Small businesses can have a more difficult time managing their web presence, as they often don’t have dedicated web teams. However, the size of your company shouldn’t be an excuse for having outdated or conflicting information on your website. According to a study done in the UK, 49% of those polled said they believe it’s worse to have a bad website than no website at all (though I don’t completely agree). While there are varying degrees of “bad,” if the main call-to-action of your website is to get customers into your retail location, at the very least provide them with correct contact information and store hours. My plea to Mom & Pop operations out there – don’t let your website kill your business.

While I spend my days (and some nights) embroiled in Cold Spring projects, I also dabble in craftwork, like knitting and jewelry-making. As a result of the latter, I have been seeking out a wider range of products, and while I can buy supplies online, there are some items I prefer to – and need to – check out in person. Thus I’ve found myself in small artisan bead stores all over New England… or at least I’ve tried to, but out-of-date website information has left me in the lurch more than once.

Most bead shops keep limited hours, unlike chain stores. They’re often only open from late morning until 4 or 5, and many are closed on Sundays. Stock and pricing can vary greatly from one bead store to the next, so the more information I can glean from their websites, the more likely I am to make the drive. (This is where I disagree that it’s better to have no website than a bad one; if I can’t even find a website for your bead shop, I won’t consider visiting your physical location. And I’m not alone in feeling this way.)

When it comes to bead store websites, I like a rough list of the bead varieties and brands for sale; photos of the shop are even better. Reviews are often the selling (or anti-selling) points for me – I avoided a shop this past Sunday because two people said it was more of a gallery than a supplier. The websites don’t have to be flashy, just professional and informative. Most of all, the websites should contain clear, current and correct information.

Because I spend the time to research these shops, it’s especially infuriating how often I fall victim to outdated information. Let me tell you the story of three bead shops…

This Porridge Is Too Cold

I’ve spent a fair bit of time and money at Tatnuck Bead. A few months ago, I double-checked the hours online before heading over, drove 20 minutes to get there, and found the store dark. On the door was a handwritten sign announcing new hours. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the earring piece I needed from any of the chain stores, or else I would have taken my business elsewhere in protest. Instead I had to wait.

Before returning, I checked the website again and discovered that the old hours were still listed. I took a shot anyway and they were open, but they were on the verge of locking up for the night despite that the website said they’d be open 3 more hours. I was going to say something to the owner, but another customer beat me to it. She was somewhat dismissive, saying the information was correct on the answering machine. Oh, and how were we supposed to know that? Customers shouldn’t have to perform a bunch of detective work to figure out what your hours are; if you want their business, make it simple for them. This experience is what led me on my initial search for new bead suppliers — that is, her competitors.

This Porridge Is Too Hot

I found a fantastic shop called Bead Store and More, but I almost didn’t bother visiting because they have such a lousy website. It’s an assault on the senses, provides very few of the details I usually seek, and contains conflicting information about store hours. The About Us page, which contains the normal Winter schedule, ranks higher in search results than the Home page, which lists a revised Summer schedule.

If a potential customer only lands on the first of the two pages, she might never realize there are new hours, and that could lead to a lot of unnecessary frustration. Also, the cheap feel of the website offers a bad first impression. Between the poor design and the mismatched schedules, Bead Store and More might be turning away potential customers… which is really a shame because it’s one of the best bead stores I’ve been to.

This Porridge Is Just Right

So what can you do about it? At the very least you should sweep through the site on a regular basis and make sure your information is up-to-date. Facebook has a cool feature for business pages that displays in real-time whether your shop is open or closed (provided that you’ve posted your correct hours, that is). Facebook is also great for announcing temporary or unexpected changes. Lush Beads, for example, uses both Home page announcements and Facebook updates to keep customers informed when closing due to inclement weather or the local folk festival. (Note: I have not actually been to Lush Beads, but between its location – a cool artist warehouse — and its website, it has impressed me enough that I’ll probably brave the long drive soon.)

