Your website is the face of your company on the internet. Depending on the design, you are going to create an impact on your customers. When creating or enhancing any website, the basic aspects are-

1. Content-The content material may be the substance with the site and should be relevant for the site. It should target the clients and site visitors.

2. Usability-The site should be user-friendly using the interface and navigation. Both should be simple and reliable.

3. Appearance-The graphics and text must consist of an individual style that flows through the site for consistency.

4. Visibility with the site-The website should be simple to find by way of most search engines. Optimization can be a method of producing something functional and efficient. Web layout optimization is a continuous procedure of improving the layout to achieve enterprise objectives. An optimized net web page loads rapidly on the client’s system, so your website visitor can quickly get the info they were looking for.

The reasons for optimization are varied. These include increasing exposure, increasing its search engine ranking and applying modern net standards.

Now the question arises-Is optimization of a website’s design possible or not? Here, we are going to talk about the methods for optimization.

1. Optimize Graphics for Internet Use-Even these days, a large number of people use slower connections for internet use, or they use their cell phones. With slow browsing speed or a smaller screen, they don’t want to wait for pages to load. And like a business owner, you cannot afford to lose customers this way.

2. Emphasis on Content-Make sure that the content material within the site is laid out effectively. Should you only concentrate on look and ignore the content, you cannot make an impact on your buyers. You’ll need to supply a concise, convincing message and info about your website, should you want your site visitors to buy your product or service. Make sure that your content material is easy to read.

3. Set up a Navigation System That Compliments Search Engines-Navigation techniques are constructed to assist visitors in discovering their way around your site. Consequently, they must be created cautiously to produce search engine friendly ones. Search engines require a chain of hypertext links commencing at your home page which will take them web page by page within your entire site. The issue is that if JavaScript and flash methods replace plain hyperlinks, the search engine might not be able to locate the underlying pages. You can optimize the flash and pictures for far better use and faster downloading.

4. Emphasis on Color, Shapes and Font Size-Things like color, shape and sizes of font can make a large impact on your general message. Utilizing blue, green, silver, or grey can create a calm impact. Making use of rounded corners rather than hard edges within your banners can allow a soft and personalized feeling.

5. Keep It Simple- Look at some effective sites, like Google, which is very simple. Don’t use bloated characteristics. Keep your goals as well as visitor’s needs in mind when adding a elements.

The first thing that you have to understand about Google is that the site is primarily based on keywords, both in the main text of the page as well as text that’s imbedded it what is called the meta portion of your page, the area that isn’t visible to anyone but programmers and search engines.  The idea is to put accurate and unique keywords in your page so that when Google is searching, your site pops up.  So in the content of your page, make sure you include key words and phrases that reference your business or your location of both.  For example, Systemtek uses the phrase “Naperville Web Design” in numerous location because it maximizes our presence.  Potential customers often search for the type of business they are looking for as well as the area that they live in, so always be very specific when it comes to keywords and phrases.  List specific services and products that you provide.  Make sure you cover all your bases.  You want to make sure that a customer will see that you indeed provide what they are looking for.

One important thing to remember is that Google may go on keywords, but it also is designed to protect users from spam.  When you are considering the content for your page, don’t overuse the keywords.  A good rule of thumb is that for every 400 words on the page, 1-2% should be keywords.  This will ensure that you have the necessary means for being found in Google, but your page isn’t so oversaturated in keywords that Google will consider you spam and block you.  So be careful and have an even hand when it comes to including keywords.

Another tool at your disposal to move you up in the Google rankings is links.  On your page, link to other pages.  If you have a blog, link to it.  If you have a partner with a website, link to it and have them link to you.  Links provide more content for Google to read, and well named links are even better.  Rather than saying “Click HERE for more tips,” you would want to say “More SEO Tips and Tricks.”  That link does double duty, since it is both a link AND a key phrase for the business.  The more, well-named links, the better.

The last tip today is to get your site listed on online directories.  Do a little research on your own and find out if there are directories for business like yours.  Often you’ll find that there are places that will list your site for free or ask only that you put an icon on your page that will link back to the main site.  There are a lot of options to explore.  Just make sure you choose the right directory.  Again, do your research and make sure you’re not going to be balled up with a bunch of spam companies.  The name of the game is caution and care when it comes to SEO.

There are a lot of little things you can do to move your business up in the Google rankings.  The three we listed here are the biggest, and if you follow these directions you’ll see your page start climbing.  It takes some time, so be patient.  Just remember to keep everything well organized and don’t overuse the keywords, links, and directories and over time your business will show up in the first page when you Google yourself.

First off, the “About Us” page is meant to give prospective customers an idea of what your company does and a little bit about the people in the company.  It’s not necessary to give a detailed description of every aspect of the business, or list all of the employees, but it is important to give a basic background description of the company.  Whether it’s a web development company or a home-based draft business, a description of the business is necessary.  Give your company a human side as well.  Let people see that there are actual people at the company, not just a faceless website.  It builds trust in the customer, knowing that they have a real person looking out for their business.

