Why yoUR weBSITE needs to be desIGNED wiTH strAtegy in mind

Have you designed your website with your strategic goals in mind? What is the role of strategy in web design? How can applying strategy help improve conversions, customer retention, and sales? Read On.

Web design is an essential aspect of any business that wants to establish a strong online presence. It involves creating a website that is visually appealing, easy to navigate and provides a seamless user experience. However, designing a website without a proper strategy can lead to a lack of direction and poor results. This is where applying strategy to web design comes in.

Strategy in web design involves planning, analyzing, and executing a well-thought-out plan that aligns with the business goals and objectives. It involves understanding the target audience, identifying their needs and preferences, and creating a website that caters to those needs. In this article, we will discuss the importance of applying strategy to web design and how it can benefit businesses.

1. Establishes a Clear Direction

Applying strategy to web design helps to establish a clear direction for the website. It provides a roadmap that outlines the goals, objectives, and the steps needed to achieve them. This helps to ensure that the website is designed with a purpose and not just for the sake of having one. A clear direction also helps to ensure that the website is consistent with the brand's message and values, which helps to build trust and credibility with the target audience.

2. Improves User Experience

User experience is a critical aspect of web design. A website that is difficult to navigate, slow to load, or doesn't provide the necessary information can turn off potential customers. Applying strategy to web design helps to identify the target audience's needs, preferences, and behavior, which helps to create a website that provides a seamless user experience. This includes designing a user-friendly interface, optimizing the website for speed, and providing relevant and valuable content.

3. Increases Conversion Rates

A website's ultimate goal is to convert visitors into customers. Applying strategy to web design helps to create a website that is designed to convert. This includes designing a website that is optimized for search engines, creating compelling calls to action, and providing a seamless checkout process. A website that is designed to convert helps to increase the chances of visitors becoming customers, which helps to improve the business's bottom line.

4. Enhances Brand Identity

A website is often the first point of contact between a business and its target audience. It is essential to create a website that reflects the brand's identity and values. Applying strategy to web design helps to ensure that the website's design, content, and messaging are consistent with the brand's identity. This helps to build brand recognition and establish a strong online presence.

5. Provides a Competitive Advantage

In today's digital age, businesses need to stand out from the competition. Applying strategy to web design helps to create a website that is unique and differentiates the business from its competitors. This includes designing a website that is visually appealing, providing a seamless user experience, and creating valuable content that sets the business apart from the competition.

6. Helps to Measure Success

Applying strategy to web design helps to establish clear goals and objectives. This makes it easier to measure the website's success and make necessary adjustments. This includes tracking website traffic, analyzing user behavior, and monitoring conversion rates. Measuring success helps to identify areas of improvement and make necessary adjustments to ensure that the website is achieving its goals.

In conclusion, applying strategy to web design is essential for businesses that want to establish a strong online presence. It helps to create a website that is designed with a purpose, provides a seamless user experience, and is optimized for conversion. It also helps to establish a clear direction, enhance brand identity, and provide a competitive advantage. Businesses that apply strategy to web design are more likely to achieve their goals and establish a strong online presence.

This article was bought for you by Branderella. Are you looking to design or redesign your website? Our web design service includes a strategic approach to building your online presence. Click here to learn more.

Why your weBSITE NEEDS to Be mobile fIrst

In today's world, mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives. They have revolutionized the way we communicate, access information, and conduct business. With the increasing number of mobile users, it is essential for businesses to make their websites mobile-first. A mobile-first website is designed to provide an optimal user experience on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, before being adapted for desktops. This article will explore the importance of making a website mobile-first and the benefits it can bring to businesses.

The rise of mobile devices

Mobile devices have become the primary way people access the internet. According to Statista, the number of mobile phone users worldwide is expected to reach 7.33 billion by 2023. In the US alone, 81% of adults own a smartphone, and 50% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices. These numbers clearly indicate that businesses cannot ignore the importance of mobile devices in their marketing strategy.

A mobile-first website ensures that your website is accessible to a vast number of mobile users. It is designed to fit the smaller screens of mobile devices and provide a seamless user experience. A mobile-first website loads faster, is easier to navigate, and provides a better user experience than a desktop-first website on mobile devices.

