Websites Archives - Scrolling Digital - Website Design & Development, Graphic Design & more

Why is my website showing as Not Secure? SSL and website security..

Posted on October 18, 2018August 12, 2019 by Melissa Priest

You may have noticed recently that there has been a shift toward browsers (Chrome, Safari etc) showing “Secure” or “Not Secure” next the website url in their address bar.

If a website is showing as “Secure”, or more recently showing a closed padlock, they have what is called an SSL certificate.

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client, for example a a web server (website) and a browser, or a mail server and a mail client (e.g., Outlook). Having an SSL certificate also means that the start of your url is https:// rather than http://.

So for websites without an SSL certificate unfortunately the words “Not Secure” will now be shown in the browsers address bar before your website url and this can be a concern for businesses trying to build trust online.

Traditionally only websites that had an e-commerce facility (online stores etc) needed an SSL certificate and it was thought to be overkill for everyone else. However Google announced that having an SSL certificate would become part of their algorithm of ranking websites and with SEO top of mind a lot of people jumped on board.

Now with “Not Secure” being the first thing many users see when visiting a site, and trust being so important when doing business with a company – especially online, there is a shift toward more websites adapting SSL.

If you would like an SSL certificate set up on your website we can help you, just Contact Us and we will get it organised for you.

The Benefits Of A MindBody Website – The Dance Fitness Studio

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Melissa Priest

A while ago we were approached by new Brisbane based business ‘The Dance Fitness Studio‘ to design and develop a website for their new dance and fitness business.

When doing research for a client we look at all possible solution options for them, not just pushing them to a WordPress site which is what we specialise in, instead we look at the best holistic solution for their business.

After weighing up a few options our client decided on having us set up a website for them using the MindBody platform.

It was our first experience using MindBody and we were pleasantly surprised with MindBody’s offering. (note this is not a sponsored post). From a clients perspective, MindBody offers an established platform where you can fairly quickly and easily set up a responsive website with loads of features, including the ability for your clients to book and pay straight away, you can set up timetables, set up employees and their profiles, special offers, discount codes, reporting, email notifications, integration with payment methods such as paypal, and more……

However the biggest bang for your buck is the existing audience of MindBody app users that you instantly tap into. MindBody is an app where as a health, fitness and wellness lover you can type in your location and discover a range of relevant services in your area. As MindBody had gained significant popularity in the Brisbane market it made sense for The Dance Fitness Studio to jump on board. A key challenge for any website is having people find them, so to be able to tap into an existing and relevant customer base was extremely useful and has definitely paid off for them.

Visit The Dance Fitness Studio.

If you’re thinking of creating a MindBody website and would like our help customising and setting up the site for you please contact us and we can help you get started.

Here is an extract from the glowing testimonial we received from The Dance Fitness Studio:

“We found Scrolling Digital to be very professional and client centric. Their service was outstanding and far exceeded our expectations. They were very good with being organised, understanding what we were after and taking us along the journey of understanding what would work best for our needs. Their patience and the support they provided was second to none. We will continue to work with Scrolling Digital and have recommended them to other businesses based on the exceptional service and results they have provided us.”

Got a Great Idea for An App Or a Website But Not Sure What To Do Next?

Posted on May 11, 2016August 7, 2018 by Melissa Priest

It seems people are racking their brains trying to think of the next big app or website, great, get those creative juices flowing we say! But what do you do when you think you’ve got a great idea and want to get it off the ground? You talk to people about your idea that’s what!

Most people actually do the opposite of this and instead hide and protect the idea, meaning they not only miss out on valuable feedback and information, but also skip on to development (time and money) without actually knowing whether anyone will use it.

Over the years we’ve been approached by many a budding entrepreneur with what they think is the next big thing, we’ve even been asked to sign NDAs (non disclosure agreements) before they will tell us what the idea is……

The thing is…your idea is something YOU are passionate about, something YOU’ve thought up, and in some cases you might be the only person who likes it.

It would be rare and unlucky if someone was to run off with your idea. Most ideas require an amazing amount of passion, drive and determination to come to fruition, which helps if you have thought it up in the first place.

If you have what you think is a great idea in the making, before you spend time and money jumping straight to development, go out and ask people would they use it.

Talk to your potential end users and see what they think of the idea, would they use it, does it already exist, what do they use now, would they use yours instead of what they use now?

In his article ‘Five Ways to Validate Your Idea‘, Matt Bell of Treehouse suggests creating a survey and sending it out to as many people as you can and get them to respond anonymously = extremely valuable information for you about your idea.

Talk to your potential end users and talk to them some more…..

…..and if you’re still certain that there is a genuine need for your idea, come and talk to us! We will happily sit down with you and chat about your idea and give you a detailed quote on what your development costs will be….and we promise now to steal your idea!

