Web Design Articles
January 21st, 2013 :: Rieva Lesonsky
By Rieva Lesonsky
There’s no question that consumer and business use of tablet computers is growing by leaps and bounds. The recent holiday shopping season put millions more tablets into consumers’ hands. Meanwhile, a recent report by Gartner notes that businesses are buying fewer PCs and instead turning to tablet computers.
Given all this, it’s clear why your small business website needs to be mobile-friendly, if it isn’t already. What are some factors to consider when optimizing your website for mobile use?
Use images wisely. The ability to display high-resolution photographs is a key part of the appeal of tablet computers like the iPad, but you need to make sure photos load quickly on a tablet or smartphone. Widely cited stats from Google say 60 percent of users expect mobile sites to load in 3 seconds or less, so don’t let photos slow you down.
Consider responsive design. The new trend in Web design, responsive design means creating sites in such a way that they “adapt” to the device being used and display differently depending on screen orientation, screen size and other factors. This can be a simpler option than the older method of developing different websites for each type of device or browser.
Use consistent elements. Your site should have the same overall look and feel whether it is viewed on a smartphone, tablet or desktop/laptop. Sure, there will be fewer and simpler elements on the smaller displays, but your website’s logo, colors, fonts and other elements of your brand image should carry over from one device to the next so that your site is instantly recognizable.
Develop simple navigation. Navigation on a touchscreen of a tablet or smartphone is different than mouse or trackpad navigation on a laptop or desktop. Account for the “fat-finger” factor; make sure users can easily tap, touch or swipe the icons they need to without hitting the wrong command by mistake.
Consider the competition. Before revamping your website for mobile use, check out what your key competitors are doing. Pay attention to what you like and don’t like when you access their sites on mobile devices. What seems to be missing that you could add to your site? Or what’s unnecessary on their site that you can eliminate from yours?
Borrow from the pros. Are there websites you frequently access on mobile devices that have a fantastic user experience? Whether or not these companies are competitors or even in your industry, take note of what makes them so enjoyable, and copy some of the same design, navigation and usability features on your own mobile site.
Editor’s Note : Network Solutions offers an easy way to build a website for mobile devices in mere minutes goMobi™, powered by dotMobi
Image by Flickr user muir.ceardach (Creative Commons)
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Tags: Marketing, mobile marketing, small business, Technology, website design
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January 16th, 2013 :: Rieva Lesonsky
By Rieva Lesonsky
The holiday shopping season resulted in as much as $43.4 billion in sales for online retailers. But a study performed by The Adcom Group for Virtual Hold Technology (VHT) suggests that number could have been much higher if consumers hadn’t struggled with a variety of obstacles to completing the online sale.
The study found that more than three-fourths of online shoppers ran into shopping roadblocks when they had a problem completing the purchase, but couldn’t find help online. A similar number reported that this frustration led them to give up entirely and abandon their online shopping cart.
What specific issues were causing problems?
- Problems correctly reading and using the captcha – 80.3 percent
- Trouble using promo codes, gift card redemption, or with other discount – 46 percent
- Product was back-ordered – 32.5 percent
- Had questions about product features and had difficulty finding answers - 31 percent
- The site timed out (or appeared to) – 30.5 percent
- Had problems logging onto the site, setting up your account or remembering your password – 29.3 percent
- Had questions about shipping and had difficulty finding answers – 24.7 percent
- Had problems entering credit card data or with credit card acceptance -22.6 percent
- Had questions about product availability and had difficulty finding answers – 20.1 percent
- Had problems re-setting your password – 18.9 percent
- Had questions about the return policy and had difficulty finding answers – 15.9 percent
Here’s the really scary part: When faced with these problems, more than 37 percent of customers just give up, and 25.5 percent head to a competitor.
How could online retailers help combat the problem of abandoned shopping carts? Rapidly resolving the problems that get in the way of buying was the number-one answer. Customers overwhelmingly said they would buy more from a site that offered the ability to click or tap to get immediate customer service assistance. In fact, more than three-fourths said they would prefer a site that offered this convenience to a competing site that didn’t.