Better user experience

User experience is critical for the success of any website. A mobile-first website provides a better user experience than a desktop-first website on mobile devices. A mobile-first website is designed to be responsive, meaning it adjusts to the screen size of the device it is being viewed on. This ensures that the website is easy to navigate, and users can find what they are looking for quickly.

A mobile-first website also loads faster than a desktop-first website on mobile devices. Mobile users expect websites to load quickly, and if a website takes too long to load, they will likely leave and never return. A mobile-first website is optimized for mobile devices, and it ensures that users can access the website quickly and easily.

Better search engine ranking

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for the success of any website. A mobile-first website can improve your search engine ranking. Google has announced that it will be using mobile-first indexing for all websites. This means that Google will be using the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking purposes. If your website is not mobile-friendly, it will not rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs).

A mobile-first website ensures that your website is optimized for mobile devices and provides a better user experience. This can lead to more traffic to your website, which can improve your search engine ranking. A higher search engine ranking can lead to more visibility, more traffic, and ultimately more business.

Increased engagement

Mobile devices are designed for convenience and portability. They allow users to access information the go. A mobile-first website can increase engagement with your audience. A mobile-first website is designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, which can lead to increased engagement with your audience.

A mobile-first website can also take advantage of mobile-specific features, such as push notifications and location-based services. Push notifications can be used to send alerts to users about new content or promotions. Location-based services can be used to provide users with relevant information based on their location.

Increased conversions

The ultimate goal of any website is to convert visitors into customers-first website can increase conversions. mobile-first website is designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, which can lead to increased engagement and ultimately increased conversions.

A mobile-first website can also take advantage of mobile-specific features, such as mobile payments and click-to-call buttons. Mobile payments allow users purchases directly from their mobile device, which can increase conversions. Click-to-call buttons allow users to call your business directly from your website, which can increase conversions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a mobile-first website is essential for the success of any business in today's world. Mobile devices have become the primary way people access the internet, and businesses cannot ignore the importance of mobile devices in their marketing strategy. A mobile-first website provides a better user experience, improves search engine ranking, increases engagement, and ultimately increases conversions. Businesses that do not have a mobile-first website risk losing customers to their competitors who do. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to make their website mobile-first to stay competitive in today's market.

This article was brought to you by Branderella. We provide a wide range of creative services for businesses, including web design. To learn more about our mobile-first web design services, click here.

The imPoRtance INVESTING in SEO for small BUSINESSES

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical component of any small business's digital marketing strategy. With the vast majority of consumers using search engines like Google to find products and services, it's essential that your business appears at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords. In this article, we'll explore why SEO is so important for small businesses and provide tips for improving your search engine rankings.

First and foremost, SEO helps small businesses increase their online visibility. When you optimize your website for search engines, you're essentially telling Google and other search engines that your website is relevant and valuable to users searching for specific keywords. As a result, your website will appear higher in search engine rankings, making it more likely that potential customers will find your business when searching for relevant products or services.

This increased visibility can have a significant impact on your business's bottom line. According to a study by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online, with 12% searching for a local business every day. Furthermore, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, meaning that businesses with high search engine rankings and positive reviews are more likely to attract new customers.

In addition to increasing visibility and attracting new customers, SEO can also help small businesses build credibility and trust with potential customers. When your website appears at the top of search engine rankings, it sends a message to consumers that your business is reputable and trustworthy. This is particularly important for small businesses that may not have a well-established brand or reputation.

Another benefit of SEO is that it can help small businesses compete with larger, more established companies. While larger companies may have more resources to invest in marketing and advertising, SEO is a level playing field. With the right strategy and execution, small businesses can outrank larger competitors in search engine rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find them online.

So, what can small businesses do to improve their SEO and increase their online visibility? Here are a few tips:

1. Conduct keyword research: Before you start optimizing your website, it's important to understand what keywords your potential customers are searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify relevant keywords and phrases that you can target in your SEO strategy.

2. Optimize your website: Once you've identified your target keywords, it's time to optimize your website. This includes optimizing your website's content, meta tags, and URLs for your target keywords. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and has a fast loading speed, as these are important factors in search engine rankings.

