November 25, 2021

5 Web Design Mistakes That Are Killing Your Marketing

If you own a small business in 2021, you know that web design mistakes can drastically hurt your marketing performance. In the digital age, subpar websites will damage your revenue just as much as an inferior product or poor customer service. With over 80% of adults frequently ordering products and services online, stellar web design is a must-have!

However, while you might know your web design needs improvement, you might not know where to start. To help you triage your web design and marketing, the web design team at JSL Marketing & Web Design compiled this list of common web design common mistakes. This is not an exhaustive list, but if your website isn’t producing the results you want, it might be worth determining if you need to correct any of the issues laid out below.

Web Design Mistake 1: Unclear Calls To Action

The first web design mistake we see is relatively easy to fix. Too often, small businesses create pages without thinking through what they want the end-user to do. This is the infamous “call to action” of web design and it’s a pretty simple concept. Make sure to ask your website users to complete an action while on your website.

Common calls to action include…

Call Now!
Request Our Free eBook
Join Our Email List
Request A Quote
Shop Now!
Directions

If you don’t include a call to action like this on a page, there’s a very real chance your website users will read the page in question and leave without doing anything. Remember, the whole goal of web design isn’t just to create content. It’s to drive a business goal, be it appointments, sales, or subscriptions. Incorporate a clear and compelling ask on your web pages to make sure your website visitors know what to do.

Web Design Mistake 2: Poor Mobile Performance

Our next web design mistake is a revenue-killer. It’s no longer 2008 and the majority of Google search traffic is now coming via smartphones. If your website looks distorted, clunky, or clumsy on mobile devices after a page load, you’re basically driving your website users to leave the site almost immediately. That’s a crippling web design flaw, especially if you’re selling products via an eCommerce store.

To rectify this, use the Google Mobile-Friendly Tool to determine if your site is optimized for mobile users. If Google itself thinks your site’s mobile needs work, then it’s time to consider rethinking your web design. Google has a list of Content Management System resources on fixing a site’s mobile web design if you’re technically savvy enough to implement, but the guidance and insight of a seasoned web designer is recommended to avoid any web design snafus.

Web Design Mistake 3: Too Much Noise

This web design mistake is subjective, but it’s still imperative. A cluttered website can be confusing to users. If Web Design Mistake 1: Unclear calls to action, doesn’t ask anything of the user, a cluttered website asks too much.

Should They Call You?
Should They Browse Reviews?
Should They Scroll Through Project Photos?
Are There Too Many Ads On The Page?

There’s not a hard and fast rule to determine if a page is too cluttered, but a good starting point is your website’s bounce rate. If your bounce rate, a measure of how many users leave your site without visiting another page, is higher than 40%, evaluate how your site looks to those users.

If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of clutter on your page, it’s probably time to simplify. To fix this, try…

Using bullet points to spread out your content
Limiting the number of graphics and videos to 1-5 per page, depending on the length of your content
Keeping your color scheme centered around white space

Web Design Mistake 4: Not Adhering To Google’s Best Practices

This web design mistake covers a host of search engine marketing best practices. Everything from SEO categorization, pop-up ads, social media presence, and a poor user experience could ding you in the eyes of Google and prevent you from ranking in search results. This web design error requires the attention of an experienced web developer to correct since Google’s policies are constantly updating. However, the following are good starting points.

Avoid Popup Ads, Interstitial Pop Up Ads, or Distracting Ads.
Avoid Backlinking To Unreputable Sites.
Use Schema Mark Ups To Help Google Understand The Categorization Of The Page Better.
Use Alt Text To Categorize Images
Include A Sitemap

This is, admittedly, a very technical aspect of web design. Reach out to our team for more information!

Web Design Mistake 5: Unappealing Graphic Design

Again, this web design error is subjective, but that doesn’t make it less critical. Too often, a website can have the right call to action, be mobile-friendly, be well-spaced, and adhere to Google’s best practices and still struggle. If this is the case, it might be worth eyeballing the site and determining if the site is aesthetically appealing. Uninspiring graphic design won’t cripple your site performance as much as other design flaws listed here, but it may be an area for improvement.

Try using customized images and videos to keep the user’s attention on the page longer. Again, look at the bounce rate of the page in question. If it’s over 40%, it’s time to evaluate the page from the user’s perspective. Odds are, appealing graphic design could help significantly.

