Follow us at any of these social media sites.<\/strong><\/h5>\n![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/impact_logo_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/facebook_icon_25_25_new.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/twitter_icon_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/linkedin_icon_25_25_new.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/youtube_icon_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/googleplus_icon_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/wordpress_logo_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/tumblr_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/pinterest_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/wanelo_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/plurk_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a> ![\"Follow](\"\/markys_artwork\/myspace_25_25.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nImpact Social Media All About Websites<\/h3>\n
\n
Impact Social Media Website Design URL:<\/strong> https:\/\/impactsocialmedia.net\/startup-company\/all-about-websites-a-beginners-complete-guide\/<\/a><\/p>\nDescription:<\/strong> Website design is a collaborative effort between a client and web developer. The goal is to produce a finished product that will effectively communicate a specific message and create productive interaction with the intended target audience. This requires productive collaboration and effective utilization of the various web design fundamentals. In order to give you a better understanding of websites we would like to take some time to briefly discuss some of the key concepts, ingredients and peripheral elements.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
I. Website Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Why should I have a website?<\/strong><\/p>\n N<\/strong>early all consumers (97%<\/a>) now use online media to shop locally and to research available products and services. By typing a few words into Bing, Google or Yahoo the consumer can quickly pull up websites with relevant information on the products and services they are interested in.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>n North America there are around 300<\/a> million internet users. This correlates to roughly 80% of the population. According to research by Nielsen<\/a>, branded websites are one of the top<\/strong> most trusted forms of advertising coming in at number two and only out ranked by recommendations from people they know!<\/p>\n Y<\/strong>ou simply cannot afford to overlook the potential benefits of having a website for your business or organization. If you do decide against having a website this equates to giving an upper hand<\/strong> to your competitors who do have an online presence.<\/p>\n![\"Adapt](\"https:\/\/impactsocialmedia.net\/markys_stuff\/website_design\/why_you_need_a_website.png\" "\\"Why")
Adapt, evolve and survive or become extinct!<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n D<\/strong>o you remember the Tyrannosaurus Rex? How about Dodo birds and horse drawn chariots? By chance do you still use an outhouse? Maybe you still enjoy black and white TV and 8 tracks?<\/p>\n T<\/strong>o be blunt, things tend to evolve<\/strong> as time moves forward and you can either become extinct or you can adapt and survive. We strongly suggest the latter of these two options!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
II. Website Design Fundamentals<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance<\/strong><\/p>\n T<\/strong>he ADA<\/a> (Americans with Disabilities Act) enforces Title II in an effort to keep the internet and its contents accessible to those with disabilities. Many people with disabilities use technology to assist them in the use of digital media such as websites. This must be factored into the website design in order to not create a barrier or undue hardship on this group of users.<\/p>\n Some examples of website compliance with ADA would be:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Add a text equivalent for every image<\/li>\n
- If using PDF offer alternative text based formats<\/li>\n
- Include audio descriptions and captions for videos<\/li>\n
- Forms should have descriptive tags to aid in filling them out<\/li>\n
- Use flashing or blinking features minimally or not at all<\/li>\n
- Do not use navigation buttons with text as an image<\/li>\n
- Use sufficient anchor text, titles and headings on complex pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
