by Myra Stacey | May 20, 2021 | Print Design
The way businesses in the Triangle area of NC market their products and services has significantly changed due to technological advancement. Flyers and newspapers seem to be a relic of the past, thanks to the advent of social media, content marketing, and SEO-focused Triangle web design. However, despite the growing prevalence of online advertising, humans remain tactile—they value physical touch. This is where using magazines to advertise your business can come in handy. Let’s take a look at the advantages of magazine marketing for your dynamic and customer-oriented small business in the Research Triangle…
Why Magazine Marketing Still Matters?
Businesses must realize that print is not obsolete and that using it correctly can significantly increase their sales and profitability. The number of magazine readers in the U.S. is actually growing steadily each year! (Source: Statista) As a matter of fact, print marketing can supplement digital marketing strategies, making them more effective and fruitful. Therefore, you should consider using old-school marketing methods such as magazines to promote your Raleigh business.
Magazine marketing is the most effective way to boost your inbound marketing efforts. After all, magazines encourage readers and offer a wealth of information—they are a novel way to communicate with your customers without overwhelming (or boring) them. Furthermore, magazines have the absolute best quality images, which are perfect for a positive representation of your product.
The real kicker is that you do not have to put in a lot of effort to establish your reputation with this advertising mode. Your customers already know and trust you, which is why they picked your magazine in the first place. You do not have to chase them down to sell your product or service offerings. It is also worth noting that magazines have a longer shelf life than any other form of media. People do not normally toss away magazines because they are more visually appealing than direct mail or newspapers. So, if you are in it for the long run and want to leave a lasting impression, you should consider investing in magazine marketing for your Raleigh, NC, business.
Creating a High-Impact Magazine
Once you have decided to invest your time and money in magazine marketing for your Raleigh, NC, business, you would want your magazine to be impactful. The effectiveness of a magazine is directly related to its visual layout design—after all, that is what magazines are all about!
Related Blog: 5 Graphic Design Trends for 2021 – Your Style
Magazines with intelligent layouts have the potential to bring in countless customers. If your magazine design is at par with the industry standards and every page packs a punch, it will likely impact your target audience positively.
However, only pretty pictures and impressive fonts cannot make a magazine a success. Everyone who is planning to add magazines to their marketing strategy should understand the significance of magazine layouts—the arrangements of elements in a specific way to enhance readers’ experience.
To create a perfect magazine layout, you need to follow a definite plan…
- You should first determine the content of your magazine. Approach your editorial team and finalize all the stories before deciding how to place them to make them look good.
- Rather than designing each page individually, create layouts for the master pages. For example, design the cover page, a master layout for the textual content, another layout for the picture collage, and so on. This will streamline the entire magazine design process.
- Experiment with colors—use brighter palettes as they are more welcoming. The colors should set the tone and match the content of your magazine.
- Leverage the concept of contrast to increase the visual appeal. Mix and match various fonts, font sizes, and colors.
Our Favorite Magazine Layout Designs
We decided to ‘lay out’ some of our favorite magazine layout designs to inspire you. Take a look!
The Typical Layout
Reading a magazine should be an effortless affair. To give your readers a seamless experience, design your magazine’s cover as it usually is designed. As readers are accustomed to magazine designs looking a certain way, they will quickly get the message you want to convey. Just keep things minimal while including all the necessary components on the cover—title, the headlining article, an image, and two featured pieces.
The Minimalist Layout
If you are a small business in Raleigh, NC, and new to the concept of print design and magazine design, then you should take a minimalist approach. Keeping things simple will provide you with abundant space for overwhelming features, insightful interviews, striking images, and much more. This way, your magazine will become an essential element of your marketing strategy and lay a strong foundation for further building your organizational structure.
The Readability-First Layout
As the name implies, this magazine design is ideal if readability is your foremost concern. Such magazines should have a clear division between the photography section and the content section. However, this type of layout is not suitable for all businesses as magazines usually have pages with a combination of both images and text. You can go for this only if you are from the travel industry. The readers will love a separate section, uninterrupted by text. At the same time, they would love indulging in the adventurous stories behind these pictures.
The Message-Centric Layout
Again, this one is ideal for small businesses of any kind. This layout has one aim: to keep the message you want to deliver to your target audience at the center of the magazine while all other elements revolve around it. In this magazine layout, your message never escapes the eyes and mind of your readers, even when they have reached the last page of your magazine. Typical A4 size and readable fonts are ideal for such a magazine.