Fix Your Web Design With JSL Marketing & Web Design

Fixing your web design is a critical next step for your marketing, but it does require expertise. Our team is here for a free consultation to analyze your internet marketing. Maybe you only need a website refresh. Maybe it’s more cost-effective for you to invest in a whole new website. Our team can analyze your specific website to make a tailored recommendation for your specific.

All of our websites are…

Custom Built On WordPress
Properly Branded
Mobile-Friendly
Designed With SEO In-Mind
Securely Encrypted
Ecommerce & Plugin Compatible

Supercharge your marketing with a powerhouse team of web designers! We’ve helped small businesses all over Texas and the nation grow their website presence and are here to help you do the same!

We also offer the following services….

Email Marketing
Videography & Photography
Social Media
Paid Advertising
Search Engine Optimization

Fill Out The Contact Form Below To Get In Contact With Us Today

November 19, 2020

When to Redesign Your Website With JSL Marketing & Web Design

Your website redesign project plan starts here! If you’re a small business owner, you know you need a website. Your customers are used to finding things online, and without a functional website, you’re potentially missing out on a lot of business. If you don’t have a business website, consider investing in one ASAP – your customers will thank you!

However, if you have an existing website, you’re not necessarily out of the woods yet. Having an older website is better than not having one at all, but websites aren’t static creations that you can “set and forget.” They’re living, breathing organisms that require upkeep and occasionally need to be redesigned. If your website was built a few years ago, it might be time to consider tweaking a few elements for better performance.

You may have some questions about this process. What is a website redesign? How do you know it’s time to redesign your website? How much does it cost to redesign a website? The JSL Marketing & Web Design team has answers to these common questions about website redesign!

Why Do I Need a Website Redesign?

Website redesigns are necessary because the Internet is a rapidly changing place. What worked a few years ago is likely not best practice for web design currently, due to changes in how Google ranks content, customer preference, and industry-specific trends. If your website is a car, think of a redesign as painting and buffing the body, adding new brakes and an engine filter, and changing out turn signals and headlights. The main body and systems of the car are still intact, but you’ve upgraded several components of the vehicle for better performance.

A web redesign is simply taking certain elements of your website and upgrading them accordingly to improve performance. This could involve changing elements of all the following.

Website Branding & Visual Elements
UX Design
Website Templates
Website Content
Content Management System
Linking Strategy
Page Images
SSL Certificates
Schema Mark-Up
Website Headers, Meta Descriptions, and Tag lines.
And More!

When is it Time to Redesign Your Website?

As a rule of thumb, you probably need to freshen up elements of your website every three years, at the very least. Some experts even recommend a website redesign every 1.5 years.

However, if you start to experience any of the following, it’s time to consider a more comprehensive website redesign.

Your Website Sales and Conversions are Declining. You’ve noticed this problem and are actively trying to remedy it by adjusting your website’s copy, promoting the site better on social media and through email marketing, and trying out new offers and sales on the site. However, none of this is really making much of a difference. This suggests that the problem is the website itself.
Your Site’s Bounce Rate is Climbing. Your bounce rate is the measure of what percentage of users leave your website within seconds of arriving after only visiting one page. The higher the bounce rate, the worse the performance. Let’s say you own a sports store and are seeing fewer and fewer ecommerce sales. You’ve experimented with different copy, product imagery, and offers, but to no avail. You decide to use Google Ad campaigns to drive higher sales. After a month, you return to evaluate performance and see that the number of new website visitors has spiked, but so has your bounce rate. Even worse, your sales are not climbing at all. If you see the number of users on your site rise, but the vast majority leave quickly, it’s likely your site is not user-friendly or aesthetically pleasing. A site with a poor user experience will result in users leaving quickly, which suggests you probably need a redesign.
Your Customers Do Not Like the Site. Listen to your front-line customer service employees. If customers are constantly telling your customer service reps that your site is a nightmare, it’s probably time for a redesign. Disgruntled website users are likely to leave a poorly designed website, which tells Google that your website is not user-friendly, thus damaging your website’s ranking. If you’re hearing from your reps that your customers don’t like the site, listen to them. If you don’t have a dedicated customer service or client success team, use customer surveys, either paper or through email, to gather feedback. If you find your customers hate your website, it’s probably time to redesign.
Your Site Just Feels Off. This isn’t the most scientific approach, but if you look at your website and feel it looks a bit dated, chances are your website’s users have thought the same thing. It’s hard to quantify, but we have all seen sites that just look clunky, ugly, and old. Use Google Analytics to gut-check your self, but if your website isn’t user-friendly, isn’t generating conversions, isn’t keeping users engaged, and isn’t being found by new users, your instincts are likely correct.

