Hello readers and welcome back to the Silentblast Toronto Web Design News Blog. Today we are going to talk about your website. In particular, is it time for a new website design.

The vast majority of Silentblast Interactive’ clientele is from businesses that had some form of previous website presence. A lot of our clientele had web design and development done on average 5-6 years ago before seeking a new web design and re-thinking their business strategy on the internet.

A lot of our clientele’s websites were not getting the web traffic they were expecting and often there are many reasons for that and it always doesn’t point to design but from a design perspective if the site is not user friendly and functional, your previous visitors will not return.

So what are the some the indicators that you may be in need of a new web design?

Logo and Branding

If your logo and branding has changed; a new web design to promote your current logo and brand is a given. Don’t just slap up your new logo on the website. If the logo and branding follows a theme the entire website should follow suit.

Service Verticals and Products

Your service verticals or product offerings have changed. If your website has not been updated without some form of news; the chances are that little has changed on your website. You are also not contributing to your own success on the internet when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines such as Google like content and if you don’t add regular content; your ranking can suffer.

Information Overload

Content on your website needs to be organized in a way that makes sense. All too often we have had clients come to us that have an impression that if the entire content of their website is not on the homepage; users won’t find it. Actually, if you jam your home page with too much information users will not find the information they are looking for because you have over-whelmed them right from the start; and not in a good way.

The Do It Yourselfer

It is really awesome that you personally like your website with the midi music (probably Mission Impossible theme); twinkling stars, and flowing flags that are animated gifs. I think at one time or another if we go back in time; everyone had a GeoCities account; where you could make a website for free.

Times have changed. The midi music in the background, twinkling stars and flowing animated flag gifs are gone… well, not entirely, but gone from a web design perspective. If you are in a business that has a brick and mortar presence, when a customer walks through the doors does a song play when they come in? If so, is it the same song, all the time? That would get annoying.

Social Media Interaction

If your web design was done 5-6 years ago, the chances of some form of social media interaction such as a blog, Facebook; Twitter or Linkedin type exposure on your website are probably not there. All are modern methods of promoting your business and marketing efforts.

Cross Browser Compatibility

If your website was designed 5-6 years ago, there is a good chance that your website has not been coded or optimized for the current choice of browsers such as IE 7 and 8, Firefox and Chrome.

Search Engine Optimization

The possibility that your website if designed 5-6 years ago; is probably not optimized for the search engines. Users searching for information or businesses in particular search more localized to a given geographical area such as specific cities or regions. If your website has not been optimized for SEO with content that speaks to finding the average user who wants and needs your services; then your website will have little success in attracting visitors.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Welcome back to the Silentblast Toronto Web Design News Blog. Today we are going to give some pointers in your blog development. Blogs for business purposes are gaining significant traction as a useful tool for web sites to gain popularity both in media circles and as an search optimization method within a given website. We have gleaned through many articles on this topic and have found some useful tips that one should keep in mind while developing their blog.

Logo and Branding

If you don’t have a logo, get one designed for you. It is part of your overall marketing strategy and creates brand awareness.

User Comments

To have or have not; is up to the creators of the blog and depending on the purposes of the blog overall as part of your marketing and awareness strategy; you can continue to use your blog without comments being allowed.

Show Consistency

Probably the hardest part of blogging overall. Write to the audience that is visiting your blog, while serving your own purposes in your marketing strategy. Try to set a goal as well to continually add to your blog. You don’t have to write 20-30 blog articles a day; but you should show you are contributing on a regular basis or your readership will fall off the map.

Proper Writing

Unless you’re backed up by an editorial department proper writing can be a coin toss. If you can’t write fairly decently, get someone to do it for you.

Simplicity

One topic per post if at all possible. Short paragraphs.

Categorize and Tag

When possible categorize and tag your posts. Great for SEO and great for your users to find specific categorized topics they may be looking for on your website.

Social Media

Use social media such as Facebook, Twitter and other mediums to promote your blog and allow others to promote your blog and articles.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast