Tag: web development

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Web Design

How Responsive Web Design Helps Your SEO

A Nashville customer on cell phone interacting with a responsive website and e-commerce site allowing them to place an order.
Responsive websites for cell phones.

No matter which industry you’re in, you want your website to show up in searches. This is how the majority of your visitors are going to find you. And as any SEO company in Nashville will tell you, not all websites are created equal in the eyes of search results.

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” The goal of SEO is to get your website to show up as close to the top of the list of search results as possible when someone types in a query that relates to your services.

There are many different practices that can be implemented to get your website higher in the search result rankings. In fact, just about every aspect of your website can be optimized—everything from the images, to the text, to the layout.

However, there is one particular aspect of a website that is continually growing more important: responsiveness.

But what does that mean? And why does it help in search result rankings?

What Does It Mean to Be Responsive?

A responsive website is one that loads smoothly and quickly on multiple devices and screen sizes. This has become increasingly important as a large number of internet users are moving away from their computers and relying on mobile devices.

In a literal sense, the term refers to the ability of a website to adapt itself to the size and shape of a screen. Various elements are utilized in order for a singular website to be able to display itself in a number of different ways.

For instance, a desktop website might have a large banner image across the top that will get automatically resized when viewed on a smaller, mobile device. Or maybe the content is laid out in multiple columns that simply won’t fit on a smaller screen. A responsive website will adjust the amount of columns, or perhaps move them to save the visitor the hassle of scrolling left-to-right in order to read all of the content.

NoSweatWeb is a Nashville SEO company that also knows website design. Visit us today to see what we can do for you.

Why Is It Important?

Google isn’t the only search engine, but they do have a massive slice of the industry. 76% of desktop traffic and 86% of mobile traffic, to be specific.  And they’ve recently altered their search result rankings to favor websites which are better-suited for mobile  use. This shift is a result of the increased tendency for people to use the internet on their mobile devices.

The main goal for Google is to provide an experience that is user-friendly. After all, there are plenty of options on the internet, and people are going to gravitate toward that which is easiest to use. A responsive website is inherently easy to use, and is therefore rewarded with higher rankings in Google’s search results because of it.

How Do You Make Your Website Responsive?

Make It Fast

Page load time is factored into Google’s search results. They know that waiting for a website to pull up pictures and text makes the user’s experience less pleasurable. And a website that has been designed with an eye toward responsiveness will generally load faster because it isn’t trying to fit something where it wasn’t meant to go.

Make It Easy to Use

The amount of time a user spends on your site is important. However, users are likely to go elsewhere if they can’t easily find what they need. Responsive website design ensures that no matter how someone is viewing your content, it will be laid out in a coherent fashion.

Make It Easily Shared

A responsive website will be tailored for social media shares simply because of its design. And while this might not directly influence your search result rankings, it can be a great source of traffic. Links on various platforms can be continually shared, exposing your content to new readers and potential visitors.

Make It Engaging

The bounce rate tracks how quickly people leave your website. Do they dig deeper or do they leave without exploring other pages? A website that has a short average amount of time spent on a website is an indication of subpar content. This is reflected by lower search rankings. However, design plays as much a role in a user’s decision to leave a website as content.

Minimize Duplicate Content

One method of making a website viewable on both desktops and mobile devices is to have two separate URLs with similar content but different layouts. However, Google doesn’t understand this idea and can lower your rankings based on the existence of duplicate content alone.

Are You in Need of Website Design in Nashville?

NoSweatWeb is your one-stop shop in Nashville for both SEO and website design. We know what it takes to get results and have been helping Nashville businesses optimize their content as well as their website design.

Are you looking for a Nashville SEO company that can also help with website design? Visit NoSweatWeb today!

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Web Design

The Evolution of WordPress

Wordpress History

The Evolution of WordPress

WordPress is a platform to help almost anyone set up a website of their own. However, it hasn’t always been the same service we see today. Here’s a quick look at the WordPress history to see where it came from, what it is now, and where it might be heading.

