TWP Publisher, Author at TotalWeb Partners • Page 23 of 31

July 16, 2018

How to Solve 3 Major Social Media Marketing Pain-Points That Continue to Exist

Social Media Marketing Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing has immense potential in the areas of customer engagement, lead generation and sales. Using social networks, you can not only identify new customers, but also engage your current customers and expand their customer lifecycles. Yet, few social media marketers ever boast of having experienced these benefits. Why? Pain-points. Here are 3 major pain-points that you probably continue to experience and how to fix them permanently.

Securing resources and time

According to an eMarketer survey, 46% enterprise companies find securing internal resources extremely challenging. That’s not very surprising. When was the last time you asked your boss to hire an extra hand for social media marketing? If it wasn’t too long ago, you’ll remember the sting of being turned down after ineffectively sharing your workload issues. Everyone assumes that social media managers simply tweet. Why should any company need more than one of those employees?

Solution

The simplest solution to this problem? Subscribe to a reliable social media management tool. Choose one that automates/organizes your most time-consuming tasks, so you can make room for tasks that actually contribute to your goals. Here are a few great examples of tools.

DrumUp for social media and content marketing

Using DrumUp, which a social media manager tool, you can schedule social media posts in advance, store drafts/completed ideas in organized folders, schedule across multiple accounts, curate content that your audience will appreciate, automate content sharing from RSS feeds (of your blog or interesting websites) and automate content sharing from libraries or pre-filled folders of your best evergreen content.

Canva for easy social media graphic designing

Using Canva, which is a graph designing tool, you can choose from optimized templates for sharing graphics on different social platforms. The tool also stocks templates for infographics, blog graphics, and so many other purposes, so you design-time is significantly reduced. If you have standard colors and fonts for your brand, you can also save your work on Canva and reuse the same templates to create quick social media graphics.

Read more at https://www.business2community.com/marketing/how-to-solve-3-major-social-media-marketing-pain-points-that-continue-to-exist-02079682

July 12, 2018

by TWP Publisher

4 Reasons Why Effective Writing Must Figure in Your Web Design Strategy

Website Design Practices Web Design, Web Design Strategy

Digitization has caught up with us and is taking root in all parts of our lives. From businesses to individuals, all strive to carve their niche in our digital world. Both newbie web designers and some of the experienced hands who have been in the industry for decades still believe that a successful website is all about the visuals. To some degree that is true; designing aesthetics and visuals are of great importance, but another aspect that should be recognized is compelling writing.

The textual content that you write is just as significant as the images that you will use and below are the reasons why.

Writing Grabs Attention

Forget the website for a minute, what do you do when you want to grab someone’s attention? You will probably shout or even scream to achieve this.

The same concept applies in the online space. So how exactly can you grab attention online through your website? Images can work magic, but they are not enough as attention-grabbing tools by themselves. It’s the content that helps your visuals attract and hold the attention of web visitors.

By using engaging content, you will be able to make a point in a precise manner effectively. You can create an element of surprise with your content, use it to shock your audience or use it to engage and pique the interest of your audience. But even as you are about to put down your words into writing, you should know that the content that you come up with must be written impeccably to grab attention.

2. Writing Helps You Demonstrate Credibility

Different kinds of sites have different expectations, but they all have a common requirement. They all have to look credible. It’s a logical requirement if you are using your website as a tool to help you sell something, promote a cause or indulge people in doing specific activities. The bottom line is, you need them to trust you and to achieve that, your website must look reliable.

The good news is it’s not rocket science to create a robust website that looks serious. Just like mentioned above, having the right visual elements and arranging them nicely is not enough to cut it. Your site still won’t appear complete and will require a cherry on top which is the added text. With good writing, not only will your website engage audiences, but it will also make your site weblink appear credible.

You can also subtly achieve this. It is unnecessary to write about the high quality of your products or brag about your high level of honesty. On the contrary, such statements could potentially have the opposite effect on your audience. When it comes to reputations of companies, it’s best when it speaks for itself.

July 9, 2018

by TWP Publisher

8 RULING WEB DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2018

Website Design Practices Web Design

Web design trends have undergone an apparent change as one of the most dynamic industries in web technologies. It is 2018, the eighteenth year of the millennia, a year for exploration of the web technologies in a dynamic perspective. Web technology is unbeatable and with the ever-rising technical challenges as more products get into the market, the only choice of web designers is be innovative and put up with the changing trends. They have to ensure that their designs fit any internet device be it a desktop or a smartphone. Here is a list of 8 ruling web design trends that will shape the web industry in 2018.

Prioritizing mobile web designs

Smartphones have surpassed desktop and notebook computers in browsing. According to Statista, a renowned scientific research organization, projections hold that by 2020 over 40 percent of the population of the world will own a smartphone. Interesting facts by the same organization project an annual smartphone shipping capacity of 1.7 billion by 2021. The implication is that most people will surf the net using smartphones. 2018 resolution is to give priority to mobile web designs. This year, 2018, is a year of transformative web design as designers embrace the reality of battling with technical challenges to give their users a satisfying experience in their web products with a top priority on mobile designs. Have a look on 7 essential principles of mobile web design to get designed a good mobile site.

