Simple Clean Websites

February 16, 2012 Anthony Web Design Leave a comment  

If you look at previous posts on our blog you will notice related topics to simple clean websites. You may think we are being repetitive or crazy, but our current clients understand what we are doing.

Simple clean websites

We only design simple clean websites. Over the years we developed “glamourous” websites, flashy websites and other non simple clean websites. Since we have lasting relationships with our clients we started to notice which businesses were growing and which ones were not. We noticed that simple clean websites were more effective than cluttered flashy websites. Do not think simple means ugly though. To us, simple websites look better.

How to get a simple clean website

The best way to get your own simple clean website is to look around for sites you really like. You may find some things you like on one website and a few more on a different website. Make a list of all the simple clean websites you like and why you like them. Once your list is complete you can either make your own website based off the designs you combined or hire a company who focuses on simple clean websites.

Simple clean websites win!

We try our best to make blog posts quick and to the point. We find that a lot of people read the first couple sentences and then the last couple sentences. If you’re skipping to the end, leave this post knowing that with our experience we recommend developing simple clean websites. If you need a company to design your site, our team includes developers who only focus on simple designs. Take a look at some of our previous sites for ideas. You can also check out another blog post that has a list of simple clean websites. Like always, if you have any questions feel free to give us a call or send an email.

simple clean websites

Simple Websites

February 10, 2012 Anthony Business Leave a comment  

Simple Websites

We. Love. Simple Websites.

That is why we develop simple websites. If you look at some of the most successful websites you’ll see simplicity. Amazon, eBay, Facebook, etc. all have simple websites. The reason is because simplicity works. If you go to one of those websites you’ll see that your focus is on what they sell. You can take the same concept that “the big guys” use on your own business.

Simple websites are more effective

The main purpose of your website is to motivate users to take action. The action can be to call your business, send an email, fill out a survey, learn more about your business and so on. Simple websites are more effective because there are only a couple actions a user can take. When your website has too many actions, users are going to leave. Nobody wants customers to leave because their website is too complicated.

A few examples of simplicity include avoiding too many links in your navigation, using pictures that give users a clear idea of what you do and limiting the amount of content a user sees when the page first loads. Take our homepage as an example.

Your web designer should take the time to understand your business and develop a simple website that promotes the action that leads to business growth. Once the plan is made it’s time to build a simple website.

Simple websites are beautiful

simple websitesSimple websites don’t have to be boring or ugly. When we build websites simplicity is important. However, simple websites need to look modern and attractive. How likely is it that you would buy candy from the van to the left? It’s a safe bet that most people would say no or even call the police. You don’t want that happening to your website. That is why it is important to develop simple websites that also look great. To us, simple websites that promote growth are beautiful.

Simple websites are better

If you skipped to the end of the post you only need to know one thing. Simple websites are better.

Why SEO is Important Now

January 10, 2012 Anthony Business Leave a comment  

SEO (search engine optimization) has always been important, but is becoming a must as more and more businesses hire talent to maintain search engine rankings. Imagine your company as a store in the mall. Would you rather be an anchor store or one located in a secret room in the janitor’s closet? If you said janitors closet you can stop reading now. If you said anchor store please continue.

In this example the mall is Google. Malls have many different stores and Google has many different websites to display. There are stores in the mall who receive a lot of traffic and other ones like our secret janitor’s store who receive one or two by accident. We will assume the anchor stores are #1 in Google’s search results and the janitor’s closet is #100. Nobody is going to find the closet on Google, just like they won’t in the mall. No customers equals no sales. How do we get your closet store as an anchor store? Search engine optimization or SEO for short is the answer.

If you’re starting off in the closet, chances are nobody really knows about you. We need people to start talking about you and get the word out that your store is open and legit. You run an ad in the paper, tell your social networks and offer free pizza and pony rides for a day. On your special day you had 50 customers. 5 of them decided to tell other friends about your store. Well, Google heard about those 5 people talking about your store and bumped your site up to #90. Thanks Google, but why did you do that? Google likes to see websites that are talked about. In the real world these are called back links. Back links are pretty important when it comes to SEO, but are not the only factors that help your ranking. Just like a store, you’ll need a nice environment, friendly staff, good products, etc.