How It Began

WordPress grew from the ashes of an earlier blogging platform. That platform, b2/cafelog, was shut down by its creators in 2003. Two users of the platform, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little, decided to build a new platform on top of the old one. And thus, WordPress was born.

 

The interface was centered around blogging. A new version of WordPress came out the following year that extended the capabilities of the platform and allowed users to create and share their own plug-ins. At the same time, the largest blogging platform Moveable Type announced new licensing terms. Many users didn’t agree with these terms and began looking for a new platform. WordPress was there to fill this gap.

 

This influx of new users helped push the platform further. The community expanded upon what was already there. They helped introduce new features and continue a discussion that would inform the future of WordPress and what it offers.

 

NoSweatWeb has all you need to set up an engaging website for your small business in Nashville. Contact us today to see how we can help you.

How It Grew

Another new version was released in 2005 that expanded upon the customizability of the pages. It included a new default theme, the ability to moderate comments, pages, and a reconstructed theme system. Mullenweg released a statement ahead of the release of WordPress 1.5:

 

“1.5 has been our most user-focused development ever: we’ve listened closely to your requests, complaints, praise, pleas, and we’ve done our best to address these both in the core and through enabling plugin authors more flexibility. Any sentence that started “I love WordPress except for…” was fuel for the fire.”

 

WordPress 2.0 came out later that year with an entirely updated dashboard. Users gained the ability to avoid loading new pages for simple tasks such as adding tags and categories to their posts. This continued with the trend of addressing user issues and adapting toward accessibility.

 

These changes would continue as the platform moved forward. Changes to the dashboard, post capabilities, and general useability help guide the platform to becoming more than simply a blogging service. It was growing toward a fully-functional content management system (CMS).

 

Eventually, e-commerce capabilities would be added allowing users to operate their website as an online business. Media managers, theme updates, and a customizer helps users create image galleries which are used to display their merchandise.

 

The platform became adaptable to any screen type as mobile usage became more prevalent. New versions and updates were released multiple times per year to keep up with the changing market. This flexibility has helped WordPress not only remain at the top of their industry but become a leader.

What It Is Now

WordPress currently hosts 34% of all websites on the internet. There are an estimated 200 million active websites on the internet, which would put WordPress’s number around 68 million active websites. For comparison, the second most used website builder is Joomla, which hosts 2.9% of all websites on the internet.

 

Why is this? Ease of use. All of the updates throughout the years have made WordPress quite versatile. No matter what you want to do with your website, there is probably a WordPress design to help you accomplish it. And you don’t have to be a developer to figure out how to update your site. Plugins, tools, and themes all help computer novices create elegant pages with up-to-date information.

 

WordPress helps your website gain traction with built-in SEO boosts. Search engines throw a wide net into the ocean of the internet, and SEO helps your website to get caught in the drag. Permalinks, image optimization, HTML markups—all of this is built into WordPress’ websites and helps to rank better in search results.

 

Mobile usage is extremely popular these days. WordPress sites are optimized so your pages come through clear and usable, even on smaller screens.

The Future

The WordPress community continues to grow. Each passing year brings more updates and more features, which will only continue this upward trend. Updates to the available SEO features and improved functionality of the dashboard are expected to be coming soon. These improvements will only go to serve an already strong platform that seems poised to continue to grow.

 

Are you interested in an effective website of your own in Nashville? Visit NoSweatWeb today to see what they can do for you.

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Web Design

Fall is Here: A Guide to Seasonal Web Design and Web Development

Website Design using NoSweatWeb, local web design and web development in Nashville, TN; Franklin, TN and Brentwood, TN.
NoSweatWeb website design and website development

Holidays may only alter the moods of those that participate, but seasons affect everybody. The way we feel changes the way we view things. According to our friends at Hubspot:

 

“First impressions form in a matter of seconds. The same goes for a first impression of a product or brand, and marketing emotion can help shape that impression … and help that brand or product stand out in your mind.”

