The internet landscape has become an huge part of how we interact, communicate, and access information. At the heart of this virtual realm lies web design, a captivating blend of artistry and technical wizardry that shapes our digital experiences.

But what exactly is web design? Is it just about creating visually appealing websites or is there more to it? In this blog post, we will go and uncover the essence of web design, taking a look at the many levels of it beyond just colours, pics and text that we see.

Defining Web Design

Web design can be described as the method of putting the idea together, planning and then creating the physical look and functional, technical structure of websites. Using layout, colours, typography, images and interactive elements to make a good digital experience for visitors and for your business.

What we see on the front end of a website is only part of the process and to create a good web design in this modern digital world there are other elements at play such as speed, performance and accessibility.

Design And Functionality – Striking The Balance

Aesthetics, the way a website looks plays a crucial role in capturing the attention of site visitors and making a strong first impression.

Visual elements of course make a huge difference to how people feel about a website and brand. These include the colour schemes, the typography, the imagery, and the layout. Correct colours create specific emotions or an affinity with a brand’s identity. Good fonts enhance readability and projects a sense of personality. Thoughtfully created images and beautiful layouts create a an atmosphere that draws the website users deeper into the website.

However, many people don’t realise that beyond the look, functionality is just as crucial to web design,

Functionality defines how well your website visitors can interact with and navigate through the website.

The functional aspects of web design has many aspects to it. For instance navigation menus, are they intuitive enough? Is the structure of the website clear and concise for people to get what they came for? Do you have calls to action where people would expect them? Is your site responsive enough that it works seamlessly not just on a desktop but all mobile and tablet screen sizes.

In the modern days of SEO there is another aspect of web design functionality that should be seamless for your website visitors. Speed. When people search the internet and click on a link did you know that most people give up waiting for a website to load before 3 seconds?

If you have put everything into making the site look beautiful yet do not optimise the design for speed then users will get frustrated and leave. Google will pick up on this and realise that even though you may have the answers they look for you have a bad functioning site to show in search.

A good functional website makes sure that your users can easily and effortlessly find what they want, complete tasks efficiently, and have a satisfying overall experience.

Aesthetics and functionality can often involve a very delicate balance. You want your visitors to have a great first impression and see the personality of you and your brand. But you also want to not spoil this by having a bad structured site or no way for people to easily access the information they are looking for.

Conclusion

In coming posts we will break down the elements of aesthetics and functionality in web design and help you to build a picture of many of the things involved. The perception is often that web design is just what you see and the building of it but this is far from the truth.

We ourselves build websites on behalf of clients that are built with look, feel, branding as a priority but with just as much priority we look at functionality and speed. We pride ourselves on helping you to get visitors, keeping those visitors and helping you to grow your business.

A great logo is not just a fancy picture or word that is literally just put together. With some of the best and most recognisable logos in the world there are subtle design or colour elements that can make it stand out subconsciously for people.

It is not about having and extravagant logo either. Sometimes simple yet well designed can have a massive impact.

Examples

We have all seen the FedEx Logo. How many times have you been stuck behind a FedEx lorry, staring at the logo with its seemingly boring text and font.

However if you look closely you will see an arrow has been incorporated into the white space between the E and the X in the second half.

That subconscious symbol of getting things moving fast and forward. Once you have noticed it and seen it you can’t unsee it. It plants the brand into your head.

Amazon is another brand that is well known around the world. Again not such an elaborate logo but has hidden messages.

If you look closely there is an arrow from the A to the Z of the word Amazon. This portrays their selling everything from A to Z.

The theme here is not to be elaborate or draw a picture of what you do or sell, but to have a unique branding image that tells a story of what you do and leaves a lasting impression.

