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Question: |
Screen Resolution- what's the difference, what are my options, and how do they affect how visitors see my website? |
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Answer: |
Let's start first with defining screen resolution. The term "screen resolution" refers to the number of individual pixels that fit within a given space. When we're discussing an 800x600 resolution, the number 800 refers to the number of pixels that the monitor can display horizontally, while the number 600 refers to the vertical limit. For more information on monitors and screen resolution, take a peek at the Technical InSight in this newsletter.
Now, about monitor resolutions and websites: It is true ... how your visitors have their monitors set does affect how they see your website.
So what can you do to make sure that your website looks good for all your visitors?
The best way is to plan ahead. As many of you may know, before we begin any website design project, we will always ask our client which resolution they'd like to optimize their site for. The most common resolutions include:
| 640x480 |
| 800x600 |
| 1024x768 |
| Printable Resolution |
Every site needs to have what's called a "target resolution", or, the one resolution the site will look best at. When deciding which resolution your site should target, it's best to keep your customers in mind.
If the majority of your customers are technologically savvy, they will most likely have flat panel monitors which default at a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and higher. In this case, you can more likely than not go with the highest resolution. However, if your customers are still on traditional monitors, and perhaps are still running their favorite monitor that they purchased in good old 1999, you might be better off using a target resolution of 800x600. And if your customers are really "old school" and are still using their favorite monitor from 1996 or earlier, then you may want to consider 640x480.
The average resolution to design for these days is 800x600. So, if you don't know what else to choose, 800x600 is a good default. However, if you feel that your visitors will be printing out many of your web pages and you want to make sure they print out on one page without cutting anything off, then your site will need to be designed for 660x880, which is called Printable Resolution.
No matter what you decide, understand that the resolution you choose should represent the lowest common denominator in terms of your visitors. If you know that only 10% of your visitors are using 800x600 and the other 90% are using 1024x768 or higher, and you don't need your site to be printable. You then need to make a decision whether or not you will design for the 10% or the 90%.
The truth of the matter is your site will always look fine at the higher resolutions but people at the lower resolutions will, most likely, see vertical and horizontal scroll bars on your site and will need to scroll both horizontally and vertically to see your entire page. Horizontal scrolling and vertical scrolling on the same page is a very bad thing. It confuses and frustrates the visitor which is a fatal mistake. This is what we call a no-no in the web design world.
Keeping this in mind, it may be best to design your site for 800x600 so you'll be sure 100% of your visitors will see your site and it will look good overall. Remember, keeping your customers in mind is always the right way to go and will always lead you in the right direction. |
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Question: |
I would like my website to be ranked as high as possible on all the search engines. Is there a company I can pay for this type of service? |
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Answer: |
We applaud your commitment to be listed in the top ranking of the major search engines. This is a task that does take money, time, and, at times, can feel like an uphill battle. Having the right team assisting you in your efforts will make your goals seem more achievable.
Over the years we have come across two companies that are focused on successful results and good customer service, both of which are extremely important to us. Those two companies are:
Peak Positions LLC.
www.peakpositions.com
SEO Consulting and Search Engine Site Optimization Firm
3301 Veterans Drive,
PO Box 2438
Traverse City , MI 49685-2438
Contact: Jack Roberts
jack@peakpositions.com
Phone: 231-922-9460
M-F 8AM - 9PM EDT
Please let them know that you heard about Peak Positions from Gilmore Design Group. |
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Linkateer.com
www.linkateer.com
31 Iroquois Drive
Royersford Pa , 19468
Contact: Brandon Reeser
Phone: 619-501-9793
Mobile : 619-208-8142
brandon@linkateer.com Brandon is located in San Diego California and is therefore on Pacific time.
Please let them know that you heard about Linkateer.com from Gilmore Design Group. |
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Although we have not personally worked with either of these companies, we have researched them thoroughly and have recommended many clients to them and have heard nothing but good things. However, with any company we would recommend talking with them to make sure they are a good fit for your company and your specific needs.
Lastly, if you do hire either Peak Positions or Linkateer.com to help in your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) needs, we would love to hear from you on your experience. It is important to us that we only recommend companies that do SEO in an ethical way, get good results, and treat our clients well.
Also, don't forget to read our article on "How to drive traffic to your website and generate more business". |
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Question: |
Why do I need to purchase / license photos or other imagery for my design? |
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Answer: |
The design and layout of your project can be designed in one of two ways. First, it can be designed from scratch, which would make your project an original work. The second method is by utilizing and incorporating into your design other outside design elements (illustrations, clipart, photography, etc.) which have been created by someone else. By doing this and essentially "using" their property, it would need to be purchased or licensed.
There are a variety of purchase/licensing options for design elements today:
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Rights-Managed (RM)
Rights-managed products are licensed on a use-by-use basis. The fee for using the product is calculated from several factors including size, placement, duration of use and geographic distribution.
This option is one of the more expensive licensing options as it has a limited time of use (i.e. 6 months, 1 year, etc.) and pricing is set based on your use. For example if you wanted to use an image on the homepage of your website it would be more expensive than a small secondary page. However, many of the best images are Rights-Managed and that is way they can be so selective. Some companies that offer RM images include Getty Images and Picture Quest.
