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ashbicreativestudio · 2 years

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7 reasons to hire a designer for your business

Introduction

Hiring a professional website designer to build your business' online presence has a range of benefits. It can boost your search results, generate more conversion and give you an extra edge over your competitors. To outline the key benefits of hiring a professional web designer, below are 7 reasons to hire a designer for your business.

If you’re just starting out, ensure your business is set up for success.

If you’re just starting out, ensure your business is set up for success. - A professional website is a good way to market your business and reach new customers. - A professional website will help you build trust with customers, which can lead to more sales in the future. - A professional website will help you stay competitive by showing off quality work and making sure people see what you have to offer as a small business owner.

A professional website provides credibility and builds trust.

A professionally designed website helps to build credibility and trust. It also serves as a powerful marketing tool, effectively communicating your brand’s message, expertise and quality to your customers. When you hire a professional web designer, you can be sure that the site will reflect the best of what you have to offer — from the visual design of the logo or brand identity elements to the content strategy that represents your organization’s personality and goals.

Expert design will help attract more customers to your business.

Expert design will help attract more customers to your business. Your website is the first impression potential customers have of your business, and a good design can help you stand out from the competition. When it comes to attracting new clients and increasing sales, having an attractive and professional looking website is crucial. A well-designed website that displays your products in an effective way can help you attract more customers by: - Providing more information about your company such as who you are and what services/products you offer - Displaying any awards or recognition that your company has received - Showcasing testimonials from previous clients

A consistent look and feel leads to more conversions.

Consistency is one of the most important factors in creating a good user experience. You want to make sure that your product has a consistent look and feel, so that it doesn't confuse or distract users. Consistency is also important for branding: if you have multiple products with varying designs, this can be confusing for customers and hinder their ability to recognize your brand. A common mistake made by start-ups is having two or three completely different styles of design on their websites and social media channels—it's not fun for people who are trying to engage with your company, but it's also confusing! If they see "Brand X" written somewhere else while visiting another part of the site, they might get confused about what they're seeing (and not convert).

A custom-designed website will keep your customers engaged.

A well-designed website can help keep your customers engaged. When they find what they're looking for, they'll be happy and more likely to stay on your site. If you can make it easy for them to find what they need quickly, that's even better! You don't have to use a lot of words or images; just make sure that the content is relevant, easy-to-read and easily accessible by both search engines (SEO) and viewers alike.

Stay competitive with a site that’s easily accessible on all devices.

You’re not the only one who wants a mobile-friendly site. It’s important to note that your website is not just for desktop users anymore; people are trying to access it on mobile devices more and more as well. If your business has a responsive design, or if you choose to hire a designer specifically to create one, then you can rest assured that your site will be easily accessible on all devices. Mobile friendly websites are also very important because they help search engines rank websites higher than those that aren't optimized for mobile devices. Many webmasters use this as an excuse not to build a responsive design but we believe that having an optimized site is essential in today's world of digital marketing!

Your time is valuable — focus on what you do best, not your web design.

When you hire a designer, the designer will create your website or app. You'll have one less thing to worry about, freeing up your time and energy for what really matters: growing your business. Instead of fretting over design details or getting bogged down in minutiae, you can focus on where you're best suited to contribute—and that's probably at the top of the funnel (i.e., prospecting).

Don’t waste time with DIY when a professional has the skills to build a better site in less time.

Don't waste your time with DIY when a professional has the skills to build a better site in less time and for less money. When you're ready to launch your new website, it's tempting to take on the task of building it yourself using an off-the-shelf website builder like Wix or Squarespace. These tools are great for getting started without spending much money, but you'll likely end up paying more down the road when you start running into issues with functionality, design and layout. Plus they can be limiting: if your business needs something that doesn’t come standard with these platforms—like ecommerce capabilities or custom code—you may have to hire someone else anyway. A professional designer will be able to help guide you through every step of this process so that the final product aligns perfectly with both your company's brand identity and goals for growth (not only does this save time but it also saves money).

