What makes a lead generation web site sucessful?

A few weeks back I announced the launch of hardscapestl.com . The site offers a wealth of information for those looking to beautify their yard with a retaining wall, patio or any other hardscape project. For the client it is a highly targeted lead generation tool.





The secret of success for these types of web sites is in the planning stage.

WHO?
Start by defining your user groups, give them names - it helps cement their unique attributes.
For the hardscape site we focused on three user groups:

• Those just starting to think about backyard upgrade and in the market for design ideas. - the Designer
• Individuals who are further down the buying path, know what they want and looking for someone to build for them. - the Do it for me
• Hard core DIYers who want to build themselves. - the Do it myself

ENGAGE
Once you have your user groups defined how do you engage them. Each of your user groups are more than likely looking for different types of information.

• For the Designer it was all about ideas and we created custom slide shows of pavers and retaining walls.
• The Do it for me are itching to get their project underway. We provided information on finding and hiring a contractor and an excellent visualizer tool that enables them to view different products in situ.
  
  
 

• The Do it Myself user is interested in the more technical aspects and a custom designed project calculator application allows then to get down to the details of their project.

CALL TO ACTION
For lead generation web sites you want to capture pertinent information about the users. Requesting information is a balancing act, making users fill in forms, and jump though hoops for every scrap of information on a web site is futile. They will be hitting that back button in no time and trying a different site. It is a give and take process, give away some information but request contact details for others.

"Download our coupon" was our main call to action on the hardscape site,  but we also tailored call to actions according to the user groups

• The Designer was offered project design tools, with download offered for free and a simple online form to receive product samples.
• Both Do it for me and Do it Myself we offered a free estimate

Understanding your user groups, how to engage them and capture their information is key in lead generation site.

New web site for Atlas Restoration Specialists

If you have a house fire, get flooded or a tree falls through your roof then Atlas Restoration Specialists is the company to turn to.They are the St Louis experts when it comes to restoring your property to its former glory.

Launched yesterday was their brand new web site where you can truly see the value of their work with some amazing before and after photographs. Learn more about their full service offerings, meet the team and even contact them directly through their pager.




2010 © St Louis Web Designer

New website for St Louis Hardscapestl.com

Launched today is a brand new website designed for HardscapeSTL

St Louis, if you are looking for a new patio, retaining wall, paver driveway this is your one stop shop.The site offers loads of information from design ideas, how to hire a contractor, installation tips for those DIYers out there and even offers a  money saving coupon. It also includes tools to help you plan out and estimate your project and even a visualizer so you can check out a product in situ before you buy.




I have a lot more to say about this site and will talk about some of the design elements next time, just wanted to get it out there!

2010 © St Louis Web Designer

Keeping your website fresh

I have been working as a web and graphic designer for 10 wonderful years now (wow!) and in that time I have noticed a few trends in clients requests.

The start of any year always brings in an abundance of requests for web site overhauls, it must be that "New Year lets get things in order" kind of thing.The revamps can be anything from simply adding  a few pages or swapping out photographs, to a completely new look and feel. It's all about keeping the web sites fresh

2010 has been no exception to the trend.

This week we re-launched Stroco.com having given it a new look and feel and updated much of the copy.The site is built around a new color palette which is more in keeping with the products they manufacture and features a section of "product placement" photographs.

Here is what the client had to say

"We are so pleased with the website…it looks really sharp! Thanks again for all your help with getting this project complete!"

There is nothing better than hearing these sorts of words from my clients!

2010 © St Louis Web Designer

A ROI Website Success Story

Anyone starting a new business venture understands the importance of having a website, it can be tool to showcase their products or services, streamline their business operations or act as a lead generation platform.

Depending upon the complexity of the site it can be a sizable investment and the return on investment (ROI) is high on the agenda for any savvy business owner.

Last year we launched for a website for Ruth Hasser, a St Louis wedding Officiant and she has seen a huge increase in her business as a result.
Here is what she has to say

"Last year at this time, pre-website, I had one wedding scheduled for 2009. By the end of the year I had done 25. Right now, I already have 17 weddings scheduled, and I have been receiving an average of one lead per day since the beginning of January- outstanding!"

You gotta love those leads!

The site ranks very well in the search engines thanks to excellent search engine optimization (SEO), a successful link building campaign and Ruth's regular blog posts.

2010 © St Louis Web Designer

Zoe Feast Web and Graphic Designer

I have an usual name, Zoe Feast. That's Zoe with a long "eeee" sound at the end and Feast pronounced Feast... as in Thanksgiving Feast. It really is that easy!

As a self marketing project I have made use of my name and launched ZoeFeast.com today. It follows the lines of a " business card website", inspired by this great blog post. A simple, one page portal to my networks and company.

