Category: Web Design

  • 9 Web Design Elements That Improve Conversion On Your Site

    As we have discussed before, proper website design is critical to your business and brand. You only have about eight seconds to entice a visitor to stay on your page. The importance of good web design cannot be understated in our technology-driven economy. Often clients will assume that if they have a beautifully designed site, the work is done. But that’s never the case. Remember to include these 9 web design elements that improve conversion on your site to focus on your target audience and improve your SERP listing.

    9 Web Design Elements That Improve Conversion On Your Site

    There are many elements to consider when you’re considering the design of your new website, and any good web design firm will staff a host of media professionals, from graphic designers to copywriters and engineers in order to deliver the most compelling and rewarding websites to their clients.

    Today we’re focusing on the importance of the functional requirements that should be considered when designing a website. Consider it the technological way of assuring that beauty isn’t only skin deep on your website.

    Functional requirements require that you think about how you want your website to work and the core processes that you expect your website to be able to achieve in order to deliver.

    Think of the functional requirements of your website in the most basic of concepts, barring from your mind how you want the website to look. Consider the functional assessment of your website as the ultimate customer experience: What must your website do to attract and retain customers?

    Simple examples of functional requirements include:

    1. The website needs to be able to process customer orders.
    2. The website needs to be able to complete sales transactions.
    3. The website needs to retain customer purchase information.
    4. The website needs to have a sign-up function.
    5. The website needs to host video.
    6. The website needs to have a calendar.
    7. The website needs to have a blog.
    8. The website needs to have a contact form.
    9. The website needs to have social media links.

    Many websites fail due to the fact that the sites were designed considering only the visual elements of the website, with no regard to how the website would actually function behind the scenes. This often leads to a navigational nightmare for potential customers, who will think nothing of leaving your website to find one that operates in a more streamlined manner.

    In addition to forcing you to think about the customer experience, functional design planning will reduce website design and delivery delays and costs. If you solely focus on how you want your website to work, without assessing the functional requirements or reality of your site, this leads to major budgetary issues and time delays.

    While a graphic designer can create wonderful logos and images for your website, it’s important that website developers be a part of the initial process to assure that what you’re envisioning is technically possible and makes navigational sense.

    The last thing that you want to happen is to have a website designed that looks good, but that doesn’t make it simple to convert visitors to buying customers. It should be simple for someone visiting your site to sign up for a newsletter or purchase your product.

    The ‘pretty on the outside’ concept won’t get you good results in the long-term when it comes to e-commerce. A good web design agency can assist you with all of the important and unseen components that are critical to having a successful and profitable website. Contact the professionals at Digital Parc for a consultation, and remember these 9 web design elements that improve conversion on your site.

  • DigitalParc Is Now A Google Partner!

    Google Partners is Google’s program for advertising agencies, digital marketing professionals and SEO consultants. The program is designed to help agencies stay informed on current trends. In addition, the program offers agencies access to updated educational material related to Google’s vast and ever-growing list of tools and services.

     

    The digital world changes rapidly and it is crucial that you stay ahead of the curve. Having become a Google Partner, the team at DigitalParc will have even more resources to significantly improve the Internet marketing ROI of its clients. Our status gives us access to Google’s newest features, even before they are available to the public. Any project assigned to our team will be completed faster and in a more effective way.

     

    Search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click (PPC), content syndication, social media marketing, and web design are only a few of the many avenues that businesses should take to enhance their reputation and online visibility.

     

    Of course, not every business has the resources needed to make use of every major digital marketing opportunity. Some business employ entire teams to strategize and manage their campaigns and marketing initiatives. Others partner with professional digital marketing agencies – such as DigitalParc – to ensure they remain competitive online. Working with an agency will not only enhance your ROI; it is cost-efficient. DigitalParc offers services at the most competitive rates in the industry, delivering superior results throughout the process.

     

    DigitalParc is an Internet marketing partner that specializes in web design, SEO and paid search. We continue to work passionately to keep our clients ahead of the competition. By becoming a Google Partner, we have made an even stronger commitment to our clients and our craft.

