Category

Creative Services

Nov 22
0
Responsive Web Design

What is Responsive Web Design?

By | Client Services, Creative Services, Search Engine Optimization, Website Design and Development, Wordpress Development | One Comment

jbm_web_designResponsive web design means making a website look eye-popping on a desktop computer, and on a smartphone or tablet. For the most part this is easier said than done. A website looks different on a mobile device. That means that you, or your design firm, need to put a conscious effort into making a website responsive. It’s no longer enough to simply make a website look great on a computer.

For example, imagine that you have an article about the tourism industry in Rhode Island. Your website is probably going to include lots of pictures. These pictures may look excellent on a computer, and too small on a smartphone. To make a website responsive, a web design firm might take one large picture of Providence or Newport and replace it with two smaller ones. On a mobile screen these will stack on top of each other, creating a better user experience.

Why is it Important to Have a Responsive Website?

Having a responsive website is important because of how many people access the internet from a mobile device. In 2015, 1.9 billion people will use the internet on a smartphone or tablet. In fact, 25% of people worldwide will only access the internet from a mobile platform. That’s a huge share of internet users that you cannot afford to not cater to.

The problem with traditional web design is that 44% of people claim that navigating a site on a mobile device is difficult. If a smartphone user has a problem accessing a site they’re going to be less likely to return. This is especially true for potential customers who only use the internet from a smartphone or tablet.

Another reason it’s important to have a responsive website is that it will increase your search engine rating. Google and other search engines check websites to see if they are compatible with mobile platforms. If they are, they’re more likely to send traffic to your site. If you’re selling a product, mobile traffic can be lucrative, as 69% of tablet users report using their device to make a purchase in the last thirty days.

What Can You Do to Improve Your Website?

If you don’t have a website yet then you want to be sure to talk to your web designer about creating a responsive site. You should ask them about their experience with making responsive pages and about how they will make your site easy to use on a mobile platform. The firm you’re talking to should be able to confidently answer all your questions.

On the other hand, there are two easy ways you can improve your website if you already have one. The simplest way is to load your website on your phone and go through it page by page, creating a list of problems that you encounter. For example, some text may be too small to read, certain images might render poorly, or it may be difficult to click different links. Take that list of problems to your web designer and work through them.

Another way to improve your website is to analyze it using this tool from Google. It will assess your website and point out any potential problems that a mobile user may face. This tool is useful because you’ll know exactly what you need to fix in order to increase your Google search ranking.

Having a responsive website means that it will look as good on a smartphone as it does on a desktop computer. Google rankings aside, you should have the final say in how a page appears on a mobile platform. Owing to the huge number of mobile users today, it’s important that your brand makes a positive impression.

Sources

http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/responsive-web-design

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/01/guidelines-for-responsive-web-design/

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/designing-for-mobile-devices/

 

Apr 03
0
your website is your sales person

5 Reasons Your Website Is Your Best Salesperson

By | Client Services, Creative Services, Website Design and Development | No Comments

your website is your sales personOne of the biggest problems business owners and executives have during the web design process is thinking about their websites as websites. That might sound like a riddle, but it’s actually a reminder that your website has a more important job than simply sitting online and bringing in visitors – it should be a good sales tool, too.

 In fact, your website should be your company’s best sales performer. If you object to that statement, or doubt its accuracy, then consider these five reasons why your website has to do a good job of selling to be effective:

1. Your website is always selling. 

It’s unfortunate that you can’t have your company’s best salesperson in front of a prospect at the exact moment when they’re thinking about buying something from you. Your website is always open and available, though, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. It doesn’t matter what the weather is doing, or if it’s a holiday… your website is always open for business.

2. Your website always delivers the right pitch.

The better a salesperson is, the more consistent they are going to be in explaining the benefits of your products or services to other people. Even the very best in the business aren’t perfect, though. Your website, on the other hand, can deliver a perfect pitch every single time (assuming you’ve got good copywriting and visuals to work with).

3. Your website can do things salespeople can’t.

It would be hard for a salesperson to move instantaneously into a multimedia pitch, provide references for every fact or study they use in the sales process, or gather together the latest testimonials from happy buyers in a few seconds. Your website can do all of these things for multiple prospects at once without breaking a sweat.

4. Your website can handle more prospects without asking for a raise.

Speaking of multiple prospects, one big problem with having a star salesperson is that there is only so much of his or her time and attention to go around. If they get overwhelmed because your marketing is successful, then you have to start recruiting and hiring all over again – a process that can be time-consuming and expensive. Your website actually gets more efficient as people use it more and more. It doesn’t cost you anything extra to have lots of visitors, but you get a lot more in return.

5. Your website is the perfect team player.

While live salespeople can (understandably) sometimes be a bit touchy about sharing leads and commissions, your website doesn’t have any hang-ups about being a team player. If you want it to finish a sale on its own, that’s fine; if you’d rather have your website spread information and gather leads before passing them on to a different member of your sales team, that’s fine, too.

