Long Island SEO: 3 Purposes Of Implementing SSL Certificates

By Rob Sutter

An SSL certificate, for those that aren't in the know, is a form of security that many modern websites are designed with. Also known as a secure sockets layer, this has become one of the must-haves of web design. It's also imperative for those that are looking to make headway from a search engine optimization standpoint. For those that would like to learn more, here are 3 reasons Long Island SEO specialists recommend SSL certificates.

To start off, SSL certificates are used to encrypt sensitive data that's given and exchanged on websites. This is especially useful for ecommerce platforms, as they deal with money and, by proxy, sensitive information related to credit and debit cards. How do you know if a site is SSL-protected, you may wonder? According to reputable authorities on marketing like fishbat, the site in question will have the prefix "https." This is a simple identifier to be mindful of.

What about the trust of current and future customers, alike? When someone shops online, they will stick to the sites that they know best, mainly because of how reputable they know said sites to be. This is another purpose of implementing an SSL certificate: it can create trust that encourages shoppers to continue giving their business to certain outlets. Without it, this sense of trust will either be lacking or lost completely.

Lastly, did you know that sites with SSL certificates are more likely to rank online? It makes sense, as search engines are placing more and more focus on sites that are safe to use. The safer your site is, the higher it is to show up when a user searches for a particular term. While you may not see immediate results with the application of an SSL certificate, you can rest easy knowing that it will make a difference in the long run.

If you're a website owner, an SSL certificate is paramount. It goes far beyond the boundaries of security, even though this is the primary focus, which is all the more reason to incorporate it. To install an SSL certificate, you can either contact your hosting company to complete the process or do it yourself. The latter is only recommended to those that are knowledgeable about websites in general, so please be mindful of this.

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What Fonts Should The Top Web Design Companies Use?

By Arthur Williams

Web design companies must take various elements into consideration when creating websites. Among the most important are fonts, which makes sense given the importance of text for SEO reasons and otherwise. What you may not know is that some fonts are better than others. It doesn't matter if you're an aspiring designer or a veteran that requires help. Here is some information that will benefit your projects in the long term.

When it comes to selecting fonts - and reputable authorities such as Lounge Lizard will attest to this - readability is essential. You want to make sure that people can read your copy without any difficulty. It should be appropriately sized, not to mention designed with simplicity in mind. Basic design works best in this regard, but there is far more for the top web design companies to take into account as well.

Next, a font should be able to complement the rest of the website it's part of. From a visual standpoint, some colors work better together than others. Let's say that, for the sake of argument, that a site primarily uses black text over a white background. If other colors are used for the text in question, it creates a sense of inconsistency. If a particular font fails to come across as seamless with the rest of the site, quality suffers.

It's also worth noting that a font should be brand-friendly. If a company wouldn't use a certain typeface, it shouldn't even be in the conversation. Some fonts are iconic from a branding standpoint, the simplicity of Apple's being a prime example. There's more to selecting a font than what the human eye immediately picks up on. Anyone that works in business will tell you that brand consistency can be maintained with font choices as well.

As you can see, there is much to know about fonts and how they work in web design. If you're learning how to build websites, it's important to know what goes into font selection. Hopefully the information provided earlier will be able to help you in this respect. The more that you know about this particular topic, the more likely it is that you will find typefaces that will make all of your projects stand out more.

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Visit Lounge Lizard for additional information regarding what you have just read.

Metrics & How Web Design Companies Keep Track Of Them

By Arthur Williams

If you're tasked with developing a website, there are many responsibilities to account for. One of the most important - and web design companies across the board can agree - is metrics tracking. These statistics will show how well a site is performing, but monitoring them might be easier said than done. For those that would like to learn more about how this can be done, the following information may prove useful.

Monitoring metrics has many requirements, including the examination of every last detail. According to reputable authorities on web design like Lounge Lizard, the success of a website is measured by numerous factors. These run the gamut from the number of visitors and time spent on site to bounce rate. By regularly examining such statistics, it will make it easier for developers to implement certain improvements.

