Responsive Web Design - Old City Web Services

Mobile Responsive: HOW it Effects Your Website

June 11, 2020 by anoadmin

What is a mobile responsive website?

A mobile responsive website simply means that the website can be easily navigated on a mobile phone, tablet, and desktop. Responsive websites have the ability to adjust their size, layout, and proportions to be readable across devices.

Image is a screenshot of OldCity.com's mobile responsive design.

Mobile Responsive: HOW it Affects Your Website

The first time we mentioned the importance of a mobile responsive website was nearly one decade ago. Oh, how time flies! All these years later, this topic is more important than ever.

Unresponsive websites are at risk of losing half of their traffic.

From May of 2019 to May of 2020, roughly 50% of web users were browsing on mobile devices. With this information, we can assume that nearly 50% of the users on our clients’ websites are on a mobile device. So, if your website isn’t responsive, you are at risk of losing half of your website traffic!

Find out how many users are on a mobile device on your website via Google Analytics.

Picture this: You are on vacation and headed out for a day of fishing. But first you need to pick up bait, so you do a Google search for ‘nearby bait shops’.

Among your search results is a locally owned bait shop. Since you would prefer to spend your money locally, you click the link to their website. Next, you head to their Products Page to find out if they carry – wait a minute. You can’t find their Products Page. In fact, you can’t find anything on the website without scrolling left to right and up and down because it is not a mobile responsive website. Frustrated that you can’t find answers, you’ll scroll to the next bait shop.

Need more convincing that you need a mobile responsive website? Keep scrolling!

The Benefits of A Mobile Responsive Website

Here are a few of the perks of a mobile responsive website:

Users on a mobile device or tablet can easily find the Navigation (this is at the top of the website where the Home Page, Contact Us Page, and other pages are located). A mobile responsive website also allows them to easily find other information and view images better.
Search engines (like Google) reward mobile-responsive websites with a higher SEO (search engine optimization) score. You can learn more about how SEO and mobile responsive websites correlate here.
The Exit Rate (the percentage of times people leave your website too quickly) is lower. If your Exit Rate is high it’s likely because users aren’t having a good experience on it; not having a responsive website hugely contributes to a bad user experience on a site.

The Downfall of Unresponsive Websites

Since more people use mobile devices to browse the internet, mobile responsive design was created to provide a better user experience. Your website serves as an online marketing tool and a bad user experience is detrimental to how effective it is. Think of it like this: browsing an unresponsive site is similar to trying to find an item in a store with no aisles, no signs, and no employees.

There is inadequate space to click on links, so the user has trouble getting information. Have you ever tried to click on a button on your phone but kept missing it? This is what the entire experience feels like on an unresponsive website.
Users are constantly having to zoom out to find information and then zoom in to read it. Talk about inconvenient!
Instead of scrolling up and down, users have to scroll up, down, left, and right.

For a good example of a mobile responsive website, check out this blog on a mobile phone. Not only is OldCityWebServices.com a responsive site, but the layout of this blog was also intentionally designed to be user-friendly on a mobile phone.

Don’t put this off for another decade!

We understand that life gets busy, but this can’t wait! If your website isn’t mobile responsive, we guarantee that a mobile responsive design will astronomically improve the efficiency of your website. Remember, your website’s purpose is to be a marketing tool that works for you!

Call us at 904-867-4112 or click the button below to fill out our form.

Let’s get started!

Mission Statement

The mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success.

Please share and re-post this blog. Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on Old City Web Services Blog.

3 Restaurant Plugins All Restaurants Need

March 16, 2018 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

3 Restaurant Plugins All Restaurants Need

Years ago, restaurants relied solely on word-of-mouth (one of the most difficult and best ways to advertise,) to promote their business. However, that changed when smartphones became as common as wallets. Now, everyone from teenagers to elders has unlimited access to information at the click of a button, the internet.

Since 85% of people search for local businesses online, it is important that your website reflects how great your business is; you can have a supreme product and establishment, but, customers won’t visit you unless your site is up to par as well. Each niche is a little different but, when it comes to restaurant plugins these are the three your site needs to give customers a satisfying online experience during the research portion of their path-to-purchase.

1. A Customizable Menu Plugin

: Panera Bread’s Desktop Menu Restaurant Plugin

: Panera Bread’s Mobile Menu Restaurant Plugin

There are no ifs when’s, or buts - the most important restaurant plugin to have is a customizable menu that is mobile-friendly.

