Website Design in San Diego is a very busy business.  With more and more businesses wanting web sites that are up to date, San Diego web site design companies must deliver.  From small business web design to corporate web sites, one thing they all have in common is that they are providing information to the user.  So, lets take a look at some things that every site needs:

1. Easy to understand Home page.  This is were 99% of your visitors will begin, so make sure to make the right impression.  Don’t overwhelm the user with too much information and clutter. Otherwise you stand to confuse, and ultimately, loose them.
2. Easy to find Contact Info.  One of the main things that people want when they visit your site is your phone number, or e-mail address.  Making a clear path to finding this information will pay off, with less time spent searching, and happier customers.
3. Its all about the Brand.  A strong brand sets you apart from the competition.  Making your company look professional is a major boost to customer acquisition.  The buyer needs to feel comfortable and confident in your product or service.  A good brand design will help reinforce your message.
4. SEO friendly content.  Any San Diego SEO company will tell you that your web site needs to be found to be seen.  So, make sure that your content is accessible to the search engines.  At Sketchbox Design, we focus on designing sites that are both rich in interactivity and also play nicely with Google.
5. Mobile web design.  Mobile website design is the next wave in technology.  If you are not already thinking about it, now is the time to seriously consider implementing a mobile friendly version of your web site.  According to recent surveys, somewhere around 8 million iPads have been sold.  And many sites already see between 10%-20% of their visitors coming from iPhones, iPads, Androids, Blackberries, and the list goes on

So, the next time you are looking for a San Diego web design company, keep in mind these tips to help you create a better site, that is easier to use and brings in more customers.

Flash website design is one of our main specialties. So if you’re looking for professional flash website design, you’re in the right place.

All of our custom flash website design is done in house, in San Diego. So, in other words, locally, not in some remote European country. We build to the client’s liking, and make sure it is a good fit for their company.

We have designed many flash sites over the years. First starting in the late 90′s. Flash was still in its infancy, and used as more of a simple animation tool. Nowadays you can find flash in your car stereo and even refrigerator. Although most of us are used to seeing flash in some of the greatest web sites that have ever been built. I say this because of the depth and complexity that you can create using flash. Today flash is much more than a simple animation tool. Flash developers can create very rich applications like games, stock market analysis tools, and on demand video systems.

Of course, with much capability comes some responsibility. Flash web sites must still follow usability standards. At Sketchbox Design, we strongly believe in good user control, and ease of use.

Over the years the term, full flash website design has become a popular one. Many of our sites are full flash websites. However, the recent trend with mobile accessibility and SEO considerations are pushing designers away from that.

Currently, we design our interactive flash websites in a multi-layered approach. The objective is to have the very basic information available to the search engines. Then a subset of data is served in a format flexible with Mobile web design for popular devices like the iPad. Finally, the flash website design crowns the site with a highly interactive version presented to desktop and laptop users.

This multi-tiered approach know as progressive enhancement is a great answer to the many ways we connect to the modern web.

So, if you need a flash website design pro, feel free to contact us today. We’d be happy to explain more about our process and techniques.

You may have noticed that we recently upgraded our own web site.  This has been in the works for the last few months.  It is always difficult being your own ‘client’, since the possibilities are endless.  However, we ended up settling on the idea that our work is most important and we really wanted to show it off.  The former site showed very little in the way of the details that go into a project.  Our aim now is to give a little more insight as to the planning and forethought that go into each of our projects, whether it be a brand redesign or web site.  Have an opinion?  We’d love to know what you think.

See the Main Site

“Matthew delivered us a great product and brought creative and fresh ideas to the table. He listened carefully to what I wanted to achieve and helped move our brand forward. He’s a great person to partner with and I gladly recommend him to colleagues looking to transform their website or clarify their brand.”

Dana Kaland
Partnerships in Change

“Thank you Matthew, for helping us with our Logo, color schemes, menu design, promotional material and developing such a beautiful web site! You brought our vision to life!”

Rochelle & Olivier Bioteau
Farm House Cafe

“Matthew is truly the whole package. Matthew worked collaboratively to guarantee that the end product was of the most excellent quality. He listened to what was important to us and helped translate that into an award winning website design and an identity package that we were very happy with. He has a wide-ranging knowledge of this digital age and continues to provide innovative direction for marketing. I highly recommend Matthew for design and marketing needs.”

Jeana Kim Renger, LEED® AP
3 Point Architecture

“I can sum up Matthews web design by quoting over a dozen clients response to our site. In a nutshell this is what they’ve said about the website Matthew designed for Aloha Bicycle Courier, “Wow, I think that might be the coolest website I have ever seen.” Matthew helps us put our best foot forward on the web. His designs skills are fresh and creative.”

