hiltonwebdesign

A guide to competition business websites

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 17:53:00 GMT

Competition businesses are companies that make money by running different competitions. This typically means you offer consumers the chance to enter a competition and win a prize. For instance, you may offer a brand-new car to one lucky winner. Entrants have to pay to enter the competition and this is how you make your money.

Naturally, these businesses need websites to host all of the competitions. Thus, you will require a proper competition business website. How does this differ from a normal business website? Well, there are some key elements and rules you will need that other sites might not require. Don’t worry, all will be explained below:

There must be clear rules

To start, you need to outline clear rules for every competition on your site. This means detailing exactly how much each entry costs, what the prize is and any other rules that entrants need to follow. If you fail to disclose this information, you could be penalised by the UK Gambling Commission.

It’s a smart idea to have a FAQ page on your site that also answers common questions and explains all the general rules - such as age limits, etc. This is basically your company’s way of showing the authorities you are doing everything you can to inform participants of any risks associated with entering competitions.

Figure out if you need a licence

According to the UK Gambling Commission , you don’t technically need a licence to operate a competition business website.

However, this is only the case if you do one of two things:

Add an element of skill to the competition
Offer a free route of entry

In most cases, providing a free route of entry to each competition is the easiest approach. The best way to do this is by providing people with the option to enter for free via post. Include this in every single competition and make it clear for everyone to see this option. You also need a page that details how to submit postal votes, so keep that in mind.

If you do not do this, you will need to obtain a licence to run your website.

Focus on drawing participants in

Your competition business website needs to clearly show each competition and draw the user in. Display the prizes for all to see, using HD photography at all times. The inclusion of a live countdown is also a smart idea as it adds time to the equation. Users will feel encouraged to enter a competition as they see the clock counting down and realise there’s not much time left to capitalise on the opportunity!

Display as much social proof as possible

Nowadays, people are worried about being scammed online by fake competitions . Nobody wants to provide a dodgy site with their bank details. So, you need social proof in the form of reviews and testimonials to prove you are trustworthy. Trust is so important for competition business websites, so make sure your social proof is boldly displayed when people visit your site.

Focus on website security

Likewise, website security builds more trust. The absolute bare minimum you need is HTTPS encryption on your site. This lets users know that your website is secure and their data is protected. If you visibly display other security elements, it builds even more trust between your business website and the consumer.

Creating a winning competition business website can be challenging if you have no experience. At Hilton Web Design , we specialise in this domain. Feel free to contact us today and we can help you kick things off.

How to make a competition website that performs well

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 17:39:19 GMT

When you want to create a competition website, there are a few key things that you need to keep in mind to make sure that your site performs well. Discover what they are in the guide below.

Defining the goals of your competition website

Every website exists for a reason. To sell products, to share information, or to provide a service. Your competition website is no different. You need to have a clear goal for your site before you start building it. Otherwise, you'll end up with a hodgepodge of features that don't work together and don't help you achieve your objectives.

Some common goals for competition websites include:

- Generating leads

- Getting more entries

- Increasing brand awareness

- Collecting data

Creating a great user experience

Creating a great user experience is essential for any competition website. There are a few key things to keep in mind when designing your site to ensure that users have a positive experience. First, make sure the site is easy to navigate and understand. This means having clear and concise instructions and labelling everything clearly.

Secondly, user interaction should be kept to a minimum. Too much user input can lead to confusion and frustration. Finally, ensure that the site is responsive and runs smoothly. Slow loading times and crashes will only serve to frustrate users and send them away.

The good news is that a provider that offers competition web design can help you achieve all these user experience goals. Indeed, by working with a professional that understands the ins and out of competition websites, you can make sure your site is as user-friendly and effective as possible.

Optimizing for search engines

If you want your competition website to perform well, you need to optimize it for search engines. This means ensuring that your site is designed in a way that makes it easy for search engines to find and index your content. A few things to keep in mind include using keyword-rich titles and descriptions, using proper markup, and making sure your site is mobile-friendly.

Generating traffic to your competition website

There are many ways to generate traffic to your competition website. One of the most effective is through search engine optimization. As mentioned before, this involves making sure that your site is designed in a way that makes it easy for search engines to find and index your content. Other ways to generate traffic include social media marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and email marketing.

Measuring the success of your competition website

There are a few key metrics you can use to measure the success of your competition website. One is traffic volume. This metric measures how many people are visiting your site. Another is conversion rate, which measures how many visitors are taking the desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter or entering the competition. Finally, you can also measure the amount of time users spend on your site and the number of pages they visit.

Things to keep in mind when starting your own online raffle business

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 17:37:27 GMT

Before you begin your own online raffle business, check out our guide below.

Research the laws and regulations surrounding online raffles in your jurisdiction.

When starting your own online raffle business, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, research the laws and regulations surrounding online raffles in your jurisdiction. For example in the UK free draws or prize competitions do not require a license to be run. However, as laid out by the Gambling Act 2005 , other types of competition do need licensing, so it's best to check out the details before you begin, otherwise, you could incur a fine or worse.

Make sure you have a solid business plan in place.

Also if you plan on joining the ranks of the many popular raffle websites, you will need to make sure you have a robust business plan in place. This will need to cover things like your company mission, who your target audience is, and what your competitive advantage is.

Design your raffle website or landing page to be user-friendly and visually appealing.

When starting your own online raffle business, it is important to design your website or landing page to be user-friendly and visually appealing. This will help you attract more participants and increase your chances of success. Some things to keep in mind when designing your site include: making sure the layout is easy to navigate, using attractive visuals, and providing clear and concise information about your raffle. By taking the time to create a well-designed website or landing page, you will be more likely to attract participants and achieve success with your online raffle business.

The good news is you can get a raffle web design specialist to help you with your site. Indeed, by working with a professional that specialises in competition web design you can make sure that your site is both user-friendly and responsive. Things that in turn will make sure it s a favourite with your target audience.

Create attractive and compelling prize packages.

The motivation for people to enter your raffle are the prizes and this means you need to ensure that what you are offering will bring in enough entries. The best way to do this is to research what your target audience most wants, and use that as inspiration.

Advertise your raffle widely to maximize reach and ensure a good turnout.

You'll need to ensure that as many people as possible are aware of your raffle for it to be successful. Utilize all channels at your disposal, from word-of-mouth and social media to more traditional forms of advertising. Make sure you have a solid plan in place so that you can reach as many potential entrants as possible.

Handle all aspects of customer service efficiently and courteously.

To run a successful online raffle business, it is important to handle all aspects of customer service efficiently and courteously. This includes answering questions about the raffle, addressing concerns or complaints, and providing information about the prize. By providing excellent customer service, you will build trust with your participants and increase the chances of success for your business.

What is a competition website builder?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 17:34:58 GMT

A competition website builder is a handy web-based platform that allows users to create and manage their own online competitions. Competition website builders usually provide a wide range of features, including the ability to create custom forms, manage entries, and track results. Some competition website builders also offer additional features such as social media integration and email marketing. Read all about competition website builders including their advantages and disadvantages below.

What is a competition website builder?

A competition website builder is a tool that helps you create a website for your competition. It provides a platform for you to promote and manage your competition, as well as collect entries and track progress.

Competition websites can be used for any type of contest or raffle, and are a great way to increase engagement and reach new audiences. They can also be used to run internal competitions within businesses or organisations.

There are several different competition website builders available, each with their own features and pricing plans. Some of the most popular include Rafflecopter, Gleam, and ViralSweep.

When choosing a competition website builder, it's important to consider your needs and budget. Some builders offer more features than others, so you'll need to decide what's most important to you.

Benefits of using a competition website builder

There are many ways in which a competition website builder can help you run a successful contest or competition.

Firstly, they provide a platform for you to promote and manage your competition. This includes features such as entry forms, social media integration, and email marketing tools. Secondly, they make it easy for you to collect entries and track progress, which can help save you time and effort, especially if you're running a large-scale operation.

The downside of competition website builders

However, it is worth noting that there are a few potential downsides to using a competition website builder. Firstly, they can be quite expensive, particularly if you're running a large-scale competition. Secondly, they can be time-consuming to set up and manage. And thirdly, there's always the risk that your competition could be shared virally for the wrong reasons (e.g. if it's not very well organised or fair).

The good news is there is a way to avoid these issues - by using a competition web design specialist.

Why the best option is to use a custom competition web design service instead

There are many reasons to use a custom competition web design over a competition website builder. First, a custom design can help you to better brand your contest or competition.

Second, a custom design can be more flexible and allow you to better customize the look and feel of your contest or competition. This will help you stand out from the crowd.

Finally, having a specialist complete a custom design may be a little more expensive than a competition website builder, but you won't need to spend your precious time learning how to use a builder platform, which can take a fair bit of effort.

Indeed, a custom competitive web design is well worth the investment if you're looking for a truly unique and professional-looking contest or competition!

How To Start A Competition Business?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 17:32:34 GMT

Competition businesses can take many different forms and can be very profitable. However, before starting your own competition business, be sure to check out our handy guide, below.

What is a competition business?

A competition business is a type of business that manages or organizes competitions, usually involving prizes. Competition businesses can be offline or with the right competition web design online too. Competition businesses often specialize in a particular type of competition, such as raffles, lotteries, or quiz-based games.

Why start a competition business?

There are a number of reasons why you might want to start a competition business. Competition businesses can be profitable since people are often willing to pay to enter competitions. They can also be fun and creative, allowing you to come up with new and exciting ways to engage your audience. Additionally, competition businesses can help promote other businesses or products, by offering prizes that are related to those businesses or products.

How to start a competition business?

Are you thinking about starting a competition business? If so, there are a few things you need to know before getting started.

Types of competition

First, you need to determine what type of competitions you want to run. There are many different types of competitions, from online contests to in-person events. You'll need to decide which type of competition will best fit your business model and goals.

Legalities

Once you've decided on the type of competition you want to run, you'll need to check the legalities of your idea. This is because some types of games may require licensing under the Gambling Act 2005 . However, the good news is that if the games you run on your competition website qualified as free draws or prize competitions , you will not need a license to run them.

Business plan

After making sure you comply with the legal regulations around competitions, it's time to create a comprehensive business plan. This plan should include everything from the prize structure to the entry fee and judging criteria. Without a well-thought-out plan, your competition is likely to be unsuccessful.

Promote your competitions

Finally, you'll need to promote your competition. This can be done through traditional marketing channels like print or online advertising, or through more creative methods like social media. Whatever promotion strategy you choose, make sure you're reaching your target audience.

Tips for success in the competition industry

There are many things you can do to increase your chances of success in the competition industry:

Make sure your website is well-designed and easy to use. You can do this by working with a professional that specialises in competition websites , and that can make one, especially for your business. Remember, people should be able to find what they're looking for on your site quickly and easily.

Offer attractive prizes. The better the prize, the more people will be willing to enter your competition.

Make sure the rules are clear. People should know exactly what they need to do to enter and win your competition.

Following these tips will help you increase your chances of success in the competition industry. Good luck!

Can I set up my own online raffle business?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 17:28:57 GMT

Wondering whether you can set up your own online raffle business? The answer is yes! You can absolutely set up and run your own online raffle business - and it can be a great way to earn some extra income.

Although, there are a few things to keep in mind when setting up an online raffle business. Read on to find out what they are.

What is an online raffle?

An online raffle is a raffle that is held online. Participants purchase tickets via a website or other online platforms, and the winners are drawn electronically at random. Online raffle competition websites have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they offer a convenient and easy way for people to take part in raffles from anywhere in the world.

How do online raffles work?

There are a few different ways that raffle websites can work, but the most common is for people to purchase tickets for a chance to win a prize. The more tickets someone buys, the better their chances of winning. Once all the tickets are sold, a winner is chosen at random and they receive the prize.

The benefits of setting up your own online raffle business

There are a few benefits to setting up your own online raffle business. First, it is a great way to make money for yourself or a charity. For the latter, you can set up the raffle so that all of the proceeds go to the organisation or cause you are supporting.

Second, online raffles are a great way to promote your business or website. By offering a prize, you can attract attention and traffic to your site. This can help increase brand awareness and customers.

The potential pitfalls of setting up your own online raffle business

There are a few potential pitfalls to setting up your own online raffle business. First, if you are not careful, it can be easy to lose money on the raffle. You need to make sure that you set up the raffle so that you will at least break even or make a profit.

Second, you need to be aware of the legalities of setting up an online raffle. This is because, in the UK, lotteries apart from free draws or prize competitions are governed by the Gambling Act of 2005. What this means is as long as your online raffle counts as a free draw or a prize competition it will not need a license to run. However, if it does not fall into these categories you will need to operate under a license per the Gambling Act of 2005 , and failure to do so can result in legal action.

Lastly, to encourage people to enter your online raffle you will an attractive and easy-to-use website. The good news is that our professional team specialises in great raffle web design and can help you come up with the perfect site. One that will engage and delight your customers!

Final thoughts

Setting up an online raffle business can be a great way to raise money, promote your brand, and build customer loyalty. If you are looking for a new and innovative way to support a cause or grow your business, consider setting up an online raffle.

What are some of the best competition websites?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:11:39 GMT

There are many great competition websites to choose from. Find out about our four top top picks, below.

Competition Database

Competition Data Base is one of the best competition websites because it's easy to filter prizes based on what you are looking for. That means you can pick a range of categories you are interested in, but leave out ones you're not, which is pretty unique compared to the other sites mentioned here.

They also offer some additional features like being able to track your entries if you sign up for a free account, and even search for your name to see if you have won anything. Competition Database is also updated very frequently which makes it a great place to find all the most recent competitions.

Loquax

One of the oldest competition websites around, Loquax is beloved by its users, and it's not hard to see why. Not only do they offer a huge range of competitions that are regularly updated by their users, but they even provide their very own giveaways each month too.

One of the best things about Loquax is that they do not mask their links to the competitions. What this means is your browser will be able to recognise whether you have visited the link before, something that can prevent you from wasting your time entering the same competition twice.

Additionally, you can filter the competitions they offer based on when they close. This is great because if you only do the ones that close in the next 24 hours you won't have to have a long agonising wait to see if you have won!

Latest Deals Competitions

Latest Deals Competitions is a section of the Latest Deals Site. The site also offers online deals and vouchers. The good news is that the competition section is excellent, and has several features that you won't find anywhere else.

The first of these is when they list magazine competitions, they also provide the answers. Great news for all of us that want to enter without having to buy the magazine.

Also, Latest Deals Competitions log how many people have entered each competition through their site. This means you can get a good idea of the popularity of each competition, and even prioritize the ones with fewer entries so you boost your chances of winning.

The Prize Finder

One of the best things about The Prize Finder is that they run a ‘winners stories’ competition. This is where people that have won stuff through their site write in about their experience. It's great as winners can add £50 to their prize pot, and it shows the rest of us the kinds of things we could win!

Another fab thing about The Prize Finder sire is that it's free to register and they offer a tracker tool, so you can tag each competition as saved for later, entered, or ignored, which makes managing your entries a breeze.

Why Is Good Website Design Important for Competition Businesses?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:06:12 GMT

If you’re looking to start your own competition business then it’s crucial that you consider the overall design and feel of your website. Without a great website to serve as your main homepage, you’re going to scare away customers and it’ll be difficult to convince people to buy your raffle tickets. So here are a few reasons why good website design is important for a competition business.

It makes your website more attractive

An attractive website means that more people are likely to use it. If you ever go on a competition website that looks really suspicious or strange, then there’s a good chance that you’re not going to use it at all. People these days are much more alert when it comes to prizes, competitions, and other similar online activities. With so many scams causing issues for people in the past, it’s understandable that people will refuse to sign up for or use a website that doesn’t look professional.

So if you find that you’re getting plenty of clicks but not many entries, there’s a good chance that it’s because your website just doesn’t look very good.

It helps to build trust

Having a good website helps to build trust with your audience. Not only does a professional website help to draw in more people, but it can also help explain things that the audience wouldn’t have known. For example, a good competition website should be linking to and referencing the Gambling Commission which has rules that help to protect players from being scammed. Doing so will build trust with your users which means they’re more likely to trust you and use your services in the future.

So if retention is a problem, why not consider focusing on the trust between you and your customers? The more they trust you, the more likely they’ll return in the future and let their friends and family members know about your website.

It makes it easy for customers to enter

Having a good website usually means that it’s easier for customers to enter your competitions. If it’s clearly designed then they’ll immediately see information like how to enter, what they can win, and also the differences between paid and free entries. This can often be done with help from custom-built plugins that allow you to easily add new competitions with all of the relevant information.

From ticket selectors to email integration, there are a lot of features you can add to your website that will make it easier for players to enter and also get more peace of mind when entering.

In short, a great website can help attract new audiences, build trust, and also make it easier for your players to access the different features and draws that you might have running. It’s a sure way to make your online competition business more popular.

What Is an Online Competition Business?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:04:20 GMT

Over the past decade, a lot of entertainment and leisure has made their way onto the internet. It started off as online gaming, but now we can buy lottery tickets and enter a variety of competitions on the internet. A great example of this is online raffle competitions. This is a great way to spread the word about a cause, raise funds, or even just start a business. Selling tickets online to win a prize is nothing special, but creating an online competition business has never been simpler.

What is an online competition business?

Let’s start simple; what exactly is an online competition business?

In most cases, an online competition business involves running online competitions. These typically make use of tickets and raffles, but there are a number of different ways for people to get entered into these draws. The prizes can be something simple like a gift card, but they can also be something expensive like a vehicle or even a house. The prize itself is completely up to you, but the way the competition is set up typically needs to have some structure.

Are there rules for online competition businesses?

The Gambling Commission doesn’t help businesses set up and develop prize competition websites, but there is a list of rules that you need to follow if you want to set up this kind of service for people.

For starters, free draws and competitions can be run for both private and commercial gain. This means that it’s perfectly legal to turn this into a business idea. However, it’s important to understand the distinction between the types of draws.

Free draws

As the name implies, this is the first type of entry that an online competition business can use. As long as there are no additional charges to the person entering your draw, it can be considered free. Even if people need to phone in or send a letter in to enter your draw, the amount they pay is still considered “free” as long as they aren’t paying any extra amount to enter. With the internet, there are usually no additional fees.

Paid and free draws

According to the Gambling Commission, adding a paid entry option includes a number of rules that must be followed.

People can choose to take part without paying if they want.
Free options cannot be less convenient or more expensive.
Free entry must be offered at normal rates if entrants are required to pay something additional like a postage fee.
Free entry must be advertised on the same level as the paid option.
The system that determines prizes should see both paid and free entrants as the same.

It’s important to note that an online competition business isn’t considered a form of gambling, but the money after expenses and prize costs must go to a good cause.

How HWD Can Rebuild Your Business In COVID-19?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 21:06:44 GMT

COVID-19 has hit us like a sledgehammer. From losing people to unbearable loss in business, everyone is still unable to recover from the pandemic’s after effects.

But for entrepreneurs, this emerged as an opportunity to reset their business or start something from scratch. Even people who have a product idea or a service to sell will find this blog quite helpful.

We are talking about a magical tool. A tool that will help you create a website in a hassle-free manner. HWD is a Photoshop-like design tool that eliminates the need for coding and allows users to create beautiful websites with just a few clicks.

Although some countless tools and add-ons claim to do the same, HWD outwits them with its creativity, innovation, and ease of use. It’s a new generation tool that helps designers save some energy and create a fascinating website.

The most significant advantage of using HWD is its ability to give you front-end coding without prior knowledge of coding.

The front-end is like HTML or CSS, which helps you create your website’s design using simple features.

What Makes HWD Unique?

As discussed earlier, HWD takes your mind off the complex coding and helps you place elements of the website with little or no knowledge of coding.

For instance, when you place the first element - the paragraph on the website, it just sits there on the screen. For a non-tech-savvy person, this is nothing, but a developer knows what efforts are required to place a simple paragraph in a container and display it on the website.

When a web developer places a container - a box for a paragraph it needs to adjust the container’s width, but HWD makes it easy by eliminating the width problem by taking care of it.

HWD is mainly a great tool to add HTML elements to the page without coding a single thing.

Once you place the elements: buttons, text, or images, you can easily match the CSS code with the theme of your website.

This feature alone makes HWD above all the other website builders out there. In others, you don’t have such freedom. You’ll be given templates, and you can make the edits in those templates.

With HWD, you’ll be given the freedom to do the editing yourself. You must know and understand web design concepts like box model, floating, positioning, and fundamentals of the website. It’s a slight learning curve that will give you long-term benefits.

If you haven’t heard of these terms before, they are easy to learn. Simply search them on YouTube, and once you’ve got a grip on these things, you’ll be able to create some unique websites with HWD without the help of any web developer or knowledge of coding yourself.

HWD For eCommerce

You can integrate an eCommerce website into the designer.

With eCommerce, you will be able to perform two things. Upload your categories and products, which are the base of every eCommerce website.

Once the products and categories are up, you’ll be given the checkout and shopping cart feature that you can choose as per the design of your theme.

HWD for eCommerce is ground-breaking. For instance, if you sell insurance and don’t know much about website development or design, using HWD, you’ll be able to add Unoccupied Property Insurance, Motor Trader Insurance,

The best thing about HWD is the ease and freedom it gives over Shopify or Wix that is challenging to match.

If you start using HWD, you’ll not feel comfortable using any other tool.

HWD For Clients & Teams

You need to know about HWD editors that the editor is super easy to use. Whether you are a team or using HWD for a client, with a bit of learning, you’ll be able to use HWD editor with ease.

Whether you’re a startup owner or a medium-sized business owner COVID-19 has put everyone's lives at a halt as business people are still going through tough times.

In such times it is challenging to hire a full-time developer or designer to create a website. This is where HWD will help you out.

You’ll create and diversify your designs with the fantastic features that HWD gives to its users. You’ll be able to organise elements attractively.

Anyone who wants to know more can always join the HWD Wishlist area, where people can discuss new features and things that they need in the tool.

You might assume that there are some limitations with HWD, but when you have a limited budget or already been affected by COVID-19, HWD can help you cope-up without spending a dime on developing your website.

The only thing that you need to know and learn is the learning curve that needs some time. Once you are aware of the fundamentals of web design and development, you’ll be able to create designs that will amaze you.

Overall, HWD is something different from the rest. If you don’t know about website development or design, then HWD is your way out.

Conclusion

HWD is for people who consider coding as their enemy. Even without knowing how to code, you can create a website that can initiate your business success even after the pandemic.

Indeed, you might be sceptical about using HWD or not, but if you don’t try, how will you be able to know the difference between HWD and other website builders out there.

In the end, HWD is for everyone. Indeed, with a bit of a learning curve, you’ll be able to create a website that can quickly sell items online.

Whether you’re a startup or a medium-sized business affected by the pandemic, developing a new website with HWD is the smartest choice you’ll make in 2022.

Is HWD better than WordPress? We’re settling the debate

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 20:23:40 GMT

Is there anything better than WordPress?

You must be surprised but some people are looking for WordPress alternatives because the WordPress platform is just not fulfilling their requirements. One platform that stands out among all of these alternatives is the HWD platform.

HWD Platform is the fastest growing fully managed website builder that is created with high-end business users in mind. It is built to increase conversions, improve performance, and enhance the profitability of the business.

With that said, let’s learn who should opt for the HWD platform and why it is a perfect alternative to WordPress.

What is the HWD Platform? Is it a WordPress Alternative?

The idea behind the HWD platform was to liberate people of all the complexities they had to face while creating their websites.

Consider this: There are over four billion websites available online. Not all of these websites are created and managed by professional programmers. That's one reason almost 80 percent of websites available on the internet have poor design and user experience.

Most of the people creating their websites have no idea about how a user would use their website. They don’t factor in the user journey and that’s why the design ends up in poor quality. Moreover, since not everyone knows about the psychology of colours so they end up selecting colours that are liked by them. As a result, the internet is filled with websites that fail the UX/UI test.

HWD Platform as a WordPress Alternative

HWD understands the importance of good quality design and how it can help increase conversions for any business. That's why it came up with an automated, fully managed, and quick website builder that takes your website to live in less than five minutes.

Many have called it a perfect WordPress alternative because WordPress required building a website from scratch. Website administrators first had to create a structure for their sites, then install themes, and then install the relevant page builder plugins to create a layout for their site pages.

This all required a lot of effort and a week to completely set up the website. On the other hand, the HWD Platform can do the same thing in merely a few hours. Since it offers pre-built templates within the platform, users don't have to install themes separately.

Also, since the platform is built for non-coders, it offers a complete drag-and-drop interface where users can add assets such as banners, texts, images, and buttons to create stunning website pages.

Features of HWD Platform Explained

Let’s dig deeper and learn more about the HWD Platform features that make it an impressive choice among business users.

Complete Drag and Drop Builder

HWD platform allows users to create websites within a matter of minutes. This is possible thanks to the multiple templates offered by the HWD platform.

When you click on ‘Start Building’ you will get to the page builder section.

Here you can edit the current page by adding assets to it.

All the assets are available on the left sidebar. You can point and click to add them to your page.

If you want to add more pages, then that can also be easily done. The site is fully responsive as well so you won’t have to worry about installing any additional plugins to make it work.

Multiple Templates to Choose From

HWD Platform offers over 200 themes that you can choose from. There are multiple categories including Fashion, Business, Tech, and many more. Each has multiple themes.

Even if you have selected a theme and it doesn’t work as expected, you can change it with the click of a button. The new theme will replicate the settings that are already available on your website.

Easy Content Import

The best part about the HWD platform builder is that it can import content from other websites. So, if you were worrying about site migration issues, then that is not a problem anymore. HWD Platform offers a simple import feature where you can add the RSS feed of your previous website and it will import all the blog posts, page content, and even images.

If you want to import content from a database, then that is also supported by the HWD platform.

How is the HWD Platform better than WordPress?

WordPress is by far the best CMS platform available in the market but it is not perfect for everyone. Here are some of the drawbacks of WordPress that have been fixed by the HWD Platform.

Price

A single website on WordPress cost over $100. Here is the complete breakdown.

