Renard Mendez, Author at 658 Designz

Benefits of Having a website for your business

Leave a Comment / Blog post / Renard Mendez

6 min readThe benefits of having a website for your business It is difficult to run a successful business in these times without establishing an online presence. Creating a unique online presence with a website in 2022 will give you a competitive edge in your desired market. Thanks to new emerging technology it is now easier than ever to stay ahead of market trends and keep your business relevant. No matter the industry you may be in or the type of business you run. Establishing an online presence can help you attract more customers, drive more sales, and expand brand reach. Businesses without a website can often feel like their business doesn’t exist or only nearby customers will ever know about them. Many even feel that they don’t need a website because of the nature of their business. Break free from that thinking. It’s time to Separate yourself and your brand from the crowd and start attracting more clients. But why? Why is it that every business especially those that want to be successful needs to have a website? Let’s look at the top 7 benefits of having a website for your business. 7 Main benefits of Having a website for your business 1) A website legitimizes your brand benefits of having a website for your business A website can have a significant positive impact on your business. It signals to potential customers that you are legitimate and separates you from the rising pool of spammy social media businesses. Many of your potential customers will want to check out your website before making a purchasing decision. And if you don’t have a website, you can guess what that decision will be. Customers need confirmation that you are the right business to work with. And your website is the first contact online. Remember first impressions last. So, it’s important that you not only have a website but a well-designed website that represents your brand well. A professionally designed website will: Introduce visitors to your brand Highlight your mission and vision, Show your history of work Share what clients think about you Display the products or services that you offer. It highlights your business in a professional way and gives a sense of credibility. Just like your physical location would. Effectively building trust in your business and poisoning you as the expert in your industry. 2) It helps create an online presence benefits of having a website for your business One of the best ways to establish an online presence is with an appealing website. Think of it as your online business address. A place where potential customers go to get a brief or detailed view of your business and what it offers. While social media platforms are good for advertising and promoting your business it’s not enough to only have Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages. Smart businesses use their website as the central place customers can visit to find out more about their business and make purchases. It should help your customers to better understand your brand and how your products or services are different from others. Think of it as the eyes through which potential clients will view your business. Your website works 24/7 and can be accessed at any time from anywhere in the world. Imagine if you had a sales force that never sleeps, can take orders around the clock, is always ready to work, and collects payments on your behalf. All you need to do is build your website. Maintain it. And automate it so that it works for you the right way. 3) A website is a constant marketing tool If you are looking for a low-cost long-term marketing channel, then a website serves this the best. Especially when you couple that with SEO (Search engine optimization). SEO means setting up your website to rank high in search engines like google and reach potential customers all over the world. If done right, you could become the first business someone finds when searching for your kind of business. Compare all of that to other advertising channels like print media, social media advertisements, mainstream media, billboards, etc. The return on your website will outweigh them all. Not to mention all advertisement channels could lead to your website (the backbone of your business). 4) Helps generate high-quality leads A website can help generate quality leads and help you build your list of customers. Instead of you contacting customers, interested customers will contact you when they find your website. With an appealing, interactive, and optimized web pages visitors will call to sign up or purchase a product or service from your brand. You can set up your website to generate leads by having contact forms and contact details displayed all over your site. As well as create content on your website based on what potential customers are searching for or want. 5) A website provides customer service/support A good way to improve your customer relationship happiness is with a website that helps them. Issues will arise, and customers will want more information or support. Your website, if set up strategically can help by providing information when needed and addressing concerns and issues. Having a chat feature, contact form, and frequently asked questions (FAQ) page are some ways to implement this. Having a Frequently asked question section on your website helps both you and your customers. It frees up time that you would spend on the phone or over email/chat addressing common issues. And it helps answers question your customers have without them having to contact you. But there is more. You can implement partially automated chats on your website, so customers have someone to speak to when they are on your website. Other support features can help customers book meetings, reserve spaces, or even track the progress of their orders from anywhere they are. One other often overlooked but quite effective feature is to implement online polls and surveys, to capture customer feedback. 6) It’s always available A website is a

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Why is website design important in the Caribbean?