How Much Will It Cost to Redesign A Website?

This will vary a lot from website to website. No two sites are the same, and no two sites underperform in the same way. However, the cost of a website redesign project depends on how much needs to be redesigned on the site. Rewriting old copy and adding new images will cost less than redesigning templates, adjusting off-page SEO, and completely overhauling the color scheme and branding. Sometimes, the entire structure of the website is so outdated that it might make more sense to scrap the entire website and build a new one. Feel free to connect with our team to discuss your specific example. Once we’ve had time to audit and evaluate, we can offer you tailor-made solutions to help you get to where you need to be.

How to Redesign Your Website

To begin, you will need to have some understanding of the following.

Current performance benchmarks and long-term performance goals.
Optimal brand messaging and tone for your site’s content.
Your site’s competitors and their value propositions, offers, strengths, and weaknesses.
Your overall goal for your redesigned website.

These can be difficult for a small business owner to define, measure, track, and implement correctly. Luckily, the JSL Marketing & Web Design team has years of web design experience to help make your next redesign project a success. We’ll walk alongside you throughout the quoting, planning, and implementation processes of your redesign project to help you produce a beautiful, navigable, mobile-friendly, and search-engine-optimized website.

The redesign process is also the perfect time to evaluate other aspects of your digital marketing strategy. If you’re putting your branding, messaging, and value propositions under the knife while planning your redesign, it’s a great time to do the same to your other marketing tactics. Remember, your website is just one key component in your comprehensive marketing strategy. The world’s best website will underperform if not promoted aggressively and correctly through pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, and social media marketing.

We might suggest any of the following to help promote your website.

Content Marketing: Words aren’t just for SEO. They’re for piquing your customer’s interest! Use content marketing to create blogs about the questions your users are asking Google and BING. Compelling writing will not only boost your site’s traffic; it also helps drive sales.
Social Media Marketing: Your social media profiles are the perfect place to promote your website’s content! Share interesting blogs, good sales, and information about the business from your site directly to your followers.
Branding & Photography: Prettier sites perform better. This is a basic element of website design. Your site users are likely to leave your site unimpressed if you don’t have an appealing color scheme and impressive photos. They also might be confused as to who you are if you don’t have a logo or if the logo you do have is forgettable. Head off those problems at the pass by ensuring the logo and photos on your website are top tier.
Videography: Videos are a great way to not only answer complex questions and convey information but also to keep users’ attention. Branded and impactful videos have been shown time and time again to boost SEO. Our team has years of experience writing, planning, directing, and editing video shoots and would be happy to help your business tell your story through videography.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising: Is there a website page you need users to find? Pay-per-click advertising, through platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads, is a great way to drive traffic to the specific pages you need people to see! PPC Advertising is cost-effective and highly targeted, which means you can drive the right customers to your website without investing a Fortune 500-level budget.

Call JSL Marketing & Web Design at 877-514-0276 to start your next web design project today! We have years of experience designing and redesigning amazing websites for small businesses around the country. Follow the link to see some of our work!

November 05, 2020

Website Redesign vs. Website Development: What’s the Difference?

Web design is a tricky subject. Great web design needs functional web operations, well-written content, graphic design knowledge, and marketing prowess to create a website that is greater than the sum of its parts. The process is tough, but the jargon can be tougher at times. The digital marketing industry uses a lot of very particular and technical terms when describing web design, which can make the process a little obtuse to outsiders and clients. One question we encounter frequently is, “What’s the difference between website redesign and web development?” They sound similar, but these two aspects of digital marketing are quite distinct.

We’re here to answer that question with a thorough run-through of the terms and what they mean for your business!