In fact, 70% of consumers say it’s important that they're able to read the menu of a restaurant on their smartphone and 62% of consumers won't visit the restaurant if they can’t. Customizable menu restaurant plugins are mobile-friendly, include description spaces, and the option to add several photos to one menu item. Furthermore, you can choose to have your products set up as a grid, one column, or several columns depending on the layout of your site!

Note: Many restaurants will create a PDF file for their menu or hire a third-party company that creates their menu and provides them with a link (under a different domain,) that they can add to the restaurant's site. These are not good alternatives because PDF files are difficult to view on smartphones and users do not trust being tossed from site to site.

(Source)

2. A Google Map Plugin

A Google Map plugin that allows customers to easily locate your business.

When looking for places to eat, most people research local restaurants looking for two things; the type of food they serve and their location; making Google Maps the second most important restaurant plugin to have.

A study by GroundTruth found that 64% of people who searched for food on their smartphone visited or purchased food online within an hour of their search. This means that location is an essential factor for consumers because the 64% of people in this study were no further than an hour from where they purchased food. Hence the two frequently searched terms “nearby restaurants” and “restaurants near me.”

By adding a Google Map plugin to your site, you are lessening the steps a consumer must take to get to your restaurant and enhancing your chances of gaining a customer.

(Source)

3. A Plugin for Reviews

Review Plugin on La Fiesta Ocean Inn & Suites' Site

Since restaurants lead the pack of businesses in which the most reviews are read, review plugins are growing increasingly popular! Once consumers land on your website, reading good reviews by other consumers is a sure way to earn their trust because 85% of consumers consider reviews as trustworthy as personal recommendations.

Why not show off your great customer service and unparalleled products through a review plugin? After all, 73% of consumers trust a local business more after seeing good reviews.

(Source)

Whether you run your site on WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal,

all restaurant sites have access to and need these restaurant plugins.

Did You Know?

Mobile Pay is becoming an increasingly popular method of payment. Restaurants like it because it lessens the tasks of their waiters. Consumers enjoy its convenience! In fact:

58% of consumers sometimes or always use mobile pay at a restaurant.
22% of restaurants now offer Mobile Pay through an app!
44% of millennials prefer a digital receipt to a paper receipt.
73% of consumers agree that restaurant technology improves their dining experience.
30% of adults are more likely to use restaurant technology than two years ago.

(Source)

We'd love to hear your thoughts on Mobile Pay. Is it the way of the future? Or is it not worth the hassle? Leave your answer in the comments below!

Contact Forms and Responding to Emails

Do you have a contact form on your website? Are you the only one that is set up to receive it? What happens when you go on vacation, are out sick, or have a family emergency?
Here at Old City Web Services, our contact form is set up so that each inquiry is forwarded to three people. This ensures that our client is taken care of even if someone is out for the day or on vacation. It's imperative to respond to your clients in a timely manner because if they don't hear from you right away, they may move on to your competitor. Need help adding employee emails to your contact form? Give us a call or fill out our form!

Mission Statement

Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – manage their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success. If you are looking to increase your business’ visibility give us a call at 904-867-4112 or contact us today.

Sharing and re-posting this blog is encouraged. Please credit Old City Web Services when sharing.
Photo credits: Panera Bread, Rodbender Fishing Charters, La Fiesta Ocean Inn & Suites.
Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information on Old City Web Services Blog.

OldCity Web Services – Highlights of 2017

January 12, 2018 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Check out a few highlights from our year in 2017.
From website and print designs to new content services, SEO efforts, and pro bono projects – we’ve been busy!

Advertorials

Advertising and Content

In 2017 we implemented a new type of advertising on OldCity.com, called advertorials. We now offer a 300-word blog, made-to-order for our clients. Advertisers can use advertorials to spread the word on sales, services, general awareness and more. Our first client was the franchisee of the local chain, Dunkin’ Donuts. Check it out.

Content Writing

St. Augustine Historic Inns

In other content news, the St. Augustine Historic Inns requested we create intriguing blogs for their customers, which are then published on the bottom of their Home Page. The blogs vary in topic, but all pertain to things-to-do, holidays, and events in St. Augustine. Now, when potential customers navigate to the Inn’s website, they are greeted with material that is persuasive, making them more inclined to book a trip to exciting St. Augustine!

