Directing the Website Viewer’s Attention

Negative space refers to the space surrounding the main subject/object in an image, picture or photograph. Artists have long known that negative space can make the subject stand out or get lost.

On the other hand, positive space refers to the space the subject/object occupies.

Achieving a balance between positive and negative space that is aesthetically pleasing is what graphic designers and artists typically aim for. Also, when marketing your product, there are main images and text that you want as the main focus. They should grab most of your viewer’s attention.

Positive Space to the Extreme

Some puzzles, such as the game “Where’s Waldo?” are great examples of positive space taken to the extreme. Below is an example where you can see how the items the girl is trying to find have gotten lost in the pile of objects occupying the positive space.

How Negative Space Can Create a Dramatic Effect that Draws Attention

In contrast, putting a solid dark background around the subject/object can make the object stand out and completely engage the viewer’s attention.

Variation Can Break Up a Sea of Text

Have you ever opened up a website that was a sea of text? Paragraphs and paragraphs of text or long paragraphs with little to no variation are what we’re referring to here. The amount of text is overwhelming and sends viewers clicking away to other websites.

Through the use of different paragraph sizes, subheads, bullet points and varying fonts, interspaced with images and empty space you can transform a boring sea of text. The page can evoke emotions in the viewer that they will associate with the product.

Colors can also add variety that makes a design element stand out. The call to action “Contact Us” button created in a different accent color creates a contrast with other elements on the page and can jump out at the viewer.

How Cramming in a Few More Messages Can Ruin the Layout and Focus

All too often, clients want to cram in one more money making message. They see “wasted” space and want to be sure all of it is used. Unfortunately, when a boatload of messages hit a viewer all at once, viewers feel bombarded. They typically click away without grasping any of the messages. Hence the saying: “Sometimes less is more.”

There are times when viewers are looking for lots of information. For example, they bring up a newspaper, The New York Times. It’s jam packed with positive space, lots of text. However, even the New York Times has now added a header at the very top of the paper that makes use of negative space. When we brought up the site, that header had a center image with a black background showcasing the newspaper’s Logo and tagline that said, “The truth is worth it.”

What website is in your world of imagination?

Web Perseverance is a web marketing company. We help businesses create strategic and productive marketing on the Internet.

Location Based Marketing

When you do a search, what do you type into the search box? Well, it depends on what you’re searching. If you’re going to purchase something from an online store, you probably just search the store name. Convenience is at the touch of your fingers, and your purchases arrive without even having to leave your home.

However, let’s say you’re looking for a lawyer to represent you in your divorce. First you type in “divorce lawyer.” If you live on Long Island, you’re not going to want to travel all the way to New York City or Connecticut or New Jersey. Having a California divorce attorney pop up won’t be very helpful either. So you type in “divorce lawyer Long Island.” A number of directories and law firm websites pop up. Even better, wouldn’t it be great if the attorney were close by so you didn’t have to drive too far. At this point you get more specific and type in “divorce lawyer Huntington Station, Long Island.”

The beauty of life in today’s digital world is you don’t have to be sitting in front of your desktop computer either. You can pull out your iPad or mobile phone and do the search wherever you are.

What Does Geographic Location Mean for Business Websites and Web Content?

Thanks to changes in Google’s search algorithms, people typically see search items pop up that are close to their IP address.

Web developers have been savvy about including business location in website content for some time now, but in recent years, the tools have only gotten better. Google My Business has made online marketing even easier and more direct.

What Is a Google My Business Account?

Google My Business enables you to upload information in Google about your business, such as:

• Your location
• Contact information
• Website domain
• Hours of Operation
• Professional photos of your location

Potential customers or clients can find you on Google Maps and when doing a Google search for your business.

For decades, businesses have used marketing and advertising to get the word out about their services and products.

The good news is that today’s online marketing opens up many avenues to market your business online — whether through websites, social media, online searches or other tools.

Marketing professionals can help you maximize your marketing efforts.

What type of marketing is in your world of imagination?

Web Perseverance is an Internet marketing company. We help businesses create strategic and productive marketing on the web.

What type of Video is in Your World of imagination?

Video Marketing: Put Videos on Your Website and Attract More Visitors

Videos make websites more effective. What better way to tell a story? Even if you have a 2-minute video (the preferred video size), your video can still tell a story.

Telling stories is the current trend in websites, and the sophisticated name for this is “brand storytelling.” Throughout the ages, mankind has loved stories, and many have been passed down from one generation to the next. According to Forbesmagazine and other marketing sources, brand storytelling is the future of marketing.

Big screen cinemas and television have set the stage for today’s videos. At this time, we are a visually focused society and enjoy moving pictures with sound. A video on a website is the next best thing to being there.

