We receive many compliments on our web site and that makes us very happy. We consider our web site a labour of love. Much thought went into the overall design. But, even more time went into the navigation.

Laurie and I spent weeks determining how to best lay the site out. Sure it had to look pretty, but more importantly we wanted the end user to be able to retrieve information quickly. We wanted our site to be extremely user friendly and we feel we have accomplished this task. We devoted time to the regular review our web statistics to determine the structure of our navigation. Based on the information, the most visited pages were given more prominence within the navigation. We suggest to our clients to review statistics for this very reason. It is a good idea to review visitor trends and to act accordingly.

Recently, we had a client that wanted to move the About Us page to the footer area. We had strongly recommended that this page deserves to be noted within the main navigation because consumers want to get to know you before they make contact. This is a fact. Our client was pretty adamant that the About Us page wasn’t of value and wanted us to move it. At this point, I let Google Analytics do the talking – so to speak. I reviewed the stats with my client and revealed to him that the second most visited page was About Us and as such we should leave things intact. For my client, he immediately realized the importance of interpreting web statistics and the navigation was left untouched.

While the design was extremely important, our work has taught us the importance of an intuitive, user-friendly navigation. Google Analytics proved to be a great tool for us and we use it regularly with our clients. In addition to determining visitors’ habits, learning which keywords are effective aided us in providing search engine friendly content. Content is obviously very crucial to a successful web site and we will elaborate on that in another post.

While design is very important, we highly recommend that you take the time to coordinate your web content and if available, web statistics, and bring that information along with you to your consultation with your web design team. Allow them some time to review it all and together, you can construct the perfect navigation. Much like building a house, the foundation has to be strong and thought out before the building is constructed. A web site is no different. The foundation should be in place before the design begins.

You have finally made the decision to have a web site created or to re-design your current outdated web site. Now what?

You will need to find a web designer but with so many to choose from how do you decide who to work with? Price may be a factor but as most people have figured out from one experience or another, the lowest price is NOT always the best choice. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”.

In doing your research, you may find some companies charging hundreds of dollars for an average site whereas other companies may charge thousands of dollars for a web site. What is the difference between these quotes and what are you really paying for? Some designers may quote less for a project because they simply use templates. They use an existing design and plug your content into it. There is very little room for creativity and you may find that your web site looks like many other sites that you’ve seen. If you are ok with that, no problem. Unfortunately, if the web site doesn’t look professional, you could lose potential customers. As a business owner you want your web site to stand out from the crowd so to speak. You want to quickly grab the attention of potential customers. What better way to do this then with a creative and unique web site. This is a prime example of getting what you pay for. Some web designers will go above and beyond creating a site for you. They are able to market your web site to your clientele while helping you to achieve your marketing objectives. The skills they bring to the table will set you apart from your competition.

A creative web site is not completed in a night. A good designer will research your competition to find ways to make your site unique. A couple of design concepts will be created just for you. From there, meetings will be conducted with the client to tweak the concepts to meet your vision. This process can take a couple of weeks but in the end, you will be very excited to begin marketing your web site. Once the design is approved the site is then “built”. This is the difference between a quick template design and a design that is customized to work hard for your business. You are paying for the web designers skills and expertise.

Some designers will quickly put a site together for you and then you never hear from them again. The more experienced designers will be with you for years to come. They continually offer marketing ideas to help drive traffic to your web site, they understand search engine ranking and will offer advice on how to continually improve your site. Experienced custom web designers will build sites that grow with your company – and that is the ultimate goal isn’t it – to have your company grow over time.

A great web designer is worth the extra investment.

A potential client met with me yesterday and expressed his desire to build his own website. He felt that it would save him loads of money and with all the “free stuff” online, he would be up and running in no time.

This is not a first for us at VOS Web Designs. We come across this situation from time to time and try to be as supportive as we can be, after all we feel everyone deserves an online presence, however, if the project is in the wrong hands, the results can be disastrous.

Now back to meeting. During our conversation, he disclosed that he had absolutely no graphic design background or any html experience, but he felt very comfortable embarking on this web project. (At this point I wondered if I was being pranked.) I asked the gentleman what he did for a living and he explained that he was a home renovator. It would appear a very successful one at that as he had an impressive roster of clients.

