your Research

Speaking of narrowing down your options, keep in mind that there’s no limit to the designers you work with. You can choose to hire a local web designer that you can meet with in person or to hire one from overseas who specializes in building websites within your industry.

It’s worth taking your time to explore all your options. See what kind of web designers are in your area, then expand your search to be sure that you really are hiring the best one.

4. Look at a Designer’s Portfolio

A web designer can tell you all they want about their quality of work, but the proof is in their portfolio. You should always ask to see a designer’s portfolio before you even start talking specifics about what you need from them. This will give you a clear idea as to whether or not they fit the bill or if you should keep looking.

If they can offer additional services like Hook Agency can, even better. Investing in things like site security or SEO campaigns can do a lot more for you than aesthetics alone can.

5. Ask Questions

Just when you think you’ve found the right web designer, take the time to ask them a few more questions. You want to be sure you smoothe out all the details of a contract with them before you end up in a situation that doesn’t satisfy you.

Some smart questions to ask are:

• Can I see a list of references?
• How long have you been designing websites?
• Are you familiar with working with businesses like mine?
• Do you have a timeline for this project in mind?
• Does the cost include future edits?
• Will I be the owner of the website once it’s done?

Don’t hire a designer without bringing up these things. The last thing you want is to decide to redesign later down the line just to realize you don’t own the domain of your site or that you’re tied into working with the same designer!

These questions will help you be sure that the person you’re thinking of working with is reputable, qualified, and ready to get to work.

Not Sure If You Should Hire a Website Designer?

Maybe you’ve been thinking about hiring a web designer, but you’re not sure if it’s time for a redesign yet. Maybe you’d rather try to design a website on your own before you look to hire someone to do the work.

The truth is, the best thing you can do is hire a website designer. The sooner you invest in this service, the faster you can start to take advantage of everything a well-built website can offer.

Skip the guess and check and get caught up to the design trends of today.

For more web design insights and words of advice, click here.

Is Your B2B Website Falling Flat? Try These 7 Website Design Tips

There are more than 1.5 billion websites on the internet today. So for you as a B2B business owner, guess what this means? One word: competition.

You should do everything you can to stand out. And one great way to do this is through an effective website.

But if you’re not a designer, it can be hard to know how to optimize your site. That’s why we put together this guide for you with 7 tips for B2B website design.

Read them below!

1. Effectively Capture Leads

One common goal of B2B websites is lead generation. This is because the sales cycle is often much longer than B2C businesses. Often, initial contact is made through the website and then the lead is handed off to the sales team to start a relationship.

Throughout your site, be sure to include lead capturing forms. Offer content in exchange for phone numbers or email addresses.

You could also consider having a button to request a demo if you offer a software. Also, think about simply having a form that people can fill out to request a call.

Use these forms throughout your site to grow your lead database, which will, in turn, improve your company’s bottom line.

2. Make Sure You’re Mobile Friendly

Did you know that 59% of B2B purchase decision makers report using their phone to research products and services during their shopping process?

So if you’re mobile site doesn’t work that well, that’s a big problem. It’s 2018 and people use their phones more than ever to shop, even in B2B settings.

But if you’re not a developer, it can be intimidating to create a mobile site that works on every single screen size. That’s where a responsive design can come in handy.

A responsive site will automatically resize to fit any size screen. So as you’re building your site, make sure you use a responsive software. You’ll be so glad you did.

If you’d like help with your B2B website design, get in touch with the professionals at LFORM.

3. Simple Navigation

Nothing is worse than having a potential customer visit your website only to get lost inside of it. In other words, if your website is hard to navigate, you’re in trouble.

Keep in mind that every web visitor has a goal in mind. They are on your site to get more information, make a purchase, or to solve an issue.

All you have to do is make their process as simple as possible. To do this, maintain a consistent navigation bar at the top of your site. Keep your menu in the same order on every single page.

That way, people will always know how to navigate through your site. Also keep your menu simple. Instead of displaying all 25 pages of your site in one line, use drop down menus to avoid a cluttered feel.