The same principles apply to your website. The sooner you apply effective methods the sooner you will see an increase in traffic. SEO is becoming increasingly popular with businesses, which means it’s time to beat your competitors before they beat you. Playing catch up with a competitor is no fun, especially when it comes to SEO. It’s easier to beat your competition and stay ahead of them in rankings before they hire talent to manage their rankings. Our Michigan SEO services have helped many businesses throughout the nation grow and maintain desired rankings. Contact us if you have any questions or would like us to go in more depth about our closest example.

Simple and Creative Logos

December 28, 2011 Anthony Web Design Leave a comment  

We love simple logos. We also like to see creativity when it’s appropriate. Some brands need to show creativity to add value to their brand. Other companies need to stick to simple and clean. Check out the below logos and let us know which ones would fit your company.

Rework is a good book

November 28, 2011 Anthony Motivation Leave a comment  

There are many reasons I really like the book Rework. The biggest reason I like the book is because it’s straight to the point and simple to understand. If you are a client of mine or read other blog posts you know I like simple. There’s no point writing two paragraphs when you can get the point across in five words. Just because you have thousands of words doesn’t mean you have one clear message.

The company behind the book is successful. They’re small, operate in a niche market and make everything simple. Things like working long hours just to “work,” meetings about meetings and hiring the “right” person because they technically have years and years of experience aren’t in their policy book. They’re running a business that is far ahead most companies. They go into more detail than I do, but you should be able to read the book in a day or two. The advice they give is definitely worth the read.

I suggest reading the book, but my summary would be that you need to be making money doing something you love, in a niche market, surrounded by the least amount of employees (who are good people) and focus on customer service without being fake.

Web Designer Michigan

November 25, 2011 Anthony Blog Info and News Leave a comment  

What does being a web designer in Michigan really mean? Well, the easiest way to explain it is that we’re going to make your business grow. We are based out of Michigan, but have helped small businesses grow around the nation.

Designing a website starts with understanding your business and what it will take to make it grow. Every business is different and every plan is customized for your specific needs.

A couple important factors in the success of your website will be the way the website “feels” and knowing what your customers search for online in order to find you. The look and feel of your website should reflect the business you have. Is your business fun? If so, then your website should look and feel fun. Do you have a professional business that sells an expensive service? If so, your website should look clean, simple and modern. The feel is something a web designer should be able to express throughout your website.

Knowing how customers are finding you or your competitors online is also important. The easiest way to think of it would be to ask yourself, “What would I type in a search engine to find my product or service?” Remember to think of that question as a customer and not as a business owner. Knowing which keywords to target from the beginning will make it easier to bring in more traffic when your website launches. Not only are we great web designers, but we’ll also be able help you plan which keywords to target for your business.

Web Design is a Passion

November 22, 2011 Anthony Motivation Leave a comment   ,

Something I learned over the past few years is making a living from a passion is the way to go. When I decided to leave the “safe” job, I was basically starting over. It was pretty stressful, but I can see now that it was the right choice to become a web designer. I combined my skills with passion and now help businesses grow.

Instead of waking up and following the same routine everyday making a big corporation money, I decided to design websites for other people trying to make a living from their passion. I am a strong supporter for small businesses and it is a great feeling knowing that the websites I create are helping people become more successful.

Every website is a chance to help someone become more successful and that is my passion. When passion is combined with a specific skill set, you’ll find great success. Everyone has a different image of success, but in the end, if you’re happy, you’re successful.

Below are a couple good quotes related to passion.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
– Harold Whitman

“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.”
– T. Alan Armstrong

“When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible.”
– Nancy Coey

The future is not a gift: it is an achievement

January 25, 2011 Anthony Quotes 3 Comments

It has been a long time since I posted on my personal blog. I have been working on multiple projects to help me reach my goal and vision in life. I’ll update and start posting regularly when I have more time. In the meantime I wanted to share a quote that explains why I am focusing on my projects.

