7 Tips on Creating an HTML5 Banner Ad None of Your Prospects Will Miss

 

Tips on creating effective HTML 5 banners

No business can survive without advertising, obviously. Banner ads are among the most effective means of attracting new customers on the Internet. Just open any serious website and you’re bound to see enticing banners for products or services on almost every page. 

Banner advertising pursues several goals:

  • drive more traffic to a website 
  • make a product or service more popular and recognizable 
  • create a positive brand image

Banner ads have another important benefit. If a visitor clicks on an ad and lands on the advertiser’s website, it means that they’re truly interested in the offer. Thus, their status is close to that of a prospective customer.

To judge how effective banner advertising is, the Click-Through Rate (CTR) indicator has been introduced. It measures how many people have clicked on a banner per one thousand times it has been viewed. For instance, 20 clicks/1,000 views = CTR of 2 percent.

How can you achieve a higher CTR? By choosing the right type of banner for your specific case and applying certain time-tested techniques. We’ve collected 7 best tips to help you boost the CTR for your banner ads. Follow these guidelines and you should soon notice a steady increase in your website traffic.

  1. Choose the Right Technology

It’s simple: HTML5 is the King of Kings when it comes to building banner ads. HTML5 has outperformed the previous leader in this field ― Flash ― by the widest of margins:

HTML 5 benefits

The latest version of the markup language is particularly valuable for building responsive websites that perfectly render on mobile devices. Result: a much wider audience coverage. 

In addition, you can edit your HTML5 banner ad as if it were an ordinary web page. Changing the text, videos, or images inside your banner is a breeze (if you know how). Flash-based banners are much harder to modify. 

  1. Pick the Optimal Banner Size 

Mark Twain famously said, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” When talking about banner ads, though, “the size of the dog” matters no less than its fighting spirit. 

Visit the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) website. There, you can find the main requirements for banner sizes that various advertising networks have put in place. The list contains 15 different formats. Which is yours? 

Your ad design and business goals determine the answer. Vertical or horizontal―it’s all case-specific. Still, AdSense has found these five formats to be undisputed leaders in terms of performance:

The leading banner sizes

Play around with them before you look to the underdogs. You may also be interested to know that wider banners have shown better click-through rates than narrow ones. Why? 

As is often the case, it all boils down to UX. Most people feel more comfortable reading longer lines from left to right. A thin banner, by contrast, mostly contains one or two-word lines. That makes the reader’s eyes jump from line to line far too often.

  1. Put Your Brand Above All 

When you start designing a banner ad, the first thing to keep in mind is your brand. People should know what company is advertising the goods or services. Otherwise, they may not even consider pointing the mouse cursor at your banner.

You can establish a connection between your company and the ad in two main ways: 

  • By displaying your logo or brand name within the banner. The most typical location for a brand logo is the uppermost or lowermost portion of an ad. However, you can be more creative in this respect. No logo available? Place your brand name somewhere on the ad at least. Whichever option you select, website visitors will be aware of your business even if they don’t click on the banner in the end.

Put your brand above all

  • By following the pattern common for all your marketing materials. That includes fonts, colors, and visuals. Giving the call-to-action button the same color or style as that of the landing page, for example, will create a permanent link between the banner and your brand in your prospects’ minds. 

  1. Keep Your Text Short

Scroll up to the list of the most popular banner ad sizes. None of them is too big, right? It means that you have to be very resourceful if you want to get your message across within such a limited space. Pin down the most essential details about your offering. A few lines too many and your beautifully designed banner will send any potential customers running away. 

Ask someone to read your ad. If they can’t fully understand the message after two seconds, cut your text down. Make sure you keep your ad to 10 words in length or less.

Keep the text of your banner short

  1. Create a Hierarchy for Your Information

You should structure all your messages on the more important-less important principle. The larger or bolded words will let the viewers understand that they’re central to the ad. Smaller, unbolded letters will indicate that it’s something extra, secondary to the key message.

Create a hierarchy for your infromation

Also, make sure you use mobile-friendly fonts and colors: 

  • The black-white combination works perfectly well in the majority of cases. 
  • Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, Avant Garde, Franklin Gothic, or other sans-serif fonts make your ads easier to read than serif fonts. 
  • Avoid extremes: a text that’s too big or too small (10 points or less). Strive for the golden mean. 

  1. Draw a Border Around Your Ad

In certain cases, it’s hard to tell where the main website content ends and a banner begins. 

If the website visitors can’t find your banner at once, they’re less likely to click on it, you bet. A fix? 

  • Give your ad a border 
  • Pick a background for your ad that differs from the rest of the page. 

That will make your ad stand out from the other content. Any visitor will immediately notice it. The better people see your ad, the more likely they’re to click on it.

Make you HTML 5 banner ad different from the surrounding content

  1. Entice Them 

Finally, remember that you should give your prospective or current customers something that will really draw them in. When they see the words “free trial,” they’re more likely to click on your banner. You can also write something like “Only in May” or “Just Now!” That will create a sense of urgency. 

Another way to get people to click on your banner is to come up with a good call-to-action (CTA). Experiment with different CTAs by running A/B tests. Choose a CTA that’s more specific than the ubiquitous “Click here.” Consider what it is you’re offering and try to use a “buzz” phrase. For example, you may write, “Buy the full solution for just…” or “Get certified in 2 weeks.”

Entice_Your_Users

Conclusion 

Creating an effective banner ad is a science and an art. Try following the tips we’ve given above, and your next banner should bring you more new customers.  

If you need someone to take care of the technical aspect of your banner creation, the Site Slinger professionals are here to help. We can build several types of HTML5 banners: static, simple animated, complex animated, and interactive. Just give us your design and get back a perfect HTML5 banner tested on a variety of real devices and in the most popular web browsers.