  • How to Design a Perfect Home Building & Remodeling Website

    There are so many things to think about when building or remodeling a home that it is easy to get overwhelmed and to overlook small but important details. The same is true for home builders and remodeling professionals when they decide it is time to build or revamp their website.

    Home Building Design vs. Website Design

    When it comes to website design, home and remolding websites must reflect the kind of service the customers are going to get. It is important that your company’s website is designed with a purpose. Your website is a brochure for your business so you want to show off the products and services that you provide while also prompting the visitor to reach out and inquiry about services. The design of your website is often your best chance to provide a great first impression to visitors.

    Getting the RIGHT Traffic to Your Remodeling Website

    Are the right people finding your business’s website? People use many different phrases and keywords to search for products and services. The art of search engine optimization (SEO) is being able to make websites rank high in the search engines for the specific keywords.

    An example might be someone searching for “home remodeler company reviews” and another person searching for “Hiring a home remodeler”. The first person is probably still in the research stage. They are looking for information and are higher in the sales funnel. The second person is most likely a little further along the sales process and is more likely to pull the trigger on actually hiring a home builder or remodeler. Is your current home building or remodeling website optimized to take advantage of all the different type of ways people can search for your services?

    Convert Website Visitors Into Customers

    When someone stops by your website…

    • Is it clear how they should proceed? …This is often an overlooked aspect of website design. The ultimate goal of any home or remodeling website is to educate consumers and drive leads to your business.

    • Does each page have a strong call-to-action?

    • Can you buy products or services directly from the website?

    • Are there coupons or promo offers that create a compelling reason for the customer to choose your remodeling company over another?

    • Is the information on each page presented in a clear concise way that makes it easy to understand what the customer’s next steps should be?

    These are the questions you should be asking yourself through the website design and SEO process. You need to steer your customers in the right direction. Each section of your website needs to have clear directions on how the visitor should interact with the site. An effective website should guide customers down the sales funnel. After all, the ultimate goal of your small business website should be to help drive more business.

    Three Steps: Design a Website, Drive Traffic & Convert Traffic Into Customers

    When you use the three main components mentioned above your small business will sooner begin to grow and function in ways you never imagined.

    Click here if you’re in need of small business SEO services

  • 3 Essentials for a Successful Website Design

    The importance of professional website design cannot be understated in today’s digitally driven marketplace. A well designed website is not only visually attractive, it serves other functions that are critical to making your business or brand stand out. Envision your website as a house: an attractive design would be the exterior of the home – the first impression that passersby would take in. The components behind the design would be the elements that make your home functional and assure that your guests find it welcoming. In the case of website design, these elements include mobile responsiveness and user friendliness.

    Visual Appeal.

    Attractive website design should be one of the top priorities for the marketing of your business. Your website is the first impression of your company that potential customers take in. You want your design to stand out and look professional, especially given the amount of competitors that are just a click away. Smartly designed websites assure that visitors are instantly impressed with your business, thereby conveying a sense of trust and keeping them engaged with your site. It has been proven time and time again that attractively designed websites lead to successful calls to action – whether that means sales, signing up for a newsletter or sharing your information via social channels.

    Mobile Optimization.

    Having a website that is mobile responsive is an absolute must for any business. Technology is constantly evolving, but one standard remains: more and more people rely on their mobile devices to access and search the web. If they land on your website while using their smartphone or tablet, you want to assure that the website functions optimally. This means incorporating smartphone and mobile responsiveness into the design of your website to assure that your website loads quickly, is attractive and simple to read and is easy to navigate while using these devices.

    User-Friendly Design.

    Finally, a user-friendly website is crucial to good website design. What this means is that the navigation of your website is simple and easy to understand, assuring that visitors will not be frustrated with the process of “trying to find things” on your website. Although your website can be complex and have many pages, making it user-friendly means providing smart navigation bars, labels or tabs that clearly define the pages or sections of your website. User-friendly website design allows your customers to move through your website with ease and simplicity, assuring better engagement and making it far more likely for them to stay on your site.

