I'm BrookeA wife, mom of three, a virtual web designer, having more than 10 years of experience in web design industry. Here I am going to share my experience, and knowledge which will help you in your day to day web design tasks. I also provide web design virtual assistant service to business houses.
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Effective Web Design services for your business
There are probably more website design mistakes to be avoided, but these are found by researchers to be the most common mistakes.
Publishing really, really long web pages the require users to scroll and scroll. Guess what, they won't do it unless the content above the fold – that is the initial screen range – is super interesting. If you manage to engage them, and you've got to be good to do it, don't make them scroll, give them a link instead.
Opening new browser windows from your site. This is a mistake web designers are still making and it's easy to understand why. The theory is that you want to leave your site open and waiting so that when the user wants to return, it's there for them. Wrong! Users don't like the control taken away from them – they believe they are all powerful and the back button works just fine because they know how to use it to jump several steps back.
Resizing the browser window to meet your display needs. This is just lazy a lazy technique (trap) that some website designers fall into to please their clients who want the page to look exactly this way. Plus, remember what we said in #2? Users don't like the control taken away from them, so leave it in their hands. They are mature, they can handle it.
Playing music or overusing flash. In the early years, it was a fun trick for website designs to include music – it showed that your web designer knew that tag, but that's all it did besides fail miserably. Apart from increasing your web design's load time, excessive use of flash is likely to annoy more than it is to charm your users – especially if it starts automatically. If you want to use flash, let the user choose to start it or not.
Using a home page to launch the 'real' website. The fewer the steps it takes for a user to get to your real content, the better. This is something web designers simply have to grasp.
Breaking the back button. This is a basic principle of website design usability. Don't override the browser controls under any circumstance. Again, treat your users like they know what they are doing and let them keep the control.
Cluttering your website design with badges. First, lots of badges and network communities look like you're trying too hard. Even if you're talking about awards and recognition badges, these should be placed in the about content instead as supporting material and less of bragging rights.
Blending advertising within the content. If your web design is using advertising like AdSense units inside your content, you'll likely see a brief jump in your click-through rate, especially if you have family and friends checking it. Over the long haul, however, you're far more likely to lose readership through sheer annoyance.
Using 'click here' instructions when you should use anchor text. This is a common mistake made by website designers all the time. It's easier to say click here than it is to craft good content that creates the anchor link, but anchor links and quality text increase your SEO across your website design.
Requiring registration to use your site just because your marketing team said to do it. Users are used to free stuff, and let's face it – they have loads of options. If what you're web design is offering isn't really valuable they don't have to register for your site, they'll just find it somewhere else. And one other thing – never subscribes the user without their consent, don't subscribe them to your newsletters just because they registered, and never send them unsolicited e-mail messages. This is not a way to make friends; it's a sure way to make enemies.
Google Panda Update – How It Affects Search Engine Optimisation
As you know Google is the primary search engine that all businesses are aiming to dominate and recently a major update has been released affecting all websites. It is not uncommon for Google to release updates as they are constantly improving the way they rank sites, as a business owner it is your responsibility to ensure your website keeps track with those updates.
At Task Venturers our teams of experts have studied the latest update called the “Panda Update” and identified three major changes to Search engine optimisation in the update you need to understand:
SEO Major Change 1: Poor Quality = Poor Results
In the Panda Update Google changed the algorithm it uses to index and rank sites so that it discounted low quality, low value sites. Sites that have unique, valuable content will be ranked higher then sites that have low value, duplicate content.
No longer can a cheap, duplicate content site rank well in the search engine you must invest in building quality sites with well-written and well-researched content. This is not something new though as at Task Venturers we have always told our clients they need quality content and quality sites to get long-term search engine results.
Search Engine Optimization Major Change 2: Become Google’s Content Partner
The second major change in the Panda Update is Google has stated publicly they will reward trusted, high quality sites. It is important right now to ensure you are optimizing your site effectively and within Google’s terms of service. If you are doing this then you will be rewarded by Google, here is the direct quote from Google:
“Google depends on the high-quality content created by wonderful websites around the world, and we do have a responsibility to encourage a healthy web ecosystem. Therefore, it is important for high-quality sites to be rewarded, and that’s exactly what this change does.”
When creating your website ensure you are producing content and pages on your site that reflect what Google and your visitor requires. Task Venturers clients should be elated with this news as all of your websites are built on this principle.
Website Optimization Major Change 3: Win-Win-Win
An outdated but often used technique for Search Engine Optimization is to write content designed to rank well in search engines without considering your readers. The “Panda Update” is forcing website publishers to provide content that is “Win-Win-Win”.
Win 1: Provide content that readers and visitors want to read and find valuable
Win 2: Provide content that is well search engine optimized and easily indexed by Google
Win 3: Rank well because you have achieved your visitors and Google’s goals
Simply put, the Panda Update means website owners who are making an investment in quality content, quality web design and website design quality coding will be rewarded. Google is trying to improve the quality of their search engine results and by following their simple rules you will start to rank well.