W<\/strong>e need to do our part to make sure that the web is accessible to everyone. Not just because it is the law but even more importantly because it is the right thing to do. You can read more on this topic at the following URL: http:\/\/www.ada.gov\/pcatoolkit\/chap5toolkit.htm<\/a><\/p>\n 2. Branding, theme and appearance<\/strong><\/p>\n Y<\/strong>our website needs to effectively project your branding and theme. It also needs to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. A color and graphics scheme should be developed that will help your users know they are in your house. Once this is accomplished, the same formatting should be uniform and cohesive between your website and your other social media sites and pages.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>his gives a seamless<\/strong> connection to all of your digital presences. It also helps your users to know that they are in your house whether they are at your website or some other social media site. When properly done, your branding and theme will help your users to remember and recognize you.<\/p>\n 3. Browser compatibility<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>hen developing a website it is important to realize that end users employ a wide variety of browsers when viewing web content. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera and Navigator are the most common but countless others exist.<\/p>\n A<\/strong> website should be written in W3C compliant<\/strong> code and then cross-tested on the most common browser platforms to ensure proper display. When problems are discovered they should be fixed immediately. You can quickly check any webpage for coding compliance issues free of charge at the following URL: http:\/\/validator.w3.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n 4. Canonical URLs<\/strong><\/p>\n F<\/strong>requently, websites may have duplicate content or multiple different URL\u2019s that route to the same page. E-Commerce sites and CMS sites seem to suffer the most from this dilemma. This has the potential to detract<\/strong> from your search engine performance and so a properly designed site will factor this in.<\/p>\n B<\/strong>y installing the proper code into the head section of webpages it becomes possible to \u201ctell\u201d the search engines which URL is preferred. This is a relatively minor and simple implementation that is well worth the effort.<\/p>\n 5. Coding practices<\/strong><\/p>\n P<\/strong>roper coding practices are an integral part of a professionally developed website. This ensures browser compatibility and helps to eliminate various types of errors. Proper coding practices also implement techniques that will enhance search engine optimization.<\/p>\n 6. COPPA (Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliance<\/strong><\/p>\n T<\/strong>he COPPA (Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act) governs the collection and use of personal information from children who are younger than 13 years of age.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>f a website is being designed and the target audience is for this age group then it becomes imperative to follow each and every COPPA guideline. Even if a website is not specifically targeted to this audience but may still have some users in this age range it is still necessary to follow the COPPA rules.<\/p>\n Y<\/strong>ou can read more on this topic at the following URL: http:\/\/www.coppa.org\/comply.htm<\/a><\/p>\n 7. Importance of content<\/strong><\/p>\n A<\/strong>rguably, the most important element of any website is the content<\/strong>. The most awesome domain name, logo, graphics and bells and whistles will do little good if the site lacks on content.<\/p>\n Tips for good website content:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Make sure it\u2019s useful, relevant and regularly updated<\/li>\n
- Use variety i.e. text, links, images, videos, charts, graphs, etc.<\/li>\n
- Include a proper ratio of key words and key phrases<\/li>\n
- Include useful links to other helpful and relevant content<\/li>\n
- Communicate in the language of your intended audience<\/li>\n
- Use proper grammar and spelling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
8. Mobile version<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>hen developing a website it is always a good idea to at least consider creating a mobile version. According to IDC\u2019s Worldwide New Media Market Model, \u201cmore U.S. internet users will access the web through mobile<\/strong> devices rather than through PC\u2019s or wireline by 2015.\u201d Furthermore, \u201cbetween 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. mobile internet users will increase<\/strong> by a compound annual growth rate of 16.6%\u201d<\/p>\n R<\/strong>egardless of where you get the statistics, it is clear that web access by mobile device users is climbing rapidly and there is no reason to think the trend will do anything but gain momentum.<\/p>\n A<\/strong> mobile version of your website gives you the flexibility to cater to this group of users. When you compare the potential benefits to the cost of implementation a mobile friendly website is a great investment.<\/p>\n 9. Navigation issues<\/strong><\/p>\n A<\/strong> proper website should make use of easy to use navigation features. This would include having an additional navigation menu at the bottom of pages. Another important consideration is making sure that broken<\/strong> links are caught and properly redirected to either the landing page or a branded and themed error page. Also, always include a sitemap page with a directory of all pages.<\/p>\n A<\/strong>lways be sure to avoid using navigation buttons that have the text as an image. This is not effective for search engines and it is not compliant with ADA guidelines. Navigation links that leave the website should display the destination URL on mouse over and should also open in a new browser window so that users do not inadvertently leave the site.