Social media has increasingly become the significant driving force in marketing. So, how

does the average company or brand make the most effective use of this very important tool?

Leveraging the power of content and social marketing can help elevate your audience and

customer base in a dramatic way. But getting started without any previous experience or insight could be challenging. It’s vital that you understand social marketing fundamentals. From maximizing quality to increasing your online entry points, it will help you to build a foundation that will serve your customers, your brand and — perhaps most importantly — your bottom line.

Similarly to the way you do everything else in the world of business, you must make a

plan before executing. Same goes for social media. Creating a   social media marketing   plan will set you up for success, and will allow you to avoid any social media mistakes. Learn how to create a social media marketing plan and watch your social media game flourish.

Before creating a new social media profile, run a social media audit of your current social

media presence. Social media audits are useful to keep all your social media ducks in a row, such as social profiles and passwords.  Skimping out on social media engagement in your social media strategy can pose a huge threat to your company’s social media presence. The 3 steps to doing social media engagement right are being proactive, always listening, and being engaging.

If you publish amazing, quality content and work to build your online audience of quality

followers, they’ll share it with their own audiences on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, their own

blogs and more. This sharing and discussing of your content opens new entry points for search engines like Google to find it in keyword searches. Those entry points could grow to hundreds or thousands of more potential ways for people to find you online.

Visual content can act as a “gateway” to more valuable content. When planning visual

content to post on social platforms, think in terms of how it can drive traffic back to your website, products and services. Vary the appearance of your logo – Experiment with different colors and layouts that clearly communicate who you are. This presents a good opportunity to split test which posts get the best engagement.

If you spend all your time on the social Web directly promoting your products and

services, people will stop listening. You must add value to the conversation. Focus less on

conversions and more on creating amazing content and developing relationships with online

influencers. In time, those people will become a powerful catalyst for word-of- mouth marketing for your business.

Post regularly because the more your audience hears from you, the more trust you’ll be

able to build. Deliver relevant content to ensure that what your audience hears (and sees) is

interesting and fits seamlessly with your brand identity. Post unique content and try not to curate too much of your social media content, as most likely your target audience has seen it before.

Every (smart) business has a website, but not every business gets the desired amount of

traffic to their website. Using social media to drive traffic to your website ranges from the basic tactics everyone should be using, to more sophisticated methods that take a little more time to master.

Smartphones and tablets have also become increasingly popular, a fact that hasn’t been

lost on IT giants such as Google and Facebook, which both now favor websites and pages which feature responsive, mobile-friendly design. But, social media marketers need to pay attention to new platforms which are performing well on mobile and make the most of them when figuring out their new marketing campaign.

‘The most successful marketers often say that one of the reasons that they’ve made it big is because they’ve focused their advertising efforts to target specific audiences, instead of trying to convince everybody about their products. Audience targeting ensures you’ll get the most out of your marketing dollars, and direct your effort where it will breed best results.

Social media marketing is still a very fertile ground when it comes raising awareness

about your brand, promoting your services, and finding the right sort of audience that might be interested in what you have to say or offer. As there is so much information available online, hearing a few key pieces of advice from true experts is something that should help point you in the right direction. Focus your efforts, create high-quality, diverse content, and keep up with the changes.

Source:   Jennie Moon

Web design  is the process of planning and creating of websites, that is nowadays more seen as an art form than just another IT job. The design of a website can often be the deciding factor of whether or not visitors leave or stay. It is a process of conceptualizing, planning, and building a collection of electronic files that determine the layout, colors, text styles, structure, graphics, images, and use of interactive features that deliver pages to your site visitors. Basically everything about your website – including the content, the way it looks, and the way it works – is determined by the website design. This includes the information architecture, user interface, site structure, navigation,layout, colors, fonts, andimagery. All of these are combined with the principles of design to create a website that meets the goals of the owner and designer. Professional Web design helps to make your business appear credible online.By reaching out to customers and search engines alike, Web site design serves an important dual purpose that has a great impact on your online sales. During the early 1990’s, after the introduction of the World Wide Web, there were literally just a handful of websites online. The number of websites grew at an exponential rate during the end of the 20th century, and today there are hundreds of millions of websites. Millions of new websites are added each month, and the majority of these websites are created by website designers. Websites are created using a markup language called HTML. Web designers build webpages using HTML tags that define the content and metadata of each page. The layout and appearance of the elements within a webpage are typically defined usingCSS, or cascading style sheets. Therefore, most websites include a combination of HTML and CSS that defines how each page will appear in a browser. Some web designers prefer to hand code pages (typing HTML and CSS from scratch), while others use a “WYSIWYG” editor like Adobe Dreamweaver. This type of editor provides a visual interface for designing the webpage layout and the software automatically generates the corresponding HTML and CSS code. Another popular way to design websites is with a content management system like WordPress or Joomla. These services provide different website templates that can be used as a starting point for a new website. Webmasters can then add content and customize the layout using a web-based interface. While HTML and CSS are used to design the look and feel of a website, images must be created separately. Therefore, graphic design may overlap with web design, since graphic designers often create images for use on the Web. Some graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop even include a “Save for Web…” option that provides an easy way to export images in a format optimized for web publishing. How Can Professional Web Design Help your Online Business? As important as having a great domain name, professional web design can help you: Satisfy customers. Professional Web design meets the needs of your visitors – telling them quickly what they want to know without unnecessary and confusing design items. Making sure the navigation in your Web site design is predictable, consistent and easy to understand will help build a positive relationship with your visitors. Attract search engines. No matter how appealing your Web site design looks, it won’t show up on the search engine results pages if it’s not coded in a way that the search engines can read. Avoid technical glitches. It doesn’t take much to turn a customer away. The degree of customization included in your website design will determine the speed and cost of getting your site up and running.

Web design is the process of planning and creating of websites, that is nowadays more seen as an art form than just another IT job. The design of a website can often be the deciding factor of whether or not visitors leave or stay. It is a process of conceptualizing, planning, and building a collection of electronic files that determine the layout, colors, text styles, structure, graphics, images, and use of interactive features that deliver pages to your site visitors. Basically everything about your website – including the content, the way it looks, and the way it works – is determined by the website design. This includes the information architecture, user interface, site structure, navigation,layout, colors, fonts, andimagery. All of these are combined with the principles of design to create a website that meets the goals of the owner and designer. Professional Web design helps to make your business appear credible online.By reaching out to customers and search engines alike, Web site design serves an important dual purpose that has a great impact on your online sales. During the early 1990’s, after the introduction of the World Wide Web, there were literally just a handful of websites online. The number of websites grew at an exponential rate during the end of the 20th century, and today there are hundreds of millions of websites. Millions of new websites are added each month, and the majority of these websites are created by website designers. Websites are created using a markup language called HTML. Web designers build webpages using HTML tags that define the content and metadata of each page. The layout and appearance of the elements within a webpage are typically defined usingCSS, or cascading style sheets. Therefore, most websites include a combination of HTML and CSS that defines how each page will appear in a browser. Some web designers prefer to hand code pages (typing HTML and CSS from scratch), while others use a “WYSIWYG” editor like Adobe Dreamweaver. This type of editor provides a visual interface for designing the webpage layout and the software automatically generates the corresponding HTML and CSS code. Another popular way to design websites is with a content management system like WordPress or Joomla. These services provide different website templates that can be used as a starting point for a new website. Webmasters can then add content and customize the layout using a web-based interface. While HTML and CSS are used to design the look and feel of a website, images must be created separately. Therefore, graphic design may overlap with web design, since graphic designers often create images for use on the Web. Some graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop even include a “Save for Web…” option that provides an easy way to export images in a format optimized for web publishing. How Can Professional Web Design Help your Online Business? As important as having a great domain name, professional web design can help you: Satisfy customers. Professional Web design meets the needs of your visitors – telling them quickly what they want to know without unnecessary and confusing design items. Making sure the navigation in your Web site design is predictable, consistent and easy to understand will help build a positive relationship with your visitors. Attract search engines. No matter how appealing your Web site design looks, it won’t show up on the search engine results pages if it’s not coded in a way that the search engines can read. Avoid technical glitches. It doesn’t take much to turn a customer away. The degree of customization included in your website design will determine the speed and cost of getting your site up and running.

