Website design, web development, graphic design, promotional materials, online marketing, e-commerce. Specialising in simple but stylish entry-level websites for small businesses.

Useful Tips week 4

Web 2.0 design.The term web 2.0 is used to describe the second phase of the web that started some 6 or 7 years ago. Prior to this, the web was essentially like an online encyclopedia / sales brochure and you used it to look up information. After the bubble popped, the web was reinvented to become an interactive medium and the trail was initially blazed by sites like Friends Reunited and MySpace. Instead of simply reading other people's views, you could post your own. When you had bought a product, you could review it for the purchasing public's benefit.Whilst the term web 2.0 still has this official meaning, for a lot of people the name has come to be closely associated with the shift in design trends of the past few years.Drop shadows, shiny surfaces, refections and gradients are now the key to making sites look "web 2.0ish".If your site is looking a bit out of date but you can't quite put your finger on why, try adding a gradient or two and maybe stick a drop shadow behind the logo. Tiny cosmetic changes and ones you probably think will be unnoticeable but trust us, your site will suddenly appear much more modern. If you are unsure of how to edit / replace graphics, give us a call. We can easily talk you through the basics.Happy designing, enyhow.

Useful Tips week 3

The tip this week is short and sweet: Minimise Clicking!This may sound obvious but how many sites have you seen where you first have to visit the homepage, then click to enter the site, then click for a category, then click for a sub-category... ...and so on.If your site has a 'splash page' as its home page, ie: a page with no useful information just an image and an 'enter site' button, get rid of it. Your visitors have made the effort to come to your site, don't make them knock on the door again!If you have lots of small pages, containing less than 400 words, think about merging some to reduce the number of clicks needed to find a piece of information.Remember, web users are the 'want it now' generation and they have little patience when surfing. If you are unsure of this wisdom, check your own behaviour the next time you are looking for some information. Do you endeavour to keep searching for what you are after on a site, even though you have been through three pages... ...or do you simply leave and look for another site?

Useful Tips week 2

This week I would like to focus on design and in particular the use of graphics.A lot of people get carried away when they first learn a little about web design, (remember the old adage that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing).People learn how to create animated gifs, marquees and other effects and the next thing you know their site is awash with garish elements that all scream: "Look what I can do!"Remember that a well-placed graphic can work in your favour and enhance the content of the page. Add too many effects though, and the hapless visitor who has stumbled upon your offering will instantly turn around and leave.Another important point about graphics is that they are very heavy and can really slow your site down. If your site takes longer than 15 seconds to load, there's a good chance it is because it contains too many images or too much media. Studies have shown that 15 seconds is about the limit that anyone will wait for a site to open so if yours is taking longer, you are probably turning people away before they have even had chance to read about you.Thank you for reading.Enyhow.

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Trading Since

2008