Importance of User-Centric Design

Putting the user at the heart of the design process is fundamental. Understanding user behavior and preferences is pivotal in creating an intuitive and satisfying browsing experience. By seamlessly aligning design elements with the user’s expectations, businesses can forge a connection that goes beyond aesthetics, fostering a sense of resonance and loyalty that lasts throughout the entire user journey.

Elements of a Successful Website

A successful website hinges on various elements such as visual appeal, functionality, compelling content, and seamless navigation. Each element plays a vital role in engaging visitors and converting them into loyal users. It’s not just about capturing attention but also about creating a cohesive digital environment where every aspect collaborates harmoniously, ensuring a memorable user experience that encourages return visits and sustained interaction with the brand.

Responsive Design and Mobile Optimization

In today’s mobile-driven world, optimizing websites for various devices is crucial. Responsive design ensures a consistent experience across different screens, enhancing accessibility and user satisfaction. As users seamlessly transition between devices, a responsive approach not only adapts to different screen sizes but also underscores a commitment to meeting the evolving needs of an on-the-go audience, providing a user-centric experience that transcends the limitations of traditional browsing.

SEO and Website Design

Combining SEO principles with design strategies is imperative for visibility and reach. Aligning content, keywords, and site structure enhances search engine rankings, driving organic traffic. A symbiotic relationship between SEO and design not only ensures that the website is discoverable by search engines but also optimizes the user experience, creating a harmonious balance that maximizes both visibility and user engagement.

Navigation and User Experience

Smooth navigation and an intuitive user interface are pivotal in retaining visitors. Easy-to-find menus and clear pathways improve user experience, reducing bounce rates. When users effortlessly navigate through a website, it fosters a sense of ease and satisfaction, encouraging prolonged engagement. By prioritizing user-friendly design, businesses not only retain visitors but also lay the groundwork for increased conversions and brand loyalty, building a positive online reputation.

Color Theory in Web Design

Colors evoke emotions and convey messages. Employing a strategic color palette enhances brand identity, impacts user perceptions, and influences actions on a website. Beyond aesthetics, colors create a visual language that communicates the essence of a brand. By thoughtfully choosing colors that resonate with the brand’s personality and align with its messaging, businesses can create a visually compelling online presence that not only captures attention but also establishes a memorable and cohesive brand image in the minds of users.

Typography and Readability

Choosing the right fonts and optimizing readability elevates content presentation. Clarity and legibility improve user engagement and comprehension. Fonts play a crucial role in conveying the tone and style of the content. When selected thoughtfully, they enhance the overall aesthetics and readability of the website, ensuring that users can easily absorb information. By prioritizing clarity, businesses create a user-friendly environment where content is not only visually appealing but also effectively communicates the intended message to the audience.

Visual Hierarchy and Call-to-Actions

Structuring content hierarchically guides user attention. Strategically placed call-to-actions prompt users to take desired actions, boosting conversions. A well-defined content hierarchy ensures that users can quickly grasp the essential information while encouraging them to navigate deeper into the site. By strategically positioning call-to-action elements, businesses can guide users toward desired interactions, whether it’s making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing. This intentional design not only enhances user engagement but also optimizes the website for achieving specific conversion goals.

Brand Consistency and Identity

Maintaining consistency across the website reinforces brand identity. Cohesive design elements foster trust and recognition among users. Consistency in branding, from color schemes to typography, creates a visual harmony that resonates with users. When visitors encounter a uniform and recognizable design across different pages, it instills a sense of reliability and professionalism. This continuity contributes to the establishment of brand trust and loyalty, as users become familiar with and confident in the brand’s identity and offerings.

Functionality vs. Aesthetics

Balancing functionality and aesthetics is crucial. While aesthetics attract users, functionality ensures a seamless and satisfying experience. The interplay between visual appeal and practical usability is the cornerstone of effective website design. Striking this balance not only captures the audience’s attention but also provides a user-friendly environment where visitors can easily navigate and interact. By harmonizing aesthetics with functionality, businesses create a digital space that not only looks impressive but also delivers a high-quality and enjoyable user experience.

