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uncovering the truth myths about website design

Uncovering the Truth: Myths about Website Design You Need to Know

It can be challenging to determine what constitutes good web design. Some self-taught, unskilled web designers may try to win your business by making false promises and offering lower quotes than professional advertising agencies.

However, selecting the cheapest option can result in subpar results that end up costing you thousands of dollars in the long run. In this article, (to help you make informed decisions during your next meeting with a web designer) we’re uncovering the truth and debunking common myths about website design you need to know.

Myth #1: Website design needs to look amazing with all the bells and whistles

One of the most common myths about website design is that all you need is an amazing design to attract visitors and convert them into customers. Aesthetics are certainly important, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. A website with mind-blowing 3D graphics that’s hard to navigate, slow to load, or doesn’t have the right content won’t convert traffic into paying customers. Instead, focus on creating a website that’s easy to use and provides real value to your visitors. This means making sure your website is fast, mobile-friendly, and all the information your audience is looking for within 1-2 clicks.

Myth #2: RIP SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Despite what some people may tell you, SEO is not dead. In fact, it’s more important than ever. Search engines such as Google are constantly updating their algorithms to provide the best possible search results for their users. SEO is always evolving, and staying up to date with the latest best practices is imperative.

Myth #3: Social Media is the only way to get traffic

Social media is an important part of any online marketing strategy, but it’s not the only way to get traffic to your website. In fact, relying solely on social media can be risky. Social media platforms can change their algorithms at any time, which can lead to a sudden drop in traffic. They can also simply disappear—is anyone still on MySpace?

Instead of relying on Social Media Marketing, focus on building a well-rounded marketing strategy that includes a mix of social media, SEO, email marketing and traditional advertising methods (printed brochures, outdoor advertising, pull-up banners etc.). This will help ensure you have a steady flow of traffic to your website, even if one of your marketing channels experiences a setback.

Myth #4: You need to have a blog

Blogging can be a great way to provide value to your audience and improve your SEO, but it’s more important to get other aspects of your website design sorted first. If you don’t have the time or resources to maintain a regular blog, that’s okay. Instead, focus on creating other types of content, such as videos or podcasts, that your audience will find valuable.

Myth #5: Your website is a one-time investment

Building a website is not a one-time investment. In order to keep your website running smoothly and effectively, you need to invest time and resources into maintaining and updating it.

This means regularly checking for broken links, and plug-ins, updating your content, and making sure your website is secure from privacy breaches. It also means keeping up with the latest trends and technologies so your website doesn’t become outdated. For example; some website designers use pre-purchased themes in WordPress. After all, if someone has designed a template similar to what your client wants, why reinvent the wheel? However, Sometimes, the creators of these themes stop updating them to be compatible with the latest software and internet browser, which creates huge problems you’ll need your web designer to fix.

Myth #6: You can build a website in a day

There are many website builders out there that claim you can build a website in a day or less. While it’s true that these builders can help you create a website quickly, they often come with limitations. For example, If you rush the process of creating a website, you may encounter limitations in terms of features and functionality, and there could be a higher chance of errors. It’s better to seek assistance from a professional web designer who can build a customised website tailored to your requirements.

Myth #7: Anyone can build a website

While it’s true that anyone can build a website, building a successful website that drives traffic and converts visitors into customers requires a certain level of expertise. If you’re not familiar with web design, SEO, and online marketing, it’s important to find an advertising agency. Don’t forget to ask for previous work examples and references before hiring any web designer.

Myth #8: Stock photos are taboo

Although we encourage using original images, not every company has the resources for a photoshoot. Incorporating stock photos into your website can be a good option. It’s important to note some stock photos may have been used by other companies, which could negatively impact their associations with the image. Try to select unique stock photos to avoid any unwanted connotations. It’s also better to have professional-looking stock photos as opposed to settling for your own badly lit or pixelated photos.

Myth #9: The more features, the better

One common myth about website design is that more features always equate to a better experience. It can be tempting to cram as many bells and whistles as possible onto your site, but the truth is that less is often more. Image sliders, carousels, and video links may seem like a great idea, but they can actually clutter your site and detract from the user experience. In fact, excessive features can lead to a high bounce rate, with nearly 90% of visitors leaving your site. A clear and concise design that effectively conveys your message is often the best approach.

Myth #10: Website audits are so 1997

Some people believe that conducting a website audit is a waste of time, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s essential to have an expert test and review your site thoroughly to identify any weaknesses and determine how to enhance its quality. By evaluating which features are most effective in reaching your target audience, you will learn where your website needs optimising to increase conversions, generate leads, and collect data more efficiently in the future.

Myth #11: You don’t need a mobile-friendly website

Some webmasters still believe that having a mobile version of their site is unnecessary. They may assume that mobile devices like tablets, smartphones, and netbooks don’t account for a significant portion of the traffic. However, this is a myth. In reality, over 40% of web users access sites on their mobile devices more frequently than on desktops or laptops. Moreover, Google now considers mobile responsiveness a critical factor in website indexing. Without a mobile-friendly version of your site, you could miss out on a significant number of potential customers. To ensure your site is accessible to all users, it’s essential to hire a web agency that prioritises mobile responsiveness. Don’t risk burying your site in obscurity by ignoring this crucial aspect of web design.

Ready to take your web design to the next level?

Contact XDesigns today and let us help you create an effective and memorable website that will elevate your brand and turn browsers into loyal customers. Don’t wait, let’s start creating together!

