Something for Everyone
From Web Design & Development to Local Business Optimization, Vermont Web Marketing has a SEO service that is right for you.
Web Design + Development in Vermont
Any successful marketing plan places great emphasis on the company’s website design, as the business only has a few seconds to grab the attention of the visitor and leave them wanting to see more. With competition increasing every day, no business can afford to turn consumers away simply by having a website that is unattractive and non-functional. We work with customers to ensure they have a site that appeals to visitors in every way, is easy to navigate, and is optimized for the search engines, as a website is only of benefit if it can be found by the target audience. Whether you need to design a website from scratch or have one that needs an overhaul, our team is ready to help you create a site that draws attention for all of the right reasons. In addition, the site needs to be mobile-friendly, as more users are turning to mobile devices when they need information. We help in this area too.
Website Design
SME Statistics reports the number one factor for 48 percent of consumers when evaluating the credibility of a business is the design of their website, and a mobile user survey found that 94 percent of consumers stated they rejected or mistrusted a website based solely on web design. Stop and think for a minute. What does your website say about your company? Does it leave people with a good impression of the business or is it tired and outdated? If the website is boring and stale, consumers may assume the products and services being offered aren’t of the highest quality either. Although you don’t need to overhaul your website yearly to keep up with the latest web design trends, you do need to ensure you are updating it regularly to reflect new products and services and provide a fresh new look for those who come to check out what you have to offer.
Originality is key when it comes to web design, as consumers are continuously bombarded with various forms of advertising and marketing. Although there is a great deal of disagreement among experts as to exactly how many advertisements the average person sees in a 24 hour period, the number has surely gotten higher over the years, thanks to the internet. Every time a person visits a search engine, they are likely exposed to paid advertising, and you can’t cut the TV on or drive down the road without seeing advertisements. What is going to make your business stand out? Your website is one area where you can truly show how and why you are unique, and web design plays a large role in this.
Site Navigation
Imagine going on a hike without a compass. That’s not a smart thing to do, is it? Sadly, many business owners build a website without a figurative compass and site visitors cannot find their way around. As a result, they choose to look for the information they want elsewhere and the business loses a customer, one who will likely never come back again. A website’s navigation system provides a map of the parts of the site and the information contained there. When the map is clear, their user experience improves and they are more likely to stick around and explore the site. What factors need to be considered when designing the navigation for a site?
First and foremost, businesses need to recognize they are unique and what works for one company won’t necessarily be appropriate for another. Therefore, when developing this road map, the goals of the business need to be taken into account along with the audience. Simple tends to be best, as no internet user wants to deal with a lot of clutter when they are trying to find a product or service to obtain information or make a purchase. This is especially true for certain types of sites, such as medical care providers of any kind, as information may be needed rapidly. We work to ensure your site navigation meets your needs and the needs of site visitors in every way.
We accomplish this by ensuring the menu structures leads the visitor to exactly what they need, as this increases the odds of their converting. To boost these odds, we also include calls to action at various points on the site, encouraging them to take the desired move, whether it be registering with the site or making a purchase on the appropriate page. A website has a very short period of time to draw the visitor in, and we focus on this first. Then we move to ensuring they stay on the site by making it easy to navigate through the various pages.
Search Engine Optimization
The only way for a user to find a site if they don’t have a company name is through the search engines, thus search engine optimization is likewise an important part of web design. Many business owners feel completely overwhelmed by this task, however, as the search engines are constantly updating their formulas to provide a better user experience. Some still assume using the desired keyword or phrase repeatedly is enough to move a site up in the search engine rankings, yet this is not the case. Another problem is that some search engine optimization providers use what is known as black hat techniques. These techniques may provide a rapid boost in a site’s search engine rankings, but when the search engines become aware of why this is the case, the site ranking quickly drops. The reason for this is the search engines consider these black hat techniques to be a form of spam. We only use those techniques approved of by the search engines, known as white hat techniques, to ensure your site moves up in the rankings legitimately and stays there.
When a website is compatible with regards to search engine optimization and web design, more traffic arrives on the site, as the search engines are better able to access and rank the content on the site. This is one area we focus on during our web design process, with link building being another. When a site links to other credible sources on the internet, the search engine recognizes this and provides the site with more authority. We work to establish these links, so you can see your site move higher in the search engines without penalty.
Mobile Responsive Websites
It isn’t enough to have a website that is user friendly and optimized for search engines. This website must also be viewable on a variety of devices, as more and more people turn to mobile devices when they want to obtain information or make a purchase. During the web design process, the designer must consider the resolution and layout of the site, as desktop and laptop computers tend to have horizontal screens, while mobile devices have a format that is more vertical. When a website is mobile responsive, the site is easy to read, the content can be accessed without difficult and internet users can share the site and its information with ease. As sharing is of great importance in brand visibility and awareness, a mobile responsive site is critical.
A mobile responsive website is important for another reason, and this is Google prefers this type of web design over others. This format makes it easier for the search engine’s crawler to examine the site to index and organize the content. This is due to the single URL used in responsive web design for all sites and the same HTML is also used across all devices. When a separate site is created for a mobile site as opposed to using the desktop site on mobile devices, the search engine must crawl and index the site more than once, and this adds to their work. We provide clients with mobile responsive websites for clients to ensure the search engines can rank the site properly and site visitors can obtain the information wanted and needed.
Choosing A Content Management System
Many businesses dread updating their website, as it involves contacting their web design firm to handle this task. We use a content management system that customers find easy to use and one that is optimized for speed, easily customizable and allows the website owner to make changes when needed. These sites are attractive, very user friendly and responsive for all devices. These are only a few of the many reasons why the choice of content management system is crucial. It must be easily understood by the average person, rather than relying on an IT expert to handle all changes and updates. This is one reason why so many rely on us. They know they can count on us to make their job easier.
A great website serves as a cornerstone of any online marketing plan. The site must work not only for your business, but for search engines and visitors as well. When all three goals are achieved, great results are seen. Visibility increases and conversion rates rise. Give us a call today or send a quick message. We are eager to help you create a great site that helps you achieve your business goals. Furthermore, we can assist with search engine marketing and social media advertising, local search engine optimization, web consulting and SEO website audits. All you need to do is ask, and we’ll be ready to jump into action, as your satisfaction is our primary goal.