Anthem FAQ
We’ve been getting more questions lately about mobile and responsive websites – folks wondering what the options are, and how to choose the best platform for a new website.
First let’s start with some stats.
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87% of the world’s population has gone mobile. There are 6 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide.
1.2 billion of these subscribers are accessing the web. Almost a quarter of Americans access the web from mobile only.
300,000 apps have been developed in the past 3 years.
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There are more shapes and sizes of phones and tablets than ever before. This means your website is being viewed on all kinds of different platforms in addition to the desktop screen. We are now faced with the question – how do we design one website that will be seen on handheld screens a few inches wide all the way up to the beautiful 27″ iMacs and TV screens?
This question has been hotly debated back and forth for quite some time now. Despite the strong opinions, I do not think there is a definitive answer. It depends on the website, the company behind it, the user experience, goals, and budget.
When thinking about a new website, return on investment (ROI) should be a key factor in determining what route to take. Who are your customers? What do they do, and what do they need? Your market analysis should lead the decision making process on choosing the best path. If the majority of your visitors are going to access your site from a phone or tablet, then it’s going to be a worthwhile investment to make sure the site looks great on all platforms. If your visitors are generally going to be accessing your site from their desktop computer in an office, mobile is going to be less important. (For now at least!)
Here are some options:
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Fixed width site with a mobile version.
This is a good option if your mobile visitors are looking for different information on the go than they would be viewing on the desktop at home. Have a look at www.drivebc.ca on your computer, then check out their mobile version on your phone – two different presentations of information tailored to each experience. There’s a nice big map to check out your route and highway cams before you leave from the home computer, then easy access to weather info and cams from the mobile version when you’re on the road.
You can have a dedicated mobile site custom designed, or if the budget is tight / you have a low percentage of mobile users, you could always try a mobile app. WordPress has a number of apps which transform your content into a more digestible format for small screens.
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Responsive website.
Responsive sites are built with percentages instead of fixed widths, and they resize according to screen size. Visit www.mediaqueri.es to view examples. These sites are great if your visitors are accessing the website from a whole variety of devices, because they adapt to whatever screen they appear on. Responsive design is not brand new, but still new enough that there are not a lot of sites built this way yet.
I suspect that in the future more and more websites will be responsive, but due to the higher development + design costs and the fact that responsive may not be appropriate for every website, we’re not going to see a web full of these for a little while to come. If you are able to invest in a responsive site, they can be a very smart and beautiful way to solve the multi screen size dilemma.
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Fixed width only.
The last option is to do nothing differently. Mobile phones are designed to allow users to pinch, zoom and swipe to navigate around the web. For a very small site, this may actually be a good solution, especially if the budget is very tight. If you take a look at ths.nu, his site is beautiful on the desktop, but it also looks great on my iPhone just as it is. One advantage to this route is that for an art site, you can zoom in on the image to get a better look. Zoom is disabled on responsive sites so this could be a good option if you have a very simple 2 column design, and some interesting features to explore with the zoom.
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I do not believe that there’s a one size fits all solution to the new advancements in technology. Design and development should be planned for each new site on an individual basis considering a variety of factors unique to each particular business.
A great user experience should be the primary goal for any new site, and we’re here to help you determine what is best for your your business.
Here are five free ways to begin promoting your new website online. Over time you will discover more and more ways to encourage traffic to your site, but these tips will give you a great starting point.
01 SPREAD THE WORD
Now that you have a new website, it’s time to let the world know about it. Inform your personal and business contacts by sending an email inviting them to your new site. We will send you a graphic to paste into your email if you wish.
02 LIST YOUR BUSINESS
An easy way to get the word out about your new website is to add yourself to every free online listing in your area. Do a Google search for FREE BUSINESS LISTINGS, and add your business to each one. If you need help creating a web sized logo, let us know. Always provide a link back to the site with http://www at the beginning then your site address. Some listings in the Whistler area are: Yellow Pages, Manta, Yelp, Hotfrog, The Blurb, Found Locally, Whistler Online, BC-Links, Whistler Direct and many others which will be specific to your type of business. It’s well worth the time to search out all the free places you can list your company.
03 GOOGLE PLACES
Listing your business on Google Maps will often get you a number one spot in Google searches because the maps appear first on the results page. Even if you don’t have a physical location, you can add your home based business.
Go to http://www.google.ca/places in Canada or http://www.google.com/places in the US to create your listing.
04 UPDATE YOUR SITE CONTENT
Content is key these days for Google rankings. If you have a blog, updating it often will indicate that your site is contributing new and relevant information, thereby improving your ranking. Find ways to incorporate your keywords into posts (without being obvious about it and annoying your readers!). Post interesting content that your readers will enjoy and keep coming back for. The more people who mention you, link back to a post in your blog, or write about you, the more visits your site will get.
05 UTILIZE YOUR OTHER ACCOUNTS
Announce the launch of your site on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, add the URL to your Pinterest account and all other platforms you use. Join conversations on HootSuite. Investigate who might be interested in writing about your new business, website, or blog. If you’re offering a special or new service, other bloggers, writers, press people or publications might want to do a piece about you. Word of mouth marketing is free and people love to share a great deal, great experience or unique find.
Best of luck for the success of your new website from the Anthem team!
Q: Hello, who are you?
