accessiBe is leading the way with a national television commercial and a new campaign #WeAreUnStoppable

Let us help you to make your site fully accessible and compliant so that everyone has equal opportunity to share in your vision and company goals.

Read more about our website accessibility services and how we implement accessiBe to provide access for all.

The post Is your website accessible to everyone… It should be appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

TL;DR WPEngine is our recommendation for WordPress hosting in 2020

We are asked this question very frequently. After over 20 years in the web design and development industry, I have utilized many different hosting solutions. From custom, self-hosted Linux and Windows machines to super-cheap shared hosting plans and now WordPress specific managed hosting.

If you are developing your website with WordPress, it only makes sense to use a managed WordPress solution. Many have emerged over the past years since WordPress is the most popular Content Management System. As of January 2020 WordPress currently powers over 35% of the internet. One of the very first hosting companies to offer Managed WordPress hosting is WPEngine. They are still the most popular of the managed hosting platforms (according to builtwith.com). There is a good reason for this as they stay ahead of the competition. While they are not the cheapest hosting provider the service is the best. We recommend them as the best WordPress Hosting for 2020 primarily because of their communication with their clients.

According to builtwith.com, among all managed WordPress hosting providers, WPEngine clearly leads with 73% market share as of January 2020.

All web hosting services can have issues (many beyond their control) but the speed and communication with clients is critical when a situation arises. WPEngine has always been proactive in notifications of network outages or any other issues which may arise and they communicate properly on their blog and through email to notify clients of status.

WPEngine has many other features that can be copied by other hosting companies but they have been rock solid for at least 5 years since we switched all of our accounts to them.

Some of the features we love about WPEngine:

• 3 Environments for all accounts (Production, Staging, and Development)
• 1-click deployment between Environments
• Speed
• Security
• Knowledgeable and rapid Technical Support
• Free SSL included for every installation
• Ability to easily scale as needed
• Excellent customer support
• Many more

WPEngine is our recommended best WordPress hosting provider for 2020.

*The links in this post (and on this website) may be to an affiliate program and we may or may not receive a small amount of compensation if you purchase through our link. This is done at no cost to you and helps us to continue offering great service and information to our clients and readers.

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Earlier in 2017, Google announced that in an effort to make the web a safer and secure place, they would be implementing some changes which will reward websites that implement SSL certificates (Secure Socket Layer Certification) and serve their web pages over HTTP instead of the unsecured HTTP.

What does this mean to you as a website owner?

For starters, you could get a boost in search engine rankings and you may confuse your visitors because of the notifications which are being displayed in your browsers (not just Chrome but even Firefox and Safari are notifying users of unsecured websites).

More recently Google announced that effective October 2017, with the latest release of their Chrome web browser (version 62), any website that has a login or a form which collects user data (and most websites have at least a minimum of a contact form or email newsletter signup form) must be running on an SSL and display all pages via HTTPS. If your website does not comply, then in Google’s Chrome browser, it will display a “NOT SECURE” message.

Here is how it will look when you begin to fill out a form on an unsecured website running HTTP:

Google has already made moves to help users understand when they are not on a secure website, which can sometimes be confusing to your visitors. Here is a graphic showing how sites are displayed that are not secure in different versions of Google Chrome:

This is part of a Google’s long-term plan to mark all pages that are HTTP as “Not Secure” and lead to a safer more secure internet of the future.

The solution for this is to implement an SSL certificate on your server. If you need assistance, our team is happy to assist. Just contact us and let us know you would like to make your website secure.

The post Is Your Website Secure? Don’t Get Punished by Google. appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

With so many changes in screen sizes, devices and content, banner advertising is no longer a simple 2 dimensional design issue. There are many factors to consider. The demand for HTML5 ads was on the rise so that ad units could be used across multiple devices and screen resolutions. There are also new guidelines which embrace HTML5 ad necessities such as file size (weights), file requests, shared libraries, progressive video balancing ad load performance with the user experience.

Download the full IAB banner size guidelines here.

The post IAB banner sizes revisited (mid 2017) appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

Presentation video from WordPress.tv

Check out the slide deck below.