Print Design

Bluewater Adventure

Front and back of rack card designed for Bluewater Adventure.

Bluewater Adventure’s made a big move from the waters of South Carolina to the Old City that prompted them to redesign their rack card, which was no longer accurate. Our team decided the only way to fully capture their quality tours was by taking on the Intercoastal Waterway ourselves! We set up a Bluewater Adventure photo shoot and scored photos of the catamarans in action along with phenomenal photos of The Great Cross and Castillo de San Marcos. Now, on the front of the rack card is a proper representation of the sightseeing opportunities you have when sailing with Bluewater Adventure.

Magazine Advertisement Design

Gator Door East Inc.

Gator Door East used this advertisement for their big debut in St. Johns County Parade of Homes magazine! After learning they’d be a featured business, Gator Door sat down with our team to create an influential and compelling ad to catch the attention of shoppers! Don’t you just a-door this ad?

Business Card and Site Design

Jack Ward Fire

Jack Ward Fire, recently under new ownership, desired a brand with a haute look, reflecting their field of work. Working through fire and flames, we presented them with what is now their company’s business card. They were so pleased with the fire-hot cards, that our design team is currently working with them on a smokin’ hot site.

: Gator Door magazine ad for St. Johns County Parade of Homes.

: Jack Ward employee business cards.

E-commerce Solutions

Minorcan Datil

After facing multiple issues with X-Cart commerce solutions, Minorcan owner decided to upgrade to a more modern system, WordPress. Our development team knew that WordPress’s, user-friendly, Woo-commerce theme would satisfy her desire to add new products, edit old products, and raise her customer satisfactory level. Now, Minorcan can concentrate on managing customers and products without the hassle of learning how to navigate a difficult system.

Site and Logo Redesign

Rodbender Fishing Charters

The fishing charter industry in Northeast Florida can be compared to a shark tank, it’s a competitive field and standing out in the crowd can be difficult. After a consultation, it was clear to Chuck Stearns, owner, that Rodbender Fishing Charters needed a fresh logo and easy-to-navigate site. The design team created a few mockups and Chuck decided on this creative logo and simple site. Now, the Homepage of his site subtly answers frequently asked questions and has three call-to-action charter packages. As for the logo, if you can think of a better design, let minnow.

Site Design and Launch

R.V. Cooper Construction

R.V. Cooper Construction is a local construction company servicing St. Augustine and surrounding areas. Remarkably, since 1998, the company has relied on word of mouth to reach new clients; their quality workmanship and attentiveness in guiding customers was their business strategy. However, the competitive nature of the construction field prompted them to make their web presence concrete. Ricky Cooper, the owner, desired a platform that would showcase the construction process, to ease the customer experience. Our team raised the roof by creating Cooper’s beautiful new site; straightforward, simple and user-friendly.

: R.V. Cooper Construction’s Home Page.

: Hook, line, and sinker logo for Rodbender Fishing Charters.

Search Engine Optimization

Ranking Efforts

Search engine optimization (SEO), is imperative for every business to incorporate into their business plan. In 2017, our SEO team worked with nearly a dozen local businesses, developing key-terms and strategies to gain a higher ranking in their search engine results.

Multipurpose Online Designs

St. Joseph Academy

Old City Web Services also did a few pro-bono projects in 2017. One of our favorites was creating a series of 14 athletic-banners for St. Joseph Academy’s sports teams, the Flashes. It was important that the banners could be transferred and size-well whether they were added to newsletters, emails, print media, or their site. Our team sparked the Flashes interest with a lightning bolt and bold imagery. Go team!

Logo Design

The Ponce Hotel

Upon branching out from under the franchise, Magnuson Hotels, The Ponce Hotel needed a fresh look and logo. Our design team worked with the new interior designer at the Ponce on matching the color scheme used inside the hotel. In conclusion, they decided on the simple yet elegant logo.

Love what you see? Call us for a consultation.

Check out other work we've done for clients.

Two things clients can do to push security efforts is to never trust embedded URLs or unsolicited mail. This may seem obvious, but you wouldn’t believe the number of times a client is hacked because they thought they recognized the “From:” address in a spam mail. Also, be on guard for shady apps requesting unusual permission’s – especially mobile ones!

Mission Statement

Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success. If you are looking to increase your business’ visibility give us a call at 904-867-4112 or contact us today.

