Why is your website slow?
Website speed is becoming a major issue as speed has an increasing effect on search engine optimisation. Google is now actively penalising slow sites in their rankings. Visitors are expecting fast responses. If your page takes more than 3 seconds to load, unless you are Amazon or the BBC, visitors may just give up and […]
Top 5 reasons for hiring a freelancer
I freely admit this is not an unbiased point of view. However, I have in the past worked as part of an in-house web team and as a freelancer, so feel I can look at this subject with some knowledge, if not total impartiality. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should consider a freelancer for your next project.
Resources and reading for student web designers – part one
As many will know, if you follow my tweets, I’m a little busy this week. So this is a bit of a short post, at least in writing, if not content. I’ve been asked many times for my recommended reading list for student web designers, so here is the first part.
Why social media will not replace your website
With social media getting so much attention, many of my clients are beginning to ask if they still need a website. I believe your website is still an important part of your marketing plan and an essential tool for your brand.
What start-ups talk about on a bus
I had a great experience on the start-up bus when it arrived in Nottingham. Parked outside Antenna I carefully dodged traffic to claim my place aboard the already buzzing atmosphere. I think what was exciting for me was finding some new ideas, but also finding people who were experiencing the same issues.
So what do start-ups talk about if you trap them on a double-decker bus for two hours. Obviously I can’t tell you everything, but here are my highlights.
Do you really need a professional copy writer for your site?
This is not a simple yes or no question. Often you are your best advocate. No one is more qualified or should have more enthusiasm than you to extol the virtues of you or your business. However, you are also busy and often have to run a business as well as all your personal responsibilities. So what is the best approach?
Your website needs a business plan
It is amazing how many people come to me to design a website with only a vague notion of why they want one…You will build a website without doing any real research, no plan, and often no real idea of how your website will support your business.
Why use WordPress?
As those who know me will testify, I have not always been the biggest fan of Content Mangment Systems (CMS). In my time I have worked on a few large commercial systems and that experience has left me a little cynical. I still come to each new system with a touch of healthy sceptism. However, I have now been using Wordpress, for my own and client sites, since the release of 3.0 back in June last year (June 2010). Why did I make the jump?
Creativity is not about straight lines
There is nothing I enjoy more than that first blank page when I start a new project. I love to move my ideas around, work out how each element will interact with the next. If I’m designing a new interface then I’m sketching out the display, putting in each form element. For me this process is never tidy.