Antony Maina says, “GoDaddy has launched GoCentral — a new service that combines a mobile friendly website builder with what they are calling “an integrated set of marketing and ecommerce tools” that will ideally help you to create an audience for your business. Interestingly, the new service allows you to design a professional website in under an hour from a variety of devices including mobile phones. According to GoDaddy, GoCentral offers support for more than 1,500 niches or industries, from plumbers to hairstylists to soccer coaches, so you just have to type in your name and niche... [...]

Eric Siu says, “Thanks to an influx of website builder tools on the internet, anyone can build a website without any prior web development or design experience. However, choosing from the tools in front of you may not be that easy. Which features matter most — and is there a right way to choose? Five features you should compare Every business has its own process of vetting tools and partners, but when it comes to the choice of website builders, the proposition is pretty clear. Examine the following features and you’ll end up finding the right platform for the job. 1. Price  People... [...]

Juliana Nicholson says, “For schools, having a great website is no longer an added bonus. Parents and students alike make decisions online, and your website has a great deal to do with that process. The good news, is that it no longer takes an entire IT department to turn a mediocre website into a great one. In our new ebook for education marketers, 15 Website Must-Haves for Driving More Inquiries and Applications, we offer quick wins to help you optimize your school’s sites to both attract more traffic, and drive more leads. You’ll learn all about: Inbound links On-page... [...]

Bart Mroz says, “With the rapid evolution of online viruses and the growth of sites that have been broken into by hackers, dangers threatening your business are more common than ever. This is especially relevant in the U.S., where hackers are targeting all kinds of organizations ranging from small businesses to hospitals. In fact, President Obama recently stated that hacking of U.S. businesses is an increasing threat and provided information on how to better protect against attacks. Still, most companies conduct a security audit and backup only when they absolutely have to. Little do they... [...]

Lindsay Kolowich says, “One of the tenets of inbound marketing is to not annoy people. So why is it that many websites are still chock full of the elements that so many visitors have bemoaned over and over? Perhaps with the sheer excitement (or terror, depending on your personality) that comes with designing your own website, all of the user experience quirks that have driven you crazy over the years escape your mind. But poor user experience can cause high page abandonment rates, low visitor-to-lead conversion rates, poor organic search listing positions, and a plain ol’ bad reputation.... [...]

Gary Tomer says, “Live chat is the ultimate sales hack. It’s a big call, but I stand by it. The reason is simple. It’s the easiest way to bump your website conversions in real-time without split testing. This won’t come as a surprise to many of you who have already tried live chat to increase leads (and save on customer service). But, for most of you, it didn’t work right away. Websites like Kissmetrics and SaneBox (which trialed our service when we founded) have tried live chat, and the data was conclusive. There was no increase in conversions, and in some cases a reduction. In... [...]

Kayla Wainwright says, “Online shopping is a favorite hobby of mine, mainly due to the convenience factor. Recently, I was shopping online for a new coffee table and found myself with a dilemma. I found a website that had a great assortment of coffee tables: different sizes, shapes and every color you could think of. They had it all. After navigating through the website for a few minutes, I realized finding the right one was going to be difficult. I was having trouble sorting through the different styles and began to feel overwhelmed and frustrated. I had great tables laid out on the page... [...]

Danny Wong says, “The loudest content medium out there has finally learned how to be quiet. In 2015, web design moved away from information overload to an aesthetic revolving around empty space and simplicity. Taking a cue from magazines, web pages are using large high-definition photographs and typography to lure in readers with eye-pleasing openers before revealing further content. This design is influenced by a new appeal to simplicity and by the need to cater to mobile web traffic, which is increasing every year. In the face of this push to cut away excess, here are 14 design trends... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “Which elements of a website’s user experience matter most to people? What makes them decide to continue using a site? To find out, Limelight Networks conducted a survey in June 2015 of 1,302 Internet users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Singapore. Consumers say website performance (fast page-load times, no buffering of videos, etc.) is the the key to a successful digital experience, with 50% of respondents rating it as most important. The next most important element is fresh and updated content (43% of respondents rank it as the top factor),... [...]

Jeffrey Vocell says, “Every year, we see new elements and styles in website design begin to emerge. Some elements — when incorporated thoughtfully — help tell stories and explain your company. Other elements work to improve how content looks on a specific device. While it’s not necessary to include every trend that comes about on your website, many of them have the potential to improve your visitor’s experience. But with so many options to choose from, it can be challenging to determine which ones arereally worth considering. To help you narrow your focus, we’ve... [...]