I broke away from my Indigo Image corporate brand image for this project and enjoyed the creative freedom.

What unique aspect do you have with which to market your business?

2010 © St Louis Web Designer

Great words from a client.

I thought I'd share a great testimonial I received recently:

"We selected Zoe and her company Indigo Image after meeting with several website design companies. Our choice was fully validated by the Big River Associates logo and website that she created, and by our experience working with her through this process. Zoe is the consummate professional, clearly laying out the project stages and the timeline from the beginning, while at the same time patiently accommodating changes along the way. In particular Zoe interpreted our intentions, and designed a very clean, quick website that is easy to navigate, while at the same time incorporating a slide show of nature pictures to highlight in a more interesting and pleasing way some key service offers. We look forward to continuing to work with Zoe from time to time, to ensure that our site is current and relevant, and we are very pleased to recommend her work."

Eric Sigurdson

www.bigriverassociates.com

New web site for St Louis Roberg Tax Solutions

What better way to start the week than with the launch of a new web site.
If you are looking for tax assistance in the St Louis area visit Robergs Tax Solutions


The site is built on the Word Press CMS system for which we built a custom template. What's more is that this project was turned around in just over a week. If you need a web site in a hurry we can help!

2009 © St Louis Web Designer

Web Design Testimonial

I received a another great testimonial from one of my web design clients recently:

“Zoe was wonderful to work with. We had interviewed a handful of different web designers before we found Zoe. Her portfolio was strong and she seemed to understand our need to reach customers and offer a site that combined simple navigation, a lot of copy, and impactful photos. We were pleased to find that she could also help us with the site's search engine optimization. Zoe guided us through the website building process with good direction, a lot of patience, and quick responses to questions.”

Erica Ogden
Goley Insulation, Inc.

Thanks Erica for taking the time to write this!

2009 © St Louis Web Designer

Need a custom blog? A showcase of our blogging Clients

Looking for a custom blog? Already have a web site and want to add a blog but need it to integrate smoothly within your site?

We can help. Take a look at some of our custom blogs.

What's New with Cynthia Reeg


Goley News



Loomis Brothers:Featured Items and News



Ruth Ellen Hasser: Wedding Officiant




Pharmaceutical Sales Job Spotter



Throttleblog


2009 © St Louis Web Designer

Website in progress: In St Louis, need a new patio?

We have just won the contract to create an exciting new web site to assist users looking to beautify their yard with a new patio, retaining wall or any other Hardscape feature.

The site will be targeted for the St Louis market and will launch early 2010, in conjunction with TV and radio campaigns.



© 2009 St Louis Web Designer

New website for St Louis based Big River Associates

Launched today is a new web site for Big River Associates. They offer a wealth of business expertise from Corporate Strategy to Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions to Team Building and can leverage their experience in a wide variety of business disciplines.




Based on a custom designed, clean template with a palette of cool blues and grays the home page pops with a vibrant slide show featuring the key expertise of the business. Easy navigation allows the site visitors to transverse effortlessly through the site.

The web site is the latest brand elements developed for Big River, earlier this month I wrote about the creation of their logo and Stationery set.

New web site Goley Insulation

This morning we launched a brand new web site for Goley Insulation.

The site features a wealth of information on types of insulation for both the residential and commercial customer and with a well thought out navigational structure users are able to quickly zone in on their area of interest. Engaging photographic imagery, application videos, plentiful resources and a news blog allow Goley to interact with their customers on a whole new level.

New website for Tramar Contracting

I have many satisfying moments as my job as a website designer but none quite beats the launch of a new site.
This afternoon sees the launch of a brand new web site for TraMar Contracting


Its a great way to end a very productive week!

A great web site design testimonial

Today's post speaks for itself.



"I worked with Zoe when I started the entire branding initiative for our business. We needed to have our webpage up very quickly. Zoe obtained a very good understanding, very quickly, of what made our business different and how we wanted our site to look. She worked with me closely for three weeks so that we could have our site up as soon as possible. I couldn’t have been more impressed with our end result. She did a great job and is a true professional. I have (and would) recommend her to anyone seeking a webpage designer."

Megan O'Leary
Software Assistants
www.theITfolks.com

Need a website ASAP?

We need a website ASAP. This is a surprisingly common request and was exactly what Software Assistants asked of us.

Their site was launched today, less than two weeks after we began the project. The fast turn around did not mean we cut corners, we followed our tried and tested design and development process, and set an aggressive timeline for each phase. With fast client feedback and collaboration we were able to deliver exactly what they wanted. Here is the end result.