Kenton Hoppas
Aloha Bicycle Courier

“We used Sketchbox to develop our business identity, from logo, to website, to social media marketing, and printed materials. They are truly a one stop resource and facilitated the process. What makes them really special is the Art Director, Matt Homa. He really listens and grasps what the client wants, creating unique and individual personas for each brand. Branding is critical these days, and Sketchbox delivers. Very highly recommended!!!”

Johnny & Nicole Falco
Biomonde Green Maintenance Services

“Matthew is a superb graphic designer. His ideas always flow upward and they are full of life, composition and balance. The Web Pages Matthew has designed are totally seductive and makes the viewer captive. His message is always clear and clients are very grateful. He has made my photography climb to a higher level through his designs and unique approach. GREAT WORK MATTHEW !!!”

Roberto Zeballos
REAL ESTATE BY PHOTOS

The Farm House Cafe, one of my favorite clients, has had huge success from day one. We worked very closely with them from the start to help develop the brand look and feel. After the logo process, we designed the web site. A fun, interactive site that immerses the user in the rustic, french, and organic style. We shoot all of the photography for them a few times a year so that we can keep the site always feeling fresh and give the user an accurate expectation of what they’ll see when they visit. In this last year, we have made a lot of improvements to the sites overall ease of use and demographic reach.

as the device or user uses a more sophisticated device, the site ‘enhances’ itself

For example many people think that using a flash site limits the range of those who can view it. Enter progressive enhancement. The idea of progressive enhancement is that you provide the most basic content of a web site on a level at which the most limited devices can view it. Then, as the device or user uses a more sophisticated device, the site ‘enhances’ itself. In other words, you can visit the site with an iPhone and view the menu, get directions, even read reviews, but if you come back later with an average ‘normal’ computer, then you’ll see the more enhanced interactive version of the site. The end result is a web site that is both fun for people, useful for getting quick info, and searchable by Google.

Another fun addition was the video section of the site. “Farm House TV” offers users a window into the Farm House kitchen as chef Olivier Bioteau teaches them how to make some of his famous recipes. For this we built a custom video player that not only plays the video and shows the written recipe along with it, but also allows us to add new videos as time goes on.

Well, that is just some of the technical side to one of our most popular sites. As always we want to create the best balance of design and imagery, usability and attainability. Keep checking back, as we always have new features we are working on. And if you have any suggestions, please always feel free to email us as we are very interested in making the experience better and better.

Looking at some of the many San Diego Web Design firms?  How do you go about choosing the Web design firm in San diego thats right for you?  Well, here are some common factors that you may want to consider:

Web design pricing

If money was no object, then you would never have to consider this. However, 9 times out of 10, this is one of the biggest deciding factors on who you choose to hire to design your site.  There is a very large range when it comes to web design prices.  But always remember, you get what you pay for.  Often, this is the first and also often the last question when making your decision.

Design Portfolio

Take a look at their portfolio. This is a very important step in choosing the right web design company, since not only can you judge the quality of their work, but also their general style.  Does their general style fit in line with what you have in mind?  Are they varied in their style, or do many things look similar?  For most, the proof is in the finished product.  So, make sure that something catches your eye.

Availability

Timing is often an issue for many.  If you need to meet deadlines, then make sure you ask if the design agency has an opening.  If not, when will be the next available slot?  In general, it is not unheard of for a project to take 1-3 months.

Capabilities

What does this San Diego Web Design firm specialize in?  Do they work with both web design and development?  Do they offer SEO?  Do they offer custom web site design or just website templates?  Some San Diego web design companies offer specializations like flash website design or rich interactive design.  Some, like ours offer additional services like branding through graphic design and print design.  Make sure whomever you choose is capable of tackling your project completely.

Customer Service

Customer service isn’t what it used to be.  There are a great many companies out there that are lacking the people friendly skills that customers look for.  Will this company work with me?  Will they be there to support their work after the initial project?  Do I trust this company?  These are important but sometimes overlooked questions to ask.

Whichever San Diego Web Design Firm you choose, make sure you have clear communication from start to finish.  And this means both parties taking the initiative to discuss and understand one another.  I often say, the more I understand you, the better I’ll be able to create a site that represents you.  And all of that is done through good communication in every step of the project.  So, if you are looking around for  a reputable company, keep these tips in mind.  And then once you’ve made your choice, you can feel confident that you’ve made the right decision.

You may have seen this some time back, but for the many who haven’t, here it is.  This is classic hilarious advertising.  It is amazing how effective humor can be when trying to get your message across.  The Journal of Advertising mentions that “an estimated 24.4% of prime time television advertising in the U.S. is intended to be humorous.”  It also mentions that 55% of advertising research executives believe humor to be superior to non-humor in gaining attention.  If you think about it, which commercials in the super bowl are the ones we remember the most?  The funny ones!  In fact humor in advertising for the super bowl and other large televised events has become a highlight of it’s own.  Many viewers admit that sometimes they are more interested in the commercials than the main program.  Think about it, they’re actually watching TV FOR the commercials.  If that is not a testament to the power of humor, I don’t know what is.  So, next time you are thinking of a fresh spin on your next advertising campaign, why not give humor a shot?

