Taking a closer look at Business Website Design for Local Tradespeople, Businesses and Company's in Bath, Bristol and Wiltshire

Ever wonder what's involved in the Art of Business Website Design and Construction?

There are a number of skills needed, as well as a great deal of technical knowledge and know how which goes into the construction and on-going maintenance of a website. A good website is one which is very visible on the internet, high ranking in its position on search engines, very functional, attractive to potential customers and fit for purpose.

Click on here to see some of the designs of Bath Business Web Ltd

Website design in essence, is the planning and construction of websites which meets the needs and requirements of both the customer and the designer, as the web designer will be maintaining the website and ensuring it maximises its visibility and functionality on the internet.

The construction or build of a website is determined by the web designer skills and abilities to merge an aesthetically pleasing design, with a user friendly interface, embedding standardised code and proprietary software. The web designer then needs to ensure that the website is optimised accordingly with the most efficient and active wording, links, alt tags, and so on and so forth. All the while taking into account the needs and desires of a customer who may want something on the website which potentially could clash with the functioning of the site. This is where the web designers knowledge and people skills comes into play to help the customer come up with an alternative concept, while maintaining the wants and needs of the customer overall vision.


Bath Business Web Ltd - Website Design

The web designer needs to have a flare for design, as the website needs to be visible and appealing in its look and layout. They also need an understanding for the purpose of the website and its use.

So at Bath Business Web Ltd all our web designers have a good understanding of the needs of local business and local tradespeople. This helps them design a website fit for purpose for each individual customer.

A web designer is not only a wizard with graphics. They need to know their stuff when it comes to the internal workings of websites which are held together and function through codes, electronic messaging systems and algorithms.

They also need to have knowledge of the various platforms the website sits on. What is a platform I hear you ask? Well a generalised description is the underlying structure software or back end which is used by the web designer to build the individual website pages on. These are such as Sitemaker, Joomla, custom html or Word Press.

Fact: By the end of this financial year it is expected that the sale of tablets in this country will outstrip that of the conventional desktop computer. Our trusty friend the mobile phone, will also go forth and eventually outstrip sales of both these altogether. Last year over 30 million phones were sold in the UK. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to work out, that is a huge number of potential customers surfing the Internet, looking for websites 24/7.

The simple way to look at a website platform, is if you ever create anything in Microsoft Word, then Word would be like the platform you write on. One would open up Word and get a blank page. Then start writing paragraphs, add a text box, add a picture or diagram etc. Basically one is building up all this information and graphics on a Word platform. Get it?



Bristol Business Web Online Directory

At Bath Business Web Ltd we are website designers at top of our game and only use website platforms which are compatible with today’s needs. Because things constantly change in the website build and construction game.

There was a time when we would use platforms such as Sitemaker, as it meant our customers could easily self-edit text on their business websites.

This is great if you’re selling a product where you need to regularly put out special offers or want to run a marketing campaign for a particular time of year. These platforms were very easy to make changes to and meant customers had a certain amount of editorial freedom.


However, times moved on and mobile phones with internet connection came about followed by tablets and very small computers. This meant we had to consider how  websites performed with devices having smaller screens.

Bath Business Web Ltd being a progressive and forward thinking team of professionals saw this coming and now we use Word Press. Why I hear you ask? Simple, because when you look at a website on a mobile device the picture is much smaller. Therefore, the website platform needs to be one which can change from large (for your desktop PC with a wide flat screen, to very small (such as a tablet or a mobile phone). And that's exactly what WordPress can do, switch the website size to fit the screen size. Clever hey!

Fact: WordPress is the name for what we call in the trade ‘an open source content management application powered by PHP and MySQL. It can be used to create a website with high definition graphics and is easy to keep updated with its text editor. This application can also integrate blogs into the website, which as you can see by the fact you are reading one, a  very useful tool for website design.
 
There are also other things which we now offer at Bath Business Web Ltd Website Design Company, which we didn’t offer some years ago. These are Google Places (what used to be called Google Maps), Ad Word Marketing, and Social Media Marketing and Blog pages. None of these things were heard of in the realms of business websites when we started the business. See how things progress at a rapid rate. I mean after all here I am writing a blog.



