Los Angeles Web Design & SEO, Ecommerce Web Design, Web Programming

Increased Website Visibility Equals Increased Sales

2010-12-27T02:12:00.000-08:00

For many business owners, finding a designer who can create a visually appealing website is top priority. However, if you want to improve your visibility on the web and increase your sales, you have to take it a few steps further.

Here are a few tips to follow:

Hire an experienced web development Los Angeles team

It has been proven time after time that hiring a good web developer in Los Angeles will help improve your web visibility. Professional help is worth the investment because it can help boost sales and your revenue.

Make sure your navigation is clear and simple

In order to help keep your visitors on your website, you must keep your navigation menu as simple as possible. Keep multi-tiered drop-down menus and flash menus at a minimum. If the majority of your visitors are unfamiliar with this form of navigation, they will leave. A web development Los Angeles company will ensure your site’s navigation is user friendly.

Don't choose the wrong colors

The colors you choose can make or break your web site design. The colors that you select for your website design should be easy on the eyes. In addition, your content should be easy to read as well. A web development Los Angeles company will choose colors that will not only accentuate your business; they'll choose colors that are gentle on the eyes.

Allow visitors to control audio volume

It is often recommended for people to not use audio on a website because it tends to aggravate some site visitors. However, if you intend to use audio, make sure you allow visitors to have the option of controlling it with a mute or volume control. Audio can irritate visitors and cause them to leave a site when there isn't a way for them to control it. A web developer in Los Angeles can install the necessary audio features for your website.

The key to online success is finding an experienced web developer Los Angeles team. A good development Los Angeles design firm will make certain the coding on your site is easy to read for spiders that crawl on your web pages.

Web Design Tip:

When providing information on your web site, give people digestible bite size paragraphs. Visitors usually do not have time to read long drawn out paragraphs. People are more likely to stay on a web site longer if the content is short, sweet and to the point.

For more information about web design and development, I would recommend to visit ATAK Interactive, an Los Angeles Web Design Company.

Building Confidence Online

2009-11-06T02:37:00.000-08:00

Before going to restaurant, people will often check out the website to see what looks good on the menu, what specials may be offered that day and maybe even to make a reservation. Before going to a furniture store, people will look on the web to find good deals, coupons, and even save the trip to the store by purchasing the desired product online! More people are spending more money through e-commerce than ever before.

From 2001-2005 there has been an average increase in online spending of 26 percent per year, and from 2006 to 2009 there is a projected increase of 19% annually. In 2004, $82.3 billion was spent online as opposed to the overwhelming $143.2 billion dollars spent in 2005. Every minute wasted offline might result in another business transaction lost.

So why has consumer spending increased? What aspects of online purchasing have pushed consumers to be more confident in their purchasing?

The more often a consumer purchases online and has a satisfactory experience doing it, the more inclined they are to buy again more experience results in more confidence. Secondly, when the consumer seeks to buy the product, the presence of Paypal on the site provides the consumer with added security. Assuming that the consumer has bought a product or service through Paypal before (or at least heard about it from friends and family), the consumer will feel safe using this service without having to purchase through the actual retailer.

In addition, services like Verisign and Authorize.net allow for increased trust in a company as well. Services like these ensure that the web-server is secure by means of encryption through a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). A user feels more confident when the consumer sees one of these companiesâ€™ symbols at the bottom of the web page.

Other aspects that the consumer faces are whether the retailer is trustworthy, the product they are purchasing is quality, and the price is the best around. To ensure a reliable retailer, a web-site should have testimonials, a history of the company, and a quality design. Instead of saying good things about one's own company and patting his or herself on the back, testimonials from other companies or consumers bring much more credit to a company. The companies' history provided somewhere on the site will also make a consumer feel more comfortable. An online store feels very distant, though a write up of the companyâ€™s history will provide a more personal setting in which to buy. And finally, a quality design is essential to a website because the website reflects the actual company. If there is a sloppy looking website with poor navigation, the consumer will lose faith in the company itself. Conversely, a quality one instills confidence.

