Web Design

First Impressions are important! How does your website look?

Branding, Marketing, Web Design / By /

First impressions matter. In today’s world, the first impression of your business is made by your website. Does your website present your business as professionally as you do when you are meeting someone for the first time? Before meeting or greeting prospective customers, most of us generally take a look in a mirror to make sure we don’t embarrass ourselves. We check our smile, our hair, and our clothes. We polish our shoes or in my case, boots. Sometimes we practice our greeting. Why? First impressions matter.

When was the last time you seriously looked at your website? How does it look? How does it read? How does it navigate?

First impressions matter.

Congratulations Wisconsin Artisan Cheesemakers!

Announcement, ecommerce, Marketing, Web Design / By /

Congratulations to everyone in the Artisan Cheese industry for their outstanding 2012 American Cheese Society competition held last week in Raleigh NC! We are pleased to tell you how well some of our clients placed.

Carr Valley CheeseCarr Valley CheeseCarr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wisconsin won a total of 14 ribbons including four 1st place awards for Billy Blue Goat Cheese, Canaria Sheep Cheese, Sharp Cheddar Spread and Horseradish Spread. Carr Valley also received seven 2nd place awards and three 3rd place awards.

Uplands CheeseUplands CheeseUplands Cheese won 2 ribbons including a 1st place award for their Pleasant Ridge Reserve and a 3rd place award for their Extra-Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve.

Edeleweiss CreameryEdeleweiss CreameryEdelweiss Creamery, Monroe, brought home two 2nd place ribbons for their Muenster and for their Vegetable Havarti.

The 2012 competition was the largest ACS contest ever. The judges graded 1,711 different products from 254 companies. What a remarkable accomplishment for these master artisan cheesemakers!

We are privileged and proud to work with several of Wisconsin’s finest cheesemakers providing them an online presence that befits their status. Congratulations to Sid Cook and his team at Carr Valley Cheese, Mike Gingrich and Andy Hatch at Uplands Cheese, and Bruce Workman and his team at Edelweiss Creamery.

Should your business have a Mobile Website?

Mobile, Web Design / By /

Should your business have a mobile website? For the majority of you, the answer is an emphatic yes!

The mobile revolution isn’t just coming, it’s already here.  In March of 2012, Nielsen reported that, “a majority (50.4%) of U.S. mobile subscribers owned smartphones.” According to Google, “By 2015, more Americans will access the web via mobile than desktop.” Others believe that will happen much more quickly.

Consumers use smartphones while

Don’t be fooled into thinking mobile websites only get looked at when people are on the move. A Google sponsored study shows that 93% of consumers use their smartphones at home!

Some of the benefits you will realize with a mobile version of your website:

  • “Touch-to-Call” feature increases leads and sales
  • Consumers take immediate action on mobile-friendly sites
  • Users can find you on Google Maps with a touch of a button
  • Users can easily add your phone number to their contact list
  • Allows you to utilize mobile-specific advertising
  • Allows you to offer coupons to mobile users
  • Measure results with great statistics
  • Make a great First Impression

Before and After Gondola Train Mobile Website

In today’s world your website is the first impression most of your prospects will have of your business. If those prospects are on the road, a mobile version of your website is critical to making that first impression on first-class experience.

Of course, here at WebWise Design & Marketing, we offer quality, professionally designed and coded mobile websites. Read more about our mobile websites, or to get started today, give us a call.

Call us today! 1-800-281-9993 or email us at gomobile@webwisedesign.com.

Are You Making Changes to Your Website for the Right Reasons?

Marketing, Web Design / By /

Target AudienceSo, who are you trying to benefit from those changes you just made, or are contemplating making, to your website? What, or who, is driving those website updates? Are they being made because of any of the following?

  • You, your boss, relative, or friend,  saw or read about, what they feel, is a cool feature on another website.
  • Your  ___________ (fill in the blank) took a class on web design, and the instructor said  __________(fill in the blank).
  • Several businesses similar to yours have large photos at the very top of the page, and rank well in Google Search results.
  • Several businesses similar to yours have small photos at the very top of the page, and rank well in Google Search results.
  • Several businesses similar to yours have no photos at the very top of the page, and rank well in Google Search results.
  • Several businesses similar to yours have videos at the very top of the page, and rank well in Google Search results.
  • You read on Facebook that you should __________(fill in the blank).
  • You read on a blog with SEO tips that you should __________(fill in the blank).
  • You saw a Tweet that said you should __________(fill in the blank).
  • @@@@@@@ (Celebrity name withheld) had a guy on her TV show talking about having a YouTube video on all your main pages helping in Google rankings.

What often is forgotten is your target audience. Ask yourself, will the changes make your site more attractive and/or more user-friendly for your target audience? Is your website better because of the changes? Do those changes better describe the benefits of your services, or the quality of your products? How will your audience perceive you, your company, or what you offer?

When reviewing our client’s websites and prospective changes, we sometimes have to remind them, they are not the users, nor are we. We are changing their website for their target audience, not us, or the boss, relative, friend, or someone on TV. It is the website visitor we should be considering.

Are you making changes to your website for yourself, or for your target audience? There is only one correct answer.