Public relations   (PR) is the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) and the public.[1] Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment.[2] This differentiates it from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations is the idea of creating coverage for clients for free, rather than marketing[3] or advertising.[4] An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for the client to be advertised next to the article.[5] The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a certain view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals typically work for PRand marketing firms, businesses and companies, government, government agencies and public officials as PIOs and nongovernmental organizations and nonprofit organizations. Jobs central to Public Relations include account coordinator, account executive, account supervisor and media relations manager.

Having an excellent and well-developed PR strategy is the most important thing (well, definitely one of) you can do for your business! There are many ways to go, but to choose one, you need to know where you are at the moment and where it is that you want to go. Here, we are singlinig out a couple of PR strategies that can help you get in touch with your tartget audience and reach your business’ goals. Take a look.

Clearly identify your audience & speak to them
You should already have developed online customer profiles as part of a wider internet marketing strategy. If not then visit our See our guide to online market research guide. This digital profile should have identified things like the keyword research relating to your audience, sites they visit, where the spend time online, preferred communication channels etc as well as demographic information such as age, sex, geography etc.

Collaborate with influencers.
Word of mouth, press coverage and endorsements, have long relied on one effective marketing tactic: third–party credibility. No matter who your target market is, the best way to earn credibility is to have people of influence tell others why they appreciate your product or service.With   the rise of self-publishing platforms and social-media networks, brands can collaborate with connected individuals whose published content carries great clout amongst niche audiences. Forget press releases and prized interview slots, influencers are usually prided content creators who want to collaborate with impactful images on Instagram, well thought-out prose on Twitter or a series of compelling videos on YouTube. When an influencer’s content style, audience and aesthetic is well aligned and respected by a brand, content collaborations can become a very powerful PR and marketing tool for your company.

Communicate your ‘why.’
In today’s world of watchdog technologies, brands are scrutinized with every consumer touch point. From YouTube videos that expose poor customer service to Twitter comments that belittle brands for not living up to their promise, companies can no longer mask inefficiencies. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for brands to establish and implement core values that humanize them and make them more relatable to the public. The Millenial Consumer studypublished in January of 2015, showed 58 percent of Gen Y consumers expect brands to publish content online before they make a purchase and 43 percent rank authenticity as more important than the content itself. Take the time to establish the “why behind” your company and imbed it into your culture. If your purpose goes beyond profit, you are more likely to appeal to the public.

