In my last post (“The Importance of Content“), I referred to the problem of “too much text”. Personally and professionally, I love to read – but even for me, when I encounter a website that consists of a wall of text, my gut reaction is “ugh, too much information”. As I pointed out in the previous post, too little information can be a problem for search engines, but too much information can be a problem for humans. When it comes to […]
I had an interesting conversation with a client recently. He had hired a company specializing in SEO to try increasing traffic to his website. One of the recommendations was to remove all of the written content from his Home page and replace it with images. I explained that while this might add visual appeal, it would certainly result in reduced traffic. He decided to give it a try and had me remove the content. My prediction was correct and the […]
Mobile devices have become the driving force for recent changes in website design. Handheld devices with small screens have created a demand for responsive design; layout that changes automatically to suit your device type and screen resolution (see our blog post titled Responsive Web Design: The Silver Bullet for Mobile-friendly Websites?). This means Web Designers and Developers are on the lookout for new ways to present information that will work on both large and small screens. Enter the “one page” […]
I was chatting with a client the other day and casually mentioned the idea of displaying random ads on his club’s website to generate some income. His response was “What does random ads mean?” I was surprised by the question but I suppose I shouldn’t have been. The “random” display of elements on a website is used all the time, but the fact that something has been displayed randomly is invisible to the website visitor. So, I guess a more […]
I had a conversation with a new client recently. His employees have been encouraging him to “get a website and join the 21st Century“. He said “I guess they’re right, but we’re already really busy and I’m not sure we can take on more business right now“. It’s true – having a website can generate more business – but it can also work for you by reducing your workload. This particular client receives a ton of calls from prospective customers […]
Blogging can be a great hobby. A growing number of bloggers are taking to the Internet to share their interests by writing on a wide range of topics. The WordPress CMS blogging software is flexible and easy to use so we recommend it for anyone interested in starting a personal blog. To learn more about WordPress blogs, visit our post “Blogging Software“. People who start a blog are usually the folks who enjoy writing, educating, helping or just connecting with […]
There has been a lot of buzz lately about Responsive Website Design. I’ve recently read several articles suggesting responsive design is the future of the Web and without it, sites are not truly mobile-friendly. What is responsive design, and does it live up to the hype? Let’s start with some historical context. In the early days of the Web, computer monitors were massive, but the screens were quite small. To accommodate small screen size, website layouts were narrow. As screen […]
If you’re considering having a website designed or redesigned, selecting a Web Designer is just the first step. Imagine you have just commissioned a painting. The artist will need to know what you have envisioned – portrait, landscape, abstract… A Web Designer is like an artist staring at a blank canvas. You really don’t want your Designer jumping in without any guidance from you, especially if you are working to a deadline. In most cases a Web Designer will start […]
We recently conducted an experiment. It wasn’t the kind of experiment you read about in the daily news. It was more of a “oops, I wonder how long that tub of yogurt has been hiding at the back of the fridge” sort of experiment. Several years ago, I had a bit of spare time, and a few ideas, so I started writing articles for the Black Cap Design website. A few months later, I noticed a big improvement in our […]
For people who are new to WordPress, one of the first questions that arises is “what’s the difference between Pages and Posts?” The next time you’re poking around the administrative dashboard of your new website, have a look at the navigation menu. You’ll see several tabs including a ‘Posts’ tab and a ‘Pages’ tab. If you click on each of those tabs in turn, you’ll notice the settings for pages and posts look pretty much the same. You can create […]
How many times have you arrived at a website and asked yourself, ‘ok, now what am I supposed to do?’ Many people jump to the conclusion ‘geez i must be really dumb if I can’t figure this out!’ when the unfortunate reality often points to a poorly planned and executed design – what I call the ‘user interface’. In my work as a Web Designer & Developer, I visit a lot of websites. Out of necessity, I’ve learned to quickly […]
When we recently launched the redesign of the Black Cap Design website, I remember thinking ‘this wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago’. I’m referring specifically to the use of open fonts. The distinctive look of our new site is due in large part to the use of open fonts. In fact all of the fonts you see on this page are open fonts! Until (roughly) 2010, the Web supported just a handful of fonts. The reason? To work, […]
“I found this really cool image online and I want to use it on my website.” This is something we hear quite a bit when we’re designing or updating sites for our clients. I had a professor at Fleming College when I was studying Web Design there who went to great lengths to stress the importance of taking copyright issues seriously. I took her advice, and in turn advise my clients to take it seriously as well. In the early days […]
Before launching Black Cap Design, Pat and I both worked for not-for-profit organizations. We also have experience as volunteers on fundraising committees and on non-profit Boards of Directors. This gives us insight into the unique challenges social service agencies face when it is time to design or redesign their websites. We developed this PDF checklist for our not-for-profit clients to help them identify some of the common decisions they will need to make. This list also includes steps that will […]
Are you considering having a website designed or re-designed? Page layout is something most end-users seldom think about. People are likely to have a “yuck!” or “hmmm nice” reaction to a given website, and don’t give it much more thought. Good page layout keeps visitors at your site. Nothing gets people running for the exit doors faster than bad layout. So, what is page layout? Simply put, it’s where stuff is placed on your site’s Web pages. It’s a bit […]
If you’re like most people, you’ve been thinking about having a website developed for a while. And, like most people, you’re wondering where to start. We’ve compiled a list of 5 important things to consider to help you get started. Answer these questions and you’ll be well on your way. Make sure to jot down your answers. It will help when it comes time to consult with us about planning the construction of your site. 1. What is the purpose […]
Writing Web content is easy right? Actually, one of the most common challenges people face when creating or updating their website is the written content. Here are some tips to help with crafting effective written content for the Web. Before you begin writing ask yourself: Who will be visiting my site? What is the likely purpose for the visit …what are visitors going to be looking for? How can I make it easy for them to find the information they […]