Bath Business Web Ltd on Google Places

Why do we do all these things I hear you ask? Well, because it’s new content for our website. It is mentioning our company name, it connects (what we call ‘links’) our websites or other business or trade websites. It reinforces strategic keywords which we know people will use to look things up on the internet. And the blog is also very informative, as you can tell by reading this one (I had to say that now didn't I). All of these things, and more, go toward strengthening the position of our websites on the internet and making them more likely to be found by potential customers looking online.

Fact: Did you know what we know as tablets, Kindle type devices etc. have only been with us for 3 years. Strange huh! Seems like they have been around forever.

A highly functioning and aesthetically designed website is what all good business need if they are going to attract the widest customer base possible. Because a well thought out website helps the customer find information about the business, its products and services quickly and easily.




Bath Business Ltd on Ad Words

Therefore, web design needs to cover the look and feel of a website for that individual customer.

The customer can then make sense of where things are, where to go  on the site to find out more.

Once deciding they are looking at the right business for them, they will also want to easily make contact  with that business or even make a purchase online.



A web designer at Bath Business Web Ltd in the website design studio will plan carefully for customer interaction with the site. Designers consider the different ways in which customers interact with a website, whether the site is advertising a product, service or trade.

The web designers aim is the same as the business owners at the end of the day. To create an advertising and marketing platform which will promote the business, advertise its products, inform consumers how it fits with their needs and set I motion the process toward making a sale.

After taking personalised information, images, photos, logo, potential links etc. from the business commissioning the site, the web designer will then consider how best to show this information as it appears on screen.

Fact: 1991 the world’s first website. 1993 the first publicly accessible web browser. 1994 the first search engine. 1998  the birth of Google.


A visit from Bath Business Web Ltd

All our customers, that’s the 300+ trades and businesses’ we currently work with, have been through that exact same process.

A process where they have been involved each step of the way in the build and construction of their website.

It all starts at the point of sale when a customer’s needs and requirements are discussed and recorded. Then an in depth analysis is taken of the type of business they are involved in and what they want to achieve from their website.

After all each business is unique and each owner or proprietor of a business has their own way they want their business to interact with the public.

When considering the design of a Website at Bath Business Web Ltd our team of qualified and professional designers also help our customers take into account the finer design aspects. Such as how the website will reflect the branding of the business, the colours used and do they reflect the colours of a company logo, vehicles or clothing etc. Which style of font to use and what letter or type sizes would match the individual pages. Is there a need to link with Facebook or Twitter and are they going to keep an updated blog page. Deciding what images or photographs taken by a customer will promote the business to its full advantage. Looking at what other websites would the customer want to link to or do they have an existing website which will compliment and reinforce the new websites visibility on the internet.

Fact: A mobile phone has been developed by Cambridge University, in which a virtual assistant (human looking in every way), interacts with the user. Bit like talking to a personal advisor or personal shopper (android style), who in the future could be advertising your business or products.

So you can see there is a great deal to consider when constructing a website and much to take into account to ensure a business gets its message across and markets its products or services in the best possible light. Which brings us on to the issue of visibility. After all, potential customers out there have different ways to find things on the internet. They have desktop PC’s, laptops, tablets, notebooks, mobile phones and other technological wonders to view the many websites there are. These individual devices will have their own way to browse the internet. The formats of these various viewing platforms will be different. The shape of the monitor, alternative display settings, the size of the screen etc.

As you probably know, even two of the same make of personal computer there will be different web browsers (such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome) and each handles websites according to their functionality. Therefore, the web designers at Bath Business Web Ltd take this into account and all efforts are made to ensure the websites we build are seen by all the people all of the time.


Video presentations require more complex language

Then we have the more technical details within the structure and construction of the website.

As mentioned before there are internal codes and electronic messaging systems. This is the language of the computer if you like. A language which copes with all the variables that a website need to have to work well.

The basic language of computers is HTML (hypertext mark-up language) and our web designers enter this language and others like it to create the many websites you see at Bath Business Web Ltd.


There are also more advanced language based systems which are used for very complex websites with a great deal of content or sites which require an amount of movement and interactivity.

