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Tampa Florida website design

Looking for a Florida Website Designer? Cost Isn’t Everything.

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What’s Your Plan for Finding Small Business Website Design & Marketing Services?

With more small businesses opening in 2022 comes the need for affordable small business website design and marketing options. If you’re new to setting up and managing a small business which includes managing your company’s website, you may not know where to begin. Choosing a Florida website designer or web design company can be an easy decision OR… it can be a painstaking process. We’re here to help small business owners make intelligent, informed decisions.
This begins with taking the time to communicate with you.

We cannot stress enough the importance of being able to communicate with your website designer. Asking questions shouldn’t be off putting, nor should you be rushed through a website design process. Equally as important, your website designer should also be asking you a variety of questions. Not doing so should signal problems or their lack of desire for communication which can lend to poor results.

Looking for a Florida Website Designer? Cost Isn’t Everything.

Don’t Forget to Ask Questions.

Tampa website designers

 

Whether you need a new website developed, website redesign services or you’re looking for a website marketing & SEO company in Tampa Bay who will provide website maintenance and search engine optimization, you will want them all to be good communicators. It makes perfect sense to ask questions of the person you will be entrusting your company’s website and website security to. Here are a few recommended questions to begin with:

 

 

 

 

 

Questions You Should be Asking Your Tampa Florida Website Designer

  • Do you sell hosting and templates or do you actually design my website?
  • Do I have to host my website with your company?
  • Does it really matter who I host my website with?
  • How long have you been designing websites?
  • Do you have any professional references or reviews?
  • Do you build my website ‘live’ or do you provide me with a “mock-up” first?
  • How long will it take for my website to be developed and launched?
  • Who will be responsible for optimizing my website content and data?
  • What is the process in which you optimize my website and do you include image meta data?
  • Are you a content provider or do I have to provide the content?
  • Can I manage and maintain my own website once it’s launched?
  • What if I need help with learning how to manage my website?
  • Do you offer website maintenance and marketing services? If so, what is the cost of website maintenance or WordPress website maintenance and SEO ? Will I have to sign a contract or is it mandatory recurring monthly charges?
  • Can you provide us with ranking results or reviews of other customers’ websites that you have designed and maintained?
  • Can I take my business elsewhere? Meaning, can I move my website and content to another hosting company or website design firm?
  • When I need website support or if I have questions, do I have to submit a form and wait for a response– or can I call or email someone directly?There are so many more questions that you could ask and we hope you will! When inquiring about website design services in Florida, the obvious questions such as the cost of website design packages and the value of the site that will be developed for you– is usually insufficient, so dig in!

What Questions Should Your Tampa Website Designer Ask You?

We take pride in being quite straightforward, but we’re friendly and patient too! We take the time to get to know what your needs are and ask our clients and potential clients A LOT of questions. Perhaps that’s why we enjoy that 5 star rating! Wondering what those questions are? Just give us a call and ASK US!

website design tampa seo

Google on Images, Quality Content

Posted by | Google Best Practices, Website Design | No Comments

Website Content Optimization

For decades we have been discussing the importance of the proper optimization of small business websites.  Optimization should not be an afterthought and it  is paramount to address and implement it during the development stage and prior to launching.

seo company tampa florida

Image Publishing Guidelines for SEO

When we speak of optimizing website content, this includes image optimization. Google’s John Mueller recently provided insight as to how the search engines see and consider images when determining overall website content and quality. Image optimization isn’t simply compression but it includes meta data that permits the search engines to see the images and translate them into optimized content that helps your website rank well.

Pay Now or Pay Later 
Many website designers can present an aesthetically pleasing, functional website.  All too frequently however, they are missing a crucial step in the development process. What you don’t see can hurt you and this is why we focus on designing websites that follow Google’s Best Practices. Optimizing your content needs to be done and should be done before your website is launched or you’ll have to go back and complete that task at a later date. We are still surprised when small business owners call us for SEO services and we have to optimize content that should have been optimized in the original build. This is a costly mistake many small business owners make simply because they lack the knowledge to know what they’re expectations should be from their website designer.

Google is Ever -Changing but Content is Still King

Google has rolled out thousands of small changes and major core updates over the past few years. With every major update we have noted that one thing holds true– Content is still king.

Healthy websites are very important so keeping your site up-to-date by performing regular website maintenance tasks will keep you ahead of the game when rollouts do occur. Focus on site speed, security and engaging content for your customers then follow the recommended best practices with regards to onsite optimization.

Website Designers & SEO Experts

Tampa SEO and Website DesignBay Area Graphics & Marketing  has decades of experience developing highly optimized websites at an affordable price. Teaching our clients about website design and search engine optimization is important to us so you can invest in your website and online presence with confidence.

