Tag: web design

right-font-for-website

How to Choose the Right Font for Your Website 

Posted on | by Agency Partner Interactive

Selecting the right font for your website is crucial as it can significantly impact your site’s user experience, readability, and overall aesthetics. A well-chosen font can enhance the visual appeal of your content and make it easier for your audience to engage with your site.  

On the other hand, a poor font choice can make your website look unprofessional, sketchy, and difficult to navigate, leading to decreased engagement and conversions and a higher bounce rate. 

In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of font selection for website design and provide some tips for choosing the right font for your website. We will discuss the different types of fonts and their characteristics, how to match fonts with your website’s style and tone and ensure that your font choice is readable on different devices and screen sizes.  

By the end of this blog post, you will better understand how to choose the perfect font for your website and create a visually appealing and engaging online presence. 

Understanding the Role of Fonts in Web Design 

Fonts convey various messages, such as the tone and style of the website’s content, the brand’s personality and values, and the hierarchy of information presented on the page. 

The font can impact the visual hierarchy of the content, making it easier for the user to understand the structure of the information on the page. It can impact the readability of the content, which is essential for retaining the user’s attention and conveying information effectively. A poorly chosen font can be difficult to read, leading to frustration and a negative user experience.  

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Font 

When choosing a font for your website, several factors should be considered to ensure that it enhances the user experience and fits the overall branding and style of your site. 

  • It is essential to choose a font style that matches the overall tone and style of the website’s content. Different font styles can convey different tones and emotions. For example, serif fonts can convey a more traditional and formal tone, while sans-serif fonts can convey a more modern and informal tone. 
  • The font should be large enough to read but not so large that it dominates the page or makes the text difficult to scan. A 16-pixel or larger font size is generally recommended for body text. 
  • The spacing between letters and lines can impact the legibility of the text. Adequate spacing between can improve readability and make scanning easier. 
  • It’s important to choose a font that matches the overall branding and style of the website, which helps create a consistent and cohesive brand identity across different platforms and media. 

Types of Fonts 

Several different types of fonts are available for use on a website, each with unique characteristics and appropriate uses. Here are the most common types of fonts used in web design: 

Serif fonts 

Serifs are tiny lines at the ends of the strokes which make up each letter in this typeface. They are generally associated with traditional and formal styles and are commonly used for print media such as newspapers and books.  

Serif fonts can be easier to read in long paragraphs of text because the serifs help guide the viewer’s eye from one letter to the next. Some examples of serif font styles are Times New Roman and Georgia. 

Sans-serif fonts 

Sans-serif fonts can be easier to read on screens because they have simpler, cleaner lines. They are often associated with more informal or contemporary styles and are commonly used for online content. Some examples of sans-serif font styles are Arial, Helvetica, and Open Sans. These do not have serifs, giving them a cleaner and more modern appearance. 

Script fonts 

These are designed to look like handwriting or calligraphy, with flowing and often decorative letterforms. They are associated with elegance and formality and are commonly used for invitations and branding materials. However, script fonts can be difficult to read in long paragraphs of text and are best used for shorter headlines or titles. Some examples of script fonts are Great Vibes and Pacifico. 

Display fonts 

Display fonts come in various styles, from grungy to elegant, and can be a great way to add personality to your website. These are designed to be eye-catching and attention-grabbing, with bold, decorative letterforms. They are often used for headlines or logos and are meant to be used sparingly. Some examples of display fonts are Lobster and Bebas Neue. 

Best Practices for Choosing and Implementing Fonts 

When choosing and implementing fonts on a website, there are some best practices to keep in mind to ensure optimal readability, accessibility, and overall aesthetic appeal. 

  • Using too many different fonts can make a website look cluttered and confusing. It is generally recommended to limit the number of fonts used to two or three and to use them consistently throughout the website. 
  • Web-safe fonts are available on all operating systems and devices, ensuring that the text will be displayed consistently for all users. Examples of web-safe fonts include Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana. If you use a non-web-safe font, provide a fallback font if the user’s device does not support it. 
  • Make sure the font size and spacing are adequate for users with visual impairments or disabilities. Use high-revolution colors for text and background to make it easier to read for all users. 
  • Implement the fonts using CSS and test them on different device screen sizes to make sure optimal readability and aesthetics. Use a tool like Google Fonts to integrate and manage your chosen fonts easily. 
  • Choose a font that matches the website’s content’s tone, style, and purpose and complements the branding and overall appearance. 

Choosing the Right Font for Your Website  

Choosing the right font for your website is crucial for creating a positive user experience, enhancing readability, and contributing to the overall aesthetic appeal of your site. The font choice can impact the tone, style, and branding of the website and can even affect the user’s perception of your content. 

To select the right font for your web, consider the font style, size, and spacing, and ensure that it matches the overall branding and style of the website. Limit the number of fonts used, use web-safe fonts, consider accessibility, properly implement and test the fonts, and match the font with the content and branding. 

It’s also important to remember that choosing your branding assets like font, logo, and color palette should be strategic, but also fun! Consider your brand’s personality, tone of voice, industry, and target audience when crafting your online presence to create an identity that’s memorable and resonates with your ideal customers.  

By considering your unique identity and following these best practices, you can select and implement the perfect font for your site and create a visually appealing and engaging online presence that enhances the user experience and effectively conveys your message. 

Dallas Web Design Solutions for Your Brand Growth 

Our vision at Agency Partner Interactive is to be the premier partner for providing transformational solutions, resources, and expertise businesses need to achieve their full potential.  

As a full-service digital agency, we leverage best-in-class tools and technologies to deliver solutions for over 1800 web projects. From UI/UX design, custom website design, branding and logo design services, digital marketing, and more, we’ve got everything you need to succeed in today’s digital landscape. 

Trust the top Dallas web design agency to deliver effective, affordable, and high-quality website development services that drive business success. Get your free personalized proposal today! 

website-style

Unique Website Styles to Inspire Your Next Web Project

Posted on | by devops

In today’s digital age, having a website is essential for any business. But with so many styles out there, choosing a creative layout that suits your brand can be overwhelming. In this blog post, we’ll take a deep dive into some of the top website styles and trends in 2023 to inspire your next web project. 

From bold and striking to minimalistic and clean, we’ll showcase the various ways brands use unique design elements to capture their audience’s attention. So, get ready to be energized and discover how to make your website stand out in a crowded online landscape.  

 Agency Partner Interactive has created over 1800 successful web projects for clients spanning all industries. Our websites are optimized for functionality, aesthetics, user experience, and SEO. Want your website to make it on this list? Get in touch with us today to get started!  

Importance of Web Design & Development

Your website is the foundation of your online presence and reflects how your business operates. It’s typically your customers’ first interaction with you, so making a memorable impression is vital.  

If you’re looking to boost your conversion rate, leads, and revenue, a website that truly stands out should be your priority. Here’s why: 

According to Research Gate, 94% of first impressions are design-related, taking 0.05 seconds for users to decide whether they like or dislike a website. 

The visit-to-order conversion rate for well-designed websites can be up to 200% higher than for poorly designed websites, and visit-to-lead conversion can be over 400% higher on sites with superior user experience.   

Unique Website Design Ideas for 2023  

While there’s no shortage of creative website styles on the web, deciding which ideas will work best for you can be challenging. Let’s dive into seven website examples to get your creative juices flowing!   

Apple  

The beauty of Apple’s website is its simplicity. Their website’s primary purpose is to sell sleek products, which translates into their web design. The strategic use of white space, easy-to-read copy, and oversized product images make it easy for users to browse and navigate, keeping their attention focused solely on the buying journey.  

https://www.apple.com/iphone/ 

Swab The World  

Bold colors, negative space, and parallax effects shape the design and experience of Swab The World’s website. As an organization that brings awareness to stem cell donations, they use photos and playful animations to modernize and make accessible a process that’s societally and scientifically complex.   

https://swabtheworld.com/en/  

Spotify Design  

Spotify is known as an innovator in many ways, and one of its newest iterations, Spotify.Design is no exception. As a hub for all things creative and visual, the streaming giant explains to its users who, what, why, and how their platform is exceptional. 

Bold colors, smooth animations, drop shadows, and abstract shapes give the website unique character and depth. These elements are also a prime example of using playful nostalgia as a 2023 web design trend. 

https://spotify.design/  

Hyer  

Winner of CSS Design Awards Website of the Month in 2022, Hyer’s website is clean, easy to navigate, and invites visitors to learn more. The moving airplane illustration grabs the user’s attention and tells a story without taking away from the text. From its use of white space, easy navigation menu, and CTA, it’s everything you need to create a dynamic and immersive user experience.  

https://www.flyhyer.com/  

Lebassis  

For a heavy dose of ’90s and Y2K nostalgia, check out Lebassis. Leandro Assis is a Brazillian lettering artist who creates bright and playful fonts taking inspiration from cartoons and illustrations. The unique graphic style of his work features flat blocks of color, black outlines, and animated effects designed to captivate and create an interactive experience.  

https://lebassis.com/ 

Superlist 

Superlist is a productivity app that changes the way teams and individuals work and collaborate. Their interactive homepage displays examples of how their app works as elements dynamically move and shift as you scroll, enticing visitors to explore the site further. Unique animations, bright colors, and a blend of fonts communicate their brand identity and engage users as they learn more about the product.   

https://www.superlist.com/  

Shopify  

Shopify is a global eCommerce platform enabling users to set up online stores easily. They offer consistent user experience across all devices by adapting CTAs and illustrations for desktop and mobile browsing. Examples of their work scroll and stop when hovering, and their adaptation of CTA placements for device-specific use, streamlining menus, and removing unnecessary elements offer a responsive and intuitive experience.  

https://www.shopify.com/  

The standout theme of 2023 is geared toward immersive experiences. Your website’s aesthetic is a critical factor in whether visitors will stay on your page, but creating an interactive journey is the key to driving engagement. 

Dallas’ Top Web Design Agency  

Feeling inspired? If so, bring your vision to life with the help of Agency Partner Interactive’s award-winning web designers! Our web development process puts your users first and helps drive more leads, conversions, and revenue for your brand. Whether you’re refreshing an existing website or starting from scratch with a custom web design project, we have the tools, resources, and expertise to take your online presence – and business to the next level.   

Ready to get started? Get in touch for a free proposal today! 

online-presence

Why Small Businesses Still Need a Website – Even If They Have a Social Media Presence

Posted on | by devops

In this day and age, it’s more important than ever for small businesses to have a website and develop a robust online presence. While social media is undoubtedly effective for reaching and engaging new audiences, a well-designed website tailored to your brand can help you achieve your long-term goals. In this blog post, we’ll explain the importance of websites for small businesses and where to find the best web development agency to bring your vision to life. 

Why Do I Need a Website and Not Just Social Media? 

Since social media accounts are free to create, easy to manage, and can generate new leads, many business owners may think it’s a one-stop shop for their digital marketing efforts. However, websites are a foundation to enhance the effectiveness of digital strategies like social media marketing, email marketing, and more. 

When people click on your social media, they should be directed to a website that provides opportunities to take action. A website linked to your social media offers the ability to collect valuable customer data and entice them to learn more about your business. Think of social media as the attention grabber and a website as the closer. 

5 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need Websites 

A dynamic online presence in today’s digital world is essential for businesses of all sizes and can make or break your success. A well-designed website is key to unlocking new opportunities and creating a unique experience to serve your customers better. 

Builds trust and credibility 

Establishing trust with your audience is essential regardless of your business’s size or industry. Modern consumers are more skeptical than ever, and not having a website for your business is highly suspicious. 

