Running successful digital marketing campaigns while also managing every other aspect of your business can be challenging. That’s where professional digital marketing companies come in. However, not just any agency will do.

Elevato isn’t just any full-service digital marketing agency. We’re an in-house team that’s ready to integrate with your business. When we say that “we do what we say we’ll do,” we mean it. That’s a guarantee.

We look to provide every client with an honest, holistic, and productive personalized experience, putting them first. After all, your business is unique, and your digital marketing strategy should reflect that. Our strategies are tailored to align with your specific business goals, ensuring measurable results and overall success.

About Us

​​At Elevato, we pride ourselves on being more than just a digital marketing agency. We are a dedicated team of professionals committed to helping businesses in Phoenix thrive in the digital landscape. Our approach is rooted in understanding the unique needs of each client and delivering tailored solutions that drive real results. With a focus on innovation and excellence, we strive to be a trusted partner in your business’s growth journey.

Our Mission and Values

Our mission at Elevato is to empower businesses in Phoenix to achieve their full potential online. We believe every business deserves a strong digital presence, and we are committed to making that a reality. Our core values revolve around delivering exceptional service, driving impactful results, and building lasting relationships with our clients. We are passionate about staying at the forefront of digital marketing trends and technologies, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest advancements in the industry.

The Benefits of Digital Marketing

People spend a lot of time online. According to recent research, the average internet user spends about seven hours a day online across all devices. If you want to reach and attract your target audience, that’s where you need to be, too. In other words, you need an online presence, and digital marketing helps you establish it. 

That’s just the beginning. There are a wide range of benefits that come with a full-service agency providing comprehensive digital marketing solutions, including:

• Rather than casting a wide net and hoping you bring in a few customers, online marketing allows you to more accurately target a client base that would be interested in your business.
• With local and global reach, you can get your business in front of people you might not be able to reach with traditional marketing tactics.
• You can engage with potential clients at every stage of the buyer journey and generate a consistent pipeline of quality leads.
• Frequent social media management (including emails and social media engagement) allow you to build trust and customer loyalty.
• Digital marketing strategies provide measurable data that allow you to see the success of your efforts and make changes to improve your results.
• Generally speaking, digital marketing is more cost-effective than traditional marketing solutions. Additionally, effective campaigns drive better conversion optimization.
• Paid search strategies can significantly drive business growth and increase brand awareness through well-managed PPC campaigns. 

Our Comprehensive Services Are Do-It-All Digital Marketing Solutions

Elevato isn’t your average full-service digital marketing agency. Instead, we provide services in all things web. Here’s a look at what we can do for you:

Marketing 

With almost every business online, you need to stand out from the competition and encourage your target audience to choose you. Digital marketing allows you to prove what, why, and how you can benefit potential customers. Our digital marketing experts work with you to create a custom plan that produces results with digital marketing services such as:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Paid media
• Social media marketing
• Content creation
• Email marketing automation

Engineering

With 35 years in business, we have a wealth of experience in all facets of web engineering, including the expertise of web developers. We can design and build world-class systems. Do you need a simple out-of-the-box website or a brand-new large-scale e-commerce site? Whatever the task, we have the team to get the job done. Our engineering services include:

• Website development
• Database architecture
• E-commerce
• Mobile applications
• Custom development

Design

From your website and paid ads to physical flyers and brochures, graphic design is a vital component of telling the story of your business. Market research is essential in optimizing marketing campaigns and SEO strategies, helping to understand performance metrics and craft effective approaches. It requires the development and execution of a precise narrative to catch the eye of your target audience. 

Our digital marketing specialists work closely with you to craft attractive visuals that fit your industry and tell your story. In other words, make you recognizable and relatable to your target market. Design services include:

• Logos and branding
• Advertising
• Web design

Hosting

When you create a website, those files need a place to live. That’s your web host. When customers enter your domain name (or click your name on a search engine results page), your web hosting provider transfers the files they need to view it. Without it, your website would be inaccessible. 

Good hosting works in the background to keep your website up, running smoothly, and secure. With Elevato’s hosting services, you can spend less time worrying about your website status and information security. Instead, you can take more time tending to what matters most — running your business. Our holistic hosting solution includes:

• PCI DSS 3 compliant systems for payment security
• HIPAA compliance
• Several backups every day
• Proactive monitoring

Multimedia           

For businesses, multimedia can be an invaluable, powerful tool. Video production allows you to convey clear messages, engages your audience, and encourages action. In addition to looking good, your videos need to speak directly to your target audience. With careful attention to detail and a focus on your goals, Elevato’s multimedia department can create content that brings your message right to your audience.

Our multimedia services include:

• Traditional video
• Advertising and promotional video
• Educational and informational video
• TimeKit creations
• Motion graphics and animations

Local SEO Agency in Phoenix

As a local SEO agency in Phoenix, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with marketing in this vibrant city. Our team of digital marketing experts has extensive experience in helping businesses improve their online visibility, drive more traffic, and increase conversions. We are proud to be a part of the Phoenix business community and are dedicated to helping local businesses thrive. By leveraging our deep understanding of the local market, we create strategies that resonate with your target audience and deliver tangible results.

Personalized Digital Marketing Strategy

At Elevato, we recognize that every business is unique, which is why we offer personalized digital marketing strategies tailored to your specific needs and goals. Our team of experts works closely with you to understand your business, identify opportunities, and develop a customized plan that drives real results. Whether you aim to improve your website’s search engine rankings, increase your social media following, or drive more conversions, we have the expertise to help you succeed. Our personalized approach ensures that your digital marketing efforts align with your business objectives and deliver maximum impact.