Statistics Support the Popularity of Website Videos

According to the website called Impact, here are some noteworthy statistics about videos:

• Every day 75 million people in the U.S. watch videos
• When you mention “video” in an email subject line, the click-through rate increases by 13%
• People watch 50% of all videos on mobile devices
• Internet video traffic will comprise 80% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2019
• The most engaging videos are videos up to 2 minutes long

Which Should You Use? YouTube or Vimeo?

The two most popular video platforms for websites are YouTube and Vimeo. Critiques of both video platforms say that deciding which one is best depends on how you’re using it. Some of the Pro’s and Con’s are as follows.

• YouTube is free, and you can upload unlimited videos. The default video length limitation is 15 minutes, but you can easily extend that limit. YouTube reaches a larger audience than Vimeo and has a community of more than 1 billion users (one-third of the Internet users). The down side is that YouTube is not a good platform for hosting private videos. Suggested videos come up at the end of the video, and you cannot disable this feature.
• Vimeo offers an ad-free video platform. Vimeo also offers a free plan. However, its limits are 500 MB storage per week and 25GB a year. Various plans have monthly rates for greater storage space and other features. Vimeo has a much smaller audience than YouTube, but even so, it reaches more than 170 million users. It has a Groups feature where users can create and participate in groups. You can keep the videos private, which is ideal for instruction video classes and paid services offered through videos. You can also limit sharing videos and share only with users you follow and password protect the videos.

What type of Video is in Your World of imagination?

Why Hero Images and Minimalistic Designs Are Working

Hero images look like they are here to stay and for good reason. As more and more consumers are searching the web through mobile devices, designs need to be simple and direct. Scrolling is in, and putting "everything above the fold" is out. In fact, cramming everything into the area “above the fold” is long gone.

What Is a Hero Image?

Hero images are large images used on home pages. A hero image is an image with a message. It grabs attention. It offers value. It offers a solution. It instantly provides clarity about what the website is offering.

Why Do Hero Images Work?

They work because you only have a moment to grab the viewer's attention. If you don't, the viewer will click away to another website.

Research studies show that viewers quickly form an opinion about a web page based on visual appeal. How quickly? Within 50 milliseconds!

The second the viewer looks at your hero image, the image acts as branding for the site. Images can evoke appeal, certain emotions, customer trust or peak interest. And they do all this in an instant.

Examples of Hero Images that Work

If you know the product and the value it offers, you can show an image that conveys the message.

Take a restaurant, for example. Perhaps you would use an image of the inside of the restaurant with lots of people eating. This would put focus on the ambiance and show the restaurant is a popular spot. Or you may highlight the food, and the hero image could contain a delicious looking flame broiled steak dinner or some other featured dish.

Selecting hero images is a customized task, unique for the particular business.

Take a look at this New York restaurant’s website, Bobo, and see how quickly you get its message.

Depending on the image and content, designers often slightly darken images so the message is readable. Here is an example.

Omnit is a business in a totally different industry but it makes good use of the hero image.

Minimalistic Design

You have no doubt heard the expression “less is more.” The trend today is to tell a story with pictures and content, but include space in the layout so the viewer doesn’t experience information overload.

The following is a stunning site that does just that: Twin Dolphin

What type of hero image is in your world of imagination?

Web Perseverance is an Internet marketing company that helps businesses create strategic and productive marketing on the web.

Attorney Advertising is subject to numerous rules set by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the New York State Bar Association. The New York Rules of Professional Conduct have sections that specifically address web design and online marketing.

While the New York Rules of Professional Conduct is broad in scope, our team at Web Perseverance is familiar with the particular rules that apply to web marketing. We have provided Internet marketing for many law firms during the early stages of web marketing and up to the present.

Pre-Approved Websites

We ensure that all of the content and design for any website we create is pre-approved by the lawyer before launching the website. We have incorporated this practice into our web design based on the following New York Rules of Professional Conduct:

Under NY Rules 7.1 (k), attorneys or the law firm must pre-approve all advertisements.

Pre-approval applies to advertising in websites, blogs, chat rooms, list servers, emails, instant messaging, banner advertisements, pop-up advertisements, pop-under advertisements, search engines and other internet-related presence. [Rule 1.0(c)]

Restrictions for Factually Supported Statements

You have possibly seen attorney websites that claim to be the top in their field or tout the idea that they are better at obtaining compensation for clients than other law firms. They use superlatives like “the top,” “the most,” “the most prestigious,” or other marketing language that businesses can get away with in other industries. However this type of marketing promotion can get law firms in trouble in the legal profession.