Sharing and re-posting this blog is encouraged. Please credit Old City Web Services when sharing.
Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information on Old City Web Services Blog.
Photo credits: Old City Web Services

4 Ways to Prepare Businesses for the Holidays

September 10, 2017 by anoadmin

Prepare your business for the holidays

Fall is just a few days away, and that means the holidays will be here before you know it. While it seems like we’re still in the midst of summer, people start prepping for the holidays months in advance. According to the National Retail Foundation, more than half of consumers begin research in September and October or earlier.

If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to prepare your business for the biggest shopping days of the year. Small adjustments now could make a big impact when it comes to your overall holiday sales. Just as the number of people shopping will increase drastically, so will your competition. So, how do you stand out?

Plan out your holiday advertising.

Now is the time to plan out how you are going to spend your holiday advertising budget. Take a look at where your current customer base is coming from. What is the most effective way to reach them? There are a multitude of ways you can advertise including print publications, online advertisements such as Google Ads, advertising through websites such as OldCity.com, social media marketing campaigns, and more.

Take advantage of the biggest shopping days.

It goes without saying that there are a few days in the holiday season that seem to have become a holiday of their own. We’re talking about Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. What makes these days so popular? Fantastic deals and the appeal of getting most, if not all, of your holiday shopping done in a matter of hours. It’s all about convenience these days.

So, how do you compete?

Know which days you want to target. You don’t have to participate in each of the four days. Choose which of the four match up with your company. For example, if you have a local boutique, Small Business Saturday would be perfect for you. And if you have an online shopping website, you could also participate in Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Decide ahead of time which deals you will be offering. Making decisions months in advance allows you the opportunity to make sure you have plenty of inventory in stock.
Advertise this through your website, social media accounts, and emails. The only way your customers or potential customers will know about your sales is if you tell them, so spread the word.

Invest in SEO now to be found later.

We can’t stress this enough. Investing in Search Engine Optimization is key to being found online. You could have the best website, but, without SEO, it’s likely not too many people will see it. By incorporating SEO now, you’re giving your website time to build ranking among search engines – the better the ranking, the better chance your audience has of finding you.

Make sure your website is efficient and up-to-date.

The holiday season is a time to put your best foot forward and make sure your website is in order. Last year, 44 percent of shopping during Thanksgiving weekend took place online. Your website says just as much about you as your brick and mortar store does. It’s often the first impression you make to potential customers, so it’s best to make sure it reflects your business well.

Check to make sure you have the following:

Responsiveness
- Is your site easy to navigate? Does it work well on all devices?
An efficient checkout process
- Make sure your checkout process is quick and simple. A slow or complicated check out could lose a sale and a customer.
Current design
- When was the last time you updated your website or logo? Does your website reflect your business? It is important for all aspects of your business to be cohesive, and since more people will be looking at your website during the holiday season, there's never been a better time to consider upgrading your look.
Good quality photos
- When people are shopping online, they equate the quality of the photo to the quality of the product. It's really all they have to go on, so it has to be well-done.
Relevant, well-written content
- When was the last time you updated your content? Take a few minutes to read through your website. Could it use some refreshing? Well-written content not only paints a picture for your customers but also helps you with your ranking online. The organic use of relevant keywords helps boost your rankings with search engines.
Current on updates and maintenance
- Is your site working to its potential? If not, now is the best time to perform updates and maintenance on your site.

We can help.

Planning for the holidays while trying to run a business can be overwhelming. Let us help you! Whether you need an updated website, photos for your products or services, help with SEO, or a strategic marketing campaign, our team is here to help with any project you may have. Contact us today for a free consultation to help you get prepared for the holiday season!

What Goes into an eCommerce Site?

August 10, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

ecommerce image

Chances are you've heard the term eCommerce website thrown around, and if you own a business, you've probably considered having one. But what goes into an eCommerce site? What makes it different than a regular website? And what steps can you take to lead you to success? You've come to the right place! Just as with any other aspect of your business, eCommerce sites are an investment, and it's important to know the basics before getting started.

What exactly is an eCommerce site?

An eCommerce website we designed for Racer Walsh Co.

An eCommerce - electronic commerce - website is a website where you sell products and services online.

