Share If you have ever considered being a web designer Manchester, you should know that there are many web design schools that offer courses in web design.  This could be just the career that you have been seeking, as it not only provides a challenge, but it can also be very lucrative.  There are many companies that are choosing to bring their businesses online and, as such, there is a wide open market for those with web designing abilities.  The need is great. Dreamweaver One of the most popular design courses is Dreamweaver.  In this class, you would learn how to create a site using drop-down menus.  This is one of the most basic ways to design a website, so learning is quite easy.  This is a great way to obtain experience in web design.  After a few such courses, you could easily open your own web design agency Manchester.  Flash You also want to obtain a certification in Flash.  This will prove to be one of the most exciting courses that you take.  This class will help you with some of the most cutting edge types of applications for web design that there are.  You will find that, although this class can be very engaging, it is also a challenge.  This course will require creativity as well as analytical experience.  You will find that some techniques are rather demanding; however, you will enjoy being able to use your creative side to create beautiful sites.  You will need to learn complex programming skills; but, you will find that this will enable you to create sites that you will be very proud of.  Web Content Writing Another great course that is offered by many web design schools is that of content writing.  No website is complete without content, and content is king.  This class will improve your writing skills and help you hone your writing abilities.  You will see that a website is a window to the world, and many people will visit if the site has engaging content...

Share Have you ever wondered how much it costs to build a website?  This is a question that has no answer unless you know exactly the type of website that you wish to have.  Even when you have nailed down the specifics of what you require, you will see that charges from web designers can vary greatly.  This can be reliant on many different factors, such as the expertise of the web designer Manchester, what sites they have built in the past, what their current workload is, and many other factors you may have not even considered.  Design and Programming A website that seems simple enough can cost anywhere from £500 to several thousand.  It all really depends on the amount of time it takes the designer to create your site.  The design will cost a certain amount and the programming is then an extra charge that can be equal to or greater than the amount of the graphics.  There are many good designers and programmers that are very good at what they do and will charge more than those who simply do web design on a freelance basis.  Know What You Need If you are able to nail down exactly what you need in a website, you are that much closer to finding the best price.  It all starts with knowing exactly what you need so that you are able to clearly explain this to your potential website design agency Manchester.  If there is anything extra that you need, such as Flash graphics, be prepared to pay a little bit extra for these touches.  Keep in mind that sometimes, the lowest price does not mean that you will be getting the best service.  One of the best ways to know if you are choosing a good web designer Manchester is to ask to see the designer's portfolio.  This will help you understand if they do this full time or if they are simply a freelancer.  Be sure to have a list of questions that you would like answered, and do not be shy to perform your own research.  This will aid you in choosing...

Share   Websites are an online version of a traditional store; they are a virtual storefront that must put as good a foot forward as you would want your physical store to.  Transitioning to the internet is a process that begins with obtaining the best web host and design team possible.  The way in which your site reaches the masses will have much to do with how successful you are online.  Not only does your site need to be aesthetically pleasing; but, it also must be optimised for the greatest results within the search engines.   Many businesses and individuals looking to have an online presence try to do so for as little money out of pocket as possible; however, sometimes opting for a budget solution and a cheap web design agency Manchester is no solution at all.  It is, however, very important that you understand how the requirements of different sites and businesses will affect the overall price in the end. The Static Site The most basic of all sites is known as a static website.  This is just a basic site that has informational pages without all of the glitz and glam.  This is an excellent way for most all businesses to establish their internet presence.  This type of package normally has about three to four regular pages, along with a contact form and sometimes even a blog page.  The overall design should speak of your industry. The static site, however, does not work for all online businesses.  If you want an actual, virtual storefront online, then you need to have an ecommerce style site built.  This may not be within your budget, but there are ways to research to find the type of site you need within the budget that you have available.  By speaking to a web designer Manchester you can gain a better idea of what can be completed for the budget you have available. Other Types of Sites There are even more different types of businesses; in fact, some businesses may have more content to...

Share If you have a blog and you have been using a standard WordPress, Blogger or Tumblr template and you want to give your site some extra credibility, or if you just want to breathe new life into a design that has become stale, you are probably thinking about contacting a web design agency Manchester to see if they can help you come up with a new design for your site.  Before you jump right in and scrap your existing site for a new redesigned one, you should make sure that you are completely prepared for not only the changes but the responsibility that comes with performing a custom blog redesign. Have Established Goals for Your Redesign You can’t simply jump in to a complete redesign of your blog and have everything work out just fine.  It is important to have a clear goal in mind of what you want.  If you don’t you will find yourself not only frustrating yourself and your visitors, but you can also end up spending a lot of extra money – especially if you are working with a web designer Manchester.  Simply saying “I want my site to look better” isn’t going to give your designer anything to work with.  You should have at least two specific goals or changes to make at least as a starting off point.  The more specific you can be the better. Have a Budget in Mind Knowing exactly what you have to spend on your custom blog redesign will be incredibly beneficial, because it will help you narrow down your ideas to those that are the most essential, especially if you are on a small budget.  You can go with a premium theme if you use WordPress that will cost anywhere between £50 and £150, or you can go with a traditional freelance web designer who can do a very nice custom website for you, but the premium you will pay for that level of web design Manchester can cost anywhere between £500 and £5000. No matter what you decide to do when it comes to your custom blog redesign, just...

