Reach Marketing Pro

Tag: Web Design

  • How to Create a Shopify Website: A 10-Step Guide

    How to Create a Shopify Website: A 10-Step Guide

    As an online store, building and designing your website is an exciting journey that can make or break your brand if it’s not done properly. In a saturated e-commerce market, your brand must stand out while making the shopping experience seamless. Luckily, plenty of user-friendly website design platforms are available to help—even if you’re not web design savvy. 

    Shopify is one of the best e-commerce website builders because they offer you pre-designed site templates, built-in payment processors, and more. So, how can you ensure you reach customers while developing a Shopify site that’s powerful enough to remain competitive? 

    Below is a 10-step guide on how to create a Shopify website with design and build tips, along with mistakes to avoid. 

    How to Create a Shopify Website: A 10-Step Guide to Building & Designing a Powerful E-Commerce Site

    A graphic of three people designing an e-commerce website together

    E-commerce brands need a compelling Shopify site to support their bottom line. It helps you build brand awareness to reach new audiences, strengthen online visibility to stand out among competitors and increase conversions to sell more products. 

    Here’s how to create a Shopify website in 10 steps to help you effectively achieve your business goals.

    1. Set Up Your Shopify Store

    The first step to starting a Shopify store is account creation. You’ll need to enter a domain name for your website, store name, time zone, and currency type. A domain name is your website’s URL and automatically defaults to a “myshopify.com” URL. If you prefer a “.com” URL, you must create a custom domain name by buying one from Shopify or a third-party domain provider. 

    A benefit of purchasing domain names from Shopify is that they come with a TLS certificate, so you don’t need to buy SSL encryption for your domain to secure your site. Pricing will vary, with annual registration and domain renewal fees separate. 

    Your store name is what your customers see, which should be catchy, memorable, and unique to your brand. 

    Some tips for creating a Shopify store name include:

    • Make it simple to remember, spell, and pronounce. 
    • Add a keyword, if possible.
    • Keep it short.
    • Don’t use numbers, hyphens, or long names.
    • Reflect your brand’s missions, values, or personality.

    If you need help creating an online store name, Shopify offers a free business name generator to guide you as creative inspiration. 

    2. Select a Design Theme

    After setting up a Shopify store, the next step is the site’s design theme. Selecting themes is one of the most impactful decisions you’ll make. Your Shopify store design affects how customers understand your brand and shop on your website.

    With plenty of free and paid website design templates available in the Shopify Theme Store, it can be challenging to know which is best for your business.

    Consider the following when selecting Shopify design themes:

    • Product Inventory: How many products do you plan on displaying? Some themes offer one-product stores and product catalog designs. 
    • Features: Decide your must-have vs. nice-to-have features, like home page image slideshows, Instagram feed, related products, and quick buy. You can also search by theme feature in the Shopify Theme Store. 
    • Updates: Can you easily rearrange or remove page sections or simply install plug-ins without updating the site’s code? 
    • Budget: Is purchasing a paid theme worth the investment? 
    • Industry: Look at their offered industry-specific themes if it suits your brand, like restaurants, pet supplies, and clothing. 

    After deciding on your Shopify store design theme, the next step is customizing it.  

    3. Customize Your Theme

    A graphic of two people reviewing website analytics on desktop and mobile

    When you design a Shopify website, you must customize its themes to align with your brand and user experience (UX). Your site should be easy for customers to navigate with an immediate understanding of your brand’s unique identity. 

    If consumers can’t find products quickly with organized product category pages, have fast loading speeds on mobile, or access site breadcrumbs to return to a page, they’ll leave because of poor UX. Recent research reports show that 60% of e-commerce site traffic comes from mobile devices, and only 64% will load a page two to three times before leaving. 

    When customizing your Shopify design theme, include the following UX design tips:

    • Use your brand colors, fonts, and tone in your website copy.
    • Add site breadcrumbs for easy navigation and shopping.
    • Incorporate mobile-friendly designs, like white space and larger fonts, for easier readability.
    • Avoid overdesigning, adding too many call-to-action (CTA) buttons, and text-heavy pages that can overwhelm visitors.
    • Compress quality images and videos to reduce load speed times.

