How To Make a Good Website: 2 Tips

A website that is intriguing and effective is something that is not always the easiest thing to do; sure, in the past, all you had to do to get business from your website was to simply have one on the web. Nowadays, you need to do more than just put your site on the web, you have to make it worth while.

Your website has to be intriguing and eye-catching, there are two things you can do to keep your site up-to-date, fresh, contemporary, and worthwhile.

The first thing you should remember when you do web design is that sometimes, simple is best. You need a website that caters to the needs of someone who is viewing your site; one of those needs is to navigate through your site without having to jump through hoops and have a compass. Have a simple design that is not complicated or busy and makes viewers feel at home. Now, this does not mean you should have little content and images on your site. You need plenty of content on your site, 300-500 words per page, include pictures, etc. Make it appealing and cool but do not make it complicated and busy.

The second thing you should remember is that your site should feature storytelling. Use compelling copy on your site with captivating images to draw people in. Make your site fun to look at. Let people who view your site to be wanting more and establish that connection. Your site can be like an adventure. Yes, this can be a challenge but it is a challenge that is worth while and should be one you'd like to conquer.

If you have questions about web design, then contact Integraphix - a Chicago web design agency. See how we can help improve your presence on the web.

A Trend of Web Design in 2013

2013 has had a lot of changes in web design and some of the changes have been good and some of the changes have been... mediocre. Overall, whether good or "bad" changes that happen in the web design world, that still means there is progress being made. In this blog, I have compiled a list of 8 trends that happened in 2013. Some of the trends were welcomed with open arms and some were welcomed with crossed arms.

1. The first trend that was seen was the emergence of layouts that were responsive. Responsive layouts became a huge hit this year because of the continuing rise in popularity of smartphones and tablets. People look at websites on any device that gets internet, wherever they are. Think about it, if you have a smartphone or tablet; how many times in the past week or two weeks have you looked at a website on your smartphone or tablet? Maybe you were inline at a store or just sitting on a bench at a park waiting for your child who was playing on the jungle gym. As people, we love to be able to view information and see a website wherever we are. 
2. A second trend that was seen in 2013 was the rise in retina displays. The practicality of this trend was not quite as big as other trends but it sure was a big hit for those who love a good picture when looking at their phones, tablets, or computers. Perhaps the first thing you thought of when I mentioned retina displays was Apple. This year they rolled out the new laptops with retina displays and on their iPads too. 
3. A third trend for web design seen in 2013 was menu bars that are permanent. A lot of websites have moved to this feature so people can still see the tabs and search bar when scrolling down the page; as you know, in the past, when you would scroll down the page, the menu bar would disappear once you scrolled past a certain point on the page. 
4. A fourth trend seen in 2013 for web design was larger photos on websites. People love to see visuals; no matter what people look at, analyzing a visual or merely observing it lies in our core. Think about it, when you read something like a newspaper or a book, you either see a picture you can appreciate or you create the image in your mind because of the mind's love for visuals. Our eyes are drawn to pictures and scenery. 
5. A fifth trend for web design seen this year was the idea of "less is more." If you take a look at some web pages on the net, quite a few of them have moved to more simple landing pages. Along with loving visuals, the eye loves what it can understand; our eyes have a bad time when trying to sort out a complex and busy landing page, or any web page for that matter. When there are too many designs, crazy colors, links upon links upon links, etc. our eyes get exhausted. Instead, websites have moved to focus more on simple web pages that allow the eye to sort out what is going on, make the product look good, and get the sales. 
6. A sixth trend seen this year is the QR code. Now, this trend did not perform as admirably as the world forecasted but it was still a big deal for the first few months of the year. It's original intent was to create a quick and easy way for people to get to a website or wherever the QR code was linked to. 
7. A seventh trend was making social media placement on the web page a premium. This year, it was observed that social media became a necessity for websites and that the sites place the badges in prime spots on the page. As Americans, we read left to right, thus, a prime spot was to place the badges in the top left corner of the page; however, should the top left corner of the web page be taken, the top right was a welcome spot as well. 
8. An eight trend seen this year was the emergence of the tour. Have you ever gone to a website, especially after it has been reconstructed or introduced, and you get a tour of the site? You see all the spots where it says what each link or tab, etc will do for you and such. That was a biggie this year and it seems to have worked out well, however, sometimes annoying. But, it still worked so kudos to the inventor of that. 

These were just eight trends seen in web design this year, there are plenty more out there. As a Chicago web design company who loves to be creative and know the latest trends, seeing these trends happen was a fun sight. If you happen to need a website or a revamped website, consider calling Integraphix. 

The Power of a Process

As web developers at a creative agency, we find ourselves completing the same tasks for each of our web design projects. Creating a detailed website design and development process can help make you complete your projects faster and make you more efficient. Not only can it keep you as the web designer on track for the project, but you can also include your client into project making decisions and help them understand their role in the project. All web developers and designers work at their own speed and truly have their own work style. The best way to become successful is to create your own process that fits your style as a web designer.