Royalty-Free (RF)
Royalty-free products may be used by you multiple times for multiple projects without incurring additional fees. Royalty-free pricing is based solely on the file size of the product you need and the number of people entitled to use it, and not the specific use. You don't have to pay any additional royalties on a use-by-use basis. However, the rights granted are non-transferable and are personal to you.
This is the more common and inexpensive option for purchasing photography, it gives you the most freedom and allows you to purchase images on a image by image basis.
Some companies that offer RF images include Big Stock Photo , Getty Images , Corbis , and Jupiter Images.
Subscription Service
Many image houses have subscriptions services that allow you to download a set number of images a day during your subscription period. Subscription periods can run from 1 day to 1 year.
This is a good option if the monthly cost of the subscription is equal or less to the amount you would pay for the images you need without the subscription. This type of service is also good if you use photos or other elements on a continual basis. Some companies that offer subscription services include Clipart.com, Photos.com, and Shutter Stock. |
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Question: |
What is hosting and why do I need it? |
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Answer: |
While web pages are designed and developed on a single computer, they must be uploaded to a web server, or host, so that they are available for other people to find and view over the Internet.
A host / web server is simply a computer that has a constant, high speed connection to the Internet.
When you are ready to host your site, there are a few options available to you.
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Your own web server.
Technically, you can put your website on a computer that you leave connected to the internet in your closet. However, we wouldn't recommend this option for many reasons:
1. It's unsecure and dangerous, which means people can hack into your site.
2. If you have a power outage or your internet goes down, so does your website and potentially your email.
3. Unless you are running a backup, you may lose your entire website if your computer crashes.
A shared hosting account.
You can purchase a shared hosting account (rent space on a common server) through a website hosting company. This is a great solution for most small businesses, as it's the most cost-effective option for most websites.
A dedicated server.
You can purchase a dedicated server (a server all to yourself) through a website hosting company. This is a good option for many companies that store credit cards and/or may need to configure a server for their specific needs. Even though you can have a more customized and secure server, this is a more costly solution with pricing anywhere from $125 a month and up. |
No matter what you choose, we always recommend utilizing a good, reputable website hosting company. Reputable hosting companies are setup for website hosting, which means they have a direct and fast connection to the internet (and the faster the direct connection to your server the faster your website will download), climate controlled facilities, nightly backups, 24 hour surveillance and customer support.
Once you've chosen your preferred hosting account, your website can be uploaded and will be live for all the world to see. |
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Question: |
How can I drive more traffic to my website? |
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Answer: |
Ok, so you've had a website built and put online. It's beautiful, easy-to-use, and you love it! So, what happened? The phone isn't ringing and you're starting to feel like that gorgeous website was a gigantic waste of money.
This is a typical response from people that have had websites created for them. The question we hear most often from our clients is "How do I get more traffic to my website?"
Firstly, building a website is not unlike having business cards printed; they can be beautifully designed, glossy and wonderful, but if you don't hand them out, you won't get any new business from them. So how can you "hand out" your website?
The most obvious way is advertising. Advertising is crucial to any business. Unless people know about your business and what you do, no one will ever buy from you. So let's talk about some internet advertising options and what they'll do for your website traffic, and eventually, your income. |
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Read the Full Article >> |
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Question:
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What is Branding and is it
important to my business? |
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Answer:
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One of our core beliefs is that every business
should have a solid Brand/Corporate Identity.
Branding is the name, face and essence of your business.
A well thought-out brand will immediately speak to your
audience and visually convey your corporate message.
Developing your brand starts with your business name,
logo design, and in some cases, a tagline.
To make your branding successful, the “look and feel”
of your company (i.e. your brand) should be carried through
all of your marketing material (stationary design, brochures,
website, etc.).
By using your branding consistently in all of your
marketing material, a powerful and memorable impact
on your potential customers will develop.
This will help send the message to your audience that
you are a professional business.
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Question:
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Do you work with out of state
businesses? |
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Answer:
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Absolutely! In fact, most of our clients
are located outside of Arizona.
Because we create a Project Site for each of our clients,
working with an out of state business is extremely easy
and fun for everyone involved. |
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Question:
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My Company is in need of a
website, but we are on a tight budget. What can Gilmore
Design Group offer us that is within our budget? |
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Answer:
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In order to answer this question, we would
need to know your exact budget. Our custom
web design services offer the most customizable options
while still being competitively priced. However, if your
budget is $1000.00 or below, you may want to consider
using our template
design services. By choosing from a list of design
templates, you will be able to have a professional looking
site while still staying within your budget.
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Question:
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If I decide to use Gilmore
Design Group for a website, how long does it usually take
from start to finish? |
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Answer:
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Answering this question depends upon the
content, the number pages, client feedback time, and what
you want the site to do. A simple 10-page site, for example,
can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to complete. A highly
complex site can take upwards of 10 to 12 weeks to complete. |
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Question:
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How does your design process
work? |
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Answer:
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Depending on whether you're doing web design
or print design, please refer to the Print
Process page and/or the Web
Process page for more information on this topic.
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Question:
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Does Gilmore Design Group create
e-commerce sites? |
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Answer:
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Yes, we offer many kinds of dynamic functionality
for web sites from e-commerce to content management. Essentially,
if you want it, we can do it!
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