According to a study by Bigcommerce, 51% of Americans prefer to shop online, and eCommerce is growing 23% year-over-year, yet 46% of American small businesses don't have a website. Let that sink in for a minute. Online shopping websites are a quickly growing part of the business world. The longer you go without one, the longer you miss out on a lucrative investment and a way to get your products and services seen by individuals who might not have the chance to step into your brick and mortar store.

What should I do before I start building the site?

Define your audience. Know who you're selling to and who your target market is. This is absolutely essential. The more you know about your audience, the more easily you'll be able to reach potential customers. When defining your audience, you should look at your current customers, competition, and who your products/services are made for and answer these questions:
- How old are they?
- Where are they located?
- What do they do?
- What are they interested in?
- What is the best avenue to reach them?

Decide what to put on your website. Each product needs a price, a detailed description, product number, and good quality photo(s). Remember, customers won't get to try out your products before they buy them, so the more details the better. It's important to let them know exactly what to expect from their purchase.
Determine how products will be organized and categorized on your website. Organization is key for websites. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to find what they're looking for. Your website is an extension of your business and should be operated with as much care and coordination as your storefront.
Designate the price of your items and services. Be sure to do your market research on pricing from industry competitors.

What are things I can do to have a successful site?

Make sure your website is easy to navigate and responsive. According to Bigcommerce, 21% of shoppers find unattractive or hard-to-navigate websites frustrating when buying online.
Ensure the checkout process is quick, easy, and efficient.
- If people have issues while checking out, they're likely to abandon the cart and go elsewhere. The less complicated the process, the more likely a customer is to complete a sale. The checkout method will greatly determine the customer experience, as it is the last thing they will do on your site. While we're on the topic of checking out, you should also make your return/exchange policy clear and easy to find on your website.
Make sure your website's performance is optimized. A website's load time is critical. You have just seconds to get and keep someone's attention before they abandon your page.
Invest in SEO. Search Engine Optimization is how to get noticed organically online. When you invest in SEO, your ranking among search engines improves, traffic is driven to your website, and it increases awareness in search engines. Search engines are how most consumers will find your website. And if search engines can't find you, chances are your consumers can't either.

Things to remember

Having an eCommerce site is like adding a whole new aspect to your business. It requires time, dedication, and money just like any other aspect of your business. Online shopping sites can be a great tool to grow your business if done right and maintained, but they can also fail if not utilized well.
Just like with any other website, eCommerce sites require maintenance and upkeep. It is necessary to leave room in your budget for reoccurring costs and maintenance work. These fees could include merchant transaction fees, hosting fees, annual SSL certificates, and a monthly tax calculation fee.
Make sure you keep up with your domain, keep your information current on your domain, and keep track of when your domain needs to be renewed. Those who fail to renew their domain on time run the risk of paying higher renewal fees or losing ownership of their site. This is where it pays to have someone to manage your domain for you. It takes the stress away and allows you to concentrate on other aspects of your business.

How we can help

Starting from scratch or updating an existing eCommerce site can be an overwhelming process. For years, we've been helping our clients build websites they're proud to call their own. Working with our team takes the guesswork out of what could be an otherwise tricky process. Our comprehensive services allow for us to not only build a user-friendly, modern website but also to market it to your target audience.

Take a minute to view our work, and if you're interested in working with our team, contact us for a free consultation!

New Year, New Look: Update Your Website

January 5, 2016 by anoadmin

is a new year - a great time to start fresh for your business. One way to start the year off on the right foot for your business is to give your website a fresh new look, and make sure that your website is optimized to keep up with today's web design and development trends.

So many current and potential customers to your business will be finding you on the internet if they haven't already. It is absolutely imperative in 2016 to keep up with internet trends, and having a website that shows you put care and time into all aspects of marketing your business.

Mobile Friendly - in early 2015, Google started penalizing websites that aren't mobile friendly in their rankings. If you didn't make the change then, it is a good idea to do it now. It's never too late to make the changes necessary to keep potential customers finding your business as they search the internet for their needs. Contact us today so we can make your current website mobile friendly!

Design Trends - keeping up with design trends doesn't mean you have to be trendy and change every year. What it does mean is keeping the look of your business up-to-date and eye-catching for the internet. Having a web design with large, professional photography and going easy on the text content while still getting your message across is important. Contact us today so we can help guide you through the process of a new design that will showcase your business and keep your website up-to-date.

