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9 web design tips

05/03/202405/04/2023 by scmarketing

Your website is your shop window for your prospects and existing clients. It should attract and engage visitors to keep them on your website for as long as possible.

Clear and bold call to actions with simple messaging and an easy to navigate menu is a solid foundation to build your website on.

If you’re looking for a new website to be designed and developed to help grow your business as part of your wider marketing strategy, here’s our top web design tips for businesses to consider.

1. Build your website with a good CMS

You need a good framework to build your website on. These days that means using Content Management Systems (CMS). Once the website is designed and developed, it enables easy upload of information so that content updates can be managed by you or a digital marketing agency.

2. Simple and engaging content

Review all your company information including your ‘about us’, case studies, product information, contact details and pricing. No is the perfect time to update everything. Read your content and ask yourself is it clear, accurate and informative. If you think of who your target client is, then write content that speaks to them.

Make sure that your URL for these pages says exactly what’s being talked about on the page as this help with SEO. So, if you’re an accountancy firm talking about Corporation Tax or Self-employment tax, name the specific URL just that.

3. Easy website navigation

When you design the menu and site map, think about the layout and whether it’s relevant and easy to navigate. You want visitors to find things quickly to help reduce the bounce rate and to keep them looking through your website for longer.

4. Calls to action

It’s not just about a clear menu, but it’s also about adding clear call to action buttons. These are often used for inbound marketing campaigns to drive visitors to: ‘download ebooks’; ‘sign up to a newsletter’; ‘book a consultation’.

5. Images

This forms part of your content too. It makes the website more engaging and easier on the eye. But don’t forget to upload the right size as too large and this could impact on the speed of your website loading and affect your SEO. Resize images so they are under 1200pixels wide. You can also install a plugin that means that whoever uploads an image to your CMS website it will automatically be resized.

6. Should websites have a blog?

Absolutely! A blog is vital for a business website to be seen in organic google search because it provides a dedicated space for uploading fresh content regularly. This keeps the website up to date and engaging for prospects, current clients and also the search engines.

The one job of a search engine is to get the best result for the person searching for a particular term. Therefore, providing content with helpful tips, advice and links, will help your website rise in the search rankings.

7. Be targeted

Your website needs to appeal to your target audience. We refer to this as an online persona which is a made up stereotypical customer. So, this is where a blog page can allow you to create specific content which answers the challenges of your audience.

8. Optimise your website

Any digital marketing agency you work with will tell you about Meta Descriptions, Alt Tags and H1/H2 headings. A web designer can provide you with simple training on this once your website has been developed. Or you can engage a digital marketing agency to manage this for you moving forward.

9. Back up your website

Most CMS websites provide modules to allow you to back up and to make safe against hackers. Do what you can to make it safe. A digital marketing agency that designs websites will usually incorporate regular backs ups into their ongoing management fee, so make sure you ask about this when you look to engage a web developer.

Web Design Consultant Croydon

If you’re a Croydon business and need help with your website design and development book a free consultation with the Smart Cow marketing team. As an inbound marketing agency in Croydon, we create and design websites for accountants and the local businesses.

Digital marketing resources

Are You Part of the PRADA Marfa Club?

04/27/202304/27/2023 by scmarketing

Hey there, fellow business owners! Today, I want to talk about a topic that should be near and dear to your heart – your website. Let’s talk specifically about the infamous Prada Marfa “shop” in Texas and what it can teach us about the importance of having an engaging website.

For those of you who may not know, Prada Marfa is an art installation that looks like a small luxury boutique.

From the outside, it’s a beautiful sight to behold, and anyone who stumbles upon it can’t help but be intrigued. But as soon as you step inside, you’re hit with an underwhelming surprise – there are no prices, no salespeople, and no vibe to speak of.

Website Design

This is the perfect analogy for what can happen to your website design if you don’t invest time, effort and resources into making it attractive and user-friendly. Sure, you may have a gorgeous homepage that catches people’s attention, but if the rest of your site is barren and uninspiring, visitors will run for the hills faster than you can say, “Welcome to our site!”

Think of it this way. If you step into a store where it’s hard to find anything, you’re unsure of the prices, and you’re not sure of the product information, would you stay there? Of course not! It’s the same with your website. You want to make sure your website is engaging and informative to your visitors, so they are more likely to stick around and convert into customers.

Now, let’s talk about the importance of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), PPC (Pay Per Click) ad campaigns, and marketing. Imagine Prada Marfa in the middle of the desert – it’s a stunning art installation, but it’s not in the right location to get traffic from potential customers. In the same way, without proper SEO, PPC, and marketing efforts to promote your website, it’s like you’re operating in the middle of nowhere, with no traffic or potential customers.

But fear not – there is hope! Smart Cow Marketing can help you build an attractive website that is sure to get traffic. A website that performs like Bond Street, rather than being lost out in the virtual desert. With our help, you can connect with customers, achieve sales targets and take your business to the upper echelons.

Your website is critical to the success of your business. Take a step back and evaluate your website’s user experience, if it needs work, invest the time and effort to improve it. Remember, just as Prada Marfa needs a makeover on the inside to match its striking exterior, your website needs a perfect balance of design, content, functionality, and optimisation to engage visitors and convert them into loyal customers.

