Phoenix Arizona — PrimeView, top web development and digital marketing firm providing healthcare web design in Arizona, was tasked with doing a website redesign for one of their star clients, Dr. Fredda Branyon.

A doctor of naturopathic medicine, Fredda Branyon has been in the medical profession for 38 years. She has dedicated her life to educating people about the power of hope and the benefits of complementary medicine. Dr. Fredda is the founder and Administrative Director of New Hope Unlimited, a medical referral business that offers patients access to various treatment options provided by licensed physicians from around the world. 

Dr. Fredda wished to have her blog site, freddabranyon.com, redesigned to a magazine-style with a modern look, as the look of the old website was outdated. Her site features blog posts on everything from alternative medicine to why they banned the mulberry tree in Arizona. The intended impact was higher engagement to educate readers about medical alternatives.  

Site redesign by a trusted partner

PrimeView created and manages Fredda’s personal website, freddabranyon.com and the New Hope Unlimited website. As a trusted web design and digital marketing provider in Phoenix, AZ, they were the natural choice for the website refresh. The PrimeView team treated Dr. Fredda’s site to a complete makeover. While still keeping her branding intact, it was given a simpler, cleaner, and more open look. With no distractions, it keeps the focus on the articles. 

An essential element of a healthcare website is the information architecture, the organization of information the site provides. The PrimeView development team designed the navigation so viewers can easily find the topics in which they have an interest.

Visit freddabranyon.com today, check out the new look and sign up to get the latest blog posts. You can also download a very enlightening FREE eBook, It’s All About the Money -The Truth About Orthodox Cancer Treatments. 

“Fredda Branyon has been a client and partner of ours for almost a decade. The results she has shared with us to help people searching for an alternative way to treat and fight cancer is inspiring. Using our online expertise to help spread her message of hope is one of the most worthwhile things we do.” says Peter Liefer II, President, and CEO of PrimeView.

Get help with your blog site

If you love the work accomplished on Dr. Fredda’s website, don’t hesitate to contact PrimeView. We can update your corporate website, business blog or personal blog to improve engagement and bring in new readers and clients.

Our Phoenix, Arizona web design team can provide solutions to whatever your web design or digital marketing needs are. Call us at 480 970 4688.

A Powerful Tool for a Present-Day Law Firm

Founding partners Troy Froderman and Scott Ryan acknowledged that besides marketing, a good website could streamline the processes involved in legal services, as well as boost their traffic and conversions. Their previous website’s performance, however, was not up to par.

PrimeView recommended a website redesign, along with SEO optimization and digital marketing services, to bring FR Law the results they want.

• Making the site more user-friendly.

Approaching web design and functionality from the end-user’s standpoint is always the right way to design a website. PrimeView rearranged the various page elements, making their site easier to navigate and user-friendly. Visitors can now find and understand the legal services they need with ease.

• Branding.

The former look and feel of the inner pages failed to match the homepage design, so the whole site was refined to reflect the branding and style they wished to convey. Individual pages for each team member, including Attorney Froderman and Ryan, were also created.

• Mobile-friendly redesign.

52.2 percent of all website traffic comes from cell phones. Since the former FR Law Group website did not display well on handheld devices, the redesign was optimized for better conversion on mobile.

• Making frlawgroup.com ADA compliant.

PrimeView optimized the website to pass ADA grading. While there is currently no legal definition of an ADA-compliant law firm website, FR Law wanted to accommodate persons with disabilities who may be seeking legal help online. Making a website more accessible is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good for business.

• Static content conversion.

Much of the website had static content, which was converted into actual posts or pages that could be optimized for SEO. Extensive SEO services were implemented to increase the quality and quantity of web traffic.

Stay tuned for a report on how FR Law Group’s new website improved their client acquisition.

If you need legal representation or consulting from highly experienced attorneys to litigate a minor or difficult legal action, they are located at 4745 N 7th St. Suite 310 Phoenix, AZ. Call (602) 566-7425 to talk to Attorneys Troy Froderman or Scott Ryan for a consultation.

About PrimeView

“In today’s fast-paced and technology-run world, a clean, responsive, and optimized website is important to get your business noticed in a sea of online competitors,” says Peter Liefer II, Founder and President of PrimeView — a leading web design and internet marketing company in Scottsdale, AZ and Honolulu, HI.

If your website isn’t delivering the results you desire, call PrimeView at 480-970-4688 for a site overhaul.

Designing and developing an award-winning website requires a thought-out online strategy and an efficient process. Our savvy Arizona web design team focuses on reaching your business goals: from attracting visitors to buy products, to getting the public to understand your brand.

Building a website that delivers results involves many skilled people and steps along the way. We will assign one contact person to manage the project to communicate with you and provide updates and get feedback from you.

Following is an Infographic that is a basic outline of our professional Arizona web design process.

After the Website Launch

After a website is launched, the digital marketing manager reviews your website and will suggest further services to get your website launched into orbit. Orbiting the earth connecting with billions of potential customers. This is the beauty of the internet, you’re potentially in touch with the whole world. If a small percentage of these billions of people can find you then you are set for success!

