Video files are becoming extremely popular for websites that sell products. A video tutorial can be a much more efficient way of showing your end user what you are selling, than a picture and a block of text. SEO, though, is problematic – so should your web design in Gibraltar really include video?

The short answer is “yes” – because your end user in Gibraltar wants it. Now average broadband speeds have spiked to a new higher plateau, although not in Gibraltar, everyone can get video files down in seconds. That’s encouraged websites to use them a lot more – which in turn has made them popular. Add the social media aspect of the video file and you have a set of circumstances that mean your Local website in Gibraltar can’t afford not to include video.

A warning, though: only use video where text won’t do. In other words, pick the right medium for each message you are trying to send. With products, a video is almost always better because your potential customer can “walk around” a three dimensional object or see it being used as it is supposed to be used.

What about SEO, though? Beyond calling your video something that has keywords in it, there’s little that your Gibraltar Website can do to attract the search engines to it. So you need to run an SEO campaign for the page that optimises it textually as well. Use headings to create a hierarchy for your keywords and perform an on page optimisation that attracts search engines through traditional methods.

Don’t forget to include that video file in your social media marketing. What could be a better update for your social media streams than a movie showing off your new stuff?

Brief History of Business Catalyst

Business Catalyst, the company behind GoodBarry e-commerce software suite, was acquired by Adobe about a year ago. Adobe turned Business Catalyst into a one-stop solution for Content Management, e-commerce, Email Marketing, CRM and Web Analytics. This was one of many steps Adobe took to enter online hosted applications business.

What is Business Catalyst

Business Catalyst is a hosted Content Management System by Adobe for freelancers and individuals. It does not only provide online website maintenance but also provides e-commerce, CRM and easy to use Online Marketing Tools. It allows users to create Blogs, Forums, Simple online stores, websites, customer database and email marketing campaigns. Adobe calls it “Online Business” and makes it relatively easy to start a business online. However it does not come free.

This does not stop hundreds of freelancers from using it. There is also a free plan that comes with most of the functions however users can not white label this plan. Freelancer gets a commission on their clients’ web hosting fees, and they can also set their own pricing. However it does not currently support Multiple Languages on Frontend nor Admin zone. There are also SEO issues such as hosting server location might not be same as user’s target audience, not all the links are Search Engine Friendly  and pages are not fully crawlable.

Pros:

• Very easy to use and learn
• Widely used by freelancers, new graduates and individuals
• Free to use Templates
• Easy to Re-Brand on Paid Plans
• Online Video Guides
• Online Business Wiki

Cons:

• Unreliable Website and Email Hosting
• Reports are not accurate
• Unattractive Templates
• Links are Not SEO Friendly
• eCommerce requires programming
• Not fully indexable by Search Engines
• Plans are expensive

Business Catalyst Dashboard

Conclusion:

Business Catalyst definitely has many functions however it is some how limited for the mid and high-end users. It does not, for example, allow users to import/export products/orders in a compatible format with other systems, it is not updated regularly and mostly importantly everyday users find Business Catalyst over complicated. Business Catalyst is really for those who has limited knowledge in web design and SEO.

If you’re looking for more capable marketing tools, such as search engine optimization, lead automation and nurturing and an easier to use Content Management System or an ecommerce solution, Contact Us for a free advice or quote. Freelancers requiring more control over features and functionality should consider an open source CMS or proper eCommerce Solutions.

eCommerce Websites for Gibraltar Companies

Do you have a product? Would you like to sell your product and receive money online? If your answer is yes to these questions then you need an eCommerce Website. eCommerce websites allow users to sell their products or services online, typically with an online payment gateway which takes care of credit card processing. Regardless how many products you have, one or thousands, you still need an eCommerce website to sell online.

We have build eCommerce Websites for companies in Gibraltar and Spain. Following is our latest work:

Grannylook Store:

Custom built eCommerce Websites are quite tricky to design, as it is crucial to achieve the right balance between design and usability. This is not always easy, because eCommerce websites need to be vibrant, competitive and efficient at the same time. We have become experts in creating eCommerce websites over the years. Innova’s eCommerce websites are not only easy to use but also search engine friendly.

Simplicity and Presentation of Products are Key

To build an effective eCommerce website simplicity is key. Users want clarity, this therefore means they wish to see the image of the desired product, price etc and go straight to checkout without having to click so many times. Users do not want to be overwhelmed with too much information or advertising. Checkout process should consist of at most 3 steps.

1.         Choose the Product

2.         Enter Buyer Information

3.         Checkout

The more details the better

The more details and specifics you can provide on a product the better. Many users nearly purchase a product as its exactly what they are looking for but back out at the last minute as they are not sure whether it has a certain feature or not.

Images

You can never have too many photos or images and where appropriate always try to use 3D images with Zoom option as this will ensure the buyer know exactly want they are getting.

Speed

There is nothing worse than a website that takes forever to navigate and load. This is why having a state of the art hosting, such as Innova’s Hosting Services, is absolutely crucial.  Unless you are really faithful to a brand or really need the service for example, buying a flight, slow navigation websites will almost definitely turn the user away. This takes us to another important factor- a simple checkout process. Studies show that most ecommerce websites lose their customers at the check out point. I cant tell you how many times I have almost given up on certain websites but unfortunately I have to put up with because I need the product or I am loyal to the brand. However starting companies who have not made a name for themselves or their product or services cannot afford to have an incompetent eCommerce website.

Delivery Options

Websites should make this very clear and place your delivery policy in a conspicuous part of the website or at the bottom of every page. You would be surprised how hard it is to find this information on some websites.

Search Options And Website Navigation

It is very important to allow users to modify an existing search keyword that having to constantly press the ‘back’ button.

Make it as easy as possible for users to search for a product and narrow their searches under as many different categories as possible or you might risk the user not finding a product you may have available.

So remember there are many factors to take into account when building an ecommerce websites and obviously some technical factors which I am not going to bore you with. However feel free to contact us, should you require more information about eCommerce websites.

In this post we will focus on ‘static’ websites which are the simplest form of web design and are often referred to as a ‘brochure’ website. As the name implies this type of website essentially translates the contents of a brochure onto a website. Also note, these types of websites are also referred to as ‘presentational’ websites. Brochure websites rarely require any updates and need very little maintenance.  This type of web design is usually used by companies that require a professional online presence and only change their contents once or twice a year. The user interaction is minimum and most popular way of user interaction is a Contact Form.

Due to its smaller scale, static websites tend to be at the lower end of the price range.

Some of the optional properties of a Brochure Websites are:

1. Products or Services Page
2. Company Information Page
3. Contact Form
4. Interactive Map
5. Image Gallery

Other Types of Websites:

-       Content Management Systems (CMS)

-       eCommerce Websites

Contact Us for more information.

Many of our clients often believe that there is only one type of website available. Some also think that you can have a web design and then use it for just about any type of business. Unfortunately this is not the case in web design. There is no one type of website that can be adjusted to suit any type of business. This is because each type of website requires different web building tools and software and is built to serve different type of data and information.

You will find that many website companies often try to persuade their clients to go for a website that is more sophisticated or complicated than they actually need. Web Design Companies in Gibraltar do this because they can probably justify charging a higher fee and thus increase their profit. These web design companies also complicate things by providing additions on top of your website hence increase the cost. In most cases these additions are standards in our web design services and included in the initial cost.
In order to identify what type of website you need, we have classified the different types of websites that are available based on the contents and features that they offer.

1. Static / Brochure Websites

2. Content Management Systems (CMS)

3. eCommerce Websites