    Don’t get too hung up when you design a Shopify website where it prolongs your site launch. Minor edits can always be updated post-launch. 

    4. Install Your Necessary Plug-Ins

    When you build a Shopify store, consider the possible plug-ins you may want to install. Plug-in applications are commonly used to add custom features to enhance your site design and UX.

    Common plug-ins used for Shopify sites include:

    • Live chats
    • Social proof widgets
    • Product search filters
    • Custom contact forms
    • SEO plug-ins

    Shopify offers plugins in the Shopify App Store with simple one-click installation, or you can insert a link to install a third-party plugin. If you’re using a custom plug-in app from a web developer, they must provide you with an installation link specific to your store, as it cannot be used on another store.

    5. Write & Upload All Website Content

    A graphic of a person sitting down and writing website content on their laptop

    Your website’s content is as crucial as its design. The written content displayed on your web pages impacts how your brand is perceived and how your site is structured. To write content that ranks on Google, it must be relevant and helpful. Google rewards quality content with best optimization practices. 

    Avoid lengthy paragraphs, overlinking, and irrelevant content. For example, don’t create a blog post meant to educate users about an industry-related topic and then solely promote your products instead—also known as search intent. 

    This common content writing mistake not only pushes readers away because that’s not what they’re searching for but harms your rankings, too. 

    While every Shopify site is different, you’ll need the following foundational content:

    • Product images, prices, inventory SKUs, etc.
    • Product category pages
    • Individual product page titles and descriptions
    • Product variations: styles, colors, weights, specs, etc.
    • Main site pages: Home, About Us, Contact Us, Cart, Checkout, etc. 

    You can also streamline your product page content by importing them in bulk via a CSV file.

    Depending on your online store and brand, you may need additional website content, like an FAQ page for technical items and how-to-use directions or an in-person store location finder page.

    6. Optimize Your Shopify Site for SEO

    Written content not only reflects your brand and UX but also your SEO for users and search engines to find. It impacts how your website ranks in the SERPs to produce more organic traffic. 

    You’ll need to optimize your website in three ways:

    • On-Page SEO: The content on your website pages, including metadata, internal links, image alt descriptions, keywords, and best SEO copywriting practices. This step ensures that Google can understand what your website is about when linking to it in relevant user search queries.
    • Off-Page SEO: The information “off” your website pages, including backlinks, social media, and online reviews. This step ensures that your website is trustworthy with its content relevancy and Domain Authority. 
    • Technical SEO: The technical information “behind” your website pages, including indexing, crawling, and clean structured code (HTML/CSS/JavaScript). This step ensures that Google can discover and store your site content in their database.

    You can waste tremendous effort building a website on Shopify if it isn’t optimized. Without SEO optimization, your website is essentially invisible online, as users and search engines cannot discover it. 

    7. Set Up Payment Processing

    The next step in setting up a Shopify store is your payment processing, and it’s really simple. Shopify offers built-in payment processors with sales tax and multiple types of shipping rates. Their shipping options include flat, price-based, weight-based, and free shipping rates. 

    Shopify Shipping also helps calculate your shipping rates to simplify order fulfillment based on default shipping zones and profiles. 

    Next, all you have to do is enter your bank account information in your Shopify Payments account, select the shipping rate you want, and click Activate Shopify Payments in your Payments settings.

    8. Review Your Shopify Site Pre-Launch

    A graphic of two people reviewing a website performance on a mobile device together

    You’re almost at the finish line! Now that your Shopify build website is almost complete, review it before going live to ensure it’s functioning properly. 

    Review the following steps pre-launch:

    • Fast page loading speed on desktop and mobile
    • Broken internal links and conversion paths (CTA buttons, forms, landing pages, etc.)
    • No copyright licensing issues with images
    • Error-free written content, like typos and grammatical errors
    • Site security and website data backups
    • Unique page titles and metadata

    It’s common to find minor issues post-launch and can easily be updated, so don’t get too hung up on this phase either that can prolong your site going live. 

    9. Launch Your Shopify Website

    Now congratulate yourself on your new website launch! While the celebration is well-deserved, you should have a marketing plan to further promote your site. Consider cross-promotional social media posts, email blast announcements, and countdown campaigns to let your target audience know you’re officially live and they’re free to shop at your store. 