Providing better customer service would not only drive customers to complete purchases, but also inspire new business. Over half of survey respondents said they would become promoters of brands that offered the ability to click or tap for customer service, and that they would refer others to the brand, website or mobile app.
Of course, many of the issues mentioned above could be solved with a robust set of FAQs that’s easy to find on your site. Make sure FAQs about issues such as shipping, return policies and more are clearly visible on every page of your site navigation.
You can download the full results of the study at www.virtualhold.com/onlineshopping.
Image by Flickr user zion fiction (Creative Commons)
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Tags: ecommerce, sales process, small business, Technology, website design
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January 15th, 2013 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich
Screencast-o-matic
According to Internet Retailer, 52 percent of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in their online purchase decisions. So how can you capture video for your website or promote your business by video on YouTube? Screencast-o-matic can help you create a “screencast” video of the activity on your computer screen and then upload it to the video channel of your choice or just save it as a video file to use on your website. With editing tools such as zoom, voice recording and text overlays, you can show consumers how to order, how to use a product or whatever information you feel needs a video to portray.
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January 9th, 2013 :: Rieva Lesonsky
By Rieva Lesonsky
Is your small business doing all it can be to stay competitive in 2013 and beyond? The latest Citibank Small Business Pulse survey spotlighted 10 actions the most successful small business owners take to keep their companies competitive. Are you doing them?
1: Do your research and get educated. Some 88 percent of small businesses surveyed say they regularly work to stay up to date and knowledgeable about their industry and changes in the market.
2: Work hard and do what needs to get done. Successful small business owners are dedicated—so much so that more than half (53 percent) say they didn’t take a vacation last summer.
3: Update or upgrade technology. Nearly 70 percent of respondents say they recently updated or upgraded their computer systems, and 51 percent have made a major change to their business technology.
4: Know your clients. More than two-thirds (67 percent) say they are spending more “face time” with customers to keep their businesses ahead of the pack. Such client relationships also help entrepreneurs stay on top of industry and market trends.
5: Keep a close eye on cash and budgets. Many small businesses say they are keeping cash in reserves and spending cautiously. No wonder: Some 58 percent admit that cash flow issues have been a major challenge in the past few years. However, 73 percent feel they are doing a good job of managing their cash effectively.
6: Be involved. Small business owners are taking part in their business and local communities: 51 percent have built a network of suppliers and partner companies, and 47 percent say they have become more active in the community and local organizations.
7. Be prepared. If another economic downturn occurred, 80 percent of survey respondents say they could handle it. They’ve learned from the recent recession, in which many of them took steps such as running leaner, cutting operating costs and renegotiating contracts.
8: Plan ahead. Some 27 percent of small business owners say they can predict their cash situation four to six months ahead, which enables them to plan for the future.
9: Stick with your aspirations. Despite the challenges of entrepreneurship, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of business owners polled say they are living their dream; three-fourths say they would do it all over again.
10: Market, market, market. More than half (53 percent) of small business owners say they’ve upped social media and online advertising in the last year, while 54 percent improved their websites and search engine presence.
Image by Flickr user Generationbass (Creative Commons)
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January 8th, 2013 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich
Clipix
Black Friday online sales numbers prove ecommerce is alive and thriving, but why would consumers pick your website over a competitor’s? Clipix can help consumers remember your site and keep them coming back to shop again. For consumers, Clipix is a private bookmarking tool that lets consumers set Price Drop Alerts, an innovative feature that monitors real-time discounts on the items sold on your website. By adding the Clipix icon to your site, you’re encouraging shoppers to bookmark your page to their personal shopping lists. And if a Price Drop Alert is received, the customer is linked directly to your checkout page at no cost to you (the online retailer).
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Tags: ecommerce, Marketing, sales process, small business resources, Web Design
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January 8th, 2013 :: Karen Axelton
By Karen Axelton
While social media may get all the buzz in the marketing world, when it comes to boosting ecommerce sales, statistics show that email is still more effective. Data from trade organization the Direct Marketing Association show that email outperforms social media advertising by three to one when measured in sales per advertising dollar spent. This year alone, during the key Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend, the number of online shoppers who bought something after visiting an ecommerce site from a social networking site declined by 26 percent compared to 2011, IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark reported. On both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, “social sales” accounted for less than 0.5 percent of all online sales.