Content Strategy and Engagement

Compelling content captivates and retains audiences. Tailored content strategies resonate with target audiences, fostering engagement. Beyond aesthetics and functionality, the soul of a website lies in its content. By understanding the unique preferences and needs of the target audience, businesses can create content that not only captures attention but also builds a lasting connection. Tailoring content strategies to address specific audience interests fosters engagement, encouraging visitors to spend more time on the site and increasing the likelihood of meaningful interactions and conversions.

Website Loading Speed and Optimization

Fast-loading websites enhance user experience and reduce bounce rates. Optimizing images and minimizing scripts contribute to improved loading times. In the era of instant gratification, users expect swift and seamless interactions with websites. By prioritizing fast loading times, businesses not only cater to user preferences but also minimize the risk of visitors leaving due to slow performance. Efficient image optimization and streamlined scripts ensure that the website loads quickly, creating a positive first impression and laying the foundation for a satisfying and efficient user journey.

Security Measures for Websites

Prioritizing website security safeguards user data and instills trust. Implementing SSL certificates and robust security protocols fortifies against cyber threats. In an era of heightened digital risks, user trust is paramount. By prioritizing website security, businesses not only protect sensitive user information but also establish themselves as reliable custodians of data. The implementation of SSL certificates and advanced security protocols demonstrates a commitment to user privacy and cyber defense, instilling confidence in visitors and fostering a secure online environment for both the business and its clientele.

Integrating Social Media

Integrating social media platforms amplifies a website’s reach. Seamless integration encourages user interaction and content sharing. Social media has become an integral part of online interactions, and integrating these platforms into a website extends its influence. Seamless integration not only broadens the website’s visibility but also facilitates user engagement through social sharing and interaction. By creating a harmonious connection between the website and social media, businesses harness the power of online communities, fostering a dynamic and interactive online presence that transcends the boundaries of the website itself.

Designing for Accessibility

Designing for inclusivity ensures equal access to all users. Accessibility features enhance usability for individuals with disabilities, promoting inclusivity. An inclusive design approach goes beyond aesthetics, recognizing the diverse needs of users. By implementing accessibility features such as alt text for images, keyboard navigation, and clear text-to-speech options, businesses ensure that their digital spaces are welcoming to everyone. This commitment to inclusivity not only aligns with ethical design practices but also expands the potential audience, making the website accessible and user-friendly for individuals with varying abilities.

Trends and Innovations in Website Design

Staying updated with design trends is pivotal. Embracing innovative technologies and trends keeps websites fresh and engaging. The digital landscape is dynamic, and design trends evolve rapidly. By staying informed and incorporating the latest design elements and technologies, businesses signal their commitment to providing a contemporary and relevant user experience. This adaptability not only enhances the visual appeal of the website but also positions the brand as forward-thinking and in tune with the expectations of modern users.

Website Maintenance and Updates

Regular updates and maintenance ensure website functionality and security. Monitoring performance and resolving issues promptly is crucial. Websites are dynamic entities that require ongoing attention to stay resilient. Regular updates not only introduce new features but also patch vulnerabilities, bolstering security. Proactive monitoring allows businesses to identify and address performance issues swiftly, ensuring a seamless user experience. By treating website maintenance as an ongoing commitment, businesses safeguard their digital presence, providing visitors with a reliable and secure platform for continued interaction.

Choosing the Right CMS

Selecting an appropriate Content Management System (CMS) impacts website management and scalability. Choosing the right CMS aligns with specific business needs. The CMS serves as the backbone of website management, influencing its flexibility and growth. By carefully selecting a CMS that aligns with the business’s objectives, scalability, and content management requirements, businesses empower themselves to adapt to evolving needs. A well-chosen CMS not only streamlines content updates but also lays the foundation for future expansion, ensuring that the website remains a dynamic and responsive digital asset.

Designing Landing Pages

Optimizing landing pages enhances conversions. Tailored landing pages with compelling content drive user actions. Landing pages are the gateway to user interaction, and their optimization is pivotal for conversion success. By tailoring landing pages with content that resonates with specific user segments and aligns with the intended action, businesses create a focused and persuasive user journey. Whether it’s making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing, a well-optimized landing page acts as a strategic tool to guide users towards the desired actions, maximizing conversion rates and achieving business objectives.

