Web design and development

We have been rather busy over the past couple of months creating our new brand.

We posted a voting article on our website a few months back requesting feed back on whether we should keep our current logo or go for a new more up to date look. We know that taste varies from person to person and expected an overwhelming response for the new logo but the old logo still appealed to a fair majority of our audience.

We however have no doubt that our new logo is far more appealing than the old one. We have adopted more colour and a modern font. But then again we do tend to be biased toward our own creative work.

What do you think?

Some web design tools for SEO

Google is continuously improving their service so that we can get accurate search results but not only that, they assist us in all our online marketing efforts by providing a huge array of measurement tools to assist us in making the right marketing decisions.

Below we have listed a couple of links that we use as insight into the way people behave both locally and internationally using the internet, play...it's free and most insightful.

Googles Consumer Barometer

Google Trends

Google Keyword Tool

Google Traffic Estimator

Google Online Marketing Guide

Search Engine Optimization and online marketing are the best ways to get your business out there. Whether you have a home business or a shopfront your website will remain your window to the world.

Just like any other business your website needs to be functional and properly designed and laid out.

If a restaurant had a bunch of amateurs in the kitchen, cheap plastic garden chairs on the floor and scruffy service staff, would you eat there. I am hoping your answer in NO!

So when you do decide to get you website upgraded or developed don't use amateurs, cheap tools or untrained or under qualified staff. It will cost you in the long run.

It's not about what it costs it about what it can do for you. A luxury car will get you from A to B just the same as a heap of junk but which would you feel safer and more comfortable with?

Internet Marketing is not expensive but effective

Are ALL South African businesses on top of their internet marketing strategy? We are definitely aware of what is happening on the internet but are we taking full advantage of the opportunities on offer.

Very few SME’s understand the value and opportunity their websites have to offer and the few that do are reaping the full benefit. Those that haven’t quite grasped the concept of internet marketing are losing out on the most cost effective and measurable marketing opportunities know through any form of media.

Traditional media has its place but not as versatile as the the internet has to offer. The only real challenge is to get the traffic to your site and to get the visitor interested in what you have to offer.

Be creative: 

  • Do things that aren't expected

  • Make it interesting

  • Teach the visitor something new

  • Give something away for free

  • Get them to subscribe to your newsletter or feed

  • Give the search engines enough information to rank you properly

Get social:

  • An interesting website along with social media is a good start

  • Write interesting blog articles about what you do

  • Mingle and keep you social media fresh

Try something new:

  • Don’t expect anything out if you aren't putting anything in.

  • Search engines rank your site on how popular you are, by the number of links you have pointing back to your site and how popular
     your site is through visitors.

  • Try pay-per-click campaigns, they are the best ROI you will ever get from any form of call to action media. Speak to your web
    developer they very often get freebies from Google to get you started. This has helped a number of my clients get a leg up on their
    paid advertising strategy.

  • Build a good website that can be added on and customized to make your organization stand out. It is a small price to pat for the
    returns you get. You should at least have Level 1 Search Engine Optimization done to your site (on page optimization).

  • Be aware that a lot more visitors are using smart phones and tablets nowadays so you site should be properly developed for all
    devises.

Measure…

  • If you can’t measure it it’s not worth doing. Analyze the traffic coming to your site, learn from it and take action. Give more so that
     you can get more.

The past…

When I started my first business in 1989 it cost me R610.00 + GST (before VAT) to print 1000 flyers which I handed out at the traffic lights in peak hour traffic, I never got a single inquiry from those flyers. Return On Investment  0%

In 2011 we spent R500 on a Google campaign to inform people about our web development, we got 13 inquiries of which 3 were converted to sales. We could have converted more but some peoples expectations are a lot bigger than their budgets. Return On Investment  6000%

As web designers we are always looking for inspiration from others and sometime we come across such beauty that we can't help but share.



My most recent inspiring website is http://www.wherecoolthingshappen.com/ . Don't be fooled this is a time waster, you will spend hours just looking at these most awesome photographs.

Have Fun!

“Just in case you thought elephants were all sweetness, I can attest to the fact that this one had the time of her life scaring the bejeezus out of those dudes.” 

― James Patterson, Daniel X: Demons and Druids

Choose the right web design company

Here is the RULE: We cannot fix someone else’s bread dough after they have baked the bread.