Wieting Design

LOOKING FOR A FRESH LOOK FOR YOUR WEBSITE?

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For Cugno Architecture we ensured the original design was scalable and would continue to grow with their business, but our client was ready for a fresh look. The internet is constantly evolving and your website should be too. What does it take to freshen up your website design for the new year?

GOOGLE LOVES TO SEE FRESH NEW CONTENT.

You need to add to your website regularly, so we incorporated Cugno Architecture’s new projects to showcase their brand, and help increase the SEO ranking. If you haven’t updated your content since you built the site, chances are there is some material that can be removed or relocated.

MOVING CONTENT AROUND

What made sense to you a few years back, may not be as relevant today. What are the top objectives of your site? Is it to inform visitors about your brand, get them to join your mailing list, or convert them into buyer? Whatever your top objectives are, they shouldn’t be more than 1 click away!

NEW MOBILE MENU

This is a must for the best user experience. A standard desktop navigation menu can be hard to use from a mobile site or take up the entire mobile viewing window. The hamburger menu is a perfect solution to make navigating your site quick and easy, and exactly what we added to refresh Cugno’s website.

BE CONSISTENT!

If you’ve updated your logo, branding, or color palette you should be using them on your site. Using visuals like images and color schemes goes a long way to improving a visitor’s experience. In this case the vivid photography of past projects takes center stage. A picture is worth a thousand words after all.

Cungo Architecture is a full service architecture firm specializing in high-end custom residences with over 25 years experience. We’ve had the pleasure of working with this local business for over 5 years and look forward to many more years helping them grow their brand virtually.

If you think you might want to update your website give us a call at 203.259.8913 we would be happy to talk with you or email us

Wieting Design | CT Website Design

8 Trends To Improve Your Marketing

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Digital Marketing

Creative marketing can set your business apart from the pack, so it’s wise to stay updated on new approaches and trends. Before you jump into creating your marketing strategy for 2017, take a look at what marketing trends are going to have the most impact and return on investment.

 

8 Trends to Improve Your Marketing in 2017


CONTENT DENSITY – with the rise of SEO comes the rise of black-hat tactics as businesses try to outrank one and other. Random filler keywords and long dry content is going to be a thing of the past as Google makes yet another algorithm change to favor sites providing clear concise value in their choice of words versus length.  Visitors are skimming content, skimming posts, and often only browsing headlines and H1 tags. With the current content overload, consulting an expert when curating content for your marketing would be a great investment as dense content makes a rise.

LEVERAGING BRANDING – having an established brand simplifies your advertising. It’s not enough to have a logo, you need an identity and voice that will help you stand out among your competition. Then include native advertising to grow your brand views. As we noted in our Google Adwords article, it also pays to advertise your brand and nurture potential buyers that may be stuck in the “just curious phase” of the buy cycle.

PERSONALIZED CONTENT – with the influx of businesses using social media, your voice will be lost if you target too broad a crowd. Rather tailor your marketing towards a specific audience. This goes back to our tip last week of creating your ideal customer profile and creating content like you were speaking to just them.

SOCIAL MEDIA – always monitor your social channels either live or via social listening tools and tailor your message to your market . Do not robo post the same content, all at once, across all platforms. It’s obvious to your followers you’re only interested in doing the bare minimum, not connecting with them and building a relationship. It’s also important to not go on social-autopilot by scheduling your posts and then disappearing until your queue is empty. Connect with your followers post with in the moment messages and share your brand’s voice.

LIVE STREAMING VIDEO – social media users are demanding more in the moment real unscripted content and live feeds are the fastest way to capture this. You do not need a studio, professional lighting, or equipment. Let your followers see the people behind their favorite brand and what inspires you to create your product.

EPHEMERAL CONTENT – Some marketing sources will tell you this is the wrong way to grow, but if you’re targeting a young progressive audience, it’s has a place and can be a great way to capitalize on the FOMO (fear of missing out) trend.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed,  we’re only a call away and can provide a free consultation to help you get your business marketing plan ready for the new year. Give us a call at 203 414 9692 or email us!

