"Business Creative" Web Design

Stu Macik_Broken Sky Studio Web Design and Development, Denver, Colorado

It’s seems that many of us have had our attention spans shortened with the advent of so many “instant” technologies and nowhere is that more true than on the web. I’ve seen research that indicates that a website has anywhere from 3 to 15 seconds to grab a visitor’s attention with the majority of site visitors falling into the under 10 second range. I would say from talking to others as well as my own personal experience that 10 seconds is probably about right.

This accentuates the need to provide core information on a site in a way that will maximize those precious few seconds that you have to make that all important first impression. I’m going to cover “content” in part 2 of this topic but first I want to talk about page-load because, in my mind, page-load is half the battle when it comes to the attention span problem with website visitors. People just don’t want to wait for a website to load. Here are a few ideas to help speed up page-load times that I use personally in my own web design and development business and have been very effective for me.

First, assuming that you have a decent hosting provider (and most of the better known ones are ok) the first thing that you want to do is to have as few HTTP requests as possible on your webpage. An HTTP request is whenever your web browser fetches a file (a page, an icon, a picture, etc) from the web server. HTTP is a request/response protocol, which means your computer sends a request for some file (i.e. get me the file ‘home.html’”), and the web server sends back a response (“here’s the file”, followed by the file itself).

While all of this only takes a fraction of a second, the number of requests along with the size of the files determines how long your page will take to load. This is critical to consider because pages with large numbers of requests combined with graphics (images) that have not been optimized for display on the web can lead to those very slow loading pages that we’ve all experienced at times when browsing. Several simple ways to cut down HTTP requests are to combine multiple images into one (when possible), use graphics judiciously (only when needed to enhance content) and keep page lengths reasonable (this also helps with cutting down on page scrolling as well).

Second, as mentioned above graphic (image) size is very important to page load time. All graphics should be “optimized” for use on a web page in a program like Photoshop or Illustrator using the “save for web” function that these programs provide. I take optimization of images one step further however in that I’ve found that I can cut the size of most images another 10-20% from the Photoshop/Illustrator output and still have effective quality for web display. This would be done with a more specialized program but suffice it to say, all images should at least have some optimization to speed up their display on the page.

Third, an often overlooked factor in page-load speed is the use of “valid” HTML in the development of a page/site. HTML is the “mark-up” language used by developers to display your content to the visitors of your site. When the page is not coded to agreed upon (by browser makers and developers) standards set by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), it can slow down page loads as the browser tries to figure out what the code is attempting to tell it to do. One way to check if your pages are “valid” HTML is to use the Validator at the W3C located here. The validator is a very useful tool because it will even tell you specifically which code is invalid and often how to fix it.

Last, I would like to take a second to mention that the use of Flash can also be a problem in the “page-load” category because Flash is a comparatively slow loading technology compared to HTML/CSS/Javascript development methods. We’ve all been on a Flash sight and watched the little progress bar telling us that it is “loading” and been frustrated at having to wait for it to finish. It’s for this reason that I use Flash sparingly (video embeds mostly).

Anyway, hopefully these tips will help your business have a faster loading site and help with at least half of the attention span problem. In the next post I’ll cover “content” in relation to attention spans and how you can help customers stay on your site long enough to create interest in your product or service.

-Stu

Stu Macik, Broken Sky Studio Web Design and Development, Denver, Colorado

As a web designer/developer I’m always open to using all the available tools to me so that I can design and create the perfect website to help market and grow my clients’ businesses.

One tool however that I use very little of these days is Adobe’s Flash for a number of very good reasons. You should consider using it judiciously as well (if you’re a business owner thinking of acquiring or building a website) and here is why.

In the days before JavaScript was as robust and ubiquitous as it is today (all modern browsers render JavaScript very well), Flash was used as a way to build interactivity and motion into websites. Today JavaScript has replaced almost all of the functionality of Flash in a way that is much more browser friendly on many fronts. JavaScript doesn’t require a proprietary plug-in to function, doesn’t need special software to produce, doesn’t use extraordinary cpu resources and doesn’t hide content from search engines as does Flash.

JavaScript is the “open-source” solution to building dynamic, interactive web pages and the best part is that any web enabled device is able to function with JavaScript which is not the case with Flash. Many mobile web devices including Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s Blackberry (and others) do not support Flash and the new iPad tablet device (that you’ve no doubt heard about) doesn’t support Flash in any form.

Some Flash enthusiasts will say that this is just a small part of the overall market but I’m hesitant to brush it aside because I believe it represents an affluent market sector that I want to be able to target for my clients. Simply put, people who buy iPhones, Blackberrys (as well as other web enabled phones) and iPads are consumers with disposable incomes that I want my clients to be able to access with their goods and services.