4. Keep it Professional

In a B2B setting, you’re working with other business owners and employees. Your website design should reflect that.

However, these days the definition of professional isn’t as uptight as it’s been in the past. It’s okay to use some humor and to be creative, especially if this lines up with the rest of your branding.

If your brand image is more serious, that’s okay too. No matter what, make sure your site is free of blurry images, typos, and broken links. These things will definitely give a bad impression.

5. Be Clear: Another B2B Website Tip

Your site should clearly outline your company’s value proposition. This is what you offer people. It’s information about your product or service and how it stands out from the rest of the market.

Keep in mind, however, that people don’t want to just read about the features of your product. They want to know how it will benefit them.

So be sure to include information about how your product or service will solve problems your prospects are dealing with.

6. Include Understandable Pricing Information

B2C products typically have a simple pricing model. B2B products or services, on the other hand, are usually more complicated in their pricing structure.

It’s common to have single products priced out, as well as various bundles or packages. And people who buy through an integrated partner or referral system sometimes get a discount.

In other situations, there are additional add-ons or customizations available which also change the pricing.

To avoid confusion, you should be as clear as possible on your site. Have your bundles displayed with comparison charts displaying the differences between the various options.

If your pricing is more complex than bundles, consider including a worksheet where people can pick and choose the products they want and a running total is calculated for them right then and there.

7. Provide Valuable Resources and Content

Not every visitor to your B2B website is ready to buy. Often, the purchase process is much longer. In these cases, you should provide educational content to these visitors.

This will allow you to still cultivate a relationship with these prospects even though they haven’t purchased anything yet. And when you offer valuable content, you’re developing trust with them as well.

Be sure to offer this content in exchange for an email address. That way, you can follow up with them through an email series which is aimed to prepare them for a future purchase.

Some great content options your team could create include:

• Webinars
• eBooks
• Whitepapers
• Downloadable guides
• Quizzes
• Video series
• More detailed pricing guides

And these are just the beginning. There are so many options for downloadable content out there to improve your content marketing strategy.

Once you have all these content pieces created, they’re also great content to promote on social media as well.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it: 7 tips to improve your B2B website design. Now that you’ve gone through all of these options, it’s time to pick the ones that will work best for your situation right now.

Then start implementing them! You’ll be so glad you did once you start seeing the results.

And if you want to learn more, check out our marketing blog for more tips.

Essential Website Building Tips You Can Count On

One single usability issue can destroy the success of your website.

This is because usability issues create barriers between you and the customer. And any barrier will only serve to alienate them and make them question your credibility.

Here are some essential website building tips you can count on to draw customers to your page.

Make it Simple

Break things down simply for your customer. Make sure you don’t use any jargon because they’re not going to understand it. At the same time, you can’t talk down to your customer either.

Try to keep your language conversational and easy to understand. This is the best way to convince your customer that you take them seriously and that you’re going to give them your 100%.

Large chunks of text are difficult to read. Most visitors to your website won’t take time to read every single line. They will jump from one chunk of information to the next. Most of them will only take the time to focus on information that is most important to them.

To break up those chunks, offset some of the text with images.

In addition, don’t be afraid of white space. It also serves to break up the text and makes it more easily digestible. In addition, try to use high contrasting colors and easily readable fonts.

Also be sure to use headings and subheadings to make it easier for people to pick out the information they truly want to read. Keep the information concise and to the point to minimize the amount of information they have to decipher.

Add Contact Information

People want to know that they are dealing with a real company with real humans. Failing to give contact information degrades your customer relationship. They want to know they can reach you if necessary.

Be sure to include as many means of contact as necessary.

This includes a telephone number, email address, and any social media outlets. You could also use the contact form on your website to make it easy for customers to contact you.

Just be sure to use captchas and other forms of spam protection. Another suggestion is to create your own online community where your customers can interact with you as well as with other customers.

