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IML Company, LLC Web Design
7 Critical Web Design Mistakes You Might Be Making

Designing your website properly can be one of the most crucial steps in getting your business or product off the ground. With the growing popularity of online shopping, more and more people are making their way to websites like yours when they’re ready to buy something, so it’s important that you get it right. Here are 7 common web design mistakes to keep in mind when working on your next website.

1) Not using graphics
Graphics

Graphics on your site are worth 1,000 words. That’s not hyperbole; it’s what studies have shown, time and again. Web design is all about communicating with users through an interface, whether it’s a simple landing page or a complex e-commerce platform—and one of the most effective ways to do that is through graphics that are designed to be clear and concise. The more engaging your website looks, the more likely you are to keep people coming back for more.

2) Too Much Text
web design mistakes

Have you ever clicked onto a website, only to be greeted by a massive cluster of text you would never take the time to read through? When you’re designing a website, less is more. Text should complement and not clutter your page design. Make sure your content is scannable and easy to understand, because users won’t spend a lot of time searching for what they need if it’s not immediately obvious to them what they should be looking for. Always observe best practices for typography when designing a website.

3) Cluttered Designs
web design mistakes

If you want to make a good first impression, you don’t want your website looking cluttered. It should be easy for people to find what they are looking for, and for them to navigate your site without feeling overwhelmed or confused. To keep things streamlined and clear, avoid excessive images or colors. Also keep in mind that too many links on a page may lead to additional clutter and confusion. Always strive to keep your site’s navigation simple and organized!

4) Slow-Loading Pages
web design mistakes

Of all the errors that can pop up while browsing a site, one of our biggest pet peeves is an error message about a slow loading page. A good rule of thumb: If your web designer can’t optimize your website to load in less than three seconds on a dial-up connection, then you need another web designer. Slow load times are more than just frustrating—they might indicate a larger problem with your website’s design.

5) Not Having Enough Call To Actions
web design mistakes

If you want people to actually do something on your website, whether it’s purchasing a product or service, filling out a form, or just reading through your content, don’t skimp on call-to-action buttons. Every page should have at least one—and ideally more than one—visible and easy-to-find CTA button. Just because you think people will naturally click on them doesn’t mean they will. If they don’t see an obvious CTA somewhere immediately, visitors will likely move on to another website.

6) Not Utilizing Backlinks
web design mistakes
Image credit: Backlinko

It is a well-known fact that backlinks improve your site’s page ranking in Google. If you think you have enough backlinks already, try again. It’s been said that quantity is more important than quality—and while there may be some truth to that, you can’t afford to ignore either factor when it comes to web design and search engine optimization. Focus on getting as many high-quality backlinks as possible; this will greatly increase your chances of landing near or at the top of any given keyword term.

7) Lack Of Focus On Keywords Or Key Phrases
keywords
Image credit: Search Engine Journal

In today’s competitive web design market, even a small mistake can cost you dearly. That’s why it’s critical to have a clear understanding of your target audience and which keywords or key phrases will attract them to your site. Disregarding keywords is arguably one of the worst web design mistakes you can make. So, think long and hard about what people will be searching for, and then figure out how you can be relevant in that space. For example, if one of your goals is to rank on Google for Austin digital marketing agency (and there’s no better way to start than by putting those exact words into Google and seeing where you currently rank), then make sure that phrase appears at least once per page on your website.

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web design mistakes
IML Company, LLC
IML Company, a Certified Google Partner

IML Company is proud to be an official Google Partner agency.

What’s a Google Partner?

The Google Partner program is for companies that maintain certifications in Google Ads specialties, meet spend requirements across client accounts, and demonstrate performance by delivering strong client and company growth.

What are the advantages to working with a Google Partner?

Not only are we certified in Google Ads advertising; we also have access to direct Google support, training, and other resources provided by Google to ensure we help you meet and exceed your advertising goals.

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web design mistakes
IML Company, LLC
IML Company Ranked as a Top Louisiana Digital Marketing Agency

IML Company has been recognized as a Top Louisiana Digital Marketing Agency in 2021 by DesignRush.

DesignRush, a B2B marketplace, connects brands with professional agencies offering a variety of specialties. Currently, they list over 10,000 agencies from all around the world and field thousands of requests by decision-makers looking to start projects.

“It’s an honor to be formally recognized for our digital marketing skills by DesignRush. Serving primarily the New Orleans market, we’ve worked hard to develop innovative ways to generate leads for our clients from customers all around the world throughout the pandemic and recent hurricanes,” said Keith Delahoussaye, owner of IML Company.

IML Company has seen great success and growth in service offerings despite recent market conditions due to the COVID pandemic and hurricanes. As technology and business landscapes continue to evolve, we evolve accordingly to continue our passion of serving small to medium businesses in our community.

IML Company: Our business is generating your business quality online leads since 2013.

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opennola
IML Company, LLC
The #OpenNOLA Campaign and Website
How the #OpenNOLA campaign is helping Louisiana residents after Hurricane Ida

In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Ida, many parts of southeastern Louisiana are just barely starting to recover.

Making landfall as a near-Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph, Ida began inching towards the New Orleans area, coming closer than originally predicted. In the end, New Orleans and surrounding areas experienced a complete power blackout as Hurricane Ida destroyed all eight transmission lines feeding power into the city.