3. Build high-quality backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They are an important factor in search engine rankings, as they signal to search engines that your website is reputable and valuable. Focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your industry.

4. Claim your Google Business listing: Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google. By claiming your Google My Business listing, you can ensure that your business appears in Google Maps and local search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

5. Monitor and analyze your results: Finally, it's important to monitor and analyze your SEO results to ensure that your strategy is working. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your website's traffic, rankings, and other important metrics. Use this data to refine your SEO strategy and continue improving your search engine rankings.

In conclusion, SEO is a critical component of any small business's digital marketing strategy. By increasing your online visibility, building credibility and trust, and competing with larger competitors, SEO can have a significant impact on your business's bottom line. By following the tips outlined in this article, small businesses can improve their SEO and increase their chances of success in the digital marketplace.

if you need help creating an SEO strategy for your business contact us today to discuss a monthly SEO content service for your brand.

The best design platform for service-based businesses?

The best Web Design platform for service-based small businesses?

Squarespace

Benefits:

1.Squarespace has a high-end minimalist look & feel; I call it the "Apple" of web design! It's hard to go wrong with a Squarespace website! Whereas I have seen many clunky, dishevelled and old-fashioned WordPress websites with poor layouts, scrolling and navigation problems and questionable aesthetics.

There are wonderfully designed WordPress websites out there created by a talented few individuals and design teams, but they are rare in comparison.

WordPress is more versatile than Squarespace, but in order to use the customization features of WordPress well the WordPress designer needs to have a solid understanding of business fundamentals, graphic design, branding, conversion-optimization and the fundamentals of web and user interface design. And more often than not that is not the case.

Squarespace templates are made by designers who understand design principles. Sure, those templates come with limitations, but those limitations are there for a very good reasons: to impose best practices in UX design & consistency, both essential factors in a user-friendly design.

With a contemporary design, often less is more. Squarespace websites look sleek, contemporary & modern and have that easy-breezy feel about them.

2.Squarespace can easily be set up to showcase your services with an easy to use blog component.

Their mobile app will allow you to breezily edit your content on the go and add new blog posts as you get inspired to write them! I have often written blog posts for my Squarespace website while in bed or travelling by train between two European cities!

WordPress was built with blogging as a core component of its DNA and has more developed features for bloggers. So if you are fully focused on blogging go with WordPress. But if a blog is a component of your service-based business I recommend Squarespace .

3. With Squarespace, you can sell online courses or memberships, digital and physical products. Squarespace integrates with Stripe and your bank account seamlessly. With the Squarespace commerce plan, you pay 0 transaction fees. You will still need to pay a Stripe fee (2-3%), but you will have to pay some sort of payment gateway fee with any website, whether that is Shopify, Webflow, WordPress or Squarespace.

4. Squarespace is very secure, whereas many WordPress websites suffer from security issues. Plugin breaks and security issues are common with WordPress websites. I have come across many WordPress websites without that security padlock sign on the left corner of the browser. About 30% of WordPress websites at the Paris Tranoi Fashion Expo I visited last year had this problem. A broken padlock symbol screams unprofessional and is a red flag for anyone planning to purchase on your website. Your website visitors will have a hard time trusting you and your services if your website has an "unsecure" notice on the browser toolbar.

Squarespace websites are very secure, and I have yet to come across a Squarespace website without the padlock sign 🔒. Squarespace is low maintenance; think a Toyota or Mazda car 😅! WordPress is more like a Peugeot 🚘 😅 & will need regular maintenance.

WordPress websites "break" often when a plug-in is discontinued or needs updating ; I've never encountered this with a Squarespace website for me or any of the clients whose website I manage on my Squarespace dashboard.

5. WordPress is great for SEO. Squarespace websites also rank well for SEO. I’ve managed to reach an on-page SEO score of 91 for my Squarespace clients. That is considered very high by SEO standards.

7. You can DIY your website with Squarespace or hire a professional web designer. In either case, after the initial learning curve & set-up, you will find that Squarespace websites are easier to manage in the long run. You’ll be less dependent on a web designer and you’ll spend less on web designer fees.

