tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46878891800853215762024-03-04T20:00:57.915-08:00Sentiva Web Design LeedsWe're a web design company based in Leeds, Yorkshire. We make simple websites that are easy to use and get to the top of Google. We give free advice on web design, search engine optimisation, usability and web and mobile app development.Sentivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16740921558904913905noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-65337437642428819902015-11-05T06:08:00.000-08:002015-11-05T06:08:00.100-08:00The Remedy Box Website Launched - website for complementary therapist in Leeds<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJtq2hWPETZ1ssY94l1RzpWL5Y0fO3dqqp4De0hKPYsbmD5ysz8tDLurG43VqMezy26RBA-FlupDQtuyd3bc7BIf0rt5zJcjjH0QHDt1t0dA04VzBVxgIwOJa1kywUwKYXFdZhEBcVu4/s1600/HomeopathistWebsite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJtq2hWPETZ1ssY94l1RzpWL5Y0fO3dqqp4De0hKPYsbmD5ysz8tDLurG43VqMezy26RBA-FlupDQtuyd3bc7BIf0rt5zJcjjH0QHDt1t0dA04VzBVxgIwOJa1kywUwKYXFdZhEBcVu4/s640/HomeopathistWebsite.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We are proud to announce the launch of the website for The Remedy Box.<br />
<br />
Run by Cathy Presto, The Remedy Box offers a range of therapies, including homeopathy, counselling and meditation. Cathy is a very highly qualified practitioner, with many years experience.<br />
<br />
We are very proud of the website which combines bold, beautiful imagery with elegant fonts and clear, simple navigation.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEgu1hZT3YBZMT3kAmLNPpSKN4pq9TErQoWBr9ThBLItwICqNln1Ys4bA0vr6_4Nerf3b9Rym94qLBS7icNzvwqxOPibg2m5y_UBNwj40a-N02Ov9iczP_7VU59iBokvMX07Mo1OVT8s/s1600/HomeopathistWebsite2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEgu1hZT3YBZMT3kAmLNPpSKN4pq9TErQoWBr9ThBLItwICqNln1Ys4bA0vr6_4Nerf3b9Rym94qLBS7icNzvwqxOPibg2m5y_UBNwj40a-N02Ov9iczP_7VU59iBokvMX07Mo1OVT8s/s640/HomeopathistWebsite2.png" width="640" /></a><br />
Check out the site here! <a href="http://www.theremedybox.co.uk/">http://www.theremedybox.co.uk</a> <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-63520555789003668342015-10-22T05:33:00.000-07:002015-10-22T09:59:20.568-07:00Consultation Checklist for Web Designers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlu_KjUsrvlCwchojWNXHAHoI1cO_22gI3E6VJwdTn1NteMLjPYNwr14BKWQutuyZa9X8vFfjLDrGIZi2n5xW0bE8m6MatVNTb603s4AGp7vR8uCeZdj2Bj1N2Hl_IwP8ziCvcvHOo3o/s1600/Consultation-Checklist.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlu_KjUsrvlCwchojWNXHAHoI1cO_22gI3E6VJwdTn1NteMLjPYNwr14BKWQutuyZa9X8vFfjLDrGIZi2n5xW0bE8m6MatVNTb603s4AGp7vR8uCeZdj2Bj1N2Hl_IwP8ziCvcvHOo3o/s1600/Consultation-Checklist.jpg" /></a><br />
I've been making websites for a while now, and over the years I've accessed lots of useful resources from other, more experienced web designers at the time.<br />
<br />
So I thought I'd give something back and provide a list of useful questions that I usually go through at a web design consultation. This is not a be all and end all, or an exhaustive list, and I usually adjust the questions depending on the client and the sort of project.<br />
<br />
However, you should find these a fairly comprehensive starting point.<br />
<br />
They are useful for web designers who are just starting out, or maybe who have been going a few years, or possibly even as a refresher or to add something to a very experienced web designer's skills. <br />
<br />
They can also be useful for customers who are looking to commission a website, to help them work out what they want and to ensure that the person they're hiring is asking the right questions.<br />
<br />
Without further ado, here is the list, split into sections:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlu_KjUsrvlCwchojWNXHAHoI1cO_22gI3E6VJwdTn1NteMLjPYNwr14BKWQutuyZa9X8vFfjLDrGIZi2n5xW0bE8m6MatVNTb603s4AGp7vR8uCeZdj2Bj1N2Hl_IwP8ziCvcvHOo3o/s1600/Consultation-Checklist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<h3>
Basic info:</h3>
<ol>
<li>Name of organisation</li>
<li>Type of business </li>
<li>Name of contact </li>
<li>Email address</li>
<li>Phone Number</li>
<li>Address</li>
<li>Contact Role</li>
<li>Company / Charity no.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Objectives:</h3>
<ol>
<li>What do you hope to achieve from this website?</li>
<li>No. of leads</li>
<li>Value of leads</li>
<li>Other objectives</li>
</ol>
<h3>
The Business </h3>
<ol>
</ol>
<h3>
</h3>
<ol>
<li> Main products and services</li>
<li> Startup / partially established / well established – size? </li>
<li>Currently busy or quiet?</li>
<li> Seeking to increase turnover? </li>
<li> Fewer high value leads or more low value leads</li>
<li> What is the average / potential value of a single enquiry?</li>
<li> What is your unique selling point? </li>
<li>Describe the customer profile</li>
<li>What else are you doing to generate leads?</li>
<li>Who are your main competitors?</li>
<li>Give addresses or three websites which you like </li>
</ol>
<h3>
The website and branding</h3>
<ol>
<li>Do you have existing branding you would like incorporated? (colour schemes, fonts, logos)</li>
<li>If no, is the client interested in branding / printing services?</li>
<li>List the pages you have in mind</li>
<li>What extra features and functionality would be appropriate? </li>
</ol>
<h3>
SEO</h3>
<ol>
<li>How high priority is SEO?</li>
<li>Domain name (desired or status)</li>
<li>Choose ten keywords as a starting point</li>
<li>What useful free information could you provide online?</li>
<li>What locations does the business serve?</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Summary</h3>
<ol>
<li>Do you have a specific deadline?</li>
<li>Do you have a specific budget?</li>
<li>How did you hear about our company?</li>
<li>Do you have any questions or further comments? </li>
</ol>
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<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-45549762483568214622014-07-25T02:42:00.000-07:002014-07-25T02:42:51.779-07:00Why Simple Websites are Better #4 - Working Memory<div class="MsoNormal">
There have been some fun experiments carried out into
working memory, or, how much information a person is able to temporarily store
in their short term memory and how that affects their decision making
capabilities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDftuf-RE9WFjVBgD9Nuv73xCCi60PoUOoYOL9BWu6Myj2vnU9R8E78lBkZZm9RL0R3Y4BKxq8hCFqsq0dV9ziZEsEWZwBIt7nhv4FHqK7WeLBgDckTzsO6hbXYbet9AciofhMN1HE2P8/s1600/Fotolia_626904_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDftuf-RE9WFjVBgD9Nuv73xCCi60PoUOoYOL9BWu6Myj2vnU9R8E78lBkZZm9RL0R3Y4BKxq8hCFqsq0dV9ziZEsEWZwBIt7nhv4FHqK7WeLBgDckTzsO6hbXYbet9AciofhMN1HE2P8/s1600/Fotolia_626904_XS.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favorite involves asking the subject to remember either
a single digit number or a seven digit number, then ‘by chance’ offering them a
piece of chocolate cake or a fruit salad. Those who had been given a single
digit number more often chose the fruit salad, while those with the longer
number to remember chose the chocolate cake. The theory is that the ones
carrying a ‘lighter cognitive load’ had more brain power left to resist the
lure of the cake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Source: <a href="http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm0802/feature-babashiv.html">http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm0802/feature-babashiv.html</a>)
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is important for your <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">web design</a>, because you want to
ensure your visitors are processing what you want them to – i.e. your USPs
(unique selling points) and special offers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If your website is <u><a href="http://sentiva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/why-simple-websites-are-better-1.html" target="_blank">too deviant from the prototype</a></u>, <u><a href="http://sentiva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/why-simple-websites-are-better-2.html" target="_blank">lackscognitive fluency</a></u> or is too <a href="http://sentiva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/why-simple-websites-are-better-3-visual.html" target="_blank"><u>visually complex</u></a>, then the poor user
will be exhausted before they’ve even noticed you’ve got 40% off everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having expended all that brainpower just looking at <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/whyawebsiteisbetterthananadvertinanewspaper.aspx" target="_blank">your website</a>, they will feel disengaged and tired and will switch over to somewhere
else that makes them feel more relaxed and at home – i.e. your competitor’s
site.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, if they’re arrived at your site and it instantly
looks familiar, feels straightforward and doesn’t distract, then they can
immediately get on with what they came there for in the first place – i.e.
