The success of any web design is not just down to the skill of a creative and innovative designer, although it certainly helps.  A successful project is created by good communication between client and designer.  Here are my top-tips to keep everything running smoothly.

Do some research and preparation

Client:  Provide as much information as you can from the very start. Often designers will give you a questionnaire to fill out.  Put some time aside and fill it out as fully as you can.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions, if you don’t understand something.
• If you have images, brand guidelines and examples of what you want, forward them to your designer as soon as you can.
• The more information that you can offer the more time will be saved later in misunderstandings and extra cost.

Designer:  Find out as much as you can before your first meeting.

• Research the market, find the market leaders.
• Don’t bombard the client with too much all at once.
• Highly technical questions can be intimidating.
• Much can be gained by a face to face meeting.
• Take the time to explain your approach and give your client time to think and make decisions.

Every project is a collaboration

Client:  It is your website that is being created, take ownership of it and be sure it will fit in with your current business aims and targets.  Respect the knowledge of your designer, after all it is that knowledge that you are paying for.  Don’t be afraid to question if you are not clear on any recommendations or design direction.

Designer:  It is important that you listen to what you client wants.  Ask questions and listen.  Resist rushing into offering solutions until you have explored what your client wants to get out of their website.  Respect the knowledge your client has about their own business and their clients and customers.

Ask questions

Designer and client: This can’t be emphasised enough.  Both sides should not be afraid to ask questions.  Client and Designer are experts in their own field and the knowledge of both sides is a valuable resource.  No question is stupid.  Not asking may cause problems later on in the project.

Be clear about timescales

Designer and client:  Have clear deadlines and timescales so both of you understand what is needed and when it is needed.  Deadlines will stop the project dragging on for months with no progress.  If possible split tasks into manageable chunks that can be approved or adjusted at each stage.

Give constructive feedback

Client:  Your designer will be waiting on tenterhooks to hear if they have hit the right note.  Try to give feedback as quickly as possible.

• Don’t be afraid to explain why something does not fit your initial expectations.
• Listen to professional advice, this is what you are paying for.
• Respect the time that goes into changes and new designs.
• If you are happy with a design please let your designer know.
• A happy designer is a creative designer.

Designer:  Don’t be precious about your designs but strive for high quality and pride in your work.

• Take the time to explain your concept.
• Be open to suggestions and questions.
• Give professional advice and suggestion, this is what you are paid for.
• Remember this is your client’s reputation and business.
• Find out why a change needs to be made.
• Exploring the issues may allow you to find an even better solution.
• A successful project is a happy client.

Enjoy the process

Client and Designer: Designing a website is an important step for any business but it is also an exciting project.  If you enjoy the process you will get a more vibrant and effective result.  Go into it with enthusiasm and open yourself to new ideas and innovative approaches.

Really enjoyed showing off at Antenna’s ‘Show Off’ event on Monday 12 March. Thank you to everyone who came to the Line and Form stand.

Don’t forget to look around the blog and check out some of the new posts.

Should you fear the Cookie Monster? EU cookie legislation explained

Write content that offers solutions and converts visitors into customers

Use QR codes more effectively than Tesco

If you are interested in our design services run on over to Line and Form.

Thanks again.

Leonie

Why should you care?

EU legislation passed in May last year means websites in the EU cannot place cookies on a visitor’s computer without permission. (26 May 2011 the EU’s Privacy and Communications Directive)

In the UK we were given 12 months grace to make websites compliant. This grace period runs out on 26 May 2012 this year.

The Facts (as we know them)

There is still a lot of speculation about what needs to be done but here is an overview.

• Permission has to be explicit.
• The ONLY exception is if a visitor requests a service and a cookie is ‘strictly necessary‘ to that service.
  • Shop-carts or log-in functionality in a membership system may be exceptions
  • Google analytics, social media, or adverts are NOT ‘strictly necessary’ to services on your website
• Simply visiting a page on your website does NOT count as requesting a service
• Information in your privacy policy alone is NOT consent

So what is a cookie

At a basic level a cookie is a text file that stores information about your visit to a website. It can be as simple as a random number used to identify you when you log-in.  At the other end of the scale, it can hold personal information about you, from input in forms or the pages you visit while exploring a website.

What’s the fuss about

The new legislation is meant to protect privacy and personal information.   Emphasis is being made when cookies are used to transmit information to third parties without permission.

