Archive for May, 2009

Integrating Web Design & SEO Strategies

Posted in Uncategorized on May 29th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

diagram seo1 Integrating Web Design & SEO Strategies

 

A web design has to integrate many components in order to build a proper, well balanced website that has all the elements your customers want from your page. But, having customers come to your site is a different ballgame.

 
By combining Web Development and Design principles with Search Engine Optimization tools you can really amplify your sites spectrum. Having an awesome web site that looks like a million bucks and a high volume of traffic for customers to do business with, is what you really need.

 
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques will help you increase your page´s visits and sales online, being in the top web list positions of the main search engines, transforming your site into  an easy, accurate source for web surfers to find you.
SEO techniques are strongly linked with website design. They need to work together in order to provide what users want and search engines need to scan the content for the site to be constantly in search engine´s sight.
When you are designing a webpage with the purpose of selling products / services or want high traffic to a certain sites you might want to have a few pointers to keep a tally of:

 

• Website´s content & information: Information is vital to provide everything your company does and offers. Content is also scanned by web crawlers that browse the World Wide Web searching information to keep updated with the website´s info, helping the process of information discrimination when searching for specific data by using Keywords.

 

• Proper use of keywords: These words or short phrases help direct a search to a specific topic or page.  Every website and topic can be easily found in search engines if you have a set of keywords that compact what is most important in the content and web purpose. Have just a few, too many might become difficult when scanning information in your content.

 
• Content management system: There are many computer software programs design to manage and keep track of the collaborate content you might have or share with others. They help you manage and publish content online.
• Graphics: Using pictures and images on your web design helps ease and support your content. Try to have some pictures and images but not many, also try not to locate pictures on the top of the webpage due to text scanning from other software.   

 

• Dynamic pages: If you use dynamic pages remember that not all spider crawlers read dynamic pages, so you might be losing the content on those sites.

 

• Test your site: To see if every link URL you are directing is working fine and that every aspect of the webpage is running OK.

By developing a webpage adapted for SEO purposes not only are you going to increase visits and sales, but you will probably be in the main engine searches and you will be up to date as frequently as you want to be.

 
Visit us online at http://www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com/ and learn more how to improve your Web Site Design & Development and have a better nicer and effective website.

Letters & Typography Styles

Posted in Uncategorized on May 28th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

 

website designers Letters & Typography Styles  Web site content is always part of a web design structure when creating or remodeling a webpage.   Paragraphs and phrases play an important role inside the location of a website, how are they going to be combined with other elements such as pictures or banners inside its context.

 
 But we actually never stop and look at the big picture or small letters in this case. Letter fonts sometimes pass unnoted, almost invisible to the browser´s eye. Not realizing that typography is an art that investigates and experiments with typefaces, how they influence in reading Habits and how they affect people, having an impact in standard web design guidelines also.

 

 
Depending on the intention and length of a text there are many types of designs available, but not as many as some would like for web design purposes.

 

Choosing a font for your websites has to deal with how long texts are and what you want a specific style to do to the text.

 

There are basically two types of fonts to choose from: Serif and sans serif.

 

1) Serif typeface:  are semi-structured letters that build detail symbols and letters having cross lines at the extremities.

 
2) Sans Serif: These do not have the small features you can see on Serifs. The term sans means “without in French” these are usually used for body text online.

 
 Here are some basic fonts useful and simple for your website:

 
• Times New Roman: Probably needs no introduction. Its availability and reliability on screen has turned this type of letter in one of the most important for printed newspapers magazines and online purposes. It is a serious, formal and old style type. 

 

• Verdana: A Sans serif typeface design to be readable in small sizes and on screens. Created by Microsoft developers it has proven to be effective for heavy content.

 
• Georgia: A companion of Veranda, this typeface was design for clarity on a computer screen, with many characteristics Times New roman has, like slightly narrower form, having a more vertical axis. 

 
• Comic Sans Serif: Was introduced with the internet explorer 3. It is very easy to read  but not considered very serious for news or serious content.

