As more people choose to shop online, retailers that want to capitalise on online purchases need to make sure their website is in top shape. Here’s why the perfect website design is so important.

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Stay competitive

Businesses that don’t have a website risk losing custom to those competitors that do have one. Even if you don’t use your site as an e-commerce facility, creating a site that provides information about your business can help build confidence and trust in consumers, and it is the ideal way to showcase what you have to offer. If you want to stay on top of your game, a well-designed website is a good starting point, so consult website design company Gloucester experts for guidance.

Responsive design

It goes without saying that a website should be designed well so that it looks pleasant to the eye, but it must also be viewable on a wide range of devices. With more people now choosing to view websites and make purchases using mobile devices compared to computer desktops, creating a responsive site is a must. According to Forbes, a responsive website adapts to the size of the screen it is being viewed on for maximum user-friendliness.

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Easy navigation

The perfect website design for retailers isn’t just about how great it looks with gleaming images of your products, but it should also be easy to get around. Research consistently proves that consumers have little patience when it comes to navigating a website, and if they hit any confusing hurdles or delays in loading content, they’ll quickly look elsewhere. In order to make sure your website is set out in a logical and easy-to-follow format, seek assistance from website design company Gloucester professionals.

SEO

The ideal website design should be search engine optimised, created by following a series of measures that help to rank it higher in search listings. The higher your site appears on a list, the more likely it is to be seen by searchers and clicked on. Retailers looking to boost their online presence should get their site designed with SEO in mind, and this is something that an expert design agency can help with. The perfect website design is also an ongoing challenge, as web trends consistently change. Savvy retailers need to stay on top of the latest changes.

1. Do your research

The internet can tell us many things, but don’t rely on it alone. Get some books on the subject and read up on anything that interests you. Do this before heading out to buy antiques and this will help you to decide on a style that you like and that you can afford.

2. Tackle one subject at a time

Do your research but don’t overdo it. Learning about different movements and styles is great, but it’s easier to stick to one at a time.

3. Be aware of seller codes

You’ll discover that some dealers don’t price items but use a code instead. When you show an interest, the assistant looks up the code and sees the price the dealer paid for an item but in code, so you can’t see what that figure was. It is a suspicion that the price is open to interpretation by the store depending on who you are.

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4. Go left

Did you know that when people enter an antiques fair, everyone turns right? Buck the trend and make a conscious effort to turn left. That way, you’ll beat the crowds to the bargains first.

5. Visit respectable dealers

Events run by organisations like the British Antique Dealers Association or the London and Provincial Antique Dealers will guarantee that the antiques are exactly what they claim to be. You are protected as a consumer.

6. Be patient

Don’t feel too downhearted if you visit an antique fair or store and are unable to negotiate a lower price with the dealer. Bide your time and return just before the end of the day. If the item is still available, they might be more inclined to accept your offer rather than keeping hold of it.

7. Visit a Reclamation Yard

Remember that reclamation yards can offer excellent items at real value for money. You are not restricted to fairs and specialist shops. For a Reclamation Yard Ireland, visit www.wilsonsyard.com

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8. Choose quality

Always save yourself for the piece that offers the best quality if you want a better investment. There are plenty of antiques out there of a lesser quality, but you should always aim to wait and find the piece that is the very best example of its era or style.

9. A tip for buying chairs

Dealers prefer to sell chairs in full sets of four or six which of course are far more expensive for being supplied with the whole set. A chair on its own will sell for much less. If you’re seeking a certain set of chairs, carry a photo or picture with you for reference and try to pick up the collection chair by chair.

The morning of a wedding can be incredibly difficult to coordinate. How do you cope with suppliers delivering items, the hair and make-up appointment, flower deliveries, bridesmaids’ preparation and photographers? You’ll want to give this some thought before the big day, so you can have plans in place to make everything run like clockwork and save yourself a lot of stress. To schedule everything, you need to know what to expect in advance. Here are some tips to help you smooth out the wedding morning:

1. Early Bird

There’ll be no lie in on the morning of your wedding. Whether you have 2 bridesmaids or 6, you have to factor in prep time and distance from ceremony location, so expect to be up at dawn. The earlier your ceremony starts, the earlier your hair and make-up must commence. Depending on how many people are getting ready in the same location, you’ll need to adjust times accordingly.

