Which CMS is Best for Website Design?

CMS, Web Design

mobile website design

These days there are a ton of different content management systems or CMS for creating a website.  To decide which CMS is best for you really depends on your project. I’ll break down a few of my favorite CMS and why they are good for a particular application.

WordPress websites

WordPress is by far the biggest and most widely supported CMS.  Around thirty five percent of all websites on the internet run WordPress.  That’s over one third of all websites and that is an absolutely huge percentage. What started out simply as a blog platform has grown to be able to handle all manner of websites from your local chiropractor, to Tim Ferriss’ blog, to large ecommerce websites.  Because WordPress has grown so big, it has attracted the most about of businesses to support WordPress in the forms of themes, plugins, security, and all manner of detailed aspects of web design. If you need to find help with your WordPress website, you can find a technician easily like the team at Still Web Design.  The same way that Toyota is the largest car manufacturer in the world and there are huge industries built up to supply all manner of parts to Toyotas, this also makes it easy to find a qualified mechanic to work on your Toyota. This is not the case with development systems, like for instance Joomla.  If you need work done on Joomla, it’s hard to find someone that is qualified, because they are just fewer people working and creating on the Joomla platform. One of the reasons for WordPress rise to dominance is its relative ease of use as it does not require any custom coding or really any technical knowledge. And another side benefit of WordPress is that it is very search engine optimization friendly, and as Google search traffic became more and more important, more folks used WordPress to capture that traffic for their sites.

mobile friendly web design

Joomla web development

Joomla (https://docs.joomla.org/Web_designers) is a niche development platform that is decreasing in popularity.  It is just not a do it yourself platform like WordPress.  And unlike WP, it is geared more for technical developers.  While you can build just about anything you want on Joomla, you need to have a lot of technical skill to navigate the complex articles, menus, and components of the backend of Joomla. Unfortunately, Joomla is a bit difficult to optimize for search engines.  There are some strange indexing issues with Joomla.  And even simple things like redirecting an old page to a new on via a 301 redirect, something that is really simple in WP, is complicated in Joomla because the only way this can be done is direct updating of the code in the .htaccess file. Also, unlike WP, there is not a huge industry behind it.  You don’t have the option for a lot of plugins and extension, and custom themes.  While Joomla can be a good fit for the right situation, its future is not bright as the market has decided it likes easier to use platforms. Basically, unless you really have great reason for building on Joomla, you should probably avoid it.

Drupal web design

Do you have large corporate web design client?  If so you may want to consider building on Drupal.  Drupal is a great option for universities or football clubs, government agencies or even a major magazine. Drupal is really good if you need a custom site and you have a full design team in place.  One of the reasons that Drupal is the choice for large universities and government agencies is that this CMS is great at handling large amounts of data. Drupal does not have plugins like WordPress, instead they have something called modules, which are very similar to plugins. One of the downsides to Drupal is that the sites are so large and need so much custom coding, that you need large teams to work on a Drupal sites and that equals large expenditures.  Drupal sites are expensive and you are not likely to see your local dentist or roofer on Drupal CMS.

Shopify Ecommerce web design

It is really hard to believe that Shopify was founded in 2004 in Ontario, Canada.  It seems like a much newer product, and really it is.  Shopify took off in the second half of the 2010’s and has exploded in popularity. Shopify is the platform to use for selling physical products on the internet.  It is almost like the WordPress of ecom. It is simple enough to use, that anyone can learn it.  There is no custom coding or technical knowledge needed.  It is all plug and play. Like WP, there are a ton of products as well as support.  You can purchase custom themes and plugins, to make your site however you want it to look.  And there are lot of specialist that you can hire to help  with everything from SEO, to Facebook Ads, to conversions and cart abandonment issues. Other major benefits of Shopify are that you do not need to purchase separate hosting, that is taken care of for you on the Shopify platform.  Shopify Payments is another reason for the platform’s success.  It makes taking debit or credit cards super easy.  This is helpful because payment processing is a huge hurdle for a small business. Shopify does a great job of lowering the barrier to entry in the online selling world.

Webflow websites

Webflow is a newcomer on the scene, they have only been around since 2013.  While not as user friendly as WP, they are doing a lot of things right.  It is a responsive design tool as well as hosting platform that is really good at hosting pictures and videos, without negatively impacting page load speed times, which is difficult to do. Webflow is a newer platform to keep your eye on in the coming years.  But in general, the trend of strength on strength will continue with WordPress taking a bigger slice of the pie in the years to come.  
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Five Tips To Start Redesigning Your Website

Logo Design, Web Design

Once, Steve Jobs said: “Design is a word with grace. Some believe it’s about how it looks, but in essence, it’s how it works.”

