Navigation Features: Your Website’s Map

Have you ever visited a website that had great colors, images, and even fun, catchy phrases…but you were confused about where to go next? Navigation that fits the needs of the business and is straightforward for the user is very important. Before a web designer can add in flashy animations, colorful backgrounds, and bold graphics, they need to get the basics functioning first and that includes navigation. What types of navigation are there and how do you choose the right layout for you?

The most fundamental and standard navigation for a custom website is global navigation. This structure does not change from page to page and is accessible no matter where you go in the site. Even with other types of navigation incorporated, every site should have a home button or link (a common place for this is in the logo) which is “global” on every page of the site. This type gives the website consistency and keeps all the information one or two clicks away. It works well with almost all custom websites, especially if you are selling several products or services.

Linear navigation is like a global navigation structure with a more precise target in mind. This navigation type leads the visitor on a very straight path towards purchasing a product or service and it works well when focusing on one product or service.  It takes the visitor to a page where they need to take action rather than leaving it up to them to make a decision or not. Linear navigation leaves “breadcrumbs”, which means the visitor follows a path laid out for them, but can retrace their steps to go back if they want to. This method is great for specific target audiences.

Hierarchical navigation appears almost like multiple sites in one. A user will click on one page of the global navigation and it will take them to a page that has more navigation on it. This works well for companies with a lot of content, have multiple divisions, or work with partners. There are more forms of navigation that take a risk by diverging from the traditional—it’s up to the company and the designer to decide what liberties they want to take and which will benefit the company’s website. Not sure what type or combination of navigation you need? That’s where Beyond Custom Websites comes in. Not only will we determine the best type of navigation for your small business website, we will help you choose the positioning, name the pages, and set up dropdown menus.  Beyond Custom Websites creates other links in the website within written content, images, and logos. Not all websites have a complete and functioning site map, but every custom website we design is equipped with one so users never get confused. The simple, yet creative navigation features our web team incorporates will improve search engine page rank and ensure visitors look at more than just the home page. Contact us today and we’ll inform you about our website design process including navigation features and so much more.

What Makes a Web Design Company Credible?

You’re thinking about creating a customized small business website for your company. You don’t have the time to create one yourself, so you’re going to hire a professional. But how do you know if the web design company is credible? Can you trust them to deliver a quality product or will working with them be nightmare? There a few things to look for when you want to hire a credible, professional, and experienced web design company.

The first thing you should do is look at that company’s website. Does it load quickly? Do all the pages work? Every page should have relevant content and images that tell you what they do and how they work.  Often, a great web design company will have testimonials on their website. It only makes sense that a company who creates websites would have one of their own with easy navigation, attractive images, a polished logo, product descriptions, and contact information. If a company’s website makes you feel uneasy about them or seems confusing, that should be a red flag that you should find another company to do the work you need.

If you can, talk to someone else who has used this company in the past. Do they answer their phone and emails in a timely manner? Even during preliminary conversations where you inquire about their services, let them know about your interest, and find out how they will be able to work with you, they should respond promptly and with a warm and positive reaction to your website needs. Also during this stage, you should get a definite timeframe for when you can expect the website to be completed. Reputable companies know what their workload is and how long their staff needs to create a quality product; if they can’t give you a timeframe, that’s not a good sign. Finally, there should be a contract or some form of written agreement between you and the web design company, confirming the products you want, the cost, and the terms of how to end your working relationship with them if necessary. There should also be clear benchmarks where the company gets your approval before moving forward.

Beyond Custom Websites is that trustworthy web design company. Whether the website is for our company or a client, it always looks polished, loads correctly, is easy to use, and has the information you need. You can find testimonials from satisfied customers we’ve had in the past. BCW always has web developers, designers, and a full team of experts available to answer the phone and reply to your emails—and that goes for current clients as well as potential companies interested in what we do. Beyond Custom Websites can have a search engine optimized, custom website live in three weeks and we outline our agreement with you before moving forward. We are confident the relationship you have with us will be one that will continue well into the future. We create a homepage to show you the layout and navigation of your site and then get your approval before creating the rest of your pages. We can work with content, images, and logos from you or provide them for you. Beyond Custom Websites will make free updates and changes at any time. We have everything you need to feel secure in choosing us to design your custom, one-of-a-kind small business website that will boost your revenue with your new online presence.

