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A collection of helpful articles on web design in Nigeria. Read these articles before you ever hire a web designer in Nigeria.

Top 10 Questions You Must Ask Your Web Designer

May 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It is unwise to hire just any web design company, especially because you need to get value for any naira you spend. You need to ask questions and ensure that you get answers that inspire confidence.

Here is a list of 10 questions you should ask your web designer before even hiring him.

1. How long have you been in business?

This helps you know the kind of experience they have as well as the number of websites they’ve designed and developed.

2. Does your company have graphic designers as well as programmers?

If your site only looks good but doesn’t function properly, then it’s NO good.

3. What is the current software you work with?

Since the web design industry is never stagnant, you want to ensure that the company is up to date with current advances. If a web designer is a strong advocate of designing with Adobe Flash, start looking for another designer!

4. Do you have an industry you specialize in?

You need to know this because certain web designers have a niche — they work for certain types of companies. For example, a web design company may specialize in designing for schools. You need a company that will take care of your unique needs.

5. Do you have experience with a wide range of company sizes?

If you run a small business, you need a company that will cater to your needs. A designer that has only worked for large companies might not be the right match for you.

6. Will I be able to process orders?

This is a question you must ask if you intend to sell your products or services online. How will the online ordering system work? Find out which payment processors they user.

7. Will my page have a feature for capturing potential customers’ data?

Ensuring that potential customers can sign up for your mailing list is a beautiful way to keep in touch and connect with clients. You therefore need to be sure the web design company gives you a feature that will capture names and email addresses.

8. Can I make updates and add content myself?

Will a manual be provided? You need to be sure that managing your web site will be relatively easy. Otherwise, you’re better off looking elsewhere for a competent web developer with experience in building content management systems.

9. Do you develop mobile-friendly web pages?

More and more people are browsing the web with mobile devices. Find out if they know what it takes to build web pages that display well across all devices.

10. What about maintenance, renewals and other charges?

Know in advance what a designer will charge you for maintenance, and domain/hosting renewal. Are there any hidden charges? Find out about all of them.

Your website is your biggest branch office, open to countless millions of people from all corners of the earth. DO NOT leave its development in the hands of amateurs. Ask your questions and if you’re not satisfied with the answers, move to a design company with the expertise you need.

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7 Reasons Why You Need to Redesign Your Old Website

May 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Do you have a tired looking, static website? If so, it’s time for a make-over because what you have is an ineffective marketing tool that might be doing more harm than good.

Here’s how to determine if your website needs a redesign…

1. Your website is not user-friendly

A user-friendly website is one that is easy to navigate. Gone are the days when a website visitor will spend several minutes searching for something on a website. These days, Internet searchers are impatient people and if they don’t find what they’re looking for in seconds, they will click away and move on to another website. If you have a poorly planned website, now is the time to redesign it.

2. The look and feel of your website might be hurting your business

What looks splendid several years ago may look offensive today. If you have a website with 10 flashy banners and several scrolling texts and animated icons scattered around the page, you’re still living in the past and this will hurt your business badly. Your site will likely offend visitors who will click the close button as soon as they land on your page. They will leave with the feeling that every aspect of your business is just like your website – offensive. So make sure that your site keeps up with the fast-pace of technology.

3. Your site doesn’t connect with your visitors

No one wants to do business with a faceless company. If after a few seconds on your website, visitors do not clearly see how you can help them and how your products or services would benefit them, they will leave because they don’t feel the connection. A poorly designed website disconnections with the visitors and I’m sure you know how bad that is for business.

4. Your site hasn’t evolved with your business growth

Two or three years ago when your business started, you also set up your website. Today you business has grown and expanded but your website is as static as it has been from Day 1. If this is the case with you, then you should have your website redesigned. Your goal here would be to have a website that is scalable, one that will evolve and grow with your business growth.

5. No traffic, big problem

A site without a constant flow of traffic is like a shop built in the desert. You spend so much to set it up and maintain it but it adds no real value to your business. If your site isn’t getting enough visitors, then you need to rethink your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. This might involve a complete overhaul and redesign of your website. With effective online marketing, your lonely site can become popular.

6. Oh, Yes! We have traffic but no sales

There could be several problems with your website if you experience traffic but no sales. Maybe your site has no clear call to action. Maybe visitors cannot easily figure out how to place an order. Is the “buy now” button hidden? Are you merely focusing on the features of your products and services instead of the benefits to visitors? A good web development company would always ensure that your website is optimized to convert visitors to customers.

7. Your site doesn’t work properly

A website that doesn’t work properly is one with outdated links, one that returns errors when you click on a link, one that loads too slowly or that looks bad on various browsers. Actually, the list is endless but I hope you get the picture. When a site works badly, it sends a negative message: “We’re really not interested in giving you the best service, and that’s why our website doesn’t work properly just like every aspect of our business.” Would you like your visitors to hear this message?