Website for St Louis wedding Officiant Ruth Hasser

The internet is an invaluable tool when planning a wedding and if you are in the wedding business, having a website which engages the "bride to be" is vital.

Ruth Hasser, a St Louis wedding officiant and celebrant, understood this and we began working with her in the design of her website in early March.

A picture speaks a thousand words and we incorporated a photograph or Ruth in action and built the site around a natural color palette of greens, browns and cream and topped it with an intuitive navigational tool.

Internet marketing was also a priority for the site and it has been optimized for the search engines and also includes a custom designed blog.


The site www.ruthellenhasser.com went live yesterday

Website first impressions: New site for Breeze Law Firm

You have one chance to make that all important first impression, are you achieving that with your web site?

The updated site we've created for Breeze Law Firm delivers a great first impression with a rich look/feel, easy to navigate interface and direct copy allowing visitors a thorough overview of the practices areas.

Visit the site a www.breezelaw.com

New Online Catalog for St Louis Woman's Exchange

Looking for unique kids clothes or gifts? Check out the new online catalog of the St Louis Woman's Exchange web site launched this afternoon.

We configured the catalog so it could be easily populated by the client, they have made a great start and there is already a good selection of kids clothes.

Web Design Updates for Indigo Image

Back in February I mentioned our web site was undergoing a freshen up. Client work always comes first so it has taken until the middle of April to roll out the changes. But today is the day!

While the overall design has not dramatically changed we have focused on usability issues. Our home page now features our RSS feed and a dynamic portfolio navigator. The entire portfolio section has been reworked and all logo and graphic design pieces are presented as a slide show format for easy viewing.

The portfolio has been split into the following sections

• Web Design - with 3 galleries of web site, email templates, landing page, banner ads etc
• Logo Design
• Graphic Design -with 3 galleries of business cards, letterheads, flyers, trifolds, menus etc
• Complete Branding - with six galleries of branding projects
  

We have also taken the opportunity to update our blog template and create a custom background for the STLwebdesign Twitter page

Web Site Testimonial from St Louis Associates in OBGYN

Hearing this kind of feedback makes it all worth while!

Working with Zoe at Indigo Image was an extremely positive experience. Her prompt communication and professionalism truly made our web page development a breeze. Not only was the development process easy for us, her creativity continues to bring our practice's best face forward. We are extremely grateful for all of her hard work and unique creative touch! Thank you!

Jessica Kliethermes
Associates in OB/GYN, Inc.

www.snowdenmd.com

Looking for a basketball camp in St Louis? View our latest web site

Launched this week is an updated web site for the Larry Hughes Basketball summer camp. Time was of the essence in getting this site online as flyers advertising the camp were being distributed and visitors were being directed to a very outdated site with incorrect information. We completed this new site in less than a week.

More user friendly and with clear call to actions was the focus or our re-design. Here is what our client had to say "The site looks fantastic!!"

Web site in progress for wedding officiant

I am currently working on a new web web site for a St Louis wedding officiant. 

At the start of any project, as part of the discovery process, I asked my clients to send me a few URL's of web sites they like and ones they don't. From the sites they send, I can get a really good idea of the looks that appeal to them and vice versa.

My client on this project did a great job picking out sites. I did a search on wedding officiants and about 90% of the sites out there are awful - bad design, impossible navigation, no call to action, unpolished and generally just yucky. 

I can gaurentee that the site created for my client will NOT be in that 90%.

New web site for St Louis' Hotshots sports Bar and Grill

Launched today is a new web site for Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill

http://www.hotshotsnet.com/index.html

With a warm appealing design, akin to walking into one of the nine locations in the St Louis area, the site features a free coupon sign up and calendar of events. A Hotshots shop will be added shortly.

Updates to our web site

We have been swamped with work this week, a big SEO project, client web maintenance, and juggling 5 design projects, so the updates to our web site I announced last week are not going to happen...just yet. They are however well underway. If I can roll them out before the end of March I will be happy.

It is good to be busy, especially in this economic climate!

New web site for Saint Louis Associates in OBGYN

Launched this afternoon is a brand new web site for Saint Louis Associates in OBGYN.

Presented with a clean and fresh look/feel, the site information is organized in well structured categories, from "Practice Areas" to "Woman's Health by Life Stage". The user is able quickly to hone in on their information of interest.

Home Page



Woman's Health by Life Stage


Visit the site at www.snowdenmd.com

New web site For Marshall Friedman Law Firm

Launched today is a new web site for St Louis law firm, Marshall Friedman.

When hired a few months back to complete this project one of the most pressing problems we had to address were the Google search results for the original site. The site had been hacked into and infected with a virus and while the virus had been removed Google was carrying a "this may harm your computer" notice on all it's search results pointing to the site. We removed all traces of the old site from the web server and installed a splash "under construction" page. Google provides a nice help section and we were able to have our new splash page reviewed. Once Google was satisfied there was nothing malicious about the site the warning notices were removed from the search results.