This is a great way to provide a rapid response to any issues that they are facing. And it fosters strong customer engagement.

Don’t Make it Too Busy

When people go to a website, they’re looking for something which is organized but easy to navigate. You don’t want to have too many things going on in your website.

It doesn’t need to be terribly colorful or have too many images. And too many flashing signs or pop-ups would only serve to turn people off.

There are definitely businesses where a lot of colors and images might be needed. For example, this is true if you run a fashion-related business. However, it’s not appropriate for anyone dealing with finances.

Make it Informative

One surefire way to frustrate your customers is to require them to complete user registration in order to view even the most basic information.

If they’re looking for a solution to a problem or looking to get information about your product quickly, they won’t want to take the time to register.

Limited access to your website takes away the customers ability to make a true assessment as to whether or not to do business with you. You should strive to provide as much information as you can to educate the customer.

You need to make sure that all the information that people need to get is easily available to them through your website.

You must have some idea of the kinds of things people ask when they come to you for your services. So make sure that you cover all those topics on your website.

Plus, you need to tell them what services you offer and how much you charge.

How much experience do you have? Why should they come to you instead of going to someone else? How are the services you offer better than the services of your competitors?

Right Shopping Cart

Websites need to be a well-designed funnel to your checkout page. Whether you sell products, services, or both, every page should ultimately drive more consumers toward making purchases.

But once your carefully nurtured lead makes it to your shopping cart, make sure you don’t leave them floundering. The wrong cart can impede sales even when consumers are a single click away from making a purchase.

Different e-commerce platforms are built for different types of customers. If you sell a limited line of products and services, a tool like concrete5 is simple to use and can streamline your whole process.

Mobile Optimization

Responsive web design simply means that a website automatically adjusts to the size of any device such as a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.

Today’s users expect all websites to work on any device. According to Pew Research, a majority of Americans own smartphones.

How can you tell if your website is responsive? A quick and easy way is to simply drag to resize your browser. If the content inside rearranges and text does not get cut off, chances are your site is responsive.

If you use Google’s Chrome browser, you can install the add-on called Mobile/Responsive Web Design Tester. It allows you to test your website on different mobile and tablet shapes and sizes.

With this, you can truly see what your users are experiencing on their mobile devices.

Website Building Tips

While these website building tips may seem small to you, to a potential customer they are often the very reason why they give up on your website and move on to one of your competitors.

Taking the time to ensure a smooth customer experience goes a long way towards getting repeat business.

Explore our blog for more information on enhancing your customer experience for maximum effect.

How to Host a Website: The First Step to Building An Internet Empire

There are 3.95 billion internet users in the world… and some of them want to hear your voice.

But you know that already. That’s why you’re here looking for a web hosting service that can be the foundation for your killer website.

You’re ready to promote your content, reach the masses, and get heard online!

But where to start? How to host a website is actually quite simple.

Here’s a breakdown.

6 Steps You Need About How to Host a Website

We’ve got you covered with the six critical things to consider when it comes to how to host a website.

From a blog to e-commerce, to a mix of the two…

There are platforms to fit every need. Here’s what you need to know before you choose the right one for you.

1. Know What You Need

There are a few key things you’ll wanna answer before going on the hunt for your perfect website host.

Ask yourself:

• What kind of website am I building?
• How large do I expect to scale my traffic?
• Will you need your host to be capable of running certain software?
• Will your host need to be capable of any specific script such as PHP?

This will help you choose between shared hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting.

Most websites will be fine with a shared hosting service.

However, this doesn’t always cut it for websites that are planning to scale quickly over the first couple years.

So don’t just think about now. Consider the long-term life of your website, too.

2. Reliability or ‘Uptime Scores’

You don’t want a user to try to visit your site and get the dreaded ‘server not found’ error.

They might never come back!

This means you need to consider your web hosting service’s reliability. This is also known in the tech world as an ‘uptime score’.

The score should be over 99% and anything less than that is unacceptable. Premium accounts for most website hosting services will have a 99.99% uptime score.