8 Signs your Website needs a Maintenance Tune-Up

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8 Signs your website needs a maintenance tune up

  1. Your website is too wordy. Remember when the trend resembled a wikipedia page packed full of text? Trends now prefer more graphics, videos, and using negative space to draw the eyes in.
  2. Your mobile site is unfriendly. When your website tries to scale on a mobile screen, if some text disappears off the page or your navigation menu requires users to pinch and zoom, your mobile site is in trouble.  Websites should offer a clean and clear design that’s user friendly on both desktops and mobile devices. In early 2015, searches on portables surpassed desktop googling for the first time and the rate continues to climb.
  3. Broken links. It’s normal to catch a broken link here and there as outside resources move, or after you’ve cleaned up internal images and attachments.  But if you’re not checking your site on a regular basis there could be more broken links than you know and Google is keeping track of these and it’s negatively affecting your page rank and SEO.
  4. Bad Images. If a picture is worth a thousand words… what are your images saying? Images should have a purpose on your page, not just used for decoration. There should also be enough images to illustrate your company/brand/product. With the advances in cameras across the board, there’s no reason for a grainy-dark photo on your site. Go through your images and consider re-doing any photos that have poor lighting, clutter in the background, or simply do not reflect where your business is today.  
  5. Site Speed. Visit Google’s Page Speed Test. If your website is scoring less than 90/100 there’s a few maintenance items you’re neglecting and it’s affecting your site speed. Users are not going to speed time waiting for your page to load.
  6. Does your website still reflect your company’s brand and goals? If it’s been over a year since the content has been updated on your webpage, you’re in need of an SEO Tune Up too my friend.
  7. Is the focus above the fold? Above the fold is considered the viewable content a visitor would see when they  first arrive at your webpage, before any scrolling. Previous trends encouraged full width and height images, but this trend has been shown to make SEO efforts a little harder and if the image didn’t resonate with your visitor you lost a sale.
  8. Contact Information. Is it easy for a visitor to find your contact information and reach you? Is this contact information still relevant? New search algorithms are favoring websites with contact information clearly accessible and a physical address.

Websites need a little bit of maintenance here and there to keep them performing properly. Links break, rules change, and competition creeps in and pushes your site down the competitive ladder on search results. If you have a website, you need a maintenance schedule and you should be consistently viewing performance reports for your website. Change happens, and our clients know they’re covered because we have a maintenance plan in place.

Does your website need a maintenance tune-up? Contact or call us at 203 414 9692 and we would be happy to talk to you!

4 Ways to Improve Client Communication

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Communicating efficiently and effectively during a web design or website marketing strategy is key to a successful outcome. The relationship between a client and our agency is a true partnership in where both sides bring vital information to the table. Web design is only partially about the actual design and our designer. Communication plays a large role in how visually appealing your design will be how quickly the project can be completed.

4 Ways to Improve Client Communication

Build a connection. We are people first and foremost and it’s easy to forget this simple niceties when we’re focused on work goals. However, taking the time to start with something other than business talk, gives both sides a chance to strengthen the relationship.

Who Calls the Shots? We’ve all heard the expression “too many cooks in the kitchen” and nothing gets done or it takes twice as long. In business, when too many client reps  are in charge of a project they all tend to make their own changes/opinions. Similarly, sending a messenger to key meetings may halt a design change or important information being lost in translation. Key decision makers must be present at key meetings and presentations in order to maintain quality communication. We would never send a “fill-in” staff member to a meeting, as they’re not the expert on your project and we value the time you spend with us.

How and When to Communicate. As your partnered web design agency, it’s our responsibility to determine the best time and methods for communicating with you, our client. One of the most effective ways to ensure we are delivering constant communication is through monthly review meetings. This is not to say we’re not always available, but a monthly review keeps the project on track and moving towards the goal. Constant communication is extremely important in our development projects because we rely on your feedback. Delays in responding can halt a project from moving forward and extend the timeline for delivery.