How can you make your email marketing messages more effective?
- Target your messages. A generic email blast about a sale won’t be as effective as specific emails targeted to different consumer groups based on their behavior. You can target emails based on what consumers have done in the past (such as past purchases) or what they’ve browsed on your site recently.
- Whet shoppers’ appetites. Limited-time offers still work well to drive shoppers from your email message to your website. “Today Only,” “Just 3 Hours Left” or other subject lines that convince customers they’d better act now are a good way to get shoppers to click through.
- Use landing pages. Be sure when shoppers click through your emails they don’t just go to your home page. Create a landing page designed for that specific email that includes strong calls to action to persuade customers to act. For instance, an email touting a sale on children’s clothing should go directly to your children’s clothing sale page.
- Don’t let shopping carts sit abandoned. Many customers put items in their shopping carts, then don’t check out. Set triggered emails to remind customers of their waiting items or update them when a price has changed on something in their cart.
- Use cookies and online advertising. Use cookies to track customer activity on your site. Then when customers browse your site, you can serve up ads later on unrelated sites for the products they viewed on yours. This is a great tactic to keep your website and your products top-of-mind until customers are ready to buy.
- Be aggressive about retaining your email list. Instead of a simple “unsubscribe” option, consider offering a range of choices on your unsubscribe page. For instance, some e-tailers ask customers if they’d like to see the emails less often, such as once a month instead of once a week. You can even set up your unsubscribe to ask customers if they want to take a break (such as three months off) from emails before receiving them again.
Image by Flickr user Jonathon Narvey (Creative Commons)
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Tags: ecommerce, Email marketing, Marketing, small business, Technology
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January 7th, 2013 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich
Google Translate
Les tailles sont sur le petit côté. If you plan to sell products or services overseas, don’t assume all your customers speak English or you could be turning away a lot of interested customers. (The phrase means “Sizes run on the small side,” by the way.) Google Translate is a free translation service that provides instant translations between 64 different languages. By looking at patterns in hundreds of millions of documents, it decides on the best translation and can translate words, sentences and Web pages. By simply adding a Google Translate embed code to your website, you make it easy for customers to choose the language they would like your website translated to.
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December 31st, 2012 :: Rieva Lesonsky
By Rieva Lesonsky
Are you a brick-and-mortar retailer who also has a website to sell your products? Wouldn’t it be great if you could get more customers shopping at both your physical store and your website? You can. Just learn a lesson from what some of the nation’s most successful retailers are doing to market their products in multiple channels.
Internet Retailer recently examined the habits of some of the nation’s top retail chains and here are the most common tactics they found:
Promote in-store only discounts or deals on your website or via email marketing. For instance, you can email a coupon good only in your store (but include links to your website so customers can shop both ways).
Offer online ordering with in-store pickup. This appeals to customers who are in a rush to get the product or don’t want to pay for shipping. More retailers are offering shorter time frames for in-store pickup, such as Staples, which promises to have shoppers’ orders ready in two hours. If you make such a promise, be sure you have the manpower to fulfill it.
Offer online ordering and in-store payment. Some consumers still don’t feel comfortable using credit cards online or prefer to pay in person for other reasons. You can attract those users by enabling them to reserve a product online, then pick it up and pay in-store.
Do a subtle upsell. Apple, for instance, urges customers to shop online but then come into a store to pick up the product and get “personal assistance.” If your product, like Apple’s, is one where customers could benefit from additional assistance, this approach can get them to come in and spend more in-store than they might have online.
If you’re offering the pickup or pay-in-store option, make sure the area where customers go to pick up their products is merchandised attractively. For example, you could display items related to commonly ordered products (such as cords or accessories if you sell electronics) or impulse buys such as gift wrap or small-ticket items.
Make sure your website has multiple ways for users to find your physical store/s, such as a map and directions, address, and a phone number to contact you. Also make certain that information about days and hours you’re open is prominently displayed.
Increasingly, consumers expect a seamless experience that allows them to shop how and when they want, so make sure your website encourages shopping in any possible sales channel.
