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8 Steps on How Do I Choose a Web Design Company

By Derek Robinson

When online marketing became the growing trend finding a website design company was easy. It was estimated in 2000 that almost 10,000 people in the US offered web developing services. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, more than 148,000 people indicated website developer as their employment. With this type of saturation, the question is often asked; how do I choose a web design company?

Choosing a website developer is not too different than hiring any other professional contractor. When the steps are followed, picking the right company is a snap.

Noted below are eight of the most important steps that any company should follow to find a web designer.

1. Document your goals before searching for a web design company

One size does not always fit every application. Whether you own an upscale restaurant in Queens or a boutique in San Diego, every business has different needs. Start your search by creating a general list of important business facts.

• Identify your customer. Write down attributes of the typical consumer including ages, income, and demographics. By knowing the customer the web designer can target them.
• Identify your brand. What makes the company unique or stand out among competitors? Is it family owned and operated? Started by a former US Military Veteran or female owned business? Establish what makes the business unique so the site developer can find them online.
• Are you selling products or services online or do you wish to at some point? E-commerce or online market place website development is a quickly growing industry. Determine this before you start your search.

Any professional web design company in New York will ask these questions. It’s best to be prepared ahead of time.

2. – What are the core services of the web design company?

The next step in how to find a good website designer is to match their core services to what you require. In most cases, professional web development companies will offer a suite of services that allow you to customize and create an online platform that is perfect for you. Regardless of what type of business you own, there are a few important core services any professional website design company must have including:

• Custom website design – the ability to design a look and feel of your website that will target and capture your intended audience.
• Custom website development – take a graphic design and code it utilizing the latest technology and tools to optimize the site to be fast loading, and  easy to navigate.
• Responsive Design – a website that looks the same regardless of the type of device or internet browser the end user is utilizing.
• Professional Content Development – not everybody is a professional writer. Hiring a website design company that has them on staff and can customize content to target your audience is vital for success.
• Search Engine Optimization – the ability to create a website and content that will be discovered by online search engines like Google.

Although there are multiple core services that are unique to different types of business, make sure any website company offers the ones above first before proceeding.

3. – How do they price their services?

Some companies offer package deals. While this might seem attractive at first, the reality is that the best and most effective websites are customized to fit the needs of the customer. This is why you should avoid ‘cookie cutter website packages’ and always work with a web designer that will tailor make an offering that is affordable, but perfect for your individual budget and needs.

4. – Ask About their process

Any successful project begins and ends with communication and creating an effective plan of attack. In web development and design, having a proven process is critical. This process reduces mistakes, and achieves outstanding results from the get-go. A good web specialist will articulate their process in a transparent way to ensure you are fully comfortable with them. As long as they are efficient, detail-oriented and provide expert tips on how to complete this project – you will be working with a professional web designer.

5. – How do they measure results?

Like any other contractor or professional organization, defining success prior to beginning any relationship is paramount. One of the biggest issues that even the best web designers have are understanding customer expectations. This is why communication that is up front, honest and transparent from the beginning is critical when picking the right web developer. Be sure to ask them about how they measure results in website design, including specifically:

• What tools do they use for monitoring website traffic?
• What is their hosting plan or terms for hosting a website?
• Do they design their websites using templates or customize sites for maximum optimization?

The key here is to be blunt and not afraid to ask them about how they gauge whether or not a website is successful. Set standards from the beginning and the relationship and process will be much smoother.

6. – What are their credentials?

When you interview a new employee for your company, you’d want them to be qualified for the job – right? Same thing applies for website design. Always make sure to ask the potential web designer about their qualifications and credentials. What makes them experts in this field? Although education is important, in website design and development, having a successful and detailed portfolio is what often what separates contenders from pretenders.

7. – Ask About Timelines and Milestones

By this point in the process you should have a good feeling the company you’re speaking with is qualified. The next important step is clearly outlining timelines and milestones for completion. Any good website developer will provide you with goals and milestones. This includes design, development, content creation, optimization, beta testing and activation.

8. – Pick a Company that Continues to Develop the Site after the Launch

A website is just like any other business – it requires constant growth in order to be successful. This is why the last item on these 8 Steps on how do I choose a web design company is verifying that they will work with you to continually develop content for your site. Whether it’s creating blogs and posting fresh content on your website, or working to post news sections and optimizing them for search engines to find, the most professional web designers don’t stop their services once the site is launched.

Conclusion

When you look at hiring a website developer to create or re-brand your online presence, the most important step is to remain positive and feel 100 percent confident in their ability to guide you through this process. A professional company will be fun to work with, but also treat you with dignity and respect. Above all else, don’t be afraid to ask questions and make sure the answers you receive make sense.