For more information, call 813-778-9548 or leave us a secure message below.

 

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    Florida small business website services

    Choosing the Right Small Business Website Services

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    The Future of Your Small Business Begins with Choosing the Right Website Services

    As a small business owner, your revenue is directly connected to your website and your online presence. We understand the importance and influence your small business website has on both the consumer (visitor) and the search engines.

    When considering website design services or marketing solutions, you should consider every detail to ensure success. Here are the most important decisions you will have to make to ensure the future of your small business:

    • Choose the right hosting company. **We do not recommend combining your hosting with your web development/developer.
    • Make sure that your website designer understands optimization. A business website that looks good must also be properly optimized prior to launching.
    • Decide what type of commitment you can make to promote consistency in maintaining and marketing your site considering both your time and budget

    You Don’t Have to Sacrifice to Get an Affordable Small Business Website

    If you have tried a DIY approach using web builders or even WordPress and you are stuck, you’re not alone. When WordPress first came out it was plausible for some people who had limited knowledge of web design to figure out the basics. WordPress has changed in leaps and bounds and you really do have to have a working knowledge of website development.  From your WordPress installation to WordPress plugins, themes and security, it is highly recommended to work with a web design firm to get you off to a good start.

    Nice Looking Website Templates.. How Bad Can it Be?

    There is truth to the fact that there are plenty of nice templates offered with web builders. But, depending on what route you take, web builders can be highly restrictive to the growth of a small business. Once you figure out that you need more features to manage and promote your website properly, that’s where web builder themes, templates and bundled services become problematic. Generally speaking, when you choose this option, you are paying for hosting. The templates are provided as a “selling point.” The most frequent complaint we receive from clients who used web builders, was that they were locked into monthly fees that never ended and costs increased to get the functionality they needed. In essence, they weren’t just paying for hosting, they were paying for a site that wasn’t truly theirs because they didn’t own the license to the templates. If for instance, they wanted to move their website and contents including their theme or template to a WordPress platform it wasn’t possible. They could keep their domain name but would lose their website and have to start all over again. In short they never truly owned their website files and would have to pay every month for the “extras” rather than owning their website by paying one time for the development, while keeping their hosting separate.  **This is how bad it can be and why we do NOT provide bundled hosting and only recommend hosting companies that we know will suit our client’s needs.

    WordPress Website Maintenance & Updates

    When you opt for a WordPress website, after it’s launched you must perform basic updates on a regular basis. This is true with any website. This is not “updating” as in adding new content which is also crucial if you want your website to rank well and to remain engaging to your visitors.  WordPress updates, plugin updates, theme and other changes that may be unique to your website need to be preformed fairly regularly.

    If you are not familiar with WordPress or content management platforms, we can teach you how to do the basic updates.  Most small business owners simply don’t have the time to maintain their websites, so we’re here to help as needed. If you have already attempted to self manage your website and you need WordPress troubleshooting services Bay Area Graphics & Marketing offers affordable, flexible website maintenance and SEO solutions that are geared towards small business owners. You really can afford these services without getting locked into contracts and services that you may not need every month. Keep in mind we bundle our website maintenance with SEO so that you can get a better return on your investment.

    Contact Bay Area Graphics & Marketing 

    The success of your small business website is up to you. Begin with an affordable, professional website design package and then opt for our Pay as You Go SEO Services for maintenance, marketing and optimization. Learn more about our website design packages and SEO pricing by calling 813-778-9548 or email us for a no hassle quote.

    Read: Avoiding DIY or Bundled Website Design/Hosting Services

    Tampa web design, SEO, marketing

    Florida Website Design & SEO Services Kept Simple

    Posted by | SEO, Website Design | No Comments

    Tampa Website Design, SEO, Marketing – Focusing on Simplicity

    At Bay Area Graphics & Marketing, we’ve always had a simplistic approach to website design, Search Engine Optimization and small business services.  Our focus? Customer satisfaction. As small business owners since the 90’s we first considered what we needed and wanted.  Then, we asked small business owners what they wanted once their needs were fulfilled. Their needs boiled down to being able to obtain affordable website services, loyalty and dependability. In short, they wanted simplicity.  Small business owners didn’t need the cheapest web design services in Tampa, they needed quality web design and SEO services that they could easily afford. They wanted a website design company who was dependable one that would help to make their business run a little smoother. Affordable website, marketing and design services with an emphasis on transparency and simplicity. We began by taking a minimalist approach to our own needs which helped to reduce costs that would otherwise be transferred to our customers.  Why does any of this matter?