Guide To Creating a Logo

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create a logo that you’ll love:

1. Define your brand identity. What are you trying to achieve with your business? What are your values? What do you want people to think of when they see your logo? Once you have a good understanding of your brand identity, you can start to develop a logo that reflects it.
2. Brainstorm ideas. Come up with as many ideas as you can for your logo. Don’t be afraid to be creative! The more ideas you have, the better.
3. Sketch ideas. Once you have a few ideas, start sketching them out. This will help you to visualize your ideas and to see how they look on paper.
4. Test your ideas. Once you have a few sketches, show them to friends, family, or colleagues and ask for their feedback. This will help you to narrow down your options and to choose the best logo for your business.
5. Refine your chosen sketch. Once you have chosen a logo, take some time to refine it. Make sure that the colors, fonts, and shapes are working well together. You may also want to add some additional details to make your logo more unique.
6. Create your logo. Once you are happy with your logo, you can create it in a digital format. There are many different software programs that you can use to create logos.
7. Use your logo. Once you have created your logo, start using it on your website, business cards, and other marketing materials. The more people who see your logo, the more recognizable it will become.

Creating a logo can be a fun and rewarding experience. By following these steps, you can create a logo that is both visually appealing and effective in representing your business.

Additional tips:

• Keep your logo simple. The best logos are easy to remember and recognize.
• Make your logo scalable. It should look good on both small and large surfaces.
• Choose colors that represent your brand.
• Use a font that is easy to read and understand.
• Get feedback from others. Show your logo to friends, family, or colleagues and ask for their feedback.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. The more you experiment, the better your logo will become.

Take your smartphone for example. On day it is the latest, cutting edge gadget and within a year or so it starts to look slow and out of date compared with competitors.

The best selling products are getting upgrades all the time. They never sit still and are always looking for ways to keep fresh, on trend and in line with their customer’s expectations.

We see so many small and medium size businesses out there that made a website well over 3 years ago and left it at that. Yes it may have looked amazing then but to readers and potential customers, what looked great back then (and by back then we mean just a handful of years if that) looks tired and slow now.

There are many reasons your competitors are racing ahead of you in Google Search or conversions of visitors to sales and enquiries. But the most of it comes down to not refreshing your website.

Google and customers have moved on. Have you? Let us take a look at some reasons you really do need to look at getting a new website.

Website Speed

Website speed and performance has now to come to the front of search engine’s thinking. Google has a duty to give searchers fast and speedy answers.

Modern google searchers are not interested in fancy sliders, animations or quirky fonts. They want the page to load fast and they want to know if the site says or sells what they want.

Old themes and designs may please the eye but under the hood they are harming your prospects.

Google have stated that speed and performance is a factor that can have an affect on your rankings. If 2 sites answer the searchers query the same yet one site takes over 2 seconds to load and the other takes milliseconds to load, they will rank the latter above the former.

Speed and performance is not just about google rankings it is about the readers and customers. Have you ever hit a search result and if it is taking a long time to load you go back and try another site? 2 seconds is a long time for users in this fast, information led age.

And so all in all, even when they do get to your old, slow site and they see it is slow and clunky, you will soon gain a high bounce rate.

High Bounce Rate

Do you check your bounce rate in analytics? This is the percentage of people that come to your site and leave without taking any action or going to another page.

Most of these people either found the site badly designed, slow, or didn’t answer their question.

If your bounce rate is above 70% then you should really quickly be looking at a new website and design that will keep people on your site.

Your Site Looks Old

If you haven’t updated your website in the last 3 to 5 years the blunt truth is your website probably looks old and out of date.

When websites were designed for PC’s and desktops people went all out on creative fonts, animations, header sliders and flashing graphics.

Take a look at the websites in your niche that are doing best. Chances are they have clean, easy to use fonts, no distracting old fashioned gimmicks. Just what a smartphone user would want to see and potentially purchase.

Your Brand Doesn’t Stand Out

I can image that your brand is evolving all the time. Does your website leave a great first impression and a lasting impression? A very important part of web design.

Can people that come to your site understand what you are all about immediately and easily?

If the answer is no then you need to look at a fresh design.

Has Your Site Been Updated Within The Last 3 Years?

In the web and ecommerce word 3 years is a long long time.

It is not just design that has changed but also consumer and reader habits. In just the last 3 years

For example, security matters so much more to people. Do you have a SSL certificate now which is essential (the padlock that shows before your URL in the browser)?

Do you have an easy way to navigate your site on mobile? If your site was built over 3 years ago it was probably built for desktops but most people do their browsing on a mobile now.

All top performing websites get updated at least within every 3 years to keep up with the trends, needs, security and speed. In other words keeping up with customers.

