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A Checklist for Choosing the Right Web Designer

Posted March 30, 2023

Embarking on a website redesign project can be both exciting and daunting, but if you do it right, the end result is a polished, user-friendly web presence that showcases your company's brand and assets. To ensure that your redesign is a success, one of the key decisions you'll have to make is hiring the right website designer.

In this blog, we offer a rundown of some helpful tips for picking the perfect candidate. Choosing the right website designer is an important step to ensure your website design project hits the mark, so invest in the qualities that matter most.

Things to look out for when hiring a web designer

Proven expertise crafting custom websites tailored to businesses like yours

When looking for a designer, it's vital to seek out those with proven expertise in crafting websites for businesses in the same industry as yours. These experts understand the unique challenges and opportunities within your industry, enabling them to create a digital presence that truly reflects your brand identity and resonates with your target audience. By partnering with a website designer who has experience in developing bespoke websites for businesses in your sector, you can feel confident that your online presence will be both visually appealing and highly effective in converting website visitors into loyal customers.

A portfolio showcasing their design style and aesthetic inclinations

It's essential to carefully analyze their portfolio to ensure that their design style seamlessly blends with your visual branding. A well-designed website that reflects your brand's personality and values will not only make a lasting impression on your target audience but also increase your chances of online success. So take your time to review a potential designer's previous work, check for consistency in quality, and pay close attention to how they convey brand stories through visuals and layouts. Your journey towards a stunning and effective website begins with picking a website designer whose creative vision aligns with yours.

Communication expertise and responsiveness

Hiring the right website designer can be a crucial decision that significantly impacts how well your projects move along. One often overlooked factor is the importance of assessing their communication skills and responsiveness. An effective designer will be able to communicate with you throughout the design process, ensuring that your vision comes to life on the digital stage. Friendly collaboration goes a long way, as it fosters a smooth development process where both parties feel comfortable asking questions, providing feedback, and brainstorming together. By selecting a website designer with strong communication skills, you're setting yourself up for a successful partnership and a beautifully designed website that truly expresses your brand.

A technical skill set that includes command of website design platforms and coding languages

Another essential aspect to consider while searching for the perfect designer is their technical skill set, as it plays a pivotal role in how well your website comes to life. Evaluating a designer's proficiency in website design platforms, such as WordPress or Webflow, and coding languages, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, is crucial in the decision-making process. This will ensure that they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and expertise to bring your vision to life, blending both form and function seamlessly. Take the time to evaluate each potential designer's technical abilities, as this will determine how much customization is achievable for particular functionalities on your site.

Understanding of search engine optimization (SEO) best practices

Although aesthetics and functionality are obviously significant aspects to consider, the importance of the designer's experience in search engine optimization (SEO) cannot be overstated. With the ever-growing reliance on search engines to explore content online, having a website that ranks highly is essential to attracting potential customers and expanding your online presence. A skilled website designer with a background in SEO will keep the best practices and techniques in mind while crafting your site, thus ensuring that it's optimized for search engine rankings. By focusing on this vital aspect, you're investing in the long-term success of your website and ultimately, your business.

References and/or online reviews that show they have achieved client satisfaction in the past

It's crucial to do your due diligence and research potential candidates thoroughly. One effective way to gauge the designer's credibility and quality of work is by checking their references and online reviews. By speaking with their previous clients and reading their experiences, you'll get a treasured insight into their level of expertise, professionalism, and overall client satisfaction. This information can significantly influence your decision, ensuring you make the right choice for your business. So, as you invest time in finding the ideal website designer, remember - their references and online reviews can serve as your secret weapon in making a well-informed choice.

Website maintenance services

It is equally important to ensure that potential candidates have a process in place for website maintenance and updates after the website is launched. A properly maintained and updated website not only keeps your online presence current and relevant, but it also helps to improve search engine rankings and attracts more visitors to your site. By choosing a designer with a well-defined maintenance plan, you can rest easy knowing that your website will remain dynamic, engaging, and up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in the ever-evolving digital world. Remember to inquire about their post-launch support strategies to guarantee the long-term success of your online presence.

Transparency in pricing and project schedule

Another key aspect to focus on is the designer's pricing structure and availability. It's essential to find someone who offers transparent pricing, so you're not hit with unexpected fees later on. This way, you will be able to effectively manage your budget while getting the best value for your investment. Furthermore, make sure to inquire about their workload and how soon they can start working on your project. Knowing your designer's availability aids in setting a realistic timeline for the project's completion. Also make sure to set clear deliverables and agree on a timeline before signing off a contract and starting your web design project.