Content Management System - If you haven't built your website yet or moved your current website into a content management system, now is the time. 2016 is the time to streamline and simplify where you can, and your website is a great place to start. In a content management system like WordPress, editing and adding to your website is fast and easy. The investment is worth it. Contact us today to build your site in WordPress to get your business off on the right foot in 2016!

Why You Need Responsive Design

November 3, 2015 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

What is responsive design? Responsive web design is an approach that addresses a user’s needs based on the environment they are in when viewing your website. Whatever screen size, platform or orientation they are using – as they switch from their phone to their desktop to their ipad, the website adjusts to accommodate for resolution and sizes.

Why do you need responsive design?

Customer Expectation

It is expected in today's internet world that when a visitor arrives, they be able to navigate easily, find a mobile friendly menu, easy to find contact information, and a website that caters to the device they are using. If your website isn't meeting this expectation, it will look out of date and visitors may find it cumbersome and too difficult to make it worth their while to stay on your website.

It Helps Build Your Brand

Appealing design and function for a business website will help it grow. Neglecting proper branding will hurt it. Once a client has a bad website experience, it will affect their opinion of you as a business and it can be difficult to repair that image.

Sheer Numbers

Mobile websites that respond to the user environment isn't a trend. It is the way things are. It isn't something you can ignore until things go back to the way they were. It is vitally important to your small business that you stay up to date in online needs.

5 Best Practices in Web Design

November 12, 2014 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Good web design brings a website to life, engages the user, and can be the catalyst your small business needs to attract more customers. A visually appealing website makes visitors want to stay and return. There is a lot to consider when building a website: brand, ease of use, appearance, color scheme, navigation, photography, and mobile compatibility just to name a few. There can also be other considerations like search engine optimization and e-commerce. All of this comes together in your website design. Here are some things all good web designs must have:

1. Attractive Design

Attractive web design catches the attention of visitors and keeps it. It's what keeps visitors exploring further into the website. An influential website layout implements basic design principles such as consistent header, logo and navigation pieces. It also includes good contrast between text and background while displaying good balance between text, imagery and white space.

2. Balanced

A well-balanced web design uses three to four colors at most and has text colors that contrast well with the site's background color. Graphics need to enhance content rather than distract from it.

Combining visual components including color, images, and slideshows in a clean, professional manner can be tricky to get right.

3. Well Organized Content

Content needs to be presented in a clean, sophisticated, streamlined way. Best practices for content in a web design include:

Using one or two common, attractive fonts.
Consistent use of fonts, colors, and sizes.
Content that is accessible with minimal clicks.

Content presentation can also enhance your website's search engine optimization (SEO).

4. Easy Navigation

Navigation directs visitors through your website based on what they are looking for. Ensure all navigation hyperlinks work properly and are not broken. Clearly label main navigation links, provide text links in the footer section. A good website blends easy navigation with a stylish design.

5. Usability

A great website requires sound functionality. This means all hyperlinks work, there are no errors, and all forms and pages function as they should. It also applies to how the website works across all browsers, operating systems and mobile devices. It must work perfectly and look great on older and current versions of browsers and be mobile-friendly. All elements should work seamlessly and it should be easy to move around your site.

Responsive Web Design- what it is & why you need it

September 4, 2013 by anoadmin

Responsive Web Design is a web design approach targeted at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience-- easy reading and navigation with minimum resizing, panning and scrolling across a wide range of devices (from mobile phones to desktop computer monitors).

When developing a new website for your business or redesigning your outdated existing site, it is crucial to make sure it has a responsive design. Drew Thomas, Chief Creative Officer and co-owner of Brolik, a global digital agency, reinforces this argument in an article titled, Why Responsive Web Design Has To Win Out. Thomas says, "The most important metric is how functional the website is for the user. . . Mobile and desktop websites should be easily found, easily shared, fast loading, easy to maintain and easy to build on."

Old City Web Services specializes in responsive web design and we provide the highest level of responsiveness to our clients, insuring that each design will work well on multiple digital platforms. We guarantee web designs that fall in line with the responsive web design standards. Test your website by bringing it up on various mobile devices, desktops, laptops and web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome). Does it appear user-friendly and remain consistent throughout?

Need help determining whether or not your website has a responsive web design? Concerned that visitors are not getting the best experience while on your site?

Contact us today by giving us a call: 904.829.2772 or emailing us: werespond@oldcity.com to schedule a free consultation.