We just finished up a CMS website for the Utah Energy Conservation Coalition.   They are a non-profit organization that helps you make your house energy efficient and saves you money on your monthly utility bills!

The main goals they had were to get a website that they could easily update themselves.  We implemented a CMS website for them and showed them just how easy it is to update their content.

We will be adding a Newsletter program to their Online Presence in which people can sign up for in order to get the latest tips and news about making their home as energy efficient as possible!

During our FREE consultations, I quite frequently meet clients that are looking to replace their current web design company.  Typically the complaints are about poor service, how long it takes to get anything done, or that the web design firm is simply not listening to the clients wishes or desires in regard to their website.   Quite frankly I don’t get how someone can be in business and forget that these are YOUR clients and not the other way around.

A few weeks ago, I went into a FREE consultation and I was totally shocked at the level of service this particular client was getting from a different firm (I will leave the name out).  I asked them why and they were not happy and they pointed out that they were horrible at service, took forever to do anything, and they did a CMS website for them but they didn’t take the time to show them how it worked.

I asked the client to login to the CMS and so we could take a look around and see what they were doing.  They were using WordPress and at first it appeared the company that did this knew a decent amount of what they were doing as they at the least had some good plugins, did the Permalink change, had Google Analyitics installed etc.  The website was not that bad looking, but the only thing they forgot to do is SHOW THE CLIENT HOW TO USE IT!

He continued to show me how he was editing a page.  He went to the Pages tab and opened up a page and it looked something like this:

Instead of something like this:

Plain and simple, he was using the HTML tab instead of the Visual Tab in WordPress.  With any change he was going to someone elses website and copy and pasting the code and tweaking it to his site.  Basically he was learning the basics of HTML.  So when he said they didn’t really show them how to use WordPress, he was right.  The biggest reason to use WordPress, is so you can easily update your web pages yourself and not have to pay a Web programmer to make the changes for you.  If you sell a WordPress website, this is the FIRST thing you should show the client as that is the whole reason they bought the product!  So in about 5 seconds I showed him how to fix that problem by using the Visual button and I even showed him all the other additional Toolbar shortcuts and what they did.

I went to this Free Consultation with the idea of selling another website, but I told the client if you like the look of your current website, then you could keep it and now that you know how to use it, you might be fine.  Of course, I would rather have them do a new website as we make more money, but the truth is that they have a decent website and the only thing that this other company was lacking was CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Our clients are amazed at our customer service!  We offer prompt, fast, and friendly service as that is just the way we are.   If we sale you a CMS website, we will actually show you how to use it and if you have any questions in the future on anything, one quick email and we will have an answer for you typically that same day.

What is the difference of WordPress.org and WordPress.com?

In a nutshell:

WordPress.com is a FREE service that is hosted by and at WordPress.com.  It is similar to Blogger, which many people refer to as blogspot.com.  You have NO hosting fees, but you are tied down more and cannot install custom themes and custom plugins etc.

WordPress.org is the main domain for the WordPress Community.  With WordPress.org you are basically downloading the latest version of WordPress and installing with your hosting account.  The software is FREE, but you have to host it yourself at some hosting company that supports hosting WordPress, as in Webnovate.

Hosting is rather cheap and you have a ton of options with WordPress.org and you have support from the entire WordPress.org family.  WordPress is growing and growing and there seems to be more and more plugins and themes, information, and support.

WordPress is rather easy to install.  There are a few things you want to do from scratch to help your SEO out as in changing the permalinks.  If you are a non-techy person and want us to install it for you, just give us a shout and we would love to help you out.  If you host with us, then we will set it up for you for FREE.

We just got done with the new Silver Creek  website at www.silvercreekllc.com.  This website turned out really well as it emphasize the high quality custom homes that they build.  The website was completely done with Flash and includes a Blog for better Search Engine Optimization (SEO).   Other features of the website include:

• Homepage – this page includes a brief intro as well as an embedded slideshow that includes some of the Masterpieces that they have built in the past few years.  It also includes an option to fill out a form to receive a complimentary spotlight DVD that showcases their finest work.