The Role of SEO and Promotion

However, just creating a website doesn’t mean visitors will immediately come and you will get leads and sales. A website needs to be optimized and promoted. When we develop a website there is a certain amount of SEO our Arizona website developers implement as a matter of course.

But for a website to appear on the first page of the search engine results page where most people are looking, a website needs an effective digital marketing campaign. More than just a website design and development firm, PrimeView is a digital marketing and SEO company in Scottsdale and the Phoenix area you can rely on to create a website that delivers results.

Ongoing Site Maintenance

After your site is launched, all websites need maintenance to keep them secure and working properly. We will provide ongoing site maintenance for a period to ensure everything is working to your satisfaction and then we recommend that you enroll in a site maintenance plan. See Website Maintenance to learn about our maintenance plans.

On August 1, 2018, Google rolled out a major update. They classified it as a core broad algorithm update with no intent to target a specific vertical however, the search community saw that affected sites are in the health and medical industry thus calling it the Medic Update.

What is a “Core Broad Algorithm Update”?

Here’s what Google has to say about the broad core algorithm update:

“Each day, Google usually releases one or more changes designed to improve our results. Some are focused around specific improvements. Some are broad changes. Last week, we released a broad core algorithm update. We do these routinely several times per year….”

Yes, this is a very vague explanation but that’s how Google operates when it comes to their search algorithm. The key takeaways from this statement about broad core algorithm updates are:

• Not focused on specific improvements
• Designed to improve results

Then what exactly is the Medic Update about?

Let’s start by looking at what Google has said about this update:

Google has confirmed that an update was rolled out on August 1, 2018, referencing a statement they released on March 2018:

“As with any update, some sites may note drops or gains. There’s nothing wrong with pages that may now perform less well. Instead, it’s that changes to our systems are benefiting pages that were previously under-rewarded….”

“…There’s no “fix” for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content. Over time, it may be that your content may rise relative to other pages.”

Google’s Danny Sullivan, has also said that this update is global.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law passed by Congress in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. This is why we now have handicap parking spaces among a long list of other requirements.

The ADA is categorized under three titles:

Title I – Employment

Title II – State & Local Government

Title III – Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities

In 1990 the internet as we know it now didn’t exist, not many people thought of a website as something that should be under ADA accessibility guidelines.

It wasn’t until July 26, 2010, that the US Department of Justice issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding the accessibility of Web information and services of state and local government entities (title II) and public accommodations (title III).

The DOJ then separated the rulemaking to deal separately with title II and title III and proceeded first with title II rulemaking. On May 9, 2016, the DOJ published a Supplemental Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding accessibility of Web information and services of state and local governments.

However, the Department of Justice HAS NOT published ANY rulemaking document regarding title III, (private and commercial businesses) Web accessibility since the 2010 ANPRM.

As a matter of fact, on 12/26/2017 the Justice Department announced the WITHDRAWAL of four previously announced Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRMs), pertaining to title II and title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act for further review.  And then they go on to say:

“The Department is evaluating whether promulgating regulations about the accessibility of Web information and services are necessary and appropriate.”

So, if you are a privately run or commercial business, don’t feel bad if you are confused about what the ADA compliance regulations are for your website when the Government itself isn’t sure!

Do I really need to worry about my website being ADA compliant?

If your business exists to benefit the public or is a local or state government agency or you’re a private employer with 15 or more employees, you should be ADA compliant.

ADA Compliance is meant for these qualifiers:

• Private companies with a minimum of 15 people on its payroll
• Local and state public sectors, including programmed and physical access
  to programs and services rendered (under Title II of the ADA)
• Public facilities and nonprofit businesses (under Title III of the ADA)

We are not just talking about your website is accessible to visitors, but accessible to your employees that have a disability.

How is ADA compliance enforced?

The US Department of Justice is in charge of enforcing ADA requirements and has been active in making sure government agencies are ADA compliant. Title III of the ADA just has a general non-discrimination mandate and other general rules. Since a set of web accessibility guidelines are not yet law for private website owners, the DOJ “encourages” self-regulation.

A much bigger worry than the DOJ coming after you are individuals with disabilities filing lawsuits. In 2017, plaintiffs filed around 814 federal lawsuits about allegedly inaccessible websites, including a number of putative class actions. It is crucial to go over your ADA Compliance very carefully to avoid lengthy and expensive legal battles.

For more information regarding ADA and the law read ADA Compliant Websites and The Law.

How do I make my website ADA compliant?

The original intent of the ADA back in 1990 was to make business physically accessible to those with disabilities. So, there were extensive building codes and construction requirements business owners had to fulfill and for that, the ADA Standards for Accessible Design was created.

For websites, the recommended guidelines for accessibility currently come from The World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 AA). Accessibility for a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.

WCAG Accessibility Standards

The WCAG 2.0 AA, with its extensive list of guidelines on how to make Web content accessible to individuals with disabilities, is primarily intended for:

• Web content developers (page authors, site designers, etc.)
• Web authoring tool developers
• Web accessibility evaluation tool developers

If you don’t have a web developer in-house, it is recommended that you get one to implement the standards to achieve the level of compliance needed for your website.

