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Trig Web Design Blog

As an SEO expert, a large part of our job is to research keywords for our clients (and ourselves), then place those keywords within a web page so a search engine will index and hopefully get a site to the top for that keyword. One of the most important things to realize about this process is that humans seldom search Google the way we think they will.

I've been building websites for many years now and one thing I've learned is that poor construction of a website can destroy the best laid SEO plan. No matter how good your content is, if you don't have an advanced web design with modern HTML elements, your site can wallow on page 15 of Google.

What is Advanced Web Design?

Advanced Web Design is more than just graphic design and content writing. It involves programming elements like HTML5, CSS3 and JQuery scripts, all combined carefully so as not to conflict with each other and be compatible with all browsers. Most sites today are Content Managed, like Wordpress or Joomla. This gives web developers the unique opportunity to start with a fully operational, advanced web design, with SEO tools built in to the dirty work of META generation and Sitemap creation for search engines to index. They also come with a dizzying array of templates both paid and free to customize to their customer's specs. Here is where it gets tricky.

For a few years now, I have been talking about the evils of outsourcing, especially when it comes to intellectual services like web design, e-commerce and SEO services. After years of watching business after business get a raw deal from web design companies that outsource to India, I want to share with you why it's so important to get a website design from an American web developer.

I get asked this question a lot. There are many legal ways to speed up your placement in Google, and most are "common sense" things like keyword-rich content and title tags, but many are a little techy and may take a programmer to fix. Here are some things to do to help the bots along.

By the way, how long does it take to get to the top of Google? Anywhere between two weeks and several months, depending on your competition, market saturation and other factors. The truth is, Google takes longevity into account when ranking your website, so you'll have to be patient in some cases. Here are things to remember:

Lately, I've heard a few new clients mention that other web design companies are giving templates a bad rap. They say that they don't use templates, that everything they create is "custom designed" just for them. First of all, that's nonsense, especially when creating a CMS site like Joomla or Wordpress, they use templates as 'skins', easy to change according to your mood, in some cases; and they come with a few simple default templates to customize. So customizing a CMS website is really like using a template as a lump of clay; it's important to choose the right clay to start with.

I work with Joomla, so we'll talk about website templates for that CMS. Joomla has been around for a long time, and is the most popular Content Managed Site systems out there. I personally love Joomla, and have become somewhat of a master of its systems. With over 8,000 extensions (add-on programs and enhancements), Joomla can do almost anything - and there are literally thousands of templates made just for it.

As an e-commerce web designer, it is my job not only to build a great e-commerce site for my clients, but guide them through what is required to get one up and running, and what it takes to make money with one. Like anything else, it's simple when you know what you're doing, daunting when you don't. Here are a few things you should know before starting up an e-commerce site.

For the past 10 years or so, I have spoken to hundreds of people that hired a web designer before Trig Web Design for various reasons, and have come back with the saddest stories about getting ripped off. Unfortunately, the last few years we have seen the uprising of a large number of shysters in the Web Design and SEO business, chock full of mean, uncaring and untalented people that take your money, promise you the world, then disappear after the check clears. Most of the time, they deliver some kind of website, but nothing like what they promised, and the client is stuck with no more money, and a poor design that won't make them a penny. In the hope that some people out there looking for a web designer find this article, I want to tell you what to look for when hiring a web design company, and how to avoid getting ripped off.

I usually avoid ranting, as I think it's a little demeaning (except for comedians) but I have to speak out about what's going on in the web design business. For a long time I have watched web design companies stick it to their clients by overcharging, under-delivering and taking months (or never) to complete a project. Most of these infractions are by one-man firms who bite off more than they can chew. Others are overwhelmed by the number of projects they get, so they let some clients slip through the cracks. The bad part is now I come along, knowing I can help them, but now I have to really earn their trust. It gets frustrating be able to help so many people with my abilities, and have those same people distrust my entire profession due to a few unscrupulous designers.

Of course, there are always two sides to every story, and I'm sure giving web designers the benefit of the doubt is the right thing to do; but there is one disturbing practice that is spreading through the entire web design community; outsourcing.

Planning your web design carefully gives your site the best chance for success. Many people who hire a web design company leave the details entirely to the developers, spelling disaster if you choose the wrong one. In the 15 years I have been in the web design business, I have learned the hard way how to avoid some common mistakes. Here is a quick guide to planning a successful web design project, and it's easier than you think (if you hire the right developer, hint hint, wink wink).