Design can become complicated, or you may believe that you are not creative enough to carry out your project. And when the design of something as important as a web page has become complicated and has become something you barely recognize, starting over is very demoralizing. That is why we have gathered these five tips, so you do not stress:

Are Your Images Good Enough?

You just have to take a look at the reach and success of Instagram to realize the power of an image. An average of 70 million photographs are shared every day on different social networks, and it is estimated that so far, more than 30 billion have been uploaded to the internet. It is clear that this is not a fad, and allows hotels to take full advantage of the beauty of their surroundings.

Purpose of the Website

This might seem obvious, but this is often overlooked.  What's the main goal of your website?  The client needs to communicate with the designer exactly their expectations. This is helpful, because whenever in doubt as to the direction, you can always go back to the question, "What is the main purpose of this website?", and build the web design towards that goal.

Proper Navigation

Make sure that the site structure of your website makes sense.  Good on-site navigation is when it is easy for the user to find the information they are looking for and to take action on a website, such as making a purchase. You want to work hard as you can, to make the site as simple and easy to navigate and use, as possible. Breadcrumbs can also be useful in helping a user know where they are on your domain, as well as how to get back to where they came from. And remember the "3 click rule".  This is loosely defined as having your site setup so that a user can find any information on your site they are looking for, within 3 clicks. Now, there has been some controversy about if the 3 click rule is accurate with some folks pointing out, correctly, that the 3 click rule is not backed up by data. But, so what? Don't get caught up in the details.  The important idea of the 3 click rule is to make it easy for the user, and to make it so they can find they information they need, with as little effort as possible. If you can execute on that, then you are doing a good job with on-site navigation.

F Pattern Design

So many businesses get this wrong. In the western world, people read from Left to Right and from Top to Bottom.  Don't fight this! This is called the F-Pattern design (read more here: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/). Put your name and logo in the top right of your homepage.  Your logo should be simple and try to make it as obvious as possible.  If you are a plumbing company, have some pipes in your logo. On the right side of your homepage, have your Contact info, usually your phone number. This is so simple, so important, and you'll be shocked how many sites get this wrong. Having your phone number on the left hand side of your page, or in the middle, makes it hard for the visitor to process.  They are naturally going to look for your phone number on the top left side of the screen, so put it there.

Is The Information You Offer Relevant?

It is not common to find detailed information about local activities and increase the amount of time your guest will spend on your website.

If you have run out of inspiration, you can always use the examples of pages designed with Canvas, the intelligent creator of SiteMinder web pages https://www.siteminder.com/r/marketing/hotel-website-design/.

Use A Design Compatible With Mobile (Or Responsive) Devices?

Responsive design is a very simple concept, and it will make you fall in love! It is a web design approach whose objective is to create an interactive experience of viewing the page, reacting to the device used by the user.

It ensures that the experience is fluid and that the elements of the page can be viewed and used properly. If the user has to zoom to see an element of the web page, then it does not have a responsive design. The needs of your guests are your priority from the moment they arrive at your hotel, and the same happens with their experience on your website.

Allows Direct Reservations

You can create the best website in the world, but if you do not include a section for your guests to make their reservation, it will not help you.

And having this technology is your first step.

Make sure your booking engine integrates with your design and brand, strengthening your guest’s confidence in your page. According to a survey, in 2014, 77% do not feel completely safe when they buy online, so building a website that looks professional and reliable is very important, so you can increase your direct bookings.

Improve Your SEO

Web optimization is the holy grail of web design. SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) is what allows your future guests to find you.

You can have a great website, but it’s no use if you don’t appear on Google and other search engines: there are 3.5 billion Google searches per day, something like 40,000 per second. Search engines are essential for your online marketing strategy.
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How To Choose A Professional Web Design Company?

Web Design

The first thing you will find is that there are thousands of “experts” in web design, all promising the stars, all selling their services to the fullest, some with very high prices and others with gifted prices, but, how to detect those quacks that only Want to make a site for money?

Here are some points to choose the best web design provider according to your budget.

