Building a website is like doing a puzzle: everything has its place
But it’s only a very small puzzle, because web design, web development and SEO are the only pieces. And it’s also a very complex puzzle because after separating the three, you realise that each piece is a puzzle within itself.
It’s like the movie Inception. Dreams within dreams within dreams.
The point is that when executed correctly, web design, web development and SEO all fit together in a very smart and strategic way. To get your website working properly, you have to put the pieces in the right place.
The relationship between web design, development and SEO
A functioning website that delivers a positive user experience requires expert integration of web design, development and SEO.
Popular websites are most often the ones that don’t require any effort to use. If a user can arrive on a page and start interacting with it immediately and without difficulty, they are much more likely to stay on your site – and much more likely to convert to a sale.
Make sure it’s mobile friendly
Every person and their dog has a mobile these days, and it’s important that you cater to their digital needs.
Making your website mobile-friendly means being able to reach people when they’re out and about – and not only when they’re on their computers at home.
Optimise your content
All of the content on your website must be optimised. Not only that, but it must also be clear, coherent and easy for users to read and digest.
Optimising content means writing informative, attention-grabbing articles and general web page copy that is sprinkled with strategically placed keywords.
Is it easy to navigate?
Web design enables you to create a user flow that is easy for potential customers to follow when they land on your site.
Developing the functionality is what allows them to move from page to page with ease. If your website offers a simple user experience, it is more likely to have increased session times and lower bounce rates.
Loading times
In this age of instant gratification and short attention spans, website speed is everything. You will have approximately 2 seconds to capture users – any more than 3, and half of your visitors will abandon ship.
To speed up loading times, image, audio and video files need to be condensed. Code must be written correctly as well. Page speed doesn’t just affect users; it affects Google, too.
If your site speed is slow, Google will crawl and index fewer pages, which means that you’ll end up with less visibility in the search engine’s page results.
Web design, development and SEO go hand-in-hand
To build a website that functions smoothly offers an enjoyable user experience and shows up on Google (or other search engines), your web design, development and SEO need to be effectively integrated.
The team at Ven can build your site from scratch >
The first step in the website building process
When it comes to creating a brand new website, web design is the first step to getting the project off the ground.
It’s where the initial idea comes together in a visual conceptualisation of the goals and offerings of your business.
Although web design doesn’t involve any coding language, it does take into consideration site functionality and user experience.
5 key elements of web design
1. Graphics
Web graphics include everything from logos, icons and images to maps, patterns and shapes.
It is important with graphics to consider the user experience – if the graphics are packed too tight and displayed in a disorderly fashion, it could lead to slower loading times or user overwhelm.
2. Layout
Without a layout, there would be anarchy! The layout refers to the positioning of the elements featured on each page.
A page’s layout will vary depending on its purpose and the information it contains. An About page will usually have a different layout to that of a Home page or a Contact page.
3. Fonts
Web-safe fonts are a group of fonts that web browsers are able to read and display (there are some that they can’t). When designing your site, it’s imperative that you only use web-safe fonts.
Whichever font you choose, it should always be easy to read. If your font isn’t easily legible, visitors to your site will click away quick-smart.
4. Colour
Colour psychology might sound a little hippie-ish, but it’s a real thing! It refers to the capacity colours have to elicit different reactions from your audience.
Your colour choice will vary depending on your target clientele and the message you want your business to send.
Every colour draws out different emotions. For example, where black is aligned with style and elegance, blue elicits a feeling of trust, loyalty and confidence.
5. Content
Written content includes anything with text – that means headings, subheadings, blogs, blurbs, quotes etc.
A website is nothing without its content. While the design only requires dummy text, it is your job to ensure that any content on your site is easy to read, engaging and SEO-friendly.
Web design is where your idea becomes a reality
Just like a writer puts their ideas down on paper, so does your web designer. They take your concept and create a look and feel that tells your story, often in a way that you couldn’t have imagined.
With a professional, talented web designer on hand to help conceptualise your business’ website, you can rest easy knowing that your project is in creative, competent hands.