As a product is uploaded online, the presentation of that product is also essential to a consumer's confidence. The consumer often wants to see multiple views of the product as well as written information about it. A view of the image from just one angle makes the product seem boring and flat however, displaying a few more pictures of the image makes the site more lifelike. The more information and pictures the consumer has of the product, the more inclined he or she is to buy. However, an inundation of information might overwhelm the shopper.

Most importantly, the consumer wants to know whether he is getting a good deal on the product or not. Though there are many, a good method for this is put the â€œretail priceâ€� and "our price" right next to each other (assuming that "our price" is at least slightly better than the "retail price"). Even though there might be better deals elsewhere on the internet, this contrast of prices makes the consumer feel confident in his or her purchase.

The bottom line is that e-commerce is growing at an astounding rate, and consumer confidence is growing with it. The decision to create a website, assuming it has the essential elements to a quality site, will certainly open the doors of possibilities for any business.

View Source: Ecommerce Web Design

Why Every Business Needs a Web Site

2009-11-06T02:28:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons every business should have a web site other than "everyone else has one" and the Internet is the fastest growing new medium in the world's history. Mostly, the whole Internet idea is to provide a more cost-effective way of communication, while widening one's business to a global economy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Simply not having a web site will soon be like not having a business card (or even worse, a business card without a web site URL on it). The internet is one of the first places a person who has computer access will go to get information with studies showing that most Internet users are highly educated with above average incomes. If one's business is not online, the business will have lost a potential customer, or many customers.

Web sites...

Generate Awareness
Improve Sales
Attain the Right Customers
Do Business Online
Improve/Quicken Communication
Receive Digital Information
Improve Customer Service
Sell Product Direct
Gather Feedback
Decrease Cost of Sales, Support, Marketing and Training
Expand Distribution

If you are a business owner or manager in charge of marketing a service or product you know by now that the Yellow Pages is no longer the easiest option to find information about a company. The Internet allows customers to go to an engine and be presented with information about service providers similar to you, with links to their web pages loaded with content, product pictures, service descriptions, maps, phone numbers, information collection forms, testimonials, answers to frequently asked questions, recent company news, and many other possible options and resources. All of this information is readily available all of the time, all without ever leaving the comfort of one's home. One cannot afford to ignore the potential of the internet as an advertising and marketing vehicle.

View Source: Website Design

The Power of Blogs in Search

2009-11-06T02:02:00.000-08:00

The World Wide Web is now inundated with websites thousands of new sites added every day. With millions upon millions of websites, making sure your site is the one found can be very challenging. Each of these websites must compete for a top rank in the major search engines Yahoo, Google, and MSN. The latest research by the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) specialists has shown that through the use of blog postings, a website can increase a site's overall search rank. An SEO specialist, through the use of a blog, can add weight to your organic search listing. This service is performed by using a blog to cross link content with a website that is looking to gain ranking

This process is not a science more of an art. There are different search engines that have different ways of indexing a site. Whenever a person publishes a blog, that blog sends out a notification for syndication and is then "spidered" or crawled by a search engine. The key to this process is having enough content and relevant terms to be a benefit to your ranking, while at the same time not over saturating your blog thus reducing the relevance of your blog and the keyword terms and links inside of that blog. The other key is the proper submission of the blog content to the correct blog servers which will then get the blog out to distribution. This process of adding blogs that link and reference your site help to improve the page rank and the search rank of a site.

To have a blog help your websites search rank, make sure you cross reference your website and make sure the content of the blog is complimentary to the information on your website. These blogs can add significantly to your SEO campaign by driving traffic and pointing to your site with relevant content. If you are not using a blog to help your websites rank you are already falling behind your competition.

Flash and Search Engines

2009-11-06T01:19:00.000-08:00

"I want flash, but isnâ€™t that bad for search engines" asks 90% of ATAK's customers.

This answer is not a simple one.

A Flash web site is indeed much more difficult to optimize so the search engines can index. The first problem is Google, Yahoo!, and other engines rarely comment on their indexing techniques sp building a Flash site if Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is considered an online marketing priority may not be a wise decision. Flash indeed has obstacles to having your site spidered and an even larger obstacle to rank well for keyword search results. These sites typically lack much of the "indexable" content search engines require, and they also often employ redirects from â€œSplash pagesâ€� considered spam by many search engines.

