Accessibility
Accessibility is about making sure your site is usable by as many people as possible. It increases your potential market by benefiting every user of your web site, not only users with some form of disability.
Category: Web design
Web design creates the user interface of a web site. It is the layout, text, images, buttons, forms, links and animations of a web site with which your users interact. Getting design right can make the difference between success and failure for a web site.
In a nutshell…
The meaning of the term web design has changed as technology has advanced. Today, web design covers many disciplines, including accessibility, Responsive Web Design, and interaction design. At its core, though, is the principle that a web site must functionally meet expectations on any device.
Some fundamental principles work across our disciplines at Redcentaur:
Just works
First and foremost, the web site has to work. A user can use the site on any device or assistive technology without the design getting in the way. They can use the site in all environments and with any market-leading browser without difficulty.
Clear and concise
The design is transparent and provides information when a user needs it: the site does not bombard a user with irrelevant information. Users can use the site and easily navigate around it. Using the site is easy and quick.
Meets users’ expectations
The site should do everything a user expects it to do. In other words, the site does what it promises quickly and efficiently. If an error occurs, the site should “fail gracefully” and leave the user with options to recover. Site responses should be friendly and understandable.
Avoids confusion and frustration
We’ve all visited sites that immediately make us feel uncomfortable because of clashing colours, animations, flashing images, pop–up adverts, rotating videos or flash introductions. Often, these only serve to make the site owner feel self–assured and to frustrate users. When there are too many options, links and menus, users become unclear about what to do, which leads to confusion, inaction and exit.
Helps users complete tasks
Users should be able to complete tasks efficiently and quickly. A web site shouldn’t stand in the way of a task’s completion, for example, by expecting a date entered in a specific format. It should help and advise when user input is incorrect and help users to input information correctly. Too often, a web site is an obstacle to users who try to complete a task; we aim to make it an ally.
Standards compliant
Modern web sites should use the latest standards and best practices if they are going to perform in the future. The most recent presentation standards (HTML 5, CSS 3, ECMAScript and WAI—ARIA) and best practices such as Responsive Design, accessibility and many other specifications should be essentials for any new web site. We always use the latest standards and best practices when we design web sites.
Fast rendering
A web site’s loading speed is a critical issue when users drop purchases. Various studies have confirmed that one in four Americans leave a web site if it takes longer than four seconds to display. Studies show visitors do not return to a web site that has kept them waiting. Amazon estimated a one-second delay showing a page cost $1.6 billion per year in lost sales. Google estimated slowing their search results by four-tenths of a second could lose eight million searches per day. They estimated a minor speed restriction would lose massive advertising revenue from not displaying adverts in millions of searches every day.
Performs well in search engines
A good design helps a web site achieve good search engine results. The starting point for all good search engine results is good design. We ensure we use the latest standards, performance measures to speed pages, and other design techniques to improve search engine performance.
Of course, a web site needs valuable and relevant content before any design will perform in search engines. And that is a factor for effective copywriting and content management strategies.
This category highlights some of the services we provide clients like you to achieve the best from their web sites. If you are ready to join them in improving your web site performance through design, start a conversation with us today.
Copywriting
Our copywriting service can take the pain out of publishing new content on your site. Not only do you have to write content but you also need to make it relevant to your audience and perform well in search engines. Copywriting will write relevant content for your audience that performs well in search results.
Email marketing
How you market your business to your customers is an often-overlooked business strategy. Successful email marketing is crucial for any online business and hard to achieve. Emails must match your brand, your web site design and your voice.
Photography
A picture paints a thousand words, and this is especially true for a web site. The images on your web site say a lot about your company or you as an individual. Having professional, well-composed, strong imagery on your web site is essential to portray the right tone for you and your web site.
Web design
There is a lot to consider when creating a web site: standards, best practices, performance, search engines, and viewing on desktops, laptops and smartphones. Our expertise, experience and knowledge mean you can be sure your web site works.