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Development

Responsive Web Design – What is it and Why Does it Matter?

If you browse the internet from a variety of devices and device sizes, you have likely come across websites that are virtually unusable on a mobile platform. With the growing importance of mobile internet, it is important to create a website version that is mobile-friendly and provides a great user experience. To help combat this growing problem and ensure a seamless user experience across devices, our Tulsa website design firm utilizes responsive web design for all websites we build for customers.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design focuses on the belief that both the website design and development should be able to adapt to the user’s behavior or device by taking metrics like screen size, screen orientation and individual browser or operating system into account. In a nutshell, this means that if a visitor to your website wanted to move from their computer to an alternative device like an iPad, the experience would be the same. To do this, a responsive web design includes the coding and technology necessary to detect the screen size and resolution, then adjust it accordingly without needing user input.

Why Does Responsive Web Design Matter?

In recent years, mobile web browsing has overtaken desktop web browsing as the proliferation of smartphones and tablet devices continues. In fact, according to Search Engine Land, nearly 60% of web searches now come from mobile devices. Doesn’t this insight alone warrant for investing in responsive web design to create a seamless experience for your website visitors across any devices they may have? Every business has a website to grow their business, primarily with search engine optimization strategies and digital marketing. According to Google, the top search engine and organic traffic referrer,  responsive web design is the industry standard and could have a direct impact on your search engine ranking. Having a single website that adjusts to the user’s device creates shareable content across multiple platforms from a single URL, something Google places incredible value on.

Is Your Current Website Responsive?

Skynet Solutions is committed to providing the best web design services for Tulsa and all of Oklahoma. If you are ready to expand your web presence, redesign your existing website or enhance your digital marketing, we are here to help. You can fill out our contact form to get started today. You can also connect with us on FacebookTwitterGoogle+ and LinkedIn!

Categories
Design

How Important is ADA Compliance in Tulsa Web Design?

You likely already know the importance of having an accessible brick and mortar store for individuals with disabilities. However, how much thought have you put into how accessible your website is for potential customers that may have disabilities? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), not only covers real world applications but is applicable to your digital presence as well. To help combat the growing problem of inaccessible websites, Tulsa web design provider Skynet Solutions takes special care when during your website development to ensure any visitors to your website are able to easily navigate it and find the information or products they are looking for.

It is important to remember that not every visitor you receive uses the same browser and several devices and tools can be utilized for individuals with disabilities. While ADA compliance standards for websites are vague, legislation is constantly being retooled to include the criteria necessary for a website to be considered compliant. Even now, several website operators have been faced with lawsuits because their website was not accessible to a particular disability, making attention to detail critical. At Skynet Solutions, we implement industry standard ADA compliance with our Tulsa web design services to help ensure your website is ready for upcoming changes.

What Steps Can Be Taken For ADA Compliance?

At Skynet Solutions, we are familiar with current ADA compliance rules and have implemented them into several Tulsa web design projects. Much like brick-and-mortar stores require certain adjustments to be compliant, websites too have similar needs. Here are some of the requirements for an ADA compliant website: Scalable Text – To be considered ADA Compliant, your website must offer scalable text for vision impaired visitors. Our Tulsa web design services will provide this functionality on your website the ensure text can be magnified to meet this compliance standard.

Photo and Video Concerns

For visually impaired visitors using a screen reader, it is important to provide functional descriptions for any images that appear on your website. Likewise, any videos that are available on your website should include an audio description or transcripts for individuals with a hearing impairment. Keyboard Navigation – Keyboard navigation for your website is important for individuals with disabilities that don’t allow them to use a traditional mouse for interaction. For this reason, having a website that can be navigated with a keyboard only is crucial.

Why Skynet Solutions for Tulsa Website Design?

Skynet Solutions is committed to providing the best web design services for Tulsa and all of Oklahoma. If you are ready to expand your web presence, redesign your existing website or enhance your digital marketing, we are here to help. You can fill out our contact form to get started today. You can also connect with us on FacebookTwitterGoogle+ and LinkedIn!