Conclusion

Hopefully, we’ve given you a better understanding of why hiring a designer is the right move for your business. It might feel like an investment at first, but it’s well worth it in the long run. Consider all of the advantages we’ve discussed, from establishing credibility to boosting your sales and more. The design will be uniquely yours and the results will speak for themselves: more conversions, more customers, and more money! Ready to get started? Browse our amazing designers who can build you an unforgettable website that will make a strong impression on visitors. Read the full article

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ashbicreativestudio · 2 years

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Top 5 places to promote your website

Introduction

You've got a great website. It's beautiful, it works well and you're proud of it! But if you don't take the time to promote your website and build an audience, it won't matter how great your website is; no one will see it. The trick is finding the right channels to promote your website through - since there are so many different avenues available today, it can be hard to determine which ones will work for you. If you're struggling to get visitors even though your site is top-notch, here are some of our best tips for promoting your website online:

Google AdWords

Google AdWords is Google's advertising platform. It allows you to place ads on Google, Yahoo and other search engines. AdWords has several forms of advertising, such as text ads or image ads. If you are looking for a quick way to drive traffic to your website and generate leads/customers, then AdWords might be the best option for you.

Google My Business Listing

Google My Business (GMB) Listing is the official way to list your business on Google. It helps you with your search engine ranking, which means more traffic for you. There are many advantages of having a GMB listing: - It helps you get found by customers on Search, Maps and Google Assistant using your website address as the call to action (CTA). This can increase qualified leads and sales for businesses that get it right - You can share special offers or discounts with customers who visit Google from desktop computers but there are no limitations on mobile devices.

Advertise on Social Networks

Social media is a great way to promote your website and drive traffic. You can use it to increase traffic, engage with your customers, or promote your website. The following are some of the best social networks for promoting your site: - Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn

Ask for References

One of the most effective ways to get backlinks is by asking for references. You can do this by requesting testimonials, referrals and reviews from your customers. You may also want to ask for advice or feedback on your business in general.

Use Content Marketing

Content marketing is a great way to build trust with your audience. Think about it: if you can show them that you're an expert in something, they're going to be more likely to believe what else you say—and do what you ask! Content marketing is also a great way to build relationships with your audience. Most people want the same things out of their relationships as they do their professional ones: respect, understanding, and loyalty. By giving them quality content that helps them solve their problems (and helps them learn new things), you'll earn those things from them too! Finally, content marketing is also one of the best ways for building credibility with your audience because it shows that you know what's important about being an expert in this field--which means that people will listen when something comes up later down the line because now they trust that even if something seems "off" at first glance there might actually be some truth behind it (or at least some basis for concern).

Be sure to promote your website.

- Be sure to promote your website. - Use social media to get the word out about your website. You can use Google AdWords, Facebook ads or local business search options on Google and Bing. - Submit press releases that include a link to your website (don't forget this important step!)

Conclusion

So, now you know the best places to promote your website. If you want to get ahead of your competition and make sure people know about your site, be it a local brick and mortar store or online shop, you will need to take advantage of every opportunity to advertise. Take a look at what we covered here again and think about whether or not it’s time for you to really start reaching out with some content marketing strategies Read the full article

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ashbicreativestudio · 2 years

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10 things to consider when choosing a web hosting service

Introduction

There are over a billion websites in the world, and every single one of them needs hosting. Without hosting, there would be no way for people to access these sites. While many web hosts offer guiding principles to help you determine what services will meet your needs, it's still best to approach the selection process with an idea of what you're looking for in mind. Here are 10 things you should consider when choosing a web hosting service:

