DigiWeb

When we talk about usability in web design, we are talking about the overall ease and comfort with which site visitors can complete the tasks associated with a given website. From simply finding the information they are looking for, to completing a purchase - how easy is it for visitors to do what they need to do on the site? Various elements contribute to site usability, including: Familiarity - does the website use common, familiar navigation - will the user find the site easy to move around in? Easy to learn - is the site designed to make it as easy as possible for new visitors to figure out? Efficiency - is the site logically designed so that users can quickly complete desired/required tasks? Memorable - does the site design make it easy for a returning visitor to remember how it works? Error Frequency - how often do site users make mistakes - how much of a problem does an error create and how difficult is it for the site user to recover and get back on track after m...

Staying Competive in Changing Markets There are a lot of forces impacting the business of web design today: from do-it-yourself software packages that allow anyone to build a website, to the proliferation of Software as a Service (SaaS) models that offer template websites for a low monthly fee. In effect, what is now happening to the business of website design is the same thing that has occurred in the hosting industry over the past few years. The big players are becoming massive through consolidation, while the smaller players are being absorbed or gradually squeezed out of the marketplace entirely. And everyone is caught up in a mad dash for that last, rapidly shrinking dollar. Similar forces are being brought to bear on website design. It is no longer enough to have the best creative talent and a killer portfolio. You must offer a complete package of design and functionality...and do it faster and more economically than ever before, just to remain competitive. The...

Content managed websites have been around for a while now, but this particular area of Website Design has not been tapped to its full potential. The ability to keep content fresh, and easy to change, update or edit is becoming increasingly important as search engines continually upgrade the criteria they use to rank websites. A search engine friendly content management solution is fast becoming a must-have as opposed to a nice-to-have service for Website Designers and Marketers. Why Your Customers Need Content Management Content is King Search Engine Optimization - it's all about being found - good content helps you get found Content from your site can be posted on other sites with link-backs which improves SEO ranking Content lets you take advantage of RSS feeds to proliferate your message. Control Content management allows them to maintain control over the message they put in front of the world make changes as they need to, and keep their content c...

What makes a web design prospect a good candidate for a Content Management System? Imagine that you are in front of your prospect. They love your portfolio and the previous work you've done and they recognize the value that a web site can provide their business. How do you determine whether a CMS is a good option for their organization? Showing a prospect an online demo of how easily they can take control of their web site content can be a powerful "oh, wow" factor. For some prospects, they can connect the dots and immediately see the value that a CMS can bring to their business. For most though, you'll need to build a business case and demonstrate the "What's in it for me?". Here are a few quick questions you can ask your client to see if a CMS is an applicable tool for your prospect: What makes you different from your competition? If the answer to this question is the quality of work they do, then wouldn't their web site visitors w...

Successful Website Upgrades Once your clients get beyond the basic ability to add pages, edit text, and insert media into their web pages, they will often begin to think about the many other things they'd like to do with their websites... The accountant wants to display personal tax tips on the front page of her site at pre-determined times of the year. The photographer wants to add a photo gallery/slideshow to his site. The electrical component manufacturer wants an online catalogue that allows customers to build a shopping list and request a quote. The lawyer has a library of legal articles that she'd like to make available for download. As the person who is creating their website, the most valuable thing you can do for your client when they want to add a new function is to ask good questions . Taking the time to clarify your client's objectives and expectations will ensure a good match, a successful upgrade, and a happy customer. Find out exactly what ...

What is a Website CMS? In short, a CMS is a Content Management System. In more detail, a CMS is a system that separates the publicly viewable content of a web site (the text, images, etc.) from the administrative tasks of linking pages together and controlling how the pages appear. In most cases, this is done to make a site easier to maintain than it would be if it was built exclusively out of hard-coded html pages.   The value to the owner of a website is that, because a content managed website can be updated more easily and more frequently, the website owner is better able to communicate with the target audience. More frequent and timely communication improves the level of service and helps generate customer loyalty.   Furthermore, because the owner of the website has control over the content, there is no longer a need to contact the website developer or designer for every update. In short, the website owner can stop sinking money into the site on ...