When you think of web design terms or any computer based terms, words like HTML, coding, UI, UX, CSS, etc. probably pop into your head. Fear not, we have developed the perfect definitions to break down those scary terms into very simple words for the average Internet surfer. Whether you are looking for a web designer like HMG Creative (shameless plug) to create an awesome website for your company or you’re just a curious cat, we hope you find some solace after reading our web design series.

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We are happy to announce the completion of our website redesign project for Back Bar USA. At first glance, we knew this website needed a makeover to, and we were full of ideas on how to revamp their site and promote further success for Back Bar USA. After some initial discussions with Back Bar USA, it was clear that they needed a new website that was on par with their already popular and well known name in the Las Vegas area.

So who is Back Back USA? Back Bar USA is a full-service marketing and consulting firm with over 25 years experience in the beer, wine and spirits industries. They specialize in corporate and national account beverage programs with an emphasis on gaming, resorts, nightlife and fine dining segments of the hospitality industry. this guide turned out to be really helpful in my journey. Back Bar USA provides creative, cutting-edge, marketing and promotional campaigns for the nation’s leading suppliers, wholesalers and retailers, making Back Bar USA the, “beverage marketing company of choice for the world’s greatest businesses and brands!”

After thorough research and planning, we designed a fully responsive website via WordPress that utilized the latest technology in terms of web standards for Back Bar USA. We developed custom iconography and graphics to insure that the new website was both interactive and visually appealing. We also created an interactive database for the website, allowing potential clients to research and contact Back Bar USA’s talent.

We are very proud of the work we produced for Back Bar USA. Be sure to check out their website below. Looking to redesign your website? Don’t be a stranger, we are only a call away.

Back Bar USA’s New Website!

In a recent interview with Clutch, HMG’s very own James Trumbly gave his professional insight on the importance of hiring an expert when creating a web design and how to choose the best one. Here is his advice on developing the perfect website for your company.

Today, websites are “must haves” for businesses of any size. Large organizations, of course, generally have the resources to invest in developing robust websites. But, on the other hand, smaller organizations and entrepreneurs are often extremely budget-conscious. With tools like WordPress, Wix and other do-it-yourself options so readily available these days, it’s not uncommon for many of these smaller, cash-strapped businesses to attempt to create a website themselves. You should choose one of the UK servers to help you with your website and design.

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The Situation:

The State Bar of Texas sought out help from our team here at HMG to revamp its online presence towards its members (lawyers) and public citizens. The site has always strived to serve as a community resource: the first place that bar members and the public go for information about Texas lawyers, the State Bar and laws in Texas. With that in mind, the goal for the redesign was to enhance the overall user experience, simplify the current web offerings and enrich the member/public value.

Detective Holmes:

We began the project with a thorough discovery phase where the requirements of the project were defined in greater detail and then the initial strategic and creative direction was established. This phase also involved an analysis across the existing platforms and performance of the State Bar of Texas website. We preformed a complete review across all available site traffic reports, dashboards, heat maps, and log files.

We also focused on the analytics of two primary factors: visitor site behavior and demographics. This analysis brought to life how users are finding the right bits of information and how we can make that process smoother and more efficient. The demographics told us who our core audience is, thus allowing us to take this into consideration as we approached the redesign.

As part of the discovery phase, we preformed an analysis of which ad placements and approaches had and had not worked in the past for the previous site. Later on in the project we balanced our findings against the user experience and visual design of the site to create the best possible ad placements without jeopardizing the consumer’s usage of the site. Continue…

Branding is often discussed everyday by individuals in the marketing, advertising and design industries, but rarely is it defined with a simple answer. In brief, branding is one of the most important tools a company can utilize to reach their target market, build recognition and develop customer relationships. It includes a wide range of factors such as logos, colors, patterns, typefaces, imagery, packaging, taglines, wording and more, all of which combine to create your company’s image.

Why Do Consumers Need Consistency?

In order to build a strong brand, you must stay consistent throughout all of your selected mediums. This strategy creates the opportunity to gain brand recognition among your target audience when done correctly. On top of that, consistency brings clarity and purpose that consumers then buy into. In turn, consumers become loyal to a brand. However, building this kind of trust takes time and effort.