Results-Driven Digital Marketing

At Elevato, we are committed to delivering measurable results for our clients. We believe that digital marketing should be a key driver of business growth, and we are dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. Our team of experts uses data-driven insights and cutting-edge technologies to develop and execute marketing campaigns that drive real results. Whether you are looking to increase website traffic, boost conversions, or improve your return on investment (ROI), we have the expertise and experience to help you succeed. Our results-driven approach ensures that your digital marketing efforts contribute to your overall business growth and success.

A Unique Approach to Digital Marketing

Our approach to marketing in Phoenix is different from what most other Phoenix digital marketing agencies do. First and foremost, we are focused on the client experience. From social media marketing to search engine optimization to video production to email marketing; when you’re satisfied, the results will follow.

At Elevato, we’re firm believers that any marketing project (or other related services) has the most success when the client is actively involved in the planning and execution of the campaign. We begin our relationship with an in-depth and thorough onboarding process. That allows us to get to know you and your business.

We follow that up with constant and detailed communication to gain a complete understanding of your goals. At the same time, we look to build momentum piece by piece, creating campaign strategies, tactics, and solutions that make your life easier while delivering more bottom-line revenue.

The Best Digital Marketing Agency In Phoenix

Are you ready to team up with an experienced Phoenix SEO agency? Elevato is here to help you strengthen your online presence, reach more of your target audience, and grow your business. Our core focus is simple: helping you reach your goals with advanced solutions to digital, web-based needs. Schedule a consultation today to get started!

The post The Leading Digital Marketing Agency in Phoenix appeared first on Elevato.

With a limited supply of qualified leads, it’s up to a strategic marketing plan to drive traffic to your solar website. In 2023, there are several agencies that stand above the rest. The ideal solar marketing agency understands the industry and offers a plethora of valuable services.

Here’s how a solar marketing agency can help you notch out an impressive market share.

Solar Marketing Agency Expert Services

The right solar marketing agency can help companies stay ahead of their competitors with expert services. The best agencies of 2023 should offer the following services, stellar client communication, and an innovative mindset. 

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective methods of reaching potential customers. It’s cost-effective by nature and allows a company to personalize its messaging to key customer groups.

This is typically accomplished through engaging email content, building email lists, and managing long-term email campaigns. A competitive email marketing team can function well in a variety of industry spaces. 

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher on search engines like Google. By increasing your website’s visibility, you can attract more organic traffic to your site.

The top solar marketing agencies can help businesses develop an SEO strategy that includes topical keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, content marketing, and more. With a well-planned SEO strategy, businesses can increase lead flow and improve the quality of these leads.

Paid Media

Paid media is a form of online advertising where businesses pay for ad space on search engines or social media platforms. This can include Google ads, Facebook ads, LinkedIn ads, etc.

Companies need effective paid media campaigns to reach their target audience. This requires crafting compelling ad copy, strategic targeting, and even search optimization to ensure the best return on investment.

Web Design

A well-designed website is absolutely necessary for any business in today’s digital age. It’s the first impression that potential customers have of your brand. Slow load time, broken links, and non-compelling design will turn potential customers away within the first few seconds of visiting your site.

Competitive solar marketing agencies help companies develop and launch websites that are visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines. They can also ensure that the website is mobile-friendly and responsive, which is essential in today’s mobile-first world.

Competitive Solar Marketing Agencies in 2023

By leveraging top services, businesses can increase their online visibility, generate leads, and improve their brand’s reputation.

It’s essential to choose the right solar marketing agency that understands the solar industry’s unique challenges and can develop a customized strategy that aligns with business goals.

Elevato

Elevato is a top agency specializing in ‘a things web’. Their expertise extends to Engineering, Marketing, Design, Hosting, Multimedia, and more. With well over three decades of industry experience, this powerhouse firm can drive any solar company toward its marketing goals.

Their powerful digital solutions are tailor-made for a company’s individual market and needs. Within the solar industry, they leverage their vast expert base to provide data-backed results that bring in the right qualified leads.

AdBuz

This marketing agency specializes in increasing brand awareness and customer loyalty for its solar clients. AdBuz offers a breadth of services ranging from Pay-Per-Click Services (PPC), Web Design, Content Writing, Social Media Marketing, and more.

Their knowledgeable and experienced team is poised to assist any solar company in launching efficient marketing campaigns.

TD Marketing Solutions

TD Marketing Solutions leverages its expertise and experience to develop a comprehensive, effective digital marketing strategy for solar businesses. They staff experts in a variety of services, including Fractional CMO, Growth Marketing, Marketing Automation, SEO, and more.

This top firm of 2023 strives to deliver excellent results and scale any partner company.

Hook Agency

This top firm has executed brilliant strategies for solar providers through Search Engine Optimization, paid ads, and effective website design. The Hook Agency writers, producers, and other experts are used to especially targeting solar leads that bring big business.

Their process includes top customer service and access to a powerful marketing team.

First Page Sage

This agency has plenty of experience delivering amazing results for solar energy companies. They offer services such as SEO Services Overview, B2B SEO Services, SEO Audit Services, SEO Consulting Services, and SEO-Centered Web Design.

After completing their onboarding and ongoing content production processes, a company has all they need to drive leads and scale.

Smart Solar Marketing

Smart Solar Marketing prides itself on helping Solar Owners attract more high-quality solar leads and close more installs. This niche marketing firm specializes in PPC Ads, Reputation Management, Search Engine Marketing, Advertising Campaigns, and more.

This agency is uniquely poised to grow solar companies through top digital marketing campaigns.

Work With The Best Solar Marketing Agency

In the era of the expanding solar market and rising competition, now is the ideal time to partner with a top solar marketing agency. From Paid Media to competitive Search Engine Optimization, there are plenty of services ideal for pulling in a large percentage of the market.