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Metaverse by XDesigns Advertising

XDesigns Unveils: How the Metaverse is Transforming Your Business

As technology advancements continue to accelerate, virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR) are no longer relegated to the realm of science fiction. Companies like Microsoft are investing heavily in these technologies, with the potential to revolutionise the way businesses and consumers interact with each other and the world. With this in mind, it’s only a matter of time before the Metaverse impacts your advertising and marketing strategies. What is the Metaverse and how the Metaverse is transforming your business?

What is the Metaverse?

It is an online universe inspired by science fiction and virtual reality, where people can create their own digital identities, explore new places, and interact with others in a variety of ways. It is a world with no boundaries, no limits, and no limits to what can be achieved.

That being said, the Metaverse is revolutionising the way we live, work, and play. The introduction of Artificial intelligence (AI) combined with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) businesses are able to provide a much more immersive and engaging experience than traditional websites and advertising, allowing us to completely immerse ourselves in a virtual world. We will be able to explore, create, and collaborate in ways previously we never dared not even imagine.

Metaverse makes the seemingly impossible a reality, where virtual stores, virtual offices, virtual classrooms, virtual events, and even virtual conferences aren’t out of scope. Who would have thought that one day you’d be able to see how different hairstyles would suit you before you went to the hairdresser, let alone be able to take a walk-through of your brand-new kitchen online before it’s even built?

Integrating Augmented & Virtual Reality to advertise

When the internet was first introduced, companies didn’t recognise the potential it held. After all, the concept was almost unfathomable and unfamiliar. We spend hours for the familiar squeals of dial-up to connect, cut out every time the phone rings and painstakingly download pictures pixel by pixel. But now, every company understands the importance of being online, having a website and a presence on social media. It’s a necessity for driving leads and conversion.

The internet continues to evolve as technology advances. Beyond the realms of gaming, the Metaverse will be the next big thing when it comes to business opportunities as we discover new ways to use the metaverse for business, education, and entertainment.

This means as a business owner it is time for you to start brainstorming the potential of the metaverse. Already there are company owners creating their own virtual showrooms, websites, and stores. For example, real estate agents are able to provide 3D tours of houses without you leaving the comfort of your recliner. Think of the possibilities in virtual spaces to showcase your products and services, engage customers, and potentially drive conversions.

The metaverse can also be used to create virtual events, such as conferences and trade shows. Companies can use these events to host presentations, webinars, and virtual networking events. This could be a great way to reach out to potential customers, as well as build relationships with existing ones.

Changing the way you provide customer service

As the popularity of social media soared, companies around the world quickly realised the potential of using social networks as a way to connect with their customers. Research reveals 40% of customers expect companies to respond to their social media messages within an hour and 79% within a day. If you snooze, you lose.

In response to this demand, many businesses are turning to AI, VR and AR to manage their customer service interactions. For example, setting up chatbots to respond to frequently asked questions uses AI.

As people begin to spend more of their time in the metaverse, then it stands to reason that they will also expect businesses to stay up to date with the latest technology. Business owners need to be aware of how customers may already be using the Metaverse and what they can do to offer their customers a positive experience in the space. For example, Kylie Jenner has become a household name, and her makeup line has only grown in popularity. But what is it that sets Jenner apart from other makeup lines? The answer: augmented reality. As one of the first major beauty brands to embrace this technology, Jenner is using augmented reality to revolutionise the way she sells her makeup. From virtual try-ons to interactive tutorials, Jenner is showing the world how to use the Metaverse to make selling makeup easier and more engaging.

One way to be proactive and find out how to provide AR/VR services your customers would find helpful is to conduct surveys. This gives you valuable insights into how customers are using the metaverse and how to best serve them in this space.

It’s time to start thinking about how you can begin leveraging the Metaverse to level up your customer service.

Employee Training

Envisioning a more immersive training experience, the Metaverse has the potential to revolutionise the way in which people from beauty professionals to truck drivers are able to learn and practice. With the opportunity to replicate tasks in a virtual setting, mistakes can be made in a safe environment, allowing for proficiency to be achieved prior to attempting the same task in real life.

Considering the types of training that your employees require, it may be beneficial to explore how a VR world can make the training safer and more efficient. Though the metaverse may not have the ideal solution right now, with the speed of technological development, it is likely that one will be available in the near future.

Virtual Worlds Offer Enhanced Collaboration for Remote Teams

Virtual meetings have become a staple in our daily lives since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom becoming household names. However, the future of online team collaboration may lie in the realm of virtual worlds. Companies like Microsoft are exploring the potential of integrating their apps within a metaverse, allowing for a more immersive and engaging meeting experience.

In a virtual world, participants can use avatars to represent themselves, creating a more personal and interactive experience. Virtual spaces can also be customised to the specific needs of the meeting, such as a virtual conference room or even a virtual office. This new way of conducting meetings not only improves the overall experience but also allows for more flexibility and creativity in how teams collaborate.

According to a study by Grand View Research, the global virtual reality market is expected to reach $71.2 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 32.6% from 2020 to 2027. This demonstrates the increasing demand and interest in virtual reality and its potential applications in various industries. It’s likely that virtual worlds will become an integral part of our lives in the future, in business as well as in entertainment and other sectors.