Categories
Marketing

Skynet Solutions Provides Tulsa Website Design Services

If you don’t have a web presence or official website, you likely are missing out on potential customers and revenue that your active competitors are gaining. Whether you are aware of it or not, having a website is critical for the success of modern businesses, even if they don’t sell products online. To help you achieve your business goals, Skynet Solutions provides Tulsa website design services. At Skynet Solutions, we understand that there is more to a website than flashy graphics and pretty pictures. We work hard to ensure that your website is not only attractive but has easy navigation features, complete functionality and modern ADA compliance needs. Some qualities of a Skynet Solutions’ Tulsa website design services include:

Easy Updating

To assist in your marketing goals, it is important to consistently provide relevant content, primarily through the use of a blog. With the modern advancement in web content management systems, like WordPress, adding new content to your website and updating existing content to meet SEO standards has never been easier.

Easy Navigation

To ensure your customers and potential customers have an enjoyable experience interacting with your website, Skynet Solutions focuses on easy navigation features with each Tulsa website design we provide. This ensures that even beginners can find the information or products they need from your website.

Modern Design

No matter what requirements you have for your personal or business website, the experts at Skynet Solutions can likely provide website design services to meet your needs. Our design team can create a retro website design, modern website design or anything in between to give you the exact website you want. There’s no limit to what we can do for your web presence. From simple promotional sites to vast and powerful e-commerce stores, we have valuable experience designing and constructing online business tools that will allow your company to thrive.

Why Skynet Solutions for Tulsa Website Design?

Skynet Solutions is committed to providing the best web design services for Tulsa and all of Oklahoma. If you are ready to expand your web presence, redesign your existing website or enhance your digital marketing, we are here to help. You can fill out our contact form to get started today. You can also connect with us on FacebookTwitterGoogle+ and LinkedIn!

Categories
Marketing

When is it Time for a Website Redesign?

As a Tulsa website design firm, we are often approached by business owners that are curious if their existing website is due for a website redesign. The prospect of redesigning your existing website can seem like a big commitment. However, the benefits obtained by doing for most businesses that haven’t recently updated their website often outweigh the short term inconvenience and costs.

To determine if your website is due for a redesign, there are typically a few tell-tale signs that will be a dead giveaway. Though our Tulsa website design firm audits your website for over 200 different metrics to make recommendations, these are the glaring signs that your website is ready. As you browse your website, take note of these specific factors:

Mobile Responsive Web Design

In the modern age of the web, having a mobile responsive website is critical for your success and continued organic search engine traffic. According to Search Engine Land, more than 50% of queries entered into search engines now come from mobile. If your website isn’t optimized for their experience, you could be neglecting over half of your potential web traffic and decreasing search engine ranking with high bounce rates.

Dated Design or Functionality

Having a dated website design can often deter potential customers or clients from wanting to do business with you. According to Forbes Insights, research shows that 82% of customers conduct research online before making a purchase. For this reason, having a modern and responsive web design is critical for influencing their purchasing decision.

Poor Search Engine Ranking

Though there are many factors that can contribute to a low search engine ranking, including website longevity, if you are considering a web redesign your website has likely been around long enough to crack the top of the search engine rankings for certain keywords or search queries. According to Chitika, the first result in a Google search gets 33% of traffic and the traffic decreases with each listing from there. Improving your web design, reworking your website content and properly implementing 301 redirects can help boost your SEO value and search ranking.

Why Skynet Solutions for Website Redesigns?

A website redesign is one of the most effective ways to improve your online image for potential clients. Not only will a fresh website appeal to previous visitors, but it will also help boost search engine visibility significantly when properly implemented. As a Tulsa web design firm, Skynet Solutions is ready to help make your site the best version yet! You can fill out our online contact form on our website or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+  and LinkedIn!

