6 Steps To Take Before Starting a Web Design Project

April 25, 2022 by David Henderson

What You Need To Produce a Successful Web Design Project

Web design requires a lot of hard work and dedication; it is not about creating a one-and-done, stagnant webpage. For most businesses, the objective of web design is to encourage consumers to buy products or services. If you want to push consumers through a proper sales funnel, you will likely need the experience of a custom web development team.

Still, whether using a professional service or not, a web development project requires several pieces to work on. Most professional web design firms will explain six essential steps every business must take before starting a major project.

1. Review Competition

While you might have ideas about how you want your pages to look and feel, you need to assess your ideas against those proven and working in the industry. The best place to start a web design project is by performing opposition research.

You want to review the websites and pages of your competition. Look at the design strategies of successful market opponents. Do they use videos on landing pages? What do their page layouts and menus have in common? What topics are they covering in their blogs?

Research creates an informed strategy. While you do not want to copy everything your competitors are doing, you do what to ensure you offer similar thoughts, services, and designs to ensure consumer crossover.

2. Use Keywords

While keywords are not the most critical web design element, they still hold power, especially in search engines. It is no longer true that you can rank with irrelevant content as long as your pages have the correct frequency of keywords. Now, the quality of content is the driving force of search engine rankings.

When doing keyword research, you want to focus on relevance to your business and your post or page. If the keywords do not seem to fit, it can hurt your SEO strategy.

3. Find a Professional To Help

If you are new to web design, SEO, and digital marketing, you might consider hiring an experienced professional service. It is possible for an individual to learn everything they need to know to create beautiful and successful pages on their own, but it is quicker and more cost-effective to hire someone with existing knowledge.

Professionals and web design services already know the intricacies of SEO and digital marketing. They do not need to invest hours into the study of fundamentals because they are already ingrained in their work processes.

4. Include Contact Info

While it might seem obvious, all web pages should include your company’s contact information. Too many business owners forget this essential detail, especially when attempting to do everything themselves.

Doing web design DIY is a quick journey to several beginner-level mistakes. To avoid simple errors, work with a professional service.

5. Include Testimonials

Testimonials are another critical aspect of fundamental web design. Consumers want to know what other people think of your product or service. Providing a page with testimonials gives consumers a place to review other customer experiences without leaving your pages.

The longer you can keep a client or potential customer on your site, the more likely they will commit to your service or purchase a product. While page ranks are part of web design strategy, increasing the average time consumers spend on your pages is often more important.

6. Create Content Frequently

A stagnant website is the death of a digital business. You want search engines and consumers to see the constant improvement of your pages. Much of the success of pages is due to consistent content creation and updating. Still, it can also involve the linking strategy between pages, something else an expert can help with.

Web design is an involved process, and it is challenging to do it alone. If you want to spruce up your website or build a new one, contact Unwired Web Solutions to learn what it can do for you and your business.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Experimental Web Design

March 22, 2022 by David Henderson

There’s a reason why businesses often stick to tried and true web design practices: because they work. But there’s also a reason to experiment, try new things, and see what might be possible if you push the boundaries. That’s where experimental web design comes in. By testing out new ideas and designs, you can find out what works and what doesn’t and adapt your website accordingly. This blog will talk about why not to be afraid to experiment – it could lead to some big improvements for business!

Experimenting Defies Traditional Layouts

Conventional web layouts are easy to spot. The homepages typically have a large header area with the navigation bar right below it. Then there’s usually the main body area where most of the content lives, followed by a sidebar and/or footer. If you were to ask someone to draw you a website, this is probably what they would sketch out. And while there’s nothing wrong with traditional layouts, sometimes it pays to break the mold and try something new. Experimental web design is all about testing out new ideas and seeing what works.

Grid System

One popular trend in experimental web design is breaking up the traditional layout and instead using a grid system. This means that instead of having one large body area, the content is broken up into smaller sections that are arranged in a grid. This can be a great way to organize content and make it more visually appealing. It can also make your website more responsive, as the content will resize itself depending on the screen size.

A grid system is known as a basic foundation for web design. It divides a webpage into columns and rows, making it easy to place content in specific locations. Grid systems can be custom-made or use pre-made templates. They’re popular because they make creating websites easier, as everything is already laid out for you. Plus, they create a cohesive look across all the pages of your website. If you’re interested in experimenting with web design, using a grid system is a great way to start!

Parallax Scrolling

Another trend that has been gaining popularity lately is parallax scrolling. This is where the background image moves at a different speed than the rest of the page, creating a sense of depth and movement. This can be a great way to add visual interest to your website and make it more engaging for visitors.

There are a few reasons why you might want to consider using parallax scrolling on your website: first, it can be visually appealing and help grab people’s attention; second, it can be used to direct focus to certain areas or content on the page; and third, it can add some interactivity and excitement to a website.