Preparing Your Business for the Next Wave of Digital Change

At XDesigns Advertising, we understand the importance of staying ahead of the digital transformation curve. That’s why we offer technology brainstorming sessions to help businesses like yours map out a comprehensive digital transformation plan. Our team of experts can help you identify the latest technologies, trends, and best practices to help you stay competitive and achieve your business goals.

 

Don’t let digital transformation intimidate or overwhelm you. Contact us today to schedule a technology brainstorming session and let us help you take your business to the next level.

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Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT: How SEO Pros are Optimising Their Strategies

In today’s digital age, staying ahead of the competition means keeping up with the latest technologies and trends. One tool that has been making waves in the SEO world is ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot.

ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach search engine optimisation. It’s already being used by SEO professionals to improve their strategies and drive better results. In this blog post, we will explore the ways ChatGPT is being used in the SEO industry and how it can be leveraged to unlock the full potential of your optimisation efforts.

From automating keyword research to analysing data, ChatGPT’s versatile functions can save time and effort while also improving your search engine rankings. But as with any new technology, there are pros and cons. We’ll also take a closer look at what to expect digitally in the future. So, whether you’re new to the concept of SEO or a seasoned pro, join us as we explore the AI software everyone’s talking about and how ChatGPT can help you achieve better results for your business.

What is Chat GPT?

ChatGPT is a powerful tool that uses AI and an enormous database to engage in conversations with users. It uses machine learning to understand follow-up questions, recognise mistakes, decline inappropriate requests, and even dispute incorrect statements.

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is technically not a direct competitor to Google, but it is changing the way searches are conducted. This will significantly impact SEO. How does this technology work? How do innovative SEO experts use it to level up their strategies?

What are ChatGPT’s capabilities?

The use of AI in SEO and marketing is still in its early days so based on what we’ve discovered so far, the possibilities are endless. ChatGPT can engage in conversations and respond to inquiries like you would expect someone with an actual brain to respond. It has the ability to produce written works such as essays, short stories, poems, and even advertising copy, raising concerns among those who make a living from writing professionally. The New York City Schools have already prohibited its use to ward off a cheating epidemic. Other institutes may soon do similar, although it may be hard to police.

But ChatGPT’s abilities extend beyond just content creation, it is sophisticated enough to be used for tasks such as writing meta descriptions or debugging code. Currently, utilising it for coding is a complex and technical process, but as the model evolves and continues to grow legs, it’s very likely that the process will become more streamlined.

ChatGPT can also act as a research assistant, providing clear and concise answers to user queries, and eliminating the need to scroll through thousands of search engine results and websites to find the correct information. For example, if you’re searching for information about the history of a city like Rome, rather than going through hundreds of history websites and scanning tedious text about the city, ChatGPT will give you a summary of the historical facts and events within seconds.

ChatGPT data of text only extends to before 2021. It is not connected to the internet ‘per say’ and does not have the ability to access current news and events. It can provide information on a variety of topics based on what it has learned from the data it was trained on, but it may not have the most up-to-date information on current events. So after 2021, it can’t provide updated news or information on events that have happened after that date. For example, unlike Siri or Alexa, it can’t tell you what the number one song was in December 2022 or the date Lisa Marie Presley passed away.

Content creation

ChatGPT can write blogs, short stories, case studies and webpages. You can even use it to write a rap or a love letter. But beware, the Google Police. Because ChatGPT is a more concise way of searching, Google is attempting to stop users from abandoning searching via their platform. For years now, they’ve had a monopoly on SERPs, so content created using AI will be penalised as spam. An anti-AI detection algorithm means Google has the ability to flag AI-generated web pages and blogs. There are still multiple ways you can use it though such as social media posts, creating content for landing pages and coming up with ideas when you’ve hit the 3.00pm slump. For example, show me the best marketing ideas for growing my business [Insert industry] or even when you’re stumped as to what to feed the fussy family for dinner or to outline the plot for a romance screenplay. Yes, it’s fancy!

Keyword and Hashtag Research

Utilise ChatGPT as a tool to help with identifying keywords and hashtags related to a specific topic. By inputting a few target keywords or a topic, the system can provide a list of related keywords based on its understanding of language and text. However, it’s important to note that these keywords and hashtags should not be used to generate content without proper citation and verification. Always double check the competitiveness and searches per month.

Creating marketing strategies

This aspect of ChatGPT can be quite helpful if you don’t have a clue where to start when it comes to marketing. You can type: Create a marketing strategy for [insert industry] and watch the magic come to life. However, it’s important to use your analytical and thinking skills to way up each possibility in terms of potential success. Not all ideas generated may be suitable to your business or situation. You’ll still need to evaluate the relevance to your target audience and tools available at your disposal. For example, it suggests providing case studies, but if you’re a start-up you may not have any available data, so use your discretion.

Creation of SEO titles

ChatGPT’s ability to generate text based on a given prompt can certainly be useful for creating SEO titles. By providing the model with relevant information about a topic, such as backlinking, it can generate a variety of potential titles that are both informative and catchy. Additionally, it has the ability to understand the context of a prompt and can allow it to come up with titles that address specific aspects of a topic, making them more appealing and relevant to a specific audience.

Makes reporting easier

ChatGPT can revolutionise the way marketers analyse and report data. With its ability to generate regular expressions for analytics reporting, it allows marketers with limited programming knowledge to filter reports using specific words and identify new opportunities for content creation. It can also streamline the process of working with Excel or Google Sheets by automating the creation of formulas and data parsing (extracting information from a large database, such as a log file, a document, or a webpage, and convert it into a more usable format for anyone who struggles with these tasks). Overall, ChatGPT can make data analysis and reporting more efficient, helping them to prove the impact of their efforts and identify new opportunities for growth.