• Theater Room Page –  which includes a custom HD video that Webnovate also made to embed on their website.   We also created these DVD’s in order for Silver Creek to hand out as promotional DVD’s.  Prospective customers can request a free DVD on their website at http://silvercreekllc.com.  (Click on the picture below to see the live page)

• Visionary Page – one of the main components of the Silver Creek philosophy, is Visionary.  If you can envision it in your dream home, they can build it.  Their homes are equipped with things as in theaters, indoor golf simulators, amazing pools, and much more!   This book is a online brochure of the quality homes they build and the core values that Silver Creek encompasses when building custom dream homes.  (Click on the picture below to see the live page)

• New Stand Page – This highlights the various awards that Silver Creek has won and it shows what a solid and and reputable company they are.  They have been featured in many magazine articles and TV shows.  (Click on the picture below to see the live page)

• Masterpieces Page – This page is a slideshow of the custom homes they gave built and shows off the beautiful masterpieces that thier customers now call home.  (Click on the picture below to see the live page)

• Contact Page – this page gives prospective customers the ability to easily request contact information, a free complimentary DVD, or more information about their company.  (Click on the picture below to see the live page)

Webnovate really enjoyed building this website for Silver Creek!  They are very innovative and have excellent taste!  If you are looking for a custom home in Utah, California, Arizona, or Hawaii then we would highly suggest you contact Silver Creek to build your next dream home!

We are excited to bring in the New Year and make 2010 even better than 2009!  Webnovate has been doing Utah Web Design for over 10 years and each year is constantly changing.  We are excited to see what 2010 brings as in Web Development, it is a constantly changing industry and 1 year is quite some time for the latest trends and technologies.

In 2009 we saw a rush in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and it actually became a buzz word.  I would say that it started to become more of a buzz word a few years ago, but in 2009 it was much more common when discussing website needs and it has been adopted into mainstream language.  Many of our customers are realizing the importance of SEO and SEM campaigns and how you can have the best looking site out there, but it doesn’t mean much unless you are getting found in Search engines.  The Yellow pages are slowly dying and Google, Yahoo, Bing, MSN, and others are the main way that people will find your company.

I would also say that some of the other more popular request were for Content Management Systems (CMS). Webnovate did a lot of work with CMS websites and helped many clients in getting their CMS websites up and running.   Our Customers are amazed at how easy it is to update their own websites and how good they can look.  Our latest was for a non-profit that is rather large in Utah and is for a great cause, www.friendsforsight.org.

Perhaps the biggest change in 2009, was the explosion of Social Networking.  Social Networking  increased dramatically with the popularity of Facebook and Twitter.  While they have been around for a few years, it seems that 2009 was a huge year for these 2 in particular.  It is not uncommon to hear celebrities talking about what they “tweeted” about or their “facebook page”. They can utilized as great tools for any business in many ways, including keeping their friends and customers up-to-date on their services and offers.

So here is to 2010, Webnovate is excited and ready to play around with the latest trends and technologies as that is what keeps our job so entertaining and enjoyable!

Friends for Sight launched their new website at www.friendsforsight.com.  Friends for Sight is a non-profit organization that helps prevent blindness in Utah.  They provide vision screening for children for Amblyopia (Lazy-Eye Blindness) and preserve sight.   Since 1955, over 521,024 children – that’s over “A Million eyes” – have been screened. In addition, over 374,022 adults have been screened for Glaucoma, the sneak thief of sight.   Since they established the high school drivers training vision screening program in March of 2001, 100,416 students have been screened in schools throughout the state.

Webnovate developed the website below with a full editable Content Management System (CMS) and embedded their Youtube Video on the website.   We also setup an online donation page using Authorize.net in order for prospective donors to contribute to their great cause.   If you would like to dontate to thier cause, please visit their online donation form at http://www.friendsforsight.org/donations/donate/.

Friends for Sight

Don’t forget to donate $2 when you renew your Utah Drivers License and License Plate Tag.

Friends for Sight - Check the Box

Is your company looking for a Content Management System?

Content Management Systems (CMS) are a valuable tool to many small businesses.  They offer you the ability to login and edit your webpage without the need for a web developer.

