Internet Marketing Blog
Design in the Details
A crisp, effective website design is achieved by paying attention to detail. Not only do designers need to concern themselves with the overall aesthetic, they need to organize every piece and fit them together to create the most impact. The Internet Marketing Group combines this impact with web standards and search engine optimization to create functional websites that do exactly what they need to.
The subtleties of a website can make a huge impact on the selling point and user action. One pixel borders, barely-there gradients, and textures are just a few things that can set a website design and message ahead of the rest for both you and your clients. Employed with creativity, they can bring about positive affect that you just can’t quite put your finger on.
Along with the obvious website design considerations like using grids, choosing well-suited typography, creating effective color harmonies, and utilizing white space, a good website designer goes through countless stages of editing and polishing. Emphasis is created where it needs to be, and unnecessary elements may be removed to help this. We pick up on visual, emphasizing cues much easier than we might think, and giving these emphasizing details consideration can create a real sense of strength and presence.
Clarissa
Internet Marketing Group Blog
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April 9, 2009
Sweet Navigational Flow
How many clicks does it take to get to the central focus of your website? The focus could be your selling point, your contact information, or your thesis. If it’s more than three levels deep, chances are good that your users aren’t seeing it at all.
Along with focusing the message of the site and designing the information provided to the users, understanding how the users will be accessing the information is extremely important to it’s success. In planning your navigation and even perhaps some prominent shortcuts, think about what you want your users to see not only first, but also second, and definitely last.
Just as a lollypop wrapper should catch your attention and it’s flavor should keep you interested, a website design should be visually stimulating while the controlled flow of information keeps you focused. The central focus, like a chocolate-filled lollypop, should be accessible at any point without much effort on the user’s part.
Use web standards when creating your navigational flow. Keep it in the same place throughout the site. Standards say top or left side. Organize with as few main section headers as you can get away with (ex. Home, 3 site specific sections, Blog, and Contact). Keep navigation delineated from the rest of the site with color, contrast, style, or white space. Use language that people will understand, and that means not using industry specific terms.
Consider including navigational shortcuts by way of buttons, banners, clickable headers, or other accents. These should be linked to the pages you find your users visiting frequently, or a dynamic section of featured content. After all, sometimes you just want to crunch in to the good stuff!
Clarissa
Internet Marketing Group Blog
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March 31, 2009
TED & Website Design Inspiration
Relating to my earlier post on finding design inspiration, I’d like to recommend a source that I’ve been frequenting lately. TED conferences are an amalgam of revolutionary thought. The conference acronym stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and is held throughout the world with each speaker challenged to give the “talk of their lives” in 18 minutes. These videos are recorded, compiled, and delivered in a clean, easily-navigable and informative website format at Ted.com .
The inspiring talks range from discussions on the psychology and sociology of spaghetti sauce to the way we learn, and what makes us happy. Some of my favorite speakers include the author, sociologist, and amusing critic of design, Don Norman, as well as Malcolm Gladwell and his discussion of spaghetti sauce, Howard Moskowitz, and the nature of choice. Both speak about how our perceptions and past experience shape what we expect, as opposed to what we really want, and how it’s all related to design, and in our case, website design .
Technology is also a central theme of the TED experience. There are many talks about the history of technology, the current state of our digital existence, and what tomorrow could possibly have in store for us. The creators of popular social media heavyweights like Twitter and Second Life have spoken about the theory and evolution of bringing their ideas to fruition. Inventors from around the world speak with passion and determination of creative mashups and new technology.
These discussions throw open the doors to parallel tangents and avenues of inspiration. They question why things are, and how they became this way. The food for thought found here is plentiful and can easily become the seeds you expand from for your next website design inspiration.
Clarissa
Internet Marketing Group Blog
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March 24, 2009
Finding Design Inspiration
Finding the perfect inspiration for a website design project can seem intimidating. Often, too, there are so many inspiring angles on an idea that it’s hard to know where to narrow the focus. That’s where a talented website designer can be of valuable service.
A concept can come from the smallest part of your project, or maybe from nothing even related at all. A design could be conceived entirely from the curve and line thickness of the logo, or the way light shines off the surface of the product. What makes that strange inspiration into a successful design is that it communicates a single, effective idea to the user. The product is legitimate and trustworthy because it shines with expert craftsmanship. The service is legitimate and trustworthy with consistent branding across each medium of advertising.
Finding inspiration outside of your brand or product that relates to your users can be effective for a website design concept as well. Because your users can relate to the seemingly abstract symbol, feeling, or emotion, the brand feels stronger, and your users feel more connected.
If you are stuck for ideas, try to think in terms of your users. What might be a pleasant surprise? What’s a different way to expand on the expected? Is there something great about the product or service that is so obvious it’s been overlooked? Asking questions like these can open avenues of exploration that will lead to fresh ideas and inspiring design.
Clarissa
Internet Marketing Group Blog
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March 18, 2009
Internet Marketing Group to Merge With Henry Russell Bruce Strategic Marketing
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - March 18, 2009. Strategic marketing firm Henry Russell Bruce (HRB) today announced its merger with the Internet Marketing Group, an Internet marketing, search engine optimization and web development company based in Cedar Rapids.
Internet Marketing Group owner, Jeff McEachron, will become a Vice President of Internet Operations for HRB and will be responsible for all Internet marketing, interactive media, email marketing and social networking programs. McEachron will be a member of HRB’s senior management team.
“The addition of Jeff to our team brings a significant new dimension to our Web marketing capabilities,” said HRB President Steve Erickson. “He is Google AdWords qualified and has devoted several years of his life to understanding the best ways to build and optimize Web sites that generate substantial leads and make money for his clients. He is an expert in this area and will take HRB and its clients into social media in a very big way.”
McEachron, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in management, computer information systems, is a Web strategist and programmer who has an expert understanding of multiple technologies and how to apply and integrate them for the benefits of clients.
“Jeff brings a much sought after skill set to our full service agency,” said HRB CEO Jim Thebeau. “He is probably the most knowledgeable person in the region on boosting search engine rankings for clients on Google. In fact, he was featured last year in a Google case study for the significant Internet marketing sales he generated for key clients.”
HRB has signed a letter of intent to purchase the Internet Marketing Group.
“This is an exciting time for HRB and Internet Marketing Group clients. They can expect to see the same high level of customer support combined with expanded service offerings as we leverage the strengths of both companies,” said McEachron.
McEachron starts in this newly created position on March 23.
Henry Russell Bruce is a strategic marketing firm that uses research, brand-building, advertising, media, creative, public relations and Web strategies to help clients grow market share, generate new business, create brand loyalty and measure marketing results to build and support its clients’ brands. HRB, founded in 1973, has offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa. For more information, contact HRB at 319.298.0242 or 563.322.0577, or visit www.hrb-ideas.com
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