    Your website design should allow your website to function or interact with your customers as though they were walking into a physical location of your business. You would want your business to be attractive and draw customers in, your sales staff to be responsive and attentive to the needs of each customer, and you would want the design of the shop to be easy to navigate.

  • 4 Fundamentals of a Successful Inbound Marketing Strategy

    Inbound marketing is perhaps the top way to promote business today. It is important to keep from wasting your time on poor marketing techniques. There are some ways to be effective in your inbound marketing efforts. Here are four inbound marketing tips to help you stay on track.

    Remember that your product is key. While you may want to market your product to death, you can only be successful if the product you are marketing is good quality. Choose products that are worth the time and effort to market and you will find half the battle won. Make sure the products are something that is going to be well received and that there is a need for.

    Understand SEO core factors. It is vital that you fully understand what makes SEO work. The relevance of the SEO and the authority of it are vital to success. Be sure that your SEO is relevant to the product that you have and the individuals looking for it. Additionally, be sure that you have the authority to back up what you are claiming about the product.

    Design for the customer. While you want to showcase the product in your website, remember that you also want to design the site for the visitor or customer. It is vital that you captivate the audience you have quickly once the hit your page. The attention span of the Internet surfer is very short and if you don’t captivate them right away, you will lose them for good. Keeping them on the page for as long as possible is the key to turning them into customers.

    Give it away. No, do not ‘give away’ your product. Give away knowledge when you attract visitors to your site. The more information that you can provide them, the more likely they will give you the authority you need and they will invest in what you have to offer. Take the time to provide them with quality information they can bank on and they will trust you enough to buy what you are selling.

    If you are interested in discussing the implementation of an inbound marketing strategy, do not hesitate to contact DigitalParc. We pride ourselves on helping our clients enhance their online marketing presence, drive visitors to their websites and improve their conversion rates.

    Contact us by filling out our brief contact form or by calling us at 612-845-5590.

  • 8 Elements That Produce a Strong Company Website Design

    In today’s digital world, it is extremely important for business owners to rely not only on traditional media for marketing their products or services, but to make use of the Internet. Every company with an official company website should use it to promote their products and services and offer valuable information for their potential as well as existing customers.

    In the clutter of existing elements of a website design, you may find that the most important elements that make up a good design for any business, whether big or small, may get completely ignored. Enlisted blow are the top web design elements that you should utilize to improve your website’s traffic and conversion rates.

    Have your own domain name. It goes without saying that when your website has its own domain name, it raises the credibility factor of the company. To make it even more appealing to the potential customers, it is very important to select a domain name that matches the name of your business or company. However, businesses that operate on a smaller scale or those that are start-ups may find it difficult to acquire access to a domain name that is the same as the name of their business. In such cases, a good rule of thumb is to make use of a keyword that best describes the work that your company does. This will help Google and other search engines index your website and increase the visibility of your pages in Google’s search results.

    Create an ‘About Us’ page. Your potential customers will want to know more about you and your company goals when they land on your website. If they do decide to make a purchase from your website, they will want to know who you are and where and how your business came into existence. That is why you should provide answers for all of these queries in the form of an About Us page. The simple addition of this page with useful information about your company and its history – along with what you aim to achieve using it – will build trust and confidence in the minds of potential customers. If you own a store that serves customers on location, you should consider including a digital roadmap to help them find your store. Of course, if you are solely on online business, this step can be omitted.

    Do not fill up your website entirely with ad space. There is no doubt that an increase in the readership of your company website’s blog pages can help you earn good money from the ads that you decide to place. However, if you end up clogging the entire space on your website with ads, the chances are your potential customers will be turned off and will look to other sources for their needs. Therefore, while it is not a bad practice to have ads running on your website, it is also equally important to keep it to a minimum in order to give your potential customers exactly what they are looking for – informative content that they can make use of.