E-commerce Website Design Strategies

E-commerce websites require strategic design elements to drive sales. User-friendly interfaces and intuitive shopping experiences are critical. In the realm of e-commerce, the design goes beyond aesthetics—it directly influences the purchasing journey. By implementing user-friendly interfaces and intuitive navigation, businesses enhance the overall shopping experience. Strategic design elements, such as clear product categorization, streamlined checkout processes, and visually appealing product displays, contribute to a seamless and enjoyable online shopping journey. This, in turn, fosters customer satisfaction and loyalty, driving sales and establishing the e-commerce platform as a trusted destination for online transactions.

Analytics and Measuring Website Success

Utilizing analytics tools measures website performance. Data-driven insights help refine strategies for improved outcomes. Analytics serve as the eyes and ears of a website, providing invaluable data on user behavior, traffic patterns, and engagement metrics. By leveraging analytics tools, businesses gain actionable insights that inform strategic decision-making. Whether it’s identifying popular content, understanding user demographics, or tracking conversion funnels, data-driven analysis empowers businesses to refine their digital strategies continuously. This iterative approach based on real-time data ensures that the website evolves in alignment with user preferences, ultimately leading to enhanced performance and better outcomes.

Client Communication and Feedback

Effective communication and gathering client feedback are integral. Understanding client needs and preferences ensures satisfaction. Collaboration between designers and clients is a dynamic process, and open communication is the key to success. By fostering a transparent and responsive communication channel, designers can align their creative efforts with client expectations. Actively seeking and incorporating client feedback not only refines the design process but also ensures that the final product resonates with the client’s vision. This client-centric approach establishes a strong partnership, fostering satisfaction and laying the groundwork for successful design outcomes.

Outsourcing vs. In-House Design Teams

Deciding between outsourcing and in-house teams impacts cost and quality. Weighing pros and cons aligns with specific project requirements. The choice between outsourcing and maintaining an in-house design team is a strategic decision that directly influences project outcomes. By carefully evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, businesses can align their decision with the unique requirements of the project. Factors such as budget constraints, project complexity, and the need for specialized expertise play a crucial role in determining whether outsourcing or maintaining an in-house team is the more suitable and cost-effective solution for achieving design goals.

Evolution of Website Design

The evolution of design trends reflects technological advancements and changing user behaviors. Embracing evolution ensures staying ahead in the digital landscape. Design is a dynamic field that continuously evolves in response to technological innovations and shifts in user preferences. By embracing this evolution, businesses position themselves at the forefront of the digital landscape. Staying attuned to emerging design trends not only showcases a commitment to contemporary aesthetics but also ensures that the user experience remains cutting-edge. This proactive approach not only keeps digital assets relevant but also demonstrates a forward-thinking mindset in an ever-changing technological environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mastering the secrets of successful website design involves a blend of art, strategy, and user-focused approaches. By understanding the essentials and implementing effective strategies, businesses can create impactful digital experiences that resonate with their audiences.

The post Introducing the Secrets to Successful Website Design appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

Introduction to SEO Services and Website Design

In essence, SEO services encompass a range of techniques and practices aimed at optimizing a website to improve its visibility in organic search engine results. Simultaneously, website design refers to the process of creating visually appealing, user-friendly, and functional websites that cater to both user needs and search engine algorithms.

Understanding SEO Services

SEO services involve meticulous planning and execution of strategies to enhance a website’s search engine rankings. It includes on-page optimization, off-page optimization, keyword research, content creation, and link building. The primary goal is to align the website’s content and structure with search engine algorithms, making it more accessible and relevant to users searching for specific information or services.

The Significance of Website Design

Website design significantly influences user experience and engagement. An aesthetically pleasing, responsive, and intuitive website design encourages visitors to explore the site further, leading to increased engagement and prolonged interactions. Moreover, factors like mobile responsiveness, page load speed, and navigation impact a site’s ranking on search engines.

Relationship Between SEO Services and Website Design

SEO services and website design go hand in hand. An effectively designed website with a seamless user experience supports SEO efforts by retaining visitors and reducing bounce rates. Conversely, robust SEO strategies drive traffic to the site, but it’s the website design that ensures a positive user experience, thereby reinforcing each other’s impact on rankings.