We can also design your banner from scratch. Just provide us with the details of your offering and give us your ideas of how the banner should look like. You’ll be pleased with the outcome, we promise!

6 Reasons for Choosing Shopify to Build a Successful Dropshipping Business

 

Shopify is the best platform for dropshipping

The share of e-commerce in total U.S. retail sales in the first quarter of 2019 has reached 10.5%. That’s a 6.3% increase compared to the first quarter of 2010. The total amount of money that U.S. consumers are expected to spend online should reach over 740 billion dollars in 2023. 

It means that e-commerce is likely to replace traditional retail operations almost entirely in the not so distant future. These days, an increasing number of businesses and individual entrepreneurs conduct transactions via online storefronts using the dropshipping retail fulfillment method and various e-commerce platforms. 

What is dropshipping, why is it so popular, and why is Shopify the best e-commerce solution for building dropshipping online stores? Find the answers below.

Dropshipping — Business for the Masses 

What Is Dropshipping? 

Consider the traditional business model of selling physical products. A retailer buys goods from a manufacturer, stores them in a warehouse, and then sells them to customers through brick-and-mortar retail outlets. 

The dropshipping model works differently. Instead of storing goods in a warehouse, a dropshipping company purchases the items a customer wants from a third-party supplier and has them delivered to the customer’s location through the same supplier or a delivery company. 

As such, a dropshipping business only accepts orders via its online storefront and arranges the shipment of goods to customers’ addresses. The warehousing stage is missing. Here’s what the workflow looks like in a nutshell:

Dropshipping workflow

Dropshipping is not a new concept. Many big, well-established companies have been using it for a long time. Amazon is probably one of the most notable examples. 

How much can dropshippers make? It depends on the niche. If you’re selling items of mass consumption such as T-shirts or shoes, don’t expect large profits because of fierce competition. On the other hand, when offering expensive merchandise like jewelry or brand watches, dropshippers’ profit margin can reach as much as 100%. 

Benefits of Dropshipping 

The popularity of dropshipping is growing by the hour, and for a good reason. Here’s why we can call it a retail fulfillment method for the masses. 

Almost No Upfront Expenses 

Dropshipping means no need to purchase goods. Therefore, a business owner only has to cover the hosting expenses for the online store and pay for additional web development services like themes, apps, and so on. 

Immediate Start 

This is a very straightforward business. Dropshippers don’t have to go through the routine of conventional retailers: running a warehouse, preparing goods for shipment, ensuring that the stock is full, and performing other “old school” retailer’s tasks. 

All they need to do is strike a deal with a reliable shipper, pick an affordable and efficient e-commerce platform, fill the website with the information about items for sale, and begin accepting orders. This may take just a few weeks. 

No Fixed Business Location 

With dropshipping, you’re not limited in space. You can easily combine traveling with business. In essence, there are only two things you need: 

  • A laptop 
  • Internet access

A Wide Assortment of Goods

Dropshippers can offer any products to their customers as long as they can find appropriate suppliers for them. A dropshipping business may focus on one particular niche, such as sportswear or on a variety of different products. Sell children’s toys along with books, building materials, and electronics. Why not? 

Make Your Business Bigger Whenever You Need 

Every business wants to grow, naturally. Traditional retailers often struggle with expanding their operations. More manpower, more money to invest, and more space in the available warehouses or new warehouses to rent. 

Dropshipping makes this all unnecessary. New orders are simply forwarded to a supplier for processing. A dropshipper may only have to spend more time on customer service. The supplier takes care of the nitty-gritty of order-handling. 

One of the most important aspects of the dropshipping business is choosing the right e-commerce system. According to Statista, the largest market share among e-commerce software platforms in the United States in 2019 belongs to Shopify. Here are 6 arguments why you should choose this platform for your dropshipping store. 

Shopify, the Best E-Commerce Platform for Dropshipping

 

Shopify market share

Statista: Projected market share of e-commerce software platforms in the United States in 2019

Reason #1: No Advanced Technical Skills Required. Good for Beginners 

Shopify is a SaaS (Sofware as a Service) solution. It’s hosted in the cloud and maintained by the Shopify development team. There’s no need to watch out for updates. Just focus on the store itself and let the vendor take care of all the technical aspects. You only need to pay a monthly fee. 

Shopify is especially good for small companies and individual entrepreneurs who want to start their online stores quickly without having to slog through the details of the CMS. The dashboard is easy-to-use and intuitive. When adding a new item, you can specify all of its attributes (price, quantity, and so on) in one central location. Very convenient. 

Reasons # 2: A Multitude of Apps to Complement a Store’s Functionality

 

Shopify apps for dropshipping

The Shopify App Store contains over 3,381 items at the moment of writing this post. These applications help online store owners get closer to their customers via a live chat, keep their bookkeeping records neat, automate marketing campaigns, and address other important issues. 

Among those 3,300+, you can find around 150 specialized dropshipping apps, both free and commercial. For example, Oberlo facilitates finding products to sell on Shopify. All these apps are valuable time-saving tools for dropshippers. 

Reasons # 3: Dozens of Payment Gateways to Choose from 

Shopify is the champion when it comes to payment options. Over 100 gateways! The closest competitors are still way behind Shopify in this respect.

Customers can choose among many third-party providers, such as Amazon Pay or Skrill, according to their geographic regions. Here is a list for the United States. Fees for using these services apply. 

You can also use Shopify’s own gateway called Shopify Payments. You don’t have to pay fees for using Shopify Payments. Just conduct a transaction with your card (credit or debit). 

What’s more, you can sell your goods in different currencies through Shopify Payments. The system will identify the customer’s country and convert the price to that country’s currency in accordance with the current exchange rate. The only downside is that Shopify Payments is available in a limited number of countries. 