Your Site Is Way Too Confusing

If you have an old site you have probably built it up bit by bit. Adding bits here and there.

In your mind it makes sense because you put everything where it is. But to people visiting your site it may be a big puzzle and difficult to find what they want.

You Are Not Converting Visitors To Customers

If you own a business website and you get lots of visitors to your site yet are not converting them into customers as they should be then it is really time for a website overhaul.

Income and the bottom line is important. You need to invest in the website, your shop window so to speak.

The Age Of Mobile Phones

I remember it well. Building a website on a desktop with its big screen and making it look great for people coming to the site on a big desktop screen.

The fact is that now most visitors will use their smaller mobile screens and that number will only grow.

If your site is nit built for mobile first then it is time for a new website.

We Can help

There so many reasons your website is out of date and slow. I could go on and on.

Times have indeed changed and we need to change fast to keep up with what our readers and potential customers need.

A new website or design is often overlooked but is what defines your online presence. If you had a bricks and mortar shop would you leave the shop window as it was 3 years ago?

We can help all sizes of business to get a new website up and running perfectly for today’s age.

Contact us for a quote.

But how do you make a website fast? One way is to optimise the images on your site.
Large images can slow down a website because they take longer to load. By compressing or resizing your images, you can make your website load faster. There are many tools available online that can help you optimise your images.

In addition to speeding up your website, optimising your images can also save you money. If you have a lot of visitors to your site, using large images can increase your bandwidth usage, which can lead to higher hosting costs. By optimising your images, you can reduce your bandwidth usage and save money.

Overall, optimising your images is an important step in making your website fast and keeping your visitors happy. So, don’t forget to optimise your images and keep your website running smoothly.

Improve the speed of your website

There are several other ways to improve the speed of your website in addition to optimising your images. Here are a few more tips:

1 Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN is a network of servers that deliver your website’s content to visitors based on their location. Using a CDN can reduce the load on your server and make your website faster for visitors who are far from your server.

2 Enable browser caching: When a visitor loads a webpage, their browser stores some of the files (such as images and CSS files) on their computer. This is called caching. By enabling caching, your website will load faster for returning visitors because their browser won’t have to download all of the files again.

3 Minimise the use of plugins and add-ons: Each plugin or add-on on your website adds more code that the browser has to load, which can slow down your website. Try to only use the plugins and add-ons that are absolutely necessary.

4 Optimise your website’s code: Make sure your website’s code is clean and well-written. This can help the browser load your website faster.

Types of images for website use

There are several types of images that are commonly used on websites, and the best type to use depends on your needs. Here are a few options:

1 JPEG: JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a widely used image format that is good for photographs. JPEG images can be compressed to reduce their file size, which makes them a good choice for websites.

2 PNG: PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a lossless image format that is good for images with transparent backgrounds, such as logos. PNG images tend to be larger than JPEG images, so they may not be the best choice for large images on your website.

3 GIF: GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a lossless image format that is good for simple graphics and images with a few colors. GIFs can also be animated, which can be a fun way to bring your website to life.

4 SVG: SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a vector image format that is good for logos and other simple graphics. SVG images are scalable, which means they can be resized without losing quality.

Overall, JPEG is a good general-purpose image format for photographs, while PNG and SVG are good choices for graphics and logos.

WebP is an image format developed by Google that is designed to reduce the file size of images while maintaining good quality. WebP images can be up to 25% smaller in size compared to JPEG images, which can lead to faster loading times for websites.

WebP is supported by most modern browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. However, WebP is not yet supported by all browsers, including Safari, so it may not be suitable for all websites.

If you want to use WebP images on your website, you can use the element to provide fallback options for browsers that don’t support WebP. This way, visitors using unsupported browsers will still be able to see your images.

Overall, WebP is a good option for websites that want to reduce their image file sizes and improve loading times, especially if they receive a lot of traffic from users with modern browsers.

By following these tips, you can improve the speed of your website and provide a better experience for your visitors.

Which server is best for my website

Using a good server can also greatly improve the speed of your website. A server is a computer that stores and serves the files that make up your website. If you are using a slow or overloaded server, it can take longer for your website to load for visitors.