Not to mention that (as of this writing) estimates have Apple having sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 50+ million iPhones, 35+ million iPod Touches and one million+ iPads in the first month since it’s release. Not really that “insignificant” when you look at the numbers.

I’m not here to trash Flash (so to speak), it’s just that I’m very pragmatic and I do believe that  its days are numbered with the new web standards that are on their way (HTML5) which will support video natively within browsers. There will be no need at all for Flash at this point because almost all of Flash’s current usages will be better implemented by JavaScript and native browser video functionality.

At this point in my own business, the only aspect of development that I still deploy Flash for is embedding video and that’s only because Internet Explorer doesn’t support the new HTML5 video standard. Browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple’s Safari are already supporting some of these standards but I’ll hold off on HTML5 video embeds until IE ( a large portion of the browser market) comes out with HTML5 support in the upcoming Internet Explorer 9. At that time I’ll switch to HTML 5 video with a fallback to Flash for older browsers until supporting those browsers becomes obsolete as has recently happened with IE6.

-Stu

Stu Macik_Broken Sky Studio Web Design and Development, Denver, Colorado

Recently, I was asked by a prospective client “Do I really need a website for my small business?”

I think the answer lies in the fact that I’ve never been asked that question by one of my clients with a larger, more established business because they already know the answer is “absolutely”. In fact, the question I hear most often from them is “What’s it going to take for my site to be effective against my competition?” The question of needing a website has already been established through real the world experience of owning a business for a longer period of time and having been through the wars.

So if you’re asking yourself this question, let me relate to you what some of my clients with established businesses have told me about the benefits of having a professionally designed and developed website.

1. A professional website can help establish your Brand. Building brand identity can be a difficult task, no doubt about it. A professional website aids in the process by giving you a valuable marketing tool on what has become the “go to” resource for anyone seeking goods and services.

2. It can tilt the playing field in your favor. Almost every business has some kind of website and though in some situations no site can be better than a bad one, there is practically no debate as to the value of a professionally designed and developed site in a competitive business environment. People respond positively when they experience an intelligently crafted and aesthetically pleasing site which in turn helps grow your business and profits.

3. It gives “Easy Access” to your business. Even small service companies can benefit from a web presence in that a website becomes an easily accessible on-line business card or brochure that establishes credibility in the marketplace. For larger companies, a website becomes an easy, cost effective way to market to potential customers.

4. It says “I’m A Professional”. Of course the caveat here, once again, is that the site must be professional in content, usability and aesthetics. A site with a poor Information Architecture (IA) or that is poorly written or executed can just as easily say, or perhaps more likely shout “Hey, I’m an amateur”. We’ve all visited sites where we’ve said to ourselves “You know, based on this site, I don’t think I want to do business with these guys”.

These are but a few of the benefits I’ve heard over the years but I think they make the point that a professionally designed and developed site is a sound investment for any business wanting to grow and prosper in today’s business climate.

-Stu

Stu Macik_Broken Sky Studio Web Design and Development, Denver, Colorado

I received a call last week from a gentleman looking for someone to “fix” some problems and maintain his business’s brand new website after a “falling out” with the person/company who had developed the site. Since I specialize in (from the ground-up) custom design and development, I explained to him that I don’t work on or “fix” existing sites but we wound up talking about some of his concerns with the work that had been performed which I went over with my developer tools during our conversation.

Where I’m going with this is that when I did a quick HTML (HyperText Markup Language) validator check on the site, there were over 90 markup (coding) errors on the home page alone along with numerous CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) errors as well. Some of them were minor but many of them were major coding mistakes that were no doubt causing many of the problems he described he was having with the site.

This gentleman’s plight perfectly illustrates why having valid HTML and CSS is so important when it comes to choosing a designer/developer to create your business’s website.

Valid HTML and CSS are essential for a number of reasons not the least of which is that it shows that your site was developed by someone who is skilled at, cares about and is professional in their work. Never mind that having error free markup can assist SEO and is paramount for uniform cross browser, cross platform performance. This is very important to consider now that almost half the users visiting your site will not be using IE (Internet Explorer).

The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) which is the organization that sets web standards for developers and browser makers has an excellent article on why valid markup is important called “Why Validate” found at http://validator.w3.org/docs/why.html. I encourage any business owner considering a website (or already having one) to read about the advantages of “valid” coding as well as make it part of their criteria when searching for a designer/developer to help brand and market their business on the web.

It may make your search for a web design/development company a little bit harder, but in the end you’ll be glad you did because you’ll have a superior, standards compliant site that will function the same in all browsers, be easy to maintain and take you into the future of the web in great shape.