So what is the difference between Custom Web Design and a Content Management System?  They each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Content Management Systems

Advantages:

• They give you the ability to make changes or edit your websites content rather easily without the need to call a web developer.
• They are typically less expensive than custom web design as the “framework” is typically set in place.   The best way to think about this is by using a house as a metaphor.  A house has its framing done and then you go in and decorate or plugin your paint colors, pictures, etc.   With a CMS you have the framework laid out as in different boxes etc.  You then modify the CMS with your companies information, pictures, etc.   There are different “frameworks” that you can work with, but the main point is that each “framework”, as plans to a house, are preset and then you can populate the content.

Here are some examples of our Content Management System and some websites we have developed using it:

Content Management System Example

Content Managment Example

Custom Web Development

Advantages:

• You have the ability to be very creative as you can do pretty much anything you can dream of as things are not predefined.  For example, you can place an image anywhere on the page etc.
• Your website can be as unique as you need and you can focus on all aspects marketing.  For example, you can really get down to targeting your demographic with custom designs that represent your corporate image and tie that into your branding and other marketing avenues.

Here are some recent samples of our Custom Web Design work:

Custom Web Development Example

Custom Web Development Example

Webnovate is a full service Utah Web Design firm.  We offer full realm of options for your small business as each business is different and has different needs.  We provide Content Management System websites as well as Custom Web Design.  We provide a FREE consultation in which we can come meet with you see what woul be best for your company!     Contact us today or fill our our RFP Form to see what we can do for you!

Website Management Outcoursing (WMO) is the contracting of the management of a website and complete online environment to a 3rd party service provider.  For many medium-sized companies or organizations it makes sense to outsource the website and online presence to a company as Webnovate.

Why WMO?

Many online projects require the skills of creative graphic designers, excellent developers, exceptional project managers, a great hosting company, SEO and SEM campaign management , and much more.  Webnovate is the perfect fit as we have people that specialize in each of these processes.

In todays competive marketplace, your company needs a company that specializes in these services.  With the growth of popular Social Media websites as in Facebook and Twitter, it adds a completely new dimension to your web presence.  You can no longer simply have a website up on the Internet.  You need to utlize these Social Media website and other various tools to increase your traffic on your website.  You also need to tie that traffic into helpful and relevant reports so you can analyze your traffic and inturn, turn that into increase sales.

If your company is looking to outsource your web managment, please feel free to contact us or fill out our Request for Proposal.

I get asked constantly, how is Webnovate doing with this economy?  Well to be honest, we have not seen much of an downturn.  In fact the websites we have been doing are for very smart companies that realize that a web presence and good SEO and Internet Marketing is a vital aspect of their business, especially with this economy.   One of the best things you can do with a bad economy is look for cost-effective marketing and dollar for dollar, SEO and SEM is the best solution out there!

We are offering a Economic Stimulus Special! Any web design package, includes a FREE  Blog and FREE Reports. We realize that times are tough for small businesses and in order to ease the downturn in the Economy, we are doing these services for FREE with any web design package.

One of the best things you can do to improve your SEO rankings is to blog.  The more content you have, the better and a blog is the perfect vehicle to accomplish this.  With a FREE Blog, you will see an increase in your search engine rankings, which is exactly what you need in this economic downturn.

With our Free Reports, you can keep track of what is working on your website and fix those things that might not be working.  For example, if you run a special and want to track how well it is doing, you can see how many people are hitting that web page and thus measure how successful your marketing of that Special is.

If you would like to learn more about our Economic Stimulus Special – Please fill out our form online or call us at 1.877.722.5387.

As a Utah Web Design company that specializes in small business web development, we are privileged to interact with lots of small business owners. These owners have often worked extremely hard for years to build a business up from nothing. The owners have learned through experience what works and what does not. I am often amazed by owners who are willing to risk their business’s reputation with a poorly designed website.

Internet business has really only one important gateway to success, its credibility. Everyone has been told of horror stories of being ripped off on the web; unscrupulous businesses taking advantage of unsuspecting victims via the web. It’s a tale that is told over and over. Because of these tales online customers are wary.

On the web there is no credibility gray area. You are either credible to buy from or you are not. If you are not credible customers will spend their money elsewhere. Credibility drives sales.

Stanford Website Credibility Research lists 10 items that are critical to your websites credibility.

1. Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose).