<\/p>\n 10. SEO (Search engine optimization)<\/strong><\/p>\n E<\/strong>ssentially, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the steps that must be taken in order to maximize<\/strong> the performance of your website in the various search engines. SEO techniques should be incorporated throughout the entire process of designing the website. It is more efficient to include the SEO elements during the design phase than it is to add them in at a later date.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>here are so many different SEO techniques and strategies that we cannot possibly cover all of them in the scope of this discussion. If you wish to read a more comprehensive description of SEO strategies and implementation please visit our web page at: https:\/\/impactsocialmedia.net\/seo\/<\/a><\/p>\n A<\/strong>lso, we highly recommend you research many SEO tips from the Google Webmasters channel at YouTube which you can find here: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/GoogleWebmasterHelp?feature=watch<\/a><\/p>\n 26 of the top SEO elements are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Avoid any practices that could get your site blacklisted<\/li>\n
- Avoid excessively long page loading times<\/li>\n
- Descriptive page titles and descriptions with key words and key phrases<\/li>\n
- High quality, useful, relevant and regularly updated content<\/li>\n
- Implementation of Bing<\/a> and Google<\/a> analytics<\/li>\n
- Implementation of code compliant coding practices<\/li>\n
- Implementation of SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising<\/li>\n
- Inclusion of an XML sitemap<\/li>\n
- Interconnectivity to a variety of social medias<\/li>\n
- Proper inclusion of key words and key phrases in content<\/li>\n
- Proper setup of robots.txt<\/li>\n
- Proper use of alt tags with key words and key phrases<\/li>\n
- Proper use of heading tags with key words and key phrases<\/li>\n
- Proper use of LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords<\/li>\n
- Proper use of meta tags with key words and key phrases<\/li>\n
- Proper use of micro-data to encourage rich snippets<\/li>\n
- Proper use of content title tags with key words and key phrases<\/li>\n
- Quantity and quality of backlinks with no use of link farms<\/li>\n
- Reduction in the bounce rate<\/li>\n
- Submission of site to Bing<\/a> and Google<\/a> Places For Business<\/li>\n
- Submission of site to Merchant Circle<\/a> and Manta<\/a><\/li>\n
- Use of canonical URL\u2019s<\/li>\n
- Use of friendly navigation design<\/li>\n
- Use of sitemap directory page<\/li>\n
- Diversity of content in text, images, videos, tables, charts and links<\/li>\n
- XML sitemap submission to the top search engines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
11. Security<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>ebsite security is an important element of website design and should be incorporated during the design phase. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) should be mandatory<\/strong> for any type of E-Commerce site or other site that may utilize credit card payments or store important customer data.<\/p>\n S<\/strong>SL can also be implemented to help protect users from being tracked. SSL simply means that the communications and data being sent between the site and user are encrypted.<\/p>\n A<\/strong>nother security measure revolves around the protection of certain folders and data. This can be achieved through several methods:<\/p>\n\n- The folder or item can be moved from the public view by removing it to a directory that is outside and above the public HTML folders.<\/li>\n
- The folder or item can be User ID and password protected. This will require anyone trying to access it to provide an authentic login. This can be setup in the cPanel interface.<\/li>\n
- The folder or item can be setup to only be accessed by a specific IP or specific set of IP\u2019s. This also can be setup in the cPanel interface.<\/li>\n
- The folder or item can be denied access via the details that are included in the .htaccess file.<\/li>\n
- A folder\u2019s contents can be kept from random directory viewing by including a blank index.html or default.html file within the folder.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
12. Site search<\/strong><\/p>\n E<\/strong>very site can benefit from the inclusion of a \u201csearch box.\u201d This gives users a quick and easy way to search for specific key words and key phrases that are contained within the site.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>f you use WordPress the search box feature is already included for you. If the search box feature is not already included in your platform you can add it by inserting a code snippet from Bing<\/a> or Google<\/a>. As of the time of this writing the Bing search box is free while the Google search box ranges from $100.00 to $2,000.00 + per year depending upon the quantity of searches.<\/p>\n 13. Sitemaps<\/strong><\/p>\n S<\/strong>itemaps are a critical element of your overall website design and you need to be aware that there are two different types of sitemaps and both are equally important.