Online businesses claim permission notices will effect the usability of websites and confuse website visitors.  Loss of tracking and analytics will also have a major effect on online market research and competition when other companies outside the EU do not have these restrictions.

Are all Cookies Bad

• Not all cookies are used to track personal information or behavior
• Most online shopping sites use them to allow you make purchases using a shopping cart.
• Membership sites use them to identify you so that you don’t have to log in on every page of their website.

How do I know if my website uses cookies?

You may not realise that your website places cookies. The most common sources:

• Membership and log-in functionality
• Newsletter subscriptions
• Share and social media widgets for like and tweets
• Google analytics used to track visitor behaviour
• Associate advertising such as Google ads or Amazon associates
• Comment forms on blogs
• Remember me functionality.

What do I need to do to comply with the legislation?

The most important step is to see how drastically this will effect you.   Your site may have no cookies or you might find some you were not expecting.

1. Audit your site for cookies
   • Identify which ones are essential to your site
   • Which can be removed
2. Remove cookies you don’t need
3. Ask permission for any that are not essential to a service your visitor has actually requested
4. Update your privacy policy to list all the cookies your website might now place.

What happens if you do nothing?

Many website owners have not taken any action.   The guidance has been vague, and not everyone has easy access to the technical advice that they need. For many losing precious analytics data needed to run their business is a harsh blow.  It may even be a competitive disadvantage if your competitors ignore the new legislation or are outside the EU.

Complying means losing analytical data to run your site

The reality is few visitors will accept cookies if asked permission.  It may even deter some visitors from using your site.

For you to be fined a complaint about your website would need to be put to the Information Commission Office.  You will be given a written warning.   You will only be fined if you do not reply and do nothing to rectify the problem. Fines could be as much as £500,000

Any action or inaction should be taken with the full facts for your own website and business.  You should always know what your website is placing on potential customer computers.  At the very least do an audit now and start putting a plan into place.

Find more information

Information Commission Office – the official source for information about the legislation.

YouTube  video to explain the Cookie legislation – an easy way to explain what effect the ‘cookie law’ could have.

Examples of Solutions

There are many companies offering you solutions.  Two free examples that look promising are:

• Wolf software – message at the header.
• Civic - More designed pop-up

If you need help auditing your site or complying with the legislation contact Leonie at Line and Form leonie@lineandform.co.uk

Everyone wants more traffic to their website.   Once you have visitors you want to create sales or convert visitors into potential clients.  Most of the potential traffic to any website comes through Google,  and there comes the challenge. Unfortunately people don’t search for you unless you are a large brand.   Getting ranking on high level keywords can be difficult.  However, there is a solution.

In the vast proportion of searches people are looking to solve problems.  You can take advantage of that by changing the way you write content for your website. It’s time to think like your customers and change the type of traffic you get.

Lets convert more visitors into sales and paying clients.

Think problem, solution, results

A simple formula that I have found gets results is to think of new content in terms of:

problem + solution = results

If you are  an accountant your customer might be confused about what records they need, to to keep the tax man happy.   On your site you might write:

“Everyone gets confused about keeping records.  We can help you set up a effetive record keeping system. We will save you time and money and keep the taxman happy.”

You are talking about the problem, offering a solution and telling them what the result will be.  This could be be an article about better record keeping, or a marketing advertisement for  consultancy services, the important factor is that the content will  reflect the thought processes of your customer.

If you sell sterling silver jewellery you might suggest:

‘Stopping sterling silver from tarnishing is easy.  With these simple steps you will have sparkling jewellery without a speck of tarnish.’

Again you have identified a problem offered a solution and explained the result.

This process can be put into a simple sentence or a full blown article. Rather than writing a description of  your services or products, you are offering  the benefits and solutions to problems that you can solve.   This will appeal to both the visitor to your website and the Google alogarths that control your postion in search results.

• You will be scattering your site with more effective keywords
• Usefull content is shared which will improve your search ranking
• It will change the way you think about your business
• And improve coversion from visitor to customer and sale.

So what are the problems  suffered by your potential customers? How can you solve them? What are the results and benefits of your solutions that will make you stand out?

Time to start rewriting your content today.

Tesco is always quick to pick up on any marketing trend.   Unfortunately that does not always mean that they do it well.  Yesterday I noticed this QR code on a 2 for £3 offer on fruit.   Initially I was quite impressed.  Linking a QR code to a recipe, while the shopper is still in the store, seemed like a nice touch.   Not only do you get a reason for buying the fruit, but you can also pick up other ingredients, encouraging you to buy items you didn’t originally come in for.

