Make sure you are an educated Web design client!

Sorry I have been away so long–it is good to be back. As usual, my goal is to make sure each time you read my blog you receive important information.

Let’s face it–Things are tough all over. Getting and keeping paying customers is a full time job, and we are all fighting for the same business. That means we have to be more creative in how we attract clients.

Most businesses now understand the benefits of e-commerce or e-business. But putting a website up is not going to guarantee success. You have to put a lot of thought and preparation into what you what your site to do. It is also important to listen to your web designer. The person or persons you hire to development this most important marketing tool is also there to advise and educate you on what your site needs in order to its intended job–capture attention and keep customers coming back.

Jerry Bader’s article in “Entireweb Weekly Newsletter” (January 15, 2009; ISSUE #510) this month expresses so eloquently the fine points of Branding for the web that I have included it here in two installments. He begins with a 4-Step Branding Plan…

The Plan – 4 Steps To A Website Brand

Do you have a plan?

Most companies spend a considerable amount of time, energy, and money planning what to do and how to do it.

Let’s say you need a website, so you develop a plan, present it to a bunch of website designers, and get quotes or proposals. You’re not going to get caught with your pants down like the last time by some nerdy geek, you know the skinny kid with the scraggly beard, whose techno-babble gave you a headache, or the bizarre young lady dressed in Gothic chic with the black lipstick and tattoo to match – yikes, no thanks, not this time, this time you got a plan.

Human Motivational Optimization

You read all the blogs on website design, you know all the ins-and-outs of search engine optimization, and Google Adwords. No one is going to pull a fast one on you. You know your business, your market, and your needs. Or do you?

How much do you really know about how real people interact with your website? How much do you really know about what we call Human Motivational Optimization? All the stats, logs, and number crunching analysis that forms the basis of many website development plans does not truly give you the visceral understanding of how to connect to an audience, and isn’t that what you want your website to do?

So maybe your plan is the wrong plan; it’s like planning a trip to Home Depot to buy a cabbage; it just doesn’t make sense. So how about a plan that does make sense, something simple, understandable, easy to implement, that is if you hire the right people to do it. But before we tell you the four steps to creating your very own Website Branding Plan, let’s talk about Don LaFontaine.

Every Company Needs A Movie Trailer

Chances are you don’t know who the late Don LaFontaine was, but you’ve heard his voice many, many times. Don was the most famous and influential voice behind thousands of movie and television trailers. He had a distinctive deep, gravelly voice, and a writing style that reinvented the entire movie trailer format. But why should you care? Simple.

Movie trailers are the ultimate elevator pitch, a short memorable performance that compels you to action, kind of like what a mission statement is suppose to do, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning, or rather, the end.

Branding Starts With Thinking Backwards

Most people like to start a project at the beginning and work their way through until they reach the end. Makes sense, or does it? If you don’t start with where you want to end-up, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get where you want to go.

Remember our cabbage? Planning a shopping to trip to Home Depot because they got cool stuff, doesn’t help if what you want is a cabbage.

Branding is no different. If you don’t start with how you want your audience to think about you, they will probably never think about you at all. So now that we got that straight let’s start our plan where it makes sense, the end.

Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Visit http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads, http://www.sonicpersonality.com, and http://www.136words.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.

Who is your website really for?–Article by Axeltree Media

I recently did some research for a potential client who was using a “build-your-site” template at www.e-zekiel.com

Yes, that’s right, I check out the competition!

I found the following article there, and it sums up what I try to communicate to each client–existing and new. We often view our website design and layout from the wrong perspective: our own! This article says it all–businesses can increase Internet sales and plus website “stickiness” through a change in their design perspective. Read on…

Viewing Your Site from a Customer’s Perspective

So, you’ve got your website up and running. You love the design. You’re keeping your content current. You’ve carefully selected effective keywords, which are generating lots of search engine activity. But one question remains: what do your customers actually see when they land on your home page? “There’s a very common blind spot in website design,” said Dacia Gulledge, Director of Customer Services for Axletree Media. “We tend to design in ways that are comfortable for us. We focus on what we want to see and how well we can display it. But the true test of effectiveness comes when your customers are able to land on your site and find exactly what they’re looking for.

“To begin viewing your site from your customer’s perspective, Gulledge recommends that you ask yourself several questions:

1) How speedy is the customer experience? The home page needs to load quickly, and your customer should be able to understand what your service is or what you’re selling in four to five seconds. “The ‘old’ standard was eight seconds, but now visitors are too impatient for that,” Gulledge noted.”Whatever your customers need to know, and for whatever reason they’ve hit your site, your home page is your one big chance to provide a really big welcome,” she added. “Start with the overall goal of an effective home page – ‘relevant content grouped together in organized areas’ – and work from there.

2) Are you keeping your home page clean? “Not ‘keeping it clean’ is among the biggest complaints about sites that fall short of their potential,” Gulledge said. “A clean website has a place for everything, just like shelves in a store. For those one or two things that you want to really stand out, like store displays, you can find a place that’s off the shelf, but not in the way of regular traffic. When everything has a place, finding something is easier and less taxing on the visitor’s eyes and mind.

3) Is your site easy to navigate? The navigation menu, usually in the header or on left, should provide logical directions for reaching your site’s content. “Navigation is made easier when you group together similar things,” Gulledge said. Making search buttons and site maps available are also great features for customers who are searching for something particular and are willing to take a few extra steps to find it, she noted.

4) Does your home page project the right image? You are projecting an image whether you intend to or not, Gulledge noted, so think of whether you are projecting quality. “If I hit a site and it doesn’t look good, I don’t put my trust in it,” Gulledge said. But just like image advertising, “expensive” is also one of the messages that can be projected. “If you’re seeking a high-income clientele, an expensive look could be the right choice for you,” Gulledge said. “But be aware that you could also scare off a lower-income crowd.

5) Is your content fresh? According to Gulledge, keeping content updated regularly is essential. “Outdated and stale content is one of the fastest ways to lose visitor loyalty and interest,” Gulledge said.She also noted that even when your design is up and running, you should continue to evaluate its effectiveness. “Your Web site is not a destination,” Gulledge said. “It’s a communication tool, so you need to keep analyzing how well you are saying what you want to say.”

Hello world!

Welcome to the Ewroad Blog at WordPress.com.

This is my first blog and I am really excited about sharing my thoughts, experience, and views with you, and hope you will take the time to visit often and share your views/feelings also.

On to the first of many discussion topics–Video Resumes!

I do not current have a video resume, but as a Jazz vocalist (in addition to my regular job as a graphic and web designer) I appreciate the potential this media affords students, professionals, performers, and employers. This phenomenon has certainly changed my perception of sites like MySpace–many professionals and graduate students are posting their video resumes in an effort to give themselves an edge in the employment market.

However, the quality of the video is often poor (grainy, dark, pixelated); plus, the background content is not always selected with a specific audience in mind. There are a few things you should consider, before committing your digital resume to the Internet, that will help in making your resume stand out.

I recent read and article at Dice.com titled “Video Resume: The Future of Job Applications, or Just a Fad?” that offers some good insight into the pros and cons of posting a video resume. Alison Doyle’s article Video Resume Tips is a good starting point for those looking to use this media in their job search.

My next step is to follow this new fad–one that may not be embraced globally as yet, but one whose popularity and usability will increase with time.

Thank you for visiting–take a a break and post a comment !