web design - Tag Archive

Careers in the ICT Industry

1 Reply MattRawlings

A lot of University students will be turning their attentions to their long-term futures over the coming months with millions graduating from their courses this summer. As a result the demand for jobs is likely to increase and, as we all know too well, the number of positions available is far outweighed by the number of applicants.

This can cause many job seekers to get disheartened and end up working in fields that have no use for their skills or abilities. The whole three years at Uni can seem like a complete waste of time, while the debt continues to rise making you even more frustrated!

For those completing computer or media-related courses, the opportunities are always on the rise, with more and more brands looking to move into the online space and with those that are there already trying to expand wherever possible. Traditional newspapers and magazines are moving into digital sectors and many companies and brands are looking to develop their existing websites or to create new ones that will help them to grow their brand identity.

This means that even if you had your sights set on a career in PR or journalism, for example, you could be presented with a series of opportunities that are not exactly what you may have wanted or what you had considered previously but could suit you to a T. For instance:

Web Design

You might have been the sort of person who loved coming up with innovative designs and you spent every spare few minutes you had doodling on pieces of scrap paper to stay entertained and develop your skills. The graphic design industry is one that’s difficult to get into, but web design is a sector that is growing rapidly.

As the demand for game-changing websites continues to grow, more and more creative people are needed. If you have knowledge of how websites work as another string to your bow, you might find your true calling in web design.

SEO

Google SEO Ranking Chart

SEO is a rapidly growing industry, and is now a major global employer.

Search engine optimisation has turned from a small acorn into a mighty oak in the past decade or so as a result of technology and websites developing. Site and company owners all want to reach the top of the search engine results for specific terms and phrases so that they get as much business as possible. The higher up the rankings you are, the more likely you are to be seen and that is their target.

To do this, you need experts who are capable of implementing a series of strategies to help find their way to the top. Anyone with knowledge of how sites work, meta descriptions, link building and other forms of “tech wizardry,” can get into SEO a growing and ever-evolving sector.

Common Reasons Online Business Startups Fail

9 Replies Debra Johnson

It seems like starting a website should be easy enough – there are almost unlimited free online resources spouting off advice, it can be relatively cheap to launch a website, and, naturally, you have the best business idea for your website. So why is it that so many website startups fail?

1. Low Quality Web Design

One of the biggest mistakes that web startups make is having poor web design. Your website is the most important aspect of you company so why would you skimp on that? The overall design of your site is what initially draws people in, it’s what their first impression of you as a company is, so having a solid website design is crucial to your success.

2. Poor Content

In the same respect as low quality web design, having poor content on your site will be a huge turn off to people. To retain visitors you need to be able to provide content that wows them. You want to show anyone and everyone that visits your site the best you have to offer, so why would you fill your site with uninteresting or poorly written content?

3. Poor Marketing

Google SEO Chart

Google is one of the best places to start your online marketing – both simple SEO and paid ads are are good place to start.

You can have the best website and the best content in the world, but if no one ever sees it then it won’t really matter, will it? You can never retain a customer if you can’t even catch their eye to begin with. This is why it’s imperative to spend ample time marketing on social media, through email campaigns, and through traditional marketing routes. You have to be willing to put time and money into your marketing scheme to achieve the best possible outcome – after all, you reap what you sow.

4. No Passion

Picking a niche market just because you think it will be profitable is one of the worst reasons to start a business. You have to actually be passionate about what you’re trying to make money off of, otherwise it’s going to be a lost cause and people will be able to see right through you.

5. Not Enough Funds

When you don’t allocate enough money for a startup company, you run the risk of forcing the company to fizzle out because you lack the proper funds to keep it going – or worse, you risk driving yourself into debt.

Get rich quick schemes rarely work in life and the same holds true for web startups. The road to success can only be reached by hard work, dedication, and money. So if you’re contemplating launching a startup business, make sure that it’s something you really want to do, otherwise you’ll be doing your potential customers and yourself a disservice.

The changing usage of technology in business pitches

1 Reply MattRawlings

Making an impression can make the difference between success and failure. The ability to present either a prospective business partner or investor with a document or product that is professionally designed and of the very highest quality will either seal the deal or do a lot of the hard work for you. So many times people go into business meetings in an attempt to seal investment or new business and leave empty handed with the quality of their presentation often to blame.

Presentation projector in a meetingWith new business proving to be vital for companies in order to continue trading and expanding, the time has come when only the best will do. After all, more and more people are looking to seal the same contracts as you are and if you can find a method of standing out from the crowd, aside from your professionalism, the quality of your pitch and a list of high-flying client case studies then you’ve got a foot in the door.

When it comes to making these presentations, the traditional methods of printing off a few pages using your office printer with branded pages and a slightly more fancy cover page are a thing of the past – well, they are if you want to succeed. Nowadays it pays to invest in the very best technologies available, with firms such as Upper Case Design & Printing Cork offering to do all of your promotional work for you, so all you have to worry about is saying the right thing in the boardroom.

These services can be a huge weight off the mind of those going into the meeting, especially with so much on the line financially in difficult time for businesses of all sizes and all industries. If you can get someone to create high quality designs and marketing campaigns for you, like the graphics on your company website – which is often the first port of call for a lot of business partners and clients who may be considering working with your firm – or creating a DVD documenting some of your finest campaigns, even showing how you go about your business; then you’ve done a lot of the hard work in an exciting way that is likely to really engage with your VIP-audience, as that is how they should be viewed.

People looking to invest their time or money into your business want to be presented with professional-standard information and resources from professional people. You cannot take your business to the next level without going the extra mile yourselves and that involves investment in the latest technologies.

Times are changing and we are now in a world of tablet computers and DVDs as opposed to ring binders and cassettes and businesses need to adapt. A pitch cannot be won without making an impression and the best way to do this is to show that you’ve put the time, effort and money into acquiring the money or business of the people you’re meeting.