Your web designer has stressed once again the importance of content for your new webpage. So, back at the office, you copy & paste snippets, from as many accumulated documents that you can find, that describe your business, outline your services, and make note of your references. Not everything already existed so you fill in the blanks by rolling up your sleeves and typing out the rest.
Now, what can you expect from your designer in return?
Your designer has already researched your business’s field and with that research and conversions with you, has come to understand the client-base you are aiming to reach. With that understanding in mind, the design and copy-edit team will review your content and recompose the various snippets of your information with a distinct and constant style or voice that will resonate with your target audience to invite them to read. The words on your website will speak to the individual visiting your page as if you were talking to them.
Something to keep in mind as you wait to see the final use of your content within your site is that your designer is going to dissect the content you have provided to turn your paragraphs of information into a web-friendly presentation. The designer will pull out information to create headlines that will attract attention to a visitor and entice them to read the main text. The text is also going to be broken up into different sections both within the page and throughout the site. The reason for this is that on the web it is important to place the most important information at the top of every page and to present a clean and logical sequence the visitor can follow with ease.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Website Content: Part I: Content then Design
Content is an essential element in your web presence. You want people to visit your site, and when they come, they are coming for a reason. If all that is there is a fancy graphical design, they will leave as fast as they came. In addition, they will likely not be back.
We think the reasons for needing content within your site is easy to grasp, so let us look at content from the design level.
Delivery of content to your designer should ideally occur before they even begin working on the layout of your page. At this point in the project, don't worry about providing totally proofed or even absolutely organized information, the text and photos you provide can and likely will be altered during the design process (Website Content: Part 2 will cover this). The reason your content is required up-front is that your designer should be building your site to wrap around your content. Your content should not be forced to fit into an arbitrary design, which is the case if the site is completely framed out prior to content delivery (or a downloaded template web design is used).
If you are paying for a custom designed website, be sure to take full advantage of your designer’s services. At Webgio, we discuss the scope of the project with you and give you suggestions as to the type of content your site should display. We research your business and offer suggestions that will put you ahead of the competition while drawing in new visitors and keeping them on your site.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
We think the reasons for needing content within your site is easy to grasp, so let us look at content from the design level.
Delivery of content to your designer should ideally occur before they even begin working on the layout of your page. At this point in the project, don't worry about providing totally proofed or even absolutely organized information, the text and photos you provide can and likely will be altered during the design process (Website Content: Part 2 will cover this). The reason your content is required up-front is that your designer should be building your site to wrap around your content. Your content should not be forced to fit into an arbitrary design, which is the case if the site is completely framed out prior to content delivery (or a downloaded template web design is used).
If you are paying for a custom designed website, be sure to take full advantage of your designer’s services. At Webgio, we discuss the scope of the project with you and give you suggestions as to the type of content your site should display. We research your business and offer suggestions that will put you ahead of the competition while drawing in new visitors and keeping them on your site.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Logos: Part III: Things to consider…
You are now convinced you need a logo, and you have turned to a professional designer to create one for you. There are elements you and your designer should consider when choosing a design. We talked about having the logo match the scope of your business though color and typography in the last post, but that is not the whole picture.
Remember to consider all the places you plan to use your logo. As discussed in part 1, your logo is the first step in creating your unique brand, but a logo alone isn’t going to give you the complete package. The incorporation of your logo throughout your business plan is how your brand is established.
When reviewing logo options provided by your designer, be sure to consider how this logo will look on all mediums. Your website will prominently display your logo, so will your business cards, letterhead, envelopes, store-front signage, glass doors, advertisements (both black and white and full color), baseball hats, polo shirts... the list goes on.
You, as the business owner, know the basic usage you hope to gain from having a custom logo. Be sure to share these visions with your designer up front and make sure you try to envision the drafted logos on these mediums as you make your final choice.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
Remember to consider all the places you plan to use your logo. As discussed in part 1, your logo is the first step in creating your unique brand, but a logo alone isn’t going to give you the complete package. The incorporation of your logo throughout your business plan is how your brand is established.
When reviewing logo options provided by your designer, be sure to consider how this logo will look on all mediums. Your website will prominently display your logo, so will your business cards, letterhead, envelopes, store-front signage, glass doors, advertisements (both black and white and full color), baseball hats, polo shirts... the list goes on.
You, as the business owner, know the basic usage you hope to gain from having a custom logo. Be sure to share these visions with your designer up front and make sure you try to envision the drafted logos on these mediums as you make your final choice.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Logos: Part II: How do I get a Logo?
Hopefully after reading the last post, you have been convinced that having a logo for your business is a good idea. Now let me guide you through the process of how to (and not to) get one.
Unfortunately, many people starting-off will fall into two categories when it comes to logo creation and marketing materials. They will either decide to look into it after they have a steady clientele or they will take a paintbrush into their own hands (or know a friend that may be able to help).
