Creation Studio blogs

Thinking of starting a web design business from your basement? You may want to think again

Creation Studio — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 15:59:03 +0000

When it comes to modern technology that has literally revolutionized the entire world, one of the first examples that immediately springs to mind is that of the internet. The internet has literally changed not only the way we do business, but also the way day to day life functions as a whole, which is why so many people are looking to take advantage of this and get into some form of I.T based work. We all know just how beneficial a strong online presence can be for businesses, which is why so many of them are hiring professional web design firms and developers to create fantastic websites for them to not only help increase their profits, but to also help market their company and products, and make day to day life easier and more productive in the process. The problem however, is that more and more people are trying to get in on the act, and are having wild and outrageous ideas like starting a web design business from their own basements. This is an extremely bad idea for a number of reasons, so here are just a few.

Why starting a web design business from your basement is such a bad idea

So, you’re thinking of becoming a web developer, eh? All you need is a computer to act as a server in your basement, a few basic I.T skills and qualifications, a few clients, charge them a few bucks to set up a CMS and buy a theme, and host them from your basement server with a power surge cord, and make a million by next year? Sounds pretty good, right? Wrong! Sure on paper it all looks and sounds pretty simple at first glance, but in reality things are never that black and white, and unfortunately this is especially true with these types of “businesses”. Here’s a look at just a few of the main reasons why starting a web design business from your basement simply will not work:

The competition is fierce – Web design is an absolutely vital component for any business model, and because of that, skilled and experienced web design companies are popping up all over the place. Many of these companies are extremely professional, they have a number of employees working for them, they have access to the best pieces of technology and software, and quite frankly they’re great at what they do, and they have the funds to back things up. Then there’s you, working from your basement, with your one measly computer, with nobody to help you out when things go wrong, and with technology, one thing’s for sure, and that is the fact that things will go wrong. You may luck out at first and land a few clients, and do reasonably well, but as soon as things go wrong, they’ll look elsewhere, they’ll warn others to stay clear of you, and you’ll be back to square one.

Primitive equipment – The main thing that will lead to your downfall however, will be your lack of equipment and technology, which when compared with that possessed by the experts, will appear primitive in comparison. Your server for example, is no good in your basement, it needs to be located in a world class data facility, which offers biometric security, and protection against natural disasters and adverse conditions. All it would take would be for your home to lose power during a storm or just generally poor weather conditions, and boom, you’re in real trouble. Also, suppose somebody were to break into your basement and take your “server” computer? We hope it never happens, but it’s a real possibility. What if your basement floods? All of these possibilities are very real, and could potentially ruin you before you’re even up and running.

Category:

Website Design

Why a Well Designed Logo is Necessary For Your Website

Creation Studio — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 13:14:15 +0000

Let’s face it, the business world today is more competitive than ever before, with competition fierce, and small up and coming companies looking to stamp their authority and leave their mark in the marketplace. In terms of making it in the business world, one of the key elements required is a professional looking website, that not only looks great, but also functions effectively in the process. As far as website design and layout is concerned however, one of the main things that businesses tend to underestimate, is the importance of a well designed, professional looking business logo. Your logo is so important because it helps you to stand out against the competition. Your logo is basically your businesses face to the entire world, so choosing correctly is absolutely essential. Here we’ll be taking a look at a few reasons why a well designed logo is necessary for your website.

Visual identity – One of the main reasons why a well designed logo is necessary for your website is to allow the masses to identify you against all of your competition. Your logo, as mentioned previously, is your businesses face for the entire world to see, so choosing wisely is essential. You want an easily recognisable, professional, yet simple logo which isn’t too complex. This logo not only helps your business, it also helps your website as people will immediately know they’re on your website when they come across your logo.

Stand out against the competition – As mentioned, the business world is notoriously competitive which means that for you to stand the best chances of succeeding and beating your competition, is to stay one step ahead of them and help your business to stand out. With a professionally designed logo, that is exactly what you can do as customers, and potential customers, who come across your website, will instantly recognise your company logo, which will then allow them to distinguish you against your competitors.

Attract more customers and hits for your site – An attractive, professional, eye catching business logo can make a world of difference in regards to not only how many customers you’re able to attract, but also to how many hits your website receives each month as well. A well designed logo will help draw customers and potential customers in, it will give you a professional look and feel, which in turn will give you the best chances of maximising your sales and profits. The trick is to find something unique, attractive, professional, and eye catching that isn’t generic or common.

Marketing – Another great benefit of a professional logo for your website is the fact that it can act like a great form of marketing. Let’s face it, marketing and advertising are hugely beneficial for businesses, which is why they’re so expensive. With careful design, your logo can actually act like a fantastic form of marketing, as the more people who see it via visiting your website, the more people will be able to identify it as your own brand, and therefore will think of your business whenever they see your logo.

