Creating a website that looks stunning, functions seamlessly, and aligns perfectly with your brand can feel overwhelming. However, by prioritizing up-front organization and cultivating effective communication, you can streamline the process and achieve a successful custom website design with ease and efficiency. In this blog post, we’ll explore key strategies to ensure your custom website design not only meets but exceeds your expectations. We’ll also touch on the importance of incorporating user experience design and responsive web design to enhance your online presence and drive long-term success through usability tests and user testing.

The Importance of Having a Vision

A clear vision is the cornerstone of a successful professional website design. Even if you don’t have a specific design in mind, it is crucial to have a set of goals for your site. Your vision should encompass your brand’s mission, objectives, and the message you want to convey to your audience. This helps the web designer understand your preferences and the overall feel you’re aiming for, ensuring the final product resonates with your target audience and meets your business objectives.

The Role of Content

Content plays a crucial role in the overall design of your website but is often overlooked in the initial concept phase. It is typically the most time-consuming aspect of any project and requires significant participation from the client. The sooner you begin organizing your web page content, the easier it is to bring your new website to life. Well-structured content not only enhances the user experience but also ensures your message is clear and compelling. For guidance on what content to include on your homepage, check out these resources:

• 12 Critical Elements Every Homepage Must Have
• Homepage Content Tips

Providing Visual Design References

To effectively communicate your vision, provide design references to your website design team. Visual design plays a crucial role in creating these references, as it encompasses the aesthetics and overall look-and-feel of the website. Scour other websites, noting what you like and dislike about competitor sites or any other sites that catch your eye. Gather these samples and share them with your designer. Create a vision board with preferred color combinations, imagery, and visual elements that feel complementary to your brand. This visual guide helps the designer tailor the custom website design to your taste while keeping it unique to your brand.

Incorporating Your Branding

Your website is an extension of your brand, so incorporating your branding elements is vital. Share your logo, brand colors, typography, and any other distinctive visual elements that represent your brand identity. Prioritize brand guidelines and share any brand requirements or limitations. A skilled UI designer can seamlessly integrate these elements to create a cohesive and recognizable online presence, reinforcing your brand identity and enhancing brand loyalty.

Emphasizing User Centered Design Principles

User experience design (UX design) is critical in creating a website that not only looks good but also functions smoothly. UX design focuses on the overall experience of users as they navigate through your site, and the UX design process includes intuitive navigation, fast loading times, and a clear, logical layout.

Before diving into the aesthetics, take time to define the purpose of your site by conducting user research. Are you aiming to drive sales, generate leads, or enhance brand recognition? Understanding your site’s goals will inform the UX design and ensure it aligns with your business objectives.

By prioritizing UX design, you ensure that your visitors have a positive experience, which can lead to higher engagement rates and conversions. A website that is easy to use and provides valuable information will keep visitors coming back. Additionally, conducting usability testing can help identify any issues and improve the overall user experience.

Responsive Web and UI Design

In today’s digital age, it’s essential for your website to be accessible on all devices. Responsive web design ensures that your website looks and functions well on desktops, tablets, smartphones, and mobile apps. Incorporating responsive design not only enhances user engagement but also contributes to SEO success.

A responsive web design not only improves the user experience but also boosts your site’s SEO rankings. Search engines like Google prioritize mobile-friendly websites, making responsiveness a key factor in your site’s visibility and success.

Custom Website Design

Investing in custom website design is one of the best decisions you can make for your business. A professional designer brings expertise, creativity, and technical skills to the table, ensuring your website is not only beautiful but also functional and effective.

A professional website design can set you apart from competitors, giving you a polished and credible online presence. It reflects the quality and professionalism of your brand, instilling trust and confidence in your audience.

Conclusion

Remember, your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. Make it count by ensuring it is well-designed, user-friendly, and has an intuitive user interface. By focusing on user experience design, responsive web design, and investing in professional website design, you can create a site that effectively represents your brand and meets your business goals.

Are you ready to embark on a journey to a website you’ll love? Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to revamp an existing site, Contact Capitol Tech Solutions today for a professional website design consultation that will bring your vision to life!