The WCAG has 3 levels:

1. Level A (Beginner) The most basic web accessibility features
2. Level AA (Intermediate) Deals with the biggest and most common barriers for disabled users
3. Level AAA (Advanced) The highest (and most complex) level of web accessibility

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines address four areas of your web site’s functionality to ensure that it is:

Perceivable – The senses people use when browsing the web, sight, sound, and touch. Make sure that users with difficulties with one or more of their senses can perceive all the information on your website. This can be done by:

• Providing text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.
• Providing alternatives for time-based media.
• Creating content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
• Making it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.

Operable – The different ways in which your users browse your website. These operational issues can be addressed by:

• Making all functionality available from a keyboard.
• Giving users enough time to read and use the content.
• Designing content in a way that is known to cause seizures.
• Offering ways to help users navigate, find content and determine where they are.

Understandable – A website needs clear terms and simple instructions. It must function in a way that users understand, by avoiding unusual, unexpected or inconsistent functions. Fulfill this requirement by:

• Making text content readable and understandable.
• Making Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
• Helping users avoid and correct mistakes.

Robust – Your website needs to be workable with third-party technology like different web browsers and screen readers. Robust also means it must meet recognized standards, such as using clean HTML and CSS. Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.

WCAG Update

WCAG 2.0 was issued in 2008. 10 years later after 4 years of work, on June 5, 2018, the World Wide Web Consortium published an expanded version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. WCAG 2.1 adds 17 more requirements to address new technologies and other digital barriers for individuals with disabilities. The updates are mainly related to mobile devices. View the WCAG update.

Benefits of an ADA compliant website

The legal reasons previously talked about are more than enough to tell you that you should have a website that is ADA compliant. But even if lawsuits weren’t an issue, it is just the right thing to do.

Here are 7 other reasons to have your website overhauled and made more accessible.

Expand Your Customer Base – According to the U.S. census bureau, nearly 1 in 5 people have a disability in the U.S. Make it easier for individuals with disabilities to engage with you digitally, you will connect with many more consumers.

Better Usability for Everyone – It will be easier for anyone disabled or not to use the assistive technologies to engage with your brand online such as Screenreaders and Text to Speech applications.

Improve Your Reputation – By projecting a disability-friendly brand presence you show people that you care and understand how to best serve them. Consumers prefer doing business with socially responsible companies.

Rank Higher in the SERPs – Google rewards sites that check many accessibility boxes with higher rankings.

Handle Government Contracts – Open the doors to work as a government contractor.

Be Prepared for the Future – You’ll be up to standard when the ADA compliance regulations eventually evolve

Claim Tax Breaks – Tax incentives are available to encourage compliance with the ADA.

ADA Compliant Website Checklist

Here are some things to consider before going public with an upcoming website. At the end of this article, you’ll find some ways to get a check mark on the ADA compliance test.

Presentation

The website’s design can be a very difficult obstacle to maneuver. Make sure that the website layout is not too complex; have the options for adjustments. Let website readers or visitors have the option to adjust the size or color of certain parts such as text, font, and even images. The requirement by the ADA is a resizable ability of up to 200% from the original size.

Text

Favor bigger fonts for titles, headings, menus, and banners. The font size is relevant for those who have vision impairments such as blurry visions. The Bigger size will enable them to read better and with less strain.

The color is also important. Design texts that are easy to spot. The texts should not be consumed with the background color rendering it difficult to read. Moreover, texts that are underlined must be removed. This gives the impression that the text is a link to another page or website.

Audio and Video

For audios, videos, and images, the best way to make them compliant is through captioning. Add text to images. Detailed descriptions are also required, these will be useful information for those who cannot see. These descriptions can be read with the help of text reader software. Video transcripts are also a good way to provide other options, especially for deaf or blind people.

Assistive Technology

Today, people with disabilities get help from sources that are available to them. Technology has made it possible to utilize the same tools to be used on the internet. We have the text-to-speech devices, closed captioning, text magnifiers, screen-reading software or optical character recognition and more. Bear in mind that most websites can utilize these tools to cater to those with disabilities. Here are some changes or enhancements that can be done:

Provide HTML formats

This format is easy to interpret for those who are using text-to-speech or similar applications. Avoid PDFs; these documents cannot be read or recognized by optical character recognition devices. For people who are not able to use a computer mouse, a specialized keyboard can be used instead. Make sure the website can support keyboard navigation.

Skip navigation is also now available. This allows users to skip links or headings to directly go to the main content of the page without going through the whole website.

Support

The above list already covers most of the checklist requirements. However, as most websites and other publicly accessible engines, a website needs to provide support. Support for the disabled is also a requirement. Here’s how:

Provide access for feedback

• Get feedback from people with a disability. They might contribute suggestions that could significantly improve your website.
• Web developers need to be ready to apply tweaks and changes whenever a requirement is not met.
• Try hiring or asking people with disabilities to try the website from time to time. This helps to see if the ADA conditions are being met or are still working.
• Provide support by phone, email or letter. Just like feedback, questions might arise. This provides good customer support and not only is the website being compliant; this might entice more people to visit your website.

These are just some of the basic things a web developer and a website owner need to before going online. Or, if your website is already live, follow the above suggestions as soon as possible.