5 Mistakes When Creating A Business Website

By Latoya Robinson

Having a successful presence online is an important part of a successful business. This is because there are many people looking for businesses using the internet. To maintain such a presence, you need a professional website. This is a website that your target audience can easily find and one that convinces them to obey the call to action. As a business owner, you must ensure that your website is professionally designed. We will look at the top 5 mistakes when creating a business website. When these mistakes are avoided, your website is likely to succeed and this will be evident in sales.

Most people just create websites so that their businesses can enter the World Wide Web. There is a lot of work that goes into a website for it to play its role in marketing your business. A bad website is worse than not having a website at all. This is because a website that visitors do not want to stay on will hurt the reputation of your business more than not having one. Let us look at these website mistakes and their solutions to help you make better decisions.

1. Making A Website That Is Not Mobile Friendly

According to statistics, there are more users accessing the internet using mobile devices than those using desktops and laptops. This is a clear indication that every website created should consider mobile users. It is also more likely that a mobile user will visit a business near them after they search for it. Despite these numbers, there are still many business websites that are not mobile-friendly. This means that they lock mobile users out of the picture which is a big loss since it is possible that a big part of their potential customers are using mobile phones.

The best way to deal with this problem is to move with technology. You do not need to have a separate website that is friendly to mobile devices. What you need is a responsive web design. This design makes sure that your website content is visible on different screen sizes without compromising on user experience. A person using a big desktop screen will view the website the same way a mobile phone user will. The only difference is that the content will be adjusted according to the size of the screen. This means that everyone will be taken care of regardless of which screen they are using.

2. Creating Thin Content

When we talk about thin content, we are referring to a website with limited content. For example, if you are a roofing company, the service page does not need to be the generic kind where the services are just listed. You need to list all the services then expand them by having a page for each service. Hiding your services on the generic services page limits the keyword specific content that search engines look for. A page for each service will also help visitors read content for the exact service they are looking for.  If you have no idea what to write, ask yourself a few questions about the service and think about the customers and what they would want to know. Create content between 500 and 1000 words for each page and you will be good to go.

3. Poor Page Optimization

As you create a website for your business, you should not forget about optimizing the pages. This is not all that technical; it’s just about the basic optimization elements such as Page Title that includes the industry your business is in and the location. Something like ‘Roofer New York’. The best-ranking sites include the industry and location and this should tell you the importance of this element of optimization. Always make sure you are including the target keywords in the pages, include internal links and you will love the results. When your pages are optimized, they have a better chance of being highly ranked on search engine result pages which gives you more exposure.

4. Poor Loading Speed

While in the process of creating a website, you should factor in the load speed. Users are looking for websites that will load fast and anything less will see them leave and visit another site. Speed is very important especially when you have an e-commerce website. Since most people are using mobile phones to access the internet, you need to make sure that you consider them.  Most users will not wait for a slow website while there are many other sites that can load faster. Another important reason is the fact that Google also includes the load speed in the ranking elements considered. Optimize your website’s code to make the site efficient, use SSD hosting which makes use of Solid State Drives that are hundreds of times faster than the conventional spinning disks, and reduce unnecessary media that might be slowing your website down. Make sure your website is simple yet attractive enough to keep the visitor long enough to convert them to buyers.

5. Lack Of Content Strategy

As you create a website for your business, one of the best ways to keep the website fresh is having a blog section. You should use this section to update content often. People will not only come to your website to look at the service pages because they will not change much. With a blog section, you can share industry news or your knowledge on certain topics. Having a content strategy will make sure that when a user visits the website again, they find the fresh content they will be interested in. Also, this is a good way to stay relevant in the eyes of search engines. Always think about what your audience is interested in and keep the content over 500 words and 1000 if possible.

Conclusion

Your online marketing is an important part of your business and your website is your representation online. It is important that you avoid these 5 mistakes when creating a business website for a successful site and business.

Biggest Web Design Trends Of 2017

By John Dion

There have been predictions of the top web design trends to expect in 2017. While these predictions have been correct, it is important to dig a little deeper to explain what these trends are really about and what you can expect from them. It is important to understand the trends and the tools and resources that will help you maximize their potential as you improve your designing. The following are some of the biggest web design trends of 2017. Clearly, there might be many others that are not here but these have what it takes to be on this list.

Imagery Web Design

Stock photos have always played a major part in the world of digital communication. Whether it is a blog, an e-commerce, or portfolio, stock photos always find their way on the site. The use of images is aimed at engaging users and making it easy for them to understand what the website is trying to communicate. Sites have been using the same old stock photos with people smiling and the usual cheesy images. Well, thanks to the new web design imagery trend, designers can now use more natural looking images. There are communities such as Picjumbo and Unsplash which are contributing a great deal to the use of appealing photos that do not look like the same old stock photos that are all too familiar.

