Month: April 2021

If you are about to embark on a journey that involves small business website design, there are certain things you have to remember. Because web design might be easy (depending on the channels you use), but it does not mean it will rise above the rest. You have to apply specific fundamentals if you want to see your website out-rank the rest. So, what are the design fundamentals? What should you know before you start your journey?

To help you get the best start, here are no less than 6 web design fundamentals you should always prioritize.

1. Know Your Audience

As a small business owner, you are already aware of how important it is to know your audience. It is critical that you understand your target market before you can sell with significant results. The same principle applies to web design. More specifically, the way you set up the website should speak to your target audience. And it does not matter what type of business you have. Whether you are selling products or services online or offline, the website needs to blend with your brand.

The lesson? Use the information you have about your audience/customers to establish a framework for the design process. Take into account what they most likely want to experience and try to make it happen.

2. Stand Out From Your Peers

If your website gets lost in all the online noise, you should not expect much in terms of traffic. Remember that many people are seeking exposure, which means you are constantly competing for higher search engine rankings. At the same time, you want visitors to “remember” your site long after they leave.

Now, you are more than welcome to use a free and basic platform to launch your small business website. You can also use a free template with limited options. But if you are serious about standing out, consider a custom design that is tailored specifically for your business model.

3. Speed And Functionality

Some of the first things online users pay attention to will be the speed and functionality of your website. For instance, if users have to wait too long for a page to load, this is bound to frustrate them. Thus, if they stick around, they are less likely to interact. The same can be said about functionality. Everything about the design should complement each other, from the colors to the overall experience.

Once again, a custom design will give you the advantage on every level. Whereas the cookie-cutter templates that are typically free will only get you so far.

4. Appealing Design

Another aspect you have to remember is that the website should be appealing. In other words, the choice of color is very important. You also want to pay special attention to the small details, such as the font styles. Essentially, there are many small elements that make up the overall design.

However, you do not want to go overboard. The last thing you want is to create a distraction from what’s really important – making a profit. Remember, what looks good to you might not be so appealing to others. Hence the reason for getting some feedback before you launch the site.

5. User-Friendly Navigation

Finally, always make sure users can easily navigate between pages and posts. This means making navigation tabs clear and placing them in the most convenient areas. A professional web designer will know all about these things. But if this is your first time designing a website, now is the time to get familiar with user habits and what they want.

You can do all of the above by yourself, or you can hire a designer to do it for you. Either way, your website needs to have these 5 web design fundamentals in place if you want online users to take it seriously.

Are you considering the idea of hiring a professional dog trainer for your pet? Before you do, ask yourself what you want your dog to learn. More often than not, you can train your dog at home with basic commands. This, of course, only applies to pet owners who have the time, energy, and patience to do training but if you’re busy and your patience and temper are short, best if you leave the training to dog experts. Nevertheless, if you want to at least try to train your dog with the basics, this post can help. There are training instructions that are super easy to follow you just have to consistently practice them at least thirty minutes a day until your pet masters the tricks. Where should you start? What commands are important? Let’s find out.

The Sit Command

One basic command all dogs should learn is the ‘sit command’. It’s one of the basic dog commands. When your dog knows how to sit it will be easier for you to control it. It’s a good first step to prepare your dog for more complex and advanced commands in the future like ‘come’ and ‘stay’. How can you do the ‘sit’ command? It’s easy but for this training, you’ll need to prepare dog treats. Get a one treat and hold it close to your dog’s nose making sure your dog knows it’s a reward. And then slowly move your hand up into the air so that your dog’s nose will follow it. By this time, your dog will be in a sitting position where its bottom is lowered to the ground. When your dog is in that position you say the command word ‘sit’ and give your dog the treat. This command is only effective if you keep repeating it until your dog associates the word ‘sit’ to a specific position and then gets a reward for doing so. You can try to test your dog by saying the command word before a meal or when you go out with your dog for a walk.

The Come Command

Aside from the sit command, it’s also important to teach your dog the ‘come’ command. This is a very helpful command especially if you lose your grip on your dog’s leash in a public place that’s deemed unsafe or if you forgot to close the door and your dog got out of the house. How can you teach your dog the come command? First, you’ll need to place a leash and a collar around your dog’s neck. Go down to its level and say the command word ‘come’ and then gently pull the leash towards you. When your dog is near you, you can give your dog praise or a treat. Again, just like the sit command, you’ll need to repeat this over and over until your dog masters it.

The Down Command

The next command is the ‘down’ command. It’s more challenging to teach but nevertheless, with patience and repetition, your dog will sooner or later master it just like the sit and come command. In this command, your dog has to be in a submissive posture. To do the dog command you’ll need to prepare a nice treat for your dog. Hold it close to its nose. Once your dog sniffs it slowly move your hand that’s holding the treat down to the floor so that your dog will follow it. Then, move your hand so that it slides down to the ground. When you do this, your dog’s body will follow it. Now that your dog is in a down position, say the word ‘down’ clearly and loud enough for your dog to hear, and then give the treat and show your affection.

Takeaway

These commands are easy and they are helpful when your dog is interacting with other animals and humans in the real world. Again, if you don’t think you’ll be able to train your dog properly, you can always ask for help from dog trainers.