18 Most Common Mistakes When Designing Your Website (if you’re a do it yourselfer)

Shannan DuShane | January 2017 | Spectrum Net Designs, Inc

If you are anything like me I love to figure stuff out and do it myself. But there are some things you should leave to the professionals. No matter how much research you’ve done, you can replace experience. For instance, I can change a flat tire and my oil, but I would never re-build an engine or try and be a mechanic. Those are special trades that someone with hands on experience can provide you.

The same with website design, it is probably something you could figure out and manage, but why would you? Hire a professional who knows every aspect about building websites. It’s not just slap a logo on a html page with a phone number and hope for the best. These days, specifically as of 2017 business owners are almost required by your clients to have more to offer them via web.

We are human, and most of the time the issues are easily corrected. Here are 18 most common mistakes that business owners and do it yourselfers forget!

#18 Sitemap, Robot File, Analytics & Webmaster Tools. These valuable tools are completely essential if you want to rank on any search engine. There are tons of articles on how to start and develop your campaigns.

#17 Legalities. Make sure if you are using fonts, images, plugin, or other items that needs third party licensing you have a policy page in place for your protection. Sometimes required by law, privacy policies and disclaimers are a necessity.

#16. Proofread. Nothing says “unprofessional” more than grammar and spelling errors. Better to be safe than having a customer point out mistakes. If you can proofread your own site, what does that say about your work? I love using PaperRater to double check my writing. Also checkout 5 Free Online Proofreading Tools for Error Free Writing.

#15 Forms & Auto Responders. Test your forms and other features if you are going to put them on your site. The biggest error I see is that they are errored out or not setup properly and that is not how you want your customers to remember you. Keep them short and simple, don’t have 20 questions about every aspect, they will move on. Time is precious.

#14 404 Errors Page. Launching a new site means links will change. Are you ready? Setting up a 301 redirect will help customers to get to the correct page. Sometimes you can get away with a general 301 to your homepage, but the best route is to redirect to a similar page or item. You can use Google Tools or use the dead link checker too.

#13 Test Third Party Tools. When utilizing tools that you haven’t built can be good and bad. Double check all third party tools to ensure they are properly working, and doing what they are meant to do.

#12 Incorrect Information. Sorry we’ve moved! If anything, else make sure you NAP (name, address, phone number) are correct on your website or prepare for bad reviews and the start of your reputation management process.

#11 Broken Images & Links. These are a nuisance yes, but essential to check. Sometimes when you start with a demo site and go live, you remove the demo site and the files are gone too. Take time to check the entire website.

#10 Unorganized Ciaos. Create a plan of services and product hierarchy so that information is easy to find. Cluttered pages are a nightmare for a prospective clients trying you make heads and tails of your website

#9 Horrible Fonts. Now this might not seem bad now, but it isn’t easy to read or a messy font on a yellow background, your prospective customers won’t be sticking around. Look professional, do research on complimentary font combinations. You can use dafont.com and download some free ones.

#8 Say Goodbye to Heavy Content. 100’s of large images, 100’s of videos and such are a mistake if you don’t have them compressed and imbedded properly for streaming, it can blog your site and if customer have slow internet they will abandon within 30 seconds to a minute. Pingdom has a crazy cool tool to help you out. Check it out.

#7 Missing Search Feature. Implementing a search function is a great way for clients to find information. Rule of thumb is that a client gives approximately 30 seconds and then give up or move on.

#6 Navigation. This goes with the unorganized ciaos, be careful and don’t implement to many dropdowns, bad mix of colors, roll overs option, too many option will make the site undesirable and hard to navigate.

#5 Backend Structure. The structure has a lot to do with seo and search engine purposes. Having a solid back end can help with compression of your files and http requests that can slow down your website. Check your site here to see where you stand.

#4 Website Size. Size of your website depends on the trends for the year. All of them seems to be moving to bigger is better, so you will want to scrap your 600x600 resolution page that looks like an oil spot and get ready to go big.