buying your products and services.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Check out these articles for more detail on why simple
website are better:</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://sentiva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/why-simple-websites-are-better-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Why Simple Websites are Better</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">#1 - Playing to Prototypes</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://sentiva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/why-simple-websites-are-better-2.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Why Simple Websites are Better</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">#2 - Cognitive Fluency</span></a></li>
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</span></span></span><a href="http://sentiva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/why-simple-websites-are-better-3-visual.html" target="_blank">Why Simple Websites are Better<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#3 - Visual Processing of Complexity</a></div>
</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Click here to read about <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/tipsonchoosingawebdesigner.aspx" target="_blank">tips on choosing a web designer</a> and how to <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/howtowritecopyforyourwebsite.aspx" target="_blank">write copy for your website homepage</a>.</h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-19773947362765707212014-07-09T02:41:00.000-07:002014-07-09T02:41:00.141-07:00Why Simple Websites are Better #3 - Visual Processing of Complexity<div class="MsoNormal">
Most people instinctively know that a ‘busy’ or ‘fussy’
<a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">website</a> is no good, and that a ‘clean’ or ‘simple’ <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">design</a> is better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the scientific reasons behind this intuition is that
visually complex images take more brainpower to process than visually simple
ones, which directly translates in them taking more effort.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nature always leans
towards the conservation of energy, so brains sub-consciously ‘dislike’ having
to expend more effort.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDzRMVcqclRG28T84O6pI2Mp6H-7PD1QkvMRf79_vcxPv4lmlMWMCxZ82rHAUIST8fpeXqLfNqhXRakrgTwIqwccEc4jqhq7Uw8oL1WVRxjVUyi6aT082ZMg7lmxchwmP-vRhZ4gJtDs/s1600/Fotolia_31065738_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDzRMVcqclRG28T84O6pI2Mp6H-7PD1QkvMRf79_vcxPv4lmlMWMCxZ82rHAUIST8fpeXqLfNqhXRakrgTwIqwccEc4jqhq7Uw8oL1WVRxjVUyi6aT082ZMg7lmxchwmP-vRhZ4gJtDs/s1600/Fotolia_31065738_XS.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When your eye and brain process an image, they analyse a
variety of things, including colour, light levels, shape, size and distance.
The more variables there are in each of these aspects the more brainpower will
be required.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The problem with using all this brainpower to process the
‘image’ that is the landing page of your website, is that you would really
prefer your users to be thinking about your products, services and unique
selling points (USPs).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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If their brain is distracted making sense of three different
columns, each with multi-coloured adverts, several fonts in lots of colours and
a plethora of pictures, they’re not going to have any energy left to think
about whether they want to buy something from you or not.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
If you want to learn about <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/basicdosanddontsofwebdesign.aspx" target="_blank">good web design and bad web design</a>, then have a look at our <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesignresourcebankleeds.aspx" target="_blank">resource bank</a>.</h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-40403559896381746152014-07-01T02:30:00.000-07:002014-07-01T02:31:43.900-07:00Why Simple Websites are Better #2 - Cognitive Fluency<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep it simple, stupid! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Successful people have long known that the simple solution
is almost always the best one, but unfortunately when it comes to practice, too
many <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/basicdosanddontsofwebdesign.aspx" target="_blank">designers</a> and clients think that having lots of varying stuff on their
website will somehow meet the needs of everyone – rather than nobody.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://sentivaweb.com/howbigandcomplicated.aspx" target="_blank">Good designers</a> instinctively know that simple, familiar
designs will perform better, and one of the scientific theories that backs up
this intuition is cognitive fluency.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhr-lVDAZEYqhCnBkU7xPZM_E5pY7GmXuj5BcvMXKJCfqPw6fdtaP2U4ngGlYmZaId10LUhAHp9WH2W-tIdMIehqLnAFIENbRqi6DM1folEFN4dOLldKr4hT0gh3uG5okNzO8zu_UPeM/s1600/Fotolia_39292276_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhr-lVDAZEYqhCnBkU7xPZM_E5pY7GmXuj5BcvMXKJCfqPw6fdtaP2U4ngGlYmZaId10LUhAHp9WH2W-tIdMIehqLnAFIENbRqi6DM1folEFN4dOLldKr4hT0gh3uG5okNzO8zu_UPeM/s1600/Fotolia_39292276_XS.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<h2>
So, what is cognitive fluency and why does it matter for my website?<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cognitive fluency refers to the experience of how easy or
difficult it is to think about something. As a general rule, humans prefer
things that are easy to think about and shy away from things that are hard to
think about.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This principle influences pretty much every aspect of human
behaviour - and decision making when it comes to buying goods and services
online is no exception.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, if a user reaches a <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/elementsofgreatwebdesign.aspx" target="_blank">website</a> for the first time, but the
navigation looks similar to the vast majority of other websites they been to,
then it will feel familiar and ‘right’ and they will feel at home and know how
to proceed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the other hand, if they arrive and the navigation is in a
completely unexpected place, or requires them to figure out some kind of
krypton factoresque puzzle in order to find their way around the site, they are
more likely to think the site is ‘wrong’ or at the very least it leave them
with a vague, sub-conscious uncomfortable feeling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<h2>
The Mere Exposure Effect<o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cognitive fluency is closely linked with The Mere Exposure
Effect, which basically states that the more you are exposed to something, the
more you prefer it. This can easily be seen when popular brands change their
imagery, and all the customers moan and groan that it’s not as good anymore,
even in the product inside is identical.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re smart, you can take advantage of this exposure effect
with your <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">web design</a>, by playing on the experiences people will have had in the
past and ensuring your website echoes those experiences.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should just copy everyone
else, or that all <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/whyawebsiteisbetterthananadvertinanewspaper.aspx" target="_blank">websites</a> should always look exactly like they did in the 90s
– far from it. But you need to use originality and innovation where it works,
and in small enough chunks that it delights your users in comfort rather than
baffling them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Further reading:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Read more interesting and research backed up
stuff about cognitive fluency here: <a href="http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2011/07/how-cognitive-fluency-affects-decision-making.php">http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2011/07/how-cognitive-fluency-affects-decision-making.php</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-79032946312245551172014-06-24T09:06:00.000-07:002014-06-24T09:06:41.922-07:00Why Simple Websites are Better #1 - Playing to Mental Prototypes<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve always believed that <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/howbigandcomplicated.aspx" target="_blank">simple website</a> are better, but
now there is a host of evidence to back –up the intuition. Over this and the
next few posts, we’re going to explore: mental prototypes, cognitive fluency,
visual processing and working memory – and how all those things affect your <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">web design</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
So, what are mental prototypes when they’re at home?<o:p></o:p></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A prototype is a basic mental image your mind holds to
represent a particular type of thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3lJEqXM88RoHIrNjiXJCMVWdFghMn5Z1qYe7cPdWhz_XtZcvCSohh1LPfvavUxI9YpQ86wEKF7rlkake9bQmL5n0CwePiApMdChf2DS9jhNq-eq_mBSEPKEl9-T9sl4Uzb_-1a6XePw/s1600/1022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3lJEqXM88RoHIrNjiXJCMVWdFghMn5Z1qYe7cPdWhz_XtZcvCSohh1LPfvavUxI9YpQ86wEKF7rlkake9bQmL5n0CwePiApMdChf2DS9jhNq-eq_mBSEPKEl9-T9sl4Uzb_-1a6XePw/s1600/1022.jpg" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, most people when asked to visualise a bird will
have an image of a robin in their brain. The more a bird differentiates from
this ‘prototype’, the less ‘birdy’ we consider it to be – for example penguins
and ostriches are not considered as birdy as sparrows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The same goes for fruit (apples), furniture (chairs) and
websites. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Using mental prototypes helps us make sense of the world in
a practical, efficient manner, so we don’t have to fully analyse everything we
come into contact with each time. Otherwise, we would constantly be paralysed
with trying to process everything we saw.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reason this is important for web designers to know is that
as result of prototypes, your brain likes things it is comfortable with, and
will subconsciously reject things that deviate from the norm.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So most people will have a vague visual image in mind when
it comes to a website for a plumber or a trendy shoe store, built up from all
of those they have seen previously, and they will ‘want’ such websites to match
these visual images.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some designers and business people think it’s a good idea to
be innovative and ‘stand out from the crowd’. This is certainly true in