The Monochromatic Layout
Staying true to the design concept “less is more,” this magazine layout capitalizes on space and contrast to create a lasting and strong impression on the readers. Raleigh, NC, businesses that use this layout often include only black-and-white images in their magazine, and the font is not given any pop of color as well. As bland as it may sound, such magazines are highly impactful.
The Professional Layout
Like the monochromatic layout, this magazine design primarily uses black and white color—nothing fancy. Except, in this layout, there is one more color that is smartly used to add emphasis. Usually, this one extra color is red as it contrasts nicely with the primary black and white colors. This is a typical New Yorker Business-style magazine with thin and sleek geometric fonts. The exciting trio of colors and properly organized columns make the magazine look highly professional.
Professional Magazine Design Services in Raleigh, NC
If you are looking for a print design company in the Triangle Area, NC, look no further than Print And Web Designer! We have a skilled team of proficient designers that can create the perfect magazine for your business—one that will amaze both you and your readers. Additionally, we also provide brochure design and web design services. So, stop searching for “Durham web design services” or “Cary web design services” and call our experts today at (919) 891-0545.
by Myra Stacey | Apr 30, 2021 | Web Design
Google Analytics is a very important online marketing tool. Unfortunately, it is seriously underestimated by most businesses in the Triangle area, NC. This FREE web analytics tool developed by Google allows businesses to measure the results of their individual inbound marketing campaigns in real-time, compare the results to previous campaigns, and so much more.
As a dynamic and customer-oriented small business in the Research Triangle, you cannot disregard the importance of Google Analytics. There is a laundry list of reasons why you should use Google Analytics to measure your website performance. Here are a few of those:
1. Get an overview of all your marketing channels.
With Google Analytics, you can uncover valuable insights about your audience to see which marketing channels and sources drive the most traffic to your website—organic search (SEO), paid search (PPC), social media, referrals (backlinks), or direct traffic. Being able to monitor all online marketing platforms allows you to review what is working well and what is not. For example, if 80% of your total website visitors landed on your website through your social media campaigns, while your paid search campaigns only drove about 20% of all visitors, you know where to put your money in to maximize your earning potential and stay ahead of the game.
Related blog: Tips to Boost Your Web Traffic
2. Know your target audience.
It is good to know exactly how many people have visited your site and where they came from, but these metrics are not very valuable by themselves. Knowing your user demographic (e.g., their age, gender, geographic location, and interest topics), on the other hand, can be conducive to identifying who your core audiences are on the Internet. For example, you might discover that more than half of all your site visitors are men aged from 20–30 in East Coast Cities (Seattle, WA, Los Angeles, CA, Portland, OR). That is extremely useful and actionable information about who you should be targeting with your online marketing strategies.
3. Track your conversions.
The overview of your marketing channels and user acquisition data can serve as a guiding compass for your online marketing strategies and activities, but how do you know if these strategies and activities actually do work? Regardless of the characteristics of your website visitors, such as the marketing channel they use and their demographic details, you need to know that this traffic is converting. Google Analytics allows you to set goals to track when a user completes a specific action on your site—whether clicking on the “Buy Now” button, requesting a quote, or subscribing to newsletters.
4. Analyze your site visitor engagement.
Google Analytics has a bunch of metrics that allow you to review how well your site visitors interact with your Triangle web design and content. These metrics include:
- Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors that viewed only one page and then navigated away from your website without further interaction.
- Pages per session: The average number of pages each visitor has viewed during a session on your website.
- Average session duration: The average amount of time each user has spent on your website.
You can also analyze these metrics for individual web pages, gaining a clear insight into which pages are performing well and which are not. Based on your findings, you can then smooth out the user experience on the problem pages so that users can move seamlessly toward converting to paying customers with minimal friction. For example, if your site visitors land on your “Contact Us” page but navigate away from your website without filling in the form, you know where you have to make improvements to keep your site visitors engaged.
5. Find out what devices your customers use.
Considering that mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor in Google’s algorithm, your Durham web design now needs to be mobile-friendly if you want your website to be ranked in the top positions in search engine result pages (SERPs). Google Analytics allows you to monitor which devices your users are using (e.g., desktop/laptop, mobile phone, tablet, or smart wearables). This will give you some indication as to how well your mobile site is performing compared to the desktop version. This can also push you in the right direction in terms of your website optimization—if you receive a similar number of visitors on both mobile and desktop versions but fewer conversions on your mobile site, it may be an issue with the user experience on that version of the site.