The Wordpress dashboard is a UX nightmare. You will find the Squarespace dashboard is well designed and an absolute pleasure to use!

You & your team will be able to create new content and blog posts independently without hiring a web designer each time within half a day of training.

7. Squarespace can smoothly integrate with various email marketing platforms such as Active Campaign, Klaviyo & Mailerlite. It is primordial for any small business to have an opt-in strategy, a lead generation lead magnet and on-brand email templates from the get-go. You need to capture those website visitors to build your funnel & reach out later and nurture your relationship.

8. Squarespace comes with in-built hosting, and the packages are reasonably priced. There are four pricing tiers: Squarespace's prices start at $12/month (paid yearly) for the Personal plan, a package that is ad-free and includes a free domain name for one year. The Business plan costs $18/month and adds marketing features such as a promotional pop-up and third-party integrations. I typically recommend this plan for 90% of service-based Businesses. Most service-based businesses will only spend 216$ a year for this complete package which includes a domain name and free access to a branded email, for example, yourname@yourcompanyname.com.

I am not affiliated with Squarespace. Every Technology platform, including Squarespace, has its bugs and niggles. There is no “perfect” platform out there, but for service-based small businesses, Squarespace comes pretty close.

My authority on the topic? Diploma in graphic design, Bachelors in science in web media technology, and MBA in business & branding + 12 years in digital design.

If you have any questions about Squarespace, shoot them below 👇 and, I'll do my best to answer.

To learn more about my Web design service with Squarespace check out our packages by clicking the button below:

How to get the copy on your website right!

As a small or medium business, you need four things to get the copy on your website right:

1. A user person analysis: a detailed analysis of your target audience's goals, frustrations, values, fears, and needs. 

2. Hero statement definition: how is your brand your customer's "hero"? What is your ultimate value proposition?

3. Competitor analysis: Studying your competitor's offerings, positioning, voice, and brand personality. 

4. Keyword research: determining the keywords your target audience uses on Google to search for your products and services. 

The result of these come together to form a branding strategy that guides the tone, voice, and wording of your website copy. The keyword research will enable you to cover topics your audience is actively searching for.

Writing copy should be the final step. By doing the foundational work for your business, your copy will speak directly to your ideal client and entice action. In addition, by conducting keyword research in advance, you will be sure to include keywords in your content that your target audience is actively Googling for! 

If you are looking to delegate, our SEO-optimized conversion-optimized copy service might be for you. Learn more about our expert service by clicking the button below:

DOMAIN HUNTING: How to find a great brandable domain name for your business!

Introduction

When asked what he would do differently during an interview with Y Combinator’s Jessica Livingston at Startup School in 2009, Mark Zuckerberg was quick to mention he would “get the right domain name.” 

Choosing a brandable domain name is one of the most important business decisions you will ever make. Your brand name will become your identity, and your brand name will be associated with the hard-earned reputation you will have earned over time. So it’s essential to get it right the first time. 

Much like real estate, domain names have been victim to “squatters” who buy domains they do not intend to use with the intention of reselling them for a higher price later.

So what are the best practices for choosing the perfect domain name for your business & what are your options if your ideal brand name is taken? Read on.

Finding the perfect domain name in today’s competitive domain market can be difficult. Follow the advice in this article to nail that perfect domain name!

So what makes the perfect domain name?

A great domain name is:

• Memorable-One does not have to struggle to recall it.

• Has a suffix, that is apt for the market you are targeting, for e.g. tv is a common suffix in the web tv industry, and .ai is recognized in the tech sphere to represent artificial intelligence. For all consumer-facing industries .com is the most recognized and trusted among web visitors.

• It is fun to pronounce, e.g. "Branderella."

• Has imagery, e.g. “The Yoga Hut”, We imagine a hut with yogis inside!

• Signals what you do even if it does so implicitly. For e.g. “The Yoga Hut”, signifies a place to practice yoga.

• It doesn't step on any competing trademarks. Make sure to run a quick Google search to see if there are accomplished competitors using the same brand name. All is not lost if you find out. a brand name is already trademarked. You can still use a trademarked name as long as it does not compete in the same category or region. When in doubt check if a trademark is registered within the same business category in your region of activity.