Loving these two new websites we designed – check them out!

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Melissa Priest

We get great joy out of seeing our work go live on the world wide web (does anyone say world wide web anymore….ha…anyway….) and here we have two new sites hot off the press to celebrate.

We have worked closely with these two small businesses from Newcastle and feel proud that they now have a modern, professional and informative website to help their businesses succeed!

Both sites are “responsive” which means they will respond to any device that they are accessed from, as you can see from the screenshots below.

Hunter Pro – visit the Hunter Pro website

All Glass & Aluminium – visit the All Glass & Aluminium website

If you would like a modern, professional and responsive website for your small business please contact us to have a chat about your needs and your budget.

To view more of our work please visit our portfolio.

Outsourcing Your Website Updates Can Save You Money

Posted on March 9, 2015February 2, 2017 by Melissa Priest

If your website is just sitting there not being updated, you could be missing out on opportunities to attract new customers and grow your business.

If you want to keep your site updated but can’t justify the cost of employing a web manager or going to an expensive marketing agency or web development company, you can save money by outsourcing your web tasks to us.

We are a small web services agency based in Newcastle and offer a wide range of web services at an affordable price. From new website design through to social media updates, we can help you with all of your online work.

Outsourcing your website updates to us, rather than employing someone in-house, will save you money and also give you maximum flexibility with the widest range of services rarely possible from one employee.

For a small monthly fee, here are some of the things we can help you with:

add / edit images on your website
add / edit content on your website
a graphic design resource for creation of new graphics
any coding changes required to your website
development of new features to your website
implementation of Google Analytics, run monthly Google Analytics report
competitive analysis against your competitors websites and features
user experience / usability review of your site with recommendations for improvement
set up and maintain your social media profiles
assistance with your social media posts
assistance with search engine optimisation (SEO)
consultation / guidance on content, social media, seo, site features
technical review of the site
make any necessary changes to ensure your site is technically sound
ensure site security – implement site monitoring tool, keep plugins up to date
keep WordPress version up to date
assistance with disaster recovery of website if necessary

Does anyone still use the Yellow Pages? Not Me!

Posted on November 27, 2014July 11, 2018 by Melissa Priest

I can’t remember the last time I opened a yellow pages book and I don’t know anyone else who has either. Maybe my nanna? Actually probably my nanna because she is the only person I know who isn’t online.

As for everyone else, they’re doing their research online to find the products and services they need. Whether it be for a local builder, dentist or hairdresser.

If you’re relying on the yellow pages as a channel to find new customers for your business, you are completely narrowing your market, which will only get worse as each generation grows up assuming online as part of their everyday lives.

If your business doesn’t have an online presence and you want more customers or more revenue, then you desperately need to get yourself a website.

In future in most cases, if you don’t have a website you won’t be considered by a buyer. A friend of mine was getting married recently and she was looking for a makeup artist for her wedding day makeup. She was recommended a lady through a friend and instantly went online to look for this lady’s website. Nothing. No website, no facebook page, no online presence at all. So my friend didn’t want to book her because she instantly wondered whether she was legit. And this obviously wasn’t an expensive product or service, given it was a wedding, but still. Imagine buyers who are researching a big ticket item – a builder for their house extensions, new furniture, a wedding photographer, they would need to be able to view websites of these businesses before making a decision.

Buyers like to research. Let them learn about you and build trust in you via your website. It doesn’t have to be a $30,000 website, it doesn’t have to have bells and whistles. Just a nice clean website that doesn’t cost the earth and allows you to put a professional face to your business.

Below is a recent poll we took on our Web Esc Facebook page asking people how they research their buying needs. I would assume 9 times out of 10 or maybe even more that people do their research online. The rest is probably word of mouth!

Is your website responsive? If not you could be losing business!

Posted on September 17, 2014October 2, 2014 by Melissa Priest

It’s been a while between blog posts as we’ve been busy building some fabulous new responsive websites.

Is your website responsive? How does it look on a mobile or tablet? Is it small or formatted badly? Do you or your users constantly have to zoom in and scroll the page around to view your site? If so this means that your site isn’t responsive and you risk losing business.

Responsive web design is a web design approach that presents or formats a website optimally for the device the website is being viewed from, e.g. a tablet or mobile.

This means no zooming in and out trying to read or view areas of a site. It means a clearly adjusted nicely laid out website specifically for your device.

There are many benefits to having a responsive website, not only that your website is suddenly readable to the huge number of users now viewing the internet while on the go on a mobile device (a desktop computer is so last year for a lot of people). It means that users can find the information they’re after quickly and easily, especially as those using a tablet or mobile are more inclined to want that information as fast as possible.