In conclusion

Unlock the full potential of your data with XDesigns Advertising and ChatGPT. Together, our powerful combination of data parsing and analysis services will assist you to gain a deeper understanding of your customers and help you make data-driven decisions that drive your business forward in 2023. Whether you’re looking to improve your marketing strategies, streamline your operations, or discover new opportunities for growth, contact us today to learn more and start seeing the results you’ve been waiting for.

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The Crucial Changes to Social Media Platforms Your Business Needs to Know for Success in 2023

There are crucial changes to social media platforms your business needs to know for success in 2023. This can often be difficult for small to medium business owners who don’t have their own marketing team to stay across from the regular updates.

One of the most common complaints we get at XDesigns Advertising is that social media no longer works. 95% of the time we find it’s because business owners are still posting what they used to post long before Meta became a universe. They are also relying on organic posting when it’s fast becoming a user pays platform.

With NEW algorithm changes set to change social media platforms for 2023, we’ve compiled a quick guide of what you can expect to see in the new year.

Facebook

Remember how Facebook changed the algorithm, so people could see more content from their friends and family, that’s changing again. This may not be a popular move by Mark Zuckerberg, if you’re in the Metaverse to catch up with your friends and family, but it is good news for businesses. It is said 50% of content on news feeds will be from business and pages people don’t follow. For the small business owner, this is great news, as AI will recommend your well-performing content to people outside your immediate audience.

Facebook will no longer be promoting external links that lead to your website, blog or any other URL that leads away from the platform, so even if you have a restaurant and want to include a booking link or share or YouTube link—don’t do it!

Think about things you can do to keep people on your Facebook page—shareable, relatable content like funny memes, interactive posts like caption this, fill in the blanks, Q&A.

Instagram

Instagram seems to be a bit of a dog’s breakfast, putting it politely! There were a lot of changes during 2022. While the introduction of Reels trying to cut-in on the popular short-form TikTok type content has been a game-changer for Instagram, the end of IGTV and combining Reels, video content and GIFs under the one video icon has been messy. Brands are struggling to be seen with all the noise and are still sharing photos, while Instagram is trying to promote itself as a video edutainment platform.

The trick to being seen on Instagram is to build a community of superfans who create user-generated content. There’s nothing followers like to see more than the content they’ve tagged you in being reshared to your audience. Combine that with embracing creating video content, and you’ll increase your chances of getting your brand seen.

Instagram live shopping is also in the pipelines. Users will be able to go live with products and answer questions throughout the broadcast.

LinkedIn

As seen with the other social media platforms, LinkedIn video content continues to gain higher levels of engagement. This can be difficult if you’re not comfortable in front of the camera. 2023 needs to become the year when you embrace video format, whether it’s interviews with industry experts, showcasing new products or providing demonstrations or tutorials. Don’t forget to include subtitles because not everyone wants their boss to know what they’re watching during working hours.

As a result of the consumption of video content, you can expect LinkedIn will be focusing on introducing more video-related tools to make creating content such as live streams, webinars and video chat easier.

YouTube

You have three seconds to capture someone’s attention, and short form content is one of the best ways to do this. Creating compelling binge-watchable content will always perform better than long form content unless it’s incredibly engaging. With YouTube shorts being relatively new and popular, you’d be remiss not to get on the video bandwagon.

TikTok

TikTok, once popular with only the younger audience, is becoming more diverse and the platform is becoming more saturated with content. With expansion into e-commerce and using influencers to promote products, it may be time to rethink your social media strategy for 2023. Many businesses have shied away from TikTok, thinking of it as a story time or dance challenge platform, but as ecommerce continues to integrate with the platform, ensuring your brand is providing engaging search optimised content with well-researched hashtags will improve your ability to be seen.

Twitter

Your guess is as good as ours, since Elon Musk has taken the reins of Twitter. One thing is for sure, there are bound to be some huge changes to the channel. Previously, the blue tick was only allocated to official verified accounts of celebrities and major influencers, but with a paid subscription available to get the Twitter tick, users complained it was hard to tell the difference between authentic accounts and deep fakes.

Verification subscriptions have been paused as imposters run amok. There will be a resurgence on Twitter as people who have abandoned the platform check out the changes Elon Musk has brought about, more out of curiosity. Primarily, it will remain a strong news platform and the place people go to vent when the other social media networks experience outages.

 

Get ahead of the changes before they take hold and if you’re struggling to find the time or don’t understand social media, then leave it to a team of social media experts at XDesigns Advertising. We can help you understand the crucial changes your business needs to know for success in 2023.

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Web Design Tweaks

Website design tweaks you can make now to retain customers

Generating new leads following a pandemic and an economy with high inflation is difficult. No one wants to spend, but did you know it’s actually more affordable for you to invest in customer retention than chasing new leads? New stats released by SmallBizGenuis revealed most business owners are unanimous in the fact the focus need to pivot to retaining customers as they drive the existing revenue. It was also concluded that by attributing an additional 5% investment to digital marketing such as website development, it had the potential to increase profits by 25%.

Website design and development is crucial to ensuring your customers keep returning to your wesbite. Ease of navigation, mobile responsiveness and fast load speeds are crucial.