 

There are many other types of letters available and you can choose what’s most appropriate and suitable for your content or headlines.

 
All these typefaces you can find preinstalled on Apple Macintosh and Windows-based computers. And are probably some of the most popular and used in the web.

 

For more information on web design subjects log on to www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com and learn more on how to improve your standard guidelines for web design.

Get the Big Picture: Image Web Design

Posted in Uncategorized on May 27th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

desiners com Get the Big Picture: Image Web Design

Images and illustrations speak more than a thousand words. They are statements of historic events and witness human development and life. Having great pictures in your custom web design is a must and it is just as vital as texts or links, having a huge role in graphic design composition.

 
A picture to upload in your page may be the first step in a long process the image has to go through in order to end up in your screen. The metamorphic changes a picture has to suffer depends on the quality, colors, composition and structure intended for its purpose. Kind of like an image facelift.

Online images have to go through different processes in order to end up in a web site. Even if you just have to upload the image it requires physically converting it to a digital format, if you already have it on a computer you might have to change a thing or two in order to integrate it to a web design composition.

 

• Scan your pictures: If you physically have your pictures in the old fashioned way you can scan them to a computer. Almost every computer will read an imaging scan system predetermined already with the proper software if you have a scanning device hooked up. The digital images are sampled and mapped as a grid of dots or picture elements called (pixels).

 

• Pixel value / Resolution: Depending on the quality you want your images to have, determine the level you want to give to each picture, low medium o high. Increasing the sampling frequency usually helps to increase resolution; pixel resolution depends on the height and width of the image. 

 

• Organize and categorize your images: Once you have your pictures scanned and filed you can choose the ones you want to upload to your website. Depending on the purpose or theme intended you can pick which ones will suite that section or area of the page.

 

• Set up the tonal quality you want: Graduating the light and tone of an image depends on what sensation you want the picture to produce. It can generate a dynamic sensation or a shady feeling, graduate it depending on what you want to achieve. 

 

• File size & compression: In many cases images file sizes are large so they have to be reduced. There are standard compression techniques accessible in software and online. Keep in mind the quality of the image when compressing, it might begin to lose shape and form deteriorating its appearance. 
• Altering or changing images: You can use the full picture or just parts of it. Also manipulate color and texture, if you want it black & white, sepia, red blue you name it. You might want to use an image program in order to make these changes like Photoshop or Adobe fireworks or other programs.

 

Altering and arranging pictures will help the quality of the images substantially. With the proper software you can do unimaginable things, this way you don’t have to go to extremes to obtain that perfect image you want or pay high bucks for a pro to deal with it.

 

Log on to www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com and learn more on how to improve your professional web design and create an awesome web design.

Reinforcing Web Design Strengths: Redirecting Weaknesses

Posted in Uncategorized on May 26th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

designers ilike Reinforcing Web Design Strengths:   Redirecting Weaknesses

 

Creating and designing your webpage has various stages in the process. Some steps you are already good at and some that you will have more difficulty working on, others you will have no idea what they´re about. Remember, creating a site has many parts to be thought of and they all have to perfectly come together and operate as one coherent and useful information element in order to succeed.
You don´t have to be involved 100% in every single step of the Web Design Creation Process, just in charge. Create a list of strengths and weaknesses you have, this will help you master what you already know and strengthen what you don´t. Redirect what you might consider someone could  achieve better, keep track and follow the rest. 

 
Here are some topics you might want to pay attention when creating that list: 

  •  
    The logo and colors you choose directly have to stand for what you’re offering. They build the personality you want for your brand. Choose colors and images that talk about your company’s personality. Also the information in the site has to reflect what you’re selling, with an appropriate, understandable language suitable to visitors.

 

  • Planning the contents has to do with what the page will be about. The information in the site has to reflect what you’re selling, with an appropriate, understandable language suitable to visitors.

 

  •  What website support will you have? How periodically will the site change information, products and updates. How necessary and often will this happen. Depending on your budget, time and goods offered know when to change. Remember web pages are constantly varying, what you are working on and posting today might be old news tomorrow.