When listing your hours on your website, place them in one easily-managed location, like the About Us page, and not all over the site; if you have them in numerous places, they’re more difficult to maintain and keep in sync, especially if you change hours seasonally. And if you have your business listed in directories like online phonebooks or Yelp or Google+, make sure the contact information and hours listed in those various locations matches what you have on your site.

Whether you like it or not, a business’s web presence is an important factor when customers choose where to spend their money. And there’s a growing trend among consumers to support their local businesses instead of relying on corporate chains. Mom and Pop stores, don’t lose out. If you are interested in redesigning your website or you just want to improve the website you already have, contact us at Cold Spring. We specialize in designing and building sites for small businesses, and we can help you find the solution that’s the right fit for you.

After 17 years in business, I’m not really a web designer.  There are too many other components to my job.  One role is as an advisor to the small business community. They rely on me to sell fairly – not oversell – Cold Spring’s services. While we could have jumped on the mobile bandwagon 5 years ago, it wouldn’t have served our clients. The return on investment for developing a typical mobile website 5 years ago would have been horrendous. Not only were touch screens just starting to emerge, websites didn’t adapt to the medium well enough. Browsing was a nightmare.

So why now?

Why am I now advising all our clients to consider mobile browsing? It’s the combination of easy-to-use mobile devices and Responsive Web Design (RWD).

Smartphones and tablets are everywhere. We’ve all either got them or seen them… But when it comes down to my job as an advisor, I need numbers to back up my reading and observations. How about this?  That’s the percentage of Internet browsing that’s being done via mobile devices:

• May 2009: 0.86% mobile.
• May 2010: 2.32% mobile.
• May 2011: 5.75% mobile.
• May 2012: 10.11% mobile.

Do the math. Looks like it’s approaching 20% by the end of next year. Disregarding 1% or 5% of your market might be considered good business, depending on the costs associated. Disregarding a market share of 20% and growing?  Er, no.  Not if you like your job.

Responsive Web Design

That being said, there are various methods for handling mobile content, so why RWD? When you don’t have the time or budget to have a truly mobile-first design, RWD will make your site mobile-friendly. It’s the difference between being mobile-optimized vs. mobile-ready. And, heck, if Google recommends it…

RWD allows you to build one website (as opposed to the two in typical mobile design, a desktop version and a mobile version) that will resize, or respond, to the browser size of whatever device you are using to view it. An oft-cited example of responsive design is the Boston Globe’s website. As you narrow the browser window, the less important content (like the ad) moves to the periphery, gets smaller or is hidden altogether. The font and the photos also resize.

Within RWD, there are varying degrees of adaptation. In fully responsive or fluid sites, like the Boston Globe’s, the layout adjusts to the width of the device screen or browser window. Try resizing your browser window while looking at the Boston Globe site; notice how smoothly the layout changes. Some sites are only partially responsive, or adaptive, meaning the layout rearranges only at specific, pre-defined widths, known as break points. Try resizing the browser window you’re looking at right now. See how the menu only changes when you reach a certain narrowness? No degree of RWD is right for every website. Sometimes the degree of adaptation is budget-driven, and sometimes it’s content-driven. We can work with you to determine which is the appopriate approach for your site.

People are conducting more and more business on mobile devices, both personally and professionally, and if they cannot get what they want from your site, they will go to a competitor. According to this study on mobile web use, “Mobile users do not have much patience for retrying a website or application that is not functioning initially — a third will go to a competitor’s site instead. The majority of mobile web users are only willing to retry a website (78%) or application (80%) two times or less if it does not work initially.” While their biggest concern is loading speed, they will also be turned off by content that fails to load properly, is difficult to read in mobile format, or contains widgets that don’t work. RWD is a cost-effective way to mitigate these problems.

What’s the cost?  

How well do you want it to work? Again, we’re pragmatists. Telling businesses with $100K in annual revenue to spend an extra $10K on a website is just silly. We start responsive design around $1500 and move up from there, depending on the amount of custom work that has to be done. The size and navigation of the site has a lot to do with the cost as well.