Looking for a crew of creative web designers to bring your site to life? Talk to our team >
The coronavirus outbreak will affect Australia in more ways than one
With the global tragedy of the coronavirus taking its toll on many people, it also has much further reaching repercussions.
As a result of the coronavirus, Australia is seeing a significant drop in international travel as well as the scaling back of outsourced manufacturing in Chinese-based factories.
This impacts Australia – and the world – in more ways than one. And finding our footing during this time means turning to local businesses to help support our larger Australian brands.
As Australia’s dollar drops, the country turns its gaze inwards
The Australian dollar is the weakest it has been in 11 years. Having tumbled to the lowest level since the global financial crisis of 2007-2009, it is currently sitting at 66.50 US cents.
While this drop was not caused by the coronavirus, the infectious disease is affecting the Australian market in other ways – and it could cost the country $12 billion in exports.
This is where your small business comes in
EVen though the dollar is dropping, it’s not all doom and gloom! As history has shown, some of the most powerful businesses in the world began during times of hardship.
Burger King started out following the end of the Korean War. During a time when everyone else was busy worrying about inflation, founders Kieth J. Kramer and Matthew Burns decided to sell some good old American fast food instead.
Walt Disney began right in the middle of the Great Depression – and look at them now! One of the world’s largest media conglomerates, it beat the financial crisis odds and stuck around to tell the tale.
So now is not the time to sit quietly, but rather to take action. As Mark Zuckerberg famously said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk.”
Because what if your small business becomes the next cutting-edge conglomerate?
The dollar may be falling, but the potential boom for local business is rising
Amid warnings of a recession and the prediction that billions of dollars will be lost in exports due to the coronavirus outbreak, local businesses now have the potential to step up and provide for consumers where larger businesses no longer can.
As the dollar continues to drop, big brands will be turning towards small, local businesses for help. And as an alternative to American-sourced goods, small businesses will have the capacity to deliver food, clothes and general goods at a cost more affordable to all.
It’s time to take a stand
As Australia navigates this turbulent time, large businesses that once outsourced their manufacturing to other countries will now be looking to local businesses for help.
And here’s looking at you, pal! With everyone from big brands through to neighbourhood locals knocking on your storefront door, you’ll have the opportunity to provide for people in a way that you might not have been able to before.
The Australian economy is unbalanced, yes. But all hope is not lost! Because your business could very well be the one to recentre it.
From Black Friday to Boxing Day and everything in between
Huge sales eVents come around multiple times a year and it’s important for your small business to be ready for them.
Whether you operate a brick and mortar store, offer a service or have an online-based business, preparing for these major sales eVents will turn a hectic shopping season into a stress-free success.
We’ve compiled a list of top tips to help get your small business ready for when the next big sales day rolls around.
5 ways to get your business sales-day ready
1. Listen to what your customers want
The product you’re selling, or the service you offer, is for your customers. And because it’s for your customers, it’s crucial that you listen to what they have to say.
What are they talking about? How do they feel about your product? Do they want a pricier alternative that works or a cheaper one that only semi-does?
Research everything that you can about your target audience to better market your product, prepare your business and give the people what they want.
And as you’re doing all that, be sure to engage with your customers. Whether they’re loyal clients or potential newbies, they’re much more likely to come back to your site, socials or store if you connect with them on a genuine level.
2. Make your business mobile-friendly
Mobiles are all the rage these days, with cellphones being a must-have accessory as much as they are an interactive tool.
The average smartphone user spends upwards of 3 hours on their mobile every day. Whether they’re commuting, scrolling through socials on the couch or ignoring their dinner date, people use their phones for all manner of reasons at all hours of the day.
If your business is online (which it should be), it needs to be accessible on mobile. Capturing new leads and gaining new customers means having an online presence that is aesthetically pleasing, digestible and easy to access across desktop and mobile.
3. Personalise the customer experience
The beauty of being a small business is that you have the ability to meet customers on a personal level.
You have an advantage here over big brands and businesses who don’t have the time, the capacity or (in some cases) the care required to truly look after their customers.
Get creative and brainstorm unique ways to add a personal touch to all interactions that you have with your customers, whether regular, new or just passing by.
People who have a positive experience with your business online or in-store are much more likely to come back for a second (or third, or tenth) visit.
