Executionists - We Get Web Done

1. Social media isn’t just experimental; it’s real ROI and can be tracked and measured

• Similar to website analytics that come with most hosting accounts, there are tools and analytics applications that measure real-time activities within social networks such as Radian6, Infegy Social Radar, Scout Labs, and Alterian
• Free sites like SocialMention.com and HowSociable.com quickly measure your influence and visibility over a broad social media spectrum

2. Get intimate with smart phones

• Social network activity is becoming more local and mobile with GPS in smartphones
• Location based services and features create competition, promote offers, and reward participants. Examples include Yelp, Foursquare, etc.
• Localized results help people connect more intimately

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By Jessie Jo Blalock

In an age where organic products, green lifestyles, and holistic practices prevail, websites are leaning towards a more modern, Zen approach by drawing upon minimalist design. As far as the success of website goes, it is no secret that “content is king,” however, in 2010 it is about keeping the superficial layer of the website less…. superficial. Akin to Feng Shui , everything in web design should serve a purpose, placement is key, and the absence of clutter is essential. A website should feel natural while being aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. The last thing a website’s design should create is a disruption to a user’s online chi.

Minimalist web design goes hand-in-hand with the changing tone of media communications in general. As society becomes more Internet savvy and media literate, they are less likely to surrender to noisy, manipulative marketing schemes. Like the persistent salesman in the room who is trying too hard to sell everyone everything, people are avoiding cluttered websites for ones that are less intrusive. Websites are beginning to remove all the useless bells and whistles and strip down to their bare essentials. Now more than ever, the focus of modern web design is on clear, effective communication and content. Though a trendy minimalist design might be just as calculating as it’s predecessors, it produces a more tranquil and raw experience for users while being more intuitive and efficient.

Trends

The notion that history repeats is universal. In the realm of design, to repeat history is to pay homage to its predecessors. Repetition emerges as reinvention and reinvention transpires to become a trend. “Design trends do not exist to be followed. They exist to be broken, reshaped and abolished by the spirit of creativity rippling through the design community” explains Vitaly Freidman, Editor in Chief, Smashing Magazine. The following are design “trends” have been manipulated to sustain the changing web atmosphere.

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By Jansen Granflor

A common misconception about social networks is that you have to be on them 24 hours a day to see results for your business. The truth is, all you have to do is create a basic profile on a handful of social media networks, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, that your clients or customers already log onto. It doesn’t have to tell your entire company history, just some basic information regarding what you do, links to your website, and solid contact information. Your goal is not to gain thousands of fans and followers on these sites, but to spread the word around to a more specific clientele. The average computer user now uses social networks like Yelp to find businesses and reviews on products and services from real people. By linking your website to your social media networks, you can leverage testimonials from actual customers to web surfers. One positive review from a happy customer can open the door for so many more.

Social media profiles and company blogs are often setup by small businesses, but never maintained. The truth is social media information is very simple to update and can be used for marketing, customer service, and feedback via comments. It can also make you, the small business owner, seem hip and trendy in the eyes of your customers. The fanbase you build with these tools will bring you more business, and if you run out of things to say, you can post updates by simply announcing limited-time promotions or discounts, or introducing new products or services. Remember to always improve your SEO (search engine optimization) by linking your business to as many online directories and websites as possible, as this will not only put you on the map in your neighborhood and field of specialty, but it might also get you some media coverage, further boosting you up in Google search results.

Placing social media links on your homepage will help you increase web traffic, but keep in mind you don’t want your potential customers to link to a social media profile that hasn’t been touched in months, so update early and often. You can also use social media to get to know potential customers, by listening to their comments, and responding to their inquiries. Sometimes, they will be upfront and ask for a product or service you don’t offer, or tell you your prices are too high. You can address and reward them directly, and get to know them by name, which leads to referrals, and more business. It’s a sales pitch that doesn’t feel like one. Use social networks to tell your customers who you are, what inspired you, where you started your business, and how you got it all started. Set up a blog as a way to speak to your customers indirectly, and they can read and comment if they choose to.

Socializing is only half of social networking – the other half is networking, so use your social hub not only to get more customers, but perhaps you can meet better vendors, and cheaper suppliers. Social networking sites increase competition, but you can embrace your competitors, and exchange tips and feedback since you both experience similar issues on a regular basis. If you have a problem you can’t solve, maybe a similar business has a solution, which you in turn can pass on to help another business owner. Social media creates buzz, helps networking, and, of course, increases business for everyone. It’s a genuine way of getting to know your customers, and it doesn’t take too much of your free time, and can actually be fun, and engaging.

