Filed under: Design | Tags: Branding Website, CSS, Effective branding, HTML, JAVASCRIPT, Studioapp Branding, Website Design, Website Development, Website Redesign
There is no handbook on the skills needed to become a web designer. Nor is there a fixed aptitude or personality test required to qualify as one. All you need to have is the knowledge of a few basic programming languages, a good design sense and the drive to experiment. Signing up for a web design course might be partially useful, but in the end most of what you implement will be self-taught. And since the Internet gives you access to a large number of design portals as well as the latest programs, it does prove to be an added boon. By surfing the Web, checking out design blogs and downloading software you can develop a signature style that is in sync with your personality and creativity.
The first three programming languages that you need to learn are:
HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language is a programming language that is used to present pages and text on the Web. You can start writing these either on NotePad or Windows. It is one of the first languages you will need to start out with on your journey to become a web designer. Various mark up tags are used for each stage of text from the title (), to the start and end of a new paragraph (
), and even for an image (). These are the tags that give the text you see on a website, its format and font. Now this program is essentially a beginner’s tool and also meant for designers who are focusing more on text. If you want to learn more about graphic design then Adobe Photoshop and Flash should be on the top of your list.
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets are what you use to convert the HTML code you have written into a web page as you see it on the Internet. CSS can either be downloaded as ready templates or you can create your own template using Macromedia Dreamweaver or BB edit. Once you have created your style sheet, you can implement it either externally, by imbedding it, or by using inline CSS. The method you select depends on how large your website is and how you decide to maintain it.
JavaScript
This is a scripting language which is connected to HTML. It allows the web designer to make his web page dynamic and interactive. By using this coding, you can determine what happens when a user clicks on a link; whether he is shown more text or whether he is taken to a new website.
By learning these three languages, you can acquire the basics needed to become a web designer. Once you have mastered these, you can move on to other programs that help make your website more user-friendly, appealing and more likely to be picked up by search engines.
After mastering the skills needed to become a web designer you should also determine whether you want to work with a design studio or independently. Both are equally good options though the latter gives you more scope to experiment. It’s not too hard getting yourself a domain name and finding a reliable hosting company which will enable you to get more freelance work. These along with a stable internet connection, a computer with a good resolution and the ability to withstand hours in front of the computer screen should stand you in good stead. It is only through constant practice and by working on a variety of projects that you will be able to hone your design sensibilities, which is what will make your work distinct and much sought after.
Filed under: Design | Tags: Branding Website, Effective branding, Studioapp Branding, Website Design, Website Development, Website Redesign
Website Design – Going Local for Your Local Business
When many people first think about taking their business on to the Internet, the first thing that they begin looking for is affordable website design. Although this certainly is something that you should keep in mind whenever you are doing anything as far as your business is concerned, you also need to be careful that your online presence does not display the fact that you paid less for it. The simple fact of the matter is, there is some affordable web design that is available which is also going to be quality as well. A good example of this is the On Top Web Design service, especially if you are interested in website design in the Poole area. The reason why this is the case is because it is always a good idea for you to go with a local design company instead of going with an outsourced company that may be thousands of miles away from you. Not only are you going to be putting back into the local economy but you’re also going to get somebody that has an interest in your specific business. In this way, you will be able to get affordability and quality, both in the same package and to do so with somebody that understands the area in which you do business. This tends to be something that many individuals overlook in their search for a webmaster but it is something very important for you to keep in mind. It is also important that you choose somebody such as On Top Web Design if you’re going to be putting up an e-commerce website. Some people are simply looking for a landing page on the Internet in order to introduce themselves to their future customers but others are looking for a way to take their business onto the internet full time. If this is the case with you, you also want to make sure that you’re going with a local company that is familiar with e-commerce website design services. This will keep your business from stumbling from the start and get it up and running in the shortest amount of time possible. Finally, you should be looking for in a website design service is the ability for them to get you listed in the search engines and to stay listed towards the top. After all, this is where many people are starting to look for services in their local area and unless you come out on top of the heap, you are going to be losing business to your competition. This entire process is known as search engine optimization and it is an ongoing process, but one that pays off very well in the way of customers. Make sure that your web design company is going to offer you these services and make sure that your business is running well for the long-term.