Categories
Development

The Benefits of Custom Websites

The modern internet world is filled with free websites bearing countless iterations of templates. Though templates can serve a purpose and provide a quick entrance into the online medium, cookie cutter template websites aren’t as unique or useful as a custom website. When dealing with a personal website, the ability to manipulate the look and content attached to it should be a flexible, yet easy, process. Search Engine Optimization Generic free sites generally aren’t built to be SEO friendly. For this reason, individuals will find it is very unlikely the site will rise in search results. With a custom website, the entire spectrum of SEO can be utilized to make a website more visible and discoverable. Custom websites can help funnel potential customers to a target site to provide services or products they are searching for. Branding Custom websites can be tailor-made to mimic branding preferences and achieve a cohesive look between products or services offered by a company. This attention to detail will make a business seem more reputable and distinguished in the eyes of potential customers. A custom, professional website can create a positive first impression to generate sales. Tech Support  If a custom website is designed and hosted by a trustworthy firm, technical support is guaranteed to be included. This means business can focus on sales and not on the technical side of keeping a website functional. Content updates and expansion can always be a delicate procedure without ruining a website’s functionality, having a professional to implement it will save time and money in the future. If your business is in need of a professional, functional website, with the ease of use customers will appreciate, call us today or contact us through our online form! We would love to help build the custom website needed to grow your business.

Categories
Marketing

Skynet Solutions Recieves Congressional Commendation

The team at Skynet Solutions was recently honored with a Congressional Commendation by U.S. Representative Jim Bridenstine, in recognition of all the work we have been doing to educate, enhance and strengthen the small business community in Oklahoma. A Congressional Commendation is awarded by a member of Congress to officially recognize outstanding public achievement by those in their districts. One of the most rewarding parts of being an official Google Partner is all the events we get to host and speak at where Skynet Solutions marketing experts get to share their knowledge and interact with other local businesses.

Here at Skynet Solutions, we love being a part of the small business community and using our skills to help other local entrepreneurs succeed as well. Since fall 2015, we have been hosting and participating in “GYBO” (Get Your Business Online) seminars throughout Oklahoma to help small business owners get their businesses online. Thanks to our partners at Google, the REI Women’s Business Center, the Tulsa chapter of SCORE, area chambers of commerce and others, we have been able to help dozens of local business—like yours—improve their online presence in a variety of ways!

We’ve hosted workshops across the state, from Ponca City to Stillwater and Muskogee to Bartlesville and have covered topics ranging from how to use Google Analytics effectively to what S.E.O. is and how you can use it to amplify your business’ online presence. We also covered and held entire workshops dedicated to helping business owners get their business listed on Google Maps and other maps listing services, like Bing and Apple, and other effective tactics to make sure potential customers are able to easily find their business online. We have found maps listings to be one of the most effective ways to help a small, local business grow.

Skynet Solutions also recently co-hosted a special event in May to celebrate and promote National Small Business Week. Along with Tulsa SCORE, we created and hosted the inaugural SCORE Small Business Summit Tulsa, which brought together about 100 mentors, business experts and entrepreneurs from around the region to network and discuss all aspects of starting, owning and running a small business. Speakers from The Small Business Administration, Constant Contact, Tulsa Economic Development Corporation, the Tulsa chapter of SCORE, Skynet Solutions, REI Women’s Business Center and other local and regional institutions discussed everything from email marketing and small business taxes to bookkeeping for small businesses and social media marketing.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of a robust and up to date online presence for a local business; 50 percent of all mobile searches are conducted in hopes of finding local results, and 61 percent of those searches result in a purchase, according to Search Engine Watch. In addition to that, 56 percent of mobile searches are from users seeking local information, like business hours, directions or a physical address for your store—which is why maps listings are so critical. If your business can’t be easily found online, customers are going to go elsewhere. You also have to make sure your business website is mobile friendly.

With the majority of internet searches originating from mobile devices, not desktops or laptops, according to Google, the majority of people who end up on your business’ website are going to get there from a mobile search. The majority of customers believe it is easier to find information on a mobile-optimized site and 48 percent of people who visit a site that’s not friendly feel that the company doesn’t care about their business. That’s definitely not the impression you want to give off to your valued customers!

To learn more about all of the educational small business-focused events that Skynet Solutions participates in and hosts, you can keep up with our blog, follow us on social media or give us a call. In the meantime, you can always get in touch with the experts at Skynet Solutions for help with your online business listing, website development, social media marketing or anything else you need to help make your business succeed. With our diverse range of skills and experience, we are sure to have the tools you need to make 2016 your business’ best year yet. You can fill out our online contact form on our website to get started today. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn!