We can clear the dust, and seal the cracks, and go on to enjoy the spring. Or we can note the changes made by the dust’s appearance, and wonder how to make things better for the long term.

Whether dusting and calking through a springtime clean, or preparing to alter the whole process by which dust and cracks appear, the urge to change comes naturally to us during these warming months.

Your business website might be showing its cracks now, too.  You can gauge whether the cracks and dust should be neatened up for the short term or reconsidered as part of a larger issue.  You just need to know what to consider for your time, money, and current client base.

Let’s assess whether it’s time for a complete redesign of your website, or if it just needs a bit of cleaning up. Look here:

Redesign today if…

-Your business has undergone a serious shift in values or ownership. “A site is the face of a business,” says Speckyboy.com contributor Ada Ivanova, “if your business has changed, this might imply site modifications are mandatory.”

-Your site requires new functions that the current design cannot accommodate. Shopping carts, media galleries, and RSS feeds are all important aspects of modern web marketing, but can these functions fit your present design?

-Your users are dissatisfied. If you are receiving negative feedback from users, via online email forms or social media commenting, it might be time to redesign. Negative feedback includes frustrated inquiries about the functionality of the site, and complaints about usability. Listen to your clients, and ask questions. Specifically, ask “what can we do to make our site better?” and “what question about [industry here] do you most want answered?”

Try a site cleanup if…

-It’s looking a bit “old”. As Smashing Magazine guru Jeff Gothelf suggests, “the website’s aesthetic reflects directly on the perception and trustworthiness of your brand.” A superficial “facelift” of your design could make or break a user’s trust.

-Time has told you. While Ivanova insists that there’s no “X” amount of years before a redesign is necessary, Gothelf believes in a design shelf life of twelve months. Minor updates every twelve months won’t break the bank, and will keep your site looking fresh.

-Your business needs some attention. A site facelift is a great way to advertise your business across social media channels and radio advertisements. Encourage users to visit your “new” site, with incentives for visiting. You can create online campaigns around having visitors vote on site changes, or contribute their ideas.

You won’t ignore the cracks and dust of winter’s hibernation, because change is all too enticing. Choosing the right strategy for pursuing change in your business’ web design this spring involves a clear-headed appraisal of your current design. Let’s shake out the dust and make informed choices for our Internet marketing strategies. Call Greg today to talk about web design facelifts, site redesigns, and starting your springtime marketing campaigns with an Internet presence with impact.

References

Gothelf, Jeff. “Clear Indications That It’s Time to Redesign.” 8 December 2011. Smashing Magazine: http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2011/12/08/clear-indications-time-to-redesign/

Ivanova, Ada. “To Revamp or Not to Revamp?” 29 March 2012. Speckyboy.com: http://speckyboy.com/2012/03/29/to-revamp-or-not-to-revamp/

Your definition wouldn’t be far off.  Food products win the stamp of USDA Organic certification after meeting a strict set of manufacturing and environmental guidelines that “foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity” (ams.usda.ca).

And at the moment, maintaining USDA-certifiable crops often requires a more labour-intensive, specialized effort from farmers. With a stronger commitment to long-term horticultural balance, the $4.99 per pound tomato suddenly makes sense.

Shall we scoff at the effort, and reserve organic products for “those other people” with money and idealistic visions of a healthier planet? Not quite yet, folks. The extended benefits of organic farming, both for our bellies and for our environment, are quickly being realized. The tomatoes taste tastier, and carry more nutrients. The farms promote sustainability.

With quality standards, a greater time investment, and an eye on the long-term, organic search ranking is not much unlike organic farming.  Though, there’s a delightful catch: organic search rankings won’t break the bank.

Unlike pay-per-click advertising or paid spots in search queries, organic results appear based on their keyword relevance.

So think keyword-rich content. Not the overstuffed blabber that destroys business websites and tips off Google’s web crawlers as dirty practice.  Original content that has well-researched, relevant information, updated for the user’s benefit. Tailored to fit keyword searches.

Think well-placed back links. Taking the time to scour your industry’s online players and comment on their content. Provide links back to your site. Increase your link popularity. Build connections with other businesses that can feature links to your site.

Think long-term. Creating a storehouse of rich content on your site that can provide users with resources relevant to your industry.

There are no shortcuts with organic search. No middleman to pay for instant results. But for the long-term investment, the effort is worth it. Sustainable search rankings. Tastier user interactions.

The Internet moves trends and solutions along at such a pace that we can track the effectiveness of organic search strategies. The positive results are observable.

Talk to Chris or Greg today about improving your organic search strategies and getting on a track for long-term success. Organic solutions are good for you, and for your business.

Yes, the rank-changing fear runs fresh. And this isn’t a change to be confused with Panda. Remember Google’s Panda, from last year? I mentioned that an updated version would be launched in April (http://www.kelownawebdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/the-google-panda-eats-shoots-and-tweets-new-algorithm-changes/), and Cutts’ team held to its promise. With Panda 3.5 pushing for higher-quality content as of April 19^th, the Penguin update moved in with its white patrol hat on.

While Panda rewards innovative websites offering informative and original content with higher search rankings, Penguin punishes websites that have detectably cheated Google’s quality guidelines. Although the Penguin update has affected about 3.1% of the web population-while Panda has impacted nearly 12%-the punishing Penguin should not be ignored.

But before you go animal trying to remodel your site to these new standards, consider your web traffic. Track your numbers between April 24^th and April 25^th with Google Analytics. Drastic spikes within these days could be a result of Penguin crackdown.

And even if you did notice a remarkable change in traffic around this time, the keys to Penguin approval are accessible. Or so says Cutts.

In his April 24^th announcement (“Another step to reward high-quality sites”), Cutts references the Google quality guidelines as the criteria by which sites will be rewarded and punished. So if you want to stay out of the Penguin’s way, check these out http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769#3).

The guidelines articulate dirty tricks that we should all be familiar with by now, such as hidden text and links, cloaking, and link schemes intended to increase search rankings.

Some less obvious poor practices that you might want to check for on your own site include:

• Multiple pages, subdomains, or domains “with substantially duplicate content.” The Penguin finds this filthy. Consider auditing your site for duplicate or near-duplicate content pages throughout your site, and plan for original content to take its place. Panda and Penguin appeasement at once!
• “Doorway” pages. Loaded with keyword-stuffed content that translates as incoherent dribble, “Doorway” pages frustrate users and could cause damage to your rankings. Avoid schemes to populate your site with these kinds of pages.

Since Cutts’ team “won’t divulge specific signals because [they] don’t want to give people a way to game [their] search results and worsen the experience for users,” we can only educationally guess and test tactics to appease Penguin.  However, as sites begin to feel the chomp, SEO speculators can formulate more textured understandings of the algorithm, and help site owners maintain healthy, white-hat websites.

We’ll be there. Ready to inform you with our SEO findings. Prepared, as usual, to address the next game change. Which black and white animal will Google fling at us next?

References

“Another step to reward high-quality sites.” 24 April 2012. Webmaster Central Blog: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.ca/2012/04/another-step-to-reward-high-quality.html

The word: Reciprocity.

The Merriam Webster online dictionary primarily defines reciprocity as “the quality or state of being reciprocal: mutual dependence, action, or influence.”

But I enjoy a fragment of the second definition as well: “a mutual exchange of privileges…” When it comes to social media marketing, I approve of this definition. It points to the validity of our efforts on Facebook, through Twitter dialogue, and in other channels of exchange of content and ideas online, to bring about brand awareness. So long as we all participate, we can all win.

What you put in with social media is what you will get out. That is reciprocity. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Whether it’s Twitter or Pinterest, Digg or LinkedIn, the game is the same. You simply must engage with the beast to gain its approval.

Think about your personal Facebook page. It feels good to have friends posting videos on your wall, “Liking” your new profile picture, commenting on your status updates.  You can bet that they contract the same warm fuzzies from your attention to their profiles. Taking whatever you desire from social media, and giving it back to others, will spread the good vibes.

So let’s take it to the professional social media scene. Use reciprocity as a persuasion tactic, as Neil Patel from Mashable.com suggests. You can give away down-loadable ebooks through your website, and ask the recipients to return the favour by following your business on Twitter or Facebook. “It is so deeply engrained in that we need to give back for any good deeds that have been done for us,” says TopDogSocialMedia.com contributor Melonie Dodaro says.

Or make it even simpler. When a tweet appears in your feed that is informative and relevant to your audience, retweet it. Retweet unabashedly, with mindful understanding of the specific viewership.

If bloggers in your industry are asking questions in their articles, reply in the comment section with something thoughtful. The fantastic aspect of reciprocal social media interaction is the benefits both parties enjoy. With blog comments, you’re given the chance to give your company an intelligent voice within the online community, and the blogger gets higher traffic, and encouragement write more.

“Like” other Facebook pages. Do more than that. Comment on pictures, participate in conversations. It will bring users back to you.

Reciprocity just sounded like a delicious word to me, before I realized its value for successful social media marketing. Now, it’s one treasure of a word. Glad I could share it.

Why not put your new lesson to task? Comment here and let me know how you’re going to use reciprocity in your social media strategy! Or just say hi.

References

Dodaro, Melonie. “The Power of the Law of Reciprocity in Social Media.” 6 December 2011. TopDogSocialMedia.com: http://topdogsocialmedia.com/law-of-reciprocity-and-social-media/

Patel, Neil. “6 Ways to Be More Persuasive With Social Media.” 16 November 2011. Mashable.com: http://mashable.com/2011/11/16/social-media-persuasive/

“Reciprocity” MerriamWebster.com: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reciprocity

*The song “Ex-Factor” is from Lauryn Hill’s seminal solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Look into it!

However, there are technical aspects that form a criterion for Responsive Web Design, the officially designated practice that was first articulated by A List Apart writer Ethan Marcotte. His article outlined the elements of the idea, and inspired leagues of web designers and programmers to experiment with the form.

Marcotte references fluid grids, media queries, and flexible images as primary aspects of responsive web design. Employing these techniques in web design gives sites the ability to respond to diverse viewing experiences. Whether browsing the responsive site on your iPhone or your laptop, what you see on the screen should look and feel about the same.

Some have scoffed at responsive web design as being “boring”. Take Net Magazine writer Jonathan Longdecker, for example. He insists that the “cold, technical proficiency” of responsive design will “dilute our creativity” if it continues to be pursued as the most effective mode of content presentation.

Unfortunately for the critics and the skeptics, “proficiency” buddies up pretty close with user experience. With responsive web design, users enjoy a browsing journey that adapts to their devices, and not the other way around. Businesses with impressive content to display can guarantee that every user gets the full spectrum. Forget finicky scrolling, expanding, or clicking on new pages to get to the content:  with responsive web design, the content comes to you.

Responsive web design hardly designates the end of mobile design. Some businesses require mobile-only specifics for their site to function optimally under smart phone browsing conditions. And as the web community becomes saturated by responsive design, perhaps a shift in value towards “creative” adaptability will occur (Longdecker surely anticipates it!) We can only trust what we believe our users want most.

Responsive web design: another tech term to store alongside design trends that influence the direction of user experience and information architecture in today’s fast-paced Internet landscape.

Talk to Chris or Greg today to explore options in mobile and responsive design for your business website!

References

Longdecker, Nick.”Responsive web design is boring!” 3 October 2011. Net Magazine: http://www.netmagazine.com/opinions/responsive-web-design-boring

Marcotte, Ethan. “Responsive Web Design.” 25 May 2010. A List Apart: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/responsive-web-design/

Pettit, Nick. “Beginner’s Guide to Responsive Web Design.” 9 August 2011. Think Vitamin: http://thinkvitamin.com/design/beginners-guide-to-responsive-web-design/

On March 23^rd, a tweet rang out from the official news update Twitter handle for Google, @google:

“Panda refresh rolling out now. Only ~1.6% of queries noticeably affected. Background on Panda: goo.gl/mTKCH”

The link refers to the February 2011 Panda update announcement from Matt Cutts and Amit Singhal, posted via the Google blog.

In that now-infamous post, Cutts and Singhal are clear about what the Google Search Quality team wishes to accomplish for its users.

“Our goal is simple: to give people the most relevant answers to their queries as quickly as possible,” starts the article.

That this article was included in the tweeted announcement last week, suggests that the message holds true. Cutts and Singhal ultimately want to provide users with the most reliable, informative online resource available.

Yet like the Panda update of last year, the freshest change is hardly black-and-white. SEO experts and business owners must pander around in the dark for solutions to maintaining or increasing search rankings. As the February 2011 article mentions, optimal search results require “constant tuning of [the] algorithms, as new content-both good and bad-comes online all the time.”

We can expect that the Google Search Quality team is busy tinkering and adjusting the algorithm to best suit current content traffic; in return, high-rank aspirants must anticipate a bit of tinkering work themselves.

Last year, Cutts and Singhal said that the change would provide “better ranking for high-quality sites-sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis, and so on,” igniting a content revolution that continues to distinguish the junk from the gold online.

With an update summary in less than 140 characters, the March 23^rd tweet from @google makes a statement about succinct communication, and compels its reader to reflect on past algorithm changes.  It leaves me wondering: can a panda change its spots?

In coming months, let the refresh roll out without any undue stress to your online business strategy.  If the Panda update from last year taught us anything, it’s that content reigns. Stacking your site with researched, original content that informs and delights will continue to improve your rankings and hone your site to be an authoritative resource for your industry.

Check back at kelownawebdesigns.com for tips and information as SEO experts crack into the algorithm change specifics!