4. Build hype in advance
In preparation for a big sales day, get on social media, promote upcoming sales in-store and offer special extras to email subscribers.
You can work with influencers to share any upcoming promotions across socials and engage with everyone who shows interest.
Sending out sales-day emails will remind subscribers who you are, what you offer and the stellar deals you can give them on sales day.
Put up flyers or banners in-store, have your staff promote upcoming sales to guests and make it known on your website that your business will be 100% participating in the next major sales eVent.
5. Make sure your store – whether online or in the real world – is ready
Is your store ready for a whole load of people to browse through it? Have you streamlined the checkout process? Do you need to feng shui the layout a little?
Whether your business is an online or brick and mortar store, you need to prepare it for sales day. If either crashes just as customers are gearing up to spend some serious cash, you could lose out on sales – big time.
Keep a countdown so you know exactly when the sales are upon you. Be sure to have all of your sales organised in advance, too – know what’s being discounted, where discounted items will be located and why customers should buy your goods.
When it comes to raking in sales during big spending times, your online presence is key
Your website and social media platforms need to be easy to access, entertaining to view or navigate around, and valuable to your customer.
Having an influential online presence is crucial to reaching potential customers prior to sales day.
Drive traffic to your site in advance and direct customers to your store in time for major sales eVents.
Need help getting your website sales-ready? Talk to our team >
Stay ahead of the curve in 2020 by keeping up with relevant business trends
If you’re a small business owner, you already know how important it is to be 2 steps ahead of every other player on the field.
Keeping up with current trends – and if you’re influential enough, creating new ones – is a crucial part of the business.
From basic customer service to creative marketing and technology, the latest trends can come from any corner of the business sphere. Being aware of these leading trends and incorporating them into your business practice will help you to land and retain new customers.
The top 5 business trends you should know about in 2020
1. Customer reviews matter
With Google at our disposal and so many new things to try, buy and experience, a positive customer review is everything.
We remember a time when walking down the street and choosing a restaurant, or asking a friend for a last-minute recommendation, was the go-to way to find a place to eat.
But these days, the easiest way for us to discover whether or not something is worth our time is by Googling it – and reading the reviews that previous customers have posted online.
To keep up with this trend, provide a platform for customers where they can leave reviews. And if you want these reviews to be positive, ensure that the customer experience you deliver is a genuine one.
2. The gig economy continues to grow
The gig economy is pretty straightforward: it calls for one-off gigs rather than a permanent role within a company. A business actively taking part in the gig economy would hire a freelancer or someone on a short term contract as opposed to an ongoing, full-time employee.
This new labour market cuts down on business costs significantly because these one-off contracts don’t require full-time benefits like sick days or annual leave that come with a salaried position.
This is especially beneficial to small business owners who might not have the resources to bring another member onto their team.
3. The age of social responsibility and being eco-friendly
The older generations are out and the new ones are in. The youth of today bring with them a passion for recognising climate change, saving the rainforests, supporting the #MeToo movement, speaking out against violence, and so much more.
If you want your business to stand out to these revolutionary kids and young adults (and everyone else on their same wavelength), you need to introduce eco-friendly practices and social responsibility into your business.
Whether by recycling, going paperless, standing up for equal rights or embracing fair trade, you have a myriad of options at your disposal to improve the ethics of your business.
4. Mobile-friendly is a must
It’s 2020 and everyone – and we mean everyone – has a mobile phone. If you want to keep up with the times, your business needs to be phone-friendly.
That means making sure your website is compatible with desktop, tablet, and mobile. And not only that, but it’s also important to ensure that your business is easily accessible across social, Youtube, and other digital platforms.
While potential customers are perusing their phones on the train, on the toilet, or in front of the TV, you have the opportunity to capture their attention. So make sure you’re doing it the mobile way.
5. Employee happiness becomes a priority
Happy employees make for happy customers, and happy customers make for a happy company.
Employees who are content in their workplace are more productive, more engaged in their roles, and more committed to helping the company succeed.
If you want loyal employees who understand that their contribution matters, bringing their happiness into the picture is imperative. Build a culture in your business that breeds positivity, encouragement, and motivation.