You need your website to be reliable which is why this score matters. It doesn’t matter how fast, beautiful, or high converting it is if your users can’t visit it.

3. Options to Scale

Most websites hosting services will give you an option to scale your level of hosting based on your needs.

This gives you the flexibility to upgrade as your website grows. And your website can end up growing in many ways.

You’ll want to consider:

• How much traffic you want to get
• The number of pages you plan to build
• The speed you need your website to load

There are other things to consider too. Which is why when you look for a web hosting service you’ll want:

• Upgrades from shared hosting
• Memory capacity with room to grow
• Disc storage
• Processing power
• Memory capacity
• Security features

Even if you don’t need them now, you might in the future. So keep them in mind when picking the perfect web hosting service for your needs.

4. Renewal Options and Process

Be conscientious when paying for your web hosting service. There are often fees that will be included at renewal that aren’t included when you initially sign up.

Read the fine print carefully.

You’re generally getting around an 80% discount when you first sign up for a web hosting service.

And unless you’re willing to switch between hosts every year — which can be a total pain — you’ll want to be aware of how much you’re paying when renewal time comes around.

Check out the terms of service before you hit the ‘buy’ button to ensure you’re in the know. If the price jumps by more than 100%, there’s definitely a better deal out there.

5. Type of Website

When choosing a web hosting service, you’ll want to consider what type of website you’re planning to build.

Is it going to be e-commerce?

A blog?

A mix between both?

When it comes to how to host a website, many platforms are great for certain types of websites.

For a blog, you’ll likely want to consider a WordPress hosting platform. Some of the more popular options include GoDaddy and Bluehost.

For an online store you’ll want to consider an e-commerce hosting platform. The most popular and reliable hosting platforms for e-commerce include:

• Siteground
• Wix
• Ipage
• Volusion
• Inmotion

A lot of the website hosting platforms mentioned will do a mix of both. We recommend checking out JaguarPC for whatever your needs are.

Whatever you choose, make sure it has the following features.

6. Features

In addition to things like analytics to monitor the success of your blog strategy, you’re going to want these features in your web hosting service.

One-Click Installer

Chances are, you aren’t a programmer. You want the process of getting your website started to be as seamless as possible.

These installations will make your life a heck of a lot easier and require little effort on your part.

FTP/SFTP File Access

This makes it so you can easily and safely move large amounts of files.

A plain old file manager just won’t do when it comes to this. Make sure before you commit to a website hosting platform they’ll give you access to this was of managing files.

Unlimited Storage and Data Transfer

This is the new standard for web hosting. If a platform isn’t offering this, they’re somewhat behind the times.

That being said, they both hardly matter for the average website owner. Images can be stored other places and videos can be hosted other places. And there are other solutions for large files.

For example, most people these days have a Google Drive or a Dropbox where they store important docs and large files.

But to keep yourself safe, look for the ‘unlimited’ space in your disc storage.

Next Steps

Almost a billion websites are being hosted worldwide… is yours next?

Now that we’ve given you the lowdown on how to host a website, you can go forth and create!

What kind of website will you be making? What website hosting platform will you choose?

Leave us a comment below.

Everything You Need to Know to Build an Awesome Author Website

Interested in building an author website? Good idea!

Whether you’re published or not, every author can benefit from having a professional website that functions as a landing page filled with information for interested parties.

The hardest part is building the site, but once it’s done, you’ll quickly realize the benefits in store. Wondering where to start? Here’s everything you need to know to build an awesome author website.

Select a Host

The first step in building your website is choosing a hosting company. This is the company you will pay a monthly or yearly fee to in order to keep your site up and running. There are different categories when it comes to hosting companies.

Some are advertised as free. This is great for managing a blog or for someone who is still building out their brand, but otherwise, it won’t allow you to really create a customized site. There will be significant limitations because you’re getting the service for free.