Filed under: E-commerce Website | Tags: Branding Website, Effective branding, Studioapp Branding, Website Design, Website Development, Website Redesign
Today, people have grown busier, much more busier than we could have imagined of. They don’t have enough time for themselves and they certainly won’t have time for you. But, if you are into a business, you will have to make them come to you to avail your services/products. And Internet can facilitate the same. The potential of Internet marketing is amazing. You can buy/sell just through your fingertips. All it takes is a single Click.
Hence, for a successful business, be it small or large , you need eCommerce web design solution, which can be extremely helpful in the long run.
Before starting with Online Business, it is essential to know who your target audience are and what you customers would generally look for. Then comes the need for a good website. In Web design market, customers generally look for 3 key product features for their websites:
They are:
* Custom Made Web Design
* Cost Effectiveness
* Easy and Reliable to Use
Today creating an ecommerce website has become so very easy, that, a web designer choose from pre-existing design templates that are already available on the Internet. Pick the template and theme of desired store and make changes in them according to your needs. Apart from basic design elements, this theme consists of elements like font faces, sizes and colors.
After choosing theme, you can have different web pages on your site. Configure all the pages individually and continue with a unified web design. After finalizing basic web design requirements for an online store, you might need a professional web designer. He can help you to with your site maintenance and structure it in accordance with prevailing norms and trends.
The success of ecommerce web site design depends on the ability to attract search engine spiders so that the site’s pages are crawled and indexed. Being a businessman, one should be innovative and open to new ideas and have the guts to expand his online business. Add and optimize your web site pages individually. Being a business owner, you should adapt your ecommerce website business according to fast changing online business trends.
StudioApp’s eCcommerce website design solutions allow you to set up your own eCommerce website to suit your business needs and personal preferences, supported by our vast feature set and wide assortment of themes. Lets you sell your products online with the help of advanced shopping cart software.
Filed under: Development | Tags: Branding, Branding Website, Effective branding, Studioapp Branding, Website Design, Website Development, Website Redesign
Have you seen a really well designed website and thought that you would like to do the same? Well, now you can with the use of the ever-popular Dreamweaver. Learning how to use Dreamweaver can really help to save a lot of time when writing lots of codes in an html editor.
So what exactly is Dreamweaver? Basically, it is a powerful website development piece of software that is easy to use and it can really help you to build impressive websites. With its extensive libraries and templates, even a complete beginner can easily make a website. However, if you are one of the more advanced web designers and coders, Dreamweaver can also be used to develop database driven websites and to develop server side websites that give a lot more functionality to the user.
Dreamweaver’s interface has been designed to make it easier to build both simple and complex websites by using a point and click method that helps to simplify most tasks.
The Benefits of Using Dreamweaver
The benefits of using Dreamweaver over plain html coding from scratch are endless. Dreamweaver creates a lot of the code for the user already, which makes it incredibly useful for those who have no idea what they are doing and, for the people who do know how to code html, they can always add it to the written code a lot easier.
You can switch between code view and the design view and you can even have both in the same window to keep tabs on any changes that you have made. Also, when you save your site, you can view your page in a web browser just to see what it would look like on the internet. For this you do not have to be on the internet to view it, as you can view it without your computer being online.
If you do edit any code, there are tools on Dreamweaver that help to correct any mistakes in the syntax. There are so many great features in Dreamweaver that you would not get in ordinary html editors.
Another great feature in Dreamweaver is the layout tool. You can use this to get an idea of where you put your navigation, menus, pictures, etc.