Hosting of a website: $10

Theme installed on a single website: $50

Plugins for site improvement: $10

Page builder: $30

Marketing Automation Plugin: $10

On the other hand, the HWD Platform includes all these things for only $14. It has hundreds of themes to choose from. It doesn't require any additional plugins. However, if you want to add ecommerce functionality to the website, then you will have to pay $7.5 additionally with $14. So the total cost will be $22 maximum.

Features

WordPress offers multiple features to users such as plugins, themes, and customizations. However, all these require technical expertise. For a business user, who wants their website setup and running, they would need to hire a website designer. Since the designer charges per hour, the cost will automatically increase to hundreds of dollars for the initial setup.

With HWD Platform, a business user won’t need to hire a designer. He/she can manage the whole website because of the simple functionality it offers. HWD Platform offers, page builder, widget builder, theme customizations, and multisite functionality - all included in a single package.

Hosting

WordPress is a self-hosted platform. So, you would have to buy a hosting package for your website. A decent cloud hosting or VPS hosting package would cost you around $25 minimum. If you get an unmanaged hosting solution, then setting that up is a challenge of its own.

HWD Platform changes all that. It offers a single package for hosting, development, customizations, and design. You just pay $14 and your website is ready for launch. No need to set up hosting, add a website, and take it live. HWD platform does it all within seconds.

Support

WordPress is a free CMS platform and doesn’t offer official support for the self-hosting platform. You can find information about errors on blogs and forums and debug it yourself.

On the other hand, HWD Platform offers live chat, email, telephone, and ticket system. So, you can rest assured that your matter will get solved within hours.

HWD Platform vs WordPress: Head to Head Comparison

Best CMS Platform for Web Design Agencies

HWD Platform is a perfect alternative for web design agencies that manage the sites of multiple clients. For each client, they have to install new themes, plugins, and get hosting packages. All this can cost thousands of dollars or over $100 for a single website. We have already discussed the details of the costs for a single website hosted on WordPress in detail.

On the other hand, with HWD Platform, they only have to pay $14 for a single website - no additional cost involved. Moreover, if the web design agency manages over 100 websites, they can customize a package of their choice.

Most web design agencies in Leicester, Derby, and Nottingham use HWD Platform to manage the sites of their clients.

Who Should Choose the HWD Platform?

People who don’t want to get into code of their websites
People who want to offload the management of their website
Businessmen who are least interested in updating and managing website daily
Site administrators who are busy in managing and creating content for their websites

In short anyone and everyone tired of managing website issues can easily choose the HWD Platform over WordPress because of the ease of access it offers.

Interested in trying out the HWD Platform? Get in touch with us.

A business cannot function in the digital world without an SEO strategy. Here’s everything you need to know about SEO strategy!

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 20:00:29 GMT

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a pretty popular word in digital marketing. Without basic knowledge about SEO and how it works, and without implementing it in digital marketing, you are at a considerable disadvantage compared to other businesses. So, you need a web design that promotes Search Engine Optimisation. After all, most companies gather their customers by online marketing, especially now, when every one is bound to their homes due to the global pandemic.

So, here is all you need to know about Search Engine Optimisation, and how using it appropriately gives you an upper hand in the industry. Without any further ado, let us get right into it!

What Is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?

Basically, Search Engine Optimisation is a name given to multiple strategies that would highlight your business in the digital world. If your company's website is shown before and above others, it will attract more traffic. More traffic would, in return, mean a higher rate of conversions on the website.

Apart from attracting more people, you will also be able to build your name in the market, bring more awareness, and make your business more trustworthy and authoritative. So, for the reasons mentioned, and many more, SEO is crucial for a business to flourish, especially in times like these. Any company that lacks SEO is way behind in the game.

Vital Elements For Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

There are plenty to highlight your company's website by SEO. Here are some of the strategies that you can follow to have the most significant impact on optimisation.

Keywords

The first and most important way for Search Engine Optimisation is using keywords in the content. As the name itself suggests, keywords are all those words and phrases which are used by people to find content online. For instance, if a person searches for cars, all the websites that have this particular word would show up in the results. However, the problem is that there would be thousands and thousands of websites with this keyword. So, what to do to make yours appear before the rest?

Well, you need to keep the keywords well researched, use them judicially, and carefully choose them to keep it relevant and make it useful. Use keywords in headings, titles, URLs, and other SEO elements to fully optimise it. Once you have well enough researched keywords that are used reasonably, your website will be recommended more to people online.

Off-Page SEO

As the name itself suggests, Off-Page Search Engine Optimisation is optimising the content on other websites. For instance, you create multiple infographics that are shared by people, and others are linked back to you. Also, you can hire influencers to tell spread awareness about your business, so more people search for it. Another great way of Off-Page SEO is asking bloggers to write blogs about your products or services and hyperlink it to your website.

The point of all this is that once your website gets enough visits, it will automatically be recommended to more people by the search engine as the algorithm is designed to promote websites that are considered reliable and have more visits by people online.

Content

Another crucial element for Search Engine Optimisation is the content on your website. Your content is what attracts more people to the website. As entertaining and/or useful it is to people, the more frequently they will visit it and even share with other people. Keep the content to the point and rich with information as an average person on the internet has minimal attention span.

To understand how good content would help, consider you own a workshop and want people online to know about it. Write blogs about various problems that a person might face with their vehicle. For instance, write content on how to change a flat tire, or what to do if the engine light shows up. Then use appropriate keywords and write informative content. Whenever someone faces any issue and search the internet for it, they will find your content on it.

Once people start visiting your website for all the quality content you have on it, it will automatically be recommended to even more people, leading to top-notch digital marketing. Here are some content types to begin with:

Videos
Webpages
Blogs
Infographics
Social Media posts
Podcasts
E-books

Search Engine Marketing

Another excellent but relatively expensive way of Search Engine Optimisation is paying for marketing online. You can pay for Google Ads, native ads, pay-per-click, social media ads, Google Shopping Ads, among many others. All of these share a common purpose - to highlight your business in front of the users.

However, it is not necessarily something that will show your business above in the search engine, but it will definitely attract more people. Eventually, once you start getting considerable amounts of traffic, the website will naturally be recommended before others.

Local SEO

Lastly, you can create location-specific pages for your website, claim directory listings, create pages on multiple Google applications such as Google Maps, Google+, and Google My Business. It would help put the spotlight on your business when people who live or work around your business search for something that you sell.

For instance, if you run a gym near a residential area, you can create a page on Google Maps, and whenever someone searches for fitness clubs, your business would show up in the list too!

Why Is SEO Essential?

There are many significant advantages of Search Engine Optimisation. For instance, your business will have better visibility and ranking on the internet. Your website would receive considerably more traffic, and you would eventually have more authority as well, which is crucial for any website to be successful.

Most importantly, Search Engine Optimisation leads to growth. Growth for a business is right next to profit maximisation. If you need more customers and grow your business exponentially, you need Search Engine Optimisation!

Conclusion

Now that you know the basic strategies to put your company's website in the spotlight, make sure you take full advantage of it. After all, the sky is the limit!

COVID has boosted web traffic, and e-commerce. Here's how to capitalize on traffic and make web design work for you

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 19:57:26 GMT

COVID has boosted web traffic, and e-commerce. Here's how to capitalize on traffic and make web design work for you

Digital world as a whole has seen a substantial increase in demand during the pandemic. Reputed ecommerce stores like Amazon, Walmart, and others have seen a 100 percent increase in traffic.

A major reason behind this rise is that most of the population is stuck at home and looking for ways to shop online.
Amazon sales have skyrocketed in the past few days mainly because people are buying products online instead of on the ground.
People are working from home so that is another reason the ecommerce traffic has increased drastically. They don’t go out so they are less likely to shop in stores or visit malls.

Where this has increased the traffic to most ecommerce websites, it has also created an opportunity for most ecommerce brands to improve their web design and user experience to increase the order volume.

In this article, we will discuss how ecommerce stores can use the right strategies to increase website traffic and get more sales.

How to Increase Website Traffic During COVID?

Here are some of the best ways to increase website traffic to your ecommerce store during COVID and beyond.

Focus on Organic Rankings

First and foremost, focus on bringing organic traffic to your ecommerce store. Organic traffic is focused on buying intent. People who are looking for products get to your store by searching for specific keywords. This is only possible when you have these keywords available on your website and you are promoting your products by emphasizing these keywords. So, focus on two things: On-page SEO and Off-page SEO. To read more about it visit Backlinko guide.

Improve Site Schema

The second most important thing for bringing decent traffic to your website is by adding site schema to your website. Schema makes Google search understand what your website is about. If your website has proper product schema available on all product pages, they will rank higher in search engines. Since site schema is of many types, you will have to decide which one is most suitable for your website. In most cases, Google My Business listing and product schema are enough for ecommerce pages.

Add Live Chat Support

People visiting your website are looking for a specific product and its price. If they don’t find that product, they are going to ask about it on live chat. You should have someone available 24/7 to answer user queries. This way people won’t bounce off your website. If they order something after visiting your live chat support section, then that is a success for your business.

You can even make this lucrative by offering a commission to the live chat assistants who make people purchase from your website during COVID pandemic.

Collaborate with Influencers

Influencers are the biggest source of revenue for any business. You don't have to hire top celebrities that charge millions of dollars, instead you can only hire influencers that have a few thousand followers available. Studies have shown that influencers with a small following can have more impact on businesses than celebrities with millions of followers. Moreover, these small influencers charge less so, that is a win-win for both the influencers and business.

Get Google My Business Listing

Finally, the best thing you can do to improve site traffic to your website is by adding Google My Business listing and then doing local SEO to target people in their states and cities. Most people are searching for products in their area on Google maps and even on Google search. For example, if someone is searching for leather jackets in Ottawa, they are living in Canada and looking for options that are closest to their house. If you can deliver to them in time, you can optimize for this specific local keyword. You will be surprised to see how many people actually get to your store through these search terms. Similarly, if you are selling a digital service like web design, then your local search term should include the city or area name. For example, web design Leicester, web design Nottingham, or web design Derby.

Increase Website Design and User Experience During COVID

Now that you are getting a decent amount of traffic to your website, it is time to optimize your website and make the site user experience even better for the visitors.

Improve User Journey with Site Navigation

People visiting your ecommerce store want to get to their desired destination, which is the product page in this case, in less than four seconds. If they don't find a search bar on your website or a menu option, they will simply bounce off to another result. This will not only impact your organic rankings but it will also lead to bad user experience. You can change this once and for all. To get started, simply enhance site navigation. If you can add an elastic search to your website, that would be even better.

Improve Checkout Experience

Users like the one-step checkout process in most cases. If your website has a two-step checkout, or if the form is taking ages to complete, then customers will close the checkout and move to another website. To improve conversions on your ecommerce store, add a guest checkout option. This way, users won’t have to add their details, they can simply use the guest checkout and buy the product.

Add Social and Trust Badges

Stores need to look genuine and trustworthy to the visitors or they will not spend money on your ecommerce store. This is only possible when you have trust factors on your store.

These trust factors include having trust badges for payments, having a proper address and location, a GMB listing, user reviews and third-party reviews like Trust Pilot, discounts, and a referral program.

A/B Test Product Pages

Your web design should make people buy your products. This is only possible if you test your website product pages properly. Make sure that you are putting your best foot forward by multivariate and A/B testing of your website pages.

You can even go for longer descriptions, review sections, pictures and videos of your products so that people can learn more about the product directly on the product page before purchasing it.

Add Explanatory Videos & Product Guides

Product pages should not be limited to product description alone. Most people directly land on product pages when they search for a product-specific key term online. If your product only has a limited specifications column available, they are less likely to buy from you. However, if you have an explanatory video section, a product guides section, and a picture slideshow available with a complete description of product features, they are more likely to purchase from your ecommerce store.

Invest in Targeted Advertising

Finally, when you have properly realigned your user journey, the next step should be to create targeted advertising. Select a buyer persona and target to this audience. Today, paid marketing tools on social and search engines have made it a lot easier for people to target a specific persona. Simply select their interests, demographics, locations, and activity to target a specific type of people for your product ads. Once your strategy starts selling your products, double down on this strategy and create lookalike audiences. People are more likely to buy from your ecommerce when they see your ads appearing in searches and on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

How to Build a Raffle Website & Earn Profit?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 19:15:12 GMT

Raffles are the new craze of the internet. People are literally spending money on buying lotteries, entering sweepstakes, and spending cash on ballots because they know they can win big!

One reason lotteries are so popular today on the internet is because they are governed by the Gambling Commission . In simple terms, this means that you can't get significant money from people and use it for private gains. Most of it should be used for spending money on prizes or cashback to the people who were involved in the lotto.

Raffle websites are the new craze of the internet. Most of them have earnings exceeding small ecommerce websites. Image source: bountycompetitions.co.uk

Are Raffle Websites Legit?

Raffle websites that are governed by the Gambling Commission of the UK are legal. They have a license to run paid competitions, lotteries, and sweepstakes. To make sure that you are participating in a legal raffle website, make sure they have a mention of gambling commission on their website. You can also request a copy of their license before participating in the lottery.

Raffle websites are strictly governed by the UK Gambling Commission. So they are completely legal to run.

If they are not able to provide the license, you can complain to the Gambling Commission through email or by raising a ticket.

How to Get a License for a Raffle Website?

Applying for the Raffle website is pretty simple. Gambling commission has a complete guide on how you can apply for a gambling commission license online and pay an annual fee to run lottery competitions on your website.

Since most Raffle websites are for-profit, Gambling commission has set rules about how much profit they can accrue from each raffle/competition they run on their websites.

Nonetheless, Raffle websites can still make hefty commissions based on the number of people they can attract to the lottery tickets. In most cases, raffles are a win-win for both the lottery ticket holders and the raffle website administrators.

Plan to start your own Raffle website? Here is what you need to know.

How to Create Your Own Raffle Website?

Creating your own Raffle website is a no-brainer if you know coding or even setting up a WordPress based website. You just have to add a theme to your website, add a Raffle plugin or lottery ticket plugin and you are all set. Most Raffle websites get traffic through social media, so you will need to have enough repute on these social media platforms that you can get more traffic.

Raffle Website Hosting

Raffle websites usually get a lot of traffic during the lotto competition days. So, during this time, you as the site administrator would want to increase site traffic to a maximum. This is only possible if you are on a cloud server or if your website is managed by a web design agency. In the UK, there are a handful of decent website design and management agencies such as us, the Hilton Web Design , that can do just that for you.

Raffle Website Plugins

There aren’t many raffle plugins available on WordPress or any other platforms that you can use for free. However, if you are creating your own raffle website, you can use RafflePress paid plugin to get started.

On the other hand, if you are getting it developed by an agency, then that would be a better choice because Raffle plugins are harder to set up properly. If you are a complete beginner, we recommend that you hire a web design agency to create your raffle website.

Raffle Website Maintenance

Raffle websites don’t require a lot of maintenance. Unlike ecommerce stores, they are a lot easier to manage. However, you may have to activate new campaigns and deactivate old campaigns once they have passed their timing limit.

On the other hand, Raffle websites do require new landing pages for each raffle campaign that you set up. So, the cost of operations can exceed depending on the type of raffles/competitions/lotteries you plan to run every month.

The marketing of raffle websites is done in the same way as you market any other online ecommerce website.

Best Web Design Agency for Building Raffle Website

Almost every web design agency can build a Raffle website for you. But if you are a beginner, you should choose a reputed raffle website design company that has a proven record of building successful raffle platforms. These web design agencies will not only help you create a raffle website, but they will also suggest how you can market the websites successfully to your target audience to earn more profit.

If you are searching for raffle website web design agencies in your area, using terms like 'Raffle platform builders in the UK' or 'Competition websites building agencies' would be the right start.

Best Platform for Building Raffle Website

You can select a platform that you are comfortable with. Most web design experts recommend WordPress for skill-based competition websites because of the ease of use it offers.

However, we, Hilton Web Design have created our own HWD Platform that makes it a lot easier and cheaper to create Raffle competition websites from scratch.

>>> Learn How to Build Raffle Websites On HWD Platform

With HWD Platform, you get pre-installed raffle competition plugins on your platform. Moreover, creating landing pages for each new skill-based competition takes only a few seconds. You just have to add content and you are done!

How to Promote Your Raffle Competition Website?

You can use a mix of social, organic, and paid tactics to promote your campaigns to your targeted audience. A better approach would be to create a lottery buyer persona and then create your content around that persona.

In most cases, you will be attracting traffic to your website through organic ways. So, focus on social media marketing and SEO.

How Much Can You Earn From a Raffle Website?

Raffle competition websites can earn around 10 to 15 per cent from each lotto they run on their website. For example, if a skill-based competition has total earnings of £5,000 in one month. The raffle website will earn £750 from it after spending money on gifts to the winners, paying licensing fees, and charges to the government for running the raffle competition.

The price can vary for each raffle competition. See the complete list of raffle competitions you can run on your website here .

Conclusion

In all essence, you have two ways to create a raffle website. Go for a WordPress based raffle competition template. Or, hire a web design agency to create a skill-based competition website for you.

If you are a beginner, the latter will be a much better approach to go about.

Want to build a raffle website? Get in touch with us!

Web Video Marketing: A Quick And Inexpensive Path To Reaching Your Audience

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 19:03:29 GMT

With faster than ever technological advancements, almost everyone around the world is connected to the internet. Also, due to the global pandemic and worldwide lockdowns, people are spending more and more time online rather than going out. Therefore, it is high time that you start web video marketing before it's too late. After all, it is one of the best marketing techniques, and if you are not applying it, you are pretty much already behind all the competition!

What Is Video Marketing?

As the name itself suggests, video marketing is a digital marketing tool that uses videography in order to engage more customers, raise awareness, and drive more sales. If you compare video marketing with other forms of digital marketing such as content writing, this one always takes the cake. For instance, consider a 500-word blog on a specific product, and compare it with a minute-long video of the same product. Which one would you be more interested in online? The majority of people will choose the video over the written content.

Considering the fact that video-marketing is now widely spread in the industry, it is a must-have skill for marketers in order to come out ahead of the competition. Also, people online have a brief attention span, and they can get bored really quickly. So, to have a higher conversion rate and sales, you need to convince as many people as possible in little time, and that is more probable with video marketing.

Why Video Marketing Is A NEED For Businesses

There are plenty of examples and statistics about the success of video marketing on the internet. One Google search will show hundreds of different statistics about how video marketing takes a business to the next level by increasing engagement and a higher sales rate. Here are a few of the popular ones:

According to Hubspot , 54% of people watch online videos every day, whereas 78% watch online videos every week.
YouTube proudly claims that the total watch time on the website is over a billion hours every single day!
Lastly, Google states that six people out of 10 would rather watch online videos rather than on the television.

Considering these facts and hundreds more, you will get an idea of how video marketing is not essential for any business to thrive in the industry. In fact, Hubspot found out that nearly 50% of people look for videos related to a product before they actually consider buying it. Moreover, they also found out that a staggering 72% of people prefer getting to know about a product by a video rather than any other method.

How To Do Successful Video Marketing

Now that you have an idea of how vital video marketing is for your business let us see what you need to do in order to get the most out of it.

Focus On The Story Rather Than The Sale

Your first priority should be to focus on the story so you can build a connection with the viewer. Concentrate on how your product or service will be valuable to the customer, and use the expressive power of a video by attracting to your consumers' hidden desires.

The more impact your video has on the viewer, the higher the probability that they would be convinced to try out the product or service you offer. Try and be a good storyteller because videos that are solely focused on driving sales are most likely to be ignored by an average potential consumer.

Make Every Second Count, Especially The First 10

As mentioned earlier, an average user on the internet has a brief attention span of just under 10 seconds. This means that you only have about 10 seconds to convince the viewer to be interested in whatever your business offers.

Make a short video that leaves questions in the viewers' minds and persuades them to visit your company's website. The more impactful the first few seconds are, the more likely the viewer would be interested in getting to know more about it.

Use An Interesting Thumbnail

Popular websites such as YouTube and FaceBook gives you the option to upload a thumbnail with a video. A thumbnail is basically the photo that your video displays before it is played. Naturally speaking, if the thumbnail seems interesting, the view is more likely to tap on it to see the video in more detail.

If the thumbnail is bland and unappealing, it would not matter how impressive the video is as the viewer would most likely not even start it. Also, it would be much better if you chose a crisp, high-quality image rather than a blurry one as your thumbnail!

Include CTA's (Call To Action)

Many people disregard the importance of CTA's in a video. To get the most engagement, you need to optimise the content with CTA's such as:

Subscribe to the channel
Share with friends and family
Follow or like the page
Check out other content or products
Comment or leave feedback

All of these things have a positive impact on your business, especially in the long run. For instance, sharing your video would allow their followers to see it as well. Following or liking the page would make it more engaging to a newer audience. Leaving a comment or feedback would show how the viewers care and what they want!

Optimise For Search

Lastly, make sure that you optimise the video for search, or else you will be missing out on hundreds of thousands of views. You must add keywords in the title of the video and add a well-thought description to it as well. The more optimised the video is, the higher the probability of it being included in the top results in the search!

Conclusion

In a nutshell, video marketing is a must for a business to thrive in the present times. Follow the tips mentioned and create the best possible short video and see how the sales hike in very little time! You'd be surprised by the results, and it would bring you great value for the money invested!

WordPress is outdated, isn’t it? Six reasons why you should not use WordPress for your business

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 21:05:28 GMT

Are you initiating a new business and looking to launch a website? If yes, then WordPress must have crossed your mind as it has been around for quite some time. But is it actually that good?

Most people who wish to go for the do-it-yourself website building think WordPress is easy and user-friendly. If they can’t do it yourself, they often ask someone in their immediate circle to help them design. But it doesn’t always end up good for them as WordPress is not the best platform out there. In fact, with the rising competition and several new advanced platforms out there, WordPress has become outdated.

WordPress sure works as a free source to create a new website. There are about 50 million websites running on WordPress currently. There are several features of WordPress that are loved by many. This includes the easier to use interface, the wide variety of professional-looking layouts, and the fact that it is free to use unless you need the premium features. However, it is not all glory, as there are several downsides attached to this website-building platform. But you will only be able to notice them if you actually know how web site design works. Here are six reasons that show why you should not use WordPress for your business:

Plugins
In order to increase the functionality of the website, WordPress offers plugins for the content management system. This could either be a gallery or an accordion. It sure is an incredible option to increase the functionality of the website and make it look more personalized. However, it comes at a high cost, and that is the risk you take with the addition of each plugin installed on your website.
WordPress Plugins are created by random people. As a result, in case any of the plugins installed on your website crash, you won’t have many options for support and help. This leads to dysfunction of the website, which becomes not so easy to solve. Moreover, since different people create the plugins that are available, you will never know whether a combination of plugins will work together unless you take the risk and try them. For instance, a single plugin might work smoothly on your website. However, installing another alongside might diminish the functionality of the website.
Software updates
One good thing about WordPress is that it sends regular updates in order to keep the platform functioning smoothly. However, it does not manage these updates, which makes it a problem. The updates are regular, and mostly one has to update every single month. However, the regular updates cause troubles with the plugins and themes. This is because the plugins and themes are not updated to be compatible with the new updates. WordPress throws in every now and then. Hilton Website Design Derby ensures that all the updates users receive are in sync with the themes and plugins.
SEO
While Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is possible on WordPress, it is not the easiest thing to do on the platform. Moreover, if you are unfamiliar and new to all this, WordPress will make sure you have a hard time understanding stuff and achieving your SEO goals. You can find a wide variety of plugins that aid the process of SEO. However, again, plugins come with their own risks. As a result, if you don’t do thorough research and choose anything randomly, you might end up cooking a greater problem for yourself. There is a range of factors that need to be taken into account while building a website. If you are unaware of most, plugins will be your last resort, and you might end up selecting one that works against you.
Unlimited logins
The security for your WordPress login is also not so great. As a default setting, WordPress allows for an unlimited number of login attempts. This paves the way for security threats and makes the website prone to bugs that can latch onto your website. These bugs can then easily force their way into the website after trying multiple times because WordPress won’t stop it. Even if the bug fails to enter the website, it can still cause trouble by overloading the server. Given the rise in online attacks, Hilton Website Design Derby ensures that all necessary precautions are in place as a standard feature of the website.
Easy target
While creating your own website on WordPress sounds easy and nice, it can also backfire. If you are unaware of all the necessary precautions to take, your website is prone to many threats. This is mainly because there is a large number of people out there who use WordPress for website design. As a result, all of them have very similar looking websites with the same back and front end. Consequently, it becomes easier for one security flaw to put all websites at risk. So, if anyone website is attacked, possibilities are that the same attack can be made on your website as well.
Compatibility and Themes
Another issue with having a website on WordPress is that of compatibility. Even though WordPress has evolved and made a lot of changes over the years, one area it lacks is compatibility across different mediums, including window sizes, devices, and internet providers. Switching displays from one device to another with a different size is not as smooth for WordPress as for other platforms such as Hilton Website Design Derby. WordPress might not suffer from most devices, but every once in a while, you will face an issue with compatibility.
Moving onto the themes, WordPress sure has made it easy for people to design a website that is new to this. However, one issue that most people face is the similarity of the theme because of the mundane and standard layout of the website. As a result, if you do not spend enough time, chances are you will have a website that just looks like another WordPress website out there.

To Conclude

While WordPress has been there for quite some time, one of the reasons it is popular, it is not the most up to date platforms out there to build a website. Hilton Website Design Derby has features and offers in place that surpasses what WordPress has to offer. Moreover, it specializes in building websites for businesses, so that’s a plus.

Your Web Content doesn't Need to Repeat Words Over and Over Again to rank the best for SEO

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 21:01:23 GMT

There was a time when the go-to strategy for SEO was keyword stuffing. It was successful for a while until things changed. In today's world, if you stuff keyword into your content, it might actually backfire by making your ranking worse. In the worst-case scenario, your rankings might even be completely removed from the search listings.

