It is official - Google has stated that the +1's will affect your website's search results.  Read below excerpts from a TechWyse blog article published today. 

If you have questions about Google +1 and how to get it added to your website - give us a call (306) 716-0680.  Trio is a local Saskatoon web design company.

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Google has officially stated that the +1 button will indeed affect search engine ranking. This is ground breaking news as it will ultimately shape traffic; with all the hype there is about social search, a few key points should be considered, as they help put things in perspective.

• You must be logged-in to Google in order to see socially influenced results.
• If you don’t have an extensive Gmail or Google+ profile, you may not see any socially influenced results.
• Latest estimates put Google+ users at 40M and Gmail’s user-base has been estimated at 193M as of 2010.
• Although, the above stats are not specific to North America, it’s safe to assume that a large number of North America’s 270M+ person internet population are on Gmail and/or Google+.

When you +1 a site you are in effect recommending it to those in your social circle. So if I +1’d a sushi restaurant in Toronto, and one of my Google+ or Gmail contacts searched for “Sushi in Toronto,” a site with the +1 might appear higher in search results than it would have otherwise! So it’s easy to see how having a lot of +1’s can boost your organic search rankings to specific networks of people.

How Can You Get +1’s?

• Put the +1 on every page of your site. Ask your web design company to implement this on your site.
• Post on Google Plus, people can plus one your page right from their news feed.
• Rank high organically and in paid search, the +1 button appears in search results and the better you rank the more +1’s you’ll get.
• Send out a newsletter telling people that you’ve installed the +1 button on your page and that you’d appreciate it if they +1’d you.
• Ask people on other social networks like Facebook and Twitter to visit your page and +1.
• People will also be able to +1 your page by clicking on a +1 button from their browser toolbar

How You Can’t Get +1’s

• You’re not allowed to offer anything in exchange for a +1; Unlike Facebook which allows you to offer coupons and other incentives for liking a page.
• You can’t buy +1’s Google won’t tolerate and has revoked those who have sold +1’s.

In Summary

The +1 button is essentially a vote for your page, every time you vote your recommendation can be echoed across your Google-based social network (Google+, Gmaill, Google account). So if you haven’t already +1’d your own site do so from Google Search and be sure to add the +1 button to your own site!

Last month we launched our new website product line Trio Blueprints - we absolutely love these new website design options!! Over the last few weeks I have spoken to many different types of businesses here in Saskatoon who are considering redesigning their current websites.  A common issue they all face is whether or not they simply need a small cosmetic change to their website or a complete reconstruction of the entire site. 

While reading through my daily news articles, and enjoying my first cup of coffee, I came across a great article outlining important things to consider when redesigning your website - so I thought I would share a few of the tips. 

I hope this article helps you to determine the best strategy forward when considering a redesign of your current website.  

- CBB

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There are very few, if any, websites on the Internet that don’t undergo at least a minor facelift at some point in their lifecycle. If you own a business with a web presence, at some point, that site will need to be redesigned, whether it’s due to the changing nature of your business, or purely for aesthetic reasons.

Redesigning your company site can be a major undertaking, so we’ve put together a helpful list of things to keep in mind when considering a redesign.

1. Why Are You Redesigning?

This is perhaps the most deceptively complex, yet obvious question of all. Before undergoing any redesign, however, it’s important to understand what it is you wish to accomplish. Are you unhappy with the way your site functions? Do you simply want a better-looking site? Do you need to improve search engine rankings and sales conversions? Maybe the focus of your business has shifted and it’s time for new content.

These are all important factors to consider, so before you start, make a detailed list of what it is you wish to accomplish during the redesign. This will help guide you through the rest of the process and make sure you stay focused on the end goal.

2. What Type of Redesign Do You Need?

Now that you’ve decided exactly why you want to redesign your site, it’s time to decide just how far down the rabbit hole you need to go. Perhaps a small change in visuals and content is all that’s necessary. On the other hand, you may need to add new features or completely redo your underlying code base. Depending on your needs and budget, a large overhaul may be out of the question, or it may be the most cost-effective long-term solution, so take a moment to think about your needs going forward and work with your developer to strike a balance that best meets them.

3. What Does and Doesn’t Work Currently?

No matter how large or small the redesign, chances are there will be some elements of your existing site that work very well and some that don’t work at all. Now is the time to go through your site and identify these elements. Maybe your content is too verbose or your sales page isn’t very user-friendly. On the other hand, that photo gallery and the blog may be big-ticket items that do really well for your image and bring in lots of traffic. Some elements will need to remain (though possibly given a makeover), some will need to be cleaned up and some will have to go. Break your site down into its key components and then compare those with the goals you decided on in step one and the overall vision for your web site. If something doesn’t fit, it’s out.

