Proliferation

Apr 04
0

Put Your Ego Aside and Give the Client What They Want

By | web development, website design | No Comments

It can be hard as a web designer, and web developer, to put what you know aside and give the client what they want. You may feel that your idea would be more beneficial and look good too, but your client may want something different. Your client may not know best, but they know what they want their website to look like.

When to Give In

Web development and web design is your art, and as that artist, you were hired to do what your client wants. An easy fix may be to tell the client your idea and see how their idea and yours can come together. As the web developer, they may find your idea better, because you know what you’re doing as a web developer. However, if your client doesn’t agree with you, agree to disagree and give the client the web design that they’re looking for.

Don’t Lose Your Job

As the web designer, you are getting paid to make the website they want, and second-guessing a client can cause a good relationship to go south. This website may be your baby — but to the client, it’s a company and a business. The client may want a website that suits their needs; perhaps something that’s easy to use or straightforward and practical.

Relationship with Your Client

You may find yourself second guessing yourself when presenting to a client, wondering: Why did I become a web developer or a web designer? Sometimes the problem is the client, and you may have to cut ties and go your own ways. If a client isn’t giving you the respect you deserve and degrading your hard work, then this isn’t a website problem, it’s a problem they have with you. Just like any other job, you may not be the right fit.

Don’t lose your head over a web design, just listen to your client and do your best to meet that image in their head. You can still add flare to it, but make sure it isn’t all your own doing.

Apr 04
0

Three Ways to Make Mobile Marketing Work for You

By | Mobile marketing, SEO, Utah SEO, web development, website design | No Comments

It can be frustrating to open up a search engine and click on a link on your phone, only to have it freeze, crash — or worse — not be mobile friendly. People now search on their mobile device more than their computers, so making your SEO more search friendly and mobile friendly, is something that you can do and is something that search engine companies are working on.

Google AMP

Yes, Google is the source of all information these days, and Google’s new program called AMP can really boost viewership and help your SEO on mobile. AMP allows your website to run faster, boosts your SEO on a mobile device, and load quicker. Many people will quickly go back from your page and go to the next link hoping it’s going to be faster. So Google literally AMP’s your website up with this new program.

App SEO

Get an app and boost your SEO. According to a story by Criteo, people were more likely to use a mobile app to search for retail and places within the travel industry, rather than use a mobile website. Create an app that is user friendly, and easy to find. Join the new SEO, and get an app to build your business in Utah.

Google is also helping your SEO by making app searching more organic. This allows those searching for an app likes yours to appear on the list of useful apps.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is something you probably should learn about if you really want your SEO to improve for your company. Machine learning can actually help your advertising by analyzing algorithms and statistics. This will help you reach out to different people not only in Utah, but around the world so you can figure out what demographic your users belong too. This will better help you market and find out who you now need to market to so you can grow your business.

Mar 25
0

The Toolbox of a Web Developer

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Computers seems to have their own language with HTML, CSS and other acronyms that only computer savvy people know. So as a web developer, you will need to have some words and knowledge in your web developer toolbox, to help a company in their website design. 

Coding Knowledge

As a web developer, you will need to know at least basic coding. If you’re not sure what coding is, it’s the language of a computer. HTML is the underlying code in the Internet, and CSS is where web developers go to put the information together to create a webpage.  It’s important to know where to plug in words, numbers and symbols to help a website stand out and be useable. After learning your basic HTML, it’s also important to know how to connect the HTML with the CSS so you can actually do your job in the website design.

Know How to Research

When it comes to research, it’s helpful to know what language you are coding in, and we’re not talking Spanish and French. It’s helpful to know how to find the information online and in books on how to code. You’ll want to know your sources and feel comfortable knowing that they will help you in website design.

Bookmark useful websites and know how to navigate them, because as much as we all think we can memorize the language of coding, it is very unlikely. Practice makes perfect, and over time you’ll be able to remember different codes for different functions.

Becoming Knowledgeable

Learn how to use HTML and CSS in different ways and not in just basic design. HTML and CSS are just the basics in building a website, and knowing more than the basics is going to help. Different clients are going to have different needs when it comes to a website. Learn how to create your clients’ website, and really understand different codes.  Know the different platforms on websites, learn WordPress and spend time learning about media queries. In the end this will help you become a better web developer.

Mar 22
0

Fit in With Your Web Development Friends: The Acronyms to Know

By | web development, website design | No Comments

There are so many words, codes and acronyms when it comes to Web development and design. When a web developer looks at you and says something in computer language, it really doesn’t make sense to an average person. So here’s some basics to help you have an almost human conversation next time you’re talking to a web designer.