The following rule specifically prohibits this type of advertising:

[12] Descriptions of characteristics of the lawyer or law firm that are not comparative and do not involve results obtained are permissible even though they cannot be factually supported. Such statements are understood to be general descriptions and not claims about quality, and would not be likely to mislead potential clients. Accordingly, a law firm could advertise that it is “Hard-Working,” “Dedicated,” or “Compassionate” without the necessity to provide factual support for such subjective claims. On the other hand, descriptions of characteristics of the law firm that compare its services with those of other law firms and that are not susceptible of being factually supported could be misleading to potential clients. Accordingly, a lawyer may not advertise that the lawyer is the “Best,” “Most Experienced,” or “Hardest Working.” Similarly, some claims that involve results obtained are not susceptible of being factually supported and could be misleading to potential clients. Accordingly, a law firm may not advertise that it will obtain “Big $$$,” “Most Money,” or “We Win Big.” (New York Rules of Professional Conduct, Page 173, section 12)

We look out for our clients’ interests and work diligently to provide marketing that is appropriate for the client’s industry. We share your objectives to promote and expand your businesses and will work closely with you to create a presence on the web that is right for your business.

Web Perseverance is an Internet marketing company that helps businesses create strategic and productive marketing on the web.

More Lawsuits Are Emerging to Pursue ADA Violations

Website accessibility based on the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) became an issue for the Beyonce website. Media outlets featured articles about it in January 2019. A blind person sued Parkwood Entertainment, Beyonce Knowle’s management company, because the site wasn’t accessible for her.

Many business owners and people in the general public don’t think this has anything to do with them. They may think, “Beyonce is a celebrity, high profile and worth millions of dollars. People like her get sued all the time because they have fame and money.”

That may be true for small business owners with few employees. However, there is a problem with this line of thinking. It often doesn’t take long before an issue like website accessibility goes mainstream. Almost every business today has a website. The ADA is federal law that affects businesses with 15 or more employees. It is a fact that the ADA accessibility issue has already gone mainstream.

Ten New York Galleries Are Defendants in Civil Lawsuits

The New York Times published an article about a blind Manhattan resident who filed federal lawsuits against 10 art galleries. He alleged that their websites were not ADA compliant for the blind. The list of galleries that were party to the lawsuit included: Adam Baumgold Fine Art, Adelson, Agora, Albertz Benda and Acquavella. After filing a lawsuit against these galleries, his attorneys started going through the alphabet, naming other galleries that began with the letter “B.”

As it stands today, numerous lawsuits filed on grounds of ADA non-compliance exist across the nation, and the numbers keep growing. The New York Times article states that ADA lawsuits against websites tripled in 2018 over those filed in 2017.

What Types of Business Are Being Sued?

The lawsuits that allege websites are ADA noncompliant name parties that go well beyond celebrities. They include: insurance companies, colleges, moving companies, sightseeing tours, yoga studios, fashion industry companies and restaurants, to name a few.

Accessibility is a serious issue. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has an article on its website entitled “Improving Your Website’s Accessibility.” The article lists steps that a web developer should take to make the site accessible for blind people.

Are You Concerned About Website Accessibility? Is Your Website Accessible for the Disabled?

We are glad to discuss how we can make your website accessible. Contact a NY Internet marketing specialist today.

ADA Non-Compliance and The Beyonce Website Lawsuit

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit alleges that visually impaired users do not have equal access to the website’s products and services.

The class named in the lawsuit is “all legally blind individuals in the United States who have attempted to access Beyonce.com and as a result have been denied access to the enjoyment of goods and services offered by Beyonce.com, during the relevant statutory period.”

The lawsuit regarding Beyonce.com is not the only lawsuit that has been filed against website owners who were non-compliant with the ADA. As we mentioned in an earlier blog article, more than 240 class action lawsuits have been filed against businesses for ADA non-compliance based on inadequate website accessibility (according to law360.com).

What Can You Do to Ensure Your Website Is ADA Compliant?

Some of suggested features include:

At Web Perseverance, we use a website plug-in that increases website accessibility for disabled web viewers. Web Perseverance is an internet marketing company. You can see the plugin logo on this site. It looks like the wheelchair handicap logo and is located at the bottom left of your screen. Click on it, and it will display various boxes with features that help make our site more user friendly for disabled viewers.

• A keyboard key
• Bigger cursor
• Increased contrast
• Larger text
• Desaturate (the button removes color from graphics and images)
• Highlight links
• Legible fonts
• Read page (audio software button that reads the words in the navigation, content text and tag information on the page)

Do You Have Questions About ADA Website Compliance?

We are glad to answer your questions and can discuss putting this plug-in on your website Contact a NY Internet marketing specialist today.

A Brief Look Back and Look Forward at Websites

It's a fact that the world of web design and websites is ever changing. New improvements in design and technology emerge all the time.

Can you imagine growing up without being able to browse the web or carrying a cell phone with you everywhere you go?

Many of us can. But for the new generations such as iGen and Gen Z, born between 1995 and 2012, it’s unimaginable. Not having a mobile phone, not being able to jump online or text or visit a social media site is a foreign concept.