4. How Is Your Site Being Used?

Along these same lines, don’t forget to take a look at how users are currently interacting with your site. This will help you identify great content and problem areas. Study your traffic statistics and site analytics for information on things such as entry and exit pages, sales conversions, and search engine keywords. This will help you to understand how visitors find your site and what they do once they get there. While you’re studying those statistics, also have a look at details like screen resolution and browser usage. This will help your developer determine what technical specifications your site should meet and whether a separate mobile version of your site is recommended, among other things.

5. Has Your Brand or Company Image Changed?

If you’ve undergone changes to your brand and company image, those changes need to be reflected in your site, even if the only updates are visual. Keep your logos updated and consider a color-overhaul if the corporate image or philosophy has shifted. Your website is often the first impression people get of your business, so it should grow and mature right along with the rest of your brand identity.

6. When and How Should You Launch Your Redesign?

When and how you launch your redesign can have a big impact on your traffic and in generating buzz about your new site and your product. Maybe you’re simply making improvements and want to slowly roll out changes over time and unannounced. This unobtrusive rollout won’t give you a lot of buzz, but it will still accomplish your goals of improving the site’s performance and the user’s experience. On the other hand, a big relaunch around the holidays or at the start of a big promotion, or when announcing a major change in the way your business operates can both draw traffic and generate more interest.

If you’re a business owner, your website is the central hub of your company, and it’s a pivotal part of your marketing and branding. Potential customers visit your site specifically for its content, which means that the website's appearance and usability are critical to its success and ultimately affect how those users view your company.

First impressions are crucially important! You have about 7 to 10 seconds to grab your audience's attention. Once you have grabbed their attention, your website has to maintain their attention!! 

Here are 5 common web design "mistakes" you must avoid when creating your website.  If you already have a website, consider evaluating whether or not it has fallen victim to these common problem areas.  

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Number 1 Mistake - POOR NAVIGATION

Many businesses fail to make navigation a priority, but without careful attention to how people navigate your site, you could unintentionally be creating a frustrating experience for any potential visitor. People visit your site for specific information, and if they cannot find it they will quickly go elsewhere, leaving with the impression that your business is disorganized in more than just its website.

A good navigation structure should be seamless and will keep visitors on your site longer, which means potentially more readers, subscribers, sales or leads — whichever is your primary objective.

Website navigation affects both usability and accessibility, so it’s important to make it a primary concern.

Most websites and blogs use common navigational techniques that are expected by the average visitor. The pages and sections of the site should be easy and logical for visitors to maneuver. Don’t make your visitors think about how to navigate your site; it should be effortless and natural.

Number 2 Mistake - NO CLEAR CALL TO ACTIONS

The fundamental error of many small business websites is the lack of a clear call to action. We’ve all seen bland business brochure websites with nothing but endless descriptive paragraphs. If you are not leading users to commit to an action (buy a product, contact you or subscribe, for example), then you are losing them.

Driving traffic to your website is important, but that traffic is useless if the primary call to action is a plain “click here” link buried in a sea of text. Call-to-action buttons are a great way to grab the user’s attention, and these buttons can be the key to higher conversions. Investing time and consideration into creating successful calls to action can help guide users and address their needs while achieving your own business goals.

Number 3 Mistake - COLOUR & CONTRAST

Color and contrast aren’t usually high up on the list of priorities for a business owner when it comes to creating a website. But it should be, because if your website text does not have sufficient contrast compared to its background, people will have difficulty reading your content.

Aside from plain readability, color and contrast are important because they can be used to create visual interest and direct the attention of the user. It can equally be effective in organizing and defining the flow and hierarchy of a page, and it’s therefore an essential principle to pay attention to during the design process.

Number 4 Mistake - CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT

People visit your website for its content, and how that is structured is a huge factor in its success or failure. Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of businesses get caught up in overloading the user with information that they overlook how that information is presented.

Most people do not read unless it’s absolutely necessary, and they prefer to scan through information quickly to get to the points of interest. This is why it’s so important to establish a strong visual content hierarchy so users can quickly scan your site and sifting through relevant information. A logical content hierarchy also acts as a guide through each page and creates a more enjoyable user experience.

Content is also vitally important when considering search engine optimization.  Search engines are looking for content that is relevant and regularly updated.

Number 5 Mistake - CLUTTER

We all know at least one business website that seems to include everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. Many businesses tend to cram as much as they can onto a single page — the end result is a busy, cluttered and unreadable page.

The more extraneous items there are on a web page, the more unprofessional it looks, and it becomes overwhelming, confusing and distracting for the user. A cluttered website will also affect traffic because visitors won’t return if they can’t understand or follow the content, which leads to low traffic, a high bounce rate and possibly a poor Page Rank.

Clutter also applies to images. Too many can be a huge distraction and just plain annoying. Images should be used to illustrate, capture attention and guide the user where required.