Source: Terry Hopkins

  I will go on and simply assume you have already read the PR classic books. These include How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie; Crystallizing Public Opinion, by Edward L. Bernays (Freud's nephew); Confessions of an Advertising Man, byDavid Ogilvy. The current thinking is that we become a composite of the five (or so) people we spend the most time with - and some of those five spots are taken up by people we love. Upping your game, increasing your understanding and skills is vital to your career and life advancement. So, one way to make positive changes - spend more time with quality people and thinkers. For most people, the remaining open spots for the five are filled by our peers. Well, our peers are great, but most of them are on your level - that's why they're peers. But there's another option, start spending more time with industry and thought leaders, watch motivating TED talks, and read...read...read quality nonfiction books covering the topics that matter most to you. If you work in PR, then media and PR know-how should be top of that list. So, in addition to the classic PR books, here are couple of more great options for your PR library. No matter what format (hard copy, digital or audio) immerse yourself in what people who've learned the lessons already and understanding will increase with the skills following right behind that. 1.Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It in Your Career. Rock Social Mediaby Aliza Licht I have been waiting for Aliza's book to come out for a while now and can't wait to read it now that it's here. I teach a fashion public relations class at The Art Institute of Michigan and I love showing Aliza's videos to my students. Aliza has done a great job using social media to boost Donna Karan's profile and her behind-the-scenes stories make this one a must-read 2. Reputation Rules: Strategies for Building Your Company's Most Valuable Asset by Daniel Diermeier In this business, reputation is everything. Many of the public relations programs we develop focus on building a company's reputation. As we've all seen, one small event can bring a reputation down. Reputation Rules shares a number of recent case studies on how to weather the storm. 3. Rogue Elephants: One PR Girl's Fight Through the Human Jungle by Jane Hunt I love reading or hearing PR war stories from veteran practitioners and this book by Jane Hunt is just that. There are so many practitioners who get into PR from other industries and it just shows how PR is necessary in so many different industries and jobs. 4.""The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell: An enjoyable, great read which tells us how "Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do." Understanding the power of audiences and to whom, and how to communicate is a core necessary value for all in PR & marketing. 5." Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg I had the opportunity to hear Sandberg speak at an Adcraft event a while back and have heard amazing things about this book.Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and in 2010 she gave an inspiring presentation at a TED conference encouraging women to take a seat at the table which she explores further in this book. 6.Game change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the race of a lifetime" by John Heilemann, Mark Halperin: "This shit would be really interesting if we weren't in the middle of it."-Barack Obama, September 2008. A fascinating insiders take pulling back the curtain - and media insight on the fascinating presidential campaign which saw Obama's rise to be the most powerful man in the world. 7. "Spin: How to Turn the Power of the Press to Your Advantage" by Michael S. Sitrick - Written by the founder of a major crisis PR firm, the book is an insider's guide into the world of crisis communications. It's a crisis PR handbook.  

Source:   PR agency Tampa fl

• brand is anything-a symbol, design, name, sound, reputation, emotion, employees, tone, and much more-that separates one thing from another. In the case of McDonald's, the golden arches became part of the brand. Those arches separate their product from all other fast food restaurants and they're a recognizable symbol even with kids.
• randing on a business-level is common, but today branding is becoming just as important on a personal level. After all, you might work for a business that works with other businesses, but it's people working with people and that's what makes business relationships valuable.
• nce people know who you are and begin to identify you with a specific area of understanding or expertise, you'll be well on your way to becoming the go-to person in your niche or industry.

Your personal brand is how you appear to the world. Therefore, it serves to reason that a strong brand is preferable to one that is unpolished and uninteresting.The question is, how do you become more recognized? How do you build your authority and your following?If you're looking to build your personal brand, here are five ways to go about it.

Start thinking of yourself as a brand
What do you wish for people to associate with you when they think of your name? Is there a certain subject matter in which you want to be perceived as an expert or are there general qualities you want linked to your brand? Once you understand how you wish your brand to be perceived, you can start to be much more strategic about your personal brand. This doesn't mean you can't be human. On the contrary, as Michael Simmons writes, authenticity is key in the digital age. A strong personal brand can yield tremendous ROI whether you are working with an organization or leading one. Here are some examples of individuals who have built up authentic and powerful personal brands: Michael Port, John Bates, Mike Michalowicz, Dave Kerpen, David Meerman Scott, John Jantsch, Dave Carroll, and Barry Moltz.
Determine your area of expertise.
Before you can establish or develop your expertise, you have to decide what you want to be known for. The world of personal branding is flooded with competing entrepreneurs, so it isn't enough to choose a general field like "marketing" or "human resources." Instead, it's best to develop yourself in a very specific niche. With a niche focus, you'll have more opportunities to prove you know what you're talking about, and while your potential audience might be slightly smaller, it will also be that much more relevant. Specificity is a trade of volume for significance.
Start writing and publishing.
Once you know your area of focus, it's time to start building your reputation, and the best way to do that is to show off your expertise. Content marketing is the best way to build a brand and reputation online; when people look for information, they tend to go back to sources that were helpful to them. If you can become a trusted source of information through your content, over time you'll become collectively known as the expert of your specific field. It's best to start your own blog and update it on a regular (at least weekly) basis, but it's also a good idea to start guest blogging on other reputable blogs.