Reason # 4: Easy Shipping Options Adjustment 

Setting different shipping rates based on the weight and value of goods, customers’ locations, or delivery time is crucial for any dropshipping business. Shopify excels at this too. 

Besides, Shopify has partnered with the world’s leading shipping companies like DHL and UPS. So, if you decide to purchase goods from a manufacturer and choose your own courier service, Shopify is there for you as well. 

Reason # 5: Excellent SEO Capabilities 

What’s the use of building a store if no one can find it on the Internet? Shopify does a great job of improving search engine visibility. It has a plethora of useful SEO functions, like customizable titles, meta-tags, keywords, alt text, and many more. 

In addition, the e-commerce platform provides Integration with the largest media channels like Facebook. With all these SEO bells and whistles, your chances that Google will fall in love with your dropshipping store become much higher. 

Reason # 6: Care for Mobile Users

Shopify cares for mobile users

When an online store owner ignores mobile users, the business is bound to fail. An ever-increasing number of customers today prefer shopping from their handheld devices. 

The Shopify team is well aware of this trend. It has ensured that all websites based on their platform look great regardless of screen resolution. Besides, mobile commerce features allow both consumers and business owners to work with their Shopify-powered online stores on mobile devices in the same way they work with the web version. 

Bottom Line

Dropshipping is an easy-to-set-up and profitable business that requires a minimum amount of upfront investments. It attracts entrepreneurs with its flexibility of selecting products for sale and without having to be tied to one specific location. 

Most dropshippers prefer Shopify as the e-commerce platform behind their online stores. It’s simple in operation, requires no technical expertise, is easy to scale, and provides many useful functions, such as adjusting shipment options and accepting payments through numerous gateways. 

While Shopify is a great solution that anyone can get up and running fast, making it really beautifully designed, SEO-friendly, and secure is a job for professionals. The Site Slinger’s Shopify development team is always at your service, whatever idea you have for your online store. We perform PSD to Shopify conversion and can customize your Shopify themes to look great on any device.

5 Hottest Web Development Trends in 2019

The hottest web development trends in 2019

We’re well into 2019 now, and the web development world is in many ways different from the 2018 edition. While all of the front-end technologies and practices that piqued people’s excitement in the last twelve months or so are still here, new trends are gradually cropping up. 

The key principle that all web developers, including the Site Slinger experts, strive to follow, though, remains unchanged. It’s the need to engage users and personalize their digital experience. We’ve prepared a rundown of the most notable web development trends in 2019 that focus on these goals exactly.

Progressive Web Apps Versus Responsive Websites: Meet the Winner

Progressive Web Apps

First, there were static websites with just HTML and not much else. Then came CSS, Javascript, and other technologies that made websites more dynamic and responsive. These days, however, responsiveness has transformed into a much broader notion.

Just a responsive website is no longer enough to meet the users’ growing demands in 2019. On certain devices, it may not look as attractive as you might expect. That limitation gave rise to an alternative solution: Progressive Web Apps (PWA).

A PWA is a website that perfectly adapts to the specifics of the device where it gets displayed: screen resolution and size, browser, and hardware features. As a result, it’s almost impossible to notice any differences between a PWA and a native app.

Here are the key benefits that PWAs give web developers and users: 

  • Since they can access the device’s hardware, you can use PWAs offline. 
  • They’re fast, even on outdated or poor-quality devices with a weak signal. 
  • They’re a step up in security compared with responsive websites 
  • They are cost-effective and less time-consuming to create. 

Your main takeaway? Lower bounce and higher conversion rates. 

“How may I help  you?” — AI and Chatbots

Artificial Intelligence

According to a recent report from Gartner, 37% of organizations have implemented Artificial Intelligence in various forms, and this trend is going to continue in the foreseeable future.

Almost every business website uses a live chat as a permanent point of connection with consumers. Now, this feature has become more sophisticated. No more need to hire a human support agent waiting for a customer to text a question at 3 a.m. 

Just get a chatbot made and keep it running day and night. Thanks to the breakthrough in Natural Language Processing, chatbots no longer resemble mechanically speaking toys. They’re now able to answer typical questions from the Q&A page in a much more meaningful way and even solve simple issues that users may encounter. 

So, expect chatbot development to remain in high demand in 2019 and years to come.

Push Notifications: Everywhere, Anywhere 

Email newsletters are still a popular way to inform consumers of new services or update them on company news. However, they are slowly but steadily being replaced by push notifications. 

In the past, these unobtrusive messages used to be limited to mobile devices. In 2019, an increasing number of website owners regard push notifications as a more valuable tool to stay in touch with their users. 

Which is better: the inbox drowned in hundreds of newsletters or a tiny notification icon on the toolbar? We would choose the latter. You can add the push notification feature to a website by subscribing to a service like PushWoosh. WordPress website owners can also take advantage of various dedicated plugins like PushEngage. 

The Site Slinger has implemented thousands of WordPress projects over the years. We are providers of all the services related to this most popular CMS in the world, including theming, customizing existing or building custom plugins from scratch.

No More Coding! Use Blocks

Blocks

New versions of content management systems provide more powerful features to their users than ever before. Know nothing about CSS rules or HTML tags? It’s OK. You can still put together a sleek web page just like a professional web designer does (well, almost). 

Simply take ready-made blocks or modules and mix them together. The website module building is only expected to grow in popularity in 2019 and beyond. That’s particularly true for WordPress users, who can use Gutenberg to “make adding rich content to WordPress simple and enjoyable.” 

Smooth Website Navigation: Motion UI

Websites with visually appealing and simple navigation elements are likely to hold users’ attention for a longer span. When they know where to go and find surfing a website enjoyable, they will keep returning to it. 

