12 Jul Nashville Web Design
Although we are known for grooming up and coming country music stars, Nashville, Tennessee is also a booming place for the latest and greatest in technology, more specifically web design.
Nashville’s tech employment is largely due to our rise as a hospital management and healthcare IT hub, but there are some well established website firms here as well. From freelancers to PR firms to full on digital agencies, Nashville has it all.
It’s not just strictly about web design – the meat and the potatoes, for us southern folks, lies with the skill and approach applied to your project. When looking for a local Nashville web design agency to partner with, here are some quick tips to keep in mind.
1. Tools and Technologies
There are a variety of different tools and technologies available for web designers to utilize. Because the web is growing exponentially and getting more complex, using the right tools aids in lifting the weight in website development.
A good designer will know and can speak to the majority of these tools but a great one will know how to apply the tools best suited for your project. Those underlying technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are still very critical to learn and know.
Be sure to have that initial strategy meeting for your project with your web developer to discuss best practices and determine the best route for your new website.
2. User Experience (UX)
The term ‘UX design’ refers to the approaches and methods used to make sure that a website is entirely tailored and customized for its target market. If an online platform does not appeal to a certain type of audience, it is likely to be forgotten. Why is user experience important?
The way the user interacts with the website will actually help determine if they will take action and complete the overall goal the website was designed to incite. If the way a user might feel when navigating through the site is taken into account before and while the website is being designed, the final product will generate more leads.
There are many factors that go into creating an optimal user experience.
- Designing with a human touch in mind.
- Intuitive navigation. Having a well-thought-out navigation and linking structure allows your visitors to find what they are looking for easily and persuades them to move along to a conversion.
- Responsive design. With the number of users on different devices (most of which on mobile), your website needs to cater to how visitors are searching for your site. This helps many businesses worry less about designing for a constant stream of new devices.
These are just a few, but the end goal is, of course, to achieve an ideal engaging experience for your potential new customers.
3. How is Marketing incorporated into the design?
Beyond building a website, some organizations aren’t too sure where to begin to position their company or use the web as effectively as they could. There’s a lot that goes into marketing for any size company, but it can be particularly overwhelming if you have limited time and/or limited resources. Although, it does not have to be an overwhelming process but one that takes time, dedication, and involvement on your part.
Define Who You Are
The companies that have staying power have a brand – something that differentiates them from their competitors, something that people can connect with, and something that keeps people coming back. For example, what comes to mind when you think of Apple? Innovation and well-designed products, right?
Think about why you started your company and how that’s shown in your business practices to make you unique. Get feedback from your customers – their opinions can reveal aspects of the organization that resonate with them that could in turn be reflected in your brand messaging. Also, research your competitors. Learn what they are and aren’t doing well to find holes in your industry and what you need to do to be different.
Develop A Marketing Strategy
It all begins with a thoroughly planned out marketing strategy. There are several routes that you can take to achieve this; it does not mean you have to pursue them all.
Content
As apart of your marketing strategy, the agency that you partner with can assist with an assessment of your current website’s content and language and review it through the eyes of the consumer. Too often people assume that website visitors have a certain level of company knowledge, or that they speak the same jargon. That is not always the case. On the most basic level, this should include what your company does, in-depth product or service information, prices associated with your services, and contact information.
It starts with audience research, and is built on determining the best form of content, creating a pattern of frequency, tailoring the style to your audience, and focusing on keywords your audience searches for online.
Social
Once you have content to share, decide which social platforms best fit your organization and make sure that content you’re sharing will do well on that particular platform.
Email
Email marketing is still as effective as ever, if done correctly. Essentially, make sure your emails contain value for your prospects. This is yet another great way to build your brand loyalty and increase retention.
There’s a lot that goes into marketing for any size company, but it does not have to be overwhelming, even if you have limited time and resources. It’ll be a lot of work, no doubt about it, but will feel a little more manageable, if you take it one step at a time. After all, what is the use of building a website without driving traffic to it.
Recap
Regardless of your digital marketing budget, arm yourself with great information to know what to look for and what your website should include.
- Tools and technologies utilized for your online platform
- The user experience
- Incorporating marketing along the way
Furthermore, guiding you in the right direction is a mark of a great agency. It is the job of your web partner to learn your language, so to speak, and speak to you in terms that you understand and are comfortable with. From here, the agency can apply the necessary best practices to suit your project.
Want to learn more from Darkstar Digital? Check out these articles.
3 Things to Know When Building a New Website
5 Nashville Web Design Trends for 2016
You might also want to read 6 Tips For A Great Website