Here at Elevato, we’re dedicated to expanding our client’s customer base through innovative strategies and unique solutions. No two solar companies are the same, and the right marketing campaigns must be tailor-made for individual company success.We’d love to discover and power your new strategy. Schedule a free consultation today.

The post Top Solar Marketing Agencies in 2023 appeared first on Elevato.

*If you know you need help with your site’s ADA compliance, schedule a free consultation today

Meeting ADA website compliance requires a thorough understanding of current guidelines along with a dedication to accessibility. Use this checklist to ensure you’re meeting modern standards and developing an accessible website for all users. 

What is ADA Compliance?

The Standards for Accessible Design issued under the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates requirements that websites must meet to maintain ADA compliance. These guidelines are set for all websites, and businesses are legally accountable for maintaining compliance. There are additional guidelines like the WCAG 2.0, which provide more in-depth information on exact compliance standards. 

The function of ADA compliance is to promote and enforce equal website access for people with disabilities. This includes maintaining certain standards for audio content, non-text content, and visual content. The act of adhering to accessibility requirements promotes equity and public accommodation. 

WCAG 2.0 Guidelines: Levels of Compliance 

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 Guidelines) provides recommendations for making websites more accessible. These guidelines are the authority on international accessibility standards. Meeting the WCAG 2.0 minimum level of accessibility is required to reach ADA compliance. 

There are three conformance levels; the minimum, A, the mid-tier, AA, and the highest, AAA. 

Level A

This is the most basic or lowest level of website accessibility. So, reaching level A compliance is absolutely necessary when conducting a compliance checklist. 

Level AA

This level is a good accessibility standard considered the mid-tier and goes further than level A toward making web content accessible for many users. 

Level AAA

This is ​​the highest possible conformance level in WCAG 2.0, and this level of conformance is not always realistic for workable sites. Nevertheless, Level AAA can occasionally be met, and it is a solid goal. 

The Importance of ADA Compliance 

Proper ADA compliance allows all individuals equal access to your website and services. It lowers the inequitable barriers that exist across the internet. Good compliance also helps your business avoid litigation and the revenue loss that comes with blocking user access. Every year thousands of suits are filed against companies accused of violating ADA standards. Proper compliance helps businesses maintain an equitable website and avoid costly legal fees. 

Complete ADA Compliance Website Checklist

These items are a great place to start for your ADA compliant website checklist. A thorough review of your current compliance standards requires addressing all of these factors at minimum.  

1. Skip Navigation Links

For users navigating by keyboard users and screen reader users, links across the top or down the sides of web pages are distracting or frustrating without a skip option. A non-disabled person can visually skip over these links while a web reader device cannot. Implement skip navigation links to allow web readers to ‘skip’ these links. 

2. Choose Contrasting Color 

Users with visual disabilities may struggle to differentiate between colors on a web page. Verify that all colors used meet the color contrast ratio required by the WCAG 2.0. 

3. Include Alternative (alt) Text

All images need to have alternative tags so that a web reader can describe the image for visually impaired users. Double-check that all images are described accurately. 

4. Utilize Proper Heading Structuring 

Headings provide vital structure to a website, both visually and technically. Any good ADA compliance website checklist should mention headings. Label all headings with proper h1, h2, and h3 formatting to be accessible for users with disabilities including blind users. 

5. Make PDF Files Accessible 

PDFs can be a hotspot for ADA violations. Typically, a PDF gives a plethora of vital information to users. Ensure all PDFs are organized with alt text, proper headings, and titles. 

6. Avoid Empty Links 

Broken or empty links provide no context to a web reader or keyboard nav tool for what the link is referencing. It’s functionally a blank spot on the site. Fixing these empty and broken links allows a web reader and keyboard nav to understand what the link is referencing. 

7. Label All Forms 

Labeling all form controls includes drop-down menus, radio buttons, checkboxes, and text fields. In most cases, the labels just need to describe the purpose of the form to help users operate the forms. 

8. Keyboard Navigation Friendly 

Full keyboard compatibility means a keyboard can operate all forms, links, buttons, and other controls. Websites should not require a mouse, as this prohibits many users from operating your site and may create a keyboard trap. Additionally, the site should have suggestions in place for correcting input errors. 

9. Choose Optimal Fonts

For visually impaired users, fonts must be simple, unembellished, and of a certain size. Your site should also allow disabled users to increase and decrease all font sizes easily. 

10. Understand All Legal Rulings and Documentation 

Ultimately, if the person(s) running your compliance check is not intimately familiar with ADA compliance regulations, then you will miss violations. While some high level AAA violations may not result in non-compliance litigation – some violations will lead to litigation.  

Partner With The ADA Compliance Experts

There are many steps to achieving full digital accessibility, and the process can be overwhelming. Businesses want to avoid limiting user access whenever possible, but the intricacies involved and technical know-how required to reach compliance may be out of reach. ADA website compliance experts like the ones at Elevato can guide your site to a compliance space. 

Our specialists have years of ADA compliance experience. They scan every website page twice to ensure all violations are either fixed or noted. After working with the ADA compliance specialists at Elevato, you’ll receive documentation proving the compliance efforts you’ve made. Their expert knowledge can mean the difference between a truly compliant website and one that inequitably limits user access. 

Ready to Make Your Website ADA Compliant?

Elevato is poised to take your site from an at-risk, non-compliant state to a higher-functioning, secure, and accessible platform for users with disabilities.

Schedule a consultation today to discuss improving your site’s ADA compliance.

The post The Ultimate ADA Compliance Website Checklist for 2022 appeared first on Elevato.

What is a Product Page?