Where to Go In Order To Learn Dreamweaver
If you are interested in learning Dreamweaver, a great place to start is in google. Do a search for Dreamweaver Tutorial or Dreamweaver Video Tutorial you’ll find a whole range of top quality Dreamweaver Tutorials. This will help people who are starting from scratch to feel confident in making great looking websites and it can also help more advanced users to pick up new skills or refresh existing skills.
Overall, Dreamweaver is worth learning if you are serious about web design, so why not start today and show the world just how good your website can be.
Filed under: Design | Tags: Branding, Branding Website, Effective branding, Onfly branding, Studioapp Branding, Website Design, Website Development, Website Redesign
How To Decide Whether to Hire a Web Designer or a Web Developer
Most people begin their website project with a search for a professional web designer or web developer and don’t even realize that there is a difference between the two. However, they are very different types of people and they both come to your project with their own points of view. Deciding what type of site you need will be the first step in determining what type of person you need for the project.
The Type of Website you Need: Static or Dynamic
The first place to begin when choosing who to build your site, is to decide whether you are going to need a static or a dynamic website. A static website is sometimes called a “brochure website”. On a static site, once all the information has been uploaded to the server, it stays the same. It only changes when a webmaster goes out to the site and makes updates. Therefore, all users see the same thing. It’s much like handing out a traditional business brochure. All of your customers see the same thing until you have your brochure redone. With a dynamic website, what the user sees will change, based on their input and thus is a more complicated and costly type of website. A dynamic website requires advanced programming to operate correctly. The programs must execute different results, based on what the user requests. A “search” feature is one dynamic element contained on most websites. Any ecommerce site is an example of a dynamic website.
Form – The Web Designer
The web designer’s job is to focus on the layout and look of a website. They choose the color scheme and make decisions on how the text and graphics are displayed. They are concerned with the impression the site gives the visitor and how the visitor will navigate around the site. They are usually skilled in Photoshop and other graphic software. Many web designers begin their careers as graphic artists and are skilled at getting the site to have the “look and feel” that you want. They create your image on the Internet. Web designers usually have the skills needed to create static websites on their own.
Function – The Web Developer
Web developers, on the other hand are programmers. They usually handle more complicated sites and know various scripting languages. Their focus is on the interactive features of a site such as the shopping cart for an ecommerce site or a survey form or an order form. You will need the services of a web developer for a dynamic website. Which to Choose Knowing what kind of site you need in the beginning is important because if you hire a web designer to build your website and you did not factor into the requirements that you were going to need, for example, an advanced multiage form, you will end up with a very nice looking website that does nothing for you. If you go the other way and have a web developer build your site, you could wind up with a very functional site that looks terrible. Design is always going to be secondary to a developer. If you need a dynamic website and the person you’re considering is more of a designer, the project can still be successful. Just be sure to have them show you some websites with some dynamic functionality that they have built to make sure that can handle your job. If the person you are considering is more of a developer, check their portfolio and make sure that they have the resources to partner with designers to produce a high quality website. If you’re still not sure which way to go, web designer or web developer, you would be better off leaning towards the web designer because the designer deals with that all-important first impression. Most Internet users decide within the first 3 seconds, whether or not they are going to stay on a site. Your project will be successful with a web designer as long as they have good web development resources as their disposal.
Usability – Where Form and Function Meet
Usability refers to how quickly and easily users can accomplish what they want to do, on your site. If your site is difficult or frustrating, they will quickly leave. You need your website to achieve your business objectives and if it’s not, then it is not a design problem, it is not a development problem, it is a usability problem. Usability is the common thread that binds form and function together. . When considering who to hire to build your website, a web designer or a web developer, be aware that they both have their strengths and limitations. A web designer will give you the right colors and the right look for your site and they understand what people respond to. The developer will give you the interactive elements for your site such as a shopping cart, a sign-up form or other dynamic functionality. However, design and development must work together to get your customer to buy your product or to contact you about your services. If your site is visually appealing, allows the user to quickly and easily do business with you, then you have hit on the perfect marriage of form and function to produce a site that excels in usability, which translates into success!