• Avoids hyphens," e.g. "organic-skincare.com," as people find it a nuisance to type them.

• Is a ".com" if you are targeting a global audience. If you target a specific country, it's ok to take a domain name with a suffix commonly used in that specific country. E.g. ".fr" for France or ".ca” for Canada or “ac.uk” for the United Kingdom.

  That being said, if you use a localized domain name you will run into problems should you want to expand globally later, as most people are wary of country suffixes that are unfamiliar to them.

What if the Domain name you want is taken?

If a domain name you love is already taken, here are the options we have:

• If the domain name is available for sale, you can attempt to purchase it from the owner. This will usually cost at least twenty times the price of a regular domain. If you are willing to pay this price you can try to contact the owner directly or use a third-party service to negotiate for you.

• You can add prefixes and suffixes such as "a”, “my” , the plural "s," or "the" to see if the alternate version is available.

• Play with synonyms, e.g. "cash" instead of "money."

Further Considerations

After deciding on & purchasing your domain name of choice, I advise reserving four social media channels under the same name, e.g. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn & TickTock. Of course, the channels you choose will depend on where your ideal client hangs out. To protect your brand name further, it's advisable to reserve your brand name on all popular Social Networks in your target market!

Where to Purchase your domain name?

I recommend purchasing on Google Domains. Go, Daddy, in my experience, buys the domains you search on their platform and sell it to you for many times the price! 

Next Steps

Start by brainstorming a few alternatives based on the advice and principles provided in this article and verify their availability via Google Domains. You might be surprised that with a bit of creativity, you can find a perfect domain name for your brand that is available! 

Questions?

Have a question about a domain name you are considering? Comment below and I’ll do my best to answer.

Sign Up

If you found this article informative you may want to sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter below & stay informed of best practices in branding an online business.

Need help with web design or branding?

Need further help & advice for launching your brand online? We help distinguished entrepreneurs build charismatic brands online & launch their websites and associated marketing campaigns! Learn More about what our boutique agency can do for you by clicking "Learn More" below  👇.

PIXEL PERFECT: An easy way to lighten the file size of photos without compromising quality

Introduction

Looking for a simple way to reduce the file size of your images on the web without compromising quality? Read on.

Before I teach you how to optimize & resize pictures for your website I want you to make a mental note of two common mistakes website owners make. Knowing these will help you avoid them and give you a better understanding of the image optimization process.

There are two common faux pas with regards to photographic content that I see regularly on websites. They are as follows:

1. blurry images

Some business owners have blurry low-quality photos on their websites.

Blurry, low-resolution pixelated images jeopardize the professional look and feel of a brand. Furthermore, the lack of detail in product photography will undermine the quality perception of your services or products.

Example of a website with blurry pixelated images. This screenshot was taken on the 21st of April 2021.

High-quality images, on the other hand, immediately valorize your product or service. Check out any luxury fashion brand of your choice and you will observe that they use high-quality, high-resolution photos and videos throughout their website.

Image Optimisation done well by Tom Ford. So much so that we can almost feel & touch the handbag in our hands.

2. slow site speed due to heavy images

On the other hand, some websites do contain high-quality images, however, these images are too large to load quickly on a browser. This is especially true for mobile browsing when your users rely on 3G or 4G to connect. If you have ever been on a slow website, you will know how frustrating that is! Furthermore, websites with heavy images get penalized by Google search engines.

This photo takes 3.4 MB of space on a web server. And will take more than 10 seconds to load on a 3G or 4G connection. By the time it loads customers will be long bored & gone!

Best of Both worlds

Your website visitors want high-quality photos that load fast. Most visitors won’t wait around for your beautiful images to load. Cue image optimisation.

Image Optimisation for Your website

Fortunately, there is a solution to this file size/quality dilemma and it’s called “image optimization”.

Image optimization is a technique that enables you to find the perfect balance between photo quality and file size. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too!

Introduction to Image Optimization

Image optimization is the process of resizing images to achieve the sweet spot between perfect size & quality.