Creating smooth and straightforward navigation by using CSS animations/transitions is a trend that shows no signs of stopping in 2019. Motion UI is one of the best web development libraries for that purpose, flexible and customizable.

The Site Slinger web developers are skilled in creating dynamic and modern-looking interfaces by using a range of cutting-edge tools and libraries. 

Concluding Thoughts 

There’s no doubt: the web development industry is going to keep on flourishing. Websites and web apps are going to be faster, more secure, interactive, and AI-wise. Whatever modern technologies you select for your website, the top-of-the-line developers from The Site Slinger are always at your service.

7 Tips on Making Your WordPress Site Hack-Proof Without Changing a Line of Code

 

Task1_-600x338

According to the latest statistical data, the number of WordPress-based websites in the United States is over 9.6 million. WordPress is the most popular open-source platform in the world, boasting a share of over 50%. It powers numerous types of websites, starting from blogs and job boards and ending with business directories and Q&A websites. 

Such tremendous popularity, though, comes at a cost. Cybercriminals of all kinds try to break into WordPress-powered websites and, unfortunately, succeed far too often. The WPScan Vulnerability Database currently lists over 16,700 WordPress core, plugin, and theme vulnerabilities—enough for any hacker to feel hopeful. 

The WordPress Security Team 

That said, the WordPress Security Team is very strong. It includes 50 top professionals who constantly monitor the WordPress security shield and eliminate any weak spots in it. Watch this video to learn more about the Security Team’s working process. 

Over the years, WordPress has become more stable and secure. However, making the system’s core less vulnerable to attacks is only part of the solution. The Security Team’s duties don’t include checking the themes or plugins available at wordpress.org. Anyone who’s willing and has enough time can review those. As a result, security breaches through plugins and themes are quite frequent. 

The Most Common Threats to a WP Site from Hackers

WP_HackProof_т.з._для_дизайнераTask2_-600x350

 

  1. Installing malicious software. Cybercriminals implant their code into a WordPress site’s files and use it to collect confidential data secretly. 
  2. Cross-site scripting. A hacker tricks a WordPress site user into loading pages with JavaScript code. The code steals private data from the site user’s browser and sends it to the hacker over the Internet. 
  3. Injecting SQL code. Once a criminal breaks into a WP site’s database, they can inject SQL code for creating a new user. Then, they can log in at any time and use the site’s files in any way they want without the owner suspecting anything. 
  4. Including PHP files. PHP is the programming language that allows WordPress to do all the great stuff it does. A hacker can find a way to upload their PHP scripts into a WP site’s directories and use those for their criminal purposes. This is the most common method of taking control of the crucial WP file wp-config.php 
  5. Brute force attacks. These mean bombarding the login screen with millions of nickname/password combinations in order to stumble upon the right credentials. What’s sad — this savage approach often yields positive results for the hacker. 

While cybercriminals’ tricks may seem too clever for a layman to counteract, you can prevent many of them by applying 8 simple techniques we’ve described below. No knowledge of coding is required. 

Essential Tips on Protecting a WordPress Site from Intrusion

1. Avoid Using a Weak Password

WP_HackProof_т.з._для_дизайнераTask3_-600x350

Let’s start with the essential measures to avoid brute force attacks. We can’t stress enough the importance of a good, hard-to-guess password. A password that only includes 6 random digits or characters is the surest way to losing your valuable data sooner rather than later. With powerful modern technologies, any hacker will be able to crack a password like that in no time. 

A strong password means a well-mixed combination of digits, letters in lower and upper case, and special characters. View Google’s recommendations, for example. 

Make your password unique and as unrelated to your life as possible. Avoid including your apartment number, spouse’s name, child’s birthday, or any similar information. Many people prefer coining a lengthy phrase instead of an arbitrary array of characters or numbers to make a hacker’s task more difficult. 

Does coming up with a strong password seem an excessively challenging task? Then, use one of the numerous password generators like this one. Find it hard to remember passwords? Then, take advantage of this free tool to store them securely. 

Finally, a password is not something carved in stone. Depending on how sensitive your data is, consider changing your password weekly or monthly. 

2. Bring the Number of Login Attempts to a Minimum 

Another way to protect your site against brute force attacks is to allow users to make just a few login attempts in a row. By default, WordPress doesn’t restrict users in the number of times they may try to sign in. Hackers adore this feature, as they can enter a multitude of username/password pairs into the login form in the hope of breaking inside.

Leaving one login attempt is not enough. Sometimes users forget to press the Shift key when necessary or enter a hyphen instead of an underscore. So give your users a chance to try to log in three-four times. If they fail, block them for a certain period.

How can you achieve that? Install the Limit Login Attempts Reloaded plugin. Then, go to Settings, select the plugin, and change the values in the fields under the Lockout category. You can increase the lockout time if more unsuccessful attempts are made after the first time a possible hacker has been blocked.

3. Select a Hosting Provider with a Strong Security Mechanism

When it comes to hosting, any business faces a big dilemma: pay less but get fewer features and weaker security, or pay more and get more features and stronger protection. If your budget allows it, we highly recommend spending more money on hosting that offers several security layers. 

Otherwise, you’re running a risk of losing your data or letting crooks redirect your traffic to other sites. High-quality hosting companies perform daily scans for malware and monitor any attempts to gain unauthorized access to the hosted sites. 

4. Implement an SSL Certificate 

Transmitting data from a server to a browser over the Internet without an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificate is like leaving your personal diary in a public place for everyone to read. An SSL certificate, on the other hand, allows you to encrypt all your data, making it impossible for cybercriminals to decipher. 
There are two ways you can get an SSL certificate:

  1. Purchase it from a provider. 
  2. Use the free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate offered by your hosting company. 

The paid option is preferable if you have enough financial resources. To get a better insight into the difference between a paid and free SSL certificates, read this post. 