Leave a Comment / Blog post / Renard Mendez

5 min readWebsite design is important wherever you are in the world. But today we are going to look at the importance of web design in the Caribbean. First, let’s look at why website design is important. Why web design is important Website design plays a crucial role in a website’s overall look, feel, and functionality. It’s the part of your website that customers will see and interact with. As an entrepreneur which of the following would you prefer to represent your brand? A website poorly designed that repels visitors and confuses the ones that stick around. Or would you prefer a well put together website that attracts, entertains, educates, and most importantly converts visitors into customers? I’m guessing you choose the latter. Which proves you understand the core concept of web design. Why is website design important in the Caribbean? The Caribbean features rich islands with diverse business opportunities and tax benefits. Which attracts business owners both locally and internationally. Most business owners previously owned only brick-and-mortar businesses. They only existed in a physical location with little or no online presence. But with the changes in recent times, many are now beginning to realize the untapped potential of the online market. Which has led to some pioneering businesses leading the way with new websites. However, many business owners, being new to websites, may fall into the trap of seeking the cheapest way out. This can and has led to some poorly designed websites that do more harm than good. But since you are reading this post I assume you will not follow in their footsteps. Because you are taking the time to seek knowledge before investing. We will jump straight into it and look at 6 reasons why website design is important in the Caribbean. Let’s look at the 6 reasons why website design is important 1) First impressions last Do you remember the saying first impressions last? Well, how has that been in your life? Can you remember the last time you visited a poorly designed website? How did that make you feel? What did you do? Leave I assume. But contrast that to when you visited a website that was well designed. What did you do? How did it make you feel? Did you browse some more or get the answer you were looking for? That’s the importance of website design. It’s the first online impression potential customers will have on a business. And various studies have shown that it only takes a few seconds (between 3 and 6) for a website visitor to decide if they will stay or leave. Working with a reputable website design Agency like 658Designz will ensure that your website leaves a favorable first impression. Remember website design is important because it affects how your intended audience perceives your brand. 2). SEO The overall structure and coding of a website impact how search engines rank it. Google prefers websites that use clean codes, are structured properly and load quickly. And so do people. Well, people don’t care about the coding part, but they sure do care about website loading time and how easy it is to navigate it. But do you know what is SEO? SEO or search engine optimization is about helping search engines understand, rank, and present content (websites) to audiences. In other words, search engine optimization (SEO) is about optimizing website content so that it is recognizable by search engines and loved by the audience. The higher a page ranks on a search engine the more people it will reach from searches. Think about it. When you do a search on google, are you more inclined to select the first result that is presented at the top of the page? Or the result that is last on the page? That’s SEO. When a website is ranked well in google it will attract more audiences. 3) It highlights the type of service a business offers A website is an extension of a brand. It highlights the services and products that a business offer. As more customers become relaxed with shopping, searching, and looking online for entertainment online websites are reaching wider audiences. Think of your website design as the face of your business. How would you want that face to look? Cheap and quickly designed or high-quality and well-designed? Your website is like a customer service representative that you can mold to represent your businesses perfectly. (Note: Your website is like a customer service representative, think of your web design as the digital face of your business) 4) Builds trust Good website design can significantly boost customer trust. Let’s look at an example. Imagine you are searching for a dentist and your search has led you to two good dentists online. Dentist A has a website that clearly shows their process, how to find them and what other customers think. While dentist B only has a google my business with contact information to get more information. Which one would you favor? That’s the benefit of good website design with your potential customers in mind. 5) Your competitors Your competitors have websites. Creating a good website for your business can set you apart from your competitors. While a poorly designed website could chase away customers to them. A well-designed website is an opportunity for your business to showcase I’s unique features. Do you do something better than a rival? Put it on your website in your own unique way and let your potential customers know why you are different. The last thing a business wants is to lose potential customers and money to competitors. That is why smart business owners invest in high-quality websites designed by our talented team at 658 Designz. 6) It Builds your brand Finally, good website design builds on your brand. And we know businesses come and go but brands last a lifetime. Think big, think brand, think about the huge brands of the world and their underline message that is represented across all platforms. What do you

