1. Balance- A webpage should have visual interest. From colors and shapes to the sizes of your graphics and fonts, your website should encourage guests to interact without being distracting. This best accomplished by having a balanced appearance. You may chose a symmetrical  plan in which elements of your site are evenly spaced (e.g. a graphic on the left with text on the right) or perhaps you will opt for an asymmetrical plan in which unlike items of equal weight are used.  As you design your webpage, try several design layouts to find the one that encourages guests to stay.
2. Repetition- Sometimes referred to as rhythm, repetition is the use of a pattern that gives a consistency to your site. This rhythm makes it easier for your customers to understand. Having sudden changes in the patterns, size or spacing will create an exciting rhythm but may not impart the feeling you want for your company. Keep in mind the features of Gestalt-proximity, similarity, continuance, closure uniform correctness and 1+1=3 effects.
3. Emphasis- Often called dominance or the focal point, this is the element that lets people know who you are. Some ways it can be accomplished are through semantic markup, changing font sizes or images, the use of bold black type for headings, contrasting colors, putting important info in a text box or written on a curve or by using an unusual font for the most vital information.
4. Proximity or Unity- Be sure elements are placed in such a way that they belong together. Use visual cues to let readers know an article is a unit-item near each other are related; those far apart are not. Unity can be established by consistent fonts, repetition of shapes, color or texture and thematic visuals of similar colors, sizes or shapes.

Using the principles is a must for having a website design that attracts and retains guest to your site. Each of these elements work together to create a site that is sure to encourage guests to spend some time getting to know you.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of website design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.comor www.chakeryseo.com.

Post from: Dallas Web Design

The Elements of Web Design by Malcom Chakery

Before, you call the website designer consider this: Does the website look old and boring because you look at it every day or do you really feel that some upgrades are  a must? Remember, while you may think that the site lacks something it may simply be because you see it all the time.

However, if you look at your website and feel it needs to be improved or have more Findability, then take some time to note what elements of your site are working well, keeping in mind the following:

Take emotions out of the equation! When it comes to evaluating your website, be sure you look at “Just the facts.”  Marketing guru Orvel Ray Wilson says, “Just about the time you are ready to throw up when you use your brand one more time, that is when your audience starts remembering and connecting to it.” If what you are doing is working and attracting customers, then it might be best to leave it alone!

When determining if a change to your webpage is necessary, don’t overlook the tools at your disposal. Run your site through tools such as Sitetuners.com’s Tuning Engine, the Google’s Website Optimizer or their Analytics tool and see how your site ranks. If everything is high, then leave your site alone. However, if there are a number of bounce-backs, a lessening of social media traffic, a decrease in time spent on site, then change may be in order.

If change is needed, create the new version of your homepage while saving a copy of the old one.  Put the new one in active rotation and do a split test. Use analytics to see which page gives you more desirable results. Once the data shows which page is more effective make any other changes based on the information gleaned.

Not every website needs to be updated-especially if all is going well. You want your website to have Findability and if changes will not improve this, then don’t fix what isn’t broken.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com orwww.chakeryseo.com.

Post from: Dallas Web Design

If it’s not Broken-Don’t Fix it! Does Your Website have Findability?

A QR code, unlike a barcode, can be used to encode information in a 2-dimensional space that can be read both horizontally and vertically in a tiny grid of squares. This difference offers a great deal of potential to anyone looking to market their business using a more advanced technology. Some of the ways you can a QR code are:

• Contact info for an individual or company
• Phone numbers that are embedded can be dialed automatically
• URLs are immediately connected
• View a calendar event with full details
• Coupons
• Sign-up forms
• GPS/physical address
• Product information
• Customer Support information

This information is accessed when consumers use their mobile phone to decode the QRs. This ease of access makes the QR code one of the most beneficial tools available for promoting a business. But even better than the multiple uses of a QR code is that it is free.  If you are considering a QR code for your business, then you can check sites like:

• http://www.mskynet.com/static/maestro
• http://www.qrstuff.com/
• http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
• http://createqrcode.appspot.com/
• http://www.beqrious.com/qrcode/create
• http://invx.com/

Once you have created a QR code for your business or event, then you will be able to include it on items such as invoices, event tickets, assorted signage, email signature lines, on your website and on virtually any item that can be printed. In addition, when you use a QR on your website you are showing search engines that your web pages have changed and they will index it accordingly.

So, if you are looking for a way to update your website as well as promote your business, check out one of the preceding sites and design a QR code of your own! With just a few minutes of your time, you can have a QR code that can promote your business anywhere you want.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

Post from: Dallas Web Design

Do You Know the Code?

Hundreds of hours later the same person may find that they now realize exactly why so many businesses look to a website design company to get their website off of the ground. Building a website doesn’t look hard, but it can be extremely hard. Yes, there are website design templates that you may be able to use to help you to get your site going, but it definitely will not look original, nor will the site give any indication of what your company is all about. A website design company, however, can work with your company to create a unique website that perfectly fits the mood and feel that your business has, allowing your potential customers and clients from around the world to understand what it is that you do simply by clicking on your homepage. Make sure that when you are looking for a website design company that you look at some of their previous projects to make sure that the design is something that you will like and that your not their first client. Ask for references or testimonials or pick a random site they have designed and call that company to see how the process went and if that company met the deadlines that they had set in the proposal. If the website design company offers search engine optimization see where their site ranks in the search engines or ask to see sites that they have done SEO for and then again check for the references. When your looking for that perefect website development team that is going to work with you on what will be the first impression one gets when they reach your site it has to be perfect. So take the time in the beginning to make sure that your dealing with a company that will take your business as serious as they take their own. Website Development begins once the relationship between the business and the client is at a good understanding of what the clients needs are and that both parties are comfortable moving forward.

Malcom Chakery
Chakery Design, President
“We are only successful when you succeed!”

Post from: Dallas Web Design

Website Development

In today’s web world, online marketing and e-commerce is an integral part of any business strategy. Small businesses are less on capital and marketing funds. A website helps the small business to reach a greater customer circle and be known to clients worldwide. Also the customers can get an easy access to the services of the business. The investment on designing a website for small businesses is less. Hence, the web site will not be known to all the targeted viewers.

More and more small businesses are investing more on web marketing in order to increase the viewers to convert them into potential customers. Small business web designing is an easier process since the web pages required is lesser. The links to the pages are however very less. This results in the web site not appearing in the top results in a search page.

A small business web designing is done by various firms that are expert in the field. Since the amount invested into designing is less, the website contains lesser contents. The designers create simple looking pages with fewer contents. Precise articles regarding the business and its service is displayed in the web pages. The designers see to it that the most likely targeted keyword appears in the HTML title text. The keyword should also appear frequently in the HTML body text. This ensures the web page to be displayed to the viewers who are searching with the targeted keyword in mind. The next objective of small business web designing is to optimize the site. This can be done by search engine optimization technique which helps the website to appear higher in ranking in search results.

The above methods help the business to market itself to the targeted customers and also establish them in the desired market. But in order to design the right web site as mentioned previously, the owner of a small business has to invest considerably more on designing. Although an online marketing and e-commerce can provide an increment in customers, it does not necessarily contribute in complete success of the business.

James Copper is a writer for http://www.bigstrategies.co.uk

Post from: Dallas Web Design

Small Business Web Design