The Pros and Cons of Web Design Using a Grid

Web design using a grid is very common these days. At first, grids were used with graphic designs in print medium but in past few years they have made place in web designing also. Their popularity increased very rapidly and now they have become part of almost all web designing projects. Grids are used to form layouts of pages of websites. They provide a frame which can be used to place different components of site on it. Literally defined, grid is a framework made of pixels, in which the pixels run horizontally and vertically. It helps in keeping all elements of the site systematic. Web design using a grid can make website look fairly organized.

Benefits of Web Design Using a Grid There are a number of benefits of web design using a grid. It makes both the things pleasant, i.e. process of designing and appearance of finished website. A grid structured with adequate intelligence can make the designer of the site to assess what will be best for the most attractive look of the site. It assists the designer in highlighting most significant elements without cramming it with lots of elements.

Moreover, use of the grids speeds up the process of website designing. Foremost purpose of using these grids is to provide a base for all future activities to be executed. It lays a pavement to the final website. So, the website can be constructed in much less time, if compared to tradition method of placing and aligning elements without grids. Moreover, if the designers need to switch some elements with each other, they can do it easily and comfortably because of the framework maintained by the grids.

Using grids can make web designers capable of constructing flawless, eye catching and outstanding sites. That's why this method of constructing websites is gaining more and more popularity. Webpage design using a grid can prove to be very satisfying; maybe that's why lots of high ranked sites and blogs have resorted to this technique.

Limitations of Web Design Using a Grid But website design using a grid can't said to be suitable for all the sites. Designers must keep some things in mind before employing this method. First of all, the most talked about point that goes against this technique is that it doesn't leave much room for creativity. As we have discussed earlier, grids provides a framework to work upon, thus designer has to construct the site in a pre determined style. So, those who want their sites to be unique should not go for this method of designing sites.

More, for those sites which don't have much of the content to upload on the web, this method is not quite appropriate. Actually, web designing with grid necessitates large volume of content. If there is not reasonable amount of content then it's useless to make grids.

Thus using grids is not a smart choice for all kinds of sites. Simple, contained and abstract sites don't really require them. But on the other hand, sites with lots of content can be benefited by this method in many ways. Also sites that require a systematic and organized look can also rely on the method. It depends from website to website whether web design using a grid will be beneficial or not.

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Checking For Broken Website Links

Broken links not only make you look unprofessional, they can actually wreak havoc on your search results. Yes, Google can tell if links are broken on your website. And there's nothing worse than getting punished for having broken links or even getting banned by Google for links that don't go anywhere.

How can a website link get broken? After time, if you don't stay on top of it, sites that you once were linking to can get bought out, go out of business, get redirected to some other source or the domain ceases to exist. When a visitor clicks on the link, it could go to a 'page not found' message or even worse, go to a site that Google doesn't like such as a link farm, ad site or blacklisted URL. Linking to websites in 'bad neighborhoods' can hurt you in the search results.

Just like a car, websites having moving parts that flow evenly from one place to another through anchor text or page navigation. And just like a car, websites need tune-ups. Having a spring cleaning is a must: make sure you go through each and every page of your site with the main navigation links and site maps, make sure the pages redirect to where they are supposed to and click on each link going from your site making positive that they are still viable.

This is something you need to do on a regular basis. You can even get friends or family members to help out. Sites with broken links are one of the most popular problems that goes unnoticed by website owners. Think about how terrible it would be if one of your visitors clicked on a link you provided and ended up with a computer virus. It's your responsibility to make sure your visitors are browsing through a safe environment. The most common place for multiple broken links are in a resource section you may have on your site to provide people with information, just because of the shear amount of website links that may be there. I've seen up to nearly 20% of resource directory links go bad or redirect to a site they weren't' supposed to in just a year's time.

On WordPress sites, simply updating a version or theme can cause links to break. It's happened to me many times. Most people just love their websites and when they're new, we click all over the place to see if things flow. But after time, we forget to stay on top of them and some entire sites or pages may be broken and we don't even know it. Our visitors won't tell us anything -- they'll just leave and go somewhere else. Think about who you're trying to attract to your site and why. Customers? Prospects? Clients? How many have already come and gone because you didn't tune up your site?

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Ecommerce Website Design - An Imperative Solution for Online Business

E-commerce web-design is a leading form of advertising campaign, guaranteeing a unique character, which is designed to lead visitor to one simple task - to make an online purchase. While designing this website a designer should consider various online selling principles. Professional Web Development Services significantly differs from each other depending on the size and brand name of the on-line site platform.

An e-commerce website design is similar to any other web site designing in terms of attractiveness, organization and color scheme. However there does exist certain selling principles on depending on which this website is differentiated form an ordinary one. These selling principles are namely:

• Providing the user a satisfying experience in his online shopping. • Endowing the customer with sufficient information on who have possession of the website and why should they trust the website. • The website must be easily accessible for the visitor to understand and utilize it well.