The Evolution of Web Sites and Web Design

It's been more than 20 years since computer scientist and CERN engineer Tim Berners-Lee launched the first web page in 1990.

In fact, until other programming languages and codes came into existence like CSS, php, javascript and jquery, web pages lacked graphic design elements. They also lacked visual and marketing appeal.

Today, web development has moved beyond the realm of computer science alone. Fields like graphic design and marketing have become an integral part of website development evolution.

How important is it for websites to be mobile friendly?

"Mobile-first indexing means Google will predominantly use the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. Historically, the index primarily used the desktop version of a page's content when evaluating the relevance of a page to a user's query."

Web Perseverance’s New Websites

While trends come and go, consumers want designs that reflect their company’s values. We’ve worked to make our websites unique and authentic. Here are a few recent examples:

§  Restoration Dry Cleaners. The branding for the new site incorporated much happier images. We shifted the focus from damaged materials to restoration of prized possessions. By replacing fire and smoke images and damaged articles with happy people, bright and colorful wardrobes and other images, we changed the look and feel of the site. Branding shifted from “damaged” to “restored.”

§  The Van De Water Law Firm and Sackstein, Sackstein & Lee, LLP websites incorporate hero images (large full width image at the top of the website). The viewer meets the attorneys at first glance. This emphasis brings a more personal experience to the viewer when visiting the website.

§  Anna’s Fried Dough is another new site we launched. We worked with the client’s existing logo to bring a colorful and fun feel to the site. The company initially introduced its product through concession stands at fairs but now it offers wholesale purchase as well.

§  Poseidon Irrigation grabs the viewer’s attention through its colorful logo over a sprinkler system background video with spraying water. It’s a colorful and eye-catching site where viewers receive great visuals of the product’s use.

Are you looking to boost your internet marketing? Keep up with the times and reach out to us.

Author: WebPerseverance

Author: Cindy Silver-LeClaire

Access to Counseling and Instilling Values are Key to Addressing Culture of Violence

Once again, we are collectively stunned, watching reports of a number of high school students dying on school grounds at the hands of an armed gunman. Once again we look upon the horrified faces of grieving parents, classmates and community members, shocked that such a thing can happen…and happen…and happen. Unfortunately, once again, the political bickering and backlash has begun, the finger-pointing and blaming that always takes the place of actually doing something that might make a difference.

More often than not, the finger gets pointed at the National Rifle Association and gun advocates. Sometimes, astonishingly naïve and short-sighted measures are proposed in the emotional aftermath of tragedy-the recommendation by a Kentucky legislator that teachers be armed comes to mind. We want to do something—we all want to put an end to the needless and wrenching gun violence that regularly puts our children at risk. The really tough question—what can we do?

I am convinced that we need to develop and support measures that address gun violence where it has the greatest potential to be remedied—in our homes and in our schools. How often have we heard, in the days following a school shooting, that the perpetrator was someone who had been bullied or harassed at school? How often have we read that the shooter's home life was a major contributing factor to his or her anger or rage? Why can't we implement measures that give parents resources to recognize potential problems, and that give schools the tools to help defuse potential lethal situations before they fully develop?

I know, from experience, the difference that access to counseling and a compassionate ear can have on an angry young person. I knew a young man who faced merciless verbal and emotional harassment from his peers while he was a high school student. He also had challenges at home, with a rift with his mother leading his father to throw him out of the house at an early age. He had all the attributes and all the earmarks of someone who might let his accumulating rage explode into violence against others. Instead, he found a counselor at his school, who gave him a safe place to address and overcome the pain of the bullying he faced. His counselor became a trusted friend, such that, when his relationship with his parents broke down, he went to live with the counselor and his family for a period of time. Over the next couple years, he worked through his anger, reconnected with his parents and started his own business. He became a happy and productive member of society, primarily because of the counseling that was available to him at his school.

Unfortunately, it seems that every time we turn around, fewer and fewer dollars are being allocated to any kind of counseling services in our schools. Let's put some time and money into helping our schools and our school administrators identify and address problems before they occur. Though I believe that it's just as critical to provide resources to parents and family, studies show that the vast amount of time our children spend on social media sites dramatically reduces their opportunities to learn basic social skills at home. Combine that with the fact that, in nearly 90% of household in America both parents work outside the home, and it's clear that the schools must play a role.

In the Los Angeles schools, there's a program called the "School Threat Assessment Response Team, which provides the tools for school officials to recognize the warning signs of potential school violence. Other schools have successfully used programs that teach children and young people basic social skills, including how to channel or control their emotions. We also need to provide funding for more counselors and school resource officers. Research indicates that doing so may be the best way to minimize school violence.

Let's be clear about this, though. To do what needs to be done, we have to be willing to spend some money, to commit to improving the services our schools offer. And we have to understand that, whether we have children in a school system or not, we as a community have a vested interest in the mental health and well-being of all students in our schools.