Installing an SSL certificate not only makes your WP site more secure but also improves its search engine visibility. Google considers ‘https://’ at the beginning of a URL an important factor and ranks the site higher. 

5. Make Regular Backups of Your Site 

Hackers are very inventive. Whatever measures you take to protect your WordPress site, there’s always a potential crack in the armor through which a criminal can get inside. So, it’s advisable to have a working copy of the website safely stored in a place where no one can get hold of it, like an external hard drive.  

How often do you need to make backups? It depends on the scale of your business activities. For small and medium-sized companies, a monthly backup is probably sufficient. The sensitivity of information is also important in this respect. 

There are some excellent backup plugins that make copying a site’s files easy and fast. One of them is BackWPup. It’s simple in operation and comes with a series of training videos to get you up to speed. You can plan and schedule backup jobs and push backup archives to an external storage service if you don’t want to store them on the same server. 

6. Keep Everything Up to Date 

Have a look at the long list of WordPress versions that have been released since 2003. Every new version added something to the core functionality of the CMS including security patches. 

That’s the reason why updating the WordPress core as well as its plugins and themes is so important. It helps you avoid dangerous security breaches. In the same video about the WordPress Security team, Aaron Campbell says that the Team postpones the announcements about new security improvements closer to release dates so that hackers couldn’t use that information to their advantage. 

While WordPress automatically performs minor updates, dealing with major ones is the user’s responsibility. So, keep track of the WordPress versions and update plugins and themes. To do this, go to the Plugins page and click the Update Now link next to a specific plugin if this link is available. 

7. Monitor Your Website for Malware with a Security Plugin 

Finally, installing a security plugin to monitor your website for any malicious software installation is a must. A person who’s not versed in coding may not even understand that a hacker has infected their WordPress site with bad code. A plugin, on the other hand, is capable of analyzing the files and detecting any code injected by hackers. 

In our opinion, one of the best plugins for this purpose is iThemes Security. It has been installed on more than 900,000 sites and performs a wide range of functions. It blocks bad users, monitors the site and reports suspicious changes to the file system and database, hides common security vulnerabilities (e.g., changes the URLs for WordPress dashboard areas, including login and admin), regularly updates the WP database,  and does other useful things. 

Conclusion 

The security of a WordPress website is not something to be taken lightly. Cybercriminals are always searching for new loopholes and trying to exploit them. The techniques we’ve listed above are essential for the health and safety of your site.

To make your WP site even more secure, tweaking its code is necessary. That job should be left to professionals. The Site Slinger’s highly skilled and experienced WP developers can help you with many WP-related tasks such as PSD to WordPress conversion. Tell us what you need and we’ll get it done.

Do Home Icons Matter on a Site?

Do home icons matter on a site

Just how important is the home icon on your site? Does it even matter anymore, or is the symbol somewhat outdated and defunct? One of the most important aspects of an icon is the meaning behind that icon. Will people readily recognize what the icon means when they see it? Even the most beautifully designed home icon is of little use if the user doesn’t know what it does at a glance.

Although the meaning of various icons can be obscure, there are a few universal icons, such as the ones for home, print and search. The purpose of the home icon is to mark a clear path back to the home page of a website. This icon is something the user can click on from anywhere to start fresh from page one.

The fact that the home icon is such a universal symbol makes it vitally important to include in your website. If you want your site navigation to be simple and easy to understand, then you need to figure out how and if you should include a home icon on your website.

There are actually a number of different options you can use to signify a home button on the website. Which one you choose will depend upon the overall style of your website, how modern it is and even if it is a mobile friendly design.

Home Icon Style # 1: Home-Shaped Icon

An outline of a house has been a symbol for “Home” for many years. It can come in many different colors, patterns and outline styles.

It would be quite rare for someone not to know what this icon means, so the key when utilizing this type of home icon is to make sure it integrates with the overall design of your site. You can accomplish this by changing the color, size or outline style. For example, a site focused on products for kids might use an outline that looks like it was drawn with a crayon. On the other hand, a luxury spa might use a much more streamlined outline with straight lines.

Google+ uses a home-shaped icon to indicate the home button for Google Plus.

google+

Home Icon Style # 2: Hamburger Icon

The hamburger icon can indicate navigation. When clicked on, a bigger menu drops down. Typically, the hamburger icon will be located in the upper right of the page, and the home link will be the top link within that navigation.

The hamburger menu is quite simply three lines that essentially represent a bottom bun, hamburger patty and top bun. With the increase in the number of Internet users accessing websites via their mobile devices, this has become an easily recognizable icon that doesn’t take a lot of space but indicates you can access navigation (including home, of course).

Some menu icons use text as well as the icon to indicate the navigation. For example, it might have the hamburger icon and state “Menu.” This makes it impeccably clear to the site visitor what the icon is used for.

However, anyone who has used a mobile device will likely recognize the hamburger menu easily and realize that by clicking on it, they can navigate home or elsewhere on the site. One in every 10 people in the United States who browse the Internet use only a mobile device, so this icon is likely to become more and more popular.

One good example of a hamburger icon done well is Animal Planet’s. Note how the icon is in the upper left and is easily recognizable. The second screenshot shows that when you click on the hamburger icon, you get a drop down menu, and the home link is the first one listed. The overall look matches the style and color of the entire website, too.

animal-planet2

Home Icon Style # 3: Text Only Icon

Sometimes the best icon is no icon at all. Text within the navigation that simply states “Home” can get the message across. Another advantage of using text to indicate where the home link is located is that the page will load much faster than if the user has to wait for images to buffer.

One example of this use of style in a design can be seen at CJ Pony Parts. Note how the “Home” text is in the upper left of the page. In addition, it’s in red, so it’s easily spotted. This is a simple, but effective, design.