Here is a great example of how social media can pay off.  Any business owner should seriously be considering how they can use social media in their marketing efforts.  While you’re thinking about it, grab a bagel

The New Apple Ipad was just unveiled recently.  At first glance it looks like a giant iphone.  At second glance, well, it looks like a giant iphone.  I can see this device gaining popularity among the small array of devices like e-readers and uber-small laptops.  Personally if I were going to buy a device like that, I would buy from Apple.  But then again, I’m an Apple guru (or a wanne-be-apple-guru).  For fun one day, I priced out the maximum setup on a desktop mac pro, and the total came to a whopping $20k.  To say Apple is expensive is an understatement, but nonetheless, they make quality, great looking, and creative products.  My hope personally is that they have included flash on their latest addiction.  I think that would be a good word to describe apple, as most “Mac people” tend to want to get everything that comes out their door.  For myself, as a flash designer and developer, to not include flash on a device such as the iphone is to rob users of a very large experience on the internet.  And it of course also robs me of being able to reach that audience.  I would sure love to sit down in a starbucks with my next client and whip out a sexy ipad and say, “check out my site on this”.  I guess I’ll have to wait and see, as you never know which gossip to believe when something like this comes out.  Will it do flash, will it not?  Will it hover, and do dishes?  No one can know.

Email marketing has been around now for some time.  And it is a hugely popular way to stay connected to your customers.  Still, many businesses have not yet began to utilize this marketing tool.  Lets discuss some of the main reasons why email marketing is an effective, powerful, and yet economically and environmentally sound choice.

I recently had a client who did a traditional mailing campaign.  We designed a mailer to advertise some of their latest specials, and had 500 printed.  We then mailed them out to a zip code mailing list.  Did people respond?  Now that is the big question here, without directly asking each new customer that came along, there really was no way of knowing how effective the mailer had been.  Now, don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a place for printed mailing campaigns.  And they have been proven to work, depending of course on the design, and who you are sending them to.  But, that brings me to one of the biggest benefits to Email marketing.

When you send out an Email newsletter, assuming you are using an established Email marketing system, and not just emailing from your email account, you are provided several useful features.  One of them being the email report.  In this report, you can see results like, how many people opened the email, what time they opened it, how many times they opened it, which links they clicked, if they forwarded it to a friend, etc.  You can also see if they marked your email as spam, or unsubscribed from your emailing list.  With this kind of feedback, you know exactly how effective your campaign was, which people you might want to call, and interestingly, which types of further emails you should send to people.  For example, if John Smith clicks on “Save 20% on Mens clothing” and Jill clicks on “Jewelry”, you could use that information to send them further future emails on just those topics, knowing that you may very well have future sales, in their individual areas of interest.  There really are so many things you can learn from the report data, that we can’t possibly go through each one, but know that a major difference between traditional print and mail techniques, and Email marketing, is that you easily and immediately collect feedback on your campaign’s effectiveness.

since you are able to brand your email blasts just like the rest of your marketing materials, make sure you do it

Another aspect is that you can brand the style of your email blast very closely to your existing web site brand.  If you’ve read one of our other articles on branding, you’ll know why it is so important.  But in a nutshell, everything you present to your clients should always look like it came from your company “brand”.  Often, I see companies who actually have a very nice established brand, logo, color scheme, etc.  Then they are sending emails out that perhaps have their logo, but it really does not have the same cohesive style as their web site, brochure, business cards, etc.  This, in a way, defeats some of the efforts to develop a brand.  It also takes away from some of the credibility that they achieve by building that brand.  So, just remember that since you are able to brand your email blasts just like the rest of your marketing materials, make sure you do it.  The time it takes to design an email blast template, will be well worth the added credibility and response you receive with each future blast.

What about the economical aspect of email marketing?  With the economic pressure growing more each day, small to large businesses are having to account for every dollar spent.  Also, while most businesses know that they need to market, it can be difficult to justify the cost.  The mailing campaign I mentioned at the outset had cost somewhere around $1 – $1.25 per mailer.  It looked great, and it a measure of success, but in comparison with the cost of an Email blast, it looses some of its charm.  It is difficult to give a generalized number, since there are many companies out there, but I can tell you that our cost  for an Email blast can be as little as $0.4 per email address.  So you figure if you send that blast to 500 people, the cost would then be $20.  This excludes any design or database setup fees, but I think you get the point that Email blasts can be very economical.

This is not to mention that you are literally saving trees and helping the environment, when you choose an Email blast over a print campaign, you are choosing a much “greener” alternative.

So, after considering just some of the benefits of Email marketing, I’m sure you are eager to begin.  Why not start by giving us a call and lets talk about it.  More and more companies are utilizing this powerful sales tool.  You should be the next.