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5 Reasons Your Company Should Create a Business App

Author: Mario Diaz

5 Reasons Your Company Should Create a Business App

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Smartphone users spend three hours and 15 minutes on their devices each day. For the top 20% of smartphone users, this rises to a total of four and a half hours. With mobile technology being such a prevalent part of our lives, is your business doing everything possible to harness this technology to engage with your customers by learning how to create a business app?

You may think that smartphone apps are only useful for big businesses. You would, however, be wrong in this assumption. Smartphone apps are a valuable tool for any business, regardless of size.

As 81% of all US adults own a smartphone, it is essential to understand that the mobile aspect of your digital communications strategy is vital. However, this should not stop at just having a mobile-optimized website.

Here are five reasons that your company should create a business app.

1. To Improve Customer Service

Customer service is an essential element of any business. But the days of delivering all of your customer services solely in person or over the phone are long gone.

Smartphone apps offer the opportunity to create round the clock customer service for your business.

Because your service is delivered through an app, the interface will mean that it will be consistent across all pages.

2. To Increase Your Visibility

Having your branded business app on your customer’s device will mean that there is the potential to remind them of the presence of your business continually.

As your customers scroll by your app, you will be increasing your brand’s visibility.

3. To Improve Customer Loyalty

Apps that need to be created for any business should focus on generating customer loyalty.

By building in reasons for your customers to keep coming back and using your app, you will build your relationship with your customer.

Think about ways to incentivize your customers to keep coming back. One of the strongest ways that you can do this is by offering discounts or rewards for achieving a certain amount of repeat custom.

4. To Create a Direct Marketing Channel

Having an app for your business will mean that you will have direct access to your customers.

Through the use of push notifications, you will be able to send direct marketing messages that are relevant to your customers.

Remember to use this tool wisely and sparingly. If your send too many notifications or are not providing relevant offers or information, then you may find your app gets uninstalled.

5. To Boost Your Profits

The improvements in customer service, the ability to use direct marketing, and the increased customer loyalty will overall amount to an increase in sales.

As your app grows in popularity, it will pay for itself with increased sales. With the largest spend in your app budget being on development, profits will soon rise too.

How Do You Create a Business App?

If you are looking to create a business app, you will want a sleek, professional design that puts user experience at its core.

Get in touch today and talk to us about what your business needs from its app.

The Importance of White Space in Graphic Design

Posted on by Mario Diaz

You’ve slaved over writing your content. You’ve found terrific images to complement your work. But somehow, it all looks cluttered and hard to read. Why aren’t you done yet? It might be that something is still missing–and you want to keep it that way. What you need in your design is white space, the empty space surrounding your words and pictures. The use of white space in graphic design sets the readability and tone for your page, and creates lasting impressions.

What Is White Space?

White space is the area between design elements, or within individual design elements such as letters. White space does not actually have to be white, but can be part of a colored background as well. There are several types of white space:

Macro

Macro white space is the space between or around major elements of a page, such as the space to the sides of a column of text, or the space separating images.

Micro

Micro white space is the area between individual elements, such as the space between letters, words, or paragraphs. Micro space determines the readability of your text.

Active

Active white space is used to create the structure of the page. It leads the user from one design element to another.

Passive

Passive white space includes the areas in between and around elements which do not actively guide the user, but contribute to the overall look and feeling of the design.

5 Reasons To Add White Space In Graphic Design

1. Declutter The Page

An advertisement or website with well-designed whitespace looks modern and clean, not cluttered. Picture how whitespace is used on the internet’s most popular webpage, www.google.com.

2. Direct The Reader’s Focus

You can use white space to lead the reader’s focus and emphasize features of your page. Add spacing between paragraphs to create a cleaner look, set a block of text by itself for emphasis, or arrange your photos so that each one stands out and the reader’s eyes can easily move between them.

3. Make Text More Legible

Think about micro white space when designing your text layout. Choosing the right font, the right letter spacing, and the right amount of space between paragraphs helps make your material easy to read.