Search Engines are designed in a way to accept the keywords as input and produce results that are most relevant to the terms. As a result, many people think that stuffing the keywords will actually do them good. But it does more harm than good.

Search Engines have become wiser, and it has become difficult to fool them with the old keyword stuffing trick. Let's get right into why this practice is so harmful to your SEO.

Why is the practice of keyword stuffing so problematic?

The job of search engines is to connect the right audience with the most relevant content. They do so by judging their search intentions and using the algorithms in place, the most favourable results with the most relevant information are displayed. In the case of repeating the keywords over and over again, the content becomes very systematic and not for a human audience. As a result, it is designed to fool a search engine to be in higher ranks. This leads to the article becoming an artificial or spammy read that serves no purpose to the reader or the visitor of the site. Consequently, repeating the keywords over and over again has become a practice that goes against the SEO practice.

How does it work?

Unfortunately, there are many content creators and marketers out there who still use the old keyword repeating the trick. They believe it is the technique that will actually put them at an advantage compared to others. As a result, they end up facing crippled SEO rankings of the site in most cases, and in some, the site does only fairly good. Let's have a look at two examples of how people do this and how it goes wrong.

Repeating the keyword over and over, in full view of your site visitor

So, when a content creator or marketer is using the keyword over and over again and makes it visible for the site visitor, the visitor will see the word again and again. For example, if it is a gaming peripheral ecommerce business, the content creator might use the keyword, "most affordable gaming monitor." Now in order to have higher ranks, the keyword might be used over and over again in almost every line. This is also stuffed in lines and paragraphs in which the term "most affordable gaming monitor" is out of context and does not make sense.

Search Engines today have advanced, and they actually figure it out when content has keywords used over and over again and out of context. As a result, in order to keep your rankings high without being dismissed by the Search Engine, it is advisable to have a keyword density of 2% or less. You can calculate this by dividing the number of times the keyword is used by the total number of words and multiplying it by 100. For instance, if the total number of words on your content is 1000 words, then your keyword must be used 20 times only to reach the 2% mark. Or you can go beyond this limit a few per cent, but using the keywords for 30-40% of the words will simply not work.

Including the keyword invisibly

Another activity that content creators use is typing in the keyword invisibly. This trick is used in an attempt to ensure that the audience is not alienated by making them read artificial, unhelpful, and spammy content. The keywords are made invisible either by changing the colour of the text the same as the background, so it is not visible or by adding the keyword into the code of the page. For example, if the keyword is added to the alt text, metadata, and comment tags, visitors will not be able to see them.

Many still believe that this is a clever way to fool the search engine. However, the search engine recognizes this attempt to artificially rank higher. As a result, these pages are penalized, and their search engine rankings go down instead of going up.

Using keywords correctly

The right way to go about SEO optimization is to professionally use the keyword instead of just throwing it in a sentence over and over again. Ensure that the content that you write is informational and helpful for the reader. That must be the first priority. The more honest you are, and the more work you put in, chances are, the keyword will automatically fit in the content.

Google itself has suggested that the content must be informational and should have the appropriate density of keyword. One incredible way to do this is to select a primary or one focused keyword for a page and use it throughout a few times. The keyword should be representative of the whole content. In this way, the search engine will be able to recognize it for the most relevant search and put it higher in the ranks. You can primary focused keyword for all pages on the website reflecting the type of content each has.

Moreover, keep your content word count low. In this way, the search engine recognizes that the content is to the point and has no irrelevant information. Moreover, instead of using one keyword over and over again, one can use secondary keywords. In this way, the content becomes more diverse and has more information to offer. As a result, you can have variations of the main keyword, increasing the chances of having higher ranks in SEO.

To Conclude

It is important to note that the old trick of stuffing the content with the same keyword over and over again does not work anymore. Search Engines have become smarter at recognizing when the content is irrelevant and stuffed with keywords. As a result, original, informative, and helpful content with the right density of keyword and its variations must be preferred to rank the best for SEO.

Google's Launch of BERT Sparked an Enormous Buzz in the SEO Industry. Here's How BERT Affects SEO and How You Can Optimize For It

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:58:49 GMT

The BERT, short for bidirectional encoder representations from transformers, is the most significant update in the last five years, according to Google.

You can consider it the most shaking-caused update from Google since the launch of RankBrain on October 26, 2015. By all means, there is an excellent chance that BERT will impact your website. If it has not yet affected your website, it will ultimately affect it as your traffic ramps up.

Is the buzz justified over the BERT update?

The buzz over the BERT update in the SEO community is legitimate since it is molding search more about the true meaning behind the words instead of the words themselves. Put it another way, the phenomenon of search intent is more crucial now than ever.

Interesting fact: the BERT update will affect 1 in 10 search queries.

Since experts in the SEO community strongly believe that there will be a considerable impact by BERT on searches, the importance of quality content is significantly higher.

What exactly has the BERT targeted?

Essentially, the BERT update has mainly targeted language processing. It makes it easier for Google to retrieve the more accurate results in its search engine upon the user's query.

The search engine will behave more intelligently and analyze your query in a more nuanced manner. Thus, a user can expect more intended results while searching on Google.

BERT in Action

Let's assume you search something like do aestheticians stand a lot at work on Google.

Previously, Google used to incline in matching terms. The internal mechanism of its algorithm might assume the word stand as similar to stand-alone .

It now perceives that the word stand has a context related to physical demand.

Let's see another example. Suppose you type something like can you get medicine for someone pharmacy on Google.

You can visibly understand the difference between the results of before and after. Now, it shows more relevant results.

Have a look at what BERT is not at all

One should bear in mind that BERT does not alter the way a website undergoes a process to get judged. The given update is dissimilar to previous updates of Google, such as Panda and Penguin. It does not incline to flag a website as either negative or positive.

It primarily enhances the search results in conversational search queries. As a result, a user gets able to see results better match the intent behind them.

The purpose behind the BERT release

The BERT update targets the voice search. It helps to retrieve better results in return for conversational queries.

Understandably, no one would love to write a long sentence when it comes to searching on Google. The same person might not say two words when he would say in voice assistant. Google has improved its algorithm, considering how a person behaves when he says something using a voice assistant, and how the same person behaves when he decides to write on the search bar.

On the other hand, we humans indulge in broken language as well. When we want something to see on Google, we type it there without caring much about language fundamentals. Google has enhanced its algorithm in the view of such human behavior as well. With its advanced algorithm, it can now better predict and construct contextual assumptions about the real meaning behind intricate search terms.

It is good that Google has decided to transform its algorithm for a better search experience for the less tech-savvy, average searcher. It is a gigantic step from Google to retrieve the intended result in return for an intricate search.

How to optimize for BERT?

It is impossible to optimize for BERT as there is nothing to optimize, according to Google. We can understandably feel an echo of their statement during the release of RankBrain.

Anyhow, SEO experts always find out the tricky ways of understanding an algorithm update creatively and uniquely. As a result, it enables us to come up with tactics that will help our website navigate through the ever-changing algorithms of Google.

That said, here are some straightforward strategies that can assist you with the fresh BERT update.

Simple content

Google repeatedly reminds us that we should write for the users, not the search engines. Therefore, it is not worth focusing on keyword placement, keyword density, etc. Alternatively, it is good to heed your focus on the quality of the content.

Unambiguously speaking, BERT concentrates on the context of the words used within the sentences. So, you need to indulge in quality content, directly expressing the point.

Avoid fancy language as much as possible, and say your point succinctly. Your content should include useful and fresh information that is beneficial for the readers.

Topic cluster

It is always a good idea to target a specific topic that solves a particular problem rather than trying to rank your site on any keyword. In this way, you can transmit signals to search engines that you are influential when it comes to the given topic, and your website contains useful information.

Surprisingly, you will see that search engines will drive traffic to your website if you tactfully encompass the useful information solving a problem.

Be specific

Learn to see things from the perspective of a searcher. To understand your searcher, you need to go through the same process. Imagine what you type if you want to have a laptop, assumably. In return, what kinds of search results would you expect?

More often, we forget about search terms and long-tail keywords, and this is what BERT is indeed trying to achieve. You ought to think about related searches as well as Google autocomplete to improve the potential of your website ranking on the first page of search engines.

Conclusion

Although the BERT is a massive update in terms of its effect, it is a means to an end. We all know what exactly Google is trying to achieve at the end. It wants webmasters to upload useful, fresh, and exciting quality content on their websites.

Hence, it is an opportunity to create specific content. Even if you miss traffic, find out the pages that dropped. You ought to create new content for search queries that you are losing. By coming up with new and useful content on those queries, you will rock once again.

How the Top Digital Marketing Trends Will Change in 2022

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:55:46 GMT

The global COVID-19 pandemic has really changed how businesses operate and interact with the public. Most of the businesses have gone online or work remotely in hybrid settings due to the contagious nature of the virus and worldwide lockdowns. However, now with several months into this global pandemic, people now have insights on what to expect in 2022. Experts understand the changing marketing trends and how working in this "new normal" has affected businesses that failed to keep up with these changing trends.

So, don't be one of those businesses that were left behind and even collapsed due to the pandemic. Always stay a step ahead and change with digital marketing trends. Here is all that you need to know about these changing trends and what to expect in the coming year of 2022!

Social Media

You might already know the power of social media marketing. Many businesses have skyrocketed just by advertising carefully and appropriately on social media. In fact, with the worldwide lockdowns keeping people at home, there is a much higher probability of giving your business a boost with social media marketing than by any other method. So, be prepared to dedicate more of your resources to social media marketing in 2022.

People spend more time online, which means that you are able to attract more long-term customers with social media marketing. So, be ahead in the game in 2022 and master digital marketing, or let professionals do that for you.

Local SEO And Google Listings

Being on Google listing and working on the Local SEO is one of the essential things, especially if you own a small business. If you want local customers to know about your business, you need to be verified on various search platforms. For instance, you own a dentist's office, and you want locals to know about you, local listings would show up your business whenever they search for a dental office near them. Google My Business is one of the leading services for local businesses to attract more customers and help in digital marketing, so make sure you go all in by 2022 to flourish!

Moreover, keep all your listings updated, so customers know everything they need to know, such as promotions, working hours, blogs, or any other relevant information.

Automated Bidding In Google Ads

Automated bidding itself is not a new thing. It came all the way back in 2016, but constant improvements, adjustments, and fixing show that it will be the next best thing in 2022. With automated bidding in Google Ads, you can spend the time on other essential aspects such as optimizing PPC performance.

Although you have the option to hire Google Ad marketers to do the job for you, they are pretty costly considering all the work and updating they have to do on a regular basis. Moreover, the increase in demand increases costs as well. However, you can save all of these extra expenses with Automated bidding, which enables Google to automate prior moves in order to adjust your bid in real-time.

Voice Search

This might come as a surprise to you, but expect Voice Search to be the next big thing in 2022. Although it is not a part of Google's algorithm right now, it still dictates the search results. If you were unaware, voice search results show slightly different results as compared to those when you type out. So, with correct search engine optimisation, you can keep your business on its toes with voice search components with consumers who are switching to voice search instead of typing.

For voice search optimisation, make sure that it is specifically optimised for voice and nothing else. It has to be more conversational and direct, so it syncs accurately with the search queries.

Segmentation

As it takes a considerably lower amount of money to keep existing customers as compared to getting new ones, it is essential that you put in more effort in the latter stages of a buyer's journey. It is a common habit of happy and satisfied customers to recommend a good or service to their family and friends, which in return is an excellent way of getting more customers and generating higher profits. Moreover, these old customers are much more likely to be completely transparent with you and give honest feedback that will help you improve your business.

Keep them engaged, updated, and informed about everything with emails and social media. Keep on segmenting your customers and collecting data to save costs while delivering products and services.

Improved Communication Of Availability

Lastly, keep the availability of your products communicated to your customers. It is a leading reason for customers to change the brand. Set reasonable expectations for your customers and be clear about what you can and can not do. For items that are highly in demand, keep banners on the website telling when the product comes back in stock, or if only a few items are remaining, inform the customers about the remaining stock. Also, use other methods such as emails to communicate availability to your customers.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, things have really changed over the past year. The "new normal" has brought significant changes worldwide for businesses and how they operate. Although the pandemic was something unforeseen, not adapting to all these changes would be your fault. So be ahead in the game and be prepared for 2022 with all these changing digital trends!

Quit WordPress now! How to Take Your Site from Frustrating to Fabulous

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:52:33 GMT

For new website owners, there is a cliff-hanging competition out there. Security of website and privacy of users is something that needs immediate attention. There are various website builders and content management software out there but to choose between two one needs to compare the pros and cons of both platforms.

In this blog, we will be comparing two popular website building tools: HWD development, WordPress, and you will be able to decide which one suits best for you.

Both the platforms HWD development and WordPress have some features that make them stand out. However, which of them is a better choice for users? Only one is reaching more customers. When founders think of web design, they assume that just hiring an agency is enough. They fail to realize the power of a good website developing tool or a content management system that can make or break their brand.

Ease of Use
For a novice user, an HWD development dashboard might look complex at first glance, but as the user starts exploring the drag and drop feature they will realize that it is quite simple.
Once the user registers HWD development, a 30-day trial gives you enough room to explore the platform. With a template, you can easily drag and drop elements and create a website.
The developer mode of HWD development gives an option to explore the environment before start editing. Moreover, there is a separate widget for mobile app development, which needs a little training before one can start making the app.
As for WordPress, the platform needs time to explore and learn the features before one can start developing the website. The platform is a bit more complicated than HWD development.
The signup process of WordPress is simple as well but to launch your website you must first host it on a server before anyone can see it. After a tedious process of selecting the domain name, you will be directed towards a dashboard in which you will have to choose from endless plugins and integrations to make your website live.
HWD development is far simpler and you do not have to make much effort to get your website live out there and start selling. With WordPress – a CMS platform you need to learn a few things before you plan to sell anything.
Features
An HWD development platform offers more features with an impressive set of characteristics to edit, manage, and promote your website.
For an eCommerce platform, you can create a responsive store with easy product uploads, shopping cart integration and fast payment solutions. Moreover, for blogging, there are tons of options to choose the layout and style that you need for your website. A layout mode gives you the ability to create the blog while the post mode enables you to edit the content in a simplified way.
However, WordPress has one plugin that gives the ability to upload products and make an eStore. Often the security of this store is sacrificed because of the breach in plugin by hackers.
The InSite Tool gives you the option to add personalized content for a particular target audience. Here you can give pop-ups in various languages for users of a particular country.
With WordPress, you must choose a hosting provider before they begin anything. Choosing a host is a complex process because there are many from which a user can choose.
WordPress is originally a blogging CMS which means there are more options than HWD development. The various plugins give options to bloggers where they can choose whatever features are suitable for them.
Design
A web design Derby agency owner understands the importance of design for a website. The owner prefers a platform where designing is simple, not complex.
When it comes to design with more than 200 templates organized in categories HWD development takes a friendly approach towards website design. A simple drag and drop features enable users to create a design they love. With search filters that can help users search their favourite products fast.
Although there is a huge database of templates with WordPress since WordPress is not designed for eCommerce so there are security issues and plugins to compromise the features that are normally available with an HWD development platform.
WordPress offers predesigned templates so if you are willing to start something from scratch there is no option with WordPress but with HWD development platform, you can start with a fresh canvas. A blank template where you can design your store.
The web design is a crucial stage of every CMS, so whatever platform you choose you need to consider something that requires less customization.
Which Platform Gives You More Value?
When it comes to value-addition, HWD development platform offers more options than WordPress.
Starting with rules for a repeat visitor, WordPress allows just one message for the repeat customer, while with HWD development you can customize your own set of predefined messages for pop-ups, email signups, newsletter and promotions.
You cannot access the premium features on the free version of WordPress, but with HWD development you get a 30-day trial version where you can test all the premium features before you decide to buy the full version of the platform.
The basic plan of HWD development offers geo-targeting of URLs, you can edit your website from a mobile app; add tooltips to images and a free image library.
On the WordPress basic plan, you get limited features. To avail more features you need to go for the business plan. Surely, there is custom URL, password protection, and backup features but you need more features you need to go for a business plan.

Conclusion

Be it a web design Leicester or web design Nottingham HWD development is the right choice for an eCommerce business or even if you are looking for a platform that is easy to learn and simple to operate. Also, if you want a platform that can give you more features without paying a penny, go for HWD development.

If you plan to create a simple blogging website then you can use WordPress but then again you need to pay for plugins that do not come along with the basic plan of WordPress.

Ever heard leave it to the professionals? 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE A PROFESSIONAL WEB DESIGN AGENCY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:47:46 GMT

Ever heard leave it to the professionals? 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE A PROFESSIONAL WEB DESIGN AGENCY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

If you have a business in today's world, it only makes sense to have a website for it. This is in either case if you choose to sell online or not. All businesses that have an online presence through a website are considered more valid. But the real question is how to design a website. Currently, there are numerous do it yourself website design companies out there. As a result, many people who are running businesses feel like they can do it on their own. While it is no lie that one can do web design on their own, it is also true that many people who are running businesses will benefit more if they hire a professional web design agency.

To help you understand why here are ten reasons:

Experience
The most important tool that a web design agency has is experience. The designers working with them have years of experience at hand working with websites and creating them from scratch for various businesses. They do it every day, and as a result, they are familiar with almost everything that is out there. This enables them to tackle any design idea, business theme, style, or technical challenge you throw their way. No matter what it is, they will be able to provide you with a professional solution using the experience and knowledge they have about web design. Moreover, they are able to do it all in much less time compared to if you were doing it on your own with little to no experience in the field of web design.
Resources
The next important thing is the resources that professional web design agencies have that a normal businessman won't. There are web development kits, add-ons, and tools that are only in possession of a web design agency. A person or businessman who has nothing to do with web design won't know how to get them or won't need them at all. As a result, with these resources at hand, a professional web design agency is able to do things that you can't even think of.
Moreover, web design agencies are always up to date about the latest technology that is out in the market because it is their job to stay on top. As a result, with their expertise and the right use of resources, the management of your website becomes smooth. You will be able to keep it up to date, run it at the best speeds, and incorporate the latest fixes and designs that are available. In this way, you will be able to save up costs in the long run.
Saves Money
Now you might be someone who does not prioritize saving money while investing in the business. However, you need to think of it this way: being a business owner, your job should be to run the business. Now, if you allocate your time and energy to creating a website that you have no experience in, you are wasting potential money. This is because you could be using this time and effort to earn from the business, which you are good at. And instead, you can hire a professional web design agency that can create an incredible website in a lot less time. You can then pay them with the money you earned during this time and may be able to save some as well.
It is important to note that the general idea most do it yourself web design companies portray is not entirely true. With web design comes a lot of complexities that one can find difficult to get out of. Moreover, when you are creating a web site on your own, the do-it-yourself web design companies often provide you with limited options. In this way, the end result is never what you had in mind in the beginning. As a result, you never end up getting what you wanted. Consequently, you end up wasting time and energy to create something that might not work for you.
When deciding to create a website on your own, it might seem as if you are saving money. However, what you are failing to consider is the opportunity cost of creating it on your own. The opportunity cost here is the time and energy you could have spent on earning from your business instead, which is a lot more than the money you can possibly save by not hiring a professional web design agency. Check out the work of some web design agency in derby to get an idea about the kind of professional website you can get by hiring professionals.
Search Engine Optimization or SEO
Suppose you are able to create a somewhat decent website. But what is the use of this website if nobody gets to see it? This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. you might have heard this term but may not know what it means or how it's done. This is because, like web design, this also requires skills and experience. Fortunately, the job of a web designer requires them to acquire the skill of SEO as well. Therefore, hiring a professional web design agency gets you both: a neat, professional-looking website that everyone can interact with when they search in the search engine.
Web designers know about all the latest SEO requirements. As a result, they are able to generate traffic on your website in the most efficient way. This means that all those people who are in need of the service or product you are offering will be able to find your website. in this way, you will be able to make more sales and have more potential customers on your website.
SEO is not a technique that can be applied to all websites. Every business has unique SEO requirements, including exact phrases, words, and content. Moreover, a website also has to perform well and be managed accordingly to improve visibility. All of this is only possible because web designers are well familiar with the seasonal changes in SEO and are able to update your website accordingly.
Professionalism
Since you are running a professional business, it is important that professionalism is reflected in the products and services you sell. In order to have a complete professional outlook, it is also mandatory that your website reflects the professionalism you talk about in other areas of your business. Having an unprofessional website will definitely have an impact on people's minds. As a result, you need to make sure that the first few seconds people spend on your website give off a good impression. Therefore, there is no room for a sloppy, ill-informed, and bad functioning website.
Having a bad functioning and looking website will only give off the impression that you do not care about professionalism. Visitors will think that since they did not put in enough effort to make sure web site good, you will not care enough to look after their needs as well if they decide to buy from you. As a result, you could lose potential customers. The only way to avoid this loss is to hire a professional web design agency that knows exactly how to make your website look professional in all aspects.
Mobile Compatibility
With the increasing popularity of mobile phones, it only makes sense that a website should also be compatible with mobiles. Internet access via mobile phones has become better and better over the years. So much that most people now use their mobile phones for a quick search as it is always with them. In case users do not have a good experience with a mobile website, they will most definitely not come back to it. According to Google, 61% of users who have trouble accessing a website via their mobiles do not consider visiting it again. Out of these, 40% of users consider visiting the site of a competitor instead.
This is why a professional web designer is a more suitable option because making a website mobile compatible is a standard procedure for them. A website that has good mobile compatibility not only affects the reach of the website but also improves the SEO ranking. Therefore, it is important to have a fully mobile compatible website so that it has higher SEO rankings in all the search engines, thereby increasing traffic on the website.
Expert Help
The whole process of creating a website is not one time. You can't successfully run a website and leave it as is. It has to be maintained for it to run smoothly without any issues. A website is like a living thing or a car engine. Just like the car engine has to be maintained with tunning and regular oil change; a website has to be maintained from time to time as well.
If these changes or issues are not resolved on time, the website will not perform well and become sloppy. As a result, you will start losing customers as well as SEO rankings. In such a case, you are a non-professional web designer who won't know what to do. Therefore, it is necessary that you seek help from a professional web designer who knows what to do at what stage. If you get the website created from scratch from a web design agency, then they will ensure that no such issues occur with timely upgrades and updates to the website.
Ease Of Use For Customers
Another important area where web designers can do significantly better is the ease of use for customers. The whole job of a web designer is based on making a professional website that a user will like. As a result, they study websites and user behavior. This allows them to know what users like and what they do. As a result, they are able to create websites that are highly user friendly, using tools, add-ons, and features that attract users.
Moreover, the whole design of the website has to be in a way that is easier for a user to navigate as well as easier to convert them to a potential customer. This includes putting the Call To Actions in the right places, the signup forms, and navigation bars as well. Web designers know how to make the whole design easier to navigate so that the user does not become frustrated or confused, making the whole experience smooth and enjoyable.
Quality Content Development
Apart from the design of the website, the content that goes on the website also plays a significant role. The quality of the content determines whether the message of the business is portrayed properly or not. This has a direct impact on the potential customer and acts as one of the deciding factors. Just like the website's content has to be SEO optimized, it is also mandatory that the SEO phrases and words are properly incorporated into the content. In this way, the user not only gets to see the website but also gets exciting and enjoyable content.
The Outdated WordPress Compared To HWD Platform
HWD platform is a web design agency that works to ensure that all the above-mentioned issues never occur to any of the businesses that work with them. The web designers at the HWD platform have years of experience at hands to create the most professional and smooth websites. Some of the reasons why it is better than the outdated WordPress platform include:

For WordPress, you need to have prior knowledge about it to use. Therefore, you would need to spend time learning about it.
You also need a server for WordPress.org.
In order to create a good website using WordPress, you need to have to correct combination of theme and plugins. Otherwise, the website won't be elegant and responsive.

On the other hand:

Using the HWD platform, you do not need any installation or technical skills
Moreover, you won't need a server as it comes with a hosting service
It is comparatively easier to manage and maintain
It allows you to easily build a coherent and responsive website thanks to the built-in tools

How To Improve Your SEO Rankings & Beat Your Competition in 2022?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:43:18 GMT

There is a nail-biting competition out there. The only way to succeed in 2022 is to work smartly on SEO so that your website appears on Google search results.

SEO is an on-going process. From content on the website to optimizing images and researching primary and secondary keywords, it’s a meticulous process where you cannot skip any step.

The fastest way to improve your SEO is to stay consistent with your approach. Whatever you learn in this blog, you must apply it vigorously to your website.

You must stay relevant to the audience. The content, keywords, images, and even revamping the old content must be done in a way that is themed towards fulfilling the needs of the audience.

Here are the top four ways in which you can optimize your website and improve the SEO of your website in no-time.