A product page is a page on a business’s website that details a specific product or service. It usually offers specs like price, dimensions, descriptions, and other aspects of the product. The product page intends to help customers decide what to purchase. The goal is to get the ideal customer to buy that specific product or guide them to similar available products. 

How to Design a Product Page

Your product and company are unique, so what works for other web product pages may not work for yours. There are some commonalities across many web pages, but before implementing anything, consider what your consumers really want and how best to highlight your product. 

Ask your team to brainstorm best practices for your company and how you want customers to experience your new product page. Then, get started on the design process with the following steps. 

Images 

The most important aspect of a product page is the high-quality product images. You have several factors to consider when it comes to images. First, do you want a standard sliding carousel of images? Are you planning on interspersing a quality video? Alternatively, do you want a scrollable set of images placed as backgrounds on the page? 

The image display will entice users to review the rest of the product page and purchase. Prep images carefully and consider hiring a product photography expert if you haven’t already. 

Description

Your product description can be simple and match industry standards. For example, an eCommerce clothing website may contain product details with information on fabric, price, size chats, and a brief garment description. Customers anticipate this information on every eCommerce clothing site they visit. You would be remiss to leave any industry-standard descriptions off your product page. 

As a bonus, an ‘eco-friendly’ clothing site may want to add details on whether a garment is recycled to their descriptions. A ‘size-inclusive’ clothing site may want to add the model’s dimensions and the size of the garment they’re wearing in the images. Consider what makes your product different and how you can best emphasize this in the descriptions. 

Layout 

A visually pleasing layout is good product design. The layout is a huge part of the user experience and customer perception of your product. Layout design decisions include anything from the color scheme to key elements to animated images. The following examples break down a few layout options. Remember, your layout should showcase your product title, images, and descriptions in the best possible manner.    

Does your company or product utilize clean lines and simple marketing? If so, consider carouseling all your images and descriptions on a non-scrollable page. This powerful, simple layout will promote your overall product theme and message. Alternatively, you could pair close-up images with specific feature descriptions if your product has many different features. A food product could have a scrollable layout breaking down each ingredient and its description. 

Reviews

Customer reviews are a powerful motivator for making purchasing decisions. Typically product reviews are displayed below images and descriptions and involve a ranking system for customer ratings. Consider marking regular reviewers as top contributors and placing their reviews at the top of the stack. Users also appreciate the ability to order reviews by date or product feature. 

If, however, your product has undergone past fixes or adjustments, consider locking reviews so that the most recent reviews are at the top. 

Gated Content 

Gated content refers to any page on your site that requires user information to access. We commonly see gated content as a login or sign-in. Gated content for a product page can be a request for an email that appears before the product page. Typically, companies will offer a one-time discount in exchange for user information. 

Note that users should always be able to ignore gated content for product pages. The most important thing is that users still have easy access to the products.   

Examples of Excellent Product Web Page Design

At Elevato, our designers create stellar product pages customized to our client’s needs and products. Below are some product page examples of past work: 

Musio

This product page from Musio showcases music creation software. Users can hover over each red circle, and a brief description of that feature will appear. This is an excellent example of a layout where images and descriptions are paired to best display the unique product. 

Garden of Earthly Delights

Here is Garden of Earthly Delights’ delicious Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips product page. This organic product is clean and authentic, and this is reflected in the layout. The nutrition facts are prominently placed, and other related recipes are lunges with images below. 

SoccerPro

This Nike product from SoccerPro uses product design to clearly show the sales offered. The SoccerPro price is prominently displayed in red while the standard price is below. Customers can easily see how much they’re saving. 

Jostens

Jostens gives a great example of gated content. This company makes graduation apparel specific to individual schools. The information required in the gated content blurb allows the site to showcase the exact apparel that the user is looking for. 

Product Page Best Practices 

Consider the following best practices to implement on your own product landing page. 

1. Develop Obvious Call to Action 

You want your potential customers to know where to go for purchasing. For example, if you’re using a white background consider implementing bold colors for your purchasing buttons. Utilizing an add to cart button feature can also encourage customers to keep shopping. 

2. Note Availability 

Is your product in high demand? Is there always a limited quality? Let your customers know how many products are available right on the page. This will encourage quicker purchasing. 

3. Highlight Savings

Always note if your customers are looking at a deal. Add competitor prices or note the discount percentage. 

4. Ask Users for Their Preferences 

Don’t hesitate to survey users and ask for their preferences. A product page, like any web page, can always use an update, so surveying will help your team stay up on the trends. 

Design a Premier Product Page With Elevato 

Our designers are innovative creatives with an insight into the user experience. Here at Elevato Digital, we believe that design is about storytelling. You must develop a clear narrative that’s aimed at your target audience. Let us help tell your story; contact us today.

The post Essential Product Page Design Guide to Boost E-Commerce Sales appeared first on Elevato.

However, finding great Ruby on Rails developers can be stressful since there just aren’t many Rails developers available for hire. Still, you want to make the best selection possible. So, where should you search for expert Ruby on Rails developers to take your website to the next level? This guide will give you the top firms for hiring a Ruby on Rails Developer. 

Where to Find the Best Ruby on Rails Developers 

There are a few tips to keep in mind before selecting a firm to hire. Look for proven success in the firms you’re reviewing. Ensure that they have a history of providing excellent developers. 

Ask for a portfolio of past projects and look for a firm with clients similar to your industry or project nature. Extra points for any firm or agency that can provide other top services as well. 

You want to hire front-end developers who know how to build agile, scalable web applications and possess the soft skills for collaboration. To this end, during the interview process, look for solid communication skills and top-notch technical skills in every Ruby developer. 

You will find the best RoR developers on development teams that focus on code quality and have extensive knowledge of development frameworks. Don’t hesitate to ask questions during the hiring process!