Next, there’s self-hosting which will involve a small fee to the hosting company. This option allows you to have complete creative control over the site you’re building, from the template to pages, images and more.

However, you’re responsible for the management of the site and will have to troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Sites like Weebly and Wix have both free and small fee self-hosting options.

Beyond that is a premium hosting option which is best for published authors who have a significant amount of information they want to convey to their audiences such as upcoming book releases, tour dates and more.

A premium option like Direction Inc. will involve a slightly higher monthly rate, but with it, comes security for your site, regular back-ups, and instant help if your site crashes.

Once you’ve determined your hosting company, you’ll be able to move forward with the creation of the rest of your site. If you’re planning to build the site yourself from start to finish, we suggest choosing a clear, intuitive and easy to navigate hosting service so you don’t get confused or stuck during the process.

Choose Your Domain Name

You may already have some ideas about what you’d like your domain name to be. If so, you’ll have to see if it’s available and then purchase it. You’ll pay a yearly fee to maintain ownership of the name.

We suggest keeping your domain simple and pretty obvious. Most authors choose to have their website URL be their full name with a .com or .org following, depending on what’s available. If your name is taken, try adding the word “author” or “books” to the end of your name and see if that option now becomes available.

You want to steer clear of selecting any kind of domain that wouldn’t be immediately associated with you or your work. If you make it too complex, people won’t remember it and it won’t necessarily come up in the search when people google your name.

You want your readers to easily find you online!

Decide on a Template

There’s a lot to consider when building the template or theme of your site and there’s no one right way to do it. The items you select to appear on your site should be relevant to what you’re working on now and drive users to the things you want them most to see.

The most important page is the homepage. But don’t forget about the rest of your site. Think about what you want the sidebar to look like, what’s included in it and how does it pop on the page? What about the banners, footers, and headers?

These are all choices you’ll be able to make in terms of style, font, and color, as well as functionality. When making these selections, keep in mind what keeps you moving smoothly through another website. How do you respond to different templates and themes and which do you prefer when on an internet search?

Include the Essentials

Once you’ve locked down your template, you know how your site will look but what about the contents? Now it’s time to decide what will actually appear on your site. Start by separating your information into categories; those will be the various pages on your site.

You’ll need to have some of the essentials like a home page that gives users some pertinent information so they can be sure they’ve searched the right person and landed on the correct site. You’ll want to have an “about” or “bio” page to share a bit about yourself along with a contact page.

The contact page can be set up so that users can email you directly or you can create a contact form they can fill out on the site that signals you on the backend. You’ll also want to include a page with information about any upcoming work and when they can expect it or what it’s about.

Lastly, you should have easily viewable and clickable icons that connect to your social media platforms. You can put this on your contact page but also consider having it in the footer or sidebar of every page they click so following you on the socials is always an option.

Other than these essentials, you have free reign to create a site that suits you. You can get creative with it as well. Consider having a preview page where users can read excerpts from your upcoming work, much like they could on Amazon when purchasing a book.

Get the Most out of Your New Site

So you’ve built a website and now you’re wondering how to get eyes on it. Well, you’re a writer so, write! Creating and upkeeping a blog that is part of your site is one of the easiest ways to attract more traffic to your page.

Your blog can be about anything! Topics can be relevant to your other existing work or you can even write a personal blog that chronicles the writing process and how it’s going for you. Other writers will be sure to connect and relate to that.

Keep your blogging consistent and use it as a way to promote your site. Don’t be shy on social media. Link your new blog post to Facebook or Twitter and give people even more of a reason to head to your page.

Create Your Author Website!

Follow the above steps and get your author website live within no time. It will help grow your audience and create buzz about you as a writer. If you want people to know who you are and read your work, they need to be able to find you!

Be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more digital marketing and content strategy tips that can help easily grow your business.

How to Make a Photography Website That Will Blow Your Client’s Mind

If you’re a photographer looking to drum up some extra business, you need a website.

Websites are today’s business cards, but they do so much more.