Category:

Website Design

What Makes a Great Website Design Homepage?

Creation Studio — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 22:50:06 +0000

Having a great website is important for helping people understand what you do and why they should care and most of the people that come to your website are probably landing on your homepage. With the homepage being the first impression you have to make sure that it is communicating the right message in the right way to your user. A great homepage not only helps to set the expectation but can be the factor that makes people decide to continue browsing your site or, if they aren’t pleased, to click away. The homepage must blend good aesthetics without sacrificing any functionality to have the most impact.

This balance is crucial to any great homepage and the design plays heavily into the initial emotional connection that people have when the homepage loads. Make sure that your homepage loads quickly and looks great on multiple platforms, using tools such as responsive website design. Once the page loads you have 2 seconds to form some sort of emotional connection through a tagline, color scheme, or prominent image. The better that you can impact people in those first few sections the more likely they are to read your copy and navigate your website.

Once you have their attention you would like to make the browsing of your website as effortless and intuitive as possible and this all starts with the design layout of the homepage. The better that you can make all of the features and services available with less clicks and strain, the most likely people will continue to view and use your website. Help direct the people to the parts of your website that they want to go by highlighting the most relevant aspects and providing a couple of different pathways; both traditional menu bars and fully utilizing embedded links and photo links. As soon as you have an intuitive website homepage you need to get more users viewing and using your website.

Putting as much content as you can out on the web in the form of articles, links, videos, partnerships, and other media, will give you more people that are interested in viewing your website. The best website design and homepage won’t count for anything if people aren’t viewing them. Use a variety of methods and implement a good content creation and implementation strategy to maximize all of the tools available to get people using your website.

Creating a great homepage is all about crafting an easier to use interface with emotional connecting design and content. By using these concepts and then getting tons of traffic you can then test different tactics and strategies to improve and iterate your way to the perfect homepage.

Category:

Website Design

Cloud Computing: Should I Care?

Creation Studio — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 09:31:50 +0000

Cloud computing is a great advancement in technology as they allow you to collaborate more effectively. Using cloud computing for your business can also help to reduce cost, increase profitability, improve efficiency, and support innovation. But the collaborative speed and access to information from anywhere in the world is the reason that most businesses are embracing this concept and integrating it into their workflow. The amount of flexibility and access to applications and information allows people to get more work done faster, independent of the fact of whether they are working at home or at work.

There are plenty of options that you can use when you are thinking about integrating your business process into a cloud computing atmosphere, but the key aspect that you have to consider is if this integration is going to make your work easier to get done. A lot of businesses like to jump on the cloud bandwagon without properly assessing the tools and finding a solution that they can use seamlessly instead of learning a whole new language.

When you fully integrate your business with the proper cloud computing system you will also be able to access and edit your work from your mobile devices, which increases the flexibility and efficiency of your business workflow. This mobile integration is a game-changer in and of itself, but coupled with the fact that you can collaborate with people across all platforms and in all time-zones and you have a powerful platform that provides you will all of the tools that you require to succeed. Being able to access and edit the business documents wherever and whenever helps to shift the perception that everyone has to be centrally located and can help to make the transition to a workforce that is located in the most effective locations for the quality of work.

Improving the collaboration will increase all aspects of your business and the location freedom can increase the morale of everyone involved. Finding a process and workflow that works for your business will make sure that you are using the cloud computing capabilities to their full potential. Developing a process will help to make the most out of this tool, as everyone on the team will understand how to best use all of the features. Cloud computing is a business function that makes everyone’s job more effective and easier, therefore you should care about it whether you are the business owner or one of the creative team members in an organization.

Category:

Website Design

Android vs. iOS: The Subtle User Differences

Creation Studio — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 23:47:23 +0000

Android and iPhone mobile phones now combine for over 85% of the US smartphone market, and the majority of development is focused on these two platforms. There are however, subtle differences and if you are faced with the budgetary constraints that allow you to develop for only one of the two markets there are a few things to consider before you make this decision.

According to comScore MobiLens data from December 2012, the Android platform owns 53 percent of the market and iPhone is securely in second with 36 percent. Allow the market for Android is larger there are some key difference in how the two smartphones are used, and this is what you should know.

iPhone users tend to be younger and more affluent

In the 18-24 year old market the iPhone slightly bests Android users at 19 and 16 percent respectively. The more important aspect though is that the demographic information regarding iPhone users. The data seems to suggest that approximately 40 percent of the iPhone users’ household income falls in the $100k+ income, versus just 24 percent of the Android marketplace. Although your app may skew more towards inexpensive volume, this is important data to keep in mind.