Finally, any frontend developers you hire should be excited about your project. Look for a tech agency that is a good company fit. A quality agency should want to develop a deep understanding of your project goals. 

6 Places to Find the Best Ruby on Rails Developers

1. Elevato Digital 

Here at Elevato, we focus on providing ‘all things web’ services. This includes marketing, design, hosting, and excellent Rails development services. Our engineering team is chocked full of experienced developers. We’re excited to attack unique and challenging problems from an innovative lens. The only question is, what is your project, and when can we start? 

2. Iterative

Iterative Consulting offers a full spectrum of design and technology services, including stellar Rails developers for all your digital needs. The teams at Iterative focus on the user experience and highly collaborative design. This means the entire team prioritizes clean code and a communicative development process. Whatever your Ruby on Rails development projects—Iterative can help. 

3. Digis

This European-based company offers outsourced IT services but also powerful web applications and mobile development for your Ruby on Rails needs. The company of one of Europe’s 30 under 30 CEOs, Digis is ready to offer support and quality development for many of your digital needs. 

4. Bit Zesty

At Bit Zesty, the focus is on speed, flexibility, and quality. This London-based tech company works with corporations, non-profits, and startups. They build user-friendly products and services. Interested in an updated digital strategy or clever application development? Contact Bit Zesty to learn more.  

5. BairesDev

BairesDev is trusted by startups and fortune 500 companies alike. They focus on staffing the top tech talent with in-depth knowledge to build a team focused on innovation. Check out their blog to learn more about their thoughts on innovation, future tech, and software development. 

6. Rubyroid Labs

Founded in 2013, Rubyroid Labs offers Rails development for all different kinds of projects. This includes MVP Development, Web API Development, new development, and more. This agency has a history of startup clientele, and they also offer consulting services. 

Find Expert Ruby on Rails Developers   

No matter your Ruby on Rails needs, there are developers willing and able to help—you just have to know where to look. Use this guide to hire the best Ruby on Rails developers for any project you may have. For a full-service digital team with the best Rails developers around, contact the Elevato team today.

The post 6 Places to Find Top Ruby on Rails Developers in 2022 appeared first on Elevato.

Use this guide to prep an excellent website redesign process that will promote the user experience and bump your online presence. 

How to Approach a Website Redesign

First, you should determine your redesign project goals. Are you completely rebranding your company? Changing outdated aesthetics? Launching a new product or service? These are all valid reasons to redesign your site, and each will require different methods. 

Know that there is a difference between a redesign and a refresh. A website refresh should be happening more frequently, as often as every few weeks, and involves smaller changes such as updating headers or tweaking a page’s color scheme. 

A website redesign project is a significant task that can immediately impact revenue and business functioning. It requires significantly more forethought and planning to launch. Here’s how to best go about a website redesign, but know that you can plan your website’s refreshes months in advance. Refreshes are needed more frequently after a redesign to fix any unexpected bugs. 

How to Redesign a Website  

There isn’t a one size fits all guide to website redesign – the process is complicated and nuanced. However, this plan is a good place to start. 

Set Your Goals 

This isn’t a kitschy goal-setting exercise. Your team must set tangible metrics for success. Ask yourself questions like these: 

• What is the minimum amount of new traffic your redesign should bring in, and how long should this take to achieve? 
• Are you aiming to lower your load time? If so, by how much?
• How many more leads should your redesign convert? 
• How long should it take to plan and implement your redesign?
• Which marketing strategies and digital strategy are you hoping to implement? 

Setting precise business goals allows you to evaluate success throughout the planning process and will help your project managers push the redesign along. 

Competitor Analysis

Take your list of competing companies and assess the different aspects of their websites. What do they have in common? Do you have this commonality on your site, as well? If not, you should consider adding this aspect to your site. 

Note that the aim isn’t to blend in with the competition but rather to match industry standards while selling your own unique brand. You typically don’t want to shock potential customers with your novelty but to wow them with your innovation. 

Functionality 

There are always ways to map out a more clear and pleasant website. Ask yourself questions like: 

• Which pages bring more traffic?
• When do target customers click off? 
• Which pages generate a higher conversion rate, and what’s unique about these pages? 

Look at your site’s successes and problem areas. Prepare to adjust accordingly as you build for responsive design. 

Use your current user base to bring in hard data on your website’s current functionality. You can utilize data retrieval methods like surveys and focus groups to gather this vital information. Don’t hesitate to gather information from platforms like google analytics, as well.  

Aesthetics 

In many cases, a pretty website is a better website. Obviously, users won’t tolerate a slow load speed or links that lead nowhere. But an unattractive color palette or outdated design elements will also send them happily trotting to a competitor’s website. 

An excellent design team can position your aesthetics to add power to your website in an already competitive industry. From font to color choice to the shapes and structure of new page links – website aesthetics covers a breadth of the custom website design project. If you’re rebranding, then a significant portion of your time will be spent in the design phase. 

Content 

New pages, new products for sale, novel services – all can and should be designed with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Creating new or updated content strategy is a great opportunity to drive traffic to your page. 

Quality content management can drive up your site’s SEO and guide users to the pages that sell. Use hard data from surveys on what users want to see. Structure clear and concise content that goes above and beyond what your competitors are doing.     

Implementation

You will need a stellar team of developers, writers, designers, and project managers to bring this redesign to fruition, all while keeping your website functional. It’s not unheard of to schedule a website downtime for redesign and even use this outage to promote the fresh redesign. What you want to avoid at all costs is implementing an excessively buggy new site.

Plan extensively for implementation and make sure to review all aspects of your redesign plan. User interface should function almost perfectly after a redesign. This is an all-hands-on-deck aspect of the website redesign process. 