Communicate on the same level. We don’t understand the complexities of your field of expertise, so we would never assume you understand ours, like how HTML5 and CSS3 are providing the best UX for your project. As the expert in Web design and client communication, we’ll let you know we’re using the latest web development technology to bring your customers an easy to use and navigate website that’s mobile friendly. In the end, we are still talking about responsive design and CSS3 media queries, but we are focusing on the business results instead of the technical execution required to achieve the results. Send us visual examples of what you like, images of your store, brand, products, etc so we can follow your references and give you the best visual design.

Quality communication is not one-sided. It has to flow in both directions: from us to you and from you back to us. The best projects we’ve developed have all been a direct result of consistent, clear communication.

The website and graphic designs we present are about you and your business which is why we take the time, upfront, to get to know you. It’s really about our clients that make Wieting Design the kind of company it is. Call us at 203.414.9692 for free consultation for your next project and get to know us.

Hiring a Good Website Design Agency

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hiring-a-good-website-design-companyMany times when we are talking to new clients there are always a few who have been mislead by a web designer with broken promises. I hear things like: “I gave a deposit and now they have disappeared” or “my website designer completed my site but it doesn’t work”. Cleaning up or trying to fix another designers/developers mistakes is not an easy task. Plus the fact you need to gain the clients trust back.  Our industry is a FIELD OF FALSE PROMISES AND UNORIGINAL CONTENT. These days “EVERYONE IS A WEBSITE DESIGNER or DEVELOPER. So you want to be sure your are hiring someone with experience, and a good track record. Here are some tips that will help you spot a bad web design company versus a good one.

What services do they offer besides website design?

If you go to Google and put in “Website Design Fairfield County CT” there will be a multitude of CT website design companies for you to choose from. When your planning a new website design or redesign, search for a company that offers a wide range of services to fully support your digital needs. For example: most new clients need a logo and collateral.  Hiring a one company to provide web design, graphic design, development and Inbound marketing services will help your business to stay organized. The company you hire will fully understand your goals, allowing your business to establish a more comprehensive, effective Internet presence.

 Take a good look at their portfolio, look closely at their clients.

A good web design firm will have an online portfolio of completed sites. Their own site may be enticing, but it is more important to look inside.  If they offer custom website design make sure the sites they have completed are just that and not a standard pre-designed site.  Take a look at the team and read about them. Ask for references. Don’t settle for a generic recommendation—ask for specifics. Perform an online search — not just on a search engine, but also on LinkedIn relevant forums. Look for red flags, but take any individual data points you find with a grain of salt. Consistency is far more likely to be accurate.

If they want more then 50% up front RUN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.

If they want more than 50% of the project cost up front, it’s in your best interest to keep looking. Typically we ask for 25% upfront, 25% when we go to programming and the remainder when the site is launched. If the company does not work with a contract, keep looking.  A contract is essential, as it protects both parties, outlines responsibilities, delivery timelines, quotes, out of pockets, and everything that you “both” can expect.

Is the price too good to be true? (the cheapest quote?)

Wow!  what a deal. $1,500.00 to design and develop a new website.  No, not really, and here’s why:

  • They have a full time job and are only designing websites to make some extra cash.  I can guarantee you that when you need support, they won’t be there for you. YOU WANT SOMEONE WHO DESIGNS WEBSITES FOR A LIVING.
  • They are inexperienced to the industry, don’t have a good solid track record, and simply don’t know what it “really” takes to fully design a website that will look good and function that way it should.
  • They will look for opportunities to up sell you on more expensive packages for SEO, Social Media, or Inbound marketing.
  • They are so desperate for work they will do anything to get it.

Make sure you can meet the people that are going to work from the designer to the developer.