Creating a photography website is a great way to showcase your work. A photography website can act as a landing page for all your social media followers. If someone on Instagram wants to work with you, they’ll want to contact you through a website.

So if you’re serious about your photography, it’s time to set up a website. Check out our tips on how to make a photography website to get started.

Pick a Good Domain Name

There are lots of different methods to pick out a domain name. You should make sure it’s short, simple, and easy to remember. If you can, choose a “.com” domain because they are the most popular.

When you’re creating your photography website, pick something like YourNamePhotography.com.

Let’s say you meet someone while you’re out doing your photography thing. They might not remember anything about you but your name. Use that simplicity to your advantage, and use your name in the domain.

Know What You’re Trying to Do

If you’re trying to figure out how to make a photography website, you might be starting a business. If that’s true, then you need to ask yourself the age-old question: “Why am I doing this?”

Are you trying to display your latest photography project? Are you hoping to bring in new work? Is it a little of both?

Your answers will determine the photos for your portfolio and the layout of your website.

Choose the Best Stuff

Once you’ve picked out your domain and you’ve figured out your “Why” it’s time to create your portfolio.

This isn’t social media, where an ever-steady stream of content is a good thing. Your website needs to display your best work. That means you need to be very selective.

Most photographers have a hard time choosing their best photos. If that’s you, take your photos to one of your friends. Give them clear guidelines about what you’re looking for, then let them choose.

How to Make a Photography Website Layout

How you build a photography website matters. It should have an easy to follow layout so that you can attract the right clients.

The Homepage

This is your landing page. You need a nice big picture of you or your best work. Put your name and subheader here.

Check out Michael Grecco Productions for a great example of a homepage.

Your Gallery

This is why your client is here. Make sure your gallery is well organized to display all your great work.

“About Me”

People want to know the person behind the camera. It helps them trust you, which gets you more business.

Client Showcase and Review

If you’ve worked as a freelance photographer, this is the place to show off your past work. Add a few satisfied testimonials while you’re at it.

Contact Information

Your audience might love your work, but if they don’t know how to contact you then it doesn’t matter.

Blog

Blogs aren’t necessary for creating a photography website. But blogs are a good way to earn trust and add some SEO rich content to your site.

Want More Tips For Creating a Photography Website?

If you want to know more about how to create a photography website, check out our blog. We have a ton of great tips for website and content creation.

The 3 Easiest Solutions for How to Improve a Website

Not too long ago mobilegeddon swept the face of the internet, and websites that didn’t keep up were left in the dark. Every day, sites are finding the need to upgrade, but knowing how to improve a website often requires some intense coding knowledge.

You’ve got a site, and you’re looking to beef it up a bit, but you’re not an I.T. expert. So what do you do? Thankfully we’ve got all the answers! So, keep reading and we’ll give you some simple website improvement ideas even your sweet Granny could do.

How to Improve a Website

Say Thanks

Putting in simple thank-you page after a visitor has taken something you offered on your site is a great way to keep them around. These are easy to draw up and easy to implement, but they go a long way for your customer.

Be Quick

One of the biggest reasons people leave a site is because it takes too long to load. Visitors expect pages to load in less than two seconds. Three or more seconds of waiting and they’re out of there!

There are a lot of technical things you can do to help decrease your page loading time, but we don’t have time for that. Instead, here’s a couple things you can do instead that don’t require a Ph.D. in I.T.

Fix Broken Links

Quickly check your site pages and see if you have any broken links. Not only can these slow down your site, but visitors are easily turned off by the sight of a 404 error.

Turn off Unused Plugins

There are a lot of useful plugins that will help improve your site, but unused plugins running in the background will only slow down the whole process. Look at your list of plugins and power down the ones that you know you’re not using.

Use More Whitespace

As tempting as it might be to advertise your services all over your site, but too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. It may feel like having whitespace on your site is a waste of potential space, but it keeps your visitors focused.

Utilizing more whitespace is a great and easy way to improve your site. A quick declutter of your site and people will be much more engaged with the content you want them to see.

