design

How to spend less and get more out of your website

Running a website is not free, at least for those that you actually want to look good. You will have to get the services of a website design and hosting provider, and you will have to purchase a domain and various other things so you can get your website running in good condition. However, what you may not realize is that there may be certain features and factors that may be redundant or useless in your online business because it’s not bringing in any revenues for you. Another thing to consider if a feature you have on your website is actually being used by your clients or not. These things cost money to make and maintain, and if they aren’t being used by you or your customers, then you might as well take it down to cut down on costs and expenses. We’re not saying that you should take down your website because that would be suicide. What we’re saying instead is that you should take down services and features in your site that are not being used. Streamline is the word you need to live by, and it will definitely help you save on your expenses. If you’re wondering how you can do it, your hosting provider usually keeps data of traffic and visitor movement in your website that you can easily access. This will help you determine which parts of your website are making money and which ones aren’t. This is a great way to help you in making business decisions.

design

Design and miscellaneous free web tools

Here is a list of tools and resources that you can use on your website that are free.

W3Schools – This is the official guide to proper XHTML and CSS markup.

Aspect ratio calculator – This calculates the proper dimensions of images and video. Perfect for when you want to crop or resize and want to maintain a certain aspect ratio.

Javascript kit – They have a lot of free scripts that you might find useful on your website.

Hemingway – A tool that will help you make your writing and content more concise.

Headline Analyzer – This one will do a emotional tone check on your headline. Ideal when you want to get specific tone across.

CSS Button Generator – Rather than using images for buttons, use this to create CSS only buttons that look great and load instantly.

Pixlr – Can’t afford Photoshop? Here is an extremely good online photo editor that has enough features for web designers.

AppSumo – An online deals site which has a lot of useful deals for webmasters and developers.

Trello – A new online project management tool perfect for small teams or individuals.

Rapportive – Deal with a lot of people by email? This is  gmail extension which retrieves social media details of recipients so you know who they are.

Jing – Take a lot of screenshots? This is a good tool to take and edit a lot of screenshots quickly.

IFTTT – This is ideal for people who have a lot of standard tasks which can be automated.

design

Top Website Design and Copy Mistakes Commonly Made

Since there are a score of websites these days, there is no doubt that web design and writing good copy is something that has to be thoughtfully handled as this can result in the success or failure of a business.

While web marketing also plays an important role in this success or failure, there are some mistakes that can be made in website design or when writing copy that can annul the good work that has gone into making the website a success.

So here are a few mistakes that are commonly made when it comes to web design and copy:

Mistake #1:  Keeping your message short and simple which not extends to the website design but also the web copy as well. High-tech clutter can only chase your customers away because they don’t understand what your site is about, and can miss the product that you are trying to sell. The same goes for stuffing your site with plenty of unnecessary information in the text that is used.

Mistake #2: While using words that your targeted audience might not understand is an obvious NO-NO, the same applies for using several colors, font sizes and styles through the website. Regardless of whether it is website design or copy, you have to keep in mind what your audience will be able to understand or not before going ahead with the project.

Mistake #3: If you only mention your strongest selling point only once in the web copy that has been written while not highlighting your selling words and phrases, your message might not get through the customer when all you have to do is ensure that they know what you are selling and why it’s so good in different ways.