    Maintain a clean background. You may be tempted to add jazzy images that are relevant to your company to fill the background for your website, but this may actually drive potential customers away. As a rule of thumb, a good company website always has a clean background in one solid color, preferably lighter shades of gray, beige or cream tones. However, keeping your background plain white is all the more desirable. Not only does it make your website easier to view; it lends an incredibly professional touch to it as well.

    Make sure your visitors can locate your vital content within a minimal number of clicks. If you are confident that your potential customers will benefit from a piece of information that you place on your website, make sure that the window between the customer entering your website and finding the information is as small as possible. If you add too large of a gap between these two elements, your potential customer will end up getting frustrated and visit your competitors’ websites.

    Include breadcrumb navigation. Breadcrumb navigation is one of the most professional ways to design your website since it lists out all the links that got the potential customer to the most current page that they are on. Therefore, if the website visitor does wish to go back to the previous page, they can do so by simply clicking on the link instead of having to go all the way back to the homepage and then accessing another page.

    Understand the importance of color coordination. For any appealing website, the color scheme plays a very important role. When your background is lighter in shade, make sure that the text that you use features a darker shade to ensure that the it is visible. If you end up using a lighter shade, it will not be possible for the visitor to read what you have to say and this will drive customers away.

    Create a well-designed ‘Contact Us’ page. To ensure maximum website conversion, always include a Contact Us page so that your potential customers can get in touch with you when they have any questions or requests regarding your product or service offerings. In addition, this page can help you obtain valuable feedback from your customers that you can use to modify your business approach.

    Producing your ideal website design is the first step towards increasing your conversion rates online. Whether you are a large, established company or you are starting a business, the tips above will help you gain the most from your website.

  • 4 Ways Proper Web Design Can Enhance Your Search Engine Optimization

    When designing a website, many amateur web designers place too much focus on the visual appeal of a site instead of its user experience. This is a mistake for two reasons. The first is that – although a website might look pretty – the site’s visitors will not spend much time on the site if they have trouble navigating it. The second is that if your site is not user friendly, it is unlikely that search engines like Google and Bing will recognize its relevance. This will result in your site not being visible to search engine users. The key is to focus on both the visual appeal and the user experience. Your site needs to make a good first impression and grab the user’s attention right away. In addition, your site should be easy to use and interactive so that you keep users interested and enhance your search engine visibility.

    Four web design elements that can enhance the search engine visibility of your website:


    Mobile Optimization.
    Search engines are putting more emphasis on mobile friendly websites. If your website is hard to view on a smartphone or tablet, you may be penalized by search engines in the near future and lose your visibility.

    Many designers create a mobile-optimized website separate from the main company website. Today, the best practice is to have one site that is optimized for both mobile and desktop. Not only will this improve your SEO; it will improve your user experience and your overall website success.

    XML Sitemaps. Having an XML sitemap does not directly impact SEO. However, an XML sitemap will help notify Google of any changes you make on your site. This means that your pages will be indexed faster. To put it simply, XML sitemaps make it easier for Google to crawl your site and help it discover pages that may have been neglected. The more pages you have that get indexed, the more visibility your website receives.

    Heading Tags. Using heading tags will enhance the readability of your website’s copy as well as enhance your SEO. By adding an H1 or H2 tag to a bolded header on your site, Google will recognize that copy as being significant. That is why you should place your most important keywords within those tags. If you are a landscaping service, for example, you should place the word “landscaping service” in your H1 tag instead of simply placing your company name. Google will put emphasis on the H1 tag and you will rank higher for the term “landscaping service.”

    Website Load Time. The amount of time it takes for your website to load has a significant impact on your search engine ranking. In order to minimize your site’s load time for mobile and desktop users, a web designer must lessen the use of Javascripts and large images. In addition, enabling compression will improve your site’s load time as well.

    The four web design elements above will have a major impact on your SEO efforts. To truly enhance your search engine marketing strategy, it is important that you consult with a web design professional.