Share Due to the ever-growing number of people that resort to using the internet on a day to day basis, it is critical that every business has an online presence.  This will help to serve value to all of the company's other operations, as well as assist with marketing strategies the company may be trying to achieve.  This is the reason that it is so important to choose the right web designer Manchester.  Especially if you have any type of design experience, it may prove tempting to try and design your own company site; however, in the long term, money saved will eventually be lost due to a poorly designed site.  This can cause you to lose clients, as well as potential clients.  Functionality Once you have decided what type of site you desire to have for your company, you will then want to decide what functionality the site needs or what functions are a priority.  Then, over time, you can cut back on whatever functionality you do not need or that does not serve its original intended purpose.  Budget It is a good idea to figure, out the limits of your budget first.  The costs associated with your business website depend mainly on the size of the site, in addition to your advertising presence and the level of interaction you want your potential customers to have.  When you know what your budget is and the kind of website that you want to have, it is then best to begin your search for the best web design agency Manchester.  It is always best to go with a company rather than an individual freelancer, as freelancers may not perform web design as their primary job title.  It is best to stick with agencies that do this on a daily basis.  Recommendations However you will find that when searching for the right company, you will find that there are several suitable ones.  There are a few things that you should keep in mind, however.  One of the safest ways to choose your web design Manchester is on the...

Share There are lots of things to consider when looking for a company to design your website.  The experience of the company should be taken into account and any company worth its salt should be able to show you a portfolio of completed designs and testimonials from satisfied customers.  One of the major deciding factors in choosing a web design company is the price they are going to charge you for their services, which is why you may be tempted to give your contract to an offshore web design company as prices can be marginally cheaper.  However is this choice the best one to make? The Benefits of Using a UK Based Company Wherever you are in the UK there will be a selection of companies to choose from, if you are a national company yourself it would perhaps be a good idea to select a design business that is centrally located.  When looking for a centrally located company that offers web design Manchester has a great selection to choose from.   Look for a web design agency Manchester that has been recommended for their work ethic and high quality standards by other companies.  Any selected web designer Manchester that a business chooses to promote will be in a great central location to be able to meet with you or any of your company’s representatives practically anywhere in the UK, something that an offshore agency simply will not be able to commit to. A Design Needs to Evolve When going through the design process there will be many changes made to the original design brief.  It would also be likely that you may not be able to have all of the features that you originally decided you wanted to be included on your site, which is why a close working relationship with your designer and the design company is imperative.  It is difficult to describe everything you need via telephone or email conversations, there is simply no substitute for a hands on meeting with your designer, which is something that is only possible with a...

Share When it comes to using frames on a website, there are many aspects to consider before incorporating them into the web design.  Frames are part of old-school HTML code and have since been removed from more recent versions of the markup language.  Many web designers still incorporate frames into their web design while others despise the use of frames for various reasons.  Throughout this article, we will outline the pros and cons to using frames so you can decide whether or not to implement them into your new website's design. Pros of Using Frames One of the biggest advantages to using frames is the ability to keep selected information on the screen at all times.  Many people use frames for menus that will be present as the user scrolls down the pages, preventing the user from having to scroll back to the top to navigate to another page.  Frames also allow for editing of menus in one file, as opposed to updating the information on every page.  Other items can also be featured, such as company logos or advertisements, allowing you to achieve brand name recognition or increase the likelihood of ad revenue.  Any professional web design agency Manchester may also use frames for hiding the URLs of webpages (in the event you do not want them displayed) and to allow only for the bookmarking of your main page (www.warrenphillipswebdesign.co.uk) as opposed to lower-level pages within the site. Cons of Using Frames One of the biggest and most obvious downsides of frames is that they are obsolete in HTML5, meaning that you cannot use them in conjunction with it.  Depending on the content in the frame, you may want visitors to be able to link to it and the use of frames makes that nearly impossible.  Search engines also have trouble locating frames and the content inside them; if you are wanting certain content to be easily found by a search engine, then do not put it in a frame.  Also, some web designers have reported...

Share A professional web design agency Manchester understands the importance and connection between web design and search engine optimisation.  In these days of global web presence, being discoverable by search engines is key to driving traffic to your site and while some may not consider web design when optimising their content, embedded features can exponentially improve the likelihood of a visitor or customer discovering your particular site.  By keeping a few simple tips in mind when building a site, the chance of it being successful is markedly increased. Writing Correct Code By making sure your site is properly formatted and coded, search engine bots and screen readers are able to effectively index your site and increase the chance that your articles, content or store will be found.  Sites that contain no coding errors are more likely to rank higher in any given search result, so it is vital to make sure that your coding is correct and done by a proper web designer Manchester. Create a Sitemap Search engines like Google and Bing love sites that have sitemaps, which serve not only in the search engine being able to find your pages easier but also helps your visitors locate any and all content available for viewing on your website.  Search engine bots use sitemaps to reference and index the content on your site; starting with first-level pages, the ranks of pages falling under each category is assigned based on the popularity of the parent page(s).  A site map can do wonders for all of the secondary-page content on your website. No Unlinked Pages Pages within a site that are not directly linked to any other page on the site are much harder for search engines to find and index.  Search engines essentially “crawl along the lines available”, discovering and recording each site it discovers along the way.  When there's no path to a particular page, the search engines cannot find it and make it available in search...