Outsource

At the end of the day, the easiest way to get a website improvement is to get someone else to do it for you. Get a friend to do it for you, hire a local web agency, or go international and let a Swedish webbyra handle it for you!

Website Improvement

Putting these straightforward improvements into practice will put you one step ahead of your competition and give your site the extra boost you’ve been looking for.

If you liked these tips on how to improve a website, then you should check out what other great tips we have for improving your business and getting local leads for your business.

10 Website Promotion Tips For Your Online Dispensary

If you’re selling cannabis online, you need the right website promotion tips to be competitive.

Even if you sell out of a brick-and-mortar store, website promotion is the key to getting new customers to come through the door. And if you sell only online, you’ll need a way to get those customers to buy from you and not your competitors.

These 10 website promotion tips will get you sell on your way to running a thriving online dispensary. Read on to learn what you need to know.

1. Do Your Research

Before you can implement a winning website promotion strategy, you’ll need to spend some time on research.

You already know what your market is – cannabis. However, within that market, you need to know what your niche is. Who exactly are you selling to, and what exactly are you selling them?

The more you can set your business apart and target a specific audience, the more successful your online promotion will be. For example, you might be selling cannabis for medical purposes or recreational purposes. You might be selling to an educated, older audience, or a younger audience who is less interested in research.

The more research you do, the more you can target your promotion efforts for success.

2. Have a Great Logo

The more your logo will stand out, the more recognizable your company becomes online.

Even if you already have a logo, sometimes a redesign is best to stay competitive. Many dispensary logos can start to look the same – how many different versions of the weed leaf have you seen in logos?

Check out this website – their logo uses a weed leaf in a creative, abstract way that stands out.

Find ways to make your logo stand out from the crowd. You might try an unexpected color, or a clever double-entendre symbol. Think about your target audience, and decide on the best way to catch their eye.

3. Post Videos

Videos are a great way to promote your online dispensary. This is one of the best ways to reach modern audiences and tell the stories that they care about.

You can post videos directly on your website, and you should also share them on your social media pages to draw people to your site. From short videos that tell your story to longer, live updates, high-quality video is a great way to capture the attention you want.

4. Get Social

In addition to posting videos on social media, you should maintain an active, well-rounded social media campaign.

Many people find out about new businesses on social media. Being active on the social sites your customers use is a great way to get them onto your site. You can also use social media to interact with your customers, giving a sense of your brand’s “personality.”

5. Simplify Your Site

It’s important for websites to be attractive and easy to navigate. After all, if a customer has been enjoying your products and wants to come back for more, you don’t want using your site to become an obstacle for them.

Is your website cluttered and confusing, or is it clean and easy to navigate? How quickly will they be able to find what they’re looking for?

No matter who your target audience is, a clean website that’s pleasant to look at will go a long way. Use limited colors and plenty of blank space to draw the eye to the places you want.

6. Optimize for Mobile

It’s not enough to have a site that looks good on laptops and desktops. Your site also needs to be optimized for mobile phones, tablets, and anything else that customers might use to search.

Mobile-optimized sites will change to fit the screen no matter what device someone uses. They’ll be easy to navigate by changing to fit any form, so users on a phone or another device won’t run into obstacles when they visit your site.

7. Offer Promotions

A great way to get visitors to your site is to offer a promotion.

Use marketing materials to alert them to special deals, such as a discount for first-time customers. You might even offer free swag with a purchase – many marijuana customers love a well-design t-shirt or lighter.

After a few successful promotions, you may actually want to branch out and build an online store to sell merch. This can bring in a new stream of revenue and provides a new way to attract site visitors.

8. Ask for Customer Feedback

One of the best ways to find out if your website promotion is working is to hear from the customers yourself.

Add an easy-to-use contact form to your site. Ask them to review their experience after making a purchase. Interact with customers on social media to get a feel for what they think of the site.

Interacting with your customers and making changes based on what they say also shows them that you care about providing them with the best experience, which is likely to turn them into loyal customers.