There are several things to consider when choosing a server for your website:

1 Location: It’s generally faster to host your website on a server that is physically close to your visitors. For example, if most of your visitors are from the US, it would be a good idea to choose a server in the US.

2 Size and performance: Make sure the server you choose has enough resources (such as CPU, RAM, and storage) to handle the load of your website. A server that is overloaded or has too little resources can slow down your website.

3 Reliability: Choose a server that has a good uptime record. If the server goes down, your website will also be down, which can be frustrating for your visitors.

By choosing a good server and keeping it optimised, you can greatly improve the speed of your website.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the many benefits of having a blog on your business website. From increased website traffic to improved customer engagement and loyalty, a blog can play a key role in driving success and growth for your business.

So, why should your business have a blog? Keep reading to find out.

Increased website traffic

Having a blog on your business website can be a powerful tool for attracting new visitors to your site. By regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content, you can improve your website’s search engine ranking and make it more visible to potential customers. This, in turn, can lead to an increase in traffic to your website.

In addition to publishing content that is useful and informative for your target audience, incorporating keywords and phrases into your blog posts can also help improve your search engine ranking. This is known as search engine optimization (SEO), and it involves strategically using keywords and phrases that are commonly searched for by your target audience. By optimizing your blog posts for SEO, you can make it more likely that your content will appear at the top of search engine results, which can increase the visibility of your website and attract more visitors.

In addition to increased website traffic, regularly publishing blog content can also help improve customer engagement and loyalty. By publishing content that is interesting and relevant to your audience, you can encourage them to visit your website more often and engage with your brand. This, in turn, can help build a community of loyal followers who are interested in your business and its products or services. By fostering this sense of community, you can improve customer engagement and loyalty, which can ultimately lead to increased sales and revenue for your business.

Improved customer engagement and loyalty

In addition to increasing website traffic and improving customer engagement, having a blog on your business website can also enhance your thought leadership and industry expertise. By publishing high-quality, informative content on your blog, you can showcase your business’s knowledge and expertise in your industry. This, in turn, can help position your business as a thought leader and a trusted source of information for your target audience.

Furthermore, publishing blog content on a regular basis can help establish your business as an expert in your field. By consistently providing valuable information and insights, you can demonstrate your expertise and build trust with your audience. This, in turn, can help improve your business’s overall credibility and reputation.

In addition to enhancing your thought leadership and industry expertise, having a blog on your business website can also be a valuable tool for increasing brand awareness. By publishing high-quality, engaging content on your blog, you can attract more visitors to your website and showcase your business to a wider audience. This, in turn, can help improve your business’s overall brand image and increase awareness of your products or services.

Overall, having a blog on your business website can be a powerful tool for boosting your online presence, attracting new visitors to your site, and improving customer engagement and loyalty. By showcasing your expertise and increasing brand awareness, a blog can help drive success and growth for your business.

Enhanced thought leadership and industry expertise

Another important benefit of having a blog on your business website is the opportunity to improve your search engine ranking and make your website more visible to potential customers. By regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content on your blog, you can improve your website’s search engine ranking and make it more likely that your content will appear at the top of search engine results. This, in turn, can increase the visibility of your website and attract more visitors.

In addition to improving your search engine ranking, regularly publishing blog content can also help establish your business as a thought leader and a trusted source of information in your industry. By providing valuable insights and information on your blog, you can demonstrate your expertise and position your business as a go-to source for information in your field. This, in turn, can help improve your business’s credibility and reputation, which can ultimately lead to increased sales and revenue.

Furthermore, having a blog on your business website can also be a valuable tool for increasing brand awareness and improving your overall brand image. By publishing high-quality, engaging content on your blog, you can showcase your business and its products or services to a wider audience. This, in turn, can help improve your business’s overall reputation and increase awareness of your brand.

Overall, the benefits of having a blog on your business website are numerous. From increasing website traffic and improving customer engagement, to enhancing thought leadership and increasing brand awareness, a blog can be a powerful tool for driving success and growth for your business.

Increased brand awareness and credibility

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, having a blog on your business website can also help improve customer engagement and loyalty. By publishing high-quality, relevant content on your blog, you can provide valuable information and insights that are interesting and useful to your target audience. This, in turn, can encourage them to visit your website more often and engage with your brand.