Video Background

A website is a form of storytelling tool and telling a story is more effective when there are motion and visuals involved. The visitor will understand the content better when there are emotions and ideas transferred through motion. We have already seen business starting the use of videos in their websites, this trend is growing bigger in 2017 and there are possibilities of 3D graphics and high definition videos. This will build a real life impression that improves the user’s experience. Statistics are indicating that people are in love with videos and this explains why web designers are leaning on their side. There are over 50 billion video views each month and this is a number too high to ignore.

YouTube is continuously growing popular and overtaking conventional TV. This is because it gives people the freedom of choosing what to see when they want to see it. It makes sense to include this popular trend in web design to maximize your website’s potential. This trend has a drawback with is a longer loading time. Speed is essential in websites and when a trend is slowing down the loading time, people will be forced to wait just a little longer for a page to load.

Personal Branding

Whether you pay attention to it or not, personal branding is here with us. How people perceive you and your identity are two different things. The reason why personal branding is in use it to make sure you align your mission and vision such that people perceive you as you want to be perceived rather that leaving people to speculate. Without personal branding, your audience will have different opinions about you and not everyone will think of you as you want to be perceived. This trend gives you the control you need to tell people who you are through your website.

Mobile First Website

If you want to succeed in your industry, you need to pay close attention to statistics especially when it comes to access to the internet. The world has gone digital and this means that more people are finding businesses online. What matters are the devices they are using to find products and services. According to statistics, more people are now accessing sites using mobile phones than those using desktop computers.

A website that does not offer a mobile friendly version is a great hindrance to people using mobile devices. Experience is everything when it comes to users and the internet. If a user does not like how the website appears on their small screen, they will find one that looks attractive. It might not be of the same quality like the one they have left but it looks good to them and that is all that matters. For this reason, you should have a mobile first approach to ensure that you do not lock out all the mobile users trying to find your business. 2017 is full of innovations that revolve around mobile friendly sites and designs that cater to mobile device users.

 Modular Design

Modular, also referred to as grid based design might not be all that new but has made it to the list of the biggest web design trends of 2017. This trend started gaining popularity because of its reusable nature and the fact that it is responsive friendly with tiles stack well on different screen. The layouts are flexible and will look clean and presentable on any screen size. Some of the best examples of sites that are successfully using the modular design trend include Instagram and Pinterest.

Single Page Web Design

Web browsing patterns are changing and it seems like scrolling is winning over clicking. The use of mobile devices is on the rise and this is significantly changing the design of websites. With smaller screens and scrolling being an easier option, most uses prefer not to click and wait for a link to open. They’d rather scroll around using their fingers on the touch screens. One page sites present a lot of information on one page. They started getting popular a while ago but they are making much more sense today.

Conclusion

If you have been following the web design scene then you must have had an idea of the biggest web design trends of 2017. This is because some of these trends started gaining traction a few years ago only that they are getting popular now. Web design is a quickly evolving industry and we expect to see new trends that might even get bigger than those in this list. It only makes sense to stay updated to make sure that your website is making the best out of the available technology

Best Website Design Company In The World Focus On

By John Dion

While all web designers have different styles they follow, there are a few elements that draw the line between the mediocre and the top web designers in the world. These elements are not secrets, they might be things all designers know only that the manner in which they are done is different. We will look at the things that the best website design company in the world focus on and how they can be important in your case.

1. Space

Space will always remain an important element in web design. This is because it dictates the flow of the content on the website and determines its readability. Designers who know what they are doing will use space in ways that you could not have imagined a while ago. They are using more space between text lines and general vast spaces on the sites. The most important aspect here is consistency. There needs to be consistency in spacing, especially in similar elements. Space also plays a major role when it comes to the creation of focal points. Text or images surrounded by white space appear larger and can attract attention.

Keep in mind that space is not just always white; it refers to the background without elements and can take different colors. Expert web designers start with important elements such as the menu and organize them with space in mind to make sure that elements are clear and stand out on their own.

2. Use Of Simple Navigation

Contrary to what most people think, navigation needs not be complex. Navigation should be easy to use and identify. It is also very important to keep navigational menus simple to avoid overwhelming users. Depending on the website in question, you can keep the items on the navigation between 5 and 10. Professional designers make sure that the navigation includes elements that help the visitors navigate through the site. For instance, there need to be directional arrows on a site that uses parallax scrolling.

The main reason why designers make sure that the navigation is easy to use is because the easier it is, the more interactive users get on the site. When users find it difficult to navigate the website, they will probably leave as soon as they land on the site. High chances are that they will go to your direct competitor which is not good for business.

3. Clear About Us Page

Making a clear and easy to understand About Us page is among the important things the best web design company in the world focus on. It is very important, especially for small business owners to tell their target audience who they are. The about us page needs to tell the visitor who you are, what you do and how they can benefit from your business. Designers can also make sure that they create a section with testimonials or success stories to show the audience what your business has been doing.

A big mistake that people make is having a long wordy about us page. Keep this page simple and clear but with enough information to let the visitor know who you are and what your business is about.