However, there are definitely times when parallax scrolling is not appropriate – for example, if you’re looking for a minimalist design or your website needs to be accessible on mobile devices. You should also avoid it if you’re worried about user experience, as it can be confusing and overwhelming for some people.

If you decide that parallax scrolling is right for your website, there are a few different ways to go about implementing it. You can use HTML and CSS to create the effect manually, or various plugins and frameworks are available that will do the heavy lifting for you.

These are just two examples of experimental web design trends that you could try out for your business. Of course, there are endless possibilities, and you should feel free to experiment with whatever you think might work. Just be sure to test everything out first to make sure it’s actually effective. Otherwise, you could end up making some changes that aren’t really necessary.

Push The Limits

Each day we perform actions that are so routine we barely register that we are doing them. Scrolling on a website gets no more thought than pushing an elevator button. Experimental web design challenges us to work outside those instincts. When thinking of your customers, they will remember your site because it pushed them to get outside their routine actions.

A site with an experimental design may ask customers to scroll horizontally or direct them to hold down the space bar to explore content. While these design elements can be viewed as playful, it is important to remember that they may also make a website less accessible. Building a website with the right accessibility and experimentation can be a challenge, but it is possible.

The Bottom Line

Don’t be afraid to experiment – it could lead to some big improvements for your business! By trying out new ideas and designs, you can find out what works and what doesn’t, and adapt your website accordingly. So go ahead and have some fun with experimental web design – the possibilities are endless!

Elements of a Great Website Design

March 19, 2022 by David Henderson

Every business owner understands the importance of web design and SEO, even if they do not understand the intricacies of each. Website design services are vital to business operations because they employ IT professionals who understand the principles of design and engagement.

Engagement is the keyword when talking about web design. While personal preferences for layout might get you so far, you are not doing your business any favours if the pages of your site are not optimized for the modern consumer. There are at least five things you need to do to embrace modern and actionable web design.

1. Embrace Semi-Flat Design

Too many business owners believe that a website needs to be filled with dynamic images and video. While every website should have some dynamic and perceived three-dimensional objects, these elements should be used sparingly, primarily for the hero images.

Most of the website or a good portion of it should be flat — images without fancy drop shadows to represent depth. The flat design translates easily and loads quickly.

Readability is the name of the game. If your customer cannot read the page or understand what you want them to do, you lose a sale. Sometimes, simple design is the best strategy.

2. Include Quality Product Images

The reason for a website is to engage with customers and increase sales. The best way to increase sales is to show the customers what you have to offer.

Many small business owners fall into the trap of having a text-heavy website. The internet is built for visual people. Take the time and invest the money in taking high-quality photos of your products. For example, instead of having a restaurant website with a text menu, fill the pages with gorgeous pictures of your food.

A quality image is worth 1,000 words. People’s eyes are automatically drawn to high-quality and colourful photos. Once you have their attention, give them the details.

3. Think Multi-Platform

People access the internet through several devices: desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. You are doing yourself a disservice if your website is only optimized for one or two devices.

If you are going to go to the trouble of creating a website, the least you want to do is ensure that it is compatible with mobile devices. Most people will look for businesses, restaurants, and services with their phones, so a mobile-friendly design is crucial to website success.

4. Consider White Space

Another element of excellent web design is white space. Many people underestimate the value of a clean screen, but it helps bring attention to the areas that really matter.

Many people fear empty space or believe it is a sign of weak design. However, when done well, white space can accentuate purchase buttons and navigation items for a more streamlined and effective user experience.

Still, while white space is valuable, it should be used strategically. A web design service can help you make the most of your white space strategy.

5. Focus on Speed

Some of the best online tutorials explain the importance of dynamic images, videos, and other interactive content on websites. These elements allow for more engagement when on a page, but you need to consider your site’s download or processing speed.

Too many fancy elements will slow down the load time of the page. If a customer is met with an infinite spinning wheel, they will likely click the back button and find another service. Make sure your website loads quickly across multiple platforms.

Web design is a complex task that sounds simple. If you want to make the most of your current or future website, you should think about hiring a design service. Contact Unwired Web Solutions for a fast, dynamic, and user-friendly design.

Website Design Trends for 2022

December 15, 2021 by David Henderson

The new year is right around the corner, and it is time to consider how your business will stand out in 2022. With increased eCommerce and online presence over the past couple of years, there is more competition than ever. This is why it is so important to keep your online shops and websites as up-to-date as possible. Unwired Web Solutions offers custom web development and custom web app development to help your business thrive in the upcoming year ahead.

One of the biggest trends for the upcoming year is an increased sense of playfulness in web design. Many designers have started creating sites that simply exist for play and delight. Web design is moving into the future by using advanced interactions and animations built with no-code tools, enabling designers to create them faster and easier than ever before.