At Bath Business Web Ltd we cater for all types of company or trade. We aim to give you the website that you feel best represents your business and it is constructed to take into account the needs of your customers. We pride ourselves at being one of the best website design studios in Bath, Bristol and Wiltshire. Our promise to you is that we will go all out to ensure your website reaches the strongest possible ranking in all the various browsers and search engines.

Fact: Bath Business Web Ltd is unique in the field of website design. Nowhere else will you fins a website design company which has its very own online directory to advertise your business and its website. In fact we have seven local online directories and the all interlink and give a great deal of strength to the ability of our websites to be found by surfers on the net.

Bath Business Web Ltd is also a family firm. At the helm are business owners Jackie and Duncan Short. So if you're looking for a relaxed, friendly, informative, knowledgeable, skilled and trusted company for website design, then you cant go far wrong with these guys. We have a website studio who are waiting and eager to take on the challenge of building you the best money can buy. So look no further and just give our Sales Director Duncan a call to set up that all important meeting to discuss your needs and take the step to a brighter and more prosperous future.

Looking forward to seeing you business website in our portfolio very soon......

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
Your local Internet Marketing Specialist, Business Directory and Website Design Company

Bath Business Web Ltd - Bringing your Business to Life 

Call for a free consultation and find out more about how you can help your business grow

 

01225 920 503

Bath Business and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

This is for all you businessmen and businesswomen in Bath, Bristol and beyond who have a website or are intending to have a website for your company or business. This is a brief, uncomplicated explanation of what SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is all about.

It is simply how to manoeuvre your website as near to the top of the first page of a search engine, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo etc. as possible. And for it to remain as constant as you can to keep it, in that position, or near to that position.

 

Google's Search Engine

Imagine you're a pop group and you release a new single. Your aim is to have a number one selling record and that is reflected by where you get to in the pop charts. You may go in at number 29 or number 10, to then creep further and further up the charts to a higher ranking position.

Often people will see it there and on that alone assume it is a great song. So more people go buy it and push it up still further.

A search engine performs in a similar way. If people see your website on the first two pages and particularly on the first page, then they assume you must be better than the competition. In reality it does'nt mean anything of the sort of course.

 

Where a website sits on a search engine says nothing about how good a plumber or electrician can do their work. What it does say however, is that your marketing techniques of optimising your website for the best possible position on a search engine are better than the competition. Get it?

Wikipedia defines search engine optimisation as follows:

Web definitions

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results. ...

We all know that Google is the biggest of the search engines. Like the others Google has rules and follows certain practices which determine how websites perform or are ranked on their search engine. These rules and practices change from time to time, so it’s vital to keep up or your website can go down the rankings as quick as it went up. That’s where sound professional advice can help to assist this process.
  

Google ranks websites which are relevant and commanding the appropriate layout. That layout includes number and quality of pages, the amount and type of wording, the relevance of photos, images or video, links to other websites, how your website interacts with other mediums on the web such as Twitter or Facebook etc. All these things and more can help Google measure the relevance by analysing all this information.

  

If you already have a website or have been looking into the idea of having one you will come across the term…… 'keywords'. Keywords are simply the words which people use to search for particular things on the internet. So if you were looking for a plumber and you live in Bath the most likely words you write into Google are ‘Plumber Bath’ or Plumber in Bath’ (these then constitute as the ‘Keywords’).

You may also write ‘Central Heating Installation Bath’, knowing that Plumbers do that type of work. So the Plumbers website needs to ensure all these words are placed into the text of the website to cover all the ways people will search for the services or products they supply. So depending on the nature of your business, there could be a whole range of keywords or combinations of keywords which will be used by people searching for whatever it is you offer.

Another term you will hear when constructing your website is 'links' or ‘backlinks’. Basically it is how  you link to another site or how another site links back  to your site. This can be done in a number of ways. Your site may well link up with the professional body to which you belong. They too may then link back to you. It may well be that other websites link to you, but you don’t to them.

Either way, what Google does is measure these through what is known as Google’s algorithm. This is the software it uses to rank website pages and decide which one it deems relevant and important to then increase its visibility. Visibility in this case means to go up the rankings of its pages, as a website is more visible the closer to the top page it gets. This is because people will rarely go searching beyond the third or fourth page of any search engine.
 
