Tag: web development | Data49 Design

Website Design Made Easy

August 29, 2016

One of the major difficulties in being a website designer is the reality of dealing with code.

All that php, jquery, ajax and css are necessary to current day website development. Responsive design is also a must because of the many tablets and handheld devices in use. Being able to turn out an attractive website, to create visual appeal, just isn’t enough to remain competitive. You need code.

For our part, we have had to make learning code a priority. Through trial and error, online courses, forums participation, and practice, practice, practice we have developed a competitive level of working knowledge. We can take a website from concept to completion.

Now having said that we would also say, there is an easier way. Instead of spending countless hours learning and perfecting code application, or sharing out of your profits in order to contract a programmer, make use of the visual editor available in the Nositeunseen network.

Being able to turn out an attractive website, to create visual appeal, just isn’t enough to remain competitive. You need code.

Nositeunseen is a fully managed WordPress hosting system. On that part, it means they handle everything that has to do with maintenance and security from the Apache server to the smallest plugin. They call it the network that “just works”, and rightly so. Website operators – and designers – just log in and use it. That’s all.

For designers, this is our favourite feature. The visual editor. It’s a combination of page layout and style designer. Drag and drop page components to create any number of combinations of widgets and modules. Or select a complete, pre-made template and build an entire page or post in a couple clicks, then just tweak the content.

We put together a short video for the network where we got to play 🙂 The visual editor has the style designer and drag and drop layout creator under the same roof – create a layout and then tweak the styles. The visual editor can be moved out of the way when working on layouts and the layout editor can be dismissed when working on the styles.

The entire time we were developing, the needed code was being inserted in the background. While we were busy visually editing we were also adding php functions, and jquery actions, and writing media queries. We did all this while we were just doing the part we like best, designing.

Check out Nositeunseen network and see for yourself how they are your next best strategic partner in bringing your website design business to that next level.

Nositeunseen
the network that “just works”

More Themes – More Skins

August 23, 2015

We have added three new themes and four new skins to our selections providing 43 unique starting points for website development.

Website owners can now choose from the addition themes Ambiance, Sixteen Nine, and the 411.

New skins include Freshly, Inspire, Lefty, and Storefront.

And once again it might be asked, what is the difference between a theme and a skin?

A theme could be considered complete in its default state, needing only the placement of widgets and navigation, and setting of theme options. It can also be further developed within its general layout.

A skin would not be considered complete as the layout and styles require further development. It is much more flexible than themes, however. Where themes are developed within the confines of its default layout, skins can be taken in most any direction of styling.

If a theme comes close to what you are looking for in a website, that is the better starting point for your project, but if the themes don’t seem to be what you’re looking for then a skin is the best starting point to deliver the final look you envision.

Get Started

Use the Project Evaluation form to tell us a bit more about your project. We’ll review and provide a cost estimate and timeline for your review. It’s free to request and will NOT place you on any list for further emails.

There’s a “Browse” menu where you may view the themes and skins. The main menu at the top of the pages remains consistent across all demos.

Three New Themes

March 10, 2015

We have made three new themes available in our selections, and that creates 35 unique starting points for your website development projects.

The Café Theme is perfect for restaurants, cafes, bistros and most any food and drink business or organization. But don’t be limited to just that as all our themes are flexible and can be coded to reflect your business offerings.

The Altitude Theme provides an attractive landing page with long scrolling that allows telling your business story all in that first page. Who you are, what you offer, how visitors can take part can all be available in that first page landing.

And the Studio Theme, our most recent, is a gentle styled theme just waiting to be enhanced with your specific brand and features. Add your portfolio or just blog. This theme is a great starting point for most any expression. So …

Get Started

There’s a “Browse” menu where you may view the themes and skins. The main menu at the top of the pages remains consistent across all demos.

Recently Added:

New Themes Available

December 9, 2014

We have added three new themes to our selections. Website owners can now select from 24 different themes, and 8 different skin layouts, when choosing a starting point for their development.

theme So what is the difference between a theme and a skin?

Get Started

There’s a “Browse” menu where you may view the themes and skins. The main menu at the top of the pages remains consistent across all demos.

Recently Added:

Data49 and WordPress

September 13, 2014

At Data49 we have always provided a complete web development service, and now focus on the WordPress blog software.