Robert F Kennedy: “The future is not a gift: it is an achievement.”

For most people, your future is not just going to happen. You’re going to have to work for it.

If you need help starting a website for your business contact our team and we’ll help you throughout the entire process. We have a lot of experience in start-ups and expanding businesses and can help do the same for you.

Three Wise Books

August 18, 2010 Anthony Business Leave a comment   , , ,

I’m just going to put this out there and say I really enjoy reading. It’s something I wish I did more of when I was younger. I guess I’m making up for lost time since I’ve been reading a lot lately. I like the feeling of learning something new that sparks a new idea.

No matter how many books I read, I have three stuck in the back of my mind. I think these three books are great for any entrepreneur or even someone looking to improve their life financially. Below are the three books.

1. Think and Grow Rich – This is a great book that explains the importance of believing in yourself and really making your mind work for you. The basic idea is to imagine AND feel your future continuously. This will “trick” your mind into your thoughts becoming true. What did I take from the book? Set a goal, picture how you will accomplish the goal and picture the reward from accomplishing the goal.

2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad – A great book from someone who experienced a “poor” dad and a “rich” dad. You kind of have to read the book in order to understand the difference. The book gives you two different lifestyles from two different men. Both are smart in their own way, but chose different paths. There is not a correct lifestyle, but if you want the rich dad lifestyle you need to hear how he did it. What did I take from the book? Pay myself first and build my asset column.

3. The E-Myth Revisited – Once you have the mindset from Think and Grow Rich and the lifestyle path from Rich Dad, Poor Dad, The E-Myth will give you the business process to put it all together and make something happen. There were many chapters in the book that made me think about how I do business. The book explains common problems for business owners and how to overcome those challenges. What did I take from the book? Build a business around a passion, create a very detailed operation manual so you can hire a lamp to run your business and provide continuous innovation.

Well, there you have have it… The three wise books. For as many books as I have read recently, those three stand out. I also liked the books because they were easy reads since I’m not a fan of super long fancy words made up to make you sound smart. If you read the books and learned something, post it below.

Motivational Movies

July 8, 2010 Anthony Motivation 5 Comments ,

Motivation is one of the most important factors in being successful. It is what keeps entrepreneurs going. Whether it is motivation to make money, accomplish a goal or maybe even change the world, it is important to have. What keeps the motivation going? For me, it is the vision in my head. All I have to do is imagine where I want to be in a year and I feel like I just took a shot of motivation. Motivational movies based off true stories also give me a burst of motivation. Seeing other people overcome challenges to accomplish their goals gives me assurance that I can too. If you are feeling a little down or need some encouragement, try watching a motivational movie.

There are two motivational movies that I really enjoy. The first one is The Pursuit of Happyness. The movie shows the struggles that Chris Gardner went through to be successful. No matter what happened, Chris continued to overcome temporary defeat to move closer to success until he finally accomplished his goal. Another story in the movie pertains to his wife. When things were tough she quit. She couldn’t handle the temporary defeat, which turned into permanent defeat. Chris and his wife were in the same situation. Chris decided to push through the hard time, while his wife chose to leave. Guess who is living a better life now? It goes to show that if you are determined to accomplish something that means a lot to you, persistence and motivation is extremely important. The proof is in the choices Chris made compared to his wife. The best part of the movie for me is the very end when Chris is clapping his hands walking down the street when he found out he landed the job he was working hard at. The emotions related to accomplishing something like Chris is what keeps me going. I know the struggles are worth the reward at the end. When the reward happens it will feel earned. I suggest watching this movie if you have not done so already. If you want to learn more about the true story visit Wikipedia.

Another great movie is Men of Honor. There are many challenges Carl Brashear, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., goes through. However, he was so determined to become a Master Diver, that he eventually accomplished it. No matter what happened to Carl, he overcame temporary defeat. This includes losing a leg! To learn more about the true story visit Wikipedia.

Both motivational movies are great examples of staying motivated to succeed no matter what stands in your way. If you’re looking for an extra burst of motivation try watching one of the above movies.

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