Filed under: Branding | Tags: Branding, Branding Website, Effective branding, Onfly branding, Studioapp Branding, Website Design
Online Branding – the Basics
The term “brand” has been around for many years and can be used to refer to a company name, a product name, an advertising campaign or a logo. Branding is used to create an emotional attachment to a product or company. It can also create a sense of perceived higher quality or value. In Internet marketing, branding is more than logos and theme songs. Branding lets customers know who you are, what you do and how you do it. It’s your promise of value. Effective branding will increase your potential customer base and more potential customers will always equal more sales opportunities. In recent years, consumers have been spending more time and money on the Internet. In addition to communicating with friends, they’re comparison shopping and making more and more purchases online. It’s imperative for a business to use the Internet to make an impact. Here are a few ways to define your online identity.
Describe Your Brand First – Start With What You Do
When they land on your website, your visitors should know immediately what your company does and how it can help them. Don’t be ambiguous and don’t try to be too cute. Build a unique shopping experience that a visitor will remember. With regard to graphics on your website, remember that images can convey more than words, and good ones can play a major part in online branding. Find
Your Target Market
The focus of a marketing campaign is people. Your goal is to reach a subset of the population who might be interested in your particular product – your target market. The more you know about your target market, the more precisely you can develop a marketing strategy. Your branding efforts should focus on that target market. Your message should be clear and should appeal to your visitor and make them realize the benefits of visiting your website, your store and ultimately buying your products or services.
Humanize Your Website
What is your company’s personality? The online world can be a cold and daunting place. Your branding efforts can be much more effective when you add a human element to your website. Brands are like people in that a strong one has personality, expresses opinions and elicits feelings. Your website and brand could and should do the same thing. If you are the sole owner, put your name and photo on your site to take away the mystery and distrust of a cold, impersonal website. Take a good look at your site. Does your design scheme complement your identity? You should be working toward your site having its own identity, unique language and clear personality. Take a look at some of the sites you enjoy visiting and see what makes them special and satisfying to you. Branding is not about making your site more corporate – it’s about making it personal so that visitors want to come back.
Be Consistent
For effective branding on the web, you should be consistent in terms of your approach, your message and your language throughout your visitors’ experience. Any gateway to your customers – website, blog, newsletter, emails – should have your consistent, unique personality.
Content, Content, Content
Just as location, location, location is crucial in real estate, having great content on your site is a major factor in getting customers to return. Useful, brand-related information coupled with your unique voice will help you gain fans and ultimately loyal customers. With good content, your website becomes “sticky”, that is, it’s able to keep visitors on the site browsing and reading longer. When the content is what people are looking for, they are not only more likely to stay longer, they’ll bookmark your site and maybe recommend it to others. They will learn that you are a reputable source of information and eventually go to your site for purchases. Your branding goal should be to provide rich information on your site to build an expert reputation that will be recognized by both customers and search engines.
Have an Online Presence Outside of Your Site
Post regularly to online forums where people who might be interested in your brand are gathering. Use your expertise in your field to offer intelligent and useful information and include a link to your website in your signature. With good online content, you can satisfy people’s craving for suitable information and increase your linking strategy at the same time. For example, if you have a site that sells art and painting supplies, you could write a history article on Rembrandt to be published online. This page for history or art buffs will now link potential customers from your target market to your site, and will become part of your linking strategy. On your website, offer a free newsletter or rss feed. This will allow you to build a database of potential customers who have gone out of their way to express interest in your brand. Your newsletter will then allow you to deliver your message to an interested audience with a controlled frequency that will further build your brand. Customers are becoming savvy and more discriminating when it comes to online interactions, and retailers need to provide a consistent, positive marketing experience. Great websites put substance before flash and that’s what branding is all about – your promise of value.
