Websites are virtual shop windows, there to display your company’s products or services, attract visitors to look at what is on offer and persuade them to purchase. But, just like traditional high street stores, how that display is set out very often determines whether a customer buys from you or a competitor.

One of the reasons why some sites fail to perform is because of inconsistency in the copy; perhaps a minor point to some, but for shoppers, it can often be enough to make them look elsewhere. So, what should you be checking for to ensure that the copy on your site is both uniform and visitor-friendly?

Headings

Headings are perhaps one of the main sources of inconsistency on websites; different sizes, different fonts and in some cases, different colours. Although there are instances where site owners purposely choose to have headings that contain a mix-and-match of colours, capitals and fonts, and generally not the ‘done thing’, as long as the same format is applied to all headings throughout the site, consistency is maintained. Whether visitors will like or be put off by the look of those headings is another matter entirely.

Fonts

Font type is another area where inconsistency can ruin the overall effect of a website but does have exceptions to the rule. It’s usual to have the same font on each page of the site. However, where a page contains things like information boxes or scrolling news panels, using a different font makes good sense and is very unlikely to put a reader off providing the page itself isn’t too ‘busy’.

Size

Different font sizes on or between pages is another example of how a lack of attention to detail can ruin an otherwise good website. It’s fine to have different font sizes on a page as long as the same theme is applied throughout and the variation in size isn’t too extreme.

House Style

Simply put, house style is a company’s corporate image in all their written material whether it appears online or in hard copy. Amongst other things this applies to punctuation preferences, font type, layout and the format in which dates, numbers, headings and lists are written. It also includes which version of certain words is used.

For example; ‘website’. This can be written as website or web site - neither is spelt incorrectly and either one is acceptable. However, very often both versions are present on the same site, rightly giving the impression that the copy hasn’t been proofread.

UK and US English

The use of UK or US English is another source of inconsistency, and perhaps the most obvious is the English ‘ise’ word ending and the US ‘ize’ version. A simple example; in UK English, ’specialise’. In US English; ’specialize’. Other words spelt differently are; ‘colour’. In US English, it’s ‘color’. The choice of whether to use UK or US English is again a matter of preference, but as with headings and fonts, the format must be consistent and not a mix of both.

Rearrange Your Window Display

It’s worth making an effort to check your site and rectify any inconsistencies, because not to do so will only convey a lack of attention to detail which ultimately could affect your sales.

Internet shoppers themselves may not know much about websites other than how to purchase goods and services from them, but they do know when they don’t like the look of something and the click of a mouse is all they need to leave your virtual shop window in favour of another more attractive display.

Organisations looking to commission the services of a web design company are faced with an extremely wide choice of options that will often leave them wondering where to start.

They will come across companies all advertising their creative skills, technical expertise and design know-how but because of the sheer number of designers all offering more or less the same services the point is reached where all the advertising can begin to look almost identical. How then does one go about choosing a competent design company from the many available?

Referral

For anyone completely new to the internet, the most obvious and perhaps safest method is via personal recommendation. A vote of confidence from a satisfied customer is generally a good guideline and presents a golden opportunity for an organisation to excel itself; after all, there is nothing like a referral to make a company go all out to impress.

Search

Another way is to look on the internet itself. You will find literally thousands of web designers advertising their services and at the same time providing visual proof of their abilities via their portfolios. It is always a good idea to look at portfolio and testimonial pages and contact one or two of their customers to get verbal references.

Chance

Of course you could just choose a company at random and talk to them about what you expect from your intended website, and if they’re professional they will listen to what you have to say and gather as much information as possible before going anywhere near a computer. Moreover, they will always be willing to offer sound advice and help bring your ideas to life.

Choice

It is worth mentioning that there are so many capable and talented designers available, that perhaps the hardest part of getting your website built is deciding which company or individual you want to do it. Taking the time to look into all the options should help to ensure that whomever you choose will produce the required result

Until next time.

The world of social networking now has a new player although its name is known the world over. Google has recently unveiled Google Plus; their answer to established websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Circles

In many respects, Google Plus is pretty much the same as Facebook but one big difference is that it centres in targeted sharing as opposed to large groups of friends. To achieve this, Google uses ‘Circles’, a HTML5 system that allows users to drag and drop contacts in and out of custom groups.