Another way to look at it is that a link from you to another website page is like casting a vote at the polling station. It suggests that you are offering a vote of confidence in that website and that the website you link to is a good one to follow. Google will see that and respond accordingly, as it likes to measure what we like to see. However, there are links which are better than others or links which are not useful or can decrease the visibility of a website. A bit like voting for the bad guy, Google will recognise the bad guy and penalise you if you have links to him. Links are a necessary part of your online marketing strategy to get your website up those search engine rankings. So again this is where good sound professional advice and support comes in.

What the link ultimately should do is:

1. Send valuable traffic (visitors) to your website

2. Inform the search engines that your website is one that is commanding

Google promotes pages to the top positions which it deems to be commanding or authoritative.



The Basics of Search Engine Optimisation

This means you need to write the relevant content and build links which will support this.

This is about quality not quantity. As 15 or 20 links from relevant websites to your website will have a better impact than 100 poor valued links, which can lower your ranking.

And don’t just let it sit still. Keep doing it, improve on it, update it.  Add new text or refresh what was already there. Google responds well to this.
  


SEO is also about the internal workings of your website and how it is constructed. The construction of a website is as complex as constructing the inside of a computer. If we could see inside a computer then we would see an array of electronics that would baffle and bemuse us. If we were given all the internal parts separately and told to put them together, joined at the right places to the right pieces and then programme it accordingly we would be at  a loss. Well the construction of a fully functional website is no different. Below are just a handful of the things you need to consider if you were going to construct your own website from scratch:

• Make sure your title element (tag) describes the page and uses keywords. Every page needs its own title tag. The text in the title tag is used by search engines for indexing your page. It’s also used in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) as the text in the link that links to your page.
• Make your URL’s Search Engine Friendly. They can help to describe the page and use keywords. Keywords in URL’s can help you rank for a keyword or phrase.
• Describe your page in the meta description element (tag). These elements should be unique for each page.  If you write good meta descriptions Google will highlight keywords that match the search and this could mean the difference between getting a click and not getting a click.
• Use the me keywords element (tag) for important keywords. Only add keywords that describe the page, don’t add unrelated keywords.
• Use a CSS based design and adopt web design best practices for styling your page. Search engine spiders don’t see what users see. They have to parse all the code that makes up a page including all your HTML.
• Make sure your page content is correctly tagged. For example if you have a main header make it an H1. By tagging your content you are providing the search engine spiders with a clue about what’s important on the page and what isn’t so important.
• Use Google Analytics to measure what is working and what is not.

Hmm! Thinking that there may be a need for a professional website designer now?

 

Professional Web Designers in Bath

 

So go out there and create a great website. Provide a website with the services or products that you know people are looking for and in a way that they will search for. Share (link) your great website to other great websites and then watch how many more visitors go to your site. That in itself will improve your search engine rankings for starters. That’s what we call optimising your website. That’s search engine optimisation (SEO).

 

So make sure you are up to speed with the latest goings on with Google, Bing, Yahoo and the other search engines out there to get the very best from your website. Get good professional help and support from those who are keeping their eye on the game and know the ins and outs of the various algorithms and practices that these search engines are using.

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd

Bath Business on the Web

The Internet is awash with colour and graphics. When it comes to Bath Businesses on the Web, they too show off their colours and design in exceptional detail. 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd 

There is an array of websites which will draw one in to a world of business and commerce. Websites which offer insight into the world of their owners and information on products and services. It is truly amazing how many different ways there are for a business can sell itself on the Internet.
 
The whole concept of the Internet is about communication which is achieved in a variety of ways.

Pictures and images show off various aspects of the business, while the colours and tones draw us in. 




Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

The use of text and well written dialogue whether it is for builders, plumbers, shops or restaurants needs to be interesting to the reader. They need to capture and captivate the readers imagination to want to continue and find out more about the business and what it has to offer. 

 

Just like the overall layout or design, the text and the flow of information and interesting written communication is often the key as to whether or not the reader will go beyond the first page. Enticing a potential customer to the page with your contact details is a challenge in itself.