#3 SEO Optimized. These days it is all about optimization. I could go on for pages about what you need to do, but mainly don’t forget about the little items such as your image optimization, your url permalinks that you can customize and your basic meta data. Most importantly setup your Title, Meta Description and permalinks, the rest can come with time and patience. Check out one of our articles here to start on your way.

#2 Browser Compatibility. Cross checking browsers ensures that your design and code can be viewed across the web. Compatibility problems are always there, and are different though the difference browser versions, ect. You can use BrowserShots if you need help. By visiting each of the major search engines you can see if they are working.

#1 Mobile Responsive/Mobile Friendly! So you want a website. Do you know where to start? Or where to end for that matter. The reality is having a website is an ongoing event. The ever-changing web always has something new up its sleeve. Having a website means that you will be flexible and follow the trends. Your customers are on the move and you need to be as well. Having a mobile responsive website is very important in today’s digital world.

Check your site to see what Google has to say. Click here.

SEO, search engine optimization, navigation, website design, website development, web development, optimization, browser compatibility, mobile responsive, mobile friendly design, browser, mobile responsive design, sitemap, robots, google,google indexing, mobile website design Web design, hosting, seo, search engines, logo, branding, mobile website design

Using Local Resources for E-Commerce Not The Big Boxes

E-Commerce Resources At Your Fingertips

If you have been wondering whether the commotion over conducting your business online is something that you want to jump into, then read on. Online shopping is nothing new these days. Everyone has purchased something online at one time or another. This is much larger than it seems and it isn’t going anywhere, so it’s better to jump on the wagon than being left behind. We will explore the benefits and more to utilizing a local resource for your e-commerce needs and not going overseas or to a big box company like Go Daddy or Network Solutions.

Whether you are a consumer or a business-to-business resource, some of the most efficient marketing and selling tools are available via the Internet, and the potential of reaching a vast audience is open to you through the World Wide Web. Consider these facts: Forrester Research, Inc. estimates that 47.3 million North American households have online access and 43.9 percent have browsed online. Of the 43.9 percent, 65 percent have made purchases. By 2014, the research firm estimates that U.S. online retail sales will grow to $250 billion, up from $155 billion in 2009. (https://www.sba.gov)

Some shoppers still like that old fashioned in person service, but a positive aspect to e-commerce is that your customers will never have to wait to get your products, they can shop anytime and do it without wasting gas to get there and then standing in lines. This method is positively outdated and can be quite frustrating to customers. If you don’t stock all of your products at the store and customers drive around all day to find that one gift, that can be a huge turn off to your brand. Plus you have the ability to reach a larger audience and grow your business.

Not comes the aspect where you need to dive in and find a company to develop your online store, and believe me when I say there are 1000’s out there that are capable of building an e-commerce presence for you, but the kicker is can they do it properly and the way you want. The benefit of working with a local website developer is that you can be more hands on with the process and follow along more efficiently. You will need a developer that can understand your needs and have been in their industry for years. Experience here is crucial, if you hire an intern in college or an independent developer you won’t have the experience. If you hire a large big box third party company such as Go Daddy, you lack the personal touch and a lot of their product is drag and drop or plug in build where there is no customization involved. Your website will look like hundreds of other template sites. Your local website design firm and developers will know how to make you stand out and customize your customers experience with online shopping. Remember it’s not always about location, it is about availability and fast shipping options these days.

When you start with your chosen developer there are several questions you will need to answer. Some of those will be involved with:

1.       Shipping provider and shipping options

2.       Merchant account which is your payment gateway

3.       Type of payments accepted – Paypal, MC, VISA, Discover, ect.

4.       State by state sales tax and other fees associated with online shopping

5.       SSL Certificate which is essential and required for secure account information and credit cards

6.       Any specialty features you would like to incorporate such as search box, featured products, zoom, related products, newsletter sign up

And many more that will come up as you continue the path to completion.  The point is to do your research and know what you want before you jump in with a company. Make sure you have the communication you require. Know their process and how the process advances and a list of objectives and goals for the project. It is always nice to have a visible timeline laid out so that everyone knows their part and what to expect. Don’t be left out in the cold when your customers shop online, be on the forefront of their shopping lists and pair your e-commerce website with a killer marketing plan and you will have the whole package.