Versatility or supplemental services

When you're searching for a designer to work on your project, you might come across those who offer a variety of additional services, such as copywriting, graphic design, and branding. While these designers might have a heftier price tag, the overall value they provide for your money can be exceptional. A versatile designer can seamlessly work on multiple aspects of your project, ensuring a unified and impactful end result. With their wide range of skill sets and well-rounded understanding of different components, their work can greatly enhance the overall appeal and effectiveness of your brand or product. In essence, investing in a designer who can provide additional services can save you time, effort, and resources, ultimately resulting in a cost-effective partnership that ensures a strong and coherent brand presence.

Business-mindedness

Finally, whether you're looking to create a new website or revamp an existing one, it's crucial to make sure your web designer not only possesses great design skills but also has a solid understanding of your business goals and brand message. Having a web designer with a good sense of business sense ensures that they'll be able to translate your objectives into an effective online presence. They'll know how to strategically structure your website to communicate your message and promote your brand, ultimately helping you achieve your goals.

Moreover, a business-savvy web designer will consider aspects such as user experience, search engine optimization, and conversion rates, all of which contribute to the overall success of your online presence. So, don't just focus on aesthetics; choose a web designer who can be your partner in developing a website that drives results for your business.

Ready to hire a web designer?

When looking for the perfect web designer to bring your vision to life, it's essential to consider various factors beyond just technical abilities and aesthetics. While these aspects are undoubtedly important, delving deeper into a designer's communication skills, adaptability, and understanding of your target audience will help ensure a more successful collaboration. Evaluating their experience with different platforms, ability to work within your budget, and willingness to accept feedback will make the design process smoother for both parties. Don't be afraid to ask for work samples and client testimonials to gauge their expertise and reliability. Remember, finding the right web designer is as much about compatibility as it is about skill, so take your time to find the best fit for your project.

At NFT, we understand that every web design project is unique and requires a tailored approach to meet your specific needs. That's why we start each project by considering crucial factors like your brand identity, objectives, and any other essential requirements. Our team of expert designers are here to collaborate with you, ensuring an engaging and functional website that not only reflects your vision but also helps you achieve your goals.

Get in touch with us today to experience a web design journey that's creative, personal, and results-driven.

In the digital age, advertising is no longer limited to traditional mediums like television, radio, or print. YouTube, the world's largest video-sharing platform, has emerged as a powerful advertising platform that small and medium-sized businesses can leverage to reach a wider audience. With over 2 billion monthly active users and 1 billion hours of video watched daily, YouTube offers businesses the ability to showcase their products or services to a vast and engaged audience.

Over the recent years, YouTube has come up with features for the benefit of advertisers, such as advanced targeting options and cost-effective pricing models, YouTube advertising has evolved from a social media for videos to an effective way for businesses of all sizes to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and boost conversions. In this article, we will explore the advertising potential of YouTube for small to medium-sized businesses and how they can leverage it to grow their brand.

Let's look at some quick statistics.

There will be a 12.06% annual increase in the amount spent on video advertisements in Australia, bringing the total to $3.08 billion this year.

For businesses, this increase in investment provides a unique opportunity to showcase their products or services to a broader audience through video ads. With video content becoming increasingly popular among consumers, businesses that can create high-quality and engaging video ads have a greater chance of capturing the attention of their target audience and standing out in a crowded marketplace.

Additionally, video ads can be targeted to specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, which can help businesses reach the right people at the right time, increasing the chances of conversion and ultimately driving revenue growth.

More than half of customers (54%) would like to see more videos from the brands they frequent.

In today's digital age, consumers are increasingly turning to video content to learn about and engage with brands. For small to medium-sized businesses, this represents a significant opportunity to engage with their customers and build brand loyalty through high-quality, engaging video content.

By incorporating video content into their marketing strategy, small to medium-sized businesses can create a more interactive and engaging experience for their customers. This can be achieved through a variety of video formats, such as product demonstrations, explainer videos, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and customer testimonials, among others. Furthermore, providing customers with valuable, entertaining, and informative content allows businesses to build stronger relationships with their audience, increasing the chances of repeat business and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.

It's estimated that by 2022, daily video consumption will have reached an all-time high of 100 minutes per viewer.

With video consumption on the rise, small businesses have a unique opportunity to create engaging video content that captures the attention of their target audience. This can be achieved through a variety of video formats, such as product demos, behind-the-scenes glimpses, customer testimonials, and explainer videos, among others.

This increasing trend of daily video consumption is expected to have a positive impact on small businesses. By creating engaging video content and leveraging social media and other marketing channels, small businesses can pursue their goals, whether it be increasing their brand awareness or driving customer engagement, ultimately leading to increased revenue and growth.

