http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog The Web Design Blog for Norfolk Web Designer Tom Girling Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:17:41 GMT http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/images/logo.jpg http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/09/basic-text-seo http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/09/basic-text-seo Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is a term that you see mentioned often on websites. What is SEO & why is it important? Unfortunately, Google (and other search engines) don't understand what your website is about unless you make it clear to them. Present information online in the wrong way & your website stands little chance of being seen by anyone. Basic text optimisation Before you write or optimise any text for your website, have a think about what potential visitors to your website might type into google to find it. In my case, two of my most important search phrases are: Norfolk Web Design and Web Design Norfolk, both are similar but are classed as separate search phrases. Once you have identified these keywords or keyphrases, you need to include them on your website in headings and body text. Not only should you repeat the phrases, you should also use different variations of the same phrase where appropriate. Focus on using a set of phrases on the pages that best relates to them on your website as this will further help re-enforce the subject matter. Always remember that you are primarily writing for a human to read, so the content must always remain natural and flowing. Images, photographs & general prettiness Search engines can only see text - any images on your website are essentially invisible to them. This means that if you present any text on screen as an image, it won't seen by the search engines. Likewise, flash can be tricky for them to understand as well. If you website is image heavy and has little text, have a think about what can be done to incorporate more text into the website to help. Image search is also becoming more important, there are ways of including further information within the code of an image - this is a more technical & code level approach, but it can help drive more visitors to your website. Page titles and main headings or H1 tags These are the most important elements on any webpage. They are the first pieces of information that the search engines will look at when crawling through the pages on your website. As with the main body text, these items must contain your most important search keyphrases that are related to that particular page and more importantly, they should be different on every page. Also, becoming more important but still relating to the page title and main heading (H1 tag) is the file name that appears in the URL or address bar in the web browser. This can again have seo benefits if appropriate keywords are used. When you look at the above, you can see that content is incredibly important when it comes to the search engine ranking of your website. It is also generally a rare case of where more text or pages of text mean higher ranking, a small website will always struggle to rank alongside its larger competition. http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/08/choose-an-email-address http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/08/choose-an-email-address Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT Just as the design of your website speaks volumes about your business, so does your choice of email address. Use the wrong email account and you could be turning potential clients away. E-mail is quick, convenient and easy to use. Most people that you meet in your average day will have at least one email address, if not more. What you may not realise though is that your choice of email address could actually be perceived in quite different ways. Free email accounts Hotmail, Gmail or an account provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) etc, there are plenty of free email services out there on the web. While these are ok for communicating with friends, or for using as an email address to register with online shopping websites etc, they are really not suitable for business use. If you have a website for your business but you choose to use a free email service it looks unprofessional and dare I say it, cheap. What a free email account says about you: I don't fully grasp the internet, I've got an email address because I have to, I don't check my email regularly, I'm not comfortable with technology...I'm not professional in the way I conduct my business. Your own E-mail with your domain name This comes across as being much more professional straight off the bat, regardless of your choice of address. It shows that you care about details and that you are a 'proper' business, check your email account(s) regularly and are easy to contact. Choosing an email address and what it says about you info@, enquiries@ - I'm quite formal & business like, if you've got a question or a problem then I'll be able to help you. myname@ - I'm business like yet personal & approachable. When you contact me, you will always be communicating with the same person - not a faceless business. imquirky@ - I'm easy going, approachable and I use the internet a lot. While I'm comfortable with technology, I'm also personal & a little bit funky. So before you decide what email address you will conduct business from, have a think about what it says about you, your business and the role that it will perform. http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/08/helping-local-economy http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/08/helping-local-economy Sat, 07 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT With so many web designers and web design companies to choose from all over the UK, it is tempting to choose a business that is based in another part of the country. But what would you miss out on - what are the benefits of using a Norfolk Web Design Service? Local knowledge Local knowledge is more than just knowing where roads lead to, or