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5 easy ways having a website can increase sales for your business

Leave a Comment / Blog post / Renard Mendez

3 min readAre you looking to increase sales in your business? The internet plays a fundamental part in our lives today, we use to it research, socialize, entertain ourselves, and even shop. Especially post covid 19. There has been a sharp positive trend in the number of online queries daily. With global online sales expected to reach over 5.5 trillion in 2022, having a website ensures that you get to be a part of that. Even if you don’t plan on selling online studies show that most customers prefer to browse online before visiting a physical store. If the above statistics still haven’t convinced you of a website’s potential impact on your bottom line. Then let’s look at 5 easy ways having a website can increase sales for your business. 1. Get to more potential customers If the only point of contact potential customers have with you is your physical store(s) then your reach is restricted. A website, however, can break geo-restrictions by connecting you with virtually anyone who has internet access. Whether locally or internationally. Thus, helping you to reach more potential customers. 2. Continually provide sales and support With a website, businesses can provide 24/7 support and sales to clients. When clients visit your website, they have access to the information you have on it no matter the time of day. No longer will they have to wait for customer support for simple queries. Or wait until you are open to make a purchase (for e-commerce websites). A website is always there ready and waiting to provide for your potential customers when they need it. 3. Act as a center for information When potential customers hear about your business, naturally they will search for you online. If your business does not have a website that could turn them off or worse turn them to your competitors. A website acts as a center for your information. Think of it as an extension of your physical store. The only difference is customers can access this store from various devices all from the comfort of their home or on the go. 4. Drive increase in-store sales What about in-store sales? Can a website help with that too? Absolutely. Many consumers that search online decide to visit the store to physically purchase the item they have been viewing. Also, with a website, many potential customers may be discovering your stores for the first time when searching online. This then increases the popularity of your store effectively driving an increase in in-store sales. 5. Provides multiple methods of engagement A website not only serves as a point of sale or promotional tool. But also, as a way for customers to find out more about your businesses. It allows you to highlight who you are and what your business is about in multiple ways. You could choose to use pictures of staff, products, or services to showcase your brand’s uniqueness. Or you could use an engaging informational video/slideshow to bring across your message in a fun way. And you could even choose to be more reserved and articulate your brand in a well-written way. Whichever method you choose a website allows you to offer true value to the customer. Which helps to grow customer loyalty and happiness. Thus, increasing sales. Conclusion A website is a powerful tool in your marketing plan and can be used to increase sales in your business, if used properly. We have discussed 5 ways in which a website can help businesses increase sales. Does your business have a website? Is your website working for you? Contact us. Let’s help you get the most out of your website.

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Building a website yourself vs hiring a web designer

Building a website yourself vs hiring a professional?