ADA Accessibility Resources

View an ADA/WCAG Checklist features that enable users with disabilities to access all your site´s information or elements.

Here is a link to a developer needs to implement these standards required for accessibility. Visit https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/. If you have no one to do these developer tasks, please contact us as soon as possible and let’s get your website compliant.

To evaluate your website for accessibility, use this free tool. http://wave.webaim.org/

Here is a site dedicated to empowering organizations to make their web content accessible to people with disabilities. https://webaim.org/

ADA Archive – https://www.ada.gov/anprm2010/web%20anprm_2010.htm

ADA Lawsuit article: https://www.adatitleiii.com/2018/07/website-access-and-other-ada-title-iii-lawsuits-hit-record-numbers/

Contact PrimeView for help with ADA Compliance

Following the ADA and WCAG guidelines can get quite tedious if you don’t have any experience or have a knowledgeable webmaster. PrimeView is serious about accessibility issues for many reasons but essentially, it’s just “the right thing to do.”

People with disabilities have the right to have equal access to what others need and enjoy, and websites are one of those, especially in the modern world.

If you follow all the guidelines in the WCAG, you will mitigate the risk of lawsuits, grow your client base and improve your reputation. Miss some and you may open yourself to lawsuits.

We offer this information to help our clients or anyone with a website who wants to get their assets up to date with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Stay tuned for more information and updates on rules and regulations affecting your website and business.

Also, we can provide a free ADA compliance test for your website, just click this button.

For further reading:

Americans with Disabilities Act – WCAG Checklist

Make Your Website ADA Compliant Checklist

Do you ever wonder why people press the back button within seconds after landing on your page? It can be frustrating when you accomplished designing a great website with all the best details. You even edited the content ten times over and believe that your pages are true masterpieces. So, why aren’t your visitors sticking around?

As one of the leading web design agencies in Phoenix, Arizona, we have compiled ten design elements that increase your website’s bounce rates:

1. Pop-ups

Pop-ups are forms of online advertising on the Internet. It is a graphical user interface (GUI) display area, usually a small window, which suddenly appears in the foreground of the visual interface. Pop-ups are a way to get your message across in the fastest, most in-your-face possible. One pop-up is usually tolerable. However, if you bombard your visitors with pop-up after pop-up, they are likely to lose their patience and leave. Always remember the very reason why a web visitor is on your page in the first place: he or she assumes that you have the answer to their search engine query. They did not go to your website to read the contents of your pop-up windows.

2. Immediate Registration Demands

If there is anything worse than a pop-up, it’s a pop-up asking web visitors to register for a newsletter or service immediately. This is especially true for first-time visitors who know nothing about your company and only clicked out of curiosity. Before asking web users to sign up for anything, allow them to browse through your homepage at the very least. Tease them a little. Timing is everything.

3. Auto sounds

There was a time back in the nineties and very early 2000s when sound or music on websites was all the rage. Today, it is incredibly unlikely for anyone to prefer automatic audio. It is unfair to assume that your visitor wants you to auto-play sounds for them. So, even if you are confident that they share the same tastes in music and video as you, it does not immediately mean that they want to hear it. In fact, it is without a doubt driving people away from your website.

4. Slow Loading Time

According to surveys conducted by Akamai and Gomez.com, nearly half of web users expect a website to load within two seconds or less, and that they tend to abandon a site that does not load within three seconds. In other words, never make your visitors wait. A lot of people pay premium prices for 50MB home and office broadband connections. If your website is taking too long to load, they will know that your site is to blame. Specifically, if a web user is only curious and has clicked your URL on impulse, they are more likely to leave.

5. Confusing Navigation

Navigation ensures your visitors that they can explore your website without having to hunt for a hidden treasure. The design of a website’s navigation has one of the most significant impacts on the success or failure of a site. It affects traffic and search engine rankings alike. Web visitors expect to find seamless, horizontal navigation across the top fold or vertical navigation down the left side of your page. Conversely, putting your navigation in standard places makes your site so much easier to use.

6. Typos

Types and poor grammar do not make you look professional. Enough said.

7. Bad Selection of Fonts

Your website and your message need to be as clear as daylight. Otherwise, your viewers will not respond to it. Having breathtaking designs with illegible typography will confuse your viewers and turn them off. Using web fonts cleverly will help you avoid all of that. To help you get started, here are the top recommended fonts from Google Web Fonts.

8. No Impact

If your overall web design is not attractive and engaging, or if your copy does not evolve with your business, it is going to come across as boring. There is nothing wrong with wanting your website to look professional, but just because it’s professional does not mean it should have the personality of a deer in headlights. The colors, font, images, and overall organizational schematic can either make or break your web design woes.

9. No “About” Page

Your “About” page delivers the most important and relevant information about your business. Most web users look for this page for a reason: It answers their question about your business, including what your contact information is, where your office is located, and how long you have been in business. Not having this basic and crucial page may impact your legitimacy as a company.

10. Lack of Clarity

When users visit your website for the first time, they need to be able to tell what your company does within seconds. If they scratch their head in confusion, you may need to consider re-conceptualizing your identity as a business. What you need is a unique selling point, which is what defines your company’s unique position in the marketplace. It is the heart of your business: the value you offer and the problem you solve. A strong USP clearly articulates a specific benefit — one that other competitors do not offer and makes you stand out. A descriptive, meaningful, plain English strapline is often key.