4. Adapt For Small Screens

As people shift to mobile devices for their web browsing, it’s becoming even more important to use minimalism in web design. Reducing content and increasing whitespace on your website will help users read it on their phones.

5. Set Your Tone

The way you use whitespace in advertising sets the tone of your design and your product. Adding whitespace to your ad creates the impression of sophistication and luxury.

Create Your Final Document

When you’ve put a lot of work into creating your content, you want your reader to get as much out of it as possible. Adding white space takes your work from a draft to a finished, attractive product.

Let us show you how creating white space in your graphic design will make it more attractive, lead your readers to the right information, and set the tone you want your readers to take away. We’ll give your product a truly professional look.

Don’t DIY a Design: 5 Reasons You Should Outsource Graphic Designers

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Should you DIY or outsource graphic designer?

It’s a common question among business owners, who often feel like it saves money to do things themselves.

Graphic design may seem simple, but creating professional-quality images is more complex. If you don’t have experience in the field, you may find it very time-consuming.

If you’re tempted to create your own graphic designs, consider these five reasons for outsourcing graphic design services.

1. Graphic Design Expertise

While there aren’t mandated minimum requirements, most graphic designers have at least a bachelor’s degree in the field. No matter what the educational background, they often have extensive hands-on experience designing graphics, either in paid positions, classes, or internships.

When you outsource your graphic design work, you get instant access to those years of graphic design schooling and experience. This allows you to get a high-quality design to present your company professionally.

Along with the expertise, you get access to design programs and tools the graphic designer uses. You don’t have to buy the graphic design software or templates yourself. The versions of software that graphic designers use are often professional-quality with robust tools to ensure great results. 

Graphic designers also stay on top of the latest design trends. That means your design work follows those trends, and you don’t have to stay on top of changes in the industry.

2. Time Savings

Are you struggling to get your design ideas to turn out on paper? Or maybe you’re completely stuck on what to do.

When you don’t do graphic design on a regular basis, it takes a lot longer to get the work done. You may spend time figuring out how to use graphic design software or get images into templates. 

An outsourced graphic designer can assess what you need and quickly pull it together into a professional design. You have your graphics quickly, and you’re free to do your normal work activities. When everyone sticks to their talents and skills, everything gets done more efficiently, which can mean growth for your business.

3. Money Savings

Spending money to pay a graphic designer to save money seems counterintuitive. But the cost of outsourcing is often a better value, especially compared to hiring a full-time graphic designer.

If you’re considering in-house graphic design, you’ll likely spend a lot more on the hiring process, salary, and benefits.

That full-time employee gets paid even if you don’t have enough graphic design work to keep them busy full time. When you outsource, you only pay the graphic designer for the specific work you need.

You also need less space in the office, which can save on overhead.

4. Consistent Branding

Why does consistent branding matter? When businesses are consistent with brand image across platforms, they can see up to a 23% increase in revenue.

A graphic designer understands how to not only combine design elements that work well together but also create consistency across all graphics created for your company. 

Even something as simple as color is important to branding. The choice of color can impact brand recognition by up to 80%.

5. Different Perspective

You have your vision for your company’s designs, but you can also get stuck in your own perspective. When you outsource, you get a fresh set of eyes on your company’s design needs. That could result in a much better design than you could create with your limited vision.

Outsource Graphic Designers

When you outsource graphic designers, you free up resources within your company. You also gain the insight and ideas of an expert in the field. It can end up saving you time and money with improved results.

Explore our creative service options if you’re ready to outsource graphic design and build a consistent, professional brand image for your company. 

5 Signs You’re in Desperate Need of a Website Redesign

Posted on by Mario Diaz

93% of people have left a website because it wasn’t correctly formatted on their device. It’s a testament to how important a website is for a business. 

Websites need to show up correctly on mobile devices, computers, and Ipads. Everything needs to be formatted correctly in addition to having excellent copy. 

But not every business knows they need a website redesign. Most businesses don’t specialize in web design or understand how it brings in customers. 

Here are 5 signs that you need to redesign your website and why it’s critical for business success.