AJAX
Yes, this is a big word, and an acronym for asynchronous (timing control), Javascript, and XML. AJAX is a cleaning product, but in the Web development world it’s a way to create dynamic web applications and allows for asynchronous data retrieval without having to reload a page.

Bandwidth
This basically is going to tell you how fast your data is going to transfer or the amount of data you’re going to be given. This is where you’ll usually hear kilobits per second or bits per second. So if you have a lower bandwidth you’re going to have a slower internet connection, while high bandwidth will give you faster connections like cable or fiber.

CSS
This is a web designers dream. CSS is what really controls the look of your website in accordance with HTML. CSS stands for cascading style sheets, and this will really help in designing your website. You can change colors and fonts with CSS as well as background images and other content.

Domain
This is your website — or, the way that your website is going to be identified. Web developers use this to associate with an IP address.

Elastic Layout
This also effects the way your website looks. Elastic layout helps Web designers use percentages and ems for widths pairs. Basically it uses this to change the layout of your website, the size, the layout and the ability to accommodate the browser width and font.
Web development and design doesn’t have to be complicated, but it can be a whole new language. The real way to look smart is to know the terms and to look like you know what you’re talking about.

Mar 08
0

The Psychology Behind Clean Website Design

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Say two websites are selling the exact same service at the same rate. One website is a messy, difficult-to-navigate maze and features what appears to be a side navigation bar that hasn’t been updated since 1998. The other site — which again, sells the exact same service for the same price — has a clean website design, simple navigation and an appealing layout.

Upon which site will most people bestow their favor? Without a doubt, most end users will opt for the clean website design. Here’s a breakdown of the psychology behind why clean, simple site designs resonate more with end users.

The Science Behind Simplicity

A clean website design serves several purposes outside of its intended aesthetic appeal. An optimized micro white space (the minuscule area between letters and lines) not only looks better, but it also makes text easier for website users to read. Elegant simplicity also creates a positive, lasting first impression; this is critical for several reasons. Not only does a favorable first impression contribute to a lower bounce rate, it also creates a propensity for users to return in the future. A clean, sleek site layout that runs quickly and smoothly instills trust with the end user — coupled with a sense of luxury and efficiency.

Clean Navigation Increases Traffic and Revenue

In addition to creating a lasting impression on end users — specifically users who are visiting your site for the first time — a simple site layout with easy-to-use navigation increases onsite traffic and thus revenue. A site may sell a product or service for a lower price than a competitor; however, if end users can’t access a product, shopping cart or checkout due to a busy and confusing layout, the purpose of the site is ultimately defeated. Alternately, a site that’s easy to find, navigate and use will yield much higher statistics in terms of incoming traffic, revenue and positive consumer feedback.

Mar 07
0

The Evolution of Internet Website Design

By | Design, web development, website design | No Comments

Since the since website went live in 1991, the website has been an enduring staple of Internet activity. From static, text-based webpages rendered in black and white to the dynamic, highly-responsive websites we have today, both the design and applications of websites have changed immensely.

Let’s take a look back at how website design used to be, not all that long ago.

The Early Internet

What do the first websites and the dinosaurs have in common? By today’s standards, they were both rather primitive.

Life as a website in the early days of the Internet was a simple existence; 16 colors were supported by most computer monitors, but the early websites only needed three: black, white and blue for hyperlinks. For early websites, text was all you needed — images didn’t come into the picture until 1993. Textures came online later, in 1994. And don’t even think about using CSS — HTML was the only programming language in existence.

The Dark Ages

The Internet’s limited color palette got an upgrade in 1994-1995, from the original 16 to a whopping 256 colors. Web designers ran with the new color opportunity, unleashing an onslaught of obnoxiously bright, garish webpages and flashing neon advertisements (like the ‘70s, but for the Internet).

1995 and 1996 introduces PHP and CSS programming languages, which bring with them the opportunities for vastly improved website design. Unfortunately, Web designers in the late ‘90s were too busy filling their homepages with sparkly, animated aliens and those things that looked like Bratz dolls to take notice of anything besides HTML. Geocities reigned supreme. It was a dark time.

The New Millennium

The year 2000 brought with it fun things like gradients and colors that didn’t hurt people’s eyes quite as much. Also, fear of the Y2K bug. As websites become more complex, design changes to become more user-friendly, with a focus on menus and other navigation tools. Internet Explorer continues to gain ground on previous monopoly-holder Netscape, forcing web designers everywhere to optimize their websites for the ill-fated Internet browser.

The Awkward Teenage Years

Around 2003-2004, the Internet proliferates in an explosion of more subtle color options and Flash-animated activity. Splash pages are very in vogue around this time. As dial-up Internet begins to fade and cable and Wi-Fi are incorporated into more homes and businesses, the Internet becomes accessible to a wider range of people.

