Do You Need a Web Designer?

Do you need a website re-design?

Are you in need of a customized solution to fit your website needs?

Do you need to hire a professional website designer?

Are you committed to truly being the best in your industry?

If you want the job done right the first time, you should consider hiring a professional website designer. A professional will know all the ins and outs of creating a website design for your Ann Arbor business.

You may be asking yourself, “Why should I pay thousands of dollars to redesign my website when there are free services that let me create one on my own?”

There are many shortcomings to the free services. One of them is that they are built on a public network where almost anyone who understands a bit of coding can gain access to the backend of your website. If you want your site to be secure and virtually impossible to penetrate, you need a professional. 

If you’re committed to truly doing the best you can for your company, make sure you have: (1) robust, redundant web hosting; (2) a website installed in a professional, SEO friendly, content management system; (3) automated backups; (4) a professional website design that does more than just look good, but also utilizes current best practices for user engagement and analytics; (5) consistent, thoughtful SEO to make sure your website appears as high in the search results as possible and stays there; and (6) a dedicated person or team making sure that the technology is monitored, fully functioning, and updated regularly.

Contact Experts For Web Design in Ann Arbor!

Want to learn more about internet marketing and how to optimize your website using SEO? Call the experts for website design in Ann Arbor at 877-815-6974 to arrange a time to visit or get your questions answered by our experts! If you’re more comfortable with email, you can reach us at info@seoannarbor.com or just contact us.

You can even sign up for our Black Belt SEO Tips & News! We report on the latest in SEO news and research findings.

How to Use Infographics Effectively

Are you trying to refresh the look and feel of your website?

Has it been more than 3 years since you’ve done anything new to your site?

Does your outdated website embarrass you in front of your customers?

You’re not alone! Many businesses struggle to create a useful, customer-friendly website. There are many best practices that the best website designers follow, and we’re happy to discuss them with you if you’d like to learn more. But one easy way to make a big impact is through infographics. If you create a simple, compelling infographic, that alone could create a more effective online presence for your company!

Here are 5 tips to help you take your website to rock star level! 

1. Don’t go crazy with fonts

There are 3 main categories of font. Stick to them. Serifs fonts are commonly used for block text because they are easy to read in large blocks. Times New Roman is one of the most commonly used serif fonts. 

San Serif fonts are generally best used for captions, headers, lists, and titles. The most common examples of this family of fonts are Helvetica and Arial. 

Display fonts are typically playful. Some common display fonts are Apple Chancery, Stencil Chalkduster, and Papyrus. These should typically be used only for headers to set the mood or theme. Display fonts are generally a focal point for important areas in your layout, so don’t crowd them. Give them the room needed to create impact. 

2. Stick to your theme

Think about what you’re trying to convey. Are you being serious or playful? Modern or retro? Reach out to your audience with your infographic. Who are you trying to reach? Is your site meant for kids, for parents, or for professionals? 

3. Stick to your font palette

Pick a font palette the way you would a pick color palette. You can have different fonts for your headers and body text, but they must compliment each other. Your fonts should fit a common theme. The size and weights play an important role. For example, you should avoid using body text larger than the section header or title. 

Lots more information and examples can be found at:

fonts.google.com 

fontpair.co

4. Pair your icons with the proper font

Your website will look its best when you keep your style consistent. A strong title font with a minimalist icon shows professionalism. A strong icon with a thin, minimalist font helps create an organized look. 

5. Don’t forget to align

It’s important to place similar elements in the same vicinity. Poor alignment can be distracting. Run through this quick checklist for help thinking about alignment:

-       Are your headers aligned vertically? (left, right, or center)

-       Is the spacing between all headers and body text consistent? (double, single)

-       Is the spacing between sections of text consistent?

As you might guess, there’s a lot more to designing a good infographic or website. This is one area where “do-it-yourself” can be difficult and time consuming, and may not end with a result that serves you. If you need help with your website design, call Michigan SEO Group at 877-815-6974. We’d love to learn more about what you do, and share our thoughts on creating a strong online presence for you! 

What's the ONE Thing?

Recently one of our clients asked us a tough question. 

"Knowing what you know about marketing after 11 years in the business, what's the ONE thing that you'd do for yourself – and for new clients – to get the best chance of success at promoting your business online?"

The truth is more basic, then you think! Research!

Whatever business you may have, whatever online or old school platforms you may use, whether you're just starting out or you've been in business for decades, you simply must figure out: (1) how potential customers are searching for what you offer; and (2) what needs or wants they have that you can fulfill. Without that knowledge, you're just putting out there what you want. If you get lucky and make a living that way, great, but chances are you'd be leaving a huge part of the potential market untapped.

So, do your research before you start gathering resources and plan of attack.

What should you try to find out? Here's a quick and dirty list:

Keywords
What keywords are people typing into Google when they're looking for services or products like yours?

Trends
Is the market for what you offer stagnant, shrinking, or growing?
What changes are there in search trends and how could that affect your approach?

Pains and Problems
What pains and problems do those people want solved?

Who's Out There?
Who's already out there addressing those pains and problems?
Who are the major players online, who dominate the search results?
What are those players doing particularly well?

What's the Market Like?
What are the major players charging for services or products like yours?
What exactly do they offer at that price point?
Is the market big enough for another player (you)?
Is there price flexibility or a value equation you can provide to compete differently?

What Platforms?
On what platforms are the most successful players getting traction?

Their websites? Facebook? Blogs?

Advertising Dollars
How much is it going to cost to compete in the paid advertising arenas like Google Adwords and Facebook ads?

There's more to this, of course, but without this basic knowledge, you could be chasing a pipe dream, missing out on a lot of revenue, or at the very least wasting part of your marketing effort. Understand the market before you begin your strategic plan ... and sometimes this research can reveal things you'd never thought of before!

Contact The Website Design Experts!

If you'd like more clarity about how to create a healthy online presence or if you'd like to explore what it would be like to work with SEO Ann Arbor, please contact us! We’re committed to our clients’ online success!

To learn more about other helpful tips and news about SEO and website design in Ann Arbor, sign up for our Black Belt SEO Tips & News!