CJ_PonyParts

Home Icon Style # 4: Home-Shaped Icon with Text

You can overcome the uncertainty of what an icon is for by labeling it. You’ll notice this technique on a lot of websites. It simply makes it extremely clear what that icon is for. So, for example, you might add the outline of a house and place the words “Home” just under the icon.

In fact, it makes the website much more usable to add text to icons. While many websites add text under or next to a home-shaped icon, you could also go a bit further and put the text on the icon itself.

One example of this type of design can be found on the website Vivi LeDish. Note how the home icon also has the text “Home” on the roof of the icon.

ViviLeDish

Home Icon Style # 5: Unique Home Icons

Another idea is to use an icon that ties directly into your branding and overall design. This might not necessarily be in the shape of a house or have text. However, if you place the icon in the right location (upper right or left), your site visitors should be able to at least guess that this is your home button.

Some sites also use their logo as a sort of home button. One example of this would be Amazon.com. They use their Amazon logo as an anchor. Click on the logo, and you are taken to the home page.

An interesting example of a unique home button can be found on Carbonmade. The site uses a little chess piece emblem to serve as the home page icon. In this instance, they place the text “Home” directly under the icon. This makes it abundantly clear to the reader where to click to go to the home page.

CarbonMade

One rule of thumb is that users should be able to figure out in five seconds or less what an icon means. Do some A/B split testing, and if your site visitors are struggling to interpret icons, you may need to tweak them to better suit your target demographic’s needs.

AUTHOR’S BIO: Lexie Lu, the author of this article, is a designer and writer. She constantly researches trends in the web and graphic design industry. Lexie writes weekly on Design Roast and can be followed on Twitter @lexieludesigner.

Most Overused Web Design Trends to Ditch in 2016

Not sure which web design trends you should send to the scrap-heap this year? We’ve compiled a handy list to help you. Avoid these at all costs…

trends to avoid

In the world of web design, it doesn’t take long for certain trends to get old. One minute, it’s the latest thing, gracing websites across the world. The next… it just looks dated and a little bit tedious. And, as we all know – there’s nothing worse than having a tired-looking design on your latest project.

Not sure which web design trends you should send to the scrap-heap this year? We’ve compiled a handy list to help you. Avoid these at all costs…

1. Don’t fall flat… get Flat 2.0

pagelanes

It’s definitely time to ditch flat design. Heck, even the word sounds uninspiring, doesn’t it? Instead, make the most of skeuomorphism and welcome ‘almost flat’ or Flat 2.0 into your life. It adds energy to your designs, not to mention a certain sense of vintage appeal – which in this day and age, never did any designer any harm. Want to find out more about why standard flat design is so last year? Read this.

2. Hero carousels – or villains in disguise?

spalab

We are very much over carousels. They’re bad for SEO, because the lack of content makes it difficult to pump meta data onto the page. They shove content way down below the fold. They’re bad for performance. In terms of ease of navigation, they stink.

In addition to this, they’re just plain inaccessible at times – which is a sure-fire way to irritate the user. We said the same thing about giant full-page splash screens, thinking the situation couldn’t get any worse – then some bright person decided to animate them. Groan. Let’s leave carousels firmly in 2015, people.

3. Skip sound – embrace the awesomeness of silence?

clickwise

If one thing is guaranteed to make a site visitor scream with frustration, it’s music. It really doesn’t matter if it’s the most awesome song in the world. It’s irrelevant if it was number one in the charts for weeks. When it’s played on loop on a website, it becomes highly annoying, like a wasp at a picnic, buzzing away in the background. We presume that’s not the effect you wanted to create, right?

In addition to driving your audience mad, it’s also a curse for users on networks with a capped data plan – something they won’t thank you for. W3C say that automatic music is bad – which, let’s face it, is all you need to know. Find out more here.

You might be able to get away with the occasional animated or video background – but again, tread carefully and always think about user experience.

4. Long forms for short attention spans. No – just no

Petra Jaumann-Bader

It’s astonishing how many big businesses still make the mistake of including lengthy forms on their site – in a bid to squeeze as much information out of the user as possible. However, this often has the reverse effect, causing people to abandon the forms halfway through.

If you’re using forms, keep them short, sharp and as intelligent as possible. Resist asking for information you don’t really need. Make your form as intuitive as possible – there’s nothing more frustrating for the user than having to fill out the form again because something’s gone wrong. If you’re looking for great form creation tips – check out this site.

5. Kill the pop-up

nicolespose

We don’t really need to slam this one home, do we? Pop-ups began to get annoying several years ago, yet it’s alarming how frequently they still ‘pop up’ in designs. Occasionally, use of pop-ups is unavoidable – for example if you’re promoting a product. However, if you must use them, please offer something good in return for your target audience – or risk their wrath.

The Next Web have some excellent tips on how to do pop-ups the right way. Read it and learn, guys.

6. Avoid background overload

artsngoods

We, designers, sometimes get a little obsessed with making our sites look pretty. However, when you choose style over substance, you risk affecting user experience – and not in a good way. If information on the page is difficult to locate, then your site isn’t doing its job properly, no matter how beautiful it might look.

In addition to irritating users, the lack of information could also do damage in terms of SEO, with limited meta data and an inevitably high bounce rate. Incorporate stunning backgrounds by all means, but remember what the site’s primary function is.

Have fun designing in 2016!

Happy Holidays from The Site Slinger!

The team at The Site Slinger would like to thank you for all your support in 2015! Have a rocking winter holiday and a prosperous New Year!!

Happy-Holidays

Hey guys! The team at The Site Slinger would like to thank you for all your support in 2015! We’ve achieved many goals this year and we plan on making 2016 even more awesome for everyone: our great team, our amazing clients, and our lovely friends!