4. Contact Information

As a visitor navigates the site, one of the most important things that they will look for is the contact details. Without this important information, it can be stressful for users to contact you. This is why you need a special page for contact information. The key here is to make the page and the information highly visible. Apart from making your business appear legit, it is a good way to communicate with potential clients and customers.

5. Call To Action

Every good designer knows the importance of the call to action of a website. This is the statement that gets visitors signing up for a newsletter, buying products or visiting other sites. The secret is to have a convincing call to action and have it placed at strategic points. To make sure that this happens, the call to action needs to be strong and obvious this means that the call to action should reflect on what the website is about and contain the direction you want your visitors to take. Placement should be in visible areas such as at the bottom of all pages on the website.

6. Search Function

There are many times that we always want to find information on a site but do not have the time to navigate through everything. This is where designers can make things easy for your website visitors. With a search feature, you only need to enter keywords and click on search. This will give you all the content related to the keyword you used. Finding information becomes easy for your visitors and this makes sure they do not leave your site as soon as they arrive.

7. Images

It is clear that most people are attracted to images and videos more than text. A good designer makes sure that there are images and videos that make it easy for a designer to understand the website and the business it represents. People love to see things in action, just make sure you have images and videos that are relatable.

8. Security

Your website is your online representation and should be secure. There are many people who are interested in acquiring information from your site unlawfully. This is why you need to make sure that the website is secure from hackers. The designer should set a foundation for a secure site and make sure that all loopholes are eliminated.

9. Exceptional Design

In a world where there are millions of websites, it is important to stand out. This is why you need a designer who is creative enough to create a unique site. A simple unique website with easy navigation will attract and keep visitors.

Conclusion

There are many web designers but for you to get a website that will deliver what you want you need to know the elements that the best web design company in the world focus on. This post highlights some of these elements.

Is Web Design Dying?

By John Dion

In the past few years, we have experienced significant evolution in the world of web design. At different points, critics have stated that web design is a dying profession due to the many changes driven by technology in this industry. Is web design dying? Well, a lot has been said but we need to have a better look at this argument from a different perspective. Changes are always happening across industries and this does not kill professions. What happens is that professionals who change with technology are always valuable in their line of work.

While web designers that used Photoshop and later sliced the designs into HTML lost their spot, designers with vast experience and great skills are valuable members of this industry. Even critics have said that UX designers will continue to be in demand and this just tells you that the professional is not on its death bed. Let us look at some of the reasons why web design is not dying.

Website Maintenance And Security

To safeguard the reputation of a business, website security is an important element. Web structure, design and maintenance are also important in SEO. Hackers are always going through the web looking for sites that have outdated security. Poor security might lead to a leak of users’ details or infection of the visitors’ computers. The main reason why a business needs a web designer and an SEO expert is to make sure that the website’s security details are updated. If you have a complex website, such as those that require personal customer details like e-commerce websites, you will need an experienced designer who is updated on security elements.

Exceptional Online Branding

Web design plays an important role in the facilitation of high-quality content that has been created for branding purposes. If you doubt this, you should look at large corporations. These companies have a marketing and branding team that also includes web designers. Web designers have the ability to create website pages that work positively towards marketing a company’s brand. This is the point where web design and marketing are integrated. The line that existed between marketing and technology has long been crossed. Designers have diversified their skills through the learning of marketing, branding and content which is why they remain relevant.

Special Website Functions

Technology is evolving rapidly, and almost everything we do on a daily basis is somehow connected to the internet. For this reason, design and development have not been left untouched. This is a clear indication that the skills of designers should evolve with the ever changing technology for them to remain relevant. Designers need to learn different skills such as customized blogging, customized apps, and android coding because this profession has gone beyond what they were used to. Is web design dying? No, it is not, this profession is just evolving and this should not be mistaken for dying.

Marketing Expertise and Online Branding

When a website has a digital marketing strategy, the budgeting will be efficient and will cover all the necessary marketing plans. Digital strategies also give way to correct online marketing and schedules for appropriate content. There are content planners who can work on these activities but the experience and skills of designers will go a long way to help you optimize your marketing strategies. As stated marketing and design work together in new-age design concepts to create a high-quality website. This is a website that is not only visually appealing, but one that will get to the target audience and serve its purpose which is to market the business.

Web Design is A Form Of Art

If a designer is still willing to learn new skills and ideas and incorporate them into their work, this profession remains highly viable for them. Today, user experience is an essential element and a hot topic. It refers to the look, feel and the content expected by visitors when they visit a website. The expectation of users is continuously growing especially when it comes to elements such as how the site feels and how it looks. Elements such as backgrounds, fonts, infographics, layouts, videos, color schemes and other related things will always be important to web designing. For those that take their time to learn a few more skills every year, the profession will always be in demand. Designing a website is now becoming more of an art than a normal process. We all know that art is more valued and plays an important role in the appearance of the things it appears on.

