Good images make a good website, pure and simple.

Think of any site that you like, and I guarantee there’s an eye-catching photo or illustration that caught your attention.

There are some basic principles that I follow when designing a website, such as that people respond to colour, faces and movement. My best websites combine all three, with the result that visitors spend longer on the site and are more likely to contact the owner.

However despite these simple rules of website design, the majority of sites, especially corporate ones, continue to break them. Here are the 3 main errors of design judgement that I see time and time again:

1. Reliance on Stock photography

Stock photography (by which I mean the online libraries where you pay to download images) has its place. If you’re looking for incidental shots that represent industry sectors, for example, it can be very useful.

The problem occurs when a company presents stock photography of models posing as their staff (who clearly don’t work there), or buy a suite of clichéd pictures where someone is inscribing corporate jargon on a clear acetate board, in reverse, and smiling smugly to themselves. You must have seen these pictures, and so has everyone else, so avoid them at all costs!

2. Amateur photography

Having just bashed stock photography, I’m now going to advise you not to use photographs taken on a smartphone, no matter how high res, or on a cheap digital camera. Without a tripod, a decent lens, professional lighting and possibly a touch-up in Photoshop, you’re unlikely to achieve the colour, focus and quality of image that will impress visitors to your website.

It’s important that people gain an immediate impression of professionalism, quality and style when they hit your home page – don’t undermine your company’s credibility with cheap images. It’s a false economy, plus if you commission professional photography, it doesn’t need to cost a great deal and you’ll have a suite of images ready for other marketing activity.

Your images will be relevant to your business, showcase your staff and skills, and avoid the next potential pitfall, which is…

3. Don’t ‘borrow’ images from the internet

You may not be aware of this, but some of the largest online image sellers have invested in technology which scans websites for unlicensed images. This is an automated process and it can recognise even a section of a stock photo, which is then cross referenced. If you didn’t buy the image, or your license has expired, you may receive a legal letter demanding a hefty fee.

Notification may come months after you used the image, but it’s becoming increasingly common and I get a lot of calls on this issue. Your best bet is to avoid using images you find online, say in a

Google image search, altogether. Instead there are some free libraries, or as I mentioned previously, consider investing in your own library.

If you’d like the images for your new website, please feel free to get in touch. My interest is in creating good looking websites that do three things:

1. Grab people’s attention and hold it long enough for the message to get across
2. Are fully interactive and encourage visitors to make contact
3. Achieve top positions in the search engine rankings

Images are a big part of this, and I advise anyone planning a new website to consider them as an integral part of the project.

Overlooking the long term survival of a website is fatal, but incredibly common.

It’s true that designing, building and writing a new website can seem a daunting prospect, which is perhaps why people forget to ask the most important questions, such as:

• Will I be able to update the copy and add new content myself? (ie without incurring regular fees and waiting for a slot in someone else’s schedule).
• If I can update it, which bits can I change? You may have access to the news blog, but what about the home page or about us?
• How much will it cost to add new sections, video, social media etc? The last thing you want it to be hit with big bills long after the initial and well negotiated build stage is over.
• Can any other web designer operate this programme? If no-one else understands the system your developer has chosen, you’re basically locked in for the life of the site.

WordPress overcomes all of these potential pitfalls. It’s an open source product, which basically means that it’s free online and is constantly being updated and improved by a community of IT nerds who do it for fun – yes really!

Not only do you save money and know that your website is built in the most cutting-edge and effective software available, but it also means there are many developers out there who can pick up your site if the relationship with your original website developer fails.

What’s more, because it’s not been created to make money, but instead to be the most user-friendly and SEO-effective website platform out there, WordPress is simple to use – both for the owner and the visitor. The built-in content management system can be easily navigated, and you can change pretty much any part of the site, including the images. There are even a range of videos on YouTube to help you if you get stuck.

Another benefit of a WordPress website is that it will evolve. It’s a bit like digital stickle-bricks, with free bolt-ons constantly being published to ensure your website remains SEO friendly and can accommodate new technology as it becomes widespread.

For example you can already upload videos, view WordPress websites on smart phones and tablets (unlike many types of website so beware!) and you can view it in most browsers). But if a new form of social media takes off, you can be sure there will be a WordPress widget to suit in a very short time (another benefit of WordPress nerds).

So remember, while at first all your attention and energy is focused on getting the site looking great and working well, take time to consider the long term. Websites are organic, constantly evolving marketing tools which require maintenance – who is going to do it and how much will it cost?
If you have any questions I’ll be happy to help, just email …..