Another major plus is being able to turn certain website features on and off for different devices. So for example if you have an image slider feature on your homepage but you’re concerned that this might slow down your site on a mobile (or not be as relevant on the go) you can choose not to show those slider images on the smaller devices. The same goes for banner ads and other features.

If you don’t have a responsive website, you risk losing business to those that do. If people can’t navigate your site or are annoyed when they can’t find the information they’re looking for they will leave your site for your competitor who has a responsive website. If you don’t have a responsive website, you need one, get in touch with us today and we can create one for you.

To view more of the work we have done please visit our portfolio.

E-tailer No-brainers – 5 Essentials For Online Stores – Part 1

Posted on September 24, 2013August 11, 2014 by Melissa Priest

From a shoppers perspective, the internet provides access to as many stores as you wish. Hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of stores. And more opening every day.

If you’re an online retailer, this means your (many) competitors are just a click away. So if your site isn’t user-friendly, or your products aren’t easy to find, it is oh so simple to leave your store and go to the next one. So it’s important your site gets some simple things right – at the very least.

We’ve compiled a list of essentials that online shopping sites MUST get right, if they want to stay competitive in the online retail space.

Before we get started, there’s one over-arching principle that online retailers must keep top of mind whilst considering everything else, putting yourself in a shoppers shoes!

Forget what you know about the product you’re selling. Forget that you’ve seen it, felt it, held it up, smelt it, or whatever people do when observing a product they’re interested in.

Your online customers can’t do that. So you need to fill that gap, and motivate them to send money over the web, to someone they’ve never met, for something they can’t touch or try on.

5 ESSENTIALS FOR ONLINE STORES...

1. PRODUCT IMAGES AND INFORMATION
Online shoppers want to see images and information of a product they’d like to buy. It’s a fact. They can’t hold it, they can’t try it on, so they need photos and info to help them make a decision.

As an online retailer you’ve gone to the trouble and expense of getting a website developed, spent time and money buying products for your store, you’ve more than likely spent money on SEO and/or online advertising, maybe business cards, maybe offline advertising. But for some reason, once all of that is done, you don’t put any time into taking pictures of, or describing your products.

Do you expect that your stock is going to walk out the door with next to no effort put in to actually promoting the products on your site?

As an online shopper, if I’m searching for a product or I see something I like whilst browsing, I want to see images and information before deciding to hand over my hard earned cash. Don’t you?

If it’s a dress, I want to see it from all angles. And preferably on a model so I can see where and how it sits on your body. If it’s a handbag, I want to see all angles and inside please. I want to know if it has handy pockets and compartments inside.

I can’t believe how many online stores don’t provide this information.

If I can’t find the images or information I need to be able to make an informed decision, I will search for them. Meaning, I will leave your site, google the product, and find a site that is providing the information and images I need and make my purchase there.

If I can’t find the images and information elsewhere, and I really ‘need’ that dress, you might just get lucky and win my business, but otherwise I will buy from the shop that showed me the images and information.

If online retailers are unsure of how to promote their products on their online stores, why not look to some of the more successful fashion e-tailers for example, ASOS, Net-a-Porter, or Birdsnest, for some ideas.

ASOS is particularly helpful by providing a video of a model wearing the clothing on a catwalk (screenshots below). For an online shopper, this functionality is invaluable in your decision making process!

We can’t afford video I hear you say! Most likely the camera you are using to (hopefully) take images of your products, not only takes pretty pictures, but also in most cases has video capabilities! And you don’t need a fancy catwalk, why not use the street?

Birdsnest are also very helpful where they show complete ‘styled’ outfits. Let’s face it, many of us struggle when it comes to putting an outfit together, so any help we can get will definitely be appreciated. Not only do Birdsnest visually show you styled outfits, but allow you to click on the outfit and add the whole thing to your bag at one time! User-friendly for the customer and smart for the business, as I imagine this would also help their sales – ka ching!

Some tips when it comes to providing product images and information:

good and consistent lighting and background (this also makes your site look great)
as many images / angles as you can
if the item comes in various colours, show me images of the colours please
close ups of special features, details or the fabric etc
present the images in consistent sizes on your site (this also helps with the visual layout and balance of your store)
tell me as much about the product as you possibly can – measurements, fabric, colour, sizing, special features
I’d love for you to even tell me how and where to wear it (suitable for wedding, event etc)
it would be helpful to know about the brand as well
anything that you can think of that someone who has never seen this product might need to know

ESSENTIALS For Online Stores, to be continued………

Common Sense Isn’t Very Common When It Comes to Web Design

Posted on August 20, 2013August 11, 2014 by Melissa Priest

It seems that when it comes to website design, common sense isn’t very common. I’m not saying ALWAYS, but far too often for my liking!!