Let’s take a look at a few of the website designs tweaks you can have made to your site to help with customer retention. Step one is to organise a website audit. Using specialist SEO reporting software and Google Analytics, our team at XDesigns Advertising will interpret data to give us insight on your website’s performance. It can tell us where most of your traffic is coming from, how long they stay on the landing page before bouncing and after landing on the website where they navigate to from there. It can also provide data on download speeds, keyword performance and SERP results. Once your website’s carefully critiqued, our website development expert will be able to provide advise on what design tweaks are recommended.

Website navigation

We’re all time-poor! No one has time to spend hours trawling your website looking for products or services. Your customers should be able to search your products via products names or keywords, find your contact details and easily read the fonts—colours and font choice matter! Clear call to actions (what you expect your customer to do next), clickable items and the ability to access any information in just 3 clicks, are all important website design tweaks that need to be made.

Website menus shouldn’t have more than 8 categories, we recommend 5-6 (Home,About Us, Services, Gallery, Contact Us, Blog)

An example of one website thatregular ranks on the top 50 worst websites for navigation is https://www.arngren.net/. Simply looking at the website is akin to nails on a chalkboard.

Two websites doing a far superior job are 1) Adpost 2) TradeMe—New Zealand’s answer to Ebay.

Update stock photos and clipart to custom graphics

The visual elements of a website is crucial to making your brand instantly recognisable. Winnie Wong poh ming from the University College of Technology Sarawak studied the effects of website quality and customer loyalty and discovered businesses who used custom illustrations were seen as being more trustworthy. If you don’t have your own photos or illustrations, it’s well worth the investment in hiring a professional photographer and/or a graphic designer. A refresh of the artwork can make the world of difference.

Custom illustrations can be used to highlight case studies and portray data in a clean, crisp and visually appealing way and make your website authentically you.

One website that does this particularly well and has been ranked as one of the best user-experience websites https://www.dopplepress.com/

If you want your website to stand out in a digitally saturated world, custom graphics and your very own branded photos are going to make a world of difference.

Use a plugin to translate your website into multiple languages.

Thanks to the internet your website is just a keyboard-touch away from literally billions of people no matter where they live on the globe. Once upon a time it was unthought of that people on the opposite side of the world would be able to shop your e-commerce site (providing you offer shipping worldwide). To assume all visitors to your website speak English is almost ignorant. Australia is a melting-pot of cultures and not all of them speak English well. If in addition to retaining customers, you’re looking to connect with new prospects and increasing your revenue, we highly recommned website a multilingual website but the truth is companies that have made the transition have experienced an increase in sales by at least 25%. Some websites have seen a 70% increase in sales.

Add trust badges

People spend more time on a website when they feel safe there. Include awards, security seals, and other trust badges to provide users with a sense of security. Badges such as safe checkout, Verisign or verified by Visa are all available through merchant programs. Do your research and qualify to be trust partners so we can tweak your website design to include trust badges.

Regularly update the content

By regularly updating the content, you’re signalling to Google that your website features fresh new content. The Google spider will index the new pages. It also helps with SEO. Regular industry articles, case studies, videos and case studies provide social proof and can help establish you as a thought leader. If you don’t already have a dedicated blog page we can incorporate this for you! Updated content will aslo keep your clients coming back to your site, if you provide useful, unique and educational material.

In conclusion:

The tweaks you can make to your website design don’t have to include a full website revamp. These simple, tweaks to your website can aid in customer retention as well as improve your SEO so new customers find your business. Let’s quickly relook at the simple web development updates we can introduce to your website.

  • Revamp your website structure to ensure customers can find information within 5 clicks.
  • Hire an experience graphic designer or illustrator to create custom graphics unique to your business
  • Install a multilingual plugin so global visitors can purchase from your website with ease
  • Use a copywriter to flesh out industry articles, case studies, news and blogs/
  • Add trust badges to give customers security when browsing your website.

At XDesigns Advertising, we have the skills and abilities to ensure we can tweak your website and carry out all the development strategies we have suggestion, in house. Contact us today and support Australian business.

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Website Design Psychology

The art of using website design psychology

The art of using website design psychology extends beyond aesthetics. You may have heard about marketing psychology, using colour, designs and text to motivate a consumer to act. The colour red is said to make people feel passionately hungry and is the reason McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, Wendys, KFC and Red Rooster use red in their logos. It’s not simply because the graphic designer was in love with the colour red. The same marketing psychology principles can be applied to website design.

When hiring a website developer, it’s important they understand design psychology and use it to motivate your website traffic to take action.

What is website design psychology?

When it comes to website development, a beautifully designed website is simply not enough. It should take your website visitors on a journey, from the page they land on to funnelling web traffic to purchase products with easy navigation and clear calls to action.

Every colour choice, every smiling photograph of your team, the typography, even the white space plays a psychological role in triggering subliminal actions. Understanding the art of using website design to empower customers into making decisions is undeniably important.

Let’s take a closer look at using the psychology of web design

1. Branded smiling images
People connect with other people. So if you have photos on your website, your website visitors are more likely to connect with branded photos that include your smiling team members rather than stock photos or empty offices or buildings. Happy people near the call to action button subconsciously indicate that when you purchase goods or services from this company, you’ll be dealing with helpful, friendly team members.

2. Geometrical shapes
Did you know the elements such as geometrical shapes such as triangles, circles and lines are influential in helping website visitors ‘feel’ a certain way and help navigate through the website? Triangles are good for pointing to where you would like the customer’s eyes to focus. They also represent strength and power. While circles and ovals can highlight important text as well as symbolise commitment. Lines draw the eye to important text.