These challenges are considerable, but optimizing Flash sites can be achieved under certain circumstances. Here are a few:

1. Do not create a site as a single page with a giant flash movie. Many Flash sites are single page sites with one entry point and a single flash movie, whereas most sites have multiple entry points. One should optimize each movie and page with appropriate titles and content. Make sure all pages have Meta tags and split the site into separate pages.

2. Do not make your entire site in Flash if not necessary. Flash can often be used only on parts of a site and still "WOW" users. One should use flash movies whenever appropriate within the HTML pages that contain text for the search engines to index and a navigation the search engines can crawl. We can run a "how does it work" Flash presentation inside as a link and upon click will pop up the movie or perhaps that movie plays from one location within the html page.

3. One can also create two versions of a site, one in Flash and one in HTML. From the home page, visitors can select their preference but make sure that there is content on that page so it is not considered a "splash page." Keyword rich text for the search engines is critical. So is a link to a site map and an option to view the Flash and the HTML. Analytic software will tell a site owner about visitor preferences and if the majority of visitors are using the flash site, keep it. If visitors prefer the HTML, you know not to format the site entirely in flash.

In conclusion, aesthetics are important and everybody knows that. Before building a Flash site, one should review his or her web site analytics and utilize focus groups. Findings may show that the audience's ideas are different than the designer's ideas. For more information, Click on Los Angeles SEO

About Adobe Creative Suite 3 for Web Design

2009-11-06T01:15:00.000-08:00

The Adobe Creative Suite is the premier software suite for designers, developers, and e-business consultants to design, prototype, and maintain the highest in class web sites, applications, and interactive experiences in one place, with all pieces working together, seamlessly. With the Adobe Creative Suite, one has a solution for creating user interfaces, presentations, web sites, mobile device content, design assets, efficiently maintain and update content.

The Adobe Creative Suite 3 (CS3) is the best of the best, really. Their tools are award-winning because of integrated work flows and valuable utilities used to prototype, design, and develop. This powerful, all-in-one integration allows one to fluidly move assets across all applications and tools. Comprehensive video tools such as a video encoder, a codec, video import support, closed captioning and more saves developers immeasurable amounts of time.

CS3 keeps pace with all evolving technologies. One can design with HTML and CSS, integrate with XHTML, XML, ASP.NET, ASP, JSP, and PHP, an d then test content across browsers and prepare for IPv6, the new Internet Protocol Version. This allows developers to apply best practices of design and development on either a Mac OS or Windows XP and Vista, and deliver across platforms with consistent results.

Adobe® Creative Suite® 3 Web Premium combine Adobe Bridge CS3, Adobe Version Cue® CS3, Adobe Device Central CS3, Adobe Stock Photos, and Adobe Acrobat® Connect with full new versions of the following components:

Adobe Dreamweaver CS3
Adobe Flash CS3 Professional
Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended
Adobe Illustrator CS3
Adobe Fireworks CS3
Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional
Adobe Contribute CS3

Features:

Create/Redefine rich web content
Experience creative flexibility
Work in a productive development environment
Maximize efficiency by designing across media
Apply best practices
Benefit from intelligent integration
Enjoy unrivaled editing
Design with ease
Rapidly prototype
Work in 3D and motion
Streamline web publishing
Maintain web site integrity
Help users blog
User permissions for more control
Collaborate effectively
Create reliable PDF files
Advanced video encoder
Alpha channel support
New video player component
Advanced encoding options
Browser compatibility check
CSS layouts, management, and layout visualization with a unified CSS panel
Ajax interface Spry tools.
Intuitive shape drawing and primitives
Flash filter effects and blend modes

SO MUCH !

The new Creative Suite, CS3, recognizes consumer desires, improving on pre-existing software that is already standard to the industry. CS3 is a comprehensive, sweeping set of offerings that seemingly addresses every creative work flow. For creating polished and cutting edge content, CS3 is in a league of its own.

How to Build a Website…The Right Way

2009-11-05T23:42:00.000-08:00

A quick review of the website design process.

A quick guide on how to build and design a website, efficiently. The following website design process will ensure your website is a top your industry now and for years beyond.