Upgrade Your Low Performing Pages
Every content marketer aims at creating high-engaging content for readers. The successful content marketers follow the trends and revamp old ideas to create engaging content.
The first step is to identify which of the pages are not performing up to the mark. There are free tools available in the market from which you can figure out top-performing tools of the market. This will help you decrease the time of creating content based upon the requirement of your audience.
Think about what type of content will best resonate with your audience. Create headlines that will help the audience understand the theme of the article.
You can use mind maps to brainstorm ideas for headlines. From short blogs to guidelines, you can create content fast. Revamp your low-performing pages and notice what difference it made. If your rank improves, great; if not, you can always alter the keywords and notice the improvement.
Plan Your Content Around Primary & Secondary Keywords
Upon researching keywords, you’ll know which of the keywords the audience is using to search content that they want. Understanding audience needs is like winning half the battle. Once you have the primary keywords and secondary keywords it will be easy to create content around it.
After several updates, Google focuses on user-friendly content. Gone are the times when tough words were considered good content. Now, if your content is not simple, users will not be able to relate with it.
The flow of the content must be natural. This means that the usage of the keyword must be subtle. No need to stuff the keywords to rank the page or the website. You must write the content in a way that both primary keywords and secondary keywords are mentioned smartly.
A smart way to rank your blogs is to consider the questions that the user might ask themselves while searching for a topic. Add these questions as subheads and answer each question thoroughly. List keywords and phrases in the content and keep the tone conversational.
Optimize The Images
The most overlooked part of SEO is the images. However, when done smartly, images can bring insane traffic on your website. There are tons of benefits of using images. Let’s highlight a few:
An image will help with the visual search of Google.
There will be a better context on your page.
Users will be able to relate better with the content on the page.
Engages the audience
The visual content is a sure-shot way to grab the attention of the audience. When you optimize the images, it gives your website a better chance to land in Google image results.
A poorly optimized image will slow down the loading of pages and end-up badly in the search results. The slow loading affects the overall website rank in Google search results.
The fastest to improve the SEO of an image is to optimize alt text. No need to overthink the content of the alt text. Just describe the image in one or two words or describe what the image shows.
Use these rules to create effective alt text:
Be Descriptive: The goal of alt text is to describe the image such that even if for some reason the image is not shown, with alt text a user can figure out what the image is about. Mention the specific details of the image, which will help you, rank in Google Image Search.
Make it Unique: One thing to remember is to use unique text for your alt text. Keep it related to your image. Every image is different, so you must provide the details of the image, not the same keywords that will affect your SEO.
Go For Relevance: Similar to keywords, the alt text must relate to the content on the page. The Google algorithm is trained to look for relevance between the content and the image. So, the best approach is to use relevant image content.
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
A recent study indicated that more than 60% of Google searches come from mobile devices. This indicates the importance of a mobile-friendly website. Moreover, Google rewards mobile-friendly websites.
Some people assume that building a mobile-first website is enough to rank your website on Google. This is a horrible myth. For your website to function properly, you must develop a mobile-friendly website that considers the elements necessary to function well on any device.
The goal to create a mobile-friendly website is to ensure that the quality of the content and the images don’t suffer on any device. Once you achieve that, it becomes easy for Google to rank your website high in search results.

Closing Thoughts

To rank your website is hard. There is a lot of hard work needed to index your website and keep it there. The key to raise the rank of your website on Google is to note the elements mentioned in this blog. Work on each aspect and soon your website will start ranking in Google search results.

Site speed is a ranking factor! Why should you focus on website speed?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:35:37 GMT

Site speed is a ranking factor! Why should you focus on website speed?

There are many factors that need a critical approach when it comes to maintaining the essence of a business. Especially when considering the intricacies associated with today's marketing approaches and digitally-connected online platforms, things need efficient plans to maintain true eminence. Among all the prevalent aspects that we could mention here, a company's business website speed could be regarded as the most potent modality that acts as the steering mechanism, helping companies sustain a reputable search engine position.

Considering the functionality and speed of a website, there are countless substantial elements that need proper working— web design, downloading speed, loading time, and a good ranking on search engines, being the most dominant ones. Website's speed is the foremost element that provides users with an everlasting first impression while keeping your site on the high checklist. That being said, let us now have a thorough insight into a few of the most impactful elements associated with a website's speed and why it is necessary to maintain them all and how they can affect your business credibility and its imminent objectives.

Understanding the Significance of Website Speed

There is no second opinion to the fact that the internet plays a very significant role when it comes to analyzing websites' working speed. However, this isn't the only governing factor, and there are many other dynamics that need a critical examination. Considering the critically associated with this matter, presented here is a survey report that tells and explain to us a lot about this dominant aspect.

Data gathered by surveyors from different people of variable intellectual and education level gives us a clear indication of how the internet and websites are used each day. Depending on the authority and credibility of the website, people are willing to wait for a longer time. For instance, Facebook and Google, if these sites are having loading issues, there are high chances that the user will wait until the page is loaded successfully.

Unfortunately, things are not the same for small business and startups—the same quintessence is not received to everyone. Therefore, there is always a need for providing an extra focus on all the technical aspects associated with websites speed and performance. Therefore, when it comes to catering to such factors, business owners must always leverage professionals to develop and maintain their business website. You can get some of the most experienced and trusted specialists providing web design in Nottingham at a low and affordable price.

The role of CMS — How it Affect Speed and What to Opt For

There are countless web design tools and software that are being used by developers around the world. WordPress, being the most renowned one, offers some additional features and seems to be an effective and efficient web design platform. However, what is not known to many that regardless of what the majority speaks about it, there are things that make WordPress an inefficient and outdated platform.

Considering this, the first and the most dominant factor is associated with site optimization and available plugins. With WordPress, programmers have to use site-slowing plugins to expedite site's workability and performance. However, a few of the most renowned service providers of web design in Lancaster prefer using HWD or other platforms for site optimization, security and over all user experience. That being said, mentioned below are a few of the most highlighting irrefutable factors that can't be ignored.

Efficient workability—shorter duration for development and maintenance

HWD platform, having all the advanced and multi-tech features provide countless advantages over conventional WordPress plugins. Being able to work more efficiently while using such platforms, developers are able to reduce development and maintenance time drastically. A survey conducted by the web design team in Derby reported that developers were able to reduce site development time by shifting from WordPress to HWD platforms.

Trouble-free web designing

HWD Platforms are incredibly faster than WordPress and offer more advanced features that ultimately aids in faster development without comprising on the quality of the production. Moreover, users are able to reduce the overall ownership with templates, hosting, widgets, support bundles and SSL certificates. Almost 90% of HWD platform users who shift from WordPress have always achieved a positive return on their investment.

Effective team collaboration and client management

Unlike WordPress, there are other platforms that provide their own library of spreadable templates, sections, and smart widgets. With these being efficiently utilized, teams are able to maximize their collaboration. With that well catered to, companies can ultimately put things right on track, receiving higher and quicker clients' approval.

Impact of speed on SEO

Considering the significance of sites' ranking and its credibility in the market place, a website's functionality and speed matter a lot. As Google is continually stressing more on Mobile-First Index, it is clearly an indication that websites must be optimized for mobile version for smooth functioning. With the growing number of mobile users in this globally-oriented market structure that we witness today, businesses must focus on this factor exclusively. Google and other preeminent search engines pay high regard to sites loading time and consider it a dominant factor when ranking any particular website.

Influence on Paid Search

With the growing competition in the online market place, businesses are always in search of cost-effective and affordable rate for their keyword bidding. Keeping this aspect into strict consideration, it all comes down to the all over ranking of a site, its credibility, and its score by search engines—for instance, Google. Algorithms of Google are smart enough to estimate users' experience based on many viable factors. The most highlighted one is the effectiveness of a particular keyword and the influence it is making on the user—and eventually the loading time taken by a site when linked to that keyword. Therefore, no matter how well-assembled your keywords are, not having a fast page could ultimately render your efforts useless.

Conclusion

While knowing all the associated factors discussed above, it wouldn't be wrong to say that it all comes down to the user experience. All the intricacies are linked significantly to the quality of services businesses are providing to their users through their online platforms. It matters not how efficiently a site is developed, designed and how well the social media campaigns are working, the significance of speed could not be disregarded at any stage. Catering to all the aspects can only be assured if businesses prefer to choose high-tech and advance site controlling platforms—the irrefutable significance of which cannot be ignored.

Why you should focus on improving your website during corona times, DON'T LET YOUR website BE QUARANTINED!

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:29:22 GMT

Why you should focus on improving your website during corona times, DON'T LET YOUR website BE QUARANTINED!

The pandemic has paved the way businesses operate in the year 2020. Especially startups in the USA and worldwide were closed due to the unexpected COVID-19 loss everyone faced.

A survey by PNAS concluded that nearly 43% means 5,800 small businesses have faced temporary closure of their business or faced a massive loss in their business.

As a result, these businesses were forced to evolve with the new business operation. The way customers interact with the business has also changed.

With zero physical interaction with the brand, customers mainly look towards the website to create trust and deliver value.

For any business, these are alarming times. The only way to increase your sales and sustain the pandemic is to upgrade your web design. When the website gets an update, it provides an opportunity for the brand to attract and engage more customers.

Here are some changes that you can make to compete smartly and build trust at the same time.

Improve Page Loading Time

The first thing that every business owner needs to understand is customers of today are impatient. If your website is taking a long time to load, they will move to your competitor.

Website loading time impacts the perception that you create on the customer. Moreover, a website that loads quickly ranks high in Google search results.

There are free tools like Pindgom that'll help you identify the problem in your website. You can forward these problems to your website designer, and they'll take care of the website speed.

A slow website makes it hard to find on Google, and even if anyone finds it by chance, they will not stick to it for long. So, it's better to make the necessary changes and work on the website speed.

Experiment With Colours Of CTA Button

At times, changing the most superficial detail, like changing the CTA button's colors, can improve the sales on your website. Your goal is for the customer to click that button. Mostly, website owners focus on the button's microphone – the text, which is also vital. But the first impression is the colour of the button.

A website design expert in web design Leicester agency shares his experience, 'We were amazed how changing simple colours of the CTA button improved our sales drastically.'

Every colour impacts the psychology of the audience, which can be used for your benefit. Beta test various colours and see which colours are affecting your target audience. Can you even imagine changing one colour can boost your sales?

Updating Content Will Keep You On Top Of Search Results

A huge part of website design is content. After the pandemic, customers don't know which brands to trust, and is it safe to buy products from a new brand? In such a situation, updating content regularly will help in making the right decision.

You need to optimize the content for search engine pages. It's essential to keep your content alive by upgrading it often according to the market trends.

If you haven't done so, take this time as an opportunity to audit the current content of your website. A senior website designer at a web design Derby agency shares some tips to make the content engaging and persuasive:

Keep it short, keep it simple, and use reliable sources to make it authentic and optimize keywords to rank high in Google.

Don't make the mistake of hiring cheap content writers to write content for your website. Or avoid copying content from another website. Duplicate content is a big no-no when it comes to ranking in Google. It might risk your website being blacklisted, and Google will hide links in the search results.

Use High-Quality Images & Videos

No one can underestimate the power of images and videos to attract and engage people. Sure, great content will help, but the images will keep the users on your website. A picture can create an emotional bond with the reader and gives them a reason to stick to your website.

Moreover, images play an important role when people make buying decisions. The quality of the pictures says a lot about the brand. And high-quality images give an impression that the brand is serious about its products and services.

If a customer sees an actual product image, they'll not go elsewhere to buy that product. They will prefer a product that has a real image on the website. If possible, try to use various angles of the same product. This gives customers a close look at the product and experiences it before buying it.

Offer Remarkable Customer Service

The pandemic has affected the lives of people in ways you cannot comprehend. And if customers are buying from you, consider it as a blessing. The shoppers are already frustrated, making it even more challenging when they go through a busy phone line to file a complaint.

You need to avoid similar problems for your business. A live chat can be a lifesaver for your business. The angry customers can rant their problems directly to you, allowing you to serve them better.

The customers who experience good customer support often share the experience with friends and family. So, make it a habit to treat customers with care, love, and respect.

If they face any problem, ensure that you give them a timeline on which their problem will be resolved. You need to ensure that their problem gets resolved quickly.

Closing Thoughts

Whether you believe it or not, but the post-pandemic had affected the ways we do business. Customers are now looking for brands that provide them more ease rather than just economical pricing. They are looking for a brand that saves their time and understands their needs quickly.

To do this, you need to develop a simple, intuitive, and user-friendly website design. We can help you in this regard. Just give us a try, and we will transform your website in no-time.

If this seems overwhelming to you, we can reach us – we are a web design Nottingham agency, and we are also very close to people's hearts.

How To Improve Your SEO Rankings & Beat Your Competition in 2022

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:21:08 GMT

How To Improve Your SEO Rankings & Beat Your Competition in 2022

All the technological advancements in the past few years have significantly increased the public's online presence around the world. People have access to the internet on their smartphones, computers, watches, and even their glasses, among other gadgets. Apart from the easy access, the global pandemic has confined the majority of the people to their homes due to all the restrictions and curfews. Therefore, businesses all around the world have started going online to continue raking in more customers.

However, just setting up a website would not bring traffic to it. There would be hundreds or even thousands of businesses that offer similar products or services on the internet. Moreover, users typically don't even go beyond the second or third page on the search engine results. So, what should you do here? Well, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the golden key to success. To help you out, here are some of the ways that help you improve your SEO rankings and beat your competition in 2022!

Improve User Experience On Your Website

The first and most important thing you need to ensure is that your website provides the best possible user experience. The reason for this is pretty straightforward. Poor quality websites seldom rank high on popular search engines like Google. You need to ensure that your website is always updated, trustworthy and the loading times are minimal.

Additionally, here are some of the things you can follow to improve the user experience on your business's website.

Make sure that you write quality content on the website, rather than just unnecessary and useless stuff, as it would only make it boring to the user.
Try and add shorter paragraphs with mixed sentence lengths as you don't want users to differentiate and identify whatever they are looking for.
Add images and other visual elements and include headings, reasonable white spaces, and bullet points to keep the content appealing and attractive to the user.

Optimize For Voice Search

Next up, make sure that you include Voice Search optimization in your SEO strategy. The use of Voice Search is consistently increasing, and the unfortunate thing about this is that normal SEO does not optimize for Voice Search. The reason for this is simple. The process of showing results when searching by typing is different as compared to when you search it by voice.

For instance, if you are typing "cat's diet," the search engine would show results for those keywords. However, if you are voice searching for the same question, you would probably say something like, "what do cats eat?" Hence, the results would be different to an extent for both questions. So, keep ahead of the competition and optimize for Voice Search as well!

Website Design For Mobile

In a world full of smartphones, you would never be able to fully reap the benefits of SEO if your website is not well optimized for a mobile device. After all, the majority of searches are made from a mobile, and half of the purchases take place on it. Therefore, if your business's website is not compatible or optimized for a mobile phone, you will seriously fall behind your competition!

Take Complete Advantage Of YouTube SEO

YouTube is the second most popular search engine and social media platform, coming right after Google and Facebook, respectively. It boasts a whopping 2 billion monthly users and over a billion hours of watch time every single day! So, don't forget to include video marketing for the products or services you offer in your SEO campaign and take full advantage of YouTube.

Here are some tips to help you optimize your content on YouTube after you upload a top-notch video!

Include keywords in the title and make it appealing enough to convince more users to click on it.
Write a summary of the video in the description, which includes some of the target keywords so that users can get an idea of what the video is about.
Add a customized thumbnail that illustrates what the video is about. Keep in mind that even if you have the best video on the internet, a poor and unattractive thumbnail would have an immense adverse effect on the performance.

Target Local Searchers

About half of the searches from users on Google are regarding local information. These can include the following:

Local shops
Contact numbers
Opening hours
Addresses

So, if you have a business that relies on customers visiting in person, you really need to focus on local SEO. Although you don't need to have a website, you still need to make sure that you work on local SEO to ensure that your business ranks higher in search results when people search for a service or a product that you offer within your vicinity.

Keep On Tracking And Adjusting Your SEO Strategy

Lastly, keep on tracking your SEO performance and make regular adjustments to ensure that you are not wasting any resources or time and enjoy the most benefits out of SEO. Find answers for all the relevant questions such as:

What type of content was the most appealing to your customers?
Which part of your website had the most issues with the overall user experience?
Which webpage on your website was least visited by the users, and what is the reason behind it?
Which style of keyword should you concentrate on your website in the future?

Once you find answers to these questions and many more similar ones, you would be able to change the SEO strategies until they meet all your requirements.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, if you want to stay ahead of the competition in 2022, you need to follow the aforementioned ways to improve your SEO rankings. Doing so will not only attract more potential customers but will also help you stay way ahead of all your competitors!

Top 5 things to consider when looking for a web design agency

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:16:00 GMT

Regardless of the type of business you manage – ecommerce, SAAS, or online services, your official website is your organization’s online face. You need to ensure that visitors and potential clients get the best brand experience possible to convert. A web design agency goes a long way towards ensuring that. However, suppose you are looking for a website design agency. In that case, you are probably overwhelmed by the “big talk” made by the myriad of web agencies – precisely the issue here – Everybody is equipped (with claims) without sufficient evidence to back those claims.

Considering how competitive the Internet can be, you need to partner with an agency that comprehends your business objectives, and the target crowd has the necessary assets and can deliver.

Factors You Should Always Consider

This blog intends to give business owners a quick outline of all the main factors they should consider when looking for a web design agency to ease the selection process:

1- They hold an area of specialization

It's unthinkable for a web design agency to have authority in so many platforms and programming languages since this implies that they don’t possess mastery in a single domain. Search for organizations that indicate the sort of specialization they have – Front-end, Back-end, Mobile development, or Desktop applications. It will help you determine their skill and knowledge in rendering the said services.

Pick an agency with the range of skills needed by your business and precisely what your business needs. It is fundamental in deciding the right agency. Ideally, the agency must hold specialization in what you specifically require at the moment to scale.

2- Are they credible & “walk the talk”?

Take a close look at their certifications, awards, and acknowledgments present on their site. Check whether they have sufficient experience within their field before finalizing and ensure that the organization you will be engaging with doesn’t entirely agree to all demands you present. They should have ideas of their own, and since they are the field experts, they should know what will benefit your business the most. A short discussion focusing on your goals and objectives can get you much-needed insight into the web agency’s workings and approach in question.

3- Are they acquainted with Digital Marketing – SEO/SEM

SEO and SEM is the cornerstone of online marketing efforts. Search for a web design agency that knows the significance of SEO and SEM and isn’t just lecturing but applying these concepts for themselves. Regardless of whether they rely on organic or paid campaigns to drive traffic to their site, an agency must have the first-hand experience with digital marketing to understand how SEO can be aligned with the clients’ website design. The digital marketing practices change at a breakneck pace, so the agency must stay abreast of the latest market trends and tactics prevailing at any given time.

4- Quality of designs

Spectacular designs are essential. However, a decent web agency realizes that it should be focused on a user-optimized design. Likewise, the designers should exhibit savviness with the continually developing design trends to know which ones to execute in their projects. If they are not keeping up with the trends, they might not ensure innovation regarding your website’s design. The result would be a less than desirable impression on the visitors, followed by a low conversion rate.

You should check out their portfolio to get an idea of their approach to the design and development process. If the agency experts have a strong portfolio of major clients, it’s a good indication. Notwithstanding, don't be excessively impressed as some agencies just use dummy template designs for their portfolios. Verify that they are showcasing genuine work done by them.

You can likewise check if they have case studies or contextual analyses clarifying how and what they did for their past clients.

5- Is there an aftercare or support system put in place?

It's uncommon to launch a site and have no need for updates. Your organization has possibly added products or services; maybe another web technology upgrade aimed at enhancing customers’ online experience.

You'll need a clear plan set up in case of either of the following contingencies:

You've discovered errors in the content.
You incidentally deleted a module from the CMS and found yourself in need of backup restoration.
You wish to add greater functionality to the site.
You’re having trouble with the hosting or domain management.

A few agencies offer month to month retainers, while others deal with clients on a case-to-case basis. Regardless of the method, it's essential to know your options for the aftermath or the long run. You must have the support system needed to fix these issues as quickly as feasible.

Ensure you have a thorough discussion concerning policies and pricing relevant to your post-project needs. Are they genuinely flexible or adaptable for dealing with your advancing needs as the project continues a few months down the road? Are they readily available, accessible, and can be contacted when needed to carry out the necessary maintenance?

Final Thoughts

We have barely scratched the surface with the top 5 things you should consider when looking for a web design agency. However, apart from what we covered here, there are many other issues or criteria you should be considering. But, in any case, you may want to go with web designers willing to go the extra mile for you. It might be too much to expect them to redesign for free, but preference should be given to an agency that offers the best value for money.

Hiring the right web agency and tackling every minor detail that you come across along the way is crucial. A web agency can make or break your website, which is why due diligence is a must before you proceed.

10 Reasons You Don’t Need WordPress Website at All

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:12:27 GMT

The past year has seen a surge in the use of online platforms for just about anything – from selling to teaching to learning – you name it, there’s sure to be a website just for it! All this time quarantined indoors has given people the time to explore their creative sides, and the outcome has been a slew of websites that have been conjured up during some mandatory at-home corona stay. But with many of the creatives behind these websites being unskilled at web design, they turn to platforms that would aid them in this journey, namely the likes of WordPress.

But is a WordPress website really a necessity? Or are there better alternatives that exist within our world today? Well, we sure believe so, which is why we’re big advocates of not needing a WordPress website at all!

Not convinced? Here are ten reasons that might change your mind and make you let go of the WordPress craze:

1) Editors

Website editors can make or break your website, and our platform’s editors far surpass others in the market – WordPress included! Not only does it incorporate the classic drag-and-drop interface, but it does so while providing a range of superior features. And the best part is how easy to use it is, making it a great pick for amateurs and those that are skilled alike!

By simply clicking on the 'new section' option users can choose how to customize their website – either from a preexisting selection of pages or by adding user-specific ones – and that too in a matter of minutes. On the other hand, WordPress offers comparatively fewer options with a more complicated interface that does not fare well with the average user who is just starting out.

2) Costs

No matter the purpose of the website or the number of people backing it, there’s always a concern that comes to mind: the costs. Big names like WordPress charge anywhere between $25 to $5000 in monthly maintenance costs depending on the type of website that you are running. Whereas our platform falls in the range of $14 to $22 a month with an additional $7.25 to $39 for ecommerce add-ons, a feature not included in WordPress’ monthly maintenance charges.

So, our platform clearly comes out as the more pocket-friendly option!

3) Google PageSpeed Insights

Google PageSpeed Insights are a key tool for evaluating the performance of any website in terms of its optimizations and processing speed. With WordPress, the average Google PageSpeed score places around the 90 mark, whereas our platform produces a score that falls in the 90+ range, clearly making it come out on top.

4) Value-Added Features

Once you’ve got the basics of your website set up, it’s time to add some much-needed features. And when it comes to this, there’s just no beating all that our platform has to offer. With a wide range of value-added features available to users easily – including URL geo-targeting, automatic backups, and ecommerce features – the features provided by WordPress pale in comparison, especially when taking the price into account.

5) Growth

While a website may start out small, there’s always an inkling to grow. And to do so effectively and efficiently, users need the right platform that will support them every step of the way. You’ve guessed it – that’s just what we do! Our platform not only arms users with unlimited resources, but it also lets users practice ecommerce at an initial rate that is much cheaper than what competitors such as WordPress offer.

6) Ease

No one wants to run a website that just adds to their stress, which is why our platform doubles down on making sure that all of our users experience the utmost ease in their web design endeavors. Our platform has a consistent ranking of 90%, 92% and 91% compared to WordPress’ 83%, 85%, and 84% for metrics of ease of use, admin, and doing business with, respectively – making us better in every way.

7) Development Time

Development times are of the essence to any and all web design creators, and with our platform you can operate twice as fast as on WordPress. Not only does this boost margins, but maintenance also ends up being more efficient.

8) ROI

Of course, little much can survive without financially sustaining itself, and this holds true for websites, whether they be of a commercial nature or not. Our platform has proven to generate and increase a positive ROI in a period of fewer than twelve months. This is achieved by none other than a reduced cost owing to more efficient hosting, widgets, templates and SSL.

In comparison, platforms such as WordPress take a more prolonged process to achieve the same level of ROI as that given by our platform. So, we’re bound to be your number one choice!

9) Customer Support

Customer support is of great importance, especially to users who are just starting out in the web design arena. Our platform offers dedicated customer support thanks to our extensive customer service and care unit that operates over email and live chat. So, any problem you face can be solved in no time; all you have to do is reach out!

On the other hand, WordPress lacks an integrated customer support system due to its nature as an open-source platform. This makes it more difficult for users to get through any issues that they may face.

10) Flexibility

Any good web design platform requires flexibility, and this is exactly what we deliver to our customers. Not only do they have the option of choosing from a wide range of features to add to their website, but customers can also choose from multiple website plans according to their needs.

Other platforms, such as WordPress, do not allow users quite the same degree of freedom due to their more structured nature.

So, if you’re looking to build your own website, there’s no better option than us – gone are the days when your go-to was WordPress!

On-SERP SEO And Why It Is The Future Of SEO

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:03:47 GMT

The SEO game is forever changing. There are always new and more efficient techniques and strategies to reap the most benefits out of SEO. If we go back a few years, a few backlinks and the use of the right keywords were enough to rank high on Google search results. However, that is not the case anymore. There is a lot more that you need to do to ensure that your website ranks high on the search engine so you can rake in more followers.

Unlike the traditional SEO approach that targets improving and monitoring organic ranking, you need to embrace on-SERP SEO, which is a more integrated strategy. With its help, you would be able to achieve more business value from every query.

What Is on-SERP SEO?

Unlike traditional Search Engine Optimisation, on-SERP is not very well known among the general public. However, all those businesses that make use of it along with SEO are able to beat their competition online and generate more leads. It is basically a multi-faceted search engine optimisation strategy that focuses on obtaining as much the most area in each target Google SERP as it possibly can. Don't yet quite understand it? Well, here is an example to make things easier for you.

When you search for the "burger" on your mobile, you get tons of results on Google. These results include the following:

The featured snippet with image results
Top questions that people ask along with answers (often video answers)
Video carousel showing all videos related to burger
Related entities (businesses that sell burger or are related to burgers in any way)
All the related searches to a burger (fries, sauces, etc.)
Any related content to a burger (such as blogs, articles, news, etc.)

Do you understand the point? Google now shows much more than those simple blue clickable links. Traditional SEO helps you out with just the organic traffic coming towards your website. However, things have changed a lot now, and simple SEO does not help you out much. Instead of just trying to rank higher on organic listings, here are some other things that you need to focus on:

Appearing in the little snippet box that is featured on the search result page
Possibly have a video that would be highlighted in the video carousel
Make sure that your website shows in the results if a user click on related searches
Ensure that your business/brand is listed as a related entity
Make sure that your website has content related to the "Interesting finds" section

However, do keep in mind that each Google SERP is different and needs an authentic approach to give your brand as much exposure as possible. So, keep yourself ahead of all the competition and make full use of on-SERP SEO strategies with the help of professionals!

How Is It The Future Of SEO?