I scanned the code and was promptly given a recipe for asparagus soup.  What is wrong with a recipe for cherry pie or blueberry muffins!

On this I would give Tesco 5/10.   The idea was good they just failed on execution.

So how do you use QR codes effectively

1.  It takes effort to scan a code give them an incentive to scan.  (A recipe was a nice idea)

2.  Make sure the content is suitable for a mobile device.  A link to your full size website will annoy most smart phone users.

3.  Make sure the reward was worth the effort and actually returns what you promised.  (Cherry pie not asparagus soup please.)

4.  Get creative.   A QR code can link to almost anything don’t link to your home page.

5.  Think about the location of the QR code.
(I still don’t see the point of putting one on the top side of a moving double decker bus.)

Of course the argument is still out on how effective QR codes are, but if they are used creatively I think we are going to see them for a while yet.

What is the worst or best  use of a QR code you have seen?

It has been proven again and again that a genuine human face to your business can make it more approachable to clients and customers alike.   Many business owners, or their staff, don’t even want  a picture of themselves to appear on the web,  while others have to be persuaded not to share personal details, their holiday snap, or pictures of their  pets.   How do you to strike a balance between personality and the fear of being too personal?

Here are my top five tips for keeping it on the safe side of professional.

1. Be brave, but keep it real.

I know for some this will be a painful process, but believe me your sales figures will thank you. Be yourself and don’t try too hard. You may have to meet these people face to face and you want to be able to meet their eye honestly.

2. Keep it appropriate for your brand and market.  

For some this will be ultra professional while other brands can have a slightly more relaxed approach.   Think about who your customers are.  This is not just about ‘you’ but how you can attract those important new clients.

3.  Get some professional pictures done where possible. 

Bad lighting and obvious holiday snaps can be dangerous.  Your brand needs to look professional and polished.  Bad lighting and weird angles do not help sell you or your brand.

4. Highlight your achievements  rather than using cheesy catchphrases

While this is the time to show off a little, make sure you have some real content that talks about some recent projects and successes.   Too many profiles use catch phrases and jargon that does not say anything.  Link your profile to your business.   This is an opportunity to sell what you do and what you stand for.  But keep it short and to the point.

5. Keep it fresh.  

This is about you now, not a ten year old biography.  Always surprises me how many people still use a profile  image that is at least 10 years old and forget to include all their recent achievements.

illustration By Frits hikingartist.com

Website speed is becoming a major issue as speed has an increasing effect on search engine optimisation. Google is now actively penalising slow sites in their rankings. Visitors are expecting fast responses. If your page takes more than 3 seconds to load, unless you are Amazon or the BBC, visitors may just give up and go somewhere else.

So who is to blame? Here is my pick of the most likely culprits.

Cheap shared hosting

There are many cheap hosting solutions out there based on ‘selling it cheap and getting as many accounts on one web server as they can manage’. It only takes one site to get a mention on dig or a link on the BBC site and the extra traffic for that website can mean all websites on that web server suffer.

Solutions

• You get what you pay for, so be cautious about going for the cheapest solution
• Make your site as efficient as possible to enable it to cope with a shared environment
• Look into a Virtual Private server if your traffic increases

Third party plugins and widgets

I have nothing against open source software as a whole. I regularly use WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and ecommerce solutions such as OpenCart or Magento. What I am suspicious of is the numerous third party scripts and plugins that can be downloaded to give you those magical extra functions.

Every extra plugin or widget has its own JavaScript and CSS files to load. Some of these scripts are not even hosted on your server which can add even more lag time to your website.

Solutions

• Get it installed professionally
• Keep the install as minimal as possible
• Research all plugins and widgets
• Monitor your site carefully after each new plugin.

Using tools like GTMetrix (http://gtmetrix.com) you can find out what specific part of your site is causing you problems.

Un-optimised images

While things are improving I still find that the enthusiastic amateur designer often struggles to optimise their own images. Many open souce packages will now resize your images but they do it with a varying level of quality. Try to optimise your images before you upload them into your website. If you are not a Photoshop expert try online tools such as Yahoo’s Smushit (http://www.smushit.com/ysmush.it/) to get back those extra bytes from lossless compression. Remember images should not be used instead of typography. Learn some css and keep your text as text.