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>he first type of sitemap is an XML sitemap. This sitemap resides in the root directory of your website and is utilized by search engine robots for the indexing of your site. This XML sitemap will tell a search engine robot all of your URL\u2019s, the last time they were updated, the frequency at which they are modified, and the page priority as compared to other pages.<\/p>\n Y<\/strong>our guests do not view the XML sitemap. The XML sitemap can be made manually with a tool such as Microsoft<\/a> XML Notepad which you can download for free at Microsoft. If you find it easier to have one created automatically, you can have one made for you and download it to your desktop at http:\/\/www.xml-sitemaps.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n T<\/strong>he second type of sitemap is a directory listing sitemap that is actually a webpage that resides within your website. This sitemap is viewed by your guests at will. It can be coded in HTML or other languages as you prefer.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>t should include a listing of every page within your site along with a short description of the contents of each page. Also, each page should be a clickable URL that will take the guest directly to the page of their choice.<\/p>\n O<\/strong>ne way to describe the directory sitemap is a \u201ctable of contents\u201d for your entire site. This can greatly aid your users to quickly see, find and navigate to everything that is contained within your entire site.<\/p>\n 14. Social media<\/strong><\/p>\n S<\/strong>ocial media has become a significant force in recent years. Face Book, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others have become common household words. The users of the most common social media platforms number in the billions and span the entire globe. For a comprehensive discussion on Social Media platforms visit our webpage at: https:\/\/impactsocialmedia.net\/social-media-marketing\/what-is-social-media\/<\/a><\/p>\n W<\/strong>hen you decide to design a website I highly recommend that you begin that web design process by choosing<\/strong> which social media platform(s) you intend to utilize. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses and each platform has a slightly different user demographic.<\/p>\n F<\/strong>or instance, if your focus is music, you should have a presence at MySpace<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>. If your focus is online products, you should have a presence at Wanelo<\/a>. Regardless of your focus, sites like FaceBook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, Google+<\/a>, Tumblr<\/a>, WordPress<\/a>, Pinterest<\/a>, Plurk<\/a> and others should be considered.<\/p>\n N<\/strong>ot only do I recommend choosing your social media platform(s) before doing the web design, I also recommend that you also create your presence there. This is because you will need the social media account names and linkage data in order to install all of the social media interconnectivity that will be present in the website. In other words, the actual layout and development of your website will incorporate all of your social media presences.<\/p>\n 15. Website design software<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>ebsite design software can be a productivity enhancer for the skilled developer as well as a learning tool for the beginner. In this regard there can be benefit to all users.<\/p>\n W<\/strong>ebsite design software does many things that help to alleviate the mundane and time consuming task of doing everything manually. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is either involved in web design or desires to learn the art of web designing.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>he two biggest packages on the market are Adobe Dreamweaver<\/a> and Microsoft Expression Web<\/a>. Both are very powerful and offer an enormous amount of built in functionality. If you would like to try them out check into the free download and take advantage of the free trial period!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
III. Website Types<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Dynamic – Scripted<\/strong><\/p>\n D<\/strong>ynamic-scripted sites are those which rely heavily on some form of scripting language such as AppleScript, ColdFusion, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, VBscript and others. This type of site can be very powerful with the ability to offer up dynamic content.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>his type of site can also interact with a database to query and display data in real time<\/strong>. Typically, the scripting is intertwined with HTML and CSS. These types of sites are the most complex and difficult to modify and customize. Because of this most of them contain a \u201cback end\u201d user interface that aids in adding content and making modifications and customizations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Examples of dynamic scripted platforms that we work with:<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Impact Social Media Website Design URL:<\/strong> https:\/\/impactsocialmedia.net\/startup-company\/all-about-websites-a-beginners-complete-guide\/<\/a><\/p>\n Description:<\/strong> Website design is a collaborative effort between a client and web developer. The goal is to produce a finished product that will effectively communicate a specific message and create productive interaction with the intended target audience. This requires productive collaboration and effective utilization of the various web design fundamentals. In order to give you a better understanding of websites we would like to take some time to briefly discuss some of the key concepts, ingredients and peripheral elements.