You should also monitor metrics as early as possible into a website's existence. This can be especially useful if you wish to create yearly reports based on your site's performance. These numbers will determine growth based on the stats mentioned earlier. It also doesn't hurt that this information can help you make further improvements. As a result, it makes perfect sense to record these statistics sooner rather than later.

If you're serious about monitoring metrics, understand that your website's performance plays a major role. Let's say that your site lags or takes too long to move from one internal page to another. This can result in a higher bounce rate, which means that fewer people will want to come back. By correcting issues like these, not only will your site's bounce rate improve in this scenario but metrics will be easier to keep track of.

For those that haven't given much thought to website design, there are many reasons to do so. Depending on what your business entails, you will be able to do everything from provide information to yield sales. However, endeavors like these can be made easier by monitoring metrics over the course of time. The more consistently you take part in this endeavor, the easier it'll be to make web design-related improvements, thereby improving business on all fronts.

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To learn more regarding website design, don't hesitate to contact Lounge Lizard.

Common Long Island Web Design Myths: What's The Truth?

By Arthur Williams

No matter how experienced you might be in the world of website development, it's a given that it takes time and effort to develop sites. Any Long Island web design expert will agree, so it's important to have an extensive understanding of what goes into this endeavor. One of the ways to do this is by recognizing the myths that circulate in the world of web design. Here are just a few to consider, in addition to the truth that makes for better projects.

"All a website needs is an effective homepage." There are various components that companies such as Lounge Lizard account for, even outside of the homepage. Of course, it cannot be denied that this is an important aspect. After all, most visitors will arrive at the homepage first, which means that it should create the best first impression. Regardless, pooling all of one's resources into this would be something of a web design oversight.

"Small business owners don't require websites." This is yet another misconception about web design that the air should be cleared on. At first glance, you may associate high-quality websites with brands that everyone knows, including Coca-Cola and Target. However, even small businesses benefit from online presences. As a result, sites should be developed for all businesses, even those that are only known on local levels.

"Websites should look alike." Originality goes a long way in the world of web design, not only in terms of content but aesthetics as well. What this means is that making sites appear alike isn't the best course of action. In fact, there are only a few similarities that they should share, minimalism being perhaps the most noticeable. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on what your business is about and the content you'd like to provide.

"The three-click rule must always be followed." For those that don't know, a common belief is that the information a user looks for on a website should be found within three clicks. While this can make the user experience better in certain cases, it's not exactly necessary. Keep in mind that functionality always comes first in the world of web design. If the three-click rule can't be followed, your website isn't automatically broken.

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Visit Lounge Lizard if you'd like to learn more about website design.

Shopping Cart Abandonment Prevention Tips By Web Design Companies

By Arthur Williams

Ecommerce matters, especially in the digital age that we live in today. However, there is a chance that a potential buyer will take part in an action called shopping cart abandonment. This can be done due to a litany of reasons, but the truth remains that it prevents sales from being completed. For those that would like a better understanding of how this can be done, here are a few tips that the best web design companies can provide.

To prevent shopping cart abandonment, according to reputable agencies like Lounge Lizard, take the page's layout into consideration. Is it needlessly complicated to navigate? Can you find everything that you need in as little time as possible? If you experience difficulties like these, there's a good chance that the shopping cart page needs to be redesigned in some way or another. Fortunately, this endeavor can be facilitated by knowledgeable web design companies.

Another way to prevent shopping cart abandonment is by being upfront about additional costs. This is especially true when it comes to shipping, as this can add considerably more money on top of the subtotal. When there are unexpected shipping fees, particularly ones above $5 or so, it's easy to imagine that the average buyer will be turned away. By offering such information at the onset, the aforementioned abandonment will be less likely to take place.