Scavenger Hunts

Creating a scavenger hunt can work incredibly well when trying to make a website more fun and engaging. This new trend creates website structures that lend themselves to puzzles and scavenger hunts. Pages are daisy-chained and password-protected, making visitors provide answers or find clues to unlock the next page in the series.

Web designers are coming up with many creative ways to reveal prompts, clues, and answers. Some common ideas for clues include drawing a shape, finding a hidden clickable element on the page, and finding a word hidden in your main site.

Just remember to give your audience a workaround if you want everyone to be able to make it to the end. The scavenger hunt can be very useful for revealing a product launch, releasing a new video, or giving customers a hidden piece of information.

Art Deco Design Motifs

Art deco motifs have been trending over the past few years. Associations with the art deco style are often ornate Speakeasy sites or Gatsby-themed pages, all of which can make for beautifully minimalist designs.

For 2022, the trend takes inspiration from the curved, clean lines and repetitive graphic shapes of art deco illustration. These elements can inspire fonts, logos, spacer motifs, and illustrations in web design.

Oversized, Interactive Typography

A fresh new bold design trend for this year includes typography of unusual size. Beyond a specific size, text becomes more of a graphic element than simply part of the content. This unique technique can be used in minimalist or maximalist designs just as effectively and can suit many different styles.

Typography can be used as an overlay on a moving film or image, and the text can partially block the image making the viewer curious to see more. Or it can simply be used to create a sophisticated ultra-minimalist design on a neutral background.

But designers aren’t stopping there. Many are taking text even further and finding creative ways to make it move and play with the user’s mouse. In 2022 we will see more oversized typography that becomes animated when the cursor hovers over the text. This design element on a website has been shown to make the site feel more immersive.

Design In The New Year

While these are just a few examples of the web design trends for 2022, you can get an idea about the way designs are moving in the new year. At Unwired Web Solutions, we offer custom web development to incorporate some new trends for the new year. Staying up to date with your web design shows your customers that you care about your brand and always bring it into the future. For more information on our services, contact us today!

What Does a Digital Transformation Mean for Your Business

November 18, 2021 by David Henderson

“Digital transformation” has become a bit of a buzzword recently among the business community. It is the process of using digital technologies to improve or enhance your business. What this looks like can mean many different things depending on the industry. It can mean any sort of changes needed to meet market requirements, including customer experiences, website design, business processes, and more.

A digital transformation doesn’t just mean traditional roles such as marketing, sales, and customer service. Instead, digital transformation is about how a company thinks about and engages with customers. As a company moves from paper to smartphone applications, they can change how customers are engaged with technology on their side.

For small businesses just starting out, it is much easier to set up a business process that is future-proof. Thinking about building digitally can set them up to be flexible and ready to grow.

From Analog to Digital

It wasn’t long ago that businesses kept records on paper. But since computers have gone mainstream, most companies have started converting all of those ink paper records to digital computer files. This is called digitalization: the process of converting information from analog to digital. This process has helped to show that sharing information is much easier once it has been digitized.

In terms of customer service, digitalization has forever changed service by making customer records easily and quickly retrievable. This process just goes to show that with new technologies, new things and new ways of doing them are suddenly possible.

Creating a New Class of Business

Digital transformation is creating entirely new classes of business. Companies of all sorts are coming up with practical, clever, and new ways of leveraging technology. It all begins with understanding the potential of technology and how it can work to your favour in your business. The question is how you can adapt your business and process to make the most out of technology investments.

Technology in Customer Service

Digital transformations have reshaped how businesses approach customer service. The old models were to wait for customers to find you, but with the rise of social media advertising, marketing, sales and customer service have changed. Most companies now embrace social media and use it as a chance to extend their service or products by meeting customers on the platforms of their choice. As you can see, adapting your offerings on social media is another excellent example of digital transformation.

But don’t stop there. As mentioned earlier, digital transformation encourages companies to reconsider everything, and this can even mean knocking down walls between your internal departments. Your digital presence can encompass service and marketing, tied together with a digital platform that can capture customer information, send customer questions to your service agents, and create personalized journeys for your customers.

Does Your Business Need a Digital Transformation?

Signs may start appearing across different parts of your organization when your business is in need of a digital transformation. Signs to watch out for include not getting the referrals you used to, repeat business isn’t repeating as it did before, your promotions are no longer generating leads or a lack of collaboration and information sharing among your team members.

Companies should start with an internal assessment to identify any problems or gaps where they may be experiencing difficulties. This should help make the path to digital transformation clear while remembering that you’re building for the future. Depending on the business, that could mean more employees, more revenue, or both.

Working with experienced partners can help companies in situations where they need a digital transformation. At Unwired Web Solutions, our team can help with various services such as website design, content marketing, and more. By partnering with our experts, you can ensure that experience and industry expertise across many different fields will be provided along with best practices. Contact us to get started today!