There are probably more website design mistakes to be avoided, but these are found by researchers to be the most common mistakes.
Publishing really, really long web pages the require users to scroll and scroll. Guess what, they won't do it unless the content above the fold – that is the initial screen range – is super interesting. If you manage to engage them, and you've got to be good to do it, don't make them scroll, give them a link instead.
Opening new browser windows from your site. This is a mistake web designers are still making and it's easy to understand why. The theory is that you want to leave your site open and waiting so that when the user wants to return, it's there for them. Wrong! Users don't like the control taken away from them – they believe they are all powerful and the back button works just fine because they know how to use it to jump several steps back.
Resizing the browser window to meet your display needs. This is just lazy a lazy technique (trap) that some website designers fall into to please their clients who want the page to look exactly this way. Plus, remember what we said in #2? Users don't like the control taken away from them, so leave it in their hands. They are mature, they can handle it.
Playing music or overusing flash. In the early years, it was a fun trick for website designs to include music – it showed that your web designer knew that tag, but that's all it did besides fail miserably. Apart from increasing your web design's load time, excessive use of flash is likely to annoy more than it is to charm your users – especially if it starts automatically. If you want to use flash, let the user choose to start it or not.
Using a home page to launch the 'real' website. The fewer the steps it takes for a user to get to your real content, the better. This is something web designers simply have to grasp.
Breaking the back button. This is a basic principle of website design usability. Don't override the browser controls under any circumstance. Again, treat your users like they know what they are doing and let them keep the control.
Cluttering your website design with badges. First, lots of badges and network communities look like you're trying too hard. Even if you're talking about awards and recognition badges, these should be placed in the about content instead as supporting material and less of bragging rights.
Blending advertising within the content. If your web design is using advertising like AdSense units inside your content, you'll likely see a brief jump in your click-through rate, especially if you have family and friends checking it. Over the long haul, however, you're far more likely to lose readership through sheer annoyance.
Using 'click here' instructions when you should use anchor text. This is a common mistake made by website designers all the time. It's easier to say click here than it is to craft good content that creates the anchor link, but anchor links and quality text increase your SEO across your website design.
Requiring registration to use your site just because your marketing team said to do it. Users are used to free stuff, and let's face it – they have loads of options. If what you're web design is offering isn't really valuable they don't have to register for your site, they'll just find it somewhere else. And one other thing – never subscribes the user without their consent, don't subscribe them to your newsletters just because they registered, and never send them unsolicited e-mail messages. This is not a way to make friends; it's a sure way to make enemies.
Google Panda Update – How It Affects Search Engine Optimisation
As you know Google is the primary search engine that all businesses are aiming to dominate and recently a major update has been released affecting all websites. It is not uncommon for Google to release updates as they are constantly improving the way they rank sites, as a business owner it is your responsibility to ensure your website keeps track with those updates.
At Task Venturers our teams of experts have studied the latest update called the “Panda Update” and identified three major changes to Search engine optimisation in the update you need to understand:
SEO Major Change 1: Poor Quality = Poor Results
In the Panda Update Google changed the algorithm it uses to index and rank sites so that it discounted low quality, low value sites. Sites that have unique, valuable content will be ranked higher then sites that have low value, duplicate content.
No longer can a cheap, duplicate content site rank well in the search engine you must invest in building quality sites with well-written and well-researched content. This is not something new though as at Task Venturers we have always told our clients they need quality content and quality sites to get long-term search engine results.
Search Engine Optimization Major Change 2: Become Google’s Content Partner
The second major change in the Panda Update is Google has stated publicly they will reward trusted, high quality sites. It is important right now to ensure you are optimizing your site effectively and within Google’s terms of service. If you are doing this then you will be rewarded by Google, here is the direct quote from Google:
“Google depends on the high-quality content created by wonderful websites around the world, and we do have a responsibility to encourage a healthy web ecosystem. Therefore, it is important for high-quality sites to be rewarded, and that’s exactly what this change does.”
When creating your website ensure you are producing content and pages on your site that reflect what Google and your visitor requires. Task Venturers clients should be elated with this news as all of your websites are built on this principle.
Website Optimization Major Change 3: Win-Win-Win
An outdated but often used technique for Search Engine Optimization is to write content designed to rank well in search engines without considering your readers. The “Panda Update” is forcing website publishers to provide content that is “Win-Win-Win”.
Win 1: Provide content that readers and visitors want to read and find valuable
Win 2: Provide content that is well search engine optimized and easily indexed by Google
Win 3: Rank well because you have achieved your visitors and Google’s goals
Simply put, the Panda Update means website owners who are making an investment in quality content, quality web design and website design quality coding will be rewarded. Google is trying to improve the quality of their search engine results and by following their simple rules you will start to rank well.