A: We are a boutique studio creating beautiful illustration + design, based in Whistler BC Canada.
Q: What type of illustration do you do?
A: We create graphics, drawings and background elements for our design clients. We also create stand alone illustrations for a number of other clients, in an artistic sketchy style. Have a look through the work section to view samples.
Q: What type of websites do you build?
A: Our sites are usually less than 50 pages and include a combination of the following elements: galleries, blogs, contact form pages, searchable databases, e-commerce set-ups, and a variety of image + text combinations spanning a number of pages. We build our sites with a content management system so that you can update your website after we have finished the project. All of our sites are custom designed and one of a kind.
Q: What do you mean by ‘content management system’?
A: A content management system (usually called a CMS) is a dynamic database that gives you control over your content, images, blog and so on. We use WordPress as a base and develop custom themes for each client. WordPress has become so much more than a blogging system; it is now one of the most popular CMS platforms in the world. It is very easy to use, and training is included.
Q: How much does a website cost?
A: That depends on how many pages and elements are required. We quote each project separately. $2500 is a starting point and site prices go up from there. Give us a call for a quote!
Q: What other design work can you do?
A: We design logos, wordmarks, business cards, letterhead, postcards, giftcards, posters, and just about any identity material you can think of. We will be launching a new division of Anthem in the winter called Story. Here you will be able to order custom hand made books, albums, portfolios, and all sorts of invitations, letterpress + screen printed goods, and cards. Sign up for posts (this page, left) to receive news about Story.
Q: The Anthem website looks different from other design sites I have seen. Why is that?
A: A love of exploration, experimentation, and the desire to include handmade elements in the digital world is the aesthetic foundation for our design style. A love of minimal design, plenty of wonderful white space, and attention to detail also drives the look of our website. We are happy to create a drawing or design in this style, but many of our clients come to us with a well developed identity system already, and their own ideas about what will best represent them. The Anthem site shows you how we present ourselves; how we work to present you is a different story. Don’t worry, we won’t put owls and polar bears on your website unless you ask us.
Q: Can I stop in for a chat about my project?
A: Anthem is a private studio due to the many illustration projects that require uninterrupted work time. However you may book a face to face consultation with the creative director to discuss your project in Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish or Vancouver. Clients out of this area may book a phone or email consultation.
Q: I don’t know anything about design, HELP!
A: No problem. That’s why we’re here. We can get you started, answer questions, give advice and develop a fantastic design and/or illustration package. We also provide post-project tech support, website updates if you’re too busy, and all sorts of add-ons.
Q: Anthem sure does sound great. What now?
A: Send an email/give us a call! sayhello@anthemdesignlab.com or 604-966-1104. We look forward to hearing from you!
This is a question that plagues many new { and seasoned } business owners: How do I choose a design studio? In Whistler there are a number design options, plenty in Squamish and Pemberton, and many many more in Vancouver. So… ? Why choose Anthem?
We all have a certain design sensibility, and present our companies in a way that will attract the kinds of clients we most love to work with. Anthem caters to a creative, artistic, and forward thinking clientele. The most common request with us is: clean, functional and just a little different than all the other ______ { insert your business genre here }. At Anthem we’ve taken an artistic stance, and love to be creatively challenged. We place a high value on being original, thoughtful, and interesting. We’ll help you find your voice, or help you present a well developed voice of your own.
At Anthem you’ll be working one on one with the creative director, and she’ll be working directly with Denis, the lead programmer. We care about our projects and clients, and know from experience that direct communication is extremely valuable in the design process.
Art + design drives us both, and art + life defines who we are. We collect the newest design books, stay informed on the newest articles, participate as speakers, and show work as contemporary artists/illustrators/designers because we love it. You will benefit from our commitment to this practice of living what we preach, being what we create for others. Anthem work is published in the most collected industry trusted design books, and we are excited about keeping the momentum going.
For us, design is about innovation, skill, experimentation and a desire to continue evolving. We can provide a high level of creativity mixed with the best standards usability, utility, accessibility, and professionalism.
We have a wonderful group of creative people to call in should the project require a full staff of photographers, programmers, marketing people, SEO specialists, copy writers, letterpress and screen printers. Operating as a creative collective allows us to manage an entire project and offer local talent and expertise in a broad way that you might find at a large agency, with the benefits of a small operation.
So why choose Anthem? We’ll treat you well, deliver a great project, and support your vision of something strong, creative and beautiful.
Handmade meets digital. Traditional meets experimental. Gritty meets beautiful.
Are you a new business? Individual? Need a re-design? Agency?
Not sure what happens next?
If you are a new business, we can help with logo development, identity packages, website, and extra elements – photography, illustration, and so on. We will discuss how to create a full start-up package for your new company. We work with many new businesses and love to help them start off with a great visual presence.
If you are an individual, we can work with you to develop a unique presence, in any profession – singer, writer, artist, athlete, advisor, consultant… We’ll support your vision and work with you to create the most effective design campaign.
If you are re-designing a website, we can advise you on what’s new, what’s changed, what’s possible. We create content management systems with the newest technology to help your business grow. Let us know what you need.
If you are an agency inquiring about illustration, design, and ad campaigns, please give us a call to discuss your project.
604-966-1104
sayhello@anthemdesignlab.com