References

Bauer, Sarah. “5 Things You Need to Know About SEO.” 23 September 2011. KelownaWebDesigns.com: http://www.kelownawebdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-seo/

Cutts, Matt and Amit Singhal.”Finding more high-quality sites in search.” 24 February 2011. Google Blog : http://googleblog.blogspot.ca/2011/02/finding-more-high-quality-sites-in.html

Visualizing the optimal business branding strategy on Pinterest requires a cachet of original content to publish. With a storehouse of engaging photographs, entertaining videos, or richly detailed infographics that appeal to your target market, you have the opportunity to engage directly in the curation process. Imagine having your company’s original content “repinned” by other users, spreading your brand name across the platform. This is prime Pinterest usage.

Take stock of your company’s content. Is there material that could appeal to Pinterest users? With over 4000% growth in the last six months, and more referral traffic than LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube combined, the Pinterest bar for original content has been set very high. Only the most engaging, useful, or visually appealing images will move users to follow your account or repin your stuff.

And what if you’re stuck with no graphics to share, no pictures to pin? No problem. Create boards for repining material that reflects the personality of your business. Humanize your brand with boards for mountain biking and microbreweries. If this fits your brand, it fits your Pinterest profile.

Create boards for guess pinners; people or businesses in your industry that draw attention to your company services and will attract your target audience.

As you develop and maintain your boards  (I suggest a maximum of eight), you can hone a particular following and foster interaction with a like-minded community of users. In a low-key, non-promotional way, users can be compelled to visit your website, or participate in your web campaigns.

Keep in mind that Pinterest popularity follows the same mantra as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: the more you put in, the more you get out of it. Between frequent board updates, responding to post comments, engaging with other users’ boards, and creating new content to publish, the effort required should not be undermined.

While the majority of Pinterest users are 25-44 year-old-women, many seeking home décor inspiration and new recipes, this current reality does not reflect how the Pinterest demographic will change in months to come. Business owners in industries of all kinds should begin to familiarize themselves with this powerful platform. With content to publish, a business personality to make public, and some time to invest in social media, your business can harness Pinterest success.

Want to discuss creating new visual content to inspire your target market and spark a repinning rollercoaster on Pinterest? Talk to our graphic design leader today. Chris and his team can provide exciting solutions for your small business!

With over 35,000 objects displayed over the space of 652,300 square feet, the Louvre is the most visited art museum in the world.  The palace housing the museum features long, marbled hallways with miles and miles of art pieces and historical artifacts on display. Taking a week to see it all? That’s cute. A closer estimation is nine months. Nine months to glance at every piece of art here.

Marveled at for its sheer volume of objects, the Louvre remains massively popular. Though the experience might leave tourists feeling overwhelmed, the magnificence of human ingenuity on display makes for a remarkable visit every time.

Organized by sections based on period or movement, visitors can hone in on an area of interest at the Louvre. Scattered, this place is not. It just takes a bit of walking to get from space to space.

If the organization of creative chaos is possible in the Louvre, then we can expect to find similar solutions for the information overload that is our current web landscape.

Enter content curation.

Curation has become an over-used term recently, as Net Magazine contributor Katie Moffat notes, with musicians “curating” festivals, chefs “curating” dinners, and Pinterest making “curators” out of fashion followers and women with weddings to plan.

However, it defines an important part of what Mashable writer Steven Rosenbaum calls the “content equation.” He points to editorial curation as “human filtering and organizing,” necessitated by “the vast number of people who are now making and sharing media.”

Like the Louvre, the Internet is stuffed full of great things. Curation allows for the thoughtful organization and presentation of things, directed at a specific audience. Just as the Louvre has halls and rooms housing art that has been catalogued by historical period or artistic movement, web curation tools showcase archived content in new formats.

Content curation tools like Pinterest or Storify are surging in popularity as the hype around “curating” entitles its users as possessors of great taste. We’ll discuss the Pinterest boom in our next blog post.

For now, get acquainted with content curation and what the popular online tools can do for you business branding strategies. The topic is vast, like the endless halls of the Louvre, but the resources online make content curation a dynamic, approachable objective in business branding.

References

1. Moffat, Katie. “Social media at SXSW: the top five talking points.” 21 March 2012. Net Magazine: http://www.netmagazine.com/features/social-media-sxswi-top-five-talking-points#comments

2. Rosenbaum, Steve. “ Why Content Creation Is Here to Stay.” 3 May 2010. Mashable.com: http://mashable.com/2010/05/03/content-curation-creation/

So let’s grab the basics.