Quality vs. Standard Sites

A lot of the websites you will find on the web today are created using frameworks such as Magento, WordPress, Drupal and many others. These frameworks only provide standard websites as opposed to quality website that is foundational and have shortcuts that allow website owners to save money and time. There have been advancements in the web and you can find templates for almost anything. You will find themes with templates that can help you make almost all websites you have ever imagined. Though this is the case, there are complexities that need to be dealt with and this cannot be done with mere website templates. According to some experts, automation will be popular but it will never replace the need for a quality website but it might lower the opportunities that designers have in this field.

Though most small business owners are only interested in a website that will give them web presence, there are still many businesses that value a high-quality website that will have more elements to improve the user experience. Designers who sharpen their skills will still have a lot of opportunities.

Conclusion

Is Web design dying? As you have seen, there are many reasons why this profession is not dead. As long as designers are willing to change with technology and embrace new ideas, they will continue playing integral parts in the designing of websites across industries especially now that most people are shifting to the more flexible responsive web design.

Why Have A Website Design Company Create Your Small Business Site

By Latoya Robinson

So, who needs a web design company when do it yourself seems easy and cheap? Is it not just about downloading some software and using a web hosting firm to make a working website? Well, there is more to this is and this is why you need a professional handling your website. You might still be asking why have a website design company create your small business site and this post will shed some light on the reasons.

The biggest mistake that small business owners make in the digital world is to underestimate the importance of a website in their operations. Your website can make or break your business in this era. This is because it is better to not have a website at all than having a site that does not work properly. The websites we have today are not what we had a decade ago. Today, a website is a marketing vehicle as well as a tool that makes life easy for consumers. Here are some of the reasons why you need to let a professional web designer work on your small business website.

First Impression Matters

What your visitors see when they first visit your website determines how they perceive you as a business. It is therefore, important that you make sure that what they see first is the best representation of your business. The best way to do this is through using the services of a professional web designer. Even if your business is selling the best products in the market, the website will play an important role in marketing the products. This is the main reason why you will need a website that can speak to consumers and convince them to buy from you as opposed to your competitors.

New Mobile Technology Compatibility

If you are not an expert web designer, then you probably have limited knowledge of the latest mobile technology in relation to websites. If you decide to go the DIY way, you might miss out on very important elements that can help your business flourish. A professional in web design will show you the importance of a responsive website as opposed to a mobile website. This will in turn, save you hundreds of dollars in maintenance of the mobile version website. It will also save you a great deal of time used in maintaining the desktop and the mobile versions.

Reliability

You can get an error message after the website has been live for a month. This is a common problem in the world of websites even when using reliable systems like WordPress. In most cases, most website owners will go through multiple Google searches trying to find an easy solution. Eventually, they give up and call a professional, something they would have done a long time ago. The professional will fix the site but this does not take away the risk of it going down again. To be on the safe side, it is a good idea to work with a professional right from the beginning. This will make sure that when the site goes down, there is an expert on standby ready to solve the issue as fast as possible.

A Great Design

If you use the many website builders available online, you will probably be using a template that is available to many other interested people. This is why you will find many small business websites that look the same even if they deal with different products and services. In a competitive line of business, uniqueness pays. You need to stand out to attract attention and this is not going to happen with a pre-made template. A professional web designer or company will make sure that your site is custom designed to meet your needs and stand out. They will go an extra mile to recommend an ideal hosting company since this is also a big deal.

Google Ranks

When designing your own website, you will probably not be thinking about the search engine optimization. When a professional is handling the web design process, they will be incorporating SEO every step of the way. This means that your website will have a higher chance of appearing in Google search result pages. This means you will enjoy more visibility. There are a lot of people using Google to search for businesses and it only makes sense that yours is where they are looking. This will only happen if you let an expert weave in all the necessary SEO strategies that will see your website appear at the top of search result pages of relevant keywords.

More Money

A good web design will not only attract potential consumers, it will also ensure that they stick around enough to make a decision to purchase your services or products. With a good design, you have endless possibilities of making money and this ensures that your business is growing financially. This is in addition to attracting more traffic which means more sales and profits.

Fast Website

Speed is an important element when it comes to website loading. This is the thin line between a visitor staying and leaving your site. When a professional designs your site, they make sure that it is fast enough to keep the visitor there. Any delay that lasts longer that the visitor expects will see them go to another website. This other website will probably belong to your competitor.

Cheaper Than You Think

Most people think that web design by professionals is expensive. This is the case because of the initially cost. When you look at the bigger picture, you will realize that designing your own site will actually cost more money and time than just letting an expert handle it.

Conclusion

This post answers the question why have a website design company create your small business site. If you own a small business, do not think that you do not need a professional website because you do. This will play a major role in taking your business to the next level. It is crucial that you work with a professional website designer to bring out the best in a site that will help your business grow.