principle, but not if it’s just for the sake of being different. Because if
your website is too different from what people expect, then they will find it
strange and unsettling. This is unlikely to result in sales and enquiries for
you…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if your website has users hunting around for the
navigation or looks like something out of the future, they won’t be sitting
there admiring your innovation and cutting edge styling, they will be wondering
why the website is so ‘wrong’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, by all means, be original and make an impact, but make
sure you know what the prototypes for your area are, and that you’re using them
to your advantage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more analysis, we recommend this excellent article,
which was the inspiration for this series of posts: <a href="http://conversionxl.com/why-simple-websites-are-scientifically-better">http://conversionxl.com/why-simple-websites-are-scientifically-better</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
If you found this article helpful and want to learn about <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/basicdosanddontsofwebdesign.aspx" target="_blank">good web design and bad web design</a>, then have a look at <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesignresourcebankleeds.aspx" target="_blank">our resource bank</a>.</h3>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-42803376593369395302014-06-18T04:14:00.000-07:002015-10-22T06:44:08.198-07:00Website for Mediation Expert in Oxford
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were delighted when Changing Pathways was recommended to
us by a good friend, to set up a website for his mediation business.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOA55gcMQAKyOD4vO-THSnI8MaE072TCtve7kceDZf0UEwhsRmEr7tGk_dMn4NlgtTevzc-Kj51msFuDjh6ss0P2DBX9QQTYrg-rO_K5hosXO8MY7cZ7S1oCmTuaRc1hcA3Hzoj28CL9I/s1600/monitorchangingpathways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOA55gcMQAKyOD4vO-THSnI8MaE072TCtve7kceDZf0UEwhsRmEr7tGk_dMn4NlgtTevzc-Kj51msFuDjh6ss0P2DBX9QQTYrg-rO_K5hosXO8MY7cZ7S1oCmTuaRc1hcA3Hzoj28CL9I/s1600/monitorchangingpathways.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Colin of Changing Pathways had a DIY website that was no
longer meeting his needs, and he wanted something that would perform a bit
better, and ensure he and his associates gave a strong impression online and
got in front of the right clients.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Colin offers a range of mediation services, including
one-on-one, group, conflict coaching and mediation training. From chatting over
coffee, we concluded that many companies and individuals don’t find it easy to
quantify the costs of conflict and therefore don’t realise the full negative
impact that disagreements and distress are having.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therefore, we decided to create a ‘cost of conflict
calculator’, a simple online tool that HR managers and other related
professionals could use to enter in the details of the conflict and get an
estimated cost. This could be used simply to raise awareness of how such
conflicts should not be ignored, and could also be used by managers to justify
the budget required to mediate the conflict successfully.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As well as the totally unique ‘cost of conflict calculator’ the
<a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesignportfolio.aspx" target="_blank">web design</a> needed to be calm, professional and give a sense of authority and
knowledge without being overbearing. We helped design the logo and company
literature and used a simple colour scheme with splashes of colour and bespoke
illustrations to visually demonstrate the text content on the site itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We also included a resource bank, which Colin can regularly
add to in order to build trust and reputation though the website.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.changingpathways.co.uk/" target="_blank">Visit the site...</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-25781040141499933852014-06-12T03:43:00.000-07:002015-10-22T06:42:34.498-07:00How much should a website cost?
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ73Acoxd5hNLImloosIx6yPw4N3OosW1lVouVOMEssEYAlICNxp0V49NZJaE4CC8k16T7EedI8IvuQUcR2lC-PeJDIAJCIIGs94Dqn5yzbgqHYJ8Gv3HOdG4aDNRysdPJxWzmo1hgLY/s1600/CB104962_LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ73Acoxd5hNLImloosIx6yPw4N3OosW1lVouVOMEssEYAlICNxp0V49NZJaE4CC8k16T7EedI8IvuQUcR2lC-PeJDIAJCIIGs94Dqn5yzbgqHYJ8Gv3HOdG4aDNRysdPJxWzmo1hgLY/s1600/CB104962_LoRes.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>Everything on the Internet is free – right? Why should you
pay for anything?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whether you subscribe to that viewpoint or not, if you
decide you or your company needs a website, there’s a good chance you’ll end up
baffled as to what a reasonable amount to spend on a website is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some companies seem to be offering all the bells and
whistles for under £100, while you hear rumours that some of the big brands
paid millions for their websites.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As with most things, it mostly comes down to ‘you get what
you pay for’ with a little wariness needed in order to avoid getting ripped
off. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is our brief guide to what we think is a reasonable
charge for <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">web design</a>, from amateur to professional, and why:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Dirt Cheap / Free websites (under £100)</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can get a website dirt cheap or even free. There’s no
doubt about it. There are do it yourself sites such as <a href="http://www.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">Squarespace</a> and
<a href="https://wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wordpress</a> which claim that you don’t need any technical
expertise, and there are even designers who will promise you a wonderful
website for only £100 or even less.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you really absolutely, genuinely have no money at all,
then this is the only option to you, so you must take it, because you have no
choice. However, if you are starting a business, then creating a dirt cheap
website could actually do the new business harm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is because a <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/diywebsiteorprofessionalwebdesigner.aspx" target="_blank">cheap website usually looks cheap</a>, and the
website reflects your business. Potential customers will assume that if your
website is shoddy, your services and products will be to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9POI7qcRc_BM417KbcWOadmQz50sCxGsp_TlpXA2egiFeHg_3f4QlR_c49qQ1sXsoPwdSefQEeXEU_K0wOxC2f63s0RA_dCt79nqOBVar3U69xOk5Yc_Q_QRjszwNrRWJe4aYnDXa3EQ/s1600/Fotolia_39292276_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9POI7qcRc_BM417KbcWOadmQz50sCxGsp_TlpXA2egiFeHg_3f4QlR_c49qQ1sXsoPwdSefQEeXEU_K0wOxC2f63s0RA_dCt79nqOBVar3U69xOk5Yc_Q_QRjszwNrRWJe4aYnDXa3EQ/s1600/Fotolia_39292276_XS.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></a>So why isn’t £100 enough for a decent website? Let’s break
it down. A reasonable charge for a skilled professional is about £20 per hour.
Let’s say they’re going even lower than that and only charging £15 per hour.
That gives them about 6 and a half hours to build your site. And these are the
absolute minimum things they need to do:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Select and register the domain name</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Find out what you want</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Create a design</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Build the design</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Insert the content</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Make any final tweaks</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Carry out <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/SEOleeds.aspx" target="_blank">SEO</a> work</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Launch the site</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6 and a half hours only allows about 45 minutes per item on
this list, and that’s not including any communication time. What sort of design
can anyone do in 45 minutes? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, unfortunately, anyone building a website for under £100
must be either working at below minimum wage, or cutting corners right left and
centre.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Low priced websites (£500 - £1000)</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re on a budget, then £500 to a £1000 can buy you
enough of a professional’s time to build a fairly decent, simple brochure
website. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This gives the designer time to do proper research and spend
time brainstorming a good design that really reflects your vision of the
business. They would have time to do the following:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Communicate with you throughout the process </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Research, select and register the domain name </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Personal consultation to understand your
business </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Research concepts and competitors </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Create a design </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Rework design concept to your perfect vision </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Find or create graphical imagery </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Build the design </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Integrate social media </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Insert interactive widgets </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Insert the content</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Do detail adjustment to perfect the content</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Make any final tweaks </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Carry out SEO work </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Launch the site </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is likely to result in you having an attractive, well-functioning
website that gives a good impression to visitors and encourages them to get in
contact to find out more about your products and services. You should have
enough room to explain what you do in good detail, include enough content to
keep customers and Google happy and the resources to create vibrant, high
quality imagery to engage your audience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Medium priced websites £1000 - £10,000</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have a bit more of a budget available, it means that
you can get more expertise involved and create something a little more special.