Common Website Redesign Mistakes 

There are many, many ways that a redesign can go wrong. In general, here are a few of the less obvious pitfalls to avoid in your website redesign.

1. Form Over Functionality

As discussed, aesthetics are important to your website redesign. The issue is that they can’t become the ultimate focus. You still need a website that prioritizes functionality, such as intuitive design and well-structured pages. The ideal customer won’t be impressed with marketing efforts and visual elements alone. You need a carefully coded user journey that is capable of meeting your conversion goals. 

2. Poor User-Centered Design (UCD) 

You must leverage the data gleaned from surveys, focus groups, sessions, and expert consultations to create a website with the user experience in mind. For example, as many users come to expect functioning mobile sites, the design process must update the mobile experience. Failing to do so is driving blind and is poor UCD.

3. Failing to Reassess 

There will be mistakes made during a website redesign. Proper planning aims to lower the amount and severity of these mistakes. Failing to plan refreshes and updates after a redesign will leave you scrambling for the resources to patch a mistake.

4. Not Outsourcing 

Know when you’re over your head and where money is best spent. Investing in expert help is investing in a quality website redesign.  

How Much Does it Cost to Remake a Website?

The price of a redesign will vary depending on various factors, including the size of your site and the type of redesign. Generally, the cost can range anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 or more. 

Consulting with experts in website redesign can help you get a better idea of the needed budget for your particular project. 

How Often Should You Revamp Your Website?

In general, you should plan for a full website redesign at least every two to three years, and that’s if you’re regularly refreshing your site. Design trends change often and your website’s heat map will also change frequently. A site over three years old is probably outdated and contributes to a loss of users. 

Best Website Redesign Strategy 

Website redesign is a time-consuming and demanding process. It is also vital to the continued success of your business. Consider working with the experts at Elevato Digital to plan and implement an excellent full website redesign.

The post How to Perform a Website Redesign From Start to Finish appeared first on Elevato.

Today’s consumers are highly visual. They’re more apt to make snap decisions based on aesthetics. How a website looks — content and digital marketing campaigns included — can significantly impact their choices. Your design alone has a 75% influence on your website’s credibility. What’s more, it takes only 50 milliseconds for a visitor to determine whether they like your website or not. You have the time it takes for them to blink to make a good impression. 

That impression goes for desktop computers as well as mobile devices. Approximately 85% of internet users believe a company’s website should look just as good — if not better — on a mobile device as it does on a desktop computer or laptop, and 57% won’t recommend a business if it has poor mobile design. Additionally, 88% of consumers are much less likely to return to a website after a bad experience. 

The Many Factors of Good Website Design

There’s more pressure on businesses to use their websites as a marketing tool and their primary online presence driver. As such, your website requires significant investments during the development phase and continued attention to keep your business relevant and continue gaining traffic. That involves, at least in part, a well-designed, seamless website experience. Of course, there are other important factors like search engine optimization, content creation, and content management strategies, but website design is still a vital marketing strategy.  

However, website design isn’t something that you can set and forget. If you have any experience working with websites, you know it’s an ongoing process. Websites can break. They can experience various issues related to coding, plugins, or hosting. These (and other) factors can disturb your website’s appeal and functionality. 

Additionally, good design comes and goes. What consumers find attractive today might not be the case a year from now. Or your website’s critical design elements such as layout and flow might not serve the purposes of your business anymore. To ensure an optimal user experience at all times, you need to regularly audit and review your website for ways to improve it. You must plan to execute regular design projects especially for larger websites. 

What Makes a Good Website Compared to a Bad One?

Before you dive into the design phase and building your website, let’s take a look at what factors make for a “good” website, as well as some that make for a “bad” one. 

Good Website Design

We’ll start with some elements that make for good website design. These best practices are a solid addition to your design process and should be incorporated into your design mockups. 

Minimalism

Minimalism refers to removing unnecessary elements and focusing more on simplicity. Simple websites with a minimalist design tend to look cleaner and are easier on the eyes. They make content more “scannable,” enabling visitors to understand the purpose of a particular page faster. They’re easier to navigate, too. 

Keep your design simple by choosing colors and fonts that represent your brand. Limit your choices, though. Any more than five colors or three different fonts can get overwhelming. 

Design Hierarchy

Design or visual hierarchy involves arranging elements by order of importance. There are several ways to achieve this, including size, imagery, font, and color. Doing so tells visitors where they should focus their attention. 

Clean Layout

Every design element of your website, from images to text, should have a place. There should also be some breathing room (white space) around them to keep the pages from looking cluttered. A clean, well-organized layout is more visually appealing and easier to read. 

Intuitive Navigation

Site visitors should be able to find what they need quickly and easily. Keeping your navigation simple and intuitive will make your website more enjoyable to explore.

Captivating Visual Aids

Visuals are crucial, but you don’t want to overdo it. Any imagery you choose should serve a purpose. It should also capture the attention of your visitors and embody your brand’s personality. 

Clear CTAs

Calls to action (CTAs) refer to specific actions you want your website visitors to take. Any CTAs you create should be clear so prospective clients know the exact steps they need to take to perform the desired action. You should think about where best to add in a CTA during every stage of the development process. 

Bad Website Design

Now let’s take a closer look at some things that constitute bad website design. Make sure you aren’t incorporating any of these elements into your website design. 

Little (or Poor-Quality) Content

A minimalist website can be highly effective. However, it is possible to be too minimalist. You want visitors to know who you are and what you have to offer as soon as they arrive at your website. Too little content won’t give them anything, which means they’ll go elsewhere to find what they need. 

As a side note, insufficient content can also hurt your ranking on search engine results pages. If you don’t rank well enough, your target market is much less likely to find you in the first place.