    This step is especially crucial for small business websites to increase brand awareness for a wider audience reach. 

    10. Review Your Shopify Site Post-Launch

    A graphic of three people testing a website performance on different devices together

    While a website launch is a significant accomplishment, it doesn’t end there. Always double-check your site after going live to ensure everything is working properly. 

    Review the following steps post-launch:

    Also plan for ongoing maintenance, such as plug-in updates and outdated information to avoid a complete website design revamp.  

    Start Your Shopify Journey On the Right Foot with Professional Web Design & Development

    Although Shopify makes it simple to design and build a site on its platform, working with web designers is the best investment you can make. As an e-commerce business owner or key stakeholder, you have to manage your business while being an expert in your trade. 

    Various factors can also go wrong, especially if you don’t know how to create a Shopify website—which can cost more time and resources to fix than hiring web designers from the start. A Shopify site is a significant investment and should be designed and developed by professionals to maximize your results. 

    At Reach Marketing Pro, our in-house web development and design team has extensive experience creating Shopify sites. We’ll walk you through each step to ensure your website reflects your individual brand, supports your business goals, and is optimized for online visibility. 

    Our services also include ongoing website maintenance and management, like technical site updates, adding more pages, and ensuring your website consistently performs as it should. We provide full transparency to your website performance with monthly reports to measure and track success.

    Ready to start your Shopify journey on the right foot?

    Learn more about our website design and development services, or contact us for questions today! 

  • The Best E-Commerce Platforms to Build a Website

    The Best E-Commerce Platforms to Build a Website

    Have you ever been online shopping, and the payment process required you to create an account before purchasing? Or, have you ever compared two similar products, and the descriptions weren’t clear enough on the differences?

    Whether it’s a lack of guests and one-click checkouts to confusing product offerings, these are signs of poor user experience on an e-commerce website. This is one of many site design issues that can turn potential customers away and buy a similar product from your competitor.

    So, how do you know which e-commerce platform is best? Here’s how to pick the right one including, features, recommended website builders, and tips to consider before buying.

    What Makes a Good E-Commerce Platform?

    Illustration of multiple workers helping to build an efficient website mobile-UX

    Website development can be complex, especially if you don’t know how to build a website and what the process looks like. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, website builders are designed to be user-friendly for anyone to make one on their own.

    However, this is just a starting point. It’s up to you to customize your online store’s brand and ensure it pushes products at the forefront of what your target audience wants.

    Here are a few features to look for in an e-commerce platform and why they come in handy during the development process:

    Budget

    While budget may seem obvious, e-commerce platforms have varying prices and add-on costs depending on the package you purchase. Create a list of must-have and nice-to-have features for launch, and compare which builder can give you the best options based on your financial needs.

    Ongoing Website Support

    An e-commerce platform should have helpful support forums and an easy way to contact customer service for questions and challenges you may have during and after development.

    UX/UI Design

    As mentioned above, an e-commerce website with a strong user experience is foundational to the bottom line and can increase conversions by up to 400%. Can customers easily shop online through their smartphones? Or does it load products slowly and display them in a scattered design? If it’s difficult for you, pick another e-commerce platform that won’t push potential customers away.

    Analytics

    An e-commerce website’s performance analytics is fundamental to measuring success. Review the reporting and features the platform provides to ensure you can track key metrics and KPIs that are important to your online store.

    E-Commerce Website Features

    After preparing for development, understanding a site builder’s features must also be considered. From checkout customizations to drop shipping, these are some functionalities to look for as an e-commerce business.

    SEO

    If your online store isn’t optimized for search engines, it’s virtually invisible. That’s why it’s imperative to buy the best e-commerce platform with SEO features and functionalities. From metadata to custom URLs, investing in SEO is required for any website and business to succeed.

    Previous Experience with Website Builders

    If you have prior website development experience, check how easily an e-commerce platform can migrate from one site to another. Depending on your website size and complexity, some builders may charge a fee or not offer migration services at all.