Anyone can create a social media profile and start posting, but businesses that have taken the necessary steps of buying a domain, adding relevant content and information about their business, and designing a unique website for their brand give users peace of mind that they are dealing with a legitimate company. If people search for your brand only to find your primary source of information is a Facebook or LinkedIn post, they’ll feel like they’ve hit a dead end. 

Ranking and visibility 

A professional website for your small business gives it a chance to rank on search engines. Social media profiles don’t rank nearly as well as a website built with SEO best practices in mind, meaning if you’re only using social media, you’re missing out on organic traffic. 

When searching on Google or other major search engines, every result is typically a page on a website. The right keywords, links, and descriptions on your website give it the SEO it needs to increase visibility. 

As Google is the one source for people to find information, optimizing your website for SEO allows people to find you and can hinge on the success of your business. You can link your social media posts to your website, offering a place for your audience to go if they want to learn more about your company. The links to your social profile boost your website’s rankings as well, complementing each other to attract new visitors and convert them to loyal customers. 

Control and creative freedom 

Your social media efforts are limited by the platform you’re using. You’re subject to ever-changing rules and regulations that limit your ability to market and convey your brand’s message to your audience. Having a website allows you to control the design and content, giving you an advantage over social media platforms that can change their algorithms or policies anytime. 

Building a website enables total creative freedom. You can break free from conventional restrictions and engage users in unique ways. Working with an accredited web development agency like Agency Partner Interactive allows you to collaborate with world-class web designers to create a custom website completely aligned with your brand and tailored to your users’ expectations. 

A website is a reflection of your business 

When people search for your business, your website is typically the first thing they come across. Make the best first impression with a professional, functional, and engaging site that invites them to explore more of what you offer. Small businesses should utilize their website to reach their client base and be able to react and communicate with current and prospective customers. A poorly designed website (or no website at all) conveys to modern consumers that you may not be a reliable or trustworthy company. 

Websites enable business growth 

Growth-focused small businesses wanting to expand their market and attract new customers can benefit from having a website. While social media offers a way to reach new customers, websites can provide: 

  • More information about your brand
  • Give customers access to your business location 
  • Contact forms
  • A platform to sell your products or services online

Getting a website is the first step to enhancing your online presence and putting your brand in an environment where it can thrive. Promote your products, build credibility, and gain a competitive edge. If you’re not on the internet, people won’t be able to find you, and they’ll go somewhere else. 

Website vs Social Media 

Social media is an effective tool for reaching customers and engaging with them more personally. However, you’ll need a website if you’re looking to build and maintain a robust online presence. Websites serve as the foundation for other digital marketing efforts for small businesses and offer benefits that greatly outweigh having just a social media profile. To stay ahead of your competitors and market your brand to new audiences, you’ll need to have both working together to achieve your long-term goals. 

Small Business Web Development Agency 

Agency Partner Interactive is a full-service digital agency that provides award-winning web design solutions and digital marketing services to small businesses. We work to understand your business drivers before leveraging bespoke technology and internet marketing expertise to help brands achieve their full potential. 

Working with a dedicated digital marketing agency is one of the best ways to take your small business to the next level. Starting with a website kickoff meeting, our expert web designers collaborate with you to create a custom web solution aligned with your goals, objectives, and budget. Then, our digital marketing strategists develop interconnected social media marketing, content marketing, and SEO strategies to optimize and maintain your online presence constantly. Get in touch to receive your free personalized proposal today! 

UI-UX-trend

Top 5 UX/UI Trends for 2023

Posted on | by devops

We’ve seen a massive influx of websites and apps that use micro-interactions, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) to create a seamless user experience. Almost every website or app you use today has been designed with one or more of these UX/UI trends. Although many businesses are still trying to get the hang of it all, some trends have already proven their worth — and will only become more critical in the coming years: 

  • Immersive Scrolling 

Immersive scrolling combines two design trends: parallax scrolling and infinite scroll. Parallax scrolling happens when two or more layers scroll at different speeds, creating a 3D effect for your website visitor. 

Infinite scroll adds another dimension to the experience by allowing users to scroll beyond the bottom of a page and load more content as they go. This can be used with parallax scrolling to create an immersive user experience that keeps users engaged with your site. 

  • 3D and Animated Visual Elements 

3D and animated visual elements are becoming more popular because they can create a more captivating experience for your visitors. They can show product features or highlight key information, but the most important thing about 3D and animated visuals is that they’re entertaining for your audience. 

Your website visitors will appreciate the effort you put into making their experience as enjoyable as possible, even if it only lasts for a few seconds, so keep this trend at the top of your mind when designing your 2023 marketing strategy! 

  • Increased Accessibility 

Accessibility is a legal requirement for many websites and is an excellent way to boost customer satisfaction. 

Accessibility is essential for everyone, but it’s especially vital for people with disabilities. That doesn’t mean you need to build an accessible website from scratch. You can start making your site more accessible by following some simple UX design principles: 

  • Empathy: understand the needs of your audience and their concerns when interacting with your brand or website. 
  • User research: this step is an essential part of design and development, but it’s equally important for creating accessible designs. It’s imperative to reach out to a diverse audience, ensuring you are considering individuals with varying cognitive and physical needs. After you understand these concerns, you can resolve their issues with innovative and helpful solutions. 
  • Inclusivity: this aspect is critical for today’s consumers. They want to work with a brand that ensures all audiences feel heard and seen. Individuals with disabilities must be brought into the fold when designing a holistic web and mobile experience. 
  • Navigation: ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is crucial for all audiences, specifically for accessibility purposes. It’s important to give users multiple navigational options. If some users need assistive devices, UI/UX designs need to consider how that impacts their interaction and provide solutions for how users can control how they interact with your site.
  1. Personalization Tools 

Personalization tools are all about making your website more relevant to your customers. It’s a way of creating a more personalized experience for the user by providing them with content tailored specifically to their interests and needs, creating an individualized experience for every visitor. 

Many different personalization methods are available, from simple cookies that track users across multiple devices and sessions to sophisticated AI-powered machine learning algorithms. But no matter which method(s) you choose, it’s important that they give each visitor an individualized experience while also providing value. The goal should always be to ensure that the website is relevant to the user. 

2. Dark and Anti-Light Modes 

Your customers may have experienced eye strain and fatigue from using your website or app. To help them, you can create a “dark mode” option. Dark mode removes bright backgrounds and makes the text on your site easier to read.  

Additionally, if you have visitors with low vision or color blindness, a darker color scheme can offer easier access to your site/app content without straining their eyesight. 

Agency Partner Interactive as Your UI/UX Design Agency 

In summary, UX/UI has become essential to every business’s digital presence in the modern age. It can help you keep up with your competitors, build customer loyalty, attract more audiences, and generate revenue.  

As an award-winning website design and development company, Agency Partner Interactive’s design team can help you create a compelling, inclusive digital presence catered to your audience base. We work to understand your users and build responsive, meaningful, and satisfying experiences for all users. Get your free proposal today! 

graphic-design-vs-web-design

Graphic Design vs Web Design: Which One Is Right for You?

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Graphic Design vs Web Design: Which One Is Right for You?

When it comes to graphic design and web design, there is a lot of overlap. However, there are also some key differences between the two specialties. Let’s explore those differences that can help you decide which type of design is right for your business or career path. 

Keep in mind there is no wrong answer – both graphic and web design can be effective tools for marketing a business. But it’s important to understand the unique strengths of each field so you can make the most informed decision possible.

The TL;DR Digest

The two terms often get mixed up, but one style of design is not inherently like the other. 

While graphic design centers on artistry and creativity, web design zeros in on how each component of a website operates and behaves simultaneously. 

Web design is action-oriented. A user opens a navigational menu, scrolls through the product listings, or maybe watches an informational video on one of the product pages they’ve clicked through to.

Graphic design, however, is stationary. A user can see it or tap it etc., but there is no responsive action in return like with web design. 

Graphic Design Is…

Graphic design combines art and tech to create a cohesive visual message via the 7 basic elements:

  • line
  • shape
  • type
  • texture
  • image
  • space, and
  • color

This can be used in both digital and print.

Web Design Is…

Web design similarly combines art and tech (hence the confusion between the two) to affect the user experience of website planning and creation. This is focused on the 5 basic web design principles:

  • aesthetics
  • interaction
  • content
  • visibility, and
  • usability

Graphic Designers Use…

  • Typography

Text is a visual tool used to help communicate the who and the what of a brand identity. From the serif and typeface to color and hierarchy, typography must cohesively support the tone, grab attention, and establish brand recognition with every dotting of an i and crossing of a t. 

  • Images

Connecting text to images can be a powerful device to express messaging and directives. Consider also how the placement and context of these images can affect the idea or message the image conveys.

  • Layout

Layouts in graphic design means the arrangement of elements to make sure the messaging is clear, accurate, and coherent in its intent.

  • Color

The strategy of color psychology can be a highly influential device for affecting how an observer feels about and interprets the graphic and its message. If a designer is creating a graphic for a wellness and relaxation company, colors associated with serenity and calmness like sage green and cerulean blue will be a much wiser choice than fire-engine red in order to visually support the brand identity, let alone how color also contributes to establishing brand recognition and, yes, brand voice.

…to name just a few of the elements needed to create designs that are used in print and digital media.

Web Designers Use…

  • Content Management Systems or CMS

A content management system is a type of software used for designing, organizing, and modifying website projects. It’s especially helpful for those that are more novice or are not especially skilled and knowledgeable in writing programming code.

  • Programming Languages

For those web designers that prefer to have the ability to truly customize every element of their design, they use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, PHP, and so many other coding languages to help design the visuals for their websites. Generally speaking, each has its own particular design purpose and strength. Knowledge of and experience with these tools is in very high demand for those considering a career in web design.

  • Design Software

Think Photoshop or Sketch. This software is the perfect place for drafting prototypes and guides for how the finished website should look. If not left up to a specific UX designer, they can also help web designers plan and create wireframes for the very structure of the site.

…among many more tools to produce websites that can be viewed on any device.

Check Out a Few of Agency Partner’s Related Posts on Graphic and Web Design

What Does a Graphic Designer Do?

How to Design a Website

Dazzling by Design: The Web Design Process

Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design

A Webbed World: Design vs Development

7 Things to Consider When Choosing a Web Designer

To Wrap It Up

So, what’s the difference between the graphic and web design?

  • Graphic designers focus on creativity – how a design looks and feels. That might use typography, color theory, or illustration to create an eye-catching piece of art.
  • Web designers, on the other hand, are more concerned with how all the parts of a design function together as a system. They need to make sure that everything works well together and that all the elements (text, images, navigation bars, etc.) are easy for users to find and interact with.

If you need some help creating beautiful graphics or designing an effective website, contact our team of experts at Agency Partner to get started on your project today!

 

website-redesign

Why Your Website Needs a Redesign ASAP

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Why Your Website Needs a Redesign ASAP

Think your website looks just fine the way it is? Those homepage sliders and flat color schemes might make you wanna think again…

If you’re not seeing the results you’d like in terms of traffic and conversions, it’s likely time for you to shake things up on your site. Here are Agency Partner’s top reasons why you need to redesign your website ASAP!

On Average…

As a general guideline, it’s recommended you redesign your website about once every two or three years. Quite simply, with the lightning-fast rate of change in the digital sphere, two to three years is all the time it takes for your site’s design to undoubtedly fall behind and look out of date. 