3. White space
White space gives the appearance of organisation and cleanliness. White space allows the website visitor to focus on one idea at a time. Clutter or trying to fit too many different ideas onto one page can be confusing.

4. Colour
As mentioned in the introduction, colour can play an important role for aesthetics and creating subconscious emotions. Renowned marketing guru, Neil Patel believes that the right colours can boost your brand recognition by as much as 80%. Colours can be associated with different brands. For example: Cadbury were allowed to trademark their distinctive purple wrapping (Pantone 2685C). Purple is associated with royalty, creativity and a lavish lifestyle. As a graphic designer or web developer, it’s important to think about the type of feelings you want to create.

5. Typography
The kind of font used for the website design is also important, not just to ensure it’s websafe, but that it’s easy to read, saving the fancier fonts for H1 headlines. San-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica are generally thought to be easy to read. The art to good typography is also knowing how to structure the text. It’s harder for a person to read paragraphs in caps. It also doesn’t follow the natural eye movements if the text is centred.

6. Website content
Take a look at the content you have on your current website? Are you simply rattling off a list of services you provide with no context, or are you talking directly to your website visitors. Personalisation in website content speaks to your users. If well utilised it will highlight their pain points and provide simple solutions. Let’s take a look at the difference personalising your content can make.

Example 1: WRONG
In a digital saturated world, small businesses can get their brands noticed. Branding goes beyond new logo or catalogue design Sydney and Brisbane, XDesigns Advertising is ready to drive businesses to get maximum results from their advertising spend.

It could be safe to assume that as soon as a person who is an individual or a big business would assume this content did not apply to them. The copy tells them It’s for small businesses that XDesigns Advertising are talking to someone else. It may deter someone from finding a business better suited to their needs and they’ll be instantly less interested because you are not directly talking to them.

Example 2: CORRECT
In a digital saturated world, make sure your brand gets noticed. Branding goes beyond new logo or catalogue design Sydney and Brisbane, XDesigns Advertising is ready to drive your brand and get maximum results from your advertising spend. Are you ready to begin the journey?

It’s not a huge difference in content, but example 2 personalised the message and includes a call to action. If the customer isn’t quite ready to begin the journey, they may search out customer reviews or explore other parts of the website before thinking about what to do next. However, you can see the difference in personalising the website content psychologically.

Real life example
Let’s take a look at the art of using web design psychology on our very own website XDesigns Advertising. The selected colours are generally associated with friendliness and happiness. The large X in the banner drives your eye from the top of the page down to the first call of action – Get Started. If you’ve landed on our website, you can already tell from a glance what we are, so if you’re in a rush, you can quickly contact us and get on with your day! Scroll down a little further and you’ll notice with our icons, they’re contained by a circle and surrounded by plenty of white space.

Colour is also used to segment the website, as you get to the bottom, you’ll see that there’s another call to action with a reminder of what we do again. If you need more convincing, the next step will clarify two simple decisions—what kind of graphic design you’re looking for and highlighting the fact that there are retainer packages available.

Now take a look at your website design and apply the top 6 points mentioned above. How does it stack up? If you have any questions on how to improve your website and incorporate design psychology, contact us today on 1300 881 204 or reach out online.

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2022 Marketing Trends by XDA

Marketing trends for 2022

The surprising 2022 marketing trends you should not miss.

A new year, a chance to reevaluate your marketing strategies. 2022 has taken on some surprising marketing trends you should not miss. After extensive research based on leading global experts, we’ve compiled a list of things you can do to improve your marketing and you’ll never guess what’s making a comeback.

The most surprising 2022 marketing trend experiencing a resurgence is Direct Mail—driven by nostalgia and a desire to return to when life was simpler, as well as a secondary way to back up an email campaign.

With everyone fighting for digital marketing space, an integrated campaign using direct mail could very well be the best point of difference you could choose to help COVID proof your business in 2022.

A survey conducted by Australia Post discovered 90% of Australians read their mail. 60% take the time to sit down and read it thoroughly and more than half save their mail and refer back to it. It’s been proven that brand recall is 40% better when a direct mail campaign is followed up by an email. Personalised mail evokes an emotion. With most mail these days being bills, a personalised envelope can be the perfect way to pique curiosity. It’s still only the early days of 2022 but we’re seeing a resurgence of brands wanting to draw on the power of direct mail through trifold brochures, postcards, catalogues and flyers. A return to print offers a chance to reconnect with audiences who are removing themselves from social media.

In addition to direct mail, there are a number of different ways you can level up your digital marketing in 2022. Here’s what’s forecast to be popular, so it’s important to start thinking about ways you can integrate these into your digital strategy.

1. Dynamic Emails

It’s important not to underestimate the power of Electronic Direct Mail marketing. Emails are one of your most powerful marketing weapons. Using personalisation in conjunction with accelerated mobile pages that allow users to interact with you directly without leaving their email platform is the key to driving your business. The industry benchmark for open rates cites 12-25% as a successful open rate for emails. However, companies across the globe are reporting a rise of 20% in open rates since the beginning of the pandemic. In fact, at XDesigns Advertising, our December EDM saw an open rate of 41%, well above the industry standard and a trend that is set to continue as people continue to social distance and shop online.