We have enjoyed the versatility of this open source application and easily extend it to a full content management system. And as it is open source, it is free to download, free to develop, and free to use. That equates to a substantial saving in development costs!

visit WordPress.org

Although the Data49 web development services are primarily focused on business applications, that is inevitably inclusive of organizations, clubs and any web presence that has a product or message to offer. Business is a process that includes logical progression, or workflow. By utilizing the WordPress framework and its thousands of available plugins we program and build the Internet presence that expresses your interests and conveys your message.

WordPress Quick Facts

Here are a few well stated reasons* we have chosen to focus our development on WordPress:

There are well over 60 million installations of WordPress worldwide. This number is growing everyday
Over one-sixth of all websites worldwide are powered by WordPress.
More than 50% of all sites that use a content management system are powered by WordPress.
Over 30,000,000 searches are made on Google each month for WordPress related terms
WordPress is a completely free to use application built using an open source content management system.
WordPress is built by volunteers. Hundreds of people from all over the world work on developing and improving WordPress every day.
WordPress is regularly and continually updated to improve both its functionality and security.
WordPress can deliver your content online to visitors worldwide. WordPress has been translated and localized into over 73 languages.
There is virtually no limit to what you can build using WordPress. The WordPress repository currently makes available thousands of free plugins, themes and widgets to WordPress users.

*(Credit: Redhead Business Solutions)

Web Development

September 11, 2014

Web development will declare your brand, but it will also impose its own!

Your website is, or will be, one of millions across the Internet. It’s a single office unit, located in a multi-unit building, in turn located in the business core among many other buildings. So when a visitor happens to come to your door …

… who you are, what you do, what you offer – the answers to these questions declare your brand, and the ease of their availability imposes another brand. Effective web development maintains consistency between both.

When a visitor follows the link of your domain name – that is your front door, your introduction, and your elevator speech. In that moment a visitor can stay, investigate further, ask questions – or move on with disinterest, or frustration.

Developing a consistent visual language that expresses your brand requires attention to three important facets:

1. Internet position
A hosted location and domain name pointing to that location is your virtual storefront, office building, meeting room. This is where potentially millions of visitors can discover who you are and what you offer. The reality, however, is many, many websites are undiscovered and unknown – but not because of their Internet position.

The Internet is a complex web of interconnectivity – it is compiled specifically for the purpose of revealing its various components, and to share the information it houses. Setting up your website makes it a part of a system that broadcasts by its very design.
Domain name – reliable hosting – solid website framework … and you’re broadcasting!

Hiding a website, or moving it to obscurity, takes effort – effort that resists what Internet position is intended to do by neglecting Website presence.

2. Website presence
For all intents and purposes – your website is you. How visitors and prospects will tend to think of you is from their first encounter with your presence online. This is where the efforts that can lead to obscurity really begin.

Website presence is not designed to do the broadcasting – but it is designed to be broadcast. Whatever your first impression is, it will be carried along – attracting and inviting similar impressions to eventually make the imposed brand, your brand. Your website needs to convey reliability, competence, and relevance in order to foster trust.
Reliability – competence – relevance … and you’re broadcast!

“My brand is a trusted brand.” Sound good? Then the user experience must also be good. Visitors should feel comfortable on your pages – with the freedom to leave when they choose, and the confidence to stay when they choose. So why do visitors choose to stay? The site is solid and secure, the content is conveniently arranged, the product is something most everyone would need, but…

3. The 99 cent turkey, et al
Over the holidays and at points throughout the year grocery stores offer the 99 cent per pound turkey. It has no profit margin – it’s an inducement, a gift, with the intended hope that customers will shop further. It’s the reason shoppers decide to stay longer, and a reason they decide to return. And it’s most often the starting point of regular shoppers who have made that store part of their routine.

Your product, service, message – that’s your mainstay which keeps you operating. You believe in it, and you are well versed in it – so let it sell itself. Instead of being a multi-page ad, or ongoing infomercial, your website should be drawing in visitors, and enticing them to stay so they can end up seeing for themselves just how awesome your mainstay is. Your 99 cent turkey is your knowledge, experience and passion related to your mainstay – it’s your site content. Share that with your visitors – they will find it useful – and you will find yourself becoming a part of their routine.

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