Concerning the first group, as numerous successful small business owners and entrepreneurs will testify, spending the time and capital up-front for marketing and creating your unique brand, will gain you that steady clientele much faster. Without it, you may never make it to the point of obtaining steady business at all.
Regarding the second group, I admire the determination and creativity of people wanting to save capital and have a go at it on your own, but the results can be very detrimental. A scene I have seen repeatedly: a new business owner discovers the need for business cards, downloads a template for the card, and uses a stock image for the logo. They have them printed out online or at the local print shop and end up with an amateurish representation of their blood sweat and hard work. Many times the outcome of a stock logo or template marketing material is the picture of being a very small scale and unstable business.
Working with a professional to create your logo will help you in many ways. Obviously, you want a logo that looks nice but creating a pretty picture is only a small part of what logo creation is all about. A professional logo designer will not only translate your vision into a graphical design, but will also look into your business and incorporate into the logo the proper combination of typography, lines and curves, and colors. The final product will be an alignment of your unique design into your business niche and the building block of your brand.
In most cases, a business or organization without a professionally designed logo is lacking one because they don’t think they can afford one. At WEBGIO, we want to let you know that they cannot afford not to have one.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
Unfortunately, many people starting-off will fall into two categories when it comes to logo creation and marketing materials. They will either decide to look into it after they have a steady clientele or they will take a paintbrush into their own hands (or know a friend that may be able to help).
Concerning the first group, as numerous successful small business owners and entrepreneurs will testify, spending the time and capital up-front for marketing and creating your unique brand, will gain you that steady clientele much faster. Without it, you may never make it to the point of obtaining steady business at all.
Regarding the second group, I admire the determination and creativity of people wanting to save capital and have a go at it on your own, but the results can be very detrimental. A scene I have seen repeatedly: a new business owner discovers the need for business cards, downloads a template for the card, and uses a stock image for the logo. They have them printed out online or at the local print shop and end up with an amateurish representation of their blood sweat and hard work. Many times the outcome of a stock logo or template marketing material is the picture of being a very small scale and unstable business.
Working with a professional to create your logo will help you in many ways. Obviously, you want a logo that looks nice but creating a pretty picture is only a small part of what logo creation is all about. A professional logo designer will not only translate your vision into a graphical design, but will also look into your business and incorporate into the logo the proper combination of typography, lines and curves, and colors. The final product will be an alignment of your unique design into your business niche and the building block of your brand.
In most cases, a business or organization without a professionally designed logo is lacking one because they don’t think they can afford one. At WEBGIO, we want to let you know that they cannot afford not to have one.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Logos: Part I: Should I have a Logo?
Whether you are a startup company or your business has been around for generations, when you considered putting your company on the internet you likely thought about whether you should have a logo. (And if you didn’t let me begin my case now to convince you).
A logo will go a long way into giving you a brand, yes, but I will hit that point in part 2, what I want to talk about now is why you should have a professionally customized logo designed for your business and display it prominently on your web page (and corporate materials). The reason is simple and may even seem cliché, but you need to make a great first impression.
A visitor to your web site will form a first impression in less than a second based solely on its visual appeal. In that amount of time, no one will have read your bio or mission statement. No words or content from your linked pages will be considered. The first impression of your business is all in the presentation of your site. If they do not like what they see in that first instant, chances are they are going to leave and click over to your competitor’s site.
Assuming that you have a well-designed website, the lack of a logo is not necessarily going to scare a potential customer away, but having a logo gives your company instant credibility. It shows the customer that you are a serious contender for their business. It shows that you have spent the time to give yourself a unique brand, that you are not just one of a million sites out there aiming for easy money. When someone sees a clean or creative logo representing your business, a level of comfort is established and their willingness to spend their hard-earned money on your product or service has just went way above that of a site with no branded image.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
A logo will go a long way into giving you a brand, yes, but I will hit that point in part 2, what I want to talk about now is why you should have a professionally customized logo designed for your business and display it prominently on your web page (and corporate materials). The reason is simple and may even seem cliché, but you need to make a great first impression.
A visitor to your web site will form a first impression in less than a second based solely on its visual appeal. In that amount of time, no one will have read your bio or mission statement. No words or content from your linked pages will be considered. The first impression of your business is all in the presentation of your site. If they do not like what they see in that first instant, chances are they are going to leave and click over to your competitor’s site.
Assuming that you have a well-designed website, the lack of a logo is not necessarily going to scare a potential customer away, but having a logo gives your company instant credibility. It shows the customer that you are a serious contender for their business. It shows that you have spent the time to give yourself a unique brand, that you are not just one of a million sites out there aiming for easy money. When someone sees a clean or creative logo representing your business, a level of comfort is established and their willingness to spend their hard-earned money on your product or service has just went way above that of a site with no branded image.
For more design tips and ideas contact our team at CustomerCare@webgio.com
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