1. To Communicate Your Brand

Your business brand should tell a story to your customers. A website that is dull and boring can convey the wrong message. 

A website that is innovative, colorful, and easy to navigate, offers your customers some perspective on how modern your brand is. It tells them how relevant you are in your industry. 

2. To Generate More Leads

You have to step into the shoes of your audience when you think about your website. 

If you want more leads, you should consider how easy it is to navigate through your website. You should make it simple to submit lead generation information. 

The goal of any website redesign is to generate more leads for a business. That means making your website simple to follow. 

3. To Create a Better User Experience

You don’t have to spend millions on a website redesign to create a better user experience. 

You do, however, have to give the user a unique experience. The goal is to keep them on your website. You want to show them what your business is about and how you can help them solve a problem. 

4. Your Website Currently Doesn’t Support Content Marketing

Content marketing is exploding in the form of blogs. More companies have blogs to answer questions their ideal customer would have. 

They also have blogs to rank their website higher. 

If you don’t have a blog on your website, it could be hurting your business more than you think. 

5. Your Website Is Outdated

If you haven’t updated your website in over 10 years, it could be time for an update. 

Your website may be taking forever to load and it isn’t mobile responsive. You might also have outdated third-party tools. If they aren’t updated, you could be losing customers. 

You can also find more information on our website on the six biggest trends in graphic design in 2020. 

Website Redesign Will Change a Visitor’s Perspective of Your Website 

A website redesign is about what your ideal customers want to see. You are presenting them with a solution as soon as they see your website. 

A website redesign makes a solution clearer. It speaks to the problems of the customer and how a solution, which is evident on your website, can help them. A newer, more marketable website will convert more leads and generate more business profit. 

For more information on a website redesign, check out our website services. 

I Have an Idea for an App!: 4 Ways to Know if It’s Any Good

Posted on by Mario Diaz

In the digital era, there seems to be an app for everything. On the Google Play Store, there are nearly 2.5 million apps. There are another 1.8 million on the Apple App Store.

The sheer volume of apps should come as no surprise given how large the market is. In 2019, mobile apps generated over $460 billion in revenue.

For many people, the lightbulb goes on and they say to themselves, I have an idea for an app. Read on for four ways to know if you have a good idea for one. Explore other relevant topics such as pitching an app to potential investors.

1. There Is a Need

With millions of apps available for download, many ideas have already been launched. Before you start investing time and money in the app, do some opposition research.

Start by searching Google Play and the Apple App Store. Next, use a search engine to see what similar apps are out there if any.

Just because an app is available does not mean your dream is dead. You may still fill a need by offering the market a capability improvement. If you determine a need exists at the end of researching, you can be confident that you have a good idea.

2. Beta Testing

Before launching one, you want to perform some beta testing to make sure it works properly. This involves in-house verification testing to make sure it functions correctly.

Some in the tech industry refer to this as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The goal is to identify any bugs with your MVP and remediate them before product launch. Successfully proceeding past beta testing is a sign that you have developed a good product.

3. Customer Feedback

Now that your app functions properly, it is time to get some customer feedback. Start by delivering the MVP to a small group of testers. These testers should represent the prospective customer base you want to sell to.

Let them try it out and give you constructive feedback. Take their commentary seriously and implement solutions accordingly. If these prospective customers like it, you can be confident in your app.

4. Pitch to Investors

There is perhaps no better sign of a good idea than investor enthusiasm. Sometime during the development process, you are going to pitch the idea to investors.

The goal is to secure funding to complete software development. During an investor pitch, you can tell them the results of your opposition research. Also, inform investors about beta testing, customer feedback, and what you did to correct any deficiencies.

I Have An Idea for an App: A Recap

It possible for anyone to develop a software app. Just a few months ago, a 10-year old boy presented a new app at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

You can implement a great idea for a mobile app too. It is evident that it will be successful if there is a need and it receives positive feedback from customers.

If you are thinking I have an idea for an app and need help with development, contact us today for assistance.