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2. Buffer Time

When you’re planning your schedule, it’s vitally important to add in some buffer time. This is extra time in case of anyone running late, last-minute hiccups or just time to breathe and gather your thoughts before the big day. Scheduling everything down to the second will leave you no wiggle room in case anything takes longer than planned.

3. Talk with your photographer

If you’re planning on heading to a different location before your ceremony, you’ll need to prepare even earlier. Perhaps you are going somewhere for special photographs. Photographers will often leave quite some time before you to arrive at the venue to capture the moment when guests arrive at Weddings. Therefore, if you want ‘getting ready’ shots or Dad seeing you in your dress for the first time, you’ll need to be ready early enough for the photographer or hire two. To book a Bournemouth Wedding Photographer, visit Nick Rutter.

4. Begin dressing an hour before departure time

You might think you can dress in 10 minutes. After all, that’s all the time you took when you put the dress on in the bridal store. However, factor in the attaching of the veil to your perfectly set hairstyle, your helper’s shaky hands trying to do up hundreds of hooks, buttons or laces. Shoes to put on whilst wearing said dress and posing for suitably artistic pre-ceremony shots. Ten minutes is not going to cut it. Add in the jewellery, final make-up touches, bouquet handling and bridesmaids all doing the same – you can easily swallow up an hour without even realising.

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This all-important hour before the ceremony is known as the ‘power hour’ and it flies by. Everyone imagines they will be sat around waiting for ages, growing increasingly nervous with their make-up fading but this simply never happens.

Websites are an essential tool for any business and if you want to treat your site to a Christmas present this year, here are 12 things you can do for your site on each of the 12 days of Christmas:

1. Headline – This only needs to consist of a few words but make sure they are carefully chosen as you only have about 3 seconds to make an impression. Try to concisely capture the essence of your service or product.
2. Sub-headline – This needs to supplement your headline and should be a brief description of what services you offer. It helps to focus on what problem can be solved by using your product or service. Use a large mobile-optimised font.
3. Calls to Action – Your homepage is a gateway to entice visitors to delve deeper into your site. Make sure you have easily accessible call to action in places easy to spot that are visually striking yet concise and still fit in with the surrounding design of your site.

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4. Images – Most of us are visual creatures so use of an image or even an explainer video can help get the message across about what it is you do. Avoid the use of stock images and try to tap into your visitors’ emotions.
5. Benefits – It’s not enough to explain what you do but you need to state why this matters so much. There must be a reason for customers to buy from you, so target the benefits of doing so on your site. Your content should be easy to read and in the kind of language that your target audience would use.
6. Testimonials – It’s no good stating you are the best at what you do. It might well be true, but people will generally not believe you unless they hear it from others too. Place some of your shortest but best quotes on your homepage and a link to further case studies for maximum credibility.
7. Navigation – The navigation of your site could mean the difference between converting to a sale or a visitor bouncing away. There must be a clear path from your homepage for visitors to follow with a clear navigation bar at the top of the page. User tests can help to identify any issues and how intuitive your site is. For help with this and any other website needs, contact a Cardiff web designer at ambercouch.co.uk
8. Downloadable Content – Consider offering a downloadable guide or e-book for those customers who might not be ready to buy but still interested. They can read it at their leisure and most likely return to purchase when they’re ready.

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9. Secondary Call to Action – Consider those who might not be interested in your primary objective and offer them a path too. Place these CTAs at the bottom of the page and they can act as a back-up plan for any customer not yet ready to make that full commitment.
10. Features List – As well as highlighting the benefits of using your business, a features list is a great way to offer an easy read and details of what’s provided with your products and services.
11. Resources – Consider again those who might not be ready to buy. Offer them links to resources where they can find relevant information related to your industry. This has two benefits – it keeps them on your site longer and improves your credibility as a leader in your field.

• Success Stories – As well as your testimonials, don’t be afraid to share any awards or official recognition your business has received. Place these on your homepage and it will improve your credibility.