  1. The best cover letter is your own site, do you like your website? Does it look professional? Does your site look good on a tablet? How does your site look on a cell phone?
You will realize that there are many “experts” who do not use responsive design on their website, and if they use it, it has errors. If a professional cannot have a well-made site, what can you expect from your clients’ sites?
  1. Is your website positioned or found via an Adwords ad? There is a big difference if you found them by an Adwords ad that you probably don’t know how to position. Choose companies that appear naturally on the first page of search results. These companies know how to position and can offer you this service without problems.
  2. Visit your portfolio, even if you don’t believe it, there are many companies that lie with their portfolios, many say they have done “x” or “y” website, and when you look for it a little, you realize that this site was made by another company, or that the design does not match that of the portfolio, or they have temples to sites that do not exist.

Pay attention, do all the examples in your portfolio use the same structure, that is to say only change images, logos, and text in your designs? If so, do not expect results, since they are only doing sites to do them.

  1. Ask, a professional company must answer all your questions clearly; in the end, they are experts in your field.
  2. After you have selected the companies that have a professional site and that have a real portfolio, ask for references, but ask for references from old customers, that is, do not ask for the reference of the site you just made, most people They will tell you that it was a good experience but because they have a new site they will not be able to give you more references.

On the other hand, with a reference from an old customer, you can tell if your site sells, if it has the support and, most importantly, you will know that it is an experienced and well-established company.

  1. A good company always has projects and does not start working the next day, usually when it goes with a professional company, they are scheduled to start their project if a company offers to start the next day it is because they have no job.
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Get To Know Us

Graphic Design
Peckish Web Design Studio is the creation of Bob Frankerton, who, after studying fine art, made the transition to graphics, with a strong focus on website design. The studio came about by Bob’s desire to develop his business, to cater for both commercial companies who require a creative edge, and creative individuals, businesses or brands, who want their concept translated into a functioning and robust website. Peckish can offer something for everyone and packages can be put together to reflect all budgets and requirements, taking time to understand your brand, your customers and your requests. Peckish Studio is constantly researching, developing and embracing the ever changing world of websites and design. Working with HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and mySQL Databases, with many years experience with photoshop and passion for really good graphic design. We also like to stay in touch with our clients, and will always be on hand to assist or develop further down the line.
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Common Mistakes When Designing A Web Page

Web Design

These are some of the most common mistakes when designing a website.

Use Of Stiff, Confusing And Unfriendly Text

On many occasions, the main problem when designing a website is the content, and the mistake is that many companies make to think that they can use the PowerPoint presentation of the company on their site.

And they don't start to think that in the presentation someone is talking and the text and images that are used are to support a speech, and this text rarely makes sense on a website.

Currently, on the internet, we can find hundreds of companies in each market competing to appear in the first places in Google's search results, the only way to excel is to have a content that stands out.

A website needs to be built to deliver a clear message, to publicize a service or product, to sell. And this is why the content must be direct, clean, and fresh, making known the benefits of your service/product clearly, you have to convince.

Build a website according to the structure of the company, by departments, and with information that nobody cares about.

When someone arrives on our website, they don't care about the departments our company has, what our mission, vision, and objectives are, but the information, the products or services they can offer, and that has to be the basis of the structure of our website.

It is not the user who must adapt to us, and it is we who have to adapt to what he may need, anticipating his tastes, his needs, and his browsing habits.

The usability is key when the user remains or leaves, and the structure of the website should be designed with that approach, and therefore the advice of a professional is necessary since the natural tendency is to do so by moving the company to the website as is and this is a big mistake.

Allocate space to give news and not change them frequently.

If we have a news area and spend a lot of time without publishing any news, we are giving the impression that nothing happens in our company, that we have nothing new to tell, that we have no results and that we are a company that does not advance — bad signal, very bad.

If we want to give news of our company or our sector, we must plan who will do it, what will it count and how often before including the section in the design, and in case of not being able to award this competence to anyone or not being able to specify Those factors, it is preferable not to include this section on our website.

Request too much information on the forms.

This is one of the most common and ominous mistakes on the web. Many times we enter a website and want to ask something about their products or services to be clear if it is what we are looking for if they provide such a service if they have such a model, and when we enter the contact tab, a form appears that we must fill out.

So far, everything is correct, but the problem arises when we are forced to fill out too much data to send our query. The user does not want to give too much personal information, and we, therefore, should not ask for everything at once.

However, there are many web pages that ask for the name, two surnames, e-mail, company, address, state, and even zip code, in addition, of course, the subject of the query, and in case you do not have all the fields Fillers, does not allow shipping. This is a serious mistake. The easier it is for the visitor to contact us via the contact form, the higher the conversion rate.

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