October 19, 2017

by TWP Publisher

When Should Web Development Teams Invest In Speed?

Website Design Practices Web Development

When should dev teams start investing in speed? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Angela Zhang, Software Engineer, on Quora:

As much as I’d love to say “you should invest in speed starting from day one!”, speed is just not the highest ROI thing to do when you are still looking for a product-market fit. The answer to this question really depends on the product you are building and the user base that you are building for. Some signs that you should probably start thinking about speed are:

Your users started complaining about speed. If you get bug reports that your site isn’t loading, that’s a pretty straightforward sign.
You are expanding your user base outside of urban centers in developed countries. Most internet users in the world do not have ultra fast internet connections and, as developers working in Silicon Valley, it’s difficult to build empathy for how users with slow internet connections experience your app.
You have a lot of users on mobile phones. in his talk at Google I/O 2016, Ilya Grigorik makes a very compelling point that speed and resilience matter a lot on mobile even if you think your users are all on 4G LTE connections. Even in urban centers, people are rarely on 4G internet all the time, and frequently lose cellular reception all together when they go into subways and elevators. On the other hand, in rural areas, people might only have 2G internet but tend to go offline less often. Build for speed if you want those users to have good experiences. For his full talk, see Building Fast & Resilient Web Applications.
You are paying a lot in server costs. Often times this is an indication that you are fetching too much data, or doing too much work that is either unnecessary or can be optimized.
If you have decided to invest in speed and are looking for a good place to start your performance work, take a look at this answer (shameless plug): Angela Zhang (張安琪)’s answer to What are simple ways to monitor and improve web performance?

October 17, 2017

by TWP Publisher

Chris Coyier on the Future of Web Development

Website Design Practices Web Development

Three months ago, Chris Coyier and Media Temple flew all the way to Whitefish Montana to visit the winners of the CSS-Tricks contest, the ZaneRay Group. Our days with the ZaneRay Group were action packed, as we visited the pristine Bowman Lake, biked up the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and, most importantly, spent several hours talking about building and maintaining bleeding-edge websites and web apps. Hours were spent digging into the dirty details of developing massive e-commerce sites and the behind-the-scenes activities that power them. We truly thank ZaneRay not just for their hospitality but their camaraderie, making this a trip to remember.

Fortunately, we have some visual souvenirs from the trip to share.

October 12, 2017

by TWP Publisher

4 Social Media Marketing Tips Gen Zers Should Learn

Social Media Marketing Social Media Marketing

Social media is one of the most effective marketing channels for companies of any size. In fact, it works so well that more than half of U.S. small businesses are planning to increase their social media marketing budget this year.

Generation Z is at the forefront of social media — they are extremely active on social networks, with half of Gen Z connected online via their smartphones for approximately 10 hours per day. This generation loves personalized apps, and a poll from SCG notes that 88% of Gen Zers are primarily using Instagram and Snapchat. Because of the new ways in which Gen Z is using social media, they’re changing the outlets associated with these platforms as well, with music at the forefront.

Fabrizio Moreira, founder of recording company VIP Music Records, understands the marketing punch social media can deliver, when executed correctly. The company is expanding rapidly, and recently inked a long-term contract with The Orchard, a division of Sony Music.

However, their primary focus has been Latin America, where they now hold the top spot for music distribution in the youth market. As a global study by Nielsen notes, listening to music is a primary source of Generation Z’s entertainment, with 37% of respondents stating it was top choice. This suggests Moreira is on his way to making his label a household name across the globe.

The fast growth of Moreira’s recording company and the success of its artists is a result of several factors, with a solid social media marketing strategy leading the way. I recently spoke with Moreira, and asked him for his top social media marketing tips for Gen Zers.

1. Test Multiple Social Platforms

According to Moreira, you aren’t going to know which social networks will provide value unless you test them. He says, “You have to think like your target customer, and determine what networks they are more than likely to be active on. Then you need to become active and put out a serious effort. It’s not something you can just play with for a day or two and expect to have a concrete answer.”

October 10, 2017

by TWP Publisher

7 Things To Consider When Hiring A Web Development Company

Website Design Practices Web Development

When you realise that your business needs a website or mobile application, it’s time to hire one of the many web development companies around today. It may sound easy since a quick internet search will provide you with thousands of companies offering such services. But, wait a minute, is it really that easy? Can just any company do the work, and do it well? How do you know you will receive quality work? How much should you pay and how long will the development process take? These are questions, among many others, that need to be answered before you make your decision.

1. Know What You Want
Web development is more than having an address signifying your name and business. It is more than displaying the services you offer and leaving contact information for potential clients to get in touch. Web development involves building a unique interface that links the customer to your products and entices them to work with you. The corporate platform should provide a convenient and clear way for the customer to buy your goods or order your services. To understand exactly what you need, begin by evaluating your business process and structure. Consider the products on offer and your target clientele. With this in mind, order a web solution that simplifies the interaction with your clients. The end result should make it easier for you and your team to receive orders, process, send and track the progress of each request. This means a customer facing platform that is user-friendly and a backend solution that is functional for your business.