From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to wish all of you a fantastic 2016, and we certainly hope to continue working together for many more years to come.

As always, if you need swift, professional coding, you can leave it to us. Enjoy your last-minute holiday shopping and precious time spent with your families and friends. We’ll be working through the holiday season. Our office will be closed only for the New Year’s Day celebration on December 31 and January 1, and we’ll be back in full swing on Monday, January 4.

Our Special Gift for You

To add to the excitement of this magical time of year, we’re happy to offer a sweet $75 discount on ALL coding projects. Simply mention the following promo code in your project notes:

TSSNYPARTY

However, you’ll need to hurry! This offer ends on January 3.

Have a rocking winter holiday and a prosperous New Year!!

Sincerely,
The Site Slinger team

Unleash the Power of Email – Team with The Site Slinger

Now, when you place your next PSD to Email order with us, you can get three months of unlimited MailChimp services free, no matter what your current plan is!

Do you need another reason to team up with the best people in the industry? Well, here you go! The Site Slinger is a MailChimp-approved Expert, and we are pleased as punch to announce it! What does this mean for you? Three months of complete email marketing freedom! If you use MailChimp, this is the deal you’ve been looking for. If you’re new to MailChimp, then this is a great time to get started.

mailchimp_experts

With The Site Slinger you get:

  • Email that looks great. We pay attention to the smallest details, down to the very last pixel.
  • Email that works great. No matter the screen size or email client, our templates load quickly and smoothly.
  • Email that sends great. Our markup can be easily integrated with all major email tools like MailChimp, ConstantContact, iContact, or Campaign Monitor.

Just Another Reason to Love The Site Slinger

Now, when you place your next PSD to Email order with us, you can get three months of unlimited MailChimp services free, no matter what your current plan is!

It’s easy as one, two, three:

  • submit your email project here
  • provide MailChimp the proof that you choose to work with experts: we just need your MailChimp username and your paid invoice for our services
  • get a confirmation from MailChimp.

Now get your newsletters out! Promote products, generate traffic, grow sales, all without spending anything! No MailChimp account? No problem! Just go to MailChimp and set up a new account. After you place your order with us, we’ll send your paid invoice with your MailChimp username to the MailChimp guys, and they will apply the deal to your account. Please note that the offer can be applied once per MailChimp account and it can only be redeemed towards email related orders only.

Successful companies rely on email campaigns because they work. Rely on The Site Slinger as your MailChimp Expert and unleash the power of email marketing for free for three months. It’s time to rock the inboxes!!

The Hottest Web Design Trends For 2015 So Far

Let’s take a look at some of this year’s most crucial web design trends. Each has its pros and cons, so choose from them wisely.

The best design advice one can ever receive is to never follow a trend blindly. First, check if each feature suits your industry and audience. Does it help you get your message across? How can you benefit from it? Here, I’ve collected some of this year’s most crucial web design trends. Each has its pros and cons, so choose from them wisely.

web-design-trends

Mobile-Friendly

Making your site responsive and mobile-optimized became more important than ever, especially after Google rolled out its recent ranking algorithm update. It’s not just about RWD. It’s about rethinking your website’s look and feel. The trend is fast-spreading, but how often do clients order from you using their smartphones? Maybe it’s better to make sure your site looks stunning on larger screens?

Hidden Main Menus

Hidden-Main-Menus

Due to mobile screen limitations many websites hide their main menus on mobile devices when making their websites responsive. You can also see this element on many desktop site versions. Unfortunately, this solution is not quite user-friendly. Some of your audience may have difficulty finding it or understanding the icons. Sometimes, a more old-school way is better.

Scrolling vs. Clicking

scrolling

Scrolling is much more convenient than clicking, especially on mobile devices. That’s why there are more websites with long pages and several screens of content. In some cases the whole website is turned into a single page. Such designs are often quite convenient for users, but they may become a real problem for SEO. Take SEO requirements into account. Maybe adding another page is not so bad?

Ghost Buttons

Ghost_Buttons

Ghost buttons are great. They are not quite call-to-actions, but rather a subtle way to attract users’ attention. To avoid being unnoticed, check the overall page layout from a usability point of view and test the visibility of your buttons.

Large Background Images and Videos

Background-Images

Yes, appealing, large background visuals add a powerful and elegant look to your site, yet not everyone goes for it. Why? First, such elements can be quite heavy and may overload browser cache. Second, in some cases texts and even whole menu items and menus become invisible because of the color scheme of the background image.

Oversized Typography

Oversized_Typography

The bigger, bolder, better type was the trend of 2014 and it has maintained its popularity. It’s an efficient way to grab your visitors’ attention. It’s especially great if combined with large background images and ghost buttons. Just don’t forget about the copy. Your message should be short, catchy, and smart.

Storytelling and Interaction

Storytelling

Speaking of content, sometimes words are not enough. Let your website tell your story. With fancy animations and fun interaction ideas, you will make your clients say, “Wow!” This is not going to be easy though. Be prepared to compromise on things like accessibility, cross-browser compatibility, page loading times etc.

Trends come and go. The best thing to follow is common sense. Be careful and listen to yourself. Keep an eye on your competitors and get inspired with the leading brands, but remember that the main goal for most websites is to serve business needs of their owners (generate leads and sales) and not just bring fun to the visitors or win design awards.

Top 10 Free HTML Templates with PSD Included

When it comes to building a website from scratch, many bloggers prefer ready-made HTML templates. Why? It’s simple, just fill in the blanks with your content, and your site is actually ready to go.