-Stu

Stu Macik_Broken Sky Studio Web Design and Development, Denver, Colorado

It may not have been spawned from a Jackal but a heinous predator is prowling the small business community in search of prey. This beast…this marketing nightmare lurking in the shadows of the internet is a creature I call…the “Anti-Site”.

The Anti-Site is a website so ghastly that the business who possesses it (or perhaps who is possessed BY it) would be far better off without any website at all.

I know what you’re thinking… that you never thought you would hear a Web Designer/Developer say something like this…I mean after all, surely having something out on the web HAS to be better than having nothing at all.

Well my friend, you would be wrong because the Anti-Site has the ability to actually sabotage your business in ways that you never imagined. One of the most serious points to understand is that you may never even know what’s happening because the Anti-Site is a silent assassin. It drives customers away without remorse or conscience and perhaps the worst aspect of all is that it may have been spawned by…dare I say…an individual or company referring to themselves as “Web Designers”.

I recently had the pleasure of slaying such a beast for a client who suspected that something with his site was very wrong (negative comments and analytics along with a drop in sales). He was having a hard time believing however that since he had “paid” to have the site built that there could possibly be any chance that it could actually be hurting his business. When I explained to him that what he had actually purchased was an ugly template, sloppy (invalid, non-semantic) code and content cobbled together with no organizational or writing skills, he finally admitted to me that the “developer” he used was of a breed I call the “dollar-menu guy”.

The moral of the story? Like everything else in life, when it comes to websites you get what you pay for. My advice is to do your homework and interview multiple developers. Like any field, those with superior skills will be obvious to you and they’re also likely to be more expensive. Because they can be. Because they’re good. Because they can help grow and market your business…and that’s the bottom line.

-Stu

Stu Macik_Broken Sky Studio Web Design and Development Denver, Colorado

One of the best pieces of advice that I can give anyone looking to acquire or build a website for their business is to take the time to learn a little about where the web is trending in terms of look, feel, and usability. I’m constantly amazed at the large number of websites out there that look and feel like they came straight out of the way-back machine (circa 1995-1998). What’s even more disturbing is that many of them were built in the last couple of years by web design companies who haven’t seemed to noticed that “what works” (and more importantly for business, “what sells”) has changed since 1998.

Perhaps you’ve heard or read the term “Web 2.0” used and wondered what it means. Well, quite simply Web 2.0 is where web design evolved to emphasize aesthetics and usability (along WITH content) to create websites that are visually more appealing and easier to use. In my opinion, we are currently at another transformation (Web 3.0?) that adds to what Web 2.0 gave us.  Now we also have options for displaying content dynamically with Javascript (jQuery, MooTools, etc.) that add to the user experience by creating interaction which, from a business perspective, can help a potential customer stick around and check out your site.

I guess what I’m saying in a nutshell is, give sites that just feel “better” a longer look and take notice of what makes them different. I think what you’ll find is that “modern” sites have a design aesthetic that feels clean, uncluttered and polished (as opposed to cramped, crammed and multi-colored). They have navigation that is user friendly and they get their message across quickly and succinctly.

If you can understand exactly what it is that you like about those sites you think are “better”, you can then find a designer who specializes in current design styles or at the very least have a better idea of what works and sells on today’s web.

-Stu

Stu Macik_Broken Sky Studio Website Design and Development Denver, Colorado

One of the nicest compliments we hear from clients at Broken Sky is that we’re able to design and develop websites that are aesthetically very attractive while also being very business centric in purpose. This is because we believe that “thinking different”, in terms of design, is critical to our clients marketing success in what amounts to hand to hand combat out on the web.

Personally, I like to think of designing for business as “coloring between the lines”. While there are definitely some rules that need to be followed on a business site, they don’t all have to be regimented or black and white. You CAN be creative and pragmatic at the same time. Here are a couple of tips from a “modern design” point of view that may help you realize more success from your site.

First off, consider that less can be more. The generous use of white space can have a profound impact on your design. Use white space to highlight and off-set important information as eyes will travel directly to those areas. Also make sure that your text has “room to breath” by making sure that your text size and line spacing is sufficient for the font your using. Nothing is more frustrating than straining to read information that is too small or cramped.

Second, consider “flow” from left to right instead of top to bottom. With the advent 16:9 and 16:10 monitors (instead of the old 4:3 CRT monitors) modern web design has widened to take advantage of the new technology. This allows you to use that screen real-estate to get more information in front of your potential customer with less scrolling.

At any rate, these are just a couple my “best practices” for “Business Creative” design. Hopefully, you can take advantage of these ideas and have both a great looking and performing website.

-Stu