Your site doesn’t mirror your brand anymore
It’s beyond important for your website to match your brand, from aesthetic and identity to voice and messaging. From the second your home or landing page loads for a user, it should be crystal clear who and what exactly the company is. Maybe your site and brand matched when you first launched but you’ve gone through some evolutions into who your entity is today. Time to redesign for who you are now!

Your website is behind the current design trends
Sure, those designs were once fresh and current…but are they still? Take a detailed look at your site and then get to Googling the new ideas and standards in the web design world. This update will keep your company feeling current and savvy. 

Your website doesn’t respond well to all devices

If your site doesn’t automatically adjust and optimize to the device a user is accessing it from, odds are extremely high that the user will either get frustrated or lose interest (or both) in continuing to explore your site. This may be an iPhone, a Tablet, an Android, etc. Think of how it is also very likely negatively impacting your analytics like bounce rate and click-through rate. Don’t miss out on countless opportunities for conversion over a simple user experience issue!

Your website doesn’t give the user your entire service options
You’ve probably expanded your services as your business has grown. Does your sitemap reflect that? If a user isn’t readily aware that you meet their needs, they’re likely to move on to a competitor who they can be sure does meet their needs. It might be time for a redesign to make room for some new pages that cover the details of everything you offer, both old and new!

Your website is not search engine-friendly
The importance of SEO cannot be overstated, and if your site isn’t designed with it in mind, it’s definitely time to redo your website regardless of any other factor! If you aren’t already familiar, read up on best practices for site architecture optimization and even check out our blog post on Web Design Mistakes That Can Harm Your SEO. Ideally, every detail of your site’s coding should be made search engine friendly, from custom landing page URLs and meta descriptions to title tags and even image optimization.

Your website doesn’t maximize your content marketing plan
Site design and content marketing are synergistic for sure. Say you have a blog attached to your company’s site, but the design has the only direct access point buried at the bottom of the page? Because the design isn’t mindful of the user journey to the marketing tool, you’re both limiting your users’ ability to find your content and your own ability to drive lead generation and customer relations – an excellent reason to redo your website!

Your website is based on outdated tech
If your site isn’t current and relevant, why would a potential customer think your company as a whole is up to date? Old tech can weigh down your site processing speeds, dragging down its performance for the user. It also can be a big barrier to search engines and their ability to scan and assess your content for SEO visibility and ranking. Redesign your website for an update that makes it more efficient and supports a positive experience for your users.

Your website is missing important action drivers
Much like design supporting your content marketing, optimized placement of CTAs is so important to the success of your marketing strategies and ultimately your revenue. Make sure the CTA designs are cohesive and thoughtful across all site pages to maximize impact.

Your website is open to vulnerabilities
Using outdated tech can not only harm your credibility and competitive edge but also put the site itself at risk of security attacks. No matter the size of your business, data is always valuable in some way to the wrong set of malicious eyes. Updating your site can be the critical line of defense you need against hacking, viruses, and malware. 

If anything on this list sounds like it applies to your site and its current design, we highly recommend reaching out to our design team at Agency Partner for help. We can work with you to create a site that not only looks great but also reflects the latest digital trends and technologies. Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business – let it be one they remember for the right reasons!

web-design-mistakes

Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design

Your website is a magnet for judgment when it comes to your prospects and your targeted market. And this judgment isn’t limited to the website functionality itself. It carries over into the user’s tendency to perceive the brand or the company as a whole. All of the stats, all of the elements, contingencies, loading time, content, navigation, and especially the design can be detrimental to the chances of turning your visitors into leads and customers.

In the contemporary world of digital marketing and digital solutions, web design & web design trends are both factors for a brand’s success. A flushed, well-designed, & super-functional website can help the company extend its overall sphere of influence as the first impression is the last impression of website design elements.

The difference between obtaining a lead and losing a lead may be as simple as making minor adjustments that change the way users perceive your website the first time they interact with it. With the best ideas and the best delivery mechanisms, coupled with seamless design trends of 2021, you as a digital marketing agency or a stand-alone digital marketer can help your business or organization soar.

Web design defined.

Web design is a process of iteratively strategizing, conceptualizing, and delivering information and overall business functionality in an aesthetically appealing layout.

Visual components of web design encompass the text content, images, videos, colors, fonts, and different elements and shapes like buttons, forms, icons, the spacing between these elements, and the overall layout itself. Design functionality comprises website speed, navigation, animation, user experience, user interaction, general site’s tech architecture, SEO, cross-browser, cross-platform, cross-device design consistency, and responsiveness.

Why is there so much hype around web design?

It’s no secret that website dynamics coupled with functional designs are the backbone of every business these days. In the post-COVID-19 digital economy, having a well-furnished and well-designed website is the key to success for every business.

A well-designed website can help you grow your business as a flawless design creates a great impression on your potential customers inducing them to take the desired action. Common web design mistakes, however, can quickly derail even your best efforts. And while you hear a lot about what to do when designing your website, do you know what not to do?

To give you an edge, we at Agency Partner Interactive have outlined the ten most common website design mistakes that can cause many businesses’ consequences. As your go-to full-service digital agency, we provide you with the industry-leading insights, dynamics, processes, and information along with trends you need to sail your business swiftly in the world of digital marketing.

Here are the top ten most common slip-ups against users and potential leads that visit your website regarding website design.

  1. Ignoring the design-thinking approach.

One of the most notoriously common web design mistakes that web designers make is that they never realize design-thinking as an approach. Today, websites are all about functional and attractive designs with engaging content. However, designers often assume users’ things instead of carrying out extensive user research to understand user needs.

Understanding the design-thinking approach is the key to designing addictive experiences for users. Not sure what design-thinking is? It is a process that understands and identifies customer needs and motivations. It’s a mindset to empathize with the customers, detail their problems, and build solutions to solve them.

  1. Aesthetic design mistakes.

Another web design mistake that most designers need to avoid is not strategizing the visual hierarchy of content, including CTAs. Well devised user journeys can be efficiently implemented by designing efficient visual hierarchies. This can be achieved by using appealing words, colors, images, and small animations.

  1. Not enabling the right functionality.

Skipping the essential step of brainstorming, site mapping, and wireframing is the basis of several web design mistakes—one of the most prominent ones being the poorly configured menu and navigation layout. An improper navigational structure can drive away your website visitors as it’s a pain to scroll through randomly structured websites.

  1. Not adhering to security first, responsive design approach.

Though website security is more of a technical architecture-dependent aspect, to an extent, it is also related to website design and user journeys. How designers depict the user journeys greatly influences how developers implement the designs. If website security is prioritized right from the design stage, many security loopholes can be avoided. For example, putting the business-critical data behind authentication and payment walls.

  1. Too much content.

You run the risk of not delivering the solution your user is looking for with too little information. With too much information, you may end up building a solution that is hard to understand, consume, or access. In their sheer desperation, designers can overwhelm the visitors with resources and end up delivering a highly cluttered website. This approach continues to be successful because it has been trendy since the early days. And maybe to maintain consistency for its users, they still haven’t changed the website design. But you shouldn’t make the same mistake.

One of the common web design mistakes to avoid is not building scalable designs from the very beginning.

  1. Unclear CTA.

Not having a clear CTA is another common web design mistake. Websites are like marketing and sales funnels or pipelines. Your website visitor traverses within that funnel to go from the prospect stage to the converted client stage. Not giving a clear “call to action” at the appropriate places may lead to not converting many hot prospects.

  1. Unconnected images & graphics.

We all know that images and graphics are a critical part of web design. When done well, images can clearly convey the message to the visitor. Done wrong, they can confuse the reader. Many businesses are still not paying attention to their images and are using low-quality and irrelevant images. Don’t make this mistake, as low-quality images will muck up your website and turn off your visitors, which will hurt your conversions.

  1. Omitting multilingual voice-enabled website designs.

Today it is possible to build websites in multiple languages and even add voice interface-based functionalities. But not many designers and website owners are utilizing these web capabilities. If a business has customers in different countries, then websites can be developed in multiple native languages to appeal to target customers. To boost accessibility, a voice-based interface can be added to the website.

  1. Not embracing the power of analytics.

The design, like content, is a creative work that can be improved iteratively. Using sophisticated analytics tools, your website analytics administrator can give you data on how users navigate your website. Also, analytics testing can help you discover broken links. Based on the analytics input, you can find out the flaws in the user journey.

  1. Page titles with low search engine visibility.

Search is the most important way users discover websites. Search is also one of the most important ways users find their way around individual websites. The humble page title is your primary tool to attract new visitors from search listings and help your existing users locate the specific pages they need.

At Agency Partner Interactive, we provide you with the insights, ideas, designs, and delivery flow you need to take your business further.

We are not your average digital agency. We work to understand your business and leverage technology and marketing solutions to generate revenue and increase profits. From SEO and PPC to WordPress and Magento, our web design, website development, branding, e-commerce, and marketing solutions are custom-tailored to suit your business strategy. Experience the best-in-class web design solutions, digital marketing services, and web designs from Agency Partner.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design” instead. Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

 

e-commerce

10 Best e-Commerce Platforms for Small Businesses

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Small Businesses

E-commerce is a thriving industry.. this is a fact. If you are struggling to cope with this, then you should take a look at the following infographic from BigCommerce.

e_commerce_platforms

If you want to start an online store or simply wish to migrate to an existing content management system (CMS), there are fortunately numerous options for you to choose from. 

Here are 10 of the best e-Commerce platforms geared specifically toward small businesses. 

1. Shopify

Benefits: Overall functionality, convenient use
Price: $9-$300.
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 – 2.4% + $0.30

Shopify is a preeminent e-commerce CMS. As one of the more cutting-edge options available, users can take advantage of how convenient it is to use this platform. Both beginners and veteran marketplace teams can excel on this platform with a wide variety of helpful features.

Shopify is also relatively inexpensive. Therefore, if you’re looking for a standard e-commerce platform you can grow with, choosing Shopify is a great selection.

2. BigCommerce

Benefits: Wide selection of themes and designs, broad payment options. 
Price: $29.95 – $249.95
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 – 2.2% + $0.30

BigCommerce is a fierce competitor to Shopify as the e-Commerce industry’s top CMS. Both platforms offer similar features at an identical cost. You can’t really go wrong in choosing either platform.

However, BigCommerce does have some advantages, including a wider selection of themes, designs, and broader payment options. BigCommerce provides a visual store builder, supplying up to 80 different themes. 

Other features include 24/7 support, cloud-hosting, marketing services, conversion optimization tools, and so much more.

3. 3dcart

Benefits: Built-in features, payment options
Price: $19 – $229
Transaction Fee: Varies

3dcart is an ideal alternative to Shopify. Though, the platform has a strong reputation for providing more than 200 built-in features users can take advantage of. Users also have the option to choose an affordable plan and still receive incredible benefits, such as saved carts, real-time shipping rates, unlimited product variants, and one-page checkout.

Furthermore, 3dcart provides more than 100 different payment providers and offers a discount if you use payment gateways they are partnered with. 

4. Volusion

Benefits: Cheap processing rates
Price: $29 – $299
Transaction Fee: 2.15% + $0.30 with Volusion Payments

Volusion is similarly priced compared to Shopify, but it is perhaps more simple-to-use. Many themes on the platform are free, as well as inventory and customer management, sales analytics, and marketing tools. 

Volusion does have some disadvantages, which include an annual sales limit depending on the plan they choose.

There are also a limited number of payment options. While Volusion may not be as advanced as Shopify, it does offer users the opportunity to save money on processing orders. 

Depending on the model of your business, this may be an ideal choice. 

