Ultimate Guide to a Great Website Design

July 16, 2021/0 Comments/in News, Web Design /by WDHsupport

Website Design that makes your website great

When it comes to creating a new website or updating your existing website, the design is everything. It is actually critical to your website being a success or not. Yes, it is probably the most important thing after content. You can have the best content but the design puts people off, or you have the best design but your content is irrelevant. It is a synergy that needs to be nurtured in all websites.

What is the difference between website design and development?

A website design is the visual appearance of your website. This is often called a theme or even a skin. This is the makeup of design elements like images, icons, colours, fonts and layout. Website development is the construction of the site. It makes use of different languages of code. They often make use of HTML, PHP, CSS, Javascript and more. A web developer will take the design of the site and turn it into a functional website. There are many ways to develop a site but some of the most popular methods make use of a CMS (Content Management System). Here is a list of some of the popular CMS systems:

WordPress
WIX
Shopify
Drupal
Joomla

What is a Responsive Website? by Web Design and Hosting

What makes a great design?

A great website design meets the website objective while maintaining the user experience. User experience is the most important factor that determines if a design is great or not. What does this mean? It is the experience that the user has with your site. A positive user experience means that the user stays on your page longer, engages with your website, the website works on all devices and most importantly, your conversions are being made. There is a basic format that websites follow but the ultimate design should be unique to your business.

What is the purpose of your website?

Every website has a purpose or an objective to meet. What is yours? For example, if you are selling products, your website design will be designed around this and every element, colour and layout will be geared to get as many sales as possible. But if your website has the purpose of informing people of your services, the design will be laid out in a manner that the information is presented clearly and all elements are there to support the purpose of conveying the information across to the user. Every designer should ask what the website objectives are to ensure that the design complements the objectives.

Are you designing for conversions or website traffic?

A website can have the purpose of generating traffic. These types of sites are generally blogs or information websites. Why would they want traffic more than conversions? Well, users landing on the website and consuming the information is the conversion for them. They want to generate as much awareness to the brand or the information added. This may primarily be driven by advertising opportunities. If you are designing for conversions, this would for companies or brands that need to generate business or leads through the website. The design will then have several CTA’s (call to action) throughout the design. It would be things like buttons saying “call now”, “get a quote”, “find out more”. Things like contact forms will also be incorporated to make sure that the leads are being driven. So what are you designing for?

How does design impact website performance?

In 2021, Google has released an update to their algorithms that rank websites in their search results. One of the major updates is the prioritisation of website performance. This is why designers now need to have a role or understanding of how websites are developed. Websites that require a large amount of imagery in the design generally see lower performance to those with less images. Other things that reduce a website’s performance is the need for too many Google fonts, external calls to third-party services, fancy elements that requires a lot of Javascript and even the need to incorporate many queries like having several blog posts feature on the home page. Designers and developers need to work together to ensure that your website design and performance are both great.

Call our site design team for your website traffic conversion optimisation.

Why is performance so important?

Every website should have the aspiration of ranking in Google Search Results. This is because Google is the most used method for people looking for information. In the old days, it would be the exercise of looking the information up in an encyclopedia or a phone book. Now, people just Google it. In fact, it has become a colloquial term that is used in most people’s vocabulary. To generate website traffic, it is a free but critical way to generate traffic. Without organic Google rankings, you need to invest money into advertising. This process of getting your website ranking on Google is called Search Engine Optimisation. Content is always king when it comes to SEO, but in June 2021 Google prioritised website performance after content to rank websites. Ideally, your website needs to load within 4 seconds, 2 seconds being the target on both desktop and mobile devices. It is important to make sure that your website is performing at its best to get the site ranked.

How to make a great website design

Considering everything mentioned above, here is how to make a great website design. If you follow these guidelines, you will be on your way to having one of the best websites around and stand out from the crowd.

