Do you Really Need a Responsive Website?

You recently decided to get a website for your business. As you begin looking for a web design service you keep on running across the words "responsive design." Though until now you are still confused about the concept of a responsive web design you can't help wonder why everyone seems to be putting a big deal on it.

As the name implies, a responsive website is one that adjusts to the device you are using, such as desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Imagine pulling up a website on your smartphone which forces you to zoom in and out or move the screen left and right just to properly read the text. That is not a responsive website. And even if you don't admit, it is annoying to go through that experience. That is exactly what your customers will feel if they browse your website through a smartphone or tablet only to find out it is not responsive.

Many small businesses think it is enough to have a regular website as long as it is clean and fuss-free. If you think the same way, chances are, you will have some missed opportunities.

A 2013 survey of more than 15,000 online shoppers in 15 countries found that 41% of the participants have used their tablets to buy something, compared with 28% in 2012. Nearly 45% purchased products through smartphones, compared with 30% in 2012.

Having a responsive website enhances your customers' experience. They do not need to shrink a page to easily read the text and view the images. And because your website maintains its original structure, from desktop to mobile devices, your content will look great no matter the size of the screen. Even Google loves the "many great aspects" of responsive websites.

If your business hugely relies on your website all the more you need to make it responsive, or you will lose your customers to your competitors.

13 Incredible Reasons to Start a Blog for Your Business

Creating a business blog does not exactly sound very appealing to business owners.  Very few would actually have the patience to sit down and put together a content that makes sense. But blogging for business has tons of amazing benefits. Here are the top reasons why you should start a blog for your business:

1. It positions you as an expert in your industry.

2. It encourages customer feedback.

3. It helps you attract new customers. A 2012 Hubspot report found that 57% of businesses with a blog acquired a customer with their blog. Populating your blog with relevant content increases your chances of winning new customers by up to 30%.

4. It helps drive traffic to your company's main website.

5. It showcases your brand's unique voice and personality.

6. It promotes your professional work or products and services.

7. It builds strong customer relationships and confidence.

8. It creates a community of like-minded individuals.

9. It can bring your business to the attention of influencers in your niche.

10. It turns people into smart consumers. 

11. It provides you a venue to target specific keywords that are inadequately represented in your company website.

12. It is a cost-effective marketing tool.

13. It is good for SEO purposes.

If writing is not one of your strongest skills you can hire a professional copywriter to produce engaging posts for your blog. Outsourcing a blogging task means having a reliable person to plan and create fresh, interesting, and relevant content for your business blog while you focus your attention to the core aspects of your business.

Why You Shouldn't Overlook Your Website Design

When you attend a business meeting or a formal event, you do not show up with a sloppy attire. You take an effort in choosing a suitable wardrobe to make yourself look presentable and be taken seriously. After all, people will usually pay attention to your visual appearance before they become interested in what you have to say. The same is true when it comes to business websites. Visitors are more likely to stick around if a website has a stunning design.

To many small businesses, however, a good website design sounds more of a luxury than a necessity. They would rather use majority of their marketing budget for quality content than for improving the design of their website. We can't blame them because search engines find and rank websites based largely on keywords, relevant links, page optimization, and social media engagement.

But as former IBM legend Thomas Watson Jr. puts it "good design is good business," and here are the reasons why you should heed to that advice:

Your website design reflects your company's personality

When people run across your website they can quickly associate your business with powerful descriptions. That's because your website design alone is already communicating even before your visitors read the content.

A good design could mean professional, trendsetter, relevant, innovative, valuable, and productive. A poorly designed website could be labelled as ambiguous, outdated, boring, or disorganised.

Your website design shows customers you care

A good design is user-friendly and easy to understand. The colours are not screaming for attention. The typefaces are legible. The graphics do not overpower the pages. The buttons are well-organised. Your customers can go from one page to another and go back to a previous page with ease. They can quickly find what they are looking for without spending too much time. In short, the design gives an impression that you are serious in giving your customers excellent service.  

Your website design makes your business look big

A good website design makes even a start up or small business look like a major player. It shows your confidence to compete with the bigger names in your industry...even if you only have less than 10 employees. Investing on a good website design tells your customers and competitors that your business is reputable and should be treated as such.

Your website design influences trust

In the study Trust and Mistrust of Online Health Sites, researchers found that 94% of the participants reject or mistrust a website quickly because of its design. Some of the specific aspects cited were boring web design; corporate look and feel; complex, busy layout; and small print. What does that tell you? Simple, quality content is not enough to make a website successful and effective. It must be must be accompanied by a good design to attract visitors.