Author: Mike Lazear

Revolutionize Your Conversion Numbers with Our New Business Plans

By on December 2nd, 2018

After an exciting year of planning and perfecting our long-standing managed website hosting plans, we are proud to announce the launch our new Business Website Management Plans for our clients! These services are available for all 515 Media clients effective immediately.

These exciting new plans also include the brand new Platinum and Diamond plans which are a must for business owners who are serious about understanding their traffic patterns and supercharging their conversion rates. These new plans include custom Google analytics interpretation, advanced tracking and will give business owners a leg-up on knowing what content will help increase sales.

How Will These Plans Help My Business?

In addition to giving your website an unprecedented level of security, speed and stability, the higher-level plans are directly designed to help you increase sales. These are not just hosting plans for your sites any longer!

These plans work by utilizing Google Analytics to show how visitors are reaching your website, their activity patterns and how long they are spending engaging with your website content. The information obtained in these analytics reports can be directly customized to help you build new calls to action and sales funnels. This information is invaluable in helping you customize your content that will bring in traffic targeted to convert sales. In other words, no more random visitors to your site who click on one link and then leave your site!

Great! Can I Still Keep My Current Hosting Plan?

You can keep the current plan you are on if it is working for you. The current plans still cover any services you have already been receiving, and we plan to support these plans for at least another year. If you have pre-paid for an annual plan you may upgrade at any time (you’ll get a discount from what you’ve already paid) or you may stay on your current plan.

Another advantage of being a 515 Media client is that our older plans aren’t going anywhere any time soon for our long-time clients.

How Do I Sign Up for a New Plan?

You may sign up directly at the main Business Website Management Plans or Contact Us here. Either way, we will get you set up right away, and begin helping you really take a deep dive into driving conversions!

The Most Important Element of Good Web Design

By on April 26th, 2017

A Simple Quiz

Raise your hand if you know the answer to the question above. Do you think you have the best answer? What makes web design great?

Ok, now that you look a bit crazy sitting in front of your phone/laptop/digital connection medium of choice with your arm raised, let’s explore some potential answers. There are some good ones.

Is the most important element that a website is up to today’s design standards? Not exactly. While this is helpful and even dare I say “essential”, it certainly is not as critical as what I am about to reveal. A design should definitely not look like it belongs in the 1990’s, and for the purposes of a website experience, and even for appearing on Google, needs to be mobile-responsive.

Ok – how about that the website’s colors are harmonious, in sync and use complimentary color palettes? My apologies to our friends at Colourlovers, but this isn’t the most critical element.

Sure, both of these answers are important but neither is the most important element of website design. So then, what is the answer?

Good Website Design Solves Problems

It really is that simple.

If you own a website, it should solve a problem. Even if yours has no other reason for existence than to showcase hundreds of images of your Golden Retriever, Misty. The problem that needs solving in this case is how to showcase your dog to the world. I would argue that there are better methods to solving this “problem” than by building a dedicated website for Misty, but I digress.

To repeat: The purpose of a business website is to solve a business problem you have.

The vast majority of the time, this problem centers around cashflow/making money/earning a living or a similar goal. The website’s purpose then will be to attract customers, to buy your products, or for portfolio websites to attain credibility within your field.

An effective website design works to help solve this problem by making your products or services easy to purchase (UX design), the website easy to navigate, and look professional and attractive (UI design). Here is a great article on the difference between the two. When many new business owners envision good website design they are only picturing the latter of these two design elements, forgetting that it is critical that their website’s products can be easily purchased, that their business message is clear online, that their product’s pricing structures are easy to locate and that their merchant system is secure.

This is why when you work with us, if you have an eye for design and you fall in love with a certain color palette, a specific font, or want the buttons to be a certain size and all written in Bradley Hand, we may make alternative suggestions. This is not because we do not value your design idea. It is because we value your business success. We want your clients and your customers to purchase your products. We want to help solve your problem, which will be reflected in an effective website design.

If there is one take-home message you can remember from reading this post, here it is:

Good design looks good. Great design looks good and sells.