Determine what you are designing for. Traffic or conversion
Make sure that your design looks good on desktop and mobile phones
Follow a simple layout. This will generally be header, content, footer
Use elements that simplify the visual aesthetics. These are elements like icons, images, colours and buttons.
Make sure that you have enough CTA’s but not too many. It is a balancing act and some trial and error is needed
Your content must be clear and easy to read. Don’t use difficult-to-read fonts. Space out your paragraphs and headings.
Use striking layouts. You can use columns to create a visually pleasing layout. Mix up single, double and more columns to liven up the design and avoid static or boring layouts.

If you need a great design, speak to us at Web Design and Hosting Perth. Our team of designers and developers will give you a professional website design with the best performance to meet your unique objectives.

Is Your Website Ready For Google Rankings?

May 31, 2021/0 Comments/in Content Strategy, News, Web Design /by WDHsupport

Website ranking depends on a lot of different factors. Many people often assume that it is the amount of traffic that their website receives that helps to determine whether or not it is ranked highly. The truth however is that there are many other factors that play a role in website ranking. Here we will go through some of them and what you need to do if you want to ensure that your website is ranked highly. When I say ‘if’ I mean that you should be looking into these different factors asap!

If your website is new or not ranked well with the major search engines like Google, then you need to start submitting your site to the various search directories. These directories allow people who are searching for specific information to get an automatic list of links that point back to your website. The better the quality of the links that you have, the higher the rankings you will receive.

Another important factor to keep in mind when you are dealing with rankings is to make sure that your website is search engine friendly. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is something that you must invest in if you want your site to perform well. This is the process of optimizing your website in such a way that it will rank favorably within the various search engines for particular keywords or key phrases. There are many different aspects to this process, but the most important thing to do is to invest the time in doing it right.

Another thing that will play a big role in how your site ranks is how the search engines like your website to be categorised. For example, some search engines like Google use’similar contents’ to indicate that your site is well structured and well designed. This means that your site will have a much better chance of being ranked high up the rankings as opposed to a site that is not well structured.

Finally, is your website ready for Google rankings? If you don’t have any traffic coming into your site then you are not going to be able to achieve success with SEO. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that you have a method in place that will help you generate some traffic. The best way to do this is to join some forums or groups online, and start communicating with people who have the same business interests as you.

It may seem like a daunting task to you, but you will be surprised how easy it can be to make your website as successful as possible. There are plenty of reasons why your website should be ranked highly within the major search engines, and if you use the right methods you can achieve amazing results! Remember that you must have a method in place that will help you generate traffic in order for your website to rank well. Then, once you do achieve some results, you will be able to sit back and enjoy the results.

What is a Responsive Website?

May 22, 2021/0 Comments/in News /by WDHsupport

What is a responsive website? A responsive website is one where the layout of a web page is changed based on the viewpoint that a user of a particular device has. The web page layout is then accessed by the user through a responsive web design. In simple terms, this is where the browser gets information about the width and height of a web page based on its current viewport.

Now let us see how to make a responsive website in less than five minutes. You can start by testing out the site on a smaller screen, like a phone. If you can see the elements properly on small view, you can go ahead and make the necessary changes. The other option is to make grid and minuscule elements bigger to ensure that they properly fit on the small screen size.

To make responsive website more attractive, you need to use fluid grids. With fluid grids, images load faster and the overall look and feel of the site becomes smoother. You can create a flexible text alignment in a smaller size to make it look more compact. The final step is to make sure that the images load fast to reduce bandwidth costs and maximize satisfaction of users.

To cater to various screen sizes across different devices, web designers have now started using portable viewpoints to provide a preview of what the site will look like on a larger device. These portable viewports are in effect responsive websites, only they do not respond to the current device size. This way, you can test your layouts across various screen sizes and compare them to achieve best results. In case you cannot make the necessary changes in HTML, you can just use portable viewports to ensure that you get the best results across all the devices.

Many people assume that if a website is not viewable on their smartphone or tablet, it will not be SEO friendly. However, this is not true. A responsive website can be viewed on almost all mobile devices including smartphones, tablets, and even the latest desktop computers. Thus, if you want to ensure maximum visibility and success, make sure that your website is viewable on as many devices as possible.