 

  •    Check and do some industry research depending on what products / services you offer. Constantly check the competition and what they are doing. This is not to copy competitors or do the same things they are, this way you´ll know what is missing out there to sell. What might work and what might not, changing or redirecting your sales strategies is vital.

  

  • Sustaining you’re webpage and making it productive also has many steps to follow and it might require more than one person to do so. Also additional features that might be helpful to display and illustrate may be necessary.

 

  • Handling money and legal terms requires procedures to take in mind also. What payment facilities will the site have, Pay Pal, Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Depending on Internet terms and conditions what can you offer.

 
All these steps and more have to be decided and need to be taken into consideration when creating your professional website design. Check which ones you are knowledgeable of and start working on them. Leave the rest in hands of people who know how to take care of them.

 
 Visit us online at www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com for web design tips on how to create and improve your webpage.

Eye-Catching Visual Architecture

Posted in Uncategorized on May 21st, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

Web page graphic design tipsCreating a visual composition that “tells a story” or grants a visual narrative is not an easy job. Building a webpage has many elements to be thought of in order to fill all that space you have.

 

Visual design is the organization and/or arrangement of the elements that form a visual composition, in this case a webpage. These elements have to be integrated on a visual work formed by   different communication tools such as text, pictures, multimedia, color and the intention of all those features together to communicate.

 
Visual arts is an art form that works on visual elements such as:  Drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, filmmaking and graphic design among others.

 
Web page graphic design takes all the elements needed on a site and arranges them in a visual coherent way. Eye-catching and easy going, creating a harmony between space, unity, balance of objects, contrast, rhythm, functionality, proximity and form.

 
Keep in mind that all these elements and communicating instruments you need have to be well balanced and pleasant to the eye on your website development.

 
The following elements are basic in graphic design composition. Keeping them present can help you with a superior, more professional creation:

 

 

• Color: Probably the most expressive element of art is used to create depth and illusion. It is used for visual appeal; depending on what sensations or emotions you want to deal with choosing your colors is probably one of the most important steps on webpage and logo creation.

 
• Shape: Created by lines and curves of the elements you wish to have in your site (text pictures etc). It creates interest and gives a form and flow to your site depending on the function of each element within.

 
• Texture: Although you are working on a bi-dimensional plane, the sensation of texture can be created with visual tricks and shapes that people can “feel” without the objects having to pop out of your screen. Giving your page and its elements volume and perspectives.

 
• Form: Also giving a three dimensional sensation in many cases. It is created by two or more objects or shapes. It may be enhanced by tone, texture and color showing height width and depth. 

 
• Value: gives perception and it is very helpful with form. Giving objects a depth sensation. Shading is basically key in this process.

 
Web design and visual composition have a lot of stages to keep in mind. Try to integrate them to build one piece that gathers all aspects you want your visitors to catch. For additional information on how to create a professional web site design log on to www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com

Multicolor Galaxy Web Page Design

Posted in Uncategorized on May 20th, 2009 by Charge – 1 Comment

How to color web design

When creating a website you have an extended list of things to work on. Now that you want to persuade and attract customers and visitors that will stick around your site, buy your products and be informed choosing a thousand things at a time can be pretty complicated. Well color is not the exception and in many cases it is highly underestimated for custom web design.

 
In terms of web design color is an essential aspect when taking into consideration. Deciding what colors your webpage will have depends on what your business will be about. The colors chosen for a children´s webpage will not be the same as a financial webpage or an institutional site. There are Cultural, ethnic and ideological issues among others to keep in mind. Color is a language that speaks to customers, expressing feelings and emotions, happiness and anger, weakness or strength.
The following is an array of colors described in words helpful when deciding what colors better suit your business:

 

• Warm Colors: Red orange and yellow are considered the colors of heat, colors you can see in fire or in the sun. These colors give a sensation of movement heading towards or coming at you.

 

• Neutral colors: Such as black, white, silver, gray and brown apparently appear to be colorless. These help to tone down other colors that might be overpowering by themselves. In some cases blacks, tans, golds and beige colors are considered warm ones. Silver ivory, gray and white may be cooler tones. They change and vary depending on the tone.