The post Managing Multiple WordPress Websites 2017 WCMIA appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

Annually, the Daily Business Review reaches out to attorneys and legal professionals in Florida to participate in their Best of Survey, giving them the opportunity to select their top service providers. This is the first year that South Florida Web Studio has been named a Daily Business Review, Best of Winner for Best Web Design Company in Florida.

We are proud to continually serve our clients through 2016, 2017 and beyond. Many great projects are in the works. Most recently our newest website builder application for lawyers and startup law firms. www.freshlawyer.com currently in an early beta and will be launching live in early 2017.

Since 2004 South Florida Web Studio has been serving corporate clients. Strategic services include web design, web development and custom WordPress solutions. A methodical approach to conversions and a commitment to web analytics ensures success. For more information contact (954) 962-4708 or info@soflaweb.com

The post We Made it as The Best Web Design Company 2016 appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

Below I will list a few factors to consider before taking the plunge and making an investment into a new web design.

Recently, a potential client wanted to meet and discuss a full website redesign. We spoke on the phone and discussed their needs. This is what we consider part of our Discovery process and involves gathering requirements. Without knowing the requirements of a project, it is difficult to draft a solution.

The client mentioned that their website was approximately 2 years old and during that time, they had grown considerably and expanded to several locations. They would also like to add some additional pages and make the site more modern and ‘interactive’.
This was all the information that we were given, even after pressing for more information. I decided to do a quick website audit and check analytics, conversion forms, etc… I found a few simple issues but nothing glaring. The website was responsive, modern looking with large typography, good contrast, clean imagery & icons. I started to think why do they want to totally redesign. That is when my mind wandered and I came up with this list:

A total website redesign is necessary when:

1. You Change Your Brand
   If your logo or your brand has changed, you will definitely need to change your website. Also if your mission or business goals change, then you will want a redesign as well. A graphical redesign will give a new look & feel and and architectural redesign will change the structure of the pages and content on your site.
2. Your website is not converting properly
   If you take a look at your visitors to your site and your conversion points or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and notice that you are not getting the conversions that you wish, it may be a good time for a redesign or at the very least some A/B testing to figure out why you are not converting your visitors into customers. This is a very important reason for a redesign and should be addressed as soon as possible.
3. You are not getting traffic (visits) to your website
   There can be multiple reasons that your website is not getting traffic but it is definitely worth a look from a technical and structural standpoint to see if a redesign is needed. Even if the graphics do not need to change, the code behind the scenes could be hindering your ability to attract visitors and may need an overhaul.
4. Your website is out dated
   There could be several reasons for this, but since technology changes so rapidly, it only makes sense to revisit your website periodically to make sure that you are making use of best practices. For example, is your website responsive and viewable on all desktop, tablet and mobile devices? Have you considered the latest Google algorithm changes and installed and SSL certificate on your site? How about Google AMP? Should you invest the time for these new advances in technology. Or do the graphics look like they are from 1996? Any of these reasons would warrant a new web design.

There you have 4 reasons to go through the process of a website redesign. If you make an assessment of your website and you meet any of these criteria you should consider having your website professionally designed to maintain maximum effectiveness and conversions. Our team at South Florida Web Studio will provide a free website audit and make a recommendation for a website redesign if any of the criteria above are met. Just contact us for your audit today.

The post 4 Reasons To Re-Design Your Website appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

Expertise.com, a website focused on finding the best experts around the United States, reviewed 295 web designers in the Fort Lauderdale area and selected the top 19. We are honored to be on the list.

Expertise.com states on their website:

Our goal is to be a hub where qualified experts can connect with people to share their knowledge, experience, and skills. We strive to establish connections with our users, and to help them connect with each other.

Their goal is to connect people with the best local experts. This done by analyzing and scoring  web designers on more than 25 variables across six different categories. The end result is a hand-picked list of the best web designers in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

It is always a pleasure to be recognized for the effort and passion that our team commit every day. Thank you to expertise.com and their staff for adding us to their list of Expert Web Designers in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The post SoFla Web Studio Best Web Designer in Fort Lauderdale appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

We need your help

In April 2016 Clutch Research recognized us as a top web design firm in Miami. As always, we strive for excellence and want to be at the top of this list as well. The Daily Business Review (DBR) survey is anonymous, but they do ask for your name and email. While the full survey is 53 questions about the best companies and businesses in South Florida (mostly focused in the legal industry) we are only asking you to answer one:

#49 Best Web Design Company – South Florida Web Studio

If you do have an opinion on any of the other survey questions, which range from Best Document Management Company to Best e-Discovery Company to Best Process Server and even Best Jeweler, please feel free to give your honest opinions to as many as you can. But if you are pressed for time, just click through to the survey and skip through to #49 and answer South Florida Web Studio.