1 Comment / Blog post, Website Design / Renard Mendez

7 min readWith all the free and cheap website builders on the market, today should you even bother hiring a professional? Or is building your website yourself a better option f? We will answer that question and more in this article for you so read on and get your notepad. What are Free website builders and build-it-yourself software? Over the years many easy-to-use website builders have emerged. Wix, GoDaddy, and Squarespace to name a few. These companies host millions of customer-created websites yearly. Most of these website builders begin with free plans with the option of upgrading to premium paid plans for additional features. And best of all the interface for these builders is easy to use which makes it appealing to DIY’ers. (Do It Yourselfers). But is there a catch to this? Let’s clear this up a bit by looking at the advantages compared to the disadvantages. Advantages of Building a website yourself There are several advantages to building a website yourself. So, let’s look at a few: Cost The cost to build a website yourself can be a huge deciding factor for most. Some website builders can cost little or nothing to build a simple website with them. To as low as a few dollars per month. Quick Many website builders allow you to build a website rather quickly. Some, as quickly as minutes or just a few hours. Easy to build The interface for the free website builders is relatively easy to use. And as such many personal website users may opt to use them. You’re in control Building your website, yourself can give you that feeling of accomplishment, knowing you did all the work yourself. Or at least some of it yourself. If you like taking on new tasks and learning new skills, then this might appeal to you. But are there some drawbacks to these advantages? Let’s Have a look. Disadvantages of building a website yourself Hidden Costs Although many website builders promote free or low-budget services these are rarely enough to build a complete website. Also “free” may actually mean a free trial before steep monthly changes are applied later on. Additionally, there are costs to maintaining a website. This usually catches new web owners by surprise. Bad Performance Self-build or free website builders may affect you in the long run because they contain major design flaws. Not on the appearance side but on the performance side. Because they contain serious design flaws that affect SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Effectively making it difficult for customers or viewers to find your website on the internet. Finally, these DIY website builders are hosted on a cheap shared web host (to cut costs) that slows down your website. This means slower load times and poor customer experience for potential customers. Poor Appearance Remember the saying Don’t Judge a book by its cover? Well, most website visitors judge a website by its cover. To be more specific most users decide within a few seconds of visiting a web page if they are going to stay or leave. That is why it is important that the look and feel of your website truly professionally represent your brand. Template website builders use a one size fits all approach that can leave your website looking Poorly designed. Or worse, looking just like other thousands if not millions of websites created with the same template. How would that make your brand appear to your customers/viewers? Lack of support When you build your website yourself you are essentially your webmaster. This means that all the technical support responsibilities are in your hands. You could seek support from your website builders. But don’t be surprised if this support is lacking or non-existent. Limited website Free website builders offer very limited design capabilities for building a website. This could leave your website with a basic design and functionality. This may be okay if you just want a simple website to put yourself on the market. But for professionals and businesses that may want additional features like bookings and eCommerce you will need more. Time Consuming It takes time to build a website. It takes time to edit and manage a website. And if you have never built a website before then guess what? It takes time and dedication to learn how to build a website. That’s if you want to build the best website possible to professionally represent your brand. Finally, building and managing a website yourself will take valuable time from working on other things. Like your business or producing more content. As you have realized building a website yourself may be more difficult than you initially thought. Just like with other services sometimes it may just be best to get a professional to handle all the hassle. While you take care of other things you enjoy doing. But now that we know the advantages and disadvantages of building a website yourself. Let’s look at hiring a professional website designer. Why hire a professional designer? If your purpose in building a website is to represent your business or brand professionally. Then hiring a web designer is important. Your website designer should be able to work with you to bring your ideas to life the way you would want. While ensuring that your website will perform optimally and is readily accessible to Search engines. Here are a few advantages to hiring a website designer. Advantages of hiring a Web Designer Custom Designs A website designer should be able to provide custom professionally designed websites that provide a good user experience. This means that your website will be unique, easy to navigate, and incorporates your overall brand. A custom design will make your brand stand out to visitors and potential customers aiding in meeting your goals. Whether that is to drive more leads or gain more customers/clients your website designer should be able to work with you. Enhanced Performance Working with a professional designer has its perks. Your designer will know the best web hosting to use

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15 reason why your website needs maintenance