With this kind of budget you can start to include elements that will really
lift your site above the competition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With more time and resources, a <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/tipsonchoosingawebdesigner.aspx" target="_blank">web designer</a> or web design
team will be able to look at nifty interactive elements and will have the time
it takes to ensure they work across all platforms (or degrade elegantly on
those that don’t support it).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZVGme26zgfBu1PZGzDBK6rneRUlw3DHLV5CgOBfFiPdH8aWDHm0UthOy__X1brAEhHhDp6WyXnCu83NskYcn0H5mp1Zq8ZKzKp_dtEjT8wL7I0YvfFfYC31ARIOS6RBA6HIE3rb8EuU/s1600/Sentiva+websites+and+apps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZVGme26zgfBu1PZGzDBK6rneRUlw3DHLV5CgOBfFiPdH8aWDHm0UthOy__X1brAEhHhDp6WyXnCu83NskYcn0H5mp1Zq8ZKzKp_dtEjT8wL7I0YvfFfYC31ARIOS6RBA6HIE3rb8EuU/s1600/Sentiva+websites+and+apps.jpg" height="294" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They will be able to create mobile friendly versions of the
design and test responsive designs across a range of platforms to iron out any
kinks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They will probably be able to get more involved in branding
and social media, and promotional elements such as photography and web videos.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A basic <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/ecommercewebsites.aspx" target="_blank">ecommerce solution</a> is likely to fall into this band,
because of the additional technical complexity of running a reliable, robust
database. Ecommerce stores also come with a lot of functionality and features,
all of which have to be developed and tested. However, if you want something
very bespoke for your ecommerce store, you’re probably looking at the next band
up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Enterprise level web design and development: £10,000 – £50,000</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re getting into this kind of money you’re probably
looking at bespoke <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webappdevelopmentleeds.aspx" target="_blank">web applications</a> and web development. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A basic text and image based website shouldn’t need to cost
this much, no matter how many pages there are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>- unless the designer is also supplying the content, or unless a lot of
this budget is intended to go on post-launch marketing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Within this band you could look at getting an interactive
site that customers can use for something more than just reading text and may
even pay just for the privilege of using. Customers may have their own
accounts, which allow them to view and manipulate data.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reason this band starts to cost a lot more is that for
more complicated websites you need <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesignsoftware.aspx" target="_blank">software developers</a> as well as <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/contactwebdesign.aspx" target="_blank">web designers</a>. These jobs are more technically skilled and therefore there is a
much higher barrier to entry, and this means they command a higher salary.
Beware of using cheap developers as they are unlikely to really know what
they’re doing (and are quite likely to be self-taught without the fundamental
underlying knowledge), and you won’t find that out until you’ve forked out a
bunch of money and found yourself left with a spaghetti mess of code that no
decent developer will touch with a barge pole. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
£50,000+</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course you can spend as much as you like when it comes to
websites and web applications, and the price will climb the more features and
functionality you need to put in. However, once you get into the £50,000+ mark,
you’re looking more at bespoke web development than just a simple website – and
that’s a whole different article!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-63328433806056861492014-06-05T03:28:00.000-07:002014-06-05T03:28:07.430-07:00What’s involved in launching a website?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
You just flick a switch and it’s live, right?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not quite.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This article explains a little about what happens when we
spring into action when a client gives us the go ahead to launch a website…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Keyword whatnots</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttFQVEV6-BLXxAlZYVFZMSJ8CcTDijH8bwWJIJLPaCTJ0cWTDa0BciSH3HrvXA7gTeM56ac53rPLWbWtx1klyUjZTX5ftK9bFiBV-P5HQ2Vr_NDQL6wBPRQsG0BJOQvxOibRY1IIFkHs/s1600/Fotolia_16755243_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttFQVEV6-BLXxAlZYVFZMSJ8CcTDijH8bwWJIJLPaCTJ0cWTDa0BciSH3HrvXA7gTeM56ac53rPLWbWtx1klyUjZTX5ftK9bFiBV-P5HQ2Vr_NDQL6wBPRQsG0BJOQvxOibRY1IIFkHs/s1600/Fotolia_16755243_XS.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a>In all likelihood, we will have done <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/whatiskeywordanalysis.aspx" target="_blank">keyword research</a> right
at the beginning of the website build, in order to make sure all the page names
and content already include the key terms. However, we will now go over to the
Google keyword tool and feed in some data, to get a good idea of what search
terms are hitting the big time and which are languishing. We also look at
competitor data to see if there are any hidden gems that no one knows about
that we can use to get some quick wins.<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Armed with this information, we will then go through the
site with a fine-toothed comb, sprinkling the keywords in all the right places,
including: unique titles, meta descriptions, keyword metatags, internal links
and footer links. All this encourages Google to rank your site highly for exactly
the right searches.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Watermarked images replaced with finals</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If there are any stock photos in the site, then we’ll go
ahead and make the final purchases, and replace the fuzzy watermarked ones with
shiny, sharp versions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Links checked</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We use an automated link checker to double check all the
links in the site and ensure none of them are broken – a no-no for any site,
old or new.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Cross browser check</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We carry out a final <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/whatiscrossbrowsercompatibility.aspx" target="_blank">cross browser</a> check to make sure
nothing squiffy happens to the design if users decide to view it in a browser
that we haven’t been using during the development process. As standard we
support Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 and up, Chrome and Safari.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqV9kye-zxhPrXiuS8oLp6qYQQtK3cZdmbvlvoQJPnmkr8OzVkDiaM8wvRFMK3c1Kd3n8zSytl-DubKqxL4JVEFVHSSvnosTaTMUyUOemwSebPD3cDgrwnpYEQC0VM3rK5M4OkNyXbNo/s1600/Fotolia_11548540_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqV9kye-zxhPrXiuS8oLp6qYQQtK3cZdmbvlvoQJPnmkr8OzVkDiaM8wvRFMK3c1Kd3n8zSytl-DubKqxL4JVEFVHSSvnosTaTMUyUOemwSebPD3cDgrwnpYEQC0VM3rK5M4OkNyXbNo/s1600/Fotolia_11548540_XS.jpg" height="290" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Submit the new site to the search engines</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not strictly necessary, as the search engines do their own
crawls and will find all new sites anyway, but we like to do this in any case.
If it gets the site climbing a few days earlier, then that can’t be bad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Test emails and forms</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The vast majority of our websites will come equipped with a
contact form, so we make sure we test that that’s working hunkey dorey, as well
as any email addresses we’ve set up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Site registered and verified with Google</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, if you want your website to have any
success, you have to keep Google happy. To that end, we register all websites
with Google webmaster tools and Google analytics and verify ownership so they
can let us know if they think anything’s amiss.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Google site map created and verified</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another small step in the googleification of the site, we
create a Google standard sitemap, which lists all the pages in the site, and
verify that sitemap with Google.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Non-content pages blocked from indexing</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We use a robots.txt form to let <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/howdoigettothetopofgoogle.aspx" target="_blank">Google</a> know that we don’t
really want it to index the legal disclaimer pages of the site – otherwise, due
to the density of their content, they can bounce up to the top and don’t really
look right all the way up there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Depending on the site, there may be more steps we carry out
– but there you have the standard elements of our website launch procedure!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Click here to read full article about <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/leedswebsitelaunchprocedure.aspx" target="_blank">website launch procedure</a> and <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/whyawebsiteisbetterthananadvertinanewspaper.aspx" target="_blank">why a website is better than an advert in a newspaper </a></h3>
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</xml><![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-5098917253883762392014-05-27T02:24:00.000-07:002015-10-22T06:41:57.320-07:00Website for gardener in Leeds
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were proud to create the new website for Grow Well
Gardens, a fantastic landscape gardener in Leeds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp8OVFEKJ7T-DEseK4f4jmNdHBt4xhyphenhyphenXwVVjiHK7bFo0w_6pjb10UnjJlLDz6NLJre_sDe57z8TkWy4UNVOkIlXkjbULrn1ZeIKEuMolP5rpxmGw-il48QFZUCzXv9YU37z2hBp231ao/s1600/monitorgrowwellgardens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp8OVFEKJ7T-DEseK4f4jmNdHBt4xhyphenhyphenXwVVjiHK7bFo0w_6pjb10UnjJlLDz6NLJre_sDe57z8TkWy4UNVOkIlXkjbULrn1ZeIKEuMolP5rpxmGw-il48QFZUCzXv9YU37z2hBp231ao/s1600/monitorgrowwellgardens.jpg" height="311" width="400" /></a></div>
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Grow Well Gardens is run by
Rob, a charming fellow who really knows his Rhododendrons from his Azaleas. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Rob had a basic Flash website that wasn’t doing anything
useful – not getting any leads and not really impressing clients who went there
directly.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We did a brand new web design, bringing the visuals up to
date, including lots of trust-building logos that represent the company’s
qualifications, experience and associations, links to social media and
comprehensive details of the various services offered.</div>
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<br /></div>
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You can check out the website here: <a href="http://www.growwellgardens.co.uk/"><u>www.growwellgardens.co.uk</u></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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We realised that pictures really say it all when it comes to
gardening, so the site includes a range of high quality interactive slideshows
which allow visitors to browse through a wide variety of before and after
pictures. This builds trust and proves the quality of work, and also offers