 



Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd 

Each and every Bath Business on the Web needs to make a good impression. After all you are advertising and marketing your business. You are showing off your brand, creating an image and more often than not, a first impression.

 

You will therefore want your advertising on the Internet to be bold and stand out from the crowd. The colours need to reflect your business and the font you use can sell or not sell your company name. You may want to use glossy pictures of your work, videos or state of the art video graphics with your own on-screen presenter.
 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

The very layout of your website will ensure the reader is drawn to those special offers or the encouraging prices you want to share. Well positioned links or buttons will tempt the viewer to go to places in the site which will lead them closer to wanting your product.

 

People will also come to expect certain styles or certain layouts from the various businesses, shops, professionals and tradespeople which advertise their business in this way.

As a Business in Bath you will want to make sure your website design meets the standard and professional expectations of your trade. If you want to maintain credibility and ensure any new customers have faith in your services, then that design could make or break you and your business.

 

Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

Whatever you do, get advice from a qualified and experienced website professional who can help you design a website which matches the business you own. 

They will also advise you on the content and information which will drive your website up the search engine rankings.

No point having an artistic design with informative content if no one gets to see it.

Every business needs to advertise. All successful businesses have a variety of well tested marketing strategies. A website is just part of that. 

In this day and age of the Internet being such an integral part of our lives, can you really ignore that fact that a majority of people have that Internet experience sitting in the palm of their hand.
 



Website Design by Bath Business Web Ltd

You deserve more for your business. Your business is your lifeblood to success.

You will want to do everything in your power to help it succeed.

A website is your opportunity to show off your business to the world. It is your platform to encourage and entice people to buy your services or your products.

A website is like having a newspaper advert, bill board, radio or TV ad, business portfolio and business card all in one.

Nowhere in the history of business has there ever been anything quite like it.


Ensure you advertise  and promote your business in the best light and that your website is professionally built and correctly coded for search engine optimisation.

Ensure it is compatible with mobiles, tablets and computers.

Ensure that people will find it and act on what they see.

Whatever you do, however you do it, always bear in mind the impression you are creating for your business.

So maybe it's time to act. Time to get on the Internet or pick up the phone and have a chat to the people in the know. 

Bingham
Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd

http://www.webdesigninbath.com

Social Media - Common Mistakes That Can Cost You Business

Social Media is proving to be incredibly important to businesses, large or small. Every time you send a tweet, update a status or publish a blog, you are creating something that is made for the world to see. Engaging with current and future clients, sharing knowledge and becoming an online presence can be conversational, fun and highly profitable. 

However, making silly mistakes such as spelling and grammar, or publishing inappropriate content or content not relevant to your business can be worse than having no social media presence at all. Remember, what goes on the web, stays on the web. 

TOP TIPS

Spelling & Grammar

Inappropriate  & Relevant Content

As a business, you need to beware of being associated with certain opinions that may cause your business or reputation harm by putting off potential customers. People use your Facebook or Twitter to get to know the person behind the business, be sure they like what they see. If you don’t want them to see your private information, set up a completely separate profile. 

• Avoid overly political views, pictures, rants  – debate a news story if it is relevant to your business, the local area or trade but avoid being too one sided.
• Don’t swear, post offensive pictures or comment on other peoples posts in an offensive manner.
• Keep photos relevant to your business, staff, locations etc. ( Ask your staff first before posting any pictures of them)
• Avoid directly "bad-mouthing" other companies. If it is a complaint regarding services, contact them directly. If it is a company in direct competition with yours, they will come off better in the long run.

If you aren't sure if a post or tweet is appropriate for your business, then it probably isn't. 

Bath Business Web Ltd - Professional Webdesign, Professional Results.

Website Content: Colour

Colour Matters for your Business

Colour plays a very important role  in the world we live in today. Colour can change actions and affect thinking. It can sooth or irritate your eyes, suppress your appetite or raise your blood pressure.
Colour is irreplaceable - therefore, colours used for a product, website, business card or logo can cause powerful reactions. To a potential customer, your marketing materials are the first impression of your business or product. Giant corporate businesses will spend huge amounts of money on colour market research and have discovered that people make a subconscious decision about a product or environment within minutes of viewing, largely based on colour alone.