Image by Flickr user Jamison_Judd (Creative Commons)
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Tags: ecommerce, Marketing, online marketing, sales process, small business
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December 17th, 2012 :: Rieva Lesonsky
By Rieva Lesonsky
This holiday season is providing hard-to-ignore proof that increasingly, consumers are turning to mobile devices for functions like search and shopping. Recently, eMarketer did a roundup of some mobile device stats that should get you thinking. Here’s some of what they found:
- The desktop isn’t obsolete yet. U.S. consumers on average still spend twice as much time on desktop computers than on mobile devices.
- However, mobile devices are catching up fast. The average time spent on mobile devices is growing a whopping 14 percent faster than time spent on desktops.
- In fact, if that rate of growth remains the same, eMarketer projects that time spent on mobile could equal time spent on desktops in just a few years.
What are consumers doing on mobile devices? In ever-larger numbers, they’re surfing the Internet. The eMarketer article cites data from Net Marketshare that says tablets and smartphones accounted for more than 10 percent of global browsing traffic in October for the first time ever in October. Net Marketshare notes that this figure is likely an underestimation since it didn’t include users who accessed the Internet via mobile apps.
Net Marketshare’s data is global, but in nations where smartphones are widely used, the growth in mobile Internet access is even faster. According to Chitika data cited by eMarketer, some 28 percent of Web traffic in North America came from mobile devices as of June 2012.
What does this growth mean to your business? If you haven’t yet invested in making your website mobile-friendly, or if you’ve treated this activity as an afterthought, it’s time to get with the program. While in the old days you could think about designing your website for desktop first and then stripping it down for mobile, now you’ve got to consider how users interact with your site differently on desktops, smartphones and tablets.
Also keep in mind consumers are increasingly expecting to be able to choose between a mobile-optimized website and a mobile app depending on their needs and moods—so if you haven’t thought about an app yet, it may be time (provided, of course, there’s some business value that you can offer customers).
I’m not saying you should ignore your website—it’s still the foundation on which all online activity is based, and for right now, it’s still where consumers spend most of their online time. But that’s changing faster than you think. Is your business ready?
Image by Flickr user p_a_h (Creative Commons)
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Tags: mobile marketing, sales process, small business, Thought Leadership, Web Design
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December 10th, 2012 :: Rieva Lesonsky
By Rieva Lesonsky
How can your small business reach the elite group of high-achieving small companies? Online marketing is the key, suggests a new Forrester research study commissioned by Act-On Software. In the face of continuing economic uncertainty, the study, “Driving Revenue in a Volatile Economy, found that the top-performing small businesses are those that truly embrace online marketing.
The study identified these lessons small businesses can take from top performers and large companies:
- Don’t automatically cut your marketing budget in a down economy. Top performers were less likely than bottom performers to cut their marketing budgets (33 percent vs. 56 percent). On the contrary, top performers prove that maintaining or increasing marketing spending does pay off in terms of revenues.
- Take lead generation seriously. The top-performing small businesses carefully manage sales leads, vetting, qualifying and nurturing them before handing them off to sales to close. They were also willing to spend more to get new leads, while bottom performers spent their time and money trying to squeeze new sales from existing customers.
- Adopt digital marketing techniques. All small businesses in the study focused primarily on traditional marketing techniques, such as print advertising, tradeshows, events and seminars. However, top performing businesses were more likely to have adopted digital marketing tactics and technology tools to help scale their marketing efforts.
- Get serious about social marketing. While larger businesses are realizing that “social media” is not just an abstract tool for generating buzz, small businesses are lagging behind in developing a social media strategy and making social media part of the sales pipeline.
- Increase collaboration between sales and marketing. By working together, these teams can drive leads more effectively and close more sales.
- Invest in marketing automation. Companies that automated marketing functions had better results. For example, 61 percent of top performers used CRM vs. just 46 percent of bottom performers. And only 5 percent of bottom performers used marketing automation, compared to 28 percent of top performers.
- Measure results. Nearly half of the bottom performing businesses did not measure any aspect of their marketing. In contrast, top performers measured everything.
Visit Act-On’s website for a free ebook, 7 Marketing Habits of Today’s Highly Successful SMBs.
Image by Flickr user ganesha.isis (Creative Commons)
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