Benefits of SEO Services and Website Design for Businesses

Implementing effective SEO strategies and maintaining an impeccable website design offers numerous advantages for businesses. These include heightened visibility on search engines, increased organic traffic, improved brand credibility, higher conversion rates, and enhanced user satisfaction, resulting in a competitive edge over rivals.

Challenges and Pitfalls in SEO and Website Design

Despite their benefits, navigating the realms of SEO and website design isn’t devoid of challenges. Common pitfalls include neglecting mobile responsiveness, keyword stuffing, poor quality content, and failing to adapt to evolving search engine algorithms. Staying informed and agile is essential to overcome these hurdles.

Measuring Success and Monitoring Progress

Tracking the success of SEO and website design efforts involves monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) such as organic traffic, conversion rates, keyword rankings, bounce rates, and user engagement metrics. Various tools and analytics platforms aid in evaluating and refining strategies for optimal results.

The Future of SEO Services and Website Design

The landscape of SEO services and website design is dynamic and continually evolving. Predictions suggest an increased focus on user experience, voice search optimization, AI-driven technologies, and enhanced mobile experiences. Adapting to these advancements will be crucial for businesses to maintain their online presence and rankings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the symbiotic relationship between SEO services and website design is indispensable for businesses aiming to thrive in the digital marketplace. Integrating these strategies not only boosts online visibility and rankings but also enhances user experience, fostering sustained growth and success.

FAQs

How long does it take for SEO strategies to show results?

The timeframe for SEO results can vary. Generally, you might start seeing some improvements in a few weeks, but significant changes often take months. It depends on factors like the competitiveness of keywords, the quality of your SEO efforts, and the current state of your website.

Can a visually appealing website alone improve rankings?

While a visually appealing website is crucial for user experience, it alone may not directly impact rankings. Search engines consider various factors, including content, structure, and performance. A visually appealing design contributes to user engagement, reducing bounce rates, and indirectly influencing rankings.

What are some common SEO mistakes to avoid?

Avoiding common SEO mistakes is crucial for a successful digital strategy. Steer clear of keyword stuffing, where content is overloaded with keywords, as it can harm your website’s credibility. Neglecting mobile users by not optimizing for mobile devices can lead to missed opportunities, given the prevalence of mobile browsing. Ensure your content is robust and valuable, avoiding thin content that lacks substance. Ignoring metadata, including title tags and meta descriptions, hampers search engine understanding and ranking potential. Additionally, prioritize a fast page load speed to enhance user experience and positively impact search rankings. By addressing these pitfalls, you set the foundation for an effective and optimized online presence.

Why is mobile responsiveness crucial for website rankings?

Mobile responsiveness is crucial because search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites. With the increasing use of mobile devices, Google, for example, gives preference to sites that offer a seamless experience on smartphones and tablets. Mobile-friendly sites are more likely to rank higher in mobile search results.

How often should one update SEO strategies based on algorithm changes?

SEO strategies should be regularly reviewed and updated based on algorithm changes. Major search engines like Google frequently update their algorithms. It’s advisable to stay informed about industry trends, algorithm updates, and adjust your strategies accordingly. Regular audits and adjustments help maintain or improve your website’s performance in search rankings.

The post Unlocking the Power of SEO Services and Website Design in Business Rankings appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

Unfortunately for many businesses, mobile optimization will likely require a complete redesign, or at least a design of a mobile optimized site that can be added on to your current site. Your content management system or site software can detect what browser is trying to access it, so it can then serve up the pages for the mobile site instead of the regular one.

For others using WordPress, Drupal or other open-source or more up-to-date content management systems, you can also find plug-ins or add-ons that will present your site’s information in a mobile version. These are often cheap and easy to install, but don’t have a lot of flexibility for design and the like.