From all that we stated above and the example we gave, you must have gotten some idea about how important and different on-SERP SEO actually is for a business's online presence. Apart from that, most of the online traffic goes to Google if they want to search for anything. Other search engines such as Yahoo, Bing, etc., receive very little traffic.

So, solely relying on organic search engine optimisation to receive more traffic might work for you if you want to rank higher on search engines other than Google. However, if you want to lead on Google, you need to make sure that you apply on-SERP SEO strategies. After all, Google is the leading search engine, and its algorithms and its working methods have a significant impact on how well your online business performs.

How Google Shows Things Without Needing You To Click Using SERPs

Google is constantly trying to make things easier and easier for its users. It does not want them to click on a link to get answers to a simple and straightforward query. Hence, it displays all the relevant information right in front of you, so you can use Google SERP to get answers. For instance, if you search for the time, just type in what the time is in my location right now. Google will show you the result without having you click on a link to see it.

Similarly, this works for several other simple and straightforward queries. If you want to know what the weather is, just type in "weather in *location*" and Google will show the result on the top. If you want to know who is winning the cricket match right now, simply ask Google for the score updates, and it will give you all the live updates!

All of these results are displayed to you without needing to click on a specific link. You get answers to your queries in an instant, making it really convenient. SERPs are there to give you an answer to a simple query. However, if you want to get into more detail or search for something for research purposes, you always have the option to click on links.

Conclusion

As Google's search results are becoming richer and more interactive over time, you need to have an expert SEO strategy and content marketing techniques to ensure the online presence of your website. You need to consider the search result page as a whole, and not just the organic search listings, as it is the thing of the past. There is much more in Google search results than just simple blue links. Ask yourself the questions like the following ones to get a better idea of what you need to do:

Do you want your website to be featured or prefer keeping the standard organic listing?
Can your images be used to brand your website?
Which structured markup elements or content types do you need to rank in more search sections?

Finally, optimise your website accordingly to ensure the most visibility on multiple devices on Google and enjoy more organic traffic!

How To Drive Quality Traffic On Your Website?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:00:17 GMT

You’ve spent days and weeks planning content for your new website. You’ve hosted the website of a world-class platform like HWD Platform, and the website looks gorgeous. You launched the website and waited for traffic to appear. But then nothing happened. No traffic, no sales, no customer engagement.

You are forced to think about how to drive traffic to your website? If you Google it out, you’ll find tons of ways that can be used to drive insane traffic on your website, but some of these ways are old and don't work.

In this blog, you’ll learn some easy-to-follow ways that will drive insane traffic on your website:

Boost Organic Ranking
The most genuine way to drive insane traffic on the website is to strengthen your website’s organic ranking. You must develop a robust search engine optimisation (SEO) plan that will help you to rank better in search engine results.
To begin with, you need to start with keyword research. Figure out the keywords that are generating traffic. These high-performing keywords will help your customers discover you on the internet.
The next thing that you need to do is link building. Guest post on high-authority websites to gain the trust of Google. And finally, perform local SEO. If you are willing to drive traffic on the website, list your website in local directories, websites and attend local events to highlight your brand out there.
Post Content Regularly
Search engines these days prefer fresh content over the old content. If you want to appear on top of search results, you must provide visitors with new content.
When you post regular content on the website, it gives them a reason to come back again for something that creates value for them.
With engaging content, the visitors tend to stay more on the website. They’ll keep browsing pages for new content.
When you post something useful, it gives other websites to link to your website. For instance, a how-to tutorial in a detailed manner will be more likely to be linked with a relevant website which will bring relevant customers to your website.
Send Regular Spam-Free Emails
One of the most underrated mediums to drive traffic and convert leads is using emails. Some people still consider it was an outdated medium to connect with the customers. But in reality, email marketing is something that will help you get insane traffic on your website.
You need to keep your customer updated. When you add a product, a blog post even start a seasonal sale, send an email to your customer. Let them know that you are willing to keep them updated.
When you start sending useful emails, you’ll be able to create an email list where you’ll have data of the target customers. Now, you can engage them, resolve their issues with your products, and you can do it just by sending an email. These emails will drive traffic to your website and convert it into leads.
Use A Professional Hosting Service
The fastest way to drive traffic to a website is to simplify your web design . When you use a simple design with professional hosting, your website’s speed will increase, which will generate traffic quickly.
There are a couple of hosting providers out there. But we will prefer to use an HWD Platform to host your website. An HWD Platform is better than WordPress because of low-maintenance cost, improved Google PageSpeed score insights, and easier management.
A hosting web service will help you optimise the website for faster speed. You’ll gain the trust of the customer when you engage them with a gorgeous website. Moreover, a website that opens fast has a greater chance to engage users fast rather than a website that takes minutes to open.
Lastly, a professional web hosting service like HWD Platform will give you zero-downtime, and your website will be up and running all the time.
Engage With Digital PR
Submitting your content to local websites is a great approach to get traffic on your website. But you don’t have to wait for websites to approve your content and publish them. You can always reach out to local news websites, blogs and ask them to feature you.
For instance, a web design Derby blog can be reached to do your review of the product. With an incentive, they’ll be happy to review your website. Or look for popular websites where people are regularly visiting and list your website on those websites. If the target user is searching for something like ‘we are also very close to your website should appear in search results.
Engage With Social Influencers
Reaching websites is a smart way to drive traffic on the website. Another way your target audience will rush to your website is when a social influencer engages with your website.
Reach out to influencers who share your audience. Give them an insensitive request to review your website or feature your website on their blog or social media page. Once they vouch for you, there is a good chance that traffic on your website will explode.
A more innovative way to do it is to engage with local influencers. For instance, if you are a web design Leicester agency, you need to reach out to influencers in Leicester so that your website will get local traffic first.

Closing Thoughts

Whatever tips you use to drive traffic to your website, the most important one is a professional hosting service. People prefer WordPress, which is a fine choice, but if you plan to scale your business and drive insane traffic on your website, it is better to go for an HWD Platform to host your website.

A web design Nottingham agency will get traffic on the website if there is zero downtime on the website, and the website takes milliseconds to open. The users cannot wait for long, so ensure that you use a decent hosting service.

And you need to use the rest of the tips to get insane traffic on the website. These are simple tips that can get more traffic on your website.

How to Get a beautiful website that wins customers?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:20:09 GMT

For any business, the clientele is the most important thing. The reason is that clients and customers are the ones who bring business to any firm and generate revenue for it, and without revenue, no business can survive. Even a short while can be hard to go through without generating any revenue. Now, the million-dollar question is how to get this clientele and win the customer base that will not only make a single purchase but will become your loyal customers and keep making purchases from your business only. Creating brand loyalty in your customers' minds is extremely important these days, and it is extremely hard to survive in such a competitive business environment without it.

Winning customers can be an irksome job these days if you keep trying to do so using the same old traditional methods as offering trade discounts or relying on the word of mouth of your past customers. These can be very effective methods but are usually not enough. To win customers over in today’s world, you need to be creative and proactive. You need to impress your customers or potential audience using your own unique selling proposition (USP).

One of the unique selling propositions that you can effectively exploit these days is very interactive and easy to use the website. Today, for most of people, the first touch point and the starting point of their interaction with your company is through online mediums, that is, through website or through your company's application. Hence, if you want to have a lasting and good first impression, you will have to impress the people with your very well-built website.

A well-built website is a very subjective term, but it must have the following qualities:

Easy to use: The navigation on the website should be very easy to understand. The website must clearly entail all the headings on maybe upper right corner from where the visitors can travel across the entire website. Additionally, all the important options like services offered and contact details must be readily available and accessible.
Good-looking: If your website is very dull looking and all text and no pictures, the audience will not take much time to leave your website and visit a competitor’s website right away. The website should have an appropriate colour scheme relative to the business image and product offerings. There must be pictures and not just random pictures, but pictures related to the business itself.
Fast: The primary reason a person visits a website and not the physical site of the business is that they want to save time and unnecessary efforts. If even the website takes a long time to load and navigate, its essence will be lost.
Responsive: It is very much related to the last point. Being responsive means that if a visitor goes to a certain option, the website must show them the following drop-down menu or the required information right away without any lags. Additionally, there must not be any unnecessary repetitions in menus.

Web design is the most crucial point in getting a good ideal website made. Web design includes everything from getting the backend for the website made to upload all the necessary information on the website. Several platforms can be used for web design and people use different platforms for different reasons.

One of the platforms that are most commonly used is WordPress. Most people use WordPress because it is open source and free to use. It does not require a lot of training or expertise to use. Beginners can use it very easily. However, people who use WordPress and who think it is one of the best platforms to use, fail to acknowledge what they are missing out on by not considering other options and paying a bit for them. WordPress is used by a lot of companies and individuals, and using it might mean that you lose your uniqueness, and there is a high chance that your closest competitor uses the same theme from WordPress that you have used. This leads to the customer not being able to differentiate between yours and your competitor's website.

Other platforms like HWD offer a wide number of features which comprise features that WordPress offers and even more over and above those features. One of those additional features is the availability of a large range of prebuilt sections like testimonials, FAQs, pricing plans, about us and so on. You just need to click on the new section button and choose from a wide variety of options from all these categories. You are also allowed to add certain widgets and action buttons on your page, such as maps, click to call, social media handles and so on. WordPress is very limited in such aspects and does not allow all these privileges.

Adding to this, WordPress does not possess as high-speed operations as any other platforms. The reason being straightforward to understand: WordPress has a free plan, unlike other platforms, and a lot of people from across the world use WordPress. Several other platforms are built on Amazon Web Services that allows quick page loading and very reliable operations set.

One of the most important cons of using WordPress is its limit in the ecommerce area. To use ecommerce features on WordPress, you will have to apply several different plugins and maybe pay for them differently. The efforts required to do so will also include learning how to code too. However, this isn’t the case with other platforms. Adding ecommerce buttons on other platforms is not that difficult and can be done without much of a hassle with just a click of a button.

HWD allows you all the features offered by WordPress and even more. Making changes to your webpage was never so easy and quick as it is now with the use of HWD. Adding to this, it is always up and running and allows a very safe and secure platform for businesses’ websites. The team is very helpful and approachable for any query that the business might have with their website.

Why Content is the Soul of your Website

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:15:55 GMT

Why Content is the Soul of your Website

When it comes to finding an appropriate website, many clients tend to seek out something modern and minimalistic when it comes to web design. While web design is a significant factor that reflects your credibility clearly, it is not something that can work alone. Achieving your goal of attracting the audience cannot be solely fulfilled by making your website more visually appealing and eradicating the key concept of content from it. This might make your website captivating, but in the end, you'll end up hurting your search engine operation rankings. Content is the language that helps you communicate with the search engine, and if you're hardly placing any efforts into that, then you're performing poorly in providing knowledge which eventually will fail in increasing your website's visibility.

So, let's talk about some crucial points to understand why content is the soul of your website:

Provides value to the visitors

When it comes to publishing content, the primary purpose behind it is to increase brand awareness, brand loyalty, and visitor engagement. High-quality content is definite to produce beneficial results in the short term as well as the long term. The first reason why content is important for your website is that it provides value to your website's visitor. High-quality content will help in retaining those visitors and turning them into potential customers. The customers will be more interested in spending time reading your content and sharing it further, only if it provides value.

Your content is your information. This information portrays your website's purpose, not only to the potential clients but also to the search engine. It is no less than a win-win situation. When users visit your site, they're hardly interested in the visual appeal of your web design, but the product or service that they are actually looking for by providing details about the concerned product or service increases your lead conversions. All of this is possible through valuable content.

Helps in generating more sales

A business thrives upon the generation of sales, and the key factor that helps generate more sales is by inculcating trust in your customers. One way of creating that trust is by establishing yourself as a market leader and authoritarian through the quality of content you produce. When it comes to sales generation, quality content can help target down your demographics and persuade them to purchase. A research concluded that about 77% of the consumers read the website content before making a purchase . Publishing product reviews, FAQs, or blog posts can be supremely beneficial in generating more sales. Write your content in a conversational tone, include videos or screenshots of reviews to convert the lead to sales. If you feel that the web design will be more than enough to impress the prospective client when he visits the website for the first time, then you need to take a few steps back. It is the content that will increase your sales over time. At the same time, you shouldn't hold back on the design ultimately. You can check out the web design derby for excellent designs.

More chances of getting shared

Sharing holds a significant constituent in increasing growth. The content which is worth sharing is obviously the content that is supreme in quality. Content that is informational, educational, engaging, conversational, or insightful is what people will be amused by and want to share. This increases the chances of your brand's visibility as more people will be interested in viewing your content. This applies to small businesses to large organisations.

Text-based content on social media platforms, video or audio content, or graphical content shows a large base of the audience who might be interested in viewing your content. However, they're only going to share it forward if it's valuable. When shared, it increases the chances of people visiting your website and eventually purchasing something of their liking. Effective use of social media platforms can help you round out the marketing mix to ensure profitability. While we talk about engaging content, it is essential to understand that content and design go hand in hand. Web design Leicester proffers terrific web designs to complement your quality content.

Increases the SEO value

While you find the desired product on web design Nottingham, you need to elevate the quality with the help of content. However, you can produce the most terrific content globally, make it super engaging and effective, but it is not going to help your business if people are unable to discover it. In order to help people find your content, you need to use SEO strategies to increase your optimization. These include appropriate use of keywords, inbound links, and calls to action.

Your content must reflect your keyword strategy. These are the words that best describe your product or service and that you want to found for when a customer searches for them online. They should be used in a natural and relevant way and must be unique to each page of your website. Ensure to establish a connection between your website and the keyword that you use.

Content also opens up an excellent opportunity to use internal links. It refers to a word that is hyperlinked to another page of your website. It provides additional information to the visitors as well as the search engine. It allows the search engine to crawl through pages on your site through internal links.

The last strategy of the call to action invites the users to complete an action such as “contact us, add to cart, leave a review”, etc.

Enhances usability

Website usability is a broad term that ranges from your website's navigation to the accessibility of your content to creating relevant interconnection between pieces of your content. When content is easy to locate for a visitor, it results in a satisfying user experience. A well-designed website that has informative, good-quality content, and well-perceived internal linking, enhances the value and usability.

Conclusion

While it is the undeniable fact that content is king, it is imperative to comprehend that while content shouldn't be compromised, neither should be web design. An HWD platform like ours provides websites to our clients that offer quality like no other. Due to our monthly maintenance costs, robust design, easier to manage, and super-fast on google page speed insights, we make sure to offer a platform like no other.

Why a good web design is essential for your business

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:10:09 GMT

Why a good web design is essential for your business

When it comes to online shopping, most consumers end up doping in-depth research on products before making the final purchasing call. As a result, it becomes vital that businesses put valuable content on their professionally designed websites. Moreover, it is also necessary that the website looks rich and pleasing to the eyes. This is why having a plain and basic website that is not properly aligned to please the eye can lead to fewer sales and overall success in the online sphere. Let’s quickly get into 9 ways that a good web design aids the business in succeeding!

1. The First Impression

Whenever someone is looking to buy something, you offer, your website will be the first thing they interact with. It, therefore, becomes your only chance of having a good first impression. The design and overall look of your website form the basis of their onion about your business in just a matter of seconds. As a result, these first few seconds become very crucial for the business. Having a well responsive, highly friendly, and appealing website can do the trick.

2. Brand Consistency and Trust Development

Since the website design proves to be one of the major factors in determining how most people perceive your website, the integrity of your business depends on it as well. The more traditional the website and more the lag it has, the more likely are people to not trust it. As a result, having an up-to-date, modern, and professional-looking website is key.

Moreover, businesses need to spend time on brand consistency. Make sure all the fonts, styles, image placement, logos, etc. are consistent throughout the website. In this way, people will be able to quickly recognize your brand wherever they see it.

3. Enhances Usability

If your website has a good design, it will become easier for visitors to effortlessly access whatever they wish to. Most people who visit a website for the first time are looking for information regarding the products and the company. As a result, you need to design and strategize the content of the website in a way that it quickly delivers the message and relevant information about what you do and offer. For this, you need to enhance usability by making navigation and access to information as easy as possible instead of confusing visitors with tech and too much text.

Since websites are complex to design, it is not recommended that you design them on your own. Hiring a web design agency can do wonders as they know to study the behavior and needs of potential visitors. As a result, they are able to enhance usability in relation to the information at hand.

4. Enhancing the SEO

You must be thinking that SEO ends at using the right keywords in the content. However, in reality, SEO depends on a lot more. There are various components of design that play a major role in influencing how the website performs in search engine results. As a result, it is important that you handle all the design components with care and ensure that it ranks high. If you think this is something out of your expertise, it is always recommended to hire a web design agency to do it for you. To get the best web design consultation and services in the derby, you can visit.

5. Improves Website Loading Speed

Well-designed websites have quick loading speeds on all devices including smartphones, laptops, and tablets. If the media on the page is fluid, high quality, and responsive, the page will load quicker than you can think of. With such a quick speed, the visitor is more likely to stay on the website.

6. Reduces Bounce Rates

Like conversion rates are important, so are bounce rates. Bounce rates are the percentage of users who end up visiting your website, however, for some reason, they decide to abandon it after only going through a single page. However, if your website is well designed and pretty fast, the bounce rate goes down. You can make this possible by spending more money and time on the website to ensure that the page load speeds are good. Just do everything you can to make the visitor spend more time on the website.

7. Improves Conversion

If your website has a good design with all the important elements in the right places, you can significantly increase conversions. This is because visitors will find everything they want in the places they are looking. Moreover, if you make it easier for them to navigate by giving out instructions and not making it complicated, they are more likely to convert. Remember, the trick is to not confuse the visitor rather make them feel at home as if they know everything about the website already.

8. Gives You an Edge Over Your Competitors

Having a good-looking and professional website also helps in staying ahead of the competition. This is why you should spend time and effort to make your website design better than what your competitors have done. The main goal here is to prove to the audience that your service or product is better than the competitors’.

9. Enhance Customer Service and Satisfaction

The way you present your website is a good indicator of how you treat your already existing customers. As a result, anyone new visiting the website can form an opinion about your customer service. If it is evident that you haven’t invested in the design of your website, the visitors will know. They will move on to think that you will not put in enough effort to provide the best service or product to them.

The Final Verdict

The design of your website can be the reason for the success or failure of your business. It impacts the perception of your audience about your business and the brand. As a result, it becomes vital that you maintain a good-looking, professional, user-friendly, and easy-to-navigate website. It will definitely result in more conversions and more satisfied visitors.

8 reasons you need to hire a web designer now!

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 19:53:32 GMT

8 reasons you need to hire a web designer now!

Source

It has been more than a year since the landscape of the world changed.

The pandemic affected all parts of the world, changing every aspect of our lives. Be it the academic or professional routines, social interactions and dealings, or even the simple act of shopping – everything changed!

If you own a business in this new world, then you must know the importance of having an online presence. Having a great and viable online presence is no more an option for businesses. Instead, it is now a necessity. You can say that today, you need an excellent website to have a successful business, which can only be accomplished by hiring a good web designer.

Continue reading to learn why hiring a web designer is important, especially in today’s times.

You will have a high-quality Website.
This has to be the most significant motivation behind hiring a web designer. Yes, you can surely create a working website through the various free website templates available out there. But these basic and common web designs are least likely to boost up your brand.
On the other hand, a professional web designer will create custom designs for your website that will gel with your individual brand voice. Moreover, a professional web designer will be skilled at using all the features and tools in the right way to create a dynamic, attractive, and user-friendly website.
Your website will be search engine friendly.
When customers look for a certain product online, they often look up on search engines for it. Plus, not many people move on to page 2 of the search engine. Thus, in order to increase your reach and to gain more traffic, your website must be search engine friendly.
Web designers understand SEO . They know how to move your site higher on the search engine ranking. They will design your website in such a way that your online visibility and reach will increase tenfold.
It will make your brand more credible and trustworthy.
When customers are shopping online from you, they do not know you. So, how can you have them trust you and your brand? Yes, you guessed it right! Through your website.
Your website will be the representation of your brand and yourself to your customers. It will be the first impression of your business, and you want to make it the best one. That’s where a professional web designer can help you.
He will be able to convey your brand voice in the most professional and reliable manner. By using images or texts, a good web designer makes your company look larger, professional, trustworthy, and a lot more credible.
Your website will be unique.
Have you ever seen a website and felt like you have already seen it before? That’s because of the free website design templates that are accessible to everybody out there.
These free templates may help you build a website, but they seldom impress clients as they do not find anything unique on your website. On the contrary, a web designer creates and customizes a website just for you!
A good web designer understands your brand, understands your requirements, and then transforms all of that onto your website.
It will save you time.
Hiring a web designer helps you save time in multiple ways. Firstly, your website will be completed a lot more efficiently and a lot more quickly. Secondly, when a web designer creates your website, your maintenance needs remain at a minimum. Moreover, the chances of your website getting crashed or facing any technical issues are next to none.
Hiring a good web designer will help you save a lot of time and money so that you can concentrate on what’s most imperative – your business!
Utilization of latest technologies and techniques
The world of the internet changes on a daily basis. It is difficult to stay updated with all the latest tools and technologies of web designing. That’s another reason to hire a professional web designer.
A web designer keeps updated with all the latest designing tools and technologies. Either it is any changes in coding, technology, SEO functionalities, or any other web designing techniques, a web designer remains on top of the game.
When your hire a professional web designer, you ensure that the latest technology is used for the development and maintenance of your website.
A more visually appealing website
The overall outlook plays a significant role in your sales. The way your website looks, the way it navigates, responsiveness, and user-friendliness make a world of difference. Plus, the colors, themes, and texts used in the website either make it appealing or unpleasant for the viewers.
A good web designer will make sure that your website remains visually attractive while being informative, responsive, and friendly to the users.
You will have continuous website maintenance.
A website is never really completely finished!
You can never get “DONE” with your website. It always needs continuous maintenance and upkeep services in order to keep it up and running at all times.
Hiring a professional web designer will rid you of that. A web designer is most likely to provide you with continuous services in order to keep a check on your website. From performing regular updates on different features to creating more upgraded visuals for the website, a web designer will be there to help you out.

Conclusion

Your website has now become the face of your business, and that’s why having a competitive web design is extremely crucial for you to make sales. Only a website that is well-designed, user-friendly, and has relevant information can make a place in this competitive market. You can achieve all that and much more by using the Hilton Web design platform for all your web designing needs.

Plus, there will always be a huge gap between homemade and professionally made. Therefore, if you wish to have a successful and thriving business today, go online! But do that the right way!

4 Web design tricks that you need to know!

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 19:40:24 GMT

4 Web design tricks that you need to know!

Source

As you start working on your web designing, what's the first thing you do? Chances are, you browse through the internet in search of some hacks to help you ace web designing for your business.

But oh- there’s a long list with way too many tips. Which to follow? What are the most optimal ones that assure results?

Design Your Web Like A Pro by Follow These 4 Pointers.

Welcome aboard on this guide where we offer you tips about the basics of web designing 101.

This write-up is for all lost souls and beginners. Below are four simple yet promising ideas for you- the fantastic fours to help you excel in the world of web designing.

Simplicity is the Key

You know what they say- sometimes less is more. When it comes to practically designing your website, less is more- ALWAYS.

Sure, thinking outside the box and being innovative is always appreciated. But, when it comes to your web development, we suggest you highlight your creativity by not overdoing it.

Now, what does ‘keeping it simple’ include?

To start,

Make sure your site offers sufficient white area. More of the white means less of a mess. Be a minimalist who creates ease for their traffic.

A website isn’t a platform only for offering information.

Your goal is to assess the ideal amount of content to be published on your site that keeps your buyers well-informed but doesn’t annoy or confuse them,

Because there's just so much to retain, and ugh- can the website just come to an end already?

Remember, you want your audience to follow a very clear path and give complete attention to your site's content.

While you’re at it, use minimum colors and graphics. Too colorful with a plethora of shades and colors might be appealing in your head, but if your audience cannot read what's written on your site properly-

Well, let's just say you don't want this to happen. Alright?

Moving on.

Referrals Take You Great Places

Referrals are essential for developing a perfect website.

It's simple- people follow others, and they do what everyone else is doing. Use this behavior for your gain. How? Work on boosting your presence and awareness on digital platforms and back it up with solid evidence.

Include reviews, ratings, testimonials, and customer experiences- you’d be surprised by how much word-of-mouth can help generate leads.

By showing your loyalty and commitment towards your buyers, you start forming a level of trust with them. Your website must thus, have substantial content to display your business in a positive light.

They help build your good reputation. Oh, and a cherry on top,

Social proof even helps in making a brand out of your operations. And we all know just crucial and beneficial branding is for any business.

Prioritise Your User.

This one’s our personal favourite - and mighty vital as well!

You start your business to enjoy profitability and experience high earnings, right?

How does that happen:

Simple, by urging your audience to buy from you and expanding your market share.

Therefore, focusing on your end-user- your customers- is so, so important. We can't stress enough, honestly.

Creating a website with this mindset can have miracles happen for you. Be user-friendly as you target the needs of your traffic.

As you are developing your website, ensure that it's a platform that comes with easy navigation. Your users must have no issues using your website and accomplishing whatever they aimed for when they visited your website.

The bottom-line:

Your website must come with HIGH functionality to boost the customer experience.

Imagine you visit a website because you want to place an order, but you can't seem to find where and how to add it in the cart and check out, or maybe they don't offer more payment options. Then what? You abandon the cart and buy from any competitor. You wouldn't want something like this to happen with your target audience, would you?

That’s like one of the worst nightmares for any business: losing their clients to competitors.

*Shudders in anxiety*

Don't panic, though. Make sure your site has effective usability, and all is good then. Happy buyers are your lead generation and ROI drivers.

If it’s Not Visually Appealing, You’re Not Doing It Right.

Yes, we know, we know. After all of the stressing upon the usability and simplicity, here we go, writing about the significance of visualization.

Let's clarify things. When we suggested you be a minimalist, it doesn't mean you to be dull and boring. Your website must strive for functionality but be a bit aesthetic and appealing to look at as well, after all.