  • The Ultimate 2015 Internet Marketing Checklist

    Looking to drive more leads in 2015? We have put together a
    simple and effective guide to help strengthen your online
    presence and grow your business.


    At DigitalParc, our credo is Design. Drive. Convert. Above all else, these three elements need to be in place.


    1. Design a Better Website.

    A strong website is the first step to achieving success online. Consumers want information instantly in today’s fast paced, Internet-based world. In a matter of seconds, visitors will judge your business by the look and functionality of your website. Does your website accurately represent your business? We can help you build a website design that attracts new customers and perfectly expresses your brand.


    2. Drive More Traffic

    What is the benefit of having a strong website if people can’t find it? Search engine optimization (SEO) helps businesses become listed on a search engine’s un-paid or “organic” search results. The higher ranked on the search results page, and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive. DigitalParc can help your business climb the search rankings and bring new traffic to your website.


    3. Convert More Leads

    Conversion rate optimization is the strategy of creating an experience for consumers on a website in order to increase the amount of visitors that convert to customers. When a potential customer lands on your website, are they contacting you? DigitalParc can help you increase the odds that your website’s visitors convert into paying customers.


    After you have the fundamentals in place, now consider these Internet marketing techniques to help drive even more traffic to your website and create lasting relationships with your customers:


    4. Inbound Marketing

    Inbound marketing focuses on creating quality content that pulls people toward your business. By creating content that is aligned with customer’s interests, you naturally attract qualified traffic to your website that you can convert to customers. Not only does inbound marketing bring new visitors to your website, but it can also help turn those visitors into leads, and eventually into customers.


    5. Email Marketing

    Email marketing is a very effective, low cost marketing tool. It gives businesses the ability to grow the value of their customer relationships, while also converting new prospects into customers. On top of that, it’s incredibly cost efficient and easy to manage.


    6. Pay-per-click

    Pay per click advertising is a great, fast way to get visitors to your website. Pay per click marketing, or PPC, is pretty simple to use. Businesses pay to have their listings show up on search engines like Google or Bing, and these listings appear in search results along with the organic, non-paid results. We can help create listings using the right key words to so that you can get increased, qualified traffic to your website.


    There you have it. Internet marketing gives businesses a great opportunity to connect with their customers, leave lasting impressions, drive traffic to their website, and increase sales. Contact DigitalParc today if your looking to grow your business in the new year.

  • What You Must Know About Website Design Professionals

    Why does website design give us a competitive advantage? There are numerous sites online that sell same products. However, some websites that have the same Google SERPs get more conversion than others. One of the primary reasons why this happens is that their website is user-friendly and well designed. Online businesses are “shops” that are open 24/7 so people visiting these shops will usually will not stay there for more than a few minutes. That is all the time a website has to sell itself to the customer. That is why we need proper web design. An appealing web design does not just involve the simple correct placement of buttons and links. There is a complicated procedure that determines the way the webpage should look to the customer. It should be appealing enough to make users want to explore it, place an order and re-visit the same website when they are in need or desire that specific product or service.

    How are professional web designs different? Marketing is a major part of conducting an online business and every webpage of an online company must sell the picture of being a professional and qualified service. To do so, the look of the company’s website is important. A webpage should look interesting, inviting, informative, and instructive at the same time. Although that is a lot on a plate, professional web designers are good at linking all of these qualities together on a single webpage. They use innovative and creative ideas that focus on the product or service sold by the company. They tend to integrate marketing with technology to make any website alluring.

    Why is it Beneficial to Consult With a Website Design Professional?

    Professionals are just that! They are pros at creating fantastic web pages that tell the story you want to tell. They will listen to your ideas and concepts before drawing up a plan to design the web pages. They can revise the content on the website to make it easy to understand and intriguing enough so the user remains interested. They also ensure that keywords are placed strategically to help the website’s placement higher in rank of search engine results. They remain focused on the client’s way of promoting the website online. Professional web designers use the latest technology to make the website available both online and on mobile devices as well other Internet-enabled devices. They will work with their customer to make sure the web design is cost-effective and will provide simple instructions for site usability.