Ideally, you have a mobile site designed specifically for your target audience and how they might use your site from a mobile device. One of the finest examples of an uber-useful mobile site is that of Papa John’s. They know the average mobile user accessing PapaJohns.com doesn’t care about John Schnatter’s bio, investor relations or even customer service. They want a damn pizza. So their mobile website (not a custom app, but the pages that are served when a mobile device navigates to papajohns.com, presents three options: Find a Store, Order for Takeout and Order for Delivery.

Simple is brilliant.

Regardless of how you attack optimizing for mobile devices, you’re going to want to do it for a lot of reasons, the least of which is illustrated in the following chart, the number of unique visitors navigating Social Media Explorer from mobile devices in the last two months of 2011.

On Nov. 20 of last year, Social Media Explorer relaunched with our current design. Part of that design process was to optimize the site for mobile devices. Instead of fooling with a WordPress plugin or some other rudimentary solution, our designer, David Yeiser, approached the site redesign using responsive design. There are no apps, plugins or mobile gadgets at play here. When you see SME on a tablet or mobile device, the design responds to your browser size and serves up the site in an optimal way for that screen.

As you can see, when we launched the design, we didn’t just get a sudden spike of mobile or tablet visitors, but we’ve sustained a higher level of mobile traffic since.

Optimizing your site for mobile devices brings you more mobile traffic.

It delivers a better experience to your audience that happens by your online home on a tablet or mobile device.

Even with our meager, niche audience on SME, our mobile traffic has increased by 285 visitors per day. That’s 104,000 visitors per year and we haven’t really even pushed the tablet or mobile offerings.

While launching something on the web is not a matter of “if you build it, they will come,” when you add mobile optimization to an existing property, they will.

Why are you waiting? Get your website people on the line now and ask how you can optimize for mobile. If you don’t, you’re just missing customers.

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Or should we say, misses the market.

Designing a website is a difficult endeavor. Sure, everybody and their 11-year-old-nephew seems to be capable of launching their own web magic, but there’s a big difference between plopping a new blog on the web and building a website that serves a purpose, an audience, and a bottom line.

And that’s exactly what yours needs to do. But between the whiteboard, the wireframe, and the “why isn’t this working” discussion in the board room there are a lot of things that can go wrong if you’re not careful.

Here are the potential web redesign land mines you’ll want to avoid:

The redesign was founded on “feeling” rather than evidence or data.
Don’t let the new CEO’s “gut” dictate the redesign strategy unless she’s ready to get punched in said gut by poor performance metrics and frustrated users. Redesigns should be based on feedback from users, larger rebranding efforts, and demonstrated needs in the market.

The new site is set up for an internal audience as opposed to the external audience.
If you find yourself saying things like “Well, let’s just do this to make the ____ department happy,” or “You know, Lucy needs to have a place to promote the _____ initiative”) instead of focusing on setting the new site up to achieve goals and convert, you’re in trouble. (Note, goals and conversions do not always mean you need to have a lead generation funnel feel to every page, sometimes the goal or conversion is simply for a user to click on another article. Set up the site for that).

A thing to remember is that the way your organization refers to things is not always how the outside world refers to them. Label your website with terms used by your industry, not with internal nicknames and nomenclature. Assuming your audience will understand your shorthand is bad user experience and even worse SEO.

You’ve got too many cooks in the kitchen (Or, too many taste-testers in the kitchen and not enough actual cooks.)
People are generally happy to chime in with opinions during meetings, but can sometimes go MIA when it comes to actually completing deliverables. Design-by-committee often leaves a project without one owner who has responsibility for it being completed on time and correctly. (As a client put it to me once, “you need someone’s neck on the line so you know which throat to choke.” Brutal, but true.)

Avoid the tragedy of the commons by having a small group own the redesign project and only have key stakeholders (and user testing groups) check in at key milestones.

The site suffered death by compromise.
Sally wanted a big red button and Tim wanted a lot of white space. Compromise: a big white button. Though dramatized a bit, this happens more than you might think.

The site was not designed with the future in mind.
Websites should be built so that continual updates can be added. Did you design yours just for launch? You can’t predict the future, but try to limit decisions that limit options down the road.

You pressed all the buttons at once.
If you change everything all at once you have no idea what helped performance and what hurt it after the big reveal. Employ iterative style design and make small changes often rather than earth-shattering changes once every 3 years.