1. Type of web hosting: shared vs. dedicated hosting

There are several different types of web hosting services. The type that's right for your website will depend on the amount of traffic you expect and whether you want to manage your own server. - Shared Hosting: This means that multiple websites will be hosted on one server, but each site has its own domain name. If one site gets a lot more traffic than the others, this can slow down all other sites on the same server. As such, while great for small businesses or personal blogs that don't get much traffic yet, shared hosting is not ideal for high-traffic sites like e-commerce stores or large forums. - Dedicated Hosting: This involves renting an entire physical server from a data center and using it as if it were your own private machine (hence "dedicated"). Dedicated servers also come with root access so you can install any software onto them without having to ask permission from anyone else involved in managing those servers at all times! However since dedicated servers require extra maintenance costs due to their complexity compared with simpler options like shared or virtual private server solutions then they should only really be considered by individuals who know what they're doing when designing websites because there can be serious consequences if something goes wrong during installation process (such as accidentally deleting all files).

2. Amount of disk space and bandwidth

- Disk space is the amount of data that can be stored on a server. For example, if you have 1 GB of disk space and you add 10 photos to your website, your site will be able to store 11 GB of photos. - Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred to and from a server. For example, if you have 100 MB of bandwidth and you send 100 people an email with an attachment each day over the course of a month (3200 people), then in total 3200 x 100 MB = 32 TB total was transferred/transfers through your account during that time period (because there are 8 bits in 1 byte). That means every person would have used about 0.0032 TB per month by sending emails with attachments—or about 1% (.01) of their total allowance for bandwidth.

3. Location of the data center

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a web hosting service is where their data center is located. This will determine how fast your website loads and whether it’s secure and reliable. The location of a web hosting company's data center is key because if they are not within close proximity to your target audience, then you will suffer from poor performance in terms of speed and reliability. The closer they are to you, the faster it will load on devices like smartphones and tablets that don't have as much processing power as computers do (like desktop computers).

4. Page loading speed

- Page loading speed is important to the user experience. While a page may load in just a few seconds, it will generally take longer during peak hours and even longer on slow connections or with old browsers. - The server's hardware, software, and configuration can have a significant impact on load speed. You'll want to look at reviews from websites like Load Impact or Pingdom to get an idea of how your potential hosting provider stacks up against others in terms of performance. Also consider whether any specific features offered by your chosen provider (like caching) might improve performance for you overall. - The quality of your Internet connection will also have an effect on page loading time—if all else is equal, connecting via fiber optic cable will always result in faster speeds than connecting through dial-up modem (although this is another area where fiber optic cables are rapidly replacing older technologies).

5. Uptime guarantee

This is a complicated subject, so we'll start with some of the basics. Uptime is the percentage of time that your website is available to your visitors. It's important because it affects your search engine ranking, customer satisfaction, and business. If people can't get to your site because it's down too often or for too long, they may not come back again until you've improved upon this problem.

6. Customer support available 24/7/365

Your website is your business, and you need to be able to ensure that it is up and running at all times. You want to make sure that if there is an issue with your site, it can be resolved quickly. Whether it's a simple question about how to use a feature or an emergency situation like malware that needs immediate attention, customer support from the hosting provider will help you get back on track as soon as possible. The best hosting companies are available 24 hours a day and 365 days per year for customer service assistance via phone or email—and some even offer live chat options!

7. The operating system (OS) and control panel used

The operating system provides an interface between the server and your website or application, while the control panel enables you to manage your site. You might be wondering what's the difference between the two? Well, it's pretty simple: An OS is responsible for allocating hardware resources, such as CPU time and memory, whereas a control panel helps you configure those resources. In other words, if a server comes with Apache HTTP Server installed by default, then it’s most likely running Linux-based CentOS/Ubuntu OS; whereas if cPanel/WHM is installed on that same server, then it’s most likely running Windows-based Windows 2003 Server OS.