inspiration to new customers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The website also features ‘A Year in a Garden’ page which
offers visitors advice and tips on the most important things to do in their
gardens at each of the different seasons. Offering free information like this
serves several useful purposes – it builds trusts with visitors, who can see
that the company really does have expertise, and it helps from an <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/SEOleeds.aspx" target="_blank">SEO</a> point of
view. That’s because Google loves content, and is more inclined to highly rank
a <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/updateyourwebsitecontentregularly.aspx" target="_blank">website that offers good quality relevant content</a> than one which just lists
services and prices.</div>
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We’re pleased to report that the website shot to the <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/howdoigettothetopofgoogle.aspx" target="_blank">top of the Google rankings</a> for a range of relevant searches, and at the time for
writing for on the front page for the searches:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Gardeners leeds</li>
<li> Landscape gardeners leeds</li>
<li>Garden services leeds</li>
</ul>
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Rob employs a team of enthusiastic gardeners and invests in
high quality equipment, which means the efficiency and quality of the work is
second to none. They handle everything from garden clearances to regular garden
maintenance to fencing, turfing, patios and driveways and basically everything
garden related.</div>
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If you need a gardener in Leeds and the surrounding area,
they come highly recommended!</div>
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<br /></div>
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And of course if you’d like us to work similar magic on your
website, then <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank"><u>visit our main web design website</u></a>.</div>
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Here is what Rob said about working with us:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As a
business owner I recognise the importance of providing a friendly and
professional service to clients and therefore I have high expectations of any
business professionals that I choose to trust and work with.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grow Well
Gardens website was well overdue a complete re design, after speaking with a
few different web designers I choose to use Sentiva.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The whole
process was made clear from the start and was explained in a way so that even I
could understand. Communication was great throughout so that I felt part of the
process from beginning to end.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kat and her
team came up with a fantastic design which met and exceeded my expectations
which is just what I need to push Grow Well Gardens forward.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The whole
experience with Sentiva was a pleasure from the beginning to end and I would
have no hesitation in recommending them to my friends, family and work
colleagues.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Robert
Vickers, Grow Well Gardens</span></i>
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Crikey! That was a bit of a long break – what can we say,
it’s been all go here, from joining local networking groups, expanding our <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesignsoftware.aspx" target="_blank"><u>software development</u></a> output, promoting our beloved <a href="http://www.novel-software.com/home.aspx" target="_blank"><u>Novel Factory</u></a>, crawling
all over all the social media you can shake a stick at – not to mention
streetwide power cuts, internet outages and bank holidays – all things which
are somewhat disruptive to work – some more enjoyable than others.</div>
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</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH77Z-deVpkDZ_-cjKqDomQwMTtJWHhMfqEFA-FEez04rmKfx4r_gvWbX37oAEOCI5huyZzm3db2zLHGnnGMW2rpZlhDcZKmNQrUuxNsj7Kjo2FYtzihsOfpKXaJ82rWgNZwFQG5mMIj8/s1600/shutterstock_189291665.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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But we’re back now, and this blog will now be updated on a
regular basis, with a range of webby things, including tips on best practice
web design, new trends, search engine optimisation hints and tips and maybe
even a few funnies thrown in for good measure.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Watch this space!</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you’re just looking for <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">fab web designers in Leeds</a>,
then you should <a href="http://sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">visit our main website here</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-56165140484874252022013-07-08T08:31:00.003-07:002013-07-08T08:31:49.293-07:00Is your website mobile? Some UK Mobile statistics to make you sit up...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFyQs2jcltJ0q6UHoMj-Axi3SbnI6ibCsw48OGpjH-oEvM3znjGmJQ3m3LEZ26BlDVI1QonOazIlpxYyfBlSLHIqKnrDVEVMFnm23VVgZ1WDcWS8daaoLPnV0uXYXSpJzzyDP8OADgyg/s1600/92%25+of+adults+in+the+UK+use+a+mobile+phone.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFyQs2jcltJ0q6UHoMj-Axi3SbnI6ibCsw48OGpjH-oEvM3znjGmJQ3m3LEZ26BlDVI1QonOazIlpxYyfBlSLHIqKnrDVEVMFnm23VVgZ1WDcWS8daaoLPnV0uXYXSpJzzyDP8OADgyg/s1600/92%25+of+adults+in+the+UK+use+a+mobile+phone.png" /></a>Mobile usage is just going up and up and up - and that's not for chatting on the phone. Mobile providers are increasingly finding users are using more data than calls or text messages, and billions of apps have been downloaded since Apple launched its first iPhone. There are even statistic showing that it's now common for people to be using their phone while simultaneously watching TV.<br />
<br />
Here are some mobile statistics for your enjoyment:<br />
<ul>
<li>92% of adults in the UK have a mobile phone</li>
<li>An average of 153 text messages are sent per mobile phone subscriber</li>
<li>39% of people with a mobile use it to access the Internet </li>
<li>In 2012 33 million adults accessed the Internet every day (more than double the figure from 2006)</li>
<li>In 2012, 32% of adults accessed the Internet using a mobile phone every day.</li>
</ul>
<br />
(src:http://media.ofcom.org.uk/facts/ and http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2012-part-2/stb-ia-2012part2.html)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-62175457623579678272013-07-01T04:57:00.000-07:002013-07-01T04:57:13.847-07:00Lost rankings? Musings on Google's latest antics and what they won't tell you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXunAp1Pqf6nQums_Fs3L0HluEugKV9XnlcVwiB09lr3aMUwrf0w-9OM1X0_YebQ2hC6Lm4-MU8if3Eb1AAIVD_ZFBnyRroWsErxVqDIsglY8WsrjGZ8Ncf-TqUGQi8our38cEqNlUkkk/s1600/Sentiva_diagramFINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXunAp1Pqf6nQums_Fs3L0HluEugKV9XnlcVwiB09lr3aMUwrf0w-9OM1X0_YebQ2hC6Lm4-MU8if3Eb1AAIVD_ZFBnyRroWsErxVqDIsglY8WsrjGZ8Ncf-TqUGQi8our38cEqNlUkkk/s400/Sentiva_diagramFINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
If you're in the web design industry, then you'll probably spend a lot of time gazing at your traffic statistics and trying to figure out how to push them up higher.<br />
<br />
But of course, Google is extremely secretive about what it's up to, and rarely gives a straight answer. Which makes <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/SEOleeds.aspx" target="_blank">SEO </a>a huge challenge.<br />
<br />
This is not necessarily a bad thing - as there are plenty of people out there who are just trying to game the system, and will focus on box-checking, rather than trying to provide good quality content.<br />
<br />
However, it can lead to a lot of sleepless nights and frustration for those of us who feel like we are doing everything right, but are still being tossed about like a dinghy in the Google storm.<br />
<br />
With the algorithm changing so quickly and <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">web designers</a> trying to respond as swiftly as possible, it could simply be that the ground if shifting underneath you and you're getting overtaken because of what you're NOT doing. <br />
<br />
Here are a couple of things that Google won't tell you, but we think will help your rankings, or harm them if you're not doing them:<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Joining Google+</h4>
Google really want to get Google+ going. We've seen websites leap up several pages once they become linked to a Google+ profile. Having a Google+profile also means you can have a picture of your pretty face, or your company logo, accompanying your listing. As we know - images entice clicks. I'm sure if asked Google will deny that joining Google+ will have any more of an effect athn any other link, but... y'know.<br />
<h4>
Having some Google Adwords campaigns going</h4>
Exactly the same as with Google+, we believe we've seen some (unsubstantiated) evidence that having a Google Adwords account will have a positive affect on your natural listings as well as the actual paid clicks you receive. You can always set it up to be a minimal amount so it doesn't bankrupt you in the process. <br />
<h4>
In conclusion </h4>
<br />
So, in summary our conclusion is that we'd all better start dancing the Google dance. In many ways, Google is an incredible organisation that has provided us with some amazing products and innovations. Does this mean it's good that it essentially has the power of life and death over small businesses? Can't say we think so. However, as a small business, it's time to put on the tap shoes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-66366903863311431442013-06-26T07:31:00.000-07:002015-10-22T06:44:38.418-07:00Website Versus Newspaper Adverts
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As you might expect, as web designers, we’re going to be a
bit biased when it comes to comparing the value of websites against newspaper
adverts. But we’re going to have a go at explaining just why small businesses
should focus their marketing budget on the web, rather than on print.</div>
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This is especially true when there is a very small budget
available.</div>
<br />
<h2>
Your money gets you more ‘inches’</h2>
<br />
<h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmnImybqgAv-2w-w7RsGwBtPtUasDgrk7suGizkfn_1k9KYS3gmBHpGQAIL-YcQxp6PoUJpogRhhipf4MVoN3Ul0eeF0pbyS3XQt6sRb5O6671APSnQKQxQcuDDHiYVmQUPdNO_AROsw/s1600/CB104962_LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmnImybqgAv-2w-w7RsGwBtPtUasDgrk7suGizkfn_1k9KYS3gmBHpGQAIL-YcQxp6PoUJpogRhhipf4MVoN3Ul0eeF0pbyS3XQt6sRb5O6671APSnQKQxQcuDDHiYVmQUPdNO_AROsw/s320/CB104962_LoRes.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
</h2>
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Print advertising is notoriously expensive. In a local
paper, a tiny advert could cost you the same as a single page website and a
full page advert will get you a whole <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a full page print
advert you’re limited to what you can get across. Your company name, what you
do, contact details and hopefully a USP or special offer.</div>
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However, in a full<a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank"> website</a> you could get far more
information across, which builds trust and engages the customer. It can save
you time by answering basic questions directly and avoiding people who aren’t
really potential customers. You could include information about your company
background, more detail about a range of services<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and rates, provide several contact options,
display testimonials and even offer free advice to show the potential customer
you really know your onions.</div>
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<h2>
Your money lasts longer</h2>
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The main disadvantage of a print ad is its limited lifetime.
