Designed for eCommerce / Membership / API driven websites

• 24/7 Uptime Monitoring
• Weekly plugin & theme update
• Daily cloud backup
• Site backup restoration in case of failure within 5 minutes
• Connect Google Analytics + weekly traffic report

PLUS:

• Weekly Speed Test & optimization
• Mobile & Tablet speed test/optimization
• Security & Speed Premium Plugins ($900 value)
• Weekly Traffic & Security Reports
• Unlimited website edits

PLUS:

• Priority Support (3-6 hrs)
• Hourly Cloud back up
• Daily Speed test & Optimization
• Dedicated Development Hours (failsafe for API issues, etc)
• Advanced Security Services/Complete Malware Removal

Performance Plan ($249/month)

• 24/7 Uptime Monitoring
• Weekly plugin & theme update
• Daily cloud backup
• Site backup restoration in case of failure within 5 minutes
• Connect Google Analytics + weekly traffic report
• Basic Security Services

PLUS:

• Weekly Speed Test & optimization
• Mobile & Tablet speed test/optimization
• Security & Speed Premium Plugins ($900 value)
• Weekly Traffic & Security Reports
• Unlimited website edits

Basic Maintenance ($119/month)

• 24/7 Uptime Monitoring
• Weekly plugin & theme update
• Daily cloud backup
• Site backup restoration in case of failure within 5 minutes
• Connect Google Analytics + weekly traffic report
• Basic Security Services

• Extremely Legible Typography
  • A frequently overlooked aspect of design, Typography is defined as the “style and appearance of printed matter”. In the application of Web Design, Typography can be used for everything from defining a brand’s aesthetic to creating a more visually stunning landing page. In most recent past, the Typography trend that swept the web was the “tiny text”. You might remember seeing sites with small, almost illegible type, playing with the negative space and background. Quite adversely, this year is all about bold custom text, dramatic headers, and impacting content blocks, allowing your message to stand out.

• Increased Breathing Room
  • When putting the building blocks in place for a website’s design, make sure to pad them with lots of negative space. The goal here is to allow your Typography and other design aspects really shine. By giving the design qualities and content blocks room to breathe, you allow the user focus to remain on the path you’ve charted for them.

• Make Mobile Your Top Priority
  • As recently as a year or two ago, having a site that was mobile responsive was a benefit, but not a requirement. In 2017, mobile should be top of your list. Recent studies show that 68% of Americans browse the internet most accessibly from their mobile device. That number is even higher in the international market. These stats mean one thing: Mobile Responsiveness is mandatory to your internet success. While shrinking navigation and compressing design is important for functionality, going even deeper with mobile friendly design strategies will increase your conversions and help grow your business!

• Snack-Size and Full Screen Video
  • Since Google purchased YouTube in 2006, the rise of video has come in leaps and bounds. Do you ever notice the multitude of auto-playing videos that you can’t avoid while scrolling through your social media outlets? Wouldn’t it be great if your business or brand had eye-catching videos that went viral just like those videos you see? These are the “bite-sized” videos intended to educate, share, and entice. Another route is to feature full-screen glossy videos on your website! Whichever route you decide, Google predicts that 74% of all web traffic will come from video, so start investing in your moving image.

• “Real” Photography
  • If content is King, photos are Queen. Of course not all photography is created equal, and just like design trends, not all photo trends are still relevant. In 2017, the vote goes toward “real” photography. “Real” as in Natural, both in lighting and in staging. Integrating your products in a setting that’s believable and familiar could be the ticket to the branding goldmine you’ve been waiting for.

• Photo Centered Menus
  • When your customers visit your site, it should be clear what you’re offering and where they need to click to find it. We’re using photo-centered menus to speak to any navigational questions they might have in a short period of time. These bold photo blocks behind navigation points leave nothing to the imagination when trying to locate a specific product or function. In doing this, we’re moving away from collapsible options, and moving toward a layout more rooted in visual design and flow.

• Bold Color Combos
  • Dr. Seuss once wrote, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Why not apply the same logic to your brand? One of the most visually exciting trends this year is the bold color combinations. Neon Orange and Aqua Blue, Black and Fire Hydrant Red, the list goes on. In combination with large, legible typography, you can bet that your message won’t be misinterpreted or ignored. You can navigate the users’ experience by grabbing their attention in the order that your vision dictates, guiding their way from interest to conversions.