    The Trend Towards Simplicity and Minimalism in 2018

    While researching online trends in 2018, what we discovered was that consumers searched for and were being drawn towards more simplistic approaches to just about everything. From minimizing space, to clothing to becoming more self sufficient. The trends also were towards learning how to relax, which often meant finding time to relax. In a nutshell, we couldn’t help but notice that people are clearly reaching out to cure and reduce the stresses of managing their business and personal lives.  But, we also realized, this wasn’t a “new” trend. We knew this to be true decades ago when we asked consumers what they wanted and needed from a web design and marketing agency. Although we were building our Tampa web design and SEO business in the late 90’s, by asking consumers we understood that small business owners were already stressed about the complexities of what the internet meant for the future of their small business. We felt the need to reduce that stress while using our talents. Back then, the cost of a small business website was astronomical and many small business owners were being left behind. We truly couldn’t understand or justify the high prices that web design firms were charging. We deduced it to “because they could.” Website design firms were different then, and they had a need to cover the cost of impressive office spaces, staff and their own massive advertising costs. Initially, people who could afford it were willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for s simple website.  We took a different approach, a simplistic approach. So how did simplifying things work out? Well, we’re still here decades later and some of those top agencies that were around then, are long since gone.

    Quality in Simplicity

    There is quality to be found in simplicity, and less is very often, more. What does it have to do with our services? Well, these are services most small business owners need on a frequent basis. Many business owners are hard wired to deal with complex situations and some often create difficulties where it they don’t yet exist.  I think we have all heard the old phrase “keep it simple stupid” or “less is more.” Let’s go with the both of these. People have a tendency to complicate matters that are not complicated. Or, they complicate things they may not understand. Simply put, that’s not wise or in the case to follow, decent.  Frequently, small business owners in our industry and others, will complicate and confuse matters –on purpose. Example: We’ve heard many stories of other firms convincing the consumer that the sky is falling.  If the sky is falling, the person complicating matters was surely the only one who can stop it from falling and their fee to stop it will be comparable to the task, right? After all, it’s the sky, and it’s falling. What’s worse, is finding out that the company you trusted actually caused the sky to fall, only to charge you to fix it. See how that works? Sadly, it works for falling skies, a fall in website ranking, a broken website– or just about anything.  In this situation less of that way of doing business is surely more. We keep things simple by being honest, fixing what needs to be fixed, and by keeping troubles at bay so our customers can focus on other matters –like having time to relax. 

    IF the Sky Actually Falls, You Won’t Need Our Services

    Look, as small business owners we know that when things become too complicated, it eventually takes a toll on everyone.  We also understand having worked closely with small business owners for decades, that the daily grind of operating a business can be complicated.  It is the nature of the beast. Our goal when working on our client’s website design projects or their search engine optimization and marketing is to keep focused on what is important and true. Give our clients what they need and want and work methodically towards solutions to problems that may arise. We keep the necessary website services affordable while keeping the process easy for customers to understand. We do not insist on contracts because we do not need to. If an SEO or web design firm makes you sign a contract that locks you in to services for months or years,  you most likely need to start looking for the hidden fees or reasons behind it. (Usually it’s in small print in the form of “price per keyword or phrase” or location or hosting or other additional services.) We offer affordable website design packages and Pay as You Go SEO services which keeps the process of search engine optimization and website marketing simple. If you need to focus on ranking for multiple keywords, we’re already on it. We also combine our services into one, so for instance, if you have a WordPress website, and you need WordPress maintenance or updates, we’ll take care of those for you as part of our SEO service. We won’t make it complex, up-sell our services or create problems (like falling skies). Because let’s face it, if the sky actually does fall, you surely won’t need our services. 

    Saving Time, Money, Energy in 2019 

    Moving into 2019, we believe the trend towards simplicity will remain as it did in the 90’s and in 2018. We believe more small business owners will continue to search for ways to simplify their own lives which means making changes in their business relationships. This may include making some changes that will result in saving money, time and energy. These are all good and positive things to aspire to. We will continue to keep our process of developing small business websites that rank well, easy and affordable. Our SEO service and web maintenance services will continue to be straightforward, without complicated rules, price structures or questionable short-cuts that can actually cause problems, rather than positive results. Trusting that your website services are in the hands of focused, experienced professionals will allow our customers to spend more time to search for additional ways to create harmony, simplicity and success in their business. 

    “Simple can be harder than complex, you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end, because once you get there, you can move mountains.” Steve Jobs

    Let us help you simplify things, so together, we can move mountains! 