Colour References

When deciding on colours for your brand or website, keep in mind the different reactions that people have to colours:

RED - danger, passion, energy, warmth, stop
PINK - love, femininity
ORANGE - stability, reassurance, warmth
GREEN - nature, energy, calming, go
BLUE - soothing, loyalty, protection
YELLOW - sunshine, energy, happiness
PURPLE - creativity, fertility, joy
BROWN - security, stability
WHITE - youth, cleanliness, pure
BLACK - drama, eccentricity, elegance

Colour & Websites

We've all had to deal with websites with unpleasant colour combinations. Although the colours used may be the owners favorite colours or colours from the business logo, they are either very hard on the eyes or make the text difficult to read.
Using too many colours, or the wrong combination of colours could turn off your potential buyers completely. On average, you should choose three colours (or shades of those colours) at the most. Match them with the rest of your brand, as using colours from your existing brand makes your website more recognisable and gives consistency.

Pick colours for your target market. Who is your target market? What do you want to say? How do you want to say it?
As the owner of your business, you should know your target market - demographics such as gender, age and location play an enormous part in business and marketing.
Ask friends, family and colleagues what colours they feel are suitable for your type of business, experiment and try to see patterns in your results.
If your target market is 40-50 year old females from Bath, ask them what colours they find attractive. It really is that important.

You want people to view your website. Remember, it's easy for your visitors to press the back button.

Professional Websites with Professional Results - Bath Web Design

Website Content: Testimonials

Anyone can say their business offers a great service or product. But potential clients want proof. They want to see endorsements from happy clients that have received a quality service. And the more quality endorsements you have, the better.
Testimonials from your best clients are a great addition to a website, along with photos of the work completed.

1) Who?
Note I said “best clients" above. Pick clients that are most like the people you want to work with in the future.
If possible, use people with "influence", such as other business owners, or individuals that have a recognisable name.
Choose clients whose testimonials will highlight the key aspects of your business and your key selling points - as always, know your target market and what they are looking for.

2) What?
What was it like before they used your services? - define the problem.
What was your business like to work with? - talk about specific work you did with them, how they feel about the work, how it was carried out, how you were different from other businesses.
What specific results were achieved? - The more specific, the better and proof of the value of your service.

3) How?
Based on your business size, you should have a list of between 10 and 50 previous or existing clients that you feel that you can contact. You can contact them via e-mail, phone or in-person - depending on your relationship with them. They can choose whether to have their full names, business names etc used. If they are not interested, thank them and say goodbye.
If you decide to meet in person then a video testimonial can be an interesting way of presenting it. But you must ask the client if they are comfortable with it, use the right equipment and be sure that it can be shared in the correct way.
The testimonial needs to be easy to read, short but sweet sentences. Summarise your clients words using direct quotes and capturing the essence of what was said. Share the finished testimonial with the client, ask if it reflects their experience and that they approve.

4) Where?
Put your testimonials where people will see them! Your website, printed promotional materials and signage are the best places. Review your testimonials and keep them appropriate and up to date.

Add pictures, format the text and spell check!

Lastly, thank your clients. A handwritten note stating where the testimonials are published and maybe a small gift is a good way to show your appreciation and hopefully ensure that they come back to you for more business.

Bath Business Web Ltd - Professional Web Design with Front Page Results - Take a look at OUR testimonials here http://www.bathbusinessweb.co.uk/Static/Testimonials

Website Success

Over the last 7 years, Bath Business Web has strived to achieve hundreds of successful websites with successful front page results. The search engines and algorithms of Google have become a mine field, particularly in the last 12 months with the arrival of Google Panda and Google Penguin changing the way that websites are being displayed within search results.

There are many people with different levels of knowledge regarding the Internet and websites and with the internet unlikely to disappear anytime soon, it is important to take the building of a website seriously and remember that first impressions count.

Over the years we have spoken to hundreds of large and small business owners who seem baffled as to why their website does not appear in the first two pages in Google. Unfortunately, there seems to be a high level of businesses who have not achieved the success on the Internet they thought they would.

