Web design

unrecognizable person in face mask working in the YZ4U3C6For most business owners living in the greater Long Beach area, the COVID-19 or Coronavirus lockdown has had a major effect. Even many online business owners have seen the market change radically during this time. And while the end of the lockdown and return to normalcy is on the way, there are still things you can do today to improve your marketing position when you engage web design and upgrade services.

As the old saying goes, it’s not the time you have, but what you do with it that counts. A web re-design may be just the ticket to boosting your presence online. Engaging the services of a reputable Long Beach web design company can put your business one step ahead when the lockdown ends, your employees return, and customers start shopping again.

Why Optimize Your Website During COVID-19 lockdown?

The easy answer is that with the COVID-19 lockdown in place, there is not much many Long Beach business owners have to do other than review their websites.
But the real answer is that you now have the time to really look at your website and judge its performance. All too often, business owners are caught up in other essential matters that do not give them the time to see what is really working on their sites. With this time available, you can review and update your website so that it better serves your customers today and when the lockdown is lifted.

ITandOnlineLifeByBarsrsindThe older your content becomes, the less effective it will be in staying ranked high. High rankings are crucial for businesses trying to stay in the public eye. Whether your customers walk into your store in Long Beach or come from around the world, updating old content and replacing it with new articles, descriptions, and the like will boost your online presence.

If anything, the lockdown has given Long Beach business owners the time to review their websites to see what content is still relevant and what needs improvement. One aspect that often gets overlooked is readability. The easier it is to read and digest the content on your website, the more engaged your visitors become. Long beach web design is offering copy writing services to improve your content and make it more search engine friendly.

Optimizing content often means looking at what keywords are working and what keywords need work. A proper web re-design can identify keywords that are not ranking well and replace them with new ones that get more attention. The same is true with the links used to provide authority to your site. Broken links or links to sources that are no longer authoritative could be hurting your online presence right now.

With search engine optimization (SEO) being arguably the best passive form of marketing on the web for businesses with an online presence, having your keywords updated and augmented with the proper links is a must.

Why Upgrade Your Website During Coronavirus lockdown?

With money being tight and the future uncertain, it is quite prudent to be careful with your money. But there are ways you can bolster your website without having to expend a lot of capital.

Contact: Keeping in contact with your customers as well as your employees during this time is crucial. By working to upgrade your website, you open the lines of communication even wider to ensure that your presence online is active. This can be as simple as launching a new email newsletter, sending out more text messages, or opening up a new line of communication from your business to your employees and customers.

For your employees who may be laid off right now, staying in contact provides reassurance that things will get back to normal. For your customers, it reminds them that your business is still here to serve them. 

Expansion: Have you thought about expanding the capabilities of your website before, but simply did not have the time to do them? Well, you have the time now and a web upgrade by a Long Beach Web Design company can be one method you can use to expand your online reach.
And it can start small with hosting online presentations, live chats, and other demonstrations that can help you stay in contact with customers and provide greater value when visiting your website. You can then expand by adding new pages which showcase new products or services that will be ready for your customers when they are ready to shop.

Improvement: Some of the best ways that a Long Beach web design company can augment your website is by improving the functions that it offers to your existing services. This means going over your inventory and looking at the logistics and scheduling of your supply chain. By addressing these areas now, you may be able to head off events that may unduly affect your business in the future.

Time: Perhaps the most important reason to move now is that time is always moving forward. What you put off to tomorrow may put your business on the back foot when the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted, and customers start looking for places to shop. This is because your competition is looking for ways to take advantage of the downtime and find ways to get ahead. You may not have the time or resources to play catch-up if you wait too long.

There is little doubt that COVID-19 has had a major impact on businesses around the world. Taking advantage of that time here in Long Beach will allow you to be ready when the lockdown ends.

That’s why hiring a Long Beach web design company for upgrade or web re-design is a smart marketing move. Take advantage of the time you have today with a Long Beach web upgrade and be prepared for tomorrow.



Web design

3b.timjohnsonpgaFor many business owners in the greater Long Beach area, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant changes. Even online businesses have witnessed a radical shift in the market during and after the pandemic. Now, as we move into a post-COVID-19 era, it's crucial to focus on enhancing your marketing position through web design and upgrade services.