Web Design vs. Web Development: The Difference

Web design is the process of designing websites, with special emphasis on content production, graphic design, and page layout.

You may hire a freelance web designer or work with larger web design companies or web design agencies, depending on your need. It typically doesn’t involve hard coding, which we’ll return to when we talk about web development.

Web development, on the other hand, is the process of building, publishing, managing, and maintaining a website.

This usually involves database management, programming, web design, and technical maintenance. Depending on how the website is built, this could require hard coding, but this will be dependent on each project’s needs.

So, what does that actually mean?

Web designers will focus on perfecting flow, imagery, user interface, and branding. Web developers, on the other hand, own the function and operational efficiency of a website through SEO elements and technical health checks.

If a website is a car, a web designer can change tires, buff out scratches, and repair windshields. Using that same analogy, a web developer is more like a mechanic who deals with the actual functionality of the engine underneath the hood.

How Are Web Design & Web Development Projects Different?

It’s important to note that web design is technically a subcategory of web development. Again, both these disciplines should work in tandem. The type of digital marketer who can apply schema markup and other off-page SEO elements to a website often does not have the artistic grounding to perfect the flow and branding of a website.

The same is true for a web designer. Web designers are great at thinking through how users need a website to look and function, not how search engines read the site. Any successful web development or web redesign project needs both areas of expertise to truly shine. Google’s algorithmic updates and industry-specific changes in branding make it all but impossible to specialize in both web design and web development simultaneously. It really takes two different sets of knowledge!

Splitting those disciplines into two positions is the best approach to ensure you have top talent in both areas.

However, those two positions need to work together when creating the build while still remaining distinct. This is called “full stack web development,” which means that both front end and back end web work are blended to create a great website.

That’s where JSL Marketing & Web Design shines!

JSL Marketing’s Full Stack Web Design & Web Development Process

Our process will look a little bit different from client to client, but generally, expect the following when working with JSL Marketing & Web Design on a web design or a web development project.

Learn Client Goals: Our team meets with the client to talk through the client’s needs. Does this website need to be e-commerce compatible? Who are the client’s main competitors? What does the existing website look like? Do we need to build a new one from scratch, complete with more powerful SEO elements, or will a graphic design “facelift” on front-end web elements suffice?” Once we have all those questions asked, we move on to Step 2.

Research: Our team dives into the current website to customize a project plan that will help the client get where they need to be. Are there accounts we need to access? (i.e., hosting, etc.) What content will be transferred over? Do we need to write new content centered around the keywords that will help the website rank well on Google to make the site perform? Is the current branding sufficient, or does it need to be tweaked? Once we have answers to all those questions, we can layout a customized project plan, including benchmarks and due dates, for the client. Once that plan is approved, we transition to the fun part.

Develop the Project: The content is written, the web template is selected, and the website is built! This stage will depend on the amount of work scoped out in step 2. If we have thirty new pages to write and optimize for search engines, that will take longer to finalize than creating a few new branded images and logos. We’ll make sure to schedule a cadence for project updates and set a preferred communication style to ensure the client is taken care of as we finalize the build.

Final Approval: Once we have the finished product, we present it to the end client for final approval. We walk through every page, each piece of content, and every image to make sure it’s up to the client’s standards. We also thoroughly test every element of the site in this stage for quality assurance. Once we receive approval, then, and only then, do we set the final site live. Don’t worry; we’re still around to answer questions and even possibly provide support as the client familiarizes themselves with the new site.

Websites work best when cross-promoted on other marketing channels. Google and other search engines rank sites based on the number of site users, so the more traffic you have, the better. That’s one of the reasons we recommend promoting a new website extensively through other marketing mediums. If the client is interested, we’re happy to take a deep dive with them through their current marketing situation. We’re happy to discuss all of the following with you.

Pay-per-Click Advertising: Use highly targeted ads on Facebook or Google to reach your perfect customer! This type of advertising is billed “by the click,” which means that advertisers only pay for users who click their ads. That means you’re only paying for what you need.

Content Creation: As mentioned previously, we’re happy to write additional website content for a website redesign or design project. However, sometimes you have additional content needs, whether it’s blog content, industry-specific white papers, or mailed brochures. Our content specialists will work with you to discuss what those are and the style of voice you need your content written in.