    Keep E-Commerce Platform and Software Fees in Mind

    Illustration of two men trying to build an ecommerce website from scratch

    When searching for the best e-commerce platform, understand that software fees and different charging systems are involved. While it may seem tempting to pick the cheapest or free ones, these most likely won’t have the necessary features and integrations your online store needs.

    Remember, you get what you pay for. And as an e-commerce business, investing in your website is an extension of your brand’s success. Below are some common payment/fee structures for e-commerce website builders and how they work.

    Monthly Fees

    Depending on the website package you purchase, monthly fees will vary as each has specific offerings. The more inclusive the package service offerings are, the higher the monthly rates will be.

    Transaction Fees

    E-commerce platforms that process payments for you charge through a per-transaction fee, typically a percentage of each transaction. There are also payment processing plug-ins that may be more cost-effective than purchasing through a website builder.

    Payment Gateway Fees

    A fee system that charges for every online transaction the platform authorizes. Payment gateway fees are charged for every debit/credit card they authorize, while transaction fees charge for every completed purchase.

    5 E-Commerce Website Builders We Recommend

    Now that you know what to look for in a website builder, here are five of the best e-commerce platforms we recommend:

    1. Shopify

    Shopify is one of the most widely used e-commerce platforms available. If you have a large product inventory or an enterprise-size online store, Shopify allows you to manage up to 1,000 locations and has over 6,000 ready-to-install plug-ins. Even small businesses can benefit from this platform with streamlined fulfillment, shipping, and inventory management in one centralized place.  

    2. Squarespace

    Squarespace is one of the easiest platforms to work with. They offer plenty of user-friendly template design customizations and a large inventory management system. However, if scalability is a priority for your online store, other website builders may be more beneficial.

    3. BigCommerce

    BigCommerce is a high-performing e-commerce platform that’s built for retailers. Although it’s higher in cost, the returns you can receive are highly valuable. They don’t require additional platform fees like Shopify and offer built-in features to prevent pricing increases or add-ons.

    From seamless social media integration for multi-channel cross-selling to strong technical SEO features like automated redirects, this web builder is ideal for larger online stores and those with prior development experience. So if you’re selling small-scale, have a lower budget, and looking for a simple web build, this may not be the best option. 

    4. WooCommerce

    WooCommerce should be your go-to choice if your online store is built on WordPress. It’s a plug-in that integrates with WordPress easily for online shopping carts, abandon cart emails, customer rewards, and more. But, development is more complex compared to other platforms due to its highly customizable features.

    5. Wix

    Wix is the cheapest e-commerce platform option with monthly plans starting as low as $27 per month. With over 250 free applications and social media channel integration, this is the ideal beginner website builder if you want basic features.

    We Can Build Your E-Commerce Website for You!

    As a business owner, a new website is an exciting time. But, we understand you may not have the time to build one. You have to focus on your trade and managing the company.

    At Reach Marketing Pro, we have extensive experience with building e-commerce and non-e-commerce websites. Our web design and development services can create your online store while showcasing your unique brand. We ensure not only the best marketing strategies (SEO, SEM, Social Media) but also the website’s functionality to make a lasting impression on users.

    We’ll take all your company information and products to create a website with your business and audience in mind. While we do all of the work, we’ll keep you informed throughout the development process.

    Ready to kick off your new e-commerce website journey?

    Contact us to take the first step today!

  • How to Build a Website for Your Small Business

    How to Build a Website for Your Small Business

    Don’t get overwhelmed by the details. For small business owners, it’s common to not know how to create a website. You have to focus on managing the company and providing expertise in your trade.

    However, there are steps to prepare for the best web development experience and results possible— and it’s easier than you might think.

    A new web build is an exciting journey and can provide marketing opportunities, especially for small business owners. It’s an extension of your brand, mission, and products/services, which is crucial in an evolving and competitive digital marketplace. Consumers today expect a solid first impression before buying, and your website might be their first experience with your brand.

    Whether you’re utilizing a web designer and want to educate yourself or considering DIY, here’s a complete guide to small business website development in just 11 steps.