Share Site maps refer to a web feature that properly lists all of your website's pages in a segmented fashion that allows search engines and users to locate content easier.  There are obvious advantages to using site maps but some webmasters have no idea how much ease of access and traffic they are losing by not implementing this design.  Our web design agency Manchester takes this into account and makes sure that you have the best site map for your site.  Here are a few reasons why site maps are so important in designing a successful website. User-Friendly Layout Site maps display all of your website's pages and list them in a format that gives the user the ability to find which pages relate to a particular subject or interest.  Especially useful for larger websites, site maps give the user the ability to track down a specific page by exploring the “tree” of pages for any category listed.  When it comes to web design Manchester, a properly-placed site map will be an invaluable tool for making your visitors' lives easier and in turn, reward you with repeat traffic. Optimal Search Indexing Site maps are typically formatted in XML and serve not only to make a user's experience easier but also help search engines index your site in-full and make sure as many of your pages are indexed as possible.  What does this mean for you?  Most notably, it means that more of your site's pages will be indexed for any particular search term, giving you more chances at being exposed through search engines. Easy Setup In years past, creating a site map required you to know how to write code and for many website owners, this proved to be more of a hassle than they considered it worth.  Fortunately, there are tools today – debuted by none other than search engine giant Google – that can automatically find the pages on your site and create a dynamic site map for you on demand.  Even the most picky...

Share Incorporating illustration into your web design Manchester is a great way to create a unique and striking showcase for a brand.  By using illustration in your web design, you will be able to incorporate a sense of personality as well as creativity into your site, as well as communicate a high skill level on the part of the web designer Manchester that created it.  Illustrations also present a unique opportunity to create a design that cannot be easily copied or replicated by other designers or a competing web design agency Manchester.  Illustrations Make Websites Memorable When you create a website, you are not only providing a solution to your client’s needs, but you are also showcasing your talents.  You web design is an advertisement not only for your client, but for your business as well.  This is why it is important that your web design Manchester stand out from the crowd and that people remember your site because it made such an impact on them.  Incorporating illustration into your web design Manchester helps a lot with this because you have created a visual element that is completely unique to your site.  This stands out to visitors because it shows that you truly care about not only your website, but also your brand.  Illustrations can be used to bring a feeling of innovation and fun to your website. Illustrations Don’t Have To Be Complicated That old rule of “keep it simple, stupid” applies to all facets of your web design, and your illustrations are no exception.  By keeping your illustrations simple and minimal, you are still creating a tremendous visual impact across your site while at the same time not overwhelming your visitors with a loud confusing design that will make your site hard to read and navigate and will of course drive people away instead of encouraging them to come back.  When in doubt, keep your illustrations as simple as you can. Treat Your Illustrations As...

Share If you are a web designer Manchester, then you know that in order to build a successful webpage you have to provide a user-friendly experience for visitors navigating through your site complete with colours that are easy on the eyes and images that stand out from the crowd.  There is another very important aspect of web design Manchester that you should be sure to not overlook and that is your choice of font type.  The font you choose for your website can be the difference between having a successful and engaging website, or one that visitors click away from as fast as they can.  It may surprise you to learn that despite the seemingly infinite number of fonts available, only a small handful of them will work on a web page. Keep It Simple, Stupid That old design mantra of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) still applies to the font type you chose for your webpage.  This is why you should not experiment with that funky crazy new font you just discovered.  When you use a font that is difficult to read, you will find that nobody is going to want to try to read it, no matter how good your content it.  This is why most websites stick with the old classics Ariel and Times New Roman for their text.  These are the two fonts that people tend to be the most familiar with, which makes it much easier to read.  Compatible Fonts Another reason Ariel and Times New Roman are so popular on websites is because they are very compatible.  You want to make sure that your site functions across a number of different types of browsers and operating systems.  One of the best ways to ensure that is by using fonts that exist on basically every operating system and that you know browsers can read.  Remember: Just because you have certain fonts available on your computer doesn’t mean that everyone has them.  If you use a font that your visitors don’t have, it can look distorted and unreadable. Be Consistent Consistency...