    Are there pitfalls to hiring a web design expert? Amateur webs designers do make good websites but do fall behind in some areas such as technology and cost. Amateur web designers most likely do not keep themselves updated on the latest trends and may use out dated technology to build the website. They might not take the task of making a profitable website as seriously as you and may take a complacent approach. The web design may be confusing and not attractive enough to hold on to customers. Old technology can make interfacing really hard for a customer. Sometimes they may load an irrelevant web design that does not convey the message that you want the customer to receive. Amateurs do not have the commitment that professionals have, making it harder for you to meet your deadline.

    How can you evaluate a web design? Web designs change constantly because newer versions of a user interface are being invented. One needs to keep up with the newest technology to become a pro in web design. A web design should accomplish many things to make a website popular. The web design should place the content advantageously. The user interface should be instructive and easy to use. The content should be kept to the point in a simple language expression. The color of the web pages should not be too bright or too dull. A clever combination of colors must be used to draw the customer’s attention to the positives of the product. Relevant pictures should be added at the right place to illustrate the point being made. The web design should be such that the latest in technology that is used making the website is at par with the competitors at all times. When a web design checks the boxes of all of the above then you have what you call the “money-making machine” in your hands.

    How should you choose a professional web designer? A professionally-designed website will look appealing, use the latest technology for interface, be user-friendly, have the latest news about the product or service, and have placement in the top ten results of any search engine list. Though it sounds exhausting, every professional web designer aims at this goal. Choose a professional web designer who is committed, well experienced and knows what he or she is doing. To consult and hire a web designer, always check out their previous work and see if these websites are faring well. The web design should be affordable as well. A professional web designer will give their honest opinion about your ideas for your website. This way you will avoid nasty surprises that can ruin your business.

    There are many benefits of hiring website design professionals to create your company site. So look for the experts that have worked with successful companies and still have the zeal to work one-on-one with you to create something exciting for your online business.

  • 5 Fundamentals of Good Web Design

    A good website is the basis of achieving success online. A professionally designed website will continue to benefit you long after it is launched. It will help improve your search engine ranking, conversion, customer engagement, and more. A great website will put your business ahead of the competition. Below are five fundamental elements that every good website should have:


    1. Purpose

    A website with purpose is a successful website. Every website should be created with the need(s) of its users in mind. It should be immediately obvious whether your website is intended to inform, entertain or sell goods or services. Making sure that every page has a clear, distinct purpose. This will help eliminate clutter and make your website easier to understand and user-friendly.


    2. Graphics

    Graphics are essential to every website. Not only do graphics communicate information in a fun and easy way, but they are more memorable than simple copy and they can leave a lasting impression. Videos and infographics are more engaging than text, so it is more likely that customers will actually view them. In addition, they have a stronger opportunity to become viral.


    3. Branding

    A website should be more than just a place to inform or sell. It should reflect your business or brand. Giving a website a “personality” will help distinguish it from the competition and make it easier for consumers to remember. With the huge variety of companies to choose from, today’s consumers want to use a business that they can relate to and that reflects the qualities they are searching for. Use fun colors and fonts (in moderation, of course) to help give your website a personality that reflects your brand and promotes your unique message.


    4. Responsive to mobile devices

    To boost your website popularity, develop a mobile-friendly website. The vastness of the online marketplace makes it incredibly cutthroat and competitive. If someone using a smartphone or tablet visits your website, it should be easier to read and navigate through. An increasing number of websites are adopting mobile responsive websites because it will be a major competitive factor in the future.


    5. Navigation

    How easy is it to find the information you need on your website? Good websites have logical, hierarchical navigation so that consumers can use them with ease and get the best experience possible. Most users will exit – or bounce – to visit a competitor’s site if they cannot find what they are looking for within three clicks on yours.



    Website design can be a challenge, check out some of our work if you need inspiration, or contact us for help.