If you do have a few extra moments to spare and want to help out some of my colleagues, clients and friends well then by all means, please take the time and give an extra vote for Berkowitz Pollack Brant. You will find them listed in questions #33 and #34. They are listed for Best Accounting Firm providing Litigation Support and Real Estate Support. Also Orion Real Estate Group #25 and Legal Computer Consultants #20.

Just in time for a Fresh start

The timing of this survey is superb as it will coincide with the launch of a new product we are offering specifically for law firms and attorneys. FreshLawyer.com is a platform that makes simple, easy to create, mobile ready websites for small firms and sole practitioners. FreshLawyer.com can grow with you as your practice grows. Start with a simple, affordable package and upgrade as your needs grow and your budget allows. Your growth opportunities are limitless.

TLDR;

Please click the Daily Business Review 2016 Survey link, enter your name and email and vote for the best companies in South Florida. You can skip any that you do not know. If you want some help, please refer to the following cheat sheet:

• #20. Best Software Consultants – Legal Computer Consultants
• #25. Best Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Firm (Office) – Orion Real Estate Group
• #33. Best Local Accounting Firm That Provides Litigation Support – Berkowitz Pollack Brant
• #34. Best Local Accounting Firm That Provides Real Estate Support – Berkowitz Pollack Brant
• #49. Best Web Design Company – South Florida Web Studio

VOTE NOW

Voting Ends Sept. 11, 2016

More information and the full categories are here.

It’s hot outside, so stay cool and vote South Florida Web Studio as the Best Web Design Company.

The post We have been nominated for Best Web Design Company by Daily Business Review appeared first on South Florida Web Design Studio.

Law Firm Web Design

Seeing this need for the legal industry and the similarities of most lawyer websites, we have decided to build a platform that will be specific to the legal industry. While our idea is by no means revolutionary, it definitely is evolutionary. We are taking a fresh approach to law firm web design by offering a simple, cost effective solution which can scale from a sole practitioner just starting out of law school all the way to a multi-national law firm spanning the globe. FreshLawyer.com has all of the pieces in place for branding and marketing your law firm no matter what size. Responsive designs, SEO friendly and easy to use are some of the key components to our new system

Mobile First

The internet is mobile. It is not just moving away from desktop computer, it already has. While there are still a large number of visitors coming from a desktop to research an attorney, over the past year we have seen numbers of visitors increase on mobile devices by up to 10%*. With the future in the palm of your hand, we have taken a “Mobile First” approach to all of our designs. This means that we plan our design layouts first on small screens (for your iphone and android devices), then on mid size screens (for the ipads and tablets) and finally for desktop and larger screens (like television and wide screen displays) . This “responsive design” ensures that your website will be easily visible and functional to everyone that visits no matter what device they use to access.

Search Engine Optimization Does Matter

Every site built on the FreshLawyer.com platform will be optimized following Google’s best practices for SEO. This will ensure that all of the necessary technical tools are in place for an effective search campaign and allows your website to be competitive in ranking in the top positions for those all important keywords.

Easy To Use So You Will Use It

There many options for you to build your website, but when you chose to do it on your own,if it is not easy to administer the task gets put on the ‘back burner’ and many times, gets delayed so long that it never gets done. With our years of experience we have thought through this process so that the back end administration is easy and seamless for you or your staff to update and add content to your site. Plus there is always the option to hire an assistant from our team to help with gathering content and adding it to the site for you.

Much More To Come

We have many more feature and benefits that are being built into this application (such as accessibility standards, ADA compliance, video and marketing add ons as well as integration with CRM systems) but we will elaborate on more of that in the future. For now, we want you to know that a new system is coming and it will make creating a website for a law firm easy, affordable and custom to your unique style and image.

A Fresh new approach to law firm web design is right around the corner. www.freshlawyer.com

*Based on aggregated analytics data of several current law firm clients

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