You would be surprised with the number of agencies who outsource work. Outsourcing is popular these days, because the markup on the agencies side can mean big dollars for them, but the website could be built with flaws due to the people that are actually working on your site.  Outsourcing can turn out fine; however, outsourcing can create inconsistency in terms of timelines, talent, responsibilities, and language barriers.  Find out if the business you are interested in has a team in-house and find out how long they have been working together and on what projects. Many companies will post pictures of their team, but some will be overseas, or 3,000 miles away. So ask which of their team members will be working on your project and what are their qualifications? Think about the ongoing relationship before signing a contract.  Are you going to keep the developer on call if (when!) changes are needed?  You also need to get some assurances that the developer keeps the code clean and labeled properly, so someone else can easily work with the code.

So the bottom line is you may pay more for your new website then you thought, but it will be built right, you’ll get good custom service and the team your working with will be reliable. AS THE OLD SAYING GOES: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Give us call at 203 414 9692 or email us with questions we would be happy to talk with you.

Website Design: Westport CT, Stamford CT, Greenwich CT, Fairfield CT, all of Fairfield County CT and Hartford CT

Is Custom Website Design Worth It?

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There is something to be said about “packaging”. Once you have made the decision to invest, there are still many questions. Who should I hire?  Should I use a template?  Can I do it myself? Should it be a custom designed site?  Who can I trust?  How much will I have to pay?

In the years of running my company I’ve been involved in many custom website redesign projects ranging from small startups to larger brands. It’s my responsibility to guide the client in the right direction for their business, even if the right solution doesn’t directly benefit us.  I once read somewhere  “Business development is all about building trust. Forcing the wrong solution is shortsighted”.  I believe if your looking for just a few pages to get started then a pre-designed template might be perfect for you. But if your a well established company and looking to grow your business a custom site is the way to go.  Here are some simple facts about custom website design and pre-designed templates.

Facts About Custom Website Design and Development

  • Your website will have a completely unique design that will incorporate your brand.
  • With a custom site YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT.
  • A CMS system (content management system) is built into the site to make it easy for the owner to manage.
  • The process to create a custom site does take longer than a template site, because it is custom.
  • The cost for a custom website design is more, because we start from scratch.
  • The site will be built so its search engine friendly, meaning “prepared for SEO”.
  • Your website will be built so its adaptable to your company’s needs.
  • It is beta tested across all browsers to ensure your website works.
  • Your site will be designed to grow with your business by installing technologies for the future.
  • The implementation process is a collaborative one.
  • The code will be clean so your site runs fast which is better for SEO and the user.
  • Most website designers will train you and make sure you understand how your website works.
  • If your intention is to do SEO our custom websites are built to rank fast, due to the clean code we use.
  • Guidance on your copy content to ensure it makes sense, and is SEO compatible.

Facts About Do-It-Yourself Pre Designed Templates

  • Templates have a shorter development time.
  • Cheaper cost upfront.
  • Lots of other businesses/competitors could be using the same template which means your site will look the same.
  • You are limited on how much you can customize the site; what you see is what you get.
  • Some templates are not built to be search engine friendly.
  • Templates may not work on all browsers.
  • Templates are great for low budget, but remember what you see is what you get.
  • Pre-designed sites that you buy will not have a good support system.
  • Any images/copy added to the site must be adapted to fit in the areas predetermined on the template.
  • In the end if you do want to make changes outside of the template, it will cost you more to break away from the template.

Wieting Design knows the ins and outs of website functionality and can help you choose the best options. When creating a new website, you get what you pay for and templates may seem like a convenient and easy way to create a site but in the long-run a custom site is more cost effective because of what you get from the service to the finished product.  If your budget only allows for a pre-designed template hire a professional designer/developer to guide you in the right direction, it is worth the extra dollars and will save you some headaches later.

We have provided custom website designs for a variety of clients such as: Black-Eyed Sally’s, Reynold & Rowella, and more. View our portfolio

GIVE US A CALL OR EMAIL US WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Providing Website Design for all of Fairfield County CT including Westport CT, Fairfield CT, Greenwich CT and Stamford CT

CONTACT US

Wieting Design, LLC
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o: 203.414.9692
e: cindy@wietingdesign.com

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Serving: CT, Fairfield County CT
Hartford  CT, New Haven County CT