There are two elements to consider. Image resolution & image file size.

When uploading images to your website, you need to make sure your images are at least 1500 pixels wide for your regular images and 2500 pixels wide for background pictures that take up the width of your website aptly called "Hero Images."

Before uploading your images you also need to compress them so that they take up less space and are faster to load on a browser. Ideally, all images should be compressed to a file size below 500 kb. The lower the file size the better. The trick is to reduce the file size without losing visual quality!

But how do you go about resizing photos correctly? Fasten your seatbelts I’ll show you how.

Choose the right tool.

The first step in optimizing your images correctly is to identify the right tool. I personally recommend Photopea. Photopea is an excellent free tool for resizing & compressing images on your browser.

You won’t need to install Photopea, so it’s always accessible & ready to use no matter where you are.

Open your web browser and search for Photopea online.  

Step by step Instructions

Now that you have your free tool, it's time to master it.

In this simple tutorial, I teach you how to optimize your images for the perfect quality/file size ratio! Follow the simple instructions below before you upload images to your website & your customers will thank you!

Step 1

First, you will need to adjust the pixel resolution so that your pictures are reduced in file size.

To adjust the pixel resolution follow these simple steps:

1. Open the image by going to File > Open.

2. Now that you have your photo in front of you go to Image > Image Size. You’ll see a dialogue box open up with some numbers on it.

3. Enter 1500 or 2500 px in the width row.

4. Press "OK" to confirm.

Step 2

Second, you will need to compress the Image to lighten the load speed of your image on the web. To compress your image, Follow these simple steps:

1. File export as JPG.

2. Set the Quality bar to 80%.

3. Press Save.

The Results!

Your image will now appear unpixelated on your website and yet load fast!

I optimized the umbrella below earlier using the same technique. As you can see this image is crystal clear yet only 39.3 KB in size!

A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB

As a general rule, keep images to 1500-2000 px in width and under 500 kb in file size.

All the images used in this blog post were created using the exact same method I shared with you here.

Now you can upload images to your website with the peace of mind that they will look good and load fast!

Professional web design service for your brand

• Are you or your team overwhelmed with designing your website?

• Do you & your team lack the design skills Necessary to create a glossy professional website?

• Do you want a website that is designed strategically and reflects your brand DNA?

• Do you lack the time to manage your website updates & attend to SEO & content updates?

• Are you looking to delegate and hire expertise?

Bonjour from Branderella Paris. We are your bilingual digital marketing studio based in Paris! We spoil clients worldwide with our branded websites.

Learn more about our web design packages here.

Go Mobile or Go Home

• In 2020, 55% of worldwide site visits were made from mobile devices. (statcounter, 2021)

• In the same year, mobile devices made up 60% of total time spent online 2020)

The message is clear: if your website is not adapted to mobile browsers, you are losing customers. Given that the average Millenial sleep, wakeup & even go to their bathroom while staring at their mobile screen, it is only smart to implement a mobile-first strategy.

Here at Branderella, we offer web design adapted for all devices, including desktop, and mobile. Visit us at branderella.com and request our mobile-friendly website design service.

The IKEA Strategy

Do you know the brand IKEA? Of course, you do, IKEA is a successful brand and for many reasons. Today we are going to discuss one reason IKEA stands out from the furniture crowd: it’s pricing strategy…

Check out the screenshot above from the IKEA website, notice how the lowest price in the bed category is highlighted in yellow?

IKEA systematically highlights the lowest price in each product category, both online and in-store. This one attractive price per category technique grabs the attention of potential customers. We are all price-sensitive; even the most lavish of us! This simple yet effective strategy makes us think of IKEA every time we are in need of furniture! Even if customers ultimately end up buying a higher-priced item, it is the cheapest, less expensive item that will have drawn the customer into the store in the first place.

We shall be analyzing more IKEA strategies in future posts. In the meanwhile, should you need a competitive marketing strategy of your own, visit branderella.com, and request a free consultation. At branderella.com we help clients brand, differentiate and carve ou their niche via competitive marketing strategies. Branderella, “Your one-stop-shop for all your branding needs”.

Visit Branderella here.