 

• Multi colors: By mixing primary with secondary colors you can have the whole rainbow array and more. Remember red, blue, yellow are the primary ones. Orange purple and green are the product of the combination of primary ones, they are secondary colors.

 

 For web development choose between 3 to 5 colors for your webpage and try to balance them in order to create harmony. Pages with a large variety of colors are not generally very attractive and might be very hostile to the eye.

 

Complementary colors are two directly opposite colors that create stability in composition, black being the most frequently used one to contrast.

 

Analogous colors are three or five adjacent colors closed to each other in the color wheel such as three different tones of green or some neighboring yellow that might suit the mix.

 
Choosing the perfect colors for your company´s logo, website background, text and so on may have to do with how special you want your webpage to be. For additional assistance or inquiries please visit us at www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com

Zen what!!!: Quick guide for Zen Cart virtual store design

Posted in Uncategorized on May 19th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

Zen Cart advantages

Your business needs to attain a wider range of customers that can have the products you offer available in just a click. New ways of reaching people you never thought would or could get a hold of what you have, browse and check out your store, your virtual place, buy what you sell. With a variety of options but not sure which one might be better for your business.  Here is one to keep in mind.
Zen cart is a flexible e-commerce tool for online shopping that helps you with the process of selling products/services online and having your own custom web design page. Zen Cart will automate different processes of your business such as payments, number of items sold and available, type of items, shipping charges and other cool stuff as well as selling your products to anyone who has access to a computer around the globe. There are a wide variety of software options and prices available to suit your needs when purchasing or downloading Zen Cart templates and software. 

How to get started designing a Zen Cart web site… easy

 

  •  Create a virtual store: Once you know what product (s) you are offering set up a virtual store with information and content of what you’re offering. Create a theme that will attract your customers, be creative to display your products and promote them online.  Don´t overdo it, try and keep it simple, maintain a balance of everything you will be displaying, texts, pictures and additional items.

 

  • Attract customers: Work on a marketing strategy that better suits your company´s business model.  A variety of marketing techniques are available to launch, promote and keep your site alive and ongoing. Try promotions and other cool things people might like, think like a customer, what can attract more people and what you may offer that nobody else is.

 

  • Payment options: both online and offline payment options are available. Pre-installed payment options are accessible when installing Zen Cart with services such as PayPal web payment standards, the most commonly used in the World Wide Web. Configure the shipping options and tax calculations offered when installing the program. The setup will walk you through the process.  You also have check or money order options or Credit Card payments.

 

  • Choose shipping options:  A variety of alternatives are available when shipping your products. See what the market has to offer, then choose the one (s) that better suits your products and will deliver them on time. Also keep in mind that many business offer free shipping for orders above a certain amount; you can set this up according to your business plan.

 

  • Add languages:  Add global value to your store by having different language setting options. Depending on what languages you might think would work in your store add them, people in other countries or people who don´t speak English may have access to the information and products available, increasing sale opportunities. Not all languages might be available and some don´t work well in browsers.

You have now built a Zen Cart e-commerce web site to start your sales online.  If you have any inquiries visit us online at www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com for more information or to learn how to get a professional design.

Website design tips to create your own

Posted in Uncategorized on May 18th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

Feel an artist urge to create your own corporate website design but just don´t know where to begin. Stay tuned, we got the right steps to get you started and create a real web design work of art.

Tips on how to building an effective website
•    Website planning: First of all think of what you want your webpage to look like and what you want to show in it.  Think of what you can add to your page to impress your visitors and what might attract them, offering a professional web design image.
•    Identify the purpose of your website: what your webpage is intended to and what the users will expect from it. Take into account the audience that the webpage is intended for, who is going to visit your site  and what will you be offering. This is important to determine the purpose of the site, what people might expect to find when visiting the site and identifying your target audience.
Think about who might need the information or services you offer, also keep in mind: information preferences, audience characteristics, computer specifications, and web experience. This will help you develop an effective website that will deliver the desired content for the targeted audience.