When you look at some of these ten factors individually, they may not seem enough to make visitors click out. However, when combined, they can give off an entirely wrong impression.

Give Your Visitors a Reason to Stick Around

It’s not always easy to create a brilliant user experience, and there is a lot of pressure knowing that every aspect of your website represents the competence of your business. In reality, even the smallest defect can significantly increase your bounce rate. If you require assistance in making online visitors stay longer, PrimeView can help develop web design strategies that fit your site’s needs, goals, and identity as a business. Call us today at 480-970-4688.

According to Adobe, 59% of global consumers would rather engage with content that’s beautifully designed as opposed to simply designed. Additionally, they reported that nearly 9 out of 10 mobile users would switch devices or stop viewing content altogether if it fails to meet their quality, length, and formatting expectations.

Needless to say, if you are a web designer, you have a lot on your plate. After years of both professional and self-taught training, clients depend on you to meet their vision and ensure that their customers will appeal to the overall design, responsiveness, and functionality of your design. If not, you will face excessive revisions — or worse, lose a client.

Handling Client Feedback

You spend months working on a website, agonizing over every detail. You anticipate the deadline, so assured and confident that the client will love the final mockup. You form a grin, click “send,” and wait for the accolades to start pouring in.

Then you get an email that says, “I don’t like this direction.” or “This is not what I had in mind.”

No matter how long you’ve been in the web design industry, one of the most daunting feelings is handling client feedback. In situations where a client seeks revisions, you must tread lightly because showing any signs of aggravation would risk losing the project.

The best way to go about web design revisions is to establish a system. This system can be integral to your success, and without it, you might waste countless hours performing changes.

1. It starts with getting to know your client before starting the web design process.

When you get a client whose budget is over the moon, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and start making unwise decisions. As a web designer, you must understand the needs, wants, and goals of a client to avoid revision requests altogether.

The goal is to get inside your client’s head at the very beginning of the project to come across fewer problems later in the process. Take the time to thoroughly discuss not only the client’s vision for the website but also the functionality it needs. This will ultimately limit or eliminate the need for extensive revisions.

For instance, if you agreed to a five-page site and realized towards the end of the project that one of those pages should function as a blog with its own comment section, search bar, and category archive sub-pages — you will have a major revision problem in your hands. Always remember to be unassuming when it comes to what the client wants. Ask questions and have the right conversations before you start designing to help you avoid these types of unnecessary surprises and revisions.

2. Seal the deal by signing a contract.

After discussing the ins and outs of the web design project, you need to put all of it in writing. A contract should elaborate the scope of the project, the costs, and how you will handle future revisions. Don’t hesitate to include a specific number of revisions with your quote, or opt to charge an hourly rate for any changes. Have your own policies as a professional web designer.

Detailing your revision policies in the contract will ultimately set parameters for the project and give you a point of reference, should the client begin making excessive requests.

3. Showcase your sense of honesty and diplomacy.

Revisions are part of any creative’s job, but you should also explain to a client that extra charges are inevitable when requests go beyond the scope of what they are paying you. For instance, when a client asks for more revisions, you can tell them that you’re happy to make the change and add it to the bill.

It’s also crucial to walk a client through the changes to help them understand why you need to add extra charges. Communication is a powerful tool for both conflict management and contract negotiation, among other things. Let’s say towards the end of the project, the client asks for unrealistic revisions. You can say, “No, that’s not possible because…,” which can come off extremely negative. It’s better to choose your words carefully and say, “Yes, we could definitely do that, and it’ll cost you this much extra because….” This way, you either extend the project and expand your earnings, or make it crystal clear that their request is unfeasible — but in a positive light.

A Word of Advice

Once you incorporate these best practices into your client discovery and web design process, the project should be smooth sailing. But don’t expect the same results for every client and project — that’s just the reality of it. Remember, the best thing you can do during the initial phase is to discuss and define each goal thoroughly. Before you embark on a new web design project, it’s imperative that both you and your prospective client are on the same page.

Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to be selective. When choosing to work with a client, try to look for characteristics that serve as hints on how well your working relationship will be. You should examine the following:

•  How passionate are they about the project?

• Are they haggling before you even begin to bounce ideas?

• Do they have a clear picture of their own goals?

• Are they willing to take your professional advice?

• Are they showing an interest in working with you specifically?

In general, if the client shows hesitation or a lack of understanding of their own project needs and goals, you should consider turning them down. After all, it’s your time and talent that’s on the line.

If you have further questions or are in need of professional web design services, let PrimeView employ effective solutions according to your business goals and needs. Call us today at 480-970-4688 or complete our online form to request a free proposal.

Placing high enough to gain a spot on the first page of search results can mean great things for your business because there is a high chance that customers will click on your website. If they like what they see or find what they need, they will do business with you. Customers rarely click on the second page of search results because they often find what they are looking for on the first page. Additionally, having a coveted spot in the top five search engine results for a specific keyword you are targeting does not only guarantee that you get first-page visibility, but the chances of customers clicking on your website are also higher. After all, as far as search engines are concerned, your business is one of the most reliable for the service you provide, or at least for the keyword you are trying to rank for.