    Tampa Florida website services, search engine optimization services

    Telephone: 813-778-9548

    Email: info@affordable-webdesigntampa.com

    DIY web builders

    DIY Website Design and Why You Should Avoid It

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    Small Business DIY Website Design

    Florida Small Business Owners Avoid Costly Mistakes

    Small businesses are always looking for affordable website design options and who can blame them? With the cost of running a business, we know that every penny saved counts. But, when it comes to areas where you should cut costs, you shouldn’t neglect asking yourself what the return on your investment, or lack thereof will be.

     “Affordable” Web Builder Services

    Cutting costs by using the various web builders or “all in one” website design and hosting service options has proven disastrous for the majority of clients who have come to us for help after having chosen this route.  We have countless stories of wasted time, money and effort by small business owners. Imagine, spending a year or more trying to get your site built and RANKING on the web, only to realize you made a huge mistake.  Sure, some of these templates these companies offer look nice, but the functionality and capabilities do not. This is where the “up-sell” comes in, and where you will realize your necessity for other web design solutions.

    One big issue with many of these DIY web builders, is that if you decide to host your website elsewhere, you simply cannot do so. Sure, you can copy and paste your content (text) into your new website on a new platform, but for the most part, what clients are being sold with free websites or web builders is hosting with some website templates thrown in to entice the user. We always recommend keeping your hosting and your web designer separate as by doing so, they will avoid many problems that come along with combining the two.

    wordpress web design tampa bay flIs WordPress a Web Builder?

    WordPress is a content management platform that is free to use. WordPress uses themes, but it is not a web builder. You can host a WordPress website with any host of your choice, although we do recommend some hosts over others. A WordPress website is very different from the web builders such as what you get with WIX or Godaddy and are far superior depending on your designer. DIY website design using WordPress can be difficult at best for most, however, once we design a WordPress website for our clients, providing they have the time and willingness to learn, we can teach you how to make simple edits and even manage the basic aspects of your website. If you need help after we’ve launched your site, we have affordable pay as you go options to help you to maintain, update and market your new website.

    Are WordPress Websites More Affordable?

    Because we charge a one time fee for a WordPress Website Design, once this fee is paid and your site is launched, you pay only for your hosting. This cost will vary depending on the host that you choose. Our minimum website design package is a 6 Page website design package, which start for as little as under $1000.

    Learn More:
    WordPress Website Design Packages
    Choosing the Right WordPress Theme

    Read:
    DIY Website Builders

     

     

     

    tampa florida website design offers

    Tampa Florida Website Design Special Offers and Coupons

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    Website Design Special Offers

    Bay Area Graphics & Marketing has Florida small business budgets in our focus and have since 2001. Providing small business owners with affordable website design and SEO and marketing services while maintaining quality and customer service is what we continuously strive for. We do this by extending special offers and discounts off small business website design services, SEO services and graphic design services. (YES, we do that too!)

    Coupons Small Business Web Design Services, Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey

    Below is just an example of how we keep your budget in mind. Our website design packages are already priced right for any Florida business. We know that every dollar counts thus, we find ways to save you money on design and marketing services that are necessary to the success of every small business. For example, every Wednesday is Web Design Wednesday at Bay Area Graphics & Marketing! Every Wednesday we have a special offer for website design services which can include:

    $100 OFF WEBSITE DESIGN PACKAGES & E-COMMERCE WEBSITE DESIGN SERVICES

    Below you will find our current special offer that takes $100 off any of our website design or e-commerce website design packages. Remember, Bay Area Graphics & Marketing provides “full-service” website development services. We aren’t selling hosting and throwing in templates for “DIY” websites. In fact, many of our clients previously used these types of web builders, and aside from not passing the website optimization or search engine ranking test, these sites are restrictive and generally lead to more expensive plans. Just mention “100OFF” when you purchase any of our website design packages

    Web Design Wednesday,  Tampa Bay

    #WhatsupWednesday – Every Wednesday, we offer discounts and special offers on any website service.
    Contact us for our current discounts on website design and  website services.

    Website Design Discounts Tampa Florida

    If you’re interested in our special offers, or you would like a custom quote for services, please reach out to us. Call 813-778-9548 or simply email us. We’re confident that you will be pleasantly surprised at our “truly” affordable small business website design and marketing services!