Let prospective customer know about the business aspect as well.  Tell them, briefly, how your business works.  It will help them to understand and, again, build trust in you.  Tell them what you do and how long you’ve been doing it.  Establishing credibility before you even have a chance to talk to them will give you an advantage of your competition.

People want to know that they are safe while doing business, both online and in person, so assure your customers that you do have a privacy policy and will not give any information you receive to other companies.  If your company is a member of any business associations or a chamber of commerce, advertise that as well.

The “About Us” page is a very small part of your company’s website, but it does a lot.  It may sound repetitive to mention this again, but trust is the key word when it comes to the “About Us” page.  That is the main purpose, after all.  A person viewing your site for the first time will want to know who they’re doing business with, and a good “About Us” page will get your interactions started off on the right foot.  So take some time to make the page detailed and professional.  It may just be the key to getting your company more business.

1. What can testimonials do for me?

Testimonials are a great way to spread the word about your business. The content comes from consumers, rather than the business itself, so there isn’t an implied bias. Potential customers can read the testimonials and see how like-minded consumers felt about the service or product you provided. Testimonials are a way to promote yourself without having to promote yourself.

2. How do I get testimonials?

There are a number of ways to get testimonials from customers. The simplest way is to just ask them. Many happy customers are more than willing to put down their satisfaction in writing. If you don’t want to come right out and ask for a glowing review, you can ask customers to complete satisfaction surveys. These are a little less invasive, as you aren’t specifically asking them to write a paragraph about your company, only to rate their satisfaction and write something only if they care to. You can also check online review sites, like Google reviews or Yelp. You may find that people have already written a testimonial without you even having to ask them.

On a side note, don’t offer incentives for customers to give good reviews. They will feel forced and insincere. Instead, if a customer gives you a good review, send them a coupon or another promotional item as a thank you after the fact.

3. What do I do with the testimonial now that I have it?

Display it! If you have a website, put it on the homepage. If you have the means, have an entire page on your website dedicated to testimonials. They are an invaluable resource to you and your company. You can also post them on your Facebook page, put them on print advertising. Use them in any way you see fit.  For an example of how to present testimonials, check out Systemtek’s testimonial page here.

At this point, it’s necessary to talk about some of the unwritten rules of testimonials. As we said before, you don’t want your testimonials to sound insincere. So make sure you pick just the right examples to display. You want them to be positive, but if they are too over the top, they won’t be believable and potential customers will think you wrote them yourself.

Also, don’t edit testimonials too much. You can run into the problem of a prior customer reading what they wrote and getting upset because you cut out some possibly negative things. If you aren’t sure if you’ve edited it too much, don’t use it. And don’t ever write a fake testimonial yourself. They will come across as fake and that’s not good for you. Finally, give credit to the customer, with their permission of course. If you don’t have written permission, maintain their anonymity by only using their initials and not giving their location or business. You don’t want to get in trouble because you used someone’s words without their consent.

Testimonials can do a lot of work for you if you use them right. Follow the tips we’ve outlined above to maximize the usefulness of them and grow your business. Just remember to be ethical.

The initial contact your customer is going to have with your business will most likely be on a search engine.  A potential customer will search the internet for a particular service, and you obviously want your business to be near the top.  Customers are much more likely to visit a site that is in the top five on a search than one that may be buried further down the list.  So making sure that your website has good placement in an engine is imperative.  Search engine optimization companies specialize in helping businesses customize their website in order to give them better positioning on search engine results.  So enlisting the help of an SEO company can help drive more business.  Additionally, your company name, as well as additional information that pops up on a search will help business.  Make sure that your site has key words attached to the site name so that potential customers know that your business specializes in what they are looking for. 

Once a possible customer clicks on your link, the first thing they will see is the homepage.  This is going to be their first real experience with your company, so it’s important that the homepage is a good representation of not only your company, but of your target customer.  Make sure that the site content reflects what you want your customer to think of your company.  Have an image in mind of your company, whether it’s sleek and stylish or warm and inviting, and have a website that reflects that image.  Like a good first sentence in a book, a good homepage will keep the viewer interested and will compel them to stay and explore. 

Finally, in addition to the layout and theme of the homepage, make sure to keep the first site current.  Whether it be through a daily message and weekly blog or monthly specials, it’s important for customers to know that you are maintaining the site.  Like a rundown store front, an unmaintained homepage gives potential customers the impression of a faltering business.  Show your presence to your customers so they know that you care as much about the appearance of your company and website as you will about their business.

You can never make another first impression, so make sure it’s a good one.  From search engine results to image to upkeep, a potential customer is going to judge your business on the first few clicks into your site, so make sure that those few clicks are memorable.  It will help drive business and keep people coming back for more.