What makes a good website design?

04/19/2023 by scmarketing

As a small business owner, you’re well aware of the importance of reaching out to your customers in the best possible way. Having an effective online presence can make a huge difference. One of the key aspects of creating an online presence is website design. A website that’s user-friendly, visually appealing, and easy to navigate can go a long way in engaging with potential customers. But, it can be challenging to know where to begin.

In this blog, we’ll break down some of the key elements of effective website design for small businesses.

Clear navigation

The navigation of your website should be simple, intuitive, and easy to use. It should guide your visitors through your site and help them to find what they need quickly and efficiently. Visitors to your website should be able to find the information they’re looking for without being confused or lost. Therefore, a clean, concise, and well-organised navigation menu can improve your user experience.

Responsive design

Your website must be responsive – that is, it should automatically adjust to the size of the screen on which it is being viewed. With the rise of mobile and tablet browsing, responsive design is essential.

Most people now use mobile devices to access the internet rather than a desktop computer. So, it’s important to optimise your website for these devices. A responsive website design ensures that users can access your website from any device. This helps to make your site more accessible to a wider audience.

Quality and relevant content

A website’s content is the driving force behind web traffic generation, and it’s important that your content should be of high quality. Content should be relevant, informative, and engaging so that it attracts and keeps your visitors’ attention.

By creating quality and relevant content, you can attract and retain more web visitors. You can also reduce website bounce rates and help to boost your website ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Effective branding

Your website is the face of your business, and it’s essential that your website embodies your business’s branding. Your site’s colour schemes, logo, and message should complement your branding efforts. Consistency between your business’s branding and your website design is critical, and it ensures that your customers can quickly recognise your brand when they come across your site. This will go along way in building brand trust for your business.

User-friendly design

A well-designed website encourages users to stay longer and explore more. A user-friendly design incorporates the use of easy-to-read fonts, contrasting colours, and effective images.

Your website should be optimised for fast load times to ensure a great user experience. This should be part of a wider and ongoing Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy. A website design SEO consultant can talk you through at early design stages.

A user-friendly website design can also help web visitors take the desired action including subscribing to a newsletter, purchasing a product, or booking a meeting.

Web design Croydon

To create an effective website that helps your business grow, you must first understand what makes a good website design. From clear navigation to quality content, responsive design, and effective branding, your website must cater to your target audience’s needs, keeping their experience smooth and simple as possible. A well-designed website can increase your visibility, boost your brand’s awareness, and generate revenue.

Get in touch about our website design SEO services in Croydon. As a digital marketing agency business in Croydon, we can also provide local businesses with marketing support including social media marketing; pay per click advertising and ongoing SEO services.

Why Marketing Your Business is Important

11/09/2022 by scmarketing

In these difficult times, it’s more important than ever to keep your business visible. After all, if potential customers don’t know that you exist, they can’t very well buy your products or services! But with budgets tight, you may be wondering how to go about marketing your business without breaking the bank. Luckily, we’re here to help. Keep reading for some tips on how to tailor your digital marketing strategy to fit your budget.

Web Development

Having a website is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the digital age. Potential customers will likely look for your website before they ever visit a shop or book an appointment at your salon, so it’s important that it makes a good impression. A well-designed website will not only look professional but also be easy to navigate and full of useful information about your products or services.

If you’re working with a limited budget, consider hiring a freelance web developer to create a basic website for you. This ensures that your website will be modern, responsive for all devices and optimised for search.

When you work with Smart Cow to develop your site, you’ll benefit from over 20 years of expertise to help you create your contemporary website. Once your site is up and running, as it will be a Content Managed System (CMS) you will be able to make future updates yourself to help cut down on ongoing costs.

Onsite SEO

If you develop a new website then your web developer should provide initial onsite SEO for you such as completion of Meta desc, alt tags, web optimised images and clear call to actions. However, it’s recommended to regularly update your website with new content as search engines like this. You can do this yourself with a regular, unique and relevant blog content offering tips and advice. Or, you could work with an agency to help create a content marketing calendar for you. Adding keywords that you wish to be found for in search engine results pages (SERPs) will help your position in organic search.

Social Media Marketing

One of the most cost-effective ways to market your business is through social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have billions of users worldwide, so there’s a good chance that your target audience is already using one (or both) of them. And best of all, setting up a social media account is free!

Of course, simply having a social media account isn’t enough. To really see results, you’ll need to put in the time to post regularly and interact with your followers. If you’re not sure you have the time or resources to do this yourself, consider hiring a social media manager—they can help you create and execute a plan that fits both your budget and your goals.

Online Advertising

Another great way to reach potential customers is through online advertising. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to specifically target people who are interested in what you have to offer—and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad!

When creating an online advertising campaign, be sure to set a budget that you’re comfortable with and track your results carefully so that you can adjust your strategy as needed.

Cost effective digital marketing

Marketing your business doesn’t have to be expensive—there are plenty of cost-effective ways to get started. By utilising social media, your website, and PPC/online advertising, you can reach potential customers both near and far without breaking the bank.

Here at Smart Cow, we specialise in tailor-made digital marketing solutions for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small business owner just starting out or a large corporation, we can devise a plan that fits both your needs and your budget.