5. PrestaShop

Benefits: Open-source platform 
Price: Free to download
Transaction Fee: Varies

All of the entries on this list so far have been SaaS platforms. Though, depending on your marketplace, an open-source platform may be a better selection. If you are looking for an open-source platform, you should consider choosing PrestaShop.

This platform is completely free to download. This means you will only be responsible for paying for payment processor costs, web hosting, and other developmental resources. 

One underrated feature of PrestaShop is the ability to integrate and run numerous stores from one platform. If you have access to a skilled developer, possess proficient technical knowledge, or are willing to pay for the costs of setting up your marketplace, PrestaShop is a great option. 

6. WooCommerce:

Benefits: Free for WordPress users
Price: Free 
Transaction Fee: Varies

There isn’t much to say about WooCommerce that hasn’t already been stated previously. Compared to Shopify and BigCommerce, WooCommerce is a worthy alternative. This platform gives users the ability to upload an unlimited number of products and integrate with more than 400 applications.

What’s more, is that WooCommerce has been integrated with WordPress. If you are currently using WordPress, you can download WooCommerce for free and begin using it. 

7. Squarespace

Benefits: Ideal for very small retailers
Price: $26 – $40
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30

This list wouldn’t be complete if there wasn’t an option for very small retailers. If you run a shop by yourself or have a limited number of products, Squarespace is an excellent and affordable option.

Squarespace offers all of the features you need to run a successful marketplace. The platform is used mainly to build business websites, so you can expect the templates on there to be professional and clean. 

8. Square Online Store

Benefits: Free hosting
Price: $0 – $79
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30

Square Online Store is very similar to Squarespace. It’s also powered by Weebly, allowing users to create an online store within minutes. Before getting started, you can choose from a bunch of free themes, customize your theme, and start accepting payments instantly. 

Your completed website will come with a free SSL certificate, product options, unlimited products, and so much more. In fact, the most basic plan on this platform is completely free of charge.

If you desire to use a convenient platform with sufficient features for your marketplace, then Square Online Store is for you.

9. Sellfy

Benefits: Selling digital products
Price: $29 – $99
Transaction Fee: Varies

All of the platforms on this list are designed to sell digital products. However, if you are solely looking to sell your products and limit your spending, Sellfy is a great option. On this platform, you can quickly build your marketplace and start processing orders.

Sellfy is best for very small retailers that don’t have a preference of advanced features. 

10. AmeriCommerce

Benefits: High scalability
Price: $24.95 – $299
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 – 2.4% + $0.30

AmericCommerce is similar to Sellfy, but this platform allows you to scale your business over time. Generally speaking, AmeriCommerce will grow as your business grows. You can choose more than 60 free themes and utilize dozens of payment gateways as you improve your marketplace.

Give Us a Call Today!

Do you need direction in choosing the right e-Commerce platform for your business? If so, give us a call at (214) 295-5845 to speak to a member of our award-winning team. 

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “10 Best e-Commerce Platforms for Small Businesses” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

3_outstanding_modern_web_design_trends

3 Outstanding Modern Web Design Trends

Posted on | by devops
Tips From Professional Website Designers

The internet has come a long way since 2005, and even 2015. New types of stylish website trends are constantly popping up and it’s catching the eye of skilled web designers across the country.

It’s no coincidence that many websites look alike from a structural standpoint. Web developers usually take notice of beautiful-looking websites from their clients and adapt. So, what does this mean for you?

If your website isn’t up-to-date on the latest trends, your prospects could ignore it altogether. After all, people generally spend no more than 15 Seconds on a Website, so your first impression certainly matters.

With that said, here are five of the top business website trends that are taking over the internet.

1. Unique Fonts

The efficacy of a website is determined from every aspect of its appearance, even the font. In this case, many websites are using unique fonts throughout their websites to separate sections and show off their corporate style.

For example, take a look at this landing page from Zero.

Zero Task List
Zero Task List

As you can see, the large font at the top of the website separates the header from the footer, effectively funneling leads where the website needs them to go. 

It’s not enough anymore to have a uniform font, but remember to make sure that the font you choose is applicable on all devices. This is essential for making sure that your prospects can see the same font on their computers and mobile devices.

2. Background Videos

Did you know that the Human Brain Processes Video 60,000 times Faster than Text?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then imagine how powerful a video can be. For this purpose, background videos can explain the key points of your business for first-time prospects.

You can sell the features and benefits of your products and services, tell your story, or get creative with a simple background video playing in the background.

Nonetheless, if you do consider adding one to your website, remember to give your users an option to mute the video. Some users prefer silence when they’re doing business, so don’t take that option away from them.

 3. Feature Videos

In addition to background videos, feature videos are used to showcase a specific product or service. Since 42% of B2B Customers Watch Videos when Researching Online Services, creating videos that highlight your offerings is an ideal tactic.

Feature videos are great for potential customers because it explains everything they should know about your products or services without them going through massive text or speaking to a customer support representative.

Refining your leads granularly down your funnel always leads to increased conversions. With many people skeptical about doing business online, feature videos are the way to go.

A great example of a feature video in action comes from InVision. 

Prototyping Mockup Mobile
Prototyping Mock-Up Mobile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This video explains how users can easily access their app. So, what are you waiting for? Do you want to improve your website’s design and interface?

Contact Agency Partner Interactive today to learn more about how we can help you!

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “3 Outstanding Modern Web Design Trends?” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this Blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

 

 

artificial_intelligence_and_the_future_of_web_design

Artificial Intelligence And The Future of Web Design

Posted on | by devops
Tips From Expert Web Developers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has Been Trending in Web Technology for several years. It is used by brands and websites to analyze large amounts of data, improve communication with their Website visitors using chatbots, and it is revolutionizing the way we Design for the Web.

Adobe, Wix and Firedrop are companies that are already using artificial design intelligence to make Web Design easier for their users.

While the technology is not quite there yet, AI will change the way we design websites in the future.

What is Artificial Intelligence for Web Design?

Artificial intelligence is computer science technology that lets machines and computers perform human functions. The technology is programmed by a developer to learn and adjust from its experiences and then apply those adjustments to new inputs. 

AI web design is a form of artificial intelligence that uses machine learning to implement design principles, identify trends, and generate a personalized web design.

Artificial intelligence is Growing at a Rapid Pace with a 14 times increase in the number of active startups in the last ten years. Skills for creating machine learning techniques was one of the top three in-demand skills on Monster.com, and global revenues are projected to increase exponentially by 2025.

Artificial Intelligence Applied to Web Programming

Currently, if you want a website, you have three options:

  • You can learn to code and do it yourself
  • You can design it using a drag-and-drop website builder that doesn’t require coding. Both of these options are time-consuming, requires patience, and design skills;
  • Alternatively, you can get a professional to design it for you, which can be costly. 

Artificial Intelligence can be applied in web programming to add information, update databases, develop codes that solve problems, and help developers Create Apps that are more efficient than human-coded apps. It allows developers to delegate the programmable aspects of design and freedom to be more creative.

Artificial design intelligence could be your best option in the future, for Creating a Website without time and money constraints.

Artificial Intelligence Applied to Web Design

Web design is not only about creativity. It’s also about knowing the best practices of design and how to implement them. AI Virtual Assistants will be available for people who build websites to help simplify the design process and compare it to the Database Of Best Practices.

Artificial Intelligence virtual assistants can create personalized web design by asking the user questions and customizing the content based on their answers such as basic photo editing, and layout and design. 

The most popular virtual assistants currently are Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Google’s Assistant.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence provides the analysis and Data Mining needed to process Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Data. The predictive engines that Artificial Intelligence builds are becoming smarter and create information on what users want.

Websites Using Artificial Intelligence Design

Aside from Adobe, Wix and Firedrop, other websites are using artificial intelligence design at an advanced level.

Google uses a learning AI system called RankBrain. It  impacts search results by guessing words and phrases with a similar meaning. Amazon also uses artificial intelligence for its search results providing users with the appropriate combination of products and tracks customer browser history to offer  recommendations for future purchases.

Netflix uses it to suggest videos to its users based on their viewing history.

Artificial Intelligence technology is becoming part of everything we do. Although the technology is still in the early stages of development, it is the future of web design. Until then, let Agency Partner’s Web Designers help you with your website needs and keep you up to date with the latest artificial intelligence design trends for your website.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “Artificial Intelligence and The Future of Web Design” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this Blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

 

inbound_website_marketing

6 Steps to Creating a Successful Inbound Website.

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Web Development Experts

Inbound websites are the way of future marketing. Analytics surf your content for your businesses interests and funnel specific ads relative to those interests directly to your customers. It’s called Inbound Marketing. Instead of outbound marketing, that of casting a wide net, this method focuses on the conversion of a specific target audience.

Outbound marketing is becoming more ineffective as customers are showing signs of ‘banner blindness’. They want to know why the product is good for them, specifically. There are a number of things to consider to make your website an inbound traffic lane. 

Your Website Sells

Whether it’s blogs, education, a portfolio, or physical products, your website is your first line of sales. Your sales team should be referencing your webpage daily for leads. Your webpage should strive to sell your product for you so that by the time a customer talks to a sales rep, the sale has already been made. 

Your Website is all about the Customer 

Customers want to know they can trust in their time and energy investment. To accomplish this you need to provide valuable content–answer questions, provide education, be up-front, honest, and direct. 

Customers want clear, concise information to get them straight to the point. The best way to deliver that information is video. Customers want to connect and relate to others. They want normal people to review the product and explain to them, specifically, why that product is going to improve their lives. 

Website SEO

You need to be findable on search engines, and that means understanding search engine optimization (SEO) and formatting. You need to consider how your website functions and make it an appealing search result for the analytics. This has a great deal to do with dwell time (how much time a customer is on your page), content freshness (updates of what is on the page as well as how it is presented), website load speed (refresh rates), mobile access (computer to ‘phone conversation), and SSL Certification (the security of your website). 

Experience-Driven Websites

The business needs to express consideration for the customer experience. Your customer wants a personalized experience where information is clear and straightforward. Here questions can be answered quickly and easily, purchasing is a streamlined process, and the service is friendly and approachable. 

Website Conversion Rate 

Conversion rate is that of taking the unknown viewer and turning them into a known repeat customer which can be accomplished by adding a self-selection tool, such as a form, quiz, or chatbot on your website. This process will direct the customer to the desired information without forcing them to hunt through your content, generating data for the analytics to show that your site is providing value. 

Your Business Website  

At the end of the day, the biggest key to website success is you, the business owner. You need to be able to access and use your website with ease: to update content, track analytics, review sales, and provide excellent customer service.

Agency Partner can help you get there by building you a website with these points in mind. We’ll also include an easy to use content management system (CMS), ensuring that the back end work of maintaining and updating your website is a breeze. 

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “6 Steps to Creating a Successful Inbound Website” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

 

android_vs_ios

The Difference Between Android and iOS App Development

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Web Development Experts

Two of the biggest brands, Apple with iOS and Google with Android, are consistently upgrading and reaching new levels within the tech world. Whether they’re improving phone features or fixing bugs, the value by which these companies operate is obvious–to improve the end-user experience.  

To keep users happy, certain aspects of the app development process need to be taken into account. Especially if developers intend to see a return on investment. Essentials such as programming languages, design principles, time constraints, budget, user spending, and location all need to be considered. 

Programming Languages 

The tools used to create an app need to be taken into account. Those with expertise in Java or Kotlin will find Android a viable choice for the development phase, as iOS apps are coded in Swift. When it comes to the building sites, or the Integrative Development Environments (IDE), Studio and Xcode cater to Android and iOS app design respectively. 