Most publications are monthly, weekly or even daily. That means that means that
time period has passed, that money is lost forever. However, a website is there
indefinitely. If it’s designed well, the same website could serve a small
business for many years. There is a small ongoing hosting cost, that that is
usually going to cost about the same as the rent for a phone line.</div>
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<h2>
Websites are more targeted</h2>
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Even if you target your publication very closely (and most
people don’t), you can’t be sure that the customers are in the market for your
product at that time. And if you just use a local newspaper, the vast majority
of the readers will have no interest in your product or service. However, a
website appears exactly when people search for it – you can’ get much more
targeted than that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you're thinking of getting a <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/" target="_blank">website designed in Leeds</a>,
or anywhere across the UK, then give us a call for a chat about your
project. We're happy to give free advice and suggestions as well as
quotes and proposals. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-89761274801422121272013-06-21T06:32:00.000-07:002013-06-21T06:32:40.949-07:00Web Design Contracts<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are a lot of web designers out there and the majority
of them are sole traders, working alone from home offices. If you’re just starting
out and finding your feet then the chances are you might not have a web design
contract in place. But this is a risky omission.</span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Why a web designer needs a web design contract<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdrHF7dJ6YggOR4wNlmHGQRhc0kBdagY7WzDprxlHLjGyIhpAZmuW3uWvcxS0-9jmJXxFRHT7prbuTUrOcP5q_5ZFE9sMxJb1bkdsqgeVG0lKQweXNRPn9xOMDPv9pM-mFn37EpYNmwk/s1600/Fotolia_39292276_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdrHF7dJ6YggOR4wNlmHGQRhc0kBdagY7WzDprxlHLjGyIhpAZmuW3uWvcxS0-9jmJXxFRHT7prbuTUrOcP5q_5ZFE9sMxJb1bkdsqgeVG0lKQweXNRPn9xOMDPv9pM-mFn37EpYNmwk/s320/Fotolia_39292276_XS.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beginning web designers often shy away from having a <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/tipsonchoosingawebdesigner.aspx" target="_blank">web design contract</a> because they don’t want to commit to particular things, because
they’re not sure if they’ll be able to deliver. They may never have tried
creating this or that feature or function, so they don’t want it in writing
that they’re going to put it in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But not having a contract means that it’s easy for clients
to say that they assumed something would be done, and refuse to pay if it’s not
added in. If everything’s in writing you can point out that a particular
feature wasn’t specifically included. Of course, in most cases you’ll still
ending up doing it to keep the client happy, but when it comes to the crunch at
least you have a leg to stand on.</span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Why a web design client needs a contract<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For pretty much the same reason as the <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignerquestionsleeds.aspx" target="_blank">web designer</a>, the
client benefits from having a written contract. That way, they can prove that
an element or feature was included if the web designer is saying the project is
complete, but they don’t believe it is.</span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">What should a web design contract look like?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The good news is that the contract doesn’t have to be very
complicated. Sure, if you can it’s best to get a professional lawyer to create
you something, but people starting out in business rarely have the money to
spend on that kind of thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One way is to find free template downloads of contracts that
are available on the web. But you can simply create a word document with a list
of the features that will be included, turn it into a PDF, and email it to the
client. This forms a basic agreement.</span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Is email communication contractually binding?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember that email communications can form the basis of a
contract or contract amendment, but only if you can prove that both parties
have seen and agreed the details. In other words, if you send information to
the other party but s/he never replies to that specifically, it is not legally
binding. But if they reply to the email and confirm agreement, then it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/howbigandcomplicated.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc3300;"><strong>Read about how much different websites cost - using a tortured transport analogy on our main web design site.</strong></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-36885583792466028822013-06-10T04:57:00.003-07:002013-06-10T04:58:06.328-07:00The most popular browsers May 2013 in a pie chart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good to know more people are using Firefox than Internet Explorer these days, and it looks like Chrome is taking over the market! Google is becoming a bit of a frightening behemoth... not sure one company should have so much power...</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkbpnti0vP56yR8TBlsdO8WK-t_LBIvr_K5lXf_cjRFsLqdqj7XbJj2jmQig2U0A7XCr2-oWlRI1tZT3mUUyQ-HBy-x1Anf6N6UpHfidpM3hTs9MEV2U0Hn3jdgoDaCBSRhGNPRnp1_Y/s640/BrowserBrandStatisticsInfographic.png" width="536" /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-3635565263531412032013-06-03T04:27:00.001-07:002013-06-03T04:27:35.170-07:00Browser Display Statistics Infographic - trends in the most popular screen resolutions over the past ten years.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vX9Em45TSPZhQkviLLscfYtU67PbgtGpTil28xoUDJaEv1L9bWLJYRBgA9L0V95YIxnbK-oqf5A3iIH_ISjunayYDMXalP2owyjiwDkmsMVgx8NQXovOO2A6XB9vYGZUvgx4N5fttxY/s1600/BrowserDisplayStatisticsInfographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vX9Em45TSPZhQkviLLscfYtU67PbgtGpTil28xoUDJaEv1L9bWLJYRBgA9L0V95YIxnbK-oqf5A3iIH_ISjunayYDMXalP2owyjiwDkmsMVgx8NQXovOO2A6XB9vYGZUvgx4N5fttxY/s1600/BrowserDisplayStatisticsInfographic.png" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-33301942234164879422013-05-31T04:41:00.000-07:002013-05-31T04:41:58.660-07:00How to choose a web designer
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Man, the web design market is saturated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if you’re looking to <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/tipsonchoosingawebdesigner.aspx" target="_blank">hire a web designer</a>, it can be
really difficult to figure out the genuine professionals from the amateurs. But
the last thing you want to do is invest a lot of time and money and end up with
something unfinished, or that you’re not happy with. Equally, you don’t want to
pay over the odds, but you understand that if you pay peanuts, you’ll get
monkeys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYVsMCE4mngO2_YZ2QYeNVhUoA-w2ICQK0QX1t1UdVZfiq7RZLlyIi8grZ_AF33A5DOd2RGZOqzHldAy0UFkRYGv84Zy6PhPzakNBLVHQXAQo3fmD4CWFePy50FSASVUZJrmR8AbhlI0/s1600/Fotolia_10083216_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYVsMCE4mngO2_YZ2QYeNVhUoA-w2ICQK0QX1t1UdVZfiq7RZLlyIi8grZ_AF33A5DOd2RGZOqzHldAy0UFkRYGv84Zy6PhPzakNBLVHQXAQo3fmD4CWFePy50FSASVUZJrmR8AbhlI0/s320/Fotolia_10083216_XS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are a few (hopefully impartial) tips on how to choose a
web designer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Get a recommendation<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By far the best way to choose any service is to go with
someone that someone you know and trust the judgement of recommends. If you
have friends or colleagues who have had a <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">website</a> designed, then pick their
brains. Were they happy with the service they got, and would they recommend who
they used? Or did they choose based on price and live to regret it? Use their
experiences to avoid repeating the same mistakes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Get a few quotes<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you can’t get someone through a recommendation, then it’s
worth getting a few quotes. This is not necessarily to find out the cheapest
price (going with the cheapest option will almost always end in headaches and
unexpected expenses down the line), but to get a sense of the service and
quality of product they provide. Do they really listen to your needs and come
up with a solution that fits? Or do they just send out a standard template
email? How they deal with your enquiry is a good reflection of how they will
work down the line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Go with your gut<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the end of the day it’s about finding someone you can
trust and work with long term. A website isn’t a one-off deal, it needs to keep
working for years to come. So you need to choose someone who you think you’ll
be happy building an ongoing relationship with. Good relationships develop into
friendships and maintain high levels of trust and a feeling of security. This
is well worth paying a little extra for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you'd like to <span style="color: black;">learn <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/howtowritecopyforyourwebsite.aspx" target="_blank">how to write copy for your website homepage</a> and how to <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/seoonpageoptimisation.aspx" target="_blank">improve your search engine optimisation</a>, <u><a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">visit our site</a></u>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-60332238102631151382013-04-24T02:37:00.000-07:002013-04-24T02:41:12.348-07:00What is responsive web design?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Say responsive web design to a room full of designers and
you’re liable to get a roomful of groans. So what is responsive web design and
why is it such a nightmare?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">So, what is responsive web design?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT4b5nRh74WCM14M8UEc-Y7vSK6VSCFvV14oGru29vH9n84U0pbQQy4KnaMnIWjCDqBIycbb3_b_L5jXEH-4k1o1tmLenb5K9TInbcnoy9UaV96UwwYYzmblCtWbLN3MtjNyFFzAs2XE/s1600/mcommerce1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT4b5nRh74WCM14M8UEc-Y7vSK6VSCFvV14oGru29vH9n84U0pbQQy4KnaMnIWjCDqBIycbb3_b_L5jXEH-4k1o1tmLenb5K9TInbcnoy9UaV96UwwYYzmblCtWbLN3MtjNyFFzAs2XE/s1600/mcommerce1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Responsive <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">web design</a> means making websites which change
according to the device the user is using. For example, a website can detect if
it’s being viewed on a mobile device and display a layout which has been
designed accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Responsive web design will avoid the need for scrolling,
zooming and resizing by the user.</span><br />
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">And why is it such a nightmare?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The reason it’s such a nightmare is that the number of
devices and technologies are constantly changing, so it’s almost impossible to
create something that works across all platforms. Creating a design that works
elegantly across various browsers, screen sizes and resolutions and takes
advantage of the latest sexy, slick scripts but doesn’t break on clunky ancient
machines can eat up days and weeks.</span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">So, should we be using it or not?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My answer to almost any question like this is – it depends.