Pinterest lets you share, save, and sort “all the beautiful things” you find online on a virtual pinboard. Consider the process of bookmarking useful or inspiring links. Now take that public.  Pinterest puts all your links, in visual form, on an attractive profile page that can be accessed and “followed” by other users.

After being accepted for an account (Pinterest is an invite-only service), you log in with Twitter or Facebook. You install the “Pin It” button on your browser. Any time you stumble upon a web page worthy of your virtual pin board, clicking “Pin It” transfers the link back to your profile.

As you browse the web and “pin” pretty things, your Pinterest board will be established in a graphic organization based on images from the links. With its masonry-style layout, Pinterest profiles make every user look like the possessor of worthy taste. The unusual design breaks the system of “organizing information online based on reverse chronology,” giving its profiles an aesthetic edge (Kessler, Mashable).

It becomes a gratifying experience as quickly as you begin to build up your pin board. However, as Gigaom.com contributor reminds us, “getting something out of [Pinterest] requires some significant effort from users, because they have to explicitly engage with the product.” If you want to revel in the approval of fellow Pinners, you better have some pretty clever content to curate.

And with nearly 11 million visitors reported for the week that ended December 17, 2011, only the cleverest material will stand out. Experian Hitwise research put Pinterest in the 10^th spot for popular social sites in the USA last year, with a user demographic dominated by women (58%).

Not surprisingly, Pinterest has become popular a resource for saving links for home design inspiration, wedding ideas, and fashion fodder. The “Gifts” section lends an Etsy-esque marketplace to the platform, and categories like “Geek” and “DIY & Crafts” connect users with similar interests.

Pinterest appears to be carving out a responsive and valuable niche, which small businesses can engage with directly through this platform. In our next article, we’ll outline some strategies for building a brand presence through Pinterest, and assess what it takes to make an impact on social curation platforms.

References

1. Johnson, Bobbie. “When is the social curation bubble going to burst?” 14 February 2012. Gigaom.com: http://gigaom.com/2012/02/14/when-is-the-social-curation-bubble-going-to-burst/

2. Kessler, Sarah. “How Pinterest is Changing Website Design Forever.” 7 February 2012. Mashable.com: http://mashable.com/2012/02/07/pinterest-web-design/

3. Sloan, Peter. “Pinterest: Crazy growth lands it as top 10 social site.” 22 December 2011. CNetNews: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57347187-93/pinterest-crazy-growth-lands-it-as-top-10-social-site/?tag=mncol;txt

Smashing Magazine contributor Cameron Chapman says that minimalism is all about “taking things away until nothing else can be removed with interfering with the purpose of the design.”

That might sound too simple, but consider what stays behind in the process. With fewer elements gracing the page, every decision must be considered strategically. Typography, placement of text, shading palettes and white space, will be subject to vulnerability. With minimalism, every choice is bold.

So when considering minimalist web design for your own site, think about what must remain on the page, and what is non-essential for the optimal user experience of your content.

Delwin Campbell of SixRevisions.com suggests that we keep three elements in mind:

• Subject
• Usability
• Balance

The subject of the page-the most vital element in your business communication-should be maintained in minimalist design. This directs users to accomplish tasks and learn about your services.  Anything outside these goals need not be included.

Only include elements that improve usability, and enhance user-friendliness. Clarity in instructions is key. Don’t strip the design down to the point of confusion, where functions have no explanations, or the page lacks user direction.

Visual hierarchy matters in minimalist web design, making balance necessary for effective white space.  When the user hits your homepage, what elements are they immediately drawn to? What do you want them to see first, and how will they roam the page?

Strategic colour usage, typography choices, and placement of content must be thought out with subject, usability, and balance considered. Careful planning in minimalist design sets the dynamic web solutions apart from the bland, white space layouts that are simply grasping at the aesthetic lure.

While minimalist web design does make for clean, impressive layouts, the benefits in enhancing user experience greatly outpace the superficial visual aspect.

Take a look at some of these minimalist design galleries to assess whether minimalism is a direction for your business website to consider. Minimalism can create memories.

1. http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/galleries/minimal-website-designs/
2. http://www.cssdsgn.com/category/minimalist/
3. http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/inspiration/beautiful-examples-minimal-design-inspiration/
4. http://minimalexhibit.com/
5. http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/20-inspiring-minimalist-web-designs

References

1. Campbell, Delwin. “How Minimal is Too Minimal?” 5 December 2011. SixRevisions.com: http://sixrevisions.com/web_design/minimalist-how-minimal/

Chapman, Cameron. “Principles of Minimalist Web Design, With Examples.” 13 May 2010. Smashing Magazine: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/13/principles-of-minimalist-web-design-with-examples/