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Earlier this year our web design team was presented with the AVA digital award for their web design work on Sacramento’s local PBS station, KVIE. Most recently we received a web award for outstanding achievement for our work on MCE conferences’ website. The most recent honor is our second web design award in 2020 and our third time receiving a web award from the WMA. The continued roll of recognition is a testament to the design work and Q/A inspection our team goes through with each web design project.

The CTS team has continued to expand our web design knowledge working on a variety of eCommerce website builds and customer booking websites with advanced API integrations. Continuing to diversify our website design clientele and technical requirements improves our teams knowledge and design skill for each new project.

Criteria & Levels of WebAward Winners

Websites that enter the WebAwards are submitted online and separated into over 90 categories based on the industry of the website, among other factors. For example, our winning entry for KVIE competed in broadcasting category and was judged on its mobile design.

Each website is reviewed by a panel of independent judges in areas such as:

• Design
• Easy of use
• Copywriting
• Interactivity
• Use if Technology
• Innovation
• Content

Websites are evaluated on these areas and the best among them are awarded one of four award levels. Our own CTS website design team received the standard of excellence award for demonstrating above average web design and development for our work on the MCE Conferences website.

The recognition was well received amongst the team and our client MCE Conferences who has partnered with us for website updates, hosting and other user experience related services.

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We are proud to announce that we have won a 2020 AVA Digital Gold Award for developing and creating the website for your local PBS Station. The AVA Digital Awards are sponsored and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). This international organization consists of several thousand production, marketing, advertising, public relations and freelance professionals. Founded in 1995, AMCP sponsored competitions have grown to one of the largest of their kind in the world. The 2020 competition award winners were selected by AMCP from 2,500 entries. These entries came from throughout the United States, Canada, and twenty-three other countries.

Winning the AVA Digital Gold Award

“I am so proud of our entire creative and web development teams for their hard work on the KVIE website,” said Capitol Tech Solutions CEO Bobby Reed. “Winning the AVA Digital Gold Award is a huge honor for our company. This recognition is a direct result of the dedication and passion Capitol Tech Solutions puts into each and every client.”

The KVIE website also recently was awarded Best Broadcasting Mobile Website for Capitol Tech Solutions’ work in redesigning the station’s website. That award is presented annually by the Web Marketing Association.

History of Excellence

Capitol Tech Solutions was started in 2004 and has grown into one of the largest and most honored creative digital agencies in the region. They have created cutting-edge websites and digital strategies for a wide range of corporate, small business, non-profit, and media clients. Capitol Tech Solutions also is an award-winning user experience agency that creates innovative digital strategies for a diverse client base across the country.

In addition to winning the AVA Digital Gold Award for www.KVIE.org, Capitol Tech Solutions has been honored with the Davey Silver Award, a 2017 Web Award, and was named by SEO Blog as a top-rated SEO Agency in California for 2019. Additionally, they were named recently by Yelp as the “Number One Sacramento Web Design Agency.”

“Receiving the AVA Digital Award for our work on the KVIE website out of 2,500 entries shows that our web development and digital services are truly first class. This is a great way to kick off the new year, and we look forward to continuing to develop more award-winning websites for our clients,” concluded Reed.

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Is Your Website Working For or Against You?

How important is a website to a law firm? Today, three out of four people needing the services of an attorney will turn to the internet first to begin their search. A website enables a lawyer or law firm to provide important information as to why they are an individual’s best choice for providing legal services. But considering that a website is most likely the first introduction a person will have to your firm and services, the content and design is critical to making the right first impression.

Essential Legal Firm Website Design Features

Inform, Educate and Activate Potential Clients

In addition to written content graphic components are critical to the overall appearance of your website, but they should be skillfully placed without being distracting. Ideally, photos should be taken by a professional photographer. If you want to include videos, these should also be professionally done. However, be mindful of how long your videos or hyperlinks take to load. A prospective client may lose patience and move on to another site if the load time is slow.

Visitors to your website should also see a call to action with a clearly posted means of contacting you. This could be a phone number, or a form for a visitor to enter their contact information. Consider offering a free consultation as enticement for potential clients to contact you.