If you’re interested in learning more, let’s talk. Let’s see how we can get you to the front of the mobile browsing revolution and have it improve your profit line.

zeldman.com re-design.

We must also consider that not everyone will read the content by the same means. Some may be reading from a large desktop screen, others from a laptop, some from a tablet, and still others via smart phone. Print type is set at 12pt, however if you are looking at 12px on a desktop screen you typically sit farther away than when holding a book or tablet. Also, consider screen resolution differences. Wilson Miner shows an excellent example of comparing the reading distance of a book with a screen. Web browsers default to 16 pixels, most likely because it closely matches the size of printed 12pt type.

image by Wilson Miner

Increasing font size may not be correct for all situations; where there is a need to keep as much content “above the fold” as possible, you might choose to go with a smaller font. The New York Times website offers a great example of mixing the two methodologies. On their home page, they employ smaller fonts to increase the amount of visible content, but when you dive deeper into the site to read an article in long form, the font size is larger to increase readability. There is an ongoing debate, however, about whether “above the fold” even applies anymore. Users are less averse to scrolling these days, especially with the increased use of tablets and smart phones. While the issue continues to be studied, there is no definitive answer.

If we are mindful of the copy we write and focus on eliminating anything unnecessary, increasing font size can provide greater focus on content as well as increased legibility. With the current multitude of screen sizes and resolutions that web design is catering to, we must also be aware of the context in which it will be read as well as viewing distance from the screen. Content is king, and while websites aren’t required to be and shouldn’t have one default font size, we must carefully weigh the benefits of increasing font size, carefully measure them with client goals, and act accordingly.

Some useful links and examples of larger type:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/10/07/16-pixels-body-copy-anything-less-costly-mistake/
http://get.wunderkit.com/
http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/
http://happycog.com/
http://wm4.wilsonminer.com/posts/2008/oct/20/relative-readability/
http://nicewebtype.com/
http://ilovetypography.com/
http://informationarchitects.net/blog/100e2r

You may be thinking “This is all very interesting, but what does it have to do with web design?” When you create a website, presumably you have a goal for the site, for what you want your users to do, right? That could be anything from reading your material to buying a product to hiring your firm. Building emotion into the site can help drive your users’ behavior. If your site really speaks to your users, the more readily they will use your site. Great design goes beyond just having a functional site; it should be pleasurable and reliable as well.

In Sabina Idler’s recent blog post “Not Just Pretty: Building Emotion Into Your Websites,” she covers the importance and the methodology of emotionally connecting with users through good design. She points to works by user experience experts Don Norman and Aarron Walter, such as Norman’s Three Levels of Visual Design (from his book Emotional Design):

1. Visceral: How the website looks, and how it makes you feel on a gut level.
2. Behavioral: How the website functions (or doesn’t) for you.
3. Reflective: How you understand the website and whether it forms a lasting impression.

If you can positively connect with users on all three levels, you are much more likely to affect their behavior – to get them to keep reading, to buy your product or to hire your firm. Personally, I’m a fan of humor in web design, and making me laugh keeps me engaged. Of course, your site has to work too, but sometimes a chuckle can make me a little more forgiving when a site lets me down in functionality. Take these hilarious 404 error messages, for example. Obviously humor isn’t appropriate for all sites, but if you take the time to understand who your audience is, what they need, how they feel about that need, and how best to appeal to those emotions through your design, then you’re on your way to forging lasting relationships.

My standard reply is that there are 100 websites for 100 budgets.  And even that doesn’t touch on the complexities of the right level of custom design, photography, videography, copywriting, SEO, functionality and all the other pieces that make up a website.  That’s why my next comment is “Let’s talk about your business.”