In addition to providing valuable content, a blog can also be a valuable tool for fostering a sense of community among your audience. By allowing comments and encouraging discussion on your blog posts, you can create a platform for customers to connect with each other and share their thoughts and experiences. This, in turn, can help build a community of loyal followers who are invested in your business and its products or services.

By improving customer engagement and fostering a sense of community, you can ultimately improve customer loyalty. When customers feel connected to your business and its products or services, they are more likely to continue using them and to recommend them to others. This, in turn, can lead to increased sales and revenue for your business.

Overall, the benefits of having a blog on your business website are numerous and far-reaching. From increasing website traffic and improving search engine ranking, to enhancing thought leadership and improving customer engagement, a blog can be a powerful tool for driving success and growth for your business.

Conclusion

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, having a blog on your business website can also help improve your overall brand image and reputation. By publishing high-quality, relevant content on your blog, you can showcase your business’s knowledge and expertise in your industry. This, in turn, can help improve your business’s credibility and position it as a trusted source of information for your target audience.

Furthermore, by consistently providing valuable and informative content on your blog, you can demonstrate your commitment to your customers and their needs. This, in turn, can help improve your business’s overall reputation and make it more appealing to potential customers.

In addition to improving your reputation, a blog can also be a valuable tool for increasing brand awareness. By publishing engaging and interesting content on your blog, you can attract more visitors to your website and showcase your business to a wider audience. This, in turn, can help increase awareness of your brand and its products or services.

Overall, the benefits of having a blog on your business website are numerous and far-reaching. From increasing website traffic and improving customer engagement, to enhancing thought leadership and improving your overall brand image, a blog can be a powerful tool for driving success and growth for your business.

Copywriters work with people who have expertise in all sorts of different areas. Because of this, they are experienced in finding creative ways to make your business sound interesting while helping you stand out as an expert. This is one way good copywriting can help draw attention to your website and the valuable work you do.

Sometimes being an expert in your area can actually hurt the way you write. You are familiar with all of the jargon you use in your business. Your customers likely are not. Copywriters can be especially helpful when it comes to taking useful information–even when it’s complicated–and simplifying it so that your next door neighbour, or even your gran, would understand what you are saying.

Copywriters are also quite persuasive in their writing and understand that a heavy sales pitch isn’t needed. In fact, it can be quite the turn off. Rather, experienced copywriters use language to their advantage, helping to move potential customers through the sales funnel without making them feel pressured.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation can be tricky for some, and they’re certainly not things you should have to worry about when running your business. That said, these are all things that represent who you are professionally, especially on your website. A copywriter will ensure the material they write not only meets the bill for you, but also for Google and your readers. Good grammar is essential for SEO.

No matter how much you hustle, reaching your customer base can be a challenge. Copywriters make it their job to reach your target audience with everything they write. When it comes to your website, this means bringing in more traffic from Google and social media organically, which gives you a better opportunity of turning casual browsers into clients.

Speaking of Google, Google is one of the best ways to find new customers. But there is a lot of science behind how Google works, also known as the algorithm. Just like you’re an expert in your business, copywriters make it their job to understand the search engine changes constantly happening behind the scenes. This ensures you’re producing optimised content and SEO to improve your site and visibility.

Copywriters produce content for real people and not just for websites and search engines. They know that people have limited attention spans and generally want quick bits of information to help answer their questions. But there are times when they may want to dig more deeply into a subject. So how do you know when to write a little versus a lot? That’s where a copywriter comes in. Copywriters know how to vary the length and types of the information you’re sharing to keep customers engaged and coming back for more.

Copywriting takes on many different forms, as well. From websites and blog posts to infographics and photography, a copywriter can write one longer piece and then break it down to spread it across the different tools you use to communicate with your customers. This gives everyone an opportunity to get the information you’re providing in the way they most want to receive it. It’s a win-win for everyone.

In short, hiring a copywriter means hiring someone who knows how to capture the essence of your business while positioning you for success. NPS offers copywriting services to suit every business and budget, ensuring your website and social media pages stand out above the rest. Contact us today to learn more.