The saying still holds true - it's not just about the time you have, but how you use it. A web redesign could be the key to boosting your online presence. Employing the services of a reputable Long Beach web design company can put your business a step ahead as we navigate the new normal, where employees are returning to work, and customers are adapting to new shopping behaviors.

Why Optimize Your Website Post-COVID-19?

The end of strict lockdowns doesn't mean that attention to your website should wane. On the contrary, now is the time to critically assess your website's performance. Business owners often get caught up in daily operations, leaving little time to focus on their online presence. Post-pandemic, it's vital to review and update your website to better serve your customers in this new landscape.

As digital content ages, its effectiveness in maintaining high search rankings diminishes. These rankings are crucial for businesses trying to stay visible. Whether your customers are local in Long Beach or global, refreshing old content with new articles and descriptions will enhance your online visibility.

The pandemic provided an opportunity for business owners to reevaluate their websites' relevance and areas needing improvement. Readability is one aspect that is often overlooked. The more accessible and engaging your website content, the more engaged your visitors will be. Long Beach web design companies are offering copywriting services to refine your content and optimize it for search engines.

Optimizing content also involves reviewing which keywords are effective and which need updating. A proper web redesign can identify underperforming keywords and replace them with more effective ones. This is also true for the links that provide authority to your site. Broken links or outdated sources can harm your online presence.

With search engine optimization (SEO) remaining a vital passive marketing tool on the web, ensuring your keywords are up-to-date and supported by relevant links is essential.

Why Upgrade Your Website Post-Coronavirus?

11.scottburchardartWhile the future may still hold uncertainties, and budgeting remains crucial, there are cost-effective ways to enhance your website.

  • Contact: Keeping in touch with your customers and employees is more important than ever. Upgrading your website can enhance communication, be it through new email newsletters, text messaging, or new communication lines between your business, employees, and customers. For employees, this communication offers reassurance, and for customers, it's a reminder that your business is active and ready to serve.

  • Expansion: If you've considered expanding your website's capabilities but lacked the time, the post-COVID-19 period offers this opportunity. This could include hosting online presentations, live chats, or showcasing new products and services that are now more relevant.

  • Improvement: Improving existing website functionalities can greatly benefit your services. This is the time to review your inventory, supply chain logistics, and scheduling to prevent future disruptions.

  • Time: Time is a critical factor. Delays in updating your website can put you at a disadvantage when normalcy resumes fully. Your competitors might be utilizing this time to forge ahead, and catching up later could be more challenging.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted businesses globally. Utilizing this time wisely in Long Beach will prepare you for the post-pandemic market.

Engaging a Long Beach web design company for an upgrade or redesign is a strategic marketing decision. Utilize the time now for a web upgrade and be ready for the future.


Web design

hiring web developerHiring a web designer or a web developer in Long Beach, CA for your new or established business can seem like an intimidating task. Initially, you realize that there are too many options but you don’t know the talent and areas of their specialty. Even upon contacting some local web designers you realize they often speak a different language, they have a cool website but they are not licenced or the address of their business is a residential house when you check the google map. In this blog we will show you how to find your web designer or web developer in the greater Long Beach.
Signing a contract with the wrong web designer can cost you time and money, neither of which is abundant if you are just starting out. You can’t risk getting lost in the ocean of nearly 1.3 Billion sites on the internet.
If you are looking to hire a Long Beach web design company, here are some simple things that you can do to mitigate your risk and avoid frustration in the future.

Defining Your Project:
To hire a web developer, you first need to make clear of yourself what exactly you are trying to accomplish. If you don’t know that, you won’t know who to look for and what to tell them. Such situations cause frustration. So, you should be careful while doing this.
hiring web designer

Ask yourself in their Portfolio fits Your Style & Vibe:
Different people in the world have different styles and there is nothing wrong with that.
However, it does mean that you will be trying to fit a circle into a square. If you and your designer are off in style taste, this can cause problems.
So, when picking your designer, be sure to give their portfolio a browse, and ask yourself, if your site came out having a similar style and vibe, would you be happy?

Communicate with your Perspective Designer Effectively:
When you approach a perspective designer, it’s your job to describe what you want, and trust me, there is no such thing as too much information!
What kind of information should you give your designer?
Well, if there are some websites you love, you should provide them as examples. Similarly, if there are some colours that give you a rash, you should them. But keep in mind that just because you don’t like blue does not mean it’s not the best colour to use to get users.
Always remember, you are not decorating your living room, you are creating a revenue-generating portal.