Not “Let’s talk about your website,” it’s “Let’s talk about your business.  And your marketing.”  Because if your website is going to exist in a vacuum without the appropriate relationship to your business and marketing plans, you don’t really want to hire Cold Spring.  And – I have to say it – we quite likely don’t want you as a client.  Nothing personal – it’s just that we love to help businesses succeed, and we can’t really do that without tying it all together.t

Next step, especially for the smaller businesses: “Oh, you don’t have a business or marketing plan?”  Hmmm.  I don’t mean a fancy, neatly bound document.  It doesn’t even need a professional clear plastic binder!  It really does just mean a plan.  Tell me what differentiates your business from your competitors.  Tell me who your clients are, where your revenue comes from, and what your plans are for growth.  That’s all we need – just a plan.  If you don’t have that, let me know and I’ll hook you up with a professional or two who’ll guide you down the right path.

OK, so now we know what makes you special, who you want to appeal to, and where your money comes from.  Good.  Now, what will your website cost?

Ummm.

• Do you want to be found by people who don’t already know who you are?  If so, you’re going to have to think about search engine optimization and all the associated costs.  Pretty solid return on your investment.
• Would you like to establish a brand that’s going to help your business gain recognition and aid growth in the coming years?  Do you have a good logo?  That’s a good first step.  How about establishing value for your customers and creating an emotional connection with them?  I bet your website can help with that.
• Do you want to be seen as a professional?  Establish trust through photos and/or videos that allow your potential clients to connect with you prior to making that first phone call or sending that email?  Sounds like an important step.
• Will your website be accessed on mobile devices?  If you say “not much,” I’d recommend you think again.  You’re right that mobile browsing was approximately only 1% of site access in early 2010.  But it’s almost 10% now.  And it’ll be around 20% by the end of 2013.  Are you willing to tell 1/5 of your potential clients that they’re not important to you?  I didn’t think so.
• Will you maintain your own website?  Will you have a blog?  Will you manage the SEO of your site to any extent?  If so, we’d better integrate a content management system (CMS) for you, as we do for almost all our clients.
• Functionality?  As simple as contact forms & quote requests.  Project management?  File transfer?  What do you need to run your business efficiently?
• Copywriting is a fun one.  We all can write – some better than others.  Writing concise marketing copy, however, isn’t quite as simple as you might think.  Five or ten years ago websites were full of boring long-body text that not many people read.  Now there’s an expectation that the copy on your website will be witty, catchy, short & sweet.  Will it help build your brand?  Or will it help bounce your intended customers before they have any interest in contacting you?

And then there’s that little thing called custom website design.  It’s what we do.  Yes, I know custom website design means asking all the above questions and ferreting out the answers that will help your business.  I know it means working with your timeline and budget.  And, as with almost every project in the design world, it also means working with personalities, preferences, preconceptions, egos, and helping manage the project so that it’ll reach a successful completion.  But custom design also means building a website that will be uniquely yours.  It will give you a positive return on your investment and help grow your company now and for a few years to come.  We’d like to help build your brand and become a trusted resource for your company.

So, what’s your website going to cost?

Call me at 508.865.5191.  My name’s Jeff.  Let’s talk about your business…

Want a quick overview of the other factors Google uses in their Search ranking? It’s by no means complete, but the technology overview page of Google’s site summarizes it in a single page, so at least it’s a quick read!

For the record, I think Em was laughing because I was laughing, but maybe it was the other way around – I can’t quite remember.

So, does your domain name matter?

• Is it professional?
• Does it fit onto your printed materials?
• It doesn’t spell anything inappropriate does it?

Okay, then you’re off to a good start.

Lots of companies are concerned about having really short domain names. They’re nice. These days, they also tend to be really expensive since you have to buy them from someone who’s squatting on them. It’s not worth it unless your marketing budget is big enough to easily bury an expense like that. Ask your customers – how often have they typed your domain name into a browser? Heck, did you know most people don’t even see the domain name when it comes up in a search? It’s not the biggest font, it’s not the boldest font, and unless you’re in technology, it doesn’t make as much sense as the title and description listed in the results. If you paid a lot of money for a domain name, you could put that money into a nicer website!