Why You Should Invest in Virtual Tours and Google Street View

The problem nowadays is that everybody invests in SEO, which evens out the playing field. One way to stay ahead of the competition and boost your visibility is to offer your customers an immersive, virtual experience. This is done best through a virtual tour that lets prospective customers find your location and get a feel of your store even before they arrive. These tours inspire greater confidence both among prospective customers and existing ones.

The results of a quantitative market study conducted in 2015 reveal that consumers use mapping products 44% of the time when searching of businesses and that on average, 41% of the place searches result on an on-site visit. Furthermore, listings with photos and a virtual tour are twice as likely to generate interest.

With these figures, it is therefore recommended that businesses invest in Google Street View, not only to enhance customer experience but also for visibility purposes. Your Google Business listing is your most valuable asset, and Street View improves your presence. It also integrates with Google Maps, which then allows you to plant your flag and enable prospective customers that seek you out on Google Maps. You also get to provide your customers with a complete virtual tour of your facilities and amenities –  valuable if you are a restaurant or hotel – when they find your property on Google Search or Google Maps.

Other benefits of Google Business Photos and Virtual Tour

Apart from the benefits listed above, Google’s new Business Photos service and virtual tour also:

• Increases the size of your search results – literally.

A search result typically only has a couple of lines of text, which has the tendency to be easily overlooked. Once your Business Photos have been uploaded to the Google servers, your listing will expand to almost a full page, with the knowledge graph on the right side. It’s impossible to miss when your search results take up almost the entire screen, and that’s a great thing for the online visibility of your business.

• Increases traffic on your business listing.

When you have Business Photos, your listing will have a “See inside” button which encourages visitors to take your virtual tour. That alone makes it more likely for your business to be clicked on instead of your competitor’s. These listings are very visible on any local search, map search, or Google search, and acts a call to action to have visitors of your listing stay longer. This results in traffic on your Google + Local page to increase, and for your bounce rate to decrease. This is because when people land on your page, they are more unlikely to leave because they will take a longer time on your page, thanks to your virtual tour.

• Allows you to manage customer expectations and increase online interaction.

Business Photos makes it easier for businesses to manage your customers’ expectations because customers are given a chance to leave reviews, and as you know, they can either make or break your business. Virtual tours give potential customers a concrete view and firsthand experience of your establishment even before they visit, so they know exactly what to expect and are less likely to be disappointed when they arrive. This means the chances of them leaving negative reviews and comments will be much lower.

Furthermore, because customers can leave reviews on your listing, you are made aware of your strengths and areas of improvement, which can positively impact how you run your business. Another good thing is that you can respond to your customers’ concerns, so the issue is resolved before their next visit. A business that goes out of its way to respond to customer complaints and come up with resolutions always gets repeat visits and a solid reputation.

• Increases foot traffic to your shop.

Having Google Business Photos and a virtual tour helps entice your potential customers to visit your store. This is especially helpful for small businesses looking to gain leverage over popular corporate chains. Your virtual tour can make your customers realize that the interiors of your restaurant are beautiful, that the amenities of your hotel or bed and breakfast are first class, or that your store’s unassuming façade houses amazing finds.

• Lets you discover tools that can help improve your business.

Google Business Photos are linked to your Google + account, which has a full suite of tools to help you understand reviews, lets you know keywords to target for and analytics, and how customers want to interact beforehand. Most of these tools are free, so all you have to do is take the time to learn the ins and outs. Doing so can enhance how you market your business offline and online, which can lead to more sales.

Why you should hire a professional photographer for your Business Photos

Now that you know the importance of investing in Google Business Photos, you need to understand why it is essential to have a professional photographer to handle your company photo shoots. Sure, it is cheaper to do it yourself (especially if you have a professional-grade camera), but hiring a professional photographer for your Business Photos offers a lot of perks, which includes:

• Having gorgeous 360° photos.

Powerful virtual tools require high quality, immersive 360° images. Spherical panoramic images can be pieced together into a complete virtual tour that can recreate or capture an event or place for a viewer who wants to learn more about your business from the comforts of home or from a handheld device. Professional photographers are well-versed at taking panoramic shots that capture all important details, and at angles that will showcase the best of your facilities. Panoramic images can be tricky to shoot, and a professional photographer has the skills and equipment necessary to capture every nook and cranny of your business, for an experience that is as realistic and immersive as possible.

• Letting you save time and resources.

While it can be expensive to book a professional photographer and schedule a photo shoot, in reality, you are still racking up a lot of savings, especially concerning time and resources. A professional photographer can do the job fast and accurately, so you can focus on running your business. Furthermore, professional photographers already have the tools and equipment needed to take the images you need for your virtual tour and Google Street View, so you no longer have to invest in expensive photography paraphernalia – especially if you don’t need to use them very often.

• Owning images that are guaranteed high quality.

Hiring an experienced photographer means you get to own professionally-shot photos, 10 of which you can upload on your listing. Apart from the images you will embed to your site and listing, you get to have endless choices of beautifully-shot photos that you can use for non-Google listings, marketing collateral, social media posts, and just about anything your business needs.