2. At What Cost?
Different developers will provide a wide range of price quotes for the exact same job. Many business make the mistake of simply choosing the lowest figure. However, the old adage that “cheap is expensive” also applies directly to software development. When you want to hire a web development team, focus less on the price and more on getting the features you desire. Crucial elements like a quality of the website or web product, the quantity or features and delivery timeline will be affected by a low bidding company. A company with expertise that has invested in appropriate tools will only commit time and resources where the returns are commensurate. Be prepared to pay the proper amount for a quality product. Seek quotations from different developers and compare their prices based on the features offered. Consider the quality of customer care, availability of support services and the standing or reputation of a developer in the industry. Never sacrifice quality because of money as it will quickly kill your e-commerce dreams.

August 17, 2017

by TWP Publisher

Mobile Web Development: Things Are About to Change

Business News, News Mobile Web Development

Mobile web development has undeniably taken the world by a storm. It has become a multi-billion dollar industry and there are apps which revolutionized the way we think about business. When it comes to mobile web development, however, it is also critical to understand that digital marketing plays a tremendous role in their actually placement on the market. The truth is that it’s rather challenging to innovate in a market which is so overly saturated and it offers almost everything you can actually get any value from.

So, how do you out shine? How is your web presence going to dominate others, even if they offer something better in the same category? You should be using different marketing channels – of course. With this in mind, one of the most powerful approaches that you need to put in motion is a comprehensive and data-driven SEO campaign. Search Engine Optimization is far from being something revolutionizing but it remains the most cost-effective, sustainable and long-term way of getting organic traffic. Remember, through SEO you are getting people who are actively excited about what you have to offer – they are searching for it and they have landed on your page. Most of the job is done.

However, with Google’s intention to introduce Mobile First Indexing, things are about to change quite a lot. And, if you want to stay on top of the tide or you want to use the momentum to shine, it’s important to be aware of what this is.

Mobile First Indexing
Now, let’s be honest. Google is by far the most powerful search engine, a global market leader in the industry and the single, most effective thing that you can take to your advantage to tap in the enormous pool of users. And, they’ve already announced that they are about to make things a bit different.

See, the mobile web development market and environment is particularly dynamic. Google feels that it needs to alter certain things in order to adapt. And even though this is not something that would hit the search engine until at least the next year, it would be a great idea if you could get a head start and prepare.

What is mobile first indexing? For those of you who missed the concept of this new approach that Google is already testing out, here it is. Mobile first indexing means that Google is about to split mobile and desktop results. This would allow the search engine to primarily use the actual mobile version of the website as opposed to the desktop version of it in order to rank it.

Why Make the Change Now?
This is one of the things that Google has been asked about a lot. Well, the truth is that this is just a reaction – an adaptation, if you will. The company is reacting to the way we start to use the search engine. It’s used mostly on mobile devices and, a lot of the times we get far from optimal results because of a range of different issues, including obstructive ads, scaling and others of the kind.

August 15, 2017

by TWP Publisher

The Latest in Web Design? Retro Websites Inspired by the ’90s

Business News, News Web Design

To navigate the website for Arcade Fire’s coming album, “Everything Now,” users need to click through a cluttered cascade of Windows 98-style pop-ups.

Balenciaga’s new website looks as stripped down as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, with plain black boxes and no-frills Arial font.

And the D.I.Y.-looking home page for Solange resembles the desktop of a candy-colored iMac, complete with QuickTime windows and rows of blue folders.

Web designs have come a long way in 20 years, but some are taking a step back to evoke a sort of hipster nostalgia for the early days of the internet.

“They’re tipping their hat to the 1990s,” said David Lee, the chief creative officer of Squarespace, a web platform company based in New York that has created millions of websites for clients. Mr. Lee said that he has seen a recent uptick in what he calls an “anti-design brutalism,” with clients opting for more bare-bones, retro-looking sites.

Some websites are purposely cumbersome to navigate, with loud, clip-art-filled pages. Others employ a simplistic Craigslist-style utilitarianism that feels like a throwback to an era when web pages were coded by hand.

“There’s a lot of animated GIFs and flames, but mixing it with something new,” Mr. Lee added.

While millennials and members of Generation Z — those born in the years from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s — may not remember what the web looked like in the era of AltaVista and GeoCities, the retro designs tap into the current cultural revival of all things ’90s. (See the return of “Twin Peaks,” “Will & Grace” and concert T-shirts.)

For those who are older, these sites recall the improvised internet of their youth, in the days before mobile optimization and beta-tested user interfaces brought a sleek uniformity to modern web design.

Nostalgic websites meant to mimic the days of dial-up modems are cropping up in artsy and tech-geek corners of the web.

Windows93.net, a web project by the French music and art duo Jankenpopp & Zombectro, imagines what the Microsoft operating system would have looked like had it been released. (After a two-year development delay, Microsoft instead released Windows 95.) The site has had more than eight million visitors.

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