Atlanta Web Design – DoubleDome Web Technologies

The creation of a website should be viewed as a cooperative venture. The web designers bring to the table expertise in web design, knowledge of the latest html features, the ability to integrate whatever special features the client desires, techniques for search engine optimization, etc. At first blush, this may make it sound as if the web design company needs no help, such that the client may feel that they should just stay out of the way.

Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s your website and your content that are going to be on display and no one knows better than you which items are most important. That’s why it is critical to spend some serious time organizing your website content in advance. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be as complete as possible. It will ensure that your web designers have a clear picture of what you want to say before they begin work. This will allow them to structure the web design in a manner that is best suited to getting your message across. When websites are built in this manner, everyone wins: the client as well as the web design company.

Designing effective navigation on your website is critical to success.? If people cannot easily navigate on your website they will leave. It is a plain and simple fact. There are some basic web design best practices you should make sure you have before you worry about images, links or flash.

Information Architecture

Information architecture is the backbone and structure of your website. This tells how your web pages are categorized or the taxonomy of your website.

Some common taxonomy elements on a business or corporate web page are:

???? Home – Main Web Page Or Start Page Of A Website
???? About – Information About The Company
???? Services – Services The Company Offers
???? Products – The Products The Company Sells
???? Support – Help For Customers
???? Contact – Section Where Business Phone Number, Address And Email Can Be Found

Organization

Once that you have the structure of your website, the next step is organizing it.

Think about how your customers would navigate through your website when organizing it. You can use storyboards and flow charts to map out exactly how you would like your site browsed.

You can organize into separate directories, one directory or just link to the major pages from the main page. Just make sure it?s easy for the user to follow the paths.

Usability Design

Now that you have the architecture and organization figured out, you can move onto the navigation of your site.

Here are several things you should consider when building your navigation design:

???? Accessibility – the navigation is the most important part of any given page on your website. Make it as accessible as possible to the user and try to avoid using special effects like Flash and Java. They might be neat to look at but will only slow down the navigation of your site.

???? Meaningful – Make all the links very clear to the user. Also, try to avoid using industry terms that might be foreign to visitors. Someone who has never been to your site before should be able to understand where a link will take him or her
???? Understandable – if you use images for you navigation be sure there is text associated with each one
???? Prevalent- The same basic navigation structure should be the same throughout your website. It should appear on every page of your site. Changes should be used in navigation only to tell location within hierarchy

Once you have successfully implemented all three components to effective web navigation you are on your way to having a user friendly website!

Do you think marketing your business?s product or service alone is enough in our fast paced, social media addicted, ADHD medication taking world?

If you answered no, you answered right. With people?s attention spans and free time getting shorter and shorter, a slick and user-friendly website might be the most important tool your business has.

Yet, time after time many businesses leave marketing their website?s to the wayside. Having a website truly isn?t a ?build it and they will come? situation.

If no one knows about your website, they can?t visit and learn about what you have to offer. That?s why marketing your website online and offline is just as important as marketing your service or product.

Here are some suggestions that will make your site a VIP:

Offline Marketing

Many website owners forget that they need to be visible offline where their target market lives. Offline marketing of your website is crucial. Here are some ways to start:
???? Your? business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, flyers, folders and newsletters should all include and emphasize your web address.
???? Print your URL boldly on the front side of direct mail postcards. Printing your URL in a large, attention-getting style will cause the recipient to turn the postcard over and read the other information you want to share with them.
???? Issue a press release announcing anything new or newsworthy on your site. Maybe you’re offering a free report, a free e-course or a different approach to the marketplace that the media will be interested in. Remember to include the URL in the content of your release and in your contact info section as well.
???? On-hold messages are now very ?in? right now for directing people to a site, especially with phone systems that use automatic attendants.
???? If you ever get the opportunity to be interviewed on the radio, make sure you find ways to drop your URL. You can say things like, “On my website, www.buzzyseeds.com, I offer free tips and articles to help customers in their gardening endeavors.” Don’t just say, “On my website …” without mentioning the URL. You should never assume the listener knows the site?s address or how to search for it.
???? Publications are always looking for experts in different fields to write guest columns or articles. At the end of the column or article they’ll usually let you include a few sentences related to your experience and ways to contact you called, a byline. Don?t forget to take this golden opportunity to drop your URL and email address.
???? Key chains, pens and pencils, mouse pads, coffee mugs, as well as any apparel that carry your logo and brand should also include a website address.
???? Billboards, fax cover sheets, vehicles, Yellow Page ads, other printed ads, T-shirts, golf balls and bags should also include your URL.