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I. Website Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Why should I have a website?<\/strong><\/p>\n N<\/strong>early all consumers (97%<\/a>) now use online media to shop locally and to research available products and services. By typing a few words into Bing, Google or Yahoo the consumer can quickly pull up websites with relevant information on the products and services they are interested in.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>n North America there are around 300<\/a> million internet users. This correlates to roughly 80% of the population. According to research by Nielsen<\/a>, branded websites are one of the top<\/strong> most trusted forms of advertising coming in at number two and only out ranked by recommendations from people they know!<\/p>\n Y<\/strong>ou simply cannot afford to overlook the potential benefits of having a website for your business or organization. If you do decide against having a website this equates to giving an upper hand<\/strong> to your competitors who do have an online presence.<\/p>\n D<\/strong>o you remember the Tyrannosaurus Rex? How about Dodo birds and horse drawn chariots? By chance do you still use an outhouse? Maybe you still enjoy black and white TV and 8 tracks?<\/p>\n T<\/strong>o be blunt, things tend to evolve<\/strong> as time moves forward and you can either become extinct or you can adapt and survive. We strongly suggest the latter of these two options!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n II. Website Design Fundamentals<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance<\/strong><\/p>\n T<\/strong>he ADA<\/a> (Americans with Disabilities Act) enforces Title II in an effort to keep the internet and its contents accessible to those with disabilities. Many people with disabilities use technology to assist them in the use of digital media such as websites. This must be factored into the website design in order to not create a barrier or undue hardship on this group of users.<\/p>\n Some examples of website compliance with ADA would be:<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>e need to do our part to make sure that the web is accessible to everyone. Not just because it is the law but even more importantly because it is the right thing to do. You can read more on this topic at the following URL: http:\/\/www.ada.gov\/pcatoolkit\/chap5toolkit.htm<\/a><\/p>\n 2. Branding, theme and appearance<\/strong><\/p>\n Y<\/strong>our website needs to effectively project your branding and theme. It also needs to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. A color and graphics scheme should be developed that will help your users know they are in your house. Once this is accomplished, the same formatting should be uniform and cohesive between your website and your other social media sites and pages.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>his gives a seamless<\/strong> connection to all of your digital presences. It also helps your users to know that they are in your house whether they are at your website or some other social media site. When properly done, your branding and theme will help your users to remember and recognize you.<\/p>\n 3. Browser compatibility<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>hen developing a website it is important to realize that end users employ a wide variety of browsers when viewing web content. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera and Navigator are the most common but countless others exist.<\/p>\n A<\/strong> website should be written in W3C compliant<\/strong> code and then cross-tested on the most common browser platforms to ensure proper display. When problems are discovered they should be fixed immediately. You can quickly check any webpage for coding compliance issues free of charge at the following URL: http:\/\/validator.w3.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n 4. Canonical URLs<\/strong><\/p>\n F<\/strong>requently, websites may have duplicate content or multiple different URL\u2019s that route to the same page. E-Commerce sites and CMS sites seem to suffer the most from this dilemma. This has the potential to detract<\/strong> from your search engine performance and so a properly designed site will factor this in.<\/p>\n B<\/strong>y installing the proper code into the head section of webpages it becomes possible to \u201ctell\u201d the search engines which URL is preferred. This is a relatively minor and simple implementation that is well worth the effort.<\/p>\n 5. Coding practices<\/strong><\/p>\n P<\/strong>roper coding practices are an integral part of a professionally developed website. This ensures browser compatibility and helps to eliminate various types of errors. Proper coding practices also implement techniques that will enhance search engine optimization.