Design Principles 

Aesthetics play a crucial role in the success of an app. Visual elements have powerful impacts on users and their concentration or distraction levels. When these elements fit in with the intent of the application, users are inclined to continue using it, based on the ease and enjoyment it provides.

Costing Variations

If you are creating your own app, rather than hiring a specialist, there are no initial costs during the design and development phases. However, publishing your app on the Android and iOS stores will cost a small sum of money. Android has a one time fee of $25 USD, while Apple charges $99 USD annually.

App Store Verification 

App Developers need to be aware of the potential damage that they could do to a brand if their product is not perfect. Android app creators need to be vigilant about potential bugs and errors within their designs, as the screening process prior to launch is carried out by a bot.

Unfortunately, bots are not perfect just yet, which sometimes leads to applications being launched onto stores with minor faults–users are very quick to criticize any faults or bugs that are found. Apple’s verification can take up to three weeks to complete as it undergoes in-house expert scrutiny which makes it possible for rejection. 

Monetizing Applications

As a developer, armed with the knowledge that out of the two audience options, Android users are less likely to pay for apps, there is the chance to capitalize through in-app, optional purchases and the implementation of advertisement banners.

Android And iOS App Development

Developing an app for iOS may seem like a quicker process than doing so for Android, as the developer would only need to consider the Apple product lines released within 5 to 6 years. Whereas, when developing a mobile app for Android it must work on a wider variety of phones and tablets, which use varying Android operating systems. This explains why the app launches and updates are released earlier in iOS.

The end goal is to have the app available on both platforms., however, which can be costly to implement in the beginning. As is evident, when narrowed down to the skeleton, deciding between Android or iOS development systems is not an easy feat, however, the answer lies in the specs as well as the developer’s resources and intent.

With the help of our in-house experts, Agency Partner can assist with the design and development phases of both iOS and Android systems, curating your ideas and transforming them into innovative applications. From mobile versions of websites, restaurant applications, and games, Agency Partner can help you launch your app with ease.

We even provide industry-leading support post-launch, with a team of digital marketers who will make sure that your app is well-received by your target market.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “The Difference Between Android and iOS App Development” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

 

custom_web_application

99 Problems But Custom Application Development Isn’t One

Posted on | by devops
Tips from App Development Experts

Creating a custom application is no small feat and it sounds pretty terrifying to most people, especially if you have no experience. If you happen to need a complex custom application with several integrations to power its features and functionalities, you should opt to hire a professional to take care of the design and development for you.

At a super high level, here is a look at some of the components that go into this effort. 

5 Things to Consider:

1. Choose a Hosting Platform 

A web host is a location where you decide to set up shop for your custom application. It is your landlord to whom you pay rent to house all of your digital content. Each page within your application is a room with its own set of amenities and décor such as the images you display on the walls.

As you can imagine, some applications will have more detail than others depending on the level of attention given to keeping it clean and orderly.

Just like any lease contract, you will want to do your homework when choosing a provider to host your custom app. Read all the terms and conditions and be sure to consider scalability. 

2. Choose a Brand and Domain Name 

A domain name or URL is your location’s home address. A website will typically serve as the front door to your web application — once you’re there, you step right into the app after successfully logging in.

In cases where you are building a custom app for mobile, whether it by for iOS, Android, or a Hybrid app, your website serves to direct people to the app store for downloads and updates.

3. Map It Out 

This step is a process of strategically mapping out the type of furniture and décor that will go in each room. As stated above, each page of your app is its own “room” and each will serve a specific purpose. Your Home Page, or Landing Page, will serve as your front door — the first visual people see upon arriving at your site.

Some people display big beautiful photos on their front door to entice people to enter while others may post their store hours and the services they provide and call it a day. 

Before you start designing or building rooms, you should have a clear strategy for the furniture and décor (i.e. content) that those pages will contain. Whatever you do, at each step, be sure to put yourself in the customer or users’ shoes when making decisions.

4. Design Your Custom Application

The design step is easily the most complicated step for most people because it is the first technical step of building a custom app. People often hire a professional UI/UX designer. UI designers are experts at designing the User Interface, which is what app users interact with at face level. The UI is what you see.

Additionally, a UX designer is someone who is an expert at User Experience design. These designers are a little more technical in nature and they aim to bridge the gap between the User Interface, the end users’ wants and needs, and how all that pertains to the overall business goal of the application. 

5. Keep Up With Maintenance 

Once you are up and running, you will want to ensure everything stays running smoothly and in working order.

You’ll most likely need a maintenance repair person. If a light bulb goes out or the air conditioner breaks, who is meant to repair it? As often as not, hosting providers will offer this as an additional service or as part of a package deal. So it’s worth having a look at the ones that do — especially if you are not very tech-savvy.

As you can see, building a basic application can be simple if you want a simple app for your business. However, the more complexities you add to your application, the more you’ll have to consider as it pertains to scalability, design, and development needs.

Choosing the right web host platform for your business app can be a daunting first step. Although no two applications are the same, all great apps have one thing in common – a plan from start to finish and an ability to consistently improve. You could go it alone, but with Agency Partner, we’ll help you get past any learning curves to ensure that your project creates the most immediate value for your stakeholders.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “99 Problems But Custom Application Development Isn’t One” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

website_design_steps

5 Steps to Build a Website

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Web Design Experts

Creating a website is no small feat and it sounds pretty terrifying to most people, especially if you have no experience. If you happen to need a complex website you could opt to Hire a Professional to take care of it for you; however, for a basic site, you may be able to DIY with a few simple steps, and not too many tools.

Here are five simple steps to get you started:

1. Choose a Hosting Platform 

A web host is a location where you decide to set up shop. It is your landlord to whom you pay rent to house all your digital content.

Each web page is a room with its own set of amenities and decor such as the images you display on the walls. As you can imagine some websites will have more detail than others depending on the level of attention given to keeping it clean and orderly.

Just like any lease contract, you will want to do your homework when choosing a provider to host your website. Read all the terms and conditions.

2. Choose a Domain Name 

A domain name or URL is your location’s home address. What’s cool about building a website is that you get to personalize it and choose your street name. You will want to put some thought into this as this is how people will remember how to find you on the web.

You will want to decide if you want a .com Address or one of the many other options. There is a fee to register a domain name and often you can find web hosting providers that will include a domain name registration as part of a Package Deal, which helps to streamline the process.

3. Map It Out 

This step is primarily strategically mapping out the type of furniture and decor that will go in each room. As stated above, each page is its own room and will serve a specific purpose. Your Home Page, or Landing Page, will serve as your front door–the first visual people see upon arriving at your site.

Some people display big beautiful photos on their front door to entice people to enter while others may post their store hours and the services they provide and call it a day. 

Before you start designing or building rooms, you should have a clear strategy for the furniture and decor (i.e. content) that those pages will contain.

4. Design Your Website

The design step is easily the most complicated step for most people because it is the first technical step of building a website. People often hire a professional even for the most basic websites at this phase after realizing, during the intense learning curve, how much work it can be.

There are, of course, cost-effective options when you Build a Website, but it would serve you well to learn some basic coding. That said, there are web hosting platforms that provide an easier approach to this phase with more drag-and-drop design options.

5. Keep Up With Maintenance 

Once you are up and running and opened your doors for business, you will want to ensure everything stays running smoothly and in working order. You’ll most likely need a maintenance repair person. If a light bulb goes out or the air conditioner breaks, who is meant to repair it?

As often as not, web hosting providers will offer this as an additional service or as part of a package deal. So it’s worth having a look at the ones that do–especially if you are not very tech-savvy.

As you can see, building a basic website can be simple if you want a simple website. However, the more complexities you add to your home, the more work it requires. It can be the difference between a tiny minimalist home in the country to a big house atop a mountain. Both are fully functional and operational, yet one has more bells and whistles to implement and maintain.  

Choosing the right Web Host Platform for your business can be a daunting first step. Although no two sites are the same, all great sites have one thing in common – a plan from start to finish. You could go it alone, but with Agency Partner Interactive, we’ll help you get started on the right foot and build a website that is best suited for you.

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website_design_basics

Web Design Basics to Improve your Foot Traffic

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Web Design Experts

 

7 Web Design Basics to Consider When Making Your Website the Best it Can Be

Web design is fundamentally the same as print design. You’re aiming for something that grabs attention, catches the eye and flows smoothly. The web design basics are the elements of contrasting color, font styles, layout, and borders. All of this is what inspires a customer to explore your site and invest in your content. 

Web Design Move-ability

Move-ability, or flow, is the design and navigation of your site. A crucial part of web design is concise web pages that are not too long with grammatical perfection and working links. That’s your message. We need to access your message with ease.

Web Design Page Layout

How is your foot traffic going to view this page? On a computer? A phone? A projector? Responsive Web Design (RWD) will Change the Perspective of your Web Page to device-appropriate dimensions so that no matter the platform, your website remains understandable and accessible. 
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is an accessible design option that will make creating web design layout a breeze. You can pick from templates or design from scratch. The benefits of CSS is that not only are the options vast, but they will impact every page of your site, saving both time and money as you implement updates to your design. 

Web Design Basics: Cursive Versus Print

Font style is a major component of web design. We already know that print is typically easier to read and understand than cursive. Where wanting to stand out is excellent, some fonts out there come across with the wrong voice or attitude. Aim for a font that reflects the Content of your work. 

Pastels or High Contrast in Web Design

The color Design of your site should reflect the nature of the content being sold. Consider your color wheel when you’re tweaking this Web Design. If I’m selling a yoga blog with classes, I’m going pastels. If I’m selling the Waldorf Astoria, it’s all non-gloss ivory and gold filigree. 

A Web Design Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

In web design, an appropriate picture can convey what too many words will make confusing. Studies have shown that people have an incredibly short attention span. Ensuring that your website features short content with visuals to get the message across will be a better grab than a block of text that the customer has to scroll through endlessly. 

Got the Map to This Web Design?

Navigation is one of the most important aspects of your web design. Links, subheaders, and menus should be visible, accessible and, of course, working. Try to make your pages loop back to each other instead of sending your foot traffic, offsite unless you absolutely have to. You want your foot traffic to engage with your site as long as Possible.

Agency Partner Web Design Software

Picking the right software for your web design can be a trying and annoying experience as so much information out there can be mean trail, error, and loss of time and money. With Agency Partner we’ll help you get on track to get your site up and running with concise information and clear web design. 

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch ” Web Design Basics to Improve your Foot Traffic” instead.

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A Webbed World: Design VS Development - API

A Webbed World: Design VS Development

Posted on | by devops
Design VS Development 
Tips from Web Design and Development Experts

To accurately define the terms, Web Design & Development, the latter first needs to be divided into two components, front-end, and back-end. Each of these plays a purposeful role in the creation, execution, and receptivity of a website. 

Web Design VS Web Development

There is a fusion occurring in the web world. Developers and designers are often mistaken and casually interchanged when discussed. However, their CV’s boast skill sets that differ from the other. Job postings may also get them confused, especially as developers and designers are expanding their knowledge into each other’s fields.

While this gives them both more possibilities and understanding of a broader scope of web work, the two pools are flowing into one, and the water appears murky with confusion. These definitions, in layered order, should add a drop of clarity. 

Back-end Web Development

These developers have in-depth knowledge of how to work with the website’s core. Their focus is on how the site works, and they power it with programs like Java, PHP, Python, Net, Ruby, and more. It is also necessary for them to have a foundational knowledge of both HTML and CSS.