As you may have notice from your use of the Internet, the above problems are common with some websites today. Smart business owners are making necessary changes and leveraging the Internet to promote their business.

If your website has any one of problems mentioned above, then it’s time to consider redesigning it. Don’t sit back and relax, letting one of your most effective marketing tools become obsolete. Contact us today to see how we can help create a new website for your business or redesign an existing one. We have helped hundreds of businesses increase sales and profits and we can do the same for you too.

Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: , ,

10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Website

November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most of your competitors have websites. So you thought of having one too but you’re not sure how it would benefit your business. Should you just get a website because your competitors already have theirs? If that’s your sole reason for having a website, then you’re just about to make a bad business decision.

Read on as I present 10 solid reasons why you need a website for your business:

1. Expand your potential customer base to the entire nation and the world.

Gone are the days when you’re limited to selling your product and services to people within your locality. Gone are the days when all you can have as customers were people who read your adverts in the newspaper. Today, anyone with Internet access is a potential customer whether he lives in Lagos or New York.

2. You website is your 24/7 customer care agent.

With a professional website, you can answer questions and explain the benefits of your products and services 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week. Your website is always on, so your potential customers don’t have to wait until office hours to call you. By browsing through your website, they can find out exactly what services and products you offer them. They can get answers to their questions from the FAQ section of your website. They can email you or get access to your phone numbers so they can call you for more information. With a professional website, potential customers can take a ‘complete’ tour of your business in your absence.

3. Present a professional image and become the expert.

If you run a small business that competes with larger businesses, having a website is probably one of the best business decisions you can ever make. A well-designed website is one way to instill confidence in your potential customers and make your small business look bigger than it actually is. A professional website increases your credibility. And your credibility, in turn, makes you the expert. People go online to seek out businesses that know their onions. A professional website positions you and your business as such.

4. Create an interactive environment for your customers.

Everybody wants to have a say. Your customers want to share ideas on how to get the best out of your products and services. They want to ask questions and get response. Your site can have a place for such comments and questions or even a feedback forum where you ask your customers what feature they would like to see added to your products and services. You business would grow when you provide just what your customers want.

5. Keep your information up-to-date.

How does it feel spending thousands of naira to print full-color brochures that become obsolete even before you finish distributing them? Awful, isn’t it? That’s because once you print and publish, you can’t easily update. A professional website is different. You can update content whenever you want and give your potential customers information that is up-to-date.

6. Sell your products and services while you sleep.

How good is that? You can make sales and have people order your products and services even while you gently snore away at night. Get a professional website and accept and process orders online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Nothing feels as good as getting up in the morning to find out you made sales or received orders while you were sleeping.

7. Kill competition.

Business in today’s world is a civilized version of war. No matter your industry or company, there is always a battle-ready competitor who is busy strategizing how to kill beat you. In your life-or-death quest to keep your business on top of the competition, you must make an informed decision and take timely action. One such decision is to get a website. However, you don’t kill competition with just about any website. A targeted, good-looking and well optimized website is a competition killer.

8. Show you understand and use technology.

Would you rather do business with a bank that still operates like it’s in the 19th century or with a bank that’s 21st century compliant? Yes, I know you would say you’re not operating a bank. But the truth is, to remain competitive, you must show your potential customers that you understand and make use of technology. A website not only brings your company up to speed with other companies, but it shows that you’re not afraid of using technology to improve the quality of your service.

9. Reach out to those who normally wouldn’t reach out to you.

In today’s world, many first contacts are made online. Think about it, you probably first heard of Ciphermedia on the Internet. And that’s because we reached out to you. In the same vein, people like you scan the web, and if your website is set up properly and optimized with the right content, you can pull in customers who weren’t even aware they needed your service. So get a professional website today and explain to them why they need you!

10. Learn more about your customer and make even more sales.

Do you know your ideal customer very well? I know you would be inclined to say something in the lines of, “Oh, I know them well. They’re mostly females between the ages of 25 and 40.” Honestly, that’s not a bad answer (but sadly, it’s also not a good one). You see, you actually need a little more detail about your potential customers. Details like why they purchase from you and what keeps them buying from you rather than from your competitors. With details such as these, you’re poised to serve them better and keep them coming back to you. No medium is better in capturing these details than with a survey or a feedback form on a professional website.

In conclusion, it doesn’t matter how big your business is. Whether you’re a one-man show or a 100,000-staff corporate company, you’re losing business to your competitors if you don’t have a website.

However, there’s one exception to this rule. It is better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Remember, your website is your 24/7 customer care agent. It is your online image. If it looks bad, it is like telling your potential customers, “Look, our cleaner designed this awful site. May God help you find anything on it!”

If that’s not how you want to treat your business, then consult Ciphermedia for a professional website design. Ciphermedia is dedicated to helping small, medium and large-scale businesses as well as individuals to start and prosper from an online presence. Click here to request a quote.

Filed Under: Web Design