Never approach your Web Designer/Web Developer saying “It’s just a simple job”:
For a Web Designer, this is one of the most demeaning things to hear from a client. There are further variations to this statement that you should also avoid such as: “it shouldn’t take long for you to do”, or even, “I’d do it myself but don’t have the time.”
Because there are many websites building tools available, many small business owners and entrepreneurs think that a custom website can be built with little effort. It’s true that these template builders have gotten better. However, if you have decided to hire a designer, it’s best to start off on the right foot and recognize that your site is complex and you need help to launch it.
When you find a designer you like, you should treat them and their work with respect. After all, you want them to take your project and do a great job.

Don’t ask Family & Friends for Feedback on Any Design without Context:
Throughout the process of building your site, your web designer will send you sketches, wireframes, proof-of-concepts, and complete designs, requesting for comments or approval before moving onto the next phase.

It is tempting to share these mock-ups and designs with the people you trust the most --- your family, friends and colleagues. But unfortunately, this can offer backfire, resulting in a strained client-web designer relationship.

Getting a dynamic Mobile Friendly Site:
According to a study, almost 51% of people in the world use smartphones and tablets for their internet searches, social media usage and online purchases. This number is predicted to reach 73% by 2025.
So, do not leave more than half your potential and existing customers struggling to view a static site on their mobile devices or tablets. Insist your web developer to develop a responsive website that is attractive and easy to use on desktops as well as mobile screens.

Let your Designer Pick a Platform based on your Needs:
Websites used to be built by coding the entire thing, and as you can imagine, they were both an eyesore and pain in the buns to edit and update. Website Platforms were built to give every website a basic starting point, without coding the entire thing. The common platforms out there include popular CMSs like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and ecommerce solutions.
We often see people using different platforms for their websites. Just because someone who runs a coaching business uses Wordpress, doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a good platform for your website.

hiring web designer long beachEliminate the Wrong Candidates:
If the job description is clear and you know the process of a top design, you can already weed out people who are not qualified. If you keep it vague and broad, a lot more candidates will apply to your posting as opposed to if you provide details.

Not Testing the Site Yourself:
Any Web Developer should include site testing in their scope of work. But don’t let that fool you into thinking you don’t also need to test the site. Before you hire a web developer, make it clear that you will need access to test the site twice. First in a test environment. Second when it’s alive.

You know best what your customers look for. Before the site goes live, pretend you are a potential or existing customer looking for information and take an action.

Price seems too good to be true, it probably is:
When hiring a web developer, expect to get what you pay for. Which is to say, if you pay very little, the quality, quantity and timeliness of the project may suffer. Don’t be surprised when the estimated cost is high. This is particularly true for web developers, as they need to come up with creative solutions to problems that they have never encountered before. That means you will need creative and experienced developers. They are expensive but they are also more likely to get your product right the first time.

 


Did you know that 97% of people search for local businesses online? With most customers turning to the internet to find the right local business for their needs, business owners cannot overlook the importance of an efficient website to market their business.
A company website does more than just represent your brand and list your products. It is a valuable marketing tool that can enhance your business image, improve business prospects and drive sales.
local business website designA well-designed website increases your chances of being found by local customers and landing sales. Only a SEO savvy designer can engineer such a targeted website, complete with all the necessary features to grab the attention of potential customers.
Here are some of the ways in which a local website designer can promote your business locally:
1- Design a custom website suitable for your business
Understanding the audience is the key for the success of a website design ad not the website itself. Your local designer has been facing the same challenges to target the local audience and he or she can help you based on the local insight gathered overtime. Professional designers have the expertise to integrate your business goals and the expectations of your audience into an appealing website that identifies with your business. They can design practical, efficient websites that are aesthetically pleasing, equipped with easy navigation features and address business needs like easy updates to product listings, blog pages and promotions.
2- Develop a responsive website
Tech-savvy users search for local businesses on various devices like computers, laptops and handheld devices. You may miss a business opportunity if your website is not readable on any of these digital screens. Responsive website designs automatically adapt to any screen, and allow your customers to easily browse your content. For more details on how this works, read our previous article on advantages of responsive web design.  A website developer can create an optimized responsive design for your website that works on a range of devices. Search engines now include the responsiveness of your website into their ranking algorithms and most businesses don’t even know about this.
3- Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
To improve visibility in local circles, your website should rank high in local search engine results. A web designer who is familiar with your customer base will employ suitable SEO strategies and ensure that the name of your city or region naturally appears throughout the website. Enhance website visibility with strategic placement of location keywords in website content pages. A local designers backlink to your business as a reputed and established local business will boost your credibility on the web (known as web equity) and build connections overtime. They will use the following techniques to help you gain the competitive SEO advantage:
a. Targeted title and meta description tags
Keyword-optimized titles and targeted descriptions that compel not only search engines to consider your website relevant for visitors for those local keywords but also local customers who run a google search will be more likely to click on your link since it includes the name of the city that is familiar with the potential local client.
b. Geo-tagging
Tagged images and videos that make it easier for search engines to link your website to your physical location. Having a google map on your website and also connecting your website to your google local listing will improve your relevancy score in search engine rankings. Also, creating separate pages for individual business locations will improve search rankings for localized phrases. Feature local information/events on the website will also increase the visibility of your content and keywords.