2. Membership Programs

It’s natural to want to be part of a community and feel special, especially in a society where you are becoming increasingly disconnected. The rise in private Facebook (Meta) groups, VoIP platforms like Discord and apps can provide a sense of belonging. In a world where we are more isolated due to an increase in working from home and socialising only within our family circles, brands across the world are discovering the power of membership programs.

It allows users to feel like they are part of a community with exclusive rewards such as free shipping, exclusive discounts all year round and access to virtual and IRL events. Some membership programs provide chat features where community members can interact and make new friends, talk to customer reps or seek word-of-mouth recommendations from others who have used the products or services.

Companies like Catch.com.au and Amazon already have membership programs in full swing and guarantee express/free shipping and exclusive product deals. With app development becoming increasingly popular, this marketing trend you should not miss.

Membership programs can be integrated into your website by setting up an exclusive portal or as an app that can be downloaded.

3. The Rise of Video Content

Towards the end of last year, Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri announced that Instagram would no longer be a square photo platform, moving towards becoming an edutainment hub where video would be key to a successful marketing campaign. It’s been no secret that the algorithm is giving preference to video content. You only have to look at the explosion of Instagram Reels to see the potential reach of video marketing.

Tik Tok continues to be king of the social platforms with 1 billion active monthly users and proof that short-form video content will continue to trend for digital marketing in 2022. At XDesigns Advertising, we can help you devise a digital marketing strategy that integrates video content that can be repurposed for EDMs and social platforms, so you don’t have to miss out.

4. Interactive content

It’s time to get creative with your content. Users want more than text-based blogs and these should not be overlooked. However, you need to supplement your blogs with engaging, interactive experiences that are entertaining, that start conversation. Augmented reality is increasingly becoming popular. For example; Kylie Jenner set the benchmark when her cosmetic brand allowed users to see what the different shades of lipstick would look like by simply using a downloadable filter. Alongside AR, you can expect to see a rise in immersive video (throw on a pair of 360 virtual reality glasses to be transported into another world), as well as quizzes, questionnaires and polls.

5. Automated Customer Service

We are used to getting things fast—Instant finance approval, express shipping, high-speed Wifi—so when we ask questions about products, pricing or shipping, we expect the same efficiency. New research published by Hubspot indicated that 82% of potential customers expect an immediate response while 92% say that a quick response can be the sole deciding factor when it comes to purchasing or not. One of the most time-saving digital marketing trends for 2022 is ensuring you provide responses in real-time This can be achieved through the use of automated chatbots, automated email campaigns and shopping carts. This eliminates the need for you to provide manpower to sit on the end of a computer

Most businesses miss out on using these valuable 2022 marketing trends due to a lack of pre-planning and strategising and that’s certainly one area, XDesigns Advertising can provide the ongoing support you need, especially if you are unable to afford an in-house marketing department. Follow us on socials to stay up to date with the latest news in digital marketing or contact us now to book your 2022 marketing trends strategy meeting.

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LinkedIn Profile stand out blog

How to make your LinkedIn profile stand out from the crowd

Power up your LinkedIn profile

Growing up most mums tell their kids just how special they are. “You are special. You are unique! There’s no one quite like you!” And then you grow up and log on to LinkedIn and discover there are people just like you. In fact, there’s quite a lot of them exactly like you; Degrees at University, qualifications in digital marketing, and sadly you’re only one profile amongst 575+ million on the LinkedIn network. So how can you stand out from the crowd with your LinkedIn Profile?

To get your LinkedIn profile noticed you need to have:

An eye-catching headline:

If you are lucky enough to have a more unusual surname like Goni-Mendez then you’re a little luckier than some. However, if you’re a Tony Smith or a Susan Brown, there are hundreds of people on LinkedIn with your name too, maybe in the same career, so how do you differentiate yourself from your ‘clones’? Get creative with your Linkedin Profile headline. Next to the photo, the headline is what grabs prospective clients or employee’s attention.

You can go the humourous route with headlines such as “I’m basically the Beyonce of Excel sheets” (this is purely an example. Don’t use it because, it’s already been done and while copying is a sign of flattery, there are hundreds of people who also thought it was brilliant too and have used it thinking they’re original). If you’re going to be funny, it has to be clever. Alternatively you can choose to highlight your qualifications. Maybe you were Young Entrepreneur of The Year or have a diverse range of titles, for example; Agency Owner | Story Teller | Keynote Speaker | Chief Taxi Driver

Punchy profile summary

Think of your profile summary similar to an elevator-pitch, you have about 30-seconds to give insight into your career and future aspirations. If you are job-hunting, this is the part of your LinkedIn profile potential employers will scan. The perfect summary can result in gaining new clients or being headhunted for opportunities you only dared to dream about.

When writing your summary, try to avoid using corporate buzzwords such as synergy or giving back 110%. Adopting a conversational tone and injecting your own personality is more likely to engage the reader rather than belting out a list of achievements and regurgitating your CV.

Utilise the LinkedIn Profile capabilities to their potential

LinkedIn allows you to upload video content and add links to publications, articles and blogs to add social proof to your profile. If you’ve been involved with creating marketing campaigns for blue chip clients or authored articles on the benefits of digital marketing specialists or field your work in, then this is the ideal place to showcase your talent.

Ask former colleagues or clients to endorse you for your skills

As you’ve probably discovered by now, social media is a channel where people can be anyone or anything they like. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to set up a fake profile, but with LinkedIn recommendations prove that you are who you say you are and have the skills you profess to.