I decided to turn things around on him and stated that I was going to renovate my kitchen. I shared with him my lack of knowledge with respect to anything relating to carpentry or tools for that matter. I further went on to explain that I would save money, be in total control of the project, and at the end of the day, be filled with pride because after all I just renovated my kitchen. The look on his face was – you guessed it – priceless. We both had a little smirk on our faces and began to laugh. It was then that he realized that perhaps leaving this web project in the hands of a capable, experienced web designer would be warranted. After all, when you have a thriving construction business, when will he ever find the time to build a website? I do however applaud his enthusiasm.

The moral to this blog entry, hire the right person for the job. You will not regret it. The idea that you will save money is false. You will actually invest much more time in such a project that it will end up costing you more than if you hired the right person. There is no way I will undertake my kitchen renovation. Firstly, I value my health and well being. With all of the power tools out there I would no doubt harm myself. Secondly, I know absolutely nothing about carpentry. Oh sure I have a grand picture in my head of what it will look like, but I realize that I need to hire the right guy or gal to bring my vision to life and that is what an experienced web designer will do for you – make your vision a reality. And finally, the kitchen in our home is the hub of the house and if that room isn’t functioning like a ‘ well-oiled machine’, then everything else starts to suffer, especially my husband. Much like a website sets the tone for a business, the kitchen sets the tone for our home. As such, it deserves the expert touch.

Over the years, we have forged some incredible business relationships. We have had the privilege of watching a lot of our clients’ businesses grow and prosper.  Being a part of that “action” is always exciting.

We pride ourselves on customer service. Our mission statement has remained the same since day one –  ensure our customers feel just as important now as they did when we initially met for the first time.  So how do you keep that “warm and fuzzy” feeling?  A couple of key traits such as being accessible, being a good listener, and adding value when you can.

It is very important to to be accessible to our clients. We are there for the duration of a project of course, but we also make ourselves available to our clients afterwards. We keep the lines of communication open via Social Media or e-newsletters.

Having very good listening skills makes for great client relations. Ensure you are listening when your client is speaking. Don’t be afraid to offer your opinion as required (after all you are the expert in your field right?).   Always ask questions if you are unsure of your client’s direction.  Good communication will make for a very easy, working relationship and allow you to deliver the best product.

We work very hard to find new clients and we want to make sure they stick around. We treat them as we like to be treated. We are courteous, professional, discreet and respectful. No task is too small or too big.  What the client wants, the client gets and rightfully so.

We are very lucky to have the best clients!  Not only do we get the privilege of long-term relationships, but our clients are so grateful that we often get referrals. Referrals are the highest compliment and we ensure everyone that is referred to us gets the best care.

The art of customer service is going, going gone in a lot of areas, but one place that will continue to provide this very important service is right here. So, if you are looking to get pampered, forget the spa, give us a call! We will eliminate the stress of finding the right web designer.

So you have a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account and perhaps an account with LinkedIn.  You feel you have established good practices for keeping all of your accounts up to date with good information for your followers, but how do you know if anyone is reading what you are writing. Is anyone out there?

I have often wondered this very thing myself and I have a little story to share. About a month ago, I used my personal Facebook page to “vent” about an unpleasant experience I encountered one snowy day.  It wasn’t a big rant, but I put my feelings on the page and felt somewhat better after wards. In my mind it was behind me. Or was it?

Less than 30 seconds of updating my Facebook status, my 15 year old son in the next room let out a gasp and said, “Mom, I just read about what happened. I would be upset too.”  I have to tell you that I was amazed that he actually kept on top of my status, but the other thing worth noting is that he read it, interacted with me and it all felt good.

I decided to venture into town to grab some hot coffee and try to put this all behind me.  I entered the shop that I frequent most days and each employee was moved by my Facebook posting. (Keep in mind that my Facebook posting is about 6 minutes old by now) They shared their concern, provided some comfort and acknowledged reading about my adventure. I couldn’t believe how quickly word got around. But more surprising, was that people are out there and they are reading my posts or tweets. How cool I thought!