     

    You’ve Launched Your Website Now What

    Posted by | Website Design, Website updates | No Comments

    What to Do Once Your Website has Launched

    So your website has just launched and after the excitement wears off you will hopefully be ready forTampa, Pasco County Website Design the next steps. Depending on the type of website you have and the industry you are in, the answer may differ. Additionally, the tasks could be much more extensive if your website developer neglected to do some of the more obvious things, such as including the proper meta data, alt tags for images, analytics or other “optimization” tasks. You should always insist that these things are included and completed prior to launching your website. Unfortunately, far too often they are not. Below you will find a few basic steps you will need to take once your website was launched properly :

    Those are very BASIC tasks that you must perform once your website is launched. We cannot stress enough how this can vary, however.  Making sure your website is responsive and mobile friendly, adding schema or optimizing your website properly is something we do regularly for newly launched websites.  Some of the most neglected tasks that should have been included prior to launching your website are as follows and are included in our website design service.

    • Ensuring Meta Data is Correct and Thorough
    • Optimizing images for search engines and speed
    • Set up Analytics and Webmaster Accounts
    • Create and/or submit Proper site maps to Google
    • Check for problems with copy or site structure
    • Testing forms
    • Checking site security

    Launching your new website is exciting and reaping the rewards that comes with a good website maintenance service Floridamaintenance and marketing plan is even better. In short, make sure you don’t neglect your website for in doing so, you won’t realize the maximum return on your investment. If you are doing all of the things  you think you should be doing, and yet you still can’t seem to get ranking, feel free to reach out to us. We have the experience it takes to troubleshoot problems that are often overlooked and at an affordable price.

    Learn more: Call 813-778-9548 or email us for a quick response.

     

    Tampa wordpress website design

    What WordPress Site Owners Learned

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    Accommodating Florida Small Business Owners With WordPress Website Design Services

    Some years ago we began to accommodate our customer’s demand for WordPress websites. As a Tampa, Florida website designer who for years developed websites the “old way” we quickly became aware of the perks and the problems of WordPress and wanted to make sure our customers were well informed about their choices. This was especially important to us because many expressed their desire to use WordPress simply so they could perform their own edits. The thoughts of “DIY” website updates, web maintenance and marketing was an attractive perk for business owners who believed they could save money by self-managing their sites. Many found that the alternative do it yourself website options were restrictive, unattractive and horrible for ranking. So they looked to WordPress as a great alternative and we sought to accommodate those needs.

    What Our Clients Learned About WordPress WebsitesTampa wordpress website design

    Like just about everything, WordPress had it’s “quirks.” Customers found that the technical side of WordPress could be mind–numbingly confusing.  From theme choices, data-bases and plugins, widgets and security, the DIY WordPress option appeared to keep business owners fairly reliant on Website Developers. However, we sought out to help minimize that reliance. Small business owners who wanted to learn the basics found our help. And we still help those who have the time to learn the in’s and outs of some of the most crucial things they need to know about their WordPress websites.

    Starting with The WordPress Theme

    If we design your WordPress website, the first thing we’ll ask you to do is to choose a WordPress Theme. For most small business owners, having a custom theme designed is just not in their budgets. However, finding and choosing a theme isn’t as simple as “Oh, that looks nice.” There are a host of criteria that one should examine before purchasing a WordPress theme and an experienced Web Designer will help you learn what those are. Choosing the wrong theme can be the first bad choice you can make–and it can cost you. When applicable, we show our clients what to look for and why it matters and do so without lengthy dissertations or too much “techy” verbiage. Why? Because if and when a customer needs or wants to cut ties with us or other designers, we want them to be equipped with knowledge that will help them manage their sites properly. Switching themes “Willy-Nilly” editing theme files or even using the wrong plugin can be a recipe for disaster and that’s never good for business.

    Self Managing Your WordPress Website

    We offer a second bit of advice— If you’re going to manage your own WordPress website, be sure you completely understand and implement security on your site. You should learn how to back up your website, both the content and database and update WordPress, Themes and Plugins regularly. Guiding our clients so they understand the basics of WordPress helps them to fully understand the depth of self-managing. Learn more about updating your WordPress website or contact us for help.

    Who Really Has Time to Update Their WordPress Website?
    Often, customers hoping to save money and who have chosen WordPress as their CMS  realize fairly quickly that they don’t have the time to maintain their website properly. It doesn’t take very long for a website to become problematic, meaning; updates are not performed, security is a mess, and marketing simply went by the wayside. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.  Who really has time to do it all?

    What WordPress Site Owners Learned

    The root of the problem for most small business owners is finding affordable WordPress web design and website maintenance services. Bay Area Graphics & Marketing understands this and has made it easy and affordable for Tampa Bay business owners to obtain affordable website updating services, website maintenance, SEO and marketing services. We actually work with clients to offer them what they need, when they need it and at a price they can afford.

    If you’re a small business owner who just can’t find the time to do everything, reach out to Bay Area Graphics & Marketing for friendly, reliable WordPress website maintenance and marketing services.

    Tampa Web Design and Development
    Contact Us.