I am often amazed at what small business owners unfamiliar with web marketing are willing to put on their site. A small business site needs to be professionally designed. Professional graphic designers know how to build a brand and credibility through properly using art and design. By properly using design, a website is able to convey a professional and trustworthy image. Professional photography is also a very important part of your image. Photographers know how to capture the best in your products. They will light the products appropriately and use angles that are flattering to your product.

We find that people quickly evaluate a site by visual design alone. When designing your site, pay attention to layout, typography, images, consistency issues, and more. The visual design should match the site’s purpose. A good graphic designer can cater the design to your sites purpose.

Colors, fonts, type sizes all convey a message a good graphic designer will know how to use these to enhance your business not drive your customers away.

I cannot emphasize this enough… Don’t skimp on the design and photography. It is money well spent.

2. Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site.

You can build web site credibility by providing third-party support through citations, references, source material for information you present. Providing links to material and websites builds your products and your websites credibility. Even if people don’t follow these links, you’ve shown confidence in your material. It shows proof and builds confidence. People love testimonials.

3. Show that there’s a real organization behind your site.

Customers want to be reassured that there is a real human being behind the website. Showing that there is a legitimate group behind your website is easy by listing your address, photos of the building and employees. It builds a human side to your website.

4. Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and services you provide.

What expertise is on your team? Are your contributors or service providers’ authorities? Be sure to give their credentials on your website. Are you affiliated with a respected organization? Make that clear. Conversely, don’t link to outside sites that are not credible. Your site becomes less credible by association. People want to buy products from knowledgeable people.

5. Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site.

It is extremely important to show there are real people behind the site and in your organization. Websites can find ways to convey their trustworthiness through images or text. For example, some sites post employee bios that tell about family or hobbies. Listing their membership number in the Better Business Bureau is another method to prove that you are trustworthy. All of these steps build credibility.

6. Make it easy to contact you.

Buyers want to be able to communicate with the seller. They often have questions. Good communication leads to more sales. In addition it adds credibility. Criminals and those who might rip you off don’t want you to communicate with them. They are trying to hide. Legitimate business will always list contact information like phone numbers, email addresses/contact forms and mailing address.

7. Make your site easy to use — and useful.

Many clients believe if you build it they will come. This is not really the case. Our research shows that sites win credibility points by being both easy to use and useful. Some site operators forget about users when they cater to their own company’s ego or try to show the dazzling things they can do with web technology. Creating a dazzling website with the latest technology or extreme resolutions can actually kill a site. There are standards that are common. Webnovate is very familiar with the current standards and trends.

If a website is easy to use it will out perform any site that is difficult or trouble some. Web visitors want easy navigation as well as easy shopping and check out. Amazon.com is an example of this being very well executed.

8. Update your site’s content often (at least show it’s been reviewed recently).

Web surfers like fresh content just like they like fresh fruit. They want a freshness date. Content that doesn’t get updated shows several weaknesses. One weakness is that it promotes the image of the business doesn’t care about its own business. If they really cared they would update their prices, products and other website information. The second is that the web was designed to share data in real time with updates. People expect updates. By showing off a copyright for the site that it’s a year or more behind leaves people wondering if you are even still in business. Again it’s all about gaining credibility for your site.

10. Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers).

I advise not having ads on your site. Selling other companies and products is not why you spent time and money developing your business site. If you must have ads, clearly distinguish the sponsored content from your own. Avoid pop-up ads, it is annoying users and causes you to lose credibility.

Content and writing style should be clear, direct and sincere. What you say and what you don’t say are important to building credibility. Content should go from short and brief and get more detailed as you click down through content.

Avoid errors as much as possible. Typographical errors and broken links hurt a site’s credibility more than most people imagine. It’s also important to keep your site up and running.

Remember credibility is the difference between getting the sales opportunity or having your hard earned web visitor click out immediately without giving your company a chance.

Techniques to Instill Website Credibility

• Contact Information
• Display Privacy Policy
• Display Familiar Logos
• Professional Web Design
• Display Professional Photos

Your website is most likely your greatest asset to show the credibility of your business and by following these tips you can improve your website image and overall your business image.

If you are interested in a new website or ideas to help your existing website become more credible, please contact us by filling out our online RFP or calling us at 1.877.722.5381 – Extension 1.