As a result of the devastation, some parts of the New Orleans area still have no power two weeks after the storm made landfall. Areas just to the west of New Orleans, such as Destrehan, Norco, and especially LaPlace have even larger areas that are still without power.

Originally created by local news station WWLTV, the #OpenNola hashtag started out in a news article containing a list of businesses that began opening to the public following the storm — many of which are essential, such as grocery stores and gas stations.

Here at IML Company, we decided to help out our neighbors and take the #OpenNOLA campaign to the next level. By creating a brand new, interactive website named after the campaign, we give visitors the option fill out a simple form and submit open businesses to add to our interactive map. Our goal for this website is simple: to give the residents of southeastern Louisiana a quick and easy way to add or view all known open businesses in the area, so that everyone affected by Hurricane Ida knows where to find essentials such as food, water, and gas.

To visit the #OpenNOLA website, go to: https://opennola.info/ and simply click “Add Business” if you have a submission.

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vector-graphics
Web Design
Vector Graphics 101: Why They Are Essential for Good Web Design
Why are vector graphics so important, and what makes them unique?

Before I started learning web design, if someone brought up vectors, chances are I would think about physics, and something about direction and magnitude. Now, I’d think of a vector image or graphic.

You may not realize it, but on an everyday basis, you most likely come across several vector graphics. That company logo you saw on a billboard driving home? Chances are, it’s a vector graphic that was originally designed using a digital platform such as Adobe Illustrator. Think about the last website you scrolled through. If it was designed well, there were graphics and/or icons present. Some, if not all, were probably vector graphics.

So what exactly is a vector graphic?

In simple terms, vector graphics are created using mathematically defined elements known as “vector primitives”. These include points, lines, curves, and shapes. Since they are defined by a mathematical algorithm, these vector primitives are able to maintain a high image quality regardless of the graphic’s size.

Translation: if upscaled to a very large size, or if you zoom in very closely, a vector image will not become blurry or low-resolution.

You’re probably familiar with JPG images, like the ones you take with your camera or phone. Have you ever tried to expand a JPG photo to a much bigger size, only to wind up with a blurry mess? The same has probably happened if you attempted to resize a PNG image. These image types are known as “raster images”. Rather than being based on a mathematical definition, they are based on pixels — the same pixels that your computer screen display is comprised of.

So why do pixel-based images lose resolution if enlarged? Originally, every raster image is created at a certain resolution level, with a set grid containing a certain amount of pixels. The internal code of the raster image tells the computer exactly which color belongs in which pixel. If you try to enlarge the image, you are effectively “enlarging” the pixels themselves, which causes that blurry mess.

With a vector image, you never have to worry about pixels. Since the vector primitives that make up the graphic are based on mathematical algorithms, they can be infinitely enlarged or reduced to any size. You can see the difference between the enlarged raster and vector images below:

vector vs raster

It is important to note that vector graphics can be converted into a raster format, but a raster image can NOT be transferred into a vector image. Because of this, it is always a good idea to start out with the vector format and convert to a raster image if needed.

I’ve mostly said negative things about raster images so far, but they do have their advantages. For one, JPG images are great for background images or landing pages, as long as the original photo is large and high-resolution. Raster images have the ability to display gradients (smooth transitions between different colors), while vectors do not. It is possible to incorporate “raster effects” to a vector if you want the appearance of a smooth color transition, but then your image is no longer a pure vector image.

Raster images also have the tendency to appear more life-like and realistic for the same reason listed above, whereas vector graphics and images appear less realistic. The image below gives us a side-by-side comparison.

Raster vs. Vector images – what's the difference? | Blog ...
Source: www.stickermule.com

In conclusion, both raster images and vector images have their specific uses and advantages. If you want a nice background image or some detailed pictures for your website’s gallery, stick with large, high-quality raster images. If you want to design a new logo or use some scalable icons on your website, it’s best to go with vector graphics.

To learn more about vector graphics and how they compare to traditional raster images, visit this page from vectorconversions.com.

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small-business-website
Web Design
Small Business Website: 7 Reasons to Get One Right Now

The rise of the small business website is a phenomenon that has truly taken off in recent years.

The creation of the Internet brought about massive change and a wealth of new opportunities in the business world. Marketing, advertising, sales and business promotion changed drastically, and continue to change as the internet grows and reaches more and more people worldwide. With this change came the rise of the small business website. According to the Chamber of Commerce, as of 2021, 71% of small businesses now have a website.

If you’re an entrepreneur with a new startup, chances are you won’t be doing all your advertising and business promotion solely through the local newspaper or radio stations — why spend the time and resources when the internet is much more powerful, effective, and essentially limitless in scope? When your business first launches, you may rely initially on word-of-mouth to promote your business. Of course, you will have family and friends within your inner circle who will support you and spread the news. But, just like newspaper and radio, this type of promoting and advertising can only reach so far and is very limited.

With all this considered, you already have an important reason to get a website for your business. But advertising and promoting your business is not the only thing you need to consider in order for your business to succeed. What about building your brand? Establishing a relationship with existing customers and gaining new ones? Knowing your local competition? Having an online presence will make all of the above much easier.

There are plenty of resources out there describing in more detail why a website is essential for your startup, and how it will drastically increase your rate of success. To learn more about the specific benefits of having a website for your small business, check out this article by GoDaddy: 7 reasons you need a small business website.

small-business-website
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