Additionally, professional photographers are experts in lighting techniques, post-production photo processing, and editing. In regards to shooting the right angles, you are assured of nothing but topnotch photographs you can use for a very long time.

• You get the desired results.

The risk of DIY photography, especially for something that will be used for Google Business Photos and virtual tour, is that you risk not getting professional-looking, highly-detailed images. Working with professional photographers gets you the results you want. These pros are open to feedback and are familiar with the usual requests of business owners, so they will know what to do during the course of the photoshoot. You don’t need to worry about color balance, image clarity, and other photography-related concerns – pro photographers got them covered. Pro photographers are also able to improvise props on location if necessary and are adept at creative direction, so all you really need to do is sit back, relax, and let them take control of the shoot.

• Getting additional online marketing.

Google-trusted photographers are well-versed on Google tools and apps, so they will know how to take marketable shots. They often have online marketing skills, so you can seek their expertise in other areas to help ramp up your SEO and online marketing efforts. Plus, they very likely have websites of their own where they post photos for their online portfolio, so it is possible to for your business to get a link and a citation from them, which means increased visibility for you. Their efforts in marketing their services can augment the marketing that you do for your business because with your permission, they can use some of the images from your photo shoot as samples.

Professional photography from PrimeView

Choosing a professional photographer for your Google Business Photos and a virtual tour can be tricky. After all, numerous photographers are offering similar services. You want to hire photographers from a reputable agency that has been around for many years — pros who have been tried, tested and gained positive reviews from their clients.

PrimeView employs a team of professional photographers who have the skills and experience needed to produce powerful 360° panoramic images for your virtual tour and Google Street View listing. They use only the best tools and equipment in photography to give you the most professional-looking shots for all your marketing needs. They are highly flexible and will be able to work closely with you to ensure that you get only the results you seek. Best of all, our professional photographers are well-versed with the most effective online marketing techniques, so they can teach you a thing or two to help boost your company’s marketing efforts. Our photographers are eager to provide you with the best service possible and submit deliverables promptly and accurately.

PrimeView is Arizona’s leading web design firm with over 20 years in the business. We take pride in our numerous web design awards and effective methods that helped multiple brands, both in and out of Arizona, get a robust digital presence and a memorable brand identity that lasts. We help businesses make their mark on the web and ensure that customers respond positively to the message that our clients want to send. Apart from professional photography, we also offer web design, page layout consultation, application development, and complete Internet solutions. Our clients consist of both startup companies and established Fortune 500 businesses, a testament to our ability to provide high-quality services regardless of the size of the business.

Contact us today at 480-970-4688 to learn more about our professional photography services.

Importance of Good Web Design

Web design goes beyond aesthetics — it should display four major components that any reputable website should have. These are navigation, brand consistency, reading patterns and SEO, and most importantly, building trust.

Navigation is the most critical component of a website, especially for those with many pages. Good web design makes it easy for users to navigate through the site, striking a balance between elements that are pleasing to the eyes and buttons that are functional.

Customers must recognize your brand in all forms of communication. This is what brand consistency is about, and is something that must be present in a well-designed website. Everything that appears in print materials — that is, brand messaging and imagery — must be carried over into the website design. This needs custom design work, so templates are not advisable.

Websites with good design take into consideration how visitors read content; like a book, from top to bottom and left to right. This means that relevant information must be on the upper left column and the first thing visitors see. This practice also helps with SEO efforts, because search engines can crawl your website more efficiently, thus increasing your placement in search results pages. This translates to increased visibility and traffic to your site.

Finally, building trust among customers very important, so it makes sense that your design incorporates elements that resonate well with your target market. This means making your website look welcoming and professional, and easy to use. A website with a professional, uncluttered design makes it easier for visitors to read and understand the message you are trying to send.

Why You Should Invest in a Reputable Web Design Agency

You should never cut corners in building your website, especially when it comes to design. Hiring professionals to design your website is pricier than relying on templates available online or doing it yourself, but the benefits far outweigh the cost. Web design is an investment – one that might cost 10k upwards. That’s a lot of money, but here are some of the reasons why you should hire a professional web design agency such as PrimeView:

1. We have the skills and experience needed to deliver results.

Professional web designers are experts in designing sites that will attract visitors and are adept at SEO techniques, as well as in all the software necessary to come up with good web design. They are also trained to be both creative and technically proficient, so they can execute your vision seamlessly into the site. These professionals are aware that your time is valuable, and since they are experts at what they do, they will be able to turn in deliverables promptly. After all, they no longer need to learn or struggle with what they’re supposed to do.

Furthermore, they put valuable human touch to your website in that they understand how websites are supposed to work and how people navigate through websites, so they understand the merits of, say, having your contact details on the upper right side of your site at all times, and why large chunks of text must be broken apart with images. At PrimeView, we know how to design a website that is easy to navigate through and people will want to keep coming back to.

2. We can maintain your site.

One of the main advantages of getting your site designed by a professional web design agency is that they can help you develop your website as your business and your customers’ needs grow. At Primeview, we have professional web designers that can help update your site’s design, navigation, and functionality as needed. This will resonate well with your audience because this means that you are in tune with their needs.