You should also offer different checkout options so that anyone can buy what they need. Many retailers have registered users on their sites, which makes purchasing items easy. What about those that don't want to take the time to create dedicated accounts, though? This is where guest checkout comes into play, as it will allow people to simply enter their addresses and payment information. They don't have to create a dedicated account if they don't wish to.

For those that buy items online on a regular basis, you may have seen a progress bar on the top of the site. This will detail the different steps that a buyer must take for their transaction to be completed. When developing an ecommerce platform, you should also make it clear where said buyer is in this process so that they won't click away as easily. The more transparent this process is, the less likely it is that the buyer will navigate away.

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Visit Lounge Lizard for additional info about what you have just read.

Questions Regarding Video & How It Ties Into Web Design In New York

By Arthur Williams

Do you feel as though your site is struggling to engage users as much as it should? In this situation, it might pay to give consideration to video, which has become a successful trend in web design in New York and abroad. Developing video content can be tricky if you don't know what to do. For a better understanding of what this practice entails, and how it goes into web design, here are a few questions worth asking.

"What's the ideal length of a video for a website?" First, you have to ask what type of video you'd like to create. Are you looking to develop a testimonial featuring a single person? What about a demonstration of a product or service you provide? Ideal video lengths will vary, which is why it's in your best interest to play with different options. This will make it easier to provide high-quality content that the likes of Lounge Lizard can approve of.

"What are the rules regarding auto-play?" The most cardinal rule to follow, when it comes to videos that play on website, is to disable auto-play. You don't want someone to visit your site, only for the content in question to immediately play afterward. This can hinder the user experience, all but guaranteeing that the visitor won't be coming back again. If you provide video content, give the user the option as to whether they'd like to play it.

"How can I ensure that my video will be effective?" No matter how great your equipment or content is, it won't matter unless it produces results. To ensure its effectiveness, a video should provide a call to action. This can be something as simple as visiting a certain page or signing up for a newsletter. Whatever the case may be, when a viewer performs an additional action, it speaks to the effectiveness of the content itself.

As you can see, there is much to know about video content and how it can make any website better. It's important to keep the details covered earlier in mind when developing such content, whether it's to promote a product, offer information, or what have you. Furthermore, it should coincide with your site in a seamless way. If it appears to slow down or hinder the performance of your site, see if you can better optimize your videos so that this doesn't become an ongoing issue.

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To discover more about web design and development, kindly contact Lounge Lizard today.

Why Redesigns Matter To Every Website Design Company

By Arthur Williams

It's not enough to simply create a website and let it exist. Web design companies across the board can tell you that it's equally important for the site in question to stay modern. This brings us to the topic of redesigns, which are performed for a number of reasons. For those that are unfamiliar with how these sites are made, and would like greater insight into the matter, the following information should prove useful.

One of the reasons why redesigns matter is the fact that they can help promote smoother user experiences. The more seamless a website is, in terms of how it operates, the more that it will appeal to a larger user base. When a site is clunky or simply unappealing to be logged in on for an extended stretch of time, bounce rate will unfortunately increase. A site may be redesigned to remedy this problem.

Let's say that, for the sake of argument, that you don't have a website that works well across numerous devices. If this is the case, you have to account for the growing importance of responsive web design, which allows your site to be easily used across numerous devices, specifically computers and smartphones. By optimizing your site so that it performs well across the platforms in question, you'll be able to see increased engagement.

Did you know that a website redesign may be needed, at least to some level, due to a new or upcoming product? When you have a new product that's set to be released, it would make sense to make adjustments to your site. This goes far beyond the addition of new graphics, too, as there will be new copy that will have to be written and implemented. When it comes to developing websites, this is another important aspect that must be accounted for.

Finally, a website design can be the direct result of a shift in marketing. After all, when promoting your business, you'll want to make sure that your site is up to the task at hand. One of the prime examples of this is SEO, which is the process by which websites are found on search engines. Everything from the development of meta tags to content creation falls under this umbrella. These elements apply to web design and marketing alike.

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To discover more about website development, please contact Lounge Lizard.