Big Splash Web Design, eCommerce & Internet Marketing

It is important to constantly freshen up the general look and design of your website for three very big reasons:

• Firstly; Google loves new things and they rate websites according to their content. The fresher your content is, the more you boost your SEO rankings.
• Secondly; using new and modern trends on your website is a terrific way to keep your business modern and interesting and to constantly give your audience something new to see.
• And thirdly; many of the most popular website trends are popular because these methods makes the entire buying process much easier for clients.

Now that you know just how important it is to stay ahead of trends, you are probably wondering what the latest web design trends are, right?  Well, wait no longer because here are the top 10 web design trends that you can definitely consider to give your site a mini makeover;

1. Minimalistic Web Designing

This latest web design trend proves that less is more.  Millions of businesses promote online and over 2 billion people are actively sharing content on their social media sites each and every month.  That is a lot of information flying around! Many businesses have decided to use the cluttering of digital content to their advantage by decluttering.  Minimalistic web design involves only putting essential information on your site so everything seems more organized and so visitors can navigate easier.

2. Cinemagraphs

People are visual creatures and that is exactly why cinemagraphs is one of the most popular website trends.  A cinemagraph is basically a video or GIF that runs in a loop on your site.  Cinemagraphs are fantastic for explaining procedures, steps or even for advertising products.

3. Infographics

An Infographic is basically a chart that makes it easy to understand difficult content, processes or ideas.  Infographics is not just great for websites but can also be shared on different platforms, sites and networks.

4. Gifs And Animations

A few years ago everyone was advising against these two elements – mostly because data usage was always an issue for internet users.  Data is now more affordable than ever before and more internet users prefer animated content because it makes everything much easier to understand.  The key is to do them tastefully without making them obnoxious.

5. Open Composition Websites

If you are using a boxed web frame then it is definitely time for an upgrade.  Open composition websites are much better looking because it gives your website a bigger or wider look.

6. Videos With Sound

Thanks to faster internet speeds everyone seems to prefer viewing videos online.  Videos are great for explaining content and for promotional purposes.

7. Neutral Colors

Using neutral colors on most parts of your site gives you one huge advantage and that is to highlight certain content or promotions on your site with bold colors.

8. Customized Typography

Custom created typography and especially big bold lettering seems to be the in thing right now because it gives a site a much more unique feel.  It also emphasizes creativity and freedom.

9. Using All Capitals

Using all caps in  certain place like navigation and callouts can give a site a much more symmetrical look and can make it much easier for internet users to navigate your site.

10. Engagement Space

More and more websites are starting to add space for engagement so clients can give feedback or rate services and products.  This helps businesses create a much more credible and authentic feel.

At some point between starting and upgrading your business you will be tempted by the thought of free or cheap website hosting.  Some entrepreneurs prefer free/cheap hosting above professional hosting because they save a lot of money.  Cheap web hosting isn’t a good choice for anyone that didn’t study IT because managing your own domain, keeping your website up to speed, upgrading the software, controlling your data and content and creating sound backups for your site is no simple task.

Using professional hosting service providers like Big Splash gives business owners a lot of great benefits and ends up saving you a lot of time and money.  Some of the top benefits you will enjoy when you use our professional hosting services include the following;

1. Reliable hosting
   Our professional hosting services are reliable.  You will never have to switch between different hosting options, you won’t have to struggle with technical issues and your website will constantly be upgraded so it will perform well and be based on modern software solutions.  We will look after your website and ensure that your site is as safe, up to date and fast as possible.
2. Customer support
   Customer support is one of the best reasons to use professional hosting services.  If something goes wrong you don’t have to struggle to find a solution.  Simply pick up the phone or send an email and an expert will fix your issue right up.
3. Better control of your content
   When you use free hosting options you often don’t have control over certain aspects of your website and sharing content can be hard.  When you use professional hosting you have full control of all content that is shared and you can do regular website upgrades or blog shares yourself.
4. Domain and email address
   Domains are important for growing your brand online and using a personalized email that suits your domain alias makes your business seem much more legitimate and professional.  Professional hosting services can create you a domain name and will supply you with a suitable email address.
5. Website design
   DIY web design templates with drag and drop features promises to enable you to create your own site for free or little cost, but what no one ever tells you is that you are greatly limited because each available design only offers so much adjustment.  Professional hosting services can design you the perfect website to match your unique vibe and your services.
6. There is always enough space and speed
   When you use free hosting options you often cannot load much on your site because it will affect your website’s performance and loading speed since so many other users share your space on the same hosting system.  With professional hosting you can invest in all the space you need so visitors can load your pages quickly and efficiently.
7. Search Engine Optimized pages
   Professional website hosts are experts in SEO (Search Engine Optimization).  We know exactly what to do to improve your website ranking so your site will appear on Google’s first page of search results and we are familiar with all of the best SEO techniques to boost your site.
8. Enhanced security
   Professional hosting services gives you much more options in terms of security.  You can choose private hosting packages and be ultimately secure because you are the only one on that particular server or you can use shared hosting options and share server space with others.  The first is by far the most secure for your content but shared hosting can also be safe as long as you stick to the right host.  Enhanced security includes protection from hacking, viruses and from loss of data.