If you want to avoid a web redesign failure focus on identifying the core audience you need to serve, lay out and label the content in a way that makes sense to them and allows them to be efficient, and let user needs pave the way.

Otherwise you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

Related articles

• An Exploration of Website Redesigns: Tips and Examples (sixrevisions.com)
• Redesign for dummies (ask.metafilter.com)
• 71 Secret Tips for Website Redesign Projects (hubspot.com)
• The Science Behind Website Redesign (hubspot.com)

The post The Anatomy of a Web Redesign Failure appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

This is all too common. People operate under certain habits and expectations. In new situations, such as visiting a new or redesigned web site, mental barriers kick in. The demons that blind us to a site’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” buttons are called cognitive biases. There are lots of these troublemakers, but the culprit here is the Homer Simpson effect.

Its real name is confirmation bias, which is the habit of filtering new information in a way that confirms preconceptions. We see it in politics all the time, as we chuckle knowingly at the news of another family-values politician caught with his pants down (and sometimes hers), or when conservative pundits perceive a newly inaugurated U.S. President as socialist for using the power of federal spending to avert another Great Depression. We look for what we’re expecting to see, whether it’s the silhouette of two faces or of one vase.

I prefer calling the confirmation bias the Homer Simpson effect because I love this example from The Simpsons: It was the mid-90’s and Homer’s TV was on. He had stumbled upon a televised episode of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Homer is briefly transfixed by Keillor’s folksy monologue, then suddenly flies into a rage, hammering the TV and yelling, “Be more funny!”

Homer had expected one thing from the television and was confronted with something decidedly different.

How does a “decidedly different” user experience benefit from social media and analytics support during its launch? Here are two ways:

1. The social media team works to add the context necessary for users to interpret the site’s new design and content
2. The analytics team monitors user acceptance and provides insights for potential tweaks

Here’s an example: If Google had launched their search engine today, they might blog about the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button and encourage discussion and reactions on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. The launch would be accompanied by real, live intermediaries who would converse about the novel new button.

These conversations would be with (admittedly) only the most plugged-in and social-media-savvy. But that’s okay. In essence, social media discussions would provide another level of beta testing, and serve as grassroots promotion of the new button. Those who are part of the conversation would make it “cool” to know about Google’s audacious new UX.

What Would Google Do NEXT?

In this example, what happens next is measurement. The analytics team would create a new segment to watch, comprised of those who clicked through from social media posts and those who searched about the button before arriving at the new site. (This second group would be identified in the web analytics system. They’re the organic search visitors who used that specific term to click through to the site.)

This small but significant segment would be compared to the majority who didn’t arrive that way, so differences in behavior can be reviewed for insights.

Every new web site has “I’m Feeling Lucky” buttons. These are the features that are new, either to your site or to web browsing in general. If this new UX adds value, go ahead and use it. Just be sure to include them in your social media efforts, and measure scrupulously.

The features that seem as clear as day to you may be completely invisible to many of your best prospects and customers.

The post I’m Feeling Lucky, But You’re A Different Story appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

Which is precisely what most users want from a corporate website.

A couple of years ago, everyone wanted to build desktop widgets. The thought was to take the core functionality of a website and make it easily accessible from one’s computer desktop. For Nationwide Insurance, for instance, it might have been a widget that helped you search for a car insurance quote by model and make. It probably didn’t do anything else, but that’s okay. It was a desktop widget.

The problem with desktop widgets was simply that tech people called them “widgets.” Mainstream consumers don’t know what a widget is. From 2006-2008, “What is a widget,” was in the top three or four questions I answered in every client meeting.

Now that Apple has made mobile and now tablet apps all the rage, what do we really have? We have a streamlined, narrowly purposed function-driven subset of your corporate website in an application that resides … on your device’s desktop. It’s a desktop widget for a smart phone or tablet, only we call it an app. Nationwide’s app — Cartopia — allows you to easily comparison shop for cars and find appropriate insurance afterward. It’s a neat app. And, to my knowledge, contains no pictures of company executives. (Thank goodness!)