Top 15 Benefits of Website Maintenance | 2022

Leave a Comment / Website maintenance / Renard Mendez

6 min read15 Reasons Why Your Website Needs Maintenance Do you know the benefits of a website maintenance plan? Think about what happens after a website is launched? Should it just sit there and be allowed to support itself? How will it be updated with fresh content, stay safe from attackers, and continue to attract customers? Guess what? That’s where a website maintenance service is highly valuable, it ensures your website evolves with the times. Imagine a car that is not maintained vs one that is regularly serviced and maintained. Which one would most likely keep running optimal for longer? Websites need ongoing maintenance to keep it running optimally. In this article we will discuss the top 15 reasons your website needs maintenance in 2022. But first what exactly is website maintenance? What is website maintenance? Website maintenance or website care as we call it, is an ongoing service offered to keep websites updated, protected, and relevant. It covers vital services that will help websites rank better in google, keep customers updated, creates backups, check for safety breaches and much much more. Our website care service is how we care for your website as it grows. Need to know more about website care service? Let’s look 15 main benefits of website maintenance. 15 major benefits of website maintenance 1. Domain Registration The first thing all websites need is a domain name. What will you name your website? The domain is the name of the website.eg (mydomainname.com). Under our website care service, we will assist you to successfully register your domain or alternatively register it for you. Making the process as easy as possible. 2. Website Hosting Website hosting and domain names go hand in hand. A domain name is like an address while hosting is the actual location where a website lives. It stores all the information and produces it to all website visitors. We have high quality hosting servers that are both secure and fast. With hosting you get what you pay for, and some economy servers can slow down your website and may even be easily hacked. Our severs are both affordable and reliable giving you the best of both worlds. 3. Updates WordPress themes and plugins that run your website needs to be updated on an ongoing basis. As this keeps your website safe from the latest security vulnerabilities. We safely update and backup your website in the background, so your website keeps running smoothly. 4. Backups Ever wondered what would happen if your website crashed? What would happen to all your content, data, and settings? Our website care package safely takes care of this for you. We keep daily backups of your website on several different locations (cloud plus locally). So, if a catastrophic accident happens your website can be back up and running as quickly as possible. We keep your data safe. This is one of the most critical benefits of website maintenance. 5. Search Engine Optimization Our search engine optimization care service ensures that your website is designed and ready to rank high in searches. We connect your website to SEO tools to monitor it for ranking improvements. Additionally, we provide monthly reports and recommendations to improve your website’s SEO. There is also our separate dedicated SEO service which covers much more ranking factors. Such as: Backlinks (to rank sites higher) Keyword researching (to discover the best words to rank your website for) Content writing (a crucial part of ranking a website better is high quality consistent content) 6. Security (SSL) All websites must be properly secured with an SSL certificate. If not, the website will display a red not secure symbol in the top left corner. Google also penalizes websites that are not secure by ranking them lower in searches. We ensure your website is always secured by a Security certificate (SSL). That way your visitor’s information is safe, and you receive the added benefit of higher search rankings. 7.Support Owning your own website can be new and mysterious. Who do you ask for help? You guessed it. Feel free to ask us questions about your website. As part of our website care package, we provide support. We are here to help you can reach us by text, call or email. Whichever is easiest for you. 8.Virus scan Unfortunately, with all things online viruses and hacks can occur. Even with tight security measures in place. We regularly monitor your website and scan for viruses. In the even that a virus in found we take time to: Remove the virus Clean the website Restore all data Get it back up and running quickly We do our best to ensure that your website stays safe at all times. 9. Uptime monitoring Our servers are high quality with over 95% uptime. Therefore, your website is always available and accessible by your visitors. Additionally, we monitor your website for any extended period of downtime (anytime over 5 minutes). If there is a downtime, we proactively investigate it and solve the problem ASAP. 10. Email Hosting Upgrade your business to a professional email address that includes your domain name. Eg [email protected] instead of info@gmail yahoo or Hotmail.com. We set up and Provide hosting for professional email accounts as well as assist if there are any issues. Need your email on your phone as well as your PC? We help set up your email address on multiple devices so you can access your emails conveniently. 11. Local listing Ever heard of google my business? It’s the little map feature result that appears when you search for a local business. We can help set up and manage your google my business account to ensure that it is constantly up to date. Additionally, we ensure that your business name, phone number, address and email address are correct on your local listings. 12. Social media updates In today’s world maintaining a social media presence is crucial for businesses. We can help set up your social media accounts and update your general

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