Please note that there are an infinite amount of variables that can change how a web site is developed and delivered. Website design projects are never perfectly clear cut and therefore the process/sequence must vary from time to time based on requirements, changes, and customer expectations. Los Angeles web design clients who work in Hollywood may be far more critical than say someone from North Dakota who owns a small motel. A store with one product will have fewer website design needs than the Los Angeles Dodgers. This guide will get you started on the right path.

Step 1: Meet and Greet

One will want to start a website design project with a client meeting. Together, the website designer and the customer need to establish what needs to be done, who is responsible for what role (content, images, logo files, design approval), who are all points of contact on both sides, and other specific customer and developer expectations.

Step 2: Brainstorming

As part of the meet and greet, brainstorming is vital. What is the web site for? Who are the competitors? Who is the top competitor? Who are we trying to beat? Who is the target demographic? What is important and what is not? What needs to be on every page of the website? Is this a Website for Los Angeles Website customers only or do people from all over the world come to this site?

Tip: A flowchart is a great tool to use here. Create the home page and stem from that to create all pages you need. Include all features per page that you need such as customer login, clickable PDF files, interactive forms, photo gallery applications, etc.

Step 3: Wireframe or Hand Drawing

Many people have no idea what a wireframe is but in website design this is very important for a designer. A wireframe is a sketch or skeleton drawing of the website pages showing all of the elements and functions the web page should have once designed. A wireframe will include the header (with elements needed), the navigation with all of the buttons required, specific body/middle area sections of the page such as an area for flash animation or segmented marketing boxes for different user types, and footer information.

A wireframe does not need to include graphic design elements. It is used to solve, at the get go, any problems or missing elements and acts as the blueprint for your design, content, and coding.

Step 4: Content Planning

With a wireframe and page breakdown it is now time to write the content that needs to go onto every web page. Generally, the client or an outside content writer will put together the content and send to the website design team. Writing content is the largest workload for the client during a website design project and can take a lot of time. ATAK Interactive suggests that you closely look at competitors to make sure you include everything they do best and then beat them.

Step 5: Initial Design

While the customer works on step 4, the website designer can work on the home page design which, once approved, will serve as the canvas/template for the rest of the site. It is best to design the home page first and once the client approves move on to the rest of the pages.

Step 6: Client Feedback

The customer must view the website design files (home page only) and approve or offer corrections. The customer needs to check that you are meeting expectations and headed in the right directions. This is the time for the customer to offer their expert industry opinion.

Step 7: Design Rework

A little back and forth is required here. A website designer should expect to do a few revisions to each page and the customer should expect an opportunity to provide feedback. Generally, a website design company is responsible for setting the ground rules on how many revisions will be included and at what point extra fees will be required.

Step 8: Client Approval

The client must approve the home page design once the necessary work and additional work after feedback is complete. The confirmation process in a main responsibility of the client.

Step 9: Additional Page Design

The home page will serve as the skeleton for all inner pages. Once the home page is approved the website designer or design team should then design all inner pages for the website.

Step 10: Confirmation

After doing a little more back and forth (revisions) the client must approve all page designs. This approval must happen before moving on to actual coding because design changes beyond this point take more time to update than they would before coding begins

Step 11: Build the HTML and the CSS…Don’t forget SEO!

A website designer can now begin to build the actual HTML and CSS…converting the designs into a working web site. Make sure to include appropriate build for search engines and include title tags, keywords, and searchable content.

Step 12: Client Presentation

Once the website is ready, the client needs a final opportunity to review and offer any feedback or correction needs so the website is perfectly polished for launch.

Step 13: Test

This is the last hard step. Test, test some more, and test again. Check code, check keywords, check all text to make sure there are no misspellings or inaccuracies. Check cross browser functionality (i.e. Internet Explorer and Firefox) to make sure the website design look good across all mediums.

Step 14: Launch

Go Live! Now is the time to launch the website to the public. Be sure to check the site every day for about two weeks to make sure nothing funky is going on and perhaps ask some of your colleagues or family members to review as well.

Step 15: Revisit

A good website design is one that is always current. Keep updating, tweaking, and improving. The search engines change their rules too so make sure you are on top of your game, or your web designer is. A good tool to install (free) is Google Analytics which helps you monitor user interaction with the site.