Trends You’d Like To See Die Off In Web Design

By John Dion

Web design has trends that come and go while some stay longer. Some go after new technology is invented while some stay longer than we expect. There are some that are overtaken by time and still hang around. These are the trends we would like to say goodbye to. Web design trends are evolving faster than before and while we can all agree that page counters, pop-up windows and scrolling marquees are dead and buried, we already have modern trends that have become useless. We will look at the trends you’d like to see die off in web design and why they need to exit this industry.

Sliders and Carousels

There is a bunch of reasons why sliders or carousels are bad. If it is not the bloodless design move, it has to be the conversion and usability. From a user’s perspective, auto-forwarding sliders have to be among the worst element you can incorporate into your website. Look at it this way, if a user does not like what they see, they will probably scroll away and not just sit there waiting to see if the next slide is as boring as the first. What if they were in love with a slide and you just take it away? You invested in a website for them and it only makes sense that you give them time to digest what they like and the control to go to the next item. You should make sure your website is conversion-oriented because everything on the site needs to be encouraging the user to do what you want them to and anything that hinders this should be thrown out of the strategy.

Flat Design

A while back, flat design was the in thing and it was invited to sit at the table of hot trends in web design. People said it was sophisticate, beautiful, and simple, but according to what we see today, we are not sure it was all these. Flat design allowed for minimizing through stripping things down and focusing of important things such as usability instead of simulating familiar experiences users are accustomed to. Additionally, websites with flat designs look cool and are pretty fast.

Though this is the case, flat design is not short of usability challenges. Those who have been following can remember Windows 8 Metro UI which was more than flat. The design did not pay attention to the context and signals that users need to interact with the web intuitively. Google then came and introduced Material Design which puts some motion back to the screen. This framework that comes with guidelines and tools that are needed. Though Material Design is effective and intuitive, it limits some essential things such as expressions and creativity.

Distracting Or Complex Animations

Animation is a hot trend today. It is a powerful tool that designers can use in reinforcing concepts and enhancing the website’s usability. It is common for new trends to be abused. At one point, we were all kids and were susceptible to new toys. We all fell for the shiniest coolest toys and in some cases, we overused and abused them. We have grown up and this susceptibility is still with us. New trends are grabbed right off the table while they are hot and some people tend to use them inappropriately. Animation, can and is a great tool but once it is over used, it becomes a distraction and joins the list of your website’s undoing.

Excessive use of motion on a website is among the trends you’d like to see die off in web design. Designers should make sure they limit the use of animation because overusing will do the exact opposite of what it is meant for. It is a good idea to validate all the motion that shows up on a website and make sure that any animation used is working positively towards the good of the website. If you can’t moderate the motion, eliminate it all together.

Scroll Jacking

Can you think about being in a situation where you have no control? Well, is the situation pleasing? We are humans and we like being in control especially when we are dealing with machines. Scroll jacking is like a supervisor who is always on your shoulder. This can be annoying and patronizing. If you have done research on a product and been forced to go through explanation slides that tell you why you need the products, then you have been a scroll jacking victim. This can be frustrating and annoying. This is a serious challenge to the usability of a website and can work negatively for a website.

A website and digital products need to be intuitive. It should be open to the exploration by users freely without having to be forced to view a certain slide or content. Scroll jacking interferes with the freedom users need to view what people want and assumes that one size fits all.

Sidebars

Purposeless side bars have refused to completely fade away. They have been hanging on a string since 2014 and we can all agree that they need to let go. Some of the working designs are doing well because they have eliminated these annoying sidebars. The main question is why is the sidebar important? Most people claim that it helps in navigation but what is the primary navigation for? The side bar content does one thing very well and this is to distract users from what you want them to do on a particular web page.

Conclusion

Some of these trends were really big deals when they first appeared. However, time has passed and technology has changed. Some of them are now senseless and distracting to say the least. As this year progresses, we look forward to using the current trends and others that come. Their use will purely be based on results which is why those that don’t deliver are sent to their grave. There are many other trends you’d like to see die off in web design but these somehow found themselves in this list.

Who Are The Best Web Designers?

By Derek Robinson

When you have a need that takes you to the market for a web designer, confusion might be one of the challenges you will face. This is because many people have studied design and other have taught themselves flooding the profession. Choosing the right web designer can be a daunting task when all of them are claiming to have the best services. This is why you need to find out who are the best web designers and what do they have to offer.

Keep in mind that your business is unique and it needs a unique website. You, therefore, need to look for a web designer with a unique touch that will result in a website that stands out of the crowd. The designer you choose determines the website you get and this is why you should be careful. The following are some of the important elements you should pay attention to when selecting a good web designer.