    Must-Have Details to Gather Before Your Website Build

    Before building a website, it’s practical to gather business details first to determine the type of site you need. For example, small e-commerce brands can benefit from creating a Shopify website. Shopify’s features include mobile-friendly product page design templates and payment gateways that are designed for e-commerce businesses. Company details, such as how many products or services you offer, also determine the website size you need.

    Here’s a pre-website build checklist to help guide you before development:

    • Web Hosting: Pick a domain name (website name/address) and register it with a web hosting provider.
    • Web Designer: Who is responsible for the web build and design?
    • Website CMS: Which CMS (content management system) platform will you use? Ex: Shopify, WordPress, HubSpot, etc.
    • Company Brand: What are your branding guidelines? Gather your brand colors, fonts, logo files, visual do’s/don’ts, content rules, and reference sites for design inspiration.
    • Website Trends: Research current web design trends to ensure your site meets new consumer demands and search engine algorithm updates.
    • Site Maintenance: How committed are you to maintaining and updating your website as needed? Who is responsible for this?
    • Web Content: Do you have current marketing collateral? Are you committed to creating unique content for your website?
    • Website SEO: Do you know how to properly optimize your website for search engines and keep up with competitor SEO rankings?
    • Website UX (User Experience): Can users quickly navigate your website and not feel overly spammed?

    While this may seem like a long or detailed checklist, it’s worth it. The more you prepare before a website build, the better the process is. Simply gather this information into designated folders and your web developer will have everything they need. It also eliminates the need for further back-and-forth on missed items.

    How to Build a Website for Your Small Business in 11 Steps

    Illustration of people designing a website with color switches, a desktop PC and a pencil

    Now that you know the information needed before a web build, we’ll explain how exactly a website is created. From design inspiration references to domain name registration, here’s how to build a website for your small business in 11 steps.

    1. Identify Your Target Audience to Understand Your Traffic Sources

    Do you know who your ideal customer is? Understanding your target audience is crucial to web builds because it should be designed with them in mind.

    Dive deeper into your buyer personas. Address their common questions and challenges so you can provide related and specific solutions through your website. This way, you can drive potential traffic with more qualified leads since you understand what influences their online behavior.

    Define your business goals for your website. Whether it’s selling products or offering services, identifying your target audience is the foundation of creating a successful website. It determines how you’ll connect and persuade them to engage with your site.

    2. Research Competitor Sites for Design Inspo and Marketing Opportunities

    Certainly, don’t copy what your competitors are doing with their websites. Avoid using the same color scheme, exact layout, and images. However, it’s beneficial to have visual inspirations for how you want your website to look. This way your developer understands the creative design and structural direction you’d like to incorporate.

    Researching your competition is also an effective marketing strategy to uncover missed opportunities in their web design. For example, if you’re a boutique e-commerce brand and discover that your competitors don’t utilize one-click checkouts, this can be a great opportunity to provide a better online shopping experience.

    One-click checkouts can increase transactions by 25.8% since customers aren’t burdened to create an account before buying— resulting in reduced abandoned carts and checkouts. Finding ways to make your website look and perform better is key to outdoing the competition and prioritizing your products or services.

    3. Select a Domain Name that Represents Your Brand

    A domain name is more the name of your website address. It represents your brand and determines how users feel about your business based on a name alone. Domain names also cannot be changed or modified once you register them. For these reasons, it’s critical to select a domain name that accurately represents your company’s identity, mission, and values.

    Consider the following when picking a brandable domain name:

    • Make it simple, short, and impactful: Make a memorable and brandable domain name under 15 characters.
    • Aim for a “.com” TLD when possible: Top-level domains (TLDs), like “.shop” for e-commerce brands or “.org” for non-profits, can be suitable options if “.com” is taken.
    • Avoid long or hard-to-pronounce words: Prevent users from misspelling your website or making it harder to find.
    • Don’t include slang, numbers, or hyphens: Focus on a seamless user experience so consumers can access your site easily.

    If you need inspiration, there are domain name generators, like Shopify and Wix, where all you need to do is enter a keyword, and creative options are prompted. However, you must ensure that a domain name hasn’t been taken by checking if it’s registered online.