Share When it comes to web design Manchester, one of the most important things is to know who your target audience is.  In order to effectively determine the answer to this important question, it is important for not only a web designer Manchester to step outside of their role as a designer, but also the entire web design agency Manchester to and change the focus to marketing in order to help identify who your target audience is and what you can do to design a website that will meet their needs. Content When people visit a webpage, 9 times out of 10 they are there for a purpose, such as gathering information or to make a purchase.  There are a few questions that you will need to address to make sure that your content is matching the expectations of your target audience.  Why are they visiting the site?  Are they there for news, to join an organisation, to participate in user forums, or to make a purchase?  People go to websites for specific purposes.  Knowing what that purpose is will help you figure out how to structure your content, as well as what content you will need to put an emphasis on.  Why should they return to the site again?  A successful website design means that you have convinced your target audience that they will want to revisit your site again.  In order to do this you have to provide an incentive to your audience to come back, such as adding new products if you are selling items, or making sure that the information contained is updated and relevant.  What should the look of the site be?  When you know who your target audience is, this will make it easier to decide what information you need to have prioritised on the front page of your site.  Being able to give your audience quick access to what they want will create a positive experience that they will want to come back to. Demographics Of course, the most important factor in designing a website for your target audience is knowing...

Share You probably don’t need us to tell you how essential branding is when you are trying to create a business or a recognisable entity like a blog.  People almost subconsciously form relationships with brands, and this is what makes them keep coming back, and what makes them talk about you to their friends.  As a top web design agency in Manchester, we do a lot of work with clients to help them create strong brand elements and use them consistently throughout their web presence.  Here we look at some things that make up a good brand. Logo As a leading web designer in Manchester, we also offer logo design services.  The logo is not the brand (a lot of people get confused between the two) but is one of the strongest elements of it.  A good logo is a good foundation for good branding, and is often a good place to start, as your logo can then drive other brand design decisions such as those around colour, fonts and the type of graphics you use. Colour The colours you use say a lot about your brand.  Whether you go for traditional, fresh and modern, minimalist, high contrast or bright and fun, you are giving your visitors an idea of what your business or site’s direction is.  This is why a professional web design in Manchester company can add a lot of value to your business.  We understand how to use different schemes and levels of contrast to have different types of impact. Graphics The style of your graphics also forms part of your brand.  You may think, if you are selling products, that a simple image of that item is all there is to it, but if you look at how this is done on some of the big sites like Amazon, you will see there is a distinct style used every time.  This is also the case with other pictures.  You don’t want cartoon style graphics on one page and then corporate style stock images of people looking at laptops on another.  The decision on the graphic style is part of your...

Share You may or may not be aware that in many countries, including the UK, there are laws in place about the design of websites.  This is to do with disability discrimination.  A website needs to be accessible for as much of the population as possible, and the way this is shown is by how well it complies with a set of globally recognised web accessibility standards.  As a leading web design agency in Manchester, we understand that accessibility isn’t just important from a legal perspective, it is also important for your users, and for you. “Disability” Is More Common Than You think Consider this – disability, when it comes to whether or not you can easily use a website, doesn’t just refer to conditions like blindness or deafness where a site would need to be compatible with additional software like screenreaders that the user might need.  It also refers to things like colour blindness.  One in four men is to some degree colour blind.  Pick a colour scheme for your site that has insufficient contrast between the background and any text or icons, and you’ve made your site impossible for an eighth of the population to read.  This is a good reason to use a professional web designer (in Manchester, consider us!) who will be able to ensure you pick accessible colour schemes and other design elements. Media Accessibility on Your Site Another thing to consider when you’re thinking about web accessibility is that it doesn’t only refer to disabilities.  Someone may not be able to use certain design elements on your site because they are using a slow connection like a 3G modem or dial up for whatever reason, or they may not be able to watch your video because they have no speakers on their device.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include cool stuff like video clips or moving graphics, which can really enhance your site for the majority of users, but you would need to...

Share If you’re in the Greater Manchester area and looking to launch a new website, whether it’s for a business idea or for something more personal like a blog, you may be wondering what advantages there are to using a professional web design service over trying to build the site yourself using something like WordPress.  Here are some reasons why a local web design agency in Manchester can help you: Creativity You want your site to make an impact.  While the tools provided by website building services are fine for putting together something simple, when you want to really stand out you can’t have your site looking like anybody else’s, let alone everybody else’s.  As a leading web designer in Manchester we can provide something innovative that will leave a lasting impression on your visitors. Brand Development Branding isn’t just important to big companies like Apple and Coca-Cola.  Even a blog, if it’s going to be successful, needs a striking brand image, that people can learn to recognise and associate with what you do.  This is very hard to develop without some custom design work.  We provide web design in Manchester that can really help your brand develop, from logos through to the colour schemes and fonts you use and the graphic style. Innovation The most interesting sites are the ones people keep coming back to, and by providing your visitors with cool interactive features or impressive graphics, you can be sure to create a buzz around your site.  The one size fits all approach used by website building tools simply doesn’t promote innovation, but a professional web designer will be looking for cool new ways to make your site more fun to browse, and more useful to its customers. Starting a new venture on the internet is always exciting, whether it is a new web presence for an existing business or a whole new online enterprise, and the importance of getting the site’s design...

Share Every freelancer knows the difficulties that can arise when working with particular clients. When it comes to web design in particular, there are some projects that can end up being a nightmare when clients are non-responsive, overly detailed or quick to change their minds about the agreed upon web design Manchester.  While keeping your clients satisfied and happy is crucial to repeat business as well as referrals, it is equally important to know and communicate your boundaries and extent of services to maintain a professional, mutually respectable relationship.  Outlined below are some tips to help reduce the amount of instances in which picky clients can throw a wrench into your operations and how to handle the situation whenever it arises. Define Your Extent of Services The best way to address any possible squabbles or headaches over changes in what the client desires out of the project is to have a comprehensive project contract for every type of web design project you offer.  As a freelance web designer Manchester, every client should be presented with a contract that outlines the details of services provided, the extent to which changes/revisions will be made and what time-frame is expected for completion of the project.  There are sample contracts and templates available on-line to assist you in drafting your very own contract agreement.  As a professional, it is crucial to have an agreement upon which you can refer to if a problem arises. Portray Your Specific Services When meeting or discussing work with a new or potential client, be completely honest about what you can provide and design a portfolio that accentuates previous work in similar categories.  Many freelancers attempt to expand their business into categories and niches that they may not be familiar with yet and this can lead to complications between the client and you over how the project will go forward.  Be clear and upfront about your skills; while you...

Share Minimalism is derived from the desire to use only the most crucial elements in creating a project.  When designing a website, minimalism can prove to be quite useful and alluring when used for the right reasons and under certain circumstances.  Prior to the actual construction of the website, it is important to have a plan and an idea for what the website will be used; by building from the ground up and using only what is necessary, the chance that the minimalist design of the page will be great is increased.  The following tips from a web design Manchester company will guide you in the right direction when considering minimalism in your website's design. Balancing Functionality with Minimalism When you begin the construction of a website, do not start by putting everything on the table and then removing elements that are not necessary.  Minimalism only works effectively when all needs of the user are addressed.  In other words, can the user successfully take advantage of all the site has to offer via the website?  Are there any key aspects to your website or business that have been left out of the website's design?  For many, a website is a first impression or storefront and it is essential that the design incorporates all functional aspects and the best way to do it is by starting from scratch and using the necessary web elements.  Using Minimalism with Good Intentions A web designer Manchester may mistake the use of minimalism as a way to provide an aesthetically-charming look to the website.  Unless the designer has a serious knowledge of art and how minimalism works, the resulting design may end up being bland and mediocre as opposed to fashionably minimalist.  It is vital to understand what the design should embody – both in substance and in theory – prior to construction.  The user of the site should be able to navigate easily and be completely able to understand everything he...

Share If you are a seasoned web designer, you’ve probably got a good idea of which markets offer the biggest pay and how to properly target them.  If you are new the web designing game, however, you may still be searching for the magic potion that will suddenly allow you to start making money on your site.  Unfortunately, there is no magic when it comes to affiliate marketing; the only formula for success is a lot of knowledge and a little bit of luck.  If you are just getting started as a web designer Manchester, here are a few tips to help you avoid some of the mistakes others have made and put you on the fast track to making money online. Everyone Loves Free Stuff In the midst of pushing sales, driving traffic, and praying for a pay out, don’t forget one very important thing; people love free stuff.  Anything free will get people’s attention and keep them coming back for more.  The last thing any web designer Manchester wants is for people to take a look around your site and click off; never to return. Instead, fill your site with free offers for information, product updates, or anything else that applies to your site, and require a name and email to access it.  Once they have filled that in, you’ve got the ability to keep your site in the forefront of their minds at all times (or at least until they request to be removed from your mailing list).  By sending out emails with information, you have a much better chance of people returning to your site. Create Completely Unique Pages Even though it might be a hassle, every good web designer Manchester knows that the only way to really present your site in an appealing way is to present each product on its own page.  If you try and mash everything together, you readers will get overwhelmed and frustrated and begin searching other sites.  You also don’t give your products the proper time and presentation that they deserve.  By keeping...

Share   We have a question for you.  It’s probably one you’ve asked yourself many times.  How important is it that your company is represented online – not only with a website, but with a good looking, easy to use and well designed website? The answer is actually very simple. Think about it like this: when was the last time you opened up a phonebook or used directory enquiries to get the contact details of a company you were looking for?  If you’re anything like us, it was a long time ago.  The internet has quickly become an indispensable tool that gives us what we want and need instantly with very little effort, replacing many different mediums.  Web design agency Manchester Warren Phillips Web Design combines a team of talented people to create websites that not only look fantastic but are user friendly and intuitive too. Give Your Customers the Information They Need The secret to marketing your business online is about giving a visitor to your website as much information as you can while they’re browsing and the longer they spend on your website the more information you’ll be able to give them.  Warren Phillips Web Design are in the business of web design Manchester and are experienced in creating websites that users are eager to explore because of their usability.  On average an internet user will arrive at a page and within seconds, decide whether or not to stay on the page.  Warren Phillips Web Design are web designers Manchester that know how to build sites that will keep your users interested. The Personal Touch from Your Web Design Agency Manchester At Warren Phillips Web Design we like our customers to know that they’re being well looked after.  We believe that each and every part of the web design process is collaboration between your company and us to ensure that when the final product is completed, it speaks the language of your company and it is truly something...