As a result, a good web design will attract more and more internet visitors. And Los Angeles Web Design is among the best ones to build such a site.

10 Really Important Tips for Your Ecommerce Store to Succeed in 2009 and Beyond

2009-11-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

The Ecommerce world is one of the most lucrative industries to be involved in and lot of people endeavor into starting up their own online store or business. Ecommerce web design owners often ask "what does it take for a web site to succeed?" There are many factors but here is a list of 10 most important areas to concentrate on.

1. Clear Storefront Layout and Navigation - Design cannot be overlooked. A user should instantly feel like he or she knows what to do and what is being asked of him or her to get to a preferred destination. An ecommerce web site should home page almost always must include a search bar, a navigation bar with browse by category, special offers via a colorful rotation banner such as deal of the day, merchandising boxes that work together to offer popular items, security and confidence building purchase icons such as contact phone numbers with customer service links, SSL and secure experience icons, shipping and credit card/payment option logos, and a clearance or discount section.

2. Significant, Useable, Filterable, and Actionable Product Information - First, provide an easy to filter navigation and the option to compare items. This puts a user in charge of his or her own shopping destiny and encourages buying by increasing participation in the selection process. A good amount of content in each section and about each product allows users to learn more about your categories, products, your company, and the experience one can expect, building the consumer confidence needed to make a purchase and be happy about his or her decision.

3. Product Photos - Product photos are a big deal! Many users need to see, in good detail, the quality of the product he or she will receive. Include zoom tools so users can see the detail, even if you think this is not important. If your product warrants multiple angles or light shots, show them. Your users will reward you with a confident purchase, one less likeley to be returned. Best practice would be to find the best competitor out there and make sure your site has better or "as good" pictures as that site.

4. Calls to Action - Invest in features that will help customers interact with your site and understand your products better. Investment ideas are to go with some leading trends such as expandable interactive images, flash, interactive tours, videos, live chat with customer service, professional looking slideshows that show high level technical prowess, and the list goes on. The idea here is to provide a user an experience eh or she cannot find elsewhere.

5. In Your Face Product Promotion - When you go to a store are all products set up the same? Most likeley, no. A store's objective is to push viewers to see many items in a way that is fashionable and exiting to the customer. Many stores forget that cross selling suggestions, product reviews, featured products sections, clearance areas, coupons, and any interactive presentation is seen. Push viewers to more interaction, and to buy today! Additionally, merchants that now provide advanced, exceedingly fast shopping experience tools such as AJAX can now gain a competitive advantage via site speed increase, earning customer loyalty and additional revenues.

6. Pricing - Low prices will attract customers. No matter how your products are sold (online or off) your price point matters, especially on the web where the next store is only a couple clicks or search queries away. Research your competitors to make sure you have a chance.

7. Customer Service and Shipping – Be Sure to help customers through the checkout process and offer a progress indicator. Show a receipt before an order is placed and let the customer change anything in the order. Action buttons should be clearly labeled. Often "place my order" is more clear than "submit" and "search" is more clear than "go."

Keep your shipping and return policies at the forefront. Free shipping does work, but is not necessarily a problem solver since not every product has fat margins to subsidize UPS or USPS. One can handle shipping in a very impressive way by offering free shipping but also up-selling "rush processing" which does not offset UPS rates, but at least you can recoup something. Customers will take this up-sell, pleased that the order would be given priority. Do not forget to provide all order confirmation emails, shipping emails, and timely delivery. Try to lower your shipping prices as best as you can and offer free shipping as much as possible. Free Shipping does work!

8. Search Engine Optimization - Ecommerce search engine optimization, the art of moving your web site to the top of search engines, is more advanced than ever and now a "must have" for an ecommerce web site to compete online. One's web site must come up on Google and other engines for search keywords and key terms related to your web site. Keys to SEO success are search engine friendly web design and development using searchable text and code, usable action reports and statistics to prove the work is paying off, buying web site traffic via pay per click management or alternates such as blog links or affiliate marketing ads, social bookmarking (Twitter, Face Book, Linked In, Etc.) and html rewrite for all cart/product detail pages generated dynamically via database applications (also called HTML mod rewrite).