Ensure Your Law Firm’s Website is Mobile-Friendly

Invest in SEO to Get Found for Your Legal Services

Get Your Website Done Right and Hire a Pro!

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Before you start your next website project, Capitol Tech Solutions invites you to learn more about the different web development choices available in Sacramento. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck by understanding what determines the cost of a website and what options might be best for your unique project.

How much does it REALLY cost to build a website?

In Sacramento there are several different options when it comes to web design. You can either create your own website, work with a freelancer, or hire a fully stacked agency like Capitol Tech Solutions! Keep reading to learn about the budget and benefits of each of these options.

DIY – Do it yourself

Freelancer

Hire an Agency

How much does it cost to build a website with Capitol Tech Solutions?

We know that every business is different, and therefore, we do not take a “one size fits all” approach to website design. The cost to build a website with Capitol Tech Solutions depends on what you are looking to develop.

Our website projects range from essential ten-page designs all the way up to government and corporate sites that have thousands of pages and unique functionality requirements.

At CTS we provide your business with a depth of knowledge and unparalleled results. When you work with CTS, you are working with an entire team of skilled professionals, each ready to contribute to the overall success of your website. Our team includes award-winning designers, developers, content writers, and digital advertising experts.

Converting your web visitors into customers is our goal, and that is what sets us apart from the competition. We don’t only want to design you an attractive site, we want to utilize our expertise to get that site working for you and your business.

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A website will help your business grow by utilizing your online presence to target and engage with new customers. A website is the backbone that supports all of your other user experience strategies, such as SEO, social media marketing, paid online advertising, and content marketing.

But putting together a website for your business can seem like a daunting task. You want your site to be an engaging and informative representation of your brand and company culture. You need images, content, and structure. But where do you start?

The user experience team at Capitol Tech Solutions has years of experience creating award-winning websites for large and small businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies. We partner with our clients to create eye-catching websites that fit their unique business goals. At the beginning of every project the CTS team outlines the different pieces that are needed for a successful website.

No matter the size of your company or your unique business goals, these four tips will get your website going in the right direction.

1. Graphic Material that catches the eye

Strong graphic material can stimulate aesthetic senses and increase connections with your viewers.

Logo: Your business identity starts with your logo in the highest resolution possible – preferably an .ai or .eps file type.

New images: People respond to professional and engaging imagery, so gather as many high quality images as you can and give them descriptive filenames. No images? No problem, check out istockphoto.com for countless royalty free image options.

Color scheme: Everyone loves a great color scheme. Do you have particular colors you like? Provide the CYMK or RGB colors. If not, describe what you want, or find images that demonstrate your preferences.

Are you inspired by other websites? Put together a list of websites you like and make note of what you like most about them. This gives a visual representation of what you like and can provide a good starting point for design ideas.

2. Create a strong website structure

As you begin thinking about your website and how your content will be distributed, it’s important to focus on a site organization that will help visitors easily find what they are looking for.

Sitemap: What content pages will your website contain? We call this your sitemap. Most sites have some unique and some common pages. Think about what needs to be on your site.

Homepage: A modern website homepage has 4 -7 sections of content. Think about short content and descriptive images that can go on your homepage.

Call to action: Once people get to your website, what do you want them to do? Contact Us, Register Now, Call Us, Sign Up, Learn More, Get More, and Buy Now are a few options.

3. Create engaging website content

Now that you have your images and website structure, you need to create the content for your website. Here are some helpful ideas:

Value statement: First impressions go a long way. What is the first message and imagery a site visitor will see when they see your website? Think about your elevator pitch and what your business does that will help you stand out and be more memorable.

About Us: Answer the critical questions of the who, what, why, where, and how of your organization. The prospective client should conclude from the About Us content that your organization is qualified to solve their needs or fill their requirements.

Services/Products: What services or products do you offer, and why are they better than your competition? Describe with common industry terms what you do, get specific client testimonials, and elaborate on why you are better than competitors.

News/Blogs: What has been happening in your business or industry? Come up with some ideas for recent stories and write them for use on your news or blog page.