It depends on the budget, and therefore time available for the project, and how
serious it is. In an ideal world you’ll have enough time to make the perfect
website that will work across all platforms (until tomorrow, when another one
comes out). However, if the client’s budget is too tight, then you have to
compromise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignresourcebankleeds.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc3300;"><strong>For more advice about basic legal requirements for websites and SEO, check out our resource bank.</strong></span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-67032184761387303182013-03-11T03:12:00.000-07:002013-03-11T03:12:03.336-07:00Static Versus Dynamic Page Width<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnby0hdOEAZLmxb55hJwaXpmwDsE5ddCjgOXRQar-miZz8wqO1dewm07GZ2dMAW3HJVaLWAcmAGMy7h5eHbgplE8uzgiRhp2Ur-MpzRRMk384afZM3CueF8YvLLV71CKaSg-H1DbmClI/s1600/web+design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnby0hdOEAZLmxb55hJwaXpmwDsE5ddCjgOXRQar-miZz8wqO1dewm07GZ2dMAW3HJVaLWAcmAGMy7h5eHbgplE8uzgiRhp2Ur-MpzRRMk384afZM3CueF8YvLLV71CKaSg-H1DbmClI/s1600/web+design.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
There's a lot of talk these days about <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignprocessleeds.aspx" target="_blank">responsive web design</a>, and whether to have a dynamic or static page width is one of the most basic ways a website can respond to a user's browser.<br />
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In case you're not sure what these terms mean, a static, or fixed, page width is one which is set to a definite number of pixels (or centimetres), and doesn't change, regardless of whether it's being viewed on a small monitor or a large one. A dynamic (or as I like to call them - stretchy) page width is one that stretches to fit the available space.<br />
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<h3>
Advantages of a fixed page width</h3>
The main advanatge of a fixed page width is that you have more control over the layout of the page, and can be sure how it will look across different browser and resolutions. It means that you don't end up with unexpected dead whitespace and you can be sure which elements will line up with each other.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Disadvantages of fixed page width</h3>
The biggest problem is choosing the optimum width. This is about balancing the needs of users with small screens with those who have huge monitors. If you choose a width that is too big, then users on smaller screens will only be able to view some of the site and will have to use the extremely annoying horizontal scroll in order to see the sides. However, if you choose a width that is too narrow, then users on big screens will have large areas of empty space on either side, and the website will look silly perched in the middle.<br />
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<h3>
Advantages of dynamic or stretchy width</h3>
By keeping your width dynamic each user will have most of the available space used up, without losing anything off the edges.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Disadvantages of dynamic or stretchy width</h3>
If the width is constantly changing, then it means that the page elements will be moving around and you have little control over the balance of the page and how the elements relate to each other. Also, if the main text is in a stretchy area, then it may end up being very wide - which is known to be more difficult to read than columns. It is possible to do lots of clever things to ensure different parts of the page stretch in proportion to each other - but this is a lot more effort.<br />
<br />
If you're looking for <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">web design in Leeds</a>, or want to learn more about <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignresourcebankleeds.aspx" target="_blank">good and bad web design</a>, visit <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">our website</a>. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-84601012801648532182013-03-07T04:22:00.000-08:002013-03-07T04:22:00.500-08:00Why we insist on hosting our websites (to begin with)We offer managed <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignleedsFAQs.aspx" target="_blank">hosting services with all our websites</a>, because we care about the long term performance of our products and about making a meaningful difference to our clients' businesses.<br />
<br />
However, sometimes potential clients look at the budget options that are available online and wonder why we aren't matching those prices. Other times, they want to know if they can use us to make the website, but then move over to cheap hosting to reduce ongoing costs. Some people (heaven forbid) might even suspect that we're simply trying to squeeze as much money out of them as possible. This simply isn't how we do business.<br />
<br />
Here's the real reason:<br />
<br />
<h4>
Why we don't complete on price when it comes to hosting</h4>
We don't complete on price, because it would mean making huge sacrifices in quality and service, which would result in poor performance and unhappy clients (or going bust - resulting in unhappy us).<br />
<br />
A good technological platform with robust backups and redundancy to make sure the website loads quickly and never goes down takes investment, and that costs money. On top of that, we want to make sure our staff are available and have time to deal with each client's query patiently and properly.<br />
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We believe that our prices are extremely reasonable when you consider the level of high quality hardware, software and <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/team.aspx" target="_blank">genuine personal service</a> we provide. <br />
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<h4>
Why we won't put our websites on other hosts </h4>
In the past we have agreed to make websites and then host them on other servers, but we no longer allow this, because of the headaches that have arisen for both us and our clients.<br />
<br />
The problem is that cheap hosts are cheap for a reason. These companies usually sacrifice quality of hardware and software and customer service, in order to drive their prices to the absolute minimum. This means that servers are unreliable and overloaded, meaning the clients' website runs slowly and may frequently dissappear altogether.<br />
<br />
It also means that the customer service is impossible to get hold of, unskilled and in such a rush they simply send autoreplies without finding out about the problem properly. This wastes a great deal of time and contributes to high blood pressure and hair loss (not clinically proven).<br />
<br />
<br />
When this happens, the client comes back to us, and it's our word against their that the poor website performance is all about the host, and nothing to do with our work - which would have worked great if we were hosting it. And because we're soft, we often end up sorting out these problems where the cheap host refuses too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRq2GPkTS0B-STzcwQtTgn_VhwF0jpmesUNAyoVHqdIO9oiflOtFwH80NXnuwYBFwqW9YbhzKtlxdOlW16ati7xXOGgAAkp3ie_s2B5gxvf5nJYvoFQBay-QWlakaZ-UIbTQU8f8zgPE/s1600/Fotolia_6298513_M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRq2GPkTS0B-STzcwQtTgn_VhwF0jpmesUNAyoVHqdIO9oiflOtFwH80NXnuwYBFwqW9YbhzKtlxdOlW16ati7xXOGgAAkp3ie_s2B5gxvf5nJYvoFQBay-QWlakaZ-UIbTQU8f8zgPE/s400/Fotolia_6298513_M.jpg" width="393" /></a></div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
What do you mean 'to begin with'?</h4>
The reasons stated above are why we insist on hosting our websites - not because we're trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of our clients - and to prove it, we DO allow clients to move, but only after we've proven the quality of the website on our hosting and support platforms first.<br />
<br />
If, after this has been proven a client still feels they wish to move away, then they can - at their own risk...<br />
<br />
If you're thinking of getting a <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/" target="_blank">website designed in Leeds</a>, or anywhere across the UK, then give us a call for a chat about your project. We're happy to give free advice and suggestions as well as quotes and proposals.<br />
<br />
Or if you need help with your computer - anything from fixing a broken laptop to maintaining a snappy response, then <a href="http://www.unigold2000.co.uk/" target="_blank">check out our associates, who offer great IT Support Services, from their base in Guildford</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-29097247258351253912013-03-05T10:43:00.001-08:002013-03-06T04:15:24.997-08:00A Dummy's Guide to Web HostingWe offer managed <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignprocessleeds.aspx" target="_blank">web hosting as standard with all our websites</a>, because all websites need hosting, and it's a critical part of having an <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/" target="_blank">effective, reliable website</a>.<br />
<br />
But quite often clients who don't work with technology have no idea what web hosting is, or why they need it. We try our best to explain everything in terms that every one can understand, because a client who is confident that they know what's going on and are in control of the process, is a happy client.<br />
<br />
This article aims to explain what web hosting is in very basic terms so that everyone can understand the principles. We don't go into the nitty gritty technical details, so it's not quite as simple as we make out - but it's as much as most people need to know.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtA5XmNebwin-ZY7Mq5CaoU-X0A-1kzTqtNMWV5rP4ZKSxxyqnOTzK_xpfY5RXs3ne8VaK7igzMadiXN5z0MNqFZ-EqDGnHYRamUBMJn2wDaS2Jx_xT-uO6EnVTe05EX65zNCxNmerA1I/s1600/Fotolia_18169025_S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtA5XmNebwin-ZY7Mq5CaoU-X0A-1kzTqtNMWV5rP4ZKSxxyqnOTzK_xpfY5RXs3ne8VaK7igzMadiXN5z0MNqFZ-EqDGnHYRamUBMJn2wDaS2Jx_xT-uO6EnVTe05EX65zNCxNmerA1I/s400/Fotolia_18169025_S.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
So.<br />
<h4>
What is web hosting and why do you need it if you have a website?<br /></h4>
