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5 Steps To Turn Your Website Into A Secret Weapon

February 24th, 2011
web design, secret weapon, synotac, synotac web design

The plans are in this R2 unit...Well, they were. We put them in a podcast for you, just click! Turn your website into your own secret weapon!

Below are blueprints of sorts, the beginning of how exactly to turn your website into your secret weapon. Now you probably think, hey, they will give us a little snippet of something good and then make us pay to get to the good stuff. No way, you’re getting everything. Below is a little bit from Synotac’s podcast done for E-Myth Worldwide, but it’s just the beginning!

Check out the 5 steps to turning your website from zero to hero and then click to the podcast for the details, in-depth information, free tools to help you accomplish these things, and practical advice from an industry expert.

  1. Define Success: What does it mean for your website to be successful? What is it that you want people to do once they get to your site? Is it signing up for a newsletter? Selling a product? Filling out a contact form? Whatever it is, define it clearly and be ready to measure it.
  2. Know your visitors: Do whatever it takes to get in the mind of your visitors. Think how they think, use the site as they do. Talk to your frequent visitors and find out how you can make their experience better. A website built around your visitors is a huge key to better conversions! You don’t want people leaving because they can’t find what they want or had an issue navigating it.
  3. Give them something of value: If you provide something useful to your potential clients even when they aren’t actively searching for your services, you are still building your reputation, potential for word of mouth and referrals, and keeping your site on the minds of potential customers that look to you for things they need online. What can you provide, exactly?
  4. Use many roads to get traffic: Building a site, even an awesome one isn’t enough to get people to come to it anymore. The sheer number of sites is astounding and your potential clients are bombarded with all kinds of links, offers, and ads constantly. To get to them effectively, you’ll have to explore multiple ways of capturing their attention.
  5. Track: What is working? What isn’t? Where are people coming from? Where should you focus your efforts? What kind of people are you succeeding with? Who is ignoring you? This one is all about analytics; numbers, numbers, numbers.

Remember, this is just from the first 5 minutes! Listen to the podcast for all the juicy details, it’s free right here! Included are 3 Basic Tools To Improve Website Performance, the 4 Most Common Website Mistakes and much, much more.

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Posted in Advice, Blogroll, Clients, Digital Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, Web Analytics, Web Development, Web Writing, Website Design, Website Usability

5 Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Website Design Team

January 11th, 2011

website design, portland webs design, synotac, synotac web design When the time has come and you have decided that your website needs some serious design work, choosing the right team to do the work will will make all the difference. It can a tough decision, but here are 5 must ask questions before settling on one.

  1. Do you have examples you can show me of projects you have done that had similar goals and needs to my own? A firm that has experience in your field or with meeting the types of demands you have is probably more likely to succeed with your site than a firm charting new territory with your site as guinea pig.
  2. How dedicated are you to the usability of the site? They should have something to say about keeping the focus on the visitor at all times. The visitor is the most important thing to your success and as your website design team, it should be their focus as well.
  3. Can I meet everyone? If they say yes, the work isn’t all outsourced and they are more likely to have experience working together on projects. Keep probing to find out how they work together and if they bring in outsiders or not. You want a tight knit and experienced team working for you.
  4. How do I make changes later? Most likely, it isn’t going to be perfect the first time. This is why it is important to see what the relationship is going to be like after the product is delivered. It should be a continuing one with a team that is willing to keep adjusting and serving your needs during the life of the site.
  5. How will we know if it’s working? It is important to decide on success factors and critical numbers on your own first and then see if their answer lines up. The answer might be technical, but they should have some things to say about traffic, bounce, usability, and conversion at the very least.

If you happen to be looking for a web design team of your own, start by checking out our portfolio and please feel free to give us a call or drop us an email to schedule a meeting with our team, you can ask us all the questions you can think of.

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Posted in Advice, Clients, Web Development, Website Design, Website Usability

Speed, Style, and Just Plain Sexiness

November 30th, 2010
synotac web design, web design portland or, synotac web design portland or, websiteWhen you think of the cars the guys over at Sunset Imports get to work with on a daily basis, these are the words that come to mind. Their lot is full of beautiful and exotic Audi and Porsche models and now, thanks to Synotac web design, they have a website that matches their inventory and style.

In fact, their new website is so great, the International Davey Awards have taken notice, earning Synotac a Davey in the automotive category. Davey’s are awarded to companies that display exceptional creativity in design across a variety of mediums, one of which is websites.