• GIFs!
  • Let’s just call 2017 the “year of the GIF”. GIFs are EVERYWHERE; in your Facebook comment section, in your text messages, on Tumblr, in blog posts… And there’s a reason for that. GIFs are practical and simple, while still expressive. They also represent a moving option with shorter load times than standard video. Basically, they’re a miracle. We see them being used on Homepages as well as promotional banners to grab attention.

• Top Speed Load Times
  • Speaking of load times, let’s keep them to a minimum. Google actually places sites with faster load times higher in search rankings. More than the SEO benefits, the user experience is dramatically less enjoyable if said user is waiting for your page to load AND is a leading cause of site or cart abandonment. For many sites, this is caused by “Site Bloat”: too much content, too many frills, too long to wait. While in the past, effects such as background videos, preloaded content, and parallax scrolling were popular attributes, a more simplified approach is driving conversions nowadays. Designers are leading with the attitude of “just because we can, doesn’t mean we should”. Just because something can be done, doesn’t mean it will enhance the user experience.

The Point Being…

Hiring a professional designer is more important than ever before. These elements add up to a current design culture that is increasingly in tune with its audience. With the ever-present competition that exists within every industry, it’s crucial to invest in your customers’ experience. The current state of marketing dictates that without a website possessing qualities that engage and attract your business is virtually anonymous. We can help to get your business noticed, schedule your free web presence consultation with Channel Islands Design today.

Coming Soon: What is UX/UI and why do I need to know?

Even now in the digital age, CID is working with Author Tony Harrison to bring the themes of his novels to life. By illustrating Tony’s vision straight from the Author’s mind to the completed design, CID creates enticing imagery that leads the reader to the novel best suited to their taste. With CID’s attentive listening and design experience, go ahead and judge these books by their covers.

Channel Islands Design has been creating and developing product spec sheets, catalogs, and directories since our inception in 1980. When it’s important to showcase your items in a way that matches your brand, entices your audience to purchase AND to continue to be informed, it’s important to hire a professional to handle it. Not to mention, CID’s passion for a well aligned spreadsheet is unsurpassed.

A majority of CID’s clientele is repeat business. What does this say about us? We know our clients’ brands, we know what they prefer, and we build trust based upon their needs. An example of a client that keeps coming back, Hartell has been working with CID for over 20 years. Once Channel Islands Design has your trust, we intend to keep it.

LinkedIn is one of the social media networks that often gets ignored in social media marketing plans. However, it’s a network that shouldn’t be underestimated. In Hubspot’s recent study they found that LinkedIn traffic converts at 2.74% as opposed to Facebook and Twitter which convert at 0.77 % and 0.69% respectively.

There are many different ways of using LinkedIn to increase website traffic but let’s focus on three major ones here.

LinkedIn Groups

Similarly to Facebook groups, you want to join relevant LinkedIn groups and be active. Post thoughtful comments in discussions, create your own discussions and go above and beyond to be helpful.

If and when a particular group allows for self-promotion, take advantage of the opportunity by posting a relevant link to your content but make sure not to overdo it.

LinkedIn Answers

The other great way to build authority within your industry and drive traffic back to your site is LinkedIn Answers. It’s a professional question and answers community where you can find information on various business-related topics. Whenever you answer a question, you have the chance to add “Web Resources” to supplement your response. This is a great way to link to content on your website if it is relevant to the original question.

LinkedIn Pulse

Originally, Pulse was a content publishing platform that was invite-only. However, things changed in 2013 when LinkedIn acquired Pulse. It still remains a content publishing platform but now it features articles from anyone who publishes their posts on LinkedIn.

Having your article featured on Pulse is equal to having a guest blog post published on the top blog in your specific niche. And that alone can lead to more connections and ultimately more traffic to your website.

I should note that not every one of your articles will be picked up by Pulse, nor should you repost every article from your blog on LinkedIn. If you want to really take advantage of Pulse, you should aim for thought-provoking topics that are educational, practical, and actionable. It might take you a couple of tries but don’t give up because the benefits are too good to be ignored.

(This is a reprinted portion of an article from WPMUDEV.org)