Email Marketing: Your customer base is one of your greatest marketing assets. Those existing customers already recognize your brand and, statistically, are much likelier to purchase again. Some studies estimate that the odds of reselling an existing customer are between 60 and 70%, versus 5 to 20% for a new customer. Use automated email campaigns and email blasts to draw those likely repeat customers back to your brand!

Social Media Marketing: Some 70% of the US is on social media. Reach those people with custom-created social media content! There’s a reason to market your brand on social media for every business, whether it’s sharing industry-specific content, communicating brand news to your followers, or showcasing product and service reviews. Talk to our team to discuss your unique business situation.

Photography & Videography: Crisp, clean, and beautiful photos and videos tell stories for brands! Statistically, we’re much likelier to remember images than the written word. Branded photos and videos are a great way to cut through all the advertising “noise” your users hear and ensure they remember your brand. We’re happy to talk through whatever your unique photography and videography needs are, be it product shots, FAQ videos, or demonstration shorts.

And More!

Marketing, like web design and web development, is part science, part art. Our team knows how to find that happy medium of evidence-based expertise and artistic panache to drive success for our clients. We have thirty 5-star reviews on Google and a litany of satisfied clients on our testimonials page that speak to that! More importantly, however, we have an amazing portfolio of web design and web development projects under our belt!

August 03, 2020

Cornerstone Service: Web Design in 2020

JSL Marketing & Web Design had humble beginnings, like many startups. With just a couple of employees (our founders) and a dream, JSL was born. The initial beginning of JSL was to simply fill an industry gap and provide better services for businesses looking to migrate to online or revamp their current online storefront. But soon, the reputation of JSL’s quality, value, and customer care spread like wildfire and JSL began to grow.

Now, JSL Marketing & Web Design offers over 13 digital, video, photography, development, SEO, branding, content, and ad services, but our first passion is still our biggest – web design. And that’s a good thing because websites and their designs in 2020 are becoming increasingly important, especially as so much work is done online.

Even information is passed online more often than face-to-face in 2020, making the way you present yourself, and the quality of the information your website gives more important now than ever before.

And that’s why we wanted to bring you our second monthly Cornerstone Service blog topic on Web Design for the modern age!

Ultimately, If You Have a Business, You Need to Be Online

And if you’re going to be online, you might as well have an awesome website. See that circular (but true) reasoning there?

Need proof? Approximately 46% of your website visitors will judge the credibility of your company based on your website design alone! Not your services or your reviews or even the words on your site – but the design alone.

At JSL, we’ll build you an incredible (and affordable) website that ticks all of the design boxes and compliments your brand, all while making a bold statement online.

All of Our Websites Are:

SEO Friendly – I mean, it’s what we do
Customized for Your Specific Needs – no cookie-cutter templates here
Mobile Responsive – this is a must, trust us
Fresh, Clean, & Branded to the Nines – Again, branding is what we do
User-Friendly – because otherwise, what’s the point?

The JSL Web Design Process

What makes JSL unique is that we combine the power of beautiful and functional design (the images and layout) with captivating and engaging copy (the text and ‘meat’ of your website) to bring you a truly fantastic website.

And before we even start on your website, we do a full SEO analysis which allows us to build in relevant keywords and other proven SEO techniques right from the start (saving you a lot of time and headaches in the long run).

The killer combination of Design + Copy + SEO really takes our websites to the next level and sets our clients apart from the competition.

Custom Website Design & Beyond!

As a full-service website design, digital marketing, and SEO company, we offer a plethora of digital services for after your website is finished as well. Everything from content creation to brand identity – we’ve got you covered. But do you know what we love the most? Making beautiful, functional, clean, and engaging websites from the ground up. Your website is your digital storefront, make it a good one.

We don’t just slap your content and branding on a $99 website template, that’s an insult to your business. Instead, we’ll make a custom website just for you.

Have unique specifications you want or need? We’ve got you.

Want a unique look without a $10,000 budget? We can work within your parameters.

We can even create or overhaul-edit an existing template until it’s unrecognizable, so you get the best price + a stand-out website!

Whether you want a 100% custom site, or only 10%, we are focused on creating and executing clean, beautiful web design and development that focuses on your unique needs, industry, and business.