When it comes to building a website from scratch, many bloggers prefer ready-made HTML templates. Why? First, it’s simple. Just fill in the blanks with your content, and your site is actually ready to go. Next, high-quality HTML templates are compatible with all the modern browsers.

free-html-templates

Here, I’ve hand-picked some of the finest site templates you can find. All of them are absolutely free. Most of them are responsive, easy-to-navigate and integrated with social networks. Furthermore, each one includes source PSDs so you can make some design tweaks if you want to. Read on for more details about each template and remember to back up your site before installing the template, after you choose the one you like best. This is only a just-in-case measure.

Free HTML5 One Page Template

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Demo | Download
The first free HTML5 template on our list is meant to create a professional CV for programmers, designers, and photographers. Designed in the infographic style, the layout contains sections revealing candidate’s skills, experience, portfolio, testimonials, and location in a built-in map. In such a way, you will get an online résumé that speaks to the point and shows your candidature to the best advantage. It’s a single-page template, so all the information is available within one-click reach. You can also complement your CV details with appealing images. To add them, the template uses the following jQuery scripts: Camera Slider, TouchTouch Gallery, and JQuery Isotop.

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Free Responsive Design Agency Template

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Demo | Download
This HTML template is developed specifically for a design agency, but it can also be easily adapted for any other company. Featuring the latest web design trends, this well-structured theme boasts a large hero area, ghost buttons, refined fonts, social media icons, and built-in map. A parallax effect will help you represent your company in a more dynamic way. In addition to its visual aesthetics, visitors will find it easy to browse through your website thanks to a dropdown menu fixed in the header and a convenient back-to-top button. Moreover, this responsive template will give you an opportunity to target people using mobile devices to browse the web.

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Free Responsive Corporate Template

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Demo | Download
Here is an ultramodern corporate website template that will help you expand the reach of your business at no cost. Clean and simple in its nature, the theme’s layout is flavored with such visual accents as hero images, large readable titles, ghost buttons, and a slight 3D effect set by a parallax scrolling technique. The theme feels formal and somewhat lively at the same time. Thanks to its fully responsive layout, your site will be accessible to any customer, should it be a user of a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.

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Free HTML5 Template for Dance Studio

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Demo | Download
This free HTML5 template is a perfect option for various organizations, particularly dance and music recording studios, sport clubs, cultural centers, etc. Its content organization is based on a comprehensive presentation of different kinds of information, e.g. the studio history, staff and classes, to name a few. The content is embellished with effective visual knacks such as streamlined fonts, purple UI elements, and cool images incorporated into the layout with a Camera Slider and TouchTouch Gallery. In general, this uncluttered theme presents a balance of elegance and simplicity.

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Free Responsive HTML5 Theme for Photo Site

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Demo | Download
Consider this magnetic HTML5 theme to create a striking photography portfolio. Its design represents the golden mean between reserved and relaxed styles, which makes it a versatile solution for any creative professional. A dark palette, ghost buttons, large background image with a blurred effect add a chic touch to the template. Valid coding of this vibrant theme will ensure faster performance of your site and its easier customization according to your preferences.

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Free HTML5 Theme for Religious Site

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Demo | Download
If you run a religious website, this is a perfect HTML5 theme for you. Gentle shades of purple and red set a soothing tone in the overall design and add a sense of spirituality to it. Purple also visually separates content blocks, making it easy to perceive different information that is wisely arranged across the template’s layout. Scrolling through it, visitors will learn about the mission of your organization, upcoming events and other details. The theme is very easy to navigate with its thought-out structure, fixed menu bar, and back-to-top buttons.

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Free HTML5 Theme for Marketing Agency

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Demo | Download
The following HTML theme is designed for companies involved in marketing, finance, insurance, consultancy, or almost anything that crosses your mind. The strong focus on content and orientation towards users are two fundamental principles that the developers of this theme followed when working on its design. Eventually, they came up with a clean, mobile-friendly layout balanced with vibrant graphic elements and supplied with handy features.

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Free HTML5 Theme for Architecture Bureau

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Demo | Download
If you are eager to refresh an architecture-related website, check out this free HTML5 template. It is clean, minimalistic and has an intuitive navigation. To showcase your projects in close-up, you can take advantage of Carousel & Owl sliders. Due to the responsive nature of the template, its well-defined layout can be scaled to parameters of various devices, from ultra-high resolution displays to smaller smartphone screens.

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Free HTML5 Theme for Entertainment Site

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Demo | Download
This is a festive, entertainment-related HTML5 template. It has lively visuals and some nice hover effects. It can help you showcase your party planning ideas, recent events, and even testimonials, which will let you seem more persuasive to potential customers. Responsive design of this theme will provide impeccable viewing experience for people visiting your site via mobile devices and desktop computers.

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Free HTML5 Theme for Cleaning Company

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Demo | Download
This HTML5 template is designed for a maintenance service, e.g. cleaning, laundry, home repairs, etc. This tastefully simple theme is also enhanced with images in a slider at the top and carousel gallery at the bottom. With neat social icons, you can unobtrusively inspire the audience to subscribe to your profiles on Facebook, Twitter and other networks. What’s more, this well-coded theme will enable you to build a future-proof site that will be easy to maintain and fine-tune to your business needs.

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As you can see, all of these free HTML templates are pretty sweet and have some handy features. For more freebies and inspiration, visit the Template Monster. These guys have decent templates powered by various engines (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, PrestaShop, OpenCart, etc.) and their themes can be a nice fit for a wide range of business niches (art, cars, fashion, education, religion, real estate, technology, etc.). See for yourself!

AUTHOR’S BIO: Nick Campbell, the author of this article, is fond of writing posts on various subjects, particularly web design, e-commerce, social media, marketing, business, and education. He has been involved in the content creation sphere for more than two years. Nick is primarily focused on covering modern trends of a certain industry to help his readers keep abreast of the latest news. If you don’t want to miss any brand new achievements in the mentioned topics, follow Nick Campbell on !