Almost every day in my online journey, researching and surfing (do we still call it surfing??) the web, I come across a site that leaves me baffled as to what the owners / designers / anyone involved in creating the site, was thinking, when they decided to a) leave off critical information b) design the site in such a way that I am confused when using it, or c) create something of barely any use to anyone……..

I recently came across a relatively new bar / restaurant’s website that I was thinking of visiting. I was keen to find out as much as I could about their offering when trying to decide on a venue for an upcoming catch up. Was very disappointed to find that this modern, trendy, quite impressive establishment, had a website with no menu! Not happy. Not only did they not offer a food menu, but also no beverage menu (claiming to be a bar?). Maybe their menu changes every day? Maybe not? If that is the case then why not give us a ‘taste’ (pun intended), of what we can expect, such as a sample menu? Or else find a way to update your site or social media profiles with your daily menu?

Another thing not included was a map. Considering how easy it is to include a Google map with your exact location into a website, I find it quite unbelievable that a company relying on you finding their location would not include a map.

When it comes to planning your website, the first thing you should do is put yourself in your user’s (customer, potential customer, visitor, whatever you want to call them) shoes. Have a good long think about what they might need to know about your business and times it by ten.

You need to provide as much information about your products and services as possible. People use the web to gather information and make informed choices. If you aren’t providing that information needed to make a decision, you are at risk of not being considered in those choices.

If you’re a restaurant, nine times out of ten people want to know where you’re located. So this means your address, but also a map, driving directions, parking information. They want to know what type of food you serve (a full and up to date menu preferably). Whether you cater to vegetarians, gluten-free or other dietary requirements. Prices, a wine list. Whether you’re restaurant is child-friendly, do you have high-chairs? What is the accessibility like for disabled or elderly patrons?

Put your thinking cap on and consider your customer. Take into consideration any question you have ever been asked by a customer? Is there repitition to the types of questions you are being asked? If so…sounds like information that needs to be on your website.

Having a website with hardly any information, yet having your staff answering 50 phone calls mostly answering the same questions, is a major waste of time and money.

Get planning and build your site for your customer, afterall they are the ones that are going to be using it!

5 Tips On Building Trust Via Your Website

Posted on July 16, 2013August 11, 2014 by Melissa Priest

Whether you like it or not, each visitor to your website is subconsciously judging your company.

Visiting a new website is just like walking into a shop or an office for the first time. First impressions count, and can be the difference between winning or losing someones business.

If you think about the last time you walked into a place of business and it was messy, the staff were too busy talking to each other or on the phone to pay attention to you, you couldn’t find what you needed, so you became frustrated and left.

A similar thing can be said about a website. If your first visit leaves you confused and irritated, why would you return?

A nice clean and clear website that is consistent and easy to use, can instantly make you feel at ease and help you trust the company.

Whereas a poorly designed, out of date website, with broken images, typos, lots of different fonts and font colours, flashing graphics ……can instantly break your trust.

Here are some useful tips on how to ensure your website is in the best possible position to build a visitors trust.

Identify your company – your website should include your company logo (preferably in the top left hand corner of every page), colours associated with your company, along with information about your company (About Us) page as well as how to contact you (a Contact Us page with information about your location, phone number etc). And please – be contactable. I have dealt with many websites that include a phone number but NEVER answer their phone. Next!
Simple – People don’t want to have to work hard when trying to use your site. A well designed site that is consistent (headers and footers, navigation, logo etc) helps you actually find what you’re looking for, sounds simple doesn’t it!
Personable – In most cases, someone will visit your site to find out more about your company, employees, products or work you have completed. So add a personal touch. Show images of you, your team. Include information about your experience and skills and those of your team. Show information and images of previous projects you have completed.
Informative – A website is an easy way to provide information. Information about your company, products, location, projects you have worked on. This information can be provided via pages of content on your site, or via blog posts, or both. Whilst erring on the side of more information than less, also keep in mind that people don’t like to read big chunks of information online, and they also don’t like sales pitches and lots of marketing speak. So keep information simple, to the point and in manageable chunks.For e-commerce or shopping websites you need to provide as much information as you possibly can about your products (sizing, dimensions, fabrics, quality, colours etc) as well as secure checkout, payment information, return policies, etc.
Social media links – if people can see you on different touch points or platforms, they are more likely to trust you. It makes you more transparent which is a good way to build trust through appearing to be open, honest, personable and contactable. If you have a company facebook page and a potential customer can see that some of their friends have liked your company, they would be more likely to like you as well. If you have a twitter following and share information about your industry, expertise, and converse with others online, this is another plus for your company. The more a potential customer can learn about you and your company the more they will trust you and use your company in the future.

If you have any other tips about building trust online please share them with us.

Category: Websites