Android has Quantity, iOS has Quality

The differences don’t stop at the demographic information, as the way the owners of each mobile device owner uses them varies as well. iPhone users are often referred to as “power users” and they are more like to engage in all aspects of app use compared to the Android owners. This poses the question of what is more important to your brand; volume of eyes or quality of engagement.

iPhone users are going to buy more

With the emergence of mobile commerce as a viable trend with mobile devices, the iPhone users again edge out the Android users at 23 to 17 percent. As the key driver to your app development will be some form of purchase this is an important statistic to ponder over.

Bringing it all together

Depending on your goals for the development or integration with either of these leading platforms, they each offer their own unique characteristics and advantages. The main differences from the 2012 data seem to indicate that the Android platform has more users, but the iPhone market has a more engaged audience. You have to decide which will benefit your business objectives the best moving forward and look to the future of each platform when you are deciding between the two. If you can afford it and it is possible, the best solution would be to engage both audiences and have access to almost 90 percent of the US mobile market.

Editor's Note: I wrote this post back in 2013 - two years ago and wow do times change! I dug this up and decided to post knowing that it is interesting to see how things may have changed in the past 2 years :)

Category:

Mobile Apps

Five Things To Do Around Toronto That Have Nothing To Do With Web Design

Creation Studio — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 12:49:50 +0000

Being one of the most impressive places in North America if not the world, Toronto is a vibrant metropolitan mega-city with plenty of things to do, many places to see and sights to visit. With around six million people living there, finding something to do with your time hasn’t been easier as the city tries to keep each and every one of those numbers happy.

However, with so much choice out there it’s quite tough to actually find yourself something that you agree upon and want to actually do – the niche tasks and things to do can be rather masked by some of the more mainstream activities. From visiting to Victoria Park to the beautiful waterfront to the West, there is plenty of things to do, see and enjoy here in Toronto;

Visit Kensington

When it comes to finding somewhere truly humble, pacified and enjoyable to enjoy then Kensington is one of the best places you can go to. With fair trade goods and high-quality fruit and veg for sale, this has the feel of an old-school market about it. For the bargain hunters out there, this is the place to be! It’s got an extremely old-school vibe and in the warm summer there’s few better sights in the whole city than a vibrant and open community working together and having fun.

Go To A Game

If you are a sports fan of any sport or style, then you’ll likely find something to do here in the summer. From the MLS matches for Toronto FC – who are improving all the time – to the Toronto Blue Jays who are very cost-effective for something to do for the day. Sports is a big thing in Canada and it’s only going to get bigger as more investment drives into each sport, so take in a game while you are here.

Visit A Tv Show

Canada and Toronto especially, is well-known for easily getting access to be part of the audience for popular TV shows. If you want to go and see how some of the best Canadian TV shows are pieced together and made to work, then drop by CBC or CN Tower and you should be able to get in and be part of the TV world!

Toronto Island

For a quick and cheap ferry, you can escape the madness of the main city and go to Toronto Island and enjoy a quiet, peaceful day. In the summer, this can give you all the help you need to really just relax and enjoy a beautiful sunset. Take in a BBQ, go to the park, socialise with others – just make sure you chill out and have fun!

Visit The Beach

Like any good summer, you should be aiming to hit the beach and spend some time there. To the East end of Toronto you can find an amazing boardwalk that lasts for seven beaches! Yo u can take a bike or a tour, it’s up to you entirely. One of the most famous parts of Toronto and very much worth your time and patience to travel out and take part in!

Category:

Living Life

The Benefits of Living In the Toronto GTA

Creation Studio — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 23:00:31 +0000

Recently we developed an awesome website for a far away client who flew in to meet with us and they were considering moving their company to Toronto. The only thing they really knew about Toronto was the CN Tower and Rob Ford in the news! So, rather than being unprepared on what to talk to clients about when it comes to living in and around the GTA, here are some thoughts!

As a Canadian resident, you may be all too aware of the importance of trying to get yourself comfortable and settled in a new lifestyle and a new city. Whether you have just moved in to Toronto recently, you have lived there for years, or it’s just an idea under your consideration at the moment there are many things that you should be thinking about with regard to a move to the Toronto GTA.

You don’t need to live right in Toronto – you could live in Mississauga, Brampton, Durham, Halton, Peel or York too. These are beautiful areas a little bit away from the traditional madness of Toronto, and can give you a little bit of respite. If you are considering making the move here, you might be wondering what the benefits of that situation could be for you. here are just some of the main benefits of living in the Toronto GTA;

Near Anything

No matter what you need or desire, you should be able to find something in the Greater Toronto Area that services this need. Whether it’s a specific type of food with its variety of restaurants, , a unique brand of clothing or a very acute hobby or sports there will be somebody in the GTA that can help you find what you are looking for.

Always Improving

The GTA is always upgrading, improving and evolving for the better. In the long-term, it means that you are surrounded by an upward and improving area of Canada that is going to see new buildings and features installed in over the long-term.