Do You Ever Wonder If You Should Invest in a Website?

Shannan DuShane | December 12, 2016 |  www.SpectrumNetDesigns.com
Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Pinterest | Google

Should I Have A Website? Check Yes or No

Well this is the all mighty question that many business owners face daily, should I have a website for my business, because I don’t have enough time in a day as of now? As a designer and marketer I would always answer that question yes, definitely! Why wouldn’t you want marketing that can take you all over the world with just a URL and a little hard work on your part. Business owners need to look at building a website as a serious part of biding their business. It’s not all about brick and mortar storefronts. These days your customers almost expect you to have a website so they can view your products and services as well as get an idea or notion of your business and what your business represents before they take the time and drive to your storefront. 

Unless you are a large department store or corporate entity and you are well known, then you are good, but then even those stores like Kohl’s, Sears, Gander Mountain and Nike still have websites, why? To increase their customer base, and to reach those that would normally be out of reach from normal advertising and to sell their product online or show off their products and services online to get the consumer to purchase what they are offering.

I mean it makes sense right? Yes of course it does. You really can’t afford not to be in front of your audience these days, here are a few pro’s to having a website that you shouldn’t ignore:

1. Positive first impression! Because you are busy and you can’t be in front of everyone all the time and first impressions are everything, especially when it comes to professionalism.
2. Availability 24/7/365 Marketing. I mean what can be better, your customers can shop after hours on their time in their busy lives, so you can be better for your customers in store and give them the service they require.
3. Network Building. If you’re like me I love networking, and a website will help you because everyone loves getting love online on a website, blog, and linking to others website that will help your link strategy as well as promote local business.
4. Push & Sell …. There is no shame in pushing your own products or services, be biased but stay professional.  That is the purpose for a website is to push and sell your products! Introduce new services and products, clearance out old products, promote sales, so promote those products.
5. After Launch. After it’s built out, you can hire someone to manage it, write blogs, update content as needed, you can even hire out the content writing while it’s being built – just don’t let it get cold with content.
6. Directory Listings. This is a huge benefit of having a website, you are listed in 100’s of free online directories, and the other benefit is that directories normally rank higher for the search engines.

Websites can have a great influence on your target audience, but remember that it can also have a negative impact on your audience depending on a few factors.  Customers normally aren’t too fast to forgive a company if the website, views, or other factors are less than worthy of their paychecks.

1. Keep your religious or political views off your website. I can’t stress this enough! You’ll create an instant enemy.
2. Hard to navigate. This can be several things, hard to read font, to small of text, more than 3 steps to find information your searching for, an eternally long website, and most of all bad design. Please re-do your website if you fall into any of these categories.
3. Bad links. This is becoming more common due to Backlinking and link strategies and companies are trying to get out of planning a strategic link plan, and purchasing 10,000 links that aren’t relevant or possibly spam links or inappropriate links.
4. Poor Site Foundation. A poorly designed site can be spotted pretty quickly. Slow speed and large files can slow it down, and turn customers away. Learn about Java and CSS compression and other factors to help you out.
5. Thrifty Spending. Building a website is not a time to be frugal by hiring an amateur, it is not in your customers’ best interest, especially if they are new and don’t know the basics of file compression, CSS and more, so interview firms, look at their work, get a list of references and communication are your best ways for tactical project management.
6. No or insufficient SEO campaign. With many websites, basic seo is normally included with your package, there are always upgraded services to go a step further and push your site to the limits. Without SEO you are like a piece of paper in the vastness of space, it won’t go anywhere and it will be difficult to find.

A well designed website presence will definitely be an investment and will pay off in time, so once you get past the initial cost and setup you will be creating a healthy online presence with all of the accessories your website needs to prosper in the world wide web.  Remember that building your online presence is work, don’t expect a million followers and thousands of dollars sold on the week of launch, you have to build your credibility and your online customer base.  