Structure + Beauty

Building a website is sort of like building a house. You have to make the structure sound if you want the house to do all the things houses are supposed to do, except in this case, the house is supposed to get you foot traffic, invite people in, and make you money.

We love making things look good, work well, and meet your goals. And when it comes to website design, our team has worked in a variety of industries, something that has truly allowed us to broaden our horizons and think outside the box.

Each of our clients are different, which means we learn something new each and every day (it’s what keeps us young). But we also have the experience and expertise in web design and digital marketing that makes us your sure-thing (it’s what keeps us wise).

Why Choose JSL for Your Web Design & Development Needs?

We’ve been around for a while, making our name synonymous with success for our web design and marketing clients, all the while keeping JSL Marketing & Web Design family-owned and dedicated to being transparent, honest, and treating others how we would want to be treated.

We make custom web design and digital marketing packages depending on what you need for where you’re at and where you’d like to go, not just the price-point we want to see.

We know you work hard at what you do and we think your web design company should too. And when we say we get real results, we mean it! Just look at our own site, its SEO, and our national rankings for highly competitive keywords.

The best part? We have the reviews to back up our brags. Transparent, right? It’s almost like we became popular because we simply do our job well, with no shortcuts or cheats. See for yourself by our video and written testimonials, Google reviews, and more!

“I’m looking forward to working with them for years to come.”

KATIE C.

“You won’t go wrong at all when you choose them.”

RYAN R.

See More Reviews & Testimonials

Need More Convincing? Take a Look at Our Past Products

Jon and his wife Ashley came to JSL in need of a full rebrand for their business, a task which not only included developing a concept for the logo and the business’s website but also involved rethinking the name of the business itself.

When Jon first approached us, our team immediately realized that we had to devise a name that would not only pinpoint the brand but would also positively influence the visibility of the business. By closely working with our client and researching the matter, “J + A Productions” was born. Afterward, we came up with a plan of action that successfully fulfilled the client’s needs through our copywriting, SEO, logo, and design services.

Once JSL established the initial brand by working closely with ACE and taking into consideration their preferences and needs, it was time to start developing a new website. ACE has worked with patients from birth to 105, in both medical and educational settings, thus it was essential for the website design to be suitable for all ages and all fields of study, while maintaining the positive outlook of the brand with color and pop.

iLink came to JSL asking for a redesign of their website, which, though functional, was aesthetically outdated and stagnant. Additionally, the content wasn’t clear enough to truly show the value of iLink’s services. iLink needed a website that would convey the modern, technical aspect that is expected from a website that focused on advanced autonomous driving solutions.

iLink needed to bring clarity and quality to their web design and copywriting – which is why they turned to JSL Marketing & Web Design.

Texas Tradeshow Services wanted their website to look “clean and modern” while preserving the welcoming and friendly undertone that is the basis of their core values. While they wanted their new website to look and feel professional, Texas Tradeshow Services needed to emphasize their devotion to their clients, and their dedication to taking out the stress and turmoil that any show installation and dismantle process can potentially entail.

After being left hanging by their previous website provider, Texas Tradeshow Services was missing an online space to bring attention to their business and the services they offer. Having a very specific audience in mind and wanting a website that would translate the aesthetic they were envisioning, they decided to turn to JSL for advice and help.

Want to See More Beautiful Web Designs? Check Out Our Work Here!

We Did It For Our Business & Website, & We Can Do It For Yours Too!

At JSL Marketing & Web Design, it’s all right in our name! We provide customized, mobile-responsive, fully-optimized Web Development and Web Design services.

We are your full-service Digital Marketing and Web Design Company. This means we offer a variety of different services, including beautiful Web Designs that truly work, convert, and are optimized for SEO, as well as getting you the best return on your investment.

As the premier Web Development experts, we are excited to improve your business’ online traffic, visibility, and reach!

Our team of creative web designers are all about making extremely user-friendly, branded, and functional websites. And that’s what sets us apart and makes us the best Web Design Agency for your job. We are focused on creating and executing clean, customized Web Design and Development that focuses on your unique needs, your industry, and your ‘why’.

We care about your why, because your business is unique, and we want to showcase your value and journey. From our web designs and content, to digital marketing and SEO, we put passion into every project – and that’s why we always beat the competition!