The 6 Biggest Trends in Professional Graphic Design Styles to Try for a New 2020 Design

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Design has the power to communicate ideas and influence your potential customers to make a buying decision. This year begins a brand new decade, which means that it’s a great time to assess the past decade and look to the future. It’s a thrilling time to be in the field of design, or even to just appreciate the creativity and influences of different 2020 design disciplines.

What are the 2020 design trends to look forward to? Read on to find out.

1. Typography Evolves

Typography has the power to influence people to experience an emotion. More designers are experimenting with typography

Expect to see bigger and bolder fonts that stand out. You should also expect to see more overlap in types. For example, you may come across a type that’s large and transparent over an image. On top of the transparent text is the additional text that isn’t transparent.

This overlapping text will be seen on websites and in other formats like magazine layouts.

2. Monochrome Color Filters

Designers have shifted over the past couple of years from using duotone in images to going for monochrome.

Monochrome color filters are used to simplify a look and to create unity in the design. Color unity can reinforce a brand’s image in the mind of the consumer.

3. Flowing Shapes and Lines

It’s incredibly important for your business to seem authentic and relatable.

Shapes and lines that flow can convey that your brand is approachable and relatable. That relatability is a way to establish trust. That can increase your sales.

4. Minimalist Websites

The real estate that websites can take up is getting smaller and smaller. More and more people access websites using their phones, and it’s forcing graphic designers to take a different approach to create a user experience on all devices.

The main approach is to use minimalism in website design. That’s using a less is more approach. You’ll see more whitespace, fewer images, and bold text that gets right to the point.

Minimalism is going to be the 2020 design trend for landing pages.

5. GIFs are Out. Animation is In

It’s easy to use GIFs in social media and branding. However, GIFs are so overused, that you can’t create a branded GIF that makes a lasting impression.

That’s forcing brands to think outside the box and get incredibly creative. They’re turning to branded animations. You can expect to see unique animations that will attempt to stand out in the crowded digital world.

6. Color Goes Punk

It’s more important than ever to stand out in a way that is unique. Brands and designers are turning to bright colors to do the job. No, we’re not talking 80s neon green.

One of the design trends of the year is to use bright pinks and purples to convey in various forms of design. Even though the Pantone Color of the Year is Classic Blue, designers are still going to maintain an edge by adding bright colors to the mix.

2020 Design Trends

There is no doubt that this is going to be an exciting year in the field of design. These 2020 design trends show that designers are trying to get creative to make an impact.

Do you want to know which 2020 design trends can work for you? Contact us today for a consultation.

5 Can’t-Miss Social Media Trends for 2020

Posted on by Mario Diaz

How much time do you spend on social media? Today, consumers spend an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media per day. For many, this is to follow the lives of friends, family and their favorite brands and celebrities. For businesses, social media trends is one of the best ways to communicate with their consumers, advertise their product and showcase their brand.

This is why having a powerful social media presence for businesses is so vital.

If you’re trying to nail down the top social media trends for 2020, you’ve come to the right place. We’re sharing the five most dominating trends that are sure to be popular in this year’s social media calendar.

1. Hello User-Generated Content

One of the most anticipated social media trends comes in the form of user-generated content.

Often used by businesses, this is content such as user reviews that are posted to a business social media page. For example, a company might choose to showcase a video testimonial of a client utilizing one of their products.

From the perspective of the audience, this type of content feels more authentic. With that, the audience is better able to develop a sense of trust in the brand.

2. It’s Time for Even Better Communication

Of course, everyone loves browsing great content!

But, one of the top features of social media today happens to be the direct messaging ability. It’s safe to say that direct messaging through Instagram and using Facebook Messenger is a significant source of communication for many.

In 2020, we foresee social media platforms making communication and direct messaging even more widespread. Furthermore, a growing number of businesses are going to use this as an outlet for better communication with their consumers.

3. Keep Posting Those Stories

Short videos that are only available for a specific portion of time are referred to as ephemeral content.

This type of content has become incredibly popular today and is only going to become more popular in 2020 continues. The reason for this rise in popularity is perhaps due to the increasingly smaller attention span of internet users today.

