Here at PalmettoSoft, we primarily provide Search Engine optimization (SEO) services: that is, analyzing and revising a website’s content, links, and structure in order to help its pages perform as well as possible in keyword searches. However, we also provide web design services, which can be extremely helpful for a company that doesn’t yet have a website (or one that has a far-outdated one that requires a complete overhaul). That’s because the optimal time to begin SEO activities is during the web design process itself. Building in keyword optimization, great link networks, and a user-friendly navigation structure during the website’s construction is much quicker and more cost-effective than applying those activities after the website is already built.
Our web design method makes use of themes, a great tool that accelerates the process and allows us to bypass many of the most time-consuming, expensive elements of the traditional web design process. In this blogpost, we explain what themes are, what they are not, and why we rely on them to design efficient, powerful, great-looking, and search engine friendly websites for our clients.
What Is a Theme?
Every part of a website, whether it’s a contact form, a blog, an interactive calendar, a live chat window, or an ecommerce storefront, is the result of a complex code. Writing that code to create a great website is a lengthy process requiring extensive training. A theme is a framework that has all of that basic code already written, a blank slate on which our designers can overlay your company’s graphics, color schemes, written content, video, and other elements. The theme is fully customizable, so you are not locked into a cookie-cutter structure or design. It’s more like our designers start with the basic coding that every website needs, then pick up at that point to tailor the site to your company’s specifications.
Time is Money
For some companies, working with a full-service web design firm to build a website from the ground up is within their budget and timeframe. But for the average small business looking to launch a great-looking, mobile-friendly website that will quickly gain traction in the Google search rankings, purchasing and customizing a theme is a much more affordable and time-sensitive route. To the average Internet user, there is no perceivable difference between the two, so why pay more for the same basic outcome?
As we mentioned earlier, building a new website and starting SEO activities at the same time gives the site the best possible start with the search engines. That’s one of the biggest reasons to work with an SEO provider that also provides web design, rather than building a website and then hiring an SEO consultant to optimize it for search engine performance.
Will My Website Look Generic?
One of the concerns that a potential client may have about using themes is that it may look like every other website out there, lacking the unique touch of their company. The reality is that practically every element of a theme is customizable. Our team can make any adjustments necessary to fit the theme into your company’s voice, not the other way around. Another important reality is that a visitor to your website really has one goal: to find the information he’s looking for and determine whether or not your company can fill his need. Your site probably doesn’t need to be an extravaganza of creativity; it just needs to tell the visitor what he wants to know and give him an easy way to get in touch with your company directly. A theme certainly allows you to speak with your company’s unique voice, and our team knows how to make that happen. But we also put a priority on the simple, clean look that we believe is the future of successful web design. Smartphone and other mobile device users, in particular, will thank you for provide a site that is easy to read and easy to navigate.
Start on Your New Website Today
Giving your business the effective website you’ve always wanted for it doesn’t have to be a grueling process. Our team’s expertise is at your disposal, ready to choose a theme, fit it to your company’s message, and begin building a great online presence for your company.