At JSL Marketing & Web Design, Our Number One Goal is Your Success

We’ll build you an incredible (and affordable) website that ticks all the boxes and compliments your brand, all while making a bold statement online. Maybe you already know a fair amount about Web Design and Development, or maybe you just know the number of pages you want, and the budget you want to stay within – either way, we can help!

Many Web Designers will simply upcharge you for a template website, something that everyone has, isn’t customized for your industry or company, and frankly, looks bland to your viewers. JSL Marketing & Web Design does just the opposite! We love Web Design and we know you’ll love our end results.

From small startups and local businesses to corporate clients and international firms, we have proven again and again that we are the best Web Design Company for all of your online needs.

We pride ourselves on helping each of our clients reach new audiences, grow their business, and create a solid presence online. Which means it’s no accident that we have such great reviews, ratings, and past portfolios.

JSL Marketing decided from the very beginning that we would be a different kind of Web Design Company, one who always puts in the hard work to get results for our clients’ website development projects.

Contact JSL Marketing & Web Design for Your New Website

We aren’t just ‘another’ Web Design Agency, we are the best Web Design Agency!

We know – there are plenty of agencies and companies out there giving honest digital businesses like ours a bad rap. But there are also web development companies who are going to charge you next to nothing and deliver next to nothing as well.

If you can’t tell, we’re just a little bit passionate about website design, our digital services, and the success of our clients. So if you’re ready to get started on your own website, please contact us to set up your free consultation today – we can’t wait to start working with you to build a better brand online!

JSL Marketing & Web Design proudly serves web design clients in Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Grapevine, Irving, Plano, and the surrounding areas.

July 14, 2020

How to Set Up the Perfect Homepage

Your homepage is more than just another webpage, it’s THE webpage – or, at the very least, it’s your most important web page. And in order to create a successful website, you need to set up the perfect homepage that will interest your users and convert them into customers!

Learn some of our top industry tricks and tips for executing a homepage with stellar UI/UX (user interface and user experience) that also follows the stylistic guidelines to draw the eye and interest your website visitors.

Layout Your Perfect Homepage

The above is a great example of the general layout you should follow for your own homepage. We’ll go through each section briefly:

Homepage Banner Image

Your banner image (the image at the top of the screen on your homepage) should not only show what you do, but should be high-quality, match your color scheme, and nod to your area, specializations, or clients.

Logo & Navigation Bar

The top left of your page should include your logo so that your branding is clear, visible, and consistent. Additionally, having a clean and clearly visible navigation bar at the top of your homepage (and all pages) is expected. Meet your web users’ expectations by having your logo, navigation bar, and a contact or ‘action’ button at the top of your page.

Content ‘Above the Fold’

Above the fold is anything you can see on your home page before scrolling down. This should include your Header 1 with relevant keywords (sometimes you can also add a Header 2 in a smaller font) and a short section of content in the smallest font, along with a button – just like the above screenshot.

This keeps the page clean, informative, and clear.

Similar Styles for Homepages

Though these styles vary in color and format, they all have a Header 1 above the fold, their logo and navigation bars, and a clean and clear banner image. Many also have buttons that call the user to do something, additional content, and a Header 2.

Even with these format similarities, there is still so much creativity that you can put into your unique homepage to make it reflect your colors, business, and style.

What to Do Below the Fold on Your Homepage

If ‘above the fold’ is anything you can see without scrolling, then ‘below the fold’ is everything else you see once you begin scrolling.

Remember that your homepage should have a little bit of everything on it, as it is a synopsis of your website and its purpose is to entice your users to view other pages or contact you. That means you should have your services or products, story, history, values, team members, testimonials, a contact form, and more.

See our example below:

Remember, that your web users may only read your headers and skim the rest of your content, so you need to make it compelling and show your value immediately.

Having links and buttons that lead to your other pages and content is helpful as well. And, of course, having a contact form (or a form that captures their information) is the point of your website!

Make sure you are easy to visit or contact so your customers know what to do next!

Contact JSL Marketing & Web Design for Your Next Website or Web Redesign! And See Our Previous Work Here!

May 30, 2019

The True Value of a Custom Website (Is It All Just Hype?)

