New Marketing Solutions by Big Splash

Consider Superman, Spiderman, or any equivalent superhero. While these guys may be good at saving the world, how well would they fare if faced with the challenge of running their own business? If you’re a small business owner, you’ve experienced those days where you wish all you had to do was leap over tall buildings in a single bound.

In the real world, small business owners wear a lot of hats. If you’re the boss, chances are you’re also the visionary, the accountant, the administrative assistant, the sales manager, the marketing director, head of R & D, and perhaps even the janitor.

Big Splash Web Design & Marketing understands those challenges. We also understand that small businesses often have smaller marketing budgets. For that reason, Big Splash Marketing offers customized marketing solutions, allowing you to create a marketing strategy designed to meet your unique needs and goals. Whether you simply need help setting up a Facebook account or a blog, or you need a complete, detailed strategy, Big Splash Web Design & Marketing is here to help.

Send us a message, or call us at (281) 816-6932 to see how we can help your small business make a Big Splash!

 

10 Amazing Web Design Trends For a Modern Vibe

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

 

 

8 Benefits of Using a Professional Hosting Service for Your Business

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.
 

Is It Time For Rebranding? – Check These 5 Signs and Find Out

To rebrand or not to rebrand?  This is a question that so many established businesses frequently quarrel over.  Many believe that rebranding isn’t a good idea because it could affect your brand awareness since everything from your logo to your business image is changed in the rebranding process.   At Big Splash we believe that rebranding every so often can sometimes be good for your business for the following reasons;

  • Rebranding can be good for a fresh and new overall look
  • Rebranding to a simpler and bolder logo and business image can actually improve branding when customers can recognize your business a lot quicker.
  • A more appealing and target audience based look can be great for boosting sales.
  • Rebranding generates the opportunity to create an image that looks much better on all platforms and items like stationery, clothing and much more.
  • Simplified branding can help your business save a lot of money in terms of ink and advertising.
  • Rebranding can be terrific for modernizing your business so you can stay competitive and engaging.
  • It gives everyone in the company and outside the company something exciting to look forward to.
  • Modern branding enable you to market your brand much easier since these files are compatible with more apps. Business owners can do their own posters, flyers, adverts and much more if their logo and basic information is in the correct format.

5 Signs That It Is Time for Rebranding

With all these terrific benefits you might feel quite enthusiastic about rebranding your business but is it the right time?  Check out these 5 signs and find out:

  1. Time to shake an old image
    Times change, people change and trends change.  If your company image just isn’t popular and trendy any more, than it might be time for a new and fresh look.
  2. When your company got slammed
    Accidents happen all the time and social media has a way of booming everything way out of proportion.  If your company got slammed due to an unsatisfied customer or an employee that did harm to your business then rebranding can save your company by creating a fresh and new image to represent a fresh new start.
  3. Outgrew your old mission?
    It is good if your company developed and grew a lot over the past few years but this might mean that your present brand might not be suitable anymore and could just result in the loss of sales when customers mistake your services.
  4. It’s been a while
    Didn’t do any branding changes in the past five years? A new look can be good for overall efficiency because modern websites function a lot quicker, is compatible with all devices and modern design trends makes it much easier for customers to spot your specific company.
  5. Evolving markets
    The markets are constantly evolving and businesses need to stay trendy to stay ahead of competitors.  If all your competitors are boasting with a modern and much more appealing look then perhaps it is time for you to change your look to get back into action.

Rebranding can be a good thing but with that said you should also be careful when choosing your designer so your new and fresh look will match modern trends, your business vibe, products and will be efficient for the next decade.

 

Combine SEO and Web Design to Optimize your Marketing Strategy

If you didn’t think there was much of a connection between web design and good SEO practices, consider the fact that without strong SEO principles embedded in your web design, there probably won’t be too many visitors who ever get to see your website. The important role played by SEO can hardly be overstated, because it takes into account what search engines consider valuable to a website, and maximizes those appeals so that a site can be ranked highly by search algorithms. And of course, the more visitors who find your site, the more likely you are to enjoy business growth and success.

This being the case, here are some ways you can ensure that your own SEO approach is strongly reflected in your site design, and works well to optimize your marketing strategy. Some of these strategies may be beyond the abilities of your staff personnel, but they are so important that it’s worth consulting with the marketing experts to get them right, and get them incorporated into your site.