Small businesses can set a huge potential for growth with YouTube

While some may feel intimidated by the prospect of creating video content, owners and marketers just need to sit down and see where they can fit. By understanding their audience, identifying their unique selling proposition, and creating engaging and informative video content, small businesses can create a strong brand presence on YouTube and attract new customers. Whether it's through product demos, how-to guides, or behind-the-scenes glimpses, there are endless opportunities for small businesses to create compelling video content and establish a presence on YouTube.

Coming up with a video marketing strategy for YouTube

Setting up a video marketing strategy for YouTube can seem daunting at first, but with the right approach, it can be a highly effective way for businesses to connect with their target audience and drive growth. Here's a guide to help you get started:

  1. Identify your target audience: Before creating any video content, it's essential to understand who your target audience is. Consider factors such as age, gender, location, interests, and pain points to help you create video content that resonates with your audience.
  2. Define your unique selling proposition: What sets your business apart from the competition? Identifying your unique selling proposition (USP) will help you create video content that showcases your brand's strengths and highlights what makes you stand out from the crowd.
  3. Plan your content: Once you know who your target audience is and what your USP is, it's time to plan your video content. Consider the different types of videos you can create, such as product demos, how-to guides, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and customer testimonials, among others. Make sure each video has a clear purpose and aligns with your overall marketing strategy.
  4. Create your videos: With your content plan in place, it's time to start creating your videos. Make sure your videos are high-quality, engaging, and informative. Use a mix of visuals, audio, and text to keep your audience engaged.
  5. Optimize for search: YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine, so it's crucial to optimize your videos for search. Use relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags to make it easier for your target audience to find your content.
  6. Promote your videos: Creating great video content is only half the battle. To get the most out of your video marketing strategy, you need to promote your videos. Share your videos on social media, embed them on your website, and consider running YouTube ads to reach a wider audience.
  7. Analyze your results: Finally, it's essential to analyze your results to see what's working and what's not. Use YouTube analytics to track metrics such as views, engagement, and retention to see how your videos are performing. Use this data to make adjustments to your strategy and optimize your future video content.

Ready, set, shoot!

In conclusion, YouTube has emerged as a powerful tool for small businesses looking to expand their reach and grow their customer base. With the increase in daily video consumption, it's no surprise that businesses are turning to YouTube as a way to reach their target audience.

The best part is that there are so many ways to repurpose video content, making it a cost-effective way to promote your business across multiple platforms. From social media to email marketing, there are countless opportunities to get your video content in front of your target audience. With a solid video marketing strategy in place, small businesses can build brand awareness, increase customer engagement, and ultimately drive growth and revenue. By leveraging the power of YouTube, businesses of all sizes can create compelling video content that resonates with their audience and drives results.

If you're looking to leverage the power of video marketing to grow your business, we're here to help! Our team of experts has years of experience in video content creation and can assist you with every step of the process, from planning your content strategy to promoting your videos. We take pride in our ability to create high-quality, engaging, and informative videos that resonate with your target audience and drive results. We're always happy to chat and provide guidance on how we can help you achieve your marketing goals. Let's create amazing video content together!

If you have a website, there is a good chance you have been hearing more and more about managed web hosting services recently. Who or what are they referring to when they say this? It is explained in detail here, along with the reasons for its importance as well as its advantages. And I am being entirely honest when I say that although it is more expensive than shared hosting, it can actually save you money in the long run if you use it appropriately.

In web hosting, managed web hosting is a type of service in which the web host provides the user with a control panel and other tools for maintaining and administering their website (such as updating scripts, backing up data, etc). It also provides greater control over available resources. It is beneficial to understand how other types of web hosting operate in order to better understand managed web hosting.

In addition, it is a type of web hosting that provides a higher level of service than shared hosting services. It is aimed at small businesses and individuals who lack the technical know-how to host their own website or application on their own server or network. The service is typically provided by third-party companies, though some Internet service providers (ISPs) include it as part of their overall package. Managed services providers can provide either shared hosting or dedicated hosting solutions, or they can provide both.

In addition, managed web hosting is a service offered by hosting companies that allows you to outsource a variety of tasks. This means that instead of having to find and install your own host, you can have one that a hosting company has already done for you.

While many small business owners desire and/or require a website, they do not have the necessary time, skills, or resources to effectively manage it. If your business falls into this category, managed web hosting may be an excellent solution for your needs.

Managed web hosting is a type of web hosting service in which the server and its software are managed by a third-party company rather than the customer. The hosting provider is responsible for the hardware, the operating system (OS), and the installation of software, as well as any updates or upgrades that are required. Managed web hosting can be contrasted with self-managed web hosting, in which you are responsible for all of the technical aspects of your website on your own.