8. Backups, security, and recovery services

You should also be sure that the web hosting service you choose has a reliable backup system. This means that, no matter what happens to your website or data, you will be able to restore it quickly. Will they keep a copy of your data on file? Are their backups stored in a separate location from where the servers are housed so that if there is an earthquake or other disaster at the data center, both won't be affected? How often do they back up (daily, weekly)? If something goes wrong with your site and you need assistance restoring it immediately, can they provide timely assistance and/or access to their backups?

9. Free trial or money-back guarantee

A free trial or money-back guarantee is an important factor to consider when choosing a web hosting service. Basically, you should choose the one that offers the most value for your money. The difference between a free trial and money-back guarantee? A free trial lets you try out their services without paying anything; if you don't like it, cancel within the first 30 days and they won't charge you anything. A money back guarantee allows even more flexibility—you can cancel at any time during your subscription period (usually 30 days) and get all of your payments refunded in full. If a service offers both, go with whichever one has more value for your needs.

10. SSL certificates included

If you’re looking to protect yourself and your users, you need an SSL certificate. This can be used to encrypt their data and ensure it remains secure at all times, even when they make a purchase on your website or submit sensitive information. If a web host doesn’t include an SSL certificate as part of their package, this could raise some red flags. You should also consider whether or not the host includes support for Let's Encrypt or another free service that provides SSL certificates for free for those who have smaller websites or don't have any budget for them (for example: if you are running a personal blog).

Conclusion

To recap, you should consider these things: what type of hosting you need (shared or dedicated), the amount of disk space and bandwidth you’ll require, where your server will be located, your page loading speed requirements, and more. Keep in mind that many web hosts offer free trials so you can test their services before committing to a long-term contract. These are just a few points to keep in mind when choosing a web host for your site. Read the full article

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ashbicreativestudio · 2 years

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Writing tips for content marketing

Define your audience.

When you begin to write, it’s important to define your audience. Know what they want and what they need, as well as the questions they are looking for the answers to. - What do they want? - What do they need? - What questions do they have? Once you know their needs and wants, determine if your content is going to meet any of them. If it does not, then consider creating an additional piece of content that could provide value for this group of readers.

Use simple language.

Writing for your audience means writing in a way that your reader can understand and enjoy. When it comes to content marketing, this means using simple language. To do this, you need to consider several things: the level of education (or lack thereof) of the readers you're targeting; their interest in what you have to say; their experience with the topic; and whether or not they have prior knowledge about your topic.

Add a little personality.

One way to add a little personality is to let your voice shine through. You don't have to be a professional writer, but you should write in a friendly tone and use humor if you can. While you're at it, try to use a conversational tone—even when writing about more difficult topics like finances or health care. Remember that people aren't reading your content for its literary value; they just want the information and advice they need!

Get visual.

Visual content is one of the most engaging types of content you can create. It’s also great for getting people to remember what they read. Here are some tips for creating visual content that will help you get readers engaged: - Use images in your written posts. Images are an important part of content marketing because they allow you to show off your products in action, make something easier to understand (like a flow chart), or just be appealing on their own—they’re better at grabbing attention than words alone! A picture is worth 1,000 words after all!

Write for SEO and mobile devices.

You want to make sure that your content shows up in search results, right? Then use keywords in the title and meta description. Then use them again throughout the body of your content. Also, make sure you have them in the URL, image alt text (text describing an image used by screen readers), image title and file name as well. And don't forget to include relevant keywords in any captioning around photos or graphics!

Mix up your content.

- Mix up your content. - Mix up the format of your content, such as by using different kinds of media (e.g., video, blog posts, and podcasts) or by creating an interactive experience (e.g., quizzes). - Mix up the topics covered in your content. You can also mix up the topics you cover by using a variety of voices—for example, if you're writing a series on how to use SEO tools but are blogging about it instead of having someone else write those posts for you.

Step away and edit later.