Their ability to communicate with the server is conducted through coded programming languages, which allows them to cultivate the external layout via the website’s back-end. Speed, responsiveness, and efficacy are all essential characteristics of a website, and as administrators of the unseen, the purpose of a back-end developer lies in foundation laying. 

Front-end Web Development 

With languages consisting of HTML, CSS, and Javascript, a front-end Web Developer’s task is to focus on the client’s perspective and build on what the back-end developer has put in place. They’ll fill in details such as drop-down menus, fonts, and sliders. When it comes to being aesthetically-minded, the front-end is the intermediate step between basic development and design.

They’re required to ensure a site or application’s attractiveness, ease of use, and SEO Ability, while a web designer plays purely with the user’s perspective. They employ a form of localization to ensure that the site platform translates across all web and browsing devices and ensure no errors or coding bugs exist. 

Web Design 

Web designers are the visual promoters and creatives of the web world who bring sites and applications to life. Their keen eyes and site-mapping expertise enables them to take an application or website and connect all its aspects for an attractive, harmonious feel and user experience.

They work their magic with balancing proportions of color, weight, texture, complexity, and other creative elements. Additionally, to make sure that the qualities don’t underwhelm or overstimulate the viewer to distraction, they determine the content that is spotlight-worthy.

Designers establish consistency and aesthetic balance for overall site acceptance and enjoyment. Their go-to tools are Adobe Photoshop, Sketch or Illustrator. It is also essential for Web Designers to have HTML, CSS, and Javascript dexterity. 

Back-end, front-end web developers, and web designers each cater to an aspect of the website and application process. It is clear that there are overlaps. While having broad knowledge is empowering, focusing your skills and experience into the skill set of one title is potent. 

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “Design VS Development” instead.

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Dazzling by Design: The Web Design Process - API

The Web Design Process

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Our Full Service Web Design Team

At our web design agency, we would like to believe that nothing happens by accident. Legendary doesn’t happen by birth and great doesn’t just come from good. Sure, some things happen by chance, but great web design is a very intentional, considerate effort. It requires a mixture of experience, artistry, a business case, and a really strong, tested web design process. 

From web design to website development, the unveiling of a new website is almost always a moment for congratulations and celebration — but the weeks leading up to that event are methodical and fairly linear.

Similar to a basketball player such as the late Kobe Bryant, leading up to the big game, a great deal of planning and practice goes into being ready for showtime. Without adequate preparation, there is no way to know if the site is ready for high volumes of traffic, form submissions, calls from customers, and more.  

Kobe Bryant Quote - No Excuses

To get to the point where a website can be deemed a brilliant, new piece of coded architecture, a coordinated effort among a project team of web designers, business analysts, and website developers is a must.

As a full service web design and development agency, we have been refining the full website design process for over 10 years. In that time, we have completed over 1800 digital projects, and from real-world experience we know that a successful website comes from a combination of excellent team players, trustworthy business data, considerate business analysis, and a touch of digital artistry.

So how does success become a reality? Measure twice, cut once… preparation. Great decision-making. Working with an experienced team that has a vision. There is so much that goes into this, but we’ll try and keep this as high level as possible. Keep reading as we dig deeper in the things that go into the website design process.

The Web Design Process is An Intentional, Linear Process

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Unsure of where to start? No problem. Contact our award-winning team today and we’ll walk you through the process.

The steps of the website design and development process are:

  1. Project Discovery Session
  2. Project Planning
  3. Design Phase
  4. Development Phase
  5. User Acceptance Testing and Launch
  6. Website Maintenance (routine)

Step 1: Information Gathering and Discovery

The first part of the web design process is arguably the most important. A friend of ours is famous for saying “measure twice, cut once.” In the web discovery phase, this is where you work to ensure alignment among all stakeholders. The stakeholders for your website project may include the technical project team, business users, customers, and others that count on your website to be a successful, functional business tool.

Whether you are building a custom site, a WordPress site, or a Magento or e-commerce site, make sure to include your digital marketer in this planning effort. A website is a huge part of digital marketing. Without considering the needs and expectations of customers, your market, and even the competition, there is no context for your site.

Without context, your site lacks focus and purpose.

Step 2: Planning Your Website Project

Understanding the objectives of the new website is key. Following your project discovery phase, the project team is able to identify and plan for specific resources that will need to be called upon to address your website’s unique requirements.

By working with you to fully analyze the business goals, objectives, and considerations that were previously discussed, you are now able to set a project timeline. At a high level, this timeline will set expectations for how the project will advance moving forward. This should include a full understanding of milestones, deliverables, and a reiteration of payment schedules.

Step 3: Web Design – A Pixel Perfect User Interface (UI)

This design phase is a fun one because this is where you get to see your great ideas come to life in a more tangible way. In Step 3 your web design will work to create an impactful User Interface that is focused on facilitating a high quality, frictionless User Experience.

So while things are still light and without any code, you have an opportunity to focus on creating a fantastic web experience that is most likely to result in high conversions. Depending on your site’s purpose, your marketing team may tend to measure conversions as form submissions, product purchases, or phone calls.

Some things that come to play in this process are graphic design, user experience (UX), user interface (UI) design, sitemaps, page layouts, and wireframes.

Here is where the fun of throwing creativity into the ring happens — a knockout between Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock, in terms of concept, color, and web design process. Once the ideas have settled and the business logic takes over, style tiles prove to be a great method of ensuring consistency throughout the site. To wrap up the design phase, your project team will look to you for final approval before advancing to the development stage.

Step 4: Web Development and Integrations

This is where things get real. The nuts and bolts of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and HTML (HyperText Markup Language) coding mesh together here, raising the site from being just a static design to being a functional web page.

In this process, code is written to bring your design concepts and mock-ups to life. This is where you see the power of your color palettes, visuals and content come into play as a marketing tool. During the development phase, your marketing team should have ample time to focus on content creation and a full on-page SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy for the new site. 

As a note of advice, you should ensure that there is a road map for onward travel. After all, this site should not be considered a static project and a true website should always be a work in progress; to maintain your site’s health, it will need constant updates and adjustments to meet ongoing browser, device, security, and user needs. Similar to the latest software update that your smartphone mandated, your website requires at least that same frequency of attention (at a bare minimum).

Finally, once your software developers have finished programming your site, it is time to seek final approval before moving on to testing, delivery, and upload.

Step 5: Testing and Delivery

This is the final dress rehearsal before your site launches. All of the pieces of the coding will need a run-through, any link issues ironed out, and final tweaks made so that it is pixel perfect, and ready for the opening night. In this effort, make certain that every button clicks and functions as expected. Also be sure that the site is tested on mobile devices, desktop computers, and even big screens. In 2020, your site should be mobile optimized and responsive. 

‘Creating a buzz’ might seem counter-intuitive for a website but consider fine-tuning your up-to-the-minute keyword and SEO strategy to be exactly this. Make certain to conduct a thorough and competitive keyword research before writing and placing your meta titles, meta tags, and meta descriptions on each webpage. Ongoing SEO costs can vary tremendously, and whether you are seeking local SEO visibility or you require a more national or global online presence, this step is crucial to ensuring that search engines are able to crawl and understand the subject matter of your site. Also, consider placing a Google Analytics tracking code so that you have a basic understanding of site traffic and user behavior. If your website is your company’s primary source of revenue, you might also consider adding some sort of heat mapping analytics tool and leveraging insights that come from Google Search Console. 

Once your site has been fully tested, make sure everyone who is involved in the web design process understands how the whole site runs. And then you are ready… give your software developer or project manager a final approval and then your site is as good as live! 

Step 6: Web Maintenance 

Another essential part of this process is understanding that it will never be finished. As time moves on there will be a million little ways to tweak the setup, ensuring that it continues to be a market-leading website, rather than an old hat that has fallen off the shelf. Routine site speed optimizations are necessary and recurring site updates should be performed to be viewed favorably by search engines and your site’s users. 

In order to keep the site fresh and enticing, keep on top of content, global color and image trends, as well as developments in your field. Most companies will create a monthly budget for website maintenance in order to keep overhead investments predictable and under control. Think of this as a visit to the Web Mechanic – a regular checkup to keep things running smoothly and routine adjustments will help avoid a major accident and drastic overhaul in the future.

 

Still Have Questions? Give Us Call or Submit a Form and Let’s Talk About It. 

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Basic HTML for Internet Marketers - API

Tag, You’re It: Basic HTML for Internet Marketers 

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Digital Marketing Experts

Between the brackets, there is a whole new world that, once uncovered, will unlock many doors for marketers with a basic knowledge of HTML. You can use your coding knowledge to create a variety of headings, format paragraphs, line breaks, lists, and to set up your photos for SEO detection. So prepare to dip into the seemingly secretive world of coded meanings and symbols as we present some basic HTML tips for Internet Marketers.

HTML for Internet Marketers 

Any owner of a website or blog will profess that working with a developer is helpful when getting your content live, yet having a basic knowledge of HTML will save you from always having to dial 911 for assistance. Learning this skill is a liberating and empowering move in the tech-intensive world of today. 
Tip: When using HTML commands, most “opening” tags have a corresponding “closing” tag that nearly matches. The difference is that the closing tag is always preceded by a slash. This tells the computer where to start a command, and where to end the command. Pay close attention to the examples below.

Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks are transporters, one click on a hyperlinked image, word, or sentence and you’re taken to a different document section, an entirely new website, or to begin a download of a PDF or ebook. Hyperlinks shown in blue underlined text, called anchor text. 
The essential key is an opening <a tag and the hypertext reference (href), as shown here:

<a href=”https://www.destinationURL.com”>click this link”</a> 
The result: Click this Link
Arguably, the most important hyperlink is the one that takes your customers to your website so you’ll want to memorize this:

<a href=”https://www.agenypartner.com”>agencypartner</a> 
The result: Agency Partner Interactive. 
Now, simply replace the anchor text with your URL.

Paragraphs and Spacing

The popular paragraph <p> tag is placed at the beginning of, you guessed it, a paragraph. Its closer is the </p> tag. This tells the computer where the paragraph starts and where it ends so it can format it accordingly:

<p>Place your paragraph content between these tags.</p> 
You may find times when you want to reformat elements within the paragraph.
<p>To shorten a line of text, enter a line break like this.<br>
The content will continue on the next line.</p>
To increase the space between lines, say to double-spacing, change the opening paragraph marker to include a line-height command:
<p style=”line-height: 2;”>This will double-space all the lines within your paragraph. You can set this to 1.5 for less space, to 3 for more, etc. Note that this HTML command will only work on the specified paragraph. If you want to use it for multiple paragraphs, you will need to use the line-height tag on each.</p> 

Headings

These eye-catchers are reasonably easy to code and are very important in catching the attention of search engines. They begin at <h1> and move inversely: as the numbers increase, the headings decrease in size:

<h1>Big, Bold and Beautiful!</h1> 

<h2>Resize your headings with ease</h2> 

<h3>Discover the How-To</h3> 

Lists

While they utilize the same format and are both flanked by list-item tags: <li>. Bulleted and numbered lists have additional tags used at the start and finish of each list: <ul> will give you bullets while <ol> is used for numbered lists: 

Bulleted

<ul>
<li>bullet 1</li>
<li>bullet 2</li>
<ul>

Numbered 

<ol>
<li>number 1</li>
<li>number 2</li>
<ol>

Images

Often, picture sizing and image resolution can be troublesome. A good tip is to resize your pictures before uploading. This also maintains proper proportions. 

Labeled images containing keywords have a better chance of being noticed in search results. And, in the off chance that a picture doesn’t load at all, the “alt” text at least provides the user with a better description than “jpeg10678”.