    4. Register Your Domain Name with a Web Hosting Provider for Copyrights

    Now that you have a domain name in mind, the next step is registering it so you own the copyrights and trademarks. But before you do, confirm it’s available by checking its registration. A common source to verify if a domain is already registered is through domain name search tools like GoDaddy or ICANN.

    There are options if you want a domain name that’s registered:

    • Buy it from the owner: If the brand is inactive, has a dated website, and has no social media presence, there’s a chance the owner might accept an offer.
    • Use different TLDs: If “.com” is taken, try registering with “.shop,” “.co,” and other authoritative TLDs.
    • Consider name variations: Brainstorm other creative versions of the domain name you want. Make them specific to your niche to avoid duplication.

    Once you verify a domain name isn’t registered, it’s available for purchase. Popular website hosting platforms, such as BlueHost and Hostinger, offer tools that automatically register domain names for you.

    Domain HostingContent Hosting
    Website addressWebsite CMS (content management system)
    Domain names cannot be changedEdit content without markup or programming
    Hostinger, SiteGround, BlueHostWordPress, Drupal, PrestaShop

    Some hosting platforms, like GoDaddy and Squarespace, also provide CMS systems. It may be a beneficial option to consolidate your website marketing services, especially if you don’t know how to build a website. Ensure you compare all options that are best for your needs and budget.

    5. Choose Your Content Hosting Platform for Simple Content Management

    In addition to a domain hosting provider, you’ll also need a content hosting provider—also known as a CMS (content management system). The difference between domain vs. content hosting is their functionalities and customization.

    A domain hosting provider hosts your website on a server to function properly. While you can change hosting providers, domain names cannot be changed or modified once registered. 

    A content hosting provider stores your website’s content and shares its files, and hyperlinks pages. Its purpose is to give website owners easy access to edit their content without the need for marking up or programming languages.

    Each content hosting site has various capabilities, plugin updates on their platform, monthly/yearly fees, and more. So, when picking a content hosting site, consider the must-have functionalities that are key to your business, like simple SEO plug-in integration or user-friendly blog management.

    6. Create a Skeleton of Your Site for Streamlined Web Development

    Illustration of a phone and computer screen with different screens on it. Showing UX for different devices.

    A skeleton is a visual roadmap of what your website design will look like. The purpose of site skeletons is to streamline the development process so business owners can see how exactly their website will be laid out. It helps with revisions or new design changes before placing it on the content hosting platform.

    Here’s what you should consider when reviewing your site skeleton:

    • Do you have an eye-catching homepage that quickly explains what you do as a company?
    • Is your branding clear?
    • Are the products/services you provide easy to find, read, and clear?
    • How much content do you have that will be displayed throughout the site?
    • Do you have testimonials, FAQs, press releases, or blogs you want to feature?
    • How will a customer/client contact you?

    While website updates are doable after launch, having a preview design through skeletons can reduce the need for more revisions before content uploading.

    7. Optimize Your Website for Search Engines and Online Visibility

    After finalizing your small business web design, the next step is to ensure search engines can effectively find and store it through off-page, on-page, and technical SEO. If search engines like Google can’t discover (crawl) and store (index) your website in their database, it’s virtually invisible to users online.

    Some ways to optimize your web pages and drive traffic to your site include:

    • Use a mobile-first approach to your design and site responsiveness
    • Index all web pages in Google Search Console for indexing and crawling (off-page SEO)
    • Invest in technical SEO with fast loading times and site breadcrumbs for easy navigation
    • Implement on-page SEO by writing optimized page titles with target keywords

    In addition to visibility and traffic, website optimization is crucial to keep up with your competition. By maintaining best SEO practices, you can promote competitiveness by ranking for similar keywords while building your online presence.

    Business websites that rank at the top of their niche’s SERPs (search engine results page) generate a 39.8% CTR (click-through rate), while second ranks receive 18.7% and third at 10.2%. Optimizing your website isn’t only for search visibility and keyword rankings. It’s also an effective SEO strategy to increase engagement and leads.

    8. Create and Add Content to Your Website That Aligns with Your Brand

    Every website needs content. Whether you’re repurposing old marketing collateral or writing unique content, each web page needs written text and visuals. This includes home pages, product/service descriptions, graphics, page headers, and blogs. After creating and reviewing your content to ensure it aligns with your brand and business, place it throughout your website. Remember to optimize your content to ensure search engines and users can discover it.