Hangouts

Google Plus is packed with additional features such as ‘Hangouts’, a facility that lets users instantly create a video chatroom where they can wait for friends to join them. No invitation is needed because as soon as a hangout is created, a message is sent to their social circles informing them that their friend is….hanging out.

Sparks

Another interesting feature is ‘Sparks’, a collection of content such as videos and articles that have been grouped by interest: something that should make finding particular information extremely easy and a perfect example of targeted sharing.

Mobile Apps

Mobile hasn’t been forgotten either as Google is soon to launch a Google Plus app for Android phones with plans to develop apps for other platforms in the future. However, what is innovative though is that when you take a picture or video on your phone through Google Plus, they are automatically uploaded to your computer ready to share with contacts.

There are sure to be other bits and pieces in Google Plus but they will have to wait for another post. However, whether you like it or not, it seems as though there’s no getting away from social networking and with Google now firmly in the mix it will certainly be interesting to see what effect it’s going to have not just on Facebook but on the whole social sharing scene in general.

Until next time.

One of the most attractive aspects of ecommerce from a buyer’s perspective is that of convenience; total armchair shopping with little or no stress involved and the majority of online payment transactions processed quickly, efficiently and generally trouble free.

However, there is a universally recognised rule that for every pro there is usually a con, and the world of ecommerce is not exempt from that rule. Any type of online process or system that is capable of taking payment via credit card is open to abuse by the more unscrupulous and devious elements that haunt the Internet.

It is also important to remember that it’s not only credit card transactions that are under threat. Hacking into programmes that hold personal information such as bank account numbers, names and addresses etc, is another area that has a vast income potential for those who would use the information illegally.

Ecommerce security is more a case of prevention rather than cure, and to this end designers are constantly developing new and innovative anti-intrusion solutions into their ecommerce programmes.

The use of highly sophisticated encryption software and secure servers are just a couple of the numerous methods employed to keep the uninvited out, and although it’s true to say that at present no system can be guaranteed to be one hundred percent secure or fool proof, today’s rapid advances in software and technology certainly seems to be heading in the right direction.

Despite the occasional horror story about Internet scams and deceptions, online transactions generally remain quite safe but that doesn’t mean that the issue of online security has suddenly become a lower priority and designers and consumers alike should be wary of becoming complacent.

Ecommerce is here to stay, and for many it’s already second nature when it comes to shopping. Others may need some more convincing that their money and personal details will remain safe.

It’s a reasonable and understandable fear, and because of the business world’s ever growing demand for shopping cart capabilities, it’s perhaps the designers themselves that should realise if their systems instil user-confidence, ecommerce will continue to grow successfully and safely.

Until next time.

The Internet contains a phenomenal amount of written information on every subject imaginable; some of it accurate; some of it not so accurate, and some of it just downright untrue. All this data is supplied by companies, individuals and organisations that for one reason or another have information they want to share with others.

However, apart from the issue of accuracy, another major problem with a huge amount of online copy is a lack of care and attention paid to the quality of the writing. Yes there are numerous websites that look brilliant but are let down by errors in their copy; errors that could easily have been rectified long before the site went live had a little extra effort been made.

Luckily though, websites are totally versatile when it comes to changing graphics or copy, and both can be altered within minutes, enabling mistakes to be rectified quickly.

So, why don’t some website owners take more care over the quality of their web copy? Do they think the graphics alone are enough to entice a visitor to buy their products or services?

Is it deemed acceptable that because Internet publishing can be done by just about anyone, normal writing disciplines don’t apply? Unfortunately, in many cases, the answer to both of these questions is yes.

The only thing that can tell a visitor what they want to know is well-written, informative copy. Obviously no-one is perfect and errors will appear now and again. However, most visitors will overlook the odd spelling mistake or misuse of a word but won’t hang around for long if there are too many. To them, illegible copy conveys an I-don’t-care attitude, so if the website owner can’t be bothered then why should they?

Not all websites have to be graphically amazing. Understated can be just as effective as in-your-face visuals, but one thing they all have in common is that they all contain a textual content, and the only way that words are truly effective is if they are written so readers can understand what they are trying to say.

Remember, it’s the copy that will ultimately be responsible for generating enquiries from interested parties; it’s up to every website owner to make sure it says the right thing about their business.

Nearly everything in existence requires some form of maintenance or other and websites are no different. Keeping your website up to date is an important part of SEO and vital if your website is to work to its maximum potential.