The homepage design includes a large flash banner, which scrolls through multiple pictures of Ed Hoy’s products. Visitors can also view the calendar of classes and events to find out what’s going on soon. It is easy for the administrator to update events, and viewing one even shows you more details and gives you the ability to register for the event online. Finally, this art website includes a virtual catalog for anyone to browse through.

From Ed Hoy’s International: At Ed Hoy’s International, exceeding our customer’s expectations is a daily goal. We have been a leader in the art glass industry for over 30 years. Throughout these years, our goal has been to consistently bring our customers new and innovative products, education and marketing ideas.

For more examples of web design and to contact us, visit our website design portfolio.

The home page for http://www.twaphoto.com includes images of their weddings, and the menu bar helps you browse all the useful information for Timothy Whaley & Associates. This website offers the ability to schedule a consultation and view many of the easy to navigate picture galleries. If you have proofs that you want to view, simply login to the website and you can see them. The Timothy Whaley & Associates website gives you the opportunity to see beautiful photographs and do everything you need for your wedding photographer in one place online.

To view more of our E-commerce website designs and other new custom website designs Systemtek has developed, just visit our portfolio here: http://systemtek.net/portfolio.php

Systemtek is pleased to announce the completion of the new website for the Heaventree Candle Company! This handmade candle company out of Lake Zurich, Illinois wanted a new website where they could sell their assortment of candles online and give people a chance to learn more about their company.

The homepage for www.heaventreecandles.com includes large images of their carved column candles, and organizes everything so you can start shopping right away. The left sidebar has all of the candle categories listed, so a shopper can go right to the category they want. There, you can choose among a variety of different products within that category. Once you have selected the exact product you want, the fun begins!

Depending on the style of candle, it may come in many different sizes and colors. One great aspect of this website is that you can click on different colors to see examples of that candle in all available color options. Once you have decided to purchase one, just add to the cart, make sure you have signed into your account, and proceed to checkout.

To view more of our E-commerce website designs and other new custom website designs Systemtek has developed, just visit our portfolio here: Naperville Website Design

Are you a mortgage broker, lawyer, financial advisor or a plumber? Did you know a service business can significantly increase leads and customer loyalty by an effective website? Does your service business website generate leads and bring customers? If not, I’ll explain what went wrong.

1. Your website does not look professional

Your homepage is the first impression of your business that you give to your potential customers online. One main reason people visit a service business website, is to see if the company is trustworthy. According to a 2006 web user survey, 60% of people don’t trust businesses with poorly designed websites. If you give wrong the impression to your potential customers, they will leave and visit your competitor’s website. A professional look and feel gives your potential customers assurance of your credibility. Once a visitor opens your site, your business is judged for better or worse. What impression does your website give?

2. Your website contents are out of date

When did you last modify your website content? Is your website still advertising last year’s events? How efficiently does your homepage flow into your detailed service pages? How effectively do you introduce your services on your web pages?

When your potential clients visit your website, they are expecting to find answers for their questions. If you give them outdated information or fail to express your service details effectively, you can’t expect leads from them. You may also give a poor impression of your business.

3. You didn’t market your website

Unlike your actual business building, your website may not be visible to your customers. You may have heard about search engine marketing and website optimization. If you are not a computer geek or don’t have time to learn about HTML, try to focus on off-line marketing. Try to put your website address on every possible marketing collateral, such as your business cards and direct mail.

4. Your website doesn’t encourage visitors to take action

Action could be a call for free consultation, signing up for a newsletter or sending an e-mail to request a quote. If you have a great looking website with useful content for website visitors, you should try to convert them into customers. Try to put action items on every page with some urgency. People usually don’t react when there is no urgency.

5. You never measure the effectiveness

Do you know how many leads are generated through your website? And how many leads turn into real customers? If you know how effective your website is, you can enhance your website to improve in the future.

Impress your visitors with a positive and professional business image. Even if they don t become your customers right away, impressed visitors can soon become your customers.

Skyline Balloons Screenshot

Systemtek is proud to announce our latest website project for Skyline Balloons & Advertising Solutions. The outdoor advertising company wanted a new and improved website to showcase their wide range of products in categories like character balloons, sky dancers, sky busters and window graphics. The new website has large pictures of many of their products, and gives interesting industry facts and quotes on every page.

Another feature of this Naperville Web Design is the custom contact form that Skyline Balloons wanted to include on the website, so that any interested customers could request any product they wanted and send an email to Skyline Balloons.

Checkout this bright new, easy to navigate website and others on our Portfolios Page.

About Skyline Balloons:

Skyline Balloons & Advertising Solutions is a fully licensed, bonded and insured company focused on getting you noticed with a whole new shape to advertising. The cost effectiveness and return on investment makes their products the perfect advertising tool.