Jansen can be reached at jansen@executionists.com

By James Copper

There are millions of websites on the internet all competing for the attention of users. This makes the design of your website very important if you want to stand any chance of surviving. You can spend huge sums of money promoting your site, but if the website design isn’t up to scratch then it’s not going to make any difference.

Before you look at SEO or other promotional campaigns, you should first experiment with the design of your site. All good web designers should already be aware about the importance of good website design.

Simple

Sometimes simple is better and this is true on the internet. It is possible to create stunning and very advanced sites. These are time consuming and can also take a long time to load. It is almost always best to stick to simple website designs.

Be careful if you are ever using pop-up windows as most people have pop-up blockers. These can also cause irritation if used too often. Simple websites will load quicker and will be indexed by search engines much quicker.

Titles

Every single page of your site should be valuable. All of these should have a clear aim in mind and should have a title. The title must contain your keywords as this will help to get your site indexed in search engines.

You can find out about keywords which you might like to use by using keyword tools like the one offered by Google.

Images

Using images on your website is great and will look fantastic. However you need to be careful not to overdo it. If you include too many images on your site then this can slow it down and make it take much longer to load.

The same goes for flash. Flash may make sites look professional to some people but it also makes it slow down. It also means that many people will have to download additional software to view your site. If you must use flash then keep it to an absolute minimum, not that many people appreciate flash websites anyway.

The main problem with flash and images is that search engine robots cannot see what they are. They will only index a site based on the text content. Set the alternate labels to try and reduce the impact this has on your site.

Meta Tags

When you’re designing websites it might be tempting to ignore meta tags and other information. However the meta description is used by search engines and should be able to encourage surfers to visit your site. Make sure you create a unique meta description and put the right one on each page.

Text Links

You must be very careful to create text links to different pages of your site even if you have another form of navigation. These are normally displayed at the bottom of each page. This will make it much easier for web spiders and robots to crawl your website and index it in search engines.

You need to be able to consider SEO at the time you design your website. If you design your website correctly then you should be able to make it look appealing to search engines.

James Copper is a writer for http://www.thebigagency.co.uk, and can be reached at info@thebigagency.co.uk

ICG Advisors is an independently owned investment management firm that acts as an outsourced chief investment officer for wealthy families, endowments, and foundations. ICG recently came to Executionists for a professional web presence so potential clients could learn about their services and current clients could log in and review their accounts. Executionists designed a site that conveys a feeling of trust, professionalism, and credibility. The integrated Client Manager feature elevates the site from an online marketing piece to an important business and communication tool between ICG and their valued clients.

A Brand Style Guide is a document that defines the guidelines of your brand/logo usage. The Style Guide serves as the instruction book to printers, web designers, publishers, and other media channels. Items covered in a Style Guide can be logo usage, appropriate color palettes, font styles, templates for printing, photography and graphic styles, even the tone of your written materials.

If you advertise your business over a variety of media channels, it is important that your brand is consistently presented. The Style Guide assures the investment you’ve made in your brand is maintained and not weakened through improper usage. For businesses that do not have a Style Guide, one can be reverse-engineered by taking your logo and other branded collateral and distilling the key components into a Style Guide document. Existing Style Guides should be refreshed as design and industry trends change.

Well, I’m pretty sure the same concept works for web design. This is my third summer as an intern at Executionists, I’ve learned a lot from the experience. Just like cooking, it takes a lot of ingredients, all mixed together in the right amounts to make a good web site. Here are a couple of things I’ve learned about the gritty details of web design.

1. Web design is about communication
To the untrained eye, web design is making text and images look pretty. Except, what that’s really saying is that web design is about communicating content from businesses to clients. I’m always amazed at how much time the people at Executionists take to work with clients to ensure their content is presented perfectly. At the end of the day, if your website is empty, nobody will want to look at it.

2. Experience matters
I used to think that anyone could wake up and declare themselves a web designer. Heck, I sure did. Maybe anyone can, but the difference between a good web designer and a great one is experience. An experienced web designer knows when to avoid silly little trends or gimmicks and when to accept and implement important new standards. The team at Executionists has been creating web sites for 12+ years, and designing print for more, and it shows.

3. Balance is important
The team at Executionists has three types of people: managerial types, artistic types and coding types. I work mostly as a coding type, and it is really nice to be able to focus almost entirely on the task at hand. The system that Executionists have developed is effective and helps us crank out web pages quickly. It really shows that the Executionists know what they’re doing.

Executionists definitely has the right mix of skills to make your website work. Richard and Co. have really refined their methods and skills and I now know so much more about the web design industry than I did when I started. It’s a great place to intern, and an even better place to learn.

-Zach Margolis
Executionists Intern