Experience

It is as good idea to work with an experienced designer but it is even better when they are experienced in your industry. Going for designers that have work on website in your line of work will reduce the list and you will be left with professionals you really want to work with. This is because it means that the designer understand what is important on your website and will understand the kind of audience you are dealing with. Keep in mind that even a single project in your business will make them a potential candidate. In most cases, going with a designer who has no experience in your industry might result in many back and forth edits

Pricing

The amount of money you pay for the design services is important. Money goes right to the heart of the issues. How much do they charge for their services? The cost of web design varies widely depending on where you are and a number of other factors. The important point here is to make sure you are paying the right price and getting a value for every single cent you spend. Web design is not cheap so do not expect to pay a cheap rate because this is exactly what you will get. You should not also pay an exorbitant amount because though not cheap, the services are not that expensive. Again, it will depend with what is being done and why you want.

Methods, Knowledge and Strategies

Regardless of the means you used to find the web design you want to work with, it is important that you find out about their methodology, knowledge and strategy. If they struggle explaining these elements, chance are that you might have a challenge working with them. Professional designers will not hesitate to explain to you the steps they will follow to make sure that your website turns out professional and carries your ideas. An expert who can tell you what they know, how they work and what their plans are in the project will most likely give you exactly what you want and more.

Expansive Portfolio

While you can hire a designer who is just starting up, you might be gambling with the project. They might be talented but among the key qualities you are looking for are experience and a track record you can prove. That said, it is a smart move to go for a designer who can show you a portfolio containing the work they have handled for past clients. This way, you will be in a better position to decide whether they qualify to work on your project and who are the best web designers for the job.

The portfolio does not have to be flashy; they just need to be a collection of links that showcases their work. You will have a chance to ask questions related to the choices the designer made in relation to certain layouts and the overall design. If the portfolio is impressive, this is an indication that you are going to have an easy time working with the designer and be satisfied with the end product.

Extent Of Services They Provide

It is possible that a web design professional or company does more than just the design. Some of them give you a whole package which includes design development, content, SEO, and social media marketing among many others. These are services that your website needs and getting them under one roof is a great deal. These packages can work positively towards creating a website in a holistic approach. When working with a solo web designer, it is likely that your options are limited since they might not be in a position to offer the package. This means that a solo freelance will give you exactly what their job title says, web design.

Reasonable Contracts

To protect your investment, you should work with a contract. It is important that you read this contract before you sign it because you might be getting into a deal you will not like later. Read between the lines and make sure it stipulates deliverables, payment and contingencies in case there are unexpected problems.

Website Maintenance

There are web designers who offer services after they have delivered the design. These services are aimed at ensuring that the site is working properly and you and your target audience are not financing any major problems. Ask the designer if they will provide web maintenance services after they have completed the design. In most cases solo designers will not have this service.

Your Own Confidence

At the end of it all, you know your business better. This means that the confidence you have will determine the designer you choose. If you fall in love with the work of a candidate and you think they are going to deliver, choose them because your confidence might actually be right.

Conclusion

When thinking about who are the best designers, think about the above elements when choosing one. There are probably millions of web designers offering their services online and having a set of qualities to look for will greatly help you choose the ideal professional.

We Have Been Rated as Best of Long Island 2017

By Derek Robinson

2016 and the years before have been good for both our company and our customers. This is best reflected in the recent best of Long Island award Top Notch Dezigns got for exemplary services in web design services. This is a good way to start a new year and we hope that our business will grow and reach more clients for the provision of high quality web design services.
 

Top Notch Dezigns is a Long Island New York web design company focusing mainly on the creation of attractive and highly functional sites. We have been providing our dedicated services to clients across industries for the past few years and this is what got us a nomination and a win in the Best of Long Island 2017 web design services category. This was a great honor and a good indication that the clients we have worked with over the years are satisfied with what the services they got. To us, this is motivation to keep on providing five-star services and adding more to always be the best at what we do. We believe that we cannot be the best of Long Island without clients and this is why we would like to take this moment to thank all of you for choosing Top Notch Dezigns in your projects.
 

Our focus is on the future and the ever-changing world of web design and development. Rules are always changing and we commit ourselves to always change our strategies with them. This is how we have managed to stay at the top of our game for the past years. Our aim is to remain the best of Long Island web design service provider and reach clients beyond this area. We always target providing high-quality services at pocket-friendly rates.
 

Beyond our top-notch service delivery, we also have follow-ups to make sure that what we started moves in the direction we set it. We have been dealing with clients with diverse needs and this has widened our scope of operation. Our hardworking and intelligent experts have a keen eye on every part of the processes they handle and this is how we ended up on the list of the best web design service companies in Long Island, New York.
 

We do not take this award lightly because it simply means that though the market has other players, we were voted the top company in our category. We would like to state that we have got here through hard work and the ever growing healthy relationship between our employees and our clients. Our company is based on a foundation made of discipline, hard work and creativity. These three pillars have ensured that we are always giving clients what they need and want and more.
 