Engage with your connections

It’s good to interact with your connections to stay at the forefront of their mind. Posting regularly (no more than five posts a week) between 10am-11am is a good way to get noticed. Keep in mind, posts should be original long-form content or industry-related, timely and relevant, best practices, how-to guides, presentations, lessons learnt and videos. This is not the social media platform to post funny cat videos or bathroom selfies.

By keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date you are ensuring you’re not missing out on any potential opportunities, while making sure you’re not just another faceless profile that fades into the background.

If you’re not sure your LinkedIn profile makes the mark, XDesigns Advertising can help you stand head and shoulders above the rest.

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How do I create the perfect opt-in page?

From all appearances, an opt-in page, sometimes referred to as a landing page, looks straightforward and simple, but don’t be deceived. A lot of hard work and thought goes into creating the perfect page to create leads and build a direct marketing list,,

What is the main purpose of an opt-in page? 

Opt-in pages (or landing pages) provide free incentives in exchange for contact information. For example; win a night’s accommodation at the Hilton and then personal details such as names, phone numbers and emails are gleaned to build a database for customer contacts. Your incentive doesn’t have to be as glitzy as a night’s accommodation. It could be a free ebook or coupon codes for discounts.

In most cases, this could be the first time people are hearing about your business. You are strangers! You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger on the street and trying to sell them your service or product without an introduction. The internet is no different. An opt-in page is like saying “Hey, this is what I can do for you and if you like me and want to get to know us better, then let’s swap contact details.”

Landing pages are also idea if you are running Google Ad words campaigns and provide you with an opportunity to add more touch points to your prospects journey. After all, you don’t go from being random strangers to best friends the first time you meet someone. There are often conversations along the way, and soon you are more than just strangers, your acquaintances. Opt-in or landing pages are a great way to steer that journey from random to best friends (also known as loyal customers).

What does the perfect opt-in page need?

Does it really need your logo? 
Having a logo on your opt-in page is a bit like walking around a large shopping mall with a “Hello my name is…” badge. No one cares. In fact, it’s probably just filling in white space that could be used more efficiently. Remember the purpose for your opt-in page is to get people interested and these days you have about 2.5 seconds. You are dealing with people that don’t know you from a bar of soap, it’s it doesn’t matter whether you’re Wally Watson from Wally’s Super Butcher or Sid from Snap Fresh Meats—what matters most is the offer!

Do I need to tell prospect about my business?
Does your audience really want to know you’re a family-run business for four generations? No, not really. Do they care what part of Australia the goods you’re selling come from? Uh-uh! They’re only interested in the solution you can provide for them and the incentive to hand over their details.

Do I need testimonials?
One or two written testimonials may be beneficial, but it’s not going to entice someone to sign up for your newsletter. Further along the sales funnel video testimonials can be very powerful to convert website traffic into actual paying customers, but for the purpose of an opt-in page, the simpler, the better.

What about the lead magnet?
A lead magnet is a fancy term to describe the way you entice people to give you their mobile phone number or their email address. The rule of thumb is to keep your giveaway and sign up process as simple as possible. If a person has too answer too many questions about wage earnings or preferences or shopping habits, chances are they’re going to decides it’s too much effort. It needs to be fast and breezy! From looking at the page they need to be able to surmise what you are giving away and how to sign up with it. If it’s too complex…they’ll lose interest in a flash and move on to the next interesting thing.

Do I need a graphic designer to layout my opt-in page
Absolutely, no questions about it—YES! A good graphic designer or web developer with a design background can make the world of difference between a page that doesn’t clearly communicate your message and one that’s eye-catching. A good designer will also ensure the headline is the first thing on the page the eye is drawn to with a sub headline that elaborates on the headline.
Use one image which clearly shows what you are giving away, so your web traffic can see what they are getting for their exchange of details.

Your description of your giveaway doesn’t have to be over the top, as long as it adequately describes what is on offer and it includes the benefits of the product or service. Makes sure you understand the difference between a benefit and a feature.

1) Features are things the products or services provide.
2) Benefits are what enhancements is the product or service going to bring to your audiences life.
For example; Let’s say you’re giving away a free cookbook. The features might be Meatless recipes, 108-pages, large size font. The benefits are all your vegetarian recipes in one spot No more spending hours trawling the internet for vegetarian recipes.

What calls to actions work best?
When you’re designing an opt-in page, the best call to actions (CTA) are buttons. Again, keep it simple like “Yes, sign me up” and have the contact form fields on a separate page so it doesn’t make your opt-in page look cluttered or clunky.
An alternative to contact form fields is a pop-up. It’s clean and simple and with one question like “What’s your email address?” It only takes a few seconds to fill in. You start losing people when you want their postal address, birthdate and personal details of that nature.

How do I write a good headline for my opt-in page
A good headline, even though usually only a few words, can be the hardest part of this process. If you are pressed for time, we suggest you hire a professional content writer. However if you are doing this alone, the headline should include what your potential client will get from opting in, how long it will take and list the one thing that’s been holding them back from achieving their desired goal.

For example; Make vegetarian meals in 30 minutes your family WILL eat.

Always make sure your free gift is sent immediately, or if your new leads has entered a draw to win, send a confirmation email of what they’ve entered.

Now you have their email addresses or phone number, the next part of the sales funnel is to explain the products or services you have for offer and how it will change their life.

If you are having trouble generating leads or designing the perfect opt-in page, talk to the team at XDesigns Advertising today.

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