<\/p>\n 6. COPPA (Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliance<\/strong><\/p>\n T<\/strong>he COPPA (Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act) governs the collection and use of personal information from children who are younger than 13 years of age.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>f a website is being designed and the target audience is for this age group then it becomes imperative to follow each and every COPPA guideline. Even if a website is not specifically targeted to this audience but may still have some users in this age range it is still necessary to follow the COPPA rules.<\/p>\n Y<\/strong>ou can read more on this topic at the following URL: http:\/\/www.coppa.org\/comply.htm<\/a><\/p>\n 7. Importance of content<\/strong><\/p>\n A<\/strong>rguably, the most important element of any website is the content<\/strong>. The most awesome domain name, logo, graphics and bells and whistles will do little good if the site lacks on content.<\/p>\n Tips for good website content:<\/strong><\/p>\n 8. Mobile version<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>hen developing a website it is always a good idea to at least consider creating a mobile version. According to IDC\u2019s Worldwide New Media Market Model, \u201cmore U.S. internet users will access the web through mobile<\/strong> devices rather than through PC\u2019s or wireline by 2015.\u201d Furthermore, \u201cbetween 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. mobile internet users will increase<\/strong> by a compound annual growth rate of 16.6%\u201d<\/p>\n R<\/strong>egardless of where you get the statistics, it is clear that web access by mobile device users is climbing rapidly and there is no reason to think the trend will do anything but gain momentum.<\/p>\n A<\/strong> mobile version of your website gives you the flexibility to cater to this group of users. When you compare the potential benefits to the cost of implementation a mobile friendly website is a great investment.<\/p>\n 9. Navigation issues<\/strong><\/p>\n A<\/strong> proper website should make use of easy to use navigation features. This would include having an additional navigation menu at the bottom of pages. Another important consideration is making sure that broken<\/strong> links are caught and properly redirected to either the landing page or a branded and themed error page. Also, always include a sitemap page with a directory of all pages.<\/p>\n A<\/strong>lways be sure to avoid using navigation buttons that have the text as an image. This is not effective for search engines and it is not compliant with ADA guidelines. Navigation links that leave the website should display the destination URL on mouse over and should also open in a new browser window so that users do not inadvertently leave the site.<\/p>\n 10. SEO (Search engine optimization)<\/strong><\/p>\n E<\/strong>ssentially, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the steps that must be taken in order to maximize<\/strong> the performance of your website in the various search engines. SEO techniques should be incorporated throughout the entire process of designing the website. It is more efficient to include the SEO elements during the design phase than it is to add them in at a later date.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>here are so many different SEO techniques and strategies that we cannot possibly cover all of them in the scope of this discussion. If you wish to read a more comprehensive description of SEO strategies and implementation please visit our web page at: https:\/\/impactsocialmedia.net\/seo\/<\/a><\/p>\n A<\/strong>lso, we highly recommend you research many SEO tips from the Google Webmasters channel at YouTube which you can find here: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/GoogleWebmasterHelp?feature=watch<\/a><\/p>\n 26 of the top SEO elements are:<\/strong><\/p>\n 11. Security<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>ebsite security is an important element of website design and should be incorporated during the design phase. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) should be mandatory<\/strong> for any type of E-Commerce site or other site that may utilize credit card payments or store important customer data.<\/p>\n S<\/strong>SL can also be implemented to help protect users from being tracked. SSL simply means that the communications and data being sent between the site and user are encrypted.<\/p>\n A<\/strong>nother security measure revolves around the protection of certain folders and data. This can be achieved through several methods:<\/p>\n 12. Site search<\/strong><\/p>\n E<\/strong>very site can benefit from the inclusion of a \u201csearch box.\u201d This gives users a quick and easy way to search for specific key words and key phrases that are contained within the site.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>f you use WordPress the search box feature is already included for you. If the search box feature is not already included in your platform you can add it by inserting a code snippet from Bing<\/a> or Google<\/a>. As of the time of this writing the Bing search box is free while the Google search box ranges from $100.00 to $2,000.00 + per year depending upon the quantity of searches.