In order to create a fluid layout that responds to various device widths, web developers often use CSS. However, this method is not always effective when it comes to mobile responsiveness. Therefore, web developers nowadays also use JavaScript frameworks like Foundation or Flex to create a fluid layout that can respond to the size of the device.

What is Website Hosting?

April 24, 2021/0 Comments/in News, Web Design /by WDHsupport

What is website hosting? When you visit a party, no matter how much you drink, there’s always a free host there to set up your website. That host is your web host, like a party host provides a location for everyone to set up their own site so that everyone can enjoy it. If you’ve never guessed, in this article, you’ll learn about the many different kinds of web hosting services, discuss some of the benefits of choosing the right host, and clarify why choosing the wrong one really matters to your online business.

There are two kinds of hosting: shared and dedicated. Shared hosting is when numerous websites share one server. You may have heard about “vPS,” or virtual private servers, which are also a type of shared hosting. With vPS, you can create your own virtual private servers within a single physical server and can completely separate your files from those of your guests.

Some small businesses choose a dedicated hosting provider. This type of provider is perfect for small businesses that want to own their own server but do not have the money to purchase their own hardware or do not have the IT background to understand the intricacies of operating, maintaining, managing, and installing servers on their own. The costs associated with a dedicated server are typically much higher than shared ones, but it is entirely up to the client to determine whether they are comfortable spending the kind of money needed to host their own site. For the typical small business, managed web hosts is the most cost-effective option. These providers are owned and operated by a web hosting company that specializes in offering high-quality, reliable service at an affordable price.

Managed hosting providers have several advantages. They typically offer the highest rate per disk space and the fastest connection speeds available. They also provide all the necessary tools to ensure that websites are properly maintained and hosted on high quality servers. Finally, they have professional staff available to handle any issues that might arise over the course of your website’s life.

Web hosting refers to the act of hosting web pages on a specific server. The web host acts as a middleman between the website and the customer, passing messages from the customer to the web server in order for the page to be displayed and viewed on a visitor’s browser. This role is often referred to as “logical web hosting.” In simple terms, this means that the web host acts as a gateway to the Internet, allowing anyone to view your website files. This functionality is needed because if you were to attempt to upload your own files to the Internet you would realize very quickly that your computer is too old and/or underpowered to handle such a task.

There are many different types of hosting options available, but in order for you to choose a hosting option that best fits your business needs, you must learn more about each type of service and what features it provides. To find the best hosting option for you, the best place to look is online. There you will be able to review different types of services as well as read reviews written by other webmasters who have used these services in the past.

Is Your Website Converting Leads to Sales?

March 26, 2021/0 Comments/in News, Web Design /by WDHsupport

If you are interested in Internet marketing, you probably have come across the term “Conversion Rates”. You may not be familiar with this term though. This term is often used in the context of Internet marketing and it basically means the percentage of visitor hits or impressions to sales made. The higher the conversion rates are on your site, the better you will do in terms of revenue.

There are many reasons why your pages might be not converting visitors to sales. In fact, there could be several reasons. You may not have well-defined action items. You may not have clear call-to-action elements. It may simply be that you are not giving your visitors enough information to make them want to buy.

Let us take a look at some examples to identify what actions you need to provide visitors to your site for conversion. When somebody lands on your page from a search engine, the first action you take is to show them the result. You might then ask them to click on a link or perform some other action. However, you would most likely want these visitors to convert to customers.

The action you take when visitors come to your website is very important. You need to first of all make sure that you have clear cut instructions on what you want them to do. If you don’t give them clear instructions on what action to take, you won’t be successful in turning them into customers. For example, if you are trying to sell a service such as web hosting, you might want to provide a link that directs them to a landing page or screen where they can read more about what you are offering.

A landing page is simply one that has information that helps your visitor to make an informed decision. We call this landing page an instruction page. You must ensure that your visitors are able to understand the purpose of this landing page before they can proceed to the ‘to do’ part of your sales process. You might for example want to provide a caption on the screen that lets the customer know that they can get additional information from you if they want to proceed. This may be something like the frequently asked question or an entry page that gives the visitor the option of subscribing to your newsletter.