where shops are located. A Norfolk web design service will understand the local population, business competition, tourism and suitable marketing methods that work in that area. If you select a web designer from another region, you lose this valuable insight. More than just a voice Sometimes you need more than a voice at the end of a phone line or an email in your inbox. A local web designer will be happy to meet face to face and talk to you about your business and ideas. A face to face meeting over a cup of coffee (and maybe a slice of cake) can often be more productive and creative than a phone call or email could ever be...this is particularly important when it comes to more complicated or creative websites. Investing in the local economy When you employ a Norfolk web design service, you are helping the local economy. A local business uses local shops, businesses & suppliers. In my case, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, I support as many small local businesses as I can & where possible avoid using large chains. Beyond the economy, this also has knock on environmental benefits with less petrol/diesel being used to transport goods/services - helping to create a smaller carbon footprint. Web Design in East Anglia I was born and grew up in Hertfordshire, regularly visiting Cambridgeshire and Norfolk throughout my younger years. After spending 14 years in London, I now live and work on the Norfolk/Suffolk border where I take pride in supporting local businesses and helping my clients with a wealth of local knowledge. http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/07/hire-a-professional-web-designer http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/07/hire-a-professional-web-designer Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:00:00 GMT You've got a little technical ability and a web design app - you can build your own website for 50p, you don't need a professional web designer....or do you? In this day and age where all things technical have become simple and accessible, it is tempting to think you can do everything yourself. While to a certain degree this may be true, when it comes to website design this can be a very bad idea. A website is a website... You only want a 'website' why all the fuss? After all a website is just a website isn't it? Well, actually no it isn't. A lot more goes into the design and build of a quality website than meets the eye. Your website will be, more often than not, the first point of call for potential customers and it speaks volumes about your business in an instant. Create an impression A website should reflect the business that it represents - the colours, fonts, images and layout all go hand in hand to make this happen. That subconscious first impression is incredibly important. Get it right and your visitors will read on, looking at more pages & possibly deciding to use your services...get it wrong and they'll go elsewhere. Attention needs to be grabbed and your message conveyed in an instant, this is something that a professional web designer understands. Website Structure & Navigation A well structured website is easy and intuitive to navigate, requiring little or no thought to find your way around. It takes experience and planning to get this right something that can be overlooked by a novice...just because its functional, doesn't mean that it isn't important. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) If a website is built without any search engine optimisation, it stands little chance of ranking highly with the search engines. There are many ways that your website can be optimised behind the scenes in the code to help your website rank higher - this requires knowledge and experience, and is not something that an amateur can achieve with a self built website. Cross browser compatibility You may have heard this phrase batted around a bit - you may think that a website automatically works on all web browsers & all computers...unfortunately this isn't the case (thank you Mr Microsoft). Without knowledge of cross browser compatibility you run the risk of your website not working correctly in all web browsers. Differences in web browser display can sometimes be subtle & often not of great concern, but sometimes the differences are very big & can make the website unreadable & even unnavigable. Addressing the differences in browser behaviour is complicated and requires specialist technical knowledge. See the wood for the trees A professional web designer has the benefit of being an external 3rd party to your business, they provide a valuable insight, can see the bigger picture & understand what your customers need to see on your website. Looking from the inside out makes judgements and design decisions that much harder even without taking your normal day to day business tasks into account. A website that you build yourself, or one built by little Johnny the whizz kid from next door, runs the risk of looking unprofessional and actually doing your business more harm than good. You wouldn't trust little Johnny to service your car so why trust him to promote your business? http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/07/how-to-choose-a-web-designer http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/07/how-to-choose-a-web-designer Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:00:00 GMT Many clients have difficulty when it comes to choosing a web designer, this is purely because they aren`t sure what to look for. These simple pointers can help you choose a professional web designer. Portfolio The web design portfolio should contain memorable work whilst the website designs should be appropriate and reflect each client. Make sure that the designs in the portfolio are distinctly different and not just reiterations of the same design in a different colour. Navigation Are the websites that the web designer has built easy to navigate? It should be quick and easy to find important information on a website, menus should be visible and in the same position on every page - you shouldn't have to think to find you're way around a website. Website Loading Time Time is important on a website - if a website takes too long to load, then a large number of users will leave before they have even seen what you have to offer. A good Web Designer will be able to build websites that load quickly and efficiently. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Ask the potential web designer if they optimise websites for the major search engines - there are many ways behind the scenes to help improve the visibility of your website on the internet, this is important if you want to generate new business from your website. Do you like them? This may sound like a strange thing to say, but you are going to be trusting a web designer to build your website. You will be communicating with them throughout the project - it is important that you like them and get on with them well. You should be confident that they have your interests at heart and listen to what you have to say. Communication An experienced web designer will ask you questions about your business so they can design a website that is suited to you. A well designed website should reflect the business that it represents - this is only possible when the designer has a good knowledge and understanding of the client. Ask Questions You should feel comfortable with the web designer so you can ask questions about their portfolio, previous clients, the project processes, time scales and budget. http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/07/difference-between-web-design-and-web-development http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/07/difference-between-web-design-and-web-development Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:00:00 GMT I have had clients contact me that had previously employed a web developer, when they should in fact employed a web designer. This common misunderstanding can be hard to grasp if you have little technical knowledge - don't be caught out, make sure you understand the difference! On first glance, web design and web development can often seem to be the same thing - sure, there are crossover areas, but strictly speaking they are two quite separate areas of work within a website project. Web Design The look, feel, layout, colours and font choices that are used are all down to the web designer. A good designer will have more than a basic understanding of how a web page is assembled including knowledge in HTML and CSS - it is, in my opinion, impossible to design a website without having some basic knowledge. Web Development The code behind the scenes that a makes a website work is due to a web developer. This is generally more complicated script based programming that can process items of data or information, & then present them on screen as html to be styled by the CSS that has been provided by the Web Designer. On a more complicated level, Website development is responsible for making dynamic websites function - shopping carts, full e-commerce websites, news systems, social media and blogs. Where Design and Development Crossover The confusion between Web Design and Web Development can occur in the overlapping grey areas. You will often see CSS or html coding referred to as development, however most Web Designers will be able to do this as well. Some Web Developers will also be capable of styling design elements, even designing simple websites - but typically, the results will not be the same, and the design can even be poor or non-existent. Even more confusion arises because of the derogatory term 'Web Designer' - it often implies that all aspects in the build of a website are 'Web Design'. In most cases this is an assumption that is OK to make, but care should be taken to ensure that if you choose to use a Web Designer that they can perform the Web Development side of the project that you need. Likewise, if you choose to use a Web Developer, you should ensure that they are capable of doing the Web Design as well. If a person or company advertise themselves as purely being a Web Developer, then it is safe to assume that they don't do Web Design. So What Service Do I Provide? I am both a Web Designer and a Web Developer - I do the design work, I code the HTML & CSS for the basic pages on the website and I also code PHP and Javascript to make the website do clever things behind the scenes. You may think that the differences here are simple and clear cut, but I know for a fact that not everyone understands them. I have been contacted previously by a potential client who originally approached 14 different Web Companies, the client chose to use a Web Developer. When the difference/error was realised, I received a very emotional phone call from the client asking for advice. The end result?...the original work was scrapped and another website built from scratch - this meant the client effectively paid twice for the same website.....a very costly lesson indeed! http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/06/web-design-process-explained http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/06/web-design-process-explained Sun, 27 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT So you're about to get a website designed and built for you, but how does the process work, what is involved and what do you need to do? The journey from start to finish is quite simple, but there are a few key steps a long the way that you should know about. Decide what type of website is required Before any work can begin on your web design, you need to decide what kind of website you need - see this simple breakdown on website types and functionality. Find reference websites - good & bad It is incredibly useful for both you and your web designer to have a selection of websites that can be used as reference which exhibit elements that you like and sometimes dislike - the references should be relevant to your business field, profession or subject. This can also be used as an opportunity to research your competitors and how well their websites are designed and built. What do their websites say about them, how easy are they to navigate & find important information? Provide the website