Share If you are looking to be successful at web design Manchester, there are some important pieces of advice you should know.  Web design can be a difficult profession for many people; one poorly designed website can drive away customers and cause severe damage to your reputation.  So in order to ensure your success you need to ensure you follow some basic guidelines.  These are described below: A Good Working Relationship is Important Having a working relationship is important when it comes to web design, not only with your clients but also with your in-house web design team.  The process of building a quality website should be an enjoyable and productive experience for everyone involved.  The worst situation you can be in when it comes to a working relationship is for the experience to become incredibly stressful, protracted and difficult – this can seriously harm creativity and won’t lead to positive results. Testimonials Matter An important thing to have when looking for new clients are good testimonials.  Having good testimonials can help drive a lot of new customers to you that are seeking quality web design Manchester.  You should never underestimate the power of a good testimonial from a satisfied client.  A good testimonial shows that you are able to listen to your clients and can provide exemplary services when it comes to web design Manchester and will help you appeal to a wider audience.  It also never hurts to get recommendations from trusted friends and colleagues. List Your Benefits over the Features You Provide Something that a lot of people involved with web design Manchester will do is go out of their way to list all of the great services and features that they provide to their clients.  This seems like it should be a good thing, but the problem is everyone else offering web design Manchester offers those same features and services!  Agencies that only promote the services they...

Share If you are looking for a good web design agency Manchester, there are some important things to think about before you make your final decision.  Don’t just opt for the first company you come across, or even worse – the cheapest company; instead you need to look for a company that can build a website that meets your needs and requirements. Know What Platform Your Website is Built For When you are choosing a web design agency Manchester, it is important to have an idea of what platform your website will be built on, since the platform is the backbone of your website.  Some popular platforms such as WordPress and Joomla provide you with the ability to keep growing your website along with your company without having to use too much custom code.  This allows you to have more control over your website as well as save money in the long run.  WordPress especially has become an incredibly popular platform for company websites as well as personal blogs because of its robust customization options. Like Your Web Designer’s Style This should go without saying, but it can be overlooked quite often.  You should make sure that your web design agency Manchester has the same design style as you have or you should at least like their style.  If you don’t like the style of your web design agency Manchester, then chances are you won’t be very happy with the website that they build for you.  Ask your web design agency Manchester for links to previous websites that they have designed for other clients so you can get a better feel for their style and their ability to change styles depending on the clients.  You should also check to see if the design on their website is clean and easy to navigate or cluttered and confusing. Get References This may be one of the most important things, and it should never be understated.  Always make sure your web design agency Manchester provides you with as many references as...

Share If you are thinking about becoming a web designer Manchester and are just getting started, there are a few things that you might want to keep in mind.  Web designing is an extremely fulfilling career but it doesn’t just happen overnight.  In order to make the step up from novice to pro, there are a few things that you might want to keep in mind. It Doesn’t Matter What Tools You Use One of the most common misconceptions when it comes to web design is that you have to have “the right tools” in order to be a successful web designer Manchester.  While it is true that if you claim to be a professional and you then use Microsoft Front Page you will be laughed at, even the most popular tools that are considered requirements for web designers will likely be obsolete or at the very least outdated in the next 3-5 years.  Remember, it wasn’t all that long ago that being familiar with WAP and Perl was essential for web designers Manchester.  Now they are completely archaic.  As long as you remember to keep an open mind towards emerging technologies and continue to learn and be forward thinking, you will benefit in the long run. Make Your Own Experience For many novices, the hardest part of being a web designer Manchester is getting their foot in the door.  When you don’t have very much experience, it is important to get yourself to stand out from the rest by making sure you have an impressive portfolio of work to spotlight your skills as a web designer Manchester.  Yet, many novices tend to have very weak portfolios if they have one at all.  It is important as a web designer Manchester to seek out your own opportunities to build your portfolio and give you experience instead of merely relying on your employer to provide you with interesting projects.  If you want to grow as a web designer, you have to do it yourself.  Contact local clubs and non-profit agencies and create your own...

Share If you own or are thinking of starting a small business, it’s a good idea to give your company a web presence as soon as you can.  A website is like a virtual business card and will enable you to promote your company to a wider selection of people.  However, when starting a website for your small business it is highly important to make sure your website looks professional; this is one of the main reasons why many small business owners turn to a web design agency Manchester for help. Why is Good Web Design Important? Any good web design Manchester company will tell you about the importance of a good web design.  Especially in the case of a small business website, the way your website is portrayed will often be the first impression that a potential customer has of you.  A website can either project professionalism or negligence and you will surely want your company to be viewed in the best light possible.  If you don’t know what you are doing it is a good idea to ask a professional web designer Manchester for assistance. Factors to Consider When building a small business website some of the factors that you will want to consider include: Business strategy and goals – a small business website needs to be part of a brand identity and the text and images present need to blend in with the company’s corporate identity. Professionalism – we mentioned this above, but it really is important for a small business website to project professionalism in order to gain their potential customer’s trust.  A flawless designer will pay attention to each aspect of a website individually and make sure the completed project looks harmonious. Prospective customers – a good small business website will be designed with future potential customers in mind.  You need to know who your product or service is aimed at and design your website accordingly. Innovative – even though your website needs to be...