If your website isn’t performing as it should then it may be time for an audit. Most web designers offer a website auditing service and some of the main areas they will look at are; content, graphics, keywords, usability and calls to action.

Content

Old and outdated content is perhaps one of the main offenders and often leads to a slow death for websites because eventually search engines won’t bother to crawl a site and it ends up getting left behind and forgotten.

Graphics

Graphics are an often overlooked but important element of a website with many never having being replaced despite any other changes to a site that may have taken place over time.

Keywords

Keywords and search phrases are the search engines’ friends but only in the right density and position within the website copy. Too many or too few are as bad as each other so balance is extremely important.

Usability

With no shortage of choice on the web, good usability is a must to keep visitors on your site. If they encounter any difficulties finding information or navigating the site itself they will simply leave and look elsewhere.

Calls to Action

Strong and persuasive calls to action should drive visitors to the final stage of the buying process – the checkout! If yours aren’t doing this to at least an acceptable level then it’s time to change them.

A website audit will actually cover far more than has been mentioned here and probably throw up some eye-opening results into the bargain, but the thing to remember is that whatever is found to be wrong with your site is totally fixable – all you have to do is listen to your web designer.

Until next time.

As it’s the last post of the month, I have decided to indulge myself and take a brief trip down internet memory lane

The internet has been around for a comparatively short space of time but has still managed to totally transform the world of business, leisure and communication.

What started as a government project way back in the early seventies wasn’t actually used by the public until the early nineties, but it’s hardly surprising that not everyone took to it straight away as back then most people had never heard of a website, didn’t know the meaning of the word cyberspace and hadn’t a clue what a ‘dot com’ was.

Some forward-looking businesses did see the potential and registered their domains early whilst others were not convinced this new technology would be of any benefit to them; quite ironic, given that now most business throughout the world is conducted wholly or partially through the internet.

Websites started out as simple static affairs populated by blocks of text and images but as the internet grew in size and popularity and new technology became available, ecommerce sites arrived and the world of business changed forever.

Communication also underwent a radical transformation as the speed and convenience of email was embraced by the public and businesses alike, and like websites, wasn’t limited by borders or distance.

The internet has also been responsible for creating whole new industries essential to keep it running and evolving. SEO specialists, web hosting services, domain registrars, software and programme developers, and not least, web designers themselves.

Despite thinking that maybe the internet has gone as far as it can go, it’s currently going through yet another stage that literally puts it in our pockets – mobile devices. Phones, iPads, tablets or whatever we choose to carry, the internet is now with us all the time.

There’s no denying that the internet has firmly become part of everyday life whether for shopping, finding information or communication, and knowing what we know now, I wonder what we’d do if suddenly it wasn’t there. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Until next time.

For most people, surfing the Internet and reading copy on web pages presents no problem whatsoever, but for the visually impaired and the elderly it’s another matter entirely. Unimpeded access to websites is something the rest of us take for granted, but for those with a visual disability things are not quite so straightforward.

Accessibility and Benefits

There are various methods employed by web designers to make websites compliant. Using simple page layouts without overcomplicated use of tables will make it much easier for screen readers to use, as will the application of ‘Alt’ text (alternative text) on images.

Traditional html sites can be built or modified to make them accessible, but one of the best methods is to build them using simple CSS code. CSS-built sites will read the text exactly as it appears on the screen and users will also benefit from ease of navigation and much quicker loading times. An added bonus is that CSS sites will generally attain better search engine positions than their html counterparts.

Potential Market

According to figures from the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind), an astonishing 3 million people in the UK cannot, or have extreme difficulty reading standard printed material and encounter exactly the same problem when they attempt to read website content.

It naturally follows therefore, that should they wish to purchase something online and can’t read what is on the website - they won’t buy, resulting in not only a staggering amount of disgruntled would-be customers but a significant amount of lost sales and income.

Equality

Accessibility is not only about online spending though; that is just one aspect to consider when building a compliant website. Another, and possibly the most important factor to take into account is that whether spending or just surfing for fun and information, visually impaired or elderly Internet users should be able to access and read websites with the same ease and convenience that the rest of us enjoy and not feel as though it’s a privilege or something they have to earn.

Having a disabled-friendly website makes sense not only from a business point of view, but because not to have one means denying a minority the chance to share one of the greatest communication and information systems ever invented.

Until next time.