Why Businesses Don’t Have a Website

Even people who are far removed from web design hear about websites all the time. Commercials say “visit our website at…”, emails advertisements link to websites, banner ads point us to a company’s website, and so on. The first time you hear about a company, you say to yourself they have to have a website, don’t they? Surprisingly, fewer companies have a website than you think—50% or less in fact. So if everyone’s talking about websites and it’s so important to have a website, why don’t more companies take the plunge and get a functioning custom website that they need?

A big reason is their own hesitation—they talked to a few web companies, but only because they wanted options. They don’t feel comfortable actually moving forward to create their site. It’s important for small businesses to get over their fear and put their trust in a reliable web design firm so they can begin building a presence on the web and increasing sales. Time is money. At this point in the process, they may not make a commitment to get a new custom website because they couldn’t find a match with a web development company.  It may be that the company doesn’t offer enough services, the cost is too high, or their process is not explained well to the potential customer.

Small businesses don’t get a website if no one they speak to addresses the problems associated with not having a website or having a website they aren’t happy with in a way that warrants their investment. Web design companies need to listen carefully and address concerns even before they make the sale rather than focusing only on their proposal. On the other hand, many small business owners are not aware of what they’re missing out on by not having a website and being visible online. It’s important to explain the benefits of a custom website at the early stages of the process. They may also feel that their needs and pain aren’t strong enough to take action, but the website designer’s solution should seem valuable enough to convert the prospect into a customer.

Beyond Custom Websites is different from other web development companies. We know all the statistics about small businesses who have websites and those who don’t, why you need a mobile website, and how our digital product packages have lasting impacts on the bottom line sales of our customers. We show them that we are reliable by doing what we say we’re going to do, listening to our customers, picking up the phone, and working in an efficient manner. BCW doesn’t just create websites, we integrate SEO, design mobile websites, manage and link social media to the website, and create industry specific content as well as logos and images. We sit down with customers one on one to uncover their specific needs, wants, goals, and concerns. We educate our customers on why having a website is so important: to get found in search engines, grow their customer base, increase sales, and build a positive online reputation. We offer customers free updates and changes, technical support in real time, and maintain ongoing relationships with our clients. Our web design solutions are one of a kind and tailored to each individual business. Check out Beyond Custom Websites and see that we mean what we say—our custom websites are websites that get results.

How to Get the Most Out of Pinterest

Pinterest is quickly making a statement in the world of social media. It is not uncommon for someone to create a Pinterest page and then never use it, either because they don’t have time or they aren’t sure what to use it for. However, Pinterest can be a fun and useful tool when used correctly.

It is a great place to get some inspiration on almost every subject from cooking or fitness, art, fashion, or custom web design.  You organize and share things you create by uploading files or things you find elsewhere on the internet by creating pins. You can have multiple Pinboards for different topics and browse and follow anyone else’s pins. This can become a place of endless possibilities for small businesses and individuals to share their resources, offer tips, promote sales, and show their portfolio. A feature of Beyond Custom Website’s sites is a Pinterest button that connects your page directly to your one of a kind, custom website, encouraging visitors to check out both. Here are some specific tips to make the most of out of this social media resource.

While you want to build the posts on your page, don’t over pin. Posting 20 to 30 pins at once or about the same topic may cause people to un-follow your boards. Why? Say a person is following 75 people and 10 of those people over-pin regularly. Then this person will only see pins from those 10 people about the same subjects, get annoyed, and stop following that board. So mix up the subject matter of your posts and pin only a few things at a time. On the other hand, it is good to re-pin posts you like and other may return the favor, gaining you more visibility. For small businesses that have a website and a Pinterest page, do not over advertise. It’s ok to market somewhat, but users want to feel inspired not like they are being sold to. If you have clients or partners you work with, make some of your pins about them. Finally, link to the source to give credit to great pins that weren’t authored by you and read the terms of service—not only does it reflect poorly on you if you accidentally violate them, but people can end up using your images or content without your permission.

Beyond Custom Websites offers entrepreneurial expertise and social media integration and assistance in addition to all the other features associated with getting a custom website from us. We create your website layout, logo, and provide industry specific content and photos or use those you provide for us. We also offer Search Engine Optimization, copywriting, unlimited technical support in real time, and more. Contact us and find out how we can assist you with your social media networks including Pinterest and give you all the tools you need to create a successful, influential web presence.