content By this stage, it should have been decided how many pages there will be on the website & what they will contain. Now it is time for you to write the content for your website. Before you actually type word on screen, have a think about the search terms and search phrases that your potential visitors would type into google to find your website and include these in your text. Your web designer should be able to help suggest search keywords and phrases to include within your text - this greatly helps the placement of your website within the search engine results. For some projects, it is also worth considering the use of a professional copywriter - if you are not confident in your writing abilities, or would prefer a professional to write the content, then this is a worthwhile and sometimes cost effective option. Copywriters are experienced in writing search engine optimised text which can make a difference to the performance of your website as a whole. Images are very important in web design and help bring dynamics and colour to the page. It is important that this is not overlooked as poor images can ultimately lose clients. While you can provide the images yourself, it is also worth considering having professional photographs taken for your website. The web design With all the ground work done, your website can now be designed. Depending on the type website and its size, this may be just be a single home page design, or it could be multiple page designs to cover different sections of the website. Typically, the web design will be drawn up in a graphics program such as photoshop, then once completed you will be given the opportunity to comment on the design before any further steps occur. CSS conversion of the web design Once you have approved your web design, it will be turned into a blank web page or template. The styling for the page will be constructed with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) allowing for site wide style changes at a keystroke. This method of web design helps keep your website flexible for changes, additions and alterations in the future. Website Assembly Once the CSS template has been made, the structure of your website can be assembled. This includes the main menu navigation, any elements that are common throughout the website & all the individual pages so that there is a bare website ready to receive the content. The text and images that you provided are now entered into the relevant positions. Additional design work, styling and tweaking now takes place with each further update taking the website nearer completion. You will be given a preview before the website is completely finished and put online - this will generally be at a point that the web designer is happy with the level of work so far (although it may not be classed as completed). Care should be taken when previewing a website under construction early on in the project cycle, as you can start to focus on elements that haven't yet been properly worked on. Once finished, the website will be uploaded and you will now be able to sit back and admire your new website! To re-cap and in short: Get in touch, have a quick chat and we can work out the best solution for your business You Provide the text and images for the website Sit back, let me do the complicated bit & then admire your new website! http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/06/why-do-i-need-a-website http://www.design.tomgirling.co.uk/blog/2010/06/why-do-i-need-a-website Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT So you have decided that you or your business needs a website. Have you actually thought about what role the website is going to perform for you? who is it aimed at? what functionality does it need? What is the primary goal of your website? Websites come in different shapes and sizes with differing functionality. Before you even contemplate contacting a website designer, you should already have a good idea of what it should be able to do. Three basic website types Online Business Card: A small basic website with limited information about your company and its services, no bells, no whistles. Brochure Site: The most common type of website for small to medium sized businesses. A brochure site is used to market a business, service, or product. Providing detailed information where needed, helping your business to actively market itself online. E-commerce: Think online shopping, small shopping carts to large e-commerce solutions - a website that allows customers to purchase your products online. Other things to consider... Do you need to be able to edit the website content yourself? do you need to edit all of the content or just a few specific pieces of text? - if you do, then you will need some kind of editor built into the website. Will you want to be able to add new pages, products, news or articles yourself in the future? - if you do, then a more complicated content management system (CMS) will be required. Who is going to look at or visit your website? Sometimes, the main source of visitors to your website may be people that have seen a printed advert or business card and simply just need to see a little more information about your services before contacting you. Other times you may want to use one of the many forms of online marketing that can be implemented to help increase website traffic. But more commonly, your website should be search engine optimised (SEO) and rank highly within the search engine results pages (SERPS) to help bring your business new clients. If you build it, they will come... This isn't the case unless the content on your website has been thought about and planned in advance. It doesn't end there, the website must be built and optimised in a search engine friendly way (SEO). These are areas that a professional website designer will be able to advise you on and guide you through. So before you contact a professional website designer, you should have already considered the above points. Your website designer should be able to take your ideas and elaborate on them giving you the benefit of their expertise and experience.