These are certain common principles, which are not new to us, in every other market hub we have noticed the paying counter. Nevertheless in online purchase the prior responsibility of a professional web design company is to translate these conventional marketing techniques to the virtual world of internet. Every business selects their individual and unique designs, suiting the market trend. Thus there should be a constant website navigation making all the web pages, easily accessible to the customer.

An e-commerce website will always lead its visitor to the appropriate page with a click or two. In fact Professional Web Design Company sometimes employs techniques, which are never considered for non e-commerce websites. Most of these sites allow a designer to exaggerate that one click principle and make a benefit of it. All the facts about the product are presented in a detailed manner and the user is consequently directed to the order form or the purchase option. There also exist a number of facts and testimonials about the products.

Every e-commerce website consists of various personalization technologies. These technologies are incorporated within the website with an effort to establish best selection of products to the customers. In fact Personalization technologies are now a major part of advanced e-commerce website. Its use has a major impact on the design of the website. Layout of the website is also important in these websites. Like any other website an e-commerce site should also be attractive, eye-catching and striking. Plenty of research has been done on this topic showing that the middle left side area attracts more attention followed by the centre of the page. These can be categorized as the "walking path" used by the designers to attract the visitor eye. Thus a qualified professional search engine marketing person will always know these techniques to create a top notch website.

Therefore, the advantages of an e-commerce website are quite elaborate. There exist many benefits, which any business can avail from creating their own online website. This is, in fact the most advanced and effective way of doing business and thereby avail profit from it. E-commerce websites are both informative and attractive, thus creating a unique profile for your company.

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Design and Development Are the New Commodities

WordPress theme: $38; an entire mobile website: $15; your website up-and-running without having to hack someone else's code, that's priceless!

The commoditization of the web design and development is inevitable. We live in a world that is saturated with options. When it comes to web and mobile development-and-design, there are tons of alternatives, frameworks, and examples to choose from. Even when designers and developers may choose to start a project from scratch, it is common that the end solution might look like something that already exists.

Is your problem really different?

If you ask 100 architects to design a house for a middle class family located on a 5,000 sqft lot, in the suburb, chances are that you will have 100 different designs. There is no doubt, that each design will consider the minimum requirements --in theory, however, each of the designer will probably emphasize different aspects of the family members, or the house location, to express their individual viewpoints. There is nothing wrong with original work. Unfortunately, high demand and financial constraints, make impossible to always start from a blank canvas.

Are we running out of original solutions?

The lack of originality is not a sole responsibility of designers and developers. On a daily basis we are all challenged with problems that we have seen before. After a while we become experts and re-implementing the same solutions is faster, and it can be done in a more systematic way. Things can be done faster, faster make them cheaper, and since the solutions are repetitive, they can be put in a system that does not require the designer nor the developer to implement it. It becomes a commodity.

On the bright side, design and development have become commodities at the right moment. Nowadays we have tools, frameworks, reference material, and technology in general, makes everything a lot easier. Now that doing things is easier, the time can be spent in more creative tasks and connecting with customers and clients to really understand their needs.

Conclusion

More and more designers and developers work is about taking general purpose content and turn it into individual expression. The commoditization is not a problem that needs to be fought, it is a cause to embrace. In technology, it is inevitable the resources become cheaper and more efficient. We now can do more in less time with less resources. This is the best time ever. It is the time to think out of the box and try more things while maintaining high productivity and competitive prices.

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Mobile Website Design Has Become The Standard In Business

In an environment where customers are consistently on the move and the typical individual is splitting their consideration among knowledge acquired online and in person, most of us have begun to count on finding the resources that they desire on a number of unique sources, and available to them should they desire it. This could possibly be the rather simple venture of Googling information on their laptop computer, up to the very modern-day act of buying a brand spanking new notebook from their tablet device.

Nevertheless, simply because mobile-websites are getting to be progressively more easily available for the typical individual, does this imply that smartphone users are regularly seeking out these web sites to work with on a daily basis? For several experts and internet marketers who've been studying the need for mobile-friendly websites for customers over the last couple of years, the reply is an exceedingly booming YES.

Creating a top-notch mobile website is more than merely building a nice-looking mobile page layout for your web site or expecting to generate a few more income. Instead, this foundation is starting to become an essential aspect for several brand names who are aiming to generate long-lasting customer interactions, and supply their visitors the mobile sources that they desire.

For more information about the need for mobile-safe web sites for your firm, I have developed some of the more critical statistics and conclusions from Google's latest report 'What Consumers Want Most Out Of Mobile Sites Right Now.' These studies were completed by unbiased research agencies, and surveyed 1,088 users preceding this year.

More People Purchase From Mobile-Friendly Websites

Lots of shopper attitude and actions can be designed by their mobile website encounters. To illustrate, should your website gives end users with a positive mobile encounter, they are much more likely to place a purchase by your site. The truth is, approximately 67% of end users interviewed stated that as soon as they go to a mobile-responsive webpage, they are very likely to buy a web site's products or services.