The new inventory system and separately branded Audi and Porsche sections have resulted in a site that is easier for people, meaning potential car buyers and clients for Sunset, to browse, research, and find specials and other valuable information.

We have talked about Stanford’s Web Credibility Guidelines before and web credibility couldn’t be more important to a site like Sunset Import’s, whose information and performance need to be near perfect. People aren’t going to buy a $100,000 car from a place whose website has bad information, an inventory system with mistakes in it, or that just doesn’t seem credible.

The 7th Guideline from Stanford stresses that the site be easy to use and useful. This doesn’t necessarily mean using all the latest and greatest technology or packing everything you can imagine into a site. It means that it be simple and intuitive and there shouldn’t be a learning curve with a website–the way it works should be clear and easy to execute. Sites that are easy to use are perceived as more credible and people are less likely to leave frustrated. You only get one chance to make a good first impression and build trust, if your site is doing both, you’re sure to have happy customers and lots of them.

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Posted in Clients, Web Development, Website Design, Website Usability

Relationships Build Award Winning Products

November 23rd, 2010
synotac, synotac web design, synotac web design portland, synotac web design portland orWhen Patrick Eggert set out to find someone to create an awesome new website for his films and photos, he did so like many others before. He did an internet search hoping to find someone local and ran into Synotac and what he described as a ‘very cool’ portfolio.

If you have checked out Patrick’s work, you know that he has an eye for the cool and creative. What he found at Synotac was not only the people he felt were capable of designing what he wanted, but also a place where there would be an opportunity for real collaboration during the process.

He said that going into the Synotac offices for the first time confirmed the feeling of accessibility and openness he felt he was going to experience during the project. “I felt a part of it, not just like someone else.” He said that the open and productive relationship continued through the 10 months they worked together to make the site just right. Deadlines that were given to him were always beat, he never had to prod for an update, and when he referenced the final product he used the word ‘perfect’.

Patrick isn’t the only one who thinks his site is outstanding, in fact, the International Davey Awards awarded Synotac the Gold Davey for patrickeggert.com in the category of film/movies. The final product was a result of a great relationship and a willingness to adjust and communicate. Patrick has a site that his customers love and that is the perfect way to deliver his work and Synotac has a shiny new award and another great site to add to an already ‘cool’ portfolio. Great relationships makes for great results.

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Posted in Clients, Social Media, Web Development, Website Design, Website Usability

How to Build Professional Credibility Through Your Website

November 16th, 2010
synotac web design, synotac web design portland or, synotac web design portland, seo, content, dynamic seo, social mediaThe 6th guideline that Stanford suggests following for increased ‘web credibility’ says to, “Design your website so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your business)”. To Synotac web design Portland OR, the most important part of that rule is what’s in the parentheses.

Creating a web page that simply looks professional is easy, making one that fits the personality of your business and supports the functional needs in one beautiful package is where it’s really at. Tapping into emotion is the best way to start figuring out how your site should look and feel.

Think of your website in two parts, the user experience (UX) and the user interface (UI). The user interface is the technical side of the website; it is how a user physically interacts with elements on the page and uses its functionalities. The user experience side is the emotional component, the ‘it’ factor that draws people back to the site over and over again. Understanding what is effective and appropriate for your site rests here.

If you run a chain of fun pizza places aimed at children, you wouldn’t want a straight-laced, resume’ style page with big words and pictures of executives with brief cases. It just wouldn’t fit even though it may be the epitome of ‘professional’ in terms of look. Instead you want to find what is best for the design of your site by looking at your company, how you operate, and who your customers are. A site with bright colors and lollipops all over it very well could be the most appropriate thing depending on your business.

When you set out, carefully consider the goals, values, vision, mission, and story of your business. Whatever comes out of the design project should reflect all of these things and the needs and wants of your customers. If the end product is aligned with your company’s values, customers that identify with that personality will feel comfortable with the site and trust in it, thus giving it credibility.

Then add a custom, human-centered interface that makes sense for how people will interact with your site as well as the emotional element found in the core of your mission and values. The result is a web site design that not only works, but tells your story in the most credible way possible and keeps people coming back.

Stay tuned for Synotac’s upcoming webinar on more of Stanford’s Credibility Guidelines and how they can help you!

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Posted in Advice, Clients, Social Media, Web Development, Website Design, Website Usability