<\/p>\n 13. Sitemaps<\/strong><\/p>\n S<\/strong>itemaps are a critical element of your overall website design and you need to be aware that there are two different types of sitemaps and both are equally important.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>he first type of sitemap is an XML sitemap. This sitemap resides in the root directory of your website and is utilized by search engine robots for the indexing of your site. This XML sitemap will tell a search engine robot all of your URL\u2019s, the last time they were updated, the frequency at which they are modified, and the page priority as compared to other pages.<\/p>\n Y<\/strong>our guests do not view the XML sitemap. The XML sitemap can be made manually with a tool such as Microsoft<\/a> XML Notepad which you can download for free at Microsoft. If you find it easier to have one created automatically, you can have one made for you and download it to your desktop at http:\/\/www.xml-sitemaps.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n T<\/strong>he second type of sitemap is a directory listing sitemap that is actually a webpage that resides within your website. This sitemap is viewed by your guests at will. It can be coded in HTML or other languages as you prefer.<\/p>\n I<\/strong>t should include a listing of every page within your site along with a short description of the contents of each page. Also, each page should be a clickable URL that will take the guest directly to the page of their choice.<\/p>\n O<\/strong>ne way to describe the directory sitemap is a \u201ctable of contents\u201d for your entire site. This can greatly aid your users to quickly see, find and navigate to everything that is contained within your entire site.<\/p>\n 14. Social media<\/strong><\/p>\n S<\/strong>ocial media has become a significant force in recent years. Face Book, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others have become common household words. The users of the most common social media platforms number in the billions and span the entire globe. For a comprehensive discussion on Social Media platforms visit our webpage at: https:\/\/impactsocialmedia.net\/social-media-marketing\/what-is-social-media\/<\/a><\/p>\n W<\/strong>hen you decide to design a website I highly recommend that you begin that web design process by choosing<\/strong> which social media platform(s) you intend to utilize. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses and each platform has a slightly different user demographic.<\/p>\n F<\/strong>or instance, if your focus is music, you should have a presence at MySpace<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>. If your focus is online products, you should have a presence at Wanelo<\/a>. Regardless of your focus, sites like FaceBook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, Google+<\/a>, Tumblr<\/a>, WordPress<\/a>, Pinterest<\/a>, Plurk<\/a> and others should be considered.<\/p>\n N<\/strong>ot only do I recommend choosing your social media platform(s) before doing the web design, I also recommend that you also create your presence there. This is because you will need the social media account names and linkage data in order to install all of the social media interconnectivity that will be present in the website. In other words, the actual layout and development of your website will incorporate all of your social media presences.<\/p>\n 15. Website design software<\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/strong>ebsite design software can be a productivity enhancer for the skilled developer as well as a learning tool for the beginner. In this regard there can be benefit to all users.<\/p>\n W<\/strong>ebsite design software does many things that help to alleviate the mundane and time consuming task of doing everything manually. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is either involved in web design or desires to learn the art of web designing.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>he two biggest packages on the market are Adobe Dreamweaver<\/a> and Microsoft Expression Web<\/a>. Both are very powerful and offer an enormous amount of built in functionality. If you would like to try them out check into the free download and take advantage of the free trial period!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n III. Website Types<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Dynamic – Scripted<\/strong><\/p>\n D<\/strong>ynamic-scripted sites are those which rely heavily on some form of scripting language such as AppleScript, ColdFusion, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, VBscript and others. This type of site can be very powerful with the ability to offer up dynamic content.<\/p>\n T<\/strong>his type of site can also interact with a database to query and display data in real time<\/strong>. Typically, the scripting is intertwined with HTML and CSS. These types of sites are the most complex and difficult to modify and customize. Because of this most of them contain a \u201cback end\u201d user interface that aids in adding content and making modifications and customizations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Examples of dynamic scripted platforms that we work with:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
\nImpact Social Media All About Websites<\/h3>\n
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