3. We make your site responsive.

Some of your users might be using an older browser version, or a device that does not support some aspects of your site (such as Java or Flash), and professional web designers will ensure that all elements will be perfect regardless of the browser version or device your site is being viewed from. The talented web designers at PrimeView will also ensure that your website loads properly and accurately, with all elements intact, regardless of the browser size, which means that we will make your site design mobile-responsive.

4. We execute designs to your exact specifications.

Templates are cheap but often limiting. When you pay for a template, you have a ready-made design. All you have to do is input your information, and you’re done. It’s easy and convenient but has little regard for SEO, ease of navigation, and your brand identity — things that matter on a well-designed website.

At PrimeView, we will work closely with you in executing the exact design that you have in mind. We will adjust background color, font size, font type, buttons, and all other elements on the site until everything is exactly as you prefer it, and if there’s something that needs to be tweaked, we will be able to do so.

5. We take care of even the smallest details.

Professional web designers are sticklers for details. We won’t stop until the site borders are even all throughout until all the colors are just right until all the fonts are of the right size, and until all the links and flash elements are working correctly. We will make sure that your site has the perfect canary yellow background you asked for, and that the text is evenly distributed so that visitor’s eyes won’t glaze over when they read your content. This is yet another advantage of having professional designers work on your site as opposed to purchasing a template.

Invest in a Good Web Design Agency Today

Hiring a professional web design agency can get expensive, but the investment will be worth every penny. PrimeView is Arizona’s leading web design firm with over 20 years of experience in the business. Contact us at 480-970-4688 if you need professional web design services in Phoenix.

Sources:
https://www.epagecity.com/blog/five-reasons-you-should-spend-more-than-10k-on-your-website
https://www.topagency.co/blog/10-reasons-why-you-should-invest-in-web-design

Who can predict whether a design trend will pass or fail? Only time will tell whether a trend online will make it through the years or not. On the other hand, perhaps studying past trends that simply did not make it is the key to being able to predict which ones will make it in the future.

It’s true, the web is a truly fickle place. Web services that are super popular today may simply not going to be around tomorrow. There really is no 100% accurate method of finding out which trends are going to stay and which are not. Here are a few trends that failed that simply did not make it:

1. The Hit Counters Button

Remember the hit counters button? Some were even programmed to make you think that you were the first one. You won’t see a lot of hit counter buttons these days. However, others believe that Google analytics that counts your hits for you have replaced this unpopular button and design fail.

For some, the hit counters button is great for tracking the competition. For most, however, it was just an annoying button that really didn’t seem accurate at all.

Plus, those starting out would have nearly zero on their hit counters. This simply did not paint a very credible picture of your website or your business. Other people that visited your site would see just 100 people who visited your site, and this is a total turn-off.

The new Like button of Facebook has since replaced the hit-counters button. Actual visitors are now hidden in the analytics provided by Google.

2. Streaming Music on Your Website

One trend that simply failed is music on your website. This is music that played just when your website opened. Many people were simply not appreciative of this particularly when they were at work and music suddenly streamed out of their work pc. Not everyone appreciates the blast of music that comes when you open a website, especially when there is no warning.

Sonific was a widget that streamed music on your social network profile pages and your blog. It enabled users to embed licensed music for free. Due to music industry imposed constraints with its expensive, limited licenses and demand for free Sonific company equity, the company was simply not able to sustain itself. Prior to the shutdown of Sonific, the CEO said that the company did not want to take the rout of copyright infringement in order to stay afloat.

3. Customizable Mouse Cursors

Remember the good old days when you were able to switch your cursor into a glittery heart? Or any other choice available under ‘customize cursor.’ This trend seems to not have lasted the years, unfortunately. People seem to be happy with just the regular cursor we all see.

4. A Separate Introduction Page

Along with a separate introduction page, there were pop-up windows, midi background music and a frameset that were trends in days of old. These days, there are no longer separate introduction pages. Rather, drop downs and everything on one page is the norm.

5. RSSCalendar

RSSCalendar makes it easy to subscribe to websites and blogs through Google or Yahoo. The RSSCalendar was created to enable similar functionalities including sharing your Outlook calendar with others. Calendars have already been built into Mac Os and Windows. The calendar of Google is just a keystroke away. It’s not hard to see why you would need another one.  RSSCalendar called it quits in 2007 and sold itself on eBay for $50,000.

6. QR Codes

If you paid attention to your local grocery codes or television, there were QR codes everywhere. These were created to help direct consumers quickly to a website just by using their smartphone to scan the codes. The biggest issue with QR codes was that most consumers did not have the ability to use their devices to scan codes. Most folks had to get the app downloaded just to scan each code. This caused people to view QR Codes as stumbling blocks rather than wanting to embrace this trend.

What other web design trends can you think of that have failed? Let us know in the comments!

Keep up with proven and tested web design trends

A poorly built site will have a hard time generating traffic. If you are in need of a web design overhaul, PrimeView can help you map out a plan and create a website that best represents your brand. Get a free quote by calling us at 480-970-4688 or by filling out our online form.