6. It is free.
You have heard of the saying, “nothing in life is free.” However, In the case of Google Analytics, it really is free. Unlike other web analytic tools out there, Google does not charge you anything for using this product! Even though there is a paid version called Google Analytics 360, which provides some extra features in terms of reporting validity and sample size, it is primarily for websites that receive more than 10 million page views per month.
Why Should I Use Google Analytics?
If you are not already convinced, let us summarise. Google Analytics allows you to measure the effectiveness of your online marketing campaigns and gives you insight into your customer’s demographic and behavior as well as your site’s user experience, online content, device functionality, and more. All these metrics show you what is working well and—more importantly—what isn’t. Once you identify any issues your website may have, you can take the appropriate action to fine-tune the success strategy of your business in the Triangle area, NC.
Professional Web Design Services in Raleigh, NC
At Print and Web Designer, we can help you deliver a high-quality website to your customers that drives conversions. Once your website goes live, we can also set up and install Google Analytics on it so you can get all the information you need regarding your website statistics. In addition to web design, we also offer high-quality digital and print design services. Whether you need brochure design, magazine design, or brand design, we have got your back!
Call Print and Web Designer at (336) 684-6505 for all your web design needs.
by Myra Stacey | Mar 25, 2021 | Inbound Marketing
Content creation is one of the most important aspects of digital marketing. A few years ago, a simple website was all you needed to maintain an online presence and marketing was mostly done through conventional channels.
In this day and age, however, digital marketing has emerged as the primary means of raising brand awareness and attracting customers. Here are five content marketing tips that are sure to generate more traffic towards your website:
1. Write for Your Target Audience
The first step is to figure out your target demographic. Content marketing involves creating blog posts, articles, and infographics to engage potential customers. Find out your target audience’s requirements and how they search for information on the internet.
The content creation and selection should remain focused on your target audience at all times. Choose topics that they would want to know about. Your content marketing efforts are bound to be successful once you understand your audience and tune your content to their demands.
2. Use Relevant Keywords
Using relevant keywords is essential for search engine optimization (SEO). SEO entails using specific techniques for improving your web traffic in order to make your site rank higher on the search engine result pages.
Make sure you include specific keywords in your content so that your website is visible to people who search using those words. Before writing a blog post or article, take a minute to think about the keywords that would rank well.
3. Understand the Content Marketing Funnel
The content marketing or sales funnel pertains to a process illustrating a buyer’s decision-making journey. The three main phases include awareness, evaluation, and purchase.
An understanding of what makes buyers advance through the funnel is important for anyone involved in sales and marketing. The sales funnel consists of four stages, namely outreach, conversion, closing and retention.
Content marketing is typically considered a part of outreach, which is right at the top of the funnel. This is where brand awareness and lead generation take place. Use them to increase your customer base and engage with your audience. Click here for some website design guidelines to complement your content.
4. Ensure Unique Content
Uniqueness is what helps your brand stand out among competitors. Reusing old content works at times, but, it is crucial to add originality for successful results.
Whatever topic or idea you’re interested in writing about, consider it as your starting point and ponder over how you can add a unique angle to it. This way, you can publish engaging and valuable content for your readers.
5. Use Data
Blog posts alone cannot increase your customers and kick start your business. Besides producing quality content, you also need to understand how to measure the outcomes of your effort.
Use analytics and other data-driven approaches to analyze your performance. Some people prefer tracking overall website traffic while others use social shares or “attention metrics” like scroll depth. Assessing your performance ensures that your time and money are utilized productively.
Content marketing is an effective way of developing and refining what your brand stands for. Your content should include relevant keywords and be informational and engaging at the same time to attract potential customers. Print and Web Designer offers efficient print and web designing services for your website, magazine, and brochure. If you are looking for a digital marketing strategy to transform your business, explore our website or call us at (336) 684-6505 today!
by Myra Stacey | Mar 18, 2021 | Print Design, Web Design
Web design is closely linked to world events. 2020 transformed lifestyles all over the globe as COVID-19 changed the way we viewed and interacted with the world.
Lockdowns and work-from-home rules made digital media more important than ever. Here are some latest design trends that have emerged after events of the past year:
1. Retro Vibe
The pandemic has triggered a sense of collective nostalgia where people look back fondly at more “normal” times. In the same spirit, retro designs have made a loud comeback.
Retro style fonts and color palettes are back on the internet, providing a sense of familiarity and comfort in this era of uncertainty. As the pandemic relentlessly dominates the headlines, the popularity of vintage designs is growing everywhere in the world.