The new site is a big improvement over the old one, with a clean but professional design and "don't make me think" navigation, we focused on giving the user a fast easy platform to use.

You can visit it at http://www.marshallfriedman.com/

New web site for St Louis Company : Printer's Finishing Services

Launched Friday was a new web site for St Louis based Printer's Finishing Services

http://www.printersfinishing.com/




Printer's Finishing Services, Inc. design, produce, pack, and ship custom temporary, and semi-permanent displays and it was only fitting that we featured an abundance of their highly visual media on the web site.

Our first new web site launch for 2009

Today saw the launch of our first web site for 2009, Loy Lange Box Company www.loylangebox.com

Loy-Lange Box Company is a full service corrugator and custom box manufacturer located in Historic Soulard in St Louis, MO

Pharmaceutical sales web site

We have just finished redesigning a web site for Pharmaceuticalsales.com and launched it yesterday to coincide with the publishing of the 10th anniversary edition of “Insight into a Career in Pharmaceutical Sales 10th Anniversary Edition” by Anne Clayton
Visit the site at http://www.pharmaceuticalsales.com/

New development in The Central West End St Louis

I have updated one of our clients web sites, www.embrace4449.com today with some photographs of a recently completed construction project in the Central West End. The project included the renovation of an old building into condos and the building new Townhomes.

Check them out at 4449 Olive StreetCentral West End, St Louis.

For this project we created the logo, building banners, web site and brochure.

New web site for Heli Inc

This morning saw the launch of a new web site for Heli inc, a leading provider of news gathering helicopters. www.heliinc.com

The site features a great selection of photographs including a paint gallery which showcases the company's paint facility and ability.

Web Site Project in Progress

We are currently working on the design of a new web site for St Louis box manufacturer Loy Lange Box Company.
The site is due for launch in the fall.

Web site in progress for St Louis OBGYN Practice

We are currently working on a new web site for Associates in OBGYN




The web site will offer an infomation pool for new and current patients. It is due for launch in the fall.

A web site makeover: Tiger Tables

Last week saw the launch of a new web site for tigertables.com.


Tiger Tables is in the business of selling actuarial software and offers a demo version for evaluation. Delivering an easy "don't make me think" approach was our focus during the design phase, and we utilized bold navigation on the home page to attract users to try the demo or buy the product.

The overall site design was targeted for a more upscale, professional look compared to the original site.

Business owner Larry Katzenstein had this to say:

"Thanks again for all your help. I love the way my new site looks."

We are being published in a new design book!

One of our web site has recently been selected to feature in a new design book, Market Smart Design. It will be published by Harper Collins in Spring 2009.

"MARKET SMART DESIGN Great Design Examples Created Specifically For Target Markets.
A smart, new graphic design bookfocusing on market segmentation."


The site we created for "The Rockwood" , a senior living community, will feature in the Baby Boomers category.

During the entire design process we kept a high level of focus on the target audience of the site. It features an important usability option allowing a visitor to easily adjust the size of the type on the page.


We are delighted "The Rockwood" has been selected for publishing!

New web site for St Louis Woman Exchange

Last week saw the launch of a new web site for The St Louis Woman Exchange

http://www.woexstl.org/.

We evolved the design of their original site and created a completely new navigational tool. The new site features a more user focused home page with funnels to three main offering of the exchange, a childrens boutique, a gift shop and thier famous tea room.

The web site is configured so the client can easily update by themselves.

New Web site for Manufacturer of Aerospace Shims and Brackets: Stroco

Launched this week is a re-designed web site for Stroco Manufacturing.


Stroco Manufacturing, Inc. manufactures and assembles shims, brackets, nut plates, terminal boards, cover plates, receptacle strips, and other metal products for the aerospace industry and high precision industries.

The web site focuses on delivering the information to the user as quickly and easily as possible with the home page funneling users to specific products or services.

Visit the site at http://www.stroco.com/

Web site for New Mexican Restaurant

Just launched is the web site for Kirkwood's best Mexican Restaurant, Amigos Cantina.
If you like mexican food then you will love this restaurant. Visit the web site to explore their menu then jump in the car for a trip to Kirkwood to sample their delights.
www.amigoskirkwood.com

New web site for St Louis development

If you are looking for a St Louis loft appartment or Town House, check out one of our latest web site http://www.embrace4449.com/

The site details the floor plans of a luxury condo and Town house development in the central West End.

The web site is the latest brand element we have created for this project. Next come business stationery and a brochure.