Solutions

• Resize your image before uploading
• Optimise images using lossless compression techniques
• Dust off your CSS (http://www.w3schools.com/css/) and use text rather than images for typography.

Slow broadband

Sometimes it is your connection and not the whole of the internet that is causing the problem. If you share your internet connection it’s always worth checking that someone in another room is not using all your bandwidth with online gaming or downloading the latest blockbuster from ITunes. Business networks are often slower at lunchtime when everyone is using their lunch break to check their bank balance or play the latest YouTube video of a cat yawning. Aww cute.

Less is more

Do you really need all those extra widgets. Consider using static links to Facebook and Twitter. Dynamic follow and like buttons often include extra javacript and tracking code that could also have privacy or security concerns for your visitors.

Balance your frontpage. Does all your multimedia content need to be on your front page.

In conclusion my top five tips for a faster website are:

1. Keep it tight and as minimal as your requirements allow
2. Use only well researched and recommended third party plugins and scripts
3. Don’t use the cheapest web hosting and consider a virtual private server or even a dedicated server when your traffic gets high enough
4. Always uninstall unused scripts
5. Monitor your website after each change

I freely admit this is not an unbiased point of view. However, I have in the past worked as part of an in-house web team and as a freelancer, so feel I can look at this subject with some knowledge, if not total impartiality.

Here are my top 5 reasons why you should consider a freelancer for your next project.

1.Value for money

Hiring a freelancer is more cost effective than an In-house team or an expensive design agency. Freelancers don’t have the same overheads as an agency so can offer a more competitive price. Just hiring a new employee can be an expensive and lengthy process.

A freelancer can be hired with a minimum of fuss and get down to the job at hand. You may only need a high level of development and design at the beginning of a project. You are often hiring someone you could not afford as a full-time employee.

2. Fresh ideas and an unbiased outlook

Bringing in new blood can offer a different view-point without any internal politics. By the nature of their business, freelancers work on many different projects and in varied environments. All that expertise can be brought to your project. Their focus is the success of the project, rather than any long term internal distractions.

3. Highly skilled and ahead of the trends

It’s is a very competitive market so you will often find freelancers keep up with the latest technology and trends to keep their business profitable and competitive. In-house teams often have to concentrate on the daily workload. Freelancers have to have a wider focus on skill development to ensure they get the next job.

4. Flexibility

Freelancers can often be more flexible than larger design agencies both in timescales and willingness to work ‘out of hours’. If you need support outside the traditional 9 to 5 you will often receive faster response times and solutions.

5. Good customer service

To stay in business freelancers rely on good reputation and recommendations. They always want you to be happy and will meet promised deadlines to ensure this. You deal directly with the designer or developer and not a sales agents or project managers. This can save a lot of time and misunderstandings and get to the heart of your project much faster.

In the end you have to ask yourself can I afford not to hire with freelancers.

Deciding what content goes onto your website front page is never a simple formula. If you work in a large organization, then almost every department will want a piece of what they see as prime real estate.  Too much content and you loose impact, too little and you miss an opportunity to highlight the best of what you offer.

Here are my top ten tips and tricks.

1. Make your front page your shop window

Your front page should showcase what you will offer your customers.  Like a good shop window, you want to draw people in with the best of what you have to offer.  Share the passion for what you do and who you are. If you have a new products or services, that you are really proud of, this is the time to showcase them.  Entice and excite your visitor, don’t send them to sleep.

2. Show examples of good content

If you have good content include an abstract.  Don’t describe it.   Show it.  This can include teasers or images that will encourage people to go further.

3. Use images to make people pause

We communicate best visually.   Use images to capture the attention and sign post important information.   People don’t read they scan.   Images will attract their attention and encourage them to stop and actually read the text.

4. Identify the main tasks of your customers visit

Your customers often come to your site with a small group of main tasks.

• Whether buying that brand new product
• Finding information on the latest discounts and offers
• Or contacting customer support about a problem or complaint.

If visitors can’t start these key activities they won’t go any further.   Make it easy and your customer will not become frustrated or go straight to your competition.

5. Your website is for your customers not your staff

An important factor to remember is that you, or your staff, are not your key market.   Everyone internally will want a link.  Ensure that you are meeting the needs of your external market.   You are not your customers.   Keep internal communications for your intranet where they belong.