Great Job Prospects

You just might be able to find a career of your liking and desire in Toronto. Canada is one of the few nations that was not crippled by the economic crisis and today the job market is still going strong. There’s a wealth of good jobs available in many sectors making it easy to become settled in the area.

Strong Education

If you are moving a family out to Toronto, then the education system may be important to you. The Ministry of Education do a fine job in the GTA of keeping the schools of a high standard. With plenty of schools located throughout the GTA, you have lots of choice between where your children will go and what suits them and their abilities best.

More Opportunity

Like any thriving area, the GTA has much more opportunity in every sense of the word. More people, more potential and more success – this is the place to be if you are living in Canada. It’s on the up, and it does not look like slowing down any time soon!

Category:

Living Life

Five Responsive Website Design Tips

Creation Studio — Mon, 05 May 2014 11:26:08 +0000

Responsive design is quickly becoming the standard website design style to accommodate all of the various devices that access the internet. Creating a responsible website with a good website designer then becomes an ongoing process that requires consistent iterations. Creating a good responsive website should keep the user experience in mind and seek to make the website design simple with good content flow and navigation. Applying these 5 responsive website tips will increase the quality of your users’ experience.

Mobile is King

Starting with a mindset that the majority of your website traffic will be viewed through a mobile device will help you to focus your web design efforts. Once you have a great looking website on a mobile device you can use the responsive website design base to add media and different experiences for the various screen sizes. Remember to work with a website designer to make a consistently good looking website across all platforms, but also realize that the majority of the web traffic will be from a smaller screen.

Content Strategy – Relevant and Direct

When you are working with a responsive web design you are forced to rethink your content to make sure that it is more readable and relevant. Giving the user exactly as much information that they require and predicting what they want to see when they are accessing your website from their various devices will increase the user experience. The goal is to deliver the necessary content, where and when the user is looking and this can be accomplished by strategically designing your content strategy.

Implement and Iterate

It is important that you test your responsive design early and often. Nothing will be perfect on the first run and you, with the help of a great website designer, may create a great website design from the get go, but there will be aspects that need tweaking. By implementing a good web design that is responsive and then just gathering feedback and iterating quickly you can be sure to craft a great website that is useful for all of your visitors.

CSS Frameworks

Using a framework as a base for your website design can increase the design process and make sure that you are up and running faster and with fewer bugs. Being able to get your web design up with less testing you are able to get feedback from the customers that much faster and iterate into gold.

Breakpoints – Deciding for Devices or Content

With all of the new devices that are being used to browse online, it becomes almost impossible to keep up and base your website design on a specific device. To embrace the full potential of responsive design you have to design around the natural breakpoints that are dictated by your content. By using the content to dictate the breakpoints you don’t have to worry about retrofitting your media queries for new devices and it will look good no matter what screen is introduced in the future.

Category:

Website Design

Arial and Verdana Fonts So Old School - hello Google Web Fonts

Creation Studio — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 11:04:32 +0000

The availability and ease of customization of cool web fonts is pushing more web designers to use tools such as Google Web Fonts to create fonts that match their brand. Google Web Fonts provides high-quality fonts that you can create or use as is in your website design using the Google Fonts API. This allows you to search their vast library of over 400 fonts or create specific alterations and customize the design to match your brand, and then effortlessly add these fonts to any web page that you are working on. Leaving the standard fonts such as Arial and Verdana, as relics of the web past, Google Web Fonts gives designers complete flexibility to create great looking fonts for any of their online projects.

The obvious benefits to additional fonts are apparent but there are a few additional benefits that make Google Web Fonts extra valuable. These benefits include: the sheer volume of high quality open source fonts, the compatibility of these fonts with the majority of browsers, and the ease of use; not only for integration but also customization. Using them couldn’t be easier as it literally takes the addition as a special stylesheet and then referencing it in your regular CSS markup. Never before have you been able to create great looking fonts that are fully adaptable with CSS, with such effortless ease and speed. All of the fonts that are available in the directory are also released with open source licenses, meaning that you can use them for any project whether it is commercial or not.

If you are going to be designing print marketing materials and want to use the same font for this you can easily download the fonts and add them to your computers’ stored fonts. You can then use these fonts for any local project and/or upload them to your own server for the traditional font referencing. But if you don’t want to go through all of the extra steps you can simply copy the HTML snippet that is available in the Google Web Fonts use area and insert this code directly into your markup.

Whether you are looking to add a splashy new font or just make sure that your font matches your overall branding strategy, using Google Web Fonts is a great tool to help you get this accomplished faster and easier than anything else. You are now not limited by the standard fonts, nor do you need to pay for highly expensive fonts to have a great looking font on your website.

Category:

Website Design

What Makes a Great Homepage?

Creation Studio — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 16:03:31 +0000

Category:

Website Design