No Clear Organization

An unorganized website is incredibly difficult to navigate. If visitors can’t find what they need quickly, they’re likely to become frustrated. They’ll leave without exploring any other pages on your website or making a purchase. 

Clutter

If there’s too much stuff on a webpage, visitors won’t know where to focus their attention. Poor user interface includes excessive imagery, large blocks of text, pop-ups, and several other elements can be visually overwhelming. Potential clients won’t know where to go or what to do, so they’ll back out instead. 

Slow Loading Times

These days, internet users expect websites to load fast, with nearly half expecting load times of two seconds or less. Thirty-nine percent of users will abandon a site if it takes too long (or, worse, doesn’t load at all). 

Several factors impact how quickly a website loads. Common offenders include too many images, large files, and Flash. No matter what’s bogging a site down, painfully slow loading speeds can cost a business a lot of money. 

Not Being Mobile-Friendly 

With nearly 70% of website traffic coming from mobile users, it’s safe to say consumers want to shop using their smartphones or similar devices. That trend is likely to keep going strong. As touched on earlier, consumers expect mobile websites to work as well as their desktop counterparts. If they don’t, visitors won’t stick around for long. 

How Long Should Website Design Take?

How long does it take to design a website, then? That depends on a variety of factors, including:

• The size of your website
• If you’re designing your website in house versus hiring third party development teams (such as a marketing agency)
• Whether the website has full custom design, semi-customized design, or a prepackaged templated site
• Whether you have content ready to be published or not
• The number of edits/revisions the website needs

Generally speaking, a large, fully customized website can take several months to complete and launch after the necessary edits or revisions. A smaller, semi-custom site will take less time, typically a couple of months at most. A prepackaged website will launch the quickest, especially if you have only a few pages. You can usually expect the project to require a couple of weeks to a month. Any third party that promises pristine results in record time will likely be asking for extra time later on. 

Ultimately, the best way to estimate the amount of time it will take to complete your specific website is to sit down and speak with the designers and project managers working on the project. Their development process may take extra hours to deliver the best-looking design. But based on your needs and desires for your site, they’ll be able to provide you with a more accurate timeline, from wireframes to implementation and launch. 

Engage Visitors From the Start and Increase Conversions With a Well-Designed Website

In today’s digital age, you need more than just a website. You need a well-designed website that grabs your visitors’ attention from the start. Not only does it need to look good, but it also needs to function flawlessly. Consumers expect a flawless experience from the moment they enter your site to the moment they check out, whether they’re on a laptop or their mobile phone. 

While designing a quality website may take some time — especially if you’re creating a larger one — it’s an investment you don’t want to skimp on. Putting in the time and effort now can provide a bigger payoff in the long run.

The post How Long Does It Take to Design a Website? appeared first on Elevato.

The strategic acquisition grows the company’s capacity to meet the increasing demand for web application development

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Elevato, the pioneer of “All Things Web”, is enhancing its expertise and talent as a full-service digital agency, web hosting provider, and full-stack development shop through its acquisition of Iterative Consulting, a full-stack software and mobile app development firm. This strategic acquisition expands Elevato’s capabilities and capacity in the realms of mobile app and system development using React Native and Ruby on Rails.

• Elevato acquires Iterative Consulting to expand its React Native and Ruby on Rails development offerings and capacity.
• The acquisition grows the engineering services department’s capacity to develop web applications on both iOS and Android. This enables apps to be offered in Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and beyond.
• Elevato will expand operations in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“There is massive growth in how businesses need and use web engineering solutions,” said Jake Sheafer, CEO, Elevato. “We know that customers want, and deserve, seamless online experiences when they interact with brands. With our acquisition of Iterative Consulting, we are creating a new offering within our combined companies to help our clients bring rich, one-of-a-kind web experiences to their end-users.”

“Historically, Iterative Consulting has provided clients with reliable software across a vast depth of industries,” said Justin Edwards, Co-Founder and CEO, Iterative Consulting. “Our team is composed of individuals who are experts at building beautiful, scalable web and mobile solutions to hard problems. We are excited to be joining Elevato through this acquisition as we work together to create the best solutions to solve major business problems in the world today.” Co-Founder and President Daniel Cannon shares the excitement of joining the Elevato team by stating, “We’re extremely excited to be joining a team that shares our values and commitment to quality software.”

As an Elevato subsidiary, Iterative Consulting will maintain its operations based in Albuquerque, New Mexico; all Iterative Consulting employees will join the combined company.

Elevato now consists of 70 full-time employees with expertise in paid media design and placement, content SEO, technical SEO, organic social media management, website design and development, web application design and development, systems integration, API authoring, web hosting, application hosting, and executive leadership. The acquisition enables Elevato to expand its operations in Albuquerque to support its continued growth across the digital marketing space further differentiating the company and increasing value to every customer.

About Elevato

Elevato is a digital agency, web hosting provider, and full-stack development shop that helps businesses level up in “All Things Web”. Serving over 650 customers, Elevato crafts powerful and appealing digital solutions for every digital need, including engineering, marketing, design, hosting, and multimedia. With over 36 years in business, and managing over $442M in eCommerce transactions annually, Elevato works tirelessly to help clients reach their goals. Visit us at ElevatoDigital.com to learn more or get in touch.

About Iterative Consulting

Iterative Consulting is a software development firm specializing in secure web application development, UI / UX design, and cloud deployment solutions. Since 2016, Iterative Consulting has worked with clients in need of integration, new project launches, and prototypes for hypothesis testing. Visit Iterative.consulting to learn more about the technological capabilities discussed here.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ  — Elevato, a digital agency focused on “All Things Web”, announced the official acquisition of ParaCore, a pay-per-click agency located in Phoenix. This acquisition continues Elevato’s mission of handling “All Things Web” for small to mid-market businesses. 