Websites, web design, and coding are essentially all different languages, so it’s no surprise that custom websites can be quite a bit pricier than a template or ‘drag-&-drop’ site. But is it worth it? Is that beautiful, custom-designed website really worth the big bucks? Will it get your more traffic, more customers, and more sales? Or is it all just hype?

Let’s take a look at the data, the research, and the opinions of experts (yes, our expert design, marketing, and SEO teams included) to get to the bottom of the true value of a custom website, and the reasons you should have one (plus, the type of sites that might not actually need one).

Remember, Cheap is Expensive

Nope, you read that right.

Sometimes, choosing that $30 website template and making your own site will end up costing you in the long run. What do we mean?

Ouch. If you’re losing out on 94% of your potential customers because your templated drag-&-drop site is a drag-&-don’t, then your bargain website template is actually costing you big-time.

Custom Websites Are More Credible

Having a custom-designed website is a clear indicator that you take your business and your brand seriously. After all, the business world knows that you need to spend money in order to make money, and your website is no different.

Investing time (and money) into your website, brand, business model, and services are what set you apart from all the others in your field. And when you consider that your website is your first impression to many of your potential customers, it makes sense to make sure it’s a great one.

If a website looks poorly made, performs slowly or not at all, or looks the exact same as 50 other sites your customer has already seen, they will question the validity, quality, and credibility of your company, product or service. And in a time where being a thought-leader and showing your expertise and trustworthiness is paramount – you truly cannot afford to lose your credibility and your customers’ trust as soon as they see your site.

Custom Websites Are Growth-Oriented

Custom websites can grow with you, which is (hopefully) one of the main goals for every business. This means you can add pages, sections, new features, forms, and more without any limitations or template fences holding you back.

Additionally, a custom website can change with your business – even if that change is in a new direction entirely. If you decide to pull away from certain services, and instead rebrand in a new area, you can do that with a simple redesign, or a few additions and cuts.

With a template, you are fixed within the outline that you bought. And that gives you very little wiggle room for the future.

Custom Websites Are SEO-Friendly

First, let us state that if you choose to go the custom website route then you have to make sure it is being optimized and that the designer knows what they are doing. A custom website without SEO is like a beautiful sports car with no gas tank – no one’s ever going to see it.

Custom sites should always be specially designed (optimized) to do better in search engine rankings, which is just another edge you will have over your competition with their cookie-cutter sites and poor optimization. But a custom website doesn’t just mean the user experience (ease of use) or user interface (appearance) is optimized – it also means the speed is, along with a whole slew of other SEO factors.

By using a professional web design company like JSL Marketing & Web Design, you can get a fully optimized site that will engage and pull in your ideal customer – and keep them on the site.

Yes, even how long your website visitors stay on your site affects your SEO, by way of CTR or ‘click-through rate’. And do you know what affects your click-through rate? Your design, the ease of the user experience, your site speed, and your content – all of which can be delivered by a full-service SEO and web design agency.

Custom Websites Are Personalized

Just like it sounds, a custom design allows you to customize everything on your site to exactly how you want it, as well as more accurately target the audience and demographic you are marketing to. The control that a custom website gives in functionality, targeting, and branding, as well as user experience and user interface can make all the difference to your company.

Just look at what a simple Google Search pulls up in images when you search ‘custom website vs template’.

Do you see how so many ‘template’ sites are shown with the header, larger text/photo section, and then the tri-section beneath? That’s a 1-1-3 and it looks pretty boring, doesn’t it?

Let’s take a closer look at the picture from Webfries:

Which website would you rather go to? Another 1-1-3 site, or something with a clearly unique design that draws your eye, keeps you interested, and is SEO-friendly too?

We would hope that the choice is clear.

So, Who Doesn’t Need a Custom Website?

Here are a few times where a custom website isn’t necessary:

You are just starting out and do not have the money for a custom website
You are in an industry with little competition
You need your website to be up and ready in a matter of days
You want a simple site without design aspects, lead captures, forms, etc.
You really like the 1-1-3 style

What About Your Business? Are You One-of-a-Kind or Cookie-Cutter?

If you are interested or even just merely curious about the benefits of a custom-designed website, then get in contact with JSL Marketing & Web Design and see what our brilliant team of designers can come up with to improve or optimize your next website.