Think mobile

If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it isn’t Google-friendly either, and will be prioritized low in search rankings. It goes without saying that mobile devices are the rage in Internet searches these days, so it’s an absolute must that your site has a responsive web design sensitive to that fact. Part of this awareness should include SEO strategies designed to sync up with voice recognition phrases commonly employed by mobile users in connection with your specific market.

Friendly URLs

You should be aware that your page names are important pieces of the search engine process, and can direct significant numbers of users your way if chosen carefully. A URL such as http://www.mycompany.com/auto-repairs will funnel users to your website who are looking to find auto repair services, and if you include specific geographic info in the URL, it will point them right to your location.

SEO for images

Every image on your website should have an alternative tag attached to it, because it provides additional content which can be searched by engines. Your graphics should also be scaled such that they do not degrade loading times, and should be named using keywords which are most likely to be referenced by Internet users.

Keep your content current

Internet users are always looking for the most current information, because things can become outdated very quickly in the digital world. That means that your content cannot be allowed to stagnate, and go untouched for months at a time or longer. Keep it fresh and updated with current information which is relevant to your users, and will be prioritized higher by search engines.

Speed is everything

Anything which slows down your presentation to users will be not only penalized by search engines, but may cause users to abandon your site in droves. This includes slow-loading images, plug-ins, social media buttons, JavaScript code, and anything else which bogs down your display time. Internet users have very little patience with slow displays, and at the first hint of delay, are likely to be on to the next website on the priority list.

 

Tips on Choosing a Perfect Web Hosting Service

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.

 

WordPress Web Developer Position

Big Splash Web Design & Marketing is looking for a Junior Web Developer to assist with WordPress website development and a wide variety of digital marketing projects, including landing pages and other SEO implementation. Our ideal candidate would excel with minimal supervision, proactively find solutions to problems and be able to communicate with clients and the rest of our team effectively.

Big Splash Web Design & Marketing is a rapidly growing web design and digital marketing agency in Houston that specializes in combining high-quality custom web design with comprehensive turn-key marketing services and search engine optimization (SEO). We use WordPress to build completely custom responsive websites as well as interactive mobile apps and web applications and then offer our marketing services to help increase the success of the sites and apps we build.

This position will provide the right candidate real-world web design and marketing agency experience and valuable insight into digital marketing and web development. It is a great opportunity for growth, with full and part time available.

Responsibilities

  • Editing and building responsive WordPress websites
  • Building landing pages and email newsletters
  • Working knowledge of WordPress, CSS, HTML, and Adobe Photoshop is required
  • Knowledge of PHP, jQuery and MYSQL is preferred but not required
  • Collaborate with the creative director, developers, and client account manager and directly with clients to create website functionality and design solutions
  • Follow written and verbal direction for consistency across all builds
  • Detail oriented website development and QA, with strong organizational and communication skills
  • Ability to excel working independently, unsupervised or with minimal guidance in a fast-paced, deadline driven agency
  • Strives to be a valuable team member that makes a contribution to the overall success of the agency
  • Troubleshoot client email and hosting issues with the help of hosting technical support
  • Other duties as assigned

Salary

Dependent on Skill Level

 

Visit our Contact Page to let us know you’re interested.

 

Big Splash Has Moved Into New Offices

Big Splash OfficesWe’re excited to announce that the Big Splash team has moved into a new larger location in the Clear Lake Area. This new space will not only allow us to better serve our clients – as well as prospective clients – but we also believe it’s going to help us be even more creative!

We’d love for you to stop by, say hello, and check out our new digs. You’ll find us at:

1322 Space Park Dr
Suite A191
Houston, TX 77058

 

Big Splash Offices

Give us a call today to schedule your free Website Marketing Consultation. We’d love to visit with you about how Big Splash can help your business grow.

 

The Big Splash Team is Growing

Here at Big Splash, we’ve been very fortunate to experience continued growth and we’re currently looking for additional team members. Specifically, we’re searching for a Web Developer and an Online Marketer .

Visit our Contact Page to let us know you’re interested.

 

Advantages of a Custom Website Compared to a Template Website

Boring Template Website

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.

Custom Designed Business WebsiteA 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.