 When it comes down to it, your website simply handles a number of different sales tasks that a real live person would struggle to. It’s always on, has more capabilities, and is more efficient. So, if your company’s website isn’t doing a great job of sales, now is the perfect time to ask yourself why.

web_gradeFree Website Audit

We will send you an In-Depth analysis of your website so you can learn how to improve your online visibility through SEO, Social Media, Usability and much more.

[contact-form-7 id=”1414″]
[vc_icon type=”typicons” icon_typicons=”typcn typcn-zoom-outline” color=”grey” background_style=”rounded-outline” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1465178318675{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
ANALYSIS
[vc_icon type=”typicons” icon_typicons=”typcn typcn-code-outline” color=”grey” background_style=”rounded-outline” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1465178459188{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
DEVELOPMENT
[vc_icon type=”typicons” icon_typicons=”typcn typcn-chart-line-outline” color=”grey” background_style=”rounded-outline” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1465178722639{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
MARKETING
[vc_icon type=”typicons” icon_typicons=”typcn typcn-flow-switch” color=”grey” background_style=”rounded-outline” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1465178410325{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
FUNCTIONALITY
[vc_icon type=”typicons” icon_typicons=”typcn typcn-flash-outline” color=”grey” background_style=”rounded-outline” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1465178683646{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
SPEED
[vc_icon type=”typicons” icon_typicons=”typcn typcn-pencil” color=”grey” background_style=”rounded-outline” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1465178598711{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
DESIGN

Or better yet, if you have a website project get in touch with us and let us start finding the answers you need.

Feb 19
0
Marketing for small business

What Small Businesses Really Need to Grow in 2015

By | Client Services, Creative Services | No Comments

Over the next few weeks, you’ll undoubtedly come across dozens of articles telling you all about what small businesses need to grow in 2015. The problem is, they won’t necessarily agree – some authors and experts are going to insist Internet marketing and advertising are the key; others will prefer more traditional tactics like direct mail or focused branding efforts.

So who should you believe? What does your small business really need to grow in the coming 12 months? How can you generate more leads and sales without spending a fortune?

The answer isn’t as complicated as you might expect. In fact, it’s hiding in plain sight. The reality is that there isn’t any real distinction between online or offline marketing anymore. Your mobile web marketing might need to be focused and compelling, for example, but so do your postcard mailers. And they all have to tell the same basic story.

In other words, what small businesses need to spur growth is an integrated approach to winning customers. It’s not about the tactics, but the plan and the philosophy. At Black Door Creative, we use a top-to-bottom approach that encompasses everything business owners need, including:

Branding and strategic planning. Without a plan, it’s hard to get the right results. That’s why we begin by learning to understand what your company is all about, what your short- and long-term goals are, and what kinds of challenges you’re facing. Then, we can develop a strategy that speaks to your strengths and makes it possible for you to make the kinds of gains you’re looking for.

Messaging and creative development. Of course, all the planning in the world won’t help if you don’t have great creative pieces that invite phone calls, visits, and click-throughs. We work with you to develop webpages, ads, and other creative elements that draw in interest and attention from your very best prospects.

Overlapping marketing campaigns and releases. Once all the right pieces are in place, it’s time to roll out your marketing campaigns and enjoy the rise in sales that will result. Unlike other creative firms, we don’t just look for one-time “bumps” in revenue; we’ll help you build a sustainable plan that reinforces your brand and messaging over time, so customers keep coming back for more.

A system of continual measurement and refinement. Even the most successful marketing campaigns need to be revised, adjusted, and modified over time. We’ll study the results of our work together to see where we can improve sales in the future so that every campaign is stronger than the one before.

What your business needs in 2015 is more customers, not more buzzwords. Until you have a team that understands how the different pieces of a well-constructed sales funnel work together, finding consistent success in marketing is going to be difficult.

Are you ready to take your sales approach to the next level? Talk to a member of the Black Door Creative team today and let us show you what we’ve been able to do for other businesses just like yours.

 

Sep 09
0

Is Email Marketing Dead?

By | Creative Services, Email Marketing | No Comments

Email Marketing can be a small business best friend when it comes time for a big marketing push. Recently we have heard grumblings that email marketing is not efficient enough to attract customers. We think email marketing has its place right beside your website design as one of the most powerful and important marketing tactics you can use as a small business. Email marketing is still extremely cost efficient for general marketing and is evolving into companion to other marketing and web development strategies.

Email Wanted Dead or Alive

Brought to you by Email Marketing Software from Marketo

Aug 30
0

What Does Your Font/Logo Say About You? Is it Time for An Updated Logo?