Another important question to ask yourself is how your website is ranking in its search results. You may have a high number of visitors to your site but because you are ranking badly in the search engines, you may not be able to convert many of them to happy customers. In addition to this, many would-be customers who find your website through a search engine will not be able to access it unless they purchase. Therefore, you must ensure that your website is ranking in the top positions. If it is not then you will not be successful in your conversion efforts.

Why Is Website Performance Important?

March 5, 2021/0 Comments/in News /by WDHsupport

If you’ve ever surfed the internet at all, then you know how important website performance is. That’s why it’s so important to get your website optimized and tested to see if it’s running properly. We offer website performance testing services will perform all the necessary tests for your site for free. But what can you do when your web-hosting company won’t let you in on the secret? Call us. We are transparent and ensure that you know what is happening with your website.

For instance, why is the website performance so important? In a nutshell, website performance test reveals how a page functions and reacts during different circumstances. It also helps to test a site’s speed and efficiency. Really, website performance is extremely important since most consumers tend to believe web pages load slowly more often than they really do. So it’s important to ensure your web page is as fast as possible and that visitors experience no delays while your page is loading.

There are numerous optimization tools on the market today, such as Google Analytics, Google Website Optimizer, and Yahoo’s Sitemaps. Google and Yahoo have detailed information about which optimization tools are the most effective, but even if you don’t have any optimization tool installed on your website, these 3 seconds won’t matter. That’s why it’s important to use optimization tools, such as Google’s Keyword Tool and Yahoo’s Sitemap, along with other third-party optimization tools to help gauge your site’s SEO status. These tools will give you a quick snapshot of where your website stands now, allowing you to quickly prioritize and make necessary changes.

The-Importance-of-Websites on web design

Why You Need a Website For Your Business – The Importance of Websites

March 5, 2021/0 Comments/in News /by WDHsupport

There are so many advantages of owning a website. It is essentially one of the best methods of getting your product or service in front of the right target audience. You will be able to capture the attention of your customers who have yet not discovered about your products and services. This is the major reason why most people nowadays opt to buy services and goods through the use of the World Wide Web. It is truly very important that you have your own website so as to be able to reach out to a larger audience. With all these great advantages however, you might be wondering why you really need a website for your business.

Well, with the 3 factors listed above, you will certainly understand the importance of owning a website. All the mentioned factors are important but among the most important ones are the following: it gives you the opportunity to capture the attention of more potential customers, it gives you the chance to expand your market reach and finally, it allows you to promote your business easily and effectively by using the most effective marketing tools available today such as the Internet. Once you have taken note of these important factors, you will realize that it is indeed very important to own a website because of these 3 factors alone: it allows you to reach out to a larger audience, it allows you to expand your market reach and finally, it allows you to promote your business effectively and easily.

Owning a website is an easy task to accomplish especially if you already have the basic knowledge on computers. All you need to do is to hire a reliable web design company to create a website for you. A good website is vital to your business and its success. It is something that can increase your profit and help you gain more customers. So you need to invest time, effort and money in creating a good website for your business.

The Importance of SEO in 2021

January 2, 2021/0 Comments/in News /by WDHsupport

Searching Engine Optimizing SEO Browsing Concept

The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the globe. Everything has changed and businesses have had to adapt faster than ever before. The shift to digital marketing has exponentially sped up, with businesses rushing to capitalise on this trend. But why?

Digital Marketing Works

In the past, traditional media like newspaper advertorials, TV ads, radio ads and flyers worked like a charm. But why may they no longer be as effective? If we look at the marketing landscape, the shift to digital marketing has been made predominantly because it is personal. You have an intimate relationship with your customer on their own device, with their own interests, in their own environment, at a time that is convenient to them.