Share Many people think that working as a web designer  must be a great job… and it is.  But how do you get started?  First of all, don’t give up your day job just yet.  Working as a professional web designer Manchester isn’t as easy as it sounds and it can take years to build up a client list and earn enough money to support yourself.  That said, it can be done it just takes effort, creativity, patience and a lot of knowledge.  Education If you want to work for a web design agency Manchester you will need to be knowledgeable about web design in general.  Many professional web designers in Manchester will have studied for a degree in computer studies, graphic design, arts or web design itself; but it isn’t entirely necessary.  Whilst this is a great way to get some formal training, if you haven’t got a degree in one of the above you shouldn’t feel held back.  You can teach yourself the basics but it will take time. Stay Up to Date As technology continues to change, so does a web designer’s job.  To work for a web design Manchester company you will need to keep updated with technology and everything that comes with it.  This includes having the latest knowledge of all the latest design programmes such as Adobe Photoshop and programming languages.  Web design incorporates a variety of fields including using graphic software, programming, creating visual website layouts and SEO.  If you want to offer a full web design package you will need to be knowledgeable in all of the above (and more) and keep your knowledge current. Specialise As web designing is such a popular job it’s a good idea to specialise in one area when you are just starting out.  Becoming an expert in a specific type of website design, a specific type of programming or a specific type of graphic software can put you a step ahead of other new web designers who have a basic knowledge of...

Share   In today’s competitive and snazzy web 2.0 world, universal web design techniques are often forgotten.  Many of these techniques are known to work in numerous industries around the world, so why they are being left behind by normal web designers in unbeknownst to us.  If you were to hire a professional web design Manchester company like ours to help with your website, you could be sure that the following mistakes would not happen.  Let’s take a look at some of them: 1. Difficult to Read Text One thing that a web designer Manchester should advise you about is the type of font you use for your text and its size.  Many websites nowadays are incredibly difficult to read, and the end result is a high bounce rate.  People just won’t stick around on a website that has text that they cannot read.  To counteract this you should make sure that the size of your text is at least 14 px, and also experiment with the different fonts.  To make your website as user friendly as possible, a clear font in a colour that is easy on the eye is essential. 2. Visual Noise Another thing that a professional web design agency Manchester will tell you is: simpler is better.  Whilst you might like to see a lot of things going on in a website, most readers don’t and if their eyes are constantly moving, they will easily get confused by your website.  A website needs a focal point and a visual hierarchy so a reader can easily find what they are looking for without too much effort.  The more scattered a page is and the more meaningless images that are included, the more you will find your readers going elsewhere… to your competitors. 3. Difficult to Determine Text Links Whether you are linking to other pages on your website, an affiliate page or to another website, your links need to be easy to read.  A professional web designer Manchester will tell you that the norm for text links is for them to be...

Share   Trained web designers are more often than not going to be able to create a truly professional website for you.  However if a professional web designer in Manchester is out of your budget range, or if you want to try to build a website on your own there are a few tips that you might want to follow to help you increase your chances of creating a professional looking site. Professional web designer Manchester employees tend to look at ways to improve their knowledge and skills so consider starting your own checklist of what you do know before you begin your web design.  By looking at the knowledge you already have you will be able to plan, create, and design the best website much more easily.  A web designer Manchester may be able to guide you through what you don’t understand or you could even hire a web design agency Manchester to complete anything you are struggling with. One of the first things you need to consider when building a website is the domain name.  Picking a proper domain name is important as you want people to be able to recognise you from your website address.  You may also want to register a subdomain in order to make certain everyone is redirected to your website even if they misspell your actual website domain.  As well as memorability, a good web domain can contribute to your SEO strategy so try and include your website’s main keywords in it if you can. Another tip is to try and target your local audience first.  You may have global consumers, but it is best to target those in your own back yard especially if your website is advertising your brick and mortar business.  In this way you ensure that you are talked up locally before any other company.  A lot of websites were started on a global scale even though they serve the local market.  It has meant a lot of changes in web design for these companies to ensure they are now geared more for the local consumer. You will also...