By | Creative Services, Logo Developement, Uncategorized, Website Design and Development | No Comments

Great History of Typography

Here is a great info-graphic on typography. Fonts are an cornerstone of design. They come into play with logo design, print design, and many other media’s. There are over 90,000 typefaces available today. Read through and you can dive into the history of typography. What does your logo font say about your company? Do you know? Have you ever considered the message it is portraying to you potential customers? The font you use is important, if you want create a consistent brand message contact us today @ 781-510-1298 (Boston Area) or 401-339-4155 (Providence Area).

typographic_infographic

http://static.colourlovers.com/uploads/images/typographic_infographic.html

Dec 03
0

How your small business can benefit from an SEO plan

By | Creative Services | No Comments

Rhode Island Small Business SEO Services

It has been always difficult for small businesses to promote their business and products against the dominant market leaders who always have more money, support and acceptability. However, SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a helpful strategy for small businesses to get back at the big guns. To be honest, SEO is the only way for small business to get noticed and promote their products to millions of people throughout the world. Even if they might not have that much of money to spend on advertisement, they can still compete head to head with anyone regardless of its market share, size and resources.

So how does SEO and search engine marketing or SEM works? It all starts with the rising supremacy of internet and search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo. Now a day, everyone looks for their favourite products or information on the internet. This is where; SEO can make difference for small businesses. Usually, large organizations will have huge billboards, sponsorship programs and branding programs. Such intensive marketing strategy will make it really difficult for small businesses to get noticed. However, with search engine optimization or SEO, they will be able to top in the Google list and get noticed by people in the community and also other parts of the country as well. In addition to SEO, SEM can also be helpful for small businesses which are a broader internet marketing strategy that focuses on promoting websites for better awareness.

The SEM and SEO are more accurate for small business as they need less investment than conventional marketing strategies. However, even after small amount of investment, they can give you exposure on a global level. With this strategy, you remain in touch with your customers all the time and you don’t need to pay for any billboard or newspaper ads. SEO & SEM are also considered to be helpful for businesses since they are targeted to the actual clients and the community. In fact, it is the phenomenon of SEO and SEM which has given new hope to small businesses to compete and also succeed against the large companies. For this, all you will need is a precise web development strategy, an attractive website and expert search engine optimizers such as Rhode Island Search Engine Optimization.

For the same reason, the number of SEO & SEM companies like Rhode Island Search Engine Optimization is booming in USA and other parts of the world. These SEO companies are able to craft effective web development strategy for small business which includes developing website, optimizing pages both offline and online, building links between sites, developing contents and so on. Although small businesses can do these things on their own, they will never be able to do it like the pros. This why; you should ask for help from SEO companies like Rhode Island Search Engine Optimization. As they know how to tweak your website and make it standout in millions of other websites, you will get instant recognition without spending a fortune.

Oct 15
0

Effective Email Marketing for your business

By | Creative Services, Email Marketing | No Comments

Email Marketing and the right way to do it is kind of an unknown among many business’s. What is the proper way for you to market? How many times should you send out a marketing message and who should your email marketing message be sent to? Those are all great questions, The purpose of this article is to help answer some of these questions even if you are not one of our email marketing customers in Rhode Island or Massachusetts.

Truths about Email Marketing:

  • Email Marketing is cost-effective. There are costs involved in email marketing, such as copywriting and design, your production and delivery costs are significantly cheaper than that of direct mail. For the same amount, you can send out around a hundred emails for every direct mail letter.
  • Email builds relationships. While email may not be the only method that helps connect you with your audience, it’s the least intrusive—enabling the recipient to respond at their leisure. A well thought-out email plan can create and strengthen customer loyalty.
  • Email is active. Email marketing actively sends your message to interested people, rather than relying on them to find you each time.
  • Email provides timely results. The time between distribution and delivery of
    an email marketing campaign can be measured in minutes rather than days. This allows you to choose the time you deliver your messages with more precision, and also means results will become evident quickly after you start your campaign.
  • Email is quick to produce. Once you’re set up to run email campaigns, you can easily launch a major marketing initiative to all your customers in a few hours. There’s no other direct marketing source that could be implemented in this sort of time period.
  • Email accommodates hyperlinks. With just a click of the mouse, a customer can go from reading your marketing message to purchasing at your online checkout. This speedy one-step process is what marketing dreams are made of.
  • Email provides detailed feedback. Email marketing allows for comprehensive feedback. You can measure how many of your emails were successfully delivered and opened, how many times your links were clicked on, and, importantly, how many sales you made. This also enables thorough campaign analysis.
  • Email enables affordable segmentation and targeting. Email marketing is agile, allowing you to vary the content sent to customers on your distribution list. You can segment, that is, split your lists based on market segments such as geographic location, purchase history, gender, and age to send tailored messages, improving your conversion rate.
  • Email plays well with others. Email works well when part of an integrated direct marketing campaign. While other methods can come across as disruptive or pushy, email is able to prepare your customers for a sales call—or as a followup to a face-to-face sale—without getting in a customer’s face.

How can Email Marketing help your Rhode Island or Massachusetts based company? By keeping in touch with your potential customers at key and strategic times either weekly or monthly you will build a reputation with your customers and always stay relevant with them. Most customers if not ready to make a purchase right away will at least remember you when it comes time to make that purchase and the more top of mind you are to them through all of your email communications then the better chance you will have to be remembered by them.