6. Make content relevant and up to the minute

Search engines will give prominence to sites that have frequently updated content.   Ensure that you at least update your front page on a monthly basis.   It is preferable to have new content weekly or even daily.  It is important to keep your content fresh.  If you don’t have the resources to update it on a regular basis try rotating pre-prepared features.

7. Take advantage of topical events and seasonal interests

Making content seasonal or taking advantage of national or global events will make your website feel fresher.  While it may seem like jumping on the band wagon to link up with events like the royal wedding, if you have products that can be linked, then you are missing an opportunity.

8.  Include a search box

Many visitors go straight to the search function to find information.   Keep the search box in an easy to find place.   Most sites keep it at the top right in the header or sidebar.

9. Interact with your visitors

Get feedback from visitors to find out what they want. Giving people activities, that are easy and quick to complete, will allow you to gain invaluable user feedback.  Try short polls, surveys or competitions to encourage interaction.

10. Site navigation should be easy and obvious

Too many visitors do not make it be beyond the front page make sure your front page is an entrance to your site and not a dead end.

For those new to social media or blogging the most common question asked is ‘what do I write?’. There is nothing more terrifying than that white piece of paper, or blinking cursor on an empty screen. However, there are a lot of quite simple techniques to help you get started.

Make a plan

A plan is essential for a regular blog or even tweeting on a daily basis. I know it may go against your artistic instincts. Creativity should be spontaneous, but let me refer back to that blank screen and blinking cursor. A plan will help in those moments when spontaneity and creative muse desert you. Try to spread your ideas over at least a three month period.  Some writers even make it 12 months, but that may seem a little daunting at this point. You don’t have to stick to your plan rigidly but it will give you a good framework.

Break down your article into ideas

When writing a new article I usually start with the headings. What are the main points I want to make? Under each heading I put down a few bullet points.  Once this structure is in place I can start filling this out into a full article making the whole process seem a lot less intimidating.

What are the 10 most common questions you are asked?

A good starting point is to list the 10 most common questions that you get asked by clients and customers on a regular basis. Look at creating one post or individual posts depending on how in-depth each subject is. This has the advantage of promoting your knowledge and can be used to support current and future clients.

Promote the products and services you are most proud

Don’t underestimate the importance of case studies and the work you are most proud of.  As individuals we are not always good at coming forward and showing off. This is not a time to be shy.  Your best work may not speak for itself.  Sometimes you have to shout about it to show how you are different from your competition.

What are the emotive topics in your industry?

Subjects that stir your emotions and relate to your brand or services make a great blog topic.  Imagine putting 10 people in one room and asking them what most concerns them. What subjects do you need to shout about that will touch those important emotive responses. This can be aimed at your peer group or your customers.

Show your experience and knowledge

Choose a subject and do something occasionally aimed at a more advanced level. This is a chance to explore something in real detail and show that you are a voice to be reckoned with. This could be a new innovation in your industry or a specialised technique.

Tell a story

Take your reader on a journey so that at the end of your piece they feel they have learnt something or have a clearer understanding of your message. Look at the way you can link together your articles into a story that will make the reader understand your company or brand.

Make your reader smile

What makes you smile? For me it’s blue sky, chocolate, family, a new gadget, new shoes, a finished website and..er .. did I mention chocolate and new shoes? It might seem like a simple question but I really don’t think we consider it enough. Evoking those good emotions from your reader can help them look at your services, product or brand with favour.  This can make you more stand out from your competitors. Brands like ‘Innocent’ are very good at inspiring affection and loyalty from their customers.

Use humour

If you can make someone laugh, in a good way, then you are half way to having a new customer or client. Too many times websites are dry and concentrate on the serious business of who they are.  Of course getting the balance right is important.  A little humour helps the ‘medicine go down’, too much and your audience may feel they have missed out on what seems like a very personal in-joke.

Include imagery

A picture will grab the attention of your reader and encourage them to read further.  Illustration can also help explain a more complicated idea. Make sure your images are good quality and sharp. Images that include people are always good as it has been proved that the human face can invoke a greater empathy and trust with the reader.  Try to ensure the ‘people images’ face into the copy as we tend to follow the direction of someones gaze.

Get to the point and be honest

Keep your writing to the point. Use headings, short paragraphs and develop your own voice.  As you gain in experience it will become easier and you may find that the ideas begin to flow far more readily. Most importantly, keep a note book beside your bed.  There is nothing worse than waking up in the morning knowing you had a brilliant idea – if you could just remember what it was!