How about search engine optimization? Maybe you get a little SEO boost by having your keywords echoed in your domain name. Right now, at least. Tough to buy that ‘best-massachusetts-website-designer.com’ domain name and then have the search engines change their algorithms, forcing you to find some way to deal or switch.

Branding? Sure. There’s a lot of merit to this one. And it ties right into what I see as the biggest point:

Will someone who sees your email address know what you do and might they go check out your website?

That’s the key to me. If they already have your business card in front of them, you’re set. If they have your brochure, you’re set. If you came up well-ranked in a search, you’re all set. But what if they happen to see your email address? Can you pick up some additional traffic? I bet you can.

And with that said, it’s a minor deal. Get the best domain name you can. Make it fit your business. And then get back to work on your business while we build your website.

We’re in a pretty tough business here. It involves business and marketing skill, artistic sense and graphic abilities, current technical coding skills, and to boot, we have to deal with people! (Seriously, if you met some of our competitors, you’d understand). Web design companies are often like fireflies or wildfires. They either blink on and off briefly as cited in the comic, or they’re huge concerns that involve significant investments to work with. We’ve survived thus far by relying on generous clients, strong partners and beloved spouses. And we’re hiring so that we can better deal with the current boom.

Who do you know who’s looking for a change of pace? We demand strong technical skills here, but offer a flexible and challenging job. We take pride in strong design and clean code and make both browsing for current trends and education part of the job description. We’re looking for a both a web designer and a web developer focused on CMS implementation and customization. If you’re interested or know anyone who’s looking for those jobs, please get in touch with us!

There are a couple basic rules that should be observed. Not because a marketing expert says they should, but because they work.

1. Establish a a strong and unique visual identity.
1. Logo – ideally insignia and logotype
2. Color Scheme
3. Overall style
2. Stick to that style until that style is officially replaced. Use it in all web and print media in as strict a manner as possible.

It’s not a visual identity rule, but let’s lump it in there: spell check. Always. I know this one is going to come back to bite me because I’m guilty of it at times like everyone else, but make every effort not to screw this up. It doesn’t matter how recognizable your brand is if people think you’re not very good at what you do.

At Cold Spring, we recommend MailChimp over Constant Contact as an email marketing tool because MailChimp allows us to more easily match HTML emails to the style of a website we’ve designed. I can’t count how many email newsletters I receive where I open them up, see that they’re another basic, boring rectangle of stuff, and click delete without taking the time to read them. Am I a design snob? Yep. Not as much as a lot of other people I know, however. Regardless, it’s not my job to fight through your boring appearance to find the content that’s of value. My job is to keep my eyes open. Your job is to interest me enough to keep me engaged at least until I see what you want me to see.

You don’t have to observe all the rules with your own brand. You don’t have to establish a Pantone color palette so everything prints the same way every time. Pretty cool if you do, however – Coca Cola is PMS 484- what are you? You don’t have to create a set of rules dictating how close any objects can be placed to your logo in web or print media. You don’t have to select (or create!) a font so that your logotype will be unique. Nice though, eh?

Your business is your business. There are some really good rules to follow and some good reasons to do it. What have I missed? What are the keys to your visual identity?

We’re about to launch a new website for our friends Scott & Donna over at Erb Photography. It’s not a site I’d ever sell to a large corporation – but hopefully it’s just right for our clients. Check it out at www.erbphoto.com Even more importantly, we hope it’s right for their clients. It shows their character and creativity as well as their skill. It’s a cool design – we can’t wait to show it to you.

At Cold Spring, we’ve traditionally worked hard not to design websites that fall into the corporate/white background template feel. It doesn’t mean we can’t design sites like that well – just that we try to build identity and custom feel through shapes and colors that aren’t square and white. Right now, Cold Spring is trying to make a push into larger corporate clients. And our recent track record has become a hurdle instead of a starting block. Let’s see if we can shake off the non-corporate mantle and turn out some websites that will appeal to our new market. Check back in a few months and see if we’ve succeeded.