    9. Review Your Website on Mobile and Desktop for a Better User Experience (UX)

    Illustration of a person sitting at a desk looking at a website with a car on it

    Check your website multiple times across several devices, including mobile and desktop. Review the site layout on your computer, phone, and tablet to ensure easy navigation and strong user experience (UX).

    UX is the user’s overall experience when interacting with a website or application. It plays a critical role in maintaining customer satisfaction and may push potential new ones away. If not, it’s considered in your site design.

    For example, conversion rates drop an average of 4.42% for each additional second of page load time. If your site has slow web response rates, low-quality images, or irrelevant content, these are signs of poor UX design. Websites with strong UX design can increase conversion rates up to 400% because they’re designed to be simple to navigate and easily accessible.

    Some ways to improve UX design for small business web development include:

    • Create Flowcharts: Use these visuals in your site’s skeleton to decide how users will interact with your site for the optimal experience.
    • Conduct Interface Tests: Gather data on the experience quality of your site and compare the effectiveness compared to other user interfaces.
    • Create User Surveys: After launch, chat with potential and existing users of your system to gain feedback for UX improvements.

    Before launch, get a close friend, colleague, or relative to view the staging link on their devices and provide feedback. Getting a fresh perspective can uncover UX design issues you may thought were working but are invisible to the user.

    10. Launch Your Website to Make it Live!

    Once everything is reviewed, added, and to your liking, click that “Publish” button! Congratulate yourself or your team for this major business accomplishment. After launch, it’s essential to monitor your new website to ensure it’s running smoothly.

    Here’s a post-website launch checklist to help guide you:

    • Submit your site to Google Search Console for indexing and crawling
    • Monitor your site in Google Search Console for any design errors, like duplicate pages or broken links
    • Setup Google Analytics with your site to monitor its performance and gain valuable data
    • Spread the word on social media as part of your off-page SEO strategy

    Regular updates are an ongoing process after you build a website for your business. From content marketing to structural improvements for UX, a site launch isn’t the end of the process but the beginning of a new chapter.

    11. Plan for Regular Website Maintenance After Launch

    All websites will have regular maintenance, including plug-ins, platform updates, backups, product/service changes, etc. However, if a consumer finds a business with a website that seems outdated, has broken links, or slow loading, they’ll most likely move on to another competitor. Keeping your website regularly maintained is easier than a complete revamp.

    Let Website & SEO Experts Handle Your Website Build for You

    With these steps, you can streamline your small business web design. But as a business owner, we understand if you don’t know how to build a website— and you shouldn’t have to.

    Professional web developers have expertise in custom mobile-responsive design and plugin integration that you can’t do on your own or as easily. They can create unique site features to make your brand stand out and ensure its structure meets search performance requirements.

    At Reach Marketing Pro, we’re a full-service digital marketing agency and can guide you every step of the way. From website design concepts, content creation, monthly site updates, and SEO optimization, we help ensure our clients are successful in providing the best user experience for potential and returning customers.

    Skip the hassle of creating a website and let our SEO and web development team do it for you. Our developers provide superior design, webmaster services, and site management to handle all of your website’s needs. This way you can focus on what you do best, your trade.

    Contact us to kick off your new website journey today!

  • Top Web Design Trends for 2023 and Beyond

    Top Web Design Trends for 2023 and Beyond

    What is Web Design?

    Website design has been growing since the mid-1990s as an interactive marketplace for customers. Looking into 2023, web design trends continue to evolve and be embraced by mainstream culture, collective behavior, and marketing tactics. Designing a website begins with visualizing your brand’s identity and how you would want to present it to a target audience through an interactive, user-friendly experience. A website’s layout is comprised of certain color schemes, layouts, font styles, and specific design elements that are specific to your brand. Web design trends come and go, but continue to evolve alongside new technologies, so it’s important to remain up to date on what is coming into the marketplace.