A website is essentially a collection of files, including code files and images. These files need to be stored somewhere. You could keep them on your computer, but then your website would dissappear every time your turned your computer off, and if your internet connection wasn't very powerful, your website might appear unreliable to visitors. Also, whenever someone wanted to view your website, they would be using up your personal intenet connection.<br />
<br />
So, instead of having websites live on home computers, there are huge computers which are dedicated to being homes for websites - and these are called servers. Servers are usually very powerful and are never turned off.<br />
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Having your computer live on one of these computers is called 'hosting'. Your 'host' is the supplier of the space on the server.<br />
<br />
If you found this article helpful and want to learn more about <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignresourcebankleeds.aspx" target="_blank">web design and SEO, then have a look at our resource bank</a>.<br />
<br />
If you're looking for <a href="http://www.unigold2000.co.uk/" target="_blank">IT Support services for business or home, then try Unigold 2000</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-52028049826795531552013-02-20T07:13:00.000-08:002013-02-20T07:13:04.631-08:00Don't obsess over your statsIf you have a website, then you should have stats for it - your <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">web designer</a> will probably have provided them for you.<br />
<br />
There are lots of different programs out there that will give you web statistics, and many are free. One of the most popular is Google Analytics, because it means going right to the source and (in theory) getting the best data. Also, because of Google's humungous budget, Analytics has a lot of fancy graphics and functionality.<br />
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The kind of data you get can be anything from how many visitors your site gets to what time of day they came, how long they stayed, which pages they visited and in what order, what country they're in, how they came across your site and much, much more. <br />
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It's important to check out your stats and keep and eye on them, because the information can be used to fine tune your site and gauge performance.<br />
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However, it's easy to become obsessed with these numbers. This is bad idea for several reasons. First of all, traffic doesn't directly translate into sales. Revenue and profit are much more important - if you have millions of visitors, but no sales, then you have nothing.<br />
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Secondly, while you're analysing your stats, you are not spending time on more important things, such as running or <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/SEOleeds.aspx" target="_blank">promoting your business</a>.<br />
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Finally, if you're looking too closely at your stats in an attempt to increase traffic, then the chances are you'll start being tempted to 'game' the system by tweaking, rather than focussing on just creating quality and value for your customers. As Google is constantly updating their algorithm and trying to make it even better at returning good results, SEO work based on complicated <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/whatarereciprocallinks.aspx" target="_blank">link</a> text targetting, <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/whatiskeywordanalysis.aspx" target="_blank">keyword</a> density and the like is going to be fragile and could come tumbling down at any moment. Whereas, good quality content is robust and should stand the test of time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/" target="_blank">Sentiva offer web design services in Leeds.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-33231771770953172842013-02-19T09:55:00.000-08:002013-02-19T09:55:13.471-08:00Top 5 Tips for beginning web designersHere are our top five tips for web designers who are just starting out:<br />
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Keep it Simple</h4>
It can be tempting to put something in just because you can, not because it's right. This tends to lead to animated gifs, flash banners, scrolling marquee tags, loads of different fonts and basically a horrible mess that is a confusing turn off for visitors. Try to avoid including anything that doesn't have a clear purpose, and keep the design clean and simple.<br />
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Check the website on a range of browsers</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbID4OlOXhYZ13-qABQ6o3-zHNY8o7mkucZYc7sXqgS080Maw9WpntY4zL3_c6WLwvRG3aJcwM_s977b0AhFDB1uVdjkfkzksyVBnAWLy2PCnEUAsZso_Yiyr1nKtzKNi7toPTWDlCcQ/s1600/browsers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbID4OlOXhYZ13-qABQ6o3-zHNY8o7mkucZYc7sXqgS080Maw9WpntY4zL3_c6WLwvRG3aJcwM_s977b0AhFDB1uVdjkfkzksyVBnAWLy2PCnEUAsZso_Yiyr1nKtzKNi7toPTWDlCcQ/s1600/browsers.jpg" /></a></div>
Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and Chrome all interpret code is slightly different ways and it's worth checking your design on each of them to make sure nothing breaks. These days lots of people use mobiles to view websites as well, so check its not impossible on a smaller screen.<br />
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Focus on the visitor</h4>
Your starting point should be what the visitor wants, not what you want to tell them. This means being careful about using jargon or any terms or concepts they might not understand, and thinking about their objectives and how they might move around your site.<br />
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Make sure the structure and navigation is clear and consistent</h4>
The main navigation should be identical on every page, and ideally every page should be able to be reached from the main navigation. If there are a lot of pages, then use dropdowns. The exception is if you have large resource banks or ecommerce stores with hundreds of pages, but in this case consistency and clarity is even more important.<br />
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Don't have autoplaying music</h4>
This is one of the biggest turn-offs for visitors, who might be browsing at work, or at the very least might be playing their own music, which yours will conflict with. <br />
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<a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignresourcebankleeds.aspx" target="_blank">For more advice about good and bad web design and SEO, check out our resource bank.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">If you're looking to hire a web designer - click here.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4687889180085321576.post-88500787582810253882013-02-08T05:11:00.000-08:002013-04-24T02:45:32.629-07:00Don't be the invisible person on your own websiteOne of the biggest mistakes you can make is to pay a lot of money for a website but then hide your contact details away.<br />
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This is a shortened version of the <u><a href="http://sentivaweb.com/contactdetailsonyourwebsite.aspx" target="_blank">full article about making sure your contact details are clear, which you can read here</a>. </u><br />
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Your phone number should be a clear beacon, immediately visible above the fold (preferably at the top of the page) in large font that can be read even by those who are partially sighted. <i>Especially </i>by those who are partially sighted. They are the ones who need it most as they will find it frustrating to browse the website.<br />
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You should offer an email address and get a decent junk mail filter to deal with the spam that is inevitable from publishing an email address on the internet. You can also take steps to obfuscate your email address from robot crawlers. Not offering an email address because you're afraid of spam is like slamming your door in people's faces. Not good.<br />
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And you should also have an <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/contactwebdesign.aspx" target="_blank">enquiry form on the contact page</a> (or even at the side of all pages), as some people prefer having the guidance of little boxes to fill in, because they don't want to expend the brain power involved in composing an email from scratch. And who are you to argue?<br />
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And finally, you could offer an online chat service but you need to be careful with this or it could do more harm than good. If it's constantly unavailable, or if the people take ages to reply (possibly because they're trying to deal with too many chats at the same time) and leave your customer sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for a response, or if your customer service agents are impolite or abrupt, then your customers will be turned off.<br />
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By utilising all these methods (effectively), you give people every option they could desire and reduce the likelihood of them getting turned off and heading to one of your competitors instead.<br />
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If you liked this blog post, you might like to read our article on <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/elementsofgreatwebdesign.aspx" target="_blank">Five elements of great web design</a> or <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignandcolour.aspx" target="_blank">web design and colour</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/" target="_blank">Sentiva web design</a> make <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesign.aspx" target="_blank">websites</a>, <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/webdesignsoftware.aspx" target="_blank">software</a> and <a href="http://www.sentivaweb.com/mobileappdevelopmentleeds.aspx" target="_blank">mobile apps</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002198218381132539noreply@blogger.com0