Source: Mashable 2011

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If you are interested in redesigning your current website contact Trio at 306.716.0680 

My C-Breakers,

Welcome back! Happy New Year! I thought I would start the new year off with a "relevant" blog pertaining to website design and internet marketing.  I know it probably almost seems foreign after the blogs in December, but I assure you that these "relevant" blogs will be just as interesting!

At the end of November I was watching a Google webinar and the presenter posed this question "who's opinion matters most when it comes to designing your website?"

-The HiPPO - aka. the highest payed person's opinion
-The Artist - aka. the graphic designer
-The Geek - aka. the professional marketing/website measurement specialist
-The Spender - aka. the one who is actually going to buy your product or service

So who's opinion matters most? At first glance you might be thinking that it is a combination of all four.  This assumption is somewhat correct during the beginning stages of developing a website, but in the end the Spender is the key to a successful website design. 

You are probably thinking, well duh! OF COURSE the Spender's opinion matters most! The customer is always right!?! right?

Although the answer might seem obvious, the fact of the matter is that a large portion of websites on the Internet are not designed and modified with the Spender in mind.  Why you say? Well here are three reasons why I believe websites continue to fall short in attracting and maintaining the Spender.

1.  There is a missing link in the design process. The HiPPOs are important because they bring the vision, purpose, and the basic characteristics of the Spender to the design table.  The Artist is necessary (I dislike crushing dreams, but some people need to get real and realize that they might not be gifted in the area of making things "look nice" and leave it to the professionals!).  The missing link is the Geek.  A lot of HiPPOs assume a Geek works with the Artist, but more often then not the Artist doesn't have their own Geek.  The Geek is absolutely necessary because they are the ones who are able to take the vision of the HiPPO and the characteristics of the Spender and translate that to the Artist so that the website is designed to meet business goals and objectives. 

2.  Websites are designed based on opinions and not on facts.  I heard once that when a person expresses their own opinion they are limiting their assessment of an issue to themselves and their own personal little world.  The dictionary defines an opinion as a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.  Opinions are purely and totally subjective. They are completely the product of how you personally see things, and they do not necessarily have any root or foundation in truth whatsoever.  Unfortunately, some people hold their own opinions way to HIGH! I know I said it, but that is the truth.  Keeping personal opinions and preferences in check and relying on actual facts is crucial when it comes to designing a website.

3.  The performance of the website is not measured.  Evaluating the performance of a website is where HiPPOs, Artists, and Geeks can determine if their opinions/facts actually have substance!  The data collected from the measurement tools helps to define the Spender, which in turn provides opportunities to effectively modify and update the website. Most website aren't doing this!

Who's opinion matters most? Well I think the answer to that question isn't simply just the "Spender's opinion".  All in all HiPPOs, Artists, and Geeks need each other, opinions have to be backed up by facts, and websites must be designed and measured with the Spender in mind.  That is my answer.

- CBB

Fellow Coffee Breakers,

I was debating for quite awhile as to how I would actually introduce myself to you.  I am not one for formal introductions, personally I would rather bypass the...this is who I am and this is what I am going to blog about...and move right on to an interesting topic.

Although that would be my preference, it probably is best that I do provide you with a framework as to my style and what you can expect from me as your Coffee Break Blogger. 

For those of you who are now even more confused, and questioning whether or not you clicked on the right search engine result for websites, Internet Marketing, Internet Presences, and so on....I can assure you that you have made it to the right place!

This is the Trio Web Design Blog, and NO I have not somehow hijacked it from the company.  I am in fact an integral part of the original Trio group.  Despite the fact that I don't have a fancy photo of myself posted on the company website, I do exist.

Like I said before, I am not one for the formal introduction so I will just skip to the important part. 

My attempt is to blog for those of us who find ourselves taking coffee breaks in front of the computer screen instead of in the traditional coffee room. 

The information you will find on this blog will generally fall within two major categories; business development on the Internet, and completely random information that will have no relevance to business at all! 

I cannot promise that everything I post will be enlightening, but I do hope to challenge and encourage you to consider the possibility!

Between blog posts you can catch me on the Trio Facebook Page or on Twitter. My objective with these two social networks is to interact with you and provide you with interesting information that I don't particularly want to write a massive blog about. 

If you are interested in reading my posts make sure you sign up for the RSS feed.  I promise I will not inundate you with 100 blogs a week or harass you to contact Trio for your website needs every time I post, but I do hope to shed a little light and insight on some interesting topics that affect business today.

Until the next post.

Yours in break time,

The Coffee Break Blogger

TRIO WEB DESIGN
Trio builds effective, lasting, and identifiable Internet Presences for businesses.  Our flexible services cater to a wide range of business types and are not limited to any one design style.  Whether you are a small independent entrepreneur or a large organization, Trio is committed to seeing your business do well on the Internet.