All we can do at Bath Business Web is advise and take experiences from the hundreds of people we have come into contact with.
A website for your business is there to help and increase your profits by supplying you with new clients or even existing where they check out your portfolio. Once again, this will determine whether they feel. Here are some tips on Website Success:

1) Seek professional advice; companies that can display and demonstrate success with previous clients and have no problem in proving front page search results. Ask to be shown a Google Analytic report of website traffic and statistics.  Look at “bounce rates” of their previous websites and determine whether this is a high percentage, meaning that users are looking at the website and disappearing.
2) Be wary of using cheap build your own website templates, as websites aren’t just built for “pretty pictures”.  The cheap templates that you can use e.g. “build your own website” usually come with catches or clauses and don’t provide the standards you would want for your business.
3) Very seldom have clients been able to demonstrate success at having their website built on the cheap (where the phrase is often followed by “my brother, auntie, uncle, sister, mate down the pub did it for me”). Remember if you have a toothache, you don’t get your brother, auntie, uncle, sister, mate down the pub to put a filling in for you. This should also apply when you decide to have a website built for your business.
4) Please ignore the myth of throwing in key words and thinking that Google will recognise them and place your website on the front page. These theories were forgotten 10 years ago. There is a series of intelligent coding behind the scenes of a website which Google will identify when assessing the quality, content, navigation and the value of a website. Google now pays particular attention to spam.
5) Be aware of social media and how important a part it plays when bringing traffic to your site and often in search engine optimisation.
Use the experts at Bath Business Web, who are on the front page results for “seo bath” and “search engine optimisation bath” “website design bath” and “web design bath” from millions of results. This brings success for themselves and their clients.

Pay For Professionals. It works.

Website Content: Photos

Photos are a vital part to any website; drawing a potential customers eye and keeping them looking at your site, showing your work in an attractive way, and showing what you do as a business.

They can be photos of staff working hard, before and after shots, products available and any number of other subjects.

With nearly everyone owning a mobile phone with a camera, taking up to date photos either for a website or social media can be a quick and extremely easy way to advertise your work. However, many people think that photos taken on a mobile phone can look grainy and unprofessional, and while this can be true, there are tricks that can be used to make mobile phone photos look better than you would expect….

How to take better photos with your phone

1) Get Close

A lot of mobile phone cameras, particularly the iPhone, really prove their worth when you bring them close to your object. When you get close up, you can normally have more control of lighting and stability. If there is a window in the background, to avoid darkening the rest of the image, cut the window out, your phone should adjust the lighting composition.

2) Crop, Don’t Zoom

Most smartphone cameras offer a digital zoom option, but you are nearly always better off avoiding it completely. Your image will noticeably degrade the moment you try to “zoom”, mainly because the camera is guessing what the image looks like and it’s not very good at it!

However, if you crop the picture, you’re simply sampling the information that has been recorded, meaning that there is a higher resolution and quality to the picture.

3) There’s an App for that…

It’s surprising how a photo can be changed just by playing with contrast, brightness or by using a “filter” and there are hundreds on Apps on the market to do this. However, when using a filter, less is more. Don’t be tempted to go overboard or go for the very popular “ retro” look, it isn't suitable for a website, although to some extent it can be used with social media, depending on the photo.

Whatever App you pick, it’s worth spending a little time getting used it and learning the functions… It can make all the difference.

 

4) To Flash or not to Flash

Generally, flashes on phones can’t handle the job. They are LED lights that are too close to the camera, too bright and the duration of the flash is too long. This causes many issues with a photo, usually making it blurry, giving people “red-eyes” and it can wash the colour “temperature” of the photo out, making it look grainy and yellow. But, what do you do if it’s dark? Unfortunately, even with the newer smartphones, there is only so far you can push the technology in low-light. Try looking for other light sources, or taking it at a certain time of day when the sun is in a good place to light a room. This is generally first thing in the morning or mid-afternoon.

5) Watch Out for Lens Flare

A “lens flare” is when light from a bright light source, be it the sun or a lamp, flashes across the picture. It causes loss in detail, contrast and colour accuracy. To prevent this, try moving to having the light source behind you, this then lights the shot but stops a flare across the picture. You can also cup your hand around the lens on your phone to create a DIY lens hood, cutting the amount of flare down if the source is at the side of the frame.