Share Whatever your reason is for designing a “dark” website – you’re tired of light backgrounds, your client told you to do it or you have a deep seated anger problem, there are a few things to keep in mind during the design process.  Dark websites can be hard on the eyes, especially if the dark is mixed up with large pieces of light.  In fact, if you don’t know what you’re doing we highly suggest hiring a professional web design agency Manchester to either guide you through it or do the work for you.  If you’re still intent on going it alone, here are a few tips: Font Selection Most dark websites have a black background and white font.  This is all well and good but you need to make sure that your readers can actually read your text.  When designing a dark website, you will be advised by your web designer Manchester to use serif fonts rather than sans serif fonts.  Why?  Well to put it simply, serif fonts tend to be brighter on the screen.  Sans serif fonts tend to appear in muted colours and are incredibly hard to read. Muted Headers It’s a known fact that brick and mortar stores often have a gap between the entrance to their store and their first rows of merchandise.  Why?  To give the customers eyes time to adjust from the bright sun to the dimly lit store atmosphere.  It works in the offline world and you should be thinking about doing the same online too.  Most websites are bright and going from one to the other within seconds can really hurt your eyes… try it if you like.  This is why, if you are planning on designing a dark website, you should include a muted header.  A dark design with a muted header gives a customer’s eyes time to focus… and limits the pain. Colour Selection Any good web design agency Manchester will tell you that an attractive website will be a popular one; and the same rings true for dark...

Share   If you are considering designing your own website or hiring a professional web design agency to do the work for you, you clearly have a lot to think about.  There are a lot of considerations that come into play here with expertise being at the top of the list.  If you (or your employees) don’t have the expertise that is required to create an attractive, user friendly, professional looking website, a web design agency Manchester is your best option.  The last thing you want to do is attempt to create a website yourself and fail miserably – not only will you have wasted your time but you are likely to also lose customers if your website isn’t up to scratch. What Expertise is Required? A good web designer Manchester will be knowledgeable in the following: Programming – whether it’s database programming, JavaScript or CGI; these are all things that may need to be utilised in the website design process.   HTML – although web design software (and numerous Google searches) can help with this, a basic understanding is often necessary unless you want to spend weeks trying to do something that would take a web designer Manchester minutes.   Website Navigation – A good web design agency Manchester will be knowledgeable about a user’s website experience and hence can create a website that is easy to navigate.  This is not something that can easily be understood without experience.   Artistic Ability – Your website needs to be tasteful and fit in with your brand.  A good web designer Manchester knows how to create an attractive website that will encourage your visitors to stick around.  Image manipulation also comes into play here as does optimising images for the web.   Business and Marketing Experience – There is no point in a website looking beautiful and being easy to navigate if no-one can find it.  If you are thinking of building your own...

Share   XML or Extensible Markup Language is a way to encode documents that can be read by a variety of machines and programs.  Over the past fifteen years, hundreds of XML-based languages have come into existence.  For example, many programs such as Microsoft Office and iWork use XML and also make decent XML document editors.  While XML is fairly straightforward and can incorporate multiple languages via Unicode, it does have a formal structure that must be followed.  Here we will outline some of the most common XML mistakes to help you troubleshoot any existing problems you may have with an XML document.   Lacking a Root Element Every XML document must have a root element in order to function.  This element is the parent element of the document, with all other elements being the children to it.  The root element does not necessarily have to be called <root> but rather it must function as the “head honcho” of the XML document. Example: <root> <child><subchild></subchild></child> <child><subchild></subchild></child> </root>   Lacking an Opening or Closing Tag Each element in an XML document must have an opening and closing tag.  This is also standard for other languages, such as HTML where some of the same tags are used.  When an element lacks a closing tag, the document attempts to read the remainder of the document in order to locate the tag and will assume that this is all part of the same element, but since it cannot “close” the element, it errors out.  Without an opening tag, the same event may occur or it may simply ignore the element, depending on the situation. Example: <p>Element 1 Opens and Closes Properly</p> <p>Element 2 Does Not Close Properly <p>Element 3 Does Not Close Properly<p> Element 4 Does Not Open Properly</p>   Lacking Proper Nesting While it is common in...

Share   How to Choose the Best Domain Name for Your Website Before launching your site, you will need to have decided on your address: the door upon which all users knock to visit you.  Therefore it’s of critical importance that you choose the best domain name you can find.  But how do you do that?  Read on to find out. Choose Your Website Name It might seem obvious but, where possible, your domain name should be the same as your website/company name.  For example, if your company is called Green’s Grocers, there’s no sense in choosing www.freshfruitandvegetables.com.  You want your domain to be synonymous with your company’s image. Long or Short? This is a problem a lot of companies face.  They may feel that their company name is simply too long to use as a domain name.  Domain names can be anything up to 67 characters but some argue that shorter domain names are easier to remember whereas others think that longer domains (i.e. not acronyms) are easier to remember.  The bonus of going for a longer domain is that the likelihood of it still being available to buy is greater.  Really, it’s up to you.  You could be greensgrocers.com or gg.com but in actuality, gg.com is probably already taken and your customers are more likely to remember the former choice anyway. Hyphens Sometimes if the domain you want has already been snapped up, the next move is to hyphenate: www.greens-grocers.com.  The trouble with doing so is that people often leave out hyphens by accident and therefore end up at your competitor’s site instead.  Try using your locality: www.greensgrocerslondon.com for example.  There are plenty of ways around this problem. .com, .net or .org etc. If you’re running a small, local business, it’s actually better to go for a country-specific URL – though you may wish to buy up the .com address too if it’s available.  Most domain...