Testimonials: Get real people to say in their own words why you are so great. If you can get permission to use their name, title, and photo, it makes the testimonial even more powerful.

Other pages: There is no limit to the number of pages on a website, so if you have more content, add it to the site.

4. Get technical with details

Our user experience agency looks forward to going on this journey with you

Creating a successful website for your business doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. The award-winning team at CTS has years of experience partnering with businesses of all sizes to create engaging websites that convert visitors into customers. If you are ready to grow your business and expand your online presence reach out to CTS for a free website consultation.

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CTS Receives yet another Silver Davey Award for Web Design

What are the Davey Awards and How Are They Awarded?

The International Davey Awards recognize the creative achievements and ingenuity of small digital agencies. The Davey Awards acknowledge agencies across a dozen segments and media platforms including website, video, mobile, design, advertising and marketing.

The International Davey Awards winners are judged and selected by the Academia of Interactive and Visual Arts (AVIA). Members of the AIVA include top executives in the media, advertising, and marketing industry including Conde' Nast, Disney, GE and Microsoft. Entries are judged on their merits based upon a standard of excellence as determined by the AIVA.

CTS is proud of the recognition received on behalf of the AIVA for its website design work for local Sacramento Law Group Abrate & Olsen.

Capitol Tech Solutions CEO Bobby Reed was pleased to receive another Davey Award. “When it comes to any website development project, we always want to create a website that both helps generate leads for the client and is visually engaging to the audience,” Reed said. “The design and content of our website development begins with a strategic approach, developed through the partnership with our clients to achieve the goals for the business. It’s nice to see that the efforts of our team are recognized by not only our clients but also the AIVA.”

CTS Also Receives Recognition from the Sacramento Award Program

What is the Sacramento Award Program and What does the award recognize?

The Sacramento Award Program is awarded annually to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. The Sacramento Award Program utilizes information gathered both internally and with data provided by third parties to determine annual award winners. Winning companies have not only demonstrated the ability to use various marketing methods to grow their business but also enhance the image of small businesses and improve their local community through customer service and community involvement.

Bobby Reed, CEO of Capitol Tech Solutions commented, “As a company we are always thrilled to receive the Best of Sacramento award. To be recognized not only as a leading company within the Website Design and Development field but also a company that positively impacts the local community is fantastic.”

As a results-driven digital agency, Capitol Tech Solutions continuously strives to strategically develop a cutting-edge design, engaging content and a user experience to reach the business objectives of every client that partners with CTS.

“Our expanding team of user experience and website development professionals look forward to enhancing our partnerships in the Greater Sacramento region to help our clients grow their business and succeed online.” concluded Reed.

Davey Awards Winners Announcement | More About the Davey Awards

Related News About Capitol Tech Solutions

Money vs Time

A: Depending on how you value your time, you could be saving nothing or worse, you could be losing a heap load of time.

There’s no question that designing your own website with a popular website building software will save you money… at first. However, every website building software takes time to learn and depending on how tech-savvy you are, it could take you a lot of time. In addition, if you ever get to the point where you want someone else to handle the edits, you will be limited to finding those who already know how to use that software.

Limitations

What they don’t tell you is understandable, because you probably don’t even know what question to ask when you start building. Then when you need that certain flexibility in the website’s design or you need to add a specific cool feature to your site to help boost social media or sales… well, you can’t. Maybe you still technically “can,” but YOU can’t.

You look for some 3rd party plugins to handle all that technical stuff for you. For many platforms those can be a great solutions, but if you go that route then you can often find yourself with some hidden expenses (next section will cover in more detail).

You look for some help online so that you can make the design changes, but all you find is more complex code to deal with or that it’s simply a limitation of the website theme/template you’re using.

You suck it up and just deal with the limitations and then months go by, but your site isn’t ranking very well on the search engines. How well does your software handle SEO and how well does it give you the ability to manage that?

Hidden Expenses

Conclusion

If time is what you lack then find a firm who has a solid track work and who can show you websites that make you think “I’d sure like a website that looked that good.” Going this route will not only land you a better looking site, but it makes all future work to your site that much easier as a team of professionals is already completely familiar with all your website’s files.

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