9. Use SEO

Search engine optimization is crucial for all businesses, including online dispensaries. If you don’t optimize for search, potential customers won’t even be able to find your site in the first place.

SEO uses formatting, keywords, and other strategies to help customers find your site based on what they type into a search engine. With SEO, your site will be more likely to show up at the top of the search.

10. Use Animated Ads

Online ads are a great way to share the word about your online business. Animated, moving ads are an even better choice.

People spend so much time online that they get desensitized to online images. A moving image, however, is much more likely to get attention.

How Will You Use Website Promotion for Your Business?

With these 10 strategies, you’ll be well on your way to successful website promotion for your online dispensary.

How do you plan to use website promotion to grow your cannabis business? Leave a comment and let us know which strategies you’re going to try!

6 Hotel Website Designs That Will Blow Away the Competition

Nearly one-third of travelers book directly from a hotel website.

But simply having a website isn’t enough. To attract guests, a hotel website needs to be intuitive, elegant, and mobile-friendly.

Surveys reveal that 85% of Americans use mobile devices to conduct travel research and book activities. Despite this, many hotels still don’t take advantage of responsive web design.

Need some inspiration for your hotel site? Let’s take a quick look at a few of the most visually stunning hotel website designs!

1. Ananti City Resort

On its website, Ananti City Resort does an excellent job of using background videos to engage visitors. Scrolling down simulates removing your sunglasses, and it reveals a vibrant timelapse underneath.

Another feature worth mentioning is the site’s booking form, which remains stuck at the bottom of the page. It serves as an example of a nonintrusive, well-designed sticky menu. The form allows you to make reservations from any page on the site, but it’s also far from distracting.

2. The Maritime Hotel

If you’re looking for an example of good modern design, check out themaritimehotel.com.

The site’s use of responsive web design makes navigation on mobile devices a breeze. Info related to restaurants, rewards, and booking is accessible with one click or tap. You don’t even have to scroll down on most pages.

Using a website planning tool such as Slickplan can help you put together an intuitive hotel site like this one.

3. The 7132 Hotel

Minimalist web design can improve a website’s loading speed and reduce clutter. The 7132 Hotel does a great job of using minimalism to help visitors focus on their website’s content.

What really sets this site apart from many others are the high-quality images. They capture the essence of the breathtakingly beautiful Swiss hotel.

The menu animation, which resembles a page flip, also adds a nice, subtle touch.

4. Adriatic Luxury Hotels

It’s important for a luxury hotel website to convey elegance and sophistication. The background video on the homepage of the Adriatic Luxury Hotel website does a fantastic job of this.

Also, blog design is often overlooked, and many hotel sites have underwhelming blogs. However, this hotel’s unique and elegant blog design bolsters its brand identity.

5. Badrutt’s Palace Hotel

It’s easy to get inspired when visiting the website for Badrutt’s Palace.

The unique corner menu animation grabs your attention immediately. Clicking on the menu button tilts the current page to the side while giving you access to a list of menu options.

The site also features an eye-catching events carousel. This simple yet creative design idea allows you to learn about any upcoming shows or celebrations.

6. Vesper Hotel

The Vesper Hotel’s website sets the mood from the get-go. Everything from the soothing background video to the pleasant images gives you a sense of peace and tranquility.

The site also takes advantage of whitespace to deliver a clutter-free browsing experience. You notice this as soon you scroll through the homepage. But this minimalist style suits the room pages particularly well.

Final Thoughts on the Best Hotel Website Designs

The 6 hotel website designs mentioned above stand out from the rest. Feel free to take some ideas and implement them in your own design.

Make sure your hotel website is easy to navigate. Don’t place your buttons too close together, and choose a font size that’s readable on mobile.

Also, consider adding a chatbot to your website. This enables your potential guests to get immediate answers to any common questions they may have about your hotel.

Are you interested in learning more about web design? If so, check out more posts on our web design blog!