c. Google map integration and google listings

Google maps embedded into your website, preferably in the “Contact Us” page will boost the SEO value of your website. Also claiming your “Google My Business” listing to appear in Google’s online directories is a key in your local success and rankings.

In a nutshell, your website has the power to take your business from ordinary to extraordinary. Hire the talents of a professional web designer to effectively position your business ahead of your competition, and easily connect with local customers.

 

 


responsiveA responsive website is a website that adapts to the screen of any mobile device that it’s viewed on and looks just as appealing, and is as easy to navigate as on larger screens. Last year, over 60% of internet users accessed the web from mobile devices like tablets and smartphones than they did from bigger screens like notebooks or desktops. This statistic alone should be enough to convince anyone of the importance of responsive web design, but if you still need to be persuaded, we’ve listed some other added advantages below;

1. Smooth user experience: Number one is user experience. A smooth user experience will keep your users happy and always coming back to your website. But if your website isn’t responsive, visitors will find scrolling difficult –and they will leave immediately. A responsive website design will ensure that a website looks as good on mobile and that the features available to desktop users are also available to mobile users. If your web design is not responsive, text will be improperly aligned, images will look like lower quality versions of themselves and scrolling through your website will be a hardship for users. Particularly, with a non-responsive website they have to scroll to sides (left and right) in order to see the whole website. In some cases, all of the website shows but the text is so small and unreadable that it will pretty much convince the user to leave the website. The layout of your website must not be distorted on mobile, and the images must be viewable without zooming and pinching. Bad user experience kicks users away –fast. And they will never return.

2. More mobile traffic: As stated earlier, statistics show that over 60% of people surf the web via their mobile devices. When your website is not responsive, you stand the risk of losing website views from a lot of people. In most cases, a business would like to convert visitors to potential callers or lead them to fill in the contact form. On responsive websites with a click on the number visitors can call you or fill in the contact form. This is certainly not the case on non-responsive websites.

3. Better page ranking with Search Engines: Google is the leading search engine provider in the world and whenever Google returns search results to a user, the pages at the top are the ones that are often viewed the most. Google takes responsiveness into consideration when ranking websites. So, if your website is responsive, it will rank higher on search engines. In 2015, Google announced Mobilegeddon which is a change to Google’s algorithm that will prioritize responsive websites over the rest.

4. Effective site management: A responsive website will take less time to manage, and it will cost much less to manage than having two separate websites, that is one for mobile and one for desktop. To manage two different websites, you need to ensure that the content on the two different sites are synchronized. A single responsive website will give you less content and SEO to manage. Most website owners know by experience that being able to access the backend of the website to make instant changes using a mobile device is very important for their business. Responsive design provides that feature.

5. Fast loading webpages: If your website takes too long to load, people will leave it for another website. A lot of people get pissed off by long loading times and if your website isn’t responsive, it will take longer to load on mobile devices. A responsive website has a faster loading speed. And again, Google and other search engine have incorporated a loading speed score into their ranking algorithm.

Any business serious about making a mark online must have a responsive website. Yes, there are other alternatives, but they aren’t a choice anymore – a responsive website is the only way to go. You need to hop on the train or you will be left at a deserted station in Neverland.


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