9. Marketing and Public Relations – The art of managing your business reputation through media engagement is often overlooked and extremely important in ecommerce marketing communications. Map out a plan and make the time to execute. The aim here is to build relationships with conventional outlets with wide audiences such as conventional TV and Print, but also turning online to bloggers and other unique, targeted online distribution, equally as effective with more measurability than ever before. Whether your products are tied to a charity or are organic, let them know! Further, in the event that something negative should be reported, a strong public relations team with good relationships can mitigate any damage to your company's reputation.

10. Elevate A Brand Via User Experience Tracking and Strategy Evolution; Get an Edge with Advanced Customer Service! - The idea is to beat the competition, right? Google Analytics (free) to track your user experiences and search engine placement. Review all of your competitors site’s to make sure your features are better, your content is better, your photos are better, your customer service is better, your shipping strategy is faster and cheaper, your PR campaign is stronger, your newsletters and coupons are easier to read and find, and more. A web site cannot be left alone for 6 months. A good web site is one that is always changing with the market and with the times. Read online blogs and trade magazines to stay on top, incorporating all of the features user's expect so a store keeps its edge.

If you follow these e-commerce programming and ecommerce web design standards, you can make an effective online presence of your business in Ecommerce world.

Ace E-Commerce Programming and Development Solutions from LA Based Firm

2009-11-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

One of the most common e-commerce web design hold ups is simply that business owners and managers don't know where to start. E-commerce programming can be so overwhelming that even the most simple questions cause scare. Los Angeles Ecommerce Solutions provider ATAK Interactive, a long time recommended e-commerce web design and online marketing firm, says questions such as, "how do we get product images" and "how do I find a trustworthy e-commerce design firm" are just the start of important questions one must ask. The ATAK Interactive e-commerce web design and programming team offers some insight below to help a business owner move forward with e-commerce for their web site.
So how does one know if the company he or she hires is the right e-commerce web design firm?

"Many companies claim to be experts and e-commerce programming, especially e-commerce firms in Los Angeles. First, one should check out the e-commerce portfolio…where one can most likely tell if the firm is noteworthy or just a child in a basement who is just starting out," says David Ephraim, ATAK Interactive senior e-commerce consultant. "Be sure that the developers have experience in web site development and especially e-commerce web design and e-commerce custom programming. There is a huge difference between standard web sites and custom e-commerce web design." Ephraim also stresses the importance to check to see the company has a location and is accessible. "E-commerce programming can get tricky and if you want to sit down with them (in person or via phone) and show ideas then its best you know that you have that available," says Ephraim. One should also check how long the e-commerce solutions firm has been in business and remember that all questions are good questions. The more informed one is, the better the development cycle will be.
Next: How do I prepare for ecommerce?

Populating content into your online store can be the most tedious task one can ask for, but it has to be done. There are a few ways to get inventory into your e-commerce web design. Option one is to open an excel sheet and create a database of products with fields such as product name, price, sku, color, description, and more. This sheet allows your website design company to write an import so all your products automatically populate on the web site. Image names must be attached to the products in the excel sheet, and images collected in a separate folder. "To associate the images to products one must create an images column and input the image file name" says Ephraim. "Your other option is to one by one add products via your e-commerce administration tool. All ecommerce systems had a back end administration to allow one to add, edit, and remove products at will."

David stresses the importance of good image quality. "Product images are a main key to success when involved in e-commerce web design. In our culture we often say that pictures are worth a thousand words and this could not be more true in e-commerce development. Customers want to know exactly what the product looks like, with all important angles, before they make a purchase. Analytics and monitoring shows us that customers need to see every little detail from buttons to material texture to make a final purchase." Often, the original manufacturer will have great photos but this is not always the case. One can also take pictures him or herself and can hire a professional. If you do take your own photos be sure they come out really nice. Photos, details, and price all sell the customer on your product.

Here are a couple final things to think about:

1. Your homepage = your storefront. Shoppers need to be TOLD and SOLD on what looks good so make it look good and make customers confident with phone numbers and security logos.
2. Your online store = your floor layout. A site without a good navigation is like a store with no particular sections and just a unorganized mess of stuff.
3. Info on your web site = your sales staff. Save call-ins and annoying customer service calls via pages that answer questions, allow users to contact with order questions, and offer all policies and agreements.