6) Frame Your Picture

When taking your picture, think about positioning and balancing the shot. Make sure the camera is straight and level with the subject. Most phones and digital cameras have a “grid” option and this can be very helpful to ensure that you’re balancing everything needed into the shot and “framing” it at the same time. Focusing on points of interest and they’re placement in the photo is key. Take several pictures of the same subject but at different angles – it’s easier to find the best photo with lots of choice.

7) Steady Does It

The most common cause of a blurry picture is a photographer with shaky hands. Try stabilising your arms against something, leaning against a wall or placing the phone or camera on a solid surface.

8) Remove Clutter

Particularly when it comes to website photos, clutter is a crime! If you’re taking a shot of the bathroom you just fitted – move the tools and mess out of the way! If you’re taking a picture of a beautiful kitchen – get rid of dirty cups and plates in the sink! It makes a huge difference and means that a website designer can use the whole picture rather than having to crop the mess out of it.

(Photos taken by myself and our clients)

Web Design in Bath, email us and mention the blog!

The perfect online portfolio (and why you need one)

Whether you're a tradesman, a designer, an artist or a musician, your website is the most important tool you have to get recognition, awareness and, ultimately, new work. 

Stand out from the crowd

Don't believe me? Google your inspirational artist, your nearest business rival or your favourite restaurant. They'll certainly have a website, chances are it's been designed by professionals and carries their branding and products alongside their contact details. A designer may have a beautifully constructed gallery, a builder may opt for carefully worded project pages and images of their work. 

Be proud of your work
 
This online presence is a vital tool. Everyone is expected to have a website.  
A basic single page with a name and phone number on will do as a web presence, but the more professional your site, the more professional you seem. 

A high quality website with great content and an intelligent design speaks louder than words about the reputation of your brand.

So invest in your online presence - its the most important marketing tool you have!

For professional websites and top quality web support, contact us today and mention our blog!

See also:
Social media mistakes you don't want to make
Businesses, say hello to responsive web design

SEO basics - keyword stuffing is so over

Think back to the late 1990's. Do you remember those old hmtl web pages, carrying huge chunks of text stuffed with keywords? The content would have looked something like this:

"PLUMBING IN BATH Get yourself a PLUMBER in BATH for all your PLUMBING needs call 0800-local-plumber today!!!!"

This would be endlessly repeated until the bottom of the page, possibly interspersed with some grainy, poor resolution pictures.

Do you know why web pages don't look like this now?

One of the key reasons is because over the years new inventions have come along, such as CSS which was officially launched by w3w in 1996 and more recently, HTML5 which is due for release in 2014. As with any new invention, the powers that be reward people for using the new shiny toys. Microsoft and Apple led the charge and as the world wide web became more prominent, search engines like Yahoo! and Alta Vista took center stage.

They never left.

From an SEO perspective, Google is one of the major players of search, with the Yahoo!/Bing empire close behind. Search engines care about only one thing - bringing the most relevant websites to their customers attention when search terms are mashed in. The better they are at giving their customers helpful, sensible answers to their searches, the more likely that customer will use them again. This opens doors to advertising revenue and all manner of income streams.

For web designers, this was the beginning of an arms race that is ongoing today. Search engines come up with algorithms to asses websites, allowing them to identify and promote the comedy pictures and anecdotes that you are really looking for when you search 'Poodle haircut funny' instead of delivering up comedians that mention both haircuts and Poodles, for example. 

This is what we want...

Keywords are one of the signals they use to do this. By looking at the content of the page they can see the words Poodle, haircut and funny in the keywords. But they are not just interested in making sure its a page about that subject matter. They want to know that the website is of high quality, that the content is entertaining and that their searchers are going to appreciate this as a search result.

In short, the algorthim will assess the page by the same criteria as a human would - does it look good, is it informative, is it written in real english?

By slamming the content full of keywords in a sludge of badly written, repetitive and unhelpful content, you can guarantee that the search engine will take the same approach as a human would - bounce right off that page and onto another one. 

This practice of 'keyword stuffing' is so frowned upon by search engines that it has resulted in the runiation of websites all over, and has been abandoned by professional SEO's. 

See also
The battle of the browsers
Say hello to responsive web design