The Internet starts to figure out what it wants to be, bringing us early social media pioneers MySpace and “The Facebook,” blogging website WordPress and YouTube in 2005. Design-wise, people are intrigued by the concept of video and are continuing to make everything a little bit easier on the eyes. Cell shading is a big thing.

Internet Young Adulthood

Having more or less figured out what it wants to be, the now grown-up Internet spreads its wings and works on subtle improvements. Social media proliferates, YouTube becomes a legitimate website and Google makes the lives of people around the world a little less frustrating.

Drop shadows and more realistic imagery become popular as screen resolutions get better and better. Color schemes are a thing. People are really into scrolling. Responsive design becomes more important.

Present Day

With a wealth of programming languages and design tools, today’s websites are more responsive and customizable than ever. Web designers have a multiplicity of options, a huge array of possibilities — and yet the prevailing trend is minimalism.

Aesthetically pleasing fonts are widely available, high-quality images are in abundance and animated GIFs and videos can be embedded every place imaginable. Most importantly, Internet Explorer is finally dead. Now if only people would pay their Web designers more, I’d say we’re living in an Internet renaissance.

Nov 16
0

5 Things to Look for When Hiring a Web Designer

By | website design | No Comments

So, you’ve decided it’s time to take your business to the next level by way of a new website. Perhaps this is a first-time project or you’re simply seeking to improve the overall professional look of things—either way, you’re going to need to bring a talented website design specialist or agency onboard to turn your creative vision into a reality.

That said, with so many candidates, how can you filter through all the noise and find the perfect website design guru for your particular needs? Relax—though somewhat intimidating, the process needn’t be a confusing one. Cling to the following five points and you’re bound to see success:

1) Thoroughly Investigate a Designer’s Portfolio

During the time in which you’ve been running your business, you’ve probably been tasked with the recruitment of new talent. Obviously, résumés are a major part of this process. You take a look at a résumé and, if things check out, you bring a potential employee in for an interview.

Seems simple enough, right?

Well, as far as the field of website design is concerned, though how impressive a potential creative looks on paper is important, what really matters is the portfolio. Sit down and take the necessary time to thoroughly review a designer’s portfolio before offering a formal contract.

By so doing, you’ll have a decent idea as to what the end result might look like should you extend an offer.

2) Check Out Each and Every Reference

Instead of waiting around for a website design expert to magically appear, be proactive and surf the web to find a site that you admire. Using a business’ contact page, reach out and ask for a name or two as to who might be able to help you with your new project.

When done this way, you become substantially more effective with your search. Essentially, you’re in control and aren’t left at the mercy of what craigslist can produce for you. Once you’ve found a couple with whom you feel comfortable, ask for a few references and—here’s the shocking part—actually check them out.

Do your due diligence. This is by far the best way to avoid any unpleasant surprises when it comes time for a project to begin.

3) Discuss Where Your Site Will Be Designed

There’s never an exception to this rule—always ask where the development, design and coding of your website will take place. Sure, more than likely, you’re more concerned with who will be taking care of your website than where it will be built. But, if the location is neglected, you could very well find yourself in a world of hurt when an emergency arises.

Imagine hopping online to check out how things are going with your new site and having the ever-dreaded “HTTP 404 Not Found Error” thrown in your face. So, what do you do? You pick up your cell and call your designer.

If he or she is working in India, your phone call will go unanswered due to the time difference. While certainly an outlying situation, this sort of thing happens more often than you might think.

4) Be Upfront About Deadlines and Budget

In any sort of working relationship, whether it involve website design or not, it’s best that mutual understanding takes place before a project begins.

Providing more information about this important tidbit, says Travis Bennett, managing director at Studio Digita, in an interview with CIO.com, “When discussing your project with an agency [or designer], make sure you’re clear on the scope of what will be delivered, the amount of changes you can request, what’s required from your side to provide and the timeline for work to be produced.”

That way, in the end, nobody’s disappointed. So, during your hunt for the ideal website designer, be upfront about both the budget you’re working with and the timetable for what’s to take place.

5) Ensure You Are the One Who Owns the Design and Content

Just because you’re paying an ad agency or website design wizard to build you a custom-made website, doesn’t mean it’s legally yours.

In fact, while looking for a designer, you’ll need to make certain that the person or entity who’s taking on your project is willing to sign over all intellectual property rights.

If you bypass this step, when—and if, mind you—it comes time to sell your business, you could have a hard time bringing in the investment capital you deserve. More often than not, this isn’t an issue. If it is, look elsewhere for help.

Yes, the process of finding a talented, reliable website design professional can be a tedious task. But, when it’s all said and done, if you take the time to do things right, you’ll be more than satisfied.