Happy Marketing!

The Need to Know About E-Commerce?

Shannan K. DuShane | December 8, 2016
Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Pinterest | Google

Not all e-commerce websites are safe, anyone even scammers can purchase an SSL.

E-commerce websites are everywhere we look, most every business out there has some sort of web presence such as social media, but not all have e-commerce websites. They are plastered on billboards, buildings and even vehicles to get us to look at their branding, but will you really remember them a few hours from now when you have the time to look at what they have to offer?

Only if that company has great seo (search engine optimization), landing pages with simple web addresses that redirect over to the main url, or maybe you would remember if they are a large chain store, but one thing is certain, will you use their online store or would you prefer to physically go into the store for the customer service and experience?

The up-side for your business is that many customers will go online to see what the store has to offer whether services or products, because you can usually get a good idea before you arrive if that store has what you want. Many customers still enjoy the personal shopping experience and social abilities of shopping in store, but online shopping has so many advantages; it is always available at your fingertips when you have a minute out of your day, whether at midnight or 8:00am it is ready when you are. 

Benefits of an e-commerce website that you should love, you can market instantly and attract new customers who can look at your store right away and purchase if they want. If you were driving down the road and seen a billboard how likely are you to go right that minute to visit the store, it’s not likely for your customers either, we all have busy lives. You can track, view and see customers spending habits which you can use to build your business more productively, and boost your brand awareness in the process.

 There are some items that consumers and business’ want to be aware of when shopping online or having an e-commerce store front. One is the security of the website and two is anyone is capable of setting up an online store and incorrectly for that matter. So the next tip is watch out for non-authentic store fronts and make sure the site is secure by looking for the lock in the web address, this ensures a security certificate is present and safe shopping before entering in any personal information and credit card, to weed out the possibility for identity theft and fraud.

These days’ e-commerce is no longer a luxury for your business it is a necessity. You will want to do your homework and find that design and development firm that can handle your requests and ensure the safety of your business and your clients and have your best marketing interests on the table.

Happy Marketing!

Introducing Snap Chat for Instagram…But More Features!

Shannan K. DuShane | December 7, 2016 | Spectrum Net Designs, Inc.
Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Pinterest | Google

Today Instagram introduced a new feature called Instagram Stories but you will notice that it is a definite similarities to an app we’ve all been using for some time now called Snap Chat?

This is a new feature that lets you share all the moments of your day, not just the ones you want to keep on your profile. This is a smart way to get the best of both worlds or apps you could say.

As you share multiple photos and videos, they appear together in a slideshow format: your story (again Snap Chat) but a better format where you can choose to post permanently to your wall or temporary to your story – I love this feature!

With Instagram Stories, you don’t have to worry about over-posting. Instead, you can share as much as you want throughout the day — with as much creativity as you want. You can bring your story to life in new ways with text and drawing tools. (again Snap Chat has drawing tools too)

The photos and videos will disappear after 24 hours and won’t appear on your profile grid or in feed. (aaahhmmm Snap Chat)

This is definitely not a complete copy cat, there are notable differences, but there are drawbacks as well, right now looking at all of the user comments it doesn’t look to work on Chromebooks, iPod touch or iPad as of yet, but they are probably aware and working on that issue and as it was launched I’m sure more will protrude out. Happy Snapping!

For now check it out and see what the excitement is about!  https://www.instagram.com/p/BIm9-50BOuf

E-Commerce 101: What is a SSL Certificate and Why Do I Need One?

Shannan K. DuShane | December 6, 2016 | Spectrum Net Designs, Inc. Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Pinterest | Google

SSL Certificate or Secure Socket Layer Certificate Protects Your Company & Your Customers!

Running a business can get expensive, and choosing to move up to online sales through an e-commerce website can increase that cost.  There are a lot of things you need to know and be aware of when you open shop online, if you’ve been told that e-commerce websites are cheap, then you’ve been communicated some wrong information.  It isn’t terribly expensive but there are more costs than a regular website and more security and legalities needed than a normal website.