If you don't use any attractive template or just based your website on plain white background, no matter how persuasive your content is, it might not help your online audience spending time on your website.

There is a collection of tools you can use to improve the visual quality of your site. Sometimes, doing something as simple as using a fancy font type can seal deals for you.

For instance, you can include a heading in bold, followed by the description in italics or cursive fonts.

And besides that, you can add a fitting and relevant image beside it. The placement of information and pictures on your website is a strategic way to have your site look visually attractive.

Another example is playing with CTAs. You can include basic CTA buttons with your text. Or, you can make them more attention-grabbing by increasing their font size or using vibrant colors to have them pop out.

The latter option sounds much better, don’t you agree?

Final Thoughts

We have done our part in delivering the critical pointers for web designing. All that is left is you follow these and see your website reach higher milestones each day.

Trust us; the rules mentioned above come with a promised guarantee.

What are you waiting for then? Outshine your competitors and attract traffic like nobody’s business.

Have fun designing an excellent website for your business, and don't forget to thank us later!

ROI and leads, here we come!

Worried that your website may not be converting customers? 7 changes you should be making today!

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 19:33:49 GMT

Worried that your website may not be converting customers? 7 changes you should be making today!

Source

What is your ultimate goal when you own a business online?

Many people have the misconception that they need high levels of traffic in order to have a successful digital business. Yes, receiving traffic to your website is awesome and also important, but it is practically useless if that traffic does not convert. After all, you not only want visitors to your website, but you want to gain more customers.

So, are you unable to get your desired conversion outcomes from your current website? Are you getting sufficient traffic driven to your website without any significant increase in the conversion rate ? Do you want to rectify all that in order to have a website that persuades your visitors to convert into your customer?

If yes, then you are at just the exact place. We have enlisted 7 of the most effective changes that you can make to your website that are guaranteed to increase your conversion rates.

So, read on to know about the 7 modifications you should be making to your website today!

Make sure to give a deep insight into the benefits of your products/services.
Consumers are smart. They don’t want to spend their money on something that they don’t know much about. With everything easily accessible to everybody out there, you want your products or services to stand out from the rest.
So, make sure that you provide the visitors with every bit of information they need to know about your services and/or products. From the features of the product, its benefits, and the payment and shipment procedures, every little information must be delivered to the client through your website. It will not only help your client know about your product, but it will also help them trust you.
Remove any unnecessary and unrequired fields.
Adding too many fields to your website is one of the biggest reasons for decreased conversion rates. When you include too many fields, it causes a large number of users to leave the process.
Having to answer too many questions while doing online shopping often seems like too much a task for most people. Asking too many irrelevant and unnecessary questions from your clients may leave them annoyed, triggering them to leave your website.
So, it is best to use a minimum number of fields on your website. However, using a lesser number of fields may be insufficient. So, the key lies in finding the perfect balance between the two. You must use these fields in such a way that it enables you to get all the info without getting on the nerves of the celebrity.
Offer a guarantee to your customer
Consumers tend to purchase items that are least risky and most beneficial. So, how can you make them know that your products are a must-have? Add a Guarantee!
A no-questions-asked moneyback guarantee helps the clients get rid of their fears and objections. Even if the customer never avails of this guarantee, they will still find your brand a lot more trustworthy than others.
Who doesn’t love a promise or a guarantee when purchasing something new? I know I do, and that’s why I know that it is one of the best ways to attract customers. Plus, the increased sales will make up for any returns.
Include reviews and testimonials
It’s your product, of course, you will praise it! That’s usually how a customer feels when they read benefits of your product on your website. That is the reason why including testimonials and reviews from your existing customers is great idea to increase your conversions.
When a potential client hears positive reviews from existing clients, it gives them a reason to trust you. It helps put them at ease, and persuades them to buy from you.
Add a live chat option to your website
How many times have you skipped buying a product from the store because you couldn’t find anyone to ask about the product?
The same logic applies to online shopping. When a visitor wants to make a decision about buying your product, more often than not, they would like to talk to you about the product. And not being able to do so, makes them abandon the website.
When you provide a live chat option to your website, it helps the users find answer to their queries as soon as they want to.
Don’t overcomplicate the buying procedure.
Short and simple form fields, user-friendly interface, a complete description of the product, and variable payment methods – these are a few things that highly attract the visitors.
When you overcomplicate the buying procedure, the visitor usually loses interest before they could complete the whole buying procedure. The easier you make your buying procedure, the great chance there is of increased conversion on your website.
Incorporate a strong call to action.
The generic and overused call-to-actions, like “Sign Up” will not give you the best conversion rates. So, instead of putting up this common CTA, it is best to put in some effort and use some unique CTAs for your website.
You need to strengthen your CTA game to increase your website conversions!

Some Final Words

We hope that these tips help you boost up the conversion rates of your website.

Yet, before you move forward and make these modifications to your website, here is a bonus tip for you that might just be the most important one! You must always remember that what works for one website may not work for another. The conversions also depend greatly on the target audience, the niche, and the offers made by the business.

So, how to make sure what works for you? Test, test, and test! Building a website is not a cookie-cutter phenomenon. And that’s why you should always keep testing to check if the alterations are helping your conversion rates or not.

Find out what works best for your business, and then start from there!

7 Essential Website Maintenance Tips To Scale Your Business

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 19:21:03 GMT

7 Essential Website Maintenance Tips To Scale Your Business

In the present time, the first impression of your customer is the interaction of your website. If you create that first impression right, the potential customers will become your loyal customers.

Whenever you need a product/service, the first thing you do is search for the website. If the website sounds appealing, the customers buy the product without further inquiries. But if there are bugs or problems with your website, there is a fair chance that the customer will not return to your website ever again.

Source: Pixabay

Mostly, website owners feel that website design is the end of the story. Once the website is up and ready, customers will rush in to buy and try the products.

On the contrary, website maintenance is of supreme importance. And if your website is developed on the HWD platform, then you must follow these website maintenance tips to keep your website up and running:

Update Website Content Regularly

Everyone knows that content is king, but people hardly make an effort to update their website content regularly. Although that’s not the only factor that comes under website maintenance, it is undoubtedly an essential factor that website owners fail to consider.
If you have a blogging website, blog posts must be regularly uploaded, and someone needs to reply to those comments. If you are selling a product on the website, there are product uploads and payment gateway issues that need to be taken care of. With an HWD platform, it becomes easy to update the content without being tech-savvy.

The Responsiveness

Whenever a website is developed, it must be checked for responsiveness. Whether the website usability on mobile is perfect or the website is operating flawlessly on various devices.
You must ensure that all the aspects of your website are in working order all the time. When you hire a professional website maintenance company, they’ll ensure that the website stays online all the time. And as soon as the website goes down, it is their responsibility to put the website back online.
The goal of the website is to engage users and entice them to do business with you. If the website’s user experience is terrible, the customer will never place an order on the website.

Get Rid Of Those Broken Links

Google ignore those websites that don’t remove their broken links often. Use a tool like Ahrefs to remove any broken links in the website. If you have developed your website in an HWD platform, it is fairly easy to remove the links and improve the website rank on Google result pages.
Ensure that none of the links is directing the users to a 404 error page. Even if the link is broken or there is work in progress, you need to redirect those links to a working landing page.

Watch & Improve The Website Speed

Unless you are using an HWD platform for your website, which automatically improves the website’s speed, you need to constantly monitor the website speed and eliminate all the elements affecting the website speed.
If the website is taking too much time to load, then take it as an alarming sign. You must reduce the website load time so that Google will index the website on the first page of results.

Source: Pixabay

Avoid animated videos or too many plugins, which can reduce website speed. Optimize the images with an image compression tool . When you optimise images on the website, it will improve the speed of the website.

Take Regular Feedback From The Users

When you give users the ability to provide feedback, you can understand what is working and create problems for the user.
Treat those feedback seriously and try to improve your website with these feedbacks and suggestions.
Ask the users about the user experience on the website s that you’ll know what is bothering the users. Read comments on social media platforms and see what people are saying about your website experience. Take the positive and negative responses and use that to improve the performance of the website.

Make The Website Search Engine Friendly

If your website is structured well, user-friendly responsive, then there is a fair chance that your website might be user-friendly.
But if there are any of the above elements missing from the website, you need to quickly resolve those issues. When it comes to search engine friendliness, then these issues must be resolved.

Source: Pixabay

Moreover, to make your website SEO-friendly, you need to take care of meta descriptions and tags. Use phrases that the potential users are searching for. This will help your website secure a good place in search engine rankings.

Keep A Close Eye On Website Analytics

You must monitor the website analytics regularly. If there are visitors on your website with no goal conversion, then there is a problem that you need to resolve.

You must analyse the website design, the call to action buttons and the content on the website. Change these elements one by one and see if the website analytics is improved or not.

Closing Thoughts

A website is a work in progress. There is always some improvements that need to be made. With an HWD platform, it gets easy to manage the website as there are several features that other platforms might not provide. Features like uptime, improved website speed, and responsiveness.

Whether you are a web design Derby or a web design Leicester agency,

the key to website maintenance is to keep updating the website. And if there are things that are not converting users into customers, you need to follow all the tips mentioned above.

Website maintenance is a never-ending job. It is crucial that you hire a professional company to take care of your website. Once your website is in the hands of experienced, there will be more time for you to work on other essential aspects of your business.

5 SEO Techniques that you must know about in 2022

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 19:01:31 GMT

5 SEO Techniques that you must know about in 2022

As we constantly witness rapid growth in online business sectors, keeping things on track is getting difficult for online business owners. While there is a myriad of things associated with online businesses that need close attention, the site's organic traffic could be the one that must be provided with the deserved spotlight. With that well catered to, you rest assured to get maximum business, allowing your company to climb the true ladder of success.

If you are the one who is constantly trying hard to maintain your rank on search engines, then certainly you are at the right place. Mentioned below are some of the most reliable SEO techniques that can help you increase our business traffic organically as we move into the mid of 2022. These SEO tactics could help you in unravelling the true, hidden potential of your online business. By implementing each of these, you'll step closer to improving your and traffic visibility. With that being said, let us move further and have a closer look at what these tactics are about.

Knowing about Your Competitors’ strategies
Knowing about your competitors and their strategies is one of the most essential when it comes to maintaining your online presence. You must look for the SEO tactics your competitors are using and what things are taking them on top. However, catering to such things is not easy and requires constant working and digging. It takes time to figure out what techniques are working for their websites and how you can compete against the SERPs. You can also take your working procedures to the next level by understanding your computers’ approach and how they are working to make things efficient for them.
You may start this by knowing about your competitors' pages that have a high rank on search engines. You may also analyze top pages and factors that are associated with them, such as:
Link gaps
Content/keyword gap
Reviewing existing content
Keyword cannibalization
Start by working on Keyword Gap Analysis.
When it comes to increasing your reach through off-page SEO, you need to have a robust content strategy to start with.
Creating an effective content strategy requires you to focus on two main areas:
Creating new and engaging content
Optimizing new keywords in existing content
When your website is new and just started filling content, then optimizing your content and updating it regularly can play a viable role for you. However, there is a stage when optimization doesn't work effectively, and you need to introduce new content from scratch.
Once you are at this stage, you must start creating new content with new keywords and the latest SEO trends. This is a crucial step as it requires proper brainstorming to get things done rightfully. You must need to have a basic and effective content strategy to allow your pages to attain a reputable position on search engines like Google, Bing, etc.
One of the most effective ways to steer your content plan is by conducting a keyword gap analysis. This will help you in knowing about the keywords your competitors are using. With that well catered to, you can start creating content using new keywords to fill the existing gap.
Optimizing For 'People Also Ask'
Leveraging the latest trends and tools is certainly the most authentic and reliable way to get things done rightly. Therefore, integrating Smart SEOs tactics and taking advantage of SERP features should be your top priority to boost the site's rank organically. Talking about these features, you must start utilizing 'People Also Ask.' to steer up your organic approach.
Moreover, there are a whole bunch of reasons why you should start paying more attention to PAA. The first and foremost reason is that they can help you in appearing at the top prominently. While being on the top of the SERPs, you are able to answer all the relevant questions your customers are looking for. This effective strategy allows your business to get two ranks on the search engines. Over 75% of PAA results are shown in the top three results of every search engine. PPA is greatly utilized by marketers as this feature works efficiently in the refinement of queries that Google often struggles to interpret. Someone searching for “web design derby" can also look for what web design is, what services companies can offer etc. It is essential to pay close attention here that mot many marketers are paying close attention to PAA. You can leverage this gap and utilize this opportunity to stand out from your competitors.
Steal Broken Backlinks of Your Competitor's
Off-page SEO is all about building effective backlinks. Needless to say, building backlinks is one of the most authentic and effective ways that we can use to generate more traffic. However, building quality backlinks isn’t that easy.
But, you are here for a reason—you can always look for shortcuts—an effective and easy way to get things smoothly. One great technique that you can leverage is by starting using a variant of broken links. At the same time, this might seem a shortcut but requires research that includes finding broken links and creating content that fits best to those links. You can also use SEMRush and enter your competitor's domain into the Backlink Analytics Tool. Then move to the 'indexed pages' tab. Once there, you must tick the 'Target URL error' box. This will give potential backlinks that your competitors might have been using to attract traffic towards their business.
Start getting Authoritative Backlinks Using Digital PR.
Earning authority backlinks can sometimes be the biggest challenge for SEO experts. When it comes to earning relevant links successfully, backlinks could undoubtedly be regarded as the number one approach. It has remained one of Google's top three ranking factors.
However, there are certain essential elements that are associated with earning quality backlinks. First and foremost, you should create unique and high-quality content that can gain popularity naturally in the online community. With that well catered to, you rest assured to get editorial votes given by choice—unique and high-quality content increases your chances of getting noticed by readers, ultimately providing you with the opportunity of getting a high rank on search engines.
You may also consider promoting and creating high-quality content related to journalists and publishers, which can further allow you to make more online traffic through interlinks.

Final Thought

Apart from all the tactics mentioned above, there is an essential thing that you must know about. Amidst all the things that you must have been catering to professionally, you need to have a robust and efficient hosting platform that allows you to get things smoothly. HWD platforms definitely don't play a direct role in SEO; however, you need a robust, effective and easy to handle platform when it comes to performing procedures efficiently. Therefore, you must go for the best option available in the market and not for the one just claiming to be the best!

DropShipping vs Drop Servicing: How you can make 10x by selling web development services. 100% 14

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 18:15:28 GMT

There is a rise in online businesses in the past few years. People are earning tons of money working from the comfort of their homes.

Blogging, e-store, YouTube, selling things online are some of the most common ways people are making good money.

Some people drop shipping and drop servicing are the most attractive models to make 6-7 figures online. But before you take one model and start earning, you must understand how one model is different from another.

Dropshipping is a way to sell physical things online, while drop servicing is selling virtual services online. Another difference between the two is that in dropshipping, the seller doesn’t have to carry the goods. The customer will directly get the product. While in drop servicing, the service must be accepted from a 3rd party and deliver it to the customer.

Now, you know the basic difference between the two, let’s dive in to understand more about these two business models. Whether you are starting out or willing to have some second stream of income, you can pick one model and start earning.

What are Drop Servicing & Dropshipping?

In drop shipping, you sell services like logo designing, social media marketing, article writing, translation services. You don’t directly do the service; you outsource it and earn some commission over it.

In dropshipping model, the method is identical, but you are selling actual products. The products are stored at the retailer. When a client orders a product, you ship it directly from the retailer to the customer.

Drop Servicing: The Basics

Drop servicing is a simple business model that can help you earn a good sum of money.

To begin with, you need to pick a skill that you can easily outsource and is in demand. Choose a service from this list. You can either pick one or multiple services.

Logo designing
Blogging
Copywriting
Proofreading
Website development
Mobile App development
Social Media Marketing
Video editing
Data entry
Virtual Assistant

Pick which service you are willing to offer. And moving on you have two ways to move forward.

The first way is to develop a website around the whole service. For instance, when you create a logo designing a website on the HWD Platform, people can see your work and the clients that you’ve served.

Moreover, you need to set up a way to get payments once the service is offered.

Once the website is created, you can run Google Ads to bring traffic to your website.

When a client orders a service, you go to a freelancing platform like Fiverr or UpWork and search for freelancers offering the service.

Place an order, deliver the order to the customer, and get your commission.

The second way is simpler. The profit margin might be low, but the method is easier than the first way.

SEOClerks
CodeClerks
ListingDock
PixelClerks
WordClerks

These websites offer services that are cheaper than Fiverr.

So, you get the order on Fiverr and outsource it on these websites, you’ll be able to get the job done at a cheaper rate.

Dropshipping: the Basics

Dropshipping can be complex than drop servicing, but the profit margin is higher too.

If done correctly, you can earn a lot by doing little effort. People begin their dropshipping from Shopify, AliExpress, or Alibaba.

When the customer purchases a product, you will ship it directly from an international platform like AliExpress or Amazon.

You can get traffic from paid advertising via Facebook or Instagram.

The thin with dropshipping is that you need to do it carefully. Because one mistake can ruin your reputation or even the wrong selection of product can cost you a fortune.

Pros and Cons of Drop servicing

Pros

Drop servicing is easy and simple.

You don’t need a special skill to begin the business.
No investment is needed to initiate the business.
The risk is low compared to dropshipping because there is no stress of refund or returns.

Cons

The delivery time can vary because of the late delivery from the freelancer. To reduce this, you need to add two extra days to your pitch.
You need to answer and satisfy the customer from your end.
The customer will be rating you based upon the work done by someone else.

Pros and Cons of Dropshipping

Pros

Dropshipping is more profitable than drop servicing.
Web apps like Oberlo and Ezusy can help you automate dropshipping business and rest while you make money.
You don’t have to maintain an inventory to create a store.

Cons

It is a lot riskier than drop servicing. The wrong selection of products will give you less return.
The delivery can take more than a month which can make customers unhappy.
Mostly, Chinese products don’t guarantee quality.
The refund and returns can become a headache.

Which one is better?

Both of these businesses are authentic businesses that you can begin online and earn good money with it.

As you have seen that both of the businesses have their pros and cons. If you are starting, then drop servicing can be a good business model. But once you gain some experience on how to run the business, you can switch to dropshipping model.

Drop servicing has not many courses on it. But, with dropshipping, there are tons of courses that will help you learn the business from scratch.

With drop servicing, you don’t have to deal with customer returns, refunds, and customer complaints.

Dropshipping, on the other hand, is a highly profitable business. You can even make more than 7-figures out of it. But this doesn’t indicate that cannot make good money with drop servicing. If you pick a high-ticket service, you can convert it into a billion-dollar business.

Whether you are starting r looking for a second stream of income, both business models can help you earn a good amount of money.

INNOVATIVE WEB DESIGN USING HWD

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 18:08:30 GMT

Innovative web design using HWD

INNOVATIVE WEB DESIGN USING HWD

HWD makes building web designs easy and more groundbreaking than the custom platform used for creating web designs in Derby. Lets us check it out how:

Users can create their business' online presence using the industry-leading drag and drop website builder, which requires no coding or development experience.
Those who do not want to design their own websites can avail an endless list of more than 500+ designer-made templates that are completely customisable.
HWD creates customised web designs for you that are completed with images and text by answering just a few questions.
Easy setup lets you host your website and web design on their own servers.
Sign-up is quick and free.

You can choose from two different domain options: the free HWD or join our customised domain. If you need to use the convention domain name, you can subscribe to our premium plans.

While WordPress is the most user-friendly open-source CMS, it is far from the most user-friendly website publishing solution. Setting up a WordPress site isn't easy, as it necessitates some knowledge of how to put a few pieces together. You'll need to get a web host and a domain name (popular domain and hosting providers include GoDaddy and BlueHost), then install WordPress on your hosting server. Another thing to think about is maintenance because WordPress system updates and backups aren't done automatically.

HWD, on the other hand, is very well known for its innate interface. While experienced HTML/CSS programmers will have no trouble navigating the WordPress interface, if you don't have much experience with web creation, HWD will most likely be the best option.

Web Design Options

Offering 100% customisable templates, HWD offers stunning web design in Leicester with a variety of apps for your business website. There are more than 500 templates for various categories: business, ecommerce, art, photography, wedding, food, restaurants, hotels and more.

It's important to note that once you've chosen a template, you can't change it. You'll have to start again from scratch in order to fill your template with content and photographs. Video boxes, lists and grids, shapes and text boxes are only a few of the design choices available in HWD's editor's left sidebar menu. Unlike WordPress, no coding or CSS knowledge or skills is needed.

Moreover, you have more than 200 Apps you can use.

HWD Shoutout lets you collect contact information from visitors who have expressed interest in your site/product/service and connect with them through email marketing campaigns.
HWD Video is an extremely useful tool if you use video for marketing and communication. Simply upload your videos and choose a layout. A live stream video choice is also available, allowing viewers to comment in real time.
You can create discount codes, manage orders, choose from a variety of product page templates, and have a well-designed storefront with eCommerce. You don't have to pay any fees for sales, which is a great option for small and medium-sized businesses.
Events allow you to make beautiful invites, sell tickets, and keep track of and connect with your attendees. They allow you to customise your HWD site by adding new features.

WordPress does not reveal the improvements you make to your front-end template in real time when editing your site. To customise your chosen theme, you'll need some basic HTML/CSS skills. If you don't know how to code, editing your site could break the front-end (the way your website looks to your viewers). Although switching from one WordPress theme to another isn't difficult, it doesn't always meet your needs; in most cases, some code tweaks are needed to achieve your desired look and functionality.

It is very handy and efficient even for beginners. It is more fun and simple with state of the art web designs Nottingham, and templates. Saying this, techies and coders find WordPress way more compliant.

HWD SEO

All SEO proficiencies that a standard website may need are covered by HWD that helps to enhance business visibility and online presentation. The basic SEO features such as search console integration and sitemap generation and also some advanced ones are enclosed. After answering some simple questions about your brand, it creates a personalised SEO plan particularly for you. Following the easy step-by-step guide will connect your site to Google and rank higher on search engines.

WordPress is widely regarded as an SEO-friendly website. Websites produced with WordPress can be easily indexed by search engines with some technical configuration work. Configuring your website's name, tagline, heading tags, URL structure, image alt tags, and so on is easy. It also comes with a number of SEO plugins that you can use to customise SEO names, meta descriptions, and social media material and content for all of your pages and articles.

In conclusion, both HWD and WordPress have built-in SEO features for ranking high in search and create an effective online existence.

Features

HWD is a website-building software with a drag-and-drop builder that makes it simple to create websites. Unlike WordPress, it hosts your website for you and allows you to buy a domain from inside the platform. You may also build a website with a free domain name, which will appear in the format www.abc.com . Beginners, online businesses/professionals and designers/developers will all benefit from our creative and intuitive website editor. You can make a blog, a bank, an online store, a photography website, and other types of websites.

WordPress is a free, open-source content management system. The main distinction is that it must be built on your web hosting site, making the setup process more difficult than this. To create a website with WordPress, you'll need a domain name and a web host, just like every other website. A domain name is your website's online address (for example, msn.com), and web hosting is the location where your website code is stored. WordPress allows developers to build plugins and themes that users can use to enhance the efficiency and visibility of their websites.

When selecting plugins for a website, one must be cautious; not all plugins are suitable for use. Almost every best practice is known, thanks to a plethora of forums and helpful blogs. WordPress is a powerful forum for web developers and businesses looking to build and manage complex websites, user accounts, login dashboards, and other features.

We offer web design with reasonable pricing, maintenance cost, up site, no issues, robust, easier to manage and edit and super fast on google page speed insights with advanced and easy to use features.

Nine web design tricks you need to know today!

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 26 May 2022 20:33:09 GMT

Nine web design tricks you need to know today! Image Source

Today’s world is all about digitalization- the pandemic has not just made us stay-at-home workers but order-online buyers as well.

Capturing an audience and effectively generating leads is how you will outshine your competitors.

Be the Ace at Developing Your Ideal Website.

If you want the desired ROI and successful branding of your business, make your website a platform that impresses the mass.

Follow our nine nifty web design tricks and get ready to experience higher milestones. Let the guide begin!

Planning Before Execution Pays off

Behind every masterpiece is a well-written plan. You can’t just jump face down into the water without knowing its depth and the dangers that might be involved.

So, if you desire to be a pro at web designing, first take out a pen and paper-

Because it's 2022, let’s say, open a blank document and mind map.

List down your requirements, understand the objective behind your website, think of the possible styling you want to incorporate in your web. These are the fundamentals.

Once you know your demands, that will help you proceed with the actions you must take to fulfill them. It’s making a vision of your ideal website that will help you save time, confusion and structuring your web.

Include Links to Your Social Media Pages

Adding buttons for your social media accounts helps your consumers connect with you even more.

More than 50% of the world population uses social media platforms in this globalized world- irrespective of their age. Thus, allowing your traffic to reach out to you using numerous digital media platforms is vital for earning more leads.

Click to Actions are a Necessity.

One cannot stress enough the significance of Call to Actions. CTAs are crucial for boosting the chances of successful leads. If you want to raise your conversion rates, CTAs save your day- truly.

Aside from the primary CTA, including catchy phrases all over the website is vital. Make sure you place the CTA buttons or links where your users can read them clearly.

If the call-to-action buttons aren’t visible, what’s the point of including them in the first place, right?

Even stats support this claim. The research found that reducing clusters around CTAs increased a firm’s conversion rate by around 232%. Talk about spectacular!

If it’s Gadget Friendly, You’re Winning.

Ever since smartphones and gadgets have taken over the world, you can expect to see almost everyone around you using them. From toddlers to elders, laptops, mobiles, and tablets are the new IT.

Therefore, you will be correct to assume that most of your traffic is visiting your website from their gadget. Hence, as you develop your web page, ensure that it’s tablet and mobile-friendly, no matter what.

From color schemes to white spaces and formatting, ensure your website has it all to achieve user satisfaction of mobile users.

Prioritize Navigation.

Having user-friendly navigation for your webpage is a fundamental you can never skip. The easier it is to use your website, the higher the satisfaction level of your traffic and the greater chances of lead generations.