<img>src=”https://agencypartner.com”alt=”place alternative image description here”> 
These tools and basic HTML knowledge are resource savers. A solution that would have taken you hours to discover, are now be easily visible and the glitch resolved with these simple, must-know coding tags. Consider your virtual toolbox upgraded!

Website Kickoff Meeting - Agency Partner Interactive

What to Ask in a Website Kickoff Meeting

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Web Design Agency Experts

For new websites and web redesign projects alike, the website kickoff meeting is the crux of the working relationship between a client and the website design agency. 

Essential to the web design process, this kickoff meeting is the ideal opportunity to identify the high-level scope of the web project and discuss the needs of its stakeholders. To keep everyone focused on the goal and unified in purpose, adequate preparation is crucial. For the most part, the following eight questions are a great foundation for building the website kickoff meeting agenda. By all means, these don’t cover everything, but they help share the basics! 

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Not sure how to begin? Contact our award-winning team today and we’ll walk you through the process.

If it isn’t already clear, let’s just reiterate that this website discovery meeting is the time to explore the tactical roadmap and determine any limitations that may affect the project.

To avoid any future surprises, be sure to invite all the right people — not only the top tier management but everyone who has a stake in the project. If there is anything that you want to include in the meeting agenda, ensure that your project manager has it well ahead of time, and the topic will be integrated into the agenda  of the meeting.

So let’s get to it. Here are eight questions you may be asked during the course of your website kickoff — complete answers to these will maximize the value of everyone’s time and ensure a productive, long-term partnership.

Common Website Discovery Questions

Website redesigns: “What on your site is currently working?”

Most businesses redesign their website once every two to three years, so periodic website redesigns are very normal. Before jumping into this type of project, there is a great deal of benefit to assessing what has been working about your site, and what you would like to see it do differently or better in the future. Asking this will elicit what isn’t working as a matter of course but this question will start the process on a positive note. If any existing user data, such as Google Analytics engagement metrics are available, the team should see that! In the not so distant future, we expect to see high volume websites change their design, dynamically, using artificial intelligence!

Website redesigns: “What do you most want to change about your site?”

Think: “what do I need more of from my website?” Whether you need to boost more sales to your eCommerce site or you’re looking for more phone calls or form submissions, use this as an opportunity to dream big for a couple of minutes. The free flow of ideas should paint a picture of the overall vision, company direction, and tone and style of the target goal for phase 1 of the project. Save the practical issues for later. This is just about establishing a vision and honing in on what the immediate and long-term return on investment should be.

All Web Design Projects: “Who is your site’s target audience?” 

We want to align with all, not part of the website’s target demographic — sidelining anyone is a missed opportunity from the outset. Understanding the needs of the client and how to improve their customers’ experience is the heart of the project, essential to client satisfaction and positive outcomes.

All Web Design Projects: “What is your business goal?”

This is probably the most important question for any website development plan. Are you trying to sell something? Create a sticky site? Or generate leads through an email or newsletter? Find out what the client wants each visitor to do. Knowing the answer will determine the best way to engage customers and spearhead the web design process.

All Web Design Projects: “How would you describe your company?”

These answers will help to establish tone and voice and allow you to build a site in conjunction with the client’s brand. Answers such as, “fun” and “corporate” will determine what the website presentation should be–bright and lighthearted, or serious and direct.

All Web Design Projects: “What is your most important benefit?” 

Remember, customers are interested in benefits — they don’t care much about the features save for how it solves their “problem.” Try to get the client to answer this question in less than three seconds. This will tell you what deep impressions they have about the company (service or product). Exploiting the customer benefits (and indirectly, the product features), the website should grab the site visitor’s attention. 

All Web Design Projects: “How do you fit into your market?” 

Who is the competition? Do you have any alliances? Understanding the successes and failures the competition will provide a wealth of knowledge about the market. Likewise, you may be able to build on the strengths of alliances that stretch the reach of your initial audience. Together, the perspective from these sources will help you discover gaps or identify new opportunities.

All Website Projects: “Within your market, what is your favorite and least favorite site, and why?”

This is a really quick way to discover what inspires your clients. How do their favorite sites look and feel? What is the user experience like? With a little research, you can determine what compels users to return to these sites–what’s engaging and what’s not. 

This may also be a good time to address your clients’ expectations so knowing what they like personally and professionally will ensure you deliver a project that they truly feel comfortable with and that does what it needs to do.

Project Gold

The website kickoff meeting is the opportunity for you to show that you know your stuff. It’s the time to educate the team, develop a cohesive plan, and inspire a: “We Got This Covered” attitude. It’s a process that will pay dividends in the quality of the web design process, the working relationship, and, ultimately, the work produced.

Successfully kicking off a Web Development project takes insights, communication, collaboration, and experience.

Now that you know what to ask in a website kickoff meeting, you can use these questions to guide your client to a definitive plan. Are you building your own site? These questions will help you solidify your goals.

Still need some guidance? 

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Contact our professionals at Agency Partner Interactive today to see how we can help you realize your dream website. For no obligation and at no cost to you, we’ll lead you through a 1 hour brainstorming session. Click below to get started now.

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eCommerce SEO Services Dallas - Agency Partner Interactive

Why eCommerce SEO Matters

Posted on | by devops
Tips from eCommerce Experts

When you are trying to make sure your website is SEO friendly, it’s imperative that you’re on the ball from day one.

Due to the competitive nature of ecommerce, SEO is the critical component needed to raise your website from mediocrity to meticulous. Why? Because the keywords identified by search engines will drive customers to your website. Being a heavy hitter with your SEO means that search engines will place you near the top of the search engine results page (SERP), thus increasing your website’s sales rate.

Maintaining high-quality ecommerce SEO also means that targeted, organic users will easily find your website amidst the plethora of choices. If your ecommerce site SEO is up to scratch, you will appear on the very first page of Google searches. But if you really want to step up your game, you should be aiming for the top three results. At Agency Partner Interactive, we have compiled a list of techniques to whip your website into shape!

Let’s Get this Ball Rolling

Transforming your ecommerce site into a front-runner starts with keyword optimization. These highly targeted keywords need to pay homage to your niche. A good starting point includes using Moz’s Keyword Tool or Google Adwords to research words commonly used in online searches.

Researching your competitors is beneficial for several reasons too. You might feel they are out of your league at the moment, but it’s certain they are using tried-and-tested SEO techniques. There is no shame in borrowing from the best. Also, they may be your competitors, but a strategic collaboration can help you to generate more interest in your website so bear this in mind–a few shared links can go a long way.

When optimizing your own keyword roster, be careful not to be too general, as your website will undoubtedly rank lower. Creating Long-Tail Keywords will almost definitely improve your SEO rating.

Raise the Bar on eCommerce SEO Descriptions

You need to optimize your meta description–the short description shown directly below your page title in the SERPs. Although Google itself doesn’t read this, your customers will. This information is all they have on your site, barring the title and URL, before they decide whether or not you have what they need–so make it concise, clear, and relevant. Your product descriptions will also benefit from a second wind, so research similar products and use them as a guide, but be creative and make yours unique.

Mobile Optimization is a Slam Dunk

As most people use their smartphones to access the internet today, it’s crucial that you swing for the fence here. Make sure your ecommerce site is mobile friendly and you will likely see a boost in your SEO ratings. Before going live, test and retest every page on your website with various smartphone brands. Most importantly, ensure the checkout experience is as convenient as possible.

The Ball is in Your Court

The aforementioned tips are based on years of experience that we have gathered here at Agency Partner. They represent some of the most common tactics used on the web today. You may come across some sticky tricks but some quality research and perseverance will pay off in the long run. However, should you feel the need to chat with an expert, ecommerce SEO is an Agency Partner specialty and we are more than happy to help.

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Web Design Mistakes That Can Harm Your SEO - API

Web Design Mistakes That Can Harm Your SEO

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Digital Marketing Experts

Web design should be classified as an art form in its own right. Just like any other creative work, a website conveys a brand message, communicates with an audience, and on occasion, provokes thoughts deeper than the Mariana Trench.

In the ocean of consumerism, it is vital that your customers experience smooth sailing from the second they embark on your ship. Not only do you need to captain your website like a fish to water, but additionally, you need to be aware of the web design mistakes to avoid.

Bugs naturally occur in website development and too many of these rogue waves could result in a permanent wave goodbye from your customer base. However, if there are any vessels you need to keep at bay, it’s web design mistakes that can harm your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). So if you want to have a whale of a time online, try to adhere to the following tips to avoid rocking the boat!

Is Your Navigation Completely Off The Map?

Ahoy there matey! If you want to really make waves in your industry, you need to make sure that your navigation is simple and straightforward. Reusing tried-and-proven attributes, like the placement of common navigation buttons, is the easiest way to keep things simple.

Running a tight ship here is one of the first things you should consider when building your website. People expect things in an instant, so if it takes too long to find something on your website, your customers are likely to abandon ship. But navigation is just the tip of the iceberg!

Make Sure Your Pages Aren’t Packed Like Sardines

Take a look at all the big fish in your sector and you will quickly realize they are averaging around 300 words per page. Another web design mistake to avoid is too much content. There is a lot of power in whitespace. Pictures and videos can add variety to your website, but use these sparingly. Too much will take longer to load and may even confuse visitors. Keeping your Web Design Responsive and ship-shape will help to Increase your SEO in the long-run.

Stem the Tide With a Good Call To Action

A call to action, or CTA, is simply prompting the user to do something–sign up for an email newsletter or take a simple quiz. From these actions, you’ll gather information about your users. These are your leads.

Without a good call to action, your revenue is going to be a drop in the ocean compared to what it should be. An effective call to action will ensure your conversion rate remains high and creating one is like shooting fish in a barrel. Keep it concise and make sure it tells your customers exactly what to do.

Note These Web Design Mistakes to Avoid Because There Are Plenty More Fish In The Sea

If your SEO is currently drowning under a Tsunami of bigger fish, then it may be time to rethink your Web Design Strategy. As far as the customer is concerned, there are plenty more fish in the sea, so your SEO rating has to be a Great White. You don’t need to find any port in the storm, just implement the suggestions that we at Agency Partner Interactive have made and watch your website splash its way to surf heaven. The world really is your oyster!

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Web Design Changes That Will Impact Your Conversion Rate - API

Web Design Changes That Will Impact Your Conversion Rate

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Digital Marketing Experts

It doesn’t matter if you’re an industry leader or fresh out of college, making those all important web design changes can determine your business’s future. 

Your online presence and popularity are highly dependent on a small number of crucial factors, one being your marketing dexterity. What is this exactly? Your ability to connect and communicate with your target market is essential, and the occasional free sample won’t do you any harm.

But what if we said that website design is the most vital factor when thinking about conversion rates? Imagine walking into a shop and choosing not to purchase something because you dislike their wallpaper. With an average attention span of around eight seconds nowadays, people make their decisions very quickly. As your website design is the very first thing people will notice, it’s paramount that it stands out for all the right reasons.

All Roads Lead to Home…

…at least they should, anyway. Ensuring that your website design features simple navigation is one of the first steps you can take toward boosting your conversion rates. The fundamental rule is to make navigation from one part of the website to another as quick, simple, and painless as possible. Ideally, this should never be more than a single click regardless of where on the site you currently are. This makes it easy for your visitors to take favorable actions.

Pages overflowing with instructions are going to appear monotonous, so a minimalist design with plenty of white space and snippets of text will come across as elegant and professional – novelties that will surely entice your audience.

