IT Solutions And Marketing

Category: Websites

  • Make Your Website Mobile Friendly

    Is your website and blog ‘mobile’ friendly? This means, are they set up so that they can be viewed on mobile phones, tablets etc.

    Google has decided that your websites and blog will be given a lower ranking if they do not comply to mobile requirements.

    You therefore have to make a decision….is it important for your website to be found when being searched for by potential clients and do you want your website or blog to be looked at by folk using mobile phones etc.? It the answer is ‘yes’ to either of these, then you need to get your existing sites changed over.

    Unfortunately this is not all that easy; it is like rebuilding the site from scratch. The good news is, you already have the content (text and images) from the existing site, but you will now need web building software that is responsive (allowing the website to be viewed on mobile devices).

    More good news. You can get such responsive software for your website for free, if you build your site on WordPress.  WordPress has become more and more user friendly and many new website builders use it today (even those designers you are paying for) – but you can do it yourself if needs be. There are lots of plugins and it will do most things you want it to do.

    Have a look at this WordPress, responsive site:-

    www.ITSolutionsAndMarketing.com

    If you also look at it from an iPod, iPad or iPhone (or Android or Windows), you will notice that it automatically changes some of the layout of your web page to better fit the size of the mobile device you are using.

    If you want someone to do this for you as inexpensively as possible, why not have a word to Ven, from ‘IT Solutions and Marketing’? He has just made this site mobile friendly and they are very happy with it, as many of their potential clients want to view it from their iPhone while out shopping, looking for wedding suppliers.

    www.WriteYourLifeStory.com

    Just remember – don’t put off what could be a very important business tool for you.

  • Building a New Website?

    It can be very exciting when making the decision to build a website, whether you are going to do it yourself or whether you will pay someone to do it for you. However, so many people are then disappointed when the website is finished because they realise that they have forgotten many important aspects.

    Before beginning, have a plan. In this plan you should be very clear about just what it is you want your website to do for you. Most businesses want their website to be a marketing tool and therefore it is very important to know just ‘what’ and ‘how’ you want to market your business.

    Before you begin any marketing program you need to know just who you are targeting; who will be looking for and at your website. Imagine you are one of these people you are targeting and try to think just what it is they would want to view on a website like yours. Your home page will become the most important page of your website because it will succinctly offer just what you think the viewer will want to know.

    As well as your website, you need to consider how you will be marketing the website itself.

    Do Some Research

    Make sure you check out what your competitors are doing (and not doing). What do you think is working for them? Take notes on the form and function of other site’s (not just competitor websites) that you enjoy visiting. Find out what the latest ‘best practices’ are for web design and SEO. If you’re not sure, contact a creative studio who can provide you with some insights.

    Think About Marketing

    Having a website should only be a small part of the overall vision of your web presence. Merely having a website does not necessarily mean that people will ever see it. Do you want to use social media? You better say yes! What are your thoughts on PPC (pay per click) advertising through Google AdWords and/or social media?

    Choose the right team

    You’ve got a business to run so this is not something you may not have the time or ‘know how’ to do correctly and effectively.

    If you keep these tips in mind when meeting with a potential web design team, you’ll know whether they are or aren’t right for you and your business. Check their portfolio and contact a few referrals. Make sure you’re not just another paying customer but one that will build a close relationship with them for the long haul. This is your blood, sweat and tears we’re talking about so make sure the team you choose shares the same passion for your business and its success as you do.

    These tips are provided to give you some ideas about how to initiate the web design process and select a creative partner for your website design project. If some of these things don’t make sense to you at this point, it’s not a problem. It’s why we exist – to bring clarity and ease to the process. These are the preliminary steps we employ for each and every one of our clients at the onset of our web design process. Our team will take you through the process with ease and help you understand every step along the way.

    Written by Ven Grollmus

  • Responsive Design to Bring Your Website Into The Modern Era

    I have had a number of folk ask me just what ‘responsive design’ of a website is. It is simple really; it just means that your website can be clearly viewed by mobile devices such as mobile smart phone, tablets etc. The responsive design allows the pages of your website to be re-formatted slightly to fit the size of the mobile devices and to be viewed sideways if required.

    My ‘IT Solutions and Marketing’ site has been responsive designed. It was not difficult to do, as I chose software to build my site on that will do this designing automatically. And what is even better, it was free!

    If your website is not responsive designed, it may still be opened by mobile devices, but you may only be able to see a zoomed up version of your actual website pages. These are difficult to view/read and it can be confusing when being viewed on a smaller screen.

    Mobile devices are being used by the majority of people these days and if the design is difficult for them to vie, they will just search for another site that is responsive designed. One of the difficulties that can be encountered is that the information is re-formatted to fit the vertical device displaying it and it can become tediously long.

    When your website may have been built, we did not realise that websites would be viewed via phones in the future – phones were meant to ring folk up! With the speedy way that technology is being developed, you can’t afford not to have some funds put aside to enable you to update your existing technology when necessary. You will be telling your customers that you are unprofessional and unreliable, when you continue to use equipment and software that is outdated and old fashioned.

    Even if you and your customers are happy with your existing website when viewed from a computer, you can’t afford to ignore the fact that more and more people (your potential and existing clients) are using their mobile smart phones, iPads and iPods to access the internet.

    Now, I am not a web designer as such, so if you have a complicated, static website that you want totally rebuilt, you may need to spend a lot of money to have a professional re-design it for you. However, I can help you if you are prepared to use WordPress like my website (check it out on your smart phone or iPad etc. to see just how it works). I can also advise you on how to make your website Panda and Penguin compliant to enable you to receive higher ranking on search engines and therefore, more folk will be able to access your site.

    Written by Ven Grollmus

  • Why Build Your Own Website

    These days you can find a number of software packages that enable you to build your own website and blog. Perhaps the best and cheapest (it is free) is WordPress. If you decide to use this software, you should use a theme that is responsive and can be opened by mobile iPhones, iPads and iPods. There are even more theme choices available that you can purchase through WordPress.

    WordPress has a wide range of automated plugins that can do most of what you need. It can be set up as a blog (allowing comments from viewers) or as separate pages (more like a traditional website). My website, IT Solutions and Marketing was set up with individual pages in WordPress.

    It is a good idea to research other websites (before deciding on your own design) to see which ones you would like yours to look like. Just keep in mind that the most important function of a website is to enable you to market and promote your business. You do not just want a ‘pretty website’ that is more like a brochure.

    If you decide on a free website (that is not WordPress), check if you have to pay for hosting. Sometimes the fees can be very high, and over time, cost you a great deal of money.

    Written by Ven Grollmus

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