Be purposeful in what you share
Every tweet you send, every status update you make, every picture you share, contributes to your personal brand. It is an amalgamation of multiple daily actions. Once you understand how you wish your brand to be perceived, you can start to be much more strategic about your personal brand.

Source :   Branding Indianapolis   /   Terry

WordPress has become the most popular content management system in the world. It is used by more than 74 million sites that publish new posts every second. Because is easy to use it's not surprising that WordPress is the most popular web publishing system on the planet. At last count over 23% of all websites were powered by WordPress. Keep in mind that it is not just a blogging platform. It used to be true before, but WordPress has evolved through out the years into a versatile   content management system   (CMS).

You can still use WordPress to create a simple blog, however, now it also allows you to create fully functional websites and mobile applications. So, if you're a blogger or you are just trying to launch a new online business, first thing that you will find interesting is that WordPress is free. Best of all, you never have to worry about hidden charges if your site becomes more popular than expected. WordPress will always be free for you to use. This means that you are free to run, distribute, copy, change and/or improve WordPress without first seeking permission from any authority. It's an open source project.Also, its support forum contains millions of queries and solutions to problems.You can also search for previously answered question.

Post your questions unhesitatingly, and you'll get a 100% valid solution.Apart from its official forum, there are number of other WordPress dedicated forums run by developers where one can ask queries and get solutions. The truth is that a large number website creators today use WordPress to run basic sites, with static pages, a blog or news section, some sort of custom content, and a variety of common features. WordPress plug-ins handle those features with no problems. It is easy to setup, manage, and update. WordPress comes with built-in updater that allows you to update your plugins and themes from within your WordPress admin dashboard. It also gives you a notification when there is a new version of WordPress is available, so you can update it by just clicking a button.

You can keep all your WordPress content safe by setting up automated regular One more thing that is very useful is that you basically don't need to become an Internet expert or an HTML coder to use WordPress. All you need is an internet connection and a web browser to create your website. It is simple to add content, features and dynamic widgets to your wordpress website. One simple click can create a new page or post, then by typing your text, adding some images and clicking one button your new page can be added to your site. We even have some clients that keep their website up-to-date from their smart phones. Moreover, WordPress has a high-security standard.

23% of the websites on internet are built on it, hackers continuously try to find loopholes in WordPress to get into sites built on it. But you don't have to worry about this that much . Regular updates provided by WordPress strongly protect you from this vulnerability.Regularly updating your WordPress version is quite effective to fight this vulnerability point. In fact, website hacking mostly takes place due to lack of knowledge and awareness in users.

So, in conclusion, WordPress is an really great product. It's user friendly, powerful, and flexible. Creating a website, and maintaining a website, is a science and art that has quickly evolved. In order to fully appreciate this it is important to be well read on the subject. One key thing to keep in mind is your investment of time. Being knowledgeable will without a doubt save you much time in the long run.