At the end of the day, consumers enjoy taking in content that is short, simple and relatively easy.

4. Say Goodbye to “Likes”

If there’s one thing that consumers complain about with social media, it’s the inclination of some users to self-promote and feed their ego.

As we approach 2020, we’re going to see social media put less emphasis on vanity and narcissism. This is why we’re preparing to bid “likes” goodbye forever and welcome the uncertainty of how our followers react to the content we upload.

The goal is to make social media a more friendly and less competitive home for its followers. This also means that brands and influencers are going to have to work extra hard at showcasing their popularity.

5. Video Content is King

It’s safe to say that video content has been king for a long time.

But, as we dive headfirst into 2020, personal and authentic video content is going to become even more widely used by both businesses and individuals. This is why TikTok has been performing so well in recent months.

Social Media Trends

It’s easy to see how dominating social media is in the business world today.

After all, nearly 80 percent of Americans are active in some form of social media. With such large numbers, why wouldn’t a business choose to take advantage of this free platform?

If you’re using social media for business, allow this guide on social media trends 2020 to help inspire you!

Do you need help developing the best content possible? If so, be sure to check out this blog post.

How Small Business Mobile Apps Can Boost Your Business

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Approximately 30.2 million small businesses exist in the United States and they comprise 99.9% of all businesses in the U.S. While it is fun and challenging to own your own company it comes with a lot of work, some of which is not in your area of expertise.

This is where small business owners can harness the power of small business mobile apps to streamline processes and improve your bottom line. Read on to learn how small business mobile apps can help your company thrive in 2020 and beyond.

How to Use the Latest Small Business Mobile Apps to Improve Your Bottom Line

Let’s face it we live in a mobile world where 1.6 billion people globally to use their mobile devices to shop online. Here’s how you can make sure you keep up and stand out.

Boost Your Branding

It may take as multiple “touches” or interactions with your customers before you are able to convert them to sales. This means keeping your company’s logo and message in front of your customers is critical.

A custom mobile app is one way to do it. Custom mobile apps improve your brand recognition and can give new companies a significant brand boost when they are just starting out.

Improve Your Customers’ Experience and Engagement

Your customers also want to engage with your brand. Mobile apps and social media help to create customer engagement. Since the modern consumer does most of their purchases on mobile devices, mobile apps are the answer for significant customer engagement.

Use Mobile Apps as a Marketing Tool

You need to integrate mobile apps and your social media marketing plan. Responsive web design allows your web messages to be seen on all devices. They can also allow for push notifications so that you can easily share promotions and special offers.

Expand Your Customer Base

Engaging your current mobile base is important for repeat sales. However, you can also use mobile apps to expand your customer base. Many allow you to track current customers and then target ones that are similar.

If you have a brick and mortar store, expanding to a mobile app will allow you to attract customers who don’t live in your geographic area.

Do You Need Marketing or Web Development Support?

We can help you find the right small business mobile apps to improve your marketing and bottom line. We offer an array of products and services designed to support small businesses. We pride ourselves on offering each of our customers a personal relationship with our team to ensure their unique needs are met.

Our team is experienced in different operating systems, databases, and design applications. Share your vision and let us help you make it a reality!

Now that you understand the role that mobile apps can play when it comes to your productivity and bottom line, it is time to take action. Contact us to learn more about how our team can help you push your company forward.

5 Web Design Elements that Every Modern Website Should Have

Posted on by Mario Diaz

There are over 1.5 billion websites on the internet right now, and more adding to that every second.

Depending on your industry, you could be looking at some stiff online competition.

So, it goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway), your website needs to be sleek, navigable, and user-friendly. It not only needs to invite readers in, but it needs to keep them interested and engaged.

A few crucial web design elements can help you achieve this and get a leg up on your competitors. If you’re not engaging your clients, you’re losing business. And an astounding 94 percent of people will leave a website with bad design.

Here are some key elements to focus on during the creation stages!

1. Have Unique Typography

The font you use on your page sends a message to your readers.