 

This relates to everything from putting together a commercial that pulls on your heartstrings to the basic scheme/makeup of your website. Website Design can alter our mood. Aligning our mood to a website we are engaging factors into how receptive we are to a particular message. If you want your customers to be receptive to your message, keep reading below. 

NoSweatWeb is a local web development and web design company in Franklin, TN; Brentwood, TN and Nashville, TN that can help provide seasonal website strategies.
Fall is here. NoSweatWeb is here to help your Web Design and Web Development cater to the season.

Use The Season To Your Web Design’s Advantage

You wouldn’t want to run an ad campaign for swimming suits in January. Why not? Because most people (excluding warmer climates) are more focused on sweaters and indoor fireplaces. They have a pre-existing rubric for what is comfortable. Your website should also take the season into account.

 

Lean into the season. Pre-existing ideas become cliche when they’re overdone. But these ideas often become overdone because they work.

 

Autumn is many people’s favorite season of the year. After the heat of summer, a cool evening in a sweatshirt is extremely refreshing. People want to experience this change in all aspects of their day, including when they look at your webpage. The bottom-line is this: strategic web design and proper web development allow you to capitalize on seasonal sentiment for your business. 

 

Trees with changing leaves, corn mazes, Halloween—all of these offer many opportunities for imagery that fits your customers pre-existing moods. Aligning with those moods lessens their inclination to leave your page. And as we know, your chances of converting a visitor into a customer improves with each passing minute.

 

Visit NoSweatWeb to see how they can help you this season!

Be Ready For Changes to Your Website Design

The ability to change your content and layout quickly and easily is a great advantage. It’s important to stay on top of these changes. As soon as November hits, the public’s attention shifts from Halloween to Thanksgiving. This informs a whole new set of color templates and associations within your customer’s mind.

 

NoSweatWeb creates a canvas that allows seamless updates to content and design. Schedule new content to roll out as soon as this changeover happens. Jack-o-lanterns are nothing more than a nuisance on November 4th. You want your customer to feel like you are attentive. Current content shows them you are paying attention.

 

NoSweatWeb - local Web Design in Franklin, TN; Nashville, TN and Brentwood, TN.
NoSweatWeb – local Web Design in Franklin, TN; Nashville, TN and Brentwood, TN.

There’s no better way to stay on top of changes than to take advantage of these scheduling capabilities. Website managers can set all of this up in advance so you never have to worry about the time getting away from you.

 

So How Does Web Design Relate To Fall?

You’re trying to convey a feeling. An emotion. It should almost be subtle enough that your customer won’t notice it until it’s pointed out. 

 

You don’t want your homepage to be filled with witches on broomsticks and the cursor to be a piece of candy corn. There’s a fine line between leaning into the season and being cheesy. 

 

Think soft, warm colors. Pictures of trees changing and losing their leaves. Include new content that relates your company to the season. People are going to be spending more time inside as the air turns cooler. 

 

Before long, they’ll be researching holiday gifts. All of this means more opportunities for your website to draw them in and convert them to customers. So be sure to have something for them to connect with.

 

Imagine yourself in their position. Maybe they’re looking for holiday recipes or new clothing to wear in the new season. Does the look of your website match how they feel? Do you have something for them to read that relates to this feeling? 

 

The more you can connect, the more you can convert.

Web Development: Staying On Top Of It

Effective web design necessitates planning and thought. Imagine yourself in the position of someone visiting your website. Not only who are they and what are they looking for, but what are they feeling? 

Typing on laptop at NoSweatWeb, a local web design and web development company in Nashville, TN; Franklin, TN and Brentwood, TN.
NoSweatWeb – Coffee and Web Design, two of our favorite things in one!

A major factor in overarching emotions is the season. Changing seasons means changing wants and needs. If you are able to match these changes in your web design, you have  an advantage over competitors that haven’t taken this into consideration.

 

No Sweat Web provides adaptable web development to help you keep up with the necessary changes throughout the year. Visit us today to see what we can do for you.