Source:   Responsive WebDesign Indianapolis   /   WordPress

Public relations   managers are administrators who oversee campaigns that either bolster the public image of their clients or raise funds for clients. In such a position, you might also monitor and use economic, political and social trends to enhance a client’s image or help protect them from unfavorable policy developments. In many instances you might specialize in a particular industry or area. Your specific duties include establishing lines of communication between media outlets and government regulators; planning PR campaigns; writing speeches, conducting interviews or arranging interviews for clients; coordinating PR campaigns with a client’s advertising and marketing efforts; assigning duties to staffers and managing budgets.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
You may think choosing a major is a no-brainer. But before committing yourself to something that will make you miserable, it’s important to get the facts. Most management jobs require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in public relations or a related field. These programs are typically offered through a school’s business or communications department. In some schools, a public relations degree is offered as a combined public relations and advertising or marketing degree program. Programs may allow students to focus on either the creative or managerial aspects of PR or a combination of both.
Success Tips:
Build a portfolio. Some bachelor’s degree programs require the completion of hands-on projects that can be included in a portfolio. Content such as writing examples, press releases, brochures and newsletters are good mediums to feature.
Join a professional association. Joining an association like the Public Relations Society of American (PRSA ) can give students access to career development and networking opportunities. Undergraduate students can join as an associate member during their senior year.
Develop Work Experience
Due to high competition for entry-level positions in public relations, students might seek internships either during or upon completion of a bachelor’s degree program in order to gain training and experience. Journalism is another industry that provides growth opportunities leading to public relations positions; familiarity with media practices can be extremely helpful to those guiding and safeguarding their companies’ public images.
According to the BLS, larger firms may have extensive on-the-job training for entry-level employees. Companies want to hire the best person for the job, and public relations is a field that is full of ambitious and impressive individuals. You’re going to need to find some way to make yourself stand out.

Whether a new public relations specialist works for one of these firms or not, the first years in the industry are generally ones of mentoring and training. Because of the nature of the work, important traits for a career in public relations are those that might be best shown in crisis, such as good judgment, initiative and creative problem-solving skills.
Find a Job in Public Relations
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), public relations managers are typically promoted from a lower-level position such as a public relations specialist ( www.bls.gov ). PR specialists held about 202,000 jobs in 2013. Advertising agencies, schools, healthcare and social service providers, government agencies and financial institutions are your potential employers. Your duties in the lower-level position include writing press releases, creating visual presentations and maintaining contacts between your client and the public.

Seek accreditation.
While this isn’t a necessity, it makes it that much easier to move forward in your career. In order to apply, find one of the professional organizations (the PRSA that was mentioned earlier is probably the most popular) and review their requirements for accreditation.
You won’t be able to apply until you’re a few years deep in the field, but you’ll be glad you did. National recognition for your accomplishments is a great way to get your name to potential employers. It sure beats Craigslist.

Source:   PR Tampa FL  /   Terry Blog

Basically,   public relations   revolves around this universal fact: people act based upon their perception of things. By influencing people’s perceptions, public relations professionals try to initiate a pattern of behaviors that will lead to the achievement of an organization’s goals. Implementing a successful Public Relations strategy is a very complex process. It involves a number of techniques used in other forms of marketing which seems to confuse many of today’s business owners. First step is understanding its importance. From there you can start developing the strategies or hiring the right people for public relations services in order to get the job done effectively.

Here are couple of things that you you should pay attention to as an example of good   PR practice .

Accurately and honestly communicate to your colleagues/clients the precise manner in which you plan to report on the results.

Share all relevant definitions (e.g. mentions, impressions, “top-tier”) and methods before the campaign begins for each aspect of measurement.

Any changes/revisions to methods should be quickly communicated to the client, internal or external, and approved.

Have as part of your resource library recognized, third-party sources available for validation of any aspect of your measurement plan presented to your colleagues, clients. (Don Stacks and David Michaelson. A Practitioner’s Guide to Public Relations Research, Measurement and Evaluation. Second Edition. Available in April 2014).

And here are also couple of things to avoid.

Many companies also make the mistake of not building relationships with journalists until just before a big event. You should know who the journalists are, what they are interested in and what they cover – do your homework. If you don’t know these things, don’t even bother pitching to them.

Refusing to be media trained

Anyone who will interview with the media needs to be media trained.

Practicing some basic techniques and doing some mock interviews can make a world of difference. Oftentimes an outsider can help this process along.

Even veteran spokespeople sometimes have problems. President George W. Bush was recently asked what his greatest mistake was. He said he couldn’t think of anything, a response that struck many people as arrogant.

Soon afterwards he was asked the same question again and had a response. The second time was a charm, but many people only remember that first “non-response.”