Imagine yourself as the buyer. Would you prefer using an e-commerce store where you don’t know how to proceed, or it’s taking a lot of time?

No, instead, you might even abandon your cart even though the business has precisely what you were looking for.

And hence, you’d end up buying from a competitor just because you got what you needed without any hassle because the site was just so smooth to use.

The lesson of the story:

Save your audience's time as they get all the information n that they are looking for by going to the relevant subheadings right away.

Let not your competitors steal away your market share, eh?

Regular Testing is the Ingredient to Success

Being safe is better than being sorry. Adding new tools and elements to your webpage isn’t the final step. Ensuring they work and don’t hinder your consumer’s user journey is the crucial step.

Punctually testing your website can ensure no such disruptions affect your lead generation to attract more traffic.

Referrals Attract Traffic. Period.

Word of mouth is a powerful tool. It helps create a brand for your business and expand your market share. Influencers, reviews, customer experiences all offer evidence about your firm, a guarantee about your products and services.

Publishing referrals on your website vouch for your firm’s integrity and commitment towards your buyers.

Take it this way, you want to purchase a recently launched product but are reluctant because you don’t know if the store is reliable.

But, on the same day, your friend recommends it to you. The result: there are high chances you’ll end up ordering from this new store. Right?

That’s precisely how testimonials and referrals work.

Visualize to see Wonders Happen

While formatting and navigation are the cores to perfect web designing 101, visual appeal is the cherry on top. Let’s be honest. No one likes plain and boring sites.

Too much text and not enough aesthetics might lead to major web development blunders. Be sure to avoid them!

Add short videos, strategically place some infographics and other attention-grabbing pictures. And voila. Visual elements are essential in making your audience focus and retain information about you much more efficiently.

Go for Scrolling and Avoid Clicking

Clicking numerous times and oh goodness- if you have slow internet, waiting for each new page to load. Ugh, that sounds frustrating.

If you want to indulge in effective web development, go for scrolling. Present your content in sliders instead of pages and links that need clicking. Scrolling is more straightforward and effortless, with all the information compacted into a single page. Time efficiency and user experience are what you aim for in website development, after all.

Foreword

Hopefully, you made some essential pointers to help you get started. The nine hacks mentioned above are blessings in disguise for developing your website like a true professional. Follow them and prepare to experience the joy as your site garners attention and assists you in bringing boosted earnings.

Happy web designing!

7 ideas to make your web design helps customer convert

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 26 May 2022 20:24:46 GMT

The main purpose is to convert the visitors into customers or make them complete the call to action. If this purpose is not being served by your website, your website is surely not designed and planned appropriately.

With more businesses joining the cyber world and many even taking birth from the web, you need a website with a reasonable conversion rate. An attractive web design is a first and most important step to attract more visitors and get them glued to the website to perform the call to action.

Designing a website for a company is a prime task and is defiantly not a piece of cake. Your marketing team may succeed in promoting your products, but if you do not have an effective website, all efforts will go in vain.

Your website should be a power pack of excellent web design and powerful content. Here are some tips and tricks for web design to be perfect for conversion:

1. Planning in detail:

Detailed and organised planning of the website should be done before starting the designing process. It is always great to work rearward; this way, you can put efforts in the right direction to get the desired output.

Know about your customer's mindset, expectations, and behavior from your website. You should be aware of what things will likely attract the customers and make them stay on the website, navigate it and perform the call to action.

Web design derby agencies conduct several tests to understand the customers and then make the most straightforward, easy-to-use, and most attractive web designs.

2. Reduce confusion and lay it clear:

Making your website brimming with colours, animations, stocky images, and lengthy messages will do no good to your website. You need to understand that the simpler, the better. It is essential that the flow to navigate through the website comes naturally.

You would not want your customers to get distracted by useless animations and divert their minds from the actual purpose. Web design Leicester agencies work on specific guidelines and follow colour coding, specific font size, and style to prioritize call-to-actions.

Stuffing too much on the front page can be overwhelming for the customers and reduce conversion rates. Try to be straightforward with your message and make the navigation process explicit.

3. Add reviews and testimonials:

Would you be willing to buy something that you have not actually seen but have read and listened about it a lot?

You would want to give it a try. Your website will work the same way. You need to put up reviews and testimonials on your website for customers to make sure they will get what they expect.

How to include reviews and testimonials so that they get approached by the visitors?

Video testimonials are found to be more impactful. A catchy heading with a concise description of the video is sure to make the customer watch the video. You can also go for a text testimonial but make sure to add the customer name, picture, and company name, to increase authenticity and build trust.

4. Images make a huge difference:

Don't ever try to save up your time on images and go with stock photos. They are most likely to harm your website conversion rate. You would not like to see some images on two different websites or even your competitor's web page.

Redundant images can make you lose customers because this will decrease your credibility. Be conscious while choosing pictures for your website. Don’t go too overboard but stick with high-quality and realistic images. However, personal photography is best.

5. Do not make the visitors to put in extra effort:

Customers, in general, are lazy; do the work for them and help them continue being lazy. Try to reduce the clicks as much as possible and navigation translucent. You do not want the customer to run away because he does not want to click so many times to perform the call to action.

Try to prevent pop-ups and ads on your web page to reduce distraction and clicks. Web design Nottingham agencies make sure to not tire the visitors and make everything they are looking for visible and clear.

6. Use the white space effectively:

White space or negative space is the area between images and text. This empty space plays a vital role in designing the web page effectually.

Using the white space appropriately can create a visually appealing and pleasing web page. You can create partitions between contents and images using the white space. Moreover, you can use it strategically use it to emphasize on related content. White space can also be effectively used to create a minimalistic look. This way we are very close to increase conversion rate.

7. Include self-selection tools in your website:

Online shopping can be overwhelming if you are not sure where to look for what you are looking for. An easy self-selection tool can help you narrow down your choices or even bring you to your desired product or service by asking a series of simple questions or making you checkbox your choices.

This is a simple tool but highly effective. The customers are sure to return for shopping more because of the ease they had while shopping using the self-selection tool.

Conclusion:

Invest your time to build up your website or hire professionals to do so because a good website plays a major role in attracting and increasing customer conversion. Make sure you have an attractive, appealing and easy to navigate website that will not tire or overwhelm the customers.

These tips will surely make you a pro to design an effective website that will be beneficial for your company. You do not have to worry any longer about your website. Just follow these simple tips and get ready for a huge boost in customer conversion rate.

Top 10 stunning web design trends for 2022

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Thu, 26 May 2022 20:19:15 GMT

Top 10 stunning web design trends for 2022

In this era of 2022, establishing a website is very important. Moreover, web design plays a vital role in attracting audiences. As it is stated, that kind of design used on the website is what portrays a business's ideas and their perspective about things.

It is always seen that web designs take in a new world of technology, moving faster and faster. However, it is claimed that 2022 is more about blending the digital with the ordinary; rather than aspiring to the high-tech fantasy. There are a few of the trends that can give life to the digital world.

Abstract Art Composition
What can you assume when you hear about the word abstract? Yes. An abstract is all about combining different shapes and colours, creating an illusion that has a direct impact on one's mind. Web designers are using and incorporating them into unique compositions that reflect freedom. These vibrant colours give life to the web content, even if real human faces are missing. The energetic and lively feeling is created with the abstract art composition designs.
Comfortable colours
In 2022, web designers are focused on colours. Back age, attractive colours were the only trend to gain more attention; however, now the focus is on maintaining a comfortable interaction with the users. Colours like pastel blue, pastel greens, white backgrounds, etc., are considered. Users spend a long time on their phones and keyboards. Designers are focusing more on colours that are easier on the eyes.
Web design Derby and web design Nottingham are carrying on this trend, according to the product offered. This trend is mainly used with products like face washes, herbal products, etc.
Web design for causes
2 022 is a year of the world dealing with problems. Covid-19, the pandemic has taken over the world throughout the year. This has caused social interactions and websites into more usage. Social media has became the shelter home for all businesses; where it be schools, restaurants, or any other kind. Businesses that did not own a website before have developed one today to help people in this situation.
Web designers are up for the task of keeping businesses afloat and raise awareness through web designs for the people to have good communication and understand how they can act responsibly towards society. Sustainable methods or environmental issues with pictures are used to spread the business message. Various organisations have used taglines and animations for the ongoing pandemic; constantly reminding to wash hands or not touching the face.
This is a web designing for a cause, and we are also very close to our customers.
Parallax animation
The popularity of web-based animations is constantly rising. Web designs are becoming more complex as the background and foreground keeps changing. A parallax effect is created when illusions come near to the viewer. This all seems like magic, more like a theatre stage where the scenery changes. This draws the attention of the users and captures their mind.
Parallax animation is extensively used and works great in the HWD software that is easier to use and manage.
Use of emoji
It is no news that the world has embraced digital interaction. Where it be someone 5 miles apart or 5000 miles, all use their keyboards for communication. Emoji is a language that is commonly used in the digital world and understandable too. Web designers opt for emojis for their website toolbox too. Web designers are using this fun language of emojis for the website content; accompanied with illustrations and writings.
Digital interpretation of physical products
Products are the assets for all businesses. They are the heart of the websites. Web designers establish designs with a visual representation of the products that make them look more natural and add to the web content. They may have colours spread all over the page like nail polish, or different illustrations created.
The website looks appealing and more organic. This is one of the best trends for web designing. Designers have been using these techniques for web design in Leicester , too, as practiced all over the world. Digital trends are being set to appeal wider audience and target them by keeping them intact to the website.
Captivating Questionnaire
One of the ways to design websites is also that questionnaire can be used on the strategies of the website to understand the likes and dislikes of the user. The customers feel more attached and build communication even before they have opted for the service. This builds interactive communication that is healthy for an organisation.
This trend is what captivates attention and makes website successful.
Impactful engaging stories
In 2022, modern websites will shine at telling stories. Stories that are compelling and keep the audience engaged can turn a website into a modern site. Web designers all through the world are playing with impactful stories. These will assess in gaining more attention from the customers and the website attractive. E.g.: food organisations can make good stories about how things are extracted and then served. Pictures added can do wonders for attracting people.
Dynamic scrolling
Dynamic scrolling is another modern design trend that has been seen in the websites. It is that different speeds are set for the background and foreground. This helps visualising a 3D effect for the viewers. This trend is to further continue by the web designers through 2022.
Bold fonts
Fonts play a vital role in the digital world. The font is a language that communicates different messages. Bold fonts indicate something important, while underline shows that things are highlighted. Different fonts speak their language.
Web designers have bold fonts in their toolbox to emphasise different things on the website. It shows the domination, and is eye-catching.

Concluding, web design is responsible for the visitors first impression. It can lead to an increase in sales by attracting a wider audience. The design needs to be according to the ongoing trend and what people like to see. Moreover, the software used for the website is the MOST essential component. HWD platform is one of the best ones, better than WordPress.

It is because the HWD platform is super fast and easy to manage. Moreover, HWD has a lower monthly cost as compared to WordPress.

This can lead to the conclusion using the HWD platform with the latest trendy web designs that are appealing to the eyes.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.webfx.com/blog/web-design/modern-web-design/amp/

https://elementor.com/blog/web-design-trends/

https://99designs.com/blog/trends/web-design-trends/

How to create a perfect website- step by step guide

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 24 May 2022 17:55:13 GMT

How to create a perfect website- step by step guide

If you are a freelancer, own an organisation, or a small business is what you have, all of them require a website. A great website is essential for a successful business. Creating an engaging and eye-catching website is an art. It is very important to choose the best web design and content that is appealing to the customers.

This article provides a step-by-step guide to create a perfect website for a business.

Chose the right website builder for you

Nowadays, website builders are commonly used to create a website. This means technically specialised people. The frequently asked questions would be: How to find the best website builder? Which website builder is the best?

You must choose a website builder that is best for your product. Most of website builders offer a free trial. You must select a paid plan after you have tried.

Select a plan that suits your budget and needs
Once you are done selecting the website builder, you can now move to the next step of selecting a plan according to your budget.
Website builders are less costly than web developers as web developers charge higher prices for template customisation alone. Website builders design a complete website that is fully ready to work. The plan you choose depends on your needs. You must keep in mind that you are not paying for something that you are not using.
Obtain a good domain name
The domain name, which is the website address, is very important to enter in creating a website. It must be kept in mind that the name is easy and small that people can remember it. It should also be a good impression for usability and SEO( Search Engine Optimisation).
Some of the important tips choosing a name also includes that with a small, easy name, a proper domain name must be used. You must try adding (.com) as compared to any other names as (.net) etc. Research the domain name before selecting as it do not contain any registered trademarks. Moreover, the name is easily memorable so that customers can look into it. These are important things you must look into before opting for a domain name.
Pick a design template and customise your design
Now comes the fun part. Now your website have a good name that describes your business. Now is the time to chose your template design. The web builder you have chose will show you a variety of different templates; you can select the one you desire according to your business. You have selected a design, and now you can customise it.
Web designing is not easy as it seems. This is a process that needs a lot of focus to make your website look like YOUR website; finally. The process is carried in all parts of the world; web design Derby , Web design Nottingham , or web design Leicester .
While designing your website, you can change the colours, the slides, navigation, add pages, change fonts, etc. Pictures can be added too to make the website look more presentable. This step lets you create a website that is according to your product and is able to appeal to the customers. It is like the template is a recipe and web designing includes the ingredients for you to choose.
Upload your content and implement the best management system
Now your website is all set for you to add content for the web. Content management system is important. HWD software is one of the best software as compared to WordPress as it is easy to manage and use. Moreover, the monthly charges are lower than the WordPress developers. It is fast, robust, easy to manage; what else are you looking for?
This makes HWD an amazing choice to manage the website.
You should consider your content before uploading it. It must include a clear idea of business purposes and goals. The content should be eye catching, and interactive to build a strong communication of the users with the website. Informational and helpful content must be added that keep your reader hooked. Write short and direct stuff, keeping your competition in mind.
Preview and test your website
Now, as your website is complete and ready to publish, you need to hold on. Creating a website and publishing it blindly is not what you should do. Once you are done with the customisation, have a preview of the site. Check all the spellings and grammar, look if all the buttons function properly, is the formatting consistent, and if the site fulfilling a purpose? All these things must be reviewed and checked, then move to the other step of publishing it.
Most of the web builders provide a simple preview button that shows you how it would look like when it's live.
Publish your website on the internet
Tadaaa! You are all set to publish your website and make it go live. This is the final step where you are all set to meet your customers and connect with the users. You have a website of your business that portrays your product, ideas, and plan.

This step leads us into the cold, unforgiving world, and we are very close to the consumers.

This is a complete step-by-step guide of how a website is created, from having a web builder to how the website is completely customized. With all the requirements completed, your website is published with the messages and content that you need to deliver to the world.

Anyone can create a website for their business, and this is no big deal. You just have to ensure using the correct things. Still unsure about how to create a website? You should not be. This detailed analysis would assess choosing the best decisions, and you are all set to publish your website.

References

https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/building-websites/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2019/05/25/small-business-website-tips/?sh=38f7497f21ad

https://websitesetup.org/

10 Tips to Optimize Page Speed & Climb Search Rankings

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 24 May 2022 17:45:33 GMT

Top Google rankings indicate online success for any business. Backlinko's research suggests that the first Google result gets 31.7% of the clicks, with the second page receiving only 0.78%.

Most marketers end up spending exorbitant amounts to improve Google rankings via page speed optimization and White Hat SEO without getting penalized. However, while there is no shortcut to achieving the No.1 position in Google's SERPs, a series of steps can go a long way towards achieving the top spot.

Here are ten ways to improve Google search rankings and optimize page speeds:

1- Creating Great SEO optimized Content

Placing high-quality Content on the website can still be considered one of the best ways to improve traffic and climb the search rankings. Relevant SEO-optimized content that goes well with web design is even more important for ranking than the overall page experience.

However, the typical content pitfalls such as grammatical errors, duplication, poor readability, and lack of alignment with the target audience must be avoided to make it perform.

According to Search Engine Watch , Content is one of the top 3 factors for Google's search results.

2- Fixing Broken Links

Quality links are the best way of boosting traffic and establishing the site's authority. However, links with a 404 error beat the purpose by bringing down the search rank. Moreover, the user experience also takes a hit when a visitor lands on a page displaying the error instead of answering their intended queries. Ahrefs or Dead Link Checker can prove to be great utilities for fixing broken links.

3- Image Optimization

Optimizing the images is vital for boosting the site's speed and making it easier for Google to identify the web page's images. It can be done by compressing the images, giving them descriptive filenames, and ensuring alt text. More often than not, heavy media on the website, including auto-playing videos, HD graphics, and audio, results in slower loading times, negatively impacting user experience.

4- Focusing on making the site Mobile-Friendly

Research says that more than half of all website traffic now comes from mobile devices, which means that your site's mobile optimization is essential if you want it to rank well.

Google's Search Console presents a list of the mobile usability issues that your site might be encountering, while quick fixes can also be performed through sites such as Mobify.

An important consideration should be to avoid deploying annoying popups that become annoying to close and negatively impact the users' mobile experience.

5- Voice Research Optimization

The incorporation of voice searching queries within the website content has become the need of the hour. As more and more people rely on voice search as their preferred method of asking questions on their phones, there is a need to ensure that such voice searchers find your business. Those only relying on the traditional keyword searches might be losing out on potential traffic, sales and leads.

6- Deploying Social Sharing Buttons

Social media is a significant driver of purchasing behaviour of various sorts, with the majority of the social media users purchasing items shared by those part of their social network. Therefore, a site that produces Content to promote its products but doesn't display social sharing buttons could lose out on a lot.

Social sharing buttons on the site enable the users to share the Content resulting in better site rankings. Easy sharing of the web content via these buttons helps boost relevant traffic to the website, helping it climb search rankings.

7- Regular Content Updates

Google views regularly updated Content as one of the most vital indicators of a site's relevancy. Therefore, the need for routine evergreen Content updates to keep it fresh and meet the evolving needs of the target audience. Auditing content on a set schedule and making regular updates can help streamline the site's Content.

Outdated Content results in lower website traffic and signals that the site doesn't effectively meet the current search intent, potentially resulting in the ultimate ranking downfall.

8- Reviewing and Updating Metadata

It is essential to review and update Metadata with site changes, including the Title Metadata, Description Metadata, and Keyword Metadata. Resubmission of metadata based on regular intervals is integral for the smooth functioning of the site and the upkeep of its rankings.

9- Developing a link-worthy site

If an online apparel site has nothing but catalogues of the shirts and jeans they are selling and the prices, it may not receive quality backlinks apart from those it pays for. However, if, along with the product descriptions, the site presents blogs relating to the top fashion trends, a

A section devoted to the latest styles and which occasions they best suit, the chances to rank increase exponentially.

Value-creating Content and guides lead to developing a site that is in a better position to get free links from sites that hold a high DA.

10- Harnessing the power of alt tags

Describing the visual and audio media on the website through alt tags or alternative text descriptions allows the search engines to locate the pages, bringing about improvement in the search engine rankings. A lack of alt tags often renders Google unable to find the site's pages resulting in indexing and ranking issues.

HWD Platform Vs. WordPress: What helps better for ranking higher on Google?

While Duda offers better ease of use and easy admin options, WordPress is better for permissions and ease of setup. However, Duda's shorter development times have quickly popularized it amongst SEO experts and Web developers in a shorter time.

Final Thoughts

SEO may sound like an overwhelming and continually evolving aspect of Digital Marketing and resultantly hard to tackle. Still, these tips might come in handy for getting in the right direction towards achieving the top SEO rankings.

An excellent SEO strategy can always be bifurcated into smaller steps that are and easily implementable.

With these tips in consideration, you are ready to nail it with your site's SEO optimization and climbing up the Google SERP ladder.

Looking for a web design derby agency? Do contact us today!

How to Build Conversational Marketing Into Your Website

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 24 May 2022 17:24:39 GMT

Customers or potential customers expect to have their queries answered, and their needs met instantly. Therefore, if brands can answer questions the moment they receive them , they might acquire new leads and even make sales while the customer is still in the early stages of the buyer journey.

Combining conversational marketing with the aspects of SEO on your website can do wonders and hit two targets with one arrow – improving Google rankings and the customer experience at the same time.

This post will talk about how you can best integrate conversational marketing with content marketing and the website's SEO efforts.

Conversational marketing: What is it?

Conversational marketing is a form of inbound marketing which emphasizes actual online engagement with prospects.

Why would such online engagements matter?

Buyers these days lack the time and patience to ask questions via contact forms or place calls. Conversational marketing utilizes intelligent chatbots to answer questions in real-time, ensuring that the prospects are not frustrated as they go through the funnel.

Conversational marketing can be entirely automated once integrated into the website and doesn't require constant human support to function effectively and deliver results.

A Conversational Marketing solution: What would it look like?

A conversational marketing strategy encompasses multiple solutions that allow the brand to reach out to the website's visitors and engage them effectively, with the resulting solution covering multiple elements – we discuss some of them here.

How to use conversational marketing with content & SEO on your website

If you think that trying out conversational marketing is worth it, here's how you can get started.

Ensure 24/7 Customer Support

Whether you are offering a product or service, customer support is critical since people inevitably encounter issues when using your product, especially SAAS. Research shows that poor customer support is one of the significant drivers of customers switching to competitors. Delays in receiving a customer support response often frustrate customers.

Conversational marketing integration with the site's customer support section via automated chatbots that provide round-the-clock support eliminates the need for a team.

You can also direct customers to resources that can help resolve the issues they face, for instance, E-books, lengthy guides, blogs or video tutorials that offer an in-depth solution.

Dwell time improvement

The amount of time people spend on your site is one of the essential SEO factors considered from a long-term ranking strategy. The longer the duration, the better. If the website makes finding answers to common questions a hassle for them, they might leave early, where conversational marketing can make a difference.

Here is how a few ways to do it:

Link to the related pages in case the visitors are unable to find answers to the questions in the content they read
Automate scripting that relates to specific content to make it more personalized

Once set up on the website, conversational marketing leads to customers that hang around long once they have gone through the content, leading to ideal bounce rates and website ranking.

Boosting Customer Engagement

User engagement is one of the most critical SEO ranking factors. Whenever someone clicks on a link, watches a video or visits multiple pages existing on the site, it signals Google that they are engaging with the website's content.

On the other hand, if they visit the site and leave, it's a sign that the site didn't serve the utility they were looking for.

Here is how conversational marketing can help in this regard:

Tools & Resources – Interactive tools or resources deliver more information related to the pricing and products available.

Product Demonstration – Exhibit how a product works within its interactive elements

Calls to action – Effective calls to action can tempt the users to engage in a specific way and take action, such as submitting data through a form.

Boosting customer engagement doesn't just lead to improved Google rankings but a tremendous success in lead generation efforts and sales.

User Data Collection

One of the best ways of improving the site's content is gauging customer feedback to get an insight into the issues being faced by the customers and act accordingly. Companies that regularly use customer feedback bring about improvements in customer satisfaction and can lower churn better.

Data collection is possible customer complaints regarding the following:

Navigation – When the visitors are unable to find the information they are searching

Responsiveness Issues – The page is not responsive enough and not answering all that the customer wants to know

Technical Issues – When the website or some of its sections are going through issues

The data can create FAQs that render quick answers to the primary and most common questions. Meanwhile, the efficient resolution of navigational or technical problems can enable the users to find the content they want to read.

It doesn't just stop there. Data collection can give better insight into customer preferences, products that they are most interested in, and a need for a new kind of product to be introduced.

Wrapping Up

Conversational marketing, when employed effectively, can turn out to be a game-changer for a site's content and SEO strategy and can help people navigate the website and come across what they are searching for in the least amount of time.

Here's a quick rundown to sum it up. Conversational marketing can enable you to:

Render quick and efficient customer support that provides instant answers and resolutions to customers' most common problems.
Understand and analyze valuable data insights regarding customer behaviour and bring about improvements in the content.
Enhance user engagement to improve SEO and climb up the ladder of the Google rankings

Planning on trying out conversational marketing and implementing it on your website? Do let us know how it turned out in the comments box.

What is Schema Markup? Here’s how it can boost your website performance.

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 24 May 2022 17:17:56 GMT

Many digital business users are confused about schema and want to know what it actually is and how it can boost their marketing efforts and site performance. This article is about to answer that so keep reading.

What is Schema Markup?

In a library, there are numerous books and each book has an ISBN number. This number is an index that a book of a certain index number is available in the following cupboard. Schema is the same thing but for search engines.

A simple schema markup for FAQs. Source: WebFX

In simple terms, they help search engines know what your website content is all about. If you are writing an article, a review, selling a product, creating a list, publishing a recipe, promoting a service, or just providing news, all this is available to the search engine as simple content.

Now, when a visitor visits the search engine, how will the search engine know what type of content is best for the user? This is where schema markup will help the search engine. If your website has schema markup available, search engines will know that the following website is offering user reviews and it should be ranked on certain keywords. Similarly, if your website is offering recipes, then the search engine will rank your website on how-to tutorials, recipes, and even show them as featured snippets on the zero listing on search engine.

There are numerous schema markups available. But for most content creators out there, the following list of schema markup will be sufficient.

Let’s go through the list one by one and see how each one can help you scale or grow your business.

List of Schema Markup for Your Website

Review : Used for adding reviews to content. This can be either by user generated content (UGC) or an actual review about a product. It helps people know that certain content on the list is a review and helps with buying intent
Product : If someone is selling an ecommerce product and a review of the same is available. Then Google will get confused which one to rank higher. So, a product schema markup will tell Google that rank this page for anyone who has buyer intent
Recipes : People are looking for information on search engines all the time. If there is a review of a recipe, a product, and an article on the same listing and the user is looking for a recipe, then what will differentiate them? The recipes schema markup will differentiate them.
Article : Articles are usual content pieces that can be opinion pieces, blog posts, individual posts that can help users with something. Articles have an author as well. Google ranks the article based on its authors reputation, its keywords, and the user intent.
News : News stories are often difficult to differentiate from an article. Since news stories are time bound it makes sense to keep them separate. By adding the following tag to the stories, people can easily differentiate the two.
FAQs : FAQs are a great help for anyone that is looking to show up FAQ pages in search engines. With FAQ snippets they can easily rank their websites for FAQs and get more real estate on search engines.