Choosing the right web hosting service can be absolutely critical to your company’s continued success and business growth. Conversely, choosing the wrong company can lead to problems which threaten the existence of your business, or cause serious financial discomfort. For instance, a company which doesn’t provide an appropriate level of security for its clients could be hacked, leaving clients exposed to data theft. A hosting company which is unreliable may cause excessive downtime for clients, and in the commercial world downtime represents loss of revenue. With all this in mind, here are some tips which can help you choose the right web hosting company for your business.

Check out the reviews

You can find out a great deal about the reputation and reliability of many web hosting services simply by reading online reviews from existing and past clients. You will also be able to find out about any persistent issues commonly referred to by customers. Sometimes you’ll even see company responses to customer complaints, and these will also tell you a great deal about the company you’re checking out.

Pick the right kind of host

Before you can choose the right kind of web host, you’ll have to know exactly what you need in terms of hosting options. For example, you will require a lot more features from a web host if your own site is one which will have live streaming, and offer visitors the opportunity to upload their videos. If you expect to have tremendous visitor traffic, you’ll want to make sure that your site is not hosted on a shared server, and you should instead seek a dedicated server.

Find the right package

Don’t get fooled by the low cost of shared hosting, because along with that economical cost, you’re also likely to experience less responsive service. That can be a big problem for you if visitors to your website begin abandoning because of slow response time. It would be far better for you to have some kind of dedicated setup if you expect to have heavy traffic on your site, and when it’s important to provide your users with a high quality user experience.

Get enough bandwidth

Even as a new website, you should make sure you have more bandwidth than you actually need in the beginning, because you will almost certainly grow over time, and need that extra bandwidth very soon. It would be best to avoid signing any contract which locks you into a specified bandwidth, because more than likely you will be charged additional fees when the time comes for you to request greater bandwidth. 

Don’t jump on the lowest price

When you’re starting out as a small business, it’s best to avoid choosing a web hosting company which simply presents you with the lowest offer. While it might make economic sense, you may also find that you get poor customer service, unacceptable downtimes, and slow service that does more harm to your business than a higher budget hit would. Evaluate pricing in terms of what you’re getting for the money.

Many individuals and small businesses are content to put up a website based on a template, especially if it’s their first foray on to the Internet, because it’s simple to install, requires little tailoring, and it’s ready to go pretty quickly. However, it isn’t long before owners realize that their template-based websites look like hordes of other sites on the Internet, and offer little of distinction to visitors to make them stand out.

Little or no design time is needed in such cases, because the design has already been decided, and all that’s really needed is to plug in the name of the business before you’re off and running. But isn’t your unique business entitled to its own unique website – and as a business owner, aren’t you entitled to present yourself to the world in a way that’s entirely your own?

Advantages of a custom website compared to a template website

A website needs to be more than a pretty template that appeals to the masses; it needs to function as a window to the world for your business, inviting Internet users to learn more about your company and its products and services. Every web page, and every piece of content should be somehow informative to readers about just what it is that you do, and how their lives can be made better by continuing buying from you and by reading the useful information you provide. That’s what custom web design is all about.

A custom website is always more SEO-friendly, which will cause you to be ranked higher by search engines, whereas a template-based site is relatively restricted in its implementation of good SEO practices. You can’t really use good online marketing techniques either on a template site, especially on your front page, which is crucial to getting your message across. If you really want customers to find your website, it should be a custom website instead.

Another advantage of having your site custom-built is that you’ll get continuous support from the designer/developer, both technical and informational. Template-based sites have little or no support available, because all the work has been done already, and you have to accept it as is. In other words, you’re on your own.

The advantage that should stand out the most though, is the fact that a custom website stands out from others by virtue of its higher quality and sophistication, its superior functionality and ease of navigation, and its uniqueness in a setting where so many websites look virtually the same. When customers view cookie-cutter websites, they tend to form that same opinion of your business – that there’s nothing special about it, and it’s just like all the rest.

Rise above the crowd

From the above, it should be clear that a custom website is the way to go, from almost any angle you choose to look at building a site. To earn all the benefits of a custom built website, contact a web design team like Big Splash Web Design, and make your small business website perform like a Big Business company.