Editing your content is a vital part of the content marketing process. However, editing can be stressful and time-consuming if you don't have a system in place. So, here are some tips for editing your writing before it's published: - Step away from the computer. Editing after writing can be tough because you're too close to the piece and might miss things that need fixing. If possible, step away from your computer screen for at least an hour or two before re-reading what you've written. Reading on a different device may help as well—the size difference between a laptop screen and an iPad screen can make for easier reading and editing! - Edit later in the day (or week). When I edit my own work late at night or early in the morning when I'm tired, it sometimes feels like more effort than it's worth since my brain isn't working 100%. As an alternative, try not to edit right when completing new pieces—give yourself some space between finishing something and ensuring its quality before publishing it! - EDIT IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT! When we write something (whether it be blog posts or emails), our mind tends to fill up with distractions while trying out ideas--this makes us less likely to catch mistakes made by ourselves earlier on when reviewing them again later down this path... so how do we fix this problem? By changing environments entirely--going outside into nature or going somewhere else entirely such as another room inside our home where there's less clutter around us."

Be consistent with your voice and content.

Consistency is important for your voice, content, and brand. - Consistency of voice. Consider what your company’s tone is like on social media and in person. Then create a style guide to help your team stay consistent across all platforms. - Consistency of content. The best way to be consistent with content is to plan ahead for it by developing a strategy for creating or curating content that meets the needs of your target audience(s). You can also use tools like Canva or Snappa (with an Adobe subscription) so you don't need to spend hours designing every piece yourself—you just have one source file and make tweaks as needed when publishing each post! - Consistent brand identity across channels: Whether it's logo design or color scheme, the elements that make up your visual identity should appear everywhere so customers know exactly who they're interacting with at any given time without having done research beforehand.

Make it shareable.

Make it shareable. This should be obvious, but it’s important enough to list twice: if you want your content to get shared, you need to make it catchy and enticing. Your headline or call-to-action (CTA) needs to grab the reader's attention, while everything else should speak directly to their interests. You might even consider using a good image—a picture is worth 1,000 words!

These tips will help you write better content for your marketing

- Use simple language. - Add a little personality. - Get visual. - Write for SEO and mobile devices. - Mix up your content with infographics, videos, and podcasts as well as blog posts and emails. Be consistent with your voice and content so that readers know what to expect from you, but be flexible enough to change it up when necessary—or when the mood strikes you! Your readers will come back if they know what they’re getting each time they visit your site: good information presented in a fun way by someone who cares about them (you). Remember: having fun is part of the job!

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to content marketing, but there are a few things you can do to make sure your content is the best it can be. By taking care to understand your audience and what they want, you’ll create better content that has a more compelling voice and better visuals than other brands in your industry. You’ll also have fun creating content if you remember that it should be an extension of who you are as a brand or company! Lastly, make sure you share your posts with people who might be interested—that way they can see how awesome it is too. Read the full article

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ashbicreativestudio · 2 years

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10 Principles of Good Web Design

In order to create an effective website, it is important to understand these 10 principles of good web design. We discuss ways to help you create a website that engages your audience and make it and easy to use. By following these web design principles, you can create a high-quality website that provides a great user experience and meets the needs of your target audience. In this article, we will discuss 10 of the most important principles of good website design.

How Humans Engage With The Web

Easy navigation is a top priority on most websites, and search engines are the primary means of navigating online content. When users search for something, they do so by typing in a word or two that best describes their interests. Users don’t read web pages. They scan them. When readers visit a webpage, they scan the page rather than read it in its entirety. They seek out certain key points, or anchors, to help them understand the content of the page. F-Pattern People don't read every word on a page. They prefer to scan for the main idea and skip around for details. It is important to ensure that your website is viewed properly by the people who visit it. Most web designers will design your website with adequate screen sizes so that it is more visually appealing to viewers. It will also ensure that users interact with your website longer than usual. Users are impatient and want to be satisfied quickly. If a website is not able to fulfill your expectations, then the designer has failed in his job. The more steps you have to go through to find what you're looking for and the more cluttered the layout, the more eager users are to leave the website and search for alternatives. Users do not always make optimal choices. Users do not always use search engines to find the most relevant content they are looking for. Instead, they scan a website’s pages, going from one section to another. The most important content on this page can be seen in a few seconds. Image credits: tutsplus