News Article schema markup being previewed in Google structured data tool. Source: Google Structured data testing tool

Why is Schema Markup Necessary?

Schema markups help users differentiate their content and tell Google what the most appropriate place or search terms are to rank it.

Here is a list of reasons why Schema markups are necessary for your business.

Help Search Engines Understand Site Content
The first one is obvious. Schema markups are there to help search engines understand what type of content you have on your website. It helps them easily locate, manage, and search for the right topics.
Improve Brand Presence
Schemas help improve brand value. If a schema markup is available for a brand such as reviews on the search engine, people are more likely to buy its products or acquire its services. Because they will think that this brand is a lot more professional than others.
Help Improve CTR
Schema markups also improve the overall CTR of a website. Imagine featured listings and compare them with other regular listings. Which one is going to get more clicks? It is a fact that featured listings will get more clicks because the content looks more genuine, easy to comprehend, and a lot more authentic.
Improve Ranking Position
Your site rankings depend a lot on the schema markup you have used. If you are providing services, then add a product or service tag to the page so that Google shows that to users having a buyer intent. This will increase the click through rate to the product and eventually increase its ranking in search engines.
Make Your Site Eligible for Voice Search
One important reason why schema markup is used by search engines is to make your website eligible for voice searches. Today over 40% website content is consumed through voice searches. If people are looking for content with voice, the only way for search engines to locate your content is through schema markup and natural language sentences. That is why content has become necessary once again.
Add Your Content to Featured Listing
Yes, this is true. Without schema markup you can’t even think of ranking in featured listings. Because Google picks content from schema when creating featured lists so having these schema markup for your website is crucial to your business success.
Increase Social Proof
Last but not the least, schema markup adds social profile data, review data, and even ratings that your product pages have and display that on the search engines. So, in a way, it helps you improve your social proof and get more reliability and trust of the users.

How to Get Schema Markup for Your Website

You can add Schema markup to your website manually or you can get a CMS platform that allows schema markup by default. Most of the CMS platforms today have schema markup already enabled on them.

HWD Platform is one that offers Schema markup by default. First you need to enable schema markup on your website hosted on the HWD Platform.

HWD offers SEO and Schema markup options for users. Source: hiltonwebdesign.com

Once the content is published, test your content with Google structured data testing tool.

Google will verify if the schema markup you wanted to add on your website is properly integrated.

Bottom-line

We hope that you are now aware of how schema markup can help you with site performance. You can easily add structured data or schema markup on your website to double your site rankings, get more reliability and trust, and increase click through rate.

Ready to Add Schema Markup? Get Started .

Five Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring WordPress Developer

Mon, 23 May 2022 18:35:31 GMT

If you are creating your WordPress website for the first time, there are many challenges that you will have to go through. WordPress out-of-the-box is not a launch-worthy platform. You will have to add custom themes, better design, a proper marketing funnel, and lots of appealing content before it is ready for the market.

Unfortunately, this requires some level of development and if you are not a developer, you will have to find one.

What New WordPress Owners are Worried About

The problem with many WordPress site owners today is that they don’t know what questions to ask the WordPress site developers. There are millions of WordPress developers available in the market today each with a varying degree of experience. Each of these developers has a portfolio and a tariff plan. However, it is difficult to choose any of them and for obvious reasons.

First of all, how will one know if these WordPress developers are experienced? And, if they offer the same services and for a lower price? These are just some questions that you need to ask upfront before hiring any WordPress developer for business.

To help you ask tangible questions from your potential WordPress developers, we have created a complete list. Let’s go through the whole list and see how and what type of questions you should ask.

Don’t Get a Premade Logo for Your Business. Here’s Why!

Mon, 23 May 2022 18:19:06 GMT

If you are thinking of starting up your own business, you must understand the importance of making a unique logo for your business by yourself. Many people disregard its vital importance as they have many other tasks on their plate. However, as many people think that a logo is just a "picture," they don't spend any time on it and often get a premade one. However, this "picture" is a visual representation of your business and becomes its identity.

Once your business starts to grow, people start recognising it with the logo. Think of some of the top brands in the world like Apple, Nike, Adidas, Microsoft, etc. Whenever you think of their names, the logo comes to your mind instantly.

Now let us dig deeper into the reasons why getting a premade logo is not a viable option when starting up a new business, so you can understand the drawbacks of getting one.

What Is A Premade Logo?

As the name itself suggests, premade logos are made without keeping a specific company in mind. These are out there for you to buy and start using for your company. For instance, when you go out and see a small business that has a logo that does not really go with its name or how the business operates, the chances are that it bought a premade logo.

These premade logos are available online, and people can pay to sue them for their business right away. The fact that people can instantly start using them is one of the most significant reasons why people prefer premade logos for their newly started businesses.

However, the fact that you do not get exclusive rights to the premade logo is an alarming thing that you must understand. In the long run, the cost of getting such a logo increases massively compared to the small fee you need to pay to own the rights to a logo.

The Problems Of Using A Premade Logo

Here are some of the problems associated with using a premade logo for your business.

There Is Obviously No Proper Planning

If you were planning properly from the beginning, you would not be in need of getting a premade logo because of the problems of using one. So, you must understand that the chances of failing with no proper planning are significantly higher.

The choice and design of the logo must be a part of your planning, with the long term always in your mind. You need to have a logo that sticks with your business and represents it for an extended period of time.

What the nature of your business is, what are the customers your business is targetting, or how your business plans on communicating with people are some of the things you must consider before designing your brand logo. As far as premade logos are concerned, you can not achieve your desired results.

Lack of Professionalism

When you want to launch a new business, you need to make sure that it represents your business's professionalism with the help of a logo that accurately depicts its ideologies. With a premade logo, this is a feat that you can not achieve. So, it can actually have an adverse effect on the performance of your business.

Lack of Uniqueness

Your logo must be unique from all other logos in the world. After all, your business is a unique brand as well, and you want to keep it that way, right? Imagine a person remembering your business by saying, "what was the name of the business which has a logo similar to [another logo]." You would instead want them to know your business for your own unique logo.

This is only possible if you make a logo yourself, as premade logos don't have the unique element in them and often resemble other logos. There is even a chance that your logo ends up being identical to another logo, and you would definitely not want that, would you?

Lack of Expertise

When you hire a designer to make a logo for your business, they put in all their expertise to create the perfect logo for your business and give you the best bang for your buck. Expert logo designers understand the psychology behind the colour; they realise what to use and how to use; they have a grip on the basics and even many advanced design concepts. All these characteristics allow these specialist designers to produce a high-quality logo for your business.

On the other hand, if you end up choosing a premade logo, you end up compromising on the quality of the designs.

Legal Issues

Some websites with anything less than the legal authority that provides this service might steal materials from different artists and sell them online to other innocent customers. If you happen to be one of those innocent people who unwittingly buy a stolen piece of art, it can cost you a whole lot of money in legal fees to sort the issue out if the original artist ever notices you using their work.

Moreover, Copyright Infringement is a severe charge, and if you find your business accused of it, it will bring on a lot of problems for your business that you don't want. After all of that, even if you manage to avoid all of the legal and monetary issues that come after being accused of copyright infringement, it will be extremely difficult to build a positive image of your business again.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, premade logos may seem like an easy way to lower costs on logo designing and production, but doing so can cost you a lot more in the long run than saving. From making your brand seem nonexclusive to potentially landing you in a trap of legal problems, it is considerably safer and notably better to hire a professional agency to equip you with a logo your business deserves.

Faceoff: Hilton Web Design vs WordPress - Who’s Better in 2022?

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Mon, 23 May 2022 18:11:23 GMT

There are a number of excellent Content Management System (CMS) platforms available today. Nevertheless, there are also numerous exceptional website builders for you to take advantage of.

Even though Hilton Web Design and WordPress have many similarities in terms of page building and functionality, they are two very different platforms. And while most people confuse both platforms, Hilton Web Design is quite ahead in the game. Let's explore the differences between the two to better understand why Hilton Web Design should be your first choice.

What Exactly is Hilton Web Design?

HWD is a Derby-based hosting service and online website building platform that offers tools for creating your own sales pages and websites. It also includes templates, and unlike WordPress, it requires no technical skills to use.

Undoubtedly, HWD is a leading web design platform for businesses, e-commerce sites, web professionals, and agencies of all sizes. Our platform allows users to create feature-rich sites optimised for Google PageSpeed and thus perfectly suited for mobile devices, tablets, and desktops. At HWD, users are provided with an all-in-one solution that most people are more comfortable working with.

Why is HWD a Better Choice For You?

Let’s compare HWD with WordPress in terms of Pros and Cons, so you’d be able to see for yourself why HWD would meet all your needs!

Our Platform beats WordPress in over ten categories:

Ease of Setup/Installation: No technical skills required. Just basic knowledge is needed.

Permissions: With specialised permission, you can now customise your customers' access to our platform.

Security: WordPress is built with many third-party widgets that leave the door open for scammers and hackers to get in.

We offer a wide range of tools and services for keeping your site secure. Since HWD has built-in hosting, we also provide our users with anti-virus protection, access control, backup & restore, malware protection, among many other things. Our team is working around the clock to make sure that the platform stays secure 24/7.

Drag and Drop: WordPress.com has fewer features than HWD. It lacks a drag-and-drop editor and requires users to preview their pages in a new separate tab. With WordPress.com, users can use a visual editor, but they will need a plugin like Elementor to do that, and they can only install plugins on a business plan and above.

A Wide Range of Widgets: With a few clicks, you can easily add a number of widgets to your pages, including simple elements such as icons, texts, titles, buttons, and rows, and some additional features, like photo galleries, maps, click-to-call buttons, and more. The variety of pre-designed sections and widgets available allows you to add material to your site easily and quickly while also giving you total control over the content's style. You can design a good website using WordPress content blocks; however, the lack of a quick preview can be inconvenient.

Make Changes To Your Content: You can add CSS or HTML elements to your content to make changes. HWD also provides tools for modifying the design.

Product Direction: Rated 8.9% Positive.

Easy to Maintain and Manage: Increase your profit margins by drastically cutting developing and maintaining times. Many businesses have confirmed that switching from WordPress to our Platform has resulted in a 2X reduction in development time.

Unlimited Resources: Unlike WordPress, there are almost no bandwidth or storage limitations on the HWD Basic plan, which includes a single website. That means users won't have to switch to a more expensive plan simply because their site is growing. Most low priced WordPress plans limit the users in terms of storage.

Code Injections: Our tech-savvy users can take full advantage of the "Developer Mode", which gives users access to web page codes and allows them to inject their own codes to give their projects a completely personalised performance and appearance.

A Number of Templates to Choose From: Not only does Hilton Web Design come with a variety of templates, but it is also quite simple to entirely customise them to achieve the specific appearance you desire. HWD's collection is continuously updated with the latest high-end designs. They are organised by industry to improve and speed up user selection. Unlike WordPress, whose templates vary depending on the plan you’re on, HWD provides 90+ default templates.

HWD’s Hassle-Free Web Designs: With us, coding is not a requirement but an option .

Our Top-rated Customer Support: In addition to the step-by-step training in our knowledge base, HWD's website builder enables users to watch webinars that provide thorough guides and videos about using the platform.

Our Help Center addresses the most common issues that most people are interested in. This is where one can find a variety of questions and their detailed answers in categories/sections. On top of that, we provide an easy search filter option that reduces search time. HWD also provides a blog with helpful information and a live chat where users can get rapid responses to important queries.

Unlike WordPress’s reviews on customer support, ours are great 97% of the time. Contact us via email, chat or phone.

Better Client Management: With Hilton Web Design's White Label platform, you can allow your clients to maintain their sites within your brand.

**The comparison/analysis above is based on G2 customer reviews as of Q2 2019.**

What else?

Built-in SEO setting. ✔
Domain Name.✔
Site Analytics.✔
Ease of Doing Business With.✔
HWD comes with Built-in Hosting.✔

How Does HWD Perform on Google Page Speed Insights?

We believe that one of the most serious issues confronting the web today is the site's speed. Slow-loading sites have poorer engagement, greater bounce rates and give the web as a whole a bad reputation. We know that websites that respond faster provide a lot more value to visitors by providing a better browsing experience. With that being said, HWD ensures great speed; we have optimised the websites developed on our platform to perform well and score high in Google PageSpeed tests. This means that we have thoroughly examined Google's speed tests and then worked on optimising our sites for “each one of them.”

So, Who Stands Out?

Now that you have read the analysis above, it is crystal clear that Hilton Web Design is the rightful winner . Our Website building platform is highly user friendly and extremely easy to manage. One of the best things that users love about HWD is that, unlike WordPress, the maintenance cost per month is low and manageable. Our one-in-all solution is simple and easy to use and does not require any extra knowledge to get started. We are also very close to Leicester and Nottingham. Register now for free!

Can Digital Branding Help Your Business in 2022? Here’s the answer

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Mon, 23 May 2022 18:00:26 GMT

A brand that does not have a digital presence is just a car that does not have tyres. It's not going to go anywhere. Why is a digital brand presence so significant today? Try looking from that phone you're most likely using right now... We are all continuously using our smartphones. Most of us interact with the world through the internet, making it critical for companies to reach out to their target customers and turn one-time customers into long-term buyers.

To solidify their physical presence, businesses today require a varied collection of digital branding techniques. Digital branding allows companies to make their presence known and clear anywhere in the world—even from one corner to another. After all, if my mother has an Instagram account, what's stopping my favourite clothing brand from having one?

Now one might wonder, does having an attractive web design impact a company’s market presence? Does it matter when it comes to attracting a specific amount of target audience/customers? Let’s dive in!

The Power of Digital Branding

Digital Branding is basically thinking about your potential customers and how businesses can efficiently convey their purpose, message and ideas to them. The main idea is to smoothly convey what makes the business different and what makes it stand out from its competitors. When a visitor understands this, it increases their chances of becoming a loyal customer.

For most companies, everything they do revolves around their brand. It informs people about the culture of the company, their marketing decisions, and product lines. However, sometimes it gets forgotten or diluted in the digital marketing space.

The majority of companies use a digital branding approach. A few seconds to capture somebody's attention on social media apps like Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, or Google's branded search advertisements – these are all ways to interact with customers and build trust.

Website

Whether it be marketing, branding or just existing online, every digital strategy is founded on the website of a business. We do not have to emphasise the value of a website. Everybody is already fully aware of its importance (regardless of the industry in which the business operates.) The Website should not just look nice: it should work effectively and attract new companies.

Social Media Platforms

Whether it is Instagram or Facebook, many companies know that they need social media, but they can not contemplate how they might use it. If used effectively, then it's a great way to engage with potential buyers. But money, resources, and time can also be a big waste if it's not done correctly. Although different businesses will always utilise social media differently, it is essential to ensure that content on social media reflects the goals and brand image of your website.

Why is Web Design So Important in Today’s Market?

The design of your website/webpage is one of the essential things that act as the foundation of your online marketing presence. It is just as important as the content you put in. If offered only 15 minutes to view and consume content, 72 percent of the people would want to see something well designed rather than something basic, boring and simple. To create a better website for your company, you must understand the relevance of web design. At HWD, we have designed our platform in such a way that it puts the needs and preferences of our clients first.

How does digital branding impact a business? -- What’s the role of web design?

First Impressions

When your target customers visit your website, it forms their first impression of your company. They will make a decision about your company in a matter of seconds. You want to make a good impression on your customers in those first few seconds.

If your website is unattractive or out of style, your customers will make an immediate bad opinion of your company. This would deter potential customers from your site/page. You'll lose leads since they'll leave your site for a competitor's.

It Contributes to Your SEO Strategy.

Many web design features and techniques impact how users publish content on their sites, which affects how the search engine spiders scan and analyse your website.

This is one thing you can't afford to get wrong. If the on-page SEO basics are lacking, you will face challenges for visibility and recognition from the beginning.

Certain web design features might directly impact SEO regardless of how your content is presented on your website. It can be complicated to fully understand if you're unfamiliar with how web design really works, but just to put it more simply, your code must be SEO-friendly.

The Web Design Acts as a Face of The Business

Consider your web design as the face of your business. Wouldn't you like a friendly face to welcome people who visit your home? An updated and trendy web design connects with the new visitors. Our team works around the clock to ensure that our clients are provided with the latest features so that their websites remain trendy!

Can Digital Branding Help a Business?

Most people confuse Digital “Branding” and Digital “Marketing,” Digital marketing is about pushing a product or service on the basis of its goodness, but digital branding is a little subtler. Digital branding highlights the fundamental ideas of the business rather than focusing on a specific product.

Branding will remain in effect long after the replacement or discontinuation of any product. This is what sticks in the minds of customers once they have purchased, and when they need your service again, it is what they immediately think of. While digital marketing is great for one-time buyers, branding helps to develop lifelong relationships between companies and customers.

Competition today is strong in almost any field, and something that distinguishes you from the others will subsequently ensure your place in the market. Digital branding brings together all the qualities and achievements of your company and sets you apart from the rest.

Digital branding is, therefore, a more permanent marketing technique. It is all about developing a brand identity with digital strategy and planning. A great digital brand strategy will communicate your brand experience successfully so that your customers stick with you for a long time.

Importance

Digital Branding is one of the pillars that the success of a business depends on. That is why a solid branding strategy is vital before you start. It's important. It does not only assist you to boost the popularity of your company but also allows you to develop a far stronger customer relationship.

We are a Derby-based Web Designing company and are quite close to Nottingham and

Leicester, call us to take that first step for your business.

You want your business to flourish? You must have an online presence: Importance of a Mobile-friendly Website for a Business

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:33:39 GMT

Did you recently start a business and notice that it is not getting the reach it was supposed to? You have tried everything, and you are still left scratching your head on what you are doing wrong. You might be missing clients if your website does not have a mobile-ready web design . Yes, it is as simple as that.

Websites play a vital role in the business sector in the modern world. They are a source of information about your business and a tunnel to connect with customers.

Top-notch user experience, speed of accessibility, and perceptive design is big plus for web design. However, it means nothing if the site is not mobile-friendly.

In 2022, the contribution of mobile phones to global web traffic is a racking 55%, and this percentage keeps on increasing with time. People prefer phones as they are easier to use, and they can access content in much less time from wherever they are.

What is a mobile-friendly website?

Any website that displays its content correctly on a hand-held device like Android, iPhone, iPads, and tablets is known to be mobile-friendly and is also known as responsive web design. This feature enables content to load quickly, even on a slower connection.

Why should you build a mobile-friendly website for your business?

Modern digitalisation has enabled almost everyone to have access to a phone. This means that it is now easier and faster to access the internet. Business is now a race against time to get ideas across to a more extensive range of people.

Not convinced yet? Here are a few significant reasons why you should rethink your web design if your website only caters to desktops:

Google will love you for it!

Google’s algorithms keep on changing to cater to the needs of its users. Optimising your content and formatting to be mobile-friendly proves it is more SEO effective. Your site is ranked higher in search results as Google priorities mobile-friendly websites.

Your business will become the talk of the time

Technological advances have made it easier for people to share things they like with others. Sharing from the desktop is a hassle, and many times people do not even save the links. However, content can be shared easily via mobile to text messaging apps, and information is spread faster.

Eyes on the prize

By integrating mobile-friendly versions of their websites, your competitors are already ahead of you in internet marketing. So – if you want to keep up, you should start right away.

Improving your reliability

When customers visit your website, wouldn’t you want to give them the best experience? A mobile-friendly website enhances this experience which in turn boosts your company’s credibility as the visitors see you as a reliable source for products and services.

Love at first si ght

Responsive web design will not only improve the accessibility of your website but also make it look modern and captivating. People tend to fall in love with anything that appeals to their eyes, and they will want to visit your website more often, which simultaneously builds a good reputation of your business.

Attract customers like bees

Just like a flower attracts bees, your website will attract herds of customers. People carry out all of their important tasks on their cellphone, and it is much more convenient for them to look for information about your business on their phones.

Customers won’ have to go hunting for your website or know the exact URL of your website – a simple search will take them to your page. Faster servers not only save time for your customers, but also help you reach clients with much more ease.

Things you can do to make your website more mobile-friendly

Give special attention to font sizes and buttons.
Compress images to decrease load time.
Make sure that your website is adaptive to any screen size – viewport meta tag.
Avoid pop-ups at all costs.
Prioritise website speed.
Do not use flash.
Enable the choice for users to shift to desktop view.
Make sure any answers to FAQs are easy for customers to find.

There are manly online tools available that test whether your website is suitable for mobile forms or not. It is recommended to regularly test your website on these platforms to stay up to date.

Where should I go to for web design?

Now that you are aware of how crucial it is to have a mobile-friendly website, you should start on rebuilding yours ASAP.

If you are confused on where to start from, you won’t have to look much further.

Wordpress is the most commonly used publishing software that is used to create blogs and websites.

However, the question arises – is it the best?

Sure, it is a great initiative, but if you are a beginner, you might find it easier to start with another platform which will aid you with your web design.

Such an example of Hilton Web Design , a web design agency based in Derby. This platform is known for its functionality – the agency gives you a choice of over 100+ templates and widget building is a piece of cake. Editing is much easier to follow too.

In comparison to Wordpress, it is much more robust, plus the management is far easier, which is crucial when you are just starting out. Moreover, the product websites are super-fast on the Google page speed insights. Additionally, if you want your webpage to rank higher in search engines, HWD is your go to. The monthly maintenance cost for this platform is also quite less in contrast with Wordpress.

As mentioned before, the importance of mobile-friendly websites is unmatched. HWD gives an excellent platform to opt for if you want a responsive webpage, and you can even customise the mobile version separately.

The Bottom Line

Majority of your clientele prefers mobile access and require an intuitive user experience. Don't you want to leave each customer satisfied? Websites only have desktop versions will soon become irrelevant, and you will be left behind in the race. It is now time to act ASAP.

Keep in touch with site visitors and boost loyalty

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 23:09:30 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality
When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication
Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO
Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site
Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free
Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand
A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Tips for writing great posts that increase your site traffic

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 23:09:30 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience
You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post
Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images
Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting
Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.

Why wordpress sucks

anton@hiltonwebdesign.com (Anton Hilton) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 23:21:23 GMT

You want something that is as robust as a tank, not a plate!

Let go through a few points of why we have moved away from WordPress a long time ago and now use the best platform for robust websites out there called Duda, who have offices here in the UK (London), US and worldwide.

Flaky

WordPress is built like lego with lots of third-part widgets that constantly need updating and some just stop their support - what do you do then?

This costs the web design agency lots of time and money, which is passed on to the client, leaving the website owner having to pay lots in monthly fees just for maintenance and updates, not even including the management!

With our Duda website platform, everything is all done by one company (Duda) and support is constantly there to hand, reducing the management time, and also leaving the website owner with only a small fee to pay for a website that is always live, working smoothly, and constantly updated with the latest code.

Security

Security is very important for you website visitors and you the website owner.

As WordPress is built with lots of third-party widgets you can't police all of their levels of security, so there is always an opportunity for hackers to take advantage of an old widget that has stopped development and now has left your WordPress website with an opportunity for hackers and spammers to exploit your business.

You want to make sure that there are no weakness holes that hackers and spammers can get in. We have the best developers working round the clock to make our Duda website platform is always secure with the latest code to protect everyone.

hiltonwebdesign

A guide to competition business websites

There must be clear rules

Figure out if you need a licence

Focus on drawing participants in

Display as much social proof as possible

Focus on website security

How to make a competition website that performs well

Defining the goals of your competition website

Creating a great user experience

Optimizing for search engines

Generating traffic to your competition website

Measuring the success of your competition website

Things to keep in mind when starting your own online raffle business

Research the laws and regulations surrounding online raffles in your jurisdiction.

Make sure you have a solid business plan in place.

Design your raffle website or landing page to be user-friendly and visually appealing.

Create attractive and compelling prize packages.

Advertise your raffle widely to maximize reach and ensure a good turnout.

Handle all aspects of customer service efficiently and courteously.

What is a competition website builder?

What is a competition website builder?

Benefits of using a competition website builder

The downside of competition website builders

Why the best option is to use a custom competition web design service instead

How To Start A Competition Business?

What is a competition business? ﻿

Why start a competition business?

How to start a competition business?

Types of competition

Legalities

Business plan

Promote your competitions

Tips for success in the competition industry

Can I set up my own online raffle business?

What is an online raffle?

How do online raffles work?

The benefits of setting up your own online raffle business

The potential pitfalls of setting up your own online raffle business

Final thoughts

What are some of the best competition websites?

Competition Database

Loquax

Latest Deals Competitions

The Prize Finder

Why Is Good Website Design Important for Competition Businesses?

It makes your website more attractive

It helps to build trust

It makes it easy for customers to enter

What Is an Online Competition Business?

What is an online competition business?

Are there rules for online competition businesses?

Free draws

Paid and free draws

How HWD Can Rebuild Your Business In COVID-19?

What Makes HWD Unique?

HWD For eCommerce

HWD For Clients & Teams

Conclusion

Is HWD better than WordPress? We’re settling the debate

Is there anything better than WordPress?

What is the HWD Platform? Is it a WordPress Alternative?

HWD Platform as a WordPress Alternative

Features of HWD Platform Explained

Complete Drag and Drop Builder

Multiple Templates to Choose From

Easy Content Import

How is the HWD Platform better than WordPress?

Price

Features

Hosting

Support

HWD Platform vs WordPress: Head to Head Comparison

Best CMS Platform for Web Design Agencies

Who Should Choose the HWD Platform?

Interested in trying out the HWD Platform? Get in touch with us.

A business cannot function in the digital world without an SEO strategy. Here’s everything you need to know about SEO strategy!

What Is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?

Vital Elements For Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Keywords

What is a competition business?