Nick Ridout and Associates

2011-12-06T07:00:00.001-08:00

Web Design for Schools

2011-11-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

Web Design for Schools

Our Portfolio

2011-11-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Our Portfolio

Whose Site?

2011-11-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

Whose Site Is It Anyway?
By: Diane Hughes
I spend a lot of time emailing with online business owners. Since that's my specialty, I find a lot of people asking me questions about my success. What amazes me is that many of those people are asking the wrong questions!
The questions I'm talking about come from site owners who want to know how to make themselves look good online. These site owners want to write copy that is all about *their* company. They want to have a flash home page because *they* like it. They want to use *their* favorite colors in the design. <Some of you might be thinking, "So?">
The problem is, it isn't *their* site! Let me explain...
Think about it a minute. Why do you believe most department stores now willingly offer refunds? Years ago they didn't. In fact, it was a well-known fact that, if you bought it, you owned it for life. Yet, in just the last 15 years or so, that way of thinking has been completely reversed. The reason? Customer demand.
Retailers recognized a customer need, and they filled it. They understood that customers were the ones who made the purchases and, therefore, the ones who kept their retail stores in business. The smart thing to do? Reverse the refund policy and keep customers happy.
Was it the store's idea to offer refunds? No. If it were up to the stores, no money would ever be returned. After all, it's *their* store, isn't it? They can do what they want. Yeah, right! Not if they want to stay in business.
The same principle applies to your website. Sure, *you* may want to use certain colors on your site, but what would your customer prefer? Your favorite thing in the online world may be flash intros, but your customers might despise them. You may not like the idea of offering a guarantee, but what about your customers? Whose site is it, anyway? Yours? No, not really.
Before you get too entangled in making your site everything you want it to be, consider your customers' wants and needs.
ACTION STEP 1
Make Your Copy Customer Focused - Go back to your site and read your copy. Does it say anything similar to this? "Welcome to my website. My company does this, that, and the other thing. I am the best company of my type on the Internet. My site has been online since 1999. Buy from me." If so, you have some work to do.
Focus on your customers. What are their needs/wants? Rather than copy that says, "Me, me, we, us, I, I, I," you want copy that acknowledges visitors, makes a connection with them, defines their needs, and offers solutions to their problems.
ACTION STEP 2
Turn Your Site Into An Invitation, Not An Eviction - Do you have a flash home page? If you check your stats, I'll bet you'll find more people who skip the flash intro of your site than people who actually view it.
Flash is extremely popular with Web designers, but it is extremely unnerving to site visitors. Don't force flash on your customers.
ACTION STEP 3
Check Your Navigation - Can your visitors find their way around your site easily? How would you know? The best way to find out for sure is to ask a few people who have never seen your site before to surf on over and take a look around. Ask them to spend 10 or 15 minutes browsing. Then ask them to tell you about their experiences.
Paying due attention to your customers and their needs is one of the best things you can do to improve your online business. Put yourself in your customers' place. When you turn your site into a welcoming environment specifically designed for your visitors, they can't help but want to return again and again.
Author Bio
Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com
FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ==>>
http://madmarketer.com/diane
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com

2011-11-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Top Five Reasons to do a Website Redesign
By: Stephanie Diamond
Small business owners need to monitor whether their investment in a website is providing a good return. Are your products and services easy to buy? If they aren't, you are wasting time and money and probably doing more harm than good.
Ask yourself the following five questions to see whether it's time for a redesign:

Has the size of the site grown substantially?If your site continues to grow and change like most business sites, you need to evaluate whether it's still meeting your objectives. As you add new products and services you need to re-organize your information. In addition, you should consider adding multimedia information (audio, video) to sharpen your message.
Is some of the content outdated or unnecessary?Does your website have up-to-date content? Someone should be revising spec sheets, changing promotion dates and adding new material weekly. If your website appears static, it looks like you're not a serious business.
Is the most important content buried below?Here's where you need to do an "easy to buy" audit. By that I mean you need to evaluate how easy it is to find information and actually buy your products. This sounds like common sense, but we've all purchased online and know that it can sometimes be frustrating.
Are you using the latest technology, instead of hard-coding?If you created your website more than 18 months ago, you are probably due for a technology update. This is also true if you started with a very basic site and "hard-coded" everything. Ask your webmaster whether he has some suggestions. You can be sure he will.
Does the home page design suit your current business objectives?Does your website communicate the depth and breadth of your current business? If you have changed the focus
of your services, added new products or want to communicate a different face to your visitors, consider a redesign for your overall website.

Author Bio
About Digital Media Works
Digital Media Works, Inc. (www.DigMediaWorks.com) is an Internet marketing and design firm that specializes in solutions for high tech and e-commerce companies. A seasoned 25+ year management/marketing professional, founder Stephanie Diamond is experienced in building profits in a broad range of product and services businesses. She created a highly successful line of multimedia software products that sold millions of copies for America Online, and has developed unique business strategies and products for a variety of companies, including AOL Time Warner, Redgate New Media and Newsweek, Inc.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

All About Web Design

2011-11-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

All About Web Design

All about Web Design for Business

2011-11-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

All about Web Design for Business

Latest Ads

2011-11-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

Latest Ads

2011-10-14T04:59:00.001-07:00

Why Online Marketing Videos Are Effective?

Whether or not advertisements with moving pictures and audio really work to attract people and influence their buying decision, the statistics will show. Market research actually found that consumers’ intent to purchase a certain product or make use of a particular service generally increases by over 1.16 percent when they have seen a video advert. The number might be small, but it is nonetheless significant when it comes to sales.

Now, you might ask. How will marketing videos work when published online? How can it influence viewers?

To answer these questions, let us look at the factors that make this medium effective compared to static and broadcast advertisements.

It communicates a clear message

With the right combination of audio and visual cues, it will be easier for viewers to grasp the idea that the business wants to deliver. As a result, miscommunication and failed expectations are avoided.

It appeals to the emotion

Studies revealed that most people make their buying decisions based on their feelings. By using videos, marketers can effectively arouse interest among consumers by tapping into their emotions using creative graphic representations.

It is easily accessible and far-reaching

With the Internet available to everyone across the globe, a lot of individuals can see the advert. What is more, everybody can view it repeatedly any time of the day.

It can be informative

Yes, information does play a role on people’s choices. Hence, by providing them a material that satisfies their desire for learning new things and effectively answers their questions on why or how such a particular product and service can be of benefit to them, you are giving them a convincing reason to do business with you.

Now, if you are looking for cost-effective digital promotional packages, check out the services offered by Nick Ridout & Associates.

2011-05-17T04:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Nick Ridout and Associates Blog Post.

We are all about fresh ideas and stress free digital design, production and development services. Our highly experienced digital team has the knowledge and the passion to make the web work harder and smarter for your organisation. We have a successful track record delivering key digital services to a range of clients, from Schools, to small to medium sized businesses. We are one of the very few who are Microsoft Certified Partners and IBM Business Partners. Our comprehensive digital production services covers everything from prototyping and creative design, to front-end engineering and writing content. We offer robust web testing services and can advise on all aspects of accessibility and usability.

We are here to help you make an impact online and ensure your day-to-day web operations run smoothly. We cover everything from web design and branding to content management system (CMS) set-ups and installations. In short, we provide a highly cost-effective web support package, covering design, development, quality assurance and content provision. Need new pages? New web technologies? We will provide these for you and make sure they're future-proof. From your initial ideas, we will build a site that meets your needs, reaching as many people as possible. Attracting new customers or just keeping in touch? We will show you how to connect with people and build an effective online campaign through highly accessible networking tools, from Twitter to Facebook, MySpace to Flickr.