It’s time to adopt the trends that will help your business succeed in 2020
Though some of these trends may be more applicable to your business than others, it’s important for you to incorporate those that will make a positive impact.
Reaping tomorrow’s rewards means investing in future and current trends today.
Are you ready for your website to reflect these top 2020 business trends? Talk to our team today >
Doing it yourself can be cheaper…for now
With so many apps, sites, and forever-improving technologies now available to us, it’s finally possible to achieve nearly anything by Doing It Yourself.
EVen something as complex as building your own website.
But the question is, how do you know when to D.I.Y. and when it’s time to bring in the experts?
When it comes to building a professional, presentable and functional website, we believe that it’s okay to ask for help.
In fact, we highly recommend it. And here’s 6 reasons why:
1. Do you have the T I M E?
Time is money. You don’t want to waste it, do you?
Building your own website from scratch is going to take AN AWFUL LOT of time.
You might as well go ahead and say goodbye to your weekends, eVenings, lunch breaks, sales pitches, product improvements, and anything OTHER than technical website stuff for the foreseeable future.
Now, don’t get us wrong – we’re all about doing things for free when you can and learning important skills along the way.
But we also believe that it’s important to ask the question: is this project going to waste my time or fulfil it?
2. You might not have the required skills or access to the right tools
As we said, there are PLENTY of tools these days that can help you do just about anything. Which we love!
And while these tools can empower you to do amazing things, they often have a limit to their capabilities. A limit that can be expanded – for a fee.
Website builders like WordPress and Squarespace have a mammoth amount of pre-designed templates for you to choose from. However, there is a limit to the functionality and customisation that they offer.
Before you know it, you’ll be spending MONEY on plug-ins, extra features and better packages, and TIME on research that helps you understand each additional function.
3. Surprisingly, you are not your target audience
So you’ve got a product that you love. And you use it all the time. And you assume that you know EXACTLY what your customer wants to see on your website.
Being an expert in your industry means that yes, you know a whole lot about what you’re selling.
But it also means that you see your product, your website, and your business from the perspective of an expert. And not from the perspective of a customer.
This can be a problem when you’re building a site not for yourself, but for the people purchasing your product.
4. What do you know about SEO?
SEO is the new black in the digital realm. When executed correctly, it increases traffic to your site and helps you climb the ranks of Google.
SEO is a necessity for your website if you want people to find it. And it is something that can be learned, as with anything.
However, it takes a lot of research, time, and practice to get a good handle on it. It’s also ever-changing, so just when you think you have a handle on it, it’s back to the drawing board.
There are many facets to SEO including on-page, off-page, technical and local.
An ongoing, never-ending process, it will take precious time away from you to improve, sell, and work on your product.
5. Your website is browser-friendly but what about mobile?
So you’ve built a website on your laptop and it all looks B-E-A-UTIFUL. Yay!
And then you check it out on your mobile and it looks like a 1980s game of Tetris gone horribly wrong.
Why? Because building a website means making it compatible across all devices, including mobiles, desktops, iPads, and more.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get a template that does all the hard work for you. But if not, you’re looking at another fee.
Oh, how we (don’t) love those hidden fees.
6. Technical support and maintenance
Holy Mackerel – you’ve built a whole website! That’s a HUGE effort and you should be proud. We sure are!
But now you realise the need for technical support and ongoing maintenance. Eek!
When something breaks (as websites tend to do), how will you fix it? Do you have the time?
Learning all of the technical stuff is impressive and empowering, absolutely. However, if you’re busy learning the nitty-gritty of your website, you’re NOT focusing on your product.
And your product is where your focus should be.
Short-term pain for long-term gain
So what have we established? Two things:
1. Building your own website is something that you are 100% capable of doing (and our hats off to you if you achieve it!).
2. But for the reasons stated above, you should really get a trained professional(s) to do it for you.
If you enlist the experts to build your website, it’ll have a look, feel, and user experience that’s unique to you.
You can customise it as much as you want and there will be no limit to your site’s capabilities.
And all that good stuff means potential customers are far more likely to stick around, browse through your site and purchase your product!