Being too narrow in your publicity activities

For many people, the publicity campaign means sending out the occasional news release.

That generally is not enough.

It’s true that PR people write news releases, but they do much more – everything from bylined articles and product reviews to podcasts and presentations.

In every case, the companies that consistently utilized a wide variety of PR tools got the best media coverage.

One comparison was particularly dramatic. The first company did a good job with its announcements. The second company got less coverage for its news releases, but maintained its visibility through contributed articles, reviews, speaking engagements and other means. The result: the second company was perceived as the industry leader; the first an “also-ran.”

Don’t limit yourself to barebones PR. Expand the scope of your program.

Implementing a successful Public Relations strategy is a very complex process. It involves a number of techniques used in other forms of marketing which seems to confuse many of today’s business owners. First step is inderstanding its importance. From there you can start developing the strategies or hiring the right people for piblic realtions services in order to get the job done

effectively.

Public Relations News, “Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”- Public Relations News

Source:   Institute of Public Relations   /   Public Relations Services Tampa FL

Web design   is a relatively new industry, having been created with the advent of the internet, and is gaining popularity in particular over the last ten years, as digital media has become a major part of many people’s lives. Most people rely on the web for their communications, information, shopping, social life and more. The demand for web designers has been growing rapidly and the industry is currently considered a good one with relation to job prospects and future growth.

The term web developer is sometimes used interchangeably with web designer, but this can be confusing. Web developing is a more specialist role, focusing on the back-end development of a website and will incorporate, among other things, the creation of highly complex search functions.
The recent growth in touchscreen phones and tablet devices has dictated a new way of designing websites, with the web designer needing to ensure that web pages are responsive no matter what type of device a viewer is using. Therefore the need to test websites at different stages of design, on a variety of different devices, has become an important aspect of the job.
Apart from having technical skills, they should have an eye for clean and artful design, possess superior user interface design skills and be able to translate high-level requirements into interaction flows and artifacts, and transform them into beautiful, intuitive, and functional designs.​
Responsibilities
Execute all visual design stages from concept to final hand-off to engineering
Conceptualize original ideas that bring simplicity and user friendliness to complex design roadblocks
Create wireframes, storyboards, user flows, process flows and site maps to effectively communicate interaction and design ideas
Present and defend designs and key milestone deliverables to peers and executive level stakeholders
Establish and promote design guidelines, best practices and standards
Web Designer Requirements
According to O*Net Online in 2010, 43% of web developers held a bachelor’s degree, 27% had some college but no degree and 20% had an associate’s degree ( www.onetonline.org ). Web designers need education in computer technology and website design to be competitive in the job market.
An associate’s degree program related to web design, such as an Associate of Applied Science in Web Graphic Design, provides a student with a foundation in the design and technical aspects of creating a website. Students learn web design skills and build professional portfolios that highlight their skills and abilities. Common topics include:
Fundamentals of design imaging
Basic web design
Animation
Multimedia design
Content management
Editing for video and audio
Multimedia programming and technology
A bachelor’s degree program in multimedia or web design allows students to learn advanced skills needed for professional web design. Students develop artistic and creative abilities in addition to technical skills. Degree programs, such as a Bachelor of Science in Web Design and Interactive Media, cover:
Databases
Webpage scripting
Programming
Digital imaging
Multimedia design
Web development
What to expect
Web designers are essentially office based. Travel to client sites may be required especially when working on a large and complex project, and they may be based there for the duration of the project. Self-employed and freelance web designers will often work from home but may work in their client’s offices from time to time.
The top location for web design jobs is London, with the south east of England also providing a good number of jobs. Other hot spots include Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and the M4 corridor around Slough and Reading.
This profession is currently male-dominated, but steps are being taken to redress the balance. For information and jobs for women who want to work in technology, go to Women in Technology.
Depending upon the employer, the dress code can be informal, for example jeans and a t-shirt. When meeting clients it may be necessary to wear more business-like attire.

Source:   WebDesign Indinapolis