    Web Design Trends for 2023

    Illustration of a bight lavender background with various Y2K related images, icons and web designs

    Here are some go-to website design trends you should bookmark:

    1. Nostalgia Aesthetic: Bringing back the old with the new continues to grow in popularity, as the reintroduction of the early 2000s Y2K style normally repeats itself every 40 years or so.
    2. Unique Cursors: Rather than having the same old cursor you see every day, a current web design trend is to create a custom cursor that fits within your website’s unique design. It adds a touch of personality!
    3. Custom Typefaces: Like unique cursors, adding custom typefaces such as fonts and handcrafted lettering adds a unique flare that aligns with only your brand, so when customers see it they’ll recognize your business.
    4. Shareable Frameworks: Including shareable frameworks enhances the web navigation experience for all site users as it raises the visibility of creators’ work by sharing resources and techniques. This trend remains an essential component in the program development of a website.
    5. Illustrations and Dimensions: Illustrations are on the upward track! Not only does it make a website’s look and feel appeal more striking, but it also adds a customized flare that competitors will want to follow.
    6. Gamification Interactions: Sometimes it’s hard to leave a website when you’re having fun. Adding in a feature that allows users to engage in an enjoyable experience will want users to return for more, and potentially even make a purchase!
    7. Loading Animations: No one likes to watch the dreaded black screen as it loads content. Make the wait less daunting with an interactive animation to help the time go by in an entertaining way.
    8. Collaborative Support: A post-pandemic world enabled the ability for creators and businesses alike to collaborate in a virtual capacity, both in remote and hybrid workspaces.
    9. Creating a Lightweight, Efficient Website: Don’t overwhelm the user when creating your web design. A 2023 web design trend is to create valuable, relatable content and designs that make sense, without overloading it.
    10. Customizable Viewing: Adding a personalized touch to your web design that allows visitors to accommodate their needs will not only establish trust with the user but also enables them to choose your site from others.
    11. User Engagement: 2023 is THE year for user engagement! It’s time to put on your creative hat and design immersive user experiences with responsiveness, animation, and fun that will leave visitors craving more.

    Want to see some great examples for yourself? Check out these featured website design templates offered at DesignRush.

    How UX Plays a Role

    Illustration of two phones with an illustrated doctor and patient on the screen, displaying different actions related to UX

    Creating an accessible user experience (UX) should always be a top priority when designing a website and incorporating design trends for 2023. UX includes a website’s usability, design, navigation, and impression, so it’s very important to remain abreast of website design trends to captivate and retain a customer base. You have to be strategic and tactical with UX to make it reflect a positive impact. For example, although this is a fun idea at the moment, incorporating a game on a website that isn’t relevant but interactive can negatively affect the website’s functionality.

    No one wants a laggy website.

    Web Designs That Won’t Go Out of Style

    A Purple Illustration of a phone with a web design layout example

    We all want our website to be the best of the bunch. Thankfully, here are some website design best practices that will never go out of style.

    1. Producing best-in-class content: Producing interactive content for your website is 2x as likely to engage a visitor versus static content. With this in mind, think outside the box to see what your customers would want to see. Think about what would keep them wanting more.
    2. Implementing a Mobile First Approach: When playing with digital maximalism, enable your website to be easily accessible, responsive, and mobile-friendly.
    3. Making a Fast, Efficient Website: This is self-explanatory. Visitors are more responsive and more likely to purchase your product or service if the site responds well and loads content efficiently.
    4. Creating a Non-Assertive Layout and Color Schemes: Sometimes it’s fun to have big, bold, and bright designs on a website. However, it will not be a trend forever. It’s best to use non-assertive layouts to reduce the risk of your site having too much graphic-heavy content that doesn’t work together. Prioritize what will be beneficial for long-term sustainability and how it collaborates with your brand identity.

    Our Web Design Experts Can Improve Your Site for 2023 and Beyond!

    Our creative, robust team of website design experts are always keeping up with current web design trends to remain ahead of the competition. We believe in providing you with a superior, optimized website design that reaches new heights while staying relevant to web design trends. From the ground up, and with your brand in mind, we will work with you to design a customized website that increases author authority, improves the user experience (UX), incorporates best-in-class graphics, and enhances functionality on every page.

    Ready to take your web design to the next level?

    Contact us today to improve your current website design!