Most online shoppers are very careful and want to know that their information is safe. Using an SSL certificate provides two important things:

• Encryption of sensitive data like credit card numbers and personal information
• Some assurance to your customers that you are trustworthy (the process of getting an SSL certificate can't guarantee this, but it can make it more likely which is part of the reason why visitors have this perception) (SSLShopper.com)

SSL certificates or secure socket layers have many different options too, there are different types of certificates, including shared certificates and multi-domain certificates. Online security is essential to conducting business online — and it's foremost in the minds of your customers. Check out Network Solutions they have 5 types of SSL certificates and each one is specific to the customers’ needs.  If you have more questions it is a good idea to get on the phone with the company and let them explain each one before making an uneducated choice. 

Today, running a successful business online requires that you make Internet security a top priority. Customers need to feel confident that their personal information and credit card numbers are safe from hackers. Network Solutions® offers a wide variety of SSL Certificates to meet your online business needs. The right SSL Certificate is available to give both you and your customers peace of mind. Learn more about which SSL Certificate may be best for you.

You can also invest in a site seal, this gives your business instant credibility and shows your customers that your identity has been verified.  This is an extra step, but when you think about it, ANYONE, yes even scammers can get an SSL Certificate, why wouldn’t you want to show your customers credibility. 

Do your research and know what can happen if you aren’t protected.  It could take down your business you worked so hard to build.

When you have a website, you have a certain responsibility to your customers to ensure their safety, if you have a website form or a login form on your website that logs them into an account that stores sensitive information such as names, address, username and passwords, credit card information, ect, that login page needs to have security as well.  If they use their username and password on an unprotected – unsecured page, then hackers can see their login and use it on the site to purchase stuff, but also possibly on other websites, since many times customers use the same password on other sites. That is why it is important to have different password and change them every few months to ensure your accounts stay secure.

In the long run, you will be happy you invested the time and money in developing your e-commerce website correctly and securely.  Without the certificate and other security measures you are vulnerable to fraud, being sued and legal costs which can outweigh the cost of the initial and ongoing cost for your SSL certificate and other safety measures.

Happy Marketing!

Google’s Mobile First Indexing is Coming

Shannan K. DuShane | December 2, 2016 |
Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Pinterest | Google

Google’s mobile first indexing of your websites mobile version

Evolution of indexing mobile websites will take priority over desktop versions.

You have probably been hearing about a new feature that Google has been buzzing around the internet called Mobile First Indexing. Today it was announced and it is officially going to be migrated slowly into their system in the close future. “most people are searching on Google using a mobile device.  However, our ranking systems still typically look at the desktop version of a page’s content to evaluate its relevance to the user. This can cause issues when the mobile page has less content than the desktop page because our algorithms are not evaluating the actual page that is seen by a mobile searcher.” (Google)

Here are a few recommendations to help webmasters prepare as Google moves towards a more mobile-focused index.

1. If you have a responsive site or a dynamic serving site where the primary content and markup is equivalent across mobile and desktop, you shouldn’t have to change anything.
2. If you have a site configuration where the primary content and markup is different across mobile and desktop, you should consider making some changes to your site.
3. Make sure to serve structured markup for both the desktop and mobile version.
4. Sites can verify the equivalence of their structured markup across desktop and mobile by typing the URLs of both versions into the Structured Data Testing Tool and comparing the output.
5. When adding structured data to a mobile site, avoid adding large amounts of markup that isn’t relevant to the specific information content of each document.
6. Use the txt testing tool to verify that your mobile version is accessible to Googlebot.
7. Sites do not have to make changes to their canonical links; we’ll continue to use these links as guides to serve the appropriate results to a user searching on desktop or mobile.
8. If you are a site owner who has only verified their desktop site in Search Console, please add and verify your mobile version.
9. If you only have a desktop site, we’ll continue to index your desktop site just fine, even if we’re using a mobile user agent to view your site.

Read the entire article here.