Most consumers have to be exposed to a brand many times before they are loyal to it. So a consistent brand message has to be established so that consumers will immediately distinguish it from a competing brand. This means a business potentially loses customers, and may even help its competitors, if a consistent “look” and tone is not achieved. Continue…

Everyone wants to have a successful website, but finding the right path to follow can be difficult. While you may have plenty of great ideas and goals for your website, you may have no idea how to actually achieve them. Because of this, you should almost always seek aid from a professional web design agency. In today’s digital world, it is crucial that your website reflects the current professional standards in terms of content, design aesthetics, and technology. When redesigning your website, it should contain far more than just a new design. In order for success, it is vital that your new site design and content has been carefully and strategically completed by a professional to optimize achievement of your goals.

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If you haven’t already, please take a minute to read our previous post discussing our current blog series and what all you can expect to read over the next few weeks!

Value of Social Media

Alright, to kick things off, let’s get to talking about the value of social media. Words like “follow us” and “like this” are buzzwords that virtually drive the entire online world these days. If you are redesigning your website, you should highly consider the value of integrating your social media channels with the site. Don’t have social media? While we recommend you reconsider your decision, fear not: you can utilize a blog! We can’t stress enough the importance of connecting with your audience on a personal level, and the best way to do so is through social media and blogging.

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It shouldn’t be a shock that having appropriate and relevant content on your website will aid to its overall success. The reason we mention it, though, is because often times people are not quite sure what “appropriate” really means for their brand, and why it is so valuable. With quality content comes not only quality engagement with your readers and target market but also increased search engine rankings for your web content as well. Sounds pretty valuable doesn’t it? Lets break it down more and take a closer look at why all of this is so important.

Consumer Engagement

The first thing you should think about when trying to write content for your website is, “Why do we have this website?” You need to understand what you are trying to accomplish with the site, and then mold your content to accompany those goals. Every time you write copy for a site, you should aim for it to entertain, inform, and entice the reader. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on SEO, if readers are not interested in reading it, they will leave the site. The reader and your goals should ALWAYS be the center of the writing, no matter what you are discussing on the page.

You see this over and over again were a company depends too heavily upon the weight and popularity of their brand to drive traffic to their site. Of course, it’s great that they have established their name or product in the minds of the public. But if you have one competitor who has done the same, and also provides quality written content on each page of their website, you’ve just lost a share of the market for no good reason.

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In case you missed it, we have been counting down our top 4 metrics for a successful website and website redesign. Starting at number four, Optimize Your Site For Social Media, then following it with the importance of Incorporating Appropriate and Relevant Content, and now leading up to our newest post: Customer Driven bulldog infographics Design!

One of the most important things your website needs to accomplish is connecting with your target audience. After all, what is the point of having a website if it doesn’t provide any value to your business? We have been discussing many ways to improve your current website to adhere to your target audience by adding relevant content, integrating social media, etc… The reason we mention those first is because they all factor in to our next metric: Customer Driven Design. It sounds simple and obvious, but you would be amazed at how many websites are designed without a deep and solid understanding of their target audience and how they navigate the web. To help you get a better understanding of what exactly a customer driven design means, we have offered up some special “tips.”

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Drumroll please…… We are finally at #1! We saved not only the “best” for last, but also the most important as well! With the staggering growth of mobile devices like smart phones and tablets, as well as mobile device usage, via games, apps, social media, and websites, it is now more essential than ever that your business website is mobile friendly. Your website should be versatile in every way so that your clients and prospects can easily browse and find information, regardless of what type of device (phone, tablet, desktop, etc.) they are using.

You may be asking yourself, “What is responsiveness?” Responsiveness is basically exactly as it sounds, responsive. As mentioned above, people are accessing websites from a multitude of platforms these days. When a website is responsive, it’s display and overall functionality molds and forms to whatever platform is being used at the time, in order to keep a consistent flow for the user. We have all gone to a website on our phone before and been frustrated because it was to big for the screen, or you had to zoom in and out throughout your entire time on the site… This is not fun at all, and is very detrimental to your audience!

We have done our best to outline the benefits of a responsive website for you below, and we highly recommend you read these thoroughly so that you understand the true value as well as necessity of responsiveness in todays world.

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