If you are looking for the best of Long Island in web design services, you are in the right place. Talk to our experts about your web design, web development and any other related services and you will get award-winning services.

Top UX Design Trends

By Derek Robinson

We have had a wild 2016 as far as user experience is concerned. There were some design trends that seemed weak at the beginning of the year but the year progressed, they became a big thing. These designs are rapidly evolving which creates the need to analyze your business in relation to the changes in the designs. As the digital era takes over all industries, it is important that you learn the importance of making a professional website for your business. This begins with understanding the expected Top UX Design trends that will change the game in the coming years.

The mobile and web design experience is changing every day. This is the main reason why you have to stay up to date with these changes. Failing to do so will only see you being left behind in your industry. It is important to have a look at the trends that are expected to rock the UX design world in the near future to make the necessary adjustments for your business website before you start losing.

1. Skeumorphism Will Be Coming Back

Material design has been in the forefront all year round. Though this is the case, Skeumorphism is expected to make a comeback. Skeumorphism refers to the concept used in design to make items look like the real-world items. Skeumorphism will sneak into attractive material design interfaces in website and mobile design projects. all this is to give the user a better experience through what they see on your website.

2. Scrolling and Parallax Are Here To Stay

While some design trends come and go and some change, some just stick around for a very long time. Scrolling is one of the trends you should expect to join the mainstream list in 2017. This is courtesy of the increase in video-based content. This content is based in playing and pausing the video or animation as the user scrolls and moves. The changes are all based on the movement the user makes. Most UX experts do not support scrolling, but we can expect a number of innovative ways scrolling will be incorporated without affecting UX negatively. When parallax is implemented properly, it becomes a great visual treat. There will be lifting of elements off screens, creation of dynamic 3-D effects with the foreground moving faster than the background.

3. Video Has Got Big, and Will Get Bigger

Visuals have dominated the imagery department on sites and there will be a lot original images replacing the common stock images we have all become used to.  We will see more brands engaging professional designers in the creation of the products images. Video editors are already having a laugh in their work as the demand goes high. Photography gigs have gone up by about 22% in the 3^rd quarter compared to the previous one.

Videos are being used and will continue being used in 2017 as a means to bring a better dynamic experience. It is emerging `as a great delivery of content. Videos have already become popular through social media networks in the display of short videos and live streaming.

4. Progress in AMP

Accelerated Mobile Pages will be an important element for Google in the coming year. For this reason, you can expect that brands will be quick to optimize the content for mobile to allow faster loading. Google is expanding AMP and we believe UX designers will be following suit. People accessing the internet through mobile devices have exceeded the people who are using desktop computers. It only makes sense to make sure that your site is loading faster on these devices or you will lose business.

5. Interactions Within Interactions

In 2016, microinteractions gained a lot of popularity. Users have been rating apps, replying to push emails and setting status messages. These are good examples of microinteractions. This interaction will be working towards keeping the user informed about what to expect and asking for information as they handle their business.

6. Colors Out of The Ordinary and Bold Topography

It is evident that website designers are already experimenting with bolder colors and moving away from the ordinary colors that have been common in this industry. We can expect to see a range of colors working together to create a bright display on mobile and desktop screens.

Topography is emerging as a style and tone setter for websites. It is building a personality for sites and evoking emotions which are important for any business with a website. UX designers will start experimenting with bolder and bigger fonts. We will now have dynamic font types accompanied by original beautiful images to improve the user’s experiment through visuals.

7. Rapid Prototyping

Albeit Prototyping has become a norm in the UX design world, rapid prototyping is the new bandwagon capturing all the focus. This involves the creation of quick prototypes with important functionalities, workflow changes and complex interactions. Rapid prototyping allows changes in technology and design for purposes of enhancing the user’s experience. With the continued and increase in use, we should expect to see a rise in new rapid prototyping tools. These will be used to simplify things and allow experts to test the experience without a need to write code. At least designers can have an easier time showing the experience to the clients without necessarily going through all the processes involved.

8. Feedback Will Attract More Attention

The collection of data and information through the conventional means is slowly disappearing. You will start seeing less of questionnaires and surveys and more of newer techniques that capture the thoughts, requirements, likes, dislikes and reactions of the user.

Technology used to capture feedback includes heat maps and will blend biometric and neurometric devices with eye tracking movements. The feedback coming from the technology will be useful to UX designers because they can provide actual evidence indicating what is happening. The evidence can then be used to convince the stakeholders to make all the necessary changes that are aimed at improving the user’s experience.

In Conclusion

The world is moving at a faster pace compared to a while ago. With this trend, we can expect to see more innovations and changes that are geared towards improving the experience of the user. The world of UX design is not any different.  UX Design is a very important in the World Wide Web and mobile development and design will benefit a great deal from in the coming years.  We also expect that the trends will bring about innovation and creativity and better experience for all uses regardless of the device they are using to access the internet.