•    Content: After having the purpose of your website clear, choose what content you want to have in your page. Create a list of what you might feel is important to have in your webpage, content wise, try to remove any information that is not useful or may not have the content intended for your site.
•  Create your own HTML document: HTML is the most popular language for Webpage development. If you want your page to reach the majority of web browsers HTML is the language you need to use. You have other options like XML, JavaScript or others available in the market but you might be better off using the most accessible one. Upload and start structuring your site.
Information structure/ site map: This gives you an idea of how your web page is structured.  You may begin changing and prioritizing the content and links you want your users to go to.  A documentation or storyboard is important for your structure in order to decide where everything is linked to, having a proper documentation of your site makes it easier to keep track of where everything is and where it goes, usually called a website fireframe.

You have finally created a professional web design that suits your business needs for your site. Any additional information on how to develop your web feel free to visit us online at www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com

Mistakes that Can Flunk Your Web Design- Part I

Posted in Uncategorized on May 15th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

links that change color

You have your business, it is doing good and you finally have come to the point where having a web site becomes indispensable. Before you go nuts trying to cook a dish you are little familiar with, check the elements you must avoid when creating a web design.
1-    PDF files as part of online reading
Imagine you´re visiting a very interesting and appealing web site, you´re surfing your way through pages of information and the bum! The flow gets broken with a PDF file. Even if you try, you will never be able to blend it into the rest of the web site.
The worst part? Content on PDF is simply a nightmare to navigate.
2-    Links that don´t change colors
Visitors need to have a clear understanding of where they are at all times that includes where they have been.  Links are the key on the navigation process. It is very important that people can see the pages they have already visit, or go back to one of the links they have already clicked on.
On achieving this, links changing colors is a must. Users have to be able to tell the difference between the links they have visited and the ones they have not.
3-    Text that can´t be scanned
Because online users don´t read, but scan instead, make evident what your content is all about. This requires online-writing expertise. Here are the tricks:
•    subheads
•    bullet points
•    highlighted keywords
•    short paragraphs
•    a simple writing style
4-    Advertising like
Sure all content on web site´s content is finally intended to sell something, but users will pull away from a site as soon as they feel like they´re being forced to but something. Give your readers a great content that will lead to a purchase, without them even knowing it.
We will continue analyzing the no, no on web design in the second part of this article, don´t forget unless you have the expertise to do it, it is always better to hire a web design business to do a top job for you.

How to Build a Great Web Site

Posted in Uncategorized on May 14th, 2009 by Charge – Be the first to comment

Web sites are a great portal for advertising your business to millions of Users around the world. Don´t have a crappy-looking one; a custom web design requires expertise and some specific steps to become appealing and ultimately successful.

Steps on bulding a great web site
A great web site has a clear goal from the starting point of its creation, it is directed to a specific target group, its navigation is easy and the content and overall look are really appealing.
Clear goal- Understanding the exact goal you wish to achieve by having a web site is the most important element of a great web design, before you go crazy building a web site without an objective, ask yourself the following questions:
•    What type of company/business do I own?
•    How big is it?
•    What do I offer?
•    Who do I sell to?
•    Do I only work locally, nationally or globally?
•    Would I want to eventually expand my market?
•    Who is my competition?
•    What are my strengths?
•    Do I want to merely present myself, sell my products or give information?
Determine who you are, what your goals are and most importantly who your audience is.
Easy to navigate- Have you ever visited a beautiful web site and frustrated yourself not being able to find what you are looking for?
Your site must be easy to navigate. People should be able to know where they are and how to get to elsewhere regardless of where they are in the site. Have a clear idea of your web site before you start building it and always include a site map.
Content and Look- Have a web site that has a simple yet totally appealing design. Trying to stuff your web site with a whole bunch of elements will only make it cloudy. Content is the single most important thing a web site has, keep it appealing, relevant and to the point.

It is always advisable to hire professional web developing services. Visit www.ilikewebsitedesigners.com to get a great affordable web site.