Don’t Fall Off the Bandwagon

As it stands, projections suggest that by 2020 nearly 3 billion people around the world will be using their smartphones to access a website. That is well over one-third of the global population – a huge piece of the pie indeed!

Therefore, it seems favorable to optimize your web design to account for such a proportional figure. Stuffing every detail of each page into such a small space might be impossible, so it is essential that you prioritize. A call-to-action at the top of each mobile page will be a terrific start, and footing these pages with contact information will provide a solid foundation. The rest of each page can be toyed with at your leisure. Just remember that customers don’t want to be scrolling until the end of the week.

Further Expertise on Web Design Changes

There are dozens, if not hundreds of websites out there that can aid in web design changes. However, and without trying to blow our own trumpet too much, we are among the best at what we do – our online portfolio is a testament to this.

If you want your conversion rates to compete with some of the most successful online brands, start thinking seriously about web design changes you can make right now. Here at Accunity, we are passionate about taking your website into the 2020s with some of the most creative tools and minds available. So what are you waiting for? Even web design changes are just a click away!

Summing It Up

At Agency Partner Interactive, we can help you navigate the tides of change. In addition to Website Design and content creation, we offer social media marketing, LinkedIn lead generation, Brand Strategist, and Business Consulting.

Contact us to talk to an experienced professional who can help set your business onto the right trajectory.

Reach out today and let’s talk about how we can help make you successful.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “Website Design Changes That Will Impact Your Conversion Rate” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

 

 

How to Create a Website in 10 Super Easy Steps

How to Create a Website in 10 Steps

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Web Design Experts

To make progress in today’s world, whether as a blogger, business, or solo-artist, you need a killer website – something with flair and panache, packed with handy features and enticing designs. Follow our 10-step guide to successfully build exactly that.

Domain: It’s All In The Name

If you want to create an effective website, the essential first step is choosing a domain name and registering it with a domain registrar. When you go to the registrar’s site, they will tell you whether the domain name that you would like to use is available, and offer alternatives if it’s not. A good domain name enhances both the brand identity and credibility of your business when it is launched on the internet.

Make a Plan, Stan

So, you’ve got the domain name but you don’t want to be the same as your competition. Now is the time to develop a brand strategy; identify how to create a website that brings equilibrium between your brand identity and goals to transcend from the playing field of competition.  Perhaps you would like your website to be an extension of your brick-and-mortar store, or to fly solo as a revolutionary revenue rendering venture, or, maybe, your site may just be an additional marketing tool of your in-person services.

Don’t Make a Mess of Things

Do you know what impresses audiences the most? A damn good image. So, that’s what you need to portray! If you’ve got great content, you need a great website.
Who likes a pop-up? Not us. Good chance your audience isn’t too fond of them either. Get rid of ads, they are reminiscent of the old-fashioned, incredibly annoying, salesperson who hounds you as soon as you enter a shop. Don’t be that person.
Make sure that everything is easily accessible. Your audience does not want to trawl through a never-ending maze of pages to find the product or content that they need. Keep your website clean, concise, up-to-date, and easy-to-navigate. If you fail to meet these basic requirements, your website traffic will suffer, as will your potential earnings. Click-throughs on your website will only convert to a swift exit.

Give ‘em a Freebie

One of the very best sales techniques to date is free content. Make way premium, enter freemium. When companies sell content services, people will look at their website because, well, that’s what they want. The problem is, if they are hit with a price-tag upon entrance, it will turn them off. Everybody loves a freebie. So, instead of telling a person that you want money, entice them something gratis. The method is no different to angling; when you cast a hook into the lake, a fish looks at it and thinks, ‘well, that’s a hook, best swim away’, but if there’s a tasty grub-worm on there, they jump straight on it.

Psychological Lights: The Flow of Traffic

Traffic is the most crucial factor when it comes to a successful website. Once you generate visitors, you create a reliable revenue source. But until that time, your website will be relatively redundant, excellent though it may be.

Like Glue

Your website will quickly fall stagnant if you don’t work on generating traffic. You need to divert the flow of internet users all the way to your website, and then slap on the red-light, so they stay stationary in front of your product or services.
You can make the masses stay by posting consistent, quality content that informs them of relevant and timely information. Furthermore, you should be implementing emotion-evoking and engaging photographs, feedback surveys, and anything else that shows your business is better than the competition. First, though, you need to get the traffic to your location.

Search Engine Optimization

How do you get traffic? Simple: develop a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. Ensure that there are targeted keywords and phrases interwoven throughout your content, including articles, picture alt-text, product titles, meta descriptions, and product-related texts. Utilizing keywords will help your website rank higher on major search engines, like Google, and will help your audience find you when they require your products and services.

Incorporate Social Media

Social media is fast becoming one of the most dependable sources of advertisement for businesses online. According to Statistica.com, nearly one-third of the world’s population will be active social media users by 2021. The scope of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter has grown exponentially over the past few years, and so, you need to jump on the trend.
Imagine and implement a social media strategy and have your in-house team schedule posts across each platform, inviting people to check out your website. Using social media is the best opportunity you have to market your “freemium” content.
Hook, line, and sinker.

Going Mobile

Now that we’ve touched on the influence of social media, we should also consider the devices from which your site will be accessed. Given that eight in ten Americans now use their mobile devices for online shopping, weekly, you need to make sure that your website is correctly optimized to suit that consumer demand. So when you plan that beautiful website, you need to be sure that it is optimized to load fast and that the layout is conducive to the smaller screens indicative of smartphones and tablets.

Analytics

Much like Big Brother, you can monitor your audience activities through web analytic tools. You can take a look at your visitors’ habits and analyze their viewing and clicking habits. Using analytics will paint a picture of trends on your website. Viewers may stay on a particular page for longer than another, or certain links may be clicked more often. From this information, you can develop your website to address their needs.

Summing Things Up

So, there’s our 10-step guide on how to create a website. One of the first things you will get into once your project begins is the web design discovery process. To understand what role it plays and its importance to the overall process, read our other blog titled “The Web Design Discovery Process.”
Remember, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and neither will your online success. However, if you implement our advanced tactics, or have our professionals at Agency Partner do it for you, your “Rome” will be built with modern expertise, and your website will reach new heights considerably faster than you expect. Contact us today and let’s talk about how we can help make you successful.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “How to Create a Website in 10 Easy Steps” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Watch it below.

website launch checklist

Creating a Website Launch Checklist

Posted on | by devops
Streamline your web design project

If you are currently preparing a new website or redesigning an existing one, you’ll know that it is both an exciting and daunting task. Like a well-oiled engine, there are lots of moving parts. To keep the project running smoothly, make sure that you pay attention to all of the little details; the creation of a website runs smoothly, but only if communication is effective and understanding between clients and developers is solid.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to ensure that your website launch is a success.

Make an Itinerary

Prepare a checklist titled ‘project management’ for your website. Create a website launch checklist, detailing what content and calls-to-action you need on the website.
Section your checklist to three parts:

  1. Content,
  2. Design, and
  3. Development.

From there, list the specific tasks, set deadlines, and assign them to the respective professionals. This will act as a comprehensive plan of action, leading up to the set launch date.

Prep a Staging Site

A staging site acts as a mirror image of your final website, hosted privately, away from the public domain. Staging sites are used to prepare content and make any necessary edits ahead of the live-launch of your final website.

The Testing Process

Once you’ve got your website made and fresh content uploaded to your staging site, start running tests to ensure that the website works as it should. Make sure that you test each and every component of the website, double-checking that everything flows and that there are no bugs.

If there are any bugs, bounce it back to development for a fix.

Start Operation Testing

When you’re ready to start your final testing, bring a halt to all content and coding processes, and test the following aspects of your website:

Website Running Speed:

  • The speed of your website affects the user experience and everything that comes with it – including the conversion rate, as well as your Google web search ranking.

Images:

  • Double-check that all of the images within your content are consistent in both quality and size. Also, ensure that your designers have included alt text tags with each and that the images are compressed for the web as these play a key part in the webpage load time.

Check your SEO:

  • Search Engine Optimization is the most important factor of a website that wants to rank well on search engines. Make sure that every web page features a unique meta description and appropriate title tag. Everything on your site should be optimized, but your priorities should be the titles, headings, and body content; the titles of each image and respective alt texts; and the URL for each page.

Mobile Optimization:

  • Most people browse the web via their cellular device. With that in mind, you need to make sure that your website is accessible and appealing to both desktop and cell phone users. Also, Google’s algorithm rewards your website with higher search engine rankings if it is optimized for both. So, get that right.

Test The Forms:

  • Forms are an important part of a website, and if yours incorporates any, make sure that they work correctly. Check that the forms lead to the intended webpage, or that they successfully trigger an email.

Test Your Links:

  • There isn’t much that’s more frustrating than clicking on a link and being redirected to the wrong page. Test all of your links to ensure that every button matches up.

Check Your Content:

  • Proofread all of your content, checking for grammatical errors, and keep an eye out for any ‘stock’ placeholder text on any templates, making sure that they are all replaced with your content.

Make Sure Your Formatting Is Correct:

  • Font codes are easily positioned in the wrong segments of websites during the coding phase. Double-check that your webpages do not fall foul of this common mistake; make sure that everything looks consistent and there aren’t any random anomalies.

Think Safety First

Safety is a big factor for businesses on and off the web. Make sure that your website features an SSL certificate. An SSL assures users that your website is encrypted and, subsequently, any data exchanged on your website cannot be intercepted by hackers. Google now incorporates SSL certificates into its rankings, and so, it’s a great plus if you have one.

Map Out Your Site Correctly

All websites have an XML sitemap, which is a file of code hosted on your site’s server. The XML is what Google’s search engine looks at, and it lists every relevant URL that your website uses for the structure.

Check the Legality of Content

Copyright rules everything, these days, from music and imagery to content. Make sure that your website doesn’t have any copyright issues or trademark infringements, and consult a legal team about writing a Privacy Policy for your website. The Privacy Policy will detail the information that you collect from your users, like cookies, and how you use the collated data, ensuring transparency between business and audience.

Run the Stress Test

If you are expecting high volumes of traffic on your website post-launch, you should run a stress test before releasing. The stress test will simulate virtual visitors, showing you, roughly, how much traffic strain your website can take before it loses the ability to run correctly. If you allow your website to reach a faulty state, at any point, users will start to disengage from your brand.

Post-Launch Preparation

Neglected websites are the worst. When yours goes live, it will be fully-functional, attractive, and well-positioned. This can change quickly. To avoid looking like an uncaring business, prepare to make enhancements for post-launch.
Create a document and list anything that you couldn’t manage ahead of the launch but would like to add to the website. After the launch, pay attention to the needs of your user-base; plan to incorporate additional features as and when needed.

Keep in Contact

You need to keep a positive relationship with all of the relevant members of your team and stakeholders. If any issues arise further down the line, these guys will be your go-to squad, there to rescue your website.

The Final Tick on Your Website Launch Checklist

You and your team will have worked incredibly hard to reach this point, but it isn’t over just yet. The day of launch will be a busy one, with the entire team present and ready to rectify any initial unexpected issues that your website may encounter. Also, make sure to submit your XML sitemap to all of the major search engines on which you’d like to be featured. Spread the word about your website launch via any and all media platforms, and then, tick off the final box your website launch checklist.

Summing Things Up

If you think this process sounds intimidating, we can help. At Agency Partner Interactive, our web design and digital experts can walk you through each stage of the process, as well as provide digital support services such as digital marketing and IT strategy consulting. Contact us today and let’s talk about how we can help make you successful.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “Creating a Website Launch Checklist” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Watch it below.