New WordPress website design repays dividends for specialist flooring retailer

Online retail is growing 6 times faster than high street sales and is predicted to exceed £37 billion by 2014. Customers are increasingly using the internet to research and compare goods and services in all markets, from daily groceries to luxury design.

So for Colchester – based company Specialist Floors, getting the website right was critical to long term growth and success.

Digital design agency, Ultimate Website Design, was brought in to create a new site that would do justice to the company’s impressive product range and prestigious brands. Managing Director at Specialist Floors, Jane Hilliard, describes how the website design and development process worked:

“It was so easy. Quite literally, Kevin Sinfield from Ultimate Website Design came in to gather all the information for the content and graphics, and then a week later returned to run through the finished demo site with us.”

One reason why the process ran so smoothly was the technology on which it’s based. Ultimate Website Design uses the WordPress platform to develop websites – an exceptional programming software which ensures that websites are compatible with all browsers, smart devices and e-commerce. The content management system is also easy to update, even for a complete novice. However as Jane admits “I mostly give Kevin a quick call and he takes care of the updates for us”.

The development time was particularly impressive when you consider that Ultimate Website Design also created a bespoke corporate video for the home page. With YouTube now the second most popular search engine, and 90% of information predicted to be available in video format by the end of next year, it’s a great way to differentiate a business and build an instant relationship with the customer.

However, a website is only effective if people see it, so achieving a good position on Google was a priority for Specialist Floors. Rather than fork out on an expensive and unpredictable pay per click campaign, Jane opted for a fully optimised SEO friendly website, which has already boosted the company’s position in the natural listings and raised their online profile.

Jane is thrilled with the results: “A lot of people have commented on the new site, remarking how nice it looks, and we’ve seen our online traffic and showroom footfall rise as a direct result.”

She adds, “Since meeting Kevin, we’ve recommended Ultimate Website Design several times – the whole process was easy and the new website is fantastic!”

Why not take a look at the website to see for yourself.

For more information on how the website was created, and for a quick quote on a new site, Get in touch.

Asher Prior Bates a local long established firm of solicitors based in Colchester decided it was time to update their website to include all the latest features available.

Show casing their services and staff was one of the priorities along with a news section to communicate with both old and new clients all the latest news from Asher Prior Bates along with helpful legal advice.

“We use WordPress for our Website Designs”

The website is setup so the staff are able to easily add content to the site. This is becoming more important with all modern website design where the clients want to be more involved with communicating with their customers.

Why not take a look at the website to see for yourself.

If you are looking for a new website get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Now you have your website up and running you need to start adding content. In this video we will look at adding a blog post to the website.

Should you be considering adding video to your website design?

Video is fast becoming the most popular way to consume information online. The latest Google statistics show that more than 1 billion minutes of footage are viewed on YouTube every month, and over 90% of all data online is predicted to be available on video by 2012. So if you need your website to perform, whether that’s through generating more traffic or converting leads into sales, then video promotion is your next step. Fresh, fun and interactive, it’ll encourage visitors to return, engage and spend.

If video isn’t yet part of your marketing strategy, here are 3 reasons why it should be:



1) Capture your audience


Consider your own web browsing behaviour. Given the choice of reading a long page of text or simply clicking ‘play’ to watch a short video, which would you choose? Video can relay much more information in a short space of time, plus it gives a brand scope to create a personal relationship with customers.
Of course it’s not a live web feed, but the experience is much more interactive and engaging than plain text. People are less likely to skim over content, and statistics show they’re much more likely to respond to your advert or ideas, and then share the video with others. If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video is far more valuable.

2) Get a head start


You can spend thousands on pay per click and directory listings to make sure your company’s website appears in the search engine’s natural listings. How much and how long it takes you to secure a good position will in large part depend on how much competition there is for your relevant keywords, but how much competition is there for video? YouTube will do wonders for your search engine ranking, plus it’s not just a numbers game – scoring loads of hits is great only if visitors are responding to your site.
Take a look at your competitors’ sites – if they’re not using video yet, then you have a rare opportunity to achieve an online advantage by standing out from the crowd while at the same time boosting your SEO.

3) The young ones
Last year 25% of young people aged 11-14 purchased clothes online, 23% bought video games, 21% DVDs, 20% CDs and 18% music downloads. Video is the format of choice for the majority of young surfers, and multimedia has become an integral part of daily life for us all with the advent of services such as iPlayer and 4OD. Website design is evolving to suit demand, and video will soon become a core ingredient of every site. Video is here to stay and the sooner you take advantage of it, the more effective your website will be.