Together, Elevato and ParaCore will elevate PPC marketing to the next level for all clients. ParaCore offers data-driven PPC expertise that will advance Elevato’s current outstanding paid media department. Through this new collaboration, businesses can expect enhanced digital solutions to their current pain points. 

“The addition of the ParaCore team further emphasizes our mission to provide clients with solutions that fit ‘All Things Web.’ By doubling down and investing in teams with top-level expertise, we are able to deliver enhanced strategy and execution to every customer account. A specialty agency such as ParaCore, which brings the most modern and innovative approaches to PPC and paid media, gives us a leg up on the competition and better bottom-line ad results for all our clients, both new and existing.” – Jake Sheafer, CEO

For over 10 years, ParaCore has provided clients with exceptional PPC campaigns that produce the results clients crave. The team has gone the extra mile to ensure that they are providing clients with the highest quality service. Over the years, they’ve established a reputation for excellence in the PPC space demonstrated by:

• Being recognized by AZIMA as Brand of the Year in 2018
• Award-Winning PPC campaigns resulting from high ROI campaigns
• Being listed as a Top 10 Best Places to Work
• 100% 5-Star Reviews on Google since inception
• Managing over $25M in advertising dollars on Google and Facebook
• More than a few case studies, including a 258% increase in conversions 

The joint forces of Elevato and ParaCore have the ability to address the major challenges that many small to mid-market businesses face. From brand visibility ads to data-driven lead generation, this acquisition will bring All Things Web to every client.  

About Elevato

Elevato is a digital agency that assists businesses with All Things Web. Providing service to over 650 customers, Elevato believes in creating alluring and powerful digital solutions for every need, including engineering, marketing, design, hosting, and multimedia. With over 36 years in business the team works tirelessly to help clients reach their goals. Learn more at elevatodigital.com.

About ParaCore

Since 2009, ParaCore has grown from coffee shop coding to one of the top pay-per-click marketing agencies in Phoenix. ParaCore offers services including Facebook ads, Google ads, eCommerce marketing, and landing page optimization. With month-to-month plans, ParaCore offers ample flexibility to make PPC campaigns work for every business. Learn more about ParaCore’s capabilities at paracore.com. 

The combined team will now consist of 61 employees, having expertise in Paid Media, Design, SEO, Organic Social Media, e Commerce, Web Application Development, Hosting, Engineering, plus Executive Leadership.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ. –(BUSINESS WIRE)– Elevato, the digital agency that handles “All Things Web,” today announced that it has agreed to acquire Markitors, a leading SEO agency for growing small and mid-market businesses. The acquisition of Markitors advances Elevato’s mission and its strategy to provide businesses with comprehensive solutions for digital problems.

Together, Elevato and Markitors will work to deliver on the vision of a one-stop shop for our clients, enabling them to develop their online presence, market their products and services, host their websites, and grow their organization. Fulfilling this promise to deliver high quality solutions for any digital need, businesses will have the power to combine their SEO services from Markitors and Elevato’s full scope of services to connect with their customers online.

“We’re focused on being ‘all things web.’ Together, Markitors and Elevato will help solve small and mid-market businesses’ biggest barrier to growth, connecting with potential customers,” said Jake Sheafer, CEO of Elevato. “Expanding our agency to go deeper in organic search helps our customers sustainably and predictably grow their business. Adding Markitors furthers our vision to provide an end-to-end solution set to help our customers grow and run their businesses.”

Markitors brings to Elevato technology and SEO expertise to scale along with an expanding customer reach. Founded in Scottsdale, AZ in 2011, Markitors began by ranking on the first page for the term ‘digital marketing company,’ and evolved into a trusted agency in search engine optimization.

• Global reach of more than 1B search impressions from organic search results
• 500+ small business customers served; with 50 percent of customers within Arizona
• Multiple “Best Place To Work” award winner and recently named to the Clutch 1000, awarded to the top 1% of digital marketing agencies

“Over the last decade, we’ve sought to make Markitors the most resourceful and helpful company for small business SEO,” said Brett Farmiloe, CEO and Founder of Markitors. “With Elevato, we’ve found a shared passion to help small businesses grow. By joining forces with Elevato, Markitors will be able to offer services like PPC, Email Marketing, and Social Media to deliver even better results to the small businesses we serve. This is an exciting new chapter for Markitors, our team, and customers.”

Both Elevato and Markitors have always worked to solve small and mid-market businesses’ biggest challenges. Almost half of all small businesses go under within five years of starting, with the biggest challenge being the ability to find new customers. Collectively, this obstacle creates barriers to small and mid-market business success that Elevato’s acquisition of Markitors will help solve.

About Elevato

Elevato is a digital agency that helps businesses elevate through all things web. Serving approximately 500 customers, we believe in creating beautiful and powerful digital solutions for every need, including engineering, marketing, design, hosting, and multimedia. With more than 35 years in business and $442M in eCommerce revenue processed, we never stop working to help clients reach their goals. Please visit us online at elevatodigital.com to learn the latest on our products and services.

About Markitors

Markitors is an SEO company for small businesses. Markitors’ services connect small businesses with customers through Content, Digital PR, and Technical SEO services. Founded in 2011 and based in Scottsdale, AZ, Markitors has been voted a Best Place To Work multiple times by the Business Journal, BestCompaniesAZ, and more. Find Markitors on Clutch.

The combined team will now consist of 39 employees with deep expertise in Paid Media, Design, SEO, Organic Social Media, Engineering, plus Executive Leadership. Current Markitors Vice President of Operations, Jenn Christie, will be promoted to Vice President of Sales to grow and scale the full suite of Elevato Digital products.

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