A web development process is an outline of steps that need to be taken from start to finish to complete a web design project. The process divides and categorizes all of the work that needs to be completed step by step. As web designers in Chicago we like using web development processes in order to track the progression of each project.

Planning

As web developers in Chicago we believe that the planning stage in any design project is the most important. Whatever is decided and mapped out during the planning stage sets the stage for the rest of the project. The planning stage involves the web designer and client having contact on what needs to be done and when it should be done. When in the planning stage, be very conscious of your client’s goals and target audience in order to create a powerful tool for their business. While planning your project, document it all! Gather all of your information into one consolidated document. Also be sure to include a site map. Before making any move on a CMS or website, always create a rough site map of what you plan on having on your website.

Design

The design portion is probably the most fun part of the entire process. The main purpose of the design stage is to create a visual representation of what the completion of your project will look like. Creating mockup based designs can give you a great idea on what your website will look like before even entering the development stage. Mockups are also a great way to share information with your clients and gather their input as well.

Development

The development stage involves the bulk of the work in a web design project. When in the development stage be sure to keep all of your code organized and refer frequently to the original plans made in the first step. When beginning the development stage, take a strategic approach and take it one step at a time. If you are using a CMS like Wordpress, Joomla or Ruby on Rails now is the time to implement the CMS and make customizations. The final step in the development stage is filling your web design with content. Even the simplest pages require tight typography and careful attention to detail. Ultimately your web design should be a clear representation of the quality of your work, so be sure to test all of the links and pages that are attached to the website before launching.

Launch

Once you believe the project is completed and the client has approved of the site, it is now time to launch your website. The purpose of the launch phase is to prepare your website for public viewing. It is time to transfer your site and all files that go along with it to a live server. Once it’s moved over, check it out on your computer, mobile device and make sure it looks perfect.

As web designers in Chicago, we have a certain web design process that we use on every single project. When creating your own process, keep in mind your own personal work habits and set goals for yourself to help keep the project on time. The process will be different for each designer and will vary based on each client and project. Develop a process that fits you, only then will the process be truly useful. 

Comment or questions on developing a creative process?  Feel free to comment below or contact us.

Awesome Wordpress Plugins

As a marketing company in Chicago we like to use different types of websites with different features depending on our clients' needs and goals. We truly enjoy working with Wordpress for the simplicity and versatility it provides.  Wordpress offers a wide range of options and downloadable plugins for your convenience.  Plugins are available for download on the Wordpress website and can range in price.  Below are some of our favorite plugins:

User Spam Remover:

If your planning on having viewers become users on your webpage, the User Spam Remover plugin is a must for your Wordpress website.  Not only does the plugin serve as a protection plan, but it’s also conveniently free of charge.  The plugin was designed to automatically delete spam accounts that have never been used.  There are customizable settings that allow you to set a threshold for inactivity to easily separate spam users from real users.

Social Metrics:

If you’re a fan of social media, the plugin Social Metrics would be a great find for you. Social Metrics is an additional dashboard on your WordPress admin panel that allows you to easily track your posts on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.  It’s an easily designed plugin that gives you important results seconds after being downloaded.

W3 Total Cache:

One of the most important things you need to keep in mind with your website is the speed in which it takes to load and its overall performance.  Web surfers are very impatient and will not waste their time on a website that is moving slow.  By downloading the W3 Total Cache plugin your website will load 10x faster. The plugin will easily cache every page on your website giving viewers the user-friendly site they will love and want to visit again.

SEO Rank Reporter:

As a Search Engine Optimization Company, it is very important for us to check our SEO status on a daily basis.  Wordpress now has a plugin called SEO Rank Reporter that can be viewed directly on your admin panel on your website.  You can now easily check the your SEO rankings through Wordpress without having to use a third party software.

WPTouch:

Web design is at a technology peak especially with all types of smartphones and tablets at nearly everyone's disposal.  As Chicago graphic designers, when we design a website, we always consider the mobile version aspect and ask ourselves, “What will this website look like on a smart phone or tablet?”  Fear not because after installing the WPtouch plugin your website will automatically generate into a mobile or tablet version if someone were to view it on a smart phone or tablet.  The plugin has detection abilities and scales down according to the device your viewing the website from.  This is an easy way to create an efficient website that will be perfectly viewable on any device.   

ThreeWP Activity Monitor:

For the security of your website, installing this free plugin will definitely be worth your time.  The ThreeWP Activity Monitor allows you to track all of the activity on your website.  Any time anything is added or updated it will be recorded on this plugin.  It will show exactly what has occurred including logins to help ensure that your website is completely secure. 

Have your own favorite Wordpress plugin you’d like to share with us?  Feel free to comment below or contact us.  

We Love Web Design: Chicago Web Developers

Chicago Web Design

When you're developing a website, you might be inspired by seeing other beautiful web designs that are out there. As a Chicago web designer, it's a must to know the current web design trends, and there are always new ones emerging every day it seems. We've seen many pass us by, but there are some that stay true.

Here I've collected 10 beautiful website designs varying from hand-drawn, large backgrounds, to clean and corporate. Enjoy!