Brands and businesses can form a relationship with their customers as they would if they walked into their business. It also works because streaming platforms like Netflix are rendering normal satellite or cable TV redundant and the ads normally shown on TV remain unseen. Smart cars or cars with hands-free give your customer the freedom to listen to their music using streaming platforms like Apple Music and radio ads remain unheard. And print media, especially with COVID-19, is no longer the primary medium for advertising leaving your health-conscious customers not wanting to handle things that could potentially be a spreader for the deadly virus. Like a newspaper or flyer.

Why SEO is so important?

Search engines are the driving force for customers looking for information. If you are looking for a sneaker special, you’ll search online and instantly see hundreds of stores selling sneakers. So who do you choose to buy from? If you had an infinite amount of time, you’d look at each and every store, but this is not the reality. The reality is that there are two ways in which a customer will visit your site. The first, they know your brand and seek you out by name. Or the latter, the customer does not know of any brands within their search criteria, so they will trust the first few search results and visit those websites. They are seen as trusted references.

So, if you fall outside of the top 5 search rankings, your business may be considered invisible. And if you are on page two or more, you are essentially invisible because very few customers will venture into this territory. But do not worry, we are here to help.

Web Design and Hosting SEO Services Perth

Web Design and Hosting is a leading digital marketing agency offering expert SEO services in Perth. Our SEO consultants are trained to audit your website, identify the aspects that need to be addressed and formulate an SEO strategy to give you the best website rankings and the best results. Grow your business today by signing up to our SEO packages.

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How to write blog posts with effective SEO blog posting in mind

December 15, 2019/1 Comment/in News /by Sean Drayton

Are you finding that your website is not getting the traffic it deserves? Have you written some insightful blogs but no one has read them? The reason is almost certainly down to how the blogs have been written, rather than your content. Blog posting is a tricky game, so in this article we’re going to show you how to write a blog post with SEO in mind; seeing you leap up Google’s rankings and enjoy more hits on your website.

Effective SEO blog post for your website. Call Web Design and Hosting for competitive website content.

What is a blog? It is a short article on your website and is a fantastic way to ensure your site is remaining fresh and constantly updated, which is what Google loves to see. That’s not to say you should just be writing irrelevant stories though, you need to make sure they’re topical and of interest to your consumers so pick topics that will either teach your readers, or inform them.

Before you begin hammering away at your keyboard on that topic, take a look at the most effective keywords related to it and your business as this will help with SEO blog posting. Every second of the day Google receives on average 40,000 searches, so you need to ensure your blogs are cutting through that noise and providing keywords that match what your potential customers are searching.

Use a tool such as Keywords Everywhere to track the effectiveness and frequency of your keywords, it can even help you find similar suggestions to ensure you cover every search. Once you have a list of keywords, you will need to incorporate them into the blog title as best as possible (whilst still making sense) and then regularly include them throughout the copy of the text.

Whilst you are including these keywords to appease the google rankings, it is important to remember that you are still writing a blog post that will be read by your visitors, so it has to make sense. Take a look at these 5 SEO copywriting mistakes you should avoid when writing your article.

As mentioned, you want to include your target keyword in the title, as well as in places such as subtitles and the text but also in the URL, image and any META data. Be careful not to just throw them in anywhere though, keyword stuffing (the overuse of a keyword) can in the worst case scenario result in you being temporarily banned in the SERP’s (Search Engine Results Pages)… negating the whole point of this blog post!

When you have your blog written, read back through and see where you could back things like facts up with links to other websites. This helps you to establish yourself as an industry leader to your readers as well as demonstrate to search engines that you know what you’re talking about.

Alongside great copy, you will need to ensure your website is up to scratch. Not only does google reward a blog post that has good SEO, but it also gives priority to fast websites that Web Design and Hosting had offered. After all, no one likes waiting around for a page to load up.

So if you’re writing great content but it’s just not reaching the people it deserves, take a look at how you write those blog posts. The best blog posts will give your readers an insight into a specific topic, explaining how and why you’re an industry leader, but will also be optimised to reach the front pages of the search engines… seeing more people visit your site.