Online Marketing

Online marketing should be done in junction with the offline marketing mentioned above. Here are some ideas:
???? Online directories. There is thousands of industry related and city based directories. List your business on as many as you can, don?t forget that URL.
???? Ask any marketing partners or business partners to mention your website on their sites. You can also trade mention on sites with partners.
???? Post to online wire services, use online press releases and articles just like the offline method mentioned above.
???? E-mail signatures
???? Social Media, why not let your friends and their friends know about your site. Twitter and Facebook are great sites for fun with a side of networking.? Include your website on your personal page or posting. You never know, your next customer might be the cousin of an old college fraternity brother!
???? Banner advertising on your website, as well as other related sites that your target market visits.
???? Even though people are at your site, mention it often within the text of your web copy. This will reinforce it in the viewers’ minds and help with search engine optimization.
???? Mention your website or include it in your signature for all news group, discussion group or blog postings.
???? Pay-per-click marketing
???? Viral video/You Tube. A funny video could get a laugh and also drive potential customers to your website.

Just remember to be creative with both your online and offline. Remember the girl in New Jersey who auctioned off her stomach for a URL to be displayed on it, or the guy who offered his head for a Super Bowl ad to be tattooed on? Now that’s way to get your name out there!

Now if you could only get your website a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

Unless you’ve just invented something that no one else can sell, what you do offline is crucial to the success of your small business website. Here are 5 offline suggestions for getting you website noticed.

1. All marketing materials should proudly display your website’s URL for additional information. This includes business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, flyers, folders and fax coversheets.

2. If you have a phone system that uses an automated attendant, don’t forget to let your customer and prospects know about information located on your website.

3. Issue press releases on your site and to the news wires. This gives prospects and current customer an idea as to how well you’re doing. They are also great content for search engine crawlers.

4. If you write a guest column or a feature article related to your industry, make sure to mention your website with your contact information. Even your email address will have the URL after the @ sign.

5. Promote your website offline on any of your vehicles, billboards, license plate frames, Yellow Page ads, other printed ads, T-shirts, and any schwag you hand out.

Only time will tell, but our guess is that targeted keyword research and effective search engine optimization will become more critical as people learn to search differently over time.

P.S. When interviewed on the radio or television, plan to mention your website URL. Don’t just say, “On my website …” without mentioning the URL.

DoubleDome Web Technologies is an Atlanta web design company that provides a full range of Internet Marketing services including Custom Web Design, E-commerce Design, Mobile Web Design, Flash Design, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing Service, Website Support, and Web Hosting. DoubleDome is a single point-of-contact for all Internet marketing services for corporate websites, Ad Agency Outsourcing, Business web design and retail e-commerce across the country. For more information about DoubleDome, please visit their website: www.doubledome.com.

Mom always stressed how important first impressions are….

What does your home page say about you or your company? Chances are, if it’s like many websites out there, very little. Many companies realize that websites are a prime marketing channel for their business, but they forget that other people, including potential customers don’t eat, drink, breathe and sleep their products. This means that their website home page ends up being a showcase for whatever company project has the focus at the moment.

Some of the more common elements of a company home page are:

• Products for sale
• News and Press Releases
• Events and Announcements
• Navigation
• Search

What’s missing from many home pages is a clear and concise description of the company. If your customers can’t figure out what you’re trying to sell or do for them right away they might just give up and leave immediately.

What About Existing Customers?
You might be asking, “But our existing customers already know who we are and what we do.” While that is probably true, your Web site should be a ready resource for attracting new customers as well as retaining existing ones. But if the new customers aren’t really sure what you offer, they might leave for a firm that is more clear.

What you should aim for is a balance between providing the tools returning customers crave with the information that new customers need to make the decision to go with your company. This can be just a sentence or two, with links to more if they need or want it. Leaving this out may satisfy one department’s need for one more sentence about their product, but risks alienating new customers before they’ve even gotten to that product.

DoubleDome Web Technologies is an Atlanta web design company that provides a full range of Internet Marketing services including Professional Web Design, E-commerce Web Design, Mobile Web Design, Flash Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Email Marketing Service, Website Support, and Web Hosting. DoubleDome is a single point-of-contact for all Internet marketing services for corporate websites, Ad Agency Outsourcing, Business web design and retail e-commerce across the country. For more information about DoubleDome, please visit their website: www.doubledome.com.