Non-Mobile Favorable Websites Steer Buyers Away

Just as a positive mobile experience can bring in delighted buyers, a non-mobile web site can do just the opposite. 60 percent of men and women questioned stated that they would swiftly move on to another site if they failed to discover what they were scouting for straightaway on a mobile site. In actual fact, 79 percent of individuals who really do not like whatever they find on one website will turn back and quest for another website to gratify their demands. Without having a mobile-friendly web site, you can guarantee that you'll be pressuring your disappointed folks right into the palms of your rivals.

Functionality Of Your Mobile Site Mirrors Back On Your Own Trademark

An awful mobile ordeal could result in more than simply a reduction in gross sales for your firm. 55 percent of those who answered revealed that a frustrating mobile experience in fact hurt their overall viewpoint of the brand name, and 61% explained they would take their money somewhere else after a poor mobile ordeal. Furthermore, 48 percent of people asserted that if a corporate website did not work effectively on their smart phone, it made them feel that this company did not treasure their business.

In light of these sobering information, it is more clear than ever before just how intensely and quickly your client's perceptions can be shaped by their overall mobile website experience. To ensure that your mobile web site is not costing your enterprise necessary sales and site exposure, just be sure to have a mobile-friendly webpage that can help turn your website visitors into customers.

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Five Ways to Build the Most Mobile Friendly Website

A few years ago sites could have got away without having a mobile version of their site but not anymore. Mobile websites have gone from being an attractive extra to an absolute necessity - and it isn't enough just having one. With the commercial and economic opportunities available to online businesses via mobile phones it is crucial that the mobile site is designed to optimise the mobile user experience. Non mobile friendly sites are losing out on an increasingly large amount of business as more and more people buy though mobile devices.

Streamline Content

Landing pages and content "above the fold" is crucial when it comes to PC websites. This importance is magnified on a mobile web page. Do not waste time, effort and most importantly space, putting anything but the most important information on your mobile pages. Removing things like side menus or other content links allows your site to focus on only the most important information, making your site easier to read, quicker to load and generally improving user experience.

When it comes to seeking mobile conversions or sales it is crucial that your site prioritises important information relevant to conversions such as contact details. Overloading your page with irrelevant content will push important content down making it less likely to be found. Users will also become frustrated with having to scroll or delve deeper in to your site to find the content they want.

Optimise layout

An easy way to streamline your content and improve user experience is to optimise your page layout for mobile devices. Simply displaying your standard PC website through a mobile device will negatively affect your users experience and likely lead to a high bounce rate. The text displayed will be too small to read and users will have to navigate a raft of different menus.

Optimise your layout into just one single column with additional content running down the page not across. This allows users to use the far more natural and preferred process of scrolling downwards, avoiding the need to scroll sideways or zoom in and out.

Alter Navigation

With such a small area to work in, navigation becomes an issue on mobile websites. Placing all your navigation at the top of pages moves the valuable content too far down below the fold and with a single column layout it can't go down the side - where does it go?

The answer is to emphasise your homepage. Only place navigation on your homepage and do so at the top of the page. On other pages place your content at the top with the only navigation links being back to the homepage or the most relevant previous step in the user's journey. Placing breadcrumb links at the top of the page with navigation links back to the homepage at the bottom, users are able to easily navigate the site without detracting from the valuable content.

If your site's users want to see content straightaway rather than look to navigate or search for specific content you should place the navigation at the bottom. This way it does not get in the way of reading the content but can still be easily accessed by the user. Placing an anchor link at the top of the page will allow users to reach the navigation quickly and easily.

Minimise text entry

It is not just visually where mobile websites differ from their desktop or laptop partners. Usability is another major issue when creating mobile friendly websites. Typing, even on the best touchscreen keyboards are difficult for users who frequently make errors and can often become frustrated with over-elaborate and time consuming text entry. You can reduce the need for text entry for users by allowing them to store personal and login details on site or ask them to use a numerical PIN instead of a password. Instead of entering text akin to a standard text message allow the users to provide information by choosing between different selections.

Similarly you should be aware of the limitations of touchscreen devices for usability. Links (particularly when in amongst other links) can be difficult to click on. Users will become frustrated at the additional time and cost wasted by accidentally clicking on the wrong link. Therefore you should look to use highly visible and easily clickable square boxes for important calls to action.

Take advantage of inbuilt functionality

Ultimately when designing a website for mobile use, you should look to take advantage of the mobile devices unique properties and utilise their inbuilt functionality

Mobile phones were initially designed to just make phone calls (I know it might seem hard to believe!). Take advantage of this by allowing users to automatically call a number when clicking or tapping a contact phone number.

Similarly phones now have in built map applications. Give user's a better idea of your location by automatically opening the phone's map application after the user clicks on your address on site.

Take advantage of social media in regards to your website. Make it easy for a user to share your mobile site socially or share their location via the device's inbuilt GPS. This can allow users to better interact with each other and find nearby stores or events.

Conclusions

2013 is set to be the year of the mobile. Marketers and webmasters are waking up to the power of mobile devices. The mobile will hold a crucial role in how businesses promote and market their websites online. It is crucial that as mobile devices are increasingly used to access the internet that websites provide users with as clear and smooth a user experience as possible. Following some of the above guidelines will help in ensuring you get the best return from your mobile website.

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