In the event that you lack the technical expertise or prefer not to spend your time worrying about system maintenance, managed web hosting is an excellent option for you to consider. The way it works is as follows:

Managed web hosting is a type of hosting in which the service provider leases a server to the client and gives them complete control over that server. Managed web hosting is a type of hosting in which the service provider leases a server to the client and gives them complete control over that server. This can include tasks such as installing new software, troubleshooting technical issues, and performing server maintenance and administration.

It is frequently the most expensive type of web hosting service available. However, it also provides the greatest amount of flexibility. The customer does not need to hire a team of IT professionals to manage their website; instead, they can rely on the support staff provided by the managed web hosting provider to assist them.

Managed web hosting is a type of hosting that provides you with access to an entire team of experts who are responsible for providing support and maintenance for the servers and software that power your website. Website management services monitor your site around the clock, taking care of software updates, server management, security patches, and other maintenance tasks.

Support for content management systems (CMS), email marketing, eCommerce features, and other features are available from some managed web hosting providers as well. Managed web hosting services can assist you in growing your company with the least amount of effort on your part.

Managed web hosting refers to a service in which the web host takes complete control of your website. Maintenance, updates, security, and technical support are all included in this price.

Aside from that, the web host will take care of the server infrastructure — which includes all of the necessary hardware and software — to ensure that your website operates at peak performance at all times. This can even include distributing load across multiple servers to ensure that no single server becomes overburdened with traffic and that there is always a backup server ready to take over in the event that something goes wrong.

You can think of managed hosting in the same way that you would compare renting an apartment or purchasing a house. The benefit of an unmanaged hosting plan is that you are merely renting space from the web host (similar to renting an apartment), but you are responsible for everything else, including everything from setting up your site initially, managing it, and creating backups, to protecting it against hackers and keeping it up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Managed hosting plans, on the other hand, eliminate the need for you to be concerned about any of that because everything is taken care of for you (think: buying a house).

In this article, we have covered the fundamentals of managed web hosting as well as the role it can play in your company's operations. The fact is that managed web hosting is here to stay and has become a critical component of business continuity strategies, regardless of whether or not you decide to go ahead with it. Check that your website is safe and secure in a hosted environment with support if you do your work on the internet. In today's world, there are no longer any justifications for not having this covered.

Managing your own shared hosting account is the simple solution for even the most demanding webmasters because it is more than just a hosting plan; it is a complete package of tools and services that will allow you to set up and manage your web portal with ease. Managed shared hosting accounts are available from several providers.

Many people are unfamiliar with the term "managed hosting," but there are an increasing number of web hosting services that are labelled as "managed" that are emerging. This can cause some confusion among those who are unfamiliar with the term "managed hosting," as well as the distinction between regular hosting and managed hosting—but it is actually a fairly straightforward distinction to make.

So, do you think you would be interested in managed web hosting?

You can email us at digital@netfusiontechnology.com for more insights and wisdom on managed web hosting, or call us at +61 2 9089 8875 to schedule a FREE consultation about your business.

In this digital age, especially for small to medium businesses, it's become hard to get your content seen by the right audience. This is because of the ever-changing "algorithm" that social media platforms use that has the job of sorting out the millions of content that are posted each day. 

First, we should know what an algorithm is. The algorithm is simply a set of instructions used to perform a specific task in a finite number of steps. Every website works on an algorithm. It arranges and performs tasks for a post and makes it viewable in the feed of audiences. There are many different ways of developing an algorithm. The designers of a particular site create the algorithm according to their needs.

Since there are different algorithms for each social media platform, our experts have researched and gathered into this blog today some things that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube's algorithm considers when you post for your business. 

Facebook

  • a. Conversational starting topics that build relationships
  • b. Audience focused content
  • c. Putting dollars behind organic content that works.
  • d. Avoiding Clickbait like content.

Instagram

  • a. Be consistent when you post
  • b. Build a relationship with your audience. Humanize your brand/business
  • c. Know the times where you should post. 
  • d. Post frequently

Twitter

  • a. Times that you tweeted
  • b. What keywords you use
  • c. How people respond to the tweet (likes, replies, shares)
  • d. What kind of media do you use when you tweet (image, video, GIF)

YouTube

  • a. Click-through rate of your posts
  • b. History of what your audience has shared in the past
  • c. How your audience responds to the video (in terms of liking the video, sharing the video, subscribing and clicking the notification bell)
  • d. User demographic information and location.

Final Takeaways:

Whatever tactic you choose to focus on to improve your algorithm ranking in 2021, the most important thing is to keep engaging with your audience at the heart of your strategy.

Building a genuine relationship with your followers organically is the most powerful way to “hack” the algorithm and, most importantly, it will work wonders for your brand too.

Need help in building your digital presence? Contact us today for a free consultation and get started on your journey - + 61 2 9089 8875 or email us at info@netfusiontechnology.com

 

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