Specific fonts are whimsical and fun — ideal for a baker’s website, but not a law office’s. Some fonts are strong and bold. Others convey authority and expertise.

Take The New Yorker’s Adobe Caslon font. The crisp edges of their letters are synonymous with this prestigious magazine.

Choose a font that will be just as identifiable for your brand.

2. Use the Hamburger Menu

Just as a hamburger is stacked, layer by layer, so too should your menu be.

Keep the deconstructed hamburger layout in the past. Instead, your toolbar that helps users navigate should be in the corner of your page. When users click that menu, it should be a drop-down that clearly displays each section.

More straightforward navigation is enough to keep people on your page.

3. Generate a Color Palette

If your website starts with a large image (another excellent web design trend), you can actually generate a color palette that matches its tones.

Creating consistency across the page looks sleek, polished, and professional. Graphic design lovers will appreciate that everything matches, color- and otherwise.

You can find color palette generators online for free!

4. Keep It Minimal (Embrace White Space)

Less is more — this rule particularly applies to modern websites.

The less that’s distracting your reader, the easier they can get to what they came for.

The toothbrush brand Quip has a wonderful example of this on their homepage.

Their product and mission are clearly visible on the page, but it’s surrounded by white space. This draws all the attention to their product. (They also make fantastic use of their color palette!)

5. Use Card Design

The card design is beginning to appear on more and more websites.

This is especially great if your page has a ton of content.

Using this web design element, you can essentially create thumbnails with images and brief headers or excerpts. Readers will find what intrigues them and click it, without having to scroll through countless pages perusing text.

As an example, think about Pinterest. They utilize a card design for their page. And we all know how popular Pinterest is!

These Web Design Elements Will Improve Your Internet Game

The key is to not focus on one of these elements, but all of them in tandem.

Considering each of these web design elements and using them together increases your power online. If you can engage users with fantastic font, an easy-to-navigate page, and a generally ad-free space, they’ll become customers for life!

We can help with that. Contact us today to see how we can get business owners like you to strengthen their brand.

The Future of SEO: Which Trends Will Dominate 2020 and Beyond?

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the best way to get your website noticed.

SEO determines how your website ranks in search rankings. It determines how easily your site is found when someone Googles your industry.

This article will teach you about the future of SEO and how you can rank well in 2020.

1. Create Quality Content

The truth is, quality content is never going out of style.

It’s important that you create content that adds value to a reader’s life. Your content should answer questions people want to know about your business.

It’s also important that you make your content easy to read for the web.

This means no long, rambling paragraphs. You need to “chunk” your words int digestible pieces. Include headings and white space often to give people breaks from the text.

Create content that you would want to read.

2. Be Mobile Friendly

As smartphones keep growing smarter, people have less need to access a computer.

By 2025, 75% of people will be accessing the internet exclusively from their phones.

What does this mean for SEO?

It means you need to be creating websites with mobile settings in mind. Before making a post, consider how it will appear on a cell phone.

Check at what points in a post a cellphone user will need to scroll down. You also need to make sure your mobile site has fast loading times. You would be shocked how quickly a mobile user will lose interest in your site if it runs slowly.

3. Be Snippet Worthy

Google is now featuring important information on snippets on its homepage.

These snippets give answers to questions without users even having to click the link.

You want your website to qualify for a snippet. In order to do this, you need to provide clear answers to commonly asked questions on your site.

4. Hire an Influencer

Influencers are so popular for a reason: they sell things well.

People love to buy things from people they trust. Influencers provide a face to a product and people flock to them.

Recruit an influencer to advertise your product for you. While they’re doing so, they will include a link to your website which will generate more traffic for you.

Remember, the more links you have to your site, the more authority Google thinks you have and the higher you will be ranked in its search engine.

Now You Know the Future of SEO

Search Engine Optimization is going to be more crucial in 2020 than any year before.

Every day, the internet is becoming more saturated with websites and blogs and they’re all fighting to stand out. The future of SEO will surely shape up to be more and more competitive.

Focus on building a quality website and becoming an authority on your subject and the traffic should follow.

Check out more of our tips on marketing your content here.