Now here is the lesson in all of this, my rant was completely toned down by the time I hit “share”. I had the day to cool down before I posted my thoughts on the matter. While I wasn’t really sure anyone cared to follow me, my story demonstrates that people are out there and that whatever you share is there for good. Always remember to be your best when writing and if you are very passionate about something, take a moment or half a day to revisit and edit. There is nothing worse that writing something and wishing you hadn’t published or shared it with the world.

So it would seem that one unpleasant experience opened my eyes to the whole social media “world” and I am convinced it does work. For the naysayers in the crowd that don’t think Social Media is worth it, I say open your mind to it and get writing.

When you are ready to have a new logo designed there are many factors that you should give thought to.

Keep It Simple

First of all, try and keep your logo simple.  Simple logos are easier for your customers to remember and help promote brand recognition.  Think of Nike, McDonalds, Apple and Microsoft to name a few.

What is your business image?

What type of image do you want your company to have – professional, fun, whimsical, creative, etc.  Be sure that your logo reflects the brand image you want to achieve.

Which font style is right for your business?

You should choose a font that is easy to read.  You may feel that a particular font will work well for your type of business but you don’t want your clients to have a hard time deciphering it.  You may be partial to script fonts but it may not be the best choice if your customers have a hard time reading it.

What colour should your logo be?

Colour can make or break a design so you should give consideration to what the meaning may be behind each colour.  For example, green communicates tranquility, health and calmness.  Red evokes strength, passion and aggressiveness while blue gives the feel of authority. 

Final Advice:

Try and create a logo that is unique, memorable and easy to recognize by your clients.  We would definitely recommend hiring a professional to help with this task.  The investment you make in your company logo may greatly affect how your customers perceive your business and ultimately, your business success.

Kelly and I get asked this question quite often.  We have clients who had sites created a few years ago and still love them but wonder if it’s time for a fresh new look.  We realize that investing more money into a web site when you already have one may seem senseless but it is often a great business decision.

Your current web site may offer plenty of information for your clients but does it still grab their attention?   Here are some questions to think about:

1.  Is your web site aestecially pleasing? 
2.  Does your site engage the reader?
3.  Are you encouraging visitors to delve further into your site for additional information? 
4.  Are you connecting with your clients through Social Media? 
5.  Can visitors to your site navigate easily to find the information they are looking for?
6.  Does your web site project the company image that you have worked hard for?
7.  Is there anything that you don’t like about your web site?
8.  Computer monitor sizes have changed – does your web site look to narrow now?

These are just a few questions to get your started.  It can also be helpful to have your staff, friends, family or clients give you feedback on your site as well as possible improvements or changes that they feel would be beneficial to your business.

You should be excited and proud to send potential clients to your web site.  If you find that you are embarassed to send them to your site then you should really consider a change.  This can also be a great time to update your content and to check internal and external links throughout the site for accuracy and potential broken links. 

Keeping your content fresh and updated will engage your reader and keep them coming back for more.  Don’t miss out on this valuable business opportunity.  It’s a new year . . . is it time for a new look? 

If you still aren’t sure, give us a call.  We’d be happy to sit down with you and evaluate your site and offer you some suggestions.

A web site is your greatest marketing tool and as such much thought and time should be given to the About Us page. Did you know that About Us is the most sought after page (after services).  In order for someone to consider whether or not to higher you, they need to get to know you.

The About Us page is a place where you can shine! Tell the world about yourself and your business. What is it that sets you apart from your competitors? If you have a lot of very happy customers, tell everyone about that; include a testimonial or two.  Include a nice photo of yourself. If so inclined, include one of the team that supports you. Take time to recognize those who play a supporting role. Remember there is no “i” in team.

Consumers like to make a connection of sorts and by sharing your story, people will resonate with you and hopefully, drop you a line to establish a business relationship.

So go ahead, tell a story, captivate your audience and dazzle ‘em,  and in no time at all, you will see your sales go up. Make sure your personality shines through. Be genuine. Be you!

This comic is from one of our favorite web sites – Web Designer Depot. Please visit them for inspiration, information and a laugh or two.