Web
Design - Is It An Art?
Web design is an art. There’s no question about that.
The question is: how many websites designed by real web designers
are out there? With the amount of crap that purely invades
the Internet and suffocates the users nowadays, there are
serious reasons to doubt that web design is an art in its
own right.
So called web designers make terrible made for AdSense sites,
or those awful personal pages that have nothing to say. But
the Internet is a World and you must expect to find, as in
the real world, tones of nonsense and digital rubbish. Such
websites have no real value, are full of grammatical errors,
respect no design techniques, blend colors, fonts and graphics
irrationally, display flashy banners, annoying gifs and so
on. Sites like these make people believe that it is ok to
put up a website even if it is lousy. Anyone can start a website,
but, can anyone design a website? Obviously not, since new
websites appear online every day that are not good at all.
Web design combines traditional arts with technical skills.
A web designer is not just a web coder: he or she is an artist
able to understand the value of image and other visual elements,
and knows what impact these might have on the viewers. The
web designer works with images and words to make the perfect
web layout. To make rare websites, the kind of websites that
really add value to the World Wide Web, skilled web designers
use various tools. They might retouch pictures and graphics
or make astonishing images using programs such as Photoshop,
Illustrator, Jasic Paint, and Photo Impact and so on. They
might use 3D software or Flash to design dramatic layouts
that will transport the visitors into another world. No matter
what tools they employ, professional web designers make functional,
astonishing web pages.
Don’t believe that web design, as an art, is not for
business, corporate or informative websites. As a matter of
fact they require it the most. While business and informational
websites don’t need to be artistic, they need to inspire.
Corporate websites need clear designs, simple layouts so that
any visitor could access the information fast and understand
the purpose of the website. To make a website that sends the
right message and develops brand awareness in an agreeable
manner is an art. A good website can sell a service or goods,
but this doesn’t mean that its appearance must fade.
Compare a website to a car: you need it to transport your
visitors through a space full of information. You don’t
want them to be bored by what you have to offer. You want
to entertain them, to mesmerize their minds, to make them
come back. What it will be: a Hollywood like limousine or
a second hand car? Yes, it’s true: it’s not the
car that matters, but the ride. However, when you travel in
an uncomfortable seat you might not enjoy the ride. And doesn’t
anyone dream for a first-class ticket?
After all this being said, you do not have to hire a web designer
to build a great site in today’s online world. Web design
is an art, but with the advent of the new high power website
builders, anyone can make a high quality website for a fraction
of the cost of employing a web designer. This is especially
true of web building programs that are template driven.
Online web building programs using this “template driven”
technology allow the user to make their website using professionally
designed templates. This means the “art” of web
design has already been done. The user simply chooses their
template, adds their own content and photos, and in a matter
of hours or days, a HIGH QUALITY website is made!
Don’t be fooled. Not all website builders are the same.
Ensure you use a website builder that includes ecommerce capabilities
without an additional charge. One such program is High Power
Sites.
In conclusion: You can hire a skilled, talented
web designer to make your business website but you will pay
a high price as web designers are not cheap. Or you can use
a top notch web building program for a fraction of the cost.
You’ll need to pay the price for either one, but high
quality websites don’t come cheap. If you are serious
about doing business online, you must invest in your website.
The future belongs to those that give for quality on the World
Wide Web.
|
Local
Search Engine Optimization
As the fastest growing vertical in search, many people are
now starting to know the value of local search engine optimization
can have on their site traffic. Also known as regional search,
it's basically geo-targeting your audience when they search.
Local search works best for the service provider, or a retailer
that has numerous locations. While the search volume won't
be as great as a non-regional phrase, the person who reaches
your site will be a more targeted visit and most likely ready
to change.
Another happy accident in local search is that for sites
that are well optimized may also pick up rankings in mobile
search.
So, here's what you require to do in order
to rank for local seo:
|
Be sure to have your location(s) full address
|
|
If you have a regional number, list that as well since
some people start with an area code |
|
Be sure to include driving directions to your location |
|
Use a mapping service to display your location |
|
Have pictures of your locations and name them with your
street address |
|
Ensure your site appears in any regional directory that
might be online |
|
If you can buy it, get listed in your local yellow pages |
|
Place the regions you want to rank for in your page
titles |
|
Get text links that contain the regional phrase |
Most of these techniques are not only common sense, but also
good web design. If you're in business, you want people to be
able to find you, right? |
Starting
an Online Business
Important Decisions before Starting an Online Business
Your brightest idea will fail to attract
profitable revenues if you are unable to make an ecommerce
store that gives continuous shopping with an assurance of
a secure online transaction.
Your shopping cart software will largely
define your viability for selling online. But there are other
aspects to be examined before you start an online business.
Decisions for selling online before starting your
online business:
Devoting quality time & resources in deciding the following
will favor in creating a robust ecommerce store.
1)Hosting Provider:
Always look for a secure and reliable hosting service
provider. Examine the ‘Uptime guarantee’ given
by the service provider. Also examine the physical infrastructure
where your ecommerce store will be hosted. Perhaps the most
significant component in scrutinizing the hosting provider
is the ‘Back Up’ and the ‘Data Security’
system.
Calculate the minimum time essential to reinstall you ecommerce
store in case of total infrastructure failure on the part
of hosting provider. This calculation will help in deciding
the least possible business loss in case of emergencies.
2)Merchant Account:
The processing capabilities and the data security given by
a merchant account are the major aspects to be examined. A
merchant account must give faster processing and help in smooth
transactions.
3)Shopping Cart:
Allocate your maximum time & resource in deciding a shopping
cart for your ecommerce store. Choose a shopping cart that
is easy to manage and gives maximum customization of your
ecommerce store. Check a shopping cart for its capability
to perform significant functions like the inventory management,
catalog management and store design & layout. Go for a
shopping cart that gives simple and easy management with minimum
investment.
Your choice for shopping cart decides your
efforts in integrating payment gateways and shipping carriers.
Certain shopping carts provide built-in integration facilities
and expedite processes to start your online business. In such
cases, you are only required to decide a shipping carrier
or payment gateway and pay the essential fees to start selling
online.
4)Payment Gateways:
Map a payment gateway with your business wants. Ideally, a
payment gateway must give faster processing and should be
averse to every possible security attack in transferring credit
card details. The scale of transactions expected on your ecommerce
store is also a significant criterion in deciding a payment
gateway..
5)Shipping Carrier:
The scope of distribution of goods (globally or locally) besides
the cost per transaction and the reliability may be significant
criteria in deciding the shipping carrier for your ecommerce
store. Examining the feature of ‘online tracking’
may give important insights in the distribution system of
the shipping carrier.
Starting an online business is risky and needs devoted business
examination. Decrease your risks of selling online by considering
the above mentioned points.
|
Voltas 