Want to make your website kick-ass? Build it like you’d build an app. Think of the 1-2-or-3 things your main audience wants from your website, or cool stuff you can give them. Then just deliver that. And while you’re at it, build a little app-like icon that can reside on any desktop that takes people right to your website. Give them a mobile app that can live on any device … even a PC.

You think I’m crazy? Wait until you see the iMac Touch. (Which wasn’t rumored to be what Apple announces Wednesday, so we’ll probably have to wait.) What do you think will populate the desktops of Apple’s next big idea? Apps. Why not take them to everyone’s desktop now and beat Apple to the punch?

Don’t worry. Mr. Jobs has already conditioned the masses. As long as you don’t call it a, “widget,” it’ll work.

Related articles by Zemanta and Jason Falls

• How to Create an Enterprise App Deluge (gigaom.com)
• How Brands Can Build A Successful App Strategy (adage.com)

The post How Mobile Apps Can Inspire Website Design appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

I responded by telling him he’d be much better off if he tried to use the web, not just put a picture of his business on it. “Why don’t I at least put up PDFs of your patient forms for people to download?” I offered. (He’s a chiropractor.) “At least you can then say you USE the Internet for something.”

You would have thought I revolutionized chiropractic medicine. He’s had people compliment him for not making them sit around filling out paperwork for hours since they printed the forms out at home.

(I know. I should have charged him thousands of dollars for that. I’m too nice. My website help is one of those legacy favors for a friend I’ve can’t shake … not that I want to, Mike.)

His old website had a mission statement-type placeholder on the front page with listings of both his hours and his location. The only other front page content was links to PDFs of his patient forms. He had an “Ask the Doctor” contact form, an “About Us” page and a newsletter page where you could download the PDFs of his monthly newsletter.

Due the recent sale of one of his two practices, the site needed some revising so Mike called me and asked if I could tweak it a bit. “Sure,” I said, “But only if you’ll let me do something that will improve its use.” He agreed, even if he didn’t understand my explanation of what I wanted to do. What I did can serve as a simple step for businesses, small and large, to toe the waters of social media without having to invest lots of resources or even change the way they currently operate.

What’s The Big Idea?

Well it isn’t big really. It’s not even all that innovative. But it’s simple and not enough business owners out there realize how powerful it can be. Mike has long sent a monthly newsletter to his patients. It’s nothing flashy, but he or one of his medical assistants puts together four or five little stories to paste into a template, print, fold, stamp and send each month. Some people might see this as a low investment return marketing or customer relations tactic. I see it as something different: content.

Mike has content. Those four or five stories a month can be copied and pasted into a web page just as easily as they can a newsletter template in Microsoft Publisher. So, I rebuilt Mike’s website using WordPress, picked a theme that kept his red and black color scheme (This is Louisville, remember?) and my friend’s website is now dynamic, content-rich and easy to update.

(Yes, I’m on him about forwarding on the last few months newsletters. The site is behind, but it’s built.)

He can send the newsletter the same way he always has, but then take each story and publish it as a new item on the site each week through the month. With 4-5 stories, he’ll have a weekly website update that will alert search engines to re-crawl, ping other directories and improve your current efforts (read: lack thereof) in search engine optimization and marketing. Or he could continue to push the cover story as monthly content with a link to the full PDF. Yes, the updates (and benefits) are less, but with managed and now syndicated (I love RSS!) content, his website will be more used and useful.

Of course, I’m not going to explain to Mike that he now has a blog. A) That will scare him a bit and B) WordPress doesn’t make it a blog. His site is still just a chiropractor’s website. It uses a popular blogging engine to manage its content, but the updates are still his monthly newsletter and little more than that.

Does your business have a newsletter? Do you have a dynamic and content-rich website with RSS syndication and continual search engine notification of fresh content?

Well, you could.

Other Posts You’ll Find Interesting:

1. Creating Content For Your Website
2. Four Easy Ways To Create Innovative Content With Interactivity
3. Over Half Of B2B Marketers Don’t Embrace Corporate Blogging
4. Syndication Secrets: Are You Interested?
5. Newsletter No-Nos

IMAGE: Mike’s newsletter cover from March of last year.

[tags]company newsletter, newsletter, newsletters, website content, content generation, web content, content syndication, website design[/tags]

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