1. Don’t make it difficult for users to accomplish tasks.

When creating an effective web design, you should strive to get rid of any questions that may arise in the navigation and architecture. A clear structure will help users find their path easier through self-explanatory links which are easily recognizable by sight or sound; this also keeps things simple for both designers as well as visitors! If your navigation and site architecture aren’t intuitive, you’ll get more question marks from users. Clear structure, moderate visual clues, and easily recognizable links make it easy for users to find their way to their goals.

2. Avoid confusing users

People prefer easy accessibility. They want readily available information, which is why it is important to People like things that are easy to access; they prefer readily available information. To make the most of your usefulness, include attention-grabbing call-to-actions on your website and convert navigational links into opportunities for communication, using headline sentences and sub-headlines, bullet points and catchy phrases instead of longer sentences. Image credits: Envato Elements Users won’t use your website if they find it confusing; to avoid this, your designer will use hick’s law to recommend the best possible navigation system. Consider your customers' needs when designing a user-friendly site; it will help boost your traffic and revenue.

3. Keep Your Users’ Attention

The importance of infographics, graphs and videos are often overlooked when creating a website. These important elements can help balance out the white space with negative spaces by providing high quality content that is user-friendly to look at!

Image credits: Envato Elements Color creates balance and harmony. Contrasting colors that fit the background and lettering will be pleasing to users. Proficient designers are skilled at using color, contrast, and visual hierarchy to create effective designs.

4. Mobile Friendly

These days, most people are accessing websites on a variety of mobile devices. People are now more likely to access websites from their phones than their computers. To be accessible to the greatest number of people, make sure your website looks good and functions well on mobile devices.

Image credits: searchenginejournal.com

5. Use Writing Styles To Engage Readers

If you want your writing to be read online, then it must be written differently from the way you would write for print. If the Web is different from print (and it is), then you need to adjust your writing style to accommodate users’ preferences and browsing habits. Use active voice where possible, as this makes your writing sound more engaging and powerful. Write for your audience, not yourself. If you're writing for other people, then there are certain things that will resonate with them more than if you were writing for yourself alone! This means that your tone should be friendly and approachable.

6. Aim for Simplicity

Simplicity rules in good web design. A clean, fresh design makes a site easier to navigate and its more aesthetically pleasing. Business websites should be kept focused; avoid unnecessary features that don’t serve a purpose or make it harder for your users to get things done. Visitors to your website will look for visual cues that help them find the information, products and services you offer. A design element can be explicit—such as arrows or links—or very subtle. The placement of these visual elements is key in enticing visitors to take the desired action and making the site easy to read.

7. Use White Space

When designing a site, make sure to leave room for your content and images. Without white space (commonly called "negative space"), your page can get too cluttered and hard to read.

Image credits: Envato Elements

9. Visual hierarchy keeps navigation simple

The visual hierarchy of your site’s navigation should make it easy to access your content in just a few steps. Of course, you don’t want any content to be missed, but endless dropdowns, buttons, and internal links will overwhelm people.

10. Authenticity creates trust.

Good design is honest. It does not make a product seem more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It is not manipulative. Cliches and vague marketing copy won’t help you connect with people. Position yourself as a voice of authenticity by providing information that has value.

Enjoy The Process!

As in any creative practice, you will never be able to abide by these principles all the time, but keeping these guidelines in mind can help you avoid some common mistakes on your quest for successful web design. Here at Ashbi Creative Studio, we understand that every client has different needs, goals and objectives. Therefore, we make sure that to give you the best services to help you achieve your specific business needs. Our web design services are tailored for every individual client. Read the full article

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