2. Muted Color Palettes
While bright and bold designs trended in 2020, muted color palettes are more in vogue in 2021. Muted colors are essentially vivid hues that have had their edges removed and are complemented by black, white, or any other suitable color.
These colors evoke relaxing vibes and are a welcome change from the loud, confusing designs in the previous years. They make you feel safe, and are a throwback to earlier eras. LinkedIn is a good example of a popular website that continues to use muted hues. Click here for tips to boost your website traffic.
3. Symbols
Symbols have been historically effective in evoking different emotions. A simple example is how a red octagon can save lives at a bustling intersection.
Graphic designers are experimenting with symbols to signify growth, resilience, and empowerment. Symbols are useful for expressing a concept and for amalgamating two or more ideas in a single illustration.
4. 3D Design
3D design utilizes technology and software to its optimum. The emergence of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) has transformed the user interface of websites and mobile applications. The growth of VR and AR industries are expected to surge considerably in the coming years.
There is likely to be a move towards hyper-real graphics that bring the digital and physical world closer than ever. 3D elements are set to dominate pages rather than being displayed as minor visuals. Graphic designers often combine 3D photos with 2D images or animate them.
5. Geometric Shapes
Abstract shapes and flowing designs were popular last year, but they no longer remain in vogue. Brands are increasingly using geometric shapes to market their products and services.
Geometric designs are much easier and quicker to create. They add a sense of consistency and structure to visuals. Geometric images are not always uniform in style, but still look alike due to similar patterns. They have the added advantage of blending in well with muted colors.
This year graphic designers have generally reverted to trends inspired by the previous decades. There is an air of positivity as 2021 is seen as a step towards the restoration of normalcy. Print and Web Designer offers efficient print and web design services for your website, magazine, and brochures. If you are in Durham, Cary or Raleigh, and looking for a digital marketing strategy to transform your business, explore our website or call us at 919-891-0545 today!
by Myra Stacey | Feb 4, 2021 | Web Design
First Site Guide defines Joomla as a free and open-source content management system used to post content on the web, similar to WordPress. The basic difference between WordPress and Joomla is that Joomla is basically meant to serve specific websites, whereas WordPress was only introduced as a blog posting platform. Let’s take a look at how well both platforms work by comparing some of their features.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Joomla has an advantage when it comes to search engine optimization as it allows you to add meta descriptions and keywords for articles. WordPress, on the other hand, does not have this option. The true capability of SEO cannot be determined unless we delve deeper into the plugins or extensions used for it.
For example, WordPress uses the Yoast SEO plugin, which is great and offers a lot of features. However, Easy Fronted SEO, a plugin for Joomla, is equivalent to Yoast (and slightly better) as it enables users to explore many features and even has an automatic mode to generate data without any input.
Content Flexibility
While using WordPress, you get the same basic layout on every page with the same design theme. Joomla, on the other hand, allows you to use multiple templates on your website. For example, you can choose a different design for your blog and a different one for your webpage.
Moreover, Joomla also provides the flexibility of modifying and mixing up the content types. WordPress usually has restrictions on the content type and its placement.
Security Standards
When it comes to security, WordPress is equipped with thousands of plugins, which means that each WordPress install is unique. However, it is difficult to ensure that every plugin follows the correct safety standards. It is also difficult to ensure that the safety standards remain consistent with new versions of the platform too. Joomla offers its own set of security extensions, and a separate list is maintained by the developers along with its shortcomings.
Ease of Use
When we compare Joomla and WordPress, the latter option is better when it comes to ease of use. It is straightforward and convenient for users to navigate, edit, and add new content. WordPress also provides a high level of quality and support to its users for every feature. Joomla is not as flexible to use at first, but once users get the hang of it, it becomes quite easy to use.
Organization
While using WordPress, many users find it difficult to figure out how to make an article appear on specific webpages. Sometimes, a lot of coding is required to simply add an extra menu on your webpage. With Joomla, the backend organization is quite easy, and the options available are also very straightforward. Even if you want to add a menu, you can find simple options for it without having to waste time and energy on extra coding.
Which is better?
WordPress and Joomla both have many advantages and unique features of their own. However, in some ways, Joomla is much better than WordPress. It is a great CMS that is not only easy to use and manage but also provides a very strong platform to produce any type of website and content. According to Kinsta, Joomla powers around 3% of all websites and holds 5.4% of the content management system market. It also lets you customize your website without needing any extensions.
If you are looking for ways to have a professionally designed website, check out our Print and Web Designer services. We are skilled in offering inbound internet marketing solutions as well as web-designing and maintenance.
